Learn.

Adult Forum, Sundays, 9:45 a.m., Community Room. On Pentecost, May 28, join Mother Amanda to explore just what happened at Pentecost. We will read through the passages that tell of the coming of the Holy Spirit and discuss how we experience the Holy Spirit active in the church today. This will be our final Adult Forum until the new program year begins in September. 

Grief Talk – Sundays in June: 4, 11, 18, 25, 9:30–10:30 a.m. “Grief Talk” will be a four-week small group for sharing grief and making connections with others, for those who want to explore a next step in their grieving process. The emphasis will be on listening deeply to one another, the power of prayer, and offering care and comfort through presence, more than through words or advice. While meant to be a four-week commitment, missing a Sunday is understandable, but “Grief Talk” is not designed to be a “drop in” group. Sign up by contacting Mother Sally (sjohnston@st-peters.org).

Children’s Formation and Nursery Care Registration. Christian formation for children will take its summer break beginning June 4. Pentecost Sunday, May 28, is the final Sunday of the program year.  During the summer months, children are invited to take paper and crayons or borrow a book from a lending station located in the gallery. Nursery care for children three and under will continue through the summer months. Contact Anna Hurdle (ahurdle@st-peters.org) for more information or to register. st-peters.org/catechesis-registration.

Youth Formation (Journey to Adulthood) will break for the summer after our classes on May 28. The Pilgrim Class will have its last meeting on June 4, 9:00–10:45 a.m.

HUGS Camp. Youth ages 14–18 are encouraged to join Lyn Holt, Mike Hoffman, Sarah Geer and Lauren Holt for HUGS Camp, July 8–15. Registration is open and we need Helper Campers for the sixty HUGS Campers who are waiting to see if there’s room for them. Contact Lyn Holt (lholt@st-peters.org) for more information, for scholarship assistance, or to register. Invite your friends to be Helper Campers, too. HUGS Camp is open to all people, regardless of church affiliation.

Education for Ministry (EfM), Mondays, 7:15 p.m. on Zoom. Adult education and formation of biblical, historical, and theological roots of faith and ministry over a multi-month, weekly course of study. New participants join EfM groups in the Fall. Contact Fr. Murdock Smith (frmurdocksmith@gmail.com) for more information.

Wednesday Afternoon Book Group, 1:00 p.m. on Zoom. We are reading The Ten Commandments, Laws of the Heart by Joan Chittister. Are these a set of rules, or a way of life? Contact Ruth Woodend (rbwoodend@gmail.com) to register or for more information.

Diocesan Summer Book Group, Mondays, June 12–July 3, 11:00 a.m.–Noon on Zoom: Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul Conversations. Are you interested in exploring the spirituality of creation care? Would you like to learn to go deeper in your practice of caring for God’s Creation? Join us for a pilot spirituality group using John Philip Newell’s Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul on Mondays beginning June 12 and continuing June 19, June 26, and July 3. Register here: https://forms.gle/7Te2GSQg3Y7iBFCd6. For more information, contact Jenny Beaumont (jenny.beaumont@episdionc.org), diocesan missioner for adult and lifelong formation.

Save the Date: Adult Confirmation Retreat, Saturday, September 23, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. This year, rather than doing a multi-week adult confirmation class, we will offer a one day retreat for those interested in being Confirmed or Received into the Episcopal Church, or who wish to Reaffirm their faith. Participants are asked to read the book Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices by Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson Shobe prior to the retreat. Those interested must be available for the entire retreat day and plan to be at church on October 1 at the 11:00 a.m. service for the Bishop’s Visitation. For questions, or to register for the retreat, contact Mother Amanda Stephenson (astephenson@st-peters.org). 

Save the Date: Youth Confirmation Retreat for young people who will be between the ages of 15 and 17, September 23 and 24 at The Oratory in Rock Hill. Following our Pilgrimage, we will prepare for confirmation on this retreat as we participate in four one-hour confirmation lessons, three meals together, worship, and lots of discussion to prepare for confirmation on October 1. For questions and/or to register for the retreat, contact Director of Youth Formation, Lyn Holt (lholt@st-peters.org).

Engage.

The Rector is on Sabbatical until August 6. The Reverend Jacob E. Pierce is on sabbatical May 1–August 5, 2023. During this time the Reverend Amanda Stephenson, Associate Rector, and the Reverend Sally Johnston, Affiliated Priest, will be glad to assist with any pastoral or administrative needs. You can contact any member of the clergy or staff through the contact form on our website: (st-peters.org/staff).

Tour of the Randolph Mint Museum led by Brian Gallagher, Wednesday, June 7, 6:00 p.m.  Brian has graciously volunteered to give a group tour of the Randolph Mint Museum to St. Peter’s members. The tour and museum admission are free, but space is limited to 15 people. To register, contact Brian (brian.gallagher@mintmuseum.org). There will be another tour on August 23.  

Feed the Red Bins. Loaves & Fishes, Mecklenburg County’s largest food pantry, is seeing its greatest rise in the need for food assistance in its almost 50 years of existence. Bring food to church on Sundays (or anytime). Priority needs are: canned meat, canned fruit (low sugar), pasta, peanut butter, canned vegetables (low sodium)—and also diapers (large size). The red Loaves and Fishes donation bins are located in the Parish House Lobby. 

Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte / Loaves and Fishes Volunteer Opportunity. Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry is in need of pantry volunteers to help clients with selecting food. The pantry at Galilee is a “shopping like” experience, not just box filling, and volunteers provide valuable assistance to our neighbors. The current need is on Tuesdays, 1:00–3:00 p.m. Spanish language skills are a plus, but not necessary. Contact Lynn Lewis, Pantry Coordinator (704-651-8231) for more information.

Volunteer at Galilee! Spring is in full swing and summer is around the corner. This means there are volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups at Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte.

• Specific opportunities include helping tidy our beautiful grounds by weeding, spreading mulch and pea gravel, repairing/repainting picnic tables, removing invasive plants, and pressure washing. 

• We will hold garden workdays on the following Saturday mornings: June 24, July 29, August 26, and September 30. If none of these four dates work for your schedule, Galilee can coordinate with you to find a time that works for you to serve.

• Galilee also has a need for skilled gardeners, carpenters, landscapers, and electricians.

Did you know? Galilee has an emergency food pantry to help meet the needs of hungry neighbors on days when the Loaves & Fishes pantry is not open. We are in need of: canned vegetables, canned chicken and tuna, canned beans, rice, pasta, and granola bars. Pop tops are great and no glass, please.

If you have questions, are interested in volunteering,  and/or want to donate food pantry items, please contact Deacon Emily Parker (edgalileeeast@gmail.com) to discuss details. Thank you for your support of Galilee!

Upcoming 20s30s Events. June 4: First Sunday Brunch at the Choir Brunch Fundraiser (register online now: https://bit.ly/434BW32). Contact Mother Amanda Stephenson (astephenson@st-peters.org) for more details.

The Youth Program has 25 $20 AutoBell gift cards left to sell! Your purchase supports our Pilgrim Class on this life changing opportunity this summer. The gift cards can be used for any type of wash at any AutoBell. They never expire. AutoBell recycles and cleans the wash water, making a better choice for your car and the environment. Our youth program receives half of the sale price of the gift cards. Email Lyn Holt, Director of Youth Ministry (lholt@st-peters.org) to purchase yours.

St. Peter’s Goes to the Knights Game, Friday, August 11, 7:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to a parish-wide outing to a Charlotte Knights game on August 11 at 7:00 p.m. at Truist Field. We have reserved a block of seats in the Home Run (right field) section. Tickets are $16 each, and children 2 years and under get in free. You can register here: bit.ly/41rGqPX. If you need scholarship assistance, contact Mother Amanda Stephenson. Because we are reserving these tickets as a block, we have to turn in our final numbers and payment several weeks ahead of the actual game day. The deadline for registration for this event is July 15. For any questions, contact Mother Amanda (astephenson@st-peters.org).

Update Your Photo in Realm. Did you know that you can upload a photo of yourself into your Realm profile? These photos are incredibly helpful as staff, volunteers, and parishioners seek to connect with one another for ministries, visits, and fellowship. Right now, only a very small percentage of profiles include a photo. If you do not have a photo, or if your photo is outdated, please consider uploading a new one. Simply log into Realm, go to your profile, and click on the photo box next to your name. You can then upload the photo of your choice. If you run into problems, please contact Michael Talbert (mtalbert@st-peters.org).