Author: Katrina Manzi

Dear friends in Christ,

I hope you’re all doing well this snowy evening. There are a number of things coming up in the life of the church as we get closer to Christmas:

Christmas Pageant 12/19

• Our annual Christmas Pageant is back next Sunday 12/19 during the worship service! We still have some slots left for people of all ages! We will not be having the traditional choir due to covid safety, but rather having small groups or soloists sing some of our favorite hymns (also available for sign up!).  If you’d like to participate, please sign up here:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0F48AAAF2FA7FC1-christmas  or email Valerie B. for more info.
• Pageant Setup Volunteers 12/12
  • This Sunday after church we will need volunteers to help get our sanctuary set up for the Christmas Pageant. We’ll also need to get some things down from the attic to be ready for Christmas Eve. If you have time after worship on Sunday, please stay after to help us get things ready for our upcoming special services!
• Pageant Rehearsal will be Saturday, 12/18 from 10am-12pm 

December Mission Projects

• Star Tree: All the stars have been chosen, and presents have begun to be dropped off! As a reminder, place the wrapped gift(s) with the star attached to the outside under the tree in the sanctuary (or the office) before December 16th at 10:00 am
• Christmas Baskets for Middlebury Families: We are sponsoring three local families and providing them with a Christmas dinner! A sign up sheet is on the bulletin board by the kitchen. Right now, most things have been signed up for, but there are a few more slots, including singing up to buy small gifts for the families. As with other sign-ups, if you can’t sign up in person, let Jeanine know and she will help you! We need to have all donations in by December 20th.

Presentation on Dealing with Holiday Stress

Thank you to Janine SW who gave a helpful presentation on managing the stress of the holiday season last night. We did film it, and I should have the video all edited and up on our YouTube channel some time tonight if you weren’t able to join us in person but wanted to watch it or share with friends.

General Comments

I want to thank Greg, Kelly, and Kayleigh for heading up our team of volunteers to provide hot chocolate at the town tree lighting this past Saturday. Thank you to all our volunteers from Saturday. This year we moved the hot chocolate outdoors, and we got to see so many more people from town. It was a really lovely evening. I’ve attached some pictures I took during the tree lighting festivities.

During Advent, we wait for the light of Christ to come into the world on Christmas, and this time of year always seems in need of more light with the sun setting so early. The Christmas tree on the green, the candles in the windows, and the lights everyone puts up help light up the darkness as we wait, and they hint at the true light which enlightens everyone, Jesus Christ, who is soon to be coming into the world.

Peace,

Pastor Katrina

Dear friends in Christ,

I hope all your Thanksgivings were safe and went well. As we enter fully into the Advent season, we’ve got a number of things going on in the life of the church:

Christmas Pageant: 12/19

Our annual Christmas Pageant is back!  It will be held on Sunday, December 19th during the worship service.  We are looking for volunteers of all ages to participate in various roles and also as readers and singers.  We will not be having the traditional choir due to covid safety, but rather having small groups or soloists sing some of our favorite hymns (also available for sign up!).  Rehearsal will be Saturday, 12/18 from 10am-12pm 

If you’d like to participate, please sign up here:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0F48AAAF2FA7FC1-christmas  or email Valerie B.

Middlebury Tree Lighting: 12/4 @4

This Saturday at 4pm  is the Middlebury Christmas Tree Lighting! Thanks to Greg E. and other volunteers, we’ll be providing hot chocolate to help warm everybody up as we carol around the Green. I’m looking forward to seeing many of you and getting to resume a lovely town tradition once more.

12/7: Presentation on Managing the Stress of the Holidays

Janine SW has graciously offered to give a presentation on dealing with the stress of the holiday season on 12/7@7pm in the church social hall. Here’s the link to the Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/1s3ytwf8l

This is a resource we’re offering for anyone in the area who might find it beneficial, so be sure to spread the word. Thank you Janine!

December Mission Projects

• Star Tree: Through our Covenant to Care program, we have agreed to provide gifts to 60 children at Christmas in the Wellmore program in Waterbury.  Ages for these children range from newborns to teenagers.  Please pick a star, purchase the requested gift(s) (at a cost of no more than $35 per gift), and place the wrapped gift(s) with the star attached to the outside under the tree in the sanctuary (or the office) before December 16th at 10:00 am.  You are more than welcome to choose more than one star!  Stars for family members are grouped together and by color on the list.
  • After church on Sunday, I believe all the stars have been claimed! Thank you to everyone who has signed up for a star!
• Christmas Baskets: We are sponsoring three local families (the same families we sponsored for Thanksgiving) and providing them with a Christmas dinner! To help make this family’s holiday a little better, sign up to donate something (you are more than welcome to take more than one item) on the sheet on the bulletin board outside the kitchen. As with other sign-ups, if you can’t sign up in person, let Jeanine know and she will help you! We need to have all donations in by December 20th.

General Comments

I want to thank everyone who helped decorate the sanctuary because it looks lovely. I’ve attached a photo. Additionally, I’ve attached pictures of two of the advent wreath crafts: one with just the materials we’ve provided and one where a little extra pizzazz was added. If any of you want to share how your wreaths have turned out, feel free to send along pictures!

As we continue in Advent, here’s a prayer for the season by Kate McIlhagga:

“Christ our Advent hope,
bare brown trees,
etched dark across a winter sky,
leaves fallen, rustling,
ground hard and cold,
remind us to prepare for your coming;
remind us to prepare for the time
when the soles of your feet will touch the ground,
when you will become one of us
to be at one with us.”

Peace,

Pastor Katrina