The Parish of the Epiphany |
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Family Newsletter
March 21, 2021
The Fifth Sunday during Lent |
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Sun 21-Mar 9:30am : Zoom : Sunday School (Pre-K through 5th grade)
Sun 21-Mar 10:00am : PDF : Children's Worship & Coloring Bulletin
Wed 24-Mar 8:00pm : Zoom : Youth Group Check-In (6th-12th grade)
Sun 28-Mar 9:30am : Zoom : Sunday School (Pre-K through 5th grade) |
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Dear friends, We are now just one week away from Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week. As we get ready for these important and holy days, I encourage all families--with toddlers to teens--to fully engage with the many offerings this Parish has prepared for you. Here's what you need to know: Palm Sunday, March 28: Please come by the church between noon and 3pm to pick up hot cross buns and communion, as well as a Holy Week Family Bag, with materials (and treats) to help your family observe the days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter. These bags are for ALL families with children and youth of all ages. In-Person Easter Rejoicing Services: Saturday, April 3, offered hourly from 4 to 9pm. Participants must sign up here ahead of time and space is limited to ensure social distancing. Families and children are not only welcome, but heartily encouraged to come to a half hour service. I very much look forward to seeing you all--in person!--on April 3. Peace and Love,
Bryn
PS. If you know you can't make the Holy Week & Easter Bag pick-up on Sunday, March 28, please email me and I will make sure one is dropped off on your doorstep.
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Last week several families joined Nick and his family for a wonderful hike at Wright Locke Farm. It was a joyous time of (in person!) fellowship full of running (the little ones), laughing (everyone), and reconnecting. In fact, it was such a lovely way to be together, we will offer more hikes and outdoor fellowship opportunities as the weather turns nicer this spring. Watch for announcements--for all ages! |
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Family Mission Opportunity: Easter Egg Collection for St. Luke's
Families, please help us bring some Easter joy to the wonderful children at St. Luke's. Please consider filling plastic Easter eggs (like those shown in the photo) with sealed candy treats, and delivering them to church on Palm Sunday afternoon (when you pick up your Holy Week materials!) or dropping them on Roz Nazarro's porch by Thursday, April 1. To keep everyone safe, please follow these guidelines: - Candy must be individually wrapped and sealed (so no loose jelly beans) and nut-free
- Please wash hands before handling the eggs or candy
- Please don't fill eggs if/when anyone in your household is sick or has been exposed to Covid-19 in the preceding two weeks
Thank you for showing love and care to the families at St. Luke's in this way! |
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Faith-at-Home this Week: Preparing for Holy Week
Zoom 9:30am Sunday With Palm Sunday and Holy Week just one week away, now is a good time for us to talk about some of the big words that we hear during the services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday--"church words" like sin, repent, and forgive. These words aren't as intimidating as we might fear--in fact, most are ideas that we all think about every day already, even the youngest among us. What do these words mean to us, and how do they help us to feel God's love and to love our neighbors the best that we can? Our faith-at-home envelopes this week contain a little science experiment--one that shows us that Jesus ALWAYS forgives and ALWAYS stays close to us. |
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Youth, Check-In this Wednesday, March 24!
6th-12th Graders, we look forward to a time of fellowship, planning, and prayer with you this Wednesday! Zoom Wednesday 8:00-8:45pm |
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Learn More about this Parish's Work in Haiti
Last Sunday, our Sunday Schoolers learned about the important and loving work our Parish does with our neighbors in Haiti. Thank you to the Mission and Outreach Committee for joining us! Please read more from M&O on the background and continuing work we do in Haiti:
Epiphany’s relationship with Haiti began shortly after the devastating earthquake of 2010 when five parishioners traveled to the country to help provide emergency medical assistance in Leogane, the earthquake’s epicenter. Subsequently, seven teams went back to work with the local hospital to identify communities with the most dire need for care and bring them daylong medical clinics. For some communities our rudimentary care was the only medical care they received for years. The effort grew to include medical and nonmedical team members from many different faith communities. The whole parish got involved with supporting the 20 or so individuals who traveled to Haiti. Some parishioners collected toothbrushes, toothpaste, vitamins, and over the counter medications to distribute to the 800-1,000 patients we saw each week. Others sewed beautiful cloth bags the villagers could carry those supplies home in. Many contributed generously to our fundraiser “To Leogane With Love” which allowed us to purchase tens of thousands of dollars worth of prescription medications and hire Haitian colleagues -- drivers, translators, a community health worker, a doctor, nurses, nursing students, and a dentist to operate the clinics with us. In recent years, political instability and the pandemic have kept us from traveling to Haiti. However, we continue to support efforts to rebuild the country’s healthcare infrastructure – particularly in the Leogane area. We have built close relationships with the local hospital, nursing school, and rehabilitation school and support them financially. We recently obtained a Diocesan Sustainability Grant so that the hospital could install solar panels and have a clean, reliable source of electricity. We also support a local organization, the Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti, which trains villagers to become public health workers.
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Family Resources for the Season of Lent in Pandemic Times
Lent Prayer and Coloring Calendar It's never too late to start a daily Lenten spiritual practice. Join us as we meditate on one simple word each day.
Lenten Children's Story Time: YouTube
Now on YouTube, Bryn reads the Lenten storybook Make Room: A Child's Guide to Lent and Easter, which explores both Jesus's journey of ministry and how churches now observe the season of Lent. Watch it anytime during Lent. |
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Will you share your family's Lenten Prayer Coloring Calendar with our community? Please email a photo to Bryn. |
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A Welcoming Episcopal Community
70 Church Street, Winchester, MA 01890
781-729-1922
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