Join us for great discussion and a refreshing beverage (soft drinks available) at Pub Theology
TONIGHT
Thursday, January 18 at 7:30pm. Blue Ghost is located off Airport Rd. at 125 Underwood Rd. in Fletcher. Click
here for directions.
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+ Money Minute
Click
here
to read January's Money
Minute, and read how our financial
contributions
support the summer ministry of Nativity.
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END OF YEAR STATEMENTS
2017 End of Year Giving Statements were mailed via USPS this week. If you didn't receive yours or if you have questions, please contact our Financial Secretary, Carrie Dahlberg at [email protected].
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+ Noisy Offering
This Sunday's Noisy Offering will support the
Pastor's Discretionary Fund. This fund allows our pastors to assist neighbors both inside and outside the congregation, and to do so quickly. Over the years, we have been able to help a number of our brothers and sisters cover gaps in times of crisis, so that they can get back on their feet while having the food, heat, transportation, and other things we all need to be healthy and safe. Thank you for your generous support of one another, making sure we are all cared for in difficult times.
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G I V I N G
Update
Your faithful giving contributes
to our mission of
Making Christ Known.
__________________________________
For the month of December
Budgeted to receive: $69,120
Actual received: $55,176
Budgeted to spend: $48,293
Actual spent: $42,817
To see the
financial summary for the month of December,
click here.
To read the Treasurer's Report,
Thank you for your support
of the ministry we share!
If you have any questions, please contact our
Financial Secretary,
Carrie Dahlberg,
by clicking
here
.
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Epiphany
Chalking and Blessing
On Sunday, our Young Youth and Youth participated in the centuries-old traditions of "Chalking the Door" and house blessing, inscribing our church doors with
"20 + CMB + 18" and walking through the church offering prayers for the coming year. To learn more about this tradition and our
Sunday night activity, click
here.
To download a House Chalking & Blessing liturgy to use in your own home, click
here.
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LADIES
LUNCH
BUNCH
will meet on Thursday, January 25, 1 pm, at the Roux Restaurant located at
43 Town Square Blvd
in Biltmore Town Square. Nadine Lloyd is our hostess, so please call her, 687.3655, and let her know that you are planning to attend. This group just like to eat together monthly at various local restaurants and is open to all women of Nativity and friends.
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Click
here to see who's celebrating!
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The
Women's Group of Nativity
is making Personal Care Kits this year for Lutheran World Relief and asking for the congregation's help. Each month we will collect a different item contained in the kit.
January's item is light-weight bathsized towels
.
Click
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Nativity Women
are hosting a
One-Day Retreat
on
February 10, from 9:00am until 2:30pm.
Click
here
for more
info!
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CHOIR
OPPORTUNITIES
We offer a variety of opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to combine their gifts for God's glory. Here are some of the options:
Nativity Choir
- rehearses on Wednesdays at 7pm. This choir sings each week at the 11am worship service.
Youth Choir - rehearses most Sundays at 4:30pm- check the Youth calendar for specifics.
Young Youth Choir - rehearses on the Sundays on which Young Youth is being held.
Campfire Choir - rehearses on the Sunday mornings when the choir will sing at the 8:30 service. Upcoming Sundays are
February 11 (Camp Sunday),
March 11,
April 22,
May 13 (Youth Sunday).
Handbell Choir - rehearses on the two Tuesday evenings that fall before the choir rings in worship. We ring on the Third Sunday of each month. If you are considering playing with us, click
here to contact
Amber Wollner.
If you would like to get involved or would like more information, contact Pr. Gregg by clicking
here.
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January 2018
issue of 
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Want to get
the word out?
Please submit your communications,
by noon on Wednesday
for weekly
Nativity Notes.
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+ check us out
on social media!
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This spring we will elect eight council members. The first step is for all of us to prayerfully discern a list of possible nominees.
Click
here
to see how you can help us with this process.
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Click for:
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This Sunday we will welcome new folks into our Nativity family. "A Rite of Welcome" is very different from a "New Member Sunday". Rather than concluding a time of education and orientation like New Member Sundays of the past, Welcome Sunday begins a journey of inquiry, exploration and preparation. "Official" membership, which happens through Baptism, Affirmation of Baptism, Restoration to Membership or Reception by Letter of Transfer, will happen later in Lent and Easter.
This change is in keeping with our return to the church's ancient practice of deepening discipleship through the Adult Catechumenate which we have titled The Way. The process of preparation is a journey which can be undertaken in a season or throughout several years. Its four stages are: Inquiry, Exploration, Preparation and Mystagogy (Baptismal Living). Some that we welcome this Sunday will be preparing for either Baptism or Affirmation of Baptism at the Easter Vigil. Others will be received by Letter of Transfer during Lent. Each of us has a spiritual path that is unique to us, yet we all experience the activity of God's grace in our lives. We invite you to take a moment to greet those who are participating in this journey today, extending to them the warmth of Christian fellowship, and making them feel truly welcome as a part of the Nativity family.
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ANNUAL REPORT
S U B M I S S I O N S
All ministry directors, committee chairs and auxiliary chairs are asked to submit an annual report for 2017. If you are a committee or
auxiliary chair and have not submitted your annual report, you may do so by clicking
HERE. Reports must be submitted no later than Monday, January 29, 2018.
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Music Director Search
We thank you for your patience as we've been waiting to hear the conclusion of the search for Nativity's next Music Director.
An email will go out in the next day or so, containing the results of the search.
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+ nativity book group
Due to inclement weather, January's meeting for the Nativity Book Group has been rescheduled to NEXT Thursday, January 25 at 3pm in the Fellowship Hall.
The book for February is
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
. The group will meet on Thursday, February 15 at 2pm in the Fellowship Hall. All members and friends are welcome and invited to join the group as they are able.
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Get to know the
GATHERING GROUP!
In the coming weeks, we invite you to get to know the Youth who are going to the ELCA Youth Gathering in June! Each week, we'll feature two Youth with a photo and some fun facts and
details about
them.
After you learn about these Youth, we encourage you to greet them in person! Click names learn more!
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Enjoy
m
aking
soup?
Setting up or cleaning up?
Lent begins next month, but the sign up for midweek soup supper helpers is needed
now. Click
here to help out. Thanks!
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+ Calvary Food Pantry
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Bundled up for carryout service at Calvary Food Pantry on a bitter cold January 6th:
Jonah Nus, Graham Grush, Luke Ward,
Connor Phillips, and friends from Calvary and the community. Nativity's indoor volunteers: Brian Warnicke and Meredith, Michael, & Heather Neal.
____________________________________
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Volunteers
are needed weekly and every Saturday. Join the Nativity crew on the first and second Saturday mornings of the month.
To volunteer, click
here
.
Questions?
Contact Heather Neal at
658-9309 or Pastor Rachel.
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+ learn
Scripture Readings
beginning January 21.
Click to read daily scripture.
TAKING FAITH HOME
This weekly devotional handout is available on the Welcome Desk.
"Taking Faith Home" is a production of Milestones Ministry, LLC, and is created by a team lead by an ELCA Pasto
r.
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This year when the weather is inclement there will USUALLY be a late service at Nativity. Please check the website at
www.nativityarden.org or call the Church Office at 684-0352 for the status of a service or other scheduled events.
We also post on WLOS.
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Got a question?
get you an answer!
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CHURCH OFFICE
HOURS
Mon-Thurs
9am-2pm |
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