The First Sunday of Advent
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The Season of Advent
“You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, or of darkness.”
1 Thessalonians 5:5
Beloved, welcome to the new liturgical year of the Church!
I’ll share with you today that this is by far my favorite season in the life of the church. At no other time of year is our life filled with such joyful expectation of our Lord’s second coming! No other season is so filled with hope, light, and confidence in our Lord’s promise to us.
In our busy, complicated, and often painful lives, we tend to forget that we are the children of the light, and that we live and move and have our being in the everlasting love that is God. Advent reminds us that God’s light shines through all the brokenness of this world. No matter how lonely and damaged we may feel, the promises of Advent and the Christmas season that follows help us remember that we have never left the bosom of divine love for us, where the heart of mercy, gratitude, and joy beats.
Also, even though our radio stations may be blasting Christmas carols already, I’d like to invite you today to spend some time exploring the incredible musical tradition of Advent with such amazing pieces like Handel’s Messiah or the Great Advent “O Antiphons.” Advent is truly a season to behold!
Happy Advent everyone, and please take this time to contemplate on the incredible promise of our redemption in God’s second coming, where pain and struggle will be no more and God’s awesome Kingdom of love will reign supreme!
Blessings,
Matthew+
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The 9:00 a.m. service premieres on YouTube at 8:55 a.m. and remains available afterwards. If you are worshiping virtually, you may follow along with the service bulletin. See the Week-at-a-Glance below for the complete Sunday schedule.
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Father Michael Hinson
Our community grieves after learning of the death of Father Michael Hinson on Saturday, November 13. A beloved former priest of this parish, Fr. Michael has left a lasting legacy on the way we love and care for each other.
Services are 3PM, Saturday, December 11, at St. Christopher’s Church, 6320 Hanover Avenue, Springfield, Virginia.
Please continue to hold Jane and children Sam and Lauren in your prayers.
Read Father Burl's letter to the parish here.
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Father Burl's Institution takes place on Sunday, December 5th in the Historic Church. All are welcome to join this celebration as we officially welcome Father Burl and pray for him in his ministry among us. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall to which all are welcome.
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The Nominating Committee seeks nominations for four new vestry members who will be elected at the Annual Meeting on January 30, 2022, to replace the outgoing class. In order to stand for election, candidates must be confirmed Communicant Members in Good Standing* of The Falls Church and will serve for a three-year term (2022-2024).
The Nominating Committee also seeks nominations for Registrar (1 year term) and Treasurer (3 year term).
*All adult members (16 and above) who are Communicant Members and who for the previous year have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the kingdom of God, are to be considered Communicant Members in Good Standing. Bylaws Article 2:1:E
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There is no Youth Formation this week.
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There is no Children's Formation this week.
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Click here for the direct link to donate to the Flower Fund on Realm
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Participate In Our Live Nativity
We are so excited to bring back our Live Nativity this year on Saturday, December 18th! If you have Christmas Lights you would like to donate to the cause, we would be very grateful. To donate, please e-mail Lauren.
We also have volunteer opportunities for you to participate in. You can learn more about them, and sign up below. There are even opportunities for children to be involved this year too.
Help Us Decorate and Light Up The Church (Families Welcome, and Multiple Time Slots available)
Be In The Nativity As A Character On Dec 18th (Kids 2nd Grade and Above are Welcome!)
Be a Star Usher and Guide The Way on Dec 18th (Adults Only)
If you have any questions please e-mail Lauren.
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TFCE Week-at-a-Glance
For activities November 28- December 5, click here
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Please use the Prayer List in your prayers for each other and the world.
Praying for each other and the needs of the world is a powerful way to love our neighbors as ourselves! THIS WEEK’S PRAYER LIST
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Organ Repair Upate
We have raised $47,235 to date, which includes the $10,000 match from an anonymous donor. We are closing in on our goal of $55,000! While the organ can be played during worship, there are still additonal repairs needed. If you have any further questions, contact me at jtucker@thefallschurch.org.
Julie Huang Tucker, Music Director
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Make sandwiches for those in need
Make sandwiches or bag lunches for drop-off at the Bailey's Crossroads Shelter or New Hope Housing's Eleanor Kennedy Shelter near Ft. Belvoir. Contact Bianca Clark via email for more information.
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The Little Free Food Pantry
On Fairfax Street near the church’s Thrift Shop is a small “take some food, leave some food” pantry (like the “little libraries” where people can take or leave a book). We are definitely seeing people use that pantry to supplement their groceries, and you can drop off non-perishable food items there at any time.
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Please mail your check to:
115 E. Fairfax Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
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Donate safely and securely through our website.
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Text “TFCE” and the amount to 73256.
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If you have questions about Realm or eGiving, please contact
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Are you shopping more online these days? If you’re buying more items from Amazon, please consider adding The Falls Church Episcopal to your AmazonSmile account. With every purchase you make, the church earns a small percentage. Simply click here to
add us to your account!
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