Weekly Parish News for Tuesday, December 23 | | |
Announcements
Worship With Us
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Prayer List
Support Our Parish
- Vision Accomplished Concludes – Thank You!
- Planning Your End-of-Year Giving
Connect With Us
*Change of Schedule: Parish News will be delivered on Tuesday, Dec. 23 and Tuesday, Dec. 30 during the holidays.
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Celebrate Christmas with Your Parish Family
As we reach the culmination of our Advent journey, the light of Christ draws near. Advent is a vibrant and sacred season at Good Shepherd, filled with joyful anticipation. We warmly invite you and your loved ones to gather with us for our worship services and fellowship activities this week as we celebrate the Nativity of our Lord. Please consider bringing a friend or neighbor to share in the joy of the season. For more details on our celebrations, visit cgs-raleigh.org/advent.html.
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Wednesday, December 24th
Christmas Eve at The Church of the Good Shepherd
Parking Options Christmas Eve:
- 200 W Morgan Street (former Diocesan lot) all services
- Municipal Lot at 201 W Morgan Street
- State Lot at Salisbury & Hillsborough (beside First Baptist's sanctuary)
Thursday, December 25th
Christmas Day Eucharist at 9 AM
Parking Options Christmas Day:
- 200 W Morgan Street (former Diocesan lot)
- Municipal Lot at 201 W Morgan Street
- State Lot at Salisbury & Hillsborough (beside First Baptist's sanctuary)
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The First Christmas Crèche
Did you know that the Christmas custom of displaying figures depicting the birth of Jesus, owes its origin to St. Francis of Assisi over 800 years ago? Driven by a deep devotion to the Child Jesus, Francis created the very first Christmas crèche on Christmas Eve in 1223. This beautiful custom eventually spread across Europe and into our modern homes, becoming such a central part of the holiday that it is now difficult to imagine the season without it. The photo above features one of the many Nativity sets currently on display in the Parish Life Center.
CLICK HERE to read more about the origins of the Christmas Creche in our latest blog article by Brother Paul Henry, OSF.
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Parish Office Schedule:
The Parish Office will close on December 24 at 1 PM and re-open on January 5 at 9 AM (except as noted below).
Christmastide Schedule Adjustments
December 24: no noonday Eucharist; Parish Office closes at 1 PM
December 28: no Kids Sunday School or Adult Formation
December 29: Parish Office open 9 AM – 1 PM
December 30: Parish Office open 9 AM – 1 PM; no Bible Study
December 31: no noonday Eucharist
Morning Prayer will be read every weekday (Monday-Friday), except Christmas Day, at 9 AM in the church.
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Reflections on our Christmas Pageant
On Sunday, December 21, our church family gathered for a truly special Advent 4 service as we celebrated our annual Christmas Pageant. It was a special service filled with music, laughter, and the "true spirit of the season" as we honored the birth of Christ together.
This year’s intergenerational pageant brought together members of all ages, creating a joyful atmosphere of community and worship. Thank you to everyone who made this morning possible!
See More
You can view the full gallery of photos from the pageant by visiting our facebook page here. Thank you to photographers Alisha McEnaney, Sarah Szymanowski, and Peter Jezierny.
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Can You Help with First Night?
Again this year, The Church of the Good Shepherd will serve as a venue during Raleigh's First Night celebration on December 31st. Concerts will take place in the church at 7, 8, 9 & 10 PM. We are hoping for a few parishioners to be on hand during the event to welcome folks to our church. If you are able to help, please email David Baggett. Thank you!
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Vestry Nominations Due by January 4
The Parish will elect four new vestry members at the Annual Parish Meeting on January 25 at 10:30 AM. New vestry members will serve a three-year term beginning February 1, 2026. If you would like to serve or know someone who would make a great candidate for vestry, please get a nomination form by CLICKING HERE. Self-nominations are encouraged! Please contact Esther Hall Nominating Committee chair to chat further about serving. Nomination forms must be received by Friday, January 4, 2026.
Read our blog article https://www.cgs-raleigh.org/blog/all-about-the-vestry to learn more about the vestry and what it means to serve.
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2027 Youth Pilgrimage Information Session - January 11
The Good Shepherd Youth Ministry Committee is delighted to announce that we are in the beginning stages of planning an overseas Youth Pilgrimage for the summer of 2027. This event will be open to all students who are enrolled in high school during the 2026/2027 school year.
There will be an information session for youth and parents after church on Sunday, January 11, 2026 in the EYC Room. All those interested in learning more about this exciting opportunity are strongly encouraged to attend.
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Save the Date! Vacation Bible School 2026
June 15-18 (Monday-Thursday), 9 AM – 12 Noon
Ages pre-K through 5th grade. (Nursery care will be available for younger children).
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Sunday, December 28
8 AM
8:30 AM - 12 Noon
- Nursery Care Available (infant-4 yo)
10:15 AM
11:30 AM
Fellowship Time on Sunday, December 28, will be hosted by the parish in appreciation for all staff and volunteers who make White Flag Nights possible. Please join us in the Ennis Suite after the 10:15 service to express your thanks.
| | | The Church of the Good Shepherd Prayer List | |
- Catherine and Bob Williams
- JoAnn Kistler and Charles Latimer
- Roy Wright
- Janet Gilliam
- Ralph Sanders
- Pete Taylor
- Martha Bailey
- Janie Ward-Newton
- William Short
- Brinley Harris
- Don Caudill
- Jerry Smith
- Margaret Park
- Lynda Terrell-Rea
- The Rev. Sallie Simpson
- Patricia Harris
- Susie Rahal
- Larry Phearse and Family
- David Lovelace
- Dana Babbs
- Mike Newton-Ward
- Melissa Habel
- Gary Blaettler
- Dennis McKinnie
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- Rose Hoppe
- Nannette Brown
- Elise Abernathy
- Bob Kochersberger and Family
- Susan and Jane Jackson and Family
- The Mogilski, Bormann, and Dangerfield Families
- The Ellington Family
- The Wilson Family
- the people of Israel and Palestine
- the people of Ukraine and Russia
- victims of gun violence
- those affected by drought, heat, floods, storms, and fires.
And we pray for those who mourn, including the family and friends of Michael Riddle, Al Bass, Smith Lingerfelt, Paul Hoch, The Rev. Janet Watrous, Mary Best, A.B. Swindell, and Peggy Hawks.
In the Diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for the Diocese of North Carolina.
In the Anglican cycle of prayer, we pray for the Anglican Church of Canada.
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Prayer Requests
The people of The Church of the Good Shepherd are eager to join you in lifting your prayers to God. Please tell us how we can pray with you by clicking here to submit a prayer request.
Prayer requests added to our public prayer list will be refreshed every month; please feel free to resubmit them if you would like them to remain on the prayer list.
| | Altar from December 21, 2025. Photo by Peter Jezierny. | |
Vision Accomplished Concludes – With A Very Big Thank You!
As 2025 comes to a close, let’s take a moment to reflect on our very successful Vision Accomplished campaign – which concludes at the end of this year. Our gratitude goes to God for the many blessings we have received at The Church of the Good Shepherd, as do our thanks to our amazing parishioners, who answered the call to support of this effort!
When we announced the Vision Accomplished campaign, we set a fundraising goal of $150,000 (commensurate with CGS’s 150th anniversary), to help retire the debt on the Duncan-Giersch Parish Life Center. As you know, we exceeded that goal by nearly $80,000, thanks to the generosity of our congregation. Those additional pledges enabled us to pay off our mortgage early – and provided significant savings in future interest payments. All of the funds received in excess of the amount required to retire the debt are being held in the church’s Trust Fund and designated for upcoming and unbudgeted capital improvements.
Vision Accomplished enabled congregants to fulfill their pledges over a 2-year period, which will close on December 31. We have a few pledges that have not yet been received, so please take a moment to review your status to ensure you are up to date. All pledges received will be used to address the needs of our church.
Once again, thank you, Good Shepherd parishioners – and thanks be to God!
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Planning Your End-of-Year Giving
Some folks have been asking how to ensure end-of-year gifts are properly credited to their 2025 giving contributions, especially since the Parish Office is closed between Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Here are some options for your consideration:
- Make your online contribution by December 31.
- Mail your contribution to the Parish Office (check dated December 31 or earlier & envelope postmarked by December 31).
- Hand-deliver your contribution to the Parish Administrator during Parish Office hours:
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Monday-Thursday, 9 AM - 5 PM (regular office hours thru Tuesday, December 23rd)
- Wednesday, December 24, 9 AM - 1 PM
- Monday, December 29, 9 AM - 1 PM
- Tuesday, December 30, 9 AM - 1 PM
- Place your contribution in the alms basin during worship services on December 24, 25, and 28.
If you are planning to make a stock transfer to the church, please contact Parish Administrator David Baggett (919.831.2018) prior to December 24th for instructions.
If you should have any questions, please contact David Baggett (919.831.2018).
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Regular Parish Office Hours
Monday-Thursday, 9 AM - 5 PM; Fridays by appointment
Pastoral Care Emergencies
Please call the Pastoral Care Support Line 919.831.2008
Prayer Requests
Please CLICK HERE to submit a prayer request.
Thank you for reading the Parish News.
Announcements and photos to share with our parish family are always welcome!
Please email your contributions to Dana Deaton at cgsnews@cgs-raleigh.org The deadline for newsletter submissions is Wednesday at 2 PM. Thank you! Announcements may be edited for content and space.
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A Friendly Reminder…
Have you moved? Changed your phone number or email address?
If so, please be sure to contact Parish Administrator David Baggett at david.baggett@cgs-raleigh.org or 919.831.2018). Thank you!
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