Announcements: Week of Sunday, January 7th 2018
January 7th Annual Meeting
Our parish's annual meeting, with election of new vestry members, will begin on this Sunday, Jan. 7, at 10:00am in the great hall with the Holy Eucharist (for the only morning worship service on this day), followed by reports from the rector, the wardens, and the treasurer. Children will be able to attend the worship service in the great hall with their families; afterwards, they will attend Sunday school activities in the classrooms downstairs. Vestry members will provide refreshments for this important event. Please make every effort to attend.
Acolyte Training
Acolytes will be meeting for a short training session on January 7 at 9 am (before the annual meeting in the Great Hall). Some of our teams will be changing slightly this spring but new acolytes can still be added as well. Please contact Father Rickenbaker (rickenbaker@aquiachurch.com or 540.659.4007 for more information.
Regular Sunday Schedule Resumes
Our regular Sunday schedule resumes on Jan. 14: The Holy Eucharist at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 6 p.m., with Sunday school at 10:15 a.m. On that same Sunday, we shall begin a new Morning Call series (starting around 10:20am) that is available for adults, high school students, and those preparing for confirmation on Sunday, Feb. 18.
Annual Pledge Update: If you have not yet submitted your pledge card with a financial commitment to God's mission and ministry at Aquia Church for 2018, then please do so soon, so that we can plan more effectively for our work together during the coming year. Pledge cards are available from the tall table at the back of the church and from the church office. If you have submitted your pledge card, then please accept our gratitude for sharing in the work of God's kingdom. As of 31 December 2017, we have received 91 pledge cards from adults for $343,860.00 and 8 pledge cards from children and youth for $561.
Morning Call: Our Sunday morning forum for adult education and discussion will resume with a new series on Jan. 14. We meet in the great hall of the new building, starting around 10:20am.
Wednesday Bible Studies: Our midweek Bible studies on Wednesday morning and Wednesday evening will continue this week. The Wednesday morning Bible study (10:30am--12:00noon), led by Father Rickenbaker, will focus on the New Testament Letters of 1, 2, and 3 John. The Wednesday evening Bible study (7:00pm—8:30pm), led by Father Morris, will focus on the New Testament Letter to the Ephesians—nothing to purchase, simply bring or borrow a Bible. A new Bible study in the new year is a wonderful way to make new friends, so come join us, especially if you have never participated in a Bible study before! Both studies meet in the downstairs conference room of the new building.
Capital Campaign for New Building: Can you help us achieve our goal for this capital campaign? You can make a tax-deductible gift regardless whether you have made a pledge for this campaign. As of 31 December 2017, there are over $70,000 dollars pledged but not yet paid. With this capital campaign ending in April 2018, there is indeed time to fulfill your existing pledge or even increase it, but you will want to plan accordingly for the remaining months. There is also opportunity for those who are enjoying our new building but have not yet pledged toward it to make a new pledge or a one-time contribution that will support our efforts to reduce the costs of our construction loan.
Virginia Episcopalian: Envelopes for contributions for the Virginia Episcopalian are available at the tall table in the back of the church. Please direct any questions to the Treasurer, Chris Arey.
2018 Offering Envelopes Are Here: If you have a 5000 number your envelopes are at the back of the church. If you would like to have envelopes, contact Chris Arey or Sue Selz, 540-659-4007.
Confirmation: Bishop Susan Goff will visit Aquia Church on the morning of Sunday, Feb. 18, in order to assist with confirmation, reception into The Episcopal Church (for folks who were baptized as adults in another denomination or confirmed in another denomination), and the reaffirmation of baptismal vows. To that end, any teenagers (starting around 7th or 8th grade) or adults who wish to be confirmed, to be received, or to reaffirm their baptismal vows will engage with our clergy throughout January and February on Sunday mornings and on a couple of other occasions. If you have questions about these matters, or if you want to register your intention to participate, please notify Sue Selz in the church office (sue.selz@aquiachurch.com) or speak with one of the clergy ASAP. This visit will likely be the only time that a bishop will be at Aquia Church for confirmation until fall 2019 at the earliest, but there will be additional opportunities for confirmation at other Episcopal churches during that timeframe.
Thank You from Outreach: Thanks to you all, 80 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child were taken to the drop-off point at Hull Memorial; gifts and food for 10 families (a total of 32 children) were delivered to the Department of Social Services at their drop-off location at Register Chapel; and, 50 Dove gifts were distributed at their annual gathering. We are also grateful to the Sunday School students who helped decorate and fill the dinner bags for the "Brain Builders" students served by Stafford Junction. We are so blessed to have such a generous and loving Church family.
Iglesia Cristiana el Camino: In December we welcomed a small Hispanic Pentecostal congregation to meet in the Parish Hall (lower level of the Parish House building) for their worship. Iglesia Cristiana el Camino first formed as a church in a home in North Stafford in May 2017; after growing to more than 30 members, they had outgrown the parishioner’s home. Having found our rental information on the Aquia Church website, they approached us about renting space on our main campus. Their meeting schedule of Thursday evenings, Saturday nights, and Sunday afternoons fits nicely into our church’s calendar without interfering with any ongoing commitments we have in the Parish House to other community organizations and Aquia Church ministry groups. This vibrant congregation, led by Pastor Leonel Robles, is very grateful for the opportunity to rent our space, including using the old nursery room for Christian education for their little ones. We look forward to a strong working and loving relationship with these folks, our brothers and sisters in Christ. We truly hope that this relationship, as approved by the Vestry, is God’s gift to both congregations. For further information, feel free to contact Mary Jane Cole (maryjane@cfsw.biz).
