Resource Center News

Remember, Thursday, Oct. 4 is our Open House from 1-4 with the emphasis on Advent and Christmas. We will have snacks, so plan to come on your lunch hour and see our new programs from Alternatives for Simple Living.

Let Jesus Come, Let Santa Go: celebrating an alternate Christmas

            Topics include: guidelines for gift-giving, Santa and St. Nicholas, what you can do in your parish, let Advent be Advent, what else you can do in your family and alternate Christmas activities for the wider community.    

Have yourself a merry little Christmas (English and Spanish)

            Encourages people to reflect on their own celebrations, and to support efforts to make Christmas less consumer-oriented and more meaningful.

Break forth into joy: beyond a consumer lifestyle.

            Take a critical look at lifestyle choices and the shape our lives have taken. Useful for adults or senior high youth.

Or, you may want to look at Unplug the Christmas Machine program kit along with the book Celebrate and Simplify. Wendy Smith, rector at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sunnyvale is presently using both of these items and this is what she wrote for her class—

The holiday season can be the best time of the year. But the Christmas season can be an emotional minefield. Have you ever come to the end of the holiday season vowing that next year things would be different? Have you felt resentment or come to expect disappointment? Did you wonder if priorities were misplaced and expectations were out of kilter? If so, you are not alone. You are invited to a three Wednesday evening series called SIMPLIFY AND CELEBRATE. We will examine our hopes, expectations and priorities for the Christmas season. We’ll look at the pitfalls and issues that create tension and unhappiness, and we will explore strategies for healthier and happier holiday gatherings.

Group Publishing has sent a copy of A Night in Bethlehem, a program kit.  

            A family Christmas event that can be used as a 2-hour event, over a weekend, Christmas Eve, or anytime during the Christmas Season.

Are you looking for a pageant? We have lots to choose from.

See you at: 231 S. Sunset Avenue, Sunnyvale, 408-736-4155.