The December 2011 edition of the St. Barnabas Encourager is now available.

Our 3rd Annual Youth Mission Trip will occur on June 25 through June 30, 2012. This year, we will be returning to Rutland, Vermont to assist a community in which many live below the poverty level (including 21% under the age of 18). Jeff Flick and Rev. Valerie will lead our team of youth in grades 6-12 who will join with other churches to serve under the direction of YouthWorks! (See www.youthworks.com for further information).

If you are interested in going on this year’s Youth Mission Trip please attend the Mission Trip Meeting on December 4 at 4:30pm in the upstairs classroom. Commitment forms, payment schedule, fundraising and a possible local Mission Trip will be discussed. If you have any questions regarding the mission trip please contact Jeff Flick.

St. Barnabas has adopted an African-American Family for Christmas:

Serah: 13 year old girl. Wears XL or size 14 juniors. Loves reading, knitting & Giants. Needs new winter jacket, clothes, twin sheets and comforter, pajamas & art or knitting supplies.

Calise: 8 year old girl. Wears size 12 girls’ clothes & size 3 shoes. She likes girly things, needs slippers, art supplies, twin long size sheets & comforter in girly colors, and socks. She needs learning toys.

Ashar: 2 ½ year old boy. Loves dinosaurs & Discovery toys, wears size 3T clothes & size 8 shoes, wants Elmo on drums, learning toys, winter jacket, toddler boy bedding, pajamas & trucks.

Parents: either an ironing board or a record player. Her father recently passed and left her all of his records.

You are invited! Come celebrate with us as we formally welcome our 4th Rector, The Rev. Valerie L. Balling, on Saturday, December 17th at 11 AM. The Rt. Rev. George E. Councell, XI Bishop of New Jersey, will be presiding. The Rev. Dr. Patrick Close, Rector of Grace Church, Haddonfield, will be preaching. The reception after the Celebration of Ministry service will be hosted by the parish of St. Barnabas.

Please look for the sign-up sheet in Hubbard Hall – a menu will be planned for the event, please sign up for one of the items on the list and/or help with the Celebration reception.

If you would like to make a donation towards the reception, please contact Maria Flick. Donations will help cover the expense for items not provided by the parish members.

We are also in need of 9 card tables for the reception; if you have a card table that can be borrowed from December 16-17, please call or email Maria Flick.

Celebrate St. Nicholas Day on Sunday, December 4! Breakfast will be served from 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM (donation basket will help defray the cost of the breakfast). Want to Help? Sign Up sheet in Hubbard Hall. The worship service at 10:30 will be a Children’s Service and Sermon for the Young and “Young at Heart.” Afterwards, visit with St. Nicholas in the Bolmer Room. Photos will be taken and available for pick-up on Sunday, December 11

Bring your favorite Christmas Cookies or Goodies for the Coffee Hour.

This Saturday, 12/3, from 8 AM to noon, please come to help spruce up the church for Advent and Christmas. The rain/snow date is December 10th.

We meet at 7:30 PM in the Bolmer Room each month. Participants usually gather at Confectionately Yours at 5:30 PM for dinner and fellowship beforehand. All are most welcome to join us. Please contact Monica Devanas or Carolyn Hales with any questions.

Here is what the Book Group has planned for the next few months:

• 12/2/11: The Red Tent: A Novel by Anita Diamant
• 1/6/12: Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock by David Margolick
• 2/3/12: 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story
  of Death and Life by Don Piper
• 3/2/12: The Dovekeepers: A Novel by Alice Hoffman

Have books you no longer want? Bring them in to our Book Sale! Looking for a good deal on a recent best-seller? Shop the book tables in Hubbard Hall! Prices are 50 cents for paperbacks, and $1.00 for hard-covers. Please place any unwanted books you have on the tables. If you are purchasing, please put the money in the plastic jar. Be sure to check out the selection frequently, as people will bring in new books each week. The book sale will continue through December 11th.

Please help out if you can: the Food Pantry is desperately low on a number of items including: Parmalat/boxed milk, canned beans & green vegetables, canned pastas, canned soup, boxed macaroni & cheese and dried soups.

In addition the following food items are needed to help make Christmas special for the less fortunate among us: stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, boxed baked goods, rice, corn muffin mix, sugar & flour, coffee & tea, canned sweet potatoes, gift cards, and frozen turkey & ham.

Non-perishable items can be placed in the laundry baskets in Hubbard hall and they will be taken to the food pantry. Please drop off perishable items at the South Brunswick Municipal Building, Monday- Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 pm. For information please call 732-329-4000 Ext. 7672 or 7674.