Newsletter for December 26, 2021

St. Aidan's Weekly Newsletter

Sunday 12-26-2021

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 Christmas Eve, Friday, Dec. 24 at 6:30 pm, and our Sunday, Dec. 26 Worship: Lessons and Carols, at 10 am. NOTE: St. Aidan's Sunday Services are also on Facebook Live. You can access the Live Facebook broadcast through our website. If you are watching our online worship service, please use the attached Worship Booklet below. It includes our Lectionary Readings and Hymns.

.Christmas Eve Worship Service 12-24-21 Click Here for the Lessons and Carols Worship Booklet 12-26-21

Check Unison, Facebook, and our Website for Schedule Updates. Click Here to view You Tube Channel

No one wants to take a step back by returning to wearing masks in church, especially during the Christmas season. Unfortunately, Covid numbers and its variant are rising. Your vestry and I want to protect you and our visitors by requiring everyone to wear a mask during services. Thankfully we can still sing in church. We may have to wear masks but we can still see the Star! Be our Guest (coffee hour) is also canceled until further notice. If you have any questions, please contact me. In prayer, Fr Tom our website.

Merry Christmas!  Cherie and I can not begin to thank you enough for the gift of your support and love this past year. It probably is no accident that the celebration of Christmas follows closely behind the longest night (winter solstice). As our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry stated, “The followers of Jesus began to commemorate his birth, his coming into the world. When the world seemed darkest. When hope seemed to be dashed on the altar of reality.”  “But there is a God. And there is Jesus. And even in the darkest night. That light once shined and will shine still. His way of love is the way of life. It is the light of the world. And the light of that love shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not, cannot, and will not overcome it.” May the light of Jesus be with you always! Fr. Tom and Cherie

December 26, 2021 First Sunday after Christmas: Celebrating with Lessons and Carols

Holy Eucharist RITE II, 10:00 am - Rev. Thomas Baker Sermon: Deacon Karen Schlabach

ROTA for Dec. 26, 2021 Acolyte: Don Seifert Readers for Lessons 1st lesson: Mark Sappenfield 2nd Lesson: Joe Fossati 3rd lesson: Clarice Ewing 4th lesson: Barbara Belt 5th lesson: Mark Sappenfield 6th lesson: Joe Fossati Ushers: David Kahn, TBD Counter: Mike Belt Altar Guild: Karon Wintrode No Be Our Guest Ministry utill further notice.

The January and February 2022 ROTA will be done next week. I will email it to you on Tuesday. As usua, 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

When his parents saw Jesus (in the temple) they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety. Luke 2:48

Christmastime reminds us that one of the greatest stewardship activity isi to be good parents. The love of parents for their children is a constant reminder of the love of God for us.

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

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

Online Giving For online giving, for those using technology, please go to our website: Donations - St. Aidan's Episcopal Church (staidansolathe.org) Or if you would like to donate through other means, Please contact Tim Tatlock at 913-764-3050

Help For Tornado Victims On Friday and Saturday, December 10 and 11, a line of severe weather spread across the central United States, spawning over 50 tornadoes. Many lives were lost in these storms, and homes and businesses were severely damaged or destroyed. Episcopal Relief & Development is in contact with the affected dioceses as they assess the needs in their communities and stands ready to assist in the coming days and weeks. Please pray for the people impacted by the deadly tornadoes. Donations to the US Disaster Fund will support Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners as they respond.

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: Fourth Thursday of the Month St. Aidan's helps prepare and hand out meals at Center of Grace in Olathe, on the fourth Thursday of the month. We would appreciate your help by bringing individually wrapped desserts for the Center of Grace to St. Aidan's by 2 pm on that Thursday.

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 [email protected]. Prayer Requests: Please email any prayer requests to Karon Wintrode, and she will post them on Unison.  [email protected].

Thanksgivings and Prayers Thanksgivings – Birthdays & Anniversaries We give thanks for the anniversary of Russell and Susan Johnson. Cycle of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for our Full Communion Partner, The , Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, India. In the World Council of Churches Cycle of Prayer we pray for the people of Ghana and Nigeria. In the Kansas Cycle of Prayer, we pray for Calvary, Yates Center. 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.

Episcopal Youth Ministries

Kansas Youth News

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

Click here for updated Episcopal Diocese of Kansas Information