Youth E-News: Middle and High School Gift Wrapping Party!

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St. Mark's Youth and Family Ministries

QUICK LOOK AHEAD

December 4:	9am Children's Chapel 10am Sunday School 10am Parenting Teens Gathering 11am Confirmation Interest Meeting
December 11:	9am Family Eucharist 10am Sunday School 11am Teens CHGM Gift Wrapping
December 18:	9am Children's Chapel 10am Sunday School 11am Cookie Decorating + Costume Distrubtuion 11:45am Pageant Lead Rehearsal

THIS WEEK!

This Week: Family Eucharist!

There is no Children's Chapel this week, so join us in the nave for our monthly Family Eucharist service! Justi will offer a children's reflection, and our High School Sunday School class is helping lead the service. See you there!

11am: Greening the Nave Crafts!

After Sunday School each Sunday in Advent, kids of all ages are encouraged to join us in Baxter Hall for a fun craft that will be used to decorate the Nave for Christmas! This is a great way to get in the Christmas spirit and will be fun for all ages.

As part of this effort, we are in need of pine cones and acorns for this week's craft. If you have time to scan your yards and sidewalks for these, that would be great! You can place them in the designated box in the foyer anytime between now and the 11th.

Questions? Contact our fearless Greening leader, Lisa Ramish!

SUNDAY, 11AM: Teens Gift Shopping for CHGM!

Middle and High School Youth- We will once again purchase, wrap, and help pass out gifts for the shelter families at Capitol Hill Group Ministries! Join us THIS SUNDAY from 11am-1pm for the gift shopping ( please bring $20 for the gift), wrapping, and pizza party. Then on Monday, Dec. 18 at 5:30pm in Baxter Hall join us for dinner and gift giving with our Capitol Hill neighbors. For more information, email Caroline.

CHRISTMAS PAGEANT!

Advent is upon us, and with Christmas right around the corner, we are all eagerly looking forward to the Annual Christmas Eve Pageant! Every year at St. Mark's there is a special 4pm Christmas Eve service in which we invite all youth and children to lead the re-telling of the Christmas story in this time honored tradition.

While our older youth serve as readers of the Christmas story, all other youth and children act out the readings as the shepherds, angels, and animals present at the birth of Jesus.

It is our hope that all St. Mark's youth and their families participate in this most beloved event. This edition of the E-News breaks down all of the different ways that you can celebrate with us over the next few weeks.

Part Sign-Ups: November 27-December 18

Each Sunday in Advent, youth and children will be able to sign up to participate in the pageant as either a reader, shepherd, angel, animal, or wise person.

Sign up sheets are on the Youth and Family Ministries bulletin board downstairs in the undercroft, or you can email Caroline to reserve a part. Sign ups are open until Sunday, December 18.

Costume Pick Up, Cookie Decorating + Lead Rehearsal: Dec. 18

After Sunday School on December 18, we will gather in Baxter Hall to decorate cookies! There, youth may also sign up a part as well as pick up your pageant costumes.

All youth and families are encouraged to bring a dozen un-iced cookies per child. We will use some for the Pageant Reception and the rest we will donate to our Grate Patrol bagged meals.

Also on December 18, our lead roles (Mary, Joseph, Gabrielle, Lead Shepherd, Lead Animal, and the Star) will do a quick rehearsal in the Adams Room at 11:45am before joining the group for cookie decorating.

Dec. 24: Rehearsal, Pageant, Reception!

On the day of the Pageant,the leads and reader will do a final run through at 2:30pm in the Nave.

All other participating youth and children need to arrive in costume and ready to go no later than 3:30pm to find your leader and line up.

The Pageant begins at 4pm in the Nave and will be followed by a cookie reception in Baxter Hall!

Save the Dates:

December 24: Christmas Pageant

January 8: Youth and Family Ministries Parent's Meeting

February 17-20: Annual Family Ski Trip

Caroline McReynolds-Adams | Youth and Family Ministries | 202.543.0053, ext. 320 | [email protected] | www.stmarks.net