The Bishop is Coming!
Greetings!

Our bishop, Marc Andrus, is making his once every three-year visit to St. Gregory's on March 13. Every time the bishop visits it is a time for us to celebrate the relationship we share both with him and the rest of the diocese. We will also be celebrating the feast day of Gregory of Nyssa that Sunday. When the bishop visits, we often celebrate baptism and/or confirmation. If you are interested in baptism, confirmation, or reception into the Episcopal Church, contact me and I'll share more information with you about these rites.

Peace,
Paul
Calendar & Links for Events
Nathan's Baptism
Click the event name for the link. All times in PST.

Every Sunday:
  • The Early Liturgy (8:30 am, in person). This 45-minute service features creative storytelling using Godly Play, gospel enactment, congregational singing, embodied prayer, and Eucharist; it promises a special experience for children—and all are welcome.
  • The Adult Forum (9:30 am, hybrid) This 30-minute discussion meets in the conference room and on Zoom. We are currently discussing vocation in daily life: God's call to each one of us.
  • Contemplative Prayer (9:15 am, in person). Meet in the chapel for an hour of silence in companionship with members of the community. All are welcome to enjoy the silence.
  • The Late Liturgy (10:30 am, hybrid). This 75-minute liturgy highlights song, prayer, reflection, and personal sharing. Zoom coffee hour convenes online immediately following in the same Zoom room, so stay on to connect with others after the service.

Every Week:
  • Zoom Morning Prayer (Tues-Fri 7:30 am, on Zoom). This 45-minute intimate gathering for prayer and reflection on the day's scripture follows the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer.
  • In-Person Morning Prayer is taking a break for the next month or so.
  • The Bible Study (Wednesdays 12:00 pm, on Zoom). This hour-long free-ranging bible study is making its way through the Gospel of John, led by Rick Cornelius.
  • Story of a Saint (Wednesdays 5:00 pm, on Zoom) is back! This evening, WIll Capps will share with us the story of Queen Elizabeth I. Join us each week as we sing, pray, and contemplate the life of one of our dancing saints. You can find the music for the service here.
  • The Book Study (Fridays 12:00 pm, on Zoom) is reading Paul Fromberg's recent book The Art of Disruption. Led by the author.

Other Upcoming Events:
  • The Icon Painters Group (Sun. Jan. 23, 12:30-5:00 pm, in person). This group is for icon writers who would like to develop their craft with others. Contact Betsy for more information.
  • The Elder Women's Group (Wed. Jan. 26, 10:30 am). This group is for St. Gregory's women over 65 and meets on Zoom. For more information contact Tonia or Ebba.
  • East Bay Evensong (Thurs. Feb. 10, 6:30-8:00 pm, on Zoom). This group meets on the second Thursday of each month for Gregorians in the East Bay to share prayer, fellowship, song, and a meal together. For more information about East Bay Evensong or to attend, contact Leesy.
  • The North Bay Group (Sat. Feb. 12, 2:00 pm, in person). This group was recently formed for Gregorians living in the North Bay to connect spiritually with each other and meets on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Contact Laurie for details.
  • St. Gregory's at Anchor Taps (Sun. Feb. 13, 12:15 pm). Join friends from St. Gregory's for beer and barbeque this Sunday after the late service. Everyone is welcome; non-alcoholic options are available at the food truck.
  • The Vestry (Sun. Feb. 20, 12:30-2:00 pm, in person and on Zoom). The vestry meets in the downstairs conference room and on Zoom. Contact Anne for more information.
Our Shared Life
  • This week we pray for Margaret Simpson's husband, Rod Phillips, who will have surgery for a brain tumor on Monday.
  • If you would like to participate in our Sunday Liturgy as a reader in person or on Zoom, you can sign up by contacting Peter who will share the new sign-up information with you.
  • We are actively recruiting more deacons, zoom hosts, and camera deacons for our hybrid service. If you'd like to help out, contact Peter.

The Annual Parish Meeting is Coming!
Our annual parish meeting will take place on Sunday, January 30 at 9:15 am. We will meet in the seating area of the church and on Zoom.

During the meeting, we will hear reports on the financial state of the parish, the 2022 budget (which the vestry adopted in December), and the rector's annual report. We will also elect two new vestry members:

  • Barb Nicol, Co-convener
  • Rick Cornelius, Membership Commissioner

Additionally, we will elect deanery reps. We are in need of six people who are willing to serve a one-year term on the deanery. Please contact Paul if you are interested in serving on the deanery.
Announcements from Friends and Partners

  • The Calling All Choir meets Wednesday evenings, 6:30 - 9:15 pm.
  • AA Big Book Meeting takes place at 10:00 am every Saturday at St. Gregory's. Enter by the ground floor admin building entrance.
  • The Food Pantry meets every Saturday, with food distribution starting at noon—all are welcome to volunteer with setting up beginning at 9:00 am.
One Last Thing

Lent is coming (which is really just another way of saying Easter is coming!). Because we are still unclear about how we will be able to regather in person, we are not planning on having house meetings during Lent in 2022. However, we are pursuing the idea of having weekly online gatherings for reflection, sharing experience, and prayer. If you would like to host an online lenten gathering, please contact Peter and let him know. We'll have details about these groups early next month.

We will have a service in-person and on zoom for Ash Wednesday, March 2 at 7:00 pm. Stay tuned for more details on this service.

Stay Connected: