St. Martin's Newsletter
   Weekly E-News  August 14, 2015


Summer Worship Schedule
Sunday
8:45 am  Nursery
9 am Holy Eucharist
5:30 pm Evening Prayer

Wednesday
7am Service with Holy Eucharist 
9am Morning Prayer in the Chapel 
Guest Organist

Our guest organist this Sunday is Diana Norton-Jackson.
Please welcome her back to St. Martin's!
***Summer Service Hours***
Sunday Services
9am Holy Eucharist 
5:30pm 
Evening Prayer
Continuing:
Holy Eucharist on Wednesdays at 7am
Change:
Morning Prayer at 9am on Wednesdays ONLY.
 
During July and August our summer schedule of services has been greeted with near universal approval. Bringing 8 and 10 o'clockers together at 9am has led many to comment how much they have appreciated seeing folk who they normally miss. The introduction of the 5.30 on Sunday evenings has prompted the question: will this continue? It seems to be important that we offer worship opportunities beyond the traditional Sunday morning, something I am willing to consider. Against doing so is my caution about further dividing-up the congregation into smaller worshiping units - we already split a medium size Sunday attendance (160) between 8am and 10am congregations. In favor, is my hope of attracting new people to an evening Eucharist with a less formal flavor many of whom might not come at other times.
 
At a meeting this last week to talk about the eternal conundrum of youth ministry, we floated the idea that the Sunday evening Eucharist might move to Saturday evening at 5.15, which would also coincide with a new youth program from 4-6pm. I am attracted to this idea and so let's see how our discussion evolves over the next month or so. Youth ministry is something everyone thinks is a good idea. Yet, the pressure of modern life on families often means that this good idea takes lower priority to other things. There is no point endlessly bemoaning this and harkening back to the good old days. The bottom line is that our youth program can only be as effective as the creative and material investment, together with commitments of time and energy we all give to it. This means parents, young people, and congregation; it's actually as simple as that! For instance, if anyone out there would be interested in helping with our middle school and high school groups, especially the middlers, then please let Linda Griggs or Susan Esposito know.
 
Early-on in September everyone will receive a physical mailing of St. Martin's Fall Newsletter for the 2015-16 program year, so be on the look-out for this please. Home Coming Sunday will be September 13th.  This is the day we also kick-off our Annual Renewal Program with RenewalWorks and an online survey that will run from September 13th for three weeks. The results of this will be analyzed by RenewalWorks and then delivered to our leadership team, who will over the course of four workshops during September-October, drill into the results in order to chart a direction as we move into 2016. Key to this will be: what spiritual resources do our members say they need and what is the spiritual identity of St Martin's as a community? Our strategic direction will be set from this baseline discernment. A minimum of a 60% response to the survey is crucial to get accurate data.
 
As you can see, while still working summer hours, our minds are gearing up as we look ahead to our post Labor Day September. In the meantime, see you in Church this Sunday!
Mark+
 In Memory of...
 
Our nation continues to struggle with the issues of power and powerlessness defined in terms of race. As a poignant reminder of this, on Friday, August 14th each year, the Episcopal Church remembers Jonathan Myrick Daniels, who as a young seminarian was killed in Selma, Alabama, during a civil rights march in 1965. 

Please watch this powerful video here and read more here.

 
A Message from the Director of Christian Formation 
 
Looking for something creative to do? As we gear up for the Fall, I am looking for someone who is willing to put up bulletin boards and help spruce up KidZone for the new year. This is a great short-term project that would be a terrific way to welcome families back to Church School. And yes, you are welcome to bring the kids with you to help!
 
...and speaking of helpful kids...The Lego Fairy has arrived AGAIN! If you and your young ones would like to spend an hour or two sorting Legos it would be a huge help to prepare for the "Building Faith Brick by Brick" lessons that we will incorporate into our curriculum
this year.
 
Please contact me if you are interested, and thank you in advance! 
Linda+ 

READINGS THIS WEEK


Proverbs 9:1-6  (OT)

  Ephesians 5:15-20  (NT)
John 6: 51-58 (Gospel)
Click here for this Sunday's readings.
     THIS SUNDAY
 Nursery at 8:45am
Services at 9am and 5:30pm
Join us for Coffee Hour in the Great Hall after the service
Gluten Free Hosts available at the altar rail
MORNING PRAYER
    
It is my practice to endeavor to say Morning Prayer in the Chapel of the Church at 9am.

In July and August, Morning Prayer will be offered on Wednesday mornings only
I look forward to seeing you there!   
               Mark+
 
Thrifty Goose...upcoming events and schedules!!

Wednesday, August 26
10am Bag Lunch Meeting
Thrifty Goose shop 
Open to all our current volunteers and also to anyone interested in volunteering this year. Come meet our staff, check out the Thrifty and chat about how you may use your
own gifts to help. 
+
Sunday, September 6th
Open 9am to 12noon
+
Grand Opening!!
Wednesday, September 9
10am to 2pm
+
Homecoming Sunday
Sunday, September 13
9am to 12noon 

To our August volunteer Al Howes for helping maintain our beautiful
St. Martin's Memorial Garden. 
 

Ministries
August 16, 2015
Reading link (Track 2)
August 23, 2015
Reading Link (Track 2)
9am:  
Altar Guild (9am)
Arline Walker
Tom McDonnell
Brooke Hammerle
Altar Guild (5:30pm)
Al Howes
Eucharistic Ministers
Linda Griggs
Hal Conner
Acolyte
Diana Blake
Ushers
Peter Lofgren
Peter Dennehy
9am: 
Reader
Brooks Magratten
Altar Guild (9am)
Amy Fuller
Natasha Lofgren
Altar Guild (5:30pm)
Linda Griggs
Eucharistic Ministers
Linda Griggs
Meg LoPresti
Acolyte
Erin Welshman
Ushers
Peter Dennehy
Peter Lofgren
Michael DiSandro
Walter Cotter



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