Mountain E-Messenger
St. Mary’s-in-the-Mountains Episcopal Church, Wilmington, Vermont
Email Update for Summer - Pentecost 2008
www.stmarysinthemountains.org
WORSHIPSt. Mary’s-in-the-Mountains Episcopal Church, Wilmington, Vermont
Email Update for Summer - Pentecost 2008
www.stmarysinthemountains.org
· SUMMER PLANS: Outdoor services on July 6th and August 3rd – this will be our “Blueberry Sunday Service” as part of the Valley’s celebration. The Parish Picnic is on August 17th after the service at the Burke’s – thank you Patti and Jim.
· HEALING MINISTRY – The Vestry and Worship Committee have proposed to start offering the “Laying on of Hands and Healing Prayer” during the Sunday service on the third Sunday of the month, starting in August. We’ll have some teaching about this on Sundays and at the “After-Noon Discussion” on July 27th.
· Pentecost Surprise – On Pentecost Sunday everyone arrived in church to find a surprise: The Worship Committee and Thad had taken out the pews and arranged the worship space so people faced each other and turned in one direction for the “ministry of the Word” and another direction for the Holy Communion. Three Sundays later we debriefed and returned the space to its “pew self.” The feedback: mostly very positive about the new feel of the space, but with some good concerns about logistics. The Vestry has asked Thad and the Worship Committee to continue to work with the congregation about the theology of the space change and to continue to move forward with exploring the idea. Please DO GIVE US FEEDBACK!!!
· Acolytes – We will have acolytes helping Thad and the lay presiders during the service. Their purpose is to serve and help make our worship go smoothly so that we all can focus on God being in our midst. Anyone else interested should speak with Thad.
PARISH EVENTS – CHRISTIAN FORMATION OPPORTUNITIES etc.
· Our summer Christian formation series on BEADS AS A TOOL FOR MEDITATION AND PRAYER will start on Wednesday, July 16 and run for three Wednesdays. We plan to start with a pot-luck at 6pm and have the program from at 7:00pmish to 8pmish. COME AND JOIN US for Pot Luck supper and discussion, crafting and meditating with Beads. The schedule is July 16, History and Traditions; July 23, Making our own Prayer Beads; July 30, Meditations and Prayers.
· EFM – Education For Ministry – This wonderful program is available to anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of Scripture, Church history, their own faith and ministry. Information is on the back table or at www.sewanee.edu/EFM/index.htm. Also, feel free to speak with Laura Hunter, Betsy McEwen or Susan Taylor – all of whom currently are enrolled in EFM at St. Michael’s in Brattleboro. Funds are available to help cover the costs – yeh!
· On three Sundays this summer, we will have a series of After-Noon Discussions: July 27th - Presentation on the proposed Healing Service; August 24th and September 14th - the relationship between baptismal ministry and the worship space.
Congratulations to Alex Hunter who graduated from Marlboro Elementary School and to Evan Johnson who completed his Eagle Scout project to ld a handicap access ramp at the Brattleboro Music Center.
· SAVE THE DATE – The Parish Picnic is after worship on Sunday, August 17th at the home of the Burkes.
VESTRY NOTES:
· The parish has received an anonymous $10,000 donation. The Vestry decided to tithe the gift and donate the $1000 tithe to the Deerfield Valley Community Cares Fuel Fund. An anonymous donor has pledged a matching $1000 to go to the Deerfield Valley Food Pantry, the other charity the vestry was considering for the tithe. Thanks to everyone for celebrating the abundance of God’s gifts to us!
· Vestry “Working Retreat” is scheduled for Saturday, August 9th.
· Our pledges support St. Mary’s and our ministries. Please keep your pledge up to date, especially during summer “vacation season” or let us know if there is a problem.
The Mountain E-Messenger is an occasional emailed notice of things happening at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church at 95 East Main Street in Wilmington, VT 05363. Because we have so many visitors during the four seasons of the year we will try to “stay in touch” with all our members, worshippers and friends with this electronic newsletter. For information or to be added or removed from the St. Mary’s Email List please contact Thad Bennett at tbennett@dioceseofvermont.org or at 17 lane Drive, Newfane, VT 05345 or 802-365-7269. Also visit us at www.stmarysinthemountains.org.
