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Eucharist Resumes this Sunday, August 16th We will resume our pre-pandemic worship schedule with celebrations of the Holy Eucharist at 8:00 am, 10:30 am, and 12:30 pm (en español). All of the previous precautions for in-person worship will continue: mask wearing, social distancing, contact tracing sign-in, hand sanitizing, etc. Please make the choice that is best for you and your family's health and safety. All of these services will also be available live (and later recorded) on the St. Augustine's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/staugmet You can also dial in and listen to the live broadcast by dialing (888)958-7272 and then entering these codes: 8:00 AM - 395867879 10:30 AM - 499118910 12:30 PM - 202060069
Serving this Sunday: 8:00 am Dotty Suthon, LEM; TBD, Usher 10:30 am Rachel Whitley, LEM; Charlene Hibbs, Usher Coffee Hour and Adult Christian Formation On Sundays, August 9th, 16th, and 23rd, Fr. AJ will lead a Zoom class entitled "Episcopal Church 101." The Zoom "classroom" will open at 9:00 am for general visiting (kind of like a virtual coffee hour). The class will begin at 9:15 am and end at 10:00 am. E-mail Kate for a link for the class (either via computer or dial-in). The link will be the same for all three classes. This introduction to the Episcopal way of being the Church is intended to be a refresher for some, a preparation for those considering Confirmation (see below), or an introduction to the curious. If someone you know fits one of those categories, please invite them to join in! Bissonet Plaza School Supplies Thank you to everyone who donated school supplies. Bissonet Plaza School is overwhelmed by the generosity and prayers of St Augustine’s!  Benjamin Sanchez Arrives in Texas! Benjamin arrived safely in Austin, Texas this week to begin his year of study at Seminary of the Southwest. Please keep Benjamin and his fiancee Paula in your prayers during this year of formation and transition.
Pen Pal Ministry
One of the things that makes St. Augustine's a rare and life-giving community are our inter-generational relationships--a web of connections offering support and encouragement, wisdom and insight between people of all ages. As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on, continuing those connections is more important than ever. We are hoping that by starting a "pen pal ministry" we will accomplish the following objectives:
https://forms.gle/hHYx4MqbAjqCQu2HA DIOCESAN YOUTH GROUP EVENT EpiscoFest is a fun event for 6th-12th grade students to kick-off a new school year together. Join us on August 15th at 2pm! We will gather online Saturday afternoon via Zoom for ice-breakers, games, small groups, and worship. EpisoFest welcomes youth of all faith backgrounds from around Louisiana. When we're not busy dancing and playing, EpiscoFest will share the lives and experiences of Saints of Color. Register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kf-2tpz0vHtOqEkziAieV6fs4Q62FWQLp After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Zoom meeting. Email the Rev. Jane-Allison Wiggin-Nettles (jwigginnettles@edola.org) with any questions. Get Ready for the Bishop--Sunday, August 30th!!! The Bishop is coming for his annual visitation on Sunday, August 30th, at 10:30 am, where he will officiate and preach. Please make plans to attend the worship service either "here" or online. The sacrament of Confirmation will likely have to be postponed to a later date, but updates will be announced as they become known. Unfortunately, the Reception for the Bishop and the Candidates will also be postponed to 2021. Formation 45 (Sunday School) On Sunday, September 13, our "Formation 45" will begin for both children and adults of our parish. Each Sunday from 9:15am to 10am (45 minutes), we will have Children's Sunday School via Zoom, while ages 6th grade through adults will have Christian formation with Father AJ (also via zoom). Eventually, we hope these activities will return to in-person, but for now, we are celebrating the grace that technology allows! If you are ages 6th grade through adult, no pre-registration is necessary. ALL are welcome every Sunday or every once-in-a-while. For our pre-K through 5th grade, we are asking that you pre-register so we know how many packets to purchase. If you have a grandchild that may visit with you a few times during the school year, we would like to encourage you to register them. If you have a child that MIGHT want to participate (we are not asking for a commitment as we know things are currently fluid), please email Catherine so she can include them in the count. Please email by August 27th so we have time for the materials to arrive. An Idea to Make Giving to St. Augustine's Easier As probably most of us have encountered, the new income tax regulations have eliminated the ability to itemize deductions. To some degree this may consciously or subconsciously curb our enthusiasm toward charitable donations, which, of course could have an adverse effect on St. Augustine's.Church. If you own an IRA, you are required to take a mandatory distribution annually once you reach the age of 70.5 or 72 depending on your birthday. What you may not know is that you can have all or part of that distribution earmarked for a particular charitable organization (St. Augustine's we hope!). The extremely important piece of information is that when preparing your taxes you will find a section under the "IRA distribution" area which asks if you've taken part or all of the distribution as a charitable donation. To say it as simply as possible: this makes the charitable donation part of your distribution virtually TAX FREE! While it is not mandatory that we take the distribution this year because of the pandemic, why not be "wise as serpents" and generous as saints (to paraphrase Jesus) and at least take a distribution on the charitable donation amount rather than just do the monthly donation for which you receive no deduction.
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