The evocative service of Nine Lessons and Carols at 7pm this Sunday, December 18th, is one of the highlights of the church year for many people and there will be a retiring collection for the Capuchin Day Centre for homeless and needy people in Bow Street, Dublin 7. The service is followed by the serving of mince pies and mulled wine in the Parish Centre. All very welcome.
One reason this service is so popular is that each member of the congregation is given an individual candle. We want to be able to maintain this tradition.
While acknowledging that it can be difficult to hold a service sheet in one hand and a candle in the other, please exercise care at all times with your candle. Make every effort to hold it as straight as possible throughout the service, keep the drip mat in place and try not to splash any wax on either the furniture or the floor as it is very difficult and time consuming to remove it.  The candle should easily last for the duration of the service.

The key dates for worship in St Paul’s over the Christmas period:
Sunday, December 18th 8.15 am Holy Communion (One) 10.30 am Family Service with Holy Baptism
7 pm Service of Nine Lessons with Carols by Candlelight
Monday, December 19th 7 pm Rathdown School Carol Service
Wednesday, December  21st 11 am Holy Communion
Saturday, December 24th 11.30 pm Christmas Eve First Eucharist of Christmas
Sunday, December 25th Christmas Day 8.15 am Holy Communion (One) 10.30 am Family Service
Wednesday, December 28th 11 am Holy Communion; 4pm Wedding
Saturday, December 31st 11.45 pm Ringing in the New Year: a short service to welcome the New Year with the ringing of the Chimes at midnight. Followed by refreshments.
Sunday, January 1st The Second Sunday of Christmas 8.15 am Holy Communion (One) 11.30 am Service to mark the beginning of the New Year, followed by refreshments. 7 pm No Service

Throughout Advent and over Christmas you are invited to support the ongoing work of Bishops’ Appeal.  Envelopes can be found on the pews in the church.  Please put any contribution you may like to make into one of these envelopes and place it on the offertory plate.  The Church of Ireland Bishop’s Appeal is the Church’s World Aid and Development programme.  If you would like to know more about Bishop’s Appeal and the projects it supports check out its new website at:  bishopsappeal.ireland.anglican.org

The St Paul’s choir is joining the choir of St Patrick’s Dalkey to lead an Advent Carol Service in the Dalkey church for the cluster of Church of Ireland parishes in our area this Sunday, November 27th at 7pm. All are very welcome. There will be no evening service in St Paul’s this Sunday.

There’s a chance this Saturday morning, November 19th,  to start your day with sumptuous singing, exquisite organ music and delicious home-baked cakes and coffee! It’s a fund-raising event for the Pipeworks Organ Festival.
Come along  and hear the St Paul’s choir singing and renowned organist Mark Duley, the festival’s artistic director, performing works by Faure, Bach, Stainer, Rutter, Vierne and Goodall.
Date:  November 19th
Time: 11am
Venue: St Paul’s Church, Glenageary
Tickets: €10 at the door
Tea, coffee and cakes served after recital in the parish centre.

If you have service medals that belonged to a relative or friend you might like to wear them at our Remembrance Service at 10.30am this Sunday, November 13th, in their honour and in memory of all those who have served. The Act of Remembrance will be within the service of Parish Communion.
 Meanwhile, the children will go to Sunday Club,where the talk will be about standing firm when you are afraid and remembering Jesus is with you. In the Gospel reading of the day (Luke 21. 5–19) Jesus tells his disciples that despite war, famine and fearful events, that if they stand firm in their belief of Him, they will gain life. As a Remembrance Sunday activity, the children will be remembering those who have died.

There’s a chance to gather in St Paul’s  church to remember family and friends who have died, this Sunday, November 6th, at 7pm, at our annual Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance of Loved Ones. You are invited to participate in a time of quiet reflection, with appropriate readings and music.
If you would like the name of a loved one to be read out at this service, please add their name to the list, which you will find on the table at the back of the church, or email stpaulsdub@gmail.com before this Friday.

The political drama All the President’s Men, starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford (pictured below) , will be shown at the Parish Film Night this Thursday, October 27th at 8pm in the Parish Centre. It will be introduced by Philip Molloy of Newstalk. Please book a seat by emailling stpaulsdub@gmail.com

On Sunday, November 6th at 7 pm we will have our annual Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance of Loved Ones.  You are invited to participate in a time of quiet reflection, with appropriate readings and music, as we remember those of our families and friends who have died.
If you would like the name of a loved one to be read out at this service, please add their name to the list which you will find on the table at the back of the church.

My name is Emma and I am a teacher in Glenageary Killiney National School. This half term I plan to work with the unaccompanied children of the Calais Refugee Camp. More than 1,000 children aged between eight and 17 have arrived alone to one of the scariest, unsafe places in Europe with no grown-ups to protect and provide for them.  As winter draws in their tents are no match for the cold, floods are a constant problem and their future is uncertain as the French authorities have declared that it is their intention to demolish the camp.
Please help me to try and make the lives of these children a little easier. I am collecting warm clothes size small and medium, shoes sizes 40+, sleeping bags, unlocked smart phones, also the boys love comics and sports magazines of any kind. Donations can be left into GKNS,  Wyvern Estate, Killiney Road on or before this Friday, October 21st.