Ongoing Events

Meet Our New Bishop! 

The Reverend Canon Megan M. Traquair

The Reverend Canon Megan M. Traquair was elected the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California at the diocese's Special Electing Convention on Saturday, February 9 ^th at Faith Episcopal Church, Cameron Park.

Rev. Canon Megan was elected on the third ballot with a vote of 151 lay delegates and 85 clergy. To be elected required a majority of both orders on the same ballot. The other candidates were The Rev. Matthew D. Cowden, The Rev. Christopher Brooke Craun, The Rev. Canon Andrea McMillin, and The Rev. Randall R. Warren.

Rev. Canon Megan is currently Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Arizona. Her husband Philip is a pediatrician at Phoenix Children's Hospital. They have been partners and best friends, as well as parents. They have two children: Hannah who teaches high school in Tucson, and Benjamin, who is an engineer in Colorado.

Notified of the election results, Megan said: "It is with joy and gratitude that I accept your call to serve as the Eighth Bishop of the Diocese Northern California. I thank the Search, Transition and Standing Committees for their careful preparations and loving-kindness during these months. Dozens of your leaders put in sacrificial amounts of time and energy to help the Diocese arrive at a common mind in Christ. I am grateful. You are all - members, clergy and churches - very much in my prayers.

Philip and I are excited to make our home with you in Northern California. This summer, by the grace of God, we will begin to practice the Jesus Movement together - in faith, reconciliation and service."

Bishop Barry L. Beisner said, "As one who deeply loves this Diocese, I am personally most grateful to all five candidates for their faithful participation in this very demanding process. By making themselves available to the Holy Spirit in this way, they have given us a great gift. May they all be blessed. I ask all the people of God to join me in praying God's blessing upon The Rev. Canon Megan Traquair, our Bishop-Elect. God strengthen and sustain her in this time of profound transition to new ministry, and to an exciting opportunity to serve our Lord in Northern California."

Providing the Standing Committee receives the consents from a majority of the bishops of the Church and a majority of the Standing Committees of the dioceses, the consecration is scheduled for June 29, 2019 at the Mondavi Center in Davis. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will preside.

"O God, by your grace you have called us in this Diocese to a goodly fellowship of faith. Bless our Bishop, Barry L. Biesner, our Bishop-Elect, The Rev. Canon Megan Traquair, other clergy, and all our people. Grant that your Word may be truly preached and truly heard, your Sacraments faithfully administered and faithfully received. By your Spirit, fashion our lives according to the example of your Son, and grant that we may show the power of your love to all among whom we live; through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Amen

Centering Prayer

One of the themes that is emerging in our ongoing practice of Centering Prayer is the awareness that God just wants to spend time with us. In response to the enthusiasm growing around this feeling, our Centering Prayer gatherings are now offered Mondays at 6:30 p.m. and Fridays at noon. The former Tuesday evening gathering has been changed to Monday. We hope that you will join us and see how contemplation can enrich your own experience.

Adult Formation Classes



Holy Travel

On Tuesday, March 12 ^th, at 7 p.m., Fr. Tom will give a talk on his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In addition to photos and travel stories, he will discuss the significance of holy travel and ways in which we can engage in this sacred tradition.

Join us Tuesday, March 5 th for our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and Burning of the Palms. Shrove Tuesday is marked by feasting and celebration, which traditionally precedes the observance of the Lenten fast. Supper will be served from 6 to 7 p.m. The Brotherhood of St. Andrew members will provide the supper - pancakes, sausage, orange juice and coffee. The Burning of the Palms will take place at 7 p.m. The ashes from the Burning of the Palms will be used for Ash Wednesday services.

Don't Miss Out on Lent Madness!

Booklets are available for a fun and informative Lenten experience (based on the idea of March Madness for you college basketball fans). There will be online voting for the 32 saints tournament style, elimination bracket format.

 The booklets contain a short biography of each saint and instructions on how to go online and sign up to get the daily emails and opportunity to vote for your favorite saint. Lent Madness is brought to you by Forward Movement, the organization that publishes our daily devotionals.

Walk the Labyrinth

The ancient practice of walking the labyrinth evokes our journey toward God. Using the symbol to contemplate life's twists, turns and redirections can be a form of prayer and a source of peace. We will have a labyrinth set up in the sanctuary on Ash Wednesday, March 6 ^{t h} , and during Holy Week, April 15 ^th - 19th for any who wish to walk it.

St. Luc Benefit Concert & Dinner

Saturday, March 2 ^nd

Tickets Still Available

Contact Jim Quinney

916-257-1635

Dinner & Concert

The St. Luc Haiti Partnership Team will sponsor another excellent concert and dinner featuring The Katie Knipp Band. You will not want to miss this event.

Katie's new album, "Take It With You," hit two Billboard Charts - #10 on Blues Albums and #9 on Heat Seekers. She is nominated as Sacramento Area Artist of the Year. The dinner will be a "New Orleans" theme and, as always, will feature our famous dessert auction.

Katie is known to St. Augustine members as Katie Schmidt, wife to Jeremy, and mom to sons Thomas and James.

Come and have a fun evening. All proceeds support St. Luc Episcopal School in Thomassique, Haiti.

This windy, cold and rainy weather makes our hosting program for The Gathering Inn guests so much more important. Every second Wednesday of the month, St. Augustine, known as the "chicken church," hosts 70 to 80 homeless men, women and children, guests of The Gathering Inn, for a great meal and a safe, warm and dry place to sleep.

Rick and Janice Stenzel are in charge of organizing these dinners, helped by a myriad of volunteers from our Church. Barrel chicken, rice, rolls, salad, beverages and dessert are served. There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer for meal preparation, set-up, serving and clean-up.

Sign-up sheets can be found at the Welcome Center. The next hosting dinner will be Wednesday, March 13 ^th. If you have questions, please contact Rick or Janice at:

[email protected]

[email protected]

The Gathering Inn Donations

The Gathering Inn is in need of all types of winter clothing due to this wet and cold season. They can also use coffee, XL coats, High Energy (HE) detergent, plastic ponchos, socks and larger size shoes. These are the most immediate needs.

Please place your donations in the grocery cart at the entry to Canterbury Hall. Every item is greatly appreciated. Beth Sulc will deliver the items to The Gathering Inn. If you are interested in helping to deliver donations, please contact Beth at:

[email protected]

Outreach Stampede

Calling all cowboys and cowgirls! Mark your calendars and save the date for the St. Augustine Outreach Stampede on Saturday, May 4 ^th . The event will feature a western theme with a spectacular BBQ dinner, a special raffle of some extravagant items and our traditional raffle of luscious desserts. Instructor Bill Swayne will be on hand to give us an introductory line dancing lesson - children included. There will be prizes for the best western outfits. The Outreach Team is hard at work organizing this extravaganza, and it is sure to be an outstanding event. Proceeds go towards various outreach programs supported by St. Augustine. The event begins at 5 p.m. Tickets are $50 each.

At the January 26 ^th and 27 ^th food-packing events, we raised $8,403.36 and packed 20,304 meals. Nearly 178 folks volunteered over the two-day period. Many thanks to those who donated and/or participated.

Update on   NouKód in Haiti!

from Rich Wampler

Rich Wampler was able to report that NouKód is back in business after the Haiti protests. One of the directors, Rebecca Barlow, is trapped here in the United States because of protests and violence in Haiti. Ted, her husband, waited in line for hours to get ten gallons of drinking water.

Things have calmed down a bit. The photo shows the new NouKód office back in business after protests. Rich remarked, "We have no concept what it is like to live under such circumstances."

NouKód provides training for job creation as a long-term solution to poverty and vulnerability in Haiti. The St. Augustine Outreach Ministry has sent grants to NouKód to assist in the purchase of office furniture and computers.

St. James Food Pantry Ministry

Thank you to all who have generously donated food to support the pantry. The pantry in Lincoln has grown in size and scope, and your continued support is appreciated and important. Food scarcity is a very real situation and it is 24/7. Canned chicken, tuna, rice, pinto beans, flour or corn tortillas, cereal and juice are pantry favorites. Other items are also appreciated.

Please make sure your items are not past the expiration date and are unopened.

The grocery cart is located at the entrance to Canterbury Hall. Thank you for your donations.

Memorial Service

A memorial service will be held for Susan Lampton at St. Augustine Church on Friday, March 8 ^th at noon.

All are invited to a reception immediately following the service at La Provence Restaurant (110 Diamond Creek Place in Roseville off Blue Oaks Boulevard).

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to St. Augustine Church for the Children’s Programs.

St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room

A group of volunteers from St. Augustine Church serves meals at the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room the third Thursday of each month. They volunteer from approximately 9:15 a.m. until 1:45 p.m., helping prepare, cook and serve a warm meal for those in need.

Approximately two to three hours of standing are involved. All food is provided, and no cooking experience is needed.

Volunteers include Jack Dillon, John Redmond, Rob and Deidre Shonk, Catherine Beckman, Jim and Stephanie Tilton, Jim and Carla Dolislager, Rick and Janice Stenzel, Lyn Fuson, Steve Broce and Kathryn Jordan. 

Volunteers for Thursday, March 23 ^rd are Janice and Rick Stenzel, Lyn Fuson, Steve Broce, Linda Peterson and Kathryn Jordan.

  Please contact Rob Shonk if you are interested in working in this important ministry:

[email protected]

 

Meal Train Ministry

The Meal Train Ministry is an online calendar that organizes delivery of meals for parish families in times of need. Barbara Woolman is in charge of the Meal Train Ministry. If you are interested in providing meals for parish families, please contact:

[email protected]

916-771-8830

2019 Women's Retreat

Begin Anew

Spring is the perfect time to " Begin Anew," the theme for the upcoming St. Augustine Women's Retreat. We are heading back to the wonderful Mercy Center in Auburn, Friday, April 5 ^th through Sunday, April 7 ^th. Our retreat facilitator, Colleen Gregg, director of the Mercy Center, will guide our group in exploring how to live a vibrant life amidst life's harsh realities.

The Mercy Center in Auburn offers private rooms, shared bathrooms, delicious meals and lush groups to explore. We are happy to offer the retreat at a cost of only $200 this year, which is $50 less than the last retreat, thanks to fund-raising efforts. The price include six meals, private room and retreat content/materials - quite a bargain!

A sign-up list is at the Welcome Center, and your $100 non-refundable deposit will hold your spot. We only have 25 reserved spots and will take attendees on a first come basis. Do not miss out on this wonderful opportunity to join us as we Begin Anew!

For more details, please contact Joan Howe at:

[email protected]

Altar Flower Note Cards

We have beautiful, custom-designed note cards created from pictures of our altar flowers. A perfect way to send a cheery message to lift someone's day. Available for a $20 donation for 12 distinct images, including envelopes and beautifully package for giving. Funds will benefit the Women's Retreat scholarship account.

For more details, contact Joan Howe at:

[email protected]

Youth Group News & Updates

Come & Worship with FISH

The FISH Youth Group, grades 6 - 12, meets Sunday nights for dinner, activities, discussion and prayer. Dinner is served at 6 p.m.

FISH has primarily been a high school group, so in an effort to make it better suited for our middle school friends, we will have combined FISH nights every other week.

All Church members are welcome to join the group at 7:30 for youth-led services.

FISH Calendar

Sunday School News

Sunday school continues to do well. Because we are in a one room classroom, we are moving back to having a lead teacher and an assistant teacher. This falls in line with Safe Guarding our Children protocol. Being an assistant is a great way to check out how our program works and for exploring this ministry.

Please contact Melissa Lovin if this is something you are interested in. We have created a new sign-up list online, so if you were on the original email distribution for Sunday School and you are not receiving the email and would like to, please let Melissa know.

All Sunday School teachers need to attend the March 30 ^th Safe Guard training from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. We are making this a mandatory training to continue in this ministry. IF this date does not work in your schedule, please contact Fr. Tom to make other arrangements. At the print of this newsletter, there are only two teachers signed up and one who is making other arrangements. We will not have a program if more do not sign up.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Melissa at the new Children's Ministry email:

[email protected]

You can also reach Melissa at 916.833.6263.

News from the Nursery

Our Nursery is doing well, and the children are very active. Please know that you are welcome to bring your child back into the nursery after communion if you choose. Please let Emma know you plan to do this so she is prepared.

Our attendants do take turns to take communion, but there is always someone in there. The 3 ^rd Sunday of the month is available if there is a preteen/teen interested in volunteering monthly.

Please contact Melissa if your teen is interested. Melissa may be reached at:

[email protected]

or

916-833-6263

Children’s Ministries on the Move!

   

By Pastor Liz

We are taking time to reinvigorate our children’s ministries over the next months. Our children are not the church of the future…they are the church! We all have a responsibility to the children at St. Augustine to provide them with the basic tools of how to seek God and how to follow Jesus. We all have a responsibility as well to help our kids experience the amazing love that God has for each one of them. We need to show up with our kids and for our kids so that they can experience the singing, Bible stories, prayers and sacraments that shape our spiritual journey in the Episcopal tradition.

I’m grateful for Melissa Lovin’s leadership right now as the part-time staff Children’s Ministries Coordinator. We have been meeting with Father Tom to strategize, to create collaborative opportunities for serving our children, and to develop next steps. Here are some of those next steps:

Family Events: We are bringing back some of the family events we’ve had in the past to build community and to have opportunities to get to know each other better. On Friday, March 29 ^th we will have a dinner and Movie Night at the church for families of all ages. On Friday, May 17 ^th we will have a Family Picnic Dinner and Bingo evening at the church. We have a Parent’s Night Out event planned, too, and that means free babysitting for an evening! Look for details to come about these and other family events.

Sunday School: Several Sunday School parents have met with our staff team to consider new ways of approaching Sunday School. Changes are being developed to ensure our children have consistent and engaging Sunday School experiences. Look for updates coming soon.

Safe Church Policies: Several dates have been on the calendar for diocesan required training for all who are in close contact with our children, including Sunday School teachers and Nursery assistants. The next training is Saturday March 30 ^th . All Sunday School teachers and assistants are required to complete this training even if you have completed a similar training in another context. If you cannot make the March training, please talk to Fr. Tom about the next opportunity to receive this training. Our goal is 100% compliance with this policy, and those who do not receive the training will not be able to serve in these ministries to our children.



Vacation Bible School: We are postponing our next VBS to the summer of 2020. We take seriously our commitment to provide the best children’s programs for our church families and to the community, and we feel this postponement will allow us to form the volunteer teams we need to provide the highest quality VBS experience.

I am so grateful to Melissa as a staff person, for her love for our children and families and for the church. I am so grateful for every person who volunteers to serve in a ministry to our children. St. Augustine is a great community to raise our children up in!

Family Movie Night is back! All ages are encouraged to join us for this FUN, FREE event! We will have a pizza and salad dinner from 6 to 6:45 p.m. on Friday, March 20 ^th. We will begin the movie Incredibles 2 at 6:45 p.m. Popcorn will be provided during the movie as well.

Bring blankets for your children to hang out on the floor during the movie. Pajamas are always welcome!

Please sign up at the Welcome Center so we have a head count for food. If you have any questions, contact Melissa Lovin.

Children's Choir

The St. Augustine Children’s Choir began their second year on Sunday, February 3, 2019! The Children’s Choir rehearses on the first and third Sundays of the month following the 10 a.m. service and concluding by noon.

The choir sings periodically during the 10 a.m. service throughout the school year. All children from five years old to 5 ^th grade are welcome. Give it a try!

Questions? Contact Amy Quinney at:

[email protected]

or

916-257-2343

Brotherhood of St. Andrew

The Brotherhood of St. Andrew holds its regular monthly meetings at 9 a.m. in Canterbury Hall the second Saturday morning of the month. Coffee and breakfast are served. All men and boys are welcome and encouraged to attend a meeting.

"Even if you are not a member of the Brotherhood, and just have an interest in what we do, you are welcome to join us for breakfast," said Rob Shonk, Director. If you have an interest in learning about the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, please contact Rob or Secretary John Redmond.

The Brothers approved a $500 contribution to the Bishop's Discretionary Fund for wildfire victims in California. The money was raised at the Bingo Night/Spaghetti Feed and the Summer BBQ. The Brotherhood thanks everyone for support and contributions.

The Brotherhood will be preparing the meal for the Shrove Pancake Supper and Burning of the Palms on Tuesday, March 5 ^th. They will serve pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee. The dinner begins at 6 p.m. Burning of the Palms is at 7 p.m.

The next Brotherhood meeting will be Saturday, March 23 ^rd at 9 a.m. in the Sunday School room.

If you have questions, please contact Director Rob Shonk or Secretary

John Redmond:

[email protected]

[email protected]



Soft, warm and full of love... a prayer shawl is a tangible token of the power of prayers. They are given to those needing a physical reminder of our love and concern in times of healing and stress.  

The members of the Prayer Shawl ministry have a lovely time of fellowship when we meet each month in Canterbury Hall on the second Monday of the month at 1:30. There is always an open chair for anyone who would like to be a part of this ministry.

 

There are several shawls in inventory. If you would like to give one to someone, whether or not a member of St. Augustine, contact Greer Nave. They are presented with a beautiful card and a selection of prayers from the Book of Common Prayer. For shawls given outside the congregation, a donation to replenish our yarn supply is appreciated, but not required.

[email protected]

Companion's Corner

40

Purple veils reappear, alleluias grow silent and on Wednesday, March 6 ^th we hear the words, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return,” as ashes are placed on our foreheads.

The number 40 has many references in addition to being the waiting time between March 6 ^th and April 21 ^st . It is understood that 40 stands for “a very long time."

Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18).

Elijah spent 40 days and nights walking to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8).

God sent 40 days and nights of rain in the great flood of Noah (Genesis 7:4).

The Hebrew people wandered 40 years in the desert while traveling to the Promised Land (Numbers 14:33).

Jonah's prophecy of judgment gave 40 days to the city of Nineveh in which to repent or be destroyed (Jonah 3:4).

Jesus retreated into the wilderness, where He fasted for 40 days, and was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1–2, Mark 1:12–13, Luke 4:1–2).

It is the traditional belief that Jesus lay for 40 hours in the tomb.

Lent gives us the ideal time for introspection and self-revelation. It is a time to again experience how much God loves us, just as we are!

A blessed holy time, dear friends,

Carole Peterson

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.