Christmas Eve Services

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WORSHIP SERVICES – DECEMBER 24TH

In order to spread out our attendance numbers and to help keep everyone safe, we are again offering four Christmas Eve worship services this year just like we did last year. Worship space for three of those services should not be an issue, but we are asking those who normally attend the 11:00 p.m. service to consider attending the 8:00 p.m. service, as these two services will be identical. Then, two weeks before Christmas, the church council will be using the Congregational Call List to contact each family to tally worship preferences. The social distancing practices we use for each Sunday morning will also be followed for our Christmas Eve services. As an option, one of each type of the worship services will be recorded and placed on the church website. Below is the information you will need to help you and your family make your worship decisions.

Family Oriented Worship Services 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM
 We will be using the ABC’s of Christmas service as we used last year.
 Families/individuals “participate” in the message.
 Holy Communion will be offered.
 There will be no nursery provided.
 One of these two worship services will be recorded and placed on the church website.

Traditional Liturgical Worship Services 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM
 We will be using the liturgy similar to what we use on Sunday mornings.
 Holy Communion will be offered.
 Candle lighting participation will be offered.
 There will be no nursery provided.
 One of these two worship services will be recorded and placed on the church website.

A REMINDER THAT DURING ADVENT

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A REMINDER THAT DURING ADVENT

-We use the Nicene Creed.

-The Prayer of the Day begins “Stir up….”

-Each week we light an additional candle on the Advent wreath.

-The blue paraments symbolize the hope that comes to the world in the birth of the Christ Child.

MORE VOICES NEEDED

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MORE VOICES NEEDED
As we begin singing once again, I would like to invite all who are interested to join us. For now, we will only be practicing after the 8:45 a.m. service for the Early Service choir which meets at 8:30 a.m. to go over the music for the service. For the 11:00 a.m. service, we will meet at 10:40 a.m. to go over the music for the Late Service and then stay after the 11:00 a.m. service to go over the music for the next week. If needed, we will practice after the Wednesday night Advent Services. Please consider singing with us, we would love to have more voices!
Jill Helgeson

11/28/21 Weekly Congregational Updates

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Dear Members and Friends of Holy Trinity,

 

I pray this email finds you and your family planning to spend some time together this Thanksgiving holiday.  Here are some things to pass along to you concerning the congregation.

  1. On Sunday, we begin a new church year as we start the season of Advent, a time of preparation for the coming of our Lord, as we mark time using our Advent wreath.

  2. Speaking of Advent wreaths, for those who have signed up and reserved a spot, we will be gathering Sunday afternoon for our congregational Advent wreath making event at 3:00 p.m. in the back parking lot, behind Fellowship Hall.  Some greenery will be provided but you are asked to bring more.

  3. Sunday I will be preaching on the gospel reading, Luke 21:25-36.

  4. Our Mid-week Advent worship services begin a week from today, on Wednesday, December 1 at 7:00 p.m.  On this evening, we will be looking at the importance of not being too busy this time of the year. The other Mid-week Services will take place on December 8 and 15.

  5. Your help is needed on Saturday, December 4 as part of our Congregational Workday, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon.  The list of projects we aim to tackle in the church yard are in your bulletin.  For more details, contact Ernie Thoms.

  6. We celebrate with Barbara Cleveland on the birth of her great-granddaughter, Katelyn Elizabeth Withrow.  Yet, even as we rejoice, we keep little Katelyn in our thoughts and prayers as she was born 3 months premature and weighs less than 3 pounds.

  7. We keep Bob Long in our prayers as well.  He is at the AnMed hospital. 

In Christ,

Pastor Fischer

12/4 Congregation Workday

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Congregation Workday Saturday December 4,
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Remove leaves from shrubbery around the church buildings and playground.
Trim overgrown shrubbery away from the buildings and back from the sidewalks.
Remove roots of Indian Hawthorne plants from front of Fellowship Hall.
Remove leaves from around the Luther House front and back yards
Trim overgrown shrubbery around the Luther House
Bring trimmers, blower, rake, and wheelbarrow.
We have one electric trimmer, three rakes, three tarps and one wheelbarrow.

Advent Schedule 2021

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ADVENT SCHEDULE
MIDWEEK ADVENT SCHEDULE

Due to COVID-19, we will not be gathering for our Advent meals like we have done in the past. However, we will gather for our Midweek Advent worship services with some modifications similar to what we do on Sunday mornings. Instead of using the Holden Evening Prayer Service, as we have done in the past, this year again, we will be using the Service of the Word with a spoken service. Our schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, December 1 7:00 PM   Message: “Too Busy”

Wednesday, December 8 7:00 PM   Message: “Take Me to Your Leader”

Wednesday, December 15 7:00 PM   Message: “No More Senseless Journeys”

Christmas Pageant – December 12
Our Christmas Pageant will still take place this year on Sunday, December 12, but with some modifications. The Pageant will take place at both worship services that day to spread out our attendance. The children and youth will not be participating this year. Only the choir will be participating to reduce the number of participants.

Calendar Updates:
Youth Christmas Party – will take place this year at the Goodson Farm on Sunday, December 19th beginning at 5:00 p.m.
Our Chili and Caroling Event – will not take place this year.

POINSETTIAS for the Christmas Eve services

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POINSETTIAS for the Christmas Eve services will be provided for $16.00. Donors will be listed in the worship bulletin for the Christmas Eve services. If you would like to place an order for one or more, please fill out the form and place it in the offering plate or send to the Church office. The deadline is Monday, December 20th. Payment must accompany your order. Plants may be picked up after the 11:00 p.m. service Christmas Eve. (Please leave the three white poinsettias in the manger as they remain in the Sanctuary throughout the Christmas season.)

Click on this link to download order form

POINSETTIAS for the Christmas Eve 2021

The Youth Christmas Party

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The Youth Christmas Party – will take place this year at the Goodson Farm on Sunday, December
19th beginning at 5:00 p.m.

11/21/21 Weekly Congregational Updates

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Dear Members and Friends of Holy Trinity,

 

Here are a few things to pass along to you this day:

  1. The outcome of our Semi-Annual Congregational meeting was:
    1. Robert Allen, Suzie Bannister, Claude Calloway, and Joshua Fischer were elected to a 3-year position on the Church Council.

    2. The Budget put forth for 2022 was approved.

  2. We have several sunglasses looking for their owners.  If you think you may have left yours at the church, they are on the cabinet in the narthex.  Otherwise, we may need to open a retail store.

  3. This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday of the Christian calendar.  I will be preaching on the gospel text, John 18:33-37, where Jesus is being interrogated by the Roman Governor of Judaea, Pontius Pilate.  Jesus makes the comment, “I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.”   More and more we live in a world where it is difficult to know what is the truth.  Spend any time on the internet, and we are bombarded with stories and comments that are questionable.  How do we know what is true anymore?  How is truth different than the absolute truth?

  4. We are still waiting for gift tags for our Angel Tree from AIM.

  5. This past Monday, Anita Brady was admitted to the care of the Rainey Hospice House.  We continue to keep her and her family in our prayers.

  6. We are still looking for a few adults who would be willing to serve as an acolyte on Sunday mornings.  With recent high school graduations, we simply do not have enough youth to serve in this capacity.  Even though we have stopped collecting Time and Talent Sheets, you can still let us know you are interested in helping by letting me know with an email or informing me on Sunday morning. What are some of the perks?  Reserved seating, looking like an angel with that robe on, and best of all, knowing you are serving the Lord!

In Christ,

Pastor Fischer

11/14/21 Weekly Congregational Updates

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Dear Members and Friends of Holy Trinity,

Items to pass along to you this week include:

1) The Church Council, at its meeting Monday night, decided that beginning this Sunday, November 14, masks are now optional in worship. Also, we will return to singing the Liturgical responses in worship Sunday as well (no hymns just yet). We will continue to practice social distancing by using every other pew.

2) Sunday, our Semi-Annual Congregational meeting will take place during both worship services. Please make sure you are ready to vote for four new council members by reading over their biographies and be in prayer for this process, as well as the budget.

3) I will be preaching on Mark 13:1-8, our Gospel reading for this Sunday, as we look at handling the unknown future of the End of Times. As we approach the end of the Church Year, our scripture readings suddenly change to the apocalyptic writings. For sermon preparation, I encourage you to look up Johannes Kelpius, and other apocalyptic cults in the U.S. who have tried to predict the end of times.

4) We are still waiting for gift tags for our Angel Tree.

5) The season of Advent begins this year on Sunday, November 28. We are offering a Congregational Advent Wreath Workshop on that afternoon, beginning at 3:00 p.m. in the back parking lot of Fellowship Hall, weather permitting. The Learning Committee would like to help you and your family kick off this season by offering a time to gather together to create your own Advent wreath. We will be providing the wreath form, wire, snips, candles and a short family devotional for each week but you have to sign up in the Narthex by this Sunday, November 14. This is the last Sunday to sign up!!!! To date, we have 7 families who have indicated they are interested in joining us. Even if you are a “family” of one, come and join us!

6) The brand new Advent Devotionals are now available in the Narthex. Please limit these to one per household.

7) Marion Howell is now at the Carlyle Senior Care in Fountain Inn. If you would like to visit her, you will need to call to set up an appointment.

8) Finally, on this Veterans Day, may we remember and be grateful for all who have served our country, and given us the freedoms we enjoy today, and often take for granted.

In Christ,
Pastor Fischer