The Sacrament of Communion will be celebrated next Sunday, Dec. 6th and again on Christmas Eve as a part of our Zoom worship services. Be sure to have a small piece of bread or a cracker as well as a small cup of juice for each person participating.
TWO INVITATIONS:
OUR YOUTH GROUP participates in the New England youth group called NEW ENGLAND GLOW!
They invite us to hear more about Common Cathedral on November 29 at 6.30PM in conversation with Amanda Grant-Rose from Common Cathedral. This is an intergenerational event and we encourage anyone interested in hearing about Common Cathedral and how New England Glow is supporting their ministry to join us.
CELEBRATING CINDY KOHLMANN’S MINISTRY WITH PNNE On December 5, 2020, the PNNE Leadership Committee will announce that Cindy Kohlmann has decided not to renew her Resource Presbyter contract with PNNE; she has accepted a call to serve New Castle Presbytery as their Connectional Presbyter, pending a vote by that Presbytery. Her faithfulness serving PNNE for over 10 years requires more than a little fanfare. It requires a true celebration and a whole lot of fanfare.
We want to celebrate Cindy’s service at PNNE by giving her an appreciation celebration. Here are ways you can participate:
Write a thank-you note to Cindy. Tell her how thankful you are for her ministry. You might want to tell a story about Cindy that you remember; or name some of the ways she has touched your life and the life of your congregation. Send your notes to Michelle Jones, PNNE (4 Church Rd, Bedford, NH 03110 with “Attn. CK Thank-you” on the envelope, or send notes via email to: Bev Hoover (mikebevhoover@yahoo.com), subject: Cindy Kohlmann. Give a monetary gift to Cindy. You can enclose your gift in an envelope to the presbytery’s address above. We are hoping to give Cindy a gift that represents the depth of our appreciation. As a point of information, your gift for Cindy cannot be counted as a tax-deductible contribution. Participate in our Zoom presbytery meeting and celebration on December 5th at 9:30 a.m through the Presbytery website at PNNE.org.
ADVENT BEGINS this weekend -- Sunday, November 29th! Some of our plans for Advent include:
ADVENT CHALLENGE: Set up your favorite Nativity at home - and take a picture. Try making a Nativity /Manger Scene Gingerbread House! Be creative! And take a picture of that as well! Then send Pastor Sally the pictures – and we’ll use them in worship on Christmas Eve!
ADVENT DEVOTIONALS: There are a lot of new options for you to explore this year -- in addition to all our traditional devotions. Our usual devotional booklets are available to pick up in the entry way of the church.
Presbyterians Today, our denominational magazine, usually has a devotional for sale, but this year it is digital – and free! Presbyterians Today’s Advent and Christmas devotional, “Let Us Light Candles: Matthew 25 and the work of Advent.” This extended online devotional — taking us not just through Advent but through Christmastide and ending with Epiphany, Jan. 6 — brings to you the inspiring words in Howard Thurman’s poem “I Will Light Candles This Christmas.” Here’s the link:
We have gotten permission from the Presbyterian Church of Canada to post their Advent adventure on our website. An ‘Advent Living Room’ is an interactive adventure (a new one each Sunday of Advent) with songs to learn, treats to make, stories to hear, and much more!! You can find a new one on each Sunday of Advent - and another on Christmas Eve!! Find it on our home page.
ADVENT TABLE TALKs continue on Wednesdays at 7 PM. and will focus on a new book by Kathy Escobar called A Weary World. We use the same Zoom link that we use for worship on Sunday. We will not meet on Dec. 16th because we will have a Blue Christmas Service that night.
ADVENT WORSHIP The choir is working on special music for all the Advent & Christmastide services.
We will have a Blue Christmas Service on Wednesday, December 16th at 7 PM.
Pageant – We’ll have some fun on the Sunday before Christmas with an interactive Christmas Pageant!
Christmas Eve will be a candlelight service of lessons & carols – using music from our choir, special music from some of our members, and music recorded by churches in our presbytery.
OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION Many congregations are facing difficult financial times during COVID. While our income has dropped, thanks to your faithful support of our ministry, we are still able to pay our bills. Thank you so much!! Gifts to our Special Offerings, the Deacon’s Ministry, our Missions, and to our General Budget can all be sent to the church at: 1010 West Hollis Street, Nashua NH, 03062 Please be sure to note in the memo line of your check how you would like your gift to be used.
MISSION OPPORTUNITIES The Giving Catalog of the PCUSA is a great place to shop for Christmas gifts! You can find it online at: https://presbyteriangifts.pcusa.org/gifts/ Give a pig or chicken – or water well – for Christmas!!
The PCUSA Christmas Joy Offering is our traditional special offering for Christmas. Gifts to this offering provide help to church workers in emergency situations and it also supports the work of our racial/ethnic schools in the USA.
CONTINUING TO ADAPT TO LIVING WITH COVID The Session has approved a set of protocols for church committees of six people or less to meet in person, if they wish. No committee is to require members to come in person and must make provision for others to participate on Zoom if they wish. Any committee wishing to meet at the church must contact Pastor Sally at least 48 hours ahead of time so that the meeting can be put on the schedule and that the building may be prepared for the meeting.
WORSHIP Worship will continue to be via Zoom at least through January. The Session is following advice from CDC, the State of NH, our denomination, and our insurance company in making decisions about when and how to open the building up again. The building is still closed to all outside groups. If you would like to be invited to join our Zoom service, please call or email the church office.
Our Sunday Zoom time opens up at 9:30 AM so come early and say ‘hi’ to folks. At 9:50 the Prelude begins and we have a time for prayer before worship begins at 10 AM. After worship, hang around and visit as long as you like. Immediately after the service you will be offered a chance to join a small group for conversation or to stay with the pastor and others in a larger group.