Announcements (Dec 2, 2012)

Announcements from Sunday’s Bulletin (Dec 2, 2012)

     Healing Prayer is offered today.  If you wish to receive a prayer on your own behalf or for another, proceed to the vestibule following communion.

Parents–Looking for a way to bring more spirituality to your family’s celebration of Advent and Christmas?  This Sunday, from 10:30-11:15 (while your kids are in church school), Deacon Mary Lee Wile will offer reflections on family spirituality.  She’ll share Advent and Christmas season activities that can be done at home to help balance the commercial kidnapping of Christmas, including some from the website connected to the Epiphany book she and her niece recently published through Forward Movement.  Please join us in the library for coffee and discussion.  For more information, contact Mary Lee or Kristin Agudelo.

Christmas Eve Choir:  Children who would like to be part of the choir for the Christmas Eve family service should join the junior choir rehearsal in Room 7 on Sunday on the second floor at 9:10 a.m. for a 15 minute practice.

The annual Brunswick Ecumenical Carol Service will be held at St. John’s Catholic Church today at 3 p.m.  Please attend!

Knocking at the Door led by the Women’s Meditation Group will meet on Tuesday, December 4 at 6:00 p.m. in room 6 on the second floor.  The sessions focus on our awareness and response to the Holy One’s presence.  Reflections will be on how we knock on the divine one’s heart and what we expect when the door is opened.

Help Needed for Diocesan Council Meeting, December 7-8  We are delighted to be hosting the Diocesan Council’s retreat as they gather with Bishop Lane to plan for the coming year. Part of welcoming them is preparing a dinner and a lunch for them, and coffee the morning of the 8th.  Susan Tyler is overseeing the organization and preparations.  Please telephone her or email her at susantyler@stpaulsmaine.org if you can help out.

Advent Spiral: December 8, 4:00-6:00 p.m.  Advent is a special time of preparation for the coming of the Christ and a time to renew our spirit.  Please make time to join us as we slow down and find a quiet time to prepare for the coming of the light of the world.  Walking the path of the Advent Spiral, by the light of the Christ Candle that awaits us at the middle, allows each or us to reflect on the gift that God gives us in the birth of his son.  Adding our own light to that path reminds us that we must let our love of Christ shine for all to see.

Christmas Choir: Like to sing, but hesitate about a major time commitment?  Sing in the Christmas Eve Choir!  We’ll practice on Wednesdays through December 19, in pre-paration for the Christmas Eve service.  For more information contact Bob Judd.

Caring at Christmas:  Please let children and teens in the foster/adoption/kinship care system know that they have not been forgotten at Christmas. These young people have already experienced loss and disruption in their lives.  Many arrive in care with only the clothes on their backs or in the best cases a garbage bag of belongings.  You can give these young people hope for the holidays by picking an ornament from the gift tree in the church vestibule.  It will have the Christmas wishes of a child or teen.  Buy the gifts listed and return the unwrapped presents with the card to the tree by Wednesday, December 14.  Contact Linda Ashe-Ford 729-5584.

Food Drive to benefit the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention:  Thank you to all who have donated food to the Mid-Coast Hunger Prevention Program.  To date, we have donated over 300 pounds of non-perishable food to them.  This has helped many families in this area to have a better Thanksgiving.  After this Sunday, there are only three more opportunities to donate before Christmas. The time is short and the need is still great.  God has blessed us here at St. Paul’s.  Let us extend the edge of the church to our wider community and help those less fortunate to have a better Christmas. Please bring an item of non-perishable food each Sunday from now to December 23.

From The Discernment Committee  The Discernment Committee is pleased to announce that we have decided on the finalists for the position of rector of St. Paul’s, and are now working on setting up interviews.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we go forward.

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Lunches:  The Outreach Commission has partnered with the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program and First Parish Church to provide lunch at the center on December 15.  We need 6 to 7 volunteers from 8:30 to 1:00 to work  each Saturday to prepare, serve and clean up for these events.  Please sign up on the hallway bulletin board.  If you have any questions, contact James Ford at 841-9377 or jef54@comcast.net.

Parents–pageant season is fast upon us!  This year’s pageant will take place on Epiphany Sunday–January 6th, at the 10:30 service.  All children (ages 3 and up) are invited to participate.  An email and mailing went out with details earlier this week.  If we somehow missed you, please see Kristin Agudelo or pick up a copy of the mailing on the Christian Ed bulletin board in the main downstairs hallway.