Week of November 3, 2024

Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Mark 12 43-44

Weekly Calendar

Tuesday November 5

Election Day

8:00 AM Men's Fellowship Group, Walden Hall

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Election Day, Church open for prayer

12:00 PM Silent Meditation, First Lutheran Church

1:30 PM St. Mary's Knitting Group, Library

6:00 PM Lutheran/Episcopal Friends Meeting, St. James Room

Wednesday November 6

10:00 AM Staff Meeting, St. James Room

10:00 AM Wednesday Spirituality Discussions, Deacon Elizabeth Whitmore's Home

1:00 PM Monthly Eucharist At Heatherwood, King's Way

6:15 PM Parish Choir Rehearsal, Walden Hall

6:15 PM Sacred Journey Potluck Supper, First Lutheran Church

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

Thursday November 7

8:30 AM Holy Eucharist and Book Discussion Breakfast Group, Walden Hall, zoom

10:30 AM Pastoral Care Team, St. James Room

1:30 PM OAT Team Meeting, St. James Room

6:30 PM Zen Meditation, Walden Hall

Friday November 8

9:30 AM Art Committee, Library

1:00 PM Grief Support Group, Library, zoom

Saturday November 9

All Day: Diocesan Convention Day, Boston

5:00 PM Holy Eucharist, Church

Sunday November 10

8:00 AM Holy Eucharist, Church

10:00 AM Holy Eucharist, Church

11:15 AM Coffee and Fellowship - Walden Hall

11:30 AM Vestry Nominating Committee, St. James Room

Monday November 11

Veterans Day ~Parish Offices Closed

8:30 AM Veterans Day Breakfast, Walden Hall

3:30 PM EfM Group, St. James Room

6:45 PM Cape Cod Chorale Rehearsal, Walden Hall

Tuesday November 12

10:30 AM Communications Meeting, Rector's Office

12:00 PM Silent Meditation, First Lutheran Church

1:30 PM St. Mary's Knitting Group, Library

5:00 Pm Our World United Meeting, St. James Room

Wednesday November 13

9:00 AM Rector/Wardens Meeting, Rector's Office

10:00 AM Staff Meeting, St. James Room

10:00 AM Wednesday Spirituality Discussions, Deacon Elizabeth Whitmore's Home

11:00 AM Clericus, zoom

6:15 PM Parish Choir Rehearsal, Walden Hall

6:15 PM Sacred Journey Potluck Supper, First Lutheran Church

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

Life Lately

Upcoming Events

Save the Dates!

Veterans Day Breakfast 11/11/2024

8:30 AM to 10:00 AM

OAT is looking for more volunteers to support our Thank You Breakfast for Veterans in our community. Please help us spread the word and share the invitation below with any Veterans you may know and love. Other ways you can help: bake a breakfast cassarole, set-up, decorating, clean-up, serving, parking, welcoming, distributing flags. Contact: Beth Hearn or Sarah Nixon.

Getting to Know You - Newcomers' Reception

November 15, 2024 at 4:00 PM at the Parke Residence

Are you new to St. Mary's Church in the last year? If so, let us welcome you at a Newcomers Gathering at Rob and Bev Parke's home. If you feel you are a newcomer or, would like an opportunity to get to know people better please RSVP to Bev Parke.

Angels' Treasures Big Christmas Sale

Please mark your calendars for November 15 and 16 and 17th for Angels' Treasures Thrift Shop's BIG Christmas Sale. All things Christmas will be on sale in a special POP-Up Shop in Walden Hall. More details to follow. In the meantime, the AT angels are looking for a few strong bodies to help them move all the Christmas boxes from remote storage to Walden hall. If you are free on the morning of November 14, 2024 and have a strong back please reach out to Janis Umschlag.

Movie Theology - November Film

Our next film for our Movie Matinee series will be “Pieces of April” on Sunday, November 17, at 2 PM in Walden Hall. Please note the new start time for these next few months to allow moviegoers to get home before it gets dark. Click here for a description of our November film. Please feel free to bring your favorite beverage and seat cushion. We’ve got the popcorn! See you at the movies!

Community Thanksgiving Dinner

Please join us for a special Thanksgiving Day Celebration. We will gather in the church for a Thanksgiving Worship Service at 11:00 AM. Immediately following the service, you are invited to join us in Walden Hall for our Community Potluck Thanksgiving Dinner. In the spirit of sharing our gifts together, we are asking everyone to contribute something towards the meal. We will provide the Turkey, stuffing, and gravy and ask that everyone else sign-up to bring either an appetizer, a side dish, a dessert or some beverages to share with the group. If cooking is not your thing please know youn are still welcome to join us.

Please click here to sign-up for the dinner and share what you will be contributing. All are welcome! Please share this invitation to anyone you know who may be alone this Thanksgiving.

St. Mary's Formation & Education

Adventtide Study

Join Fr. Michael for an Adventtide study as we prepare our hearts for the season of anticipation and hope. Beginning on Tuesday, November 26 and continuing on December 3, 10, and 17, we will gather at noon each week to reflect on the names of the Messiah found in Isaiah 9:6: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Together, we will explore the significance of these titles in their historical context and what they might mean for us today. We will use Walter Brueggemann's, "Names for the Messiah" as our study guide.

Bring your own lunch and come ready for meaningful conversation and reflection. More details to come—we hope you can join us! Please RSVP to Julie Remie by Monday, November 18th.

Dates: November 26, December 3, 10 and 17

Time: 12:00 pm

Location: TBD

Facilitator: Fr. Michael

EfM

Education for Ministry (EfM) theme for this year is Living into the Journey with God. EfM meets each week for 3 hours from September through June. Year 1 participants study the Old Testament, Year 2 studies the New Testament, Year 3 studies Christian History, and Year 4 puts everything together in Theology. In addition each Year reads the same two texts, one around Christmas, Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman and the second around Easter,The Four Vision Quests of Jesus by Steven Charleston. The discussions are lively and engaging and the community that is developed is well worth your time. Speak with Amy Crocker if you are interested or have questions about the program.

Wednesday Spirituality Discussions

The group will be meeting in the comfort of Elizabeth and Steve Whitmore's home going forward. Click here for the address. They meet every Wednesday morning at 10:00 AM. The group is currently discussing the Gospel of Mark. All are warmly welcomed! Any questions? Please contact Deacon Elizabeth Whitmore.

Thursday Morning Holy Eucharist, Book Discussion And Breakfast Group

Please consider joining our weekly gathering on Thursday mornings in Walden Hall at 8:30 AM. Each week different participants take turns facilitating the discussion and contributing tasty breakfast treats. All are welcome!

The group is reading, When One Religion Isn't Enough, The Lives of Spiritually Fluid People by Duane R. Bidwell.

Supporting Our Church

Vestry Minutes

Please click here to read the Vestry minutes from the September 12, 2024 meeting. Please note the Meeting Minutes are not published until approved at the subsequent Vestry meeting.

Walk In Love: A Season Of Giving

PLEDGING SEASON IS UNDERWAY!

We will share with you our progress each week, hoping to inspire you to join the ranks of pledgers, and hasten us towards our goal of 155 commitments. As we plan to fund our expenses for the year ahead, please help us to achieve our goal of raising at least $371,000. The entire vestry has pledged and remains very grateful for your support of St. Mary’s.

We are looking for a few good .....

Vestry Members!

This year we are seeking your help to develop a slate of nominations for vestry service. Please submit names of those you would like us to consider for vestry (including yourself) to anyone on the nominating committee: the Wardens, Fr. Michael, Cay Hartley, Robin Greene, Amy Crocker (the departing vestry members.) Forms are in the back of the church.

Vestry members must be St. Mary's communicants over the age of 18. Members and partners of current vestry members are not eligible. Our work will begin in early December, we hope to have names of those to be considered by Sunday, December 4th. Thank you for your prayerful consideration. Please put your suggestions in our collection basket or email them to:

vestry@stmarys-church.org

Diocesan Convention

The 239th annual Diocesan Convention takes place on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at the Marriott Boston Quincy Hotel in Quincy. This year the convention theme is; "One Body in Christ, Members One of Another: Reconciliation and Belonging in an Age of Division". We will hear back from our delegates about their experiences in the coming months. Our prayers and gratitude go with Fr. Michael and our delegates Cay Hartley and Stephen Whitmore.

Cape Community News and Events

Concert Featuring Elisabeth von Trapp

Friday, November 8, 2024

at 7:00pm

at the South Congregational Church

565 Main Street, Centerville, Massachusetts

Free and open to the public

Suggested donation $10.00

For more information contact:

karenecrosby@me.com

Episcopal Church News

Episcopal Church welcomes Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe in virtual world wide ceremony

Episcopalians around the world and in various time zones gathered to welcome the Most Rev. Sean Rowe as the church’s 28th presiding bishop in a first-of-its-kind virtual investiture service, live streamed Nov. 2 from the Chapel of Christ the Lord at The Episcopal Church Center in New York City.

Find links to the recorded service;

Bishop Rowe’s sermon; and event photos.

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe shares staff updates in letter to church leaders

Sermon text: Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe preaches at investiture on story of Lazarus

Election Night Virtual Prayers hosted by The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations from 8 to 10 p.m. Nov. 5

Africa-Europe roundtable on colonization focuses on remembrance, reimagining

Get Involved With Volunteer Opportunities

OAT's Volunteer Opportunities Guide Sheet

The St. Mary's Outreach Action Team has assembled an new flier to highlight some of the Inreach and Outreach opportunities that exist at St. Mary's. On one side we highlight current volunteer needs and on the other, we list some of the ongoing outreach ministries you may be interested in joining. The contact information for the ministry heads is included. We will continue updating this flier as outreach campaigns and needs change throughout the year. These fliers are always available at the back of the church and in the sunroom. Click here for the latest OAT flier.

Time to Start Thinking About Turkey!

We are once again partnering with the Community Action Committee to help Cape Cod families in need celebrate Thanksgiving with full and festive tables. Last year 330 families were assisted.

You can support this program with the purchase of a supermarket gift card in ANY amount or a check donation. The last day for donations is November 11, 2024.

Please make checks payable to:

Community Action Committee of Cape & Islands

Deliver check to St Marys office

or mail to:

Judy Walden Scarafile ,

449 Braggs Ln,

Barnstable Village , MA 02630

Parish Communications

St. Mary's Social Media -

Downsizing to One Facebook Page

For many years we have had a public facebook page as well as, a private facebook group page. Initially, we intended for the private facebook page to be for internal communications between parishioners but have found that the majority of posts are actually from those outside of our community. Unfortunately, there are a lot of solicitations and posts we need to delete or police. Consequently, we will be phasing out the private facebook group in a few weeks. Please be sure you are following us on both of our public instagram and facebook pages in order to stay on top of what is happening at St. Mary's.

We want our social media to represent who we are and your contributions are most welcome. We need your pictures, videos, and voices. Please send Allison your pictures and posts for sharing.

Communication Deadlines:

Notes and news must be submitted by the prior Thursday morning to be included in the This Week at St. Mary's - Weekly News (mailed on Tuesdays).
The This Weeknd At St. Mary's will go out on Fridays. Please submit your content for this no later than Tuesday mornings.
A reminder that all events and space usage must be scheduled in advance with our Parish Administrator, Julie Remie. St. Mary's is a busy place and adhering to these policies helps us avoid conflicts.
The deadline for submissions for our Monthly E-Newsletter is the 25th of the prior month.
For your convenience, the Monthly Newsletter (printed out) will be available in the sunroom and in the parish office for those who would like a paper copy.

Give to St. Mary's

Visit our Website

Saint Mary's Episcopal Church

P.O. Box 395

3055 Main Street

Barnstable, MA 02630

508-362-3977