THIS WEEK….

Actors Needed for Sunday, May 26: At 10am worship, we will share our lesson from Acts as a simple drama. If you would like to participate, please arrive promptly at 9:15am on the 26th and we will practice the lesson together before the service! There are both speaking and non-speaking parts. Kids, youth & grownups all welcome.

Creation Care Annual Meeting, Sunday, May 26, 11:30am: All interested folk are invited to come talk about how our church and its people can live out our mission of Creation Care this year – at church and in our daily lives. All ages are invited &  ideas are welcome! A light lunch will be provided. If you can’t attend at this time but would like to be part of the conversation, contact Rev. Miranda.

Ascension Eucharist, Thursday, May 30, 7pm: We will hold a simple Eucharist for the Feast of the Ascension. If you choose, you can stay afterwards (or come around 8:30pm) to count bats, as our first Bat Count of the season. (St. Dunstan’s participates in statewide monitoring of bat populations by counting the bats that live on our property a couple of times per summer. We’ll also count bats on Friday evening the 31st at around 8:30; the bat monitoring project would like us to do two nights in a row this summer!)

Ladies’ Night Out, Friday, May 31, 6pm: Come join us for good food and good conversation among women of all ages from St. Dunstan’s. This month we will meet at Oliva Restaurant, 751 N. High Point Rd. For more information please contact Kathy Whitt.

THE WEEKS AHEAD…

It’s Time to Update our Parish Directory! If you are new to St. Dunstan’s and would like your address and contact information to be in our church directory, or if you have a change of address or contact information, please let our Office Coordinator Ann know at 608-238-2781 or . Our church directory is shared with members; it is not posted publicly.

Update on our Church Neighbors Foundry414: For several years we’ve shared space with Foundry414, a friendly and open-minded non-denominational church. Foundry meets in the Parish Center, which will be renovated this summer for use as youth group space (lower level) and meeting and community space (upper level). Starting on June 2, over the summer, Foundry will be meeting in our nave and Meeting Room on Sundays at 4:30pm. Please help leave the church tidy for them, and if you have a reason to stop by on a Sunday evening, be respectful of their space. Thank you!

Parish Picnic & Nave-Clearing Bee, Sunday, June 2, 11:30AM: As part of our parish renovation, the floor in the Nave (worship space) will be refinished starting on June 3. So after church on June 2, we’re going to Empty the Nave! The floor of the nave & side rooms will need to be as clear as we can get it. Many hands make light work so we’re going to have fun with it, and combine it with our annual Parish Picnic! We’ll provide hot dogs, buns, and drinks. Bring a side dish or dessert to share – and a picnic blanket for those who are comfortable sitting on the ground or floor. (We’ll have some tables available as well.)

Summer All-Ages Vacation Bible School Planning Meeting, Thursday, June 6, 6pm: Our evening camp this summer (5:30 – 7:30, August 4 – 8) will focus on finding God in Creation. We have some ideas taking shape, but there’s room for more – ideas and people to help! If you’d like to help plan or help prepare and lead an activity, please join us on Thursday the 6th. Kids & youth welcome too. Pizza will be provided. Talk with Rev. Miranda or Sharon Henes to learn more, or if you’d like to help out but can’t attend.

Acolyte Refresher Training & Celebration, Sunday, June 9, 11:30AM: All St. Dunstan’s acolytes are invited! We’ll go over what we do in worship, to refresh our memories and give us a chance to ask any questions; then we’ll celebrate a great year with pizza and treats. We’ll wrap up by around 12:30, and rides home can be provided – talk with Rev. Miranda or Sharon Henes if that would be helpful.

Pentecost Sunday Worship, June 9: On this feast day we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church, and celebrate the Spirit’s continued action among us. Red is the church’s color for this holy day; consider wearing something red for church. It’s our custom to take photos of the whole congregation after each service that Sunday; we hope you’ll stay a few moments to participate.

Madison-Area Julian Gathering, Wednesday, June 12, 1:00 – 2:45 PM:  Julian of Norwich was a 15th Century English mystic and anchoress. Little is known about Julian’s life, but she wrote a book, as far as we know the first in English written by a woman, about a series of revelations which opened her to the depths of God’s unconditional love for us in Jesus Christ. Julian’s insights and gentle wisdom are becoming ever more widely known and appreciated. At a Julian Gathering we support each other in the practice of contemplative prayer and contemplative spirituality.  Each meeting includes time for contemplative prayer, fellowship, and reading/discussion of Julian’s book.   For additional information, contact Susan Fiore, ObJN.

St. Dunstan’s LGBTQIA+ & Allies Campfire, June 21, 6:30pm: As part of our continuing intergenerational exploration, we will be having a potluck s’mores bonfire on June 21, at 6pm, for anyone who feels they are in the LGBTQIAA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, and/or allies) community.  This is a safe space and time deliberately created to sit around a bonfire, eat soup and s’mores, and visit about your personal experiences within this community, as LGBT+ people, family of LGBT+ people, and friends of LGBT+ people.  All ages are not only welcome, but encouraged.  Feel no pressure to identify with any label at this event, but feel free to talk openly about your experience if you want to.  Dinner provided (soup and rolls), BYFSS (bring your favorite smores supply!). Questions? Talk to Rev. Miranda or Michelle Der Bedrosian.

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES… 

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2019: SAVE THE DATES – AUGUST 4 – 8! Plans are just starting to take shape but we expect to spend a lot of time outdoors, and to invite the adults of St. Dunstan’s to join our kids and youth for shared learning and fun, as we did in 2018. Mark your calendars!

Seeking Sponsors for our Kids & Youth: Your $25 sponsorship helps one of the children or youth of St. Dunstan’s attend Camp Webb or our summer youth mission trip. Each shareholder will receive a postcard from one of our kids or youth, during their time at camp or on the youth mission trip. We also plan a late summer social event for kids and sponsors, when kids can share about their trips.  You can contribute with a check in the offering plate with “Camp Sponsorship” on the memo line, or online at donate.stdunstans.com .

Camp Webb 2019 (June 16 – 22) 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 $400, with a deposit of $100 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. http://www.diomil.org/forming-disciples/children-youth-and-family-ministries/camp-webb/ for registration forms. Camp Webb IS EXPECTED TO FILL this year, so apply soon!

Women’s Mini-Week, August 8 – 11: 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.