Notices for th Week of December 6 - 12

Week of December 6th – December 12th

Tuesday
      7pm ACW Christmas Party
Wednesday 
     10:00am Holy Eucharist                         
     1:00pm – Memorial Service for 
                     Douglas Armstrong                         
     6:30pm – Evening Prayer (chapel)                         
     7:00pm – Advent Study (Lower Hall)

Advance Notice:
Tuesday, December 15th Parish Council Christmas Gathering

Christmas Celebrations

Sunday, December 20th – 7pm Carols by Candlelight Lessons and Carols for the season 
      featuring music and singers across the spectrum of our diverse parish.  

Thursday, December 24th - Christmas Eve            
     7:00 pm – Family Eucharist for Christmas            
     11:00pm – Candlelight Eucharist  

Friday, December 25th Christmas Day            
     10:00 am – Holy Eucharist  

Sunday, December 27th – Christmas 1            
     10:00 am – Family Eucharist  

Thursday, December 31st – Eve of the Holy Name of Jesus
      6:00 pm Holy Eucharist followed by Pot Luck and Fellowship in the parish hall.  

Today - Christmas Jazz Vespers Northwood United Church 
8855 156th Street, Surrey Today December 6th at 4pm  
(by donation) featuring the Mighty Fraser Big Band,
Steve Maddock and Jennifer Scott 

**2 Notices about Church Flowers**
1/ Sunday Flowers through the year – If you would like to sponsor the altar flowers on a Sunday during the church year as a memorial or as a thanksgiving, we are currently setting up the rota for the year.  Please speak with Muriel Shearer who has the slips to be filled in.  

2/ Poinsettias for Christmas The Altar Guild will be decorating the Church for Christmas again this year with poinsettias.  Donations toward the cost of the poinsettias would be most welcome.  Please put your donation in the offertory plate in an envelope marked "poinsettias".   If your donation is in memory of a loved one please write your memorial notation on the envelope using the format "in memory of (insert name of loved one). Thank you in advance for your donations for the poinsettias.  

Thank You to the Old Thomians who organized the Carol Service last night here at St. Helen’s.  We all had a wonderful time listening to the choir and singing carols as we listened to God’s Word.  The offering received has gone to the work and ministry of St. Helen’s for which we are very appreciative.  

More Thanks to Give Many are not aware that the amount raised at our Christmas Bazaar was not only the result of the donations from our congregation and friends but from several community retailers.  Whenever you can please support Save-On (Whalley), Thrifty Foods (Morgan Crossing), Cobbs Bread (Scott Rd at 72), and The Semiahmoo Society.  

Christmas Bazaar Debriefing meeting an opportunity to review our major event, share our notes, and consider changes or improvements.  Make your notes now so you don't forget and bring them to the meeting after the service on Sunday, January 10, 2016.  

Oak Avenue Childcare – We are sad to convey the news that Oak Avenue has concluded that it can no longer keep up its operations and has made the decision to close.  Its last day of operations was Monday, November 30th.  Oak Avenue, established in 1972, has been using our facilities as its home for about 15 years and has in many ways been a part of the St. Helen’s family.  We ask God’s blessing upon the staff, the children and parents who have had to find new places for child care.  The parish is now actively searching for a new tenant who can make use of our hall.  

Advent Waiting – for our Lord and Esther – As we await the return of the Lord and as we prepare to welcome His birth we are still waiting for Esther to come to us from Burma.  We have heard this week the Esther has remarried and is expecting a second child.  We are unsure how this impacts her refugee application.  If you remember the application had to be renewed at this time last year because she now had a child and we were asked whether we would be willing to include her child.  There will likely be considerations and paperwork regarding whether her husband is eligible to come.  We hope to be able to give a further update very soon.

Readings for Sunday, December 13th, 2015 – Advent 3: 
Zephaniah 3:14-20, 
Isaiah 12:2-6,
Philippians 4:4-7,
Luke 3:7-18