This Sunday is Scout Sunday

This Sunday, January 25, we  celebrate the kids and families of Scout Troop 50! Scouts will be featured in the service by helping with readings and music, and then all are invited to join us in Founder’s Hall after the service to learn about all the great things the troops have accomplished this year. Parents and kids interested in scouting can also learn about how to get involved!

Don’t Reply to These Scam Emails!

We have been targeted in a phishing scam. Do you not reply to emails that appear to be from Pastor Dan, LoriLee Bielski, or anyone else which …

• ask you for a parish directory.

• make a vague request about a matter that requires “discretion.”

• ask you to purchase gift cards.

• just don’t sound right.

Scammers are getting better and better at faking the identities of church leaders. Please use these important tips to avoid being scammed.

TIPS:

1. If anyone needs a directory, ask Anita directly (anita@stgregoryschurch.org). When in doubt, refer all requests for a directory to Anita. Directories enable scammers to do attacks like this, so we all need to help safeguard this information.

2. PAUSE before you act: scammers will say things like “I need this right away.” Real church folks will understand if you want to take time to verify.

3. Check the sender carefully: look closely at the email address itself, not just the first and last name or signature. Check this against the email addresses listed in the bulletin.

4. Be suspicious of gift card or $$ requests.

5. Verify through a second channel: Send a separate email to the email address you KNOW belongs to the person contacting you. Better yet, call the person at the number you have for them. Scammers will say things like “we have to do this over email.”

6. Never open links or attachments you weren’t expecting.

7. If it feels “off,” DON’T RESPOND. Trust your gut. Never feel bad about ignoring an email if you are in doubt. Real church leaders will know how to get in touch if we don’t hear from you.  

Thank you!

Save the Date: Annual Meeting is February 8

Immediately after the 9:30am service, we’ll look back at our accomplishments in 2025 and look ahead to our goals for 2026…. all while enjoying our annual crockpot chili/stew brunch. :)

Add your name in the Sign-Up Center to bring your favorite soup/stew/chili (please bring it in your own crockpot!), or side items like rolls and drinks!

P.S. We promise to be finished well in advance of any pre-game tailgating for the Super Bowl. ;)

Community Meals is this Sunday

A huge thanks to the 4 people who have volunteered to bake cookies and the 8 people who have volunteered to prepare and distribute the meals this Sunday, January 25th. If you’re able to join us for future Community Meals dates (our next is Feb 22nd!), please add your name to the Sign Up Center or contact Barb via the button below.

Save This Date Too: Fat Sunday is February 15

On Sunday, February 15 we will enjoy our traditional Fat Sunday service - with gorgeous uplifting gospel music led by a band, and a festive brunch (with king cake!) to follow! This is a great Sunday to invite your friends and neighbors to, to showcase the fun and joyful heart of StGs on this last Sunday before Lent begins. :) You won’t want to miss it!

Ash Wednesday is February 18,
with our Better Together partners

Rather than hosting our own service, we will be joining our Better Together partners for Ash Wednesday this year. You can attend either:

• 12 noon at St. Lawrence in Libertyville

• 7pm at Trinity Episcopal in Highland Park

  
  

If you would like to attend the evening service but do not drive (or just do not drive at night!), please add your name in the Sign Up Center or email Kathryn and we’ll connect you with a carpool!

If you are not able to attend a service onsite and would like to have consecrated ashes mailed to you, please email Kathryn no later than Feb 6 with your current physical address!

Wednesdays in Lent:
Stations of the Cross

We will once again be holding Stations of the Cross at St. Gregory’s on Wednesdays in Lent. The service will be onsite only, starting at 5:30pm.

Note: We will join our friends at Trinity Highland Park for their annual Stations & Fish Fry in Lent, with the date to be announced shortly!

StGs Cookbook Fundraiser Project!

We all know the StGs community enjoys our potluck events, and we’re sure you have requested or shared a recipe from food contributed! But now, you can help those dealing with food insecurity… just by sharing your recipes!

It’s simple:

• Use the button below to enter as many recipes as you’d like to share.

• Recipes will be collected until February 22nd.

• The St. Gregory’s Cookbook will be sold during Lent and delivered after Easter.

• All proceeds from cookbook sales will go to the West Deerfield and Vernon Township Food Pantries!

We need your help to achieve our goal of a minimum of 150 recipes! Questions or need help? Contact Cissy Singleton or Kim Baer.

Are you interested in getting baptized or officially joining the Episcopal Church?

Pastor Dan would like to know if anyone is interested in a class for adults who might like to be baptized, confirmed, or officially received into the Episcopal Church.

This class would meet weekly between April 20 and May 20, day and time TBD.

This class will also be great for anyone who is simply interested in learning more about the distinctiveness of the Episcopal Church. You’re not committed to going through with one of the rites.

Click the button below to express interest, or add your name to the sheet in the Sign Up Center.

Coffee with Dan on Mondays!

Have something weighing on your heart, mind, or spirit? Want to connect more deeply with Dan? Not sure exactly what you want to talk about? It’s all good. No RSVP, no appointment needed. Drop-in to the Starbucks at Deerfield & Waukegan every Monday from 3-6pm. As always, he’s also available by appointment on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sunday afternoons. Send him an email to schedule!

Flu is Spiking!
Help protect the vulnerable
with these tips

The Lake County Health Department has requested we alert you to the recent spike in respiratory illnesses, especially influenza. Remember:

• It’s always okay to wear a mask – either to protect yourself, or to protect others if you’re feeling under the weather.

• Frequently wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.

• Stay home if you’re not feeling well or have been exposed to someone who is ill… that’s one reason why we still offer church on Zoom! You are always welcome to worship remotely if needed.

Let’s continue to live out God’s calling of protecting the vulnerable among us.

Scout Troop 50 is collecting old phones

Are you like many of us, with a drawer full of old electronics just gathering dust and taking up space? Troop 50 is collecting old or broken mobile phones, tablets, and MP3 players in December and January for a donation to Cell Phones for Soldiers!

Donated phones are wiped of personal information and refurbished for sale through their partner, Vendidit, or responsibly recycled for parts. Proceeds will fund programs that provide free communication solutions to Active/Guard/Reserve Service members and Veterans in need.

Any device can be donated regardless of age or condition! Please leave them in the box in the Sign Up Center, and the Scouts will take care of the rest. Thank you!

Midweek Prayer

Every Wednesday | 8:00am

Need a midweek spiritual boost?

Join a lovely small group of folks who gather online every week for spiritual renewal and to pray intentionally for everyone in our community who is in need.

Meeting ID: 750 552 357 
Password: 587299

Common Threads

Second Tuesday of the month  |  7:00pm

Bring a new or ongoing craft project to work on while you enjoy fun and fellowship with other parishioners. Whatever your craft - whether your medium is knitting, embroidery, painting, calligraphy, etc - and whatever your skill level, all are welcome! We meet in the Parker Room.

Book Club

3rd Wednesday of the month  |  7:00pm

Note: A reminder that we take December off, but will resume in January!

January 21:
James by Percival Everett

A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—both harrowing and satirical—told from the enslaved Jim's point of view.

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim's agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

Meeting ID: 817 1184 3180
Passcode: 893734