What's Going on at St. Dunstan's

To help mark the Transfiguration of Our Lord (observed on Tuesday, August 6), bring a small basket of grapes, apples, peaches, plums, figs, or tomatoes to St. Dunstan's this Sunday for the Blessing of the First Fruits, which has its roots in Hebrew Scriptures. Show the bees a little love, and include a jar of honey, as Christians in Slavic countries do. Or, like some Anglicans, offer a loaf of freshly baked bread.

As we have the past three years, we will meet outside in the courtyard and process into the Nave to place our offerings before the Altar for blessing later in the service. Celebrate the bounty of God’s Creation and your gardens! Do a crop swap at coffee hour, or purchase a small honey bear from BannerBee ($7 each)! See Deacon Mary if you have questions.

NOW WHAT?/WHAT NOW?

What: An informal support group for seniors as they reflect on their new identities as persons whose lives are necessarily changing as “The Calendar” brings new challenges, new perspectives, new limitations, and, most importantly, new opportunities.

Why: Life brings changes to all of us. Roles, activities, and responsibilities that gave us satisfaction and identify–or difficulty–fade away, opening opportunities for new engagements that satisfy our needs for community, spirituality, and exploration. Sometimes, those changes also bring limitations– physical, mental, and logistical–that require personal re-orientation and creative thinking. Although each of us experiences these things alone, exploring them with others often develops perspectives that we might not easily achieve otherwise.

Who: We are especially interested in those who are fully retired, especially those whose responsibilities and roles have changed, leaving them with new questions about how they are finding meaning in their lives.

No preparation or previous Bible Study experience is necessary; we all learn from each other.

Come and see!

The St. Dunstan’s Men’s Group is open to all men at St. Dunstan's, as well as any friends who might be interested in meeting with other men once a month to discuss a variety of topics. Because we tend to an older demographic, younger members are especially welcome.

We meet approximately once a month at the church on the second Saturday. Since the end of the pandemic, we have also included a zoom link for those who wish to attend virtually. We gather for bagels, coffee, and fellowship in the St. Dunstan’s kitchen at 9:00 a.m. and move to the Parlor to start our discussion between 9:20 and 9:30. We conclude our discussion around 10:30 a.m.

We try to pick a topic in advance each month, usually from a recommendation by a group member. Sometimes the topic is dictated by recent events of particular significance. Issues of social justice, mutual respect, and communications across polarized communities are often part of the discussion. On a few occasions, we have tried to organize an activity by the Men’s Group in support of the parish or of an outreach organization.

We have a group of core members who attend regularly and several additional members and friends of members who participate when they can. Attendance usually runs about six people but may be as low as four or as high as ten.

Please feel free to contact me with questions. We hope to see you there!

John Wyss, Convener

The “Soul Sisters” is St. Dunstan’s discussion group for women. Our aim is to have a regular forum in which we can talk about things in confidence, get to know each other better, and support each other through whatever is going on in our lives. Although we often have a particular topic for a session - sometimes theological, sometimes just of current concern - we often wander into other issues that are on someone’s mind. We pray together, laugh together, and carry each other in our hearts.

We meet on the second Saturday of each month, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Since the Pandemic began in 2019, our meetings have been held via Zoom, which has allowed us to include women who no longer live in the area. We have members calling in from North Carolina, Washington state, and even Canada!

There are dozens of women on our list for email reminders, but we have no requirements for participation. Each session usually has 6-10 people calling in. Our members are from different age groups, different nationalities, and different faith backgrounds, which makes for rich discussion. Some have been participating for years, others joined recently. Everyone is welcome!

If you have any questions or are interested in joining in, please contact Soul Sisters Convener Sue Carroll. We’d love to get to know you better!