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This Sunday, December 7th, 2025
The Second Sunday of Advent
8:00 and 9:30am Service of Holy Eucharist
Laura Hensley will guide us on how to enter into experiencing the artwork created for our sanctuary. The art will be dedicated on Sunday, December 14.
Laura is an instructional designer, artist, and parishioner.
Forum Time: St. David's Annual Bake Sale & Craft Fair
We continue to Facebook Livestream the Sunday 9:30 service and upload to YouTube.
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Upcoming Dates
- Sunday, December 7
- St. David's Annual Bake Sale & Craft Fair
- ICA Ingathering
- Wednesday, December 10 - LIFT at St. David's
- Saturday, December 13
- Advent Evensong
- A Light in the Storm - Isaiah Statewide Convention
- Sunday, December 14
- Dedication of Sanctuary Art
- Gingerbread-House Decorating after the 9:30am Service
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After Party Youth Event - Please RSVP
- Saturday, December 21 - Coffee & Carols and Christmas Caroling
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Join us Through Advent
We invite you to join us in a variety of programming offerings and opportunities for reflection over these Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons. All opportunities can be read about in our advent brochure.
Click Here to Open the Brochure
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This Sunday! - St. David's Annual Bake Sale & Craft Fair
Don't forget to join us on Sunday for the Bake and Craft Sale in the Undercroft after the 9:30am service!
Craft items can be dropped off on Saturday between 1:00-4:00pm, and baked goods before service on Sunday.
Contact Sara Leigh at leigh.sara@gmail.com if you have questions.
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A Ho-Ho-Hope Springs Holiday
It is that time of year again to share some holiday spirit with our friends at Hope Springs at Minnetonka, a Behavioral Health Assisted Living Facility in our community. We will have a list of residents’ names and some fun Christmas cards at the ready for your personal notes of Christmas cheer. A table will be set up in the narthex after Sunday services, at which you may offer your generous financial gift of $40 (cash or checks most appreciated). You will need to choose a recipient, pick a card you fancy, sign that card, write a short note, then finally address the envelope…...but no licking it closed allowed! Once we have received enough donations, we will purchase gift cards from the store where they are able to shop, insert them into your cards, and then wrap them all up in one big festive Christmas Stocking. We will then deliver that stocking when we sing Christmas carols at Hope Springs after the forum on Sunday December 21st.
Ho, Ho, Hope you stop by the Hope Springs Christmas table in the Narthex...…. starting after services on Sunday December 7th, then again on Sunday, December 14th. Thanks in advance for your generosity this Christmas season.
Questions, Diane Curley at dsbkncurley@gmail.com
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Calling Musicians for our Christmas Eve Service
Singers and instrumentalists of all ages are invited to join our intergenerational choir and instrumental ensemble for the Christmas Eve liturgy. The music will be easy, familiar and joyful.
We have two rehearsals for everyone:
- Wed. December 10, 7:00 – 8:00pm
- Mon. December 22, 6:30 – 8:00pm
Contact Roger Stratton (rstratton@stdavidsparish.org) to join in the musical festivities!
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In the Undercroft and On the Road
Sunday, December 21st
Save the date on your busy holiday calendars for one of St David’s favorite forums “Coffee and Carols”, followed by one of our favorite outings of the year, “Christmas Caroling” for our homebound friends. After the 9:30 service, on December 21st, all parishioners can head downstairs to the undercroft where the coffee hour for the day will be enjoying delicious treats along with some old-fashioned Christmas Caroling. Roger will be at the piano and lead us all in holiday song. We will even face time those parishioners we cannot visit in person with a carol from the undercroft.
Those who have planned to go caroling to the homebound will then head out en masse, about 11:30 am, to our first stop, Hope Springs at Minnetonka, a behavioral health assisted living facility where we volunteer. Here we will sing as one large group and play Santa--dropping off our Christmas gifts for all the residents.
From there, we will then divide and conquer, with each group visiting 2 or 3 of our parishioners who also find themselves homebound this holiday season. To get a handle on the traveling carolers’ numbers, we ask you to please sign up on the signup sheets located in the church Narthex/Undercroft or sign up electronically through the Genius link below. If you find you suddenly can go caroling that day and you did not sign up, no worries… as there is always room for everyone to participate!
Click Here to Sign-up!
Remember………No professional singing talent required, all ages welcomed, and families strongly encouraged to attend! Folk’s love seeing children at Christmas. We hope you can join in, sing some classic Christmas carols, and partake in the real joy of the season.
Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact me, Diane Curley, at dsbkncurley@gmail.com
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Christmas Eve Potluck Reception
St. David’s will host a reception in the Undercroft following the Christmas Eve worship service. If you are able, please bring an appetizer or dessert to share. St. David’s will provide beverages.
RSVP & Potluck Sign-up! - Starting this Sunday there will be a paper sign-up available to indicate your attendance, how many in your party will be joining us and whether you intend to bring a dish to share!
Celebrate Jesus’ birth with your St. David's friends and their guests!
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Weekly Programming:
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This Sunday, Dec 7 - Godly Play for children ages 3-6
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Wednesday, Dec. 10 - No youth programming - We will gather again at Trinity on December 17th for a LIFT Christmas party, with a white elephant gift exchange and more festive fun!
Sunday December 14 | The After Party | Grades 6-12
The After Party RSVP
Trinity Excelsior is hosting an afternoon movie and hangout time for youth in Grades 6-12 from St. David’s, St. Stephen’s and any other friends that want to join in our fun. Sit by your friends in church. Carpool over to Trinity for lunch and a hot chocolate bar. We will watch Home Alone. Bring anything you want to keep you cozy! ALL Youth and families are welcome to leave after the movie is over or stick around to join Trinity for intergenerational caroling in Excelsior at 3:00. Contact Sally Hockinson for more details! sally@trinityexcelsior.org | 507-951-9181
Sign up:
Important Links:
2025-26 Children and Youth Registration Form
2025-26 C+Y Program Calendar
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Minister of Finance Position is Open!
The position description and application instructions for our Minister of Finance Position have been posted on our website, Facebook, Instagram and on Indeed.com.
We thank you for sharing this opening with your networks and for any references you might provide. Interested applicants may email staffing@stdavidsparish.org to introduce themselves and share a resume and cover letter outlining their relevant experience.
We look forward to welcoming a new member to our staff team!
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Update on the 2026 Giving Campaign
Heartfelt thanks to the generous people of St David's for walking in love together to provide the resources to live out our mission as followers of Jesus. We have completed and celebrated a successful giving campaign this year. The Finance Team is currently preparing the budget for 2026 and our pledges make it possible for them to prayerfully and accurately predict our ability to sustain our staff, campus, and ministries. In case you have missed the opportunity, there is still time to make a pledge and there are three ways this can be done:
We will announce the final results once we have all the information finalized and the budget will be presented in January.
Gratefully,
St David's Giving Campaign Team
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ICA Sunday - THIS SUNDAY Dec 7
This Sunday, December 7, is the first Sunday of the month and that means it’s ICA Sunday at St. David’s. ICA continues to add new clients every week in these challenging times that includes food insecurity in our community.
Current needs at ICA include:
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Food:
- Coffee/Tea
- Hot Chocolate
- Juices
- Plant-Based Milk
- Sparkling Water
- Protein Shakes
- Ensure
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Non-Food:
- Cat Food
- Period Products
- Dish Soap
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The list above is simply suggestions. As always, anything you would like to donate is always appreciated. Bring items you would like to donate to church this Sunday or drop them off at your convenience in one of the ICA baskets, located at the two south church entrances.
Food donations bring in supplies for immediate use. A financial donation to ICA helps to ensure the shelves can be well stocked. A check made out to ICA can be dropped in the Sunday collection plate (on any Sunday). You can also go online at www.icafoodshelf.org, choose Donate from the menu and follow the prompts.
Thank you once again for your support of ICA.
Our mission: To create a healthy and stable community for all
Our vision: A community where everyone has the resources to thrive
Our belief: ICA’s presence in our communities makes our neighborhoods more stable and secure
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Loaves and Fishes
With a heavy heart we share the news that Loaves and Fishes will no longer be serving meals at St. Gabriel’s effective this past Monday November 24th - our last night. This is not the only site that is shutting down. Closings are due to financial issues.
Sue and Basil Owen will coordinate with Loaves and Fishes in the next few weeks to determine a path forward.
Thank you to all who have served in the last year's and those that have kept us in your prayers.
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Hats & Mittens
Hats & Mittens is a non-profit organization that collects hats and mittens for children (infant through teenage years). Its goal is to ensure that children in the seven county metro area have access to hats and mittens and be warm while they learn, reach and grow.
Through the winter months, St. David’s will be collecting warm hats, mittens/gloves and scarves in all sizes for infants through young adults. They can be new or gently used (but clean). There are Hats & Mittens boxes at the two south church entrances.
Many thanks to those who responded to the note last week that Hats & Mittens was in short supply of mittens/gloves for ages 15-young adult and the need for waterproof mittens/gloves for elementary and teenaged children. Your generosity is so appreciated. Please know these needs still persist as requests for hats, mittens and scarves from local non-profit organizations is greater than ever before.
You can help spread the warmth.
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A Light in the Storm: ISAIAH Convention
December 13, 12:00-6:00pm
Minneapolis Convention Center
Our group at St. David’s, in partnership with ISAIAH, is coordinating with similar groups around the state and country to build a movement that can preserve our democracy and the civil rights our country was founded on. We don’t want to just wait and hope, we want to be part of creating a more positive future grounded in what God calls us to do – feed the hungry, care for the sick, welcome the stranger.
On Saturday, December 13, thousands of people from all over Minnesota will be gathering to ratify a shared set of priorities for the future and launch a path to caucus in 2026 around this shared “Yes Agenda”. We’ll also equip ourselves for the next phase of resistance to attacks on our civil rights and safety net programs, including large actions on Palm Sunday and July 4th.
Everyone is invited to attend even if you have not participated in other ISAIAH Lighthouse Path events. We are planning to carpool from church to the Convention Center. Register for the event here: https://bit.ly/ISAIAHDec13Event
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Have an announcement you would like to share in this weekly email?
Send it to office@stdavidsparish.org before 9:00 am on Wednesday to be featured.
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Holiday Season Weekly News Schedule & Office Hours
Weekly News Holiday Schedule:
With major holidays all falling on Thursdays this season we plan to adopt this schedule for release of the weekly news.
Week of Christmas
- No regular news with announcements this week. The final newsletter before Christmas will be sent Thursday, 12/18. Submissions are due Wednesday 12/17 at noon as usual.
- A Christmas Eve/ Day Services reminder will be sent on Monday or Tuesday December 22 or 23.
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Please note that the Christmas Day service will not be livestreamed.
The Week of New Years Day
- Submissions due Tuesday 12/30 at noon
- News released Wednesday 12/31 in the early evening
Office-Closed Days
- Thursday, December 25- Friday, January 2
| | | Sunday December 7 | St. David's Annual Bake Sale & Craft Fair | | Sunday December 14 | Gingerbread House Decorating | | Sunday December 21 | Holiday Giving Tree and Caroling at Hope Springs | | Sunday December 28 | Social Time | | | What else is going on at St. David's? | | Want to view the full calendar for the week? Click here to view the St. David's website complete with a calendar to keep you updated on events and offerings! Scroll all the way to the bottom to view it. | | Pastoral Care Line: 952-767-0891 | | | | |
