eNotes

St. Alban’s Episcopal Parish + (828) 324-1351

Updated Monday, February 20, 2012

New This Week

  • Shrove Tuesday – Healing Service and Pancake Supper
  • Safe Harbor Spring Event
  • Empty Bowl Event
  • Outreach Meeting
  • Experienced Adult Social
  • Holy Smoke II Outreach Fair
  • All Women’s Retreat
  • St. Alban’s Blood Drive!
  • Click on the Picture for more Photos from the 2012 Oyster Roast and Chili Fest!

2012 Oyster Roast Tryggvi & Randy

Upcoming Events

  • THE DAILY OFFICE SCHEDULE FOR ASH WEDNESDAY THROUGH ALL OF EASTER is as follows: 2/23/12 thru 5/24/12, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The prayers are Morning Prayer at 7:00 AM and Noonday Prayer at 12:15 PM. If you are able to officiate for any of those dates, you are asked to sign-up in the Commons Room on the bulletin board. A buddy system is encouraged for the officiants and all are welcome to attend. It’s a great way to start the day and the season anew!
  • PUBLIC HEALING SERVICE will be at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21.
  •  SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE AND TALENT SHOW immediately follows the Public Healing Service on Tuesday, February 21. This delicious dinner of pancakes, sausage & bacon begins at 6:30 p.m. and is followed by our talent show!  Everyone is INVITED!  It’s a fun, casual event and always provides a great opportunity for newcomers to get to know the parishioners.  Call the office and let us know that you want to join us for this event (828) 324-1351.  Please feel free to join in the talent show!  Past talents have included:  children’s performances of song, dance, and jump-roping, Adult piano playing, story telling & jokes and much more!
  • ADULT FORMATION CLASS SERIES CONTINUES - Please join us to view and discuss Bishop John Shelby Spong’s Jesus for the Non-Religious this January and February. We will learn and share our thoughts about Spong’s understanding of the God-presence in ‘Christ,’ images of Messiah, how Christ has been experienced through the ages, and how the divinity of Christ has its ultimate expression in a fulfilled humanity. We will view the DVD in segments over several weeks, gathering during the Adult Education hour at 9:20 a.m.  We will continue our study on the following dates:  February 26 and March 4.

“Jesus calls you to be whole, not religious.  Jesus calls you to be real, not religious.  Jesus calls you to be loving, not moral and righteous. Jesus calls you to be inclusive, not hating everybody that disagrees with you and claiming your superiority over them.  That’s what this Jesus portrait is about and that’s why people believed that they experienced all that God is in the life and in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.”    -John Shelby Spong

  • THE BROTHERHOOD OF ST. ALBAN’S STUDY GROUP  will continue to meet the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month.  CLICK HERE for information on our Lenten Study!  For more information and past meeting minutes, please refer to the “Brotherhood” link to the right of your screen under “Useful Links.”  MINUTES from the January 9, 2012 Brotherhood of St. Alban’s are now available for viewing.
  • OUTREACH TEAM  will meet on Sunday, February 26 after the last service in Ferebee Hall.
  • THE  4TH ANNUAL ST. STEPHENS HIGH SCHOOL EMPTY BOWL EVENT will take place on Saturday, February 25 from 5:00 to 7:00 in the school cafeteria. The idea is simple. Guests choose a handmade pottery bowl, eat a delicious meal of soup, bread and dessert, listen to performances by the chorus, and leave with the bowl of their choice as a reminder of all those who have empty bowls in our county. In return, it is recommended that each guest make a donation of $15 for this evening of good food and entertainment. All of the profits will be donated to The Corner Table and The Hickory Soup Kitchen so that they might continue their work in helping those who are hungry.  Tickets are available at the door.
  • 55+ SOCIAL (still looking to name ourselves) –  Make plans to join us, Sunday, March 4th, at 5p.m. in Ferebee Hall. We’ll begin with a short business meeting to name ourselves and plan future programs for our group, so bring your ideas. Then Jane & Rege Duralia will present an educational wine tasting for you enjoyment.  We will taste several wines. Bread will be provided during the tasting. Please RSVP to janenrege@gmail.com. (We want to make sure we have enough wine!)  Bring an appetizer to share after the tasting. Cost: $10.00 per person.
  • HOLY SMOKE II:  MINISTRY OUTREACH FAIR  The CEOC will be sponsoring a Ministry Fair on Saturday, March 10th from 2:30 until 6 at the Church of the Ascension.  The Men will be smoking barbeque for us and the three parishes will be providing all the fixings. There will be a donation basket.  You may eat in or take out.  We will have 6 Catawba County Ministries; Safe Harbor, Exodus House, Salvation Army, CCM, Hickory Soup Kitchen, and Corner Table with us.  By highlighting the hungry and the homeless we hope that we will help you to connect with those less fortunate in our community and find a way to be “the hands and feet of Christ”.  Invite your neighbors and friends!  Join with our Episcopal brothers and sisters and help us to serve as our baptismal covenant calls us to serve!!  Contact your CEOC representative for more information.
  • SAFE HARBOR SPRING EVENT – “The Whole Woman, Food, Fat, Fitness & Faith” is Saturday March 17th from 9am – 2pm at the Park Inn/Gateway Conference Center. The $30 charge includes admission to vendors, lunch & speaker David Meinz, America’s Personal Health Improvement Humorist & Expert. Keep in mind that $15 of the $30 goes directly to Safe Harbor! To get tickets contact Chris Oram at (828) 212-0930.
  • LAY READING / EUCHARISTIC MINISTRY TRAINING for 2012 will be on Sunday, March 18 after the 10:30 Service in Ferebee Hall.Please bring a sandwich. We are now receiving names of people who would like to get involved Lay Reading / Eucharistic Ministry.  The responsibilities include reading of the texts from Holy Scripture, serve as intercessor for the Prayers of the People, serve the chalice at the Eucharist during the Sunday services, and lead Evening Prayer and Stations of the Cross offered during Lent.  Please contact the church office (828) 324-1351 if you feel called to this important ministry in our parish.
  • BLOOD DRIVE SAVE THE DATE –  The Red Cross Blood Mobile will be at St. Alban’s on Tuesday, May 1 from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  We will need volunteers, cookies, crackers and drinks for the donors. Please call the office if you would like to help. 
  • PLANNING IS IN THE WORKS FOR AN ALL WOMEN’S WEEKEND Thursday, May 3 – Saturday, May 5….  There are a limited number of of spaces, so if you are interested, please call or email Cami (roberts.cami@gmail.com)  Keep watching for more news and exciting information!

Announcements

  • IMPORTANT WORSHIP CHANGES
    • DURING PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE, the congregation is now invited to lift up, vocally, the names of those who are in need of prayer.
    • THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH we will sing the Holy Eucharist.
    • IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP THE COMMUNICATION OPEN between both worship services, we now ask that anyone making announcements at the 10:30 a.m. worship, send an email to Sherry Nelson - sherry@stalbansparish.org, with your announcement.  All announcements being made on any given Sunday, need to be sent to her by NOON, the prior Thursday.  She will compile these announcements into a list and Tryggvi will announce them at the 8:30 a.m. worship.
  • COPIES OF THE ANNUAL REPORT are available on the table next to the office and the round table in the Commons Room.
  • NEW FACES NEEDED to lead and teach our Adult Formation class that meets at 9:20a.m. in Ferebee Hall.  Interested people should contact Chris Haas,chaas@ncdoj.gov. 
  • NEED SOME HELP AROUND THE HOUSE?  THE BROTHERHOOD OF ST. ALBAN’S men group would like to extend an offer to help any parishioner, especially any of our seniors who may be alone and/or unable to accomplish certain task around their homes.  Examples would be such things as moving furniture, changing light bulbs that are too high and dangerous to reach, changing air filters, repairing a stuck window or broken  cabinet door/drawer, simple plumbing task (like stopped up sinks, leaky faucets or drains), or perhaps you have limbs down in your yard that you cannot remove, and/or almost anything that could be done in a short period of time by one or two of our group, and would not need a contractor or professional to repair.  In addition, if you have a problem that may need a contractor/professional, we also offer to come to your home and help you assess what kind of help you will need, and point you in a direction of a contractor/professional who will not take advantage of you.  This offer of assistance is for any St Alban’s parishioner, and/or if you are a parishioner who knows someone who is alone and in need of such help.  If in need of help, please contact the church office (828.324.1351), or Tommy Spain directly: email - spain56tom@gmail.com - or call him at:818.514.1914.  Remember this: WE LOVE TO HELP!
  • FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR GROUNDS CREW is needed.  To sponsor a week or 2, please sign up on the Grounds bulletin board in the Commons Room.
  • SOUP KITCHEN VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY - St. Alban’s now has the opportunity to provide two volunteers to serve lunch at the Hickory Soup Kitchen downtown on the 4th Friday of each month.  Volunteers should arrive by 11:00 am (if you would like to eat lunch with the staff and volunteers) or by 11:15 (if not).  You duties will be over by 12:30.  We are excited to have this opportunity!  There is a sign-up sheet on the Outreach Bulletin Board in the Commons Room.
  • ADULT FOMATION – (The Ferebee Hall group) – will begin our Lenten Study on Sunday, February 26 entitled Walking the Way of the Cross with Paul. This will be a six-week session continuing through Lent at 9:20 a.m.  Everyone is welcome and, as always, childcare is provided.
  • CHECK THE CALENDAR for St. Alban’s scheduled meetings and events!  There is a lot going on at St. Alban’s Parish!  If you have a church related gathering or meeting, please call the office to get it scheduled.  This helps us all stay informed and prevents “overbooking” of space.

The Staff would like to hear from You!

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