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.

Click here to view this E-News as a webpage.

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.

Please send your submissions ready to go into the newsletter

by Wednesday morning. Text and images should be attached to an

email to the Parish Administrator.



Laura's email address is lpittman@stbedes.org



There's a lot going on at St. Bede's!

Looking for an activity?

Sunday, October 4, 2026

The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Worship in English at 10 am

Worship in Spanish at 1:30 pm

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 parish 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 bulletins for Sunday have been posted under "Downloads".

Join us this Sunday

as we better get to know our Seminarian

Barbara Annobil

We’ll gather at ~11:30 am in Room M-110 to hear stories from Barbara’s spiritual journey toward ordination and we may even discover some points of connection between our own spiritual journeys and hers as she shares her story with us.

Please join us. All are welcome!

We had a great turnout for the carwash last week! Thanks to all who were able to turn out and help!

This Sunday, October 4, we will gather for lunch and class after 10:00 worship. We hope to see you there!

Next Sunday, October 11, we will march in the Pride Parade. Look for more information about that.

Children's Formation

for Children Age 3 - Grade 5



Join us for Children’s Formation (aka Sunday School) between Morning and Afternoon Worship. We’ll gather the kids during the fellowship time, around 11:45 am in the Commons, and then move to classroom M-102 in the Mission Wing. This formation time focuses on learning about the stories of the People of God and growing in understanding about what we do in church worship. The curriculum used is primarily Godly Play combined with lessons from other resources.

All 3-year-olds through 5th graders are welcome to join us. Older children are welcome as helpers and younger children may join with a parent, grandparent, or other caregiver. Both classes are taught in English.

We need additional teachers/helpers for this age group. Please contact Molly Graves at mgraves@stbedes.org to volunteer or for more information about our children’s faith formation program.

Prayer Vigil for Extra-Ordinary Times

This Sunday, October 4

The prayer vigil for our country will return every month: June 7th, July 5th, August 2nd, September 13th, October 4th, November 1st, and December 6th. We will use the Book of Common Prayer to help guide our petitions for peace, justice, and flourishing in our country.

Contact Becca Love at rachelrebeccalove@gmail.com with any questions.

Popcorn Theology

Saturday, October 3, 2026

5:30 p.m.—8:45 p.m.

“Boy Erased”

In observance of PRIDE Weekend

Join us to share a simple meal that will include pizza, salad, fresh fruit, popcorn and homemade cookies. There will be dairy free, gluten free and vegetarian options available. After dinner, we’ll watch this 2018 film, rated R, 110 minutes.

This is the thoughtful, courageous story of Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges), the

son of an owner of a car dealership and Baptist minister and a hairdresser in a small town in Arkansas. When Jared goes away to another town to attend college, he begins to feel safe to awaken to and to explore his sexuality as a gay man. He is taken aback when someone from his college outs him to his father and mother (Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman.) His parents struggle with how to reconcile their love for their son with their beliefs that he is sinning and has “made a choice to live like this”. Jared is pressured by his parents and church community into attending a conversion therapy residential program. While there, Jared comes into conflict with the leader of the program (Joel Edgerton), as he becomes increasingly clear about who he is and who he is not, finds his voice on behalf of himself and others, and grows in acceptance of his true self.

Based on the true story told in the memoir of American author Garrard Conley.

The movie won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Picture and received

two Golden Globe Nominations.

Following the movie, we’ll have a brief conversation about where we saw and

heard transformation, healing, God and Love in the movie, along with ways in

which our lives connect with the story in the film. We’ll end our time together

with Night Prayer.



A $10.00 contribution is requested for the meal, or whatever amount works for

you.

The Warden's Word

Happy Fall!

As most of you know, the Vestry has a lot on its plate this fall from the normal operation of the parish to the stirrings of our Comprehensive Campaign. We are all excited looking forward to the future of St. Bede’s.

At its September meeting this past Monday, the Vestry approved Muriel Diguette as an additional Junior Warden. She will work with Gwen Heaton through the end of this Vestry term, and continue in that role next year when Gwen will likely become Senior Warden, and I will rotate off the Vestry along with Miriam Needham and Paul Martin.

Growing St. Bede’s is one of the big items that came out of the feasibility study. I have a gentle reminder - each of us is responsible for that effort. However, the results of those efforts is God’s contribution, not ours.

This column will appear regularly in our parish E-News, whether written by me or by Gwen. We haven’t determined how often yet, but look for updates from the Wardens.

Jim Handsfield

Want to know what the Vestry is up to?

Calling All Lay Weeders!

Do you enjoy getting your hands into the dirt and making the grounds at St. Bede's look a little better at the same time? We are forming a "Lay Weeders" group to give a little TLC to our cultivated garden areas. While trying to eliminate all weeds on our campus could seem an overwhelming endeavor, picking a small area - the bed around the mailbox, the entryway gardens, the garden at the end of the Mission Wing, the Memorial Garden - could make the task fun and manageable. We would also love someone to "dead head" some of the flowers and water the planters. You could consider spending an half-an-hour to an hour once or twice a month to have some fun with others and make a big difference in keeping our grounds neat and tidy. If you are interested, please let us know in the office and we will try to help to get the group connected and going.

The opening reception on August 15 was well attended. Our Delkalb CEO, Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, and our  DeKalb County Super 7 representative, Dr. LaDena Bolton,  were both there almost the whole time. And our Tucker Mayor, Anne Lerner, also attended as well as two of Tucker’s City Council members! The art this time is wonderful. Take some time to enjoy it. 

The jewelry and the pottery in the glass case will be there through September as well. If there’s any interest in any of this, just leave a check with Laura or text Lois Shingler at 404-593-9001

Many, many thanks to everybody who brought food for hors d’oeuvres, helped clean up and set up!

Finding Healing

for Our Divided Country



Now meeting weekly

on Monday evenings on Zoom

from 6:30 to 8 pm.

In person every Thursday morning

9 to 10 am

at Mint Coffeehouse

3926 Lawrenceville Hwy in Tucker

A discussion group, grounded in prayer, for those who have questions, concerns, and emotions that feel too big, and need a safe place to process with others.

We will see what participants need from this group. Perhaps it will just be a place to express what you are feeling, or maybe some will want to know what action can be taken.

And we will pray together.

Some questions to consider:

How are you doing, and what are you feeling?

Where are you in terms of processing changing public policy?

How can we live the values of our faith

in the face of conflicting public policy?

Facilitators: Muriel Diguette and Molly Graves

Please contact Muriel Diguette at digfam@att.net

if you are interested in joining.

Outreach Opportunities

Ongoing Soap Drive

Please place new wrapped bar soap

in the basket labelled “Bar Soap and Toiletries”

in the Connect Center outside the kitchen

Ongoing Food & Baby Items Collection for Los Amigos

Please support our rapid food delivery for Los Amigos with food staples or baby items. Lists are on the table in the Commons. Items can be placed in the bin in the Commons.

October 18 – November 15

Emmaus House Home for Thanksgiving collection

October 18

Prepare and serve lunch for Church of the Common Ground

October 27

Trip to El Refugio

November 14

Trip to El Refugio

December 8 – January 3

Baby Jesus Baskets

Outreach Committee Meeting

Sunday, January 10, 2027

11:30 am in Room C101

Questions? Please contact Karen Werner at wernerksw@comcast.net

Lunches for Church of the Common Ground

Sunday, October 18 at 9:00 am

“Church of the Common Ground (COCG) is a church community on the streets of Atlanta living the Good News that we are all God's beloved. We're like any other church—we just don't have a building.”

Each week volunteers are asked to provide sack lunches for the service participants. St. Bede’s is providing lunches on Sunday, October 18. We will meet Sunday morning at 9 am in Parish Hall to assemble 80 lunches. And we will take the lunches to the COTCG and attend worship at Woodruff Park, rain or shine. 

We need volunteers to help make the lunches that morning and volunteers to attend the service and distribute the lunches afterwards. We will carpool to Woodruff Park.

Please join us as we worship with Church of the Common Ground and share a together!

Questions? Please contact 

Karen Werner at wernerksw@comcast.net or

Sheila de la Cruz at  sshefflerdelacruz@gmail.com

LOS AMIGOS RAPID FOOD DELIVERY 

St. Bede’s is partnering with Los Amigos to provide rapid food delivery to Latino families in need of immediate help. This is a fantastic opportunity to practice radical hospitality in our community! Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus!

How can you help?

1. Bring food donations to St. Bedes and put in the collection bin under the table in the Commons. This food will be boxed and delivered with fresh food. 



NEEDED FOODS:

Rice

Dried Black Beans

Cereal

Canned vegetables and soups 

Vegetable Oil 

Corn Flour 

Peanut Butter

Jelly

2. Sign up to buy fresh food and then deliver the fresh food and box of staples from St. Bede’s. 

A. Sign the list on the round table in the Commons. 

B. Add the free Signal App to your phone. 

C. You will be added to the Signal chat group and given the name of the Signal chat group. 

D. A Los Amigos director will list who needs food, their address and any specific needs in the Signal chat group.

E. Buy fresh food and add to the box of staples at St. Bede’s and deliver. 

F. Fresh foods to buy:

    Corn Tortillas

    Potatoes

    Carrots

    Eggs

    Whole Milk

    Chicken

    Pork

    Ground Beef

    Fresh Fruit: bananas, plantains, mangoes, strawberries 

Questions: Karen Werner

wernerksw@comcast.net

Did You Know?

Mark Your Calendar

October 5 Deadline to register to vote

October 13 - 30 Early voting. Any location in your county

October 23 Deadline to request an absentee ballot

November 3 Election Day. Polls open 7:00 am - 7:00 pm

Voting Information Cards Available (non-partisan)

Pick up cards (pictured above) will be located on the Outreach table in the Commons.

Update on El Refugio and Stewart Detention Center

We will have a team of St. Bede's folks who will travel to the El Refugio hospitality house and Stewart Detention Center on October 27 and November 14th. The need for visitation is so great that El Refugio is starting a small initiative to have seasoned volunteers visit during the week when there are fewer families visiting. I went twice this summer, and each time I was able to visit with several detainees. The conditions at the prison continue to be horrible, but El Refugio has been advocating for change. 

We will leave the gas card box out on the small table every Sunday. We continue to pass out gas cards to every family that stops by the house. Please pick up a card or make a donation (cash preferred) to the box, and we will buy the gas cards for you. Many thanks for your compassion for our immigrant neighbors.   

Claudia Fedarko

OUTREACH DONATIONS TO

EPISCOPAL RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT (ERD)

The Outreach Committee voted to send another $1,000 to ERD for disaster relief in Nepal. We have sent a total of $3,000 to ERD in the past several weeks to support relief efforts from earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia, fires in the West, flooding in the Midwest and Hawaii, and now to Nepal for support for victims from horrific flooding there.

This support is possible only from your generous financial gifts to St. Bede’s. Thank you everyone for supporting our worldwide community and loving like Jesus!

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

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:



Caring God,

You invite us to participate in your work of restoration,

giving us a chance to say yes or no.

Fill our hearts with compassion and the desire to work with you,

sharing hope and healing with our world.

Amen.

Invitation to Prayer Shawl Ministry



Prayer shawls are used to provide comfort, acknowledge joy or appreciation, say goodbye, or any other reason to share God’s love. They may be used in prayer, and the act of making them is prayer. Making them with friends is church.

Currently, a prayer shawl group meets one morning and one evening a month. You are invited to attend one or both meetings.

Monthly Prayer Shawl Meeting Times and Locations

First Monday Prayer Shawl Meeting: 10 -11:30 am in room M108.

Email Junior Abraham at jrabraham1953@gmail.com with questions.

Fourth Thursday Prayer Shawl Meeting: 6:30-8 pm in off site locations.

(This group is currently on hiatus.)

Email Cheryl and Fred Murphy at murphyfbfm@gmail.com with questions.

Note that you can participate at home on your own as well.

Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study

Join with others as we explore the Gospel of Matthew and have fun.

All are welcome.

6 – 8 pm

on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays of each month

in the Commons Hallway Classroom

(across from the Julian of Norwich Center)

6:00 light supper

6:30 Bible Study

Contact Fred Murphy for more information.

Mostly Mysteries

Book Discussion Group

Next meeting in person:

Monday, October 19

at 1 pm in Room M108

Our October book selection

is

The Things We Never Say

by

Elizabeth Strout

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

For questions, please contact Cathe Echterhoff at jechterhof@aol.com

Annual Holy Comforter Plant Sale

Saturday, October 10

10 am - 2 pm

Everything we grow is organic and all proceeds from our sales go towards running programs for the Friendship Center. 

Holy Comforter is located at 737 Woodland Ave. S.E., Atlanta, GA 30316.

New Digital Assisted Listening System

for St. Bede's Nave

Thanks to a a generous grant, we have upgraded our Nave sound system with a new digital assisted listening server. This digital server will stream the Nave audio directly to your smartphone and, from there, it can be delivered through wired headphones, Bluetooth devices, or, if you have smart phone enabled hearing aids, the audio can be streamed directly into the hearing aids. Our hope is that this system can improve speech intelligibility for any who have a difficult time hearing or understanding the spoken word in the Nave.

The FIRST STEP to use the new system is download the "ListenWIFI" app onto your smartphone by clicking on one of the links below. The app is free and does not require any type of registration or password (thank goodness!). The app will not work until you are at St. Bede's and connected to our Wi-Fi network.

The SECOND STEP is to arrive at St. Bede's and connect to the new "St. Bede's - Guest" Wi-Fi network which is an open network that requires no password (thank goodness, again!). The system will not work if you connect to the old "stbedes" password protected network.

Please let us know if you need help connecting!

St. Bede's Prayer List

A note about our prayer list:

We have reorganized our prayer list and are trying to make it more manageable going forward. Names will remain on the prayer list for 3 weeks unless otherwise requested. If you have placed someone on the prayer list and you would now like that person removed, please notify the office. Please request removal only for names which you have placed on the list. We are always happy to request prayer for our parishioners and our extended community.

Please contact Laura Pittman in the church office to add or remove names from the prayer list.

Laura Pittman

lpittman@stbedes.org



In our St. Bede’s community, prayer has recently been requested for:

Randy Roberson

Prayer has been requested on a more long-term basis for:

Susan Cáceres

David and Martha West

Mary Porter

Margie Klein

Cheryl Murphy

Lewis Anderson

Jim Murray

Dixie Snider

Claude Oakley

Miriam Needham

Claiborne Jones

Michele Heller

Lynn Williams

Jim Handsfield

Barbie Olsen

David Boyd

Debhani Hernandez

Al and Regina Studwell                      

Sarah Jane Ohl

Mary Rodriguez

Helen Abraham

Cameron Maddox  

Aree Bancroft

Nancy Waring

Frances Bowen

Ann Foote

Sue Ellen Lampros

Prayer has also been requested for these in our wider community:

Molly Turner, friend of Greg Cook

Pern, friend of George and Lois Shingler

Kathleen Hudson and her family, friends of Beth Cannon

Clarence DeMars, friend of Toni Graney

Margie Briscoe, friend of Loretta Vail

Cindy Alexander, friend of Loretta Vail

Debbie and John Hunziker, parents of Shane Hunziker

Carlos, friend of Claudia Fedarko

Joselina, friend of Claudia Fedarko

The People of Cuba

Susan Vail Casey, sister of Tom Vail

Susan Forte, sister of Cheryl Murphy

Zoe Bushart, granddaughter of Doris and Jim Bushart

Aila Craig, family of Helen Loeb

James Smythe, great nephew of Molly Graves

Larry Sullivan, friend of Joan Greer

John Borden, friend of Joan Greer

Kayt Hoch, daughter-in-law of Martha and David West

Reagan Koski, friend of Beth Cannon

Bill Edgar, father of Beth Cannon

Carol Guthrie, sister of Ann Foote

Andy Matia, friend of Ann Foote

Mary Robert, sister of Martha Robert

Wright Coleman, son of Jennie Couture

Fay Key, friend of the St. Bede's community 

Eleanor Pearlman, granddaughter of Gwen Heaton          

Anne Jones, sister of Claiborne Jones

We pray for those who have died:

Jim Ohl

June Bruce, sister-in-law of Nancy Bruce

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

Alex Larrivey

Josh Bowers

Tyler Swoope

Jonathan

We give thanks for those celebrating birthdays this week:

10/2 Sandy Spires

10/3 Pat Pickett

10/3 Susan Cáceres

10/5 Jim Handsfield

10/6 Pat Miller

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

Bishop Wright has issued a a pastoral letter entitled: Immigration: Dignity, Solidarity, and Support. This letter calls on us all to view our current immigration crisis through the lens of faith and to seek dignity and compassion for all of God's beloved children.

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

News from Camp Mikell

Atlanta Pride Celebration

Pride Eucharist

All are welcome to attend the Diocesan Pride Eucharist!

October 4

5:30 pm

Holy Trinity Parish

515 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur 30030

Celebrant: The Rev. Rhett Solomon

Preacher: The Rev. Horace Griffin

Pride Parade

October 11

Arrive time 11:30 am and the Parade begins at Noon

400 Park Drive, Northeast, Atlanta

The LGBTQ+ Commission of the Diocese of Atlanta

wants to see you at Atlanta Pride!

On October 11, thousands will gather in Atlanta to celebrate Pride, and we want you to walk with our group. Lunch is provided. Please register to walk using the button below.

SAVE THE DATE:

Magnify:

A Women’s Justice Retreat

Nov. 16-19

Camp McDowell

Nauvoo, Alabama

All lay and ordained Episcopal women involved in ministries of justice and inclusion are invited to connect, be encouraged, build intergenerational connections, and bolster leadership for future women’s ministries.

Offered by the church’s Office of Gender Justice in partnership with lay and ordained women from several dioceses, Magnify will offer times for worship, prayer, Bible study, and teaching on women’s leadership.

Magnify will take place in Alabama, long regarded as a crucible for justice ministries both within and beyond The Episcopal Church. For women in particular—especially women of color, immigrant women, women living in poverty, and LGBTQ+ women—Alabama represents not only struggle but also the powerful witness of unsung saints.

“By gathering in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, we seek to learn from diocesan and community leaders on the ground who are holding the line for God’s inclusive love and Gospel-based work for human dignity and thriving,” said Aaron Scott, the church’s gender justice staff officer. 

Mark your calendar and watch for more details to follow.