Thursday, December 30, 2021

Worship Schedule, News, & More from the MDI Partnership!



Thursday, December 30, 2021

Weekly News from the Parishes of
St. Andrew and St. John,
Church of Our Father,
& St. Saviour

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Worship With Us IN PERSON

Sunday, January 2, 2022

The Second Sunday after Christmas

 
9 am at Church of Our Father: Morning Prayer

Officiant/Preacher: Mike Bullard

11 am at St. Saviour's: Holy Eucharist
Celebrant/Preacher: The Rev. Dr. Regina Christianson 
Deacon: The Rev. Mary-Carol Griffin


4 pm at St. John the Divine: Holy Eucharist
Celebrant/Preacher: The Rev. Dr. Regina Christianson

You can always look to the online calendar to see the service schedule:
 https://mdi-episcopal.org/calendar/
Midweek Holy Eucharist on MDI
Wednesdays at Church of Our Father at 8 am

Using the readings appointed for the day in the Book of Common Prayer, 
we will have a service Holy Eucharist.
On the first Wednesday of the month, we will use a Rite I liturgy.

Covid Precautions:

Everyone is masked indoors
Socially distanced seating
Communion in one-kind, Bread only
Contact tracing sign in for visitors and guests


God bless you for keeping our church, our community, 
and our loved ones safe.
 
If you or a close contact tests positive for Covid, please let Mother Holly know so we can support you in your recovery and communicate with the community as necessary about their possible exposure to the virus while maintaining confidentiality and pastoral privacy.
Weekly Sermons and More

Christmas Eve, December 24
4 pm Church of Our Father
To view, click here: https://youtu.be/7mPfZCJBEEM

7 pm St. Saviour's
To view, click here: https://youtu.be/6JemUwYPSb4

9:30 pm St. John's
To view, click here: https://youtu.be/48wM2Wd5M1A


Christmas Day, December 25
10 am St. John's
https://youtu.be/72276aznakE


Sermon by the Rev. Holly Hoffmann, Christmas Day, St. John the Divine, Southwest Harbor, ME. Saturday December 25, 2021. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." (John 1:1-14).

 
Please Wear Your Name Tag to Church
Remember that wearing your name tag at worship is helpful to each other, Mother Holly, supply clergy, and to visitors! If you would like a new name tag, contact your Parish Administrator.
Assisting at Services
We are in need of support for our worship services: Acolytes, Greeters/Ushers, Lectors, Intercessors, Altar Guild, and officiants for Morning Prayer. If you would like to help at any of our services, please contact the parish administrator of your church. Thank you!
Pastoral Care Requests
Holy Communion: If you are unable to attend an in-person worship service and would like Holy Communion brought to you, please contact the church office (contact information is at the bottom of this email). We will arrange a time for the clergy or Eucharistic Visitors to bring the Sacrament to your home or hospital bedside.

Hospital Visits: If you or a loved one is in the hospital, please let Mother Holly know. She is glad to come visit you in the hospital or call you during your stay. 
IMPORTANT NEWS and DATES!
The Celebration of the Life of
Susan "Sue" Seavey 

A Burial Office for Susan "Sue" Seavey will be offered at St. Saviour's on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 11 am. 
2021 Cookie Ministry Thank You
+++++++
THANK You, Thank You, Thank YOU!

Many, many thanks to all who helped make the St. Saviour's and Church of Our Father's ECW Cookie Ministry happen for Christmas 2021. Some of you baked and some shopped for dried fruit and toasted nuts. Some of you packed the boxes and tins, paying attention to people who require low-carbohydrate or gluten-free treats. And some of you made labels and wrote the cards, while others delivered the boxes and tins. Although the continuing trial of Covid-19 required adjusting the mechanics of this ministry, you stepped right up to make sure that our elders and shut-ins were included in the parishes' Advent-Christmas celebrations.   Thank you so very much to everyone who helped!
Patricia Samuel, St. Saviour's
Gail Leland, Church of Our Father

If you are a member of St. Andrew's and St. John's and would like to be a point person for this ministry next year, please be in touch with Mother Holly. 
+++++++
Call for Cookie Ministry tins, 2022:  Please bring any tins you can spare to your respective church offices. That will make one less item on your 2022 Advent to-do list!  Thanks!
January 2: "Soul Deep Healing of Racism's Wounds" with Dr. Meeks
 
Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF) continues to host a series of online, 1-hour presentations at 4:00 pm on the first Sunday of each month that address different aspects of and approaches to peacebuilding, both with others and within ourselves.

The next offering on Sunday, January 2 is "Soul Deep Healing of Racism's Wounds". Presenter, Catherine Meeks, PhD, takes the healing of racism deeper than politics to address the injuries and grievances we bear in our hearts. Dr. Meeks is the Founding Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing, a collaborative initiative between the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and he Episcopal Church.
Register for this presentation here.

January 5: Outreach Meeting

The Outreach, Mission and Evangelism committee of Church of Our Father (OME) invites everyone to the January outreach meeting following the 8 am service of Holy Eucharist.  We invite participation from all parishes.  All are welcome!

We hope to address outreach in three areas over any given program year: 
Local to MDI,
Hancock County / State of Maine / National, and
International

Building off of the work that Deacon Tracy Shaffer did with us as a part of her ministry internship on MDI last year, OME has identified three possible themes of collaboration across the Partnership based on past Outreach commitments:
Food Insecurity (fall),
Children (winter), and 
to be determined (spring).

The canned vegetable drive for the Thanksgiving Baskets, Operation Christmas Child, and the gift cards for high school students were the work we did on these first two themes.

At this January meeting, we will focus on possible outreach projects this spring.  Please come, worship and share your thoughts and ideas!

We hope that these "trinities" of shared commitment and geography will provide a way for parishes in the partnership to collaborate and support one another on the particular ministry projects that speak to them and their congregations.

We pray for those who have been devastated by the tornadoes in the central US. Episcopal Relief & Development is in contact with the affected dioceses and stands ready to assist in the coming days and weeks. Donations to the US Disaster Fund will support Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners as they respond.
$$   No Frills Oil Discount  $$
No Frills Oil gives a discount to all Episcopalians for a private home: 8 cents off the cash price. Inquire directly with No Frills and contact Andrew McMullan, Junior Warden of St. Andrew and St. John, with questions. 
End of Year Stock Gifts 

Gifts of appreciated stocks are greatly appreciated and can have significant tax advantages. (Please consult your tax advisor for details.) To make such a gift to your church, please follow the following procedures: 

For Instructions for giving to Church of Our Father, click here. 

For Instructions for giving to St. Andrew and St. John, click here.

For Instructions for giving to St. Saviour's, click here.

Growing in Faith
Youth & Family Formation
 

Children's Faith Formation at Home on MDI

Brad Berry and Chris Krenicki of Church of Our Father send home materials to support faith formation at home monthly for elementary and middle school aged youth. If you would like to receive these materials or be notified when in person events are happening here for youth in this age range, please be in touch with the parish office. Contact information is at the bottom of this email. 
 
Episcopal Maine Youth of all ages are gathering online
 
All youth grades 6-12 are invited to join a fun and prayerful online space each month! The next meeting for this age group is Monday, January 17 at 6:30 pm.

No registration needed! Youth can just click here to join via Zoom to spend time getting to know one another, playing some games, and praying together.
 
High schoolers and young adults (21 and younger) are also invited to gather for conversation and prayer online.

They can cick here to join on Zoom on the first Monday of each month. The next meeting is Monday, January 3  at 6:30 pm. The group will talk about current events, their faith, God, and everything in between - wherever the conversation goes! 

Questions about either of these monthly gatherings? Please contact the Rev. Cn. Sara D'Angio White.
 
Register now for Maine Youth Ice Fishing on January 15
Sign up now for the Maine Youth Ice Fishing Trip on Saturday, January 15! All youth are invited to join in ice fishing, led by world-renowned fly fisherman Macauley Lord, and joined by special guest Bishop Brown. Feel free to invite a friend! And interested parents are invited to register, as well. No prior experience needed, and no equipment needed outside of warm clothing! We'll be fishing near Brunswick. Click here to register. (*Space is limited to 20 people at a time, so register soon to get your preferred time slot of 11 AM to 1 PM or 1 PM to 3 PM. Storm date is 2/5.)
Adult Formation
Bible Study with the Rev. Stephen Muncie on Wednesday mornings at 10 am.  If you would like to be added to the class mailing list please send Fr. Steve an email here:  Email Father Steve.
 
Contemplative Prayer Group: Mother Regina Christianson and the Rev. Dr. Jenny Reece are gathering those who have or would like to learn a centering prayer practice every Friday at 1:00 p.m. at the Oranbega Retreat Center in Orland, Maine. Beginners are always welcome, as are the more experienced, so long as they have "beginner's mind"!  Participation via Zoom will be available for those who live too far away to come to Orland for an hour on Fridays. To receive a link, use the above contact info. If you intend to come to Orland in person, please call or text Jenny at 207-952-2363 for the schedule (or if you need directions), as the meeting will be Zoom only on the weeks when she is absent and Mother Regina is leading the group.
An Invitation to Pray
Transformation Northeast is a nondenominational effort to renew Christianity in New England. Tony Sousa, Senior Warden of Church of Our Father in Hulls Cove, encourages churches in our diocese to become involved. Join them in praying 24/7 for Church and regional renewal, transformation, and awakening. Click here to "start to pray". Sign up for a time slot that isn't yet taken. You will receive an automatic reminder to let you know your prayer time is coming. Find prayer guides here. Email questions to David Janssen.
Praying Compline in the Diocese
Monday-Friday at 8 pm 

A core community at the Cathedral of St. Luke, Portland have been praying the service of Compline together for sometime. They would now like to invite anyone in the diocese to come and pray with them! Follow this Zoom link to join them Monday through Friday at 8:00pm. They look forward to meeting you as they end the day in prayer together.
Prayers of the Parishes
We pray for the victims of the recent tornados in the midwest, and for their families and communities.
We pray for all essential services personnel, the first responders and healthcare workers affected by the pandemic.


Church of Our Father 
Birthdays:
December 31   James Hopkins
January 6          Anne Zaslau
January 8          Amy Hodgson
January 11        Margie Sweet

Anniversaries:
January 19       Mother Holly and Jonathan Hoffmann

Please let us know if we don't have your birthdate or anniversary date to celebrate! shalomcoof@gmail.com
St. Saviour

We pray for Yolanda Ferrari, Cheryl Kolodziej, Julie Grindle, Geoff Schuller, Eleanor Raynes, Howard Brush, John Stewart, Ruth Westphal, Gretchen Westphal, Lucy Triplett, Gail Leland, Christopher Lebida, Christopher Walls, Linda Carman, Mary Smith, John Fibiger, Ray McDonald, Emily O'Connor, Sarah Cleaves, Nicholas, Janet Flood, Rachel, Mimi, Charlie, Sarah B., Dickie, Alex, Penny Ayer, Arletta Sullivan, and Anne Cleaves.   

Please let us know of any updates.

Birthdays:
December 31  Lindsey Leiser-Lively
January 1 Charlie Lyons

Anniversaries:
January 19        Mother Holly and Jonathan Hoffmann
 
Please let us know if we don't have your birthdate or anniversary date to celebrate!  info@stsaviours.me
 
St. Andrew and St. John

We pray for Edie Stanwood, Susan Buell, Elizabeth Ward, Bunny Watts, Anne Wetzel, Paul Haertel, Chuck Bradshaw, Ted Bromage, Jean Storace, Spencer Ervin, Geoff Schuller, Doris McCorison, Gail Leland, Jeremy Harkins, Michael Shook, Joyce and Jim Risser, Loretta Schmidt, Theresa Mitchell, Fred & Dollis Sprague, Sara Winchenbach, Richard Ramsdell, Dorothy & Jim Clunan, Bill and Barbara Loveland.

Anniversaries:
January 19        Mother Holly and Jonathan Hoffmann

Please let us know if we don't have your birthdate or anniversary date to celebrate!  sasj@mdi-episcopal.org
Mother Holly's Office Hours
Sunday as scheduled and where needed
Monday at St. John's
Tuesday at St. Saviour's
Wednesday at Church of Our Father
Thursday where needed and sermon preparation

She is happy to schedule an appointment if you would like to see her!
Call the parish office or E-mail her


For pastoral emergencies, call her at 207-244-8144
and leave a message,
if you do not reach her immediately.

 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT . . .
Support Your Church
Online Giving
To facilitate stewardship, the Diocese of Maine has an online giving site at no charge to the parishes. The Diocese will transfer the funds you give to your church or summer chapel using this online payment system. Simply select your church and set up your one-time or recurring gift or establish automatic weekly or monthly donations to the parish, either charged to your credit card or to your personal checking or savings account. You can also name your gift in memory or honor of someone through this site in the memo section. Congregation names begin with their town; chapels begin with "Chapel" followed by town and chapel name. Click here to visit the online giving portal of the Diocese or click the button below. 

As always, the church accepts other forms of donations. Contact the church office if you would like to request pledge envelopes for the future. 
Donate to Your Church
Covid Task Force Update

Our Covid Task Force of the Episcopal churches of MDI have started meeting regularly again due to the increase of cases in Maine. We reviewed our protocols: 
  • Masking is required for all, regardless of vaccination status at all indoor gatherings
  • Social distancing will be marked within the worship space of all our churches
  • We will keep a list to assist in contact tracing, should that be necessary
  • Refreshments will be only served outdoors (as has been our policy)
  • Ushers, take care to encourage masking when entering the building and maintaining social distancing, especially during the distribution of Communion
AND, AS ALWAYS . . .

Devotional Materials to Support Prayer at Home 

  • Teen Simple Daily Devotional https://d365.org/ This resource is used by teens across the country. It walks you through simple daily devotionals (sort of like meditations). You could use it any day, to strengthen you on your faith journey.
  • Forward Movement has the daily office (morning prayer, noonday prayer, evening prayer, or compline) on the Forward Movement Daily Prayer <

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Worship With Us on MDI


Worship Reminder from the Parishes of
St. Andrew and St. John,
Church of Our Father,
& St. Saviour

Worship With Us IN PERSON
Sunday, December 26

Island-wide Shared MDI Episcopal Worship Service
10 am St. Mary's, Northeast Harbor
Lessons and Carols with Holy Eucharist
The Rev. Stephen Muncie 


You can always look to the online calendar to see the service schedule: https://mdi-episcopal.org/calendar/

*************
Worship services will be held even in the event of snow.
Make good decisions for yourself on whether to drive in to church 
or not.

 
Worship with the Diocese of Maine
The full service will be made available to all on Sunday morning:
On the diocesan YouTube channel at 8:30 a.m.
On the diocesan Facebook page at 10 a.m
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MDI Episcopal Website
MDI Episcopal YouTube
Email
The MDI Episcopal Partnership 

St. Andrew's and St. John's
PO Box 767
Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
GPS Location: 315 Main Street, Southwest Harbor, Maine 

207-244-3229       Email the Parish Office    http://standrewstjohn.blogspot.com

St. Andrew's and St. John's parish office is staffed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9 am to 2 pm. 

Church of Our Father 
P.O. Box 186
Hulls Cove, Maine 04644
GPS Location: 91 State Highway 3, Bar Harbor, Maine

207-288-4849      Email The Parish Office        https://www.churchofourfather.org/


St. Saviour's 
41 Mt. Desert Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
207-288-4215   Email the Parish Office
      www.StSaviours.me

St. Saviour's Parish office is staffed Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 3 pm, and Tuesdays from 8 am to 4 pm.


The sanctuary and parish hall of all churches are accessible.


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