Announcements: Week of Sunday, December 31st 2017
January 7th Annual Meeting
Our parish's annual meeting, with election of new vestry members, will begin on 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.
Special Occasions, Dates, and Times
Sunday, Dec. 31 (first Sunday after Christmas), at 8 a.m.: The Holy Eucharist
Sunday, Dec. 31 (first Sunday after Christmas), at 10 a.m.: Christmas Lessons and Carols with Holy Communion
Sunday, Dec. 31 (first Sunday after Christmas), at 6 p.m.: NO evening worship service
Sunday, Jan. 7 (first Sunday in the new year), at 10 a.m. (the only morning service on this day): The Holy Eucharist, with Parish Annual Meeting and Election of Vestry Members, in the great hall
Sunday, Jan. 14: Regular Sunday Schedule Resumes (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. and a new Morning Call series beginning at 10:20 a.m.)
The 6 p.m. Sunday evening worship service will continue as usual throughout this time, except for Dec. 31 (when there will be NO evening service).
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.
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.
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 start up this week! The Wednesday morning Bible study, led by Father Rickenbaker, will resume on the very first Wednesday in January (Jan. 3, 10:30am--12:00noon) with a short-term study on the New Testament Letters of 1, 2, and 3 John. The Wednesday evening Bible study, led by Father Morris, will resume on the very first Wednesday in January (7:00pm—8:30pm) with a short-term, 6-week study on the 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!
Monetary Contributions for 2017: Must be received by the church by 31 December 2017, or be postmarked by 31 December 2017. Contributions, such as checks which are dated in 2017, but which are received after 31 December, or postmarked after 31 December will be counted towards 2018.
Cemetery News: Upon the recommendation of the cemetery committee, the vestry has recently voted to increase pricing for burial rights in our cemetery, effective 1 January 2018, in order to keep pace with the expenses of cemetery operations and perpetual care. The price for burial rights for each space in the memorial garden will increase from $350 to $750, and the price for burial rights for each space throughout the rest of the cemetery will increase from $1,000 to $1,500. This is the first price increase in nearly a decade. Please note that every eligible purchase of burial rights in our cemetery requires approval from the vestry.
Capital Campaign for New Building: Are you able to consider making a year-end gift that is fully tax-deductible to you and that will help us meet our goal? You can make such a gift regardless whether you have made a pledge for this campaign. At the moment, our successful “Generation to Generation” capital campaign has over $81,000 in 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.
