1895 Laurel, Saint Paul MN 55104

Saint Mary's Episcopal Church

1895 Laurel Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104

Saint Mary’s Weekly – November 26, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, November 28, 2021

  • First Message: Jeremiah 33:14-16
  • Gospel: Luke 21:25-36    
10:00am – Adapted Morning Prayer Worship Service In-person and via Zoom with social time to follow for those worshipping in person (see “What’s New” in Worship Team section) and Zoom gathering for those worshipping virtually. Instead of a Homily, we’ll hear Bishop Loya’s Address to the ECMN Convention on November 5, 2021.

The new format for the 10am service has seemed to work well for those attending virtually. Please join via Zoom in the link below and the Zoom Host will share the Live Stream. This will allow all of those attending virtually to interact during the service.

For the 10am Zoom worship service on November 28, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 277625
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 818 4016 4967
 
To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 818 4016 4967
If asked for a passcode, use 277625
 
For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
Lighting of Advent Wreath Candles – Click HERE
NEW! For the 2021 Advent Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Update on the October 21st Letter from Bishop Loya

Finance Committee

Children and Youth

Outreach

Prayers in the Weekly

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by Ginny DeLuca, Worship Team member

Nurturing the Roots of Our Community:
An Advent Service of Healing and Renewal 
led by The Rev. Susan M. Moss
Saturday, Dec. 4th at 4pm

Let us prepare the way for renewal at Saint Mary’s as we experience Advent this year. Join us for a Healing and Renewal Service, Saturday Dec. 4, 2021 at 4pm. 

Saint Mary’s has experienced many changes these past few years, some which went smoother than others, to say the least. On November 28th we enter the season of Advent in preparation for the birth of Jesus as we also prepare to call a new Rector. There have been requests to have a time where all our community may gather together and support each other as we heal; a time to come with our faith and doubts, hopes and fears as we prepare for what that exciting future can be! No matter where we are on our journey, we recognize that the community of Saint Mary’s is important to us.

In her October 24th sermon, Susan Moss reminded us about a gardener’s care when she and her neighbors rescued and transplanted perennials from the backyard of a house on their alley that had been torn down. “Some of the plants were really tattered…we reminded each other– protect the roots!… we need to protect  that which has been entrusted to our care.”  This definitely sums up our community; we’re feeling a bit ragged, some of us more than others. Remember, our roots are good, we need to nurture them, protect and care for them. Let us all create space for a time to be together to offer that care, show support, and pray as we prepare to move forward and thrive. God is Good!

What’s New?

  • To listen to the homily given by The Rev. Susan Moss on November 21st, Click HERE.
  • Winter temps are now with us and the Worship Team has discussed how to do Social Time for in-person worshippers in a COVID-safe way. Here’s what we came up with! Some folks may still want to gather outside, and that’s just fine…feel free to gather in front of the entrance as you’ve done in the past or in the “garth” (which would give you some protection from the wind). People can also stay inside and gather in the entryway area with the front doors and doors to the “garth” open for good air flow…even better protection from the wind and hopefully a little warmer than outside. Let’s give it a try…and please give us your feedback and other ideas.
  • Worship Schedule
    • There will be a Christmas Pageant. The date is TBD.
    • Sun—Nov 28…10am adapted Morning Prayer—Advent 1 (Bishop Loya’s Convention Address)
    • Sat— Dec 4……4pm Nurturing the Roots of Our Community: An Advent Service of Healing and Renewal” (The Rev. Susan Moss, officiant)
    • Sun—Dec 5……10am Eucharist—Advent 2 (The Rev. Susan Moss)
    • Sun—Dec 12…..8am adapted Morning Prayer–Advent 3 (Zoom only)
    • Sun—Dec 12….4pm Lessons & Carols—Advent 3 (The Rev. Susan Moss, officiant)
    • Sun—Dec 19….10am Eucharist—Advent 4 (The Rev. Lydia Huttar Brown)
    • Fri— Dec 24……4pm Eucharist—Christmas Eve (The Rev. Susan Moss)
    • Sat— Dec 25…..No service
    • Sun—Dec 26…. Let’s Zoom together to St. Mark’s Cathedral in Mpls–More info to come                       
    • Sun—Jan 2…….10am Christmas carols & adapted Morning Prayer
  • On December 4th and Eucharist Sundays in Advent, the sacrament of Laying on of Hands & Annointing will be offered.
  • And another free Advent Devotional…this one by Kate Bowler entitled “The Season of Almost: A 4-week Advent Devotional”. Kate says:
    Many of us still feel we are living in uncertainty. We feel exhausted and weary under the weight of this distended anxiety and fear. And yet, the long dawn of Advent is coming. Advent is the season of almost. Almost Christmas. Almost an end to a pandemic. Almost vaccines for everyone. As we learn to sit in the faint glow of a long Advent which begins this Sunday, November 28th , we need gentle reminders to look for hope and beauty and love. My hope and prayer is that this will be a way for us to make the very act of waiting, holy. And as we anticipate Christ’s birth together, may we experience the stubborn hope of Christmas, joy in the midst of sorrow, a love that knows no bounds, and a transcendent peace amid a world on fire. Jesus can’t be born soon enough. 
    Click HERE to download this devotional.
  • Do you know about #AdventWord? 28 daily words, meditations and images will be offered during this holy season beginning Sunday, November 28.  There is also a new Advent devotional published by Forward Movement, Promise & Praise, which corresponds with the daily reflection words of AdventWord, including reflections by Bishop Curry and Lisa Kimball who teaches at VTS (Virginia Theological Seminary) and who some of you know.  Click HERE to learn more and to sign up for AdventWord.
  • The Worship Team is looking for new members who would like to help plan the liturgy for one season. Advent is already planned so we’re looking ahead to Epiphany. Epiphany Sundays  include January 9 through February 27 ( 7 Sundays). Planning for these Sundays will start at the Worship Team meeting  on Tuesday, December 7, from 4-6pm at St Mary’s. Click HERE if you’re interested in joining us!

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Update on the October 21st Letter from Bishop Loya

This will be the final posting of this message in the Weekly.

In his October 21st pastoral letter to St. Marians Bishop Loya wrote:

… I recognize that given the nature of LeeAnne’s departure, some of you may want to have a conversation with her in order to bring closure to your pastoral relationship with her. If so, please be in touch with my office, and I will work with you and LeeAnne to arrange for you to meet. 

To make an appointment with The Rev. LeeAnne Watkins for the purposes of bringing closure to a pastoral relationship, please contact Karen Olson, Missioner for Ministry at karen.o@episcopalmn.org or call Karen at 612-423-3902 (cell)
 
Available times: Monday 9-4; Wednesday 1-8; Friday 9-4
Place: St John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, 60 Kent Street, St. Paul 55102
 
The names of those who want to schedule time with LeeAnne are confidential and will not be shared. Conversations are private.

Please contact us if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Brian Nerbonne, Warden michigander_guy@yahoo.com
Susan Moss, Transition Priest susan@saintmarysepiscopal.org

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Updates from the Finance Committee monthly meeting

Due to two large contributions, pledge donations were $7.2K over budget for the month of October. Pledge contributions are now $32,600 over budget for the year. Total income for the year is $31,400 over budget. Expenses were $3,700 under budget for October and are $31,300 under budget for the year. One of the contributing factors to lower expenses is that the approved budget includes a ¾ time priest with benefits effective July 1, 2021, and we continue to employ only an interim priest at 15 hours/week.
 
Year to date, we are running $62,700 ahead of budget based on our deficit budget of ($23,232). In other words, we currently have a $39,500 surplus for the year. We expect lower than monthly pledge income in November and December given a number of parishioners have fulfilled their annual pledges in the last several months through large donations. Regardless, we are now projecting that we may at least end the year with a balanced budget, which is better than expected! Thanks to each of you for your continued financial support of St. Mary’s!
 
If you have any questions regarding our budget or financial status, please feel free to contact Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, at 651-308-4895 or rexaholzemer@gmail.com.
 

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St. Mary’s Children’s and Youth for Fall

Youth Group:
Join Kat for youth group on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm-8:00pm We are excited that the youth will be back in person again this year! Just a reminder that Youth Group is for young people who are 7th through 12th grade.
 
Tweeners:
Join Mia and Emily for Tweeners on Thursdays from 7-7:45pm. Please note that Tweens will be on THURSDAY and not on WEDNESDAY due to the availability of the tweens that expressed interest! The meeting will be virtual. Please contact Mia for the link!
 
Family Advent Resources:
Parents, here are some advent resources that emphasize ideas that can work well for your Family Advent adventures at home. There are some great ideas in the newsletter for each week. Each week emphasizes advent in a different country! Take the time to learn about traditions in the Philippines, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Norway. They also give ideas for creating together (a craft), serving together (family service) and exploring together! Enjoy this time together as a family, bringing church into your home this Advent season. 
 
 

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All Our Good Holiday Giving

Nina Johnson is asking for your help in collecting donations for the annual holiday community event sponsored by Zion Baptist Church, We Win Institute, and the Racial Justice Network. Several St. Marians donated a total of 100 gift cards last year to this cause, and it was a huge success!

Event details: 

“All Our Good Holiday Giving”
Saturday, December 18
11:00am-3:00pm
Zion Baptist Church
621 Elwood Ave N, Minneapolis
Hosted by Zion Baptist Church, We Win Institute, and Racial Justice Network

Last year we welcomed over 300 adults and children and gave away over 1,600 toys, books, and gift cards in 2 hours. This year, we’re doubling the length of the event and we plan to double the amount of inventory.  

What we need–

*2500 gifts (ages birth to 18 years)
*1000 Target, Walmart, Cub Foods gift cards ($10)
*$5,000 to purchase books by Black authors and illustrators

Several other churches, community partners, and corporate partners are also being asked to help make this happen. Since we know there are supply chain issues this season, we’re asking for your help in securing dollars or gifts as soon as possible. 

Please let Nina Johnson know how you can help. Organizers are hoping to have a preliminary total number of gifts, gift cards, and/or dollars by December 5, if possible, so we can plan accordingly.

Please contact Nina Johnson at 651-308-8663 or nina@jazmn.net with any questions.

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The Angel Tree is Back!

Starting next week, the weekly will have a link to a student at Galtier School whom the social worker has identified as someone to receive an angel tree gift provided by the generous families of St. Mary’s.

We will be provided the age, gender and sizes of clothing for each child and since we can’t have a real angel tree this year, please open the link and sign up for either an article of clothing or a toy/gift/game.

Then please wrap your gift in a holiday gift bag , put the child’s number very conspicuously on the outside (for later sorting) and bring it to the main church lobby NO LATER THAN Sunday, December 19 where they will be sorted and bagged by child number and loaded into cars for delivery to Galtier school on Monday morning

We will also be collecting $10 gift cards to Walmart, Target or Cub to give to the social worker to use during the year as she becomes aware of needs. If you would prefer to write a check for your gift cards, please put your check in the offering plate or mail it to the church office (1895 Laurel Ave, St Paul, 5104). We will be happy to shop for you. Be sure to write angel tree in memo line of your check.

Thanks in advance for your generosity.

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KIVA Loans – St. Mary’s “Out in the World”

Once again the KIVA loans that were re-paid to St Mary’s totaled over $1000—it takes about 3 months for this to happen!! So, once again this $1000+ was turned into new loans made to people around the world…loans made to Moldova, Kenya, Madagascar (2), Sierra Leone and Guatemala (2)…7 loans in all to enable people to start or expand their small businesses.

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Prayer Requests

Please pray for those on Saint Mary’s prayer list: Don; Anne; Kirby; Amara; Bishop Craig Loya as he leads the ECMN; all frontline workers; all who are thinking about getting or waiting to get a COVID vaccine or booster; all who are sick, anxious, struggling financially; all who care for the sick and dying; all who work for new systems of justice and equity; all who are in need of prayer.

If you would like a name to be added to Saint Mary’s public prayer list, please email claire1412@gmail.com. The prayer list will be updated weekly, and all prayers will remain on the list for one month unless otherwise requested.

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 11/26 – 12/2

Sunday, November 28, 2021
Hybrid Worship Service In-Person and via Zoom
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Compline
7:30pm
Link

Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Youth Group
6:30pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, December 2, 2021
Tweeners
7:00pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, December 2, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, December 2, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – November 19, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, November 21, 2021

  • First Message: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
  • Gospel: John 18:33-37   
10:00am – Eucharist Worship Service In-person and via Zoom with distanced social time to follow for those worshipping in person, and Zoom gathering for those worshipping virtually. This Sunday, The Rev. Susan Moss will be the preacher and celebrant.

The new format for the 10am service has seemed to work well for those attending virtually. Please join via Zoom in the link below and the Zoom Host will share the Live Stream. This will allow all of those attending virtually to interact during the service.

For the 10am Zoom worship service on November 21, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 277625
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 818 4016 4967
 
To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 818 4016 4967
If asked for a passcode, use 277625
 
For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Fall Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Update on the October 21st Letter from Bishop Loya

Saint Mary’s Stewardship 2022

Finance Committee

Children and Youth

Outreach

Prayers in the Weekly

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by Ginny DeLuca, Worship Team member

Nurturing the Roots of Our Community:
An Advent Service of Healing and Renewal 
led by The Rev. Susan M. Moss
Saturday, Dec. 4th at 4pm

Let us prepare the way for renewal at Saint Mary’s as we experience Advent this year. Join us for a Healing and Renewal Service, Saturday Dec. 4, 2021 at 4pm. 

Saint Mary’s has experienced many changes these past few years, some which went smoother than others, to say the least. On November 28th we enter the season of Advent in preparation for the birth of Jesus as we also prepare to call a new Rector. There have been requests to have a time where all our community may gather together and support each other as we heal; a time to come with our faith and doubts, hopes and fears as we prepare for what that exciting future can be! No matter where we are on our journey, we recognize that the community of Saint Mary’s is important to us.

In her October 24th sermon, Susan Moss reminded us about a gardener’s care when she and her neighbors rescued and transplanted perennials from the backyard of a house on their alley that had been torn down. “Some of the plants were really tattered…we reminded each other– protect the roots!… we need to protect  that which has been entrusted to our care.”  This definitely sums up our community; we’re feeling a bit ragged, some of us more than others. Remember, our roots are good, we need to nurture them, protect and care for them. Let us all create space for a time to be together to offer that care, show support, and pray as we prepare to move forward and thrive. God is Good!

What’s New?

  • To listen to the homily given by Steve Andrews on November 14th, Click HERE.
  • Do you know about #AdventWord? 28 daily words, meditations and images will be offered during this holy season beginning Sunday, November 28.  There is also a new Advent devotional published by Forward Movement, Promise & Praise, which corresponds with the daily reflection words of AdventWord, including reflections by Bishop Curry and Lisa Kimball who teaches at VTS (Virginia Theological Seminary) and who some of you know.  Click HERE to learn more and to sign up for AdventWord.
  • The Worship Team is looking for new members who would like to help plan the liturgy for one season. Advent is already planned so we’re looking ahead to Epiphany. Epiphany Sundays  include January 9 through February 27 ( 7 Sundays). Planning for these Sundays will start at the Worship Team meeting  on Tuesday, December 7, from 4-6pm at St Mary’s. Click HERE if you’re interested in joining us!
  • Worship Schedule
    • Sun—Nov 21…10am Eucharist –Last Sunday in Pentecost
    • Sun—Nov 28…10am adapted Morning Prayer—Advent 1
    • Sat—  Dec 4……4pm—Advent Service of Healing and Renewal led by The Rev. Susan M. Moss
    • Sun—Dec 5……10am Eucharist—Advent 2
    • Sun—Dec 12….4pm Lessons & Carols—Advent 3
    • Sun—Dec 19….10am Eucharist—Advent 4
    • Fri—   Dec 24…..4pm Eucharist—Christmas Eve
    • Sat—  Dec 25…..No service
    • Sun—Dec 26…. Let’s Zoom together to St. Mark’s Cathedral in Minneapolis—More info to come
    • Sun—Jan 2…….10am Christmas carols & adapted Morning Prayer

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Update on the October 21st Letter from Bishop Loya

In his October 21st pastoral letter to St. Marians Bishop Loya wrote:

… I recognize that given the nature of LeeAnne’s departure, some of you may want to have a conversation with her in order to bring closure to your pastoral relationship with her. If so, please be in touch with my office, and I will work with you and LeeAnne to arrange for you to meet. 

To make an appointment with The Rev. LeeAnne Watkins for the purposes of bringing closure to a pastoral relationship, please contact Karen Olson, Missioner for Ministry at karen.o@episcopalmn.org or call Karen at 612-423-3902 (cell)
 
Available dates for LeeAnne: After November 22
Available times: Monday 9-4; Wednesday 1-8; Friday 9-4
Place: St John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, 60 Kent Street, St. Paul 55102
 

The names of those who want to schedule time with LeeAnne are confidential and will not be shared. Conversations are private.

Please contact us if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Brian Nerbonne, Warden michigander_guy@yahoo.com

Susan Moss, Transition Priest susan@saintmarysepiscopal.org

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Faithful Belonging: Now and in the Future –  Stewardship 2022

THANK YOU to all who sent in a pledge to St. Mary’s for 2022.

  • 39 pledges received totaling $125,389

Our 2022 stewardship campaign is over, but financial contributions can be made at any time by accessing the St. Mary’s website (www.saintmarysepiscopal.org), selecting the CONTRIBUTE tab and scrolling to the Faithful Belonging – Stewardship 2022 menu option.

As a reminder, we have several ways you can pay your pledge:

  • By check made out to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.
  • Electronic Funds transfer from your bank. Contact our treasurer, Rex Holzemer (rexaholzemer@gmail.com) for details on how this works.
  • Click the CONTRIBUTE tab at the top of our website (CLICK HERE) and select Give Now Online from the menu to set up a Vanco account to put your pledge on a credit card or have it withdrawn from your bank account. Note: If you choose this option, please check the processing fee box (2.75% for credit cards and 1% for bank accounts) to help cover the processing fee.  This fee will be included in your pledge statement at the end of the year, so you get the tax credit and St. Mary’s won’t have to pay the processing fee.

Thank you for your contribution and your support,

Cindy James and Jim Wheeler

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Updates from the Finance Committee monthly meeting

Due to two large contributions, pledge donations were $7.2K over budget for the month of October. Pledge contributions are now $32,600 over budget for the year. Total income for the year is $31,400 over budget. Expenses were $3,700 under budget for October and are $31,300 under budget for the year. One of the contributing factors to lower expenses is that the approved budget includes a ¾ time priest with benefits effective July 1, 2021, and we continue to employ only an interim priest at 15 hours/week.
 
Year to date, we are running $62,700 ahead of budget based on our deficit budget of ($23,232). In other words, we currently have a $39,500 surplus for the year. We expect lower than monthly pledge income in November and December given a number of parishioners have fulfilled their annual pledges in the last several months through large donations. Regardless, we are now projecting that we may at least end the year with a balanced budget, which is better than expected! Thanks to each of you for your continued financial support of St. Mary’s!
 
If you have any questions regarding our budget or financial status, please feel free to contact Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, at 651-308-4895 or rexaholzemer@gmail.com.
 

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St. Mary’s Children’s and Youth for Fall

Youth Group:
There is no youth group scheduled for Wednesday, November 24, 2021. Youth group resumes the following week.
Join Kat for youth group on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm-8:00pm We are excited that the youth will be back in person again this year! Just a reminder that Youth Group is for young people who are 7th through 12th grade.
 
Tweeners:
There is no Tweeners on Thursday, November 25, 2021. Tweeners resumes the following week. 
Join Mia and Emily for Tweeners on Thursdays from 7-7:45pm. Please note that Tweens will be on THURSDAY and not on WEDNESDAY due to the availability of the tweens that expressed interest! The meeting will be virtual. Please contact Mia for the link!
 
Tweeners Thanksgiving Fundraiser
The Tweeners would like to raise money for The Hallie Q Brown Food Shelf this Thanksgiving Season as a way to express gratitude and to give back.  Check out their Video (Click HERE!) enticing you to give. You can give easily on this website platform or send a check to the church with “Hallie Q” in the memo (so we know your intent). Tweeners have a goal of raising $300 to help hunger this Thanksgiving season.
 
 

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All Our Good Holiday Giving

Nina Johnson is asking for your help in collecting donations for the annual holiday community event sponsored by Zion Baptist Church, We Win Institute, and the Racial Justice Network. Several St. Marians donated a total of 100 gift cards last year to this cause, and it was a huge success!

Event details: 

“All Our Good Holiday Giving”
Saturday, December 18
11:00am-3:00pm
Zion Baptist Church
621 Elwood Ave N, Minneapolis
Hosted by Zion Baptist Church, We Win Institute, and Racial Justice Network

Last year we welcomed over 300 adults and children and gave away over 1,600 toys, books, and gift cards in 2 hours. This year, we’re doubling the length of the event and we plan to double the amount of inventory.  

What we need–

*2500 gifts (ages birth to 18 years)
*1000 Target, Walmart, Cub Foods gift cards ($10)
*$5,000 to purchase books by Black authors and illustrators

Several other churches, community partners, and corporate partners are also being asked to help make this happen. Since we know there are supply chain issues this season, we’re asking for your help in securing dollars or gifts as soon as possible. 

Please let Nina Johnson know how you can help. Organizers are hoping to have a preliminary total number of gifts, gift cards, and/or dollars by December 5, if possible, so we can plan accordingly.

Please contact Nina Johnson at 651-308-8663 or nina@jazmn.net with any questions.

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Prayer Requests

Please pray for those on Saint Mary’s prayer list: Don; Anne; Kirby; Amara; Bishop Craig Loya as he leads the ECMN; all frontline workers; all who are thinking about getting or waiting to a COVID vaccine or booster; all who are sick, anxious, struggling financially; all who care for the sick and dying; all who work for new systems of justice and equity; all who are in need of prayer.

If you would like a name to be added to Saint Mary’s public prayer list, please email claire1412@gmail.com. The prayer list will be updated weekly, and all prayers will remain on the list for one month unless otherwise requested.

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 11/19 – 11/26

Sunday, November 21, 2021
Hybrid Worship Service In-Person and via Zoom
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Vestry Meeting
7:00pm
For more information Click HERE

Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Compline
7:30pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – November 12, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, November 14, 2021

  • First Message: Hebrews 10: 11-25
  • Gospel: Mark 13: 1-8
8:00am – Virtual Adapted Morning Prayer Worship Service via Zoom with social time to follow. Steve Andrews will give the homily, no music, lay led.
For the 8am Zoom worship service on November 14, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 171895
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 878 4182 3048
 
10:00am – Adapted Morning Prayer service in-person and via Zoom with outdoor social time to follow for those worshipping in person and Zoom gathering for those worshipping virtually. This Sunday Steve Andrews will give the homily.

The new format for the 10am service has seemed to work well for those attending virtually. Please join via Zoom in the link below and the Zoom Host will share the Live Stream. This will allow all of those attending virtually to interact during the service.

For the 10am Zoom worship service on November 14, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 277625
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 818 4016 4967
 
To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 818 4016 4967
If asked for a passcode, use 277625
 
For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Fall Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Update on the October 21st Letter from Bishop Loya

St. Mary’s Stewardship 2022

2021 Pledge Update

Safe Church Training

Children and Youth

Outreach

Prayers in the Weekly

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

What’s New?

  • To listen to Todd Maitland’s homily given on November 7, Click HERE.
  • Sunday, November 14, 8 & 10:30am St. Mark’s Cathedral | Live streamed – Saint Mark’s Cathedral is pleased to announce that The Rev. Canon Dr. Stephanie Spellers, Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Evangelism, Reconciliation and Creation is the preacher for this year’s Fontaine Sermon series. Canon Spellers will be preaching on Sunday November 14th, at the 8am and 10:30am services with opportunity for discussion after each service. The 10:30 worship will be livestreamed, and the link will be available on the Cathedral website, ourcathedral.org. Canon Spellers’ newest book is The Church Cracked Open.
  • Do you know about #AdventWord? 28 daily words, meditations and images will be offered during this holy season beginning Sunday, November 28.  There is also a new Advent devotional published by Forward Movement, Promise & Praise, which corresponds with the daily reflection words of AdventWord, including reflections by Bishop Curry and Lisa Kimball who teaches at VTS (Virginia Theological Seminary) and who some of you know.  Click HERE to learn more and to sign up for AdventWord.
  • The Worship Team is looking for new members who would like to help plan the liturgy for one season. Advent is already planned so we’re looking ahead to Epiphany. Epiphany Sundays  include January 9 through February 27 ( 7 Sundays). Planning for these Sundays will start at the Worship Team meeting  on Tuesday, December 7, from 4-6pm at St Mary’s. Click HERE if you’re interested in joining us!
  • Worship Schedule
    • Sun—Nov 21…10am Eucharist –Last Sunday in Pentecost
    • Sun—Nov 28…10am adapted Morning Prayer—Advent 1
    • Sat—  Dec 4……4pm—Advent Service of Healing and Renewal led by The Rev. Susan M. Moss
    • Sun—Dec 5……10am Eucharist—Advent 2
    • Sun—Dec 12….4pm Lessons & Carols—Advent 3
    • Sun—Dec 19….10am Eucharist—Advent 4
    • Fri—   Dec 24…..4pm Eucharist—Christmas Eve
    • Sat—  Dec 25…..No service
    • Sun—Dec 26…. Let’s Zoom together to St. Mark’s Cathedral in Minneapolis—More info to come
    • Sun—Jan 2…….10am Christmas carols & adapted Morning Prayer

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Update on the October 21st Letter from Bishop Loya

In his October 21st pastoral letter to St. Marians Bishop Loya wrote:

… I recognize that given the nature of LeeAnne’s departure, some of you may want to have a conversation with her in order to bring closure to your pastoral relationship with her. If so, please be in touch with my office, and I will work with you and LeeAnne to arrange for you to meet. 

To make an appointment with The Rev. LeeAnne Watkins for the purposes of bringing closure to a pastoral relationship, please contact Karen Olson, Missioner for Ministry at karen.o@episcopalmn.org or call Karen at 612-423-3902 (cell)
 
Available dates for LeeAnne: After November 22
Available times: Monday 9-4; Wednesday 1-8; Friday 9-4
Place: St John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, 60 Kent Street, St. Paul 55102


The names of those who want to schedule time with LeeAnne are confidential and will not be shared. Conversations are private.

Please contact us if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Brian Nerbonne, Warden michigander_guy@yahoo.com

Susan Moss, Transition Priest susan@saintmarysepiscopal.org

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Faithful Belonging: Now and in the Future –  Stewardship 2022

Pledge Goal:  $190,000 – please have all pledges completed by November 14th.

  • 22 pledges received totaling $82,287

The finance committee is meeting on Tuesday, November 16th to determine our budget for 2022 and needs an accurate account of our pledge income. If you have not made your pledge
yet, now is the time to do it.

Stewardship thought from Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) “Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those who sang best.”

Click HERE for the Stewardship letter from Cindy James and Jim Wheeler.

Steve Andrews will be giving the stewardship sermon this Sunday, November 14th as our 2022 Stewardship campaign draws to a close.

We have a couple of ways that you can make your pledge:

  • Paper pledge cards are available again this year.  If you would like a paper pledge card, please contact Cindy James at james.c.a@comcast.net or at 651-261-4884.
  • Online pledge by accessing our stewardship page by clicking this link. Click HERE

We have several ways you can pay your pledge:

  • By check made out to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
  • Electronic Funds transfer from your bank. Contact our treasurer, Rex Holzemer (rexaholzemer@gmail.com) for details on how this works.
  • Click the CONTRIBUTE tab at the top of our website (Click HERE) and select “Give Now Online” from the menu to set up a Vanco account to put your pledge on a credit card or have it withdrawn from your bank account. Note: If you choose this option, please check the processing fee box (2.75% for credit cards and 1% for bank accounts) to help cover the processing fee.  This fee will be included in your pledge statement at the end of the year, so you get the tax credit and St. Mary’s won’t have to pay the processing fee.

Not sure how much you are currently pledging?  No problem: simply contact our pledge clerk (Enzo DeLuca) at pledgeclerk@saintmarysepiscopal.org and he will give you the information regarding your current pledge.

Thank you for your contribution and your support.

Cindy James and Jim Wheeler

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2021 Pledge Update

Are you wondering how much you have left to fulfill your pledge for calendar year 2021? Contribution statements for pledge contributions thru October 31, 2021, were sent via e-mail the first week of November. If you didn’t receive a statement, please contact Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, at 651-308-4895 or rexaholzemer@gmail.com.

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Safe Church Training

ECMN has now started Zoom Trainings for Safe Church – https://schoolforformation.org/workshops/safe-church/. It has been three years since our last in-person training at St. Mary’s and there are a number in the congregation that are due training (myself included). Those who need safe church training include vestry members, those involved in youth ministry and those with key codes.  Let me know if you have any questions about what you might need.

Aimee Sutherland
612-709-1579

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St. Mary’s Children’s and Youth for Fall

Youth Group:
Join Kat for youth group on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm-8:00pm We are excited that the youth will be back in person again this year! Just a reminder that Youth Group is for young people who are 7th through 12th grade.
 
Tweeners:
Join Mia and Emily for Tweeners on Thursdays from 7-7:45pm. Please note that Tweens will be on THURSDAY and not on WEDNESDAY due to the availability of the tweens that expressed interest! The meeting will be virtual. Please contact Mia for the link!
 

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All Our Good Holiday Giving

Nina Johnson is asking for your help in collecting donations for the annual holiday community event sponsored by Zion Baptist Church, We Win Institute, and the Racial Justice Network. Several St. Marians donated a total of 100 gift cards last year to this cause, and it was a huge success!

Event details: 

“All Our Good Holiday Giving”
Saturday, December 18
11:00am-3:00pm
Zion Baptist Church
621 Elwood Ave N, Minneapolis
Hosted by Zion Baptist Church, We Win Institute, and Racial Justice Network

Last year we welcomed over 300 adults and children and gave away over 1,600 toys, books, and gift cards in 2 hours. This year, we’re doubling the length of the event and we plan to double the amount of inventory.  

What we need–

*2500 gifts (ages birth to 18 years)
*1000 Target, Walmart, Cub Foods gift cards ($10)
*$5,000 to purchase books by Black authors and illustrators

Several other churches, community partners, and corporate partners are also being asked to help make this happen. Since we know there are supply chain issues this season, we’re asking for your help in securing dollars or gifts as soon as possible. 

Please let Nina Johnson know how you can help. Organizers are hoping to have a preliminary total number of gifts, gift cards, and/or dollars by December 5, if possible, so we can plan accordingly.

Please contact Nina Johnson at 651-308-8663 or nina@jazmn.net with any questions.

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Prayer Requests

Please pray for those on Saint Mary’s prayer list: Don; Anne; Kirby; our ECMN convention delegates; Bishop Craig Loya as he leads the ECMN; all frontline workers; all who are thinking about getting or waiting to a COVID vaccine or booster; all who are sick, anxious, struggling financially; all who care for the sick and dying; all who work for new systems of justice and equity; all who are in need of prayer.


If you would like a name to be added to Saint Mary’s public prayer list, please email claire1412@gmail.com. The prayer list will be updated weekly, and all prayers will remain on the list for one month unless otherwise requested.

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 11/12 – 11/19

Sunday, November 14, 2021
Virtual Morning Prayer via Zoom
8:00am
Link

Sunday, November 14, 2021
Hybrid Worship In-Person and via Zoom
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Finance Committee Meeting
6:30pm
For more information Click HERE

Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Compline
7:30pm
Link

Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Youth Group
6:30pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, November 18, 2021
Tweeners
7:00pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, November 18, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, November 18, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – November 5, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, November 7, 2021

Daylight Savings Time Ends Saturday night/Sunday morning! Set your clocks back 1 hour!

  • First Message: Revelation 21: 1-6a
  • Gospel: John 11: 32-44
10:00am – Eucharist Service In-person and via Zoom with outdoor social time to follow for those worshipping in person and Zoom social time for those worshipping virtually. This Sunday Todd Maitland will give the homily, entitled “The Day of the Dead: Creating Sacred Space at Home,” and The Rev. Susan Moss will be the celebrant.

The new format for the 10am service has seemed to work well for those attending virtually. Please join via Zoom in the link below and the Zoom Host will share the Live Stream. This will allow all of those attending virtually to interact during the service.

For the 10am Zoom worship service on November 7, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 277625
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 818 4016 4967
 
To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 818 4016 4967
If asked for a passcode, use 277625
 
For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Fall Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

ECMN Convention 2021 (Nov. 5-6)

Update on the October 21st Letter from Bishop Loya

A Message from our Warden

St. Mary’s Stewardship 2022

2021 Pledge Update

Safe Church Training

Children and Youth

Outreach

Prayers in the Weekly

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at St. Mary’s

Marigolds and the Day of the Dead
(from St. Mary’s member Todd Maitland, our lay preacher on All Saints’ Sunday)

On Sunday, November 7, St. Mary’s will celebrate All Saints’ Day. We will learn about the Days of the Dead as it is practiced in Mexico, where the Dias de los Muertos, October 31 to November 2, are a time to welcome the souls of departed loved ones. Families create a home altar, an ofrenda, or offering for the dead, with candles, flowers, fruit, and favorite foods of the deceased. Marigolds, which grow wild in Mexico, are gathered by the truck load, sold in markets and arranged on the ofrenda, where the pungent scent of the flowers will guide the spirits home.

Every culture must deal with the mystery of death. Many have rituals that mark the life/death/life cycle of the seasons, with autumn as a time to honor the dead. For Celtic cultures, the days around November 1 were a “thin time,” when the veil between the living and the dead becomes permeable. While the Spaniards brought Catholicism and its feast days to Mexico, the Aztecs had their own ancient ceremonies honoring the dead around this time. The Days of the Dead are a synthesis of traditions growing out of the emotional and spiritual needs of all humans.

So please bring flowers for our altar, marigolds if you have them, in jars or cans or vases, to brighten our worship. We will learn the simple and beautiful tradition of making an ofrenda in our homes, to expand the joy of this season of remembrance.

What’s New?

  • Let’s start with All Saints’ Day…
    • What is Dia de los Muertos and how does it relate to All Saints’ Day… https://churchofstmartin.org/2019/10/15/what-is-dia-de-los-muertos-and-how-does-it-relate-to-all-saints-day/
    • Remember tying ribbons on our trellis in memory of those who have died? We’ll be doing that again on Sunday. If you worship virtually, you’ll be invited to put names in the chat during the prelude and someone will tie a ribbon to the trellis in memory of those persons; if you worship in person, you’ll be invited to tie ribbons to the trellis.
    • Asperges? What is that? The liturgical practice of sprinkling with holy water as a reminder of baptism. Those worshipping in-person will experience this following the baptismal vows.  For more information: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/asperges/
    • We’ll have both bread and wine available for Eucharist! Look around and see if you have a little shot glass or cup or “your Grama’s antique sherry glass” to bring with you to church if you’d like wine. We will use the new “pouring chalice” (with a pouring lip!) to pour a bit of wine into glasses that people bring. We’ll also supply small paper “cups” if you want wine but forgot your glass.

  • Next Sunday, November 14th, there will be an 8:00am worship service and Steve Andrews will doing a “double-header”!! He’ll give the homily at both the 8am and 10am services!
  • Sunday, November 14, 8 & 10:30am St. Mark’s Cathedral | Live streamed – Saint Mark’s Cathedral is pleased to announce that The Rev. Canon Dr. Stephanie Spellers, Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Evangelism, Reconciliation and Creation is the preacher for this year’s Fontaine Sermon series. Canon Spellers will be preaching on Sunday November 14th, at the 8am and 10:30am services with opportunity for discussion after each service. The 10:30 worship will be livestreamed, and the link will be available on the Cathedral website, ourcathedral.org. Canon Spellers’ newest book is The Church Cracked Open.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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ECMN Convention 2021, November 5 – 6 online

AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE
Friday evening’s business meeting will be live streamed on Facebook and Vimeo for non-delegates.
 
All Minnesotan Episcopalians are encouraged to join in all Convention activities on Saturday, November 5. In spite of our need to stay distant again this year, it is so important that we gather as a family to pray and learn together.
 
9am: Diocesan-wide Morning Prayer – Register here.
 
10:30am & 12pm: Workshops
 
Session 1:
Post-Pandemic VITALITY: Focusing on the Essentials
with Bishop Loya, Susan Daughtry, and a panel of ECMN clergy 
-or-
DISCIPLESHIP & FAITHFUL INNOVATION: How do congregations hear God’s call to do something new?
with Christine Luna Munger, Director, Episcopal House of Prayer
 
Session 2:
DISCIPLESHIP: Storytelling: Practical Skills to Deepen Your Relationship with God & Others
with Emilia Seay Allen, Missioner for Communications
-or-
DISCIPLESHIP + JUSTICE: Praying Toward God’s Justice
With Heidi Kim
 
 
11:30am: Live stream of Bishop’s Address – on Facebook and Vimeo.
 

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Update on the October 21st Letter from Bishop Loya

In his October 21st pastoral letter to St. Marians Bishop Loya wrote:

… I recognize that given the nature of LeeAnne’s departure, some of you may want to have a conversation with her in order to bring closure to your pastoral relationship with her. If so, please be in touch with my office, and I will work with you and LeeAnne to arrange for you to meet. 

To make an appointment with The Rev. LeeAnne Watkins for the purposes of bringing closure to a pastoral relationship, please contact Karen Olson, Missioner for Ministry at karen.o@episcopalmn.org or call Karen at 612-423-3902 (cell)
 
Available dates for LeeAnne: Beginning November 8-10; after November 22
Available times: Monday 9-4; Wednesday 1-8; Friday 9-4
Place: St John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, 60 Kent Street, St. Paul 55102


The names of those who want to schedule time with LeeAnne are confidential and will not be shared. Conversations are private.

Please contact us if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Brian Nerbonne, Warden michigander_guy@yahoo.com

Susan Moss, Transition Priest susan@saintmarysepiscopal.org

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A Message from our Warden

Dear St. Mary’s community,
 
I want to share some news from the vestry related to our search for a new rector. We heard from members of St. Mary’s during our listening sessions that after 3 years of changing priests, people yearn for the stability and deeper relationships that come from a permanent rector. The vestry has been talking about ways to increase our chances of success in a future call for a rector. One option would be to post a full-time position, rather than a ¾ time position that we advertised in our previous calls.
 
A ¾ time position would require us to use some of our reserves to cover the priest’s salary and benefits A full-time position would put an even bigger draw on our reserves. However, the vestry believes this is the time to make a major investment in St. Mary’s future. We also believe it is important to demonstrate financial support from all members of  the congregation. Pledged income is needed to support a full time call so we do not exhaust our financial reserves. 
 
That is where our annual stewardship campaign comes in. Next week you will receive more information from Cindy James and Jim Wheeler, co chairs of the 2022 stewardship campaign asking you to make a pledge toward our future. I ask that you prayerfully consider how your pledge will enable the support of a full-time rector.
 
This is a crucial time in St. Mary’s history. Those who have been at St. Mary’s for a while know there have been difficult times in the past, and the commitment of the congregation has pulled us through to better times. This is our time to do something similar.
 
I am excited about the potential of calling a full time rector, and I hope you are, too. The vestry and I feel this is our moment to move toward a new beginning for St. Mary’s. When we make our 2022 pledges, let’s be as generous as we can to show our support.  It is going to take all of us making a commitment to making this happen. The vestry and I look forward to traveling this path together with you.
 
If you have questions or concerns about this, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Also don’t forget to pray for discernment and guidance of the Spirit as we all navigate this season!
 
Brian Nerbonne
Warden

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Faithful Belonging: Now and in the Future –  Stewardship 2022

Pledge Goal:  $190,000 – please have all pledges completed by November 14th.

  • 14 pledges received totaling $39,483

Stewardship thought from 1 Peter 4:10 “Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.”

Click HERE for a Stewardship moment from parishioner Jennifer Wedel.

We have a couple of ways that you can make your pledge:

  • Paper pledge cards are available again this year.  If you would like a paper pledge card, please contact Cindy James at james.c.a@comcast.net or at 651-261-4884.
  • Online pledge by accessing our stewardship page by clicking this link. Click HERE

We have several ways you can pay your pledge:

  • By check made out to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
  • Electronic Funds transfer from your bank. Contact our treasurer, Rex Holzemer (rexaholzemer@gmail.com) for details on how this works.
  • Click the CONTRIBUTE tab at the top of our website (Click HERE) and select “Give Now Online” from the menu to set up a Vanco account to put your pledge on a credit card or have it withdrawn from your bank account. Note: If you choose this option, please check the processing fee box (2.75% for credit cards and 1% for bank accounts) to help cover the processing fee.  This fee will be included in your pledge statement at the end of the year, so you get the tax credit and St. Mary’s won’t have to pay the processing fee.

Not sure how much you are currently pledging?  No problem: simply contact our pledge clerk (Enzo DeLuca) at pledgeclerk@saintmarysepiscopal.org and he will give you the information regarding your current pledge.

Thank you for your contribution and your support.

Cindy James and Jim Wheeler

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2021 Pledge Update

Are you wondering how much you have left to fulfill your pledge for calendar year 2021? Contribution statements for pledge contributions thru October 31, 2021, will be sent via e-mail the first week of November, no later than November 7, 2021. Look for a contribution statement in your inbasket, and if you don’t receive it by November 7th, please contact Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, at 651-308-4895 or rexaholzemer@gmail.com.

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Safe Church Training

ECMN has now started Zoom Trainings for Safe Church – https://schoolforformation.org/workshops/safe-church/. It has been three years since our last in-person training at St. Mary’s and there are a number in the congregation that are due training (myself included). Those who need safe church training include vestry members, those involved in youth ministry and those with key codes.  Let me know if you have any questions about what you might need.

Aimee Sutherland
612-709-1579

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St. Mary’s Children’s and Youth for Fall

Youth Group:
Join Kat for youth group on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm-8:00pm We are excited that the youth will be back in person again this year! Just a reminder that Youth Group is for young people who are 7th through 12th grade.
 
Tweeners:
Join Mia and Emily for Tweeners on Thursdays from 7-7:45pm. Please note that Tweens will be on THURSDAY and not on WEDNESDAY due to the availability of the tweens that expressed interest! The meeting will be virtual. Please contact Mia for the link!
 

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The UN Climate Change Conference

St. Marian Julia Nerbonne along with colleagues Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos and Ruhel Islam from MNIPL are traveling to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. They join a global community of people of faith and conscience who are bringing a moral voice to these proceedings.

At this webinar on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7:00 pm, hear first-hand accounts from the Climate Talks. We’re thrilled to also welcome two amazing co-hosts who are deeply immersed in the issue of climate fair share: 

Climate security is a human right, and it is vital that faith communities in the US hear the stories of people’s climate experience from around the world. With the United States not even close to meeting its climate goals, we also need to create pressure that will give US leaders the political will to pay our fair share and take equitable climate action.

Please join us for a deep conversation on challenging international issues that we are all connected to.

Click HERE to Register

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All Our Good Holiday Giving

Nina Johnson is asking for your help in collecting donations for the annual holiday community event sponsored by Zion Baptist Church, We Win Institute, and the Racial Justice Network. Several St. Marians donated a total of 100 gift cards last year to this cause, and it was a huge success!

Event details: 

“All Our Good Holiday Giving”
Saturday, December 18
11:00am-3:00pm
Zion Baptist Church
621 Elwood Ave N, Minneapolis
Hosted by Zion Baptist Church, We Win Institute, and Racial Justice Network

Last year we welcomed over 300 adults and children and gave away over 1,600 toys, books, and gift cards in 2 hours. This year, we’re doubling the length of the event and we plan to double the amount of inventory.  

What we need–

*2500 gifts (ages birth to 18 years)
*1000 Target, Walmart, Cub Foods gift cards ($10)
*$5,000 to purchase books by Black authors and illustrators

Several other churches, community partners, and corporate partners are also being asked to help make this happen. Since we know there are supply chain issues this season, we’re asking for your help in securing dollars or gifts as soon as possible. 

Please let Nina Johnson know how you can help. Organizers are hoping to have a preliminary total number of gifts, gift cards, and/or dollars by December 5, if possible, so we can plan accordingly.

Please contact Nina Johnson at 651-308-8663 or nina@jazmn.net with any questions.

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Prayer Requests

Please pray for those on Saint Mary’s prayer list: Don; Anne; Kirby; our ECMN convention delegates; Bishop Craig Loya as he leads the ECMN; all frontline workers; all who are thinking about getting or waiting to a COVID vaccine or booster; all who are sick, anxious, struggling financially; all who care for the sick and dying; all who work for new systems of justice and equity; all who are in need of prayer.


If you would like a name to be added to Saint Mary’s public prayer list, please email claire1412@gmail.com. The prayer list will be updated weekly, and all prayers will remain on the list for one month unless otherwise requested.

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 11/5 – 11/11

Sunday, November 7, 2021
Hybrid Worship Service
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Worship Team Meeting
7:00pm
For more information Click HERE

Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Compline
7:30pm
Link

Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Youth Group
6:30pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, November 11, 2021
Tweeners
7:00pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, November 11, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, November 11, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – October 29, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, October 31, 2021

  • First Message: Deuteronomy 6:1-9
  • Gospel: Mark 12: 28-34
10:00am – ZOOM ONLY Gospel Based Discipleship Service with social time to follow.

This Sunday will be a ZOOM ONLY worship service. We’ll be doing an adapted version of Gospel Based Discipleship. There’s no sermon today. We’ll be breaking into 3 groups to discuss the First Message and Gospel and create our own sermon! These will be the discussion questions…they’re a little different than usual:

o What is the Holy Spirit doing/saying in the First Message & Gospel?
o Where do you see yourself?
o What do these readings say about this journey you’re on?

For the 10am Zoom worship service on October 31, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 277625
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 818 4016 4967
 
To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 818 4016 4967
If asked for a passcode, use 277625
 
For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Fall Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Update on the October 21st Letter from Bishop Loya

A Message from our Warden

St. Mary’s Stewardship 2022

2021 Pledge Update

Finance Committee

Update from the Search Committee

Safe Church Training

Children and Youth

Notice of Death

Prayers in the Weekly

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at St. Mary’s

Marigolds and the Day of the Dead
(from St. Mary’s member Todd Maitland, our lay preacher on All Saints Sunday)

On Sunday, November 7, St. Mary’s will celebrate All Saints’ Day. We will learn about the Days of the Dead as it is practiced in Mexico, where the Dias de los Muertos, October 31 to November 2, are a time to welcome the souls of departed loved ones. Families create a home altar, an ofrenda, or offering for the dead, with candles, flowers, fruit, and favorite foods of the deceased. Marigolds, which grow wild in Mexico, are gathered by the truck load, sold in markets and arranged on the ofrenda, where the pungent scent of the flowers will guide the spirits home.

Every culture must deal with the mystery of death. Many have rituals that mark the life/death/life cycle of the seasons, with autumn as a time to honor the dead. For Celtic cultures, the days around November 1 were a “thin time,” when the veil between the living and the dead becomes permeable. While the Spaniards brought Catholicism and its feast days to Mexico, the Aztecs had their own ancient ceremonies honoring the dead around this time. The Days of the Dead are a synthesis of traditions growing out of the emotional and spiritual needs of all humans.

So please bring flowers for our altar, marigolds if you have them, in jars or cans or vases, to brighten our worship. We will learn the simple and beautiful tradition of making an ofrenda in our homes, to expand the joy of this season of remembrance.

What’s New?

  • To listen to the homily given by The Rev. Susan Moss on October 24th, Click HERE.
  • This Sunday is Halloween. Kids & Adults: Wear your costumes!
  • And, next Sunday, November 7th, All Saints Day and much MORE…
    • There will be a special prayer naming and remembering those who have died in the last year. Please put names in the chat or send an email to susan@saintmarysepiscopal.org by Tuesday, November 2nd.
    • Remember tying ribbons on our trellis in memory of those who have died? We’ll be doing that again on Sunday. If you worship virtually, you’ll be invited to put names in the chat during the prelude and someone will tie a ribbon to the trellis in memory of those persons; if you worship in person, you’ll be invited to tie ribbons to the trellis.
    • And, this will be our first Eucharist with both bread and wine being available since March 2020! You may bring your own little cup/shot glass/Grama’s antique sherry glass with you when you go for communion and a little wine will be poured in it. There will also be small paper cups available if you forget yours or don’t have one.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Return to Top

Update on the October 21st Letter from Bishop Loya

In his October 21st pastoral letter to St. Marians Bishop Loya wrote:

… I recognize that given the nature of LeeAnne’s departure, some of you may want to have a conversation with her in order to bring closure to your pastoral relationship with her. If so, please be in touch with my office, and I will work with you and LeeAnne to arrange for you to meet. 

Karen Olson is looking into scheduling tools like Calendly for those who would like to have a conversation with LeeAnne. It looks like these conversations can be at St. John the Evangelist, 60 Kent Street, St. Paul.

We will post more information as it becomes available.

The names of those who want to schedule time with LeeAnne are confidential and will not be shared. Conversations are private.

Please contact us if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Brian Nerbonne, Warden michigander_guy@yahoo.com

Susan Moss, Transition Priest susan@saintmarysepiscopal.org

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A Message from our Warden

Dear St. Mary’s community,
 
I want to share some news from the vestry related to our search for a new rector. We heard from members of St. Mary’s during our listening sessions that after 3 years of changing priests, people yearn for the stability and deeper relationships that come from a permanent rector. The vestry has been talking about ways to increase our chances of success in a future call for a rector. One option would be to post a full-time position, rather than a ¾ time position that we advertised in our previous calls.
 
A ¾ time position would require us to use some of our reserves to cover the priest’s salary and benefits A full-time position would put an even bigger draw on our reserves. However, the vestry believes this is the time to make a major investment in St. Mary’s future. We also believe it is important to demonstrate financial support from all members of  the congregation. Pledged income is needed to support a full time call so we do not exhaust our financial reserves. 
 
That is where our annual stewardship campaign comes in. Next week you will receive more information from Cindy James and Jim Wheeler, co chairs of the 2022 stewardship campaign asking you to make a pledge toward our future. I ask that you prayerfully consider how your pledge will enable the support of a full-time rector.
 
This is a crucial time in St. Mary’s history. Those who have been at St. Mary’s for a while know there have been difficult times in the past, and the commitment of the congregation has pulled us through to better times. This is our time to do something similar.
 
I am excited about the potential of calling a full time rector, and I hope you are, too. The vestry and I feel this is our moment to move toward a new beginning for St. Mary’s. When we make our 2022 pledges, let’s be as generous as we can to show our support.  It is going to take all of us making a commitment to making this happen. The vestry and I look forward to traveling this path together with you.
 
If you have questions or concerns about this, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Also don’t forget to pray for discernment and guidance of the Spirit as we all navigate this season!
 
Brian Nerbonne
Warden

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Faithful Belonging: Now and in the Future –  Stewardship 2022

Pledge Goal:  $190,000 – please have all pledges completed by November 14th.

  • 6 pledges received totaling $8160

Stewardship thought from Crisis & Care: Meditations on Faith and Philanthropy edited by Dustin D. Benac and Erin Weber-Johnson.  “When exploring faith and philanthropy, we remember we belong to one another.”

Click HERE for a Stewardship moment from parishioners Maura and Fran Roby

We have a couple of ways that you can make your pledge:

  • Paper pledge cards are available again this year.  If you would like a paper pledge card, please contact Cindy James at james.c.a@comcast.net or at 651-261-4884.
  • Online pledge by accessing our stewardship page by clicking this link. Click HERE

We have several ways you can pay your pledge:

  • By check made out to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
  • Electronic Funds transfer from your bank. Contact our treasurer, Rex Holzemer (rexaholzemer@gmail.com) for details on how this works.
  • Click the CONTRIBUTE tab at the top of our website (Click HERE) and select “Give Now Online” from the menu to set up a Vanco account to put your pledge on a credit card or have it withdrawn from your bank account. Note: If you choose this option, please check the processing fee box (2.75% for credit cards and 1% for bank accounts) to help cover the processing fee.  This fee will be included in your pledge statement at the end of the year, so you get the tax credit and St. Mary’s won’t have to pay the processing fee.

Not sure how much you are currently pledging?  No problem: simply contact our pledge clerk (Enzo DeLuca) at pledgeclerk@saintmarysepiscopal.org and he will give you the information regarding your current pledge.

Thank you for your contribution and your support.

Cindy James and Jim Wheeler

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2021 Pledge Update

Are you wondering how much you have left to fulfill your pledge for calendar year 2021? Contribution statements for pledge contributions thru October 31, 2021, will be sent via e-mail the first week of November, no later than November 7, 2021. Look for a contribution statement in your inbasket, and if you don’t receive it by November 7th, please contact Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, at 651-308-4895 or rexaholzemer@gmail.com.

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Finance Committee

Contributions were $4,000 over budget in September and are approximately $25,300 over budget for the year. Total income, which includes both pledge and non-pledge income, is $24,200 over budget for the year.

Expenses were $10,300 under budget for September and are $27,500 under budget for the year. As of the end of September, we are running $51,700 better than budget overall. However, that does not mean we have a surplus of $51,700, because our budget is a deficit budget with a projected year-end deficit of ($23,200). It does mean that we are covering our deficit totally and have a $28,400 surplus as of the end of September. As a result, the prospects for at least ending the year with a balanced budget have improved over the last several months.

A major contributing factor to contributions being over budget is that a number of parishioners have paid off their annual pledges in the last 2-3 months. It’s possible we could see lower than expected contributions in the last 2-3 months of the year, as a result. The main contributing factor to lower expenses is our budget projected that a ¾ time priest with benefits would be in place effective July 1, 2021. However, at this point we continue to employ only an interim priest at 15 hours/week, which has reduced our monthly staff salary expenses significantly.

If you have questions or concerns regarding the St. Mary’s budget, please feel free to contact Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, at 651-308-4895, or at rexaholzemer@gmail.com.

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Update from the Search Committee

On October 28th, we re-published our call for a new permanent priest. Your Search Committee members have genuine, deep confidence in the successful outcome of this process, even if we wish it would move faster. 🙂  Priest searches often take longer than anyone would like, and that’s without considering the impact of the pandemic. Please ask any questions via transitionteam@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

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Safe Church Training

ECMN has now started Zoom Trainings for Safe Church – https://schoolforformation.org/workshops/safe-church/. It has been three years since our last in-person training at St. Mary’s and there are a number in the congregation that are due training (myself included). Those who need safe church training include vestry members, those involved in youth ministry and those with key codes.  Let me know if you have any questions about what you might need.

Aimee Sutherland
612-709-1579

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St. Mary’s Children’s and Youth for Fall

Youth Group:
Join Kat for youth group on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm-8:00pm We are excited that the youth will be back in person again this year! Just a reminder that Youth Group is for young people who are 7th through 12th grade.
 
Tweeners:
Join Mia and Emily for Tweeners on Thursdays from 7-7:45pm. Please note that Tweens will be on THURSDAY and not on WEDNESDAY due to the availability of the tweens that expressed interest! The meeting will be virtual. Please contact Mia for the link!
 
NO Halloween Party and NO Virtual Lego Class this Sunday (October 31st)
 

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Notice of Death

Sylvia Clark, mother of St. Mary’s parishioner, Anna Clark, died at the Episcopal Church Home on Sunday October 24th. A memorial service will be held in the St. Mary’s Chapel on November 5th,  led by The Rev. Aaron Twait, pastoral care deacon at the Church Home. Time TBD.

Receive Sylvia into the arms of your mercy O God, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. 
Surround Anna and her family with your love. May they have confidence in your goodness and strength to meet the days to come. Amen.

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Prayer Requests

Please pray for those on Saint Mary’s prayer list: Don; Anne; Kirby; Bishop Craig Loya as he leads the ECMN; all who are sick, anxious, struggling financially; all frontline workers; all who care for the sick and dying; all who work for new systems of justice and equity; all who are in need of prayer.

If you would like a name to be added to Saint Mary’s public prayer list, please email claire1412@gmail.com. The prayer list will be updated weekly, and all prayers will remain on the list for one month unless otherwise requested.

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 10/29 – 11/4

Sunday, October 31, 2021
ZOOM ONLY Gospel Based Discipleship Service
10:00am
Link

Monday, November 1, 2021
Worship Team Meeting
7:00pm
For more information. Click HERE

Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Men’s Group
7:00pm
For more information. Click HERE

Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Compline
7:30pm
Link

Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Youth Group
6:30pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, November 4, 2021
Tweeners
7:00pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, November 4, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, November 4, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – October 22, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, October 24, 2021

  • First Message: 2 Timothy 1:13-14
  • Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
10:00am – Eucharist Service In-person and via Zoom with outdoor social time to follow for those worshipping in person and Zoom gathering for those worshipping virtually. This Sunday The Rev. Susan Moss will be the celebrant and preacher.

The new format for the 10am service has seemed to work well for those attending virtually. Please join via Zoom in the link below and the Zoom Host will share the Live Stream. This will allow all of those attending virtually to interact during the service.

For the 10am Zoom worship service on October 24, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 277625
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 818 4016 4967
 
To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 818 4016 4967
If asked for a passcode, use 277625
 
For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Fall Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

A Message from our Warden

St. Mary’s Stewardship 2022

Children and Youth

Outreach

Prayers in the Weekly

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

What’s New?

  • To listen to the homily given by Nina Johnson on Sunday, October 17, Click HERE.
  • Next Sunday, Oct 31st, is Halloween. Two things to note:
    • This will be a ZOOM ONLY Gospel Based Discipleship service—no in-person service.
    • Kids & adults: Wear your costumes!!
  • Do you have any marigolds growing in pots or in your garden? St Mary’s will have a need for LOTS of marigolds for the worship service on Sunday, November 7, which is All Saints Day. We’ll be learning about Day of the Dead and how to honor our dead at home by creating an ofrenda or home altar. Marigolds are important to this remembrance. Marigolds can be brought to St. Mary’s that Sunday morning and taken home after the service.
  • And more about All Saints Day, November 7th:
    • There will be a special prayer naming and remembering those who have died in the last year. On Sunday, October 24: If you worship virtually, please put names in the chat; if you worship in person, please put the names in the offering plate at the back of the sanctuary; or send an email to susan@saintmarysepiscopal.org by Tuesday, November 2.
    • Remember tying ribbons on our trellis in memory of those who have died? We’ll be doing that again this year on November 7th . If you worship virtually, you’ll be invited to put names in the chat during the prelude and someone will tie a ribbon to the trellis in memory of those persons; if you worship in person, you’ll be invited to tie ribbons to the trellis.
    • It’s common on All Saints Day to have baptisms and renewal of Baptismal vows. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact The Rev. Susan Moss at susan@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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A Message from our Warden

Dear St. Mary’s community,
 
I want to share some news from the vestry related to our search for a new rector. We heard from members of St. Mary’s during our listening sessions that after 3 years of changing priests, people yearn for the stability and deeper relationships that come from a permanent rector. The vestry has been talking about ways to increase our chances of success in a future call for a rector. One option would be to post a full-time position, rather than a ¾ time position that we advertised in our previous calls.
 
A ¾ time position would require us to use some of our reserves to cover the priest’s salary and benefits A full-time position would put an even bigger draw on our reserves. However, the vestry believes this is the time to make a major investment in St Mary’s future.   We also believe it is important to demonstrate financial support from all members of  the congregation.  Pledged income is needed to support a full time call so we do not exhaust our financial reserves. 
 
That is where our annual stewardship campaign comes in. Next week you will receive more information from Cindy James and Jim Wheeler, co chairs of the 2022 stewardship campaign asking you to make a pledge toward our future. I ask that you prayerfully consider how your pledge will enable the support of a full-time rector.
 
This is a crucial time in St. Mary’s history. Those who have been at St. Mary’s for a while know there have been difficult times in the past, and the commitment of the congregation has pulled us through to better times. This is our time to do something similar.
 
I am excited about the potential of calling a full time rector, and I hope you are, too. The vestry and I feel this is our moment to move toward a new beginning for St. Mary’s. When we make our 2022 pledges, let’s be as generous as we can to show our support.  It is going to take all of us making a commitment to making this happen.  The vestry and I look forward to traveling this path together with you.
 
If you have questions or concerns about this, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Also don’t forget to pray for discernment and guidance of the Spirit as we all navigate this season!
 
Brian Nerbonne
Warden

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Faithful Belonging: Now and in the Future –  Stewardship 2022

Pledge Goal:  $190,000 – please have all pledges completed by November 14th.

Stewardship thought from Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer – “Good Communities don’t make themselves,” my dad said. “We’ve got a lot to be grateful for, and we all have to do our part to keep it going.”

Click HERE for a Stewardship moment from parishioner Catherine Neuschler.

We have a couple of ways that you can make your pledge:

  • Paper pledge cards are available again this year.  If you would like a paper pledge card, please contact Cindy James at james.c.a@comcast.net or at 651-261-4884.
  • Online pledge by accessing our stewardship page by clicking this link. Click HERE

We have several ways you can pay your pledge:

  • By check made out to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
  • Electronic Funds transfer from your bank. Contact our treasurer, Rex Holzemer (rexaholzemer@gmail.com) for details on how this works.
  • Click the CONTRIBUTE tab at the top of our website (Click HERE) and select “Give Now Online” from the menu to set up a Vanco account to put your pledge on a credit card or have it withdrawn from your bank account. Note: If you choose this option, please check the processing fee box (2.75% for credit cards and 1% for bank accounts) to help cover the processing fee.  This fee will be included in your pledge statement at the end of the year, so you get the tax credit and St. Mary’s won’t have to pay the processing fee.

Not sure how much you are currently pledging?  No problem: simply contact our pledge clerk (Enzo DeLuca) at pledgeclerk@saintmarysepiscopal.org and he will give you the information regarding your current pledge.

Thank you for your contribution and your support.

Cindy James and Jim Wheeler

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St. Mary’s Children’s and Youth for Fall

Youth Group:
Join Kat for youth group on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm-8:00pm We are excited that the youth will be back in person again this year! Just a reminder that Youth Group is for young people who are 7th through 12th grade.
 
Tweeners:
Join Mia and Emily for Tweeners on Thursdays from 7-7:45pm. Please note that Tweens will be on THURSDAY and not on WEDNESDAY due to the availability of the tweens that expressed interest! The meeting will be virtual. Please contact Mia for the link!
 

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Galtier Elementary Fall Festival

Wednesday, October 27, 3:30pm – 6:00pm, Galtier Elementary, 1317 Charles Ave., St. Paul

Join Love First, Galtier Parents and community partners for free food, fun, and fellowship.

Sneaker Drive – Bring a new or barely used pair of sneakers for students in Galtier’s gym class!

Volunteers Needed: Contact Kristin Howatt at kristinhowatt@gmail.com or 651-341-7124.

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Prayer Requests

Please pray for those on Saint Mary’s prayer list: Don; Anne; Kirby; Bishop Craig Loya as he leads the ECMN; all who are sick, anxious, struggling financially; all frontline workers; all who care for the sick and dying; all who work for new systems of justice and equity; all who are in need of prayer.

If you would like a name to be added to Saint Mary’s public prayer list, please email claire1412@gmail.com. The prayer list will be updated weekly, and all prayers will remain on the list for one month unless otherwise requested.

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 10/22 – 10/28

Sunday, October 24, 2021
Eucharist Service In-Person and via Zoom
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Vestry Meeting
7:00pm
For more information. Click HERE

Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Compline
7:30pm
Link

Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Youth Group
6:30pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, October 28, 2021
Tweeners
7:00pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, October 28, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, October 28, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – October 15, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, October 17, 2021

  • First Message: Job 38: 1-7, 12-13, 16-21
  • Gospel: Mark 10:35-45
There will not be an 8:00am Service this week
10:00am – Adapted Morning Prayer Service In-person & Zoom with outdoor social time to follow for those worshipping in person and Zoom gathering for those worshipping virtually. This Sunday Nina Johnson will provide the homily.

This Sunday, Oct 17, we will have space for anyone interested to gather to discuss the topics raised at the Bishop’s visit. This will be a chance to do the truth-telling work mentioned by Reverend Moss in last week’s sermon, to share what is on our hearts, and to offer support to each other. We will begin 10 minutes after the service ends. We will gather in the sanctuary; the Zoom room will remain open as well for online participation.

The new format for the 10am service has seemed to work well for those attending virtually. Please join via Zoom in the link below and the Zoom Host will share the Live Stream. This will allow all of those attending virtually to interact during the service.

For the 10am Zoom worship service on October 17, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 277625
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 818 4016 4967
 
To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 818 4016 4967
If asked for a passcode, use 277625
 
For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Fall Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

St. Mary’s Stewardship 2022

Children and Youth (and Talent!)

Communications

Outreach

Notice of Death

Prayers in the Weekly

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

What’s New?

  • To listen to the homily given by The Rev Susan Moss on Sunday, October 10, Click HERE.
  • The next 8am worship service will be held on Sunday, November 14.
  • Do you have any marigolds growing in pots or in your garden? St Mary’s will  need LOTS of marigolds for the worship service on Sunday, November 7, when we celebrate All Saints/All Souls Day with elements of the Mexican Day of the Dead.  Please bring marigolds from your garden to decorate our altar. They can be taken home with you after the service. We’ll also be learning how to honor our dead at home by creating an ofrenda or home altar.
  • It’s common on All Saints Day, November 7th this year, to have baptisms and renewal of Baptismal Vows. If you are interested in learning more, please contact The Rev Susan Moss at susan@saintmarysepiscopal.org.
  • Not a lot of responses received regarding adding wine to Eucharist, but all the response received was positive. So starting on All Saints Day (Nov 7), we’ll have both bread and wine available for Eucharist! Look around and see if you have a little glass or cup to bring with you to church if you’d like wine. We will use the “pouring chalice” (with a pouring lip!) to pour a bit of wine into glasses that people bring. We’ll also supply small paper “cups” if you want wine but forget your glass.
  • This Sunday, October 17, we’ll start ‘turning to face the middle aisle’ when we say our Baptismal promises to each other and to God. We can’t touch each other yet, but we can make eye contact with those across the aisle from us. We hope this will increase the sense of community we feel being together.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Faithful Belonging: Now and in the Future –  Stewardship 2022

Our stewardship campaign has started and will run through Nov 14th.  We’d like all pledges to be completed by that time.

Click HERE for a Stewardship moment from our Warden, Brian Nerbonne.

We have a couple of ways that you can make your pledge:

  • Paper pledge cards are available again this year.  If you would like a paper pledge card, please contact Cindy James at james.c.a@comcast.net or at 651-261-4884.
  • Online pledge by accessing our stewardship page by clicking this link. Click HERE

We have several ways you can pay your pledge:

  • By check made out to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
  • Electronic Funds transfer from your bank. Contact our treasurer, Rex Holzemer (rexaholzemer@gmail.com) for details on how this works.
  • Click the CONTRIBUTE tab at the top of our website (Click HERE) and select “Give Now Online” from the menu to set up a Vanco account to put your pledge on a credit card or have it withdrawn from your bank account. Note: If you choose this option, please check the processing fee box (2.75% for credit cards and 1% for bank accounts) to help cover the processing fee.  This fee will be included in your pledge statement at the end of the year, so you get the tax credit and St. Mary’s won’t have to pay the processing fee.

Not sure how much you are currently pledging?  No problem: simply contact our pledge clerk (Enzo DeLuca) at pledgeclerk@saintmarysepiscopal.org and he will give you the information regarding your current pledge.

Thank you for your contribution and your support.

Cindy James and Jim Wheeler

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St. Mary’s Children’s and Youth for Fall

Youth Group:
Join Kat for youth group on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm-8:00pm We are excited that the youth will be back in person again this year! Just a reminder that Youth Group is for young people who are 7th through 12th grade.
 
Tweeners:
Join Mia and Emily for Tweeners on Thursdays from 7-7:45pm. Please note that Tweens will be on THURSDAY and not on WEDNESDAY due to the availability of the tweens that expressed interest! The meeting will be virtual. Please contact Mia for the link!
 
Sunday School Updates
 
Basic Info:
We have a Virtual Lego Camp (Starts this week!) that will be starting up that will be 7 sessions long. Each session will be 45 minutes long and led by Max and Theo Reemtsma (with a little help from Mia and Jennie). Each class will have a short check in, some demonstration and teaching for 10-15 minutes and then some work time.
 
Outcome:
Each kid will animate a different story from the Bible using stop motion. We plan to focus on Advent stories.
 
Needs for Class:
We suggest kids have on hand a few Lego figures, small vehicles, and a general assortment of Lego pieces. It’s ok if they don’t have Legos as they can use clay, pipe cleaners, action figures, animals, etc. – Lego figures are just pretty easy to physically articulate and get good shots of without relying on paid-app-version tricks that can remove hands from the frame, etc.
It is strongly recommended that students have 2 devices for this class– one for zoom and one for the stop motion app.
 
Age Range:
Kids need to be really comfortable reading, or have an adult with them who can help them. This should be kid-led but the whole family can be involved in building, animating, lighting and “special effects” or voiceovers.
 
The dates for this class will be on Sundays in the afternoon (we were thinking 1pm):
 
October 17
October 24
November 7
November 14
November 21
December 5
December 12
 
 
In Person Halloween Party for Children– Come in Costume
October 31
Ghosts of the Bible
Led by Julie Phillips and helpers
More details to come
 
 
Did you miss the Talent Show after church last Sunday or want to see it again?
A big shout out to everyone who contributed to the Talent Show and to Mia for hosting and putting it all together! Click HERE to watch.

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St. Mary’s Website Hosting Going Green!

St. Mary’s website is now hosted by Green Geeks, a move that saves St. Mary’s money while also making a positive environmental impact. Green Geeks purchases wind power credits to replace three times the amount of energy a website uses every year. Didn’t think that websites used energy? From Green Geeks: “The Internet industry consumes enormous amounts of energy. The backbone of the Internet are data centers which hold millions of large servers, stacked on top of each other in racks, which are powered up and running all day every day. These servers consume enormous amounts of energy and to make sure that they do not overheat and fail, they are blasted with arctic temperature air all day every day. … In fact 40% of all of the energy used to power the internet is used to keep those servers from overheating. … Today, data centers account for 2% of the world’s carbon emissions, that is as much as the airline industry! Data Center pollution is expected to grow to 14% of the world’s carbon emissions, as much as the United States of America, by 2040.

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“Faiths 4 Climate Justice”: Multi-Faith Prayer Gathering

Monday, Oct. 18, 12:00 pm – Downtown Minneapolis

On October 18, faith and spiritual communities from around the world are rising up for a global “Faiths 4 Climate Justice” day of action! As part of this, Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light is hosting a multi-faith gathering to call on Biden to make a just transition from fossil fuels. Join St. Mary’s and MNIPL, and Bishop Craig Loya  from 12-12:45 pm outside the Federal Building (212 Third Ave S., Minneapolis), where we will share song, prayer, meditation, and silence. Afterwards, we will cross the Stone Arch Bridge for a picnic lunch and time in community. Masks are required. Click here to register.  

Also, keep your eyes out for a fun prayer square art activity after church during October.  Julia and Lucas Nerbonne are part of a multifaith delegation at the International Climate Talks in Glasgow. We’ll bring our our prayers to the streets of Glasgow.

Why this matters:

The science is clear: We need to stop new fossil fuel projects if we want to limit climate change below 1.5 degrees Celsius. President Biden has the executive power to stop fossil fuel projects, like Line 3, but it won’t happen without public pressure. In November, world leaders will meet in Glasgow for the most important UN Climate Talks since the Paris Accords. This is the time to hold countries accountable—no country is currently on track to meet this 1.5 degree goal. It will only happen if countries like the US, historically the biggest polluters, come to the talks showing we’ve taken real action! That’s why right now, going into the international climate negotiations, is a critical time to pressure President Biden.

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Galtier Elementary Fall Festival

Wednesday, October 27, 3:30pm – 6:00pm, Galtier Elementary, 1317 Charles Ave., St. Paul

Join Love First, Galtier Parents and community partners for free food, fun, and fellowship.

Sneaker Drive – Bring a new or barely used pair of sneakers for students in Galtier’s gym class!

Volunteers Needed: Contact Kristin Howatt at kristinhowatt@gmail.com or 651-341-7124.

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Notice of Death

Billy J. Lackey, father of Billy Lackey and father-in-law of Trevor Sannes died Wednesday morning in Richmond VA. 
 
Please remember Billy and his family in your prayers.
 
Keep watch dear Lord with those who work, or watch, or weep this night and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen

Prayer Requests

Please pray for those on Saint Mary’s prayer list: Don; Anne; Kirby; Bishop Craig Loya as he leads the ECMN; all who are sick, anxious, struggling financially; all frontline workers; all who care for the sick and dying; all who work for new systems of justice and equity; all who are in need of prayer.

If you would like a name to be added to Saint Mary’s public prayer list, please email claire1412@gmail.com. The prayer list will be updated weekly, and all prayers will remain on the list for one month unless otherwise requested.

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 10/15 – 10/21

Sunday, October 17, 2021
Adapted Morning Prayer Service In-Person and via Zoom
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Finance Committee Meeting
6:30pm
For more information. Click HERE

Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Compline
7:30pm
Link

Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Youth Group
6:30pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, October 21, 2021
Tweeners
7:00pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, October 21, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, October 21, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – October 8, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, October 10, 2021

  • First Message: Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC by Frederick Buechner
  • Gospel: Mark 10:17-31 Rich young ruler asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
10:00am – Eucharist Service In-person & Zoom with outdoor social time to follow for those worshipping in person and Zoom gathering for those worshipping virtually. The Rev. Susan Moss is our preacher and celebrant.

The new format for the 10am service has seemed to work well for those attending virtually. Please join via Zoom in the link below and the Zoom Host will share the Live Stream. This will allow all of those attending virtually to interact during the service.

For the 10am Zoom worship service on October 10, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 277625
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 818 4016 4967
 
To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 818 4016 4967
If asked for a passcode, use 277625
 
For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Fall Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Pastoral visit to St. Mary’s by Bishop Loya

St. Mary’s Stewardship 2022

St. Mary’s COVID contingency planning

Children and Youth (and Talent!)

Communications

Prayers in the Weekly

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

What’s New?

  • Although the Worship Team didn’t get a lot of responses regarding the Lay Leader/Officiant using the lectern, most response was positive because “we’re in this together” and the lectern gives those worshipping with us via Zoom and those in the choir & band the best sound. So, we’ll continue having the Lay Leader/Officiant use the lectern for now.
  • Again, not a lot of responses received regarding adding wine to Eucharist, but all the response received was positive. So starting on All Saints Day (Nov 7), we’ll have both bread and wine available for Eucharist! Look around and see if you have a little glass or cup to bring with you to church if you’d like wine. We will use the “pouring chalice” (with a pouring lip!) to pour a bit of wine into glasses that people bring. We’ll also supply small paper “cups” if you want wine but forget your glass.
  • This Sunday, October 10, we’ll start ‘turning to face the middle aisle’ when we say our Baptismal promises to each other and to God. We can’t touch each other yet, but we can make eye contact with those across the aisle from us. We hope this will increase the sense of community we feel being together.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Pastoral visit to St. Mary’s by Bishop Loya on October 13th

All current and former members of St. Mary’s are invited to participate in a pastoral visit by Bishop Craig Loya to St. Mary’s. This visit will address issues related to Rev. LeeAnne Watkin’s Title IV process (disciplinary procedures of the Episcopal church), including her removal by ECMN from active ministry. The bishop will be joined by Canon Karen Olson for this visit. The bishop welcomes and encourages your questions and concerns on these and other matters so that all can continue the journey toward understanding, healing and wholeness.

The pastoral visit will be on October 13 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s, or people can participate via Zoom if they prefer. A Zoom link for the service appears below. In-person attendees will need to follow COVID protocols that require masking and social distance. For those who are interested, there will be adult-supervised childcare that night in the St. Mary’s Room, where a children’s video will be shown. Children should also be masked.

If you have questions about this upcoming visit, contact Warden Brian Nerbonne at michigander_guy@yahoo.com or The Rev. Susan Moss, our transition priest, at susan@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

To join the meeting via Zoom, Click HERE
Meeting ID: 834 5191 4590
Passcode: 456410

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St. Mary’s Stewardship 2022

Dear St. Mary’s Family,

We have entered that time of year when stewardship is at the forefront of our minds.  This year’s campaign will begin on Sunday, October 10th and run through Sunday, November 14th.  We would like all pledges to be completed by that time.

We are looking at stewardship as something we do year-round and not just in the fall.  Through your time, talent and treasure: leading committees, participating in talent shows, youth activities, singing in the choir and Sunday night bedtime stories (to name a few), we are stewards of our community.

This year’s theme: Faithful Belonging: Now and in the Future reflects that ongoing commitment.

Our goal this year is $190,000 in pledge income.  Yes, it’s a big goal, but we can do it because we value our life together at St. Mary’s.

We have several ways that you can make your pledge:

  • Paper pledge cards are available again this year. Please contact Cindy James at james.c.a@comcast.net or at 651-261-4884.
  • Online pledge by accessing our stewardship page by clicking this link. Click HERE
  • Electronic Funds transfer from your bank. Contact our treasurer, Rex Holzemer (rexaholzemer@gmail.com) for details on how this works.
  • Click the CONTRIBUTE tab at the top of our website (Click HERE) and select “Give Now Online” from the menu to set up a Vanco account to put your pledge on a credit card or have it withdrawn from your bank account. Note: If you choose this option, please check the processing fee box (2.75% for credit cards and 1% for bank accounts) to help cover the processing fee.  This fee will be included in your pledge statement at the end of the year, so you get the tax credit and St. Mary’s won’t have to pay the processing fee.

Not sure how much you are currently pledging?  No problem: simply contact our pledge clerk (Enzo DeLuca) at pledgeclerk@saintmarysepiscopal.org and he will give you the information regarding your current pledge.

The stewardship committee thanks you for your time, talent and treasure. We welcome you to the 2022 Stewardship campaign: Faithful Belonging: Now and in the Future.

Cindy James and Jim Wheeler

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St. Mary’s COVID contingency planning

ECMN guidelines for in-person worship include a threshold in COVID case numbers. If exceeded in the county where we worship, the recommendation is to switch to either outdoor or virtual worship. If you have been watching the news at all recently, you know that the Delta variant has pushed up case numbers to levels similar to what we saw this spring. We have yet to exceed the threshold set by ECMN, but people should pay attention to this email each weekend in case we need to pivot away from in-person services. In the case where we need to make a change, details will be shared in the Friday weekly about the format for that Sunday’s service. Yet another reason to read the Weekly each week!

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St. Mary’s Children’s and Youth for Fall

Youth Group:
Join Kat for youth group on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm-8:00pm We are excited that the youth will be back in person again this year! Just a reminder that Youth Group is for young people who are 7th through 12th grade.
 
Tweeners:
Join Mia and Emily for Tweeners on Thursdays from 7-7:45pm. Please note that Tweens will be on THURSDAY and not on WEDNESDAY due to the availability of the tweens that expressed interest! The meeting will be virtual. Please contact Mia for the link!
 
Sunday School Updates
 
Basic Info:
We have a Virtual Lego Camp that will be starting up that will be 7 sessions long. Each session will be 45 minutes long and led by Max and Theo Reemtsma (with a little help from Mia and Jennie). Each class will have a short check in, some demonstration and teaching for 10-15 minutes and then some work time.
 
Outcome:
Each kid will animate a different story from the Bible using stop motion. We plan to focus on Advent stories.
 
Needs for Class:
We suggest kids have on hand a few Lego figures, small vehicles, and a general assortment of Lego pieces. It’s ok if they don’t have Legos as they can use clay, pipe cleaners, action figures, animals, etc. – Lego figures are just pretty easy to physically articulate and get good shots of without relying on paid-app-version tricks that can remove hands from the frame, etc.
It is strongly recommended that students have 2 devices for this class– one for zoom and one for the stop motion app.
 
Age Range:
Kids need to be really comfortable reading, or have an adult with them who can help them. This should be kid-led but the whole family can be involved in building, animating, lighting and “special effects” or voiceovers.
 
The dates for this class will be on Sundays in the afternoon (we were thinking 1pm):
 
October 17
October 24
November 7
November 14
November 21
December 5
December 12
 
 
In Person Halloween Party for Children– Come in Costume
October 31
Ghosts of the Bible
Led by Julie Phillips and helpers
More details to come
 
 
Did you miss the Talent Show after church last Sunday or want to see it again?
A big shout out to everyone who contributed to the Talent Show and to Mia for hosting and putting it all together! Click HERE to watch.

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St. Mary’s Website Hosting Going Green!

St. Mary’s website is now hosted by Green Geeks, a move that saves St. Mary’s money while also making a positive environmental impact. Green Geeks purchases wind power credits to replace three times the amount of energy a website uses every year. Didn’t think that websites used energy? From Green Geeks: “The Internet industry consumes enormous amounts of energy. The backbone of the Internet are data centers which hold millions of large servers, stacked on top of each other in racks, which are powered up and running all day every day. These servers consume enormous amounts of energy and to make sure that they do not overheat and fail, they are blasted with arctic temperature air all day every day. … In fact 40% of all of the energy used to power the internet is used to keep those servers from overheating. … Today, data centers account for 2% of the world’s carbon emissions, that is as much as the airline industry! Data Center pollution is expected to grow to 14% of the world’s carbon emissions, as much as the United States of America, by 2040.

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Prayer Requests

Hello friends,

We may experience life’s ups and downs individually, but together as a beloved community we are called to show up for each other. One of the ways our community can show up for each other is through prayer. There is great power in prayer. In addition to our prayer chain, I’d like to add a section in the Weekly. It would be a public list because the Weekly is published on our website. My idea is that the list would be brief. If you missed a Sunday, you’d still be able to know what is on the hearts of those in this community. The list would be updated weekly with prayers remaining on the list for at least a month or longer if requested. For the Weekly that will go out on October 15th, please send me your prayer requests by October 11th. You can email me at claire1412@gmail.com.

Much love,

Claire H.

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 10/8 – 10/14

Sunday, October 10, 2021
Eucharist Service In-Person and via Zoom
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Compline
7:30pm
Link

Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Youth Group
6:30pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Pastoral Visit to St. Mary’s by Bishop Loya
6:30pm
Link

Thursday, October 14, 2021
Tweeners
7:00pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, October 14, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, October 14, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – October 1, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, October 3, 2021

  • First Message: Remaining Awake through a Great Revolution by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Gospel: Mark 10:13-16
8:00am – Virtual Morning Prayer Worship Service via Zoom with social time to follow. Gospel Based Discipleship discussion instead of a homily, no music, lay led.
For the 8am Zoom worship service on October 3, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 171895
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 878 4182 3048
 
To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 878 4182 3048
If asked for a passcode, use 171895
 
For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
 
10:00am – Hybrid Worship Service in-person and via Zoom with social time to follow.

This Sunday a guest preacher will be with us at the 10am service – Vivian Ihekoronye from the Isaiah organization. Please see below in Worship for more information on Vivian.

Last week’s new format for the 10am service seemed to work well for those attending virtually. Please join via Zoom in the link below and the Zoom Host will share the Live Stream. This will allow all of those attending virtually to interact during the service.

For the 10am Zoom worship service on October 3, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 277625
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 818 4016 4967
 
To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 818 4016 4967
If asked for a passcode, use 277625
 
For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Fall Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Pastoral visit to St. Mary’s by Bishop Loya

Invitation to register for East Metro Mission Area Gathering – Oct. 2nd

St. Mary’s COVID contingency planning

St. Mary’s Finance Committee

Children and Youth (and Talent!)

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

About our guest preacher Vivian Ihekoronye (introduced by Ginny DeLuca)

This Sunday October 3, 2021 we will welcome Vivian Ihekoronye as our guest preacher. Vivian is Isaiah’s lead organizer for St. Paul and East Metro, working to build a just and abundant Minnesota through faith in action that includes Everyone  with no exceptions. Vivian is a graduate from Central High School and went on to graduate from Macalester College. I’ve had the privilege of working with her for 4 years now and am always inspired and informed by what she has to share. When Vivian previously spoke at St Marys some of us felt called to join the path Isaiah walks, and during these past 4 years I’m happy to say more of us have heard that call. Our faith calls us to action and Isaiah is a vehicle St. Marians can join to help build the Beloved Community within our city and state.

Peace

Ginny DeLuca

What’s New?
  • To listen to The Rev Carol Arney’s sermon on Sunday, September 26, Click HERE.
  • The Worship Team will meet in person on Monday, October 4, 7:00-8:30pm, at St. Mary’s. New members are always welcome for short or long commitments. On our Agenda that night are:
    • planning All Saints Day (November 7) service;
    • will we have bread and wine for communion?
    • what happens when it’s too cold to have social time outdoors?
    • how can worship connect with Stewardship?
    • what works best…speaking in front of the altar or at the lectern;
    • and more!!
      Have ideas about any of these? Join us and let your voice be heard!!!
  • Heads up! In November, Eucharist will be celebrated on November 7th and 21st (the 1st and 3rd Sundays) and adapted Morning Prayer will be on November 14th (2nd Sunday). This is the reverse of our normal schedule because All Saints Day, a high festival day, is on November 7th …AND, believe it or not, Advent starts Nov. 28th.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Pastoral visit to St. Mary’s by Bishop Loya

Bishop Loya is planning a visit to St. Mary’s from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on October 13. His purpose for this visit is to hear questions and concerns from our congregation surrounding the Title IV process of our former rector, Rev. LeeAnne Watkins. More details about this event will be available soon, but for now we ask any current and former members of St. Mary’s interested in attending to save the date. Expect more information in a future email from St. Mary’s.

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East Metro Mission Area Gathering – Oct. 2nd
Conversations around Convention and Ourselves 

Brothers and Sisters of the East Metro Mission Area,

You are all invited to our Fall Mission Area Gathering.

On behalf of your council representatives, ECMN Missioners and Bishop Loya, please plan to attend our MAG in person on October 2nd, 2021 at 1:00pm at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church.

Registration Link

We are excited to be gathering in person for this Metro Area Gathering this fall. Our gathering will give us the opportunity to share stories, have small group discussion, and hear from our Bishop as he presents the FSM budget and narrative that goes along with it. The business portion of the meeting will be from 1:00-3:00pm with a social and round table discussion from 3:00-4:00pm to follow.

Link to the Financial Statement
Link to Financial Statement Narrative
Agenda

Notes:
Please bring your own lawn chairs so we may be able to spread out more; social distance and all.
If your congregation would like to help coordinate a finger food dish for our event, please reach out to one of your mission area team members.

Email us at: eastmetro@episcopalmn.org

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St. Mary’s COVID contingency planning

ECMN guidelines for in-person worship include a threshold in COVID case numbers. If exceeded in the county where we worship, the recommendation is to switch to either outdoor or virtual worship. If you have been watching the news at all recently, you know that the Delta variant has pushed up case numbers to levels similar to what we saw this spring. We have yet to exceed the threshold set by ECMN, but people should pay attention to this email each weekend in case we need to pivot away from in-person services. In the case where we need to make a change, details will be shared in the Friday weekly about the format for that Sunday’s service. Yet another reason to read the Weekly each week!

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St. Mary’s Finance Committee

Total annual income (pledges and non-pledge income) thru August 31, 2021, is approximately $20,700 above budget and total expenses are approximately $17,000 under budget. Income is significantly above budget primarily due to several large pledge donations in August from households that paid off their annual pledges in full. It is expected that pledges will balance out over the next few months and end the year closer to budget.

The projected 2021 budget is a deficit budget, with a projected year-end deficit of ($23,232). However, if we continue to manage expenses as has been the case over the first eight months, and pledges meet budget, we may be able to reduce the projected year-end deficit significantly. Thanks to each of you for your continued financial support of St. Mary’s!

If you have any questions regarding the St. Mary’s budget, please feel free to contact Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, at 651-308-4895 or rexaholzemer@gmail.com. Please see a summary income vs. expenses chart for exact budget figures for January 1, 2021 thru August 31, 2021, at the following link – Click HERE.

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St. Mary’s Children’s and Youth for Fall

Youth Group:
Join Kat for youth group on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm-8:00pm We are excited that the youth will be back in person again this year! Just a reminder that Youth Group is for young people who are 7th through 12th grade.
 
Tweeners:
Join Mia and Emily for Tweeners on Thursdays from 7-7:45pm. Please note that Tweens will be on THURSDAY and not on WEDNESDAY due to the availability of the tweens that expressed interest! The meeting will be virtual. Please contact Mia for the link!
 
Sunday School Updates
 
Basic Info:
We have a Virtual Lego Camp that will be starting up that will be 7 sessions long. Each session will be 45 minutes long and led by Max and Theo Reemtsma (with a little help from Mia and Jennie). Each class will have a short check in, some demonstration and teaching for 10-15 minutes and then some work time.
 
Outcome:
Each kid will animate a different story from the Bible using stop motion. We plan to focus on Advent stories.
 
Needs for Class:
We suggest kids have on hand a few Lego figures, small vehicles, and a general assortment of Lego pieces. It’s ok if they don’t have Legos as they can use clay, pipe cleaners, action figures, animals, etc. – Lego figures are just pretty easy to physically articulate and get good shots of without relying on paid-app-version tricks that can remove hands from the frame, etc.
It is strongly recommended that students have 2 devices for this class– one for zoom and one for the stop motion app.
 
Age Range:
Kids need to be really comfortable reading, or have an adult with them who can help them. This should be kid-led but the whole family can be involved in building, animating, lighting and “special effects” or voiceovers.
 
The dates for this class will be on Sundays in the afternoon (we were thinking 1pm):
 
October 17
October 24
November 7
November 14
November 21
December 5
December 12
 
 
In Person Halloween Party for Children– Come in Costume
October 31
Ghosts of the Bible
Led by Julie Phillips and helpers
More details to come
 
 
Did you miss the Talent Show after church last Sunday or want to see it again?
A big shout out to everyone who contributed to the Talent Show and to Mia for hosting and putting it all together! Click HERE to watch.

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 10/1 – 10/7

Sunday, October 3, 2021
Virtual Morning Prayer via Zoom
8:00am
Link

Sunday, October 3, 2021
Hybrid Worship In-Person and via Zoom
10:00am
Link

Monday, October 4, 2021
Worship Team Meeting
7:00pm
For more information on the gathering Click HERE

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Saint Mary’s Men’s Group
7:00pm
For more information on the gathering Click HERE

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Youth Group
6:30pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, October 7, 2021
Tweeners
7:00pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, October 7, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, October 7, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – September 24, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, September 26, 2021

Worship In-Person and via Zoom with Social Time and Talent Show (Information below) to follow.—10:00am

This Sunday The Rev. Carol Arney will be our Preacher and Celebrant, so we’ll have Eucharist.

  • First Message: James 5:13-20
  • Gospel: Mark 9:38-50

We’re going to try a new format for those attending virtually this week. Please join via Zoom in the link below and the Zoom Host will share the Live Stream. This will allow all of those attending virtually to interact during the service.

For the Zoom worship service on September 26, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 277625
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 818 4016 4967
 
To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 818 4016 4967
If asked for a passcode, use 277625
 
For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Fall Songbook – Click HERE
 
For the Zoom link to the Talent Show following the worship service Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

September is Rally Month at St. Mary’s!

Gratitude to Cindi Brickson

St. Mary’s COVID contingency planning

St. Mary’s Finance Committee

Stewardship at St. Mary’s

Sunday Morning Lay Ministry

Children and Youth

Pastoral visit to St. Mary’s by Bishop Loya

Communications

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

What’s New?
  • To listen to the sermon given by The Rev. Carol Arney on September 19, Click HERE.
  • What do your Gramma’s antique sherry glass and the shot glass you bought while on vacation have in common???? Your first reaction might be “Lordie, Lordie, I can’t imagine they have anything in common!” But wait just a minute! The Worship Team is looking at ways we might bring wine back into our Eucharist…and the common denominator could be those mis-matched glasses mentioned above! Each person who would like to receive wine along with the bread would bring a small glass of some kind with them to church. When it’s time for communion, that glass would accompany the person and a small amount of wine would be poured from the “pouring chalice” (a chalice with a small pouring lip) into each person’s glass. So, what do you think of this idea? How important is it to you to have both bread and wine? The Worship Team is seeking feedback on this idea…both positive and negative. We look forward to hearing from you! Click on the feedback link below.
  • St. Mary’s will continue to have 8am worship services via zoom in October. These will be adapted Morning Prayer using the same liturgy as the 10am adapted Morning Prayer services. The 8am services will be lay led (no clergy), won’t have music and will use Gospel Based Discipleship discussions in place of a homily. Links to these services will be in the Weekly Email.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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September is Rally Month at St. Mary’s! (updated for 9/24/21)

Talent Show:
Our Parish talent show will be happening this coming Sunday on September 26, 2021. The show is a HYBRID….that means there are two different ways you can choose to attend. It will be in-person on the big screen in the Sanctuary at church and also streamed via Zoom.
 
If you are planning on attending in-person church, just stick around right afterwards to see the Talent Show. The acts have been recorded and will be shown on a big screen in the sanctuary. Or, if you have attended church via Zoom, just click on the link below to switch over to the talent show! We are looking forward to hosting you either way and have some amazing talents to share!
 
Topic: Talent Show for Saint Mary’s
Time: Sep 26, 2021 11:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)
 
 
Meeting ID: 841 6139 3391
Passcode: church
 

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Gratitude to Cindi Brickson for her contributions to St. Mary’s

If you can, please join us at church on Sunday, Sept. 26 when we will have a chance to say thank you to Cindi for all of her work at St. Mary’s over the past year-plus. Cindi served as our pastoral care minister during that time, a critical role during COVID when she founded online opportunities for people to connect with one another. Cindi also led our regathering committee, helping to craft our plan for returning to in-person worship. If that weren’t enough, she also located and worked with a contractor to install our fancy new camera system that has been a significant upgrade for virtual worship. Professionally Cindi has moved on to a new role within the diocese that did not leave time for her to continue on staff at St. Mary’s, but she and her family continue to be members of our congregation. Huge thanks to you, Cindi!

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St. Mary’s COVID contingency planning

ECMN guidelines for in-person worship include a threshold in COVID case numbers. If exceeded in the county where we worship, the recommendation is to switch to either outdoor or virtual worship. If you have been watching the news at all recently, you know that the Delta variant has pushed up case numbers to levels similar to what we saw this spring. We have yet to exceed the threshold set by ECMN, but people should pay attention to this email each weekend in case we need to pivot away from in-person services. In the case where we need to make a change, details will be shared in the Friday weekly about the format for that Sunday’s service. Yet another reason to read the Weekly each week!

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St. Mary’s Finance Committee

Total annual income (pledges and non-pledge income) thru August 31, 2021, is approximately $20,700 above budget and total expenses are approximately $17,000 under budget. Income is significantly above budget primarily due to several large pledge donations in August from households that paid off their annual pledges in full. It is expected that pledges will balance out over the next few months and end the year closer to budget.

The projected 2021 budget is a deficit budget, with a projected year-end deficit of ($23,232). However, if we continue to manage expenses as has been the case over the first eight months, and pledges meet budget, we may be able to reduce the projected year-end deficit significantly. Thanks to each of you for your continued financial support of St. Mary’s!

If you have any questions regarding the St. Mary’s budget, please feel free to contact Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, at 651-308-4895 or rexaholzemer@gmail.com. Please see a summary income vs. expenses chart for exact budget figures for January 1, 2021 thru August 31, 2021, at the following link – Click HERE.

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Stewardship at St. Mary’s

Our season of Stewardship will soon be upon us.

Are you interested in helping St. Mary’s grow? Are you wondering where our money comes from? If you answered YES to these questions, our community is asking each of you to consider whether participation with the Stewardship committee could be your ministry at St. Mary’s. 

We are looking for more people (we’d love to have a committee of 6 – 8 people!) to participate in the Stewardship committee and help us move into the next phase of stewardship at St. Mary’s.  

As so many things are changing in our church (and all churches), we would like to adopt some new models and are looking for people with energy and ideas. We would like to move toward a model of stewardship that is a year-round endeavor and with balanced focuses on time, talent, and treasure. In these past few years, we have shown how much of our church life we can manage and move forward with strong laity; we want to recognize and encourage this as we look to our future.

Our first team meeting will be Sept. 30th at 7:00pm via Zoom. We will discuss this year’s stewardship campaign, the different ways we give to St. Mary’s, and what activities and events will be scheduled to keep stewardship in our minds throughout the year. One resource we recognized through the ECMN diocese that we will study as a possible starting point is Project Resource (https://project-resource.org/annual-giving).

If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Cindy James (james.c.a@comcast.net) or Jim Wheeler (james.jw.wheeler@gmail.com) for the link to the Zoom meeting. 

In faith,

Cindy James
Jim Wheeler
Enzo DeLuca (pledge clerk)
Rex Holzemer (treasurer)

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Lay Ministry: Gearing up for Fall

Yes, fall is right around the corner and St. Mary’s needs YOU!! When we started in-person worship services, many of you signed up to help with Sunday morning lay ministries… Ushers, Greeters, Lay Leaders/Officiants and Vergers. Thanks to all of you who were able to do that!  

Now that summer is nearing an end and we’ll soon be settling into our fall/winter routines, it’s our hope that more of you will be able to help with these lay ministries. The goal is to have enough people assisting with these ministries so that no one will be asked to take on responsibilities more often than once each month. You can get more information or sign up now by contacting mauramccro@gmail.com.

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St. Mary’s Children’s and Youth for Fall

Youth Group:
Our Youth Group kicked off on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm led by Kat Lewis, our new Youth Leader. We are excited that the youth will be back in person again this year! Just a reminder that Youth Group is for young people who are 7th through 12th grade.
 
Tweeners:
Our Tweeners started up on Thursday September 23, 2021 from 7:00pm-7:45pm. Please note that Tweens will be on THURSDAY and not on WEDNESDAY due to the availability of the tweens that expressed interest! The meeting will be virtual. Please contact Mia for the link!
 
Sunday School Updates
 
Basic Info:
We have a Virtual Lego Camp that will be starting up that will be 7 sessions long. Each session will be 45 minutes long and led by Max and Theo Reemtsma (with a little help from Mia and Jennie). Each class will have a short check in, some demonstration and teaching for 10-15 minutes and then some work time.
 
Outcome:
Each kid will animate a different story from the Bible using stop motion. We plan to focus on Advent stories.
 
Needs for Class:
We suggest kids have on hand a few Lego figures, small vehicles, and a general assortment of Lego pieces. It’s ok if they don’t have Legos as they can use clay, pipe cleaners, action figures, animals, etc. – Lego figures are just pretty easy to physically articulate and get good shots of without relying on paid-app-version tricks that can remove hands from the frame, etc.
It is strongly recommended that students have 2 devices for this class– one for zoom and one for the stop motion app.
 
Age Range:
Kids need to be really comfortable reading, or have an adult with them who can help them. This should be kid-led but the whole family can be involved in building, animating, lighting and “special effects” or voiceovers.
 
The dates for this class will be on Sundays in the afternoon (we were thinking 1pm):
 
October 17
October 24
November 7
November 14
November 21
December 5
December 12
 
 
In Person Halloween Party for Children– Come in Costume
October 31
Ghosts of the Bible
Led by Julie Phillips and helpers
More details to come
 

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Pastoral visit to St. Mary’s by Bishop Loya

Bishop Loya is planning a visit to St. Mary’s from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on October 13. His purpose for this visit is to hear questions and concerns from our congregation surrounding the Title IV process of our former rector, Rev. LeeAnne Watkins. More details about this event will be available soon, but for now we ask any current and former members of St. Mary’s interested in attending to save the date. Expect more information in a future email from St. Mary’s.

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Website Maintenance

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be doing some behind-the-scenes maintenance on the St. Mary’s website. It may have some periods of downtime, when you aren’t able to access it. If that happens, please rest assured that it will be up and running again within 24 hours. With questions, please email communications@saintmarysepiscopal.org

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 9/24 – 9/30

Sunday, September 26, 2021
Worship In-Person and via Zoom
10:00am
Link

Sunday, September 26, 2021
St. Mary’s Talent Show
11:00am
Link

Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Vestry Meeting
7:00pm
Contact Warden Brian Nerbonne for details and link Click HERE

Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Youth Group
6:30pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, September 30, 2021
Tweeners
7:00pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, September 30, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, September 30, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – September 17, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, September 19, 2021

NEW: An 8:00am service this Sunday! See “The Return of a Morning Prayer Service” below for more information.

Worship In-Person & Live Streamed with social time to follow for those worshipping in person.—10:00am

 

This Sunday The Rev. Carol Arney will be our Preacher and Celebrant, so we’ll have Eucharist.

  • First Message: James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a
  • Gospel: Mark 9:30-37

For the Live Stream worship service on September 19, 2021 Click HERE

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Fall Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

September is Rally Month at St. Mary’s!

St. Mary’s COVID contingency planning

ECMN News

Stewardship at St. Mary’s

Sunday Morning Lay Ministry

Children and Youth

Pastoral visit to St. Mary’s by Bishop Loya

Pastoral Care

Communications

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

The Return of a Morning Prayer Service!

There will be a second worship service this Sunday, September 19th at 8:00am via Zoom! This will be hosted and led by those who attended the 7:45am service pre-COVID! This will be completely led by an Officiant (lay person), no clergy involvement. Instead of a sermon, they will discuss the readings for the day and create their own sermon! they will use the adapted Morning Prayer service that will be used at 10am Morning Prayer services. After this service they will decide whether to do another 8:00am service or two in October. All are welcome to join them!

To join the September 19th Morning Prayer service via Zoom, Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 171895
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 878 4182 3048

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 878 4182 3048
If asked for a passcode, use 171895
 
For the Morning Prayer Service Bulletin – Click HERE
 
What’s New?
  • To listen to the sermon given by The Rev. Susan Moss on September 12, Click HERE.
  • What do your Gramma’s antique sherry glass and the shot glass you bought while on vacation have in common???? Your first reaction might be “Lordie, Lordie, I can’t imagine they have anything in common!” But wait just a minute! The Worship Team is looking at ways we might bring wine back into our Eucharist…and the common denominator could be those mis-matched glasses mentioned above! Each person who would like to receive wine along with the bread would bring a small glass of some kind with them to church. When it’s time for communion, that glass would accompany the person and a small amount of wine would be poured from the “pouring chalice” (a chalice with a small pouring lip) into each person’s glass. So, what do you think of this idea? How important is it to you to have both bread and wine? The Worship Team is seeking feedback on this idea…both positive and negative. We look forward to hearing from you! Click on the feedback link below.
  • “Bags for Kids”:  Thanks to Kitty McFarland we now have sanitized “Bags for Kids” to have while they’re in church and then to take home with them…single use only! Kitty put items in a Ziploc bag…some with markers and paper, others with crayons and an activity booklet. Thank you, Kitty, for keeping our children in mind!

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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September is Rally Month at St. Mary’s! (updated for 9/17/21)

Yes, this year we are having Rally Month instead of a Rally Day. There are so many fun and exciting events being planned that we need a whole month to fit them all into our schedule.
 
Below, you will find details on the events coming up in September. They include blessing of the back packs, an ice cream social, community meetings and even a talent show. All will be available live or virtually. Get them on your calendar now.  
 
You don’t want to miss any of these events as we kick off the fall season, Sunday school and welcome everyone back to St. Mary’s from their summer adventures.
 
We look forward to seeing you,
 
The St. Mary’s Vestry
 
Listening Sessions
 
We have decided to refresh our documents that go along with the rector job search. We want to get a sense of who the community is now. The last survey asked people to think back to a time before the pandemic and we may not be the same at this point in time. We are asking for your help to make this refresh. We are holding Community Listening Sessions and you are invited to participate. There are three opportunities; two sessions are virtual and one is in-person. Please join us with your input!
 
The remaining sessions are:
 
September 19, 2021
After Church (~11:30am)
In person session
 
September 19, 2021
7:00pm – 8:30pm
Meeting ID: 244 275 5100
Passcode: church
 
Family Event
 
On September 26, 2021 we are going to have an in-person screening of a video talent show made by the community! The plan is to have the screening right after church so that the community that is there in- person can stay to watch the show. We will simultaneously either livestream it or do a virtual way to watch as well. I am looking for people who would like to share their talents! Let Mia know if you are interested!
Text her now at 570-269-9688!
 
Please join us as we celebrate St. Mary’s and each other this September!
 

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St. Mary’s COVID contingency planning

ECMN guidelines for in-person worship include a threshold in COVID case numbers. If exceeded in the county where we worship, the recommendation is to switch to either outdoor or virtual worship. If you have been watching the news at all recently, you know that the Delta variant has pushed up case numbers to levels similar to what we saw this spring. We have yet to exceed the threshold set by ECMN, but people should pay attention to this email each weekend in case we need to pivot away from in-person services. In the case where we need to make a change, details will be shared in the Friday weekly about the format for that Sunday’s service. Yet another reason to read the Weekly each week!

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ECMN News

Similar to the Saint Mary’s Weekly, ECMN emails out a weekly newsletter. If you do not already receive ECMN News, you can click on “Receive Updates” at the bottom of the ECMN website to subscribe – https://episcopalmn.org/.

A couple of items of note from this week’s newsletter:

Dwelling in Scripture
Following on the Bishop’s invitation above, please see here for the scriptures we are invited to dwell in together, as well as instructions for how to engage Dwelling in the Word and Gospel-Based Discipleship.

Celebratory Evensong on Sunday, September 19 at 5:00pm

That service will be live streamed here.

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Stewardship at St. Mary’s

Our season of Stewardship will soon be upon us.

Are you interested in helping St. Mary’s grow? Are you wondering where our money comes from? If you answered YES to these questions, our community is asking each of you to consider whether participation with the Stewardship committee could be your ministry at St. Mary’s. 

We are looking for more people (we’d love to have a committee of 6 – 8 people!) to participate in the Stewardship committee and help us move into the next phase of stewardship at St. Mary’s.  

As so many things are changing in our church (and all churches), we would like to adopt some new models and are looking for people with energy and ideas. We would like to move toward a model of stewardship that is a year-round endeavor and with balanced focuses on time, talent, and treasure. In these past few years, we have shown how much of our church life we can manage and move forward with strong laity; we want to recognize and encourage this as we look to our future.

Our first team meeting will be Sept. 30th at 7:00pm via Zoom. We will discuss this year’s stewardship campaign, the different ways we give to St. Mary’s, and what activities and events will be scheduled to keep stewardship in our minds throughout the year. One resource we recognized through the ECMN diocese that we will study as a possible starting point is Project Resource (https://project-resource.org/annual-giving).

If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Cindy James (james.c.a@comcast.net) or Jim Wheeler (james.jw.wheeler@gmail.com) for the link to Zoom meeting. 

In faith,

Cindy James
Jim Wheeler
Enzo DeLuca (pledge clerk)
Rex Holzemer (treasurer)

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Lay Ministry: Gearing up for Fall

Yes, fall is right around the corner and St. Mary’s needs YOU!! When we started in-person worship services, many of you signed up to help with Sunday morning lay ministries… Ushers, Greeters, Lay Leaders/Officiants and Vergers. Thanks to all of you who were able to do that!  

Now that summer is nearing an end and we’ll soon be settling into our fall/winter routines, it’s our hope that more of you will be able to help with these lay ministries. The goal is to have enough people assisting with these ministries so that no one will be asked to take on responsibilities more often than once each month. You can get more information or sign up now by contacting mauramccro@gmail.com.

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Update from Mia on Children’s and Youth for Fall

We have been in brainstorming mode to try to get some appropriate programming that kids and youth will be interested in for the fall (while keeping kids safe!) 
 
Here is what we know so far. 
 
Youth Group:
Youth Group will start up September 22, 2021 from 6:30-8pm on Wednesday nights in person with our Youth Leader, Kat Lewis! Yay, welcome aboard Kat! Check the Saint Mary’s Calendar for more up to date details about the Youth Group.  Since most youth group sessions will be indoors, masks are required. The youth group may choose to do some outdoor gatherings as well!  
*I am still looking for an additional 1-2 adults who are interested in supporting and helping with youth group this year (in person). 
 
Tweeners:
We were planning on starting Tweeners on September 22, 2021– but I heard from a few participants that the date and time do not work for them.  I am in the process of reaching out to find a better time for Tweener youth.  If you are interested in Tweeners and NEW (from last year) please reach out to Mia so she can coordinate schedules with you.
 
Sunday School:
I have only received 4 parent surveys– if you are interested in providing feedback on Sunday school– I do need some more responses!  Please fill out the survey.

Parent Survey

Sunday Night Bed Time Stories:
As part of the Christian Formation plan for this year, I would like to do a Story time for our little kids. Any congregation member can help with this idea. I will be taking pictures of our Spark Story Bible and attaching the stories to a specific day. Your job (if you so choose to accept it) would be to read the story and video tape yourself doing this. You would also have a chance to say a few words to the kids and let them know that they are missed and we all hope to be back together soon! I would then distribute this in the weekly email so that our families can have Bible stories read to our littlest children on Sunday nights.  
 

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Pastoral visit to St. Mary’s by Bishop Loya

Bishop Loya is planning a visit to St. Mary’s from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on October 13. His purpose for this visit is to hear questions and concerns from our congregation surrounding the Title IV process of our former rector, Rev. LeeAnne Watkins. More details about this event will be available soon, but for now we ask people interested in attending to save the date. Expect more information in a future email from St. Mary’s.

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Pastoral Care

I am both happy and sad to announce that Rev. Cindi Brickson has a new job that will require her to step down from her role as Pastoral Care Minister. I am so appreciative that she stepped up to take on this role at St. Mary’s with gusto, going above and beyond individual pastoral care to found recurring care groups for LGBTQ+ people and elders, a quarterly healing circle, and curating the St. Mary’s prayer chain, to name a few. All of these efforts happened during a time when face to face interaction was very limited, and people needed virtual venues to connect and help heal one another from all of the trauma that is so present right now.

As we await the results of our search process that we hope will call our new rector this fall, St. Mary’s pastoral care programs will be more limited. Rev. Susan Moss will cover pastoral care emergencies, Eily Marlow has offered to continue to coordinate the LGBTQ+ and elder care groups, and Cindi plans to continue to lead the prayer chain and Tuesday evening Compline gatherings. The members of the pastoral care team look forward to working with a new rector to develop a robust pastoral care program at St. Mary’s once they are in place.

If you have any questions about this transition time for pastoral care, please reach out to Susan or me. Congratulations on your new job with ECMN, Cindi, and thank you for your service to St. Mary’s in this role!

Brian Nerbonne, Warden

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Website Maintenance

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be doing some behind-the-scenes maintenance on the St. Mary’s website. It may have some periods of downtime, when you aren’t able to access it. If that happens, please rest assured that it will be up and running again within 24 hours. With questions, please email communications@saintmarysepiscopal.org

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 9/17 – 9/23

Sunday, September 19, 2021
Morning Prayer Worship via Zoom
8:00am
Link

Sunday, September 19, 2021
Worship In-Person and Live Stream
10:00am
Link

Sunday, September 19, 2021
Listening Session (information above)
11:30am (In-person)
7:00pm (via Zoom)

Monday, September 20, 2021
LGBTQ+ Gathering
6:30pm
Contact Eily Marlow for details and link Click HERE

Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Finance Committee Meeting
6:30pm
Contact Finance for details and link Click HERE

Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Youth Group
6:30pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, September 23, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, September 23, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – September 10, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, September 12, 2021

Worship In-Person & Live Streamed with special outdoor social time to follow for everyone!—10:00am

This Sunday The Rev. Susan Moss will be our Preacher and Celebrant. After the Eucharist service, we’ll hold our Ice Cream Social and Blessing of Backpacks, Bags & Briefcases. See “What’s New” for details.

  • First Message: Wisdom of Solomon 7:27-8:1
  • Gospel: Mark 8:27-38

NEW! For the Live Stream worship service on September 12, 2021 Click HERE

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Fall Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

September is Rally Month at St. Mary’s!

Sunday Morning Lay Ministry

Children and Youth

Pastoral Care

Communications

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at St. Mary’s by The Rev. Susan M. Moss

In his latest message to ECMN clergy, Bishop Loya reminded us that:

“The central arc of scripture begins with God’s call to Abraham and Sarah to leave behind everything they have known and come to depend on and set out on a journey whose destination is uncertain, relying only on an outrageous promise from God. Throughout the rest of the Bible, God repeats this pattern over and over: a call to leave what Is familiar behind and learn to rely on God’s outrageous promise.”

Acknowledging the uncertainty we face as a church, a diocese and as local congregations, he also assured us that God’ people have been in this place before, and have learned how to faithfully walk through them.

“Our primary diocesan priority of discipleship is fundamentally about learning to leave behind the institutional certainties we’ve come to depend on and relearn what it feels like to rely entirely on the outrageous promises of God.” wrote Bishop Loya.

Our bishop has invited St. Mary’s and every ECMN faith community into a year of dwelling in the stories of scripture.

Why? 

“To allow the story of life, love, and justice we find there to saturate our spirits, so that our imagination is shaped by the God we meet there, and to learn to see our unique stories as part of God’s larger project of healing the whole world with love.” he writes.

Our bishop firmly believes “engaging in this practice will help us listen for how the Spirit is working in us together as a diocesan household. [It] will be an important way of relearning how to let God lead in our lives and ministries.”

 See here for the scriptures we are invited to dwell in together, as well as instructions for how to engage Dwelling in the Word and Gospel-Based Discipleship.

Let’s accept the bishop’s invitation!

When St. Marians gather for team meetings, take time to dwell in the Word.

The current scripture is John 15.1-11 It begins: I am the true vine and my Father is the vine grower.

One more thing: September is not only a Rally Month of regathering activities. It is also a month of Sunday Listening Sessions led by Mia Lisa to refresh the Rector Search profile with your input. And, it’s a month for discerning important financial vestry decisions related to the Search. 

So let us all be diligent in prayer for the leading of the Spirit, asking for guidance and wisdom for the road ahead, trusting that we will be led.

What’s New?
  • The Ice Cream Social will begin at approximately 11:15am this Sunday. It will be outdoors and a variety of ice cream treats will be served. Bring your Backpacks, Bags & Briefcases. The Blessing will begin at 11:45am and will also be outdoors. This is for students of all ages, teachers/educators of all levels and those returning to the office. Holding both of these events outdoors, we’re hoping even those who aren’t comfortable coming into the building yet will be able to join us! There will also be St. Mary’s pens available for people to take!!
  • Students will come from different elementary, middle and senior high schools…maybe even a college student or 2??? Thanks to all of our teachers/ educators: Colleen Carpenter (Associate Professor & Dept. Chair of Theology at St. Kates), Anna Clark (History Dept. at University of MN), Anna Ebbers (Construction Skills Trainer at Goodwill/Easter Seals of MN), Tom Kellogg (teacher at Step-By-Step Montessori School in Plymouth), Erica Scheurer (Professor of English at St. Thomas), Amanda Walwood (Ass’t Director of Donor Relations at Macalester College), Michael White (Elementary Dean at Twin Cities German Immersion). Have I missed anyone?? Please let us know at the link below in Feedback.
  • What do your Gramma’s antique sherry glass and the shot glass you bought while on vacation have in common???? Your first reaction might be “Lordie, Lordie, I can’t imagine they have anything in common!” But wait just a minute! The Worship Team is looking at ways we might bring wine back into our Eucharist…and the common denominator could be those mis-matched glasses mentioned above! Each person who would like to receive wine along with the bread would bring a small glass of some kind with them to church. When it’s time for communion, that glass would accompany the person and a small amount of wine would be poured from the “pouring chalice” (a chalice with a small pouring lip) into each person’s glass. So, what do you think of this idea? How important is it to you to have both bread and wine? The Worship Team is seeking feedback on this idea…both positive and negative. We look forward to hearing from you! Click on the feedback link below.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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September is Rally Month at St. Mary’s!

Yes, this year we are having Rally Month instead of a Rally Day. There are so many fun and exciting events being planned that we need a whole month to fit them all into our schedule.
 
Below, you will find details on the events coming up in September. They include blessing of the back packs, an ice cream social, community meetings and even a talent show. All will be available live or virtually. Get them on your calendar now.  
 
You don’t want to miss any of these events as we kick off the fall season, Sunday school and welcome everyone back to St Mary’s from their summer adventures.
 
We look forward to seeing you,
 
The St Mary’s Vestry
 
Ice Cream Social & Blessing of Backpacks and Briefcases
 
Sunday, September 12
11:15am – 11:45am  
Ice cream social outdoors
(So those worshipping via live stream will have time to drive over and join in)
A variety of ice cream treats will be served.
 
11:45am – Noon  
Blessing of Backpacks, Bags and Briefcases
(For students of all ages, teachers/educators at all levels and those heading back to the office)
 
Listening Sessions
 
We have decided to refresh our documents that go along with the rector job search. We want to get a sense of who the community is now. The last survey asked people to think back to a time before the pandemic and we may not be the same at this point in time. We are asking for your help to make this refresh. We are holding Community Listening Sessions and you are invited to participate. There are three opportunities; two sessions are virtual and one is in-person. Please join us with your input!
 
The sessions are:
 
September 12, 2021
4:00pm – 5:30pm
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 244 275 5100
Passcode: church
 
September 19, 2021
After Church (~11:30am)
In person session
 
September 19, 2021
7:00pm – 8:30pm
Meeting ID: 244 275 5100
Passcode: church
 
Family Event
 
On September 26, 2021 we are going to have an in-person screening of a video talent show made by the community! The plan is to have the screening right after church so that the community that is there in- person can stay to watch the show. We will simultaneously either livestream it or do a virtual way to watch as well. I am looking for people who would like to share their talents! Let Mia know if you are interested!
Text her now at 570-269-9688!
 
Please join us as we celebrate St. Mary’s and each other this September!
 

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Lay Ministry: Gearing up for Fall

Yes, fall is right around the corner and St. Mary’s needs YOU!! When we started in-person worship services, many of you signed up to help with Sunday morning lay ministries… Ushers, Greeters, Lay Leaders/Officiants and Vergers. Thanks to all of you who were able to do that!  

Now that summer is nearing an end and we’ll soon be settling into our fall/winter routines, it’s our hope that more of you will be able to help with these lay ministries. The goal is to have enough people assisting with these ministries so that no one will be asked to take on responsibilities more often than once each month. You can get more information or sign up now by contacting mauramccro@gmail.com.

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Update from Mia on Children’s and Youth for Fall

We have been in brainstorming mode to try to get some appropriate programming that kids and youth will be interested in for the fall (while keeping kids safe!) 
 
Here is what we know so far. 
 
Youth Group:
Youth Group will start up September (date TBD) in person with our Youth Leader, Kat Lewis!  Yay, welcome aboard Kat!  Check the Saint Mary’s Calendar for more up to date details about the Youth Group.  Since most youth group sessions will be indoors, masks are required.  The youth group may choose to do some outdoor gatherings as well!  
*I am still looking for an additional 1-2 adults who are interested in supporting and helping with youth group this year (in person). 
 
Tweeners:
Tweeners will be starting up virtually September 22, 2021 from 6-7pm on Wednesday nights.  I will be reaching out to families to see if they are interested in family led meet up dates for Tweens that are outdoor!  If you are a Tween parent, let me know if this is interesting to you!
 
Sunday School:
I am still not sure what we are going to do with Sunday school this year.  Below is a link to a survey that will help shape what we are going to do.  If you have a child in the 0-11 range, please fill out the survey to help guide my decisions around this for the year.
 

Parent Survey

Sunday Night Bed Time Stories:
As part of the Christian Formation plan for this year, I would like to do a Story time for our little kids.  Any congregation member can help with this idea.  I will be taking pictures of our Spark Story Bible and attaching the stories to a specific day.  Your job (if you so choose to accept it) would be to read the story and video tape yourself doing this. You would also have a chance to say a few words to the kids and let them know that they are missed and we all hope to be back together soon!  I would then distribute this in the weekly email so that our families can have Bible stories read to our littlest children on Sunday nights.  
 

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Pastoral Care

I am both happy and sad to announce that Rev. Cindi Brickson has a new job that will require her to step down from her role as Pastoral Care Minister. I am so appreciative that she stepped up to take on this role at St. Mary’s with gusto, going above and beyond individual pastoral care to found recurring care groups for LGBTQ+ people and elders, a quarterly healing circle, and curating the St. Mary’s prayer chain, to name a few. All of these efforts happened during a time when face to face interaction was very limited, and people needed virtual venues to connect and help heal one another from all of the trauma that is so present right now.

As we await the results of our search process that we hope will call our new rector this fall, St. Mary’s pastoral care programs will be more limited. Rev. Susan Moss will cover pastoral care emergencies, Eily Marlow has offered to continue to coordinate the LGBTQ+ and elder care groups, and Cindi plans to continue to lead the prayer chain and Tuesday evening Compline gatherings. The members of the pastoral care team look forward to working with a new rector to develop a robust pastoral care program at St. Mary’s once they are in place.

If you have any questions about this transition time for pastoral care, please reach out to Susan or me. Congratulations on your new job with ECMN, Cindi, and thank you for you service to St. Mary’s in this role!

Brian Nerbonne, Warden

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Website Maintenance

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be doing some behind-the-scenes maintenance on the St. Mary’s website. It may have some periods of downtime, when you aren’t able to access it. If that happens, please rest assured that it will be up and running again within 24 hours. With questions, please email communications@saintmarysepiscopal.org

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 9/10 – 9/16

Sunday, September 12, 2021
Worship In-Person and Live Stream
10:00am
Link
Ice Cream Social Outdoors
11:15am
Blessing of Backpacks, Bags, and Briefcases Outdoors
11:45am

Sunday, September 12, 2021
Listening Session (information above)
4:00pm

Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, September 16, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, September 16, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – September 3, 2021

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Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, September 5, 2021
Worship via Zoom ONLY with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday will be a ZOOM ONLY worship service. We’ll be doing an adapted version of Gospel Based Discipleship.  There’s no sermon today.  We’ll be breaking into 3 groups to discuss the Collect and First Message and create our own sermon! These will be the discussion questions…they’re a little different than usual: 

  • What is the Holy Spirit doing in the Opening Collect and First Message? 
  • Where do you see yourself?
  • What does this Opening Collect and First Message say about this journey you’re on?”

Anna Clark, Vonda Humburg and Nina Johnson will be facilitating the discussions.

  • First Message: A reading by Bruce Epperly entitled “Seeking God’s Shalom: Reflections on Labor Day”
  • Gospel: Mark 7:24-37

For the Zoom worship service on September 5, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 361757
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 865 7346 8197

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 865 7346 8197
If asked for a passcode, use 361757
 

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

September is Rally Month at St. Mary’s!

Sunday Morning Lay Ministry

Children and Youth

Pastoral Care

Communications

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

What’s New?
  • To listen to the sermon given by Erika Scheurer on August 29, Click HERE.
  • “Blessing of Backpacks, Bags and Briefcases”—Students and Educators this is for YOU!  Come to St. Mary’s on September 12th, outdoors…more information to follow next week.
  • In September, we will celebrate the Eucharist 3 times—September 12, 19 and 26.  The Rev. Susan Moss will preach and celebrate on September 12; The Rev. Carol Arney will preach and celebrate on September 19 and 26.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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September is Rally Month at St. Mary’s!

With so much going on to start off a new season at St. Mary’s, we will be sending out a separate email highlighting the many activities that will be happening this month. Please watch your inbox and keep your eye on the St. Mary’s website and calendar.

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Lay Ministry: Gearing up for Fall

Yes, fall is right around the corner and St. Mary’s needs YOU!! When we started in-person worship services, many of you signed up to help with Sunday morning lay ministries… Ushers, Greeters, Lay Leaders/Officiants and Vergers. Thanks to all of you who were able to do that!  

Now that summer is nearing an end and we’ll soon be settling into our fall/winter routines, it’s our hope that more of you will be able to help with these lay ministries. The goal is to have enough people assisting with these ministries so that no one will be asked to take on responsibilities more often than once each month. You can get more information or sign up now by contacting mauramccro@gmail.com.

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Update from Mia on Children’s and Youth for Fall

We have been in brainstorming mode to try to get some appropriate programming that kids and youth will be interested in for the fall (while keeping kids safe!) 
 
Here is what we know so far. 
 
Youth Group:
Youth Group will start up September (date TBD) in person with our Youth Leader, Kat Lewis!  Yay, welcome aboard Kat!  Check the Saint Mary’s Calendar for more up to date details about the Youth Group.  Since most youth group sessions will be indoors, masks are required.  The youth group may choose to do some outdoor gatherings as well!  
*I am still looking for an additional 1-2 adults who are interested in supporting and helping with youth group this year (in person). 
 
Tweeners:
Tweeners will be starting up virtually September 22, 2021 from 6-7pm on Wednesday nights.  I will be reaching out to families to see if they are interested in family led meet up dates for Tweens that are outdoor!  If you are a Tween parent, let me know if this is interesting to you!
 
Sunday School:
I am still not sure what we are going to do with Sunday school this year.  Below is a link to a survey that will help shape what we are going to do.  If you have a child in the 0-11 range, please fill out the survey to help guide my decisions around this for the year.
 

Parent Survey

Sunday Night Bed Time Stories:
As part of the Christian Formation plan for this year, I would like to do a Story time for our little kids.  Any congregation member can help with this idea.  I will be taking pictures of our Spark Story Bible and attaching the stories to a specific day.  Your job (if you so choose to accept it) would be to read the story and video tape yourself doing this. You would also have a chance to say a few words to the kids and let them know that they are missed and we all hope to be back together soon!  I would then distribute this in the weekly email so that our families can have Bible stories read to our littlest children on Sunday nights.  

Return to Top

Pastoral Care

I am both happy and sad to announce that Rev. Cindi Brickson has a new job that will require her to step down from her role as Pastoral Care Minister. I am so appreciative that she stepped up to take on this role at St. Mary’s with gusto, going above and beyond individual pastoral care to found recurring care groups for LGBTQ+ people and elders, a quarterly healing circle, and curating the St. Mary’s prayer chain, to name a few. All of these efforts happened during a time when face to face interaction was very limited, and people needed virtual venues to connect and help heal one another from all of the trauma that is so present right now.

As we await the results of our search process that we hope will call our new rector this fall, St. Mary’s pastoral care programs will be more limited. Rev. Susan Moss will cover pastoral care emergencies, Eily Marlow has offered to continue to coordinate the LGBTQ+ and elder care groups, and Cindi plans to continue to lead the prayer chain and Tuesday evening Compline gatherings. The members of the pastoral care team look forward to working with a new rector to develop a robust pastoral care program at St. Mary’s once they are in place.

If you have any questions about this transition time for pastoral care, please reach out to Susan or me. Congratulations on your new job with ECMN, Cindi, and thank you for you service to St. Mary’s in this role!

Brian Nerbonne, Warden

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Website Maintenance

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be doing some behind-the-scenes maintenance on the St. Mary’s website. It may have some periods of downtime, when you aren’t able to access it. If that happens, please rest assured that it will be up and running again within 24 hours. With questions, please email communications@saintmarysepiscopal.org

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 9/3 – 9/9

Sunday, September 5, 2021
Worship via Zoom ONLY with Coffee Hour to Follow
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Men’s Group
7:00pm
For details Click HERE

Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, September 9, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, September 9, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – August 27, 2021

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Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, August 29, 2021
Worship In-Person and Live Stream —10:00am.
Outdoor Social Hour to follow for in-person attendees.  (Joining virtually?  See below in “What’s New”.) 

This Sunday Erika Scheurer, a member at St. Mary’s, will be our Preacher, and it will be an adapted Morning Prayer service.

  • First Message: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
  • Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

NEW! For the Live Stream worship service on August 29, 2021 Click HERE

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Search Update

Sunday Morning Lay Ministry

Children and Youth

Pastoral Care

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at St. Mary’s by The Rev. Susan M. Moss

Several have asked me to post the closing words of my sermon last Sunday. This was a day when St. Mary’s practices its time honored tradition: parents wrapping their high school graduates in a handmade quilt created by St. Mary’s members who had adorned each one with messages of encouragement and support; and then… sending the graduates out with their blessings as they head into their next chapter. 

…When the church works it’s a thing of extraordinary grace and beauty. 
Lives merge, hearts soften and exiles from a shallow culture look deep inside.
God given Diversity is taken as a gift and the genius of Bach and Beethoven 
finds a home.

In such sunlight people smile. People cry. People hold hands. 
People rise from the grave of this troubled world and breathe freely.

At a deep level I think this is what we seek. It is why we hang in with a 
troubled and frustrating institution. It is why we show up on Sunday and 
give sacrificially.  We sense that God’s grace is out there, ours for the asking. 
And we just want to see a glimpse of it, taste a taste, see the adult bend to the child, see lovers bring their love to God. See sufferers bring their suffering, see the fist unclench, see everyone, everyone! Treated with dignity and respect….

By the Rev. Tom Ehrich

What’s New?
  • To listen to the sermon given by The Rev. Susan Moss on August 22, Click HERE.
  • We welcomed our new audio and visual equipment last Sunday much to the pleasure of those watching the live stream via YouTube. The sound was great and the camera angles gave us clear views of the music team and all those leading worship. Thanks to Cindi Brickson for bringing this to fruition!! Patience, prayers and goodwill are still needed as more improvements will be forthcoming…Zoom coffee/social time will be coming as will the chat feature during live stream. Stay tuned for the addition of these features!
  • There will be a second Sunday worship service on September 19th at 8:00am! This will be hosted and led by those who attended the 7:45am service pre-COVID! This will be completely led by an Officiant (lay person), no clergy involvement. Instead of a sermon, they will discuss the readings for the day and create their own sermon! They will use the adapted Morning Prayer service that is being used at the 10:00am service. After this service they will decide whether to do another 8:00am service or two in October. All are welcome to join them! Please let us know at worship@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Search Update

I am guessing many people at St. Mary’s are thinking about what might be next after our most recent rector candidate dropped out of our process. The vestry has been thinking about the same thing, and held a lengthy discussion of options. We have another vestry meeting on Tuesday, August 31 at 6:00 p.m. where we will talk about things further. We hope to have more details available to the congregation soon. In the meantime, we will appreciate your prayers for thoughtful discernment on next steps. If you have any thoughts or questions, please feel free to contact me.
 
Brian Nerbonne, Warden
612-810-7898

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Lay Ministry: Gearing up for Fall

Yes, fall is right around the corner and St. Mary’s needs YOU!! When we started in-person worship services, many of you signed up to help with Sunday morning lay ministries… Ushers, Greeters, Lay Leaders/Officiants and Vergers. Thanks to all of you who were able to do that!  

Now that summer is nearing an end and we’ll soon be settling into our fall/winter routines, it’s our hope that more of you will be able to help with these lay ministries. The goal is to have enough people assisting with these ministries so that no one will be asked to take on responsibilities more often than once each month. You can get more information or sign up now by contacting mauramccro@gmail.com.

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Update from Mia on Children’s and Youth for Fall

We have been in brainstorming mode to try to get some appropriate programming that kids and youth will be interested in for the fall (while keeping kids safe!) 
 
Here is what we know so far. 
 
Youth Group:
Youth Group will start up September (date TBD) in person with our Youth Leader, Kat Lewis!  Yay, welcome aboard Kat!  Check the Saint Mary’s Calendar for more up to date details about the Youth Group.  Since most youth group sessions will be indoors, masks are required.  The youth group may choose to do some outdoor gatherings as well!  
*I am still looking for an additional 1-2 adults who are interested in supporting and helping with youth group this year (in person). 
 
Tweeners:
Tweeners will be starting up virtually September 22, 2021 from 6-7pm on Wednesday nights.  I will be reaching out to families to see if they are interested in family led meet up dates for Tweens that are outdoor!  If you are a Tween parent, let me know if this is interesting to you!
 
Sunday School:
I am still not sure what we are going to do with Sunday school this year.  Below is a link to a survey that will help shape what we are going to do.  If you have a child in the 0-11 range, please fill out the survey to help guide my decisions around this for the year.
 

Parent Survey

Sunday Night Bed Time Stories:
As part of the Christian Formation plan for this year, I would like to do a Story time for our little kids.  Any congregation member can help with this idea.  I will be taking pictures of our Spark Story Bible and attaching the stories to a specific day.  Your job (if you so choose to accept it) would be to read the story and video tape yourself doing this. You would also have a chance to say a few words to the kids and let them know that they are missed and we all hope to be back together soon!  I would then distribute this in the weekly email so that our families can have Bible stories read to our littlest children on Sunday nights.  

Return to Top

Pastoral Care

I am both happy and sad to announce that Rev. Cindi Brickson has a new job that will require her to step down from her role as Pastoral Care Minister. I am so appreciative that she stepped up to take on this role at St. Mary’s with gusto, going above and beyond individual pastoral care to found recurring care groups for LGBTQ+ people and elders, a quarterly healing circle, and curating the St. Mary’s prayer chain, to name a few. All of these efforts happened during a time when face to face interaction was very limited, and people needed virtual venues to connect and help heal one another from all of the trauma that is so present right now.

As we await the results of our search process that we hope will call our new rector this fall, St. Mary’s pastoral care programs will be more limited. Rev. Susan Moss will cover pastoral care emergencies, Eily Marlow has offered to continue to coordinate the LGBTQ+ and elder care groups, and Cindi plans to continue to lead the prayer chain and Tuesday evening Compline gatherings. The members of the pastoral care team look forward to working with a new rector to develop a robust pastoral care program at St. Mary’s once they are in place.

If you have any questions about this transition time for pastoral care, please reach out to Susan or me. Congratulations on your new job with ECMN, Cindi, and thank you for you service to St. Mary’s in this role!

Brian Nerbonne, Warden

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 8/27 – 9/2

Sunday, August 29, 2021
Worship In-person and Live Stream (Outdoor Social Hour to follow for in-person attendees)
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Vestry Meeting – Special Session
6:00pm
Contact for details and a link Click HERE

Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, September 2, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, September 2, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – August 20, 2021

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Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, August 22, 2021
Worship In-person and Live Stream with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday, The Rev. Susan Moss will be our Preacher and Celebrant. This will be a Eucharist service. There will be social time after the service.

  • First Message: Ephesians 6:10-20
  • Gospel: John 6:56-69

NEW! For the Live Stream worship service on August 22, 2021 Click HERE

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Sunday Morning Lay Ministry

Children and Youth

Pastoral Care

ECMN Convention

Notice of Death

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Misión San José Obrero: An invitation to serve on September 12
By The Rev. Susan M. Moss
(repeated from 8/13/2021)

Interested? Here’s the background:
 
Thirty years ago, a new ministry of hospitality was born in Montgomery, MN. Carolyn Schmidt, then the priest in Montgomery, and Vincent Schwahn, Misión Santo Niño’s founding vicar, responded to the Spirit’s call to welcome and thank migrant workers traveling from Texas and Mexico to Montgomery each summer to work in the Seneca Plant during pea and corn pack. Since then, clergy and laity have worked side by side to provide a Spanish language Eucharist as spiritual nourishment for the soul and a healthy warm meal for the body.
 
At the annual diocesan convention in 2008, ECMN officially embraced this Special Mission named after the patron saint of workers – San José Obrero.
 
This summer ministry is now led by the faith communities in ECMN’s Southeast Mission Area (SEMA). For the past 10 years Padre Neptali Rodriguez, Santo Niño’s vicar, has presided at the Eucharist, baptisms, car blessings and even a wedding or two.
 
The Rev. John Sullivan, rector at Christ Church in Austin & SEMA coordinator, and Padre Neptali are looking for a team of 4-5 people to worship with the workers and provide the meal on September 12. 
 
Tell me more…
 
Responsibilities: A team of 4-5 people who will 
 
Worship with Seneca Plant workers for one or two of the “misas”
Purchase or prepare and serve two buffet style meals; one meal for each of two shifts approx.15 workers at each shift. 
 
Typical Menu: rice, beans, chicken, tortilla, cookies (a favorite dessert), bottled water
Also needed: disposable plates, napkins, plastic utensils
 
Cost: Team members would need to raise money for the cost of the meals for 30
 
Time Commitment: Sunday, September 12
 
2:15 Drive to Montgomery (about 1 hour from St Mary’s) 
3:30  Misa #1 en español (eucharist) 
4:30  Cena # 1 (dinner)
6:00  Cena #2  (dinner)
7:00  Misa #2 en español  (optional)
 
Who’s in?
 
I am! So is Paulette Briese. Who wants to join us? 
We need at least 4-5 people to procure and serve the meal.
Children are welcome.
 
Please contact me for further details at: susanmaetzoldmoss@gmail.com
We should decide within the next 10 days to let John Sullivan know if this is a go or not.
 
 
What’s New?
  • To listen to the sermon given by The Rev Susan Moss on August 15, Click HERE.
  • The installation of our new sound and camera equipment is complete!!!!  Yeah!! So you might be wondering, “What will I notice that’s different on Sunday?” The sound and camera work will be much improved. There are 5 camera angles that can be shown with the touch of a button! This will be live streamed, not Zoom-ed, so you won’t be able to see each other. There will be a link to click on to join the live stream, similar to clicking on a link to join Zoom. This is the first step, not the end result!! Patience, prayers and goodwill are still needed as the Tech Team learns how to use this new equipment to its best advantage.
  • On Sunday, August 15th, we tried an experiment…having children around the altar during communion.  Two households, one at each end of the altar, Susan masked the whole time.  The Worship Team would love to hear your thoughts about this!  Please let us know at worship@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Lay Ministry: Gearing up for Fall

Yes, fall is right around the corner and St. Mary’s needs YOU!! When we started in-person worship services, many of you signed up to help with Sunday morning lay ministries… Ushers, Greeters, Lay Leaders/Officiants and Vergers. Thanks to all of you who were able to do that!  

Now that summer is nearing an end and we’ll soon be settling into our fall/winter routines, it’s our hope that more of you will be able to help with these lay ministries. The goal is to have enough people assisting with these ministries so that no one will be asked to take on responsibilities more often than once each month. You can get more information or sign up now by contacting mauramccro@gmail.com. If you contact Maura by Tuesday, August 24,  you will start your assignments in September and October; if you contact her after that date, you may be assigned as a “sub” during that time but will start assigned dates for the next scheduling cycle, November and December.

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Update from Mia on Children’s and Youth for Fall

We have been in brainstorming mode to try to get some appropriate programming that kids and youth will be interested in for the fall (while keeping kids safe!) 
 
Here is what we know so far. 
 
Youth Group:
Youth Group will start up September (date TBD) in person with our Youth Leader, Kat Lewis!  Yay, welcome aboard Kat!  Check the Saint Mary’s Calendar for more up to date details about the Youth Group.  Since most youth group sessions will be indoors, masks are required.  The youth group may choose to do some outdoor gatherings as well!  
*I am still looking for an additional 1-2 adults who are interested in supporting and helping with youth group this year (in person). 
 
Tweeners:
Tweeners will be starting up virtually September 22, 2021 from 6-7pm on Wednesday nights.  I will be reaching out to families to see if they are interested in family led meet up dates for Tweens that are outdoor!  If you are a Tween parent, let me know if this is interesting to you!
 
Sunday School:
I am still not sure what we are going to do with Sunday school this year.  Below is a link to a survey that will help shape what we are going to do.  If you have a child in the 0-11 range, please fill out the survey to help guide my decisions around this for the year.
 

Parent Survey

Sunday Night Bed Time Stories:
As part of the Christian Formation plan for this year, I would like to do a Story time for our little kids.  Any congregation member can help with this idea.  I will be taking pictures of our Spark Story Bible and attaching the stories to a specific day.  Your job (if you so choose to accept it) would be to read the story and video tape yourself doing this. You would also have a chance to say a few words to the kids and let them know that they are missed and we all hope to be back together soon!  I would then distribute this in the weekly email so that our families can have Bible stories read to our littlest children on Sunday nights.  

Return to Top

Pastoral Care

I am both happy and sad to announce that Rev. Cindi Brickson has a new job that will require her to step down from her role as Pastoral Care Minister. I am so appreciative that she stepped up to take on this role at St. Mary’s with gusto, going above and beyond individual pastoral care to found recurring care groups for LGBTQ+ people and elders, a quarterly healing circle, and curating the St. Mary’s prayer chain, to name a few. All of these efforts happened during a time when face to face interaction was very limited, and people needed virtual venues to connect and help heal one another from all of the trauma that is so present right now.

As we await the results of our search process that we hope will call our new rector this fall, St. Mary’s pastoral care programs will be more limited. Rev. Susan Moss will cover pastoral care emergencies, Eily Marlow has offered to continue to coordinate the LGBTQ+ and elder care groups, and Cindi plans to continue to lead the prayer chain and Tuesday evening Compline gatherings. The members of the pastoral care team look forward to working with a new rector to develop a robust pastoral care program at St. Mary’s once they are in place.

If you have any questions about this transition time for pastoral care, please reach out to Susan or me. Congratulations on your new job with ECMN, Cindi, and thank you for you service to St. Mary’s in this role!

Brian Nerbonne

Warden

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Delegates to the ECMN Convention

The Episcopal Church in Minnesota (ECMN) will hold its annual convention November 5 & 6 (Friday evening and Saturday) in Bemidji this year and the plan is that it will be in-person. This is a gathering of Episcopalians from throughout Minnesota and here’s what’s on the website describing the convention: “After a long and difficult year apart from one another, we are eager to gather again in the flesh in November for our Episcopal Church in Minnesota “family reunion”. During our time together, we’ll take care of canonical business, including electing members to our governing bodies, considering resolutions and reviewing the financial statement of mission. We’ll hear stories from across the diocese and, most importantly, we’ll reacquaint ourselves with who we are as the people of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota.” 

Are you ready to venture outside St Mary’s, learn about ECMN as a whole and take on a role in the wider church? If so, this would be a good opportunity for you! St. Mary’s can have 3 delegates attend the convention. We also elect 1 or 2 alternates in case a delegate is unable to attend at the last minute. If you’re interested in learning more about this or becoming a delegate (or alternate) and attending the convention in Bemidji, please send an email to Brian Nerbonne: Michigander_guy@yahoo.com. Please express your interest by August 23rd.

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Notice of Death: Kathie Jepson

Last Sunday, Kris Danneker Jepson came to worship at St Mary’s.

She shared with us the sad news that her mom Kathie had died the day before at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.
 
Kathie and her husband Jim were active members of St. Mary’s for many years. During the pandemic Kathie often attended our Zoom worship services.
 
Cards and messages of condolence and support may be sent to:
 
Jim Jepson
1095 Felix Street
West St. Paul 55118
 
The family has planned a private ceremony and scattering of ashes.
 
O God we pray to you for Kathie, and for all those whom we love but see no longer. Grant to them eternal rest. Let light perpetual shine upon them. May her soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen
 
The Rev. Susan M. Moss

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 8/20 – 8/26

Sunday, August 22, 2021
Worship In-person and Live Stream with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Vestry Meeting
7:00pm
Contact for details and a link Click HERE

Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, August 26, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, August 26, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – August 13, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, August 15, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday, August 15, The Rev Susan Moss will be our Preacher & celebrant, and it will be another Eucharist service. Zoom coffee time and outdoor visiting for in-person worshippers will allow us to have social time after the service.

  • First Message: Ephesians 5:15-20
  • Gospel: John 6:51-58

For the Zoom worship service on August 15, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Search Committee

Finance Committee

Pastoral Care

ECMN Convention

Outreach

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Misión San José Obrero: An invitation to serve on September 12
By The Rev. Susan M. Moss

Interested? Here’s the background:
 
Thirty years ago, a new ministry of hospitality was born in Montgomery, MN. Carolyn Schmidt, then the priest in Montgomery, and Vincent Schwahn, Misión Santo Niño’s founding vicar, responded to the Spirit’s call to welcome and thank migrant workers traveling from Texas and Mexico to Montgomery each summer to work in the Seneca Plant during pea and corn pack. Since then, clergy and laity have worked side by side to provide a Spanish language Eucharist as spiritual nourishment for the soul and a healthy warm meal for the body.
 
At the annual diocesan convention in 2008, ECMN officially embraced this Special Mission named after the patron saint of workers – San José Obrero.
 
This summer ministry is now led by the faith communities in ECMN’s Southeast Mission Area (SEMA). For the past 10 years Padre Neptali Rodriguez, Santo Niño’s vicar, has presided at the Eucharist, baptisms, car blessings and even a wedding or two.
 
The Rev. John Sullivan, rector at Christ Church in Austin & SEMA coordinator, and Padre Neptali are looking for a team of 4-5 people to worship with the workers and provide the meal on September 12. 
 
Tell me more…
 
Responsibilities: A team of 4-5 people who will 
 
Worship with Seneca Plant workers for one or two of the “misas”
Purchase or prepare and serve two buffet style meals; one meal for each of two shifts approx.15 workers at each shift. 
 
Typical Menu: rice, beans, chicken, tortilla, cookies (a favorite dessert), bottled water
Also needed: disposable plates, napkins, plastic utensils
 
Cost: Team members would need to raise money for the cost of the meals for 30
 
Time Commitment: Sunday, September 12
 
2:15 Drive to Montgomery (about 1 hour from St Mary’s) 
3:30  Misa #1 en español (eucharist) 
4:30  Cena # 1 (dinner)
6:00  Cena #2  (dinner)
7:00  Misa #2 en español  (optional)
 
Who’s in?
 
I am! So is Paulette Briese. Who wants to join us? 
We need at least 4-5 people to procure and serve the meal.
Children are welcome.
 
Please contact me for further details at: susanmaetzoldmoss@gmail.com
We should decide within the next 10 days to let John Sullivan know if this is a go or not.
 
 
What’s New?
  • To listen to The Rev Susan Daughtry’s sermon from August 8, 2021, Click HERE.
  • During August, we will celebrate the Eucharist three times: August 8, 15 & 22. The Rev Susan Moss will be the preacher and celebrant August 15th as well as August 22nd.
  • An experiment this Sunday approved by the Worship Team: One or two children (with pre-approval by their parents) will be invited to join Susan at the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer, with the children standing at each end of the altar. Susan will remain masked during that time.
  • If everything goes according to plan, installation of our new equipment will begin on August 18. This will improve our Zoom worship experience after our techies learn how to operate this equipment. Patience, prayers and good will are still needed!!

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Search Committee

We are excited to share that we have received a new slate of candidates from Bishop Loya and the Office of Transition Ministry. We’ll use the same interview process we previously developed, and we plan to conduct first-round interviews during the week of August 16th. We want our whole community to know that Bishop Loya took special time to meet with the search committee to convey his excitement and hopefulness regarding this slate of candidates. Having reviewed the materials, we on the search committee share Bishop Loya’s enthusiasm.  As we proceed, we are taking care to remind ourselves that these processes of mutual discernment can take unexpected turns.

As always, you can also send questions or comments to transitionteam@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

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A Mid-year Update from the Finance Committee

We are approximately $9,500 ahead of budget as of June 30, 2021. A reminder, however, that this is based on our 2021 budget, which has a projected budget deficit of ($23,232). Through June, our year-to-date pledge and plate contributions are approximately $1,400 above budget, our non-pledge income is approximately $2,100 above budget, and our expenses are approximately $6,000 below budget. If we do as well in the second half of the year as we have in the first six months, that is, continue to have income above budget and continue to hold the line on expenses, we could come close to eliminating our projected deficit for the year.

Mid-year contribution statements will be sent out sometime the first week in August via email. If you do not receive a statement via email by August 15th, please contact Rex Holzemer at 651-308-4895 or at rexaholzemer@gmail.com. Thanks to each of you for your continued financial support of our community!

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Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for Summer 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
The Team meets on Zoom on Monday nights at 6:30. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.

LGBTQ+
Each third Monday, ongoing
6:30pm meets monthly for reflective conversation and community building. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Each Tuesday at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are
welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org 

Caring for an Aging Loved One
Each first Tuesday at 7:00pm: ongoing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information / to register and to get the link.
 
Coffee and Conversation with Rev. Cindi
The second Wednesday of every month at 10:00am & 7:00pm (paused for August)
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE
 
Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s. 
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)
 
For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events: 
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link.
 

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Delegates to the ECMN Convention

The Episcopal Church in Minnesota (ECMN) will hold its annual convention November 5 & 6 (Friday evening and Saturday) in Bemidji this year and the plan is that it will be in-person. This is a gathering of Episcopalians from throughout Minnesota and here’s what’s on the website describing the convention: “After a long and difficult year apart from one another, we are eager to gather again in the flesh in November for our Episcopal Church in Minnesota “family reunion”. During our time together, we’ll take care of canonical business, including electing members to our governing bodies, considering resolutions and reviewing the financial statement of mission. We’ll hear stories from across the diocese and, most importantly, we’ll reacquaint ourselves with who we are as the people of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota.” 

Are you ready to venture outside St Mary’s, learn about ECMN as a whole and take on a role in the wider church? If so, this would be a good opportunity for you! St. Mary’s can have 3 delegates attend the convention. We also elect 1 or 2 alternates in case a delegate is unable to attend at the last minute. If you’re interested in learning more about this or becoming a delegate (or alternate) and attending the convention in Bemidji, please send an email to Brian Nerbonne: Michigander_guy@yahoo.com. Please express your interest by August 23rd.

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KIVA is alive and well at St Mary’s!

When we have about $1200 in our KIVA account (payments made on previous loans) we’ve been making KIVA loans via Zoom…and it works VERY well!  If you’d like to join this group, let Paulette Briese know.  Here’s a summary of our most recent loans:

  • 16 loans made to these countries:  Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Philippines (2), Moldova, Guatemala, Palestine, El Salvador, Kenya, Tajikistan, Fiji and Uganda (4)
  • What are the loans for?  Bakery/Coffee Shop, Pharmacy supplies, toilets (3), heat, thread & fabric for sewing/weaving of traditional items (4), school fees, piglets and employees to build a pig pen and “ACE one hybrid energy system” for cooking, lighting and charging, which reduces the need for charcoal (4).  We were quite impressed with the ACE energy system.
  • Over the many years St Mary’s has supported KIVA borrowers, we’ve:
    • Made 280 loans to 57 different countries
    • Deposited $9,145 to our KIVA account (“new” money)
    • Used “new” and re-paid money, to loan a total of $45,425!!!

If you’d like to learn more about KIVA, ask Julie Thomas, Mary Hinz, Terry Alewine or Paulette Briese.

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Update on Current Isaiah work

Isaiah is currently developing a plan to support a Rent Stabilization Referendum which will be on the ballot in St. Paul this November. Having a stable and safe residence is critical for families and individuals to thrive. St. Paul has over 50% renters now, and 60% of those are people of color – so this issue is deeply intertwined with equity also. Come join us to learn more about how you can help ensure that St. Paul families can find stable housing.

Please consider signing up for ONE of the Zoom information/training sessions in August:

  • Saturday August 14 from 9:30am–12pm
  • Tuesday August 17 from 6:30pm–9pm
  • Thursday August 19 from 6:30pm–9pm
  • Tuesday August 31 from 6:30pm–9pm

More questions???… call or talk to: Ginny (651 470 7739) or Jim DeLuca (651 792 6675) or Maura (651 249 4634) or Fran Roby (612 968 2370) or Tom Brown (651 402 0495)

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 8/13 – 8/19

Sunday, August 15, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Monday, August 16, 2021
Pastoral Care
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Monday, August 16, 2021
LGBTQ+
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, August 19, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, August 19, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – August 6, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, August 8, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday The Rev. Susan Daughtry will be our preacher and celebrant, and since it’s the 2nd Sunday of the month, it will be a Eucharist service. The Rev. Daughtry is the Episcopal Church of Minnesota (ECMN) Missioner for Formation. Zoom coffee time and outdoor visiting for in-person worshippers will allow us to have social time after the service.

  • First Message: Psalm 34:1-8
  • Gospel: John 6:35, 41-51

For the Zoom worship service on August 8, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Search Committee

Finance Committee

Technology for Sunday Worship

Altar Guild

  • Volunteers needed – Please review and consider this request as we are in danger of soon NOT having a functioning Altar Guild.

Pastoral Care

ECMN Convention

Outreach

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by The Rev. Susan M. Moss

The Worship, Tech and Regathering Teams learn new things every week to improve our knowledge of how to plan and offer engaging and nourishing  liturgy in a new hybrid world. 

The learning curve is steep but we are undaunted and eager to improve with renewed appreciation for the team work and cooperation. 

Upgraded technology is on its way bringing higher quality sound and visuals to increase virtual participation and connection. 

 More training will be needed  throughout the month of August and into early September as the Tech Team learns to use the upgraded equipment. Thank you for your patience as we navigate this new world.

I love this life lesson from Anne Lamott.  Based on Doctorow’s wisdom for writers, she applies it to those times when, like it or not, we must slow down and accept that we can’t know everything at once.

“E.L. Doctorow once said that ‘Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.’ You don’t have to see where you’re going, you don’t have to see your destination or everything you will pass along the way. You just have to see two or three feet ahead of you. This is right up there with the best advice on writing, or life, I have ever heard.”

 
What’s New?
  • To listen to Vonda Humburg’s homily from August 1, 2021, Click HERE.  (For the printed version to follow along, Click HERE)
  • If everything goes according to plan, installation of our new equipment will begin on August 18. This is the equipment that will improve our Zoom worship experience. As with all our tweaks and improvements, there will be a learning curve for those who will be trained to operate this equipment…so we still ask for your patience, prayers and good will as the techies acquire the skills to bring a better Zoom experience to our on-line worshippers.
  • Next Sunday, August 15th, will be an EXTRA Eucharist…three Eucharist services this month instead of the usual two!!  The Rev. Susan Moss will be the preacher and celebrant on both August 15th & 22nd.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Search Committee

We are excited to share that we have received a new slate of candidates from Bishop Loya and the Office of Transition Ministry. We’ll use the same interview process we previously developed, and we plan to conduct first-round interviews during the week of August 16th. We want our whole community to know that Bishop Loya took special time to meet with the search committee to convey his excitement and hopefulness regarding this slate of candidates. Having reviewed the materials, we on the search committee share Bishop Loya’s enthusiasm.  As we proceed, we are taking care to remind ourselves that these processes of mutual discernment can take unexpected turns.

We invite you to join us this Sunday for our monthly “catch-up conversation,” where members of the search team will be available to share information and answer any questions we can, while keeping confidential the Human Resources aspect of this process. 9:15-9:45 in the sanctuary and on Zoom. As always, you can also send questions or comments to transitionteam@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

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A Mid-year Update from the Finance Committee

We are approximately $9,500 ahead of budget as of June 30, 2021. A reminder, however, that this based on our 2021 budget, which has a projected budget deficit of ($23,232). Thru June, our year-to-date pledge and plate contributions are approximately $1,400 above budget, our non-pledge income is approximately $2,100 above budget, and our expenses are approximately $6,000 below budget. If we do as well in the second half of the year as we have in the first six months, that is, continue to have income above budget and continue to hold the line on expenses, we could come close to eliminating our projected deficit for the year.

Mid-year contribution statements will be sent out sometime the first week in August via e-mail. If you do not receive a statement via e-mail by August 15th, please contact Rex Holzemer at 651-308-4895 or at rexaholzemer@gmail.com. Thanks to each of you for your continued financial support of our community!

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Volunteers for Sunday Worship Service Technology

Brian Nerbonne would appreciate some technology volunteers so that we can continue to provide an online option for worship, and so that he can take a few Sundays off. He has a couple people signed up, but not enough yet to provide coverage for when Brian is on vacation. There are two jobs: 

  1.  Audio/Video live stream from church, which requires a laptop and cell phone
  2.  Zoom host, which  can be done from home or even from church if you bring your device. The Zoom host shares the PowerPoint files of song lyrics that Vonda creates for each song. 

Neither job is actually very difficult, and Brian is happy to train people on how to do each. If you can help, please let Brian know.  Click HERE with questions or to volunteer.

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Volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild

As we open for the first time in a very long time, we are looking for new volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild. Your duties will be to serve on a team for one Sunday a month. Your team will set up for the services that day. Making sure that the wine and bread are ready for each service, the correct linens are placed where needed, candles are replaced occasionally, and various other small chores having to do that Sunday. Then clean up when the services are over. Once in a while there will be a 5th Sunday, those are rotated among the 4 teams. We really, really do need you, please volunteer if you are interested. I will talk you through the process in detail first and answer questions. Finally you will have the backup of other team members.

Also badly needed are folks that like to bake, one month out of the year you would bake the communion bread for that month, the recipe is simple and we have bakers that will give you the recipe and instructions.

Thank you, Kitty McFarland
mcfarlandkitty274@gmail.com or text 651-955-1639

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Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for Summer 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
The Team meets on Zoom on Monday nights at 6:30. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Each Tuesday at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are
welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org 

Caring for an Aging Loved One
Each first Tuesday at 7:00pm: ongoing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information / to register and to get the link.
 
Coffee and Conversation with Rev. Cindi
The second Wednesday of every month at 10:00am & 7:00pm (paused for August)
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE
 
Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s. 
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)
 
For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events: 
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link.
 

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Delegates to the ECMN Convention

The Episcopal Church in Minnesota (ECMN) will hold its annual convention November 5 & 6 (Friday evening and Saturday) in Bemidji this year and the plan is that it will be in-person. This is a gathering of Episcopalians from throughout Minnesota and here’s what’s on the website describing the convention: “After a long and difficult year apart from one another, we are eager to gather again in the flesh in November for our Episcopal Church in Minnesota “family reunion”. During our time together, we’ll take care of canonical business, including electing members to our governing bodies, considering resolutions and reviewing the financial statement of mission. We’ll hear stories from across the diocese and, most importantly, we’ll reacquaint ourselves with who we are as the people of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota.” 

Are you ready to venture outside St Mary’s, learn about ECMN as a whole and take on a role in the wider church? If so, this would be a good opportunity for you! St. Mary’s can have 3 delegates attend the convention. We also elect 1 or 2 alternates in case a delegate is unable to attend at the last minute. If you’re interested in learning more about this or becoming a delegate (or alternate) and attending the convention in Bemidji, please send an email to Brian Nerbonne: Michigander_guy@yahoo.com. Please express your interest by August 23rd.

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KIVA is alive and well at St Mary’s!

When we have about $1200 in our KIVA account (payments made on previous loans) we’ve been making KIVA loans via Zoom…and it works VERY well!  If you’d like to join this group, let Paulette Briese know.  Here’s a summary of our most recent loans:

  • 16 loans made to these countries:  Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Philippines (2), Moldova, Guatemala, Palestine, El Salvador, Kenya, Tajikistan, Fiji and Uganda (4)
  • What are the loans for?  Bakery/Coffee Shop, Pharmacy supplies, toilets (3), heat, thread & fabric for sewing/weaving of traditional items (4), school fees, piglets and employees to build a pig pen and “ACE one hybrid energy system” for cooking, lighting and charging, which reduces the need for charcoal (4).  We were quite impressed with the ACE energy system.
  • Over the many years St Mary’s has supported KIVA borrowers, we’ve:
    • Made 280 loans to 57 different countries
    • Deposited $9,145 to our KIVA account (“new” money)
    • Used “new” and re-paid money, to loan a total of $45,425!!!

If you’d like to learn more about KIVA, ask Julie Thomas, Mary Hinz, Terry Alewine or Paulette Briese.

Return to Top

Update on Current Isaiah work

Isaiah is currently developing a plan to support a Rent Stabilization Referendum which will be on the ballot in St. Paul this November. Having a stable and safe residence is critical for families and individuals to thrive. St. Paul has over 50% renters now, and 60% of those are people of color – so this issue is deeply intertwined with equity also. Come join us to learn more about how you can help ensure that St. Paul families can find stable housing.

Please consider signing up for ONE of the Zoom information/training sessions in August:

  • Saturday August 14 from 9:30am–12pm
  • Tuesday August 17 from 6:30pm–9pm
  • Thursday August 19 from 6:30pm–9pm
  • Tuesday August 31 from 6:30pm–9pm

More questions???… call or talk to: Ginny (651 470 7739) or Jim DeLuca (651 792 6675) or Maura (651 249 4634) or Fran Roby (612 968 2370) or Tom Brown (651 402 0495)

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 8/6 – 8/12

Sunday, August 8, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Monday, August 9, 2021
Pastoral Care
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, August 12, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, August 12, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – July 30, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, August 1, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday Vonda Humburg, a Saint Mary’s member and Music Director, will be our Preacher. Worship will be an adapted Morning Prayer service. Zoom coffee time and outdoor visiting for in-person worshippers will allow us to have social time after the service.

  • First Message: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15
  • Gospel: John 6:24-35 (Jesus is the bread of life, we shall not go hungry.)

For the Zoom worship service on August 1, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Technology for Sunday Worship

Altar Guild

  • Volunteers needed – Please review and consider this request as we are in danger of soon NOT having a functioning Altar Guild.

Pastoral Care

Outreach

Beware Phishing Emails!

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

What’s New?
  • To listen to the sermon given by The Rev. Susan Moss on Sunday, July 25, Click HERE.
  • It’s time for quilts! No, certainly not the weather for quilts, but Saint Mary’s will be giving a quilt to each high school graduate!! Our graduates this year are Bennett Anderson, Max Johnson, Ava McCallister and Lucas Nerbonne. For 3 Sundays, August 1, 8 and 15, the quilts will be available for Saint Marians to sign, and then they’ll be given to the grads on Sunday, August 22. Come to church the next 3 Sundays and sign the quilts to let these young people know they will continue in our thoughts!
  • The Worship Team has been looking ahead to fall and brought recommendations to the Vestry on Tuesday, July 27. The Vestry approved the following:
    • Offer those who attended the 7:45am service pre-COVID to have a fully lay led in-person Morning Prayer early Sunday morning worship service. Training of Lay Leaders will be provided; safe church procedures will be followed; housekeeping duties before and after service will be performed; Saint Mary’s COVID guidelines will be followed. This option will soon be discussed with those who attended the 7:45am service.
    • Continue one 10am hybrid (in-person & virtual) blended service with liturgy/music that has “something familiar for everyone”; two or three adapted Morning Prayer services per month and two (sometimes 3) Eucharist services per month. Revisit this decision at the end of September or when ournew priest is called.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Return to Top

Volunteers for Sunday Worship Service Technology

Brian Nerbonne would appreciate some technology volunteers so that we can continue to provide an online option for worship, and so that he can take a few Sundays off. He has a couple people signed up, but not enough yet to provide coverage for when Brian is on vacation. There are two jobs: 

  1.  Audio/Video live stream from church, which requires a laptop and cell phone
  2.  Zoom host, which  can be done from home or even from church if you bring your device. The Zoom host shares the PowerPoint files of song lyrics that Vonda creates for each song. 

Neither job is actually very difficult, and Brian is happy to train people on how to do each. If you can help, please let Brian know.  Click HERE with questions or to volunteer.

Return to Top

Volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild

As we open for the first time in a very long time, we are looking for new volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild. Your duties will be to serve on a team for one Sunday a month. Your team will set up for the services that day. Making sure that the wine and bread are ready for each service, the correct linens are placed where needed, candles are replaced occasionally, and various other small chores having to do that Sunday. Then clean up when the services are over. Once in a while there will be a 5th Sunday, those are rotated among the 4 teams. We really, really do need you, please volunteer if you are interested. I will talk you through the process in detail first and answer questions. Finally you will have the backup of other team members.

Also badly needed are folks that like to bake, one month out of the year you would bake the communion bread for that month, the recipe is simple and we have bakers that will give you the recipe and instructions.

Thank you, Kitty McFarland
mcfarlandkitty274@gmail.com or text 651-955-1639

Return to Top

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for Summer 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
The Team meets on Zoom on Monday nights at 6:30. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Each Tuesday at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are
welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org 

Caring for an Aging Loved One
Each first Tuesday at 7:00pm: ongoing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information / to register and to get the link.
 
Coffee and Conversation with Rev. Cindi
The second Wednesday of every month at 10:00am & 7:00pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE
 
Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s. 
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)
 
For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events: 
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link.
 

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School Tools Drive

We will once again join with Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul (I. A.) and other faith communities, to collect new school tools for low-income families involved  in 10 different programs in Saint Paul.

Supplies Needed

  • Backpacks
  • 3-ring binders, loose-leaf paper and folders
  • Calculators
  • Spiral and composition notebooks
  • Pencils, pens, markers, colored pencils, crayons, erasers, highlighters, pencil sharpeners
  • Glue sticks & bottles
  • Scissors & rulers
  • Facial tissue
  • School boxes
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Reusable masks

The drive will run from July to August 1st. Items can be left downstairs by the entrance to the church. Monetary donations can be done online to I. A., under  “donations” with “school tools” entered into the “other” text field. Checks should be sent to the I. A. with “school tools” in the memo line. More information is available on the I. A. website – Click HERE.

Thanks for considering supporting low-income students with the school supplies they need! If you have questions, contact:
Rainy Morgan at Morgan55105@yahoo.com

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Update on Current Isaiah work

Isaiah is currently developing a plan to support a Rent Stabilization Referendum which will be on the ballot in St. Paul this November. Having a stable and safe residence is critical for families and individuals to thrive. St. Paul has over 50% renters now, and 60% of those are people of color – so this issue is deeply intertwined with equity also. Come join us to learn more about how you can help ensure that St. Paul families can find stable housing.

Please consider signing up for ONE of the Zoom information/training sessions in August:

  • Saturday August 14 from 9:30am–12pm
  • Tuesday August 17 from 6:30pm–9pm
  • Thursday August 19 from 6:30pm–9pm
  • Tuesday August 31 from 6:30pm–9pm

More questions???… call or talk to: Ginny (651 470 7739) or Jim DeLuca (651 792 6675) or Maura (651 249 4634) or Fran Roby (612 968 2370) or Tom Brown (651 402 0495)

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Beware Phishing Emails

(The following is a message that was sent by ECMN in January of this year, but we are sharing again as there has been mention of a resurgence by local church communities)
 
Many of us have received emails that seem to be coming from leaders of our churches or in ECMN that seem off. Maybe they’re asking you to send them money, maybe they’re asking you to reach out to them urgently, but the text in the message is misspelled. These types of emails are called email-based impersonation, and are a form of phishing utilized by cybercriminals to get access to your information, or to influence you to send money.
 
When you look closely, there are telltale indications that these messages aren’t truly from the leaders we think they are, but are examples of Phishing.
 
There is no way to stop these scams from occurring. However, with some vigilance and a list of things to look for, you can keep yourself and your data safe. 
 
Here are a few things to look for to determine if a message is, indeed, fraudulent:
  • The return email address: the email sending the message is often something like bishop@gmail.com or the.rt.rev.craiglowa@gmail.com. They might look semi-plausible, but aren’t the actual email of the individual being impersonated. You can expect any email coming from ECMN to come from an account using the domain @episcopalmn.org or @ecmn.org
  • The message: phishing emails often address the recipient as ‘dear friend’ or ‘hello’ but don’t list you or your name in the message.
  • Grammatical errors: phishing emails often have strange grammatical errors or use language, phrases, and content that seem out of character for the individual being impersonated.
Here’s what to do if you think you’ve received a phishing email:
  • Don’t open any attachments 
  • Don’t click on links
  • If you can, report the email to your provider as phishing or spam (in Gmail, you can click the stop sign with the exclamation point inside to let Google know the email is illegitimate).

Confirm requests with a conversation. Even if the email seems legit, if a request contains an urgent ask for contact, personal information or money, or it seems even remotely “off,” don’t respond to the email or act on it until you confirm it.

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 7/30 – 8/5

Sunday, August 1, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Monday, August 2, 2021
Pastoral Care
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Men’s Group
7:00pm
For details Click HERE

Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, August 5, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, August 5, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – July 23, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, July 25, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday The Rev. Susan Moss will be our Celebrant and Preacher, and since it’s the 4th Sunday of the month, it will be a Eucharist service. Zoom coffee time and outdoor visiting for in-person worshippers will allow us to have social time after the service.

  • First Message: As we walk the Christian journey, we discover that what we need to heal the aching in our lives and the crises of our time is here. The gifts we need are here, in the church. In the faith that we carry, in the love we have for one another and in the love we give to the world. The gifts we need are here, and not in a marginal way, but in abundance. God gives abundantly, can’t help it. As we walk the Christian way, in the church and sent by the church, we will see signs of God’s abundant love and grace all around us. Thanks be to God. Amen (The Rev. Todd Smith Lippert, former minister at First United Church of Christ, Northfield, MN.)
  • Gospel: John 6:1-21 (The feeding of the 5000)

For the Zoom worship service on July 25, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Technology for Sunday Worship

Altar Guild

  • Volunteers needed – Please review and consider this request as we are in danger of soon NOT having a functioning Altar Guild.

Pastoral Care

Outreach

Beware Phishing Emails!

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by the Rev Susan M. Moss
 
The Worship Team is grateful for your feedback, questions and suggestions. We are hearing that many are missing the pre-covid custom of gathering around the altar for communion and understand the yearning to return to this inclusive practice.
 
Please understand that we are not gathering around the altar at this time because of our decision to social distance; decision that, along with mask wearing,  will keep the community safe until these covid restrictions are no longer necessary.
 
We, too are yearning for the return of many worship customs among them: receiving both bread and wine at communion, passing the peace with handshakes and hugs, non family members able to sit next to one another, and full throated congregational singing. We ask for your understanding and patience as we continue to uphold the values of safety and “love thy neighbor”.
 

What’s New?

  • To listen to Colleen Carpenter’s sermon given on Sunday, July 18th , Click HERE.
  • Progress is being made on technology upgrades. These upgrades should make a big
    difference for both in-person and zoom worshippers; they should make a big
    difference on both the audio and visual. The hope is that the new system will be
    rolled out by mid-August. Stay tuned!! And please remember, be patient! Each
    change that is made usually requires “tweaking”…that means we learn as we go and
    make improvements as needed.
  •  A request for people to volunteer for any of our Sunday morning lay ministries…
    techies (Zoom hosts & sanctuary techies), ushers, greeters, Vergers, Lay Leader/
    Officiants, musicians, choir members, Altar Guild members. YOU ARE NEEDED!!!
    Even if you’re not available until fall, please sign up and indicate “fall start”.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Volunteers for Sunday Worship Service Technology

Brian Nerbonne would appreciate some technology volunteers so that we can continue to provide an online option for worship, and so that he can take a few Sundays off. He has a couple people signed up, but not enough yet to provide coverage for when Brian is on vacation. There are two jobs: 

  1.  Audio/Video live stream from church, which requires a laptop and cell phone
  2. Zoom host, which  can be done from home or even from church if you bring your device. The Zoom host shares the PowerPoint files of song lyrics that Vonda creates for each song. 

Neither job is actually very difficult, and Brian is happy to train people on how to do each. If you can help, please let Brian know.  Click HERE with questions or to volunteer.

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Volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild

As we open for the first time in a very long time, we are looking for new volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild. Your duties will be to serve on a team for one Sunday a month. Your team will set up for the services that day. Making sure that the wine and bread are ready for each service, the correct linens are placed where needed, candles are replaced occasionally, and various other small chores having to do that Sunday. Then clean up when the services are over. Once in a while there will be a 5th Sunday, those are rotated among the 4 teams. We really, really do need you, please volunteer if you are interested. I will talk you through the process in detail first and answer questions. Finally you will have the backup of other team members.

Also badly needed are folks that like to bake, one month out of the year you would bake the communion bread for that month, the recipe is simple and we have bakers that will give you the recipe and instructions.

Thank you, Kitty McFarland
mcfarlandkitty274@gmail.com or text 651-955-1639

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Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for Summer 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
The Team meets on Zoom on Monday nights at 6:30. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Each Tuesday at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are
welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org 

Notice of Death
William Alexander Bierman, Jr., son of Bill and Janice (dec.) and brother of Ann and Dick,  died on July 16 from complications of dementia.
His funeral will be at St. Mary’s on Monday July 26th at 11.00 AM. The Rev. Susan M. Moss will officiate.
Let us pray for the Bierman family in this time of grief:
 
O God of mercies and giver of comfort: Deal graciously, we pray, with the Bierman family and all who mourn; that, casting all their care on you, they may know the consolation of your love: through Jesus Christ. Amen.
 
Caring for an Aging Loved One
Each first Tuesday at 7:00pm: ongoing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information / to register and to get the link.
 
Coffee and Conversation with Rev. Cindi
The second Wednesday of every month at 10:00am & 7:00pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE
 
Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s. 
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)
 
For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events: 
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link.
 

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School Tools Drive

We will once again join with Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul (I. A.) and other faith communities, to collect new school tools for low-income families involved  in 10 different programs in Saint Paul.

Supplies Needed

  • Backpacks
  • 3-ring binders, loose-leaf paper and folders
  • Calculators
  • Spiral and composition notebooks
  • Pencils, pens, markers, colored pencils, crayons, erasers, highlighters, pencil sharpeners
  • Glue sticks & bottles
  • Scissors & rulers
  • Facial tissue
  • School boxes
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Reusable masks

The drive will run from July to August 1st. Items can be left downstairs by the entrance to the church. Monetary donations can be done online to I. A., under  “donations” with “school tools” entered into the “other” text field. Checks should be sent to the I. A. with “school tools” in the memo line. More information is available on the I. A. website – Click HERE.

Thanks for considering supporting low-income students with the school supplies they need! If you have questions, contact:
Rainy Morgan at Morgan55105@yahoo.com

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Beware Phishing Emails

(The following is a message that was sent by ECMN in January of this year, but we are sharing again as there has been mention of a resurgence by local church communities)
 
Many of us have received emails that seem to be coming from leaders of our churches or in ECMN that seem off. Maybe they’re asking you to send them money, maybe they’re asking you to reach out to them urgently, but the text in the message is misspelled. These types of emails are called email-based impersonation, and are a form of phishing utilized by cybercriminals to get access to your information, or to influence you to send money.
 
When you look closely, there are telltale indications that these messages aren’t truly from the leaders we think they are, but are examples of Phishing.
 
There is no way to stop these scams from occurring. However, with some vigilance and a list of things to look for, you can keep yourself and your data safe. 
 
Here are a few things to look for to determine if a message is, indeed, fraudulent:
  • The return email address: the email sending the message is often something like bishop@gmail.com or the.rt.rev.craiglowa@gmail.com. They might look semi-plausible, but aren’t the actual email of the individual being impersonated. You can expect any email coming from ECMN to come from an account using the domain @episcopalmn.org or @ecmn.org
  • The message: phishing emails often address the recipient as ‘dear friend’ or ‘hello’ but don’t list you or your name in the message.
  • Grammatical errors: phishing emails often have strange grammatical errors or use language, phrases, and content that seem out of character for the individual being impersonated.
Here’s what to do if you think you’ve received a phishing email:
  • Don’t open any attachments 
  • Don’t click on links
  • If you can, report the email to your provider as phishing or spam (in Gmail, you can click the stop sign with the exclamation point inside to let Google know the email is illegitimate).

Confirm requests with a conversation. Even if the email seems legit, if a request contains an urgent ask for contact, personal information or money, or it seems even remotely “off,” don’t respond to the email or act on it until you confirm it.

Return to Top

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 7/23 – 7/29

Sunday, July 25, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Monday, July 26, 2021
Pastoral Care
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Vestry Meeting
7:00pm
Contact for details and a link Click HERE

Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, July 29, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, July 29, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – July 16, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, July 18, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday Colleen Carpenter, a St. Mary’s member, will be our Preacher. This will be an adapted Morning Prayer service…no Eucharist. Zoom coffee time and outdoor visiting for in-person worshippers will allow us to have social time after the service.

  • First Message: Psalm 23
  • Gospel: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

For the Zoom worship service on July 18, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Technology for Sunday Worship

Altar Guild

  • Volunteers needed – Please review and consider this request as we are in danger of soon NOT having a functioning Altar Guild.

Pastoral Care

Education

Outreach

Beware Phishing Emails!

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

What’s New?

  • To hear The Rev Susan Moss’ sermon from Sunday, July 11, Click HERE.
  • 1 Corinthians 12:14…“For the body is not one member, but many.” The body is not supported by just one person, but by all of us. We’re strongest working together in unity. Teamwork is the key to living life in harmony so we can do God’s work. YOU ARE NEEDED!! If you haven’t signed up to do a Sunday morning lay ministry, now would be a good time to do that…usher,
    greeter, techie, Lay Leader/Officiant, Verger, musician, altar guild member, choir member—ALL ARE NEEDED. Click HERE to learn more and to sign up.
  • In an abundance of caution to keep children and those who can’t be vaccinated safe, masking is still required while in the Saint Mary’s building.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Return to Top

 

Volunteers for Sunday Worship Service Technology

Brian Nerbonne would appreciate some technology volunteers so that we can continue to provide an online option for worship, and so that he can take a few Sundays off. He has a couple people signed up, but not enough yet to provide coverage for when Brian is on vacation. There are two jobs: 

  1.  Audio/Video live stream from church, which requires a laptop and cell phone
  2. Zoom host, which  can be done from home or even from church if you bring your device. The Zoom host shares the PowerPoint files of song lyrics that Vonda creates for each song. 

Neither job is actually very difficult, and Brian is happy to train people on how to do each. If you can help, please let Brian know.  Click HERE with questions or to volunteer.

Return to Top

Volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild

As we open for the first time in a very long time, we are looking for new volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild. Your duties will be to serve on a team for one Sunday a month. Your team will set up for the services that day. Making sure that the wine and bread are ready for each service, the correct linens are placed where needed, candles are replaced occasionally, and various other small chores having to do that Sunday. Then clean up when the services are over. Once in a while there will be a 5th Sunday, those are rotated among the 4 teams. We really, really do need you, please volunteer if you are interested. I will talk you through the process in detail first and answer questions. Finally you will have the backup of other team members.

Also badly needed are folks that like to bake, one month out of the year you would bake the communion bread for that month, the recipe is simple and we have bakers that will give you the recipe and instructions.

Thank you, Kitty McFarland
mcfarlandkitty274@gmail.com or text 651-955-1639

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Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for Summer 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
The Team meets on Zoom on Monday nights at 6:30. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.

LGBTQ+
Monday, July 19th and each third Monday, ongoing
6:30pm meets monthly for reflective conversation and community building. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Each Tuesday at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are
welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org 

Caring for an Aging Loved One
Each first Tuesday at 7:00pm: ongoing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information / to register and to get the link.
 
Coffee and Conversation with Rev. Cindi
The second Wednesday of every month at 10:00am & 7:00pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE
 
Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s. 
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)
 
For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events: 
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link.
 

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Book Club

Next iteration of the St. Mary’s Book Club — video edition

Slavery and racism aren’t new – and they aren’t accidental. How were these systems created in the British colonies and woven into the founding of the United States? Join us for a series of “watch parties” in which we will view and discuss the 2005 PBS series “Slavery and the Making of America.”

We will meet Mondays at 7:30, starting on June 14, for 6 sessions (final session on July 19). Feel free to join us even if you can’t make all the meetings. We’ll watch 30 – 40 minutes of the video and then have some time for discussion at each session. Plan for sessions to run 7:30 – 8:30 PM, with the option for people to stay later for further discussion if there is interest.

Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link. Hope you can join us!

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School Tools Drive

We will once again join with Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul (I. A.) and other faith communities, to collect new school tools for low-income families involved  in 10 different programs in Saint Paul.

Supplies Needed

  • Backpacks
  • 3-ring binders, loose-leaf paper and folders
  • Calculators
  • Spiral and composition notebooks
  • Pencils, pens, markers, colored pencils, crayons, erasers, highlighters, pencil sharpeners
  • Glue sticks & bottles
  • Scissors & rulers
  • Facial tissue
  • School boxes
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Reusable masks

The drive will run from July to August 1st. Items can be left downstairs by the entrance to the church. Monetary donations can be done online to I. A., under  “donations” with “school tools” entered into the “other” text field. Checks should be sent to the I. A. with “school tools” in the memo line. More information is available on the I. A. website – Click HERE.

Thanks for considering supporting low-income students with the school supplies they need! If you have questions, contact:
Rainy Morgan at Morgan55105@yahoo.com

Return to Top

Beware Phishing Emails

(The following is a message that was sent by ECMN in January of this year, but we are sharing again as there has been mention of a resurgence by local church communities)
 
Many of us have received emails that seem to be coming from leaders of our churches or in ECMN that seem off. Maybe they’re asking you to send them money, maybe they’re asking you to reach out to them urgently, but the text in the message is misspelled. These types of emails are called email-based impersonation, and are a form of phishing utilized by cybercriminals to get access to your information, or to influence you to send money.
 
When you look closely, there are telltale indications that these messages aren’t truly from the leaders we think they are, but are examples of Phishing.
 
There is no way to stop these scams from occurring. However, with some vigilance and a list of things to look for, you can keep yourself and your data safe. 
 
Here are a few things to look for to determine if a message is, indeed, fraudulent:
  • The return email address: the email sending the message is often something like bishop@gmail.com or the.rt.rev.craiglowa@gmail.com. They might look semi-plausible, but aren’t the actual email of the individual being impersonated. You can expect any email coming from ECMN to come from an account using the domain @episcopalmn.org or @ecmn.org
  • The message: phishing emails often address the recipient as ‘dear friend’ or ‘hello’ but don’t list you or your name in the message.
  • Grammatical errors: phishing emails often have strange grammatical errors or use language, phrases, and content that seem out of character for the individual being impersonated.
Here’s what to do if you think you’ve received a phishing email:
  • Don’t open any attachments 
  • Don’t click on links
  • If you can, report the email to your provider as phishing or spam (in Gmail, you can click the stop sign with the exclamation point inside to let Google know the email is illegitimate).

Confirm requests with a conversation. Even if the email seems legit, if a request contains an urgent ask for contact, personal information or money, or it seems even remotely “off,” don’t respond to the email or act on it until you confirm it.

Return to Top

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 7/16 – 7/22

Sunday, July 18, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Monday, July 19, 2021
Pastoral Care
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Monday, July 19, 2021
LGBTQ+
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Monday, July 19, 2021
Book Club
7:30pm
Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link.

Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Finance Committee Meeting
6:30pm
Contact for details and a link Click HERE

Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, July 22, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, July 22, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – July 9, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, July 11, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday the Rev. Susan Moss will be our Preacher, and since it’s the second Sunday of the month, it will be a Eucharist service. Zoom coffee time and outdoor visiting for in-person worshippers will allow us to have social time after the service.

  • First Message: From We Make the Road by Walking: A Year-Long Quest for Spiritual Formation, Reorientation, and Activation by Brian D. McLaren
  • Gospel: Mark 6:14-29

For the Zoom worship service on July 11, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Search Committee Update

Technology for Sunday Worship

Altar Guild

  • Volunteers needed – Please review and consider this request as we are in danger of soon NOT having a functioning Altar Guild.

Pastoral Care

Education

Outreach

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

What’s New?

  • Woohoo!!!  At our Eucharist service this Sunday, we’ll have communion bread instead of wafers!!  Yeah!!!
  • Remember, St Mary’s worship services will start at 10am sharp!! Arrive at St Mary’s for in-person worship or join zoom by 10am so you don’t miss anything!!
  • Not new, but oh so IMPORTANT: Before you leave home, download and save the bulletin on your device and bring your device to church. For those with no device (cell phone, iPad, laptop), a few printed bulletins will be available on the left as you enter the sanctuary.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Search Committee Update

(Reprint of the update that was shared on 6/25/21)
 
We have reposted our call for a permanent rector, with a new closing date of July 31. Bishop Loya and other colleagues will also engage in some active recruitment to bring a permanent priest to our “gem of a community” (the Bishop’s words). Our next monthly check-in will be the second Sunday of July, which is July 11. From 9:15-9:45, members of the search committee will be available on Zoom and in the sanctuary to answer any questions you may have. We believe that the Holy Spirit is at work on behalf of St. Mary’s. God is good. All the time.
 
We invite you to share the job posting widely with your own networks. The description of the job on the ECMN website is here: https://episcopalmn.org/job-openings 
 
Here’s a suggestion for how to describe the job to your network:
 
Are you an INNOVATIVE SPIRITUAL LEADER who is looking for a parish that is dedicated to transform what it means to be a church in the twenty-first century?
Are you a GIFTED PREACHER who is passionate about inspiring others?
If so, we are looking for you!! Come talk with us to learn more about our amazing, one of a kind community.
Opening will be posted until July 31st.
 

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Volunteers for Sunday Worship Service Technology

Brian Nerbonne would appreciate some technology volunteers so that we can continue to provide an online option for worship, and so that he can take a few Sundays off. He has a couple people signed up, but not enough yet to provide coverage for when Brian is on vacation. There are two jobs: 

  1.  Audio/Video live stream from church, which requires a laptop and cell phone
  2. Zoom host, which  can be done from home or even from church if you bring your device. The Zoom host shares the PowerPoint files of song lyrics that Vonda creates for each song. 

Neither job is actually very difficult, and Brian is happy to train people on how to do each. If you can help, please let Brian know.  Click HERE with questions or to volunteer.

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Volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild

As we open for the first time in a very long time, we are looking for new volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild. Your duties will be to serve on a team for one Sunday a month. Your team will set up for the services that day. Making sure that the wine and bread are ready for each service, the correct linens are placed where needed, candles are replaced occasionally, and various other small chores having to do that Sunday. Then clean up when the services are over. Once in a while there will be a 5th Sunday, those are rotated among the 4 teams. We really, really do need you, please volunteer if you are interested. I will talk you through the process in detail first and answer questions. Finally you will have the backup of other team members.

Also badly needed are folks that like to bake, one month out of the year you would bake the communion bread for that month, the recipe is simple and we have bakers that will give you the recipe and instructions.

Thank you, Kitty McFarland
mcfarlandkitty274@gmail.com or text 651-955-1639

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Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for Summer 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
The Team meets on Zoom on Monday nights at 6:30. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Each Tuesday at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are
welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org 

Coffee and Conversation with Rev. Cindi
Wednesday, July 14 at 10:00am & 7:00pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE
 
Caring for an Aging Loved One
Each first Tuesday at 7:00pm: ongoing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information / to register and to get the link.
 
LGBTQ+
Each third Monday, ongoing
6:30pm meets monthly for reflective conversation and community building. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.
 
Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s. 
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)
 
For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events: 
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link.
 

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Book Club

Next iteration of the St. Mary’s Book Club — video edition

Slavery and racism aren’t new – and they aren’t accidental. How were these systems created in the British colonies and woven into the founding of the United States? Join us for a series of “watch parties” in which we will view and discuss the 2005 PBS series “Slavery and the Making of America.”

We will meet Mondays at 7:30, starting on June 14, for 6 sessions (final session on July 12). Feel free to join us even if you can’t make all the meetings. We’ll watch 30 – 40 minutes of the video and then have some time for discussion at each session. Plan for sessions to run 7:30 – 8:30 PM, with the option for people to stay later for further discussion if there is interest.

Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link. Hope you can join us!

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School Tools Drive

We will once again join with Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul (I. A.) and other faith communities, to collect new school tools for low-income families involved  in 10 different programs in Saint Paul.

Supplies Needed

  • Backpacks
  • 3-ring binders, loose-leaf paper and folders
  • Calculators
  • Spiral and composition notebooks
  • Pencils, pens, markers, colored pencils, crayons, erasers, highlighters, pencil sharpeners
  • Glue sticks & bottles
  • Scissors & rulers
  • Facial tissue
  • School boxes
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Reusable masks

The drive will run from July to August 1st. Items can be left downstairs by the entrance to the church. Monetary donations can be done online to I. A., under  “donations” with “school tools” entered into the “other” text field. Checks should be sent to the I. A. with “school tools” in the memo line. More information is available on the I. A. website – Click HERE.

Thanks for considering supporting low-income students with the school supplies they need! If you have questions, contact:
Rainy Morgan at Morgan55105@yahoo.com

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 7/9 – 7/15

Sunday, July 11, 2021
Search Committee Q & A
9:15am
Worship via Zoom with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Monday, July 12, 2021
Pastoral Care
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Monday, July 12, 2021
Book Club
7:30pm
Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link.

Tuesday, July 13, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Coffee and Conversation with Rev. Cindi
10:00am & 7:00pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, July 15, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, July 15, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – July 2, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, July 4, 2021
Worship via Zoom ONLY with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday we’ll be doing an adapted Gospel Based Discipleship called Declaration of Independence Based Discipleship during the sermon time.  So, listen carefully and think about the portion of the Declaration of Independence that is read as the First Message.  We’ll break into small groups and create our own sermon!  We’ll take 15 minutes and answer two questions:

What have you learned about “liberty and justice for all”?

What is the Holy Spirit calling you to do?

  • First Message: A reading from the Declaration of Independence
  • Gospel: Mark 5:43-48

For the Zoom worship service on July 4, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Search Committee Update

Altar Guild

Pastoral Care

Education

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

 
Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by The Rev. Susan M. Moss
This week, Worship Team member Nina Johnson lends her voice to Liturgy Matters. In her ministry as a Lay Leader, Nina welcomed us to worship with these heartfelt words.
 
I want to take just a moment to acknowledge, out loud, what I see. Over the last three years, and for various reasons, this community has experienced a lot of disruption, change, loss and grief. Each of us has experienced these things in different ways and to different degrees. Yes- it has been hard, and weird, and disappointing, frustrating and maybe a little scary.
 
So I ask you to take a moment to look around the room, and the Zoom screen, and realize that, despite all of this, or maybe because of it, we are here, and we are together. We have been forced to do things we may not have chosen, YES. AND, we are trying new things, we are taking risks, we are being brave- all because we care deeply for one another and want to be together in community. 
 
Again, I thank you for being here. My hope is that we can continue to notice and acknowledge the difficult parts and the grace-filled parts of our life together as the Saint Mary’s community.
 
(Nina Johnson from the Saint Mary’s Hybrid Worship Service on June 27, 2021)
 

What’s New?

  • To listen to the sermon given by The Rev. Susan Moss on Sunday, 6/27/21, Click HERE.
  • Woohoo!!!  At our next Eucharist service (July 11th), we’ll have communion bread instead of wafers!!  Yeah!!!
  • A change to what’s become traditional at St Mary’s…Remember during many years pre-Covid when the worship service would start with only a few people in the pews and many wandering in late?  Starting this Sunday, July 4th, and continuing onward, our worship service will start at 10am sharp!!  Join Zoom by 10am so you don’t miss anything!!
  • Who is planning to bring children to church this summer?  I’m looking for kids and their adults who would lead the words & actions to “God be in my head…”. If this is your family, let Paulette know by Clicking HERE.
  • Not new, but oh so IMPORTANT: Before you leave home, download and save the bulletin on your device and bring your device to church. For those with no device (cell phone, iPad, laptop), a few printed bulletins will be available on the left as you enter the sanctuary.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Return to Top

Search Committee Update

(Reprint of the update that was shared on 6/25/21)
 
We have reposted our call for a permanent rector, with a new closing date of July 31. Bishop Loya and other colleagues will also engage in some active recruitment to bring a permanent priest to our “gem of a community” (the Bishop’s words). Our next monthly check-in will be the second Sunday of July, which is July 11. From 9:15-9:45, members of the search committee will be available on Zoom and in the sanctuary to answer any questions you may have. We believe that the Holy Spirit is at work on behalf of St. Mary’s. God is good. All the time.
 
We invite you to share the job posting widely with your own networks. The description of the job on the ECMN website is here: https://episcopalmn.org/job-openings 
 
Here’s a suggestion for how to describe the job to your network:
 
Are you an INNOVATIVE SPIRITUAL LEADER who is looking for a parish that is dedicated to transform what it means to be a church in the twenty-first century?
Are you a GIFTED PREACHER who is passionate about inspiring others?
If so, we are looking for you!! Come talk with us to learn more about our amazing, one of a kind community.
Opening will be posted until July 31st.
 

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Volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild

As we open for the first time in a very long time, we are looking for new volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild. Your duties will be to serve on a team for one Sunday a month. Your team will set up for the services that day. Making sure that the wine and bread are ready for each service, the correct linens are placed where needed, candles are replaced occasionally, and various other small chores having to do that Sunday. Then clean up when the services are over. Once in a while there will be a 5th Sunday, those are rotated among the 4 teams. We really, really do need you, please volunteer if you are interested. I will talk you through the process in detail first and answer questions. Finally you will have the backup of other team members.

Also badly needed are folks that like to bake, one month out of the year you would bake the communion bread for that month, the recipe is simple and we have bakers that will give you the recipe and instructions.

Thank you, Kitty McFarland
mcfarlandkitty274@gmail.com or text 651-955-1639

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Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for Summer 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
The Team meets on Zoom on Monday nights at 6:30. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.

Caring for an Aging Loved One
Tuesday, July 6, and each first Tuesday at 7:00pm: ongoing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information / to register and to get the link.

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Each Tuesday at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are
welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org 

LGBTQ+
Each third Monday, ongoing
6:30pm meets monthly for reflective conversation and community building. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s. 
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events: 
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at 
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

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Book Club

Next iteration of the St. Mary’s Book Club — video edition

Slavery and racism aren’t new – and they aren’t accidental. How were these systems created in the British colonies and woven into the founding of the United States? Join us for a series of “watch parties” in which we will view and discuss the 2005 PBS series “Slavery and the Making of America.”

We will meet Mondays at 7:30, starting on June 14, for 6 sessions (final session on July 12). Feel free to join us even if you can’t make all the meetings. We’ll watch 30 – 40 minutes of the video and then have some time for discussion at each session. Plan for sessions to run 7:30 – 8:30 PM, with the option for people to stay later for further discussion if there is interest.

Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link. Hope you can join us!

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 7/2 – 7/8

Sunday, July 4, 2021
Worship via Zoom with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Monday, July 5, 2021
Pastoral Care
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Monday, July 5, 2021
Book Club
7:30pm
Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link.

Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Saint Mary’s Men’s Group
7:00pm
For more information Click HERE

Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Caring for an Aging Loved One
7:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, July 8, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, July 8, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – June 25, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, June 27, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday The Rev. Susan Moss will be our Preacher, and since it’s the 4th Sunday of the month, it will be a Eucharist service. Zoom coffee time and outdoor visiting for in-person worshippers will allow us to have social time after the service.

  • First Message: “’Hope’ is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson
  • Gospel: Mark 5:21-43

For the Zoom worship service on June 27, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Search Committee Update

Altar Guild

Pastoral Care

Education

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

 

What’s New?

  • To listen to the sermon given by The Rev. Carol Arney on Sunday, 6/20/21, Click HERE.
  • Not new, but oh so IMPORTANT: Before you leave home, download and save the bulletin on your device and bring your device to church. For those with no device (cell phone, iPad, laptop), a few printed bulletins will be available on the left as you enter the sanctuary.
  • And again, not new, but an early heads up! The 4th of July is on a Sunday this year. We will be having Gospel Based Discipleship (GBE) in place of a sermon and the worship service will be ZOOM ONLY!
  • And a prayer that seems so relevant for us today:
    Eternal God,
       You call us to ventures of which we cannot see the endings,
          by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  
       Give us faith to go out with courage, not knowing where we go,
          but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us;
       through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Return to Top

Search Committee Update

 
We have reposted our call for a permanent rector, with a new closing date of July 31. Bishop Loya and other colleagues will also engage in some active recruitment to bring a permanent priest to our “gem of a community” (the Bishop’s words). Our next monthly check-in will be the second Sunday of July, which is July 11. From 9:15-9:45, members of the search committee will be available on Zoom and in the sanctuary to answer any questions you may have. We believe that the Holy Spirit is at work on behalf of St. Mary’s. God is good. All the time.
 
We invite you to share the job posting widely with your own networks. The description of the job on the ECMN website is here: https://episcopalmn.org/job-openings 
 
Here’s a suggestion for how to describe the job to your network:
 
Are you an INNOVATIVE SPIRITUAL LEADER who is looking for a parish that is dedicated to transform what it means to be a church in the twenty-first century?
Are you a GIFTED PREACHER who is passionate about inspiring others?
If so, we are looking for you!! Come talk with us to learn more about our amazing, one of a kind community.
Opening will be posted until July 31st.
 

Return to Top

Volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild

As we open for the first time in a very long time, we are looking for new volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild. Your duties will be to serve on a team for one Sunday a month. Your team will set up for the services that day. Making sure that the wine and bread are ready for each service, the correct linens are placed where needed, candles are replaced occasionally, and various other small chores having to do that Sunday. Then clean up when the services are over. Once in a while there will be a 5th Sunday, those are rotated among the 4 teams. We really, really do need you, please volunteer if you are interested. I will talk you through the process in detail first and answer questions. Finally you will have the backup of other team members.

Also badly needed are folks that like to bake, one month out of the year you would bake the communion bread for that month, the recipe is simple and we have bakers that will give you the recipe and instructions.

Thank you, Kitty McFarland
mcfarlandkitty274@gmail.com or text 651-955-1639

Return to Top

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for Summer 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
The Team meets on Zoom on Monday nights at 6:30. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which each of us can explore our own healing. This quiet confidential prayer last about an hour and
support each of us in our personal healing work. Our next circle will be held on June 29 at 7:30pm. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information / to register and to get the link.

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Each Tuesday at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are
welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org 

LGBTQ+
Each third Monday, ongoing
6:30pm meets monthly for reflective conversation and community building. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to join us.

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s. 
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events: 
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at 
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

Return to Top

Book Club

Next iteration of the St. Mary’s Book Club — video edition

Slavery and racism aren’t new – and they aren’t accidental. How were these systems created in the British colonies and woven into the founding of the United States? Join us for a series of “watch parties” in which we will view and discuss the 2005 PBS series “Slavery and the Making of America.”

We will meet Mondays at 7:30, starting on June 14, for 6 sessions (final session on July 12). Feel free to join us even if you can’t make all the meetings. We’ll watch 30 – 40 minutes of the video and then have some time for discussion at each session. Plan for sessions to run 7:30 – 8:30 PM, with the option for people to stay later for further discussion if there is interest.

Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link. Hope you can join us!

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 6/25 – 7/1

Sunday, June 27, 2021
Worship with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Monday, June 28, 2021
Pastoral Care
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Monday, June 28, 2021
Book Club
7:30pm
Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link.

Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Healing Circle
7:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, July 1, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, July 1, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – June 18, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, June 20, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday The Rev Carol Arney will be our Preacher and Officiant.  This is a Morning Prayer Sunday so there won’t be Eucharist. Zoom coffee time and outdoor visiting for in-person worshippers will allow us to have social time after the service.

  • First Message: Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
  • Gospel: Mark 4:35-41

For the Zoom worship service on June 20, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Congratulations to our Graduating High School Seniors!

Search Committee Update

Altar Guild

Pastoral Care

Education

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at St. Mary’s by The Rev. Susan Moss

After more than 4 months of worshiping with you on Zoom, and knowing many of you only on a screen, it was so good to be with many of you in person for the first time.

Since February, I have been learning how well you work together to craft robust and Spirit filled worship. Opening and walking through the sanctuary doors at 8:30 Sunday morning I was greeted by Vonda and the  “Borchestra” rehearsing.  Soon many others arrived to be greeters , to lead and welcome, to usher, serve as verger and on altar guild, proclaim the Gospel, broadcast the first hybrid service and more. Prior to this historic day, many more on The Regathering and Worship Teams had worked together to set the stage.
 
Clearly, leading and planning worship is one of St. Mary’s major charisms. A charism is a spiritual gift or talent given by the Holy Spirit for the benefit of others. In Ephesians 4:12 Paul writes that gifts (charisms) are given for the work of ministry in order to build up the body of Christ. In I Corinthians 12:7 Paul teaches  The Spirit’s presence is shown in some way in each person for the good of all.
 
Signs of the Spirit’s gifts and presence show up as you share your gifts in teamwork, your enthusiasm and joy, your shared concerns and blessings in prayer.
 
As we all continue to experiment and  learn in this new hybrid world, we can trust the Spirit will continue to empower St Marian’s with gifts and talents for leading and planning worship.
 

What’s New?

  • If you’d like to listen to the beautiful guided meditation that Erika Scheurer walked us through on June 6th, Click HERE.
  • If you’d like to listen to the sermon given by Brian Nerbonne (Warden) and The Rev. Susan Moss on June 13th (and maybe some photos and additional footage from the recorded service), Click HERE.
  • Not new, but so IMPORTANT:  Before you leave home, download and save the bulletin on your device and bring your device to church. For those with no device (cell phone, iPad, laptop), a few printed bulletins will be available on the left as you enter the sanctuary. The bulletin is shortened from our usual length.
  • An early HEADS UP:  July 4th is on a Sunday this year. The Worship Team scheduled Gospel Based Discipleship (GBD) for that Sunday since the likelihood is that the attendance will be extra low. Given our need to keep in-person worshippers safe, gathering in in-person groups for GBD discussion isn’t realistic. So July 4th will be a ZOOM ONLY worship service.

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Congratulations to Our Saint Mary’s High School Seniors!

 
Each year, we have the opportunity to join our congregation in celebrating some of the biggest milestones in each others’ lives. This has been a particularly challenging year and we want to hold up with special care and love our high school seniors who are graduating this spring!  We are so grateful to have had them in our midst enriching our communities, providing insight to our church and serving through their gifts.  This year we honor: 
 
Bennett Patrick Anderson: Bennett is graduating from Mahtomedi Senior High. His current greatest passion is playing Spikeball; he is participating in a tournament on Saturday to hopefully achieve status as a Premier Player, a nationwide ranking. Next year, Bennett plans to attend college of St. Benedict/St. John’s University and pursuing a major in Exercise Science and Sports Studies. Congratulations to Bennett and his parents Amy and Matt Anderson.
 
Ava McCallister: Ava is graduating from Central High School.  She participated in the life of Saint Mary’s through Sunday School, Tweeners, Youth Group and a variety of other events throughout the years.  She will be attending the University of Denver in the fall. A big congratulations to Ava and to her parents Josh and Cathy McCallister.
 
Lucas Nerbonne: Lucas is graduating from South High School in Minneapolis.  Throughout his time at Saint Mary’s he has been in Sunday school, Tweeners, and Youth Group but has really taken on leadership as a lay leader, song leader and in helping prepare for parish picnics.  He is headed to Middlebury College to study Environmental Science.  Congratulations to Lucas and to his parent Julia and Brian Nerbonne!
 
Max Johnson: Max is graduating from Great River School.  Throughout their time at Saint Mary’s, Max has been connected through Sunday school, Tweeners, Youth Group and a variety of other events throughout the years. They will be taking a gap year, during which they will move out, get a job and learn how to do life. After that, they will be heading to college!  Congratulations to Max and their parents Nina and Mike Johnson
 
God of creation, pour out your Spirit on our high school seniors as they enter a new period of life. Be with them as they begins new ventures knowing you have blessed them with hope and a future of success. Be with us all and help us to be reminded of your guidance in our lives. Amen.
 

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Search Committee Update

 

1. We’ve completed first-round interviews via Zoom. Topics covered in these deep, joyful, and wide-ranging conversations included:

– what drew them to priesthood

– what drew them to the St. Mary’s call

– favorite liturgical resources (aside from BCP)

– full and radical inclusion of all in the sacraments

– the role of young people (birth-18) in the church

– their personal processes and goals that support authentic and inspiring sermons

– administrative management experience

– equity and inclusion experience/education

– discernment and empowerment of lay leadership (skills, experiences, challenges)

– healthy organizational relationships that support a community-wide cycle of discernment/engagement/rest and mutual respect for privacy and autonomy. 

– organizational change management experience

2. We are delighted to be currently scheduling in-person interviews with two marvelous candidates (goal: end of June.) We are excited to build the itinerary for those visits, and to validate/iterate our planned topics for those conversations. 

Next steps: After these second, in-person interviews, the search committee will continue in deep discernment towards whole-hearted endorsement of someone as our next rector.  

We are buoyed by the deep listening, thinking, and sharing that our entire community has engaged in over the past year. We continue to offer and to ask for prayers of patience and grace during this time of intense and tantalizing discernment for our communal future. We all have such fierce faith in and passion for St. Mary’s, and we can’t wait to step into the future with you all.

Return to Top

Volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild

As we open for the first time in a very long time, we are looking for new volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild. Your duties will be to serve on a team for one Sunday a month. Your team will set up for the services that day. Making sure that the wine and bread are ready for each service, the correct linens are placed where needed, candles are replaced occasionally, and various other small chores having to do that Sunday. Then clean up when the services are over. Once in a while there will be a 5th Sunday, those are rotated among the 4 teams. We really, really do need you, please volunteer if you are interested. I will talk you through the process in detail first and answer questions. Finally you will have the backup of other team members.

Also badly needed are folks that like to bake, one month out of the year you would bake the communion bread for that month, the recipe is simple and we have bakers that will give you the recipe and instructions.

Thank you, Kitty McFarland
mcfarlandkitty274@gmail.com or text 651-955-1639

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Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for Summer 2021:

LGBTQ+
Monday, June 21, and each third Monday, ongoing
6:30pm meets monthly for reflective conversation and community building. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to
join us.

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Each Tuesday at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the
Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are
welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org 

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which
each of us can explore our own healing. This quiet confidential prayer last about an hour and
support each of us in our personal healing work. Our next circle will be held on June 29. We are
hoping to meet in person at St Mary’s. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more
information / to register and to get the link.

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s 
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for 
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events: 
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at 
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

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Book Club

Next iteration of the St. Mary’s Book Club — video edition

Slavery and racism aren’t new – and they aren’t accidental. How were these systems created in the British colonies and woven into the founding of the United States? Join us for a series of “watch parties” in which we will view and discuss the 2005 PBS series “Slavery and the Making of America.”

We will meet Mondays at 7:30, starting on June 14, for 6 sessions (final session on July 12). Feel free to join us even if you can’t make all the meetings. We’ll watch 30 – 40 minutes of the video and then have some time for discussion at each session. Plan for sessions to run 7:30 – 8:30 PM, with the option for people to stay later for further discussion if there is interest.

Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link. Hope you can join us!

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 6/18 – 6/24

Sunday, June 20, 2021
Worship with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Monday, June 21, 2021
LGBTQ+
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Monday, June 21, 2021
Book Club
7:30pm
Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link.

Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Vestry Meeting
7:00pm
Contact for details and a link Click HERE

Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, June 24, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, June 24, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – June 11, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, June 13, 2021
Worship In-person and via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

Yes, it’s final!! We will have our first hybrid (in-person & zoom) worship service this Sunday, June 13th!!!  Enough people stepped up and committed to being Sunday morning lay ministers so we are able to re-gather for in-person worship!!  The Rev. Susan Moss will be the preacher and celebrant, so we will have Eucharist. Zoom coffee time and outdoor visiting for in-person worshippers will allow us to have social time after the service.

  • First Message: an excerpt by Henry Nouwen
  • Gospel: Mark 4:26-34

For the Zoom worship service on June 13, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the 2021 Summer Songbook – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Congratulations to our Graduating High School Seniors!

Search Committee Update

Altar Guild

Pastoral Care

Education

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

What’s New?

  • Yes, we had enough people commit to lay ministries on Sunday mornings so that we could have our first hybrid worship service, BUT if you didn’t get around to signing up yet, YOU STILL ARE NEEDED!!  The more we spread the work around, the lighter it will be for any one person.  Right now you could expect to be scheduled once a month or less!  PLEASE SIGN UP!!  Click HERE

What changes will take place when we worship in person?

  • IMPORTANT:  Before you leave home, download & save the bulletin on your device and bring your device to church!  For those with no device (cell phone, ipad, laptop), a few printed bulletins will be available on the left as you enter the sanctuary.  The bulletin will be shortened from our usual length. 
  • COME EARLY!!  You’ll be seated by an usher so allow plenty of extra time.
  • Bring your mask.  We’ll be masked and stay 6’ apart.
  • Offering plate is on the right as you enter the sanctuary.  Offering plates won’t be passed.
  • The choir will be back.  No congregational singing, but humming is allowed!
  • For Eucharist, ushers will let you know when your household will go to the front to receive communion (a wafer in a little paper cup), staying 6’ apart.  No wine yet.
  •  For now, the Lay Leader will read announcements. In-Person:  Paper & pens are available in the entryway, on the table near the name tag rack. Write your announcement & leave it in the basket.  Zoomers: Put announcements in the chat.  Announcements will also be picked up from the Weekly Email.
  • Prayer requests:  Zoomers: Put Prayer Requests in the chat.  In-person: Come to the mic located “center stage low” (pew level, in front of the altar steps).

Feedback is welcome!
Expect changes as we try things, see how they work and make improvements!  Your feedback is more important than ever before to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t.  Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

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Congratulations to Our Saint Mary’s High School Seniors!

 
Each year, we have the opportunity to join our congregation in celebrating some of the biggest milestones in each others’ lives. This has been a particularly challenging year and we want to hold up with special care and love our high school seniors who are graduating this spring!  We are so grateful to have had them in our midst enriching our communities, providing insight to our church and serving through their gifts.  This year we honor: 
 
Bennett Patrick Anderson: Bennett is graduating from Mahtomedi Senior High. His current greatest passion is playing Spikeball; he is participating in a tournament on Saturday to hopefully achieve status as a Premier Player, a nationwide ranking. Next year, Bennett plans to attend college of St. Benedict/St. John’s University and pursuing a major in Exercise Science and Sports Studies. Congratulations to Bennett and his parents Amy and Matt Anderson.
 
Ava McCallister: Ava is graduating from Central High School.  She participated in the life of Saint Mary’s through Sunday School, Tweeners, Youth Group and a variety of other events throughout the years.  She will be attending the University of Denver in the fall. A big congratulations to Ava and to her parents Josh and Cathy McCallister.
 
Lucas Nerbonne: Lucas is graduating from South High School in Minneapolis.  Throughout his time at Saint Mary’s he has been in Sunday school, Tweeners, and Youth Group but has really taken on leadership as a lay leader, song leader and in helping prepare for parish picnics.  He is headed to Middlebury College to study Environmental Science.  Congratulations to Lucas and to his parent Julia and Brian Nerbonne!
 
Max Johnson: Max is graduating from Great River School.  Throughout their time at Saint Mary’s, Max has been connected through Sunday school, Tweeners, Youth Group and a variety of other events throughout the years. They will be taking a gap year, during which they will move out, get a job and learn how to do life. After that, they will be heading to college!  Congratulations to Max and their parents Nina and Mike Johnson
 
God of creation, pour out your Spirit on our high school seniors as they enter a new period of life. Be with them as they begins new ventures knowing you have blessed them with hope and a future of success. Be with us all and help us to be reminded of your guidance in our lives. Amen.
 

Return to Top

Search Committee Update

 

1. We’ve completed first-round interviews via Zoom. Topics covered in these deep, joyful, and wide-ranging conversations included:

– what drew them to priesthood

– what drew them to the St. Mary’s call

– favorite liturgical resources (aside from BCP)

– full and radical inclusion of all in the sacraments

– the role of young people (birth-18) in the church

– their personal processes and goals that support authentic and inspiring sermons

– administrative management experience

– equity and inclusion experience/education

– discernment and empowerment of lay leadership (skills, experiences, challenges)

– healthy organizational relationships that support a community-wide cycle of discernment/engagement/rest and mutual respect for privacy and autonomy. 

– organizational change management experience

2. We are delighted to be currently scheduling in-person interviews with two marvelous candidates (goal: end of June.) We are excited to build the itinerary for those visits, and to validate/iterate our planned topics for those conversations. 

Next steps: After these second, in-person interviews, the search committee will continue in deep discernment towards whole-hearted endorsement of someone as our next rector.  

We are buoyed by the deep listening, thinking, and sharing that our entire community has engaged in over the past year. We continue to offer and to ask for prayers of patience and grace during this time of intense and tantalizing discernment for our communal future. We all have such fierce faith in and passion for St. Mary’s, and we can’t wait to step into the future with you all.

Return to Top

Volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild

As we open for the first time in a very long time, we are looking for new volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild. Your duties will be to serve on a team for one Sunday a month. Your team will set up for the services that day. Making sure that the wine and bread are ready for each service, the correct linens are placed where needed, candles are replaced occasionally, and various other small chores having to do that Sunday. Then clean up when the services are over. Once in a while there will be a 5th Sunday, those are rotated among the 4 teams. We really, really do need you, please volunteer if you are interested. I will talk you through the process in detail first and answer questions. Finally you will have the backup of other team members.

Also badly needed are folks that like to bake, one month out of the year you would bake the communion bread for that month, the recipe is simple and we have bakers that will give you the recipe and instructions.

Thank you, Kitty McFarland
mcfarlandkitty274@gmail.com or text 651-955-1639

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Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for Summer 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
The Team meets on Zoom on Monday nights at 6:30. Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to
join us.

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Each Tuesday at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the
Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are
welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org 

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which
each of us can explore our own healing. This quiet confidential prayer last about an hour and
support each of us in our personal healing work. Our next circle will be held on June 29. We are
hoping to meet in person at St Mary’s. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more
information / to register and to get the link.

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s 
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for 
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events: 
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at 
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

Return to Top

Book Club

Next iteration of the St. Mary’s Book Club — video edition

Slavery and racism aren’t new – and they aren’t accidental. How were these systems created in the British colonies and woven into the founding of the United States? Join us for a series of “watch parties” in which we will view and discuss the 2005 PBS series “Slavery and the Making of America.”

We will meet Mondays at 7:30, starting on June 14, for 6 sessions (final session on July 12). Feel free to join us even if you can’t make all the meetings. We’ll watch 30 – 40 minutes of the video and then have some time for discussion at each session. Plan for sessions to run 7:30 – 8:30 PM, with the option for people to stay later for further discussion if there is interest.

Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link. Hope you can join us!

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Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups for the week of 6/11 – 6/17

Sunday, June 13, 2021
Worship with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Monday, June 14, 2021
Pastoral Care
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Monday, June 14, 2021
Book Club
7:30pm
Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link.

Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Finance Committee Meeting
6:30pm
Contact for details and a link Click HERE

Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, June 17, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, June 17, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

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Saint Mary’s Weekly – June 4, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, June 6, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday Erika Scheurer will lead us through a guided meditation. We are hopeful this will be our last “Zoom only” service…See Brian Nerbonne’s article below regarding our need for volunteers. Please sign up to enable us to worship in person June 13th and throughout the summer!!

  • First Message: TBD
  • Gospel: Mark 3:20-35 Jesus and Beelzebul; Jesus’ Mother & Brothers: Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?

For the Zoom worship service on June 6, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE

What’s in this Weekly?

Worship Team

Regathering Team

Altar Guild

Pastoral Care

Education

Outreach

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by the Rev. Susan M. Moss

I will be away the week of June 6 when we gather for worship on Zoom. On June 13, I look forward to seeing many of you face-to-face for the first time at the Regathering Eucharist in St. Mary’s beautiful sanctuary. The Regathering and Worship Teams are working together every day now to prepare for this joyful day.

Let’s talk about what to expect when St. Mary’s regathers after more than a year of pandemic restrictions that have kept us apart:

Expect and allow yourself to experience the range of emotions you will carry with you to worship. It’s been a hard year, and as excited as many are to regather, “back to normal anxiety” is at an all- time high across our country. Being together again after adapting to a year of extreme caution, stress, loss, grief and non stop change can be overwhelming for many.

Respect the choices parents of young unvaccinated children are making for their children’s safety. It takes time to ease back in while learning how to regather after a pandemic and the social isolation we have had to endure.

Expect both familiarity and change. When you come, try to arrive early. Bring not only your mask, prepared to social distance with restrictions on congregational singing, and your pre downloaded service bulletin from The Weekly.

Bring also the attitude and spirit of turning up as a newcomer; the attitude of a new church start up.

Things will look different and feel different. Each one of us is learning how to do something new.

Expect to be graceful and patient with one another as we walk step by step into this new world. We gather to be together to worship, to pray, and to be fed by Word and Sacrament for the work God has given us to do.

Trust the Spirit to help us find the way.
And as Sr. Julian of Norwich reminds us:
All shall be well.
All shall be well.
All manner of things shall be well

What’s New?

  • No “Question of the Day” during the summer! Enjoy the social time during the Break Out group today!

What changes will take place when we worship in person?

  • Come early!! You’ll be seated by an usher so allow plenty of extra time.
  • IMPORTANT: Before you leave home, download & save the bulletin on your device and bring your device to church. For those with no device (cell phone, ipad, laptop), a few printed bulletins will be available.
  • We’ll celebrate Eucharist the 2nd & 4th Sundays of each month, starting June 13th IF WE HAVE ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS! SIGN UP TODAY!!
  • The choir will be back!! We’ll hear choral in-person singing! (No congregational singing yet. Humming allowed!!)
  • We’ll be masked and stay socially distant (6’ apart) in the building.
  • For now, there won’t be an organized Coffee Time. Feel free to go outdoors and visit with people. Bring your own beverages if you’d like!

Feedback is welcome!
Please expect changes…even from week to week…as we try things, see how they work and make improvements! This is a new path we’re on, one we’ve not experienced before. Your feedback is more important than ever to help us know what’s working well and what isn’t. Please send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions to the Worship Team

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Return to In-person Worship Will Be Delayed Without More Volunteers

I know that people are excited about our plan to return to in-person worship on June 13, but I also know people are busy in the summer and may be hesitant to sign up for something when they won’t be around every week. However, at this point we do not have enough volunteers to adequately staff the roles needed for our in-person services. The vestry made the decision at our last meeting that we would not start in-person services if we didn’t have the people to make it happen. This comes from a safety perspective of living up to our responsibilities for our community who attend, and to avoid putting all of that burden on a small group of people.

I am asking that people email regathering@saintmarysepiscopal.org and offer to help out. Most jobs like greeters and ushers are not hard to do, and the greeter shift can even be done with kids! We also need more people to step up be vergers and lay leaders occasionally so that the burden does not fall on the same people. We also need people to help with tech so that we can continue to offer online access for those not able to attend in person. Once we have enough people to fill those positions, we will consider adding coffee hour shifts. If you have questions about different roles, feel free to ask.

If we do not have enough volunteers by June 9, we will make the call to postpone services. This is an all hands on deck moment, and I trust that people will answer the call.

Brian Nerbonne, Warden

Re-Gathering: Saint Mary’s Needs YOU…& YOU…& YOU!!!

As you know from the Brian’s article above, we need “all hands on deck” right now! In order to meet in person in the church building and live stream the service via Zoom, we need enough volunteers to staff our Sunday morning needs for a whole month…9 volunteers per Sunday which translates to a minimum of 36 volunteers per month. This is the number we feel we need to safely worship in person. We also feel this number of volunteers is needed to spread the work around. Each person would be scheduled to volunteer approximately one time each month and hopefully that would avoid burnout. As of right now, we have 12 volunteers signed up…so yes, we need YOU…& YOU…& YOU!!!

So, now you are probably wondering what are the needs each Sunday? Click HERE to see a brief descriptions of duties.

+3 Ushers +2 Greeters +1 Lay Leader +1 Verger +2 Tech-ies

Safety of all worshippers is a high value as we plan our return to in-person worship. If you intend to worship in person, please sign up for one (or more!) of these positions. Training will be provided if needed. The more people who sign up, the fewer times each of us will need to serve. As mentioned in Brian’s article, the Vestry will consider adding Coffee Hour when all of the above positions are filled, so you can also sign up for Coffee Hour Hosts. Sign up by clicking regathering@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

URGENT—PLEASE SIGN UP NOW!

The Regathering Team Needs to Know Who Is Coming on June 13

The Regathering Team needs your help in planning how to configure the church for our June 13 service. We are not requiring an RSVP to attend, but we would like people to respond to a poll on how many people from your household are likely to attend. This will make our jobs much easier if most people planning to come take the survey, rather than need to adjust pews/chairs on the fly on Sunday morning. Please Click HERE and answer a couple quick questions.

Volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild

As we open for the first time in a very long time, we are looking for new volunteers for Saint Mary’s Altar Guild. Your duties will be to serve on a team for one Sunday a month. Your team will set up for the services that day. Making sure that the wine and bread are ready for each service, the correct linens are placed where needed, candles are replaced occasionally, and various other small chores having to do that Sunday. Then clean up when the services are over. Once in a while there will be a 5th Sunday, those are rotated among the 4 teams. We really, really do need you, please volunteer if you are interested. I will talk you through the process in detail first and answer questions. Finally you will have the backup of other team members.

Also badly needed are folks that like to bake, one month out of the year you would bake the communion bread for that month, the recipe is simple and we have bakers that will give you the recipe and instructions.

Thank you, Kitty McFarland
mcfarlandkitty274@gmail.com or text 651-955-1639

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for June 2021:

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Tuesday, June 8 and each Tuesday following at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Coffee and Conversation with Rev. Cindi
Wednesday, June 9 at 10:00am & 7:00pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which each of us can explore our own healing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information and to get the link.

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link.

Book Club

Next iteration of the St. Mary’s Book Club — video edition

Slavery and racism aren’t new – and they aren’t accidental. How were these systems created in the British colonies and woven into the founding of the United States? Join us for a series of “watch parties” in which we will view and discuss the 2005 PBS series “Slavery and the Making of America.”

We will meet Mondays at 7:30, starting on June 14, for 6 sessions (final session on July 12). Feel free to join us even if you can’t make all the meetings. We’ll watch 30 – 40 minutes of the video and then have some time for discussion at each session. Plan for sessions to run 7:30 – 8:30 PM, with the option for people to stay later for further discussion if there is interest.

Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link. Hope you can join us!

Treaty People Gathering

https://www.mnipl.org/event/treaty-people-gathering-virtual-rally/

On June 5-8, thousands of people from all over the world will be at Treaty People Gathering to join Native women at the front lines to stop the Line 3 oil pipeline. If you can’t make it to northern Minnesota, we invite you to join a virtual rally of faith actors on Sunday, June 6, at 6:00 pm CT!

We’ll lift up our collective vision of a world where water is sacred, where Native treaty rights and sovereignty are respected, and where rural communities prosper. You will hear directly from activists at the gathering in northern Minnesota, and from members of MNIPL’s multifaith delegation. You will also have the opportunity to take action, and to share tools, resources, and next steps with your community.

We are so excited for you to join us as part of this movement. All are welcome from wherever you are! RSVP to receive the Zoom link for the event.

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups for the week of 6/4 – 6/10

Sunday, June 6, 2021
Search Committee Q & A
9:15am
Worship with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, June 8, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Wednesday, June 9, 2021
Coffee and Conversation with Rev. Cindi
10:00am & 7:00pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, June 10, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, June 10, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

 

Saint Mary’s Weekly – May 27, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, May 30, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday we, the parishioners, will make our own homilies!! Listen carefully to the Gospel and during the sermon time, we’ll go into breakout groups and experience Gospel Based Discipleship to answer two questions:

  • What words, ideas or sentences stand out for you?
    (A second reading of the Gospel.)
  • What is Jesus calling you to do?
  • First Message: TBD
  • Gospel: John 3:1-17 (If you want to have time to think about your responses, you might want to read this ahead of time!)

For the Zoom worship service on May 30, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by the Rev. Susan M. Moss
Memorial Day Weekend 2021

The story is told of a South American tribe that went on a long march, day after day,
when all of a sudden they would stop walking, sit down to rest for a while, and then
make camp for a couple of days before going any farther. They explained that they
needed the time of rest so their souls could catch up with them.

from Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest, Wayne Muller, Bantam Books 1999

What’s New?

  • To hear the homily given by the Rev. Susan Moss on Pentecost, May 23, Click HERE.
  • We are now entering “Ordinary Time”, the green season, which runs from now all the way through November 21st ! Why is it called “Ordinary Time”? It doesn’t mean “normal”. It’s connected to the ordinal numbers (1st Sunday after Pentecost, etc). There is no unified theme that ties the Sundays together. We are sent off to do the work of the Spirit, a season of discipleship, a time of digging deeper to figure out what it means to be a Christian. Typically, themes are taken from the Gospel.
  • We have two Sundays remaining of zoom only worship—May 30 and June 6. Then we’ll switch to hybrid worship—both Zoom and in-person. This switch will bring experimentation and changes—we’ll try some new things and ask for your feedback. This will be a new path we’re on, one we’ve not travelled before. Some experiments will work well and will be continued. Others won’t work so well and will be set aside to try something else. In any case, we’ll learn something. We’ll need your feedback even more than ever before during this time as we move forward on a road less travelled!
  • During the summer we won’t have a “Question of the Day”. We’ll just have a Zoom social time for those on Zoom and an outdoor social time for those attending the service.

Feedback is welcome!
We welcome your feedback and recommendations about worship services.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Re-Gathering: Saint Mary’s Needs YOU…& YOU…& YOU!!!

As you know from the letter sent by our Warden and Vestry last Friday, Saint Mary’s will begin meeting in-person for worship on June 13!!! We will also continue to live stream the service via Zoom. So you will be able to worship with the Saint Mary’s community in either of these ways.

To safely worship in-person, many Sunday morning Lay Ministers are needed. What are the needs? Click HERE to see brief descriptions of duties.

+Ushers +Greeters +Coffee Hour Hosts +Lay Leaders +Vergers
+Tech-ies +1 or 2 people to schedule Lay Ministers +(possibly) Cleaners

Safety of all worshippers is a high value as we plan our return to in-person worship and we need “all hands on deck” to make this happen. In-person worship is an example of “it takes a village”…it truly does take a village to safely gather together for worship. If you intend to worship in person, please sign up for one (or more!) of these positions. Training will be provided. About a dozen people are needed each Sunday. The more people who sign up, the fewer times each of us will need to serve. Sign up Click HERE and let us know where you are willing to help.

URGENT—PLEASE SIGN UP NOW!

Regathering Team Needs to Know Who Is Coming on June 13

The Regathering Team needs your help in planning how to configure the church for our June 13 service. We are not requiring an RSVP to attend, but we would like people to respond to a poll on how many people from your household are likely to attend. This will make our jobs much easier if most people planning to come take the survey, rather than need to adjust pews/chairs on the fly on Sunday morning. Please Click HERE and answer a couple quick questions.

Finance Update

Pledge income was approximately $7,000 in April, which was well under the
projected monthly total of approximately $24,600. However, pledge income for 2021 thru April is only about $1,200 under budget. This is due to the significant pledge income received in each of the months of February and March. Non-pledge income (rent, etc.) is approximately $2,000 over budget for the year as of the end of April. As a result, total income year-to-date is very close to our projected budget.

Expenses are almost $18,000 over budget for the year due to the $21,000 paid to Northland Heating for boiler repairs. We had to make significant repairs and upgrades to the two boilers this past winter season. We have not had to make such significant repairs and upgrades for well over ten years. The total for all repairs and upgrades was approximately $33,000. We paid for approximately $12,000 of the repairs out of the 2020 operating budget, which was a balanced budget due to the Paycheck Protection Program loan we received last year and was totally forgiven. The $21,000 in boiler repairs paid this year will have to be taken out of our Holden Fund. These funds will be applied to our 2021 operating budget in the next month, which will bring our 2021 expenses in line with our projected budget for the year.

A reminder that the Holden Fund was established through the generosity of the estate of Margaret Holden. The account is reserved for major capital projects to maintain the existing building and infrastructure. When such expenses are paid for out of the fund, such as the major boiler repairs, that amount is paid back to the Holden Fund monthly out of the operating budget over the projected life expectancy of the improvement.

If anyone needs more information or has questions about the St. Mary’s budget, please call or e-mail Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, at 651-308-4895 or rexaholzemer@gmail.com.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for May and June 2021:

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Tuesday, June 1 and each Tuesday following at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which each of us can explore our own healing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information and to get the link.

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

Book Club

Next iteration of the St. Mary’s Book Club — video edition

Slavery and racism aren’t new – and they aren’t accidental. How were these systems created in the British colonies and woven into the founding of the United States? Join us for a series of “watch parties” in which we will view and discuss the 2005 PBS series “Slavery and the Making of America.”

We will meet Mondays at 7:30, starting on June 14, for 6 sessions (final session on July 12). Feel free to join us even if you can’t make all the meetings. We’ll watch 30 – 40 minutes of the video and then have some time for discussion at each session. Plan for sessions to run 7:30 – 8:30 PM, with the option for people to stay later for further discussion if there is interest.

Please email Beth Varro at beth.varro@gmail.com to sign up and get the Zoom link. Hope you can join us!

Updates from the Saint Mary’s Communications Team

Like so many of the Saint Mary’s Teams at the moment, we are working hard to make sure we are communicating and connecting with everyone at Saint Mary’s and all our friends who follow us. We continue to try and make the Weekly the best we can and will be implementing a few changes in the upcoming weeks.

Starting after Memorial Day we will issue the Weekly on Friday mornings rather than Thursday mornings as it has been the past several months. We still ask that all submissions for the Weekly be turned in by 9pm on Tuesdays. This extra 24 hours will be incredibly helpful in making sure the Communications Team has the time to do the best possible job that we can.

Another change to the Weekly that we hope to be implementing in the upcoming weeks is to change to a digest format so that information can be compressed to allow the reader to see the headline and introduction to each article and choose to expand the complete information if they want to read it. We hope that this will help prevent the need for a whole lot of scrolling when we have a whole lot of information to share.

The Communications Team greatly appreciates any feedback you would like to provide as we make these changes to help us create the best channels of communication possible. We also invite anyone interested in joining the Communications Team to drop us a line and perhaps drop in on one of our meetings.

Thank you.

The Saint Mary’s Communications Team
(communications@saintmarysepiscopal.org)

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 5/28 – 6/3

Sunday, May 30, 2021
Worship with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Caring for an aging loved one
7:00pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link

Men’s Group
7:00pm
For details and Link Click HERE

Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, June 3, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, June 3, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

 

Saint Mary’s News from the Wardens and Vestry – Return to In-person Worship

by

May 21, 2021

Dear St. Mary’s community,
 
Your vestry and I would like to share some details about planning for a return to in-person worship. It has been a long time since we have been together in person, and we believe it is time to soon regather. This decision comes in consideration of new guidance from the CDC, the state of Minnesota, and the Episcopal Church of Minnesota (ECMN) that all suggest the time is right. We have set the date for our first in-person worship as June 13, 2021.
 
The vestry’s conversation on regathering focused on the values that we want to uphold during this transition. Safety will be a big emphasis; we recognize that we are a multi-generational congregation that includes kids who cannot be vaccinated yet, and we may have adults in the congregation who also cannot for medical reasons. The same values are a part of revised guidance being produced by ECMN that continues to require masking within church buildings, and maintaining 6-foot social distances.
 
Another important value that will be stressed is inclusivity. We recognize that some members of the congregation will not be ready to return to services right now, and for others that may always be the case. A hybrid model for services will allow us to continue to include people at home (or the cabin) in weekly services. We are looking at technology to make this a higher quality production. Though the hybrid services will likely be a different experience from our usual Zoom model for those at home, we are confident that we can continue to offer Zoom access to our services.
 
We have heard from many people that music is an important element of worship. A return to in-person worship will allow for more options for the number of musicians playing together, including at least some singing. That won’t include congregational singing right now, but attendees at services can certainly hum along.
 
Many people desire a return of the sacrament of communion. This will be allowed under ECMN’s guidance, although we may not be able to offer it every service. Our worship planning team has planned a mixture of clergy and lay-led services over the past several months as we await the hiring of our next rector, and that will continue through the summer.
 
Staying within our congregation’s capacity is another important value. We are humbled by how many of you have gifted your time and talents to our community. These gifts speak to the passion we all have for St. Mary’s, however all of our points of engagement have stretched our capacity to take on more. With that in mind, we have chosen to focus on the longer-term approach of planning indoor services rather than planning for outdoor services as an interim step. 
 
It will take more volunteers than our pre-COVID services to fill roles like ushers, greeters and live-stream techies. With many people already busy on committees like Search, Worship Planning and Communications, more people to step up to take on a role on Sundays will be needed. Please consider answering the call for volunteers to fill these roles, which will be coming in the next week or two. If you would like to be a part of the Regathering Committee that is making some of these decisions on how to conduct services, we would also welcome your participation. Reach out to Cindi Brickson or Brian Nerbonne if you are interested.
 
We will approach this change knowing that we are building the road as we walk it. Things may not be perfect, especially at the start, but we will learn from each service and apply those lessons going forward. We appreciate the guidance that Susan is giving, and all of the efforts of volunteers and staff who are working to make our worship services happen
 
The vestry shares the excitement that many are feeling about once again being together. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.
 
Caroline Kaker, outgoing warden
Jim Deluca, outgoing warden

Saint Mary’s Weekly – May 20, 2021

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Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, May 23, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday we’ll hear the story of the first Pentecost, the day that the Holy Spirit first shows herself. The Rev. Susan Moss will lead the service and be the preacher. The color of the day is red, a symbol of tongues of fire and a reminder of an invisible reality that the whole Christian life is fueled by the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. In preparation for the Question of the Day discussion, give some thought to “How is the Holy Spirit at work in your life? At Saint Mary’s? In the world?” And…pull out those red clothes, red flowers, red backdrops!!

  • First Reading: Acts 2:1-21…Story of the first Pentecost…A MUST READ!!!
  • Second Message: by Sr Joan Chittister (OSB)
  • Gospel: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15…The Promise of the Holy Spirit

For the Zoom worship service on May 23, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the Music Bulletin – Click HERE

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by the Rev. Susan M. Moss

While grateful for time in our gardens, restaurant dinners, baseball games, the voices of children playing outside, the fragrance of lilacs, the lifting of pandemic related restrictions and more, at the same time we continue to live in a betwixt and between world that is disorienting and confusing.

Guided now by values identified by the Saint Mary’s vestry, the Worship Team will enter a time of crafting liturgies for the summer that align with these values. We are energized by the desire for an inclusive and safe regathering for in person worship; a regathering that will include virtual attendance and continued lay leadership.

At the same time we know we are in-between somethings that have ended and a new things that are not yet ready to begin.

In these betwixt and between times, this “journey without maps” we must learn our way through by listening, experimenting, reflecting on what we learn, and moving ahead.

Pentecost Sunday will remind that we are not alone. The Holy Spirit is God’s presence among us. The Spirit’s gifts empower us for the work of ministry. And, for those of us who are overwhelmed by paddling the whitewater rapids of constant change, the Spirit is given to comfort us in betwixt and between times.

Some days I pray—-Holy Spirit empower me with wisdom, strength and new eyes to see! Other days, I pray, Holy Spirit comfort me. Life is hard right now.

Let us hold fast to the promises proclaimed in the Pentecost Sunday Gospel and pray for the Spirit’s guidance in uncertain times. Jesus said: When the Spirit of truth comes, s/he will guide you into all the truth; for s/he will not speak on her/his own, but will speak whatever s/he hears, and s/he will declare to you the things that are to come.

What’s New?

  • To hear the sermon from The Rev. Liza Anderson given on May 16, Click HERE
  • A poem by Pope Francis, entitled “Pentecost People”:

Come, Holy Spirit, and make us Pentecost people.
Let your wisdom and right judgment guide our decisions and temper our impulses.
Let knowledge and understanding increase our capacity for empathy and compassion.
Let reverence and awe fill us with gratitude and respect for all creation.
Give us courage to witness boldly to our faith in word and deed.
Through and with and in Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Feedback is welcome!

We welcome your feedback and recommendations about worship services.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Look for a special email from the Wardens and Vestry coming out in the next day or two and Join the Saint Mary’s Re-Gathering Team!

Are you looking forward to a time when we can once again gather in-person? Are you interested in being a part of a Team to help make that happen?

As we work towards approval from ECMN of our Saint Mary’s “Plan for Re-Opening for Physical Worship”, we also need to work out the internal logistics of holding in-person indoor and outdoor gatherings. We are looking to expand our Re-Gathering Team to include:

  • Technology coordinator(s)
  • Volunteer coordinator(s)
  • RSVP coordinator(s)
  • Safety Trainer for all Volunteers and Building Users
  • Cleaning coordinator(s)

We are looking forward to creating a complete and vibrant Team to help make this happen. We would like to assemble this Team as soon as we can to be prepared when the time is right.

If you are interested in joining the Re-Gathering Team or have any questions, please email regathering@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for May 2021:

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Tuesday, May 25 and each Tuesday following at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which each of us can explore our own healing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information and to get the link.

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

Healing Our City

Every morning, 8:00am

A diverse group of faith leaders from across Minneapolis have created Healing Our City, a virtual prayer tent. You are invited to join the Zoom call each day at 8am for a 20-minute prayer for healing and reflection. Click HERE to learn more and join people of all faiths, across Minneapolis and beyond, in prayer for healing and solidarity.

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 5/21 – 5/27

Sunday, May 23, 2021
Worship with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Vestry
7:00pm
Contact Wardens for link Click HERE

Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, May 27, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, May 27, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

 

Family, Children & Youth Programming May 15 – May 21, 2021

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Spring Children’s and Youth Programming 2021

Dear All:
 
This is the last Family and Children Email that you will receive for the school year as Sunday School will have our last session on Sunday! The last Tweeners will be on May 26. I do not know what fall will hold for Children and family programming. Stay tuned for more information in late summer!
 
Thank you to everyone who helped make programming possible this year!!
 
Option #1 Sunday Schoofrom 9:00-9:45am until May 16, 2021
Option #2 Parent Led
Tweeners
Tweeners will be playing games on Wednesday!
Youth Group
Youth group is finished for the school year and will resume in September with our new Youth Group Leader, Kat Lewis.
 
Summer Camps
ECMN has 6 different summer camp opportunities. I would like to make certain that everyone is aware of the options that exist!
 
 
Blessings
MiaLisa McFarland Millares
Children’s and Youth Director
Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church

Saint Mary’s Weekly – May 13, 2021

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Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, May 16, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This will be the Seventh Sunday of Easter and we’ll be hearing one of the ECMN Eastertide sermons given by the Rev. Liza Anderson. Liza Anderson, PhD is a historical theologian who currently serves as assistant professor of theology at the College of Saint Scholastica in Duluth, MN. She received her PhD from Yale University in 2016, and also holds degrees in religion and theology from Swarthmore College, Trinity College Dublin, and Harvard Divinity School. She has previously taught at Claremont School of Theology, the Ukrainian Catholic University, Episcopal Divinity School, and Saint Peter’s Seminary in Iraq. Liza specializes in the histories and theologies of ancient and medieval Christianity outside of Europe, and is currently writing a monograph on the experience of bandonment by God in Christian ascetical theology. She is a lay member of the Episcopal Church’s Executive Council and a previous member of the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music.

  • First Reading: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 Peter proclaims the scripture has been fulfilled; Matthias is chosen to replace Judas
  • Second Message: Will be screen shared
  • Gospel: John 17:6-19 Jesus prays for his disciples before his betrayal and arrest.

For the Zoom worship service on May 16, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the Music Bulletin – Click HERE

Worship Team

What’s New?

  • To listen to the reading of “The Runaway Bunny” and the sermon given last Sunday, May 9 by the Rev. Cindi Brickson, Click HERE.
  • In preparation for Ascension Sunday and leading into Pentecost Sunday, read Acts 1.
  • Pentecost is coming…Sunday, May 23, and the color for of the day is red. Pull out those red clothes, red flowers, red backdrops in readiness for Pentecost! Now WHY all this talk about red?? Red is the symbol of tongues of fire and is a tangible reminder of an invisible reality…that the whole Christian life is fueled by the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. This is what the whole season of Pentecost is about!
  • In preparation for the “Question of the Day” on Pentecost, give thought to “How the Holy Spirit is at work in your life, at St. Mary’s and in the world.”

Feedback is welcome!

We welcome your feedback and recommendations about worship services.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Join the Saint Mary’s Re-Gathering Team!

Are you looking forward to a time when we can once again gather in-person? Are you interested in being a part of a Team to help make that happen?

As we work towards approval from ECMN of our Saint Mary’s “Plan for Re-Opening for Physical Worship”, we also need to work out the internal logistics of holding in-person indoor and outdoor gatherings. We are looking to expand our Re-Gathering Team to include:

  • Technology coordinator(s)
  • Volunteer coordinator(s)
  • RSVP coordinator(s)
  • Safety Trainer for all Volunteers and Building Users
  • Cleaning coordinator(s)

We are looking forward to creating a complete and vibrant Team to help make this happen. We would like to assemble this Team as soon as we can to be prepared when the time is right.

If you are interested in joining the Re-Gathering Team or have any questions, please email regathering@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for May 2021:

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Tuesday, May 18 and each Tuesday following at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which each of us can explore our own healing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information and to get the link.

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

Healing Our City

Every morning, 8:00am

A diverse group of faith leaders from across Minneapolis have created Healing Our City, a virtual prayer tent. You are invited to join the Zoom call each day at 8am for a 20-minute prayer for healing and reflection. Click HERE to learn more and join people of all faiths, across Minneapolis and beyond, in prayer for healing and solidarity.

Info Re: KIVA loans 4-29-21

Our money is out there working around the world!

Less than 2 months ago, Saint Mary’s made over $1000 in KIVA loans around the world and now again we’ve made more loans! As loan payments are received, we’re able to keep those dollars in circulation by making new loans. $1275 was loaned last week…We partially funded a toilet in the Philippines, a water pump in Indonesia, supplies to weave traditional belts in Guatemala, floor looms to make fabric for traditional skirts in Guatemala, piglets and feed in Madagascar, chickens and feed in El Salvador, land and coffee growing supplies in Nicaragua, school tuition for 3 children in Kenya, school fees and data in the Philippines, smartphones needed for schooling in Indonesia, sewing machine, silk thread and fabrics in Palestine and apple trees and feed for goats in Albania! Yes, our money is at work around the world!!

Anyone interested in participating or finding out more Click HERE.

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 5/14 – 5/20

Sunday, May 16, 2021
Worship with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Monday, May 17, 2021
LGBTQ+
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and a link Click HERE

Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Finance Committee Meeting
6:30pm
Contact for details and a link Click HERE

Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, May 20, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, May 20, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Sunday School Online:
MiaLisa McFarland Millares will send out an email with readings, activities,
and links for videos and discussions to all on our Constant Contact list.
If you receive this email, you are on the list.

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

 

Family, Children & Youth Programming May 8 – May 14, 2021

by

Spring Children’s and Youth Programming 2021

Dear All:
 
Here is your informational email on all Children’s and Youth events for the week. This email has in it Sunday School options, Tweeners and Youth Group information. Please also check out the ECMN camp options for the summer– there are some great virtual and in person options. See what fits best with your family plan for the summer.
 
Option #1 Sundays from 9:00-9:45am until May 16, 2021
 
 
Option #2 Parent Led
 
 
 
Tweeners
Tweeners will be playing games on Wednesday!
 
 
Youth Group
Youth group is finished for the school year and will resume in September with our new Youth Group Leader, Kat Lewis.
 
 
Summer Camps
ECMN has 6 different summer camp opportunities. I would like to make certain that everyone is aware of the options that exist!
 
 
 
Blessings
MiaLisa McFarland Millares
Children’s and Youth Director
Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church

Saint Mary’s Weekly – May 6, 2021

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Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, May 6, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

The Rev. Cindi Brickson will lead the service and be the preacher this Sunday.
Cindi is a member of Saint Mary’s and also leads our Pastoral Care Team. Sunday is
also Mother’s Day…see more below under “What’s New”.

  • First Reading: Acts 10:44-48 Peter is astounded! Holy Spirit falls upon all people; all are baptized; all count…all matter.
  • Second Message: Will be screen shared
  • Gospel: John 15:9-17 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you….

For the Zoom worship service on May 6, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the Music Bulletin – Click HERE

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by the Rev. Susan M. Moss

It’s really quite marvelous to think about the many liturgical miles Saint Mary’s has traveled since November 29, traveling together week by week in a manner that has required everyone’s best efforts, calling upon the many and varied gifts of the entire congregation.

Think of where we have been: Advent- the waiting season; the 12 Days of Christmas, Epiphany and it’s call to “Go Tell Its on the Mountain” that Jesus Christ is born; the long 40 days of Lent to examine our souls and confront all to real powers and principalities in the midst of an isolating pandemic winter and the call for racial healing and justice; A creative and collaborative virtual Holy Week; Easter Sunday’s joy and the promise of new life in Risen Christ.

We are still in the midst of The Great Days of Easter proclaiming resurrection, hope, healing, and repair.

Soon the journey to tell the story of our faith lead to The Ascension and The Day of Pentecost, the story of life in the Spirit and the ways in which we are empowered to be courageous Spirit filled people.

It has been said the retelling of God’s story sustains us and moves us on.
I hope this has been true for you in this transition season during a protracted time of isolation, uncertainties and hope. Worshipping with you sustains me and encourages me to move forward. When a Re-Gathering Plan is ready we will see each other face to face in Saint Mary’s beloved worship space, continuing to share the creative and varied gifts to tell God’s life-giving story to sustain us and moves us on.

What’s New?

  • Sunday is Mother’s Day! Thanks to all those who provide mothering in whatever ways that is done and under whatever “titles” that may include…mothers, teachers, friends, coaches, aunts, grandmothers, caregivers, etc.
  • If you’d like to listen to the sermon given last Sunday, May 2, by the Rev. Kerri Meyer, Click HERE.
  • Pentecost is coming…Sunday, May 23! Red is the color of the day…tune in next week for why that is! Start thinking about what you might wear or display that’s red! This is also when the Holy Spirit shows herself…so give some thought to “How the Holy Spirit is at work in your life.”

Feedback is welcome!

We welcome your feedback and recommendations about worship services.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Join the Saint Mary’s Re-Gathering Team!

Are you looking forward to a time when we can once again gather in-person? Are you interested in being a part of a Team to help make that happen?

As we work towards approval from ECMN of our Saint Mary’s “Plan for Re-Opening for Physical Worship”, we also need to work out the internal logistics of holding in-person indoor and outdoor gatherings. We are looking to expand our Re-Gathering Team to include:

  • Technology coordinator(s)
  • Volunteer coordinator(s)
  • RSVP coordinator(s)
  • Safety Trainer for all Volunteers and Building Users
  • Cleaning coordinator(s)

We are looking forward to creating a complete and vibrant Team to help make this happen. We would like to assemble this Team as soon as we can to be prepared when the time is right.

If you are interested in joining the Re-Gathering Team or have any questions, please email regathering@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

Now Easy Online Giving on Saint Mary’s Website

Now you can quickly and easily donate to Saint Mary’s online via credit or debit card, or by bank account! Our new, secure online e-giving program, established in conjunction with Vanco, is now available on the front page of the St. Mary’s website. Simply go to the website and click on “Contribute” in the heading or scroll down and click on “Give Online 2021 Stewardship” and you will be able to quickly make online donations. You can also use the following link: https://secure.myvanco.com/YNB0.

The Vanco e-giving service allows you to direct your giving to several different funds on either a one-time or recurring basis. One-time gifts involve three easy steps. If you want to establish recurring donations, such as weekly or monthly pledge donations to our general fund, you will need to set up an account through Vanco, which is also easy to do.

Credit and debit cards have a 2.75% administrative fee attached to each transaction, and payments via a bank account include a 1% fee. You can choose to cover these fees with your donation. Of course, you still have the option of mailing in your donations or setting up auto-pay through your bank, options which do not have administrative fees.

Following is a link (Click HERE) to instructions for donating through our new e-giving site, including screen shots and written instructions. Check out our giving site now on the Saint Mary’s website or at https://secure.myvanco.com/YNB0, and thanks for your donations, regardless of how you choose to give!

If you have questions or need more information, feel free to contact Rex Holzemer at rexaholzemer@gmail.com or 651-308-4895.

Annual Meeting Finance Update

Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, presented information at the April 25th Annual meeting regarding the 2020 budget and the budget and household pledge trend lines from 2018 to 2021. The documents shared at the meeting are included in the following link:

Click HERE for the 2021 budget document shared at the meeting.
Click HERE for the document on St. Mary’s UBS Investments shared at the meeting.

The 2021 budget has a projected deficit of ($23,232). As of March 31, 2021, pledge income is approximately $16,000 above budget. However, this is due in large part to parishioners who have paid half or their full annual pledge in the first three months of the year. We expect that the 2021 annual deficit may actually run even higher than projected, possibly closer to $30,000 once a permanent rector is hired and salary and benefits for the position are finalized.

The 2020 deficit was ($29,172). However, we were able to eliminate the deficit with the transfer of the $31,700 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to the operating budget that St. Mary’s received and which was totally forgiven. The 2019 deficit was ($23,170), but this deficit was also eliminated with the transfer of a $25,000 grant to the operating budget from the GHR Foundation. We are not eligible for a second-round PPP loan, and the 2021 deficit will most likely have to be covered from reserves in the Heritage Fund (Click HERE regarding St. Mary’s UBS Investments for more information).

From a historical perspective, in the early 2000’s, St. Mary’s started to grow gradually, but consistently, both in terms of membership and overall budget. The peak year was 2018 when our total budget was $358,339, and we had 172 household pledges totaling approximately $255,000. Since that year, both our budget and household pledges have decreased significantly. Our 2021 budget is $244,909 and we have only 57 household pledges totaling $165,813.

Fortunately, the generosity of past parishioners has left us with reserves, so that we can sustain deficits, if needed, for several years as we rebuild our parish membership. However, if we go beyond 3 -4 years at the level projected for 2021, we will severely strain our reserves in the Heritage Fund, which has covered deficits in the past, as needed.

If you have questions or need further information regarding St. Mary’s budget, please feel free to contact Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, at rexaholzemer@gmail.com or 651-308-4895.

Search Committee: “We have built it and they will come!”

The Search Committee has built our process and tools. We are ready to evaluate candidates and to discern who to recommend as the next priest for Saint Mary’s. To ensure we’re being clear and equitable to all candidates in our process, we’ve written:
Screening criteria to evaluate the candidates, and A slate of questions that we will ask each person we interview.

To read more on screening criteria and questions to be asked Click HERE.
Questions? Click HERE.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for May 2021:

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Tuesday, May 11 and each Tuesday following at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Coffee and Conversation with Rev. Cindi
Wednesday, May 12 at 10:00am & 7:00pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which each of us can explore our own healing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information and to get the link.

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

Mission Area Gatherings

You (yes, you) are enthusiastically invited and encouraged to attend your upcoming Mission Area Gathering. One of the recurring themes that came out of the discernment committees is that mission areas are crucial are for conducting experiments in discipleship, innovation, vitality, and story-sharing. We are called to be Christians together, and that means getting outside our faith community’s walls and finding out what our nearest Episcopalian neighbors are up to.

Click HERE for additional information on the East Metro Mission Area (EMMA) gathering.
Click HERE for a video from Bishop Loya encouraging everyone to attend.

East Metro: Saturday, May 8 at 1pm – Register Click HERE

Healing Our City

Every morning, 8:00am

A diverse group of faith leaders from across Minneapolis have created Healing Our City, a virtual prayer tent. You are invited to join the Zoom call each day at 8am for a 20-minute prayer for healing and reflection. Click HERE to learn more and join people of all faiths, across Minneapolis and beyond, in prayer for healing and solidarity.

Info Re: KIVA loans 4-29-21

Our money is out there working around the world!

Less than 2 months ago, Saint Mary’s made over $1000 in KIVA loans around the world and now again we’ve made more loans! As loan payments are received, we’re able to keep those dollars in circulation by making new loans. $1275 was loaned last week…We partially funded a toilet in the Philippines, a water pump in Indonesia, supplies to weave traditional belts in Guatemala, floor looms to make fabric for traditional skirts in Guatemala, piglets and feed in Madagascar, chickens and feed in El Salvador, land and coffee growing supplies in Nicaragua, school tuition for 3 children in Kenya, school fees and data in the Philippines, smartphones needed for schooling in Indonesia, sewing machine, silk thread and fabrics in Palestine and apple trees and feed for goats in Albania! Yes, our money is at work around the world!!

Anyone interested in participating or finding out more Click HERE.

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 5/7 – 5/13

Sunday, May 9, 2021
Worship with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Coffee and Conversation with Rev. Cindi
10:00am & 7:00pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, May 13, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, May 13, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Sunday School Online:
MiaLisa McFarland Millares will send out an email with readings, activities,
and links for videos and discussions to all on our Constant Contact list.
If you receive this email, you are on the list.

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

 

Family, Children & Youth Programming May 1 – May 7, 2021

by

Spring Children’s and Youth Programming 2021

Dear All:
 
Here is your informational email on all Children’s and Youth events for the week. This email has in it Sunday School options, Tweeners and Youth Group information. Please also check out the ECMN camp options for the summer– there are some great virtual and in person options. See what fits best with your family plan for the summer.
 
*PLEASE NOTE THE LINKS WILL NOT BE SHARED ON THE WEBSITE. PLEASE REFER TO THE EMAILED INFORMATION OR CONTACT MIALISA FOR THE LINK AT MIALISA@SAINTMARYSEPISCOPAL.ORG*
 
Option #1 Sundays from 9:00-9:45am until May 16, 2021
Option #2 Parent Led
 
Tweeners
Tweeners will be playing games on Wednesday!
 
Youth Group
Youth group is finished for the school year and will resume in September with our new Youth Group Leader, Kat Lewis.
 
 
Summer Camps
ECMN has 6 different summer camp opportunities. I would like to make certain that everyone is aware of the options that exist!
 
 
 
Blessings
MiaLisa McFarland Millares
Children’s and Youth Director
Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church

Saint Mary’s Weekly – April 29, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, May 2, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This will be the fifth Sunday of Easter and we’ll be hearing one of the ECMN
Eastertide sermons, given by The Rev. Kerri Meyer. The Rev. Kerri Meyer and her
spouse, Dr. Jennifer Blecha, are cultivating an agrarian ministry on their organic farm in
Hutchinson. The vision of Good Courage Farm called her back home to Minnesota after
having been ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of California and serving as
Associate Rector of St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco. Everything
that used to be a hobby for her has now become her livelihood, so there’s not much she can say about pastimes any more. Kerri has a fondness for animals that are black and
white, which almost makes up for nothing else in life being that simple. Hospitality is
part of Good Courage’s charism, so Kerri and Jen want you to know that everyone
reading these words is warmly invited to come out for weekday morning prayer with
coffee and pie, a Sunday afternoon nap in a hammock, or a weekend farmstay complete
with chores and fresh eggs.

  • First Reading: Acts 8:26-40 Phillip proclaims the good news of Jesus to the
    Ethiopian Eunuch
  • Second Message: Will be screen shared
  • Gospel: John 15:1-8 I am the true vine and my father is the vine grower

For the Zoom worship service on May 2, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the Music Bulletin – Click HERE

Worship Team

What’s New?

  • To listen to the “State of St. Mary’s” given by our Wardens, Jim DeLuca & Caroline Kaker, Click HERE.
  • “Up to the Mountain” performed by Maggie Brickson, Click Here.
  • Thank You video presented at the end of the Annual Meeting. Thank you Julie P. & Laura-Lee B. for making this happen! Click HERE.
  • The uncut version of the Thank You videos if you would like to grab a bowl of popcorn or other snack. (unedited version ~30 minutes), Click HERE.

If you have a hankering to put your thoughts about liturgy in the pot (on the Team, that is!), now is a good time to join the Worship Team. We’ll soon be planning Pentecost and then the long “Ordinary Times” season, running from May 30-November 21. All thoughts, all perspectives are welcome. Our next meeting is Saturday, May 8, 5-6pm. We’re meeting about every other week. If you’re interested, Click HERE.

Feedback is welcome!
We welcome your feedback and recommendations about worship services.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Join the Saint Mary’s Re-Gathering Team!

Are you looking forward to a time when we can once again gather in-person? Are you interested in being a part of a Team to help make that happen?

As we work towards approval from ECMN of our Saint Mary’s “Plan for Re-Opening for Physical Worship”, we also need to work out the internal logistics of holding in-person indoor and outdoor gatherings. We are looking to expand our Re-Gathering Team to include:

  • Technology coordinator(s)
  • Volunteer coordinator(s)
  • RSVP coordinator(s)
  • Safety Trainer for all Volunteers and Building Users
  • Cleaning coordinator(s)

We are looking forward to creating a complete and vibrant Team to help make this happen. We would like to assemble this Team as soon as we can to be prepared when the time is right.

If you are interested in joining the Re-Gathering Team or have any questions, please email regathering@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

Now Easy Online Giving on Saint Mary’s Website

Now you can quickly and easily donate to Saint Mary’s online via credit or debit card, or by bank account! Our new, secure online e-giving program, established in conjunction with Vanco, is now available on the front page of the St. Mary’s website. Simply go to the website and click on “Contribute” in the heading or scroll down and click on “Give Online 2021 Stewardship” and you will be able to quickly make online donations. You can also use the following link: https://secure.myvanco.com/YNB0.

The Vanco e-giving service allows you to direct your giving to several different funds on either a one-time or recurring basis. One-time gifts involve three easy steps. If you want to establish recurring donations, such as weekly or monthly pledge donations to our general fund, you will need to set up an account through Vanco, which is also easy to do.

Credit and debit cards have a 2.75% administrative fee attached to each transaction, and payments via a bank account include a 1% fee. You can choose to cover these fees with your donation. Of course, you still have the option of mailing in your donations or setting up auto-pay through your bank, options which do not have administrative fees.

Following is a link (Click HERE) to instructions for donating through our new e-giving site, including screen shots and written instructions. Check out our giving site now on the Saint Mary’s website or at https://secure.myvanco.com/YNB0, and thanks for your donations, regardless of how you choose to give!

If you have questions or need more information, feel free to contact Rex Holzemer at rexaholzemer@gmail.com or 651-308-4895.

Annual Meeting Finance Update

Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, presented information at the April 25th Annual meeting regarding the 2020 budget and the budget and household pledge trend lines from 2018 to 2021. The documents shared at the meeting are included in the following link:

Click HERE for the 2021 budget document shared at the meeting.
Click HERE for the document on St. Mary’s UBS Investments shared at the meeting.

The 2021 budget has a projected deficit of ($23,232). As of March 31, 2021, pledge income is approximately $16,000 above budget. However, this is due in large part to parishioners who have paid half or their full annual pledge in the first three months of the year. We expect that the 2021 annual deficit may actually run even higher than projected, possibly closer to $30,000 once a permanent rector is hired and salary and benefits for the position are finalized.

The 2020 deficit was ($29,172). However, we were able to eliminate the deficit with the transfer of the $31,700 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to the operating budget that St. Mary’s received and which was totally forgiven. The 2019 deficit was ($23,170), but this deficit was also eliminated with the transfer of a $25,000 grant to the operating budget from the GHR Foundation. We are not eligible for a second-round PPP loan, and the 2021 deficit will most likely have to be covered from reserves in the Heritage Fund (Click HERE regarding St. Mary’s UBS Investments for more information).

From a historical perspective, in the early 2000’s, St. Mary’s started to grow gradually, but consistently, both in terms of membership and overall budget. The peak year was 2018 when our total budget was $358,339, and we had 172 household pledges totaling approximately $255,000. Since that year, both our budget and household pledges have decreased significantly. Our 2021 budget is $244,909 and we have only 57 household pledges totaling $165,813.

Fortunately, the generosity of past parishioners has left us with reserves, so that we can sustain deficits, if needed, for several years as we rebuild our parish membership. However, if we go beyond 3 -4 years at the level projected for 2021, we will severely strain our reserves in the Heritage Fund, which has covered deficits in the past, as needed.

If you have questions or need further information regarding St. Mary’s budget, please feel free to contact Rex Holzemer, Treasurer, at rexaholzemer@gmail.com or 651-308-4895.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for May 2021:

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Tuesday, May 4 and each Tuesday following at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which each of us can explore our own healing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information and to get the link.

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

Outreach Opportunity: The Performance Collective

www.cfpampls.com/collective

Bookkeeper needed (volunteer) for an emerging group of local artists who are reimagining sustainable art practice. There are deep, systemic inequities in how and for whom performance is made in our local community. The Collective is an inclusive group of Twin Cities artist-activists, longtime leaders of the local arts community who are connected to each other through an urgent desire to advance our capability to change the world. We hold decades of producing experience, with the artistry, the curiosity, and the commitment to justice that will shape a new creative ecosystem: that sustainably supports artists and their work; where artists share investment, resources, risk, and reward; while dismantling racist, patriarchal, oppressive structures that prevent all artists from exercising full agency. We strive to open any barriers to entry for audiences, so that all can experience new voices, new stories, and build new capacities for understanding and taking action in the world. A more equitable system of performance-making can lead our communities toward equity and justice for all.

In order to take our next steps, we need someone with basic bookkeeping skills to maintain a monthly balance sheet for us and make a brief monthly report. 3-5 hours/month. For more details Click HERE or email jennieward2@gmail.com.

Mission Area Gatherings

You (yes, you) are enthusiastically invited and encouraged to attend your upcoming Mission Area Gathering. One of the recurring themes that came out of the discernment committees is that mission areas are crucial are for conducting experiments in discipleship, innovation, vitality, and story-sharing. We are called to be Christians together, and that means getting outside our faith community’s walls and finding out what our nearest Episcopalian neighbors are up to.

East Metro: Saturday, May 8 at 1pm – Register Click HERE

Healing Our City

Every morning, 8:00am

A diverse group of faith leaders from across Minneapolis have created Healing Our City, a virtual prayer tent. You are invited to join the Zoom call each day at 8am for a 20-minute prayer for healing and reflection. Click HERE to learn more and join people of all faiths, across Minneapolis and beyond, in prayer for healing and solidarity.

Relationships & Common Good

As we move through this Eastertide season, the vestry wanted to share with you, our beloved community, that we are preparing to partner with you on answering the following question: What would church look like that serves the common good for our Saint Mary’s community and strengthens our relationships? Come Easter, the season of rebirth and new growth, we will bring suggestions on how we might start to engage in community conversations around this question. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts or reflections, please share them with any member of the vestry, or email our wardens HERE.

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 4/30 – 5/6

Sunday, May 2, 2021
Worship with coffee hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Men’s Group
7:00pm
Click Here for more details on how to join

Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Caring for an aged loved one
7:00pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, May 6, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, May 6, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Sunday School Online:
MiaLisa McFarland Millares will send out an email with readings, activities,
and links for videos and discussions to all on our Constant Contact list.
If you receive the Weekly email, you are on the list.

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

 

Family, Children & Youth Programming April 24-April 30

by

Spring Children’s and Youth Programming 2021

Dear All:
 
Here is your informational email on all Children’s and Youth events for the week. This email has in it Sunday School options, Tweeners and Youth Group information as well as end dates for this school year.
 
*PLEASE NOTE THE LINKS WILL NOT BE SHARED ON THE WEBSITE. PLEASE REFER TO THE EMAILED INFORMATION OR CONTACT MIALISA FOR THE LINK AT MIALISA@SAINTMARYSEPISCOPAL.ORG*
 
Option #1 Sundays from 9:00-9:45am until May 16, 2021
Option #2 Parent Led
 
 
Tweeners
Tweeners will be playing games on Wednesday!
 
Youth Group
Next Wednesday is the last Youth Group of the year! We have interviewed and agreed to hire a new Youth Leader, Kat Lewis, to handle Youth Group for the Fall (September). She is excited to start programming! Kat interned with us a couple years ago and will be graduating from a local college in May! Stay tuned for more information about our new Youth Group Leader for Fall!
  • Parents please make certain that your youth is participating in your presence (ie not locked in a room). We may have youth break into breakout rooms in groups of three and will not have an adult for each section. According to Safe Church, this is okay so long as youth are in a space where they are all alone.
 
  • Wednesday 7:00-8:00pm through May 1, 2021
  • Youth Leaders: MiaLisa and I am looking for a volunteer!
  • Register by Clicking Here
 
Summer Camps
ECMN has 6 different summer camp opportunities. I would like to make certain that everyone is aware of the options that exist!
 
 
 
The Bishop’s Series for Parents & Caregivers
 
The final zoom in this three part series is this Sunday from 4-5pm with Jessica Heller from the Psychology and Spirituality Institute.
 
 
Jessica will be sharing creative strategies for managing conflict and building connection between parents and kids during this ongoing pandemic. The slides and a short video/audio recording from our prior two conversations about resilience and trauma are posted at www.ecmnyouth.org/parents.
 
 
Blessings
MiaLisa McFarland Millares
Children’s and Youth Director
Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church

Saint Mary’s Weekly – April 22, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, April 25, 2021
Worship via Zoom —10:00am

This will be the fourth Sunday of Easter. You’ll notice right away that there
are some things missing from this service. There isn’t a First Reading or a Second
Message…there isn’t spiritual communion…there is less music. Yes, all of this is
intentional, just for this Sunday, because it’s Annual Meeting Sunday at St. Mary’s
and there’s so much going on and so, so, so much you’ll want to hear about. The
service has been shortened to allow as much time as possible to hear from Jim
DeLuca and Caroline Kaker, our Wardens (during the sermon time), and from
others during the Annual Meeting.

  • Psalm 23 (sung)—“The Lord is my shepherd…”
  • Gospel: John 10:11-18—I am the Good Shepherd

For the Zoom worship service on April 25, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the Music Bulletin – Click HERE

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by the Rev. Susan M. Moss

Presiding Bishop Curry was invited to give a message to Minnesota at the ECMN Compline service on Tuesday night, April 20th.

Here’s the link to his powerful words in case you missed it.
https://www.facebook.com/healingourcity/posts/272469991193202

What’s New?

  • To hear The Rev Susan Moss’ sermon from Sunday, April 18 Click HERE.
  • To read the Second Message from last Sunday, Click HERE.
  • If you have a hankering to put your thoughts about liturgy in the pot (on the Team, that is!), now is a good time to join the Worship Team. We’ll soon be planning Pentecost and then the long “Ordinary Times” season, running from May 30-November 21. All thoughts, all perspectives are welcome. We’re meeting about every other week. If you’re interested, Click HERE.

Feedback is welcome!
We welcome your feedback and recommendations about worship services.
Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Hear Ye, hear ye…Come one, come all…Saint Mary’s Annual Meeting, April 25

What’s going on??? What’s so important?? What’s this all about?? Sunday, April 25, is Saint Mary’s Annual Meeting and this is an Annual Meeting you won’t want to miss! There is so much going on at Saint Mary’s these days that the Wardens will be using the sermon time to give the “State of the Church” message, and after the service the Annual Meeting will start. We’ll hear an up-date on the Search process, information about gathering in person, a report on Saint Mary’s finances, and elections for Vestry members and Wardens. Come at 10am for the worship service and stay for the Annual Meeting. See you Sunday!!! Oh, questions in advance are invited! What do you want to know about Saint Mary’s? About what’s going on? Submit your questions to the Wardens – Click HERE.

Join the Saint Mary’s Re-Gathering Team!

Are you looking forward to a time when we can once again gather in-person? Are you interested in being a part of a Team to help make that happen?

As we work towards approval from ECMN of our Saint Mary’s “Plan for Re-Opening for Physical Worship”, we also need to work out the internal logistics of holding in-person indoor and outdoor gatherings. We are looking to expand our Re-Gathering Team to include:

  • Safety Trainer for all Volunteers and Building Users
  • Volunteer coordinator(s)
  • RSVP coordinator(s)
  • Cleaning coordinator(s)
  • Technology coordinator(s)

We are looking forward to creating a complete and vibrant Team to help make this happen. We would like to assemble this Team as soon as we can to be prepared when the time is right.

If you are interested in joining the Re-Gathering Team or have any questions, please email regathering@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

Now Easy Online Giving on Saint Mary’s Website

Now you can quickly and easily donate to Saint Mary’s online via credit or debit card, or by bank account! Our new, secure online e-giving program, established in conjunction with Vanco, is now available on the front page of the St. Mary’s website. Simply go to the website and click on “Contribute” in the heading or scroll down and click on “Give Online 2021 Stewardship” and you will be able to quickly make online donations. You can also use the following link: https://secure.myvanco.com/YNB0.

The Vanco e-giving service allows you to direct your giving to several different funds on either a one-time or recurring basis. One-time gifts involve three easy steps. If you want to establish recurring donations, such as weekly or monthly pledge donations to our general fund, you will need to set up an account through Vanco, which is also easy to do.

Credit and debit cards have a 2.75% administrative fee attached to each transaction, and payments via a bank account include a 1% fee. You can choose to cover these fees with your donation. Of course, you still have the option of mailing in your donations or setting up auto-pay through your bank, options which do not have administrative fees.

Following is a link (Click HERE) to instructions for donating through our new e-giving site, including screen shots and written instructions. Check out our giving site now on the Saint Mary’s website or at https://secure.myvanco.com/YNB0, and thanks for your donations, regardless of how you choose to give!

If you have questions or need more information, feel free to contact Rex Holzemer at rexaholzemer@gmail.com or 651-308-4895.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for April 2021:

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Tuesday, April 27 and each Tuesdays following at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which each of us can explore our own healing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information and to get the link.

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

Warden Candidate – Brian Nerbonne

Name: Brian Nerbonne

Position: Warden – 1 year term

My family and I have been coming to church at St. Mary’s for about 11 years. I am grateful for such a wonderful community to help raise our kids, Lucas and Clara, and for the good friends we have made here. I previously served a term on the vestry as Outreach Chair, and am now two years into a second stint on the vestry. I’ve been active in buildings and grounds, on the worship planning team, and I help with tech stuff for Sunday Zoom services. I have offered to spend my final year of my vestry term as warden, finishing Caroline Kaker’s term. I am excited about the future for St. Mary’s as we look to call our new rector and hopefully soon return to in-person worship. I look forward to being a part of shaping our bright future.

Vestry Candidate – Lisa Stratton

1. Name: Lisa Stratton

2. Which position are you interested in filling?  Vestry, 3-year term

3. Are you a member of Saint Mary’s?  Yes

4. Do you attend Saint Mary’s on a regular basis?  Yes

Why are you interested to serve our community by being elected to our warden / vestry?
I’ve been coming to St. Mary’s for about 18 years. St. Mary’s is the only church community where I’ve felt completely at home and I know we’ve been a church home for others who might not easily find such a welcoming church. I believe we have something very special that makes that true and I’d like to be part of our ongoing discernment of what that is and how we can best preserve and build upon it through another major transition.

Since December, I’ve been serving on the Worship Team that has been meeting weekly, and I’ve attended several of the monthly Vestry meetings since last fall, so I feel reasonably informed about the nature of the responsibility.

I hope to add to the mix of skills and talents on the vestry. As we go through a search process and the development of an employment contract, it could prove helpful to have someone with employment law knowledge participating. Service on several government task forces with stakeholders of divergent viewpoints that achieved consensus on policy recommendations gives me confidence that I’ll be able to work productively with the group toward shared outcomes that serve the whole church community.

When St. Mary’s was hosting three services, I attended the 9:00 service.

Which worship styles and liturgies nourish you and do you attend most often (please select / highlight):

– Services with much music drawn from various time-periods, cultures, and traditions.
– Modern and inclusive language.
– A balance of scripture and non-scriptural readings and inspiration.
– Liturgy reflecting the seasons and current events.
– Lay-led services with engaged discussion.
– Focus on justice and community service.
– Contemplative practices.

Vestry Candidate – Joe McManmon

1. Name:  Joe McManmon

2. Which position are you interested in filling?  Vestry, 3-year term

3. Are you a member of Saint Mary’s?  Yes and my family

4. Do you attend Saint Mary’s on a regular basis?  Yes

Why are you interested to serve our community by being elected to our warden / vestry?
In recent months, I have spent a lot of time discovering and verbalizing who we are as St Marians through the Search Committee. My perspectives are strongly influenced by my faith, my husband and our multi-racial child. I hold a strong desire to strengthen our community and help lead us through change, from Covid restrictions; online services; new priest; growing concern for equity, diversity & inclusion. I am excited for our growth while maintaining our history. I bring gifts of an open mind, analytical skills, listening, and organization.

When we were hosting three services, which service did you most frequently attend (7:45, 9:00, or 11:00)? I attended the 9AM.

Which worship styles and liturgies nourish you and do you attend most often (please select / highlight):
– Lay-led services
– Services with much music
– Contemporary

Vestry Candidate – Jennifer Wedel


‌1. Name:  Jennifer Wedel

2. Position?  Vestry, 3-year term

3. Member?  Yes

4. Attend regularly?  Yes

5. Why I am interested

I came to St. Mary’s at the invitation of Paulette Briese, who has been a family friend since forever. Paulette invited me to join the group creating the new 9am service to give the perspective of a “de-churched” person. The irony is — participating in that process “re-churched” me! I attended infrequently for a few years, and now I come almost every week (Zoom lets me come more often). I’ve run the dishwasher as part of the Newcomers group, my daughter and I have opened the door and said “hello” as folks come in, and I’ve been a verger — which I think of as operational support for a spiritual event. Most recently, I was loudly called to serve on our search committee. I live in Roseville with my elderly dad and 3rd grade daughter Caroline, who comes to church with me. She is usually rolling around on the rug with the younger kiddos. Paulette and Bruce are her godparents. A quick personal and professional bio: I grew up in the Twin Cities, then migrated to Northern California, where I spent 20 years before returning. I’m divorced, and most of my family is widely dispersed around the country. My professional path has been a winding and satisfying road: journalist, travel writer, editor, civil rights and economic justice lawyer, marketing writer, and now I am my own boss as a marketing strategist.

The gifts that I hope to bring to the vestry are:

  • Via my service on the search committee, I have developed a deep and intimate understanding of our church community — as a whole.
  • I am plain-spoken and I advocate for transparent communication and decision-making.
  • I am a fan of the “disagree and then commit” framework for group work. This means — engage in healthy and strong debate, then make a decision, and support that decision without undercutting it.
  • I believe that vision is useless without execution. I do have vision, certainly, but I’m prepared to roll up my sleeves and work.
  • I’m at the expert level with regard to project planning and management.
  • My friends say that I am kind, generous, and funny.
  • I am vulnerable in my spirituality, and I am moved to tears even during dry committee meetings — because even dry committee work is to support our beloved community. At in-person church, I am usually the one dripping tears (literally) on the floor.
  • I am loyal. The love and appreciation and protectiveness that I feel for St. Mary’s surprises me sometimes.
  • My daughter and I both speak Spanish and have personal connections to Latinx immigrant communities in the North Metro

Participate in:

  • Whatever needs doing, to be honest. Wherever there’s a need to fill.
  • I feel an affinity with Communications and Newcomers and Families and The Future of Church

I will share perspectives from:

  • the sandwich generation
  • an elementary school parent
  • a lifelong learner of social justice issues, especially racial justice and gender justice
  • a de-churched and re-churched person, with a lot of healthy skepticism woven in with my faith
  • newcomers to Minnesota

I am prepared to lead our community:

  • I prefer to listen and learn and discern where I might best serve as a leader.

6. Services and worship styles

Before COVID, I attended the 9am service. In spirit, I attended the contemplative service, but the timing never worked. 🙂
Which worship styles and liturgies nourish you and do you attend
most often (please select / highlight):
– Morning prayer / noonday prayer / evening prayer / compline
– Contemplative
– Lay-led services
– Services without music
– Services with much music
– Smaller-group chapel, without music, with engaged discussion
– Contemporary
– Traditional, Rite I
– Traditional, Rite II
– High church with smells and bells
– Anything that provides eucharist
– Interfaith worship, or being a guest in another faith’s house of worship

Outreach Opportunity: The Performance Collective

www.cfpampls.com/collective

Bookkeeper needed (volunteer) for an emerging group of local artists who are reimagining sustainable art practice. There are deep, systemic inequities in how and for whom performance is made in our local community. The Collective is an inclusive group of Twin Cities artist-activists, longtime leaders of the local arts community who are connected to each other through an urgent desire to advance our capability to change the world. We hold decades of producing experience, with the artistry, the curiosity, and the commitment to justice that will shape a new creative ecosystem: that sustainably supports artists and their work; where artists share investment, resources, risk, and reward; while dismantling racist, patriarchal, oppressive structures that prevent all artists from exercising full agency. We strive to open any barriers to entry for audiences, so that all can experience new voices, new stories, and build new capacities for understanding and taking action in the world. A more equitable system of performance-making can lead our communities toward equity and justice for all.

In order to take our next steps, we need someone with basic bookkeeping skills to maintain a monthly balance sheet for us and make a brief monthly report. 3-5 hours/month. For more details Click HERE or email jennieward2@gmail.com.

Mission Area Gatherings

You (yes, you) are enthusiastically invited and encouraged to attend your upcoming Mission Area Gathering. One of the recurring themes that came out of the discernment committees is that mission areas are crucial are for conducting experiments in discipleship, innovation, vitality, and story-sharing. We are called to be Christians together, and that means getting outside our faith community’s walls and finding out what our nearest Episcopalian neighbors are up to.

East Metro: Saturday, May 8 at 1pm – Register Click HERE

Healing Our City

Every morning, 8:00am

A diverse group of faith leaders from across Minneapolis have created Healing Our City, a virtual prayer tent. You are invited to join the Zoom call each day at 8am for a 20-minute prayer for healing and reflection. Click HERE to learn more and join people of all faiths, across Minneapolis and beyond, in prayer for healing and solidarity.

Relationships & Common Good

As we move through this Eastertide season of reflection and preparation, the vestry wanted to share with you, our beloved community, that we are preparing to partner with you on answering the following question: What would church look like that serves the common good for our Saint Mary’s community and strengthens our relationships? Come Easter, the season of rebirth and new growth, we will bring suggestions on how we might start to engage in community conversations around this question. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts or reflections, please share them with any member of the vestry, or email our wardens HERE.

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 4/23 – 4/29

Sunday, April 25, 2021
Worship
10:00am
Link

Sunday, April 25, 2021
Saint Mary’s Annual Meeting following Church

Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Vestry Meeting
7:00pm
Contact Wardens for meeting link Click HERE

Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for details and link Click HERE

Thursday, April 29, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, April 29, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Sunday School Online:
MiaLisa McFarland Millares will send out an email with readings, activities,
and links for videos and discussions to all on our Constant Contact list.
If you receive this email, you are on the list.

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

 

Family, Children & Youth Programming April 18-April 24

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Spring Children’s and Youth Programming 2021

Dear All:
 
Here is your informational email on all Children’s and Youth events for the week. This email has in it Sunday School options, Tweeners and Youth Group information. Please also check out the ECMN camp options for the summer– there are some great virtual and in person options. See what fits best with your family plan for the summer.
 
*PLEASE NOTE THE LINKS WILL NOT BE SHARED ON THE WEBSITE. PLEASE REFER TO THE EMAILED INFORMATION OR CONTACT MIALISA FOR THE LINK AT MIALISA@SAINTMARYSEPISCOPAL.ORG*
 
Option #1 Sundays from 9:00-9:45am until May 16, 2021
 
 
Option #2 Parent Led
 
 
 
Tweeners
Tweeners will be playing games on Wednesday!
 
 
Youth Group
Youth group will continue with discussion next week as well!
  • Parents please make certain that your youth is participating in your presence (ie not locked in a room). We may have youth break into breakout rooms in groups of three and will not have an adult for each section. According to Safe Church, this is okay so long as youth are in a space where they are all alone.
 
  • Wednesday 7:00-8:00pm through May 1, 2021
  • Youth Leaders: MiaLisa and I am looking for a volunteer!
  • Register by Clicking Here
 
Summer Camps
ECMN has 6 different summer camp opportunities. I would like to make certain that everyone is aware of the options that exist!
 
 
 
Blessings
MiaLisa McFarland Millares
Children’s and Youth Director
Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church

Saint Mary’s Weekly – April 15, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, April 18, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow—10:00am

This Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Eastertide. Rev. Susan Moss will be our preacher.

  • First Reading: Acts 3:12-19 Peter confronts people’s action; proclaims the resurrected Christ as the fulfillment of the prophets
  • Second Message: non-biblical, sacred or secular TBD
  • Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48 Jesus appears to his disciples

For the Zoom worship service on April 18, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the Music Bulletin – Click HERE

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by the Reverend Susan M. Moss

“Whether we are white, Black or brown, the senseless police killing of another black man, Daunte Wright, is a threat to our shared humanity. It is a complete violation of our faith that calls us to treat each other in the image of God.” writes ISAIAH Metro & One Body Lead Organizer Vivian Ihekoronye in her leadership update this morning.

“Simply Unbelievable”; “How Long O Lord”; “I have no more words” tumble from our lips and our grieving hearts. “My heart, like all of yours, is so heavy today,” writes Bishop Loya, “as a city that is already carrying so much is handed one more dose of sorrow and anger.”

I am among those finding the strength to not lose heart by getting under Healing Our City’s daily 8am interfaith prayer tent and urge you to go here, too when you are able –
www.facebook.com/healingourcity or www.healingourcity.org.

This morning’s reflection was offered by Ruby Sales, social activist, scholar, public theologian, and Founder and Director of the The SpiritHouse Project, who describes herself as a “long distance runner for freedom”. Click HERE.

Let us gather under the St. Mary’s Prayer tent this Sunday for worship, prayer, and fellowship, beseeching Risen Christ to grant us the courage to rise and do all in our power to stand as allies with our Black and brown brothers and sisters in this time of national trauma.

What’s New?

  • If you’d like to listen to last Sunday’s sermon by the Rev. Katie Capurso Ernst from Church of the Transfiguration about doubt and action, Click HERE.
  • Next Sunday, April 25, is our Annual Meeting and our Wardens, Jim DeLuca and Caroline Kaker, will use the sermon time go give the “State of the Church” message. Lots going on at St. Mary’s!

Feedback is welcome!

We welcome your feedback and recommendations about worship services.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Join the Saint Mary’s Re-Gathering Team!

Are you looking forward to a time when we can once again gather in-person? Are you interested in being a part of a Team to help make that happen?

As we work towards approval from ECMN of our Saint Mary’s “Plan for Re-Opening for Physical Worship”, we also need to work out the internal logistics of holding in-person indoor and outdoor gatherings. We are looking to expand our Re-Gathering Team to include:

  • Safety Trainer for all Volunteers and Building Users
  • Volunteer coordinator(s)
  • RSVP coordinator(s)
  • Cleaning coordinator(s)
  • Technology coordinator(s)

We are looking forward to creating a complete and vibrant Team to help make this happen. We would like to assemble this Team as soon as we can to be prepared when the time is right.

If you are interested in joining the Re-Gathering Team or have any questions, please email regathering@saintmarysepiscopal.org.

Now Easy Online Giving Available!

Now you can quickly and easily donate to Saint Mary’s online via credit or debit card, or by bank account! Our new, secure online e-giving program, established in conjunction with Vanco, is available through the following link: https://secure.myvanco.com/YNB0.

The Vanco e-giving service allows you to direct your giving to several different funds on either a one-time or recurring basis. One-time gifts involve three easy steps. If you want to establish recurring donations, such as weekly or monthly pledge donations to our general fund, you will need to set up an account through Vanco, which is also easy to do.

Credit and debit cards have a 2.75% administrative fee attached to each transaction, and payments via a bank account include a 1% fee. You can choose to cover these fees with your donation. Of course, you still have the option of mailing in your donations or setting up auto-pay through your bank, options which do not have administrative fees.

Following is a link to instructions for donating through our new e-giving site, including screen shots and written instructions. Check out our giving site now at https://secure.myvanco.com/YNB0, and thanks for your donations, regardless of how you choose to give!

If you have questions or need more information, feel free to contact Rex Holzemer at rexaholzemer@gmail.com or 651-308-4895.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for April 2021:

LGBTQ+ Community
Monday, April 19, and each third Monday, ongoing
6:30pm meets monthly for reflective conversation and community building.

Book Club: WALKING THE WAY OF LOVE
Monday April 19 at 7:30pm to finish our book.

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Tuesday, April 20 and each Tuesdays following at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which each of us can explore our own healing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information and to get the link.

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

Saint Mary’s Annual Meeting
April 25, 2021

Dear St. Marians,

An important date to add to your calendars is Sunday, April 25, when we will conduct the annual parish meeting and the annual financial meeting on Zoom during and after the church service. Several vestry positions will be filled by election during the meeting, so if you are looking for an exciting time to lead, this is your chance! Please pray and discern about this – we really need to continue to have our vestry at full strength and at a high energy level as we start a new chapter and enter uncharted waters of the post-pandemic world. This will be a great opportunity for reimagining how our parish will express God’s love to a hurting world. There will be opportunities for visioning and for collaboration with other churches and entities to realize the Beloved Community. Please stay tuned for more communication on filling vestry positions and on our journey together, and don’t hesitate to contact one of the vestry members if you have questions about vestry service.

We wish you all a blessed Eastertide; stay healthy and love one another!

St. Mary’s Vestry

Jim DeLuca and Caroline Kaker, Wardens

Saint Mary’s Call for Vestry & Warden Candidates
Deadline: Monday, April 19, 2021

If you missed the email sent out on Monday, April 5th, please Click HERE. Please consider, please pray, please discern whether you might be in a place and time to offer your talents, energy, and passion to our church leadership team.

For the application Click HERE

Mission Area Gatherings

You (yes, you) are enthusiastically invited and encouraged to attend your upcoming Mission Area Gathering. One of the recurring themes that came out of the discernment committees is that mission areas are crucial are for conducting experiments in discipleship, innovation, vitality, and story-sharing. We are called to be Christians together, and that means getting outside our faith community’s walls and finding out what our nearest Episcopalian neighbors are up to.

East Metro: Saturday, May 8 at 1pm – Register Click HERE

Healing Our City

Every morning, 8:00am

A diverse group of faith leaders from across Minneapolis have created Healing Our City, a virtual prayer tent. You are invited to join the Zoom call each day at 8am for a 20-minute prayer for healing and reflection. Click HERE to learn more and join people of all faiths, across Minneapolis and beyond, in prayer for healing and solidarity.

Outreach, ISAIAH

ISAIAH In-District (Zoom) Meetings

ISAIAH leaders from multiple locations are hosting In-District meetings with our local legislators during session. Saint Mary’s is in 64, and that In-District meeting with Wards 3 & 4 council members and State Representatives is April 15, 2021, 6:00-8:00pm,
registration: Click HERE.
Senator Erin Murphy (SD 64), House Rep. Dave Pinto (64B), St. Paul Council member Mitra Jalali (ward 4) and St. Paul Council member Chris Tolbert (ward 3) will be attending.

FAQs:
What are In-District meetings?
They are meetings organized and designed by ISAIAH volunteer leaders inviting their representatives into a co-governing conversation.

Why is it important?
It is an opportunity to hear how our representatives will be (or not be) champions of an agenda that honors our values.

Why attend?
It lets our representatives know that we are engaged and looking for their bold leadership and ongoing support of our agenda. It gives our representatives the support and documentation they need from our numbers and narratives as they communicate to colleagues and champion our agenda. It gives us an opportunity to participate more fully in our democracy.

How can I find my Saint Paul ward and MN senate district?
Saint Paul District Council and Ward Lookup (arcgis.com)
Click HERE.

If you reside outside of STP senate district 64 see options below. Please invite friends and neighbors to join you! For more information, contact Ginny DeLuca- ginnydeluca1736@gmail.com

*************************************************************************
Attend an In-District Meeting in Your District/Ward

SD65B / STP Ward 2
Sun Apr 18 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: STP Council member Rebecca Noecker

SD66A+B, Senator / STP Ward 5
Sat Apr 17 from 10:00am – 12:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: House Rep. Athena Hollins

SD53
Sat Apr 24 from 10:00am – 12:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: Senator Susan Kent

All other ISAIAH events and in district meetings here:
Click HERE.

Relationships & Common Good

As we move through this Lenten season of reflection and preparation, the vestry wanted to share with you, our beloved community, that we are preparing to partner with you on answering the following question: What would church look like that serves the common good for our Saint Mary’s community and strengthens our relationships? Come Easter, the season of rebirth and new growth, we will bring suggestions on how we might start to engage in community conversations around this question. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts or reflections, please share them with any member of the vestry, or email our wardens HERE.

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 4/16 – 4/22

Sunday, April 18, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow.
10:00am
Link

Monday, April 19, 2021
LGBTQ+
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi Click HERE

Monday, April 19, 2021
Book Club
7:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi Click HERE

Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Finance Committee Meeting
6:30 PM
Contact finance@saintmarysepiscopal.org for the Zoom link

Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for more information and a link, Click HERE

Thursday, April 22, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, April 22, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Sunday School Online:
MiaLisa McFarland Millares will send out an email with readings, activities,
and links for videos and discussions to all on our Constant Contact list.
If you receive the Weekly email, you are on the list.

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

 

Family, Children & Youth Programming April 10-April 17

by

Spring Children’s and Youth Programming 2021

Dear All:
 
Here is your informational email on all Children’s and Youth events for the week. This email has in it Sunday School options, Tweeners and Youth Group information. Please also check out the ECMN camp options for the summer– there are some great virtual and in person options. See what fits best with your family plan for the summer.
 
*PLEASE NOTE THE LINKS WILL NOT BE SHARED ON THE WEBSITE. PLEASE REFER TO THE EMAILED INFORMATION OR CONTACT MIALISA FOR THE LINK AT MIALISA@SAINTMARYSEPISCOPAL.ORG*
 
Option #1 Sundays from 9:00-9:45am until May 16, 2021
Option #2 Parent Led
Tweeners
Tweeners will be playing games on Wednesday!
Youth Group
Youth group will continue with discussion next week as well!
  • Parents please make certain that your youth is participating in your presence (ie not locked in a room). We may have youth break into breakout rooms in groups of three and will not have an adult for each section. According to Safe Church, this is okay so long as youth are in a space where they are all alone.
  • Wednesday 7:00-8:00pm through May 1, 2021
  • Youth Leaders: MiaLisa and I am looking for a volunteer!
  • Register by Clicking Here
Summer Camps
ECMN has 6 different summer camp opportunities. I would like to make certain that everyone is aware of the options that exist!
 
 
Blessings
MiaLisa McFarland Millares
Children’s and Youth Director
Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church

Saint Mary’s Weekly – April 8, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, April 11, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hours to follow—10:00am

During the Easter season, we welcome back the Alleluias, the Baptismal Covenant, and the Offertory Sentences (“God be in my head and in my thinking….)! We’ll continue having announcements at the beginning of the service and spiritual communion will be celebrated throughout the Easter season. A “Question of the Day” will be posed and we’ll have the opportunity to share our thoughts with others during our first Virtual Coffee Hour. The Reverend Katie Capurso Ernst will be our guest preacher. She is the founder of Transfiguration Minneapolis, a new worshipping community within the Episcopal Church whose focus is “cultivating a space for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people to gather and experience healing from the wounds and exhaustion of racism.”

  • First Reading: Acts 4:32-35
  • Second Message: a sacred or secular message TBD
  • Gospel: John 20:19-31

For the Zoom worship service on April 11, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Service Bulletin – Click HERE
For the Music Bulletin – Click HERE

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s in the Great 50 Days of Easter
by The Rev. Susan M. Moss

There is an ancient Easter hymn in which the Risen Christ addresses Adam and Eve
(you and me!) with these powerful words:

Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image, rise!
Let us leave this place [of the dead] for you are in me and I am in you;
together we form only one person and cannot be separated…the banquet is ready…
the treasure houses of all good things lie open…
Rise up from your tombs and live!

I hope you all had a virtual seat at this year’s Children’s Easter Vigil, either while it was occurring or the recording. Such inspiring creativity by the young members of Saint Mary’s! A shout out of thanks and heartfelt appreciation Mia Lisa, the Vigil’s producer, editor, coach and creative director. Among her super powers is the ability to inspire confidence and creativity in children and youth while conveying what it means to be followers of Jesus.

A shout out of gratitude as well to Jim and Vonda for their many creative musical talents that supported our prayers and our worship in the seasons of Lent and Easter, seasons made especially challenging given this pandemic-restricted virtual world.

Jim will be taking an earned mini sabbatical for the next 6 Sunday’s, returning to Sunday worship on Pentecost Sunday May 23.

Onward into the Great 50 Days of Easter! May the Risen Christ continue to transform and renew us and Saint Mary’s with new life.

What’s New?

  • To listen to Bishop Craig Loya’s Easter Day sermon, Click HERE
  • Will you sing out loud? Will it make you laugh? Will it make you cry? Click HERE to find out!
  • We’ll have a mix of sermon types this season: priests at Saint Mary’s, sermons available through the ECMN Easter series and Gospel-based Discipleship.

Feedback is welcome!
We welcome your feedback and recommendations about worship services.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for April 2021:

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which each of us can explore our own healing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information and to get the link.

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Tuesday, April 13 and each Tuesdays following at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Coffee & Conversation
Wed. April 14, and each second Wednesday of the month, ongoing
10am / 7pm reach out to Rev. Cindi to reserve a time and get the link

LGBTQ+ Community
Monday, April 19, and each third Monday, ongoing
6:30pm meets monthly for reflective conversation and community building

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

Search Committee Available for Q & A

Members of your Search Committee will be available this Sunday, April 11th from 9:15am to 9:45am to answer your questions or talk about the process so far. Join the usual Zoom church link and you will find us there.

Saint Mary’s Call for Vestry & Warden Candidates

If you missed the email sent out on Monday, April 5th, please Click HERE. Please consider, please pray, please discern whether you might be in a place and time to offer your talents, energy, and passion to our church leadership team.

Now Easy Online Giving on Saint Mary’s Website

Now you can quickly and easily donate to Saint Mary’s online via credit or debit card, or by bank account! Our new, secure online e-giving program, established in conjunction with Vanco, is now available on the front page of the Saint Mary’s website. Simply go to the website and click on “Contribute” in the heading or scroll down and click on “Give Online 2021 Stewardship” and you will be able to quickly make online donations. You can also use the following link: https://secure.myvanco.com/YNB0.

The Vanco e-giving service allows you to direct your giving to several different funds on either a one-time or recurring basis. One-time gifts involve three easy steps. If you want to establish recurring donations, such as weekly or monthly pledge donations to our general fund, you will need to set up an account through Vanco, which is also easy to do.

Credit and debit cards have a 2.75% administrative fee attached to each transaction, and payments via a bank account include a 1% fee. You can choose to cover these fees with your donation. Of course, you still have the option of mailing in your donations or setting up auto-pay through your bank, options which do not have administrative fees.

Following is a link to instructions for donating through our new e-giving site, including screen shots and written instructions. Check out our giving site now on the St. Mary’s website or at https://secure.myvanco.com/YNB0, and thanks for your donations, regardless of how you choose to give!

If you have questions or need more information, feel free to contact Rex Holzemer at rexaholzemer@gmail.com or 651-308-4895.

Mission Area Gatherings

You (yes, you) are enthusiastically invited and encouraged to attend your upcoming Mission Area Gathering. One of the recurring themes that came out of the discernment committees is that mission areas are crucial are for conducting experiments in discipleship, innovation, vitality, and story-sharing. We are called to be Christians together, and that means getting outside our faith community’s walls and finding out what our nearest Episcopalian neighbors are up to.

East Metro: Saturday, May 8 at 1pm – Register Click HERE

Outreach, ISAIAH

ISAIAH In-District (Zoom) Meetings

ISAIAH leaders from multiple locations are hosting In-District meetings with our local legislators during session. Saint Mary’s is in 64, and that In-District meeting with Wards 3 & 4 council members and State Representatives is April 15, 2021, 6:00-8:00pm,
registration: Click HERE.
Senator Erin Murphy (SD 64), House Rep. Dave Pinto (64B), St. Paul Council member Mitra Jalali (ward 4) and St. Paul Council member Chris Tolbert (ward 3) will be attending.

FAQs:
What are In-District meetings?
They are meetings organized and designed by ISAIAH volunteer leaders inviting their representatives into a co-governing conversation.

Why is it important?
It is an opportunity to hear how our representatives will be (or not be) champions of an agenda that honors our values.

Why attend?
It lets our representatives know that we are engaged and looking for their bold leadership and ongoing support of our agenda. It gives our representatives the support and documentation they need from our numbers and narratives as they communicate to colleagues and champion our agenda. It gives us an opportunity to participate more fully in our democracy.

How can I find my Saint Paul ward and MN senate district?
Saint Paul District Council and Ward Lookup Click HERE.

If you reside outside of STP senate district 64 see options below. Please invite friends and neighbors to join you! For more information, contact Ginny DeLuca- ginnydeluca1736@gmail.com

*************************************************************************
Attend an In-District Meeting in Your District/Ward

SD65A + Senator / STP Ward 1
Sun Apr 11 from 3:00pm – 5:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: STP Council member Dai Thao, Senator Sandy Pappas

SD65B / STP Ward 2
Sun Apr 18 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: STP Council member Rebecca Noecker

SD66A+B, Senator / STP Ward 5
Sat Apr 17 from 10:00am – 12:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: House Rep. Athena Hollins

SD67 + Ward 6
Fri. Apr 9 from 4:30pm – 6:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: Representative John Thompson, Council member Nelsie Yang

SD38
Sat April 10 10am – 12pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: None yet!

SD53
Sat Apr 24 from 10:00am – 12:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: Senator Susan Kent

All other ISAIAH events and in district meetings here:
Click HERE.

Relationships & Common Good

Now that we’re in the Easter season, the time of rebirth and new growth, the Vestry will soon bring suggestions on how our St. Mary’s family might engage in community conversations around a question important to us: What would church look like that serves our St. Mary’s common good and strengthens our relationships? If you have thoughts or reflections you’d like to share immediately, please talk with any member of the Vestry or email our wardens HERE.

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 4/9 – 4/15

Sunday, April 11, 2021
Search Committee available for Q & A before Worship
9:15am
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow
10:00am
Link

Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for more information and a link, Click HERE

Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Coffee and Conversations with Rev. Cindi
10:00am & 7pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for more information and a link, Click HERE

Thursday, April 15, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE

Thursday, April 15, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Sunday School Online:
MiaLisa McFarland Millares will send out an email with readings, activities,
and links for videos and discussions to all on our Constant Contact list.
If you receive this email, you are on the list.

 

Family, Children & Youth Programming April 3-April 9

by

Spring Children’s and Youth Programming 2021

Dear All:
 
Here is your informational email on all Children’s and Youth events for the week. This email has in it Sunday School options, Tweeners and Youth Group information. Please also check out the ECMN camp options for the summer– there are some great virtual and in person options. See what fits best with your family plan for the summer.
 
*PLEASE NOTE THE LINKS WILL NOT BE SHARED ON THE WEBSITE. PLEASE REFER TO THE EMAILED INFORMATION OR CONTACT MIALISA FOR THE LINK AT MIALISA@SAINTMARYSEPISCOPAL.ORG*
 
Easter Vigil TODAY at 4pm!
 
Join the Family Friendly 4:00pm Zoom service from Saint Mary’s.
  • Bring bells to ring and stuffed animals (if you have them).
*NO Zoom Sunday School on Easter Sunday*
 
 
Tweeners
Tweeners will be playing games on Wednesday!
 
 
Youth Group
Youth group will continue with discussion next week as well!
  • Parents please make certain that your youth is participating in your presence (ie not locked in a room). We may have youth break into breakout rooms in groups of three and will not have an adult for each section. According to Safe Church, this is okay so long as youth are in a space where they are all alone.
 
 
 
Summer Camps
ECMN has 6 different summer camp opportunities. I would like to make certain that everyone is aware of the options that exist!
 
 
 
Blessings
MiaLisa McFarland Millares
Children’s and Youth Director
Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church

Saint Mary’s Weekly – April 1, 2021

by

Worship Services this Week

Maundy Thursday – April 1, 2021

There are several options for you to choose from:

  • 7:00pm service at Saint Anne’s Episcopal Church in Sunfish Lake. To learn more Click HERE.
  • 7:00pm service at Christ Church in Woodbury. At home foot washing— Please have basin, pitcher of water and towel on hand. To join Zoom meeting, Click HERE:
    • Meeting ID: 830 9408 6729 Passcode: 027703
  • 7:30pm service at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Susan will preach. If you would like to worship with Saint Mark’s Cathedral during Holy Week Click HERE for the schedule of services and for online registration.

Good Friday – April 2, 2021

There are several options for you to choose from:

  • 7:00pm Tenebrae* service at Saint Anne’s Episcopal Church in Sunfish Lake. To learn more Click HERE.
  • 7:00pm Tenebrae* service at Christ Church in Woodbury. Click HERE.
    • Meeting ID: 841 6184 8651 Passcode: 666575
  • Noon service at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. If you would like to worship with Saint Mark’s Cathedral during Holy Week Click HERE for the schedule of services and for on line registration.

*Tenebrae: Service of light to dark

Easter Vigil – April 3, 2021

Join the Family Friendly 4:00pm Zoom service from Saint Mary’s. Bring bells to
ring!! Email worship@saintmarysepiscopal.org for information on how to attend.

Easter Sunday – April 4, 2021

Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to Follow – 10:00am

This Sunday is Easter Sunday, and we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. Get out of
your pj’s and put on your Easter finery!! Wear a bonnet, a hat, bunny ears; hold a
stuffed rabbit; have flowers on your screen with you…whatever makes you think of
Easter! Saint Mary’s will be hearing Bishop Loya’s Easter sermon. Alleluias and
Baptismal Covenant return. Spiritual communion will be celebrated. Join us to
celebrate the resurrection!

  • First Message: Acts 10:34-43
  • Gospel: Mark 16:1-8 Peter proclaims the peace of Jesus is for all.

For the Zoom worship service on April 4, 2021 Click HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Easter Service Bulletin – Click HERE

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by the Rev. Susan M. Moss

The Easter Triduum is ahead of us now. Beginning at sundown on Maundy Thursday these three days celebrate the newness of life which flows from the the crucified, buried and risen Christ. While we’re beginning to “see the light at the end of the tunnel” and the hope of regathering face to face, Saint Mary’s will gather together virtually on Easter Sunday for the second time. It’s good to remember the encouragement in Presiding Bishop Curry’s Easter 2020 sermon. Acknowledging that we won’t be in church, singing favorite Easter hymns, he said

“ …it may not look like Easter. It may not smell like it. It may not feel like it. But, it’s Easter anyway.” The bishop likened the feeling to the first Easter: Jesus executed; his followers uncertain where God was; then the miracle of resurrection.
“Easter was about a tragedy that was turned into a triumph; about God working behind the scenes, invisibly, in ways that people didn’t know,” Curry said. “And if we work together with our God and together with each other we will find our way forward.”

Dear people of Saint Mary’s: Let us be strong and take heart.
Have courage. Hold fast to that which is good. Easter is coming.

What’s New?

  • To hear the meditation from Palm Sunday given by The Rev. Susan Moss, Click HERE.
  • During the Easter Season:
    • We will celebrate spiritual communion.
    • We will have 3 readings each Sunday: A reading from Acts, a non-Scripture message and the Gospel.
    • We will continue to have a question to talk about in Virtual Coffee Hour #1 on most Sundays, followed by a Social Virtual Coffee Hour.

Feedback is welcome!
We welcome your feedback and recommendations about worship services.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Now Easy Online Giving Available!

Now you can quickly and easily donate to Saint Mary’s online via credit or debit card, or by bank account! Our new, secure online e-giving program, established in conjunction with Vanco, is available through the following link: https://secure.myvanco.com/YNB0.

The Vanco e-giving service allows you to direct your giving to several different funds on either a one-time or recurring basis. One-time gifts involve three easy steps. If you want to establish recurring donations, such as weekly or monthly pledge donations to our general fund, you will need to set up an account through Vanco, which is also easy to do.

Credit and debit cards have a 2.75% administrative fee attached to each transaction, and payments via a bank account include a 1% fee. You can choose to cover these fees with your donation. Of course, you still have the option of mailing in your donations or setting up auto-pay through your bank, options which do not have administrative fees.

Following is a link to instructions for donating through our new e-giving site, including screen shots and written instructions. Check out our giving site now at https://secure.myvanco.com/YNB0, and thanks for your donations, regardless of how you choose to give!

If you have questions or need more information, feel free to contact Rex Holzemer at rexaholzemer@gmail.com or 651-308-4895.

A Message from Co-Warden Caroline Kaker:

Hello from your co-warden! Hopefully you read the announcement of Saint Mary’s upcoming Annual Meeting on Sunday, April 25th and have circled the date on your calendars. There is much to discuss and do, including the election our newest vestry members. Please plan to attend! While additional meeting logistics and details will be forthcoming, I would like to communicate now that the election slate will include a one-year warden position covering the third and final year of my 3-year term. I will be stepping down from my role and turning it over to someone new.

Read the whole letter HERE.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for April 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
Monday April 5 at 6:30pm

Lent Book Club: WALKING THE WAY OF LOVE
Monday April 5 at 7:30pm to finish our book.

Healing Circle
Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which each of us can explore our own healing. All are welcome; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information and to get the link.

Caring for an Aging Loved One
Tuesday, April 6, and each first Tuesday at 7:00pm: ongoing

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Tuesday, April 6 and each Tuesdays following at 8:30pm, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Coffee & Conversation
Wed. April 14, and each second Wednesday of the month, ongoing
10am / 7pm reach out to Rev. Cindi to reserve a time and get the link

LGBTQ+ Community
Monday, April 19, and each third Monday, ongoing
6:30pm meets monthly for reflective conversation and community building

Join our Prayer Chain:
Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

KIVA Loans on International Women’s Day

Saint Mary’s has participated in making loans to people around the world through KIVA for many, many years. As loans are re-paid, we’re able to re-loan that money again. As of March 8, 2021, $1200 from previously made loans had been re-paid. KIVA had a special program for International Women’s Day–loans made to women were matched! So, our $1200 turned into loans for $2400!! Paulette Briese, Mary Hinz and Julie Thomas got together and made loans to 17 women, ranging from $25 to $300. Loans were made to women in 10 different countries for things such as toilets, water pumps, land, school supplies and tuition, smart phones for distance learning, animals to raise and sell, seeds to plant and grow and supplies for traditional handicrafts. Our money is back at work! If you’d like to join the “loaning team”, let Paulette Briese know by Clicking HERE.

Outreach, ISAIAH

ISAIAH In-District (Zoom) Meetings

ISAIAH leaders from multiple locations are hosting In-District meetings with our local legislators during session. Saint Mary’s is in 64, and that In-District meeting with Wards 3 & 4 council members and State Representatives is April 15, 2021, 6:00-8:00pm,
registration: Click HERE.
Senator Erin Murphy (SD 64), House Rep. Dave Pinto (64B), St. Paul Council member Mitra Jalali (ward 4) and St. Paul Council member Chris Tolbert (ward 3) will be attending.

FAQs:
What are In-District meetings?
They are meetings organized and designed by ISAIAH volunteer leaders inviting their representatives into a co-governing conversation.

Why is it important?
It is an opportunity to hear how our representatives will be (or not be) champions of an agenda that honors our values.

Why attend?
It lets our representatives know that we are engaged and looking for their bold leadership and ongoing support of our agenda. It gives our representatives the support and documentation they need from our numbers and narratives as they communicate to colleagues and champion our agenda. It gives us an opportunity to participate more fully in our democracy.

How can I find my Saint Paul ward and MN senate district?
Saint Paul District Council and Ward Lookup Click HERE.

If you reside outside of STP senate district 64 see options below. Please invite friends and neighbors to join you! For more information, contact Ginny DeLuca- ginnydeluca1736@gmail.com

******************************************************************************
Attend an In-District Meeting in Your District/Ward

SD65A + Senator / STP Ward 1
Sun Apr 11 from 3:00pm – 5:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: STP Council member Dai Thao, Senator Sandy Pappas

SD65B / STP Ward 2
Sun Apr 18 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: STP Council member Rebecca Noecker

SD66A+B, Senator / STP Ward 5
Sat Apr 17 from 10:00am – 12:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: House Rep. Athena Hollins

SD67 + Ward 6
Fri. Apr 9 from 4:30pm – 6:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: Representative John Thompson, Council member Nelsie Yang

SD38
Sat April 10 10am – 12pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: None yet!

SD53
Sat Apr 24 from 10:00am – 12:00pm: Click HERE.
Confirmed: Senator Susan Kent

All other ISAIAH events and in district meetings here:
Click HERE.

Relationships & Common Good

As we move through this Lenten season of reflection and preparation, the vestry wanted to share with you, our beloved community, that we are preparing to partner with you on answering the following question: What would church look like that serves the common good for our Saint Mary’s community and strengthens our relationships? Come Easter, the season of rebirth and new growth, we will bring suggestions on how we might start to engage in community conversations around this question. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts or reflections, please share them with any member of the vestry, or email our wardens HERE.

March is Food Share Month

Saint Mary’s has a tradition of donating to our neighborhood food shelf at, Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul (I. A.) for the Department of Indian Works (DIW). If interested, you can go online to I.A. (Click HERE) to the “Donate” tab and select the DIW. You can also mail a check to them with DIW in the note line. You may also call to donate or to drop off food by calling Theresa Halverson-Lee at 651-789-3854. Another option is to donate to the Food Shelf of your choice.

Thanks for considering helping others in this especially hard time!

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s

Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups for the week of 4/2 – 4/8

Saturday, April 3, 2021
Children’s Easter Vigil (see additional information in Worship Services This Week above)
4:00pm

Sunday, April 4, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow.
10:00am
Link

Monday, April 5, 2021
Pastoral Care
6:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi Click HERE

Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Men’s Group
7:00pm
For more information Click HERE

Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Caring for Aging Loved Ones
7:00pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for more information and a link, Click HERE

Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Compline
8:30pm
Contact Rev. Cindi for more information and a link, Click HERE

Thursday, April 8, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click HERE.

Thursday, April 8, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link

Sunday School Online:
MiaLisa McFarland Millares will send out an email with readings, activities,
and links for videos and discussions to all on our Constant Contact list.
If you receive this email, you are on the list.

Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

 

Family, Children & Youth Programming March 27- April 4

by

Winter/ Spring Children’s and Youth Programming 2021

Dear All:
 
Here is your informational email on all Children’s and Youth events for the week.
This email has updates for Children’s programming for Holy Week. Please see below as this includes changes in the usual weekly program and the Children’s Easter Vigil information.
 
*PLEASE NOTE THE LINKS WILL NOT BE SHARED ON THE WEBSITE. PLEASE REFER TO THE EMAILED INFORMATION OR CONTACT MIALISA FOR THE LINK AT MIALISA@SAINTMARYSEPISCOPAL.ORG*
 
Palm Sunday Sunday School
Option #1 Sundays from 9:00-9:45am
 
Option #2 Parent Led
 
 
  • Lent Activities– for those of you that like to prepare ahead, there are a number of lent activities and Easter fun that you might enjoy in this folder!
 
NO Tweeners on 3/31/21
 
NO Youth Group on 3/31/21
 
NO Sunday school on Easter Sunday (4/4/21)
 
Children’s Easter Vigil 4/3/2021
  • We will be hosting a Children’s Easter Vigil on zoom at 4pm on 4/3/2021. This is geared toward small children but lots of fun for the whole family. Our kids and youth have worked very hard to put this all together. Please join us for this fun and engaging event. Please see the link, meeting id and passcode below.
 
Blessings
MiaLisa McFarland Millares
Children’s and Youth Director
Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church

Saint Mary’s Holy Week Information – March 26, 2021

by

Dear St. Marians,

Last chance!! You don’t want to miss out! Order your Holy Week bag now!!
Send an email to pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org Indicate your name, number
of palms desired and if you’ll pick up your bag at Saint Mary’s between 2:00-3:00 pm on
Saturday, March 27th, or if you’d like your bag delivered to your home between those hours. If delivery is requested, also indicate your address and phone number. You’ll be called when the delivery person is at your address.

Palm Sunday – March 28, 2021

Join the 10:00am Zoom service from Saint Mary’s to celebrate the Liturgy of the Palms and hear the reading of the Passion story.
For the Palm Service Bulletin – Click HERE

Maundy Thursday – April 1, 2021

There are several options for you to choose from:

  • 7:00pm service at Saint Anne’s Episcopal Church in Sunfish Lake. To learn more Click HERE.
  • 7:00pm service at Christ Church in Woodbury. At home foot washing— Please have basin, pitcher of water and towel on hand. To join Zoom meeting, Click HERE:
    • Meeting ID: 830 9408 6729 Passcode: 027703
  • 7:30pm service at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Susan will preach. If you would like to worship with Saint Mark’s Cathedral during Holy Week Click HERE for the schedule of services and for online registration.
Good Friday – April 2, 2021
There are several options for you to choose from:
  • 7:00pm Tenebrae* service at Saint Anne’s Episcopal Church in Sunfish Lake. To learn more Click HERE.
  • 7:00pm Tenebrae* service at Christ Church in Woodbury. Click HERE.
    • Meeting ID: 841 6184 8651 Passcode: 666575
  • Noon service at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. If you would like to worship with Saint Mark’s Cathedral during Holy Week Click HERE for the schedule of services and for on line registration.
*Tenebrae: Service of light to dark
Easter Vigil – April 3, 2021
Join the Family Friendly 4:00pm Zoom service from Saint Mary’s. Bring bells to
ring!! Please contact Children’s and Youth Director MiaLisa for more information on how to attend.
Easter Day – April 4, 2021
Join the 10:00am Zoom service from Saint Mary’s to celebrate Jesus’
resurrection! Wear your fancy clothes, a hat, an Easter bonnet, bunny ears,
whatever Easter brings to mind!! Hold stuffed/clay/plastic rabbits or other Easter
items!! Have your Easter flowers on your Zoom screen with you!! Watch for
specific information in the April 1, 2021, Saint Mary’s Weekly Email. Zoom link,
liturgy and music will be included.

A Blessing for Holy Week Journeys

 
Feel your feet
planted on holy ground
beneath you,
rooted in the earth. Feet.
From the earth,
upon the earth,
back to the earth…
eventually.
 
Remember.
These feet–
big, small, aching,
running, stumbling, dancing–
these feet carry us
down the paths
of our everyday lives.
 
Feet.
From the earth,
upon the earth,
back to the earth…
eventually.
 
Remember.
Jesus’ feet–
journeyed wildernesses and seasides
 
Jesus’ feet–
pointed him toward Jerusalem.
 
It was Jesus’ feet that the prophet woman
blessed and perfumed and prepared.
 
And it was Jesus’ feet
that were pierced together–
one on top of the other.
 
Feet.
From the earth,
upon the earth,
back to the earth…
eventually.
 
So we too shall walk
through an ordinary week,
that is a holy week,
for it is on sacred soil
that we live and run,
work and play.
 
Our feet,
carrying justice and love,
kissing holy ground,
to which
we shall return…
 
Eventually.
 
 
-Jill Crainshaw

Saint Mary’s Weekly – March 25, 2021

by

Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, March 28, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to Follow – 10:00 AM

This Sunday, Palm Sunday, we celebrate the Liturgy of the Palms, waving our palms and joyfully singing All Glory Laud and Honor and Pave the Way with Branches and then we hear the reading of the Passion story. The Rev. Susan Moss will give a short meditation. Please join us as we enter Holy Week.

  • Gospel: Mark 11:1-11a
  • Psalm 22
  • Passion Gospel: Mark 15:1-39

For the Zoom worship service on March 28, 2021 CLICK HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Palm Service Bulletin – Click HERE

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at Saint Mary’s by the Rev. Susan M. Moss

A gentle spring rain is falling today; the grass is turning green almost before my eyes and the trees are beginning to bud. We are so ready for Easter! And yet, before we shout the Easter acclamation Christ is Risen we are invited to walk with Jesus in his final days in Jerusalem.

The Saint Mary’s Worship and Pastoral Care teams have thoughtfully collaborated in this virtual world to bring us a variety of ways in which we can observe Holy Week 2021. Take a look at the options and choose what fits for your household. Let us walk in the footsteps of Jesus next week. He walked the midst of injustice, violence, betrayal and fear with faith and purpose. His message through it all was clear: God desires peace, mercy, compassion and justice for all people. Bring your prayers of lament and sorrow for Colorado and the victims of relentless gun violence. May our lawmakers have the courage pass gun safety legislation to keep us safe. Pray for our city, the jurors and the court as the Chauvin trial continues with opening statements on Monday.

What’s New?

  • Right now, before you get busy and forget!!! ORDER YOUR HOLY WEEK BAG!! Send pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org an email.
  • To hear the sermon from last Sunday given by Julia Nerbonne, Click HERE.
  • Brief information regarding Holy Week services below. More information to follow in a Special Weekly mailing tomorrow—Friday, March 26.
    • Maundy Thursday & Good Friday: Saint Mary’s is invited to join Christ Church in Woodbury or Saint Anne’s Church in Sunfish Lake via zoom—services at 7pm—or Saint Mark’s Cathedral at 7:30pm on Thursday and noon on Friday.
    • Easter Vigil: A “don’t miss service”!!! Family friendly! 4:00pm
    • Easter morning, one service at 10am. Get out of your p.j.s and put on your Easter finery!! Wear a bonnet, a hat, bunny ears; hold a stuffed rabbit; have flowers on your screen with you…whatever makes you think of Easter! Celebrate the resurrection!

Feedback is welcome!
We welcome your feedback and recommendations about worship services.

Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

Finance Update

Several large, six-month pledge donations were received in February. As a result, pledge donations for the month of February were approximately $15,000 over budget. Expenses in February were approximately $3,700 under budget. Despite the large donations in February, our projected budget deficit for the year is still expected to be approximately ($27,000), as the large donations were for multiple months. See the attached financials for the exact income and expenses as of the end of February Click HERE.

A Message from Co-Warden Caroline Kaker:

Hello from your co-warden! Hopefully you read the announcement of Saint Mary’s upcoming Annual Meeting on Sunday, April 25th and have circled the date on your calendars. There is much to discuss and do, including the election our newest vestry members. Please plan to attend! While additional meeting logistics and details will be forthcoming, I would like to communicate now that the election slate will include a one-year warden position covering the third and final year of my 3-year term. I will be stepping down from my role and turning it over to someone new.

Read the whole letter HERE.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for March & April 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
There is no Pastoral Care Team Meeting in Holy Week; See you On Monday April 5 at 6:30 PM

Lent Book Club: WALKING THE WAY OF LOVE
There is no Book Club during Holy Week.
See you on Monday April 5 at 7:30 PM to finish our book.

Healing Circle
The Pastoral Care Team will host a virtual healing circle (prayer) during Holy Week. Healing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment in which each of us can explore our own healing. All are welcome; for planning purposes we ask that you make a reservation. This circle will meet on Tuesday, March 30 at 7:00 PM; please contact Rev. Cindi for more information and to get the link.

Caring for an Aging Loved One
Tuesday, April 6, and each first Tuesday at 7:00 PM: ongoing

Compline (All Are Welcome)
Beginning in the Easter Season (April 6 and Tuesdays following) at 8:30 PM, all are invited to pray Compline in our Zoom prayer room. We will use the Prayer Book. This is a brief form of the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed before bedtime. All are welcome. Contact Rev. Cindi for details / the link.
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Coffee & Conversation
Wed. April 14, and each second Wednesday of the month, ongoing
10 AM / 7 PM reach out to Rev. Cindi to reserve a time and get the link

LGBTQ+ Community
Monday, April 19, and each third Monday, ongoing
6:30 PM meets monthly for reflective conversation and community building

Join our Prayer Chain: Pray with and for your friends and family at Saint Mary’s
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

For confidential prayer requests or to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom Link

Easter Vigil Notice to Parents:

Hello Families with kids that are planning to be a part of this year’s Easter Vigil. As you know, it is a digital Easter Vigil which involves videos of the kids. If you have kids that are in Sunday school and Tweeners (and anyone else who joins in our Easter Vigil fun) we are inviting two other churches to participate in the event this year. As such, there will be three Episcopal church congregations in attendance. We do plan to record the Easter Vigil and share the link with the invited churches afterwords. We want to make sure you are aware of this fact and give your consent to allow your child to be a part of this year’s Easter Vigil. We will be sending out consent forms to document your acknowledgement of this fact and your approval to allow your child to be part of this year’s Easter Vigil.

If you have any concerns, please contact MiaLisa to discuss options! HERE

KIVA Loans on International Women’s Day

Saint Mary’s has participated in making loans to people around the world through KIVA for many, many years. As loans are re-paid, we’re able to re-loan that money again. As of March 8, 2021, $1200 from previously made loans had been re-paid. KIVA had a special program for International Women’s Day–loans made to women were matched! So, our $1200 turned into loans for $2400!! Paulette Briese, Mary Hinz and Julie Thomas got together and made loans to 17 women, ranging from $25 to $300. Loans were made to women in 10 different countries for things such as toilets, water pumps, land, school supplies and tuition, smart phones for distance learning, animals to raise and sell, seeds to plant and grow and supplies for traditional handicrafts. Our money is back at work! If you’d like to join the “loaning team”, let Paulette Briese know by Clicking HERE.

Relationships & Common Good

As we move through this Lenten season of reflection and preparation, the vestry wanted to share with you, our beloved community, that we are preparing to partner with you on answering the following question: What would church look like that serves the common good for our Saint Mary’s community and strengthens our relationships? Come Easter, the season of rebirth and new growth, we will bring suggestions on how we might start to engage in community conversations around this question. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts or reflections, please share them with any member of the vestry, or email our wardens HERE.

March is Food Share Month

Saint Mary’s has a tradition of donating to our neighborhood food shelf at, Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul (I. A.) for the Department of Indian Works (DIW). If interested, you can go online to I.A. (Click HERE) to the “Donate” tab and select the DIW. You can also mail a check to them with DIW in the note line. You may also call to donate or to drop off food by calling Theresa Halverson-Lee at 651-789-3854. Another option is to donate to the Food Shelf of your choice.

Thanks for considering helping others in this especially hard time!

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 3/26 – 4/1

Sunday, March 28, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow.
10:00 AM
Link

Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Healing Circle
7:00 PM
If you would like to join us, or have any questions, please contact Rev. Cindi HERE.

Thursday, April 1, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click here to contact Julie

Thursday, April 1, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00 PM
Link

 

St Mary’s Annual Parish and Financial Meeting April 25

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Saint Mary’s Annual Parish & Financial Meeting

Date Set for April 25, 2021
Dear St. Marians, 
 
We hope you are having a spirit-filled and meaningful journey through Lent! As we look toward Easter and the resurrection, signs of rebirth are everywhere. Although it has been a long haul for St. Mary’s, we see those signs of rebirth in the energy of the communications, pastoral care, search and worship committees and in that we are now actively searching for a new rector! A subcommittee is working on a church reopening plan as we also look forward to the COVID virus being quelled. We are blessed by pastoral and spiritual leadership from Susan Moss and Cindi Brickson. 
  
An important date to add to your calendars is Sunday, April 25, when we will conduct the annual parish meeting and the annual financial meeting on Zoom during and after the church service. Several vestry positions will be filled by election during the meeting, so if you are looking for an exciting time to lead, this is your chance! Please pray and discern about this – we really need to continue to have our vestry at full strength and at a high energy level as we start a new chapter and enter uncharted waters of the post-pandemic world. This will be a great opportunity for reimagining how our parish will express God’s love to a hurting world. There will be opportunities for visioning and for collaboration with other churches and entities to realize the Beloved Community. Please stay tuned for more communication on filling vestry positions and on our journey together, and don’t hesitate to contact one of the vestry members if you have questions about vestry service.  
 
We wish you all a blessed Lent and Easter; stay healthy and love one another!
 
St. Mary’s Vestry
 
Jim DeLuca and Caroline Kaker, Wardens

Family, Children & Youth Programming March 20-March 27

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Winter/ Spring Children’s and Youth Programming 2021

Dear All:
 
Here is your informational email on all Children’s and Youth events for the week.
This email has in it Sunday School options, Tweeners and Youth Group information. Please also check out the ECMN camp options for the summer– there are some great virtual and in person options. See what fits best with your family plan for the summer.
 
*PLEASE NOTE THE LINKS WILL NOT BE SHARED ON THE WEBSITE. PLEASE REFER TO THE EMAILED INFORMATION OR CONTACT MIALISA FOR THE LINK AT MIALISA@SAINTMARYSEPISCOPAL.ORG*
 
Summer Camps
ECMN has 6 different summer camp opportunities. I would like to make certain that everyone is aware of the options that exist!
 
 
 
Sunday School Options for Families: 
 
Option #1 Sundays from 9:00-9:45am
 
 
Option #2 Parent Led
 
 
 
  • Lent Activities– for those of you that like to prepare ahead, there are a number of lent activities and Easter fun that you might enjoy in this folder!
 
Tweeners
Tweeners helped put together one of the Easter Vigil stories this past Wednesday. This coming week we will do some more Easter Vigil filming and play some games!
 
 
Youth Group
Youth group will continue with discussion next week as well!
  • Parents please make certain that your youth is participating in your presence (ie not locked in a room). We may have youth break into breakout rooms in groups of three and will not have an adult for each section. According to Safe Church, this is okay so long as youth are in a space where they are all alone.
 
 
Blessings
MiaLisa McFarland Millares
Children’s and Youth Director
Saint Mary‘s Episcopal Church

Saint Mary’s Weekly – March 18, 2021

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Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to Follow – 10:00 AM

This Sunday, the last Sunday in Lent, we’ll continue using the Lenten pattern we started on Lent 1. Announcements will happen at the beginning of the service; there will be fewer voices and less music; there will be moments of silence and a question posed for us to reflect on and share thoughts with others during our first breakout time. Julia Nerbonne will be our preacher.

  • First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34
  • Psalm 119:9-16
  • Second Reading: Hebrews 5:5-10
  • Gospel: John 12:20-33

For the Zoom worship service on March 21, 2021 CLICK HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Lent 5 Service Bulletin – CLICK HERE
For 2021 Lent Music Bulletin – CLICK HERE

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at St Mary’s by the Rev. Susan M. Moss

The greater availability of vaccines, the increasing hours of daylight and the loosening of pandemic related restrictions, lift our spirits and increase our hope for more freedoms
and opportunities to re connect with friends and loved ones.

At the same time we grieve, for the second year in a row, unable to observe Holy Week and celebrate Easter face to face in the church. St Marians miss the sound of the organ, the music of the band, gathering around the altar-face to face to share bread and wine, the passing of the peace, and the warmth of a shared cup of coffee in the St Mary’s room amidst the energy of the children.

As we begin to prepare our hearts and minds for the drama of a second virtual Holy Week, I invite you to hold grief and hope together. You may find comfort in using your power of memory and imagination. While at home and on Zoom, close your eyes and picture yourself together with fellow parishioners, climbing the stairs singing All Glory Laud and Honor or Pave the Way with Branches as you process into the nave waving your palms.

Imagine too the little ones gathered around the altar eager to assist and the faces of caring members praying for each other. What do you miss? What do you look forward to when we are able to safely re gather in the church?

Holy One, accompany us in these challenging times. Be near to us in our grief and in our hope, and we prepare to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Amen.

What’s New?

  • If you’d like to listen to the sermon given by The Rev. Carol Arney on Sunday, March 14, Click HERE.
  • Would you like to participate in the Sunday worship services? Would you like to be the “Welcomer”/Announcement Leader? a Reader? the “People”? Would you like to sing with the choir? If so, send an email to: worship@saintmarysepiscopal.org Your gifts are needed and would be welcomed! All ages invited!!
  • DON’T MISS OUT!!! SIGN UP FOR YOUR HOLY WEEK BAG NOW!! Although we won’t be meeting in person, the Worship Team is planning ways we can walk through Holy Week together. Holy Week bags will help us do that. The bags will contain directions for setting up a prayer altar at home as well as reading material and objects that will bring to mind the events of Holy Week. Bags can be picked up at St Mary’s the afternoon of Saturday, March 27th or they can be delivered to your home that afternoon! If you’d like a Holy Week bag, please send your request to pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org indicating how many palms you want and if you’ll pick up your bag or would like it delivered. (If you’d like delivery, please include your address and phone number.)
  • See Holy Week zoom plans below & watch for more information next week:
    • Palm Sunday (3/28/21) service planned by St Mary’s Worship Team and will include a virtual procession in your home with palms to wave.
    • Maundy Thursday & Good Friday: St Mary’s is invited to join Christ Church in Woodbury or St Anne’s Church in Sunfish Lake or St Mark’s Cathedral
    • Easter Vigil: 4pm Children’s Easter Vigil.
    • Easter morning: one service at 10am, planned by St Mary’s Worship Team.

Feedback is welcome!
We welcome your feedback and recommendations about worship services.

CLICK HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

2021 Sundays in Lent – Images

The Worship Team would like images to screen share during “Moments of Silence” during our 5 Sundays in Lent. If you have images of any kind (drawings, paintings, photos, videos, stained glass, mosaic, etc.) that conjure up thoughts of God’s Promises as indicated below…and you’d like to share them with the St Mary’s community…please send them to Brian Nerbonne at Michigander_guy@yahoo.com by the Friday before the Sunday they would be used. If you’d like to read the lessons to get your creative juices flowing, check lectionarypage.net website.

03/21/2021
God’s Promise – a new covenant with Israel
Jesus as man suffered, through this suffering
and obedience he became salvation.
Jesus must die like the wheat grain in order to
bear much fruit – so we can believe.

Finance Update

Several large, six-month pledge donations were received in February. As a result, pledge donations for the month of February were approximately $15,000 over budget. Expenses in February were approximately $3,700 under budget. Despite the large donations in February, our projected budget deficit for the year is still expected to be approximately ($27,000), as the large donations were for multiple months. See the attached financials for the exact income and expenses as of the end of February CLICK HERE.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for March & April 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
Mondays at 6:30 PM, ongoing

Lent Book Club: WALKING THE WAY OF LOVE on Mondays during Lent at 7:30 PM

Healing Circle
Tuesday, March 30 7:00 PM

Caring for an Aging Loved One
Tuesday, April 6, and each first Tuesday at 7:00 PM: ongoing

Evening Prayer (All Are Welcome)
Tuesday April 13, and each second Tuesday of the month, ongoing
8:00 PM this is a change to a once a month format and an invitation for all to join us.
Evening Prayer Rite 2 from the BCP reach out to Rev Cindi for the Link, or if you need a Book of Common Prayer

Coffee & Conversation
Wed. April 14, and each second Wednesday of the month, ongoing
10 AM / 7 PM reach out to Rev. Cindi to reserve a time and get the link

LGBTQ+ Community
Monday, April 19, and each third Monday, ongoing
6:30 PM meets monthly for reflective conversation and community building

Join our Prayer Chain: pray with and for your friends and family at St. Mary’s.
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

You are invited to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom link

For confidential prayer requests, reach out to Rev. Cindi at pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Getting to Know You!

You have seen the names associated with a number of these committees that are working hard to put together our worship services, music, pastoral care, our search for a new rector, our finances, good communication, as well as our vestry, but you may not necessarily know the faces. For the next couple of weeks we will try to highlight one of those groups and this week we have Family, Children, and Youth Programing!

Top Row: MiaLisa, Trevor
2nd Row: Carmen, Rose

Contact MiaLisa if you have questions about these programs HERE.
 
Thank you for all you do to keep Family, Children, and Youth Programs going!
Easter Vigil Notice to Parents:

Hello Families with kids that are planning to be a part of this year’s Easter Vigil. As you know, it is a digital Easter Vigil which involves videos of the kids. If you have kids that are in Sunday school and Tweeners (and anyone else who joins in our Easter Vigil fun) we are inviting two other churches to participate in the event this year. As such, there will be three Episcopal church congregations in attendance. We do plan to record the Easter Vigil and share the link with the invited churches afterwards. We want to make sure you are aware of this fact and give your consent to allow your child to be a part of this year’s Easter Vigil. We will be sending out consent forms to document your acknowledgement of this fact and your approval to allow your child to be part of this year’s Easter Vigil.

If you have any concerns, please contact MiaLisa to discuss options! HERE

New Form for submissions for Weekly, Website, Calendar, and Social Media:

Moving forward, please give our new Google form a try when submitting information needed for the various platforms of communication St. Mary’s has (Weekly, website, calendar, etc). You can find the form HERE.

If you have any questions with this form please email the Communications Team HERE.

Relationships & Common Good

As we move through this Lenten season of reflection and preparation, the vestry wanted to share with you, our beloved community, that we are preparing to partner with you on answering the following question: What would church look like that serves the common good for our St. Mary’s community and strengthens our relationships? Come Easter, the season of rebirth and new growth, we will bring suggestions on how we might start to engage in community conversations around this question. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts or reflections, please share them with any member of the vestry, or email our wardens HERE.

March is Food Share Month

St. Mary’s has a tradition of donating to our neighborhood food shelf at, Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul (I. A.) for the Department of Indian Works (DIW). If interested, you can go online to I.A. (Click HERE) to the “Donate” tab and select the DIW. You can also mail a check to them with DIW in the note line. You may also call to donate or to drop off food by calling Theresa Halverson-Lee at 651-789-3854. Another option is to donate to the Food Shelf of your choice.

Thanks for considering helping others in this especially hard time!

Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 3/19 – 3/25

Sunday, March 21, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to follow.
10:00 AM
Link

Monday, March 22, 2021
Pastoral Care Team
6:30 PM
Contact Rev. Cindi for the Zoom link at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org or 612-998-5136

Monday, March 22, 2021
Book Club
7:30 PM
The Pastoral Care Team will host the book club during Lent. Please join us in reading and discussing WALKING THE WAY OF LOVE by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and others. We will meet on Mondays of Lent. We invite you to join us for one or any of the weeks, as your schedule and interest allows.
For more information: pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Vestry
Vestry Meetings are open to all Saint Mary’s members. The Saint Mary’s Vestry usually meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM. (Note: If you are a member of Saint Mary’s and would like to attend this meeting via Zoom, please contact Jim DeLuca or Caroline Kaker for the Zoom access code at wardens@saintmaryepiscopal.org)

Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Adult Choir
7:00 PM
If you would like to join us, or have any questions, please contact
Vonda at musicdirector@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Thursday, March 25, 2021
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information. Click here to contact Julie

Thursday, March 25, 2021
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service Via Zoom
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00 PM
Link

Sunday School Online:
MiaLisa McFarland Millares will send out an email with readings, activities,
and links for videos and discussions to all on our Constant Contact list.
If you receive this email, you are on the list.

Visit the St. Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.

Family, Children & Youth Programming March 13-March 20

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Winter/ Spring Children’s and Youth Programming 2021

Dear All:
 
Here is your informational email on all Children’s and Youth events for the week.
This email has in it Sunday School options, Tweeners and Youth Group information.
 
*PLEASE NOTE THE LINKS WILL NOT BE SHARED ON THE WEBSITE. PLEASE REFER TO THE EMAILED INFORMATION OR CONTACT MIALISA FOR THE LINK AT MIALISA@SAINTMARYSEPISCOPAL.ORG*
 
Sunday School Options for Families: 
 
Option #1 Sundays from 9:00-9:45am
 
Option #2 Parent Led
 
 
  • Lent Activities– check out this link for Lent and Easter fun and activities!
 
Tweeners
Tweeners –we finished the scavenger hunt Julia Nerbonne put together and started filming some footage for the Easter Vigil. We will continue working on the Easter Vigil next week!
 
I look forward to seeing what is shared next week!
 
Youth Group
We had a reflective Lent discussion last week and plan to continue getting to know each other better through discussion this coming week!
  • Parents please make certain that your youth is participating in your presence (ie not locked in a room). We may have youth break into breakout rooms in groups of three and will not have an adult for each section. According to Safe Church, this is okay so long as youth are in a space where they are all alone.
 
 
 
Blessings
MiaLisa McFarland Millares
Children’s and Youth Director
Saint Mary‘s Episcopal Church

Saint Mary’s Weekly – March 11, 2021

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Weekly Worship Service
Sunday, March 14, 2021
Worship via Zoom with Coffee Hour to Follow – 10:00 AM

This Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent, we’ll use the Lenten pattern we started on Lent 1. Announcements will continue at the beginning of the service; there will be fewer voices and less music; there will be moments of silence and a question posed for us to reflect on and share thoughts with others during our first breakout time. The Rev. Carol Arney will be our preacher.

  • First Reading: Numbers 21:4-9
  • Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
  • Second Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10
  • Gospel: John 3:14-21

For the Zoom worship service on March 14, 2021 CLICK HERE
If asked for a passcode, enter 657179
If asked for a meeting ID, enter 915 5954 9145

To join by cell phone only (voice only, no video),
call: 312-626-6799
Enter Meeting ID 915 5954 9145
If asked for a passcode, use 657179

For the Lent 4 Service Bulletin – CLICK HERE
For 2021 Lent Music Bulletin – CLICK HERE

Worship Team

Liturgy Matters at St Mary’s by the Rev. Susan M. Moss

This week, for your consideration, I’m sharing an excerpt from a recent post by The Episcopal Church Foundation called Hybrid Church-A Way Forward for Church Leaders by The Rev. Tim Schenck.

…In reflecting on what a post-pandemic church will look look, I was struck by a comment made during our online clergy conference for the Diocese of Massachusetts this year by Dr. Melissa Perrin, a clinical psychologist from Chicago. She talked about the distinction between resuscitation and resurrection. It’s not a new concept, but it’s one that feels particularly relevant as we begin to look towards the future. To resuscitate someone, or in this case an institution, is to bring it back to what it once once. It’s to revive something and attempt to return it to its former state. Resurrection, however, is different. It acknowledges that after a life-altering experience, things will never be the same. Resurrection by definition implies death. Certain things must die in order for new life to take hold. Following, say, a pandemic in which everything we’ve known and clung to for generations has been flipped over, you can attempt a resuscitation. But even if you’re able to temporarily resuscitate an organization, it will eventually still fade away. That’s simply the nature of resuscitation — it’s not a permanent solution. Resurrection, rather than resuscitation, is the model I believe the church must embrace in order to move forward in a post-pandemic world. As much as we might hope for it to be so, things will never fully return to the way they once were — not fully anyway. And so we must reflect upon that which has died, name it, grieve it, and then embrace new models of being church in the days, months, and years ahead. As disconcerting as this may be, there is hope in resurrection. There’s a reason resurrection is the very bedrock of our faith. Resurrection can be as scary as it is life-giving. Think about those first disciples who came face-to-face with the resurrected Jesus. They were terrified! Indeed, at one point they thought they had seen a ghost. But once they embraced and moved past the fear, a new way of being unfolded before their very eyes; a new freedom rooted in salvation emerged. This is helpful to keep in mind as we enter what may well be a destabilizing period of death and resurrection

The open question of resuscitation vs. resurrection demands that we ask ourselves whether we will seek to return to the model of “the way it’s always been” or whether we will allow the Spirit to break open our hearts to new ways of being church?

What’s New?

  • To listen to the Sunday, March 7 sermon by Rev. Susan Moss, CLICK HERE.
  • Although we won’t be meeting in person, the Worship Team is planning ways we can walk through Holy Week together. Holy week bags will help us do that. The bags will contain directions for setting up a prayer alter at home, reading material and objects that will bring to mind the events of Holy Week. Bags can be picked up at St. Mary’s the afternoon of Saturday, March 27th or they can be delivered to your home that afternoon! If you’d like a Holy Week bag, please email to pastoral care email address indicating how many palms you want and if you’ll pick up your bag or would like it delivered. (If you’d like delivery, please include your address and phone number.)
  • Would you like to safely (masked and practicing social distancing) deliver Holy Week bags to parishioners on Saturday, March 27th? If so, please send an email to the Worship Team using the feedback email shown below.
  • Worship plans during Holy Week:
    • Palm Sunday (3/28/21) is being planned and will include a virtual procession in your home with palms to wave.
    • Maundy Thursday: St. Mary’s is invited to join Christ Church in Woodbury (foot washing at home) or St. Anne’s Church in Sunfish Lake via Zoom at their 7pm services.
    • Good Friday: A 7pm service is being discussed, either planned by St. Mary’s or joining another congregation.
    • Easter Vigil: Planning for a 4pm Children’s Easter Vigil is underway.
    • Easter morning, one service at 10am, planned by St. Mary’s Worship Team.
  • As you can tell, there’s lots of planning going on! And right on the heels of Holy Week is Easter season to plan for. If you have an interest in worship and would like to help shape worship during the Easter season, please use the feedback link below to let us know of your interest. There is always room for new voices and fresh perspectives! The Worship Team meets from 4:30-6:00pm on Saturdays.

Feedback is welcome!
We welcome your feedback and recommendations about worship services.

CLICK HERE to give feedback. Thanks!

2021 Sundays in Lent – Images

The Worship Team would like images to screen share during “Moments of Silence” during our 5 Sundays in Lent. If you have images of any kind (drawings, paintings, photos, videos, stained glass, mosaic, etc.) that conjure up thoughts of God’s Promises as indicated below…and you’d like to share them with the St Mary’s community…please send them to Brian Nerbonne at Michigander_guy@yahoo.com by the Friday before the Sunday they would be used. If you’d like to read the lessons to get your creative juices flowing, check lectionarypage.net website.

03/14/2021
God’s Promise – whining Israelites, still God
saves them from the snakes when they turn to
him.
God’s gift of grace to faithful. God sacrifices
Jesus (Son), a gift for us.
Light comes to save.

03/21/2021
God’s Promise – a new covenant with Israel
Jesus as man suffered, through this suffering
and obedience he became salvation.
Jesus must die like the wheat grain in order to
bear much fruit – so we can believe.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Calendar for March & April 2021:

Pastoral Care Team
Mondays at 6:30 PM, ongoing

Lent Book Club: WALKING THE WAY OF LOVE on Mondays during Lent at 7:30 PM

Healing Circle
Tuesday, March 30 7:00 PM

Caring for an Aging Loved One
Tuesday, April 6, and each first Tuesday at 7:00 PM: ongoing

Evening Prayer (Elders or NOT!)
Tuesday April 13, and each second Tuesday of the month, ongoing
8:00 PM this is a change to a once a month format and an invitation for all to join us.
Evening Prayer Rite 2 from the BCP reach out to Rev Cindi for the Link, or if you need a Book of Common Prayer

Coffee & Conversation
Wed. April 14, and each second Wednesday of the month, ongoing
10 AM / 7 PM reach out to Rev. Cindi to reserve a time and get the link

LGBTQ+ Community
Monday, April 19, and each third Monday, ongoing
6:30 PM meets monthly for reflective conversation and community building

We have launched our new Prayer Chain, a ministry that anyone can support!
Please contact Rev. Cindi if you would like to be included among those praying for
the needs of St. Marians or if you have a prayer request. (No meeting required)

You are invited to join any of these events:
Reach out to Reverend Cindi Brickson at
pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org for a Zoom link

For confidential prayer requests, reach out to Rev. Cindi at pastoralcare@saintmarysepiscopal.org

Update From Your Search Committee

1. Curious about our next steps? Questions about this whole process? Thoughts to share about your hopes for the future? Join the Search Committee from 9:15-9:45 am (BEFORE the service) on the first Sunday of every month, for the discernable future. A few of us will be hanging out in zoom, and we’re delighted to chat with you!

2. All materials to be able to post our open Rector position have been submitted to ECMN for publication! Thanks for all the ways you in our community have shared your experiences of our past and hopes for the future, as we prepare to step into that future together!

3. The final version of the “OTM” (the character-limited form that is input into the database of open positions) can be found