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This Sunday: 2 Epiphany - Sunday, January 14
Services at 8:00 am & 9:30 am
10:45 Community Forum - Avenues for Youth
We continue to Facebook Livestream the Sunday 9:30 service and upload to YouTube.
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Coffee Hour - This Sunday
The Social Justice Collaborative has invited Melissa Cuff, Director of Development & Communications at Avenues for Youth to come and speak about homelessness amongst Minnesota youth. From the Avenues for Youth website, "Every night in Minnesota, more than 6,000 youth will experience homelessness and this disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous, Youth of Color, and LGBTQI+ identified young people. The causes of that are intersectional, but lack of affordable housing, poverty, mental health, and racist housing practices all perpetuate the issue."
Our Halloween gift bag service project in October was for this great organization. Come hear how Avenues for Youth is helping our unhoused youth and how we can help!
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Two dates, to be exact!
First Date:
Sunday, January 21, Community Forum
10:45 am in the Undercroft
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.
Second Date:
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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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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Dear Interfaith Partners, Neighbors and Friends,
I hope this email finds you well and that 2024 is off to a great start in each of your communities. We, Bet Shalom and the entire Jewish community, are so grateful for our friends and neighbors who show such care for us during this difficult time in history. I am writing to invite your congregants for an event that Cantor Havilio and I are planning at Bet Shalom in just under two weeks.
On January 18, at 7 pm, we invite our friends and allies to join us at Bet Shalom for an update on the situation in Israel and the Jewish community here in North America. The evening will include a presentation on what is happening in Israel by Shmulik Havilio (20th generation Israeli), an update on the current state of antisemistim here in Minnesota by Ethan Roberts (Deputy Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)), and an opportunity to ask questions and to be in conversation with others who are supporting their Jewish friends and neighbors.
This program will be "in person attendance only" and will not be live-streamed. An RSVP is required by sending an email to Ajia.Collins@betshalom.org
I am personally so grateful for your friendship. The world is dark, but you each bring more light into it. I pray that 2024 is the year that brings us to a more peaceful world.
All my best,
Rabbi David Locketz
Note from Katherine: I will be attending this event and would welcome the opportunity to meet with members of our St. David's community, gathering at a local restaurant or pub for a post meeting discussion immediately after the January 18 event at Bet Shalom. In addition to RSVP'ing (above), please email me at klewis@stdavidsparish.org to help me plan our gathering. I hope many of you will be free to join in.
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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. | |
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We celebrated Epiphany together with a real Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, some outstanding Magi, and a lovely sense of gratitude!
Thank you for participating in bringing gifts for the "baby shower"!
These items were given to Reach and Restore, a group that distributes these
essential items to families in need.
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Children and Youth Ministry | |
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Children’s Ministry
This Sunday we will have Children’s Time during the 9:30 service.
NURSERY OPEN during the 9:30 service and forum time.
Children and Youth Ministry
This Wednesday January 17: These Are Our Bodies
We will serve dinner at 6:00pm in the ICA Jones Room and classes will be
6:30 - 8:00 pm.
Intermediate: Grades 4-6 in the community room
Middle School: Grades 7-8 in the library
High School: Grades 9-12 in the youth room
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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The Truth at the Heart of the Lie
How the Catholic Church Lost its Soul
James Carroll
On January 30, 2024, Rector Katherine Lewis and Scott Clark, via Zoom, will co-lead an educational and spiritual formation discussion on Carroll’s riveting book about faith and institutions. This is not a replacement for the St. David’s book club but an opportunity to explore faith and the Church institutions that have been designed to support a Christian-based theology. Carroll’s website summation of this book follows:
“I am a Catholic. I was crushed to learn about priests sexually abusing children, and bishops protecting predators instead of victims. As a former priest and longtime commentator on Catholic issues, I grasped that the problem involved basic systems of church governance, tied to an unapologetic culture of male supremacy. But this crisis of faith prompted my fresh examination of historic turning points, when the church chose power over service, from the ancient world to the Middle Ages, to recent years. But I was forced into a deep personal examination of conscience, confronting ways in which my own life involved me in the structures of male supremacy, personal deceit, and distorted notions of God.
Yet in the writing of this book, I realized that I am still Catholic to the core, resolved to advance church reform, with an anti-clericalism from within. Even in my place of internal exile, the faith remains my permanent connection to the living presence of Jesus Christ.”
In many ways, this book is universal in perspective, although the title denotes somewhat of a singular calling out. It is both deep and wide in discussion points, such as whether war can ever be moral, so that the reader will find something to challenge current faith and perspectives on the Church in the broadest definition. Join us for a very challenge-filled session.
For more information or questions, please contact Scott Clark at scottakafourcrows@gmail.com. If your local library doesn’t have this book immediately available, a good source to purchase a used book is AbeBooks at abebooks.com.
| 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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Yes, you heard right! On December 30, while prepping for Sunday services, the altar guild (Gretchen) was surprised to discover a flood occurring right then and there in our undercroft area. The restroom toilet by the kitchen was the culprit, overflowing with water --thankfully clean. Seems the water had already quickly proceeded to escape out into the hallway, the choir room, the kitchen, and last but not least the undercroft, creating a rather large pond with some depth to it. Long story short, people on the scene leapt into action. Dan Meyer and Steve Johnson quickly arrived to church and began dealing with the mess, while David Pearson ( from his car-away on a trip) helped "drive" operation clean up! Roger also sent an appeal to the choir members to assist with the efforts, as lots of boxes got wet in the choir room.
Who you see in this photo are the flood crew angels who showed up when they were needed most! It takes a village and we are blessed with the best! Guessing there may have been others helping out who missed the photo op....if so, you know who you are and thank you!
Professionals were called in right away and they began cleaning and drying all the wet areas . The manager of the company feels the damage is not too terrible, as the carpet squares are glued to cement....and I guess that is good news!! Unfortunately, many bits of church history/pictures and sheet music have been affected by the water, but thankfully no one was hurt and the quick response by all prevented a much worse outcome!
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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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Please join us to watch a film
about a remarkable true story!
Friday, January 12
5:30 to 8:45 pm
(Film will begin at 6:00)
Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka
2030 Wayzata Blvd E, Wayzata, MN 55391
The true feel-good story of how James Bowen, street musician and recovering drug addict, struggles with his housing situation and has his life transformed when he meets a stray ginger cat.
Based on the international best selling book.
Pizza, Popcorn, and Beverages will be served.
Following the film, we will have a discussion on homelessness and housing.
Please RSVP HERE.
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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 | | | | |
