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SPIRITUAL EDUCATION FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS CHURCH SCHOOL St. Margaret’s Church School meets Sunday mornings from September through May. It begins at 9 am and ends at 9:30 am. The model for the church school is based on the one room school house of the past. Everyone, ages 6 to 86 years old, is invited to participate. We are all learners and we are all teachers. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a special Montessori-based curriculum which honors the child's spirituality as wonder, awe and mystery are evoked, is offered in the Atrium to children ages 3 to 5 whenever there are two or three children whose families commit to regularly bring them. ADULT EDUCATION Adult education at St. Margaret’s encompasses a variety of topics, models, and schedules in order to meet individual needs and interests. Special events and activities are offered in addition to the regularly scheduled sessions. Bible Study is held Monday evenings from 7 to 8:30 pm. Adult Forums meet Sunday mornings after Holy Eucharist. Meeting dates and study topics reflect the interests of the members and are typically held during the seasons of Lent and Advent. It is open to all on a come-when-you-can basis. Other sessions can be established throughout the year. Inquirers’ Class is scheduled about 6 weeks before the Bishop’s annual visitation. The class helps people 14 years old and older make a mature affirmation of their baptismal faith in Confirmation, Reception, or Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows. Education for Ministry (EFM) has met at St. Margaret’s. We have trained mentors who would be available when six to people people are ready to enroll in this intensive program. This is a 20 year old program of theological education by extension from The University of the South (Sewanee). Meetings are held weekly for 10 months with preparation and reading at home. Tutition is charged by Sewanee. For more information about any of the educational programs, please call the parish office at 610-967-1450.
LITURGY AT ST. MARGARET’S IS “THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE” St. Margaret’s welcomes and encourages everyone to make worship here a personal experience. Some members may wish to participate only in the pews, while others may want to be more active during the service. A sampling of the opportunities appears below. Ushers set the tone of St. Margaret’s. They greet people, hand out bulletins, present the offering, and assist newcomers as needed. Currently, Dan Cardinale is recruiting and scheduling ushers. Acolytes are 3rd grade age and older and assist in the service by processing the cross and candles, helping set the table, and receiving the gifts at the offertory. Training is given and assignments made based on the function and service. Lay Readers and Chalicers are trained by the Rector and licensed by the Bishop to serve during worship. Gathering Choir sings at special services and practices after church as necessary. Individual singers are encouraged to lend their voices at other times throughout the year. Alice Leutzel is the music coordinator. Counters work in pairs to record monetary offerings and prepare a deposit after the Sunday worship service. A sign up sheet to participate is in the upstairs office area bulletin board. Counting takes place directly following Sunday services. Please talk to Dan Cardinale for more info. The Altar Guild creates a setting in the sanctuary that honors God and invites reverence and worship. Its members place and maintain all vessels, linens, paraments, candles, flowers, and books that the liturgy requires. Kathy Leber coordinates the Altar Guild. Flowers are placed on the altar each Sunday (except during Advent and Lent) through parishioner sponsorship. A sign-up sheet is on the Information Kiosk located downstairs next to the elevette. Phyllis Schantzenbach contacts the florist. For more information, please call the parish office at 610-967-1450 or visit other pages of this Web site.
WOMEN, and MEN of ST. MARGARET’S ST. MARGARET’S NURSERY SCHOOL (SMNS) Established in 1981, SMNS provides a creative pre-school experience for children. A nonprofit, outreach program of St. Margaret’s Church, it provides an atmosphere which reflects creativity, understanding and respect for others. Classes are held Monday through Friday for children ages 2 to 5. SMNS is staffed by a director, certified teachers, assistants, and senior citizen volunteers. This ministry is open to the entire community, regardless of faith, creed, race, or ethnicity. EPICSOPAL CHURCH WOMEN (ECW) All women of the parish are automatically members of the ECW, known as the Women of St. Margaret’s. This group sponsors many activities including instructional classes such as scrapbooking and crocheting, book discussions, and annual Christmas cookie and flower bulb sales. ECW also seeks ways to reach out in the community For more information, please call the parish office at 610-967-1450 or visit other pages on the Web site.
A SAMPLING OF MINISTRIES The Membership Incubator fosters a welcoming community by purposefully welcoming newcomers and helping established members connect and reconnect. Recent efforts include updating brochures, building the Information Kiosk, and displaying service times on the front sign. Renewal and Evangelism (R&E) offers events for renewal and reaching out to others. Past events include a quiet day, root beer floats at Heritage Days, summer picnics, and Emmaus Farmer Market bake sales. Inreach sponsors activities to nurture and support the membership of St. Margaret’s. Previous activities include pot luck dinners, movie nights, gourmet groups, and receptions honoring newly baptized babies. The telephone Prayer Chain passes along prayers for those in need during a time of crisis Through our gifts of time, talent, and treasure we offer God praise and thanksgiving. As we study the biblical roots of cheerful giving, we seek to tithe. The generous saints of St. Margaret’s build the community by their faithful offerings. We have adopted the Consecration Sunday model for our annual Stewardship campaign. The Memorial Garden at St. Margaret’s is a quiet consecrated place for the interment of ashes following cremation. Arrangements for interment are made through the parish office. The names of those buried are inscribed on a plaque mounted on a wall in the garden. The Garden is a quiet place to visit and spend a few moments in memory of lives that have been shared with us. Outreach is one of the ways St. Margaret’s helps the greater community. Many people have been helped in times of need through such activities as holiday food baskets, transportation to church, resettlement of refugees to the Lehigh Valley, and Christmas gifts and school supplies given to needy children. In the past, a group of parish members traveled to Honduras to help build a home. For more information about any of the ministries, or to join a ministry, please call the parish office at 610-967-1450 or visit the Ministries Page.
DON’T MISS THIS! OUR “FAVORITES” AT ST. MARGARET’S At St. Margaret’s, worship and fellowship go hand-in-hand. Listed below are a few of the “favorite” things St. Margaret’s parishioners experience. Won’t you join the fun? St. Margaret’s Day finds bagpipers and parishioners dressed in tartans and processing outdoors in honor of our patron saint. A luncheon follows worship. Feed the Flock offers great breakfast food at great prices. Open to the community on the first Saturday of every month (Sept. through June), this relaxed breakfast offers an opportunity to share laughs and get to know each other better. The Children’s Christmas Pageant is presented each Christmas Eve during church service. Rehearsals are typically held during Church School in the weeks leading up to Christmas. All children are welcome to join the show. Shrove Tuesday is honored with a pancake supper in the social hall at St. Margaret’s. All are welcome to share in this fellowship. A Vigil is held through the night each year beginning at the Maundy Thursday service when the altar is stripped and continuing until noon on Good Friday. The worship space provides a time for silent contemplation. A Pet Blessing is held every October in celebration of the life of St. Francis of Assisi. The youth from the Church School participate in the Children’s Sabbath held each autumn and in Youth Sunday held each June. Art in the Undercroft brings artists – young and young-at-heart – together to share their talents. Summer exhibits have featured award-winning artists from St. Margaret’s as well as a special exhibit by the youth of St. Margaret’s.
This page was updated on 7-11-2010
St. Margaret's Episcopal Church 150 Elm Street, Emmaus, PA 18049 Phone: (610) 967-1450 Fax: (610) 966-0472 E-mail: SrWarden@stmargaretsemmaus.org 
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