For one last “hurrah” before the rigors of Lent, the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, hosted by the Men’s Fellowship, on will be held on Tuesday, February 16th beginning at 6:30 PM. Come and have your fill of pancakes, sausages, and anything else you will miss during the Lenten fasts and abstinences.

Due to inclement weather, the Vestry Retreat has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 20th. The Vestry sets dates of events for the whole year at this retreat. This helps to ensure that events are not scheduled for the same day or too closely to each other. If you know that your organization is planning an event at some point in 2010, please get the date(s) to one of the Vestry members. It is very likely that you will get the event on the day you would like it. If you do not get the date to the Vestry before the retreat, the Vestry cannot promise that your event will be scheduled on your preferred date, but they will schedule it as close as possible to your suggested date.

Confirmation Classes begin on Sunday, February 7th. These classes are for those who will be presented for Confirmation at the Bishop’s Annual Visitation on Sunday, April 25th at 11 AM. They are also for those who have been baptized in another church and want to be a communicant of The Episcopal Church. Some people attend the Confirmation Classes because they would like to have a review of the history and doctrine of The Episcopal Church. All are welcome to attend.

• February 7: Revelation and Response to God
• February 14: The Authority of Holy Scripture and The Bible and Anglicans
• February 21: The Book of Common Prayer
• February 28: The Sacraments – Effectual Signs of Grace
• March 7: The Eucharist, The Mass, The Holy Communion, The Lord’s Supper
• March 14: Confession
• March 21: Christian Stewardship
• March 28: The Anglican Communion
• April 4: No Class (Easter Day)
• April 11th: The Episcopal Church in the USA
• April 18th: A Rule of Life

Our study of The Gospel According to Saint Matthew will continue on Wednesday, February 10th from 7 to 8 PM. Bible Study will not meet on Wednesday, February 17th due to the Ash Wednesday Evening Service.

St. Anne’s Chapter of the ECW will meet on Wednesday, February 10th following the 10:30 AM Communion Service. We are studying the people of the Bible, followed by lunch. Currently we are planning for our Bake Sale in April. We invite all women who are members of the church to attend our meetings. Please bring a sandwich to share; salad, dessert and drinks will be provided.

Our Vacation Bible School (VBS) will be held on June 14th -17th. Our theme this year is Egypt, where the Bible brings to life the story of Joseph’s journey from prison to palace. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities, so please come be a part of the excitement of planning our VBS.

We are having our second planning meeting on Sunday, February 21st at 10 AM in the Parish Hall. We need many volunteers to help with the organization, advertising, teaching, cooking and arts and crafts. This is a way to really get involved and serve children as you are serving the Lord. We have eight volunteers, and we need many more.

Due to some cancellations, we are down to 24 of our 30 reservations for the Trinity Center Weekend, so we now have some rooms available. Trinity Center Weekend is February 26th-28th. If you are interested please contact Cathy Elsea at 919-846-8114 or cmelsea1@aol.com. Come and join the fellowship and a weekend at the beach!!

Please remember in your prayers all of the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. This natural disaster has left many thousands of people dead, injured and homeless. It is difficult for us to imagine how many have been affected and how devastating this is for them. These people are especially close to us because of the great missionary efforts the Episcopal Church has established over the past two centuries. Our Sisters of St. Margaret have worked to educate and care for millions of Haitians during the years. Haiti is one of our dioceses with the largest number of Anglicans. We have learned that the Episcopal Bishop of Haiti and his wife are alive, although she is injured. The Roman Catholic Archbishop has lost his life in the earthquake. Our prayers and work are needed in Haiti. If you would like to help in the recovery and efforts to aid the people of Haiti, you may donate to The Episcopal Relief & Development for Haiti by phone at 1-800-334-7626 X-5129 or by mailing your check to P.O.Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058 (please mark donations for “Haiti Relief Fund”). You may also donate online at http://www.er-d.org/HaitiCrisis.

Enjoy an evening in Roma! Dine on a delicious Italian dinner while sipping a glass of wine. Listen to the sounds of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra and bid on a variety of items during the Silent Auction. Don’t miss this fun-filled annual event sponsored by the Youth Group! Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and children under 10.

In lieu of the Coffee Hour on Sunday, January 24th, the Men’s Fellowship will be hosting a cookout in honor of St. Timothy’s Day. Every year on the Sunday closest to St. Timothy’s Day, our men cook hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans and all of the good things that go along with them to celebrate our patron, St. Timothy. If you will make your way directly to the Parish Hall immediately after the 11 AM Service, you can join us for this great feast of food!