eNews for December 26, 2025 | | | |
- Christmas Lessons & Carols on Sunday - 12/28
- Year End Gifts Reminder
- Epiphany Pageant - 1/6/26
- Feast Day Feast - 1/6/26 RSVP
- DEAM Pantry Drive for January
- Family Eucharist Service - 1/13
- Office Closed for MLK - 1/19
- Annual Parish Meeting - 1/25
- Epiphany Grant Endowment Period opens 1/25
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Christmas Lessons & Carols—Sunday, December 28
12/28—Christmas Lessons & Carols will take place at 10:00 a.m. Come and continue our gratitude for the birth of Christ in word, music, and Eucharist.
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Livestream Options:
YouTube Link | Zoom Link
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Formation
Adult Formation—Sundays at 11:30 a.m. • parish hall
Bible & Poverty: This five-session course explores biblical views on and responses to material poverty. We will examine the causes and dimensions of economic inequality in the biblical world and how that reality is addressed by various parts of Scripture, from the Law and Prophets to the Gospels and Epistles. In addition, we will consider the nature and scope of the problem of poverty in America today, including how we can cultivate more just, effective, and transformative responses to poverty in our own churches and communities. Facilitated by Dr. Ryan Bonfiglio, Executive Director of the Candler Foundry. Sessions will take place 1/4, 1/11, 1/18, 2/1, and 2/8.
Children's Formation—Sundays at 11:30 a.m. • locations vary
2026 Formation for Children and Youth will begin on January 4, 2026. Visit epiphany.org 2026. Visit epiphany.org/rsvp to register your children and youth for formation.
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Room 206—Godly Play for children 3 years old through 2nd grade.
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Room 205—Godly Play children in 3rd through 5th grade—a lectionary based curriculum for older children
Youth Formation—Sundays at 11:30 a.m. • lower-level classroom / donut den
Youth (6th through 12th grade) curriculum for the New Year is Current: Seeking God Together. Seeking God Together explores 13 spiritual practices that can deepen and transform our relationship with God and others using interactive, age-appropriate strategies to help children and youth connect with God and the church as whole.
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Youth Group
5:00-6:30 p.m. • donut den
Youth Group Epiphany Blessings: Our first youth group of the semester is an Epiphany House blessing over the youth room. We will learn more about this tradition and bless the youth room, and youth will receive kits to take home and perform blessings over their homes as well.
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The Nativities Display
now on view through January 6
This is the last Sunday to view the Nativities.If you can help pack them back up on Wednesday, January 7 or Thursday, January 8, please sign up.
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Altar Arrangements & Sanctuary Light Sign Up
NOTICE: Dates through December 2026 are now LIVE.
- The Arrangements at the Altar and the Sanctuary Light are given to the Glory of God.
Altar Arrangements & the Sanctuary Light can be given in honor of an anniversary, birthday, or in memory of a loved one. Click the button link to reserve dates that have meaning for you.
Click here to choose a date >>
| | | | The Feast of the Epiphany - January 6 | | | | |
The Feast of the Epiphany
Tuesday, January 6 at 6:00 p.m.
1/6—The Feast of the Epiphany will be celebrated on our Feast Day, Tuesday, January 6 at 6:00 p.m. Following the service, please join us in the parish hall for our Feast Day Feast.
Rehearsal Reminder. For those participating in the pageant, the rehearsal will take place at 4:30 p.m. on January 6.
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Epiphany Feast Day Feast
please RSVP for the dinner
1/6—Following the Epiphany Pageant service will be our Feast Day Feast: A Tex-Mex potluck dinner. Sign up to bring a table-ready entrée (chili con carne, tamales, enchiladas, etc.) side, salad, or cornbread. Drinks, desserts, toppings, and chips & salsa will be provided. Please RSVP up if you plan to stay for dinner and let us know what you are bringing.
| | The ECW hosted the Seniors Group from Emmaus House for their Annual Luncheon. Click the photo to see additional images. | | | | |
A Thank You from Bill Graves
I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to the people of Epiphany, especially Amy, Carmie, and my favorite group for the past 50 years—The Choir, for the very special recognition extended to me on the occasion of my 90th birthday last Sunday.
| | The Flower Guild working on Tuesday to decorate the nave for Christmas. | | | | |
January DEAM Pantry Drive
Epiphany stocks the pantry at the Decatur-area Emergency Assistance Ministry (DEAM) twice a year in January and June.
For the month of January, we are collecting cereal, soup, canned fruit.
Our goal this time is to collect 50 of each. Wooden bins for your donations are in the gallery by the front door. Also, if you have travel toiletries that you want to clean out, you can drop those in the bins as well.
| | Group Meetings & Programs Taking Place Next Week | | |
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Men’s Breakfast Group—Tuesdays following the 7:00 a.m. service
1/6—The Men’s Breakfast Group gathers for breakfast and discussion following the 7:00 a.m. Tuesday service and are typically on their way by 8:00 a.m. Contact John Yntema with any questions.
Gateway Center Meal Ministry—meals served 2nd Fridays of the month
1/7-9—Volunteers cook in the Epiphany kitchen and then serve the meal at Gateway Shelter once a month. To help prepare, cook, or serve the meal, visit epiphany.org/rsvp.
The Grief Pastoral Care Group—1st Thursdays at 12:00 p.m. • Zoom
1/8—The group meets online each month for a healing and faith-based conversation around grief and loss. It is led by parishioner and trained psychotherapist, Nancy Thompson. Please log into Realm to contact Nancy before attending for the first time.
Contemplative Book Group—five-week book study Thursdays • Room 201
1/8 (Week 4)—Join us for discussion of Richard Rohr’s book, The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage as we learn to live compassionately in a time of violence and despair. Using what he calls “sacred criticism,” Rohr shares a distinct approach to confronting evil and injustice that acknowledges the wholeness of history, our interconnectedness, and the reality of a divine and universal love. Register at epiphany.org/rsvp.
Caregiver Support Group—2nd Fridays at 11:45 a.m. • Zoom
1/9—The Caregiver Support Group meet monthly over Zoom. Parish members who are caring for a loved one gather to talk about their experience and support one another. The group is co-facilitated by parishioner Nancy Thompson, a Georgia-licensed psychologist, and by parishioner Anne Bucey, a trained spiritual advisor. If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Nancy Thompson.
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Social Justice Action Group—Virtual Group
This social advocacy group promotes social and cultural change. The group identifies community events in which we can participate, and also provides a curated list of local community happenings via Realm Groups. If you’d like to be part of this virtual group, join via Realm to view current opportunities of social justice action in our area.
| | | Upcoming Services & Events | | |
Christmas 2—Sunday, January 4
1/4—Please join us for Sunday morning Eucharist at 10:00 a.m. Formation for all will take place afterwards at 11:30 a.m.
Family Eucharist Service & Service Project—all activities in the parish hall
1/13—We look forward to seeing you for this family and kid focused celebration of the Eucharist. Please arrive at 5:00 p.m. for the service project, 6:00 p.m. for pizza (RSVP at epiphany.org/rsvp), and 6:15 p.m. for the start of the service.
Office Closure
1/19—The office will be closed in observance of the Martin Luther King Day holiday.
Annual Parish Meeting
1/25—All members of the parish are encouraged to join us in the parish hall at 11:30 a.m. for this important meeting in the life of our church. The Rev. Amy Dills-Wright and members of the Vestry will report on the state of the parish in 2025 and look ahead to what’s planned for 2026. We will also elect new vestry members and thank the retiring ones. Adult formation will not take place. Children & Youth are meeting upstairs.
Epiphany Grant Endowment Submission Period Opens January 25!
1/25—Applications for the Epiphany Grant Endowment are available online and in the gallery tract rack and can be submitted beginning January 25. Grants may be for capital improvements; scholarships or grants to members; or community outreach projects. Application deadline is February 25, 2026.
| | Year End Gifts & Pledging | |
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Check your Auto Pay Schedule
For those of you who schedule your pledge payments through online giving via Realm, be sure to check your account to be sure that your online giving is set up to continue in the new year, or will restart with the amount of your annual pledge for the coming year.
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Year End Gifts for 2025
Deadline 12/31—Pledges and contributions need to be received at the church or postmarked by December 31, 2025 and stock contributions must be delivered to the church brokerage account by December 31, 2025 to be recorded for 2025.
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Make a Pledge for 2026
If you have not already done so, please make a pledge of support to our operating budget—without which we would not be able to worship, find respite, and serve one another and all those in our community we touch through our ministries. Pledge cards are available in the narthex and gallery, or you click the button below.
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Staff Christmas Gifts
Parishioners are invited to express their gratitude to clergy and staff for their work this year by making an offering online or by check. To give online click the button and select the Staff Christmas option from the pull-down menu. To give by check, please list “Staff Christmas” in the memo line.
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Track your Giving with Realm
Our online ministry platform called Realm, isn’t just a church directory or a way to register online for events. Members can also manage their giving and check pledge status at any time through the website or the smart phone app. If you need a long, contact the parish office.
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Contemplative Practice—2nd Sundays in the Choir Loft at 4:00 p.m.
1/11—Come gather with us on second Sundays at 4:00 p.m. for a time of reflection, meditation instruction, and gathering with others seeking a more grounded way of being in the world. Led by Bobbi Patterson, Elizabeth Ura and Amy Dills-Wright. Contact the Rev. Amy Dills-Wright if you have any questions.
Epiphany Book Group—2nd Mondays at 7:00 p.m. • location varies
1/12—The Epiphany Book meets on the second Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. See listing below for location. All are welcome. Contact Linda Ryder-Wolf if you have any questions.
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January 12: A Spool of Blue Thread, by Anne Tyler (Zoom).
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February 9: A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman (Zoom).
The Episcopal Church Women (ECW)—2nd Tuesdays at 9:30/11:00 a.m. • parish hall
1/13—The ECW meets monthly at 9:30 a.m. to make sandwiches for Emmaus House. The meeting and program begin at 11:00 a.m. in the parish hall. Afterwards, we will adjourn to Melton’s App & Tap for lunch. All women of Epiphany are invited to attend.
Epiphany Earth & Soul—3rd Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. • Room 201
1/20—This group focuses on practicing Celtic Spirituality, where we gather to discuss and experience the beauty of nature and celebrate the divine in all creatures, including ourselves. Led by the steering group of Carol Bartlett, Nan Ross, and April Maa. Contact April for more information, be placed on the email list, or to receive a link to the virtual meeting. In-person meetings are in Room 201. To learn more about Celtic Spirituality in general, one resource is www.earthandsoul.org.
The Munch Bunch—3rd Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. • Thinking Man Tavern
1/21—Give yourself a mid-week-treat and join friends and friends-to-be for lunch at 1:00 p.m. at the Thinking Man Tavern on Howard Avenue in Decatur. No agenda. No reservation needed. Just fun. Log into Realm to contact Laura Keys if you have any questions.
The Community of Hope’s Circle of Care—Last Monday of the month • parish hall
1/26—Members gather to pray, learn, and provide each other with mutual support as they reflect on their emotional and spiritual responses to pastoral encounters. If you or a loved one would like to receive a pastoral visit or home communion by one of the trained caregivers, please contact Ann Fowler.
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For members who are bidding our prayers: Kim Boswell • Chris Braden • Larry Wilcox • Joy Boyden • Mike Curry • Wes, Kelly & Lillian Wright • Laraine Fraijo-Paul • Chris Miller • Ellen Mintzmyer • Philip Anderson • Bruce & Ann Fort • Louise Bedrossian (wife of Bob Thompson) • Barbara Belcore • Esther Harbert • Veta Smith (mother of Cecilia Democko) • Sally Brockington
For friends and family: Barbara Geiger, mother of Jacob Geiger • Brett Gurley, mother of Stephen Gurley • Sally Williams, daughter of Susan & Loren Williams • Mark McCord, cousin of Pam Tipton • Kay Harris, mother of Rebecca Webb • Danny Nodine, brother of Larry Nodine • Mark Thornhill, uncle of Kurt Erskine • Louise Peters, grandmother of Tristen Webb • Sherri Sharpe, cousin of Terri Lawrence & Julie Ryder • Dave Tipton, brother of Pam Tipton • Isabel, granddaughter of Mike & Beth Towers
For members who desire our continuing prayers: Jewel Allen • Mary McCall Cash • Wende Crowe • Pat & Bill Graves • Esther Harbert • Robin Hairston • Rod MacLeod • Sally McClintock • Chris Miller & Ron Hutcheson • Ann Rowles • Pat Spivey • Beth Towers • Michael Towers, Jr. • Wayne & Judy Urban • Larry Wilcox • Colleen
For those who have died: Ray Piper, husband of Charlotte Piper • Archie Miller, father of Chris Miller • Polly Becton, friend of Page Love & Steve Smith
For those celebrating anniversaries the week of 1/4-10: Katie & Leonard Teel
For those celebrating birthdays the week of 1/4-10: Patricia Price • Stephanie DiBello • Rod MacLeod • Ed Van Ness • Forrest Boulée • Joy Boyden • Maise Neel
For our Haitian siblings and the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti.
| | | | Did we miss your anniversary or birthday? Send the full date of your anniversary and/or your date of birth to the parish office so that we can update our records. | | | |
The weekly deadline for submission of announcements for the Friday Morning eNews
and the Sunday bulletin is Wednesdays at Noon. Please send your submissions
ready to go to the parish office.
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