Christmas Eve Schedule

Outdoor Family Service - December 24th, 4:00 PM

Calling all kids! Join us on the church lawn for a Christmas Eve Service with a spontaneous nativity that ALL kids can participate in (no practice required!), along with a live animal Nativity for pictures and petting after the service.

Candlelight Service - December 24th, 8:00 PM

Join us later in the evening for a beautiful worship service as we fill the sanctuary with candlelight and celebrate the coming of our Savior.

This Sunday we are excited to have our Community Choir Christmas Cantata during our Sunday worship service. We will begin with our typical congregational singing and Advent Candle Devotions, then move into a time of hearing the Christmas story through song and Scripture readings.

Christmas Cookies - Due This Sunday!

Once again we are asking that you be willing to share your Christmas baking with our 4:00 PM Christmas Eve Service. This year we are also requesting that you bring your cookies, already bagged. Three to four in a bag is sufficient unless they are really big or really small, then it is your call. We have lots of bags and will have them available to be picked up from the kitchen.

St. Giles Presbyterian Church is pleased to announce that our highly successful Youth Drama program will be returning in the New Year with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Performer rehearsals will be held on Sundays from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM beginning January 12, 2025 through the performance on Sunday, May 4, 2025. An information meeting for families will be held on Sunday, January 5.

We welcome any student in the 6th through 12th grades to participate, tuition free. Auditions will be held on January 12 to place performers in specific roles. 

Families can sign-up their students by clicking this link.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the director, Ben Miller at Ben@TheMillerStudio.com.

'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the Sanctuary

There was lots to do and poinsettias to carry.

And Josh with his messages and Arlene with her mop

Were both so tired they thought they would drop.

When out on Grove Avenue, there arose such a clatter

That they ran out the door to see what was the matter.

When what to their tired eyes should appear

But the Property Elves, riding reindeer!

They had come to put up the creche

But the parts they brought didn't quite mesh.

Pastor Rebecca saved the day:

She said "I will call the prayer ministers and for a creche we will pray!"

Heather said "The Baby Jesus is missing!"

Alonsa said "We have babies in the preschool worth kissing!"

Christmas Eve came with cookies and candles,

And Rachel provided bulletins so pretty to handle.

Patience showed up all wrapped in a shawl

To say to her friends "Merry Christmas y'all!"

Angie exclaimed as she disappeared out of sight

May your Christmas be blessed and Merry and Bright.

Merry Christmas from the St. Giles Staff!

Bloom/PRC Immediate Needs

St. Giles is collecting baby items for Bloom by PRC Richmond! There is a bin by the church office for donations. Here is the list of needed items:

• 0-24 months clothing (winter) but a particular immediate

need of 0-3 months size

• Baby hats
• Diapers - all sizes but particularly newborn and size 1 
• Baby wipes
• Baby wash/diaper cream/baby nail clippers
• Similac Advance and Similac Total Care 360 (but can accept store brands)
• Gift cards (used by the PRC staff to replenish needed items and/or purchase something a little bit larger in special circumstances - ie a pack and play or crib)

Thank you for your help! Questions? Call Yolande Long at 804-357-3494. The collection bin is outside of the Church office.

Food Pantry Still Collecting Donations!

Dear church family,

Everyone associated with the food pantry gives our church a huge thank you for all we have given for the families needing food. The church has families that have given the turkeys or ham needed for the holiday meals! What a huge blessing!

The pantry needs are:

Any nonperishable vegetables

Canned chicken

Peanut butter

Jelly

Cake mixes/icing

Oatmeal

Canned fruit

Cereal

Mac & cheese

Soups for cooking & hearty soup

Saltines or any crackers

Pasta sauce

Pasta

Remember we are helping to provide for other meals than just Christmas. Again thank you for each item you have provided for the pantry.

Judy Clough

Refreshments Needed!

With 2025 rapidly approaching, we have people pledging to help with refreshments next year but we still need more people to sign up.

I still get donations from Panera Bread and the Treat Shop, so all I ask is that people cover the fruit and/or veggies, $15 per week or you can just bring them fruit yourself. The other items like potato chips and misc. other items I get myself. Thank you to those who bring the delicious cakes and leave other items in the kitchen for us to put out.

If you will donate to refreshments in 2025, please give me the number of weeks you want to sign up for and whether you prefer to purchase the items or give me $15 to purchase them. At the end of the year, I will send a calendar showing everyone who pledged and the week I’m putting them on. Just let me know if the date I put you on is not good for you and I’ll switch it with someone else.

I look forward to continuing to share time with you between services with refreshments and comradery. Thank you!

Jo White - (804) 937-6836 – joeloisewhite@gmail.com

Help with Meals for the Goulard Family

One way we can help the Goulard family this month is through meals and groceries. Cash or gift cards to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are welcome. Please give donations to Patience in the office and write checks out to St. Giles itemized for Goulard family meals. Thank you! 

You are invited to a Zoom

Prayer for Life!

This prayer call will be a set apart time led by Elizabeth Higgins to pray into the Constitutional amendments, HJ1 and HJ9. These two amendments deal specifically with early term abortion and sexuality as they pertain to the Virginia Constitution. These two bills will eventually need Virginia citizens to vote on them, so this group will begin covering this vote and these issues in prayer.

The legislative session begins Wednesday, January 8 and ends Saturday, February 22, 2025.  

We will pray via Zoom every Tuesday evening, January 7 to February 18, 7 - 8 p.m.  

For more information contact: Elizabeth Higgins 804-539-6626 or GWC0523@aol.com