Volume 38, Issue 19 November 20, 2013 news from the illumination 2013 Christmas Schedule Sunday, December 16 5:00 p.m. Advent Lessons & Carols Christmas Eve, December 24 2:30 p.m. Children s Christmas Liturgy (with nursery: infants 2 s) 4:30 p.m. Children s Christmas Liturgy (with nursery: infants 2 s) 6:00 p.m. Mass in Spanish 8:00 p.m. Festive Holy Eucharist (no incense) 10:30 p.m. Musical Presentation 11:00 p.m. Festive Choral Eucharist (possible incense use) Christmas Day, December 25 11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (no nursery) New Year s Day, January 1 11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (no nursery) Inside this Issue Pg. 2 Pg. 3 Pg. 3 Pg. 4 Pg. 4 Pg. 5 Pg. 6 Pg. 6 Pg. 7 Pg. 8 Annual Parish Meeting on Dec. 8 Cathedral Bookstore visit on Dec. 8 59 & Holding December meeting Epiphany Celebration 2014 Unidad Tutoring volunteers needed Adopted Holiday families Advent Quiet Day on Dec. 7 Parish Partners wanted Stewardship note Christmas Flowers donation form Thanksgiving Eve Eucharist 6:00 p.m., in the Nave Wednesday Evening, November 27 1
S AINT DAVID S EPISCOPAL CHURCH The Illumination Twice Monthly Newsletter of St. David s Episcopal Church Rector The Rev. Kenneth Swanson kswanson@stdavidchurch.org Newsletter Editor Linda Thomas linda@stdavidchurch.org 1015 Old Roswell Rd. Roswell, GA 30076 770-993-6084 (office) 770-993-8504 (fax) Church Office: M-Th 9:00am - 5:00pm Friday 9-11:30am Church office Email: office@stdavidchurch.org Church Web Site: www.stdavidchurch.org St. David s Preschool Peggy Fallon, Director 770-993-1258 Preschool Fax: 678-585-9069 preschool@stdavidchurch.org In the event of a Pastoral Emergency after hours, call the church office at 770-993-6084, follow the voice prompt, hit the #6 on your keypad, leave a message, and the Priest on call will return your call. The next issue of the newsletter will be mailed on Dec. 11. The deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 6, 2013. CALENDAR a.m./ a.m./ p.m. JFH=Jeffords Fellowship Hall, PH=old Parish Hall Saturday, Nov. 23 8:30 Men s Bible Study-PH 8:45 DOK JFH front half 10:00 Folkmassters rehearsal 10:30 AA mtg.-ph Sunday, Nov. 24 12:30 Farewell Reception for Ernest Plunkett-JFH 6:00 Chapel Mass Monday, Nov. 25 9:00 Roswell Bridge Club-JFH 6:30 Boy Scouts-Sinclair House 6:30 EFM Bethany 7:30 Brotherhood of St. Andrew in Nazareth Tuesday, Nov. 26 6:30 Bible Study at Dockery s 9:00 Roswell Bridge Club-JFH 7:30 Roswell Harmony-PH Wednesday, Nov. 27 11:00 Women s Bible Study-PH 6:00 Thanksgiving Eve Eucharist in Nave Thursday, Nov. 28 Happy Thanksgiving Church Office Closed 6:00 Al-Anon Mtg. PH 7:00 AA Men s Big Book Study Sinclair House Friday, Nov. 29 Church Office Closed Saturday, Nov. 30 8:30 Men s Bible Study-PH 10:30 AA mtg.-ph Sunday, Dec. 1 Advent 1 6:00 Chapel Mass w/ Taize-Nave Monday, Dec. 2 9:00 Roswell Bridge Club-JFH 9:00 YMCA ELR Pgm.-JFH Classrooms 1:15 Cottage School Culinary class in JFH kitchen 6:30 Boy Scouts-Sinclair House 6:30 Cub Scouts-PH 6:30 EFM Bethany Tuesday, Dec. 3 11:30 59 & Holding Christmas Lunch w/ music old PH 5:30 Atlanta Girls Choir rehearse 7:30 Roswell Harmony-choir rm Our church calendar is continuously updated on our website at www.stdavidchurch.org. Fall Worship Schedule 7:45 a.m. H.E., Rite I 8:00 a.m. Breakfast in Jeffords Hall 9:00 a.m. H.E., Rite II 11:15 a.m. H.E., Rite II 1:15 p.m. Mass in Spanish 6:00 p.m. Chapel Mass Lectionary for Nov. 24 Jeremiah 23:1-6, Colossians 1:11-20, Luke 23:33-43, Psalm 46 Lectionary for Dec. 1 Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44, Psalm 122 St. David s Eucharistic Visitors: If you or a loved one would like to receive the Eucharist when unable to attend regular church services, please call Allison Wilson (770-993-9766; achwilson@yahoo.com) or Steve Granade (770-475-8214; sgranade49@bellsouth.net). St. David s Episcopal Church invites you to the Annual Parish Meeting Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013 10:15 a.m. in Jeffords Fellowship Hall Please plan to attend this important business meeting of our church! 2 November 20, 2013
P ARISH LIFE St. David s Men s Club Annual Christmas Dinner Sunday Evening December 8, 2013 Ladies are invited! Join us in Jeffords Fellowship Hall for social adjustments and hors d oeuvres at 5:30 p.m. Dinner of Lobster Tail w/drawn butter and Beef Tournedos w/béarnaise sauce will be served at 6:30 p.m. Christmas Flower Dedications Giving to the Christmas Flower Fund is a lovely way to honor loved ones as we celebrate the birth of Our Lord. If you would like to contribute to the fund for Christmas flowers, please fill out the special form on the last page of this newsletter. Acknowledgements of all contributions will be published in the Christmas Service bulletins. 59 & Holding Christmas Lunch...will be Tuesday, December 3, at 11:30 a.m. for social time followed by lunch at 12 noon. Bill Sleeper will lead the program with Christmas music, including sing-alongs. Joanie and her volunteers will be serving their famous beef tenderloin lunch. Everyone is encouraged to come and enjoy the fellowship, and to invite a guest. Please make reservations by calling 770.993.1094, ext 125. This is especially important if you are bringing a guest. Dessert of Bananas Foster, Cherries Jubilee or Crème Brule will follow. Dinner is $45.00 per adult. Please make reservations to lloyd@bowenmcelrath.com or to Lloyd Bowen 404-680-6138, and your check which will confirm your reservation can be dropped off in his parish mailbox. You will then receive your tickets which are required for dinner. Attention Ministry Chairs Annual Reports are due by Friday, Nov. 29, 2013. The reports need to be emailed as a WORD file/attachment to linda@stdavidchurch.org. If you can, please use the font Times Roman, size 12 point. If you do not have email, please call Linda at 770-993-1094, ext. 104, to make other arrangements. It is your opportunity to give, in writing, a report to the congregation of the accomplishments of your group to be included in the Annual Parish Report booklet. Call the number above if you have any questions. Troop 430 Christmas Greenery Did you order evergreens from the Scouts? Evergreen orders can be picked up in the courtyard on Saturday, Nov. 30th, from 9 a.m.-10a.m., or Sunday, Dec. 1st after church services. There are a few extra wreaths and door charms that will be available for cash and carry on Sunday, Dec. 1st. Wreaths $21 Door Charms $15. All payments are due upon receipt of greenery. Advent Meditations The St. David s Advent Meditation Booklet for 2013 is now being distributed Each family is invited to take a booklet to use for personal or family meditation time throughout the season of Advent. This booklet contains daily meditations written by your fellow parishioners and clergy. The hope is you will be blessed by these thoughtful and prayerful offerings/gifts. Thank you to Rhodes Bakery! We want to thank George and Joanie Rhodes for the cookies they brought to share with us the past 2 Sundays! All of the Sunday School Teachers (2 year old classes 5 th grade classes), plus some of the older children, enjoyed delicious cookies from Rhodes Bakery. What a treat! Ministry of the Week for Dec. 1 Whenever we come together to worship, Altar Guild prepares the Sanctuary. It is a behind the scene, enriching ministry. If you are interested in learning about and perhaps serving on Altar Guild, stop by the 'Ministry of the Week' table in the mailbox hallway on Sunday, December 1st to learn more. Cathedral Bookstore Sale at St. David s! The Daughters of the King (DOK) will sponsor the Cathedral Bookstore once again this year on Sunday morning, Dec. 8, in the mailbox hallway. Come do your Christmas shopping and select from these unique gifts, books, and treasures! www.stdavidchurch.org 3
EPIPHANY CELEBRATION 2014 It s time to get ready for Sunday, January 5, 2014 The Annual Epiphany Celebration will be on Sunday, January 5 th at 4 p.m. It will be held in Jeffords Fellowship Hall and followed by light refreshments. It s a wonderful way to recap the Christmas season and all its joy and to gather for fellowship before the busy-ness of everyday schedules resume. All Children Can Participate!! All Sunday School children, age 2 through 5 th grade are included. Two-year-olds through 3 rd grade have non-speaking parts such as sheep or angels. There is no need to sign-up or put your child s name on any list. All Sunday School children who want to participate are welcome. Fourth and fifth graders can sign-up for the main cast with speaking parts. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the hallway outside the Nave. Questions? Call or email Susie Clements at 770-993-1094 x131, Susie@stdavidchurch.org. Rehearsal Dates for main cast will be announced at a later date. We plan to also have one dress rehearsal for everyone during the Sunday School hour on Sunday, January 5. Additional Volunteers Needed We will also need adult or youth volunteers to chaperone each age group and help with costuming. Please contact Judy Beecham at 770-993-1094 x122, or email her at children@stdavidchurch.org to volunteer. THANKS! Susie Clements and Judy Beecham, Children s Ministries UNIDAD TUTORING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED While all of the Hispanic children in our Unidad program are fluent in English, their parents are not. Though some adults are conversational in English, they do not read or write in English. Several of our parents have very little in educational background. Our children cannot depend on their parents for help with their homework outside of the classroom. The Unidad program provides an hour of tutoring each Thursday evening from 6:00-7:00 for both adults and children, plus additional tutoring for middle and high school students on Saturday. Our goal at Unidad is to have one-on-one tutoring for each child in our program, ranging in age from pre-school to high school. You do not need to speak Spanish, nor do you need to be an educator to tutor with us. Our volunteers are loving teenagers, parents, and grandparents who feel they can make the difference in the life of child. If volunteering is something you think you might like to do, or being added to our sub list interests you, please contact Victoria Jarvis at vmjarvis1107@aol.com for more information. 4 November 20, 2013
ADULT CHRISTIAN FORMATION A Four-Week Bible Study facilitated by Darlene Swanson Adult Sunday School Offering through December 1 The Sower. The Mustard Seed. The Pearl. These and dozens more parables enabled Jesus to help his followers grasp the deepest of spiritual truths, then and now. Parables comprise over one-third of the recorded teachings of Jesus, and represent the prominent themes of his preaching. Though these stories are among the best known of all Jesus' words, they are often the least understood. This four -week study explores the purpose, power, and paradox of Jesus parables, and how we can apply their profound teaching to our lives and ministries. We'll discover answers to these questions: What is a parable? Why did Jesus teach in parables? How do we interpret and study the parables? How may we apply their timeless message to our lives today? ADOPTED HOLIDAY FAMILIES Stars for Adopted Holiday families Stars will be up in main hallway on Sunday, Nov. 17! St. David s has committed to help 40+ families this year. For our Adopted Christmas Families, purchase a wish gift by taking a star off the angel posters in the main hallway and returning the gift unwrapped (with star attached) to our trailer next to the children s playground outside. Dec. 8 is our deadline for getting the gifts back. Note: Bikes must be preassembled. When signing up, please make sure you provide your name, phone number, and email address for contact. Again, please turn the gifts in UNWRAPPED with stars attached. Blessings to you all! www.stdavidchurch.org 5
ADVENT QUIET DAY All Parishioners are Invited to Attend the Advent Quiet Day! WHEN: Saturday, December 7, 2013, 9am 2pm WHERE: Jeffords Fellowship Hall FACILITATOR: The Rev. Stuart Craig Higginbotham Senior Associate Priest St. Benedict's Episcopal Church Smyrna, GA 30080 THEME: Christ's Coming, Our Becoming: Opening to a New Reality LUNCH: $8.00 Each year in Advent, we reorient ourselves in a practice of anticipation and waiting for Christ to be born. We often struggle as we wait for this inbreaking of God in our lives. More than a period of waiting, Advent is a deeply profound space, one of seeking, of leaning into our own becoming. As we watch and wait, our lives are re-grounded, we are invited to explore our spiritual identity in and with God in Christ. Come explore this space of discernment, deep listening and wonder in this year's Advent Quiet Day. SPONSOR: Daughters of the King, Grace Chapter, St. David s Episcopal Church TO REGISTER: Please call 770-993-1094, ext. 132, and leave your name and number attending. You may also sign up at the Advent Quiet Day table in the mailbox hallway. WANTED: PARISH PARTNERS Please Prayerfully Ponder Being a Parish Partner This exciting ministry is designed to engage new members into life at St. David s. It is a ministry that will allow us to grow into our vision as a place where people want to be, and where we welcome, know and care for one another. Through simple friendship, Parish Partners help integrate visitors and new members into life at St. David s. Any parishioner interested in cultivating relationships with visitors and new members is encouraged to sign up as a partner. New families and visitors are paired with partners, who will invite them to participate in parish activities and act as the go-to person for questions. We are already a friendly, welcoming parish; won t you help make it even warmer by signing up to be a Parish Partner? Please call Jan Georges at 770-993-1094, ext. 118, to sign up or for additional information! Be shepherds of God s flock that is under your care serving as overseers- not because you must, but because you are willing as God wants you to be. 1 Peter 5:2 6 November 20, 2013
STEWARDSHIP NOTE Attitude of Gratitude The Blessing Box The church calendar is about to turn over, as the start of Advent is the beginning of another liturgical cycle. Advent begins on December 1, 2013, this year, the start of a new year. It is often marked with resolutions, and within a few weeks most people have fallen comfortably back into their old ways of doing things. So to enact change it must become a habit, and to sustain a habit, it must be deemed to be worthwhile, productive, positive, etc. Then and only then it stands a chance to be continued if the commitment is strong enough. How many times does your conversation at the Thanksgiving table turn to things that you re thankful for? Rarely is this spontaneous, in most cases my wife has given me a full day or at least 20 minutes of a warning that this is coming. We ve all been there - striving for the Norman Rockwell painting moment with everyone intensely listening to each other as each eloquently describes what we are thankful for in the past year. But the stories become ambiguous, as the reflections aren t as crisp as intended, and shortly the dash back to the TV for the second half of the game is on, trumping the deep emotional connections that my wife wanted the meal to foster. If your Thanksgiving meal is anything like this, I have an idea. Starting on December 1, 2013 place a Blessing Box in a prominent spot in your home, one that everyone passes daily. It might blend into your décor or it might stand out like a sore thumb, whichever you prefer - but tell everyone in your family that this is your family s Blessing Box. The purpose of the box is to make the next Thanksgiving dinner more like the Currier and Ives scene than the Simpson s. Each person is to stuff throughout the year a short message of thanks, a moment of gratitude, and the next year at the Thanksgiving table as a family, you re going to take the time to relive those moments together. It might be the first snow that resulted in a day off from school for a middle school child, or a new job for a dad struggling to provide for his family, or that someone thanked you for giving him a lift to the car repair shop so he could pick up his car. These certainly don t have to be monumental events, as most expressions of gratitude are captured in our everyday life experiences. Just think back on this past week s events when you walked away feeling thankful, and now the details have faded. Human nature is such that you ll soon forget these moments and move on, unless you intentionally mark the event in a significant way. You can make a Blessing Box out of an old shoe box your child has crayoned all over, or you can use a fine porcelain Limoges box - that s purely up to you. You can preprint note cards for it with the date and event titled, or you can use scrap paper. The point is to intentionally mark how grateful and thankful you are, and then acknowledge God in your life in a more fulfilling way. I invite you into this in hopes that you find it to be as rewarding as I suspect it will be for those who embrace it. This new tradition may bring your family even closer together than they are now. The fruits of this labor are only limited by the effort you give to it. Bringing God s Grace into a more prominent role in our lives will continually center us to Him. Thomas Nolfa Stewardship Chairman Raise a joyful noise to The Lord! Have you wanted to have the opportunity to sing great choral music but have been unable to commit the time for every Sunday? Join the wonderful St. David's choir as they prepare for the service of choral music prior to the 11:00 Christmas Eve service. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Sue Wallace at smw30076@bellsouth.net. www.stdavidchurch.org 7
Reworking the Front Pews: In response to the concerns of many parishioners and an effort to better meet the needs of all who worship with us at St. David s, the two front pews will be shortened to accommodate wheelchairs and/or walkers. This work took place this past week, and is in place for today, just in time for the Feast of Christ the King. Baptisms on All Saints Sunday, Nov. 3! Cleo & Rex Dawson Jackson Smart William Hoffman Nell and Alice Buckley Tracey & Lincoln Loeffler CHRISTMAS FLOWERS Flowers and greens for Christmas services are made possible by your generous donations. The amount is voluntary, but the usual contribution is $50. You may use this form, sign up online at http://stdavidchurch.org/christmas-flowers-offering/, or use the notebook on the chest by the front door to sign up in the special section for Christmas Flowers. Return this form with your check made payable to St. David s to the church office. PLEASE NOTE: The Flower Guild cannot order Christmas flowers until they know how much money is available to spend! They will spend only the amount taken in by donation. Your donation and information below need to be RECEIVED in the church office no later than Monday, December 9 th to be included in the Christmas bulletin inserts. Given by In memory of In thanksgiving for 8 November 20, 2013
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