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…
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.
Learn.
Children’s Formation and Nursery Care Registration. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has resumed for 2023. 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. 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 and for special classes and events. The toddler atrium explores the spiritual capacities of young children as they transition from nursery to Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Seasonal events for households with children are scheduled throughout the year. Contact Anna Hurdle (ahurdle@st-peters.org) for more information. Register for the current year: st-peters.org/catechesis-registration.
Sacramental Preparation for Children: Solemn Communion And Holy Baptism . Good Shepherd Sunday, April 30 & Sacraments Retreat Saturday, April 29, 9:30-4:00. Designed for children ages 7 and up, this retreat will explore the sacraments of Baptism, the Rite of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist beginning on Saturday and culminating at the 11:00 Eucharist on Sunday. For more information, please contact Anna Hurdle. (ahurdle@st-peters.org)
Vacation Bible School—Save the Date! Monday–Friday, July 10–14, 2023, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. each day and Sunday morning, July 16. Children who will be 4 years of age by 8/31/2023 up through rising 6th graders are invited to attend. Older children and teens are encouraged to participate as assistants. Registration will be required, opening on May 1. Contact Anna Hurdle (ahurdle@st-peters.org) to volunteer for our VBS Committee planning and implementing this event.
Youth Formation. Classrooms are open and accepting youth at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday, with class beginning at 9:45 a.m. We have used the Journey to Adulthood curriculum for 25 years, updating these timeless lessons to keep them current and real in our youth’s lives. The Rite 13 Class and the J2A Class have been combined for the remainder of the year. The Pilgrim Class, for 10th through 12th graders continues in its learning and preparation for their Holy Pilgrimage to Rome, Assisi and Milan, Italy in June of 2023. Email Lyn Holt (lholt@st-peters.org), Director of Youth Ministry, for more information.
The Adult Forum, Sundays 9:45 a.m. in the Lobby. This year the Adult Forum will ask the question, “What does the Episcopal Church believe about…?” Our topics will cover a blend of theology, justice, and contemporary issues. We also will hear from some of our outreach partners about the good work that they are doing in our community and the world at large. Join us for these engaging discussions, deepening our faith and learning how we can live that faith in the wider world. No Adult Forum on April 2 (Palm Sunday) or April 9 (Easter Sunday). The forum resumes on April 16 with a three week series by the Eco-justice committee.
Monday Night Bible Study, 6:30 p.m. on Zoom, The Gospel of Luke. Monday Night Bible Study looks at the Book of Acts using N.T. Wright’s “For Everyone Bible Study Guides,” which are available on Amazon. There is weekly preparation. Everyone is welcome. Contact Ruth Woodend (rbwoodend@gmail.com) to register or for more information.
Education for Ministry (EfM), Mondays 7:15 p.m. on Zoom. Education for Ministry (or EfM) is one of the most effective and substantive Christian education and formation programs of the Church. Using a small group or seminary approach, the participants are guided by a mentor trained to guide study and discussions into deeper levels of understanding the faith. Learning is collective with a focus over the four years on the Hebrew Testament, the New Testament, Church History, and Theology. Using learnings garnered from these sequential sources, the participants explore meaning and invitation to ministry through Theological Reflections. 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 Group, 1:00 p.m. on Zoom. This book group reads books chosen to foster living a sacred life in a secular world. The current book is The Naked Now, Learning to See as the Mystics See by Richard Rohr. Contact Ruth Woodend (rbwoodend@gmail.com) to register or for more information.
Wednesday Night Bible Study, 7:00 p.m. on Zoom, studying Women of the Bible. Too often the women in the Bible take a narrative back seat to their male counterparts. And yet, there is no question that both Jews and Christians would not have survived without the involvement and leadership of women of faith. Many of these women remain unnamed, their stories lost in history. But, our Scriptures tell of a number of important women who were instrumental in leading their people and furthering God’s will in the world. This group will meet to learn the exciting stories of a number of these women in the Old and New Testaments. We will have a handful of weeks when we will not meet this spring: March 29, April 12, May 10. Contact Mother Amanda (astephenson@st-peters.org) for more information and join on Zoom: st-peters.org/biblestudy-sunday.
Sacred Ground is an in-depth pilgrimage into reconciliation and redemption from our culture’s heritage of systemic racism. Through eleven bi-weekly sessions, participants confront this reality, in order to learn and, more importantly, to transform themselves and the worlds in which we live. A new pilgrimage will start March 19, 2023. Contact Fr. Murdock Smith (frmurdocksmith@gmail.com) for more information.
Understanding the Enneagram To Build Stronger Relationships & Grow Spiritually. Led by Jenny Beaumont. Christ Episcopal Church, Wednesday nights 3/29/23 & 4/12/23 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. This 2-part class will explore how the Enneagram can be a spiritual tool for personal transformation, spiritual renewal and interpersonal connection. Prior education/experience with the Enneagram is helpful. Participation on both dates is encouraged but not required. Registration and a $20 fee is required. To sign up visit: https://www.christchurchcharlotte.org/get-connected/group-detail/227027/,
Get Involved
Host Coffee Hour. Coffee Hour is back and we are serving wonderful coffee from Queen City Grounds. The Coffee Hour ministry is working to rebuild our Coffee Hour Teams. Volunteering includes helping to set up and/or clean up, our hope being each volunteer would only be asked to work one Sunday per month. If you are interested in volunteering to help out with this wonderful ministry contact Harris Holt (harrisholt3@gmail.com) or Mother Amanda (astephenson@st-peters.org).
Join a St. Peter’s Café Breakfast Team. Join fellow parishioners in a hospitality ministry of serving our continental style breakfast on one Sunday per month. This ministry is very easy and will take about an hour and a half of your time. 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) or Mother Amanda (astephenson@st-peters.org).
Staff the Welcome Desk. Every Sunday a parishioner assists in welcoming people to the Parish House. Staffed in four one-hour shifts between 8:00 a.m. and Noon, we are seeking enough volunteers so that this is just a one-hour per month commitment. If you are interested, contact Leigh Dixon (ldixon@st-peters.org, 704-749-6142).
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. Please 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.