www.nativityarden.org
828.684.0352
Nativity Notes: 6/22 /17
+ Worship


The Christian life (when lived according to God's commands) can often leave us feeling alienated from the world in which we live. Join us this Sunday for worship, as we hear how God's unconditional love will provide for us, no matter what. We will hear how, though we may feel set apart from contemporary culture, being different isn't really so bad. 
+ Beach Retreat

This Sunday afternoon, 17 youth and 5 adult leaders will head to the Isle of Palms for our annual Youth Beach Retreat!  We ask that you would hold them in prayer as they spend time together learning about worship, being in fellowship, and growing in relationship!

Prs Gregg and Rachel will be leading this retreat. Pr Steve Ridenhour will be on call while they are away. If you need pastoral assistance, please call the church at 828-684-0352.

+ opportunity to share your gifts this summer!

It's summer once again, and the musical ensembles are just about ready to take their annual break. This means there are ample opportunities for you to offer your musical gifts for anthems on Sunday mornings! 

If you are interested in singing a solo, or joining your voice in a duet, or playing an instrument, or offering a liturgical dance, or just about ANY artistic expression of your faith during the offerings this summer, please sign-up on the board outside the choir room. Pastor Gregg and Gary Mitchell will contact you and explore possibilities. If you would rather discuss your ideas with Pr. Gregg first, let him know by clicking here
+ Noisy Offering
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Thank you for your generosity! 

Last week's Noisy Offering for Vacation Bible School raised $361.22, which will help purchase the many supplies needed for an awesome week of VBS! 

Thank you also to those who are making donations in kind through the donation gears at the VBS station!

Giving Update

 Your faithful giving contributes to our mission of Making Christ Known.

Click here to see a summary of what was given and spent in the month of May.

Click here to read our Treasurer's most recent report.

Thank you for supporting the ministries of this parish! 

If you have any questions, please contact our  Financial Secretary,
Carrie Dahlberg by clicking here

A new way to support Calvary Food Pantry


Take me out to the ballgame! Discounted Asheville Tourists tickets may be purchased between worship services in the fellowship hall, and the proceeds will raise funds for Calvary Food Pantry. 

Tickets are $7 and half of the profits for the sale of each ticket are donated directly to Calvary Food Pantry. 
See Heather Neal for details.
Stringed Instrument Group

Join the revival of acoustic music at Nativity with the Stringed Instrument Group!

Do you have a hankerin' to pick, strum, or fiddle?  How about just stompin' clappin' and singin'?  Acoustic music will be back at Nativity on  Sunday August 13.  
Bring your talents to help us sing praise to God while playing some classic favorites that celebrate a golden age of songwriting and the Appalachian sound.  

Contact Paul Calderone 
(simply click here) for more information.  The first meeting will take place in mid-July.  Time and date TBA.  
Stay "tuned".


Why do we do that?

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Have you ever had a question about something we do in church, but weren't sure whom or how to ask?  This feature is for you! 

Church leaders are often quick to assume everybody is on the same page, knowing what they are doing, how they are doing it, and why. 
Since that is often not the case, 
we hope to clear things up a bit here with this new weekly feature.

The goal of this portion of the 
e-news is to provide a safe space for questions to be answered and provide more information for everyone's benefit.
 
UPDATE: If you submitted a question last week, it may have been lost due to a technical glitch. Please try to resubmit this week by clicking here.

Fortunately, one question 
did make it through: 
What is happening with the organist search? 

Three special travel opportunities for members and friends of Nativity:
  • Sat., July 29 - Footloose; The Musical. Barter Theater, Abingdon, Va.
  • Sat., Dec. 16 - White Christmas
  • Feb. 28, 2018 - 14 day cruise from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
UPDATE: There are only four seats left for the "Footloose" coach day trip, departing July 29th. If you have been thinking about going, but have been waiting, now is the time to sign up. The price is $70 per person for transportation and the ticket to the show. We will stop for lunch (on your own) on the way to Abington in Jonesborough, TN.

Click here for details or talk with Dave Lloyd (687-3655).
+ council corner
 
Minutes from the Council's June 2017 meeting can be found here
on our website's Council page. 

The next Council meeting will take place in August.
+ give

Calvary Food Pantr y Volunteers are needed at Calvary Food Pantry. Join the Nativity crew on the first and second  Saturday  mornings of the month. If you have experience shopping with a grocery list or pushing a grocery cart, you are qualified! Volunteers with computer data entry skills are also needed. Sign up digitally  here or at the Welcome Desk. Contact Heather Neal (658-9309 or email) or Pastor Rachel to learn more.

+ + +

Click here to be redirected to a great article from the Citizen-Times highlighting the recent expansion by ABCCM.

+ a new gift for our friends


When members of Nativity transfer to another congregation, we always try to bid them Farewell and Godspeed. 
In the past, we have also given gifts to help them remember that they are always welcome here after they have moved.

As many of your know, our very own Nancy Rehan  is quite skilled with a sewing machine. Nancy has offered to help us by creating wall hangs with the Nativity logo on them (the picture above is one example). These wall hangs can serve as our gift to members as we bid them Farewell and Godspeed. We hope to continue this practice in the years to come, perhaps changing the materials each year, and giving our friends a uniquely personalized way of remembering us in the future. 

Thank you, Nancy, for sharing your gifts in this way! 
Want to get  the word out?
Please submit your communications, 
articles, events,  
and updates to:    
by noon on Wednesday  for weekly 
Nativity Notes.
CHURCH OFFICE
HOURS
Mon-Thurs
9am-2pm
 Click  for Nativity's
VBS  Registration 
NOW OPEN!
Join us July  10-14, 
9 am to 12 pm,  for Maker Fun Factory
Created by God, 
Built for a Purpose!

To register, or to volunteer, click 

Registration is open for children completing 3 year old preschool/ who will be 4 by Aug 31, through 5th grade.

Middle & High Schoolers and Adults are invited to volunteer -  we are still in need of many helpers!
  
There will be a nursery for volunteers' children who are too young to regis ter

A donation of $25 a child is suggested to help cover materials (including a t-shirt and a CD for the family!)

  
For more info, see Pastor Rachel, or email her here.
+ We need your trash! 

All kinds of creations can be made out of odds and ends - and we'll be doing that at Maker Fun Factory! Please save and donate: 

-Paper towel/toilet paper tubes 
-Coffee cans
-Butter tubs
-Old (clean) towels

If you'd like to donate new things, please see the VBS display board in the Fellowship Hall for new items we need.  
+ Pub Theology

  Join us July 6 for Pub Theology here at Nativity! We will meet at  7:30.
All we need is you! 

Questions? Call or email Andra Nus at  tadnus@yahoo.com or  828.545.9519.

+ nativity women

The Nativity Women's Group will meet  Thursday, June 29 , at 11:00 am in the fellowship hall. Please note this change in date from our usual meeting time. There will be no meeting in July. All women are invited to bring a bag lunch and join the  study of John's Gospel and  conversation. 
For more information, please call Linda Blake, 684.8378 or email at LSBlake214@aol.com.

The Nativity Card Ministry will meet Thursday, June 29, at 12:30 pm in the church fellowship hall. Men and women are invited to attend to make cards that are sent to our members on the prayer list. If you can follow the simple directions of cut, fold, and paste, you are able to make a card. Ruth Tracy, 628-7807, leads us through the steps to make beautiful cards that remind people they are in our prayers. There will be no meeting in July. Again, please note this change in date from our usual monthly time.

Electronic Giving

Did you know that Nativity has an electronic giving option?

We contract with Vanco, an e-giving company endorsed by the ELCA, to provide an easy option for your offering.

Vanco allows you to set up auto-payments, so you never have to worry about sending in your offering when you're on vacation or forgetting your checkbook.

Auto-payments also help us keep our ministries running steadily here at Nativity.

Like putting something in the offering plate? Good news!  Soon, we'll have e-giving cards in the pew racks, so that you can indicate your offering physically during worship.

To sign up for e-giving, click 

If you'd like to learn more about e-giving, please email our Financial Secretary, 
Carrie Dahlberg, 

+ learn   
 
Daily Scripture Readings for the Week:
Sunday: Matthew 10:24-39
Monday: Matthew 16:21-26
Tuesday: Luke 14:25-35
Wednesday: John 15:1-17
Thursday: 2 Timothy 1:7-14
Friday: Romans 6:1-11
Saturday: Psalm 69:9-18
Sunday:Matthew 10:40-42

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 Pastor.
June's Money Minute

Have you ever wondered, "Where does my giving go?"

Click here to learn about how Nativity is Making Christ Known through giving!



birthday candles

Click here to see who's 
celebrating this month!
+ When are you going to camp this summer?

 We want to support our youth as they attend camp this summer, and Nativity's custom is to lift them up in prayer during their week of camp. In order to do this, we need your help! 

Please email the office ( click here) if you have one or more children attending camp this summer. Let us know when they are going, that way we can pray for them on that Sunday as a part of our worship at Nativity. 
Thank you for your help! 
+ book discussion group

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The next Book Discussion Group will meet on  Tuesday, July 11, at 1:30 pm  in the fellowship hall and again  Thursday, July 13, at 6:30 pm  in the fellowship hall. The book under discussion in both meetings will be  Iris and Lily  by Angela and Julie Scipioni. There is no June meeting.

For Discussion Guidelines, click here .
For a new list of upcoming books (Aug-Dec) and corresponding synopsis, click here
+ Nativity Preschool and Kindergarten


Click here for this week's NPK Snapshot, highlighting the exciting summer projects that are taking place. 

 Lutheridge currently has a part time position open in the registration office. 

A complete job description is available here Resumes can be mailed to the address below.
  
Jessica Steele
Registration Manager
 
NovusWay Ministries
Lutheridge+Lutherock+Lutheranch+Luther Springs
2049 Upper Laurel Drive
Arden NC 28704

+ + + + +

Lutheridge is also looking for a new staff accountant. To see the job description for this position, click here

+ + + + + 

Finally, Lutheridge is looking for some volunteer help. Lutheridge Home Office Volunteers give 4 hours a week, answering phones, greeting visitors and other general office work. Entry-level computer skills are helpful.  Office volunteers are currently needed for Thursday afternoons, and Friday morning or afternoon.  Contact Margo Rabon for more information,
828-209-6327 or speak to other Nativity members who volunteer:  Terry Clever, Doris Fogg, Michael and Tina Kestner, Nadine Lloyd and Don Poole.

+ check us out
on social media!
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
View on Instagram
Sabbatical 

Pastor Mark's sabbatical continues, and we continue to hold him in our prayers for a rejuvenating experience.  
Read how this teaching opportunity has given a new focus to his sabbatical leave time for this year.

Sabbatical leave:  
Monday May 22 - Sunday July 30