Youth Do! December 2011
This is an amazing month of the year. It is the beginning of the new church year, but it also has another beginning, and an ending, that are very powerful. This month starts in Advent. November 27th was the first Sunday of Advent so December brings us through this church season of endings. It is truly the ending of a world without Christ the Saviour. It marks the days of anticipation of His Holy birth, the Maji following a star, the dreams of Kings and shepherds of the birth of a new dawn for mankind. It is the end of hopelessness, the end of pain, the end of death. This month then ends on a new beginning, the beginning of salvation, of love, or hope eternal. We all get wrapped up in the present buying, cooking and eating, parties and sales; but we forget about this very important ending and beginning.
The youth have been focusing on Prayer this fall and have started a few projects wrapped around that theme. The first is the prayer chain, which I hope you will all take the time to look at and maybe even add some of your own prayers to. The second is our Advent project, we are making gift boxes to pass our at Christmas Eve service. These gift boxes, made with cards you have all donated over the years, will include a prayer from the youth, handwritten by them, to give to everyone who attends. The hope is that not only will everyone know someone is praying for them, but that maybe when they realize we pray for them even when they only come on Christmas and Easter, that maybe they will come more often. If you have old cards you would like to bring in or if you are interested in helping, we would appreciate it.
The youth will be assisting with the Christmas Pageant this year which will be held on December 11th at the 10:30am service. I hope that you will all join them. Please come and share their telling of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
December 14th we will hold the EYC Christmas party. Please bring a gift for Dirty Santa valued at no more than $5.00 and a drink or desert to share.
On December 16th, the Annual St. Jude’s Christmas Dinner will be held and the youth will be serving again this year. They had such a great time last year, I remember they were sending me pictures while I was home recovering from surgery. They are very excited to participate again this year.
There will be no Wednesday evening programs the week between Christmas and New Year’s (Wednesday, the 28th). The youth will be on winter break and will return to school on January 3rd in Okaloosa County.
Growing up an American/Greek Orthodox, we celebrated Christmas with huge family get-togethers. It would be normal to have close to 60 people in my grandmother’s house. Fortunately living in Florida we were able to have many, usually the men, outside. I am overwhelmed at the thought of how my grandmother was able to do huge dinners like that for the holidays. And Christmas in our family started at Thanksgiving and didn’t end until Epiphany. We, living in Florida, always had relatives coming to visit, getting away from the snow and bitter cold up north. And now, as I remember the gift of family I had every Christmas growing up, I wish for you and yours the same. A houseful of happiness, the joy of having loved ones near, and the appreciation of sharing the holidays with those that God has blessed your lives with. I thank you all for blessing mine with the opportunity to serve as the Youth Director, and to be a part of your church family. It has been 15 years since I started working with youth at Church, and as I watched my girls grow up, I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of your children’s lives.
In His service for our Youth,
Cassandra
(850) 517-7643 [email protected] [email protected] St. Jude’s Youth on Facebook EYC Web Page
The youth have been focusing on Prayer this fall and have started a few projects wrapped around that theme. The first is the prayer chain, which I hope you will all take the time to look at and maybe even add some of your own prayers to. The second is our Advent project, we are making gift boxes to pass our at Christmas Eve service. These gift boxes, made with cards you have all donated over the years, will include a prayer from the youth, handwritten by them, to give to everyone who attends. The hope is that not only will everyone know someone is praying for them, but that maybe when they realize we pray for them even when they only come on Christmas and Easter, that maybe they will come more often. If you have old cards you would like to bring in or if you are interested in helping, we would appreciate it.
The youth will be assisting with the Christmas Pageant this year which will be held on December 11th at the 10:30am service. I hope that you will all join them. Please come and share their telling of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
December 14th we will hold the EYC Christmas party. Please bring a gift for Dirty Santa valued at no more than $5.00 and a drink or desert to share.
On December 16th, the Annual St. Jude’s Christmas Dinner will be held and the youth will be serving again this year. They had such a great time last year, I remember they were sending me pictures while I was home recovering from surgery. They are very excited to participate again this year.
There will be no Wednesday evening programs the week between Christmas and New Year’s (Wednesday, the 28th). The youth will be on winter break and will return to school on January 3rd in Okaloosa County.
Growing up an American/Greek Orthodox, we celebrated Christmas with huge family get-togethers. It would be normal to have close to 60 people in my grandmother’s house. Fortunately living in Florida we were able to have many, usually the men, outside. I am overwhelmed at the thought of how my grandmother was able to do huge dinners like that for the holidays. And Christmas in our family started at Thanksgiving and didn’t end until Epiphany. We, living in Florida, always had relatives coming to visit, getting away from the snow and bitter cold up north. And now, as I remember the gift of family I had every Christmas growing up, I wish for you and yours the same. A houseful of happiness, the joy of having loved ones near, and the appreciation of sharing the holidays with those that God has blessed your lives with. I thank you all for blessing mine with the opportunity to serve as the Youth Director, and to be a part of your church family. It has been 15 years since I started working with youth at Church, and as I watched my girls grow up, I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of your children’s lives.
In His service for our Youth,
Cassandra
(850) 517-7643 [email protected] [email protected] St. Jude’s Youth on Facebook EYC Web Page