All members of the diverse Belfast-area faith community are invited to join in a series of brown bag lunches every Wednesday in March that will be hosted by St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 95 Court St., Belfast.  The gatherings from noon to 1 p.m. in the parish house are presented by the Greater Bay Area Ministerium (GBAM). Each week will focus on a different aspect of “Encountering God, the Spirit, the Holy, the Divine, the Sacred in the Arts and in the World Around Us.”  Bring a brown bag lunch.  Coffee and tea will be provided.

     Following is the schedule of speakers:

March 1: The Rev. Barbara Briggs, Rector of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church and the Rev. Vicki Sirota,

“Encountering God through Music”

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March 8: The Rev. Julie Daley, retired United Methodist Deacon,

“Encountering the Spirit through Practices of Silence”

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March 15: The Rev. Amy Fiorilli, Minister,

the Unitarian Universalist Church of Belfast,

“Encountering the Spirit through Poetry”

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March 22: The Rev. Jean Ashland, Chaplain, 

Waldo County General Hospital,

“Holding Love and Loss”

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March 29: The Rev.Ted Chaffee, Pastor,

First Baptist Church of Belfast,

“Encountering the Divine through Art”

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ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES

        St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Belfast, will observe the start of Lent with two services on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22.  The service at 9:30 a.m. with Eucharist and the imposition of ashes will be without music.  The second service at 5:30 p.m. will be the same, with music.  All are welcome at the church, 95 Court St., Belfast.

The Outreach Committee met on February 11 and came up with many ideas on how we can assist our local community and others in need nationally and internationally.

We voted to send $2000 to ERD for their work with Action by Churches Together Alliance in Turkey and Syria following the horrendous earthquakes in that region. An additional $2000 will be sent to Doctors without Borders also for Turkey and Syria. Funds will be added to the $1070 raised on the Fifth Sunday of January to send $2000 to the World Central Kitchen for their work in Ukraine.

We are exploring the needs to assist with homelessness in the Waldo County area and how we can also support other local initiatives both locally and internationally.

Epiphany feast on January 6. The hall was prepared for a feast, frivolity, and fun. Three lucky people were crowned queens for the evening. King cake was served. Games and song, bagpipes and trumpet were all part of the evening of fun.

COME ONE! COME ALL! Come to our Epiphany celebration this Friday, January 6. We shall begin with church service in the sanctuary at 5:00 to remember the arrival of the Magis. We shall then process into the great hall (the parish hall) led by bagpiper Shaun King. The hall will have been prepared for a feast and frivolity, fun. Everyone should bring a potluck dish (fit for a king). Dessert will be provided. Bakers, Nancy Perkins and Nan Cobbey will provide a king cake. Three lucky people will be crowned king/queen. Louis Pelletier will blow his trumpet for the royal fanfare.Thre will be crowns and capes. After dinner the games and music will begin. Kristen Burkholder will be the Mistress of Fools. Please bring a small, wrapped gift for men in the Reentry Center, or for women in need. Costumes are optional, but part of the fun. Wear something festive, silly, outrageous, or with a medieval or renaissance flair. Have fun being creative. A nonalcoholic punch will be provided, but you are welcome to BYOB. Come and share in this festivity this Friday evening.

Meet our choir! Under the direction of Kristen Burkholder!

Back row from the left: Bob Sirota, Shaun King, Caleb Briggs, Judy King, Craig Watson, Francis Stewart. Middle row: Vicki Sirota, Jean Goldfine and Mary Bigelow. Front row: Cindy Grohdahl, Ruth Shaw, Alexandra Stewart & Linda Dunson. Choir Director: Kristen Burkholder.

They’ll be singing at the 8 p.m. Christmas Eve service!

The much anticipated booklet on the history of our parish church, and in memory of Ron Whittle, our unofficial Historian, are now available! On Sunday they will be on the back table in the church and at the Annual Meeting. They will also be available in the office. A donation of $5 per copy is requested.

Traditionally, parishioners and friends of St. Margaret’s have donated to the Christmas Flower Fund to memorialize a loved one, commemorate an occasion, or offer a thanksgiving. There are Christmas Flower offering envelopes on the back table, which you can place in the Sunday collection plate or mail it into the office, 95 Court St., Belfast, ME 04915. We’d like to receive your donations by Wednesday, December 21st (with clear instructions on how your gift should appear in our Christmas Eve leaflet. We look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus with you this Christmas, and together, remembering the true meaning of Christmas.

The November Knit-a-thon broke attendee records and much fun was had along with lots of knitting, food, chat and laughter. The impromptu fashion show at 5 PM showcased the knitters amazing talent and abilities. The fundraiser brought in $1,768 (and still counting), which will be shared between two of our local agencies that assist people with heating their homes: Waldo CAP Fuel Fund and the Waldo County Woodshed.

Many thanks to all who made it a delightful and tremendous success,
and to St. Margaret’s for providing such a wonderful space!!!