St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 333 S. Drexel Ave., Columbus, Oh 43209 Phone 614-253-8549, Website http://www.stalbansbexley.org; email churchnew@stalbansbexley.org

Parish Office Hours Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; Labyrinth Prayer Walk and Memorial Garden always open for prayer and meditation

The St. Alban’s Fridge Sheet

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Today at St. Alban’s

Eucharistic Visitors Sending Forth 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I 9:30 a.m. Adult Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room) 10:00 a.m. Sunday School for Children (Ed. Bldg.) 10:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II-The Children’s Pageant (In place of sermon)

This Week at St. Alban’s Mon. Dec. 18 11:15 a.m. Morning Prayer 12:00 p.m. Men’s Lunch (Scotty’s Café) 7:00 p.m. Vestry Meeting (Senior Warden’s home) Thurs. Dec. 21 7:30 p.m. Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room) Next Sunday, December 24, 2017 9:30 a.m. Adult Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room) 10:15 a.m. Advent IV- Holy Eucharist Rite II Christmas Eve 4:00 p.m. Child friendly service with Holy Eu-

charist 10:40 p.m. Rite II Holy Eucharist with Prelude

of Christmas Music

Upcoming Events: Dec. 25 Christmas Day 10:15 a.m. Rite I Holy Eucharist (Spoken service) Jan. 7 9:15 a.m. Episcopal Basics (EB) resumes Jan. 10 1:00 p.m. Homeless Meals Ministry (Cooks) 5:30 p.m. Homeless Meals Ministry (Servers) 7:00 p.m. Building and Grounds Meeting Jan. 11 7:30 p.m. Social Concerns Committee Meeting Jan. 15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day

St. Alban’s

EPISCOPAL BASICS (EB)

Episcopal Basics will not meet December 24 or 31. Episcopal Basics will resume Sunday January 7 at 9:15 a.m. in the Library.

Every Member Canvass Report It is abundantly clear that our parishioners have been counting their blessings. This week we have lowered the $100,000 gap with eight new pledges. That is Progress. Success is just in view — but not yet achieved! I feel like the wise men of old who saw the Christmas star but had to journey far to bless the Baby Jesus. The week before Christmas is upon us. It is a time of huge activity in our personal and religious lives. Please take this sacred period to consider our blessings and what more you will do to help us reach the identical goal that we raised last year in Every Member Canvass pledg-es. To reach the budget goal of $340,000, will require all of us. If you have never pledged to the Every Member Can-vass, this is the perfect time to join our vital effort. All pledges are welcome; gifts build together to cover our basic operating costs. If you are one of the 21 who pledged last year and have not been able to submit your pledge yet, please consider your abundant blessings and determine your pledge. Pledging is critically important because we set our budg-et on the amount raised and at the current number signifi-cant muscle will need to come from a super lean budget to still do the things God is asking us to do. If you are one of the 70 parishioners who have already pledged, please recount your blessings and reconsider what you will do for your church. It takes all of us to achieve the last $89,800. The wise men brought their treasure of frankincense, myrrh, and gold to the Christ child. You are asked to do the same. You can always email your decision to finance@stalbansbexley.org; or you can mail a note to Every Member Canvass, St. Alban’s Church, 333 South Drexel Avenue, Bexley, Ohio 43209; or additional pledge cards are on the table in the nave where the ush-ers greet you. Fill it out and either drop it in the offering plate or simply walk yours back to the office. May this Christmastide be an especially blessed time for you and those you love. The Vestry and the Stewardship Committee

Parish Announcements

FOOD COLLECTION

There is a continual need for food in the Near East area of Columbus. We continue to collect food and take it to the St. Philip’s Episcopal Church Food Pan-try serving the Near East Side. There is a continual need for all food, especially canned vegetables. While food pantries are able to purchase some items from the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, they can use our help to supplement what they purchase. When you go grocery shopping please purchase a couple of cans of vegetables or other items. Staples such as rice, spaghetti, cereals, peanut butter, and canned fruit are also good. There is a real need for diapers, soap and other hygiene items that cannot be purchased with food stamps. There is a box in the Living Room for you to leave your contri-butions. PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS and COUPONS are al-so good to give.

For many families and sen-iors, it is a hardship or an impossibility to buy food. More than ever, hunger and food scarcity is a problem and is occurring at the same time as a cut in the food stamp program. Anything we contribute is really needed and helpful.

A THANK YOU FROM ST. PHILIP’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

The following is a thank-you from the staff of St. Philip’s Food Pantry for the contributions made by the people of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church to their Thanksgiving food baskets:

“It was an amazing amount of food items collected from St. Albans. This allowed our pantry to serve more than 448+ individuals during the Thanksgiving season. We are so grateful to St. Alban's Episcopal Church.”

Peace,

Fred D. Johnson, Food Pantry Director Ralph Holland, Assistant Director Cynthia E. Sands, Volunteer Coordinator

ST ALBANS BOOK CLUB: SAVE THE DATES

Meeting date has changed for 2018 to the second Monday of each month, starting with January 8th. Time remains 7p. We will continue to meet in the church library unless otherwise noted for a specific date. Please mark the following dates on your calen-dar:

January 8 February 12 March 12 April 9 May 14 June 11 July 9 August 13 September 10 October 8 November 12 December 10

Contact Rachel Barnes 714-267-4782 or Laura Piazza 614-565-5050 if you have questions or suggestions for book selections.

PLEASE HELP DELIVER POINSETTIAS

We would like to share our lovely poinsettias with pa-

rishioners who are unable to attend church services dur-

ing the Christmas season. Please join us in this fun and

loving ministry. We want you so there are enough volun-

teers for each to deliver one plant. That way you can

really connect with the recipient. If you would be willing

to deliver a poinsettia Christmas day or in the first few

days of Christmas, please sign up on the bulletin board

in the Living Room or contact Eileen Becknell (cell: 614-

512-6335; or email: erbeck@wowway.com)

Rector Search Update: Work of the Narra-

tive Committee

After the all-parish gatherings, which took place in the fall, the next step in the search process is forming a narrative committee (called the parish profile committee during previous rector searches). This committee was established in November. Its purpose is to create the docu-ments and web content that will inform and at-tract the next rector to lead St. Alban’s. Using parishioners’ input from the discussions at the all-parish gatherings, the committee con-structs the parish narrative. This narrative fo-cuses on the core values of St. Alban’s and the characteristics we seek in a rector. The com-mittee also completes a questionnaire on the National Church website that will be available to rector candidates. Since the questions used in the all-parish gath-erings mirror those on this questionnaire, the narrative committee is able to use the input from fellow parishioners to write these respons-es. When the final version of the narrative is ready, committee members will work with the parish’s communications team to post this and other appropriate materials on the St. Alban’s website. The committee has met four times since early November and will have at least two more meetings before completing their re-sponsibilities and transitioning the work to the parish’s search committee. The search committee will then begin to review applications they receive in response to the narrative and questionnaire. Facilitated by the transitional rector, Nicolette Papanek, the com-mittee includes Anne Krabacher, Marikate Leavens, Charlene O’Donnell, Sal Piazza, Russ Rosler, Roy Smoot, and Kelly Tomkies, and Elaine Warnett. Please feel free to talk with any of them if you have any questions.

January Caring and Sharing: CRIS

In January, 2018, our Caring and Sharing focus will be Community Refugee and Immigration Services, or CRIS. Tyler Reeve, their community outreach person, will be with us at both services on January 14. He hopes to bring with him a member of their Speaker’s Bureau, who will talk with us between the services.

In the last year, the number of refugees coming into the US has dropped, but they’re still coming – CRIS worked with 76 new refugees in September 2017. Although refugees receive government assistance for only 90 days, CRIS offers a wide variety of services to refugees, immigrants, and asylees. From the day of arrival to years afterwards.

Since this article is being written in November 2017, things may look different when January 2018 rolls around. Be sure to be in church on the 14th to learn from Tyler and to add your contribution to St. Alban’s offering for the support of vulnerable immigrants and refugees in our community.

Altar Flowers

The altar flowers are a meaningful and beautiful way to remember loved ones or to celebrate special fami-ly occasions with the church family. A new sign up sheet has been placed in the Liv-ing Room on the bulletin board. Please see if there is a date you would like to do-nate. Sign up in a blank spot and/or call/text Ann Lowder at 614-893-1315 or email annklowder@gmail.com

Megan Niermeyer Dec. 20

Katie Boeckman Dec. 23

We ask your prayers for...

St. Alban’s in this time of transition as we move for-ward to a promising future.

Thanksgiving for all the blessings of our lives.

Our members worshipping at home, especially: Bob

Benefiel, David, Jodie and Bill Ferguson, Erma Grey,

Pat Johnston, Martha Parsons, Michael, Leah Sterling,

and Joan Taylor.

Those recovering from surgery or injury, especially:

Bill Dixon and Ginny Giggi.

Those in any need or trouble, including: Virginia

Adams, Roy Aldridge, Alice, Alex Anklan, Mary Jo

Baker, Ana Berios, Connie Bommer, Tim Boyer,

Mary Cull, Dan, Arnold Dick, Dorothy, Robert Ed-

wards, Kathy Fanning, Jenny Floch, Donna Gardner,

Hanna Giggi, Nick Gilbert, Erma Grey, Lelia Hamil-

ton, Joseph, Kalah, Peter, Elaine Knutty, Peter Knut-

ty, David Kondracke, Larry Larrison, Rev. Luke

Mims, Robert Larson, Ellen Lebson, Dennis Leukhart,

Anne Lodge, Dick Lodge, Mark, Matthew, Nancy

Maturo, Eileen Meier, Anne Meshanko, Louis Mitch-

ell, Betsey Noethlich, Pat Norwood, Erica Partridge,

Charlie Powell, Ray Rosler, Sam, Michael Sarrey, Da-

vid Sarrey, Steve, Grant Schroeder, Mildred Stigger,

Esther Sweeney, John Thatcher, Dorothy Thomas, Da-

vid Tucker, Egbuike O. Ujah, Timothy-Scott, Tom

Wagenbrenner, Sharon Washington, Jonah Whisler,

Ramona Whisler, Laura Winchester, Addie Wisniew-

ski.

Those serving in the military, including: Brendan,

Carl, Christian, Christopher, David, Greg, Jake, Josh-

ua, Mallory, Patrick, Peter, Ryan, Shaun, Taylor, and

Tyler.

Those serving in places of danger, including: Steven,

Anne, Sam, Ben, and Maria Becknell.

For all our guests-in-need.

We commend to God’s loving mercy all who have

died, including: Dan Sena and Elizabeth Lilly.

For those on our prayer list, for the mission and min-

istries of St. Alban’s Church, and for all those whose

need is known to God alone.

...amen.

Social Concerns

In response to pressing concerns in the Colum-bus community, the Social Concerns Committee of St. Alban’s is investigating the issues of human trafficking and opioid abuse. As we learn more about how these

problems affect our area, we hope to focus on one agency addressing each issue, to get to know them

and to offer our support. Can you help us zero in on good agencies? Will you join us to build strong and

lasting relationships?

We’re looking for agencies working in Central Ohio that are focused on these particular issues, not general community-service agencies which address many issues. Starting with parishioners’ suggestions and the results of our research, Social Concerns in-vites you to join our discussions as we work to narrow the focus to one agency addressing human trafficking and one working on the opioid crisis.

So what do you know that will help your par-ish engage with these difficult concerns? If you have an agency to recommend, please speak up! Send an email to me at mmenaul@hotmail.com; I’ll get back to you to find out more. And you are welcome to join the Social Concerns folks in the Living Room on the second Thursday of any month as we consider these and other community concerns.

Marjorie Menaul The Social Concerns Committee

STOP - POP - DROP

For more than three decades, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio (RMHC) has been serving families with seriously ill children by providing a home-away-from-home at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. For years the tabs of beverage cans have been collected as a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House. They are able to generate thou-sands of dollars from their pop tab collection (a com-pact, easily collectable source of aluminum) program every year. So, STOP (before you recycle the can) POP (the tab) and DROP (the tab in a receptacle). Please save these tabs, a former project of Sue Altmaier. There is a collection receptacle in the Living Room. We will periodically deliver the tabs to the Ronald McDonald House.