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Join us for
HOLY EUCHARIST
October 6, 2024 7:00 & 9:00 am
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
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Dear St. Augustine's 'ohana,
One of my favorite parts of teaching a Godly Play lesson happens after the story has been told. That's when we ask the "wondering" questions, which are designed to encourage children (and us) to think critically about the stories we've heard or read.
Such exploration allows us to develop meaningful connections with the stories rather than simply memorizing them or parroting someone else's summary. We're more likely to find real-life ways of relating to the wisdom in Bible stories if we're allowed to ask our own questions and discuss our personal interpretations.
In particular, I appreciate this Godly Play question: "I wonder if there is any part of the story we can leave out and still have all the story we need?" Through this question, we seek the core message.
I've been wondering about the core message of this Sunday's gospel story. Temple officials test Jesus by asking him whether divorce is lawful. In response, Jesus points to Mosaic Law and the need for such rules because of the "hardness of heart" among humankind. God longs for all of creation to be in loving relationship, and that includes the relationship between two people regardless of their married status.
At its core, I wonder whether Jesus' message is this: Be tender with one another, recognizing that we are all one in spirit.
Jesus repeats this essential message again and again throughout his teachings. This wisdom applies not only to family relationships but also to our relationships with friends, co-workers, community members, animals, plants, the 'āina in general -- the whole of creation. As we observe this season of creation care, it seems appropriate to wonder about Jesus' message of unity and tenderness.
And as Jesus points out, we rely on human-made laws to compensate for our lack of tenderness toward one another and God's creation. Rather than depending on externally enforced rules, Jesus asks us to develop our internal ability to soften our hearts, to nurture loving unity, even in the midst of conflict.
How can we create a world of interconnectedness that persists through division and politics and hatred? Perhaps we start by looking for the core message, by asking what we can leave out and still have everything we need. At the moment, I feel the need to be tender with one another, recognizing that we are all one in spirit.
Blessings,
Vicar Jennifer
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Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved
children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
- Ephesians 5:1-2, NRSV
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During stewardship season, we talk about how we take care of our church 'ohana, our campus, and our community. The time, talents, and funds we share with the church are all crucial to our ability to carry out our mission of caring. In the coming weeks, we'll share information about how giving of ourselves and our funds make a difference in our church and community.
Q: How does St. Augustine's use the funds you give to the church? Each January, our Bishop's Committee makes a plan for the coming year, prioritizing projects that most need our attention and funding.
Currently, three of our top priorities focus on:
- Our buildings and grounds
- The Thrift Shop
- Pastoral care
Last week, we shared information about how we use funds to care for our buildings and grounds. This week, we'll talk about our Thrift Shop.
The purpose of our Thrift Shop is two-fold: for our community it provides affordable shopping and serves as a welcoming place to gather and talk story. For our church, it provides an important source of income that allows us to continue our mission.
Our Thrift Shop needs some upgrades to make it a safe and pleasant place to meet and shop. We're also in need of additional storage and sorting space. In the future, we plan to invest in the upkeep, people, training, storage, and retail tools (such as displays and signage) to keep our shop a thriving part of our community.
This is short overview of the Thrift Shop, its importance to our church and wider community, and investments we can make to maintain it. If you have any questions about our Thrift Shop projects, don't hesitate to speak with sub-committee members Dave Lambrecht, Maurine Gomes, Michelle Simpson, or John Sakai.
Mahalo for your gifts to the church that make it possible for us to run our Thrift Shop!
Next week, we'll share information about how your contributions help us with pastoral care.
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October 13 - Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost
October 20 - Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost
October 27 - Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost
November 3 - Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Find scripture readings for upcoming Sundays and learn about the liturgical seasons in the Episcopal Church here.
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THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO | |
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The many hands and hearts who shared their time, talents and treasures to make our Annual Bazaar a success last week!
Eileen Hartwings for cleaning the church and providing flowers this week.
John Sakai 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: all who are affected by the Israel/Hamas war and wars around the world; Pat Todd, Stacey Mastrian, Megan Jacoby, Neil Apana; Mark, Ashton & Hunter Millet & baby; Derek Higa; Katie Buehner; Susan Acacio; Jeannette Hensel; Sabrina Lee; Erin Manuel; the people of Maui and the Church of the Holy Innocents; Arcadio & Filomena Badua; Guy Kaoo; Becky & Ludwig Simmet; Reni Aʻi aʻi Bello; Annecita Tamayo; and 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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SUNDAY SCHOOL - There will be no Sunday School this week! But join us Sunday October 13 at 9:00 am for Sunday school with Youth Director, Kathy Matsuda. Godly Play - our Montessori-based Sunday school curriculum - is open to all keiki ages 3 to 10.
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.
SPIRIT SCHOOL (Sunday school for adults) - Every first Sunday of the month, we host a short session on a topic to enrich our spiritual life. This week, our topic is stewardship. Join us after the 7:00 am or 9:00 am service to learn about our stewardship goals, ask questions about how you can pledge, and find out how the church uses its funds to further our mission. We'll talk about why we give of our time, talents, and treasure, how our stewardship is a reflection of our care for one another and our community, and why giving is important as a spiritual practice as we seek to be "a place to BE the love of God and to FEEL the love of God."
CHOIR - Join us Wednesdays at 5:00 pm to sing through the hymns for the following Sunday. All are welcome!
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TOMORROW! Saturday, October 5, 8:00 am to 11:00 am - Thrift Shop Bag Sale - Come fill a paper bag full with quality clothes for only $5! The Thrift Shop will be open, as well. All are welcome!
Sunday, October 6 - Blessing and celebrating God's creation - Come to our 7:00 am or 9:00 am service to light a candle for your pets and all God's creatures.
Sunday, October 6 - Spirit School - Stewardship - Join us after the 7:00 am or 9:00 am service for pupus and conversation about our 2024 stewardship season.
Thursday - Saturday, October 10-12 - Annual Diocesan Convention - Please pray for your clergy (Vicar Jennifer & Deacon Lani) and your elected delegates (Laura La Gassa & Eileen Hartwings) as they travel to O'ahu to gather with our diocesan brothers and sisters in fellowship and in prayerful discernment about the coming year's plans for our diocese.
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PICTURED ABOVE - A mix of St. Augustine's members and Kohala residents enjoying our 2024 Annual Bazaar. Mahalo to all who volunteered and attended this year! | |
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BAZAAR SUCCESS! A JOYFUL DAY WAS HAD BY ALL!
We were blessed with a bright, sunny day for our Annual Bazaar. Many members of our community came to enjoy food, fun, fellowship, and, of course, shopping!
We offer this event every year for two important reasons: to bring together our North Kohala community and to raise funds for St. Augustine's church and community outreach missions. It's a lot of work to put on this event, but it is so gratifying to see people in our community gather and connect. Many attendees expressed their thanks!
This year, the Outreach Team (a subcommittee of our Bishop's Committee) planned and ran the event, expertly guided by Kathy Matsuda, who has run the bazaar for more years than we can count. Mahalo to Kathy for her years of leadership and so generously giving of her time and talents!
Mahalo to Outreach Team co-chairs Eileen Hartwings and Kim Lambrecht and Outreach Team members Melanie Sahagun and Jeanne Cooper for many hours of work to prepare for the event.
Many people volunteered their time to help, both before, during, and after the event! Mahalo to: Cindy Sakai, John Sakai, Maurine Gomes, Pi'ilani Fernandez, Virginia Fortner, Patti Trussel, Analisa Marcom, Gregoria Sahagun, Gail Ansardi, Patsy Ching, Libby Leonard, Rebecca Bartholomy, Michelle White, Jennifer Colson, Phyllis Hayashi, David Gomes, George Webb, Kathy Webb, Necole Garcia, Naly Nakamura, Kim Lambrecht, Dave Lambrecht, Ginger Gohier, Ted Matsuda, Derek Higa, Jazelle, Dahlia, Michelle Simpson, Iris Fujii, Carole, Fran, Loretta Lee, Diane Karp, Kirk Corey, Anuhea Sills, Elaine Nakamura, Amoo Kainoa, Donna McNair, Rose Carreira, Nellie Higa, Juliette Ramos.
Local individuals and organizations donated wonderful items for our Silent Auction. Next week, we'll share a list of all who contributed to our Silent Auction!
Mahalo nui to all who helped and attended! Because of you, we met our two goals: host a wonderful event for our community and raise funds for St. Augustine's. We are grateful to you all!
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THE PREACHING CONGREGATIONS INITIATIVE (PCi)
St. Augustine's is invited to participate and pilot this program
In addition to attending Diocesan Convention next week, Vicar Jennifer and Maurine Gomes will attend training to begin St. Augustine's participation in the Preaching Congregations Initiative (PCi)–a year-long program to learn about preaching, engaged listening, and giving sermon feedback, with an option for lay participants to become a licensed lay preacher.
Our St. Augustine's cohort will be: Kirk Corey, Maurine Gomes, Eileen Hartwings, Laura La Gassa, Kim Lambrecht, John Sakai, Kathy Webb, and Vicar Jennifer.
The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i is the first diocese to pilot this training, which will be taught by faculty from the Virginia Theological Seminary. Bishop Bob invited St. Augustine's as one of five congregations to participate in this initiative, which is made possible by a grant from the Lily Foundation. PCi will serve as a model for a future training program in our diocese. Stay tuned for more information as our program of study unfolds!
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ST. AUGUSTINE'S THRIFT SHOP
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NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF HAWAI'I
The latest issue of the Hawaiian Church Chronicle (September 26, 2024) features The Bishop in Taiwan, UTO grants available, Camp Mokulē'ia's theme stay cays, and more!
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If you have information to share, please let us know! This is a space to help us stay in touch in a variety of ways, such as news, offers of assistance, or garden bounty (fruits, veggies) you would like to share. Please email Vicar Jennifer or Kathy Webb: VicarJennifer@staugustineskohala.com or admin@staugustineskohala.com Submissions due by Thursday morning for Friday's newsletter. | |
KNOW OF AN UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENT that would be of interest to our members? Please let Vicar Jennifer know by sending information to vicarjennifer@staugustineskohala.com | |
MESSAGES FROM OUR BISHOP
& PRESIDING BISHOP
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