Nativity Blog Archives

Join in as we tell the Christmas story through story and song during the 10:30 am service on December 20. Youth and children are needed to bring the story to life, with both speaking and non-speaking roles available. There will be a musical rehearsal on November 29 from 9:30 to 9:45 am and then pageant rehearsals will be held after church on December 6 and December 13, and before the… Read more: Nativity’s Christmas Pageant

The Justice Theater Project produces a sly comedy where an indie climate change film script gets a big Hollywood budget. It asks two major questions: can we make meaningful art that people will actually come see? And then, if we somehow pull it off, will it make a difference to an issue as expansive as climate change? Click here to purchase tickets and find showtimes. Join us for free Dive… Read more: Justice Theater Project presents Continuity by Bess Wohl

For more than 10 years, Nativity’s Day of Giving has hosted Peggy’s Angel Tree, led by Peggy Wade, supporting individuals and families in need in the surrounding community. Peggy has been and continues to be an Angel to so many at Nativity and in the broader community. We are grateful for all she has done in her many years of service here.  Though Peggy is not able to lead this effort… Read more: Day of Giving 2027 – Peggy’s Angel Tree

Parish Bylaw Q&A Session Ahead of our annual meeting on November 22, the Vestry is holding an open forum for Parish members to review the bylaws and ask questions. Please join us on November 18 at 7:30pm via zoom if you would like to learn more about how the bylaws are structured or ask questions of the Bylaw Committee. You can review the bylaws here.  Annual Meeting Our Annual Meeting… Read more: Parish Bylaw Q&A Session and Annual Meeting

Hello, Church of the Nativity! My name is Liam Barr, and I’m excited to join you as the Associate for Christian Formation! I grew up in South Carolina but have also called North Carolina and Texas home. Most recently, I’ve served as a curate at Holy Innocents in Henderson, NC, where I’ve had the joy of working alongside the Latino community and supporting the development of its leadership. Throughout my… Read more: Introducing our new Associate for Christian Formation!

Last Sunday was Youth Sunday, a time when the adults stepped aside to let our young people lead our worship. One of the most important things we can do as a parish is make sure our children and youth feel welcome, included and engaged. That takes resources. Youth programs look very different than they did 20 years ago. It takes trips, activities, shared experiences and adult volunteers to help our… Read more: Stewardship 2027 – Status November 13

Our annual Day of Giving is Sunday, December 6. Alongside the outreach ministry tables, this year’s Day of Giving will once again feature a special section with homemade baked goods and homemade crafts for sale.  All proceeds will go directly to the Nativity Outreach account for ongoing community projects and emergency/disaster relief. For more information, and if you would like to contribute baked goods or handmade items, please sign up… Read more: Day of Giving: Baked Goods and Craft Sale

Please join the LTCC (Let the Children Come) Grant Committee on Sunday, November 15 from 9:30 to 10:20 am in Curry Hall, Room 204, as we discuss the Let the Children Come Grant that was awarded to Nativity by the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. This program is part of an initiative focused on imagining and experimenting with intergenerational worship and prayer that honors the gifts and spiritual lives of… Read more: Let the Children Come Diocesan Grant Discussion

Middle and high school youth, working alongside Randy Smith, will assemble Blessing Bags for those experiencing homelessness after church on November 15. These bags will be available for pickup on Sunday, November 22, after each service and during the annual meeting, so that you can share them during the holidays. If you would like to contribute, items can be purchased through our Amazon Wish list. We provide this for convenience,… Read more: Thanksgiving Blessing Bags

We’re putting together an intergenerational group to sing Christmas carols at Springmoor Retirement Center following their service on December 20 at 7 pm. We’d love to have singers of all ages, as well as anyone who plays an instrument and would like to join us. We’ll be handing out Christmas stockings to the residents as well. You can find a link an Amazon wish list nativityonline.org/ql if you’d like to… Read more: Spread Some Christmas Cheer at Springmoor

We are thrilled to share that Nativity has been awarded a $7,500 grant from the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina’s Let the Children Come program, an initiative focused on imagining and experimenting with intergenerational worship and prayer that honors the gifts and spiritual lives of children. This funding will support Nativity’s development of an intergenerational worship experiment, beginning with an audit assessment of our worship space. Bird Treacy, who runs… Read more: Let the Children Come Diocesan Grant

As we head into the busy fall and election season, there are multiple chances to get involved in community actions with us. Please consider joining your Nativity community outside our doors and in the world, as we are called to be! Sign Up for Opportunities Here Saturday, October 24, 9 – 11 am Peace Booth, Location: State Fair, Raleigh. Need one more person as the person who had committed has… Read more: Stand Up Speak Out Opportunities – Please Join Us

Help support food-insecure students at Leesville Elementary through the Pride Pack Program, which provides weekend meals and snacks. Below is a list of items to buy. This Sunday and on every first Sunday, donation boxes will be available in the Narthex and Corlett Hall. Please donate requested foods in individual serving sizes (no large containers). Monetary donations may be made by cash or check payable to the LES PTA. Thank… Read more: Leesville Elementary Pride Packs Program

Mark your calendars: this year’s Day of Giving is Sunday, December 6, 9:30-12:30 pm. If you are involved with a service ministry and would like to have them be a part of our Day of Giving, please sign up here. We are also looking for extra tables and volunteers for setup on December 5 and 6. You can sign up on the same form.

This Thanksgiving week, neighbors from across North Raleigh’s faith communities will gather to give thanks together. Join us for the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, hosted by the North Raleigh Interfaith Clergy Group on Monday, November 23 at 7 pm at Beth Meyer Synagogue. There will be a receiption after the service and all are welcome! Livestreaming will be available. This year’s service benefits the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North… Read more: Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration

Middle Schoolers will continue to meet from 9:30-10:20 am in Curry Hall, Room 202. High Schoolers are meeting at 12 pm in Curry Hall, Room 202. Lunch is served prior to the meeting.

Our Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, November 22 at 9:30 am, directly following the 8:30 service. Please plan to attend this important gathering, during which we will elect new Vestry members and hear key updates about parish life. If you can’t attend in person, the meeting will be livestreamed on the Nativity website, beginning around 9:30 am.

This year’s Stewardship Campaign, which begins this week, has chosen the theme Space at the Table. Space at the Table means providing a place to meet and worship and be together. It also means maintaining the offerings that meet the spiritual needs of every member. No matter who you are, we want to continue to offer spaces and ways to be held in God’s love. To create that space takes… Read more: Stewardship 2027: Space at the Table

Position Description June 11, 2026 Who we are: Church of the Nativity is a young(ish) Episcopal Church (40 years old this year!) with a history of being actively engaged in worship, justice and Christian formation. We average approximately 150 worshippers on Sunday morning, and our sanctuary features a two-manual, 20-stop Andover pipe organ that was installed in 2007 and has been well maintained. For more information about our organ, please… Read more: Organist/Choirmaster Church of the Nativity (Episcopal) – Raleigh, NC

A full email address usually has two parts: “Display Name” <email address> The display name is optional. Sometimes you will only see the email address, such as Alfred@gmail.com. The sender can type almost anything as the display name. It is usually meant to be a name people can read easily, such as “Alfred C.” But it is not checked against the real email address, so the display name can be… Read more: Who does that email really come from?

This is the story of the Alabama River, which runs from Montgomery Al. to Mobile Al and its trip through the history of the State of Alabama. With a particular focus on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, this beautifully illustrated story tells the history of Alabama, particularly during the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s.

This story uses gorgeous illustrations that show the beauty of God’s Creation during walks that a Grandad shares with his Grandson. On these walks, the grandfather explains to his grandson how different parts of nature pray to God. This does not always make sense to the child during these walks. As he grows older, he realizes the beauty that Grandfather brought into his life through a connection with nature.

This is a beautiful story about a child going with their father to an annual visit to a family reunion. Beautiful illustrations show African-American family traditions that are centered around their land that has been with them for years, and will be theirs for years to come. Every year, the family gathers to share how the land has affected them, their lives, and history.

This beautifully illustrated picture book recounts the racial discrimination and injustice present in our American society in the 1950’s and 60’s.  This intergeneration story is told by a grandfather to his grandson and has a positive message of changes that have enabled black Americans to have more opportunities now than in the pre-civil rights era.    The story is appropriate for 4-8 year olds and concludes with an author’s note… Read more: These Hands

The Energy Bus for Kids by Jon Gordon is an illustrated fable that teaches children how to overcome negativity, bullies and daily challenges by cultivating a positive attitude. Following a boy named George who learns to “fuel” his life with positivity, the book introduces five rules to help kids find inner motivation, stay positive, and share positive energy with others. As the book begins, nothing is going right for George… Read more: The Energy Bus

Often in our lives we look to others for inspiration and example. Learning about the way others have lived their lives can be a positive force for young readers. BLACK BOY, BLACK BOY, and  BLACK GIRL, BLACK GIRL are two such books that highlight the lives of inspirational people of color.  Each book has selected particular people to give the reader a peek into the work these people have accomplished. … Read more: BLACK GIRL, BLACK GIRL

Often in our lives we look to others for inspiration and example. Learning about the way others have lived their lives can be a positive force for young readers. BLACK BOY, BLACK BOY, and  BLACK GIRL, BLACK GIRL are two such books that highlight the lives of inspirational people of color.  Each book has selected particular people to give the reader a peek into the work these people have accomplished. … Read more: BLACK BOY, BLACK BOY

A Rose for Abby  by Donna Guthrie (1988) is a simple but meaningful story about helping those less  fortunate than ourselves.  In this story, Abby sees an old woman looking through the trash for whatever she needs, most likely food.  Abby is concerned,  so she decides to help in some way.  By enlisting the help of her father, who is a pastor, and the local grocer as well as other… Read more: A Rose for Abby

In 1959 a boy named Junior moved with his family to Roxboro, North Carolina. Their farm was failing and they hoped for a better life in the city, but Junior’s family was black, and this was the era of Jim Crow when public spaces were segregated. Although Junior missed life on the farm, his new school friends introduced him to a small library in the woods for black residents. After… Read more: The Library in the Woods

“You never know what can happen.” This opening line about the life of Sonia Sotomayor captures the essence of her childhood growing up in public housing in the South Bronx section of New York City, through her appointment and current position as the first Latina Supreme Court Justice of the United States. It is a remarkable story. The book focuses on the early challenges facing Sonia and her family as… Read more: Sonia Sotomayor – A Judge Grows in the Bronx

The Acorn and the Oak By Rhonda Accardo  Reviewed by Mari Borstelmann This is a story about a young girl and her mom who love walking together through the forest on a dirt road they know very well.  At the end of the road is an old oak tree, a wonderful place for the girl and her mom to sit together and talk about nature. The girl learns how the Great Oak… Read more: The Acorn and the Oak

One of the outreach efforts your pledge dollars support each year is the Episcopal Habitat Build. Nativity contributes toward building materials and provides volunteers to help construct a home for a qualified homebuyer. More ways to support Habitat 1) Donate to Habitat ReStores If you’re spring cleaning or downsizing, consider donating gently used items to a Habitat ReStore. Wake and Johnston Counties have 10 locations. ReStores are thrift stores, and… Read more: Habitat for Humanity

Nativity will celebrate Graduation Sunday on Sunday, June 7, honoring both our eighth-grade students and graduating seniors. Eighth graders are invited to wear their school colors, while seniors are encouraged to wear their academic regalia. All graduates will take part in the procession and receive a special blessing, followed by a celebration after the service. Families and friends are warmly invited to join us for this celebration. Please register to… Read more: Graduation Sunday – June 7

Be part of our team on Saturday, March 28 at Olde Poole Place as we partner with Habitat for Humanity! We need 15 volunteers to work on the house and helpers to provide lunch for 40 people. No experience is needed – core volunteers will guide us. Youth 16+ may participate with a parent. It’s a wonderful opportunity for learning, fellowship, and building beloved community. You can register here, just… Read more: Habitat for Humanity Build Day on Saturday, March 28

Happy March, Seniors! We’re gathering for our March Senior Luncheon on Sunday, March 15, 12 pm, at The Piper’s Tavern (8304 Falls of Neuse Rd., Raleigh 27615). David and Ellen Nason are our gracious hosts. Please give them a call or send an email to let them know you’re coming so we can plan accordingly. We look forward to good food and great fellowship!

Lent calls us to center our lives on Christ. As Nativity looks toward the next 40 years, how do we keep Jesus as the ONE THING? Join us March 4, March 11 and March 18 (on Zoom at 7 pm) and March 25 (in-person potluck) for prayerful, forward-looking conversation. We’ll celebrate our past, explore the future of the Episcopal Church with Rev. Katie Nakamura Rengers on March 18, and gather… Read more: Wednesdays in Lent: The Next 40 Years

By Ailsa Tessier If you need some quiet or meditative time in any season, I invite you to reflect and meditate on all the works of art here at Nativity. Let’s look at some of the art we are fortunate to enjoy in our parish. Probably the most prominent art we see are the many lovely works created by former parishioner Doug Smith. Doug designed and created our altar, the… Read more: Invitation to reflect and meditate on all the works of art at Nativity

From June 16 – 21, our high school students will travel to Richmond and Williamsburg, VA for a week-long pilgrimage into the story of The Episcopal Church. We’ll step into the moments when our Church wrestled with big questions, shaped its identity, and found new direction. We’ll worship together, serve alongside local communities, have a lot of fun, and make memories that last. This is more than a history trip;… Read more: Registration Open for Youth Pilgrimage 2026: Roots & Renewal

Join us in Corlett Hall on Sunday, March 22, following the 10:30 service, for an intergenerational postcard-writing event in support of Advocacy Day 2026. Nativity members of all ages are invited to write, draw, and share their voices on issues that matter most, including Climate Care, Affordable Housing, and Gun Violence, an urgent concern voiced by our youth. Snacks, art supplies, and postcards will be provided. Your handwritten message or… Read more: Together We Speak: Advocacy Day Postcards – Sunday, March 22, following the 10:30 service

Spring is almost here, and that means it’s time for our Church of the Nativity Spring Workday! Join us on Saturday, March 14 from 9 am–2 pm as we care for our church home together. We’ll be working on projects inside and out including gardening, regular maintenance, cleaning, organizing, and more. There’s something for every skill level, and many hands make light (and joyful!) work. Come for part of the… Read more: Buildings and Grounds Spring Workday – Saturday, March 14 from 9 am – 2 pm

Join us for our next Stand Up, Speak Out gathering on Sunday, February 22, following the 10:30 service. As we begin the season of Lent, we’ll take time to touch base, reconnect, and look ahead to the many meaningful opportunities coming up. There’s a lot on the horizon, and we’d love for you to be part of the conversation. Bring a snack to share and come ready for thoughtful discussion… Read more: Stand Up Speak Out (SUSO) Meeting

The youth, working alongside Randy Smith, will assemble Blessing Bags for the homeless during Lent this year. These bags will be available for pickup on Palm Sunday, March 29, after each service, so that you can share them during Holy Week. If you would like to contribute, items can be purchased through our Amazon Wishlist. We provide this for convenience, but you are absolutely welcome to purchase items elsewhere as… Read more: Holy Week Blessing Bags

What hopes and dreams do you have for Nativity? Share a message with future members by writing on the special acid-free paper in the Narthex using the pens provided. Your note will be placed in our time capsule and opened 40 years from now! The display will remain in the Narthex through the end of February. Watch for details about the Time Capsule burial after the Lenten season. And don’t… Read more: Talk to the Future

Looking to make new connections or reconnect at Church of the Nativity? Foyer groups are a fun way to share a meal and good conversation in a relaxed setting. Groups of 4-5 gather monthly and cook, host, or order in! Families are welcome to join through Family Foyer if there’s enough interest. Email Gail Till to sign up. Group assignments will be shared the last week of February.

StoryBuilders is a devising summer theater camp for rising 3rd–9th graders, offered in partnership by Nativity and The Justice Theatre Project. The two-week camp runs the weeks of July 27 and August 3. Campers work in age-based groups to create an original stage performance inspired by texts from Nativity’s Peace Library, developing characters and scenes with guidance from teaching artists. The cost is $285 per week, and scholarships are available.… Read more: StoryBuilders Theatre Camp

Delve into Hell Bent by Brian Recker during our Lenten book study, as we explore Christian spirituality, community, and the nature of God’s love. The group will meet Tuesdays, February 24–March 24, from 1–2 pm in the Estill House Conference Room, just following the Lenten Tuesday Eucharist. The study will be offered in a hybrid format, with a Zoom option available. Please register to indicate your preference and to receive… Read more: Hell Bent Lenten Book Study

Episcopal 101 is a three-week Sunday-morning class for newcomers, visitors, seekers, and anyone who wants to learn more about what it means to be an Episcopalian, covering our history, beliefs, and practices. The class meets Sundays, February 22–March 8, from 9:30–10:20 am, in the Estill House Conference Room and will be led by The Rev. Grey Maggiano. Please register to indicate your interest and help with planning.

Lent Madness is a Lenten devotion that invites participants to learn about the saints through a fun, tournament-style bracket. Brackets will be available in the Narthex beginning Sunday, February 8, or you can print your own. Voting at Nativity begins Monday, February 23, with 10 e-mail ballots across the season of Lent to determine Nativity’s choice for the Golden Halo. If you want even more fun, take part in the… Read more: Get Ready for Lent Madness!

Lenten devotionals are now available for pick up in the Narthex. Choose from four titles: Pick up yours today!

Nativity has been invited to once again participate in the Annual Friendship Iftar Dinner at the Divan Center (1076 W Chatham St, Cary, NC 27513) on Thursday, February 26, at 6 pm. This special evening is an opportunity to share in the spirit of Ramadan, enjoy a meal with our neighbors, and celebrate unity in diversity. Space is limited, so please register soon. Join us as we gather to learn… Read more: Ramadan Friendship Dinner