Welcome to St. Mary's

St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 9425 Third Ave., Stone Harbor, NJ 08247 609-368-5922

Worship Services

Sundays
8 AM Rite I
Holy Eucharist

10 AM Rite II
Holy Eucharist
with Choir

9:45 AM
Church School

Wednesdays
Evening Service
7:30 PM Rite II

Service of Healing
2nd & 4th Weds.

Saturdays
July & August
Worship at the Beach
5 PM Rite II
Holy Eucharist
at 101st St. Beach Pavillion,
Stone Harbor

Second Sunday of each month
Contemporary Worship Service, 7 PM
at The Branches,
Rio Grande

12 Noon Worship Service
every Wednesday
at The Branches,
Rio Grande

Summer Parking
The Borough exempts meters for St. Mary's on Sundays mornings. This includes the meters in front of the Church, Sturdy Bank, and on the opposite side of 95th Street. Sturdy Bank lot, PNC Bank lot and Fred's (until 12 noon) parking lot may also be used.

Sunday
Readings

News from St. Mary's

View our current newsletter, The Messenger,
or the Sunday bulletin here.

Get up to the minute announcements - become a fan of St. Mary's on facebook!

Why should you consider the Episcopal Church?
You might find the answer here.

Welcome to St. Mary's!

We are a vibrant Episcopal church, located on the barrier island of Stone Harbor. Our congregation includes 180 households from the Seven Mile Beach and offshore communities. We are active throughout the year with a variety of church functions, substantial outreach projects, a choir, and an energetic youth program.

And we are growing, beyond our island home into Cape May County...

- through Partners in Ministry, an exciting initiative with St. Barnabas by the Bay Mission, Villas,
- the realization of a thrift shop in Rio Grande and its expansion with a furniture annex, and
- the establishment of a partnership center, The Branches, a common space for St. Mary's and St. Barnabas to do ministry in Cape May County effectively. These ventures are moving us forward in hope, growing the ministry of the Episcopal Church in Cape May County.

We invite you to join us as we strive to accomplish God's work and to discover his presence among us. We welcome you to St. Mary's website, and hope that you will join us at St. Mary's in worship!

The Rev. John W. Sosnowski, Rector
The Rev. Debra K. Bullock, Assistant to the Rector and Vicar of St. Barnabas
The Rev. Ronald Lockhart, Assisting Clergy

Celebrating our Centennial 1910 - 2010

St. Mary's turns inside out in the summer...
The doors of St. Mary's open out to the community all year round, but we literally open the doors and move outside in the summer to our front lawn and the beach to better enjoy summer at the shore.

Join us for a concert at dusk under the trees, try worshipping at the beach on a Saturday evening, enjoy our outdoor Seafood Festival, and shop for bargains and treasures at our traditional sidewalk sale.

Come join us for worship when you visit Stone Harbor, and please stay for coffee. We love visitors and welcome you to tour our historic church.

Stop in our chapel any time day or night for a quiet respite.

We warmly welcome you to St. Mary's!

News
                 &
                 Notes

Check the calendar for upcoming dates

Our Centennial Year has Arrived!

To mark our 100 years in service to The Lord, we have planned several special events throughout the year. We hope that the community will celebrate this milestone with us and participate in these wonderful activities to mark our 100 years. Everyone is welcome to share in the celebration! Please click here for our calendar of events.

The Rt. Rev. George Councell, Bishop of New Jersey, was the celebrant at our 10 AM Eucharist on Sunday, June 27th. The service was a beautiful celebration of our 100 years of service to The Lord and renewal of our commitment to follow the Lord Jesus. We thank Bishop Councell for joining us.

This is our 10th year of Free Summer Concerts! Join us for Thursdays on the Lawn 2010. Check the flyer for a listing of our July/August performers.

Worship at the Beach - Saturdays, 5 pm

Please join us at our Saturday beach service. Bring a beach chair, come up off the beach, join us on your way to dinner..."come as you are" and enjoy worship in an incredible setting at the 101st St. Beach Pavilion.

Barbecue & Blues, Aug. 4, 80th St. Recreation Field

featuring a Barbecue Dinner by Pappy's & Music by Mikey, Jr. from 4 pm to 9 pm. Tickets are $20 adults / $15 children under 12 & can be purchased thru the church office. This is a Stone Harbor Chamber of Commerce event. St. Mary's is one of their sponsors.

SEAFOOD FEST is coming! Saturday, Aug. 7

Don't miss it!!
Lunch 12 - 2 pm/Dinner 4:30 - 7 pm

Whet your appetite by checking our menu!
Tickets sell quickly - first come first served!
You can purchase tickets in advance after Sunday Services, at Thursday on the Lawn, & at Barbecue & Blues, or contact the church office.

Visit the African Savannah with BAOBAB BLAST !

Join God's Great Get-Together for a summer of creating, connecting & fun. Bring your children to our African Savannah where they can listen to the Word, be amazed at God's wildlife creations, and be a part of a community of believers under the great baobab tree - Sundays, from 10-11 AM, pre-K through 6th grade. All children in the community are welcome!

School Supply Drive

With your help, no child will go to school empty-handed this year! Our School Supply Drive is now on. Click on the picture to view the flyer and see how you can help.
Blessing of the Backpacks & Hot Dog Festival will be held on Sunday, August 29 at The Branches at 5 pm. Bring your backpack & your friends for a special back-to-school blessing!

What's new for 2010? Solar Power!

Celebrating our past, preserving our future...
St. Mary's is going solar! You can read about it here.

Recipes NEEDED

Thank you to everyone who supported our Easter food basket project. We were able to provide Easter dinner and pantry staples for 65 families in need in Cape May County. Special thanks to Shop-Rite of Rio Grande and their employees for their help and generous discounts!

We would like to print a St. Mary's cookbook to sell at various summer events to raise funds for this wonderful outreach program of our church, however we are in need of recipes! Please share a few of your favorite recipes. Send to jultaylor9425@yahoo.com, or by mail. Gourmet is not necessary. If there's something you make that you enjoy, others will too. Thank you for your help!!

Summer Choir for children & adults

Our Treble Choir - children's choir - is open to everyone in the community. Whether or not your family is a member of St. Mary's or any other church, we invite your child to join us for this unique opportunity. Boys and girls are welcome, ages 8 to 13. No prior musical experience is necessary. Learn, have fun, make new friends! The choir rehearses one hour per week and sings at the 10 AM Service on several occasions from October through May. For more information, click here, contact the church office or our organist/choir director, JoAnne Blackwelder.
As always our summer congregation is invited to join us. If you like to sing, and would like to join the choir during your summer visit, please know that you are welcome! We rehearse on Thursdays at 7pm. Contact our choir director.

Family Promise Week

St. Mary's was host church to two families from the Family Promise program the week of June 13th. Thank you to our volunteers who made meals, provided hospitality and stayed overnight. Our next time to host Family Promise will be in the fall. If you would like to get involved with this very necessary program, contact the church office. We guarantee that your experience will be rewarding! You can read about the wonderful work Family Promise is doing in our County here.

Presentation of $25,000 gift to Family Promise

On Saturday, March 6th, St. Mary's This 'n That Thrift Shop held a grand opening for its new expansion. A $25,000 check was given to Laurie Johnson of Family Promise and Sen. Jeff VanDrew presented a resolution to The Mustard Seed. Proceeds from the shop made possible the gift to Family Promise. Click here to read The Press news article. The Herald was also on hand.
Click here to read their report.
If you're in the area, make sure to stop by and view our beautiful new shops. There is now more space and more merchandise! And you just might find a bargain you can't resist. As always, donations and volunteers are welcome! Call 886-7272 to arrange a pick up.

Mission & Outreach Center

Looking for a place to gather and meet new friends?
...a chance to just relax, enjoy life and have conversation
...a place to learn new things and ask questions
...an opportunity to pay attention to God stirring in our hearts
...above all, a place where all are welcome,
then come to The Branches!

Find The Branches on facebook

Women's Bible Study

Uppity Women of the Bible is a DVD-based series featuring Hebrew Bible professor Dr. Lisa Wolfe. Combining careful scholarship with humor and fresh insights, Dr. Wolfe presents a lively, thoughtful discussion of Ruth, The Song of Songs, and Judith in 10-15 minute snippets (a sample segment can be viewed here). We are currently studying the book of Judith. We gather each Monday from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. We catch up with one another, watch the 10-15 minute video, discuss what we've seen and read (participants will be invited to read the Scripture being discussed), and enjoy one another's company. All gatherings are held at The Branches. Please feel free to invite your women friends. . . and, be sure to let us know if you'll be coming by clicking here and joining the group. A schedule of meetings for the Uppity Women can be found here.

Second Sundays

It's a whole new way to pray!
Our Second Sundays Community is a group of folks who come together once a month to "make church." What does that mean? We worship God together in a casual, contemporary atmosphere. We create a space where all are truly welcome. We have live music, candlelight, prayers, reading from Scripture. The only thing missing is you. And we would love for you to join us! Second Sundays are held at The Branches on the 2nd Sunday of each month at 7 pm. Why not join us! For more information, check out our site on Meetup .

Movie Night

Join us at The Branches for a movie & discussion night every 3rd Sunday of the month at 7 pm. Movie on the big screen, donations accepted, official price tag is $0. Bring your own snacks and a beverage or 50 cents for a can of soda from the fridge! Check The Branches page for the monthly selection - Or check their website.

Open Mic Night

Our coffee house at The Branches is open on the 4th Sunday of every month at 7 pm. Singers, musicians, comedians, poets, magicians, dancers & more are invited to participate. Come and share your talent or just enjoy the fun. Bring a friend. All ages welcome. There is no charge. Refreshments are served. Hope to see you there! Check meet up.

Family Fun

What began as a playgroup - a place and a time for local moms to engage in adult conversation while their children had a safe place to play - has become a gathering for families and kids of all ages. Parents, grandparents, aunts and a handful of "young at heart" gather at The Branches for family fun. We hope you will join us at our events. They will be scheduled at least quarterly - sometimes more, sometimes less. Join the group & meet us at meetup

Weekly events

D'Vine Time - Looking for companionship, an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, a friend to share a joy with, then drop by for coffee & conversation every Wednesday & Saturday from 10 AM to Noon.
Midweek Prayer - A brief noonday service of prayer & quiet reflection is held on Wednesdays - everyone is welcome!
Community Lunch Program - A simple meal of hot soup, bread & fruit is served on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm after the prayer service. Stop by to enjoy lunch, or help out! Soup lunches are on break for the summer & will pick up again in September.

St. Mary's This 'n That Thrift Shops & Heavenly Scavengers, Rio Grande

Are your possessions taking over your house? Do you have things you have never used, or will never use again? Clothing you have saved, but haven't worn for the past five years? Then let us help you rid your home of clutter. St. Mary's This 'n That Thrift Shop and Furniture Annex in Rio Grande is doing a booming business and is always in need of merchandise. Your donations of clean, good quality household items, furniture, linens, and clothing may be brought to St. Mary's Parish Hall, dropped off at the Thrift Shop, or call 886-7272 to arrange for a pick up.

You can feel good about this too - all proceeds fund projects addressing affordable housing in Cape May County; the shops are providing a good place for our neighbors to get items they need at very affordable prices; and you're recycling!

Our original outreach initiative - Heavenly Scavengers - is also now located adjacent to the thrift shops in Rio Grande, making it easily accessible to agencies and their clients.

Like to get involved? If you have a few extra hours a week, another pair of hands is always welcome! Call the shops or the church office to volunteer, or stop on by - you might find a bargain you can't resist!

Location: Village Shoppes, 1304 Rt. 47 So. Rio Grande, NJ (in the back row of the Shoppes, on Vermont Ave. at 2nd St.) -click here for map
Thrift Shop - 609-886-7272 web: www.stmarysthisnthat.org e-mail: info@stmarysthisnthat.org
Heavenly Scavengers - 609-889-6909
Hours for both shops: Monday thru Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM (closed Sunday)

Serving the Lord in Cape May County since 1910

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St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 9425 Third Avenue, Stone Harbor, New Jersey 08247 - 609-368-5922