Welcome to the First Newsletter from Our New Website!
We’re excited to share that St. John’s has officially launched our new website at stjohnssylva.org. Many of you know we’ve been preparing this transition for a while. As we moved everything over, we ran into unexpected access issues with our previous domain, saintjohnssylva.org, so we pivoted to a new address to keep things moving forward smoothly. Thank you for your patience throughout this process.
The new site—and this newsletter—are still works in progress, and we’d love your thoughts as we continue shaping them. If you have suggestions, notice something that isn’t working quite right, or simply want to share ideas, please reach out to Aeryn Knight at arcolton16@gmail.com. Your feedback helps us create tools that truly serve our community.
We’re glad you’re here, and we can’t wait for you to explore what’s new at St. John’s.
(Some features, including events and readings are best viewed on the website. Pardon our dust as we continue our work in progress!)
Announcements
Thanks to all who have returned Pledge Cards!
For those who have not had a chance, cards can be printed from the “Donate Online” page of our website (click HERE), or picked up in the Narthex or Parish Hall. Please return by mail, place in the offering plate, or hand to ushers, staff, or vestry members. Pledge cards have also been mailed out.
Great News! The shirts have arrived! Cyndie will bring them this Sunday (or several Sundays thereafter) for pick up.
Each year we give the staff of St. John’s a Christmas bonus as a token of our appreciation for the hard work they do to keep the parish running smoothly. So for the next two Sundays (14th and 21st), Cyndie Faircloth-Smith will be taking up contributions for Christmas bonuses. If you write a check, please make it payable to Cyndie so that she can cash the checks. If you want to mail your contribution, here is her address: 125 Wind River Hls; Sylva, NC 28779.
Cyndie needs your contributions by Sunday, the 21st so that they can be divided and presented to the staff at the 7pm service on December 24th. Thank you very much!
🎵 A Note from Erin McCully Regarding our Service Music 🎵
On Sunday, 11/30/2025, we changed service music for the season of Advent. We hope that the following links will be helpful. Click on each link to hear (or view) each selection:
- Trisagion S-102:
- Psalm S-414:
- Sanctus S-125:
- Fraction Anthem S-161:
♻️ NOTICE: St. John’s no longer collecting personal beauty care packaging for recycling ♻️
Unfortunately, the Terracycle program that recycles beauty care packaging has closed down. Terracycle will still accept dental care product containers (empty dental floss, old toothbrushes, electric toothbrush heads, empty toothpaste tubes, etc), so Erin McCully is happy to continue collecting those. A labeled box is located in the parish hall to collect empty dental care packaging, but unfortunately we can no longer accept things like shampoo bottles, serum bottles, or makeup containers. (Many of these may be recyclable, though, be sure to check the recycling rules for your area!) Questions? Please talk to Erin McCully after a service or email at elmccully@gmail.com.
Serving This Week
Coffee Hour: Cookies from the Carol Sing
Altar Guild: Cyndie Faircloth-Smith
Crucifer: Allison Tomas
Ushers: Mary Anne Farrell and George Granning
Oblation Bearers: Joe & Helen Butler
Readers: Lynn Hogue (1st Lesson), Carol Houge (2nd Lesson), Mary Anne Farrell (Prayers of the People)
Vestry on Duty: Aimee Quillen and Helen Jones
Acolyte: (Email if interested!)
Stream Team: Aimee Quillen
Would you like to volunteer? Sign Up to host Coffee Hour using the white dry erase board in the Parish Hall. For everything else, please email Cyndie at fairclothsmithc@yahoo.com. Or Aeryn Knight at arcolton16@gmail.com. Thank you!
Upcoming Events
The Longest Night: A Service of Prayer & Reflection
December 21 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Come together on the year’s longest night to acknowledge grief, loss, distress, and sadness and to lift one another into God’s light.
If you would like to learn more and/or get involved, reach out to Allyn Maxfield-Steele at revallynmaxfield-steele@pm.me
Readings for this Sunday: December 14, 2025
First Reading
Isaiah 35:1-10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you."
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
The Psalm
Psalm 146:4-9
Lauda, anima mea
4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
whose hope is in the Lord their God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;
6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.
7 The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind; *
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
8 The Lord loves the righteous;
the Lord cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9 The Lord shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Hallelujah!
The Epistle
James 5:7-10
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
The Gospel
Matthew 11:2-11
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
(Some features, including events and readings are best viewed on the website. Pardon our dust as we continue our work in progress!)