Family Newsletter:

Christmas

Week of December 25, 2022

Family Calendar

Sat, Dec 24 : 3:00pm : Pageant Run-Through (arrive a couple minutes early)

Sat, Dec 24 : 4:00pm : Christmas Eve Service: Family Service with Pageant

Sat, Dec 24 : 7:00pm : Christmas Eve Service

Sat, Dec 24 : 10:00pm : Christmas Eve Service (with incense)

Sun, Dec 25 : 10:00am : Christmas Day Worship

Sun, Jan 01 : 10:00am : Worship

Wed, Jan 04 : 5:15pm : Choristers Rehearsal

Wed, Jan 04 : 6:15pm : Midwinter Epiphany Celebration

Four Things of Note

Pageant Run-Through and Costuming: Please arrive a few minutes before 3pm tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 24) to get on your costume, and meet in the sanctuary at 3pm to run through our pageant one last time. After run-through, we'll have time for a quick break before our service and pageant begins at 4pm.

Visitors are welcome in the pageant! Any child who attends the 4pm service is welcome to grab a halo, a shepherd's robe, or some ears, and join our participants in the front two pews (angels to the left; sheep to the right). They will simply follow our Head Angel and Head Shepherd, and there are adults to support. Our wonderful greeter, Lindsey, will be at the back of the sanctuary as people arrive to help.

January 4th: Join us for our Midwinter celebration! Fires, cocoa, and grilled cheese in our cloister garden as we celebrate the end of the Christmas Season and Epiphany. We'll be celebrating the end of the season with a Burning of the greens. Bring a small branch from your tree or wreath to add!

Acolyte Training on January 8th: This is a great way for 4th graders and up to participate in service. Please see below.

Dear Families,

Here we are! Happy the-day-before Christmas Eve! (Christmas Eve Eve??)

We look forward to seeing our all children tomorrow for the pageant. Please come to the sanctuary for our final rehearsal at 3pm. This helps everyone feel extra-confident before the congregation arrives to watch.

We always welcome last-minute cast members -- visitors are welcome to become sheep, shepherds, and angels, even at the very last minute! We'll have extra costume pieces ready at the back of the sanctuary. This is how my own children first experienced Epiphany. We brought them for the first time on Christmas Eve, and my then-preschool daughter grabbed some wings and never looked back. Please do invite friends and neighbors.

There will be Sunday worship at 10am on December 25 and January 1. There will not be church school either of these days, but we look forward to regathering our classes on January 8. A huge THANK YOU to our teachers and helpers this Fall: Elizabeth Berner, Nelia Newell, Pam Chester, Heather Keith-Lucas, Annie Bing, Barbara Bing, Sarah McGonigle, Gwen Hyppolite, Karen Fagan, Joan O'Connor, Marie Lee, Jake Montwieler, Connie McGrane, Ellen Wilson, and Bethany Meyers.

Please note that the Church offices will be closed through January 2, and staff will not be checking email or phones during that time, other than for pastoral emergencies.

Merry Christmas,

Bryn

Sunday Ministry Training Day

Are you interested in serving as an acolyte, reader, LEM (Lay Eucharistic Minister), or usher? Join us on January 8 following the 10:00 am service from 11:15 am – 12:15 pm in the sanctuary for our training day.

Children in grades four and up can be acolytes. This is a fun way to take part in our services!

Youth and adults, this is a wonderful opportunity for you to explore ways to serve during worship, too.

Please contact Janelle with any questions.

Youth Games & Ice Cream Night: January 8

On January 8 from 6:30-8:30 pm, Epiphany youth (6th-12th grade) are invited to night games and ice-cream here at the church. Join us as we kick off the new year! RSVP to Janelle.

Communion Enrichment Program for Children in 2nd through 5th Grade

On Saturday, January 21 from 9am to 11:30am we will hold our Communion Enrichment retreat. Children in grades two through five are invited to participate. The Saturday morning, for both the child and their adult, is a time when we learn about the meaning of Communion, its history, and how it fits into our liturgy. It is a hands-on, fun, and meaningful time together.

Parents/caregivers, you are asked to be part of this experience along with your child. It's a wonderful opportunity to deepen your relationship with other families in your child's age group, to walk with your child, and to revisit the meaning of communion yourself.

On Sunday, January 22 we have Communion Enrichment Sunday, where we recognize the children who participated in the Saturday retreat and thank them for being such important parts of our church community.

While we open this program to any child in grades 2 through 5, this is something a child does only once. In other words, if they participated while in 2nd grade, they don't participate again in 3rd grade, etc. We give you the choice of doing this in grades 2, 3, 4 or 5 so that families have the flexibility to pick the right time for them.

Please note that children of any age are always invited and welcome to partake of communion here; this program is meant to help explain and deepen that experience for our young parishioners.

If you are interested in taking part, please sign up. Any questions? Please reach out to Bryn.

Communion Enrichment Signup

Church School: Holiday Schedule

No Church School on December 25 (Christmas Day) or January 1 (New Years Day).

We resume our Church School classes on Sunday, January 8.

Please note there will not be classes Martin Luther King Weekend (January 15).

Church School Registration

Church School registration is always open! This gives us important information like allergies and opting into/out of photo permissions. We re-register each year to keep our information current. Thank you!

Church School Registration

Important New Opportunities for Youth

Exploring our Faith

All youth (6th-12th grade) are invited to Exploring our Faith, Sundays after the 10am service from Feb. 5th - April 2nd (Skipping Feb. 19th). For those interested in being confirmed (must be 10th grade or older), these classes will be required and fulfill all confirmation qualifications. Please email Janelle at jhiroshige@3crowns.org if you are interested in being confirmed. Pizza will be provided!

Youth Hut Hike: Summer 2023

Save the date for our Youth Hut Hike trip on June 26th-28th in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We will have a guide from the Appalachian Mountain Club and this will be an opportunity for community building while enjoying God’s creation. Interested? Email Janelle at jhiroshige@3crowns.org.