September/October 2006

Dear Friends,

Peace be with you. Just back from a restful vacation, I am ready to start the new program year. I hope that you have had a good change of pace and are ready to return to church. One of the unsettling parts of summer form a clergy point of view is the low attendance week to week. "Where have all the people gone?", we wonder.

The rhythm of this coming year will be a little different. There will be more focus on mission and education; more explanation about the traditions and customs of our rich heritage; more opportunities for community building.

The year will really begin on September 3. Our young people will be returning to school and we will honor that with a blessing for their year. I am asking that they bring photos from special vacations to share at coffee hour on September 10.

The third Sunday of the month will be brown bag Sunday. For years we have supported the Alternative House at Christmas time. It is my hope that we will consider their needs year round. A wish list of items they need all the time is enclosed further on. We can add to that list seasonal things such as school supplies, mittens, rain hats. We will never know where these houses of shelter are - only that they provide a safe haven for women and children with needs and scars we probably can't even imagine. If we all bring a couple of items each month in a brown bag, we will be reaching out in a profound way.

Many ministries will resume soon. The prayer bead workshops and the embroidery guild to name a couple.

Tanya Lavine will teach another "Music Together" program for preschoolers. There will be a Pampered Chef Book party (Sept. 24), a Fall Harvest Fair (Oct. 14) as well as the annual Golf Tournament (Sept. 23). Choir practice is moving to Thursday nights.

Life-line screening will be using our space from 8 AM - 5:30 PM on September 23. They provide a wonderful community service of testing for strokes, aneurysms and arterial diseases - all noninvasive testing. You can sign-up for one or all of these tests by calling 1-800-324-1851.

There will be several adult course offerings this fall, which are also described further on. All classes will be in the newly carpeted Nichols Room.

In case you haven't heard, the work in the sacristy is now complete and is lovely. The new hall floor s also in and looks great. We are blessed to have so many generous, caring people at St. Anne's.

As the new program year begins, I am hopeful that you will submit some for your thoughts in this newsletter.

Blessings,

Peggy