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This Sunday, September 14, 2025
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
One Service of Holy Eucharist at 9:30am
at Mills Park Gazebo - Minnehaha Creek
Forum: Social Time
We continue to Facebook Livestream the Sunday 9:30 service and upload to YouTube.
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Upcoming Dates
- This Sunday, September 14 - Creekside Service
- Next Thursday, September 18
- Wonder Women Social
- ICA Community Town Hall
- September 19 - Ensemble Aventura Concert
- September 21 - Safety Forum
- September 22 - Loaves & Fishes - Sign up in the Undercroft!
- September 24 - Community Night: BINGO & PIzza!
- September 26 - St. David's Bridge begins again!
Events Across the Diocese
- September 15 - Exploration of Christian Nationalism - A meeting series
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September 25 - Embracing Mixed Ecology - Book-signing and Faithful Innovation discussion with Bishop Loya
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Creekside Service: Save the Date - Sun. September 14
Sunday, September 14th we look forward to gathering on the banks of Minnehaha Creek at the Mills Park Gazebo for our annual Creekside Service including a baptism!
Details:
- Bring a chair or blanket to sit on, if you are able (we will have some chairs available).
- Wear water shoes if you wish to wade in the water! We'll also have creek water in a basin for those who wish to dip their fingers in after we renew our baptismal vows.
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In case of rain, worship will be indoors at church. Be on the lookout for an early Sunday morning email or check updates on our website, www.stdavidsparish.org.
Directions and Parking
--We'll be just east of Plymouth Road on Minnetonka Blvd and just west of the Dairy Queen, by the park gazebo.
--You may park in the main St. David's Center lot off of Plymouth Road or park at the church and walk down. For those needing to park closer, there are a limited number of spots on Bridge St. east of the park gazebo.
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Click Here! 2025-26 Children and Youth Registration Form
We’ve successfully kicked off another year of programming! It was fun to see so many of you at youth group last week and at church on Sunday. Some people have been asking for the bubble recipe from the bubble station on kickoff Sunday - Click Here for the recipe!
Weekly Programming:
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This Sunday: Creekside Baptism Service and Third Grade Bible Distribution
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Wednesday, September 17: LIFT Youth Group at Trinity in Excelsior - 6:30-8:30pm for all youth grades 6-12
Sign up for Fall Overnights:
Middle School
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October 4-5 - Pre-YE: Diocesan retreat at St. Christopher's in Roseville. You can learn more and register here.
3-5th Grade
- October 24-25 - Overnight at Trinity
High School
- November 21-23 - TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) Retreat at St. Stephen’s
Important Links:
2025-26 Children and Youth Registration Form
2025-26 C+Y Program Calendar
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Church Safety
Safety Forum Planned for Sunday, September 21
On Sunday, September 21, at the forum after the 9:30 a.m. worship service, Rev. Katherine and the Wardens will host a listening session regarding the recent presence of Robert Ivers at our Sunday morning services and the subsequent reporting in the news media about him. This will be your opportunity to ask questions and share any concerns you may have. We will also share plans for enhancing building security and offering trainings to better equip us to respond to emergencies, as outlined in our Safety Plan.
Our Children and Youth Minister, Anna Belz-Brock, will have a separate space available with fun activities for children and youth of all ages during the safety listening session.
Points of Clarification in Recent Developments:
Katherine outlined in her recent email the steps we took to learn about Mr. Ivers' background which caused us to reach out to local police for guidance. While we had some knowledge of his criminal background, we were not aware of his current criminal activities until they were disclosed in the media. Also know that there was never a specific threat made against St. David’s or any of the events scheduled for this fall. Click here to read the full text of the email.
On Thursday St. David’s held a meeting with St. David’s clergy, staff, vestry members, ushers and guest Rev. Tim Kingsley (ECMN security consultant) to initiate further conversation about current safety procedures at the Church. In 2023 St. David’s Safety Team developed plan which covers procedures for a variety of circumstances.
Gratefully,
The Very Reverend Katherine Lewis
David Niles, Senior Warden
Cathy Schwichtenberg, Junior Warden
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Rev. Ron Bauer Celebration of Life
As many of you know, Rev. Ron Bauer passed away earlier this summer, on Saturday, July 26th. Rev. Bauer served as the rector at St. David's Episcopal Church from 1974 to 1990. A memorial service for Rev. Bauer was held in San Juan Capistrano, California in late August.
For friends and family in Minnesota, a Celebration of Life Feast will be held at Pleasant Vista Senior Living Community this Saturday, September 13th from 1:00-4:00pm.
700 Park St. E, Annandale, MN
His obituary may be read here.
Please keep Rev. Bauer and his family in your prayers.
"'You are dust, and to dust you shall return.' All of us go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia."
--Book of Common Prayer, page, 499
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ICA Update
ICA Community Town Hall on September 18th
You are invited to a Community Town Hall on Thursday, September 18 at 5 pm at the K-Tel location (11588 K-Tel Drive, Hopkins). This gathering is a chance for neighbors, volunteers, donors and community leaders to come together around one shared goal: making sure everyone in our community has what they need to thrive.
At the Town Hall, you’ll hear about where ICA is today, the challenges many of your neighbors are facing and the ways ICA is working to meet those needs. Most importantly, we’ll talk about how together we can keep building a stronger, healthier community.
If you are interested in coming to this Town Hall, please RSVP on ICA’s Facebook page.
Save the Date: October 21 - The Great Taste
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 21 for The Great Taste 2025. This 12th annual celebration of community, generosity and neighbors will be held once again at the Oak Ridge Country Club. Tickets are on sale online at www.icafoodshelf.org, under Events.
Our mission: To create a healthy and stable community for all
Our vision: A community where everyone has the resources to thrive
Our belief: ICA’s presence in our communities makes our neighborhoods more stable and secure
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Loaves and Fishes
Please join us as we prepare and serve delicious meals for those in need.
Monday, September 22nd
Tuesday, September 30th
Tuesday October 14th
Monday October 27th
The need for meals is growing each week. We invite you to prayerfully consider joining in this vital ministry, serving as the hands and feet of Christ for those in need.
Please contact Sue or Basil Owen to sign up or sign up in the Undercroft. Sue’s cell is 612-716-1945. Basil’s cell is 612-716-0683 or email at bowen3@fastmail.com.
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Wonder Women Social Hour - Next Thursday!
St David's Wonder Women gatherings are fun and a "wonder-ful" way to get to know people better on an informal basis. Please join us for snacks, beverages, and conversations. Our next gathering is:
Thursday, September 18th 5:00-6:30 - hosted by Cathy Schwichtenberg
14610 Woodruff Rd
Wayzata 55391
Appetizers and beverages are welcome but not required - your presence takes precedent.
If you are willing to host or willing to double up with someone and co-host - let Nan Drake know at drake.nan@gmail.com or 612. 590.9092. October is still available if you are interested in hosting. Thursdays seem to be good days but the host can choose- keep in mind other church events happening so we don't overwhelm our involvement and commitments.
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Ensemble Aventura Concert: “Voices of Protest and Resilience”
Friday, September 19 at 7:00pm
St. David’s Sanctuary
Join global-jazz quintet Ensemble Aventura (including our Minister of Music, Roger Stratton!) for a free concert of music from troubled times and places – songs both feisty and tender, celebrating the eternal struggle for liberation.
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Calling All Bridge Players!
The St. David's Bridge Group will begin its new season on Friday, September 26 at 6:30. We will meet in the Jones Room in the ICA Building. If you are interested in joining the Bridge Group, contact Susan Taylor at ss2taylor@comcast.net. We play casual party bridge once a month, usually on the third Friday. Players sign up month by month, so there is no requirement to find a sub if you miss a month. Snowbirds are welcome for Fall and Spring.
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A House Blessing at the Sandsmark's
You are invited to join us for a house blessing and celebration in gratitude for our new home. All are welcome. Appetizers and Refreshments will be served.
Please RSVP to: mjsandsmark@gmail.com
Mike (mobile) 952-250-3694 or Jane (mobile) 952-221-4004
Monday, September 29th, 4:30pm
8531 W 29th St.
St Louis Park, MN 55426.
- Mike and Jane Sandsmark
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Communion Bread Update
On Easter Day of this year, we began the practice of offering gluten-free bread for all at the communion table. The impetus for this change was a growing awareness of the prevalence of gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease, both at St. David’s and within the larger population, alongside a desire to practice radical hospitality, a core value of our congregation.
Prior to this change, our practice had been to serve wheat bread, offering gluten-free wafers as an option. Yet we heard from some that this practice had the unintended consequence of causing them to feel “othered” or set apart in an exclusionary way. There was also a concern expressed that the previous practice could be risky due to a possible cross contamination of the gluten-free wafers with the wheat bread at the altar.
The change at Easter seemed, at the time, like an easy switch to make…why not? And yet we’ve met with various challenges and have had a significant learning curve along the way, namely, finding a gluten-free bread that is workable and responding to a wide range of input from parishioners.
You likely have noticed that we’ve experimented with breads from multiple bakeries. Across the board, the consistency of the bread has made it hard to distribute (too crumbly, doesn’t hold together). Second, the taste has not been to everyone’s liking, and some have not wanted to receive it altogether. Finally, even though we heard that some homemade recipes might fit the bill, we learned that to truly offer safe bread to those with Celiac Disease, it would need to be baked in a gluten-free kitchen.
Given all our learnings and continuing to try to live into our values of radical hospitality, we have arrived at a decision on how to proceed: we will offer the wheat bread on the first Sunday of each month, with gluten-free wafers as an option, and gluten-free bread for all on the other Sundays of the month. At this point, the gluten-free bread we are currently using seems the best candidate for our use.
I will say, this is not a perfect scenario, but it is as faithful a path as we could chart.
I want to thank all of you for your patience, understanding, input, and support during this time of transition. I want to also thank the Altar Guild for flexing and shifting so much, including studying how to microwave frozen gluten-free bread to get things just right!
I must say, the complexity of this surprised me. To some, these intricacies might seem frivolous or silly. To others, it’s been a topic of much import. Fundamentally, as followers of Jesus who gathered his disciples around a table and bids us to do the same, the Eucharist is our primary act of worship. This meal matters. Bread matters. May we continue to share this feast, with grateful and open hearts.
In Thanksgiving,
Katherine
Click Here to learn more about Celiac and the rising rates of gluten intolerance.
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Good Courage Farm: Nourishing our Neighbors
Upcoming Events:
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Sat. October 4th: Harvest Festival on the Feast of St. Francis - More info to come!
Experience the farm! - Click this link for a full list of opportunities
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An Exploration of Christian Nationalism
St. John's Episcopal Church, Minneapolis
What is Christian nationalism, and how is it different from Christianity? Is it the same as patriotism? How are Christians in the United States supposed to think about other countries?
Christian nationalism is an ideology that contends that America has been and should always be a “Christian nation.” It has become prominent in news coverage and among elected officials in the United States recently. Join us, and the Rev. Dan Stark, at St. John’s in the parish hall for four evenings this fall to explore this challenging but fascinating topic. Ultimately, we will explore what following Jesus’ Way of Love asks of us in relationship to this movement: how we, as Christians, should embody Jesus’ teachings as we engage the public sphere.
September 15 | 7-8:30pm
September 29 | 7-8:30pm
October 13 | 7-8:30pm
October 27 | 7-8:30pm
Learn more here.
Livestream link here.
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Faithful Innovation Event with Bishop Loya
Thursday, September 25 | 7:00pm
Luther Seminary in St. Paul
The Faithful Innovation team at St. David's would like to share the news of this event where Bishop Craig Loya will speak with the Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, and Canon Blair Pogue about their new book, Embracing the Mixed Ecology: Inherited and New Forms of Christian Community Flourishing Together. The audience will be invited to join in discussion about how the book's themes intersect with the Episcopal Church of Minnesota's Faithful Innovation priority for the diocese. You may read the full notice below and consider attending!
Embracing the Mixed Ecology - Book Discussion and Signing
On Thursday, September 25 in Incarnation Chapel located in the Olson
Campus Center at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Bishop Craig Loya, the Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, and Canon Blair Pogue will speak about and engage the audience in a discussion focused on Dwight and Blair’s new book Embracing the Mixed Ecology: Inherited and New Forms of Christian Community Flourishing Together. Cindy Lennie from the St. Mark’s Cathedral Book Store will be selling copies of the book, and Blair and Dwight will be available after the discussion to sign them.
As they write in their book, “what the church needs today is a mixed ecology of inherited and new forms of Christian community working together for the sake of faithful witness. Imagine a garden with many different plants and trees flourishing alongside one another. They share sunlight, water, soil, shade, and nutrients. Through their interconnections and proximity, they support a richer array of life than any one species alone could offer. The mixed ecology is the church version of this garden, where multiple forms of Christian community coexist and mutually support one another for the sake of loving and witnessing to the diversity of people, generations, and cultures present in a particular environment.” Dwight, Blair, and Bishop Craig will share stories of
what the mixed ecology looks like in practice in Minnesota, and in the UK.
Please join us for this opportunity to explore what Bishop Craig, Dwight, and Blair see as a faithful response to what God's Holy Spirit is up to in our midst.
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Have an announcement you would like to share in this weekly email?
Send it to office@stdavidsparish.org before 9:00 am on Wednesday to be featured.
| | What else is going on at St. David's? | | Want to view the full calendar for the week? Click here to view the St. David's website complete with a calendar to keep you updated on events and offerings! Scroll all the way to the bottom to view it. | | Pastoral Care Line: 952-767-0891 | | | | |
