Friday, September 30, 2022

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



---------- Forwarded messag
Thursday, September 29, 2022 

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

View this email in your browser
or Click "view entire message" at the bottom
if your browser does not display the whole message.
Join Us for Worship Sunday, October 2:
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost


8:00 am Holy Eucharist
St. Andrew by-the-Lake, Seal Cove
Celebrant: The Rev Holly Hoffmann

click here for bulletin

9:00 am Morning Prayer

Church of Our Father, Hulls Cove
Officiant: Mike Bullard, Preaching: Tony Sousa

click here for bulletin


11:00 am *
St. Saviour's Parish, Bar Harbor
Celebrant: The Rev. Holly Hoffmann

click here for bulletin

5:00 pm Order of Worship for the Evening with Holy Eucharist
St. John the Divine, Southwest Harbor
Celebrant: The Rev. Holly Hoffmann
click here for bulletin


*= this services will be streamed to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MDIEPISCOPAL 
 

Island-wide Shared Worship services on the island will resume October 23, hosted by St. Mary's by-the-Sea, Northeast Harbor.

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

If you are looking for other online worship,
please visit (click on church name): 
St. Luke's Cathedral at 10 am
The National Cathedral at 11:15 am

 
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. 

Our Covid protocols will be followed:
 
Vaccinations expected, unless medically prohibited
Everyone masked indoors
Socially distanced seating is available, not required

Outdoor coffee hour, weather permitting
Sanitize your hands prior to receiving Communion. 


The Bread and Wine are both offered at Communion.  Receiving the Bread only is a full communion. If individuals wish to receive the Wine, they should sip lightly from the Cup from the Chalice Bearer. For safety reasons, Intinction - dipping the Bread into the Wine - is not an option. 

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

Perhaps you would enjoy serving on Sundays! We would love your support for our worship services: 
Acolytes, Greeters/Ushers, Lectors, Intercessors, Altar Guild, Flower Guild and Officiants for Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer (at St. John's). 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.
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, our Pastoral Care Associate Maribeth Payne, or a 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. 
News
Season of Creation September 1- October 4
Yes, it's time for caring for creation to be the focus of our worship in the Diocese of Maine!

"The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims God's handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the Earth, and their words to the end of the world." (Ps. 19:1-4)

The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. During the Season of Creation, the Episcopal Diocese of Maine joins our siblings in the ecumenical Christian family in prayer and action for our common home.The season starts today with the World Day of Prayer for Creation, and it ends on 4 October with the Feast of St.Francis of Assisi. 

The Climate Justice Council shared this letter last week welcoming us to prepare for the Season and pointing us toward liturgical resources.  Find these and more on the Creation Care page of our website. 

Here on MDI in the Partnership, we are using a form of Prayers of the People for the Season of Creation, which was composed by our diocesan "Earth Keeper", Linda Foster. We will also have a blessing of the animals on Sunday, October 2 on the Bar Harbor Village Green at 1 pm and in the field beside St. John the Divine, Southwest Harbor at 3 pm. Details to come! 
Bishop Brown Welcomes You to Convention Season!
Stay up to date with 2022 Diocesan Convention news
 
The 203rd Convention of the Diocese of Maine will convene online on Saturday, October 22. Clergy and delegates who are voting will meet via Zoom. The meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube for everyone to watch!

Finding Convention Information

Convention information is sent out in the weekly Clergy and Lay Leaders (CLL) email newsletter. We also have an all-in-one place diocesan convention webpage here. Scroll through to find the information you need.

If you'd rather subscribe to updates, all of the same info sent out in these enewsletters is also placed on our website's blog.

Afraid you missed something in a past newsletter? This page on the website lists all convention communications that have gone out. (To find it, type "Convention Communications" in the search bar.)

Finally, for all clergy and lay delegates, an "all you need to know" email will arrive in your inbox closer to convention time. 

Important Convention Dates

Mark the important dates below and watch for Town Hall invitations via email!
  • October 4 Budget, Rules of Order, Resolutions (Town Hall 7 pm)
  • October 11 Resolutions, Consent Calendar (Town Hall 7pm)
  • October 12 Changes to Certificate of Elected Delegates Due
  • October 12 Registration Deadline
  • October 18 Diocesan Convention (Town Hall 7 pm)
  • October 22 Day of Convention (Convenes at 9 am) 
  • October 25 Convention Debrief (Town Hall 7 pm)
Upcoming Events and Dates
October 2: Blessing of the Animals, 1 pm Bar Harbor Village Green & 3 pm beside St. John the Divine, Forsythe Field  



We will conclude our participation in the diocese's observation of the Season of Creation with our annual blessing of the animals on the observance of the Feast of St. Francis. We will have two locations: 1 pm on the Bar Harbor Village Green and 3 pm beside St. John the Divine in Southwest Harbor. We will join with our neighbors in prayer these ecumenical services.  
 
October 4: Save the date for a Memorial Service for Lucy Triplett at 1 pm at St. Saviour's with a reception outdoors. (The churches are not hosting indoor receptions at this time.)
October 5: Outreach Meeting, 9 am 

The Outreach, Evangelism, and Mission committee meets every first Wednesday at Church of Our Father after 8 am worship. Please join us Wednesday, October 5! 

We will discuss initiatives for the fall and winter, such as the Thanksgiving baskets and holiday gift cards we've participated in for many years. We will continue to discuss the invitation we received from St. Andrew's Lutheran, Ellsworth to co-sponsor the "adoption" of a Ukrainian family who is relocating to the greater Ellsworth area.  
 
October 10: Save the date for a memorial service for Dick Salisbury at Church of Our Father at 1 pm with a reception following at the Hulls Cove Schoolhouse.
October 11: Save the date for a graveside service for Barbara Sunderland at 1 pm
at Ledgelawn,
with a reception following outdoors
at St. Saviour's
Ready for a hike?
I am planning two nature hikes in October. The first one is on Tuesday, 10/11. This one will be an easy one as we will walk to Sand Beach from the Great Head parking lot. The path, which goes around the base of Great Head, leads us gently through the woods and ends at the beach. Round trip is a little over a mile. We will meet at the parking lot at 1 PM and should get us back to our cars by 2:30 or so. Please consider joining me for this.
 
The second walk is to Tilting Rock at the base of Day Mountain. Although it will require some elevation gain,(about 200 ft) it is gradual and about a mile to our destination. We will leave from the Day Mt parking lot on Rte 3 on Monday, 10/17 at around 1 PM. I'm hoping we will see great foliage colors while in the woods there. Again, I hope you can join me to see this little known, but amazing rock formation.
 
If you are interested in either or both of these walks, please contact me via email (linda@foster.net) or see me at church. It is always wonderful, soul healing and inspiring to spend time with God. There is no rain date, so if it's raining, it will be cancelled. 

 
Linda Foster
October 12: Bible Study with Rev. Stephen Muncie Resumes 
WEDNESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY will resume on October 12. 
We gather every Wednesday on Zoom from 10:30 am - 12 noon. All are welcome at any time.
Contact the Rev. Steve Muncie to receive the Zoom link at: stephenmuncie@mac.com
October 15: Evening Music series at St. Saviour's Continues at 4 pm

Evening Music continues with music for Flute, Piano, and Soprano
 
The second season of chamber-music concerts, Evening Music, continues on Saturday, October 15, with a program of music by Franz Schubert, Samuel Barber, and Cécile Chaminade, for flute, piano, and voice. Flutist Catherine Bull will be joined by pianist Ann Sears and soprano Sara Michale Smith, in the concert which begins at 4:00 pm in St. Saviour's Episcopal Church in Bar Harbor. Smith will sing Schubert's song "Trockene Blumen" ("Dry Flowers") from his song-cycle Die schoene Muellerin, after which Bull will play the Introduction and Variations on that same song, also by Schubert. The program will also include the Hermit Songs by Samuel Barber, a cycle of ten songs on texts by medieval Irish monks, along with Barber's "Canzona" for flute and piano, and "Portrait" a song for soprano, flute and piano by the French post-Impressionist composer Cécile Chaminade.
 
Catherine Bull is the flutist in the Baroque-ensemble Harmonie Universelle,  and has played with Blue Hill Bach and with Music in the Great North Woods. Before coming to Downeast Maine, she was principal flutist for the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra and the Southern Crescent Symphony Orchestra in Atlanta. Ann Sears is Professor of Music at Wheaton College in Norton MA, and has performed several times in Bar Harbor. 
 
The Evening Music series was inaugurated last year, to bring concerts of chamber-music to the year-round residents of MDI and the rest of the Downeast region. The concerts take place one Saturday of each month (except December) at 4:00 pm in the sanctuary of St. Saviour's Episcopal Church in Bar Harbor, presented by the Friends of Music at St. Saviour's. The admission for all concerts in the series is free, but donations are requested from the listeners in support of the Friends of Music. It is required of all audience-members to wear a mask. 
 
The Fall season of 2022 will continue with a another concerts of music for flute, piano, and voice, performed by flutist Catherine Bull and pianist Anne Sears with vocalist Marcia Gronewold Sly, on November 19.
October 17: Newsletter Photo and Article Deadline

All submissions for the newsletter "Upon This Rock" should be submitted to your parish administrator by today. Thank you! 
October 22: Diocesan Convention

Delegates, remember to register in time to receive the link. All can view the Convention at the YouTube channel of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine. 
October 23: Shared Worship
 
Island-wide worship  with SMSJ on the fourth Sunday of the month resumes on October 23, 2022
at St. Mary's by-the-Sea. 


The loose plate offertory collection at this service will go to support a shared outreach project.
 
October 26: Join us for our monthly Taize service

Outreach News
Ways to Support Those Suffering from Violence in Ukraine

Continue to pray for Ukraine and those in danger. 
Collect for Peace from the BCP:

Almighty God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that in tranquillity your dominion may increase until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

To watch our prayer service for the Ukraine from August 3, go to: 
OUR MDI EPISCOPAL YOUTUBE CHANNEL BY CLICKING HERE

Members of the Partnership parishes gathered in the first week of the month to discuss Outreach projects for the spring. There was a strong desire to focus our energies on promoting organizations that are helping those living in the Ukraine. Two organizations that are being recommended are:  

Episcopal Relief and Development
 is working closely with Anglican agencies and ecumenical partners to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of Ukrainian refugees in Europe. People quickly packed up and fled Ukraine to safety and are now in need of basic supplies and will need long-term support. Your contribution to the Episcopal Relief & Development International Disaster Response Fund will help provide clothing, food, water and other items. For more information on this organization, including instructions on how to give, visit: www.episcopalrelief.org or call 1.855.312.4325

Save the Children: UKRAINE CRISIS RELIEF FUND Ukraine's children are in grave danger of physical harm, severe emotional distress and mass displacement. Save the Children is concerned for children caught in the middle of armed conflict, forced from their homes in freezing temperatures, and exposed to injury, hunger and cold. Your donation to Save the Children's Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund can help provide children and families with immediate aid, such as food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support and cash assistance. Together, we can protect children in crisis. For more information on this organization, including instructions on how to give, visit: https://www.savethechildren.org
 
A helpful resource for evaluating charitable organizations is Charity Navigator: https://www.charitynavigator.org
Bar Harbor Food Pantry for Rest of the Summer
Once again thanks to all who have given in these times.  The Food Pantry appreciates our donations. There is a collection spot for non-perishable food items at Church of Our Father and St. Saviour's. Volunteers will transport them to the BHFP.
Thank you for your support!    Brad Berry

 
FELLOWSHIP
Sunday Fellowship Outdoors

As the warm weather continues, we will be having time after the services of worship for fellowship outside.

If you are interested in assisting with refreshments for these times, please be in touch with the parish administrator of your church, and she will connect you with others assisting in this ministry within our community.


At St. John's, speak with Dianne McMullan.
At Church of Our Father, speak with Joanne Sousa.
Covid Task Force Update
Our MDI Covid Task Force meets regularly to discuss our protocols.
 
Updates:
  • An area (not the whole worship space) will be marked off for Social distancing for those who want to sit in an area designated for this seating arrangement
  • To protect the most vulnerable, masking will required at all indoor gatherings for all people in attendance.
Note: Full vaccinations expected, unless medically prohibited. 

Covid Home Tests Extend Shelf Life

The US Food and Drug Administration has extended the dates for at home rapid tests for Covid. For more information and a list of test kits to which this applies, click here.

Growing in Faith
Weekly Sermons and More
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
 
Sermon by the Rev. Holly Hoffmann at St. Saviour's Bar Harbor, ME September 25, 2022 " But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. [...] They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life." (Luke 16:19-31) Sermon begins at 2:53.

Friday, September 23, 2022

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


News from Church of Our Father, St. Saviour's, and St. Andrew's and St. John's
Thursday, September 22, 2022 

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

View this email in your browser
or Click "view entire message" at the bottom
if your browser does not display the whole message.
Join Us for Worship Sunday, September 25:

The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
 A Partnership-wide Service of Holy Eucharist, Baptism and Commissioning of Lay Ministers at St. Saviour's



10:00 am *
St. Saviour's Parish, Bar Harbor
Celebrant: The Rev. Holly Hoffmann

click here for bulletin



*= this services will be streamed to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MDIEPISCOPAL 
 

Shared Worship services on the island will resume October 23.

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

If you are looking for other online worship,
please visit (click on church name): 
St. Luke's Cathedral at 10 am
The National Cathedral at 11:15 am

 
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. 

Our Covid protocols will be followed:
 
Vaccinations expected, unless medically prohibited
Everyone masked indoors
Socially distanced seating is available, not required

Outdoor coffee hour, weather permitting
Sanitize your hands prior to receiving Communion. 


The Bread and Wine are both offered at Communion.  Receiving the Bread only is a full communion. If individuals wish to receive the Wine, they should sip lightly from the Cup from the Chalice Bearer. For safety reasons, Intinction - dipping the Bread into the Wine - is not an option. 

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

Perhaps you would enjoy serving on Sundays! We would love your support for our worship services: 
Acolytes, Greeters/Ushers, Lectors, Intercessors, Altar Guild, Flower Guild and Officiants for Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer (at St. John's). 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.
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, our Pastoral Care Associate Maribeth Payne, or a 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. 
News
Season of Creation September 1- October 4
Yes, it's time for caring for creation to be the focus of our worship in the Diocese of Maine!

"The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims God's handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the Earth, and their words to the end of the world." (Ps. 19:1-4)

The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. During the Season of Creation, the Episcopal Diocese of Maine joins our siblings in the ecumenical Christian family in prayer and action for our common home.The season starts today with the World Day of Prayer for Creation, and it ends on 4 October with the Feast of St.Francis of Assisi. 

The Climate Justice Council shared this letter last week welcoming us to prepare for the Season and pointing us toward liturgical resources.  Find these and more on the Creation Care page of our website. 

Here on MDI in the Partnership, we are using a form of Prayers of the People for the Season of Creation, which was composed by our diocesan "Earth Keeper", Linda Foster. We will also have a blessing of the animals on Sunday, October 2 on the Bar Harbor Village Green at 1 pm and in the field beside St. John the Divine, Southwest Harbor at 3 pm. Details to come! 
Bishop Brown Welcomes You to Convention Season!
Stay up to date with 2022 Diocesan Convention news
 
The 203rd Convention of the Diocese of Maine will convene online on Saturday, October 22. Clergy and delegates who are voting will meet via Zoom. The meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube for everyone to watch!

Finding Convention Information

Convention information is sent out in the weekly Clergy and Lay Leaders (CLL) email newsletter. We also have an all-in-one place diocesan convention webpage here. Scroll through to find the information you need.

If you'd rather subscribe to updates, all of the same info sent out in these enewsletters is also placed on our website's blog.

Afraid you missed something in a past newsletter? This page on the website lists all convention communications that have gone out. (To find it, type "Convention Communications" in the search bar.)

Finally, for all clergy and lay delegates, an "all you need to know" email will arrive in your inbox closer to convention time. 

Important Convention Dates

Mark the important dates below and watch for Town Hall invitations via email!
  • September 27 Intro to Convention & Area Caucus (Town Hall 7 pm)
  • October 4 Budget, Rules of Order, Resolutions (Town Hall 7 pm)
  • October 11 Resolutions, Consent Calendar (Town Hall 7pm)
  • October 12 Changes to Certificate of Elected Delegates Due
  • October 12 Registration Deadline
  • October 18 Diocesan Convention (Town Hall 7 pm)
  • October 22 Day of Convention (Convenes at 9 am) 
  • October 25 Convention Debrief (Town Hall 7 pm)
Sign up for the Convention Virtual Choir - it's not too late to participate!
 
Come and Find the Quiet Center
The Convention Virtual Choir is returning for 2022! To lend your voice, sign up here!
We welcome singers of any age!

Soon after you register, look for a confirmation email containing detailed instructions. We will be singing two hymns: we will sing "All Creation Danced" and "O Wondrous Souls of Light" with hymn text written by Vicki Sirota especially for our convention - which will be its world premiere! 

The hymn here was presented at convention in 2021.
Upcoming Events and Dates
September 24:

Acadia Brass Ensemble leads off Evening Music series
at St. Saviour's

The second season of chamber-music concerts, Evening Music, begins on Saturday, September 24 at 4:00 pm, with a concert of Renaissance and Baroque music for Brass and Organ. The Acadia Brass Ensemble will be joined by organist Daniel Pyle in a program featuring music by Handel, Giovanni Gabrieli, and and their contemporaries. In particular, there will be canzonas by Gabrieli for multiple instrumental choirs, music that was composed for the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, which had four balconies placed around the church for musicians to play and sing back and forth, the original stereo spectacular. Gabrieli was the principal of the four organists that were on the musical staff at San Marco, from 1585 until his death in 1618.

The Acadia Brass Ensemble was founded by members of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, and have been playing together since the 1980s. This concert will include Bill Whitener and Curt Brossmer playing trumpet, Wanda Whitener playing horn, trombonist Gene Nichols, and Paul Greenstone playing tuba.

The Evening Music series was inaugurated last year, to bring concerts of chamber-music to the year-round residents of MDI and the rest of the Downeast region. The concerts take place one Saturday of each month (except December) at 4:00 pm in the sanctuary of St. Saviour's Episcopal Church in Bar Harbor, presented by the Friends of Music at St. Saviour's. The admission for all concerts in the series is free, but donations are requested from the listeners in support of the Friends of Music. It is required of all audience-members to wear a mask. The Fall season of 2022 will continue with a pair of concerts of music for flute, piano, and voice, performed by flutist Catherine Bull and pianist Anne Sears; they will take place on October 15 and November 19. St. Saviour's is handicap accessible from the Mt. Desert parking lot.

September 25: Shared Worship

Partnership-wide Shared Worship Service at 10 am at St. Saviour's with 
Commissioning of all lay ministers and Baptism of "Charlie" Mace, grand niece of Tammy Bloom. 

 
Island-wide worship with SMSJ on the fourth Sunday of the month will resume on October 23, 2022. 

The loose plate offertory collection at this service will go to support the organization Maison de Naissance whose mission is to significantly reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in under-served communities.

The organization's primary focus is in Haiti where it was first established. To learn more about this organization, visit: GlobalBirthingHomeFoundation.org. A check of this donation will be hand delivered by parishioner Rita Redfield in October at a meeting in the United States. 
September 28: Join us for our monthly Taize service

October 2: Blessing of the Animals, 1 pm Bar Harbor Village Green & 3 pm beside St. John the Divine, Forsythe Field  

We will conclude our participation in the diocese's observation of the Season of Creation with our annual blessing of the animals on the observance of the Feast of St. Francis. We will have two locations: 1 pm on the Bar Harbor Village Green and 3 pm beside St. John the Divine in Southwest Harbor. We will join with our neighbors in prayer these ecumenical services.  
 
October 4: Save the date for a Memorial Service for Lucy Triplett on at 1 pm at St. Saviour's.
October 5: Outreach Meeting, 9 am 

The Outreach, Evangelism, and Mission committee meets every first Wednesday at Church of Our Father after 8 am worship. Please join us Wednesday, October 5! 

We will discuss initiatives for the fall and winter, such as the Thanksgiving baskets and holiday gift cards we've participated in for many years. We will continue to discuss the invitation we received from St. Andrew's Lutheran, Ellsworth to co-sponsor the "adoption" of a Ukrainian family who is relocating to the greater Ellsworth area.  
 
October 11: Save the date for a graveside service for Barbara Sunderland at 1 pm
at Ledgelawn,
with a reception following outdoors
at St. Saviour's
October 15: Evening Music series at St. Saviour's Continues at 4 pm
Outreach News
Ways to Support Those Suffering from Violence in Ukraine

Continue to pray for Ukraine and those in danger. 
Collect for Peace from the BCP:

Almighty God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that in tranquillity your dominion may increase until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

To watch our prayer service for the Ukraine from August 3, go to: 
OUR MDI EPISCOPAL YOUTUBE CHANNEL BY CLICKING HERE

Members of the Partnership parishes gathered in the first week of the month to discuss Outreach projects for the spring. There was a strong desire to focus our energies on promoting organizations that are helping those living in the Ukraine. Two organizations that are being recommended are:  

Episcopal Relief and Development
 is working closely with Anglican agencies and ecumenical partners to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of Ukrainian refugees in Europe. People quickly packed up and fled Ukraine to safety and are now in need of basic supplies and will need long-term support. Your contribution to the Episcopal Relief & Development International Disaster Response Fund will help provide clothing, food, water and other items. For more information on this organization, including instructions on how to give, visit: www.episcopalrelief.org or call 1.855.312.4325

Save the Children: UKRAINE CRISIS RELIEF FUND Ukraine's children are in grave danger of physical harm, severe emotional distress and mass displacement. Save the Children is concerned for children caught in the middle of armed conflict, forced from their homes in freezing temperatures, and exposed to injury, hunger and cold. Your donation to Save the Children's Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund can help provide children and families with immediate aid, such as food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support and cash assistance. Together, we can protect children in crisis. For more information on this organization, including instructions on how to give, visit: https://www.savethechildren.org
 
A helpful resource for evaluating charitable organizations is Charity Navigator: https://www.charitynavigator.org
Bar Harbor Food Pantry for Rest of the Summer
Once again thanks to all who have given in these times.  The Food Pantry appreciates our donations. There is a collection spot for non-perishable food items at Church of Our Father and St. Saviour's. Volunteers will transport them to the BHFP.
Thank you for your support!    Brad Berry

 
FELLOWSHIP
Sunday Fellowship Outdoors

As the warm weather continues, we will be having time after the services of worship for fellowship outside.

If you are interested in assisting with refreshments for these times, please be in touch with the parish administrator of your church, and she will connect you with others assisting in this ministry within our community.


At St. John's, speak with Dianne McMullan.
At Church of Our Father, speak with Joanne Sousa.
Covid Task Force Update
Our MDI Covid Task Force meets regularly to discuss our protocols.
 
Updates:
  • An area (not the whole worship space) will be marked off for Social distancing for those who want to sit in an area designated for this seating arrangement
  • To protect the most vulnerable, masking will required at all indoor gatherings for all people in attendance.
Note: Full vaccinations expected, unless medically prohibited. 

Covid Home Tests Extend Shelf Life

The US Food and Drug Administration has extended the dates for at home rapid tests for Covid. For more information and a list of test kits to which this applies, click here.

Growing in Faith
Weekly Sermons and More

Sermon: Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
 
Sermon by the Rev. Holly Hoffmann at St. Saviour's Bar Harbor, ME September 18, 2022 " And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much." (Luke 16:1-13). Sermon begins at 2:56.
Youth & Family Formation
 

Children's Faith Formation at Home on MDI

A small team of people will 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 or Mother Holly. Contact information is at the bottom of this email. 

Episcopal Maine Youth of All Ages 
 
All monthly programming, including the Pray, Play, Connect group for middle and high schoolers, the Let's Talk About It group for high schoolers, and the Formation Folk gathering is on summer vacation. Play, Pray, Connect will start up again in September. We'll be switching to Third Fridays, so mark your calendars. The next session is October 21. Our new musician, Pyam Morin, will lead this amazing group! We'll keep up our theme of Role Playing Games, so feel free to spend the summer dreaming up new characters!


Join "Faith in Our Homes" a private Facebook group for households in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine to connect with one another as we walk the path of faith. We have made this group private so that we can freely share ideas, photos and thought processes.

Adult Formation
Listen to the latest episode of the Faith in Maine podcast
 
The latest episode of the Faith in Maine podcast is out now! We continue our series focusing on the four themes from Bishop Brown's 2021 diocesan convention address: Listen, Connect, Adapt, Hope, with Bishop Brown speaking to us in this episode about "Hope". 

Find it here, wherever you download your podcasts, or call 207-223-6402. This number is always updated so that you'll hear the latest episode when you dial-in!
Register Now for Ignatian Retreat in Everyday Life - Registration closes soon! 
 
The Ignatian Spirituality Partnership of Maine invites you to practice the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life with a retreat beginning in early October 2022 and running through June 2023. It's for people who live in or near Maine, and there are options that would permit someone to be fully remote.

In this retreat, pray imaginatively with scripture and explore spiritual resources for decision making, growing closer in authentic friendship with Jesus and finding a greater awareness of God working in your life. Meetings will take place from 6:30 - 8:30 pm on the first Wednesday of every month online, and they also offer individual or group spiritual direction monthly (online or in person). It requires you to set aside 3/4 hour for prayer and reflection each day, which is the crux of the retreat.

Find out more and apply at IgnatianME.org or contact Jane Hartwell or the Rev. Holly Hoffmann. Space often fills up, so apply soon.
Discuss the intersection of racism and Christianity with our Racial Justice Council
 
The Racial Justice Council of the Diocese of Maine would like to invite you to two online opportunities to talk and learn about the intersection of racism and Christianity.

First, The Maine Council of Churches and The BTS Center are hosting an exciting online conversation with noted author and theologian Carter Heyward about her book, The Seven Deadly Sins of White Christian Nationalism: A Call To Action on September 21 from 4-5:30 PM. The event is free. Learn more and register here.

Second, the Racial Justice Council would like to invite you to an online debrief of that presentation specifically for folks in the Diocese of Maine exactly one week after the event on September 28 from 4-5:30 PM. We hope you'll bring a snack or some dinner and join us in sharing what we've learned, what we still wonder, and where we feel the Spirit moving us next. Please register for the debrief conversation here. (Please note you will need to register separately for each event.) Questions? Contact Emily Keniston, staff liaison for the Racial Justice Council.
Tri-diocese Sacred Ground Circles begin in October
 
This fall, Sacred Ground circles open to those in the dioceses of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine will meet on Zoom. There will be three circles: Wednesday mornings, Wednesday mid-afternoons, and Thursday evenings. The first sessions of these circles will be held in October and each circle will establish its own rhythm for the rest of the sessions. 


The circles are sponsored by the Diocese of Vermont's Anti-Racism Action Group, the Diocese of New Hampshire's Reconciliation Commission and the Diocese of Maine's Racial Justice Council.

Those interested in participating should contact Franci Farnsworth right away. We are limiting the size of each circle to no more than 8 people plus the two facilitators. Learn more about Sacred Ground by watching this invitational video.
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. All are welcome, beginners or experienced, so long as you bring a "beginner's mind"!  Participation via Zoom continues to be the norm. Please contact Jenny at 207-952-2363 for directions if you wish to come in person to the Retreat House. To receive a zoom link, call or text the same number or email
jreece@oranbegacenter.com.
 
May peace surround you as you learn, perhaps with us, to
"be still and know" the God of love.

Compline with Episcopal Peace Fellowship

Tuesdays in September at 8:30 pm Online

Please join members of the Maine chapter of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF) who will be leading EPF-National Compline at 8:30pm via Zoom on Tuesdays in September. Open to all and they hope you will join them!

Click here to join on Zoom.

Meeting ID: 817 7614 5441

Passcode: 863435

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:
9/27 Mike Bullard
9/29 Barbara Linscott
9/30 Susan Snyder
Anniversaries:

9/27 Ben & Mary Hopkins

St. Saviour

We pray for Lucy Triplett, departed this life and for her family; for Don Allen, Bill Scott, Gregory Berube, Connie Brush, Yolanda Ferrari, Cheryl Kolodziej, Julie Grindle, Geoff Schuller, Eleanor Raynes, Howard Brush, John Stewart, Ruth Westphal, Gretchen Westphal,  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:
Are we missing yours?
Anniversaries:

 
St. Andrew and St. John

We pray for Bob Stanwood, Charles Sellick, Mary Ann Mahoney, Liz, Elizabeth Ward, Bunny Watts, Anne Wetzel, Chuck Bradshaw, Joan 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, and Bill Merrill.


Please let us know if we don't have your birthdate or anniversary date to celebrate!  sasj@mdi-episcopal.org
Birthdays:
9/30   Alice Downs
Anniversaries:



 
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

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 . . .
Jenn Booher St. John the Divine, Southwest Harbor, ME Sept 18 2022
Scholar and historian Jennifer Booher presented a talk on September 18, 2022 about the stained-glass windows of St. Andrew by-the-Lake, Seal Cove, and St. John the Divine, Southwest Harbor, to a live audience in the sanctuary and those attending on Zoom.
Swords to Plowshares demonstration
coming to Maine

 
 
Grace Episcopal Church in Bath (1100 Washington St) will be hosting "Swords to Plowshares: Transforming Guns into Garden Tools" on Saturday, September 24 from 1-3 pm. This demonstration from Bishop Jim Curry of Swords to Plowshares Northeast will feature hands-on participation at forge and anvil, creating gardening tools and jewelry from guns that have been previously surrendered. (Please note: this event is NOT the time or place to turn in guns.) Learn more about the organization here. Download an event flier here.
 
NEW MDI EPISCOPAL CHURCH MUSEUM!
 
The four Episcopal Churches of Mount Desert Island are working to establish a new historical museum located in a beautiful, secured setting at St. Saviour's Church. We have found that there are many, many items of church history hidden away in boxes, closets, etc. that are never seen and should be displayed for all to see. The museum is well underway and will open this summer. This is quite exciting!
We are looking for donations of  bookcases, a glass china cabinet, a larger desk, old church history items hidden in parishioners' homes. We will need volunteer docents for times we are open this summer.  Please contact Diane Zito, Sue Blaisdell, Joanne Sousa or Lauri Fernald (all listed in the directory) if you can help with any of these items. 
Thank you so much!

** Project ACT sends FREE at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests **
Project ACT 
Free Tests can be ordered for those living in some communities in Hancock County. Search by Zip Code: https://www.accesscovidtests.org

 

Age 5+ eligible to schedule COVID-19 vaccination,
Age 12+ eligible for booster

COVID-19 vaccination and booster shots are available by appointment at the Community Health Center, Cooper Gilmore, Trenton Health Center, 
and Carroll Drug Store.


The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is the only vaccine currently authorized for children ages 5-17. Everyone age 12+ is eligible for a booster shot. You must be 5 months past your second dose of Pfizer/Moderna or 2 months past your first dose of Johnson & Johnson to receive a booster dose. If you would like to schedule a COVID-19 vaccination or booster, please call one of our vaccination sites below or check our Bar Harbor Regency Clinic calendar. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are also available by appointment at local pharmacies in Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor and Ellsworth.

Call now to schedule your vaccine or booster (Pfizer/Moderna/J&J):
Cooper Gilmore Health Center: 207-288–5024 17 Hancock Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
Community Health Center:  207-244–5630 16 Community Lane, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
Trenton Health Center: 207-667–5899 394 Bar Harbor Road, Trenton, ME 04605
Carroll Drug Store carrolldrugstore.net 3 Village Green Way, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
An Invitation to Pray: Transformation Northeast

David Janssen. Email questions to  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 Click here Join them in praying 24/7 for Church and regional renewal, transformation, and awakening. Tony Sousa, Senior Warden of Church of Our Father in Hulls Cove, encourages churches in our diocese to become involved.  is a nondenominational effort to renew Christianity in New England. Transformation Northeast
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.
Island-wide Shared Worship Resumes in October 

Island-wide worship on the fourth Sunday of the month will resume on October 23, 2022 and will be hosted at St. Mary's-by-the-Sea. 
AND, AS ALWAYS . . .
$$   No Frills Oil Discount  $$
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.

If you would like to set up automatic payments for your pledge, 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 (cash, check, etc.).
Donate to Your Church
Stewardship: 
If you haven't returned your pledge card, please do so now.
If you did not receive a pledge card and would like to, please contact the parish office.
 
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.

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 podcastA 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 take out meals at St. Dunstan's, 134 State Street, Ellsworth each Monday from 2:30 to 4 pm. There is now also a free Brown Bag Lunch program on Fridays from 12 Noon to 2 pm.  Call 973-287-9926 to reserve your lunch.  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/
The church office is staffed Wednesdays from 10 am to 1 pm
If you need to be in touch with the Parish Administrator, email or call and leave a message anytime.


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

The church office is staffed Tuesdays from 10 am to 1 pm
If you need to be in touch with the Parish Administrator, email or call and leave a message anytime.



The sanctuary and parish hall of all churches are accessible.


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