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Views from the Mountain
ST. JOHN ON THE MOUNTAIN December 2016
From the RectorThe Reverend Susan R. Ironside
ADVENT & CHRISTMAS on the Mountain
5Sunday, December 4The Second Sunday of Advent 8 am Holy Eucharist Rite I, Chapel10 am Holy Eucharist Rite II, Church11:15 am Advent Coffee Hour, Parish Hall Advent Arts & Crafts, Parish Hall
Sunday, December 11The Third Sunday of Advent 8 am Holy Eucharist Rite I, Chapel10 am Holy Eucharist Rite II, Church11:15 am Advent Coffee Hour, Parish Hall
Sunday, December 18 The Fourth Sunday of Advent 8 am Holy Eucharist, Chapel10 am Christmas Pageant with Holy Eucharist, Church
Saturday, December 24 The Eve of the Nativity 5 pm Festive Christmas Eve Family Service with Holy Eucharist and Building of the Crèche, Church10:30 pm Carols by Candlelight, Church11 pm Festival Holy Eucharist, Church
Sunday, December 25 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ10am Holy Eucharist Rite II, Chapel
Sunday, January 1First Sunday after Christmas10 am Holy Eucharist Rite II, Chapel
These days it is often still dark when I leave for work in the morning. And it is dark when I return home at the end of the day. Advent begins at this time, as it does every year, when the days grow shorter, and the nights grow longer. And for our ancestors, this was exactly the point of starting the year in this way. Just when it seems that the light is going to go away forever, when the world seems its darkest, we begin another year of watchful waiting. Just when you think that stumbling in the dark is the only way forward, we begin to train our eyes for the light. Just when it looks like the sun is never going to come back, and the world grows dark and cold, we begin waiting and watching for Jesus, with attentive and eager hearts, we begin again to look for the Light who shines in the darkness.
And when it’s light you seek, a bit of darkness is often required.
Or as the brilliant Mary Oliver once wrote, “Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.”
Advent teaches us, and reminds us what we already know, that things are going to get darker before they get lighter. But even in the darkness, we will be waiting and watching, because even there we will find that God has not abandoned us. Indeed, God is as near as our own flesh.
Come, thou long expected Jesus!
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ST. JOHN ON THE MOUNTAIN December 2016
The Ladies’ Lunch for December will be at Roxiticus CC on December 15th at noon. The cost will be $30; there will be an elaborate holiday buffet that includes hot soup, carving station, chicken dish, seafood dish, vegetables, rice, potatoes and a selection of desserts. Please make your reservation by sending your check made out to Wendy Argent-‐Belcher to the office at 379 My Harmony Road, Bernardsville, NJ 07924 by December 9th. Any questions? Email Sue Catlett at [email protected]
LADIES’ HOLIDAY LUNCHEONThursday, December 15th
MEN’S LUNCHEONThursday, December 1st
COMMUNITY/FELLOWSHIP NEWS
STEWARDSHIP
Did You Know You Can Donate Your Stocks to SJOTM?
The tax advantages of giving stock, instead of cash, to church can make doing so very worthwhile. We would be happy to accept stock donations for 2017 as form of pledge payment. To learn more, please contact Lisa Keenan in the office at 908-‐766-‐2282 ext 13 or by email at [email protected].
The 2017 Stewardship Campaign is off to a strong start! As of November 30th, we have 63 pledges for $246,105. If you have any questions about Stewardship, please contact Chip Baird at c b a i r d @ a m i c u s r x . c o m o r M e l i s s a S h a r r o n a t [email protected]. If you haven't already done so, please return your 2017 Pledge Card ASAP, as the Vestry needs them to make their budget decisions for the upcoming year. Extra pledge cards can be found on the web at www.sjotm.org, in the narthex or call the office 908-‐766-‐2282 to have one sent to you.
The Rector, Wardens, and Vestry are grateful for the faithfulness and generosity of the following people whose gifts support the mission of our parish
Graham and Wendy Argent-‐BelcherDoris AufschlagerChip and Tressa BairdJoy BairdGrosvenor and Betsey BlairAnn Bobrow Stuart and Helen BrunetCatherine CavanaughCharles and Jean ChapinJames and Kathy ChristieKathy ChristieBob and Mary CourtemanchePeter CourtemancheChristian and Gerry-‐Jo CranmerChristopher and Beatrice DaggettAlan and Erin DeombelegRichard and Nina DixonWard Dorer and Hilary ThomasOlu and Uchente EmuleomoAlan and June EnosKit and Kathy FalconDorothy Faux
Jo-‐Ellen FlegalSteve and Sabina ForbesElizabeth GaverKaty George and Paul CainAndrew and Jocelyn GilmartinDavid and Cookie GouldingAlouis and Erna HaueisStephanie HaueisGates and Mary Ellen HawnBetty HeitmannBill and Sally HespeBurton HowWood Huntley and Beirne DonaldsonSusan IronsideMary JohnsonCraig JohnstonMelinda JuddAnne KearnsRonald and Susan KennedyBob and Lindsay KielleyLois LarkClyde Leef
Jon and Heather LeefMary MasonRich and Vicky McGlynnJane and William McKnightGeorge Mellendick and Jim WilliamsPeter and Jane MercerSandy and Joan MillspaughMichael and Lynn MitchellDorothy SmullenPatricia Moody and Collins SnyderBradford and Margaret MurphyBarbara MushalkoMartin and Margo PackouzDavid and Joan PowellDoug and Christina RutzSteve and Antoinette SbaraglioLindley and Christine ScarlettMelissa SharronPeter and Kathy ToberUlrich and Dolly von Hollen
Please join us on the first Thursday of each month at 12:15 pm at the Morristown Club at 27 Elm Street in Morristown. The luncheons are open to members of the parish and their guests. For more information please contact Alan Enos at 908-‐234-‐1321 or [email protected].
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WORSHIP NEWS
Please join us every Wednesday in the Parish House Meeting Room from 8:15 am -‐ 9:15 am.
MEN’S BIBLE STUDYWednesdays at 8:15 am
The next Pastoral Care meeting is Thursday, December 8th. If you would like to have someone added to the Prayer List, please call 908-‐766-‐2282 or email the Parish Office [email protected].
PRAYER LIST
Christmas Service ScheduleSaturday, December 24th ~ Eve of the Nativity
✤ 5 pm Christmas Eve Family Service with Building of the CrècheThe Festive Christmas Eve Holy Eucharist with the Children’s Choir will include the Building of the Crèche and will take place at 5 pm. Families with young children are invited and encouraged to celebrate the Nativity with us. Children who would like to participate in the Procession should arrive by 4:40 pm and gather in the chapel. Childcare is available.
✤ 10:30 pm Christmas Eve Carols by Candlelight, Church
✤ 11 pm Christmas Eve Festival Holy Eucharist Please join us in the church beginning at 10:30 pm with Carols by Candlelight, followed by a Christmas Eve Festival Holy Eucharist.
Sunday, December 25th ~ Christmas Day✤ 10 am Holy Eucharist for Christmas Day
Join us in the chapel for Holy Eucharist.
ST. JOHN ON THE MOUNTAIN December 2016
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDYThursdays at 10:00 am
Please join us every Thursday in the Parish House Meeting Room from 10:00 am -‐ 11:00 am.
PARISH REGISTER
We welcomed into the Household of God through Holy Baptism
U Elliot John GouldingU Alexandra Susan Wiley
Those Joined in Holy MatrimonyGeorge Mellendick & James Williams
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CHILDREN & YOUTH NEWS
CHRISTMAS PAGEANT ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18th at 10 am
Sunday, December 11th Pageant costume pick-‐up 11:15 am in Parish HallSaturday, December 17th Pageant rehearsal for SPEAKERS at 9 am Pageant rehearsal for ALL at 10 am Sunday, December 18th Pageant at 10 am (meet in Parish Hall at 9:30 am)
CHRISTMAS PAGEANT Important Dates
There Will Be No Sunday School on Sunday, December 25th and January 1
Classes will resume on Sunday, January 8th.
Children who would like to participate in the Procession should arrive by 4:40pm and gather in Parish Hall. Childcare is available.
Christmas Eve Family Service With Building of the Crèche
ST. JOHN ON THE MOUNTAIN December 2016
Best Wishes as you celebrate your
December birthday! Patrick Mitchell, Sarah Murphy, Peter Iossa, Emmy Baird, and
Meredith Hespe
ADVENT ARTS AND CRAFTS
Calling All KidsYou won’t want to miss Coffee Hour on December 4th! Please join us in the Parish Hall for some creative seasonal arts and crafts following the 10 am service.
Advent Wreath Making November 27th
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MUSIC NEWSby Christopher Jennings, Organist
ST. JOHN ON THE MOUNTAIN December 2016
Adults,, children and youth 3rd grade and up are invited to join us to form a special Intergenerational Choir for our 5pm Christmas Eve Eucharist. We will help lead congregational singing and learn a few new carols to sing. This is a great family activity that will be fun and engaging for all ages. We will rehearse on Sunday, December 11th ,11:15 to Noon (after church) and/or December 21st 5:00-‐6:00 pm. Please try to attend at least one of these rehearsals.. To signup, just show up, or c o n t a c t C h r i s t o p h e r J e n n i n g s at [email protected].
ST. JOHN’SINTERGENERATIONAL CHOIR
ST. JOHN’S NURSERY SCHOOL NEWS
Mother Susan leads the Blessing of the
Nursery School Thanksgiving Feast on
November 21st.
Following Thanksgiving it's all about getting ready for Christmas at St. John's Nursery School. Children from our 3's, 4's, and 4+ classes have been practicing their songs for our annual Christmas Sing. The 4+ children have been working on memorizing their parts for the First Christmas play. All of our classes have been busy making special gifts for their parents. Other important December events include cookie baking, St. Nick's shopping at St. John's, and class Christmas parties.
Our nursery school families have been asked to participate in a local program, Bundles of Grace, in which a bundled blanket and book will be given to children battling cancer at local hospitals.
Registration for next school year begins in January for SJNS and SJOTM families of preschool age children. Prospective families may contact our nursery school for registration information and a tour of our cheerful facility. Please contact the nursery school for further registration information. [email protected] Jeanne Williams, Director, 908-‐766-‐0374.
All children and youth of the parish are invited to be a part of the music program at SJOTM. Beginning on January 22, children in grades 1 and up are invited to join in the new St. John’s Boys' & Girls’ Choir, which will have its first rehearsal after church, from 11:05 to 11:45 am. We will be singing in church throughout the year on important feast days and will also have fun with some new and exciting interactive apps and curriculum. We have enjoyed having several high school students join our adult choir this Fall and welcome anyone else who is interested to join us to come to our mid-‐week rehearsal to try it out. For more information, please contact Christopher Jennings, Director of Music at [email protected].
MUSIC FOR CHILDREN & YOUTHAT SJOTM
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Help save a struggl ing f am i l y ’ s Ch r i s tma s b y providing an uncooked meal. It’s easy! Just buy the makings for a meal, and deliver it uncooked to your Adopt-‐a-‐Family. A sign-‐up sheet is posted on the bulletin board near Parish Hall . Please cal l Sue Kennedy at 908-‐234-‐0267
with any questions. If you have a particular family you have been supporting in the past, please let Sue know so that she can inform the Food Bank.
ADOPT-A-FAMILY
ST. JOHN ON THE MOUNTAIN December 2016
MISSION OUTREACH
CASA SHaW serves the Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren (SHaW) counties of New Jersey. They are the voice of children in foster care, and they work to ensure that every child is provided an opportunity to be placed into a safe, loving, and permanent home. Seventy percent of the children are under the age of 13; the remaining children are under the age of 18. This fall the Church of St. John on the Mountain is collecting items for these foster children in NJ. Please consider purchasing a duffle bag and filling it with toiletries, a stuffed animal, and a book; or purchasing a backpack and filling it with school supplies, a stuffed animal, and a book; or purchasing a gift card for $25 or $50 from Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, or GameStop. Items can be dropped off in the church office until December 21st. For more information about CASA, please visit http://www.casashaw.org/who-‐we-‐are
December Birthday Wishes to
Tressa Baird, Kip Forbes, Sabina Forbes, Sally Hespe, Burton How, Rich McGlynn,
Robin McKeon, Joan Millspaugh, & Sam Murphy
Grace Soup Kitchen serves 1,000 hot nutritious meals the last five days of each month to the hungry of Plainfield. St. John on the Mountain parishioners help on the last Friday of each month. Join us one Friday as we prepare and serve lunch. The next day scheduled for St. John on the Mountain to serve is on Friday, December 30th from 10 am – 1 pm. To sign-‐up email Graham Argent-‐Belcher at [email protected].
GRACE SOUP KITCHENFriday, December 30
600 Cleveland Avenue, Plainfield, NJ
SJOTM CONFIRMATION CLASSStaffs the Food Bank
November 19th
FOSTERING LOVE
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St. John on the MountainCHRISTMAS FLOWERS & MUSIC
St. John on the Mountain is now accepting contributions for Christmas plants, flowers, & special music. Gifts may be given either as memorials or in thanksgivings. In order that we might publish all names in the Christmas bulletins, we ask that you send in your dedications by Thursday, December 15th. If you would like to contribute, please complete the form below, or your own version of it and return it to the Parish Office, along with a check made payable to St. John on the Mountain, with a note in the memo section: Christmas Flowers & Music. If you have any questions, please contact the Parish Office (908) 766-2282 ext 10 or [email protected].
Cut along dotted line, fill-out and return to SJOTM at 379 Mount Harmony Road, Bernardsville, NJ 07924
Please print clearly using first and last name without any titles
In Memory of
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please print clearly using first and last name without any titles
In Thanksgiving for
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your Name ________________________________ Your daytime phone _______________________________
ST. JOHN ON THE MOUNTAIN December 2016
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ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
St. John on the Mountain379 Mt. Harmony RoadBernardsville, NJ 07924-1414
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OFST. JOHN ON THE MOUNTAIN379 Mount Harmony RoadBernardsville, NJ 07924908-766-2282
PARISH STAFF
The Reverend Susan [email protected] x11
Christopher JenningsDirector of Music & [email protected] x14
Lynn MitchellDirector of Children’s [email protected]
Lisa CoakleyParish [email protected] x10
Lisa KeenanFinance [email protected] x13
FOR DAILY UPDATES AND INFORMATION, DON’T FORGET TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.sjotm.organd be sure to like us on facebook
ST. JOHN ON THE MOUNTAIN December 2016