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Mardi’s Memos
Notes from our office manager

Angels for Commitments: You are invited to take a beautiful handmade angel (made by Barbara Lyon) when you return your commitment card. The angels are located in the Sanctuary.

Church facility calendar: Please be sure to check out all the wonderful events going on in December on the Church Facility Calendar, which is now included in the newsletter! Calendars are also located in the foyer.

Christmas Poinsettias. You are invited to donate to the Altar Guild Flower Fund to help decorate the church with poinsettias. The suggested donation is $35.00; however the Altar Guild will be thankful for any amount.

Donations can be made anonymously or in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving for a special person or event. A flyer to fill out will be passed out with the bulletin.
Please respond by December 11th.

I will be taking December 15th, 25th, and January 1st off.  I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!
                                       ~ Mardi Jensen, Office Manager

Interfaith Satellite
Shelter Program

ISSP is launching its 2006-2007 season of the feeding of the homeless in November.  St Philip’s will be feeding a group (15-20) of homeless women on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month from November through April.  St John’s of Capitola handles the dinners for first and third Thursdays each month.  Fifth Thursdays in November and March will be done by outside groups (Girl Scouts, B’hai, 4-H, etc.)

St Philip’s Thursdays are: December 14 and 28, January 11 and 25, February 8 and 22, March 8 and 22 and April 12 and 26

This is an especially unique opportunity for our youth to serve the less fortunate and develop a true sense of compassion for those who are different and marginalized by society.  Whether it’s done in the context of our Youth Groups at St Philip’s, or simply by families with children spending a few hours preparing food and serving the homeless, this service is appreciated by our guests and guaranteed to furnish participants with the blessings that Christian charity brings.

I have posted a sign up sheet on the wall and I welcome personal contact from those who are interested in participating.

             Tod Connor, St. Philip’s
             ISSP Coordinator

The Homeless Garden Project

If you are looking for lovely, hand-made, organic Christmas gifts and a great way to give a hand up to those in need this holiday season, then you should definitely check out the products sold through the Homeless Garden Project.  At the Depot Park shop, located at 101 West Cliff Dr. in Santa Cruz, you will find gorgeous dried-flower wreaths, beaded bookmarks and jewelry, herbal teas, knitted scarves, lavender shortbread and herbed biscuit mixes, homemade vinegars, strawberry preserves, beeswax candles, natural bath products, and more.  You can also purchase products online at www.homelessgardenproject.org/ or at Seascape Foods in Aptos at 16 Seascape Village. 

The mission of the Homeless Garden Project is “to bring together people from throughout the community in the beauty and security of our certified organic garden, practice and teach principles of economic and ecological sustainability through classes and hands-on experience, and provide homeless men and women job training and transitional employment.

Valley Christmas Project

The Valley Churches United 25th annual Christmas Project offers several ways you can help seniors, shut-ins, low income families, disadvantaged children, disabled, homeless, and care facility residents in North Santa Cruz County.

Make a needy child happy by taking a stocking from your local post office, bank, or business, visit Santa’s Workshop and Christmas boutique at Highway 9 in Ben Lomond, or participate in the wonderful Adopt-A-Family Program. VCU is currently beginning their Christmas food drive and is seeking food and food certificate donations: you can pick up your food bag in the St. Philip’s church sanctuary and return it to the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, contact VCU at 336-5651 or visit their website at www.vcum.org/index.html