Announcements, August 2nd

THIS WEEKEND…

Meet the Meltons, August 5, 9am, and August 12, 11:30am: Father Jonathan Melton, who will preach and preside at St. Dunstan’s on Sundays during Rev. Miranda’s sabbatical, will often be accompanied by his family – Rebekah, who is an educator, and kids Annie, Jude, and baby Thea. If you’d like to get to know these good folks who’ll be spending a season with us, they will be here between services on Sunday, August 5, and will hang around after church on Sunday, August 12, to get acquainted. All are welcome!

SaintFest 2018 will be August 5 – 9, 5:30 – 7:30pm! SaintFest is an all-ages festival of saints, skills and sharing! Everyone is invited. Look for more information soon. If you’d like to help out, talk to Sharon Henes.

No Evening Eucharist on Sunday, August 5: There will be no Evening Eucharist on the first Sunday in August. Our next Evening Eucharist will be Sunday, August 19, at 6pm.

Lost & Found:  Please take a moment to look at the Lost & Found items in the coat room and reclaim your items. There are many items including several hats and gloves, a knit scarf, a stuffed animal, a couple of umbrellas and a carry-all. Unclaimed items will be given away after August 5th.

School Supplies for Middleton Outreach Ministry:  Although we still have plenty of summer left to enjoy, the ads are encouraging us to think about “Back to School!”  And, that means it is time to think about school supply donations for the MOM Backpack program.  You are always so generous with your contributions, giving students the chance to have the needed items to succeed in school! Please check the Gathering Space for the collection box and lists of most needed items. Deadline for contributions is Sunday, August 12! Thank you!

THE WEEKS AHEAD…

Women’s Mini Week 2018, “Courageous Women of God!” August 9-12 at Camp Lakotah in Wautoma, WI:

Come and join us for Women’s Mini Week to get some sun on your cheeks and we aren’t a bunch of geeks

You can play on the beach or listen to Rev. Liz preach

There are fun activities and games, you won’t think this is lame

Lovely camp fires for your hearts desire

End your weekend, with many new friends.

More info at www.womensminiweek.org  Scholarships are readily available.

Diocesan Opportunities to Serve:  If you are interested in having a greater role in the Diocese, there are several positions becoming available. Open nominations are happening from now until August 13, 2018. To learn more about the positions, talk with Rev. Miranda and/or see the information sheets posted under the bulletin board calendar.

Looking for Coffee Hosts for August 12, 2018! Consider being a coffee host and talk with Janet Bybee.

Men’s Book Club Meeting, Saturday, Sept 1, 10am: The book is Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ngor. “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” So begins the story of this exquisite debut novel, about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee; their middle daughter, a girl who inherited her mother’s bright blue eyes and her father’s jet-black hair. When Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together tumbles into chaos, forcing them to confront the long-kept secrets that have been slowly pulling them apart. A profoundly moving story of family, history, and the meaning of home, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait. HAVE A GOOD READ.

Election Season Prayers: Praying for our political leaders has always been part of Anglican and Episcopal worship. In past election seasons, we have often included candidates for public office in our prayers in informal ways. This year we are taking on the discipline of praying for this autumn’s elections as part of our weekly Prayers of the People, using language borrowed from some of the prayers for our country in the Book of Common Prayer.

Sharing an Announcement: please email it to the office () NO LATER THAN 9am, Wednesday morning. This is a firm deadline; announcements that come in later will have to be included in the next week’s E-news and News & Notes page.

NOTES FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE…

Midyear Financial Update: Based on the first six months of 2018, St. Dunstan’s financial picture continues to be healthy. Our income is up by $7,500 compared to our year-to-date budget. This is largely due to an increase in plate contributions ($3,200 over budget), prior year pledge payments ($3,900), rent income from building users ($625) and a rebate on our snow removal contract because of a less-than-anticipated snow fall last year ($1,100). We are also ahead of pledge payments by $9,200. Some of this represents additional pledges but folks are up to date on their pledges. This is a good sign because traditionally giving drops off during the summer months. Thank you for your continued support of St. Dunstan’s!

We are also under budget on several expense accounts. We have experienced some savings in office staff ($950) due to the transition in staff. Our maintenance budget is considerably under budget ($2,000) but expenses may catch up in the second half of the year. We are over budget in Fellowship/Kitchen expenses and church utilities ($800). We can attribute much of this increase to the extra events connected with our successful capital campaign. Overall, we are under budget on expenses and over budget on income, which is great, and we’re hopeful that our finances will remain strong in the second half of 2018.

We have already received $317,000 in Open Door Campaign pledge payments.

Current financial statements are posted on the bulletin board outside the meeting room door. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact treasurers Gloria and Valerie at .

 Paying Pledges Online:  If you have made a financial pledge to St Dunstan’s, either for our annual budget or for the Open Door Project capital campaign, there are a couple of ways to make payments online if that is convenient for you.

  1. Visit donate.stdunstans.com on your phone or computer. This online “storefront” has different donation options. Please use “General Donation” for annual pledge contributions, and scroll down to “The Open Door Project” to make a contribution towards your capital campaign pledge. Note that you can enter custom amounts. This site uses Square, a widely-used secure service, to process online donations.
  2. Check your bank’s website for a “Bill Pay” feature that sends a check automatically every month (or whenever you want). If possible, please use the memo line on the check to indicate whether it is an annual pledge payment or Open Door payment. (UW Credit Union offers a memo line space, when setting up recurring online payments; other banks probably do as well.)

If you would like to put something in the offering plate on Sundays to represent your gift, you can pick up an “I Gave Online” card on the way into church. Thanks to all those who contribute financially and in so many other ways to sustain and grow our ministry together here at St. Dunstan’s!

STAFF NEWS…

Clergy Office Hours: If you would like to visit with one of our clergy, they would like to visit with you! Father Jonathan Melton will hold weekly “office hours” on Mondays from 9 – 11am, at the MOKA at 5227 University Ave. Father Tom McAlpine will be available on Thursdays from 1-3pm at the Starbucks at 3515 University Ave. And Father John Rasmus will be at St. Dunstan’s on Thursdays from 9 – 10:30am.