December Abundant Times & Weekly Update 11/30

We had a great kick-off into Advent with the Gospel of Mark service last night hosting two other churches. It was a moving and powerful service in which we experienced the Good News of Jesus as told by the Evangelist Mark. A huge thank you to all of our readers, musicians, ushers, Eucharistic ministers, altar guild, vergers, greeters, and everyone who helped pull this service together. I am so grateful for your hard work and dedication.

As we enter into Advent, I am reminded of the busyness of this season. Family get-togethers, Christmas shopping, making memories, having parties, school pageants, choir concerts, and all that goes into our Christmas celebrations. Somewhere in the midst of all of that there is a story that breaks in from another dimension: God, who created us, becomes like us, to save us, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Take some time this Advent to anticipate God's kingdom and rule in your life. Find time away from the hustle to read and pray. Make use of our Advent devotionals to carve out a few minutes from each day to sit in God's peace if even for a moment. Our bodies and souls need it.

Blessings and safety for all who are travelling. May your Christmas celebrations be joyful.

Blessings

Fr. George

The Magi Tree

Simple little

Tree, lit with lights

Then hung with tags upon

Which special names are written.

Notes of hopes and wishes included to

Give the opportunity for those with much to give a Gift at Christmas to someone who is struggling.

Visit the

Magi

Tree

The Magi Tree will be in Bollinger Hall for the next few weeks and is sponsored by the Daughters of the King. Details about what to do with the gifts will be given out at the table. All gifts must be brought in by December 17th. Gift cards to HEB are also encouraged & welcomed.

(submitted by: Marcia Love & Noel Blancas)

Nursery will only be provided for the 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service.

Christmas Poinsettias

Donations for poinsettias are now being accepted; envelopes are provided in the pews. The poinsettias are used to decorate the church for Christmas and are donated in Thanksgiving and/or Memorials for friends and loved ones. An offering of $10 per plant is suggested. Please write on the envelope legibly, the names or things you would like to give thanks for or the names of the people you would like to give in memory of and place your donation inside. You can place the envelope in the collection plate, give to an usher or mail to the church.

Note: Please submit all donations & listing of Thanksgivings and/or Memorials no later than Sunday, December 17th , in order to maximize formatting and printing time. Plant(s) can be picked up after both services on January 7th.

"Come As You Are Christmas Pageant"

All children are invited to be part of our "Come As You Are" Christmas Pageant during the 5:00 p.m. service Christmas Eve. No rehearsals - just come to the Parish Hall for a costume before the service.

Children will put a costume on over their clothes, and sit with their families until pageant time. (Please come at 4:30 p.m. for costumes.)

Talk to your children about their costume options: we need lots of angels, sheep, and shepherds, plus a few other key roles. We also need some older youth to be "lead" angels and shepherds - to show the young ones where to go.

If you have questions or want to help, contact Rosanna Luna or Amy Osteen.

The pageant is relaxed and fun. Bring your children, your nieces and nephews, your neighbors' children, and your grandchildren. Everyone is invited!

Christmas Card "Mail" Box

The "mail" box is now available in Bollinger Hall. Please save yourself some postage, and use the "mailbox" to share your Christmas greetings with other parishioners. Updated copies of the parish directory have been printed and placed on the table with the mail box for your convenience (1 per family, please). Then begin to check regularly to check to see if you have received a special delivery!

Lessons and Carols

The Greening of the Church

Please join us for the traditional service of Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 17th. The Greening of the Church will begin immediately following the 10:30 a.m. service.

Every year we come together as a congregation to "green the church". All ages are welcome to join while we decorate and prepare the church and hallway for Christmas and all it's beautiful wonder. The more the merrier.

A light coffee hour will follow in Bollinger Hall.

"Gifts that Give Twice"

Do Your Christmas Shopping at Good Shepherd!

Special Gifts Market Open During Advent

Gift ideas!

Are you stuck about what to give Uncle Ted? Looking for a nice gift for your boss? The kids' teachers? Friends and co-workers? Are you tired of giving something conventional and predictable to the people you love?

Instead of buying another tie for that uncle or cologne for that teacher, a shopper at this market can choose among items like those listed below.

Instead of a board game, ship a bike to Kenya or Zambia
Instead of a necktie, tutor a child in Mississippi
Instead of a scarf, rescue and restore a victim of sex trafficking in Dominican Republic
Instead of a coffee gift card, give Syrian refugee children hope with clothes or meals

And there are many, many other gifts from Alternative Gifts International to choose from!

Then, Uncle Ted, the teacher, friend, and co-worker receive beautiful cards from you (there are a variety to choose among) explaining the unique presents given in their honor.

Please plan to include these in your Christmas gift giving. Just stop by the

Special Gifts table in Bollinger Hall after services starting November 26 to do your shopping!

(submitted by Mary Sturdevant)

Save the Date - 2018

Jan 6	White Elephant Gift Exchange @ 7pm
Jan 14	Annual Parish Meeting & Potluck
Feb 8-11	Diocesan Council, Waco Convention Center
Feb 25-26	Faith In Action (Community Service Project & Combined Service

Congratulations!

Emmie Schubert, Connor Crofoot, and the rest of the Tomball High School Band and Color Guard progressed to State UIL competition (in the Alamodome) after coming in 2nd at the Area level! Emmie marched bass drum and Connor baritone. Congrats to you all on this accomplishment! (submitted by Winnie Schubert)

Need Additional Prayer?

The Daughters of the King maintain a prayer list separately from the Sunday bulletin prayer list. If any parishioner desires a prayer for any purpose, put your prayer request card in the collection plate or present it to Marcia Love or Mary Sturdevant. If the prayer is confidential (in which case no one will bring it up, with you or anyone else), please specify that your request is confidential on the card.

WEEKLY UPDATE INFORMATION

Come help "beautify" Good Shepherd

Mark your calendars to help the Junior Warden spruce up our facilities for the Christmas Holidays on December 2. All adults and youth are asked to spend a couple of hours on the first Saturday morning of December to help clean windows, clean woodwork, and miscellaneous fix-up chores around our campus. We will start at 8:00 am and be finished by noon. (submitted by Betty Bailliet)

TEAM

Donation

In-Gathering

December 3 is our next TEAM in-gathering. Please remember to bring some non-perishable food and other items for our collection in support of TEAM's (Tomball Emergency Assistance Ministry) food pantry. Particularly needed at this time are: instant potatoes, canned sweet potatoes, stuffing mix, cake mixes and icing. Kids can help too! TEAM needs snacks, like Goldfish packets, granola bars or trail mix to give client kids a treat. Thank you for your generous support to those families in our community currently suffering flood damage, food scarcity and other hardship. Your help makes a difference, especially at this holiday time!

(submitted by Mary Sturdevant)

Women Who Read

On Monday, December 4, at 6:30 p.m. Women Who Read will have their annual Christmas party at Gianna Italian Kitchen, 28301 Texas Highway 249 in Tomball. Everyone will order off the menu and pay individually for her food. Please bring a wrapped (new or used) book to exchange and RSVP to Betty Bailliet or call her at 281-259-5183 if you plan to attend. (submitted by Betty Bailliet)

Ongoing Meetings

Choir Rehearsals

Sundays

12:00 p.m.

Believing Thomases:

Thursdays

9:30 a.m.

Women Who Read

December 11th

Annual Christmas party @ Gianna Italian Kitchen

6:30 p.m.

Vestry Meeting

No Meeting in December

Daughters of the King

December 16th

8:45 a.m.

Sunday Services

8:00 a.m.

Holy Eucharist,

Rite I

9:30 a.m.

Sunday School (2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Sundays)

10:00 a.m.

Choir Warm-up

10:30 a.m.

Holy Eucharist,

Rite II

11:45 a.m.

Fellowship Time

October 2017 Financial Summary

The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd

[email protected] | http://www.goodshepherdtomball.org