The mission of the Recovery Ministries of the Episcopal Church is to reach out to all those affected by addictions, and with God’s help, through education and loving encouragment help the addicted and their families enter in to the full light of God’s saving grace.

Please join us at Hickory Neck Episcopal Church @ 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 15th, located at 
8300 Richmond Road    
Toano, VA

School District seeks your participation.  The Williamsburg James City County School District is asking you as members of St. Martin’s for your help.  Please take the survey and/or send an email as part of their information gathering for the new strategic plan.  Rev. Shirley spent two hours on this effort recently, and she hopes you’ll join her in claiming a stake in our school system.  The survey is at www.wjcc.k12.va.us.  Furthermore, if you wish to send in your ideas, send an email to wjccvoice@pcgus.com,
where your ideas will become part of the consultant’s analysis.  Please encourage friends, family, business associates, and neighbors to take the survey.

You're invited to help de-green the church following the 11:00 am service on Sunday, January 8. Please plan to stay and be a part of this project. All hands are welcome!

The Episcopal Church offers untold opportunities for young adults to provide service and share their expertise worldwide through the Young Adult Service Corps. Commonly known as YASC, applications are now being accepted for the Young Adult Service Corps from young adults between the ages of 21-30. Current YASC members are living in Japan, El Salvador, Mexico, Southern Africa, Hong Kong, and Tanzania. Read about their experiences on their blogs. Possible placements for 2012 include Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Papua New Guinea. Applicants must have a high degree of maturity and possess a faith commitment and "the willingness to be a humble guest, and the ability to be an authentic companion." Click here for application and information. Application deadline for 2012 placements is January 9, 2012. For more information contact Lisa Denaro at ldenaro@episcopalchurch.org  or 212-716-6114.

Please be reminded that church offices will be closed December 26th through December 30 and January 2, 2012. Meetings and activities normally scheduled for that week are cancelled.

Three Christmas Eve services will be held for St. Martin's parishioners on December 24th. Please join us to celebrate Christ's Nativity.
    4:00   Christmas Pageant
    7:30   Celtic Christmas with Eucharist
    10:30 Carol Sing
    11:00 Midnight Mass

One service will be held on Christmas Day.
    10:00 Holy Eucharist

We welcome your children at any of the above services and are blessed by their presence.

Thank your to Frank Caruso, David Dry, Rene de Jager, Nancy Pierce, Bob Saunders, and Barbette Spaeth, who offered to serve on vestry and were elected last Sunday. We are grateful for the faithful service of Debbie Coleman, Jean Dickey, Polly Foote, Nellie Williams, Allen Willey, and Anne Hearth, who are rotating off vestry in January. Kerry Armbruster, Dick Mericle, Roger Hoopengardner, Jane Core-Yatzeck, Bill Hoover, and Geoff Wade are present vestry members who are remaining on board. Many thanks to all of them for their willingness to use their gifts for the good of St. Martin's and God's Kingdom.

Ever have questions about these two places?? On Sunday, January 8th, and again on Sunday, January 15th, the Adult Forum will address this subject. There will be presentations on where our ideas about heaven and hell come from--the Bible?  Other sources?  The second session will be an open-mike panel discussion where you can ask questions that occurred to you during the first session. These two forums will be led by Rev. Shirley and Adult Formation Committee members.

We give thanks for the 198 pledges totaling $557,831 toward our goal of $692,341. If you haven't turned in your pledge card yet, please try to do so.

Sugar free PB & J are needed for St. Paul's Newport News "brown bag" lunch program for the homeless community in their neighborhood. A bin in the Narthex has been provided for donations.