Organist: Al Fougere
Lay Reader (St. M.): Archie Noseworthy
(St. D.): Marie Mac Kinnon
Advent Wreath (St. M.): John & Sarah Langley
(St. D.): Wanda Radford
Mission Moment (St. M.): Sarah Chiasson
(St. D.): Yvonne Fox
Greeters/Collectors (St. M.): Valli Ross, Linda Howlett
Greeters (St. D.): Robert Mac Kinnon
Counters (St. M.): Annabel Butts, Anna Marie Langley
Collectors (St. D.): James Mac Fadyen, Alicia Vink
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday & Tuesday 9-12 noon, Nan at St. Mark’s
Wednesday & Thursday 9-12 noon, Jane at St. Mark’s
Friday Minister’s Day Off, 9-12 noon, Jane at St. Mark’s
The “UPPER ROOM” for November-December are available.
Food Bank donations are received on the last Sunday of the month.
Deadline for items for the bulletin is Thursday at noon.
Prayer Shawl Knitting Circle: Knitters and crocheters gather in the parlour of St. Mark’s on the 3rd Monday of each month. The next time of gathering is December 10, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. for this month only.
United Church Calendars are available at the office for $6.00 each.
PASTORAL AIRS at the Causeway, Sunday, December 2nd, 7 P.M. , St. David’s United Church, Port Hastings. Monetary donation at the door, in support of the Strait Area Food Bank. Various Musicians. Tea and oatcakes to follow.
Next morning worship at the Port Hawkesbury Nursing Home will be Christmas Eve, December 24th at 10:30 a.m.
December 24th – Christmas Eve Services:
10:30 a.m. - Service at Port Hawkesbury Nursing Home
4:00 p.m. - Christmas Eve Service at St. David’s
6:00 p.m. - Christmas Eve Service at St. Mark’s
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ST. MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Lay Readers:December 9th – Joyce Oliver-Snair
December 16th – Wayne Simpson
December 21st – Longest Night – Combined Service at St. Mark’s
December 23rd – David Chapman
December 24th – Christmas Eve – 6:00 p.m. Multiple Readers
December 30th – First after Christmas – Combined Service at St. David’s.
TODAY Refreshments following Church Service.
St Mark's Christmas tea and sale was a huge success this year showing a profit of $2711.20 This was only made possible by the generous support of our Church community Thanks to all who helped in any way and also to those who braved the stormy weather to attend
Friday, December 7th - 1 p.m. Everyone is welcome to help decorate for Christmas
December 18th – 7:00 p.m.; St. Mark’s Congregational Board Executive meets.
White Gift Offering donations received on the offering plate on White Gift Sunday, December 16th. St. Mark’s White Gift offering is divided between Port Hawkesbury Food Bank and Seasonal Services.
It is time once again to renew your Observer subscription. There are envelopes on the table in the church entry for both renewals and new subscriptions. St. Mark’s members receive a discount of $5 by subscribing as a group. Annual group subscription rate is $25. Please make cheques ($25) payable to St. Mark’s United Church with a notation that this is for “Observer Subscription”. Place your cheque in the Observer envelope on the offering plate. We have checked—St. David’s members who wish to order The Observer can be added to St. Mark’s subscription list, same cost. Deadline December 2nd.
Read The Observer for stories and perspectives you won’t find anywhere else!
Gifts with Vision Catalogues have arrived! The new Mission and Service Gifts with Vision catalogues can be found on the table in the church entry. Online orders can be placed at https://www.giftswithvision.ca/
The Worship and Pastoral Care Committee feels worship will be enhanced if we fill the front rather than the back pews. Please move forward if you are comfortable doing so.
Collection Counters/Recorders Needed - Please sign up. The load gets lighter when many helping hands participate.
The December FundScrip Order Date is Sunday December 2nd and the Delivery Date Sunday December 9th. Please note that this is the last order for 2018 before FundScrip resumes in January 2019.
December Promotions are as follows:
Esso 3% ( Regular 2% )
Canadian Tire 5% ( Regular 4% )
Sally Beauty 12% ( Regular 10% )
La Vie en Rose/Bikini Village 11% ( Regular 8% )
Winners/Home Sense 8% ( Regular 6% )
The Ultimate Dining Card 6% ( Regular 5% )
Build-A Bear-Workshop[ 10% ( Regular 7% )
WaySpa 13% ( Regular 10% )
Sobeys/Fast Fuels/Lawtons/Needs 3% ( Regular 2% )
Stokes/Think Kitchen 8% ( Regular 6% )
Please contact Patsy Brander at 902-625-1062 or Bonnie Dawson at 902-625-3838 if you have any questions or if you wish to join the program.
December 24th – 6:00 p.m. - Christmas Eve Service
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ST. DAVID’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Lay Readers:December 9th – Margie Mac Intyre
December 16th – Mary Jess Mac Donald
December 23rd – Kevin Pierce
December 24th – Christmas Eve Service 4:00 p.m.
December 30th – First Sunday after Christmas - Bruce Corrigan
St. David’s Session Meeting on Tuesday December 4th at 7:00 pm at St. David’s Church Hall. Please make every effort to attend.
Hall Cleaners for December are Jean Hatcher & Marjorie Langford
White Gift is on December 16th – You are asked to please wrap children’s gifts in white paper.
The Angel Tree in the front entry is set up to facilitate the collection of food and children’s gifts for our Christmas Dinner Boxes. You are invited to choose an angel(s) and bring the items to the White Gift Service on Dec. 16th. Please wrap the gifts for children in white paper and attach the angel that you chose. We will begin packing the boxes on the week of Dec. 17th and they will be delivered to families and individuals in our area early on Dec. 23rd.
The December FundScrip Date will be Sunday December 2nd and the Delivery Date Sunday December 9th. Please check the list of December Promotions listed under St. Mark’s announcements. If you have any questions or wish to join the program please contact Wanda Radford at 902-870-1015.
December 24th – Christmas Eve Service – 4:00 p.m.
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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Fundraiser for the Canadian Food Grains Bank Sunday, December 9th, 3 p.m. The St. John’s Pastoral Charge will hold a Christmas Carols & Readings at St. John’s U.C., Strathlorne. All proceeds from this event will be sent to the Canadian Food Grains Bank. There will be favourite Christmas Carols and songs of the season plus special readings. Following the service there will be tea, hot cider punch and light snacks. Please plan to attend and help this organization.Floor curling at St. Mark’s each Wednesday from 2-3 p.m. Drop in when you like. $2.00 per week. Bring indoor footwear.
Prime Suspects: Canada’s Prime Ministers in Caricature by Bruce MacKinnon Travels to Port Hawkesbury Halifax-based artist and editorial cartoonist Bruce MacKinnon will showcase his suite of caricature-portraits of Canada’s prime ministers past and present. This exhibition, curated by David Diviney, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, premiered in Halifax in August of 2017 and will now be traveling to Port Hawkesbury for its second showing. The exhibition will be open to the public from November 26, 2018 to February 17, 2019
Port Hawkesbury Seasonal Services - Seasonal Services is preparing to provide Christmas Dinner Boxes for those in need in the Town of Port Hawkesbury. Anyone wishing to donate financially to this project may do so by dropping your sealed donation with your contact information in the collection basket, or dropping it off to the RBC on Granville Street, the Port Hawkesbury Post Office, email transfer to seasonalservices@mail.com or by contacting Sandra Praught @ 902‐227‐5858 by Dec 25th.
"StFX Day Celebration
All past and future alumni and friends of StFX are invited to come together to celebrate on Monday, Dec. 3 at the home of Morag Graham at 9 Baxters Cove Road, Judique. The evening begins with a mass at 7:00 in her home followed immediately by a social gathering. Please call 787-2832 to confirm your attendance. Check out our local chapters FaceBook page for news of our events etc- Stfx alumni-Strait Highlands Chapter
Wednesday, December 5th, 7 pm.: Port Hastings Historical Society meeting to be held at the Museum.
The Port Hawkesbury Friends of the Library will be having a book sale at the Library on Monday, December 3rd, 2018 from 3-6 pm.
Trinity United Church, Mulgrave, will host a Blue Christmas Service, Thursday, December 13th at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome regardless of religious background or church experience. Christmas can be a painful time for some, it may be the first Christmas without a loved one, it may be a time which has always been difficult. The constant refrain on radio, television, malls and churches, about the happiness of the season, about getting together with family and friends, reminds many people of what they have lost or never had. The loss of a loved one, anguish of broken relationships, the insecurity of unemployment, the weariness of ill health, the pain of isolation- all these can make us feel very alone in the midst of the celebrating and spending. We need space and time to acknowledge our sadness and concern. We need to know we are not alone. Come and join us in sharing in prayer, hymns and scripture that acknowledge God’s Word comes to shine light in our darkness.
