School for Deacons Sunday Today, our parish says goodbye to our beloved deacon, Rev. Pamela Moore, who is moving on to a new form of diaconal ministry. Pamela is a graduate of the School for Deacons in Berkeley, which for 30 years has trained over 300 deacons "to minister in Christ's name to the poor, the sick, the suffering, and the helpless" (BCP p.510), and to keep parishes mindful of the world's needs. SfD Sundays are being held this fall to make the school known to potential students and to inspire support for the school. More than 2/3 of the school's support comes from diocesan and church budgets and individual gifts. Please use the envelope insert in your bulletin to make a gift to the School for Deacons today or take it home to use later. If you want to learn more, visit the school's website at www.sfd.edu.
Guild of the Incarnation's Annual Mini Bazaar - TODAY November 21. After all services. Come shop for fabulous items! The ladies of the Guild have spent months preparing handmade goodies just for you. Please come see the one-of-a-kind items, available only at this once-a-year fundraiser. Also, buy some raffle tickets to win: a beautiful tree skirt or gift certificate to Stark Restaurant Group of Sonoma County. Tickets are on sale from Guild members today, during coffee hour. Price: $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00.
Please note that the Church Office will be closed on Thursday, November 25, and Friday, November 26. Happy Thanksgiving!
ALL-PARISH ADVENT PARTY! Light your inner candle: come join us Saturday, November 27 from 5-7 pm. We'll share the light of hope and renewal together, amidst fun and fellowship. Make an Advent wreath (roll your own beeswax candles!), make Christingles, and enjoy yummy goodies. This year we offer some new surprises! Fun for all ages - come see for yourself! We do ask that you RSVP to Daphne (youthmin@incarnation-sr.org or 707-579-2604 ext. 106) by Tuesday, November 23 if you're coming, so we know how many Advent wreath kits to buy. Please find Advent wreath kit sign up flyers in Farlander Hall, on the square table. Come join the fun, for a beautiful kickoff for the season of Advent.
The Newsletter has been snail mailed and emailed, but if you would like a hard copy, pick one up in Farlander Hall or in the Church Office during our business hours.
Thank you, good and faithful servants! (Matthew 25:21) Thanks to all the folks who helped put the photo directory together, especially Stephanie Blair, whose leadership and commitment to this project carried the day! It's impossible to overestimate the amount of work that goes into putting these directories together. From initial meetings with the company to scheduling all the photos to lay-out and final distribution, and countless steps in between, our crew did a masterful job and the directories are very beautiful. Special thanks to: Amy Nykamp, John Nykamp, Linelle Lane, Alice Macondray, and all of our hospitality volunteers.
Pregnant with Possibility: Poetry, Prayer and Mandalas
Exploring the Sacred Circle
Friday, December 3 to Sunday, December 5, 2010
Fee: $240 Double Occ./$290 Single Occ., per person
(includes lodging, meals and materials)
Advent is a time of sacred circle when we prepare to welcome the gift of new life. We'll enter this sacred time through the reading of poetry and the making of mandalas; we will worship in chant, prayer and silence. We'll consider how the Spirit spirals through the circles of our own lives. You don't need to be an artist or a poet to explore the spirit in the visual, the spoken, and the unspoken. The retreat will include time for rest and relaxation, and time to follow your own path within the sacred circle. We'll be staying at the Ranch House and enjoying the beautiful setting and wonderful cuisine of The Bishop's Ranch. Retreat Leaders: Lisa Thorpe, Ranch Resident Artist and Rev. Patricia Moore, Chaplain. For registration visit www.bishopsranch.org or contact Mark at 707-433-2440, ext 102.
Episcopal "birds of a feather" come flock together! Let's share our gratitude for God's gifts of birds, walking and community and gather from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. the morning of Saturday, December 11 for the first collective outing of birdwatchers from Episcopal churches along the lower Highway 101 corridor (Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Kenwood, Sebastopol). We'll explore who's feeding at the polishing water treatment ponds of Ellis Creek (and Shollenberger Park if you'd like a longer trip). Bring binoculars, scopes and field guides (and if you have extras to share with those that have none, bring them too). Meet at the ponds' recreational parking lot at 9:30 a.m. In event of heavy rain, raindate is January 1. Contact is Gail Cafferata at gail.holyfamily@sbcglobal.net. Directions: Hwy 116 east to S. McDowell, right on Cypress; when Cypress takes a hard left at "Barbara's" building (3900 Cypress), go straight instead, through the gate to the parking lot on the left. There are clean restrooms, hard gravel trails and benches to rest.
What's the Philosophy Group Doing? The philosophy group is currently reading Kierkegaard's influential work: "Fear and Trembling." This work is surprisingly accessible, but subtly rich. The philosopher Wittgenstein famously said, "Kierkegaard is too deep for me." This work is in one sense an interpretation of the story of the Binding of Isaac from Genesis 22, but it is also a philosopher's meditation on such themes as existence, moral philosophy, the relationship between the ethical and the religious, and the difficulty of being authentically religious.
Be a Via Media Facilitator. The Via Media program needs more facilitators, and this is your opportunity to share in this rewarding program. The course is one of the steps that needs to be taken by those who want to be baptized, confirmed or received into the Church. It is given as needed during the year to those who want to learn more about the Episcopal Church and its open and diverse theology. The course has seven weekly classes that feature stimulating discussions about the church and Christianity. The classes start with a simple meal and prayer and provide a chance to get to know new Church community members well. Contact Mitch Garcia at smallgroups@incarnation-sr.org or call 707-703-4162.
From the Pastoral Care Ministry: Do you know a shut-in or of someone who may be recovering from an illness or surgery and would be cheered by a note or a card from Incarnation? Please call Diane Bruce at 707-838-8676 and she will send a card.
Volunteers needed! Have you ever thought about volunteering in the Church Office? Please contact Claire at 707-579-2604 ext. 104 or email Claire@incarnation-sr.org for more info. If you want to help but can't commit to a weekly time slot, you could put yourself on the list to fill in if needed. Thank you, volunteers! You make our lives MUCH easier, and getting to know you is great fun!
