Dear friends,
Happy New Year! Joseph Henry and I had a great trip to Santa Fe. It is such a beautiful part of the country. It was very good for us to be away, but I am ready now to get back into some kind of normal routine. This Sunday we will return to our “normal” worship schedule of services at 8:30 and 10:45. There will not be Sunday School. Instead during that time (9:30-10:30) there will be training for lectors and lay readers — for both those who are already in those roles and those who are interested in becoming part of those ministries.
Here’s a brief description of the two different roles. A lector reads the scripture lessons, either from the Old Testament or the Epistles. Usually the lector comes up from the congregation (or choir) to read, then returns to the pew. A lay reader is vested and sits up front during the service. The lay reader’s job is to carry the cross in procession, read the Prayers of the People, help set the altar for communion, and help in serving communion. At the 8:30 service the lay reader also reads the lessons.
Anyone who is interested is invited to participate in these important roles. It doesn’t matter how long you have been here. If you’re interested please come Sunday.
This Sunday we will also do the blessing of calendars and watches for the new year.
We have two outreach projects going on now. We should be hearing soon about our refugee family — who they are, where they’re from, and when they’re arriving. So that they can arrive to a fully furnished apartment we are having a “shower” to provide the things of daily life that they will need. Here is a link to the things we hope to provide. Sign up for what you can give, and bring it to the parish hall, where all the gifts are on display. Thanks to Jessica Peoples for putting together this comprehensive list.
https://www.giftster.com/gift/public/jDxhm
The other project we are doing now is for Church of the Common Ground, a congregation of primarily unhoused people that meets every Sunday at Woodruff Park. They go through a lot of coffee, particularly in the winter. Their priest Kim Jackson says they are set with coffee, but need sugar and creamer. We are collecting five-pound (or more) bags of sugar and large containers of coffee mate or creamer (not individual packets). We will be collecting these through January. You can put them in the red wagon in the narthex.
I look forward to seeing you again Sunday.
With love,
Tricia
P.S. Here is some important information about the shower for the refugee family.
Shower with Love
Our refugee family will be arriving in the next couple of weeks. As part of our welcome, we want to equip their new home with basic necessities (and some extra nice touches). From now until January 12th, you are invited to “Shower Them with Love” by contributing items on the attached link. The link is to a gift registry app that will let us avoid duplication. If you have any problems with the app or questions, contact Suzanne Johnson
Some important things to note:
1. Gently used items in good, clean condition are fine.
2. The app indicates particular brands and particular stores. You can ignore those suggestions. They are part of the advertising embedded in the app. Just click on the “purchase” button rather than the store button and buy or bring whatever brand you want.
3. Bring your items to the church by January 12th and place them on the tables at the front of the parish hall. If you are ordering items online, you can have them delivered to the church. If you are donating twin beds or mattresses, call Suzanne to arrange for pickup.
4. If you have other items that you think the family could use that are not on the list, please contact Suzanne before donating them.
5. Most of the items and quantities are what is required as part of the US government’s refugee resettlement protocol, so it is important that we provide as many of these items as possible so that the cash we donated can be used by the family for rent and utilities until they find jobs.