Baptism of Ella Jude Townsend

Join us on Sunday morning at the 11:00 service as we welcome Ella Jude Townsend into the household of God. Ella is the 3-month-old daughter of Kenny and Terri Townsend and sister to 8-month-old Luke. There is an important part in each baptism where the congregation promises to uphold the baptized person in their life in Christ by saying “WE WILL!” We want to be sure that Ella knows that she has a parish family who will do just that, so be among the voices that he will hear on Sunday morning.

Kenny and Terri are also providing breakfast before the service in celebration for Ella’s baptism.

Also, as baptisms tend to bring family and friends of the baptized, come early in order to get a seat!

Episcopal 101 This Thursday - Baptism & Confirmation

Join us as we discuss the sacraments of baptism and confirmation and why they are important to who we are as Episcopalians. Are you new to St. Nicholas? Are you new to the Episcopal style of faith and worship? Are you a longtime Episcopalian who needs a jumpstart on why we do things the way we do them? Then you need to
join our Episcopal 101 class! This monthly class is a perfect place to learn more about our church and what makes us unique as Episcopalians. Each month, we explore different topics that are important to us. If you are thinking about becoming an Episcopalian, this class is very important. It’s also a great way to meet other new folks to St. Nicholas! If you want more information, please contact Fr. Jeff.

Above and below are two videos by the Rev. Matthew Moretz about the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. Check ‘em out!

Baptisms & Rally Sunday!

Last week, we celebrated a big day at St. Nicholas. We welcomed Grace and Kathryn Metsinger into the household of God through the sacrament of baptism. We also kicked off our 2011 Stewardship Campaign with our “rally-themed” Ministry Fair.

We were reminded that baptism is the ultimate act of stewardship, as Grace and Kathryn’s parents, Jackie and Chris Lintner, who were given these children to care for, offered up them to the glory of God. All things come from God and as such, we are called to give a portion back to God in gratitude and generosity, including our money, our time, and our talents.

New pledge cards were given out to the congregation, which included commitments for time, talent, and treasure. If you missed that Sunday, we are mailing out remaining pledge cards to those on our contact list this week. If you haven’t received a pledge card by Sunday, be sure to pick one up in the narthex while you’re there. You can return your pledge card any time between now and November 21, when we will give thanks for all that we have received. You can put your pledge card in the offering basket or you can mail it to the church. Please say your prayers and decide how you will commit to St. Nicholas in the next year. If you have any questions or are struggling with stewardship in any way, including your finances, your time, or your talents, please contact Fr. Jeff. You can also donate through PayPal at any time at the top of this page.

Here are pictures of the day, thanks to Lynn Hall.

Lots of Opportunities…

…to fellowship. Join the Out & About Group Friday night at 8:15 at the Marriott in Columbus for a spooky good time at the Ghost Tour. Bring $13 and good walking shoes. For more info, contact Lynn Hall.

…to serve. Come out on Saturday morning and help with a Fall Work Day. We will be meeting at the church on October 23 from 9:00 to 12:00. Please bring clippers, rakes, trimmers or anything you can think of that will be needed. If you have them, remember to mark with your name to be sure to get them back at completion. We also will need a few ladders to help remove cobwebs from the front entrance. Work gloves are recommended especially for those who will be weeding. For more info, contact Chris Butzon or Heather Roper.

…to worship. Sunday morning at 10:00am we will be welcoming Grace and Kathryn Metsinger into the household of God through the sacrament of baptism. Grace and Kathryn are the 13-and 10-year-old daughters of Jackie and Chris Lintner. Be there to voice your “WE WILL” as agree to support these two girls on their journey with Christ.

…to be generous. Also on Sunday morning is our Rally Day! We will have one service at 10:00am to kick off our 2011 Stewardship Campaign. We will be giving everyone pledge cards which includes what you plan to give back to God in terms of your time, talent, and treasure. We will also have a Ministry Fair after the service with a light lunch to give everyone a chance to sign up for the various ministries of the church. We need your help to meet our goals, so please plan on attending this very important day.

…to have fun. Youth Group will be meeting at the church at 5:00pm for fun, games, and some lively discussion. For more info, contact Cami Fanning.

There are a lot of opportunities at St. Nicholas! Come join us!!!

Luke’s Baptism

Sunday was a glorious day as we gave Luke Evan Townsend a great big “WE WILL!” as we welcomed him into God’s family at St. Nicholas! Fr. Tom Jones did the honors of baptizing the very calm and attentive Luke. Luke is the son of proud parents Kenny and Terri Townsend and godson to Fr. Jeff and Molly Jackson! A huge crowd of family, friends, and St. Nicholas parishioners packed into the nave for the event.

Here are some great pictures of the baptism! If you would like to be baptized, or would like to have a child baptized, please contact Fr. Jeff.

Baptism This Sunday!

Join us on Sunday morning at the 11:00 service as we welcome Luke Evan Townsend into the household of God. Luke is the 3-month-old son of Kenny and Terri Townsend. There is an important part in each baptism where the congregation promises to uphold the baptized person in their life in Christ by saying “WE WILL!” We want to be sure that Luke knows that he has a parish family who will do just that, so be among the voices that he will hear on Sunday morning. Fr. Tom Jones will baptize Luke, while Fr. Jeff and Molly Jackson get to be the godparents!

Let Us Welcome The Newly Baptized!

This Sunday, we were all moved by the newest member of Christ’s holy, catholic church, Ella Grace. Ella and her family live in Florida, but asked to be baptized here at St. Nicholas since her godparents and extended family live here in Harris County. We gladly opened our space for them to visit and were honored to be a part of this momentous occasion in her life.

As always, we all made promises to support Ella in her life in Christ. We may not see her often or ever, but the promises we made, we did so on behalf of the whole Christian family.

Ella was so sweet and quiet through most of the service. She cried a bit when the water splashed her head, but she calmed down quickly once she was sealed with the oil on her forehead. It was an honor to hold her in those moments.

If you’d like to listen to the sermon and the baptism, click on the podcast box to the right of the screen.

To learn more about baptism, click here.

Here are some photos of the baptism, thanks to Lynn Hall. If you wish to be baptized or have a child you would like to be baptized, no matter how old, feel free to contact us! Read more

Baptism & Confirmation at Episcopal 101

This month at Episcopal 101, on Thursday, February 18 at 6:30 p.m., we’ll be focusing on the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. We’ll discuss what they mean, and why we do them. If you know of anyone who is interested in being baptized or confirmed, they’ll not want to miss this session. If you want to sign up for the class, be sure to visit our Sign Up page and scroll all the way down.

Episcopal 101 is for everyone: newcomers, long-timers, Episcopalians, non-Episcopalians, and all your friends!

Adult Education for 2010

Make adult education part of your New Year’s Resolution! In 2010, we have a new course for adults and a continuation of our already-offered opportunites.

First, we will begin a new series of courses beginning in January at our newly dubbed St. Nicholas Academy! Many of you are very hungry for continued Christian education for adults and with our Academy, we hope to provide just that.

In January, we will begin a 6-week study entitled Listening to Scripture: Strategies for Interpreting the Bible. This course is published as part of a program called Kerygma (Greek for “proclamation”). I used one of these curricula in a former parish and got a great response. The St. Nicholas Academy will be on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm starting January 5, 2010. Sue Halmrast and Fr. Jeff will lead the first course. All are welcome to attend the class. Required Resource Books will cost $18 per student, and you will need a study Bible like the Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV) or the HarperCollins Study Bible (NRSV). To sign up for the first 6-week course, visit stnicholashamilton.org/signup or the signup board at the church. Read more