In this Issue

Interim Rectors Reflection

Dear Friends,
 
This Sunday we will enjoy our Annual Parish Meeting from 9:15-10:00 am in the Church. In between brief reports from me, the retiring Senior Warden, the Treasurer and the chair of the Calling Committee we will hear our Welcome Table guests invited to breakfast. The last item of business will be to elect new members of our vestry and our goal is to accomplish all of this in time for our first class choir to rehearse at or very soon after 10:00 a.m.
 
This experiment might not be a success, but if it is, it will be because members of both our morning congregations will come together in our worship space and in the midst of our ministries of glorifying God in service with the poor and in the making of beautiful music. Our meeting will be of value if you join in reflecting on the life of this remarkable and attractive parish and celebrating as we raise up new leadership from our midst.
 
Here's hoping to see you Sunday!
 
Geoffrey
 
Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom, and understanding, be present with those who take counsel in our meeting for the renewal and mission of your Church. Teach us in all things to seek first your honor and glory. Guide us to perceive what is right, and grant us both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Mission & Ministry

Worship at Epiphany

Parish Announcements

Notice of Annual Meeting, December 4
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held at 9:15am in the Church on the Second Sunday in Advent, December 4, 2016. At the meeting we will elect new members of the vestry, hear about the state of our finances and receive an update from the Calling Committee. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us.

Gospel Art Show and Sale: December 11 - 13th in the Epiphany Mission Center
Do you have just one or two hours to help with the Gospel Art show and sale?
Volunteer dates and needs: 
Saturday, December 10;  Any time between 10am and 2pm 
Location: 3rd floor Mission Center
                -Framing, matting and mounting the artwork and designing the displays.

Sunday, December 11 12:30-2:30 pm, Monday - Tuesday December 12-13 11:30-2:30pm
                -hosting visitors,  managing sales
 
Gospel Art Show and Sale Dates and Times
                Sunday:  9:30 -10:45am 12/11  (Preview sale for parishioners):
                Sunday: 12:30 - 2:30pm 12/11
                Monday & Tuesday 12/12-13: 11:30 - 2:30pm
 
For more information and to volunteer : Marge McNaughton 703.966.1098 [email protected] or Lisa Kimball: [email protected],  571.216.9324

Cathedral Celebration with Bethlehem  
Join Christians in Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas. The Washington National Cathedral 10am service on December 17 will be via Live Satellite Telecast with Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, Palestine.  Episcopal Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, Episcopal Bishop of Washington Mariann Budde, and Lutheran Bishop of Washington Richard Graham will participate, along with Bishops and clergy in the Holy Land.  Christmas readings, carols, and choir performances will occur in both locations.   You can participate by visiting the Cathedral at 3001 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. or watch online.

Welcome Table Book Drive
In need of more shelf space? Donate any unwanted books to the Welcome Table Ministry, where free reading materials are offered to parishioners each week. Donating is easy, drop any fiction or non-fiction books, Bibles, or magazines in the shopping cart upon entering church on Sunday or on weekdays. Please contact Kathy Gallagher if you have any questions, [email protected]

 
End of Year Giving
In this season of considering our stewardship, I am told that in the past we have been slightly
'loose' with regard to how and when end of year gifts are credited. Under IRS rules we can
credit any gift that is received or post marked by December 31, 2016 to the current year. Any gift or check received beginning January 1, 2017 will be credited to your giving in 2017 regardless of the date on the check. If you could take this into account in your end-of- year-planning we can avoid disappointment or confusion. Complete financial transparency is a goal of your vestry and we are very close to having a clean audit for 2015 as well as accurate statements for 2016. Kudos to vestry and staff who have labored to bring this about. 
-Geoffrey Hoare-
Music & The ArtsMusic

Tuesday Concert Series
December 6 at 12:10pm: The Washington Bach Consort
The Washington Bach Consort   continues their Fall 2016 Cantata series with Süßer Trost, mein Jesus Kömmt, BWV 151. Organist Janet Yieh, plays Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C Major, BWV 564. 

Admission is free but a donation of $10 is suggested to support both the Artists and the Concert Series.



Upcoming Guest Performances

December 2 at 8:00pm & December 3 at 5:00pm, Choralis: A Classic Brass Christmas
This annual favorite will feature all of our Christmas concert traditions - candlelight processional, carol sing-along, and conducting raffle - and will feature  Wenceslas , a piece written by Bob Chilcott and based on the familiar carol about the benevolent monarch.  With guest artists The Classical Brass Quintet and James Shaffran, Baritone. Please visit their website for tickets.

December 4 at 3:00pm,  Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic: Francis Poulenc's Gloria
WMPA partners with the NOVA Community Chorus to welcome the holiday season with Poulenc's exuberant, then solemn, then humorous, then gleeful, Gloria, one of his best loved works. Complementing Poulenc's colorful music palette, Ernst Bloch's expressive and atmospheric tone poem opens the concert.  Rounding out the program is Hungarian composer Ernő Dohnáyni's  rhapsodic late romantic "concert piece," performed by the outstanding  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra  cellist, Sam Magill. Please visit their website for tickets.

December 9 at 6:00pm, St. Timothy's School Lessons and Carols
Please visit their website for more information on the annual holiday concert.

December 11 at 3:00pm, DC Concert Orchestra
The DC Concert Orchestra Society brings classical music to the metropolitan region while providing performance opportunities and continuing education for amateur adult musicians to enjoy a lifetime of music-making. The DCCO is in its fifth season of bringing high quality orchestra repertoire to the community. Please visit their website for more information.

December 18 at 5:00pm, Comfort and Joy: Christmas with the Washington Master Chorale
On  Sunday, December 18, 2016 , at the historic Church of the Epiphany, the Washington Master Chorale will present a tasty blend of seasonal treats as we drive away the dark and prepare to usher in a promising new year. You'll hear carols, motets, and hymns by Chorale favorites - Lauridsen, Vaughan Williams, Jacques, Tavener, MacMillan, Pärt, Purcell, Mendelssohn, Willcocks, and more. Of special interest will be the Chorale's performance of two carols by little known, post-WWII Scottish composer Ronald Center (1913-1973). An intensely shy man who lived with his wife, soprano Evelyn Morrison Center, in the rural town of Huntly, Center taught piano to local school children, directed the church choir and played the organ. He rarely allowed his music to be played and at the time of his death in 1973, many of his compositions remained unpublished. Thankfully, we have his Three Nativity Carols, two of which, "There is no Rose" and "Wither's Rocking Hymn" will be performed by the Chorale. In tribute to the late J. Reilly Lewis, the Chorale joins with other Washington-area choruses in honoring the man and his music and will perform "Lobet Den Herrn Alle Heiden" by Johann Sebastian Bach. Please visit their website for tickets.

In addition to our Tuesday Concert Series, Epiphany hosts guest ensembles year-round, from choirs to orchestras to solo performers. Our church is a regular performance venue for the Washington Master Chorale, Arts Nova Chamber MusicWashington Metropolitan Philharmonic OrchestraAvanti Orchestra of the Friday Morning Music Club, and Congressional Chorus, as well as ensembles visiting from all over the world.

Please note that all of Epiphany's guest artists and ensembles handle their own ticket sales. Please contact the respective individuals/ensembles for ticket sales and information pertaining to these concerts.

Support the arts at Epiphany by making a donation online now, or set up a recurring gift.
 
Learn more about musical events at Epiphany by visiting our  website
Service in Mission & MinistryService

How might you become more involved in the mission and ministry of our parish? There is so much going on at Epiphany and we are so grateful for the contributions you all offer towards making this happen. There are a few areas where we could really use your help! Please have a look at the list below and think where you might feel you could benefit from and contribute to the life of our community. 
 
Sundays:
The Welcome Table team are looking for more volunteers to help in the kitchen and dining room. Please contact Maria Hunter if you are interested in getting involved in this important aspect of our ministry at Epiphany ( [email protected]).
 
Coffee Hour after the 11am service. Pat Pickering and John McDermott do a fantastic job, but they can't do it every week. Coffee Hour can be as simple or as elaborate as we want to make it. What's important is that we have a time of fellowship after worship.  Please contact Catriona if you can help ( [email protected]).

Liturgical Leaders: We are always looking for people to help with the important ministries that make our Sunday worship possible. We welcome new additions to the ranks of greeters, ushers, readers, lay Eucharistic ministers, as well as the flower guild, and altar guild. If you are interested in learning more about any of these roles, please contact Catriona ( [email protected]).
 
Weekdays:
Office Volunteers: We are looking for volunteers to sit at the front desk between 10am-2pm on weekdays. Bertha does a great job on Tuesdays and we're looking for others to help throughout the week. If you want to find out more, talk to Bertha and please contact Catherine in the office if you can help (  [email protected]).

Music Library: Epiphany's music director would appreciate a volunteer to help with organizing the music library, including alphabetizing, rearranging shelves, labeling boxes, and updating the music library spreadsheet. Please email Jeremy at [email protected]

If you are interested in learning about one or more of these ministries, you can also complete our Epiphany volunteer poll here.
Prayer & Pastoral Care

Prayer List
We invite you to add those on your heart to our prayer list.
We will pray for them aloud on Wednesdays at our 12:10 Healing Service and will add them to the Sunday list. Contact the church office with the name of the person and what we need to know about them.

Pastoral Care
If you or someone you know is in need of prayer or conversation, please contact the church office. We would rather hear from many than miss the opportunity to connect with someone.

Labyrinth entrance Wednesday Silent Prayer
Come and join us for 20 minutes of silent prayer and meditation followed by a short time of prayer for the parish. We will meet in the sanctuary on Wednesdays at 11:30am. All are welcome. To find out more, contact Catriona: [email protected].

 

Blogs & Websites
Episcopal Cafe   S ite featuring Episcopal news, commentary, and meditations 
Sojourners  Faith in action for social justice
Sacred Space  Daily Prayer from the Irish Jesuits

Epiphany@Metro Center | 202-347-2635 | [email protected]
1317 G St, NW  |   Washington, DC 20005