Annual Meeting Recap!

Thanks to everyone who attended or helped prepare our parish Annual Meeting this year! Over a great brunch coordinated by Leslie Stubbendieck, parish life, and many of you who stepped up to help out, we held our parish business meeting and heard a bit about the coming year. Our financial report noted that 2025 ended well with a surplus, that our staff expansion in 2026 has been fully funded by directed donations and grants, and that the 2026 budget otherwise shows a deficit roughly matching the surplus we’re carrying. Our outgoing parish officers were thanked and cheered for, and our new parish officers have been elected. Fr Ben offered some comments about the coming year, noting especially the great energy from many new and visiting folks at St A’s, and the opportunity and possibility that come from a lot of transition in our lay leadership and parish staff. More to come, and thanks again for a great meeting!

New Online Directory!

We are rolling out our online directory using the Breeze App. Our staff has used this database for several years, and Kate is working to help our members download it for your own use as a directory of names, addresses, and phone numbers. You will also be able to manage a lot of your own information (most of which is private). Kate will be available by e-mail, and will be at coffee hour on Feb 1st and Feb 15th to hold “office hours” helping.



The information others will be able to see about you is your name, your immediate family, who are church members, your phone number, email and address. If you would like any of this information to be kept private or would prefer not to be in the directory at all, please let us know!

Wednesday Programming Changes for the Spring!

Our volunteers and staff are adjusting Wednesday programming for the Spring to have more focused events and better stewardship of the time and talent people have been putting in. Here’s the key pieces:

• In February, we will not have All Parish Dinners, K-5th Program, or Adult Bible Study. We WILL have Youth Group (6th-12th) and dinners; if you can volunteer to help provide dinner for Youth Group, please contact Kate
• We will have a Wednesday March Lent Class for all age groups based on the “Way of Love” curriculum of the Episcopal Church
• We will have special mid-week programs once/month in February, April, and May:
• Shrove Tuesday Pancake Feed: Tuesday, February 17th
• Parish Spring Grill-Out: Wednesday, April 15th
• Parish Talent Show: Wednesday, May 6th
• The Youth Group (6th-12th) will continue to meet weekly on Wednesdays from 6-8 pm with Kate and other adults.
• Questions or Feedback? Please let our staff know! We’re reflecting on how our 2025-26 year has gone, and what we might plan for next year

Canterbury Village

Do You Have a Talent That Could Support Our Youth?

Wednesday dinners are going to be changing, with that we need to build back up Canterbury Village. 

It takes a village to raise a child, and each of us can help them grow and thrive.                         

Here are a few roles within the Canterbury Village we are hoping you will fill:

*High Importance* Meal Provider- Youth group shares a meal on Wednesday evenings at 6:00pm. In this role, you would provide dinner for about 15-20 people as frequently or infrequently as you would like. The kids aren't picky- soup and salad, pizza and wings, sandwiches and chips, burgers or hot dogs and fruit, etc. We do have two youth who are gluten free, if you don't feel comfortable making a safe food for them, please let us know and we can provide their dinner. A small budget is available to help offset some of this cost if needed.  

Adopt-A-College Student- We have about 4 Youth attending college this year. We love offering them a connection to their home church while they're away by sending care packages, and they appreciate hearing from us! If you would like to donate items or money, please let us know.

Other- Do you have a skill, talent, or connection/contact from which youth programming could benefit? Contact Kate

Bible Study In February

Thursdays 12-1 PM

(The Wednesday Study Will

Not Meet In February)

In February, our readings will include:

• Feb 5th: 2 Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30; Acts 16:16-24; Matthew 9:18-26
• Feb 12th: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18; Psalm 77; Romans 12:1-13; Mt 17:1-9
• Feb 19th: Genesis 2:7-9; Psalm 51; Revelation 22:1-5; Mt 3:1-6
• Feb 26th: No meeting; clergy at DioNeb annual clergy retreat

Bishop's Visit, Confirmations, Receptions & Reaffirmations! Sunday, February 8, 2026

On Sunday, February 8th, Bishop Scott Barker will visit us here at St Augustine’s! Bishop Barker is the bishop for all of the parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska, which covers our whole state, and he tries to visit each community every 12-18 months. In the Episcopal Church, our bishops connect us to the historic church through “apostolic succession” – the tradition that the apostles consecrated successors as the first bishops, who then consecrated their own successors, through generations. Bishops were originally the official welcomers to new members in the faith, a practice maintained by the rites of Confirmation and Reception, which are reserved to bishops. They also hold a teaching authority for the tradition of the church, and offer some policy guidance in their dioceses. Please join us in welcoming Bishop Barker on Feb 8th as he presides at both services and visits with us at coffee hour receptions after each service!

Newcomers 201: Confirmation, Reception, Reaffirmations

February 1 from 9:30-10:20

Between the Sunday services on February 1st, we will have a special class for those curious about the special rites of joining the traditions and worship of the Episcopal Church. Confirmation is a sacrament in which youth or adults can “confirm” the promises of our baptism before a bishop of the church: this matches the oldest practice of Christian communities, in which the Apostles (and thereafter, the bishops) welcomed new members. Reception is for those who have been Confirmed, but wish to formally live out their Confirmation vows in the traditions and worship of the Episcopal Church. Reaffirmation is a special renewal of Confirmation vows, especially appropriate for someone who has been away from the church for a season of life and wishes to reaffirm their commitment anew. Anyone is welcome to attend these classes to learn more about faith, history, and practice of life in the church, and by February 1st, make a decision about being Confirmed, Received, or Reaffirming vows with Bishop Barker at his visit the following week.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner

February 17 from 5-7 PM

The Youth Group will be running their Annual Pancake Dinner on Shrove Tuesday. Take the day off from cooking dinner and head here instead. Youth will be taking goodwill donations that go toward the youth reserve funds, so be sure to invite some friends! We will have postcard invites by the bulletins!

There will be NO Church Family Dinner or Youth Group on Ash Wednesday, March 18. Thank you for your support!

Ash Wednesday

February 18, 12 & 6:30 PM

Lent begins on Wednesday, February 18 this year. We will have two Ash Wednesday Services, the first at Noon and then another at 6:30 PM. The Noon service will also be streamed to Facebook for anyone who can't make it in person.

Newcomer Brunch

Sunday, March 1

In-Between Services~9:30 AM

Please join us for a Newcomer Brunch! We love to host a brunch once or twice a year to welcome our New Members. In addition to a fabulous brunch and fellowship, we'll do a very brief presentation on ways everyone can become involved in the life of our vibrant parish community. We have opportunities that run anywhere from our Elaine Randall Book Club, to lending a hand in the garden. 

During breakfast, our community will have the opportunity to participate in the practice of holy listening and faith sharing. This practice highlights one element of the Way of Love, the Episcopal Church program that we will be looking at during Lent.

Parish Life will provide Casey’s breakfast pizza’s and would love it if everyone else brought potluck fruit or breakfast breads! All members are welcome, whether new or seasoned!

February Special Collection

In February, our special collection (collected in the wicker baskets on Sunday mornings) will go to the parish Youth program! A special event that particularly supports this will be the Shrove Tuesday pancake feast (see separate announcement) on Tuesday, Feb 17th. Our youth program is a hugely important part of the ministry of our church, providing faith formation and fellowship for children and youth from 0 to 18 as we help them grow into a firm foundation.

Blood Drive

Saturday, February 14

Our quarterly blood drive for the winter will be on Valentines Day this year! Our blood drives began with our friend Amy, who was battling Metastatic Breast Cancer. Her goal was to give back the amount of blood she had used through the course of her treatments. We believe that she had done all of that and more in the many blood drives she hosted.



Amy's Blood Drives have become a core ministry for us at St Augustine's, so we will continue them in her honor as long as we have friends show up to give blood. If you are able to help with this drive, or have friends who would like to give back to others by donating blood, please join us at St. Augustine Episcopal Church in Elkhorn (285 S 208th St, Elkhorn, NE 68022). We would love to beat our previous donation totals in honor of Amy!!



The need for blood is dire right now, please be sure to share the blood drive, even if you are unable to give. We would love to exceed our goal! If you have any questions, please contact Mary by text or call.

Appointments are scheduled in 15 minute increments(Whole Blood) and on the hour (Power Red). For eligibility requirements and to see the difference between the two donations, CLICK HERE. To schedule your donation time, CLICK HERE St. Augustine Episcopal Church should be at the top, click "see times". If you have any questions, please contact Kate

Up For Some Trivial Fundraising?

Want to help support our youth? We’re planning a Trivia Night fundraiser! Jimmy Ellsworth will be leading a small team to plan for an event after Easter this coming Spring, here in our parish hall. We’ll need volunteers to help hire a host, coordinate some hospitality and prize support, publicize for community friends and family groups, and host on the day! If you’d like to help with the planning committee, please contact the parish office or staff, and we’ll put you in touch with Jimmy, or e-mail him directly HERE. First meetings will be after the New Year.

Camp Canterbury-Calling Counselors and Campers! July 13-17

Mark your calendars for July 13th-17th for Camp Canterbury in Fremont, NE! Do you feel called to invest in the youth of our diocese in a meaningful and lasting way? Consider joining us as a volunteer this summer. All youth who are finishing 4th through 12th grades are invited to save the date and be prepared for another faith and fun-filled week. Our theme this year is Feast with God, as we look at ways that we encounter God through the metaphor of food. Please contact Mother Lisa for more information.

The Bandit Queens By Parini Shroff

Tuesday, February 24 at 11:30 AM

If you would like to borrow a book, they are in the blue library book bag above the Parish Hall Coat Rack, please be sure to sign your book out.

Five years ago, Geeta lost her no-good husband. As in, she actually lost him—he walked out on her and she has no idea where he is. But in her remote village in India, rumor has it that Geeta killed him. And it’s a rumor that just won’t die.

It turns out that being known as a “self-made” widow comes with some perks. No one messes with her, harasses her, or tries to control (ahem, marry) her. It’s even been good for business; no one dares to not buy her jewelry.

Freedom must look good on Geeta, because now other women are asking for her“expertise,” making her an unwitting consultant for husband disposal.

And not all of them are asking nicely.

With Geeta’s dangerous reputation becoming a double-edged sword, she has to find a way to protect the life she’s built—but even the best-laid plans of would-be widows tend to go awry. What happens next sets in motion a chain of events that will change everything, not just for Geeta, but for all the women in their village.

Filled with clever criminals, second chances, and wry and witty women, Parini Shroff’s The Bandit Queens is a razor-sharp debut of humor and heart that readers won’t soon forget.