Volume 2018, Is sue 1 The Episcopal Church of the Nativity THE MESSENGER

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1 The Episcopal Church of the Nativity Volume 2018, Issue 1 THE MESSENGER You may have seen the cartoon that shows three wise men offering gifts at the door to the home of the baby Jesus while another wise man, carrying his own gift, walks away surprised and a little confused. The caption below him reads: Unbeknownst to most theologians, there was a fourth wise man who was turned away for bringing a fruitcake. When we think of Epiphany, the wise men, or Magi, their gifts instantly spring to mind. These were people who hear that a savior has been born and, even though they themselves are foreigners, set out to find and honor this child with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. At some level, they understand that he is special and indeed, we know that he is. At Christmas, we celebrate the gift of God s loving self given to us in the most intimate, vulnerable way through the birth of a child. Epiphany offers us the opportunity to recognize and respond to God s gift of self with our own gifts. In our case, the gifts we offer are not precious metals or exotic spices (or even a humble fruitcake!). Rather, we are invited to offer in thanksgiving and joy a return gift of our very selves just as we are in love and thanksgiving. This indeed is the gift that God most desires and it is one we are singularly equipped to offer. Both individually and as a church community, we can offer God the return gift of our love, commitment, care, reconciliation with our neighbor, peace-building and striving for justice for the least, lost, and forgotten among us. This gift can be offered in the simplest ways through a kind word, offering to ease another s burden, praying with or for others, using our talents and skills to bring a touch of the beauty and hope of God s kingdom into someone s life. As we offer our gifts of self back to God, it s equally important to remember how God continues to gift us with God s grace through others. In giving our selves in love to God, are we equally able to receive the gift of God s love and grace through those around us? Can we learn and grow from the person who might not share our world view or political affiliation? Can we recognize, accept, and be transformed by the gift of God s love when it comes to us through someone we consider different from ourselves? Receiving God s gift means having a heart open to recognizing God at work in the gift of the other in our midst. This Epiphany season, I invite you to pray and think about the way God s gift of God s loving self is given to you in your daily life. Through what people does God s loving self visit you? And, in what ways do you respond to God s love with the gift that you have to offer your very self, just as you are? ~Rev d Mary Ayers

2 Page 2 N A T I V I T Y S OUTREACH Volume 2018, Issue 1 FOOD PANTRY Thank you to everyone who helps with our food pantry, from picking up food at the Food Bank or Winco, stocking shelves, staffing the pantry and bringing food, it is all needed help and much appreciated, especially by those who need the food. SATURDAY SUPPER led Rose Mortensen's team on Dec. 9th, serving 36 folks from the Lewiston/Clarkston community. They served chicken with a sweet and sour pineapple sauce (Pat Johnson's recipe), rice, and salad. Harold Crook's team will serve on January 13th and Rosemary Daubert's team on January 27th. A large ham was donated by a person for Saturday Supper and is in the freezer upstairs. If interested as a team leader, please put your name on the ham. We will have a team meeting with our new rector sometime in January. is now co-coordinator with Rosemary Daubert. SNAKE RIVER CLINIC The next delivery of finger-food, for approximately 15 workers at the clinic, will be Tuesday, January 9th. If you would like to assist with this ministry, please find the sign-up sheet on the table in the parish hall. SALVATION ARMY SOUP KITCHEN We will be helping to prepare, serve and clean up from the meal at the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., on Wednesday, January 24th. If you would like to join us in serving others, please call Pat Johnson at PASTORAL CARE COMMITTEE The pastoral care committee will meet Tuesday, January 2 nd, at 11 am, in the vestry room. ALTAR GUILD An all altar guild meeting will be held Saturday, January 20th at 10am. Meet in the parish hall.

3 Page 3 Volume 2018, Issue Page 13 CHANCEL GUILD In December 13 ladies were treated with cheesecake, cookies, chocolate and orange slices, by our hosts Johnette Moore and Fran Caradine. Our celebration was enhanced by a bottle of wine, brought by Debbie Riedle. Johnette delighted us by reading Circle of Wonder, a Native American Christmas story, by Scott Momaday. She,also, read a touching thank you letter from Thomas Pearson thanking us for our financial and spiritual support. We decided who would appreciate a card from us and Caryl Mackey agreed to send them. It was moved and passed to send Christmas gifts from the guild. A birthday prayer was said and song sung for Raydene Willows and Fran Caradine. We concluded with a raucous gift exchange. Our next meeting is January 8 th with Pat Johnson and Toni Pierce hosting. MEN S BREAKFAST Men s breakfast group returns the 2 nd Saturday of January, the 13th. All men are invited to participate, gathering at 9 am on Saturday. THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING The annual parish meeting of the Episcopal Church of the Nativity will be held on Sunday, January 28 after our ONE SERVICE at 10am. following a potluck lunch. All are invited! Vestry members are required to attend. Vestry members and delegates to diocesan convention will be elected at this meeting. The deadline for reports for the annual meeting journal is Tuesday, January 16th. Please reports to the office if possible. CALL FOR NOMINATIONS We are seeking and receiving nominations for vestry and diocesan convention delegates. If you would like to nominate someone (including yourself) for either position please call the office, at OR put a name in our Nominations box in the parish hall. Diocesan convention representative obligations include one Saturday meeting in the fall and preparing for, attending and reporting back from Diocesan convention the third weekend of October. Vestry obligations include two Saturday meetings each year, one overnight retreat, and 11 monthly meetings. Both require that those who serve are active and participate in the life of the parish.

4 Page 4 V o l um e , IsPsage ue 14 GETTING TO KNOW REV D MARY AYERS! It is a blessing to me to start the new year with you at Nativity and I look forward to getting to know all of you as we settle in to our life in ministry to Jesus together. Just to get things started, I d like to share with you a little bit about myself. I was born in Spokane raised in Pasco, Washington, and got my Bachelor s Degree in English at Whitman College in Walla Walla, so this neck of the world is home to me. My mom and dad are both retired and continue to live in Pasco. My little brother Dan, his wife Molly and my nephews Henry (age 9) and Eamon (age 6) live in Spokane and my older brother, Matt, moves between Spokane and the Seattle area for his work. I have spent the last eleven years living in Spokane. For most of that time, I worked at Gonzaga University as an administrative professional assisting graduate programs. I ve also taken advantage of the fine educational opportunities at Gonzaga. I ve earned one Master s in Organizational Leadership and am now just wrapping up a second Master s in Religious Studies. These courses, along with ministry formation classes through the Diocese of Spokane, provided me with the education I needed to be ordained a priest in June After ordination, I spent my first year as a curate (a fancy English way of saying baby priest ) at St. David s Episcopal Church in Spokane. There, I learned the ropes of hands-on priestly ministry through preaching, teaching, and pastoral visiting. Areas of ministry I especially enjoy include evangelism and ministries of welcome and hospitality. I am the humble servant to two Ragdoll cats, Thomas and Bingley, who love to help me when I pray the Daily Office or write homilies. They are adjusting well to their new home in the rectory. In fact, after less than two weeks, they officially own the place. My hobbies include baking, which I have loved since I was 9 years old and first discovered my Grandma s 1952 Betty Crocker Cookbook. I am also an avowed tea lover and enjoy hosting tea parties. I expect you will have more than one opportunity to try my baking and drink tea with me as we get to know each other! I am excited to get to know each one of you and for you to have the opportunity to know me, as well. To that end, I ve asked Annamarie to put out a sign up sheet in the Parish Hall with dates and times in the month of January when we can meet. I ve included options during the afternoon and evenings, as part of a group or individually, if you prefer to meet with me that way. I do hope that you will find a time that works for you and we can spend some time together. I look forward to it! ~Rev d Mary Ayers

5 Page 5 Volume 2016, Issue 1 B I RT H DA Y S IN JANUA RY Mary Heusinkveld 1 st Charissa Graham 18 th Caryl Mackey 10 th Janet White 21 st Roberta Coats 13 th Marsha Creason 27 th Gladys Huffman 17 th Debi Fitzgerald 30 th Richard Moore 17 th THE ALTAR GUILD Our thanks to those who have donated sanctuary candles. SIGN UP FOR JANUARY! Our thanks to those who have donated flowers for the altar. SIGN UP FOR JANUARY! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO DONATED FOR OUR POINSETTIAS! Joe and Merrily Lillard,, Marilyn Harris in memory of her mom, Phyllis Lacy, Gretchen Bjornstad in memory of her father, John Tait and her grandparents, Lucy and Paul Tait, Rose Mortensen in memory of Debra, Tom and Karen Parkman in memory of Charles and Jean Parkman, Noel and Jane Abbott in memory of Lucille Abbott and Mary Martin, Mike and Debbie Riedle in memory and thanksgiving for family and friends, Dick and Mavis Ohms in thanksgiving for God s many blessings, Lisa Martin, Ed and Linda Martinson in memory of Ed and Marcella Martinson, Pat Johnson in memory of Lee Johnson, Dick and Sherri McMillen, Darrell and Rosemary Daubert in memory of Janet and Harry Daubert, Bill and Fran Caradine in thanksgiving for family and friends (as of Dec. 23) THANKS TO THE CHOIR, ANNAMARIE, SARAH, TONI, LORI, AND SCHOLA FOR OUR GLORIOUS MU- SIC THIS ADVENT AND CHRITMAS! Thanks to all members of the altar guild, to Rachel Walsh, and to all who helped green the church, and set up for our services this Christmastide.

6 Page 6 Volume 2018, Issue 1 WEEKLY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Sunday: Eucharist - 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Bible Study/choir practice - 9:00 a.m. Monday - Friday: Noon Day Prayer - 12:15 p.m. Tuesday: Food pantry open 8:45-noon. Wednesday: Eucharist - 7:00 a.m. Thursday: Knitting Group - 10:00 AM JANUARY 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Epiphany 14 2 Epiphany 21 3 Epiphany 28 4 Epiphany 1 SERVICE 10am Annual 8 Chancel Guild 1pm Vestry 6pm Reports Due for Annual Mtg Men s Breakfast Sat. Supper & Food Pantry Altar Guild Mtg. 10am Sat. Supper and Food Pantry

7 Page 7 SERVICE SCHEDULE FOR JANUARY Volume 2018, Issue 1 DATE Jan 7 Jan 14 Jan 21 Jan 28 Ushers 8:00 AM 8:00 AM 8:00 AM Don and Maxine Hubbell Jerry Pierce John Willows ONE SERVICE AT 10 AM LEM Jerry Pierce Jess Stone Pete Ruppel Annual Meeting Deloris Jungert Davisson With Potluck!!! POP Peggy Flowers Anne Rhoads Maxine Hubbell Lector Pete Ruppel Frances Hedrick Greeters 10:30 AM 10:30 AM 10:30 AM 10:30 AM Rosemary Daubert Ray and Nancy Rosch Rose Mortensen Ushers Noel Abbott Rosemary Daubert Ray Rosch Marsha Creason and Phyl Lacy Sue Johnson and LEM Lectors Fran Caradine Ray Rosch Caryl Mackey Marsha Creason Jane Abbott Harold Crook Rose Mortensen Toni Pierce Madison Winn John Willows POP Mary Lou Gregory Nancy Rosch Fran Caradine Rosemary Daubert Altar Guild Pat Johnson Roberta Coats Marilyn Harris Caryl Mackey Rosemary- Daubert Merrily Lillard Karen Parkman Susan Pearson Debbie Riedle Charissa Graham Johnette Moore Maxine Hubbell Fran Caradine Coffee Hour Rose Harold Ray and Nancy Annual Meeting Potluck!

8 Page 8 Volume 2018, Issue 1 EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY th Street Lewiston, Idaho Office: office@nativitylewiston.com CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY Wardens/Vestry Vestry Dick McMillen, Sr. Warden Joe Lillard, Jr. Warden Rosemary Daubert, Clerk Mary Lou Gruber Richard Moore Rose Mortensen John Willows Madison-Rose Winn FIND US ON THE WEB! us on Facebook! Episcopal Church of the Nativity