Fall Clean-Up, Sunday, October 4, 11:30 – 2:00pm: After the 10am service, please stay for a simple lunch (with an overview of tasks to complete while we’re eating), followed by time to work on our grounds. We’ll wrap up by 2pm, but you can leave anytime you’ve completed your tasks.
HUNGER WEEKS: Backpack Snack Pack Prep, Sunday, October 4, 11:30am: The kids and families of St. Dunstan’s are invited to prepare our “Backpack Snack Packs,” to help local school children from low-income households to have nutritious snacks available over the weekend. We’ll meet in the Gathering Area as we kick off the program.
Blessing of the Animals, Sunday, October 4, 4pm: Bring friends of any species to our Blessing of the Animals service!
First Sunday: Birthdays & Anniversaries are honored on the first Sunday of every month. In addition, one of our ministers will offer Healing Prayers for those who wish to receive prayers for themselves or on behalf of others. Finally, every first Sunday, we designate a portion of the cash in our offering plate (and any checks with MOM on the memo line) to Middleton Outreach Ministry, to support their food pantry and its good work fighting hunger in our community.
Evening Eucharist, Sunday, October 4, 6pm: Join us for a simple service before the week begins. All are welcome.
Edgewood in the Community, Wednesday, October 7, 10am-1:30pm: Edgewood High School will be sending 20 students to St. Dunstan’s this day to do yard work as part of their community service. If you would like to work with the students and help direct them, please contact the office at (608) 238-2781.
Diocese of Milwaukee Pre-Convention Gathering, Wednesday, October 7, 7:00pm, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on the east side: Anyone who would like to learn more about the life of our Diocese and the larger church is welcome to attend. To read about Convention and the resolutions to be considered, use this link: http://www.diomil.org/about-us/diocesan-convention/
Outreach Committee meeting, Saturday, October 10, 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.
Sign up for this year’s Parish Talent Show, Sunday, October 25! What will you share? A poem, a song, a dramatic monologue, a dance? A sample of art, craft, tinkering, building, study or science? Group acts are encouraged.
THE HUNGER WEEKS, OCTOBER 4 – 18, 2015 In the first weeks of October we are invited to respond to the needs of our neighbors, locally and globally: by packing snacks for hungry kids (Backpack Snack Pack kickoff, October 4); learning more about poverty in Middleton (Outreach Hour, Sunday, October 11); writing letters to our legislators to urge budgeting and policies that address hunger and poverty (Bread for the World Sunday, October 18); and walking to raise money for food programs (CROP Walk, October 18). Participate and support these efforts as you feel moved, as we together strive to follow Jesus who promised to be bread for the world and urged us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Outreach Hour, Sunday, October 11, 9am: Percy Brown of the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District will talk with us about the face of poverty and hunger in Middleton, and how we might help Middleton to be more fully the “Good Neighbor City.”
Bread for the World Sunday, October 18: We are invited to participate in Bread for the Word’s annual Offering of Letters, to advocate to our politicians for programs that will reduce hunger in the United States and around the world. This year’s legislative focus is child hunger, and especially ongoing funding of the WIC program. Letters will be gathered in next Sunday, October 25. Letters, emails and phone calls are all encouraged, so that a strong Christian voice for the hungry is heard in Washington! Come at 9am for a presentation on Bread’s work and a discussion of Christian advocacy in the public square.
Walkers & Pledges Wanted for CROP Walk for Hunger, Sunday, October 18: This year’s CROP Walk starts at 12:45 at the First Congregational Church downtown. There are 2 routes – one fairly lengthy that goes over to Lake Mendota and one about a mile that goes around Camp Randall. All money raised is used to fight hunger and a percentage of the money stays right here in Dane County being distributed to the food pantries. Would you like to join our team of walkers and raise money to fight hunger? Sign up in the Gathering Area (remember to give us your T-shirt size!) and take a pledge envelope so you can gather pledges in the weeks ahead.
Helping Francine & Family: Thanks to everyone who’s expressed concern and support for Francine and her family, who were the subject of my sermon on September 20. I am very happy to report that Francine and the family are FINALLY in housing! They are optimistic and looking forward to getting settled. If you’d like to help out, you could pick up a Walmart gift card (Francine’s older daughter works there, so it’s convenient for them to shop there) so they can get some furnishings and household goods, and start making their new home feel like home. You can also make a donation to my Rector’s Discretionary Fund for me to use to help Francine as needed – or to help others who may come along down the road. And please, keep your ears open to the issue of affordable housing in Dane County – we need a LOT more of it. Thanks, everyone! – Rev. Miranda
Purple Ribbons for Domestic Abuse Awareness: The purple ribbons on our altar this month remind us to hold in prayer victims, survivors, and perpetrators of domestic abuse. To learn more, explore the website of our local agency, DAIS: abuseintervention.org