January 13, 2022

As we head into 2022, we want to update you on the status of the Stewardship Campaign and to reach out to those who have not yet pledged to get your pledges in as soon as possible so that we can finalize our budget for 2022 and move forward with our goals for this year.  

At the heart of our mission and ministry for the coming year is our commitment to better serve people. People are our program. We believe we must have additional staffing if we are to grow in our ministry with youth and young families, deepen our pastoral care, and grow our worship life together. We want to sustain new ministries like Midweek@Epiphany or hybrid services and formation offerings. We believe this year’s budget is a first step towards renewal and rebuilding for our parish and ministry together.

The 2022 annual pledge campaign, Renew & Rebuild, set out to support this vision by setting a goal of $1,050,000 in total pledges. We asked everyone to consider increasing their pledge by 15% and sought to increase the number of pledging households from 226 to 240.

After nearly three months of ingathering of our parishioner’s financial pledges, we have good news. As of January 10, we have 202 pledges totaling $1,011,964. We are just $40,000 shy of our goal for money pledged. This represents an incredible sign of commitment to this new chapter of ministry together. Of the 202 pledges, 108 increased their pledges this year. In addition, we have 12 new households who have made a pledge. This is great news.

We also continue a trend of decreasing total households making a financial commitment. We have fewer households pledging this year, compared to prior years. If you have not yet made a pledge, and intend to for this financial year, we ask you to please turn in your pledge. Your participation is critical to our ministry as 90% of our money for mission comes from our financial pledges.

We have big plans for the coming year. Right now, we are building the road we believe God is calling us to travel—to reach out to our neighbors, engage and minister with youth and children, inspire through word and worship, and care for a fully intergenerational church. Your commitment enables us to Renew & Rebuild our common life and ministry together. Thank you for your incredible commitment.

With deep thanks,
Rev. Nick, Rector
Nelia Newell, Stewardship Committee Chair

Did you chalk your door using the instructions in last Wednesday's email? If so, we'd love to see a picture! Send your photo to office@3crowns.org. 

If you join us online for our worship livestream, we'd love to hear from you. We are interested in deepening our online and digital ministry and we'd like to begin by hearing from you. If you join us online for worship, we invite you to email the parish office, as we'd like to hear from you and start a conversation to deepen our fellowship, ministry, and connection for those who join us online. Connect with us by emailing us at office@3crowns.org

An enormous thank you to outgoing Director of Music Craig Benner and his husband Darren, who have generously donated a beautiful Steinway piano to Parish of the Epiphany! 

Our 8:00 am liturgy will return to a Rite I traditional language service on January 16. While this is a return to previous practice, it is also a shift away from our practices during the pandemic. The 10:00 am service will remain a contemporary language service.

Join us for Middle and High School youth groups this Sunday! Both groups will meet in the Garrett (at the top of the stairs) at the following times:

High School (grades 9-12): 11:15 am  — 12:15 pm
Middle School (grades 6-8): 5:30 pm — 6:30 pm

All participants will remain masked while indoors. For information on how to participate virtually, or if you would like to join the Youth Ministry team as a volunteer, please reach out to Eva Dalzell.

Over 130 films have been made about Jesus since the advent of cinema, and like no other art form, these movies have influenced the perception and understanding of Jesus for Christians and non-Christians alike. This class will examine some of the most influential of these films and delve into how they have been shaped by the Gospels, Christian tradition, and the film’s own cultural context. But perhaps more interesting is the way they have fed back into the culture and influenced spirituality and theology on a large scale. We will begin with the silent era, move through to the wide screen Biblical epics, and on to more modern and subversive interpretations of traditional elements. The class will be a hybrid offering, hosted in the Chapel and via Zoom. Bring your popcorn wherever you are!

Join Rev. Nick and Rich Goldhor as we explore the story and theology of our Episcopal tradition. We will explore both the history and story, the theology and thinking, the vision and vocation of our branch of the Christian faith. This is a great space to ask questions and explore answers together about our church. This course is great for those new to the Episcopal Church, as well as those who are interested in deepening their understanding of and calling within the life of the Episcopal Church as a spiritual home.

This course will be hybrid, hosted in Hadley Hall and available on Zoom. You can join this Zoom offering here. 

In this mini-course, we will explore various perspectives on prayer in our lives using Margaret Guenther’s book The Practice of Prayer as our initial guide.  The course will be an interactive discussion based on our reading and experience. Many of us were raised to believe that prayer was practiced only in quiet, on our knees, possibly in church, but prayer can be and is so much more.

We will read and explore a select number of chapters in Guenther’s text, and use some of her suggested group questions for deeper discussion. Reading of the book will be helpful though not required to participate in the discussion. For those who obtain the text, I would suggest reading chapters 2 and 3 prior to the initial session. The book is available online for under $15.00. 

Join us via Zoom on Thursdays at 7:30 pm January 20 through February 24 for a contemplative book discussion on Breathing Underwater by Richard Rohr. Read Chapters 1 & 2 for January 20th. Please contact Sandra LaPerche with any questions.  

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Middlesex, ss  The Parish of the Epiphany

To the Clerk of the Parish of the Epiphany, Winchester, Massachusetts

You are hereby directed to notify the members of the Parish of the Epiphany in Winchester aforesaid qualified to vote in its affairs to meet electronically via Zoom on the thirtieth day of January, 2022 at 12:00 pm. 

To elect by ballot officers, delegates, and committee members of the Parish, as follows:

A WARDEN for the term of two years; three VESTRYPERSONS each for terms of three years; one VESTRY PERSON for term of one year; a CLERK, a TREASURER, and an ASSOCIATE TREASURER each for a term of one year; two DELEGATES to DIOCESAN CONVENTION for a term of one year; one alternate DELEGATE TO DIOCESAN CONVENTION for a term of one year; two DELEGATES to MYSTIC VALLEY DEANERY for a term of one year, and three MEMBERS OF THE PARISH NOMINATING COMMITTEE, each for a term of one year.

To hear and report on activities of Parish Officers, Clerical Matters, and Stewardship and Finance Committees.

You are directed to serve this warrant by posting an attested copy thereof on the door to the usual public entrances to the Parish Church fourteen days at least before the date of said meeting.

Hereof fail not, and make due return of said services at the time and place of said meeting.

WITNESS our hands at Winchester on this eleventh day of January, A.D., 2022.

On Sunday, January 30 from 4:30 - 6:00 pm, join us the evening of our Annual Meeting for Midwinter Candlemas and Cocoa! Enjoy community, cookies, and hot cocoa at this all-parish gathering in the Cloister Garden. 

Please note that Midweek @ Epiphany is on hiatus during the month of January and will resume in February! Stay tuned for more information.