Welcome to St. Margaret s Church We welcome you to our faith community that is now over 300 years old. We pray you will find something here that piques your interest and that you will decide to come worship with us and get more involved here. We boast in Christ, but we are also proud of our terrific music program, our spirited and accessible worship, our youth and adult formation and our inclusiveness of all. No matter your age, color, income, education or orientation, there is a place for you in the Kingdom of God. If you have never been in a church before, or it's been a long time since you've prayed, St. Margaret's hopes to be a place for you to find God or to be found by God. - The Reverend Peter W. Mayer, Rector 1601 Pleasant Plains Rd., Annapolis, MD 21409 (410) 974-0200 Phone * (410) 757-5334 Fax info@st-margarets.org www.st-margarets.org Facebook: St. Margaret s Episcopal Church Twitter: @SMCAnnapolis
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 1 Corinthians 16:29 Sunday Services 7:30 a.m. Rite One/spoken 9:00 a.m. Rite Two /music 11:15 a.m. Rite Two/music Christian Formation 9:00 a.m. Children s Chapel 10:15 a.m. Sunday School, Christian Formation Worship - At the heart of all we do. We celebrate three services of Holy Eucharist each Sunday, warmly welcoming visitors of all ages, sharing God s peace with genuine concern and affection for one another, and responding to the liturgy with energy and thoughtful consideration. At the 7:30a.m. service on Sundays, we generally worship using Rite I Liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer in a spoken service. At our Sunday 9:00 and 11:15 a.m. choral services, we generally use Rite II Liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer. Children s Chapel takes place in the Day School building during the first part of the Sunday 9:00 service. Children join their families at the Peace in time for Communion. St. Margaret's is known for its enthusiastic congregation singing and musical diversity. Each Sunday has a different musical focus that range from the classic hymns and anthems of the Anglican tradition to contemporary Christian and Gospel music. Coffee Hour and education for all ages takes place between Sunday services. Additional services, observances and Christian formation programs are offered throughout the year.
Our commitment to excellence in worship goes beyond our regularly scheduled services and extends to Baptisms, Weddings, and Funerals. Baptisms Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ s Body, the Church. For the earliest period of Christian history, baptism has been the gateway into membership in the Christian church. Along with Holy Eucharist, Baptism is one of the two great sacraments of the church. The Baptismal liturgy is the outward and visible sign of the inward and spiritual grace of becoming a member of the Body of Christ. Weddings Marriage at St. Margaret s is performed within the tradition of the Episcopal Church. Only the "Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage as contained in the Book of Common Prayer may be used as a liturgical form for the service and the final decision relating to all elements of the service rests with the St. Margaret s clergy person who will serve as the officiant. Celebrating Life at St. Margaret s Funerals When someone we love dies, we want to say goodbye in a proper, fitting way. While we mourn their death, we also yearn to celebrate the life they shared with us. The Episcopal liturgy for the dead is an Easter liturgy. It finds its meaning in the resurrection. To assure the uniqueness of each service and the participation of the couple in the design and execution of their wedding service, each couple is asked to specify: The service of Holy Baptism normally takes place in the context of the Holy Eucharist on Sunday morning or a major Feast Day. Holy Baptism is especially appropriate at the Easter Vigil, on the Day of Pentecost, on All Saints Day or the Sunday after All Saints Day, and on the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord (the First Sunday after Epiphany). the readings and/or lessons they desire, whether or not they desire the Holy Eucharist, what music (hymns, processional and recessional music, soloists, etc.) they would like incorporated and a number of other particulars relating to the conduct of the service. St. Margaret s has prepared a document to help plan a funeral and make final decisions about the celebration of a loved one s life. The clergy are always available to help make these important plans. Contact the church office to receive one of these packets or download the document on the church s website.
Let the little children come unto me. Matthew 19:14 Youth Formation St. Margaret's welcomes over 150 children and youth to worship and formation opportunities each week. Our staff is a dedicated group of teachers who volunteer their time to share their love and faith with the children. In addition to Sunday school classroom time, we supplement our curricula with fun parish-wide events such as our annual Advent wreath making, Easter egg hunt, and Christmas Pageant. We strive to welcome new children and their families throughout the year and invite you to join us as we learn about God's presence in our lives and infinite love for us. Young Children *Nursery available from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Sunday. *Children s Chapel for children up to 4 th grade during the 9 a.m. service. *Godly Play for children in preschool to first grade at 10:15 a.m. on Sundays. *Seasons of the Spirit for children in grades 2 to 6 at 10:15 a.m. on Sundays. *Spirit Singers for children in grades 1-5 who provide music for up to eight services a year. Youth * Rite 13 for grades 7 & 8 The Rite 13 curriculum is the first segment of the 6-year Journey to Adulthood program. We use scripture, discussion, guest speakers and spiritual practices to explore the four content areas of Self, Society, Sexuality, and Spirituality. * J2A for grades 9 & 10 These two years will be packed with pilgrimage planning and the continued exploration of Self, Society, Sexuality, and Spirituality in preparation for an international pilgrimage journey in search of Christ.
Youth Missions Mission work at St. Margaret's Church has many different forms and time commitments. The church and the Day School collect food donations year round for the Light House shelter in Annapolis and groups regularly cook meals for the shelter. During the year, there will be months where special mission programs and projects are supported. Examples for last year include participating in the Crop Walk for world hunger by the middle school age students and collecting warm clothing donations for the local H.O.P.E. project. The youth group and Sunday School classes will have service projects throughout the year. During the summer, there are a number of opportunities to volunteer to help with our Vacation Bible School and with Camp Allen, a week-long summer camp for underprivileged children in the Allen apartments on Forest Drive in Annapolis. There are also possibilities for youth and adults to join diocesan programs and mission activities. In the past, we have had a number of members go on trips to Western Maryland, Appalachia and Honduras. Preschool for children ages 2-5 and Kindergarten St. Margaret's Day School offers a Christian learning environment for pre-schoolers, age 2-5, as well as Kindergarten. The school uses a developmentally appropriate, child-centered curriculum and offers small classes led by degreed teachers. Featuring *Half day and full day class options. *Before and after school care. *Winter workshops and summer camps. For more information, call 410-757-2333 or email Tricia@st-margarets.org.
Music Ministry Whether you love the great Anglican anthems of Harris and Howells or the contemporary stylings of Hillsong; whether you prefer the standard hymns of the faith or like to clap along with Bluegrass and Gospel; or whether Classical music or Jazz is your favorite way to experience creativity in music, St. Margaret's offers you a multitude of musical ways to enter into worship, to serve God and the community, and to find cultural enrichment and refreshment. Traditional Contemporary Concert Series The more traditional music groups of St. Margaret s include the Chancel Choir and the Motet Ensemble who take turns performing for the 9 and 11:15 Sunday services. In addition, they participate in special musical services and support other church activities. The repertoire for the Chancel Choir is wideranging, including Classical works, standard choral anthems, spirituals, and Gospel music. Practices are Thursdays at 7 p.m. The Motet Ensemble specializes in music of the Renaissance and Baroque, as well as traditional Anglican choral anthems and they practice on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. Every third Sunday of the month, the later services are led musically by The Third Sunday band. They also lead a Bluegrass Mass outside the first Sunday in June. Influenced by a diversity of musical styles, Third Sunday continually crafts unique arrangements of popular Contemporary Christian songs and traditional hymns as well as an extensive collection of original music. The Third Sunday Band features acoustic and electric guitar, keyboard, harmonica, mandolin, flute, and percussion along with fourpart harmony in a blend of folk, rock, country, reggae, jazz, and blues styles. Our Music at St. Margaret s concert series offers the greater Annapolis Community a unique opportunity to hear awardwinning artists, Broadway stars, nationally as well as locally known concert performers, and international music sensations in an intimate space of great beauty, history and superb acoustics. We offer programs from jazz and blues performers, to family concerts, to classical recitals. For a list of our upcoming concert performances, log on to www.st-margarets.org.
Parish Life St. Margaret's parishioners join together in a myriad of ways to: Show love and support to one another; Explore the richness of our faith; and Reach out to the community and be the face of God's love. Missions The St. Margaret's Missions Commission promotes mission opportunities for parishioners by coordinating volunteer activities (like the Lighthouse Shelter in Annapolis) and providing and administering grants for groups in the community and around the world from our generous endowment fund (over $100,000 annually). Christian Formation From weekly Bible study to special seasonal workshops, there are many ways for members to grow in faith. We offer adult forums monthly on current topics, as well as the Education for Ministry program for advanced theological study. We also just began creating special podcasts for private reflection and growth. Fellowship There are a variety of groups available for parish members to join, many who work together for the good of others, including the St. Margaret s Guild, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, the Prayer Shawl Ministry, and the Daughters of the King. We also offer the opportunity for members to participate in foyers, groups that regularly socialize (including adults and families). New to the church is our social group for 20 s and 30 s, and our St. Margaret s seniors (55+) regularly attend events together. Health Ministry Service St. Margaret s members are active in supporting their church with their time and talents. Committees such as Stewardship, Newcomers, Building & Grounds, the Altar Guild, the Flower Guild, ushers, teachers, and office volunteers are just some of the ways that our members become such an integral part of St. Margaret s. Whatever your background and skill, be assured we need and want your service. The mental and physical well-being of parishioners is important at St. Margaret s. Our Parish Nurse oversees a variety of activities like monthly blood pressure checks, quarterly blood drives, CPR training and regularly visits and follow up with members who are facing illness and loss. SMC has a very active Prayer Shawl Ministry that provides shawls with a prayer in each stitch. Other individuals are busy offering prayers on a daily basis for an ongoing list of parishioners and non-parishioners who request them. Still others offer hands on healing prayers during worship services monthly, and our Eucharistic Visitors deliver communion on a bi-weekly basis to those unable to attend services.
Annual Joust - July Annual Events at St. Margaret s Bluegrass Mass - June All Saints Day Dixeland Mass - November St. Margaret s Church 1601 Pleasant Plains Road Annapolis, MD 21409 www.st-margarets.org