St. Martin's Newsletter
   Weekly E-News   January 30, 2015

Worship Schedule
Sunday
8am and 10am
Holy Eucharist
9:45am Nursery
Tuesday-Friday
9am Morning Prayer in the Chapel
Wednesday
7am service with Holy Eucharist 
  
All winter long I have been looking forward to the first major snowfall. Well, now I have my wish and then some. If truth be told I'm feeling that I received a little more than I might have wished for. So Mother Nature, that's enough now!

 

We managed to get our Annual Meeting in before the weather turned nasty. In Sunday's sermon I presented a kind of state of the parish review. The gist of this is that we are ready for change at St. Martin's and you can read my reflection on our current situation at either www.relationalrealities.com or www.stmartinsprov.org/sermons

 

You will have followed throughout the autumn the progress of our Annual Renewal Campaign. We have an income forecast for 2015 of $523,500. Of this $351,000 comprises projected pledged income. Sean Mulholland, the Junior Warden was able to share the good news at Sunday's Annual Meeting that because of your generous response, while the number of pledges remained stable, we have now recovered from the decline in the dollar amount of pledges experienced through 2013-14. Let me express my heartfelt thanks to all our pledging members for their response to the autumn campaign.

 

Nevertheless, we enter 2015 with an operating deficit of $29,000 on an overall budget of $552,600. This is a very manageable deficit and indicates the beginnings of a good recovery in parish operating finances. However, we are not quite there in terms of entering the New Year with a balanced budget, which remains our top priority.

 

Sean Mulholland presented to the Annual Meeting a narrative on the long-term trends concerning financial giving at St. Martin's going back to 1994 and looking to the future. Over the next weeks, I want to share with you one revealing fact per week from Sean's narrative. It's helpful if we all share the same longitudinal picture of the giving trends, a picture, I might add, that will be vital for our planning for the future financial security of the parish.

 

This week's revealing fact:  We have been promised 150 pledges for 2015. Do you realize that our deficit only amounts to $193 per pledge? If all pledgers increased their support by $200 per year we would have a balanced budget.  That is, if every pledging unit increased their pledge by $4 per week, we could fully fund all of the activities that we at St. Martin's hold dear. Of our non-pledging members we estimate we have around 25 identifiable miscellaneous givers and around the same number of non-traceable cash givers. If everyone increased their giving by $4 per week we would run a surplus of $12,600!

 

Stay safe in the snow and ice and see you in church this Sunday!

 

Mark+

A Special Thank -You from the Rector

I want to thank all who contributed to the success of our Annual Meeting. My thanks to the staff: Missy and the Finance Committee and Vestry for budget preparation, Susan for logistics and planning, and Deborah for preparing the agenda and information packet.
This has been a busy time in the office!

Thank you also to the Church Wardens Elizabeth Welshman and Sean Mulholland,
the Treasurer Dennis Stark, Al Anderson our Parish Clerk, Jack Nolan, Parliamentarian, the Hospitality Committee, and so many other helpers in the kitchen.
A Message from Linda Griggs
Director of Christian Formation

We invite you to be a part of the exciting activities in our Children's Formation Program. If you would like to be kept current, please contact me at [email protected] to be added to the KidZone email list.

READINGS THIS WEEK


Deuteronomy 18: 15-20 (OT)

 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 (NT)
Mark 1:21-28 (Gospel)
Click here for this Sunday's readings.
     THIS SUNDAY

Thrifty Goose is open from 9am to 12noon
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Healing Prayers in the Chapel after the 10am service
+

Youth Group meets at 11:30am
+
Episcopal 101 training for Confirmation and Reception for teens and adults at 11:30am in the Stearns Room.

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"Say Cheese" The St. Martin's Pictorial Directory is in the works!  We will begin by taking photos SUNDAY and also on February 8th after both services.  

MORNING PRAYER
    
It is my practice to endeavor to say Morning Prayer in the Chapel of the Church at 9am   on Tuesday through Friday each week I look forward to seeing you there!
           Mark+
 
.....to Ianthe Hershberger and her dedicated committee members for organizing and preparing our delicious lunch during the Annual Meeting!
We are pleased to announce the following!

Vestry Class of 2018
 
Kate Chute
Peter Dennehy
Arline Walker (continuing) 

Diocesan Convention Delegates
John Bracken
Arline Walker
Sheila Hoogeboom

Diocesan Convention Alternate
Elke Moonan 


We need..... 

                                  
 
donations  for Saint Martin's Thrifty Goose and The Cloak closet.  All donations are tax deductible. At this time of year, we ask for any extra coats and gently used warm clothes you may have to give. Cloak volunteers contact Mary Gray at [email protected]; Thrifty volunteers contact Karen Bracken at [email protected].
+
 Coffee Hour Hosts: We have a lot of open slots. Please consider hosting Coffee Hour  
                             one Sunday. Sign up in the Great Hall on the flipchart.

 


FYI

          EVERYONE!! Check out the banner over our Chapel Window!!!

+

Gluten free Hosts are available on request at the Communion Rail

+

The 2014 Contribution Statements have been mailed.
Any questions please contact the office.


Coming Up!!

Sundays, February 1 and 8
St. Martin's Pictorial Directory Photo Sessions after both services

Sunday, February 8 at 10:00am 

We will have a special service highlighting the talents and ministries of St. Martin's younger generation. Not only will the children's choir be singing a joyful anthem, but we will have young readers, ushers and greeters as well.
Join us for this wonderful inter-generational liturgy!

+

Thursday, February 12 at 6pm   

Darrell West Lecture Series on Religion and Politics hosted by Central Congregational Church, 296 Angell Street (wine and hors d'oeuvres at 5pm)
Guest Speaker: Bank of America Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan
+

Tuesday, February 17 at 5:30pm 

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper Get all of the decadence out of your system before Lent by indulging in our pancake supper. Pancakes are cooked to order and served with bacon, sausage, juice and coffee.  Tickets: $10 individual and $30 families. Tickets are available now! Please see Linda Griggs today at Coffee Hour this Sunday

+

Saturday, February 21 from 11am-4pm   

Knitting Ministry/Potluck Lunch in the Great Hall

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Sunday, February 22 at 11:30am
Providence Village Informational Session
 
Come learn about building a Village in Providence. The Village movement is a non-profit network of support for independent seniors who want to stay in their own homes. Come find out what you can do to help make the Providence Village a reality.

St. Martin's is actively seeking to become a partner in this endeavor. Bring a friend!

 
Save the Date!
February/March
 
Sundays February 1, 8
Episcopal 101 
at 11:30am in the Stearns Room

Directory Photos in the Great Hall after both services
+
Wednesday, February 4
Vestry Retreat 5:30-9pm w/dinner
Sunday, February 8
Children in Church...come hear our St. Cecilia Choir sing

Directory Photos in the Great Hall after both services

Episcopal 101 at 11:30 in the Stearns Room
+
Thursday, February 12
Lecture Series at Central Congregational Church 
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Sunday, February 15
Baptism Sunday
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Tuesday, February 17
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper in the Great Hall at 5:30pm 
+
Wednesday, February 18
Ash Wednesday services:
7am Eucharist
7pm Eucharist with music
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Saturday, February 21
Knitting Ministry/Potluck Lunch 11am-4pm
Sunday, February 22
Providence Village Information Session at 11:30am in the Stearns Room
+
Wednesday, February 25
Lenten Supper Program 
5:30pm Eucharist
6pm soup
Compline at 8:15pm
(also on March 4, 11, 18 and 25) 
+
Saturday, March 7
Parish Pot Luck Supper and Community Mapping in the Great Hall 
5-8pm
All ages encouraged to attend.
Child care provided.
Newcomer Ministry
Happy 2015!  

If you are called to invite, welcome and connect with newcomers, please contact
Kate Chute at
[email protected]
or at 401-723-4824.
 
Thank you, Kate 

 

We can build this living tapestry here at St. Martin's. 
God is the weaver and we are all 
the threads.

Participants in Worship
February 1, 2015
February 8, 2015
Reading Link 
8am:
Reader/EM: Denny Scott
Altar Guild: Pat Knowles
8am:
Reader/EM: David Brookhart
Altar Guild: Linda Brookhart
10am: 
Readers:

Erin Welshman (OT)
David Whitman (NT)
Malcolm Griggs (Prayers)
Altar Guild:
Raya Goff
Eucharistic Ministers:
Helen Bodell (Verger)
Rich Gruber
Acolytes:
Robin McGill
Rebecca Loell
Gabrielle Ellicott
Olivia Gray
Ushers:
Charlie Bodell
Sarosh Fenn
Brooks Magratten
Parker Smith

10am:
Readers:
Rebekah Potter (OT)
Beth Ellis (NT)
Sean Mulholland (Prayers)
Altar Guild:
Jane Langmuir
Beth Ellis
Elizabeth Welshman
Eucharistic Ministers:
Jane Langmuir (Verger)
Denis Moonan
Acolytes:
Tom Calhoun
Rosie Hassel
Robby Pippitt
Alex Potter
Ushers:
Peter Dennehy
Peter Lofgren
Emily Hollenbeck
Carol Tucker
Waylan Tucker
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