The Parish of the Epiphany

Family Newsletter
April 22, 2021
The Fourth Sunday of Easter

Sun 25-Apr 9:30am : Zoom : Sunday School (Pre-K through 5th grade)

Sun 25-Apr 10:00am : PDF : Children's Worship Bulletin

Sun 25-Apr 11:15am : Zoom : Creation Care Series (all ages)

Wed 28-Apr 8:00pm : Zoom : Youth Group Check-in (with Creation Care)

Sun 2-May 10:00am : Zoom : Sunday School

Sun 2-May 4:00pm : Church : In-Person Youth Group (Cloisters)

Dear friends,

I hope you are feeling as energized and hopeful as I am, following Earth Day and the Massachusetts Bishops’ recent Declaration of a Climate Emergency. Over the course of the next several weeks our whole church--from preschoolers to adults--will focus on the ministry of creation care.

This Sunday our littlest parishioners will think about what an amazing, beautiful Earth our creative and loving God has created, and next Sunday we’ll work on how we care for this planet. On Wednesday evening, our Youth Group will talk even more deeply about what creation care means and what we are called to do. We look forward to welcoming members of our Creation Care and Sustainability ministry to both of these groups.

And finally, we encourage all ages--children through adults--to join our church-wide Creation Care formation series, which will be held on zoom immediately following worship on April 25, May 2, and May 9.

May we join together--in prayer, study, and action--to cherish this beautiful planet, to love and honor our neighbors, and to faithfully care for the home of our children and our children’s children.

Peace,

Bryn

Faith-at-Home Sunday School Continues this Sunday, April 25!

We look forward to seeing everyone at 9:30am this Sunday. We'll be thinking about what an amazing, wonderous, and creative planet we live on--and how our loving God created this home. Your new faith-at-home envelopes will have a light-filled craft and a fun idea for getting the whole family outside, worshiping together.

Zoom Sunday School

New Faith-at-Home Bags Coming April 23-24!

We've made our way through our Winter Faith-at-Home materials, and now it's time for Spring! The Sunday School bags, which will be dropped on your doorstep on Friday, April 23, or Saturday, April 24, will contain our materials for the final five weeks of our program year. (And yes, I didn't forget the lollipop!)

Upcoming Youth Events

Youth Check-In with Friends from Creation Care

We look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday, April 28, when members of our Creation Care committee will be joining us. We'll play a Kahoot, check-in, and talk about what our church (and the greater Episcopal Church) are doing to care for the Earth. Bring your questions and ideas!

Zoom

Mark Your Calendars for Our May IN-PERSON Youth Group Meetings:

Sunday, May 2, 4-5pm in the Epiphany Cloister Garden
Sunday, May 23, Time TBA

All-Church Creation Care: Please Join Us

In April and May, the Sustainability & Creation Care ministry invites us all to ‘step in’ and get engaged in climate justice with a 3-Sunday series held April 25, May 2 and May 9.

We are called by God to be stewards of the earth, yet confronting climate change is so complex and the challenge is so daunting, it’s hard to know where to start. In this series, members of the parish discuss practical steps where we can have an impact.

Creation Care Forum 1 (Sunday April 25): Translating our faith into action – why is climate change important and what can we do about it?

In the first Sunday of a 3-part series, Thea Keith-Lucas will look at our faith and why we are called to take action. Susan McPhee (Winchester, Conservation Coordinator) will examine the scientific basis for climate change; how much emissions we generate in our daily lives; and what practical steps we can take to confront the climate crisis.

Zoom: 11:15am Sunday

Creation Care Forum 2 (Sunday May 2): Responding to the call - What are members of the congregation doing to fight climate change?

The bishops of Mass have declared a climate emergency and asked us to “pray, learn and act” to limit the warming of the earth. Many members of the Epiphany congregation have acted on their faith and are already taking dramatic steps to reduce emissions.

In this second Sunday, Joy and Leo Cass, Rich Goldhor and Josh Reynolds will share how they are reducing emissions in heating/cooling their home, installing solar panels, driving electric cars and switching to fossil-free electricity. They’ll talk about how they did it, what challenges they encountered, what’s worked well for them and how that’s affected their faith.

Forum 3 (Sunday May 9): Being stewards of the earth - How the food you eat, healthy soil, and gardening can remove carbon from the air, and increase biodiversity.

Not everyone can install solar panels or drive an electric vehicle, but everyone can make wise decisions about the food we eat and how it’s grown. Laura Dike and Hannah Niswonger will share how their farming and gardening actually reduces carbon, increases the diversity of plants and animals and provides us with more delicious and healthy food. They’ll also share stories from personal experience of increasing biodiversity from sustainable gardening.

Kids4Peace Boston: Summer Opportunities for Youth

Has the high-school or middle-school student in your household developed a greater interest in social justice in the course of this challenging time? Kids4Peace Boston has helped to develop the skills of young people working for peace and reconciliation for over 10 years. Since the pandemic began, their activities have included Circles of Action, where participants choose a compelling cause, like racial equity or the climate crisis, and take steps to positively impact some of today’s great issues. Now young people who haven’t yet participated can give K4PB a try this summer.

Read about the Jerusalem Peacebuilders-Kids4Peace Boston Virtual Summer Camp, where current 9th and 10th graders are invited to join peers from Israel/Palestine and across the U.S. to consider how conflict informs their identities, communities, and necessitates a response to create justice and equity.

Or, consider the K4PB One-Day Summer Workshops, which are designed to bring youth of all ages, grades 7-12, together with the Kids4Peace Boston community to continue developing their skills in interfaith dialogue and social action.

Barbara C. Harris Family Camp: Summer 2021

The Barbara C. Harris Center invites you to unplug, relax and delight in the beauty of God’s creation. Enjoy a long weekend of delicious meals, arts & crafts, hikes, swimming, boating, field games, worship, s’mores and much, much more! Families may choose to stay in a private lodge room or cabin. Intergenerational and age-appropriate activities will be offered. Episcopal clergy from all over New England will serve as chaplains and lead Sunday’s outdoor Eucharist. Click here for more information.

(I've heard that this was really super last year. If you're considering going, please let me know! - Bryn)

A Welcoming Episcopal Community

70 Church Street, Winchester, MA 01890
781-729-1922
Unsubscribe