Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, Everyone!
Advent IV / Christmas Eve Service
Last Sunday, December 24, we had a beautiful candlelight service of Lessons & Carols to mark the transition from Advent to Christmas. It was so good to see everyone there!This Sunday, December 31, we will return to our regular 9:30 a.m. service time for the First Sunday after Christmas. We hope you will join us – what a great way to end the year!
Festive Decor & Safenet Christmas Tree
Verna, Rick, and our “decorating crew” have turned our nave into a beautiful space for worship.
In addition, the Christmas tree has been raised, under which you may make contributions of hats, gloves, and scarves for women and children. These items will then be delivered to Safenet, a local organization established to help individuals escape domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
For more information about Safenet, visit Safenet Services – Helping Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Victims
Twelve Days of Christmas
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, and tune in each day, now through Epiphany, for our special Twelve Days of Christmas posts! Check out each daily post and feel free to comment – either on the post itself, or on someone else’s comment. What a fun and interactive way to celebrate the season!
Stewardship Campaign
Stewardship forms for 2024 have been mailed; but – OOPS! – we forgot to include a return envelope! Our apologies for the oversight! You are certainly under no obligation; but if you would like to contribute to our 2024 budget, you may place your forms in the offering plate on Sundays, give them directly to Barbara, or mail them
Barbara Bajon, Treasurer
c/o St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
1310 N. Sioux Ave.
Claremore, OK 74017
If you have not received your form in the mail and would like to participate, you may request that a form be emailed to you by replying to this message.
Faithful Innovation & God Chat
How do we discover God’s mission in the world beyond our congregations? What is God calling us into? Where might we meet Lydia along the way? Faithful Innovation is a program designed to help congregations (especially small ones) discover new ways in which they might begin to move out into their communities.
As part of this initiative, St. Paul’s has a lay-led team which will be providing opportunities for the entire congregation to participate in a little “God chat.” What’s God chat, you say? It’s simply talking about where and how we can see God working in our personal lives, in our congregation, and in our community. Be on the lookout for ways that you can engage in this exciting and ongoing conversation!
Fr. Bill’s Retirement Celebration
You are invited to join us next week on the first Sunday of the new year! That morning – Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 9:30am – we will celebrate with Fr. Bill and Carole as they move on to the next phase of their life in ministry. The Rev. Canon Betsy Randall will be with us; and, of course, there will be food – we are Episcopalians after all!
Let Us Pray
- We offer prayers of thanksgiving and praise for all that God has done – and continues to do – for us this year!
- Lift up all those traveling throughout the holiday season
- Pray for the victims of the war in Ukraine
- Remember the victims of the war in Gaza
- Pray for our congregation as we explore our dreams and discern and chat about what God is doing and where God is leading us next.
- For the needs of the members, family, and friends of our congregation, specifically Miranda & Brayden/ Nancy S/ Velma/ Jim/ Judy/ Ani/ Aaron Blum/ Robert/ Jim Walker/ Lloyd/ Patricia/ Marie/ Russell/ Virginia/ Barbara/ Grace/ Lauren/ Cindy/ Anne & her family/ Sarah/ Matthew & Rushda/ Christoph & Jenn/ Teddy & family/ Linda, Ken, & their family/ Amy, Bill, & their family/ Stephen/ John/ Tom Patterson/ Jan/ Tom/ Bob & family/ Jean/ Al/ Carol W/ Mark/ Caroline & Rudy/ Bicky & Spencer/ Brian/ Pat/ Mark H/ Mike/ Chris
If you have prayer requests to add to the Newsletter, email them to Clergy@stpaulsclaremore.org
Save the Dates
- Sunday, December 31 – 1st Sunday after Christmas (normal service time resumes); no Christian Formation class this day; women’s and children’s hats, gloves, & scarves collected for Safenet
- Saturday, January 6, 2024 – Epiphany
- Sunday, January 7, 2024 – 1st Sunday after Epiphany; Christian Formation resumes at 8:30 a.m.; Fr. Bill’s retirement celebration at 9:30 a.m.
- Saturday, January 27, 2024 @ 10am – Faithful Innovation (location TBA)
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