Monday to Friday, Mid-day prayers are offered at 12pm. 

Saturday, 19 September                          5pm Eucharist (Vigil)
Sunday, 20 September                             7.20am (Mattins); 8am and 10am Eucharist
                                                                                 Celebrant and preacher: Fr. Wallace, Priest-in-Charge
Wednesday, 23 September                   12.00pm Prayers followed by the Eucharist
Thursday, 24 September                         12.00pm Prayers followed by Bible Study (Gospel of Mark)
Saturday, 26 September                          5pm Eucharist (Vigil)
Sunday, 27 September                              7.20am (Mattins); 8am and 10am Eucharist
                                                                                 Celebrant and Preacher: Fr. Marshall Vang

Social distancing protocols will be observed at all services. For more information, please read the instructions.

Sunday Videos and Podcasts

We recognise that in-person attendance is not appropriate or possible for everyone. Each week, in addition to services from the Diocese of Albany and the National Cathedral, Washington, we offer a selection of links to other churches within our Anglican Communion.

• Eucharist from the National Cathedral, Washington, DC
• Eucharist from the Diocese of Albany
• Evensong from Royal Holloway College, University of London
• Service on BBC Radio 4 commemorating 400th anniversary of the Mayflower sailing
• Four hundred years ago this week, a small ship set sail from Plymouth, England to the New World.
• Music and Reflections on ‘The Trinity’ from the Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London

See our Online Resources for links to resources for worship at home.

Deep peace of the running wave to you. Deep peace of the flowing air to you. Deep peace of the quiet earth to you. Deep peace of the shining stars to you. Deep peace of the gentle night to you. Moon and stars pour their healing light on you. Deep peace of Christ, the light of the world to you.
Music: John Rutter. Sung by Choristers of St Paul’s Cathedral, London
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTn_L-lBQjc

As fall approaches there are many new opportunities for learning, fun and fellowship with fellow Bethesda parishioners:

Activities:

Fall Bible Study This class meets after Midday prayers on four consecutive Thursdays: 17 September, 24 September, 1 October, and 8 October. We will be reading the Gospel according to St Mark.

Children’s Sunday Program Beginning the first Sunday in October, our children’s program will take place during the 10am service. Contact the church office if you need more information.

Bethesda Walkers will gather on three Saturdays: 17 October, 24 October and 31 October. Details for each week will be announced in September. The group is open to anyone interested in a brisk walk and lively fellowship with fellow parishioners, friends and family.

Bethesda Book Club The Bethesda Book Club will meet periodically throughout the year. Our first meeting is scheduled for Thursday 22 October at 7pm when we will discuss The Plague, by Albert Camus.

Activities: please register with the church office if you wish to participate in any of these activities, via email or phone (518) 584-5980.

Upcoming Sunday Services:

Service with Father Vang On 27 September, we welcome our former interim Rector, the Very Reverend Marshall Vang. Fr Vang will be celebrant and preacher at both morning services.

The Blessing of Animals This year, we honor St Francis, on Sunday 4 October. You are invited to bring your pets to Bethesda between 9.00am and 9.45am for a blessing.

By Lynda Edwards:  “Dazzling windows contain mysteries” in the Times Union [Albany, NY],  August 14, 2020

In August 2020, Bethesda Church welcomes the Reverend Charles Wallace. Charles comes to Saratoga Springs after 17 years at Saint Thomas Choir School, New York. One of only three residential schools in the world exclusively for boy choristers, Saint Thomas originally appointed Charles as chaplain, but after a year asked him to become headmaster. In this role, as priest-educator, Charles served the choristers, the staff and their families both administratively and pastorally, responding to the complex concerns and needs of a boarding school where children and teachers live together in community.

Prior to moving to New York, Charles served as a member of the clergy of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. He oversaw the liturgical life of the chapel, working closely with clergy colleagues and the music department staff in the planning and preparation of worship, from the regular daily services to state occasions for the Royal Family. He also worked on the teaching staff of St. George’s School, teaching in the French and Religious Studies departments.

Charles studied History and French as an undergraduate at King’s College of Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, before entering Trinity College at the University of Toronto in 1995. While at Trinity, Charles was assigned to a five-month parish placement at the Church of Saint John the Divine, Victoria, British Columbia. At the end of his internship, he was invited to join the clergy staff there. As a busy center-city parish, St. John’s provided a solid and comprehensive grounding at the beginning of life as an ordained person. On any given day, there were interactions with the business community, the elderly and homebound, young families, and the university community. Because the parish included both extremely affluent and poor underserved neighborhoods, St. John’s provided a very active and intentional ministry to the city’s homeless population.

In 2017, Charles took a six-month sabbatical from the Choir School, through his association with the Anglican Diocese in Europe (a diocese within the Church of England), working with parishes in transition. At St. Andrew’s Church, Tangier, Morocco, Charles sought to build bridges between the Christian churches and other social service organizations working with sub-Saharan refugees as well as the Missionary Sisters of Charity working with orphaned girls. In Marseille, he assisted at a center sponsored by the Lutheran Church that offers academic support, counselling and assistance to recent immigrants to France from the Middle East.

Charles’ experiences at St. John’s Victoria, St. George’s Chapel Windsor, and St. Thomas Choir School have given him considerable insight into the importance of establishing meaningful links between churches and the communities that they serve, and the level of collaboration required for institutions to be successful. He hopes to establish a similar level of cooperation between Bethesda Church and the local organizations seeking to bring care and relief to those in need in Saratoga Springs. The parish’s commitment to building Mercy House is a significant step forward in making this important ministry a reality in the years ahead. We welcome Father Wallace!

We are preparing to construct a new Parish House next to our church.  This building will provide church meeting space and offices on the first floor, and the second through fourth floors will house Mercy House of Saratoga.

Drawing of Washington St exterior, JG Waite Assoc, architects

Rendering of approximate finished appearance

Mercy House of Saratoga is a major mission for Bethesda.  It will provide 26 units of housing for people with various disabilities or housing needs.  More information on Mercy House of Saratoga can be found on their website.

Bethesda Episcopal Church is now a participant of PayPal! You can now make your gift to Bethesda by clicking on the “Donate” button on the right or going to www.paypal.com and choosing bethesdaepiscopalchurch@gmail.com as the payee.