Have you ever heard the expression "Assume Goodwill"? Have you ever thought about what that really means? It's an attitude. You live your life with the mindset that people in your life want to be kind, gracious and fair. You assume that although your world may not be perfect, you can develop a healthy attitude that the people you interact with on a daily basis will usually respond from a place of kindness, thoughtfulness and fairness.

Simply put, we need to develop an outlook that most people mean well. That seems easy enough. Why don't we all live that way? One of the main reasons is that we have had experiences that have taught us to be distrustful, fearful and suspicious. We might not want to have those feelings of distrust or fear, but they stem from the times we have been taken advantage of. We feel afraid that those things will reoccur. The idea is not to allow those fearful feelings to determine the way you live your life. Instead of allowing the negative feelings that are self-limiting to control your response, it is healthier to respond from a position of goodwill. Your positive responses become habitual, and you encourage those with whom you are interacting to respond with the same kind of attitude. In not allowing that cycle of negative feelings to begin, you remain calm and encourage trust to keep growing between you and others.

It's not about class, skin color, education, gender, or job status. Pray for those who are victims of fear, suspicion and distrust. Be encouraged, assume goodwill.

Children Youth Programs 2017-2018 Registration

We now offer registration for Sunday School for the 2017-18 school year. As a reminder, we offer:

- Godly Play for ages 3-4 and grades k-1;

- SPARK classes for grades 2-3 and 4-5;

- Re:form classes for middle school students; and

- Collaborate classes for high school students.

Click here for more information on the curriculum.

Click here to register your child for Sunday School/Youth Group.

Visit your classroom and teachers 

at our Sunday School Open House on Sept. 10.

First Sunday School class begins Sept. 17.

First Youth Group meets Monday, Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the youth room.

If you are a teacher and have not received your curriculum, 

please contact Jenelle@st-margarets.org.

Thursday AM Bible Study Begins 9/14

Our Thursday morning bible study will resume on Sept. 14, from 9:15-10:30 a.m. in Formation Classroom E. Childcare is available in the church nursery. All are welcome! This year's study will center on Forward Movement's publication "The Path" - the story of the Bible, excerpted from the New Revised Standard Version so that it is clear and easy to read. Participants will follow the path of God's love all the way from the beginning to the end, from Adam's creation to John's revelation.

Here is a link to purchase the book and materials. 

Holy Folders Needed Aug. 29

Volunteers are once again needed for a special mailing NEXT Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 10am in the administrative conference room. All are welcome for this important ministry. Refreshments and great fellowship promised.

NEW-Senior Sessions Begin Sept. 5

We will begin a new program for seniors on the first Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. in classroom E of the Formation building (CHANGE). All parishioners 65 and older are welcome to meet with clergy to review the week's Gospel lesson, share joys and concerns, and offer special prayers in support of each other.

September 11 Service of Remembrance

St. Margaret's will join together as a community to remember and reflect on Sept. 11, at 7 p.m., in the church. Holy Eucharist will be included. Please join us.

Faith & Formation Adult Formation This Fall  6:45 p.m. in the Form. building starting Sept. 18

To mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's "Ninety-Five Theses" (1517-2017) and St. Margaret's 325th anniversary (1692-2017),  Adult Education on Monday evenings will begin this fall with a journey through the history of Christianity and the Episcopal Church. On Sept. 18th, Jim Hall will closely examine a key part of our weekly worship: the Nicene Creed. The week after that, Valery Weekley will introduce " lectio divina ": a  traditional practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer to promote communion with God. Then five weeks of discussion on the history and legacy of the Reformation will follow, led by Ernie Tucker, Paul O'Donnell, and John Freymann--an expert on the history of Christianity who teaches at the Naval Academy.  The series will conclude on November 13th with a discussion by  Mary Klein, archivist of the Diocese of Maryland, about the history of the Episcopal Church in our region.  All are welcome!  And please join us for a Fellowship Meal before the programs at 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

Sign up for Foyers

Foyers is a small group opportunity for the people of St Margaret's to get to know each other in an informal setting.  We form groups of 6, 7, or 8 and then meet outside of the church often sharing a meal.  The traditional format has been for people to gather in each other's homes for a meal; but we have seen many other ways of getting together such as going out for a meal, attending a local play together or attending a concert.  Additionally, we have 3 large gatherings throughout the year to connect with the larger group.  The committee will be meeting to make the groups in late August.  If you have been a past member, you don't have to do anything.  If you would like to join, let one of the committee members know.

 

Please mark your calendar for September 24, 3-5:00 pm, so you can join us for our Fall Kick Off. The groupings will be provided at that time. More information will be provide about this gathering.

Foyer Organizers are:

Vera Torrence vdtorrence@verizon.net

Kathy Lang Kathy.lang@verizon.net

Jan Little jbl123md@yahoo.com

Karen Engelke karenengelke@aol.com