Monday, November 24, 2008

Shepherd's Staff -- November 24, 2008

Welcome to the Shepherd's Staff Online for the week of November 24, 2008. This newsletter is sent weekly by the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd to keep parish members and friends informed of current activities at the church.

IN THIS EDITION
This Week at Good Shepherd
Ingathering Sunday
Parish Breakfast
Advent Wreaths
Lectionary for the Week of November 24, 2008
Forward Day By Day
Flowers at the Altar
Let’s Do Thanksgiving All Year
Diaper Drive for Needy Families
Christmas Cards For Military
Upcoming Events
Fundraiser for Erin Kistner
Celebration of Flowers II
2008 Christmas Luminaria
Special Requests

This Week at Good Shepherd
MONDAY, November 24th
6:00 p.m. – Vestry Meeting
TUESDAY, November 25th
3:00 p.m. – CEW
WEDNESDAY, November 26th
5:30 p.m. – Holy Eucharist (Rite II)
(Note: No Bible Study this week.)
5:30 p.m. – St. Nicholas & St. Cecilia choirs rehearsal
7:00 p.m. – Chancel Choir Rehearsal
THURSDAY, November 27th
10:00 a.m. – Thanksgiving Day Service
SUNDAY, November 30th - INGATHERING SUNDAY
8:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist –Rite I
8:30 a.m. – Sunday Breakfast
10:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist – Rite II
“Honoring God in Our Life"
Through Thanks Giving
This Sunday is our Parish In-gathering. This week parishioners of Good Shepherd will receive a third and last of a series of mailings on our stewardship of God’s blessings. Included with the mailing is a pledge card for 2009. As Father Doug says in the flyer, “Making a pledge of one’s financial resources is an important part of our faith. It is a commitment to God in ‘thanks giving’ for God’s commitment of himself to us.” This Sunday the pledge cards will be collected in the alms basin so that the offering may be presented at the altar as we together offer our worship and praise to God. Please make a special point of coming to church this Sunday to join with our family of faith on this important day.
Sunday Breakfast – Sunday November 30th
The last Sunday of the month starting at 8:30 a.m., Dr. Rupert Bliss and friends will be serving breakfast. Stay after the 8:00 AM service or come early for the 10:00 AM service for fellowship and a warm start to your Sunday morning. For more information, contact Dr. Bliss at rbjaxfl@bellsouth.net or 387-4827
ADVENT WREATHS
Once again this year we will be making Advent wreaths before and after the 10:00 a.m. service. Eat breakfast and make a wreath before the service or make a wreath following the service.
Lectionary for the Week of November 24, 2008
Monday:
AM Psalm 106:1-18; PM Psalm 106:19-48
Zech. 10:1-12; Gal. 6:1-10; Luke 18:15-30

Tuesday:
AM Psalm [120], 121, 122, 123; PM Psalm 124, 125, 126, [127]
Zech. 11:4-17; 1 Cor. 3:10-23; Luke 18:31-43

Wednesday:
AM Psalm 119:145-176; PM Psalm 128, 129, 130
Zech. 12:1-10; Eph. 1:3-14; Luke 19:1-10

Thursday:
AM Psalm 131, 132, [133]; PM Psalm 134, 135
Zech. 13:1-9; Eph. 1:15-23; Luke 19:11-27

Thanksgiving Day
AM Psalm 147; Deuteronomy 26:1-11; John 6:26-35
PM: Psalm 145; Joel 2:21-27; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

Friday:
AM Psalm 140, 142; PM Psalm 141, 143:1-11(12)
Zech. 14:1-11; Rom. 15:7-13; Luke 19:28-40

Saturday:
AM Psalm 137:1-6(7-9), 144; PM Psalm 104
Zech. 14:12-21; Phil. 2:1-11; Luke 19:41-48
Forward Day By Day
The Forward Day By Day books for November, December and January have arrived. You may pick up your copy in the narthex or in the parish office.
The flowers at the altar this past Sunday were given by the chaplains of Baptist Medical Center to the Glory of God and in thanksgiving for all that Marilyn. Mayse brought to their lives and to the lives of countless others who knew her and were associated with her.

Let’s Make Thanksgiving last all year...
In place of Thanksgiving Dinner Baskets this year, we would like to pledge to help keep the pantries at St. Mary’s and St. Catherine’s stocked throughout the entire year.

Items needed on a weekly basis throughout the year include (but are not limited to) the following:
  • Canned vegetables and fruits
  • Boxed meals (i.e. Mac ‘N Cheese...)
  • Peanut Butter
  • Canned meats
  • Soups
  • Rice and pasta
  • Crackers
  • Kid’s Snacks (i.e. Fruit Roll-ups, Poptarts)
  • Boxed Cereals
Gift Cards for Winn-Dixie, Publix or Target and cash donations are welcomed! But it is so simple to add the needed items to our personal shopping trips to the grocery store. Don’t forget the “buy one, get one free” sales.
Diaper Drive for Needy Families
Emergency Pregnancy Services, a neighborhood non-profit, pro-life crisis center, provides free services to over 3,000 women and children each year. One of their greatest needs are diapers (especially newborn size) and baby bottles. Please consider adding either to your weekly shopping list and bringing them to the collection box in the narthex. Your generosity and help will be greatly appreciated!
Christmas Cards For Military
Holiday Mail for Heroes
From the front lines to the home front, the American Red Cross provides service members, their families and veterans with the care and assistance they need.

The Red Cross is partnering with Pitney Bowes this holiday season for the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign. For the second year in a row, the Red Cross is collecting holiday cards to distribute to American service members, veterans and their families in the United States and around the world.

The goal is to collect and distribute one million holiday cards to spread holiday cheer and facilitate thanks to these brave individuals and families.

Please send cards to this address, following the guidelines listed below:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
Card Guidelines
Please follow these guidelines when mailing a card to ensure that your card will quickly reach service members, veterans and their families. Every card received will first be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working in one of 16 sorting stations around the country.
  • All cards must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2008. Cards sent after this date will be returned to sender.

  • Participants are encouraged to limit the number of cards they submit to 25 from any one person or 50 from any one class or group. If you are mailing a larger quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes. Each card does not need its own envelope or postage.

  • Please ensure that all cards are signed.

  • Please use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.

  • Please send cards as opposed to long letters which delay a quick review process.

  • Please do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.

  • Please do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.

  • All cards received may be used in program publicity efforts, including appearing in broadcast, print or online mediums.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Benefit Dinner for Erin Gillooly Kistner
Erin Gillooly Kistner, a choirmember at Good Shepherd, is suffering kidney failure and is currently on the transplant list through Mayo Clinic. As you may know, even with insurance, out of pocket expenses for transplant related care and medication are astronomical. A fund raiser and organ donor awareness night will be held at the Orange Park Women's Club on Tuesday, Dec 9th from 6:30-10:30 p.m. Timeline for the evening is
Dinner & Music: 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Silent Auction: 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Vocal performance: 8:00 - 8:30 pm (Cabaret style)
DJ/Dancing: 8:30 - 10:30 pm
Tickets are $40/person, $75/couple or $25 for just the show and dancing (no dinner.)

All proceeds will go to a VyStar donation account, set up for Erin's transplant related expenses.

For more information you may contact Eileen at emgop@aol.com, or the event planner Layla Smith layla@wedwithease.com, or go to the blog supportorgandonation.blogspot.com
CELEBRATION OF FLOWERS II
Celebrating the Christmas Season
On December 6th San Jose Episcopal Church is welcoming anyone who would like to learn how to arrange flowers for their church. This program will focus on arrangements for Christmas, Greening the Church, and Advent flowers.

In August San Jose hosted its first Celebration of Flowers; visitors from five Episcopal Churches, including Angela Taylor from Good Shepherd, joined them for the day, where they enjoyed fellowship as well as a joyous experience with flowers.

Saturday, December 6, 2008
San Jose Episcopal Church
7423 San Jose Blvd. Jax 32217 (across from The Bolles School)
Phone: 733-1811 Fax: 733-5782

E-mail Susan in the San Jose church office to make reservations: susan@sanjoseepiscopal.com

For questions contact: Susannah Sands susannahsands@hotmail.com or Martha Farris martha.farris@comcast.net (please include Celebration of Flowers II in the subject line)

SCHEDULE
9:00 Welcome and Sign In
9:30 Morning Prayer and Homily
10:00 Altar flowers demonstration
11:00 Hands on class, instruction, questions and answers
12:30 Lunch
Continue with arranging flowers (optional)
Morning coffee, pastries, and lunch provided
$30.00 per person
Bring your own container and clippers; San Jose will provide the flowers and greens!
Luminaria 2008
Sundown on the 21st of December marks the beginning of RAP’s 24th Annual Luminaria, or Festival of Lights. The oldest and grandest of Jacksonville’s luminaria celebrations, this regional event has become a holiday tradition that helps sustain our sense of community.

Riverside & Avondale residents are proud to continue this tradition, and will be lining our streets with more than 40,000 bagged candles, and hosting numerous other events. Luminaria night events include Christmas musical concerts at the churches and parks, a live Nativity scene, a bike ride, and carriage rides for a truly traditional touring of the Historic District’s candle-lit streets on this special holiday night.

At 6:00 p.m. Good Shepherd will host a concert in the sanctuary, with the choir singing Christmas carols accompanied by our wonderful Skinner organ.

Schedule, information and volunteer sign-up lists are in the narthex.
Special Requests
HELP US UPDATE OUR PARISH RECORDS.

There are now forms in the back of the Church for you to update email addresses and/or phone numbers.

Or you can send corrections, additions, changes, birthdays, Email addresses, etc to parish@goodshepherd23.org or call the church office 387-5691
Let us know if you have any suggestions for changes, additions, announcements, articles, etc. or if you have someone that you think might enjoy being added to the list to receive the Shepherd’s Staff Online.

A calendar of all events at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd can be seen by selecting the Calendar button at our website at www.goodshepherd23.org.