Our Mission:

We are called to be disciples of Christ,  

revealing His Life, Love and Light to the World.

 

Our Vision:

St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church is a radically welcoming, inclusive faith family - sharing and teaching the love of Jesus Christ through our worship, actions and outreach: transforming ourselves and the world.
THIS WEEKEND
Lectionary
February 25 & 26
   
Collection for Stand Up for Kids          
St. Bart's Youth, led by Megan Oakes, is supporting Stand Up For Kids! Stand Up For Kids is an organization located downtown that provides help to homeless and runaway youth. They provide food bags, dinner, tutoring, showers, and help with job placement. Our goal is to collect the following items by March 5, 2017: 
50 packs of underwear  
10 small tents 
Please sign-up after church services the weekend of February 25/26 and return the items on March 4/5. Contact Megan Oakes with questions.

Don't Miss Lenten Soup Suppers Coming Soon!
Wednesdays, March 8-April 5, 6 p.m.
Each year St. Bart's ministries host soup suppers at 6pm before each Lenten University program. Homemade soup, salad and bread are provided by a different ministry each week:
March 8 - Vestry
March 15 - all parish hosts*
March 22 - Altar Guillory/Flower Guild
March 29 - Choir
April 5 - Thrift Shop
 
*And if you're not a member of one of this year's host ministries, if you are a newcomer, if you have a great soup you'd like to share, the March 15 soup supper is for you! We'll have sign-ups February 25/26 and March 4/5. This is a great opportunity to make new friends and share soup recipients!
Can you increase your pledge? Or make a first-time pledge?
As our Treasurer reminds us, St. Bart's budget is all about people serving people. And for the first time in years, we have a complete staff on board - including two full-time assistant priests - to make that mission a reality. And so we have been challenged to raise an additional $65,000 to fully incorporate our staff into our budget. If you made a pledge, will you consider increasing it? Or make a first-time pledge if you haven't already? Response cards are pews - just place in the offering plate. THANK YOU!
ADULT FAITH FORMATION
Each Sunday, St. Bart's Forum offers interesting and timely topics, guest speakers and a chance to explore the corners of our faith and the issues of the day. Join us for an always stimulating conversation.
ALL WELCOME!
THIS SUNDAY!
Let's Talk about Grief and Loss
Sunday, February 26, 9 a.m., South Parish Hall
 "Shouldn't you be over it by now?"
"God wanted another angel."
"She's in a better place."
"Be strong, don't show your grief to your children."
Have you heard these responses to your own experience of grief? Have you said them? As we live together in Christian community, grief is a natural and common experience. So why do we have such a hard time talking about it? We will also discuss a range of experiences that often cause grief - including the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, divorce, and the loss related to dementia. How might God be calling us to companion one another through such transitions? Come to reflect and share with others.
Baptismal Ethics in Action
Sundays in Lent, 9-10 a.m., Parish Hall
March 5, 12, 19, 26 and April 2
The five promises of our Baptismal Covenant call us to stay in fellowship with one another, to repent when we sin, to proclaim the Good News, to seek and serve Christ in others and to respect the dignity of every human being. That's a tall order, and if taken seriously, they challenge us to change the way we see the world and how  live our lives. Join us each Sunday in Lent as we explore in depth the ethics and values at the heart of our baptismal call and how we might begin to live into each promise more fully. This class is ideal for anyone who is new to the Episcopal Church, interested in being baptized on Easter or long time members interested in deepening their faith. For more information contact Rev. Chris Harris, 858-487-2159.
Praying Together, Being Together 
The unifying power of ritual and liturgy 
Wednesdays in Lent
March 8-April 5, 6-8 p.m.
Soup Supper begins at 6 p.m., Program begins at 6:30 p.m.    
Lent is a time for house-cleaning of the heart. It comes around each year to wash us clean and take us on a journey into the richness of Easter. Easter is the highest and holiest feast of the Church Year. So we need Lent to approach it. Lent helps us to creep up with preparation and attention, through the richest and most ancient symbolism the Church offers, from the table to the cross, to the risen body of Christ. Celebrating together in common prayer and a shared experience binds us together as a people. Our differences and divisions are washed away. Our rituals and symbols make order out of chaos, mark sacred time, and turn the ordinary and earthy into containers for the divine. We allow ourselves to transcend differences and are invited to be transformed into one body, one people, in Christ.  
 
Join us for a 5-week Lenten Journey with Special Guest, author Gertrud Mueller Nelson as she guides us on a Lenten University series exploring the rituals and symbols of Lent and Holy Week, a journey that invites unity, healing , and wholeness.

Activities for children of all ages will be provided. For 6th - 12th graders, join in conversations about faith and the Lord of the Rings! Nursery will be available for newborns through pre-k, as well as programming for kindergarteners through 5th graders. Please register your child or children (newborn through 5th grade) to ensure space. Register by contacting John Prust.
 
Gertrud Mueller Nelson is an author, illustrator, teacher, and speaker. She is especially known for her clip art and her award-winning, bestselling book on ceremony and ritual, To Dance with God. Nelson has designed church furnishings, stained glass, and silver jewelry. She has taught Montessori and has studied art at the Kölnerwerkschulen in Germany and psychology at the C.G. Jung Institute in Switzerland. She is internationally noted as a speaker on ritual, liturgy, family, psychology, and sacred art. Nelson has three children and three grandchildren.
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEWS
Sunday School Open House
Sunday February 26, 9:45-10:15 a.m., Yellow Room
Come meet the teachers and Sunday School directors to learn more about the developing vision for Sunday School and Children's Ministry at St. Bart's moving forward! 
Lent Coin Collection for Haiti
Begins Sunday, February 26
Next Sunday we kick off our Lent Sunday School coin campaign for L'Ecole Loranette in Haiti! A big jar will be at the top of the stairs. Kids can  bring extra change they find lying around the house, in the car, or between couch cushions. They'll have opportunities to see photos and hear stories from our kids who have recently visited Haiti.
St. Bart's VBS - Registration Open!
July 24-28, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
St. Bart's Vacation Bible School (VBS) welcomes all children 3 years-5th grade (grade in the Fall 2017). Older kids in 6th grade through high school can volunteer at VBS. It's a fun week filled with songs, games, crafts and learning about God! Everyone is welcome. You do not need to be a St. Bart's parishioner to attend. Early bird discount applies if you register for VBS before April 1!
YOUTH CREW NEWS
Youth Fundraising for 30-Hour Famine
Almost twenty youth are signed up to attend this year's 30-Hour Famine on March 10-11 at St. Bart's, and they are gearing up their fundraising efforts to help feed children worldwide who don't get enough to eat. Our big fundraiser for the 30-Hour Famine this year is the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner on Tuesday, February 28 at 6pm. We are so grateful that Cursillo is working with us to put on this great event! We are also be selling Equal Exchange chocolate bars after our Sunday worship services. Look for them after the service at the Shrove Tuesday sign-up table!

The 30-Hour Famine retreat begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 10 and ends at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 11. Any and all youth ages 6th grade and up are invited to join us! You can sign up at the faith formation area on the patio or by contacting John Prust.
THIS WEEK
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
Tuesday, February 28, 6 p.m.
Celebrate Shrove Tuesday with a pancake supper hosted by the youth and assisted by Cursillo parishioners. Come learn about the tradition of making (and eating!) pancakes on the day before Lent. After supper we will have a brief (10 minute) service where we will burn any leftover palms from last Palm Sunday to create ashes that we can use on Ash Wednesday. As the branches die in the fire and are changed to ash, we are reminded that we will be called in Lent to die to our sins and to be changed and made new.   
Ashes to Go
Wednesday, March 1
Ashes to Go takes Ash Wednesday to the streets of our community as we reach out to people who have lost their connection to a church or have never experienced this ancient practice. It's about bringing the traditions of our faith out from behind church walls and into our daily lives. Today more than ever, the church needs to begin experimenting with how we connect with people in new and unexpected ways. Ashes to Go is just one way of offering moments of grace in the midst of our hectic lives. Would you like to join us? Anyone is welcome to join us - no experience necessary. Just a willingness to step out of your comfort zone and experience what the Spirit does with us when we do! Always fun, often heartfelt, occasionally transformative. Contact Rev. Chris Harris, 858-487-2159, for more information. 
Grief & Loss Group
Thursdays, beginning March 2, 8:30-10 a.m., Education Building  
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
Matthew 5
 
No one needs to walk through the journey of grief alone. Whether you've lost a loved one to death, a relationship to divorce, or your health to chronic illness, we all need support in times of grief and loss. All are welcome to a new weekly grief and loss group Thursdays, 8:30 - 10 a.m. in the Education building at St. Bart's. Dr. Bob Fox, clinical psychologist and experienced grief group leader, will facilitate the group each week. You don't need to sign up, just drop in when you're looking for direction, community, and prayerful support. Please spread the word as well to folks outside the St. Bart's community. Contact Rev. Mary Lynn Coulson, 858-487-2159, for more information. 
NEXT WEEK
Choral Evensong
Sunday, March 5, 4 p.m.
Come celebrate the close of day with Choral Evensong, a service of prayers, readings, and song for the evening and the first Sunday of Lent.
Caregivers Support Group
Second Wednesday, beginning March 8, 2-3:30 p.m., Parish Hall
Gather with others who are caretakers of an ailing parent, spouse, or other loved one. Come share your joys and struggles with others, and learn self-care techniques focused on your well-being. This group will meet the second Wednesday of each month. All are welcome! Contact Rev. Mary Lynn with questions.
COMING UP
Lenten Spiritual Practice Benefits Thrift Shop
During the 40 days of Lent, make a spiritual practice to support Outreach through your donations to the Thrift Shop. Set aside a box and add an item to it each day. Not only will you have a decluttered house by Easter, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting St. Bart's outreach efforts. Donations can be dropped off at the Thrift Shop, 12845 Poway Road # 214, Poway CA. 92064, or dropped off at the Thrift Shop truck in the church parking lot April 7-9. To schedule a pick up for larger items, call St. Bart's Thrift Shop (858) 486-2110. 
FREE Will and Trust Check UP!
Thursday March 16, 10-11:30 a.m., Conference Room
The Planned Giving ministry invites you dust off those old wills or trusts and bring them in for a check-up! Do they still say what we think they do? Do we know what they say? Mike Miller, an estate planning attorney will guide us through them and be available for questions. Please RSVP to Jerry Gillett or Pat Blair, 858-414-2067, BEFORE March 9.
Register for Qi Gong Class
Wednesdays, May 3-June 21, 6:30-8 p.m., South Parish Hall 
The Health & Wellness Ministry of St. Bartholomew's Church is pleased to announce that registration is open for the 8-week spring Qi gong exercise class. Cost is $30. Qi gong is taught by returning instructor, Cheri Hotalen, a certified Qi gong and Tai Chi instructor who adds humor and inspiration to her classes.
Regular practice of Qi gong can reduce stress, improve balance & coordination, treat and prevent illness, and nurture a peaceful mind. Qi gong can be practiced both standing and sitting in a chair. Register for the class with Rosalind Duddy, 858-485-1770. 
OUTREACH
Outreach Calendar
Looking for a way to affect those in the community? Consider giving your time to one of our many Outreach programs. Check the schedule.
Haiti Donations Will Be Matched!
St. Bart's has raised more than $48,000 of our $72,000 goal to build The Epiphanie School, which also will serve as a much-needed community center. Now, a generous member at St. Bart's has offered to match Haiti donations up to $6,000. This is your chance to make a difference in someone's life. Start the new year off supporting St. Bart's efforts to build a school in Haiti. Donations can be made online or write Haiti on the memo line of your check.
NEWS AND NOTICES
St. Bart's Preschool - Registration Open!
Registration for the 2017-2018 school year is open to everyone. You do not need to be a parishioner to attend St. Bart's Preschool - tell your neighbors and friends! We have programs for 2-year-olds through Pre-K. Contact Cheri Hoffman or Jen Shah at St. Bart's Preschool with questions or to register, 858-487-2140. www.stbartspreschool.org 
Altar Flower Donations 
You can honor your loved ones throughout the year by making an offering to support our altar flowers. Place an envelope in the weekly offering or deliver it to the church office (write Altar Flowers in the memo line of your check). Memorials and Thanksgivings will appear in the next available St. Bart's News under the Lectionary list. Please include the name of who you are honoring and your name. Contact Beth Dean, 858-487-2159, with questions. Suggested dontation $25.
Pastoral Emergencies  
Clergy is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for pastoral care. If you have a pastoral emergency, call 858-487-2159, then press 2 to be connected to the clergy person on call.
Link to sermons
Link to worship ministry schedules


Link to EDSD