 Your Impact, Their Gift: Celebrating the Season with CGS Alternative Giving Do you ever find yourself fretting about what to get your grown children or other adults who seem to have everything? Or perhaps they’re planning to get you another wonderful thing you simply don't need? Many of us have reached a point of too much abundance and too little storage space. Here is a thoughtful solution: Alternative Gift Giving (AGG)! Donating to a non-profit which upholds your loved ones’ values can be a meaningful alternative to a physical gift. It’s a perfect way to honor, remember, or celebrate someone by making a real difference in the lives of people with very high levels of need. Our Featured Causes: Loving Our Neighbors This year, the Outreach Committee focused on causes with either a direct CGS connection or those dedicated to serving disadvantaged children and families. Your generosity will support the following proven charities: Loving Our Neighbors Here at Home
We have made participating in Alternative Gift Giving easy this holiday season! When & Where to Give Visit our Alternative Gift Giving tables which will be set up in the PLC lobby after both the 8:00 and 10:15 services on the first, second, and third Sundays of December:
The tables will have all the necessary information, donation forms, and a variety of handcrafted and store-bought Christmas/holiday cards and inserts for you to complete your gifts on the spot. Donation Details
Your donation amounts are processed by the church bookkeeper and reflected in your year-end giving statement from CGS, demonstrating how our church is helping people in need. After the third Sunday, CGS sends aggregate checks to each of the designated charities.
Come visit our table this Advent season and experience the joy of giving a gift that truly matters! Debbie Hostetter and Grace Sved
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Prepare the Way O Zion: An Advent Quiet Day with Julian of Norwich A Quiet Day is a day set aside for prayer, listening, and honest reflection, allowing for new clarity on life and a widening connection to God. On this Quiet Day, The Rev. Robert Fruehwirth, associate interim rector at St. Paul’s in Cary, will lead retreatants through reflections from the great medieval mystic and theologian, Julian of Norwich. Following the theme of Advent, we will be asking Julian for insight about how God comes anew into our lives (Even now! Exactly as they are!) and what our role might be in preparing for this. Attendees will be invited to practice silence at periods during the day; our time together will be held in an easy rhythm of guided meditations, personal time for reflection and reading, and communal prayer. Refreshments and lunch will be provided, as will nursery care. Cost: $50, scholarships available. Retreat Limit: 20 attendees. Where: The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Raleigh When: Dec 6, 2025 10-4pm To register: send an email to [email protected]  Biographical Note: The Rev. Robert Fruehwirth is a published author of two books on spirituality and a well-known speaker and retreat leader on Julian of Norwich, the life of prayer, and God’s work in our lives. For many years he was a monk in the Episcopalian monastic community, the Order of Julian of Norwich. Following this, he trained as a therapist and served at the Julian Shrine in Norwich, England. For the past 10 years he has served in parishes in the Diocese of North Carolina, and maintains a practice of spiritual direction. |
