The Prescription. Spirit Filled Sabbatical Time From Sandi+ Seeking to bind your wounds and heal your soul

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1 The Prescription Seeking to bind your wounds and heal your soul Spirit Filled Sabbatical Time From Sandi+ Those with an affinity for Celtic Christianity speak of the Holy Spirit as the Wild Goose, the unpredictable and stirring presence of God, calling out to us with loud cries to move onward, ever-onward, in our Christian life. Go deeper, go higher, go wider, the Wild Goose urges. Spread your wings and follow in the v- formation with all the other geese on the journey. That flying in formation with others on the journey as a disciple of Jesus is the sabbatical theme for St. Luke s this year. I fly away on a three-month sabbatical beginning on Pentecost Sunday, May 20th. Almost half that time for me will be spent studying, living in various communities, and reflecting on what it means for us to live a rule of life or way of life: how to craft a sustainable way of life that incorporates essential practices in the Christian life, keeping us connected to God, to one another and to ourselves. Elements essential to developing a Christian way of life include prayer, study, and some kind of ministry or service, among others. You and I can develop a way of life for ourselves that is life-giving and keeps us growing as Christians. But one of my questions on this sabbatical is: How do we develop a way of life for a family or for a parish so that we fly in formation together? For the other half of this three-month sabbatical, I will enjoy beach time, family time, and real rest time this summer. Look for a more detailed itinerary in the May edition of The Prescription. Would you begin to pray (and continue to pray) that the Holy Spirit guides all of us during this time and breathes new life and power into us for the next chapters in our journey? April 2018 Volume 18 Issue 4 The independently edited, local monthly newsletter of St. Luke s Episcopal Church 2245 Huguenot Trail Powhatan, Virginia Published by St. Luke s Episcopal Church upon authority of its Rector Inside this issue: Bishop Search Update 2 Bridge Club 3 Time to Register for Chanco The Campaign for Chanco Green and Clean Event Holy Week 7 Community Ministries 8 Good News Book Club News Briefs, Birthdays 10 Service Assistants 12 Monthly Calendars 13

2 Page 2 Bishop Search: Update from the Standing Committee Editor s note: Information in this article and the picture has been reprinted from the Diocesan enews. The Rt. Rev. Herman Hollerith IV, Bishop of Southern Virginia has announced his plans to retire in December of this year. He has been bishop of our diocese since I would never claim that my work is done in Southern Virginia, the bishop said during the diocese s 126th annual council on Feb One s work in ministry is never done, never completed, because there is always more that one can do for the Lord in any place. But, there does come a time when you realize that you ve used all of your skill set and that a different skill set with fresh eyes and fresh energy behind it might be more appropriate for leading the community forward. There will be a transition period of six to eight months between Bishop Hollerith s retirement and the consecration of his successor. Our diocese will be led by the Rt. Rev. James Magness, who serves as assisting bishop during the gap between bishops. During this time of transition, the Standing Committee has committed itself to regular updates to the Diocese. We hope that this will help you stay abreast of the developments in our Bishop Search process. In the meantime, please keep the Standing Committee, Bishop Hollerith, and the Diocese in your prayers. On Feb. 28, the Standing Committee met with Bishop Todd Ousley from the Presiding Bishop's office to train us in how to set up a Bishop search. (Click here for more information about the process.) Over the next several months we will be working on the following high level goals: Hire a search consultant to guide the Standing Committee, Search Committee, and Transition Committee through the process. Establish a timeline for major events. Designate persons to work on the Search Committee and assign a chair. Designate persons to work on the Transition Committee and assign a chair. Thank you and God's Peace, Standing Committee Planning for our 175th Anniversary The 175th Anniversary Committee meets on 2nd Sundays at 10:00 AM in the office foyer area as we prepare to celebrate a milestone year in Come and help plan for a wonderful year of celebration and thanksgiving!

3 Page 3 The St. Luke s Prescription Bridge Club Offers Fun and Fellowship Gladys Suggs A small group of parishioners started playing cards at St. Luke s several years ago and it has developed into a regularly scheduled activity that many of our more senior members of the church and the local community look forward to. Over time, the group has grown from just one table to three bridge tables and 2 canasta tables. Because many of those who participate would prefer not to drive at night, the group meets twice per month on Wednesday s at 1 PM. Those who come have found that the bi-monthly gatherings give them a much appreciated opportunity to reconnect and catch up with friends. They have a great time catching up on the latest news, TV shows to watch, etc. It is really a great social time. In December the group shares pizza, something that is enjoyed and appreciated especially by those who live alone. (It does not generally make sense to order a pizza for just one person.) The group welcomes anyone who wants to attend (young or old) and gladly helps newcomers learn how to play. The cost to play is $0.50. The money collected is used to purchase new tables and tally and print the game score sheets as well as to help towards making a small twice-yearly donation to the church. We would love to have you join us. Remember, if Bill Gates and Warren Buffet play to keep their minds active, then so can we! The Remote Area Medical (RAM) Clinic at Wise County, VA, is looking for volunteers July 19-22, Jon and Beth Brew are our parish coordinators. For more information, please contact Jon Brew, our parish coordinator, or let Lou Markwith (ln_markwith@verizon.net). Please begin collecting clothing and shoes to donate to the cause. Items will be received at Church of the Redeemer in Midlothian beginning in June. You can register to volunteer at this year s clinic at Featuring SAMS Missionary, Mary Chowenhill: Sunday, April 15th SAMS is a missionary organization that sends and supports Anglican and Episcopal missionaries around the world to spread the Kingdom of God. Mary has been teaching business and economics at Uganda Christian University for the past two years. She helps her students to develop entrepreneurial skills as well as a knowledge of the Bible. Mary also participates in local Uganda missions and Bible schools for children. The Kerners worshipped with Mary at St. Peter s Episcopal Church in Jacksonville, FL, 25 years ago. After Mary had retired as a school teacher and after her husband, Fr. Nelson Chowenhill, had died, Mary followed a call long on her heart to devote herself to missions. She will join us for worship on Sunday, April 15 th and will share what God has been doing in this ministry in Uganda. Consider supporting her for the next year in both prayer and financial resources.

4 Page 4 St. Luke Chanco. At left (front to back): Ally, Charlotte, and Mikaela. Above: Madeleine. Below: Mikaela (top center), a counselor in training last summer. Sign up Now for Summer Camp at Chanco Check it out! A new 2018 Chanco video was created by our very own camp staff member (and St. Luke s parishioner) Casey Cole. Click here to see a glimpse all the adventure and fun our camp and retreat center offers. Summer camp registration is live and with registrations ahead of this time last year, you don t want to wait to register for the summer camp session of your choice! With one-week, two-week, and specialty sessions available, there is a program perfect for your camper! NEW this year is a High School camp week in August for those who have completed grades Click here for a flier with more information on Camp Chanco. Easy on line registration is available on our website at You may also stay tuned to our Facebook page for the latest news and photos of all Chanco programs. We can t wait to see you this summer in Chanco s magical forests where friends are friends forever! Questions? Contact us at 888-7CHANCO ( ) orhospitality@chanco.org. Have you heard? Chanco is turning 50 in 2018! You won t want to miss this fantastic celebration of 50 years of ministry at Chanco on the James May 4-6. Mark your calendars and make plans to celebrate with friends who have been making memories at Chanco since The weekend program is going to be a glorious event of activities and fellowship culminating in our huge Sunday celebration of a special ceremony, Eucharist and BBQ on the bluff. We invite our entire community to come Sunday for this golden birthday celebration! For more information and registration please visit Questions? Contact us at hospitality@chanco.org or 888-7CHANCO Continued next page

5 Page 5 The St. Luke s Prescription The Campaign for Chanco Camp Chanco, our diocesan camp and retreat center, has been an important experience and destination for children and adults in our parish for over forty years. It is a place where we learn and grow spiritually, have fun, and build life-time friendships with people from across our diocese. The Campaign for Chanco is an opportunity for us to care for (and improve) this wonderful facility that has cared for so many of our children and us. Please consider making a pledge, and encouraging your children (especially those who are now adults and Chanco alumni) to do the same. Editor s note: The following is taken from Chanco Chatter, Chanco is in the midst of one of the most exciting times in its 50-year history. In 2017, Chanco launched a $2.5 million dollar capital campaign for muchneeded improvements and expansion to the Dining Hall (see the rendering at right) and Flournoy Hall, as well as improvements to wastewater treatment facilities, retreat lodges, and establishing a property maintenance endowed fund. Chanco is pleased to report that its fantastic volunteers have made more than 200 personal visits to parishes and individuals and over $2,267,384 (90% of our goal) has been raised thus far! But they aren't done yet! Much work remains to be done, and Chanco is hoping for all friends and parishes to support the campaign in the upcoming months so that the $2.5 million dollar goal can be reached by Chanco's 50th Anniversary Celebration on May 4-6th, and beyond to our $3 million dollar goal. Reaching the $3 million stretch goal will allow Chanco to complete additional tree clearing, an improved Flournoy renovation and refurbish roofing on the pavilion and director's residence. Donations can be made by check or online at (via Pay- Pal). Click here for the full Capital Campaign address at Annual Council. Click here for a frequently asked questions sheet. Click here for the campaign brochure. Click here for our campaign web page where you can view our awesome campaign video and make a one time gift. All pledges to the campaign may be made for up to a five-year pledge period. Click here for a pledge form. All of Chanco's friends and parishes are invited to join in this exciting time! We plan to celebrate the successful completion of our goal during the first weekend of May, 2018 at our 50th anniversary celebration. I assure you it will be an outstanding weekend and I am already looking forward to being there with our bishop and so many other fantastic Chanco supporters from every decade and every program of Chanco s history. Be a part of this milestone moment in Chanco history!

6 Page 6 The Clean and Green Event Helps Prepare our Parish for Easter From Adam Wojcicki This year St. Luke s proved to be a great place to kick off St. Patrick s Day. On March 17th, St. Luke s held it first Green and Clean event that brought together nearly 20 volunteers for a morning of spring cleaning, a delicious breakfast, and fellowship. With one team tackling the grounds cleanup and the other working on organizing storage areas and interior cleaning, St. Luke s was made ready for Holy week and the Spring season. Thank you to Adam Wojcicki and to all those that participated in person and in spirit! Pictured clockwise from the top right: closet cleaners (left to right) Katie, Ella, and Dolores; Laurel and Max clean parish house chairs; Connie serves breakfast to the volunteers; Debbie prepares the flower bed for spring; Ben and Sam help with outside clean up.