This Sunday's Announcements

October 19:

• Children’s Chapel We invite children to gather for singing, stories, and crafts during Sunday services: October 19, November 2, November 16, December 7, and December 21. If you have questions or interest in volunteering to help with Children's Chapel, please contact Cara Hins at [email protected].
• Fall Giving Campaign Has Begun Our Fall Giving Campaign has begun! Read the Letter from the Rector and watch for your giving card in the mail this week or make your pledge of support online.  We ask you to make your promise of support, giving what you have decided in your heart to be right for you and your community of faith. Thank you to all who have pledged to support our parish in the coming year. So far we have received 12 pledges, totaling $31,560.68 towards our 2026 budget. It’s enormously exciting to think about what our giving can make possible this year! - Fall Giving Campaign Team

October 20 - Last Day to Submit Feast of All Saints Photos for 2025 Collage
On November 2 at 10 a.m. we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints. We join with our siblings in Christ from Mexico on the Day of the Dead (October 31st) and in many countries and cultures throughout the world on All Saints Day (November 1st) who take time to remember their loved ones who have passed away. We invite you to either a) bring a photo of your loved one on Sunday, November 2 and place it on a small altar we will prepare for worship that day or b) send a digital photo to Rev. Heather by October 20 at [email protected] which will be used in a collage next to the small altar. Please note the photo boards from 2021-2024 will also be part of this year’s display.  

October 26 - Deadline to sign up for November 6 Meet and Greet Carpool
Meet-and-Greets are a series of open meetings where you can meet and greet the candidates for our next bishop. Please see the specifics about the event in the front of the leaflet or here, as well as information about all three candidates here.  On Thursday, November 6 there will be a SsJA Carpool that will meet in the church parking lot at 4:10 p.m. and depart by 4:20 p.m. for the Meet & Greet at Christ Church Cathedral in Springfield. This gives plenty of time to find parking, and get lay delegates to the reception with candidates at 5:30 p.m. The event concludes at 8:15 p.m. and we will return to the church parking lot no later than 9:10 p.m. If you would like to join carpool - as a driver or rider, please email Rev. Heather by Sunday, October 26 at [email protected]. 

October 27 - Cultivating Connections: Interfaith Council of Franklin County Potluck
Cultivating Connections: Please join the Interfaith Council of Franklin County for a potluck and conversation about ways to cultivate connections in these troubled times. How are your faith and values helping you cope? What troubles you most about supporting our communities and social fabric? What brings you hope? Monday, October 27, 2025,  6pm potluck, 6:30pm conversation Second Congregational Church, Court Square, across from the Greenfield Common

October 31 - Last Day to Pick up Lost and Found
Have you lost something at church this year? Our collection of Lost and Found lives on the table outside the office in a blue basket. Please check if any of the items are yours.  Any items that remain as of October 31 will be recycled or donated. 

November 1 at 11 a.m. - Celebration of Life - Anne Dorman
Anne’s service is scheduled for Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 11 a.m. and will take place in All Saints Chapel at Saints James and Andrew.

November 2 at 10 a.m. - Prayers of Thanksgiving for Sunday Soup & Sandwiches
We will offer a prayer of thanksgiving for Sunday Soup and Sandwiches; its site leaders, volunteers, and donors; and the many lives that were touched through this ministry. Anyone who has ever supported this meal - whether that be in prayer, donations, or volunteering - is invited to join us as we gather as a community in worship to offer our heartfelt thanks to folks from all across Franklin County, and say - well done, good and faithful servants. A special celebration for the dedicated group of volunteers and donors will be held in January 2026 at a date and time to be determined.

November 2 at 11:30 a.m. Coffee & Conversation
Join us after worship for coffee and conversation in the cloisters.  Future Dates: 12/7. To volunteer or learn more about this ministry contact Allyson Michal at [email protected].

November 2 at 11:30 a.m. - Youth Group and Teen Confirmation Class
Join parish youth from 5th-12th grade for lunch and activities from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following dates: 11/2, 11/16, 11/23, 12/14, 12/21. There will also be a Teen Confirmation Class from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on 11/2, 11/16, and three spring dates. To learn more contact Reynolds Whalen: [email protected] 

November 2 at 1 p.m. - Dust to Dust: Surrounding Death with Care
St. John’s in Northampton has invited us to join their November 2 event from 1-5 p.m., Dust to Dust: Surrounding Death with Care. Come together in a supportive environment to learn more about what one might encounter around the end of life and how to prepare for it. Come for yourself, your loved ones, or to be supportive to your community as a whole. Held within a spiritual community, this event is open to people of all backgrounds and faith journeys. Preregistration is required. 
Please note: SsJA anticipates having an updated burial planning form soon and will communicate when ready. 

November 19 and 23 - Giving Thanks for our Ministry with Rev. Jimmy Solano Pickett
Our Missioner for Formation, the Rev. Jimmy Solano Pickett, will be concluding his time in this role at the end of November.  During our two year holy experiment, Rev. Jimmy has led retreats, carried out a process that led to the formation of both Children’s Chapel and the Mid-week Eucharist , and other meaningful programming. We will give thanks for our ministry together in two ways: 1) On Wednesday, November 19 following the 10 a.m. Midweek Eucharist we will have a special Coffee Hour, and 2) on Sunday, November 23  at 10 a.m. we will offer prayers of thanksgiving for our ministry together. Read more about the transition here. 

November 22 from 9am to 2pm - Save the Date! Mistletoe Mart & Craft Faire
Mistletoe Mart is a labor of love and we need you! There are lots of ways to volunteer:
1. Help prepare food for the cafe.
2. Help us set up for for the fair and assist the crafters.
3. Volunteer for a wide variety of jobs on the day of the fair.
4. Make cookies or a raffle basket (sign up in the Narthex)
Sign up online or on the clipboards in the Narthex!
Contact Erin Donnally-Drake with questions.

MMCF Seeks Food Donations
The MMCF cafe is seeking food donations this year to help offset costs. You can find a sign-up sheet in the Narthex or CLICK HERE for digital sign-up. Format this year will include a simplified menu of baked goods for breakfast and desserts, and a soup bar for lunch. The sign-up is sorted by soups, and feel free to leave a note in the box, if for example, you want to bring a partial amount of what is listed. There aren't any hard or fast rules, and we will gladly accept anything you can offer. Please have soup items to the church before Nov 8th, and baking items before Nov 19th. Please contact Erica Burns with questions or coordinating drop-offs for perishable items. [email protected] call/text 413-230-4458. Or swing buy the parish hall after service on 10/19 & 10/26 and chat in person.

​Interior Ceiling Repair Work - Update:
The exterior roof work has been completed and paid for by insurance. The interior ceiling repair work is being planned currently, and we are in negotiations with our insurance company. In anticipation of this work, our contractor will be taking down the flags to get a better scope of the interior damage.  We anticipate the Vestry having a further update in the November Newsletter. View all church roof and ceiling related communication updates here.

The Newsletter & Event Updates: 
Subscribe to parish communications by emailing [email protected]. We have two regular mailings: 1 - The Newsletter, offers a wide variety of content generally sent on first Fridays; 
2 - The Newsletter: Events Update Edition, features upcoming worship and announcements, generally sent on third Fridays. Submit materials for publication by the Monday prior of each edition. ​

---