Dear friends,

I want to encourage you to invite your friends, family, and neighbors to our Art in Bloom Fundraiser Event. This is a night full of food, fun, live music, and silent auction items. It is a fun event with face painting and crafts for kids of all ages, an evening of fundraising, dancing, catching up with one another, and lots of laughing and joy.

Your donations and support of this event are going to a great cause and will open up ministry options for our future here at St. Nick's. We are raising funds for a Playground for our children and community. In the world of Playground Construction, the term for what we are looking at is Inclusive Playground or an “ultra accessible” playground. This means that our equipment will be for able bodied children and for children with physical disabilities and children with neurodiverse issues. We want to provide a space where all children can play and experience God’s love.

By being proactive with our Playground equipment and providing accessible options for all children, we believe God is leading us to future ministries of love and care. We want to make improvements to our side yard so it can be a place of peace, play, and friendship. Your generosity and your prayers make that possible!

A big shout out and thank you to everyone as they have been helping and contributing to this event. We have homemade items like quilts, hats, art work, and rosaries. We also have beautiful hand crafted wood work. We have darling baskets for all ages, a wind pull, gift cards, donations from local businesses (Vine in the Village, Winding Branch Ranch, Maggie Mae's) and priceless items like concert tickets, retreat stays, and special gifts of expertise - librarian, school advocacy, and counseling. You can check out some of the items below. And of course, I will confess the offerings from our community bring tears of joy to my eyes. We are living into the generosity and kindness of our Patron Saint - St. Nicholas. Thank you.

Our vision at St. Nick's is to be people and place where everyone is welcomed, is loved, is empowered and belongs. We are a generous community and we love Jesus and one another in big, innovative, and mighty ways. Thank you again for supporting this event and helping us to live into our vision.

If you have any questions about this event please email Amy Poss @ amyposs@gmail.com and if you have been wanting to help with this event you can sign up here to bring drinks and appetizers or desserts.

I am looking forward to seeing you on Sunday and Friday May 3rd at 6pm.

God’s Peace, Love, and Blessings,

Beth+

ArtReach Sunday

This Sunday is an ArtReach Sunday! Join us after the 9:30am worship to help make art for Art in Bloom. All ages are welcome to come and paint cards and mini-canvases.

Sunday, April 28: Fifth Sunday of Easter

Sunday Scriptures (click here for full scripture readings): Acts 8:26-40; Psalm 22:24-30; 1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8

Collect for the 5th Sunday of Easter:

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

May 19th is Pentecost - the day we celebrate the Holy Spirit descending upon the Apostles of Jesus. You can read about it in the book of Acts.

If you are wanting a date for a baptism this is a fitting day. On Pentecost - baptismal candidates are welcome into the church and the entire community is invited into renewing their baptismal promises. We will be celebrating what many Christians feel is the "birthday of the church" with a bbq and picnic lunch after a joy and gratitude filled worship.

The Day of Pentecost is one of the seven principal feasts of the church year in the Episcopal Church. It is a day where people are invited into wearing reds, oranges, and yellows - the colors of fire and the colors that remind us of the holy spirit.

Contact Rev. Beth to schedule your baptism. She can be reached at revbeth@stnickshillcountry.org

Join us for a day of celebration and picnic fun on May 19th - the Day of Pentecost. It is our annual Pentecost Party and Picnic. We will have one service on that day at 9:30am.

Bring your favorite picnic side dish and come for celebratory worship, yard game fun, food, laughter, and friendship.

Do you love to grill? Want to help at our Parish Picnic? Contact Rev. Beth to RSVP for helping grill burgers and dogs for our picnic on May 19th at St. Nick's. All the burgers, dogs, and buns will be there ready to grill with the gas and coal grills. email or text beth at 214-213-0739

Wednesday May 1st - bring your favorite Mexican Dish.

Join World Missions and the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas as we wish a happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, mentors, and friends who enrich our lives.

On Sunday, May 12, the Rt. Rev. Dr. David G. Read invites congregations to take up a special World Missions Mother's Day Offering, focusing on the global impact of this gift and raising awareness of the mission partnerships supported by the local church and the Diocese. The annual World Missions Mother's Day Offering is an opportunity to recognize the women in our lives who nurture, teach, and lead with a gift in their honor or memory.

In honor of Mother’s Day, World Missions and the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas is taking up a collection for Mision de Jesucristo, a ministry that has worked to serve the poorest of the poor in Piedras Negras, Mexico for several years. Their projects include housing a Battered Women and Children’s Shelter, providing a Food Pantry and conducting a Sewing & Construction ministry at El Buen Pastor and Church of the Resurrection.

To make a donation to honor someone special, please visit dwtx.org/give, select World Missions and click on the Mother's Day sub-fund or send a check with Mother's Day on the memo line to:

The Episcopal Diocese of West Texas

PO Box 6885

San Antonio, Texas 78209

Donate Today

Ministry Costs

• Shoes for Children - $15
• School Uniform - $25
• Scissors, Threads & Supplies for Sewing Mission- $30
• Daughters of the King New Cross Fund - $45
• Supply Basic Necessities at the Women & Children’s Shelter - $100
• Material & Fabric Supplies for Sewing Mission - $260 - $300
• Construction Supplies - $500 - $1,000
• Remaining funds to repair holes in ceiling/roof at Church of the Resurrection - $2,000

Questions? Contact Catherine Markette, World Missions Ministries Coordinator, at catherine.markette@dwtx.org.

For more information about World Missions events and partnerships, click here to subscribe to the World Missions monthly newsletter and follow World Missions on Facebook and Instagram.

Sunday Ministry Sign-ups

All ages can sign up at this link

Our Sunday ministry jobs are at the Sign-up Zone link above.

We are looking for readers, greeters, hospitality hosts, acolytes, and altar team members.

You can contact Rev. Beth if you would like to serve and have questions. Remember, as an intergenerational church - all ages are encouraged to lead and serve.