May Calendar. The Holy Cross Herald May May Birthdays 4 Tom Schultz 17 Julie Creed. Community Yard Sale

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1 1 The Holy Cross Herald May 2017 The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross + 51 West Main Street + North East, PA By the power of the holy cross 1 Alcoholics Anonymous open meeting May Calendar 8 pm 5 Supper and study 6 pm 6 Crafting Group (note change) 10 am 7 Fourth Sunday of Easter 8:30 eucharist now resumed 8 AA open meeting 8 pm 11 Setup for Yard Sale 9 am 12, 13 Parish Yard Sale 12 Supper and Study 6 pm 14 Fifth Sunday of Easter 15 AA open meeting 8 pm 19 Supper and Study 6 pm 21 Sixth Sunday of Easter - Rogation Sunday Parish brunch 11:30 am Bishop s Committee meeting Noon 22 AA open meeting 8 pm 25 Feast of the Ascension Ascension Day Eucharist 7 pm 28 Seventh Sunday of Easter 29 AA open meeting 8 pm May Birthdays 4 Tom Schultz 17 Julie Creed Community Yard Sale Again this year Holy Cross will participate in the North East Community Yard Sale on May 12 and 13. The downstairs storeroom and some spaces upstairs are stocked with treasures from many of you, but there is always room for more. We can especially use the clothing and outdoor and leisure items people are looking for in a summer sale. We usually save the Christmas things for fall, but our we-take-anything policy is in force, and we are glad to get whatever you can drop off upstairs until the 12 th. Setup for the sale will be after worship on Sunday the 7 th and Thursday the 11 th starting about 9 am. Help is always needed and welcome; the usual delicious lunch will be provided for weary workers, and a few days of hard work and good fun can be confidently predicted. Doors open at 9 on Friday, and staffing for both days is also needed. Think you can t spare the time? Don t forget that this event is one for which customers often come and stay for the entertainment (that would be us) as well as the bargains. A good time is always had by all don t miss it! +

2 2 Bishop s Committee report The April BC meeting began with prayer led by Carol Carlson. We first discussed Carol s request for guidance on a proposal to offer Open Baptism at Holy Cross on Pentecost. This could be announced in the NE News Journal, on the Main St. bulletin board and on the website. The rite would be meant to be inclusive that is, none of the usual preconditions for membership would be attached to it but HC would have to assume responsibility after the fact for welcoming, integrating and teaching any new members who come to us this way.we asked the brunch cleanup crew 3 of our newest members for advice on what we might do to ensure adequacy in this process. We don t know what the Holy Spirit might have in mind, but we can try to find out. We will also offer a renewal of vows for those already baptized. Approved after discussion. Property: In the interests of growth, for which ample parking is said to be necessary, and with the bishop s encouragement, we will attempt to buy the Super Stitch property when it is offered. It is now being cleared of the building. Its assessed value is $42,000, but we would expect to pay much less since the lot cannot be built on. [We hope to discuss this with the owner after worship on the 30 th ]. The organ continues to die when recording service music. Jim Steadman, the diocesan Chancellor, has been sent the history of the ongoing problems, and will advise on legal actions we may take to get our money back. Carol has been investigating other possibilities for new or used organs and has unearthed a possible taker for the old Rodgers organ as well. The new oven has been delivered and installed, thanks to David Pascale and Scott Neff. Deb Huck masterminded the purchase, and Debby Seifert made a testbatch of pepperoni balls to get it up and running. She will have a training session with future users so people will know how to run it. Many thanks to all. It is time to renew our contract for electricity from 100% renewable sources. The more of these requests Penelec gets, the more electricity they will buy from such sources. Eric Howell will be asked to continue doing the lawn-care again this year, and will mulch the gardens after we have planted the flowers. Outreach: We authorized payment of $200 to the North East Council of Churches for their transient ministry. Carol will speak with Chief Sliker and try to discover how to improve (or install) adequate record-keeping by the police. Money: The treasurer s report was distributed and accepted. Since the Palm Sunday palms weren t delivered despite the UPS instructions to leave parcels if no one is around to take them in, Anne is seeking to make them responsible for the bill at Hoffman s. +

3 3 worship In may at hc The big events in worship for May are the annual day of prayer for the earth and its bounty (Rogation Sunday) on the 21 st, and Ascension Day on the 25 th. The conclusion to the great fifty days of Easter on Pentecost will follow on the first Sunday in June, but for this month we have the Easter message, and Easter joy, in our sights and our worship. Rogation Sunday will feature the usual thoughts and prayers for the natural world, and the usual procession around the borders of the church property, which might be a good deal more extensive than usual (see the BC report for details). In fact, if we have succeeded in resolving our acquisition of the lot next door, and the weather co-operates, we might have the whole service outdoors in our new picnic-area behind the former SuperStitch store. (The Pentecost Picnic will surely have to be held there.) The eucharist on Ascension Day, May 25, will be at 7 pm, and, also as usual, we will hope for a large congregation. This service is being planned as a meditative and quiet time, introducing music from the Taize tradition and inviting worshippers to share their own thoughts on Christ s ascension as a sermon. See you there! + Notes from the Treasurer After months of dealing with facts and figures and 562 clients, money isn t exactly the subject I d like to be writing about. BUT it is what enables us to do what we do in this little corner of God s Kingdom known as Holy Cross, for folks we don t even know, as well as ourselves. Our financial picture, now that the year is almost half over, is good, thanks largely to your faithful commitment to the ministries and missions here. We have bought the new oven and will soon be considering the purchase of the SuperStitch property for a badly-needed parking lot. We do all this by believing that God will provide for our needs when we need them, and we have never been disappointed. Our obligations are paid and there s money in the bank. Here s how April looks at this point: Beginning bal. $ 352 Incoming 5,187 Outgoing 4,946 Ending bal. $ 593 Once again the ending balance is an estimate as there is one week left in April not yet accounted for. Stay tuned Faithfully, Anne Bardol + Study and Supper The Friday night study-and-supper group continues to study the Gospel of Luke. We move slowly because our approach to each topic we encounter is to try both to understand it from a scholarly perspective and to reflect on how it addresses the concerns of our own lives. Everyone is invited to join us on Fridays at 6 pm. +

4 4 Spring Flowers Parishioners are reminded that garden flowers are always needed to beautify our worship. Just let Debby Seifert know if your garden is available to be raided on Saturday mornings ( ). Also, if you would like to place flowers in the church for Mothers Day or other occasions, give Debby the names of those you want to remember with your gift. A related concern is the church s own gardens: if you are thinning spring plants and have extras to share, bring them to HC, or see Debby or Bethia Nier. + The Last Word.... In keeping with the Facts Matter movement now gaining traction in our land, and with the Easter proclamation that the Lord of life has become one of those facts right here among us (our faith being sharply distinguished from the realm of alternative fact ), this month s Last Word is intractably mundane a bunch of simple housekeeping reminders meant to make our life together easier, more comfortable, efficient and welcoming. First, parking: To allow visitors and less able-bodied members access to the front and side doors of the church, everyone is reminded to park as far from the front doors as they can. The SuperStitch lot may not be ours yet, but it s a great place to get your car off the road and enjoy all our daffodils as you saunter up to the church. (Same with Bella.) If you park in back, be mindful of others who also might want to park there, and don t block access in and out. Thanks! Doors: Please also remember that all the doors except the sacristy sometimes lock but don t close, especially the rear parish hall door. Take a moment as you come and go to be sure that the door behind you is latched as well as locked. Inside, don t forget that both doors between the sacristy and the church, and both basement doors, still need to be kept closed at all times until the weather gets really warm. Thanks for that too! Thermostats, fans: Now that it s warmer outside, we seem to often forget to turn the thermostats down after worship or activities but the nights are still nippy, and there s no reason for us to be heating the church (and our precious Easter flowers) when no one is there. The fans need to stay on, however, until air-conditioning season, when we will shut them down to let all that hot air go up to the ceiling and stay there, while the cool hangs out with us in the pews. The real last word is what it always is from here: Thanks. To the God who calls us out of death, and the dominion of death, into his marvelous life; and to all of you, who make that life so vivid to me in all our mundane concerns. Carol +

5 5 + Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross + 51 West Main Street North East, PA The Holy Cross Herald is the monthly publication of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross, 51 West Main Street in North East, also at (814) , or on the Web at Subscribe to the e-edition online just send your address to us from the website. Whoever you are, the Episcopal Church welcomes you! We seek to worship God in openness, charity and joy, and serve our neighbors near and far. Weekly Calendar Sunday 8:30 - Holy Eucharist 9:15 am Adult study (the Prayer Book) 10:30 am Eucharist with music and laying- on of hands for healing 11:30 am - Coffee and fellowship (Parish Brunch, third Sunday) Monday 8 pm - Alcoholics Anonymous open meeting Downstairs lounge Friday 6 pm Supper and Study Parish hall Saturday (3rd Sat. - usually) 10 am Craft Group Parish hall in this issue: Birthdays - p. 1 Bishop s Committee - p. 2 Calendar - p. 1 Flowers - p. 5 Prayer list - p. 4 Service list - p. 4 Study and supper - p. 3 Treasurer s report - p. 3 Worship plans - p. 3 Yard sale - p. 1

6 6 parish prayer list: Healing and help: David, Reid, Roland, Sue, Walter and Martha, Jim, Janet, Katie, Bill, Jimmy, Gloria, Toni, Stavros and family, Patricia, Carla, David, Michael, Carlo, Ian, Ruth, Carl, Joy, Karen, Tom, London, Juanita, Dale, John, Joseph, Lou, Peggy, Julie, Joan, Janet and Joan, Alene s family; the poor and oppressed, the unemployed and destitute; prisoners, captives and refugees; the abused, hungry, homeless, lonely, bereaved or afraid Those whose work is difficult or dangerous; Heather, Morgan, Harrison, Chris, Zach and all our armed forces and public safety personnel; victims of war, terror and disaster. Our national leaders; the United Nations; the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa, Haiti Our church: Our mission, leaders and ministries + May Service List MAY 7 MAY 14 MAY 21 MAY 28 Altar guild Lisa Furey Debby Seifert Martha Weed Anne Bardol Greeters - VOLUNTEERS - Acolytes - Lisa Furey and staff - Lector David Pascale Julie Creed Deb Huck Jane Jones Chalice Lisa Furey David Pascale Anne Bardol Lisa Furey Coffee Kelly McDonald Margaret Johnson BRUNCH Ginny Schwartz Tellers Huck/Hopkins Seifert/ Beach Johnson/Creed Furey /Jones Trash Anne Bardol Many thanks to all who volunteer for these important jobs!