This Week at the Church of the Redeemer

 St. Stephen’s Christmas Party

For the children of the St. Stephen’s After School Program

Friday, December 21^st, 2:30pm – 5:30pm

 We Need Redeemer Volunteers To Help With This Event!

 If you are interested in a rewarding volunteer experience at Christmas, please consider volunteering at the St. Stephen’s Christmas Party.  The party is for the children of the St. Stephen’s After School Program.   The party is organized, we have ordered the supplies (craft activities, cookie decorating etc…), we just need volunteers to help with the children at the party!  For many of these children, this will be the only festive occasion of their Christmas – so it is truly rewarding to volunteer at this event.  If you have high school or college aged children home, this is a wonderful volunteer activity that you can do together with them – and it is also fun!  If you can help or if you have questions, please contact Laura Patton 617-232-5175 or laurated@rcn.com.

Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Concert Series II

Sunday, January 27, 2008

4:00 pm

Trio in E flat Major, Op. 38, for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano                                         

        Adagio    Andante Con Moto Marcia - Presto                      L.V. Beethoven (1770-1827)

                           Quintet in E flat, K 452, for Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon                                                                                                                                                       Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano                                   Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)

Piano Solo: The Wind                                           Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813-1888)

Woodwind Quintet  No. 1                                                   Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)

 Advanced Tickets $20; Tickets at the Door $25; Students $10

 We wish to thank the Sponsors of this Concert Series,

without whose generous support this afternoon would not be possible.

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.  See times below.

 DATES & TIMES TO REMEMBER:

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

  Saturday, December 15

8:30 am Speakers/Readers Rehearsal

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

 Sunday, December 16th

9:30 am Youth Choir Rehearsal

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.

On Thursday, December 20^th, please join us for a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at 7:30 pm.  There will be a light supper at 6:30 pm in the parish hall.  Please sign up in the office hallway if you are planning to attend the dinner.

Toys for Tots Emergency Toy Drive

Helping those Locally in Need

Each year the Church of the Redeemer receives requests from local families to assist them in the purchasing of toys for their children.  In the past, shopping lists have been published, and parishioners have generously donated items.  Unfortunately, the system grew unwieldy administratively and was open to manipulation.  We have been looking to improve the program for several months and a fortuitous partnership has presented itself.  We will be assisting local families in need under the Toys for Tots program. 

As you may have read in the news, Toys for Tots, which gives toys to thousands of needy children every Christmas, is having a very difficult year.  They have had to throw away thousands of donations because of toy recalls caused by the lead paint crisis.  Toys for Tots has publicly admitted that they may not be able to match the need this year.  To help meet this need, we are organizing an Emergency Toys for Tots drive to take place on the day of the Christmas Pageant Sunday, December 16th.  We ask that you bring in an unwrapped toy for one of the following categories: Girls 0-3, 4-6, 7-10 or Boys 0-3, 4-6, 7-10.  On the 16th, we will have boxes available in which to place all the toys for each category.  If you would like to help provide a gift for an older child, a gift card is recommended.  The gift cards may be dropped off at the office. 

The generosity of this parish has not been lost on me.  Just in the past month, the Redeemer has raised money for children’s after school programming in Roxbury, provided Thanksgiving dinner for those in need in the South End, and you have donated books to the St. Stephen’s Book Drive to increase the love of reading among Boston’s children.  This parish has really impressed me with its care for those in need.  If you are able to participate in this Emergency Toys for Tots Drive, it will be much appreciated by the needy children of metro Boston.  Thank you for your support.

Blessings, Marc

Note:  If you are too busy to shop this season, Dorsey and I receive many requests for food assistance at this time of year.  You may also provide a cash donation that will assist this ministry.  Please make your check payable to the Church of the Redeemer and note that it is for food cards.