St. George’s Episcopal Church Crossroads September 2019

St. George’s Episcopal Church - Sanford, ME

Crossroads Newsletter

September 2019

Parish of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Kentucky

St. George’s Episcopal Church

Crossroads

September 2019

Upcoming Events

Saturday, September 7th - Church and grounds clean-up day begins at 7:00 a.m. and ends at noon

Sunday, September 8th - We return to worship times of 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

Sunday, September 15th - St. Mary’s Guild meeting after the 10:00 a.m. service

Saturday, September 21st - Monthly Men’s Breakfast at the Hen House Café in Lebanon at 8:00 a.m.

Sunday, September 22nd - Fall Book Study with Deacon Ann begins after the 10:00 a.m. service

Thursday, September 26th - Set up for the 50¢ Clothing Sale

Friday, September 27th - 50¢ Clothing Sale is open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 28th - 50¢ Clothing Sale is open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 28th - Baby Blessings is open from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Sunday, September 29th - We will have one worship service on this day, held at 9:00 a.m.



September 2019

From the desk of Rev. Lauren

Dear Friends,

The air is changing as the season turns from Summer and moves into Fall. We change, too, as school begins,

activity schedules and traffic pick up, and the leisurely nature of warmer months shifts to the busyness of cooler

days.

I’ve been with you now for a couple of months and I can see well your dedication to each other, to St. George’s,

and to the community and world around you. I am grateful to observe you leaning in with me as we explore ways

the Lectionary readings relate to things going on around us in our country and what that might mean for us as Jesus

followers. To be called out of our comfort zones or called into sharing a prophetic word or action about the times

we live in can be challenging, unnerving, and even scary. Yet we persist.

Before I arrived you were engaged with ministry to support asylum seekers arriving in Maine, and I watch that

support continue. We lean into responding to the humanitarian needs of the “border crisis” because we realize that

supporting those who have come from afar does not mean we have stopped supporting those who are near. Baby

Blessings, a relatively new ministry here at St. George’s, is growing a little bit each month, supporting mothers who

need assistance to be sure their babies have proper nutrition. We continue in caring for our neighbors at Caring

Unlimited, supporting survivors of domestic violence, while also asking questions about ways we can give that go

beyond monetary donations. We open our space for local groups to meet, including recovery meetings, community

caregiver groups, the Lion’s Club, and the summer cookouts for the teen probation folks. These are but a few of the

many ways we remain engaged in our local community. We recognize that the commandment to Love our

Neighbors is not restricted by nationality, country of origin, color of skin, or any other identifier which may be used

to “other” our neighbors.

One of the enduring messages through scripture, and that we’ve gotten to spend time with during the summer, is

about Hope and Faith. We are reminded that we are people of Hope. Indeed, we are resurrection people. We

continue to work for the Kingdom (or Kin-dom) of God, believing in Faith that it will one day arrive, whether or

not we will be here to see it in our earthly lives. As we move into Fall, may we hold tightly to this message of Hope

and Faith, seeing how it leads us through the season’s busyness, and through the book studies and other activities

which come up both in the church and in our daily lives. When the news or community forums threaten to dampen

our spirits or churn up negative thinking, may we turn our minds instead to the things of God and work toward the

Kingdom. We persevere for the sake of the Gospel.

Faithfully,

Rev. Lauren



September 2019

Jumble Sale a Success! Thank you to everyone who helped with our Jumble Sale held on Saturday, August 3rd. Our sale was well received

and we thank all who donated items, set up for the sale, manned the tables, helped clients and cleaned up after.

We appreciate each and every one of you! We raised $1,242.72 for community outreach, and we were all packed

up before the downpour!

Prayer Vigil Held at St. George’s We held a prayer vigil for victims of gun violence at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday evening, August 4th, on the front lawn

of the church. Portland’s channels 8 and 13 came out to cover the vigil. We sang Amazing Grace. We read Psalm

77 together. We read the Litany for Gun Violence Prevention and the Litany in the Wake of a Mass Shooting.

We lit candles in remembrance and prayed. We sang I shall Not Be Moved. We cried. We hugged. We left to keep

carrying light out into our world. As a community, as a nation, we come together in the wake of violence as too

often seen, crossing the aisle, crossing generations, crossing gaps created by our difference of opinion.

All human life is sacred.



September 2019

Solidarity Walk On August 24th, Lynne Boston and Rev. Lauren walked with people from NH, MA, VT, and ME in the Solidarity

Walk for Immigrant Justice, 2019. The Solidarity Walk is organized by the NH Council of Churches and other

organizations to raise awareness about injustices in our systems and practices when it comes to treatment of

refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants in the U.S. More than 500 people from the four states walked, marched,

and even biked, a combined 280 miles. Some groups logged more than 80 miles over the course of six days, while

we covered about 16 miles in one day. We joined many others at the end of our walk at the Strafford County Jail,

which serves as a detention center for those picked up by ICE in our states. From where we stood on the perimeter,

we saw them waving and heard them pounding on the walls to let us know they could see us and hear us as we

lifted our voices in song and prayer. We advocate not for lawlessness, but for justice and humane treatment of all of

God's beloved. The walk was featured in two Episcopal News Service articles as well as many other news outlets.

Celebration and Blessing of the Start of the New School Year August 25th at our 9:00 a.m. service, St. George’s Episcopal Church celebrated the start of the school year with

prayers and blessings over students, teachers, parents, and their backpacks and briefcases. Congregants brought

backpacks or other items they will use this school year and received a small gift to keep and know the folks at

St. George’s are praying for them throughout the school year. It was a special and moving service.



September 2019

September 2019

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 One service held

at 9:00 a.m.

12th Sunday after

Pentecost

2 AA Noon

Labor Day, the

office is closed

AA 6:30 p.m.

NA 7:00 p.m. in the

Library

3 AA Noon 4 SMHC

Children’s Play

Group 10:00 a.m. to

11:30 a.m.

AA 5:00 p.m. to

7:30 p.m.

5 AA Noon 6

Al-Anon 10:00 a.m.

7 Church and

grounds clean-up

day from 7:00 a.m.

until noon

8 Worship service at

8:00 a.m. and 10:00

a.m.

13th Sunday after

Pentecost

9 AA Noon

AA 6:30 p.m.

NA 7:00 p.m. in the

Library

10 AA Noon

Lions Club Meeting

7:00 p.m.

11

AA 5:00 p.m. to

7:30 p.m.

12 CPPC

Meeting 9:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

AA Noon

13 Al-Anon 10:00

a.m.

14

15 Worship service

at 8:00 a.m. and

10:00 a.m.

14th Sunday after

Pentecost

St. Mary’s Guild

meeting after

10:00 a.m. service

16 AA Noon

AA 6:30 p.m.

NA 7:00 p.m. in the

Library

17AA Noon

AA Promises 3:30

p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

18

AA 5:00 p.m. to

7:30 p.m.

19 Steering

Committee Meeting

9:00 a.m. to

10:30 a.m.

AA Noon

Vestry meeting at

20 Al-Anon 10:00

a.m.

21 Men’s Breakfast

at the Hen House

Café 8:00 a.m.

22 Worship service

at 8:00 a.m. and

10:00 a.m.

15th Sunday after

Pentecost

Book Study begins

with Deacon Ann

after 10:00 a.m.

service

23 AA Noon

AA 6:30 p.m.

NA 7:00 p.m. in the

Library

24 AA Noon

Lions Club Meeting

7:00 p.m.

25

AA 5:00 p.m. to

7:30 p.m.

26 AA Noon

Set up for the

clothing sale

27 50¢ clothing sale

9:00 a.m. to 7:30

p.m.

Al-Anon 10:00 a.m.

28 50¢ clothing sale

9:00 a.m. to 2:00

p.m.

Baby Blessings

10:00 a.m. to 12:00

noon

29 One service held

at 9:00 a.m.

16th Sunday after

Pentecost

Book Study with

Deacon Ann after

10:00 a.m. service

30 Service at

Greenwood Center

10:30am

AA Noon

AA 6:30 p.m.

NA 7:00 p.m. in the

Library



September 2019

Communities CARE DAY What: A day of serving our communities by meeting some of the

needs of those who are experiencing challenging times

When: Monday, October 14th, 2019 Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Where: North Parish UCC Church, 895 Main Street in Sanford

Time: 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Sponsored By: Acton Congregational UCC Church, Acton

Alfred Parish UCC Church, Alfred

North Parish UCC Church, Sanford

St. George’s Episcopal Church, Sanford

St. Therese Catholic Church, Sanford

Crossroads United Methodist, Sanford

Sanford Unitarian Universalist Church, Sanford

Free Meals Provided: Breakfast 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Free and Offered All Day: Blood pressure screenings

Free hair cuts

Dental health with Jill Kelly

Activities: Making healthy snacks

Childcare play area so parents may have time to

check out resources

Arts and crafts for children

Children’s Reading Corner/Books

Free Store Providing: Bedding and blankets

Clothing

Toiletries

Winter coats and boots

Here are some ways YOU can HELP! Volunteer for a couple of hours -

(Look for sign-up sheet in September)

Shop! and Offer the following:

New underwear and socks all sizes--children and

adults (esp. L and XL adult sizes)

New Shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes and paste,

lotion, soap, combs and brushes

Gently used and New sheets, blankets, towels,

clothing, coats, shoes and boots

Please bag clothing by size, tie sheets and towels

together in sets if possible

Gently used and New children's books

Also appreciated: Batteries, diapers, Depends



September 2019

Deacon Ann will lead a book study this fall with The Time is Now: A Call to Uncommon Courage by Joan

Chittister. “Pairing scriptural insights with narratives of truth-tellers that came before us, Sister Joan offers

a compelling vision for readers to combat complacency and to propel ourselves toward creating a world of

justice, freedom, peace, and empowerment.”

Books will be provided at no cost. If you would like to make a donation to defray the cost, books are $13.19.

The group will meet after the 10:00 a.m. service on September 22nd, 29th, October 13th, 20th, 27th, and

November 3rd and 17th.

A sign-up sheet is located on the bulletin board in the church hall.

Supporting Asylum Seekers As part of our ongoing effort to support families seeking asylum here in Maine, St. George’s donated 25 Oxford

Picture Dictionaries to the Maine Access Immigrant Network (MAIN). The mission of MAIN (http://main1.org)

is to serve as a bridge and cultural broker for multilingual access to health and social services for immigrants,

refugees, and asylees in our community. These comprehensive dictionaries will be particularly helpful to mothers,

who typically do not have the same access to English language learning as their husbands and children. There are

many ways MAIN is supporting immigrant and asylum seeking families.

Bill and I were so touched by your thoughtfulness and generosity

regarding our 50th wedding anniversary. What a wonderful surprise to find

a bouquet of beautiful flowers, a lovely card and gift card given to us from

everyone at St. George’s! Thank you to all for the well wishes and gifts, we

are humbled and grateful. Love, Mona and Bill Ouellette

Fall Book Study



September 2019

For pastoral care please contact Rev. Lauren Kay

at 207-370-1010 or via email at

[email protected]

Ministry Spotlight St Mary’s Guild would like to extend an invitation to all (not just the ladies!) to come and join us at our next

meeting on September 15th after the 10:00 a.m. service.

St. Mary’s Guild has traditionally been a women’s group working together to support the children of the church.

They do this by organizing fundraisers which enables them to contribute to children’s programs within and outside

the church.

In the early 1950s there was only St. Elizabeth’s Guild. St. Mary’s started as a group of Sunday school teachers

looking to fund activities for the children. They would have bake sales at the local grocery store to raise money and

from there St. Mary’s Guild was created. St. Elizabeth’s focus was the church and hospitality, while St. Mary’s

supported the children. In the past church tiles, note cards and dishcloths were also sold to raise funds. As time

went on St. Elizabeth’s dissolved while St. Mary’s continued and took on both aspects of the guilds.

We now have two 50-cent clothing sales a year, spring and fall, which average $600-$700 per sale. All clothing is

donated, stored, then sorted and hung or folded for the sale. It takes many patient hands to sort through and display

the thousands of pieces of clothing we receive every sale. These are our main fundraisers. With this money we

give gifts to all new babies and graduates in the church, we help provide Bishopswood camperships, organize the

yearly Easter Egg hunt and support new programs St. George’s becomes involved in. Recently, donations have

been made to Baby Blessings and St. Luke’s Cathedral in Portland for asylum seeker families.

As for the hospitality piece, St. Mary’s has hosted many receptions for families that have funeral services at St.

George’s. We also host a Ladies Tea for all the ladies of the church in the spring.

Come see what we’re about and if any of our projects interest you, we look forward to seeing you!

The Vestry The Vestry that has been elected to serve you is

always available to listen and to act.

Lee Perkins - Sr. Warden Marie Bean - Jr. Warden

Maria Lantagne - Treasurer Kathleen Whalin - Clerk

Matthew Westerlund Conrad Grenier

Gary Samia Deborah Blaisdell

Our Mission Statement:

We are a welcoming, accepting Christian

Community that worships God through

Jesus Christ fostering love, learning, and

spiritual growth which enables us to reach

out in service to others.

St. George’s Episcopal Church

3 Emerson Street

Sanford, ME 04073

Telephone: 207-324-8119

E-mail: [email protected]

www.stgeorgesanford.org

facebook.com/stgeorgesanford

Minister: Rev. Lauren Kay

Choir Director and Organist: Dr. Morton Gold

St. George’s Episcopal Church Crossroads September 2019

Documents

Transcript of St. George’s Episcopal Church Crossroads September 2019