The Call. Change : The faithful choice

Transcription

1 S T M A R K S E P I S C O P A L C H U R C H The Call May the words of our mouths and the mediations of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight oh Lord our strength and our redeemer. A Monthly Newsletter Issue - April 2016 Worship Confirmation Bishop s Visit & Reception St. Mark s Day/Brunch Holy Week Pictures Formation Youth Page Newcomers & First Communion Class Pictures Stewardship B&G Update Vestry Update Financial Update Outreach Weekend Backpack Needs Weddings Parish Transitions Wine Book Club Baseball Outing Page 3-6 Pages 7-8 Pages 9-11 Page Pages Change : The faithful choice It s Easter Monday and this cover for the Call is past due so despite the warm spring day calling outside my window, I m reflec@ng and typing. I m thinking about the decision to skudle the Lenten Series, book study, meal, Compline plan this year and instead offer five unusual liturgies the Wednesdays in Lent. I m thinking about the Palm Sunday service at Ranson and the invita@on to our partner communi@es. I m thinking about our walk through downtown Huntersville, the curious bystanders, the people drinking on the porch of CraM Brewery, the policeman reading the service order at each our Sta@ons of the Cross. I m thinking of the three genera@ons and single people gathered in Osborne Hall ea@ng a Passover meal and reading transla@ons of the ancient texts. I m reflec@ng on the member and the new member, soon to be son- in- law, reading Tenebrae and the three healing sta@ons where people had private mements to speak to the places of hurt in their lifes and receive prayers of solace and encouragement. I m thinking of the foot washing and the slow methodical process of taking all items out of the chancel and sancturary and off the altar leaving a bare darken shell of a church. I m thinking of reading John s version of the Passion narra@ve and kneeling for the solemn collects on Good Friday. I m thinking of the expert perpec@ve our Racism facilitator is bringing to our sessions and how old assump@ons are being ques@oned in thoughvul and respecvul ways. I m thinking of the profusion of spring flowers and the resona@ng strains of the new organ at the two burgeoning services Easter morning. But most of all, I am thinking of the faces of those who came and breathed in what was offered, shared and created together. I am thinking about their faces and their general state of being as these ac@vi@es unfolded. What I saw and what was said tells me that growth, shims and more profound insights are occuring in our community. 1

2 Our members who act on their desire for a deeper Spiritual Life find that need is met. They want something different in their lives, they act, they receive something different in their lives. It is a simple and somewhat obvious equa@on. Doing what we ve always done gets us what we ve always goden. There is no growth in that dynamic. There is no new vista gained from which we see something inspiring and life giving. We move no closer into the depth and wonder of God s plan for us, ones we love, the whole of crea@on when we con@nue to circle the same point and take no forward movement. A case in point, a person who never misses church on Sunday but never prays a different way or engages the church community outside the worship hour or reads and reflects on a religious text or serves others in some way without benefit of reward will never know God and what God offers in any broader deeper way. As the meme says, If you want something you ve never had, then you ve got to do something you ve never done. A more tempered version is, if you want something you re missing, go look for it. Unfulfilled longings do not fill themselves out of air and iner@a. Some ac@on, almost any ac@on has higher proablity of ge\ng you where you want to be. In growing one s Spiritual Life, the good news is the Lord is eager to double down on the rewards of our efforts. That being so, in this Easter season, the season of Resurrec@on, regenera@on, new life, another chance, a season of fimy days, I offer an open ended invita@on. Think of some act, one small thing that you will do for the care and growth of your soul. Think of one thing that would bring your inner being joy or peace. Think of one thing you and God could do together. Maybe for the 50 days of Easter, you pray 5 minutes each day. Maybe for the 50 days of Easter, you tell God your greatest fears and greatest thanksgivings as you walk your miles. Maybe for the 50 days of Easter, you worship in community every Sunday in or out of town. Maybe for the 50 days of Easter, you make yourself go to Adult Forma@on to learn and share faith persepc@ves. Maybe for the 50 days of Easter, you stay amer services and get to know other members beder. Maybe for the 50 days of Easter, you prac@ce defaul@ng to grace with the members of your household. For 50 days, you assume the best about their mo@ves. If you take up this prac@ce, you ll need divine given pa@ence some of those days, so faith grow is guaranteed! The most agreeable feature of an open invita@on is it s freedom. The receipient is free to accept or decline, to accept with condi@ons and to determine those condi@ons, to limits and number of trials, to test the waters and back away. For your own well being, make a choice for faith, make a change for faith and wait for the good signs of growth. Easter blessings, Sarah+ 2

3 Bishop s Visitation April 10 th 9:30 am Please welcome The Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee, Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina when he makes his first visit to St. Mark s. The Diocesan website lists this biographical information about Bishop Lee: Longtime Carolinians likely remember Bishop Lee. From , he was the rector at Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill, until his election in 1984 as Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Virginia, becoming Bishop Diocesan one year later. Following his 25-year tenure in Virginia, Bishop Lee stayed active, serving as Interim Dean of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco; General Theological Seminary, New York; and the American Cathedral in Paris. He was most recently in North Carolina serving as Bishop Provisional of the Diocese of East Carolina prior to the election of current bishop the Rt. Rev. Robert Skirving. During Bishop Lee s visit with us, he will join our 9:30 adult series on Racism in America and our Christian response to its affects. At 11:00, he will preach, preside over the Holy Eucharist and confirm, receive, and reaffirm members who through study, discussion, personal examination, prayer and discernment now reassert the promises made at their Baptism. He will also consecrate our new altar and baptismal font. Following that service, Bishop Lee will join us in Osborne Hall for a reception feting his visit and honoring those presented for his blessing. As the reception ends, he will meet St. Mark s vestry to hear our plans and add his thoughts as to the direction of The Episcopal Church, the Diocese of North Carolina and our particular place in God s kingdom. Sunday the 10 th will be a special opportunity to see ourselves in the broader context of the Anglican Communion and 21 st century Christendom. We will hear the unique perspective of an enduring church patriarch who has lead Episcopalians over 45 years of change, challenges and work well done. Please be on hand to make Bishop Lee welcome and receive the gift of his wisdom and experience. 3

4 St. Mark, Our Patron Saint The feast day of our patron saint is April 25 th, the date associated with his martyrdom. On the closest Sunday to his feast, April 24 th we will celebrate his life, work, contribution to the Christian faith and how he influenced the beginning of our parish. A festal Eucharist is planned for the 8:30 service and weather permitting, a celebration in our outdoor chapel will be offered at 11:00. The 2016 class of vestry members and various other ministers will be commissioned at the services this day. Red is the color of saint s feast days. Come show your St. Mark s pride by wearing red, recalling our early history and moments of recent Christian discipleship. Test your St. Mark knowledge by answering these preliminary questions: Was he the patron saint of lawyers, physicians, prisoners or insect bites? Did he die in his sleep, by beheading, burned at the stake, torn apart by lions, shot full of arrows? Where are his remains? Where did he lose his clothes? What was his favorite word in his writings? Concerning the church, where were the bricks made? Who made the altar and when? Why was there no back on the original altar? Name two consistent games at St. Mark s VBS? What happened the last time Rev. Sarah burned palms for Ash Wednesday? What is our longest running outreach initiative? What prestigious award did St. Mark s recently win and why? Between the two services, share the joy of our newest married members Kelly Tinsley and Sean Pope at a brunch in Osborne Hall hosted by the happy couple. Share your well wishes with the new Mr. and Mrs! Dear Church Family, We hope you will join us on April 24 th at 9:30am to celebrate with donuts and mimosas! We are so blessed to have each and everyone one of you in our lives, and we cannot wait to share this special time with you. With love, Kelly and Sean 4

5 Holy Week Palm Sunday 5

6 Seder Meal & Stations of the Cross 6

7 Formation Info. Lent is over. The seven weeks of Easter are here and soon the long season of Pentecost will begin. We have worshiped on Wednesday nights during Lent. Holy Week came, and we feasted together during the Seder. We prayed for healing. We walked the streets of Huntersville journeying the way of the cross. We washed feet, stripped the altar and worshiped in a barren space on Good Friday. We have celebrated The Resurrection of Our Lord, but now what? We are in the season of Easter but our minds, our culture, and our surroundings tell us that summer is here and our weekends cannot get here soon enough. So now what? What comes next? Where do we focus our spiritual, emotional, physical, and religious energies? Twelve years ago I heard a sermon that ended with the statement, As we approach this week, May We Love God, Embrace Beauty, & Live Life to the Fullest. I heard this statement at the end of Sunday Mornings for the nest several years. What if Loving God, Embracing Beauty, & Living Life to the Fullest is where we focused next? What would that look like? How would our communities change? Whom would we encounter differently? How would our mornings start off? Where would we find ourselves on the weekend? What would be reflected in our checkbooks and bank statements? What would be different? As we approach the next several months, May we Love God, Embrace Beauty, & Live Life to the Fullest Amen. Youth & Parent SNL April 3rd Creeper Trail April 16 & 17 7

8 Christian Formation Brunch Featuring our Kids Communion Class Participants & Our Newcomers Class Participants 8

9 Church Work Day Sunday April 3rd Come worship & stay to work or come early to work & stay to worship. The workday begins at 8:30am and continues past Hot Dog Lunch. Work available for all ages. Wear work clothes to church Bring gloves, wheelbarrows or carts (if you have them for hauling mulch) Help us be good Stewards of our space as we prepare for Spring, Confirmation and the Bishop s visit. Please contact Tom Watson with any questions tom@cedarsdavidson.com 9

10 March Update St. Mark s Vestry met on Thursday, March 17th for its monthly meeting. The meeting began with a theological reflection on John 4, the story of the woman at the well. Reverend Sarah then provided an update on several ongoing St. Mark s initiatives. The Stewardship Committee is moving forward with its year-round Stewardship plan, which includes an upcoming seminar on planned giving. The Legacy Call task force had its first meeting on March 14th and has begun discussing how St. Mark s might use the Legacy Call fund to enrich and expand St. Mark s ministries. A task force for a third initiative focusing on Fellowship will be formed after Easter. Reverend Sarah also shared updates on plans for Holy Week, Easter and the Bishop s visit on April 10th. Tom Watson provided details about the parish-wide Building and Grounds Workday scheduled for Sunday, April 3rd. Parishioners will be able to put their hands to a wide array of tasks throughout the day; there will be work for all ages and all skill levels. We were delighted to welcome Chaytor Chandler to her first vestry meeting. Chaytor joined the Vestry in February after agreeing to fulfill the last year of Rich Zinno s term on vestry. Vestry also commended Parish Life, Welcome, and Christian Formation for the most recent Christian Formation brunch. The food was amazing and the program was informative and meaningful. Vestry looks forward to discussing the post-it notes with parishioners ideas for co-creating ministries at our April Vestry meeting. 10

11 2016 Stewardship Update Current pledge total $307,650 All other income Special Gi1 $37,291 Non- Pledge Offerings $23,000 Other Income (use of space by outside groups) $15,000 Sales Tax Refunds $3,000 Daisy Shipp McCoy FoundaQon Trust Income $34,000 Total Budgeted OperaQng Income $419,941 Expenses we approved in the annual for 60 days. Staff funded at reduced hours $239,112 Diocesan Support $40,927 Campus Maintenance & UQliQes $44,896 Office AdministraQon & Other $28,195 Youth & ChrisQan FormaQon $7,555 Outreach & Escuelita Support $13,300 Parish Life, Pastoral Care, Stewardship & Parish Retreat $8,500 Worship & Music $5,750 %7 pledges unfulfilled based on historical average $21,284 Total 2016 Budgeted Expenses $409,519 Current Budget Surplus/Deficit $10,422 Cost to fund full Qme Director of $20,627 Deficit to fund St. Mark s at appropriate level for 2016 mission & ministry $10, pledge notes 115 pledge cards of 150 have been received Average Pledge $2,675 11

12 Weekend Food Backpacks Our Pantry is Bare! There are 2 1/2 months to go before the end of the school year. Help is needed to replenish the food in our pantry for the weekend backpacks that go home each week with 15 Ranson Middle School Students Items needed on a weekly basis: 45 Canned pasta meals with flip tops 30 lunch items such as ready to eat tuna, chicken or mac and cheese 30 fruit cups 15 cereal boxes 30 granola bars or cereal bars 30 fruit snacks 15 cookies packages 15 packages of crackers (lance or other brand) Juice boxes and Milk boxes are also needed Help us finish up the school year with an abundance of food. Items can be placed in the wooden bins marked Ranson inside Osborne Hall. Please see Marsha Philips for more information mbp1936@carolina.rr.com or Help us turn this Back into this 12

13 Weddings at St. Mark s Help us Market our Church Home as a Wedding Venue In the recent past we started offering St. Mark s as a wedding venue to non-members. While we have had success with this endeavor we are seeking someone who might help us find additional ways to market our beautiful church and grounds as a wedding venue. If you are interested in researching marketing opportunities and costs associated with these opportunities we would love to hear from you. Please contact Sarah Milholland at sarahmilholland@stmarksnc.org or call the church office at

14 Birthdays Marsha Rose 4/3 Ian Milholland - 4/5 Corinne Zinno - 4/5 Teddy Mason, Sr. - 4/7 Rev Ty Smithdeal 4/7 Tyler Grace - 4/8 Debbie Siegel - 4/8 Michael Engstrom - 4/9 Justin Zinno - 4/10 Kylee Addington - 4/12 Sean Barnett - 4/12 Bob Chandler - 4/12 Kerri Gambill- 4/12 Tony Herrin - 4/13 Sylvia Glover - 4/16 Brandon Kathman - 4/17 Marlene Bandis 4/19 Stella Brown 4/19 Kathy Bradford - 4/20 Elaine Reilly 4/20 Doris S. Blythe - 4/21 Sara Ann McMullan- 4/21 Eileen Lampro - 4/22 Mike Benes - 4/23 Elliott James - 4/24 Betsy Lloyd - 4/25 Elizabeth Weeks 4/27 Broden Womack - 4/27 Michael Womack - 4/27 Jack Lloyd - 4/29 Stanley Namour 4/30 Anniversaries Duane & Marsha Rose 4/1 Ed & Kathy Reade 4/5 Robert & Kerri Gambill - 4/13 James & Patricia Woolley - 4/19 Kevin & Natalie Glover - 4/20 Chaytor & Bob Chandler - 4/24 Philip & Betsy Lloyd - 4/30 Prayers for continued healing: Robin Mason Judith Hundertmark Alex Mondlak Mary Beth Masline Martha Ann Springer James Self Pat Pagola Larry Reilly Debra Smithdeal Anna Gambill Jackie Blythe Mary Schroeder Todd Gambill Jeannette Johnson Robin Petts Family of John A. Dawkins New Members: Greg & Amy Weeks, children, Ben, Julia & Elizabeth Lynnda Jordan Panera Bread Pick Up Willard & Barbara Osburn 4/1 Don & Debbie Siegel 4/8 Tonia Shelton 4/15 Cheryl Jones 4/22 Alan & Lesli Kathman 4/29 14

15 W.I.N.E. St Mark s Muses Book Club Women in Need of Entertainment WINE scheduled for April 6:30 at the home of Jennifer Johnson 605 Southland Road Huntersville Bring a bottle of wine or dish to share Join us while we bless the rooms of Jennifer s home. Please contact Debbie Siegel debbiesiegel@bellsouth.net with any questions We will meet on Friday April 8th 10 am At the home of Sarah Milholland Chilgrove Lane Huntersville We will be discussing The Namesake. Please join us even if you have not read the book. Contact Genny Hinkle for a copy of the book or more information gnvvhinkle@yahoo.com FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2016 CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS VS TOLEDO TIGERS at the BB&T BALLPARK Parish Life has ordered us great seats again. A fun time is guaranteed! Registration will begin February 28th. Tickets are $17 each Outreach will also be sponsoring a small group of students from Ranson Middle School to join us. Contact Marsha Phillips for more information or mbp1936@carolina.rr.com 15

16 St. Mark s Episcopal Church 8600 Mt. Holly-Huntersville, Rd. Huntersville, NC