St. Bede's E-News

We hope that this weekly offering will keep you up-to-date

on the latest information from the parish

and from around the Diocese of Atlanta and wider Church. 

Our e-newsletters are now being archived on our website.

You can go to www.stbedes.org  

and look under the "Connect With Us" tab

at the top of the home page to find past newsletters.

The deadline each week for submission to the E-News

is Wednesday at 10 am.

Please send your submissions ready to go into the newsletter,

text and images attached in an email to the Parish Administrator.

Laura's email address is lpittman@stbedes.org

The Parish Office will be closed

on Monday, January 1.

Any year-end gifts to St. Bede's may be

placed in the collection plate

on Sunday, December 31,

dropped off in the secure mailbox at

the Midvale Road entrance,

or made online through Realm.

Sunday, December 31, 2023

The First Sunday after Christmas

Worship in English at 10 am

Lessons and Carols

with Holy Eucharist

All are welcome to worship together at 10 am

as there will no worship in Spanish

at 2:30 pm on December 31.

We will also be streaming our worship live

on

St. Bede's YouTube Channel

If you would like to preview the scripture lessons and hymns for the upcoming Sunday, you can find Sunday's bulletin uploaded to the church website each week on Thursday afternoon. From the home page of the website, scroll down to the colorful "Worship" icon, and click on that. Then scroll to the bottom of the "Worship" page and you will see where the bulletin for Sunday has been posted.

Thanks to all for an

Amazing Christmas Pageant!

Thank you to all

who helped make our Christmas Pageant

such a wonderful experience!

And thank you to all who

contributed to the yummy reception.

As we continue our celebrations

of the Christmas season this year,

please remember St. Bede's

on your Christmas list

and consider making

an additional Christmas offering 

to support the ongoing

mission and ministries of the parish.

Or you may mail your offering,

drop it off in the secure mailbox

at the Midvale Road entrance, 

or drop it in the collection plate.

End of Year Giving

You may also use the link above to keep current

on your 2023 pledge or to make any other

gifts or offerings to St. Bede's online.

Information about

end-of-the-year gifts of securities

or other types of charitable distributions

can be found by clicking here.

(please be advised that these instructions have changed since last year)

An End of Year Message

from the Senior Warden

As we say goodbye to this year and welcome a new one, I am, as always, amazed at what we have accomplished this year. I’m grateful for the unfailing abundance, love, and support of the many community outreach missions here at St. Bede’s.

In more fully resuming our parish life, the expenses to support the church itself have grown. Our overall operating expenses are higher than in previous years, particularly in utility expenses as well as in some areas of administrative operations. Some of the unexpected expenses related to the operation of the building include repairs needed for both the roof and the HVAC systems. Also, in addition to the regularly scheduled maintenance, we’ve also upgraded the fire suppression system.

Earlier this year the Vestry also committed to funding the part-time position of Pastoral Associate as we joyfully welcomed Raymond Walker to serve with us for at least one year in this position. In support of this, the Vestry received a commitment from a parishioner who has pledged to fund the 2024 portion of the Pastoral Associate position, with the understanding that the Vestry identifies and/or raises funds for the first half of this commitment. An additional $4,000 in funding is needed to support this very critical work and has already been a needed blessing to both our morning and afternoon worship services. 

We’re reaching out to our St. Bede’s community for your additional support, and we would be grateful for any contributions that you are able to give towards the needs identified above. Your donation, no matter how large or small, will help us address some of the unanticipated expenses outlined above.

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful generosity that is always visible within our wonderful community.

I want to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas season and a New Year filled with health, happiness and the light of God’s everlasting love. I’m looking forward to another great year together at St. Bede’s.

Joyfully yours,

Orisha Parsons, Senior Warden

Adult Formation will be on hiatus

on Sunday, December 31.

Look for more information about

upcoming Adult Formation topics

resuming in mid-January.

Children's Christian Formation

will be taking a break

on Sunday, December 31.

Children's Formation will resume

on Sunday, January 7.

We hope that all 6th-12th graders

are enjoying the Season of Christmas. We will resume regular youth activities in January.

Watch this space for announcements!

We hope you have received

your pledge packets

and are prayerfully discerning

what you might offer back to God

in support of the

Mission and Ministry of St. Bede's.

If you need a pledge packet,

please contact the parish office at:

info@stbedes.org

We hope to receive all pledges by

Sunday, January, 14, 2024.



Nominations for Vestry for 2024

It's the time of year when nominations for next year's Vestry are sought. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, please let a member of the Vestry Nominating and Discernment Committee know by Thursday, January 4. Please make sure that the person you are nominating is willing to serve.

According to our bylaws, the Vestry Nominating and Discernment Committee consist of the four off-going Vestry members and two at-large members selected by the Vestry. This year, the off-going members are Judah Sali, Barbara Helms, and Maggie Kottke, and the two at-large members are Julie Mizell and Rob Townes.

The Vestry has legal & fiscal responsibilities for St. Bede's and works in partnership with the Rector to discern the vision for the parish and provide resources to support that vision. We seek members who are intentional and reflective about what our church should be focused on at this time and who have the vision and energy to carry out this work. Members must be able to take into account the needs of the whole parish.

Save the Date

The Annual Parish Meeting

will be held on Sunday, January 28

following worship at 10 am.

Baby Jesus Baskets

During the seasons of Advent & Christmas, we will be filling baskets with donations to help homeless new mothers in need. Baskets will be in the Commons by the round table or Christmas tree until Epiphany (January 7). Donations will go to Our House Shelter. The AJC ran a great article about Our House in November which has lots of great information about the origin and mission of Our House. Click on the link below to read the article.

The most needed items are:

Formula (Enfamil Ready to Feed)

Size 6 Diapers

Baby Soap/Lotion (sensitive)

Unscented Baby Wipes

Other items needed:

Enfamil Ready to Feed Gentlease Formula

Enfamil Ready to Feed Prosobee Formula

Enfamil Ready to Feed Infant Formula

Boys Pull-Ups (size 3T/4T and 4T/5T)

Girls Pull-Ups (size 3T/4T and 4T/5T)

Diapers (size 4, 5 and 6)

Unscented Baby Wipes

Baby Lotion (sensitive skin)

Baby Shampoo (sensitive skin)

Sippy Cups (hard/soft tips)

Bottles (new with nipples)

Baby Wash/Soap (no antibacterial)

Sorry, no stuffed or used toys. No clothing.

Adult Sock Collection 

It is Sock Time! As the weather begins to chill, it is a good time to think about our sisters and brothers who live unsheltered in our community. St. Bede’s is partnering with the Church of the Common Ground’s Foot Clinic to provide aid and comfort to adults struggling with homelessness. The clinic provides foot cleaning, medical care and the caring human touch. Each client receives a clean new pair of adult socks. These socks provide not only warmth, but necessary protection. Diabetes and high blood pressure are common health concerns among the unsheltered. These health concerns often lead to painful and sometimes debilitating problems with a person’s feet. Walking is usually the sole form of transportation for people who live without shelter. Please join us by donating new adult socks. There will be bags in the Commons area to collect the socks. Last year we collected 1,000 pairs of socks at St. Bede’s and in a Brookhaven neighborhood. The last day of the collection is January 7.

This year we are hoping

to continue our streak of record breaking

and collect 1,200 pairs of adult socks.

Thank you for your generosity

and compassion for the world!

As we all watch the tragic events of violence escalate in Jerusalem and Palestine, it is so important to keep the people of the Holy Land in our prayers.

In addition to our prayers, St. Bede's has also transmitted a gift of $500 to Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) for relief efforts related to the travesties of this conflict. Sadly, one of ERD's strongest and longest-standing partners in the Diocese of Jerusalem is the Al Ahli Arab Hospital - the Anglican hospital in Gaza that was severely damaged by explosion and where hundreds of people were killed. Please keep relief workers on the ground in your prayers as they attempt to offer care and relief.

Caring for God's Creation

This week's suggestion:

Meatless Monday

MEATLESS MONDAY, ANYONE? …or any other day works too!

Reducing our consumption of meat and dairy foods in general is an effective way to be a faithful steward of our environment. Here’s a good article on how producing our food—particularly meat, dairy and fish—adversely affects our environment. Consider these points:

Meat and dairy production takes up three-quarters of all the available agricultural land in the world. Modern farming practices have reduced diversity in our food supply making it much more vulnerable to climate breakdown, pests and diseases.

Producing livestock for human consumption contributes to 14.5% of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

Our meat-heavy diets are hurting people in rural communities around the world as they are increasingly surrounded by massive fields of soy—much of it genetically modified—to be used for livestock feed and biofuels. The local impact often includes deforestation, water pollution from pesticides, and small farmers being forced off their land, unable to grow food for the families and communities.

Here are some ways to work toward “Meatless Monday”:

Replace meat with plant proteins like beans, nuts, and meaty mushrooms.

Try plant-based alternatives and commit to opting for the ones you like.



Eat less, and better, meat, dairy and fish; buy locally as much as possible.

Check out these farmer’s markets for locally grown foods:

Peachtree Road Farmers Market (at the Cathedral of St. Philip)

Eat Right Atlanta Farmers Market

Please contact Martha Robert at marthabob59@gmail.com or 404.374.7643 with ideas, suggestions, or questions about the Caring for God's Creation.

Family Ministries Micropractice 

Join our households with

birth through elementary aged children

in this simple intentional practice

as we bring our learning from the lectionary

into our everyday lives.

You may wish to conclude this micro-practice with this prayer:

God of generations, you invite everyone to be a part of your story

— no one is ever too young or too old!

Help us be brave when we have something to share

and kind when it’s time to listen. Amen.



Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study

Has Resumed!

Join with others for a study of the Book of 1st Kings.

All are welcome.

Bring whatever translation of the Bible you like.

6:30 – 8 pm on Wednesday nights

on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of each month

in the Commons Hallway Classroom

(across from the Julian of Norwich Center)

Contact Fred Murphy for more information.

Healing Our Racism

Book Discussion Group

We will not meet in December.

Next meeting:

Monday, January 22 at 2:00pm on Zoom

This month's selection is

Home Going

By Yaa Gyasi

Meeting Time: 4th Monday of each month at 2 pm on ZOOM

Please join Muriel Diguette and other members/friends of St. Bede's to discuss current books pertaining to the issues of racism and white privilege.

Email Muriel for the Zoom link to join the discussion.

Mostly Mysteries

Book Discussion Group

We will not meet in December.

Next meeting:

Monday, January 22 at 7:00 pm on Zoom

January's selection is

Autopsy

By Patricia Cornwell

Meeting Time: 4th Monday of each month at 7 pm on ZOOM

You're invited to join members and friends of St. Bede's to discuss favorite mysteries and thrillers.

Email Cathe Echterhof for the Zoom link to join the discussion.

St. Bede's Jar Grippers!

The Invite, Welcome, Connect Team has developed a new gift to share with newcomers to St. Bede's - rubberized jar grippers to help open stubborn jars. These will be given to visitors and newcomers to allow them to take home a memento of St. Bede's to their home kitchens.

We also will have St. Bede's jar grippers available for sale to all members before and after church this Sunday. They are $5 each and the proceeds go to help support our Invite, Welcome, Connect ministries to newcomers.

These would make wonderful stocking stuffers for your family or a small gift for a friend. Or how about giving one to someone you think would like to know more about St. Bede's? We think this is a great way to promote St. Bede's.

McLemore's Musings

We hope you are enjoying this feature in St. Bede's E-News - McLemore's Musings. Many of you have met the Rev'd Bill McLemore who has joined the St. Bede's community. Bill has been a priest for over 57 years and has served parishes all over the Episcopal Church. Bill is the former archivist of the Diocese of Atlanta and authored the 100th anniversary book on the history of the Diocese. Bill is also an artist and has used his artistic skills and sense of humor for many years to draw hundreds of cartoon that comically comment on life in the Episcopal Church. Each week we will share a cartoon here that Bill selects from his collection. Enjoy!

St. Bede's Prayer List

Prayers have been requested for:

Carmen Navarro, mother of Mimi Guerra

Sam Cannon

Pat Buehler Pfeifer, aunt of Lynnsay Buehler

Philip Carroll, cousin of Lynnsay Buehler

Emily Richards, friend of Lynnsay Buehler

Staton Family, friends of Steve Hadler and Claudia Fedarko

Don Wildsmith, friend of Tom and Loretta Vail

Jim Handsfield

Jeane Custin, aunt of Lynnsay Buehler

Braxton Metcalf, nephew of Susan Reef

Walt Ehmer, friend of Will Mizell

Leslie Lutz

Sarah Jane and Jim Ohl

Ed Maniotes, friend of Susan Reef

The Baca/Muth family, friends of the Cannon family

Richard Smith, Jr., friend of Nancy Bruce

Junior Abraham

Tom VandenBosch

Jim Begnaud, friend of St. Bede's

Dollee Cooper, sister-in-law of Larry Bing

Jennifer Valdez, cousin of Sarah Jane Ohl

Ben Harrison, cousin of Sarah Jane Ohl

Jean Davis

Peggy Franks, friend of Tony and Laura Sellers

Carolyn Snider, friend of Suzanne Shapiro

Brian Metcalf, brother-in-law of Susan Reef

Jodi Collins, cousin of Sarah Jane Ohl

Lisa Frank, friend of Larry Bing

Elizabeth Ashworth, friend of April Whitt

Susan Semple, sister of Kim Padgett

Mel Stills, brother-in-law of Gwen Cordner

Donareen Oakley

Carter Garrett, family member of Sarah Jane Ohl

Jim Baldy, friend of Susan Reef

Michelle Schultz, sister of Doris Bushart

Paige Bushart, sister-in-law of Doris Bushart

Helen Hernandez and her son Derek, ESOL Student

Ken Turner, friend of Claudia Fedarko and Steve Hadler

Marge & Sharon Emerling, friends of Helen Loeb

Margie Klein

Kay Howington

Dixie Snider

Mary Rodriguez

Andy Matia, friend of Ann Foote

Eleanor Pearlman, granddaughter of Gwen Heaton

Diana Segovia, cousin of Zulma Gutierrez

Caroline Spires

Timothy Knapp, friend of Susan Reef

Denise Benson, friend of Susan Reef

The Sujia Family

Robin Schreiber

Allen Townes Cunningham, sister of Rob Townes

Anne Jones, sister of Claiborne Jones

Joan Davis

Carmen Graciaa, friend of Laura Martin

Jim Poulos, husband of Carol Kemker

Helen Abraham

Fay Key

Aree Bancroft

Laura Ribas

Jane Wiggins

Hilda Bell

Nancy Waring

Frances Bowen

Sydney Lund

Ann Foote

Cameron Maddox

We pray for those who have died:

Larry Hilliard

Tony Weems, brother of Peg Harriss

Jerry Staton, friend of Steve Hadler and Claudia Fedarko

John Robertson, family of Lynnsay Buehler and Rob Townes

We give thanks for those serving our country in the military:

Joshua Bowers

Will Grimm

We give thanks for those celebrating birthdays this week: 

12/30 Peter Kottke

12/31 Paul Shingler

1/1 Jimmy Tate

1/6 Jane Bowers

1/6 Marty Elks

To stay up to date

on activities throughout the Diocese of Atlanta,

sign up for Connecting, the Diocesan E-newsletter.

You can also sign up to receive For Faith,

which is the weekly meditation

from Bishop Rob Wright

sent by email on Fridays.

Bishop Wright's Weekly Podcast

Did you know that Bishop Rob Wright has a weekly podcast? You can take a spiritual "deep dive" each week with Bishop Wright and his special guests and grow deeper in faith and understanding as you listen and learn.

Explore For People, Bishop Wright's Podcast, Here

Pathways

the magazine of the Diocese of Atlanta

The new Pathways is now available online! Through original photography, articles, and interviews, Pathways shares inspiring stories from Middle and North Georgia — examples of spiritual growth.

Read Pathways Here

Would you like to keep up with news from around the broader Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion? Episcopal Journal and Cafe is a convenient place to find out things going on around the Church. You can even subscribe to get news sent to your email inbox.

Click Here for Episcopal Journal & Cafe



Friend in Christ,

As violence escalates in Ukraine, over one million people have already fled the country — and the borders are flooded with many more people desperate to leave.

Almost all of them are women and children who have had to seek safety on their own, leaving their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons behind.

As this crisis continues to evolve, we are working with Anglican agencies and our other partners to provide humanitarian assistance, and urgently ask for your help.

Your emergency gift today will support our immediate response, providing cash, blankets, hygiene supplies and other needs as this crisis unfolds.

Our faith networks are currently on the ground in the border areas of Poland, Hungary and Romania, and we will continue to coordinate with them in order to help those who have been displaced. Specifically, our partner ACT Alliance is helping families on the Hungarian border, and our Anglican partners are mobilizing both an immediate and long-term response in Poland, Romania and Hungary.

Yours faithfully,

Robert W. Radtke

President & CEO

Episcopal Relief & Development



To learn more about the programs and offerings

of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing,

click on the link below.