12/22/22 The Beckford Connection

12/22/22 The Beckford Connection

CHRISTMAS EVE, CHRISTMAS DAY & NEW YEAR’S DAY SERVICES
All services stream on Facebook Live.

Christmas Eve
5 p.m. Emmanuel
9 p.m. St. Andrew’s
Christmas Day
10 a.m. St. Andrew’s

New Year’s Day, Lessons & Carols
10 a.m. Emmanuel

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM MOTHER KATHY

Friends in Christ,

Christmas Greetings!

For most of us, the beloved symbols and traditions of this holy season of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany are at the heart of our Christmas preparations. Without them, it wouldn’t feel like Christmas. Adding our nativity sets to our churches this year has been a wonderful reminder that God is always doing something new in our hearts and lives.

Here in Beckford Parish, we have spent the last year wondering and asking one another what new things God has in store for us as a community of faith. Have you been part of that wondering and some of those conversations? They are ongoing and will continue in the new year.

God sees all sorts of possibilities for us! We might laugh like Sarah or scratch our heads like Abraham, wondering how this could be, but the wonder of the Christmas story is that God is always ready to do something new and life-giving in our lives if we will join with Mary and Joseph and say “Yes!”

I invite you to join us for Christmas services as we celebrate the birth of Christ.  Allow the good news of Christmas to bring great joy to your heart and mind.  Encourage family and friends to join us at Emmanuel and Saint Andrew’s this Christmas so that the miracle of Christmas may be born in them, too.

May we each move through this season with a renewed sense of wonder, hope, and expectation, knowing that God has new and remarkable things in store for us, no matter our station or stage in life. Together let us offer God our own “yes.”

Marty and I wish you and yours a joyful and blessed Christmas.

Yours faithfully,

2022 GIVING TREE

As you wrap up your Christmas shopping and donations, please keep in mind our Giving Tree. This year, we’re collecting donations for pet food to help families who come to Emmanuel’s Table Food Pantry and are taking a collection to support Grandparents as Parents (GAP).

Our furry friends are an important part of our families and those experiencing food insecurity often are struggling to feed their furry family as well. In our area, there are few resources to get pet food, so Emmanuel’s Table has been stepping in to help fill this need.

GAP, a ministry led by Shelia Helsley, is a vital group in ShenCo serving the grandparents serving as parents. These grandparents have been unexpectedly called upon to step up to fill the role of parent to their grandchildren, so appreciate the help GAP provides in offering support in the form of community, education, food, clothing, and more. This Christmas, the GAP families are receiving a Christmas box to help make their Christmas brighter (and ensure there’s something under the tree for everyone).

We’re asking that folks send monetary donations, made out to Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and noting that it is for Giving Tree to 122 E. Court St., Woodstock, VA 22664. Or, you can pick items (including gift cards) from THIS AMAZON WISH LIST and have them mailed directly to the church.

Please feel free to share this with friends and family who are looking for ways to give back this holiday season. We’ll be taking donations through the end of January, with monetary donations divided evenly between both groups.

2022 ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS DEVOTIONAL
Here is the 2022 Advent and Christmas Reflections Devotional for your enjoyment. It’s available as a PDF.

EMMANUEL’S TABLE FOOD PANTRY
Emmanuel’s Table is open every second and fourth Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The next dates are Jan. 10 and 24. We always welcome folks to help unload deliveries and pack and distribute food. A huge thanks to all those who have stepped in to help coordinate the food pantry to make sure we can keep feeding our neighbors who experience food insecurity. 

PRAYER LIST
One of the greatest gifts we have to offer each other as a parish family is our prayers for ourselves, our families, and our loved ones. You’re invited to sit with your parish directory and, each day, lift up a section or page of names a day. Let’s continuously hold each other in prayer. Let us pray: God of grace and comfort, enfold our parish members, family, and friends with your mercy. Strengthen each one with a shield of faith and enable them to accept what is to come, heal them and bear their pain, keep them in peace, and fix their hearts on you through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Our prayer list can be found on our website. If you have folks you’d like added to the prayer list, please email their names to email Melissa.

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

12/2    Colleen Gray
12/3    Penelope Carroll
12/4    Brigetta Stewart
12/11  Joanne Poplar
12/20   Mike Gray
12/28   Benjamin Smith
12/28   Kemp Miller
12/26   Joe Doroshenk
12/30   Mal Sarna
12/30   Mary Spear

We’d like to celebrate anniversaries as well in The Beckford Connection. Please email Melissa and let us know if you have an upcoming anniversary you’d like included.

WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

WEEKDAY SERVICES 
NIGHTLY COMPLINE
Sunday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Compline on Facebook Live and Zoom 

WEDNESDAY HEALING EUCHARIST
Resumes Jan. 5

SUNDAY SERVICES ** Please see above for change in times for this Sunday and next **
8 a.m. Emmanuel 
9:15 a.m. St. Andrew’s and Facebook Live 
11:15 a.m. Emmanuel and Facebook Live 
The full bulletin is available here on our website.

All weekly and Sunday services are available to view on Facebook and our website  after the services, when available.