St. Alban’s will be decorated with wreaths, roping and poinsettias for the Christmas season. Our nave, decked with Christmas greens and flowers, is truly a beautiful sight.
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Clark says “Don’t forget to submit your
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A contribution toward the purchase of these flowers would be greatly appreciated. Flower donation forms are available in the narthex, or you can submit your dedication online here.
Please submit your dedications before Monday December 20.
St. Albans will be serving a hot meal to middle schoolers who participate in Poe’s after-school activities next Thursday, December 9.
At the second serving last month, 110 students took advantage of these meals. More than two-thirds of the students in the after-school programs are eligible for free- or reduced-priced breakfasts and lunches, and so our meals support those who face food insecurity at home at the end of the day. Here’s your opportunity to support this outreach: we need help shopping, cooking, warming, transporting, serving, and cleaning!
Click here to learn more and sign up.
For more info, contact Remy Jurenas.
Each remaining Sunday in Advent the Wrappers will be hard at work in Room 11, doing what we do best for you! Beginning at 8:00am, bring in your Christmas gifts prior to a service, and pick them up afterwards.
What? Santa can’t get those packages to church without the little ones finding out? Email [email protected] to make arrangements for mid-week wrapping!
What is the Hypothermia Project?
For many years, St. Alban’s has participated in the Hypothermia Project, a local endeavor supported by religious and community organizations to feed and provide overnight shelter during the winter to clients of the Bailey’s shelter.
Last year, organizations provided meals only, directly to the shelter. This year, we are able to welcome the shelter clients and staff back to St. Alban’s. Shelter staff transport and supervise the clients during their overnight stay. Plates, napkins, and eating and serving utensils are provided. Here are the guidelines for St. Alban’s volunteers:
WHAT WE DO EACH DAY [dinner is served at 5:30pm]:
Questions? Contact Delores Baisden at 703-533-9532 or [email protected]. Thank you!
On Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 7pm to 8pm, Samaritan Ministry 
will be hosting its annual fundraiser. Please join St. Albans and over forty parishes in the tri-state area (DC, Maryland and Virginia) who will be participating virtually to celebrate Samaritan 35th year celebrating their service to help participants meet their goals. During this gala, Samaritan Ministry will be providing awards for Outstanding Achievement, Compassionate Service and Outstanding Partner.
In addition, there will be a silent auction of baskets assembled by partner churches, including 2 gift baskets submitted by St. Albans! To see all the baskets in the auction, please go to Samaritan Ministry Gala’s site . When you click “auction”, you will see all the baskets but in order to bid on a basket you will need to register for the event. Below is how to register for the event.
Please click here to register now!
The gala will be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube. If you’re watching on your own device, the Gala will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube, and it will be available to watch on their Website.
St. Albans will be serving a hot meal to middle schoolers who participate in Poe’s after-school activities next Thursday, October 28. Here’s your opportunity to participate in this outreach, which began in 2013. Kids there have been asking when we’d return.
More than two-thirds of the students in the after-school programs receive free or reduced-priced breakfasts and lunches, and so our meals support those who face food insecurity at home at the end of the day. Here’s your opportunity to support this outreach!
To see volunteer slots (shopping, cooking, transporting, serving/cleaning), click this link to learn more and to sign up. Contact Remy Jurenas with any questions at [email protected].
We had such a great response to our frozen sausage rolls in the online bazaar catalog last year, that we decided to do it again. In order to make sure you don’t miss out, please email [email protected] to reserve yours now.
Each order of six savory sausage rolls comes frozen and vacuum sealed, with instructions for how to bake at home. And we are happy to note that the price has not increased – still only $6 per order!
Frozen sausage rolls make great gifts (your friends and neighbors will love you)! They’re easy to prepare and make a tasty surprise at the breakfast table, or can be cut into smaller pieces for savory bites on a buffet. And they’ll stay fresh even several months in the freezer.
You can submit your pre-order now; payment will be due at time of pick up.
Thank you!
We hope you had an opportunity to read this month’s Word article about the bazaar and see why so many volunteers keep coming back! If you ‘ve never attended the bazaar, it’s an excellent place to meet new friends, reconnect with neighbors and friends you haven’t seen in a while, do a little shopping, and have delicious food at the café (outdoor seating this year).
The bazaar closet is open & ready for your donations! Please place items in boxes or sturdy bags marked with what’s inside. As you are choosing items to donate, please consider what you or others would like to buy. All items should be clean and in good condition. Please make sure any battery‐operated items have a battery so the customer can see that they work. For more information, contact please contact the bazaar co-chairs Nancy Calvert, Sue Mairena and Nick Huskins at [email protected].
Raffle Prizes needed! We need prizes that will attract ticket buyers of all ages. You could donate sporting event, theater or concert tickets, an offer of professional services such as decorating a special cake or raking leaves or detailing a car, or even gift cards! You can use the following URL to make your raffle donation ($75 minimum): https://cmpeck.wufoo.com/forms/st-albans-christmas-bazaar-raffle/. Please contact Chris Peck [email protected] or Stephanie Lightner or [email protected] for additional information.
Your bazaar co-chairs, Nancy, Sue & Nick
Fight Hunger in Fairfax County! Donate to the Stuff the Bus Food Drive on October 9
Stuff the Bus began in 2011 in response to a critical need to help restock the shelves of local food pantries after the holidays. This collaborative program is a partnership between Fairfax County Government and local nonprofits. Now in its 10th year, Stuff the Bus continues to support food assistance efforts for families and households. Since inception, Stuff the Bus has collected over 220 tons of food to feed hungry people in Fairfax County.
The next Stuff the Bus food drive will take place on Saturday, October 9. Fastran buses will be parked at locations throughout Fairfax County from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to collect nonperishable food donations for area food pantries.
Get Involved!
See the complete list of food drop-off locations, what to put on your shopping list to donate, and tips for donating safely at Stuff the Bus.
Stuff the Bus Virtual Food Drive
For those who are unable to donate in person, monetary donations can be made by visiting Volunteer Fairfax’s Stuff the Bus Donation Page.
When Jesus was asked by a lawyer to identify the greatest commandment, he responded with two: to love the Lord with all your heart and soul and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Here at St. Alban’s, we have a long history as a mission-oriented church, with numerous outreach and community ministry programs aimed at providing food, comfort and spiritual support to our neighbors here in Annandale and around the world. Even during the craziness of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all been overjoyed to see how many of our parishioners have given their time and energy toward helping others – toward “loving our neighbors.”
But, what does it mean to “love the Lord with all your heart and soul and mind”?
This past summer, your Vestry resolved to make spiritual growth and discipleship a priority for our parish. We are working with an organization called RenewalWorks (part of Forward Movement, a ministry of the Episcopal Church) to identify the best way to develop a discipleship program that will meet the needs of our parishioners, wherever each of us may be on his or her Christian journey.
The first step will be to figuring out where we are right now on that journey. In mid-September we will be sending a link to an electronic survey (print surveys will also be available) that we hope every one of you will take.
This survey, called a “Spiritual Life Inventory,” will take about 30 minutes to complete. I know that sounds like a lot, but it is very important! Your direct input through this survey will drive all our decisions about new programs and resources designed to help us, as individuals and as a community, grow closer to God in our daily life.
You will be hearing a lot more about the RenewalWorks program, the survey, and discipleship in general, over the next weeks and months, as we seek to discern God’s call for the future of St. Alban’s. Your participation is immensely valuable. Keep watching for the survey link later this month, and please participate as soon as possible (the survey will be open for only a short period of time).
If you have any questions about the RenewalWorks program, please speak with Fr. Jeff, Fr. Paul, Kevin Holland or Chris Martin.