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N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E C H U R C H O F S T . C L E M E N T

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

December 1st is not only the First Sunday ofAdvent (the four-week church season in preparationfor Christmas), but it is Stewardship Sunday at St.Clement’s.

Stewardship of our lives is a major theme in theBible, both in the Old and New Testaments. As welearn to follow Jesus Christ, and obey the Word ofGod, we learn that God has expectations of us.

We are called to live our lives in gratitude andservice, for all that He has given us, but especiallyfor the salvation that we have through the sacrificeof His Son, Jesus, on the Cross.

Learning to live a dedicated life to God does notcome naturally. Our own tendency to sin (sinnature) as well as the world around us will tempt usto live independently from God, self-centered andself-indulgent lives, rather than trusting, loving andobeying God, and serving others.

The only way that we truly learn to live inrelationship to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is bydoing what His Word says. When we obey, by thehelp of the Holy Spirit, we are confirmed little bylittle to the image of Christ.

A big part of our lives revolves around finances.What we earn, what we pay for, what we own, takeup much of our day to day lives. God strikes at theheart of our tendency to live apart from Him bycommanding us to return a percentage of what Hegives us to Him, or rather, to the work of theKingdom.

It takes faith to obey this command, because wewant to be “lord” of our finances as much as everyother part of our lives. But when we submit our willto His, we learn several lessons: 1) to be trulygrateful for all God has given us; 2) that He faithfullysupplies all or our needs; and 3) the joy, not only ofobedience, but of generosity toward Him andothers.

5:30 p.m. – Family Service with Pageant andmusic with the Praise Band.

7:30 and 10 p.m. – Traditional Christmas Eve

Each year, the church leadership asks each personand family who is part to make a financialcommitment to God’s work through St. Clement’s.Next Sunday, we ask you to prayerfully turn in apledge card. We will offer them to God, as theyrepresent our lives, our work, our giving.

Quiet DayBefore things get so busy we can’t hardly thinkstraight, come to the Quiet Day, on Saturday,December 7th, from 8:30-noon. It is sponsored bythe Daughters of the Holy Cross; there will bebreakfast, meditations, time to reflect and pray.

Lessons and CarolsThe 8:30 a.m. service on the Second Sunday ofAdvent, December 8th, will be a “Lessons andCarols” service with Scripture readings and variousmusical offerings.

Christmas Eve Services

Holy Communion with Organ, Choir and BrassQuintet.

Note:The church office will be closed from December 25ththrough January 1st. There will NOT be a service onSaturday, December 29th.

May God grant you a blessed Advent Season, andbe with you and yours in the celebration of ourSavior’s birth.

Yours in His Precious Name,

The Rev. William Cox Cobb

Kelly Morten 915-521-8052 Teresa Oduorkelly@stclements.com teresa@stclements.com

As we approach the Christmas season, St. Clement’s Kids have been learning that Jesus isthe gift of God, the Messiah, foretold by the prophets hundreds of years before His birth. Isaiah spoke of the suffering servant by whose piercing, suffering and bruising we are forgiven and healed. Jeremiah assured the people that a day was coming when He would make a new covenant where “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And Iwill be their God, and they shall be my people…For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remembertheir sin no more.” Jesus is our peace with God…the best gift ever!

On December 24th, during the 5:00 p.m. service, we will present this message at our annual Christmas program. We look forward to sharing the story of the promised Savior with everyone! If your children would like to join the cast & choir or you would like to join the technical team, feel free to contact us as soon as possible. We have begun, but we can use as much help as we can get as we prepare our celebration of God’s greatest gift to mankind, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Gi�t of Jesus

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GIVING IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON

Like most churches, we rely on end of year giving to getthrough the year. You may give by check, online with a creditor debit card, or by ACH withdrawal from your bank account.You may also give from a retirement account. If you havequestions, please call or email our financial secretary, KarenMiller. All gifts that are postmarked or received through Dec.31st are deductible in 2019 for IRS purposes.

If you're an eligible retirement account owner, you can have your RMD madepayable directly to a qualified charity. You'll satisfy your distributionrequirement, and you won't have to pay income taxes on that money.Justhave your retirement account administrator make the check to The Church ofSt. Clement of El Paso, Texas.

Giving From Your Retirement Account

Once you reach age 70½, if you are not working full time, the IRSrequires you to withdraw Required Minimum Distributions from allyour IRAs, 401k, and other retirement plans—except Roth IRAs—and pay ordinary income taxes on the taxable portion of yourwithdrawal.

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Veteran’s Day was celebrated in a beautiful way by our studentsand their families on November 11th. We started our dedicatedchapel with a processional parade by our early childhoodstudents. Mrs. Manning’s bagpipes filled the church withpatriotism and love. Students led prayers, songs, and poetry. Itwas a beautiful dedication that has become one of our school’sfavorite traditions. Mark your calendars to join us next year onVeteran’s Day!

For a wonderful night of entertainment, come support our 8thgrade Theatre and Speech classes. If you haven’t attended adinner theatre event at our school before, prepare to beamazed! The play is written and directed by Mrs. Robyn Pelking-Chavez, performed by our students, and loved by all ages. Ourfirst dinner and performance will be Friday, December 13th at 6pm. . This show is $20 per person and $10 for children under10. For an Hors D’oeuvres and Performance, the price will be$15 per person and $10 for children under 10, and will be onSaturday, December 14th at 2 PM.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the school would like to thank St.Clement’s Church for their continued support and appreciation.Thank you for guiding us in God’s path educationally andspiritually. Thank you to church members who keep the schoolin their prayers. Our students, as well as others around theworld, are blessed to have you keeping them in your hearts.

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First Grade Outdoor Education Team:Neisha Kelly, MaggieJackson, Yoli

Milliorn, Sharron Moore, Nancy Olsewski,and Jenna Nissen.

Students hiked La Cueva- anarchaeological site located at the foot ofthe Organ Mountains just outside Las

Cruces, NM.

ST. CLEMENT PARISH SCHOOL NEWS

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The annual Advent Lessons and Carols service will be on Sunday, Dec. 8th at the 8:30 service.

This presentation celebrates thecoming of our Lord to this earth and itis a meaningful way to prepare for Christmas.

Using Advent carols, anthems and scripture, the Adult choir and layreaders are the worship leaders forthis traditional liturgy.

Plan to attend on the Second Sundayof Advent to prepare our hearts forthe coming of the Messiah.

CLEMENTS & CLEMENTINESCHRISTMAS CAROLS

Tradition, including some accordion!Please come to this joyous worship of the

Christmas Child!Bring a friend &/or your favorite Holy-day

covered dishes, cookies, candies, cakes &decorations to the Mayfield Room on the 3rd

Monday, December 16.We’ll begin our celebration with a rousing

reverent Communion at 10:30 am.Warm thanks to Rick Garven, Woody Kaip &

Fr John Dixon!

Daughters of the Holy Cross welcome you to an Advent QuietDay

on Saturday, December 7.

It will begin with breakfast at 8:30 in the Mayfield Room and

conclude at noon.

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LIBRARY ANNOUNCEMENT

Come one, come all! We have wonderful books and movies forChristmas and Advent! Some have already been checked out. We have alarge selection of Christmas fiction - light reading and lots of fun. We alsohave books with family centered activities and recipes. The library is openwhenever the church is open. Come and take advantage of having a beautifuloasis right in the center of the church. Merry Christmas!

Margaret Meyer, Moni Ward, PatGarven, Geneva Williams, and Anne Walker.

Christmas Eve Services7:30 and 10 p.m. –

Traditional Christmas Eve HolyCommunion with Organ, Choir

and Brass Quintet.

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The annual Hanging of the Greens will be on December 22nd,

after the 10:45 service. Please join us!

5:30 p.m. – Family Service with Pageant and

music with the Praise Band.

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JANUARY EVENTSRight to Life event featuring Dr. Anthony Levatino,on January 9th

March for Life in Washington D.C. – Youth Group,on January 24th

Our Sesquicentennial will be a year-long celebrationwith monthly activities. While honoring our amazinghistory, we also want to remain forward-oriented. Wewill be thanking God for leading us in the past, aswell as worshiping Him as He leads us into ourmuch-anticipated future. If you are interested involunteering and participating in the planning any ofthese events, just let us know. We needeveryone’s help!

CELEBRATING ST. CLEMENT’SSESQUICENTENNIAL 1870 – 2020

150TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!

Hello, friends! I wanted to begin by first thanking you so,

SO much for your generosity in buying our bakedgoods during our Thanksgiving Bake Sale! Becauseof you, we raised $1,851 that will go towards ourMarch for Life trip. This will help tremendously! Wecould never say thank you, enough! Thank you.

The end of the year is upon us! 2020 iscoming in, fast. We are so excited to see what theLord has planned for our youth ministry this newyear; however, the year isn’t finished yet! We haveone more event planned in December, our highschool retreat. This retreat will be December 28th-31st and at Aspendale Mountain Retreat Center (itcosts $75 and scholarships are available).Aspendale has been such a special place for usover the past decade and we are blessed to be ableto go every year. This high school retreat will becentered around spiritual disciplines, talking abouthabits and heart postures we should cultivate togrow in intimacy and relationship with the Lord. Wehad this same theme with our middle schoolers inOctober for their retreat and it went so well!

Our first trip in the new year, is toWashington, DC to attend the March for Life andySummit in January. ySummit is an Anglican youthconference that was created to go along with theMarch. We will hear from speakers who will talkabout the issues surrounding “life” that we see andhear in our culture today. We have a team of 15attending this trip! Both Bishop Mark and Father Billare a part of our team and we are so excited to havethem join us. Please be lifting us in prayer as weraise the remaining $2,150 left to cover the entiretyof the trip. Also join us in praying that the Lordmoves heavily on the people who attend thisconference and the March!

Thank you, Church, for all the ways in whichyou’ve poured into our youth group this year. Ourministry would not be what it is without your prayersand generosity. As this year comes to a close,please join us in one of our main prayers. Wedesperately need volunteers (specifically malevolunteers), that are willing to pour into our pre-teens and teenagers. These students are SOamazing and we are coming to a point where weneed more adults to pour into them with us. Pleasepray them our way!

Blessings, Kristie CosselYouth Ministry Director

DECEMBER 2019Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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8:30 AM Traditional10:30 AM MS YouthGroup10:45 PM Rey de PazSpanishService10:45 AM Contemporary w/ Nursery & Children12:15 PM Youth Lunch

STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY

29 AM ESC

12 PM Missionary Luncheon

39 AM Staff Meeting

12 PM Al Anon12 PM Invisible Church

6 PM Praise Band

49 AM ESC

11 AM Prayer & Fasting12 PM Prayer in McKee Chapel

6 PM Youth Group

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12 PM Praise band12 PM Bill’s Bible Study

7 PM Choir Practice

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8:30 AM Daughters of the Holy Cross QUIET DAY

5 PM Worship Service

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8:30 AM- Traditional-LESSONS AND CAROLS SERVICE10:30 AM MS YouthGroup10:45 PM Rey de PazSpanishService10:45 AM Contemporary w/ Nursery & Children12:15 PM Youth Lunch

99 AM ESC

109 AM Staff Meeting

12 PM Al Anon12 PM Finance Committee

5 PM Vestry Prayer6 PM Praise Band6:30 PM Stephen Ministry

119 AM ESC

11 AM Prayer & Fasting12 PM Prayer in McKee Chapel

6 PM Youth Group

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12P MPraise band

7 PM Choir Practice

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6 PM Parish School dinner Theater

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2 PM Parish School dinner Theater

5 PM Worship ServicE

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8:30 AM- Traditional10:30 AM MS YouthGroup10:45 PM Rey de PazSpanishService10:45 AM Contemporary w/ Nursery & Children12:15 PM Youth Lunch

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9 AM ESC 10:30 AM Clem’s & Clementines 11:30 AM Mission Board

ANCHOR DEADLINE

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9 AM Staff Meeting

12 PM Al Anon

6 PM Praise Band

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11 AM Prayer & Fasting12 PM Prayer in McKee Chapel

6 PM Youth Group

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12-Praise band12 PM Bill’s Bible Study

7 PM Choir Practice

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5 PM Worship Service

228:30 AM- Traditional10:30 AM MS YouthGroup10:45 PM Rey de PazSpanishService10:45 AM Contemporary w/ Nursery & Children12:15 PM Youth Lunch

HANGING OF THE GREENS

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CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES5:30 PM 7:30 PM & 10 PM

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CHRISTMAS DAYOFFICES CLOSED

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OFFICES CLOSED

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OFFICES CLOSED

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OFFICES CLOSED

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8:30 AM- Traditional10:30 AM MS YouthGroup10:45 PM Rey de PazSpanishService10:45 AM Contemporary w/ Nursery & Children12:15 PM Youth Lunch

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OFFICES CLOSED

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OFFICES CLOSED

NEW YEARS EVE

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Mission Statement

The Church of St. Clement, under the lordship of Jesus Christ, by the grace of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit,intentionally pursues real worship, real relationships, and real difference through our core values.

Church Staff

The Rev. William C. Cobb, D. Min., RectorThe Rev. Rick Milliorn, Senior Associate & Contemporary Music DirectorThe Rev. Travis W. King, AssociateThe Rev. Ken Hanna, Pastor of Operations & Rey de PazThe Rev. John H. Dixon Jr., Rey de Paz Pastor The Rev. Ronald R. Thomson, Rector Emeritus The Rev. Dr. Courtney G. Brown, DeaconIrene Taylor, Assistant to the RectorRick Garven, Organist and Adult Choir DirectorKristie Cossel, Youth Ministry DirectorAdam Drake, AssistantKelly Morten, Children's Ministry DirectorMelissa Greco, AssistantEdward A. Endlich, English Speaking Center Director & Parish AdministratorLupe Mendoza, Director of Preschool/DaycareMarilyn Jay, Financial SecretarySusie Hunter, BookkeeperAnne Walker, Librarian Ericka Garcia, ReceptionistJesus Ortiz Torres, Maintenance Supervisor

Vestry

•Trey Burdick • Ben Bass • Mike Hicks • Robyn Pelking-Chavez • Andy Quintana • Richard Roman •• Julia Beauchamp • Tom Beeman • Susie Schneider • Maggy Smith •

John Schmid, Senior WardenAndy Quintana, Junior WardenLin Banks, Treasurer • cbank@elp.rr.comEdward A. Endlich, Clerk • eaendlich@sbcglobal.net

(915) 533-4915

(915) 533-1958

www.stclements.com

office@stclements.com

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The Anchor of St. Clement (USPS 0116-610) is published monthlyby the Church of St. Clement, 810 N. Campbell St., El Paso, Texas

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