A Note From Your Worship Ministry Elders

  The first Sunday in Advent is December 2. As we prepare our hearts and minds to receive the news of the birth or our Lord Jesus Christ anew, we also prepare our church for this wonderful time of year. One way you can help is to donate Christmas poinsettias to beautify our sanctuary. Forms with instructions for donating poinsettias are found in the kiosk in the narthex. The cost is $20 per plant. The forms must be returned by Sunday, December 16.

   You will have noticed that we are using an acolyte to light the Christ candle at each service. This is to remind the congregation of the presence of Christ with us during our worship and to symbolically carry the light of Christ out into the world at the close of our worship. We want to include children and youth more actively in our worship in other ways as well. Children and youth will help the elders and deacons carry the elements of communion into the sanctuary and set the communion table. Watch for youth helping more regularly with ushering in worship, too.

   Because we are celebrating communion more frequently, we have a need for more communion preparers. We presently have two teams, which means they serve in this capacity each month - they need some help! We need at least four more teams. This would involve approximately two hours of your time every third month, or four times a year. Instruction will be provided for all aspects of this process. This is a wonderful opportunity for busy folks to participate in the life of our church with a minimal time commitment. We welcome singles, couples and families to participate in this ministry.

   Now that we have our music ministry well underway again, we will be forming a committee to envision what we want this ministry to be in the future - in other words, what FPC wants participants to receive from this ministry and how the congregation wants this ministry to help in our worship. The music visioning committee will be looking at what we want to continue or add to our music program, and this in turn will help us to decide on a permanent staffing configuration. The Worship Ministry welcomes members of this committee from the congregation, from vocal choirs, bell choirs and ensemble members, from parents of children involved in the music program, from deacons and elders - from anyone who would like to help shape this ministry for the future. If you have an interest or a heart for this important work, please contact your worship elders at the contacts given below.

   The Flower Calendar for 2008 is now posted in the narthex. Your donations of flowers have been an invaluable and beautiful contribution to our worship. We invite you all to sign up to donate flowers to commemorate a date or remember a person that is significant in your life or simply to dedicate flowers to the Glory of God.

   For more information about any of the above, please contact the worship elders. We in the Worship Ministry wish you a meaningful Advent season and a blessed Christmas.

In His Service, Michelle Coon and Serena Mercer