Palm Sunday Registration to Close Soon
If you plan to attend our in-person Palm Sunday Regathering Service at 10 AM this Sunday, March 28, please call the church office at 757-428-6763 or email the parish administrator at [email protected] by 3 PM on Thursday, March 25. Seating in the sanctuary is limited and RSVPs have been enthusiastic.
Worshippers at all services during Holy Week and Lent must register in advance. A full schedule of activities and services is available on our web site at easternshorechapel.org. We look forward to marking this Holy Season together with you!
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Invitations to Prayer
By The Rev. Melody Perdue
“When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you,’ says the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:12-14).
As we enter this season of regathering and reconnection, I invite you to several opportunities to gather and pray, individually and alongside one another. As we prepare for “in-person” gatherings and the joy of being fully present with one another, and present in our sanctuary, I’ve thought of the longing expressed in the words of Psalm 27:
“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple…Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.” (Psalm 27:4, 7-8)
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Dwelling. Seeking. Gazing. The longing to see God’s FACE. When I think of looking into someone’s face (a poignant image given our year of masked faces) I think of being fully present with and to another person. Seeking God’s face in prayer is an opportunity to be fully present with and to God. In return, God promises to hear our prayers and be available to us. God also longs for “face-time” with us.
Maundy Thursday Night of Prayer
Click here to sign up online. We invite your presence in the parish sanctuary and to sign up for an hour shift of our Night of Prayer as we prepare for Easter Sunday. There will be creative prayer stations set up in the narthex (entryway to the sanctuary) as well as guides for quiet, personal prayer. All ages are welcome and family participation is encouraged. If you have questions or need help signing up, please contact Rev. Melody at [email protected] or Patti Glowatsky at [email protected].
Intercessory Prayer Ministry
We invite you to join a team of people who regularly pray for the church. Also known as our prayer chain, these individuals commit to praying throughout the week for those on our parish prayer list, and the special needs and concerns of this congregation and community. If you would like to receive bi-weekly updates of our prayer needs, please email Rev. Melody Perdue ([email protected]), to be added to the list of those who receive prayer requests.
Noonday Prayer in Holy Week
On Monday through Friday in Holy Week at 12pm, there will be an in-person service of prayer in the Sanctuary. No registration is needed to attend these services. Members of Eastern Shore Chapel will lead the service and offer a brief homily. We would like to thank those who have offered to lead us in prayer and reflection, and invite you to pray with us:
- Monday 3/29 – Harold Williams
- Tuesday 3/30 – Allison Ward Johnson
- Wednesday 3/31 – John St. John
- Thursday 4/1 – Lee Davis
- Friday 4/2 – Deborah Quam
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First Friday Men’s Breakfast on April 2
Our First Friday Men’s Breakfast for April will be on April 2, Good Friday. To honor the solemn nature of the day we will meet via ZOOM. Click here to join. Social will start at 7:00 am, official meeting at 7:30. Bring the breakfast beverage of your choice.
We will discuss the worship options for Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday and other goings on at church. Regathering is going to be especially meaningful for those who feel comfortable gathering in person. Come hear the details! Please try to join us! Call or email Lee Davis ([email protected]) if you have any questions or suggestions.
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Daily Morning Prayer Update
As it turns out, you can spell “Community” Z-O-O-M. A full year of Morning Prayer on ZOOM has taught us that where two or three are gathered, the presence of Christ is indeed with us. As we begin to re-gather, plans are being made to have Thursday Morning Daily Prayer live in the narthex beginning April 8. We will continue to have Daily Morning Prayer every day but Sunday beginning at 7:30 on ZOOM. (We’ll ZOOM from the narthex on Thursdays too.) In celebration of the Risen Lord, give it a try. Just click here, we will all be made richer by your presence!
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Chapel Pantry Update
By Kay O'Reilly, Chapel Pantry Coordinator
It’s been a very busy month at the Pantry, so it’s been a while since I’ve penned an update on our ministry. Let me catch you up on all things Chapel Pantry!
Saturday Distributions
March 6 was a record day – we served 485 households! On March 13 the number went down to 446 (second highest day ever). Last week we served 375 households, as stimulus checks began to arrive in bank accounts. We expect the number of guests served to slowly diminish as employment rises and vaccinations help bring an end to the pandemic. Still, there will be a long economic recovery period for so many of our neighbors, and we’ll be here to help.
Mercy Chefs Mondays
On Monday, March 8, we began our new frozen meal ministry. The meals are prepared fresh each week by Mercy Chefs in Portsmouth and then flash frozen for pickup. The first day, we gave out 768 meals to 128 individuals. On 3/15 we gave out 714 meals to 119 individuals, including 32 disabled veterans living in city vets housing. This week, we gave out 846 meals to 141 individuals, including 54 disabled veterans. We’ve had such wonderful feedback from everyone about the quality of the meals and the need for such a service, especially for homebound seniors.
Urgent Need for Help
ESC has supported the Pantry in so many ways this past year and we are grateful. However, we’re experiencing some attrition in volunteer help and we are especially in need of more volunteers from this church. The Chapel Pantry is ESC’s largest ministry and the Pantry is the biggest food pantry in Virginia Beach. Approximately 80% percent of our volunteers do NOT attend ESC. This is not a good balance. If you can help one afternoon a week, or a few hours per month, we need you! All of the work is outdoors and many of our volunteers are fully vaccinated. We all wear masks while we work. It is safe and a great time to socialize while you help the Pantry to help others. We especially need help on Thursday and Friday afternoons from 12 to 4 for packing food bags, Saturdays from 12 to 3 for distribution and Monday mornings from 10 to 12 to pack Mercy Chef meals. Please contact me, Kay O’Reilly, on my cell at 757-323-7495 or by email at [email protected] to volunteer. Thank you!
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Live conversation with authors Anne Lamott and Nadia Bolz-Weber on April 8
The Episcopal Booksellers Association in partnership with Parish Book Store, and its other member stores, invites you to a Live conversation with New York Times bestselling authors Anne Lamott and Nadia Bolz-Weber to discuss Anne's new book Dusk Night Dawn: On Revival and Courage. Thursday, April 8, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Ann Lamott's new book will be available at the Parish Book Store and on their virtual shelves at bookshop.org/shop/parishbookstore. Anyone wanting to take part in the event April 8 must register with the Parish Book Store ([email protected]) to get the ZOOM link.
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Parish Book Store is OPEN!
Beginning Sunday, March 28 after the 10 a.m. service, the Parish Book Store will be open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 to 2, or if those hours don't fit your schedule, make an appointment by calling 757-425-0114. We have Anne Lamott's newest book Dusk, Night, Dawn, Easter cards, and special gifts for Easter baskets. Please note that for the safety of our customers and volunteers, masks will be required while shopping. We look forward to seeing your SOON!
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Lawn Care Volunteers Needed
Spring is coming! We are in need for new volunteers to help our teams maintain the grounds at ESC each week. Starting in April, we will be cutting the grass and tending to the lawn weekly into the summer months. Volunteers are needed to assist on Friday late afternoon and early evening or on Saturday morning depending on which team you’re on. If you are interested in joining our dynamic Lawn Crew team, please contact Rod Gilmour by calling 757-613-0448 or email at [email protected]. Please consider sharing your time and talent by joining this important ministry!
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Parish Day School: Camp Turtle Trap registration open
Last week our students enjoyed some activities with St. Patrick’s Day. Several classrooms had a visit from a sneaky leprechaun and many found green coins on our playground.
It was a week of treasure hunting and scavenger hunts for our students. Some of our students even made special green binoculars to use during their adventures.
Outside on the playground we have been enjoying subtle signs that Spring is coming. It has been fun to see white buds on some of the trees and new green grasses on the lawns. It is a wonderful time to be in preschool!
We opened up Camp Turtle Trap registration to new families on Tuesday, March 23, online. If you are interested in Camp Turtle Trap or need more information, check out our website at www.parishdayschool.org.
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Free workshop via Zoom: Praying the Regina Coeli in Eastertide
The Community of the Gospel, a non-residential monastic community of the Episcopal Church, offers educational opportunities free of charge for members, Friends of the Community and the public. As you plan your spiritual and study practices for the Easter season, they invite you to join them for a special CG Learns workshop: Praying the Regina Coeli in Eastertide on Saturday, April 17, from 12 to 1 p.m. via Zoom. The guest monastic facilitator for this event will be Br. Francis Jonathan Bullock, BSG, Indianapolis, IN. Br. Francis Jonathan will discuss the history and theology of this ancient prayer, highlighting its place in the monastic toolbox. The presentation will conclude with Noonday Prayer and the Regina Coeli. The workshop is open to all and is free of charge. In order to receive a Zoom invite, please sign up at this Doodle poll. If you have questions, contact Brother Guardian Daniel-Chad by email [email protected].
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Zoom with your Sunday School class!
Please note that Sunday School classes and Godly Play will not meet March 28 and April 4. Classes will resume April 11.
Join friends and teachers, by Zoom, as they meet and discuss lessons from this year’s curriculum – Feasting on the Word. Confirmation classes for students in the Senior High Class meet on the first and third Sundays of the month during the regular Sunday School hour at 9:10 a.m. Classes on the second and fourth Sundays include Lectionary based topics. To discuss formation needs or other questions, please contact Patti Glowatsky ([email protected]), Director of Family Formation:
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Daily Prayer Opportunities
Each morning (except Sunday) a group gathers on ZOOM to practice Daily Morning Prayer. It is lay led, each day with a different leader. Since March 25 we have had 221 services with over 800 attendees. Average attendance is 3.6 souls. Attendance has improved in December, average is 4.5 souls! Join us for a Holy Spirit filled thirty minutes – a glorious way to start your day. The service starts promptly at 7:30 am and is completed by 8:00. Click here or go to ZOOM.US and enter meeting number 562 715 368; passcode John1513. If you are more inclined, Evening Prayer is available also. ZOOM meeting number 869 9363 5805 password Ex1414. The service starts at 7:00 pm.
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Prayer Cards for Deployed Service Members
If you would like a prayer card sent to your deployed service member please contact Bill Hunter at [email protected] or 757-402-6384. Please let Bill know if deployed military members have returned so that he can welcome them back and remove them from the deployed military prayer list. Sponsors should contact Bill with contact info for formerly deployed members. |
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The Chapel Chimes is distributed every Wednesday.
If you would like to submit an article to the Chapel Chimes email
with "CHIMES SUBMISSION" in the subject line.
Deadline is every Tuesday at 5 pm.
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