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Winter Woods

Marilyn Ruseckas



This Week of February 25

"For you are setting your mind not on divine things but,

on human things.”

Mark 8:33

Weekly Calendar

Friday, February 23

1:00 PM Grief Support Group, Library, zoom


Saturday, February 24

5:00 PM Holy Eucharist, Church


Sunday, February 25

9:00 AM One Combined Service with Holy Eucharist, Church Livestream

10:15 AM Annual Parish Meeting, Church Livestream

11:30 AM All Parish Brunch, Walden Hall


Monday, February 26

8:00 AM Interim Wardens Meeting, Interim's Office

3:30 PM Education for Ministry, Saint James


Tuesday, February 27

12:00 PM Silent Meditation, First Lutheran Church

3:30 PM NAMI Education Class, Saint James Room


Wednesday, February 28

9:00 AM Staff Meeting, Saint James

10:00 AM Wednesday Spirituality Discussions, zoom

6:00 PM Potluck Supper, First Lutheran Church

6:15 PM Parish Choir rehearsal

7:00 PM Sacred Journey Worship Service, First Lutheran Church


Thursday, February 29

8:30 AM Thursday morning Eucharist & book discussion, Walden Hall, zoom

10:30 AM 1891 Legacy Society Meeting, Library


Friday, March 1

1:00 PM Grief Support Group, Library, zoom


Saturday, March 2

5:00 PM Taize with Holy Eucharist, Church

6:00 PM Taize Reception, Walden Hall


Sunday, March 3

8:00 AM Holy Eucharist, Church

9:00 AM Monthly Fellowship, Walden Hall

10:00 AM Holy Eucharist, Church Livestream

11:00 AM Fellowship, Walden Hall

12:00 PM Lent Flicks - Life is Beautiful, Walden Hall



Quick Links for Online Worship and Fellowship


Annual Meeting Weekend is here!


This Sunday, February 25 at 10:15am (following our 9am Combined Service of the Holy Eucharist). We will gather in the nave (where we worship) for the meeting. The Annual Meeting is an assessment of the health of our community and a celebration of all we are and all we do. Please join us!


After the meeting, all are welcome to join us for an All Parish Brunch in Walden Hall.


Please Click HERE to download a copy of the Annual Report. Please be sure to read the report in order to be prepared to vote on its contents during the annual meeting. There will be printed copies available for pick up in the back of the church on Sunday.


For those unable to join us in person, please use the following links:

Click here for the livestream

of the 9:00 AM Sunday morning worship service.


Click here for the livestream of the Annual Meeting beginning at 10:15 AM.


You can enjoy the services live or watch the recording any time thereafter.

All of our services are available on YouTube after the livestream ends.



Click here for our YouTube channel


Please click the image below for our worship bulletin.

A Prayer for our Community in Transition


Almighty God, you know the needs of your Church in every place: look graciously upon the people of Saint Mary’s and grant us the guidance of your Holy Spirit as we seek a new Rector for this parish. Guide the members of our Search Committee as they labor to be faithful in seeking your will. Inspire those who will discern with us, that each may be responsive to Your call. Give us wisdom and confidence in your timing, and in all things help us to seek the path you have set for us to follow. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Prayer Requests

If you have additions to our Parish Prayer List, please fill out this,

Online Prayer Request Form There are also always paper forms available in the rear of the church or our parish office.

Supporting the Good Works of Our Diocese

The 2024 Bishops' Annual Appeal

February 18th/ February 25th


We are reminded throughout Scripture that God has formed an everlasting covenant with us. This covenant is an invitation to enter into relationship with God and to act together in harmony with one another and all the earth. As we launch the 2024 Bishops' Annual Appeal, we invite you to join us in deepening covenants we have formed as the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.

Our diocesan mission strategy is a covenant to become ever more faithful and generous disciples of Jesus. With your support, the Bishops' Annual Appeal promotes this goal through lifelong Christian formation, youth and young adult ministries, racial justice and creation care initiatives, as well as multicultural and immigration outreach. did you know the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts annually commits $2.2 million in grants, allocations and program support to mission initiatives, congregations, and special ministries, as well as support for the wider church.


The Annual Appeal brochure will be available to you in the rear of the church and in our sunroom throughout Lent. Please mail your donations directly to the Diocesan office with the pre-addressed envelope included inside the Annual Appeal Brochure.


Please click here to read the appeal newsletter .




Coming Events



Please Note!

No Lent Flicks this week due to our Annual Meeting Brunch

Lent Flicks & Luncheon Series will continue the folowing week.

All are warmly welcome to join us in Walden Hall on Sunday afternoons throughout Lent for a simple lunch of soup and bread followed by a movie and stimulating theological discussion. We have a fabulous line-up of films selected. Please sign-up in advance here to help us know how many to expect for lunch.

Thank you!


If you are interested in helping make soup or bread for one of the Sundays please contact Marian Ferguson.


Formation



The Stolen Beam: Essential Conversation and Spiritual Reflection on Reparations 


The name “Stolen Beam” refers to a Talmudic debate about the right thing to do when we discover that the house in which we live was built with stolen materials, i.e., a “stolen beam” – do we tear the house down and return the beam to its rightful owner or do we acknowledge the crime and offer compensation to the beam’s owner? We use this metaphor, the Stolen Beam, in recognition of the fact that much of our country was built on stolen land with stolen lives and stolen labor.


The Stolen Beam is a course of educational engagement and personal reflection, originating from the Jewish Community of Amherst, exploring the legacy and aftermath of African enslavement, what was stolen, and what may be owed.  It examines the historical case for reparations; global and national precedents for reparations; practical proposals for national and local reparations; and theological reflections on reparations from Jewish and Christian sources. 


Offered under the auspices of Episcopal City Mission, and facilitated by Dr. Constance Holmes and the Rev. Steve Bonsey, Stolen Beam will be offered over seven Zoom sessions.


Monday evenings, 7-8:30 p.m., April 8 through May 20

Registration is open until March 1 at https://www.tfaforms.com/5107491

A course overview is available at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DdnJvMVHcg

Questions? Email [email protected]



Outreach and Volunteer Opportunities



INREACH


Video Streaming

We are looking to train more people for video streaming. If you are interested in joining this ministry please let Allison know and she will arrange for you to train at your convenience. You do not need to be a technology wizard at all. This is an important way for us to reach people outside the walls of our church. Thank you in advance for considering this.


Soup/Salad Makers

Bread/Cookie Bakers

For our Movie Theology and Lent Flicks series

to help please contact Marian Ferguson


Angels' Treasures Volunteer Staff

to help contact Janis Umschlag


Angels' Treasures Social Media Marketing

to help contact Allison Bresette

OUTREACH


Covenant to Care for Foster Families


Currently, Covenant to Care is rebuilding the Fostering a Dream Fund after demands during the pandemic reduced our available fundings. The “Fostering a Dream Fund” offers small grants to cover special needs, such as sports fees, enrichment lessons, equipment, summer camp fees, etc. Foster families can apply to receive funding for each child in their foster care, up to a limit of $400 per calendar year. Donations are always welcome to help these foster children financially to do a sport, or any other enrichment lessons. DCF financial assistance is limited, and the Fostering a Dream Fund helps to fill the gap.


If you know a foster family, please tell them about this great program. Also, if you are a member of a congregation or civic group that would like to volunteer or make a donation,

please contact Natalia Albino Frois at 774-487-2369 or at [email protected].

A heartfelt thank you to Saint Mary's Outreach Committee

Witch Hazel in Snow

Photo by Amy Crocker

Calling All Artists!

The Saint Mary's Art Committee is looking for artists of all types who wish to display their work in the halls and walls of Saint Mary's Church. If interested, please contact Barry Olofsson at 774- 212-6703 or [email protected].  

https://www.facebook.com/AngelsTreasuresThrift/

Did you know that Angels' Treasures has a Facebook page now? For those of you who use Facebook, we really need your help. We are trying to expand our reach and promote our wonderful shop. There are still many people who don't know about the presence of Angels' Treasures Thrift Shop. We are limited on what kind of signage we can place out front so, word of mouth and effective social media are vital to increase awareness in the Cape Cod community.


Please go to our page with the link below:



https://www.facebook.com/AngelsTreasuresThrift/

LIKE and FOLLOW our page and if you would be willing, please invite your friends and family to LIKE and FOLLOW our page too.

Thank you so much to those of you who already have taken this step. Every little bit helps!

Featured Finds of the Week

Beautiful pieces of highly collectible Portmeirion Botanic Garden dinnerware. Great prices on beautiful pieces. The shop is chockfull of new inventory. Stop by today or tomorrow. The angels' are always happy to see you!

Shop Hours: Wednesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM.

Think Ahead

You have a will and an IRA/retirement account. You think you are all set. Remember the beneficiary form

on your IRA trumps your will. Check to make sure your beneficiaries are correct. Make sure you have a

primary and secondary beneficiary.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can help St. Mary’s, please contact Linda Gadkowski at 508-292-5500



Parish Communications



  • Weekly E-News deadline: Wednesday at noon.
  • In an effort to keep it brief we will only highlight happenings of the next 10 days in our E-News.
  • The deadline for submissions for our Monthly E-Newsletter will be the 25th of the prior month.
  • For your convenience, the Monthly Newsletter (printed out) will be available in the sunroom and the back of the church for those who would like a paper copy. If you know of someone who would enjoy receiving a paper copy in the regular mail please let Allison know.
Give to Saint Mary's
Visit our website

     Saint Mary's Episcopal Church

P.O. Box 395

3055 Main Street

Barnstable, MA 02630

508-362-3977

www.stmarys-church.org