We wish you Great Joy during this Christmastide as we journey towards our New Year! We will not be sending out a Thursday email, as the office is closed this week and there is very light news to share. Our next email will be Saturday, January 2nd with details for Sunday worship and fellowship offerings. Then, stay tuned for many happenings starting in January, 2021! For now, let us be at peace and in contemplative prayerful moments, as we bask in the Good News and Glory of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
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In case you missed it, we invite you to view our Sunday worship offering from the Diocese:
Michelle
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As we reflect on this past year, you may wish to visit the St. Edward’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here.
It is a wonderful way to reflect on all that St. Edward’s, as a community of faith, has accomplished in 2020, weathering this Covidtide with a resilience that is found when we confront challenges together, lean on each other, and put our faith in God.
Not only do we say, “Thanks be to God,” but we also give thanks to and for Father Rick – for his pastoral guidance, faithful spirit, and strong leadership in shepherding our parish every day, and to Katrina, Ricky, and Christian; to each and every parishioner, ministry leader, ministry participants; and to friends and visitors of St. Edward’s, all of whom have made our community stronger and who have helped serve our wider community in generous ways that show our commitment to loving and serving God.
— Noteworthy Items: The January Scepter, January grocery cards, and 2021 giving envelopes will be available starting Monday, January 4th. Please do not forget to sign up for altar flowers in 2021 by contacting the parish office. There will be announcements in our Sunday bulletin regarding this very important ministry that pays tribute to your loved ones and serves to beautify our altar each Sunday.
— Hempfield Area Food Pantry: We continue to receive monetary donations, from our parish family and friends, that are so needed at HAFP. The new year, 2021, is only days away and it is a crucial time for many families as they await the continuation of their lapsed benefits. Let us continue to show our support for those in need in our wider community. Please keep these families in your prayers. Thank you for your dedicated and continued support.
— WORSHIP DURING THIS CHRISTMASTIDE WEEK
Friday Evening Prayer – January 1st We invite you to Evening Prayer this Friday evening at 7:00 PM. This is a wonderful way to peacefully end our week and is led by Patrick Ishler. Join us on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86327105082 Join Code: 863 2710 5082
Saturday Taize Service – January 2nd 5:00 PM – Members of St. Edwards are cordially invited to join St. Luke’s for our Zoom Taize service. A service of deep prayer and worship, sacred darkness, and the singing of chants in candlelight. We cannot meet in person at present, so the services will be held on Zoom, to create a greater sense of community. Prepare by lighting some candles. Connect to the service:
We welcome you to a wide variety of online worship and ministry offerings, to view in reflection, and to view as new, for this peaceful weekend after Christmas Day. All essential links are noted below.
Due to the alarming rise in cases within Lancaster County and here in our own township, as your rector, I prayerfully request that we continue to refrain from gathering with other parishioners in public groups, particularly in restaurants, indoor spaces, or even outdoors without masks. COVID-19 is not a hoax. We are all in this together, and honoring our parish community, by complying with the recommendations set forth during this time, conveys our love for God in Christ, the members of our parish family, and the wider community.
As you snuggle in your warm homes today, staying in from the winter’s chill, perhaps basking in the glow of a warm fire and a beautifully lit Christmas tree, let us remember that today, December 26th, is the Feast of Saint Stephen and is remembered in the traditional Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas” – a wonderful message of struggle and piety in a journey to deliver alms to a poor peasant. There are many versions of this famous carol, but one you may find lovely to listen to is performed by The Roches – Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy – three Irish-American sisters who formed their trio in the 1970s and performed as a group until 2017. We share this YouTube link with you, to enjoy, on this feast day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-G4TWr4Zi8
We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and adult spiritual formation opportunities.
During this Christmastide, while we must stay socially distanced and refrain from in-person worship, in our sanctuary, there are many opportunities for us to worship together during this Covidtide. Please see a listing below and stay tuned to our weekly emails, web site posts, and Sunday bulletins for updates on specific details as we are updated with times and links. We invite you to celebrate with us, as a community of faith! Let us read the Collect for today, The Feast of Saint Stephen:
We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at your right hand; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Did you miss viewing the Virtual Christmas greeting card? Well, the great thing about YouTube is it is there, anytime, for all to see and remember the members of your St. Edward’s parish family! Click here to view.
Virtual Coffee Hour this Sunday, December 27th, from 11:00 AM – 11:40 AM, on Zoom. Hosted by Christina McLaughlin. Let us share our fellowship with one another during this stay-at home holiday season! Your join code and pass code can be found in your Saturday email message.
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Grocery Cards: We will be ordering grocery cards for January and you will be able to pick them up on January 4th.
Giving Envelopes: YES! Our 2021 giving envelopes are in and if you are a household who gets giving envelopes they can be picked up starting January 4th from 11 AM-3 PM.
Office Closed: December 24th – January 3rd. BUT, if there is an emergency or a need, you can always reach out to leave a message on the parish office phone, via email, or contact Father Rick, for pastoral needs, or Michelle for church “business.”
Welcome to Congregational Care! Each Saturday, we will include in our messages any submissions we receive from our parish community, as we invite you to share prayer requests or news about yourselves or your family. We believe this outreach to be incredibly important to keep our spiritual community connected to each other and to Jesus Christ, our Lord, as we walk in love with one another in our daily journeys. Please submit your “news” to the parish office by Friday of each week and we will feature it in the Saturday email, bringing it to our hearts and minds in our Sunday prayers.
We continue to pray for so many, during this Covidtide. Those who are ill or recovering from illness; all of our essential and front-line workers; those who are hungry and in jeopardy of losing their shelter, as their most essential lifeline benefits they rely upon expire today; and those who struggle in their own lives, yet find alms to help others – they all need our prayers. And, we especially keep all those who are experiencing loneliness, during this holiday season, in our prayers. There are so many stories of people, stricken with COVID19 and struggling, and people who continue to self-isolate to be safe, but are experiencing deep loneliness. So, for this week, our message is the same as last week: Let us be gentle and kind, to ourselves, and each other, continue to find ways to “pay it forward,” take deep breaths, be safe, and thank God for all of our blessings.
Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution. Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.
To assist parishes, the diocese has set up online giving for each parish. If you feel comfortable making your weekly giving or pledge donation in this manner (it is a secure giving tool), simply go to the diocesan web site, click on the tab up top and it will take you to a page where you can scroll down, find St. Edward’s, and continue with making your contribution! Thank you for maintaining your faithfulness through your financial stewardship!
We welcome you to our online worship this weekend as we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent.
Due to the alarming rise in cases within Lancaster County and here in our own township, as your rector, I prayerfully request that we continue to refrain from gathering with other parishioners in public groups, particularly in restaurants, indoor spaces, or even outdoors without masks. COVID-19 is not a hoax. We are all in this together, and honoring our parish community, by complying with the recommendations set forth during this time, conveys our love for God in Christ, the members of our parish family, and the wider community.
This is a special service this week, filled with a variety of music ministries!
We offer an opportunity for those viewing our online service to Donate to St. Edward’s via our Paypal link directly from our YouTube Channel. On the St. Edward’s Channel Home Page, in the lower right corner of the image of our church is a “Donate to St. Edward’s” link. You can also find it in the “About” section, just scroll down to “links” in that section. We have installed it, tested it, and it works securely and wonderfully!
We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and adult spiritual formation opportunities.
The season of Advent is upon us, and while we must stay socially distanced and refrain from in-person worship, in our sanctuary, there are many opportunities for us to worship together during this Covidtide. Please see a listing below and stay tuned to our weekly emails, web site posts, and Sunday bulletins for updates on specific details as we are updated with times and links. We invite you to celebrate with us, as a community of faith! We are all in this together and we are all connected as we walk in hope, peace, joy, and love, during this season of Advent, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
. . . .It’s almost here!
We hear the Virtual Christmas card is receiving its finishing touches and will go “live” on our YouTube Channel, with a link to access, in a special email that will be sent on Wednesday, December 23rd, with all of our Christmas Eve service information and Christmas greetings. So, email messages for next week will be Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Virtual Coffee Hour after our Sunday service 11:00 AM – 11:40 AM, on Zoom. Hosted by Christina McLaughlin. Let us share our fellowship with one another during this stay-at home holiday season! Your join code and pass code were in your Saturday email message.
— Christmas Flowers at St. Edward’s: We will be offering our traditional Christmas Flower sign-up with your “In Memory of” or “In Thanksgiving for” names to be placed in the Christmas Eve bulletin. Please prayerfully consider signing up for Christmas flowers this year. Flowers are $20 and can be submitted, via email, with your check mailed into the parish office, made payable to St. Edward’s and marked “Christmas Flowers” in the memo line.Deadline is Monday, December 21st.
At-Home Communion for Christmas Eve at St. Edward’s: We have put together packets of pre-consecrated communion wafers for our virtual live-streamed Christmas Eve service. Following all health and safety protocols, and utilizing food-safety envelopes, each packet is ready for you to pick up at St. Edward’s from Monday, December 21st – Wednesday, December 23rd, from 11 AM – 4 PM. If you cannot get to St. Edward’s and would like communion wafers, PLEASE contact the parish office via email or phone message and let us know. We will form a list and make sure your packet is delivered to you. It is important to us, to have all of you have the ability, at your discretion, to participate in communion on Christmas Eve, with us, virtually.
Grocery Cards: We will be ordering grocery cards for January and you will be able to pick them up on January 4th. Scepter: Mac is requesting articles, photos, etc. to her by tomorrow, December 20th for the January Scepter. Giving Envelopes: YES! Our 2021 giving envelopes are in and if you are a household who gets giving envelopes I will make sure they are ready to be picked up when you pick up your communion wafers this Monday – Wednesday. Office Closed: December 24th – January 3rd. BUT, if there is an emergency or a need, you can always reach out to leave a message on the parish office phone, via email, or contact Father Rick, for pastoral needs, or Michelle for church “business.”
Welcome to Congregational Care! Each Saturday, we will include in our messages any submissions we receive from our parish community, as we invite you to share prayer requests or news about yourselves or your family. We believe this outreach to be incredibly important to keep our spiritual community connected to each other and to Jesus Christ, our Lord, as we walk in love with one another in our daily journeys. Please submit your “news” to the parish office by Friday of each week and we will feature it in the Saturday email, bringing it to our hearts and minds in our Sunday prayers.
We pray for the family of Harry West, Harry passed away last Saturday, in Winston-Salem, NC where he lived near his daughter, Wendy Martin. Harry and Barbara West were long-time members of St. Edward’s and were faithful parishioners attending the Rite II and Contemporary services each Sunday. Barbara passed away last year and is interred in our Memorial Garden. Harry will also be interred in our Memorial Garden, next to his beloved Barbara.
We pray for Eric and Jackie Sandblade as they mourn the passing of Eric’s sister, Julie Sandblade. Please keep the Sandblade family in your prayers, tonight and in the days to follow.
We are praying for so many, as there are just so many to keep in our thoughts and prayers every day. Those who have been so generous and helpful in every way during this Covidtide that no simple “thank you” can ever be enough to express our immense gratitude. Whether they be on the front lines, in our schools and essential businesses; in the food pantries, shelters, and services to help those in need; or those keeping their homes and families safe, they all need our prayers. And, we especially keep all those who are experiencing loneliness and illness, during this holiday season, in our prayers. There are so many stories of people, who we now know, stricken with COVID19 and struggling, and people who continue to self-isolate to be safe, but are experiencing deep loneliness. So, let us be gentle and kind, to ourselves, and each other. Take deep breaths, be safe, and thank God for all of our blessings.
Looking for a way to brighten someone’s day during the holidays? We can all participate in our own personal “social outreach.” Click on the link below to find a list of Retirement Homes in our area that are accepting cards for their residents. What a nice way for us to reach out to the wider community to let them know that we care!
Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution. Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.
To assist parishes, the diocese has set up online giving for each parish. If you feel comfortable making your weekly giving or pledge donation in this manner (it is a secure giving tool), simply go to the diocesan web site, click on the tab up top and it will take you to a page where you can scroll down, find St. Edward’s, and continue with making your contribution! Thank you for maintaining your faithfulness through your financial stewardship!
Tonight, we offer a prayer For Joy in God’s Creation, in this Third Week of Advent:
O heavenly Father, who hast filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works; that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, we may learn to serve thee with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(BCP, pg. 814)
Be well. Stay safe. Keep the faith.
Michelle
— Scepter articles, photos, submissions are due to Mac Miller by Sunday, December 20th. Submit to Mac at [email protected].
— Please remember the Hempfield Area Food Pantry in your holiday “gift” giving. They are so thankful for our robust support throughout this year. But, as we enter the 2 week holiday season there are so many families in need of food that any monetary gift we can continue to give to them would be received with immense gratitude. Thank you! —
Looking for a way to brighten someone’s day during the holidays? We can all participate in our own personal “social outreach.” Click on the link below to find a list of Retirement Homes in our area that are accepting cards for their residents. What a nice way for us to reach out to the wider community to let them know that we care!
Look for our Virtual Holiday Card to be revealed this weekend! I have had a sneak preview and it is just lovely! Thank you to Christina McLaughlin and Ellen Milligan for putting this special Christmas sentiment together for our St. Edward’s parish family!
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Be a part of a St. Edward’s tradition by contributing to our Christmas Altar Flowers. We will continue with our tradition of offering people the opportunity to donate to our Christmas Flowers for our Christmas Eve service, live streamed at 8:00 PM, with the names of your loved ones remembered in the service bulletin. Flower entries are at a suggested donation of $20. Please email the parish office by December 21st with your names and amount donated. When sending in your check, please make it payable to St. Edward’s and mark in the memo line “Christmas Flowers.” Click here for more information.
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We have 2021 Episcopal Church calendars in. If you would like to pick one up next week when you stop by to pick up your consecrated wafers for Christmas Eve services, we will have them available. The wafers may be picked up Monday, December 21st – Wednesday, December 23rd from 11 AM – 3 PM. The office is closed on Thursday, December 24th.
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We are so fortunate to have an invitation to a wonderful spiritual offering by The Community of Francis and Clare, and Br. David Rutledge, for Christmas Eve morning. If you were able to join us for the Thanksgiving Morning Prayer, you know how meditative and special these offerings are and we encourage you to join us!
Christmas Eve Morning Prayer @ 9:00 am ET
Time: Dec 24, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcXmijjIhf
— MINISTRY, WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK VIA ZOOM Friday, December 18th, Lunch & Learn Adult Spiritual Formation – 12 Noon – 1 PM
Join us for this series led by Father Rick, Bob Mosebach, and Wanda Stoltzfus. Scroll down to note the Zoom meeting join information.
Friday Evening Prayer – December 18th We invite you to Evening Prayer this Friday evening at 7:00 PM. This is a wonderful way to peacefully end our week and is led by Patrick Ishler. Join us on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86327105082 Join Code: 863 2710 5082
Blue Christmas Service at St. Luke’s Mt. Joy via Zoom – December 19th at 7 PM
Please do follow the link to the RSVP, at https://forms.gle/qvMd9A43TidGcG9z6 so that we know to welcome you into the service. This is to ensure that the Zoom meeting is secure.
Friday Lunch & Learn: December 18th 12 Noon – 1 PM via Zoom
Our conversation continues, this week, with Chapter Six, in our text. We have had engaging and enlivening discussions each week! Perhaps you would feel comfortable in delivering the closing prayer, this week? There are many wonderful Prayers and Collects in our BCP! We would welcome your participation. Attendance at every session is not required.
As we journey through the third week of Advent, let us know the meaning of joy in our hearts, minds, and prayers of gratitude.
A prayer for Grace at Meals
Give us grateful hearts, our Father, for all thy mercies, and make us mindful of the needs of others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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In case you missed it, we invite you to view our Sunday worship:
Michelle
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This is the last week of Krist Kindling (already!?!?) It has been a BLAST! For those participating, please be safe this week as the weather will give our hijnks a few challenges.
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The Episcopal Calendars are in. Please let the office know if you would like one put aside for you.
— Christmas Flowers: This is the last week you can sign up for Christmas flowers in memory of, or in thanksgiving for, your friends and family. As is our tradition, each remembrance will be printed in our Christmas Eve bulletin. Please prayerfully consider donating to our altar flowers this Christmas. We are seeking suggested donations of $20. Those raised funds support the arrangements that will decorate our altar shelves and our pews in glorious Christmas celebration!
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Hempfield Area Food Pantry: We continue to receive monetary donations, from our parish family, that are so needed at HAFP. With Christmas just a week away, a donation to the Food Pantry is the perfect gift to show our support for those in need in our wider community. Please keep these families in your prayers.Thank you for your dedicated and continued support.
— MINISTRY, WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK VIA ZOOM
Tuesday, December 15th – 6:00 PM – Vestry Meeting
Wednesday Evening, December 16th – 6:30 PM Contemporary Bible Study
Led by Bill and Yvonne Gasperetti via Zoom. Please email Bill or Yvonne if you would like to participate.
Friday, December 18th, Lunch & Learn Adult Spiritual Formation – 12 Noon – 1 PM
Join us for this series led by Father Rick, Bob Mosebach, and Wanda Stoltzfus. Scroll down to note the Zoom meeting join information.
Friday Evening Prayer – December 18th We invite you to Evening Prayer this Friday evening at 7:00 PM. This is a wonderful way to peacefully end our week and is led by Patrick Ishler. Join us on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86327105082 Join Code: 863 2710 5082
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Lessons & Carols Virtual Service – Friday, December 18th
Tune into the St. Edward’s YouTube Channel to enjoy this year’s Lessons & Carols with our diocesan parishes! Click here for the link to our YouTube Channel
Blue Christmas Service at St. Luke’s Mt. Joy via Zoom – December 19th at 7 PM
Please do follow the link to the RSVP, at https://forms.gle/qvMd9A43TidGcG9z6 so that we know to welcome you into the service. This is to ensure that the Zoom meeting is secure.
Drive-In Christmas Worship –December 20th 6:30 PM – Drive-in Christmas worship at Cumberland Valley Drive-in, Newville. These services will be approximately one hour and will feature live music, lessons, Christmas Carols, and a special Christmas message. You will be able to watch the service live on the drive-in screen from the comfort of your automobile. Father Rick, Randy Westgate, Mike Freshwater, and Jamie Alton will be providing the wonderful musical offerings at both of these services! Let’s join them!
Friday Lunch & Learn: December 18th 12 Noon – 1 PM via Zoom
Our conversation continues, this week, with Chapter Six, in our text. We have had engaging and enlivening discussions each week! Please take the time, this week, to review the handout (link is below) as you read Chapter Six. Perhaps you would feel comfortable in delivering the closing prayer? There are so many wonderful Prayers and Collects to share with the group, from our BCP. We would welcome your participation. Attendance at every session is not required.
We welcome you to our online worship this weekend as we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent.
Due to the alarming rise in cases within Lancaster County and here in our own township, as your rector, I prayerfully request that we refrain from gathering with other parishioners in public groups, particularly in restaurants, indoor spaces, or even outdoors without masks. COVID-19 is not a hoax. We are all in this together, and honoring our parish community, by complying with the recommendations set forth during this time, conveys our love for God in Christ, the members of our parish family, and the wider community.
We offer an opportunity for those viewing our online service to Donate to St. Edward’s via our Paypal link directly from our YouTube Channel. On the St. Edward’s Channel Home Page, in the lower right corner of the image of our church is a “Donate to St. Edward’s” link. You can also find it in the “About” section, just scroll down to “links” in that section. We have installed it, tested it, and it works securely and wonderfully!
We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and adult spiritual formation opportunities.
The season of Advent is upon us, and while we must stay socially distanced and refrain from in-person worship, in our sanctuary, there are many opportunities for us to worship together during this Covidtide. Please see a listing below and stay tuned to our weekly emails, web site posts, and Sunday bulletins for updates on specific details as we are updated with times and links. We invite you to celebrate with us, as a community of faith! We are all in this together and we are all connected as we walk in hope, peace, joy, and love, during this season of Advent, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Let’s bless our church family with some Holiday cheer!
Since we can’t wish each other a Merry Christmas in person this year, we are asking you to send a digital photo of you/your family holding a large piece of paper or sign displaying some sort of Christmas message. (Santa hats and reindeer antlers are optional). We’ll put them all together to create a virtual Christmas card.
Text your photo and names of those in the photo to Christina McLaughlin at 717-415-7043 or email them to [email protected]no later than tomorrow, December 13th.
– Christina McLaughlin and Ellen Milligan
And. . .here is a fun “challenge” – If you participate in the virtual Zoom coffee hour on Sunday (details below), come to the coffee hour, tomorrow, with a holiday cheer “sign” to hold up at one point during the coffee hour (Christina will say “when”) so we can take a screen shot and include in our card project. Print one out at home tonight. . have your kids make a fun sign. . . hold up a Christmas card. . anything with a holiday message of love, peace, or Merry Christmas cheer!
Virtual Coffee Hour after our Sunday service 11:00 AM – 11:40 AM, on Zoom. Hosted by Christina McLaughlin. Let us share our fellowship with one another during this stay-at home holiday season! Your Zoom Join Code and Pass Code are in your Saturday email message.
— Christmas Flowers at St. Edward’s: We will be offering our traditional Christmas Flower sign-up with your “In Memory of” or “In Thanksgiving for” names to be placed in the Christmas Eve bulletin. Please prayerfully consider signing up for Christmas flowers this year. Flowers are $20 and can be submitted, via email, with your check mailed into the parish office, made payable to St. Edward’s and marked “Christmas Flowers” in the memo line.Deadline is NEXT SUNDAY, December 20th.
December 18th: Lessons & Carols Virtual Convocation Event – Stay tuned for details/link in this week’s email.
Drive-In Christmas Worship: Our December Bishop Out of the Box event will be Drive-in Worship services. We will have two options of free, outdoor, socially distanced services to help us all celebrate the Christmas season. From your car, enjoy a Christmas message, live worship, and carols. The first will be on Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 6:30 PM at The Point Drive-in, Northumberland. The second will be on Sunday, December 20, 2020at 6:30 PM at The Cumberland Valley Drive-in, Newville. We welcome fellow St. Edward’s parishioners to join us at either of these events (Carlisle is the closer drive-in event) as Father Rick, Randy Westgate, Jamie Alton, and Mike Freshwater will be providing wonderful music for these services.
Christmas Eve at St. Edward’s: December 24th 8 PM virtual Rite II service live streamed on the St. Edward’s YouTube Channel. Please stay tuned for details regarding how we will distribute Consecrated wafers for Christmas Holy Communion at home.
Welcome to Congregational Care! Each Saturday, we will include in our messages any submissions we receive from our parish community, as we invite you to share prayer requests or news about yourselves or your family. We believe this outreach to be incredibly important to keep our spiritual community connected to each other and to Jesus Christ, our Lord, as we walk in love with one another in our daily journeys. Please submit your “news” to the parish office by Friday of each week and we will feature it in the Saturday email, bringing it to our hearts and minds in our Sunday prayers.
Let us continue to pray for the sick, those suffering from COVID19 and those suffering from other illnesses and unable to get the care they need, as we struggle with the challenges of this pandemic. Let us keep in our hearts all who have worked so hard, and have given their lives to keep us well. Let us pray for all who are lonely. And, there are so many people who are lonely and isolated, right now. Please take a moment to open your directory and give your fellow parishioner(s) a call, just to say “hello” and see how they are doing. It is a bright spot in a person’s day.
Looking for a way to brighten someone’s day during the holidays? We can all participate in our own personal “social outreach.” Click on the link below to find a list of Retirement Homes in our area that are accepting cards for their residents. What a nice way for us to reach out to the wider community to let them know that we care!
Join us, at St. Edward’s, and with our convocation churches, for wonderful offerings, each week, of prayer and adult spiritual formation, via Zoom. Join in, anytime! Click here to learn more.
Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution. Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.
To assist parishes, the diocese has set up online giving for each parish. If you feel comfortable making your weekly giving or pledge donation in this manner (it is a secure giving tool), simply go to the diocesan web site, click on the tab up top and it will take you to a page where you can scroll down, find St. Edward’s, and continue with making your contribution! Thank you for maintaining your faithfulness through your financial stewardship!
We welcome you to our online worship this weekend as we celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent.
Due to the alarming rise in cases within Lancaster County and here in our own township, as your rector, I prayerfully request that we refrain from gathering with other parishioners in public groups, particularly in restaurants, indoor spaces, or even outdoors without masks. COVID-19 is not a hoax. We are all in this together, and honoring our parish community, by complying with the recommendations set forth during this time, conveys our love for God in Christ, the members of our parish family, and the wider community.
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Please note the NEW TIME of 10 AM for our one Sunday Service via our YouTube Channel, which will be followed by a virtual coffee hour (detailed below).
We offer an opportunity for those viewing our online service to Donate to St. Edward’s via our Paypal link directly from our YouTube Channel. On the St. Edward’s Channel Home Page, in the lower right corner of the image of our church is a “Donate to St. Edward’s” link. You can also find it in the “About” section, just scroll down to “links” in that section. We have installed it, tested it, and it works securely and wonderfully!
We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and adult spiritual formation opportunities.
The season of Advent is upon us, and while we must stay socially distanced and refrain from in-person worship, in our sanctuary, there are many opportunities for us to worship together during this Covidtide. Please see a listing below and stay tuned to our weekly emails, web site posts, and Sunday bulletins for updates on specific details as we are updated with times and links. We invite you to celebrate with us, as a community of faith! We are all in this together and we are all connected as we walk in hope, peace, joy, and love, during this season of Advent, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Rose Dixon Memorial Service: In case you missed watching the service for Rose Dixon today, click here to view.
St. Edward’s Virtual Christmas Card Ministry Let’s bless our church family with some Holiday cheer! Since we can’t wish each other a Merry Christmas in person this year, we are asking you to send a digital photo of you/your family holding a large piece of paper or sign displaying some sort of Christmas message. (Santa hats and reindeer antlers are optional). We’ll put them all together to create a virtual Christmas card. Text your photo and names of those in the photo to Christina McLaughlin at 717-415-7043 or email them to [email protected] no later than Sunday December 13th. – Christina McLaughlin and Ellen Milligan
Our virtual cultural event, Fire in the Glen, scheduled for December 13th has been postponed, due to the Coronavirus. Stay tuned for any rescheduling. It reminds us that honoring our parish community, by complying with the recommendations set forth during this time, conveys our love for God in Christ, the members of our parish family, and the wider community.
Christmas Flowers at St. Edward’s: We will be offering our traditional Christmas Flower sign-up with your “In Memory of” or “In Thanksgiving for” names to be placed in the Christmas Eve bulletin. Please prayerfully consider signing up for Christmas flowers this year. Flowers are $20 and can be submitted, via email, with your check mailed into the parish office, made payable to St. Edward’s and marked “Christmas Flowers” in the memo line. Deadline is December 20th.
December 18th: Lessons & Carols Virtual Convocation Event – Stay tuned for details.
Drive-In Christmas Worship: Our December Bishop Out of the Box event will be Drive-in Worship services. We will have two options of free, outdoor, socially distanced services to help us all celebrate the Christmas season. From your car, enjoy a Christmas message, live worship, and carols. The first will be on Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 6:30 PM at The Point Drive-in, Northumberland. The second will be on Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 6:30 PM EST at The Cumberland Valley Drive-in, Newville. We welcome fellow St. Edward’s parishioners to join us at either of these events (Carlisle is the closer drive-in event) as Father Rick, Randy Westgate, Jamie Alton, and Mike Freshwater will be providing wonderful music for these services.
Christmas Eve at St. Edward’s: December 24th 8 PM virtual Rite II service live streamed on the St. Edward’s YouTube Channel. Please stay tuned for details regarding how we will distribute consecrated wafers for Christmas Holy Communion at home.
Our December Scepter is posted on our web site. Click here. Color copies will be in the front entry and available for pick up Monday – Friday 11 AM – 3 PM.
Our monthly grocery cards can be picked up starting Monday, December 7th and will be in your parish mailboxes, or can be mailed to you. Please let the parish office know if you would like your cards mailed.
— Annual Jesse Tree Project was such a beautiful example of the love and generosity that abounds this year! Thank you to all who so graciously contributed to this St. Edward’s Social Outreach ministry, and a holiday tradition at St. Edward’s. Because of your faithful commitment to this project, we raised over $2,100 this year!!
Join us for our Virtual Coffee Hour, right after the 10 AM service, each Sunday, from 11:00 AM – 11:40 AM, on Zoom. It will be hosted by Christina McLaughlin. During these holidays, and because we cannot gather in-person through the end of this calendar year, sharing fellowship with our community is not only a connective thread for the fabric of our parish life, but it is wonderful “social outreach.” We invite you to join us! Join code and pass code were in your weekly emails.
Welcome to Congregational Care! Each Saturday, we will include in our messages any submissions we receive from our parish community, as we invite you to share prayer requests or news about yourselves or your family. We believe this outreach to be incredibly important to keep our spiritual community connected to each other and to Jesus Christ, our Lord, as we walk in love with one another in our daily journeys. Please submit your “news” to the parish office by Friday of each week and we will feature it in the Saturday email, bringing it to our hearts and minds in our Sunday prayers.
For this week, we pray for Robert Carter, father of Dina Ishler, who is battling Covid-19. Please offer your prayers, love, and support to the Ishler family and keep all of them in our deepest hearts and prayers as they support each other.
As Dina so graciously expressed this week:“I’d also like to lift up how hard it is for anyone in a residential facility in this era because of all the isolation and loneliness. . . let us all hold all such folks close in our souls.”
In addition to the Prayer for the Aged, below, please pray for people, of all ages, who live in residential facilities.
Prayer For the Aged
Look with mercy, O God our Father, on all whose increasing years bring them weakness, distress, or isolation. Provide for them homes of dignity and peace; give them understanding helpers, and the willingness to accept help; and, as their strength diminishes, increase their faith and their assurance of your love. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Join us, at St. Edward’s, and with our convocation churches, for wonderful offerings, each week, of prayer and adult spiritual formation, via Zoom. Join in, anytime! Click here to learn more.
Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution. Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.
To assist parishes, the diocese has set up online giving for each parish. If you feel comfortable making your weekly giving or pledge donation in this manner (it is a secure giving tool), simply go to the diocesan web site, click on the tab up top and it will take you to a page where you can scroll down, find St. Edward’s, and continue with making your contribution! Thank you for maintaining your faithfulness through your financial stewardship!
As we begin a new week, and are on the eve of entering a new month, tomorrow, we offer this Collect from Evening Prayer II:
A Collect for the Presence of Christ
Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.
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In case you missed it, we invite you to view our Sunday worship:
Please mark your calendar for Saturday, December 5th at 3:00 PM as we celebrate the life of our beloved parishioner, Rose Dixon. While the in-person service is for immediate family only, we will be livestreaming our service, via our YouTube Channel. Please tune in here. We will publish this link, again, in our Thursday email.
Be well. Stay safe. Keep the faith.
Michelle
— Krist Kindling has begun! Please contact Meredith Westgate at week’s end if you have any questions after your first week! Be safe in your travels and have fun! Keep your Krist Kindling partner(s) in your prayers.
The December Scepter will be online this weekend. We will print color copies and leave in the table in the front entry, if you would like to stop by, during the week, from 11 AM – 3 PM, to pick up a copy.
Grocery cards will be available by Monday, December 7th. If you would like yours mailed, please contact the parish office.
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Our 2021 Stewardship Campaign is coming to a close. But, if you have not mailed in your pledge commitment as of November 30th, please prayerfully consider participating in the stewarding and ministry of St. Edward’s! 2021 promises to be a wonderful year filled with new ministry and continued care and feeding to our church campus and it is exciting to think we can all be an integral part of our parish community’s success! Thank you, one and all, for your continued support of St. Edward’s.
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Annual Jesse Tree Project
What an amazing response to this important seasonal ministry, especially this year! In speaking with Leslie Arnold, today, she reports we have exceeded the expectations of social outreach with our outpouring of support for these families in need and we will be providing a wonderful gift package to each of the children from COBYS we have committed to support. Thank you!!!
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Hempfield Area Food Pantry: We continue to receive monetary donations, from our parish family, that are so needed at HAFP. As we have been witness, in our news cycles, to the heartbreaking, and endless, lines at food pantries around the country, it is encouraging to know that the people of St. Edward’s are helping to support our local wider community with such love and generosity. Thank you for your dedicated and continued support, as we enter this next holiday season.
— MINISTRY, WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK VIA ZOOM Wednesday Evening, December 2nd – 6:30 PM Contemporary Bible Study
Led by Bill and Yvonne Gasperetti via Zoom. Please email Bill or Yvonne if you would like to participate.
Friday, December 4th, Lunch & Learn Adult Spiritual Formation – 12 Noon – 1 PM
Join us for this series led by Father Rick, Bob Mosebach, and Wanda Stoltzfus. Scroll down to note the Zoom meeting join information.
Friday Evening Prayer – December 4th We invite you to Evening Prayer this Friday evening at 7:00 PM. This is a wonderful way to peacefully end our week and is led by Patrick Ishler. Join us on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86327105082 Join Code: 863 2710 5082
December 13th at 3:00 PM:Mark your calendars for a St. Edward’s Virtual Cultural Event, LIVE, on our YouTube Channel.
Fire in the Glen has been performing in south-central Pennsylvania since 1999, and they’ve been sharing A Celtic Christmas over the holidays for the last decade. The holiday-themed show blends traditional Scottish and Irish music with familiar Christmas melodies and some more obscure holiday tunes from England and Ireland. The band features Tom Knapp on fiddle and bodhran (the traditional Irish drum), Megan Mullen on vocals and keyboard, and Mick Mullen on vocals and guitar.
Although their set list varies, the show will include a selection of the following: What Child is This, The Devonshire Carol, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Christmas in Killarney, The Snowflake Jig, Angels We Have Heard on High, Away in a Manger, Deck the Halls, Miss Fogarty’s Christmas Cake, Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, The Golden Carol of the Wisemen, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, Joy to the World, Silent Night, O Holy Night and an assortment of traditional Celtic songs and tunes!
A special treat added to this Celtic Christmas event is a performance of Irish dance by our very own Faith Carter Ishler! A dancer since the age of three years old, Faith has been competing at the Open Championship level, the highest level of Irish dance, since 2011. She has traveled extensively to pursue competition opportunities in both the United States and abroad, including British Columbia, Montreal, Dublin, Killarney, Belfast and Glasgow. She has earned awards at many prestigious competitions, including two recalls at the World Championships, ranking in the top twenty-five of all dancers in her age group. She also enjoys performing and achieved a successful audition for the international dance phenomenon “Lord of the Dance” in 2017. A 2020 graduate of Lebanon Valley College with a degree in journalism/social media, Faith trains at the Hooley School of Irish Dance.
Friday Lunch & Learn: December 4th 12 Noon – 1 PM via Zoom
Our conversation continues, this week, with Chapter Five, in our text. We have had engaging and enlivening discussions each week! Perhaps you would feel comfortable in delivering the closing prayer, this week? We would welcome your participation. Attendance at every session is not required.
We welcome you to our online worship this weekend as we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent.
Due to the alarming rise in cases within Lancaster County and here in our own township, as your rector, I prayerfully request that we refrain from gathering with other parishioners in public groups, particularly in restaurants, indoor spaces, or even outdoors without masks. COVID-19 is not a hoax. We are all in this together, and honoring our parish community, by complying with the recommendations set forth during this time, conveys our love for God in Christ, the members of our parish family, and the wider community.
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Please note the NEW TIME of 10 AM for our one Sunday Service via our YouTube Channel, which will be followed by a virtual coffee hour (detailed below).
We offer an opportunity for those viewing our online service to Donate to St. Edward’s via our Paypal link directly from our YouTube Channel. On the St. Edward’s Channel Home Page, in the lower right corner of the image of our church is a “Donate to St. Edward’s” link. You can also find it in the “About” section, just scroll down to “links” in that section. We have installed it, tested it, and it works securely and wonderfully!
We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and adult spiritual formation opportunities.
Krist Kindling begins this week! For those participating, we wish you fun, safe local travels, and good spirit, as you enjoy this fellowship tradition at St. Edward’s!
— We are nearing the end of our Annual Stewardship Campaign, as we had set our “ingathering” for tomorrow, November 29th. If you have not returned your pledge commitment, we request your prayerful consideration in helping us to steward the important ministry of St. Edward’s, and the care of our church campus, in 2021, by returning your pledge commitment this week. We have much to be thankful for, and much to look forward to, but it is with the Grace of God, our love of God and for one another through Jesus Christ our Lord, and the stewardship support from our parish community that makes our ministry possible. Thank you!
— Annual Jesse Tree Project Forms: Due Tomorrow, November 29th Please let the parish office know if you are mailing or dropping off your forms/checks on Monday, if you have yet to do so.
For many, Thanksgiving and Christmas represents a ‘season of giving’. Giving to the foster children of COBYs during the holidays has been a long-time favorite of this parish.
This service is known as the Jesse Tree project. Jesse Tree provides gifts for children in foster care, making Christmas a little brighter. Through COBYS Family Services we obtain a list of children in foster care, their ages, and their Christmas wishes. We don’t take the place of Santa. Rather, we act as Santa’s helpers by adding another gift or two for a child to open on Christmas morning.
Join us for our Virtual Coffee Hour, right after the 10 AM service, each Sunday, from 11:00 AM – 11:40 AM, on Zoom. It will be hosted by Christina McLaughlin. During these holidays, and because we cannot gather in-person through the end of this calendar year, sharing fellowship with our community is not only a connective thread for the fabric of our parish life, but it is wonderful “social outreach.” We invite you to join us! Your join code and pass code were in the Saturday email.
Welcome to Congregational Care! Each Saturday, we will include in our messages any submissions we receive from our parish community, as we invite you to share prayer requests or news about yourselves or your family. We believe this outreach to be incredibly important to keep our spiritual community connected to each other and to Jesus Christ, our Lord, as we walk in love with one another in our daily journeys. Please submit your “news” to the parish office by Friday of each week and we will feature it in the Saturday email, bringing it to our hearts and minds in our Sunday prayers.
For this week, we pray for all peoples, everywhere, who have helped others, in all the ways we can and do, during this Covidtide Thanksgiving and beyond. But, most importantly, we keep the poor and neglected in our deepest prayers, as we enter this season of Advent.
Prayer For the Poor and Neglected
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Join us, at St. Edward’s, and with our convocation churches, for wonderful offerings, each week, of prayer and adult spiritual formation, via Zoom. Join in, anytime! Click here to learn more.
Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution. Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.
To assist parishes, the diocese has set up online giving for each parish. If you feel comfortable making your weekly giving or pledge donation in this manner (it is a secure giving tool), simply go to the diocesan web site, click on the tab up top and it will take you to a page where you can scroll down, find St. Edward’s, and continue with making your contribution! Thank you for maintaining your faithfulness through your financial stewardship!
Here we are in Thanksgiving week! We pray that all of you have a peaceful and safe Thanksgiving remembrance. For the parish office, we will be closed Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 PM and will not reopen until Monday, November 30th at 10:00 AM. But, please look for our usual Saturday afternoon email which will have the links to all service materials for our live streamed First Sunday of Advent service on November 29th at 10:00 AM, and announcements to upcoming events in our parish life.
Believe it or not, even though we are closed to in-person worship we have much going on in fellowship, ministry, and service offerings this week: Wednesday Bible Study; Thanksgiving Day Morning Prayer led by Brother David Rutledge via Zoom (details below); Jesse Tree; and preparing for Krist Kindling adventures next week; Friday Evening Prayer; First Advent Rite II Sunday service followed by our Sunday virtual coffee hour at 11:00 AM.
And. . . in the weeks to follow in December, we continue with our season of Advent Sunday services, live streamed at 10:00 AM via our YouTube Channel; a virtual Celtic Christmas concert event on December 13th at 3:00 PM; our December Scepter; A Celebration of Life service on December 5th at 3:00 PM, live streamed on our YouTube channel, for our beloved parishioner, Rose Dixon; the ability to sign up for our Christmas flowers; the decorating of our front entrance and sanctuary for the Christmas season; and various Christmas-oriented fellowship ministries led by parish groups to surprise our parish family in heartfelt ways (see below). We will also post you on our Christmas service offering for December 24th, and details of any seasonal services that you will want to tune into, via YouTube.
While it may be a few days early, we will not have our usual Thursday email, so we pass on to you this Collect for Thanksgiving Day to hold in your hearts and minds for this Thursday.
Thanksgiving Day
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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In case you missed it, we invite you to view our Sunday worship:
Michelle
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Our gratitude to those on our Stewardship Committee for their wonderful testimonies of pledging and what St. Edward’s means to them. St. Edward’s is a special place! We thank all who have submitted their pledge forms, to date. Your commitment and generosity is so greatly appreciated. But, we need all of you! As Father Rick, and our Stewardship Committee leaders have so thoughtfully articulated these past 3 weeks, it is the financial support from you, our St. Edward’s parish family, that makes it possible to bring such vibrant ministry to you and the wider community, as well as to properly steward our wonderful church campus. Please prayerfully consider mailing in your pledge commitment by November 29th. To learn more, click here.
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Annual Jesse Tree Project Forms Due This Sunday, November 29th
For many, Thanksgiving and Christmas represents a ‘season of giving’. Giving to the foster children of COBYs during the holidays has been a long-time favorite of this parish.
This service is known as the Jesse Tree project. Jesse Tree provides gifts for children in foster care, making Christmas a little brighter. Through COBYS Family Services we obtain a list of children in foster care, their ages, and their Christmas wishes. We don’t take the place of Santa. Rather, we act as Santa’s helpers by adding another gift or two for a child to open on Christmas morning.
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Please keep the HAFP in your prayers this Thanksgiving. They are thankful for the gifts we are able to deliver to them in dry goods, turkeys, and monetary donations, and we are so thankful to have the opportunity to help them.
— St. Edward’s Virtual Christmas Card Ministry
Let’s bless our church family with some Holiday cheer!
Since we can’t wish each other a Merry Christmas in person this year, we are asking you to send a digital photo of you/your family holding a large piece of paper or sign displaying some sort of Christmas message. (Santa hats and reindeer antlers are optional). We’ll put them all together to create a virtual Christmas card.
Text your photo and names of those in the photo to Christina McLaughlin at 717-415-7043 or email them to [email protected] no later than Sunday December 13th.
– Christina McLaughlin and Ellen Milligan
— Grocery Cards
We will continue with our grocery card program and the parish office will be ordering cards for December 6th distribution by Wednesday of THIS WEEK. We can mail them to you, or you can arrange to pick them up. If you DO NOT want cards for December, please contact the office by tomorrow.
— MINISTRY, WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK VIA ZOOM
Wednesday Evening, November 25th – 6:30 PM Contemporary Bible Study
Led by Bill and Yvonne Gasperetti via Zoom. Please email Bill or Yvonne if you would like to participate.
Thanksgiving Day Morning Prayer via Zoom with Br David Rutledge
Topic: Thanksgiving Day Morning Prayer
Time: Nov 26, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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— Friday, Lunch & Learn Adult Spiritual Formation – Postponed for this week. Will pick up on Friday, December 4th at Noon.
— Friday Evening Prayer – November 27th We invite you to Evening Prayer this Friday evening at 7:00 PM. This is a wonderful way to peacefully end our week and is led by Patrick Ishler. Join us on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86327105082 Join Code: 863 2710 5082
. . . .It’s almost here!
