News You Can Use – 9/15/23
| A Message from Fr. John Caleb |
 Dear Transfiguration family, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…” is one of the hymns that I look forward to singing every Sunday. I am not a trained singer, but that has not stopped me from using my voice to praise God for what He has done for me in my life and in the world around us. It does not matter if we are the most renowned singer in the world or the most shy or inexperienced. What matters is that our heart is there in worship for Jesus. If we are in church for Jesus, then, we are worshipping correctly. Having been Lutheran (ELCA) and Greek Orthodox, I have worshipped in low church and high church congregations. I have experienced the Holy Spirit and the passion for Jesus in each of these liturgies. Whether the Lutheran priest was wearing a polo shirt with jeans or the Orthodox priest was wearing all of the Byzantine vestments with clouds of incense, I felt so loved by God and could hear the hearts filled with praise for Christ. May we hear the praise in our hearts and keep our spiritual eyes and ears on Jesus in every act of worship.Blessings, Fr. Caleb+ |
| This Sunday |
| Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 17, 2023 Holy Eucharist Rite II, in the Sanctuary Order of Worship – click here 8am. said service 10am with music The 10am service is also available on ZOOM Meeting ID: 740-940-1419 Passcode: 514 514 Coffee, snacks and conversation follow the 8am and 10am services in the Fellowship Hall; we will also celebrate September birthdays |
| The Week Ahead |
| Monday, September 18 7:00pm Compline Tuesday, September 19 7:00pm Compline Wednesday, September 20 9:30am Morning Prayer 7:00pm Compline Thursday, September 21 3:00pm Social Media Team meeting 7:00pm Compline Friday, September 22 7:00pm Compline Sunday, September 24 8:00am Worship Service Coffee hour after the service 10:00am Worship Service Reception for Mackenzie & Chris after the service |
 Book Club This month’s book club discussion will be held today – Friday, September 15 at 10am AZ time via Zoom. The selection for September will be Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt; LeAnn Frobom will be the discussion leader. Remarkably Bright Creatures can be classified as a mystery and is 360 pages long. The Goodreads rating is 4.44 and the link to the Goodreads review is here. |
 Transfiguration Choir Come make a joyful noise! We rehearse on Sundays at 8:45am, before the 10:00am service. If you are interested in singing in the choir, please reach out to Mackenzie Marr for more information. All are welcome to join! Please join us on Sunday, September 24 after the 10am service to celebrate the marriage of Mackenzie and Chris. |
 Stitchery Ministry The Stitchery Ministry will meet on Thursday, September 28 at 2pm in the Parish House. Beginners are welcome to come and learn! This group provides hand-crafted prayer shawls for those in our community who are sick, recovering from illness or surgery, or just need the comfort of a warm prayer shawl made with love. For additional information, contact Linda Jo Johnson. |
 ECW Annual Rummage Sale Please mark your calendars! The ladies of ECW will be holding their annual rummage sale on November 16, 17 and 18. We will begin accepting donations on October 1; please bring your items to the Parish Hall. For questions, contact Jo Laslo at jfaith3844@aol.com. |
| Announcements |
 Congratulations! Congratulations to Joe Myschko and Kathy Lazarick who were married at Transfiguration on Saturday, September 9. What a joyous occasion! |
 God’s Soup Kitchen Members of this wonderful group encourage parishioners to pick up their latest offering of pasta e fagioli from the Fellowship Hall freezer for the ill, the needy, and the shut-ins. |
 Church Office Updates Revised office hours are: M-T-W-Th. from 9am to 1pm Fr. John Caleb also has his church mobile phone activated. His contact #s are: Office (480) 986-1145 Mobile (480) 980-1981 |
 Name Tags Wearing your name tag in our church service can be a helpful way for people to connect and build a sense of community. It can also help Fr. John Caleb get acquainted with us and assist newcomers to form relationships with our church members. If you would like a name tag, please contact the church office here. |
 Daughters of the King Daughters of the King met on Thursday after taking the summer off since so many were traveling. It was a pleasure to have time to talk, share prayer concerns, and discuss some inspirational materials. Members present were Dana Wittman, Jo Laslo, Ruby Seyffert, Miriam Waddington and Lynn Graff. This group (national order for women in the Episcopal church) serves our community through prayer, service, and evangelism. Prayer for the care and support of our congregants and rector is a primary focus of our ministry. We also host receptions following a memorial or funeral service as an act of Christian service to the people of God. Their regular meeting is the second Thursday at 11:00am. For more information and/or how to join, please contact the church office at officetransfig@gmail.com. |
| Stewardship |
 The Crazy Chile Farm For the weekly Farm Report (scroll down until you find the latest entry), with current information and photos, please click here. |
 The Superstition Community Food Bank suggestions for this week are: canned or dehydrated soups. For next week: canned vegetables, instant potatoes and rice. Please place items in the basket at the back of the church. |
 Pledging and Financial GiftsFinancial gifts to the Church of the Transfiguration can be made using Zelle. Find us in Zelle by our email address: officetransfig@gmail.com |
| Worship |
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| Please consider serving as an usher, offering counter, chalice bearer, lay reader or crucifer. These are all very important and impactful roles and a great way to get more involved in the Transfiguration community. You can e-mail Janice Scalzo so she can add you to the service schedule and make sure you have the information and training you need. All of God’s people are called to share in our Sunday-morning and other special services! |
 Altar Flowers Altar flowers can be dedicated in honor of special life events such as birthdays and anniversaries, in memory of a loved one or just as a general thanksgiving. If you would like to contribute to future altar flower displays, please contact the Church Office, use Zelle or put “Altar Flowers” in the memo when placing your check in the offering plate. |
 ComplineCome pray with us! We meet M-F at 7pm via Zoom for Compline/Evening Prayer. The service is available on ZOOM. Meeting ID: 740-940-1419. Passcode: 514 514.Each of six different services consists of a designated reader and a responder followed by prayers for those in need. For a list of the compline prayers, click here. For additional information, please contact Thomas Blum. |
 Morning Prayer Please join us every Wednesday morning at 9:30am via Zoom to prayerfully start the day. The service is available on ZOOM. Meeting ID: 740-940-1419. Passcode: 514 514. For additional information, please contact Ann Williamson. |
| Second Sunday Giving |
| On the second Sunday of every month all loose plate collection money (not tithes) will be given to several non-profit organizations. These organizations were selected by your Vestry because they reflect the mission and values of the Transfiguration Community and The Episcopal Church. For a complete list click here. September collection: United Food Bank |
 Since 1983, United Food Bank has been dedicated to providing hunger relief to people in the East Valley and eastern Arizona. As a member of Feeding America, our food bank collects, acquires, stores, and distributes food to 150 partner agencies and programs in five counties, serving over two million Arizonans. Our efforts result in the distribution of more than 21.6 million pounds of food each year, equating to 50,000 meals a day. Our mission of uniting communities to alleviate hunger is achieved through the hard work of volunteers, agency partners, and donors who join us each day. |
| Diocesan News |
 63rd DIOCESAN CONVENTION October 17th, 2023 via Zoom & October 21st, 2023 at Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church, Scottsdale The 63rd Arizona Diocesan Convention will take place on October 17th via Zoom and in person on October 21st at Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church in Scottsdale. Our theme this year is GO! Gather, Grow, and Give and will focus on stepping outside the walls of our churches. Jesus calls us to go: not to be static, but to get outside and be the People of God.Learn More |
| Diocesan Publications Please contact the church office if you would like to receive the Arizona Episcopalian, a free quarterly publication from the Diocese. To sign up for the weekly Diocesan email E-Pistle click here. |
| Who We Are |
 The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration is an open and affirming Christian community in the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement. We acknowledge the living culture of the Salt River Pima and Maricopa people, the traditional custodians of the land we stand on, and pay tribute to the unique role they play in the life of this region. We are a member of the Union of Black Episcopalians, whose mission is “to unite the diverse cultures, concerns and gifts of Black Episcopalians by providing preparation and encouragement for living the Baptismal Covenant and fully participating in the mission and governance of The Episcopal Church.” |
| Photo taken by Jack Hovden |
| Clergy and Staff Fr. John Caleb Collins, Rector transfigurationrector@gmail.com; office (480) 986-1145 or mobile (480) 980-1981 Mackenzie Marr, Choir Director & Pianist www.mackenzielynmarr.com Linda Ostmeyer, Office Manager officetransfig@gmail.com Janice Scalzo, Bookkeeper transfigbookkeeper@gmail.com Office hours: M-T-W-Th. 9am – 1pm Vestry Lynn Graff, Senior Warden lwgraff@yahoo.com; mobile (480) 201-2939 Heidi Kinney, Treasurer churchtransfigtreasurer@gmail.com Diane Klock, Clerk John Bishop Ellen Jackelen Bob Kistler Barbara Press Garth Seiple Jane Stoneback Peg Wier Social Media Tom Blum & Ben Brooks – website Tom Blum, Jo Laslo & Bill Robinson – Facebook page Mary Hovden – News You Can Use e-newsletter (please send stories, announcements, photos, etc. to Mary here) Peg Wier – Zoom worship service Lynn Graff – Vestry liaison |