Dear Friends in Christ,

On November 11th, we recognized our Veterans and the sacrifice made by them and families so that we may have freedoms such as our worship. It is no secret that our community knows very well the cost and sacrifice. While it remains a “secular” holiday, we are reminded in our lives of those things for which we may offer gratitude and remember sacrifices made for us. 

If we had not celebrated All Saints’ on Sunday last week, we would have read about the “poor widow (who) came and put in two small copper coins, which (were) worth a penny” into the treasury. This sacrifice is memorialized in the Bible as greater than all of those who gave out of their abundance. “She out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” This story from Mark speaks to the sacrifice and cost of discipleship. We not only hear about the monetary sacrifice made by this individual, but she put her whole trust and faith in God, so much more than a “penny.” 

In our own lives, we are reminded of the daily sacrifices given for others all around us. Such days as Veteran’s Day reminds us each year of that particular sacrifice. Contributing to a greater good, a larger purpose and for the benefit of others is an ideal within our nation. Our faith plays a vital role in such sacrifice that goes beyond self. 

Remembering the sacrifice and offering ourselves, our souls, and bodies, is our weekly sacrifice we offer in our Eucharist. This is the ultimate statement of our faith and participation in the loving God we seek in our daily lives. The greater good is connected to that perfect wholeness we seek in Christ. This is the hope for which we strive, in this life and in the next. This is why we give of time, talent, and treasure and why our feet bring us to worship each week. 

I look forward to seeing you this weekend, in person and online as we remember and participate in worship, giving of ourselves. As a reminder, if you have not yet turned in your pledge card, we encourage you to do so, so that your vestry may put together an accurate budget for the coming year. 

Faithfully yours, 

Masks are still required for everyone two and older. We do ask that if you are feeling ill to please stay home and follow along with our online services, which can be found at the links below.

@ 6:00 p.m. – Evening Prayer

@ 8:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist: Rite I

@ 10:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist: Rite II

@ 9:00 p.m. – Compline with St. Phoebe's (via Zoom)

Note: When joining any of our Zoom meetings, please make sure your name is displayed.

2nd Note: If any of the service links above don't work, check our website for updated links.

Note the 3rd: All of our services are also available on our Facebook page.

Saturday, November 13th, from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. If you're not able to go to the Crop Walk, you can still help get ECHO stocked up for the holiday season. We'll have a contactless, drive-through drop-off in our front parking lot. Scouts from our BSA Troop 1849 will deliver your contributions to ECHO. The Scouts are calling this "Stuff Woody's Van"; which sounds like a friendly challenge!

Food Items include: Box Potatoes, Flour, Jelly, Sugar, Tortillas, Bag Beans, Bag Rice, Pancake Syrup, Maseca Type Flour, Juice—Large Cans or Bottles, Healthy Snacks (e.g. raisins, nuts, etc.), Crackers, Can Soup, Coffee

Non-Food Items include: Laundry Detergent, Razors, Deodorant, Dish Liquid Detergent (e.g. Dawn), Children’s Cold/Flu/Pain Medicine, Hand/Body Lotion, Sanitary Napkins, Diapers Size 5, Diapers Size 6, Toilet Paper, Band-Aids

ECHO's complete food list is here.

Contact: Woody Browne (outreach@standrews.net)

Join us after the 10:00 a.m. service on Sunday, November 14th, for an Adult Forum led by the Rev. Lloyd A. "Tony" Lewis, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus.

Lloyd Alexander (“Tony”) Lewis, Jr. was born in Washington, DC, and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. After graduating from Trinity College with an AB in classics, he entered Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) and was ordained a deacon and priest in 1972. He has served in parishes in New York, Connecticut, and Washington, DC. Upon his return to the VTS faculty in 2000, he was named Molly Laird Downs Professor of New Testament Studies, a position he held until his retirement in December 2012.

Contact: The Rev. Will Packard (will@standrews.net)

According to the Brown School of Public Health, Fairfax County has 5.2 cases on average per 100k people over the past 7 days. This is a continued improvement and is 0.2 away from the “Green Zone,” which indicates that we are on track for containment. According to the CDC, Fairfax County has 41.48 total cases per 100k over the past 7 days, which leaves us in the “moderate” transmission zone. This is the second lowest zone with “green” indicating “low” transmission rates. In the county, there were a total of 476 cases in the past 7 days out of our 1.4M person population which is about a 14% decrease from the prior 7 days. 

Community Health: 

Over the past 7 days there were 0 deaths recorded related to the Coronavirus in Fairfax County. There were a total of 26 new hospital admissions related to the pandemic. 2.43% (0% change from prior 7 days) of hospital beds were used this past week in the county for COVID-related admissions and 2.04% (1.08% decrease from past 7 days) of ICU beds were used this past week for COVID-related admissions. 

Vaccinations: 

According to the CDC, 79.5% of Fairfax County has received at least 1 dose of the coronavirus vaccine which is 69.7% of the total population. Of those over 65, 98.6% have received at least 1 dose (83% fully vaccinated). According to Fairfax County, 83.5% of people over 18 have received at least 1 dose (70.6% of total population) and 76.3% of adults 18 and older are fully vaccinated (64.3% of total population). Good data on those age 5 and older who have received the vaccine are not yet available. 

At this time, we will not make changes to our procedures to do what we can to limit the spread of the virus.

Contact: The Rev. Will Packard (will@standrews.net)

Join us after the 10:00 a.m. service on Sunday, November 21st, for a remote Adult Forum led by John Lent, Executive Director of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.

A nonpolitical, nonsectarian 501(c)(3) organization, AFEDJ is dedicated to raising financial support for schools, hospitals, and centers for children with disabilities in Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. These institutions serve everyone, irrespective of their religion, ethnicity, or ability to pay. John joined AFEDJ as Deputy Director in 2016 and became the Executive Director in 2018.

Contact: The Rev. Will Packard (will@standrews.net)

We will be hosting a Messy Church on Sunday, November 28th at 3:00 p.m. This is the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, so make your plans accordingly. We will have a short, kid-friendly service and story and then each family will make an advent wreath to use this advent season. Registration for this event is now open.

Contact: Amy Dutton (amy@standrews.net)

Friends of Music and Arts is back! Please mark your calendar for the season opener on Sunday, December 19th, at 4:00 p.m. in the Nave – an afternoon of Celtic music by Karen Ashbrook and Friends. Karen and her husband, Paul Oort, were a highlight of our virtual Christmas Eve worship last year, and we’re excited to have them back this holiday season for an in-person concert. Karen is world renown as an Irish hammered dulcimer player, and she also plays the Irish flute and pennywhistle. Paul performs on harp guitar, 10-string cittern, mandolin, and musette accordion. They’ll be joined by another vocalist, details to be determined. In the spirit of giving, this will be a fundraiser for both ECHO and FACETS. Watch this space for more information.

Contact: Gabe Simerson (foma@standrews.net)

Please keep these members of our community in your prayers: 

Contact: Deborah England (prayer@standrews.net)