Welcome to our News Blog! Here, you’ll find the latest news we have to share about our parish this week. If you wish to receive our weekly newsletter, “This Week at St. Alban’s,” every Friday, please email office@stalbansdc.org, and we’ll include you to our mailing list. Now, ahead with the news:
On our 9 a.m. service, we’ll celebrate the St. Francis Day Eucharist with the Blessing of Animals in the National Cathedral’s Amphitheater. Please invite family, friends, dogs, cats, lizards, and stuffed animals to join us for this special day.
You Are Invited To A Special Celebration: We invite you to a Special Celebration for the Season of Gratitude. The reception will take place on Monday, October 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. and will be hosted by Kevin Rudd & Thérèse Rein at The Australian Ambassador’s Residence (3120 Cleveland Avenue. Washington, DC). Please RSVP by Sunday, October 6, by clicking here. Childcare options will be available at the church for this adult-only event. Assistance with transportation or mobility access is also available. If interested, please contact Eve Zartman-Ball at ezartmanball@yahoo.com.
Flower Arranging Workshop with St. Alban’s Flower Guild: In a cross-ministry event, the Flower Guild will conduct a flower arranging workshop on October 2nd, after the Wednesday night fellowship dinner. All are welcome; attendees will learn the basics of flower arranging and create their own arrangements with hands-on help from Flower Guild members. Members of the WeCare Ministry will also be with us and will accept any donated arrangements for housebound parishioners or those needing a beautiful pick-me-up. Participants age 10 and up may enjoy this workshop, plus we will have a floral activity for children under age 10. Please contact Lucy Cage by September 29th if you are interested in doing an arrangement and so that we can ensure an ample supply of materials and flowers.Foyers Potluck Dinner – Satterlee Hall, Saturday, October 5 – 6:30 pm
: Whether you are new to St. Albans or have been here forever, sign up for Foyers, the most fun community ministry. Foyers participants meet over dinner with fellow parishioners for merriment, food, and good cheer. In homes, large or small, seated on the floor or in formal dining rooms, the agenda is purely social—getting to know each other and having a good time. Competitive cuisine is not on the menu; our only purpose is to maintain the strong community of St. Albans by getting to know each other. Everyone is welcome! If you were not in a Foyers group this past year, email one of us to sign up for the October 5th dinner: Linda Vitella, Brian Burson, or Marcy Fisher. (If you were in Foyers this past year, we should already have your rsvp.) Sign up for next year’s Foyers’ fun at the dinner on October 5th, online by clicking HERE, or in the narthex after church on Sunday, September 29 or October 6.
We can’t wait to welcome children back to Sunday School this fall. Our primary curriculum is Godly Play, a Montessori-based method of spiritual guidance for children of all ages. Register by clicking here. Classes for children run from age 2 ½ to Grade 6 and meet on the 2nd floor of Satterlee Hall (the large building across the driveway from the Church). A Walk-Through Open House will be held this Sunday, September 8 at 10:15 a.m. Classes resume on September 15 at the same time. Questions about Sunday School or Godly Play? Contact Francoise Le Gall or Candice Brown.
We are excited to resume our youth programs at St. Alban’s! If you are a young person or know someone in grades 7-12, we would love to welcome you into our fall offerings and youth group activities. Join us on September 8 for an Open House from 10:15-11:00 am, followed by the first day of classes on September 15. Youth classes meet on the Lower Level of Satterlee Hall. Please get in touch with the Rev. Sarah Taylor Miller if you have any questions. To register, please click here.
Wednesdays at St. Alban’s: Please join us this Wednesday, October 2, for prayer, a meal, and an opportunity to grow in faith and community. We start with Evening Prayer at 5:30 p.m. in the Church, then offer a catered dinner at 6:00 p.m. in Nourse Hall, followed by an adult program with Bertie at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to join at any point in the evening. Suggested donation for the meal: $14 per adult. To plan accordingly, we appreciate your RSVP by Monday, September 23. To plan accordingly, please click here to RSVP for the meal by Monday, September 30.
Wednesday Night Prayer Explorers: Families and children, you are invited to Wednesday evenings at St. Alban’s! Family-friendly meals will be served in the Wade room directly outside Nourse at 6:00 p.m. Kids eat free! Dinner will be followed by the Wednesday Night Prayer Explorers, a new fun program for kids under 12 that will delve into all kinds of ways to pray, both active and quiet! Parents and caregivers are invited to participate in Prayer Explorers or attend the adult program in Nourse Hall. Questions? Contact Sarah.
Education For Ministry: Do you have questions about your faith? Most people do, and most find it challenging to get answers. Education for Ministry (EfM) was developed by the School of Theology in Sewanee, TN, to help you answer some of your questions. EfM is a four-year program that meets via Zoom every Wednesday evening from 6 – 8:30 p.m. from September through May. It provides a framework for the members to connect faith to their daily lives through reading and discussion. EfM allows you to think theologically, reflect faithfully, and shape your faith into action. No “experience” or expertise is needed, just a willingness to participate and share. Please contact Margit Williams via email or 813-431-4057 if you have any questions.
Youth Music at St. Alban’s! Do you know a child who loves to sing? The Choristers are once again recruiting for our upcoming program year! We are thrilled to offer two exciting groups — our Cherub Choir for Kindergarten and Lower Elementary Schoolers, and our Choristers Upper Elementary and Middle Schoolers. In conjunction with our Wednesday Nights at St. Albans, the Cherub Choir will be rehearsing on Wednesdays from 5:15-6pm, while the Choristers will be rehearsing on Sunday mornings after Sunday School from 11am-12pm. All children are welcome to sing, so feel free to bring friends! Should you have any questions, or be interested in joining, please reach out to Chorister Program Director Joseph Kaz, at JosephK@stalbansdc.org. We look forward to another musical year!
Looking for a Few Good Bookmates! Do you love to read AND grow in faith? Are you interested in learning more about the great theologians throughout church history? Then join this book group this fall! Starting in September, a book group led by Bertie will kick off and meet every two weeks throughout the fall semester (the group might return in the new year). The day and time of the meetings are TBD, depending on the group’s availability. If you are interested, please email Jessica Miller, who will contact you with more details.
Healing Histories: A Reparations Dialogue This September: The Committee on Diocesan Reparations and Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde cordially invite all Black-identifying parishioners—from any parish in the diocese and especially those at our historically Black parishes—to a day of fellowship and discussion of reparations at Transfiguration Parish in Silver Spring. The Committee will present the work we have conducted so far, including our research into what reparations might look like in our diocese and how reparations may affect you and your parish. We will also devote good time to hearing your thoughts in a safe, welcoming space. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Join us on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at Transfiguration Parish (13925 New Hampshire AVE., Silver Spring, MD 20904) RSVP required: Please complete the registration by clicking here. If you have trouble with the Registration Form, please email reparations4edow@gmail.com.
Blessing of the Backpacks Next Week: Join us on Sunday, September 15, at 9:00 a.m. as we bless all those who carry backpacks to school or work at the onset of this new school year. Kids, teens, teachers, faculty, and staff, we invite you to bring your backpack to church on this day so we can bless it and you! We’ll pray for you as a group during the announcements and give you a special backpack tag to take with you.
You Can’t Tell the Parishioner Without a Nametag: Thanks to those 30-40 parishioners who signed up for new nametags over the past two Sundays. Your nametags will appear on the board in the Wade Room a week or two after your request. With the Rev’d Sarah Taylor Miller’s recent arrival, this is a good time for everyone to wear a nametag to help facilitate her introduction to the parish members. If you don’t have one or if yours needs replacing, please email Mery Montenegro in the church office, and she will facilitate getting those produced. Even if you’ve been a member for decades, wearing a nametag makes it easier for our newer parishioners to feel connected. Everyone likes to be called by their name, so let’s make it easy for that to happen!
Morning Prayer: Please join the clergy of St. Alban’s every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9 a.m. in the St. Alban’s Sanctuary for Morning Prayer. The Book of Common Prayer’s Office of Morning Prayer is both an ancient and beautiful way to spend time with God each day, and a phenomenal education in Scripture, as the lessons read walk us through the majority of the Bible over the course of their two-year cycle. All are welcome!
Acolytes and Crucifers Needed for our Services: No matter if you are an experienced acolyte or crucifer or would like to learn about these important liturgical ministries, we are looking for kids, youth, and adults who would like to volunteer in these capacities for our Sunday service at 10 a.m. Please contact Dudley Winthrop to learn more and sign up.
Grate Patrol Volunteering Opportunity: The Grate Patrol ministry would like to offer you the opportunity to deliver meals on the second Friday of each month. The food will be prepared in advance, the Salvation Army van will meet you at Church at 6:00 pm, assist you with serving meals and return back to Church by 8:00 pm. This is a wonderful chance to serve those in our community. Please, email Susan Morris if you have any questions. And not to worry, no long-term commitment is required.
We are looking to expand our list of Christ House volunteers. We serve food at Christ House the first and third Friday dinners every month. Please contact Michael Nix for further info.
Donating to St. Alban’s is easy! All you have to do is click HERE, or mail a check to the church office. You may also text your donation to St. Alban’s by simply typing the keyword STALBANSDC$ and the amount of your donation to 73256. If you need assistance with text giving, text HELP. Thank you very much for your generous support of St. Alban’s!
We pray especially for Sage Hoare, Geraldine MacTigue (friend of Elizabeth Fisher), Boyd Huppert (friend of Deborah Potter), Aida Armaly,Tom Browder (friend of John Maclean). Caroline Zaino McCall (granddaughter-in-law of Alex Netchvolodoff), Irene Colando (mother of Candice Brown), Janice Green (mother of Wendy Stengel), Ashley Shacklee (niece of Bob Witten), Sarah Cooley (niece of Elizabeth Dietel), Cameron Cunningham, Philip Yasinski and Janet Reingold (friends of Marty Kerns.)
We pray for the peace and unity of our nation in this election year, and for peace in Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, Venezuela, Israel and Palestine.We pray for all who have died, especially Woody Pierce and Cynthia Cohen. May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
