Dearly Beloved,
It seems as if all of us have been on pins and needles all week with the approach and passing of Hurricane Dorian since most of us have family and friends who were in the path of the storm. The storm, of course, was nothing but utterly devastating to the northern portion of the Bahama Islands. Florida came out of it all relatively unscathed, while South Carolina and North Carolina coastal areas received a pretty good “wallop,” mostly from tornadoes spawned by the storm. I have not heard of any coordinated relief efforts within our diocese yet but I do know that some of the Florida churches are partnering with their local relief agencies. As the needs become more fully evident and I can see how we might make an impact, I will let you know. In the meanwhile, if you feel the need to participate in some way be certain to partner with a reliable organization that has been around for quite a while and is known for their relief efforts. A quick web search will likely yield enough information to be sure that you stay away from groups that are just trying to profit on the misery of others. If you are not sure about a group that may well be your clue that it is not the most reliable. I would also be happy to help you figure it out.
Now onto some parish news for this week.
Kitchen Updating
The kitchen updating began last Friday with “demo day!” The wall between the kitchen and parish hall was opened up and a new wider door frame was put in place. We had to move some electrical lines and our contractor should be back in the morning to finish the remaining prep work before the roll down shutter and door are put in place next week. We expect the new cabinets and kitchen counters to be installed next weekend. Here is a picture of what it looked like when we came to church this past Sunday morning.
Picnic Pavilion
As you recall from my email three weeks ago, the vestry approved taking bids on our new St. Timothy’s Porch picnic shelter. We received three bids and last week the vestry approved Ourco Construction Company’s bid. Ourco Construction is owned by Eric Oursler, the father of two young people that have studied here at Classical Scholars and have been in our Shakespeare productions. Eric contacted me on Wednesday and said his crews will begin site clearing this coming Monday, September 9. He expects construction to last three to four weeks. That means that the shelter might be finished by the time the Fall Fish Fry rolls around on October 4 and definitely will be completed before the Annual Craft Market! How exciting! In the header of this email is Brewster Ward’s sketch of the shelter. The vestry and I can not thank him enough for all his work to get us the information we needed to make this decision.
Fall Fish Fry
And speaking of the Fish Fry, the Friar’s Friday Fall Fish Fry in honor of St. Francis returns on October 4! Tickets are $9.00 each in advance ($10 at the door) for breaded tilapia filets, roasted potatoes, hush puppies, coleslaw, and iced tea or lemonade. Take-out will be from 5-6 p.m. and dine-in will run from 6-8 p.m. Kids under 12 eat free. Ticket packets will be available Sunday.
- We ask that you sign out 10 tickets and sell them to your friends, or just buy them and hand them out to folks, to introduce them to our parish.
- If you would like to donate a dessert, there is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. Please see Loretta Reynolds or Verna Shipman if you have any questions about desserts.
Get Ready for Fall Education
As a reminder, all of our usual classes are set to kick off, beginning this weekend.
- Adult Sunday School returns this Sunday, September 8, as we begin an in-depth look at the Articles of Religion. These Articles, commonly known as the “39 Articles,” are one of the formularies our Anglican Way of Christianity and in many ways offer us the boundaries within which we practice our faith.
- Youth Sunday School will return to its regular schedule also on Sunday, September 8 at 9:45 a.m., in the large classroom of Simcox Hall. Beginning Sunday, we will start off our year with a four-week discussion on the topic of popularity and being a Christian.
- Wednesday night Bible Study and Wednesday evening fellowship dinners return next Wednesday, September 11 and we will return to the Gospel according to St. Matthew. We are about halfway done with that book.
- Tuesday Book Study will begin again on September 17. Our book this fall is Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “Life Together,” which is a discussion of Christian fellowship. Please see Dss. Cynthia to get your copy ($10/each).
Fellowship Lunches
Our Sunday fellowship lunches return this coming Sunday also after the 11:00 a.m. Holy Communion. It will be a potluck affair, with the church providing the meat.
September Vestry Meeting
The vestry meets Monday evening, Sept. 9, at 6:30 p.m. in the conference room.
Don’t Forget the Hungry
Please remember the ongoing needs of those less fortunate than we are. Please bring your non-perishable food items to the church. Our recipient this month is the Western Carolina Rescue Mission in Asheville.
I have included a “Looking Ahead” reminder down below so you can quickly see our important events coming up over the next two months. I look forward to seeing all of you this weekend.
Blessings,
Fr. Erich
This Week in the Parish
Friday, September 6· 5:30 p.m., First Friday Youth & KidsSunday, September 8, Twelfth Sunday after Trinity· 8:30 a.m., Holy Communion· 9:45 a.m., All Sunday School Classes return· 11:00 a.m., Holy Communion· 12:15 p.m., Fellowship Lunch returnsMonday, September 9· 6:30 p.m., Vestry MeetingWednesday, September 11· 6:00 p.m., Holy Communion· 6:30 p.m., Fellowship Dinner returns· 7:00 p.m., Bible Study returns· 7:00 p.m., Choir Practice
Looking Ahead
Tuesday, September 17· 11:00 a.m., Book Study returnsSaturday, September 21, St. Matthew, Evangelist & Apostle· 12:00 p.m., Holy CommunionSaturday, September 28· 10:00 a.m., Blessing of AnimalsFriday, October 4· 5:00 p.m., Friar’s Fall Fish FryFriday, October 18, St. Luke, Evangelist· 12:00 p.m., Holy CommunionSaturday, October 19· 9:00 a.m., Annual Craft Market until 3:00 p.m.· 11:00 a.m., Steve Miller’s Ordination as Deacon, St. Matthew’s Church, WeavervilleSunday, October 20, Bishop Grundorf’s Episcopal Visitation· 8:30 a.m., Holy Communion· 9:45 a.m., Sunday School· 11:00 a.m., Holy Communion with Confirmations & Receptions· 12:15 p.m., Reception
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