The St. Georgian Weekly E-newsletter
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A Message from our Rector
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Greetings beloved St. Georgians,
God is good. All the time. All the time. God is good. I learned this as a call and response at Glory Ridge Camp, which is where our St. George’s youth have visited the past few summers. Years ago, I worked as a counselor at the camp. A Methodist pastor and his youth would use this as a way to stay connected. The pastor would call: “God is good!” and wherever they were, even if they were out of sight, the youth would respond, “All the time!” Then he would say, “All the time!” and they would reply, “God is good!” We might keep that image of staying connected through God’s goodness, as we live into the challenges of social distancing and separation.
I have seen God’s goodness in some new ways in the past couple of weeks. On Sunday, our director of children and youth ministry, Hecti Musa, offered a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd lesson about God’s love with children and families via Zoom. They were invited to connect to God and each other. Our St. George’s preschool teachers are offering online lessons for their little learners in ways that are touching the hearts of adults as well. As we worship online, the comments with requests for prayer reveal open hearts yearning to be connected with God’s grace. As parishioners call and check on each other, God’s goodness is felt in those connections. All the time, wherever we are, God is good.
Earlier this week, Bishop Goff announced that our churches would remain closed to in-person public worship until May 8, at the earliest. I’ve started to think of this as a “season,” not only of separation, but of connecting in new ways. And just as we see spring unfolding before us, I pray that we will see God’s goodness in this season unfolding before us, bringing us together even as we are physically apart. These are difficult times, without a doubt. God is with us in the difficulty. God is good…all the time.
Just as God can bring life out of death, God can bring connection out of separation. Stay connected to St. George’s through our
website and
Facebook and through these email updates. Worship with us online or by conference call. Reach out with your prayer requests and pastoral concerns. We want to hear from you. Stay connected by continuing your financial offerings in thanksgiving for God’s goodness and in support of our ministry. Note all the ways we are inviting connection and listen to how God may be calling you to make new connections in this season.
God is good!
All the time!
All the time!
God is good!
Your rector and brother in Christ,
Joe+
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News from Bishop Susan Goff
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Bishop Susan Goff has shared additional messages this week about worship and community during COVID-19. She shared with the clergy earlier this week that we will not be gathering in our church buildings for public worship at least through May 8.
She encouraged congregations to begin planning for ways to observe Holy Week and Easter that do not include public gatherings, and St. George’s is already looking at what we might do. We invite you to visit the
Diocesan News page
to learn more.
Bishop Goff announced recently that she has breast cancer. She has been told it is treatable, and she plans to continue her duties with some modifications. She is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow (March 27), and we ask everyone to keep her in prayer.
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Virtual Worship at St. George's
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Please join us virtually for worship! You can view each service via
Facebook Live or by telephone / video conference. To join via conference call, dial 515.604.9963 and enter access code 199991#. You can also join the call online by visiting:
https://join.freeconferencecall.com/stgeorgesfxbg. The online meeting ID is: stgeorgesfxbg.
We will post service leaflets on our website and social media prior to each service.
Wednesdays:
Micah Ecumenical Ministries is holding their Lenten Noon Services via Facebook Live. You can join this worship service by visiting the
Micah Facebook page.
Thursdays:
Join us for Noon Prayer. The service will include music and a meditation from clergy.
Sundays:
At 10 am, clergy will lead a formation discussion. This Sunday, our rector, Rev. Joe, will talk with us about our 300th Anniversary Bible Reading Challenge. All are invited to attend as we discuss what we have been reading so far. It’s not too late to join the challenge with plenty of time to do a year’s worth of readings by May 1, 2021. If you'd like to join the challenge,
send Joe an email!
Hecti Musa will lead Children's Formation via
Zoom from 9 am - 9:30 am (Meeting ID: 476-976-821). This will be a chance for all children and families to see a formation meditation/ presentation and share stories from the week.
Additionally, Youth Group can check-in via
Zoom from 5 - 6 pm (Meeting ID 337-452-015). This will be a chance for all youth and youth leaders to get together and share stories.
The National Cathedral will continue to live stream worship on Sundays at 11:15 am. All are encouraged to worship with our greater Episcopal community. Visit the
Cathedral's website for links to the online worship services and service leaflets. Our rector will host a watch party on our St. George’s Facebook page if you want to watch with other St. Georgians.
At 5:30 pm, we will offer Celtic Evensong. Join us for a time of prayer and reflection. Our service will include music and clergy will share a meditation.
Our young adult missioner, the Rev. David Casey, is hosting morning prayer at 9:15 am on Sundays and compline at 7:30 pm on Thursdays on his personal Facebook page.
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"..for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." - Luke 6:38
How can you give since you can’t come to church physically during the pandemic? You can give by check, credit card, or bank account.
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If you have questions about giving:
Thank you for giving to support our ministries at St. George's!
“And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.”
– II Chronicles 9:8
Ben Hicks
Business Manager
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If you have a pastoral emergency and need to speak with clergy immediately, please call or text: 540.361.8573.
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Weekly Open Conference Call with Our Rector
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All are welcome to join a call online or by phone Tuesday evenings from 6:30 - 7:00 pm (note new time). Our rector leads us in prayer and a brief reflection. Updates and prayer requests may be offered by participants.
Note that all participants are muted at first to reduce background sound. From your computer, you can unmute yourself using the microphone button or type comments. From the phone, dial *6 to unmute/mute.
We apologize that some people had trouble participating last week. Instructions are found on the
Season of Connecting in New Ways COVID-19 update page on our website.
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Weekly Prayer List at St. George's
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Below is the list our brothers and sisters in Christ who, in vulnerability and need, have reached out and asked us to pray for them. Please hold of them in your heart this week and join us in praying for them.
Names in italics are new additions for this week.
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Pray for our leadership: for our bishops, Justin, Michael, Susan, and Jennifer; for Joe, Areeta, Bob, and David our clergy; for those who are priests and pastors in our community; for our staff—John, Ben, Jan, Nicholas, Amy, Danielle, Lisa, Robin, Achim, Hecti, Laurel, Barbara, Emily, and Riley; and for our Vestry.
Pray for those expecting babies: Amie and Sean Lesser, daughter of Mark and Joyce Steele; Chelsea and Kyle Browne; Areeta Bridgemohan and Chris Dorle.
Pray for those recently born: Kannon Michael Charles O’Neal, grandson of John and Linda Coker, Grace Cecelia McFarland, granddaughter of Julie Schwarz Lang,
Lena Florence, granddaughter of Anne and Jim Boyles.
Pray for those who have died: Ginny Morton, Doris Gaythwaite, mother of Dori Eglevsky, Tom Potter,
Rodney Muthard.
Pray for those serving our country
overseas: Ian Patrick Hume, Andrew Rodriguez, Matthew Martinez.
Pray for homebound parishioners:
Bill Poole, Judy Barton, All persons in care facilities who cannot receive visitors right now.
Pray for Seminarians:
Colleen Schiefelbein, Carey Connors.
Pray for those in rehabilitation or in convalescence: Al Sharp, Kitty Lacey, Kathleen Pool, Steve Cronk, Virginia Boyd, Dottie Davis, Kathryn Riso, Jim Boyles, Elena Prout
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Pray for those with ongoing concerns: Arya Holmes, Molly Myers, Wayne and Dot Morris, Scott Boyd, Paris Swisher, Tom Pugh, Connie Nance, Edward Sielski, Martha Hearn, Bev King, Whitney Kidd, Jerry, Russ Carter,
Nancy.
Pray for those who need God’s grace and assistance: Elizabeth Martel, Renee, Temur G., Nancy, Bill Lehr, Katie, Li Cross, Families, Carly McHale and Deane, Jane Potter, Maryann and Family,
Frances O'Connor,
Carey Connors, Bev Lukehart, Heather Plunkett and family.
Pray for those in discernment: Kris Boyd.
In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for: St. John's, Tappahannock; Incarnation, Mineral; St. Andrew's, Arlington.
In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for: Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui – the Anglican Church in Hong Kong – and Macau.
Pray for: Our Little Roses (Honduras); Notre Dame Parish and School (Port-au-Prince, Haiti), Père Frantz Cole; Red Door Young Adult Ministry; SAWs Virginia; Rev. Õshin Jennings, No Barriers Zen Temple; Micah Ecumenical Ministries (our work to do justice, love, mercy, and walk humbly with our God along with other congregations in Fredericksburg).
Pray for: St. George’s Preschool.
Pray for: Stephen Ministers, St. George’s lay pastoral care visitors, and their ministry of spiritual and emotional support for others in the congregation.
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Our vestry met earlier this week by Zoom with our stewardship consultant, Kristine Miller, as the work of the church continues in spite of the physical distance. Below is a pic (courtesy of Ralph Powell) of those on the call.
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Easter Memorials and Thanksgivings
This Easter, if you would like to give a gift to one of St. George's funds in memory or honor of a loved one,
please click here. We will include all names in our e-newsletter that will go out on Thursday April 9 and April 16. Please send in your gifts by April 4.
Habits of Grace
As we learn how to adjust our lives given the reality of the coronavirus and the request to do our part to slow its spread by practicing social distancing, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry invites you to join him each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’ A
new video meditation will be posted on Mondays through May.
Resources for Praying at Home
The Book of Common Prayer is a treasure-trove of prayers and has services for daily morning, noon, evening, and compline (end of day) prayer services as well as shorter devotions for individuals and families. If you do not have a BCP at home, there is a free version online at:
www.bcponline.org. The daily prayer services are also available online (the scripture readings are provided conveniently), and two resources are:
www.bookofcommonprayer.net and
www.missionstclare.com. You can order the BCP from several booksellers (
www.churchpublishing.org is a trusted vendor associated with The Episcopal Church). When ordering, you may want to consider a prayer book and hymnal or prayer book and Bible combination volume.
Bishop Goff - Visitation / Confirmation
Bishop Goff's visitation, originally scheduled for this Sunday, has been postponed. We continue to pray for all those who are preparing to be confirmed, received, and reaffirmed and will look forward to celebrating at a future date.
St. George's Apparel
Our 300th Anniversary Lands' End apparel site is open for business!
Click here to order scarves, fleeces, and more with our logo!
Creation Calendar for Lent
Virginia Interfaith Power and Light (VAIPL) has published a Creation Care Lenten Calendar. Each day includes a different action and each of these small steps will help preserve God's great gift of creation.
Click here to download a copy.
300th Anniversary Bible Reading Challenge!
While we are separated physically, it may be a great time to be connected in reading scripture together. Our rector is challenging us to read the whole Bible between March 1, 2020 and May 1, 2021 to ground our 300th celebration in faith. We have a suggested reading program (analog or digital) so that parishioners can do this together and 14 months to complete a 12-month program, so there’s room to take days off. Contact
Joe Hensley if you are interested in participating. It's not too late to join!
Pastoral Care
If you have a pastoral emergency, including but not limited to hospitalization or a death, please text or call 540.361.8573 to reach the clergy on call. For less urgent pastoral needs, contact clergy directly or one of our pastoral lay ministers through the church office. We offer Stephen Ministry (one-to-one spiritual care ministry), home Communion visitors (LEV), prayer shawls and quilts, personal and intercessory prayer, and our One Body Response Team (send cards, calls, occasional meals or transportation, prayer). If you know of someone who might need a pastoral visit or contact, especially during the holidays, please let the clergy or pastoral lay leaders know.
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In-person events are canceled through May 8. We are postponing all events related to our 300th anniversary until June at the earliest.
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Volunteers Opportunities
The measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 can lead to a feeling of helplessness. There are many ways to support our vulnerable neighbors.
Please click on this link
to see volunteer opportunities available in our community. This document will be updated as St. George's continues to communicate with our community partners. Please contact the
Rev. Areeta Bridgemohan
for questions or updates.
Small Group Gatherings
It has been suggested that some parishioners may want to gather in small groups online or by conference call for prayer or discussion during this time. If you would be interested in helping to organize this effort, please contact
Joe Hensley
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Technical assistance needed
Do you have experience with audio/video production? We are looking for assistance with our live-streaming and recorded offerings. Please contact
Laurel Loch
.
Your Help Is Needed
Our Young Adult Chaplain, Rev. David Casey, is collecting donations for the community pantry at UMW to help support the students who are on campus. If you have pantry or toiletry items to donate, please
contact the church office
to arrange a drop off time.
Help Us Celebrate!
As we continue to plan and prepare for our 300th Anniversary Celebrations, we need your help!
Click here
to learn more about the events and sign up to volunteer.
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Digital Fellowship and Check-ins
Hecti Musa will lead Children's Formation via
Zoom
from 9 am - 9:30 am (Meeting ID: 476-976-821). This will be a chance for all children and families to see a formation meditation/ presentation and share stories from the week.
Additionally, Youth Group can check-in via
Zoom
from 5 - 6 pm (Meeting ID 337-452-015). This will be a chance for all youth and youth leaders to get together and share stories.
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Slow down.
Hit the pause button.
Take a deep breath.
Close your eyes and repeat the short meditation either silently or aloud.
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"God is good!
All the time!
All the time!
God is good!”
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St. George's Episcopal Church | 540 373-4133
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