S t G e o r g e s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h, G l e n n D a l e P a r i s h M a r y l a n d. The Wider Circle. Letter from the Rector

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1 S t G e o r g e s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h, G l e n n D a l e P a r i s h M a r y l a n d Shape a circle ever wider and a people ever free Volume 12 Number 2 February 2014 Letter from the Rector February Dates: 2; Annual Meeting 3/9/11; The Story 9/10/18; The Story 9-16; Safe Haven 9, 16; Sunday School 16/17/25; The Story 23/24/Mar 4; The Story Coming up: March 1; Mardi Gras March 5; Ash Wednesday May 3; Yard Sale October 18; Fall Party Inside this issue: Letter from the Rector 1 Mardi Gras! 1 Ash Wednesday 2 The Story 2 Behind the Curtain 3 Sunday School 3 Safe Haven 4 Pizza Party Pictures 4 Dear Friends, March 1 Mardi Gras Party is On its Way! March 1 is around the corner and St. George s needs you to participate in our annual Mardi Gras Party! There are several things you can do to help with this annual St. George s event. The most important thing to do is to attend the party and silent auction from 6 pm 10 pm on Saturday night March 1st. The next most important thing is to invite others to come this is a great event to ask friends, family, or neighbors to attend. dinary Time. On a recent Sunday I spoke in my sermon about how less-thanordinary the events of the gospels truly are. Even something that is presented as completely Also, and something you can do in conjunction with attending the event, consider donating items for the auction or asking others to donate. Finally, you can volunteer to help with decorating and set up, with clean up, or with the auction itself. Helping out is a great way to get involved and have a good time while you re at it! The Silent Auction Please consider making something (such as a craft item), donating a service or making some- By a quirk of the liturgical calendar (and therefore a late Easter), the month of February falls entirely into the Season after the Epiphany otherwise known as Ortaken for granted, like Andrew and Simon Peter dropping their nets at Jesus first words to them ( follow me and I will make you fish for people ) is hardly ordinary when we consider (continued on page 2) thing to order (such as lessons like knitting or music; baked goods, a portrait sitting, a tour of an interesting place you are knowledgeable about) or creating a gift basket of food and/or gift items. If you work someplace or volunteer with an organization that would be willing to donate an item for the auction, please ask them on behalf of St. George s and thank them for their generosity! Popular items in years past have been tickets to sporting events and arts performances, films or the theatre. (continued on page 6)

2 Page 2 Published monthly by Letter from the Rector (cont.) St. George s Episcopal Church Glenn Dale Parish P.O. Box Glenn Dale Road Glenn Dale, Maryland (voice/tty) (fax) rectorstgeo@verizon.net The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde, Bishop of Washington The Rev. Connie Reinhardt, Rector Send submissions to: The Rector, rectorstgeo@verizon.net Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, editor jbevandangel@yahoo.com (continued from page 1) magnitude of their actions. I reflect on this as we live out our ordinary life at St. George s, which consists of everyday activities like Confirmation classes, Bible study, hosting the Safe Haven homeless shelter, as well as gathering for Sunday worship, choir members rehearsing, teachers prepping for Sunday School and young people attending - all of those things that make up life in Christian community. Ordinary, all of them. And yet, taking a step back, we see how at the same time they are quite unique and wonderful, and anything but ordinary. We have around twenty people taking part in The Story Bible study from week to week. We have three teenagers and eight adults engaged in this year s confirmation experience. There are too many volunteers for Safe Haven to easily count. There are five teachers and twenty-something children and young people any given Sunday School day. All of this points to not only the vitality of St. George s, but also the generosity and spiritual depth of its members who take their faith seriously. It is worth pausing and reflecting on the bigger picture every now and then, and getting a sense of the meaning of what we are seeing in our life together in this community. I continue to see things that make me grateful to be your rector, and to be engaged in ministry with you. Blessings, Connie+ Glenn Dale Parish Vestry Michael Mangiapane, Senior Warden Karen Horrocks, Junior Warden Mary Frances Bruce Terry Doyle Gene Ferrick Mary Koster Joan Marionni Alix Volel-Stech Lee Rowe, Clerk Ed Neuschler, Treasurer Carol Thomas, Bookkeeper Alix Volel-Stech, Convention Delegate Susan Geiger, Alternate March 5 is Ash Wednesday This year s Ash Wednesday services are at 7 am and 12 noon in the chapel, and 7:30 pm in the The Story Bible Study Continues All are Welcome to Join We continue with reading about the Kingdom of Israel the first part of February, then begin the Exile and Return. Classes meet on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am and Monday and Tuesday nights at 7:00 pm. Anyone can join at any time. main church, on Wednesday, March 5th. All services are Holy Eucharist with Imposition of Class 15: Feb 4; 1 Kings 17-19; 2 Kings 2; 4; 6; Hosea 4-5; 8-9; 14 Class 16: February 3, 9, 11; 2 Kings 17-19; Isaiah 3; 6; 13-14; 49; 53 Class 17: February 9, 10, 18; 2 Kings 21; 23-25; 2 Chronicles 33; 36; Jeremiah 1-2; 4-5; 13; 21; Ashes. Come begin the season of Lent in worship and reflection this Ash Wednesday. Lamentations 1-3; 5; Ezekiel 1-2; 6-7; Part 4: Exile & Return Class 18: February 16, 17, 25; Daniel 1-3; 6; Jeremiah Class 19: Feb 23, 24, March 4; Ezra 1-6; Haggai 1-2; Zechariah 1; 8

3 Volume 12 Number 2 Page 3 Behind the Curtain Please DO pay attention to the person behind the curtain. Here at St. George s, we know how to party. And like magic, there s usually something fun going on. Pick up any Sunday bulletin and there s bound to be a social event planned. Make your own pizza, lunch at East Moon Bistro, movie night, Mardi Gras, baseball games - the opportunity for fun with friends is just around the corner. And let s not forget our weekly social hour after the 10:30 service. Some of these events have a second role as fundraisers to help us meet our budget. But you know, there s really not a Wizard making events happen. Or rather, there s a team of wizards operating the levers behind the curtain. Some events, like a baseball outing or game night, take planning and a little prep work, but are low impact in terms of the effort needed to make them happen. Even for these, someone has to make the plans, buy the tickets or otherwise make sure everything is ready for us to enjoy the event. Sometimes, it s nice to go to a parish event and enjoy it without really thinking about what it took to provide that experience. Our parish events are intended to build community and give everyone a good time. But they take a lot of work and planning. It s easier to find people who want to come to the party than to find people who pitch in and help. Some of our biggest events happen only because a few faithful people are willing to take on the work year after year. A few people consistently help at the Sunday hospitality we all enjoy. Over time, many parishes find that the social events that bind a community together fade as the people who helped make them happen step back and no one steps in to take their places. And the community loses a little of the glue that holds it together. st. George s has done a great job in hanging on to those traditions, but in recent years it s become harder and harder to find new people to step in and help. Please consider volunteering today to help make these events happen. As you think about the year ahead, there s a new opportunity to help maintain the vibrant social scene that has helped St. George s thrive and grow. Are you good at organizing, willing to join a team focused on planning our social events? Are these events part of what makes St. George s special to you? Do you love Mardi Gras, or do you really need that cup of coffee on Sunday morning? Please join the community events committee and take a hand in making things happen. If you are interested, please let a vestry member know, or come to an organizational meeting that will be scheduled in the near future. Our community is made stronger by our many events and programs. But we could not do this great work without a lot of help! Please join the events committee and help us continue our traditions. Sunday School Upcoming Dates Sunday School will be held February 9 and 16, and March 2, 16, and 30. Class begins at 9:00 and finishes by 9:50. Ages 3 ½ through high school are invited to participate. Come and join us!

4 Page 4 Safe Haven Homeless Shelter February 9 to 16 It s not too late help with the Safe Haven homeless shelter, which is coming to St. George s February 9th through 16th. The shelter serves up to 15 men, who must register and abide by the Safe Haven rules. These men have been participating in the shelter since November. We will be meeting for a The Pizza Party was a great success! Thank you to Michael Mangiapane for organizing this great event and to everyone who came, shared their favorite toppings, and took part in the fun. final organizational meeting on Sunday, February 2nd following the Annual Meeting, where we will go over the last minute details and make sure all the tasks/shifts are covered. Daily schedule: 6 pm: Doors open, men check in at registration table 7 pm: Serve dinner 8-9 pm: Shower run to Good Samaritan 10 pm: Lights out (volunteers take turns staying awake) 6 am: Serve breakfast 7 am: Men leave for the day We need help with following tasks: Set up: On Sunday, Feb 9th after the 10:00 service (continued on page 5)

5 Volume 12 Number 2 Page 5 Safe Haven Homeless Shelter (cont.) (continued from page 4) we will need volunteers to receive the cots/supplies from the previous host church. We will also need to rearrange Miller Hall to accommodate the cots and tables. Registration: Arrive at 6 pm each evening to let the men into the church. Collect their registration slips and record their attendance in the log. This is a really fun role because you get to greet everyone. Dinner: Each evening we will need 2-3 people to prepare/serve/clean up dinner. This year we will attempt to coordinate the menu, so as to achieve a varied menu and to avoid having to throw out food. Overnight: Every night it is best to have 3-4 people (men or women) stay overnight. Each will take turns staying awake in the office, while the others sleep on blow up mattresses in the Cry Room and Connie s office. If you don t want to sleep at St. George s you can sign up for a specific shift and come to the church solely for that shift (e.g., from 10 to 12pm, or 4 to 6am). Breakfast: You can drop off a breakfast casserole, and/or help serve and clean up breakfast. Laundry: We may need volunteers to help with laundry details to follow. Metro run: On Sunday, Feb 9th at about 5 pm we will need someone to pick up some of the men from the Greenbelt Metro (this is because the buses do not run on the weekend). Transporting men to shower & do laundry: Each evening we will drive the men down the road to Good Samaritan to use their shower. On Tue & Thu we make a trip to the Laundromat; the men are responsible for their own clothes. Break down & transportation to next church: On Sunday, Feb 16th after the 10 am service we will need volunteers to help drive the cots/supplies to the next church where the men are staying. If you wish to donate something, please consider bringing: nonperishable food that comes in individual servings that the men can take with them for lunch (e.g., small hotdogs in can with pop-top, crackers and cheese, peanut butter & jelly and bread & plastic bags, beef jerky, granola bars, juice boxes). The men are not permitted to remain in the church during the day and thus they would need some food to sustain them during the day. lunch meat; loaves of bread; gallons of milk; cans of coffee for use at dinner and breakfast toiletries (travel size works best) quarters (which we can use for the laundry) Even if you are not signed up for a task, you are welcome to join us in the evening to eat dinner and to engage with the men (please let us know that you will be coming so we can make enough food). Let s make them feel welcome and part of our community. For more details speak to Joann Prosser, jprosser@umd.edu, or Gene Ferrick, gene@umd.edu. Look for the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. Thank you for your help with this important, rewarding ministry. We need your help to make Safe Haven a success. Please sign up on the bulletin board and help us make these men feel welcome at St. George s.

6 St Ge orge s Ep iscopa l Churc h, Glen n Da le Par ish 7010 Glenn Dale Rd. Glenn Dale, Md Phone: Fax: Mission Statement: The mission of St. George s is to build a Christian community of love and support that actively seeks and includes all people. We commit ourselves to spiritual growth through worship and education that empowers us to follow Christ s example in the world. March 1 Mardi Gras Party (cont.) (continued from page 1) Gift certificates to restaurants are always a top draw as are weekend getaways at nearby hotels or resort properties. Think of asking your hairstylist or massage therapist if they would be willing to donate a coupon for a haircut or massage. The only way to find out if they will donate is to ask them don t be shy! All items you or others donate are tax deductible to the value of the item. Any auction items can be dropped off at the church on Friday evening before the party, or the Saturday of the event starting at noon. The Dinner and Theme Besides the exciting things to bid on at the silent auction, there will be a wonderful dinner! There will be music! There will be costumes! (You need to wear one to make this part happen). The theme for the 2014 Mardi Gras is Come as Your Favorite Mary. The possibilities are endless: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Koster, Mary Queen of Scots, Mary Mary Quite Contrary Use your imagination and come in a wonderful costume! There will be a prize for the best one, so be creative and bold. There will be babysitting available for children, so there is no reason not to come! Tickets Advance tickets are $25.00 and are on sale now! They can also be purchased at the door for $ Children 10 years and under are free. We look forward to seeing you all at this year s biggest fundraising event and a really wonderful party!