Church holds conference, concert

WILMINGTON - St. Mary in the Mountains Episcopal Church will host a national conference on Christian evangelism from Friday, September 24, to Sunday, September 26. The theme  of the conference is “Unlocking God’s Grace &  Hope.” It will explore evangelism for young people and adults, balancing innovation and tradition  in music, overcoming obstacles to evangelism, combining sacred with secular music, reaching out in  pubs and laundromats, infusing music with new energy, approaching ministry in the spirit of  play, and other subjects. Episcopal church and musical leaders from around the country will be attending and contributing, including missionary priests and college chaplains, presenting and discussing expected and unexpected of reaching out and sharing the joy of the Christian experience.
Conference sessions will be held at St. Mary’s, 13 East Main Street, and at the Old School Community Building. The conference will also be available over Zoom. It will open with evening prayer led by the Rev. Canon Walter Brownridge and St. Mary’s Rev. Canon Nicholas Porter at 7 pm Friday. The public is invited. Workshops and breakout sessions will be held during the  course of the day on Saturday.
St. Mary’s in the Mountains’ Red Door Concerts series will resume on Saturday, September 25, at 7:30 pm, at Memorial Hall, 14 West Main Street. In “C’mon! Get Happy!,” musicians like Blind Date and Valley Voices will offer a feast of joyful, inspiring music to raise spirits and voices. Those not attending the rest of the conference can still attend by free-will donation, with all donations being given to the Old School Community Center. All local and state health-related guidances will be followed. Masks will be available. Seating upstairs will be limited to 25 attendees, with space for 25 more in the parish hall under the church.  
The concert will also be available by Zoom. More information and the Zoom link can be found at www.smmvt.org, or by contacting organizers at smmvtepiscopal@gmail.com.
On Sunday morning at 11, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Shannon MacVean-Brown, Bishop of Vermont, and Rev. Canon Nicholas Porter of St. Mary’s will lead a morning eucharist celebration. The public is cordially invited to join in worship and the reception in the church hall following the service.
Full conference details are available at smmvt.org/evan-conf-2021 or by email at graceandhopevt@gmail.com. Be sure to ask for John Terauds, conference coordinator.