Announcements for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 13, 2008

NEWSLETTER FOR APRIL 13, 2008
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WELCOME TO ALL VISITORS AND NEWCOMERS: PLEASE SIGN OUR GUEST BOOK AND FILL OUT A VISITOR’S CARD (LOCATED IN THE PEW OR ASK AN USHER FOR ONE). YOUR VISIT IS IMPORTANT TO US. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR WORSHIP.

RECTOR’S NOTE
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” (Matthew 28:10).
Jesus calls us all to find him in the everyday happenings of our lives. The Season we have entered is called Eastertide. We will celebrate the feast of Easter for fifty (50) days. The season began on Easter Eve and concludes the Day of Pentecost. During this season there is no fasting. The Council of Nicaea (325) directed that Christians are to pray standing. The word “alleluia” (Praise the Lord) is said or sung repeatedly, which contrasts sharply with the season of Lent when alleluia is omitted. The “Alleluia, alleluia” may be added to the dismissals and their responses during the Great Fifty Days. The Paschal candle burns at all services during Eastertide.
Adapted from Dictionary of The Episcopal Church

CURATE’S NOTE
What happened to the Confession?
You may have noticed that we are doing things a little differently this Easter season. First, we all remained standing during the Eucharistic Prayer on Easter day. And now we’ve skipped the Confession three weeks in a row. Why are doing things differently, and why are we doing these specific things? The short answer to these questions is we do things differently because it’s Easter. We stay standing during the Eucharistic Prayer on Easter day because standing is the posture of resurrection–we who have been redeemed by Christ have been made worthy to stand before God. And we don’t say the Confession during Easter because we are focusing on the fact that we have been forgiven. Instead, we focus on saying Alleluia. Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

EYC (Episcopal Youth Community – 7th – 12th grade):
This past week EYC members and chaperones journeyed to Grace House in St. Paul, VA for our first mission trip of the year. It was a wonderful experience, and we thank everyone who helped make it such a great success. If you’d like to hear about everything that we did, just ask. We have plenty of stories to tell!
The EYC will meet next this coming Saturday at the church for our 30 Hour Famine Stakeout, as we head downtown to raise money for our mission trip in June. EYC-ers will agree to go without food for 30 hours in exchange for monetary donations, a portion of which will go to fight global poverty. Our Stakeout of downtown will go from 10:00-12:00 on Saturday. If anyone would like to donate to the EYC’s 30 Hour Famine, please see an EYC member. VBS IS COMING!! Vacation Bible School is around the corner. On July 7-11 we will journey through POWER LAB, as we discover Jesus’ miraculous power! Registration is now open. You can register in the church office, pick up a registration in the narthex or on the St. Thaddeus website. Please contact Joe (jtmitchell5@gmail.com ) if you would be interested in volunteering to help with snacks, music, sets, or activities.

CHILDREN’S CHAPEL: Designed for young children, ages 3-6, this program is a worship service specifically tailored to introduce your child to weekly bible stories and lessons. All 3-6 year olds are invited to attend a half hour program during the 10:30 A.M. worship service. The program includes songs, games, stories and lots of surprises! Children will process together to the chapel with a rotating weekly teacher and be returned before communion begins. If you would like to find out more about chapel or if you would like to volunteer to teach, please contact Erica Sanders at 649-3093.

MOST: Men of St. Thaddeus will meet Tuesday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m. (4th Tuesday of April) in the Stevenson-McClelland Kitchen/Patio/Parlor. Bring your main entree to cook on the grill. Salad, potatoes and drinks will be provided.

THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS GROUP: We will be picking up the second part of Living the Questions, which is a seven session unit that considers such questions as “Evil, Suffering, and the God of Love” and “Practicing Resurrection.” We meet on Mondays at 6:00pm in the Large Parlor of the Stevenson-McClelland building. We have a meal together and then watch some brief DVD clips and discuss the questions posed. See Joseph Whitehurst (joseph.whitehurst@gmail.com) for more information.

WEDNESDAY MORNING BOOK GROUP: The Wednesday Morning Group is reading and discussing the book: The Faith Club – a Muslim, a Christian and a Jew searching for understanding. It is never to late to join. Please call Barbara Verbrick for more information, 648-1006.

BOOKSTORE: Open weekdays 8:30 – 4:00 in the Church Office. This months feature is Children’s gifts for young children, Baptism or Birth.

ATTENDANCE Sunday Services, April 6, 2008: 222
Wednesday 11:00 Service, April 9, 2008: 14
Saturday, Soup Kitchen Meals served, April 5, 2008: 114

DISHES AND MORE DISHES: If you are missing a dish from one of our suppers we have had lately, please look in the Church Office. Thank you.

NOT SO YOUNG ADULTS: This group will meet Sunday, April 20 at noon after the 10:30 service for a family cook-out. Jeannie and Steve Simmons are hosting. Their address is 60 Graystone Court. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be supplied. Please bring a side dish and your beverages. Please call Jeannie, 649-9897, if you have any questions.

FREE INCOME TAX PREPARATION: Free income tax preparation for low and middle income taxpayers, with special attention to those age 60 and older will be available to all Aiken County residents until April 10 at the Aiken Public Library. Appointments may be made by calling 642-2023 or North Augusta 279-5767.

“DO YOU NEED A MINISTRY YOU CAN DO AT HOME? The parish card ministry offers the opportunity to connect with, and bless, members who need a get well message, some congratulations, or a word of sympathy; caring words for life’s many experiences. You and a partner can write these messages at home – for one month, once a year! Call Ellyn at 648-8458”.

SAFE CHURCH, WORSHIP LEADER, AND EUCHARISTIC VISITOR:
Training for these ministries will be held October 4 at St. Martin’s-in-the-Field in Columbia or St. James in Greenville. If you have not had safe church or if your license for one of these ministries is about to expire, please register through the Diocese (on-line) or use one of the registration forms on the bulletin board in the narthex or call the church office or your ministry leader.

PARISH COOKOUT: On April 20 following the 5:00 P.M. service, hot dogs and hamburgers will be provided by Parish Life. Please bring a dish to share and join the fellowship. This cookout is open to all regardless of which service you attend. Come and have some fun!

FLOWER COMMITTEE: WANTED some people to assist in arranging the altar flowers on Sunday evening after the 5pm service or on Monday morning. We also need some people to take the flowers to our shut ins or to those who are ill.48 ounce juice cans or other large cans to place the flowers in are needed. We can also use those glass vases which come from the florist. Call the church office if you have questions about this very rewarding ministry. 648-5497.

MESSIAH: The USC-Aiken Masterworks Chorale will present a performance of George Fredrich Handel’s oratorio, Messiah, on Saturday, April 19th at 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s United Methodist Church. The performance will include orchestra and soloists. Tickets are available at the Etherredge Center Box Office or may be purchased at the door. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear this great work in its entirety!

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL: The Strawberry Festival is April 26 on the grounds of Mead Hall and St. Thaddeus. The festival begins at 9 am and ends at 3 pm. The proceeds go to the education enrichment at Mead Hall. For more information please call Heather Mahan 439-4833 or Lisa Toole 215-5869. Vendors may call Linda Serkiz 640-2684.

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL PLANT TABLE: The Wednesday morning Bible Class is in charge of the plant table at the Strawberry Festival on April 26th. All proceeds go to Mead Hall. Please bring plants for sale at this table. For further information, please contact Anna Marie Tiffany at 648-8422.

LUNCH BUNCH: The Lunch Bunch will celebrate Spring and the opening of the “new” Newberry Hall on Thursday, April 24 at 12 noon. $14 all inclusive. Please call the church office, 648-5497 or Jan Waugh, 648-0417 for reservations.

ULTREYA! Sunday, May 3, 2008 immediately following the 5 pm service. Bring a dish to share and join the fellowship. Ultreya is open to all, you do not have to be a Cursillista to participate. Hosts are: John and Kathie Fowler, and Ruth and Steve Gordy. Ultreya is a Spanish word meaning to persevere or to encourage to go onward.

St. Thaddeus Outreach Report
The outreach committee met March 5, 2008 and made the following allocations: St. John’s Episcopal Church, Clearwater: to aid in the establishment of a shelter for battered women and families in North Augusta – $1000. All Saints Episcopal Church, Beech Island: to aid in payment for repair of the organ and for support of the Dayspring Program – $2000. Young Life Aiken, for summer camp scholarships – $1000. Red Cross Aiken, to be used for local single-family disasters – $500. Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD), approximately $700 was donated for outreach in February and the committee voted to supplement this amount $2000. In January donations of $1000 each were made to ERD and project Cange, the Episcopal mission in Haiti, from the previous years budget. We have contributed $4000 to projects associated with the Millennium Development Goals.
The next meeting is set for Wednesday May 7 at 5:30 and parishioners with outreach interests are invited to be with us.

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER: Aiken’s 16th Annual Observance of the National Day of Prayer will be held at Saint John’s United Methodist Church at the corner of Richland Avenue and Newberry Street on Thursday, May 1, 2008 beginning at 6:45 p.m. The Theme this year is “Prayer, America’s Strength and Shield”. The music will be by the Midland Valley Nazarene Choir, National Day of Prayer Band. All are welcome to this free, family-friendly event! Information: 648-2447

St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church
Financial Position through March 31, 2008
2008

Revenue $172,494 $175,004 $144,399
Expense $181,245 $173,375 $155,779
Balance ($8,751) $ 1,629 ($ 11,380)

The HOME AND GARDEN TOUR organizers would like to offer sincere thanks to the homeowners, hosts/ hostesses, Tea committee, golf cart drivers, cake and bread bakers and all other volunteers for their contribution to the success of our Tour. Despite the rain we had more than 475 visitors whom patiently endured footies and umbrellas and still gave rave reviews. Details of the disbursement of funds raised will follow later. Thank you all.