E Update

EASTMINSTERPRES.ORG

VOLU M E 3 9 N U M BE R 3 8 | NOV E M BE R 2 9, 2 015

A dvent O pportunities

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT - NOVEMBER 29

P.E.P.@EPC Christmas Luncheon - December 1

Flower Guild Memorials/Honoraria Due - December 4
Advent Retreat - December 4-6

STAFF
DR. BRADLEY D. SMITH
Pastor
DR. MARK E. DURRETT
Associate Pastor
REV. LYNN A. GRANDSIRE
Associate Pastor
DR. JAMES I. ST. JOHN
Parish Associate
REV. CHRIS SCOTT
Parish Associate
MR. CROSKEYS ROYALL
Director of Childrens Ministries
MRS. FREDNA LEE
Director of Music Ministries
MRS. ANITA POOLE
EDS Director

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT - DECEMBER 6

Presbyterian Womens Joy Gift Tea - December 8
Christmas Dinner & Concert - December 9
Circle of Giving - December 12
CHAMPS Christmas Party - December 12

THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT - DECEMBER 13

Staff Love Gift Offering Due to EPC - December 13
PEACE Service - December 13
Youth Christmas Parties - December 13
St. Lawrence Place Christmas Party - December 14
Family Gingerbread House Decorating Party - December 16
Transitions Dinner - December 17
EDS Christmas Program - December 18

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT - DECEMBER 20

College Breakfast at 10:00 a.m. in Gameroom - December 20
Lessons & Carols at 9:00 and 11:15 a.m. Services - December 20
Living Nativity - 5:00, 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. - December 20

CHRISTMAS EVE - DECEMBER 24

5:00 p.m. Childrens Service
(Infant Nursery - 2K)

7:00 p.m. Family Candlelight Service

MR. WILLIAM L. COLLINS, JR.
Business Manager

(Infant Nursery - 5K)

9:00 p.m. Candlelight Communion Service

CHRISTMAS DAY - DECEMBER 25

MS. JULIE MCDANIEL
Member Involvement
Coordinator

10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary

(No Childcare)

12:00 p.m. Transitions Luncheon

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27
10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary
(Regular Childcare)

Recently at EPC...

Confirmation Class serving at Transitions...Youth

supporting theWomens Shelter Souper & Sr. High
Girls at a Chili Cook-Off at the Pounds Sun. p.m.
Send pictures of your ministry to
blewis@eastminsterpres.org.

This Sunday, Nov. 29,

is the first Sunday of
Advent. Pick up your

devotional at church in
the Welcome Center - The
same devotionals will also
be emailed each day of
Advent via the EPC Daily
Devotional ministry distribution.

Circle of Giving:

On Saturday, December
12, from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. in Thompson
Hall, Eastminster will host the Cooperative Ministrys
Christmas Program. We
need volunteers (teens
and adults) to help set
up on December 11,
from 4:00 p.m. until,
and volunteers to help
the children shop, wrap
gifts and do small crafts.
Two shifts are available
on December 12: 8:45
until 11:00 a.m., and
11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Donations can be placed in
the Circle of Giving box in the Christian Education
Building lobby. We need unwrapped new gifts in the
$15-$20 range, large gift bags, tissue paper and baskets
for displaying smaller items. (Just put your name on
the bottom of the basket if you need it back.) Note: If
you are buying sports equipment (basketballs, footballs) please get a size large. Please have everything
delivered by Friday, December 11. Contact Jennifer
Branham at jbranham07@gmail.com with questions.

Books for 4-Year-Olds: Liz

Agee and Becky Smythes small
group collected books earlier this
year for children in Richland Ones
four-year-old child development
classes. Sadly, those books were lost
to the flood. They are starting over,
asking if you could dig deeper and
find another gently used or NEW
book to donate. We have a white
collection box outside the reception
area. The majority of the children in
the child development program are
considered at risk.

Memorial Gifts Supporting the Eastminster

Endowment:

The Flower Guild is accepting memorials until

December 4.

Christmas Shop and Dinner for St. Lawrence Place: Monday, December 4, at First Cal-

vary Baptist, our partner

church. Eastminster is
providing gifts for children
and teens ages six through
18. Contact Susan Owen
if you want to donate gifts
for that event, 238-4468,
or susanowen@sc.rr

Joy Gift Drop-In: Calling all Eastminster women to join us on Tuesday, December 8, in the Adult
Reception Hall from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Share
fellowship and sip tea with your Sisters in Christ!
You will have the opportunity to donate to the Joy
Gift fund that assists retired ministers, as well as to
the Womens Shelter Christmas Project.
December 20th - SAVE THE DATE

College Breakfast is at 10:00 a.m. - GAMEROOM

Lessons & Carols - Traditional Worship Services with all EPC choirs and full orchestra
Living Nativity at 5:00, 6:00 & 7:00 p.m.
Come to Your Church Library to Check Out
Some of our Newest Titles this Holiday Season:
52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol, by Bob
Welch
On This Holy Night,
a collection including
Max Lucado
A Pioneer Christmas
Collection (nine
stories) of finding
shelter and love in a
wintry frontier
The Christmas
Candle by Max Lucado

In memory of Winfield Phillip Fuller, given by

Brenda & Gene Fuller.
In memory of Patty Tuite, given by Richard & Juda
Reinhardt, Frances H. LaBorde, Wayne & Jacquie
Corley.
In memory of Jonathan Gates Williams, given by
Wayne & Jacquie Corley.
In memory of Susan McKenna, given by Mr. & Mrs.
Don H. Shirley.
In memory of Walter Ray Cunningham, given by
Mitzie Trotter.

Congregational Care & Concern

Deaths:
Love and sympathy go out to:
Peter (Elaine) Zornow in the death of his brother,
Gregory Lee Zornow (Ohio), on 11/3
Warren (Donna) Propst in the death of his niece,
Helen Caldwell Spell (Charleston), on 11/12
Lee Mitchell in the death of her great uncle, Mr. Jeter,
on 11/13
Glennie Fowler in the death of her sister, Nancy Della
McLaurin, on 11/13
Lane (Albert) Whiteside in the death of her mother,
Bernice Clarke Sease, on 11/13
Billy (Kim) Newsome in the death of his step-father,
Joseph Wiggins, on 11/19. Granddaughters are Ann
& Emily.
Hospitals:
Mary Ann Lott Baptist
Tom Wattenbarger Lexington
Jim Crosby Providence
Transitions - Christmas Day
We will take LUNCH to Transitions on December
25. Come to worship at 10:30 a.m. (one service only
that day) and to lunch at Transitions afterwards at
noon. The meal is BBQ, potato salad, clementines and
pound cake. Contact Laura (laurapricelong@att.net)
to donate money for the BBQ and potato salad, or to
provide fruit and/or pound cake. Whether you donate
or not, please join us at Transitions.

portunity to contribute to a love offering which will

be distributed to all members of our staff during the
holiday season. We invite you to participate as we
express our corporate gratitude for the dedication
demonstrated by our entire church staff throughout the year. You should indicate on your check or
envelope, Gift to Staff and mail, or place in the
offering plate by Sunday, December 13.
In His service,
The EPC Personnel Committee

Eastminster Presbyterian Church

3200 Trenholm Road
Columbia, South Carolina 29204

Do you struggle with prayer? Does your heart want

to pray, but you fear youre not doing it right? Do you
not know what to say? Do you wonder if God hears
you? Do you desire to walk closer to God and deepen
your relationship with Him?
As a response to many in our church who have expressed their longings to dive deeper into prayer, EPC
will launch a church-wide Lenten study in January.
Bible studies, Sunday School classes, Youth Groups,
Circles, Prayer Groups and others are invited and
encouraged to join in this study from mid-January
through Easter Sunday. There will also be Small
Group study. Questions? Contact Caroline Bennett

January 2016... Lord, Teach Me to

Pray...A Church-wide Lenten Study on
Prayer to Launch in January!

December Dates to Remember:

PEP Christmas Luncheon:
Dec. 1
Christmas Tree Pick-up:
Begins Dec. 1
Advent Retreat:
Dec. 4-6
$20 due for Flower Guild
Dec. 4
No Youth Group (Youth Retreat): Dec. 6
Joy Gift Drop-in:
Dec. 8
Christmas Dinner & Concert:
Dec. 9
Circle of Giving:
Dec. 12
Staff Love Offering due
Dec. 13
CHAMPS Christmas Party:
Dec. 12
PEACE Service:
Dec. 13
Youth Christmas Parties:
Dec. 13
St. Lawrence Place Dinner:
Dec. 14
Childrens Gingerbread Houses: Dec. 16
Dayschool Christmas Program: Dec. 18
Lessons and Carols (Worship):
Dec. 20
College Breakfast (10 am):
Dec. 20
Living Nativity (5, 6 & 7 pm):
Dec. 20
Christmas Eve (5, 7 & 9 pm):
Dec. 24
Christmas Day (10:30 am):
Dec. 25
Lunch at Transitions (12:00 p.m.) Dec. 25
Sunday after Christmas (10:30 am) Dec. 27

Staff Love Offering: Each year, we have an opJoin the Liggitt and the
Twitty families by
bringing in white tube
socks through January
to support EPCs many
ministries that seek to
clothe and comfort.

Deadline for UPDATE:

Send your information to share with the congregation to communications@eastminsterpres.org.
Please have your information in by December 6th
for the December 20th Update.

Nonprofit Org.
US POSTAGE
PAID
Columbia, SC
PERMIT No. 27

Update for November 29, 2015