St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church at URI We warmly invite you to visit our church! Come and visit- you are most welcome, whatever your religious background. We are a University church where learning is valued, Bible exploration is deep and fun, preaching is intelligent, and questions are welcomed. Sunday services: 8 a.m. Quiet Communion 9 a.m. (school year) Adult Education 10 a.m. Sept-June Communion with music and choir Coffee Hour following service and nursery care provided, Sunday School, Godly Play 9 a.m. July & August Communion Service, garden refreshment hour following Great social events and meals Senior Lunches Easter Eve Feast Christmas party Summer Barbecue Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper Newcomers Brunches September Welcome Back Barbecue Mission & Outreach Projects Habitat for Humanity team Episcopal Charities Drive WARM Shelter Bowl-a-thon Prayer Chain &Eucharistic Ministry Support for Vets & Military personnel Interfaith Power & Light Environmental team
Growth in Prayer Advent & Lent meditation Tuesday am Bible study & breakfast Choir- beginners welcome
Child & Youth Programs Acolytes (8-18) Elementary Classes (8-13) Godly Play (4-8) Nursery Care (birth-6) All kids welcome in church!
Children as full Members at St. Augustine’s To Parents of young children may we suggest:: 1.Relax! God put the wiggle in children – don’t feel you have to suppress it in God’s house. 2. Feel free to sit near the front so your children can see, or let them stand or move forward to get a better view. 3. There is a basket of quiet toys at the back a rocking chair for parents with infants, and a carpeted area for play. We have children’s bulletins for toddlers and school-age kids, & crayons. 4. There is nursery care downstairs at 10, but children are always welcome at worship, and to receive Communion from baptism at any age. If you seek baptism for yourself or your child, speak to the Rector. (782-0587) Children should feel at home and nourished in God’s house!
5. At the toddling stage, soft slippers can reduce your worry about making noise. A burbling infant is not a disruption to prayer but part of the prayer of the whole community. If you need to step out with your child, do come back!
6. Explain quietly parts of the service to children, and help them find pages, but most children learn best by listening and imitating what you do week by week.
7. Sunday school offers school-age children a service of the word tailored for them, but studies show that the most important factor in the faith and church attendance of adults is whether they felt welcome in adult worship with their parents!
8. Children desiring to be trained as acolytes may speak to the Rector. Children may also help usher, bring up the offering, and read lessons according to their ability and desire.
Hands & hearts for Mission: Outreach at St. Augustine’s A great way to put your faith to work as well as to get to know others! The principal mission work of Christians is done in our workplaces, homes and neighborhoods. The outreach we do as a parish helps our neighbors know who we are, what we believe, and who Christ is. *Johnnycake Center: we collect food for this pantry each week. bring food for the basket, or help transport it. At Thanksgiving we collect dinner baskets for needy families. *Habitat for Humanity: we support their work in South County and built a 2nd house in 2008. Would you like to help organize or build? *Episcopal Charities: We have an annual fund drive to support the work of many RI helping organizations through this umbrella. Hands, contributions are always welcome!
*Green Team is involved with Green Start energy program, We support African AIDS & poverty relief by hosting African Team Ministries crafts sales twice a year. We help with the WARM Shelter & Habitat Bowl-a-thons each Spring, & Welcome House meals. *We address spiritual and physical hunger by cooking lots of festive meals --to raise funds for outreach and to get better known by neighbors – lots of fun! *Volunteer work – members work in over 50 agencies and projects to build up the world, from libraries and schools to hospitals and shelters. If you’d like more information, just ask!
Lifelong Learning *Adult Education is offered most Sundays of the school year, often at 9 am - on a great variety of topics. *Study the Bible at ecumenical breakfast and Communion service Tuesdays at 7:30am -call for details. *Sunday school offered through the school year at 9:45am for children. There are children’s sermons in church from time to time, including Easter morning at 10, Christmas Eve at 5 (pageant), Pentecost at 10. *The parish library has books and tapes you may sign out. It’s in the upstairs hallway next to the church door. A literature table has lots of pamphlets you may take and keep. *classes to prepare for Baptism, Confirmation, becoming an Episcopalian, or just inquiring into your faith, are offered most winters. Speak to the Rector
anytime about membership or your educational needs.
*Book group - an informal reading group gathers monthly for food, discussion, and friendship. Speak to Judi Betty 789-4026. *share your own knowledge - is there a class you’d like to teach or a discussion you’d like to lead for adults or children? Just let us know.
Member to member care “Love one another as Christ loves you!” It is the work of all members to help care for one another and for any who come in need. All of us sometimes give and sometimes need care. *If you would like the Priest to visit, call her (Jennifer Phillips) at 782-0587 or the office 783-2153 or email her at revjphillips@earthlink.net *If you are ill or confined and would like Communion brought to you, or just a friendly visit with or without prayer, our Lay Eucharistic Ministers are happy to come to you! Just let us know. Nancy Beeley 885-1476. *If a member of the family is hospitalized or has an emergency, you may call the Rector day or night! Short term pastoral care is available for work or family difficulties, relationship issues, spiritual wrestling, help with prayer. Referrals can be offered for in-depth counseling or long-term spiritual direction. Privacy laws require you to take initiative to let the clergy know where you are and what’s wrong - or we may not be allowed to find and visit you. *A prayer chain team is happy to receive your
requests for special prayers for yourself or others – Elinor Schneider 364-0769, Deb Savasta 782-6284.
Worship: Hearts lifted to God *Our worship is according to the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. Language is contemporary and we draw on newer materials from Enriching Our Worship as well as familiar Rite 2 prayers. Sundays Come as you are - informal. *September-June services are at 8 & 10 am Sundays, though for special occasions times may vary. July/August we have one service at 9:00a and refreshments in the Rectory garden. 8 am worship offers a quiet, contemplative tone. *If you are interested in liturgy planning with the Rector, please speak with him. *Tuesday mornings 7:30 – discuss Scripture, enjoy a peace-focused Ecumenical Communion service and hot breakfast at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 383 Old North Rd., across campus. *Our choir is small and enthusiastic. They sing at 10 and rehearse Sundays with musician Ed Seaholm. All welcome to join, no experience needed! *Children are always welcome in church! Children may help with readings, ushering, bringing up gifts, and acolyte service as they desire and are able. *The services of Holy Week culminating in the Great Vigil of Easter Eve and Easter Day
festivities are a high point of the year – Maundy Thursday footwashing, coming to the Cross on Good Friday, and the new fire, feast and baptisms at the Easter Vigil are designed for all ages. Easter Day brings a children’s sermon and egg hunt.
Youth: Fun, Faith & Service
*Our youth group is being reorganizedit has included teens from 7th to 12th grades. The group learns Scripture and meets regularly through the school year for activities. Youth activities include pizza, worship, skating, craft projects, service projects, Lock-In at Catherdal of St. John the Divine, NYC, and more… *Confirmation preparation is available for members 16 and older (there is no set age or grade for this adult profession of faith). A short course, winter – Spring, develops knowledge of how to live one’s faith and the workings of the Episcopal Church. Youth inquirers uncertain but curious about confirmation are very welcome! *Youth are welcome to take part in any adult ministries that interest them, including outreach projects, committees, Scripture lesson reading, Tuesday morning Bible study, vestry, Sunday 9 am education, and greeting at the church door. Youth may serve as acolytes assisting in leading worship at any age.