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Nativity Notes: 12/15
/16
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+ worship update
This Sunday is the fourth and final Sunday of Advent.
We will gather together in worship and hear words of promise and hope.
The excitement is building for the coming of Christ!
- - - - -
For an update from
Pastor Gregg on the continuing ministry of Nativity's music program,
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+Care
We extend our heartfelt prayers of Christian sympathy to Pastors Rachel and Gregg and their families at the death of Pastor Rachel's mother, Linda Harriz.
Linda's life will be celebrated on Saturday, January 7th,
at 2 pm, at St. Michael Lutheran Church in
Greenville, SC.
To read a message from Pastor Rachel, emailed earlier this week, please click here.
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ADVENT 2016
A TIME TO . . .
Advent continues into the fourth week, beginning this Sunday. For a copy of the Nativity Advent Brochure, click here.
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Stewardship 2017
During Advent, as we await the gift of the Christ Child, we'll consider the many other gifts that God has given us, and how we are called to offer those gifts back to God.
Each Sunday, we'll hear stories from different members of our congregation about the ministries of Nativity. As you listen, consider also how Nativity has impacted your life and faith. Consider also the potential Nativity has for growth and service in the future.
This past Sunday, we heard from Heather Neal about how Nativity helps. To read her story, please click here.
Stewardship Packets have been mailed. Your 2017 Pledge Card is included, and you'll have the opportunity to turn in your pledge each week during worship. Our final pledge Sunday will be January 8th.
If your household didn't receive a Packet, please see Pastor Rachel.
Please faithfully consider how God is calling you to give to the ministry of Nativity. Your pledge enables us to live our mission statement, "Making Christ Known."
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+
Offering Envelopes
Offering envelopes for Jan-March 2017 are available in the Fellowship Hall through this Sunday, Dec 18th. Please pick yours up!
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+Noisy Offering
Thank you for your contributions to last week's Noisy Offering! We collected $354.95 for Interfaith Assistance Ministry (IAM), a crisis service center which supports our neighbors in Henderson County. IAM provides "hope, food, warmth, medication, and support," and they "are the hands that distribute what the heart of the community provides." Thank you for helping IAM help our neighbors in need this Christmas season.
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+ women of the ELCA
Women of Nativity
will meet on
Thursday, January 12 at 11:00 am
in the Fellowship Hall. We are studying the Gospel of John, chapter 4. You may join the group at any time; the study is not dependent on the previous lesson. Bring a bag lunch if you wish. Call Linda Blake, 684-8378, for more information.
Nativity Card Ministry
Immediately following the Women's meeting (
Thursday, January 12 at 12:30 pm
), the Nativity Card Ministry will meet to make cards for the members on the weekly prayer list. Everyone is welcome to come and make these beautiful cards. The cards are made step by step and artistic ability is not required.
Call Ruth Tracy, 628-7807,
for more information.
Ladies Lunch Bunch
All ladies are welcome to meet at the Roux (in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel)
in Biltmore Town Square at
1:00 pm
on
January 26
for lunch. Nadine Lloyd is our hostess. Please call her at 687-3655 so she can make a reservation for you.
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+ Flesher Assisted Living
Flesher's Assisted Living celebrates its residents' monthly birthdays due to the women of Nativity who provide the cake, ice cream, "sing along," and personal attention. This is a quiet ministry which is enjoyed and appreciated by many at Flesher's. This caring Nativity "people ministry" is enjoyed by men and women who find themselves confined to a nursing home sitting -- often lonely and neglected.
On behalf of these residents, a heartfelt thanks is extended to the following folks for their faithful service this past year:
Linda Blake, Ann Dasher, Corinne Feid, Linda Fox,
Billie Jean Flynn, Joyce Horton, Cathy Janney, Zilla and Don Kimmel, Nadine Lloyd,
Peggy Mann, Debbie McGinnis, Thelma Nesbitt, Peggy Oehm, Jeanne Russell, Chris Scronce, Helen Summers,
and
Sandy Vlahos
.
If you would like to help just one day out to the year, please call me. It would be greatly appreciated.
Jane Ehlers (684-5891)
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+ check us out
on social media!
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Want to get
the word out?
Please submit your communications, articles, events,
by noon on Wednesday
for weekly
Nativity Notes
and
Son Times
.
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+
Ending well in 2016
There are
2
Sundays
remaining in this calendar year. W
e have made progress towards meeting our giving goal for 2016, but we aren't quite there yet. In order to end well this year, we need to receive
$59,549
before
January
. Please complete your pledges for the year, so that we can end this calendar year well. (Unpledged gifts are also welcome!) Thank you for contributing to the ministry of Nativity!
Year End Reminder: All contributions delivered to the office or postmarked by 12/31/16 will be counted towards your 2016 contribution statement.
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At Our Congregational Meeting
on Sunday, Dec 4, 2016, the congregation voted to
Approve the 2017 Budget!
Thank you to those who were able to attend, and thank you to those who worked on the creation of this Budget.
We look forward to another year of Making Christ Known in 2017!
of the approved 2017 Budget.
If you have questions,
please contact the church office.
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+
Searching!
Pastor Rachel is looking for a refrigerator/deep freezer sized cardboard box for a Christmas Pageant prop. If you have one, or a lead on one, please let her know here.
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+ book discussion group
The second December meeting of the
Book Discussion Group will be held tonight,
Thursday
evening, D
ecember 15
at 6:30 pm
in the Preschool Big Room.
The book under discussion in both meetings is
Me Before You
by Jojo Moyes.
January's meetings will be Tuesday, January 10 and Thursday, January 12. The book is
Circling the Sun
by Paula McLain. Everyone is welcome to attend either meeting.
For Discussion Guidelines, click
here.
For upcoming books and corresponding synopsis, click
here.
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+ learn
Faith Formation
Intergenerational Faith Formation has a seat open for you! Join us Dec 18th for conversation and fellowship surrounding our faith. Children 1st grade and younger meet in the Preschool Big Room, and everyone else meets in the Fellowship Hall between services.
Daily Scripture Readings:
Sunday: Luke 1:26-45 [46-56]
Monday: Luke 1:1-4
Tuesday: Luke 1:5-25
Wednesday: Luke 1:46-56
Thursday: Luke 1:57-66
Friday: Luke 1:67-80
Saturday: Luke 2:1-14, [15-20]
God's Story, Our Story
Weekly devotional materials relating to the Narrative Lectionary are available on the Welcome Desk.
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+ give
Calvary Food Pantr
y volunteer sign ups are going digital. If you would like to sign up, please click
here to view upcoming weeks and select your volunteer position. A sign up sheet remains at the Welcome Desk. To learn more about Calvary Food Pantry, contact
Pastor Rachel or
Heather Neal
You can help stock the pantry shelves by placing items in the grocery cart in the fellowship hall. Special requests for this month: your favorite breakfast cereal (hot or cold), soups & stews, and foods especially for kids home for the holidays (macaroni & cheese, spaghettios, microwave popcorn, canned fruit, etc.).
Thank you for all you do to contribute to this ministry. To read about the impact the food pantry has, click
here and hear from one of the grateful families.
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+
Girl Scout Service Project
Advent greetings from Girl Scout Troop 2511 in Fairview. During this season, the girls are working on a service project of giving.
They have chosen to collect supplies for Helpmate, a shelter for domestic violence victims and their children.
During the next month, the girls of Troop 2511 will be placing boxes here at Nativity
(a box near the Welcome Desk)
and at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church
in Fairview.
The troop is collecting:
- wipes and diapers in sizes 2-6
- socks for women and children in all sizes
- underwear for women and children in all sizes
- bath and body wash
- pocket kleenex
- pocket sanitizer
- pajamas for women and children in all sizes
- seasonal items (jackets, gloves, hats) for women and children in all sizes
- shelf staple food/pantry items
For assistance with donations, please contact troop co-leader
Jennie Gillette @
828-707-8343.
Thank you for your help in assisting
Troop 2511 in their service project!
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+ Bulletin Cover Art is Back!
We are returning to one of our most popular ministries: Bulletin Cover Art. If you are interested in providing art for our bulletin covers, we invite you to check out the online schedule here.
We simply ask that you not volunteer for more than one cover per month
and that you submit your art by the Monday before the Sunday for which you're scheduled.
If you have any questions,
please email
Pastor Gregg
here
.
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+ council corner
Minutes from previous meetings can be found on the church's website here.
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+
ELCA Good Gifts
Searching for a gift for that person who has everything? Consider giving a gift in their honor instead! ELCA Good Gifts lets you purchase gifts like livestock, equipment, and health care items to send to those in need around the world. There are over 50 options! Click here
to learn more about these gifts, or check out a catalog at the Welcome Desk.
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Click
here
to see who's celebrating their birthdays in December.
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The flower chart for 2017 is posted in the Fellowship Hall near the north entrance.
If you would like to donate flowers to enhance our worship, please sign the chart and note any "in honor of" or "in memory of" designations.
Plan to take the flowers with you after the late service or pick them up on Monday morning. They will be in a disposable container across the hall from Pastor Mark's office. Enjo
y them at home or take them to someone you know will enjoy them. Each vase is $30 and payment may be put in the offering plate. Thank you for providing flowers that enhance our worship.
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CHURCH OFFICE
HOURS
Mon-Thurs
9am-2pm |
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