Thursday, December 1, 2016
Logo 2
_____________________________________________________________________ 
  
The Second Sunday of Advent
December 4, 2016
 
Saturday Evening:
5:00 pm - Mark's Place, Parish Hall
Sunday Morning:
8:00 am - Holy Eucharist, Rite I
9:00 am - Breakfast
9:30 am - Sunday School for All
10:30 am - Holy Eucharist Rite II
5:00 pm - Annual Parish Christmas Dinner following Parade
 
Readings for Advent II
The Old Testament: Isaiah 11:1-10
The Psalm: 72:1-7, 18-19
The Epistle: Romans 15:4-13
The Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12
  
Lay Leadership for Advent II
Layreaders: 8:00 am Liz Willett, Mary Stamey
10:30 am Jay Barnes, Chris Christy, Rachel Varriale
Ushers: Greg Dills, Alan Jolley
Greeters: Jim and Anne Carriel
Acolytes: Abigail & Eli Dills, Kyle Bond, Emma Grey & Andrew Taylor
Children's Chapel: Nancy Lyn Hargis, Ethan Barker 
Nursery: Bree and Rob Walthers
Breakfast: Jeremy McCarey
Coffee Hour: Emelyn Wellons
December Vestry Lock-up: Liz Willett

The Week Ahead at St. Mark's (Dec 5-10) 
Monday 10:30 am Covenant Circle meets       
6:30 pm Belmont Bible Study @ Rudisills; Evening Circle @ Williamsons
Tuesday   6:30 pm EfM Group; 7:00 pm Aikido
Wednesday 8:15 am Morning Prayer with Eucharist  
10:00 am Bible 101
3:30 pm Covenant Monthly Eucharist
4:30 pm Covenant Bible Study with Eucharist
6:30/7:00 pm Choir Rehearsals
Thursday 7:00 pm Aikido; HE with Healing
Saturday 9:00 am Beginners Aikido, Cursillo 4th Day
9:00 am - 2:00 pm 2nd Confirmation Make-up Session
   
Sunday, December 4 we celebrate the season with the St. Mark's Christmas Dinner beginning about 5:00 after the Gaston County Christmas Parade down Main Avenue at 4:00. We suggest families park in the city lot (enter through South Street), come early (maybe even with lunch for your family before the parade and other festivities), then come back to the church after the parade for Christmas Dinner. Please use the link below to sign up to bring a food item and to help with set up or clean up that evening.
 
 
Sunday, December 11 The Rt. Rev. Jose McLoughlin will be with us for a great weekend full of opportunities to visit and learn from him. Don't miss out on this great day.
  • He will celebrate and preach at the 8:00 and 10:30 services with confirmation for 20 new Episcopalians at 10:30. We also hope he will be able to attend Mark's Place on Saturday evening.
  • At 9:00 Sunday, we will offer Breakfast with the Bishop in the Parish Hall. Come meet and greet and enjoy a delicious breakfast cooked by the Wards with help from the Millers and Redds. Following Breakfast, children will go to Sunday school and learn about our bishop and the youth and adults will have class in the Parish Hall with Bishop Jose as our leader.
  • After the service we will have a reception for the Bishop and Confirmands. Everyone is asked to please bring a finger food (sweet or savory), ready to be served, for the reception. The Vestry will supply cake and punch. The Vestry will also meet with Bishop Jose after church.
Be watching for information about the St. Mark's Angel Tree to help families in our schools. It will be on the bulletin board in the hall and online this year. Information will be available soon.
 
Are you connected to St. Mark's on Facebook? We post a daily devotional each morning, plus events, pictures, and other announcements. Our Advent devotions are coming from the book From Holidays to Holy Days: A Benedictine Walk through Advent which several people are also reading. Be sure to like our FB page - St. Mark's Episcopal Church Gastonia.
 

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of th Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
                                                     Isaiah 11:1-3
  

Items for this St. Mark's Thursday Email Blast should be sent to

Polly Redd, Director of Communications, by Wednesday morning, at pgr@stmarksgastonia.org.