This Week at the Church of the Redeemer

Thanksgiving Collection for St. Stephen’s 

The Redeemer Outreach Committee has pledged to St. Stephen’s that the Redeemer parish will assemble Thanksgiving baskets for 75 families of the St. Stephen’s after school program and parish.  This is a large collection but we think we are up to the challenge! 

Each Thanksgiving basket will contain a can of cranberry sauce, a can of gravy, a box of stuffing, carrots, potatoes, onions – and of course a turkey!  We are asking parishioners to purchase and bring to church the non-perishable food and checks of $25 for turkeys.  On Sunday, November 18^th we will assemble the baskets in the parish hall.   Here is how you can help: 

• Take a mini grocery bag that is being handed out after the service.  Each grocery bag contains a small list of items that we need you to purchase (i.e. 5 bags of carrots and 5 boxes of stuffing).
• Shop for these items and bring them back to church before Sunday November 18^th.  You can leave the items in the back hallway or in the kitchen.
• If you don’t have time to shop, please consider donating $25 (or more) towards the purchase of the 75 turkeys.  Checks should be made out to the Church of the Redeemer and write St. Stephen’s in the memo space.
• After the 10:30am service on November 18^th, please help assemble the baskets for St. Stephen’s.

If you have any questions please contact Laura Patton 617-232-5175 (laurated@rcn.com) or Jim Huston 617-244-0292 (jhuston@emdlexigen.com).

 If ordered by November 29, 2007,

 1-4 CD’s                                                      $18 each

“Stocking Stuffer Package”

5 or more CD’s                                            $17 each

If ordered after November 29, 2007,

 1-4 CD’s                                                      $20 each

“Stocking Stuffer Package”

5 or more CD’s                                            $19 each 

Christmas Pageant

 Please encourage your children to join us for the Christmas Pageant. 

To participate, your child must be 4 years old and able to come to rehearsal

Saturday, December 15th 8:30-11:30 am.

 DATES & TIMES TO REMEMBER:

 * 9:30 Sundays, Youth Choir practices all songs—all children welcome!

 Beginning this Sunday

Angel, Shepherd & animal sign-up in the Church School area

 December 2 –During Church School

Parts will be handed out during church school for Speaker and Reader roles

 December 9 –During Church School

Rehearsal for Speakers and Readers

 Saturday, December 15

8:30 am Speakers/Readers Rehearsal

9:00 – 11:30 am Everyone in Pageant Rehearsal

 Sunday, December 16th

10:15am Children gather in the undercroft.

 If you are interested in helping on the 15^th and/or the 16^th, we will need help corralling the sheep/animals, the shepherds and general costume help.  Please contact : Maisie Pollard mpollard@bidmc.harvard.edu, (617) 731-8171 or Amy Luster, atluster@rcn.com, 617-734-6818.

Bible Study with the Rector

 The Radiant World:

Midweek Bible Studies for Ordinary Life

The Letter to the Hebrews is one of the most beautiful works of Western literature and among the most compelling books of the Bible.  It has influenced all the Church’s greatest thinkers, and gives an astonishingly rich portrayal of the work of Jesus Christ and its relation to human affairs.  Over coffee at the Rectory, we will explore the depth and power of this work, at the rate of about a chapter a week, showing its relation to other major texts of Scripture and classic sermons from Christian history, and mining it as a source of creative strength and encouragement for our own ordinary lives.  Come, spend some time with a few fellow pilgrims, and fill the rest of your week with the grace of the Lord in the power of the Spirit.

 Men’s Bible Study, Wednesdays, 7:00 am

Women’s Bible Study, Thursdays, 9: 00 am

Both meet at the Rectory, 381 Hammond Street.

NOMINATIONS FOR VESTRY ELECTIONS

 The Nominating Committee, consisting of  Gene Dahmen, Charlie Kline, Peggy Reiser, Megan Sampson

and Suzy Westcott,  seeks your nominations for the following positions on the Vestry:

 Clerk (3 year term)

 Treasurer (3 year term)

 Assistant Treasurer (3 year term)

 Three Vestry Persons (4 year term)

 Two Vestry Persons (unexpired 1 year term)

One Vestry Person (unexpired 2 year term)

 Two Diocesan Delegates (1 year term)

 Two Diocesan Alternates (1 year term)

All parishioners are urged to consider any candidates they would recommend and submit their names in writing to a member of the Nominating Committee.

 No member of the committee or his/her spouse is eligible to be nominated for a position on the slate.  Peter Coffin, who is finishing his term as Assistant Treasurer, is eligible to be nominated as Treasurer and Betsey Shay, who filled an unexpired one-year term as Clerk, is eligible to be re-nominated as Clerk.  Marion Haffenreffer and Steve Hill are finishing four-year terms on the Vestry and are not eligible to be re-elected.  Mary Reynders resigned from the Vestry in the fall and Cotty Peabody and Jim Napier are resigning as of the Annual Meeting.  All three therefore have chosen not to be on the slate. 

 The Vestry is the governing body of your church.  Your prayerful consideration for the election of your lay leaders is greatly appreciated.

 The slate will be posted January 3, 2008

one month before our Annual Meeting.

 Ballots are available at the church.

GREENS FOR WREATHS

Please save your evergreen pruning until November and bring the clippings to the old parish hall Monday, November 26th or Tuesday, November 27th.  We especially appreciate boxwood, holly, leucothoe, juniper, and white pine!!  Questons? Call Tish 617-566-5147 or Louisa 617-739-6884.

WINTER COATS NEEDED

If you have winter coats for children 8 years of age or younger that are no longer needed, please consider donating them to the church.  They can be dropped off in the basket in the back hallway outside the back classroom.  Many thanks.