Newsletter for December 5, 2021

St. Aidan's Weekly Newsletter

Sunday 12-5-2021

The mission of St. Aidan's is to make disciples by proclaiming Christ as Lord and making a difference in our community.

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Join us for 'in-person' worship on Sunday, Dec. 5. It is the Second Sunday of Advent!  “Our Vestry has decided that those who are fully vaccinated need not wear a mask during Sunday services unless they feel safer wearing one. We ask those who are not vaccinated to please continue wearing a mask.” In the spirit of our faith we will trust each other.” NOTE: St. Aidan's Sunday Services are also on Facebook Live. You can access the Live Facebook broadcast through our website. Check UNISON, FACEBOOK, and our Website for Schedule Updates. Click Here to view You Tube Channel

December 5, 2021 Sunday Worship Service

Holy Eucharist RITE II, 10:00 am - Rev. Thomas Baker

If you are watching our online worship service, please use the attached Worship Booklet below. It includes our Lectionary Readings and Hymns. Click Here for the Worship Booklet

ROTA for Dec. 5, 2021 Acolyte: Sarah Smith Lector 1: Clarice Ewing Lector 2: Joe Fossati Intercessor: Barb Belt Ushers: Don and Janet Seifert Counter: Don Seifert Altar Guild: Julie Wojtas Be Our Guest: Clarice Ewing

NOTE: I have added Blue Christmas and Christmas Eve Services to the Bottom of the ROTA. Servers for those services have not yet been assigned. If you know you will be available for either Christmas service, please let me know by Dec. 12. Thanks to those who have already replied. Also, please find your replacement if you are unable to serve on your Sunday. Then please let me know. Thank You, Sharon Seidel St. Aidan's December 2021 ROTA

The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Luke 34

The message of Advent is clear: Be ready, the Lord is coming. In our daily lives, this might encourage us to be alert to persons and situations in need. The Thanksgiving we've just celebrated reminds us how wonderfully we've been blessed and how generous we need to be.

Tom's Talk - GRIEF AND THE HOLIDAYS - PART 1 The Rev. Tom Baker Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, birthdays, anniversaries, or any time when friends and families gather can bring happy memories. However, for others, happy memories are dulled by the pain and sorrow of trying to go through the holiday’s without their loved one, especially during the first year after the death.   The holidays are a time when everyone is expected to be happy and enjoy life. Yet, at a time when everyone is supposed to “be happy,” those who suffered a loss can feel sad, lonely, and depressed.  Holiday decorations start going up in October and everyone begins to ask, “What are you doing for the holidays?” They cannot wait for that special day to arrive while those who grieve can’t wait for it to be over.  Plan Ahead Bereaved people who have the most trouble with the holidays are those who have given little thought about the challenges they will face. Those who grieve can feel like they just want to go to sleep and wake up when the holidays are over. Others would rather not talk about their loss. Trying to hide from the pain of loss can often create more pain. Planning ahead allows those who grieve to see that when the actual holiday comes it is far less painful then they feared.  Holidays are already filled with to-do lists, parties to attend, gifts to buy, and meals to prepare. None of us can do it all. Here are some important tips for those who are grieving to think about in planning ahead for the holidays. 1. To accept or decline party invitations. It’s OK to say “no.” 2. What about cooking and baking? Will certain foods cause too many sad or painful memories? 3. Should the house be decorated? 4. What is best for the children? 5. What to do about family traditions? Should you forget them just this year or come up with new ones? 6. Should a visit to the cemetery be made or perhaps do some other type of memorial? Those who grieve don’t have to answer every one of these questions all at once. Think carefully and be mindful of your feelings.   NEXT WEEK PART II: FEELINGS AND EXPECTATIONS

WORSHIP SCHEDULE Sunday, Dec. 5 - Second Sunday of Advent 8:45 am: Adult Forum 10:00 am: Sunday Worship ... In Person worship and on Facebook Live 11:15 am: Coffee and refreshments Wednesday, Dec. 8 12:00 pm: Noon Day Prayer - Live on Facebook 5:30 pm: Vestry Meeting 7:00 pm: Advent Wreath Lighting Service - Live on Facebook Sunday, Dec. 12 - Third Sunday of Advent 8:45 am: Adult Forum 10:00 am: Sunday Worship Service ... In Person worship and on Facebook Live 11:15 am: Coffee and refreshments 11:15 am: St. Bridget's Chapter of DOK Meeting

Click Here to see St. Aidan's December 2021 Calendar

Click here to see St. Aidan's December Birthdays and Anniversaries

Discretionary Fund Sunday 12-5-21 The first Sunday of the month is the Rector's Discretionary Fund Sunday. All plate cash goes to the Discretionary Fund. If you wish to write a check for the Discretionary Fund, please make note of it in the Memo line of your check. Thank you.

Thanksgiving in Action - Thank You! I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Thanksgiving in Action food drive. We sent 22 boxes of food to First Christian Church in Olathe. On such short notice, St. Aidan’s came through again and doubled the number that I originally thought we’d do. Also thank you to Chris and Laura Burbach for delivering the last load of boxes while I was out of town. Janet Seifert - Thanksgiving in Action

Join us for Adult Forum on Sunday mornings at 8:45.- 9:15. Our Sunday Forum during December will be reflections on the Sunday Service.

Advent Wreath Candle Lighting Service Wednesdays 12/8; 12/15; 12/22 at 7 pm. Please join us for the candle lighting services on Facebook Live.

Living Well Through Advent A free PDF or on line copy of Living Well Through Advent is available at the link below. The Rev. Lisa Senuta, Canon for Spiritual Formation and Clergy Care for our Diocese is one of the contributors.  Click Here for Living Well Through Advent

ANGEL TREE IS Here! As we have for the past few years, St Bridget's Daughters of the King is assisting our Parish with providing families of incarcerated people with Christmas gifts through the Angel Tree Program. We will be hanging Angels on our special tree in the church soon.  Each Angel will have names & ages of children with gift requests. St Aidan's has been so generous in the past with this project. The families have been very appreciative of our help to make their Christmas Day a happier one. Thanks to all!

Christmas Service December 2021 Service Schedule Dec. 21: Blue Christmas Worship Service at 6:30 pm Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Worship Service at 6:30 pm

Sustaining Earth, Our Island Home “I would like to share with you an initiative from the National Episcopal Church's office of the Most Rev. Michael Curry. "Sustaining Earth, Our Island Home" tackles the Episcopal Church's pledge for the care of creation and provides support for individuals and parishes seeking to take those incremental steps toward living in a more sustainable, moral manner when it comes to the impact we have upon the Earth and our capacity to continue to live on it. To paraphrase Bishop Bascom the biggest environmental problems are not biodiversity, water usage, or climate change but greed, selfishness, and apathy. To learn more about this program, please visit http://www.sustainislandhome.org/ and enroll yourself in this program. Please remember to list St. Aidan’s, Olathe as your parish. Our Bishop will reward the parish with the most participation.” Fr. Tom Baker Click here for link

BackSnacks St. Aidan’s is in our second decade of working with five Olathe Elementary Schools in this important ministry. ... See St. Aidan's Facebook and Web page for more information about BackSnacks.

Center of Grace: St. Aidan's helps prepare and hand out meals at Center of Grace in Olathe, on the fourth Thursday of the month. Thursday. You're also welcome to drop off individually wrapped desserts to the church by 2 pm that Thursday.

Pledges and Offerings Please send your pledges and offerings to the church office. You may also donate online. MAKE SURE YOU DESIGNATE ST. AIDAN'S IN THE DROP DOWN BOX. Click here for Donation form.

Pastoral Concerns and Prayer Requests

Pastoral Concerns: In case of pastoral emergencies, please contact Fr. Tom Baker at 785-670-0158 (call or text) or email him at tbaker1102@yahoo.com. Prayer Requests: Please email any prayer requests to Karon Wintrode, and she will post them on Unison.  kwintrode22@comcast.net.

Thanksgivings and Prayers Thanksgivings – Birthdays & Anniversaries We give thanks for the birthdays of Denice Jayaram. Cycle of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for our Full Communion Partner, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In the World Council of Churches Cycle of Prayer we pray for the people of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. In the Kansas Cycle of Prayer, we pray for St. James' Wichita. Click here for Additional Thanksgivings and Prayers

The parish email system is accessible through our website – www.staidansolathe.org See Julie Wojtas (630 865-3931) for information or any questions. Be sure to check Unison for all updated information regarding St. Aidan's.

Click here to see ECF webpage.

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STAY CONNECTED St. Aidan's Episcopal Church 14301 South Black Bob Rd, Olathe, KS 66062 913-764-3050 Email: staidansolathe@sbcglobal.net Website: www.staidansolathe.org Facebook Page: St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, Olathe, KS Twitter: @staidansolathe  ‌ ‌

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