Thursday, August 27, 2026 | | Thank you for subscribing and welcome to Lutheran Church of the Nativity. We look forward to keeping you informed, sharing stories, and answering your questions. | | |
Sunday Morning
August 30, 2026
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
ONE SERVICE
10:00am
(sanctuary)
| | Live streaming on Sundays at 10am on our Facebook page. Service recordings are available on our YouTube channel. | | Are you looking for a fun way to enjoy lunch with other beloved disciples of Jesus at Nativity? Do you enjoy cookouts? Mark your calendar for Sunday, August 30! We only have one service that day at 10am. We’ll enjoy pork butts smoked by Nativity grillmasters. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket, and a side and/or dessert to share. Contact Vicar Aaron if you have any questions. | | | | Each Sunday through September 27 (weather permitting), we'll meet in the pavilion behind the church for worship. Please bring a lawn chair (we have a few extra seats if you forget yours). We hope you can join us to enjoy the beauty of God's creation while worshipping! | | |
On Sunday (Aug 30) we will have a media team at the church taking photos and recording videos as a part of our digital evangelism grant project. These assets will be used in the rebuild of our church website.
Please help us put our best face on while the media team is here! Be sure to come to worship, stick around for the picnic if you're available, and be willing to talk to members of the team if they'd like to interact with you.
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SPECIAL CONGREGATION MEETING: On September 20, Nativity will vote on proposed revisions to our Constitution and Bylaws. Most of the revisions are edits to align with recent updates to the Model Constitution for Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Recommended revisions directly pertaining to Nativity are to streamline processes and size the Church Council and selected committees reflecting Nativity’s current membership size. Key recommended revisions are:
Over the course of the next five weeks, we will provide information on each of the above recommended revisions by describing the current text in our Constitution, followed by the recommended text. Click on topic to view recommended revisions.
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MEN'S CHOIR
Sunday, August 30 meet in the choir room at 9:30am and sing for 10am service. All are welcome!
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YOGA CLASS UPDATES Due to Kathryn's surgery on August 19, yoga classes will be on hiatus for three weeks.
- Chair Yoga (Mondays 2pm-3pm) - there will be a sub for the class on August 24. No classes will be held on August 31 or September 7 (Labor Day). Classes will resume on September 14.
- Restorative Yoga (1st, 2nd, and 4th Tuesdays 2:30pm-3:45pm) - this class will start for the program year on September 22.
- Kids Yoga (1st, 2nd, 4th Tuesdays 4:15pm-5pm) - please note the new time for the school year. Classes will resume on September 22. All 6-10 year olds are welcome!
| | Wednesday Morning Bible Study resumes at 10am on September 2. We'll be studying the book of Mark for 12 weeks. Come on out as we look at the book that is the focus of our readings in worship for the coming church year. | | |
ELCA YOUTH GATHERING MEETING (SEPT 6)
Following the 10am service on September 6, all parents of high school students (and current 8th graders) are invited to an initial meeting to begin planning our involvement in the 2027 ELCA National Youth Gathering. The Gathering is always a highlight for our high school students, and we hope you will be able to attend. For questions, please contact Pastor Sean or Vicar Aaron.
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CONFIRMATION CLASSES
Are you or someone you know ready for Confirmation? Confirmation is a year of classes that prepare the baptized to affirm their baptismal vows. If you'd like more information, please plan to attend the Confirmation Orientation meeting in the library on Sunday, August 30 at 9:30am.
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PREPARE IN A YEAR
Join your faith community for a year‑long conversation about becoming more prepared at home for disasters. Each gathering will offer simple, practical steps you can take to strengthen your household’s readiness for the kinds of events we face here in WNC. Whether you’re just beginning or already have a plan in place, your experience and perspective matter. Join us for the full series or drop in when you can.
- September 20 - Utility Safety
- October 18 - Under the Bed
- November 8 - Flooding
- December 13 - Shelter in Place
- January 10 - Landslides
- February 14 - Home Hazard Hunt
Contact Amy Phillips with questions.
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ALTAR FLOWERS
There are many open Sundays on the flower chart to provide altar flowers for our worship service. The sign-up sheet is on the north wall of the fellowship hall, near the outside entrance with the large flight of steps. Fresh flowers are used for their symbolism of life, joy, and human frailty. You may use flowers from your garden, or we can order arrangements from the florist. Call Linda Blake, 828.275.3989 for more information.
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The Women of Nativity are reading The Message of Jesus: Words That Changed the World by Adam Hamilton. The Bible study includes a DVD and group discussion. Each chapter stands on its own, so no previous reading is necessary. The group will meet on Thursday, September 10, from 11 AM until 12:30 PM in the church fellowship hall. We will discuss the second half of Chapter Two. Bring a snack to share and join your sisters in Christ for fellowship and learning. All are welcome to attend at any time.
The Nativity Book Group will meet on Thursday, September 17, in the church library from 2 - 3 PM. The book to be discussed is Wild Dark Shores by Charlotte McConaghy. The door under the canopy on the back side of the church will be open, as will the office door. All are welcome to attend and join in the lively discussion, even if you have not finished the book. The book for the October 8th meeting is Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano.
Nativity's Card Ministry will meet on Thursday, September 10, from 12:30 - 2:00 PM in the church fellowship hall. We assemble beautiful cards for our members on the prayer list. No experience is necessary. All are welcome to help with this important ministry of sending love to our members needing our prayers.
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TAKING FAITH HOME
This devotional can be used for home devotions and small groups to deepen your daily and lifelong faith formation.
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PASTOR'S DISCRETIONARY FUND
The Pastor's Discretionary Fund has been used frequently this year to assist our neighbors. It has been nearly drawn down to zero. Would you consider contributing to this fund? Please contact Pastor Sean or click here to donate. Please note your donation (at bottom of donation page) as Pastor's Discretionary fund.
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HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Nativity has scheduled upcoming group work day! Help is needed! Come spend some quality time with friends and other volunteers while building a neighborhood that will last for decades. Contact David Nus at 828-301-7654 or nusdavid@gmail.com if you wish to sign up, are interested in working other days, or have questions. Dates is August 29 from 8:30am until 2:15pm.
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Calvary Food Pantry is open every Saturday morning from 8-11am to help neighbors facing food insecurity. You can aid this ministry by volunteering, donating funds or nonperishable foods, informing neighbors about the pantry, helping in the LAF garden and through prayer. Surplus vegetables from your home garden may be brought to the pantry Friday mornings 9 - 10 or Saturday mornings from 8-10am.
To learn more contact Karen Rich at 828.242.6403 or click here to sign up.
| | NATIVITY AT MOUNTAIN STATE FAIR | | | | As a part of our community outreach, Nativity will have a booth in the Davis Event Center at the NC Mountain State Fair. We will be there on the two Saturdays of the fair (September 12 and 19) and need volunteers to help staff the booth. Your main job while there is simply to be kind to everyone who swings by! For questions or information about volunteering, please contact our Vicar, Dr. Aaron Davis. | | NATIVITY PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN | | | | |
NPK is so thankful for Nativity’s generosity and partnership to our program, and we are excited about our upcoming school year!
There are several ways that you can help us out!
- Please pray that God continues to send children to our school so that we can show God’s love to as many people as possible.
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Give a monetary donation. Checks made out to Nativity Preschool and Kindergarten and placed in offering plate or put into the Backpack Box in the Narthex or click here to donate online - note NPK).
- You can grab a Tiny Backpack located in Narthex. Each one contains an item or Gift Card that NPK could use to help our program succeed. You can then return the item to the box at the same spot you picked one up. Thank you for supporting NPK!
| | | | Click image to get more information or sign up! | | | | | |
