ADVENT BEGINS today. Advent helps us prepare to receive the promised Christ as He comes, whether at his lowly birth in history, his continual and wonderful coming to us in his Word and Sacrament, or his triumphal coming at the Last Day.
ON THE FIRST SUNDAY of each month the loose plate offering, minus any quarters, goes to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund. Loose quarters continue to go to Matthew 25. If you would like your contribution to the Rector’s Fund to appear on your financial statement, simply use a designated envelope from the pew cardholder and note the number of your offering envelope.
ONE YEAR BIBLE STUDY meets today at 9:15 a.m.
THIS IS CHURCH CLEANING WEEK.
PRAYER NIGHT will be held at 7:00 p.m. this Thursday.
THE FAMILY OF REGGIE & JO McMAHAN invite you to celebrate with them their parents’ 60th wedding anniversary next Sunday in the fellowship hall following the 10:15 service. A light lunch will be served.
PAGEANT REHEARSALS will be held December 8, 15 and 22 immediately following the 10:15 service and will last approximately half an hour. Those in the pageant should attend all these rehearsals. If there are any questions, please contact Janine Steinbrunner at janinesteinb@yahoo.com or 338-2660.
A SAINT NICHOLAS PARTY will be held next Sunday at 3:00 p.m. We will learn about the Jesse Tree, decorate some cookies, and may even have a visit from Saint Nicholas himself. Please see the signup sheet on the bulletin board in the narthex. If you have any questions about the party speak to Janine Steinbrunner or Cindy Spice
LUNCH BUNCH meets on Tuesday, December 10, to visit the Botanical Gardens, 1100 South Calhoun St., Fort Wayne. A car pool will leave the church at 11:00 a.m. sharp. If you drive directly, you may park in the City Center Garage and get your parking ticket stamped at the Gardens. We will tour the Gardens ($5 fee) and then eat at the Bagel Station inside. Please sign the poster in the narthex. If you need to cancel your reservation, contact Anita at 637-5084 or 341-4057.
ALTAR GUILD members meet at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 14 for cleaning. Many hands will make light work.
4th ANNUAL YOUTH PLAY & DINNER Join us for a wonderful evening of food and entertainment on Sunday, December 22, at 5:00 p.m. Help us explore winter wonderland winds in the wacky Cricket County Blizzard. Dinner will be prepared and served by our youth and then you will be able to sit back and laugh with us as we enter Cricket County on Christmas Eve. Tickets will go on sale today in between the services and after the 10:15 service. We will continue to sell tickets every Sunday until the day of the play. The cost for adults is $8.00, kids 4-12, $4.00 and kids 3 and under are free. 100% of the proceeds go to our youth. Please remember to purchase your tickets and mark your calendars for this event. If you have any questions or would like to help out in some way, contact Cindy Spice at 348-7061.
CHRISTMAS FOOD BASKETS A few tress remain on the front doors. Please return your item and the tag to church by next Sunday. Please treat the tags gently so they can be used again next year. Refrigerated items go in the refrigerator in the boiler room and frozen items go in the chest freezer in the Food Bank. How blessed we are that we can share with those in need.
THE GIVING TREE All gifts should be new and wrapped in Christmas paper. A basket of labels, from which you may choose food and hygiene items are available at the table. You do not have to wrap these items, just place them in the laundry basket with the family number, located by the tree. All gifts, food and hygiene items are due at the church by next Sunday,.
GIFTS FOR LIFE This program provides gifts that will help people in undeveloped countries become self-sufficient. Our first wish is to provide them with access to clean water, $215 for a family. Secondly, animals such as goats, $80 each, provide them with cheese and milk. This not only sustains them, but enables them to sell or trade for other items. Thirdly, chickens, $135 for a flock of 12, provide food and are a great source of much needed protein. Any amount given can be a share of any of these. Please help us reach our goal, which is to provide two of each item. All contributions received in the One Percent Envelopes the first three Sundays of December will go to the Gifts for Life program.
ENVELOPES FOR CHRISTMAS FLOWERS & DECORATIONS are in the pew card holders today and the next two Sundays. You may use this means to express your thanksgiving to God for the many blessings that He has given you. Please remember to indicate on the envelope if the contribution is in “memory of” or “thanksgiving for.” To have information listed in the Thanksgiving bulletin, envelopes must be in the office by December 15.
ALTAR FLOWER AND SANCTUARY CANDLE CHARTS FOR 2014 are posted. Just sign for the Sunday when you would like to have the flowers or candle – in thanksgiving for an important event in your life or in memory of a loved one. More than one family may sign for the same Sunday. Make your check payable to St. Alban’s and place it in the offering plate. Special envelopes are found beneath the charts. Cost of altar flowers is $33.00. Cost of sanctuary candles is $3.00. Please include on the chart in the narthex the information you would like listed in the bulletin.
A FEW OFFERING ENVELOPES for 2014 are available in the narthex for all members (pledging and non-pledging) and for non-members who have made identifiable contributions this year. Contributions are tracked according to envelope numbers, not names. Using your envelopes is a great help to the counters and data input operators.
CURRENT FOOD BANK NEEDS: pancake mix, syrup, crackers, tuna, beef stew, beef broth, gelatin and pudding.
OPEN DATES for Sanctuary Candle is December 29.
ATTENDANCE last Sunday was 91.
OUR CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY, tempered with the sure hope of the resurrection, is extended to Gene Pettibone upon the death of his wife, Betty. A service of Christian burial was held on November 23. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
Please remember in prayer: Nancy Ashley, Jack Boyd, Kathy Bromley, Dick Camp, Andrew Davis, John & Phyllis Diver, Bob Edington, Alexa Foland, Denise Frede, Nick Frede, Micaela Fulk, Tammy Gongerware, Norm Grams, Jeanne Hahn, Larry Link, Pat MacWhorter, Reggie McMahan, Carol Newell, Leslie Peters, Sandra Rademaker, John Renner, Emerson Ruff, Branyan & Esmeralda Sanxter, Cindy Spice, Rick Spice, Bill Townsend, Jen Will Military: Jeremy Faux, Derek Palmer, Kaylee Sumner, Ty Sumner
St. Alban's Episcopal Church 