Have you ever wondered what Joseph was thinking when the Angel spoke to him in a dream? Joseph was a dreamer, and he listened to God in strange and wonderful ways. Join us at 10:00 for our Fourth Sunday in Advent worship service as we wonder with Joseph and perhaps wake up to what God is saying to us, too. 

There will be one worship service on Sunday morning to observe Week 4 of Advent. Then, join us again at either 3:00 pm or 5:00 pm for two special Christmas Eve Candlelight services. 

Children are invited to gather with Mrs. Lynn in the Parlor at 2:30 pm to participate in an impromptu and very spontaneous Christmas Pageant! Costumes and further instructions will be delivered at that time. See Lynn Warners for details.

Our youth will present a Living Nativity again this year on the 15th St. lawn - join us on this special night following or between our Christmas Eve worship services. See Jen Phelps for more details.

Reverse Advent Calendars are due THIS Sunday. Return your basket, bag, or box filled with the donations to the church at any of our worship services on Christmas Eve. Items will be collected outside of the Narthex in the 15th St. lobby area.

The Christmas Joy Offering will be received at all Christmas Eve services. This is a special offering that has been received by Presbyterian Churches throughout our denomination since the 1930s.

Ways you can give this Advent season:
In the church: Use the special envelopes provided and place them in the offering plates.
Online: pcusa.org/give/christmasjoy.
Via phone: text CHRISTMASJOY to 91999.

Thank you!

by Betty Jo Bennett

The Associate Pastor Nominating Committee (APNC) continues to follow the PC(USA) protocol for seeking an associate pastor. Our committee used the Ministry Discernment Profile to establish selection criteria and we have received Pastor Information Forms from applicants who best matched those criteria. Upon reviewing and screening the applications, we will begin virtual interviews in January.  As the team prayerfully works through this process, we thank the congregation for their prayerful support. Please contact the team if you know of any individual who may be interested in this position.

by John Bobrink

Just a quick reminder to get your pledges in as soon as possible. If you have already sent it in, thank you. Help us reach our goals for 2024. We are counting on you to be a part of our exciting, Thriving in 2024! Pledges can be done online, by mailing your pledge card or contacting Susan Dykes at the church office.

by Lynn Warner

Representatives from various camps and organizations will be available to share what opportunities they provide for children and youth in the summer. People can gather information and sign up!

by Cindy Litzinger

m&m resumes Wednesday, January 10, 2024.  All children K-5th grade are invited to attend.  For more information, contact Cindy Litzinger

By Gail Richardson

Merry Christmas from our preschool staff and families! December has been a month of high energy, lots of love, laughter, learning about Jesus, singing, and creating gifts for parents. This past week we dressed in Christmas colors and on Thursday we had pajama day and hot cocoa. Well, warm to cool cocoa. Fun was had by all.  

Thank you for encouraging the preschoolers when they sang on December 10th. We will be on break until January 2nd. We have a teacher workday on January 2nd and school resumes for students on January 3rd.  

Registration for current families for the 2024 - 2025 school year starts on January 3rd. Registration is open for other families starting on January 15th.

by Kathy Benson

Please give a warm welcome to new members Justin & Lucy Lockamy and their three children, Silas, Thomas, and Cora Lee. Justin & Lucy recently joined by letter of transfer from Graves Memorial Presbyterian Church in Clinton, NC. While at GMPC, Justin was ordained as an elder and Lucy, a deacon. They were both active in the life of their previous church and now come to us with hearts ready for service in our congregation and community.

All family members are native to "The Good Old North State." Justin is an attorney in commercial real estate with the firm of Lee Kaess. Lucy is the school nurse (BSN RN) at Castle Hayne Elementary in the New Hanover County School System. Silas (grade 7) enjoys making movies with his friends while Thomas (grade 4) hones his skills in soccer. The youngest, Cora (grade1), enjoys gymnastics. Justin joked that he and Lucy have this shared pastime of ferrying the children around town, while trying to exercise and fight the growing effects of aging! Best wishes in all your sports endeavors!

Pictured is the Lockamy Family during an outing to Lookout Mountain overlooking Montreat, NC...a favorite spot for everyone to enjoy together!

by Shelley Hobson

This year's education campaign goal is $25,000.  As of December 13th, close to $8,000 in donations have come in. We have a way to go!  

Please consider including the gift of education in your Christmas gift-giving or year-end donations now. Help us change children's lives from preschool to secondary school. Your gifts also include meals for preschoolers and students in the vocational training program, and hunger in the village is acute due to a paltry harvest this year.  

Since 2011, this ministry has been vital to helping combat poverty through education and is an essential part of our partnership with Chuluchosema, CCAP (Central Christian African Presbyterian).

Zikomo!
The Malawi Partnership Committee

Boy Scout Troop 13 is gearing up to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of its first Eagle Scout, Hazard Reeves, in 1923. To make this milestone truly special, the Troop is reaching out to St Andrews-Covenant members for support.

Troop 13, initially chartered in 1916, has a storied past as a founding member of the Cape Fear Council, 286 Eagle Scouts, a move to St. John's in 1958 from St. James, and finally to St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian, where it proudly stands chartered today. But the Troop needs your help. Our Troop Historian (Life Scout, Houston Sutton) is on a mission to compile a comprehensive Troop history, and the Troop is reaching out to you for any photos, memorabilia, or information you might have. Whether it's snapshots of Troop members, Scoutmaster names, or even photos of vintage uniforms, every piece contributes to our shared history.

Of particular interest is the period from 1948 to 1958 and the 1970s, where there are few records. If you have anything to share, please send it to Scoutmaster Kevin Hicks at khicks@alumni.wfu.edu. Your contributions will play a pivotal role in completing the Troop’s history. (NOTE: a typo in the newspaper image lists the troop number as 14, not 13)

by Gary Smith

In the spring of 2022, SACPC's ramp building ministry was reestablished. We have been blessed by the expertise and guidance of Robbie Benson and Tom Lubbers who were the leaders of this ministry in its first phase--which was a blessing to numerous individuals who needed ramps to leave their homes. These gentlemen helped educate and direct Bill Aman who worked with the earlier group and is doing the sawing for our new crew and a group of new recruits. Led ably by Palmer Sineath who sets up the jobs, inspects the sites, and buys and delivers the lumber, we have built 11 ramps since May 2022!

Other SACPC members who have helped construct these ramps are Rick Wheeler, Ricky Wheeler, Stan Scott, Ed Hobson, Jack Richardson, Jeff Denlinger, Kevin Crooks, and parish associate Gary Smith. Building the ramps, like the the last one we built on Monterey Drive pictured here has been a meaningful and enjoyable experience.

We welcome other SACPC members to participate in our builds in 2024. If you are interested, contact Palmer at 910-622-4040.

by Gary Smith

The kickoff build day for a new build at 509 Morningside Dr. near Legion Field is Saturday, January 6th, 2024. We are renovating this home, so limited volunteer spots are available for that first day. From there we plan to paint on February 3rd, 2024, and install hardware on February 10th. Please see below for volunteer links to get started.  

by Earth Care Team Education

You’ve probably noticed, Christmas is on the way!

As we prepare to celebrate our Savior’s birth by loving others through gift-giving, this Corner of the world has a Christmas wish: it is that we will all reuse last year’s bags, gift wrap, and ribbons.

Per Living Without Plastic, little of our modern gift paper and ribbons can be recycled because they are a plastic-paper composite! Who knew?!  Plus, the ribbon gets caught in the machines at recycling centers.

Thankfully, there are interesting and better options for us to use.  One choice is to use pre-made fabric gift bags, which last for years. Or, try substituting cloth for the gift paper.  Even an old sheet or a bandana or scarf would work.  One friend put “money fries” in a McDonald's french fries box!  You may have other ideas; if so, please share those.  

Now’s the time to let your creative juices flow as we look for ways to help out our home, Planet Earth.

The Earth is the Lord’s…Psalms 24:1

by Sue McCaffray

Yes, there will be life after the Christmas season! Pencil in Wednesday, January 10th as our first POPS dinner, followed by Bingo night for all. On January 17th,  Katie will offer "Confirmation for All," in one 60-minute session. And on January 24th, we will hear "A Psychologist's Ground Rules for Communicating in Hard Conversations," with our own Ben Rigby. All programs run 6:30 pm-7:30 pm after dinner.

High School students have an opportunity to travel together to Wintergreen Ski Resort.
Never been skiing - we will teach you! Don't want to ski? - we have an option to go and just hang out!

Cost:
Skiing - $595/person
Not Skiing - $350/person

We will be leaving BEFORE DISMISSAL on Thursday, February 1st, and will require an early checkout that day.

Registration is open via our mobile app!

The Lord gives his people strength.  The Lord blesses them with peace. 
Psalm 29:11

The Brad and Debbie Reid family request prayers.

The Malawi Partnership Committee requests that we pray for rain to come to Chuluchosema so that they may have a successful growing season.

Dr. Tom Craven was transferred to Trinity Grove for rehab.

Barbara Hart was transferred to Azalea Health Care for rehab.

Shannon Playl’s cousin-in-law, Shad Norris, recently received a liver transplant, has had a setback and is being treated for respiratory failure at UNC-CH.

Paige Williams is having thyroid surgery at Duke on Tuesday, December 19th.

Billy Purdom (USS Stout DDG ), Smith Beacham (Fort Richardson, Anchorage, AK), Jack Looney (USS Carl Vinson, San Diego, CA), Samuel Makepeace (Fort Polk, Louisiana), Brennan Litzinger (Fort Bliss, Texas), Mikayla Reifert (Kadena, Japan), Bradley Garrett (Coast Guard, Elizabeth City)

Prayer requests: Click here to tell us about your need.

Hospitalizations: Please click here to email Ann Benson or call 910.762.9693 x202 to leave a message.

December 19: Lisa Bohbrink, Lyla Canady
December 20: Jane Elmore, Pat Rackley, Marianne Wayne
December 21: Zoe Hurd, Jaxson Smith
December 22: Lisa Bryan, Will Jones, Patrick McWilliams, Babs Wright
December 24: Marty Conley, Carol McGowan, Deb Tew
December 25: Sam Lathan
December 27: Will Cherry, Matthew Moore
December 28: Vicci Dechent
December 29: Charles Brown, Bert Hale, Betsy Thompson
December 30: Ella Hilliard
December 31: Blake Lowry
January 1: Margaret Blanton, Dave Hoff
January 2: Stephanie Gould, Ann Bennett Sasser
January 3: Dexter Hayes, Catherine Hill
January 4: Rick Andrews, Barbara Curtis
January 5: Hobbs Sutton, Ricky Wheeler, Libby White
January 6: Shelley Hobson, Caroline Johnson, Jack Waldrop
January 7: Carolyn Jefferies, Sheila Woods, Cecil Worsley
January 8: Russell Herring
January 9: Megan Johnson