Aquia Church Weekly Announcements
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 01, 2024
THANKSGIVING EVE WORSHIP SERVICE
THANKSGIVING EVE WORSHIP SERVICE: Please encourage your relatives and friends to join us on this Wednesday, Nov. 27, at 7:00 p.m. for this worship service with music chosen especially for the occasion. Please plan to park in the main parking lot (between the Fleurries and the historic church), so as not to interfere with traffic leaving from Aquia’s Pantry at the CFFB. When you arrive, you will find a stack of blank index cards on the tall table near the entrance. We encourage you to write on a card something for which you are thankful, then place that card in the offering plate. These cards will be collected and lifted up at the altar at this service, in gratitude to God for all of his blessings to us. You may choose to sign the card on behalf of yourself, your family, or your ministry group.
DECEMBER/JANUARY NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER/JANUARY NEWSLETTER: The most recent issue of our Cross Section newsletter is available electronically here < https://aquiachurch.org/connect/e-newsletter/ >.
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR POINSETTIAS
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR POINSETTIAS: Those who want to contribute to the poinsettias, garland, and other greenery that will adorn our historic church for Christmas should complete a form from the tall table at the back of the church (the same form is also available in the December newsletter) and submit that form with your payment. You may also contact our parish administrator, Sue Selz, in the church office (sue.selz@aquiachurch.org or 540-659-4007). In order for contributions to be acknowledged in the Christmas Eve bulletins, your donation and form must be received by the end of Tuesday, Dec. 17.
ANNUAL PLEDGE CAMPAIGN
ANNUAL PLEDGE CAMPAIGN: As of Nov. 26, we have received 53 pledge cards with a total of $247,632 for God’s mission and ministry here in 2025—plus 24 pledges for the Heritage Endowment Fund with a total of $106,660. That is an encouraging start, to be sure, but we have more work to do for setting a suitable budget for next year, given that our current year’s operating budget is over $575,000 not counting the CFFB mortgage. (At this point in 2023, we had received 52 general pledges totaling over $262,000 and 22 pledges toward the Heritage Endowment Fund totaling over $86,000.) If you have not yet turned in your pledge card with a financial commitment for 2025, then please return it to the church office soon or put it in the offering plate soon. Blank pledge cards are available from the tall table in the back of the historic church or from the church office; we can also provide a small packet of information that explains the importance of pledging. If you have any concerns or questions about pledging, please speak confidentially with Father Morris or with our treasurer, Chris Arey (treasurer@aquiachurch.org).
RETIRING OUR MORTGAGE DEBT
RETIRING OUR MORTGAGE DEBT: Aquia Church has received a commitment for a new matching challenge to help us retire the mortgage debt for the Christian Formation and Fellowship Building. Every donation received for the new building throughout this calendar year will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000.00, so that we can continue to pay off the mortgage ahead of schedule, with reduced interest payments and reduced overall expense. Please make sure that your gift is clearly marked with something like “new building” on the memo line of your check or on the envelope. As of Nov. 26, the amount received toward this matching challenge is $69,367.12—we are getting closer to our goal! Can you make a tax-deductible gift for this important cause? Every donation matters.
E.C.W. ADVENT GIFT SHOP
E.C.W. ADVENT GIFT SHOP: The ECW Advent Gift Shop is now open for your shopping convenience Sunday mornings until Christmas Eve at the west end of the great hall. Do you need a new set of purple and pink candles for your Advent wreath? Would you like to have a beautiful gold Aquia Church ornament? Have you seen our kitchen towels featuring Chef Gary Perkins’s favorite recipes or favorite recipes from the Moncures? We also have tea towels with Christmas themes, your favorite sports teams, coffee, fishing, golf and lots more fun designs. You will find a lovely assortment of handmade Christmas ornaments and darling sock monkeys. We have little wax angels, votive candles, and star candles all repurposed from Aquia Church altar candle stubs. For further information, contact Carolyn Hendrickson (docnpch@gmail.com), Kathie League (kleague6412@gmail.com), or Briget Kane (bkwings_n_things@yahoo.com).
WORSHIP SCHEDULE FOR DECEMBER AND BEYOND
Sunday, Dec. 1 (First Sunday of Advent)
7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., & 4:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist
Sunday, Dec. 8 (Second Sunday of Advent)
7:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
4:00 p.m. Advent Lessons and Carols (not a communion service)
Sunday, Dec. 15 (Third Sunday of Advent)
7:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
9:30 a.m. E.C.W. Christmas Reception in the great hall
10:30 a.m. Children’s Christmas Pageant with Holy Communion in the great hall
4:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist
Sunday, Dec. 22 (Fourth Sunday of Advent)
7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., & 4:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist
Tuesday, Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve)
4:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., & 10:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist (Christmas Eve)
with Christmas music beginning 30 minutes before each service
Wednesday, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day)
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
Sunday, Dec. 29 (First Sunday after Christmas)
7:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
10:30 a.m. Christmas Lessons and Carols with Holy Communion
no afternoon/evening worship service
Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 (First Sunday of the New Year)
9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist & Parish-Wide Annual Meeting
with Election of New Vestry Members in the great hall
(in case of snow or ice, the annual meeting will be postponed one week)
Sunday school activities throughout the morning for students in pre-K through 12th grade
4:00 Holy Eucharist
VESTRY NOMINATION FORMS
VESTRY NOMINATION FORMS: Members who want to be considered as candidates for election to our vestry, or local governing board, will find the self-nomination forms on the tall table at the back of the church or in the church office. In order to be considered, applicants must be confirmed members of Aquia Church (or must be in the process of being confirmed), must be receiving communion regularly, must be fulfilling a financial pledge to Aquia Church for 2024, and must make a financial pledge for 2025. For more information about the responsibilities of being a vestry member, please consult Father Morris. During the coming year, we expect to have particular need for members with experience in financial matters and in property maintenance (buildings and grounds). Completed forms are due by 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15.
MORNING CALL
MORNING CALL: Morning Call is our Sunday morning forum for adult formation and discussion, held in the great hall (9:30—10:15 a.m.). On this coming Sunday, Father Morris will continue a new series titled “Why These Four Gospels?” which should be informative for anyone of any age or any background seeking to learn more about the Bible. There are two Sundays remaining in this series.
Looking ahead: Father Morris is exploring possible topics for his next Morning Call series, including Christian bioethics, how the New Testament uses the Old Testament, and the Creeds of the Church. If you have ideas about Morning Call themes that would be helpful for your life, please give your suggestions to Father Morris (whether in person or via e-mail: morris@aquiachurch.org).
YOUTH GROUP EVENING MEETINGS
YOUTH GROUP EVENING MEETINGS: Our youth group for teens in grades 6-12 will have its next evening meeting on this coming Sunday, Dec. 1, when we will meet off-campus and shop for less fortunate families whom we can support at Christmas (5:00—6:00 p.m. at Target in Stafford Marketplace), with an option to eat dinner together afterward nearby at Panera; friends and siblings are welcomed to join us. Each teen should bring $20 cash for shopping at Target, plus money for a meal at Panera if desired. Our last evening meeting for this calendar year will be on Dec. 15 (5:00—6:00 p.m.), when our teens will meet with Father James Rickenbaker in the youth room and their parents will meet with Father Jay Morris in the CFFB downstairs conference room (at least one parent from each teen’s household should attend, or preferably both parents, and this meeting for parents is necessary before any events for 2025 can be scheduled). There will be no evening meeting on Dec. 29. In addition, our youth group’s morning meetings take place basically every Sunday morning of the school year (9:30—10:15 a.m.) in the youth group room. For more information, please contact one of the clergy.
CHRISTMAS PAGEANT
CHRISTMAS PAGEANT: Our annual Christmas pageant will take place on Sunday, Dec. 15, during the 10:30 a.m. worship service in the great hall. All children from preschool through high school are welcome to participate in this special event. Please sign up your child here or at this link <https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4BAFA72DA7FFC16-53236391-christmas>. Please share this information with others and invite grandchildren, friends, and family to join us. For any questions, contact our director of Christian education, Kimberly Bamber (christianed@aquiachurch.org).
WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY
WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY: Through Dec. 18, Father Morris will continue his new evening Bible study series on the Book of Genesis. The one exception will be Nov. 27 (the day before Thanksgiving), when this series will not meet because of our in-person Thanksgiving Eve worship service at 7:00 p.m. that evening. Otherwise, this series begins at 7:00 p.m. online at our Facebook page <www.facebook.om/AquiaEpiscopalChurch>. Even if you do not have a Facebook account, you can still access this series simply by clicking on the given occasion. Also, you do not have to watch the broadcasts live; the videos are stored there for your viewing at any subsequent time that is more convenient for you.
THURSDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY
THURSDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY: Father James Rickenbaker will continue a new series on the Gospel according to Luke, with a one-week break on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28) and another on Dec. 26. We hope you can join us in person (starting at 6:00 p.m.); if not, the broadcasts are available online at our Facebook page <www.facebook.com/AquiaEpiscopalChurch>.
FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST
FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST: There are some Sundays awaiting folks to serve as breakfast hosts, starting with Dec. 29. If you want to serve as a breakfast host for any Sunday in the months ahead, please use the signup sheet at the back of the church, or contact Sue Selz in the church office (sue.selz@aquiachurch.org or 540-659-4007). Please consider taking a turn in promoting fellowship within our parish through this weekly breakfast. The breakfast can be as simple or elaborate as you wish to provide.
AQUIA’S PANTRY END-OF-NOVEMBER UPDATES
AQUIA’S PANTRY END-OF-NOVEMBER UPDATES: November has been an incredible month for the Pantry! Over the course of the month, anonymous donors have provided 60 boxes of cereal, 288 cans of vegetables, 24 jars of peanut butter, 72 cans of tomato sauce, and much more. Just in time for our turkey give away on November 20, parishioners added 73 turkeys to the 30 that we received from the food bank, so we had enough turkeys for all the families that wanted one. On November 20, we helped 149 families with groceries, in great part thanks to this generosity. We are so grateful. Once again, we are thanking God for all these gifts from such generous hearts, and for all the hours that our volunteers poured into this ministry this month. Yes, the Pantry will be open the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving! Yes, we could use your help anytime that day. Plus, we have a continued need for boxes of cereal, cans of beans and vegetables, jars of peanut butter, brown paper grocery bags, and egg cartons. If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to Ron Korth, Barb Bingay, or Mary Jane Cole (maryjane@cfsw.biz).
FROM OUR FOOD MINISTRIES
FROM OUR FOOD MINISTRIES: The long lines of guests coming on Wednesdays for food from Aquia’s Pantry and Aquia’s Table likely reflect the ongoing financial need among so many neighbors around us. This level of outreach is possible because of the generosity of support from faithful volunteers and donations from many different people and groups—from among our parishioners and beyond our church membership. If you can offer some support to these ministries (especially with your time on Tuesday mornings and during the day and early evening on Wednesdays or with financial contributions), your help will be deeply appreciated. Also, as part of our ongoing effort for good stewardship at various levels, Aquia’s Table will prepare a maximum total of 400 meals each week, and Aquia’s Pantry will distribute groceries to a maximum of 140 households each week.
INVITATION FROM AQUIA’S TABLE
INVITATION FROM AQUIA’S TABLE: Aquia’s Table is recruiting volunteers to assist with baking or preparing desserts (either at home or at the church kitchen on Tuesdays: cookies, brownies, crispy rice treats, cakes, etc.) and to assist occasionally with preparing meals when others might be unable to serve. In recent weeks, we have been serving 350-400 guests, and some extra help with fixing desserts and meals from time to time would be welcomed. In order to offer your hands-on help, please contact Briget Kane (bkwings_n_things@yahoo.com).
BUSY BAGS
BUSY BAGS: Busy bags are available in the historic church for our youngest members. A child’s Bible, activity pages, drawing paper, and crayons are available in canvas bags when you enter the church. Please take one bag per family and return it after the service ends.
NURSERY AVAILABLE
NURSERY AVAILABLE: Our nursery, located on the lower level of the Christian Formation and Fellowship Building (just across the hallway from the elevator), is available for the 10:30 a.m. worship service, with coverage provided by caring, trained, and experienced staff—plus lots of toys, diapers and wipes, a pack-and-play, and whatever else your child or grandchild might need.
ELECTRONIC BROADCASTS
ELECTRONIC BROADCASTS: We offer broadcasts of Sunday morning worship at 7:30 a.m., Morning Prayer on most weekdays at 8:00 a.m., and our midweek Bible studies as well. These broadcasts are particularly helpful for those who are unable to attend in person due to illness, travel, or work. The broadcasts are available online at our church’s Facebook page, which is <www.facebook.com/AquiaEpiscopalChurch>. Even if you do not have a Facebook account, you can still access the broadcasts simply by clicking on the given occasion. Also, you do not have to watch the event live; the videos are stored there for your viewing at any subsequent time that is more convenient for you.
If you want to be added to our e-mail distribution list for weekly announcements and special updates or for the monthly Cross Section newsletter, simply notify Sue Selz in the church office (sue.selz@aquiachurch.org or 540-659-4007).
