THIS WEEK at St Francis by the Sea

THIS WEEK at St Francis by the Sea

November 26, 2017

Christ the King Sunday, November 26, 2017

Happy Birthday to Jeannie Baxter - November 30

Friday, December 1, 10 amWe will decorate the outside of the church for Advent. All are welcome to come and help.

Poinsettias for the church may be orderedin honor or in memory of your loved ones.Please sign up on the sheet on the parish office window by December 19. Make checks payable to St. Francis for $15, with poinsettias on the memo line.

Our cookbook is to be "born" shortly after Easter.The ECW and any Parishioners who would like to help, please put Sunday, January 21, 2018 and Sunday, February 18, 2018 on your calendar for Tasting Events of recipes from our cookbook - Openings: Artistry In Small Bites.
Tickets for these Events will be $15 each and would make a thoughtful Christmas gift for you friends, bridge groups, book clubs and any other group you might have.

Saturday and Sunday, December 2 and 3 at 4pm, the Carolina East Singers perform a Christmas concert at First Presbyterian Church in Morehead City. CES is a community choir led by former West Carteret High School choir director, Susan Gillis Bailey, and Sunnie Gayle Ballou, Music Director at FPC. We include mention of it here because St. Francis by the Sea choristers, Meg Bradford, Scott and Libba Shelton, Terry and Robin Smith, Craig Griffin and Linda Laughton will sing in this concert of traditional and popular Christmas music for large choirs. A little something for everyone, the concert includes Pergolesi's MAGNIFICAT. Tickets $10. Questions or tickets? Please see any of the singers listed above. Come and support your community choir.
Sunday December 3, 2017 Bishop Skirving Visits- The offering will be for the Bishop's discretionary fund to be used for the needs of the church not covered in the Diocesan budget.

This year we are adopting the students of Bridges Alternative Schoolfor our Angel Tree. The Angel Tree is set up in the Parish Hall with paperangels. Each angel is labeled with the child's initials, sex, grade, and a gift suggestion. We are also putting together a snack bag stocking for each child along with some school supplies. Please select an Angel, purchase and WRAP the gift, tape the angel tag to the wrapped gift and return to church by December 13. NOTE: See announcement below regarding our Angel Tree Pot Luck and Carols.

Wednesday, December 13, 5:30 - 7:30, The Outreach Committeeand Choir will be hosting pianist, Brenda Bruce who is gifting us with a family-style Christmas carol sing-a-long that will blend our Angel Tree gift return with a pot-luck dinner followed by Christmas caroling. Please bring your WRAPPED angel tree gifts with angel tag attached to church by December 13. Beginning at 5:30 on December 13we will stuff stockings with snacks, treats and school supplies, share a delicious pot-luck dinner and then sing Christmas carols. A sign-up sheet for the pot-luck is in the parish hall by the Angel Tree. Any questions, please see Denise, Geraline, or Linda Laughton.

Saturday, December 16 at 11:45am, join with members of the St. Francis choirand sing Christmas Carols at the annual Christmas Cheer Luncheon event at First Presbyterian Church in Morehead City, an annual community-wide ministry to local families in need. Wearing our cheerful Christmas sweaters and sweatshirts, we gather in the fellowship hall at FPC at 11:45, don our headgear (reindeer antlers, Santa hats and bells) and sing the first verse of all the Christmas carols we know while lunch guests are seated and served lunch. Then we are served lunch as a group and stay (if you are able) to help with clean-up. There is no rehearsal for this -- everyone can sing a Christmas Carol! - please join us for fun,fellowship and to spread some cheer to those in need. The more the merrier and the quicker the clean-up (done usually by 2pm). Questions? See Libba Shelton or any member of the choir.

Sunday, Dec. 17, 5:00 pm "Come to the Manger"is a service of Lessons (readings), Carols and anthems for choir and congregation, and includes the Nativity Pageant by the children and youth of St. Francis by the Sea.This 35-minute service will be followed by light refreshments in the art gallery.

Tuesday, December 26, 5:00pm - 8:30pm. The Fourth annual Handel's MESSIAH Sing-Alongat St. Francis by the Sea. We offer this event to all singers and spectators throughout the region, so all may participate in a live performance of the great masterwork. Register early for a discounted fee of $16 (before Friday, December 22); otherwise $20 at the door. Registration forms are available in the church office or from any choir member or on the church website. Doors open at 4pm; seating begins at 4:45pm; the music begins at 5:00pm. Full details about the event are available on the church website at Questions? See any choir member or Linda Laughton.

Friday Jan 5, 2018, 6pm - Taize Service of Light and Silence.Join us for this beautiful choir-led, annual candle-lit prayer service to mark Epiphany.
Our Annual Meeting is set for January 7, 2018.Please plan on staying after the 10:00 service on that date for our annual meeting. Our Treasurer Dan Riddle will provide financial information including a look at our 2018 budget. You will also have input into church leadership as we vote for the three new members to join the vestry. We encourage you to participate in this important function in our church life. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Barbara McCreary.

Wednesday January 10, 2018 7-8PM. St. Clare Coffehouse.Come join us for the inaugural season of the St. Clare Coffeehouse at St. Francis. We'll be featuring live acoustic music by singer/songwriter Charlie McCurry, in a casual, intimate setting for the Winter residents and visitors of the Crystal Coast. Admission is free (though we will pass the hat.) Refreshments (i.e. coffee, hot chocolate) will be available for sale by Sweet Beans Coffee and Café from MHC. Seating will be available, or you may bring a blanket to sit on the floor.

Attention visiting singers!While you are visiting at the beach, we'd love to have you join us and sing in the choir. Rehearsals are Wednesdays at 4:30-6:00 and Sunday at 9:00 preceding the service.

We encourage you towalk our labyrinth,located east (right) of the building, past the Memorial Garden. For more information about labyrinths, please visit the Labyrinth page of our website at

Please enjoy thepodcasts of our music and liturgy selections,available on the Music and Liturgy page of our website,

Hold the dates:

December 1 - Decorate the church

December 13 - Angel Tree Christmas Carols Pot Luck Dinner

December 16 - First Presbyterian Church Christmas Cheer

December 17- Come to the Manger

December 26 - Messiah Sing-Along

January 5 - Taize Service of Light & Silence

January 7 - Annual Meeting

January 10 - St. Clare Coffeehouse

January 13 - Hope Mission Cooking

Hold the dates (Cont’d):

January 21- Cookbook tasting event

February 4 - Souper Bowl of Caring

February 18 - Cookbook tasting event

February 22 - Bunco

PLEASE REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE IN YOUR PRAYERS:
Those with special needs and concerns:
Alice, Richard, Gerry, Kelly, Sean, Robert, Jennifer, Logan, Kathryn, Tim, Bernard, Phyllis, Lanny, Alicia, Glenda, Sallie, Grace, Barbra & Charlie, Baby Mac, Ashley, John Sonza, Maybelle Adams

Those who have died:
Amanda, Bishop Daniel's wife Anne