Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'he is one, and besides him there is no other'; and 'to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and 'to love one's neighbor as oneself,'-this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question.
Mark 12:32-34
Christmas Carol Fact
Did You Know?
"O, Christmas Tree" didn't start out as a Christmas song. In fact, "Christmas" isn't even part of the real title, "Der Tannenbaum." A Tannenbaum isn't even a decorated Christmas tree. It just means a fir tree. There is nothing connected to the Christmas story at all in the song. It likely began as a German folk song in the 16
th century that was adapted. Ernst Anschutz penned the lyrics to the now familiar tune in 1824, and when the Christmas tree was introduced in England in the 19
th century, it became popular.
During the mid-1800's, Christmas was often celebrated with carefree revelry. Although "Jingle Bells" is about a sleigh ride, it wasn't intended for Christmastime. James Lord Pierpont wrote it in 1857 as a song about the Thanksgiving season, and it was titled "The One Horse Open Sleigh." His version was fairly racy for the time, with a young couple on an unchaperoned sleigh ride before it overturned. The final verse advised young men to find a fast sleigh if they wanted to meet pretty girls. It is unknown who revised the lyrics to the current version. In December 1965, it was the first song to be broadcast from space, when U.S. astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford played a rendition on the harmonica and sleigh bells.
Announcements & Coming Events
Contribution envelopes are now available in the Narthex. Don't forget to pick them up.
Based on
pledges for 2019, we budgeted for $430,000.00 income. As of December 8
th, 2019 we have received $407,273.91, which gives a shortfall of $22,726.09. If you are able, please fulfill your pledge or increase your giving for 2019 to help close this deficit. Thank you so much for helping us spread the news of Jesus Christ to the community.
This Sunday,
December 22nd Mardee Rightmyer will teach
the combined Sunday School class on "Christmas in the Four Gospel Homes."
THANK YOU CHRISTMAS ANGELS for all the food you have brought for the Stone Mountain Food Co-op for December. It has been AMAZING. Unfortunately this last Monday and Wednesday the Co-op almost closed early for lack of food. EPC's 128 pounds and another church's 115 pounds didn't last the mornings. One of our volunteers donated money, went to a nearby store, and we made it through Wednesday. We have Monday the 23rd left to volunteer. If you can bring some food Sunday, hopefully the Co-op can feed the clients on Monday.
PW Save the Date - Our
PW Winter Fellowship will be on Saturday, January 11, from 9:00 am - 1:30 pm. We are excited to have Jeanine Fulton return to us as our fellowship leader. The topic will be "Lessons on Faith" and we can promise fellowship and laughter! A light breakfast will be served and bring a salad to share for lunch.
PW looking ahead - Everyone is invited to join in on the
Valentine Box packing day on Wednesday, February 5, at 10:00 in Founder's Hall. Our college students and missionary kids really look forward to receiving a decorated shoebox packed full of goodies from their Eastminster family to enjoy and share with friends. Donations of individually wrapped candy, snacks, and school supplies can be left in the Narthex or office.
Please let Susan Adle or the office know
if your college students or missionary kids have a change of address for this semester or new year. We want to continue sending them cards each month, and they won't want to miss their Valentine's box!
To view a complete calendar for the week, click
here.
2020 Pledges
Pledge cards are still being accepted. You can pick one up in the office, fill it out online or email the information to Jan Zabarac at
There are many ways to make a gift to the church including check, credit card and the Eastminster "give" link. You can also gift stocks or other securities or make gifts directly from an IRA or donor-advised fund. Please discuss with your financial advisor to determine which might be the best option for you.
Lunch & Learn
Save the Date. Join us for a new faith formation series, "More or Less." For three Sundays in the new year, we'll gather together for food and conversation, ending with a trip to see TheoEd Talks in Atlanta. TheoEd Talks is a faith-based speaker series, modeled after the popular TedTalks series, that brings together leading thinkers in the church and the academy to give the talk of their lives in 20 minutes or less. For the first two weeks of our series, we'll stay after worship for a Lunch & Learn where we'll engage with the work of one of this year's TheoEd speakers, Jeff Shinabarger. Using Shinabarger's book More or Less: Choosing a Life of Excessive Generosity to guide our conversation, we'll consider how our faith can inform how we live into God's abundance in a world that says we never have "enough."
January 26: Lunch & Learn, Noon - 1:30 p.m.
February 2: Lunch & Learn, Noon - 1:30 p.m.
February 9:TheoEd Talks event at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, 4 p.m.
Cost is $30, which includes both lunches and a ticket to TheoEd Talks, and free childcare will be available. Register at the link below or in the church office. Please
make checks payable to Eastminster Presbyterian Church and include "More or Less" in the subject line. Contact Anne Galliher with questions at agalliher@eastminster.us or (704) 682-8434.
Wednesday Night Dinner & Program
Join us for fellowship and dinner Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. Join us for fellowship and dinner Wednesday, January 8th at 5:45 p.m. the menu is: Swedish Meatballs with Noodles, Mixed Veggies, Garden Salad, White Mountain Bread, Cookies, Tea and Lemonade. If you would like to reserve for January 8, 2020 please let the church office know by email at office@eastminster.us, or by phone 770-469-4881. All reservations should be made by Tuesday morning.
There is no Wednesday dinner till January 8th, 2020.
There is no Wednesday program till January 8, 2020.
December Birthdays
10 Steve Stewart
12 John Burger
13 Samillie Malloy
14 Nell Seaton
16 Ben Gerard
16 Courtney Moore
17 Jennifer Streich
17 Richard Taylor
18 Matthew Adams
23 Charles Seaton
29 Lynne Scott
30 Sarah Sauls
If you would like to wish someone a very happy birthday please see our Church Directory App, to conveniently contact them.
Church Directory App
Want to easily access the church directory with contact information and photos?
Church Life is a free mobile app that enables you to stay connected on the go.
With the Church Life App, you can easily look up and use member contact information anytime and anywhere!
View the church directory information such as phone numbers, addresses, emails and photos.
Add contact information to your phone's contact list.
Send a text or call to a contact within the Church Life App.
Pull up a map and directions to addresses in the Church Life App.
In order to use the Church Life App, you will need to load the app on your device and contact Jan Zabarac via phone (770-469-4881 ex. 221) or by email at
The Church Life App is available for iPhones, Androids, and Windows based devices.
Download for Apple devices go here:
Download for Android devices go here:
Blackberry and other mobile devices can enter
www.churchlife.mobi from any mobile browser.
Online Giving
To support Eastminster Presbyterian Church,
please click on the "Give Now" button.
Calendar
THIS WEEK AT EASTMINSTER
Sunday, December 22
9:15 a.m. Sunday School
10:15 a.m. Worship Service
1:00 p.m. One Gate Church Service
Monday, December 23
7:30 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 876
Tuesday, December 24 - Christmas Eve
5:30 p.m. Christmas Eve service
Wednesday, December 25 - Christmas - Office Closed
Thursday, December 26 - Office Closed
Friday, December 27- Office Closed
Sunday, December 29
10:15 a.m. Worship Service
1:00 p.m. One Gate Church Service
*Note: The outer doors by the office and preschool will be locked at 10:45 a.m. during Sunday morning worship. The sanctuary doors will remain open.
*For more information regarding locations and additional events, please note the full church calendar is available on the website and can be accessed at
www.eastminster.us. It runs in real-time and is updated every time an item is added.
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GOT NEWS!
If you have submissions for the Sunday announcements or for the weekly Witness newsletter, please submit them by
Tuesday.
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Contribution envelopes are now available in the Narthex. Don't forget to pick them up.
