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.
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.
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!)
- Youth Group, Tweeners, Sunday School, and More!
- Did you miss the Talent Show or want to watch it again?
Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Worship Team
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
- 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!
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
St. Mary’s Children’s and Youth for Fall
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.