A NOTE FROM THE RECTOR
Greetings beloved St. Georgians,
This Sunday we will have a visit from our Diocesan Bishop, the Right Reverend Shannon Johnston. The Episcopal Church is a church led by bishops, so when our bishop comes, it is a special occasion. The word, "episcopal," derives from an ancient Greek word that means "overseer" and it came to be the word used for the bishops chosen as overseers of the early church.
What does a bishop's visit mean? For several of our members, it means being confirmed by the bishop or received into the Episcopal Church from another denomination. We will celebrate these persons at the 11:15 service. In general, though, this visit signifies our connection to the wider church. St. George's is part of a large network of congregations from the mountains to the bay, from Richmond to Northern Virginia in the Diocese of Virginia. This network strengthens and shapes us in many ways. The visit of our bishop is also a chance for us to hear from him about vision and leadership. He is here to see how we are doing and to offer encouragement. He is also here to listen and learn from us about the Holy Spirit is moving and working. We will gather with Bishop Shannon in Sydnor Hall around 10:00 a.m. for a forum. I hope you will come and bring questions as well as your stories about how you see God at work here at St. George's.
In preparation for this Sunday and for Easter, we are having a buildings and grounds clean-up on Friday evening and Saturday morning. See the announcement. We rely on these events and on volunteers to go beyond the day-to-day maintenance. This is God's house, and it is our responsibility to care for it and keep it looking its best. Come out and help if you can.
I also want to encourage you to sign up to be part of the 3P in E (Parish Prayer Partners in Easter) project. I think there are many people who intend to do this but then let it slip by. The experience of praying for someone else and having an unknown person pray for you can be very rewarding. I am always touched by people's stories after we finish one of these seasons of prayer. We would like to have you sign up soon, so that we can make the assignments before Easter. As I like to say, "Prayer is the glue." It helps stick us together and stick with God.
Finally, I hope you have been reading some of Ben Hicks' weekly articles during Lent about planned financial giving. By planning ahead, you can make a significant impact on the ministry of this parish down the road. This is not just for when you die. There are planned gifts that you can make right now. Maybe looking at this can be part of a Lenten practice of self-examination.
I give thanks for all the gifts we offer and share in Christ's name and look forward to sharing some of our wonderful stories with Bishop Shannon this weekend. I hope to see you soon.
Your rector and brother in Christ,
Joe+
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 PIC OF THE WEEK
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CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
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| Working on the books of the Bible in Catechesis. |
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| NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS |
PREPARING FOR PALM SUNDAY, HOLY WEEK, EASTER
- PLASTIC EGGS: Youth are collecting Easter eggs and things to fill them with (stickers, temporary tattoos, candy, etc.) for our giant egg hunt on Easter morning. Please bring to the office or leave them in the Narthex. We also need volunteers to help fill the eggs! Contact Gay if you are able to help.
- PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION: Sunday, April 9 is Palm Sunday. We will begin the 9 a.m. service with the Liturgy of the Palms on the grassy hill across George St. from the church.
- HOLY WEEK HELPERS: We need extra readers for Palm Sunday and the Easter Vigil. If you can help, please contact the church office. We are also in need of table-ready finger foods for the Paschal Party after the Easter Vigil; please contact Jan in the office.
- CHRISTIAN EDUCATION BREAK: There will be no Sunday Christian Education for all ages on Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday.
- EASTER EGG HUNT: There will be two times for Easter Egg hunts this year. 10:15 for families who attend the 9 a.m. service and 10:45 for families who attend the 11:15 a.m. service.
- RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN: Carey sends along this link to a Catechesis resource for talking to children about Holy Week: All About the Atrium: The Paschal Mystery and the Child (PDF link)
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BISHOP JOHNSTON VISITS
The Right Rev. Shannon S. Johnston, bishop of the Diocese of Virginia, will be at St. George's this Sunday, preaching at the 9:00 and 11:15 services and leading Adult Forum at 10 a.m. A reception will follow: please contact Jan Meredith in the office if you can bring table-ready finger foods.
LECTIO DIVINA
Meditative reading of scripture that leads us into prayer and action in our lives. Led by Tom Rotella. No experience necessary. Mondays, 7 p.m., Faulkner Hall.
SPRING PARISH LIFE BROCHURE
Get ready for Spring with our Parish Life Brochure. If you didn't spot this in the narthex, it's now available online.
PARISH SPRING CLEANING
Help us spruce up our building and grounds. Friday, March 31, in the evening (6-9 p.m.), and again April 1, starting at 9 a.m. Come even if you haven't signed up, and bring your favorite cleaning supplies!
Join us at our monthly potluck, April 1, 6 p.m. Sydnor Hall. Hosted by Rogers and Carol Lawson, and Linda and Harry Dolph. RSVP to the Lawsons, 540-786-2637 or
[email protected]
Our outreach club for 2nd-5th graders will be visiting Poets Walk, a Memory Care Community, on Sunday at 2 p.m. Last month we sent notes and hand drawn self-portraits to our 'senior buddies.' This month we will join them for ice cream and bingo and a visit from Lilly the therapy dog and Tommy Thompson.
EASTER EGGS
Time is running out! Order your homemade, beautifully decorated, chocolate-coated peanut butter Easter Eggs by this Sunday for only $8 per egg. The 8-oz. eggs may be personalized at no additional cost. All orders MUST be prepaid.
Order forms are on the website
and in the pews and narthex, or you can order in Sydnor Hall after morning services. Proceeds from the sale will go toward scholarships for Shrine Mont Summer Camps for children and youth as well as for our family retreat at Shrine Mont in the fall.
MICAH NOON LENTEN SERVICES
The Micah Ecumenical Ministries partner churches are coordinating Wednesday noonday services followed by a luncheon during Lent. Fredericksburg United Methodist Church will be the host parish on April 5, with the Rev. Brittany Tamminga preaching.
This is the last Wednesday of the series; o
ur usual Wednesday Eucharists will resume on April 12.
RITE OF RECONCILIATION
The clergy are available by appointment throughout Lent to meet with anyone wishing to make a private confession of sins. Contact the clergy directly.
ECW BLOOD DRIVE
 Did you know? Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. The American Red Cross provides about 40 percent of the U.S. Blood Supply--for patients in nearly 3,000 U.S. hospitals! The Avis Harris chapter of Episcopal Church Women is sponsoring a blood drive on Thursday, April 6, from 3-7 p.m. in Sydnor Hall. Sign up in Sydnor after the service on Sunday,or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or online at www.redcrossblood.org.
PARISH PRAYER PARTNERS IN EASTERTIDE (3P in E):
A seasonal prayer project for the 50 days of Easter (from April 16 to June 4), and a great way to connect people in the parish!
Fill out a form online or in the narthex by April 9, and you will be given a name of another parishioner to pray for, and your name will be given to someone. We'll reveal the partners at a special event later in June, date to be announced.
EASTER THANKSGIVINGS AND MEMORIALS
You can give Easter flowers in honor or in memory of loved ones; or, give a gift that keeps on giving long after the flowers are gone with a donation to the Memorial Trust Fund or the General Endowment Fund.
Please fill out the form online
or in the narthex tract rack no later than April 7.
FEEDBACK FOR MEN'S GROUP
We were taking a look at our Men's Group survey results and realized: We want to hear from the men of St. George's even if you've never come to a Men's Group meeting. What sort of programs might bring you to one?
Fill out the survey here. You can skip questions that don't apply to you but we are particularly interested in what meeting times might work better for you and what sort of programs or activities you'd like to participate in.
DOCENTS NEEDED
Would you enjoy sharing the history of St. George's with downtown visitors? St. George's docents provide informative tours of the church during the summer. Training and resources are provided. We can accommodate many schedules. There is a meeting on Thursday, April 6, at 7 p.m. in Faulkner Hall for anyone who might be interested in this ministry of welcome. Contact the church office or [email protected] if interested.
TUESDAY EVENING BOOK GROUP
 Our Tuesday evening book discussion group will be starting a new title on April 18.
Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels, a National Book Award winning author of
The Gnostic Gospels.
The book study will meet in the Elsie Lewis room from 7:15 p.m. until 8:20 p.m. starting April 18 and continuing through May 23. Everyone is invited to come to any or all of the six sessions. The edition of the book will include the complete Gospel of Thomas. For additional information and for reserving a book (if needed), please contact Russ Carter (540-898-0727), Bill Carter (540-891-5076), or the church office (540-373-4133).
RISE AGAINST HUNGER
 Join us for a meal-packaging event (formerly 'Stop Hunger Now') with our Muslim neighbors on Saturday, April 22, 9-11 a.m. at Fredericksburg Field House (3411 Shannon Drive). Children are welcome. Please RSVP to Gay in the office.
SAVE THE DATE:
- MOVIE NIGHT: Our April Feature will be The White Helmets, in which An Oscar-nominated director follows the perilous work of volunteers who brave falling bombs to rescue civilians from the carnage of Syria's civil war. April 27, 6:30 p.m., Sydnor Hall.
- HABITS OF THE HEART WEEKEND: Healing souls and communities May 19-21 at St. George's. John Fenner from the Center for Courage and Renewal will guide us as we explore 5 "Habits of the Heart" for healing the divided heart of our society. As Christians, we are called to seek reconciliation and wholeness. We are all in this together. Registration and more information coming soon.
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| ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION |
This Sunday, April 2, 2017
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
Join us THIS SUNDAY at 10 a.m. for:
Adult Forum: Bishop Johnston Sydnor Hall
Bishop Shannon Johnston will engage with us in a question and answer session. Bring your questions about worship, public engagement and justice issues, and life in the wider Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion.
Come also to share with the bishop your stories of how the Spirit is moving here at St. George's.
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CHAMBER SERIES CONTINUES IN APRIL
Our next Chamber Series Concert will feature Carmina, a DC-based chamber choir devoted to exploring the diverse musical styles of the Middles Ages through the Baroque. April 23, 3 p.m., $10 admission/children and students free.
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BUILDING TREASURES
Part 5: Charitable Annuities and Trusts
Our final destination - charitable annuities and charitable trusts.
These products are sometimes called life income gifts since they grow out of donor's lifetime income stream and they are managed for you. They are somewhat more complicated because of this. You need a third party to draw up a contracts and to manage the life income gift. The new Diocese of Va. Planned Giving site has that capacity
as well as providing a deeper treatment of life income gifts than what I can do here.
Read more to learn about charitable annuities and trusts. Answer the question at the end of this post from Ben Hicks, our business manager, and be entered to win a Hyperion gift card!
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ENVIRONMENTAL CORNER
The Environmental Stewardship group encourages St. Georgians to check out these upcoming events in the region:
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Friends of the Rappahannock: Hunter Island Tour, Saturday April 15, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Contact 540-373-3448 for more information.
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Earth Day Fredericksburg: Old Mill Park, Saturday April 22, 11 a.m.to 4 p.m.
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People's Climate March: Saturday April 29, 2017, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the Mall in Washington D.C. The Virginia Chapter Sierra Club is helping organize and coordinate volunteers for this national event! Sign Up with the VA Chapter here.
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| THE TABLE |
THE TABLE IS COLLECTING....
The Table is collecting small (1 pound) bags of white rice and dried beans, such as pinto, kidney, lentils, etc.
for distribution at our market-style pantry. Please leave donations in the Narthex baskets on Sundays or bring to the office during the week. Thanks!
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