March 16, 2023

It was three years ago this week that the ways in which we approach church and ministry took a sudden, sharp turn. The practice of worship and teaching hadn't changed much in the decades prior to that precipitous moment. But quite suddenly, I found myself sending families emails with terms like "pajama church," and "faith-at-home." Parents were abruptly promoted to priest and catechist in their own houses. 

That season was bananas. All of it. Schooling from home; working from home (with no childcare); childrearing through unknown crises. 

And yet, that juncture encouraged Epiphany (and many churches who care deeply about children’s spiritual formation) to turn our eyes to something vital in any era. Since then, this community has tried to increasingly equip and encourage parents to share the Christian faith at home with their children. It turns out, this is the single most important factor in children developing a lasting faith of their own; it isn't worship or church school, but when faith is shared from parent to child through habits, example, rituals, and—most importantly—talk in the home. Research is glaringly clear on this. 

Now, three years later, this whole community has the opportunity to work together to help root and water these practices. The Parish of the Epiphany has been invited into a four year partnership with the organization Vibrant Faith. With their support and guidance, we'll work to grow our ministry with families and parents in particular. Vibrant Faith has received a grant from the Lilly Endowment for this project—called The 4th Soil Parenting Initiative—and they have invited us and 19 other churches from around the country (from many denominations) to work with them as we develop relationships, programs and support for parents and primary caregivers here at Epiphany. This is an exciting opportunity for us and it is full of potential for everyone here, since a strong component of this work will be intergenerational support and mentoring. 

The project is centered on 3 C's which we'll work on over the course of three years. 

1. Connected — Developing trusting, authentic relationships inside the family, and outside the family with spiritual leaders, mentors, and peers (John 17:20-21)
2. Called — Developing a deeper understanding of parenting as a calling, not simply a role (1 Peter 2:9-10)
3. Committed — Supporting parents to "grow down" into an intentional, Jesus-centered life, while practicing what it means to "love your neighbor as yourself" (John 6:66-68)

Our Epiphany steering committee is ready and excited to begin; thank you to Annie Bing, Pam Chester, Karen Fagan, Perry Haynsworth, Heather Keith-Lucas, and Ellen Wilson. We hope everyone will follow this journey closely, and enthusiastically participate in the ideas and projects to come! Thank you, all, for your support of children, parents, and family ministries here at Epiphany. 

~ Bryn 

Our next Word & Table service will be held this Sunday, March 19 at 5:00 pm in Hadley Hall. Offered once a month, Word & Table is a casual, contemporary, and creative service based on our familiar Episcopal liturgy. Our additional upcoming services will be held on April 23 and May 21.  

All youth (grades 6-12) are invited to a progressive dinner on March 26 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm. We will be going to three different parishioners’ homes around the area. Please RSVP to Rev. Janelle. 

On Sunday, March 26 at 5:00 pm, join violinist Paola Andrea Caballero and pianist Jacob Hiser for an intimate chamber music event with works by Brahms, Blanco, Oliva, Copland, and Gershwin. This event is free and open to the public. 

After spending over a decade performing in Barcelona, Paola Caballero is now Music Director of Symphonia at Phillips Exeter Academy, and is involved with the Lexington Chamber Music Center and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Jacob Hiser is currently on the faculties of both Phillips Exeter Academy and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and also serves as the Premier Choir Accompanist for the Boston Children’s Chorus.

After conversation and consideration, we have made the decision to no longer offer our Tuesday morning Eucharist and Bible Study. Our final Tuesday morning Eucharist and Bible Study will be March 28. We will determine if and when we might offer a weekday worship service. 

On Sunday, April 2, our entire congregation is invited to join together in Hadley Hall and the Cloister Garden between our two services, from 9:00 to 10:00 am, for a special Palm Sunday reception. This will be a wonderful time of fellowship, hot cross buns, and activities for children. At 9:45 am, we will begin gathering for the Palm Sunday Procession, which will lead us into our 10:00 am service of worship. 

We are excited to announce that Epiphany will be taking a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2024. If you have interest in this opportunity, please contact Rev. Nick. You can join an informational meeting and presentation on the planned pilgrimage on Sunday, April 2 (Palm Sunday) at 11:30 am.  

We invite you to join us during Holy Week for worship at Parish of the Epiphany!

On Saturday evening, April 29, from 4:30 – 6:15 pm, Epiphany will be serving at The Dwelling Place, a soup kitchen in Woburn for those experiencing food insecurity. Volunteers will be needed to set up, serve, and clean up on that evening (families and kids all ages are welcome!). We will also have a cook day in the Epiphany kitchen to prepare the meals. Interested in the cooking team or the on-site at The Dwelling Place team? Please let Rev. Janelle know.