Episcopal 101 after Maundy Thursday Service

Our next E101 class is this Thursday, April 21, which is Maundy Thursday. Maundy means “commandment,” which refers to Jesus’ new commandment to us to “love one another as [he] loves us.” The service will start at 6:30pm. It is one of the most beautiful and dramatic liturgies in the Episcopal church. It includes a service of footwashing, where the congregation is invited to engage in that loving act of serving one another by washing each other’s feet. Then, at the end of the service, we have the “stripping of the altar” where everything goes dark and everything is taken away from the altar, much like that time where Jesus is stripped of his garments. It’s beautiful, sad, and holy.

After the service, we will meet for 30 or so minutes to reflect on the service and how it relates to how Episcopalians see Scripture, especially the New Testament. No liturgy better illustrates this than Maundy Thursday.

It will be a great evening, so please come and be a part of it. Hope to see you then! Our class in May will be on the 19th at 6:30 and we’ll be looking at the history of the Episcopal Church. Mark you calendar now!

Episcopal 101 Change This Month

Episcopal 101, Tuesday, March 15, 6:30pm: NOTE CHANGE OF NIGHT!

Scripture is vital to who we are as Episcopalians. The Bible is more than just ancient tales, it’s a rich library that tells the story of God interacting with his beloved Creation. In many ways, we are continuing that story today. But it’s important to read the Bible on our journey with God. In this month’s Episcopal 101, we will start by looking at the Old Testament, which for some Christians is a difficult part of the Bible. Fr. Tom Jones will be with us as well to lead the discussion. Episcopal 101 is for all newcomers, long-timers, and anyone who has questions! If you want more information, please contact Fr. Jeff.

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!

Intro to St. Nicholas at E101

We are jumping right back in to another year of Episcopal 101 this Thursday, January 20 at 6:30pm at the church!

As you may or may not know, E101 is a monthly class for newcomers, those seeking to be baptized, confirmed, received from another denomination, or reaffirmed in their faith, or long-time Episcopalians who need a refresher. E101 is intended to be a jump-on/jump-off type of class, so every month, we focus on a different topic, so if you have never joined us before, every class is easy to jump in, and if you’ve missed a few, you can always jump back on easily.

It’s a great way to get to know other new folks to St. Nicholas as well and plug you in to the life of the church.

We typically meet the 3rd Thursday of the month at 6:30pm and cover a variety of topics like History of the Episcopal Church, Sacraments, Worship, Bible, and the Prayer Book.

This month, we’ll be talking about how St. Nicholas emerged in Harris County and you’ll hear the story from John and Charlotte Winsness, who were around in those days. We’ll also talk about how St. Nicholas works and our structure.

Hope you can all join us for another great year!

Cathedral Confirmations

A big congratulations go to the Lintner family, who were all either confirmed or reaffirmed in their faith this past Sunday at the Cathedral of St. Philip. Chris, Jackie, James, Grace, Kathryn, and Fr. Jeff all traveled up to Atlanta through the snow flurries to participate in the huge service, where over 200 people were either baptized, confirmed, received, or reaffirmed.

The Lintners have participated all year in the Episcopal 101 class, which is our monthly gathering of inquirer’s, newcomers, and those who just want to learn more about the Episcopal church, and now are official members of St. Nicholas! We are very proud of them, as they are all gifts to our congregation!

At St. Nicholas, there are many ways to become a member:

THROUGH BAPTISM: The Episcopal Church considers that anyone who has been baptized with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in any church or denomination, is welcomed as a baptized member of the Episcopal Church. Children as well as adults may be baptized. If you’d like to be baptized, please see Fr. Jeff.

THROUGH TRANSFER: Those who have already been baptized may become members by transferring from another church or denomination. This is usually accomplished by a letter of transfer. You may contact your former church and request that your letter be transferred to St. Nicholas.

THROUGH CONFIRMATION: Adult baptized members become confirmed members through the Sacrament of Confirmation, which involves prayers and the laying on of hands by an Episcopal Bishop. To be confirmed at St. Nicholas, we ask that you attend 9 out of 12 of our monthly Episcopal 101 classes. If you cannot attend them, you can make arrangements with Fr. Jeff to schedule other classes.

THROUGH BEING RECEIVED: Those who have been confirmed in another denomination may become a Confirmed Communicant of the Episcopal Church by Reception. The requirements for this are the same as one being confirmed.

The gathered congregation on Sunday in the Cathedral. Picture by John Mark Parker, Christ Church, Macon.

If you would like to be confirmed or received in the Episcopal Church, the 2011 dates for confirmation at the Cathedral are April 10 and December 11 at 4:00pm. Also, you may choose to be confirmed or received when the Bishop comes to visit St. Nicholas. This year, Bishop Whitmore is visiting St. Nicholas on June 19.

If you have any questions about membership, Episcopal 101, or confirmations, please contact Fr. Jeff.

St. Nicholas Day & Newcomers Wine & Cheese Party

Our parish photographer Lynn Hall has been busy taking shots of some recent things going on at St. Nicholas. First, we celebrated our patronal feast on December 5 (St. Nicholas Day is technically December 6, but we celebrated a day early!). The children were visited by St. Nick himself and they found some unexpected treats in their shoes when they got out of church. Thanks to everyone who helped out on our annual celebration!

Also, on December 4, we participated in the Hamilton Christmas parade, under the leadership of Sheila Dixon and Peggy Martin. It was a great display of our congregation, and many thanks to all who came out to help and all who came to cheer us on!

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Episcopal 101 Wine & Cheese

You are invited to the Episcopal 101 Party Thursday, December 9, 6:30pm!

As we close out another great year of Episcopal 101, we invite all current class members, newcomers, and visitors to the home of Father Jeff and Molly Jackson at 323 Hill Street in downtown Hamilton for a wine and cheese party.

The Vestry and other leaders of the church will join us to give everyone an opportunity to get to know each other and to hear some stories about why St. Nicholas is important to them.

All are welcome! Please RSVP by e-mailing Fr. Jeff at fatherjeff@stnicholashamilton.org.

Sacraments @ E101

Come join us for Episcopal 101 this month on Thursday, November 11 at 6:30pm. We will be exploring the Sacraments. Can you remember all 7 of the church’s sacraments?

Here’s one:

Episcopal 101 is for everyone! Newcomers and long-timers alike can come and learn a bit more about their faith. Come join us!

Instructed Eucharist Tuesday Night

Ironically, both our Tuesday evening classes and our Episcopal 101 are learning about worship, which is primary to who we are as Episcopalians. So when they asked if I could do an “instructed” Eucharist, it only made sense to combine the classes this month!

So, by request, I will be conducting an instructed service of Holy Eucharist on October 5 at 6:30pm.

An instructed Eucharist is a service where there is no sermon, but the priest explains the different portions of the worship service at various intervals.

This service will serve as the 5th part of our Tuesday night class on the “Dangerous Act of Worship” and our October meeting of Episcopal 101. All people are encouraged to attend to learn a more about our worship tradition. Even if you’re not signed up for either of these classes, and just want a refresher, come and join us!

Adult Formation Opportunities

At St. Nicholas, we hope to give everyone opportunities to grow in their faith, not just through rousing sermons (which happen from time to time), but through a variety of classes and discussions that allow participants to learn new things, build important relationships, and share their own life experiences with others. If you’re looking for a group to belong to, have questions about your faith, or want to learn more about your journey with Christ, then check out any of the following:

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