THIS COMING SUNDAY

Advent III, December 11, 2016

• Sunday School: 9:45
• Solemn Mass: 11:00
• Sunday's Appointed Readings: Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:4-9; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11; Preaching:  The Rector 

COMING UP AT ST. PAUL'S

• Be Merry & Bright!  Check out the holy-jolly Christmas goodies for sale at Coffee Hour on December 11 & 18!  Gifts, stocking stuffers, handmade treats, snazzy décor—all this and more!  ALSO, look into this year’s special, a raffle for the CHRISTMAS QUILT—buy your raffle tickets; drawing will be December 18.
• Christmas Book Drive  Your donations of NEW children’s books will be received through Sunday morning, December 11, when following Coffee Hour they will be wrapped by volunteer parishioners. Will you join the wrapping party?  If you would rather, you may submit a cash donation and the committee will purchase books out of the monies received.  Wrapped gifts will be taken to the Miccio Center for distribution.  For further information about giving, how to join in wrapping, please ask to speak with Anne Hallmark.
• Holidaytime Food Collection  Our Sunday School students invite us to contribute to their collection of NONPERISHABLE food stuffs that will be delivered to the Food Closet at First Presbyterian, Brooklyn Heights on Three Kings Day (Epiphany, January 6).  Bins prepared to receive your donations are placed in the rear of the church. 
• Socks!  This fall, the youth group has been collecting CLEAN NEW WARM men's socks for the homeless men who eat at the CHIPS Center on 4th Ave. Response has been wonderful!  There is still time for you to add another pair or two if you get them to church on time!
• Christmas Memorial/Thanksgiving Greens  Use the special envelopes placed in Advent’s Sunday bulletins to make your contribution towards the greening of the Church for the Christmas Feast.  For information on how to make memorials by mail, please contact the Church at info@stpaulscarrollst.org
• There will be NO third Friday Supper in December.
• The thanks of our Vestry and Stewardship Committee are extended to all who have met their 2016 pledges, and to all others who are scrambling to do so!  Thanks too to all who have submitted their 2017 pledge cards.  If you’re “out of sync” with any of these matters, and would like to catch up, or amend your pledged amount, or make a first time pledge of 2017, ask to speak with Doug Munson.  Such (confidentially held) information helps the Vestry amend our spending to realistic figures!  Thanks again.
• Special Christmas Liturgies:  At the conclusion of next Sunday’s Mass of Advent IV (December 18), the Sunday School students will help us prepare the Christmas Creche at a brief service of lessons and congregational carols.  On Saturday, December 24, there will be an early, 5:30 p.m. mass for families with young children.  At 10:45 p.m., carols will be sung before the Mass of Christmas Midnight begins at 11:00.  On Sunday, Christmas Day, Low Mass with Carols will be celebrated at the usual hour of 11:00 a.m.  Pre-Christmas confessions may be made by appointment.