31 May 2020: The Sunday of Pentecost
Common Ground has returned! Now in a Zoom Bible Study
6 to 7 PM this Thursday evening join Nathan+ for an online Bible Study of Acts
May 28: Acts 8.1-25 (Simon the Magician in Samaria)
June 4: Acts 15.1-35 (The Council of Jerusalem)
June 11: Acts 17.1-34 (Paul in Athens)
All you need is a Bible and Prayer Book (if you don’t have one, you can borrow from the Parish House,) and some way to access the internet. Feel free to bring food and beverages with you to the screen. Everyone is invited – no special skill or knowledge needed. Below is the information needed to join this meeting (contact our office if you need assistance with Zoom):
Serving Others
Souper Supper To Go has resumed: 2nd & 4th Fridays, 5 – 6 PM
Souper Supper returned for take-home distribution of To-Go meals only, returning to the regular schedule of second and fourth Fridays. In addition, if food insecurity is an issue in your home, Saint Mary’s can help you discreetly. Just call the Parish Office at 781-3366.
Parish 2020 Victory Gardens! Start Planting Now!
The Outreach Committee is joining forces with Guiding RAY to provide fresh food for local families who are nutritionally vulnerable this summer due to the effects of the pandemic. We invite all parishioners who have a corner or more of available land, or even a container, to grow fresh produce and donate part of their harvest to the Falmouth Food Pantry this growing season. Some already have established vegetable gardens, and we are hoping many others will join in this initiative. A share of your harvest will mean the world to those for whom fresh vegetables are a very scarce and treasured commodity.
Megan Akers, Bobbi MacCallum, and Guiding RAY families are again tending the Guiding RAY garden. Bobbi MacCallum is a Master Gardener and will be pleased to offer her guidance and expertise to anyone who wishes to start, or needs advice tending their own gardens. The Outreach Committee will organize regular pickup of your donated produce for delivery to the Food Pantry. Please let us know if you wish to participate in planting, donating and/or helping with transport to the Food Pantry by contacting Bonny Rodden, brodden1.br@gmail.com or Jennifer Gregg,
Homemade face masks
We currently have a few available outside the parish office. No contact is possible, but please wear your mask. Thanks to several parishioners who have been quietly making masks for others. They have been flying out of the basket as soon as they arrive, and we’re just catching up.
Caring for Others: Facemask Project
For those who have sewing machines, here is an opportunity to help those who are at greater risk during this difficult time by creating washable fabric face masks. There are many patterns online; here’s a simple one: https://thestitchingscientist.com/2020/03/how-to-sew-a-face-mask.html .
**There is fabric from a Cuddledown grant and donated fabric to make masks outside our parish office, along with aluminum strips for the nose piece. The Outreach Committee (along with gifts from a couple of generous parishioners) is willing to reimburse sewers for the cost of supplies, as needed. Submit costs to Beth admin@smary.org
Here’s an idea for a DIY face mask with no sewing
https://www.facebook.com/chicstravel/videos/311403599832193/
The Book Sale: Saturday, June 20, 9 AM – 1PM, outdoors!
Mark your calendars for a different kind of Saint Mary’s Book Sale – to benefit the Falmouth Food Pantry. This time we’ll be outside!
We are thankful for the responses of parishioners who have said they will work on Friday, June 19, for set up and Saturday, the 20th for selling and clean up. We could use a couple of more folks with strong backs to help with bringing up books on Friday morning and on Saturday for clean up at 1:00.
Please send an email to Jan (janmordarski@gamil.com) or Betsy (jbstod@myfairpoint.net)
Three NON-Contact things you can do to help
—save any Hannaford to Go bags and drop them at the Parish House. We are likely going to be selling books by the bag and they are the perfect size.
—Use your social media contacts and phone calls to tell your friends that we are going to be having the book sale and encourage them to shop.
—Say a prayer for NO RAIN on the 19th or 20th (Rain date is Sunday, June 21.)
As we get closer to the date, we will be making more announcements as to how we are going to host the sale and be safe for ourselves and our customers.
Looking for something to do to fill your time?
Right now, we have a few puzzles, DVDs (from kids to action), games and a few books (for children and adult) in the Auditorium with an honor box if you want to stop in during business hours and grab one. Only $1 each.
St. Elizabeth’s Jubilee Center ‘Essentials Pantry’ resumes June 2
St. Elizabeth's Essential Pantry is tentatively scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, June 2 unless the Governor extends her stay at home order. The plan is to distribute only pre-bagged essential items (soap, detergent, toilet paper, diapers and feminine hygiene products) outside St. Luke's Cathedral. If St. E's is allowed to continue, we will need volunteers from Saint Mary's on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Volunteers could help with pre-bagging on either Monday or Tuesday mornings. They could help with distribution on Tuesdays. All volunteers as well as neighbors will wear masks and gloves and maintain 6 ' distancing.
Please contact Betsy Elliman for more information at 207-400-6871 or betsyelliman@msn.com
Falmouth Food Pantry thanks all and hopes for our continued help
Families in need of food are invited to come to the Falmouth Food Pantry/ Town Hall site on the first and third Friday during June, July and August. Food will be distributed to cars from 9:00-10:30. Managers will continue packing food cartons for delivery to doorsteps of families in need- in April alone over 400 families received food from our Pantry and a number of unemployed families have received rent and medical bill assistance. It is because of the compassion and generosity of so many in our community that we are able to provide help to so many. In the event of a need please call 632-2687 or 781-2996.
During this challenging time when the Falmouth Food Pantry cannot accept food donations. In lieu of food donations, if parishioners are in the position to do so, here's how to donate to this 501(C)(3) organization to help them continue to serve the needs of those most vulnerable in our immediate community:
Þ Through a Pay Pal account at Pay Pal Food Pantry Account
Þ Through a Go-Fund-Me account, which accepts credit cards, at GoFundMe site
Þ By sending a check to the Falmouth Food Pantry, at 279 Middle Road, Falmouth, ME 04105. Make the check out to the Falmouth Food Pantry
And if in need of the Emergency Pantry services, please call 632-2687 or 781-2996
Christian Formation & Youth Notes
All Children and Youth Programs are temporarily suspended
Guiding RAY (Religious Adventures for Youth) During normal programing, our Guiding RAY programs, for all young people ages 0 to 14, are designed to both appeal to and offer our children an opportunity to learn key bible stories and to develop their relationship with God. FMI Please contact Megan GuidingRAY@smary.org
AT HOME with Guiding RAY
We have set up a Guiding RAY Facebook group as a place for parents to connect. Please like https://www.facebook.com/ChurchofSaintMary/ and join the Guiding RAY Group. It is a great way to share resources, stories and a general check-in with each other. Please visit our website (smary.org) for more at home resources.
Community Care & Nurture
OnLine worship
NoonDay Prayer: Monday – Friday 12noon on Facebook Live
Sunday Worship: Sunday 10:15 am on Facebook Live
These services are also linked on our website (www.smary.org on the banner titled “Community & Worship Online: COVID-19 Resources”)
OnLine Spiritual Formation
Be Still: Sundays at 9:30 AM online via ZOOM
Be Still: Mondays at 5 PM online via ZOOM
Merton Group: Thursdays at 3 pm online via ZOOM
These three groups will continue to meet online via ZOOM. If you would like to participate, send an email to Jennifer Gregg (jenniferanngregg@gmail.com) to receive the meeting login information.
Common Ground: Thursdays 6 -7 pm online via ZOOM
Bible Study in the Acts of the Apostles with Nathan+. No knowledge or skill required. All are invited. See details in the news above.
Communicating with Nathan+
If you need to connect with someone for encouragement, or if you need advice, guidance or prayer, please text Fr Nathan on his cell phone at 207-310-0268. Share your name and your concern. You can call or e-mail as well (nathanferrell@smary.org ), but texting is the best way to make contact.
Prayer Concerns this week: John Cunningham, Mike Obar, Tom Troeger, Julie Otte, Cindy Horton, Greg Hodgdon, John Fournier, John Lund, Roxann Gregory, Christopher Cosa, Edwin Salpor.
IF YOU WANT TO ADD NAMES TO THIS LIST, contact our Parish Office (781-3366 or smary@smary.org).
THIS WEEK at Saint Mary’s
Sunday 31 The Day of Pentecost
9:30 Guiding RAY Pentecost Party on Zoom
9:30 Be Still ZOOM meeting
10:00 Diocesan worship for Pentecost on Facebook and YouTube
10:15 Saint Mary’s Liturgy of the Word on Facebook Live
Monday, June 1 Parish Office open (Fr Nathan & Erin begin travels to Kentucky)
12:00 Noonday Prayer on Facebook Live
5:00 Be Still ZOOM meeting
Tuesday 2 12:00 Noonday Prayer on Facebook Live
Wednesday 3 12:00 Noonday Prayer on Facebook Live
Thursday 4 Parish Office open
12:00 Noonday Prayer on Facebook Live
3:00 Merton Group ZOOM meeting
6:00 Common Ground Bible Study ZOOM meeting
Friday 5 12:00 Noonday Prayer on Facebook Live
Sunday 7 Trinity Sunday
9:30 Be Still ZOOM meeting
10:15 Liturgy of the Word on Facebook Live
Follow us for information on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
While we await the restoration of regular activities, connecting to our online presence (including our webpage) is the best way to participate in our parish and to keep up on parish news. Click on these links to follow us!
- Website: www.smary.org
- Facebook page: Facebook.com/ChurchofSaintMary
- Twitter: Twitter.com/SMaryFalmouth
- Instagram: Instagram.com/saintmaryfalmouth/
No Facebook? No worries!
Anyone can watch our Sunday worship live on Facebook – even if you do not have a Facebook account. All you need to do is go to this web address:
Facebook.com/ChurchofSaintMary at the correct time and you will see it.
Also, our webpage ( www.smary.org) has easy links to each Noonday Prayer and the Sunday services after the event with links to the bulletins, the Book of Common Prayer and the Hymnal, plus lots of other online resources for worship and spiritual growth. There is no reason that this time apart cannot still be a time of important spiritual growth for you.
Beth Shaw
Parish Manager
The Episcopal Church of Saint Mary
43 Foreside Rd, Falmouth, ME 04105
207-781-3366 www.smary.org
