ST. ANNE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church

Newsletter Jan. 2017

SERVING CHRIST IN THE WORLD

Hello Friends,

I wish you all a Happy New Year, and hope your Christmas season was a wonderful one. At this time of the year, I tend to look back on the year that has past and ponder where I was a year ago. I know a lot of people like to make New Year’s Resolutions. I try not to, because I know that I will never keep them. I won’t go to the gym 4 days a week, or stop sneaking snacks late at night, but I can choose to challenge myself. Resolutions are made to be broken, but a challenge is something I don’t like to back down from.

A year ago, I was back in Long Island, in the interview process with St. Anne’s, facing a lot of uncertainty. I was also challenging myself to take more time to be prayerful and ponder God’s role in my life and the lives of those around me.

I know that is not a measurable goal, however I feel like I have succeeded in many ways. In my first year of ministry, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who I was as a priest,

and getting used to my new role. In the second year I had been able to grow into that role. In my third year, it was time to look ahead and discern the future. It was a bittersweet time, leaving my previous congregations and home to move on to a new adventure. Now, entering my fourth year of ministry, I feel like God has called me to St. Anne’s, and this is where I am called to be. I will continue to grow and change in faith and I hope that you will too.

So, once again I challenge myself (and you too) to take more time to be prayerful and ponder God’s role in my life, and the lives of those around me. I know that we can all do this together. I am looking forward to journeying with you all in the coming year, as we bear Christ’s light in the world. Yours in Christ,

Rev. Lauren

Contacts:

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church PO Box 134, 14 Treble Cove Rd. No. Billerica, MA 01862 Office Ph: 978-663-4073 Office Admin Hours: Tues. & Wed. 9am-1pm Thrift Shop Ph: 978-667-6268 Email: stannesbillerica@gmail.com Website: stannes-billerica.org The Rev. Lauren McLeavey Rector Mobile: 718-440-0811 Email: rector@stannes-billerica.org Blog: therevlauren.com Vestry: Ed Giroux – Warden Mark Komarinski – Warden Sue Geen – Treasurer Kathy Brewster – Clerk Susan Kennedy – 2017 Lisa Lavoie – 2017 Maureen Thibeault – 2017 Marie Figenbaum – 2018 John Kusnierz – 2018 Lucy Anne Young – 2018 Judy MacPherson – 2019 Carol Lazott – 2019

Worship: Sundays, 8am & 10am

From the Rector by The Rev. Lauren T. McLeavey

ST. ANNE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Angel Tree of St Anne’s:

The book of Who says: “No matter how different a Who may appear, he will always be welcome with holiday cheer.” You had the opportunity to make Christmas a little more for the 400 plus children being serviced by the Department of Children and Families. We received your gifts large and small, wrapped and unwrapped, helping children 0-18 male and female. And by the time you read this DCF has already distributed the gifts. Every year you have shown the Children (of whatever program we support) they are not forgotten, they are special. Christmas doesn't come from a store, it means a little more. Your generosity goes a long way in a young child's life. Thank you.

Photos:

Keep reading for more Christmas photos!

ST. ANNE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Upcoming Events

January 2017 Jan. 7th: 7:00pm Annacreons Christmas Party Jan. 10th: 7:00pm Rev. Lauren’s Installation Jan. 15th: Annual Meeting Reports due. Jan. 16th: 10:00am Billerica Community Brunch Jan. 16th: 7:00pm Vestry Jan. 17th: 10:00am and 7:30pm Bible Studies resume Jan. 28th : 9:00am Ladies Breakfast at Stelio’s 9:00am Men’s Breakfast at Deli King Jan. 29th: 11:00am Annual Meeting

Ongoing Activities: Mondays: Al-Anon 7:30pm Tuesdays: Bible Study 10am Bible Study 7:30pm Wednesday: AA 8:00pm 1st, 3rd, & 5th Craft Group 10am Saturdays: 4th Men’s & Women’s Breakfasts Sundays: Choir Practice 11:45am

Announcements

-Pick up your new parish directory in the narthex. 2nd Annual Billerica Community Brunch in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. -Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, 10am. First Congregational Church 18 Andover Rd. Billerica, MA Tickets: $5.00 at the door More info: 978-663-8433 Rev. Lauren’s Installation -On Tuesday, January 10th at 7:00pm, Bishop Gates will be at St. Anne’s to officially install Rev. Lauren as Rector. Please join us for this celebration of new ministry. More details are forthcoming, if

you are interested in helping plan this event, please see Rev. Lauren or any member of the Transition Committee. Annual Meeting The Annual Meeting will be Sunday, Jan 29th. If you are in charge of a committee/group, please submit your 2016 reports to the office no later than Jan. 15th. There are 4 Vestry seats opening. If you are interested in running, please see Rev. Lauren. Prayer List Submit the names of your loved ones. Please do so by e-mailing the office stannesbillerica@gmail.com, calling the office, 978-663-4073, or by writing the name on the provided slip of paper and add to the collection plate. The list will be renewed quarterly and all additions/subtractions should be done through the office. Thrift Shop The Thrift Shop hours are as follows: Wed: 2-6pm Thurs: 10am-4pm Fri: 10am-2pm Sat: 10am-2pm Thrift Shop Ph: 978-667-6268 We are always looking for volunteers, so drop by and sign up to help out! If you can’t volunteer during the week, you can help on Sundays after church! We need help after church putting the trash and recycle bins out on the curb for Monday morning pick up and also emptying the donation shed. If you would like to help with this after the 8am or 10am service, please find one of the Thrift Shop

volunteers, a warden, or if can’t find someone, speak to Rev. Lauren. Many hands make light work! Annacreons The Annacreons is a social group that is open to everyone at St. Anne’s for fellowship and fun. Annacreon's Christmas Party and Yankee Swap Yankee Swap gift must come from our Thrift Shop. Saturday, January 7th at 7:00 Home of Carol & Bob Lazott 15 Chesterfield Ave. Billerica 978-807-2196 Tuesday Bible Studies

Please consider joining us. There is one study at 10am in the conference room and another in the evening at 7:30pm. Meetings resume Jan. 17th. Men’s Breakfast The Men’s breakfast takes place on the 4th Saturday of the month at 9:00am at the Deli King restaurant located at 885 Mains Street in Tewksbury. The men’s group is simply anyone who wants to show up for a good breakfast and little socializing. Everybody is welcome. Women’s Breakfast

Ladies – Let’s get together for breakfast on Saturday, January 28th at 9:00 at Stellios in North Billerica. It's a good time to reconnect and plan activities. Please come. ~Carol Lazott

Choir

We’re looking to form a special, larger choir for Rev. Lauren’s installation on January 10th. This choral project is in celebration of the ministry begun by Rev. Lauren at St. Anne’s, and also of the work by the wardens, search committee,

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vestry, and congregation over the past two years. Please consider taking part in this. We welcome all ages and all voices! We rehearse on Sundays from 11:45-12:45, though we can focus on the music for the Jan. 10th installation from 11:45-12:15. If you can sing joyfully, and perhaps can’t participate in the choir year-round, now is the time to sing, please feel free to contact Peter Morelli at morellimail@msn.com or at (617) 480-9775.

Pastoral Visits

Rev. Lauren warmly encourages

visitations at home or hospital

bedside. You don't even need to be

a member of St. Anne’s. But, you

need to take the first step and

invite her. Please give Rev. Lauren

a call at 718-440-0811 or e-mail at

rector@stannes-billerica.org, and

we will arrange for a visitation at a

place and time of your

convenience.

Altar Flowers If you wish to donate altar flowers to Saint Anne’s, please fill out one of the flower request forms and return it to Stacey in the office.

St. Anne’s Knitting Group

St. Anne’s Knitting Group meets the first, third and fifth Wednesdays of the month from 9:30 a.m. to

11:30 a.m. in the Nichols

Room. Then we go to lunch

nearby. Most everything we make

is for the Christmas Fair. One does

not have to know how to knit,

crochet, or any other type of

needle work. Just come and gab

with the rest of us. Please contact

Marie Figenbaum (714-585-9744,

cell, or 781-275-7294 home.)

Administrative office Administrative office hours are Tuesday 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and Wednesday 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Bulletin Announcements Announcements for the weekly bulletin must be submitted to the office by the Tuesday before you wish the announcement to appear. Please include details such as contact person and phone number/e-mail, dates and times, as well as the end date for the announcement. Please submit announcement to Stacey at stannesbillerica@gmail.com.

Christmas Pageant: David, Nicole, and Julie (They wrote and performed that pageant themselves! Thanks to Julie Whooley for supervising.)

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Christmas Pictures: Caroling at Sunny Acres

The Choir Warming up for Christmas Eve:

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The Church all decorated:

The Silver Tea: