Dear St. Patrick's,

Grace and peace. This reflection on "Recruiting and Engaging New Members" is the first in a series of five on the work of your Vestry at their retreat earlier this month. We have made considerable strides in welcoming new members over the past year. That is a wonderful trend that your entire Vestry is committed to continue. This commitment will allow us to live into the mission of serving God through the Parish of St. Patrick's.

Before bringing new people into our Parish, we have to ensure that we are a welcoming place for our guests and that, once here, they will be able to plug in to the many opportunities to grow in relationship with God. So, your Vestry has set several goals over the next several months.

First, we want to publish resources that will introduce the Episcopal Church, and more specifically St. Patrick's, to someone new to the Parish. Some of the topics will be (1) how to be involved in reaching out to the social concerns in this city and around the world at St. Patrick's, (2) membership, (3) Episcopal terminology, and (4) why choose St. Patrick's, including testimonials from current members. The materials will be available in printed form, but they will also be available on our website.

The Vestry envisions training several members of the church to serve as tour guides during our after church fellowship time. The tour guides will show new people around the building and, at the same time, introduce them to the many ministries available at St. Patrick's. These guides will be St. Patrick's frontline ambassadors. Our hospitality depends on all of our parishioners wearing nametags, being aware of newcomers, and being willing to draw them into groups for casual conversation. I know this is one of your many gifts.

We have already started advertising. If you look around at neighborhood bulletin boards, you might notice a posting from St. Patrick's. We are gearing up for "Bring a Friend" Sunday on March 6. March 6 is the last Sunday after Epiphany, which means that it is the Sunday before the beginning of Lent. It is traditional on this Sunday for a jazz band to enrich our music making it a perfect opportunity to invite guests to celebrate with us. The one thing about "Bring a Friend" Sunday, it doesn't work if you don't invite a friend. So, consider your acquantances and deliver your invitation, now.

Another goal of the Vestry is to raise the profile of St. Patrick's in the community. We are looking to provide stories for the neighborhood newspapers. If you are connected at one of these publications or are willing to write a story, please let a member of the Vestry know.

We discovered something important in the process of brainstorming around this topic. Our ability to achieve our recruiting goals depends on you. There is so much energy and enthusiasm at St. Patrick's, right now. In order to capitalize, everyone must step out of the comfort zone to enhance our ability to serve God. If you have been to church these past several weeks, you have felt the energy and enthusiasm. St. Patrick's is poised for great things, but we can't keep it a secret. We have to share the Good News.

            A few quick reminders:

1. Now is the time to sign up for residential summer camp at Camp Wright on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. [More Information]

2. Bring a Friend Sunday is March 6 at 10:00am [More Information]

Faithfully,

Read or listen to last Sunday's sermon titled, "Hostility, Lust, Broken Promises, and a Few Other Things." If you have friends who would appreciate a sermon you enjoyed, you may share them on email, Facebook, Twitter. and other social media. This is a subtle way to introduce St. Patrick's to others.  

We pray for Anne Carpenter, recovering from hip replacement surgery.

We offer grateful thanksgiving for The Rev. Irv Lindenblad, a St. Patrick's parishioner as well as an ordained pastor, who will be installed as Pastor Emeritus this Sunday at the Palisades Community Church, where he ministered for many years.  

Lots of special music Sundays coming up, so take note ♪ !

--- Feb. 27, Jubilate Deo mini-musical "Are we there yet?" a story of Moses and the Exodus

--- March 6, Don't forget to Invite-a-Friend to our Jazz Eucharist!  Vince McCool (gotta love that name) and his gang will be here

--- March 13 Feast Day and Family Choir!  Please join us (and wear your best St. Patrick's green) to help lead worship on our "special day"!  Donuts at 9:15.

We had a lot of music going on this past weekend as well. 

Many thanks go out to our Cambiata Choir and our 6^th grade St. Patrick's Peal group who provided some wonderful music for our worship on Sunday, and to all the youth who participated in our annual Youth Winter Music Tea.  Lots of talent right here in our midst!

Join our Seminarian Henry McQueen for a study of how a Rule of Life can impact your Lenten journey and your arrival at the Easter Resurrection.  For centuries monastic communities have lived intentionally through a rule of life; we will explore how a rule of life can be shaped to affect our own lives. 

•  Sunday mornings through March 6th from 9:00 to 9:50AM

We will look at the history, the practice and the application of Rules of Life.  At our last session we will be prepared to begin our Lenten journey with Ash Wednesday just several days hence.  You will be encouraged to live your own Rule of Life during Lent; with the celebration of Easter you can then choose whether to maintain, modify, or abandon your personal Rule of Life.  It would be my prayer that your own Rule of Life become an important part of your life as you continue to grow into the community of Christ.

St. Patrick's will again offer a forum for those caring for elderly or chronically-ill family members to come together to share ideas, resources, and most of all, faith.  If you or someone you know is negotiating the ups and downs of family caregiving, plan to come to St. Patrick's on Thursday nights, 7-8 pm, beginning tomorrow, February 17th.  Learn More about the Caregivers' Group 

Coming up...

---Saturday, Feb. 26, Urban Experience with Samaritan Ministry for our 6^th-9^th graders.  Check your email for more details.

---Tuesday, March 8, Youth Groups (6^th - 12^th graders) cook pancakes for Shrove Tuesday pancake supper.  Watch for a sign-up email.  Please plan to help.

Hunter and Tucker Battle III (along with Grandpa Tucker Sr.) were our St. Patrick's representatives at the Diocesan High School Retreat last weekend.  They report a great time was had by all.  Thanks, guys!

Bring a Friend Sunday:  March 6th (our annual Jazz Sunday!)

Feast Day:  Sunday, March 13th Irish Stew and Bingo 

Rummage Sale:  EARLY this year on Saturday, April 9th from 8am to 2pm.

(Set up days are Thursday through Friday April 7 & 8th)

100th Anniversary Reunion Weekend/Holy Ghosts & Goblins Auction:  October 28 - 30

Native American Summer Trip:  August 6 - 13.  The Native American Episcopal parish on the Shoshone/Bannock Reservation in Ft. Hall, Idaho has invited their partner member churches, who make up the NationalChurch's Mountains and Deserts Ministry, to spend the week of August  6th in fellowship and fun.  The trip coincides with the spectacular Ft. Hall Pow-Wow which we will attend and participate in.  Our schedule will include work projects consisting of general repairs, painting, and clean up of the church and related buildings, a vacation Bible school for the young children in the community, and a faith-based program for the youth which they will help design.  Other activities include Christian and Indian spiritual explorations, visiting the reservation which is off limits to the public, and enjoying the surrounding area.  About 50 of our partners from the Ute, Paiute, Arapaho, and Sioux tribes are expected to attend along with families and individual adults and youths from St. Patrick's. The partnership with our Native American friends is a unique and rich relationship that strengthens our understanding of the significance of Indian cultures and provides an outstanding experience for St. Patrick's parishioners overall. Needless to say, this is a trip not to be missed.  We need both men and women chaperones and early registration will facilitate travel plans and expenses.

To register or for more information, please contact: Barbara Lott at bslott@verizon.net or 202-253-9394 cell.

NATIVE AMERICAN MINISTRY EVENT: PATHS CROSSING XXI  April 28 - May 1, 2011

More Information about Native American Ministries is available at the church website:  www.stpatrickschurchdc.org.

St. Patrick's is celebrating 100 years of service to the Palisades area of Washington, DC. How much do you know about your parish? Every week in the Wednesday email will be a question about the history of St. Patrick's. Follow the link to discover the answers from scans of archival materials. Centennial celebrations are scheduled for the last weekend of October, 2011 (October 29-30). Mark your calendars!

Archive Question...(look back at previous questions) 

The first St. Patrick's Chapel was built in what year? Due to street widening, the original structure was torn down in 1935. How big a congregation was the main floor of the newly proposed building, at the corner of Foxhall and Greenwich Parkway, built to accomodate? What was the expected Sunday School size?

Answers