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Join us for
HOLY EUCHARIST
December 22, 2024 7:00 & 9:00 am
Fourth Sunday in Advent
with The Rev. Cn. Sandy Graham & Vicar Jennifer Masada
To attend online, join our Facebook LIVESTREAM*
Download this week's ORDER OF WORSHIP
Missed a service? Watch on YouTube any time.
*Note: If you have difficulty connecting to the livestream, try reloading your page.
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Dear St. Augustine's 'ohana,
All mothers-to-be experience a range of emotions, but for first-time moms, it can be particularly intense. Preparing for the birth of a baby, especially when pregnancy is a surprise, brings stress and worry. Fear comes in waves as one ponders the unknown pain and difficulty of labor and delivery.
Mary's response is different. Upon receiving the news, she allows the words of the angel Gabriel to fill her with devotion. “I am the Lord’s servant,” she says.
Visiting her relative Elizabeth, who confirms Gabriel's message, Mary is filled with the wonder of God's immense love. Immediately she prays to God, beginning with these simple and powerful words: "My soul magnifies the Lord."
Facing the unknown, facing her fears, how is Mary able to respond with such grace?
Confronted by the unknown, our human tendency is to react with our heads, not our hearts. Forgetting our relationship with God, we tighten our grip on fear and close the door of prayer. We fling ourselves into fight-or-flight. Our culture teaches us to medicate rather than meditate.
Mary embodies a counter-cultural reaction to fear as she opens herself to her soul's "knowing." Inside our soul's knowing, we can:
OPEN - Relax into the moment, literally inspired by God's breath in us.
CONNECT - Find Spirit, which God knit into our very being.
LOVE - Receive God's love and renew our devotion to our soul's purpose to magnify it.
As we reflect on the Advent call to prepare the way of the Lord, perhaps we can emulate Mary's radical response, which foreshadows the counter-cultural love her unborn child will share with all the world.
Advent blessings,
Vicar Jennifer
P.S., This Sunday, we are so pleased to welcome Canon Sandy back to St. Augustine's! He'll be joining us for both the 7:00 and 9:00 am services to preach and share his musical gifts. You can also hear him sing the Messiah at 4:00 pm on Dec. 22 at the annual Messiah concert performed by the Kona Choral Society & Orchestra!
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In this season of giving, please consider an end-of-year gift to St. Augustine's. Your support allows us to continue to serve our community through:
- Providing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming spiritual home.
- Addressing the high cost of living by offering low-cost goods in our Thrift Shop.
- Addressing food insecurity through food preservation education; alleviating hunger by sponsoring the Little Free Pantry and assisting Kohala Cares.
- Serving as a gathering place for collaborative community (music, arts, food, fellowship).
All gifts, no matter the amount, make an incredible difference in our community! Mahalo for your support in 2024 and beyond!
Visit the link below to access our secure giving site.
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December 24 - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 6:00 pm
December 25 - Christmas Day Service at 9:00 am (no 7:00 am service)
December 29 - First Sunday of Christmas at 7:00 & 9:00 am
Find scripture readings for upcoming Sundays and learn about the liturgical seasons in the Episcopal Church here.
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Join our YouTube Channel
to view past services!
youtube.com/@staugustineskohala
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THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO | |
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Kathy Matsuda for cleaning the church and providing flowers this week.
Kim Lambrecht for serving as lay reader last week.
St. Augustine's members who pray for others each week.
The many members of St. Augustine's and the community who help sort donations and operate the Thrift Shop.
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ST. AUGUSTINE'S PRAYER CHAIN
Please pray for healing, guidance, strength, peace of mind, and comfort for: our country and its leaders; Axl McGuire; Tom O'Donnell; Anthony Leach; Linda Leonard Pell; Mike Leonard; Rita Masada; Carol Dicus; Pat Todd; Patty Ankrum; Cathy Morgan; Bruce Soll; all who are affected by the Israel/Hamas war and wars around the world; Nan Cornelius; Megan Jacoby; Neil Apana; Katie Buehner; the people of Maui and the Church of the Holy Innocent; Susan Acacio; Sabrina Lee; Jeannette Hensel; Erin Manuel; Arcadio & Filomena Badua; Guy Kaoo; Reni Aʻi aʻi Bello; Becky & Ludwig Simmet; Annecita Tamayo; Lynn Dicus.
PRAYER CHAIN VOLUNTEERS
Volunteer to be part of St. Augustine's prayer chain! Contact Patsy Ching or Vicar Jennifer if you would like to:
- Pray for those who have requested prayers
- Be part of the phone tree that helps us know about prayer requests or emergencies
REQUEST PRAYERS
If you or someone you know would like to be added to our prayer list, please email Patsy Ching or Vicar Jennifer. You can request prayers for yourself, your 'ohana, or anyone in our community or beyond.
During our Sunday services, you can write prayer requests on a piece of paper. Prayers will be read aloud or silently (per your request) during the Prayers of the People.
ONLINE FORM
You can also send us prayer requests through our online form.
Mahalo for your care and prayers!
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WEEKLY
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SUNDAY SCHOOL - Join us each week for Sunday school with Youth Director, Kathy Matsuda. Godly Play - our Montessori-based Sunday school curriculum - is open to all keiki ages three to ten.
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FELLOWSHIP HOUR - Every Sunday after our 9:00 am service. We gather to enjoy conversation, coffee, and treats in Walker Hall. Please bring some savory or sweet treats to share if you like! Mahalo to all who have been providing delicious food and to Jeannette Hensel for bringing coffee.
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CHOIR - Join us Wednesdays at 5:00 pm to sing through the hymns for the following Sunday. All are welcome! Can't make it to choir this week? You can take a peek at the music in the order of worship for this coming Sunday (link is at the top of this newsletter).
MONTHLY
First Sunday of each month
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SPIRIT SCHOOL - Sunday school for adults - Join us for Spirit School, a short session for adults on a topic to enrich our spiritual life. We host two sessions: after the 7:00 am service and after the 9:00 am service. Please let Vicar Jennifer know if there's a topic you're interested in or if you would like to present a Spirit School session.
Second Sunday of each month
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FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS - Please bring shelf-stable, nutritious foods for the Kapa'au Little Free Pantry or donate funds for food to be purchased. Mahalo for your help with this ministry!
Third Sunday of each month
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KEIKI SUNDAY - All keiki (and their 'ohanas) are invited to join us for this once-a-month special service when Vicar Jennifer shares a Godly Play story and keiki can participate at the altar as we share our holy meal together.
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BISHOP'S COMMITTEE MEETING - All members are welcome to join the Bishop's Committee meeting, held in the Sunday School classroom at 10:30 am after fellowship hour. As always, we welcome your questions about our planning and budgeting processes!
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Tuesday, December 24 at 6:00 pm - Christmas Eve Candlelight service with Holy Eucharist. After the service, we will gather in Walker Hall for pupus and caroling! Please bring a dish to share for this special night of celebration!
Wednesday, December 25 at 9:00 am - Christmas Day service with Holy Eucharist.
Sunday, January 12 at 5:30 pm - Woodwind Quintet (members of Kamuela Philharmonic) - offering a variety classical music for woodwind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, french horn, and bassoon).
January 16 at 6:30 pm - Craft Night - Make your 2025 Vision Board! Please see details below.
January 23 at 5:00 pm - Mahalo Night! - St. Augustine's is hosting this event for all our wonderful volunteers for everything you have done over the past year. A delicious salad bar with fancy toppings will be served, along with amazing desserts—all homemade with love by talented chefs Eileen Hartwings and Michelle Simpson. Please come celebrate with us as we give thanks for our abundance of volunteers! Our collective efforts make St. Augustine's a thriving place where we gather to worship God, share love, and serve our community.
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PICTURED ABOVE - Kim Lambrecht rings the Salvation Army bell at Takata Store with a bright smile and Christmas cheer! | |
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MAHALO TO OUR BELL RINGERS!
One again this year, Kathy Matsuda has coordinated St. Augustine's volunteers to ring the bell at Takata Store for Salvation Army donations. Mahalo to Maurine Gomes, Patti Trusel, Lani Bowman, Kim Lambrecht, Michelle Simons, and Kathy Matsuda for ringing the bell on Fridays throughout this Advent season!
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LOOKING FOR SMALL WAYS TO HELP?
Contact Kathy Matsuda if you can donate used magazines for our Craft Night Vision Board event coming up January 16!
She is also looking for volunteers to fill a couple of slots in 2025 for cleaning the church. If you are already signed up for next year, please let Kathy know if you would be willing to add one more.
Mahalo to all who donate their time and energy to assist us with tasks big and small. Everything you do makes a difference!
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TINY CHURCH CONCERT
This past weekend, St. Augustine's hosted Susan Richards (sister of Kohala Cares director Peter Pomeranze), who sang a collection of music from the 1950s - 1990s. More than 50 people packed the church to hear her sing! She brought us along as she explored melodies and lyrics ranging from lighthearted tunes to complex themes of love. Susan transformed the space -- we all felt as though we were sitting in her living room enjoying a personal performance!
Our gratitude to Susan for sharing her musical gifts with North Kohala and mahalo to Peter Pomeranze for bringing Susan here to sing for us! Proceeds gathered from the evening will go to Kohala Cares for the purchase of food and to St. Augustine's to help us purchase equipment that will allow us to move the piano safely for future concerts.
Mark your calendars: Our next concert is January 12, featuring a woodwind quintet from the Kamuela Philharmonic. If you know of musicians who would like to give a concert, please email vicarjennifer@staugustineskohala.com
Interested in funding our Tiny Church Concert Series? You can give on our web site here. Donations go toward upkeep of our piano and organ, music purchases, and support for local young musicians.
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If you have information to share, please let us know! This newsletter helps us stay in touch in a variety of ways, such as news, requests for prayers, offers of assistance, or information on garden bounty (fruits, veggies) you would like to share. Please email Vicar Jennifer or our church administrator Regina DoDaro at VicarJennifer@staugustineskohala.com or admin@staugustineskohala.com Submissions due by Thursday morning for Friday's newsletter. | |
ST. AUGUSTINE'S THRIFT SHOP
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PICTURED ABOVE - Christmas treats available at our Thrift Shop on both Wednesday and Thursday this week! | |
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MAHALO TO THRIFT SHOP VOLUNTEERS!
We were able to open an extra day in the Thrift Shop this week, thanks to our wonderful volunteers! Mahalo to Iris, Carol, Fran, and Jill for coming in an extra day. Mahalo to Jeanne, Cindy, Loretta, Eileen, John, Patti, and Hovita for volunteering for our extra day on Thursday, and to all who helped out this week. Our shoppers were very happy to have another opportunity to browse the shop!
PLEASE NOTE: The Thrift Shop is CLOSED on December 25 and January 1. We'll see you all next year!
Follow us on Facebook page for news about
recent Thrift Shop finds and upcoming events!
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NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF HAWAI'I
A special Christmas edition of the Hawaiian Church Chronicle (December 19, 2024) features a Christmas note from Bishop Bob and a list of Christmas celebrations in our sister Episcopal churches across the islands.
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MESSAGES FROM OUR BISHOP
& PRESIDING BISHOP
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