Dragon Tales for March 20, 2019

Dragon Tales

E-News

March 20, 2019

A NOTE FROM PATTI

“Who is My Neighbor?” It’s a question we should ask ourselves…often. And it is also the theme for this summer’s Vacation Bible School! I love this curriculum. The children will learn from specific Bible stories that neighbors are more than just the people in our families or communities. They will take a journey to discover more about God’s great love for God’s world and ALL the people in it. Registration begins March 24 for the parish! And more fun for the kiddies…don’t forget the Easter Egg Hunt !! Easter morning between services.

And speaking of neighbors, this is my first year working with St. Margaret’s as we get ready to host our neighbors for Winter Relief. I have been around a lot of the planning (and trust me…it is a LOT). Many thanks to Judy Hall for all her efforts toward making this happen for our neighbors who are having a rough time. There is much to be done! I am so grateful to be a part of a community that is not afraid to get involved. We are so blessed with abundances! Ask yourself “Who is My Neighbor?” and open your heart.

Also, we have a new service for you. Come on Wednesday evenings during Lent at 7 pm for Compline by Candlelight. It is a quiet service and only lasts 20 – 30 minutes. It is a wonderful way to de-stress and just be in God’s presence. Compline is, historically, one of the prescribed times for prayer and meditation. It is the last service of the day and meant to bring your day to a peaceful close. Give yourself permission to come and take advantage of this time of meditation and prayer.

Keep in mind that it is Lent. Take time to be quiet, to be thoughtful, even for 5 minutes. Be intentional about it. May God’s peace surround you.

Love, Patti

Winter Relief Update - Volunteers Needed

Winter relief is NEXT WEEK!

St. Margaret's will host 35 homeless men and women beginning Monday, March 25. We are still in need of volunteers to fill some time slots, especially overnights throughout the week and all day on the weekends. Please look at your calendars and consider filling one of these needed slots. Many of our guests have full time jobs. For them, Winter Relief is a "hand up", not a "hand out", allowing them to focus on improving and stabilizing their lives without worrying about food and shelter. We, as Christians, are called by Jesus to care for the underserved. This is your chance to answer that call.

Saturday, March 30th we need 7 people to step up and for Sunday, March 31st we need 19 people to step up. Please go to our website to volunteer or contact Judy Hall at [email protected] or 410-757-4137.

GATHERING MUSIC FOR CHILDREN & PARENTS

THIS SUNDAY

THIS Sunday, March 24, towards the end of the 9:00 a.m. service , we will be experimenting with a new initiative for young children and their parents and siblings. We will offer a special time of prayer and song prior to Sunday School classes for children and coffee hour/adult forums for adults.

Led by Kate Caldwell and members of our youth choirs, all children in grades 5 and younger, along with their parents and siblings , will be invited to take Communion together before the rest of the congregation (at the 9:00 a.m. service), then be dismissed directly to the Fellowship Hall in the formation building, where as a group they will pray together a special Post-Communion prayer, followed by learning a gathering or sending song.

This special time of Christian formation and community building will expose children (particularly our young toddler age parishioners!) to new prayers and simple songs. Once over, the children will depart to their 10:15 a.m. Sunday School classes, while parents may join others at coffee hour or remain in the Fellowship Hall for any scheduled adult forum.

The hope is to do this once monthly during the school year on the fourth Sunday of each month. Please feel free to speak with Jim Douglas or Kate Caldwell with any comments or feedback.

Mail Theft Info

I want to update everyone on where we stand with our stolen mail situation. It is unfortunate that we have been victims of this crime that has affected many communities on the Broadneck Peninsula. Everyone here at St. Margaret’s that has been affected by these thieves has been inconvenienced and violated. Be assured that my staff and the church’s leadership is doing all it can to help minimize the impact of this crime against us.

Currently we know of thirteen persons or families that have been affected. Our Director of Operations, Elizabeth Radley, and Teresa McCorkle, our bookkeeper, will be glad to review statements with anyone that asks. They are already hard at work completing sworn affidavits and paperwork sent to them by affected parishioners and banking institutions. We have filed complaints with the postal service as well as with the US Postal Inspection Service (the legal branch of the US Postal Service).

Some of the more concrete measures we have taken are:

*We have installed locking mailboxes on Pleasant Plains Road for the church and for the day school.

*We will be placing Private Property signs around campus that will allow the local police to come on property if they see anyone loitering on the property to determine why they are on campus.

*We have made police in the area aware and they have agreed to increase patrols in our area.

Ways you can help protect yourself and the church:

Review your bank and church statement regularly (this is a good idea for any of your financials).

Let the office know timely if you think there may be an issue with your statement.

Keep your checks in a secure location.

Lock your car.

Do not leave your purse or valuable visible in your vehicle.

TO DO ONCE YOU RECEIVE YOUR GIVING STATEMENT:

Review your bank and giving statement
If you have a record of checks written to the church that are not reflected on your giving statement:
Check your bank statement or with your bank to see if the check has cleared.
If the check has not cleared, you may want to consider putting a STOP PAYMENT on the check.
If the check has cleared, call your bank to advise them you believe the check has been fraudulently cashed and you would like to initiate an investigation.
Your bank may contact Elizabeth Radley at 410-974-0200 Ext 119 or email at [email protected]

You may feel angry, sad and frustrated that this has happened to us as individuals and as a church community. I know I do, not only because parishioners have been stolen from, but because my February gift to the church never made it. My wife Allison called our bank this morning, and the bank has already called the church office. I have full confidence that this will be resolved, although it could take some time. Until then, I want to thank you for your continued generosity to the church that we all call home.

Peter

Sunday's Service - March 17, 2019

Children's Winter Relief Activity --

To give St. Margaret's children the opportunity to participate in serving our winter relief guests, Sunday School classes will be collecting small value gift cards ($5 or $10) for area restaurants and convenience stores. The gift cards will allow our guests to purchase food or a hot cup of coffee and in some cases get out of the cold for a while. Suggested gift card venues include fast food restaurants, coffee houses, and Wawa.

Please have your children bring gift cards to Sunday School on March 17 or 24.

Diaper Drive on March 17-31

Our St. Margaret's Social Justice Group supporting refugees and immigrants will conduct a Diaper Drive for Immigrant Families on behalf of AIJN - Annapolis Immigration Justice Network. Parishioners are invited to participate and buy diapers [sizes 3, 4, 5] and/or baby wipes and leave the narthex on Sundays, March 17-31. For questions, email [email protected].

Holy Week 2019 Schedule

Ecumenical Way of the Cross at Manresa

April 19, 2019 - Noon

Find more information HERE .

Good Friday Family Service

The story of Christ's crucifixion and the message of the resurrection are complex and can be overwhelming to younger children. Families are encouraged to join the Revs. Peter and Patti as we journey through Jesus' story with interactive activities and dialogue that re-visit the concepts of the Easter story in a delicate and reassuring way.

Join us at noon on Good Friday, April 19, in the Fellowship Hall.

Easter Candy Needed for Egg Hunt

We are now soliciting donations of Easter candy for our annual Easter egg hunt for children to be held Easter morning during coffeehour.

We need individually wrapped candies that do not have any nuts in them. You can leave donations in the narthex or in the church office on the fireplace. Donations needed by April 14.

Remember a Loved One this Easter

Honor or remember a loved one this Easter and help decorate the campus for Easter. Purchase Easter flowers and your dedication will be listed in the Easter bulletins. To pay by check, use an order form in the pew pouch on Sunday and place in the offertory plate or bring to the church office. You can also pay by credit card online and email your dedication to [email protected]. ( Look for the giving tab on the website homepage. )

This Lent @ St. Margaret's

Compline by Candlelight (Wednesday evenings)

Each Wednesday at 7 p.m. enter the sanctuary for a short, contemplative candlelit service that builds each week from spoken to all liturgy sung. It will be the perfect way to observe the Lenten season and to close your day.

Sunday Mornings

Join the Rev. Peter W. Mayer on Sunday mornings during Lent from 10:20 to 11:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall for discussions from the book "Hanging by a Thread" by Samuel Wells. The book reflects on the challenges of understanding Christ's crucifixion that arise today using contemporary ideas in history, biblical studies, and philosophy. Books are available on Amazon.com here or can be purchased from independent book sellers at www.biblio.com.

Thursday Mornings

Our Thursday morning study has begun a new book just in time for Lent titled "The Last Week" by Borg/Crossan that centers on w hat the Gospels really teach about Jesus's final days in Jerusalem. The study begins at 9:15 a.m. on Thursdays in Classroom E. Childcare in the nursery is provided. All are welcome! There are a few books left that are being sold during coffeehour on Sundays at the winter relief table or you can purchase one online.

Monday Evenings

On our Monday night Faith & Fellowship formation nights in Lent, we provide a study for both the music lover and the biblical seeker exploring the scriptural texts of Handel's Messiah. This study offers careful examination of the texts as we listen to the musical lines.

Tanzania Travelers

Our Tanzania travelers are returning from their trip now.

Please put April 7 on your calendar as they will be presenting information from the trip to the parish during coffeehour on April 7.

Some more photos from their trip...

No activities next Monday

March 25 due to winter relief

Summer Camps 2019

Registration and Information

Day School Board Director Needed

The St. Margaret’s Day School Board of Trustees is looking for a new Board Chair who will replace Susan Roberts at the end of her two consecutive terms this coming Fall 2019. The St. Margaret’s Day School Board oversees the activities and affairs of the school. The Board Chair, a volunteer position, is responsible for leading monthly Board meetings, overseeing the finances of the school, presiding over the financial aid, nominating and executive committee meetings, and advising the Rector of St. Margaret’s Church in reviewing and preparing the annual contract for the Director of the school. The search committee is looking for a visionary to take the school to another level of programmatic excellence in partnership with the Director’s vision for the school. The ideal candidate would have a background in early childhood education or have strong roots in non-profit management, have an ability to advise on financial matters, have strong liaison skills and the ability to form successful partnerships between the church, school, and community through the development of active board committees. All parents, grandparents, and guardians are welcome to become members of the Board, but are not eligible to serve as the Board Chair as long as a child (or grandchild) is enrolled at the school. The next Board Chair will find that St. Margaret’s Day School is thriving under the current leadership and provides a wonderful opportunity to be involved in something truly special in our community. If interested or with any questions, please email Elizabeth Parker at [email protected] .