CHURCH OF THE HOLY COMFORTER
August 6, 2020
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For our Drive Through Food Drive this Saturday, 143 Ministries have put out a plea for fruit cups & cereal bars. They have 400 kids to feed breakfast before school starts.
And what does 143 stand for? I love you! Hold up one finger for “I", four fingers for “love” and three fingers for “you”. I love you! And we want to share that love with those who are suffering from food insecurity.
Bring your donations to Church of the Holy Comforter, 473 Fury's Ferry Road, Martinez, GA this Saturday, August 8 from 10 am - noon. Just stay in your car and volunteers wearing masks and gloves will collect your donations. School and sanitizing supplies are also welcomed.
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OUR FIRST DRIVE THROUGH HOLY COMMUNION
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Despite the heat and humidity we had a wonderful turnout for our first Drive Through Holy Communion. We have been on a long Eucharistic fast since March. Since it still isn’t safe for in-person worship we did the next best thing! Holy Eucharist was celebrated via live streaming and then immediately people drove to church to receive no-contact communion. The pastor and our Lay Euchristic Ministers Linda Bargeron and Robert Spessert handed out consecrated wafers in small, sealed plastic bags. |
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At the same time the entire Saunders family – Thomas, Ashley, Alexander, Emerson and Handley handed out prayer stones for the start of school and passed out Cheetos, the official snack food of Holy Comforter. But wait, there’s more! Robbie and Gail Jarrell helped collect supplies for our partner school, Martinez Elementary. It was a wonderful morning. |
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We will continue with the service of Morning Prayer via live streaming for the remainder of August and Labor Day weekend. After that we will revisit the possibility of offering in-person worship depending on what the COVID numbers are telling us. In any case, our weekly worship service will continue at 10:30 am on Sundays and will be live streamed on our Facebook page. And should we need to, we will again offer a Drive Through Holy Communion in September. It will be cooler, won’t it? |
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Over the past few years, Holy Comforter and The Church of Our Savior have partnered together in the EfM program. It had been a great relationship with two congregations sharing thoughts and individual ideas through the program.
I would like to invite as many of you to join us again in this wonderful program! What is EfM? Education for Ministry (EfM) is a unique four-year distance learning certificate program in theological education based upon small-group study and practice.
Since its founding in 1975, this international program has assisted more than 100,000 participants in discovering and nurturing their call to Christian service. EfM helps the faithful encounter the breadth and depth of the Christian tradition and bring it into conversation with their experiences of the world as they study, worship and engage in Theological reflection together.
Our group is usually 6 - 10 people. Currently we meet on Monday evenings at Our Savior. Following approval from our vestries and the bishop, we will be using the CDC guidelines for social distancing and masks during this virus. We plan to start our group again on the Monday after Labor Day. If you have questions about it or have interest in joining us, please contact me, Bob Thompson 706-399-5759 or you can email me at Bobtravel19621@aol.com.
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FROM CANON JOSHUA VARNER:
STAYING CONNECTED
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A reminder from Canon Joshua Varner, Canon for Youth and Children from the Diocese of Georgia:
Many of our youth who graduated this spring are heading to college this fall, in a world that looks very different! As they deal with a new world, contact with a local Episcopal presence can often be incredibly helpful. With that in mind, I’m writing you to ask if you have young people from your congregations who are headed to college in the next few weeks. If so, I would like to try to help them get connected with campus ministries, and/or local congregations if possible.
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Our pastor, Cynthia Taylor, will be on vacation from August 10 until August 29. Even Jesus took time off (Matthew 14:13). Part of this will be a time of Sabbath reflection as well as a short trip to Colorado with one of her sisters to visit a nephew in Estes Park (which is recording temperatures of 75 degrees right now).
In the pastor’s absence, The Rev. Joseph Shippen will take the service for August 16 and 23. And if there is a pastoral emergency, call The Rev. Joe Bowden at 706-294-2638 . He will be on call beginning the evening of August 15. If there is an emergency prior to that, call our Senior Warden Fred Hoogland at 1-770-335-7942.
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WORSHIP RESOURCES FOR THIS SUNDAY
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The service of Morning Prayer is live streamed Sundays at 10:30am on our Facebook page. Or, if you prefer, you can view it later on our YouTube channel.
Children's Bulletin Ages 3+ here.
Children's Bulletin Ages 7+ here.
Last week’s full service, click here.
Last week’s sermon, click here.
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Our worship continues even while we are physically separated. Preparing for Sunday is a tool that we will be using to help each of us do just that - prepare for Sunday worship by engaging in the assigned lessons from Scripture.
It includes an overview, a lesson introduction, a reflection, and a prayer starter. It is available on our website here.
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If you would like to have the latest copy of FORWARD DAY BY DAY mailed directly to you, please click the link below:
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Our current selection is The Faith Club: A Muslim, a Christian, a Jew--Three Women Search for Understanding by Idliby, Oliver, and Warner. We are asking for suggestions for next year’s list. Contact Mary Kelly for more information at marykelly919@comcast.net.
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Due to COVID-19 concerns, our staff is working remotely at this time, coming into the office only as needed. The best way to reach any staff person is via e-mail:
The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Taylor
Vivian Vaiden
Lara Fort
Brad Green
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If at all possible, please keep up with your financial gifts to the church. Money is always tight but never more than now. When this crisis has passed, I want us to pick up where we left off and continue to expand our mission and ministry of Jesus Christ.
There are several ways to give. You can press the "Donate Now" button below or go on-line to our website at www.holycomforterchurch.org and click on Giving at the top right hand. Finally, you can mail checks to: Church of the Holy Comforter, 473 Fury’s Ferry Road, Martinez, Georgia, 30809.
For those with an IRA account, due to COVID-19, RMDs in 2020 are not required but are still a tax saving for the donor and much needed and appreciated by Holy Comforter.
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For those in need of healing: George Anderson, Holly Pinheiro, Joy Waldo, and Scott Wiesniski.
For those with COVID-19: David Anna, Teresa Williams, Nanette Johnson, Betty and Al Hanson, Karen, Bennie and his parents, Alan, Kristy, Blake and Madalyn Chavous
For those celebrating birthdays: Kenneth Miller, Lisa Abate, Jacob Rigdon, Ben Blake, Darlene Bourque, Lee Anna Maynard, and Elizabeth Hahn
For those celebrating anniversaries: David and Beth Goolsby, Thomas and Ashley Saunders, Rex and Kelley Bell
Thanksgiving for our partnership with Martinez Elementary School and The Claiborne at West Lake.
For the safety of Joseph Haddow and all those who serve abroad.
For those who are homebound: John Howell, Donna Garvey, Bobby and Lorraine Banks, and Joan Jackson
For the departed: Vince Hamm
For all who have died for the Christian Faith and for those who have persecuted them.
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FOR THE LATEST UPDATES, VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE |
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