ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2022

SAVE THE DATES

SAVE THE DATES:

• This Saturday, December 3 (8:00 a.m.—12:00 noon): Fall Cleanup of Cemetery and Grounds. Bring your work gloves, rakes, leaf-blowers, pruning equipment, and other yard tools as we spruce up the cemetery and grounds. Rain date: the following Saturday, December 10.
• This Saturday, December 3 (11:00 a.m.): Livestream broadcast of the consecration of the Rev. Canon Mark Stevenson as the 14^th Bishop of Virginia (thediocese.net).
• This Sunday, December 4 (4:00 p.m.): Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols. This service offers the chance to hear a combination of Scripture readings for Advent and musical selections chosen to reflect on those readings, with music including congregational hymns appropriate to the season, choral anthems, and Gregorian chant. Please invite relatives and friends to join us.
• Sunday, December 18: E.C.W. Christmas Reception (starting at 8:30 a.m.) and E.C.W. Annual Meeting (starting around 9:15 a.m.). Bring a savory dish or a sweet dish to share during our fellowship together in the great hall. Gift of Life honorees will be recognized as well.
• CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY WORSHIP: Saturday, December 24 (Christmas Eve—4:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 10:00 p.m., with Christmas music 30 minutes before each service); Sunday, December 25 (Christmas Day—10:00 a.m. for the only worship service that day). Please invite relatives and friends to join us. See the full schedule at the end of these announcements.

E.C.W. ADVENT GIFT SHOP

E.C.W. ADVENT GIFT SHOP: Have you had a chance to check out our gift tables in the great hall? Did you see the lovely tea towels with the handwritten recipes for Jackie Chichester’s Easter lamb and her fruit cake, Miss Anne E. Moncure’s lemon tarts, and several of Pat Moncure’s wonderful recipes? We also have quite an assortment of handmade Christmas ornaments and decorations, plus the lovely Aquia Church gold ornaments. There are wax angels, votive candles, and star candles all repurposed from Aquia Church altar candle stubs, along with cookbooks, notepaper, and so much more. The shop will be open after the morning services on Sundays until Christmas. In fact, you are welcome to browse and shop any time you find the Christian Formation and Fellowship Building open. For further information, feel free to contact Mary Jane Cole (maryjane@cfsw.biz) or Briget Kane (bkwings_n_things@yahoo.com).

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS: Starting on Christmas Eve, poinsettias and garland and other seasonal décor will adorn our church’s interior. As the flower guild prepares the sanctuary and windows for the Christmas season, you are invited to contribute to the floral arrangements (perhaps in honor or in memory of someone, or in thanksgiving for some occasion or blessing); order forms for this purpose are available on the tall table at the back of the church, with a requested minimum donation of $20. Alternatively, you may contact Sue Selz at the church office (sue.selz@aquiachurch.org or 540-659-4007) for your order. The deadline for submitting orders and payments has been extended till the end of Monday, Dec. 19 (the Monday before Christmas).

NUT/CANDY ORDERS

NUT/CANDY ORDERS: The vestry is selling roasted nuts and candy freshly prepared in late September by Newsoms Peanut Shop in Newsoms, Virginia. A price list and order form are available at the back of the church or from Father Morris (morris@aquiachurch.org or 540-659-4007). Once you submit your order, you may pick it up at church on the upcoming Sunday, or at the church office the very next day (Tuesdays through Fridays, 8:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m.); payment is due only at pickup. These items are delicious for snacking, and they make excellent gifts for the holidays. We still have plenty of the following available: cashews, trail mix, honey crisp pecans, chocolate-covered peanut brittle, and home-cooked peanuts (traditional, roasted peanuts).

VESTRY NOMINATIONS

VESTRY NOMINATIONS: Blue self-nomination forms for those offering to serve on the vestry are available for pickup from the tall table at the back of the church and from the church office. The forms explain the requirements of eligibility (including regular, faithful attendance at worship, plus making and honoring a financial pledge during the year prior to election) and the expectations for those serving on the vestry. More perspective is available in the rector’s column in the October 2022 issue of our Cross Section newsletter. Completed forms are due to the church office by the end of Sunday, Dec. 18 (the Sunday before Christmas).

OFFERING ENVELOPES

OFFERING ENVELOPES: Please pick up your 2023 offering envelopes at the back of the church. Note that some of you might have a new number.

PLEDGE CAMPAIGN UPDATE

PLEDGE CAMPAIGN UPDATE: As of Dec. 1, we have received pledge cards from 63 households making financial commitments of $319,202.00 for God’s mission and ministry at Aquia Church in 2023. We are encouraged by this good start for our annual pledge campaign, and you are invited to make your own commitment if you have not already done so. Pledge cards are available from the church office or from the tall table at the back of the church. (For purposes of comparison, by mid-January 2022, we had received 92 adult pledge cards for $451,177.92.) Also, those who want information about our new Heritage Endowment Fund and perspective on how contributing to that fund can be related to your annual giving may speak directly with Father Morris or with treasurer Chris Arey. Thus far, the Heritage Endowment Fund has received commitments from 11 households for $56,930.00 in gifts to be received next year.

 

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION RECORDS

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION RECORDS: Monetary contributions intended for 2022 must be received physically at the church office by 31 December 2022 or must be postmarked by 31 December 2022. Likewise, electronic contributions must be made by 31 December 2022 in order to count towards this year. All contributions received by the church after 31 December 2022 will be counted toward 2023 except for those postmarked by 31 December 2022. Contributions postmarked after 31 December 2022 (even checks with a 2022 date) will be counted towards 2023. For in-kind donations made during 2022, parishioners are asked to provide the receipts to the office as soon as feasible. In the event that end-of-year contribution statements have already produced by the church office before you provide your receipts, treasurer Chris Arey will provide a separate statement for these in-kind donations.

TRASH/RECYCLING CONCERN

TRASH/RECYCLING CONCERN: On several recent occasions, someone (undoubtedly with good intentions) has been dumping huge quantities of trash and recycling materials into our cans near the CFFB. This poses a serious obstacle for our ministry groups—especially for Aquia’s Pantry and Aquia’s Table, which can easily fill all four recycling bins every single week without interference from others. Our church pays a considerable amount for the weekly pickup of trash and recycling materials, and we simply cannot accommodate having parishioners or outside parties emptying their own trash and recycling materials on our property at our expense. If you know who the responsible party is, please encourage that person or that group not to use our trash and recycling cans in this very problematic way.

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.). Our current series on “Preparing for Death and Burials” will conclude on Dec. 11, with a new series beginning in mid-January. Also, Father Morris is beginning to select topics for Morning Call programs and Bible study series during 2023. If you have suggestions for themes, issues, or biblical books that we might explore next year, please offer your suggestions directly to him.

FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST

FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST: There are a number of Sundays in early 2023 awaiting folks to offer to serve as hosts. 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.

YOUTH GROUP 

YOUTH GROUP: The youth group for teens in grades 6-12 meets each Sunday morning (9:30—10:15 a.m. in the youth group room downstairs in the new building). Our final afternoon/evening meeting of the year will feature a Christmas party at Father Jay Morris’s home on Sunday, Dec. 11; stay tuned for more details.

WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDIES

WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDIES: Father Morris is leading a Wednesday evening series on the Books of Samuel and Kings in the Old Testament, starting electronically at 7:00 p.m. on our Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/AquiaEpiscopalChurch>. For Wednesday, Dec. 7, please read II Kings chs. 1-10. Father Rickenbaker has begun a new Wednesday morning series for Advent on the Old Testament prophet Zechariah, electronically at 10:30 a.m. over Facebook Live, and it will run through Dec. 21. During the pandemic, our Bible studies are available online at our church’s Facebook page. Even if you do not have a Facebook account, you can still access the videos simply by clicking on the video for the given day. Also, you do not have to join in the Bible study live; the videos will be stored there for your viewing at any time convenient for you.

DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS

DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS: New copies of Our Daily Bread (for December/January/February), together with copies of Forward Day by Day (for December/January), are available on the tall table at the back of the church at any worship service, as well as (for those needing access at other times) from the large black metal mailbox alongside the concrete walkway between the Fleurries office building and the parking lot. Please pick up a copy for yourself, and perhaps another to share with a friend. If you regularly use either one of these devotional booklets, please notify Sue Selz about your preference and interest (sue.selz@aquiachurch.org or 540-659-4007), so that we can ensure to keep them in stock in the months ahead.

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 most recent weeks, we have been serving around 350 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). Also, Aquia’s Table will be closed on the last two Wednesdays of this year (Dec. 21 & 28).

NOVEMBER WRAP-UP FOR AQUIA'S PANTRY

NOVEMBER WRAP-UP FOR AQUIA'S PANTRY: During November, the Pantry handed out 75 frozen turkeys and an estimated 415 sets of groceries (bread, desserts, fresh produce, bags of frozen meat, and staple foods). Also, thanks in great part to gifts from parishioners, our guests received a jar of peanut butter each week and a box of cereal 4 of the 5 weeks in November. We have also been blessed with another new volunteer, a gentleman who came one day with his wife, and decided to come back again and again. We thank God for His gracious generosity which has enabled the Pantry to help our many guests. Finally, we continue to request brown paper grocery bags, boxes of cereal, and jars of peanut butter. If you would like to learn more about this vibrant ministry, please reach out to Michael Golasz (golaszmichael@yahoo.com) or Mary Jane Cole (maryjane@cfsw.biz), or drop by the great hall any Wednesday.

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.

COLLECTING NEWSPAPERS

COLLECTING NEWSPAPERS: The Daughters of the King ministry group is collecting old newspapers (not magazines) to be taken to the animal shelter in Stafford. There is a black plastic cube in the back left pew (as you come into church) for collection. Your contribution is much appreciated.

ELECTRONIC GIVING

ELECTRONIC GIVING: The increased use of electronic giving is helpful, as it avoids the need for our office and counters to handle mail, which could be contaminated; but we still pick up the mail and your mail-in contribution will be counted. Where possible, when parishioners can absorb the nominal transaction cost, that is also very helpful, so that the church will receive the full amount of your intended contribution. Please note to use the correct category of contribution: if you submitted a pledge card and make a donation online, then please use that category. If you did not submit a pledge card, then please use the non-pledged category—just as important and helpful. Be mindful that you can make an electronic contribution and apportion your gifts between multiple purposes, e.g., pledge, flowers, outreach, etc. You can give electronically through Realm—the link is <https://onrealm.org/AquiaEpiscopalC/-/form/give/now>, and there is a “GIVE” link on the church website <https://www.AquiaChurch.org>. Also, you can give via text message: text AQUIA to 73256. If you have questions, please feel free to contact treasurer Chris Arey (treasurer@aquiachurch.org).

UPDATE ON CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD REPAYING CONSTRUCTION LOAN

UPDATE ON CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD REPAYING CONSTRUCTION LOAN: As of 13 November, during 2022 we have received $113,957.60 in contributions toward reducing the debt on our construction loan for the CFFB, and we surpassed our $100,000.00 goal for the matching-challenge opportunity that ended on 1 October. Congratulations on all this success! With every capital campaign and every matching challenge opportunity that Aquia Church has conducted for the CFFB, we have met and even exceeded the goal EVERY TIME! Even if this matching challenge has now been satisfied, we are still receiving contributions toward our ongoing mortgage payments. Please mark your contribution “CFFB” on the memo line of your check or on the envelope of your cash gift.

 

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).

 

WORSHIP SCHEDULE FOR CHRISTMAS AND BEYOND

 

SATURAY, DECEMBER 24 (Christmas Eve)

Holy Eucharist at 4:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 10:00 p.m.

with Christmas music beginning 30 minutes before each service

 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25 (Christmas Day)

Holy Eucharist at 10:00 a.m.

for the only worship service that day

 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2023 (Feast of the Holy Name)

Holy Eucharist at 7:30 a.m.

Christmas Lessons and Carols with Holy Communion at 10:30 a.m.

NO afternoon/evening worship service

 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2023

Parish-Wide Annual Meeting and Holy Eucharist at 9:00 a.m. in the great hall

(in case of snow or ice, the annual meeting will be postponed)

Sunday school activities throughout the morning for students in pre-K through 12^th grade

Holy Eucharist at 4:00 p.m. in the historic church