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.