THIS WEEK….

The Choirs are starting up again! Children’s Choir starts up again on the 15th after church (around 11:45am) and begins its rhythm. Adult Choir has already begun its rhythm, but we’d love to have more voices. If you play an instrument or if making rehearsals is difficult for you, let’s figure something out. Email Deanna for more details.

Sunday School starts Sept. 15! Our Sunday school classes usually meet twice a month; we will meet on Sept. 15 and 22, during our 10am liturgy. Kids ages 3 through 6th grade are welcome to join one of our three classes. Parents are welcome to come too!

Memorial Service for Amanda Woods, Sunday, September 15, 2pm, Grace Episcopal Church: Friends of the Woods family (Karen, Katie Ping, and Danielle) are welcome to attend this memorial service for Amanda. Light refreshments will be served afterwards. Grace Church is on Capitol Square. St. Dunstan’s folk are welcome to leave cars at St. Dunstan’s and carpool downtown.

Outreach Hearts: At St. Dunstan’s we use hearts to represent offerings made by our Outreach Committee to organizations helping those in need locally, nationally, and internationally. Each heart represents 100 dollars.  These hearts are presented at the offering to remind us that our gifts to others are gifts to God. In August we donated the following:

$1,000 (10 hearts) to Dane Country Sanctuary Coalition, an organization bringing together congregations and individuals  to provide physical sanctuary and support to our immigrant friends and neighbors who are at risk for deportation

$ 500 (5 hearts) to Episcopal Migration Ministries, the refugee resettlement ministry of the Episcopal church, for support in the welcoming and settling of refugees in the United States of America.

Practicing Holy Living, Fall 2019: A few years ago, St. Dunstan’s identified seven core practices by which we live out our faith in daily life: Welcoming, Abiding, Wondering, Proclaiming, Turning, Reconciling, and Making. (Read more by picking up a leaflet in the Gathering Area!) This autumn, we’re meeting some saints – those who loved and fought, lived and died for the Lord they loved and knew – who embodied each of these practices. We’ll begin on September 15 with Pauli Murray, and the practice of Welcoming. Come at 9am to talk about the practice of Welcoming in our lives!

Altar Flowers: September dates available – sign up at church or by email! Honor a loved one or a special event with altar flowers on a special date! At church, sign up on the clipboard under the big calendar in the Gathering Area, and place a check or cash in an envelope labeled “Flowers” in the offering plate. From home, email with your preferred date and dedication, and make your gift online at donate.stdunstans.com. Thank you for beautifying our worship space!

THE WEEKS AHEAD…

The Wednesday Morning Book Group is meeting off campus during construction. The location tends to vary. If you are not on the email list and would like to, please call or email Valerie McAuliffe. The group is currently reading The Second Mountain by David Brooks.  You more than welcome.

Grace Shelter for Homeless Men: St.Dunstan’s is continuing our work with Grace Shelter this year.  We will be serving 4 times this year, 9/22, 12/22, 3/22/20 and 6/28/20.   Thank you to all the volunteers to the shelter during the years. Volunteer coordinators are Linda Maier and Evy Gildrie-Voyles.

Helpers Needed – Edgewood in the Community, Wednesday, September 25, 9:30am-2pm: Edgewood High School will be sending 20 students to St. Dunstan’s to do yard work as part of their community service. If you would like to work with a small group of students and help direct them, please talk to Rev. Miranda or email John Ertl . Thanks!

Ladies’ Night Out, Friday, September 27, 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 The Nile Restaurant at 6119 Odana Road, Madison. For more information, or to arrange a ride, please contact Kathy Whitt.

Saturday Book Club, September 28 at 10am: A Good American Family by David Maraniss. Elliott Maraniss, David’s father, a WWII veteran who had commanded an all-black company in the Pacific, was spied on by the FBI, named as a communist by an informant, called before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1952, fired from his newspaper job, and blacklisted for five years. Yet he never lost faith in America and emerged on the other side with his family and optimism intact.

Bite Size Climate, Sunday, Sept. 29, 11:50 – 12:10: Many of us are fearful and sad about climate change and its many impacts. An important first step towards change is to be informed citizens who understand the issue and can talk about it with others – since we’ll all need to work together for change. Bite-Sized Climate is a time for adults, kids and youth to spend 20 minutes (we promise!) learning and talking together. We’ll regroup this fall by watching a playful demonstration of the scientific consensus on global warming. Get a snack at coffee hour, then gather in the meeting room!

Green Habits Challenge Badge, July – September 2019: Part of our parish Creation Care Mission Statement invites us to pattern our daily lives as caretakers of Creation. Many of us are trying to make our daily habits “greener”, so let’s try together! Pick up a green leaflet under the big calendar in the Gathering Area or go to stdunstans.com/faith-practices/green-challenge-badge-summer-2019/ to see a list of eleven changes and challenges you could undertake. Complete five by the end of September to earn a badge!

Diocesan Convention: Pre-Convention Meeting, Wednesday, October 2, 7pm, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church: The Pre-Convention meeting will be a preview of any significant matters to come before our Diocesan Convention.  Diocesan Convention will be on Saturday, October 19, at the Madison Marriott West Hotel (in the Greenway Station area), beginning with on-site registration/check-in at 8 am and ending by 5pm.  All are welcome to attend all or part of the convention!

Green Idea Fair, Sunday, October 6: Over the summer we invited one another to try out some new Green Habits, to reduce the environmental impact of our households and our daily lives. The Green Fair is an opportunity to share what has worked for you! We’ll have some tables set out where you can create some form of simple “show and tell” about what you did. We’ll also give out our Green Habit Challenge badges to those who completed 5 tasks from our list, between July and September. If you have something to share at the Fair but can’t attend, talk to Rev. Miranda; we’ll figure it out. Sign up in the Gathering Area to participate!

Blessing of the Animals Service, Sunday, October 6, 3pm: People and creatures are invited to a short service of song, story, and prayer.  Animals should be on a leash or in a carrier. Stuffed animals are welcome as well. Spread the word and invite a friend!

Did you read any good books this summer? We are seeking *brief* book reviews from members and friends of St. Dunstan’s, of all ages. If you’ve read something recently that you think others might enjoy, write up a short review and send it to . Reviews can be just a few sentences (and should not be longer than a short paragraph). Focus on telling us what you liked about the book and why you think others should read it! We’ll publish reviews periodically in our E-news and post them in the gathering area. So, read a good book this summer and tell us all about it!