Every Sunday at the 10:45 service, we will have a special blessing for our young people as they head off to various summer camps.
If your child will be attending Camp Capers, please let us know their name(s) and what session they are attending. In addition to a blessing during the church service, St. George will send a letter to them while they are at camp. Please email hwilson@saintgeorgechurch.org with your information.
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The “Pathways to Hope: Breaking the Stigma of Mental Illness” Conference is a free, community-wide conference on mental health, sponsored in part by the diocese and St. Mark’s, San Antonio. The two-day conference will take place Friday, August 23, to Saturday, August 24 at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, and includes presentations, workshops, and a youth and family event taking place on Friday at 7:00 PM. To view the event flyer, click here. For more information, and registration, visit pathwaystohope.net.
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National Office and Skit
Painting and Photography
Our Book Battle team of Megan Liu, Benicio Martinez, and Sofia Pina-Cervantes captured 1st Place at the state competition. They read a list of 12 required books and worked together for months discussing the assigned pieces of literature. After collectively answering written objective and essay questions on the national test, this devoted team of readers captured 5th Place!
Group Talent
Praise God’s blessings! The Lord has provided new opportunities for our Haitian partnership this past spring. Next month, Keith Earle and two representatives from Texas Water Mission will be heading to St. Benoit with Fr. Goursse to asses the current water situation on the campus at St. Benoit. In partnership with Texas Water Mission, we hope to come up with a quality and useful water solution for our partners. Please pray for God’s vision and discernment on this trip as the team works together during this time. The team is set to head out on July 10 and we look forward to continuing to build the bonds of friendship as well as work on this solution with our partners. If you desire to contribute towards the work of this trip, you may do so by praying for us and offering your voice to God in support. If you wish to support further with your own gifts, you may donate by check, cash or electronically byclicking here. Please designate “Haiti Outreach” in the memo or locate the giving category electronically. If you have any questions, please contact Keith Earle for more details. Thank you for your prayers during this time.
Beginning June 3, please note that the best way to contact our staff during the summer break is through an email and a scheduled appointment. We will not be able to effectively address walk-in appointments, and you may walk in at a time when our staff is unavailable, so please use the guide below to contact the office. We want to help, and we look forward to a great summer with you!
Summer Office Hours:
Monday–Thursday 8:00–1:00 PM
Friday 8:00–12:00 PM.
St. George Staff Contact Information
Rector – Fr. Ram Lopez rlopez@saintgeorgechurch.org
Senior Director – Keith Earle kearle@saintgeorgechurch.org
Director of Pastoral Care – Marilynne Herbster mherbster@saintgeorgechurch.org
Director of Family Ministries – Happy Wilson hwilson@saintgeorgechurch.org
Director of Youth Ministries – Taylor Brown tbrown@saintgeorgechurch.org
Director of Music Ministry – Bernadette Williams bwilliams@saintgeorgechurch.org
Bookkeeper/Admin. Assistant – Jennifer Kirkland jkirkland@saintgeorgechurch.org
Communications Manager – Aimee Martinez amartinez@saintgeorgechurch.org
Many St. George parishioners touch the lives of people every day in San Antonio and throughout the world as they “love and serve” in the name of God. “Stories of Humanity and Healing” seeks to share with you the human stories of that work. Do you have a story to share of reaching out to your fellow human beings? If so, please send it to impact@saintgeorgechurch.org.
Click here to read this month’s Impact Report.
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We’re Splashin’ through the Summer THIS Sunday, July 7, with a one-service July 4th celebration at 10:00 AM! Afterwards we’ll gather together for lunch and some Wet ‘n Wild fun out by the playground! There will be an inflatable water slide for the kids, hula hoops, splash sponge balls, and other outside fun! Make sure kids bring (or wear) their swimsuits, towel, and sunscreen! There are some picnic tables out by the playground, but please feel free to bring your lawn chairs for additional seating. We will have board and card games for those who wish to beat the heat in the Leadership Center Commons.
It will be another great day for us all on our beautiful grounds! So come on . . . join us . . . as we Splash through the Summer and celebrate July 4th . . . St. George style!
Dear St. George Friends and Partners in Christ:
I am pleased to inform you that the Trustees of the Church Corporation of the Diocese of West Texas have approved our Parish Hall renovation project. Our General Contractor, Marc General Construction, LLC, will begin their work in earnest this coming Monday, June 3.
During these coming Summer months we will be unable to access the Parish Hall as a matter of safety. We have also adjusted our schedule this summer taking into account this renovation project. One example of that is our Pentecost Worship and Fun Formation Day at 10 am on June 9th.
Below follows a summary of this project:
History: The Parish Hall and the building connecting the worship space to the existing Parish Hall were part of a St. George Church and School Building Project in the early 2000’s. Used almost every day of the week during the school year, the Richards’ Building and the Parish Hall have been well maintained. Although many are in agreement that the Parish Hall space is in need of a facelift.
Current: Over the years both St. George Church and School have seen changes in the way we operate together and use our shared spaces. The Parish Hall, specifically, has been and continues to be a prime space for our Fine Arts offerings. As our Fine Arts energy has increased over time, the deficiencies of the space have moved to the forefront. The stage itself is inadequately sized for adult or student fine arts offerings. The lighting is basic fluorescent lighting, non-adjustable and affixed alongside outdated suspended-ceiling tiles. The floor is basic vinyl tile that is showing wear and is not acoustically helpful..
Plans: We engaged an architect familiar with the St. George Community who could help us reimagine the space. The goals are for a larger stage for both adult and student fine arts offerings; to give us flexibility with new lighting technology for various types of gatherings; provide a warm, welcoming space for our students, their parents and our faculty who eat their lunch in that space; give us opportunities to host local and national speakers and artists to use the space to enhance our mission; and create a lovely space which would encourage fellowship after Sunday worship.
Recent Actions: Recently, the Vestry and the School Board met in joint session to discuss the proposed renovation, funding and contractor bids. After some discussion, both bodies elected to accept the bid provided MARC General Construction, LLC.
The following was agreed upon as the total budgeted amount for the project:
Costs:
Construction and FFE Total…………………………..$384,765
The following sources of funding were allocated:
From the School:
Total: $350,000
From the Church:
Richards Unrestricted Bequest:$ 75,000
Total Project Funds Available: $425,000
In our financial planning, we have provided for significant contingency, primarily in the Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FFE) line. This renovation will not require us to add to our existing loan from the Seeds Project in 2014-2015.
A word about the Margaret Richard’s Bequest: Margaret and Allen Richards were faithful members of St. George. The Richards’ Building which houses the Parish Hall bears their family name as the result of their donation to that capital project in the early 2000’s. We received an unrestricted final bequest after Margaret’s death in 2017. The monies have been in our Reserve Funds since we have received them.
As the Vestry discussed this project it seemed right to participate in its funding, since the Church’s mission and ministry program would be greatly enhanced by this renovation. The question of where to find the funds remained. We did not want to launch a capital campaign nor did we wish to use operation funds. It seemed right to us to use some of Margaret Richards’ final gift (approximately ⅓ of the total) to put towards this renovation project.
This project, from inception to approval, has been a very fast process. It has been so in order to take advantage of the summer window when the Parish Hall is least used. The time frame and desire to not add cost to the project necessitated a decision to not seek an artistic rendition of the final product. However, Keith Earle or I will be happy to “talk” you through parts of the upgrade about which you may have questions.
I invite your prayers over the next two months for this project – for safety of those who are doing the work; for safety of all who are on campus during construction; for protection against unnecessary or surprising delays; for the lives of those who will be transformed by the Grace of God in that space as they receive words and music, as they are embraced in friendship and fellowship.
The Holy Spirit is once again stirring up the people of St. George to a significant work. Join me in giving thanks for all that God will do among and through us in our renovated Parish Hall.
Peace,
Ram+
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Our high school graduates will receive their Bibles during the 10:45 AM worship service on Sunday, May 19.
We will be offering prayers for all graduates during both worship services. It is our hope that these Bibles will be a treasured source of guidance and inspiration for our graduates as they begin a new journey in their lives. We thank you for your contributions.
The Rt. Rev. David Reed will visit St. George on Sunday, May 19, 2019. Bishop Reed will be our celebrant for both worship services as well as being present for any confirmations, receptions, and reaffirmations.
Plan to join us and bring a friend!