St. Bede's E-News

We hope that this weekly offering will keep you up-to-date

on the latest information from the parish

and from around the Diocese of Atlanta and wider Church. 

Our e-newsletters are now being archived on our website.

You can go to www.stbedes.org  

and look under the "Connect With Us" tab

at the top of the home page to find past newsletters.

The deadline each week for submission to the E-News

is Wednesday at 10 am.

Please send your submissions ready to go into the newsletter,

text and images attached in an email to the Parish Administrator.

Laura's email address is lpittman@stbedes.org

Sunday, December 17, 2023

The Third Sunday of Advent

Please join us as we gather together

to worship God this Sunday!

Worship in English at 10 am

Join in a billingual celebration

of Las Posadas or "The Inns"

at 2:30 pm

This celebration is a festive retracing

of the arrival of the Holy Family in Bethlehem

as they attempt to find lodging

for Jesus to be born.

We will retrace this journey

through a brief pageant

and then join in singing carols

and decorating of

the Parish Christmas Tree in the Commons.

Holy Communion in Spanish

follows the 2:30 pm

celebration of Las Posadas



We will also be streaming our worship live

on

St. Bede's YouTube Channel

If you would like to preview the scripture lessons and hymns for the upcoming Sunday, you can find Sunday's bulletin uploaded to the church website each week on Thursday afternoon. From the home page of the website, scroll down to the colorful "Worship" icon, and click on that. Then scroll to the bottom of the "Worship" page and you will see where the bulletin for Sunday has been posted.

Join for the Advent

Adult Formation Series

Sunday, December 17

at 11:30 am in the Nave

The Music of Advent

Join John Whitt as he leads us

through and exploration

of Advent hymnody and music.

Christmas Card Writing

Sunday, December 17

for those at

Stewart Immigrant Detention Center

This Sunday we will have cards available in the Commons for folks to write to someone in immigrant detention at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, GA. El Refugio is a ministry to the detainees at Stewart and their families.

Both congregations of St. Bede's have supported El Refugio and the immigrants who are detained at Stewart Detention Center. This week it is our turn to ask you to write a few words of encouragement (and we will have examples for you in English and Spanish) for the men and women who are in Stewart. Receiving a Christmas card is such a gift for our friends who are behind bars, often for no reason at all except that they turned themselves in at the border, seeking asylum.

Thank you for stopping by the Commons to write a card to let someone know they are not forgotten.

This Fall we are trying

something NEW

with Children's Faith Formation!

Instead of Sunday School being either before or after worship, children will be invited to gather together during the time of the Sermon and the Prayers of the People for a special story or activity that is tailored just for them. Children will come to worship with their families and will be invited to process out for this special time during the signing of a hymn. They will then return at the Passing of the Peace to join their families and the congregation for Communion.

All 3 year olds through 5th graders are welcome to join us. Older children are welcome as helpers and younger children may join with a parent, grandparent, or other caregiver. 

This is an experiment and we will see how it works for a few months and then evaluate if it will continue at that time. Please know that children are always welcomed to remain with their families for the full worship service if that is their preference.

Calling All 6th - 12th Graders!

Join us for any or all

of the following events:

Sunday, December 17th - Las Posadas - Join us at 2:30 for Las Posadas. We will walk from place to place in the church and sing the story of Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay. Then we will decorate the Christmas tree.

For more information contact

Beth Cannon

bcannon@stbedes.org

Please join us for any or all

of the following

special worship offerings

for Advent and Christmas:

Sunday, December 17 at 2:30 pm

The Celebration of Las Posadas

(Bilingual)

and Decorating of

the Parish Christmas Tree

Las Posadas commemorates the arrival

of the Holy Family in Bethlehem

as they seek to find room in the inn.

("Las Posadas" means "The Inns".)

Join in the pageant of the arrival of the Holy Family

and remain for refreshments

as we decorate the Parish Christmas Tree

in the Commons.

Sunday, December 24 at 4 pm

Christmas Eve Worship 

(in English)

with Pageant, Carols, & Festive Music

Sunday, December 24 at 10 pm

Christmas Eve Worship

(in English)

with Carols & Choir

Sunday, December 31 at 10 am

A Festival of

Christmas Lessons & Carols

(in English)

On Sundays, December 24 and December 31,

all are welcome to worship together at 10 am

as there will no worship in Spanish at 2:30 pm

on those dates.



You can also join the livestream

each of these worship offerings

on our YouTube channel.

As you prepare to celebrate Christmas this year,

please remember St. Bede's 

on your Christmas list 

and consider making

an additional Christmas offering 

to support the ongoing 

mission and ministries of the parish.

Or you may mail your offering 

or drop it in the collection plate.

You may also use the link above to keep current

on your 2023 pledge or to make any other

gifts or offerings to St. Bede's online.

If you would like information about

end-of-the-year gifts of securities

or other types of charitable distributions,

please contact the parish office.

Christmas Flower

& Music Dedications

If you would like to make a special dedication

of Christmas flowers or music

in memory or thanksgiving for someone,

you may pick up a

"Christmas Flower and Music Envelope"

in the Commons

or email your dedication

to Laura Pittman in the office.

Please have all names

for these dedications

submitted to Laura

by Monday, December 18 at Noon 

in order to be included in the Christmas bulletins.

Sunday, December 24, 4pm

Invite your kids, grandkids, other relatives,

neighbors, and friends to join us!

 All-ages, no-rehearsal Christmas Pageant!

Costumes are provided at the door. 

ALL children - in all their wiggly glory -

as well as tweens, teens,

and adults are welcome to be part of the story.

Invite your grandkids, other relatives,

neighbors, and friends to join us!

(Email Molly Graves at mgraves@stbedes.org if you would like to participate, help out, or would like more information)

There are three main ways to participate:

1) An assigned part - Please arrive close to 2:30pm to grab your costume and

rehearse. This will be the only rehearsal of the pageant and is for READERS and the PRINCIPLE CHARACTERS only.

2) An impromptu part - Starting at 3:15, costumes will be available in the Parish Hall -- shepherds, wise one, angels, sheep, and other animals. (Children can also bring a costume or stuffed animal from home to represent their part.)

3) Observing and listening - Please let children know that being part of the listeners and wonderers is an important role as well. If a more active role is not a good match for your child, please do not feel a need to pressure them to participate in that way.

All are invited to a “potluck” reception following the 4pm liturgy.

Please bring a simple treat to share if you are able, such as cheese and crackers, Christmas cookies, fruit, or finger sandwiches.

We hope you have received

your pledge packets

and are prayerfully discerning

what you might offer back to God

in support of the

Mission and Ministry of St. Bede's.

If you need a pledge packet,

please contact the parish office at:

info@stbedes.org

We hope to receive all pledges by

Sunday, January, 14, 2024.



The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

December 11, 2023

Baby Jesus Baskets

During the seasons of Advent & Christmas, we will be filling baskets with donations to help homeless new mothers in need. Baskets will be in the Commons by the round table or Christmas tree until Epiphany (January 7). Donations will go to Our House Shelter. The AJC ran a great article about Our House in November which has lots of great information about the origin and mission of Our House. Click on the link below to read the article.

The most needed items are:

Formula (Enfamil Ready to Feed)

Size 6 Diapers

Baby Soap/Lotion (sensitive)

Unscented Baby Wipes

Other items needed:

Enfamil Ready to Feed Gentlease Formula

Enfamil Ready to Feed Prosobee Formula

Enfamil Ready to Feed Infant Formula

Boys Pull-Ups (size 3T/4T and 4T/5T)

Girls Pull-Ups (size 3T/4T and 4T/5T)

Diapers (size 4, 5 and 6)

Unscented Baby Wipes

Baby Lotion (sensitive skin)

Baby Shampoo (sensitive skin)

Sippy Cups (hard/soft tips)

Bottles (new with nipples)

Baby Wash/Soap (no antibacterial)

Sorry, no stuffed or used toys. No clothing.

Adult Sock Collection 

It is Sock Time! As the weather begins to chill, it is a good time to think about our sisters and brothers who live unsheltered in our community. St. Bede’s is partnering with the Church of the Common Ground’s Foot Clinic to provide aid and comfort to adults struggling with homelessness. The clinic provides foot cleaning, medical care and the caring human touch. Each client receives a clean new pair of adult socks. These socks provide not only warmth, but necessary protection. Diabetes and high blood pressure are common health concerns among the unsheltered. These health concerns often lead to painful and sometimes debilitating problems with a person’s feet. Walking is usually the sole form of transportation for people who live without shelter. Please join us over the next weeks by donating new adult socks. There will be bags in the Commons area to collect the socks. Last year we collected 1,000 pairs of socks at St. Bede’s and in a Brookhaven neighborhood.

This year we are hoping

to continue our streak of record breaking

and collect 1,200 pairs of adult socks.

Thank you for your generosity

and compassion for the world!

ESOL Holiday Party a Success!

The annual holiday party for our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) family was held on Thursday, December 7. We had a lovely evening sharing food, fellowship, and Christmas songs!

As we all watch the tragic events of violence escalate in Jerusalem and Palestine, it is so important to keep the people of the Holy Land in our prayers.

In addition to our prayers, St. Bede's has also transmitted a gift of $500 to Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) for relief efforts related to the travesties of this conflict. Sadly, one of ERD's strongest and longest-standing partners in the Diocese of Jerusalem is the Al Ahli Arab Hospital - the Anglican hospital in Gaza that was severely damaged by explosion and where hundreds of people were killed. Please keep relief workers on the ground in your prayers as they attempt to offer care and relief.

Caring for God's Creation

This week's suggestion:

Ideas for Holiday Sustainability

The Outreach committee is launching a new column focusing on ways to be intentional about caring for our planet. We will be making easily implemented suggestions in each column and welcome your ideas as well. 

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR…SUSTAINABILITY

Here are some eco-friendly practices to incorporate into our holiday festivities and traditions:

• Invest in a reusable Advent calendar
• Give sustainable gifts – reusable, ethically made, or upcycled items
• Avoid decorations and gifts made of plastic or that require batteries
• Create sample-sized packets of eco-friendly products to give as gifts or stocking stuffers
• Wrap your gifts in reusable bags or make the wrapping part of a gift
• Save gift bags, baskets, boxes, paper, ribbon to use again
• Use LED lights
• NO tinsel, glitter, or microplastics!
• Buy a live tree to plant later or recycle your cut tree
• Use reusable cups, plates, silverware, and utensils or plant-based compostable cutlery and “paper” products
• Buy and serve locally grown food whenever possible
• Plan menus to minimize food waste

Here are a few websites with great eco-friendly ideas and gifts for the holidays:

SmallFootprintFamily, SustainablyKindLiving, FreetheOcean, 

TheCommons, EthicalSuperstore

Please contact Martha Robert at marthabob59@gmail.com or 404.374.7643 with ideas, suggestions, or questions about the Caring for God's Creation.

Family Ministries Micropractice 

Join our households with

birth through elementary aged children

in this simple intentional practice

as we bring our learning from the lectionary

into our everyday lives.

You may wish to conclude this micro-practice with this prayer:

God of Advent, it can be hard to wait. Sometimes, we wait for a special gift or a fun adventure.

Sometimes, we wait for sadness or anxiety to go away. Whatever our waiting looks like today, be with us

God. Amen.

Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study

Has Resumed!

Join with others for a study of the Book of 1st Kings.

All are welcome.

Bring whatever translation of the Bible you like.

6:30 – 8 pm on Wednesday nights

on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of each month

in the Commons Hallway Classroom

(across from the Julian of Norwich Center)

Contact Fred Murphy for more information.

Healing Our Racism

Book Discussion Group

We will not meet in December.

Next meeting:

Monday, January 22 at 2:00pm on Zoom

This month's selection is

Home Going

By Yaa Gyasi

Meeting Time: 4th Monday of each month at 2 pm on ZOOM

Please join Muriel Diguette and other members/friends of St. Bede's to discuss current books pertaining to the issues of racism and white privilege.

Email Muriel for the Zoom link to join the discussion.

Mostly Mysteries

Book Discussion Group

We will not meet in December.

Next meeting:

Monday, January 22 at 7:00 pm on Zoom

January's selection is

Autopsy

By Patricia Cornwell

Meeting Time: 4th Monday of each month at 7 pm on ZOOM

You're invited to join members and friends of St. Bede's to discuss favorite mysteries and thrillers.

Email Cathe Echterhof for the Zoom link to join the discussion.

St. Bede's Jar Grippers!

The Invite, Welcome, Connect Team has developed a new gift to share with newcomers to St. Bede's - rubberized jar grippers to help open stubborn jars. These will be given to visitors and newcomers to allow them to take home a memento of St. Bede's to their home kitchens.

We also will have St. Bede's jar grippers available for sale to all members before and after church this Sunday. They are $5 each and the proceeds go to help support our Invite, Welcome, Connect ministries to newcomers.

These would make wonderful stocking stuffers for your family or a small gift for a friend. Or how about giving one to someone you think would like to know more about St. Bede's? We think this is a great way to promote St. Bede's.

McLemore's Musings

We hope you are enjoying this feature in St. Bede's E-News - McLemore's Musings. Many of you have met the Rev'd Bill McLemore who has joined the St. Bede's community. Bill has been a priest for over 57 years and has served parishes all over the Episcopal Church. Bill is the former archivist of the Diocese of Atlanta and authored the 100th anniversary book on the history of the Diocese. Bill is also an artist and has used his artistic skills and sense of humor for many years to draw hundreds of cartoon that comically comment on life in the Episcopal Church. Each week we will share a cartoon here that Bill selects from his collection. Enjoy!

St. Bede's Prayer List

Prayers have been requested for:

Pat Buehler Pfeifer, aunt of Lynnsay Buehler

Philip Carroll, cousin of Lynnsay Buehler

Emily Richards, friend of Lynnsay Buehler

Staton Family, friends of Steve Hadler and Claudia Fedarko

Don Wildsmith, friend of Tom and Loretta Vail

Jim Handsfield

Jeane Custin, aunt of Lynnsay Buehler

Braxton Metcalf, nephew of Susan Reef

Walt Ehmer, friend of Will Mizell

Leslie Lutz

Sarah Jane and Jim Ohl

Ed Maniotes, friend of Susan Reef

The Baca/Muth family, friends of the Cannon family

Richard Smith, Jr., friend of Nancy Bruce

Junior Abraham

Tom VandenBosch

Jim Begnaud, friend of St. Bede's

Dollee Cooper, sister-in-law of Larry Bing

Jennifer Valdez, cousin of Sarah Jane Ohl

Ben Harrison, cousin of Sarah Jane Ohl

Jean Davis

Peggy Franks, friend of Tony and Laura Sellers

Carolyn Snider, friend of Suzanne Shapiro

Brian Metcalf, brother-in-law of Susan Reef

Jodi Collins, cousin of Sarah Jane Ohl

Lisa Frank, friend of Larry Bing

Elizabeth Ashworth, friend of April Whitt

Susan Semple, sister of Kim Padgett

Mel Stills, brother-in-law of Gwen Cordner

Donareen Oakley

Carter Garrett, family member of Sarah Jane Ohl

Jim Baldy, friend of Susan Reef

Michelle Schultz, sister of Doris Bushart

Paige Bushart, sister-in-law of Doris Bushart

Helen Hernandez and her son Derek, ESOL Student

Ken Turner, friend of Claudia Fedarko and Steve Hadler

Marge & Sharon Emerling, friends of Helen Loeb

Margie Klein

Kay Howington

Dixie Snider

Mary Rodriguez

Andy Matia, friend of Ann Foote

Eleanor Pearlman, granddaughter of Gwen Heaton

Diana Segovia, cousin of Zulma Gutierrez

Caroline Spires

Timothy Knapp, friend of Susan Reef

Denise Benson, friend of Susan Reef

The Sujia Family

Robin Schreiber

Allen Townes Cunningham, sister of Rob Townes

Anne Jones, sister of Claiborne Jones

Joan Davis

Carmen Graciaa, friend of Laura Martin

Jim Poulos, husband of Carol Kemker

Helen Abraham

Fay Key

Aree Bancroft

Laura Ribas

Jane Wiggins

Hilda Bell

Nancy Waring

Frances Bowen

Sydney Lund

Ann Foote

Cameron Maddox

We pray for those who have died:

Jerry Staton, friend of Steve Hadler and Claudia Fedarko

John Robertson, family of Lynnsay Buehler and Rob Townes

Jennifer Meyers, sister of April Whitt

Susan Lickfold, cousin of Rob Townes

Mellie Fitten, friend of Nora Cruz-Diaz

Dr. Jose Balbona, friend of Larry Bing

Dollee and Bill Cooper, family of Larry Bing

Dave Hering, friend of Larry Bing

We give thanks for those serving our country in the military:

Joshua Bowers

Will Grimm

We give thanks for those celebrating birthdays this week: 

We are not aware of any parish birthdays this week.

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on activities throughout the Diocese of Atlanta,

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from Bishop Rob Wright

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the magazine of the Diocese of Atlanta

The new Pathways is now available online! Through original photography, articles, and interviews, Pathways shares inspiring stories from Middle and North Georgia — examples of spiritual growth.

Read Pathways Here

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Click Here for Episcopal Journal & Cafe



Friend in Christ,

As violence escalates in Ukraine, over one million people have already fled the country — and the borders are flooded with many more people desperate to leave.

Almost all of them are women and children who have had to seek safety on their own, leaving their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons behind.

As this crisis continues to evolve, we are working with Anglican agencies and our other partners to provide humanitarian assistance, and urgently ask for your help.

Your emergency gift today will support our immediate response, providing cash, blankets, hygiene supplies and other needs as this crisis unfolds.

Our faith networks are currently on the ground in the border areas of Poland, Hungary and Romania, and we will continue to coordinate with them in order to help those who have been displaced. Specifically, our partner ACT Alliance is helping families on the Hungarian border, and our Anglican partners are mobilizing both an immediate and long-term response in Poland, Romania and Hungary.

Yours faithfully,

Robert W. Radtke

President & CEO

Episcopal Relief & Development



To learn more about the programs and offerings

of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing,

click on the link below.