Announcements for the week of February 22, 2009

The Last Sunday after Epiphany

MISSION STATEMENT
The Church of the Holy Spirit (Episcopal) shares the love of Jesus through being a friendly community, participating in liturgically rich worship experiences, and by empowering individual ministries.

WORSHIP NEWS
WELCOME NEWCOMERS AND VISITORS Please feel free to join us at the communion rail when it is time to receive Holy Communion. Our ushers and any member will be happy to assist if you have any questions during our worship. Jesus loves you! We are glad you are here.

Weather and Office Hours: With the change in weather, it is once again time to remind you that if the Bellevue Schools are closed, the church office will be closed. To see if weather or road conditions impact our weekend services please check our website and watch KETV’s scrolling closures for the latest updates.

Ash Wednesday Services: The imposition of ashes will occur at each of the three services to be held on Ash Wednesday. These services include our 9:30am healing service (held in the chapel), a Noonday service (also held in the chapel) and our 7:00pm Holy Eucharist. Please begin your observance of a holy Lent by making plans to attend one of these services.

YOUTH

CHRISTIAN ED

COMMUNICATIONS
A Shopping Cart in the Undercroft! It’s there to call your attention to the needs of the hungry in Bellevue. The Bellevue Food Pantry has greater needs than ever before due to the current economic conditions. Please consider bringing a can or box of non-perishable food as you come to church. (This would be a lovely, hands-on way to teach children to give to others). We are also looking for a few people to sack groceries at the pantry. Any age can help. It only takes about one hour and is easily accessible Monday - Friday from 9-3. See Jan Sinram (291-8235) if you would like to volunteer.

Dotty Burcaw is having a birthday celebration at Mable Rose this afternoon (Feb 22) from 2 - 4pm. No gifts please, but a card or balloon would be greatly appreciated.

Pancake Supper - Shrove Tuesday - Feb 24 from 5:30 - 7:00pm Bring your friends and neighbors and come hungry to celebrate “Fat Tuesday” with our CHS family. Enjoy pancakes, bacon, sausage, and a bit of French toast. In one of our time-honored traditions, Fr. Tom will burn the palms from last year to create the ashes for Ash Wednesday. Donations will be accepted. In past years we have had some “snow-outs.” Please check the new website if the weather is questionable. Also, please bring your palm crosses and branches so Fr. Tom can burn them for Ash Wednesday!

The Prayer Chain is being revised! If you feel called to take part in this ministry please call Trudy Conley at 291-7793.

The Daughters of the King will be meeting with Fr. Tom on March 1 after the 10:30 service. If you are interested in joining please come!

Office Help: On Saturday, February 28, Fr. Tom and Judy will be painting and reorganizing the administrative offices beginning at 8am. We would really appreciate the help of a few volunteers who would be willing to move some furniture, strip some wallpaper, and spread some paint. If you have a few hours, and you are available, please call the church office and let us know. Thanks!

Flame Deadline: Don’t forget! Your information for the Flame must be in by March 8. You can turn it in to the office or give it to Mary Ruth, or put it in the Flame mailbox in the hallway. Emails to Mary Ruth are also acceptable.

Dinner in Abraham’s Tent: On March 27, the Omaha Tri-Faith Initiative will host a community dinner at the Qwest Center. Speakers from the Jewish, Muslim and Episcopal faiths (including our Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori) will address the development of the Omaha campus and ongoing efforts to increase our understanding of our shared heritage. Beginning March 1st, registration for this event will be open to the general public. Therefore, if you are interested in attending, please go to the website trifaith.org and sign up by the end of February to ensure you have a seat at the table.

Rae E. Whitney Hymn Celebration will take place April 23 - 26 in Omaha. For times and places please see the flyer on the bulletin board in the undercroft.

Vestry Needs
Each year the vestry seeks out members of our parish who feel called to take an active role in the leadership of our community. This year we have a few unfilled positions that oversee essential ministries of our parish. If you feel called to help provide parish oversight in the building, evangelism, or pastoral care ministries please contact Fr. Tom or Dean Olander.

Lenten Program
By popular vote, our 2009 Lenten Program will meet on Sunday evenings beginning at 5:30 pm with a shared soup supper. Then, starting at 6:00 pm on March 1st, Fr. Tom will begin our study of “Music in Worship” by taking a brief look at the history and role of service music in the mass. After hearing about some of the different types of service music available, we will sing some of them so that we can see how they can nourish and strengthen our faith and to see if there are some we (as a parish) like better than others. Over the next four Sundays of Lent, members of our parish will take turns telling the story behind many of our favorite hymns used throughout the church year and then we will get a chance to sing them. Each week our focus will be slightly different; March 8th we will look at hymns of Lent, March 15th we will look at hymns of Easter, March 22nd we will look at hymns of the church and faith, and March 29th we will look at hymns of Christian responsibility and mission. The evening’s activities should wrap up around 7:00 pm.

We hope that the timing of our program will allow and encourage many of our youth to participate. However, for youth that parents may feel are too young to enjoy the evenings activities we plan to offer a Lenten program that will enable them to make some simple musical instruments (to be played during the Palm Sunday procession), learn a song or two (that they will sing on Easter morning), and discover how a bell, when rung at the right time, can make a joyful noise as we take the first steps in developing a youth bell choir. By the way, we are still looking for a few volunteers to help us make this a quality time for our kids. Please let Kristi Smith know in advance if you will have children participating in this opportunity or you can help in any way.

Our prayers of thanksgiving are offered with those who are celebrating birthdays this week, especially: Michael Wallace (Feb 22), Vince Cummings, Greg Scarbrough (24), Dotty Burcaw (25).

Our prayers of thanksgiving are also offered with those who are celebrating wedding anniversaries this week, especially: Tom & Kathy Adams (Feb 23), Ken & Trudy Conley, Michael & Mary Reavis (28).

LEV Training
Fr. Tom will lead a training session at CHS on Monday, Feb 23, at 7 pm for anyone interested in becoming an LEV (Lay Eucharistic Visitor). An LEV takes communion to shut-ins. The training session should be over by 8:30 pm. See Fr. Tom if you have questions.