Nativity Newsletter

Nativity Newsletter

Spotlight:

Mike Mitchell began visiting Nativity in 2019 and is grateful to have been called by the Mission Committee in 2025 to help lead our search for the next Vicar.  Mike still technically lives in Oxford but has been making definitive moves towards Water Valley over the past few years.  Mike feels that "Home" is where his family lives and where he feels most comfortable spending time & energy.... By that definition Water Valley is home.

Mike was born in Laguna Beach, California to the former Betty Black of Canton, MS and Lt. Hugh Mitchell of Conehatta, MS.  Growing up an only child of an artist and a USMC aviator helped Mike to be comfortable with strangers, friends and family.  Mike graduated high school from St Andrews in Jackson and thus began his interest and affinity for the Espicopal Church.  After college at Duke, Mike worked in Tampa, Dallas and Simsbury, CT before returning to business school in Philadelphia.  MIke officially joined the church (including a mild slap from the Bishop) at Trinity Church on Rittenhouse Square in 1991.

Mike returned to Mississippi in 1992 to work for the parent company of SkyTel pagers.  Next was two years at a technology startup in Atlanta called Monorail Computer Corporation (doubt you have heard of Monorail PCs... like many tech startups it was a great idea that bloomed and then faded quickly).  Then with some definite divine intervention, Mike returned to Mississiipi in 1997 and helped four professors at Ole Miss grow a software company that served banks and residential property appraisers.  That business was sold in 2016 to a larger company in California and Mike retired from that successor company in 2023.

Today, Mike is the proud dad of Zachary (30 yo), Jeremy (28 yo), Lilli Grace (24 yo), Sylvia (21 yo) and Eliza (14 yo) as well as Buzz the bulldog and Beans the cat. He enjoys working for entrepreneurs and non-profits in and around our community. Mike's maternal grandfather - Floyd Alden Black - was his greatest mentor and taught him that 'to whom much is given... much is expected..."  While Mike may fall short often (as we humans have a tendency to do...) that is his prayer for himself and his family.

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Holy Baptist and Eucharist: Rev. Ann Whitaker

Lessons:

Sirach 35:12-17

or Jeremiah 14:7-10,19-22

Psalm 84:1-6

2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18

Luke 18:9-14

Those who serve:

LEM: Robbie Fisher

Music: Brenda Prager and Katherine Outz

Altar Guild: Kathy Shoalmire and Karen Simard

Lectors: Liz/Tommy

M POD: Barbara Phillips

Coffee Hour/Lunch: no one is signed up. Please bring food to celebrate the baptism of August Jones. Cake will be served!

Announcements:

Pledge Cards are available in the back of the church. If you don't find one with your name, there are blank ones available. Please return by December 1.

Save the Date: Sunday, November 16th starting at 9am. Andy Andrews will meet with us prior to the service at 9am at Salt and Light to lead a session titled "First things first: Let's Pray!" Andy is the missioner for the Beloved Community and Congregational Vitality for the Diocese. Andy will lead us in constructing a collect (prayer) to help our dreams match up with God's dream for us! You don't want to miss this opportunity.

Congregational Survey in preparation for Vicar search: if you received one last week, please return. There is a box in Salt & Light to put them in. If you didn't get one, please ask Mike Mitchell or the Mission Committee Person on Duty (M POD).

Church Family Survey: It is so exciting to think about other opportunities to spend time together with our church family. Please complete the survey at this link: Fellowship Survey

Note: There were several announcements and more details in last week's email. Please check it out if you didn't get a chance to read it.