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The Shamrock
February 25, 2015
 
Dear Friends,

The parish will be closed for all activities  beginning at 3:00 p.m. today (Wednesday, Feb. 25) due to the winter storm forecast.
We will reopen when DeKalb County Schools reopen.

The Lenten Program this evening with Bishop Don Wimberly will be rescheduled.
In This Issue
Centering Prayer
Coming Events
Parish Happenings
Christian Formation
Outreach
Income Summary
This Week at St. Patrick's



PARISH BIRTHDAYS:

March

1-Brent Temple, Noah Alexander, 2- Marie Seay, Mike Brunson, 4-Emily Judge, 5-Grace Barrett, 6-Marigold Watson, Harrison Hope, Claire Wilson, 7-Bill Hunt, Susan Roberts, 8-Katy Thirey, 10-Bonnie Stephenson, Claire Mazewski, 11-Ray Warren, Meredith Harper, Neal Yates, 13-Peter Rhodes, Jasmine Hutt, 14-Marcia Hutchins, Sherri Taylor, 15-CaTherine Brantley, Dorothy Brantley,  17-Alice Kamman, Patti Halstead-Jude, Ramsay Hall, 18-John Lauber, 19-Rosemarie Charles, 20-Rick Rasche, Teresa Hoyt, 20-JC Boyanton, Christian Warren, 21-Mimi Hunt, Lander Stoddard, Jacqueline Davis, 22-Cowen Harter, Mychal Walker, 24-Steve Barrett, 25-Alex Watkins, Drew Yates, 26-Allison Game, 29-Joey Main, 30-George Birdsong, Jake Farley


Happy birthday!

 


 Patty's Porch

 

 

 

Lenten Greeting from the Presiding Bishop: Click here to watch a video Lenten greeting from the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori. 

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Stewardship: Pledge cards for the 2015 Operating Budget are available in the office and  you can find a printable pledge card here.
Pledge cards should be returned to the parish office. "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Cor. 9:7 

 

Want to Join St. Patrick's? Please  email Amanda Vaughn or call her at 770-455-6523 for more information.

 

STAY CONNECTED

Contact us:

The office is open Monday - Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The phone number is 770-455-6523.

 

Deadline for submitting news items for The Shamrock and bulletin is noon Tuesdays. Send news and photos to [email protected]. Most news items will run for two weeks. 

 

The Shamrock is published weekly. It is distributed most Wednesdays.

 

All content submitted is subject to editing. 

 

Contact: Amanda Vaughn, Director of Communications, 770-455-6523 or [email protected]

Out and About in the Diocese of Atlanta    
Want to stay current on all the events going on in the Diocese of Atlanta? Click here to sign up for Connecting, the Diocesan email newsletter. Visit their website here.

 

"Our awakening to the presence and action of the Spirit is the unfolding of Christ's resurrection in us."

 

            ---Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart

 

This is the heart of Centering Prayer. It is a practice of opening ourselves again and again and again to the presence and action of the Spirit within us, a Spirit closer than our very breath. It is one of the most transformative practices I know, especially when practiced with regular intentionality. It is also one of the most welcoming places I know to go in prayer.

 

This is not to say that Centering Prayer is easy or simple, though at the same time there is great simplicity to it. It is to say that it is deep, transformative soul work. The slow growth kind of soul work, like the growth of the wild hickory or the majestic oak (sound familiar?).

 

So it is with great depth of joy that we are offering two times of Centering Prayer here at St. Pat's: Mondays at 1 p.m. and Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Both times will meet in the library. All are welcome. All are welcome. Whether you are a long time practitioner, or new to the practice, or somewhere in between, all are welcome and received with great joy.

 

Our gatherings will last one hour. The first ten minutes are a welcome and an introduction to the practice for those who are new or refreshing their memory, and/or a brief reading to support the practice of us all. Then we will sit for 20 to 30 minutes depending on the readiness of the group. And finally, for those who would like to stay, we will have a time to debrief, to share our experiences as desired, and to ask further questions.

 

If you are unable to make either of these times but would like to learn more about Centering Prayer and it's practice, please let me know, and we can schedule a time together. This would be a delight and joy.

 

I see the light of Christ in you!

 

With much love and many prayers,

Julia

 



Children getting ready for the Great Litany on the First Sunday in Lent



 
COMING EVENTS

 

 

March 1
The Gathering
March 6-8
Ministry Architects Here
March 6-8
Spring Arts Retreat

March 8

 

Acolyte Round Up

 

March 14, 6-11 p.m.
St. Patrick's Day Open House at Game's
March 15
Hunger Walk
March 15
Garden Club Meeting
March 22 at 12:30 p.m.
Vestry Meeting
March 22 at 5 p.m.
Celebration Eucharist


 

 

 

PARISH HAPPENINGS

 

 

Hunger Walk: We will celebrate our Patronal Feast Day this year on Sunday, March 15! How will we celebrate it? We are going to Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk, Together, all in, for the Hunger Walk! Adults, youth,  grandparents, singles, children, grab your walking shoes and join the Malachi's Miracle Makers team! We will feed you lunch in the Parish Hall after church and then all caravan to Turner Field to walk as a team! Click the photo above to go to the registration page, and please read more in the "Outreach" section of this newsletter about how to sign up to walk the walk or donate to the team.

 

Vestry Retreat: Please pray for our clergy and vestry who are on retreat at Camp Hinton in Hayesville, NC this weekend. 

 

Congratulations to the Toths: We welcome Sage, granddaughter of Ginger and Tim Toth, who was born on Feb. 21.        

 

 

Wonderful Wednesdays in Lent - The Color Purple: Episcopal Reflections from the Wilderness: The Bishops are coming, Wednesday nights during Lent. 
  • March 4 The Rt. Rev. Rob Wright
  • March 11   The Rt. Rev. Keith Whitmore
  • March 18 The Rt. Rev. Frank Allan  
  • March 25 The Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander

6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Parish Family Dinner and Study

Wednesday nights begin with dinner in our Parish Hall! Dinner is served at 6:00 p.m., 6:45 evening liturgy in the nave, program at 7:00 p.m. Adult meals are $7, Youth and Children (3-12 years of age) are $5, with a Family Maximum of $20.  

 

Please email Amanda Vaughn to make your dinner reservation by noon the Monday before. Childcare, at no charge, is available by reservation through the church office by the Monday before.

The Gathering - March 1 5:00 p.m. in Parish Hall:
A contemplative and progressive gathering with prayer and poetry... music, guided meditation, and silence... Inspired by wisdom traditions, modern Celtic spirituality, and natural spirituality. Music by Ramsay and friends. This is an *OPEN* invitation to all ages, for anyone who may enjoy an off-center, earthy and experiential approach to gathered spirituality.

Acolyte Round Up and Pizza Party, March 8 after church!

Calling all 3rd through 12th graders, acolytes new, old and interested. Join us after the 10:30 on March 8 for a brief training tune up with our vergers and a pizza party. Parents and clergy will meet at the fireside during the training in the nave for some organization and dreaming before our Italian Feast. RSVP to Amanda Vaughn 

by Friday, March 6, so we know you are coming - and let us know of any dietary restrictions!


Planning for Our Youth & Children:
We value the children of our church, and we are committed to building sustainable youth and children's ministries that are going to have a deep impact. That's why we are developing a game plan together. We have invited Ministry Architects to 
visit us March 6-8, 2015.  (Learn more about them here).

Ministry Architects will spend the majority of their time listening to a variety of groups within the church through focused listening groups. After spending 2 days in these listening groups, the Ministry Architects team will hunker down to write a report, sharing with us what they've heard about the youth and children's ministries. On March 8 at 6:00 p.m., the report will be presented to the congregation laying out specific recommendations and a blueprint for how to move forward.  If you would like to be part of this process and have your voice heard, please contact Mother Sarah at  770-455-6523 or email her here. All are invited to attend one session of the listening groups. You may sign up on line, by clicking here.

Spring Art Retreat March 6-8:
 Save the Date! Spring Art Retreat March 6-8 at Red Top Mt. State Park. Registration is $135 for the whole weekend ($60 by Sunday, Mar. 1 will save your spot), including food. No special projects are planned so we can all relax, spend some quiet time with our creator and create to our hearts content. As usual, scholarships are available. You may arrive as early as 2:00 pm.
  • Some are stopping by the Marietta Museum of Art on Friday night at 7:00 to take in the Trilogy Art Show where several St. Patrick's members are showing their art which are interpretations of  "The Soul". All are invited to this show whether you are going to the art retreat or not.

Contact Diane Rankin or Nancy Dusenberry for info.

Shamrocks  

St. Patrick's Day Open House at the Game's - March 14: Join us for a  celebration of our feast day from 6 - 11 p.m. 

Garden Club Meeting March 15: The garden club will meet at 12:30 p.m. on March 15 in the Gathering Room.

Celebration Worship Service - March 22, 5:00 p.m. in Parish Hall: Mark your calendars for a wonderful evenings of praise and celebration. It will include a homily and communion. Help us spread the word by inviting friends, old and new, to worship with us in this casual and open-hearted way.  

 

Parish Retreat Survey: We'd like to know what you think about a parish retreat in the near future! Please click here to take the survey so we can get a feel for the interest and best times to go away and be a community on retreat.

 

Add a description Kids Summer Camp at St Patrick's: July 20-24, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Save the Date! Kids Summer Camp at St Patrick's is coming! July 20-24, 9AM-5PM. All rising K-rising 5th graders are welcome! Watch for details in this space. For more information, please contact the Rev. Julia Rusling or Mo. Sarah Fisher.
 

Victoria Schwartz Article: Our very own CGS director Victoria  Schwartz was featured in an article in the AJC Pulse about caregiving for the caregiver. Click here to read it (see pages 8-9). 
 

Name tags: Remember, wear your name tag when you come to St. nametag Patrick's! They're hanging alphabetically on the name tag board. Each Sunday the board can be found in the narthex. Otherwise it lives in the back hallway. If you need a nametag, please email Amanda Vaughn or fill out the form that can be found Sunday mornings in the narthex on the stand next to the visitor's book.



CHRISTIAN FORMATION


 

 

 

Nursery (newborn - 4 yrs old) - 9:00 a.m. 

 

Children (ages 2 � - 11)  Catechesis of the Good Shepherd - 9:00 a.m. 

 

Youth - Rite 13, J2A, and YEA meet at 9:00 a.m.  

 

Adults - 9:15 a.m.  

Lent

February 22 - March 29

            

CELEBRATION OF DISCIPLINE
Chapel, led by the Rev. Game, the Rev. Fisher, and the Rev. Rusling

For our spiritual enrichment during Lent, we will explore Richard J. Foster's Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. Hailed by many as the best modern book on Christian spirituality, this text explores the central spiritual practices of Christianity showing how each discipline contributes to a balanced spiritual life.  

 

Scripture Study Class and Roundtable Discussion Group are

suspended during Lent so that class members can

attend the Celebration of Discipline class.

 

PAINTING LOOKING UP

Art Lab, led by Nancy Dusenberry and Diane Rankin

Do you have fantastic dreams that you'd like to keep as teachers? Memories that you'd like to freeze in time and revisit? We begin with a meditation time to "call up" and focus our chosen images, talk a bit, and sketch. Subsequent weeks are spent producing and resolving. No prior experience needed.

 

DREAMS: LISTENING TO GOD

Library, led by Brenda Marquis and Kendra Yates

The Dream Group provides a safe and sacred space to share dreams and help participants find spiritual fulfillment in them. Participants are also helped to discern what God might be telling them in "God's forgotten language." Every week varies according to who attends and the dream selected for discussion.

 

Adult Christian Formation classes for Lent - Eastertide 2015: Click here to see the full schedule and see which one interests you.  

 


 
OUTREACH


 

 

 

    Malachis web logo

 

 

 

Hunger Walk - March 15: Join us as we are forming our team 
of Malachi's Miracle Makers! Please sign up to walk, sign up to donate, sign up to do both! The hunger walk is Malachi's largest fundraiser of the year! Your donation gets us credit at the Atlanta Community Food Bank to purchase food for Malachi's at .16 a pound. Our goal this year is $20,000! We are very excited and would love for you to join us in body or spirit!

Click here to donate and/or join the team!

 

 

Lenten Meditations: This years'  issue of Episcopal Relief & Development's (ERD) Lenten Meditations includes the voices of leaders throughout the Anglican Communion who have personal insights into the impact of our work. They were asked to focus on some core statements that are the basis of the work of ERD. Those statements are:

* I believe that everyone should have access

   to clean water.

* I believe that no one should go hungry.

* I believe that all children and families deserve

a healthy start in life.

* I believe that no one should live in poverty.

* I believe that together we can heal a hurting world.

These booklets are available at St. Patrick's and can be found online here.

Please contact James Tola for any questions on how you can be the agent of change through ER&D. Email him here or call at 678.467.2222.


   

   

 

     INCOME SUMMARY     

 

 

Actual Income (Adjusted) - YTD*
Budgeted Income - YTD
 Year to Date Difference: Actual - Budgeted
Projected Year End Difference

Projected Year End Difference (% of Annual Budget)
$60,939
$74,536
($13,596)
($88,375)
-18.2%
* : pre-payments of pledge values have been annualized






 

 

CALENDAR   

 

 

This Week at St. Patrick's

 

For more detailed information, please check the website. If you are not on the weekly Shamrocks email list and would like to be, please email Amanda Vaughn.    

                                    

Thursday, 2/26             

12:30 p.m.          Holy Spirit Prayer Group, Library  

6:00 p.m.            Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Kitchen & PH 

8:00 p.m.            The Male Room (AA - Men only), Room 14

 

Friday, 2/27

6:00 p.m.           Vestry Retreat, Camp Hinton  

8:00 p.m.           The Dunwoody North Group (AA), Room 9

 

Saturday, 2/28

Vestry Retreat, Camp Hinton   

11:00 a.m.         Parish Hall/Kitchen Reserved, Outside Group 

12:30 p.m.         Shine a Light Ministry Meeting, Library 

 

Sunday, 3/1                                                 

Vestry Retreat, Camp Hinton 

8:00 a.m.            Holy Eucharist, Chapel    

9:00 a.m.            CGS and Youth classes

9:15 a.m.            Adult Christian Formation classes 

10:30 a.m.          Holy Eucharist, Nave

 

12:30 p.m.          Hospitality House
5:00 pm.             The Gathering, Parish Hall

 

Monday, 3/2                              

9:30 a.m.           Tai Chi, Parish Hall

11:00 a.m.          Staff Meeting, Room 1   

1:00 p.m.            Centering Prayer, Library   

7:00 p.m.            EfM, Room 8 

7:00 p.m.            Men's Accountability Group, Room 1

8:00 p.m.            AA (open), Room 14

  

Tuesday, 3/3        

6:45 a.m.            Men's Prayer Group, Room 8 

10:00 a.m.          Centering Prayer, Library  

6:00 p.m.            German Ensemble, Choir Room      

  

Wednesday, 3/4           

11:00 a.m.          Malachi's Storehouse, Parish Hall     

12:15 p.m.          Healing and Eucharist Service, Chapel    

6:00 p.m.            Wonderful Wednesday Dinner

6:45 p.m.            Wonderful Wed. Liturgy, Nave 

7:00 p.m.            Wonderful Wed. Bishop Lenten Series, Nave  

 

Thursday, 3/5 

12:30 p.m.         Holy Spirit Prayer Group, Library  

8:00 p.m.            The Male Room (AA - Men only), Room 14

 

Friday, 3/6 

Ministry Architects Meetings 

8:00 p.m.           The Dunwoody North Group (AA), Room 9

 

Saturday, 3/7 

Ministry Architects Meetings  

9:00 a.m.           Malachi's Mobile Food Pantry            

 

Sunday, 3/8   

8:00 a.m.            Holy Eucharist, Chapel    

9:00 a.m.            CGS and Youth classes

9:15 a.m.            Adult Christian Formation classes 

10:30 a.m.          Holy Eucharist, Nave
12:00 p.m.          Acolyte/Verger Training, Nave
12:15 p.m.          Stephen Ministry Meeting,Room 8
12:30 p.m.          Hospitality House
6:00 p.m.            Ministry Architects Report, Nave