Dear friends,
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven” – Ecclesiastes 3:1

Fall is finally arriving and with it many exciting activities in our church. As we continue to grow in this liturgical season of Pentecost, I pray that we will hear and follow our “purpose under heaven” as individuals and as a community.

As part of our 325th Anniversary events, Homecoming will take place on October 5. We look forward to seeing friends and family from near and far. Interestingly, as I was reading the story of The Monacan Indians, I noticed that Homecomings are one of the two annual festivals that are currently held by their ancestors to bring the community together to feast, dance, exchange news and engage in various games. To that end, we have extended an invitation to the Monacan Indian Nation and I truly hope someone will attend. Music will be provided by our very own Michael DeHart. Please join us for this festival gathering.

The Manakin Stew prepared by the Men of the Church with Tom Hillsman as our stew master will be offered on Friday, October 10. New this year is the opportunity to pick it up hot from the pot and enjoy it for dinner on Friday. This pick-up will be done at the cooking location in Midlothian.

Our Family Forums have resumed with two opportunities each month to participate. We meet at 9 AM in Denny Hall to enjoy a presentation and fellowship time. This is a great opportunity for our 8 AM and 10 AM worship communities to come together.

I am excited about our EYC (Episcopal Youth Commission) activities that are lining up for the year. Each will have a component of out/in reach, fun and Biblical basis. I am thankful for Katie Harrison’s leadership and the gifts that she is sharing with us. They will be leading our Family Forum on October 26th. Come and hear what they want to share with us.

Beautification efforts continue to be made to the grounds and we give thanks to Jean Hillsman and the Salisbury Garden Club for their work on our entrance beds and planted pots. The Memorial Garden will be taking on a bit of a new look as the overgrown bushes will be trimmed and some removed to open spaces for additional plots. Halsey Dillard continues to keep good care of this area and we are appreciative of her gifts.

Outreach activities continue to be a core mission for us. We will start our Thanksgiving meal collections in October for the Powhatan Food Pantry and will have the shelter feeding program at the end of the month. These are terrific opportunities for community participation and support.

These are just a few of our exciting offerings this fall. I hope that you will keep apprised of these through the Messenger newsletter, weekly eBlasts and bulletin notices. If you are not receiving all of these forms of communication, please let us know. This is our time and season!

Blessings,
Gini+

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Phil and I live between three schools, and this time of year brings lots of energy and excitement to the neighborhood. Other than the increased traffic, we look forward to when the students return to school. Likewise, I look forward to the renewed energy at Manakin as folks return from summer travels.

“Time flies when you are having fun!” Truer words could not be spoken from my point of view. This summer has been filled with fun and rest and has absolutely flown by for me. As this season is coming to a close and we are ready to rally back into our fall schedule, I hope that we can look forward with anticipation to all that we have ahead.

We have several exciting activities relating to our 325th anniversary. I hope that Homecoming on October 5 brings family and friends from over the years back together again. Please help us to reach out to individuals who are no longer here, but that you contact with to include them in this event.

As we look to the future, let us plan and set aside special time for worship, study, fellowship and service. We have exciting offerings at church in the next few months and certainly we will have something for everyone. As students return to school we have the feeling of new beginnings. May we re-energize our focus on church, family and fellowship.

Before you know it we will be ringing in the new year together because time does fly when you are having fun!

Blessings,

Gini+

Dear friends,

Thank you for the gift of a most wonderful sabbatical that was truly a time of rest and renewal. I am grateful for the leadership that kept things running smoothly and efficiently. Returning has been an easy transition and the “welcome home” from so many of you has been heartfelt.

I have been asked what I read during my leave and to my surprise I was able to enjoy many great books. I have included the list below for your reference. I recommend them all.

This month I look forward to celebrating our high school graduate, Marji Rawlings and all of the recipients of The Lawrence Mason Scholarship. This is such a great gift from our church to those who are continuing their education and get to feel the support of their community.

The pilgrimage exploring our Anglican and Huguenot roots to England and France is finally upon us. I look forward to traveling with the group in recognition of our 325th Anniversary. I am most appreciative of Elisabet Goodwyn’s organization and leadership in this pilgrimage. Please keep us in your prayers for safe travels and spiritual growth.

I want to thank Nicole Goots for the work that she did with our youth during the first half of the year. Nicole’s enthusiasm helped us to see an area with our youth that needs our attention. I will be working with Marion and the Vestry to seek the right person to fill this role and will hopefully make an announcement soon. As Nicole turns her focus on building her real estate practice we wish her the best.

I look forward to seeing you all and reconnecting soon.

Blessings,
Gini+

Gini’s Sabbatical Reading List:
The Book of Lost Friends – Lisa Wingate
Through Gates of Splendor – Elisabeth Elliot
Theo of Golden – Allen Levi
Daughters of Palestine – Leyla King (A colleague that I met at CREDO)
The Sacred Enneagram – Christopher L. Heuertz
The Monacan Indians: Our Story – Karenne Wood and Diane Shields
Art and the Christian Apocrypha – David R. Cartlidge and J. Keith Elliott