Announcements: Week of Sunday, July 29th 2018

Sunday School

Our Sunday school ministry is seeking volunteers to help our youngest members grow in their faith.  No teaching experience is necessary and we have an easy to follow curriculum.  Sunday school teachers are asked to lead approximately 2-3 times each month.  If interested or for more information, please contact Kristen Morgan at christianed@aquiachurch.org

Save the Dates

Sunday, 9/2 we will offer a “blessing with the backpacks” at the end of each worship service.  All students, teachers, and staff members heading back to school are encouraged to bring their backpacks or other school bags to church that day for a blessing and we will pray for all of these people as they start a new school year.  Our regular Sunday school program will resume on Sunday, 9/9 from 9:00-9:45 am.

Have to Miss a Sunday

When you have to miss a Sunday during the summer or anytime of year, you can still keep up with what is happening at Aquia Church through our Website (www.AquiaChurch.org).  Audio recordings of most Sunday sermons are posted there, as are weekly bulletin announcements and other news.  Stay informed and spiritually nourished even when illness or travel prevent your attendance at church.

Change In Worship Schedule:  Starting next week (Sunday, August 5), Aquia Church will follow a new schedule for weekly worship:

7:30 a.m.  Holy Eucharist

9:00 a.m. Christian Formation for All Ages

(with Sunday School resuming on September 9)

10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music

5:00 p.m. Evening Worship (usually Holy Eucharist)

The clergy and the vestry unanimously endorsed this new schedule after receiving substantial feedback during June and July through 89 written surveys, plus several open forums and other communication.

The 7:30 a.m. worship service will remain largely unchanged, and will be followed by the usual breakfast fellowship.  Those who offer to cook and serve this breakfast will not be expected to provide food for people other than those attending the 7:30 a.m. service.  All breakfast participants are welcomed to remain in the great hall afterward for Morning Call, for the sake of their spiritual growth.

9:00 a.m. will be the standard time for Christian formation classes.  Morning Call will begin at 9:00 a.m.  Those who attend Morning Call and want to sign up to bring refreshments for fellowship will provide them at tables on the historic church end of the great hall, where the Morning Call conversation will take place.  Also starting at 9:00 a.m., Sunday school will be available throughout the school year on the lower level of the new building.

The new 10:00 a.m. Eucharist will feature music from our adult choir most Sundays during the program year and occasionally from our Aquia Choristers choir for children.  The 10:00 a.m. Eucharist will follow Rite Two more often than not, with Rite One included during some of the year—though not on an every-other-week rotation that would frustrate one’s ability to get settled comfortably into a familiar pattern.

Our Noah's Ark nursery staff will provide nursery care for children ages 3 and under during the 10:00 a.m. worship service for sure, and likely also during the 9:00 a.m. hour for Christian formation as needed.

The evening worship service will begin at 5:00 p.m., one hour earlier than its current time of 6:00 p.m.  We are working toward offering choral evensong—the liturgy for Evening Prayer, with music included—more frequently than we currently do.  The evening Eucharist, when it is offered, will continue to use both Rite One and Rite Two as appropriate.

There will remain a few days—most prominently:  Easter Sunday—when we shall likely need to adjust this new schedule, with our parishioners and visitors being given ample notice in advance.  But one benefit of this new schedule is a reduction in the need for such adjustments.

We hope that this new schedule will still offer members and visitors several engaging options for weekly worship, will encourage more interaction on Sundays among our parishioners (who are currently scattered across four worship services), and will promote greater attendance at all of our Sunday gatherings.  Perhaps above all, we hope that this new schedule will increase our sense of togetherness and community by drawing us closer together in unity through worship, formation, and fellowship for serving here and hereafter in the kingdom of God.

While this new schedule undoubtedly will not suit everyone’s personal preferences, we genuinely believe that it will help address a number of concerns and create some new opportunities for everyone.  Please bear the transition as graciously as you can, trusting that it may enhance our Christian life together in this parish, and please consider how you can assist in making this new plan work well for everyone.

Choir Returns! The Adult Choir will return on Sunday, September 9th at the 10:00 AM service and rehearsals will resume on Thursday, September 6th at 7 PM in the Choir Room.  The Aquia Choristers will resume rehearsal on September 23rd for 45 minutes in the choir room immediately following the conclusion of the 10:00 AM service. They will be singing at the 10:00 AM Service on October 14th.

October 14th will also mark the occasion of our first monthly Choral Evensong service, offered at 5:00 PM.  This will be led by our Adult Choir and guest singers from the local area. Rehearsal will take place at 3:30 PM in the Historic Church.

We are currently recruiting for all three choirs (the Adult Choir for Sunday mornings, the Aquia Choristers children’s choir, and the Choral Evensong Choir) and are particularly in need of more male voices for our Adult Choir and children for our Choristers.  The Aquia Choristers is open to children presently in the 3rd through 8th grade.  If you are interested in singing in either group, we encourage you to get in touch with our Director of Music, Trystan Bennett at musicdirector@aquiachurch.org.  We look forward to seeing everyone for another great year!

Morning Call: Today and for a couple of weeks into August, the clergy will continue a summer series about preaching:  what is involved in preparing and delivering sermons, what is helpful for listening to sermons and hearing the message, what kind of replies the clergy find especially valuable, and what the congregation can do to offer suggestions and constructive criticism to the preachers.  There will also be opportunities available for you to provide written feedback and comments on our clergy's sermons, whether or not you attend Morning Call.  Offered most Sundays of the year, Morning Call is our Sunday morning forum for adult formation and discussion in the great hall of the Christian Formation and Fellowship Building.  Today, Morning Call will begin around 10:20 a.m.; starting in August, Morning Call will begin at 9:00 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Studies:  Now that the Wednesday morning series on Galatians has concluded, the Wednesday morning Bible study will take a one-month break throughout August, beginning a new series in early September.  Father Morris will continue our new Wednesday evening Bible study series about the Holy Trinity.  Among the topics to be explored in this new series:  how the early Christians came to understand that Jesus was God on earth and that the Holy Spirit was fully divine as well, why we can refer to God as Father, what difference there is (if any) between Jesus Christ and God the Son, how the early Christians' experience of God prompted them to re-read the Old Testament in fresh ways, and why Christians believe in the Holy Trinity when the phrase "the Trinity" never even appears in Scripture.  In other words, this short-term series will help explain who God is, as the early Christians experienced and understood God for themselves as reported in the Bible and as we accordingly experience and understand God.  Each week's discussion will be largely self-contained, so that you can miss an evening or two for summer opportunities as needed.  The morning series meets 10:30am—12noon and the evening series meets 7:00—8:30pm, both in the downstairs conference room.  For the evening series, consider joining the meal served at Aquia's Table in the great hall starting at 6pm before the Bible study begins at 7pm.

Back to School Supplies: Back To School supplies are on sale in local stores.  When you are shopping for school items, consider picking up "extras" for our less fortunate children.  No glue sticks or crayons, please!  Collection for supplies will begin after August 3-5, which are Tax Exempt Days.  Due date is August 26th  giving Stafford Social Services time to allocate our items to families in need.  Place your donations on the picnic table or back pew beginning August 5th.  The Outreach Ministry thanks you for your generosity.

All you Can Eat Crab Feast:  Saturday, August 25th - 4pm - 7pm - Live Bluegrass “Reckless Brigade Bluegrass” - Adults = $35.00 - Ages 6 - 16 = $10.00
All you can eat crabs, steamed shrimp, fried cod, corn on the cob, coleslaw and hushpuppies.  Lemonade, iced tea will be provided, BYOC (bring your own cooler or BYOB).  Come to a great fun filled event, enjoy great music, great food and enjoy fellowship with your family and friends.  Tickets are on sale now.

Historic Church Renovation: The repair and repainting work on our historic church building's interior has now been completed, and our contractor (Habalis Construction of Fredericksburg) has taken very good care of our church.  Your patience throughout this project is deeply appreciated.

Fall Fest 2018 Auction Action:  As you may have read in the newsletter, the Fall Fest Auction list is starting to grow!  To date, from our parishioners alone, we have received these offerings for your bidding:

• Potomac Point Winery:  food and wine basket PLUS dinner for four in the Wine Library Room at the winery (a $500 value) offered by Cindi and Skip Causey
• Mouth-watering Pies:  a pie a month for 4 months baked by Pat Moncure, famous pastry chef of The Happy Clam
• Best of Britain Basket offered by Jean and Don Bittner
• Made in Virginia Basket offered by Jean and Michael Golas and Briget and Tom Kane
• Redskins Football Tickets:  two tickets to the Redskins vs. Atlanta Falcons on November 4 offered by Marion Wall
•  Virginia Cavalier Football Tickets:  4 tickets to the University of Virginia vs.Liberty University on November 10 in Charlottesville offered by Marion Wall
• A Scrumptious Dinner Party for 8 Guests prepared and served at his home offered by Father Jay Morris
• Guided Fishing Trip offered by Bill Hoffman, owner of Aquia Fishing Guide Service,an awesome eight-hour fishing trip on the Potomac River in his boat.  Bill’s motto is: “No Fish Left Behind”
• Delicious Roasted Pork Butt  —  hand rubbed by Jean Golas

The Auction Team has also been busy soliciting local merchants. We will keep you up-dated on our progress each week.  We have a long way to go to complete this auction!  Please let the Auction Team know if you have a gift to offer or any suggestions.  The team includes Becky Monger, Brenda Monger, Debbie Smith, our award-winning auctioneer Shields Jones and Mary Jane Cole (maryjane@cfsw.biz).

Guild of All Souls:  Those faithful departed connected with Aquia Episcopal Church being prayed for this biannual period by the Guild of All Souls are as follows:  Delores Ingram, Elinor Dayley, Christopher Veronee, John Sayer, Mark Reynods, Charles Belles, Sherry Henning, Herb Ing, Porter Lewis Jr., Patrick Leonard, and Gloria Hoffman.  The Guild of All Souls is an Anglican devotional society whose ministry includes prayers on behalf of those who have died in recent months.  For more information, please contact parishioner William Johnston, who is a member of this guild (johnstonw@juno.com).