Worship With Us IN PERSON Masks are required indoors to protect the most vulnerable:
younger children, the immunocompromised, and others who have not yet been vaccinated.
Coffee hour will be held only outdoors and canceled in poor weather.
Pre-registration is not required, and social distancing is encouraged.
Holy Communion will be offered in one-kind only (Bread). Sunday, September 19 8 am at St Andrew by-the-Lake: Holy Eucharist Celebrant/Preacher: The Rev. Holly Hoffmann 10 am at Church of Our Father: Lay Led Morning Prayer Officiant/Preacher: Steve Johnson 10 am at St. John the Divine: Holy Eucharist and Reception for Stephen Byers Sampson Celebrant/Preacher: The Rev. Holly Hoffmann
Worship will be indoors at St. John's but the Reception thanking Stephen Byers Sampson for serving at SASJ's Music Director these many years will be outdoors. If there is poor weather, we will remain indoors and no food will be served.
10 am at St. Saviour's: Lay Led Morning Prayer Officiant/Preacher: Lee Garrett If you are interested in being a lay leader of Morning Prayer or becoming a lay preacher on Sundays,
please contact Mother Holly and the parish administrator of your church.
Midweek Worship on MDI
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 of Morning Prayer or Holy Eucharist every other week.
The next service of Holy Eucharist midweek will be on Wednesday, September 22 with the Rev. Holly Hoffmann. | | | Worship Schedule Survey
Your Input Needed
We are considering adjusting service times so that Mother Holly is able to celebrate Holy Eucharist and worship with EACH church MORE often every month.
She would like to find a way to see you more often for worship.
This short survey is anonymous and will take just a few minutes to complete.
Thank you for completing it! | | | 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, Coffee Hour/Lemonade on the Lawn Hosts, 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 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! | | | | Covid Task Force Update Our Covid Task Force of the Episcopal churches of MDI have started meeting regularly. The summary points from our meeting on September 9, 2021 are: -
Masking for all regardless of vaccination status at all indoor gatherings -
Social distancing will be marked within the worship space of all our churches -
Refreshments will be only served outdoors (as has been our policy) -
Ushers take care to encourage masking when entering the building and to maintain social distancing, especially during the distribution of Communion | | September Yard Sale St Andrew by the Lake 1358 Tremont Road, Seal Cove Friday September 17 and Saturday September 18 8AM TO 2 PM Rain or Shine! | | | | Outreach Meeting This Wednesday, 9/22 at 9 am
at Church of Our Father
All Are Welcome
Following the Wednesday morning celebration of Eucharist at Church of Our Father, members of the Outreach, Mission, and Evangelism Committee will gather to discuss ideas for supporting our local food pantries (our fall focus), Operation Christmas Child (our winter initiative), and possible ideas for the spring. All interested are encouraged to attend. Contact Brad Berry or Marilyn Kitler with questions. Hope to see you there!
| | | | Save the Date: The Blessing of the Animals
on the Feast of St. Francis
Sunday, October 3
at 1 pm, Bar Harbor Green
and 3 pm St. John's Church, Southwest Harbor
Bring your family pet for a blessing! | | | 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.
Pray, Play, Connect: A Fun and Prayerful Space for 6th-12th Graders across the Diocese
All youth graduating 5th-12th grade are welcome! If you haven't participated in a diocesan youth event, this is a great opportunity to check one out. FMI: The Rev. Sara D'Angio White, Canon for Youth Formation here.
Let's Talk About It: Compline + Conversation for 9th-12th graders
Fourth Sundays from 7:00-8:30 pm Click here for the ZOOM LINK
Youth have jumped right in and engaged on difficult subjects, such as school violence and racism. Adults are welcome; contact Sara D'Angio White here.
Adult Formation
Bible Study with the Rev. Stephen Muncie on Wednesday mornings resumes in September. Email Father Steve, if you are interested in learning more. Contemplative Prayer: How About Adding a Group Contemplative Prayer experience to your spiritual life this summer?
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, starting on Friday, June 18. Beginners are always welcome, as are the more experienced, so long as they have "beginner's mind"! If you are interested please call or email Jenny and she will give you directions to Oranbega. 207-952-2363. 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. May your summer be richly blessed with prayer and meditation! If you intend to come to Orland in person, please call or text Jenny at 207-952-2363 for the schedule, as the meeting will be Zoom only on the weeks when she is absent and Mother Regina is leading the group. | | 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 . . . | | |  | The Bells Expert's Visit to St. Saviour's
On Wednesday 1 September, Bob Verdin of The Verdin Company (a bell-foundry based in Cincinnati since 1842) visited St. Saviour's. The bells have not been ringing this summer due to their condition and needed maintenance in order to be played safely. This was opportunity to find out just what we have — a marvelous ring of bells, which may be unique in Hancock County — and how we might care for what has been placed in our trust.
His presentation to church-members, discussing how bells are made, mounted, and maintained, and the specific conditions and needs of our bells is linked here.
One can learn more about the Verdin Company, you can go on the web to https://www.verdin.com/. | |  | Sunday Sermon, 9/12/21 The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry: "Come, Let Us Go to the Mountain"at Trinity Wallstreet, NYC September 12, 2021 Preaching at our September 11 Requiem Holy Eucharist, the Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, remarked, "We observe this solemn occasion in a perilous moment in our national life and history. The seeds of self-centeredness and hatred will inevitably yield a bitter harvest." And yet there is hope to be found. But only if we remember the sacrifice and unity that followed that dark day in 2001, and "go to the mountain" by fiercely recommitting ourselves to "a love that gives and does not count the cost." The readings are Isaiah 61:1–4; Psalm 31 and Matthew 5:1–10. | | | 2021 Invitation to Operation Christmas Child It is such a joy to give gifts to children at Christmas time! In order to include interested summer parishioners in the joy of Operation Christmas Child, Church of Our Father is beginning our involvement in OCC now and invites you to join in. Operation Christmas Child is the program under the umbrella of the missionary program, Samaritan's Purse, in which we fill shoeboxes with toys, stationery, and hygiene items for needy children around the world. Shoeboxes can be filled for boys or girls, ages 2 to 14. Once filled, the shoeboxes are collected and flown to distribution sites. Before shoeboxes are distributed, children hear a Gospel lesson. Many children never before will have received gifts or heard the good news of Christ's love. Afterwards, weekly Bible lessons are offered. Children who attend all lessons receive their own Bible.
There are three ways to be involved. You may stuff a shoebox yourself according to guidelines. You may send in items to help fill a shoebox. You may send a donation to Church of Our Father with a by-line of OCC so we can fill shoeboxes for you. If you want to send in items, please email Marilyn Kitler so we can coordinate and avoid duplication. Gen MacKenzie is the point person for St. Andrew's and St. John's. If you are a member of St. Saviour's and would like to serve as a point person at this church, please be in touch with Mother Holly or me. We look forward to sharing the joy with you! Marilyn Kitler, Coordinator |  | | | | | Be a part of the Diocesan Convention Virtual Choir
| | You are invited to sing in a virtual choir presenting music during the 202nd Convention of the Diocese of Maine "Go Forth with Hope and Grace" on October 23! We welcome singers of any age to participate including those who aren't church members.
Soon after signing-up, you will receive a confirmation email with detailed instructions. Each singer should register individually. Recordings will need to be submitted by September 27. | | | One of our virtual choir videos (above) from last year's convention has received more than 9,300 views...be a part of this year's contribution to the 202nd Convention! | | | | | Update Your Zoom!
Zoom regularly pushes out new versions of their desktop client and mobile app to fix bugs, add enhancements, and address security concerns.
Zoom pushed out a new update on Monday, August 2nd. If you haven't updated your Zoom, consider this your reminder to do so!
Click here for more information and to select the download you need (PC, Mac, Linux, mobile). | | | | Preparing for the 202nd Convention of the Diocese | | | "Go forth with hope and grace" | | Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 NRSV
The 202nd Convention of the Diocese of Maine will take place online on Saturday, October 23. Time TBA. All information will be posted to the convention page of the diocesan website as it becomes available. Please contact Canon Barbara Martin with any questions.
| | | | | Support Your Church To facilitate stewardship, the Diocese of Maine has launched an online giving resource 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.
As always, the church accepts other forms of donations. Contact the church office if you would like to request pledge envelopes for the future. | | | 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 website.
- There is also a daily podcast, A Morning at the Office, with various people leading the prayers and reading the scripture lessons for the day.
- The popular daily devotion Forward Day by Day is posted each day online, and it too is available as a podcast.
- Hardcopies of the Day By Day readers are available by contacting the church office or stopping by when the parish office is open.
| | | Community Resources
Everybody Eats Free Community Meal is a project whose goal is to provide free, healthful and wholesome meals to the Ellsworth community. Visit their Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/Everybody-Eats-A-Free-Community-Meal-568143769902367/.
Open Table MDI exists to inspire strong, loving, and inclusive communities by bringing people together to share in nourishing food. For more information visit their website here.
AA recovery groups, online and in person, in Downeast Maine can be found by clicking here
An AA group meets in St. Saviour's Parish Hall in small groups Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at noon, and on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays at 7 pm. | | | Urgent Message about email, phone and text scams.
Neither the Rev. Holly Hoffmann nor any member of the church staff or leadership will solicit gifts, specifically gift cards, via email, phone or text directly. Neither will we ask if you are "free now" and request only an email or text response. Always check the actual email address from the sender to see if it matches Mother Holly's email and do not respond to the email, text or call. Please report these emails as phishing/scam attempts and block the sender or caller from your inbox or phone . If you are in doubt, or need more information, please contact the parish office. We will return your call. | | |
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