NEW BUILDING MORTGAGE HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL! As announced recently: On May 30, Aquia Church paid in full the balance remaining on the mortgage for the Christian Formation and Fellowship Building—doing so several years ahead of schedule, resulting in reduced interest payments and reduced overall expenditure compared to what was previously anticipated. There remains a need to build up an endowment for major repairs and renovations that can be expected in the future (such as replacing the roof and the HVAC system), such that Aquia Church will undertake a capital campaign for that purpose. Stay tuned for more information.

CAN YOU USH??? Our 10:30 worship service would benefit from having a few extra parishioners serving as ushers. They offer a friendly greeting, distribute bulletins, assist with seating, receive offerings, and direct traffic for communion. The ministry of ushers is not complicated, it does not require any extra trips to church nor any meetings, and it does not consume much extra time. If you are willing to begin serving as an usher, please contact Chris Arey (chris.arey@gmail.com) or one of our clergy.

WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY: Father Jay Morris’s new series about “Women in the Bible” will not meet on June 25 nor on July 2 but will resume online on July 9. The series is available at our Facebook page <www.facebook.com/AquiaEpiscopalChurch>. Even if you do not have a Facebook account, you can access this series simply by clicking on the given occasion. Also, you do not have to watch the broadcasts live; the videos are stored there for your viewing at any subsequent time. 

THURSDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY:  Father James Rickenbaker’s series on the Gospel according to Luke will continue on this Thursday. We hope you can join us in person (starting at 6:00 p.m.); if not, the broadcasts are available online at our Facebook page <www.facebook.com/AquiaEpiscopalChurch>. Broadcasts of past sessions are available there too.

FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST: There are plenty of Sundays awaiting folks to serve as breakfast hosts. If you want to serve as a breakfast host for any Sunday, please use the signup sheet at the back of the church, or contact Sue Selz in the church office (sue.selz@aquiachurch.org or 540-659-4007). Please consider taking a turn in promoting fellowship within our parish through this weekly breakfast. The breakfast can be as simple or elaborate as you wish to provide.

MORNING CALL: Morning Call is our Sunday morning forum for adult formation and discussion, held in the great hall (9:30—10:15 a.m.). On this coming Sunday, June 29, Father James Rickenbaker will lead a session of “Stump the Priest!” during which you can ask him any question on your mind. A new series will begin on July 6.

PARISH PICNIC (SUNDAY, JULY 20, 12:00 noon): The Vestry is hosting this feast by providing grilled meats and all the fixins, plus beverages and paper products; we invite parishioners to bring side items and desserts. This picnic will be held in the great hall rain or shine, so please mark this date on your calendar and plan to attend.

FALL FEST IS SATURDAY, OCT. 4 (8:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.). Mark your calendars, and invite your friends and neighbors!

AQUIA’S TABLE GOLF TOURNAMENT 2026: Monday, May 18, at Augustine Golf Club in Stafford. Mark your calendars, practice your driving and putting, and invite your fellow golfers to join in the fun.

SUNDAY SCHOOL SCHEDULE: Our weekly classes for Sunday school have ended, with the new Sunday school year beginning on Aug. 17.

YOUTH GROUP: The regular morning meetings and evening meetings for teenagers in grades 6-12 have ended for this school year, but there might be some opportunities for our teens to gather on occasion during this summer. Please give your ideas and suggestions to one of the clergy.

ALTAR FLOWERS: Those who want to donate flowers in memory of someone or in thanksgiving for someone or something for most any Sunday of the year may contact parish administrator Sue Selz in the church office and select a particular Sunday; the signup sheet is also available at the back of the church. The cost is $50/week. Even if a given Sunday has already been claimed, you may add your name and dedication for that same Sunday. Traditionally, we do not have flower arrangements during Lent or Advent, but most other Sundays during the year remain available.

AQUIA’S PANTRY LATE JUNE UPDATES: We are so thankful to learn that we will receive again this year a grant from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for much-needed commodities. Once again, we will distribute to each family a jar of peanut butter and a can of black beans every other week along with a 2-lb bag of rice monthly. We invest our grant in these food items because of their high nutritional values. We are indeed grateful to God for this amazing gift. It will account for approximately 25% of our annual budget. We are also very grateful for the gifts the Pantry received from the Vacation Bible School children; during the week of June 16, they gifted the Pantry with 57 boxes of pasta! On June 11, the Pantry offered groceries to 135 families and on June 18 we helped 137 families. We are so thankful to God for how He continues to provide for this ministry. Please consider adding an extra box of pasta or mac and cheese to your shopping cart this week for the Pantry. If you can possibly help with the Pantry, please come by any Tuesday anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. or any Wednesday anytime from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. We will be extremely short-handed during July, so any help would be appreciated. For more information, contact Barb Bingay, Ron Korth, or Mary Jane Cole (maryjane@cfsw.biz).

NEWS FROM AQUIA’S TABLE: Aquia’s Table serves meals on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. There are opportunities for folks to join in the work of this important ministry, whether as a new volunteer or whether returning to involvement—we welcome assistance with food preparation during the day on Wednesdays, with plating the meals on Wednesday evenings, and with baking desserts on your own schedule at home or at church. For more information about how you might support Aquia’s Table, please contact Ellen Brandon (edbfsu@comcast.net) or Dina Stanford (jjanddina@comcast.net). Our other food ministry, Aquia’s Pantry, distributes groceries every week.

FROM OUR FOOD MINISTRIES: The long lines of guests coming on Wednesdays for food from Aquia’s Pantry and Aquia’s Table likely reflect the ongoing financial need among so many neighbors around us. This level of outreach is possible because of the generosity of support from faithful volunteers and donations from many different people and groups—from among our parishioners and beyond our church membership. If you can offer some support to these ministries (especially with your time on Tuesday mornings and during the day and early evening on Wednesdays or with financial contributions), your help will be deeply appreciated. Aquia’s Table prepares a maximum total of 400 meals on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, and Aquia’s Pantry distributes groceries to a maximum of 140 households each week.

BUSY BAGS: Busy bags are available in the historic church for our youngest members. A child’s Bible, activity pages, drawing paper, and crayons are available in canvas bags when you enter the church. Please take one bag per family and return it after the service ends.

NURSERY AVAILABLE: Our nursery, located on the lower level of the Christian Formation and Fellowship Building (just across the hallway from the elevator), is available for the 10:30 a.m. worship service, with coverage provided by caring, trained, and experienced staff—plus lots of toys, diapers and wipes, a pack-and-play, and whatever else your child or grandchild might need.

ELECTRONIC BROADCASTS: We offer broadcasts of Sunday morning worship at 7:30 a.m., Morning Prayer on most weekdays at 8:00 a.m., and our midweek Bible studies as well. These broadcasts are particularly helpful for those who are unable to attend in person due to illness, travel, or work. The broadcasts are available online at our church’s Facebook page <www.facebook.com/AquiaEpiscopalChurch>. Even if you do not have a Facebook account, you can access the broadcasts simply by clicking on the given occasion. Also, you do not have to watch the event live; the videos are stored there for your viewing at any subsequent time.