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A Note on Stewardship


This past Sunday, we officially kicked off this year's Stewardship Campaign with a theme of “Grateful.” 

You’ll hear many messages on that theme, beginning with how grateful we are for those who contributed to last year’s campaign which raised $905,000 from 195 pledges – a true testament to the generosity of St. Margaret’s during unprecedentedly difficult times. 

This year, we are striving for $950,000 from 210 pledges. There will be more information on the campaign forthcoming so stay tuned for the letter sent to all parishioners, Sunday announcements, Dragon Tales and more.  

Why is it important to pledge? It is simply providing an estimate of your giving for the coming year so our church leadership can create a viable budget.

We will not be using pledge cards as we have in the past. This year we will be asking parishioners to use Realm to make their pledge. See the video of Sunday's online service below for instructions at minute 14:26. You simply log in and go to the Giving section. This allows you to view your current pledge and giving.

If you don't feel comfortable using Realm, you can go to our Stewardship page from our website. Or you can simply call Elizabeth in the office at 410-974-0200 or email her the amount you will be pledging for 2022 at

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Greg Smith (301.821.0606, rxman55@hotmail.com)
Zack Greene (410.703.2839, zackgreene8@hotmail.com)
Brad Callahan (443.326.3333, brad@metacoastal.com)
Doug Seybert (703.599.8746, doug_seybert@yahoo.com)
Dan Tootle (410.903.9063, dan.tootle@yahoo.com)
 
A Prayer for Stewardship:
Make us keenly aware of all the blessings of our rich lives. Help us to be good stewards of our time by putting prayer first in our lives. Help us to be good stewards of our talent by putting ourselves at the service of each other. Help us to be good stewards of our treasure by sharing our financial means to build up our Church and aid those in need.
Indoor Worship
Sundays
7:30, 9:00, 11:15 a.m.

Nursery care begins
on Oct. 3
from 8:45 to 12:30 p.m.


Note: Please sign our attendance sheet when you enter the church.

Update:
Due to an increase in Covid cases in our county, the Diocese has put us in the "Orange Zone" meaning when worshipping inside masks are required and there will be no congregational singing.

 Additionally, there are still some rules we will follow for the safety of us all.
·        Hand sanitizer will still be available in the narthex and at the front of the sanctuary.
·        We will continue to share an elbow or a wave at the peace.
·        Please be conscious of physical distancing. Four feet is the recommended distance now.

Thanks to all for continuing patience and adherence to all safety rules.
See you Sunday!

AS A REMINDER -- We will offer a live-stream of the service at 9:00 a.m. every Sunday on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/smcannapolis) and our YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/c/saintmargaret).
Children/Youth Formation Registration Has Begun!


Get your child registered for the numerous faith forming opportunities available for our young members this program year!

Opportunities available from Oct - May include:
*Children's Chapel (during sermon at 9 a.m. service)
*Sunday School Pre-School
*Sunday School Kindergarten/1st grade
*Sunday School Grades 2-3
*Sunday School Grades 4-5
*Sunday School Middle School
*Formation Class High School
*Youth Group Monday Nights
*Acolytes (lead during church services)
*Chorister Program

Printed Forms are available in the narthex.

Adult Volunteers are still needed to join a team of teachers for the Kindergarten/1st grade, 4th/5th grade and Middle School classrooms, as well as an Acolyte Co-Leader.  

If you can support our young learners or have questions any of these programs, please contact the Children's Family Director Emily Delsordo at Emily@st-margarets.org.
October 3rd - 10:15 to 11:00 a.m.
Opening Gathering in the Fellowship Hall
& Meet the Teachers

First Day of Sunday School - Oct. 10

Please mask up!
Youth Activities Have Begun!

*Mondays are Faith & Fellowship Youth Group meetings at 7 p.m. on Zoom. For all middle and high school students. All meetings, and this is no exception, start with a bit of sharing what is happening in their lives. Called “Highs & Lows,” it really is sharing what is important to participants at that moment. The group has found this to be one of the most important parts of the meetings, whether they meet on-line or in-person. Following that, participants play games. Finally, the meetings end with a prayer. Participants talk about prayer and try to take the “weirdness” out of it, and then everyone gets a chance to practice group prayer at some point during the year at least once.

*Wednesdays are the day we designate for all Middle School students. (Held at 7 p.m. on Zoom) Students hold discussions about the importance of the Bible and church knowledge. They explore what faith means and looks like, and demystify church services. It is our hope that by high school, students “understand church,” and are ready to begin taking an even more active role in our parish.

*Thursdays are listed as High School meetings. We begin one half-hour later, meeting from 7:30 p.m. until 8:30. These discussions often have a more topical flavor and a look at what is happening in our world through our Christian eyes.

Contact Youth Ministries Leader Jeff Conover for more information at
Online Adult Formation Study
on Zoom

Monday online study on Zoom has begun! All are welcome to join. Email the Rev. Patti Sachs at patti@st-margarets.org if you wish to participate.

The study will focus on the book “The Forgotten Creed - Christianity’s Original Struggle Against Bigotry, Slavery, & Sexism” by Stephen J. Patterson. A synopsis: In the days when Jesus was still fresh in the memory of those who knew him, the argument was a different one: how can human beings overcome the ways by which we divide ourselves one from another? Is solidarity possible beyond race, class, and gender? Join the discussions!

MONDAY NIGHT ACTIVITIES
RETURN IN-PERSON ON OCTOBER 11

Schedule

5:30 to 6:15 p.m. - Choristers (grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-12)
Contact: Jim Douglas, Director of Music, music@st-margarets.org

6:15 to 7:00 p.m. - Dinner (All should be masked except when eating.)
(Cooking and serving will be done with safety protocols in place.)

NEW -- 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. - Sparks Kids Fun - Ages 3-10
(Fun activities centering on the Gospel story of the week.)
Contact: Emily DelSordo, Children's Formation Coordinator,

6:45 to 8:00 p.m. - Youth Group for Middle & High School ages
Contact: Jeff Conover, Youth Ministries Leader, jeff@st-margarets.org

7:00 p.m. - Adult Formation Study led by the Rev. Patti Sachs
"Destructuring Prayer"
Questions? Contact patti@st-margarets.org

7:00 p.m. - Adult Choir Rehearsal
Limited numbers available
Contact. Jim Douglas at music@st-margarets.org to participate

7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Nursery Care is Available

Baptism is the sacrament of becoming a Christian, which is practiced in many denominations, but slightly different in each. The baptism at St. Margaret’s is usually performed as part of a Eucharistic service, as described in the Book of Common Prayer.

Upcoming Baptism date is:
Sunday, November 7


If you wish to schedule a baptism, fill out this baptism form and email to Peter@st-margarets.org.
All are welcome to join our Thursday Morning Book Study that has resumed @ 9:00 a.m. on Zoom. The group is reading a Peter Gomes book titled Strength for the Journey. It is a compilation of sermons he offers as spiritual resources for daily living. To participate, contact Pat Hall at pshall1@verizon.net.

Here is a link to purchase the book:
We are no longer taking donations for the clothes mission. Please do not leave any donations in the narthex or church office.
Volunteer Opportunities

*The Sewing Mission is back in the mask making business and looking for more sewers! Anne Arundel County Public Schools has mandated mask wear for all students, teachers, staff and visitors for the beginning of school year 2021-22. We have confirmed a need for reusable cloth masks for some of the more diverse, largely populated schools in Annapolis. As one Guidance Counselor said, "Children often arrive at school without their masks. The county is providing disposable masks but reusable, cloth masks are a welcome donation!" If you can produce some youth sized masks please contact Beth Kopack at 410-279-5136 or esolchamp@icloud.com. We can supply new sewers with the patterns, materials and notions needed to create youth masks. Have you noticed how disposable masks have become the new litter? Please join us in this effort to protect our community's children while teaching the Earth friendly concept of reusability.  
Volunteers Needed to Help Afghan Families and Refugees 

The situation in Afghanistan for so many families is dire. Please consider giving your time and skills to help those trying to leave Afghanistan and those families that will eventually settle in our community. This is a time in our nation’s history when we can offer so much to help those who have aided our country through twenty years of conflict but now find themselves facing a difficult future.
 
The Afghan Refugee Tiger Team, under the leadership of SMC’s Mission Commission, is seeking volunteers to offer their talents, time and/or treasure to address the desperate needs of Afghan families and refugees who are (a) either still in Afghanistan and attempting to leave the country or (b) who have already arrived in the United States and will resettle in our community. Please consider participating in this critical mission.
 
Please donate your talents. For those Afghan families that will eventually resettle in our community, volunteers will be needed who can provide assistance in specialized areas. Help will be needed from attorneys (especially immigration and family lawyers), interpreters, teachers for English, accountants, transportation, citizenship classes and medical coordination. Your talents can make a tremendous difference in helping Afghan families and individuals who resettle in our community and who will need a helping hand. The Tiger team will compile a list of volunteers and their talents and have that resource available in the future when new families arrive in our area.
 
Please donate your time to help those in desperate need. Afghan families who are still in country, and wishing to come to the United States, need volunteers in the United States to assist in document collection and administrative assistance for visa applications. Numerous groups are working to get people out of Afghanistan. The Tiger Team has been in contact with one such local veteran’s organization, TARJOMAN.ORG, who is working diligently to get individuals and families out of Afghanistan and to safety. Many of those people seeking to emigrate worked closely with the United States government in the past. TARJOMAN.ORG is in dire need of volunteer manpower. This administrative work can be done online.

Please assist in helping the Tiger Team identify financial treasures. To date, $4,000 has been raised from individual donations. Help is needed from volunteers who can identify and pursue fundraising resources, such as companies willing to contribute, or match, donations; government and non-government agencies that may be able to provide financial aid; institutions that accept grant applications for financial assistance; and events that can be held to raise awareness and fundraising. Please consider volunteering your time to prepare grant proposals or coordinate an event.
 
If you can help with your talents, time and/or treasure, or have questions, please contact Janice John (janicejohnrg@gmail.com), 410-871-2308 or Fran Becker (fran.becker10@gmail.com). If you would like to donate to this effort, please do so through Realm (on Giving page, designate Missions under “Fund”)[Laura – can you link this???} or by check mailed to SMC, designating on memo line “Missions Commission-Afghan”.
 
Thank you for answering this service call and for helping Afghans rebuild their lives in America.
*Back to School -- Tutoring at Broadneck Elementary
Can you share ONE hour a week from October until June helping children in grades 1 through 3 with reading, writing or math? For several years before the pandemic, SMC had a partnership with BES, logging in hundreds of hours of much needed help in the classroom, whether it was one-on-one tutoring or a class-wide project. No experience is necessary and you and the teacher decide what hour works best for the two of you! This year you can tutor remotely and never leave your home! In the words of a SMC tutor: I don't know who benefits the most from me being in the classroom, the student, the teacher or me! I love seeing a student smile once s/he gets a math concept or wants to continue reading! Please contact Fran Becker, fran.becker10@gmail.com for more details or to let her know that you would like to tutor.
*Provide dinners for the Light House shelter residents the third and fourth Sunday of the month. At present, volunteers buy the food, prepare the dinner, and take it to the shelter for distribution. Volunteers are reimbursed for the food purchased. For more information, contact MartiEngstrom@gmail.com.

*Donate food to the Light House. Use this list of needed items and place in the Narthex. Donations are picked up every two weeks. Contact Pam Roth for more information.

*Donate food or volunteer for distribution at the Broadneck area food pantry My Brother's Pantry. Contact: Russell Jackson.

*West Annapolis Pop-up Pantry - feeding hungry families in the Annapolis area two Thursdays a month- Contact: Barbara Marder
Wednesday Morning Eucharist
Returns Oct. 13

Our morning weekly Wednesday Eucharist returns in the sanctuary at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, OCT 13 in the Sanctuary. NOTE TIME CHANGE. All are welcome to return to the practice of worship in a small, intimate setting.
Women's Guild Mums Sale

Our Women's Guild will be offering their popular annual mums sale on Sunday, Oct. 3 and 10. Plants are $10 each. Please make sure to bring cash or your checkbook to purchase these lovely plants that last all fall long.

The Guild is open to all women at St. Margaret's. They host monthly meetings the first Wednesday of the month. Guest speaker will be Vincent Vaise, a park ranger, who will speak on Oct. 6 about the area's new aquatic garden. Time and location are TBD at this time. The group sponsors fundraisers for church projects and supports various charities including a club for Baltimore City students. To participate, email judy.hall0404@gmail.com.

The Guild's Holiday Bazaar has been cancelled due to Covid rates.
A Spring Bazaar is now planned for April 2. Mark your calendar!
Foyers Program
Supper Clubs
Renewed for
2021-22


Foyers is a combination of all of ages who are members of St Margaret's Church who share a common interest in the parish who get together in small groups during the year to make new friendships. It is just casual fellowship, and not a supper club. Groups can decide on meeting times and places. If you are interested and want to know more about Foyers Groups or if you would like to be a part of Foyers Group this year, you can email Ruth McKee Harmon at rhmckeyharmon@gmail.com or call Lesal Kilcrease at 410-353-1465. So, the groups can be formed, October 1st is deadline to sign up. Foyers Group is gathering Sunday, October 17th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at St Margaret's Church. Stay tuned for more information.  
St. Margaret's is now looking to hire

Part Time Sexton - Tuesday-Friday from 8 a.m.-noon and Monday and Weds from 5-9 p.m.
Contact: Elizabeth Radley at elizabeth@st-margarets.org.
Photo Directory Update -- Notify Us on Info Sharing

PLEASE CHECK YOUR REALM INFO!! We are using the info that is in Realm. If you DO NOT want some of that info published you need to let us know
(patti@st-margarets.org). Some have only an email listed. If you would like an address or phone number added, you need to let us know!!

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE to have your information the way you want it, so take a quick look in Realm and let us know of any changes you'd like to have made. Thanks for all you do for our St. Margaret's community!
Search for New Bishop Begins

Bishop Eugene Sutton announced on September 17 his plan to retire in the spring of 2024, and called for the election of a bishop coadjutor to succeed him. The diocese’s Standing Committee has since named two co-chairs for the search committee, the Rev. Randy Callender of St. Phillips, Annapolis, and Ms. Vicki Willard, a parishioner at Trinity Church, Elkridge. The Standing Committee also has created a special section on the diocesan website to keep the diocese informed about the process to unfold and the timetable leading to an election convention in 2023. The special section’s web address is episcopalmaryland.org/bishopsearch. You are invited to nominate yourself or another person to serve as one of the remaining 12 members of the search committee. You will find an electronic nominating form on the website. The deadline for nominations is October 13.
green pic

Monday, October 4, 7:00-8:00 p.m., virtual meeting via Zoom led by Green Grace in the Diocese of Maryland. Creation Care can take many forms, from caring physically for the land and water to advocating for laws that will address environmental and public health. Join a conversation with the Rev. Canon Sally Bingham and Dr. Bernadette Roche. Learn about Canon Bingham’s faith-led story and how we as Episcopalians can find our own way to be active in Creation Care and environmental advocacy. Learn more and register online to attend.
is a grief support ministry serving individuals who, after the loss of a loved one, are seeking comfort and healing. This ministry is designed to guide participants in a safe, small group setting through intentional activities, prayer, reflection and discussion. Whether your loss was 6 months or 6 years ago, you are welcome. A workshop series will be held Tuesday evenings, October 5- November 23, 7:00-8:30 p.m. To register or to discern readiness for inclusion, contact the Rev. Dr. Katrina Grusell, kgrusell@stjohnsec.org, or Tina Millard, tinalmillard@gmail.comLearn more here.
Join a post-COVID “Cathedral Tour” of Great Britain, a 9-Day tour, scheduled for October 6-14, 2022.

The Revs. Allan and Anne Weatherholt and the Rev. Steve and Melanie McCarty will host this diocesan wide trip which begins in London and ends in Edinburgh.

The cost, including airfare from Dulles airport, all ground transportation, tours, breakfast and dinner is $3,445. Visit this website to learn more, Click where it says "Click here" (on the left hand side), and enter the number 22003). The brochure can be found in "My Trip Documents" (near the top of the page). Don’t delay, plan your post-COVID get-away!
September 26

Lectors:
7:30-Joan Rich
9:00-Mark Torrence
11:15-Jim Hall

Cantor: Doreen Campbell

Altar Guild:
Jeanne Nardi, Jan Little, Mary Lesster, Kim Morrow

Flower Guild: Kathy Lang

Greeters:
9:00-
11:15- Teresa Todd

Ushers:
9:00 - Kathy Lang, Mary & Joe Ross
11:15-Steve Brennan, Fred McKenney,
Barbara Friedmann
October 3

Lectors:
7:30-Fran Becker
9:00-Sandra Goldthwait
11:15-Bill Ostendorf

Music: Laren Rowen, Trish Schilling,
Russell Jackson

Children's Chapel: Kristen Berthelotte, Froggi Jackson

Altar Guild:
Elizabeth Parker, Betsy Dobbs, Lyn Sloan, Susan Roberts

Flower Guild: Ann Lallande

Greeters
9:00- Web Chamberlin
11:15- Janis Brewer

Ushers:
9:00-9:00-*Jim Barnett, Randy Goff, Russ Phillipi
11:15-George Saroch, Rob and Mary Ellen Bosworth

ALL USHERS AND GREETERS
Remember that anyone can show up to serve even though their name is not listed on a specific date. It's just that the assigned people are committed to being there that particular day so we have enough numbers to serve.
Altar Flower Dedications Available
The beautiful flowers offered on our altar each Sunday can be dedicated to honor loved ones marking special life events such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries, baptisms, confirmations, and in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving for life’s blessings. The dedication fee is $50.

To reserve a Sunday date, email laura@st-margarets.org. Once reserved, you can make the payment by logging on to Realm and choosing "Flower Fund" or sending in a check (or placing it in the Sunday offertory plate) made out to "St. Margaret's Church" with "Flower Fund" in the memo line.
Your dedication will be posted in the service bulletins.
Have a prayer request to put in our weekly announcements?

Go to https://www.st-margarets.org/prayer-request.html  to use our automated request form or contact clergy.


Church Office Hours
Monday-Wednesday - 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Thursday-Friday - By appointment only


Clergy/Staff Emails
The Rev. Peter W. Mayer - peter@st-margarets.org
The Rev. Patti Sachs - patti@st-margarets.org
Elizabeth Radley, Director of Operations - elizabeth@st-margarets.org
Jim Douglas, Director of Music - music@st-margarets.org
Laura Tayman, Director of Communications - laura@st-margarets.org
Emily Delsordo, Children's Formation Coord - emily@st-margarets.org
Jeff Conover, Youth Ministries Leader - jeff@st-margarets.org
Teresa McCorkle, Bookkeeper - office@st-margarets.org
Judy Hall, Churchyard Administrator - churchyard@st-margarets.org
Christine Feldmann, Grants Administrator - missions@st-margarets.org
Tricia McVeigh, Day School Director - tricia@st-margarets.org
St. Margaret's Church
1601 Pleasant Plains Road, Annapolis, MD 21409
(410) 974-0200 Office (443) 837-5463 Pastoral Emergency
www.st-margarets.org
info@st-margarets.org

Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/smcannapolis
Join us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/saintmargaret
Connect on Realm: www.onrealm.org/smcannapolis