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WEEKLY E-NEWS
October 15, 2026
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October 15
6:00pm - ECM Trivia Night
October 18
8:00am - Holy Eucharist, Rite II
9:30am - Holy Eucharist, Rite II
10:30am - Coffee and Conversation
10:45am - Christian Formation: Altar Guild Presentation
10:45am - FaithQuest, Upper FaithQuest, and Youth Group
October 21
4:00pm - International Students Dinner
6:00pm - Fellowship Dinner: Usher Ministry
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Menu: Grandma's Sunday gravy (Red Sauce), handmade meatballs and pasta, non-meat sauce pasta, Italian salad, crusty Italian bread, drinks and dessert bar.
6:00pm - Earthlove Meeting
6:30pm - Children's Choir Rehearsal
7:05pm - Adult Choir Rehearsal
October 22
6:30pm - MOE Brown Bag
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As we begin our 2027 Stewardship Drive at Emmanuel, I want to start with something very simple: THANK YOU.
Thank you for being part of this faith community. Thank you for the ways you pray, serve, welcome, teach, sing, volunteer, encourage, and care for one another. Thank you for the countless things you do – many of them quietly and without recognition - that help make Emmanuel a place where all of us can encounter God and one another.
Especially in 2026, on behalf of the Vestry, I thank you for your steady commitment to weekly/monthly giving that enabled Emmanuel to stay on our planned budget. Staying on track with that budget has made recent additional financial gifts impact Emmanual’s ministries and facilities in an incredible way. Thank you again for your consistent, committed support and thank you for these unexpected infusions of additional resources.
Every year, our Stewardship campaign gives us an opportunity to pause and ask an important question: WHAT DOES THIS COMMUNITY AT EMMANUEL MEAN TO US AND WHAT ARE WE WILLING TO INVEST IN ITS FUTURE?
Stewardship is our response to the gifts we have been given. We give because we have first received.
And when we give to Emmanuel, we are not simply paying the bills. We are participating in ministries that are bigger than any single one of us.
We are supporting a cause that gives us a place to come together, in person and online, week after week, to hear God’s word, to sing, to share the Eucharist, and to remember that we are part of something greater than ourselves.
We are supporting ministries that reach beyond these walls - ministries of compassion, service, hospitality, and justice.
Stewardship is not about asking a few people to do more. It is about inviting each of us to prayerfully consider what our own response to contribute to Emmanuel looks like.
So, during our Stewardship campaign, I invite you to take some time to reflect.
Think about the moments when this church has mattered to you, think about the people you have met here, think about the prayers that have sustained you, think about the music (the adult choir, the children’s choir, and our summer music series), the worship, the fellowship (including biscuits), the laughter, and even maybe some difficult conversations that have helped shape your faith.
We are rooted in the generosity of those who came before us. They built this community, cared for it, and handed it to us as a gift.
Now it is our turn to transform their gift into the gift we will offer in the year 2027 and beyond.
May our generosity reflect God’s generosity toward us. And may Emmanuel continue to be a place where anyone and everyone can encounter the love of God.
May God bless the people and ministries of Emmanuel, may God bless our 2027 stewardship campaign, and may God bless the work we are called to do together in the coming year and beyond. Amen.
Respectfully,
John Long
Stewardship Drive Co-Ordinator
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How do I pledge?
Starting this Sunday, Oct 18, Physical pledge cards will be available in every pew as well as in the narthex. Please fill out these pledge cards and either place them in the collection plate or return it to the office (in person or by mail). If you are not able to make it to church please contact the office and we can mail you one.
You can also fill out an online pledge card, found here, or by scanning the QR code to the right.
At our Stewardship Ingathering Sunday, November 15, we will ask everyone to bring their card to the altar to be blessed. We will have all cards already turn in at the altar ready to be blessed.
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How Do I Contribute to My Pledge?
Contributing to your pledge is just like making a donation to any non-profiled fund at Emmanuel! We accept cash, checks, and credit card or ACH contributions.
- Cash: Place your contribution in an envelope marked “2027 Pledge” and include your name.
- Check: Make your check payable to Emmanuel Episcopal Church and write “2027 Pledge” in the memo line.
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Credit Card/ACH: You can make a one-time gift or schedule recurring contributions throughout the year through our online giving portal.
A quick reminder for online giving: When setting up your pledge, be sure to select both a start date and an end date so your contributions don’t continue beyond 2027. For a full-year pledge, use January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027.
If you already have a recurring pledge scheduled without an end date, please end that schedule before setting up a new one. Contact Elliot with any questions or concerns.
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Pink Vestments for Emmanuel
We are still collecting donations to provide the
Pink Vestments to complement Valori+’s pink
Chasuble. Kindly send your donation to Emmanuel
with the word VESTMENTS in the memo line. We
expect to take delivery at the end of November and our fabricator is going to want his check! Thanks to everyone who has already contributed. We are about half way there!
Co-Junior Warden,
Sara Loyet
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Youth Puerto Rico Trip – Save the Date!
We’re asking everyone to save the dates of June 1–10 for our upcoming Puerto Rico trip! The exact travel dates have not been finalized yet, but we will be traveling for just a few days within that window, not for the entire 10 days. For now, please keep that timeframe in mind as you plan.
Everyone entering 6th grade and up is invited, including middle school students, high school students, college students, and adults of all ages, including older adults. Younger children may attend if accompanied by a parent.
More details, including the exact travel dates, will be shared as plans are finalized, so for now, please save the date and start thinking about joining us in Puerto Rico!
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The Feast of All Saints
On Sunday, November 1, we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints, honoring all the saints in heaven, known and unknown, whose lives have reflected faith, hope, and love. Our services will begin with a Litany of Saints, so listen closely and see how many names you recognize!
Following the 9:30 a.m. service, we will gather in the Memorial Garden to remember and honor our loved ones who have died; our own personal saints. If you would like a loved one’s name included in the reading, please complete this online form by October 28.
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Fellowship Dinner - Oct 21
Join us this coming Wednesday, Oct 21, at 6:00 PM for an authentic Italian dinner! Enjoy Grandma’s gravy (New Jersey speak for red sauce), meatballs, penne pasta, Italian salad, crusty bread, and, of course, fabulous desserts. Cost is $5 per person or $20 per family. Come hungry and enjoy a delicious meal and great fellowship!
Mangia Italiano!
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Letter from the Treasurer - Required Minimum Distributions
As we near the end of the year, it is time again to work on Required Minimum Distributions to those impacted. As a reminder, distributions can be sent from qualified retirement accounts as charitable donations to organizations like our own Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Check with your broker or financial advisor to determine if this would be advantageous to your individual tax situation. If you have determined that you would like to make a contribution to Emmanuel as a charitable distribution, there are two different methods to do so depending on what you are gifting.
To send Cash only:
Have your broker/brokerage firm send a check to Emmanuel Church as a distribution from your qualified retirement account. Be sure to designate if this is being used to cover pledges or if you are stipulating any designated ministry for which your funds are to be used. Your brokerage firm will report this as a distribution on your 1099-R at the end of the year and we will cash your check and get it into the correct account. They can mail the check to you or to Emmanuel Episcopal Church (9 S. Bompart, St. Louis, MO 63119).
To send Shares (Stocks/ETFs/Mutual Funds/etc. (with or without cash also)):
You will need to provide to your broker/brokerage firm the following transfer information. The transfer of shares would need to go to Charles Schwab Brokerage Firm. The DTC number used to identify the firm is 0164. The additional info to have it credited to Emmanuel Episcopal Church (brokerage account number 8229-3658). This should be all your investment firm requires to send the investment over. Again, your broker will provide you with a 1099-R to reflect the distribution from your account.
Please reach out to me via email if you have any additional questions.
Thanks and God Bless,
Brian
Treasurer
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Sunday Altars Flowers
Please consider donating altar flowers in honor or loving memory of someone special in your life. Flowers are a beautiful way to celebrate the people we cherish, remember those we have lost, and share their memory with our Emmanuel family.
Sundays still available:
October 25
All of January and February 2027
Altar flowers cost $130 for two vases. If that is too much but you still wish to donate flowers, please contact Peg Cooper.
Sign up for altar flowers online or contact the office.
| | Tickets Are Still Available for the Fall FunShip Event! | | |
Save the Date: Pumpkins and Vespers
A special night is planned for Wednesday, October 28. Join us at 6:00 for a Halloween themed dinner, then carve your pumpkin, and stay for a vespers service in our Memorial Garden. BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin) and we'll supply the rest! Costumes encouraged! If there's no time for a costume, we'll have DIY masks for all to make.
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Volunteers Needed: Food Center In-Gathering with The College School
A Fall favorite activity, our annual in-gathering with The College School’s 2nd and 3rd grade classes is coming up on November 20. Rain or shine, the children will be pulling wagon-loads of non- perishable items for our Food Center and delivering them to Emmanuel’s Parish Hall, around 9:30 a.m. Lots of your helping hands are needed to sort, transfer and stock our basement Pantry. Last year was hugely successful with TCS donating 15,000 items - more than ever in our 38 - year history with them! You don’t want to miss this wonderful, heart-
warming event.
Please arrive at 8:30 for set-up and plan to stay for lunch afterwards, around noon. Thank you for marking your calendars today for, Friday, November 20, 8:30 a.m., Parish Hall.
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VOTING UPDATES!
The link to the Ballot Issue Forum held last Sunday is here. This video is well worth watching. I know many of you may know how you are voting but the ballot wording can be confusing. Hearing from The League of Women Voters and some of the panelists will be helpful to anyone who wishes to have more in depth knowledge. You can also go to Webster Presbyterian's YouTube channel to watch as well.
If you requested an absentee ballot and prefer not to mail it, you may drop it off prior to November 3 at any polling location. If you'd like a ride to drop off your ballot to avoid lines and parking, we have volunteers willing to drive you. If you need a ride prior to November 3 or on that day, please contact Mimi Shipp via email or text (314-308-6124). We have volunteers willing to take you! Please request a ride no later than November 1 so we can schedule it!
And if you'd like to review your ballot prior to going in person to vote, use this website. You simply plug in your name and address and you will be taken to a page listing all the items on the ballot. Click on the first entry and it will take you through the entire ballot for your address or you may click on a specific item to read it. Depending on where you live there are up to 35 decisions to make, which includes 19 judges. It's a lot!
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