Announcements and Calendar for the Week of Dec. 6

GIFT SUNDAY: Our Annual Gift Service will be held next Sunday. If you took a tag, please bring the gift(s) to service. Gifts will be distributed by Covenant to Care to needy children in our area. As always, we are asked by Covenent to Care to please place your gifts in a shopping bag along with some wrapping paper and bows. Please don’t wrap your gifts! Although it would "look nicer", the purpose of this is to give parents the chance to wrap their own child’s gifts. Also, Covenent to Care has some regulations that necessitate inspection of all gifts. And please include the tag with your gift!! We appreciate your understanding and know all of you will honor these requests.

SANTA’S SITTING SERVICE will return on Saturday, December 12. Parents -- save this date! Youth group will members will watch your kids from 9:00 am to 3:00 PM so you can take care of shopping or other holiday preparations. See Debby Kirk after church today or call Dianna Rebello at 928-4001 to make a reservation. Teens in grades 7-12 who would like to help with babysitting can also sign up with Debby. Money raised will go toward our trip to the Regional Youth Event in Boston.

WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP will meet at 10:30 on December 9. Our Program will be about the Ornament Makers of America by Ruthie Kimball and company. Hostesses will be Nancy Horsfield, Ruthie Kimball & Susan Waldron, with Lib Putnam providing Worship. Plan to stay for lunch immediately following the meeting & Program.

2008 HOSPICE TREE OF LIFE CEREMONY: Share the heartwarming experience of a Hospice Tree of Life Ceremony. Friends, families, and neighbors are invited to attend any of the tree lightings being held on Dec. 13 at 5:00 p.m. These lightings honor loved ones and the work of Hospice and Palliative Care of NE CT. Song, prayer, reflection, and refreshments will be offered. Brooklyn - Creamery Brook Retirement Village; Danielson - Davis Park; Pomfret - across from the Vanilla Bean; Putnam - St. Mary’s Church; Thompson - St. Joseph’s Church; Woodstock - Roseland Cottage

This Morning’s Church School:
Pre-school through grade 1 –– Advent story and craft class with Kat Bottieri. Grades 2 through 8 - Pageant rehearsal in the downstairs area of the church.
THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT will take place on December 20th, immediately following the worship service. Enjoy the presentation of the Christmas story by our church school children. Then feast on some very tasty Mediterranean delights! In the marketplace, Kathryn Lynn will show us wool wet felting and Kelly Bottieri will help us make Christmas sheep ornaments. The church school children are learning about the important role of the shepherds during this season of Advent. Mark your calendars for this wonderful event!
DAILY BREAD –– the church school will be collecting CANNED SOUPS AND STEWS throughout December for community friends in need. Please be generous and leave your donations on the table in the Great Room. Thanks so much.
THANK YOU to the Hansen Family Tree Farm for the BOUNTIFUL table of evergreens they donated for Advent wreath-making!

WEEKLY CALENDAR
TODAY
11:15 a.m. Jr. Choir
2:30 p.m. SYG to "Lost & Found" concert in Simsbury
MONDAY
3:15 p.m. Bell Choirs to Pierce Baptist Home
7:30 p.m. AA Group
TUESDAY
10:30 a.m. Bible Study
7:30 p.m. Council
WEDNESDAY
10:30 a.m. Women’s Fellowship
7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts
SATURDAY
9 - 3 SYG Santa’s Sitting Service
NEXT SUNDAY Gift Sunday
5:00 p.m. Hospice Tree of Life