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The 12th Week after Pentecost          +          15 August 2013
PARISH KALENDAR
Thursday, August 15
  9:30a  Holy Folders
12:30p Mere Christianity Study
  7:00p  St. Columba Choir  

Sunday, August 18
  7:45a  Rite I Mass
  8:30a Parish Breakfast
  9:00a  Mass
10:00a Parish Breakfast
11:15a  Mass
  1:00p  Vestry Retreat
  
Wednesday, August 21
   5:15p Chorister Rehearsal 
 
Thursday, August 22
  9:30a  Holy Folders
12:30p  Mere Christianity Study
  7:00p  St. Columba Choir 
 
 Looking Ahead:
Sunday, August 25
  10:00a - Sunday School
       Teacher Meeting (#101)
  12:30p - Acolyte & Parent
       Meeting (church)
 

   

Parish Office Hours
Monday-Thursday
9:30 am  -  5:00 pm 
(Closed Fridays)
 

 

 
3rd Sunday Parish Breakfast
This Sunday, August 18
Pancake Supper
     The Knights of Columba will be serving breakfast this coming Sunday, August 18 from 8:30 until 11:00 am.  The cost is only $3 per person with a maximum cost of $10 per family.
     The Knights of Columba serve breakfast on the 3rd Sunday of each month.  They have openings on all breakfast teams.  All men of the parish are warmly invited to join.  The rotation of the team schedule has each team serving only 2 or 3 times a year, so it's an easy commitment and the fellowship is unbeatable! 
     For more information about the Knights of Columba, just speak with one of the guys in the kitchen this Sunday!

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   THE PARISH POST
The Weekly Online Newsletter of St. Columba's

Parish 10th Anniversary Celebration & Rally Day
Sunday, September 8
Bishop-Wright
The Rt Rev'd Robert Wright
10th Bishop 
of Atlanta
The day we've all been looking forward to all summer is nearly here!  Rally Sunday this year will be a special one for us all.  September 8 will not only launch another fantastic year of Sunday school for children, teenagers, and adults, but it will also mark our 10th anniversary as a parish.  Ten years ago, on September 3, 2003, over 500 people crowded into the cafeteria of South Forsyth Middle School for the first Mass of the newest parish of the Diocese of Atlanta.  We've had ten exciting and Spirit-filled years together!  September 8 we will give thanks to God for the many blessings we've shared together and begin a new chapter in our common life together as a parish family.  Bishop Wright will be with us as our celebrant and preacher for the 9:00 and 11:15 Masses.  The St. Columba Choir and the St. Columba Choristers will join together for these two Masses and be accompanied by Premiere Brass, one of the finest brass ensembles in Atlanta.  The morning will be filled with incredible music and we'll end Mass with the ancient tradition of singing a Solemn Te Deum.  Sunday school will resume and a parish luncheon will conclude the celebration at 12:30pm. 
Click Here for more information and a full schedule

Upcoming Events
Parish Workday Scheduled
Saturday, August 24 8:00am - 12:00 noon
Join us on Saturday, August 24 for a parish workday to help spruce our grounds and prepare the church and Sunday school classrooms for Rally Sunday and the Bishop's Visitation that will mark our 10th anniversary as a parish!  There will be projects of all kinds, so everyone is invited!  Bring your trimmers, rakes, clippers, and edgers...and for those not called to gardening, we'll have projects inside as well.  Lunch will be served around noon.  If you have any questions, contact Gordon Ralph or call the parish office.

Golf Outing at Olde Atlanta Club
September 26 @ 10:00 am
It's time for our annual Golf Outing fundraiser!  Rescheduled from this Spring, our Golf Outing will be September 26 beginning at 10:00 am.  Registration is underway and information is available at the Welcome Table on Sunday mornings or on the parish website.  This will be a great day of golf, prizes, fellowship and more.
>> CLICK HERE for more
info & online registration


Parish News & Announcements
Sunday School Teachers Needed
 Teacher Meeting August 25 at 10:10 am
    Sunday school will begin on September 8 with Rally Sunday.  August is the time of year when we gather volunteers who will teach Sunday school for the coming year.  If you are interested in becoming part of this vital ministry and helping in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program (PreK through 4th grades); the Living the Good News program (5th Grade), or Journey to Adulthood program (middle school and high school), please speak with Kristin Weems, Easton Davis, or Father Tripp. 
We will have a teacher meeting on August 25 at 10:10 in Atrium I (cottage #101).  We have a thriving and growing Sunday school and youth ministry program because of the wonderful volunteers we've had in the past.  Please help us continue providing such a wonderful ministry by volunteering to teach Sunday school this year!

Sunday School Registration Underway
     As we make final preparations for the beginning of this year of Sunday school, we need each family to register children and teenagers so we can anticipate the size of each class. 
     As teenagers are registered, we are asking for active email addresses for them.  Youth ministry news and announcements are emailed to each teen and their parents at the beginning of every week.  So having current, up to date contact information is essential.  If you have any questions, please speak with Easton Davis.
Registration forms are in the Sunday bulletin or you can register online (click here).

Acolyte & Parent Meeting
Acolyte-training August 25 at 12:30 pm
     As we return to our regular Sunday schedule this weekend, we are in need of new acolytes.  If you are interested in becoming an acolyte and are in the 3rd through 12th grade, then we'd love to have you join this ministry! 
     All acolytes (current and new) and their parents are asked to meet after church on Sunday, August 25 at 12:30pm for an orientation for anyone looking to join the acolyte team and discuss scheduling for the 9:00 and 11:15 Masses.  Acolyte ministry is open to all those in the parish who are in the 3rd through 12th grades.  Parents are asked to attend this important meeting also.  Pizza will be served in the kitchen following our meeting.

FEAST Group Sign Ups Underway
September 21 at 6:30pm, Kick Off Social
     Looking to join a small group where you can develop close friendships and grow in your faith as you share a meal together?  If so, then FEAST Groups are for you!  FEAST stands for Friends Eating And Sharing Together and are made up of 8-10 adults (both singles and couples) from the parish.  They meet for a meal about once a month.  The Fall session runs from September - February and the Winter/Spring session runs from February - May (and into the summer if the group chooses).  Sign ups are held each August and February.  You can sign up at the Welcome Table or via email by contacting Linda Williams or Sandra Sirmon. 
>> Click Here for full details or to sign up online.

Scenic Blue Ridge Scenic Railway Trip
November 4
     The Let There Be Light group and the Holy Oldies group are sponsoring a trip on November 4 touring Blue Ridge via the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway!  There is a $5 deposit to reserve your spot in the group and the total cost of the trip is estimated to be approximately $35-40, depending on the size of group we have.  For more information or details, contact Wendy or Jim Lambert or Jim Edwards.

Outreach Ministry
Rainbow Village Ministry
     Our "Welcome Home Kitchen Boxes" project continues to grow.  The response has been wonderful!  Rainbow Village is a ministry of the Episcopal Church and supported by parishes of our Diocese.  You can help this vital ministry by providing household items that will be given to families as they get back on their feet and rebuild their lives.  Most of the heads of household at Rainbow Village are women who have fled lives full of domestic violence and poverty. Breaking the cycles of homelessness, poverty and domestic violence requires that children learn how to live self-sufficient lives.  
     To contribute to this outreach project please visit the display in the narthex.  All donations need to be returned by Sunday, September 8. 
>> Click Here for more information about
Rainbow Village and to learn how you can help

 

Prayer Shawl Ministry
prayer-shawl      There will be a combined meeting of the Prayer Shawl Ministry and the Guild of St. Rose on Friday, August 23, at 10:00 am. We will meet at church to organize the shawls for their blessing on August 25th at the 11:15 Mass.
     For more information or to join us, please contact Judy Moorman (770-205-8534) or Bonnie Moore (678-513-0844).

 

Food Pantry Support
Through the efforts of Vacation Bible School participants and other donations within July, St. Columba's was able to collect an amazing 641 pounds of food for the month, 419 pounds from VBS being delivered to Emmaus House and 222 pounds from the rest of the month being delivered to The Place of Forsyth County - wow!!  Your continued efforts in this area are definitely appreciated!  We will be providing August's donations to The Place of Forsyth County, collecting food each week leading up to the 3rd Sunday of the month (August 18th - Breakfast Sunday) which is the official collection day for the month.  URGENT needs are Tuna helper and Parmalat/Borden's or Hershey's boxed milk.  Other needs include canned soups and vegetables and anything that can be stored for a long period of time.  Donations can be placed in the tub located next to the welcome table in the narthex.  Please begin or continue to help in this effort to assist local families in need - thank you!

St. Columba's Church
939 James Burgess Road
Suwanee, Georgia  30024
(770) 888-4464