Announcements
Announcements – 9/22/2019
Worship
† October 6 will be a special day. It is the Feast of St. Faith and this year we are celebrating with the inauguration of the St. Faith Preachers Series. Our inaugural preacher will be the Rev. Dr. A. Katherine Grieb, Meade Professor of Biblical Interpretation and New Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary. This Sunday is not to be missed!
† There will be an Altar Guild Meeting on Sunday, October 20th immediately following the 10AM service.
† Are you friendly? We need you! Our greeter ministry is one of the key ministries of our church. Greeters welcome visitors, make people comfortable, hand out service leaflets and take up offering. They make sure the service runs smoothly. Starting in October we will be organizing a monthly Greeters breakfast with the Rector, probably at a local restaurant. If you’re interested in serving God in this way, talk to Jim Jervis or Fr. James.
† Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30AM on Sunday mornings and at 9:15AM Tuesdays through Fridays. Anyone can pray the service privately using the Book of Common Prayer or one of a number of smartphone apps! See the last section of the digital edition of the “Acts of the Apostles” for details.
Outreach
† Thanks to everyone who participated in the Darby Mission meal on 9/17. We cooked for 110 people and everyone had a great time. Our next meal will be on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th 2020. There are lots of opportunities to participate in Holy Apostles Outreach through our various programs:
– Delivering items to a food pantry in Northeast Philadelphia
– Organizing supplies or gifts for our own Connect by Night shelter program coming for the month of December
– Meals at Darby Mission (3/17) or our annual holiday meal with the East Parkside Community Association (12/9). Other ideas are welcome. Please contact Joe Zorc (zorc@email.chop.edu) or see the sign-up sheet in the parish hall.
† Our Connect by Night hosting month has been moved from July to December.
† We will continue to collect food for St. Mark’s in the box in the parish office hallway. We will look for other opportunities to work with them. Let Joe Zorc know if you are interested in participating.
Children and Youth
† The national acolyte festival at the National Cathedral in Washington DC will be held on Saturday, October 19. Any acolyte or any child who wants to be an acolyte, ages 7-18, is eligible to attend. Talk to Fr. James before September 27 if you are interested.
† Nursery childcare is available during the 10:00AM Sunday service for children ages 3 and younger in the Godly Play Room.
† The Holy Apostles Choir School is off and running for the Fall of 2019. If you have a potential student, apply today. More information is available at holyapostlespa.org/choir-school/. Please forward this information to friends and neighbors who may be interested. Contact Deb Stambaugh if you have any questions.
Parish Life
† Year-to-date statements for 2019 Stewardship pledges will be sent out the week after September 30th, the end of the third quarter. Continued thanks to all for their generosity and faithfulness in giving.
† We are getting ready to refresh the hallway outside the church offices including some new paint, new furniture, and eventually new flooring. As a result we have been moving some things around. The Lost & Found box is now located in the church office.
† We will host a blood drive for the American Red Cross on Saturday, October 5th. If you would like to help, let James know.
† If you have an announcement to be included in Acts of the Apostles, please send it to holyapostlescomm@gmail.com before Thursday at noon of each week.
† Don’t forget to enter the church through the Parish office door and grab a “Church Member” badge from the office during Daycare hours (7:00AM – 6:00PM Mon-Fri)!
† Did you know that you can support the church through your
amazon.com shopping habit? Go to smile.amazon.com. You’ll be prompted to choose a charity to support. Search for Church of the Holy Apostles, Penn Wynne and select. A small percentage of each amazon purchase that goes through smile.amazon.com is given to the church.
† The Cash for Causes Program at Giant Supermarket:
· Purchase through JT Wertz
· 5% of card value is given to Holy Apostles operating fund.
· Can be used in store or when ordering Giant groceries through Peapod online delivery service.
Education
† This Thursday, October 24, the 11AM Bible Study begins our study of the book of Deuteronomy! It is going to be a fascinating and eye opening study. Anytime is a good time to come Bible study even if you can’t make it every week. But now is a particularly good time if you’ve been thinking of joining! Bring yourself and your Bible. If you need a Bible or you’d like to talk about best translations of the Bible to use–let Fr. James know!
A Note from the Rector – 9/22/2019
The Darby Mission meal this past Tuesday was a huge success. 110 people came together to enjoy a meal that we were honored to host. Many hotdogs and hamburgers were made and enjoyed along with all the fixings, including a batch of coleslaw that garnered high praise, and homemade cheesecake that was gone in a nanosecond. A big thank you to everyone who prepared or donated food, and who helped serve and clean up. And a huge thank you to Joe Zorc for organizing the meal and taking the lead on the grill.
The Darby Mission is an extraordinary ministry. As the name implies, it is rooted in a particular place: the Borough of Darby in Delaware County. The Mission part has to do with the fact that the ministry of the Rev. Doris Rajagopal is funded through the diocese, and that it is fundamentally about MISSION. It is about recognizing what God is up to in Darby and jumping on board.
Doris and her ministry partner, Jessica, are a dynamic force for good in that neighborhood. Those of you who have known Doris and been part of this work longer than I have can easily attest to that. In addition to the twice monthly meals, which are sponsored and hosted by various Episcopal congregations in the diocese, Doris and Jessica run an afterschool program that serves 115 students. They also run various innovative programs for youth, including a really great cooking class, and together with students from the Darby middle school and a local graffiti artist they have created two public murals. And they are always scheming, cooking up ideas that spread God’s love and peace in that neighborhood.
But, the Darby Mission is more than just programs: it is about a deep, abiding presence in a particular place. This presence through time imparts the love of Jesus and the grace and mercy of God through hundreds of tiny actions and conversations. All this, over the long haul, has a transformative effects on people’s lives that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. That is how the Holy Spirit operates: taking our small gifts and making them into something bigger and better than anything we could imagine.
That is why, even though we only have the privilege of hosting a meal every three to six months, Holy Apostles is committed to the Darby Mission for the long haul. We are one thread in a vast tapestry, an interconnected network of relationships that make the Darby Mission possible. For one thing, several folks from Holy Apostles—honoring the legacy of St. Faith—have been involved at the Darby Mission from the beginning and are involved not on a quarterly basis, but a weekly basis. And our involvement is morphing and evolving organically over time as we build relationships and come to better understand the needs and assets of the community. Here are two examples of this. We are beginning to help build a website for the Darby Mission, using the skills and talents we have combined with the amazing content they produce. Also, for awhile now, in addition to food, folks from Holy Apostles have been offering books to both children and adults who attend the community meal. This has been an enormous hit. It was great to see kids running around last night with new books tucked under their elbows.
I am still learning about the systemic challenges—as well as the beautiful resilience—of the many underserved neighborhoods that surround us in the Philadelphia metro area, but my hunch is that simple acts like ours which facilitate access to good books and bolster literacy are important.
Without any real coordination between us, other churches in our area such as St. Mary’s in Ardmore and St. Asaph’s in Bala Cynwyd have also begun to help gather and distribute books to folks who want and need them, in their case, into several Philadelphia schools. So, we’re just following where the Holy Spirit leads. As God reveals the ways God is moving, whether through food, or books, or conversation, God’s people are simply trying to follow God’s lead. Because whether it’s Penn Wynne or the borough of Darby; whether it’s your workplace, or home, or grocery store, or school, God is already there. God is already moving. God is already changing lives. That’s good news.
For more on the books, talk to Cassie Woestman or myself.
In Christ,
James +
Announcements – 9/15/2019
Worship
† October 6 will be a special day. It is the Feast of St. Faith and this year we are celebrating with the inauguration of the St. Faith Preachers Series. Our inaugural preacher will be the Rev. Dr. A. Katherine Grieb, Meade Professor of Biblical Interpretation and New Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary. This Sunday is not to be missed!
† There will be an Altar Guild Meeting on Sunday, October 20th immediately following the 10AM service.
† Are you friendly? We need you! Our greeter ministry is one of the key ministries of our church. Greeters welcome visitors, make people comfortable, hand out service leaflets and take up offering. They make sure the service runs smoothly. Starting in October we will be organizing a monthly Greeters breakfast with the Rector, probably at a local restaurant. If you’re interested in serving God in this way, talk to Jim Jervis or Fr. James.
† Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30AM on Sunday mornings and at 9:15AM Tuesdays through Fridays. Anyone can pray the service privately using the Book of Common Prayer or one of a number of smartphone apps! See the last section of the digital edition of the “Acts of the Apostles” for details.
Outreach
† Our Connect by Night hosting month has been moved from July to December.
† Thanks to all who contributed to food collection for St. Mark’s in Frankford. Joe Zorc delivered groceries collected and they were very appreciative and added it to their pantry for parishioners in need. We will continue to collect food for St. Mark’s in the box in the parish office hallway. We will look for other opportunities to work with them. Let Joe Zorc know if you are interested in participating.
† Our Darby Mission Meal is this Tuesday: September 17th. We are having hot dogs and hamburgers. The meat and buns will be provided by Joe Zorc. There is a sign-up sheet in the parish hall for other items: fixings, sides, and deserts. We will meet at 5pm at Holy Apostles to drive down together, or you can meet us at the Darby Borough Recreation Center, 1020 Ridge Ave. Darby, PA 19023. The sign-up sheet can be found here: bit.ly/2k9SQxc
Children and Youth
† The national acolyte festival at the National Cathedral in Washington DC will be held on Saturday, October 19. Any acolyte or any child who wants to be an acolyte, ages 7-18, is eligible to attend. Talk to Fr. James before September 27 if you are interested.
† Nursery childcare is available during the 10:00AM Sunday service for children ages 3 and younger in the Godly Play Room.
† The Holy Apostles Choir School is looking toward it’s grand opening in the Fall of 2019. If you have a potential student, apply today. More information is available at holyapostlespa.org/choir-school/. Please forward this information to friends and neighbors who may be interested. Contact Deb Stambaugh if you have any questions.
Parish Life
† Year-to-date statements for 2019 Stewardship pledges will be sent out the week after September 30th, the end of the third quarter. Continued thanks to all for their generosity and faithfulness in giving.
† We are getting ready to refresh the hallway outside the church offices including some new paint, new furniture, and eventually new flooring. As a result we have been moving some things around. The Lost & Found box is now located in the church office.
† We will host a blood drive for the American Red Cross on Saturday, October 5th. If you would like to help, let James know.
† If you have an announcement to be included in Acts of the Apostles, please send it to holyapostlescomm@gmail.com before Thursday at noon of each week.
† Don’t forget to enter the church through the Parish office door and grab a “Church Member” badge from the office during Daycare hours (7:00AM – 6:00PM Mon-Fri)!
† Did you know that you can support the church through your
amazon.com shopping habit? Go to smile.amazon.com. You’ll be prompted to choose a charity to support. Search for Church of the Holy Apostles, Penn Wynne and select. A small percentage of each amazon purchase that goes through smile.amazon.com is given to the church.
† The Cash for Causes Program at Giant Supermarket:
· Purchase through JT Wertz
· 5% of card value is given to Holy Apostles operating fund.
· Can be used in store or when ordering Giant groceries through Peapod online delivery service.
Education
† Bible Study is held on Thursdays at 11:00AM.
A Note from the Rector – 9/15/2019
Last Sunday was a great kick off to the program year. There were lots of happy kids. The choir sounded great and the ice cream was plentiful. Most importantly, the Penn Wynne branch of the Body of Christ gathered, we were renewed through Scripture and Eucharist, and God was worshipped. Let’s do all that again this Sunday (except without the ice cream)!
This Sunday morning we have a special event: Choir School Rally Day! Arreon Harley-Emerson, the director of our Choir School is going to lead us all in a little choir education exercise during Sunday morning announcements. I think you’ll be amazed at how fun and engaging his teaching style is. This is to give everyone a taste of what our Choir School program is doing. We started this past week. We’ve got plenty of space left, if you know anyone who might be interested. Also, now that we’ve started and worked out more logistics, we realize there is a way to open up the program to more families in our parish. During the first half of the program (from 3:30-4:50p) on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we’re doing afterschool stuff. Our music lesson and rehearsal takes place 5:00-5:50p. Parents pick up children between 5:50 and 6. This means that if your student can’t participate in the afterschool portion, they may still be able to participate in the music rehearsal portion. Let us know, we would love to be able to offer excellent musical education to every child, grades 2-5, in our parish. Also, we can use several more adult volunteers. Besides gaining the joy and fulfillment of using your time to enrich the lives of children, and all the temporal and spiritual rewards of serving God in God’s Church, if you volunteer on a regular basis, YOU will become a better singer and learn a lot about music yourself. There aren’t many volunteer opportunities much better than this.
Read more about the Director here.
In Christ,
James +
Announcements – 9/8/2019
Worship
† October 6 will be a special day. It is the Feast of St. Faith and this year we are celebrating with the inauguration of the St. Faith Preachers Series. Our inaugural preacher will be the Rev. Dr. A. Katherine Grieb, Meade Professor of Biblical Interpretation and New Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary. This Sunday is not to be missed!
† There will be an Altar Guild Meeting on Sunday, October 20th immediately following the 10AM service.
† Are you friendly? We need you! Our greeter ministry is one of the key ministries of our church. Greeters welcome visitors, make people comfortable, hand out service leaflets and take up offering. They make sure the service runs smoothly. Starting in October we will be organizing a monthly Greeters breakfast with the Rector, probably at a local restaurant. If you’re interested in serving God in this way, talk to Jim Jervis or Fr. James.
† Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30AM on Sunday mornings and at 9:15AM Tuesdays through Fridays. Anyone can pray the service privately using the Book of Common Prayer or one of a number of smartphone apps! See the last section of the digital edition of the “Acts of the Apostles” for details.
Outreach
† Our Connect by Night hosting month has been moved from July to December.
† Thanks to all who contributed to food collection for St. Mark’s in Frankford. Joe Zorc delivered groceries collected and they were very appreciative and added it to their pantry for parishioners in need. We will continue to collect food for St. Mark’s in the box in the parish office hallway. We will look for other opportunities to work with them. Let Joe Zorc know if you are interested in participating.
† Our Darby Mission Meal is coming up very quickly: September 17th. We are having hot dogs and hamburgers. The meat and buns will be provided by Joe Zorc. There is a sign-up sheet in the parish hall for other items: fixings, sides, and deserts. We will meet at 5pm at Holy Apostles to drive down together, or you can meet us at the Darby Borough Recreation Center, 1020 Ridge Ave. Darby, PA 19023. The sign-up sheet can be found here.
Children and Youth
† The national acolyte festival at the National Cathedral in Washington DC will be held on Saturday, October 19. Any acolyte or any child who wants to be an acolyte, ages 7-18, is eligible to attend. Talk to Fr. James before September 27 if you are interested.
† Nursery childcare is available during the 10:00AM Sunday service for children ages 3 and younger in the Godly Play Room.
† The Holy Apostles Choir School is looking toward it’s grand opening in the Fall of 2019. If you have a potential student, apply today. More information is available at holyapostlespa.org/choir-school/. Please forward this information to friends and neighbors who may be interested. Contact Deb Stambaugh if you have any questions.
† We are excited about the new Sunday School year beginning September 8. We will be implementing a dynamic and creative new curriculum, if you would like to be involved, now is the time! Contact Peter Patton or Joe Zorc if you are interested in helping, or for more information on the exciting things we’re cooking up.
Parish Life
† We are getting ready to refresh the hallway outside the church offices including some new paint, new furniture, and eventually new flooring. As a result we have been moving some things around. The Lost & Found box is now located in the church office.
† We will host a blood drive for the American Red Cross on Saturday, October 5th. If you would like to help, let James know.
† If you have an announcement to be included in Acts of the Apostles, please send it to holyapostlescomm@gmail.com before Thursday at noon of each week.
† Don’t forget to enter the church through the Parish office door and grab a “Church Member” badge from the office during Daycare hours (7:00AM – 6:00PM Mon-Fri)!
† Did you know that you can support the church through your
amazon.com shopping habit? Go to smile.amazon.com. You’ll be prompted to choose a charity to support. Search for Church of the Holy Apostles, Penn Wynne and select. A small percentage of each amazon purchase that goes through smile.amazon.com is given to the church.
† The Cash for Causes Program at Giant Supermarket:
· Purchase through JT Wertz
· 5% of card value is given to Holy Apostles operating fund.
· Can be used in store or when ordering Giant groceries through Peapod online delivery service.
Education
† On Sunday September 15, Fr. James will present new and exciting opportunities for Christian Education, Formation and Discipleship this Fall and coming Winter. The short presentation will be during Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall. Information will also be made available in print and digital forms soon.
† Bible Study is held on Thursdays at 11:00AM.
A Note from the Rector – 9/8/2019
Phew! A new school year, and a new season of adult choir and Sunday School has begun! I am really pumped up. Thanks to Paul Emmons, the choir, and to all of our Sunday School teachers who have been preparing for today, and thanks to the Fellowship Committee for the ice cream.
Tonight’s family service, re-christened Light & Peace, is an interactive worship service that will follow a liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer that is hardly ever used. It’s called an Order for Worship in the Evening, but the first words of the service are: “Light and Peace in Jesus Christ our Lord.” which I think offers a much catchier moniker. The service will include simple, but immersive music, lots of candles, and a number of interactive ways for children, youth and adults to pray and connect with God. You’ll just have to come back tonight to find out what it’s all about. Don’t be timid. You are allowed to come to church more than once in a day!
Holy Apostles Choir School is launching this Tuesday (September 10)! This Fall and Winter are going to be really exciting. As people younger than me say, it is going to be “off the hook.” I might have to go lay down. Next Sunday, you will have the opportunity to experience a glimpse of the fun and magic of our new children’s choir program, as Arreon Harley-Emerson, our director, is going to lead us all in a sample lesson. It’s going to be awesome. Then at coffee hour, I am going to speak for about 10 minutes on some of the Christian Education, Formation, and Discipleship opportunities that are upcoming this Fall and Winter. Below is a calendar of all the events & special services we have planned for the rest of 2019. Let me know if I’ve forgotten anything. Mark your calendars accordingly and then strap on your seat belts, it’s going to be wild…and filled with grace and life courtesy of the Holy Spirit.
Fall-Winter Calendar 2019 (Draft) Calendar
September 8 – Sundae Sunday Adult Choir and Sunday Begin
– Youth Group followed by Light & Peace
September 15 – Choir School Rally Day
– Presentation on Christian Formation (coffee hour)
September 17 – Darby Mission Meal
September 29 – Youth Sunday
October 6 – Saint Faith Day: Inauguration of the St. Faith Preachers Series
(The Rev. Dr. A. Katherine Grieb, guest preacher)
– Blessing of the Beasts – St. Francis Evening Prayer/Evensong
October 13 – Youth Group followed by Light & Peace
October 23 – Soup Group 1
October 30 – Soup Group 2
November 1 – All Saints Day Noon Eucharist
November 1-2 – Diocesan Convention
November 2 – All Souls Day Holy Eucharist for the Departed (evening)
November 3 – Stewardship Sunday 1
November 6 – Soup Group 3
November 10 – Stewardship Sunday 2
– Youth Group followed by Light & Peace
November 13 – Soup Group 4
November 17 – Stewardship Sunday 3
November 20 – Soup Group 5
November 24 – Christ the King Sunday/ Stewardship Celebration
December 1-31 – Connect-by-Night Month
December 1 – First Sunday of Advent
December 7 – Pancakes with Santa
December 8 – Second Sunday of Advent/St. Nicholas Visit
-Youth Group followed by Light & Peace
December 9 – East Parkside Meal
December 15 – Third Sunday of Advent/Pageant
December 20 – Christmas Caroling and Party
December 22 – Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 24 – Christmas Eve
December 25 – Christmas Day (morning service)
December 29 – Lessons and Carols (Youth Sunday)
In Christ,
James +
