The Almanac - Saint Alban`s Episcopal Church
Transcription
The Almanac - Saint Alban`s Episcopal Church
The Almanac E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 619-444-1561 Phone: 619-444-8212 El Cajon, CA 92020 490 Farragut Circle Celebrating and Sharing God’s Love 9 7 6 5 4 3 2 Visit us on the web www.st-albans-church.org Inside this issue: From the Rector’s Pen The Treasurer’s Vault Mark Your Calendar Round-Up Sunday School News Kenya Kids Update Bishop’s Council Opening 12 November 2014 From the Rector’s Pen - Reflection of Days Gone By Autumn days are behind us and our clocks have once again fallen back one hour. November will be busy as we prepare for Bishop Mathes’ visit with us on Sunday, December 7. We are looking forward to a number of baptisms, confirmations and receiving new members into the Episcopal Church. On another note, Naomi and I appreciate everyone’s prayers, thoughts and encouragement through the last two months. For those of you who do not know; our son Nathan was involved in an accident while riding his motor-bike home from work on the 6th of September. Both of his legs were broken, one requiring extensive surgery. His shoulder was crushed and also required reconstructive surgery. The next three weeks of trauma were quite taxing for Nate, his wife Amanda, our son Joshua, Naomi and I. Nate is now in a rehab center. The doctors are quite pleased with his progress, but his recovery will continue for months to come. Our St. Alban’s Strategic Plan Steering Committee has taken a hit in the last two months as well. Their leader, (yes, that’s me) has been so occupied with hospital visits, and taking care of the other parish duties that much of the committee work I am responsible for has been left unattended. But, we will work with the data we have and the vestry will present our results to the church at our annual meeting. We realize that there is no magic date when all of this must be completed, so we will continue our planning work into the first quarter of 2015. I especially want to thank all of our wonderful members that take on roles of leadership in so many different areas. I appreciate the teachers that assist me with Confirmation classes, and the wonderful team of Sunday school teachers, and also our mentors that assist children’s learning every Wednesday afternoon. What a wonderful job you all are doing with our precious children. I have also sensed a new and wonderful atmosphere at our 1st and 3rd Tuesday food distribution times. We started a Eucharist service on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday from 8:30 to 9:00 am. It has been encouraging to see 30 to 40 people join us for Eucharist and to also have the sanctuary open for private prayer and meditation all morning. I want to thank the sacristy team for assisting by setting up the altar and at the service, and also a big hand of applause for all the hardworking volunteers that make it possible to feed 60-70 refugee families on Tuesday mornings. And, of course we cannot overlook the ECW, the rummage sale and all those involved in that work. I’ll say more about this in my round-up article. I certainly don’t want to overlook the vestry, which are kept pretty busy lately. I want to thank all of you who planned and orchestrated the Volunteer Appreciation Day, and lest I forget the volunteers that maintain our front prayer garden, liturgy team, choir, readers, intercessors, sacristy team, pastoral care team, prayer chain team, letter writers and phone callers, altar workers, acolytes, ushers, handy-men and women, Community Garden leaders, Welcome Church Team, all the wonderful committees and committee leaders of this parish, auditors, vergers, schedulers, communications and social media specialists.. And, if I missed someone, I especially want to say thank you, and let me know so I can mention it in our next newsletter. And, I especially thank Naomi for putting up with me these past 42 years. She is an amazing woman. Father Dave 2 St Alban’s Leadership Staff Wardens & Vestry Father Dave Madsen ~ Rector Mike Park ~ Sr. Warden 619-444-8212, [email protected] Betty Johnsen ~ Jr. Warden Office hours: T-F, 9am-1pm, afternoons by appt. only Judy Brown~ Treasurer Victoria Mayor ~ Secretary Denise Cote~ Assistant to Rector/Secretary 619-444-8212 , [email protected] Judy Setford ~ Vestry Member Office hours: T-F, 9am-1pm Caroline Mahon-Hurd~ Vestry Member Renee Brown ~ Music Director/ Organist Sharon Hathaway ~ Vestry Member Caroline Mahon-Hurd~ Sunday School Director Sandy Parks~ Vestry Member Penny Park~ Bookkeeper Brad Cook ~ Vestry Member Joy Knight~ Refugee Ministry Coordinator Worship & Learn With Us: Sunday 9:30 am - Worship Service with Holy Eucharist & Sunday School Wednesday 5:15pm— Eucharist Service 11 ~ cont. from page 9 ~ The Church of England has made a conscious and canonical shift in its expectation. Those who train for non-stipendiary ministry (NSM) do it in two years; those who expect a “career” take a more traditional three years. One of our seminaries has begun to explore a two-year academic track with an additional practical year. The Lutherans have had a model like that for some time – but it’s four years total, three of the four for academics and the third year as a practicum. We need responses to changing realities that consider the varied needs of the whole body. We have the canonical flexibility already to permit different paths of formation. What we don’t have is a willingness to make resources available to the whole body. We still live in a system that is far more isolated and independent than interdependent. Each diocese makes individual decisions about how to train students. Each seminary does the same. Each diocese and seminary or training program raises and stewards its own financial and human resources with little churchwide conversation or cooperation. One of the strategic and big picture conversations this Council deals with is the churchwide budget. This body has engaged the process with greater vigor and more detail than ever before. We are making conscious and intentional progress in this budget toward financial autonomy for every diocese (or jurisdiction) in this Church. We’ve engaged a self-sufficiency plan for Province IX, which depends on three legs: the support of the wider church (and not only financial support); the partnership among the dioceses of Province IX and their willingness to pool a portion of their financial resources; and the willingness of leaders in each diocese to risk new ways in the hope of developing greater capacity. We’re doing similar work in Navajoland and in Haiti. The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe has begun this work. We did not do this kind of work thoroughly enough when we encouraged Mexico, Central America, Brazil, Liberia, and the Philippines to become autonomous. We did not do enough of this work when we encouraged the old missionary districts in the U.S. part of our context to become dioceses. We must repent of our sins of omission and commission, and amend our common life. We are bound to one another, not only in affection, but as the body of Christ, committed to love God and God’s world with all we have and all we are. We’re not called to build a church that leaves poor and struggling relatives either shamed or incapacitated by their poverty. We are called to build societies of abundance where resources are directed where needed, and no one lives in want. The missionary societies of our forebears in the faith “held all things in common. The challenge is the same, whether we’re talking about the asking from dioceses or what seminaries have to offer. The missional question begins in “what does the body require of us, where is it hungry, suffering, where is it joyous?” All are meant to be shared, not held in reserve for favored parts of the body or hidden away in shame or fear. Any favor enjoyed is a blessing that grows apace by sharing. Hiding either our pain or what we fear losing never leads to healing. The great leaders of every age have challenged people to live for others. John F. Kennedy put it this way, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Martin Luther King, Jr. in the same era, dreamed: “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. … Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” He went on to speak of the white people of this nation, saying, “they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.” We have a dream as well, of a church walking together, doing and living justice, a church equipped and equipping all its members to do justice. We have a duty to all the members of this body, and to those beyond it who need justice. We are asked for the highest and best gift we can offer, in loving our neighbors as ourselves. We’re not going to settle for anything less, whether it’s the work we do here or what we ask of the people of this church. We cannot walk alone, and we cannot encourage others to walk alone. Together, the stony road our ancestors trod flattens out before us – or rises to meet us – and that road leads to justice, love incarnate for the world. 10 From the treasurer’s Vault Cursillo Corner Remember, you don’t have to be a Cursillista to attend an Ultreya. As a matter of fact, it’s a great way to introduce prospective candidates to the Cursillo movement. For more information, please see, call, or email Judy Brown, 619-925-0173, email: [email protected] 3 N ovem b e r 2 0 14 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Presiding Bishop’s opening remarks to council October 24, 2014 [Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs] Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori delivered the following opening remarks to Executive Council on Oct. 24 at the Maritime Center, Linthicum Heights, Maryland. Sat 1 Clocks Back at Midnight! All Saint’s Day 2 Worship 4 Refugee Food 5 6 9:30 Ministry Refugee Tutor Sewing Sisters All Saint’s Sunday 10:30am 3:30—5 pm 10 am 21 Pentecost Election Day Eucharist 5:15pm 11 12 9 3 10 ECW 10:30 13 Worship 9:30 - 12:30pm Sewing Sisters Vestry after coffee hour Refugee Tutor 10 am 8 14 15 21 22 3:30—5 pm 22 Pentecost 16 7 17 Worship 9:30 Veteran’s Day Eucharist 5:15pm 18 19 20 Refugee Food Refugee Tutor Sewing Sisters Ministry 3:30—5 pm 10 am 10:30am 23 Pentecost C.S. Lewis Eucharist 5:15pm 26 27 28 Church and Thanksgiving Eve Meal Service 6:15pm Thanksgiving Day Office Closed 23 Worship 24 25 9:30 Christ the King Welcome 30 Worship 9:30 1 Advent Nov 23rd is the Mother Goose Parade 10am plan your route to church! 29 It is very good to see you all again. It’s been a long time since June. I give thanks for the labors of this Council, and for its growth in capacity in this triennium. We are engaging the mission and ministry of this Church in larger and more strategic ways than we have in recent years. I continue to believe that the primary mission of this body is those larger and strategic questions, and I firmly hope the Convention will help us to clarify that role. The Episcopal Church has crossed a threshold into new ways of being in the 21 st century and in our varied contexts. I see signs of growth and missional investment and solidarity at every turn. I’ll give you some examples. In Western Kansas, two women in ranch families – an Episcopalian and a Wesleyan – have started a camp for inner city kids, growing out of their discernment of the needs of kids who’ve never seen a cow, who don’t have terribly stable family lives, have never had chores to do, and need to know what it is to be loved unconditionally in a Christian setting. It’s called Camp Runamuck, and the motto is ‘don’t run amok, run to Him. Small congregations are thriving in a number of contexts – a church plant in northern Taiwan to serve children being raised without adequate family support, and in the process is gathering a congregation; a house church in Western Kansas, that’s growing into its 23 rd year; emerging faith communities in Italy rooted in the native language worshipping according to the Book of Common Prayer; as well as more ancient ones in rural Mississippi and Illinois, celebrating 150 or 175 years and deeply involved in mission in their local communities. As old models become unsustainable in some contexts, dioceses are finding new ways to form leaders – like the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry in Topeka that serves students from four neighboring dioceses. Theological education is much in the news, with active conflict in several places, a result of deep anxiety over looming changes. We have excellent resources for theological education, yet they need to be redistributed to form and train leaders more effectively for new and changing contexts. In some ways, that current reality reflects the increasing economic inequality in the developed world, particularly in the United States. The wealthy have little difficulty in accessing those resources; the poor struggle, yet often the poor discover and create new possibilities out of necessity. The average Episcopal congregation, with 60 to 70 members attending weekly worship, cannot afford the traditional model of full-stipend paid leadership, a building, and a sufficient program to support its members in their daily baptismal ministry. Nor can seminary graduates with educational debt afford to work in most of them. Students today can be trained for ordination to the priesthood anywhere, if they can foot the bill. If not, they have much more limited resources in residential seminaries – a couple of them can provide sufficient aid to graduate students with little or no additional debt. Increasing numbers of ordination candidates and lay leaders are being educated in programs like Bishop Kemper School, which require minimal displacement from job and family and produce graduates with little or no additional debt. In order to provide effective formation, those more local institutions and programs work closer to home to gather a community for formation. As has always been the case, the struggling and the poorer communities have tended to be more creative in responding to these changing realities. Most of the residential seminaries we have were started in response to similar challenges – the need for education and the inability to provide it in existing frameworks and paradigms. ~ cont. on page 10 ~ 4 9 … I never know quite how to start these Round-Up articles, because there are so many wonderful things going on and around St. Alban’s. Okay, I will start out with Sunday school. How many of you were able to attend the Sunday school Open House. What a cool presentation. The stories, pictures and teaching helps on all the walls were fascinating. It makes me want to go back to Sunday school. A shout-out “thank-you” is in order to Caroline Mahon and all the teaching staff. It’s wonderful to see dedicated and gifted teachers, and so many new children coming into our church every month. I was out of town last year during the ECW Rummage Sale. I had no idea of how big of an undertaking this is. And, it was like an ant-hill of many dedicated workers hauling things in, setting up tables and merchandise, marking prices and lots of other behind the scenes activity. This is really quite a huge production, and what a gift the ECW does for the bottom line of our church. Thank you to all those ECW workers and for those that assisted who are not in the ECW. Thank you for the gift of love and labor, and a big thank you from the Executive Financial Committee. Just in case you haven’t checked out St. Albans Episcopal Church or the Welcome Church of El Cajon Facebook pages, I encourage you to take a peek. The Diocese has encouraged all the churches to take notice of how our social media is handled and to use our models as a good model for other churches in the diocese. A big “thank-you” to Brad (Our Communications Chair) who maintains the St. Alban’s home-page and to Victoria our Social Media Director that oversees Face-book pages and other social media. I bet you had no idea that we are also in the local papers. Have you noticed the new shelves and cabinets in the kitchen pantry area and in the Sunday School room? A big “thank-you” to Jack Pape is in order. I know he doesn’t like the attention, but let’s tell him how much we appreciate his work anyway. I especially want to say “thank you” to Judy Brown and the Wednesday Preaching team for stepping up in my absence in the last two weeks of October. I also want to show appreciation and thanks to Pastor Sharon Larraine for officiating and preaching at the Welcome Church on October 26 and for such a committed team from St. Alban’s that puts together lunches, hauls and sits up tables and chairs, sits up the Eucharist table, and makes the Welcome Church the success that it is. Without them, we could not do this ministry in the park. Like I said, this is only some of the things going on around here lately. Stay tuned next month for the rest of the story, or maybe just more of it. I wish you all a wonderful November. Father Dave 8 5 Sunday School News by Caroline Mahon-Hurd, Sunday School Teacher Our Sunday school children are continuing to work on our, “What we do in Church” lesson series. This series teaches our Sunday school children what we do during a Sunday church service and the meaning of the many traditions. The lesson series will conclude on November 23. On the first Sunday of Advent, November 30, the Children will be making family advent wreaths during Sunday school. Sunday school families will have a wonderful opportunity of learning to celebrate the coming of Christ by using an advent wreath. Parents can light their advent candles during each Advent Sunday and spend time Reading the Advent devotionals together. This year’s children devotional is “What do I ABC this Christmas.” The children can read the devotional, look up the correlating Bible verses, and look and find hidden objects from each picture on each page. The children will also receive an Advent calendar. We would like to invite all of St. Alban children to participate in the annual Christmas Eve pageant. We hope that many of the children will get involved. Since we are a small church, participation is vital to insure that the pageant is successful. We are also looking for parents and bilingual volunteers. We are also asking for donations of any used Halloween animal or angel costumes. We will have three practice rehearsals on Dec 7, 14, and 21. The children will perform the pageant during the Christmas Eve children’s service at 5:30pm. I am so pleased to report that the daughters of Hannah Ngige, the founder of Kenya Kids, were able to visit some of the children St. Alban’s have helped support over these last seven years. Daughter Murugi Kenyatta (of San Diego) visited her family in Kenya in August and September. She brought a gift with her from the St. Alban’s funds that had been designated for Kenya Kids! She met her sister Ciiru and together they made a long journey up to Gatundu, where seven of the original children Hannah took under her wing lived. Two of the children are now grown and five are still living in Gatundu with their grand-parents. I got an e-mail from Ciiru reporting on the first visit in August (see below) and Murugi contacted me when she completed her long trip to Kenya in early October. She is writing a formal report that will be shared with St. Alban’s very soon. I also received letters of appreciation from four of the children. I’m just quoting from one of them that touched my heart so deeply: “My names are Patricia Kanuthu from Myartres of Uganda Catholic Church. I am fourteen years old. My best hobby is singing praises of which I am very concerned in. I take this opportunity to thank you Joy for what you have been doing for us. As for me, I am as happy as a king for your care and support. Since we knew each other, you have been a very good friend to us. There is a credence which states that ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’. We have been receiving so many things like books, pencils, food and going for some trips that I’ve never come across. I had a B plus and position five out of sixty three pupils. I am very thankful that even I have no words to say God bless you…THANK YOU VERY MUCH!” I met this young lady when my husband and I were privileged to visit the Kenya Kids and Hannah in August of 2011 and bring gifts from St. Alban’s—because of many kind hearts in our congregation. Many, many thanks and more news to come soon! Patricah Kanuthu: A pair of black shoes, size 42. Books: “The River and the Source”, “The Caucasian Chalk Circle”, “Betrayal in the City”, “Damu Nyeusi”. Felix Thithi: Books: “The Caucasian Chalk Circle”, “Whale Rider”, “KCSE Made Familiar Maths, Physics, Biology and Chemistry”. Jude Thithe: A pair of black shoes, size 41, a mathematical set, book: “Damu Nyeusi”. Agnes Gatheru: A pair of black shoes, size 39, a school bag, black shoe polish, pens in black, blue and red, pencils, an eraser, and exercise books. 6 7