St. Martin’s has a long history of participation in Charlotte Pride events, and this year will be no exception. Though much of the nation celebrates Pride Month in June, Charlotte's parade and festivities land in mid-August, and on Sunday, August 21, St. Martin's will join a delegation from St. Peter's to march the parade route.

If you're wondering, "Why August?" the history of Pride in Charlotte is fascinating; you can read this article by Matt Comer to find out why August and to learn more about "20 Years of Pride" and the 40th anniversary of the first parade. And, you can check out this year's official calendar of events here.

If you would like to march on August 21, we need to know about it. For security reasons this year, the parade organizers need the names of those marching; you will not be able to join last minute. If you're interested, let Mother Justi know via email ASAP or sign up on St. Peter's Sign-Up Genius.

This Saturday, August 13, from 9 am to 1 pm, our Hospitality Ministry needs you to help with Bo Pittman's reception after his 11 am funeral. Please contact Katie Crosby via email or phone (252-309-7513) ASAP if you are able to come and be a part of this beautiful ministry of our church.

On the second Sunday of each month, we collect items to support the Split Cloak Little Free Pantry and the Loaves & Fishes pantry at the Galilee Center; bring donations to church this Sunday, August 14. The online shopping list for the SCLFP is also updated weekly and includes ready to eat or heat and eat items. Our most needed items this week: crackers (like Saltines or Ritz), diapers (size 4), chicken/tuna salad kits, individually packaged fruit, individual-sized grits, mustard, mayonnaise, macaroni and cheese, Vienna sausages, and bottled water.

Join this summer’s final meeting of the Brew Crew at Rosie’s Coffee and Wine Bar in Noda on Friday, August 19 at 4 pm. For a change of pace, the time, date, and location were all adjusted for August as folks return from summer break. If you want to see some St. Martin’s friends and enjoy yummy beverages and good conversation, then the Brew Crew is for you. For more information, contact Vickie Traynum via email.

What do a chalice, a candlestick and a table have in common? Come to the Ministry Fair on Sunday, September 11 to find out! Following the 9:30 am service, the ministries of St. Martin's invite you to see what’s happening and how you might connect and serve with the church this year. Brunch will also be provided.

On September 17, all members of St. Martin's are invited to gather to “spruce up” our lovely gardens and church grounds. The Gardening Angels are working hard every other Saturday morning, but they could use all of our help! Mark your calendar and save the date for this fall's Parish Work Day and consider lending a hand with the Gardening Angels before then.

Joining St. Martin’s Adult Choir as our new Staff Singer is Matt Wetmore. Matt grew up at St. Martin’s; he is the son of Stan and Lil Wetmore. As a young chorister, Matt had a high treble voice, but now he is a low bass. Prior to moving back to Charlotte, Matt was interim Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral in Louisville, Kentucky. Matt is a composer and a conductor who earned a Master’s in Choral Conducting, studying at the University of Louisville under Kent Hatteberg. His choral works have been performed internationally, and his primary compositional interest is bringing new sound worlds to the choral ensemble. You can learn more, listen to samples, and contact him directly at matt-wetmore.com. Welcome, Matt!

...said St. Augustine (and our own Budd Kirby.) It's the time of year to invite all current and former adult choir members of St. Martin’s Adult Choir to return to the choir “loft” for the start of the new choir year. An invitation is also extended to anyone who loves to sing to consider offering your time and talent to God through the choir. We have a dedicated group of choir members who will heartily welcome you as we gather to learn music and work to lead our congregation through song during our Sunday and special liturgies.

The St. Martin’s Adult Choir will start regular rehearsals on Thursday, August 25, in the Fellowship Hall. Rehearsals will begin at 7 pm. Please reach out to Budd after any of the services or call him on his cell, 704-756-2903, if you have any questions about joining our music ministry. 

Our youth pilgrims - Ava, Riley, Gracie, Emily, Joseph, and William - and their leaders, Lillian Richards and Father Josh, safely returned from nine days of travel throughout Italy. This Sunday, August 14, they will share what they learned and experienced in Milan, Rome, Florence, and Assisi in a presentation in the Fellowship Hall after the 9:30 am service.

Throughout the summer, our morning service has been followed by a wonderful time of fellowship in the midst of a busy summer season, organized by volunteers who make and serve lemonade and treats. Please join us again this Sunday after the 9:30 am service, or consider serving the church by signing up for our last remaining spot in September.

Also throughout the summer, for no more than 30 minutes after the conclusion of the 9:30 am service, Acolyte, Usher, and Lector trainings are held in the Nave for anyone interested. This Sunday, August 14, Father Josh will lead Acolyte Training for children, youth, and adults; members of all ages are welcome to attend. Usher Training will be held on August 21, and Lector Training will be our last training of the summer, held on August 28.

The Chapel of Christ the King is hosting a block party for new and old Optimist Park neighbors and friends of the Chapel on Saturday, August 20 from 4-7 pm, and they now have an E-vite for you to fill out if you can come. Come experience live music, food, dancing, a scavenger hunt, information about community resources, and an opportunity to build community! Please email Deacon Rebecca or Lois Johnson for ways you can get involved.

The Block Party will also be giving away free school supplies, so if you would like to donate any school supplies, please do so! Especially needed are glue sticks, crayons and/or colored pencils, safety scissors, hand sanitizer, Kleenex, unbreakable water bottles, construction paper (kids need this for projects, and it’s not cheap!), and copy paper for teachers! There will be a box near the main entrance of the Parish Hall for receiving items beginning this Sunday.

Join us on Wednesday, August 24 at 6 pm in the Fellowship Hall to reflect on and celebrate our summer of being together in small groups. We will celebrate Holy Eucharist together and then enjoy an "agape" meal after. No RSVP is necessary - just show up for food and fellowship even if you weren't a part of a group this summer! The celebration is open to everyone! If you have questions, feel free to email Vickie Traynum for more information.

If you have ever been interested in being with the youngest members of our St. Martin's family, please let Kate or Brittany know. Thinking ahead to Fall formation, we are looking for volunteers to help with nursery, our new extended Atrium time (10:30-11:15ish on Sunday mornings), as well as anyone who might be interested in being a catechesis assistant.

Additionally, if you have ever considered becoming trained as a catechist, please reach out. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd trainings are starting back up and are ongoing throughout the year. We would love to answer any questions you may have if you are interested!

What is asceticism? Every spiritual tradition in the world has a set of bodily practices, that, when practiced, encourage spiritual growth. Basically, asceticism is about using the body to teach the soul. Father Josh is organizing a small group to explore the ascetic life. To express interest in this topic and in pursuing it together, contact Father Josh via email for more information.

An online community/messaging platform, Slack is used throughout the business world, and we're now experimenting with one for online community and messaging at St. Martin's, especially for the coordination of small groups and sharing of photos. If you'd like to be part of this very optional techie experiment, download the Slack app to your phone or computer, and then click this link to join the fun. Funny gifs, emojis, connections, and more await!

The St. Martin’s men’s softball team, the Purple Martins, is gearing up for the fall season. They play in the Mecklenburg County adult (18+) softball league, with games each Thursday evening at Revolution Park in South End. Games are scheduled to start the second week of August. The league is semi-competitive, but all are welcome to come out and play, spectate, or join them for “ice cream” after the games. Their team motto? “We Always Win!” If interested in playing or for more information, please contact Brandan Halsey via email or by phone, 980-333-9771.

This summer, St. Martinites have been gathering for discussion, prayer, fellowship, food, and activities. It’s not too late to join one of these groups! Several opportunities are still available in August. Check out the fellowship groups page on our website to learn more and join us!

St. Martin's has been blessed to run Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with our children since 2003. This year, our twentieth with CGS, is about to kick off, as the Montessori-based formation hour will run from Sunday, September 18 through next May, from 9:15 to 10:30 am on the upper level of our Parish Hall. All children from age 3 through 6th grade are invited to participate.

Registration for the 2022-23 school year is now open, using this link. (If you are registering more than one child, please use a separate form for each child, but in the address and other common information sections, you may type "sibling" so you do not have to repeat the information.) For any questions, reach out to our Director of Children's Formation, Brittany Bowron, via email.

Father Josh's Bible Study that gathers in the upstairs meeting room on Tuesdays has resumed meeting in August. Join them at 10 am this week and every week throughout the program year for biblical insights and a loving community.

Mother Justi's new Bible Study would love to have you join them. They're looking into Paul's epistles, beginning with 1 Corinthians, and they meet Wednesday evenings from 6 to 7 pm in the upstairs meeting room. Her note: "Bring a Bible and an open heart and mind." No RSVP, just show up!

A long-standing group at St. Martin's, the Sunrise Bible Study continues to meet on Thursday mornings at 7:15 am for Bible Study and fellowship. They're just starting 2 Corinthians, and they're meeting on Zoom at this link. Newcomers are welcome. Contact Rob Kirby via email for more information.

Thank you for your support of the Split Cloak Little Free Pantry! We see our number of needs on the rise, and so we still need your donations. We also have a new addition: a front porch microwave! This allows our neighbors to heat meal items for themselves!

To make things even easier for you, we have an updated (and condensed) Pantry Wish List on Amazon. All items can be purchased for under $25 and some are under $5! Check out the new list and don’t forget to subscribe (and save) to keep our pantry filled for weeks to come.

We now have a Sign-Up Genius for garden work! Just click this link for our Sign-Up Genius and sign up to water: We’re there just about every weekend, including this one! The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few... and your help is greatly appreciated.

Posted on the bulletin board between the stairs and the Fellowship Hall in the Parish Hall building, our new Community Care Board offers a place for needs of the parish to be met, skills of the parish to be offered, and relationships to be made through service this summer. Several teens have already posted what they can do for our community (and there's room for more offers) so take them up on it! Contact Johnny Wakefield via email or Slack for more information.

Now under construction for a few weeks, the new church website is living and active at a new address: stmartinsclt.org. Our old website address has begun redirecting to the new site, but feel free to update your bookmarks. Please contact Johnny Wakefield via email or Slack if you would like to see your ministry featured on the new site with updated photos and information.

If you have a pastoral concern, please be in touch with your clergy. They can meet with you via phone or video chat. Additionally, if you have a specific need for our clergy or staff, you can send us a message through our website here.

Rector: The Reverend Joshua D. Bowron

Associate Priest: The Reverend Justice Schunior

Deacon: The Reverend Russ Settles