Don t Forget, Spring Forward Inside this issue: Holy Week Schedule 1 Lenten Music & Dinner 2 Jewels & Jeans Auction 2 Elliott Point Donations 2 Easter Egg Stuffing 3 Knitting Group 3 Single Friends Dining 3 Women s Bible Study 3 Promised Land Trip 3 Vestry Report 4 Adult Christian Educ. 5 Easter Tree 6 Monday Book Group 6 CALENDAR From the Rector's Desk Saturday, March 24 5:00 PM Palm Sunday Service in the Chapel. Sunday, March 25 8:00 AM Palm Sunday Service with Procession, 9:30 AM Christian Education 10:30 AM Palm Sunday Service with Procession, Monday, March 26 6:00 PM Holy Week Eucharist, in the Chapel. St. Simon s on the Sound Episcopal Church Ft. Walton Beach, FL I spoke in my sermon last Sunday, and also as mentioned in the Vestry Update in this Epistle, about a new mission statement approved by your Vestry at our retreat in January. It is simple and it is easy to remember and it is a great synopsis of who we are called to be as the body of Christ here at St. Simon's. "A sacramental church, striving to know Christ and make Him known." Coincidently the daily reading for March 7th in "The Journey with Luke" book recommended for those participating in the Good Book Club contains a reflection from the Reverend Mike Kinman, Rector of All Saints Episcopal in Pasadena, CA. Mike writes: "The best mission statement ever written is Canterbury Cathedral's. It's four words: 'to show people Jesus'...We exist to show people Jesus...God's love must be made known. It cannot wait. There can be no excuses...no matter what others might say, we exist to show people Jesus." Our new mission statement calls us from our roots as a sacramental community to work on ourselves to become truer disciples of Jesus and to do all we can to live into the life we are called to as disciples, so that by our lives and what we offer both in the church and out in the world, Jesus is made known to others. Against this mission statement we will do our best to measure all we do together both inside and outside the walls of our church. I am pleased and excited about the way this helps remind all of us to keep the main thing, the main thing. To that end I hope you are planning on making Holy Week a high priority for yourself and your family. It's our time. It's our week. Invite friends. Most of all, join in these special worship opportunities which provide ways for all of us to know Christ. I look forward to seeing you there. Meanwhile, let's show people Jesus. Fr. David+ Thursday, March 29 6:00 PM Maundy Thursday Service, foot washing and stripping of altar, in the Nave. 8:00 PM- Watch over the reserved sacrament, 9:00 AM in the Chapel. Friday, March 30 12:00 PM Good Friday Liturgy, in the Nave. 6:00 PM Good Friday Liturgy, in the Nave. Saturday, March 31 9:00 AM Holy Saturday Liturgy, in the Chapel. Click Here to View Parish Calendar Tuesday, March 27 6:00 PM Holy Week Eucharist, in the Chapel. Wednesday, March 28 6:00 PM Special presentation by youth and children and Eucharist, in the Nave. Sunday, April 1 5:30 AM Sunrise Service in outdoor chapel along the sound. 8:00 AM Easter Day Service in church. Nursery provided. 9:15 AM Easter egg hunt - meet at church or at Sound Park. 10:30 AM Easter Day Service, in Nave. Nursery provided.
Page 2 Lenten Dinner & Music Program Our Lenten Music Programs have all been scheduled! Wednesdays 5:00 PM - Stations of the Cross in the Nave 5:30 PM - Dinner in the Parish Hall 6:30 PM - Music Program in the Nave March 14 March 21 Dinner graciously offered by the Young Adults A performance by the Women s Chorus from Northwest Florida State College, Bella Voce. Dinner graciously offered by the Daughters of the King. St. Simon s Choir will lead in a choral Evensong Service. Jewels & Jeans St. Simon s will host: Jewels & Jeans: Putting Faith into Action Silent & Live Auction Friday, June 15 from 6:30-930 pm. As we begin planning, please consider things you can donate. Do you play an instrument? Can you donate lessons? Do you enjoy babysitting? Can you donate a few hours? Do you paint, sew, or do woodwork? Can you donate a piece of your art? Do you have a treasures you ve been meaning to consign like antique dishes or decor, a condo on the beach or a cottage in the mountains, do you own a small or home business with products or services people want or need? We are also looking for folks to join our planning committee! So put on your thinking caps and join us March 19, at 10 AM. If you have questions, please contact Kelley Fuller at 850-830-8498 or kcbfuller@gmail.com. Elliott Point Elementary As you may already know, St. Simon s has adopted Elliott Point Elementary and committed to providing healthy snacks throughout the year to students in need. It has come to our attention that some students are also in need of gently used clothing items, including underwear (new), socks, shoes, pants, shorts, Tshirts, etc., with sizes ranging from 4T to Youth 14, or adult Small. Less than 10% of their students come from 2 parent homes and 90% receive financial and other government assistance. Thank you in advance for making a difference in these children s lives. Donations can be placed in the Elliott Point Box the Atrium at any time.
Page 3 Candy for Easter Egg Hunt Needed Knitting Group The knitting group meets: The annual Easter Egg hunt will be held Easter morning at Sound Park between the two morning services. We have hundreds of plastic eggs but are in need of individually wrapped candies to fill them with. If you would like to donate please place candy in Ansley's office by Palm Sunday, March 25th. If you would like to stuff eggs, please contact Ansley directly at 850.545.1003 or educ@stsimons-fwb.org. Every Monday, 1-3 PM In the Fellowship Room All are welcome, please join us! Contact Cece Allen (850) 650-0462 Single Friends Single Friends will meet Mar 17 at Noon for a Dutch treat lunch at Anglers Beachside Grill. The restaurant is located on Okaloosa Island next to the Gulfarium at 1030 Miracle Strip Pkwy. RSVP is not required. Contact Barbara Bethea at 850-582-7011 or babethea@aol.com if you have questions. Don t forget to wear your green! Women s Bible Study group We are Going to the Promised Land Fr. David is leading a group to the Holy Land for ten days, beginning November 26th, 2018. This can be the trip of a life time! Flyers are available in the office or by clicking this link. Beginning: April 3rd at 9:30 AM We will be working with a book by Lynn Cowell, Make Your Move: Finding Unshakable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures Participants will be responsible for purchasing their own copy of the book, which is available at a variety of outlets, including Amazon for $12.19 for paperback and $8.99 for Kindle version. We need to hear from you by March 20th if you d like to participate. Please contact Peggy Broaddus (call or text) 840.647.0811 or hdb7589@aol.com so we can order books. She will let you know how to prepare for our first meeting. See Fr. David if you have any questions. Church of All Nations, Jerusalem
Page 4 Vestry Report At its February 20th meeting, the Vestry: Approved a new St Simon s Mission Statement: A sacramental church, striving to know Jesus and make Him known Reviewed initial inputs on 2018 Vestry committee goals. As a reminder, the Vestry has three (3) committees: Administration (policy, stewardship, membership), chaired by Rob Newton Ministry, chaired by Paige King Property, chaired by Jr Warden Frank Milhous Approved the repair of the Scheel Parlor, Choir Room, Pantry, and Skylight Roof leaks in tandem with the Chancellor s assessment of potential legal action with respect to the previous unsuccessful contract. Directed the purchase of an additional Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for placement in the Parish Hall and to schedule training for the Vestry, Men s Group, Ushers, and interested parishioners in the next couple months. Received an update on the recently conducted Parish Security Assessment. The final report should be available for consideration at the March Vestry meeting. The assessment will include a local criminal threat analysis, report of existing conditions and vulnerabilities, recommendations to consider to improve security, as well as a discussion of response to shootings like those at churches in Texas and South Carolina. Reviewed options and procedures to cash out investment holdings that are not endowed in accordance with guidance from the Diocese and the Business Methods of the Episcopal Church. Reviewed the way ahead from the Fall Cottage Meetings. After somewhat of a pause over the holidays, Vestry committees are reviewing the feedback to incorporate short-term items in their 2018 goals. Remaining long-term items will then be assessed for completion and whether a capital campaign may be required. Feedback and communication to the Parish on the Cottage Meetings is a prime objective of the Vestry. Endorsed Josh Woods for Ordination to the Transitional Diaconate. Agreed with the Montessori School requests to (1) move to a one-year lease, (2) implement an after school program, and (3) to share space with the Godly Play room. In consideration, the Vestry asked that Father David and staff negotiate new lease provisions to ensure the church recoups all its costs for hosting the school. In addition, the new web site is on-line!! It is designed and intended primarily for non-members searching for a church. It s still somewhat a work in progress, so if you see a mistake or note an improvement, please provide your thoughts to the office staff.
Page 5 Adult Christian Education Episcopal 101 If you have joined us in the last TWO years, whether you have previously been confirmed or not, please plan on attending Episcopal 101, which starts this Sunday at 9:30 in the chapel. And of course if you are interested in Confirmation/Reception into the Episcopal church the class is required for you to do so when the Bishop visits in late April. We also would love to have as many "veterans" of St. Simon's as would like to join us - you will learn something and I am sure teach us all something as well. Classes will meet every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the chapel, upcoming classes will be: 03/11/2018 - Orders of Ministry, Faith in Action, Deacon Clelia 03/18/2018 - What do we believe, Fr. David The Good Book Club Our diocese has joined with several others across the church to support the Good Book Club. Please go to goodbookclub.org for all the details. Beginning in Lent and through the great 50 days of Easter we will together read the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Forward Day by Day is a sponsor and offers materials to help us, including discussion questions for groups who commit to do this together. Our first discussion will be on Sunday morning February 18, discussing Chapters 1-6 of Luke, at 9:30 Sunday mornings in the Parish Hall from February 18-May 20. Jennifer Lee will facilitate the discussion and Michelle Anchors will be her backup. Please come and share! Upcoming Readings: SUNDAY, March 11 Luke 15:1-10. MONDAY, March 12 Luke 15:11-32. TUESDAY, March 13 Luke 16:1-18. WEDNESDAY, March 14 Luke 16:19-31. THURSDAY, March 15 Luke 17:1-10. FRIDAY, March 16 Luke 17:11-37. SATURDAY, March 17 Luke 18:1-17. SUNDAY, March 18 Luke 18:18-43. Full list of readings available at goodbookclub.org
Page 6 Easter Tree is Here! The Easter Tree, benefiting Children in Crisis, is here! Come to the Church Office, or Atrium after Services, to get your envelope. 1) Take an envelope with a child s name 2) Fill with cash, checks, or gift cards Thank you for helping to make the children feel special and loved! 3) Return card to Church Office or place in the drop box in the Office back door. Monday Book Group March 26, 2018 - The Monday Book Group will meet at noon in the Parish Hall to discuss Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. This novel is a complex tale based on a real life scandal in which poor children were kidnapped and sold to wealthy families all over the country. Bring a lunch, if you like, and join us for discussion. Please call JoAnne Connell (850) 240-3051 with questions. GIVE TO ST. SIMON S ONLINE! The epistle is published weekly on Thursdays. All submissions are due the preceding Tuesday and are subject to edit and approval by St. Simon s staff. Make singular or recurring donations, including pledge contributions, by clicking or scanning the QR code above. (You must have a Realm account to use this feature.) St. Simon s on the Sound Episcopal Church Fort Walton Beach, Florida 28 Miracle Strip Parkway SW Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32548 (850) 244-8621 www.stsimons-fwb.org