E Update

VOLUME 39 N UMBER 39 | DECE MBER 6, 2015

EASTMINSTERPRES.ORG

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

Dear Eastminster Family,

Recognizing that the liturgical year is somewhat foreign to
many of you, I thought you might enjoy the following brief explanation of Advent that comes from Christianity.com:
Some people may know that the Advent season focuses on
expectation and think that it serves as an anticipation of Christs
birth in the season leading up to Christmas. This is part of the
story, but theres more to Advent.
The word Advent is derived from the Latin word adventus,
meaning coming, which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Today, the Advent season lasts for four Sundays leading up
to Christmas. At that time, the new Christian year begins. (Advent
begins on the Sunday that falls between November 27th and December 3rd each year.)
Advent symbolizes the present situation of the church in these last days (Acts 2:17,
Hebrews 1:2), as Gods people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his
eternal kingdom. The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the coming of the Messiah.
Israel looked back to Gods past gracious actions on their behalf in leading them out of
Egypt in the Exodus, and on this basis they called for God once again to act for them. In
the same way, the church, during Advent, looks back upon Christs coming in celebration
while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christs
kingdom when he returns for his people. In this light, the Advent hymn O Come, O
Come, Emmanuel perfectly represents the churchs cry during the Advent season: O
come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appears. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
While Israel would have sung the song in expectation of Christs first coming, the
church now sings the song in commemoration of that first coming and in expectation of
the second coming in the future.
Take time to prepare for the coming Messiah this Advent, wont you?

MRS. ANITA POOLE

EDS Director
MR. WILLIAM L. COLLINS, JR.
Business Manager
MS. JULIE MCDANIEL
Member Involvement
Coordinator

Pledge Status Report - We Need Your Help!

(1 week out from Dedication Sunday for 2016)

143
185
41
60

Pledges With No Change

Pledges Increased
Pledges Decreased
New Pledges

For a total of 429 pledges totaling $2,436,351

185 Pledges were made for 2015, but not yet for 2016
Thank you to all who have already faithfully pledged for 2016!
If you have not yet pledged, please join us in pledging to support
Christs work through Eastminster in 2016.

Advent at EPC...
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

This Sunday, Dec. 6, is the

Second Sunday of Advent.

Pick up your Devotional and

PRAYER CARDS at church in the
Welcome Center. The same devotionals are being distributed via the
Daily Devotional email ministry.

THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT DECEMBER 13

Staff Love 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 - Online Reservations CLICK HERE.
Transitions Dinner - December 17
Poinsettia Donations Due - December 18
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
(Infant Nursery - 5K)
9:00 p.m. Candlelight Communion Service

CHRISTMAS DAY - DECEMBER 25

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)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, is the

Annual Christmas Dinner & Concert.

All meals are $6.00. Make your reservations today

by calling the church office at 256-1654. Dinner
starts at 5:15 in Thompson Hall. Please bring peanut butter for admission to the concert.
(Standing dinner reservations do not apply.)

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 Event. We
need volunteers (teens
and adults) for two shifts
that day. Gifts are due by
Friday, December 11th. Contact Jennifer Branham
at jbranham07@gmail.com, if you can help.

THE PEACE WORSHIP SERVICE IS

DECEMBER 13.
COME PRAY WITH US.
Christmas Shop &
Dinner for
St. Lawrence Place:

Monday, December 14,

at First Calvary Baptist,
our partner church. Eastminster is providing gifts
for children and teens
ages 6 to 18. Contact Susan Owen if you want to donate gifts for this event,
238-4468, or susanowen@sc.rr.com.

January 2016... Lord,

Teach Me to Pray...A

Church-wide Lenten Study on

Prayer to Launch in January!
Do you struggle with prayer? Do
you desire to walk closer with
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 at cbennett@eastminsterpres.org.

Dont forget
the monthly
Transitions
Dinner on
December
17!
Enjoy Fellowship at Transitions Luncheon
on Christmas Day, after 10:30 a.m.
Worship. We will take LUNCH to Transitions on

December 25. Come to worship at 10:30 a.m. (one

service only that day - No childcare) 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.

Coming January 3 to a Sunday School

Classsroom Near You...BIBLE 101 for
Young Adults (Post-College) More details to
follow from Rev. Chris Scott. Stay tuned!

Join the Liggitt and the

Twitty families by
bringing in white tube socks
through the end of January to support EPCs many
ministries that seek to clothe
and comfort. Look for this
sign around EPC and donate. Thanks, Kate, Liz &
Christopher!

Books for 4-Year-Olds:

Liz Agee & Becky Smythes

small group is collecting books
again for children in Richland
Ones four-year-old child development classes due to books
being lost in the flood. Find the
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:
In memory of Virginia Little, given by
Mitzie Trotter.
In memory of Joe Allen Wiggins, given by
Debbie & Rick Boyer.

Congregational Care & Concern

Deaths:
Love and sympathy go out to:
Elizabeth (Field) Wardlaw in the death of her grandmother, Elizabeth Green Ballenger, on 11/14. Great
grandchildren are Lee & Lucy.
Laura (Roy) Taylor in the death of her sister, Virginia
Little, on 11/18.
Lauri ( Martin) Moore in the death of her mother,
Nancy Ross Walsh, on 11/27.
Gill (Eleanor) Ellison in the loss of his father, Alfred
Ellison, on 11/28. Grandson is Duncan Ellison.
Granddaughter is Liza Sansbury.
Hospitals:
Mary Ann Lott Baptist
Tom Wattenbarger Lexington

Dont forget that Prayer Cards are available the first

Sunday of each month. Pick one up this Sunday,
December 6. If you have updates, contact Shelli
Knapp or Lynn Grandsire at 256-1654.

Staff Love Offering: Each year, we have an op-

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 it in the
offering plate by Sunday, December 13.
In His service,
The EPC Personnel Committee

Come to the
Lynn Temple
Jones Library to
Check Out Some
of Our Newest
Titles This
Holiday Season:

Deadline for UPDATE:

Send your information to share with the congregation to communications@eastminsterpres.org.
Please have your information in by December
13th for the January 3rd Update.

Eastminster Presbyterian Church

3200 Trenholm Road
Columbia, South Carolina 29204

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

Lessons & Carols December 20 Traditional Worship Services

Prelude music will begin 15 minutes early.
Grab a pew early and enjoy the beautiful
music by EPC Choirs.

No Youth Group (Youth Retreat): Dec. 6

Joy Gift Drop-in:
Dec. 8
Christmas Dinner & Concert:
Dec. 9
Circle of Giving:
Dec. 12
CHAMPS Christmas Party:
Dec. 12
Staff Love Offering due
Dec. 13
PEACE Service:
Dec. 13
Youth Christmas Parties:
Dec. 13
St. Lawrence Place Dinner:
Dec. 14
Childrens Gingerbread Houses: Dec. 16
Poinsettia Donations Due:
Dec. 18 (New)
Day School 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

December Dates to Remember:

Update for December 6, 2015