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Today is the Feast of
St Cecilia
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St Cecilia was a virgin martyr in the 3rd century. Long venerated in the church, she is known as the patron saint of musicians. Today we give thanks for our musicians: Christin, Robert, Raymond, our choirs, and choral scholars.
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Thank you to everyone who has turned in a pledge card. We are so very pleased at the response thus far. With God's help, we are off to a record start. There are still many who have pledged in the past who have not yet turned in a pledge for 2017. Pledge cards are in the pews or for your convenience, you can fill in an online card here:
http://www.sttimothysws.org/2017-pledge
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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No Wednesday activities this week
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There are no scheduled activities this Wednesday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
This includes the public offering of Evening Prayer and the Rosary.
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Gifts to the Shelter
Though it is not yet Thanksgiving, ads and commercials have been calling us to start preparing for Christmas. With layaway and Black
Friday deals, stores and shops bid us to buy their wares and create a grand spectacle under the Christmas tree. It is time to buy your gifts. And though consumerism is generally a dark part of the Advent season, turning our hearts from spiritual preparation to a place of greed or envy, there is something lovely about giving someone a gift. There can be real warmth in wanting to surprise someone you love, in giving rather than receiving.
Our overflow shelter is asking for a special gift, a precious commodity in a busy world. We are asking for your time.
At the writing of this article, only two of the first seven nights are filled with overnight volunteers. I know it is inconvenient to only have four hours of sleep. I know it is uncomfortable to work after that kind of night's sleep. I am asking you to do it anyway. Because giving this gift will be one of the greatest things you have ever done. It will change your heart and there you will meet Jesus. He may appear to you as a crotchety old woman or a cancer patient who speaks in a fake British accent, but He is there.
So while you are ordering your turkey, prepping for an early start on Black
Friday, or perfecting your shopping cart for Cyber Monday
—sign up to volunteer (click here:
https://signup.com/group/706144300099)
Ready to Volunteer? Overflow Shelter Sign-Ups are Live
The fall is flying by, and our overflow shelter opens in only 36 days! Each year we have partnered with different congregations to fill our spots, and our super group churches take a night and are fully responsible for it. Those are: Highland Presbyterian on Mondays, Knollwood Baptist on Thursdays, and Ardmore Baptist on Fridays. Please sign up for days OTHER than the ones designated for those groups; that is Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Sign ups for the shelter are live - click
here to pick your dates! If you have any questions, contact Katie Harper at
[email protected].
Shelter Needs
We are collecting new, unused, pillows to use with our guests this fall. Our goal is to have 40 new pillows by the time the shelter opens on
Dec.1. We can also use the zippered pillow protectors (preferably not the crinkly plastic kind). Donations can be left on Drake stage or in front of Katie Bryant's office in Gribbin Commons.
Other items being collected: hotel-sized toiletries, women's underwear, & white crew socks. We ask that all clothing donations be directed to other non-profits in town who take clothing. Our guests can get vouchers to shop in these stores. We are also looking for someone to be our Hospitality Coordinator--keeping up with supply needs and keeping our supplies organized.
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Advent Wreath Workshop--Sunday, Dec.4th
Come to Parish Breakfast (
10am-11am in Drake Hall) and make an Advent Wreath to celebrate this season of preparation at home. Candles are provided or you can recycle your candles from Advents past. There will be live greenery and supplies to get you started. If you have fresh greenery clippings, (magnolia, nandina, holly, boxwood, leafy shrubs, etc.) please bring to share. Please also bring clippers.
The Angel Tree is Coming!
Advent comes early this year--so we are all getting ready even before we eat turkey! As you make your own Christmas shopping lists, consider including wishes from our Angel Tree to make the holidays merry for others too. The Angel Tree will be in the downstairs hallway of the church. The first tags that are on the tree will be in support of our Overflow Shelter. The second group of tags will show up after Las Posadas (
Dec.12) with the wishes from the kids of Anthony's Plot. All gifts can be returned under the tree with tags on them.
Las Posadas is
Monday, Dec.12 at 5:30pm at Anthony's Plot (2323 Sunnyside Ave). Join us in this latin american tradition for a night of caroling and community, as we go door-to-door in the Sunnyside neighborhood in search of shelter for the Holy Family. All ages are welcome to join in--dress warmly, be ready to walk, and bring a flashlight. Parents should come with children or send them with a designated adult (just so we can keep up with everyone!). After shelter is found for Mary & Joseph, we will celebrate with a large feast complete with a visit from the Magi. This will be the fourth year that St.Tim's has joined our friends at Anthony's Plot for this meaningful part of our Advent season.
Prayer Pals
Commit to pray for a St. Timothy student! Do you miss the days of pen pals, where you had a buddy you did not see very often but for whom you spent the time to craft a letter and invest in their lives? Prayer pals seeks to do just that, only instead of writing a letter, we are asking you to pray for our children and youth!
If you are an adult in the parish ready to make a commitment to praying for a child or youth at St. Timothy's through the season of Advent and into the new year, email Katie Harper at
[email protected] to receive a Prayer Pal. Participants will receive a Prayer Pal card with prayer requests from their pal and their picture. On
January 25 we will have an inter-generational game night where Prayer Pals can meet and play games.
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Report from Diocesan Convention
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The 201st Annual Convention of the Diocese of North Carolina met in Raleigh on November 18th and 19th. The delegates from St. Timothy’s, in addition to Father Steve Rice, were myself, James Connolly, Beckie McLean and Richard Graves. Convention opened with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist and sermon from Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple. She spoke of “Equipping the Saints” to move forward with evangelism and reconciliation with all people. She also talked about 2017 being the bicentennial anniversary of our diocese. At the same time St. Timothy’s will be celebrating 67 years in existence. 2017 is shaping up to be a great year for our diocese and our parish to reflect on the history of our faith and how it continues to shape where we are going next.
Speaking of church history, a recent bit of our own story at St. Timothy’s was featured at convention. The Abraham Project interns, along with their program director, Becky Johnston, were recognized for their work in our community. John Roberts was also recognized for his journey towards ordination. These were proud moments for our parish.
Several legislative/business sessions were held in combination with break-out sessions to discuss the resolutions being voted on this year. These resolutions can be found at www.episdionc.org.
Churches shared their stories of missions. These stories reinforced the importance of our involvement in things like our Overflow Shelter, Costa Rica Mission Projects and The Abraham Project (just to name a few). The needs of the people living in the Southside of Winston Salem were also highlighted. An area church has started a ministry benefiting this area called Beloved Community (BC). BC is very similar to Anthony’s Plot and both organizations are doing a great job of living with, walking among, and ministering to people in this area. The children and families of St. Timothy’s have often participated in outreach programs with Anthony’s Plot which strives to improve the lives of those living in the Southside community.
Deans of each convocation (a grouping of smaller area churches within the diocese) introduced new deacons and priests in their respective areas. This, in addition to the recognition of John Roberts, was a great time to proudly reflect on all of those from St. Timothy’s that have answered a call to enter the Deaconate and/or the Priesthood. Our parish is blessed and thankful for the opportunities we have to teach and nurture those who are considering or answering a call to serve in a clergy capacity.
The Nominating Committee for the 12th Bishop of our diocese was also recognized. Our very own Father Steve Rice is a member of this committee. The slate of nominees is a diverse representation of our faith and will be announced very soon. Information on the Bishop search process can be found on the diocesan website www.episdionc.org
In conclusion, we walked away from convention further resolved in the fact that St. Timothy’s is already “Equipping Saints” in areas of Evangelism and Reconciliation. Our ethos is Adoration, Formation and Transformation. All things being rooted in our adoration of Christ brings forth further formation in the faith and transformation of self and the lives of others. We are a church that worships frequently, nurtures and teaches with great intensity and serves the lives of others with immense joy and hope. May we not lose sight of where the Holy Spirit is leading us. May we joyfully share and give of our resources to meet the needs of our parish and may we all move into 2017 with a parish well equipped to carry the light of Christ within and outside of our church walls.
God’s peace,
Adrienne Beauchamp – Junior Warden
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