Dear Friends in Christ,

If you weren't there to see it for yourself, let me tell you that our annual Trunk or Treat event this past Monday evening might have been the best one yet! We had just over twenty cars, with decorated trunks and costumed drivers; a popcorn machine, hot cocoa, and marshmallows; an outdoor movie screen and games for the kiddos; and plenty of shenanigans to go around. I want to heartily thank everyone who volunteered their time, donated candy, decorated and/or cleaned up, and anyone else who came together to make this event such an overwhelming success. We had just enough candy to give to our hundreds of guests.

I also want to thank our behind-the-scenes workers whose efforts keep our grounds inviting for ourselves and for our visitors. Thank you to our regular team of men and women who rake or blow leaves, sweep away pine needles, tidy up the gravel beds, and trim the shrubs. Thank you for taking care of us!

You may notice also that our parking lot has undergone a little bit of a refresh. Yesterday, a small team of professionals repainted the stripes, arrows, and handicap symbols throughout our upper and lower parking lots. It's good to see something fresh and new at a time when the leaves are falling and the daylight hours grow shorter.

This Sunday, November 6th, is All Saints' Sunday, and not only will we remember before God all those whom we love but see no longer, we will also welcome seven people into the Body of Christ through the sacrament of Holy Baptism at our 10:30am service. You may remember these (or similar) words from the Eucharistic prayer that we pray each Sunday morning:

"Therefore, we praise you, joining our voices with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven..." who forever praise God in his nearer presence. That countless gathering which comprises "all the company of heaven" includes our loved ones who have finished their race in this life; all the dead in Christ who, like us in the here-and-now, are still a praying, worshiping, integral part of the mystical Body of Christ, the eternal company of all faithful people. Come join us this Sunday as we worship together with them and their memories, and as we add seven more Christians to this family of faith.

Thanks be to God,

Brandon J. Hudson+

I kept thanking God for this wonderful church family and the beautiful weather for Trunk or Treat Monday night. This event would not have been possible without the participation of all that helped in some way, whether it was donating candy, dressing up in the most spectacular costumes, decorating your trunks and handing out candy to all the children that came through. I was hoping to see 20 cars or more, and you came through !

A special thank you to Christina and Joel Erdman for helping with setting up for this event and Anne Streeter for handling the drinks and popcorn station. You all rocked it! Again thank you.

Renee Goodrich

Parish Life Committee

Please join us for one of our two services of Holy Eucharist this Sunday

Rite I at 8:00 and Rite II at 10:30.

Everyone is invited to enjoy coffee and fellowship between services

and after the 10:30 service downstairs in Sengel Hall.



If you are not able to attend one of these services, the 10:30 service

will be streamed on Facebook.

We have had some problems with our streaming equipment in the past couple of weeks, but we believe the problems have been solved,

so please give it a try.

A copy of the service booklet, prayer requests, and weekly schedule

can be downloaded by clicking on the button below.

ORGAN MUSIC INFO

Last week's postlude was written by George Shearing, (1919-2011), a jazz pianist born in England. This coming Sunday, part of the prelude will be an arrangement of Amazing Grace, also written by George Shearing, who was an interesting character...

He was congenitally blind, the youngest of nine children of a coalman. Hearing the sound producing crystals on the family radio (this was the early 1900s) he discovered he could play those tunes on the piano. He had four years of music study at a school for the blind, then joined a band, played for radio programs, and began a recording contract when he was in his twenties.  Eventually moving to the United States, he formed bands and became one of this country's highest selling artists with his distinctive sound. In time, he became a jazz educator, then developed a passion for classical music and wrote this collection of works for organ based on early American hymn tunes. He displayed his wit when an interviewer once asked if he had been blind all his life and he quietly answered, "Not yet." 

SUNDAY'S ANTHEM, NEXT WEEK'S HYMN

This Sunday's anthem, which the choir sings during the offertory, will be unfamiliar to most of you - it's new to me. You'll have a chance to hear it and follow along in your hymnal to #382, "King of Glory". Next Sunday, the 13th, it will be one of the congregational hymns of the day.

In faith,

Annette

General Announcements

• The office will be closed on Monday, November 7th (Mental Health Day)

• The Men of St. Theodore's (M.O.S.T.) will meet Tuesday, November 8th, at 8:00 am at Papa Mike's.

• Still open for nametag requests. Just leave a note or send an email to the office to have one made.

• November 13th is our Consecration Sunday, when our promised offerings for 2023 will be blessed on the altar. Please have your pledge cards filled out and returned to the church by Sunday, November 13!

On All Saints' Sunday, November 6th, at the 10:30 am service, seven candidates are to receive the sacrament of Holy Baptism. The Parish Life Committee will host a celebratory coffee hour following the service in honor of this joyful event. Please make plans to attend and to warmly welcome the newly baptized, their families, and their guests.

Thanksgiving Day

Holy Eucharist 

This year, St. Theodore's will offer a special service of Holy Eucharist at 9:00 am on Thanksgiving Day, November 24th. At this service, several items that have been purchased for the church in memory of Terry Anderson will be dedicated and blessed. All are welcome to attend.

“Our annual wreath making event is quickly approaching with Advent only weeks away! Please join us November 27th for this morning of fun for all ages between our two services. It is a wonderful opportunity to create something unique for your home and spend time with our friends from both the 8 and 10 AM services. Light seasonal refreshments will be served.”

Calling all ages 12 years and up who are interested in Confirmation! The time has come to reach out to Fr. Brandon for more information regarding Confirmation in December. If you have come to us from another Christian faith tradition and would like to be formally received into the Episcopal Church, you can be Received by the bishop at his visit on December 11th as well. Come and talk with Fr. Brandon!

Adult Forum - November 6, 2022

There will be no Adult Forum this Sunday, November 6th, as Fr. Brandon will be meeting with the candidates for baptism, their families, and their sponsors during this time.

Wednesday Book Study

Wednesdays at 1:00, Fr. Brandon invites you to the Gathering Area to read and discuss Barbara Brown Taylor's book, An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith.

"Taylor reveals meaningful ways to discover the sacred in the small things we do and see, from simple practices such as walking, working, and prayer. 

Our discussion group will meet each Wednesday at 1:00pm in the Gathering Area. This will be a ten-week study, and here is the schedule of readings:

• 9/14: 1 The Practice of Waking Up to God: Vision. and 2 The Practice of Paying Attention: Reverence. pp. 1-34
• 9/21: 3 The Practice of Wearing Skin: Incarnation. pp. 35-52
• 9/28: 4 The Practice of Walking On Earth: Groundedness. pp. 53-68
• 10/5: 5 The Practice of Getting Lost: Wilderness. pp. 69-86
• 10/12: 6 The Practice of Encountering Others: Community. pp. 87-106
• 10/19: 7 The Practice of Living with Purpose: Vocation. pp. 107-120
• 10/26: 8 The Practice of Saying No: Sabbath. pp. 121-140
• 11/2: 9 The Practice of Carrying Water: Physical Labor. pp. 141-154
• 11/9: 10 The Practice of Feeling Pain: Breakthrough. pp. 155-174
• 11/16: 11 The Practice of Being Present to God: Prayer. and 12 The Practice of Pronouncing Blessings: Benediction. pp. 175-209

We are assisting with the Food Pantry kept by St. Andrew‘s Episcopal Church in Rogers. They have a well-established program dealing with food insecurity that serves 35 to 45 families every Tuesday from 9 AM to 11 AM. Their food comes from bakeries, private donations and the USDA with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. However, with supply chain issues, food availability has decreased and costs have risen to a point that they could use some help. The Outreach Committee and Vestry felt this was a good opportunity and want to switch our food collection efforts from Helping Hands to the St. Andrew’s pantry. Contributions will still come to St Theodores and be transported as needed to St. Andrew’s.

The following are the most frequently needed items:

1.      spaghetti noodles

2.      spaghetti sauce

3.      peanut butter

4.      canned tuna

5.      canned soups

6.      canned vegetables

7.      canned fruits

8.      ramen noodles

9.      dried pinto beans

10.  rice

11.  canned beans

12.  plastic grocery bags to distribute the canned goods 

Let’s also remember to continue to bring items for our small pantry on Kingsland Road (pictured below). This picture was taken just this afternoon, and this is frequently the empty condition we see. It is obviously getting used, as it is not always empty. If you have even just a few non-parishable items you can bring and put in our Little Red Pantry, it would help our neighbors nearby. You don't need to bring items into the church. Just use your own good judgment to bring whatever food items you might have in your own pantry that are not being used. If the Red Pantry is full, thanks be to God! You can go ahead and bring things inside if someone is here, or you can just put them in front of the doors to the office to be picked up later.

Emergency Clean-up Buckets 

Following the several destructive weather events that have occurred recently in this country and elsewhere in the world, the need is once again great for the buckets of cleaning supplies provided by Church World Services to areas most affected by these disasters. We supply the buckets, fill them here with the necessary supplies and deliver them to a distribution center in Central Arkansas to be sent wherever the need is greatest.

Below is the list of specific items needed to fill the buckets. These are listed by month to help you space out your shopping if you prefer to do that. Any of the items may be brought to the church at any time to be stored here until we have enough of all the requested items to fill the buckets. .

Please pay close attention to the specific descriptions of each item, as the full list is designed to fit into a 5-gallon bucket. If you have any questions, contact Sharon Moravits or Al Addington

"Bucket List"

Stealing Pears: So What?

Learn how Augustine goes from a boy to an adult and how the Roman world shapes his views. This month our Brown Bag lecture series focuses on “St. Augustine’s Confessions.” Join us each Tuesday, at 11:30 am, in the gathering room as we hear lectures by Professor of history, Willliam R. Cook, Ph.D. and English professor Ronald B. Herzman, Ph.D.

November 1 - Form and Genre

November 8 - Book I - Sin and Confession

November 15 - Book I - Augustine’s Childhood

November 22 - Book II - Augustine Grows Up

November 29 - Book II - Stealing Pears: So What?

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