Weekly Eblast
Hodges Boulevard
Presbyterian Church
December 18, 2018
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Sunday, December 23, 2018
4th Sunday in Advent
ONE SERVICE
10:00 a.m. Worship
Micah 5:2-5a
Luke 1:46-55
"Making Ready"
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There will not be an Eblast for the next two Tuesdays. The office will be closed for Christmas and New Years.
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Dear Hodges family,
If your experience has been anything like mine, you’ve been hearing Christmas music in stores and on the radio since before Halloween, and I don’t know about you, but that does drive me nuts just a little bit. I mean, I LOVE the music, but I’m not really ready for it until after Thanksgiving. Know what I mean?!?! But, once Thanksgiving is over, I want to hear those beautiful carols non-stop! I have a million Christmas music playlists on my phone so I never have to go without. Aaaaaaahhhhhhh, Christmas.
And now, we are closing in on that beautiful, mystical day when we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus, and there is one song that plays over and over in my head (regardless of my phone’s playlist!) and, truthfully, I love hearing it, I love singing it, I love hearing other people sing it, and it reminds me so eloquently of our faith and what the whole reason for the season is. With that in mind, I’d like to share these words with you as we prepare for the coming days:
O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels.
O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
As you prepare to receive Jesus on Christmas Day, I encourage you to open your heart to the world and the ways in which He would have us to love and serve.
In His service,
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Upcoming Worship Schedule
Sunday, December 23
10:00 a.m. Worship Service
Monday, December 24
6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service
Sunday, December 30
10:00 a.m. Worship Service
Lessons & Carols
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Would you like to make a beautiful last minute gift? Have you heard about the legend of the Christmas Spider? Join a group of us who are getting together SPONTANEOUSLY to create this interesting Christmas bug! Just bring yourself! We start at 9:15 a.m. and finish when we are done! Call Debbie or Crystal if you have any questions.
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Calendar
Wednesday, December 19
7:00 a.m. Bibles & Bagels
Thursday, December 20
7:00 p.m. Joint Session/Deacon Meeting
Sunday, December 23
10:00 a.m. Worship
11:00 a.m. Fellowship Hall Sunday School Class
Monday, December 24
Pre-School Closed
12:00 p.m. Church Office Closes
6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service
Tuesday, December 25
Christmas Day
Office Closed
Pre-School Closed
Wednesday, December 26
Office Closed
Pre-School Closed
Thursday, December 27
Pre-School Closed
Friday, December 28
Pre-School Closed
Sunday, December 30
10:00 a.m. Worship
11:00 a.m. Fellowship Hall Sunday School Class
Monday, December 31
Pre-School Closed
Tuesday, January 1
Pre-School Closed
Office Closed
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Remember In Prayer....
Kimberley Aden, Judy Bedillion (Debbie Braden’s mother), Bob and Pam Benson, Charlotte Berglund, Gale and Elaine Boylan, Glenn Conner, Larry and Gerry Cook (friends of Judy Klein), Jose Gonzalez , Carl Heldwein, Bob Hiller, Carolyn and Tom Hopper, Dave Keim, Nancy (Linda Martin’s friend), Katie Meredith, Jack Moore, Josh Moore, Kathy (Larry/Glenyce Payne’s daughter), Merrylin Opendo, Nolan Perret, Betty Phillips, Bill Salisbury (Tammie Wright’s father), Roger (Judy Schuler’s brother), Robin Soergel, Catherine and Bill Trask, Patricia Zalusky-Taylor,
Harold Wohlwend
(Names added this week are in bold.)
PNC
Maryellen Beiletti,
Wezi Blunt, Chris Gesdorf, Ryan Gulick, Alice Harper, Tod McVey, Bruce Neu
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Please remember if you purchased a Poinsettia to take it with you after the Christmas Eve Service. Any flowers not picked up will be used to decorate the grounds.
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Our adult Fellowship Hall Sunday school class studying "
We Make the Road by Walking: A Year-Long Quest for Spiritual Formation, Reorientation, and Activation"
by Brian McLaren normally meets each Sunday at 10:00 a.m., between the two worship services. With the consolidated worship service at 10:00 a.m. during December, our class will continue to meet but at 11:00 a.m. Newcomers are welcome - it has been a thought provoking class walking through the Bible and bringing fresh perspectives and great conversation. Please join us!
Thanks,
Jim Morton
678-641-3304
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Joy Offering
Every year, we pour out our gratitude by giving to the Christmas Joy Offering which supports church workers and their families in need and nurtures the promise of our future racial ethnic leaders. 50% provides critical financial assistance to church leaders in need and 50% supports opportunities for future leaders at Presbyterian racial ethnic schools. Please give generously to the Christmas Joy Offering.
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As of December 9, we have received 89 Estimate of Giving cards, totaling $526,565. We are grateful for your faithful discipleship and generosity. It would be helpful to know of your intent as we plan for next year. If you have not yet submitted an Estimate of Giving card, we ask you to prayerfully consider your stewardship response to God’s work through Hodges.
You may respond to the work of our church by:
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Or mailing a card to the church office at 4140 Hodges Boulevard, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
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Or returning a card today in worship or any Sunday
You may find Estimate of Giving Cards in the narthex or ask one of our ushers.
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Tween Progressive Dinner
This past Saturday six of our 3
rd
-5
th
graders took part in the annual progressive dinner. We began at Dante Blunt’s house where his mom, Wezi, and Isaiah Newland’s mom, Ann Marie, lavished us with various yummies and quashed our thirst with sparkling grape juice. After a rousing gave of Christmas Charades we moved on to Kody Bigay’s house where his mom, Nichole, served homemade frosted Christmas cookies and hot chocolate. While there they wrote Christmas cards to different members of our congregation who have been in our prayers for the past year. Thank you Dave Bigay for riding in the bus with us!
Shining brightly,
Debbie
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Preschool Christmas Program
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The Preschool had an adorable Christmas Chapel Monday and Tuesday Morning. We welcomed parents, neighbors, aunts, uncles and grandparents. The children all were part of the story
The Animals’ Christmas Eve
written by Gale Wiersum. Many thanks to the church members that helped us make this a wonderful Chapel: Anne Rossman, Mary Lou Sick, Alice Harper, Brant Newland, Ryan Gulick and Debbie Abbott.
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Year End Contributions
In handling end of year contributions, the general rule is that a contribution is effective when delivered. This means that a check deposited in the church offering in January of 2019 cannot be deducted in 2018, even if it is backdated in 2018. One exception—checks that are mailed and postmarked
in 2018 are deductible even though not received until 2019.
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Yep, it’s that time of year again. Our hearts are full of joy, happiness and thoughts of giving--and our mailboxes are FULL of CATALOGS, which considering this is the time of year for giving, save unneeded (or already used) catalogs to our recycling bin! Remember that all proceeds received from our recycling efforts are sent to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA)! What an easy way to give.
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The Pre-School will be enrolling for the 2019-2020 school year! Please contact Hope Henry at 904-254-7304 before January 11, 2019 if you would like to enroll. Active Church Members, Parents and Grandparents of Hodges Boulevard Presbyterian Church received Preschool priority registration.
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