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949-215-6155 ~ www.stgeorgeslaguna.org

Our Mission Statement:

We are a spiritual oasis, welcoming and striving

to serve all in the hope, JOY and love of Jesus Christ.

We are an open & affirming community.

offered a panel discussion with Sheik Tarik Ata of the OCIF, along with Rabbi Heather Miller, founder of Keeping It Sacred, a progressive Jewish community dedicated to exploring sacred text, practicing meaningful rituals and social justice and myself. 

It was a powerful day, filled with wisdom and collegiality across faith traditions.

Here is Sheik Tarik's response:

Dear Rev. Pat,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful email. The Muslim community has been experiencing a surge in hateful rhetoric and have been feeling very anxious as of late, but the support we’ve been receiving from our neighbors and interfaith friends provides us with a lot of hope and will. It will take a while to recover from this incident but we’ve done it before and I’m sure we’ll do it again.

I appreciate your words of support and will reach out if we ever need anything.

Best,

Tarik Ata

Religious Director of OCIF

Laura Boysen Aragon, who is in the discernment process to become a priest, has agreed to share a leadership role. As a result of our gathering in March, we have expanded our reach to organizations and congregations throughout the county.

We expect that St. George’s will act as the “headquarters” for information, donations, and membership. In other words, we will be the face of Sacred Resistance Orange County.

Sacred Resistance was formed in 2016 by the Episcopal Church of Los Angeles and is described this way: We are a people of faith and conscience, standing together against injustice. Rooted in our call to resist evil and protect the vulnerable, we support immigrants, refugees, and marginalized communities through advocacy, accompaniment, and action.*

Sacred Resistance Orange County will engage in service, prayer, and protest to protect and advocate for the most vulnerable in our society by bringing together individuals and organizations committed to human dignity. Specifically, we intend to work collaboratively with organizations by responding to needs expressed by those impacted by current immigration policies. Our goal is to be co-creators committed to building a community of compassionate neighbors.

Our immediate focus will support those most impacted by ICE tactics. We would like to hear from you about communities you are aware of that may benefit from collaborative assistance.

We envision ourselves as:

 (1) an information hub - sharing opportunities for prayer, protest, and service, 

(2) a partner with interfaith and secular organizations who are serving impacted communities, and

(3) a source of community within ourselves, so no one needs to engage in this work alone.

If you would like to join this effort and receive information about issues or upcoming gatherings, please complete the form at this link: HERE.

I am mighty grateful for the holy, compassionate, and welcoming community that is St. George's! Please feel free to ask questions anytime.

In peace and gratitude,

Laura Siraini

Deacon, St. George’s

lsiriani@ladiocese.org

On-line via YouTube, Facebook, Constant Contact Link

Lay Eucharistic Ministers - Kent Wright & Kathie Killen

Lectors - Sherry Wright; Mark Garza


Psalm - Elaine Williams

Intercessor - Shannon Scott


Ushers - Bob Howe; Priscilla Givan


Shepherds - Flo Niermann & Sherry Wright

Paving Pathways: Fund for the Future

Our initial call for the Fund for the Future generated 46 pledges for $157,005 for an average of $3413 per pledge.

Thank you to all who have pledged and made payments.

Your generosity allowed us to meet our October 31, 2025 deadline on our taxes and we are now current with our tax bill.

Our annual giving base is slightly more than 100 households.

If you have not pledged to the Fund for the Future yet, we ask that you consider a one-time gift of $1000 - $3000. Any amount you can give will be appreciated.

Payments may be made any time through December 2027.

Thank you for helping us to reach our goal, so that we can make plans to pave our parking area.

$200,00 Goals: Actual Cost

Taxes $65,000-$75,000, $68,643 - paid 10-20-25

Operating cash $60,000-65,000

Paving $60,000-65,000

Pledged to date: 46 pledges for a total of $157,005

Remaining to reach our goal: 42,995

If you have any questions, please see Mark Szen.

Upcoming at St. George's:

Volunteers wanted:

St. George's Community Preparedness/

Disaster Resilience Team

Laundry Love

outreach to our community

1st Wednesdays of each month

at 5PM

Sparklean Laundromat

23532 El Toro Road, Lake Forest

Contact: Kathie Killen

HANDS OF GRACE

offering meals to our community

4th Wednesdays of each month

at

Faith Episcopal Church

27802 El Lazo, Laguna Niguel

Contact: Kathie Killen

St. George's Prayer List

Opportunities for Ministry:

• Altar Guild: An opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the Eucharist, liturgical seasons, care of the sacred vessels, weekly set-up for worship. Contact Kathie Killen.
• Book Group: meets monthly for discussion of current books. For info, contact Barb Boberg.
• Bridge Builders: join in connecting St. George's with our local community. Contact Joyce Swaving.
• Caring Visitors: Offers a confidential, comforting presence for those facing challenges. For info, contact Rev. Pat.
• Communications - volunteer needed to help with e-news and/or bulletins. For info, contact Rev. Pat.
• Community Connections/Outreach - ways to connect our ministries together. Contact: Amy Givan.
• Digital Ministry - volunteer needed to help adjust the sound system during worship. Contact Rev Pat.
• Daughters of the King (DOK) - dedicated to prayer and to serve our community. Contact Amy Givan.
• Financial Ministry - Helping to Review Monthly statements for the Finance Committee: Contact Mark Szen.
• Flower Ministry - learn how to make beautiful arrangements to adorn our altar. Contact: Christy Kellner.
• Flowers 4 Friends - repurpose altar flowers and deliver to our ailing and homebound members. Contact Muriel Witham.
• Green Thumb: join the team of water-bearers who help keep our campus looking refreshed. Contact: Muriel Witham.
• Hands of Grace Soup Kitchen 4th Wednesdays, 5PM, at Faith, Laguna Niguel, contact Kathie Killen.
• Helping Hands and Hearts. Short-term meal service, transport to local medical visits & light shopping for homebound. Contact Deb Spurr.
• Laundry Love Lake Forest, 1st Wednesday, 7-10PM, Sparklean Laundromat, 23532 El Toro Road, Lake Forest. Contact Kathie Killen.
• Loving our Neighbor Ministry - Put faith to action as we learn about and celebrate our diversity. Contact: Amy Givan.
• Men's Ministry - the Men's Ministry gathers for breakfasts, hosts Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and other events. Contact Allan Williams.
• Music Ministry - Join our growing choir! Contact: Emett Loera.
• Newcomers/Hospitality - Be a welcome and friendly face to those who visit us and want to know more about us. Contact Muriel Witham.
• Prayer Shawl Ministry - meets 9 a.m. third Sundays. Contact Libby Freer.
• Seeds of Hope Farm Ministry: Volunteers needed to help prepare, plant and cultivate the gardens. Contact Muriel Witham.
• South County Outreach Food Pantry. Donations taken weekly. Financial contributions welcome. Visit website at: sco.org
• Talk of Ages: an ongoing conversation about the joys and challenges of maturing. Contact Chuck Day.
• UCI Canterbury Campus Ministry. Contact: Fr. Ryan Macias
• Worship Team - volunteers to read the Lessons, Ushers to help parishioners during the service and Lay Eucharistic Ministers to assist the Priest. Contact; Amy Givan.

The FBI recently issued a reminder to be alert to communications that ask you to “act fast, pay money, or turn over personal information.” What is particularly important to remember this year is the ways artificial intelligence allows scammers to create "fake social media profiles, voice clones, identification documents, and videos with believable depictions of public figures or even loved ones."

Always verify information independently before responding to unsolicited donation requests. If you have questions about an email you have received:

• Carefully check the sender’s name and email address 
• Look out for misspelled words and incorrect grammar 
• Do not click on any suspicious links or attachments
• Report the email as spam

Reporting A Scam

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the main agency that collects scam reports. Report your scam via email or by phone:

• 1-877-382-4357 (8 am - 7 pm)
• Email phishing-report@us-cert.gov
• File a report at ftc.gov/complaint

In the “Protesting Faithfully” toolkit, The Episcopal Church offers practical resources and spiritual grounding for those standing in solidarity with vulnerable neighbors at protests and demonstrations. Find links to nonviolence training and other resources, as well as downloadable prayers, songs, and Scripture readings. Toolkit resources are available in Spanish where indicated here.

St. George's Episcopal Church

949-215-6155

admin@stgeorgeslaguna.org

www.stgeorgeslaguna.org

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