Weekly e-News from Epiphany Parish
August 29, 2023
From Rev Christen
Dear Epiphany Parish,
I invite you to join me in prayer for all of the students in our parish community who are returning to school this week and next. This prayer that we’ve used in the past for our blessing of the backpacks was written by Wendy Claire Barrie, the Canon for Intergenerational Ministries at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral:
God of Wisdom, we give you thanks for schools and classrooms and for the teachers and students who fill them each day. We thank you for this new beginning, for new books and new ideas. We thank you for sharpened pencils, pointy crayons, and crisp blank pages waiting to be filled. We thank you for the gift of making mistakes and trying again. Help us to remember that asking the right questions is often as important as giving the right answers. Today we give you thanks for these your children, and we ask you to bless them with curiosity, understanding and respect. May their backpacks be a sign to them that they have everything they need to learn and grow this year in school and in Sunday School. May they be guided by your love. All this we ask in the name of Jesus, who as a child in the temple showed his longing to learn about you, and as an adult taught by story and example your great love for us. Amen
-Wendy Claire Barrie
I hope that everyone enjoys these last few weeks of summer! Please see the announcements below about all the events that are coming up at your church!
Peace in Christ,
Rev. Christen 

Congratulations Rev. Hal! Many blessings and congratulations to our curate Rev. Hal and his wife Erin for the birth of their son Rowan! Everyone is healthy and doing well.  
Epiphany Parish News
We will return with our weekly e-news schedule next week, September 5th.
Ice Cream Sunday - Sunday September 10th
Please join us for Ice Cream Sunday! Many things are taking place on this fun day-
-We return to two services: an 8am spoken service of Rite I (traditional language) worship and a 10am service of Rite II (contemporary language) worship with music.
- Immediately after the 10am service we will be taking a photo of the congregation in front of our newly painted church. Come make sure you are a part of the picture! If you attend the 8am service, we'd love for you to come back to be a part of the picture and join us for Ice Cream!
 
- During the 10am service we will have the Blessing of the Backpacks and Laptop Bags, Briefcases, Diaper Bags, Phones, whatever.... please bring whatever you use for school or work (whatever work looks like in your life) to be blessed.  
 
- Sunday School for the children of our parish starts up again! 
 
- After the 10am service there will be ice cream on the lawn for everyone!
 
-And if that weren't enough...there will also be a baptism! We will baptize Griffin at the 10am service. Griffin is the son of Dave Buccelli and Michelle Helm. 
 
Ice Cream Sunday Set-Up!
Volunteers are needed to stay after the 9:30am service on Sunday, September 3rd to help set up a tent for Ice Cream Sunday the following week. If you are able to stay after church this week for a few minutes to help, it would be greatly appreciated! 
Strawberry Shortcake Sale @ Main St Live 
Friday, September 15th: The event runs from 5-11 pm. We need to be set up and in place by 3:30 and will need help with set-up, making, serving and clean-up as well as some help with prep earlier in the day if anyone has availability.
Please email the Parish office to sign up to help
An Evening with Mil Milagros
Mil Milagros funds the education and nutrition of five Mayan schools in central Guatemala. Their mission is to ensure that all children graduate from 6th grade - healthy, literate and prepared to continue their education. Epiphany will host an evening program on Wednesday, September 27th with Carolyn Daly, the Executive Director of Mil Milagros at the church. More information to come.
Epiphany Parish Morning Prayer via Telephone
Join us for Morning Prayer over the phone every Wednesday!
Dial 1-929-436-2866 at 7:15am
·      Enter the Meeting ID: 9250929345#
·        Enter participant ID, please press #
·        The password is: 123
 If you would like to follow along the service will begin on page76 in the Book of Common Prayer. Found Here:   https://www.bcponline.org/ 
(on the left click ‘The Daily Office’ then click Daily Morning Prayer: Rite Two)
Diocesan News
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry is resting at home following a hospitalization to address a reoccurrence of internal bleeding. He will undergo surgery to remove his right adrenal gland and an attached mass on Friday, Sept. 8, and his surgeon estimates his recovery period will be two to three weeks, after which Bishop Curry is expected to resume his regular work schedule.

Bishop Search News
Standing Committee announces bishop search timeline. - Aug. 16, 2023
As an update on the bishop search and election process that is now underway in the Diocese of Massachusetts, the diocesan Standing Committee has announced the names of those who will serve on the Nominating Committee and has made available an initial timeline.
The timeline includes May 18, 2024, as the election date and Oct. 19, 2024, as the date for the ordination and consecration of the new bishop. The timeline is posted on the diocesan website at www.diomass.org/bishop-search/timeline, where it will be updated as necessary.
Visit www.diomass.org/bishop-search for information and updates. The Standing Committee welcomes e-mail inquiries at diomasssearchcom@gmail.com. 

Sunday, September 3rd
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
9:30am - Rite I with Holy Communion & Live streamed

Fall worship schedule begins next Sunday, September 10th.
Altar Flowers will resume with the start of the Fall worship Schedule.

Altar Flowers - Donating altar flowers for Sunday morning is a wonderful way remember loved ones who have passed or to celebrate something or someone special to you. Flowers will be ordered for the altar on weeks when they are sponsored by someone. If you would like to sponsor flowers, please call the office and leave a message at 508.668.2353 or email at office.epiphany@verizon.net.
The cost is $40 for one vase and $75 to sponsor both vases.
Altar Flowers for September
All weeks available
Altar Flowers for October
October 15th - In loving memory of Fredrick 'Fritz' Sickinger
Join us each Sunday after the 9:30am service for
Coffee Hour for an informal time of fellowship!
Coffee Hour Hosts Needed! 
Volunteers are needed to host coffee hour after the 10am service. 
Coffee hour hosts will set up & provide snacks/beverages for approx. 20-25 people. Snacks (individually wrapped or served) could be donuts, cookies, brownies, fruit cocktail, etc. Beverages could be waters/juice. 
Please click here to sign up to host a simple coffee hour after church https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080b4ba9a828aafc1-epiphany
Notes from the Office
All the received survey information has been logged into the database. If your name is not listed or incorrect on the weekly Anniversary List or the Birthday List please contact the office so we can help you celebrate! Thank you.

Weekly Calendar
Fall Worship Schedule begins Sunday, September 10th.
Sunday Morning - 9:30am worship alternating between Rite I & Rite II weekly - in person & live streamed on Facebook
Sunday Youth Group - every other week 5-6:30pm - Resumes in the Fall.
Monday Bible Study - 7:00-8:00pm - Resumes in September
Tuesday - Open Vestry Meetings - every third Tuesday
Wednesday Morning Prayer - 7:15am by Phone
Meeting ID: 9250929345#
Participant ID, press #
Password: 123
Wednesday - Finance Committee - every first Wednesday
Friday - AA Meeting - Undercroft 8:00pm
Office Hours - Cindy will be out of the office September 11th - September 21st.
The office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 10:00am-2:00pm. Please email to arrange a time to meet in person for different days or times. As always, please contact Rev Christen directly if you have a pastoral emergency.‌
Safe Church Training - The staff and the vestry members of Epiphany Parish are required to take the Safe Church Training. If any other members of the parish would like to also take the training, please email the office and an invite will be sent to get you started on the online training.
‌Epiphany Parish Welcome Statement
Epiphany Episcopal Parish welcomes all those who seek a spiritual connection to God. We embrace the young and the old; the seasoned and the newcomer; the married, single, separated, divorced and widowed; those of all sexual orientations and gender identities; those from any economic, ethnic, cultural or religious background; and those of all abilities. We not only welcome diversity at Epiphany, we celebrate it.
Epiphany Email Policy
 Fraudulent emails are continuing to become more common and more sophisticated, please note that Rev. Christen, Epiphany Parish staff, and/or the members of our Vestry will never solicit money, gift cards, or personal information via email. If you have any questions or concerns about an email request you receive from a leader or staff person in our parish, please do not hesitate to contact the parish office.