We are a JOYOUS Community of faith! |
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Dear Friends,
This past Sunday, we had a wonderful celebration of St. Nicholas – the church and the saint, blessing of our new altar, confirmations, and bishop’s visit!
Thank you to everyone who watched online, came in-person to worship and helped either on that day or in preparation for it. It seems like I am constantly saying “thank you” to you, our St. Nicholas community! It makes me think of how often St. Paul in his writings extended some form of gratitude or thankfulness. Paul uses 49 terms on the theme of gratitude and thanksgiving in his writings. He extends his thanks to various communities 25 times in his letters. Clearly, the spiritual discipline of gratitude is important. The spiritual discipline of generosity seems equally important. And it is usually a person’s generosity that leads us to offer great thanks.
This is a great time of year to think about the spiritual discipline of generosity. So often when we think of the spiritual discipline of generosity it is associated with the sharing of financial resources or material gifts. But the discipline of generosity also includes sharing time with one another helping a neighbor, church, or non-profit with a project; bringing meals or groceries to friends or family in need; helping when cars are broken down; or simply taking the time out to have a conversation with one another. We live out the discipline of generosity when we share God's spirit of grace and compassion with one another. When we listen to one another with mindfulness to understand the other person or try to imagine (with great compassion) what another person’s life and experience might be like, we are blessing one another with generosity.
If you go to our YouTube channel and watch last week’s children sermon by Bishop High, you will hear the Gospel call that we are to love one another. This past Sunday, we heard God's call to live generous lives in the 1 John 4:7–14 reading…
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.
We are capable of great love and great generosity because God in Jesus Christ loves us. Lord knows (Jesus truly knows) how hard it is to live a life of generosity through compassionate listening, loving others, and sharing our financial and material resources.
We have been blessed with lots of opportunity to practice the spiritual discipline of generosity. As we build relationships with local non-profits and organizations, we have been collecting material items for them – thank you for your financial generosity. As we have been working on our space and making improvements inside and out, you have shared your valuable time and work – thank you for your generosity of time. As we grow in numbers we are adding more opinions and ideas and experiences to our community – thank you for your generosity in extending grace and love to one another.
As a church named St. Nicholas, one of our core values is generosity. We are called to live our lives with a spirit of generosity towards one another, the world, ourselves, and the Lord. We are going to get so much practice with the spiritual discipline of generosity and for that I give great thanks!
God’s Peace, Love, and Blessings,
Beth+
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Comal County Sheriff's Office Gifts |
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Thank you so much for the mugs, cocoa, and goodies. Our goal was 100 mugs and we have over 150 to bring to the Comal County Sheriff’s department!
They are wrapped and ready to be delivered. We will be bringing them to the Sheriff’s office on Wednesday, December 22nd. Meet up at St. Nick’s at 9:00am to load mugs and get directions. We will arrive at the Sheriff’s office at 10am to hand out their presents. Afterward, everyone is invited to lunch in New Braunfels.
All ages are welcome to come and spread Christmas cheer!
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The Share Center (sexual health and reproductive education) is an organization in our community whose mission is to serve the needs of those facing unplanned pregnancies, requiring sexual health services & education or those seeking to learn more about parenting. They are in need of newborn lotion, Size 5 and 6 diapers, and rattles/toys/teethers. We will be collecting these items for them the month of December. You can place them in the big black and white box shaped like a present in near the Prayer Wall.
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Caroling in the Community |
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This Sunday, December 12! |
The churches in our community are coming together this Christmas season to share the love of Christ through the singing of traditional Christmas carols and you are invited to join!
On Sunday, December 12, members of churches across our community will gather at HEB to carol outside the entrances from 5pm to 6pm.
Join us for a time of joyful celebration! Everyone is encouraged to show up at 4:45pm so that each group can be organized.
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Soup Night Dinner Church
Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30pm
Come and warm up this chilly week with a bowl of soup. We have offerings of vegetable, chicken, gumbo, and tomato basil soup. We will make a salad together and have a mini-Bible Study.
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Women's Group
Thursday, December 9
9:30am
Come for an Advent devotion, coffee, and muffins.
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Men's Lunch Small Group
Thursdays, 11:30am
Stop by a local eatery to pick up lunch or have some leftovers from Dinner Church and come to St. Nick's for Bible study and fellowship.
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Women's Bible Study
Thursdays, 1pm
Women's Bible Study via Zoom. We study and discuss the upcoming Sunday's Gospel reading.
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Sunday Worship
All are invited to worship with us.
8:30am - Outdoor Worship (unless below freezing, raining or drizzling)
9:30am - Indoor Worship
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Advent Activity
This Sunday, December 12, stay after the 9:30am Worship and hear the Christmas story and make cute nativity scenes.
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Bible Journal Small Group |
Mondays, 9:15am
This week we are studying chapter 3 of Luke. We will hear of John the Baptist and review genealogy. Come and create beautiful conversation and art.
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All Church Christmas Collage Project |
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We will hear the story of The Legend of the Poinsettia and create a special collage for Christmas. |
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Don't forget to put our first Christmas Eve worship in our new space on your calendars! Invite your friends and family to celebrate the birth of Jesus. |
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A big thank you goes out to Cake Llama - custom desserts and catering. They provided our cupcakes on Sunday and they were so cute and so good!
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We have been blessed with a beautiful and creative altar. 3 women from our diocese created our altar from materials we saved from our space. They used reclaimed wood, parts of the bar, and metal to make a gorgeous new and upcycled altar for us. Thank God for these women and their work, vision and creativity. |
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Church Administration and Volunteer Information |
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Volunteer Helpers Sunday AM |
St. Nick’s is a multigenerational Community of Faith. All ages are welcome to serve as greeters, altar guild helpers, and readers. If your child or youth has an interest in serving and helping at St. Nick’s, please click on the link below and sign up for a Sunday. Let us empower our children to be ministers and grow in faith through service to our Lord. |
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2265 Bulverde Rd.
Bulverde, TX 78163
Phone: 214-213-0739
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