Spring 2015 Chocolate Making is postponed. New dates to be determined.

THIS WEEKEND… 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 as the Good Shepherd, 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!

 United Thank Offering: The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a church-wide Episcopal ministry that invites people to take home a “blue box”, and put in a coin or bill when we have a moment of gratitude for the many blessings of our lives. We will gather in our “blue boxes” on Mother’s Day, May 10. The funds collected are given to mission and development projects all over the Anglican world, including in our companion diocese of Newala in Tanzania. For more information, visit the UTO station in the Gathering Area.

Ushers & Greeters Needed! These are two simple roles that are very important to helping welcome visitors and newcomers, and making our worship run smoothly. Once a month, could you commit to coming to church fifteen minutes early and helping out?  Serve with a family member or friend. Just one more team of both ‘Ushers & Greeters would fill out our schedules. See the signup sheets in the Gathering Area for more information.

Coffee Hour hosts needed in April and beyond!  Please consider being a coffee host. Sign-up sheets for upcoming months can be found in the Gathering Space. Thanks for lending a hand!

THE WEEK AHEAD… Vestry meeting, Wednesday, April 15, 6:45pm. Any members are welcome to attend.

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.

Sunday School, Sunday, April 19, 10am: Next week, our 3-6 year old class will learn about the Eucharist and some of the things we use in church, while our 7-11 year old class will work with the story of Jesus on the road to Emmaus.  All kids are welcome, & parents can come too if they like!

Racial Disparities in Dane County – Knowing, Caring, Acting: Our second series of conversations about racism will focus closer to home, as we study the Race to Equity report and other indicators of racial disparities in Dane County, and begin to look for ways we can help create a fairer future. The next series will begin on Sunday, April 19, at 1pm, and Wednesday, April 22, at 7:15pm. All interested participants are welcome. A selection of handouts from our first series of conversations is now available in the Gathering Area.

Evening Eucharist, Sunday, April 19, 6pm: Join us for a simple service before the week begins.

Rector’s Discretionary Fund Offering, Sunday, April 19:Half the cash in our collection plate, and any designated checks, will go towards the Rector’s Discretionary Fund this day and on every third Sunday. This fund is a way to quietly help people with direct financial needs, in the parish and the wider community. Please give generously.

Game Night, Friday, April 24, 6pm: Join us for an evening of games for all ages. Friends, partners, kids all welcome. Bring a snack to share, or come as you are!

Outreach Committee Meeting, Saturday, April 25, 8-10:30am:All are welcome to join our conversations about how St. Dunstan’s can best serve the world with our resources and our hands. We begin with an optional potluck breakfast at 8am.

Sunday, April 26, 9am: “Sing THAT one at my funeral!” Many of us have a list – on paper or in our heads – of hymns and songs we’d like sung or played at our funerals. Bring one of your favorites (or an open mind, if you don’t have a “list) and we’ll talk together about what those songs mean to us and the ideas about life, death, and resurrection they contain. This is our Spirituality & Poetry session for April. Simple funeral planning forms will also be available to complete here or take home.

Sunday, April 26, 11:45am: Wills for Young Families. Attorney and St. Dunstan’s member Mark Rooney will offer a gentle and user-friendly introduction to this topic, as a special gathering of our regular parents’ lunch group.

DeCanstruction, Sunday, April 26, 7:30pm: Help take apart the giant sculptures built from cans and boxes of food, as part of this year’s CanStruction competition, a food- and fund-raiser for Middleton Outreach Ministry. This year’s CanStruction will take place at West Towne Mall, and structures can be viewed there all week, starting Monday, April 20. To help with the “de-Canstruction” work, you must be reasonably able-bodied (but not everybody has to do heavy lifting). Sign up if you’d like to join this year’s team, and work alongside other St. Dunstan’s folks and friends from Madison Vineyard Church.

Spring Clean-Up Day, Sunday, May 3, 12 – 2pm: Join us after the 10 am service to put some “sweat equity” into tending our beautiful buildings and grounds. Wear or bring your scruffy clothes and work gloves. Lunch will be provided!

Parish Picnic, Sunday, June 7, 12:00pm: Come for good food and good conversation at our annual June parish picnic.  We’ll have good food and fun activities for all ages. The picnic will happen rain or shine. Mark your calendar and keep an eye out for more details!

PARISH OPPORTUNITIES… 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!