October 26, 2017


Bishop Hirschfeld will preside at St. Andrew's this Sunday

-               JOIN US FOR WORSHIP             -

THIS SUNDAY, October 29th, The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, there will be two services at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Bishop Hirschfeld will preside for both services and there will be an informal Q & A with him after the 10:00 a.m. service.
There is a service of Morning Prayer on Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m.
There will be a Taize service on Wednesday, November 1st at 5:30 p.m.
Evening Taize Service

Are you looking for a time of peace and quiet
for reflection and contemplation?


 


Join us at St. Andrew’s-in-the-Valley
on Wednesday, November 1 at 5:30 pm
for an evening service of prayer, silence and song following the tradition
of the Taize Community in France.

Music will be led by harpist Valerie May.


All Are Welcome!

We hope you will join us for worship and fellowship.
-              READINGS FOR SUNDAY            -

Sunday, October 29, 2017
Proper 25, Year A
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Matthew 22:34-46

-          ALL SAINTS SUNDAY & PLEDGE INGATHERING       -
All Saints’ Sunday is November 5th. One Service only at 9 AM.
followed by the Stewardship Brunch.
Do you have names of people whom you would like to have remembered on All Saints’ Day?  Please fill out a form from the bulletin table or email them to Debra at office@standrewsinthevalley.org by Thursday, October 26th.


-            FROM THE INTERIM RECTOR           -

I just received the October edition of Monastic Wisdom Monthly, a publication of the Society of St. John the Evangelist. This month’s topic is silence.  I find their writings to be straightforward, to the point, and always helpful, so I share portions of this month’s Monastic Wisdom Monthly below.

Ways to practice silence (from SSJE):
Sit for five minutes in complete silence, observing (as an objective outsider) the sounds you are aware of in your environment, your thoughts, any physical sensations, and your feelings. What is it like to pay attention to yourself and your surroundings in this way? Practice silence each day.

Is there a time in your day where God gets your full attention? Sit quietly in God’s presence, perhaps repeating gently a prayerful word until you are still. Then, listen to the world around you and within you, listen to the words of scripture as if they were addressed to you, listen for God’s still, small voice deep within you.

Make a retreat (or take a quiet morning). Separate yourself from the noise of your daily routines, find a quiet place (like a monastery or a field or a hilltop). Let your inner busyness die down and fade away as you let go of your tasks and deadlines, your preoccupations and distractions, your thoughts and your feelings. What is it like to simply be?

OR…… Come to the Taize Service on Wednesday, November 1 at 5:30 pm, where there will be plenty of silence.

-          PLEDGE PROGRESS        -

Help us reach our Goals!


Rector Search Fund 
Goal ~ $ 20,000

31 pledges $ 8,449.00


2018 Stewardship Pledge 
Goal ~$ (to be determined)

21 pledges $ 74,469.00

-          ChIPs & United Thank Offering        -

It’s that time of year for giving!

Over the next two Sundays we will collect gifts for ChIPs and United Thank Offering (UTO).  Each October we invite contributions which will be taken to the Diocesan Convention on November 4th by the Delegates.
The CHiPs program (Children of Incarcerated Persons) collects gifts and monetary donations ($25 this year) to be given to the children of those who are in prison. If you would like to purchase gifts, please click 2017 ChIP’s Gift Guidelines or find them in the bulletin, or on the parish hall table on Sunday.

UTO: The first priority of The United Thank Offering is to encourage the spiritual practice of gratitude and then to give grants from the abundant collection of coins and bills given each year to our Blue Boxes. In 2017 the United Thank Offering annual grant recipients, seminarian and young adult grant recipients are working towards evangelism and reconciliation as a part of the Jesus Movement. The United Thank Offering of the Episcopal Church awarded 47 grants for a total of $1,169,969.55 for the mission and ministry of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. The 2017 grants were awarded to 34 Episcopal Church Dioceses, 8 Companion Relationships, 4 International Dioceses/ Provinces and 1 to continue our tradition of supporting Episcopal Church missionaries.
If you are giving by check to St. Andrew’s, please mark in the memo line “ChIPs or UTO”. You may leave your contributions in the office or drop them in the collection plate.

Thank you for your generosity to these very important outreach programs.

-          “FUN” RAISING        -
A favorite event is coming soon!  
The Harvest Supper and Pie Auction is scheduled for Friday, November 17th with supper at 6pm followed by the pie auction at 7.  Volunteer help is always needed.  And of course pies, those are definitely needed. 


-                DINNER BELL              -

Dinner Bell cook team for this Sunday October 29th
UUFES

Dinner Bell cook team for next Sunday November 5th
HUCKMAN
~
Thank you for your volunteer
work in this special Outreach program!

-                SEARCH COMMITTEE               -
The Parish Profile is completed!
Click on “Parish Profile” button to read!
 
With joy at the completion of the Parish Profile, the Search Committee now begins a new phase of its work: the receiving and reading of applications from our prospective candidates. The applications, vetted by the Bishop and The Rev. Canon Hannah Anderson, will be sent to us from Diocesan House in Concord. After this, we will conduct Skype interviews with each of the candidates. We think, with time given to prayerful reflection, that this phase will occupy us through November. If so, we will start scheduling visits to parishes in Advent.
We continue to be encouraged by your prayers: keep them coming!
Lisa Thompson, Search Committee
SEARCH TIME-LINE for 2017
October-November: Begin receiving names and applications of candidates.  Reading and reviewing applications.
Prayer for St. Andrew’s during the search process.
Everliving and everloving Lord, as we are in the midst of your challenging task to search for our new rector, we pray that you continue to lead your parish to be in one mind and spirit through the conclusion of this journey.  May we be strong in the assurance that you are guiding us and carrying us safely to calling the person you have chosen to be our rector.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

Search Committee
Pat Adams, Betsy Hess, Tom Huckman, Cathie Lewis, George Rau, Lisa Thompson.
-          COMMUNITY FOOD CENTER         -

The Food Pantry thanks you for your contributions throughout the year.
The monthly item for October is Deoderant for men/women.
-  TAMWORTH COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS PROJECT -

(TCCP) Tamworth Community Christmas Project 2017 
P.O. Box 230 Chocorua, NH 03817 

Dear Friends & Neighbors:
For Twenty Five years the Tamworth Community Christmas Project has provided warm winter coats, boots, hats and gloves to children from Tamworth. Through referrals from the Brett School, The Bearcamp Valley School, the Tamworth Community Nurse office and others, the families are selected.  The parent/guardian completes a form that gives the age and size of the child as well as their specific needs. We have many volunteer shoppers who then shop and select items for the children.  TCCP annually provides for over 50 children. 

This annual appeal letter is sent to the residents and businesses of Tamworth. TCCP is asking that you consider sending a donation to help buy these needed items for those children in Tamworth who might go without. 
The only funding is from you, the TCCP supporters. We need your continued support. 

TCCP is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization, which means that if you make a contribution it is considered a tax deduction. TCCP appreciates all donations and thanks you for taking the time to donate so that we can make a difference in the life of a Tamworth child.  The only expense incurred is the printing and mailing of this appeal letter.  The small board of directors organizes this project each year and serve only as volunteers. 

This year we think fondly of Rev. Peg Custer and her husband Lee who passed away recently. They had the vision for this project and we work hard to follow it.  We shop for the children between November 15th and December 15th so early contributions help us fulfill this mission in a timely fashion. 

Please consider sending a donation to TCCP, PO Box 230, Chocorua, NH 03817 

As always the board promises you that we will use your donation for the purpose intended and that many children in Tamworth will be warm this winter because of you. Thank you in advance for your generosity and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season. 

The Board of the TCCP Susan Peter, Melissa Smith, Susan Colten, Lisa Remick,  Lorraine Streeter, Donna Ulitz,  & Cathy Baybutt

tamworthchristmasproject@gmail.com

-                 FOOD FOR THOUGHT               -

          
-      FORWARD DAY BY DAY FOR TODAY     -
THURSDAY, October 26th
Ezra 1:2-3 “Thus says King Cyrus of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of those among you who are of his people—may their God be with them!—are now permitted to go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.”
In 539 BCE, the world changes. Cyrus, the king of Persia, becomes the ruler of Babylon. Suddenly the nations under Babylonian control are given the right to worship their own gods and rebuild their own temples. For the people of Israel living in exile, this means return and restoration to the Promised Land and to Jerusalem.
God—always sovereign—stirs up the spirit of King Cyrus, whose decree sets a new exodus in motion. However, this new exodus is not the dramatic and unified mass movement of the people under Moses. Ezra and Nehemiah are clear that this movement has several complicated phases and leaders. Many exiles elect to remain in Babylon rather than return to Israel.
Think about the powers that hold you captive. What would your path of return look like? Would you be willing to get on the road to restoration?
MOVING FORWARD: Share a picture or story of returning to a beloved or holy place with us at #ForwardDayByDay.


-             FROM Deb IN THE OFFICE            -

If you are inclined to travel a bit, I am hosting a coloring group on Tuesday, November 7th at 5:00 p.m. at All Saints Church in Wolfeboro. Please Let me know if you will be attending.

-   OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES   -

If you do not see your birthday or anniversary listed, please make sure Deb in the office has an information sheet on file for you.
     
Birthdays
5        Ray Walker
9        Joan Wright, Peter Thompson
11      Barbara Worcester, Rob Walty
20      Lois Brady
22      Sally DeGroot, John McGowan
27      Larry Grace
28      Dick Wakefield, Dwight Baldwin

Anniversaries
8        Judy & Larry Grace


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