Seeking God • Building Community •

Growing Faith • Reaching Out

 

November 3, 2026

Tuesday

In this issue:

(scroll down for more)


From the Rector


Sign Up to Serve this Sunday, November 8


Happening this Week:

  • Election Day Prayer Vigil
  • Prayers for Peace and Healing
  • Bible Study
  • Submit Names for Veterans Day Prayers
  • Samaritan Ministry 40th Anniversary Gala
  • Book Presentation and Signing


Stewardship 2027: "Celebrating God's Abundance"


Donate to the 2026 Christmas Auction


Delay in Shipment of

"Art to Lift Spirits" Books



Save the Date: Friendsgiving Potluck


Reaching Out

  • Thanksgiving Meals for the National Center for Children and Families 
  • Volunteer with Nourishing Bethesda


For Your Prayers

Our Vision:



Guided by Jesus' love, we are a community where all are welcomed, cherished, nourished, and inspired to act on that love and be stewards of all that God has entrusted to our care.

From the Rector

Friends,

A colleague sent me this upbeat recording of "Dance in the Graveyards," sung by the St. Olaf College Chapel Choir, and I couldn't wait to share it with you. Its message is particularly appropriate for the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls; I encourage you to listen. Enjoy! ~ PPA+

Sign Up to Serve

this Sunday, November 8

Please use the buttons below to let us know how you will take part in Sunday's service:

Happening this Week

TODAY!

Tuesday, November 3

9 a.m.-9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time


Election Day Prayer Vigil

On YouTube


As you navigate through this momentous Election Day, you may want to log in to an Election Day Prayer Vigil hosted by The Benedictine Way. Drop in any time between 9 and 9 for a time of silence and contemplative prayer; Bishop Mariann Budde will be speaking at 6:30 p.m. EST.


12 Noon


Prayers for Peace and Healing

On Zoom

Join us at 12 Noon for a few minutes of reflection and prayer - for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for the needs of our country and the world. Click the button below to join the Zoom:

Wednesday, November 4


10:30 a.m.


Bible Study:

The Revelation to John

On Zoom



Come join the conversation!

Friday, November 6

5 p.m.


Deadline to Submit Names

for Veterans Day Prayers


This Sunday, November 8, we will observe Veterans Day at St. Dunstan’s, thanking and honoring all those, living and dead, who have served in the military. If you would like to add a name to be included in our Veterans Day Prayers, please click the button below; feel free to share multiple names. Names submitted by Friday at 5 p.m. will be printed in the bulletin. Thank you!

Saturday, November 7


3-6 p.m.

Sunday, November 8


5-7:30 p.m.


Book Presentation and Signing

St. Dunstan's Parish Hall

Join parishioner Madeleine Johnson as she introduces her new book, At Hitler’s Picnic: Discovering the 1934 Nuremberg Rally.


Refreshments will be served.  Please bring your friends!

Stewardship 2027:

"Celebrating God's Abundance"

You may have received information in the mail about St. Dunstan's 2027 Stewardship Drive, Celebrating God's Abundance. As you consider your family's plans for the coming year, we invite you to prayerfully reflect on how you might support St. Dunstan's ministries and mission through this year's campaign. 


If you'd like to learn more about pledging, we encourage you to watch this helpful video from Bishop Mariann Budde explaining what a pledge is and why it matters to our parish community. 


Additional Stewardship materials are available in Founders' Hall. Please reach out to any of us if you have questions. We wish you and your family a joyful and abundant November!


Karen Kosiba Edwards       

Alex Lane

Carmen Petruzzi           

Graham Rehrig

To make your pledge online, please click below:

Donate to the 2026 Christmas Auction

Join the Fun: Our Fourth Annual

Festive Christmas Auction!


This year’s Festive Christmas Auction will be live online from Sunday, November 29 until Sunday, December 13 at midnight. 


Mark your calendars now for this fun, online auction event!


We would love everyone to be involved in donating an auction experience and bidding! 


Remember: These proceeds support the important mission and ministry of St. Dunstan’s and this year, 5% of the proceeds will be donated to the non-profit Nourishing Bethesda. 


What can you donate? Be creative! Think experiences! Something enjoyable, useful, and/or helpful to offer and that others will want to bid on and win! This auction is virtual and online only. 


No physical auction items (other than tickets and gift cards) can be delivered to the church, but items can be presented directly to the auction winner. Please contact Elisabeth at admin@stdunstansbethesda.org if you have any questions. 

 

Want some ideas?

  • Make dinner in your home or deliver dinner to a family of up to four or more.
  • Donate tickets to sporting events, a theatre performance, or a musical event.
  • Offer a golf outing at your club for one or two players or dinner at your favorite restaurant.
  • Bake your special cake or make ice cream for someone’s birthday or anniversary celebration.
  • Share your energy and offer babysitting, car washes, dog walking, or leaf raking.
  • Share your skills and teach someone knitting, bread baking, pickleball, chess, or your favorite card game.


Use this online form to submit your auction item and description. Donors from last year who want to donate again need to submit this form, too. All auction donation forms are due by Friday, November 20.

Delay in Shipment of

"Art to Lift Spirits" Books

I'm sorry to let you know that the Art to Lift Spirits books will not be available on November 15, as we'd first thought. As you may recall from my earlier announcements, Amazon does not give priority to shipping "author's copies" of books, and I've been notified that they won't arrive until later in the month. We have rescheduled the "Release Party" for November 29. 

~ Sue Carroll, Liturgical Artist-in-Residence

Save the Date: Friendsgiving Potluck

Reaching Out

 

Thanksgiving Meals for The National Center for Children and Families 


Once again we are collecting grocery cards to provide our neighbors in need with turkeys this Thanksgiving. To contribute to this Outreach effort, please purchase $25 gift cards to Giant, Safeway, Aldi, or Food Lion and bring them to worship by Sunday, November 15. We will deliver them to The National Center for Children and Families here in Bethesda on behalf of the parish.


If you would like to gather the materials for a complete Thanksgiving meal, please purchase the following and bring everything to St. Dunstan's by Sunday, November 15.


  • $25 Gift Card to Giant, Safeway, Aldi, or Food Lion
  • Instant Mashed Potatoes
  • Canned Vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, etc.)
  • Stuffing & Gravy
  • Cornbread Mix
  • Boxed Macaroni & Cheese OR Pasta OR Rice
  • Brownie Mix OR Cake Mix with Icing, OR Pie Crust & Filling (canned peaches, apples, etc.)
  • Canned Yams
  • Family Card Games & Candy


Please let Deacon Jessica know if you'd like to volunteer to drop off the items at NCCF or if you have any questions at deacon@stdunstansbethesda.org. 

Volunteer with

Nourishing Bethesda


Thank you to those who stayed for Sunday's presentation about the transformational ministry of Nourishing Bethesda. If you weren't here, you missed a good one! Our guests, John Ross and Elspeth Suber, shared poignant stories of how God has been working through Nourishing Bethesda to support our neighbors in this community who struggle with poverty and food insecurity. They also invited members of St. Dunstan's to enact their faith by volunteering. Please click below to sign up to serve:

From the Anvil Society

St. Dunstan’s Anvil Society is an honor society recognizing the generosity of our parishioners past and present who have made arrangements for a Planned Gift for St. Dunstan’s. The Anvil Society’s mission is to provide a strong and vibrant future for our church. Parishioners who have made St. Dunstan’s a beneficiary of their will, insurance policy, financial account, or other planned giving program are members of the Anvil Society.


We are updating our records now. If you have already designated St. Dunstan’s in your estate documents, please reach out to the Rector and/or Danette (Dani) Kauffman now to share this information that you are a member of the Anvil Society. We want to ensure that we can thank you appropriately and have your name on our Anvil Society Donor Honor Roll. 


If you would like more information about how you can support this vital ministry through a planned gift, contact Dani or the Rector.

For Your Prayers

If you have added names to our Parish Prayer List, please help us keep the list current and accurate by letting The Rector know when they are ready to "graduate."

For healing, strength, and protection:


Galen Adams; Hollis Anderson;

Jim and Karen Besser; Joyce Bleby; 

Phil and Patti Carroll; Henry Cox; Traci Dean;

Kenny Farnsworth; Katie Beck Fey; Torrey Finck;

Nick Gilbert; Louisa Greene; Terry Haight; Sue Hale; Deryck Hammon; Joe Heiberger; Ben Hull; Pope Leo; Michael and Susan Leto; Patricia Mackenzie; Silvia Mesen; Marsha Muawwad; Rick Nickles; 

Linda Rogers; Curtis Shively; Jack Tovornik;

Sandra Walters; David Wheeler; Charlie Wooters; Martha Lou Youngblood; Anna; Ben; Bill; Christopher; Griffin; Heather; JW; Karen; Katherine;

Lindsay and William; Marty; Melanie; Michelle; MT; Noor; Paola; Patrick; Sam; Sherry; and Shiloh


For others in need of prayer:


The peoples of Bolivia, Haiti, the Holy Land, Iran, Lebanon, Sudan and South Sudan, and Ukraine


The women and men of our

Foreign Service and Armed Forces 


Emergency personnel and first responders


Victims of climate and natural disasters


Missionaries serving throughout the world


May she rest in peace and rise in glory:


Sandy Poole


The 2026 St. Dunstan's Vestry

The Reverend Patricia Phaneuf Alexander, Rector


Vince Leonard, Senior Warden

Fred Atwood, Junior Warden

 Nils Overdahl, Treasurer

Michelle Mesen, Registrar


Nancy Douglas

Doug McManus

Marie Park

Carmen Petruzzi

Graham Rehrig

St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church | Website

Parish Administrator's 

Regular Office Hours:

Tuesday and Thursday afternoons

(Office closed Fridays and on Federal holidays)

LinkedIn Share This Email