St. George's Episcopal Church, St. Louis Park, MN

May Newsletter Now Online

2008-05-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

The May edition of St George's Newsletter has been mailed, and is available for viewing or download at 2008-05Newsletter.pdf. Keep up on all the parish doings with St George's Online!

Upcoming GUSS Sessions

2008-04-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 4th: Field Trip to STEP. We have supported STEP in many ways for many years. On this Sunday, GUSS goes mobile with a trip to STEP headquarters to see first hand how our support helps ministry happen.

Sunday, May 11th: Pneumatology for Pentecost. The Feast of Pentecost is celebrated as a feast of the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit? What does the Church teach about the Spirit, and what difference does that make for our daily faith life? Father Paul will lead a discussion on pneumatology, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

Spring Clean Up

2008-04-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

Please join your parish family for a clean up day on Saturday, May 3rd at 9:00 am. There are windows to wash, posts to paint and a variety of other projects. If you can't make this day, we will have a planting day on Saturday, May 17th. We'll have coffee and donuts to start the work day!

Environmental Stewardship

2008-04-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

Continuing on the subject of "reducing," here are a couple of suggestions of websites that can assist you in reducing your junk mail. Greendimes.com - it costs $20 to use this service, but they do a lot of the leg work for you. Reduce.org - this website is recommended by the group Congregations Caring for Creation and tells you how to go about reducing your junk mail.

April Newsletter Available

2008-04-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

The online edition of St George's monthly newsletter is now available for April. What's happening this month? What's the latest Sunday School Scoop? Who's serving at the altar next Sunday? Find out here: 2008-04Newsletter.pdf

Upcoming GUSS Sessions

2008-03-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 30: End of Life Issues. The Rev. LeeAnne Watkins will lead a workshop designed to help prepare families for end of life. These conversations are not always easy to have, but things are so much better if this subject can be talked about before a person is in a health crisis. Many times families are put in the situation of having to make life support decisions for someone who has never told them what their wishes might be. The angst this causes a family could be greatly diminished if they had the assurance they were making the decision their loved one would want them to make. At this session a tool called 5 Wishes will be offered as an easy, legal way to officially make your wishes known. Similar to that is planning for the funeral itself. A family can develop much concern trying to put together a funeral that the deceased would have liked. They struggle over music and scripture readings and locations for burial. The times that these choices have already been made by the one who has died brings great relief to the family and helps them in their grief. At this session we will go over a worksheet to help think through the various aspects of a funeral service.

Sundays April 6 and 13: Alzheimer's/Dementias and Mental Fitness. Congregations are aging as society is aging. One of the issues that confronts aging congregations is Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive diminishment and dementia. While many of us know a little about these issues, most of us could benefit from learning more. What are some early signs of cognitive diminishment? What can we do to work on our mental fitness? How can our congregation be supportive of persons and families experiencing Alzheimer's, dementias, and cognitive diminishment? Chaplain Yosef Hunter and the Rev. Dr. Mildred Cox will lead two sessions on this pastorally important topic.

Plan now to attend these installments in our Grown-Up Sunday School series!

GUSS 3.16.2008

2008-03-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

GUSS will feature Terry Gips of Sustainability Associates, speaking on "What Would Jesus Do About Caring for Creation? - Possibilities for Living a Good Life and Creating a Just, Healthy Earth." How do our environmental concerns fit with our faith commitments? Come to GUSS on the 16th and explore some dimensions of this vital topic.

Environmental Stewardship Tip of the Month

2008-03-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

If we are to concentrate on "reducing and reusing," as discussed last month, we should reduce our use of disposable paper products. But when you do buy paper towels, paper napkins, facial tissues and toilet paper, please consider buying recycled paper products. Most are made from 100% recycled paper, but an even more important number is the percent that is post-consumer paper. The higher the post-consumer percent, the better. Post consumer is the paper that we recycle from our homes. Look for brands like Green Forest, Seventh Generation and Whole Foods 365 brand.

Join us for Holy Week

2008-03-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

Palm Sunday
Liturgy of the Palms and Holy Eucharist
March 16th at 8:00 am and 10:00 am

Maundy Thursday
7:30 pm - Service

Good Friday
March 21 - Noon - The Good Friday Liturgy
7:00 pm - Liturgy of the Word

Holy Saturday
Altar Guild preparation - 9:30 am
Children's Holy Saturday - March 22nd - 10:00 am
The Great Vigil and First Eucharist of Easter - March 22nd at 8:00 pm

The Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter Day
Festival Holy Eucharist
March 23rd at 8:00 and 10:00 am

Theology & a Pint, 3.25.2008

2008-03-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

Leading our discussion this month will be The Reverend Michele Morgan, Minister of Children, Youth and Families, St John the Baptist Minneapolis MN.

Join us as Michele leads us in exploring what makes a good Christian movie. Come prepared to discuss your own favorites.

Save the date of Tuesday, March 25th, 2008, 8:00 PM

Join us for good conversation, good theology and to share a pint.

When: Tuesday, March 25th, 8:00pm
Where: Kip's Irish Pub (Just West of 394 & Hwy 169)
9970 Wayzata Blvd, St. Louis Park (http://www.kipspub.com/)

Theology & a Pint is a monthly gathering and casual discussion for anyone interested in exploring the intersection of faith, god, culture and politics. Questions about Theology & a Pint? Please send an e-mail to rex.mckee@gmail.com.

Wednesday Lenten Schedule

2008-02-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 13th - Lutheran Church of the Reformation
Wednesday, February 20th - Wooddale Luthern Church
Wednesday, February 27th - St. George's Episcopal Church
Wednesday, March 5th - Ascension Lutheran Church
Wednesday, March 12th - First Lutheran Church

GUSS Studies Mission Strategy

2008-02-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

St George's Grown-Up Sunday School, informally called GUSS, is studying the report of the Bishop's Commission on Mission Strategy, Rethinking, Reframing, and Reclaiming our Identity, Purpose, and Mission. This report has several important implications for how we engage the mission of the church in the particular context of St George's.

You may download a copy of the BCMS report here: BCMS%20Convention%202007%20Report%20Final.pdf. You may then read it on your computer or print it out. If you know of someone who would like to read the report but doesn't use the computer much, print out a copy for them! The more people read and ponder these mission goals, the more people will be able to work together to achieve them!

GUSS sessions to discuss how St George's might take up the goals of spiritual transformation, congregational renewal, and networking leadership will be held on February 17 and 24, and March 2 and 9.

February Newsletter Available

2008-01-25T09:28:00.000-08:00

A copy of the February St George's Newsletter is available for download. Just click 2008-02-Newsletter.pdf to read the newsletter. Keep up to date with parish news, events, and ministries at St George's Online!

Loaves and Fishes

2008-01-20T18:55:00.000-08:00

Environmental Stewardship Tip of the Month

2008-01-20T18:51:00.001-08:00

Environmentally responsible cleaning alternatives.

Soaps, dishwashing liquids and laundry detergents are available that are kinder to our environment. Several brand names are Arm and Hammer Essentials, Seventh Generation, Whole foods and Shaklee. In the local Whole Foods stores you can refill your natural cleaning bottles to reduce waste. Shaklee cleaners are concentrated so that you can add water, waste and save on shipping costs. You can also make your own homemade cleaner. Most are made with common ingredients like baking soda, borax, vinegar and olive oil.

What's a Twelfth Night, Anyway?

2008-01-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

Each year we celebrate Christmas and Epiphany as holy days remembering the birth of Jesus. How did these traditional days get connected to the Bible stories of the birth of Jesus and his manifestation to the world? Come to GUSS this Sunday, January 6, at 9:00 am for a session called "How We Got Twelve Days of Christmas," to learn about the origins of Christmas and Epiphany and the link between them. (Twelve lords a-leaping optional...)

January Newsletter Available

2008-01-03T13:27:00.001-08:00

The St George's Newsletter for January is now available for download. Just click 2008-01-Newsletter.pdf to read the newsletter. Keep up to date with parish news, events, and ministries at St George's Online!

Offering Envelopes for 2008

2007-12-05T17:40:00.000-08:00

Offering envelopes for 2008 are available in the Narthex. If you don't see any there and would like some, please contact the parish office at 952.926.1646.

Environmental Stewardship Tip of the Month: Recycling Paper Items

2007-12-03T18:21:00.000-08:00

Are you aware that most curbside recycling programs collect the following:

Boxes for food items that do not go in the refrigerator or freezer, e.g. Boxes from crackers, cake mix, pasta, gelatin & pudding, cereal
Boxes from health and beauty aides, e.g. toothpaste, facial tissue, over-the-counter medications
Boxes from products such as trash bags, zipper-type bags, printer cartridges
Empty tubes from toilert paper and paper towels
Gift and shoe boxes
Shredded paper

December Newsletter Available

2007-11-30T12:12:00.000-08:00

You can read the December edition of the parish newsletter here: 2007-12.Newsletter.pdf.

Keep up to date with parish events, news items, and Sunday service personnel with St George's Online!

GUSS Sessions for December

2007-11-30T11:48:00.000-08:00

In December our Grown-Up Sunday School will feature three presentations:

December 2: Jackie Olafson of STEP will keep us up to date on St Louis Park Emergency ministries.

December 9: The Rev. Theo Park of the Church of St James on the Parkway will speak about liturgy and the arts.

December 16: Lou and Rosie Michelich of St George's will share experiences from their dental mission trips to Honduras.

On December 23 GUSS will take a break from its usual schedule to enjoy the children's Christmas Pageant. GUSS sessions will begin again in January.

How We Get Bishops

2007-11-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

The GUSS presentation for Sunday, November 4, was an outline of the process of electing bishops in the Episcopal Church. Since Bishop Jelinek has announced his intention to retire at the end of June 2010, this is a matter of some pertinence in our diocese. For a copy of the slide show used in Fr Paul's presentation, please click here: Howbishops.pdf

Stay in touch with issues in our church and in our world with Grown Up Sunday School!

November Newsletter Available

2007-10-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

You can read the November edition of the parish newsletter here:
2007-11%20Newsletter.pdf

Keep up to date with parish events, news items, and Sunday service personnel with St George's Online!

GUSS Follow-up

2007-10-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

At our Grown-Up Sunday School session yesterday, October 28, our Diocesan Convention delegates reported on the actions of the 150th Convention of the Diocese of Minnesota. One of the biggest items dealt with at Convention was the reception of the report of the Bishop's Commission on Mission Strategy, or BCMS. The BCMS report recommends some deep systemic changes to the way we think of the diocese, our congregation, and our own roles as Christians, refocusing our vision and our energies on serving God's mission in the world. What would it look like for St George's if we dedicated ourselves to serving God's mission in our immediate context in St Louis Park? What would it look like for each of us if we devoted significant energy to discovering and using our particular spiritual gifts for ministry? What would it look like for the diocese to be organized as a flexible network of congregations and ministries rather than a pyramid-structure with its base in the laity and its apex in the bishop? These are only some of the challenging and exciting questions the BCMS report puts before us.

Over the next several months the clergy, Vestry, and other leaders of St George's will be studying the BCMS report and planning how we can engage it at our congregational level. You can be part of this process, too, by reading and pondering the report from your own point of view.

You may download a copy of the BCMS report using this link: BCMS%20Convention%202007%20Report%20Final.pdf. You may then read it on your computer or print it out. If you know of someone who would like to read the report but doesn't use the computer much, print out a copy for them! The more people read and ponder these mission goals, the more people will be able to work together to achieve them!

Environmental Stewardship

2007-10-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

Low Flow Shower Heads - Your shower uses around 22 percent of the total water you use in your home (if your home is average). A few years ago, shower heads delivered about 5 to 8 gallons per minute (gpm). The current standard for low-flow heads is 2.5 gpm. Most shower heads sold today are low flow, but check with your local hardware or home improvement store to be sure. You can purchase low flow shower heads in a variety of styles and a new shower head is easy to install.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs - By now, you have probably heard about compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. They are available in different sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture, for indoors and outdoors.

ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs provide the greatest savings in fixtures that are on for substantial amounts of time each day (at least 15 minutes at a time). To choose the ENERGY STAR qualified CFL with the right amount of light, find a qualified CFL that is labeled as equivalent to the incandescent bulb you are replacing (light bulb manufacturers include this information right on the product packaging).

Xcel Energy has advertised that during the month of October, Menard's and ACE Hardware stores will be selling CFLs for 99 cents each while supplies list.