THE CHRIST CHURCH CONNECTION

Transcription

1 THE CHRIST CHURCH CONNECTION The Newspaper of the Mother Church of the Dakotas November 2018 From the Interim Rector Fr. Tim Fountain In this Season of Thanksgiving, do you give thanks for Christ Church by which I mean YOU and the people who worship and serve with you as members here? Yes, it is meet, right, and a good and joyful thing to give thanks for the fact that Christ Jesus gave himself to make you one of his disciples and guide you into fellowship here at Christ Church, Yankton. Give thanks for your life your birth into God s creation and your rebirth in the waters of baptism, through which you can walk forever in new life in Christ (Romans 6:4). The church is PEOPLE. YOU are Christ s raw material, as Peter wrote, And you (all together) are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What s more, you (all together) are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. (1 Peter 2:5) YOU are the way that Christ chooses to be present in the world. There s no replacement for the local church if the mission of Jesus is to take place in the way that he revealed and launched. As a prayer attributed to St. Teresa of Avila says, Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which He is to bless His people. Let s face it, people are out of the habit of attending church. People in our culture have so individualized spirituality that getting a dose of church via the internet or ignoring church altogether are popular options. But what Jesus desires is people meeting together (Hebrews 10:25), a body made up of many members (1 Corinthians 12:13-14), branches growing together from one vine (John 15:5), people like you and me seeking him and reflecting him together. Any form of Christianity that lacks this is at best incomplete and at worst disobedient to the Lord of the church. Give thanks for Christ Church. We heard loving testimonies at our meal together last month. Christ Church YOU and those who meet together here have made a spiritual home for people seeking faith and meaning in a noisy and perplexing world. Our Book of Common Prayer calls our service the Eucharist, which means thanksgiving. Our best offering of thanks for our local church is to attend it with others to fulfill our Baptismal promise to continue in the apostles teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers To Christ our Lord who loves us, and washed us in his own blood, and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father, to him be glory in the Church ever more. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 317) Timothy +

2 From The Search Committee THE NEXT PHASE As many of you know, the church s profile has been sent to the diocese for dissemination throughout the national church. What comes next is waiting for a response. God willing, the wait will not be long. All qualified priests seeking to be a candidate for this position will be vetted through the diocese prior to their names being submitted to the search committee for further discernment. Discernment remains a key factor throughout the search process. Initially, discernment was used to put together our profile. In this phase, discernment will be used to determine if a candidate is the person the search committee is being led to recommend to the vestry as our next rector. Likewise, any candidate will also be discerning if our church is the place God is calling her or him to. While we wait for a response, it is important that we remain faithful in coming together to worship as a church family, communing with one another, and praying that God leads a faith-filled, hope-filled, and lovefilled shepherd to be our next rector. The Search Committee

3 Daylight Savings Time Meals On Weels Set your clocks back 1 hour on Saturday night, November 3, so you will have more time to get to church next Sunday due to Daylight Savings Time change. Two volunteers are needed as a substitute driver and carrier for Meals on Wheels next month (Nov. 13th) and when Gert Boyles and Dawne Unruh are not in town or are unable to help. Gert and Dawne serve once a month on the second Tuesday, delivering meals to 9 or 10 folks on route 1, which takes less than an hour. Please contact Dawne Unruh at Thank you. Kid s Hope November is National Prayer month for Kids Hope and we invite everyone to pray for the kids and mentors from Christ Church that are participating the the Kids Hope Program. As always there are students that need you for an hour a week to be a friend. If you are intrested in participating please contact: Shann Doerr, or shann. doerr@vyn.midco.net. Community Holiday Feast Community Holiday Feast is at Calvary Baptist Church at 2407 Broadway on Wednesday, November 21st 4:30-7:00pm. One can donate, volunteer, or join them for dinner. Donates can be: turkeys, pies, or cash. To volunteer to work, contact Donna Madson at For meal delivery, which is only for shut-ins, call by 5 pm Friday Nov. 16th. November 10 Corey Vitek 11 Joe Kleinschmit 14 Mary Sorensen 15 Maxine Haberman 20 Tom Langdon 21 Carol Houtkooper Ron Lorenzen 24 Gert Boyles Andres Mondragon November No Anniversaries this month Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation. We pray for those requesting our prayers: Sue, Bernard, Gert, Phyllis, Roger, Jo, Brett, Jim, Ken, Debbie, Andy, Pat, Shirley, Drew, Lois, John, Tony, Michael, and Karen.

4 Thank You Marilyn Wilson and Tara O Gorman for teaching Sunday School during the month October. Libby Bigley and Barb Lyle for organization and refreshments at the Blessing of the Animals event. Fr. Tim Fountain for ministering the Blessing of the Animals event. Jennifer Adamson, Deacon John for giving newcomers rides to church Somer Bares for the Blessing of the Animals posters, for making the invitations for the Spaghetti Dinner, and helping with advertisement. Sue Lauck for baking goodies for the Sunday School class. Libby Bigley, Barb Lyle, Liz Lynch, Sue Lauck, and Steve and Jennifer Adamson for helping serve at the Pledge Drive Spaghetti Dinner and to all those who contributed a dessert. Carol Houtkooper for the use of the cloth napkins and wineglasses for the Spaghetti Dinner. Emma Hershfeldt for stepping in as Acolyte on October 28. Steve Adamson and Fred and LaVonne Lorenzen for picking up all the pears that dropped from the trees behind the Olde Rectory. To all those who raked leaves from the sidewalks before services during the month. To the Altar Guild for setting up for all the extra services we had during the month of October: marriage blessing, funeral, baptism. To those who served during the services last month.

5 Blessing of the Animals

6 Spagetti Luncheon

7 Why Do Americans Celebrate Thanksgiving Day? Many Americans think of Thanksgiving as a wonderful time to celebrate getting out of school for a long weekend, and eating a great dinner. Or, maybe they think it is the start of the Christmas holiday season. What is the real meaning behind Thanksgiving? Catherine Millard writes: Thanksgiving Feast. We can trace this historic American Christian tradition to the year After the harvest crops were gathered in November 1623, Governor William Bradford of the 1620 Pilgrim Colony, Plymouth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts proclaimed: All ye Pilgrims with your wives and little ones, do gather at the Meeting House, on the hill there to listen to the pastor, and render Thanksgiving to the Almighty God for all His blessings. Prayer. Copyrighted illustration. Courtesy of Films for Christ. This is the origin of our annual Thanksgiving Day celebration. Congress of the United States has proclaimed National Days of Thanksgiving to Almighty God many times throughout the following years. On November 1, 1777, by order of Congress, the first National Thanksgiving Proclamation was proclaimed, and signed by Henry Laurens, President of Continental Congress. The third Thursday of December, 1777 was thus officially set aside: for solemn thanksgiving and praise. That with one heart and one voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts, and consecrate themselves to the service of their Divine Benefactor; and their humble and earnest supplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and blot them (their manifold sins) out of remembrance That it may please Him to take schools and seminaries of education, so necessary for cultivating the principles of true liberty, virtue and piety under His nurturing hand, and to prosper the means of religion for the promotion and enlargement of that kingdom which consisteth of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost George Washington, first President of the United States Then again, on January 1, 1795, our first United States President, George Washington, wrote his famed National Thanksgiving Proclamation, in which he says that it is our duty as a people, with devout reverence and affectionate gratitude, to acknowledge our many and great obligations to Almighty God, and to implore Him to continue is our duty as a people, with devout reverence and affectionate gratitude, to acknowledge our many and great obligations to Almighty God, and to implore Him to continue and confirm the blessings we experienced Thursday, the 19th day of February, 1795 was thus set aside by George Washington as a National Day of Thanksgiving. Statue of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of Wallbuilders. Many years later, on October 3, 1863, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed, by Act of Congress, an annual National Day of Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. In this Thanksgiving proclamation, our 16th President says that it is announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, by the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people Prayer. Illustration copyrighted. Courtesy of Films for Christ. So it is that on Thanksgiving Day each year, Americans give thanks to Almighty God for all His blessings and mercies toward us throughout the year.

8 Christ Church Vestry Meeting Minutes ( ) Present: Fr. Tim Fountain, Dawne Unruh, Liz Lynch, Sue Lauck,, Barb Lyle, Steve Adamson,, Chris Luke & Dick Unruh Opening Prayer: Led By Father Tim Approval of Minutes: A motion to approve vestry minutes from 8/27/18 meeting was made by Steve and seconded by Barb. Unanimous yes vote to approve. Treasurer Report: Report provided by Dick. Motion to accept report made by Steve seconded by sue, motion passed unanimously. Senior Warden Report: Was reported that the leaky faucets are now fixed and the electrical issue with the water heater was fixed as well. Junior Warden Report: Steve reported that the water heater was rewired and is now in working condition. He stated that the fill dirt that was placed in the hole was not seeded yet, but he will do that soon once the pears are cleaned up. Cleaning Report: Sue stated the carpet in the old rectory had quite a few spots that she worked on, and stated that we may want to look at getting a clear rug to put down in high traffic areas. Search Committee Update: A draft of the Community, Church and Rector Profile was given to the Vestry members to review prior to the joint meeting between the Vestry and Search Committee scheduled for 9/30/18. Business: Sue reported she would like to do a Christmas sing along open to all to come and sing, more information will be gathered on this. A discussion was held on the Snow removal bid from Yankton Home and Garden, it was decided that we will look at getting some other bids before making a decision on snow removal. Discussion was held on the Spaghetti Lunch scheduled for 10/21/18 after church. Discussion was held on looking into a Go Fund Me account for helping to repair the stained glass windows. Discussion was held on the yellow pages advertisement in the phone book; it was decided to not want to do this at this time. Next Meeting: 5:15 PM Motion to adjourn was made by Bar and seconded by Steve, the motion passed unanimously. Closing Prayer : Led by Father Tim

9 Christ Episcopal Church Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday All Saints Day Office Closed 1 2 Daylight Savings Change 3 Set your clocks back 1 hour. Office Closed 24th Sunday after Pentecost All Saints Sunday 1:30 am Centering Prayer (Olde Rectory) 12:00 pm Half Way Church on Facebook 9 am Serenity 10 am Holy Eucharist 9-11 Office Carol 9-1 Office Carol 1-3 Office Carol 9-1 Office Carol Office Closed Office Closed 25th Sunday of Pentecost am Serenity 10 am Holy Eucharist 1:30 am Centering Prayer (Olde Rectory) 12:00 pm Half Way Church on Facebook 9-11 Office Carol 1-3 Office Carol Office Closed Office Closed 26th Sunday of Pentecost am Serenity 10 am Holy Eucharist, 1:30 am Centering Prayer (Olde Rectory) 8-12 Office Carol 12:00 pm Half Way Church on Facebook 5:00 pm Holiday Feast, Calvary Baptist Church 1-4 Office Carol Office Closed Office Closed Last Sunday of Pentecost Christ the King Holy Day 1:30 am Centering Prayer (Olde Rectory) 5:15pm Vestry Mtg 12:00 pm Half Way Church on Facebook 9 am Serenity 10 am Holy Eucharist 9-11 Office Carol 1-3 Office Carol Office Closed