Dragon Tales E-News

February 1, 2023

A Note From Jeff

Right now, I am making a push to get ready for our Summer Service Trip! This is a trip that has been planned for a long time, but…COVID. Now, we are ready! (By the time you read this, I will have held an information meeting already. If you missed it, email me!)

So, what is the trip? Glad you asked! We are journeying to a beautiful small island off the coast of Maine. This is not a luxury trip, although it is by no means at all uncomfortable or unpleasant. We will be living on one of the most beautiful spots on the planet, in my opinion. While we are there, will learn how to deal with limited resources while surrounded by awe-inspiring views and landscapes. The trip rests on three legs of Service, Stewardship, and the Holy Spirit. We will Serve others by seeking out the poverty often obscured by a veneer of wealth and assisting in projects to benefit the local community. I am coordinating the projects through the local Episcopal church. We will practice Stewardship by immersing ourselves in a unique and delicate environment, learning how to coexist with that environment rather than dominate it. We will invite the Holy Spirit into our lives through various chances for group-led worship, participation in some study, and opportunities for individual reflection and meditation.

Think of how important water is to our spiritual life (baptism, etc.) and our very existence, and then realize you will be literally surrounded by it. In many ways, for the week you are there, your life will be governed by water: by the tides, by its isolating and connecting properties, and the realization that in the presence of abundance (sea water), there can be limits on what we can and should use (fresh water).

Previous groups have found this trip to be incredibly impactful.

When: 10-17 July. NOTE: the week can shift if there is sufficient interest, but too many conflicts for that week.

Where: a small island on the mid-coast of Maine will be our base of operations. From there we will branch out for service, worship and other group activities. We will depart and return from SMC.

Cost: I am estimating roughly $500.00. We ascribe to a 1/3 rule: 1/3rd of the cost comes from fund-raising, 1/3rd from the participant, and 1/3rd from the church. It is an estimate based on about 10 participants.

Want more information? Just contact me at jeff@st-margarets.org.

Weekly Donations Update

(does not include pledges)

Weekly goal: $4,808

January 29 Donations: $1,018

Our 2023 Goal:

$250,000

Please give weekly if you are choosing not to pledge!

Thank you thank you thank you!!! to ALL who volunteered your time and hearts at Winter Relief. We had over 200 volunteers involved!!! We made a huge difference for the folks who were able to stay with us for the week. It shows the true heart of St. Margaret’s and we are SO grateful. Thanks to all who helped organize and feed, who spent time in conversation with our guests, who spent the wee hours making sure all was calm and safe. It took a village, and our village showed up! Thank you!!!



Love,

Marti and Casey

(Image of Monday Night Dinner Crew)

RSVP so we can have an approximate idea

of how much food to prepare:

St. Margaret's Church: Pancake Dinner Anticipated Guest (signupgenius.com)

Have you ever wondered what is in the little room off the altar? Then maybe the Altar Guild is for you!  

We are a volunteer group whose ministry is to care for the altar, vestments, vessels, and altar linens of the parish. If you’d like more information, the Altar Guild will be hosting Coffee Hour on February 5th. Come see us!

JOIN US!

5:15PM-6:15PM Spirit Singers as scheduled

6:15PM DINNER FOLLOWED BY:

-Story and Craft for kids

-Adult Choir at 7pm

-Adult Formation at 7pm starting Feb. 27

Monday Night Lenten Series



A very interesting Lenten series will begin on February 27. In this 5-lesson series, we will explore the tradition of the Stations of the Cross. We will have history, maps and icons, as well as the wonderful text by Clarence Enzler, “Everyone’s Stations of the Cross”. All materials will be provided. I hope you will join us as we walk with Jesus during his last earthly days.

Join us after dinner on Monday evenings in the Fellowship Hall.

Free will donations are appreciated

and go to directly offset coffee hour costs.

Bishop Search News

(From Diocesan News)

Our candidates for Bishop Coadjutor will visit multiple sites around our diocese for “Meet and Greet” sessions in early March (locations and times to be announced). In order to make the best use of that time the Bishop Search Transition Committee will invite the candidates to answer in advance the main questions that people in our diocese want to ask. Use this form to submit a question anonymously - deadline is January 30, 2023. The Transition Committee will compile the questions and share them with the candidates. Some of their responses will be posted via video to the Bishop Search page before the meet and greets take place. 

Electing Convention for Bishop Coadjutor of Maryland (XV Bishop of Maryland), March 25, 2023, in-person gathering, St. John's, Ellicott City. Convention details to be announced.

Learn more about our Bishop Search and meet our Candidates for Bishop Coadjutor (XV Bishop of Maryland).

Point of Contact for More Information: Sarah Hyde (410 562-9904)

Music

The adult choir from Christ Church Parish, Kent Island joins our adult choir to offer a service of Evening Candlelit Compline on Thursday, February 2, at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. All are welcome as we observe the Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas) with this ancient and contemplative light-themed liturgy of music and scripture.

Formation

Reverend Peter's Communion Class last Sunday

Sign Up To Keep Our Nursery Care Running Here:

St. Margaret's Church: Nursery Care (signupgenius.com)

Vacation Bible School Will Be the Week of June 26th. More Information to come!

Missions

Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations

Task Force Update

It’s been a week! Here’s a video that will lift you up...

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preaching in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day for Notre Dame University’s “Walk The Walk Week”. https://youtu.be/vqHWA69r-vY

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Feb. 1 and 8, 7 to 8:30 p.m. ET –

Parts 2 and 3 of ‘Past Reckoning: Exploring the Racial History of the Moravian and Episcopal Churches’

Register for the remaining sessions of this three-part webinar series—presented by the Moravian-Episcopal Coordinating Committee Racial Reconciliation Working Group—that examines the racial histories of the two churches and how new methods for racial reconciliation are working in ecumenical contexts.

All sessions will be recorded and later available online.

Part 1 (aired Jan. 25): Evangelizing Enslaved People: Good News or Control? (Available online)

Feb. 1: The Silent Protest Parade: Responses to Racial Violence and Black Leadership in the Church

Feb. 8: The Church and the City: Integration, Segregation, and White Flight

Each webinar includes a pre-recorded segment focusing on the specific historic topic, followed by discussion between the working group and two panelists, and a Q&A with participants.

LINK TO REGISTER https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VMBe-wMoSp6DroQO9-1MjQ

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 February at our local Banneker Douglas Museum in Annapolis.

84 Franklin Street, Annapolis, MD 21401

Black History Month Portrait and Collage Activity for people of all ages.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11

11:00AM – 2:30PM

Artist Talk: the Radical Voice of Blackness Speaks of Resistance and Joy

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

1:00 – 3:00PM

Visit the museum’s website to discover more

https://bdmuseum.maryland.gov/events/

Upcoming Coffee Hour Chats

February 19^th CHC ~ A Special Performance

March 19^th CHC ~ A Special Guest Priest

Helping out at My Brother's Pantry in February

My Brother's Pantry is a local food pantry, jointly run by a dozen churches/synagogues on the Broadneck Peninsula. And February is St Margaret's month to step to the front!!

The Pantry is modeled as a tiny (free) grocery store, where member families come inside, push a cart, and pick out the fresh, frozen, and nonperishable items that best meet their family's needs.

We are looking for parishioners to guide these families through the Pantry -- serving as greeters, hosts, baggers, and runners. In February, the Pantry will be open on three consecutive days:

• Thursday, Feb 16 (2-5pm) 
• Friday, Feb 17 (2-5pm)
• Saturday, Feb 18 (8-11am)

If you are available for a day (or two or three) -- or if you would like more information -- please contact Russell Jackson via russell@mybrotherspantry.org.

A Very Interesting Coffee Hour on February 12

Marybeth Bishop and Kristen Allen, our coffee hour speakers on February 12th, took over the Sick Pilgrim blog from its founder Jessica Mesman in 2021.  

Sick Pilgrim is a “welcoming space…(where) all people are allowed to question EVERYTHING.” Geared primarily toward ex-Catholics, people who consider themselves bad Catholics, or people who feel marginalized by the church, Sick Pilgrim is a place “to both deconstruct and to ooh in wonder; to wrestle with God and to collapse exhausted and let others hold the faith for us for a while.”

Kristen Allen, under the advice of the priest in the family, left the Catholic parish of her upbringing on a pilgrimage in search of Jesus with stops at a Baptist summer camp, a Pentecostal congregation, and a Jewish university, circling back to Catholic fellowships that tolerate her wrestling with tenets of the faith. 

She can be reached at SickPilgrimBloggers@gmail.com.

Marybeth Bishop is a cradle Catholic mom and wife who wrestles constantly with church doctrine surrounding issues of women’s roles in the church, LGBT inclusion and sexuality, and with the abuse crises.

She can be reached at SickPilgrimBloggers@gmail.com.

Call for Grant Liaisons

Liaisons are needed to meet with and interview grant applicant finalists as part of the St. Margaret's Endowment Grants program. This is a great way to learn about organizations close to home and around the globe helping people and improving our environment. If you are interested in this short-term ministry, please email Christine Feldmann at missions@st-margarets.org. A short training will be held on February 5. 

IMMEDIATE UPCOMING EVENTS/OUTREACH CALENDAR

OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT SMC's MISSIONS

Light House:  Ongoing: Sign up to prepare and deliver food to Light House for one (or more!) of SMC's Monthly Dinners in 2023. For more information and to sign up:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0f4aaba62fa7f85-smclight 

SMC POC for 2023: Janet Allen, Light House Dinner Coordinator, 443-717-4190, janettuckerallen@gmail.com

Light House:  Ongoing: Donate REQUESTED food and other items to Light House by placing in the designated area under the window in the Narthex. Please see list of needed items here:  https://annapolislighthouse.org/get-involved/needs/

SMC POC: Pam Roth, SMC's Light House Donation Coordinator, rothsbythebay@verizon.net

Sunday Service January 29

Sunday's Service Bulletin

Sunday's Announcements

Servers have been added to Realm connect: check on your profile page under "serving." For more info about how to find your schedule, contact JoEllyn Fountain at jfountain777@gmail.com

Calendar

Feb 1- Eucharist 9am, Women's Guild Meeting, Handbell Rehearsal 7pm

Feb 2- Evening Compline 7:30pm

Feb 5- **, Realm Tutorial for servers during coffee hour, Grant Liaison Training

Feb 6- F&F dinner 6:15pm, Spirit Singers rehearsals as scheduled, Youth Group 6:45pm-8:30pm, Adult Choir 7pm

Feb 8- Eucharist 9am, Handbell Rehearsal 7pm

Feb 12- **, Confirmation Class

Feb 13- F&F dinner 6:15pm, Spirit Singers rehearsals as scheduled, Youth Group 6:45pm-8:30pm, Adult Choir 7pm,

Feb 15- Eucharist 9am, Handbell Rehearsal 7pm

Feb 19- **, Baptism Sunday

Feb 20- NO F&F dinner 6:15pm, NO Spirit Singers rehearsals as scheduled, NO Youth Group, NO Adult Choir 7pm, NO Adult Formation 7pm

Feb 21- Pancake Supper 5pm-7pm, Vestry Meeting 7pm

Feb 22- Ash Wednesday, No 9am Eucharist, Noon and 7:30pm services in Sanctuary, NO Handbell Rehearsal

Feb 26-**

Feb 27- F&F dinner 6:15pm, Spirit Singers rehearsals as scheduled, Youth Group 6:45pm-8:30pm, Adult Choir 7pm, Adult Formation 7pm

Mar 1- Eucharist 9am, Women's Guild 10am, Handbell Rehearsal 7pm

Mar 5-**

Mar 6- F&F dinner 6:15pm, Spirit Singers rehearsals as scheduled, Youth Group 6:45pm-8:30pm, Adult Choir 7pm, Adult Formation 7pm

Mar 8- Eucharist 9am, Handbell Rehearsal 7pm

Mar 10- Youth Group Lock In

Mar 11- Adult Choir Retreat/Festival w/ St. Peter's, Lewes, DE 12-5pm

Mar 12-**,

Mar 13- F&F dinner 6:15pm, Spirit Singers rehearsals as scheduled, Youth Group 6:45pm-8:30pm, Adult Choir 7pm, Adult Formation 7pm

Mar 15- Eucharist 9am, Handbell Rehearsal 7pm

Mar 19- ** Celtic Sunday, Confirmation Class

Mar 20- F&F dinner 6:15pm, Spirit Singers rehearsals as scheduled, Youth Group 6:45pm-8:30pm, Adult Choir 7pm, Adult Formation 7pm

Mar 21- Vestry Meeting 7pm

Mar 22- Eucharist 9am, Handbell Rehearsal 7pm

Mar 26- **

Mar 27-F&F dinner 6:15pm, Spirit Singers rehearsals as scheduled, Youth Group 6:45pm-8:30pm, Adult Choir 7pm, Adult Formation 7pm

Mar 29- Eucharist 9am, Handbell Rehearsal 7pm

** Unless otherwise noted, Sunday Services are 7:30am, 9am, and 11:15am; and Sunday School is 10:15am-11am every Sunday. Other events listed are IN ADDITION.

St. Margaret's Contacts

The Rev. Peter Mayer, Rector - Peter@st-margarets.org

The Rev. Patti Sachs, Associate Rector - Patti@st-margarets.org

Elizabeth Radley, Director of Operations - Elizabeth@st-margarets.org

Jim Douglas, Director of Music - Music@st-margarets.org

Judy Hall, Administrative Assistant - Judy@st-margarets.org

For Churchyard Information- Churchyard@st-margarets.org

Emily DelSordo, Children's Formation Coordinator - Emily@st-margarets.org

Jeff Conover, Youth Ministries Leader - Jeff@st-margarets.org

Teresa McCorkle, Bookkeeper - Office@st-margarets.org

Christine Feldmann, Grants Administrator - Missions@st-margarets.org

Deadline for Dragon Tales submissions is Monday afternoon.

Deadline for Weekly Announcements is Monday afternoon.

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