Each day in Lent we ought to make some small act of devotion to keep us reminded of this penitential season. To help keep us focused on small acts of discipline, we are making Lenten Folders available. These folders allow us to give a dime each day to mark each day of Lent and Holy Week and serve as a good daily reminder of this special season leading up to the great celebration of Easter. Please take a folder and, beginning Ash Wednesday, place a dime in the folder each day. On Easter Day, bring the folder with you and offer it in the collection.

Please join us on Tuesday, February 5th for our traditional pancake supper to mark this last evening before Lent. The Men’s Fellowship will be making pancakes and sausage for you and your family in the Parish Hall starting at 6:30 PM. The cost is $5 for adults and $4 for children ages 4-11. We look forward to seeing you there.

Please mark your calendars for the Youth Group Breakfast next Sunday, February 3rd. The cost is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. Come and visit with fellow parishioners and enjoy a hot breakfast cooked by the Youth Group! Breakfast will be served from 10 AM until 10:45 AM.

Volunteers are needed to help periodically with giving the Sermon during Children’s Chapel. The sermon and materials will be provided for this fun and easy task. Please contact Grace Hurst at christianed@sttimothys.org or speak with Father James.

The next Church School Teachers’ Meeting will be on Sunday, February 10th at 10 AM in the multi-purpose room in the new School Building (Room 102).

Beach Party VBS takes your kids on an exciting journey to the ocean where they will learn the basics of surfing, ride the wave of God’s love, and go home with a new Beach Be-Attitude. Having a Beach Be-Attitude means being obedient, kind, forgiving, bold and believing. Join your friends for cool beach music, a Surf ‘n’ Sand Science Lab, fun crafts and wonderful lessons. We hope everyone will plan to come and families will volunteer to help with this great program. Three cheers for Alexis Booth, who has volunteered to direct Vacation Bible School this year. VBS will take place during the week of June 9th.

We will have our Soup Suppers on Wednesdays in Lent (not including Ash Wednesday) at 6:30 PM - February 13th, February 20th, February 27th, March 5th and March 12th. Our Soup Suppers are hosted by various groups in the parish and are simple suppers of soup and perhaps bread and a salad.

After each supper, there will be a program that will help us stay up-to-date on events and happenings in The Episcopal Church and The Anglican Communion. Since The Episcopal Church was constituted at the end  of the 18th century, it has been considered part of The Anglican Communion. Recent events such as the consecration of a homosexual bishop in New Hampshire, the expression of theological views of a female Presiding Bishop, innovative interpretations of the Bible and questions about Biblical authority have caused individuals, parishes and now an entire diocese to leave The Episcopal Church. Some Anglican bishops around the world have declared themselves “out of communion” with The Episcopal Church. We hope an examination of these issues will help us find answers to questions such as “Is it necessary to be part of The Anglican Communion?” or “What should we be doing to maintain our belief in Biblical teaching, the faith revealed by Christ to His Church?”. The presentations after the suppers will be brief and will allow time for questions and discussion.

Ash Wednesday falls on February 6th. It is not too early to be thinking and praying about what sort of disciplines you will be taking on this season. The question to ask oneself is, “What could I be doing to deepen my spiritual life?”.  This could include extra or more frequent prayers, a sacramental confession, more frequent attendance at the Eucharist, abstinence, fasting, or reading of subject matter that will improve your knowledge of the Faith. If you would like help in designing a Lenten program to meet your individual needs, please call Father James.

The Vestry is spending the day learning and planning for the Parish on Saturday, February 2nd. During part of their day together, they will schedule events from the various organizations. If a group in the Parish wants to reserve a time, please write it down and sent it to the Parish Office before Saturday, February 2nd. We try to schedule events so that they do not conflict with School events and are not scheduled too closely with other Parish events. Groups may or may not get their first choice, so put down two or three choices. This really helps with advertising and planning.

We are trying to wrap up our Every Member Canvass. We hope to receive a commitment in the form of a pledge from every member of the parish for 2008. The Vestry is still in the process of contacting every member, friend or supporter of the parish so that the entire parish membership is canvassed. If you have already completed a pledge care, thank you, and please continue to pray, support and give so that our work can continue and grow. If you have yet to complete a pledge card, please complete one and place it in the alms basin on Sunday or mail or deliver it to the Parish Office.

Elizabeth McKeathern and Susan Patton are starting off 2008 with a two-day event. They are hosting a “crop” on Friday, January 18th from 7 PM until 11 PM and Saturday, January 19th from 9 AM until 5 PM. Come and bring any creative project you are working on or want to work on along with your supplies. You will have plenty of space to spread out and plenty of time to work, and it’s also a great time to socialize with and meet other creative people and see what they are working on. Feel free to bring your own snacks. See the sign up sheet in the Parish Hall and pick up one of the information sheets if you would like to come.