THIS WEEKEND…
Your Favorite Lecture: Dr. Mariana Hewson – POSTPONED to Sunday, January 29: “Your Favorite Lecture” is an occasional 9am opportunity for some of our many members who are scholars, educators, and thinkers of deep thoughts to talk about things they love to talk about. Mariana Hewson, a scholar of indigenous healing traditions, will read a story she has written. All are welcome!
Epiphany Pageant, Sunday, January 15: The children of St. Dunstan’s will present a pageant telling the story of Jesus’ birth and the visit of the Wise Men on Sunday, January 15. All kids are welcome to participate! All kids with speaking parts: PLEASE BE AT CHURCH by 9:20 to rehearse the pageant once more before we offer it during 10am liturgy.
Spirituality of Parenting Lunch, Sunday, January 15, 11:30am: 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.
Rector’s Discretionary Fund Offering, Sunday, January 15: 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.
Evening Eucharist, Sunday, January 15, 6pm: Join us for a simple service before the week begins. All are welcome.
Young Adult Meetup at the Vintage, Sunday, January 15, 7pm: The younger adults of St. Dunstan’s are invited to join us for conversation and the beverage of your choice, at the Vintage Brewpub on South Whitney Way. Friends and partners welcome too.
Music Survey: We are seeking congregational input about our choir and music ministries, as we begin the process of seeking a new Organist & Choir Director in anticipation of Martin’s retirement later this year. If you’re on St. Dunstan’s e-news list, you should have received a message this week inviting you to take a simple survey. If you didn’t get the message, or prefer to share your thoughts on paper or in person, contact the office at 238-2781 or .
Survival Backpacks: We are collecting items to fill backpacks for homeless high school youth in the Madison school system. These are youth who have run away from or been kicked out of their homes and families. They need basic necessities in a simple form that they can carry with them. Please check the window in the Gathering Area for items still needed. Take a slip, buy the items, and bring them back by Sunday, January 29. Thanks for your generosity! Questions? Contact Bonnie Magnuson.
Looking for Coffee Hosts for 2017! Consider being a coffee host and talk with Janet Bybee.
2017 Pledge Envelopes: If you would like pledge envelopes and haven’t already ordered them, please contact Val McAuliffe.
NEXT WEEK & BEYOND…
Annual Parish Meeting, Sunday, January 22, 9am: Come to hear parish updates, including the 2017 budget, and help elect our parish leaders. All are welcome to attend!
Bake Sale for Haiti! Sunday, January 22: Our Sunday school students are trying to raise money to cover school fees for a child in Jeannette, Haiti. They’d like to hold a bake sale in January. Please consider baking or making a treat with your child (sweet or savory) and bringing it on Sunday morning to contribute to the sale. If you are that parent who would rather just donate $10 than bake something, that’s cool too. :-) Questions, ideas, offers to help? Contact Sarah Errington.
Sunday School, Sunday, January 22, during the 10am liturgy: Our youngest class will explore baptism, while our Elementary classes read about Jesus calling his first followers.
Christian Formation Committee Meeting, Sunday, January 22, 11:45am: Our Christian Formation Committee will meet to review and plan programs, especially for Lent, Easter and beyond. All interested people are welcome to attend and participate.
Ladies’ Night Out, Friday, January 27, 6pm: We will kick off 2017 by meeting up at Oliva, 751 N. High Point Road, Madison (in the same shopping center as Alicia Ashman Library). Come join us for good food and good conversation among women of all ages from St. Dunstan’s.
Church Book Club meeting, Saturday, January 28, 10am: The book is La Rose by Louise Erdrich. In this literary masterwork, Louise Erdrich wields her breathtaking narrative magic in an emotionally haunting contemporary tale of a tragic accident, a demand for justice, and a profound act of atonement with ancient roots in Native American culture. For more information, contact Jim Hindle.
Candlemas Last Sunday Worship, Sunday, January 29: We will celebrate Candlemas with a brief story and candle-lighting prayers at the end of our 10am liturgy. Bring your flashlights and emergency candles from home to be blessed! We also plan to have a candle-making station set up for people to make a small set of candles to take home.
Gospel of John Study Group: Nicodemus, the Samaritan Woman, the man born blind, Martha & Mary of Bethany: just some of the witnesses the Gospel according to John assembles to enrich our own encounter with Jesus. This year the Daily Office Lectionary has us reading that Gospel from the last week of Epiphany through the second week of Easter. If you’d like to read it and reflect on it with others, St. Dunstan’s is offering a seven-session Wednesday night series (March 8 – April 26, omitting Holy Week, 6:30-8:30 PM), hosted by the McAlpines in Fitchburg. There’s a sign-up for the study so we know how many manuscripts to prepare and how much coffee to brew.
SUMMER DATES FOR PLANNING….
Camp Webb 2016 (June 18 – 24) is accepting applications now! Camp Webb is an outdoor ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee, for children and youth grades 3 through senior high. It is held at a camp outside Elkhorn, WI. Camp tuition is $375 if you register before January 15, with a deposit of $75 due at the time of registration. St. Dunstan’s offers $150 in aid to all our campers, with additional assistance possible; contact Rev. Miranda for financial assistance. Visit http://www.diomil.org/forming-disciples/camp-webb/ for registration forms. Camp Webb IS EXPECTED TO FILL this year, so apply soon!
Vacation Bible School 2017, July 30 – August 3: Our Vacation Bible School this summer is planned for Sunday, July 30, through Thursday, August 3. We’ll meet in the evenings – likely 5:30 to 7:30pm, as in previous years. Keep these dates in mind as you make your summer plans! Kids ages 3 to 10 are welcome to participate; middle school and older kids will be involved as actors and helpers.
Women’s Mini-Week, August 10-13: The mission of Women’s Mini-Week is to provide an annual retreat event for adult women, offering refuge, friendship, relaxation, and fun. Mini-Week combines opportunities to learn with fellowship, spiritual exploration and delicious food as we invite all women to participate as much or as little as they would like and need. Mini-Week is held at a beautiful lakeside camp in northern Wisconsin. Many members of St. Dunstan’s have attended, planned, and led, over the years. Visit womensminiweek.org to learn more and make Mini-Week part of your summer plans.