Saturday, January 29, 2022

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


Thursday, January 27, 2022

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 and ONLINE
Sunday, January 30, 2022

Holy Eucharist
9 am at Church of Our Father*

Celebrant: The Rev. Holly Hoffmann
Deacon: The Rev. Mary-Carol Griffin

 * = At the time of the service, we will live stream to YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MDIEPISCOPAL

Holy Eucharist
11 am at St. Saviour's, Bar Harbor

Celebrant: The Rev. Holly Hoffmann

Holy Eucharist*
4 pm at St. John the Divine 

Celebrant: The Rev. Holly Hoffmann
 * = At the time of the service, we will live stream to YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MDIEPISCOPAL


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.
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:

If you are exhibiting any of the symptoms of Covid,
please choose to attend a service online. 

Everyone masks indoors.
Wear a medical-grade mask (double mask, if using cloth).
Medical masks are available at all churches. 
Socially distanced seating.
Communion in one-kind, Bread only.
Sanitize your hands prior to receiving Communion. 
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.
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!
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.
IMPORTANT NEWS and DATES!

Shared Faith CafĂ©: Tuesdays at 11:30 am - Noon 
Starting February 1
 
Connect with familiar faces, make new friends, and visit with people who are away from MDI for the winter months! 

Join Mother Holly and others in your faith community on Zoom for a cup of tea or coffee you brew in the comfort of your home. We will meet for 30 minutes once a week through the months of February and March.

February 2: Outreach Zoom Meeting

The Outreach, Mission and Evangelism committee of Church of Our Father (OME) invites everyone to the February outreach meeting at 9:15 am on Zoom.  We invite participation from all parishes.  All are welcome!  To join the Zoom, CLICK HERE.

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).
At this meeting, we will focus on possible outreach projects this spring and continue the conversation from our January meeting about how Outreach across the Partnership churches can continue to deepen our work together. 

Please come 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.
Now – February 7
"Mission: Joy" Film Screening, Discussion, and Book Group Invitation on MDI
 
The MDI Partnership with St. Mary and St. Jude's is hosting an online screening of the film Mission: Joy Finding Happiness in Troubled Times. This series is open to anyone, so this is a great opportunity to invite a friend to participate in a church community event! Simply forward them this email. 
 
Watch the Film 
1. Participants watch the 90-min. film at their leisure between now and February 7Click here to watch the film.

2. Join a film discussion with Mother Holly, Father Steve, and others over Zoom on Thursday, February 10 at 7 pm. Click here to join the Zoom.

Read the Book
3. Join the community and read the book upon which the documentary is based: The Book of Joy: Lasting happiness in a changing world. Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shop in downtown Bar Harbor has copies of this book in stock for $26. It is also available on Amazon ($20) Audible.com (1 credit or $24) and on Kindle ($15) and Barnes and Noble Nook ($15) and in Large Print ($25).  

4. A book discussion will be held Thursday evening on February 24 over Zoom at 7 pm. Click here to join the Zoom. An in-person book talk will be hosted by Church of Our Father on Wednesday, February 23 at 9 am in their Parish Hall following the 8 am service of Holy Eucharist. Please email Mother Holly if you would like to attend. (limit to 20 people, masked and socially distanced)   
To watch the film before Feb. 7, CLICK HERE
Synopsis: Deeply moving and laugh-out-loud funny, Mission: JOY is a documentary with unprecedented access to the unlikely friendship of two international icons who transcend religion: His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Archbishop Tutu. In their final joint mission, these self-described mischievous brothers give a master class in how to create joy in a world that was never easy for them. They offer neuroscience-backed wisdom to help each of us live with more joy, despite circumstances.
 
Inspired by New York Times bestseller The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, the film showcases the exchange between these two Nobel Peace Prize winners that led to that book.
 
Consisting largely of never before seen footage shot over 5 days at the Dalai Lama's residence in Dharamsala, the film invites viewers to join these luminaries behind the scenes as they recount stories from their lives, each having lived through periods of incredible difficulty and strife.
 
With genuine affection, mutual respect and a healthy dose of teasing, these unlikely friends impart lessons gleaned from lived experience, ancient traditions, and the latest cutting-edge science regarding how to live with joy in the face of all of life's challenges from the extraordinary to the mundane. Mission: Joy is an antidote for the times.
To watch the sermon where Mother Holly introduces this opportunity, CLICK HERE
Beginning February 1:
Deacon Tracy to lead Sacred Ground Study for Area Churches
 
Several years ago, under the guidance of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, the church established a framework for becoming and growing into "Beloved Community" as a church and as a people seeking to live like our Lord Jesus Christ.  To perhaps focus less on institutional matters and rekindle how we treat others, model ministry and how we relate to our Lord's grace, especially in matters of race, social justice and reconciliation.
 
One of the offerings in this framework for conversation and study is "Sacred Ground."  The series' website notes that this is a 10-week film and readings based small group study that invites participants to "walk through chapters of America's history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity."  Specific focus is given to Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific "American histories as they intersect with European American histories."
 
Valerie Doebler and Deacon Tracy plan to offer the course via Zoom, starting with an introductory/organizational session on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 6:30 PM.
 
The 10-session study will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 15 and will meet from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM every other week concluding on June 21.
 
Please formally enroll by emailing Tracy by January 25 or after to be added to the waiting list. 
 
To learn more about Sacred Ground, please visit the website: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground/

 
The syllabus is attached here as well for your consideration.
February 2: World Too Beautiful service
Over Zoom from St. Luke's Cathedral
Featuring The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Reece

World Too Beautiful, a service that uses prayer, scripture, poetry, contemplative silence, and the beautiful native-style flute music of Kevin Reams, is held on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:15 pm in the Emmanuel Chapel at St. Luke's Cathedral, Portland and online via Zoom. All are invited to celebrate the beauty of the natural world and be inspired to care for God's creation.
 
The next service on February 2 at 6:15 pm will feature speaker The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Reece. Jenny is a retired priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine and Chair of the Diocesan Climate Justice Council. She lives in Orland on the banks of the Narramissic River, where she has opened the Oranbega Retreat Center as a place of inspiration and support for writers, artists, and spiritual seekers.

Click here to join on Zoom. (Passcode is 365962) Download the service bulletin here.

February 12: Evening Music Concert
St. Saviour's Episcopal Church is pleased to announce that its series of chamber-music concerts, "Evening Music," will continue in 2022. The concerts are presented on Saturdays at 4:00 pm in the sanctuary at St. Saviour's, at 41 Mount Desert Street in Bar Harbor. Admission will be free, but donations to the Friends of Music at St. Saviour's are requested. The building is fully accessible to all; and all members of the audience are required to wear face-coverings.

The concerts scheduled will be as follows:

February 12 — Baroque Orchestra of Maine

March 19 — Daniel Pyle, harpsichord, playing Bach's Art of Fugue

May 21 — Baroque Orchestra of Maine

June 18 — Baroque Orchestra of Maine

Further information is available by writing to St. Saviour's at music@stsaviours.me, or at https://www.baroqueorchestraofmaine.org/

Covid Task Force Update

Our Covid Task Force of the four Episcopal parishes of MDI meet biweekly.

We will continue: 
  • Masking 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 of attendees at services to assist in contact tracing, should that be necessary
  • Refreshments will be only served outdoors (as has been our policy)
  • Ushers will take care to remind people of masking when entering the building and maintaining social distancing, especially during the distribution of Communion
  • The celebrant will either mask during the celebration of the Eucharist or cover the elements being consecrated so as to not unknowingly transmit the virus 
  • Continue to promote other online opportunities for worship such as at St. Luke's Cathedral, the National Cathedral, and monthly diocesan pre-recorded services
  • Limit congregational singing (specifics to be determined at the parish level by the priest based on the particular context and in discussion with the Music Director and wardens)  
  • Offer a streamed, in-real-time option for attending worship wherever possible (currently only Church of Our Father and St. John's have this capacity; St. Saviour's is soon to have this capacity)
  • The clergy request that all mask during visits to parishioners' homes for the safety of all. 
  • Encourage people to not cluster or block exits following a service so that those who want to exit swiftly may do so.
  • Promote the option of attending the Wednesday 8 am service of Holy Eucharist at Church of Our Father where social distancing is easily maintained. 
Note: Full vaccinations expected, unless medically prohibited. 

We will extend precautions to include: 
  • Move all parish meetings and gatherings online (for example, vestry and parish meetings). Small groups from inside the parish and outside the parish may continue to meet in person and follow our Covid protocols
  • We will not hold island-wide worship in January and February so as to not gather in as large a number at this time. 
Bishop Thomas Brown released a message on January 6, 2022 to the diocese in light of the Omicron variant surging around the world and here in Maine where it's impacting our healthcare systems, schools, our work and home lives. He states that our guidance has not changed and in consultation with our COVID Advisory Team, includes additional information about safety protocols. Read the full message here.
A Message of Affirmation from Bishop Brown, offered on January 25, 2022

** Get free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests **

Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. 
The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.


Order your tests now so you have them when you need them: https://www.covidtests.gov

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. 
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, February 21 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, February 7  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.
 
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 natural disasters around the world.
We pray for all essential services personnel, the first responders and healthcare workers affected by the pandemic.

Church of Our Father 
Please let us know if we don't have your birthdate or anniversary date to celebrate! shalomcoof@gmail.com
Birthdays:
February 1    Nancy Salisbury
February 2    Ursula Heiniger
February 5    David Dawson
February 5    Frank Gray
February 8    Hayley & Maya Libitzki-McCabe
February 19  Mother Holly 
 

Anniversaries:
None at the moment. Are we missing yours? 

 
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.

Please let us know if we don't have your birthdate or anniversary date to celebrate!  info@stsaviours.me
Birthdays:
January 28  John Stewart
January 30  Marjorie Walls
January 31 Connie Hartley Brush 
February 1 Geoffrey Schuller 
February 10 Diane Zito
February 11 Marsha Lyons
February 12 Alan Pappas
February 13 Mary ellen Sharp
February 14 Gail Leiser
                        Lisa Tweedie
February 15 Pat Buccello
February 19  Mother Holly
February 21 Susan Blaisdell
February 24 Joshua Bloom
February 27 Pauline Johnson
February 28 Scott Allen 
Anniversaries:

None at the moment. Are we missing yours? 
St. Andrew and St. John

We pray for Ward and Gen MacKenzie, 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, Michael Shook, Joyce and Jim Risser, Loretta Schmidt, Theresa Mitchell, Fred & Dollis Sprague, Sara Winchenbach, Richard Ramsdell, Dorothy & Jim Clunan, Bill and Barbara Loveland.


Please let us know if we don't have your birthdate or anniversary date to celebrate!  sasj@mdi-episcopal.org
Birthdays:
January 31 - Sally Clark
February 3 - Michael Shook
February 7 - Andrew McMullan
February 16 - Zachary DaCosta
February 19 - Candace DaCosta
February 19 - Mother Holly
February 24 - Michael DaCosta


 
Anniversaries:
February 14 - Glenn Milligan and Michele Daley
 
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 on Zoom or in person, 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 . . .
Weekly Sermons and More
Sunday, January 16's Sermon:
(live streamed from Church of Our Father) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQNnN9hzjOU

Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Church of Our Father, Hulls Cove, ME. Sunday, January 16, 2022. "When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." John 2:1-11. Sermon by the Rev. Holly Hoffmann, begins at 2:15.
The Maine Council of Churches, the BTS Center, and Atlantic Black Box cohosted the MLK Day event, Committed to Listen, a public reading of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s sermon "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution" on January 17. If you missed it, here is a recording.
$$   No Frills Oil Discount  $$
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. 
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
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.

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 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
 
AA recovery groups, online and in person, in Downeast Maine can be found by clicking here.

Downeast Community Partners DCP brings community resources together to help people in Washington and Hancock counties achieve self-sufficiency and a better quality of life. Our Housing division helps people maintain safe, affordable, energy-efficient housing (including heating assistance through the THAW program). Our Transportationdivision staff travels over a million miles each year, helping people get to medical appointments, senior food programs and other important services. Helping Hands Garage helps people buy affordable roadworthy vehicles. Friendship Cottage in Blue Hill offers an Adult Day Service Program. Our Energy Services division provides a variety of services to prevent hunger, hypothermia, and homelessness. At Home provides services to assist seniors aging in place. Everybody Eats! provides a free community meal each week to Ellsworth area residents. Our Early Care and Education program provides Head Start, Early Head Start, Pre-K and Childcare services to local families. Our Supportive Services division provides support to individuals and families working to make changes in their lives.  Nurse Bridging and Maternal and Child Health services provide caring nurse support to families with infants and small children. Peninsula Free Health Service provides free medical care to the uninsured on the Blue Hill Peninsula. https://www.downeastcommunitypartners.org

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

Westside Food Pantry Distribution of vouchers at St. John the Divine in Southwest Harbor occur on the first Sunday (12:00-2:00) and third Sunday (12:00-1:00) of each month from November through April and beyond, if necessary. We invite you to visit the facebook page where you will find periodic announcements and information about the Westside Food Pantry.  Please visit the page at: https://www.facebook.com/WestsideFoodPantry and like it.

 
Warning 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.
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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