Friday, December 11, 2015 – p. 1
This Week’s Readings: 12/13/15 2016 Proposed Budget: $374,568 Zephaniah 3:14-20 Canticle 9 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18 # of 2016 pledges as of 12/9/15: 75
2016 Pledges as of 12/9/15: $221,930 Angel Tree: Dec. 13
It’s not too late! This Sunday is the last If projected income from plate offerings, rent, and Easter and Christmas offerings day you have to bring in your gift cards are the same as 2015: + $ 21,000 - or write a check for this project (our St. Francis If the same amount is given by those who Elf Team will purchase the gift cards Sunday afternoon). Again this year we are focusing our pledged in 2015 (and have not yet pledged 014 - p. 1 efforts on helping underserved teens for Christmas in 2016): +$ 51,950 through the Lebanon Caring Center and Dayspring If the same amount is given by those who rch 13, Center. Items needed are gift cards, board games, did not pledge but gave in 2015: +$ 26,435 and hats/gloves/scarves for teens. If these numbers are consistent in 2016, All donations must be brought in by THIS Sunday, the total income would be: $ 328,385 Dec. 13. Please make any checks out to St. Francis and write “Angel Tree” in the memo, and drop the Current Budget Shortfall: - $ 52,701 check in the box on the table in the Narthex, put it in Sunday’s collection plate or give it to coord. Meg Many 2014 famil- p. 1 ies have not yet made a pledge for 2016. If you are one of them, please consider make a pledge Olson, or Pat Guiney. Questions? Contact Meg before Christmas. Olson ([email protected]/540-435-9684). Extra pledge cards are on the table in the Narthex.
After it is filled out you can drop yours in the Sunday PACKING Christmas Shoeboxes offering plate, put it in the mail, drop it off at the church office, or give it to Fr. Davies or Treasurer John Lanie.
The boxes are all wrapped, and the packing began last
Sunday! THIS Sunday is the last day to pack the shoeboxes that will bring delight to a child in the Kdg – 2nd grade (250 students!) and let them know we care about them! This Indiana Brass Concert year we will be packing the boxes for students who attend Mark your calendar; the Indiana Brass the Hattie B. Stokes Elementary School in Lebanon, a school will present its 17th annual Christmas Concert at where more than 80% of the children are on free or St. Francis on Tuesday, December 15th at 7:00pm. reduced-price lunches. The concert is free and open to the public, though Donations will be accepted thru this donations will be cheerfully accepted. A reception Sunday. If you are writing a check (our will follow the concert. Members of the Indiana own elves will do the shopping), please Brass hail from the Indianapolis Symphony note it is for the “Shoebox Project”. ,Orchestra. 2012 - p. 1 Bring the entire family and enjoy the
Spirit of Christmas, brass style!
Christmas Poinsettias
We will have poinsettias at the altar Service of Hope
during Christmas. If you would like to This special service will be use this as a way to remember your Wednesday, December 16 loved ones by donating to the project – forms are at 7:00pm. Any who are on the table in the Narthex. Names of those being experiencing loss or for memorialized or honored, and the donors, will be whom the holidays may be challenging. This printed in the Christmas Eve bulletins. The service is open to everyone, and will include a deadline to have your information to the office is prayer for healing and offer Holy Eucharist within Sun., December 20. a time of meditation, reflection, and prayer.
Friday, December 11, 2015 – p. 2
Greening of the Church 2015 Advent and Christmas & Chili Cook-off
Events and Services Stay after church on Sunday, December 20 to help prepare the church for Sunday, December 13 Christmas; after we’re done we will enjoy a variety - Fr. Davies and Carol Host Coffee Hour of chilis and cornbread. Special activities will be in the nursery for Toddler-Kdg. Children. This event Monday, December 14 is a fun time for children, youth, teens, and adults - Vestry Meeting, 7:00 PM of all ages! If you could bring a pot of chili (in a Tuesday, December 15 crockpot, please), cornbread, a salad, or a dessert 014 - p. 1 - 17th Annual Indiana Brass Christmas to this event please sign up on the sheet on the Concert table in the Narthex. rch 13, 7:00 PM at Church – Free and Open to the Public Children’s Christmas Pageant Christmas Eve at 3:00pm Wednesday, December 16 - Rehearsal at 1:00pm - - Service of Hope, 7:00 PM A Candlelight Service for Any Who are There will be a rehearsal for all 2014 - p. 1 participants in the Pageant at Experiencing Loss or For Whom the Holidays May be Challenging 1:00pm. After the rehearsal the children will have snacks and then Open to All, Healing and Holy Eucharist
dress for the pageant. Thursday, December 17 Sheep: wear black or white socks - Holy Eucharist at Hoosier Village, 11:00 AM Angels: wear white leotards Sunday, December 20 – Advent IV Shepherds: Sandals (no flip-flops) - Lessons and Carols, 10:00 AM Bethlehem People–Costumes provided - Greening of the Church, 11:30 AM Moms (or dads) are welcome to stay - Chili Pitch-In Cook Off, 11:30 AM for the rehearsal but it is not necessary. We can use a few moms as Thursday, December 24 – Christmas Eve “Sheep Herders”. - Christmas Pageant Rehearsal, 1:00 PM
The Costumers need to be at the - Christmas Pageant, 3:00 PM church by 2:00pm to help dress the - Festival Eucharist, 8:00 PM children - Festival Eucharist, 11:00 PM
, 2012 - p. 1 Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day - Festival Eucharist, 10:00 AM Christmas Eve Concert!
Mark your calendars for 10:30p Christmas Eve! The choir and instrumentalists will present a Bishop Cate’s Last Visit – ½-hour concert of Christmas music May 8, 2016
preceding the 11:00pm Holy Bishop Cate will be visiting St. Francis Eucharist. Please join us for this for her last official visitation on Sunday, festive occasion to prepare your May 8th, 2016. That is Mother’s day, and a hearts for the celebratory mass to wonderfully appropriate time to celebrate the follow! Bishop’s ministry in our Diocese.
Friday, December 11, 2015 – p. 3
The History of the drama began with a Herald announcing the arrival of the cast, a parade, and then a Christmas Pageant narrator would begin the actual Nativity On December 24 at 3PM the children Story. The music, provided by the audience and youth of St. Francis In-The-Fields will in our drama, would have been the work of present an enactment of the Nativity Story. traveling professional musicians. When they participate in this “play” they For the Medieval world, the drama, are part of a ten-century old tradition mystery, and beauty of the enactment of dating back through Church History to the Jesus’014 - p. birth 1 was the way most people, in a 1100s in Europe. then largely illiterate society, learned the The original “Nativity Drama” is even Biblerch 13, stories. Today we need to reach back older, being recorded as early as the 7th in time to the 10th Century, reach across Century in the Byzantine Church. These time and space and join with those early early presentations are more oratories than Christian Communities to celebrate the real dramas. The Nativity plays as we know Nativity Story. Follow the Heralds, the them probably originated in England and traveling musicians, the people of 2014 - p. 1 France during the 12th Century. These plays Bethlehem, the shepherds and sheep, the were originally songs with verbal Holy Family, and the Angels who proclaim embellishments of the liturgical texts and “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, slowly over the years became more peace, good will to all people.” elaborate. As these plays became more I look forward to seeing you on popular, the original Latin words were Christmas Eve. abandoned and vernacular forms were ~ Carol Rogers Reed established. The traveling groups of actors and singers, complete with costumes and scenery went from church to church on feast days. Eventually, the companies on the traveling wagons which were called ‘pageants’, were replaced by participants from local guilds and communities and children were recruited from the town. They would enact the nativity on the steps , 2012 - p. 1 of the church or cathedral or at the foot of the altar. St. Francis, our patron Saint, is traditionally given credit for a variation of the first Nativity Play. In 1223 on Christmas Eve he celebrated Midnight Mass in front of a life size nativity scene and crèche complete with live animals. The form of the early pageants was similar to our Children’s Pageant. The