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I spent Wednesday listening to parishioners talk about this week's election and how so many people are experiencing strong feelings about what it all means for them and those they care about. Whatever the coming years may bring us, please know that you can count on St. Peters's reliably to be what you know it to be day in and day out. Since St. Peter's sets its own agenda, however important that election may or may not turn out to be, our good work continues here much like it always has. For example, this Sunday we are baptizing three children from one of our newest St. Peter's families and renewing our own baptismal vows. It would be hard for me to think of a better way for us to renew, recenter, and once again remind ourselves of who we are and of the hope that is ours in Christ.

Paul+

St. Peter’s Community Prayers

We pray for the people on

our parish prayer list:

~

Maryann, Valerie, Joan, Walter, Helen, Chip, Harry, Adam, Sarah, Margo, and Meredith

We also pray for Adam, Estelle, and Francis Calandra,

who will be baptized this Sunday

Mark Your Calendars!

• Sunday, November 10th - Holy Baptism at 10AM

• Wednesday, Nov. 13th, and 20th - “Lessons Across Faith” St. Peter’s Discussion Group (see more info below!)

• Friday, November 15th - Thanksgiving Baskets Donations Due Date (see more info below!)

• Sunday, December 1st - Annual Christmas Tree Lighting (Dinner at 5PM and Carols at 6PM with Tree Lighting to follow)

• Friday, December 13th - The Copley Singers Christmas at 7:30PM in the Sanctuary (free admission!)

• Tuesday, December 24th - Christmas Eve Family Pageant at 3PM

2025 Stewardship Campaign Kick-Off

Planning discussions for 2025 have already begun at St. Peter’s! With our new Rector, we are entering a new era for our church, and we invite you to lift up your hearts in prayer and ask: “How can I contribute to the flourishing of this church and community?” What you choose to pledge will largely shape what is possible at St. Peter’s next year. Together, with hearts lifted to God, we can make a difference in our church, our community, and the world. Further information and links to enter your pledge can be found on the stewardship page of our website.

Copley Singers’ Christmas at St. Peter’s

The first of what could become an annual event at St. Peter’s, we have the Copley Singers’ Christmas on Friday, December 13th at 7:30PM. We are grateful to our generous donors who have made it possible for us to offer this event for free and to open our beautiful church to all. Please invite your friends, neighbors, and especially anyone you know who may be looking for a church home. (Click on the video above for more information).

Episcopalians around the world and in various time zones gathered to welcome the Most Rev. Sean Rowe as the church’s 28th presiding bishop in a first-of-its-kind virtual investiture service, livestreamed Nov. 2 from the Chapel of Christ the Lord at The Episcopal Church Center in New York City.

Rowe, formerly bishop of the Episcopal Dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York, was elected and confirmed as the next presiding bishop at the 81st General Convention on June 26. He will serve a nine-year term.

St. Peter’s YouTube Page Revived



St. Peter’s created a YouTube page during the pandemic that was well used during that time, but not at all after that. It is now revived and you can expect to see short edifying videos of all kinds there appearing periodically. For example, some of Rev. Paul’s sermons at St. Peter’s are now there to be seen or re-seen. To find the YouTube page, just click on the YouTube button at the upper right corner of the church’s main webpage or at the bottom of this weekly email. You can also subscribe to be notified of new content. 

A reminder that neither Rev. Paul nor any of the lay leaders of this church will ever text or email you directly asking you for money or donations. There is a rise in phishing scams where someone posts from a phone number or email that appears to be from clergy or lay leaders and attempts to steal money from parishioners or others on our mailing list, usually requesting the purchase of gift cards. When you think you've received a suspicious communication, please report it to your service provider and contact Rev. Paul, Emily in the office, or Mike Iacono directly.

Sign Up to be a Worship Leader/Lay Assistant

Updates to Prayers of the People

If you would like to include a family member or loved one on the prayer list, please contact Emily at office@stpetersweston.org

or call the office at 781-891-3200

Sunday Flower Donations!

If you wish to make a flower donation in memory or in celebration, please sign up your name on the flower calendar in the Narthex of the church. You may either donate by placing your donation in the collection plate or go to the St. Peter’s website to donate online.  The Donate button is located in the top right corner of the homepage or you can use this LINK.  In the drop-down menu, select “Flower Donation.” 

Please contact Helen Stock (helenstock2@gmail.com) as to the type of flower arrangements you prefer and contact Emily (office@stpetersweston.org) as to the wording you would like to appear in the bulletin.

You can find the book "My Neighbor's Faith" on Amazon:

Link HERE

Please let Judy (judystc@gmail.com) or Hansi (hansidean@aol.com) know if you plan to attend!

St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Weston is partnering once again with the Waltham Alliance for Teaching, Community Organizing, and Housing (WATCH) to provide Thanksgiving groceries for families in need. An estimated 23% of households with children face food insecurity and we want to help these children have a happy Thanksgiving.

Please consider making a $75 donation to cover the cost of one Thanksgiving family meal. A member of the St. Peter's Outreach Committee will purchase the grocery store gift cards, so we are asking for a monetary gift. If you are able, please consider donating the equivalent of two or more $75 Thanksgiving Dinners:

1 Dinner: $75, 2 Dinners: $150, 3 Dinners: $225, 4 Dinners: $300, etc.

Donating is super easy! Here are the payment options:

1. Through St. Peter's online payment platform, Realm (Note: Please be sure to select "Thanksgiving Dinners" under the Fund column, the second prompt after the amount) https://onrealm.org/StPetersEpiscop42312/-/form/give/now
2. By check made out to "St. Peter's Episcopal Church" with "Thanksgiving Dinner" written in the memo line. You can mail the check to: St. Peter's Church, 320 Boston Post Road, Weston MA 02493

This year's deadline for Thanksgiving Dinner donation submissions is Friday, November 15th. 

All gifts towards Thanksgiving Dinners are tax deductible and will be included in St. Peter's Parishioner's year-end reporting. 

Thank you for your consideration and wishing you and your family a healthy and happy Thanksgiving season!

Questions? Contact Anne Ruggles at asruggles@gmail.com 

Afghan Ministry Update

Winter seems to be approaching in fits and starts and there have been some cold nights. Thanks to a very successful Weston and Wayland blanket drive, we have been providing blankets to the new families. The pile of donated blankets at St. Peter's has been impressive! Karen and I collected the blankets, checked, washed and packaged them for the families to choose. Through that drive, we also gained a new Weston family of 4 who has volunteered to support an Afghan family living in Nashua with English and family needs.

Since there are so many new arrivals, we had a discussion at the women's group where each woman talked about where they came from and how they got to Manchester. For most of the women, it was the first time they had ever spoken into a microphone! It was certainly emotional to hear the stories of these courageous women who lived under the fear of Taliban reprisals against their families, fled to Pakistan or other countries, lived in camps in Qatar or Germany and finally arrived at a completely foreign new home. Many women said that they looked out of their windows, each thinking that they were the only Afghan woman in Manchester. Only after joining our group did they experience the joy of knowing they were among friends. We are so honored to have the opportunity to walk with these brave women on their journeys to a new life. 

It has certainly been a rush to get the newly arrived families ready for winter. We are still in need of women's long coats, men's short coats, adult winter footwear, gloves, socks, and Walmart or Target gift cards to purchase needed items. In addition, we are still collecting bolts of upholstery fabric, apparel fabric and tension rods for curtains. We continue to thank you all for your support and invite you to become involved in the Afghan ministry.

Karen and Hansi

Do You Have a Pastoral Need?

For pastoral support or emergencies or for any other church matter, please call the Rev. Paul at the office (781-891-3200). We encourage you to let him know if you are in the hospital or have some other need that calls for pastoral support.

Did you know you can give to St. Peter’s securely through our online giving site? Make your pledge, give one-time or designate a special gift to one of our ministries.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church | 320 Boston Post Road | Weston, MA 02493

www.stpetersweston.org