The Weekly Report
For December 19, 2010

Sunday

Altar Flowers — Altar flowers are not displayed during Advent except for the third Sunday, Rose Sunday, also known as Gaudete Sunday. If you wish to sponsor a flower arrangement to commemorate some special event or in memory of a loved one, you may sign up for a future Sunday on the Flower Calendar in the narthex. More than one commemoration may be made on any Sunday. If you have trouble locating the calendar please ask an usher to assist you.

Decorating the church for Christmas Today!— We need help decorating the church for Christmas. Christmas is nearly here and the members of the Flower Guild have designed decorations we think may be even more beautiful than those of the past! As always we need your help to bring this beauty to fruition. We are looking for Christmas elves to help decorate the church today beginning, at 1:00 p.m. Decorating usually takes less than four hours and we welcome your help for all or part of this time. If you are not able to help today, then please consider helping to dismantle the decorations beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, 2 January 2011.

Have you pledged for 2011?— Your pledge is important! Your financial gifts support Christ’s ministry in this parish. By pledging now for 2011, you help the Vestry and Finance Committee determine what ministries and events can be funded in the coming year.

You may find pledge forms at the back of the church. Please fill one out and drop it into the box marked for Pledge Forms near the center door. Please consider your pledge thoughtfully and prayerfully and give generously. Don’t be left out of this dynamic stewardship season. Pledge forms may also be placed in the offering plate or mailed to the Parish Office.

Community

Community Groups at ASA — The Ascension & St. Agnes Community Group meets regularly on
Monday evenings. For more information, contact Heather Joseph (hsalfrank@gmail.com) or 302.252.7834

Diabetes Support Group — The next meeting of the Diabetes Support Group will be Thursday, 6 January in the Parish House dining room at 7:00 pm. If you have any questions please contact Chuck Partridge (cpartridge@aota.org) or Susan Hawfield (shawfield@rebuildingtogethermc.org or 301-801-2961). All are welcome!

Theology Book Club — The next meeting of the Theology Book Club will take place on Tuesday, 11 January at 7:00 p.m. in the dining room of the Parish House. We will be continuing our discussion of the book Christian and Catholic, by the 19th-century Anglo-Catholic Bishop of Fond du Lac, Charles Chapman Grafton. This classic work is an exposition of how its author understood the Anglican expression of the Catholic faith. Much of the book can be found online at http://anglicanhistory.org/grafton/index.html. Evening Prayer will precede the meeting at 6:45 p.m. in the Lady Chapel. The usual light refreshment will be served and all parishioners are invited to attend.

Getting Involved

N Street Village — The regularly scheduled time for our Outreach ministry at N Street Village is the last Monday of the month. Our next date will be Monday, 27 December. We encourage new volunteers to become a part of this ministry. For more information, please contact Chuck Bass, Fred Sutton, Eve Wilkins or Albert Bacon

General Information

Christmas Decorations — Christmas Flower envelopes are available in each pew and at the back of the church. This special offering is for the flowers and greenery used to decorate our church in celebration of Our Saviour’s birth.

Parish Directory to be reissued — Please pick up a copy of the draft Parish Directory in the narthex or undercroft. Should you find an error in your information please contact the parish administrator, Michael Vreeland at 202.347.8161 or by e-mail at mwvreeland1@verizon.net. A corrected version will be available in January.

Intercessory Prayers — One of the goals of the parish’s Pastoral Care Team is to encourage communication and care among our parishioners. When you have a request for prayer, are feeling bereft or would like to hear a friendly voice please contact Anne Lyn Welsh (703.433.0939 annelynwelsh@comcast.net) and let her know.

Year-end contributions — Parishioners often make contributions at the end of the year and wonder how Ascension and St. Agnes determines in which year to record the contribution. Everyone should be aware of the IRS rules by which Ascension and St. Agnes operates regarding contributions received after 1 January. The church safe will be checked on 1 January. The contributions placed in the safe will be recorded on the 2010 contribution record if the date on the check is 31 December 2010 or earlier. When contributions arrive by mail after 1 January, the postmark will be checked on the envelopes. We will assume that any letter with a postmark of 2 January and earlier was in the mailbox by 31 December and thus will be recorded as 2010 contributions if the check is dated 31 December. Contributions in envelopes with postmarks of 3 January and later will be credited as 2011 contributions.

Christmastide Service Schedule

Christmas Eve

Friday, 24 December

9:30 p.m. Music Prelude
Choir and Congregation singing motets and carols with organ
and string orchestra: the theme O Magnum Mysterium

10:00 p.m. First Mass of Christmas, Pontifical High Mass
The Rt. Rev. James W. Montgomery, Celebrant

Christmas Day

Saturday, 25 December
10:00 a.m. Christmas Day Low Mass with Carols

The First Sunday after Christmas

Sunday, 26 December
10:00 a.m. High Mass

The Second Sunday after Christmas

Sunday, 2 January
10:00 am High Mass

Solemnity of the Epiphany

Sunday, 9 January
10:00 a.m. High Mass

Kalendar

Sunday, 19 December
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
7:40 am Morning Prayer, Church
8:00 am Low Mass, Church
10:00 am CGS, Atrium
10:00 am High Mass, Church
11:50 am Coffee Hour, Undercroft
12:30 pm Low Mass, St. Francis Chapel
1:00 pm Decorating for Christmas, Church

Monday, 20 December
Advent Feria
12:10 pm Low Mass, St. Agnes Chapel
7:00 pm Monday Night Group, Joseph Residence

Tuesday, 21 December
St. Thomas, the Apostle
12:10 pm Low Mass, St. Agnes Chapel

Wednesday, 22 December
Advent Feria
6:15 pm Evening Prayer, St. Agnes Chapel
6:30 pm Low Mass, St. Agnes Chapel

Thursday, 23 December
Advent Feria
12:10 pm Low Mass, St. Agnes Chapel
7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal, Parish House

Friday, 24 December
Advent Feria

Vigil of the Nativity
12:10 pm, Low Mass, St. Agnes Chapel
9:30 pm, Musical Prelude, Church
10:00 pm, First Mass of Christmas, Pontifical High Mass, Church

Saturday, 25 December
THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD
10:00 am Low Mass with Carols, Church

Sunday, 26 December
FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS
7:40 am Morning Prayer, Church
8:00 am Low Mass, Church
10:00 am High Mass, Church
11:50 am Coffee Hour Undercroft
12:30 pm Low Mass, St. Francis Chapel

The Weekly Report For December 19, 2010