Announcements, March 31

THIS WEEKEND…

Outreach Committee Open Meeting Invitation, Saturday, April 2, 8:00am: The Outreach Committee at St. Dunstan’s oversees and coordinates all the many ways that the people of St. Dunstan’s serve those in need beyond our parish, by sharing our time and skills as volunteers and by giving funds and other resources. Outreach Committee meetings are always open to interested folk, but we especially invite those who would like to learn more or get involved to attend our upcoming meeting. We’ll offer an overview of our core ministries, and we’d love to hear about your ideas or passions! We gather with a simple potluck breakfast at 8am, then move into the meeting proper at 8:30am.

Little Free Library Planning Meeting, Sunday, April 3, at 9:15am: We will have a brief meeting to familiarize interested folk with our Little Free Library and discuss how to organize a team to maintain it in the months ahead. All are welcome! 

Retirement Celebration for Deacon Sybil, Sunday, April 3, after the 10am service: The Rev. Sybil Robinson is a much-beloved elder of our parish, an Episcopal deacon, and a retired professor of theater and drama. Sybil has proclaimed the Gospel faithfully for us for many years, even at the age of ninety-one. Sybil will soon retire from serving in this capacity, though she will continue to worship with us as she is able. Come join us for a celebration of Sybil’s ministry. Please thank Sybil for the blessing of her beautiful and well-trained voice, all these years!

Backpack Snack Pack, Sunday, April 3, 11:45am: Every month St. Dunstanites of all ages help pack Backpack Snack Packs for local school children from low-income households, so that they have nutritious snacks available over the weekend. We’ll work in the Meeting Room following the 10am service.

Evening Eucharist, Sunday, April 3, 6pm: Join us for a simple service before the week begins. All are welcome.

Birthday and Anniversaries will be honored this Sunday, April 3, as is our custom on the first Sunday of every month. Come forward after the Announcements to receive a blessing and the community’s prayers.

Healing Prayer, Sunday, April 3: This Sunday, one of our ministers will offer healing prayers for those who wish to receive prayers for themselves or on behalf of others.

MOM Special Offering, Sunday April 3: This Sunday, half the cash in our offering plate and any designated checks will be given to Middleton Outreach Ministry’s food pantry. Groceries are welcome gifts too. Here are the top ten items most needed currently: pouch/canned meat, sugar, size 6 diapers, meals in a can, ketchup/mayonnaise, canned potatoes, laundry detergent, non-perishable lactose free milk, plastic grocery bags, paper grocery bags. Quality bedding items such as comforters, sheets, blankets and towels are always in need too. Thank you for all your support!

Easter Season Reflection Booklets: The young adults of the Episcopal churches of Madison (including two of our own) have written reflections for each day of Easter season. Pick up a booklet to enjoy in the weeks ahead!

Greeters Needed for the 10am service: If you enjoy making people feel at home, please consider signing up to be a greeter on Sunday mornings. Greeters serve once a month. Here’s a basic job description: arrive 15 minutes before worship starts, greet people as they arrive, help any newcomers or guests find what they need to participate and be comfortable. If you are interested or would like to learn more, sign up in the Gathering Area or talk with Bernice Mason or Rev. Miranda.

Coffee Hosts Needed! Please consider being a coffee host. We have several openings in April and May. Sign-up sheets for upcoming Sundays can be found in the Gathering Area. For more information, Contact Janet Bybee. Thanks for lending a hand.

THE WEEKS AHEAD…

Guest Preacher, Sunday, April 10: Vivienne Anderson will preach at both services. Vivienne is a storyteller, realtor, community leader and former pastor, who can fly, forgive sins, and sell a large house in a single day. We welcome Vivienne to our pulpit and look forward to hearing her reflect on our Scriptures!

Trans Issues 101, Sunday, April 10, 9am: The idea of transgender people is still new (and perplexing) to many of us. Vivienne Anderson, our guest preacher, is a community educator and would like to share her story and answer your questions. We’ll gather in the Meeting Room at 9am.

Sunday School, Sunday, April 10, 10am: Our 3-5 year old class will explore the many styles and meanings of crosses, while our 6 – 10 year old class will reflect on the conversion of the apostle Paul. Our Sunday school classes usually meet on the second and third Sundays of every month. All kids are welcome!

Spirituality of Parenting Lunch, Sunday, April 10, 11:45am: All who seek meaning in the journey of parenthood (at any age or stage) are welcome to come for food and conversation. Child care and a simple meal provided.

Easter Season 2016: Healing Democracy, One Heart at a Time – On Sundays at 9am in Easter Season, starting on April 17 (** please note date change **), we will explore techniques for creating safe spaces in which to talk honestly, strive to transcend partisanship and reconnect as human beings across the political gulfs that divide us. We’ll experiment with five habits that author Parker Palmer believes will help heal our hearts and the collective heart of our nation:

  1. An understanding that we are all in this together.
  2. An appreciation of the value of otherness.
  3. An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways.
  4. A sense of personal voice or agency.
  5. A capacity to create community.

In a year of contentious politics, let’s claim this opportunity to engage in deep conversation and strengthen the ties connecting our faith, our hearts, our convictions and our communities. Watch this space for more details, but please consider participating in the weeks ahead!

Sing Out Loud! Sunday, April 24, 3pm: St. Dunstan’s Choir is hosting a choir festival on April 24th at 3 p.m., to benefit Middleton Outreach Ministries (MOM). Choirs from MOM congregations will be joining our singers to present an afternoon concert. Please bring personal care or household cleaning items for the MOM pantry. Al Ripp, the Executive Director of MOM will speak to us about MOM’s work in our area. Help spread the word!

St. Francis House 100th Anniversary Dinner, Saturday, April 23, 4-8pm at St. Dunstan’s: On April 23, St. Francis House celebrates the ministry’s 100th anniversary, a celebration that belongs to all of the Episcopal churches in our diocese and to everyone who has been a part of SFH. The celebration begins at SFH with Evening Prayer at 5:15 pm, led by Bishop Miller, and the blessing of a large icon, gifted to SFH by the alumni family. Drazen Dupor, the iconographer, will be on hand to speak about the icon. There will be displays from different eras at SFH, a short program, and lots of new and old friends. The celebration continues at St. Dunstan’s, with dinner at 6:30pm. Ample parking will be available at St. Dunstan’s with a shuttle to and from campus for evening prayer. Tickets are $35. Seating will be limited to 100 people. You can reserve your tickets for the evening at www.stfancisuw.org.

Madison-Area Julian Gathering, April 13, 7:15 – 9:00pm: The Madison-Area Julian Gathering has been meeting for six years, reading and discussing the hopeful theology of St. Julian of Norwich, and practicing contemplative prayer together. Upon having worked our way carefully through Julian’s 14th Century masterpiece of trust and joy in the goodness of God, we’ve decided to start at the beginning and do it all over again! If you’re interested in getting in on the ground floor, please join us!

Men’s Book Group, Saturday, April 30, 10am: The book is English Creek by Ivan Doig. Jack McCaskill accompanies his father on a horseback journey to count sheep onto mountain rangeland allotted by the national forest—a routine yearly duty that leads to the revelation of a long-kept family secret. Events develop over the course of the summer and end in a forest fire that brings the book, as well as the Catskill family’s struggle within itself, to a stunning climax.

An Introduction to Charitable Giving, Sunday, May 1, 11:30am: Come for lunch with several of the folk of St. Dunstan’s who have expertise in the areas of financial management, charitable giving, and taxes. They’ll outline the logistics of different ways of giving to your favorite organizations or causes, different kinds of gifts, and tax implications of giving. Questions welcome too! Folks of all ages and incomes are encouraged to come; child care will be provided.

Vacation Bible School Dates Set! Our summer Vacation Bible School will take place from Sunday, July 31, through Thursday, August 4, 5:30-7:30pm. Kids ages 3-10 are welcome to participate; kids 11 and up may participate as actors and helpers. We hope these dates are helpful to St. Dunstan’s families making summer plans.

40th Annual Women’s Mini Week – Surprised by Joy! – August 11 – 14, 2016, Camp Lakotah, Wautoma, Wisconsin: This is your time to retreat from your everyday routines, to allow discoveries and friendships to refresh you, to find comfortable activity or blissful quiet. Registration forms are in the Gathering Area. For more information, see the website at www.womensminisweek.org.