St. Aidan's Episcopal Church, Alexandria, Virginia
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Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten Season
Prayers, ashes, walking the labyrinth, and lighting candles all helped launch the Lenten season of reflection at our children's Ash Wednesday service.
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Lenten Retreat
Saturday, March 7, 8:30 am-3:15 pm
“Praying Our Gethsemane”
You are invited to participate in St. Aidan’s Lenten retreat on
Sat, March 7th. We will gather at 8:30 for nibbles, the retreat begin's at 9am, we will enjoy lunch around 12:30 and dismiss at 3:15.
We invite you to a time of stepping away from the noise and clutter
of the world around you and to take retreat with us as we
delve deeper into Jesus’s time at Gethsemane.
will be attending. We also have a sign up sheet in the Narthex but if you find that you are able to join us at the last minute,
please do attend even if you hadn’t let us know.
Thank you.
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St. Aidan’s in Transition
I will try and share information about what’s happening with the transition process every couple of weeks here in the Epistle. So, what has been happening since John announced his retirement? Bonnie and I had an hour-long phone call with Sarah Brockenbrough last week. For information about Sarah’s appointment as a Transition Minister for the Diocese, please click here:
http://www.thediocese.net/news/bishop-goff-announces-two-appointments-to-diocesan-staff/
Sarah explained that the transition begins the moment change becomes known. As soon as John announced his retirement, St. Aidan’s entered into transition. She referred to this as Phase 1. And the goal of Phase 1 is to have a really good goodbye. Sarah strongly recommends that we give ourselves to that. She talked about “loving on each other.” That with laughter, tears, and sharing of stories, we begin to discover who we are through the act of saying good-bye to John. He has been with us for more than 20 years, so we’ve got a lot of memories there to begin sharing!
The Vestry and I have heard from a number of you who have expressed your reactions to John’s announcement. Thank you for generously sharing your thoughts, feelings, concerns, and questions, and for keeping us and St. Aidan’s in your prayers. You have asked questions about next steps and what the timeframe looks like for the coming months. Sarah was very clear that we do each phase very well, and not race through anything to make the process go faster. So for right now, we do what St. Aidan’s does so well — we hold each other up, we care for the needs of our people, and we look out for the well-being of our community.
Peace and Blessings on our Parish family, Elizabeth
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St. Aidan's
has been serving the Stratford Landing area since 1963.
We worship at 8:30 and 10:30 Sunday mornings, and at 5:30 on Sunday evenings. You are always welcome at St. Aidan's, wherever you may be on your faith journey.
Some Helpful Links:
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The Center for Spiritual Deepening at St. Aidan's supports the soul and heart work of those seeking a deeper sense of God's presence in their lives. Check out the Center and it offering's
Here.
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Godly Play and EYOA kids and Adults are meeting at the usual time of 9:30.
Adult Forum: John's Favorite Topics
They say preachers only have one sermon, they just dress it up differently for each Sunday. As I look toward retiring, I am aware that several topics have shaped my understanding of the gospel and that I have been pushing those ideas for many years. Some of these are older and some more recent, but they all have to do with what I have wanted to share and with what I have learned among you, or both. We'll start at the top of the list and work our way through these over the next several weeks.
The Church can and should welcome skeptics.
There is more to Christianity than believing.
What we have to share is our own story.
It is time to quit calling the faithful "sinners."
Jesus comes to life in new ways when we can imagine him as
teacher and friend.
EYC
will meet on the second Sunday of each month and for a different event each month during the school year!
All 6th-12th graders welcome.
This Sunday, March 8, 4-5:30pm
Building hygiene bags for VICHOP.
Other upcoming March EYC events:
March 29
, 4-6pm: cooking for VICHOP
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Saturday, March 28, 2020
From 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM in White Hall
The facilitator will be Stephanie Gurnsey Higgins,
Minister for Diocesan Development and Giving of the Diocese of Virginia
Planned giving can offer you the opportunity to make gifts you never thought possible with assets you’d not thought available. Come explore how your generosity can enrich St. Aidan’s ministry potential and also your own joy of giving.
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John Lein was ordained priest at St. Thomas a Becket Church in Morgantown, WV on Thursday, February 20. John and Miriam and the kids are doing well and enjoying their new parish.
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VIC-HOP is our Outreach focus for Feb & March.
Sun, March 1st, 15th & 29th
Please consider becoming an overnight volunteer for the Ventures in Community - Hypothermia Outreach Program (VIC-HOP) shelter. This is an excellent way for Saint Aidan's parishioners to serve some of the neediest members of our community, while also getting to know other Saint Aidan's parishioners (the fellow volunteers) better.
The shelter is located at Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church, on Russell Road near the Aldi's grocery store on US Route One in Alexandria. If you are interested in becoming an overnight volunteer, please use the Sign Up Genius below.
OPEN OVERNIGHT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES/DATES:
Sunday 29 March (still in need of three volunteers)
The Sign Up Genius for overnight volunteers is:
OPEN SERVING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES/DATES:
The Sign Up Genius for the meals is:
I
f you have any questions about overnight stays please call Adam Preston
(202-615-2324) Call
Patrick Kilbride if you have questions about food prep,
pjkilbride@verizon.net
(202-731-4195)
Thank you!
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Save the Date - Shrine Mont
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Shrine Mont Parish Retreat is scheduled for July 31, Aug 1 & Aug 2, 2020. Please consider adding the retreat to your Summer calendar. More details to follow.
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Focus Concert
March 14th at 7:00 pm
featuring
Anne Hills
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Anne Hills
is one of the most beloved voices of the contemporary folk music scene, receiving awards and recognition for her live performances, her unique solo and collaborative recording projects, and her overall artistry and benefit work. Whether she is singing her own songs, the words of six-year-old Opal Whitely, or her song settings of the Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley; accompanied with her guitar, banjo, or simply a Tibetan bell, she puts her whole heart and soul into the moment. She tours extensively, winning over audiences with her warm, lively and humorous performances.
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Service Volunteers
To volunteer to read, usher, and bear a chalice, please
email the Church office
or call (703) 360-4220 and talk to Eileen.
Flowers
Pick a Sunday, sign-up via the calendar in the Church or on-line thru the link noted below, then put a check for $35.00, made out to St. Aidan's Episcopal Church, in the collection plate with the words "Flowers" in the notation area. If you would like special flowers, or if you would like to bring your own flowers (please, no highly fragrant flowers), please get in touch with Eileen Myers, in the office (703-360-4220 or
staidansalexandria@gmail.com
) or make any special notes directly on the form.
Sign up here
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Coffee Hour
One of the best ways to welcome newcomers and get to know other parishioners is by staying after church to chat. Sign up via the calendar in the Church or the on-line link below to bring snacks and juice and make coffee. Before your week, you'll receive instructions, and you can even be paired with an experienced coffee hour host.
Sign up here.
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Thanks to all who support St. Aidan's in so many ways!
Your support makes so many good things happen at St. Aidan's and beyond.
Received this week 8,995
Budgeted each week 5,865
Received to date 49,524
Budgeted to date 52,785
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Thanks to everyone who has sent in a pledge!
If you have not yet pledged, please take some time in the next few days to prayerfully consider what you will give for the coming year and then make your pledge for 2020. Thanks!
If you would like to pledge on line today, you can
Pledge Here
.
Thanks for your support of this amazing community!
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Thurs, March 5:
7:30 pm The Gospel of Thomas
Fri, March 6:
8:00 am Silent Prayer - All are welcome
Sat, March 7:
8:30 am Lenten Retreat
Sun, March 8:
8:30 am Service
9:30 am Sunday School
10:30 am Service
5:30 pm Celtic Service
Mon, March 9:
7:00 pm Al-Anon meeting
Tues, March 10:
8:00 am Silent Prayer - All are welcome
9:30 am Woman’s Reading Circle
7:30 pm Vestry Meeting
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March 8, 8:30am The Second Sunday in Lent
Reader:
Rose DuPont
March 8, 10:30am
The Second Sunday in Lent
First Reader:
Doug Smith
Second Reader:
Heather Sanderson
Chalice Bearers:
Manley Williams
, Jeremy Means-Koss
Ushers:
Mario
Acolytes:
Spencer (Crucifer), Liam (Gospel), Kyra (Torch), Walker (Torch)
March Altar Guild:
* Brenda Hunt, Rebecca Thomas, Carol Horn
Vestry Member of the Month: March
/Elizabeth Drembus
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