Sunday announcements
The Third Sunday of Advent - December 17, 2006Note: Personal phone numbers are removed from the Web version of the Sunday announcements. Please consult your Parish Directory, use e-mail if an address is given, or call the parish office at 919-929-2193 to find out more about the news.
Services This Week
Mon, Tues, Wed, and Friday
5:15 pm Evening Prayer
Monday, Dec. 18
7:00 pm Special Worship with
People with Developmental Disabilities
Christmas
Pageant
Wednesday, Dec. 20
10:00 am Holy Eucharist 1928 Mr. Elkins-Williams
Thursday, Dec. 21
5:15 pm Holy Eucharist Rite II
Mr.
Elkins-Williams
Sunday, December 24
The Fourth Sunday of Advent (Violet)
7:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite I
Mr.
Frazelle
10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II
Mr.
Frazelle
The Eve of the Nativity
2:00 pm Holy Eucharist Rite I
(Carol Woods)
Ms.
Jamieson-Drake
3:00 pm Christmas Pageant
5:00 pm Christmas Pageant
7:30 pm Holy Eucharist Rite I
Ms.
Jamieson-Drake
11:00 pm The Christ Mass
Holy Eucharist
Rite I
Mr.
Elkins-Williams
Monday, December 25 The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Christmas Day (White)
10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I
Mr.
Elkins-Williams
Announcements
12:30 Social Hour
Please come to the 12:30 pm social hour after the 11:15 am service every Sunday for a hearty welcome to the Chapel of the Cross and light refreshments. This event is managed totally by parishioners so we welcome new volunteers; please sign up in the dining room.
Reception
There is no adult education this week. Please join other parishioners in the dining room for a reception following the 9:00 am Lessons and Carols.
Global Missions Committee
The Global Missions Committee will be selling 2007 calendars and packets of picture post cards in the dining room after the 9:00 and 11:15 services today, after the 10:00 service on Dec. 24 and after the 5:15 on Dec. 31. The calendar and cards feature Chip Matteson's extraordinary photographs taken on the mission trip to Honduras last May. These beautiful pictures of people and places in Honduras will make perfect seasonal gifts while reminding us of our mission ties to Honduras and helping to finance the 2007 mission trip.
Alternative gifts Table
Parishioners are urged to browse at the Alternative Gift Table in the dining room after the 9 am and 11:15 am services today. Honor a friend or family member with a gift that will make a difference. Gifts can be made to the Millennium Village Project, Freedom House or to Child Care Network. Information on each group and gift cards are available at the table.
Men's Care Bags
The Alternative gifts Table also has small plastic bags which we hope parishioners can fill using the list of personal care items attached to the bags. Please return the care bags to the dining room and they will go to IFC for men at the shelter.
Holiday Meals for Families
A $20 donation to the IFC can purchase a meal and brighten the holidays for a family in need. You can send in a check or call with your credit card. Stop by the Alternative Gift Table for all the information you need.
Bishops Blend -EYC Missions
EYC will be selling Bishops Blend Coffee after the 9:00 and 11:15 services today. Bishops Blend Coffee is 100% organic, shade grown and fair trade. It tastes great and makes a great gift for the coffee lovers you LOVE! Just $10 a bag. Proceeds will support the 2006 Youth Mission trips.
Episcopal Youth Community
Today, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm., EYC time will be dedicated to pageant practice. If you did not make it to casting and still want to participate - there are still some jobs that need doing. Dress rehearsal will be on Thur. Dec., 21 at 3:30 pm. Please be on time! For more information contact Caren Parker at cparker@thechapelofthecross.org.
This Week
Special Worship Pageant
Our Special Worship Christmas Pageant with costumes, music, and the celebration of the nativity will be Mon, Dec. 18 at 7:00 pm. This monthly service of worship, songs, and stories especially for our neighbors and friends with developmental disabilities happens on the third Monday of each month.
Parish Notes
Parish Web Site
The committee that is beginning to update the parish web site needs some consultation with a graphic designer with web site experience. If you can assist the web site committee, please contact Communications Coordinator, Vivian Harris Varner, at vvarner@thechapelofthecross.org or 929-2193.
Nursery Help Needed
We are losing two of our nursery employees in December and have not yet found replacements for them. If you know of anyone who is interested in working with young children on Sunday mornings for 3-4 hours or who would job share with another person or two rotating responsibilities, please share those names with Joy Gattis, Boykin Bell or Gretchen Jordan. Older high school or college students are welcome!
Christmas Note Cards
Note cards with Christmas pictures of the Chapel of the Cross are available for purchase between the 9:00 and 11:15 am services. The cost is $5.00 per pack of eight cards; cards are blank inside, making them useful as regular Christmas cards or for thank-you notes. They are also available in the parish office during the week.
Showering our refugee baby
We are awaiting the arrival of our first "American-born refugee" baby, due on Jan. 10. We have had offers for a baby crib. A car infant seat has also been donated. We invite you to help us assemble a large basket filled with new items for the baby. These would include crib sheets, crib blanket or quilt, receiving blankets, changing pads, baby towels, washcloths and toiletries, infant one-piece suits, bibs, infant disposable diapers. baby bottles and bottle brush, diaper bag, baby sling holder, as well as gift cards to supplement purchases. We would like to have the basket ready to present to Say Ther and Tha Gay before the holidays. Please drop off your contributions to the basket in the dining room.
Mark Your Calendar
December 31 Sing Along
On Sunday, Dec. 31, following the 10:00 am service, join parish instrumentalists in the dining room for a carol sing-along. Bring an hors d'oeuvres made from holiday leftovers or create fresh ones for a buffet spread. If you would like to play an instrument and have not been called, please contact Gretchen Jordan at 929-2193. We are excited that we have flute, guitar, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and voice among the instrumentalists.
A Tar Heel's Carbon Footprint
More and more people are understanding what scientists have been telling us for a while: our planet is getting warmer. This warming is a consequence, largely, of carbon dioxide. The source of this carbon dioxide is us. The typical American household generates 55,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. Collectively, US households produce about 8% of the planet's carbon dioxide emissions. The Environmental Stewardship Committee is organizing a project to help individual parishioners measure their "carbon footprint" and identify the actions they can take to reduce the amount of CO2 they produce. Our first tar heel carbon footprint reduction meeting will be on Dec. 28 at the home of Linda Rimer. For more information, email Linda at lbrimer@bellsouth.net .
Epiphany Celebration
Epiphany, one of the major feast days of the church, will be celebrated with a service of Holy Eucharist at 10:00 am followed by a catered brunch on Sat., Jan. 6, 2007. The Junior choir will sing at this service. Sign up for the brunch will be in the parish office.
Warm Things for DC Pilgrimage
Donations of warm hats, gloves, scarves, socks and yes, even a blanket or two, are requested to lay at the base of the Jesse Tree. Beginning on Jan. 6, the Jesse Tree ornaments will be removed and replaced by your warm things. Our Youth Inquirers' Class will be taking a pilgrimage to DC on Jan. 13 through 15 and will give these items to the homeless. Used items are welcome as long as they are clean and not in need of repair. Last year we did not ask for blankets but one person left one under the tree. We were happy to have it, using it to cover a man huddled under the overhang of an office building during the snow storm.
Approaching the Eucharist
On Jan. 7 in the library, the Rev. Stephen Elkins-Williams will discuss the Holy Eucharist and the beliefs and traditions Episcopalians hold when approaching the Communion table. This discussion will be especially helpful for parents who are trying to explain the Eucharist to young children, or for parishioners who wonder what the reason is for some of our traditions.
Meet the New Presiding Bishop
On January 7, through the wonders of technology, you too, can experience the Investiture of the 26th Presiding Bishop, The Most Reverend Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, who was invested at the Washington National Cathedral on Nov. 4. Selected portions of the DVD of the service, will be shown in the parlor following all four services.
Martin Luther King scholarship Banquet
Tickets to the annual Martin Luther King scholarship Banquet to be held at the Friday Center on Highway 54 on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007, are now available. The cost is $25.00 per ticket and can be obtained from Barbara Pipkin (work). This popular community event is always a sell-out, so please order tickets now.
Stewardship
In Mission with South Africa
The Chapel of the Cross will be receiving visitors from South Africa from Feb. 2 to Feb. 5, 2007. Global Missions needs volunteers to invite them to stay in their homes during their visit. Call Martha Dill or by email m.dill@earthlink.net.
Senior High Trip
The Chapel of the Cross is taking a Sr. High trip to New Orleans, LA, this summer. This trip is open to rising 9th-graders through just-graduated seniors. We have 20 places for youth on this trip. The dates of our trip are July 28 through August 5, 2007. To secure a place on this trip, the relevant forms and a $50 deposit are due by Feb. 1, 2007 (forms located outside David's office door and in the parish office). A $300 payment will be due March 26, 2007. The remaining balance of $300 will be due June 13, 2007. The cost of our trips to families is $650. This amount helps cover transportation, food, accommodations, work supplies, materials and activities for the week. There are no hidden costs, and we encourage youth to bring only a small amount of spending money for sodas, souvenirs and airport food. Whatever financial aid you need is available. Contact David Frazelle at 929-2193 to request scholarships.
Thompson Clothing Drive
The eighth annual Thompson Child & Family Focus winter clothing drive will be held through Jan. 7. Thompson CFF is a residential treatment program in Charlotte for neglected and abused children. The display table will be in the dining room. To participate, please choose one or more tags, purchase the items and return them (unwrapped) to the dining room display or parish office. Gifts received by Dec. 17 will reach the children by Christmas. If you prefer, you may write a check to the Chapel of the Cross Rector's Discretionary Fund with a notation for "Thompson Child & Family Focus" and we will shop for you. Thompson is only able to accept new clothing for children in its residential treatment programs. Contact Lorraine Belden McBride at lbmcbride@aol.com or Marsha Pate at map37215@bellsouth.net.
Christmas House
Donations to the Christmas House will be welcomed during the 3:00 and 5:00 Christmas Eve Pageants. Children will be invited to bring unwrapped toys to the front of the church. The Christmas House is a project sponsored by the Chapel Hill Service League. The League has helped create a brighter holiday for Orange County's most financially disadvantaged children for over 50 years. Christmas House is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and donations can be made to Christmas House, Inc., PO Box 3543, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-3543. For more information, please contact Dina Urquhart at dinau@bellsouth.net.
Club Nova Thrift Shop Help
Located in Carrboro, Club Nova promotes and provides opportunities for individuals living with chronic mental illness to lead meaningful and productive lives of their choice in the community. As a non-profit organization, Club Nova raises funds for its programs through its adjoining thrift shop. The thrift shop offers quality second-hand goods such as clothing, books, music, household and kitchen items and select furniture. Open Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Sat. from 10 am to 4 pm, the Club Nova Thrift Shop gladly accepts both material and monetary contributions during regular business hours (all donations are tax deductible). The community's support and generosity through volunteering and donating goods is greatly appreciated and always welcome. To learn more information, call shop coordinator, Camellia Morton for a volunteer sign up form.
Adult Education ThisWeek
Reception (dining room)
Adult Education Returns December 31
Sing Along: Parish Instrumentalists (dining room)
Sunday Announcenments
The deadline for announcements is 10:00 am on Wednesday.
Announcements should be brief. Parish-related submissions are given priority. Include daytime phone and email address for contact. All submissions are subject to editing; publication of the submission is not guaranteed. Email information to submissions@ thechapelofthecross.org or leave paper copies in the Publications Assistant's mailbox in the parish office. Email is preferred.
Around Our Diocese
Resource Fair
This regional event for the Greensboro and Winston-Salem convocations (all are welcome), on Jan. 20, 2007, focuses on resources for Christian education and formation. Locationto be announced. Contact the School of Ministry visit www.episdionc.org/schoolofministry.
191st Annual Convention
Plans are being finalized for the Annual Diocesan Convention, Jan. 26-27, at Koury Convention Center, Greensboro. The Convention theme is A Missionary Diocese in a GlobalSociety. Special guests are the Rev. Mike Kinman, Executive Director of Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation; and the Rt. Rev. Hector Monterroso, Bishop of Costa Rica, our companion diocese.
Wardens' Retreat
Our second retreat, scheduled for March 2-3, 2007, is designed for both senior and junior wardens. The location will be Church of the Good Shepherd, Raleigh. Contact the School of Ministry or visit their website at www.episdionc.org/schoolofministry.
Singing the African American Tradition with Dr. Horace D. Boyer
March 10, 2007 9:00 am to 2:00 pm St. John's Church, Wake Forest. A workshop not only for choir members, but for all to experience the singing of Negro spirituals and develop an understanding of how and why the hymns were originally sung. For information, contact Jessica Graber at by email at jgraber@nc.rr.com.
The Environmental Stewardship Committee Green Tip
Wrap your presents in the comic pages of the paper; save wrapping paper and bows for reuse.
Last updated: December 15, 2006
