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Christmas!

by Fr. Bill Van Oss

Christmas is right around the corner, and I am so glad we will be in church this year instead of in cars like last year! It also means that we can have a live Christmas pageant at the 5:00 pm Christmas eve service. We welcome children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, neighbor children and any other children to come early to choose a costume and be part of the procession into church. This is a simple and fun way to be part of the Christmas story and learn more about it. We ask that the children come to the parish hall at 4:30 to choose their costume. They will return to the pew to sit with their family at the sign of peace.


We will also have a Christmas eve service at 8:00 pm and a Christmas day service at 10:00 a.m. All the Christmas services will include the singing of Silent Night in candlelight, a particularly moving part of the service.


Please note that the 5:00 Saturday service on December 25th is cancelled, but we will have the 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. services on December 26th. The 10:30 service will include the baptism of Josie Sterrett, granddaughter of Chuck and Sue!


We continue to highly recommend mask wearing for all services and indoor gatherings. 


Also, don’t forget that we have a service of Lessons and Carols next Wednesday the 22nd at 6:00 pm. This is a beautiful service of scripture lessons and music that will inspire and uplift you and get you ready to celebrate Christmas.


All three Christmas services and Lessons and Carols will be live streamed. 


Peace,

Bill+

Moving Forward Updates from Fr. Bill

Hope Rising Update #72

By Fr. Bill Van Oss • December 20, 2023
Today's Excitement Dear Friends, Today was a day to celebrate! LCEC trucks arrived to install the new meter and energize it so the new HVAC system in the sanctuary can be started up! Then a couple hours later, we passed the City of Sanibel final inspection and we were given the Certificate of Completion; the final step in our permit process which started last May. We are very grateful to Councilwoman Holly Smith, City Manager Dana Souza and all the city and LCEC employees who assisted in these final steps and of course to all the FP workers and their subs for all their hard work these past several months and the Property Restoration Team; the working group was there to receive the good news today. We are very busy getting the spaces ready for opening weekend starting with our 4th Advent services this Saturday at 5pm and Sunday at 8am and 10:30am (livestreamed). Then we will have 3 Christmas Services at 4pm, 8pm (livestreamed) and 10:30am. Thanks to the volunteer teams who have been washing dishes in the kitchen, putting books on the bookshelf, hanging wreaths and a 100 other details. It is a stunningly beautiful space and we can't wait for all to experience it again for the first time in 15 months! Bill +

Hope Rising Update #71

By Fr. Bill Van Oss • December 13, 2023
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