Parable of the ten virgins, 19th century stained glass, Church of All Saints,
Hillesden, Buckinghamshire, England, Great Britain
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Sunday, November 8
The Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost
and Ingathering of 2021 Pledges
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Holy Eucharist Rite I, 8 a.m.
In-person attendance for up to 35 worshippers
Registration not required.
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Holy Eucharist Rite II, 10 a.m.
In-person attendance for up to 35 worshippers
Please register in advance here.
Also live-streamed at 10 a.m.
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Worship Notes, Sunday, November 8, 10 a.m.
Fr. Ben Hankinson, officiating
Jim Gillentine, Heather Douglas, Eucharistic Ministers
Henry H. Evans, Organist
- Coffee Hour I via Zoom, following the 10 a.m. service.
- Coffee Hour II, church lawn, following the 10 a.m. BYO Coffee.
- Communion will be distributed on the back lawn of the church from 12 noon to 12:30 p.m., weather permitting.
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Readings for November 8
- First Reading: Amos 5:18-24
- Psalm 70
- Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
- The Holy Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13
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The Holy Gospel | Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus said, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
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Schedule for November 7 & the Week of November 8
- Saturday, November 7, Fall Book Fair, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Evening Prayer, Sunday, 7 p.m.
- Compline, Monday, 7 p.m.
- Midday Moment: Noonday Prayer, Tuesday, 12:05 p.m.
- Midday Moment: Noonday Prayer, Wednesday, 12:05 p.m.
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Class with the Rector via Zoom on The Psalms, Wednesday, 6 p.m.
- Online Moments, Prayers with Fr. Ben will be on recess, Thursday, Nov. 12, through the following Monday or Tuesday as he will be away. Fr. David Boase will officiate at the Sunday, Nov. 15, service.
Looking Ahead
- New Rector's Class during Advent
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Christmas Eve Service, 7 p.m., Thursday, December 24 (one service)
- Christmas Day Service, 9 a.m., Friday, December 25
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As we approach our stewardship ingathering date of November 8, I am excited for us to look ahead to the ministry which the Lord has set before us.
But before we look forward, I would like for us to look back. We look back because the ministry which we presently share is the result of faithful stewardship. Over the last year we as a parish have reached out to serve the community in such great ministries as Glen-Ed Food Pantry, Thanksgiving Baskets, Angel Tree, the Book Fair (underway this weekend), and others. In addition to our outreach, we have ministered within the congregation as well through things like Shrove Tuesday fellowship, Blessing of the Animals, online communication and ministry, and pastoral care.
All these ministries, and these are but a few of our endeavors, are a direct result of the present generosity of this congregation as well as the fidelity of those who have gone before us. Giving of ourselves and being faithful stewards of our time, talents, and treasure has led us to a place where we are able to have a sense of health and security in these uncertain times.
As we look to the ministry of the year ahead, there is much for us to do together either for the first time or for the five hundredth time, and to do any of this we need your participation. From our regular worship, whether at home or in person, to parish life, to local outreach and even wider reaching ministries, we can do nothing without your dedicated offering of yourselves for the work to be done among us and out in the world.
There is still time to submit your pledge for 2021. It is my hope and prayer that St. Andrew’s will not only continue to do the wonderful things in which we are presently involved, but that we will grow in faith to see new areas where we may minister to those around us.
Won’t you join us as we take up the ministries of the kingdom to the glory of God in 2021?
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God-willing, we now draw near to the close of the political season and will soon reach some sort of conclusion to this round of elections. At the turn of this page in our corporate lives, whatever the final outcomes may be, let us pause to consider what God would ask of us in the days and years ahead.
O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light riseth up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (“For Guidance”, BCP p. 832)
O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (“For Quiet Confidence”, BCP p. 832)
I am sure that we will continue to reflect on the changing landscape of our public lives as individuals, families, communities, a nation, and a parish. May the Lord meet us there and guide our steps along the way.
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Stewardship 2021
The results of the 2021 Stewardship Campaign will be celebrated this Sunday, November 8, when the 2021 pledges are brought to the altar for blessing. Please be sure to submit your pledge prior to Sunday if at all possible. A simple way is to complete and submit your pledge form online by clicking here.
Giving information for older parishioners:
In response to the pandemic, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress. Included in this giant relief package was a provision that waives required minimum distributions (RMDs) for 2020 from retirement accounts. You may be wondering if you can still do a Qualified Charitable Distribution or QCD for 2020 even though your RMD is waived. The answer is yes.
QCDs from IRAs are still available in 2020 and still offer tax benefits, even though RMDs are not required. Under recently reinstated law, you may give gifts from your IRA directly to a qualified charity like Saint Andrew's without having to pay income taxes on the money. This law applies to those persons who are 70½ or older who normally must take a minimum distribution each year. This is how it works:
- If you are 70½ or older, you can give gifts of any denomination (up to a total of $100,000) directly from your IRA to the parish.
- The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you still benefit even if you do not itemize your tax deductions.
- The transfer may be made in addition to any other charitable giving you have planned.
- Contact your financial adviser for assistance as he/she will prepare the check.
Link to the Stewardship page on the parish website here.
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St. Andrew's is pleased to have Chris and Katie Helton and their son, William, join our parish. William was baptized at St. Andrew's on Sunday, November 1. |
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Our COVID-19 Response around the World
Episcopal Relief and Development is focusing on prevention and control of the spread of COVID-19 and partnering with communities to strengthen economic and social safety nets.
The organization is active in Columbia, Burundi, Ghana, Brazil Kenya, and Bangladesh. Working with community partners, it has delivered food, personal protective equipment, information on how to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and prenatal care to individuals and families struggling during this crisis.
Further information is available here.
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Please be sure to check your secondary folders (spam/trash) if the newsletter does not arrive in your inbox by Friday evening! |
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The St. Andrew's Week-End Update, a weekly emailed newsletter, is designed to update parishioners on church activities. Please send news items to Jane Weingartner
by 11 a.m. on Tuesday to have them appear in the following Friday's newsletter.
Newsletter Editor and Designer, Marian Smithson
Newsletter Editor Jane Weingartner | Newsletter Editor, Marianne Cavanaugh
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