Announcements: Week of Sunday, September 2nd 2018
Matching Challenge Opportunity
Earlier this year, Aquia Church received a matching challenge in the amount of $100,000 for our fundraising toward paying off the construction loan for the Christian Formation and Fellowship Building. Our opportunity is simple: for every dollar contributed toward the new building between the end of the second capital campaign (which concluded on 14 April 2018) and the end of the 2018 calendar year, our gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000. This generous challenge from an anonymous source provides an excellent chance for us to begin the upcoming third capital campaign next year with a big boost. Gifts of any size will be welcomed and can be counted toward the match, with “New Building” marked on your envelope or on the memo line of your check. For information about transferring gifts of stock or mutual funds in the most tax-advantageous way (whether to avoid capital-gains taxes in cases of appreciated value or in order to sell for a loss), please speak with our treasurer, Chris Arey.
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. We will have a Sunday school kick-off pancake breakfast on September 2 at 9am. All Sunday school students and families are invited to join us for pancakes and Sunday school registration in the Great Hall.
Current and Prospective Acolytes: This is an invitation for all students in grades 5 and above to consider becoming an acolyte, whether by joining our acolyte corps or by renewing your earlier commitment to serve. Our acolytes help set the tone for worship at the 10:00 a.m. worship service by leading the processions, assisting the clergy with communion, and enjoying some of the best seats in our historic church building. As one new acolyte recently observed: the worship service makes a lot more sense when you serve as an acolyte and follow what is going on. For more information about what is expected or in order to set up a training session, please e-mail Jennifer Stoltz at jentalley@hotmail.com.
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
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 30th 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 Sunday, Sept. 2, Morning Call will not be held so that parishioners can enjoy the special breakfast in advance of the new Sunday School year. On Sunday, Sept. 9, the clergy will lead another session of “Stump the Priests!” On that day, you can ask the clergy any question on your mind — perhaps a perplexing question, or perhaps something on your mind about the Bible or theology or things going on in our parish. On Sunday, Sept. 16, Morning Call will not be held so that we can prepare for the Homecoming Sunday luncheon that will follow the 10:00 a.m. worship service. On Sunday, Sept. 23, Father Morris will begin a new Morning Call series on the Creeds, with focus on the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, as we explore some of the key beliefs in the Christian faith. Morning Call is our Sunday morning forum for adult formation and discussion, starting at 9:00 a.m. in the great hall of the new building.
Wednesday Morning Bible Study: Father Rickenbaker will begin a new Wednesday morning series that will survey the Old and New Testaments throughout the coming program year, using the Discovering the Bible: A New Generation workbook from the Kerygma group. This series will begin on Wednesday, September 5, from 10:30 a.m. till 12:00 noon, in the conference room downstairs in the new building. The workbook provides a timeline of biblical history, a glossary of important names and terms, some helpful background information, and the set of Scripture passages for each week’s study, and this workbook is an excellent resource for those who are very experienced in Bible study or for those who are just getting started. In order to reserve your copy of this workbook, please make your payment to Aquia Church in the amount of $35.00 (cash or check with “adult education” marked on the envelope or in the memo line of your check), or you may use a Kerygma workbook from a previous series. Scholarships are available for those who cannot afford a workbook; please contact Father Rickenbaker about that privately. We welcome newcomers, drop-ins, and guests alongside those who participate regularly.
Wednesday Evening Bible Study: Father Morris will begin a new Wednesday evening series for the fall semester on “The Parables of Jesus,” in order to explore some of the most important passages in the Gospels of the New Testament. Jesus frequently taught in parables, with some of them being quite clear in their meaning and with others requiring further consideration. This series will begin on Wednesday, September 5, from 7:00 p.m. till 8:30 p.m., in the conference room downstairs in the new building; consider arriving from 6:00 p.m. onward and enjoying a meal and fellowship at Aquia’s Table in the great hall upstairs before the study begins downstairs at 7:00 p.m. There are no workbooks or other materials to purchase for this series, and we welcome newcomers, drop-ins, and guests alongside those who participate regularly.
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: Auction Updates: The Auction Team is excited about the great responses we have received from local restaurants, pubs and sandwich shops. We will surely be able to offer a couple awesome auction items such as “Let’s Eat Out!” as we group together some of the following gifts:
Sedona Tap House: $50 gift card
The Melting Pot: five $20 dip certificates
Outback Steakhouse: $50+ in Gift Cards
Orofino Restaurant: $50 gift card
Buffalo Wild Wings: 5 Free Snack Size coupons
Carlos O’Kelly’s Inspired Mex: $20 gift certificate
Sake Thai & Sushi Bar: $25 gift certificate
Five Guys: $25 in gift cards
Firehouse Subs: 20 kid’s Combo coupons
Italian Station Pastry Café on Caroline Street: $10 gift card
Jersey Mike’s:10 chip and drink coupons
IHOP of Stafford-: $25 gift card
CiCi’s Pizza: 30 BOGO coupons
Zibibbo 73 Italian Restaurant: $20 gift certificate
Family Pizzeria: gift certificate for 18” pizza and soda plus t-shirt
Please remember that it is not too late to donate something to the auction. If you have an idea, suggestion or gift, please contact Shields Jones, Becky Monger, Brenda Monger or Mary Jane Cole (maryjane@cfsw.biz). Help us keep the momentum going.
Follow us on Facebook: Fall Fest at Aquia Church. Like and Share to help get the word out!
Delicious, Hand-rubbed, Slow-roasted Pork Butts: We ran out of our signature pork butts at Fall Fest last year! Don’t miss out this year! Pre-order your meat; pick it up at Fall Fest on October 6; and treat your family to a feast. Pre-order at the picnic table from September 2 through September 30. Must pre-pay with your order. Cash or check preferred. For more information, ask Jean Golas or Briget Kane.
Do You Receive Our Newsletter? Aquia Church publishes The Cross Section as a monthly newsletter (except for January) that gives members and friends of Aquia Church advance notice about upcoming events, news from vestry meetings, spiritual guidance from our clergy, and other information that you may find helpful. Under the leadership of editors Carol Bailey and Mary Karcher, The Cross Section offers news you can use for special occasions and for keeping up-to-date about our parish life together. Subscribing is easy: simply contact the church office (540-659-4007 or office@aquiachurch.org) in order to express your interest. You can receive the newsletter in easy-to-read electronic form each month, or you may request that a printed copy be mailed to you.
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.
