Events and News from St. Andrew & St. John Episcopal Church

ST. ANDREW & ST. JOHN

EPISCOPAL CHURCH

 EVENTS & NEWS

February 3, 2011

 

Worship

Sunday, February 13, 2011 – 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

Scripture:

Psalm 119:1-8; Deuteronomy 30:15-20; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Matthew 5:21-37

Participants:

Celebrant: The Rev. Emily Blair Stribling

Usher: Gus Carreno

First Lesson & Psalm: Mary Vekasi

Second Lesson: Elaine Theriault

Prayers:  Patsy Fogarty

Chalice: Bob Theriault

Acolyte: Spencer Ervin (8:00); Nicole Carreno (10:00)

Altar Guild: Mary Vekasi

Flowers: Susan Buell

 

Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. – A service that offers healing and hope to all.

Sunday Forums at 9:00 a.m.

The public is invited.

February 13: The Emerging Church, Where we go from here, Ted Fletcher

February 20:  Life in Coal Country: The Movement to Stop Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining, Sarah Vekasi

February 27: A Resilient View of Addiction, Ed Oechslie and Michelle Marx

 

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The church office is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30-2:30. If you have questions or need assistance at other times, please call Ted Fletcher (244-3115) or Ann Cox Halkett (288-5832).

 

 

MDI Episcopal Church Events

 

Appreciating Our Gifts: What exactly does it mean to be the Episcopal Church on MDI?  As we struggle with this question, it makes sense to identify the strengths of each individual parish and its unique ways of doing God's work.  What does each parish on MDI bring to the island community?  We don't know—we need your help!  Corinthians speaks of the body of Christ thus:  “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.  The body does not consist of one member, but of many.”  (I Corinthians, 12, 14)  

 

A gathering is being planned for Saturday, March 5, from 10:30 am until around 1 pm, at the Somesville firehouse, (bad weather date of March 6 in St. Savior's parish hall, following the combined service).  The purpose of this meeting will be to: identify strengths, to learn from each other, identify resources, and brainstorm ideas of how we can work collabor-atively.  We know that there are things we could do together that we could not do as individual parishes, with limited resources and overworked individuals.  The Christmas card collection is an example of a project that showed us how much more can be done when we work together. It does not seem coincidental that the date available to us is still in the Epiphany season.  Perhaps we will have an 'epiphany', a revealing of God's purpose for the church of MDI.  We know that the whole is greater that the sum of its parts.  We as a whole, the Episcopal presence on MDI, the body of Christ, can accomplish much in bringing Christ's light to others!  Bring your ideas and join us for discussion and a light lunch on March 5th.

 

St. Mary’s and St. Jude’s:

Contemplative Prayer/Book Study is led by The Rev. Patricia Robertson, 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays the Somesville Meeting House, Parish Hall. We are currently reading Richard Rohr’s “Everything Belongs”. This study/prayer group is open to anyone interested. 

 

St. John’s:

Bean Supper - Saturday February 26, 5:30-7 PM to benefit the Capital Campaign for the Church. Beans/fixins/beverage/pie included for a donation to the fund. Volunteers needed to bake/set up/serve/clean up - see sign up sheet in the undercroft. Cash donations to defray the cost of ingredients always welcome.

The 2011 Quietside Fair @ St. John’s will take place on Saturday, July 16^th.  There will be an organizational meeting on Saturday, March 5^th at 9:00 in the Undercroft to get this year's fair set up.  Please think about how you might make this year's fair a grand success.

Westside Food Pantry: Open the first Sunday (12:00-2:00) and third Sunday (12:00-1:00) of the month. Questions? Susan Buell - 244-3124 and Dean Henry - 244-3539.

 

Church of Our Father:

Design Valentine cards—youth of the island are invited to join us on Saturday, February 12, from 10 am to noon in our parish hall to make Valentine cards for our sick and shut-in friends at the nursing homes around the island.  We will provide supplies; you provide the love and talent!  Please phone the parish office at 288-4849 between 9am and 2pm if you’d like to participate.

The Alpha Course will meet in the Neighborhood House, Northeast Harbor, on Sunday evenings, 5-7:30 pm, starting Sunday, February 27 and lasting for 10 weeks, with an overnight getaway in the middle. FMI contact the Rev. Chuck Bradshaw at the Church of Our Father, 288-4849.

 

St. Saviour’s:

Exploring Our Life with God through Poetry – Fridays at 12 noon in the Rectory Library. Facilitated by Sarah Flynn and Jenny Reece.

THIS AND THAT Flea Market, Saturday, February 12 from 9-2. Bargains galore. Cash and carry.  Collectibles, jewelry, books, nice clothing, accessories, and all sorts of super stuff and freebies. Proceeds benefit St Saviour’s community outreach programs.

The community is invited to a Valentine potluck dinner, Sunday, February 13, 6 pm at St. Saviour's.  Come on your own or bring your sweetheart ©©© good food, fun and company for entire community, singles, couples and families. Beverages will be provided; all who are able are encouraged to bring a dish to share. The dinner is free and open to the public. Donations to St. Saviour's Fire Fund welcome.

 

Bar Harbor UCC

Guided meditation group meets in the library at 2:00 on Tuesdays and Wednesday evenings at 7:00.  On the fourth Wednesday of each month the group meets at 6:00 PM. Please come if you have a desire to study Scripture more closely and learn some positive techniques for relaxation.

Community Supper – sponsored by the Outreach Board for any and all of our neighbors on Tuesday March 15th. There will be no cost, just an opportunity to eat together with old and hopefully new friends.

 

Episcopal Relief and Development:

Haiti One Year Report may be viewed at www.er-d.org/Haiti

News from US Disaster Program may be viewed at www.er-d.org/LamplightNewsletter

 

Pray for the people of Egypt in the midst of political unrest. 

Click here http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2011/2/2/ACNS4792 …to read a letter from Bishop Mouneer Anis, the Anglican Bishop of Egypt. 

Also here http://episcopalchurch.org/79425_126790_ENG_HTM.htm …to read an interview with The Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler, rector of an international Episcopal church in Cairo.

 

Community News:

A request from Sister Lucille at the Emmaus Center:  The Emmaus Center is a candidate for a “Community Matters More” grant of $5,000 from the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation.  Selection for the grant will be based on votes from people like you. Voting is open to Maine residents of all ages.  If you would like to support the Emmaus Center in the selection process, you can vote in one of a variety of ways:

·        Since you are reading this on the internet, go to http://www.bangor.com/cmm and cast your vote online; or

·        Print the ballot from the bangor.com website (above) and mail it to any Bangor Savings Bank branch (i.e., 59 Foster Street, Ellsworth 04605); or

·        Visit the Emmaus Center (Main & Water Sts., Ellsworth) and pick up a ballot to mail.

If you have questions or ideas, call the Emmaus Center at 667-3962. Voting ends on March 7.

 

Island Connections – Volunteer drivers are needed to deliver meals and groceries, to drive neighbors to healthcare appointments, and to shopping and community centers. As MDI's population ages Island Connections is getting more requests than ever. Often it’s just a short drive to a healthcare appointment or grocery store and back.  Island Connections match neighbors' requests with drivers' availability and geographic preferences. Call Mary Parker at 288-4457 for more information.

 

Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County fundraiser.  Well-known Maine vocalist Sarah Schneider will present a concert on Friday, February 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Blue Hill Congregational Church.  The concert will feature the Evensong hospice singers and benefit Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County.  Admission will be a suggested donation at the door of $15.  Ms. Schneider will be accompanied by pianist Win Pusey and will perform a wide selection of songs including the soprano aria, Rejoice from Handel’s Messiah, German and French art pieces and contemporary American music.  She will also be joined by some of the Evensong singers in Mendelssohn’s exquisite O For the Wings of a Dove and by her mother, Justine Schneider, in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Pie Jesu.  Rob McCall will offer his talent in Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.  Evensong is a group of volunteer singers who provide the gift of music at the bedsides of hospice patient.  For more information about the February 11 concert, or about Evensong and the other services available through Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County, please call the HVHC office at 667-2531.

 

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Keep in your prayers this week: Barbara, Vonnie, Patti, Ron, Scott, Mark, Josh, Chelsea, Jim, Pete, Elizabeth, Ian and Oren, Jonathan, Ezra, Stella, Cuff, Bob, Yoojin, Terri, and John.

 

We give thanks for the life of Rita Kenway who died February 4^th. Her service will be held on Saturday, February 19^th at 1:00 at St. John’s. Keep Northwood and their children in your thoughts and prayers.

 

Military Casualties (January 31-February 7)

Afghanistan: Omar Saltero, Ryan Gartner, Lucas Pyeatt, Patrick Carroll, Aaron Swanson

 

Prayer for the Community of St. Andrew & St. John                       

Gracious God, we offer thanks for our parish, for your inspiration, and for the spirit of ministry which is our heritage. We acknowledge your call to continue serving each other and the people in our community through open hearts and open doors. Guide us all, especially our Capital Campaign and Design & Construction Committees and Vestry, as we seek funding and plan expansion of the facilities, including accessibility for all at St. John. Inspire us to share faithfully the love that you have revealed to us through the ministry and sacrifice of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.