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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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.
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.
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IHN FELLOWSHIP GATHERING -
Our next IHN volunteer get-together will be
Tuesday, March 10, at the home of Mike
and Jessie Mercuro, 1110 Burnt Tavern
Rd. Point Pleasant. All are welcome anytime
6pm+ and we will enjoy some food and conversation
about the program. Whether you are a first-time
volunteer, long-time volunteer, or interested
in knowing more, please join us. Any questions?
Contact Jessie (732-272-6828) or Mike (732-267-5474).
Our next host week begins March 29th and we
are actively seeking help with all volunteer
spots, but particularly in the areas of set
up and break down.
Check out our 
Calendar of Events
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SUNDAY BOOK STUDIES 2019 – 2020
Sundays Between Services in the
Jones Room 9 to 9:45 am
Join Us Anytime!
January 5 to February 23:
“Holy
Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others”
by Barbara Brown Taylor
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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. |
Welcome to the WeShare family!
Want a more convenient way to support St. Mary’s?
Want to support St. Mary’s consistently
throughout the year?
Want to make sure your pledge is there when
you can’t be?
Switch to electronic giving – simply
click on the heart below or go to
https://saintmarysbythesea.churchgiving.com
Please feel free to contact the WeShare
customer service team for assistance at WeShare@4lpi.com
or call 1 (800) 950-9952 and select Option 1.
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St. Mary’s 14th Annual Gift Auction
Saturday, February 22, 2020 ~ VFW Adamston Road
in Brick
Tickets are ALMOST SOLD OUT! Contact Cherisse
in the parish office to reserve yours ASAP!
We could also use baskets! (please leave them
outside the parish office door)
A MESSAGE FROM THE GIFT AUCTION COMMITTEE:
If you have been thinking about and would like
to contribute to the success of this year's
Gift
Auction, please consider making a donation towards
the Grand Prize - $3,00000 in Visa Gift Cards!!!
(Nice Grand Prize, don't you think??) Grand
Prize donation offerings will be accepted at
the Annual Meeting on January 26th. Simply write
a check to Saint Mary's and note Grand Prize
in the Memo. Cash (in a marked envelope Grand
Prize) is graciously accepted too!
As always, thank you for the time, talent and
treasure you share with Saint Mary's!
PANCAKE SUPPER
 PANCAKE
SUPPER is also quickly approaching
and will be held on Tuesday,
February 25th. As always, we
need a small group to pull it together,
volunteers are welcome. Please contact
Cherisse in the parish office if you
are available to volunteer or for more
information.
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ST.
MARY’S CHALLENGE 2020
WHAT IS THE ST. MARY’S CHALLENGE?
Simply stated,
for every dollar that is donated
above the regular pledged amount
and identified as St. Mary’s
Challenge, an anonymous donor
will match that donation dollar
for dollar, up to $5,000.
St. Mary’s Challenge envelopes
are available at the back of
the church. Please indicate
‘St. Mary’s Challenge’
in the memo if you are donating
by check.
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Please
consider hosting a HOME CHURCH
GATHERING. We will
bless your home with Love, Laughter, food,
scripture and Eucharist. A fun and casual
way to worship like the early church did!
Sign-up or call the parish office for
details. Our next Home Church will be
held at the Rittenhouses, hosted by Andrea
& Dennis Monday
February 24th 6:30 - 8:30 pm.
On Monday, April 27th, Home Church
gathering will be hosted by Diane and
Jack Buckley from 6:30-8:30PM |
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SUNDAY SCHOOL FAMILIES We’re
nearing the start of another fun Sunday
School year and we look forward to
seeing the children of St. Mary’s. Copies
of the calendar and registration form are attached
here and can also be found at the rear of the
church. Please complete the registration form
and return to teachers on the first day of class
in September (the 15th).
Download
Registration Form here
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St. Mary's Society Meeting
St. Mary's Society Meeting
will be held on Tuesday, February 11, beginning
at 1:00 PM, Jones Room. The Program: Possibly
Becky; depending on her husband's medical schedule.
Hostesses: Suzanne and helper
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PT. PLEASANT GARDEN CLUB will
meet next on Tuesday, March 10th beginning at
10:30 in Farnsworth Hall. All are welcome!
ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES will
be held on Wednesday, February 26th at noon
and 7PM
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Mary’s Table
provides food and fellowship to all
who hunger or seek companionship in
a loving environment of acceptance.
Started by parishioners of Saint Mary's
by the Sea Episcopal Church in Point
Pleasant Beach, and located there, Mary's
Table opened her doors on November 1
of 2012. Volunteers from other churches,
communities and businesses quickly became
involved in this worthy mission. Thank
you so much for all you do for this
wonderful ministry.
Read more...
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SEAMEN’S CHURCH INSTITUTE
Traveling for business or pleasure? Please
consider bringing home the hotel’s
or ship’s toiletries to share with
the seafarer’s at SCI. SCI is eager
to receive travel-sized toothpaste, shampoo,
conditioner, lotion (hand or body), and
soap. Unscented items are preferred. Please
leave your donations in the kitchen marked
for Elaine Long.
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Sixth
Sunday after the Epiphany
February 16, 2020
O God, the strength of all who put
their trust in you: Mercifully accept our prayers;
and because in our weakness we can do nothing good
without you, give us the help of your grace, that
in keeping your commandments we may please you both
in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Moses said, “See, I have set before you today
life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you
obey the commandments of the Lord your God that
I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your
God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments,
decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and
become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless
you in the land that you are entering to possess.
But if your heart turns away and you do not hear,
but are led astray to bow down to other gods and
serve them, I declare to you today that you shall
perish; you shall not live long in the land that
you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today
that I have set before you life and death, blessings
and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants
may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him,
and holding fast to him; for that means life to
you and length of days, so that you may live in
the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors,
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
Deuteronomy
30:15-20
Brothers and sisters, I could not
speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people
of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with
milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid
food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are
still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy
and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh,
and behaving according to human inclinations? For
when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and
another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you
not merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul?
Servants through whom you came to believe, as the
Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered,
but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants
nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who
gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who
waters have a common purpose, and each will receive
wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s
servants, working together; you are God’s field,
God’s building.
1
Corinthians 3:1-9
Jesus said, “You have heard
that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You
shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders
shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you
that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you
will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother
or sister, you will be liable to the council; and
if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable
to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your
gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother
or sister has something against you, leave your gift
there before the altar and go; first be reconciled
to your brother or sister, and then come and offer
your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser
while you are on the way to court with him, or your
accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge
to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.
Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you
have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was
said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman
with lust has already committed adultery with her
in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you
to lose one of your members than for your whole body
to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes
you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better
for you to lose one of your members than for your
whole body to go into hell.
“It was also said, ‘Whoever
divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate
of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who
divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity,
causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries
a divorced woman commits adultery.
“Again, you have heard that
it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You
shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you
have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do
not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the
throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool,
or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make
one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes,
Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more
than this comes from the evil one.”
Matthew
5:21-37
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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.
