Each year, the St. Michael’s Altar Guild decorates the church with white and red poinsettias, given by parishioners in memory of or in thanksgiving for friends and loved ones. After the Christmas season, these beautiful plants are delivered to the sick, the home-bound and bereaved parishioners. Won’t you join us in continuing this tradition? Each tribute is $15. Proceeds go to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund.
Deadline: Sunday, Dec. 15
Please note the age group designations and sign up your child to participate in the Christmas Pageant and Holy Eucharist on December 24, 10am. Children in Beckwith Choir will sing but may also sign up to participate in the Pageant (more Choir information to come from Melissa). Volunteers will be needed for each age group for the Rehearsal and Service (please sign up below only if you can volunteer for both shifts).
Rehearsal will be held on Sunday, December 22, 11:30-12:30 in the nave. All children should be picked up from Sunday School immediately following the service to be fitted for costumes before rehearsal. Please proceed downstairs to the Common Area outside Room 8 where you will be directed to fit and label your child's costume. Parents will then drop their child with volunteers in the Nave for rehearsal. There will be a Coffee Hour for adults in the Parish Hall during rehearsal from 11:30-12:30.
On December 24th, all participants should arrive promptly at 9:00am to the following rooms:
**Please note: the doors to the church will remain locked until 9:00am.
3-year-old Sunday School class - Animals/Sheep - Parish Hall
4th/5th Grade Townspeople (Assistants for little ones) - Parish Hall
Angels (4-year-old Sunday School class - 3rd grade) - Youth Room
Shepherds (4-year-old Sunday School class - 3rd Grade) - Adult Ed Room
1st Grade Main Characters (contacted separately) - Library
3rd-5th Grade Readers - Conference Room
After helping your child into costume, all adults may proceed to the Nave to be seated for the service. Children will remain in costume for the remainder of the service (a brief, chaotic interlude following the pageant will allow children to dismiss to their parents). Costumes should be returned following the service.
We cannot wait to share in the joy of Christmas with your precious children and families!
Please contact Caroline Birckhead, Director of Children's Ministry, with any questions or concerns.
cell: 919-632-0338
Feast of St. Nicholas | Family Event
Thursday, Dec. 5 | 5:30-7 p.m.
Please join us for a family meal, fellowship and fun as we learn about St. Nicholas! Families will share a meal together, wrap gifts for children in need, make an Advent Wreath, and hear the story of St. Nicholas (with a surprise visit!). Each child attending should bring an unwrapped gift.
Please RSVP by Nov. 29.
Twenty one local agencies were on hand to share about the critical work they do, feeding, housing and caring for those in need. Our Virtual Gifts of Grace web page will be live until Dec. 8, so if you cannot attend, you will still be able to donate below. If you donate online you will receive printable cards by Dec. 15, to send to recipients.
We have a limited number of seats available, so don’t hesitate to sign up!
Scholarships are available upon request–email Robin Kennedy.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Reception with Shauna Niequist*
7:00 - 7:15 p.m.
Welcome and Evening Prayer
7:15 - 8:15 p.m.
Keynote Address
Q&A
*Please note: Shauna Niequist's books will be available for purchase that evening, but there will not be a book signing.
Shauna Niequist
ABOUT SHAUNA
Shauna Niequist is the New York Times bestselling author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, Bread & Wine, Savor, and Present Over Perfect. She grew up in Illinois and studied English and French literature at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. As an author and blogger, Shauna writes about the beautiful and broken moments of everyday life — friendship, family, faith, food, marriage, love, babies, books, celebration, heartache, and all the other things that shape us, delight us, and reveal to us the heart of God. She is married to Aaron, and they live in New York City with their sons, Henry and Mac.
We have weekly 40 to 45-minute small group gatherings. Each “circle” has 7 to 12 people, and is facilitated by St. Michael’s small group leaders. We read and reflect on the gospel readings for the upcoming Sunday, talk about life today, engage each other, and pray. Most sessions are virtual (Zoom) but all groups schedule some “in-person” meets as well. New participants are requested to attend at least 8 sessions. Participants enjoy fellowship and sharing scripture and life together in a small group.
Day and Time Options for Reflection Circles
Mondays at 9 a.m.
Tuesdays at 10 a.m.
Mondays at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesdays at 7 p.m.
Wednesdays at 10 a.m.
Groups plan to start around the week of Sept. 8. Contact Sam Taylor and let him know which group you are interested in. Don’t see a time that works for you? Please let us know a time that DOES work. If we have enough interest, we will form a new group.
It is time to register for the 2024-25 program year!
Use the form below to sign up children birth-5th grade
Back to School Sunday
August 25 | During the 10 a.m. service
Please bring school supplies for the children of Episcopal Farmworker Ministry! Look for the red collection bin in the breezeway!
Students of all ages are invited to bring their backpacks to the 10 a.m. service for our annual Backpack Blessing. Following the service, we will kick off the new school year with Kona Ice and a Children’s Ministry Fair in the outdoor breezeway.
Receive a Blessed Backpack tag.
Meet Sunday School leaders.
Learn about our Chapel and Sunday School curriculums.
Register for Choir and meet Choir directors.
Learn about our Choir curriculum.
Shop for gifts at the Canterbury Shop Sidewalk Sale!
Donate school supplies for children in need.
Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Michael’s,
On behalf of the ECW, we would like to extend our deepest appreciation for the numerous ways in which this church community supported the ECW Garden Party & Auction over the past few months. Without your encouragement, participation and support, the event would not have been nearly as successful!
We are so thankful for the St. Michael's staff members who assisted behind the scenes, for all the volunteers who pitched in before, during and after the event, for the over 300 Garden Party attendees (and many more who were there in spirit) and for all the donors who made financial and/or in-kind donations to benefit CASA's King's Ridge. Thank you!!!
We are still in the process of calculating expenses and determining proceeds, but we can confidently share at this time that we have well-surpassed our goal of $20,000! We look forward to sharing the grand total raised for CASA's King's Ridge just as soon as we have that information available. In the meantime, we are continuing to connect auction item winners with respective auction item donors, so be on the lookout for email communications over the next week.
Thank you once again, St. Michael's! We are incredibly grateful.
Claire Duff
Chair, ECW Ways & Means
Elizabeth Harrell
Chair-Elect, ECW Ways & Means
VBS
Passport to Bethlehem
Sunday, June 23 | VBS Kickoff | 5-6:30 p.m. Family dinner provided
Monday, June 24-Thursday, June 27 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Thursday, June 27 | 11:30 a.m. Closing service in the transept for families.
Three-year-olds–4th graders are invited to participate.
$25 per participant
Parent Commitment: 2 volunteer sessions
Take a look back at Greg Jones’ 20 years of ministry at St. Michael’s!
What a fun day of entertainment, food & fellowship
as we gathered to announce our 2023 Senior of the Year—Debi Radisch!
We thank Debi for all of the OWLS planning this year—outings, lunches & speakers.
If you have any ideas for 2023-24 OWLS agenda, contact Holly Gloff .
The Rev. Mary Davila, and members of Christ Church, invite St. Michael’s parishioners to join them on a pilgrimage to Atlanta and Alabama.
Highlights include:
National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site Visitor Center
Tuskegee Airman National Historic Site in Montgomery
National Memorial and Museum for Peace and Justice
Cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, just as many did on March 7, 1965
National Voting Rights Museum
Holy Eucharist at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Plus much more!
The details including itinerary, costs*, transportation, accommodations, terms & conditions are outlined in thie brochure below.
*The final price depends upon the number of participants. Space is limited; register below For questions or additional information, contact: Mary Davila, Assistant Rector, Christ Church.
The Winter 2023 Archangel explores angels — from our patron saint Michael to Uriel, Raphael and Gabriel to the angels that touch us a little closer to home. Click on the image below to view the online version.
We’re excited to announce our new Vestry class of 2025: Phil Lambe, Jeff McLamb, Sally Norton, Mike Penick and Ruth Scott. We thank all our nominees and for all who attended our Annual Meeting.
And we thank Katherine Poole, our senior warden; Matt Marchione, junior warden; Liz Driscoll, clerk; and Melissa Raley — Class of 2022. Well done, good and faithful servants!
Our Fall issue tells the story of the Duff family, who helped plant the seed that grew into St. Michael's. We celebrate the 20th anniversary of Gifts of Grace, our signature Outreach fundraising event, by looking back at its origins. And our curate, the Rev. David Nichols, shares his path from son of a preacher to becoming a priest. We take a look at Sacred Ground, a series on race founded in faith, and we say farewell to our beloved computer guru, Bob Spaziano, whose "retiring" from a decades-long lay ministry keeping all our tech needs in order.
These days, nobody wants to corral the kids, dress them up, find a slot when no one has other plans and show up for a church directory photograph you’ll never buy. But with a growing church like ours, it’s important to have a secure way to browse “who’s who” in our parish. Our last directory, created in 2017, was out of date before it was printed. So this year, we are hoping you’ll take a few seconds to browse your phone for a picture of your family that you love and send it to us. We’ll upload it to your family information in our database and make it available to all of our parishioners through our member portal. So help everyone in our parish get to know each other by sending your photo to us! Deadline: Sunday, Oct. 23.
Susan Rountree is also available to take a quick photo of you or your family on Sunday mornings. She will be available at the Parish Picnic, on Sunday, Oct. 9. Questions? Contact Susan Rountree.
Reflection Circles
St Michael’s Reflection Circles continue to meet. Each “circle” has 7 to 10 people and is facilitated by trained St. Michael’s small group leaders. We read and reflect on the Gospel for the coming Sunday, talk about life today, engage each other, and pray— all in a weekly 45-minute Zoom call. Five groups are operating now, and most could welcome one or two more participants. We will also add more groups as there is interest.
Day and Time Options
Mondays at 9 a.m.
Mondays at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesdays at 10 a.m
Tuesdays at 7 p.m.
Wednesdays at 10 a.m
To join, click “Email Sam Taylor” below, and let him know which group interests you. Don't see a time that works for you? Please let us know what DOES work. If there is enough interest, we will form a new group
If you have additional questions, contact Sam Taylor (908-399-5566)
Centering Prayer | Tuesdays at 9 a.m.
We have 20 minutes of centering prayer followed by a book discussion. All are welcome to join. No experience is necessary. For more information about Centering Prayer, please contact Leon Woodruff below.
