Dragon Tales E-News -March 15, 2017

Order Easter Flowers
A Note from Jeff

The St. Margaret ' s youth program is more successful than I could have hoped for!

First, our church has awesome kids! I constantly see how thoughtful, kind and welcoming they are.  When we get together, I know everyone will be respectful (if a bit goofy).  Each meeting we share things that have us excited or nervous.  Everyone listens and prays on what we hear. When we play games, it is never one group versus the other; our teams are all mixed up. When we began our work with Asbury Broadneck, the youth embraced the idea and were incredibly welcoming to our new friends. 

Second, awesome kids reflect the parents. Alice and I had three teenagers of our own, and we know it can be a struggle to get them to do ANYTHING.  Each week we routinely have at least a dozen youth - last week we had 21!  I know they aren ' t always clamoring to go on Monday night, so thank you, parents, for believing in the program and getting your youth to the church on Monday nights!

Third, we have a busy and exciting program. My weekly newsletter is full of fun events, service opportunities, and Diocesan happenings - something for everyone!  This summer, we are trying something new. Neither Jenelle nor I are full-time; leaving a summer gap.  We are asking parents to pick up this slack over the summer.  Please consider hosting one event over the summer - bowling, a pool party, or just hanging out and playing games.  We know everyone is busy, and we realize that attendance will be spotty, but it is important to maintain continuity over the summer months.  We can provide up to $50/event to defray any associated costs.  Let us know!

Thank you, youth, parents, and all of St. Margaret ' s for supporting this dynamic program!

Jeff Conover - Youth Ministries Leader - jeff@st-margarets.org
Coming this Sunday -- March 19
Celtic Mass this Sunday
celtic cross green

Dust off your kilts and get ready to dance as the Third Sunday Band leads our music in a Celtic Mass on Sunday, March 19th at the 9 & 11:15 a.m. services. 
Lenten Evensong This Sunday at 5 p.m.

Choral Evensong is a 45-min long peace-inducing church service in which the 'song' of voices sounding together in harmony is heard at the 'even' point between the active day and restful night, allowing listeners time for restful contemplation - Church members, agnostics and atheists alike. It is both free of charge and free of religious commitment, and its choral music is performed live and often to a very high standard.

This Sunday at 5 p.m. the combined choirs of St. Margaret's Church will present Choral Evensong with the William Byrd settings of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis with the Mack Wilberg setting of the hymn "Come thou fount of every blessing."

Childcare is available in the nursery during the program.
Legacy Lessons - End of Life Planning

Join us for a forum on Sunday morning during coffeehour in the Fellowship Hall (10:20 a.m.) led by attorney Fred Francke who will discuss how to effectively plan for end-of-life issues.  Proper  planning  for  end-of-life  can help ensure patient wishes are honored and provide direction to loved ones should they be faced with a difficult decision.
Seekers Class on Sunday

Adults are welcome to join a new Sunday morning formation class from 10:20 to 11 a.m. in the administrative conference room. Titled "Seekers," participants will discuss readings from new, thought provoking books on faith and religion. This Sunday we finish our focus on "What Did Jesus Ask?" a collection of reflections from modern Christian leaders. 

Starting the next Sunday, March 26, the class will discuss "Did God Kill Jesus" by Tony Jones. 

In it, the author focuses on how Christians can restore the cross to the center of Christian faith as an inspiring message of how much God loves us and uses it as an inspiration to love others.  You can order the book on Amazon.com HERE.
Visit the Relay for Life Table this Sunday

Relay for Life 2017 - April 22-23
AA Co. Fairgrounds

During the month of March, our team is challenged with getting the most financial support of any other team. If we are successful, we will get an additional $1,000 toward our goal!

We now need support by:
*signing up to be a SMC team member
*financially supporting a SMC team member.

Please stop by our Relay table on Sundays or go to our team page HERE.

You can also contact team coordinator Judy Hall at judy.hall0404@gmail.com .
Bible Women Study

We continue our book study on the book "Bible Women:  All Their Words and Why They Matter" by Episcopal priest Lindsay Freeman. So far, we have learned of daring, devoted, determined, and, yes, even domineering females who lived exciting and meaningful lives. Please join us!  It is never too late! And yes, this week we are reading about a woman who ate her son this week!

We meet on
* Thursday mornings at 9:15 a.m. in the formation building (childcare provided in the nursery) and for those wanting to discuss the readings THIS Sunday morning, you can meet in the sanctuary after the 9 a.m. service.

Here is a video of the readings for this week:
Bible Women - Womaan who ate her son/Ataliah/Huldah
Bible Women - Woman who ate her son/Ataliah/Huldah

Sunday's Sermon
Sermon on March 12, 2017
Sermon on March 12, 2017

Holy Folders Needed March 21

Holy Folders needed NEXT Tues, March 21 @ 10 a.m. in the Conference Room for our Easter letter mailing. All are welcome! Refreshments & fellowship promised!
Green Team Cleaning on April 1

The Green Team of St. Margaret's Church would like to invite parishioners  to participate in a stream clean up. The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay runs Project Clean Stream, which enables groups to organize a stream clean up event.  On Saturday,  April 1 , from 10am-12pm, we will be collecting trash that has found its way into Cat Branch of Little Magothy River. If you would like to participate, please volunteer through Project Clean Stream  
https://pg-cloud.com/ACB/, email Lindsey  ( richard_lindsey2005@yahoo.com ) , or just show up! Meeting point is the end of OLD Cape St. Claire Road.  Gloves and trash bags will be provided.  Wear your boots/wellies!
Guild Meeting with Day School

St. Margaret's Guild will hold their next monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 5 at 1 p.m. in the parish hall. They will host students from the Day School with storytelling and an art project. All are welcome to come and enjoy their intergenerational activity.
Compassionate Handcrafting 4/29

Please join members of our Prayer Shawl Ministry on Saturday, April 29 from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at St. Margaret's for a day of connecting with fellow Broadneck crafters and the nonprofit groups who need them.   Our day will include speakers, workshops, a swap table, a nonprofit fair, crafting time, catered lunch, and morning coffee & tea.  Cost is $20.   Additionally, breakfast baked goods will be available to purchase from our Youth Group.  This event is for fiber artists (knitters, crocheters, quilters, spinners, sewers primarily) but all are welcome!

Family News for the Week

Summer Bible Camp Registration Now Available!

Our LEGO "Bricks 4 God" summer bible camp will be held June 26-30, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Margaret's for children entering Kindergarten through completion of 5th grade. There will be a $25 fee which includes a camp t-shirt. Participants will discover God's unconditional love for all of us by delving into a handful of cherished Bible stories and will practice engineering as they use building skills to create models of baby Moses, strong Samson, Moses parting the Red Sea, a horse-drawn chariot, and Jacob's vision of the stairway to heaven. These engaging model builds and other fun activities in Bricks 4 God Camp will strengthen campers' spiritual self-image, as well as provide hands-on experiences to share with peers. 

Parent and youth volunteers needed! Parents who volunteer will get free tuition (and childcare) for their children.

Space is limited so register soon!

For more information, email Jenelle@st-margarets.org.

NEW-Two by Two
(Parent/Child Music Ministry)
Parents and child(ren) up to age 6 are invited to sing, dance, play and learn bible stories together during a new family style music and movement class at St. Margaret's. Classes begin at 9 am in the Children's Chapel room of the downstairs Annex and will last approximately 45 minutes. After class, parents are free to stay for fellowship time in the nursery while their children enjoy free play under their guidance.  Class will take place the following Tuesdays this spring :
March 21st
April 18th
May 16th
Space is limited so please email  Jenelle@st-margarets.org to confirm your slot. 
 
Children's Stations of the Cross
Good Friday, April 14th at 10am
(Preparation help is needed before the event)
DEADLINE to RSVP is April 7.
An important part of Holy Week is remembering the sad part of the story. Sadness is holy, just as joy is holy. Without one we could never understand the other. Join us as we journey through interactive stations of the cross liturgy that will be meaningful to children. Adults are asked to stay with their children and participate. For planning purposes, we need to know of your participation. Please email  Jenelle@st-margarets.org  to let us know you will attend or if you have any questions.
 
Easter Egg Hunt -- Easter Candy and Small Toys Are Needed
We are asking for donations of individually wrapped, peanut- free candy for our Alleluia Egg Hunt.  We are also in need of some dairy free and gluten free options as well as fun toys such as pencils, stickers, etc.  There will be donation bins in the narthex and formation building. 

Sunday School Teachers Needed for THIS Year and Next
We are in immediate need of a Godly Play (preschool) Sunday School teacher as well as multiple door greeters. Please prayerfully consider performing this service for our youngest students. A full curriculum and training are provided.

Next year, we need teachers for the following groups:
Godly Play teachers and door greeters
4th and 5th Grade
High School (to train to lead the following school year)
Middle School (to train to lead the following school year)
Curriculum is provided. Please consider serving God through teaching. For more information or to volunteer, contact Jenelle@st-margarets.org .

Cell Phone Info Needed
When we are participating in off campus outings or if we have a last minute change of plans, the easiest way for us to contact our youth is through their cell phones. We would like to begin to collect cell phone numbers with permission from parents to contact their students.  Please email your cell phone number and your student's number to Jeff and Jenelle
Day School News

Tickets for the Day School's annual silent auction fundraiser on May 6 are now on sale on the school's website. The event has a "red carpet" theme and will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the church's parish hall. A wide variety of upscale prizes will be available for bidding. This is the school's top fundraiser of the year. All are encouraged to come out and support their efforts!

The Day School is offering two-week, themed summer camps starting in June through August for children aged 2-9. For more information or to register, click here.

Enrollment for the 2017-2018 school year is ongoing. Click here for registration info.
Social Justice Interest Group

Inspired by Bishop Sutton's recent public walk and statement about refugees, a few parishioners have met and started to discuss the biblical, moral and social justice dimensions of current issues concerning refugees, We feel called to take action now! Our plan is to continue discussing issues affecting refugees, gather information about newly proposed policies and coordinate with other Annapolis church groups to advocate for public policies that support the human rights of refugees. If you are interested in joining our efforts, please send your name, email address and phone number to Bill Saur at  wgsaur@gmail.com  and we will get back to you shortly. ----- Kate Callahan, Christine Feldmann, Joanna Tillman, Jim Hall, Izzy Winn, Beth Arruda, Jean Clarke, Bill Saur.
Office Volunteers Needed

We are in need of office volunteers for the following times:
*Tuesday afternoons
*Thursday mornings.

We are also in need of substitutes in case a volunteer is not able to make their assigned time and will need more volunteers in the summer months.

Volunteers answer the phone and do light clerical work to support the staff. It's a great way to meet other parishioners and learn of all the opportunities in this parish.

Contact Elizabeth Radley at elizabeth@st-margarets.org for more information.

Please join us next Monday

5:00-6:00 Arts & Crafts
5:00-5:30 Spirit Singers
5:30-6:00 Youth Chorale
5:30-6:00 Acolyte Practice
6:00-Dinner 
6:45-8:00 Youth Group
6:45-8:00 Adult Formation -- see below

Adult Formation on Mondays -- "Waking Up White:  And Finding Myself in the Story
of Race"
  book study -- sometimes cringe-worthy struggle to  understand racism and racial tensions; a fresh perspective on bias, stereotypes, manners, and tolerance.

The study is from 6:45pm-8:00 p.m. This is a Lenten Series co-lead by Valery Weekley, Maggie Beth Arruda and Ernie Tucker. Child care will be provided.

#325to325 -- Daily Look at St. Margaret's History
in celebration of our 325th anniversary
Seen on our Facebook & Twitter pages daily
emailed in Dragon Tales weekly







Quick Links

St. Margaret's Church | 1601 Pleasant Plains Road | Annapolis, MD  21409
410-974-0200 | info@st-margarets.org | www.st-margarets.org
Pastoral Emergency # 443-837-5463

Staff