St. Bede's E-News

We hope that this weekly offering will keep you up-to-date

on the latest information from the parish

and from around the Diocese of Atlanta and wider Church. 

Our e-newsletters are now being archived on our website.

You can go to www.stbedes.org  

and look under the "Connect With Us" tab

at the top of the home page to find past newsletters.

The deadline each week for submission to the E-News is

Wednesday at 10 am.

Please send your submissions ready to go into the newsletter,

text and images attached in an email to the Parish Administrator.

Laura's email address is lpittman@stbedes.org

Sunday, January 28, 2024

The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Worship in English at 10 am

Worship in Spanish at 2:30 pm

We will also be streaming our worship live

on

St. Bede's YouTube Channel

If you would like to preview the scripture lessons and hymns for the upcoming Sunday, you can find Sunday's bulletin uploaded to the church website each week on Thursday afternoon. From the home page of the website, scroll down to the colorful "Worship" icon, and click on that. Then scroll to the bottom of the "Worship" page and you will see where the bulletin for Sunday has been posted under "Downloads".

The Annual Parish Meeting

is this Sunday, January 28

after 10 am Worship.

We will celebrate the past year of mission and ministry

and look to the future.

We will also elect three new members to the Vestry.

The Vestry Slate for 2024 is:

Jim Handsfield

Paul Martin

Miriam Needham

This year we are electing

three Vestry members instead of four

as the Vestry is in the process of revising the bylaws

to allow for a Vestry with a minimum of

9 members instead of 12.

(Due to its size, we plan to have a limited number of printed copies

of the Annual Parish Report available on Sunday.

If you are able to review it on a phone or tablet,

this will help us to be better stewards

of resources and the environment.)

Light refreshments will be available in the Commons

between worship and the Annual Meeting.

The meeting will begin at approximately 11:30 am.

For parents of young children who wish to attend the meeting,

there will be a parallel children's activity

during the time of the meeting.

Thank you to all who have returned their 2024

"Offer to God" pledge cards!

As of January 25, we have received

73 pledges totaling $418,000.

Thank You!

If you have not already,

we hope that you will prayerfully discern

your response to God's gifts in your life

and make your pledge of financial support

to all that God is doing

in and through St. Bede's.

If you need a pledge packet,

please contact the parish office at:

info@stbedes.org

Adult Formation

will be on hiatus this week

to allow all to attend

the Annual Parish Meeting

at 11:30 in the Nave.

Join us again on Sunday, February 4

as we continue our Episcopal 101 Class.

On that Sunday (February 4),

Claiborne Jones

will lead a conversation about

how Episcopalians read scripture.

Children's Faith Formation

offered during 10 am Worship

Instead of Sunday School being either before or after worship, children will be invited to gather together during the time of the Sermon and the Prayers of the People for a special story or activity that is tailored just for them. Children will come to worship with their families and will be invited to process out for this special time during the signing of a hymn. They will then return at the Passing of the Peace to join their families and the congregation for Communion.

All 3 year olds through 5th graders are welcome to join us. Older children are welcome as helpers and younger children may join with a parent, grandparent, or other caregiver. 

Please know that children are always welcomed to remain with their families for the full worship service if that is their preference.

Sunday, January 28th - Join us for church at either 10:00 or 2:30. From 11:30 - 1:30 we'll break bread together (aka, have lunch) and then continue our conversation of the Episcopal Church's 7 sacraments otherwise known as the outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace. 

Sunday, February 4th - SKYZONE - That's right folks!! It's time for a little field trip. Join us for church at either 10:00 or 2:30. In between the services, we'll have lunch, and then head out to SkyZone from 12:30 - 2:00. Please note that joining us requires responding to Beth or Judah that you want to join us so that we can purchase the correct amount of tickets and have enough drivers.  Let us know by Wednesday, January 24th at 5:00 if you can join us.  The cost is $20 per person and includes jump time and sky socks.  

Sunday, February 11th - Join us for church at either 10:00 or 2:30. From 11:30 - 1:30 we'll break bread together (aka, have lunch) and then gather together to talk about the positive aspects of Lent (which begins on Wednesday, February 14th).

Wednesday, February 14th - Ashes to Go - To mark the beginning of Lent, you are invited to join us for Ashes to Go between 5 - 7. More details to come.

See you then!

Beth and Judah

Liturgical Ministry Invitation

from Raz Schreiber

Have you ever wanted to read scripture in worship?

Or help in serving communion?

Or lead the Prayers of the People?

Or serve as a crucifer or acolyte in worship?

If any of those opportunities interests you, we'd love to welcome you to join one of the liturgical teams that supports worship at St. Bede's!

When we faced the realities of COVID, the way we worshiped changed. We had to change how we served as Lectors, Intercessors, and Eucharistic Ministers. While these changes may have been necessary at the time, they need not be necessary now.

We would like to begin reinvigorating our liturgical teams and adding back in roles like Intercessors, torch bearers, and a second Lector to lead the Psalm - gradually bringing these parts of worship back to the parish starting with Easter. Adding back these additional roles to worship may not be doable without additional members to our liturgical teams. Members of these teams currently serve as crucifers, Eucharistic Ministers (EM’s), and Lectors for their assigned Sundays.

There are 5 liturgical teams (one for each Sunday of the month) which provide people for those roles on a rotating basis. This means (normally) that members don’t have to serve on their assigned Sunday every month. Without adding people to the ministry as Intercessors, Psalmists, and torch bearers, no one in the Liturgical Ministry would be able to take a break and would have to serve every month, or even more than once a month.

I invite you to consider serving in the Liturgical Ministry. We have members who only want to do one role, for example to only read or to only EM. We have made the schedule work so that they can do that. That does mean that some must serve every Sunday when their team is scheduled. We don’t have enough people return to having Intercessors, and Psalmists without overburdening the people we have now. We would love to see the return of the youth acolytes so we can return to serve as torch bearers and crucifers.

We would love to return some of these roles starting with Easter worship. Depending on how many people volunteer for this ministry, we would like to permanently return these rolls to regular worship, not just for special services.

It has become important spiritually to Robin and to me to be a part of the worship service through this ministry. I hope you will consider seeing if this ministry could be important to you as well. Please reach out to me through Realm or by email (raz.schreiber@gmail.com) or in person at church if you have any question about the Liturgical Ministry, or to volunteer to serve on the ministry. We would love it if some of the youth could volunteer as acolytes. If we have enough youth we can bring back the Acolyte Ministry. But we don’t have to do this all at once. Please help us take the first steps in bringing back these parts of our worship.

Raz Schreiber

Liturgical Ministry Coordinator

raz.schreiber@gmail.com

Gas Cards for Families Who Visit

Stewart Detention Center

There will be a group of bilingual parishioners traveling to Lumpkin, Georgia on February 17 to visit detained immigrants who are currently held at Stewart Detention Center. Families of detainees must drive from as far away as Missouri and North Carolina to visit a loved one at Stewart. We can help ease their journeys by helping them with the cost of gas. We will have a box ready for collecting gas cards on the round table in the narthex.

Many thanks for supporting families in need!

Food Pantry Ingathering

February marks the 20th anniversary of the NETWorks Cooperative Ministry! To honor this milestone, we are holding another food drive during the month of February. The need is so great! Last year they served 63,853 people! In the photo above, you can see the long line of people waiting long before the food pantry opened on a cold winter day.

We are hoping to beat our last food drive collection in September of 4,375 pounds of food or 2.19 tons! The challenge is on!

A list of needed food items is below. And lists in English and Spanish are on the table in the Commons. Please leave all donations by the table and they will be delivered to NETWorks weekly. Thank you, St. Bede’s, for your faithful love and care for our community in need!



Co-Chairs:

Anita Montelione ammontel12@gmail.com

Karen Werner wernerksw@comcast.net

Through your generosity,

we presented

1005 pairs of socks (a new record!)

to the Common Soles Foot Clinic

at Church of the Common Ground.

Thank you St. Bede's

for the many generous donations

caring for the soles of others!

-from Carol Kemker

Baby Jesus Baskets Donations Wrap Up

Thank you for sharing and giving items for the Baby Jesus baskets. Our Christmas tree in the Commons was encircled by your love in the form of diaper boxes, baby wipes, formula, and so much more! 

The donations will be delivered to Our House – a program in Atlanta and Decatur which offers shelter for homeless families with young children and equips the families with tools and resources to move toward independence.

Thanks to all who donated!



Community Resources Book

The Outreach Committee has assembled a booklet with community resources. It is in the parish office and our parish administrator, Laura Pittman, can provide it to anyone looking for local resources for themselves or anyone in need.

One of the best resources is the United Way. Just dial 211, follow the prompts, input the zip code of the area needed for resources, and a list will be provided. All are invited to add additional resources to this booklet. We hope that it will be helpful!

Assistant Teachers Needed – ESOL Program

St. Bede’s has been offering English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) adult classes since January of 2013. Over the last 11 years we have taught more than 700 students from 20 countries (and Puerto Rico). Eighty-five people (75% from St. Bede’s) have taught in our program. We team teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays with one team of two people teaching one night a week. We are looking for a few more assistant teachers. We have great textbooks that guide us in our teaching, so don’t think you have to create a curriculum. Teaching does involve some preparation, however. If you are interested or if you know someone who is interested in a great volunteer experience, please call Claudia Fedarko or Connie Coralli. Our students are amazing and inspiring!

Claudia Fedarko (703) 819-4127

Connie Coralli (404) 218-6668

Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Journey of Hope

Speakers' Tour 2024

As we all watch the tragic events of violence escalate in Jerusalem and Palestine, it is so important to keep the people of the Holy Land in our prayers.

In addition to our prayers, St. Bede's has also transmitted a gift of $500 to Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) for relief efforts related to the travesties of this conflict. Sadly, one of ERD's strongest and longest-standing partners in the Diocese of Jerusalem is the Al Ahli Arab Hospital - the Anglican hospital in Gaza that was severely damaged by explosion and where hundreds of people were killed. Please keep relief workers on the ground in your prayers as they attempt to offer care and relief.

Caring for God's Creation

There’s No Planet B! 

Thankfully there are millions of people and organizations around the world working hard to transform industries and create more sustainable products we consume here on Planet A. 

One of those organizations is B Lab -- a nonprofit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. For the past 10 years, B Lab has been certifying companies across the globe who demonstrate their commitment to reducing their environmental impact and equitable engagement with all stakeholders in their communities. Their searchable online directory of over 8,000 certified companies across 162 industries enables us to become more intentional consumers by looking up the products we use and, perhaps, finding alternatives that are produced in ways much more consistent with our calling to be good stewards of God’s creation. 

Please contact Martha Robert at marthabob59@gmail.com or 404.374.7643 with ideas, suggestions, or questions about the Caring for God's Creation.

Family Ministries Micropractice 

Join our households with

birth through elementary aged children

in this simple intentional practice

as we bring our learning from the lectionary

into our everyday lives.

You may wish to conclude this micro-practice with this prayer:

God of words, letters, numbers, shapes, and sounds,

There are so many ways to know you.

No matter how we learn or communicate, you always find a way to make yourself known.

Your creativity is endless. Thank you, God!

Amen



Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study

Has Resumed!

Join with others for a study of the Book of 1st Kings.

All are welcome.

Bring whatever translation of the Bible you like.

6:30 – 8 pm on Wednesday nights

on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of each month

in the Commons Hallway Classroom

(across from the Julian of Norwich Center)

Contact Fred Murphy for more information.

Healing Our Racism

Book Discussion Group

Next meeting:

Monday, February 26 at 2:00pm on Zoom

February's selection is

Jabbok

By Kee Sloan

Meeting Time: 4th Monday of each month at 2 pm on ZOOM

Please join Muriel Diguette and other members/friends of St. Bede's to discuss current books pertaining to the issues of racism and white privilege.

Email Muriel for the Zoom link to join the discussion.

Mostly Mysteries

Book Discussion Group

Next meeting:

Monday, February 26 at 7:00 pm on Zoom

February's selection is

The Way of the Bear 

by Anne Hillerman

Meeting Time: 4th Monday of each month at 7 pm on ZOOM

You're invited to join members and friends of St. Bede's to discuss favorite mysteries and thrillers.

Email Cathe Echterhof for the Zoom link to join the discussion.

McLemore's Musings

We hope you are enjoying this feature in St. Bede's E-News - McLemore's Musings. Many of you have met the Rev'd Bill McLemore who has joined the St. Bede's community. Bill has been a priest for over 57 years and has served parishes all over the Episcopal Church. Bill is the former archivist of the Diocese of Atlanta and authored the 100th anniversary book on the history of the Diocese. Bill is also an artist and has used his artistic skills and sense of humor for many years to draw hundreds of cartoon that comically comment on life in the Episcopal Church. Each week we will share a cartoon here that Bill selects from his collection. Enjoy!

St. Bede's Prayer List

Prayers have been requested for:

Tra Walker

Sue Ellen Lampros

Shirley Family, friends of Jerimiah Easley

Roman Family, friends of Jerimiah Easley

Gail Whatley, friend of Larry Bing

Kirsten and Reg Stainback, friends of Helen Loeb

Andrew Patch, friend of Connie Coralli

Carmen Navarro, mother of Mimi Guerra

Pat Buehler Pfeifer, aunt of Lynnsay Buehler

Philip Carroll, cousin of Lynnsay Buehler

Emily Richards, friend of Lynnsay Buehler

Staton Family, friends of Steve Hadler and Claudia Fedarko

Don Wildsmith, friend of Tom and Loretta Vail

Jim Handsfield

Jeane Custin, aunt of Lynnsay Buehler

Braxton Metcalf, nephew of Susan Reef

Walt Ehmer, friend of Will Mizell

Leslie Lutz

Sarah Jane and Jim Ohl

Ed Maniotes, friend of Susan Reef

The Baca/Muth family, friends of the Cannon family

Junior Abraham

Tom VandenBosch

Jim Begnaud, friend of St. Bede's

Dollee Cooper, sister-in-law of Larry Bing

Jennifer Valdez, cousin of Sarah Jane Ohl

Ben Harrison, cousin of Sarah Jane Ohl

Jean Davis

Peggy Franks, friend of Tony and Laura Sellers

Carolyn Snider, friend of Suzanne Shapiro

Brian Metcalf, brother-in-law of Susan Reef

Jodi Collins, cousin of Sarah Jane Ohl

Lisa Frank, friend of Larry Bing

Elizabeth Ashworth, friend of April Whitt

Susan Semple, sister of Kim Padgett

Mel Stills, brother-in-law of Gwen Cordner

Donareen Oakley

Carter Garrett, family member of Sarah Jane Ohl

Jim Baldy, friend of Susan Reef

Michelle Schultz, sister of Doris Bushart

Paige Bushart, sister-in-law of Doris Bushart

Helen Hernandez and her son Derek, ESOL Student

Ken Turner, friend of Claudia Fedarko and Steve Hadler

Marge & Sharon Emerling, friends of Helen Loeb

Margie Klein

Kay Howington

Mary Rodriguez

Andy Matia, friend of Ann Foote

Eleanor Pearlman, granddaughter of Gwen Heaton

Diana Segovia, cousin of Zulma Gutierrez

Caroline Spires

Timothy Knapp, friend of Susan Reef

Denise Benson, friend of Susan Reef

The Sujia Family

Robin Schreiber

Allen Townes Cunningham, sister of Rob Townes

Anne Jones, sister of Claiborne Jones

Joan Davis

Carmen Graciaa, friend of Laura Martin

Jim Poulos, husband of Carol Kemker

Helen Abraham

Fay Key

Aree Bancroft

Laura Ribas

Jane Wiggins

Hilda Bell

Nancy Waring

Frances Bowen

Ann Foote

Cameron Maddox

We pray for those who have died:

Jerry Stewart, friend of the Swoope family

Dusty Shirley, friend of Jerimiah Easley

The Rev'd Milton Murray

Louise Sadler

We give thanks for those serving our country in the military:

Joshua Bowers

Will Grimm

We give thanks for those celebrating birthdays this week: 

1/26 Joan Boyd

1/29 Nigel Poland

2/2 Barb Pettitt

2/2 J. R. Branch

2/3 Jelani Valdez

The flowers on the altar are given 

to the glory of God 

and in thanksgiving for the life of

Sydney Lund.

To stay up to date

on activities throughout the Diocese of Atlanta,

sign up for Connecting, the Diocesan E-newsletter.

You can also sign up to receive For Faith,

which is the weekly meditation

from Bishop Rob Wright

sent by email on Fridays.

Bishop Wright's Weekly Podcast

Did you know that Bishop Rob Wright has a weekly podcast? You can take a spiritual "deep dive" each week with Bishop Wright and his special guests and grow deeper in faith and understanding as you listen and learn.

Explore For People, Bishop Wright's Podcast, Here

Pathways

the magazine of the Diocese of Atlanta

The new Pathways is now available online! Through original photography, articles, and interviews, Pathways shares inspiring stories from Middle and North Georgia — examples of spiritual growth.

Read Pathways Here

Would you like to keep up with news from around the broader Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion? Episcopal Journal and Cafe is a convenient place to find out things going on around the Church. You can even subscribe to get news sent to your email inbox.

Click Here for Episcopal Journal & Cafe



Friend in Christ,

As violence escalates in Ukraine, over one million people have already fled the country — and the borders are flooded with many more people desperate to leave.

Almost all of them are women and children who have had to seek safety on their own, leaving their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons behind.

As this crisis continues to evolve, we are working with Anglican agencies and our other partners to provide humanitarian assistance, and urgently ask for your help.

Your emergency gift today will support our immediate response, providing cash, blankets, hygiene supplies and other needs as this crisis unfolds.

Our faith networks are currently on the ground in the border areas of Poland, Hungary and Romania, and we will continue to coordinate with them in order to help those who have been displaced. Specifically, our partner ACT Alliance is helping families on the Hungarian border, and our Anglican partners are mobilizing both an immediate and long-term response in Poland, Romania and Hungary.

Yours faithfully,

Robert W. Radtke

President & CEO

Episcopal Relief & Development



To learn more about the programs and offerings

of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing,

click on the link below.