COMFORTABLE WORDS. Advent ~ Christmas Schedule. DECEMBER

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1 COMFORTABLE WORDS A Monthly Communication from Holy Comforter Church Serving the Episcopal Community of Angleton Since 1897 DECEMBER Sunday Worship Schedule 8:30 AM Holy Eucharist 9:30 AM Christian Education 10:30 AM Holy Eucharist Children s Church Mission Statement All are welcome to grow with us through worship, prayer, fellowship, and service at Holy Comforter, a Christ-centered family Church. What s Inside Carol s Column Pg. 2 Parish Particulars Pg. 3-8 Sunday School Pg. 7( School Pg. 9 Calendar Pg 10 Vestry & Financials Pg 11 Advent ~ Christmas Schedule December 9 Advent Breakfast 9:30 AM December 24 Children s Pageant 4:30 PM Family Service & Holy Eucharist 10:30 PM Candlelight Service Holy Eucharist December 25 Rite III Holy Eucharist December 30 Lessons & Carols 10:30 AM Holy Eucharist [One service only] 1

2 Mother Carol s Column December, 2012 Advent is here! It s the season of expectancy, preparation, and joy. Advent invites us to by-pass the hustle-bustle of December religiously observed by even our most secular of neighbors. Instead of frantic decorating and shopping, what if we, as faithful Christians, set a different example? What if we joined other Christians in the Advent Conspiracy 1 that beckons us to: Worship Fully: because Christmas begins and ends with Jesus. Spend Less: free our resources for things that really matter. Give More: of your presence: your hands, your words, your time, your heart. Love All: the poor, the forgotten, the marginalized, the sick, in ways that make a difference. Specifically: Consider incorporating a daily reading from the Advent Meditation booklet, Henri Nouwen s Jesus, the Beloved Son, provided by Holy Comforter, found in the narthex. Consider being present in church every Advent Sunday and on Christmas Eve for worship. Consider doing your Christmas shopping from the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund s Gifts for Life Catalogue, accessed at or available in hard copy on the bakers rack in the narthex. Consider inviting others to worship at Holy Comforter with you. God s love is palpable here and our world is filled with folks desperate for Love. Consider slowing down, instead of speeding up this season, opening your heart and soul to receive and share God s holy gift of love: Jesus. Each Sunday in Advent, we continue our custom of lighting the Advent Wreath, building the crèche over the weeks with the children, and saving our Christmas decorations for Christmas Eve and Christmas season. We ll commission our Acolytes on Advent I, December 2 at the late service. Their parents invite us all to rejoice in their ministry at a reception following the service. On Sunday, December 9, we will enjoy a potluck Advent Breakfast together at 9:30 to share the joy of the season with one another. May your Advent Season be holy and blessed! Carol 1 Advent Conspiracy: Can Christmas Still Change the World?. Rick McKinley, Christ Seay, and Greg Holder. Zondervan Publishing

3 Parish Particulars Coffee Hosts for December 2 Acolyte Reception 9 Advent Breakfast 16 Cathy Helms & Paula Haenchen 23 The Mogfords 30 The Northrups Please contact Betty Mogford at if you would like to serve Save the Date! Annual Parish Meeting Sunday, January 27 9:30 a.m. (between services) A brief review of a look ahead at 2013! 9 December 2 Doris Jackson 6 Meghan McMullen 12 Pam Baron 16 George Nelson Shackelford 20 Tom Long IV 22 Bruce Taylor-Hille 23 Zane Funk 25 Sciobhan Short 30 Evette Dodge 31 John Minkert Paul Eb y Stewardship Snippets Green Tip for November Living Generously! Send e-cards or Eco-Friendly Cards: Sending ecards this Christmas season will not waste a single tree. If you still want to send a physical card, look for cards printed on 100% recycled paper or tree-free cards. This is the grace that comes from gratitude expressed: giving thanks always takes us beyond ourselves to the giver, and when that Giver is God, thanksgiving, like praise, puts us in right relationship to God, as creatures to our Creator. Br. Kevin Hackett Society of Saint John the Evangelist December Anniversaries 10 Jack & Billye Carroll 3

4 Parish Particulars Coffeehouse Theology 9:30 AM Sundays in the Parish Hall Reminder On the first Sunday of each month, all undesignated offerings are committed to the Rector's Discretionary Fund. Please give generously! Join us as we grow in faith together!! Listening to God's Voice, Responding to God's Call Save the Dates! Parish Workshops Saturday, Jan 19 & Feb 2 8:30 Workshop 9 ~ Noon Parish Workshops will be facilitated by Donna Gerold, Seminary of the Southwest Congregational Facilitator Episcopal Diocese of Texas An Invitation from HC's Senior Warden, Barbara Thomas Sandy Outreach! Please donate what you can to Episcopal Relief and Development for the victims of Super storm Sandy. If you make a donation before December 31st it will be matched by other donors. In the Gulf Coast of Texas, we know what it is like to recover from a hurricane- - Ike being our most recent example. Sandy seems even more devastating, and recovery is happening in cold temperatures as well! 4

5 Parish Particulars Find us on Facebook Newcomer Ministry GROWING IN OUR COMMITMENT 2013 GIVING BACK TO GOD WHAT COMES FROM GOD Please PRAYERFULLY consider your commitment to Holy Comforter for the coming year. The gathering of our commitment cards will be Sunday, December 2 at both services. Blessings, James and Deborah Northrup December Invitation Made Simple 1. Invite someone to join you for our Advent Breakfast on Dec Invite your friends to Christmas Eve services. (Remember any child showing up at the 4:30 p.m. service can participate in the pageant.) They do not need to be members. No rehearsal or dialog required. 3. If you still send Christmas cards to local friends, jot a note on the inside front cover inviting them to join you at which ever service you are attending. 4. Be sure to warmly welcome all who worship with us on Christmas Eve. newcomer@holycomforterangleton.org 5

6 Parish Particulars The Daughters of the King will have their combined monthly meeting on December 15 th, 10:00 A.M. in the parish hall. Refreshments will be served and all women of the church are invited. Give a Christmas gift with lasting impact!shop from the Episcopal Relief and Development Gifts for Life Catalog Available in HC's Narthex or online at HC is so grateful for our terrific Acolytes! Join us for the Acolyte Commissioning Service Sunday, December 2 10:30 Breanna Cole Kevin Cole Brook Eby Mark Eby Alyssa Fields Mason Hawkins Ben Taylor-Hille Susanna Nordin Brooklyn Short Alexandria Wartell Claire Wartell 6

7 Parish Particulars Sunday School Happenings This is an exciting time for children! Most of their thoughts run towards Santa, Christmas trees and lots of presents rather than quiet, expectant waiting. The pressures of the season tend to make us adults impatient and crabby. Our children will be watching and listening to us what we say and do and what we fail to say and do. Now is the perfect time to practice patience Advent is for Waiting! Date Lesson Story Teller Door Person 12/2/12 Advent is for Waiting Linda Kim 12/9/12 Godly Play Advent I & II Sciobhan Linda 12/16/12 Godly Play Advent III & IV Linda Cecile 12/23/12Practice for Pageant Jodi/Tom Linda/Kim 12/30/12Children in Church No Sunday School Today Please note the change in schedule for December 30th. We will have a special activity and visitors on January 6th to celebrate Epiphany. We will resume our normal schedule in February. Hope to see you there! Linda Your Child is Invited to Share in the Magic of Christmas Holy Comforter Episcopal Church Children s Nativity Pageant Rehearsals: Sundays, Dec. 16 & 23 Holy Comforter Church at 12 Noon Costumes Provided Presentation: Dec. 24, 4:30 p.m. Directors: Tom & Jodi Long drjblong@yahoo.com or tomlongiv@yahoo.com 8

8 Parish Particulars Music Notes Advent is upon us, and the beginning of a new church year is a great time to join the choir. We are always seeking new members! There is a wealth of music written for the season of Advent, and I look forward to some of my favorites (and I hope yours too!) in the coming weeks. God bless and safe travels. Yuri Merry Christmas From the staff and faculty of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church and School FRIENDS OF HOLY COMFORTER ENDOWMENT FUND Friends of Holy Comforter Endowment Fund approves grants! The Friends of HC Endowment Fund Board is pleased to announce that we have approved the following grants for 2012: St. Thomas Resource Center $3,000 Relay for Life 1, 500 Brazoria County Military Moms/Wives 1,500 Diocese of Texas Mission Fund 1,500 Seminary of the Southwest 700 $8,200 Additionally, $1,500 has been set aside as seed money for a Disaster Relief Fund, and $1,000 has been set aside to assist parishioners with summer scholarships to Camp Allen. A formal presentation of these grants will be made on Sunday, January 20 at the late service. HC and our community are remarkably blessed by the Endowment Fund! You can help this fund to grow and remain strong by remembering Holy Comforter in your will and/or by making a direct gift of $500 or more to the fund. Abundant thanks to those who participated in Angleton's Community Thanksgiving Service on Nov. 18th at First Presbyterian! Our gathering contributed $546 along with 352 food items to the Community Food Pantry. 7

9 ( Have a Blessed Christmas! 9

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11 Holy Comforter Episcopal Church Vestry Synopsis October 9, 2012 The regularly scheduled meeting of the Holy Comforter Episcopal Parish Vestry was held on October 9, 2012, with Mother Carol presiding. Formation The meeting was opened at 7pm with prayer and continued study of the Baptismal Covenant. Members present were SuZan Carpenter, Allan Dinsmore, Kerry Payne, Ed White, Barbara Thomas, and Trey Picard. Absent were Pam Baron, Ellen Eby, Jack Fleet and Mike Hattaway Others present were Mike Baron and Pam Massingill, clerk. Information Approval of Minutes Motion made by Trey and seconded by Allan to accept the minutes as Read. HCES Report Nancy reports that things are going well. The school has lots of students. and a waiting list. Shared covenant payment began this month. Sr. Warden s Report - We were very happy to host the Bishop for the evening. Bishop was pleased with our church. Sermon was very nice. Thanks to George Zwikcer for the lovely meal. Rector s Report- Preston is doing a great job on the newsletter. Bishop Doyle s visit was very successful. It was exciting to welcome so many new folks into the congregation! Special thanks to Barbara Thomas, Pam Massingill, and Ed White who went above and beyond with planning, executing, and cleaning up the event. The nominating committee has completed its slate: Endowment Board- James Northrup; Diocesan Council- George Zwicker; Vestry- Kandy Taylor-Hille, Tom Long, and Ronnie Johnson. Election is October 21, and as no further names were submitted, we will vote by acclamation. Newly elected leaders can begin attending vestry/endowment board meetings immediately after election. MC will encourage them to shadow vestry members in Nov/Dec/Jan as they VPOD and burse. HC s Commitment Drive will begin mid-november and culminate with an ingathering service on December 2 (Advent 1). We are issuing a 2% (at least) challenge. All parishioners will be asked to raise their commitment level by 2%. We need to be mindful that HC s average pledge is a full $1000 less than the Diocesan average pledge. We have lots of room to grow! Discussion Commitment Drive + 2% challenge: Vestry Leadership. Trey moved that we accept the challenge. Allan seconded and motion passed. Decision - Friends of HC Endowment Fund grant approval. Trey moved that we accept, SuZan seconded and the motion passed. Financial Report- Mike Baron for Jack Fleet, Treasurer Mike Baron briefly explained the financial status. We sent $850, the offering received at his visitation, to the Bishop s discretionary fund. Motion made to accept the financial report by Trey and seconded by Allan. With no further business, the meeting was closed at 8:21 pm with compline. Respectfully submitted, Pam Massingill - Clerk of the Vestry Financial Report General Fund October YTD Operating Income 28, , Operating Expense 26, , Designated Gifts (Memorial, Discretionary Fund, etc.) Income 1, , Expenditures , Friends of Holy Comforter Endowment Fund: Balance as of 08/28/2012 $506, Value of mineral properties and other assets is in addition to this amount. 11

12 Holy Comforter Episcopal Church 227 S. Chenango P.O. Box 786 Angleton, TX Return Service Requested Holy Comforter Episcopal Church Sunday Schedule 8:30 AM Holy Eucharist 9:30 AM Adult/Youth Christian Education 10:30 AM Holy Eucharist Children s Church Infant and Toddler care is provided from 8:15 AM until Noon Contact Information Parish Office: Parish Fax: info@holycomforterangleton.org Web Address Parish Day School Extended Day School Diocesan Center or Bishop Episcopal Diocese of TX Rector Head of School Office Administrator / Theologian Music Director Children s Ministry Director Newcomer Ministry Coordinator Vestry 2012 The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle The Rev. Dr. Carol Petty Nancy Standlee Fr. Preston Weatherly Yuri McCoy Linda Peck Paula Haenchen Kerry Payne Ellen Eby Ed White Allan Dinsmore Pam Baron Barbara Thomas Mike Hattaway Trey Picard SuZan Carpenter Barbara Thomas, Sr. Warden Mike Hattaway, Jr. Warden Pam Massingill, Clerk Jack Fleet, Treasurer