church newsGoing Solar: Harvesting God’s Bountiful Gifts
Among the many blessings we receive every day, St Alban’s benefits from an abundance of sunshine. While some might say we have an over-abundance in July and August, what if we could harvest the sun’s energy to provide us with electricity year-round? The Vestry considered multiple alternatives, carefully weighing the long-term benefits of solar against the up-front investment requirements. We are moving forward with a solar installation with net-metering; a commitment that TEP will pay St. Alban’s for the power we generate at the same rate that we pay TEP for the power we consume, thus our electric bills will be approximately ZERO under this plan. It's a sound investment, and a commitment to the long-term health and vitality of our parish. We expect the installation to be complete in March 2019. From our prayer book, we give thanks to God for seasonable weather and for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, we give thanks for the good earth which God has given us and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, and we pray for the just and proper use of God’s creation. With the installation of our solar electric system, we will be able to harvest a small portion of God’s abundance while conserving our natural resources for future generations. Reading With the Rector
Two “Reading with the Rector” groups are currently meeting. TheTuesday group meets at 1:00 p.m. and the Thursday group meets at 6:00 p.m. Both groups meet in the church library. Participants need to purchase their own books. The current book is The Meaning of Jesus by Marcus Borg and N.T. Wright. Fellowship Dinners
The popular St. Alban’s Fellowship Dinner Groups will resume again this fall. This is a program in which parishioners who may not know each other very well meet for evenings of good food, good conversation, and fellowship. The concept is for groups of about eight people, roughly half from the 8:00 service and half from the 10:00 service, to meet in a pre-arranged member’s home for a potluck supper. The dinners continue each month through next spring or for as long as the group wants to meet. Each participant or couple brings a food item to the dinners. The group decides its own schedule, where the dinners will be held, and who will bring specific food items. All arrangements should be flexible to fit everyone’s hours and living arrangements. The dinners will start in November or December and continue through the spring. Please consider this opportunity to meet new people from “your” or the “other” service and have a friendly and spirited evening as well. A signup sheet is now on the bulletin board, and we request you sign up by Sunday, November 5. We’ll arrange the groups to maximize diversity and then will notify each member of the participants in their assigned group. We’ll ask one person or couple to coordinate at least the first dinner. 
NAMI Family & Friends Support Group
Family members and friends of those affected by mental illness are cordially invited to attend this National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Support Group. It is held in the Library on the first Wednesday of every month between 2:00 and 3:30 p.m. Experienced group leaders guide discussions about challenges facing those whose loved one has a mental disorder, and all are welcome. For more information, contact Sharon Nielsen Caldwell at snielsenn@aol.com. |
Children, Youth & Family news
Sunday School at 9:00 a.m.
'Sparks' Youth Group
'Sparks' happens every Sunday (except holiday weekends) from 5pm to 7pm. Join us for games, dinner, fellowship and fun! Service hour opportunities
If you are a teenager in need of service hours for school, the NHS, or other extra-curricular activities, we are happy to say there are several opportunities. Contact the office if you are interested for more information. |