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December 2016

Old Donation Episcopal Church

Old Donation Episcopal Church is a family: Welcoming All Growing in God’s love Joyfully worshiping Jesus Christ Serving in the power of the Spirit

Wed, December 21: 7:00pm Longest Night - Blue Christmas Sat, December 24: 5:00pm Christmas Pageant & Holy Eucharist 8:00pm Festival Eucharist with Choir 10:30pm Christmas Lessons & Carols 11:00pm Festival Eucharist with Choir Sun, December 25: 10:00am Christmas Day Eucharist Sat, December 31: 7:00pm Holy Eucharist & New Year’s Eve Reception

St. Nicholas will visit The Gathering

10:30am Sunday, December 4th

Family Movie Night

&

Cookie Extravaganza!

Friday, December 9th, 5:30pm See page 6 for details

Epiphany Chili Supper & Holy Eucharist Friday, 6 January - 6:00pm Supper & 7:00pm HE

see pg 9 for details

Christmas in

Story & Song

Sunday, 18 December 10:30am Historic Church

Virginia Handbell

Consort Concert December 18th at 5:00pm

See page 10 for details

New Year’s Eve

Holy Eucharist & Reception

7:00pm in the Historic Church

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“Beloved in Christ, in this season of Advent, let it be our care and delight to prepare ourselves to hear again the message of the Angels, and in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem, to see the Babe lying in a manger.”

So begins an Advent Festival of Lessons and Music and so begins our journey. For many of us, Advent is our favorite season of the year. Four weeks of focused spiritual contemplation include self-examination, recalibration of our lives, hearing the most familiar songs and Scriptures from the earliest days of our childhood, and culminating with the ultimate joy of Christmas.

What makes it even deeper is when our reflection, and the resulting recalibration, brings us into restored and renewed relationships with others. Being in a faithful relationship with God always challenges us to better relationships with God’s people and all creation. Advent and Christmas push us to think about family and friends and associates. The “gifting season” SHOULD push us to think about using our resources rightly - to make the gifts reflect our love, while not exhausting either our financial or physical health. The best gifts are forgiveness, reconciliation, and sharing of ourselves rather than a new ‘gaming system’ or box of oranges (although either might be the thoughtful right gift!). Gifts are like sacraments in that they convey and embody an inward spiritual and emotional gift in outward and physical wrapping.

Ashley, Fred, and I have been thinking about how to offer the right mix of worship, reflection, and contemplation. We have settled on one major event per week that we believe will be helpful, while not over scheduling. It’s our hope that “less is more” when there are so many competing claims on your attention and time. You will see a paring down of some of the events that have grown over the years when you examine the front page for worship services of Christmas and the 5 major events between now and Epiphany (Jan 6).

For a daily rhythm I hope you will open the Advent Inspirations emails. Gretchen Hood has scoured Advent and Christmas resources to find high quality messages and practical suggestions for living a faithful Christian life. Morning Prayer is offered each weekday morning in the church at 7:30am, thanks to a dedicated group of lay worship leaders. Each Sunday morning there is a special focus in Advent that will help us “prepare ourselves to hear again the message of the Angels”. I hope we can have a saner, more thoughtful, Advent and not wear ourselves out. Then, when we arrive in Bethlehem our hearts will be full and our “Joy to the World” will ring loud and true.

Blessed As we come to the close of the active phase of our Capital Campaign, I am recognizing just how blessed we are at Old Donation. I know it has challenged some of us, and maybe

annoyed some others. But the process of trying to engage the entire parish in discussion and discernment about our future and how we can each support future mission and ministry has brought out the best in so many.

Many of us who are stretched financially still made commitments because they knew that each person doing what they can is how mission is accomplished. And they recognized the personal benefit of ownership and responsibility. Others who had resources went far beyond what might be expected because they could, and because they love ODEC and want it to continue strong for another 400 years. Some couldn’t agree with every part of the plan, but showed their commitment and love for the parish by making extraordinary gifts. Others gave now and said they will continue to try to do more later when it is possible. Through the visits, people have gotten to know folks they barely recognized. Bonds have been strengthened as we have come together for the good of God’s work.

There will be time for thank-you’s when we celebrate the final results in late January. There are still many members evaluating what they can give and promise, so we will continue our prayer support and await solid numbers. But please hear me clearly - God is blessed by your faithfulness and I am overwhelmed by your generosity that reflects the joy and love you have for God’s work at ODEC.

And before he gets out of here next week, we want to publicly thank Andy Bygden for his wonderful direction as our Campaign Consultant. We could never have accomplished so much, or in such a compact period of time, without his guidance. Our coffee hour this Sunday is hosted by the Historic Traditions Commission to remember our 100 year anniversary of the reconsecration of our church building. In addition, we plan to share our thanks and love for Andy, who has become truly a member with us in these 5 months.

Stewardship Lost a little bit in all the work to highlight the Capital Campaign is our annual stewardship solicitation. This is very important, both for our ability to make an effective operating budget and for your own personal spiritual health. If you haven’t yet received a pledge card, we will be making a new mailing of them next week. Please look at how you have been blessed and prayerfully consider how your offering might bless God back with a portion. We hope to get all the pledges in during the next few weeks.

Benches! Ryan is an Eagle Ryan Piston, who is also your youth vestry member, is receiving his Eagle Scout award next weekend. His Eagle Scout project was to build and install benches for our Labyrinth. They add to the beautiful spot begun as an Eagle Scout project by Matt Improta several years ago. Each step makes our campus more truly the spiritual oasis that we know it to be. THANKS, Ryan.

From the Rector

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I have been with you now for one and a half wonderful years, and it’s about time that I did something important, something that I should have done on day one:

Tell you how to pronounce my name.

Urquidi, phonetically in English, is pronounced Yur-quee-dee. There you have it! I’m sorry it took me so long to do something like this.

And now, a “public service announcement.” Did you know that we have an important rule at Old Donation?

You aren’t allowed to go to the hospital without telling your priest!

That can be me, Father Bob, or Father Fred, but we want to know if something is going wrong. We always offer to come and anoint you before a surgery, can add you to the hospital visitation list, add your name to the confidential prayer chain, or simply pray for you privately from afar. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to health and care, and we aren’t here to invade your privacy - if you don’t want visits, don’t feel bad saying so - but we are here to help and pray! We want to be able to support you in every way possible, and that includes visits to the hospital or other health complications. There is also a food ministry, and we can help with some meals for you and your family as well.

The bottom line: We are your church! Use us. Let us know when there are things to celebrate, and things to worry about. We as human beings were created to be in community, and it’s important that you all know that we take that seriously. Church is, and should always be, more than a place to come to for corporate prayer for an hour on Sunday morning. It’s a place where you grow and are challenged, where you find comfort, strength, peace… and it’s where you give something of yourself. Maybe this is a season in life where you need to give your vulnerability, and allow others to step in. Or maybe it’s a season where you have all you need and can reach out to someone else in our community. Whatever the case, you have to remember that we are here to form and strengthen relationships, to connect to one another and in doing so connect to God and God’s creation.

That is what our life in faith is about, so especially during this Advent and Christmas season, don’t let the distractions of life disconnect you from your church!

From our Associate Rector

From our Assistant Rector

The message of Advent beckons us slow down, do less, and listen more. I’d like to lead you through an exercise. Grab a pencil and something to write on. Let’s start with your “to do” list. Maybe you’ve already made this list. Jot down what you want and need to get done before Christmas. Be sure to include gift shopping, the kid’s school activities you need to attend, food preparation, year-end charitable giving and tax planning, visiting, parties, travel. Take your time, there’s no rush. Don’t read the rest of this article until you’ve made your exhaustive list, then set it aside and rest.

When you’re ready to resume, make another list. This is your hopes and dreams for what this Christmas will bring. What will Christmas be like this year and who will be in the picture? Who do you look forward to spending time with and who will you sorely miss? Take your time, indulge your nostalgia. Now, dream a bit. What kind of world do you want to live in this Christmas and beyond? Include your larger family, your parish, your community, and the world. Think about your hopes for yourself and for the world this Christmas. Take your time, there’s no rush.

Take a look at the Advent readings from Isaiah as you ponder what you want to put on your list. Isaiah 2:1-5, Isaiah 11:1-10

When you have all you want on both your “to-do” and your “Christmas hopes” lists, review them alongside each other. Circle everything on your “to-do” list that contributes to realizing your “Christmas hopes.” What tasks on your list of things that must get done before Christmas contribute directly to your deep hopes and longings about life and the world? Certainly there are many short term urgencies that need doing, but do they contribute to your big-picture hopes and dreams for the world?

Advent beckons us to put things in perspective, to channel our energy and resources toward things that advance the Kingdom of God. Advent challenges us to leave the familiar and well-trod paths and venture down another way. So, this year be kind to yourself. Maybe you won’t accomplish your whole “to-do” list. Frankly, we seldom do. Don’t beat yourself up. Instead, hang on to that list of hopes and dreams, that’s a little more forgiving. That’s the list that keeps on giving! Hang on to that, dear one.

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Hello Everyone,

Since we just passed Thanksgiving and are looking forward to Christmas, I thought I would share a recent experience for which I am thankful. It seems appropriate to reflect upon the good things in life as we approach a season of great joy! I was blessed with the opportunity to serve as a staff member for the recent Happening weekend last month. I knew that we had several youth who were interested in attending, and I wanted to be there for their Happening experience. My Happening, two years ago, was an experience that I continue to reflect upon, and I wanted to help make the weekend as special as possible for our youth.

As a staff member that weekend, I had to be at Chanco super early in the morning, well early for a night owl. I arrived at the camp that morning with my suit case in tow, ready to begin setting up for the weekend. We immediately went to work decorating, and setting up the different areas for the Happeners that would arrive that evening. By the time the youth arrived for Happening I was exhausted from the day-long preparation. We immediately rolled into the action, after dinner, and began talking to the youth about the love of God, and how it impacted your life. It was amazing to watch the different youth open up throughout the course of the weekend. Some of the quiet, more reserved youth, who were apprehensive on Friday night opened up as the weekend progressed.

I watched as our own youth connected with other youth from across the diocese. They talked, laughed, worked together, and connected with their fellow Happeners. The more we discussed God's love, and the further along the weekend progressed, the more I could sense God's presence. It was amazing to watch as the group bonded through worship, prayer, and sharing meals together. I was refreshed as I watch them participate in this experience. It could not have come at a better time; with all of the turmoil over the election, and the tension throughout the nation, this served as a much needed reminder that God loves, and he calls us to love. I know that the weekend was a moving experience for myself, and I am looking forward to taking our next group up to Happening #66 in the spring.

Please check the middle pages of the Bell Ringer for more EYC information.

God Bless,

~AJ Lambert

Poinsettias For The Church If you would like to donate poinsettias for the Christmas services, they are $12 and sign-up sheets are now outside the Parish Hall or order online.

Vestry Nominations Nominations for vestry are due in December. Vestry mem-bers are leaders who, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, direct the business, mission, and ministry of the parish. Vestry members need to be “members in good standing” which means active communicants, confirmed or received, and regular supporters of the parish’s ministry & mission. If you are interested or wish to know more, ask Father Bob or any vestry member. Submit by email or written note your desire to be nominated and we will let you know what is helpful for background information.

From our Youth Minister

Morning Prayer

7:30 every weekday morning through

23 December

A wonderful way to prepare for Christmas!

Advent Events

Longest Night - Blue Christmas on Wednesday, December 21st at 7:00pm. A service for those who don’t feel particu-larly “merry” this season.

Christmas Eve Pageant and Eucharist on December 24th at 5:00pm has a cast of our children and youth for a tradi-tional Christmas pageant and carols, true to the Scriptural accounts, followed by Holy Communion. There is no ser-mon and the service typically lasts less than one hour.

Christmas Eve Festival Eucharist on December 24 at 8:00 and 11:00pm. The full choir sings at both service times so everyone may participate in the best offering of thanksgiv-ing to God. The 11:00pm service is preceded by 30 min-utes of Christmas Lessons & Carols, starting at 10:30pm.

Christmas Morning Eucharist at 10:00am. This service is a quieter reflective service including carols and commun-ion. It is often the perfect ending to a morning that might have started early with gift opening as we give thanks for the greatest gift of all.

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Church (Anglican) in Nazareth. Fr. Nael explained what it means to be “Arab, Christian, Palestinian, and Israeli” in this day. His interfaith work with faith leaders from the Jewish, Muslim, Druze and Christian traditions is building bridges of hope. He was an articulate, candid, and insightful voice and I continue to keep him and his ministry in my prayers.

Some of the unexpected joys came from simple interactions. A crowd of pre-teen boys on bicycles escorted us as we walked through the streets of Burquin at night. We were on the way to an incredible church where Jesus healed the 10 lepers. It is one of the kinds of places that most tours don’t go — deep in the Palestinian Authority lands. The boys, good-naturedly and with humor (and hope) kept calling out “money, money!” Mal Higgins had a wonderful picture taken with a few of them. They were our guide through narrow streets. A restaurant owner where we had lunch in the Old City of Jerusalem was a wonderfully gracious host. Then the next day, as we were crossing a major street to go in the Damascus Gate, there he was on his day off to do some normal shopping. We recognized him and he greeted us like we were his long lost cousins. Shop owners in Nazareth and Bethlehem, … people giving us directions in Jerusalem… or samples of “wedding wine” in a shop in Cana… every day there was some new way that we were being blessed.

We had dinners in a Jewish home (for family Shabbat no less); with a Christian family; Muslim family, and lunch in a restaurant owned by a Druze elder. We tasted wine in a Jewish Settlement in the West Bank (illegal per international law). The food was great, but the hospitality and sharing of life was better.

One of the best parts of the trip was our guide / teacher and bus driver, both supplied by our tour organizer. Lazarus and Mahmoud were both engaging, extraordinarily capable, and made the trip efficient and effective. In January, our pilgrimage group will present a three week series on Wednesday nights to share our experiences. I hope you will join us because the pictures and experiences are so much more than I can describe in writing.

Shalom, Salaam,

Holy Land Pilgrimage

Twenty-five of us had one of those “trips of a lifetime” experiences on our 10 night pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

We walked in the streets of the Bible, sometimes possibly on the very stones and dirt where Jesus walked, especially in sites like Magdala. This Biblical city on the Sea of Galilee is the home for Mary Magdalene (or Mary of Magdala). The discovery of the first century ruins and excavation work was only in the past 15 years, uncovering rooms, floors and streets that have been buried since roughly 70 C.E.

We had holy moments filled with grace in some of the biblical sites such as when we celebrated the Eucharist with the Sea of Galilee framing the altar almost at sunset. We were at “Tabgha” the site of the feeding of the 5,000 — breaking the bread of abundance that in God’s hands is always sufficient for the need. Our view and sense of community made it one of the highlights of our pilgrimage. We reaffirmed our baptisms with immersion in the Jordan River. Walking in the Church built over Calvary and the empty tomb of Jesus and putting our hands on the spot where Jesus was born in Bethlehem were moments of awe.

But it was encounters with contemporary people that made the journey so much more than we expected. People who are trying to bridge the divide in such a conflicted and separated land stood out. Some were organizing work for the poor and oppressed that could not only provide a reasonable living, but also provide a sense of dignity and pride. We heard about that kind of in Jericho from the founder of “Seeds of Hope” and an Olive Oil co-op in Samaria that sells its goods here.

We met folks on every side of the tensions who are translating their faith into action for reconciliation. We had a most helpful discussion with the rector of Christ

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Adult Forum in December

The Nativity Through…

Dec 4: Scripture! Come and see what the Bible says about the Nativity, the Christmas Story, and how the Word of God came to be as we journey back to our roots and sort out the secular themes that have been mixed in over time. Led by Father Bob.

Dec 11: Art! Join Linda McGraw in an exploration of Roman times, Byzantine art and Western art, and how artists depicted the Manger Scene. We will also see how modern day interpretations may vary from what we know.

Dec 18: Our Own Creches! Please bring your favorite creche from home to display around the parish hall, so that we can enjoy some holiday cheer and refreshments as we look at the nativity in all sizes, forms, and materi-als.

Young Adults

Our young adult group continues to meet on Thursday nights from 6:00-7:30pm, dinner AND childcare in-cluded! Both adults and kids have been having a won-derful time getting together, and if you’d like to be a part of it just let Mother Ashley know! We’ll also be having a Christmas party, so keep an eye out for details on that as well..

Family Movie Night

and Cookie Extravaganza!

Pizza, Movie & Cookies!

Friday, December 9th 5:30pm

Please bring a dozen cookies to share. RSVP by December 7th!

Sunday School News We have gone through quite a journey this year in our Sunday School classes!

The PreK-1st graders have been talking about being a Godly Kid, how God can overcome our Monsters, what Kids in Mission can do, and will now be exploring the meaning of the Advent Candles.

Our older classes have been working through the prophets in different forms, learning about what they had to teach ages ago and today. Now, they will be en-tering into units focusing on Jesus and all the ways he appears to us in scripture.

Finally, be especially sure to be in class on December 18 for Raffle Sunday! You must be present to win!

No Wednesday Night Program We’ll be taking December off, and will resume on

January 11.

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Episcopal Youth Community

December Dates:

Sunday, December 4th - Ice Skating Drop-off: 4:00pm Pick-up: 7:30pm Sunday, December 11th - EYC Middle School: 4:30-5:30pm Dinner: 5:30-6:00pm High School: 6:00-7:30pm Sunday, December 18th - Christmas Party Middle School: 4:30-6:00pm High School: 6:00-7:30pm Sunday, December 25th - No EYC Sunday, January 1st - No EYC Sunday, January 8th - EYC Middle School: 4:30-5:30pm Dinner: 5:30-6:00pm High School: 6:00-7:30pm

Christmas Pageant Sign Ups There is a sign up poster outside the Parish Hall for the

Christmas Eve Pageant through December 6th.

Come one, come all! Children up to 6th grade needed for the cast of the 2016 Old Donation Episcopal

Church Christmas Eve Pageant. School age children who would like a speaking part, please meet in the church after the 10:30 am service on December 11 to choose parts, read through the lines and take home a copy of the script. The same group will meet again in the church after the 10:30 am service on Decem-ber 18 to rehearse.

If your younger than pre-school child would like to par-ticipate as an animal or angel, please email me their name so they can be included in the bulletin cast list. The little ones do NOT need to come to the December 11 or 18 rehearsals.

All children, including the little ones who would like to be the animals and angels and those with speaking parts, please meet at the church at 6:30 pm on December 23 to run through the lines and places.

All children involved in the pageant need to be in Alfriend House on December 24 by 4 pm to get their cos-tumes on, hear last minute instructions, take a group cast photo and process to the church together in time for the 5:00pm worship. Parents of small children please plan to stay with them in Alfriend House until right before the show to help keep chaos to a minimum. Ask someone to save your seats in the church.

After the pageant, children may stay at the altar rail for the remainder of the service, or sit with you. Please re-turn all costumes to Alfriend House immediately after the service so our helpers can put everything away and head home for their family festivities as quickly as possi-ble.

ODEC youth grades 7-12 are welcome to volunteer as stage crew and helpers, please let Michelle know via email or text.

Parents, please call or text Michelle Stephenson Galvez with any questions: 757-618-8046 or email her at m.stephenson.galvez@live.com. Thank you for your sup-port of our annual pageant!

Advent Inspiration on Pinterest Return daily for an Advent reflection and

suggestion for living the Advent life! https://www.pinterest.com/olddonation/

Also, find other interesting things on our Pinterest page! Check it out!

Youth Winter Weekend

Our annual winter trip is on the horizon - January 13th-15th! We are off to Massanutten Resort for a weekend of skiing, snowboarding, and snow-tubing! If you are interested in attend-ing please RSVP to AJ quickly! If you are inter-ested in chaperoning for this event contact AJ! There are scholarships available for those who need them. Don't miss out!

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Oyster Roast Thank You

We did it again---exceeded previous years’ receipts and probably final tallies with our Oyster Roast and Fall Fes-tival! We love to offer what we do best, whether it is pickling, baking, shucking, cooking, roasting, orga-nizing, selling or serving and our community responds.

THANK YOU to all who responded to the many re-quests for help over the months and during set-up and anything - very heartwarming to those who worked long hours in the days and hours leading up to the actual event!

~Carol Gurioli, Volunteer Coordinator, Oyster Roast 2016

Healthy Living

Walking through Advent The Christmas season is the high point of the year for many people around the world. The decorations, the mu-sic, the celebrations, the worship observances, the giving and receiving of gifts, and gathering of families mark this important event in the life of our faith. The Advent sea-son offers us the opportunity to take time to prepare our-selves spiritually for the coming of the Christ child. That’s what the season is all about---preparing our hearts and minds and spirits for God’s coming. We are challenged during this season of preparation to take time out from our busy lives to be with Him. This is the time we can benefit with reflection on the mysteries of Jesus’ birth and what it means to us.

The Parish Nursing Ministry’s purpose is to promote physical, mental, and spiritual health of our faith commu-nity as well as our larger community. For this Advent sea-son, we will embark on a virtual journey to Bethlehem similar to the one we took earlier this year when we “walked” to Jerusalem. The Walking through Advent pro-gram is designed to give every participant the opportunity to set aside time to spend with God as we prepare our hearts, minds, and spirits for God’s coming. The program affords you to attend to your spiritual health while you enhance your physical and mental health through an exer-cise program of your choice, the most common being walking. As you clear your mind of chaotic thoughts and overwhelming holiday planning, physical activity will give you time for contemplation and reflection on the meaning of Advent. We will collect the miles from you all and up-date the map periodically.

ALL ARE WELCOME TO JOIN THE FUN! How Does It Work? 1. Until December 24: Track your activity (20 minutes of exercise=1 mile), which keeps your body healthy 2. Spend time reflecting on the meaning of the season during your activity, which keeps the experience of the Holy Spirit alive in our midst 3. Invite others to walk with you, which provides an opportunity to include others in the mission of the church az4. Submit your mileage to Sandy Colvin via email, text message, or by writing it down and dropping it in the box under the map on the parish nursing bulletin board in the Parish Hall Contact Information: Sandy Colvin RN, BSN Sandy.Colvin926@gmail.com Cell: 757-286-2572

Two Join Legacy Society of 1637

“Sharing Love into the Future” was the theme of the Planned Giving educational seminar held in April. Since then two parishioners, Sharon Payne and Joseph (Joe) Trammel, have become members of the Legacy Society. They, along with the other 37 Legacy Society members, are an inspiration in their estate planning in support of Old Donation’s Endowment Fund. Together through future gifts, no matter the size, they enable Old Donation to fulfill our mission to serve the community.

Bill Dullaghan provided nine giving suggestions in the April Seminar. This was the fourth option: Life Insurance – How it works •If you have an existing life insurance policy that is no longer needed to protect your children, your spouse, or a business interest, you can name the ODEC Endowment Fund as the policy's beneficiary. Because the beneficiary is a revocable gift, you are not entitled to an income tax deduction; the value of the policy is deductible from your taxable estate. If you also transfer ownership of the policy to the ODEC Endowment Fund, you can immediately deduct the current values of the policy from your income taxes. If you are still paying premiums, you can deduct the cost of those premiums each year. You may also purchase a new Life Insurance policy to benefit the ODEC Endow-ment Fund. With the ODEC Endowment Fund desig-nated as the owner and beneficiary, you are entitled to an income tax deduction for your initial contribution and the premium payments each year. If you choose this method, please inform the ODEC Endowment Commit-tee Chair, currently Michael Good, and Ned Kuhns, treasurer, also a member of the Endowment Committee. The Endowment Committee will maintain records. •Note: in the event of a death, the Trustee / Executor should notify ODEC Planned Giving Committee.

For more information, contact the church office, or Planned Giving member Earl Morris: 757-464-1062 or email at: burrova@verizon.net

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Valuing our Blessings

Day School News

2016 Charitable Deductions

For those who so generously support Old Donation Episcopal Church with their monetary contributions, please be aware that donors must deliver checks on or before Saturday, December 31, 2016 in order to claim a charitable deduction for 2016. According to IRS policy, checks that are placed in the church offering during the first worship service ion Sunday, 1 January, 2017 will not qualify for a deduction in 2016, even if the check is past-dated to 2016, or was actually written in 2016. However, under the so called “mailbox exception,” checks that are written, mailed and postmarked in 2016 will be deductible in 2016 even if the church does not receive them until 2017.

Therefore, to ensure you receive the proper credit for a 2016 contribution on your end-of-year statement, please ensure checks are placed in the Sunday, December 25, 2016 offering, or mailed and postmarked by December 31, 2016. Your help in this matter is appreciated.

~Ned Kuhns

CY 2016 Commission Expenses

We want to close our 2016 financial accounts records as early as possible in the coming year. To accomplish this, a cutoff for the submission of all Church expenses for 2016 has been established as of Friday, January 6, 2017. All commission members who have expenses to be paid with 2016 Church funds should submit those expense documentations by that date. Requests for payments received after January 6, 2017 will be recorded against budget year 2017 funds.

~Ned Kuhns, Treasurer

EPIPHANY -

Chili Supper & Holy Eucharist Friday, January 6 at 6:00pm, HE 7:00pm Come, share in our community chili supper to celebrate Epiphany. We will have two or three huge pots - ground beef, chicken and vegetarian. You make some chili with your own recipe and toss it into the appropriate pot with everyone else’s. We will see how God can blend all the recipes together into something wonderful and tasty. We ask children who have new toys to bring an older, gently used toy to offer back for outreach and for a can of food to resupply the Mission’s food bank. De-tails to come!

Treasurer’s Notes...

Total Pledge and Plate Received $554,215 Total Pledge and Plate Budget (YTD) $539,900 Budget Received Difference $14,315

Number of Pledging Units to General Fund 259

Building Fund $164,715 Mission of the Holy Spirit $10,018 Outreach (all other) $2,842 Clergy Discretionary Fund $8,114 Worship $9,011 Julia Tucker Scholarship Fund (Day School) $1,191

Merry Christmas from your Day School!

The Christmas season is such a wonderful time of year. The children are so excited - talking about Santa and presents - but we like to turn their thoughts away from themselves and talk about how they can help others! We started the season off with a can food collection which was delivered to The Mission of the Holy Spirit. In December, the 4-year-olds will collect stocking stuff-ers for the Salvation Army stocking program. The 3-year-olds will collect donations for F.O.R. Kids Inc. They end up with a HUGE collection of canned goods, toys, clothes, and toiletries that the teachers deliver just in time for Christmas! By taking an active role, the Day School children experience the joy of giving! If you would like to see our sweet children, stop by anytime between 9:00am and 12:00 or join us for our Christ-mas Sing-A-Longs on December 14th or 15th at 11:30am in Tucker Hall. Bring your bells and sing-a-long!

Old Donation Episcopal Day School

Registration for 2017-2018

Parishioner Date:

January 18, 2017

11:30am: Day School Office Classes for Ages 2 – Kindergarten

Early Drop and Extended Day Available

odeds@olddonation.org

Call anytime for a tour! 499-2283

www.olddonation.org

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Parish Life

Paws, Prayers & Praise

Eucharist is December 11th at 5:00pm in the church. This is a great opportunity to bring a

guest, furry or otherwise, who might not attend a regular Sunday service!

Beans & Rice Ministry Help distribute on the 1st Saturday of every month 9:00-11:00am in the Historic Church.

December 3rd & January 7th

Outreach

2016 has been a busy year for the Outreach Commis-sion. We have touched many lives with our generosity. Most recently in a Feeding of the Homeless with Bayside Presbyterian with 12 volunteers from ODEC. We will feed dinner five times at the JCOC in 2017 and look for-ward to this important ministry. We sent a check for $1,000 to St. Francis on Rosemont Rd to help support folks who lost so much in Windsor Woods during the hurricane. Through the Episcopal Relief and Develop-ment we bought a donkey, plow and cart for someone in Africa to carry their produce to market. The donkey and cart can be rented as family income and the donkey is added security. We now have childrens names on the An-gel Tree. Pick a name and buy a gift for a child whose par-ent is in prison. I thank you for your hours of service to Outreach. Your generosity to Stewardship makes this all possible. We welcome you to come to our meetings the first Wednesday of the month. God Bless you all. ~Betts Werbiskis Chairman Outreach Commission

Celebrating Chanukah at ODEC! ODEC is pleased to host Tidewater Chavurah's Chanu-kah celebration on Thursday, 29 December at 5:00pm. Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill, spiritual leader of Tidewater Cha-vurah, will give a brief overview of the holiday's history and rituals. The celebration will include candle lighting, songs, dreidel games, and plates and plates of latkes (potato pancakes). Everyone in the ODEC community is invited, and if you like to cook, you're welcome to fry up latkes in the kitchen beginning at 3:00pm. If you would like to try your hand at preparing latkes (which actu-ally can be made from many different vegetables), or would like any other information, please get in touch with Rabbi Ellen at rab-bicantorejg@gmail.com.

JOY Dinner Group Friday, 16 December Il Giardino Ristorante, 910 Atlantic Ave RSVP by Monday 12 Dec to David Eckhardt: 395-0008

Ladies’ Game Night Friday, December 2nd, 7:00pm

Alfriend House

Come for fun, fun, fun and

Christmas cheer!

Special Music: Virginia Handbell Consort

Sunday, December 18, 5:00pm in the Historic Church. A reception follows

in the Parish Hall

Annual Meeting The Annual Meeting of

Old Donation Episcopal Church is scheduled for

Sunday, January 29th at 9:15am in the church.

2016 Vestry George Butler, Senior Warden Bill Dullaghan, Christian Formation Phyllis Haas, Historic Traditions & Communications Stacey Howeth, Outreach Carol Gurioli, Day School Jeff Hood, Stewardship Rich Kuhr, Finance Sharon Payne, People’s Warden, Building & Facilities Planning John Brown, Buildings & Grounds Vicki Dorsett, Congregational Care Laura Horvath, Parish Life Chip Saunders, Evangelism Ryan Piston, Youth Representative/Christian Formation

1st Circle - Holiday Pot Luck Luncheon Wednesday, 14 December, 11:00am

At Robyn Waltrip’s home!

Ushers Needed! The 10:30am Historic Church service needs more ush-ers. You may volunteer as a stand-by, or for a particular month. If you are interested, please speak to one of the 10:30am ushers, or contact Mike Vecerkauskas 403-2769. Thanks!

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Birthdays

01 Finn Malcom 02 Jillian Valese 03 Jennifer Schmidt Kim Tibbitt 04 Katie Parker Susan Stephenson Shannon Somers 05 M. Scott Laine Martha Gentry Nancy Fitch Bruce Woodhouse 06 Jonna Walker Tim Colvin Matthew Rose Madison Myers Jim New 08 Heather Mills Greg Burroughs Peggy Luhring Deb DeMarco 09 Evan Weintraub Jessica Epps Amber Smith 10 Kevin Keller 11 Rebecca Schweiger Gary Kline Yvonne Raynolds Brian Weems Jonathan Crockett 12 Sean Hurley Megan Johnson 13 Karen Dudley Katie Osterman 14 Donald MacDougall Kelly Good Dave Smith

December Celebrations

Anniversaries

1 Dick & Ellie Kreassig 5 Holly & Patrick Swanson 8 Peter & Ann Hatchard 13 Paul & Darlene Castellano 15 Dave & Denise Wilkinson, Jean & Bill Holt 17 Elizabeth & AJ Lambert, Ashley & Ben Urquidi 18 Dan & Courtney Miani, Leslie & Robert Miller Keith & Meredith Moore 19 Brian & Katie Wubker 20 Felix Tsai & Judith Hanson 27 Marta & Drew Cohen 31 Jane & Frank Tibbitt

15 Forrest Newhall, III Barbara Lifland Jackie Murray Kelly Routh 17 Dean Buckius Heather Heying Bethany Walpert 18 Debbie Rose Dan Ries Joseph Varmecky, III Shannon Koprowski Nolan Miani 19 Rebecca Barrio Connor Malcom 20 Bob Randall Keith Houtwed 21 Lenore Quandt Bill Boyll Trudy Gross 22 Ginny Cranford Kane Eaton 23 Boo Thiele Jesse Malcom David Eckhardt 24 Michael Davis Lew Friedrichsen 26 Ethan Merry Coyle Moore 27 Laura Buckius Lily Koprowski 29 Adela Merry 30 Timothy Merry 31 Malcolm Thiele Betsy Morris Megan Barrio James Baker

Stewardship

We have made very good progress with our stewardship effort this year, providing a foundation for next year’s budget. However, we have many pledges outstanding. If you haven’t yet turned in your pledge, please do so this week. Soon the vestry will be making follow-up calls for people from whom we haven’t heard. Save a phone call. In the December meeting we will try to settle the budget for 2017 with final confirmation in the January meeting.

Our newly Baptized:

Tylar Parker Sophie Parker

Edward Warneke Katherine Sisson

Confirmation Class — Thanks be to GOD for our newly confirmed members! Bishop Jones was pleased with one our large group for Confirmation on his visit October 16. We had 16 youth and 11 adults for confirmation and reception. Most of the youth had completed the three year J2A class for preparation, including the spiritual pilgrimage to Ireland. Adults participated in the classes offered in the fall. We give thanks for these who have made their mature adult commitment to Christ and received prayers for the Holy Spirit to strengthen them for ministry.

Our newly Confirmed:

Cole Aydar Cameron Brunick Christian Brown Mary Charles Burt Scotty Carter Joanna Gerace Cole Jackson Kinsey Kreassig Tim Kuehn Kyle Long Ryan Piston Libby Putzig Molly Sayles Ben Urquidi Michaela Vecerkauskas Melanie Waggoner Fred Warneke Megan Warneke Evan Weintraub Drew White Cassondra White Brooke Wilkinson

Our newly Received:

Emily Holmes Kristen Prestigiacomo

David Sisson Mike Vecerkauskas

Marisa Walpert

Rise in Glory:

Betty Hazen Joyce Pettet

Johnny Wool

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ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Weekly Worship Schedule 8:00am Holy Eucharist, Rite I 9:15am Holy Eucharist, Rite II 9:30-10:15am Christian Formation 10:30am Holy Eucharist, Rite II 10:30am The Gathering 2nd Sunday of the Month 5:00pm Paws, Prayers & Praise Thursday 10:00am Holy Eucharist 11:00am Bible Study

Old Donation Episcopal Church Jesus Christ, Head of the Church

The Rt. Rev. Herman Hollerith, IV, Bishop The Rev. Robert J. Randall, Jr., Rector

The Rev. Ashley E. Urquidi, Assistant Rector The Rev. Fred Poteet, Associate Rector

Mr. AJ Lambert, Youth Minister 4449 N. Witchduck Road, Virginia Beach, 23455

Phone: 757-497-0563 Fax: 757-497-9291 Church E-mail: odec@olddonation.org Parish Web Site: www.olddonation.org

Old Donation Episcopal Day School Janet Brown & Jody Baker, Day School Directors

Phone: 757-499-2283 Fax: 757-497-9291 Ages 2, 3, 4 and Kindergarten

Day School Hours: 9:00 am – 12:20 pm Monday – Friday

Early Drop Off & After School until 2:20 pm odeds@olddonation.org