Episcopal Church of Our Saviour

Come and worship as our children and youth lead the 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist on Sunday, May 5. There will be two versions of the Biblical story of Elijah and the priests of Baal. First, some of our youth will put on a play and then the Children’s Choir will perform a piece entitled, Elijah, conducted by Virginia S. Moe, Music Director at Our Saviour. There will be a Children’s Creed read and repeated by the congregation, and Godly Play later on in the service as well. The Adult Choir will participate by singing, Cantique de Jean Racine, during the Offertory, and two of our youth will help our Priest-in-Charge, The Rev. Janice Melbourne Chalaron, with the Eucharist. There will be a special coffee hour to follow the service. Please plan on coming out this Sunday for this special event.

We wish to extend our gratitude and thanks for Ann-Walton Townsend for all of the work that she put into organizing and coordinating Youth Sunday at Our Saviour.  Special thanks also to Virginia Moe and The Rev. Janice Chalaron for their work on the music and the play. 

There are many ways for Christians to show our love and give:

1. YOUR PLEDGE to Our Saviour. It takes the financial commitment of the members and friends of Our Saviour to keep the church running. It takes staff, programs, and mundane things like electricity and heat. Please turn in your pledge so that our Stewardship Committee in conjunction with the Finance Committee under the leadership of the Vestry may plan for the 2013 budget. 

2. YOUR SUPPORT in the community. BABY JESUS BASKETS: Beginning Monday, November 26, please bring diapers, receiving blankets, baby wipes, cans of newborn formula, baby bottles, pacifiers, and layettes to the Parish Hall and place them in the baskets provided for them. (Only new items, please.) These will be distributed to needy mothers and their newborns. This is a joint ministry of the Day School and Christian Formation for Children and Youth at Our Saviour.

3. YOUR SERVICE in volunteering at church to provide for Coffee Hour,to  join the Adult Choir,to  help out in the Nursery, to provide the flowers for the altar, … just to name a few.

What will you do in service for God this coming year?

The Bible Challenge is a way for people of all ages in this Diocese to join Bishop Waldo in reading the entire Bible in one year beginning October 1, 2012.

The purpose is to put ourselves in the presence of God as we read and to let the text shape us and transform us. The process should be one of joy and discovery….According to the Center for Biblical Studies, individuals who read “the Bible for 21 days in a row…have an 80% chance of developing a lifetime discipline of daily Bible reading.” Daily reading also has “a positive measurable impact on moral behavior” and develops spiritual maturity.”

Here are the passages:

Day 22 October 22
Exodus 4-6; Psalm 18:21-50; Matthew 19
Meditation
Day 23 October 23
Exodus 7-9; Psalm 19; Matthew 20
Meditation
Day 24 October 24
Exodus 10-12; Psalm 20; Matthew 21
Meditation
Day 25 October 25
Exodus 13-15; Psalm 21; Matthew 22
Meditation
Day 26 October 26
Exodus 16-18; Psalm 22; Matthew 23
Meditation
Day 27 October 27
Exodus 19-21; Psalm 23; Matthew 24
Meditation
Day 28 October 28 Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

A Strategic Planning/Visioning workshop is planned for Saturday, Sept. 22, beginning at 9:00 a.m. under the guidance of our Diocese. We have received the results of the congregational survey and will present those at this time. After hearing about the survey, we will be taken through the process of Visioning/Planning for Worship and Prayer and Dialogue by our Diocesan facilitator, Jim Wiley.  Lunch will be served and we will conclude in the early afternoon. Please plan on joining us and if you need nursery care, please call the church office at 327-1131.

• Any adult who would like to know more about the Episcopal Church or who would like to reaffirm their faith, please join us for the Adult Inquirers Classes. An informational session is scheduled for August 26, 9:30 a.m. and the classes will meet for approximately six Sundays at 9:30 a.m. After attending these classes you will be given the opportunity to make the decision to be Confirmed or Received or Reaffirmed at the Bishop’s visitation on Sunday, October 28, at 10:30 a.m. service.  Please call or email the church office if you would need child-care.  All classes will be led by Janice, our Priest-in-Charge.

One of the worship plans involves inviting several members of our congregation to preach at services.   I hope by this invitation is to show the depth and breadth of theological reflection in our Episcopal Church.  Andy Castillo will be bringing the homily June 17; Jim Welsh will be our guest preacher on July 29; Maggie McGill will speak on August 19; and, Houston Craighead will bring the homily a date in September (tbd). We hope that the Our Saviour parishioners will support these guest preachers with strong attendance during the summer months.

We are blessed to have many volunteers at Our Saviour and so we wish to thank all of you who step forward to help out.

Check out our Senior Warden, Genevieve Long’s article in the May ACORN  issue as she sends out the challenge for even more people to step up to help out.  Why not  join a committee like Mission and Outreach, which needs many hands especially during Family Promise week? Or how about the newly formed Kitchen Committee (see the May newsletter)? The Reception Committee that puts on the beautiful receptions following funeral services?  People are needed to sign up for Coffee Hour, or place flowers at the altar – just to name a few ways to get involved. Call the church office, if you’d like more information about how you can serve.

Also, Our Saviour’s Episcopal Day School welcomes any and all who would like to come and read stories to the children. If you would like to help in that way, please contact the Day School Director, Ashley Lesslie, at 328-9624.

We would like to recognize those volunteers who help out in the church office and in the music office/choir room. A special “thank you” to Andy Castillo, Alice Craighead, Joanne Shonk, Margaret Platt, Karen Noel, Mayson Ross, Genevieve Long, Wendy Hope, Melinda Greene, Donna Conrad, Lynda Kohn and Dottie White.