Loading...Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of
your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our
hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Book of Common Prayer, pg. 213
Monday was the shortest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice. Each day since then, we move incrementally closer to the sun and our days get longer. We have a little more light each day.
God's coming to earth in the form of the baby Jesus brought new light into our world. As Christians, we are directed to be the light of Jesus to the world.
We know that's not easy. We get bogged down with our own worries and cares. We wonder how our little bit can make any difference at all.
Yet, look at what God's creation does.... Each day, there is more light, maybe only a minute or two. And eventually, each of those minutes adds up to hours of light. Just so, our little bits of light come together with others here at Nativity and St. Stephen and in our Diocese and in our world and the world is changed.
Many blessings at this Christmastide!
Love, Rebecca+
Service Schedule
Thursday, December 24
4:00pm - Family Eucharist, St. Stephen's, Thompsontown. Special music by Miguel Gonzales and Madison Murphy.
10:30pm - Eucharist at The Church of the Nativity, Newport. Special music by our choir. Hymns begin at 10:30. The service begins at 11:00pm.
Friday, December 25
9:30am - Candlelight Eucharist, The Church of the Nativity, Newport
Sunday, December 27
9:30am - Christmas Lessons and Carols with Eucharist, The Church of the Nativity, Newport
Read Bishop Scanlan's Christmas Letter.
Welcoming the Stranger - Diocesan Advent/epiphany Opportunity
Refugees settling in our Diocese need pots, pans (new or gently used with NO non-stick surfaces), new pillows and small items for children. Bring your donations to church and we'll get them delivered.
There is an Amazon Wish List that can assist you in your purchases if you desire.
Baptisms on January 10. We will be celebrating baptisms. Let Rebecca know if you or someone you know would like to be baptized on that Sunday.
Choir Practice The choir practices every Sunday at 8:30am prior to the service. The choir will also practice some Wednesdays. Upcoming Wednesday practices are January 13 and 27 at 10:30am. The choir will sing two selections at the 10:30pm Christmas Eve Service. They will gather at 9:45 that evening.
Godly Play for children and youth will be December 27.
Parlor People for adults Parlor People will resume January 3, with five sessions on how we can undo racism, led by Rebecca and Joanne Pinaire.
Upcoming Meetings
January 3, Noon, Welcome Committee
January 6, 1:30pm, Property Committee
Join Us For Breakfast!
Men's breakfast - Every Wednesday, 9am, Espresso Yourself Cafe.
Women's breakfast – 2nd and 4th Wednesdays in January, 9am, May's Railside Grill. Upcoming breakfast dates are January 13 and 27.
Rebecca’s schedule. Rebecca is available Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Her Sabbath days will be Monday and Friday. You can reach Rebecca at nativityrector@pa.net or 717-433-1556 (cell) or 717-567-0404 (home). Please note the change in my home phone number, effective December 22.
Godspell Sunday, February 21, 2:00pm, Hershey Playhouse. Miguel Gonzales will be performing. If you'd like to attend, please let Rebecca know. The church has purchased tickets so we can all sit together. They are $23 for adults and $20 for children.
Pictorial Directory Marion Fluchere is putting together a pictorial directory for us. She will be asking to take photos of each family for the directory. A draft with contact information is available. Please review the information, make any corrections and initial the entry.
Stitchers meet in Undercroft on January 28, 10am. Knit and crochet prayer shawls and other items. The prayer shawls go to Perry Village and baby items go to families with Join Hands. See Edna Baker, Sue Beamer or Wendy Day if you'd like more information and don't worry about not knowing how to knit or crochet, because I bet this would be a great place to learn!
Join Hands items of the month are gift cards for stores such as Walmart, Target, Old Navy, etc., to be used for older children in the Christmas program. Or grocery store cards (Karns, Giant, Mutzabaugh’s or Weis).
Help People in Need when you buy your Groceries! See Gail Shull or Pat Szabo to purchase cards in various amounts to use at Giant, Mutzabaugh's, or Weis Stores. 5% of the cost of each card stays with the church and is used for outreach and mission projects.
Help people in need around the world! A Thankoffering box is available by the coffee pots in the kitchen if you'd like to make donations that way. United Thankoffering is a project of the Episcopal Church Women of The Episcopal Church. Boxes are available to collect your offering, which is brought to church twice a year. A wonderful spiritual practice is to put something in the box each time you are thankful to God.
Connect with us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEpiscopalChurchOfTheNativityStStephen
Twitter: @ChnatssChurch
Instagram: https://instagram.com/chnatss/
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMdhiksmcXv0kyz9M2uio6Q
Food Bank Donations are needed! Peanut Butter is especially needed now. For a list of the items needed by the Food Bank, go to their website at //www.perrycountyfoodbank.org/ and click on their wish list.
Honor or Remember a loved one or a special occasion with flowers on the altar! Flowers help make our worship space more beautiful and remind us of the blossoming life we have in Christ. Please consider sponsoring the flowers in memory of a loved one, ot to celebrate your thanksgivings. Flowers are $35. A sign-up chart is in the Undercroft.
Stevenson School of Ministry
Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice
January 21-23, 2016 - Eliminating Racism
Trinity Institute 2016 Livestream in Three Locations:
Gettysburg Seminary—participation with our Lutheran brothers and sisters
St. Thomas, Lancaster—bring your lunch and engage with small group discussion
St. Andrew’s, State College—bring your lunch and engage with small group discussion
THRIVE – Theological Hope to Revive and Invigorate Episcopalians: Diocesan Training Days
February 13, 2016 THRIVE
It is evident in the last year with incidents in Ferguson, Cleveland, Baltimore, and most recently in Columbia, South Carolina that we as a nation hunger for racial justice. All are encouraged to attend. If you are in a position of leadership--lay or ordained-- these workshops help to fulfill the Episcopal Church’s mandate for all people, congregations, committees to work for racial justice. St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Harrisburg
March 4, 2016 Spring Semester for the Stevenson School for Ministry Begins.
New this Spring: A small group option for continuing education for each parish; confirmation class, inquirers class, small group learning options. Form a small group and you will have a reduced rate of only $50.00 per person, per course, to encourage collaborative participation. Review the descriptions for the following courses.
Anglican Approaches to Scripture
The Message of Mission
Ethics I
Prayer Book Studies I and II
