“It’s Advent and I Want to Encourage You”

Encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.”

~ I Thessalonians 5:11

In many of Paul’s writings – he emphasized encouragement; building up one another in the body of Christ. John, the gospel writer draws our attention to Jesus’ words: “A new commandment I give you – love one another as I have loved you.” 

This idea of encouraging one another is paramount to our understanding of the Great Commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind – and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we truly love our neighbors – we will want to encourage them, build them up, stand by them, and love them. This is the true image of Body of Christ.

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Won't you please consider giving the gift of education on this  #givingtuesday ? At  Christ Church Day School ​, the students benefit from extraordinary teachers, small class sizes, weekly specialty classes that include music, Spanish, physical education, Spiritual Nurture and much more. Students are encouraged to REASON, CREATE, SERVE and LEAD. These skills will benefit them for the rest of their lives. You may support CCDS here.

If you haven't yet turned in your Advent Angel gift, you still have time! You may bring it to the parish office through Thursday, or bring it with you to church this Sunday, December 8. There are still Advent Angel cards available for all ages if you haven't picked one out - gifts for boys and girls ages 3, 4, and 5. Please limit your purchase to $10-$15 per child. If you wish to spend more, just buy more gifts! Remember, there are over 200 hundred children in the ECS Head Start program and there is always a child who needs a special gift from YOU.

We'll be wrapping all the gifts this Sunday after the 10 a.m. service ONLY . This is a fun day and you'll want to take part.



There are a number of yoga options this month. Classes meet in Hinde Hall, suggested donation is $5. Dates and times may vary so note the schedules below:

Yin Yoga

The holidays can be busy and stressful. Register now for this special Holiday Yin Yoga class. Treat yourself to an evening of relaxation designed for all levels. Please bring your mat, blanket (or beach towel) and blocks if you have them. Props will be provided if needed. This class is 75 minutes and the suggested donation is $10. Space is limited so please sign up today to reserve a spot - register here.

This is your last chance to secure a spot for The Redemption of Scrooge book study. There are two offerings:

There are a couple books available so email Charlette right away to reserve your spot and book!



We will celebrate the Advent season with the  Festival of Lessons and Carols , a service of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Jesus inaugurating the Advent/Christmastide season. The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus are told in nine short Bible readings from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns and choir music in a lovely service reminiscent of the annual King's College, Cambridge England service of Lessons and Carols.

A reception follows with wassail and English shortbread. Please join us,  Sunday, December 8 at 4:00 p.m.  and bring friends to this lovely service.



Come join us as we "journey with the Holy Family" in search of shelter. This evening is designed for (and truly needs) all ages to participate and is a perfect event to bring friends as well.

Supper is at 5:00 p.m.  and will feature tamales and Chef Tim's famous posole. We are sure there are no picky eaters in Bethlehem, but we will have an alternative option available just in case! After supper, we break into groups, each led by a shepherd guide, to search for shelter at the three "inns." 

 

In this day of on-line reservations, platinum cards and bonus miles, this Advent journey invites us to take a closer look at that most holy night. Make sure to   RSVP   so we can make sure we have enough supper for everyone! We need to hear from you  by Wednesday, December 11!





The lovely floral arrangements in the church at Christmas are made possible by generous parishioners. This is a lovely way to remember a loved one, give thanks for family and friends, or celebrate the season.

To make a donation we ask that you complete a Flower Request form so we are sure to get all the spellings correct. You may donate by cash, check or credit card - the amount is up to you! Forms may be found at the Welcome Center on Sundays or you may complete a request form online and donate by credit card right then and there.

We request donations be submitted by December 16 for inclusion in the Christmas Eve bulletins.

Questions? Contact the parish office.

The parish family is invited to come and help decorate the church for Christmas! We hope that you will stay after the 10:00 a.m. service, Sunday, December 22 to lend a hand in preparation for the Christmas services. There are many tasks - wreaths to be hung, bows to be tied, greens to be arranged- something for everyone. You might consider wearing comfortable clothes to church that day. This is a festive occasion, a wonderful chance to work together and get to know fellow parishioners. We're even planning on having pizza for lunch.

Here is a beautiful video, shot and produced by parishioner Alan Tran, of last year's event. Get out your hankies - it's amazing.

Please join us at the Adult Forum this Sunday, December 8, at 9:00 a.m. in Hinde Hall, where the Calling Committee will be introduced and you will learn more about the process and timeline.

We are all in this transition together, so it's important that you are well-informed. We hope that you'll make time to attend.

Nursery is available in Clare's Cottage to allow young parents to take part. Grab a cup of coffee and a doughnut and come on in!

The Calling Committee will be issuing a parish-wide survey the week of December 9. The survey is designed to help develop our parish profile and is an important step in our transition process.

A link to the survey will be provided in a special, focused email blast. For those parishioners without internet access, hard copies will be mailed to them and/or copies may be picked up at the parish office. We'll do our best to cover everyone but if you know of someone in the parish family who doesn't receive one, please let the office know.

It is very important that we all take part in this process so we hope that you will take the time to respond as quickly as possible.

If you have any questions you may contact Julie Young, co=chair of the Calling Committee.

The end of the year is rapidly approaching . Do you have questions about where you are for your 2019 pledge? Give Christie Tugend, Parish Administrator a call (619) 435-4561 for a quick update.

Remember that year-end gifts need to be submitted to the parish office by December 31 for inclusion in your 2019 statement.

Though we have officially concluded our annual stewardship campaign, it's not too late to submit your pledge for 2020.

Pledge Online Now!

Prayerfully consider joining your parish family in support of the mission and ministries of Christ Church in the year to come.

Remember, the parish family is comprised of many members and there is only ONE of Fr. Michael. It will help him to get to know us if we remember to wear our name badges to Sunday services and parish events.

Don't have a name badge? We'll be submitting an order next week for delivery by Sunday, December 22 - just in time for Christmas. Order forms are available at the Welcome Center on Sundays. Name badges are $10 each.

There will be four Vestry positions that will need to be filled at the 2020 Annual Meeting at the end of February. We ask parishioners to think and pray carefully about whether serving on the Vestry might be a way for them to increase their support of and involvement in the life of the church. If you are interested in pursuing a spot or know of someone you think might be perfect to serve, please contact Paul Laedlein , Senior Warden. The nomination committee will be formed soon.

The Thrift Shop will close December 23 for the Christmas holidays. The shop will reopen Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.

Don't forget the shop when you undertake your new year clean out. However, we ask that you drop off donations only during Thrift Shop business hours, Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Your donations and patronage have enabled the shop to raise over $100,000 in recent years. The Thrift Shop supports ministries within the parish, day school, the diocese, waaaay beyond.

Some Sundays you just can't make it to church. In that case, here are three things you can do:

Remember, the live-stream is just that, it broadcasts the services in real time, no recording is currently available.

Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries. Amen