Ongoing Events

Service Times

8 a.m. Sunday Service

This is a simple communion service without music using Rite II. The quiet service will appeal to some every week and to others occasionally as a quieter way to worship.

10 a.m. Sunday Service

The 10 a.m. service is supported by the St. Augustine Choir. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m., except on some Holy days and special occasions.

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 offered Mondays at 6:30 p.m. and Fridays at noon. We hope that you will join us and see how contemplation can enrich your own experience.

Adult Formation Classes



St. Augustine in Transition

Profile Committee Update

November 2019

Town Hall Meeting

Sunday, November 17 ^th

Immediately following the 10 o'clock service

Canterbury Hall

A light lunch will be served. Childcare will be available. The Profile Committee will share the results of the congregation's input from the Living Room Conversations and the online survey. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and provide more input to the Profile Committee.

Support St. Augustine while you shop online by shopping through our Amazon Smile page. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice, St. Augustine Church. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Remember to log into smile.amazon when you do your holiday shopping.

Simply visit the link below or visit our website to get started! smile.amazon.com/ch/68-0305177

St. Luc School (Haiti) Benefit Dinner



Folks Had a Great time Raising Funds for St. Luc School

Photos by Margie & Fred Buhler

Close to 80 St. Augustine parishioners enjoyed a wonderful Octoberfest evening on October 5 ^th. The menu included bratwurst (hot dogs for kids), sauerkraut or coleslaw, German potato salad, chips, buns, all the fixins' and German chocolate cupcakes.

Rob Shonk and his band, SnowDay, played favorites from the '60s,'70 and '80s. The Haiti Team provided some amazing and fun raffle items. Over $4,950.00 was raised to support our ministries at St. Luc School in Haiti.

Haiti Partnership – St. Luc School - Thomassique, Haiti

St. Augustine Church began a partnership with St. Luc Episcopal School in April of 2016, beginning with a trip there to make our first connections and to begin building relationships. The Haiti Partnership is a long-standing program that connects Episcopal Churches and Schools in the United States with Episcopal schools in Haiti, supporting their educational programs and goals.

Our combined efforts so far have supplied uniforms and tuition for the over 100 students at St. Luc, teacher salaries and training, clean water on site and a daily meal for students. We were also able to help partner in the purchase of a lot adjacent to St. Luc to allow for expansion of the school. The St. Augustine Team has also created a non-profit (HEAD, Inc – Haiti Education and Development) in order to broaden fundraising options.

Please join our Haiti Partnership Team on the third Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. for our monthly meeting. All are invited to come and hear about our Partnership goals and plans! 

Halloween Church Tea!    

 

The St. Augustine sanctuary was turned into a Halloween-themed Tea Room on Saturday, October 19 ^th . The decorations, including beautifully set tables, all reflected the Halloween theme. Some ladies even dressed in awesome and scary costumes.

 

Ove r $2,000 was raised. The money will be used to purchase a large nativity set and accompanying items for its display. Co-chairs were Karen Hardage and Linda Bittman. Committee members included Ginny Dearing, Joan H owe, Christine Hohmann, Theresa Allen, Paulette Schloetter and Jane Keillor. Kathy Griffin and Kathryn Jordan assisted by preparing scones and decorating, respectively. The committee was assisted by several men: Wayne Hardage, Carlton Allen, Bill Schloetter and Fred Keillor, who helped set up, clean up and reset for Sunday services.

 

The highlight of the afternoon was a series of scary ghost stories told by Christine Hohmann and her mother, Jackie Pruett. Door prizes were also a big hit. Fred Buhler and Kathleen Quigley took photos of the event.

Hosting Coffee Hour is Easy!

All of us enjoy Coffee Hour after church. However, we need more volunteers to sign up to provide snacks. It is easy! Find a partner to share the experience. Keep it simple.

Although occasionally those who host provide a generous offering, that is NOT the expectation. Snacks can be simple finger foods such as: cookies, crackers, cheese, chips, veggies, fruit . . . you get it. You will need about 100 pieces.

TIP: Check out the big box stores for large packages.

Come early to set up, stay late to clean up. You do not have to worry about coffee and tea as those are provided by the Hospitality Coffee person. Look for the sign-up sheet at the Welcome Center. Thank you for volunteering. If you have questions, please contact Camille Grabowski at:

[email protected]

Altar Flowers

We are ordering fresh flowers for the altar from the Rocklin Flower Shop on the corner of Stanford Ranch and Park Drive. If you wish to donate for altar flowers, please sign your name and the occasion (thanksgivings, memorial, anniversary, birthdays, etc.) on the sign-up sheet in the display rack near the office.

Please make checks payable to St. Augustine for $40 with ‘Altar Flowers’ in the memo line. Names of those giving flowers for special occasions will be acknowledged in the bulletin on the appropriate date.

 

Thank you.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact Ginny Dearing at:

[email protected].

Outreach Ministry

In the spirit of our Church tradition, the mission of Outreach Ministry is to love others as God loves us. We do this by serving those in need and inviting others into transformational experiences of serving.

 

The Gathering Inn Hosting Program

Outreach Ministry continues to need volunteers to help prepare, serve and clean up at the monthly dinner we provide to The Gathering Inn guests who join us on the second Wednesday of every month. No experience is necessary! The Gathering Inn is the only homeless shelter in South Placer County and the only shelter that takes families. Join us as we extend to them a St. Augustine welcom e. www.thegatheringinn.com

 

St. James Food Pantry

Sometimes it is hard to imagine, but food insecurity is still an issue right here in our community. The St. James Food Pantry assists local residents by offering basic food items like beans, rice, tortillas and canned goods. Please drop off your donations in the grocery cart and they will be delivered to the pantry.

 

Rise Against Hunger Meal-Packing Event

SAVE THE DATES: January 24 ^th and January 25 ^th  will be the next Rise Against Hunger meal-packing event at St. Augustine. Did you know that you can feed a child for ONE FULL SCHOOL YEAR for only $75!

 

Join the Outreach Team

Interested in serving others in a proactive way? Consider joining our team. We meet the first Sunday of the month after the 10 a.m. service. All are welcome to attend. Our next meeting is November 3 ^rd  at 11:30 a.m. For more information, please contact Camille Grabowksi at:

[email protected]

The Gathering Inn Hosting Program

 

St. Augustine hosts the Gathering Inn guests on the second Wednesday of each month. We provide a hot meal and a place to sleep for 50 – 80 homeless men, women and children. We are lovingly referred to as “The Chicken Church” by our guests, because our meal typically includes Jack Dillon's barrel chicken, rice, salad, rolls and a homemade dessert.

 

In October, the dessert was made by our Sunday School class. They made a pumpkin cheesecake which got rave reviews. Some of our young Church members came to help serve as well; what a great experience for them. Our guests love seeing the young people help.

 

It takes a number of volunteers each month to pull this together – we need folks to prepare, cook and carve the chicken; make the salad, rice and dessert; set up the space, set the tables, serve, wash dishes, etc.

 

If you are interested in being a part of this wonderful ministry, please sign-up at the Welcome Center or talk to Rick or Janice Stenzel (916-218-2423). We would love to have you be part of our team! The next Gathering Inn Hosting event will be Wednesday, November 13 ^th .

[email protected]

[email protected]

The Gathering Inn Donations

The Gathering Inn is asking for women's underwear sizes 6, 7 & 8 (especially bras for women) and men's underwear in all sizes. There is also a need for men's and women's razors.

In addition, TGI continues to need High Energy detergent as well as bleach, bath towels, hand towels, wash cloths, fitted twin sheets and gently used pillows. TGI is also accepting women's jeans sizes 2-8 or juniors size 11.

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 deliver donations, please contact Beth at:

[email protected]

Thank you for your generosity!

While tails wagged and noses bumped, Fr. Tom and Pastor Maryellen blessed the canine members of our congregation as their owners carefully brought them forward. Amidst sharp yips and loud barks, the pets received their blessings with dignity and grace and with no “accidents!”

 

All kinds of dogs received this honor - rescue dogs, a labradoodle, a big black lab, a poodle, a Shih Tzu and a poodle/chihuahua.

 

Not to be outdone, several worshipers brought cell phone pictures of their pets. All were tenderly blessed.

 

What a delightful way to acknowledge the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals!

Photos by Fred Buhler

St. James Food Pantry Ministry

Thank you to all who have generously donated food to support the pantry. The pantry in Lincoln is low in supplies. They are distributing a good bit of food every week. The need is not diminishing, and they have expanded their outreach into the community.

Thank you for the rice, raw pinto beans, tortillas, canned chicken/tuna and cereal. We can also use healthy fruit cup snacks or drinks with moderate sugar would also be very helpful. Other items are appreciated as well.

St. James is grateful, and we are responding with the specific items of food requested. Your continued support is appreciated and important. Food scarcity is a very real situation and is 24/7.

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

Jim Quinney

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

St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room

A special Thanksgiving meal will be served on Thursday, November 21 ^st by the volunteers from St. Augustine. Jack Dillon will make his famous "barrel chicken" along with the trimmings. Jack, Rick and Janice Stenzel, Rich and Rhonda Wampler and the Brotherhood of St. Andrew will make donations for this event. Deidre and Rob Shonk and Linda Peterson also will be assisting with the meal.

A group of volunteers from St. Augustine Church regularly 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, Linda Peterson and Kathryn Jordan. 

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

[email protected]

 

House Blessing

The Titley family will have their house blessed on Sunday, November 17 ^th at 3:30 p.m. The congregation is welcome to participate in the celebration.

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

Youth Group News!

FISH is undergoing some change. We'll be partnering with St. James Episcopal Church and Lincoln United Methodist Church to form a cooperative youth group. This new partnership will rotate between our parishes, bring more of us together and offer more opportunities for building relations and forming our faith. For now, we are calling it the Co-Op. Our first event together will be a joint Christmas party hosted by Lincoln UMC (629 I Street) on Wednesday, December 18 ^th, 6 - 7:30 p.m.

The Sunday School teachers and children are busy having fun and learning about many new concepts.

October began with Jim Quinney filling in as guest teacher. The students enjoyed having a relay race and dressing as the rich man and the poor man. The kids also enjoyed showing off their knowledge of the story of One Gave Thanks by running around saying "Extra Extra Read All About It" and then telling us if the headline (part of the scripture) was true or false. They also had a jump rope competition between please and thank you, and finally they made puppets and reenacted the story.

Once again, the class talked about the importance of prayer and acts of kindness. They made prayer chains to take home, hoping they will serve as a reminder throughout the week. The students played a board game in small groups about the judge and the persistent widow. 

In celebration of Halloween, the teachers invited the children to wear their costumes to Sunday School. The morning included games, snacks and gratitude!

We continue to ask that all parents/guardians of those currently attending Sunday School to sign up to be an assistant teacher so that we may be following the Safe Church guidelines. If everyone takes a turn, you will only need to sign up for about once every six weeks.  

Thank you for your continued support of our program!

Kara and Natalie 

If you need more information, please contact Natalie Cooper or Kara Diaz at:

[email protected]

[email protected]

News from the Nursery

Jordan Craft and Siena Giampaoli are the Nursery Attendants.

Our Nursery is a very active place, which is awesome. Please know you are welcome to bring your child back into the nursery after communion, if you choose. Please let our Nursery Assistants know if you plan to do this, so they are prepared. Our attendants do take turns for communion, but there is always someone in the Nursery.

Please contact Kathy Dillon or Fr. Tom if you have questions:

[email protected]

Children's Choir

The Children's Choir rehearsals follow the 10 a.m. service, concluding by noon. Rehearsals take place on the first and third Sundays.

The choir sings periodically during the 10 a.m. service throughout the school year. All children from kindergarten through 5 ^th grade are welcome.

We are looking for more children to share their enthusiastic voices in the awesome Children's Choir. Give it a try!

Questions? Contact Amy Quinney at:

[email protected]

or

916-257-2343

Daughters of the King

The St. Augustine Chapter of Daughters of the King meets in the Sunday School room the second Sunday of each month from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Daughters of the King will celebrate the coming holiday season with a potluck luncheon, hosted by Dottie Neil, Sunday, November 10 ^th at 1:30 pm. DOK “secret prayer partners” will be revealed. 

Future programs include:

Our one-hour meetings are held from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month.

All women interested in DOK are encouraged to contact Carol Ann Hackley, president, at 916-253-7565 or [email protected]

Brotherhood of St. Andrew

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

The Brotherhood will host its second Spaghetti Feed/Bingo Night, which will be November 16 ^th in Canterbury Hall, featuring dinner, Bingo, prizes. The Daughters of the King also will volunteer at the event, working in the kitchen and serving dinner. Dinner and Bingo will be $25 per person, beginning with Happy Hour at 5 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m., followed by Bing. Speak to Rob Shonk for further information.

The Brotherhood will not hold a meeting in November. The next meeting will be December 7 ^th with election of officers.

"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 would like to learn more about the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, please contact Rob or Secretary John Redmond:

[email protected]

[email protected]

A special thank you from Jack Dillon, Rob and Deidre Shonk and Steve Mershon to all of St. Augustine who contributed prayers, paper hands, cookies and financial support.

Following is a message from Kairos 23 Weekend Leader, Wayne Starks, to the team that went into Folsom Prison in early October.

"Brothers and Sisters in Christ - What a wonderful journey we have been on. The Lord's light of love and Christian message was brought into a dark place. The Lord's message was delivered, and perhaps we changed some lives and inspired some 'men in blue' to expand their B Yard Christian community. The talks, music, food and symbols of Agape (highest form of love and charity) were dynamic and inspirational. The Lord led us on this journey, and I thank Him for His help. I also thank all of you for your efforts and great attitudes for this longer than normal journey. You were a great team and I am proud that I was given the privilege to lead the journey. God Bless. Stay safe. Peace & Love."

Do you long for a new way to calm a hectic lifestyle? Repetitive movement can become a form of meditation. Or perhaps you would just like to learn a new skill and enjoy the company and fellowship of a group of women. Have you considered joining those of us who knit and crochet prayer shawls? These shawls are given to people who need to feel the love of God and the support of our congregation as they struggle with illness or life’s challenges.

The group meets in Canterbury Hall on the second Monday of the month at 1:30 p.m. There is always an open chair for anyone who would like to be a part of this ministry. The next meeting will be Monday, November 11 ^th .

We have several shawls in inventory. If you would like to give one to someone, contact Greer Nave. They are presented with a beautiful card and a selection of prayers from the Book of Common Prayer. 

[email protected]

Companion's Corner

In this month of Thanksgiving, I share one of Henri Nouwen’s presentations on gratitude. It is taken from his book of daily meditations, You Are the Beloved .

He entitles it The Choice of Gratitude: "Gratitude claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.

Gratitude as a discipline involves a conscious choice. I can choose to be grateful even when my emotions and feelings are still steeped in hurt and resentment. It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint. . .The choice for gratitude rarely comes without some real effort. But each time I make it, the next choice is a little easier, a little freer, a little less self-conscious. There is an Estonian proverb that says: 'Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.' Acts of gratitude make one grateful because, step by step, they reveal that all is grace."

November is a good time to examine our practice of gratitude. We do have so much to be grateful for in every circumstance!

Thanksgiving blessings, dear friends,

Carole Peterson

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God."

Colossians 3:16 NRSV

Editor's Note: Henri Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian. His interests were rooted primarily in psychology, pastoral ministry, spirituality, social justice and community.