Welcome to St. Simon s December 17, 2017 Welcome! St. Simon s is a community of faith, celebrating God s love for all and seeking to embody Christ in the world. A few things to note: Today s service is found in the bulletin. Music that is not included in the bulletin can be found in the blue hymnal. Restrooms are at the bottom of the stairs in the main entrance and in the office wing. The password for the WiFi in the parish hall is welcome! Interested in learning more? Please take one of the welcome cards in the pew. If you would like, you may drop the tear off slip in the offering plate. More information is available at www.saintsimons.org. Welcome Children! You are welcome as full participants in our worship. We are delighted by your presence. We have soft space in the front of the church for children and church school classes for those 3 years to 12th grade during the first half of Sunday morning services. Nursery care is available on Sunday mornings from 9:30-11:30am. Entering In When the Kingdom comes in its fullness it will be mostly the triumph of small things. The widow s mite; the boy s five barley loaves and two fish that fed thousands. Even the smallest gestures of kindness, love, compassion, patience, generosity. These are the flags of dawn. Br. Mark Brown, SSJE Engaging the Day The sound of a shofar opens the service today. The shofar usually a ram s horn comes from the ancient traditions of Judaism. It was used to announce feast days and the coming of God among the people. It is used today in most synagogues to announce the new year Rosh Hashanah and on the day of atonement Yom Kippur. The shofar in today s service is on loan from the Rev. Daphne Cody, Rector of St. Elisabeth s Church in Glencoe and was a gift to her from one of the rabbis in Glencoe. It will be played by Chris Wood. Today we tell our story of God with us, recalling salvation history from the Creation through Abraham, Moses, David, Elizabeth, Mary, complete with a burning bush and all the stars of heaven. This pageant will end with Mary and Elizabeth awaiting the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. Join us at 4pm on Christmas Eve to see what comes next! Following the service, we will continue the celebration with a party in the Parish Hall. Pick up some cookies to take home with you at our cookie exchange. Practicing Gratitude We are grateful to the community of St. Simon s for their overwhelming response to the ReVive Shelter Christmas Baskets and Coat Drive. Seventy people, and dozens of families will benefit this holiday from your generosity. Living our Faith: Orthopraxy What signs of God s kingdom have you seen in small things this season? Celebrate them. Share them.
An Invitation to Christmas Walk In Wednesday Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Services Wednesday, December 20, 6pm Join our community at 6pm for a potluck meal. Bring a side dish to share if you are able. Sunday, December 24 The 4th Sunday of Advent 8:00am Holy Eucharist Blue Christmas Wednesday, December 20, 7pm A community service which gives us the chance to express the grief, fears, anger, and confusion that are all a normal part of living and loving. We will ask God for healing, and become, ever-so-gently, ready to face a future sustained by hope and grace. There is space for you to sit, remain silent, weep, or even pace, as you feel the need. There are people here who will sustain you with their singing, praying, and healing love. Christmas Eve Invitation At loose ends on Christmas Eve? No family around or particular place to be? Don t spend the evening alone, please join Pastor Elizabeth and Jim Jameson at their home for an potluck chili supper at 6pm. Please let Pastor Elizabeth know if you plan to join them. Sunday December 24 Christmas Eve 3:40pm String Prelude & Carol Sing 4:00pm Instant Pageant & Holy Eucharist It s a pageant telling of the birth of Jesus in which everyone can participate! The empty stable will be filled with the traditional figures of shepherds, sheep, the holy family and angels, angels, and more angels as children of all ages are called forth to place the figures during the Gospel. Stuffed animals will be blessed when the creche is completed; all kinds of stuffed animals are welcome. 9:30pm Instrumental Prelude & Carol Sing 10:00pm Festival Choral Eucharist Monday, December 25 Christmas Day 10:00am Christmas Festival Eucharist Sundays in the New Year PJ Sunday Epiphany Potluck Sunday, December 31 During the twelve days of Christmas, we celebrate the gift of the Incarnation, that God becomes human in Jesus. On this Sunday, parishioners are invited to come to church in their PJ s, if they so desire, as a concrete reminder that God enters into our everyday lives, just as we are. We welcome all of our children to these services as Church School is on Christmas break and will return next week. Sunday, January 7, 9am Join us for a Potluck Breakfast between the services as we celebrate our community and welcome the New Year. Please bring a dish to share. Come Hear What We Learned from the CAT Part 1 Sunday, January 14, 9am Part 2 Sunday, January 21, 9am The Church Assessment Tool or CAT covers a wide range of topics and produces a large body of findings about a parish. We are excited to learn more about our community from this substantial collection of our thoughts. Because there is so much material, we have
scheduled two Sunday sessions and invited outside assistance to help us understand the opinions you have shared on where we are and where we desire to go as a community. Come join us at this unique opportunity to listen to each other and share our thoughts. Making Connections through Storytelling Sunday, January 28, 9am It s a story slam St. Simon s style. Participants in the November and December Storytelling workshops will share stories with the Growing Together class around the theme of homecoming and belonging. Come and listen, be amazed and touched. Vestry Town Hall Meeting Sunday, February 4, 9am This is an All-Parish preparation session for our Annual Meeting on February 11 which gives us a chance to follow the vestry s pattern of listening, digesting and considering before making decisions at the next meeting. Come and meet the candidates for vestry, consider how the CAT survey results might direct our energies in the coming year and hear topics which may come forward at the Annual Meeting. Annual Parish Meeting Sunday, February 11 Following the 9:30am SINGLE Worship Service The founding fathers of our country also designed the governance of the Episcopal Church. Literally, they worked on the new United States then the Anglicans met later in the day to write the plan for a church without a government at its head. The Annual Meeting is democracy in action. We will vote, accept a budget, and propose directions for the coming year. Come and exercise your role and rights and enjoy the grace of a community of faith seeking God s direction for mission and ministry. Wednesdays in Epiphany Welcome Bishop Lee! Wednesday, January 10, 6pm gathering We will enjoy a visit from our Bishop, Jeffrey Lee. Since this is not our year for a formal Sunday visit we are delighted to welcome him for a casual visit, dinner and a chat, where we can expect to be challenged and inspired by our chief pastor and teacher. Join us for this opportunity for fellowship, food and an out-ofpew encounter with our bishop. Walk In Wednesday Wednesdays, 6-7pm Join us on Wednesday evenings for a potluck meal. Bring a side dish to share and spend some time laughing with and getting to know the wonderful people in our community. The evening ends with a brief service from Daily Prayer for All Seasons. Story Telling Workshop/Preparation Wednesday, January 17, 7pm Join us for a follow up story telling workshop/ preparation session in anticipation of the Story Telling Slam on Sunday, January 28. Awakening to the Kingdom Wednesdays, Jan 24, 31, & Feb 7, 7pm Awakening to the Kingdom Just what does that mean? Join us for a three-week series as we explore the way of life that Jesus invites us into a way of living that reveals God s work within and among us. We will use video clips, scripture, and one another s wisdom as we examine practices that wil help us embrace life the way Jesus intended.
Life in Our Community Youth Group Lock-in & MIQRA Friday-Sunday, January 12-14 The youth group is kicking off the new year with a lock -in at St. Simon s followed by an overnight trip to St. James Cathedral in Chicago for MIQRA. This is a diocesan wide youth event where the Bible is publicly read for 18 hours straight! Youth sign up for time to read scripture, and when not reading, we will play games, worship together, and hear from Bishop Lee talk about what s in the Bible, and why it matters. Exploring Confirmation This winter, we will begin our Seeker program for youth who wish to explore confirmation. This program will build off of the work the youth group has been doing during the fall and take us deep into what it means to follow the way of Jesus. The program is open to youth 7th grade and up. Youth Mission Trip Kentucky, for another week of serving neighbors, sharing stories, and building lasting relationships. Our mission trip is open to youth who are rising Freshmen (current 8th graders) in high school through graduated Seniors. Contact Carl Raezer if your youth is interested. Women s Craft Night Friday, January 12 Join us for a Friday Night Craft Party. Bring your scrapbooking, card making, knitting, crocheting, needlework whatever you are working on and do it with friends. Not crafty? Just come and we will have a card-making project for you. We ll meet at Amy Stomper s house. Please bring a munchie to share. Newcomers Brunch Sunday, January 28, 12noon All newcomers and new members are invided to attend a Brunch at the home of Elizabeth Jameson. We are so glad that you are here! Sunday, June 24-Saturday, June 30 Our Youth Group is excited to return to Paintsville, The Rev. Elizabeth Jameson Rector elizabeth@saintsimons.org The Rev. Stephen Smith Associate Rector stephen@saintsimons.org The Rev. Larry Handwerk, Associate for Worship lhandwerk@earthlink.net The Rev. Dianne Shields Pastoral Care Coordinator dianne@saintsimons.org Carl Raezer Associate for Music & Youth carl@saintsimons.org Celebrating God s Love for All Seeking to Embody Christ in the World 717 W. Kirchhoff Road Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005 847.259.2930 office@saintsimons.org www.saintsimons.org Parish Office Hours M-Th, 9am-3pm The parish office will be closed from December 22 until January 2. In case of a pastoral emergency, please contact Pastor Elizabeth at 847.477.2850. Jo Gantzer Associate for Parish & Family Ministry office@saintsimons.org Sara Lewandowski Church School Coordinator sara@saintsimons.org Dave Zuehlke, Senior Warden dezuehlke@outlook.com Mike Krause, Junior Warden ilinijmk@aol.com
Story Telling Workshop Saturday, December 2, 9am-12 noon Have you ever listened to someone tell a story amazingly well and thought I wish I could do that! We are drawn to people who can tell good stories, who seem to have just enough information that we can see the events but not wallow, their timing is perfect and they know how to end it with grace and style. Story telling is a craft you can learn. Rebecca Anderson, pastor and story teller, will help us learn the mechanics of this verbal craft and help us mine our experiences for stories to tell. The workshop is full of hands-on experience, tips and downright fun. Women s Craft Night Friday, January 12 Life in the Community Join us for a Friday Night Craft Party. Bring your scrapbooking, card making, knitting, crocheting, needlework whatever you are working on and do it with friends. Not crafty? Just come and we will have a card-making project for you. We ll meet at Amy Stomper s house. Please bring a munchie to share. Newcomers Brunch Sunday, January 28, 12noon All newcomers and new members are invided to attend a Brunch at the home of Elizabeth Jameson. We are so glad that you are here! Read and Discuss Join a Book Group Young Adult Book Group Generally meets on the second Monday of the month beginning 7pm at the home of Beth Carter. Topics will be announced at a later date. Monday, December 11 Monday, January 8 Monday, February 12 Women s Book Group Meets on the first Thursday of each month in the St. Matthew Room beginning at 7:30pm. Thursday, December 7 Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance Thursday, January 4 We ll meet at the home of Amy Stomper for a movie night. Thursday, February 1 Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly Men s Book Group Meets on the second Tuesday of each month in various homes beginning at 7pm. December No Meeting Tuesday, January 9 Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance Tuesday, February 13 Giant of the Senate by Al Franken We embody Christ in the world as we care for one another, especially in times of need. There are many ways you can share in this ministry. Helping Hands Perhaps you can offer rides to doctor appointments or make meals for those who need them. Please contact Amy Stomper at stomper261@comcast.net. Caring for Our Community Lay Eucharistic Ministers and Parish Visitors If you are seeking a way to extend Christ s love and are a good listener, you can reach out to those in our church community who are unable to attend worship by making visits and taking communion. To learn more, contact Dianne Shields at dianne@ saintsimons.org. St. Simon s Seasons : Advent Christmas Epiphany 2017-18 : 7