Sunday announcements
December 16, 2007 - The Third Sunday Of AdventNote: 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 Fri.
5:15 pm Evening Prayer
Monday, Dec. 17
7:00 pm Special Worship with People with Developmental Disabilities Christmas Pageant
Dr. Joyner
Wednesday, Dec. 19
10:00 am Holy Eucharist 1928
Mr. Zunes
Thursday, Dec. 20
St. Thomas, Apostle
5:15 pm Holy Eucharist Rite II
Ms. Lee
Next Sunday, December 23
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
7:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite I
Mr. Frazelle
9:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II
Ms. Lee
11:15 am Holy Eucharist Rite I
Ms. Lee
5:15 pm Holy Eucharist Rite II
Ms. Lee
Readings: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25
Adult Education Today
No Adult Education on December 16 & 23
Regular children and youth classes offered
Today
Church School
Church School is offered most Sundays, September through mid-May for 2 year olds through adults. The classes and their locations are posted around the building and on the bulletin boards in the dining room. Church School is from 10:20 am to 11:05 am. Registration forms are available for parents of children and youth to complete. New students are welcome at any time during the year.
Caroling at Carol Woods
If you missed caroling last weekend, or would like to share some Christmas cheer again, a group is meeting at Carol Woods today at 2:00 pm to sing for homebound parishioners. We will meet outside the Health building (Building 4). Please contact Boykin Bell (929-2193 ext. 37) if you plan to attend so there will be plenty of song books (and so we don't start singing without you!).
Alternative Holiday Gift Table
The Social Ministry Committee will once again be offering options for alternative gift giving. There will be a table set up at all services in the dining room today and Dec. 16. It is a wonderful way to remember a friend, a teacher or a relative over the holidays. Alternatives include monetary donations to the Inter-Faith Council for Social Serices for their "Let's make a Community House 24/7 Fund." This is a matching challenge grant that will provide funds to increase the shelter hours and services. The second alternative is a contribution to Episopal Relief and Development to "Buy a net and save a life!" The purchase of mosquito netting can reduce deaths by malaria, a major killer of children and families in developing nations, by up to 90%. Other opportunities at the gift table include buying a holiday meal for a family in need or purchasing a needed item for a Thompson Home child. Thanks to all those who "adopted" one of our Burmese family members for holiday gifts.
EYC Scholarship Fund
The ChicoBags are selling fast. We will be in the Dining Room between services selling the remaining bags. If you are interested in getting some and there aren't any left please fill out an order form. We will pull the order together. The bags sell for $5 dollars and proceeds benefit the Youth Mission Trip Scholarship Fund. Please contact Caren Parker at cparker@thechapelofthecross.org for more information.
12:30 Social Hour
You are invited each week following the 11:15 Sunday morning service to enjoy food, fellowship and a hearty welcome to the Chapel of the Cross with old-timers and newcomers alike. Heavy hors d'oeuvres and light refreshment are provided by volunteers and the Social Hour NEEDS YOU. Volunteers are needed to bring food to share. Food should be ready to serve. Food suggestions include such savory and sweet items as: cheese & crackers; chips & dip; crudite platter; sandwiches; fruit; cakes; cookies; light liquid refreshment is also welcome. Please sign up for a week to be a food provider on the calendar posted in the kitchen. LABEL your food with 12:30 SOCIAL HOUR, mark it with the date and deliver your food to the kitchen just before the 11:15 Sunday morning service.
12:45 Eucharist
A Rite II communion service is offered today in the chapel at 12:45 pm. Dr. Pfaff will be the celebrant on this the 41st anniversary of his ordination as a priest.
Episcopal Youth Community
Pageant practice! Today we will find our costumes and run through the script. If you are in the choir or have other plans for Christmas Eve, please join us anyway; there will be fun stuff to do! As usual we will begin in the basement and move on from there. EYC meets most Sundays from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. All 6 - 12th graders are invited to participate.
This Week
Special Worship Christmas Pageant
Be sure to join us for our annual Special Worship Christmas Pageant Monday at 7:00 pm at the Chapel of the Cross. Costumes, Christmas carols, and special music will be a part of this annual event. Our monthly service of worship, songs, and stories especially for our neighbors and friends with developmental disabilities happens on the third Monday of each month and all are welcome! Please pass this on to others.
Parish Notes
The Revised Common Lectionary
As mandated by General Convention a year ago, beginning with this Advent, the Revised Common Lectionary has now replaced the Eucharistic lectionary found in the Prayer Book. While most of the three readings and the psalm assigned for each Sunday (on a three year cycle) are the same as the Prayer Book lectionary (beginning on page 889), there are changes, especially in the Old Testament readings. Reasons for these changes will be discussed in an upcoming article in the Feb. Cross Roads, devoted to liturgy. Beginning with the Jan. issue, readings assigned for the month will be listed. The whole RCL can be found at either of these web sites: http://satucket.com/lectionary/ OR http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/RCL_Sunday.pdf.
Vestry Nominations
Due to a very early Lent (Feb. 6) and Annual Meeting (Feb. 3), the Vestry nomination period is almost here already! Nominations open on Sunday, Dec. 30 and close on Sunday, Jan. 13 at 6:30 pm. Adult (16 years and older) confirmed communicants in good standing are eligible to nominate and be nominated. Forms will be available in two weeks.
New Staff Member
Beginning today, John Koch joins us as the new Director of Stewardship and Development. While John comes to us most immediately from Boone as the manager of Samaritan's Purse, he earlier spent fifteen years as Executive Director of The Summit, our diocese's former camp and conference center. His primary responsibility at the Chapel of the Cross at first will be to direct the capital campaign, but he will also help us grow in stewardship through Annual Giving and Planned Giving. We are fortunate to have a person of John Koch's talents, experience, and commitment among us.
Annual Giving News
We have now received 453 pledges for a total of $1,102,518. As we approach Christmas, it is important to remember that a pledge for 2008 will positively impact so many lives both within and outside our parish. If you have not responded already, please do send this most important gift.
Adult Inquirers' Class
Those wishing to join and/or learn more about the Episcopal Church are urged to join the Adult Inquirers' Class, beginning Monday, Jan. 14, 2008 from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm in the parlor. The class will meet most Monday nights until Bishop Marble comes for Confirmation on Sunday, April 20, 2008. No pre-registration is necessary.
Wednesday Potluck Suppers
There will be no Wednesday potlucks for the remainder of 2007. The suppers will resume with choir rehearsals on Jan. 9, 2008.
Stewardship Opportunities
Thompson Child & Family Focus Winter Clothing Drive
The ninth annual WINTER CLOTHING & GIFTS DRIVE for Thompson Child & Family Focus (CFF) will be held from Dec. 7 through Jan 5, 2008. Thompson CFF (formerly Thompson Children's Home) is a residential treatment program in Charlotte for neglected and abused children. Children are provided with 24-hour care that includes teaching, worship and play that is designed to start their healing process. The Thompson display table is located in the dining room. To participate, choose one or more tags, purchase the items and return them (unwrapped) to the dining room display or parish office. If you prefer, you may write a check to the Chapel of the Cross Rector's Discretionary Fund earmarked: "Thompson CFF" and we will shop for you. For more information, please call or email co-chairs, Lorraine Belden McBride at (call office for number) or lbmcbride@aol.com or Marsha Pate at (call office for number) or mpate@thechapelofthecross.org
Good Samaritan Guild Needs You!
The Good Samaritan Guild responds to the needs of parishioners in times of short term crisis or illness, with defined tasks such as delivering casseroles and soups, transportation to health care appointments and church services, running errands, and respite care giving to convalescents or care givers.
We need parishioners to act as coordinators, willing to take a calendar slot and follow up by phone with parishioners in need, referred by the clergy or the parish office. If further assistance is needed, they can follow through themselves or contact others in Good Sam for help. There are meals in the church freezer ready to deliver. If you might like to make calls but cannot do driving, we will team you up with folks who can carry out that piece of things. This is a great way to minister to our own and the time requirement is minimal.
If you and one or two others would like to take a month as a team, that would be great. A call to a parishioner who is going through a difficult time is a wonderful support in this large parish. Often the call is our only intervention but it is nice to know that the network is in place if more help might be needed in the future.
If you are willing to lend a hand in making calls, coordinating or helping with needed assistance, please contact Peggy Pratt at (call office for number) or pegpratt@nc.rr.com.
Community Notes
Martin Luther King Memorial Banquet
Tickets are available for the Twenty-Third MLK Memorial Banquet to be held on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008, at 6:00 pm at the Friday Center on Highway 54 across from Meadowmont. The ticket cost is $25.00. This legendary event is always a sell-out. Please contact Barbara Pipkin at (call office for number) for tickets.
Dorathy Sayer's Broadcast
Dorothy Sayer's 12-part radio play presenting the life of Christ, The Man Born to Be King (1943, is being rebroadcast on the web by the BBC weekly during the next three months. To view: www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/drama/index.shtml?Thursday.
Trinity Center Retreat
The School of Ministry is pleased to announce that Fr. Martin Smith, noted author of a variety of works on spirituality, will lead a retreat at Trinity Center, Salter Path, beginning Wednesday afternoon, April 30, to midday Friday, May 2, 2008. We will have more details regarding the retreat shortly. Interest is already being expressed, and we are now accepting pre-registration. Please e-mail Shelley Kappauf at shelley.kappauf@episdionc.com if you are interested. The total cost for the retreat, including registration fee, meals and two-nights' lodging, is $250 for a single room, and $210 for a double. We will also be open to having "commuter" participants at $125, but priority will be given to those staying at Trinity Center.
Sunday Announcements
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 thePublications Assistant's mailbox in the parish office. Email is preferred.
Last updated: December 14, 2007
