Weekly Announcements
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General Announcements for the November 11 - November 18, 2020
Sunday Morning, Indoor Worship 8:00 am and 10:00 am Both the 8:00 am and the 10:00 am service will be indoors with pews marked and masks required. Registration is necessary for the 10:00 am service. The 8:00 am service is Holy Eucharist Rite I; the 10:00 am service is Holy Eucharist Rite II. Registration is necessary for the 10:00 am service. Restrictions on Worship Attendance. Due to the pandemic restrictions for Hamilton County, our service attendance is limited to fifty people. If you are not registered to attend the 10:00 am service today, please watch from home. St. Christopher's Executive Committee decided many months ago that we would follow gathering limitations issued by the city/county/state and not take a religious exemption to them as has been offered to preserve the freedom to worship. We believe that the way we are conducting worship is safe, and we believe in serving as a community partner in limiting spread.
Video-based worship. The Sunday morning email will include a downloadable bulletin and a link to our video-based worship.
Virtual Coffee Hour, Sundays, 11:00 am. Stay connected! Join us for the social gathering for conversation and fellowship. Zoom instructions are in the Sunday announcements. New to St. Christopher’s? We are hosting our St. Chris 101 by Zoom on Sunday, November 15, at 1:00 pm. Come and meet some fellow members and learn about the church. Please RSVP to office@stchriscarmel.org and we’ll send you the link.
St. Christopher's Spirit Wear. The Spirit Wear store is open through Sunday, November 15. Order now to receive your St. Chris' goodies in time for Christmas! We plan to pass out the orders at church on Sundays, December 13 and 20. We added a full zip fleece and masks. Check out all of the options! Order here, then click SHOWROOMS and look for St. Christopher's.
Office Hours. Due to staff vacations, quarantines, and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, the office will not be open at set times from November 15 to November 29. Staff will be working and if you need a response from staff or access to the building, it can be arranged. The easiest way to contact staff is through email and church voicemail, which sends audio messages to staff emails.
Stewardship Update. Thank you to all those who pledged for 2021. We have truly come together as the body of Christ to care for the life of our community. We have received 111 pledges totaling $394,000. As is our custom, we will be reaching out to those we haven’t heard from in the coming weeks so that the vestry can plan next year’s budget.
Federal Income Tax Information for year-end planning. During 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide a variety of assistance programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A provision of the act allows for special deductions for taxpayers making charitable gifts to qualified non-profit organizations – this would include St. Christopher’s Church. For taxpayers who do not itemize their deductions, each qualified taxpayer may deduct an additional $300. For additional information go to: https://wish.org/stimulus. Of special note for high net worth taxpayers, you may deduct up to 100% of Adjusted Gross Income for qualified charitable gifts. In either case, you should consult with your financial planner or tax preparation service to carefully plan your giving and tax deduction calculations.
Formation news
Common Grounds Sunday, November 15, 9:00 - 9:45 am This week we take a break from our series on gratitude for a session led by Rev. Cara on navigating relationships with a political divide from a Christian perspective. The Sunday announcement will have the Zoom link to attend. Wednesday Book Study Group meets at 10:00 am in the Parish Hall. The Wednesday contemplative Prayer Group, 2:00 pm. This group meets via Zoom. Join us for a short reading, a 20-minute discussion about prayer, and 20 minutes of shared silent prayer together. Please check The Weekly News, the church's Wednesday news publication, for Zoom information. Youth Programming Youth Formation, Grades 5 and 6, 9:00 am For the rest of November we will discuss how God helps us deal with the unexpected. The topic on November 15 is "Unexpected Battles." God will give each of us the courage and strength to face our everyday battles. Scriptures for this session: 1 Samuel 17:2-15; 1 Samuel 9:2; 1 Samuel 17:22-51; Psalm 23. Youth Formation, Grades 7-12, 11:15 am We will continue the Salt and Light series with a discussion this week of "Gifted to Serve." God gives every believer spiritual gifts to help him or her be salt and light. Scriptures for this session: Ephesians 2:10, 1 Peter 4:10, 1Corinthians 12:4-6. Youth announcement to youth and their parents via Google Groups and Remind. If you are new to St. Christopher's or our youth programming and are not currently receiving information about youth events, please contact Allie Wacker with your name, your youths' names, their ages, and your contact information. Children's Programming. An animated Bible Story series, Friends and Heroes, is being shared through weekly email links directly to families, grandparents, or other caretakers of children in preschool through fourth grade to view at home. If you are new to St. Christopher's and would like to have additional information about Children's Programming and be added to the distribution list, please contact the Children's Coordinator. Outreach: Serving the Community
Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center Outreach Project, Begins November 15; Ends December 6
Our Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center outreach project will be different this year. Coronavirus precautions have altered what the MRNC can do. The Center has been, and will continue to be, closed through the rest of the year. The Santa toy distribution and food tote distribution will not be possible. For Christmas let us help in a different way by sending children new winter apparel (coats, hats, scarves, gloves/mittens) and blankets. The center serves about 900 children on the southwest side of Indianapolis. Let’s wrap these children with our warmth and loving spirit. Whatever we gather will be a tremendous help! Buy for children age 3 months to 12 years (sizes 3 months to 14). Let’s have a little fun with this new direction. Guess the number of items donated. The winner will receive $50. When you bring in your item(s), put them in the extra large tote by the round table in the Narthex. On the table you will find a glass bowl and contest entry forms next to it. Fill out the form with your name, telephone number, and your guess about the total number of items donated. Place your entry in the bowl. We will call the winner after all items are counted and delivered to the MRNC. Bring your donations to church: Sundays, November 15, 22, 29, and December 6. (8:30 to 11:30 am). If you will not be at church on Sundays, there will be a large container outside the church office labeled MRNC. Refer to the Wednesday email for additional informtion. Summer Trace Christmas Bags, Begins November 15; Ends November 29. The Pastoral Care Team has supported Summer Trace throughout the year by supplying candy and small gifts to be used as bingo prizes once a month. In December, we will supply gift bags to 25 residents at SummerTrace. Last year we provided Christmas stockings for residents. This year we are asking parishioners to sign up to provide a Christmas bag of requested gifts that should cost no more than $25.00 per bag. Please refer to the Wednesday email for the sign-up link. A member of the Pastoral Care Team will contact you by phone or email with residents' requested items, bagging instructions, and the location of drop-off at the church. The Last day for drop-off will be November 29.
Back Sack Program. The Back Sack Program next delivers in February, but we are trying to get a head start on contributions needed to provide 3,000 meals to area students. If you choose to contribute, items can be dropped off at St. Christopher’s, purchased online with delivery to the church, or placed in the bin by the double red doors that lead to the Parish Hall and Kitchen on the east side of the church. This week we are collecting individual-sized pudding cups. Thank you for your support
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