Author: administrator

Special Message from the Bishop – the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania

administrator

Dear Members of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania,

As this new day dawned I turned on the news for an update on hurricane Irma and learned of the magnitude 8.1 earthquake off of Mexico’s southern coast that hit last night and has, so far, claimed the lives of at least 29 people and now threatens to bring tsunami waves ashore for further damage.

Category Five/Four Hurricane Irma is, this morning, making her way past Cuba and towards Florida, leaving small islands that she has flattened behind her and dozens dead.

The Eagle Creek Fire and the Indian Creek Fire in Oregon have merged in to a blaze that is now 33,000 acres wide in the Columbia River Gorge. The fire is just 5% contained as of this writing. A haze from the fire has blanketed the Pacific Northwest.

It is a collage of disaster that calls for our fervent prayer and intercession.

The Christian tradition is grounded in Hope. The knowledge of God’s boundless love for us, God’s desire for our wholeness and eternal reconciliation is demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This is what allows us to persist in the face of tragedy and loss. When we are overwhelmed, we know that God is near us. When we do not know how to pray, we need only open our hearts, for the Spirit “intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8: 26-27)

It is time to support relief efforts. My earlier appeal for contributions to Episcopal Relief and Development after the recent hurricane in Texas and Louisiana still stands as one of the best ways for us to assist in national and international crises. We will learn in the days and weeks to come about opportunities for service in the torn parts of our country and elsewhere, and it is appropriate to begin discussing the resources that we have in Central Pennsylvania to contribute to the relief effort: housing for those who are suddenly without homes; sanctuary for displaced pets; food, household goods, vehicles. When I return to Pennsylvania early next week, I will learn what our own Disaster Coordinator, Mr. Ed Robertson, has to recommend to us. I would also encourage you to follow his good advice to work as parish communities to update your own disaster plans.

For now, I urge your continued prayers. To remain steadfastly faithful to the God who will not abandon us, and in whom we find our courage. I have been praying this portion of Psalm 46 and invite you to join me:

1 God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,

though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

3 though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;

God will help it when the morning dawns.

6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge

With love in Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan

XI Bishop

 

Saint Edward’s Church Picnic – September 9th

administrator

Where:  Ironville Park, 786 Prospect Road, Columbia

When:  Saturday, September 9th – 11:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Who:  Everyone is encouraged to come, rain or shine!

At the park:  The park comes equipped with pavilion, picnic tables, two charcoal grills (charcoal will be provided), restrooms, lots of room to play lawn games, etc. and a sand volleyball court.

Here is how it works:  Grill at the park or bring your own picnic lunch.   WE WILL PROVIDE:  HOT DOGS, HAMBURGERS, ROLLS, CONDIMENTS, DRINKS AND CHARCOAL.  You will need to bring your own place settings and a table cloth if you like.  A folding chair is optional.  There will also be a table where you may place a salad or dessert to share if you so choose.

Activities:  There will be trivia and guessing games for EVERYONE!  Also, if you would like to bring a board game or lawn game to share, please do!

Please, come join your church family for a fun and relaxing afternoon together.  We hope to see you there!

 

Directions to Ironville Park

From Lancaster:  Take 30W to the Prospect Rd. exit.  Make a right on to Prospect Rd. and continue to first stop sign.  *Go straight.  Continue on Prospect Rd.  Prospect Rd. makes a hard right turn at the Fairview Tavern where you will see the sign for the Ironville Park on the right.  Go up the hill.  You have arrived!  (Directions from York: Take 30 E to Prospect Rd. exit and turn left.  Follow above directions from *)

Please make note:  This is where we had our picnic in 2015 (the park on the hill).

Episcopal Church Women Claggett Center Retreat 2017

administrator

“Sacred Ceremonies of Everyday Life: Exploring the Divine through Food, Song, Poetry, Nature and Meditation”

Presented by Reverend Rowena Gibbons

St. James Episcopal Church, Mansfield, PA

Diocese of Central Pennsylvania

Episcopal Church Women

The Diocese of Central Pennsylvania Episcopal Churchwomen invite women to come together in fellowship as the Body of Christ, The Church, at the Claggett Center – 3035 Buckeystown Pike, Adamstown, MD  21710 on September 15th – 17th, 2017.

Retreat Program for 2017:

“Sacred Ceremonies of Everyday Life: Exploring the Divine through Food, Song, Poetry, Nature and Meditation”, presented by Rev. Rowena Gibbons.  This retreat will explore the importance of ceremony in our everyday lives to root us in living out a gospel of love that seeks to do no less than transform the world.  We will connect ceremony to a recovery of the sacred wonder of the cosmos and how this is expressed in Episcopal liturgy, hymns, Christian mystics and biblical texts. Participants will be encouraged to develop spiritual practices around food, body, song, word, mysticism, nature, and meditation.

The Rev. Rowena Gibbons has been the rector of St. James Episcopal Church since 2005. She is bi-vocational and has been practicing holistic health coaching since 2014. Rowena has particular interest in the healing and transformation of Christian communities through the recovery of the sacred, which is intrinsically holistic, and expressed through individual and communal practices.

Recommended reading: Participants are encouraged to chose a Christian mystic to study over the summer, and bring a sampling of the author’s works to the retreat.

All lodging will be in the Christiane Inn, which is a two story hotel featuring 60 guest rooms with queen size beds and private bathrooms in both single and double rooms. This facility is fully accessible, with centrally located microwaves and full size fridges on each floor as well as gathering space with fireplaces for socializing. All lodging will be on a first come, first served basis.

Register Online at:  http://bit.ly/ECW2017retreat

You will be able to choose your lodging type, request special needs such as: dietary restrictions, mobility and/or allergy concerns.  If you are requesting more than one person in a room, you must indicate your roommates during registration. Retreat committee members are not responsible for finding any participant a roommate.

Click here for brochure

Lodging Options and Pricing:

42 Single rooms w/1 queen bed – 1 person = $225.00,

If sharing the room with 2nd person = $195 per person.

18 Double rooms w/2 queen beds – 2 people = $195 each,

May have up to 4 people in room = $195 per person.

Registration fee includes: Retreat fee, 2 nights’ accommodations, 4 meals (3 Saturday and Sunday breakfast plus snacks) and all supplies for activities.

The retreat starts with Registration between 4:30 – 6:30 pm on Friday and runs through Sunday morning 11:00 am.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Blessings,

Amy Swiernik

Retreat Chairperson

Diocese of Central PA

Social Outreach School Supplies Drive – A Great Success!

administrator

We had a great response to the school supplies drive!  I was wondering if you would please include the following numbers in next Sunday’s announcements:

Church members donated:
25 backpacks
21 3-ring binders
$410 in monetary donations
and a total of 259 (!) pencils, crayons, highlighters, notebooks, folders, scissors, glue sticks, erasers, etc.

These items will be distributed to Hempfield students through the Landisville Food Pantry.

Thank you for helping our local students get off to a great start this school year!

St. Edward’s Basket and Silent Auctions – Donations Request

administrator

We are off to a great start in collecting items for our basket and silent auction events, which go on display on Sunday, October 1st for the four Sunday’s leading up to our annual Fundraising Event Evening on Saturday, October 28th.

In the upcoming weeks you will hear more about our exciting event we have planned!  Please mark your calendars for Saturday, October 28th from 4:30 – 6:30 PM to join us.  Tickets for the event will go on sales on October 1st.

As you know, the Fundraising Committee has two major events each year to raise funds for St. Edward’s:  The Silent/Basket Auction & evening event, and the Annual Holiday Cookie Sale.  Both events have been great successes for St. Edward’s and are such enjoyable times to share fellowship all in the name of FUNdraising.

But neither of these events can happen without YOU, our parishioners.  By joining us in this ministry with your donations and participation, we all share in the fruits of our labor, by enabling our fundraising ministry to add to the overall ministry of St. Edward’s, via these two events.

So, with that in mind, we would like to ask that everyone prayerfully consider joining us in creating the 18 baskets we have on our list for our Basket Auction this year.  There are many ways that you can participate in this parish-wide ministry:

  • Donate funds towards a basket:  Make a check payable to St. Edward’s and mark in memo line “Basket Auction” (or if it is cash, please place in a sealed envelope with your name and mark “Basket Auction”).  Your funds will help create a basket or buy supplies for putting the baskets together.
  • Specify a basket you would like to create on our sign up sheet in the narthex:  There is a sign up sheet and handouts that detail the baskets we are seeking.  While we welcome new ideas for baskets, we have found from the past two basket auctions that the listing we developed reflect baskets that people seem to like and receive great bids, allowing us to raise more funds!
  • Maybe you would like to go in with a friend or you would like us to create the basket for you!  Talk to your fellow parish community members!  Have fun with it!  And, if you have an idea but just don’t have the time or ability to get around to make the basket. . . let us know!  We will be happy to accept your monetary donation and create the basket for you.

Our goal is that between August 6th and August 27th we have all of the 18 baskets for our Fundraising event accounted for in sign-ups and/or donations.  We look forward to being able to report that we reached that goal and can present a successful fall Fundraising event for all to enjoy and have fun with!

If you have any questions, please contact Bev Hess or Michelle Bentley.

Also, if you have been a Silent Auction donor in the past and would like to submit a Silent Auction item for this year’s event, please contact us so we can add you to our list.  We have had some wonderful items in past years and they are an important part to our event success!

Thank you.

Bev Hess & Michelle Bentley

Fundraising Co-Chairs