Announcements, 4/3

Maundy Thursday, Thursday, April 2, 6pm: in our Maundy liturgy, we will walk through Jesus’ final evening with his friends before his arrest, including a simple shared meal, foot washing (optional), and the stripping of the altar. Please bring 30 pieces of change (dimes, nickels, pennies) – or just a handful. People of all ages are welcome in this liturgy.

Good Friday Liturgies, Friday, April 3, 12 noon and 7pm: A solemn liturgy recalling Christ’s death on the cross. Our 7pm service is followed by the Good Friday Wake, a one-hour vigil, gathered around an icon of Jesus in the tomb. Reflect on the poetry, art, and Scripture of Jesus’ death and the grief of his friends. Hot cross buns and tea will be served.

Friday, April 3, 4pm, Children’s Good Friday Service: This service is best for kids ages 3 to 10. We will walk the Stations of the Cross together, exploring the story and what it means to us.

Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 4, 8pm: One of Christianity’s most ancient and beautiful liturgies: fire and water, music and art, darkness and light, death and resurrection! Please bring bells and noisemakers. We will use INCENSE at this liturgy. The Great Vigil liturgy is appropriate for adults, youth, and older kids; it is about two hours long.

 Easter Sunday, Sunday, April 5, 8am & 10am: Celebrate Easter with the St. Dunstan’s community! After each service, there will be an Easter egg hunt for children. Visitors and guests are very welcome!

Birthdays and Anniversaries, Sunday, April 5: It is our custom to use the first Sunday of each month to pray for those with birthdays and anniversaries in that month. Please come forward when invited, during the Announcements, to receive the congregation’s prayers and good wishes.  Some people choose to put a donation in the little wooden church in thanksgiving for the occasion; those donations are passed on to charitable causes in the wider world.

Healing Prayer: On first Sundays, during Communion, one of our ministers will be available for those who seek prayers for themselves or on behalf of others.

Evening Eucharist, Sunday, April 5, 6pm: Join us for a simple service before the week begins.

Spring 2015 Chocolate Making Sign Up: Our Spring Chocolate Event will be after Easter this year. Mark your calendars for Friday evening, April 10, 6-8pm and Saturday, April 11, 9am-12noon. An order/signup sheet is in the Gathering Space, below the big calendar. Sign up by April 5 (Easter Sunday)!

Holy Week Offerings:  As is our custom, offerings made during our Holy Week services will go to support particular agencies and ministries. Maundy Thursday offerings will go to Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) here in Madison. Good Friday offerings will go to the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East. Easter Vigil offerings will go to Episcopal Relief & Development. It is helpful to our tellers, who count our donations, if you indicate on the memo line which agency you are supporting. Thank you for your generosity.

THE WEEK AHEAD…

Thursday Evening Worship in Easter Season: Following the resurrection of Jesus, many of his friends encountered him – at a shared meal, on a lakeshore, walking along a lonely road. In Easter season, at the Sandbox, our Thursday evening informal worship & supper gathering, we’ll be sharing stories of where we’ve encountered Jesus on our journeys. Come hear about another person’s life of faith, or share a part of your own. All are welcome. Worship is at 5:30pm every week, with a simple meal provided afterwards.

Madison-Area Julian Gathering, Wednesday, April 8, 7:15-9pm, at St. Dunstan’s: The Madison-Area Julian Gathering will begin meeting again after our winter break.  Please come and bring Spring with you!

Episcopal 101: Holy Times & Seasons, Sunday, April 12, 9am: An ongoing exploration of the Episcopal Church for new and long-time members. All are welcome!

Sunday School, Sunday, April 12, 10am: This week, our 3-6 year old class will explore Jesus’ Jewish roots in the story of the Synagogue and the Upper Room, while our 7-11 year old class will play with John’s story of Jesus’ appearance to his disciples after he rose from the dead. All kids are welcome, & parents can come too if they like!   

Books Needed for Little Library! With warmer weather many more people are stopping by for a new “read” and we have few books to supply the library. If you have books to donate, please bring them to St. Dunstan’s and put in the labelled box in the Gathering Area. Thanks!

Calling all Church Women! Women’s Mini Week 2015, August 13 to August 16, at Camp Lakotah in Wautoma, Wisconsin: You are invited to the 39th Annual Women’s Mini Week. This year’s theme is “Surprised by Joy!” For registration materials and to answer questions, visit the website: www.womensminiweek.org .

Your help is needed to complete the Community Build at Canstruction® Madison 2015!  You can be a superhero by purchasing a “Can of Hope” for our Superhero Phone Booth which will be built in the mall center court. For every $10 donation, you can submit one name to be featured on the label of a Superhero Can. One can make a difference®.  One Can® to prove that every act of kindness makes a difference. Thanks to a generous donor, the first $5,000 in donations will be matched!  Give hope today.