ORGAN CONCERT: On this Thursday, Sept. 17 at 12:00 p.m., we will have a pop-up concert by organist Aaron Shows, who is a brother-in-law of Father James Rickenbaker and an accomplished organist and Hollywood musician. Some of his recent work includes performing portions of the score in movies like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), Haunted Mansion (2023), and both of the animated Addams Family films (2019 & 2021). Aaron is excited to offer this half-hour lunch performance for any and all who can attend. Bring friends to join us.

THE Men's Breakfast

THE Men's Breakfast has been moved to this Saturday, Sept. 19 at 8:00 a.m.

THANK-YOU FOR HOMECOMING

THANK-YOU FOR HOMECOMING: Thank you to everyone who donated food items to this year’s Homecoming celebration. The Episcopal Church Women are thankful for your time, talent, and hard work cooking, baking, and donating food. You all made the celebration warm and welcoming to our returning parishioners and their families, who reported that it felt good to be back at Aquia. Thank you for all that you did and continue to do—from the ECW of Aquia Church.

DONATING ITEMS FOR FALL FEST

DONATING ITEMS FOR FALL FEST: If you have any gently used household item, clothing, or toy to donate for the flea market, or some tools or equipment for the man cave, you may begin delivering those items to the 1960 parish house on Monday, Sept. 21. If you are organizing or downsizing, please consider saving your no-longer-needed items for donation. Please contact Jennifer Stoltz (jentalley@hotmail.com), Carol Korth (caakorth@gmail.com), or the church office (540-659-4007 or sue.selz@aquiachurch.org) with any questions.

Fall Fest Auction Action

Fall Fest Auction Action: Our Auction has received many generous donations and gifts from businesses in our community and beyond. This week we are highlighting them.

Golfers Delight: 

 Aquia Harbour Golf Club: four 18-hole green fees plus cart

       Augustine Golf Club: 4 green fees plus cart

Forest Greens Golf Club: a Foursome of Complimentary Greens Fees

For Your Dining Pleasure:

El Gran Charro: $55 gift card

Amy’s Café: $50 gift certificate

Brocks Riverside Grill: $100 gift card

Sake Thai and Sushi Bar: $25 certificate

Manhattan Pizza:  eight gift cards for 10” personal cheese pizza

Basilico of North Stafford: $50 gift card

Zibibbo 73 Trattoria: $25 gift card

Chick-fil-A on Garrisonville Road: 25 Be Our Guest cards

Jimmy the Greek Restaurant: Three $30 gift cards

Hunan Garden: Three gift certificates for lunch for two

More Awesome Gifts:

Courtyard by Marriot Historic District Fredericksburg: one night stay for two

Meadows Farms: $30 gift card

Pets Plus: $50 gift card

Wegmans: $100 gift card

Publix: two $100 gift cards

610 Car Wash: one book (5 tickets) deluxe car wash

Jabberwocky Children’s Books & Toys: $15 gift certificate

Riverby Books: $25 gift certificate

Star Nails Spa: $100 gift certificate

Finishing Touch Florist: $50.00 Gift certificate

The Card Cellar: a snuggable, huggable, loveable Capybara warmies

Always Flavored * Gourmet Creations: 4 Sauces & 2 Seasonings 

City of Fredericksburg: Two XPass 365 for Exploring FXBG (admission to 8 historic sites), Mary Washington mug, t-shirt, and banner

Stafford County: pocketknife, umbrella, Observations by George! plus Birthstone of the White House by Jane Conner

Full Distance Brewing: $50 gift card

Barley Naked Brewing Company: $50 gift card

Many of these gifts will be grouped together into items for your bidding. We are so grateful for such great support from all these businesses. Please join us on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 11:00 a.m. in the great hall for the Fall Fest 2026 Live Auction. If you have any questions, reach out to our award-winning auctioneer Shields Jones or his helpers, Wendy Osborn and Mary Jane Cole (maryjane@cfsw.biz). You can also follow our Facebook page (“Fall Fest at Aquia Church”) for the latest gifts to the auction and other happenings. Please “like” and “share” our posts to help spread the word.

FALL FEST VOLUNTEERS 

FALL FEST VOLUNTEERS: Many opportunities to volunteer for Fall Fest 2026 remain available. Help is needed with most venues, and additional help is needed with the Country Store. We are grateful to Andrew Albers for taking on the role of department chairperson for this popular event. Please consider helping Andrew as we offer our baking and treat-making talents to our visitors. For volunteering at Fall Fest, contact Mary Jane Cole or Carol Korth with any questions.

Fall Fest Country Store

Fall Fest Country Store: One of the fun venues during Fall Fest is the Country Store. We need your baking talent to stock the shelves with baked goods to sell on Saturday, Oct. 3. Keep the Country Store in mind as you plan autumn baking and treat-making. Contact Andrew Albers (albers99@gmail.com) or Carol Korth (caakorth@gmail.com) with any questions.

THURSDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY

THURSDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY: Father James Rickenbaker’s series on the Book of Acts continues both in person and online on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. in the conference room downstairs in the CFFB and simultaneously over Facebook Live <www.facebook.com/AquiaEpiscopalChurch>, and anyone is welcomed to participate.

KERYGMA OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY

KERYGMA OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY: This Monday evening series continues to meet at 7:00 p.m. in the great hall and electronically over Zoom. Participants should bring their Kerymga workbook and a copy of the Bible.

MORNING CALL

MORNING CALL: Morning Call is our Sunday morning forum for adult formation and discussion, held in the great hall (9:30—10:15 a.m.). On this coming Sunday, Sept. 20, Morning Call will offer some opportunity for informal conversation. Father Morris invites you to offer your suggestions about what our next Morning Call series will cover, beginning later this month.

FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST 

FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST: There are plenty of Sundays awaiting folks to serve as breakfast hosts. If you want to serve as a breakfast host for any Sunday, please use the signup sheet at the back of the church, or contact Sue Selz in the church office (sue.selz@aquiachurch.org or 540-659-4007). Please consider taking a turn in promoting fellowship within our parish through this weekly breakfast. The breakfast can be as simple or elaborate as you wish to provide.

YOUTH GROUP

YOUTH GROUP: Our youth group for teens in grades 6-12 will continue their morning meetings on this coming Sunday. Stay tuned for news about our next evening meeting.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

SUNDAY SCHOOL: Our Sunday school classes for elementary students continues to meet on the lower level of the CFFB (9:30—10:15 a.m. on Sunday mornings).

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY UPDATE

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY UPDATE: Evelyn Amador, Lesley Bourne, Carole Stadnyk, Patricia Springer, and Carol Korth have begun to plan and create prayer shawls. With this ministry group, people working independently or in small groups knit, crochet, and/or sew prayer shawls, small lap blankets and prayer pockets that our clergy will bless at the altar, then these items will be distributed to parishioners as a gesture of healing and comfort. You are cordially invited to take part in this ministry as it moves forward. Contact Carol Korth (caakorth@gmail.com) with any questions.

ALTAR FLOWERS

ALTAR FLOWERS: Those who want to donate flowers in memory of someone or in thanksgiving for someone or something for most any Sunday of the year may contact parish administrator Sue  Selz in the church office and select a particular Sunday; the signup sheet is also available at the back of the church. The cost is $50/week. Even if a given Sunday has already been claimed, you may add your name and dedication for that same Sunday. Traditionally, we do not have flower arrangements during Lent or Advent, but most other Sundays during the year remain available.

AQUIA'S PANTRY EARLY SEPTEMBER UPDATES

AQUIA'S PANTRY EARLY SEPTEMBER UPDATES: On Aug. 26 and Sept. 2 our volunteers handed out groceries to 142 and 133 families, respectively. The Pantry received several extra blessings as well: 40 pounds of canned goods from a parishioner, 144 cans of soup from our friend of the parish we call the “Super Shopper,” and 12 bags of popcorn from Scout Troop 121. Plus, we are so grateful to have a new, larger, reliable freezer in the kitchen! We are very thankful for all these blessings.

With several of our volunteers out on vacation, and some who are out for other reasons, we continue to ask our fellow parishioners to give a few hours of their time once or twice a month to help keep the Pantry going. If you have time to spare on Tuesdays between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. or Wednesdays between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., we would greatly appreciate your gift of time. We also need volunteers who can give 90 minutes of their time Monday or Tuesday evening to pick up Panera donations at 9:00 p.m. once or twice a month. If you can help with any of these requests, please speak to Barb Bingay, Ron Korth, or Mary Jane Cole (maryjane@cfsw.biz). We are also seeking donations of cereal, pasta, and canned vegetables. Please leave these gifts in the foyer of the great hall anytime.

FROM OUR FOOD MINISTRIES 

FROM OUR FOOD MINISTRIES: The long lines of guests coming on Wednesdays for food from Aquia’s Pantry and Aquia’s Table likely reflect the ongoing financial need among so many neighbors around us. This level of outreach is possible because of the generosity of support from faithful volunteers and donations from many different people and groups—from among our parishioners and beyond our church membership. If you can offer some support to these ministries (especially with your time on Tuesday mornings and during the day and early evening on Wednesdays or with financial contributions), your help will be deeply appreciated. Aquia’s Table prepares a maximum total of 400 meals on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, and Aquia’s Pantry distributes groceries to a maximum of 140 households each week.

NEWS FROM AQUIA’S TABLE

NEWS FROM AQUIA’S TABLE: Aquia’s Table serves meals on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. There are opportunities for folks to join in the work of this important ministry, whether as a new volunteer or whether returning to involvement—we welcome assistance with food preparation during the day on Wednesdays, with plating the meals on Wednesday evenings, and with baking desserts on your own schedule at home or at church. For more information about how you might support Aquia’s Table, please contact Dina Stanford (jjanddina@comcast.net).

OPTIONS FOR DONATING ELECTRONICALLY

OPTIONS FOR DONATING ELECTRONICALLY: The use of electronic contributions to Aquia Church is a convenient blessing. For your information, this is how they are handled. Contributions made through Realm are processed by VANCO, a third-party firm. We are assessed a 3% fee for this service, and many of you pay an additional 3% of your donation to cover that fee—thank you for doing so! By contrast, we are charged only a 1% fee for contributions made with Zelle; simply send funds to <treasurer@aquiachurch.org>. As a third option, you may be able to use a bill-pay function provided by your financial institution, wherein the institution sends a paper check to the church, for which normally there is no fee at all. For more details on this third option, please consult your financial institution directly.

NURSERY AVAILABLE

NURSERY AVAILABLE: Our nursery, located on the lower level of the Christian Formation and Fellowship Building (just across the hallway from the elevator), is available for the 10:30 a.m. worship service, with coverage provided by caring, trained, and experienced staff—plus lots of toys, diapers and wipes, a pack-and-play, and whatever else your child or grandchild might need.

BUSY BAGS

BUSY BAGS: Busy bags are available in the historic church for our youngest members. A child’s Bible, activity pages, drawing paper, and crayons are available in canvas bags when you enter the church. Please take one bag per family and return it after the service ends.

ELECTRONIC BROADCASTS

ELECTRONIC BROADCASTS: We offer broadcasts of Sunday morning worship at 7:30 a.m., Morning Prayer on most weekdays at 8:00 a.m., and our midweek Bible studies as well. These broadcasts are particularly helpful for those who are unable to attend in person due to illness, travel, or work. The broadcasts are available online at our church’s Facebook page <www.facebook.com/AquiaEpiscopalChurch>. Even if you do not have a Facebook account, you can access the broadcasts simply by clicking on the given occasion. Also, you do not have to watch the event live; the videos are stored there for your viewing later on.

 

If you want to be added to our e-mail distribution list for weekly announcements and special updates or for the monthly Cross Section newsletter, simply notify Sue Selz in the church office (sue.selz@aquiachurch.org or 540-659-4007).