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Dear beloveds in Christ,

This past summer, I acquired a community garden plot and last week I put the garden bed to sleep. It is a necessary ritual of removing what is no longer growing or needed to support that growth: the squash vines and pepper stalks, the tomato cages, and the weeds that survived the deep frost. In preparing the soil for next year’s growth by digging in good, rich compost, it felt like an act of hope that the natural process of soil building will happen: enriched with the broken down materials of the past year’s food and plant discards. 

For this Advent season which begins this Sunday, December 3rd, we name our longing for the light of Christ to be reborn in a suffering world and we prepare and wait for that hope to be made known to us. While the cultural pace of this time of year can be frantic with shopping, feasting, and traveling, we are also invited by the example of the natural world that focuses on a break from the busy, growing process with more rest, more attention to the present time to lay in deeper roots. It can be a time to add spiritual practices that can enrich your faith so that you will have strong spiritual roots to weather future crises or loss and to prepare for the bloom of joy.  Is there a spiritual practice you can take up for the season of Advent - praying in the morning before rising, or walking with prayerful intention in the winter landscape, or engaging in a daily gratitude practice, or contemplating words of Scripture or from a sacred poem or other reading a few times a week?  What do you need to let go of in your busy schedule to make new room for new possibilities to take root in your life?

When we sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel this Sunday, it’s a reminder that “God-is-with-us.” the translation for the name “Emmanuel.”  Advent reminds us that in this broken and troubled world, God is with us, already at work transforming inner and outer places of anxiety, crises, suffering and loss into the rich soil of faith and hope that will sprout new life in Christ. 

Advent blessings of hope to you,

Kate+

A Prayer for Priest-In-Charge Discernment

May the search for clergy be guided by wisdom, discernment, and divine inspiration. May those involved in the process find strength and clarity in their decisions, seeking leaders who embody compassion, integrity, and a deep commitment to the spiritual well-being of the community. May their efforts be blessed with success in discovering individuals dedicated to serving with humility and love.

Did you know you can give to St. Peter's securely through our online giving site? Make your pledge, give one-time or designate a special gift to one of our ministries.

Massachusetts Bishops Call for Jerusalem Christmas Offering, Prayer, Advocacy, and Learning

Please read the opening statement from our Bishops, Alan and Carol:

"As we enter into the sacred season of Advent, our hearts are heavy at the continuing devastation, trauma and grief in the Holy Land. We call upon all our people and congregations to pray fervently, and to participate in a special Jerusalem Christmas Offering along with opportunities for advocacy and learning."

For the full details of the letter, use the link below:

https://www.diomass.org/news/diocesan-news/bishops-call-jerusalem-christmas-offering-along-prayer-advocacy-and-learning

Mark Your Calendars!

• Sunday, December 3rd, Advent I , 11:30AM - Newcomers Brunch
• Sunday, December 24th - Christmas Eve Services at 3PM and 5PM (no morning services)
• Sunday, December 31st - Lessons and Carols

Thank you to all who made the annual

Christmas Tree Lighting such a huge success!

All enjoyed a community meal along with

singing and fellowship as we prepare for the season.



And a special thank you to our wonderful choir

who gave a stellar performance!

First Sunday Newcomers' Brunch

December 3rd at 11:30AM



If you are new to St. Peter's in the past year or have been a member for awhile please come for a potluck brunch after the 10AM service! If you would like to bring something to share, please let Lynn Maruskin (dlmaruskin@gmail.com) or Cheryl Murphy (cherlmurphy@aol.com) know. We will also be giving out kits for all kids to make their own Advent wreaths.

Advent Wreath Making Kits and Flower Donations!

It is that time of year for Advent wreath making on the first Sunday of Advent, December 3rd. Kits that families can take home to make Advent Wreaths will be available. Additionally, Christmas flower donation envelopes are located in the pews or you can donate online through Realm HERE. Please contribute donations by Thursday, December 21st.

Thank you!

2024 Stewardship Campaign

A few weeks ago, the Stewardship Committee mailed and emailed information about St. Peter’s 2024 Stewardship Campaign. We are grateful for all those who have already responded with a pledge!  To view the email, please click HERE

Pledge cards are available in the Narthex and church office or by entering a pledge via Realm HERE

Please reach out to committee members, John Jacobs, Mike Iacono, Scott Westvold, and Tom Keery if you have any questions!

Afghan Ministry Update

In January, St. Peter’s in collaboration with Trinity Concord and Grace Church Manchester started Sewing Seeds for Hope, a business for Afghan women to sew products to sell and support their families. Seed funding for this project was provided by Episcopal Province 1 (New England) under a grant program Coming Together for Hope and Healing, aimed to support collaborative projects among parishes in the Province. 

We started with 4 volunteers and a few products: pillows, cosmetic bags, aprons, scrunchies, jewelry pouches and baby blankets. This list has expanded to include glasses cases, burp cloths, potholders, napkins, placemats, tote bags, a baby swing, baby quilts and a mason jar sewing kit. The pilot project included 3 women: Rabia, Beduna and Zahra in Manchester. Two volunteers visit the women about twice a month to distribute fabric and supplies and work on new items. These sessions are great fun for all of us, full of laughter, learning, problem solving, drinking chai and playing with the kids, as well as distributing payment for items sold abnd reviewing quality. We meet at the house of the woman with the youngest children and sew sitting on the floor, with one hand guiding the fabric and the other hand pressing the sewing machine foot. We discuss the projects together and help each other with problem solving. These women never learned how to use a ruler, so they make measurements using their hands. It is a great opportunity to socialize and also to learn English, math and other new skills.  In the summer, we added 2 more women: Mujahida and Amina and hold similar sewing sessions with them in Lowell. Our volunteer list has also expanded: to 10 people in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Fabric and sewing materials are collected through donation drives in Massachusetts and New Hampshire churches and mosques – the latest was conducted by St. Paul in Natick. Originally stored at St. Peter’s we now sort and store fabrics and products at several homes. 

The business is a success! As we have grown, we developed a name (Sewing Seeds for Hope), tagline (empowering Afghan women one stitch at a time) and logo (incorporating the colors of the Republic of Afghanistan, red, green and black), promotional materials, website (www.sewingseedsforhope.com) and a facebook page, with the help of a graphic designer, Sylvia Haber (www.perpetuart.com) and a tech-savvy volunteer. We have also retained accounting support, a business license in the state of New Hampshire, and a bank account. Since inception, we have held 21 sales in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, including church and mosque coffee hours and craft fairs. We have placed product in one arts & crafts store and one retail outlet and have obtained several commissions to produce specialty items, including 100 bags for a high school reunion. We have 12 additional sales venues lined up through 12/23, To date, sales proceeds have totaled more than $11,000. Each artisan is paid the proceeds from the sale of the items she made.

We recently received a second grant from Episcopal Province 1 to sustain the business, including accounting support, developing a web-based sales platform and adding additional artisans. Thank you to Province 1 and to all of you at St. Peter’s for your support of Sewing Seeds for Hope! Please contact Karen (kdm55@verizon.net) or Hansi (hansidean@aol.com) if you are interested in coming to meet the women or to help with sales events. 

Do You Have a Pastoral Need?

For pastoral support or emergencies or for any other church matter, please call the Rev. Kate Bast at 360-379-9803. We encourage you to let her know if you are in the hospital or have some other need that calls for pastoral support.

St. Peter's Episcopal Church | 320 Boston Post Road | Weston, MA 02493

www.stpetersweston.org