Sunday, August 1st: Consider hosting a coffee hour in the coming weeks and months. Select a Sunday and time today—9 am or 11:15 am service—on the sign-up sheet posted by the kitchen door. The schedule includes opportunities through December 2010.
Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. 1 Peter 4:9.
Sunday, August 1st: Visitors and Newcomers: We hope you will be able to attend our newcomer orientation and luncheon, immediately after the end of the 11:15 service. Once the service has concluded, please gather in the church building for a brief tour of our historic property, followed by a luncheon prepared in your honor; you don’t need to bring anything but a hearty appetite! This is an opportunity for you to meet some members of our parish and get better acquainted with the people and ministries of Aquia Church. Childcare is provided.
Looking for something to do on Tuesday, August 3rd from 6pm to 9pm? Why not help promote Aquia Episcopal Church and its ministries at the 2010 National Night Out held at Stafford MarketPlace (in front of Target). National Night Out is a community Open House sponsored by local Public Safety agencies (Police and Fire & Rescue Departments) to allow folks to meet them and get a better understanding of what they do for the community. This local National Night Out event started years ago at Aquia Harbour’s Volunteer Fire and Rescue Station and quickly expanded requiring relocation. Last year’s event was attended by thousands of county residents and Aquia Church was represented by several of our members who passed out flyers about the Church and icy cold bottles of water. If you want to join in and help spread the good word about what we have going on here at Aquia Episcopal Church, please contact Adam Hawkins at aquiahawkins@yahoo.com.
August 4th : Adult Bible Study: We continue this Wednesday (10:30am upstairs in the Wirman room) our discussion about human freedom, predestination, free choice, divine election, and related matters. No previous Bible study experience is necessary, and there are no materials or books to purchase for this series. For more information, please contact the Rev. Jay Morris (540.659.4007 or assistant@aquiachurch.com). When this current series concludes, we shall take the rest of the month of August off before starting a new series in September. We welcome your suggestions about what to cover after Labor Day for a morning Bible study and an evening Bible study as well; currently, some leading possibilities are the Book of Psalms, the Gospel of John, and the apostle Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
Fall Fest Planning Meeting and More: All are welcome to come to the next Fall Fest planning meeting on August 8 at 12:30pm in the Wirman Room. Bring your fresh ideas and suggestions. We need two volunteers to co-chair the Clean-up Committee at the end of the day, and we need helpers in every area throughout the Fall Fest. Call Cheri Cuff or Mary Jane Cole for further information.
You Are Invited: Please join us on August 15 at 2pm in the parish hall to hear Christian vocalist and speaker Paulie Heath. Paulie has been invited by the ECW to present our 2010 summer event. She entitles her presentation “Life’s changing seasons”. The event is for both men and ladies. Light refreshment, wonderful singing, some encouraging lessons, and child care will help make the afternoon very uplifting. For more information about Paulie and to hear some of her music, visit her web site www.paulieheath.com. If you have any questions, please call Jan Van Metre or Mary Jane Cole.
AYAH! Do you have a daughter or son at college or boarding school? One of Aquia’s ministries is care packages sent to young members who are away from home to remind them that wherever they are, God’s love is with them. Each care package includes snack foods, fun items, and a note from the assistant rector. We will be gratefully accepting donations from August 22 through September 12. Please place your donations in the big blue care-package tub. What we need: 1) the addresses of Aquia Youth Away from Home given to the church office; 2) monetary donations to offset mailing costs (please write “Care Package” on the memo line of your check); 3) items to include in the care packages. Suggested items: Gum, Granola Bars, Cereal Bars, Microwave Popcorn, Packets of Instant Breakfast, Individual packs of hot chocolate, Instant oatmeal, Instant Lunch Ramen Noodles, Individual bags of Fruit Snacks, Snack size packs of candy such as Starburst, Skittles, Individual packages of cookies, Rice Krispie Treats, Individual bags of Chex Mix, Goldfish, pretzels, etc., Individual servings of nuts, Crystal Light Lemonade, Snack size Sunflower Seeds, Snack size packs of M&Ms, Lollipops, Post-Its, Highlighters, Mechanical pencils, Pens, Band-aids, Fun items. Please no drink boxes–unfortunately they really increase mailing costs due to their weight. Approximately 15-23 care packages are sent each semester. Donated items need to be individually-packaged personal-sized portions.
October 15th: Aquia’s Table Golf Tournament registration is open! To register yourself (or your golf group!) For our October 15th event at Cannon Ridge Golf Club, please go to www.golfcannonridge.com. If you don’t play golf but would like to support the event, we invite you to come to the luncheon that day. To order your luncheon-only ticket for $20, please email us at atgolftournament@gmail.com
Calling New Acolytes: We are making plans to train a new group of teenagers for our acolytes ministry during August and September. Typically, students may begin serving as acolytes in grades five and above. Acolytes assist the clergy during worship services and help to provide leadership and support that sets the right tone for worship. We have a particular need for acolytes to serve at the 11:15 service. If someone in your family is interested in becoming an acolyte, please contact the Rev. Jay Morris (540.659.4007) or assistant@aquiachurch.com).
The Latest on the Fall Fest Auction: The auction list is growing. We have the most recent and complete list on the church gate. Please take a minute to look it over. This week we added: a beautiful strand of freshwater pearls, photo albums from Angel’s Hallmark, and gift certificates from Giant, Chili’s, and Bob Evans. Have we heard from you yet? Any leads, offers of help or suggestions will be gratefully received! Contact Shields Jones or Mary Jane Cole for further information.
Back-to-School Supplies: We have a tradition at Aquia Church to collect school supplies for the less fortunate children in our area. Your donated gifts will be taken to Stafford County Social Services for distribution. Please place the items in the basket on the picnic table in front of the Church during the remainder of the summer. Top Ten List of needed Items: Crayons (16-24 count), #2 pencils, 8 pack of colored pencils, Yellow highlighters, Composition (marble) notebooks, Spiral notebooks, Box of tissues, Wide-rule notebook paper, Pens (black, blue, and red), Backpacks (for grades K - 12).
Seeing Strange Signs, White Lines, and Pink Flags near the trailers? These are part of the awareness program to let everyone know: where a new Christian Education Building is being considered; and how the temporary trailers, currently used for Christian Education, have a temporary Special Use Permit by Stafford County which expires on December 31, 2010. The trailers will have to be removed at some point in the future (The Good Lord Willing this will be when our new Christian Education building is completed) and they are temporarily blocked off to remind us all of this future reality.
Recent Sermon About New Building Project: If you missed last Sunday’s sermon by the Rev. Jay Morris about our work towards the new building for Christian Education and related matters of interest (such as maintenance for our historic church building, including roof repair), then pick up a printed copy of that sermon from the back of the church. You may also listen to that sermon (and many others) online at our Website (www.aquiachurch.com): click on <Ministries>, then click on <Sermons>. You will be hearing more frequently about this building project. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about all this, then please contact Father Morris or a member of the vestry.
Mustard Seed Community Church: This congregation of Korean Presbyterians led by the Rev. Wonho Jung will meet at Aquia Church on Sunday afternoons for worship, fellowship, and meals, starting in early August. This has been endorsed by the clergy and the vestry as a gesture of goodwill to a young and growing congregation. We welcome these Christian sisters and brothers into our midst, and we look forward to becoming friends with them.
