Want more detailed information about what’s going on at St. Peter’s? How to get engaged? How to volunteer? What’s coming up in formation? Read on…
Learn.
Monday Night Bible Study: Monday at 6:30–8:00 p.m. on Zoom, beginning September 11. We will begin studying Hebrews using “Hebrews Study Guide” by N. T. Wright. All are welcome and can contact Ruth Woodend (rbwoodend@gmail.com) to register or for more information.
Education for Ministry (EfM), Mondays 7:15 p.m. on Zoom, beginning September 11. Education for Ministry (or EfM) is one of the most effective and substantive Christian education and formation programs of the Church. EfM meets over 36 sessions over the course of a year, with each session varying between two and three hours. If you have questions or are interested in participating, then contact Father Murdock Smith (frmurdocksmith@gmail.com).
Wednesday Afternoon Book Discussion, 1:00 p.m. on Zoom, beginning September 13. We will read Joan Chittister’s Welcome to the Wisdom of the World and its meaning for you—Universal spiritual insights from five religious traditions. All are welcome and can contact Ruth Woodend (rbwoodend@gmail.com) to register or for more information.
Wednesday Night Bible Study, Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m. on Zoom, beginning September 13. This fall we will re-examine our favorite childhood Bible stories. Using a Children’s Bible as a starting point, we will read the simplified story as we learned it as children and then turn to the Bible itself to read the full story in all its complexity. Contact Mother Amanda (astephenson@st-peters.org) for more information. Join zoom here: https://st-peters.org/biblestudy-wednesday.
Children’s Formation and Nursery Care Registration. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd begins at 9:45 a.m. in the atria. Each Sunday during the program year, children aged 3 through 6th grade participate in our Montessori-based Catechesis of the Good Shepherd offering before joining their families at the exchange of Peace to participate in the Holy Eucharist.
For those interested in working with children, we offer orientation and training.
Birth to three-year-old care is available 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in the Infant and Toddler Center, which is open Sunday mornings. Seasonal events for households with children are scheduled throughout the year. Contact Anna Hurdle (ahurdle@st-peters.org) for more information on family ministries.
Youth Formation. Journey to Adulthood classes will resume on September 10, following our Labor Day beach retreat on September 1-4. All youth are welcome at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday, for fellowship before class, which begins at 9:45 a.m. Our seven adult youth leaders employ the wonderful Journey to Adulthood curriculum for our teens. Rite 13 lessons are used with our rising 7th and 8th graders; J2A lessons for our 9th and 10th graders, and 11th and 12th graders will begin the year with Confirmation review. Email Lyn Holt (lholt@st-peters.org), Director of Youth Ministry, for more information about formation and summer youth activities.
The Adult Forum, Sundays 9:45 a.m. in the Community Room, beginning September 17. The Forum covers a variety of topics led by a number of different speakers. Upcoming Sundays include September 17: Discerning Your Spiritual Gifts, led by Ginny Brien; September 24: Recycling, led by Sam Throckmorton of the Eco-justice team; October 1: Bishop’s Forum, led by Bishop Sam Rodman.
Sacred Ground, Sundays 12:30 p.m., in the library, beginning October 8. A pilgrimage, a journey, through our shared history exploring with a willingness not to turn away from those parts that made this country of ours as it is—both blessed and lessened. An opportunity to learn, listen, and see with new eyes and heart with other seekers of reconciliation and restoration. The Gospel and the Eleventh and Twelfth Commandments call us to be transformed to see all as our sisters and brothers in Christ. Through readings, videos, and discussion (using contemporary knowledge and tools for change), the eleven bi-weekly sessions invite the participants, the pilgrims, to discern what we as a Christian community are called to do and be. Through deep and open study and discussion of the terrible price paid, and still being paid, because of the deep roots of racism and supremacy, this ministry is vital to our spiritual health and vitality. Sacred Ground is not about blaming or shaming, rather about learning and becoming vehicles, tools of the redeeming love shown to us by Jesus.
A new offering will start on Sunday, October 8, after the principal service. If you wish to participate or want more information, then contact Father Murdock Smith (FrMurdockSmith@gmail.com, 704-607-5025). Each offering is of limited size so contact him sooner rather than later. A subsequent offering of Sacred Ground is under consideration for later in the Spring 2024.
The Sunday Party of Readers, Sundays 2:00 p.m. on Zoom, beginning October 1. Belonging: The Call to Community in four novels: The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers, A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest Gaines, The Optimist’s Daughter by Eudora Welty, and Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin.
The Sunday Party of Readers will explore ways we are called to join and sometimes judge the culture and community we are born to—whether family, neighborhood, or church. How do we remain true to our roots and ourselves when joining a group? How do we know what is required of us in answering the call to community, the yearning to belong? Micah’s answer: “To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.” Jesus’s answer: To love God and neighbor.
The Sunday Party of Readers invites everyone to join in reading and discussing answers found in these short novels—and much more. We are a party of readers who seek spiritual answers in books. Our parties are metaphorical and actual as we gather around the Zoom table 2:00—3:00 p.m. every other Sunday and in person occasionally. For more information, contact Deje McGavran (dhmcgavran@gmail.com). Join zoom here: https://st-peters.org/bookclub-sunday.
Baptism is the Beginning. Holy Baptism is offered on special days of the liturgical year for both children and adults. Please let us know if you are expecting a child so that we can pray for your family. Please contact Anna Hurdle (ahurdle@st-peters.org) if you are expecting or if you would like more information on Holy Baptism.
Worship.
Daily Office. Parishioners lead Morning and Evening Prayer most weekdays. Morning Prayer takes place weekdays on Zoom (st-peters.org/morningprayer) and in the St. Peter’s Chapel Monday through Thursday at 8:00 a.m., with coffee and fellowship in the Parlor immediately following. Evening Prayer takes place Monday through Thursday at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom (st-peters.org/eveningprayer).
Midweek Holy Eucharist on Wednesdays at Noon. Each Wednesday at Noon, St. Peter’s clergy offer a service of Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. This brief service of Holy Communion is a great way to spend the lunch hour in Uptown and to worship alongside a smaller congregation of parishioners.
The Common Cup. Communion is now available in both kinds: consecrated bread and sacramental wine from a common cup. A Priest or Eucharistic Minister will place the consecrated bread in your open palms. Non-wheat communion wafers are available upon request. We ask that communicants only receive the wine by drinking directly from the chalice. Reception of sacramental wine is not a requirement for full Communion.
Intercessory Prayer during Communion. Members of the Intercessory Prayer Ministry will be available for private and confidential sharing of prayer needs in the Parlor, just after you receive Communion at the 11:00 a.m. service. No appointment is necessary. Contact Pat Markel (markelhouse@aol.com) for more information.
Get Involved
Join a Holy Chow Breakfast Team. Join fellow parishioners in a hospitality ministry of serving breakfast on one Sunday per month. This ministry is fun, easy and will only take about an hour and a half of your time once a month. Volunteers offer hospitality, set-up, clean-up and light cooking. If you’d like to help feed the flock, contact Harris Holt (harrisholt3@gmail.com).
Join the St. Peter’s Choir. Schedule an audition with Elizabeth Lenti, Director of Music and Organist (elenti@st-peters.org).
Knit Prayer Shawls and Baby Blankets. The knitting group at St. Peter’s has started meeting again. We gather in the parlor on the first and third Tuesday of each month, 10:00–11:30 a.m. Join us to make prayer shawls and baby blankets for our church family and others who might need them. Contact Dan Duff (danny.duff@roadrunner.com) for more information.
Fulfilling your pledge by automatic payment. Thank you to everyone who uses your credit card or a bank draft to contribute monthly to our life and ministries. Remember to check that your approval is still valid, as payments will stop on the date you set when you first create the automatic feature. This is especially important as we begin a new calendar year. Questions, contact Allison Elrod (aelrod@st-peters.org, 704-749-6156).
Ask for Prayers or Assistance
Prayer Requests. As a community, we offer support to one another through prayer. Requests may be made in two ways: Submit your request online at st-peters.org/make-a-prayer-request or contact Clergy Assistant, Michael Talbert (mtalbert@st-peters.org, 704-749-6141). Persons who have given consent for their names to be printed will be read aloud and listed for four Sundays unless a more extended period is requested. Intercessions are offered during Sunday and weekday worship and daily by the Clergy and Pastoral Care Team.
Pastoral Care: Sharing and Responding to Concerns. To alert the clergy regarding a pastoral concern, send an email to Father Jacob (jpierce@st-peters.org) or Mother Amanda (astephenson@st-peters.org). For pastoral emergencies such as hospitalizations, dial the Clergy On-Call Phone at 704-749-6175. This process is the best way to communicate pastoral needs and ensure a response from a member of the clergy or pastoral care team.St. Luke’s Guild: Chronic Care Support Group.
Father Keith Lane and parishioner Dan Busch, LCSW (retired), facilitate this fellowship for persons with chronic illnesses of any sort and those who are caregivers of family and friends. St. Luke’s Guild meets regularly on the second Thursday of the month in the St. Peter’s Parlor. To learn more, contact the Reverend Keith C. Lane, Assisting Priest (klane@st-peters.org, 917-679-7285) or Dan Busch (danwbusch@gmail.com, 704-519-7417).
About the eNews. The weekly news for the St. Peter’s community is published on our website, on Facebook, and via email each Thursday morning. The same information is also printed in the Sunday leaflets and mailed to those who request it. The deadline for submissions is the preceding Friday by Noon. While we welcome submissions from across the parish community, items will be edited for content, length, and style. Send submissions to communications@st-peters.org.