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St. Martin’s News 11/13/2026

Janet Lane

St. Martin’s News for the Week of Sunday, 11/15/2026

From the Rector
Dear Ones,
This parish is so generous! I know we are asked to do a lot and to give a lot, but somehow we always come through. When you spend as much time here as I do, you see how many people are showing up to help others and be good neighbors, day after day, week after week, and year after year. It’s a beautiful thing. 

For many of us, the holiday season is a time to pay special attention to the needs of others. Did you know that despite the agricultural abundance of our community, nearly 30% of Yolo County residents report being food insecure? The number is higher for households with children. Seniors are also hard hit by food insecurity.

For many years, St. Martin’s parishioners have generously given to the Thanksgiving Project so that we can provide grocery store gift cards to individuals in need at the holidays. If you are able to give this year, you can use the “GIVE” button on the St. Martin’s website and select “Thanksgiving Project” from the dropdown menu, or you can send a check to the church with “Thanksgiving Project” in the memo line. There will also be volunteers at a table on Sunday who can accept your donations.

Last year, Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance distributed the grocery store gift cards to their “most vulnerable” senior clients living in Winters, Knights Landing, Dunnigan, West Sacramento, Woodland, and Davis. YHAA shared that “These older adults were so grateful. You have made a difference with these folks and they now can have a holiday meal.” This year, the gift cards will go to Davis Joint Unified School District, Davis Community Meals and Housing, the Undocumented Student Center at UC Davis, and Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance.

The deadline for donations is this Sunday, November 15. Thank you for giving what you can, and for all the other ways you contribute to our community throughout the year.

Blessings,
Pamela+

This Sunday at St. Martin’s, November 15
Children, Youth and Family Planning Team Meeting, 11:30am in Rm 6/7: Join Rev. Pamela, Sheri Reynolds and others to learn about and plan church programs and activities for children, youth, and families. The upcoming Christmas Pageant will be one of the topics.

Music Notes for Sunday 10am Service: Our music for Sunday was chosen in honor of Trans Day of Remembrance (November 20). Our Offertory anthem, “They Are Mother,” was composed by Jennifer Lucy Cook, who worked on the text in consultation with the Rev. Alex Reegan, a trans man and interfaith minister. In the words of the composer, the text “embodies the energy of the feminine divine that is present in any gender” (a fuller statement by the composer can be found on our website). The decision to use “they/them” pronouns captures the nonbinary essence of God as well as the mystery of the divine. For the complete music notes, please visit our website.

Singing Resistance Yolo, 7-8:30pm: Singing Resistance is a fairly new Yolo group that seeks to mobilize people through song to protect what we love while building a culture based on belonging and solidarity. Come to learn protest, de-escalation, disarmament, and defense of elections songs. We’re pleased to host this group in our Parish Hall. Open to all of any musical ability.

Next Sunday, 5pm: Pizza Church and Advent Wreath Making
Next Sunday, November 22, join Rev. Pamela and Rev. Maggie for Pizza Church at 5pm for an intergenerational service with Holy Eucharist, followed by fellowship and pizza! Everyone will be invited to make Advent Wreaths with real greens to take home. We’ll meet on the redwood deck by Room 6/7, weather permitting, or inside Room 6/7.

Yolo County Transgender Day of Remembrance and Resilience Interfaith Service, Friday, November 20 at St. Martin’s
Join St. Martin’s, the Davis Phoenix Coalition, and the Yolo Interfaith Queer Alliance on Friday, November 20, to honor and remember transgender people whose lives have been lost to violence and discrimination. Weather permitting, there will be an outdoor altar and labyrinth walk beginning at 5:30pm. The candlelight service begins at 6pm in the church, with a reception following. For those who may wish to walk the labyrinth and visit the altar only, you are welcome to do so during the service also. The Transgender Day of Remembrance, first observed in 1999 and now commemorated worldwide, honors the memory of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people lost to anti-transgender violence and discrimination. All are welcome to attend.

Grace in Action Requests New Hats and Socks by December 6
Bring new hats and socks and place them in a bin in St. Martin’s narthex starting this Sunday, November 15 and continuing through December 6. Grace in Action is collecting these items to give out to clients in need. Grace in Action offers lunches, laundry vouchers, bus passes, bike repairs, and on-site haircuts to guests and operates mostly at the Davis United Methodist Church.

The Great St. Martin’s Bake Off Winners and Stewardship Update
The 2nd Annual St. Martin’s Bake Off provided a delicious closure to our Stewardship season. The winners included Sharon Mackey O’Flaherty for Breakfast Casseroles, Adelle Demary for Kids’ Creation, Missy Campbell for Breads and Muffins, Fadzai Matsika for Pies and Cakes, Janet Gebhardt for Gluten, Vegan, and/or Dairy Free, and Rev. Pamela for Cookies and Scones. Thank you to the bakers, the volunteers who helped, and all who participated!

We have raised just over $450,000 toward our Vestry’s goal of $525,000 in pledges for 2027. It’s not too late to pledge! You can mail or deliver your pledge to the church office, or you can pledge via e-mail by writing to our confidential pledge e-mail address: stewardship@churchofstmartin.org. We know that not everyone is in a position to pledge, and if you are more comfortable giving to the plate when you are able, we greatly appreciate that too.

Opportunities in the Broader Community
Davis Interfaith Association (DIA) Meeting, November 19, 12pm: In 2026, DIA focused on interfaith engagement in Davis. At this meeting, the group will explore where DIA should go from here and to set objectives for 2027. In the St. Ignatius Room at St. James (1275 B St. in Davis).

St. Luke’s, Galt, Christmas Bazaar, December 5-6: St. Luke’s in Galt, the church with which we share our curacy program, welcomes us to their 113th Annual Christmas Bazaar from 9am – 3pm on Saturday, December 5 and 12pm – 2pm on Sunday, December 6. They will offer a variety of crafts, gifts, baked goods, and other items all handmade by members and friends of St. Luke’s. 100% of the proceeds go toward their charitable outreach, including scholarships for local high school students and support for non-profits. Address: 200 3rd St. in Galt.

Important Dates for Advent and Christmas
Sunday, November 29*: First Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 13, 4pm*: Lessons and Carols
Saturday, December 19, 10:30am: Greening of the church
Sunday, December 20, 10am: Las Posadas
Sunday, December 20, 4pm*: Blue Christmas
Thursday, December 24, 3pm*: Christmas Eucharist with Children’s Pageant 
Thursday, December 24, 7pm* and 10pm: Festive Choral Christmas Eucharists 
Friday, December 25, 10am: Christmas Carols and Eucharist 

*Indicates service will be livestreamed.

Clergy Office Hours and Upcoming Office Closures
Contact the clergy for individual appointments or stop by their office hours: Rev. Maggie holds office hours on Mondays 2-4pm. Rev. Pamela holds office hours on Tuesdays 4-5:15pm. Reminder: The church office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 26-27 for Thanksgiving.

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