Annual Homecoming Picnic Sunday, September 24 | 12:30 PM | VTS 2017 It’s that time of year again. The pools are slowly closing, the school buses are making their trial runs, and the trees are ever so slightly changing colors. Whether you Inside this issue: enjoyed a staycation this summer or were on the road, September is a wonderful time to reconnect and get back into your “church groove.” The Annual Homecoming Picnic Annual Picnic 1 is the perfect time to do just this! Strategically Thinking 2 Please join us on Sunday, September 24, at 12:30 p.m. for a chance to reconnect with Quaker Meetings 3 old friends and make new acquaintances in our parish. Spend a relaxing afternoon Music 3 outdoors as we share food, conversation, and a little music on the beautiful grounds of Virginia Theological Seminary (3737 Seminary Road in Alexandria). Spiritual Formation for 4 Children and Youth EEC will provide the hotdogs, hamburgers, water and juice. Adult Spiritual 5 Please plan to bring a side Formation dish or dessert to share. And Fall Inquirer’s Class 6 for those of you new to the Why We Love Sunday 7 picnic, don’t worry, we School and God & always eat well! Donuts So come spread a picnic Vestry HiLites 8 blanket or pull up your camping chair. Whether you Preschool News 8 are new to the parish or a The Better Angels of 9 picnic veteran don’t miss this chance to spend time together with our amazing EEC Our Nature community. (If it rains the picnic will be in our parish hall.)

Fellowship 10 Happy Fall y’all! And welcome back home! Outreach 11 Thank You Emmanuel! 13 Want to Get Involved? Calendar 14 We're looking for a few folks to help:

• Set-up — Following the 10:30 a.m. service, we need 4 to 6 people to help start grills and set-up tables. High Notes Submissions • Clean-up — We need 4 to 6 people to help transport tables back to EEC and clean Articles for the October High up the picnic area. Notes must be submitted to Kelli by Friday, September 22. Contact Jennifer Jones at 917-971-7817 if you're interested. Thank you.

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Our 10 -Year Vision Strategically Thinking… for Emmanuel

Emmanuel Episcopal Church is a thriving, engaged and creative parish The vestry invites and encourages everyone to think about working to educate and meet the needs of children, youth and adults; “stepping stones” and “big ideas” for Emmanuel to do now live and demonstrate our Christian and over the next 5 years, following our strategic plan. In values; and create a more humane and September, think about the theme, Financially Sound and just world through community service and outreach. Well Tended.

Diocesan Bishops The Rt. Rev. Shannon Johnston • In what ways are we financially sound and well tended? The Rt. Rev. Susan Goff The Rt. Rev. • What could we do better?

Emmanuel Church Staff • What is a “big idea” that you would wish for in the next 5 years?

Rector The Very Rev. Charles C. McCoart, Jr.

Associate for Worship and Spiritual From the Strategic Plan: Formation The Rev. Joani Peacock Financially Sound and Well Tended Seminarians Rick Bauer KC Robertson Emmanuel Episcopal Church was founded in its current location in 1910, and the members of the church have expanded and improved its building and Director of Spiritual Formation for Children and Youth grounds incrementally over the past 100-plus years. We are inheritors and Toni Buranen stewards of this church and are called on to ensure that our building and grounds are well cared for, while developing and tending to the resources Organist/Choir Director Ryan Fitch available to the church for our ongoing operations and ministries.

Parish Administrator The church’s leaders are called on to consider strategies to secure the financial Kelli Corts condition of the church in such a way as to support our ministries and commitments and to ensure the good condition of building and grounds. For Administrative Assistant Karen O’Hern example, we recommend developing specific plans to:

Nursery Caregivers a. Increase the Number of Pledging Members Lillian Urrea Natalie De Leon Santizo b. Reduce budgetary dependence on transfers from our Foundation Sara Guzman c. Care Proactively for our Building and Grounds d. Plan for and undertake any necessary and appropriate investments in Sunday Services 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. church facilities

Church Office Hours Monday—Thursday Share your comments by talking 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. to a vestry member (listed on the

Emmanuel Episcopal Church opposite page), filling out a pew 1608 Russell Road card, using the contact form Alexandria, VA 22301 703-683-0798 (phone) online or sending an email to 703-683-6158 (fax) [email protected] Kelli. www.emmanuelonhigh.org

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2017 Vestry Quaker Meetings Adam Schildge (Senior Warden) Meredith Wade (Junior Warden) Sundays, September 17, October 15 & November 19 Katie Kelly / Emily McNaughton (Worship) Margaret Wohler / Chris Yianilos (Education) 5:00 PM | Chapel Katie Deemer (Service) Lola Beggs / Greg Shannon (Fellowship) Joe Dresen / Aaron Flaaen (Stewardship) Emmanuel is borrowing a liturgical page from our Gene Lange (Treasurer) friends. Literally, we are borrowing the worship Sarah Kolo (Clerk)

tradition of The Friends, the Quakers. As an oasis of peace and a prayerful respite from the turmoil of these Contacts for Ministry Teams challenging times, I invite you to a “Quaker Meeting” in Worship Emmanuel’s chapel, the third Sunday of each month at Team Coordinator: Nancy Dupree 5:00 p.m. Our first Quaker Meeting on July 23 was well Acolytes: Kelly and Joe Dresen Altar Guild: Peggy Conner received and so we are adding this liturgy to the EEC Counters: Jim Bradley regular worship schedule on September 17, October 15 and November 19. It is a Guitar Circle: Stewart Bartley simple service of scripture, prayer, contemplative music and reflective silence. In Music & Choir: Ryan Fitch Readers (8:00): Suji Kelly this small sacred space, with God’s help, we hope to cultivate listening hearts. Readers and Chalice (10:30): Jerry Boykin Participants are welcome to share a minute’s worth of encouraging words, if so Ushers: Bob Callahan moved by the promptings of the Holy Spirit. (Or not!) This service of holy silence Education is open to parishioners and our neighbors. Please feel free to share this Team Coordinators: Joani Peacock information with neighbors in your community. Toni Buranen Adult Spiritual Formation: Beth Boland Questions? Contact Joani. Sunday School: Toni Buranen Youth: Janie Piemonte Preschool: Ressa Jones

Service Team Coordinator: Sean Ellis Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing! Adult Summer Service Trip: Joe Grassia ALIVE!: Laura Macone; Sarah Orndorff Bag Lunch Program: Karen Coda Everybody Start to Sing! Carpenter’s Shelter Breakfast: Jennifer Jones Carpenter’s Shelter: Dinner: Sean Ellis Mark your calendar for September 7 and September 21 at 7:00 p.m. for our first Community Lodgings: Barbara Harslem adult choir practices for the season! Music, fun, and snacks! All people are Free School Physical Program: Bonnie Lilley Giving Tree: Rachel Kliewer welcome no matter the ability or skill level. We will practice the 1st and 3rd Haiti: John Maass Thursdays of the month and sing on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Sundays in Haitian Coffee Sales: Kim Scott church. Please invite your friends! We can't spell CHORUS without U! Meals on Wheels: Katie Kelly Refugee Family: Kim Scott United Thank Offering: Bonnie Fairbank Yard Sale: Frank & Laura Elgin

Fellowship Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Team Coordinator: Jennifer Jones Breakfast with St. Nick: Courtney Keplinger Everybody Start to Ring! Coffee Hour Baristas: Elena Mazzeo Craft & Sewing Group: Gudrun Callahan Mark your calendars for September 10 at 11:45 a.m., right Easter Egg Hunt: Eileen Gorman Prime Timers: Jim Bradley after church! This year we will be starting a full time chime Shrine Mont Parish Retreat: Joe Scott and handbell choir. We will rehearse every Sunday after Super Bowl: Gene Lange church from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. We will be starting with Twenties & Thirties (TnT): Leo Cruz some very beautiful, but simple music, so no worries about talent. If you are Stewardship interested, please come and be part of the fun. We will be performing each Team Coordinator: Adam Schildge month on the 3rd Sunday. Eight to ten people are needed for a full choir at Annual Giving: Jane Kolson; Jim Bialick Building and Grounds: Dwayne Piepenburg minimum. If you have questions or are interested, please email Ryan. Finance: Stewart Bartley Foundation: Jane Kolson

Page 4 H ig h N ot es Spiritual Formation for Children and Youth

“We shall not cease from exploration, and Open House and Teacher Commissioning. the end of all our exploring will be to arrive Please join us! We encourage everyone to join us for where we started and know the place for the our Sunday School Open House on Sunday, September first time.” 10, from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. This is a great way to ~T. S. Eliot connect with Sunday school teachers prior to our start date of September 17. Following the Open House, all

families are encouraged to join us for the 10:30 a.m. Dear all, service where we will have our Back to School Blessing Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful, restful, fun and Teacher Commissioning. summer! Our formal faith formation programs begin again and we are so happy to welcome all of our Start Dates. Both Sunday school and God & Donuts families, new and seasoned, back this fall. begin Sunday, September 17. Sunday school will meet I know I sound like a broken record, but I would like to from 10:15 to 11:05 a.m. in the church classrooms on put in one more plug for at least one more Sunday the ground floor after which the children join their school teacher this year. If you find yourself feeling a parents in the 10:30 a.m. service. God & Donuts will spiritual tug and are someone who loves children and meet from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m in the Parish Hall. We look God, we have the perfect place for you. If you are a forward to seeing you there! parent of one of the children in our parish, we especially encourage you to volunteer your time to this particular ministry. We have a particular need in a class with larger numbers and our program will not function as well as it can without one more person committed to this program. The good news? You have a flexible schedule and great team! Teachers generally take turns teaching once or twice a month with another team member. No experience necessary! We can’t wait to see you! Know of our thoughts and prayers as we all begin a new school year and as always, if you have any questions, please email me. Read on for more important information! With peace and gratitude, Toni COMING UP

2017 – 2018 Registration and Calendar. If you are planning for your children to participate in Sunday school (ages 3 – 5th grade) or God & Donuts (6th – 12th grade) this year, please register as soon as possible! We have two convenient ways to register. You may click here to register via Google Forms, or click here to download, print, and submit a paper registration form and calendar. Hard copy registrations may be placed in the collection basket or put in my staff mailbox on the Emmanuel member Perry Conner, music maker and ground level of the church. counselor, St. George’s Camp at Shrine Mont.

H ig h N ot es Page 5 Popcorn Theology We. Are. Connected. September 16 | 7:00 PM | Memorial Oprah Winfrey’s Belief Series Room

How did a group of determined African American teenagers' request for a better education and facility in rural Virginia lead to the federal ruling Brown vs. Board of Education? Come join filmmaker Sam Hampton for a discussion of his 30 minute film, Mr. Stokes' Mission and see how a small group of people working together can change the world. Refreshments, wine and Q&A. Belief is a groundbreaking documentary series exploring humankind’s search to connect with the sacred. We were

all created with a Go