Nativity Newsletter

Sunday, December 7 - 2nd Sunday of Advent

Those Who Serve

Morning Prayer - Michael Prager

Music - Brenda and Katherine

Altar Guild - Kathy/Karen

Lectors - Kathy/Sean

LEM - Joe

MC POD - Barbara

Lessons for Sunday

Isaiah 11:1-10

Romans 15:4-13

Matthew 3:1-12

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

Announcements:

Welcome to Townes Henry Coodey Pierce!

Born Tuesday November 25th at 10:31 am at Baptist Memorial Hospital Oxford after only 20 minutes of pushing, almost a month early. He was ready! Mom and baby are doing very well. Townes is welcomed by his parents Ryan Pierce and Hannah McCormick, his big sister Noa Caroline, big brother Homer. His criminal accomplices will be his grandparents, James and Juawice McCormick.

Shannon has organized a mealtrain Hannah and Ryan! This is the Meal Train for Meal Train® for Hannah McCormick and Ryan Pierce: https://mealtrain.com/0drqo5

Advent Book Study - meets this Sunday, December 7 at 9:15 in the Salt & Light Building and we will be discussing Ruth. Note: We will meet Saturday, December 13 at 9:15 in light of Andy Andrew's gathering with us at 9:15 on Sunday, December 14th. All invited to the book study. Even if you don't have the book, come and see if it's something you would like to take part in.

Online Church Directory - can be accessed by following the steps listed on the church website: https://www.nativitywv.org/directory

You may edit your own profile and add or change your photo.

If you have difficulties navigating or reading an on-line directory, please contact Robbie Fisher about requesting a printed booklet version: robbiedfisher@gmail.com

Poinsettias for Christmas Eve service. If you would like to donate to the Altar Guild Flower fund, there are envelopes in the back of the pew for you to designate if your donation is in honor of or memory of someone. The recommended contribution is $35. Make checks payable to Nativity and on the memo line designate Flower Guild.

Tommy and Liz Reynolds Nativity Christmas Party - December 11th at Fountain Square. Cocktails and champagne at 6pm - eat at 6:30pm. Food and music provided. All are invited. Bring a guest. Let Liz know how many are coming. Text her at (662) 473-6044. All are invited. If you have ever been to Nativity or want to come or might want to come, you are invited. Just let Liz know.

Volunteers Needed - December 12th at 5:45 pm.- We will be offering the Salt & Light porch and building as a gathering spot for the Water Valley Christmas parade. The parade begins at 6pm on the south end of town.

Save the Date - What a blessing it was to be with Rev. Andy Andrews at both the 9:15 meeting and to celebrate the Holy Eucharist with him. If you missed either or both, you are in luck. He will be back with us on December 14th. We will gather around 9-9:15 and pick up where we left off.

Families Anonymous - Announcing the formation of a new Families Anonymous group in Water Valley, which will meet at the Salt & Light Building. Families Anonymous is a 12 Step fellowship for family members and friends of individuals with substance abuse and related behavioral issues. The Water Valley group is the first affiliate in the state of Mississippi of this national organization. First meeting will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 11, 2026, with subsequent meetings to follow every other week at the same place and same time. For more information, see: https://familiesanonymous.org/ Confidential inquiries may be directed to: famanonwv@gmail.com

From Brenda Prager:

Christmas Eve is fast approaching! Any singers or musicians who would like to offer their talents with some Christmas items at our pre-service program immediately before the Christmas Eve service, please contact Brenda Prager by email or phone (brendaprager@gmail.com; 662 816 6092). Please include the name of your song and approximate length so that I can organize the program.

Christmas Eve Service: Rev. Ann Whitaker will be celebrating the Christmas Eve Service with us at 5:30 pm on December 24th (Christmas Eve). Church-wide reception following at the studios of Jacki Kellum at 32 South Main Street. Bring a treat to share if you can. The important thing is to just come!

Save the Date - January 6th - Sally Lott McLellan will be reading from her memoir, Intersections - Seeking Self at Parchman Prison. The memoir is about teaching writing at Parchman Prison. This is a part of the Hubert Creekmore Literary Society Reading Series at Bozarts Gallery. It begins at 6:45pm.

Nativity Newsletter

Spotlight

Jack Barry

by Sally Lott McLellan

November 23, 2025

I first met Jack when I was a newbie at Nativity. He was elbow-deep in soap suds washing dishes after the weekly “after church” fellowship hour at the Salt & Light building. I asked if I could help and he said, “Nah, this is kinda my job.” Even though we all pitch in with clearing away and cleaning up, I now know that Jack is the primo dishwasher. And since we use real plates, real glasses and cups and real silverware there’s always a lot to wash, dry and put away! He is humble and devoted to his contribution to the Nativity family. And I should mention that he’s really a funny guy.

Jack has been in Water Valley for three years and says it was through the grace of the mother of us all that he landed here. He didn’t know anyone here, but his sister Jane, who he says is his godmother and Real Life Fairy Godmother, found lodging for him at The Blu-Buck Mercantile. (He declares that was largely due to Jane being smitten by Kagan Coughlin’s dimples.) It was Alexe van Beuren who invited him to Nativity. “I discovered a joyful weekly

celebration of the Lord at the darling little church and I committed to the loving community,” despite Vedanta (a branch of Hinduism) as his chosen sect. He now regards himself as a religious bigamist.

Soon after moving here, he began meeting “one bright, interesting, kind, funny person after another” and that continues, he said. “I fell for Water Valley through and through, and through (again) grace in abundance, I found a fine job as a bankruptcy paralegal (sticking it to the man on behalf of the destitute on a daily basis).” He rented a home from Joe York and was rescued by Katie, a red heeler mix, who Jack claims is the sweetest dog in town.

A native of Louisville, Kentucky where his background was in journalism, broadcasting, and horse racing, Jack went through a period of unhappiness that contrived to destroy his life. But now we have the great joy to call him ours and he says he is grateful for the opportunity to wash our weekly after-party dishes at the building he calls the SNL. “I ask the Nativity community to please accept my thanks for welcoming me. Onward and upward with the

hearts!”

Editor's note: To know Jack better, feel free to work alongside him in the kitchen. He always needs someone to dry and put away.

Those Who Serve:

Celebrant: Rev. Ann Whitaker

Music: Brenda/Katherine

Altar Guild: Vivian/Anne

LEM: Laura

MPOD: Mary Beth

Coffee Hour: everyone

Lessons: Christ the King

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Psalm 46

Colossians 1:11-20

Luke 23:33-43

Announcements

Advent Book Study begins next Sunday at 9:00. We will start at 9:15 am in the Salt & Light Building. The book is Expecting Emmanuel: Eight Women Who Prepared the Way by Joanna Harader. This is for everyone! All are invited. Please read the Introduction and the stories of Tamar & Rahab. Margaret Love Denman will be leading us in our study of Tamar and Rahab. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Kathy Shoalmire at (662) 801-6695.

Pledge Cards please turn them in by December 1st. You can place them in the offering plate or mail them in. The Finance Committee needs them to set the budget for 2026.

The Reynolds (Tommy & Liz) Christmas Party: is December 11th at Fountain Square. Please Save the Date. Food & Entertainment will be provided.

Volunteers Needed - December 12th - We will be offering the Salt & Light porch and building as a gathering spot for the Water Valley Christmas parade. Volunteers needed for serving the hot chocolate. Details to follow.

Poinsettias for Christmas Eve service. If you would like to donate to the Altar Guild Flower fund, there are envelopes in the back of the pew for you to designate if your donation is in honor of or memory of someone. The recommended contribution is $35. Make checks payable to Nativity and on the memo line designate Flower Guild.

Nativity Newsletter

Sunday at 9am at Salt & LIght- Join Andy Andrew as he leads us as a congregation in the development of a collect (prayer) for Nativity as we match our dreams with what God wants for us. Just like the congregational survey this is an important piece of our quest for a new vicar. 

The Rev. Andy Andrews' current role is Missioner for Beloved Community and Congregational Vitality for the Episcopal Church in Mississippi. He serves the Bishop and Diocese as the loudest cheerleader and advocate for amplifying the ministry of renewal, welcome, and belonging. Ordained in 1996, Andrews has led congregations in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi. His passion is creating unlikely partnerships which build collective leadership inspiring Gospel transformation. He holds a DMin from Episcopal Divinity School, an MDiv from Seminary of the Southwest, and a BBA from the University of Mississippi. He is married with three children.

Those Who Serve

Celebrant: Rev. Andy Andrews

Music: Dianne 

Altar Guild: Kathy/Jackie

LEM: James

Lectors: Jack/Jo Ella

MC POD: April

Coffee Hour: Everyone (no one signed up)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

LENTEN BOOK STUDY: Expecting Emmanuel - Eight Women Who Prepared the Way by Johanna Harader. 

We will meet through the Epiphany to discuss the book and talk about how we are impacted by what we learn from the lives of these women. 

Everyone is invited to participate. Please contact Kathy Shoalmire at nativitywatervalley@gmail.com. We will meet on Sunday mornings at 9:15 in the Salt & Light building.

The following is copied from the Amazon website. You can order from Amazon. The cost with tax is approximately $17.

journey through Advent and Christmas with the women of Jesus’ family line.

Christmas is about so much more than twinkle lights, sugar cookies, and perfect family photos. It’s about the world-changing, transforming, and sometimes messy reality of “God with us.” As we dive deep into the biblical accounts of Jesus’ female ancestors and reflect on God’s presence in their complicated lives, we can begin to release our expectations of a “perfect Christmas” and instead seek the experience of a holy season.

Through invitational spiritual practices and reflections, this daily devotional centers the stories of five women in Jesus’ genealogy—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary—plus three additional female figures connected to Jesus’ early life in the days leading up to Epiphany. You will also find resources for exploring the lives of these women in worship, small group, and retreat settings. This Advent and Christmas season, step into the true power of the Incarnation as we journey together to the manger and encounter the omnipotent God who has come to us in the vulnerable Christ-child.

DECEMBER 11 - Liz and Tommy Reynolds invite you to attend their annual Christmas party. This year it will be at Fountain Square. Food will be provided.

DECEMBER 12 - We will be offering the Salt & Light porch and building as a gathering spot for the Water Valley Christmas parade. Volunteers needed for serving the hot chocolate. Details to follow.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY

As a congregation we generated $487 last Sunday in the undesignated offering for our Blessing Box. 

In addition, the Mission Committee voted to donate $300 to the Water Valley nursing home to purchase Christmas gifts for the residents.