At this month's Family Dinner we will have a special meal provided by the the same folks who provide the monthly Soup Kitchen meal at St. Paul's Methodist Church. Our book and theme for this month focus on loving our neighbor, and the Soup Kitchen is one of the ways St. Mary's loves our neighbors on this island (and beyond!). Sharing this meal together will give us a chance to learn a little more about the Soup Kitchen. Thanks to everyone willing to make extra meatloaf and desserts for our dinner, and thanks to Dave Ferkinhoff for this wonderful idea and coordination. It's not too late to sign up to make a meatloaf if you want to help!

Also in November we will welcome a guest preacher, invited by the Community Outreach Team. A staff member from Conexión Latina will visit St. Mary's to talk about the work their organization does to support the local Hispanic Community. This year our Outreach Team is committed to learning more about immigration and discovering how we can understand and support people who come to our communities.

Our Fall Theme: Walk in Love

Walk in love as Christ loved us, and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. - Ephesians 5:2

Read-a-long: I Wish You Knew

This month's read-a-long is "I wish you knew", written by Jackie Azúa Kramer. Our reader this month is Kimberly Somarriba. Kimberly is a member of the the Formation Team and she comes to church with her husband Immel and her children Fiona, Milo, Jude, Hazel, and Gus.

Look for a hard copy of the book in the Chapel when you head into church on Sunday.

As we walk in love, how can we love our neighbors?

Conversation starters from "I wish you knew":

Have you ever thought if you shared something about yourself that someone didn’t know then maybe they would understand your situation a little better?

Has anyone ever shared something about themselves that surprised you and how did that help you understand them and know and love them a little better?

How can we create and encourage a community that makes people feel comfortable sharing more about themselves? 

FORMATION IN ACTION

A wonderful way to take part in Christian Formation is to serve in some capacity in our worship. If you are interested in acolyting, reading, greeting, singing with the choir, serving with the altar guild, or being a Lay Eucharistic Minister, please contact Meaghan at the church and she will connect you with the leader of each ministry.

Meaghan can be reached by email at meaghan@smcportsmouth.org.

RESOURCE CORNER

Joyce Rupp is a Christian writer and spiritual guide who has written numerous books about spirituality.

Some of Joyce's work has been focused around the aging process. While all her work is worth reading, this prayer in particular is worth your time and attention:

Prayer of an Older Person