The Labyrinth Walk
Thursday, February 8, 2018

Dollar Bills 
All $1 bills  in the offering plate this Sunday will go to the Discretionary Fund.     
Rector Search Committee Update 
The Rector Search Committee met this week with Jason Alexander, Canon to the Ordinary, who serves as the Minister of Transitions for the Episcopal Church in Arkansas. Jason presented a clear and thorough overview of the search process and charged the committee with completing our Office for Transition Ministry (OTM) Portfolio that must be submitted before the committee moves to the next stage in the search process. The committee plans to complete and submit the OTM Portfolio by Monday, February 12th , to keep the process moving forward in a timely fashion.
Rector Search Committee

Amy Hawkins, Chair
Brad Teague
Scotty Bell
Dinah Reed
Taylor Tennison
Jay Ruud
Amanda Moore
Jane Harris
Karen McNutt
Prayer for Discernment
Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish, that we may receive a faithful pastor, one who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Congrats to the St. Peter's Episcopal Church 2018 Vestry
 
Chris Odom - serves through 2019 - Senior Warden
Tracy Simpson - serves through 2019 - Junior Warden 
Leigh Ann Warriner - serves through 2018
Tom Renten - serves through 2018
Christy Garrett-Jones - serves through 2018
Marilyn Larson - serves through 2019
Brett Hardison - serves through 2020
Carolyn Scott - serves through 2020
Genie Davis - serves through 2020

Non-Voting Members - 
Taylor Tennison - Secretary
LeRoy Hendrickson  - Financial Officer
John Shute - Finance Committee Chair
Clergy and Staff
God created a nice yard............
For you to walk on and play in, not to park your car on. Please park your cars on pavement areas of the church. Parking your car on the grass, especially behind the Parish Hall, damages our beautiful campus. Reminder that when using the Morgan House, all vehicles will need to be parked on Mitchell Street or in the church parking lot.
Syrian, Wisdom House Project Update
Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018 - all are welcome
 
On Sunday, February 11, St. Peter's will have two important visitors from the Syrian Emergency Taskforce present. Since the summer of 2016, St. Peter's has been involved with the Wisdom House project through the established working group that includes St. Peter's members Brett Hardison, Marianne Welch, Nancy Allen, Jerry Adams, The Imogen Chapter of the Daughters of the King, plus other community members.
SETF has been the non-profit that the Wisdom House working group has worked through and has coordinated all of funding and planning that has been involved with both the Wisdom House (school for orphans and the new woman's center) in Idlib Syria.
Mouaz Moustafa, Director of the Syrian Emergency Taskforce (SETF) and Natalie Larrison, the Director of Community Outreach for SETF - will be at St. Peters for a presentation to the joint adult classes at 10am - the meeting will be held in the Parish Hall and all are invited to attend.
At the 11am service, Mouaz will provide and update on the Wisdom House project and discuss how central Arkansas has been strategically helpful to this project.
After the 11am service, Mouaz and Natalie will be available at the 'coffee reception' for questions and comments.
More information - www.thewisdomhouseproject.com

***On February 11, 2018, all 10:00am classes will meet in the Parish Hall for the Syrian Wisdom House Update.***

Have you ever wished to deepen your relationship with God?
To experience a warm friendship with God? Maybe even fall in love with God - again - or for the very first time?
Then I want to invite you to join us for a very special Lenten experience here at St. Peter's - Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John.   
During Lent various members will be hosting Lenten Home Groups on either Sunday and Wednesday nights in their homes, where you will be using the beautiful prayer Meeting Jesus journals, receiving guidance from the Center for the Ministry of Teaching, and watch videos from the monks of SSJE.
In order to help prepare our leaders and host, please sign-up in advance using THIS link or by filling out a form in this Sunday's bulletin.  
If you have any questions, or if you would like to host a group, please feel free to contact me, Jerusalem.Greer@stpetersconway.com 
We Need You! (yes, you!)
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS
Do you make an outstanding casserole, bread, or something else tasty?  Do you enjoy meeting  newcomers to St. Peter's and making them feel welcome?  Do you have a heart to help honor those from St. Peter's who have passed?  If so, we have some excellent volunteer opportunities for you!  The Vestry has identified three areas that, due to our congregation's growth, that are in need of some attention.  
 
Three new committees are being formed and we hope you'll consider (please, pretty please) volunteering some time for them. They are:
 
  1. Casserole / Hospitality Committee - The church is often asked to provide snacks, light meals, or casseroles for groups (funerals, meetings, etc.) and we need a group that would be willing to prepare and heat up these meals as needed.  Please contact Tracy Simpson if you're interested!
  2. Newcomer's Committee - We continue to see many new faces each week at St. Peter's and it's critical we establish some great relationships up front.  This group would come up with ways to engage with our newcomer's so they feel the warmth and love that is St. Peter's.  Please contact Jerusalem Greer if this is something you are called to do.
  3. Columbarium Committee - The church has a landscaping master plan for the courtyard, but the Columbarium is in need of some immediate attention, specifically concerning drainage and record-keeping.  Please contact Leigh Ann Warriner if you're willing to help.

Preparing for Lent: FAQ about Small Groups
So, what is a Small Group?
Many people have asked this question as we prepare to begin our Lenten Study, Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John. A Small Group is a group of people who come together around a common idea, and commit to taking intentional steps towards building meaningful friendships during their time together. Current examples of Small Group experiences at St. Peter's are: EFM, Servant Leadership, Circle of Trust, Church in a Changing World, DOK, Brown Bag Book Club...

Why do some small groups meet in homes?
A Small Group that meets in homes are often called Home Groups, and the purpose for meeting in homes is to offer a warmer, more personal and relaxed, environment. This model is inspired by the gatherings of the Early Church as mentioned in Acts 6:2   Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts.  
 
Do Small Groups replace Sunday morning worship?
Absolutely not. Just as the early church still attended the Temple, and then met in homes, Small Groups enhance worship by building deeper relationships between parishioners.  Instead of sitting next to people you know only casually, you will find yourself sitting next to family. Many Small Group members began attending Sunday morning more often because they look forward to sharing the experience with those they have grown close too. 
 
How does our tradition show up in a Small Group?
The first way our tradition shows up in a Small Group is when we show up. We are the Episcopal Church, so wherever we go, the Episcopal Church is present. Which is why it is so important for everyone - from Cradle Episcopalians to our newest members - to participate. We need the experience and understanding of those deeply rooted in our tradition to help with the questions of those who are new to TEC, AND we need to the fresh perspective and excitement that our newest members bring.  Additionally, many of our tools are used in Small Group meetings, from our Book of Common Prayer, to the celebration of Liturgical Calendar. In Meeting Jesus, the use of the BCP is included in each lesson.
 
What does our leadership think?
The Small Group model is one that is being put forth at the national level as an important component of Parish Life. This direction is flowing straight out of  Presiding Bishop Curry's initiative The Jesus Movement, which inspired SSJE to create this model of Lenten Study. You can read more about the movement here: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/jesus-movement

How can I join a Small Group?
Sign-up to participate in our Lenten Study Small Groups - Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John on either Sunday or Wednesday nights. You can sign up using the inserts in Sunday's bulletin or online: HERE.

Have questions? See Jerusalem, she will be happy to help!

Lenten Noonday Prayers
The Daughters of the King will be leading Noonday Prayer and Stations of the Cross at 12:00 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during Lent (beginning Feb. 16).  Compline will be led each Tuesday and Thursday evening at 5:00 p.m. (beginning Feb. 15).  All are invited to participate.
A Note from Rev. Peggy 
During Lent (and maybe beyond), the Noonday Prayer service on Wednesdays will be a little different. I will be leading a Service of Lament and Hope, written by the Rev. Sam Loudenslager. Why, you ask? Because I am deeply troubled by some of the events taking place in our government and around the country. I hope you will try to join me. It is a simple prayer service with readings, a litany, and prayers. As the psalmist reminds us:
     "Why are you cast down, O my soul,

           and why are you disquieted within me?
     Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
           my help and my God."
St. Peter's Text Messaging
The Parish Office is sending text alerts to your cellphone. We promise that we will not overwhelm you with texts, but will only use it for emergencies (services cancelled due to inclement weather, last minute times and changes to programs). Please make sure John Churchwell has your correct cell number. You can also tell John if you do not want to receive text messages from the office. Send your number to John at john.churchwell@stpetersconway.com or call the Parish Office at 501-329-8174.
Wednesday Brown Bag Book Club 
Is an impostor robbing you of God's love? We've bought into the lie that we are worthy of God's love only when our lives are going well. If our families are happy or our jobs are meaningful, life is a success. But when life begins to fall through the cracks and embarrassing sins threaten to reveal our less-than-perfect identity, we scramble to keep up a good front to present to the world and to God.
 
Brennan Manning encourages us to let go of the impostor lifestyle and freely accept our belovedness as a child of the heavenly Father. In Him there is life.
 
Join us Wednesdays, at noon, for Brown Bag Book Club. We will start Bennan Manning's book, Abba's Child, on February 21. Please contact Rev. Dr. Linda Brown, Deacon, with any questions.
Email: linda.brown@stpetersconway.com      
cell: 501.590.0631

From the Rev. Dr. Linda Brown, Deacon
Why Wednesday night worship is important to me
 
Wednesday worship, Eucharist and healing service, is much more than an obligation for me. Yes, I come as one of your ministers, but frankly, it doesn't take all three of us to do the service. I have been attending a Wednesday night service either at St. Peter's or another church for many years. It is a comfort, a redirection in the middle of the week, one more chance to have an intimate relationship with God and my neighbor.
 
Rite II, Prayer B: "Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit" (p. 369).
 
Rite II, Prayer D: "Grant that all who share this bread and cup may become one body and one spirit, a living sacrifice in Christ, to the praise of your Name" (p. 375).
 
I encourage you to come on Wednesday nights. I believe the Holy Spirit is present as a small group of worshippers gather to not only make ourselves a sacrifice to God at the Eucharist, but as we kneel together for healing. The healing that occurs as the priest or deacon lay hands on me (yes we all participate) along with the others in attendance, is known only to me. Yet, all share in my concerns, my prayer requests, and my humility. I am so grateful to be part of this loving community! 
All Hands Ministry Team Meeting!
 All Current (and those interested) Lectors, Greeters, Ushers, Oblationers, and Hospitality Members are encouraged to attend one of the upcoming Ministry Team Refresher Trainings! We will be going over information such as Ultimate Ushering: Mastering Mixed Doubles and To Bow or not to Bow, that is the Question.
These 30 minute meetings will be held in Classroom Two at 9:30am and 10:30am on February 18.
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
February 8
February 9
February 10
February 11
February 12
7:00pm
Evening Bible Study
(Morgan House)
Parish Office
Closed

4:00pm
Conway Locally Grown
(Parish Hall)
5:30pm
Foyers
(Morgan House)
 





9:00am
Food Pantry
9:00am
Community of Hope Training
(Lobby)
9:00am
Girl Scouts 6057
(Morgan House)
11:00am
Girl Scouts
6342
(Morgan House)
7:30am
Rite I
8:50am
Library Class
9:00am
Enriching our Worship Eucharist
10:00am
Syrian Presentation
11:00am
Rite II
12:00pm
Senior High Lunch
(Bob's Grill)
12:30pm
DOK
(Morgan House)
3:00pm
Morgan House Reserved
7:00pm
Contemplative Quaker Fellowship
(Classroom 4)
  
12:15pm
After-Noon Bible Study
(Library)
6:00pm
Art Pray Love Follow Up
(Library)
6:30pm
Narcotics Anonymous
(Morgan House)





 







Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
February 13
February 14
February 15
February 16
February 17
3:30pm
Shrove Tuesday
Pancake Supper
(Parish Hall)
5:30pm
EfM
(Classroom 2)
6:00pm
Faulkner County Social Justice
(Morgan House)  

  
 
12:00pm
Ash Wednesday Service
1:30pm
Library Reserved
2:00pm

Staff Meeting
3:30pm
EYC
6:30pm
Narcotics Anonymous
(Morgan House)
7:00pm
Ash Wednesday Service
7:00pm
Canterbury Coffeehouse
(Parish Hall)
6:30pm
Finance Meeting
(Classroom 2)
7:00pm
Evening Bible Study
(Morgan House)









4:00pm
Conway Locally Grown
(Parish Hall)
5:30pm
Girl Scouts 6057
(Morgan House)
7:00pm
Faulkner County Service Unit
(Parish Hall)





9:00am
Food Pantry
4:00pm
Morgan House Reserved














The Parish Office will be closed on Fridays between January 5 through February 10.
Save the Date!
 
February 11    Syrian Wisdom House Presentation 

February 13    Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper  
 
February 14    Ash Wednesday 

February 16    Diocesan Convention

February 17    Diocesan Convention 
 
February 18   First Sunday in Lent   
 
April 1           Easter Sunday 
February 11 - February 17  Birthdays
   
Kristi Connell
2/11
Erin Weindorf
2/11
Dalton Losardo
2/12
Tina Garrow
2/13
Berris Teague
2/13
Lillian Sullivan
2/14
Grady Gunter
2/15
Rosemary Henenberg
2/15
Adam Bell
2/16
Stephanie Johnson
2/17
O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on your servants, as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen their trust in your goodness all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer, page 830
This week's Food Pantry Need

2 cans of soup; 1 16oz Peanut Butter; 1 Jelly (no glass)
Pantry Musings 
Lent begins this week on Ash Wednesday. Lent is a time of prayer and  repentance.  We are called to spend our time in quiet meditation in groups or alone.  We offer ourselves up to God in our silent prayers of repentance requesting forgiveness.   It is also a time of silent watching.  It is a time of hope; spring always brings hope with it. We watch for the spring to form its roots and begin to blossom.   Yellows and whites appear first then sometimes a timid green.   Waiting patiently, not quite holding your breath, is waiting with a prayerful attitude, and it brings great joy for you and others.  So Lent is not just a time for the Founding Father's Puritans to spend their time preaching long winded sermons, emphasizing the need for repentance while missing the joyful  celebration of God's creation.-Ann Drake
 
 
Scripture Readings for Sunday, February 11, 2017.
 9:00am Service will lead the Psalm and read from
  2 Corinthians. 

2 Kings 2:1-12
When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent."
Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know; be silent."
Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit." He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not." As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

Psalm 50:1-6
1 The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken; *
   he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, *
   God reveals himself in glory.
3 Our God will come and will not keep silence; *
   before him there is a consuming flame,
   and round about him a raging storm.
4 He calls the heavens and the earth from above *
   to witness the judgment of his people.
5 "Gather before me my loyal followers, *
   those who have made a covenant with me
   and sealed it with sacrifice."
6 Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; *
   for God himself is judge.
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Mark 9:2-9
Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
 
 

 
Prayers of the People 
Prayers and Petitions: 
Shannon; Anisa; Nikki; Meredith; Margaret; Steve and Melinda; Glenn; Sandy; David; The Enderlin Family; Freda; John; Jessica; Susan; Jimmy; Rita; Fred; Kay; Liz; Nancy; Andy; Susan; Aaron; Jenn; Madison; Angie; Kip; John; Carl; Beth. 

In Loving Support for:
Micah; Sam; Mouaz; Natalie.

In Constant Prayer for our Future Rector, whomever God leads to us.

In Continued Prayers for:  
Sara Edmondson, Helen Snipan, Jacquie Seroy, Martha Denson, Fred and Lillian Petrucelli,
Richard Boosey, Rowena Malone.  
 
Thanksgivings:
We give thanks for the people of St. Peter's and visitors with us this week.
We give thanks for:Jerry and Madelyn Adams; Dan and Nancy Allen; Aly and Emile Antoine; Pierre and Kim Antoine; Joe and Diane Arn; Kent Ballew and Dave Campbell; William Barefoot.
We give thanks for the St. Joseph Catholic Church.    
We give thanks for the The Baha'i Community in Conway.
We give thanks for our Rector Search Committee Member, Jay Ruud.
We give thanks for The Rev. Alberto Cuc & St. Mary, Mother of God, Solola.
We give thanks for The Anglican Church of Canada, The Most Revd Frederick Hiltz Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.
We give thanks for the Primary Partners Program at St. Martin in the Fields, Philadelphia.
 
The Departed:     
 
Ministry Team 2
Jerusalem Greer, Team Leader

7:30am
9:00am
11:00am
Lectors
Douglas Young
Donna Bowman
Andrea Woods
Jane Harris
Ushers

Nathan Greer
Miles Greer
Eric Hutchinson
Donna Hutchinson
Oblationers
 

Robert Wickser
Carolyn Scott
Greeters

Nathan Greer
Patsy Evans
David Larson
Marilyn Larson
Eucharistic Visitor

Tanya Buchanan
Rita Mackintosh
Doug Stroud
Eucharistic Minister
George Coleman
Katherine Spinks
Erin Weindorf
Acolytes

AM: Jayelle Garrett-Jones
CB: Cady Gray




AM: Jayelle Garrett-Jones
C: Christopher Walters
T1: Jaylee Garrett-Jones
T2: Isabel Ruckle
G: Kido Carmago
Vestry Counters


Christy Garrett-Jones
Genie Davis
Altar Guild


Team 4

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