Vol. 78 Issue 51 Week of December 21-27, 2020 |
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Open Space to See the Light
A Christmas Message from Dennis W. Foust
On Monday night, the longest night of the year, Paula and I went to an open space away from artificial lights and looked into the southwestern sky. In the far distance, Jupiter and Saturn formed a conjunction of reflected light. To join with many citizens of planet Earth in seeing an event that hasn't happened in this way since 1226 is quite a moment. Yet, we could not have seen this light without finding open space.
Beloved, you have been faithful servants of God during this pandemic year. I am especially praying for and thinking of those of you who are battling disease, carrying burdens of loss and grief, and those who live with the heaviness of depression. It is my prayer that you will know you are loved and valued. May each of us create or go find some open space during this Christmas season to reflect on God's Light in our life together. Just spend some minutes with God alone as you consider these gifts from God's hands:
Sustaining Hope,
Transforming Peace,
Contagious Joy, and
Compassionate Love.
In the New Year of 2021, I will offer some directional paths for our journey together to see and reflect God's Light in the darkness. Meanwhile, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Light who brightens all darkness within us and throughout the universe. May we align our light with the light of Jesus so others can see a conjunction in their darkness.
Amen and Merry Christmas!
Dennis W. Foust
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Christmas Eve Worship
Thursday, December 24
The service of candlelight, communion, and carols on Christmas Eve will be available to you online at 12pm on December 24. This year, the service will include all of the elements we normally celebrate on Christmas Eve: lighting the Christ candle, singing carols, sharing communion, and candlelight as we sing Silent Night. We hope you will worship with us on this special day with the loved ones who are able to be with you. Dr. Foust's homily is called, "Light Shining in the Darkness."
The worship video will be available at 12pm on Christmas Eve via our YouTube channel, Facebook, and at our website under the Worship tab for you to view.
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Worship on December 27th
Worship with St. John's on Sunday, December 27 for the first Sunday in Christmastide and last Sunday in the calendar year. On this Sunday, we will focus on the implications of Jesus' arrival as we imagine a world beyond abandonment. Dennis will offer a message called, "Cradling Salvation" based on Luke 2:22-40.
The worship video will be available at 8am via our YouTube channel and at our website under the Worship tab for you to view. You can also link to worship from the Realm Connect App Events list.
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Remember to Pledge in 2021!
As of this week, we have received 152 commitments totaling $771,382.
If you have not turned your pledge in, please mail it to the church office to the attention of Jacquelyn McAbee at 300 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte, NC 28204. You can also enter your pledge in Realm (go to Giving/Pledge) or by contacting Jacquelyn McAbee, Church Administrator, at jmcabee@sjcharlotte.org or 434-579-1177.
St John’s, you have been so faithful in this pandemic year, and we all are grateful for what you have done to keep us on course. Even though we anticipate our current situation will continue through the spring at least, the missions of the church are ongoing. Thank you for your support for 2021!
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Giving in 2020
Due by December 31, 2020
All allowable tax donations must be received (and checks dated) by December 31, 2020. If mailed, please ensure the envelope is postmarked 2020. If you are unsure of the remaining balance on your commitment for 2020, please contact Jacquelyn McAbee, Church Administrator, at jmcabee@sjcharlotte.org or 434-579-1177. Any monies received after December 2020 will count towards your 2021 pledge.
If you want to drop off a check, please make arrangements with Jacquelyn prior to doing so as we are not keeping regular in-office hours during this time.
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Help Wanted for Room in the Inn!
Due to the pandemic, the traditional Room in the Inn program operated by the Roof Above organization each winter has been modified. Roof Above will instead operate a 130-bed overflow winter shelter at 3410 Statesville Avenue between December 1 and March 31. Roof Above has asked churches to help by providing bag lunches for shelter residents throughout these four months.
St. John’s has agreed to provide 65 bagged lunches for the overflow shelter on each of the following Sunday nights:
- Sunday, January 3, 2021
- Sunday, February 7, 2021
- Sunday, March 7, 2021
Five St. John’s members are needed to provide 13 bag lunches for each of these Sunday nights. We also need a person to collect and deliver the bag lunches to the shelter on those nights. Can you help?
Please access the following link to sign up:
In addition, Roof Above has said they’d love the assistance of Room in the Inn sites to help provide in-kind donations for our 130 winter overflow nightly guests. Here are additional details:
If you are physically dropping off these items at 945 N. College St campus, feel free to do so during the hours of 9am – 12:30pm.
- NEW towels and washcloths
- NEW men’s hats and gloves]
- NEW men’s boxer-briefs (M, L, XL, XXL)
- NEW men’s socks
- NEW blankets and pillows (from Amazon wish list)
- Masks (washable or disposable – homemade masks welcome)
Presorted travel-sized toiletries in gallon bags containing the following items:
- Shampoos
- Shower gels
- Toothpastes
- Toothbrushes
- Razors
- Small cans of shaving cream
- Hand sanitizer
Contact Dale Johnson at 704-364-2575 for more details.
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Prayer Concerns, Thanks & Sympathy |
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Polly Hull, Gene & Carol Poole, Elma Thomas,
Peg Russ, Alison Zieglmeier (daughter of Ken and Donna Scott),
Andrew Adair, Barbara Ledford, Tom Bryson,
Carol Hager (sister of Betty Harkey), Carole Ann Simpson, Ken Smith,
Esther Narron, Susan King, R.D. Bond
Sympathy to Betty Millsaps in the death of her brother
Prayers for all of the healthcare workers in our community
The offices will be closed on December 25, December 28,
and January 1 for the holidays.
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Financial Ministry Plan Report
Week of December 15-21: $20,756
Income through December 21: $1,062,840
Annual 2020 Ministry Plan Budget Goal: $1,175,000
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You can make contributions, view your giving history and pledge status, as well as update your pledge and giving information anytime by accessing your personal
Realm profile online or via the Connect App.
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Contact the Staff
To email a staff member, click on their name below
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