Today we celebrate The Advent of Lessons and Carols. This is a very special way for us to hear and proclaim the message of Advent through song and inspired readings.
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LESSON I Anthony Joseph
Genesis 2:4b-9, 15-25
Creator of the stars of night
CAROL Hymn #60
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LESSON II Sylvia McClain
Genesis 3:1-22
CAROL Dona Nobis Pacem
Children of St. Mark’s
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LESSON III Paul Goldman
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Christ Is Coming
CAROL Marietta Cameron-Sowell, soloist
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Samantha Nelms, flutist
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LESSON IV Samantha Nelms
Micah 5:2-4
Prophets Knew
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LESSON V Ethan Duckery
Isaiah 7:10-15
Rejoice, Rejoice Believers
CAROL Hymn #68
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LESSON VI Mamie Hymes
s
Isaiah 11:1-9
Then shall come forth a shoot from Jesse
CAROL 
Ellarine Stroud and Marcus Noel, duet
LESSON VII Deacon Carolyn Foster
Luke 1: 26-38
CAROL Blest Be the King
ANNOUNCEMENTSn FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS-Thank you to Sundra Smith, the choir and the children of St. Mark’s for your hard work in preparing this beautiful service for us. ###
n Daughter2Daughter- On Saturday we hosted our second monthly seminar to support mothers and their daughters ages 11-14, by giving them tools for physical, emotional, and spiritual health. This month’s topic focused on peer pressure. We continue to get more and more interest from the community about this ministry. Please support us with your prayers by volunteering your time. ###
n CHRISTMAS PARTY DECEMBER 20th- We will have a covered dish lunch after the service on this Sunday. Participants in Daughter2Daughter and Young Lions will be among our guests.
n CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24th will be celebrated at 6:00 p.m. ###
n January 10th- Vestry meeting following the service. ###
n January 17th- Annual Parish meeting following the service. ###
n Fr. Edward J. Wilson is out of the hospital and living at Mount Royal Towers. He is accepting visitors. ###
n Joseph Samuel has completed the necessary course work required for the MA in Public Administration. Ceremonies for bestowing the MA degree will take place December 12, 2009 at 2:00pm at Bartow Arena. ###
n On Wednesday, December 2, 2009 the achievements of Dr. Mable Anderson, along with Warren "Rock" Hobbs and Ed Moyer were honored for their significant contributions to society and/or having achieved ambitious personal goals after the age of 50. The celebration of the Second-Half Champions Awards was sponsored by Wells Fargo Advisors, along with community partners The Birmingham News and WVTM NBC 13 and held at the Birmingham Museum of Art Steiner Auditorium. Second-Half Champions look at the second half of life in ways individuals don't traditionally associate with pre-retirement and retirement years. While many of us hit 50 and prepare to slow down and relax, our Second-Half Champions have chosen to begin anew in ambitious endeavors and accomplish awe-inspiring feats. Dr. Mable Bell Anderson is the founder and Pro Bona Executive Director of the Village Creek Human and Environmental Justice Society (VCS). The organization is working to re-engineer and restore the flood-prone areas of Village Creek and has repurposed part of that property as a learning and recreation area for high school students. Dr. Anderson's major focus now is to raise funding for construction to eliminate bank erosion and stabilize the flow of Village Creek, and to at long last solve the flooding problem in the area. Her dream is to make a 75-acre learning and recreation park at the site where families once endured the flooding of their homes. Says Dr. Anderson, "We have two ages: our chronological age and our activity age. We have to keep going and keep doing." ###
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BIRTHDAYS and ANNIVERSARIES
Birthdays-Lillie Lewis, Regina Mumford, Elgin Duckery
Anniversaries- Paul and Paige Goldman, Sam and Jalete Nelms
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