St. George's Episcopal Church

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You are here: Home / Archives for Rector's Blog

Rector’s Blog

Reflections and notes from the Rector of St. George’s, the Rev. Joseph H. Hensley Jr.

Notes from the Rector

Selected notes to the parish from the Rev. Joseph H. Hensley, Jr., rector of St. George's Episcopal Church.

Christmas Worship

December 8, 2022 by St. George's Leave a Comment

ChristmasDecember 2022

Worship with us for Christmas and Epiphany! This year, we will have in-person and live stream offerings as we celebrate the birth of Christ.

Please note that our office closes on December 23 at 12 pm and will re-open January 2 at 9 am. If you have a pastoral emergency (e.g. death, hospitalization, loss of job), please text or call 540.361.8573 to reach the clergy on call.

Christmas Eve, December 24, 2022: 

4 pm: Family worship with carols, the Christmas story, and Holy Eucharist. Over-flow and mark-required seating available in Sydnor Hall.

7:30 pm: Holy Eucharist with our Jazz Band and Choir. Festive music starts at 7 pm. There will be seating in the nave, balcony, and Sydnor Hall. This service also livestreamed on YouTube Live. Reservations required.

11 pm: Rite II worship with Holy Eucharist. Our choir and chamber ensemble perform Camille Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël as a prelude – starting at 10:30 pm. There will be seating in the nave and balcony.  

Christmas Day, December 25, 2022:

10 am: Christmas Day worship with Holy Eucharist and music

December 26 – 28, 2028:

During the Christmastide feasts of St. Stephen (Dec 26), St. John the Evangelist (Dec 27) and Holy
Innocents (Dec 28), look for video reflections and prayers by our clergy posted on Facebook

Sunday, January 1, 2023 – New Years Day

10 am: Holy Eucharist, Rite II with music

Friday, January 6: Epiphany: Hop online and follow the journey of the Magi with our Epiphany worship service on Zoom. Time TBA.

Filed Under: Adult Formation, Fellowship, Home Page, Ministries, Music, News Blog, Parish Life, Rector's Blog, Sermon Blog, We Grow, Welcome, Worship Tagged With: Christmas, schedule, worship

Mourning and Responding in the Aftermath of Recent Mass Shootings

June 2, 2022 by St. George's Leave a Comment

On Sunday, May 29, Pastor Joe Hensley offered a space after the morning service for people to gather and share how they are feeling in the aftermath of recent mass shootings and to share ideas for potential individual and collective action. About 15 people participated in person and on Zoom.

 

Initially, people just shared personal feelings and perspectives. Later we shared thoughts about action. The group wanted the wider congregation to know both their appreciation of having a space to reflect together as well as some of the ideas that were presented.

 

These are listed as possibilities for fellow St. Georgians to receive and consider. As followers of Jesus, called to love our neighbors, we can work, individually and collectively, to create a community and a society that values every human life just as God does.

 

  • The Episcopal Public Policy Network is a resource which offers recommended advocacy actions based on our Episcopal faith and previous actions of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church.
  • Create a culture in our local community as well as in the larger society that values human dignity and life, so that if someone is threatening to harm others, people will respond and intervene.
  • Check in on your neighbors more often
  • Recognize that many of the perpetrators do not have a sense of belonging in their lives. Community is so important.
  • There are no short-term, quick fixes for deep hatred
  • We need more mental health services and better health care system in general. Look at disparities across different demographics. There is a mental health crisis in the African American community.
  • Hold space, personally and in community for feeling angry, sad, scared, worried.
  • Check in with teachers and educators in our community to show them our support
  • Recognize that Jesus rarely found support from politicians, so we can’t rely solely on politicians to do our work for us
  • Wear orange as a sign of support for gun-control measures
  • There is going to be a march in Washington, D.C. on June 11
  • Be aware of our own violent words and our exposure to violence in media
  • Be there for each other and support each other
  • Avoid extremist rhetoric
  • Examine what leads to a rage culture
  • Challenge stereotypes of mental illness: most mentally ill people do not hurt people. Many murders are committed by people who are not mentally ill.
  • Learn to regulate our nervous systems through somatic practices
  • Write letters to the editor
  • Post helpful comments and resources on social media about evidence-based strategies for reducing gun-violence

If you are struggling and would like to speak with a member of clergy, please contact our church office.

Filed Under: Adult Formation, Fellowship, Ministries, News Blog, Parish Life, Pastoral Care, Rector's Blog, Sermon Blog, We Grow, Worship

Sacred Ground Begins January 2022

December 7, 2021 by St. George's Leave a Comment

LabyrinthSt. George’s will offer a Sacred Ground  Dialogue Circle beginning January 9, 2022. Sacred Ground, a sensitive, prayerful resource of the Episcopal Church, creates space for difficult but respectful and transformative dialogue on race and racism. It invites participants to walk back through history to peel away the layers that brought us to today, reflecting on family histories and stories, as well as important narratives that shape the collective American story. It holds as a guiding star the vision of beloved community – where all people are honored and protected and nurtured as beloved children of God, where we weep at one another’s pain and seek one another’s flourishing.

The Dialogue Circle is a community that will meet Sundays, 3 – 5 pm, from January 9 through March 13 engaging with films, videos, written materials, and each other – a study group essentially with Linda and Bob Miller serving as co-facilitators. We hope to meet in person but will consider a virtual circle depending on health precautions.

If engaging in such a dialogue within a safe and supportive community is attractive to you please consider joining this dialogue circle.

For questions, please contact Bob Miller. To sign up, please click here. Please note registration closes January 2, 2022.

Filed Under: Adult Formation, Fellowship, Grace in Action, News Blog, Pastoral Care, Rector's Blog, St. George's in the News, We Serve, Welcome, Worship

Advent 2021 – Watch. Wait. Wonder

November 16, 2021 by St. George's Leave a Comment

AdventIt’s time to watch for miracles. It’s time to wait for the birth of the Messiah. It’s time to wonder at the unfailing light and love of God. Advent is here.

Here are some ways to help you watch, wait, and wonder:

Advent Practices Brochure

Way of Love Advent Calendar

 

If you have questions about Advent and how you might get involved, please fill out the form below. If the form isn’t displaying correctly, please click here.

 

Filed Under: Adult Formation, Fellowship, Grace in Action, Ministries, Music, News Blog, Parish Life, Pastoral Care, Rector's Blog, Sermon Blog, Welcome, Worship, Youth News Tagged With: Advent, Christmas, fellowship, worship

Now Hiring: Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries

October 28, 2021 by St. George's 2 Comments

Quatrefoil_Wide

Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries:
Staff Job Description

Download pdf here

St. George’s Episcopal Church
Located in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia along the Rappahannock River, St. George’s Episcopal Church is a vibrant and inclusive congregation of over 1,000 members committed to welcoming all into Christian community. Members and visitors alike delight in worshiping God both inside and outside of their four walls. The congregation is a key player in the local community through feeding ministries of the church and ecumenical engagement in the larger Fredericksburg area. St. George’s is openly affirming of the LGBTQIA+ community and seeks to be a welcoming and inclusive community. St. George’s is known for their superb music, diverse liturgical styles of worship, educational programming for all ages, and outreach ministries to the city and beyond. The parish is currently searching for a new staff person to join their team.

Position Overview
The Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries (DCYFM) will provide vision, dynamic leadership and oversight to the children, youth and family ministries, nursery through twelfth grade, at St. George’s Episcopal Church. This position equips volunteer lay leaders to nurture the spiritual growth and development of children, youth and their families, to build a thriving parish community rooted in our faith, characterized by belonging, inclusion and service. Current children’s ministry offerings include Montessori-based Sunday morning Christian formation, nursery care, baptism and baptismal preparation (in collaboration with clergy), worship involvement, and preschool partnership. Current youth ministry offerings include: Sunday morning Christian formation, Sunday evening youth group, Confirmation, local service opportunities, mission trips and retreats, participation in Diocesan events, and worship leadership including acolytes. St. George’s seeks to expand upon current family and parent fellowship and formation opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

  • Collaborate on creating a comprehensive vision for our Children, Youth and Family Ministries with clergy and other key stakeholders and align programs to the vision;
  • Share the Good News of God’s love through planning and organizing an annual calendar of regular, engaging and creative children and youth formation activities;
  • Promote the development and growth of lay leaders, including teachers and commission members, to lead children, youth and family ministries;
  • Equip and build relationships with adult caregivers as primary faith-builders in children and youth families and build community among families;
  • Coordinate regular visits to St. George’s preschool by clergy and staff to build relationship through formation and pastoral connection;
  • Establish and implement systems of pastoral care for children, youth and their families, in collaboration with clergy, lay leaders, and other professionals;
  • Communicate children and youth ministry formation activities (including acolyte ministry), events and opportunities to serve, with children, youth, their families, and church staff through both targeted and broad communication channels (website, bulletin, emails, social media, newsletters, etc.);
  • Collaborate with the clergy to ensure the inclusion of children and youth in worship;
  • Collaborate closely with the Children’s Music Director;
  • Maintain a database of children, youth, their caregivers and teachers;
  • Manage budget needs for each area of ministry in collaboration with supervisor, vestry and commission leaders;
  • Provide oversight to nursery ministry, including staffing, regular cleaning and caregiver engagement;
  • Participate regularly in staff meetings and maintain open lines of communication with staff and clergy, advocating for children, youth and families in parish-wide discussion;
  • Attend and actively support worship and fellowship opportunities geared at preschool, children, youth and their families;
  • Network in the community, with other churches, in the Diocese and in the larger Christian formation community to develop a mutual resource base of children, youth and family expertise;
  • Develop and implement effective safety measures (e.g. fire plans, Covid protocols), sexual misconduct and abuse prevention church practices and policies for all who work with children and youth at St. George’s, in collaboration with the church staff and Vestry.

Reporting Structure and Position Classification
The DCYFM reports directly to the Associate Rector. This is a full-time (40+ hours per week) exempt position, primarily working Sunday through Thursday, with weekend and evening work, as well as some travel. Adequate comp time will be provided in the case of overnight travel.

Required Qualifications

  • A Bachelor’s Degree or the equivalent;
  • Minimum 3-5 years paid ministry experience;
  • Deep and thoughtful Christian faith and love for the Episcopal tradition;
  • Training or willingness to receive training in children and youth formation curricula;
  • Experience with and passion for working with children, youth and their families;
  • Organizational and administrative skills for program and team management;
  • Strong oral and written communication skills, and comfort with social media and communication platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Previous training or experience with Godly Play or Catechesis of the Good Shepherd;
  • Continued education in a related field of study (youth ministry, Christian formation, spiritual direction or practice, etc.)
  • Training or education in human development and learning

True to our commitment to racial justice and LGBTQIA+ inclusion, people of color, and queer-identifying individuals are highly encouraged to apply. Compensation is commensurate with experience and comparable Episcopal positions including salary and benefits. St. George’s is open to considering candidates who are lay, ordained, or graduating seminary.

Qualified applicants are invited to share a resume and cover letter with Martha Whitesides.

Filed Under: Adult Formation, Children's Music, Fellowship, Grace in Action, Ministries, Music, News Blog, Parish Life, Pastoral Care, Rector's Blog, We Serve, Welcome, Worship, Youth News Tagged With: Children's Formation, employment, Families, job posting, now hiring, youth formation

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© 2023 St. George's Episcopal Church · Physical Address: 905 Princess Anne Street · Fredericksburg, VA 22401 · Mailing Address: P. O. Box 7127 · Fredericksburg, VA 22404
Main Office: 540.373.4133 · Pastoral Emergencies: (call or text) 540.361.8573 · Email [email protected]