DONATION ENVELOPES FOR SPECIAL EASTER MUSIC AND ALTAR FLOWERS AVAILABLE NOW
Please support the special Easter music and musicians and special Easter altar flowers by making a monetary donation in memory or thanksgiving of a loved one, a ministry, or any of God’s tremendous blessings. Pick up your envelope by the table outside of the Sacristy or in Founder’s Hall. Completed envelopes can be left in the basket. Contact Charlene (847-945-1678) to phone in your request to accompany your donation if you are unable to pick up an envelope. March 26 is the deadline in order to have your memorial or thanksgiving printed in the Easter bulletin.
FEAST OF THE PEDICURE – WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 5-7PM-ish (a few slots still available!)
Before we wash our feet on Maundy Thursday, join Mother Anne at Josie Nail Spa (2536 Waukegan Rd, Glenview) for a pedicure and fun! We will have some fun beverages, snacks, and plenty of good company. The cost per person, without tip, is $35 – payable ahead of time. Time slots are reserved on a first come, first served basis- we still have some slots available at 5:45 and 6:15. Email Mother Anne (anne@stgregoryschurch.org) ASAP to reserve your spot and confirm times. All ages and stages are welcome!
NO STATIONS OF THE CROSS THIS FRIDAY
Due to the funeral for our parishioner, Irene Besthoff, there will be no Stations of the Cross this Friday at 7pm. Please join us to celebrate Irene’s life and share in a Eucharist with her family, Irene, and all the Saints in light.
Holy Week at St. Gregory’s
“The … mystery of the dying and rising again of Jesus Christ and our participation therein is the theological core of the gospel, and its liturgical celebration is the central event of the church year.” (Leonel L. Mitchell)
How we engage with Lent and Holy Week can have a direct correlation to how the great truth of Easter is lived out in our lives. Throughout the forty days of Lent, and in the week leading up to Easter, we have the opportunity to live into our death with Jesus. We can examine our lives and open ourselves to the working of the Holy Spirit in drawing us closer to God through Christ. Once we live through the death, the resurrection takes on new meaning in us and in our community. At St. Gregory’s, we have the opportunity to observe Holy Week together, with worship every day of the week. Together we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and rejoice in the resurrection of our Savior!
Saturday – 4pm Come help us fold palm crosses for our Palm Sunday celebration. This is a fun activity for all ages.
March 24 We will have refreshments and instructions so we can all work together!
Palm Sunday- 8am and 10am
March 25 Palm Sunday is a day of transitions. We begin worship with the procession of the Palms,
celebrating Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We end the liturgy turning our
attention to Jesus’ passion with a dramatic reading.
Monday-Wednesday in Holy Week- 7am
March 26-28 We will worship at 7am in the Chapel each of these mornings, walking towards death
on the cross with Jesus.
Maundy Thursday- 7pm
March 29 The name Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum, and refers to the new
commandment Jesus gave the disciples in John 13:34 – to love one another as Christ first
loved us. At this service, we celebrate the events of the Last Supper, including the foot
washing and the institution of the Eucharist. Learning to be served by others is an
important step in our walk as children of God. Those who desire are invited to celebrate
the non-liturgical, non-holy feast of the pedicure on Wednesday to prepare for the foot
washing on Thursday! See Mother Anne if you are interested.
Good Friday- noon
March 30 On Good Friday, we observe the crucifixion and death of Jesus. At Noon, we will observe
the traditional Good Friday solemn liturgy with the liturgy of the Word, solemn collects,
and veneration of the cross. We do not celebrate the Eucharist on Good Friday in
observance of Jesus’ death, but rather receive communion from sacrament reserved on
Maundy Thursday.
Good Friday - and 7:30pm
March 30 At 7:30pm, we will observe a final Stations of the Cross – using a narrative format that connects us to each station through a first person point of view.
The day of Jesus’ death is a poignant time to walk this path.
Holy Saturday- 5:00pm – Easter Vigil
March 31 The Easter Vigil is an ancient liturgy that includes fire, light, word, water, bread,
and wine – and takes the worshipper from death to life. The Easter Vigil helps us all
embrace the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. This first Easter service is the
traditional time for Baptism in the church calendar, and we will baptize Olivia Polzin.
Easter – 8am and 10am
April 1 We will celebrate Christ’s resurrection with joyful worship including special music (at
10am). After the 10am, there will be a reception with festive beverages, and an egg hunt!
EASTER RECEPTION SIGN-UP
Can you help in celebrating Easter with a dish to share after the 10am Easter Service? Any fruits, baked goods, or appetizer to share? If you are interested please or have any questions kindly contact me, Cecilia Rodriguez, at
913-991-1728 or CYJL2003@mac.com
FLOWER DONORS NEEDED
Please contact Val Seilheimer (valscello1@aolcom) if you would like to sponsor an arrangement on Maundy Thursday (basket with white flowers and ivy), April 8, April 22, or April 29. Thank you!
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE HYMN?
During Easter season we want to hear WHAT your favorite hymn is and WHY! Choose any hymn from the red 1982 Hymnal or the Music Issue and tell us why it speaks to your heart. During the season of Pentecost we'll sing these favorites during Sunday worship, and print your name and reason for loving the hymn in the bulletin. Fill out the form that will be included in the bulletin for the next several weeks, or email your request to Kathryn directly at kathryn@stgregoryschurch.org.
RED BAG DONATIONS COLLECTION – SUNDAY, APRIL 8
Please note this month’s donations will be pushed back 1 week due to Easter.
LENTEN BOOKS AVAILABLE IN LIBRAY
The Sally Craig Memorial Library has a display of books of Lenten meditations available for checkout on the shelves just inside the library door. Also on display are picture books about Easter, including a few board books for the very youngest. In addition, many books of prayer and meditation can be found on the shelves under Dewey Decimal numbers 242 and 248.
VESTRY MEETING NEWS
At its meeting on March 13, your Vestry:
Decided to Focus our work together on two key Initiatives: Family Ministry and Faith in Action (community and outreach programs). Prioritizing these two important initiatives will enable us to channel our volunteer resources to create a strong foundation for our parish families and position us for the growth of our congregation.
Reviewed the 2018 Pledge Card submissions. We are at 60% received and want to get to 100% so that we can make sure our parish remains strong and vital during the year. Please turn in your 2018 pledge soon if you have not done so yet. Thank you.
Continued to build spiritual connection and relationship among Vestry members. At the all day Vestry retreat, we each shared our hopes and dreams for St. Gregory’s in a fun and meaningful atmosphere. Our goal now is to engage the entire parish and ourselves in doing purposeful work together for the coming year.
LENTEN STUDY GROUP: MEETING JESUS IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – THURSDAYS 12-1:30
Have you ever wished to deepen your relationship with God? To experience a warm friendship with God? Maybe even fall in love with God – again – or for the very first time? Meeting Jesus is a seven-week journey into deeper intimacy with God through reflection and prayer on the Gospel According to John. We will come together on Thursdays at noon to read, pray, and grow together.
We are currently meeting on Thursdays from 12-1:30 and will be ending March 22. Please let Mother Anne know if you would like to join the group so we can have enough prayer and study guides. anne@stgregoryschurch.org
ST GREGORY’S BOOK CLUB, NEXT MEETING MARCH 21 AT 7PM
“Before We Were Yours” by Lisa Wingate is the book selection for March 21. April 18 will be a selection to be determined by David McCullough. Our May 16 selection is “News of the World” by Paulette Jiles, and for April 18 choose your David McCullough selection. It could be “Truman”, “The Wright Brothers”, or whatever you decide. We'll discuss the works that have been chosen at our April meeting. All are invited.
NEXT COMMUNITY MEALS – PALM SUNDAY, MARCH 25
Volunteers at the soup kitchen this past Sunday included David Jolly, Suzanne Francis, Scott and Elizabeth Hamilton, Mark and Cathy Leimbeck, Bill and Janet Foltz, Matthew and Scott Schaper, Desserts were provided by Scott and Elizabeth Hamilton, Mary Keller, Lynn Pike, Cissy Singleton, Sybil TenEyck, the Schapers, and the Foltzs, Our next opportunity to serve is Sunday, March 25rh, Palm Sunday.
Thank you, Barb Schaper and Bill and Janet Foltz
NORTH SHORE EXPLORING GRIEF GROUP –SPRING SESSION
The Exploring Grief Group series provides a confidential, supportive and educational environment to cope with grief. Four area congregations have come together to underwrite this service for our community, enabling us to offer it at no charge. Meetings are led by Rev. Dr. Joellen Hosler, LCPC who has extensive experience with grief and loss through her work with clients and as a Pastor. Joellen will design a unique presentation for each meeting tailored to the needs of the group. For more information or to register, please contact Joellen at 847-446-6955 ext. 19 or jhosler@northshoresamaritan.org. Please register to ensure these groups can provide enough support for those who are grieving. Space is limited
Meets Every Other Monday at 7:00PM - 8:30PM
Spring Session: Christ Church Winnetka April 9th - June 18th
Sponsored by Christ Church Winnetka, Kenilworth Union Church, First Presbyterian Church of Wilmette, Winnetka Congregational Church
PRAYERS THIS WEEK, PLEASE REMEMBER…
The sick, and those who need prayer, especially…Mark Lanigan, John Dingels, Taylor Gibbs, Mary Sullivan, Kathy Seghers, Sue Mueller, Luke Schneider, Kathryn Kelly, Carrie, Scott Davison, Barbara Rice, Davison/Rice Family, Elizabeth Hamilton, Arlett Fishburne, Dori Carlson, Julie Gibbs, Anita Singleton,.Mitch Nelson, Jeff Bialer and Bill Thiel,
Our companion parish in Madagascar, Santa Grégoire, Tolagnaro, and Dean Donné.
For the departed…..Irene Besthoff.
PARISH E-NEWSLETTER DEADLINE - MONDAY, 9:30 AM
If you would like to have something included in the newsletter sent out midweek, please submit your article to parish@stgregoryschurch.org or call Charlene Vanderhulst (847-945-1678.)
FUNERAL SERVICE FOR IRENE BESTHOFF
A Funeral Service will be held at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church,
for Irene Besthoff, on Friday, March 23, 2018, at 7:00 pm.
BISHOP VISITING THIS SUNDAY – 8AM AND 10AM WORSHIP, AND TEACHING AT 9AM
Bishop Jeffrey Lee will be at St. Gregory’s THIS Sunday, March 18th: preaching at both services, and teaching at the 9am Adult Forum. Join us for worship, formation, and Coffee Hour (after the 10a service).
DONATION ENVELOPES FOR SPECIAL EASTER MUSIC AND ALTAR FLOWERS AVAIABLE NOW
FEAST OF THE PEDICURE – WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 5-7PM (A FEW SLOTS AVAILABLE!)
READERS FOR GOOD FRIDAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS, 7:30 PM We need as many as fourteen people who would like to read the "story" portion of the stations at the evening service. If you would like to join in this important ministry, please let Scott know at scott@stgregoryschurch.org.
LENT and Holy Week at St. Gregory’s
Feb. 16 - March 30 Stations of the Cross – Fridays at 7pm in the Church
Stations of the Cross are a 14 step moving devotional that commemorates Jesus’ last day
on earth. We pray the Stations all the Fridays of Lent to call to mind the Passion of Christ,
that is, the journey Jesus took from his condemnation to his death.
Good Friday- noon and 7:30pm
Maundy Thursday. At 7:30pm, we will observe a final Stations of the Cross.
traditional time for Baptism in the church calendar.
Have you ever wished to deepen your relationship with God? To experience a warm friendship with God? Maybe even fall in love with God – again – or for the very first time? Meeting Jesus is a seven-week journey into deeper intimacy with God through reflection and prayer on the Gospel According to John. We will come together on Thursdays atnoon to read, pray, and grow together.
“Before We Were Yours” by Lisa Wingate is the book selection for March 21 and for May 16, ”News of the World” by Paulette Jiles. April 18 will be a selection to be determined by David McCullough. All are invited.
Our next opportunity to serve is Sunday, March 25, Palm Sunday.
The sick, and those who need prayer, especially…Mark Lanigan, John Dingels, Taylor Gibbs, Mary Sullivan, Kathy Seghers, Sue Mueller, Luke Schneider, Kathryn Kelly, Carrie, Walter S. Johnson, Scott Davison, Barbara Rice, Davison/Rice Family, Elizabeth Hamilton, Arlett Fishburne, and Irene Besthoff.
For the departed…..
10:00 AM Holy Eucharist with music