Staying Connected

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Rector's Corner


Friends, family, and supporters of our dear St. Mary's, 


When we join the crowd at the seashore, we come to understand that God’s way with us is not one of bargaining but of wild abundance and generosity. And when we see what Christ can do with even the little that we do offer, the only thing that is needed is to figure out ways we can share God’s plenty with others. 


I am amazed by all we have accomplished and shared this past year - all the people we have touched with few resources. This weekend I will show you a video highlighting our Christian living as a community here and beyond. It is your gifts of time, talent, and treasure which is the beating heart of our little church, and it is your generous love that deepens the faith of all and allows us to continue to do the work Jesus has given us to do, to make disciples. After viewing the video this weekend and reflecting upon the abundance of our year, imagine what we can do further by sharing our generous gifts.


A parable for Stewardship...


Here’s a little story from writer G. William Jones to help us on our Journey. It’s called “A Bargain with God”


Simon Pure dropped into Penny Poor’s store one day. He clucked his tongue at the dust on Penny’s showcases, shook his head, and sighed at the many bare shelves. “Why do you suppose it is,” he asked poor old Penny, “that your store isn’t as prosperous as mine? We both started at about the same time and with the same capital — almost nothing. But now I have a lovely store that nets me [$500,000] a year after taxes, and you have only this dusty, half-stocked hole which does well to pay your rent for you. Why is that, Penny?”


Penny stared vacantly and shrugged his thin shoulders. “I’ve often wondered that myself, Simon, but I don’t know. Perhaps if I did know the answer, I could do something about it.”


Simon studied his gold wristwatch with the diamond numbers on it for a second, then leaned close to Penny’s ear, whispering ... “I will tell you the secret.” Penny’s widening eyes swiveled to Simon’s face. “Please do,” he implored. ... “There’s one difference between the way you went into business and the way I went into business, Penny,” [Simon] said, smiling benignly at the poor little fellow. “When I started my store 23 years ago, I took God as my partner.”


Penny didn’t know whether Simon was joking or not, but when Simon just let those words hang in the dusty air and neither laughed nor qualified them, Penny swallowed and said, “Well, how did you do that?”


“Easy.” said Simon, “if you know the Bible. There’s where the secret is. Twenty-three years ago, I promised God that if he’d prosper me in my business, I’d give him a 10th of the profits and spend a month every summer doing missionary work for him.”


“So that’s where you go every summer,” murmured Penny. “Yes,” beamed Simon, “and we’ve both kept our ends of the bargain all these years. Well ... I’ve got to be going now. But you know the secret now, too, so I’m expecting to see some changes around here next time I come to see you.” Laughing warmly, Simon left Penny to ponder his words.


Penny did ponder. He thought of how he had supported his little inner-city church for those 23 years, sometimes borrowing off his insurance policy in order to pay some bill that the dwindling congregation couldn’t seem to pay. Penny supposed that he had spent more than a 10th of his time working to keep the little church going. Plus that, he had always looked upon his store-keeping as a sort of ministry, too — keeping people from buying things they didn’t need or couldn’t afford, extending interest-free credit to people who seemed to need it, and being a kind of resident marriage counselor to the young husbands and wives in the neighborhood. Penny thought about God and God’s abilities, and he was mildly surprised that it had never occurred to him to question God’s beneficence. But when he did think of it, Penny couldn’t bring himself to blame God for the dust on his showcases or the empty spaces on his shelves. The thought of himself praying to God to prosper his business crossed Penny’s mind unbidden. It embarrassed Penny, then caused him to shake with laughter at his silly old self.


Three months later, Simon Pure’s store burned to the ground, and the skimpy insurance policies on it didn’t pay off half the value lost. Penny tried to visit Simon to cheer him up, but after knocking at Simon’s door on three occasions and getting no answer, he finally sent him a letter of condolences. Penny wrote some things about God and beginning again and about how he would be glad to help Simon start a new store — such things as that.


He received a one-line letter from Simon by return mail. It said, “There is no God!”


Sharing God’s plenty, tithing is a concession to our sinfulness, and Simon Pure took it one step further, assuming it was also a bargaining chip. But when we join the crowd at the seashore, we come to understand that God’s way with us is not one of bargaining but of wild abundance and generosity. And when we see what Christ can do with even the little that we do offer, then we realize there is no bargaining needed anyway. The only thing that is needed is to figure out ways we can share God’s plenty with others. 




St. Mary’s Vestry is inviting you to a very special breakfast immediately following

our service on Sunday, October 30th. We would like to share a slide presentation with you of all the things we as a church family have been doing together over the past year, along with the joy we have had doing it.


All of us coming together in community are the HEARTBEAT OF ST.

MARY’S. Think about it . . . we are all helping to keep St. Mary’s alive

and well, not just for us, but for anyone and everyone who may be

looking for a church home, walk through our doors and feel welcomed

by all of us. We are being faithful Stewards of Jesus Christ as we are

commanded to do.


Come, enjoy a delicious breakfast, and be a part of the HEARTBEAT OF ST. MARY’S this Sunday, October 30th. All are welcome!

Stewardship Minute

One of Jesus’ favorite conversational subjects was material possessions.


In thirteen of his nineteen parables, the topic is the right and wrong use of our possessions. Remember his conversations with the young ruler and Zacchaeus? Yes, they also were about money!


In our culture, conversation about money was considered improper. At the same time, money is a sub-surface topic in many conversations.

I prefer to talk about money rather than deal with it at a sub-surface level since I have discovered that it is one of the main competitors for our allegiance to Jesus. It’s always helpful to know something about the opposing team!


Jesus was aware that our allegiance was swayed in many different directions and that many of these directions were away from and not toward him. He preferred to meet the leading issues of life (money being one) in a direct, forthright manner. To do otherwise would have been to leave us in a non-growth condition.


Are we willing to face the money issue? What is the connection between Jesus and money in your life? How do you determine your outlook about money and Jesus?


Some ways to support St. Mary's


  • Become a member


  • The Sunday collection plate


  • Send a check payable to St. Mary's to:


St. Mary's Church,

9425 Third Ave., Stone Harbor, NJ 08247

(Your envelope and number is not necessary, only your name.)


  • Setting up a personal online banking "bill pay" option. The bank will mail the check for you to the church office.



Please note: Offering envelopes have been discontinued. Only your name is needed in order for the counters to record your giving.

Visit our Website

Adult Forum Book Study - continues

next Sunday 11/ 10:30 am


Lost Christianities: The Battles of Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew 


by Bart D. Ehrman, Matthew Kugler, et al.


Available in Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle or Audiobook

Forward Day by Day

The November, December, January edition of Forward Day by Day, Daily Devotion booklets, are now available in the church narthex. Please help yourself and take one for a friend who might enjoy receiving a copy.

We are sorry to say that only the small copies have been received so far. We'll let you know when the large ones arrive.

If you would like a copy mailed to you, please let the church office know and we'll be glad to send one.

Ministry Volunteers Needed

Ushers and Greeters

The ministry of ushering is a crucial part of worship because it is one of the most visible ministries in the church. In Christ, you have received God’s unconditional love, and in Christ, you are called to extend that same unconditional love to others. Although an usher’s love is no stronger than the love found in the whole congregation of the body of Christ, nevertheless, the usher performs a major role in ensuring that people see and experience that love.


The ushers distribute bulletins and greet worshipers, making every attempt to make them feel welcome and at ease. The ushers are also available to answer questions of anyone needing assistance.


Please contact Mo. Allison or Julie if you are interested.

Membership at St. Mary's

Membership at St. Mary's consists of several different groups of "members." Some are Confirmed Communicant Members or who have transferred their membership by Letter of Transfer to St. Mary's. Some are Baptized into St. Mary’s or have requested that their names be entered in the Parish Register. Others are “members” by virtue of the fact that St. Mary’s is their church—the Christian community of which they are a part and where they worship regularly. Still, others are “summer members" or friends of St. Mary's. Many are part of St. Mary’s life, worship at St. Mary’s when in town, and support St. Mary’s financially. Canonically, they are not members in the legal sense, but they are every bit as much members of our parish family as those who are official members.

Please contact the church office if you would like to receive membership forms to be added to our data base.

email: SaintMarysStoneHarbor@gmail.com



We welcome you to join us!

Prayer is a great ministry

Perhaps we do not think enough about what an effective service prayer is. We do not believe as we should how it might help those we would serve, penetrating the hearts we cannot open, shielding those we cannot guard, teaching where we cannot speak, comforting where our words have no power to soothe; following the steps of our beloved through the toils and perplexities of the day, lifting off their burdens with an unseen hand at nights. No ministry is so like that of an angel is this — silent, invisible, known but to God.

Sunday's Altar Flowers

The flowers on the altar this Sunday are given

in loving memory of Mona and Richard Tobias

by Janet Proulx

Happy Birthday to

Lawrence Schmidt on November 1st, and Linda Hendee on November 3rd!


Happy Anniversary to

Brian & Corine Reynolds on October 31st, and Mary & Ken Vavrek on November 2nd!

If you would like to be remembered on your birthday or anniversary, please let the church office know so we can add you to our data base.

If you would like to honor a loved one on their birthday or anniversary with altar flowers, please sign up on the altar flower chart in the parish hall. The flowers can be taken from the altar after worship. 

St. Mary's This 'n That Thrift Shop

Gold Winner of the 2022 Best of the Jersey Shore

Come check out the GOLD Winner of the 2022 Best of the Jersey Shore thrift shops - St. Mary's This 'n That Thrift Shop!

When you're doing your fall cleaning, please remember This 'n That. Household items and clean usable clothing are welcome!

And while you're there, look around. You may find a bargain you can't resist!

Store Hours:

Monday - Saturday 10 am - 4 pm

Donation days: Tuesday and Thursday, 10 am - 3 pm

Location: St. Mary's This 'n That

1304 Rt. 47 So., Rio Grande, NJ 08242    609-886-7272

Follow them on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/St-Marys-This-N-That-Thrift-Shop-268676343298636/

Could you help

The Branches Student Food Program

Branches is supplying 80 back packs a week for 40 weeks to some local schools. The back packs will contain two nourishing weekend meals.


If you would like to help with this project, we are collecting the items in the picture. The milk should be in individual sized servings.


Children have always been a priority at Branches. This project is our way of helping to make sure that they are properly nourished. The need is great and growing. Thank you in advance for your help!

 

Donations may be dropped off to The Branches Food Pantry Monday, Wednesday, or Fridays from 9 AM to 12 noon, at 1304 Rt. 47 So., Unit AJ, Rio Grande. Or you many bring things to St. Mary’s and they will be taken to the Food Pantry for you.

Upcoming Events

Sundays after worship (except on Vestry Sunday)- Adult Forum Book Study - Lost Christianities

  • October 29th – Fall Family Fun Day 10 to @ 4 pm
  • October 30th - Stewardship Breakfast after worship
  • November (Date TBD) Thanksgiving service/breakfast
  • November 25th-26th (Women’s Club Festival of Trees Donation)
  • December 17th – 7:30 pm at Cold Spring Presbyterian, Production of Handel's Messiah with John Curtis, and Mo. Allison as Narrator
  • December 21st – Blue Christmas

12 Step Meetings in the Church Hall

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Monday at 8:00 pm

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Tuesday at 8:00 pm

Alanon Friday at 10:00 am

CHECK OUT OUR CALENDAR on our website for all activities taking place throughout the week.

The Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 26

October 30, 2022

Isaiah 1:10-18

Psalm 32:1-8

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Luke 19:1-10

Worship Services

Tuesday - Thursday 8:30 am Morning Prayer via Zoom

Sunday 9:00 AM in person (church)

Services, studies, and service bulletins may be accessed on our website: www.stmarysstoneharbor.org
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