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Sermon Sunday October 11 2026
The Rev. Megan Preaching
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St. Michael's Stewardship
Faith & Giving
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For many years I did not attend church on a regular basis, if at all. This
was not a reflection of my lack of faith in God, but rather that I had not
found a church that felt like it could be my home, a home that was both
welcoming and accepting.
Ten years ago, I began attending St. Michael’s, specifically because of the 5:00 Contemplative Service. In my faith journey, I found that I best met God when I sat in silence. Over the years, I have continued to attend the 5:00 service and now also attend the Friday morning 8:30 Contemplative Service. Both of these services have brought me great joy and peace. But as important as these faith practices are to my life, so is the sense of community that St. Michael’s embodies. This is a community where both clergy and congregants offered a warm and accepting welcome to me and my husband, Steve, from our first visit to today.
Because the programs at St. Michael’s strengthened my faith and my relationship with God, and because I found a home in the St. Michael’s community, I wanted to contribute to the Church, first through my “Treasure” and eventually, through my “Time”. I began serving by being a Reader at the 5:00 service and volunteering at various St. Michael’s functions, and now am privileged to serve on the Vestry as its Clerk. I am also a member of the Scholarship Committee. What the increased participation in these activities has taught me is that this vibrant and welcoming Church community, and its ministries, exist and remain strong because of the gifts of Time, Talent and Treasure that each of us give. For me, the ability to support St. Michael’s is a gift to me for all of the Joy, Community and Fellowship and that the Church has brought in to my
life.
-Elizabeth Dolezal
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St. Michael’s Ingathering Sunday
Join us October 25 at 10am for our ingathering Sunday wrapping up this year’s Stewardship. We will be blessing all of the pledges during the service, but you're welcome to send your pledge card anytime. We will gather in Johnstone and Parish Hall immediately following the service for a light luncheon. Please use the RSVP button below.
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Prior Testimonials
In case you missed a previous testimonial you can check these out on our website through on our Stewardship Page and/or find this through the front page of the website. We have also added a new Stewardship Testimonial Playlist to our YouTube accessed here. .
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Reserve your space today!
Life Planning Guide Workshop
St. Michael’s - Saturday, November 7, 2026
Doors open at 8:30 with Program from 9 - noon
WILL YOU LEAVE A LEGACY OR A MESS?
A Life Planning Guide workshop can help.
The Life Planning Guide Workshop provides an organized format for getting things done! This lively workshop includes vital information for every adult, from young parents to Seniors, with discussions on many topics, including: Making arrangements for your children, organizing those important papers, and assuring that someone knows where to find them, writing love letters to your family/friends, leaving the necessary information for your funeral and your obituary, preparing your Advance Directive, end-of-life choices, understanding Hospice, how to donate your organs, deciding who will receive your assets, the importance of having a will, and the difference between a will and a trust. The program, developed by Marcie Larkey and Todd Murray has now been offered to 900+ individuals. Testimonials & full article below.
“I thought I had done my preplanning but learned that I had omitted some things which I will now be able to correct.”
“I really enjoyed the humor that was interjected.”
“The pace was perfect. No boring details... What you did was open our hearts and our eyes.”
There are many ways to sign up: call Marcie, or Michelle or use the button below.
Click here to read more..
| | St. Michael's Youth & Family | | |
Sunday School starting back up!
October 18, 2026
We are excited to announce that our Sunday School program is in place! Sunday School will be taught in the Godly Play room in the Church office. Children who would like to attend the class are invited to join the Sunday School Teachers immediately following the Children & Community Homily for a lesson, crafts, and prayer. Our teachers will escort the children back to the service during the peace so they can join their families for communion. Our classes will be led by a rotation of our wonderful parishioners including Rev. Kathy Hopner, Kathy and John Rojek, Cindy Dewey, and Sue Corbin. Please contact the church office with questions.
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Trunk or Treat
Thursday, October 29
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Calling all our wonderful volunteers to help us invite our community to a night of Fun, Friendship and Food for our annual Trunk or Treat! This year we are hosting the event on Thursday, October 29th from 6 to 8pm. We're hoping this change will give our neighbors (and parishioners) an additional chance to celebrate without conflicting with other Halloween plans. As an added treat, the St. Micheal's Day School 5th Grade class will be helping run our games!
We may even have a visit from a Fire Truck if time allows.
As always, costumes and decorated trunks are encouraged but not required to participate in the fun! Please sign up to volunteer and/or host a trunk below and contact the office with questions!
We will be serving Nachos with Chili (regular and vegetarian) and Cheese! We need volunteers to help with set-up and clean-up, please use the RSVP button. We are also in need of candy donations! Last year we almost ran out! Donations can be dropped off to the office or the church on Sundays.
| | St. Michael's Learn & Connect | | |
Welcome Table & Realm Directory Sign-up
The Welcome Table is open during Coffee Hour. This will be your point of contact for visitors, new and existing members to find connection with our various ministries, learn about upcoming events and programs, or connect you to the office or clergy.
We will be helping you build a Log-in/profile in Realm which hosts our online Directory. Due to privacy issues, we will no longer be printing directories. Our Welcome Table at coffee hour will be available to help you set up a profile and download the app on your phone. For those of you who may not be able to get to church, alternate instruction and assistance is available. For any questions, please contact the office or Renee Pierce.
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St. Michael's Continuing Studies & Offerings
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Parishioner Guided Grants 2026 - Due Friday!
CARING FOR ONE ANOTHER AND OUR COMMUNITY
You are invited to nominate a non-profit organization to receive a grant in 2026. Grant applications are due in office by October 16, 2026 and available online and in the church. For more info contact Terry Bridges.
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Thanksgiving Gift Cards!
Help make Thanksgiving a little brighter! It is time for our annual Thanksgiving Gift Card collection for food gift cards to help those in need have a special Thanksgiving meal. If you are giving by check, please write “Food Gift Card" in the memo. You can also give online or put cash in an envelope (you can find these in the pew pockets), mark it with "Food Gift Card" and put it in the plate on Sunday. Please have your donations to the church or office by Sunday November 15.
Your donations will buy Safeway gift cards that will be distributed at River City Food Bank and The Center at St. Matthew’s. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time for us to share our bounty by helping the less fortunate among us have a memorable meal. For more information please contact Terry Bridges or the Office.
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Multi-Faith Prayer Vigil
Sacramento Area Congregations Together (Sac-ACT) Multi-Faith Prayer Vigil is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, 2026, from 12:00pm to 1:00pm outside the John Moss Federal Building (Corner of 7th Street and Capitol Mall), 650 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814 If you would like to attend in a car pool, please contact the office.
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Socktober Sock Drive - Ends this Sunday!
We will bless the socks during the service
We are partnering with the sixth grade class at St. Michael's Day School for a sock drive for Loaves and Fishes. We invite you to bring in new socks for women, men, and children for this Sunday, October 18, we will bless the socks before they are sent to Loaves and Fishes. Socks are one of the most in-demand items for our unhoused neighbors and others in need. They are key in keeping everyone's feet dry, warm, and healthy. The sixth grade is hoping to collect 1,000 pairs! Can you help them achieve their goal? Please drop any socks off in the baskets at the back of the church or in the office, on or before October 18th. Thank you for your generosity!
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Plastic Film Collection
St. Michael’s is now a collection point for all of your clean plastic film and bags. Please check out the flyer for more details and instructions on what items are taken. Please contact Laura Quené if you have any additional questions.
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Regular Outreach Opportunities
River City Food Bank Center at St. Matthew's - Distribution Prep every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
& Distribution every Wednesday & Friday
Food Barrel located at the back of the Narthex
Carmichael HART Carmichael Presbyterian Church - Lunch program every Thursday & the Shower Ministry every Saturday
God's Helping Hands Laundry located at Mega Wash on Fair Oaks Blvd. at El Camino. Volunteers are needed every 3rd Saturday of the month, and donations are appreciated.
| | St. Michael's Worship & Music | |
Weekly Services
10am Sunday Morning Worship Eucharist (also Livestreamed)
5pm Sunday Evening Contemplative Prayer Service on Zoom
9am Morning Prayer – Zoom Monday through Thursday
8:30am Friday Morning Contemplative Eucharist
| The Daily Office Chanted ~ For those who are interested Fr. Rodney Davis shared an offering with us at Staff Meeting that he thought you would enjoy looking into. The Daily Office Chanted offers Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline every day, sung according to the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church in the ancient tradition of Gregorian chant. Click here to check out this offering - https://thedailyofficechanted.podbean.com/ | | |
Honoring our Deceased Loved Ones
Names for All Saints Day & All Souls' Day
It is our tradition to honor our departed loved ones by reading their names at the All Saints and All Souls services. This year we will be honoring our loved ones a little differently. We are inviting you to bring photos of lost loved ones to hang up in the church in preparation for these services. We will be celebrating All Souls' Day at our Friday Morning Contemplative Eucharist on Friday October 30 at 8:30am where we will read all the names of our loved ones aloud and on All Saints Day at our 10am & 5pm services on Sunday November 1 we will print their names in the bulletin only. Please email or call the office with the names of people you want us to read aloud during these services. Please include phonetic spelling so we can be sure to pronounce them correctly at the Friday service.
Please have your names submitted by 5pm Wednesday, October 28.
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Celebration of Life Services
We will be having a Celebration of Life Service for Jim Dodds on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 11am with a reception immediately follow. Click here to read his full obituary. Please note Healing Circles will be moved to Saturday October 10 to avoid conflicts with Jim's service.
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Choral Masterworks
by Dr. John Cozza, Music Director
Quattro pezzi sacri / Four Sacred Pieces by Verdi
With Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi's birthday falling on the 10th of this month, here is one of his late works, the Four Sacred Pieces. The Quattro pezzi sacri / Four Sacred Pieces) are choral works by Giuseppe Verdi. Written separately during the last decades of the composer's life and with different origins and purposes, they were nevertheless published together in 1898 by Casa Ricordi. They are often performed as a cycle, not in chronological sequence of their composition, but in the sequence used in the Ricordi publication:
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Ave Maria, a setting of the Latin Ave Maria for four solo voices a cappella composed in 1889
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Stabat Mater, a setting of the Latin Stabat Mater for chorus and orchestra composed in 1896 and 1897
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Laudi alla Vergine Maria, a setting of a prayer in Canto XXXIII of Dante's Paradiso for four female voices a cappella composed between 1886 and 1888
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Te Deum, a setting of the Latin Te Deum for double chorus and orchestra composed in 1895 and 1896.
They were first performed together (without the Ave Maria) in a concert by the Paris Opera on April 7, 1898.
For more information, here is a link to the Wikipedia page:
And here is a YouTube recording with Zubin Mehta conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Master Chorale with score:
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Prayers for Pregnant Women & Their Babies
We have an ongoing relationship with the Episcopal Sisters at the Order of Julian of Norwich monastery who pray daily for pregnant women and their babies. If you have name(s) of loved one(s) who are expecting that you would like to have included in the sisters' prayers, please email Fr. Rod.
Giving Thanks with Flowers!
You can remember your loved ones and celebrate important moments in your life with the gift of flowers to the church. If you would like to give in this way, please let the office know and what you would like to give thanks for in the bulletin. You can send a check (or drop it off) to the office or pay on-line.
Mercy and Social Justice Committee
The Mercy and Social Justice Committee exists to provide St. Michael’s parishioners with opportunities to share God’s love and justice. We accomplish this by offering parishioners several ways to participate in outreach to our most vulnerable and marginalized neighbors. The last committee meeting for this year will be 7 – 8pm on November 2nd. We will be discussing our upcoming 2027 calendar as part See Terry Bridges if you are interested in attending as a guest.
Name Tags
Name tags are available at Sunday morning check in on the greeter cart. Please be sure to grab and wear your name tag before the service. If you are in need of a name tag please let the office know.
St. Michael's Hours
Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am - 1:00pm
Sanctuary, Columbarium and Courtyard are open during office hours. Please let the office know you will be coming. Call 916.488.3550 or email.
Pastoral Hours - While our email is being migrated please use stmcanet@gmail.com or call the office to connect with clergy for pastoral needs.
Rev. Megan will be available on request. Please email revmegan@stmichaelscarmichael.org to schedule.
Fr. Mike will be available on request. Please email revdrferrito@outlook.com to schedule.
Fr. Rod will be available on request. Please email fatherrod@stmichaelscarmichael.org to schedule.
Giving & Stewardship
Thank you all for generously supporting St. Michael's and our ministries. We are accepting pledge payments through the mail. We are also accepting online giving via the donate button below. You may have to set up an account to do so. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Kate Muris. 2026 Pledge Cards can be found here.
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St. Michael's Episcopal Church
2140 Mission Avenue, Carmichael CA 95608
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