We are a loving and inclusive community of believers
and seekers who know that God is love (1 John 4:16), mercy
triumphs over judgement (James 2:13), and being a Christian
means living and loving like Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke &
John). Come and see!
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HOME CHURCH GATHERING
Our next HOME CHURCH GATHERING
will be at the home of Diane and Jack Buckley
(3208 Ridgewood Road in Allenwood) on Monday,
Dec., 10th fom 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Please respond
to Cherisse in the parish office if you plan
on attending.
 
WE COULD USE YOUR HELP
If you have any experience in fundraising or
special event planning we would love to pick
your brain! Please reach out to Mother Victoria,
Mike Mercuro, Suzanne Jorgensen, or phone the
parish office and speak to Cherisse.
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2018 Stewardship: Many
Hands One Heart!
If you have prayerfully decided
to make an annual pledge to support St. Mary's
By The Sea in 2019, please return your pledge
card to the office as soon as possible so that
we can plan ahead for ministries and expenses
in the new year. |
CHRISTMAS SERVICES
Blue Christmas: Blue Christmas Service
Tuesday
December 11th at 7 pm.
Christmas Pageant: Sunday December
16th at 10 am service.
Christmas Services: Christmas Eve 5
pm and 11 pm. Christmas Day 10 am.
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Eucharistic Ministers are available to
bring Communion to those who are not able to get
to church for extended periods of time due to
illness or mobility issues. We are grateful to
Robin Henry for stepping forward
to co-ordinate this vital parish ministry. If
you know of someone who needs home, hospital,
rehab, or nursing home visits, please let us know.
If you would like to be trained to participate
in this beautiful ministry, please contact
Robin or Mother Victoria. |
2018-19 BOOK STUDIES
Sundays 9 to 9:45 in the Jones Room
SUNDAY BOOK STUDY will conclude
on Sunday, December 16th, and resume on Sunday,
January 6th, when we will introduce our next
book: "Adult Faith" by Diarmuid O'Murchu.
This is a wise and provocative look at spiritual
maturity for people who are seeking to deepen
their relationship with God and God's church.
Please join us!
View
Schedules here
October 28 - December 16: "Immortal
Diamond" by Richard Rohr
  
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SUNDAY SCHOOL FAMILIES It's
that time of year again and we're very excited
to see our students for another fun-filled year!
Registration forms will be in the back of the
church each Sunday through the first day of
classes, Sunday, September 16th. Please return
completed forms (which can be found at the back
of the church) to Cherisse in the Parish Office.
If you have questions or would like to volunteer
your time for Sunday School or Nursery, please
call Laurie Clayton at 732-600-5454.
Thank you!!
Download
Registration Form here
CALLING ALL FAMILIES WHOSE TEENS, 6TH
GRADE AND OLDER, WILL REGULARLY BE ATTENDING
CHURCH SCHOOL THIS YEAR. We are planning
and need your input to create an effective program.
Specifically we need to know if your teen will
regularly attend on Sunday mornings or if an
alternative meeting time might be preferable.
Please contact Laurie Clayton
either by phone or email to discuss alternatives
for the coming year.
732-600-5454 or claytombs1961@hotmail.com
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BUS TRIP TO AMISH COUNTRY
BUS TRIP TO AMISH COUNTRY, Saturday, May 4th,
2019, to the Amish Country for some light shopping,
a visit to the Sight and Sound production of
The Life of Jesus and dinner at the Shady Maple
smorgasbord. We still need 17 people to sign
up. Cost is estimated to be between $125 to
135 per person depending on numbers ($75-$80
for a child under 13).
Contact Cherisse in the parish office
if you plan on attending.
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SAINT MARY’S WILL BE COLLECTING
BARS OF WRAPPED BATH SOAP!
Mary’s Table, Seamen’s
Institute and St. Gregory’s Pantry
have all received donations from Soap S.A.C.K.
(Supporting a community with kindness). Soap
sacks are crocheted soap holders for homeless,
seniors, and anyone in need. People all over
the country are crocheting these beautiful sacks!
When donated, each sack contains a wrapped bar
of soap. It can be used as a wash cloth and
hung to dry. Please consider donating bars of
wrapped soap to supply this wonderful Mission!
Look for the basket in Farnsworth Hall to place
your wrapped bars of soap in! Thank you!!!!
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IHN at St. Mary's
 Our
next IHN host week begins Sunday, December
9th and we look forward to making St.
Mary's a home for the families in program. The
sign up sheet is posted in Farnsworth Hall.
Please join us for food and conversation at
our next IHN fellowship gathering on Tuesday,
November 27th, 6:30pm, at the home of Mike and
Jessie Mercuro (1110 Burnt Tavern Rd, Point
Pleasant). RSVP to the church office
or by contacting Jessie Mercuro (732-272-6828
or jslytle@gmail.com)
or Lynn Schambach (732-403-9708 or lynnschambach@optonline.net).
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St. Mary’s 13th Annual Gift Auction
Saturday, February 23rd, 2019
at the Brick VFW
373 Adamston Road Brick. NJ
Doors open at 5:00PM and calling begins at 7:00PM
Our Theme this year is
The Grand Prize will be a $2000 Travel
Voucher with a Mystery Suitcase filled
with Travel Extras Valued at $1000.00
140 TICKETS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOLD!
Please contact Cherisse in the office ASAP with
the number of tickets you would like to reserve
FROM YOUR GIFT AUCTION COMMITTEE:
Before we know it, Saint Mary’s 13th Annual
Gift Auction will be fast approaching! Many
preparations are already well underway! As we
get ready for the holidays, please consider
how you can help ensure the success of our largest
fundraiser. While you’re out shopping
for loved ones, if you see a bargain but no
one on your list would really want or need it,
please think about purchasing the item and donating
it to the gift auction. Gift cards also go a
long way in enhancing the value of our baskets.
Thank you for your kind consideration and supporting
the fundraiser that helps Saint Mary’s
continue to touch the lives of many in need.
Cash Only - ATM next door
Cash Bar - No Outside Beer, Wine or Alcohol
Must be 18 to attend and play
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FROM THE ALTAR GUILD
This year, in light of all the
recent fires, storms and natural disasters that
have caused suffering for so many people around
the country, we would like to make a Christmas
donation to Episcopal Relief and Development.
Our plan is to keep our Christmas flower display
beautiful but simple and donate the remaining
funds to ERD. Your Christmas flower donations
will help beautify our sanctuary AND help those
in need. Please give as generously as you are
able. Thank you!
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
For the Soup Kitchen in Asbury
Park. We need a few more volunteers for 1 or
2 Saturday mornings a year. Please contact Laura
Grodewald (ldunn06@gmail.com
/ 732-948-3186) for more information.
SINGERS NEEDED The
choir is in need of a few singers, especially
females (altos and sopranos). If interested,
please speak to JoAnn Roy, our choir director/organist.
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CENTERING PRAYER
Please help yourself to Centering Prayer pamphlet,
located at the back of the church. Centering
Prayer is a beautiful form of Christian meditation
that has, for centuries, drawn people into deeper
intimacy with God. If you have any questions,
or would like to discuss your prayer life and
the possibility of trying Christian meditation,
please speak to Mother Victoria any time.
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GOOD NEWS FROM THE ESM!
Please try extra hard to avoid
plastic bags and packaging this Holiday Season!
With busy shopping days ahead, please have your
reusable shopping bags handy. Keep them in your
car and take them with you into retail shops
and food stores. Even large department store
cashiers are happy to place purchases into these
bags especially when you tell them why you are
using them! You’ll be surprised how powerful
leading by example can be!
Let’s face plastic pollution together,
help raise awareness and make personal and collective
choices to protect humanity and wildlife.
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TO THE CURRENT USERS OF PARISHPAY
Welcome to the WeShare family!
Following this week’s transition, here
are several things to keep in mind as you familiarize
yourself with WeShare.
We take the security of your website seriously.
We take the security of your website seriously.
Your recurring donations will continue as scheduled.
But you must authenticate your account and email
to receive WeShare emails to make any changes
to your account or receive WeShare emails. The
first time you enter the system-you will have
to go through a onetime validation requiring:
• Your ParishPay user name, The last
4 digits of the bank account or credit card
used with
ParishPay And ONE of the following two options:
• Your email address
• A collection name and the specific amount
donated within the last 6 months
Please feel free to contact the WeShare
customer service team for assistance at WeShare@4lpi.com
or call 1 (800) 950-9953 and select Option 1.
https://saintmarysbythesea.churchgiving.com
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MARY’S TABLE
is in need of someone to deliver meals
every third Thursday anytime between
4 and 5 PM. It takes approximately 1/2
hour of your time to deliver meals to
three different addresses in Point Pleasant
Beach. Read
more...
Mary's Table is the
recipient of a grant to
support our feeding ministry from the
Hurricane
Sandy New Jersey Relief Foundation
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SEAMEN’S CHURCH INSTITUTE
In October, a box will be taken to the
Seamen’s Institute. Many seamen
are away from their families and not allowed
to leave their ships. To help brighten
their holidays, please donate comfort
items to help them through the season.
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First
Sunday of Advent
December 2, 2018
Almighty God, give us grace to cast
away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of
light, now in the time of this mortal life in which
your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility;
that in the last day, when he shall come again in
his glorious majesty to judge both the living and
the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through
him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when
I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of
Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and
at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to
spring up for David; and he shall execute justice
and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah
will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.
And this is the name by which it will be called:
"The Lord is our righteousness."
Jeremiah 33:14-16
How can we thank God enough for you
in return for all the joy that we feel before our
God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly
that we may see you face to face and restore whatever
is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father
himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.
And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love
for one another and for all, just as we abound in
love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts
in holiness that you may be blameless before our God
and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all
his saints.
1
Thessalonians 3:9-13
Jesus said, "There will be signs
in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth
distress among nations confused by the roaring of
the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear
and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for
the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they
will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power
and great glory. Now when these things begin to take
place, stand up and raise your heads, because your
redemption is drawing near." Then he told them
a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the
trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for
yourselves and know that summer is already near. So
also, when you see these things taking place, you
know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell
you, this generation will not pass away until all
things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass
away, but my words will not pass away. "Be on
guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with
dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this
life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a
trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face
of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying
that you may have the strength to escape all these
things that will take place, and to stand before the
Son of Man."
Luke
21:25-36
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St.
Mary's by the Sea is a Christian community
that
strives to create a sanctuary for ALL
seekers
and believers alike
to
come and experience the Love of God through Jesus Christ,
to
share that love with those around us
and
in the wider world,
and
to grow in faith
as
part of a caring Christian family.
