December
Transcription
December
Glad Tidings Our Mission To inspire, nurture and expand Nativity’s spiritual growth through faith, worship and community A monthly Issue No. 12-14 Please Note Holiday Schedule Christmas pageant December 21 | 11:15 am Christmas Eve services 4:30, 7, 10 pm (music at 9:45 pm) Christmas Day 10 am Office closed December 25—January 1 Lessons and Carols January 4 Epiphany service January 6 | 6:30 pm publication of the church of the December 2014 Nativity Nativity Holiday Gift Guide This is the time of the year when the catalogues start arriving in the mail - Toys “R” Us...Pottery Barn...LL Bean...Hammacher Schlemmer... And the gift guides are featured in magazines, news special interest stories, and on the internet. As television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and internet advertising implores us to buy more, spend more, get a great deal, or find the perfect gift, may I recommend the Nativity Holiday Gift Guide. Here are ways to show your loved ones not only that you love them, but that you love God and your neighbor as well. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and Episcopal Farmworkers Ministry Help feed and care for your local neighbor through these two local organizations. For those who already have everything, why not make a donation in their name to these organizations that help those who do not have enough? US/Uganda Orphan Education Fund and Abukloi If education is something you value, consider helping to fund room and board, books, and tuition for one of the orphans who apply for help from this fund. See pages seven and eight for more details about these two organizations. Honduras Mission Trip Everyone loves a handwritten note, which is so rare in the days of email and social media. Stock up on beautiful cards made by both missioners and folks from the local community in Honduras. Give them as gifts, or send a note to those you love. Chatty Yarns It is a truth universally acknowledged that knitters do not like the people they care about to be cold. The Chatty Yarns group will be offering a table of handknit goodies at the Day of Giving for you to share with your loved ones. All proceeds go to local outreach initiatives. Glad Tidings Deadline January 2015 Issue Deadline: Wednesday December 17 at noon Mail date: December 23 Send articles to gladtidings@ nativityonline.org All these opportunities will be present at the Day of Giving on December 7, so make sure to bring cash or your check book with you to church that day. Can’t make it that morning? Episcopal Relief and Development (www.erd.org) offers many gifts and opportunities to donate in others’ names to help those in need of relief. Love God, love your neighbor, change the world! Stephanie 1 Glad tidings December 2014 Parish Life The Bishop! (We was too late.) I got received into the Episcopal Church. I am already a confirmed Lutheran. I reject nothing the Lutherans taught me. Lutheran bishops wear big vampire-killing crosses. God does not fit on either side of the faith-works divide. It's all one thing like the chicken and the egg. Imagine experiencing all time simultaneously. The cause and effect distinction ceases to exist. On paper we left the schisms back in Europe. Let's use this reconciliation. Let's put it to work. If God then love. If love then salvation undeserved, Because you turn it outward. Save the world. Be saved. Josh Booth Bishop Curry with Stephanie and the newly confirmed and received: Jackie Mollenauer Scales, Josh Booth, Cheryl Waechter Greening the Church A Visit from Bishop Curry Emilie Sigel We will festoon the nave with greenery for Christmastide after the 11:15 worship service on Sunday, December 21. Contributions of evergreens from your yard are welcome; please bring them to the church on Friday, December 19, or by 9 am Saturday, December 20, and put them on the grass next to the choir entrance to the church. Magnolia leaves and holly are especially welcome. Questions? Email [email protected] Angel Tree Thank You! Sally Roggenkamp Robbie Schuler A big thank you to all those Nativity families who contributed to the care packages for our college students. There was such a nice selection of goodies so we're sure they were all pleasantly surprised! Pat Watson Our season of giving has arrived. Nativity is again blessed with the opportunity to bring joy and give hope to many young people. The Episcopal Housing Ministry has given us the names of children from families in need of a helping hand at Christmas. Please take a name, purchase your choice of gifts, wrap them, place in the provided bag with the tag secured to the bag, and bring to Estill House by December 7. Questions? Contact Pat Watson, [email protected] or 919-847-4450. 2 Glad tidings December 2014 Parish Life Calling All Angels, Sheep and Donkeys: Nativity Needs YOU! Becky Showalter Please join us at the 11:15 service on Sunday, December 21, for Nativity’s Christmas pageant. This will be a simple affair with a fun script where the children dress up as their favorite character in the Christmas story and act it out as the narrators guide them. Mixed with Christmas carols and music, it will be a fun and energetic service! The children will also sing a simple song as part of the pageant. Beginning November 23, they will be going over this song each week during Sunday School with Christie Ebert. We’d love to have as many children as possible participate, so bring your kids to church for the fun! If you have any questions or if you’d like to help, please contact Becky Showalter at [email protected]. Thanks! Attention All Families of Nativity: It's Family Foyer Time! Becky Showalter After taking a break for the busy fall season, Family Foyer is ready to begin again for the spring! This is a great way for you and your family to get to know other families in the church. In case you don't know what it is, Family Foyer is a program where you will be grouped with several other families with children of similar ages to form a supper group. Each family will host the supper group one time — at their home, at a park, with a 4-course meal, with take-out pizza, whatever. The point is for the children and the parents to foster a greater sense of community within our VERY busy church! Our children know each other from Sunday School; wouldn’t it be great if the parents got to know each other too?! Foyer works best when many families sign up — it makes it much easier to group families by the age of the children, so please consider joining us this spring! Sign-ups will be in the church narthex and parish hall, or you can contact me directly at [email protected] or 919-845-8975. I’ll be putting groups together in mid-February, so let me know your names, contact information, and ages of your children, and I’ll do the rest! Pass the Advent Baton Mike Belmares to dial-up! And the stores are already rolling - it seems the holiday decorations were out before the end of October. Heck, some of my friends put up Christmas trees right after Halloween. Say what!? Advent is more than just the processional countdown to Christmas Day. It is a season in itself. A season to slow down, live into, remain present. Looking for a way to abide in the season of Advent? My shameless plug - participate in our faith community project the “Advent Baton.” By following the Advent Baton on Instagram, or volunteering to carry the baton for a day, you can share in the ways individuals observe Advent in their daily lives. Search www.instagram.com/adventbaton to see it what it looks like. There’s a Signup Genius for scheduling who has the baton for every day in Advent. It’s a small commitment, but 25 voices together sharing our faith online is NO small feat! Contact me for more information. [email protected] With the advent of Advent, the church calendar marks a change in season. We enter into a season of waiting, expectantly, for the arrival of the Messiah, the Christ child; Emmanuel, the Lord with us. Outside, the leaves change and fall to the ground as the chill of winter settles in. Nature’s growth comes to a halt. We pull the sweaters out, and put the gloves on; we are zipped, buttoned and wrapped; ready for a new season. As fall disappears and winter enters, we Christians also enter a new season. A season to pause in hope for the long-awaited Messiah - Christ our king, born from heaven, ushered in through Mary in a stable. We prepare for the Messiah that had long been prophesied about in the Scriptures, the Messiah, for whom the Jews had longed. It is a season of waiting and preparation. Yet we live in a society that abhors waiting. Instant satisfaction is our mantra - fast food, 4G, DVR to fast forward through the commercials. Imagine a world where we go back 3 Glad tidings December 2014 Christian Formation Preschool through 5th Grade Sunday School Update Becky Showalter I hope everyone is enjoying the first days of fall and are looking forward to the holidays fast approaching. All of our classes have been having a good time, learning new things, and enjoying our wonderful church community. It’s wonderful to have so much energy, participation and growth. If your child hasn’t had a chance to join us yet, please do. We would love to have them! The 2014-2015 Sunday School year sees us continuing to use the Spark Sunday School curriculum. Included are online lesson plans, coloring pages, learner leaflets that lead teachers and youth through the lesson, and story and NRSV Bibles for the classrooms. Preschool through first grade will follow a Bible story curriculum where the children will be introduced to a new Bible story each week, while the 2nd-5th grade class will follow a lectionary-based curriculum that introduces the scripture they will hear in church. All classes meet from 10:15 to 11 am, and we welcome all newcomers. If you are new to the Sunday School program, please register your child at http://nativityonline.org/education/children/so we can let you know all the wonderful things going on. Feel free to contact Becky Showalter, the Children’s Ministry Team Chair, with any questions at [email protected] or 919-845-8975. What The Young Ones are Studying: December lessons Preschool Class and the Kindergarten-1st Grade Class: 2nd-5th Grade Class: Using the Spark Sunday School curriculum, these classes focus on the colorful characters of the Old Testament through fun learner leaflets, games, group play, crafts, and more. December 7 A Child Called Emmanuel December 14 Angels Visit December 21 Jesus Is Born December 28 No Class January 4 Wise Men Using the lectionary version of the Spark Sunday School curriculum, these lessons will center on one of our daily lectionary readings (the Bible passages read in church), and our hope is that this exposure to the reading in class will help the students connect to what is being said in church during the service. Outside of class, they will look for ways to put into action the call to be God’s hands in the world by participating in different outreach projects. December 7 John the Baptist Prepares the Way December 14 John the Baptist Proclaims Jesus' Coming December 21 Angels Visit / Christmas Pageant Prep December 28 No Class January 4 Jesus the Word It’s a Wonderful Life Save the Date January 25 Children’s Sunday School Teachers’ Meeting Becky Showalter Preschool thru 5th Grade Sunday School teachers - let’s get together the last Sunday in January after church for a check-in session and to see how things are working. Look for reminders closer to time. Diana Hudgens, vestry How many times have you seen the Christmas classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life? It’s the happy-ending story of George Bailey, who wishes he had never been born, and learns what a good difference his life has made for his family and for his community. You probably remember smiling at the warm conclusion. Do you also remember the really intriguing moral and spiritual questions raised by the film? On December 21 at both the 9 and 10:15 adult formation classes, Carl and Nancy Terry will show short excerpts from the film and will lead a discussion on issues such as prayer and miracles. This is a one-session, standalone class that will be relaxed and fun…and a good preparation for Christmas in our hearts. 4 Glad tidings December 2014 Christian Formation From the Interim Youth Minister Paul Grass Merry Advent, Nativity magical sports fans! Paul Grass here to give you the fly-by on all of the Quidditch action happening on the Nativity campus. The first match to report was an intra-squad scrimmage between Nativity’s very own Flying Chi-Rhos. The quaffles were a-blazing that Sunday night, folks. Captain Emily Howell’s team took an offensive approach as they flew onto the Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry Parking Lot and Quidditch Pitch. (Rumor has it that the vestry is looking to change the name to something a little more catchy, and I don’t blame them!) The opposition was led by the star beater Noah Showalter and a stifling defense. Even for an exhibition match, the players were playing in top form. Imogen Rhodenhiser, the squad’s referee said, “The aerial speed of this team will astound you. They fly around at levels akin to the Raleigh Skyhawks [the AAA local Quidditch Team].” The match was called to an end when Snitch Benjamin Longenecker was caught. It was a controversial catch as both seekers returned to the playing grounds claiming to have caught him. A draw was declared by team scorekeeper and reporter Paul Grass. Several of the parents stayed to watch and provide refreshments for the athletes afterwards. Fran Kenney was ecstatic as she watched both her children fly about the pitch saying, “It was the most spectacular display of broom control and athletic prowess I have seen in my many years of watching Quidditch at Nativity.” The Reverend Stephanie Allen was blown away by her daughter’s propensity for the beater position: “I have never been prouder of Sarah than when I saw her tally up those bludger hits.” The older of the Allen siblings did have quite the game, registering a baker’s dozen of knock-offs. The Rho-Chis then dug into some pizza and had a discussion on God’s direct influence on sporting events. The discussion and meal were both met with positive reviews, and this schedule of games, food, and then program looks to be the way Youth group will continue at Nativity. While December is absent of youth groups, Bishops’ Ball will be a quidditch- and discussionfilled time that many of the youth are attending. Sign up before it’s too late. Either way, we will see you next time at youth group in January, sports fans! The quotes in this article were recorded by a Quick-Quotes Quill. 5 Glad tidings December 2014 Outreach and Environmental Concerns And I heard a loud voice from the throngs saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell among them; they will be his people’s, and God himself will be with them.” Revelation 21:3 Growing God’s Creation: Where is the Kingdom of God? Carl Sigel In his book Salvation Means Creation Healed, Howard A. Snyder, Methodist theologian and teacher, explores the first few centuries of Christian theology in which the creation The Environmental became split into two realms, heaven and earth. The earth, the material world, became Stewardship at separate and inferior to heaven, the spiritual world. But Snyder says this divorce of Nativity Committee heaven and earth was not God’s intent. The incarnation was about demonstrating God is will meet at 7 pm on present here on earth, not somewhere out there. The Kingdom of God is here, and God Tuesday, December 9 came to heal the broken creation caused by the sin of man. Through the power of Jesus’ in Estill House. resurrection, the creation will be transformed, and through the Holy Spirit the church will be God’s healing community on earth, providing sustainable stewardship and the foundation for the new creation. We are reconciled by our faith to fulfill God’s mission. Food for thought as we engage in our work of Growing God’s Creation at the Church of Nativity. Silent Auction at Day of Giving Day of Giving Sunday, December 7 Pete Crow Please mark on your calendars Sunday, December 7, 9 am—1pm. The Day of Giving is one of two major intergenerational, community-wide events sponsored by the Outreach Ministry Team of the Church of the Nativity, the other being the Stop Hunger Now food packing. The Day of Giving is a focused opportunity to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas by giving to others in need, often desperate need. So don’t forget to bring your checkbook. We like to think of it as the anti-Black Friday—a kind of marketplace of good causes rather than of material goods. And all these good causes have connections to our parish. A member of Nativity started the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and continues to direct it, while others serve on the Board of Directors or work as volunteers. A member of Nativity started the Honduras Health Mission, and members have participated in the annual clinics ever since. There are members of Nativity on the leadership teams of North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light (organization for reducing global warming), the USUganda Orphans’ Education Fund, the Episcopal Farmworkers’ Ministry, the Episcopal Campus Ministry, and CODEP (organization for sustainable development projects in rural Haiti). During the Day of Giving, our youth sell cookies to help fund mission trips integral to the youth formation program. As you walk from table to table in Corlett Hall, you will have the chance to hear fascinating stories about the work being done, such as how one of the lost boys of Sudan has returned to that war-ravaged country and is making a huge impact on education in his home town. We look forward to seeing you on December 7. Maybe you will even discover some new directions in your own life. Many thanks to René Garces for organizing this event. Right: Day of Giving 2013 6 Evelyn Judson All that beautiful art you've seen in the back hall of the nave? Much of it will be offered at a silent auction on December 7, our Day of Giving. All proceeds go to Outreach. If you see a piece you would like to own (with a silent auction notation on the label — some are not for sale), look for bid sheets on a table in Corlett Hall. Bidding will open immediately after the 8 am service and continue until 1 pm. Write your bid down on the sheet; someone may then write a larger bid below you. Keep bidding until you give up or time is called. If you are an early churchgoer, you may want to wander back by Estill House about noon to see if you have been outbid. If you want to place bids, and are not going to be around (or not around late in the bidding), you may authorize a proxy to bid for you. Just make sure that person has clear instructions as to the piece you want, how much you are willing to spend, etc. Questions? Evelyn Judson 919-326-5884. Glad tidings December 2014 Parish Life Abukloi Carl Terry Last fall Angelo Maker, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, met with our adult formation class and told us about the Abukloi School that he was just starting. I first met Angelo in 2001, when he arrived at the Richmond Airport with basically the clothes on his back. He came with a group of other Lost Boys of Sudan from Kakuma, a refugee camp located in Kenya. He is one of almost 3000 refugees who were brought to the United States to start a new life. Since arriving in 2001, Angelo completed high school, graduated from Old Dominion University with a double major, and is currently working on a master’s degree. In addition, Angelo married a girl from Newport News, Virginia, and has two small children. During this same period, Angelo had a dream of giving back to his home village of Rumbek in South Sudan by starting a secondary school for the village. Angelo’s dream became a reality in 2013 with the help of several ministers and churches in Virginia. He has been able to establish a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation to provide funding for the Abukloi School. 7 At about the time he was with us last fall, the Abukloi School began its first classes with four teachers, a school director, and 32 students. These first classes provided remedial instruction for students prior to the opening of the school in 2014. The official opening of Abukloi came in February 2014 with the start of 9th grade classes. They now have 90 students in their 9th grade classes in buildings on loan to them for 3-5 years from the Rumbek Central school district. Abukloi pays for the teachers, director, text books, and security. The 90 students attend the school tuition-free. Next year they will begin 10th grade classes, in addition to the 9th grade classes. However, due to funding restrictions, they will have to limit the size of each grade to approximately 45 students. They have another property given to them by the Rumbek community on which Abukloi has drilled a well for the community. They plan to have a school building built there in the next couple of years and transfer Abukloi School to it. Needless to say, their funding needs are great and would sincerely appreciate any and all gifts. Glad tidings December 2014 Parish Life Nativity Parishioners’ Generosity Making a Difference in Uganda Joel Kamya US-Uganda Orphans Education Fund (UUOEF) is a scholarship program founded to assist academically promising Ugandan children orphaned by AIDs to complete their high school education. It is an outgrowth of the Uganda orphans outreach program started by Church of the Nativity about 13 years ago. This program focuses on the Diocese of West Buganda in Uganda, which is the epicenter for children orphaned by AIDS. Since its inception, the program has enabled more than 300 orphaned children to receive a high school education, which radically changes their lives for the better. A large majority of its alumni have gone on to pursue further education at local universities and/or at professional and vocational institutions, and they are now valued, productive members of the Ugandan society. I was born in Uganda. I am also on the board of the UUOEF. This June while visiting family in Uganda, I spent some time with the ten high school students currently enrolled in our program. These students are bright and hardworking. They have a very positive outlook on life. As orphan and teenagers, they have more than their share of peer challenges; however, they consider themselves very fortunate that some people in the US care enough to fund their education. They are truly very grateful for this help. I also had a chance to meet with a dozen program alumni. A conversation I had with alumna Sylvia Nammuga, a currency trader, was very representative of what I heard from this group. Sylvia was 13 years old and a freshman in high school when her mother died of AIDS. Her father had died about two years earlier. She was sent to live with her paternal uncle, who had a big family of his own. He had no money to pay for her school fees and was trying to find an older man to whom he could marry her off. With her school’s help, she applied to UUOEF for a scholarship and was accepted. Today, she is a college graduate supervising a foreign bureau currency exchange unit. Sylvia said, “I have a promising career that pays reasonably well. I have financially supported my two young siblings’ education through Makerere University.” The Uganda Government provides free elementary school education, but high school education is not free. The actual 2014 per student cost for tuition, room and board is $940. Many of you have helped to sustain this program, and the children that have benefitted sincerely thank you. Used Books Sale Nets Hundreds for Outreach Gail Christensen Who knew used books could be so valuable? Several women of the congregation decided, after years of privately swapping their used books with each other, that others might enjoy doing the same, and we could raise some money, too. Let's put on a show, they said. And so it came to pass that thousands of books were brought to Corlett Hall, sorted by theme, and offered to the public on Saturday, November 15. Rather than price each of the thousands of books, we asked customers to give from the heart and they were very generous. Over $860 was donated. The money raised was given to the Outreach effort at Nativity. Leftover books went to the Wake County library system, to be sold at its annual fundraiser from December 11—14. Some were taken to St. Francis Episcopal Church in Greensboro, which has its own used books sale each year. Some were given to the residents of the senior living center Windsor Spring. Some went to disadvantaged students at a local school. Some went to North Raleigh Ministries. A particular thank you must go to Emilie Sigel, Joan Parente, and Brenda Johnston, who worked for three days to sort and sell the books. Many others gave of their time on the day of the sale. Many loaded their car trunks with the leftovers to transport them to the library and other sites. And of course, many scoured their bookshelves and attics to contribute books to the sale. To all, thank you! 8 Glad tidings December 2014 Hello, Nativity I'm Karl Schneider, one of your youth who is now a college freshman. While here at NC State, the Episcopal Campus Ministry (ECM) has been my spiritual home, as well as a source of many friends and much fellowship. Every Sunday, we have a service at 12:30 followed by a huge lunch provided by a local Episcopal church. (We would love for you to join us for these some time.) Recently, we were fortunate to have Bishop Curry visit us for our Sunday service. During the school week, we have lunch groups and Bible study, but we also have special activities. Every fall, an event called “Shackathon” is held in NCSU's Brickyard; many clubs and organizations build and live, even overnight, in shacks for 5 days to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. ECM helps build and man the Unity Shack, which is inhabited by a coalition of campus ministries. We also took a two-day trip to the Episcopal Farmworkers’ Ministry in Dunn last month. There we assisted the ministry in distributing items to farmworkers and saw the farmworkers' reality first hand. Through ECM, I have satisfying spiritual and social experiences with some of my favorite people at NC State. The Episcopal Campus Ministry is led by the Reverend Deborah Fox, our chaplain's assistant Rachel Carter, student leadership team, and advisory board, to whom we are grateful for their continued work on our behalf. Pax Christi, Karl Schneider From the Office Our congregation extends its sympathy and prayers to Phyllis Barnwell on the death of her nephew-in-law Peter DelGiorno Barbara and Joel Kamya on the death of her cousin, Joseph Joyce The family of Betty Smith May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen Births Dylan James Elliott, son of Maggie and John Elliott Thomas James Fowlkes, great-nephew of Ailsa and Ken Tessier Violet Mason Chamberlin, granddaughter of Kathy Linthicum Please note: we are charged by the post office for returned mail if you change your address and do not notify the church office! Please call or email Jennie [email protected] with your change of address. Connect • • • • Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nativityonline Follow us on Twitter @NativityOnline Join our email group. Log on to http://nativityonline.org/community/keep-informed/ Read Glad Tidings online, in color, at www.nativityonline.org Prayer Chain: To begin a confidential prayer request, or to have names added to the Prayers of the People list for Sunday services, please contact the church office 919-846-8338. If you have an illness, hospitalization, or death in your family, please contact the church office or Stephanie directly. If you have a pastoral emergency, please contact Stephanie on her cell: 919-744-1663. 9 Job Postings—to receive daily job postings from Caring Connections, contact Karen Ridout at [email protected]. Glad tidings December 2014 Parish Life Fall Work Day: Productive and Fun Sue Young, Junior Warden Many thanks to all who gave their time, energy, spirit, and muscle for our Nativity fall clean up day!! It was very gratifying to see our campus look so beautiful the morning we welcomed Bishop Curry. Collectively we corralled leaves, spread a truckload of mulch, planted pansies, dusted kneelers, vacuumed pews, organized hymnals, prayer books, and pencils, cleaned glass doors and windows in the narthex, laid the foundation for a set of steps from the emergency exit of the church to the new parking lot, cleaned carpets, disinfected the nursery from top to bottom, pruned a whole lot of shrubbery, constructed a curb at the end of the new parking lot, and built a beautiful red-bricked pathway to the memorial garden. Oh, and we consumed several dozen bagels and nine pizzas to fuel our activity. Whew! Great turn out, wonderful companionship, and awesome results. The participation across generations was very much appreciated, every hand lightened the load, and the facility is better for all of the effort. Senior Warden Alfred Christensen teaches the fine art of constructing a brick walkway to the younger generation. Job well done, everyone! 10 Glad tidings December 2014 Parish Life 11 Address Service Requested 8849 Ray Road Raleigh NC 27613 Phone: 919-846-8338 Email office: [email protected] Visit us on the web at: www.nativityonline.org Glad Tidings Team Stephanie Allen Jennie Herrick Emilie Sigel Ailsa Tessier 12 NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID RALEIGH, NC PERMIT NO. 2464