ROCK THE WEEK
CHRISTMAS EDITION
December 23, 2020
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Merry Christmas from Shadow Rock
Welcome to this special edition of Rock the Week. Inside you'll find several links and details about the holiday offerings over the next week. Please read through carefully, and save this email so you have access to all the online events! Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Have a safe and wonderful Christmas!
Connections Count
Wednesday, 12/23 at 7:00 p.m.
A combination of celebrations and prayer requests, plus a chance to connect with our Shadow Rock family and exchange hope-filled Christmas greetings. 
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Christmas Eve
Thursday, 12/24
The Shadow Rock parking lot is the setting for safe holiday magic! Please remain in your car with windows up as you visit the campus to view the tree, lights, and luminaries from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Pastor Ken's Christmas Message is on Zoom at 8:00 p.m. Due to safety reasons, we will NOT be able to accept in-person offerings for the Pastor's Charitable Fund, so please arrange to complete your giving online or by snail mail.
Re-visit Christmases past with these links:
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Christmas Cookie Fellowship
Friday, 12/25 at 3:00 p.m.
Maybe you gave or received a gift that you'd like to share; maybe you have leftover cookies or candy canes to munch. There's no agenda on Christmas afternoon - just a chance to connect for holiday fun.
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Sunday Worship Service
Sunday, 12/27 at 11:00 a.m.
Virtual Worship is delivered to your inbox first thing in the morning, even during Christmastide. Click the Zoom link at 11:00 a.m. in the worship email for music, prayer, sermon with discussion, and celebrations! Adult Spiritual Formation takes a short break on December 27 but will resume January 3 with new topics and discussions (no class at 10:00 a.m. this week). 
NEW! Watch Night
Thursday, 12/31 at 11:00 p.m.
Communities of faith and conscience have gathered on the eve of a new year for centuries. During the Civil War, this service accumulated new meanings as enslaved persons worshipped in anticipation of the Emancipation Proclamation. Watch Night, or Freedom's Eve, has been a cornerstone of the worship calendar for African American churches ever since. This year, we too will celebrate this history and the call to freedom that is central to God's Kin-dom. Join us as we begin again in hope and gratitude.
Other Seasonal Reminders
Year End Giving Information: Please remember contributions must be in the church office or postmarked by 12/31/20 to be included for 2020 tax records. If this applies to you, feel free to either mail in your contributions or complete them online using our new giving portal! (Please make sure they are labeled or marked "year-end giving.") Thank you for contributing in so many ways to Shadow Rock.
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This year, we asked congregants to celebrate loved ones with a virtual poinsettia as we are not decorating our sanctuary in our usual way. You can find the list of those families by clicking the blue button below.
The holidays are usually a joyous time, but for some, it can be a difficult and troubled season. Southwest Conference Lay Minister for Disability Education, Advocacy, and Awareness Michael Curry has put together a document that might help. These resources for mental health range from general to specific niche groups, and are all free to use. Please reach out!
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A special thank you to all the volunteers who have made this unique advent and Christmas season happen. We want to recognize all those who helped with the tree display, Bryan Baca for putting together the choir compilation video, the Botticelli Family for helping with the luminarias, and the safety team for working hard to make the Christmas Eve drive-through experience happen.
Stay tuned! There's more to come in 2021, including our annual electronics recycling, a blood drive, and more on wedgeblade ministries at Shadow Rock.

Look for a special "Care-Package" edition of Rock the Week next Wednesday, courtesy of Karen and Abeth (aka "Frick and Frack"). Rock the Week resumes its regular format and schedule on Wednesday, January 6th.
Supporting Shadow Rock
Thank you for your love and support of Shadow Rock! Your financial support and donations are more important than ever as we go through this unprecedented time of uncertainty. If you have questions about giving electronically, please reach out to Heidi and she'll be happy to help! You can also give to our Pastor's Charitable Fund or Facilities Improvement Fund by clicking the blue donate button below.

Miss a week? You can find previous Virtual Worship services as well as older editions of Rock the Week by going to our website and clicking "News" at the top of the page.
Rock the Week is published each Wednesday, and covers the upcoming week and future special events. To submit content for Rock the Week, please email abeth@shadowrockucc.org no later than noon on Monday. We welcome all comments, criticisms, concerns, critiques, and compliments at the same address.