Announcements: Week of Sunday, August 5th 2018
National Night Out
Please come and help spread the news about Aquia Episcopal Church and all that we have to offer on Tuesday, August 7th 6pm to 7pm at Stafford Marketplace.
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.
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.
Attention Teenagers and Parents: The clergy want to hear from teenagers who are entering grades 6-12 this fall and from their parents as we begin to plan the upcoming year for our youth group. These brief Sunday meetings will be held in the great hall after the end of the new 10:00 a.m. service on August 5 & 12 for about half an hour, and on August 19 at 9:00 a.m. in the downstairs conference room (during the new time for Morning Call but in a different location). We are working to build up our ministry among our teenagers, with your input and feedback being crucial for the success of our youth group. We also invite adults who want to be involved with our teenagers even if these adults will not have teenagers in the youth group this year.
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.
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: On this Sunday, August 5, the clergy will continue our new summer series about preaching. Offered most Sundays of the year, starting at the new time of 9:00 a.m., Morning Call is our Sunday morning forum for adult formation and discussion. Those already in the great hall for the breakfast fellowship following the 7:30 a.m. service are welcomed to remain there for Morning Call, which will meet on the historic church end of that room. Refreshments for those arriving for Morning Call will be provided on the historic church end of the great hall.
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 on September 5 (stay tuned for more information about that). Father Morris will continue our new Wednesday evening Bible study series about the Holy Trinity. Among the topics remaining to be explored: why we can refer to God as Father, how the early Christians' experience of God prompted them to re-read the Old Testament in fresh ways, and what difference it makes for Christians to recognize that God is a Trinity of divine Persons. The evening series meets 7:00—8:30pm in the downstairs conference room; consider joining the meal served at Aquia's Table in the great hall starting at 6pm before the Bible study begins at 7pm.
Homecoming: Fellowship, great food and memories are just a few of the highlights of Aquia's Annual Homecoming–September 16. The ECW will host the annual event with a buffet brunch/luncheon immediately following the 10:00 am service, in The Great Hall. Mark your calendar for September 16th, we hope to see you there.
Fall Fest Action Updates: We have received some more wonderful gifts for the Fall Fest Auction on October 6. These are from local merchants and businesses:
- A night at the Red Fox Inn in Middleburg, Virginia www.redfox.com
- A Night Away in Historic Downtown Fredericksburg at the Courtyard by Marriott
- A signed print of Aquia Church by Bulent Atalay, educator, author, scientist and artist Visit his gallery at https://www.bulentatalay.com/gallery/room3/room3.htm for a preview
- Picker’s Supply: $80 gift certificate for group guitar lessons
- Augustine Golf Club — complimentary green fees for four (4)
- Crown Jewelers: three Alex and Ani bracelets
- 610 Car Wash—5 deluxe wash tickets
- Pet’s Plus--$50 gift card
- LifeWay Christian Store — Devotion Guide and CD
- Dan’s Wellness Pharmacy — First Aid Kit
Some of these items may be grouped with others into single bidding items. Please keep the momentum going by letting us know how you can help. Talk to Becky Monger, Brenda Monger or Mary Jane Cole about your suggestions and gifts. The earlier we learn of your offerings, the better we can advertise! If you need more expert advice about your donation, contact our own professional auctioneer Shields Jones.
Outreach: The response to Outreach's Cash for Cows and Change for Chickens campaign was awesome. Thanks to your generous donations totaling $1,350.50, a cow, 2 pigs, 3 goats, bees and honey, and 2 flocks of chickens were purchased. We were disappointed to find out from Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) that the donkey, cart, and plow we planned to purchase were no longer available; however, we feel that what we did purchase from ERD will be a blessing to a family or community in a struggling country. We appreciate your support of our ministry.
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).
