January 14, 2010

A few reminders for the coming week:
Regular schedule this coming Sunday, January 17th with services at 8 and 10.

The "Faith, Life, and the Episcopal Church" discussion group continues. This Wednesday (Jan. 20, from 10:00 to 11:30) we will explore chapter 5 on Faith. If you'd like to join us and haven't yet, let me know and I'll photocopy the chapter for you and give it to you on Sunday. An informal Service of Holy Eucharist follows at 11:45. If you'd like, bring a brown bag lunch and stay to eat together.

Also on Wednesday: Ann Hamilton of the Cooperative Extension Service will be coming to offer a Class on Food Safety from 5 to 7. Dinner Bell cook teams and others who use the kitchen are strongly urged to attend. It will be preceded by soup at 4:30.

Other notes of interest:
Responding to the disaster in Haiti: We have placed envelopes in the pews to facilitate contributions through Episcopal Relief and Development. ERD has a strong, ongoing relationship with the people of Haiti through the 110 Episcopal churches and the 200+ Episcopal schools in the Diocese of Haiti which has 83,000 Episcopalians!!! As a relief organization, ERD is top-rated and highly effective. (Google Episcopal Relief and Development Haiti for background material.) Donations can be made on line as well, but if you would like to contribute through St. Andrew's then we as a parishcan be aware of the combined extend of our individual generosity. And, yes, 100% of your contribution will go to ERD Haiti Relief.

"Temporary inconvenience. Permanent improvement." A number of the church windows have been removed and now have plywood covering the openings. This is good! Our painter has removed them to take to his shop and work on restoring them. They'll return in a couple of weeks.

Mark your calendar:

We will host a Ham and Home-made Baked Bean Supper here at St. Andrew's at 6:00 on Friday, January 29th, a fundraiser for the organizations our parish supports through Outreach and Mission. Stay warm. Enjoy community. Invite your friends. $10.00 for adults, $5 for children.

Saturday additions (January 16th):

On the topic of Haiti...
I have received a number of calls suggesting that we consider some kind of commitment to Haiti at our upcoming meeting to discuss fine-tuning our parish focus on Mission and Outreach. I assure you, this will definitely be part of that discussion to which all are welcome which is scheduled for January 24th (a week from tomorrow) following the 10:00 service.

Also, any who are interested are invited to gather during coffee hour tomorrow after each service to share our concerns, information, prayers, hope, and support for each other as we all struggle to respond to the great pain of this disaster.

The National Cathedral in Washington DC will be offering a service of prayer for Haiti on Sunday afternoon at 6 pm. It will be led by our presiding bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, and the bishop of Washington, the Haitian ambassador, together with others. There will be live webcast as well as CNN coverage.
[Click here for webcast on demand from the National Cathedral's website.]

See you in church.
Blessings, Heidi+