August 31, 2023

On Sunday, September 10 following the 10:00 am service, all are invited to Epiphany's annual Rally Day celebration! Join us for fellowship and a lunch catered by Bella Isla. You won’t want to miss the crafts, games, bounce house, or your chance to see the rector get wet in the dunk tank! To register to volunteer, please use our SignUpGenius form. We hope to see you at this fun event! 

Join us here at 5:00pm on Sunday, September 17 for a candlelit service of Evensong on the Feast Day of Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098 - September 17, 1179) which marks the 844th anniversary of her death. A remarkable woman, and a "first" in many fields, she is considered by many to be a patron saint of musicians and writers.

Hildegard of Bingen, also known as Saint Hildegard and the Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German abbess and founder of a Benedictine religious community; a composer, playwright, poet and artist; an herbalist and pharmacist; and a sensitive recipient of God-sent visions with insights about the Bible and the natural world.

Some chants by Saint Hildegard will be included in the service, sung by our section leaders and guest singers. The Parish Choir will join to offer the Canticles composed by Philip Moore (The Third Service, a setting for choir and organ based on plainsong). We will all join voices in the congregational plainsong responses, and in the hymns.

As we begin a new program year, the Welcome Ministry encourages all parishioners attending worship services and fellowship gatherings to wear your name tags. Over the past months, we’ve had several new families and individuals join the parish, and wearing a nametag is an outward sign of welcoming and hospitality to these newcomers. Also, there are some elderly parishioners with memory loss, and wearing a nametag is a compassionate gesture that allows those with diminished memory to keep engaged and connected with fellow parishioners. The Welcome Ministry asks that all parishioners make the effort to wear a nametag beginning on Rally Day and throughout the new program year. Over the coming weeks, we’ve enlisted extra help at the nametag board for those needing assistance in finding their nametags. We thank you for making this small accommodation to show that we are a caring and open-hearted community to all that enter our doors.

All youth (6th -12th grade) are invited to a BBQ on September 9th to kick off the new year! It will start at 5:00pm and we will be gathering at the Clark’s backyard in Arlington. Please RSVP to Rev. Janelle.

If you’re in your 20s, 30s, or early 40s, join us 7:00-9:00pm on September 11th at Sacco's in Davis Square for Candlepin bowling, snacks and drink, and a time of fun and community with this growing demographic at Epiphany. Please RSVP to Rev. Janelle.

Education for Ministry is preparing to launch on Sunday, September 17 from 6:00-8:00pm in the Epiphany chapel. EfM prepares participants to use theological and biblical studies to deepen the place of faith in their lives and the world. The EfM seminar will meet weekly through the academic year.

Registration is now open to gather a group of 8-12 members which is ending by Rally Sunday on September 10th. Participants will also be drawn from neighboring Episcopal parishes. For more information contact EfM mentor Rev Bob Davidson at frbobdav@msn.com 

Join Rev. Nick in this course that begins in October and runs through early June. This twice a month course on Sundays explores Christian faith and life and invites each participant to discover their faith in deeper and more authentic ways. This course is for those new to the Christian faith, those exploring the Episcopal tradition, or those interested in more fully claiming a faith with integrity and joy. Contact Rev. Nick for more information.

On Tuesday, September 12 from 7:00-8:30pm, you are invited to our fall semester Church School volunteer training and orientation. We will get to know one another; talk about the goals and structure of our church school classes; discuss some tips for working with young children; familiarize ourselves with our class spaces; and even experience some of the lovely practices together. Please reach out to Bryn, our Director of Children's Ministries, if you are interested in participating. 

Church School classes begin on September 17.

Over the coming months we'll combine the support of friends, the guidance of experts, and the loving presence of God in our new book groups for parents and caregivers.

Infants through Upper Elementary

The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind, by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. This well-respected (and well-loved) book was written by a neuropsychiatrist and a parenting expert. It helps readers to "understand some basics about the young brain you are helping to develop and grow."  

The Whole Brain Child first book group:
Tuesday, September 19   |   7:30-8:30pm  |  The Rectory

Tweens and Teens

The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents. This new and much-talked about book is written by well-know adolescent psychologist Lisa Damour. In a very clear and accessible way, Damour explains teen brain development: emotions, judgment, anger, self-esteem, and independence. 

The Emotional Lives of Teenagers first book group:
Wednesday, September 27  |  7:30-8:30pm  |  Suter Room

For more information, or to express your interest in being part of either book group this fall, please email Bryn (Director of Children's Ministries and Chair of our 4th Soil Parenting Project). 

All of our wonderful caregivers will be traveling at various points over the next month and half, and we wish them all lovely vacations and times of rest. This will affect our summer nursery schedule. 

• September 3: No drop-off care
  

Infants Under 9 Months
In order to provide drop-off care for infants under 9 months of age,  two childcare providers must be present. When we have only one childcare provider on duty, infants must be 9 months old to be dropped off. This is because we want to be sure that infants can be tended and kept safe from the multiple toddlers in the room. Thank you for your understanding! 

Rise Against Hunger packs hundreds of shelf-stable, nutritionally complete meal kits that are shipped overseas. People of all ages are invited to a wonderful service event, hosted by Winchester Rotary and held at Epiphany in Hadley Hall on Thursday, September 28. There are jobs for everyone--even small children! You can come for any amount of time between 5:00 and 8:00pm.

Matthew in his gospel reminds us that a house built with strong and durable materials will be able to stand firmly against howling winds and rising streams, Matthew 7:24-27. Our sturdy church has physically withstood such forces for 120 years, but not without some wounds. Our sanctuary awaits major repairs, some as basic as stopping rainwater from dripping inside! And our program and outreach missions can also benefit from improved and stronger foundations. 

As some may have heard, the vestry has voted to begin work on a capital campaign, expected to be launched this fall. Work is underway to discern what such a campaign can and should include. The rewards of a campaign can fund important repairs to our campus and can also address important and long-term spiritual programs and mission interests, perhaps through an expanded endowment. Expanding the endowment has the promise of helping to create a durable house, both physically and spiritually, long into the future. There will be opportunities for input, feedback, and direction as we move forward. 

Suzanne Owayda, James Wagner, and Ellen Wilson have answered the call to lead the charge, followed by an enthusiastic group of committee members: The Reverend Nick Myers, Jonathan Foot, Bruce Glabe, Ted Kellogg, Eileen Marks, and Warren McFarlan. Community Counseling Service (CCS), a professional firm that has led many campaigns in the diocese, has been hired to assist us. 

Please keep the Capital Campaign Committee in your prayers and stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.

Yours in Christ,
Your Vestry and The Capital Campaign Committee