Week of December 13, 2015 - Church of the Apostles UCC

Food Bank
Needs: Specifically—cereal, macaroni & cheese, fruit, pasta, crackers, peanut butter, and soup.

Grocery Gift Cards
Are you planning to do a lot of cooking in December? If you order and pay for grocery cards after church today, you will be helping Outreach while you cook. Stores give churches a discount so we can help people in need. Our Outreach Program will be using the money for Saturday Morning Breakfast and the Crispus Attucks meal in December.

Apostles Community Preschool’s Christmas Performance
Apostles Community Preschool would like to invite church members and members of Homestead Village to join them for their annual Christmas Program in the Sanctuary. This year’s program is called Someone Has a Birthday. Performances will be on Thursday, December 17^th and Friday, December 18^th. Doors will open to the Sanctuary at 10:15 am, with performances starting at 10:30 am.

Offering Envelopes
Please remember to pick up your 2016 offering envelopes after service today. They are located on the table outside of the church office.

Wishing Well
Once again, we are partnering with Apostles Preschool to gift needy children attending Martin Elementary School. Please consider participating in this holiday ministry by taking a gift tag from the poster on the Outreach bulletin board in the Narthex. Each gift tag has a name, age or grade, and gender of a student. Please wrap the gift, attach the gift tag, and place the gift under the tree next to the bulletin board by December 17^th. We are also collecting new winter hats, scarves, mittens, and gloves for the students. Please consider donating winter warmth in addition to a gift, or if all of the names have been taken. Thank you so much for helping to make a child’s holiday brighter and warmer! If you have any questions, please see Jane McCartney.

Youth Fundraiser
Do you need to buy Christmas gifts without having to take your child(ren) with you? The Youth Group will be holding a babysitting and gift-wrapping fundraiser on Saturday, December 19^th from 5-8 pm. Snacks will be provided in the Fellowship Hall. The cost is $10 per child, or $25 for three or more siblings. Childcare providers are CPR/First-Aid certified with completed background checks. Gift-wrapping services by the youth will be available in room 305 for a suggested donation of $5. Funds raised will go toward expenses to attend next year’s National Youth Event.

Blue Christmas Service
A “Blue Christmas” service will be held in our sanctuary on Wednesday, December 16 at 7 pm. If Christmas is difficult because of the loss of a spouse or loved one, come to this quieter Christmas service to still remember the wonder of God’s gift in Jesus Christ and acknowledge that Christmas no longer feels the same.

Christmas Eve Services
Join us on Thursday, December 24^thin celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

3:00 pm — Candlelight Communion Service
7:00 pm — Candlelight Service presented by all choirs and orchestra

Our services will recall the birth of the Christ Child and provide the opportunity to sing beloved carols. The afternoon service will be a traditional service with candlelight and communion, and will feature solo instrumentalists and vocalists. The evening service will be a traditional service with candlelight, and feature an orchestra, our bell choir, plus our adult and children’s choirs. Come to remember the spirit of Christmas in word and song as we celebrate the gift of our Savior!