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The Call
The Newsletter
of
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
Centered in God, Focused on Others
office@standrewshanover.org
www.standrewshanover.org
781-826-2062
The Reverend Amy Whitcomb Slemmer, Esq., Rector
Linda Gelinas, Sr. Warden
Sean Glennon, Music Director
Joanne Bibeau, Administrative Assistant
Jesse Avellino, Sexton
Courtney Hill, Sunday School Director
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Dear Beloved Community of St. Andrew’s,
Let me begin by asking that you pray for our southern siblings who are experiencing storm devastation. Millions without power, winds and weather wreckage continuing. Episcopal Relief and Development is our disaster representation on the ground, collaborating with other front line relief workers. They too, undoubtedly need our love, support and prayers.
On this beautiful and brisk afternoon, I am giving thanks to all of the busy hands who have knit gorgeous prayer blankets, shawls and baptismal gifts for our community. We will bless some of the newer blankets and shawls at our Sunday service in advance of sharing them.
We will also talk about wealth and the challenges and responsibilities that come with having it. Jesus says that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. It must be pretty hard, or as a comedic hero of mine says, “What in the world?!?” We’ll unpack that a bit by exploring our definition of wealth. I’ll not be preaching a fire and brimstone stewardship sermon, though one could be conjured pretty easily from Mark 10:17-31. I’ll leave that to your imaginations. For Sunday’s gathering, I’m excited to pray and reflect on what Jesus meant with his famous metaphor, and how it might impact our thinking and behavior as God’s Kingdom people.
I will also seek your blessing and prayers for a healthy mission ahead. On Sunday, after our service and fellowship time together, I will head to Accra, Ghana to participate in a long-planned conference and some mission work. This is my first foray into West Africa, and I am excited and eager to make the most of this extraordinary opportunity. It is also my first opportunity to represent St. Andrew’s abroad. I will serve as a Chaplain to the entrepreneurs who gather as Echoing Green’s All Fellow’s Conference 2024. I expect to be full of stories of these remarkable young people who are working to improve the world, and will happily share some of them on my blog on the parish website at the link below. (You can also find the link at the top of the webpage.)
While excited to get to know a new part of the African continent, I will miss being in Hanover, and am looking forward to staying in touch (and to anyone who loves travel apps, I hope you’ll use the information below to track my travel progress, which will begin at 2:20 pm on Sunday when I board a commuter boat from Hull to Logan!)
With love and gratitude,
Reverend Amy+
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Rev. Amy's blog . . . LINK
A test or two will be posted before I leave . . .
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Here is the flight information for Rev. Amy.
Sunday, October 13
KLM - KL618 (Boston to Amsterdam)
Monday, October 14
KLM - KL589 (Amsterdam to Accra Ghana)
Friday, October 25
Turkish Airlines - TK630 (Accra to Istanbul)
Saturday, October 26
Turkish Airlines - TK81 (Istanbul to Boston)
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ELECTION RESULTS ARE IN: Bread or wafer? It is a HOLY TIE! 8-8-2 (bread, wafer, no preference). This Sunday we will have homemade communion bread, and after that we will return to wafers through the rest of the season of Pentecost. The common concern about the bread is the difficulty it poses with intinction. Your priest will happily encourage all to drink from our shared communion cup which is among our Episcopal privileges, while also understanding that some will always prefer to intinct. Each option is and will continue to be available. LINK to diomass guidelines.
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CHILDREN'S CHAPEL AND SUNDAY SCHOOL:
Parents and grownups are invited to drop children off at Children's Chapel in the Parish Hall anytime after 9:15 a.m. Our kiddos will draw their name tags, enjoy a bible lesson and then join everyone in Big Church for communion.
YOUTH GROUP: Senior Youth Ministry – 9th-12th Graders
South Shore Episcopal Middle School Youth Group
Calling all Middle Schoolers and High School Students
Each group meets monthly. Middle School participants will engage in a service project for St. Andrew’s. Participants in grades 9-12 are creating a community where topics like fitting in vs. belonging are discussed, AND all are welcome to belong - just as they are. BOTH GROUPS WILL MEET October 27th at St. Andrew's 5:30-7:30pm. Send any questions to RevAmy@standrewshanover.org For future planning - upcoming dates for each group: November 17th, Dec 15, Jan19, Feb 28-Mar1 (lock in for Middle Schoolers!) Mar 16, April 27, May 18 and June 15
ONE TIME MIDDLE SCHOOL HOST(S) REQUESTED:
Looking for a host or couple willing to show our Middle School Youth Group members around St. Andrew’s on Sunday, October 27, at 5:30-7:30pm. Hosting duties include, showing our young people where the rakes are in the garages, awaiting the arrival of dinner, shepherding them to the sanctuary where our intrepid Dan Connick will show them up to the clock and bell tower as part of our spooky Halloween gathering! This is a great group, and spending two hours with them is a treat. The Rev. Natasha Stewart, our friend at St. Luke’s Scituate leads this group, and will welcome your hosting hospitality. To be included please e-mail: office@standrewshanover.org
ISO Crucifers – Ten Years Old to 100 years old – happy to train you to assist at the altar
This is a great opportunity to experience church in a different way and to learn some great Episcopal vocabulary and liturgical traditions. Volunteers arrive at church at 9:00 am and are finished by 11 am. Join Reverend Amy and lead the Sunday procession by lifting high the cross!
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CELEBRATION OF ALL SAINTS AND ALL SOULS, NOVEMBER 3, 2024:
If you would like a deceased loved one’s name read as part of the service, please send their name(s) to the office. We will honor the Episcopal tradition of reading the complete community’s necrology (list of those who have died since the previous All Saint’s Day). Please send the names into the office by no later than Wednesday October 30, 2024.
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Important Dates:
Christmas Fair
Friday, Nov 15, 4 - 7
Saturday, Nov 16, 10 - 2
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!
The Christmas Fair and Cookie Sale are St. Andrew’s main fundraisers. In recent years, the two events combined have raised around $10,000. Countless hours from dedicated volunteers have made this success possible. We need your help to have another successful year! There are many ways you can share your time and talent.
ALL ARE WELCOME! We need everyone's help. Many hands make light work!
🎄Join us Thursdays to clean and organize the donations -- Thursdays October 10, 17, 24 and November 7, 14 from 6 - 8.
🎄Volunteer to work during the Christmas Fair.
🎄Volunteer (bring a friend) to lead one of the rooms.
🎄Volunteer(s) are especially needed to take the lead with the toy room.
🎄Donate gift cards from your favorite coffee shop or restaurant for the raffle. Donations must be received by Nov 10.
🎄Donate a themed gift basket or items to include in a gift basket. Donations may include wine, coffee, hot chocolate, gift cards etc. Donations must be received by Nov 3.
🎄Donate chili, chowder, macaroni & cheese or corn bread to be sold at St. A’s Cafe.
🎄Donate gently used Christmas decorations, toys, collectibles and jewelry/accessories to be sold. NO ELECTRONICS! NO BOOKS!
🎄BAKE!!! We need quick breads, bread, brownies, bars, pies, coffee cake, whoopie pies, chocolate dipped pretzels, fudge etc. All donations should be packaged for sale.
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BAPTISMS: If you or someone in your family is interested in being baptized, the next great feast day when the Book of Common Prayer calls for baptisms is The Feast of All Saints – Sunday, November 3, 2024. Be in touch with Reverend Amy if you would like more information or would like to be included in our All Saints Baptismal Service. | | | |
OFFICE HOURS:
TUESDAY, 9:30 A.M. TO 3:30 P.M.
WEDNESDAY, 9:30 A.M. TO 3:30 P.M.
THURSDAY, NOON TO 6:00 P.M.
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DIOCESAN MESSAGE AND EVENTS . . . | | | |
Join in Celebration with the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
God willing and the people consenting,
The Rev. Julia E. Whitworth
will be ordained and consecrated a Bishop
in the one holy catholic and apostolic Church and 17th Bishop of the
Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Trinity Church in the City of Boston
206 Clarendon Street
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry,
Presiding Bishop and Primate of
The Episcopal Church, presiding
All are welcome!
Clergy: Red stoles
Reception to follow the service
Seating is available as capacity allows.
Register to attend, watch the livestream, or join a watch party:
www.diomass.org/consecration
Evensong with Seating of Our New Bishop
Our new bishop will be seated at the
Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 138 Tremont Street, Boston on
Sunday, Oct. 20 at 5:00 p.m.
All are welcome!
RSVP for Oct. 20 requested here.
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Message of Gratitude and Farewell
from Bishop Alan M. Gates
Oct. 10, 2024
Dear People of the Diocese of Massachusetts,
As I approach the consecration of my successor on Oct. 19 and commit you to her gifted leadership and care, I want to express the gratitude which is on my heart for the decade past.
It has been an extraordinary honor to serve alongside the people of this diocese these past years. I have cherished deeply our common life and work together in this large, complex and wonderfully diverse community of communities. For the dedicated clergy, my remarkable staff colleagues and all the committed lay leaders around the diocese, I give God thanks!
I am grateful for the sacrifices you made during the COVID pandemic, and for the creativity and devotion you showed in responding to that unimaginable challenge–and indeed throughout this time of change and reimagining.
I am grateful for the esteem and affection you have shown to me as your bishop, even at times when we were all flying blindly together. I am grateful for the patience and forgiveness you have shown for my own failures–known and unknown, things done and left undone. I am grateful especially for the ways we have striven to reflect ever more deeply the truth that because we all belong to the One who loves us beyond measure, we belong also to one another.
Tricia and I will hold you in our deepest prayers as we begin a new chapter of our lives in Western Massachusetts. We trust you will likewise pray for us.
And now I commend you to God and to the message of God’s grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified.
[Acts 20:32]
Faithfully and fondly,
+Alan
The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates
Bishop XVI of Massachusetts
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HANOVER FOOD PANTRY: St. Andrew’s collects items for the Hanover Food Pantry. Please drop off in the narthex. Our current needs are: baked beans; raisin bran; pudding cups; relish; liquid dish soap; chips; strawberry jam; peanut butter; cookie mixes; applesauce (jars); mayo; chicken broth; grape jelly. | | | |
PRAYER LIST
Each week this prayer list includes requests we have received through publication (Thursday, noon). If you wish to add people to this list, please submit names by email to office@standrewshanover.org or call the office or place a note on the offertory plate or give to an usher or to Rev. Amy at Sunday service.
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PRAYER LIST
Bill MacLellan – Nicol Family – Joan & Keith Macleod – John – Tracy Sprows – family of Amy Motta—Diana Jefferson – Dennis – Chum – Dave N – Lee G – Don S – Pam E – Jan B – Leah – Katrina & Darren
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Hybrid Worship Service
Sundays 9:30 A.M.
Please note the following updated worship guidelines:
- Hand sanitizer is available at the entrance to the church, and for use before and after Holy Communion.
For those participating in the service from home, please join us on our Facebook link:
www.facebook.com/standrewshanover
We want to thank you for your patience during this time. As always, the safety and health of our members is paramount.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak with a member of the Vestry.
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