 "Adoration of the Baby," c. 1620, by Gerrit van Honthorst In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child;and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. - Luke 2:1-20 (NRSV) Christmas greetings to all of you! We hope that you will be part of our worship services this weekend. As we've done in the past, there will be two Christmas Eve services. Both services will include the following congregationally-sung Christmas favorites: O Come, All Ye Faithful O Little Town of Bethlehem Hark! The Herald Angels Sing A Communion Hymn sung to the tune of "It Came upon the Midnight Clear" Silent Night, Holy Night Joy to the World! The format and liturgies of the two Christmas Eve services are the same, except as noted here: Early Christmas Eve service As we gather to worship, our Praise Team will offer "Sounds of the Season," a selection of contemporary Christmas-themed music beginning at 5:45pm, with the service beginning at 6:00pm. In addition to the congregationally-sung Christmas music mentioned earlier, this service will also include additional contemporary Christmas musical elements. Communion will be served via intinction at this service, where attendees receive the bread and cup by coming forward. The service will also include a candlelight singing of "Silent Night." Late Christmas Eve service This service will also be preceded by "Sounds of the Season," but this time with a more traditional flavor, and including our Belles and Beaux Handbell Choir as well. "Sounds of the Season" will begin at 8:30pm, with the service beginning at 9:00pm. The late service will include the same traditional congregationally-sung Christmas hymns and carols as the earlier service, along with additional more traditional musical offerings as part of the service. Communion will be served in the late service as well, using standard tray distribution to attendees as they are seated in the pews. This service will also feature a candlelight singing of "Silent Night." Christmas Day service Our Christmas Day service will be a "casual traditional" service. We will include a number of additional favorite congregationally-sung Christmas hymns and carols, including: Away in a Manger Angels We Have Heard on High The First Nowell Joy to the World! Go, Tell it on the Mountain Whether you join us for Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day, or both - or who knows, maybe even all three services - let's all experience the warmth and light of God's love, and the love that we have for one another, as we come together to celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ at this most special and holy of seasons. Grace and peace, Dwain Assisting in Worship Sunday, December 25th: (one service) Liturgist Milt Tyree Welcome Desk Hester Haick Greeters Leslie Carmichael, Ruth Wilder Ushers Judy & Eddie Riddle, Barbara McClain, Rae Guernsey Audio Tim Hagan Video n/a Coffee Host Tom & Ginny Darrah Announcements Call for Volunteers! We need volunteers to serve as greeters and ushers for both the 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Christmas Eve services and communion servers for the 9:00 p.m. service. If interested please call Debbie Martin-Herrell immediately if you are able to serve in one or more of these opportunities. Grace Place! "Grace Place" is the new name for our nursery/childcare area which is lovingly coordinated by Anita Perez. Children age 4 and younger are welcome in Grace Place whenever it is open (normally every Sunday beginning 15 minutes prior to the first scheduled service or class through the end of the last scheduled service or class and other times as requested). Children ages 7 and younger may come to Grace Place following the Time for Young Disciples during the Worship service. This Christmas Day and New Year’s Morning children of all ages are encouraged to be with their families during worship. Grace Place will reopen with caregivers on January 8. Request for Assistance for Refugee Family A former refugee family of ours has fallen on hard times. This is a family of Mother, father, son & 2 daughters. The son is autistic. They were moved out of their apartment a month ago because of a serious plumbing problem. They were told to take clothes and food for a week. It has now been 1 month & no work was done. Their apartment was broken in to. Their TV, DVD player, checks & $100 were stolen, their kitchen table and couch were broken. They are trying today to get anything else left into another apartment. The husband has a low paying job, they are doing their best...if anyone could help, perhaps if anyone has extra they could donate, please contact Hester Haick at 502-425-0211 Spiritual Nurture - at Church Please join us for age-appropriate, thought-provoking learning opportunities most Sunday mornings. There will be no Spiritual Nurture classes on December 25 or January 1. Spiritual Nurture classes for all ages will resume on January 8. Coming in January: Issues Class: January 8 Dr. Martin Huecker, an emergency medicine doctor in Louisville, Kentucky, will talk about the heroin epidemic in Louisville. Spiritual Nurture: "Love in the Human Condition" January 15: Love in a Time of Co-dependency, led by Becky Backert January 22: Love in a Time of Dissing Others, led by Milt Tyree January 29: Love in a Time of Blues, led by Jean Podbelsek Spiritual Nurture - at Home Taking time at the beginning and end of the day for prayer is an important spiritual discipline. You can find some sample morning and evening prayers that you can use this week, in a holder on the counter of the welcome desk. You’ll probably tweak them to make them your own, but they’re a good start for you in your own personal devotional practices. (Note: we'll be updating these daily prayer sheets with new prayers early in the coming year) Holiday Office Considerations As a reminder, the church office will be closed all day Monday, December 26 in observance of the Christmas holiday. Also, note that both MB and I (Dwain) will be on vacation December 26 until January 3. The church office will also be closed Monday January 2 in observance of the New Year. Sanctuary Flowers If you would like to sponsor flowers in recognition of a special person or event, there is now a sign up sheet in the Gathering Area. Please feel free to pick a date and sign your name. On the form, you can indicate whether the flowers are placed in memory of, in honor of, or in celebration of someone, or something. The flowers are yours to bring home following the 11:00am service. The cost is $35.00. Questions? Contact the church office, by phone at 425-1760, or by email at [email protected]. Online, Direct Deposit, and Online/Mobile Giving Options for financially supporting the church other than dropping something into the traditional offering plate are quickly becoming the norm for many people. In order to make your stewardship efforts as easy as possible, Springdale offers online giving on our website and automatic transfer of funds. For an authorization form or information, contact the church office - 425-1760. An even easier option is to simply set up a regularly scheduled automatic payment to the church, as you might do for your cable/internet service or other recurring charges, through your bank's online/mobile banking feature. Support Springdale’s Mission by Supporting our Endowment Fund The SPC Endowment Fund, currently valued at over $150,000, is maintained to provide for the ongoing upkeep of the church. In addition, an annual distribution is used for general purposes of the mission of the church that would not ordinarily be possible to accomplish through the regular offering. Please consider contributing to the Endowment Fund as part of your overall financial and/or estate planning. Gifts such as cash, appreciated securities, real estate and life insurance policies can provide you with immediate tax deductions. Other gifts can provide you with an income for life, and the residual value goes to the church. You may also want to consider a gift through your will or revocable trust, or naming the church as a beneficiary of your retirement assets or investment accounts. Please consult with your financial advisor for more information about these opportunities to support Christ's mission in the world. Serving in Worship Sunday, January 1: Liturgist: Milt Tyree Audio: Mike Coomes Host: Lynne Browne Ushers: Shirley & Bob Mendel, Stan & Sue Hankins Greeters: Eddie Riddle, TBD Welcome Desk: Donna Sheffer Click Here to View/Search our Church Calendar for This Week and Beyond Copyright © 2016 Springdale Presbyterian Church, All rights reserved. We send this weekly email to members, friends, and mission partners of Springdale, as well as others who may be interested in what our church is up to. We hope that this information is interesting and helpful to you. Our mailing address is: Springdale Presbyterian Church 7812 Brownsboro Road Louisville, Ky 40241
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