The Twelve Days of Christmas

Merry Twelve Days of Christmas! And remember, the 12 days of Christmas are the 12 days following December 25th. The Christmas Season runs until Epiphany, January 6th. 

Have you ever wondered what leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? 

From 1558 to 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

• The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ
• Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments
• Three French hens stood for faith, hope, and love
• The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
• The five golden rings recalled the Torah or the Law, the first five books of the Old Testament
• The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation
• Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit - Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy
• The eight maids a-milking were the eight Beatitudes
• Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit - Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control
• The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments
• The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples
• The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed

5 Year End Tips for Your Facility

Hello,

I thought item #5 and the bonus tip might be of interest to you. 

Grace and Peace,
Barbara Prieto,CA III - Administrative Coordinator
President Florida Region Administrative Personnel Association of the PCUSA

5 Year End Tips for Your Church Facility

Directory for Worship - Part 1

This is Part 1 in a series by David Gambrell, Associate for Worship, in the PCUSA Office of Theology and Worship
Article from the presbyterianleader.com

What is the Directory for Worship?
The PC(USA) Constitution consists of two parts that are usually found in two separate books: the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order. The Book of Order is organized in four sections: Foundations of Presbyterian Polity, the Form of Government, the Directory for Worship, and the Rules of Discipline. 
 
The Directory for Worship provides a theological understanding of worship that is founded on Scripture and rooted in the history and tradition of the church. In contrast to a prayer book or service book, our Directory for Worship provides no liturgical texts, such as prayers or responsive readings. Rather, it seeks to articulate the principles and practices underlying faithful worship in the Reformed tradition. The Directory for Worship allows for a certain degree of freedom within form—not prescribing fixed prayers but offering broader guidelines. Worship leaders are wise to use the Directory for Worship and the Book of Common Worship together, like a compass and a map; the former points to general principles and primary things, while the latter offers specific directions for particular services.

Celebrate your Admin Staff

During this most joyous time of year, we celebrate the birth of Christ.  It is during this time that we affirm how blessed we are to be able to serve Him in our ministry.

Your administrative staff also feels blessed to serve Him as well.  They feel “called” to their ministry of support to your office.  Their willingness to lend a compassionate ear to those who need compassion, their eagerness to serve everyone they come in contact with and their enthusiasm for their jobs in Christ’s Church make them ambassadors for Christ’s Kingdom.

Make sure to acknowledge your administrative staff’s ministry by encouraging them to join the Administrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  Better yet, make sure to pay their membership dues ($75) and conference attendance fees (approximately $500) out of your budget.  This small investment will help validate to them that their ministry to your organization is valued.  Membership applications are available on the Florida Region’s website at www.floridaapa.org.  

Find out how your administrative staff’s membership in the APA can benefit them, you and your organization, by contacting Barbara Prieto, Florida Region President, at 305-666-8586 or rivierachurch@bellsouth.net.

Nancy Fine
Membership Chair, Florida Region of the Administrative Personnel Association of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
www.floridaapa.org