Most Dearly Beloved,

It's here! It is Christmas! So excited! So stay warm in the cold weather and know we're hoping that all who are able to join us in person will do so. And if you can't be with us in person, no worries. You can join us online. Blue Christmas is online, The 5pm Christmas Eve service will be online, as will the 10pm service of worship with the beautiful musical offering at 9:30pm. Christmas day, we will have Holy Eucharist, in person and online at 10am. In the meantime, here's an excerpt from the Christmas sermon that will be heard in church, and the full sermon from our Bishop Robert Wright from the Imagine Worship service earlier this week. Enjoy...and very, very Merry Christmas to you and all your own beloveds!

Christmas Blessings,

Mo. Nikki+ 

Mo. Nikki's sermon excerpt:

Happy Christmas! Christ the Savior is Born! That's the good news, that God came to meet us where we are in our human bodies, in our human and day-to-day lives, and inside of time, and gravity on this little ball in the whole of the universe that God created. That's love! To move from limitless, almighty, and infinite to all the limitations inherent in being a baby, subject to new parents learning how to parent, to systemic evils and to communal good. Can you imagine? How did God squish all that majesty, and power, and grace into a vulnerable kid named Jesus? I don't know how, but I do know why...because God loves you and me and ALL of us humans so much that they (the Holy Trinity is they, btw) wouldn't allow for any degrees of separation. God came in Jesus so we could grow and be transformed into who we were always created to be. God came in Jesus so we would know what real love is. God came in Jesus so that we could come home to God. Can't you hear it in the angel choirs, in the new Mom and Step-Dad looking at this little person for whom they are now responsible, in the day laborers known as shepherds coming to see the miracle of God's birth? All of it says, 'Oh my sweet children...I've come to make a way for you, and that way has just been born. Welcome Home!" That's why this Christmas is happy. Happy Christmas! Welcome Home!

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Merry Christmas and God with us! Watch an excerpt from Bishop Wright's Christmas Crossroads Sermon given at Imagine Christmas. Listen to the full sermon here.

THANK YOU FROM DEACON DOUG

I am indebted to the St. Gregory’s family for your support, prayers, and kindnesses for these past 11 months. When I began serving among you, I was still uncertain as to the timeline for my ordination; I just knew I needed a place to serve (and a job!) during my postulancy. How blessed I have been to complete my postulancy with you, and to have experienced ordination to the “transitional” deaconate while part of this amazing faith family. Thank you for the opportunity to have journeyed with you to this point. Thank you to Mo. Nikki for trusting the recommendation of one of our diocesan archdeacons, and for saying “yes.” Thank you to the children and their families for your reception, participation, and encouragement. Thank you to the faithful children’s workers who serve, some every Sunday, some as available. Thank you to everyone who came to the Cathedral Saturday to witness my ordination. Thank you for the Prayer Book and Hymnal; whenever I use it in liturgical roles in the future, I will give thanks for the saints at St. Gregory’s.

For now - I covet your prayers as I prepare to take the General Ordination Exam, January 3, 4, and 6. And the best Christmas present I could hope for: I get to spend another six months with you as I complete my time as a deacon. What a gift to me!

For all these good things, and many more untold, I am grateful.

Advent Peace and Love to All -

        Doug Adkins

Christmas Eve Children’s Pageant Reminders



   For all children who will be participating in the Christmas Eve pageant: 

Please be at the Christian Education building by 4:00 PM on Saturday. We will dress in our costumes and have a quick final rehearsal before the service (which begins at 5:00 PM). 

   Remember: ALL children are welcome to participate. If you haven’t been able to attend a rehearsal, we will find a spot for you as an angel or a sheep.

Children’s Sunday School and Children’s Church will not meet December 25 or January 1. Both will resume January 8.

CHRISTMAS AT ST. GREGORY’S

Saturday, December 24:

5PM Children’s Pageant & Holy Eucharist

9:30PM Music Prelude

10PM Festival Eucharist & Choir

Sunday, December 25:

10AM Holy Eucharist & Carols

(no Sunday school or nursery)

Sunday, January 1:

8AM Holy Eucharist 

10:30AM Holy Eucharist

(no Sunday school or nursery)

STEWARDSHIP REMINDER. If you have not yet returned your 2023 stewardship pledge form, you can do so by bringing your completed form to worship (additional forms are in the narthex), by mailing your pledge form to church, or on our home page via the QUICK LINKS tab GIVING TO ST. GREGORY’S.  

2023 EPIPHANY DRIVE FOR FAMILY PROMISE

As most of you know, St. Gregory’s belongs to Family Promise (previously Interfaith Hospitality Network), an organization of churches in Athens that provides homeless families a temporary place to stay while they work their way back to stability. The breadwinners of the families get rides to work if needed. Those who don’t have jobs are provided some of the support they need to find one. Meals are provided. Family Promise also works to prevent homelessness by helping families with a rent or utility payment or with the purchase of a used vehicle. These are truly opportunities to put our faith into action.

While we have the chance to serve as onsite volunteers during three weeks of the year, there are many parishioners who are unable to show up in person but would be interested in helping with Family Promise. We hope our 2023 Epiphany Drive will provide the opportunity to do just that.

Family Pride has an Amazon wishlist which, of course, is readily accessible to anyone shopping on Amazon. This link takes you directly to the Family Promise wishlist. There, you may add items directly to your Cart, pay for them as you do any Amazon order, and Amazon delivers the items straight to the registered Family Promise address. This provides an easy way to help meet the needs of the homeless population served by this program, and we hope that many of you will agree and participate. We will announce this effort several times during our January 6-February 6 Epiphany Drive. 

In recognition of the fact that not everyone shops with Amazon, we will also provide paper copies of the Family Promise wishlist as inserts in our church bulletins during January. You may purchase as many items as you choose, bring them to the Fellowship Hall at church any time from January 6 – February 6, and we will deliver them to Family Promise.

However you decide to participate, you may rest assured that your contributions will significantly impact Family Promise and its clients.

Instructions for Live Streaming

• Just go to the St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church YouTube Homepage

• Near the time for service, underneath our channel logo, you will see our video for that day, with the word ‘live’ on it. The page will look like this:

• If you don’t immediately see the video that says ‘live’, (for instance, if you opened YouTube before the service begins) keep refreshing it.  

• When you see the video square that says ‘live’, click on it. 

Welcome to worship!