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This Sunday: 3 Epiphany - January 21
Services at 8:00 am & 9:30 am
10:45 Community Forum
Annual Meeting Financial Review
We'll gather to prepare for the following week's Annual Meeting,
focusing specifically on our proposed 2024 Financial Plan and updates
to our Vision Statements, along with other items.
The following documents are presented here for your review in preparation for the meetings. Please click on each to open as a pdf.
We continue to Facebook Livestream the Sunday 9:30 service and upload to YouTube.
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Sunday January 28
10:45 am in the Undercroft
St David’s Annual Meeting
We will celebrate the life of the church this past year, and look ahead to St. David’s 2024. Look for future emails with links to various items that will be reviewed, discussed, and voted on at this most important congregational meeting. Weather cooperating, Anna will also be outdoors on the north hill, heading up the annual youth sledding extravaganza.
Please come to both meetings to be better informed. We especially encourage newcomers' participation! As always, it is not only
about business………yummy treats, hot chocolate, and coffee will be at the table too! Hope to see all there!
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January Vestry Meeting Recap
The Vestry met this past Monday. After warming up with a dinner of chili, cornbread, and chocolate chip cookies, we started the meeting by reflecting on a video excerpt of Martin Luther King Jr's last speech, "I've been to the mountaintop". We then launched into our discernment topic for the month which was a year-end review. We captured highlights from the year and opportunities for next year. We spent time reviewing the year end finances and 2024 financial plan in preparation for the Annual meeting. We are truly blessed by the generosity of our community (and the hard work of our treasurer, bookkeeper, and finance committee) to have such a solid financial position. We thanked our outgoing Vestry member, Jeff Strommen, and outgoing treasurer, Cathy Schwichtenberg for their years of service. It was also my last meeting as Sr. Warden. It has been an honor to serve in this role and I know the group will be in good hands with the new warden team.
Please plan to attend this week's Sunday Forum where Treasurer, Cathy Schwichtenberg, and Finance Committee Chair, Steve Johnson, will present and discuss the 2023 year-end financial report and 2024 financial plan with the congregation. At this meeting I will also be presenting the draft 2024-2029 Vision Statements that the Vestry has worked on throughout the year as part of our strategic planning process. And we look forward to seeing everyone at the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 28 where we will elect new vestry members and convention delegates, approve the 2024 financial plan and new vision statements, reflect on the past year, and look forward to the year ahead.
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A Case for Love
Save the Date: January 23, 2024
Can Unselfish Love Heal Our Country? A Case for Love, presented by Fathom Events and Grace-Based Films, is an inspiring and challenging look at unselfish love and whether it can solve the extreme societal and political divide facing the U.S.
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Creating Positive Change
With society more divided than ever, issues such as a loss of a sense of community, mental health concerns, fear, prejudice, and hatred, are growing. This documentary presents the viewer with the information necessary to determine if living life more selflessly can cause positive change in themselves, those around them, and ultimately society at large.
Inspired by the teachings and writings of Bishop Michael Curry, this documentary follows a film team as it travels across the US, interviewing everyday people from various walks of life and ethnicities, who are striving to live their lives selflessly. Their stories are interwoven with hundreds of person-on-the-street interviews, with well-known figures including Pete Buttigieg, Al Roker, Sam Waterston, John Meacham, Jim Clyburn and others also weighing in on the subject. At the end, Bishop Michael Curry places what we’ve seen into context.
The film will be shown in more than 1,000 movie theaters around the country for one night only on January 23. Please support this thought-provoking and moving documentary and encourage others to see it too!
See the trailer and buy tickets here.
And see the Rev. Leonard Freeman's film review here
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A Month of Unselfish Love
The screening of A Case for Love is just the beginning. The film aims to inspire people to live more selflessly and become part of the solution. The screening will kick off a Month of Unselfish Love challenge, during which participants are invited to spend 30 days journaling their experiences of unselfish love, and how it can impact their life. You can access resources to help you do this on your own or as a group here.
We are excited to be part of this great initiative!
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WANTED: Photos of St. David's events from 2023
We would like to include some photos from 2023 events at St. David's in the Annual Meeting. If you have any good ones, please upload them to this folder (LINK TO FOLDER) or send them to the office. Thanks!
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Helping our Neighbors Exiting Encampment
St. David’s Justice Collaborative is partnering with Beacon Interfaith Housing to provide needed items for our Native neighbors exiting homelessness. Beacon's newest supportive housing called Bimosedaa in Downtown Minneapolis has opened. These 48 housing units were built in response to a previous encampment of mostly Native neighbors.
Encampments are one expression of a deeper trend of housing insecurity and homelessness.
We will collect the following new personal care items and other needed supplies to help our neighbors settle into their safe and stable housing:
Bath and hand towels, wash cloths, bath mats, toiletries of shampoo and conditioner, menstrual care products, body wash, tooth brushes, floss and deodorant.
Also needed are twin extra long sheets and comforters, kitchen items (1 pot, plates and cups, silverware, utensils, can opener)
The Justice Collaborative will be coordinating collecting the items here at St. David’s and then delivering them to New Branches in Minneapolis who will distribute them to the families. Bring your items to church and place in the laundry baskets in the entry starting this Sunday. We will collect items until February 18. If you have any questions please contact Huldah Niles huldah.violin@gmail.com.
To read more about Bimosedaa click here:
https://www.beaconinterfaith.org/blog/beacon-news/beacons-bimosedaa-part-of-a-vital-response-to-homeless-encampments/
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An Invitation from Rabbi David Locketz | |
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For anyone interested in learning French, Rose Mingo-Holtz, Director and Teacher of Mesa Amis French School is offering, beginning French beginning January 22 through March 4, 6:30-8:00 pm (no class on February 19).The cost is $120.
Here's the link: French Beginner class 1-3
If you have any questions, please contact Rose, 612-805-4930.
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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 Tuesday to be featured.
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Bible Study Resumes with Huldah Niles:
From James to Jude PLUS music!
| We meet every Tuesday at 11:00 on Zoom. This is an 8 week study that Huldah has offered to lead, a rare opportunity you won’t want to miss. The music will be hymns inspired by the Bible passages we study. Plan now to join us. The study will be available on the YouTube channel for those unable to join us. Questions? Contact Sharon Engel or Susan Taylor. | |
Children and Youth Ministry | |
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Children’s Ministry
Children’s Ministry
This Sunday we will have Godly Play during the 9:30 service.
NURSERY OPEN during the 9:30 service and forum time.
Youth Ministry
This Wednesday January 24th: LIFT Youth Group at St. David’s
6:30-8:30pm - we will start with dinner in the Jones Room of the ICA building!
Save these dates!
Sunday, January 28th - during forum time, grown-ups will be having the annual meeting. Children and youth are invited to bring their snow pants and sleds for our annual sledding Sunday on St. David’s lawn!
Sunday, February 4th - during forum time - Children and Family Day for children grade 5 and younger and their caregivers
Please email abrock@stdavidsparish.org with any questions, and RSVP here so we get a headcount for dinner prep!
See the program calendar here.
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Educational and Spiritual Formation | |
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January 30, 2024
Book Discussion:
The Truth at the Heart of the Lie
Information for Participants
An amazing number of people have jumped in and are reading this book with words like riveting, resonating and challenging to describe their experience. Our discussion time will be 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 30, 2024 and the Zoom link follows. Also note, on January 28th Scott Clark will send out information to all participants to assist in creating a framework for our discussion. If you have not yet reached out to Scott to be added to the participant list, please email him at smclark5354@comcast.net.
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88991144629
| Mill City String Quartet, founded by Postulant Huldah Niles, recently won Third Prize in the 2023 International Clara Schumann Competition. The piece they won with was one they performed this past fall at St. David's, "Plan and Elevation," by Caroline Shaw. Their next performance at St. David's is Sunday, February 11 at 3 pm. They will be performing music by all Black composers in honor of Black History Month! | |
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January-February
Four Volunteers are needed for each date. Two for cooking with the Loaves and Fishes coordinator from 3:00-5:00 pm, and two to package and serve from 4:30 to 6:30 pm.
Upcoming dates:
- January 22
- January 30
- February 13
- February 26
Please contact Sue or Basil Owen to sign up. Sue’s cell is 612-716-1945. Basil’s cell is 612-716-0683 or email at bowen3@fastmail.com.
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After a very slow start, true winter is finally upon us. The first below zero temps this winter will be this weekend!
Many thanks to those who have already left hats, mittens, and/or scarves in the Hats & Mittens boxes at the church entrances. So far this season, the Hats & Mittens organization has distributed 2000 more sets of hats and mittens than all of last year! More than half of the 200+ organizations who collect hats, mittens, and scarves for children and young people were given to schools in the seven county metro area.
With severe cold upon us, the need to provide warmth through this outreach ministry is significant. Please take a few minutes and check your closest. If you find you have any clean, gently uses hats, mittens, scarves/neck warmers of any size (infant to adult) that you are no longer using, please consider donating them to Hats & Mittens. New items are also appreciated. The need is URGENT!
Financial donations are also welcome. They help Hats & Mittens purchase items needed at wholesale prices. Online contributions can be made at www.hatsandmittens.org/donate.
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Facilities Manager Position open at St. David's!
Part-time, flexible working hours, 15-20 hours per week.
Must be available to attend weekly staff meetings on Mondays.
Find a full job description HERE
If interested, send resume to: staffing@stdavidsparish.org
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Upcoming Community Forums | |
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 | | | | |
