Thank you to everyone who has taken an ornament for this year’s giving tree. Please bring your unwrapped gifts with the ornament marking to whom they go back to church by this Sunday, December 4th. We will sort them and deliver to SSDN and Lydia's House. If you did not pick up any ornaments we still need you! We can still use plenty of Shop n Save gift cards ($25 each) and a few more Target gift cards. No need to let us know in advance just bring them in. If you'd like to bring some wrapping paper, bows tape etc. to donate that would be wonderful as well. Finally, two ornaments were taken but not accounted for. If you by chance took an ornament and forgot to let either Dianne or Elizabeth know could you email dmodrell@sbcglobal.net or efpribor@gmail.com before Sunday? Thank you very much for your wonderful generosity. With your great Christmas spirit we will be making Christmas brighter for 22 families this year.
For those who have already signed up, this is a reminder that we will meet on Saturday, December 3 from 10 am to noon in Fellowship Hall to decorate gingerbread houses. The cost is $14.00 per gingerbread house. Please pay Leslie Barnes on Saturday.
Join us before church (December 4, 11 and 18) for some coffee and coloring. It's a good way to relax during this busy season! We'll gather at 9:30 am in the Gathering Space and color until worship starts. The beautiful posters we’ll color represent the different names for the Messiah we're covering in the sermons. When we're done, we'll find a nice place to hang them. Invite your friends!
The annual Women’s brunch and cookie exchange will be on Wednesday, December 7 at 9:30 am. Annie Epling will be hosting. Bring 2-3 dozen cookies to exchange. Please RSVP to Annie or Yolanda at adminasst@faithdesperes.org.
Parents, for only $15.00 per child you can get 5 hours of babysitting by our teens hereat the church. Please provide a nut-free dinner for your child. Sign up in the Gathering Space by December 8.
Come as you are! Wear you pajamas or your comfy clothes and join us for a casual service as we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child on Christmas morning.
We’ll have a traditional candlelight service with carols and the choir. Sing the carols, hear the stories and find hope here! Invite your friends.
Starting your Christmas shopping? Do you shop on Amazon? If so, you can support Faith Des Peres when you go to www.smile.amazon.com and choose Faith Des Peres as your charity of choice. That’s all you need to do! A percentage of your total bill is then donated to the church. Don’t forget to bookmark it!
Our congratulations to Rachel Neuner and Charles Livingston who were married on Friday, December 2. We wish you a lifetime of happiness.
Jim and Terry Baker’s newest grandbaby is the son of their oldest son, Jason and his wife, Cristie. He was born July 11, 2016 and his name is Henryk David Baker. He joins an older sister, Ella and brother, Anton. This is grandchild # 6 for them!
Rufus and Judy Sisson are proud to announce the birth of their grandson Alexander Graham Calderon who was born on November 16 weighing 6 lbs. 14 oz. and measuring 20.5 inches. Their daughter Jen, her husband Isaac and big sister Emma are all doing very well. Alex is their 5th grandchild.
The Presbyterian Women’s Group have chosen to honor Joanna Gerst, an active participant of the group, with a beautiful bench that sits outside the Community Garden. A dedication service will be held in the spring once the garden is open.
Dear Faith Des Peres Friends,
This Sunday we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent. The decorations are up, including the tree, and we’ll light the Advent candles. I love this time of the year in the church. The sanctuary is a peaceful place and one of respite in the middle of a crazy season. I hope you will take time to celebrate the reason for the season with us. We’ve put together a video highlighting the season and series that you can find on Facebook here. Please take the time to share it with friends on your timeline. Many people are looking for a place to worship at this time of the year. I hope you’ll extend a hand of hospitality to them and assure them that everyone is welcome here, all the time.
Before church at 9:30 we’re offering something different called “Coffee and Coloring”. We’ve purchased some fabulous coloring posters that highlight our theme; now we just need to people to color them! If you want to destress or just have some fun, come at 9:30 for coffee and coloring.
And finally, I want to express a word of thanks to Kathy Sherrick and Whitney Payne for last Sunday’s Thanksgiving feast, and to Dianne Modrell and Elizabeth Pribor for spearheading this year’s giving tree. There are still ornaments on the tree. You can take one on Sunday. All unwrapped gifts are due back on December 4.
I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
Blessings,
Anni
We had a spectacular start to our annual giving tree campaign, with ALL of the ornaments taken from the tree! This Sunday we will have a approximately 8 ornaments for children at SouthSide Day Nursery that were not available last Sunday, and several more ornaments for gift cards to Shop- n-Save and Target. Even if you don't grab an ornament you can always get $25 gift cards to Shop-n-Save or Target - all of which are donated to the families.Collection day is Sunday December 4. Please do not wrap your gift. Feel free to bring wrapping supplies to donate. Thank you very much for your generosity.
Join us before church (November 27, December 4, 11 and 18) for some coffee and
coloring. It's a good way to relax during this busy season! We'll gather at 9:30am in the Gathering Space and color until worship starts. The beautiful posters we’ll color represent the different names for the Messiah we're covering in the sermons. When we're done, we'll find a nice place to hang them. Invite your friends!
Starting your Christmas shopping? Do you shop on Amazon? If so, you can support Faith Des Peres when you go to www.smile.amazon.com and choose Faith Des Peres as your charity of choice. That’s all you need to do! A percentage of your total bill is then donated to the church. You can also click on the banner. Don’t forget to bookmark it!
Sunday is the last day to help pay for poinsettias and wreaths for Christmas. There is a sign-up sheet in the Gathering Space if you wish to dedicate your contribution. The suggested donations is $10. Please note on your check that your payment is for poinsettias.
Join us on Saturday, December 3 from 10 am to noon in Fellowship Hall to decorate gingerbread houses. The cost is $14.00 per gingerbread house.to be paid directly to Leslie Barnes on the day of the party. All children and adults are welcome. Please sign up in the Gathering Space no later than November 28.
The annual Women’s brunch and cookie exchange will be on Wednesday, December 7 at 9:30 am. Annie Epling will be hosting. Bring 2-3 dozen cookies to exchange. Please RSVP to Annie or Yolanda at adminasst@faithdesperes.org.
Parents, for only $15.00 per child you can get 5 hours of babysitting by our teens here
at the church. Please provide a nut-free dinner for your child. Sign up in the
Gathering Space by December 8.
Dear Faith Des Peres Family,
More and more I hear people say that Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday, and I understand why. Even with a big meal to prepare, it’s one free of the stress that goes with gift giving. At its very core, Thanksgiving is quite simple – it’s about gratitude and giving thanks. It’s about “praising God from whom all blessings flow.” This Sunday, we’ll celebrate Thanksgiving at church, both in worship and afterward with a Thanksgiving lunch. We’ll have turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pie. Yum! This is the time we also kick-off the Christmas giving tree that has gift selections for children and families of Southside Day Nursery and Lydia’s House. Regardless of whether you’re staying for lunch, you can take an ornament from the tree to purchase a gift for a child or his/her mom. Someone will be in the Gathering Space at 10:15 if you want to take an ornament before church – just make sure to let them know which one you take. We have many ornaments, so feel free to take more than one! This is, after all, the season of giving and giving thanks. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”
On November 27, we’ll celebrate the first Sunday of Advent. The tree will be up and the sanctuary decorated. We’ll sing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”. We’ll anticipate the birth of the Christ child by looking at the various names we call Christ, and what those names mean for us today. I hope you’ll join us. Think about inviting someone to come with you. Many people are looking for a spiritual “center” at this time of the year, especially given the state of our country. Let them know they can find peace, joy, love, and hope here.
Blessings,
Annie
PS: Be on the watch on our Facebook page for a video about Advent that you can share with friends.