ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

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Parish Life Committee

Yes, we have another new committee at St. Martha’s, and there is room for everyone with an interest in our life together! The Parish Life Committee’s purpose is to build our sense of community. The more we act out our mission “to make God known … by assisting with the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of our parishioners … through worship, love, study and service,” the closer we will come to achieving our vision: becoming “a vibrant spiritual community, a deeply caring social community, and an ambitious learning community.” We envision subgroups to address the many aspects of our parish life. So come join us at 7:00 pm Monday, February 6 at St. Martha’s to help identify how we shall become even more vibrant, deeply caring, and ambitious!

If you want to be involved and cannot attend the first meeting, please contact Mimi Dupont at 302-228-2755 or mdupont228@yahoo.com, or any Vestry member, to indicate your interest.

 

ANNUAL MARDI GRAS PARTY

COME ONE, COME ALL!

Saturday, February 18, 2012, at St. Martha's.

Appetizers and happy hour (BYOB) will be from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m.

This is a covered dish supper where everyone signs up to bring their favorite and most delicious foods! The ham entree, soft drinks and coffee will be provided. You are invited to BYOB to enjoy with your meal.

Be sure to sign up on sheets by the kitchen as soon as you can so we know how much ham to order. You can sign up to bring an appetizer, a casserole, a salad, or a dessert.

This is the time to dress up in costume if you wish.

Bring a friend as well!

Contact host/hostesses:

Ron Steen 302-448-0272; Barbara Reardon 302-541-8483;

Lee Moore 302-537-8051;

Transition Committee Invitation

Please take the opportunity to attend a Parish Open House to introduce yourself to Mary Allen. She is very excited to meet you all! Signup sheets for the home atherings have been printed. They are outside the kitchen. Eleven parishioners have graciously volunteered their homes. We have teas, and wine and cheese gatherings - something to suit everyone, from January through March. Be thoughtful for the hosts - we would like about 10 people under each date so everyone gets a chance to host their gathering, and everyone gets a chance to speak with Rev. Mary. Questions? Call Deb at 462-0801 or thekerchners@msn.com. Have fun!

 

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NOTICES

THANK YOU - St. Martha's thanks Mary Perkins who has served as Head Teller for the past two years. She has revised the prodedure making the process more efficient and more fiscally sound. Susan Mantegna is now serving as Head Teller with Mike Schaefer as the Assistant Head Teller.

 

THANK YOU'S go out to the following people who have volunteered to take over the scheduling for the worship services relieving Don Clarke:

Scheduling Coordinator - Terry Watson; 8 AM Scheduler - Fran Hasson; 10 AM - Jim Moore; Scripture Distributor - Jere Wise.

It is with great appreciation that St. Martha's acknowledges the work and dedication that Don Clarke has done over the past four years in preparing the schedules for the parishioners who serve as Greeters, Ushers & Readers/Servers. Working with Jim Moore for the 10am Readers and Servers, Lois Radcliffe for Altar Guild and Mary Perkins for the Tellers, he has prepared a unified schedule for distribution. Don will continue to work with Carolyn, his wife, on putting the Welcome Gifts distributed to the new visitors each week.

 

LEADERSHIP VACANCIES

USHER & GREETER COORDINATORS NEEDED.

Don Clarke, and his right hand, Carolyn, are stepping down as of Feb. 1, 2012, after 4 years of duty. Don will be available to train and advise any person(s) willing to assume these roles. The roles might best be shared among 2, 3 or more people, allowing for some flexiblility of time commitment.

10 am Greeter Coordinator responsibilities include: Being a greeter, recruiting new greeters, preparing name tags for greeters, training and mentoring new greeters re: procedures at services. Working cooperatively with the Ushers. Sharing new visitors’ contact information, if available, with the Rector. Preparing the Welcome gift bags, miscellaneous photocopying and ordering/purchasing and maintaining materials for the gift bags. Attending quarterly Worship committee meetings.

10 am Usher Coordinator: Responsibilities include: Being an Usher. Recruiting, training and mentoring new ushers. Working cooperatively with the Greeters. Monitoring coverage at services and appointing others on short notice if the scheduled ushers are absent. Assuring that collections are properly stored after each service in a bank envelope in the sacristy file cabinet. Overseeing the smooth transition of Sunday school students to communion. Observing for any congregants or visitors with special needs and assisting as necessary. Attending quarterly Worship committee meetings.

Contact Don Clarke at 302-539-3702 or email him at daclarke42@gmail.com for more information.

 

SUNDAY COFFEE HOURS

Sunday coffee hour helps us to welcome one another and engage with newcomers and other visitors. Every Sunday the question is posed,“Are there any persons for whom this is your first visit to St. Martha’s? ”, then we are reminded of our mission at St. Martha’s as a welcoming place that strives to shares the love of Christ with all.

We have wonderful coffee hours at St. Martha’s where people are engaged and sharing with one another. In order for this to happen we need volunteers to make the coffee, put out the snacks and clean up. It can be as modest or elaborate as you choose, but please remember that this is coffee hour, not lunch. Contact Bibi Tew, 302-541-8410, or bibi2@airmail.net with questions.

 

GOOD NEWS!!!

The Memorial Record Book has been located but the CD that was with the book is still missing. If anyone has borrowed the CD, please call Lynne, 539-7444. Thanks to everyone that helped us look for this important book.

 

THE OUTREACH COMMITTEE needs the continued support of our church community to maintain and expand our wide and varied projects which take in local, national and international needs. The reduced budget levels for the committee over the past year have made it difficult to sustain our commitment to support the charitable needs which have become closely associated with the generosity of the St. Martha's congregation. The Outreach Committee is seeking to recoup some of its previous resources, thus allowing us to continue with both our long and short-term projects.

Some of our ongoing projects include 1) The Way Home, a prison ministry which assists prisoners in their transition back to the community; 2) Food for Thought, a supplemental food progam which allows needy children to receive adequate nutrition; 3) Hickory Tree Housing Development, Selbyville, a Housing 8 Project with an after school program for youngsters who benefit from many of our ongoing projects; 4) Camp Arrowhead scholarships funded jointly by our church and the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware permitting local children to attend summer camp; 5) Casa San Francisco, an ongoing food pantry roviding groceries for area homeless and needy families; 6) Emergency Home Repairs which assists with emergency repairs for Sussex County residents; 7) Our Little Roses, Honduras, a school and home for abused and abandoned young girls; 8) All Souls Episcopal Church, New Orleans which receives limited funds to aid in community recovery from hurricane Katrina. These projects represent a "tall order"for a small parish with limited funds. Outreach needs your increased support to move forwaard and expand its programs.