The Good News. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. Helen Keller OUR MISSION STATEMENT. Special Events

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1 S t. Paul s Episcopal Church C hitte nango, New York The Good News Volume 14 Issue 10 October 2018 Special Events October 7th Finance Committee Meeting October 14th Crop Walk October 17th Final Movie Night of the Year October 18th Vestry Meeting November 3rd Fall Festival November 4th Daylight Savings Time Change November 11 Pledges Due Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5: Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. Helen Keller This will be the third time I wrote and rewrote the cover letter for the Newsletter. So bear with me, please!! It is the time of year that the Pledge Campaign starts and we do the Stewardship programs. I am to remind you that YOUR pledge counts and ask you to prayerfully consider pledging again this coming year. This year, the pledge cards will be available in church some by the front door, some in the pews, and some in the Parish Hall. We might even mail a few out but face it, we all know the drill and honestly don t need to be reminded, again. This is what I am going to remind you about. St. Paul s is here. We are here, when there is a wedding. We are here when there is a baptism. We are here when there is a funeral. We take care of our Church family, we help take care of the Community, we take care of our property. THIS is what our pledge dollars are used for, but it is getting harder and harder, with fewer and fewer. Here is where you can make a difference. Join us. We gather every Sunday for corporate worship. We have Communion 2 Sundays a month with Fr. Leon have you met him? He is really very nice. We have Morning Prayer 2 Sundays a month with Judy Olmsted and myself (Robin Weisbrod) alternating the Sundays. When there is a 5th Sunday and Father Charles is available, we have Communion, otherwise it is Morning Prayer. Also, elsewhere in the Newsletter, is a list of volunteer positions that we would LOVE to include you in!! Some take time, some take training, ALL are vital to St. Paul s and our ability to help our community, be it in church or globally. Prayerfully consider even if you can only volunteer once a month, it would be graciously accepted!! Speaking of taking care of our community, this leads me to the note St. Paul s received from the person who trashed the Parish Hall. I will reiterate what I have said in Church we are a Community of Christians our desire to follow in Jesus footprints is being tested. The easy way to deal with this act of anger and desperation would be to write off this person and lick our wounds. BUT, following Jesus is NOT the easy way. He would counsel us to love her, to open our arms to her and to welcome her to the table. This is exactly what we will do. Her note is included elsewhere in this newsletter, as is my response to her. (Continued on Page 6) OUR MISSION STATEMENT To Be an Active Community Reflecting God s Presence in Chittenango and Other Communities We Represent.

2 V O LU M E 1 4 I S S U E 1 0 PAGE 2 Vestry Meetings will be on the 3rd Thursday of the month. Contact Information Father Leon Mozeliak Home: Cell: frleonm@yahoo.com Everyone is welcome to attend. St. Paul s Vestry Senior Warden Robin Weisbrod rdweisbrod@gmail.com Robin Weisbrod Sr. Warden Communication and Education Are you in need of pastoral care? Not sure of who to call? What is the protocol? Here are some answers: In a case of an emergency call Fr. Leon at If you want a Pastoral Visit from a Lay Eucharist Visitor, or just want to share about a family matter, call our Pastoral Care Chair, Sue (cell) or (home) or Ed Hoffman Jr. Warden Buildings and Grounds Tania Mousaw Outreach Sue Gerling Pastoral Care/Worship Pat Davis Fellowship Prayer List John Brennan (Kraus s request),, Jon Petrie,

3 PAGE 3 Birthdays 01 Shirley VanValkenburgh 01 Michael Weisbrod 01 Betty Yates 05 Amy Dieffenbacher 07 Jionni Stagnitti 09 Katie Allen 11 Clarke Jackson October 14 Sue Litera 18 Donna Hoffman 18 Peter Stucker 20 Betty Every 29 Kyle Courtwright Anniversaries 08 Aaron & Tristyn Judd 15 Erick & Brittany Haas 16 Steven & Jill Just 19 Phil & Amy Randall 22 - Michael & Betty Lesczynski October Ministry Team Schedule And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 1 Thessalonians 5: The Grand Church Service Schedule Oct 21st Dec 23rd Feel free to join any of us at these services. All services begin at 2:30 PM. The guests would be appreciative of the company. We re updating St. Paul s Directory! Please let Becky Kraus know of any additions/ deletions/changes in your phone number, address or address by October 1, the changes to her at bak092364@gmail.com or leave them on the desk in the sacristy.

4 PAGE 4 Movie Night at St. Paul s October 17th at 6 PM (Last night for the year. We will resume again in March.) Movie: Avengers: Infinity War Popcorn, water and lemonade will be served November 4th Daylight Savings Time Ends Don t forget to change your clocks the night before or you ll be really early for Church that Sunday! The mission of Bill's Brigade is to support families who are in crisis by making their day to day needs easier. Crisis can be defined in a myriad of ways, but our agency is focused on supporting families in Central New York (specifically Madison and Onondaga counties) when everything is falling apart. Whether it's the loss of a loved one and the family that s left navigating their way through grief, a family member amid medical treatment from cancer or another devastating disease, or other traumatic events--bill's Brigade aims to alleviate the day to day tasks of running and maintaining a household, so the family can concentrate solely on the crisis at hand. Our team of volunteers will provide the following services. 1. Meal preparation and coordination to avoid duplication and overload of food. We organize a meal preparation and delivery system from our volunteers. A coordination of meals will avoid duplication of food offerings and overload of food on any given day/week. 2. Errands and/or grocery shopping. We organize the dates and physically shop for, deliver, and put away groceries for the families and/or other local errands as requested. 3. Home Services: We provide basic house cleaning and organizational services within the home on an as needed basis. 4. Small Home Repairs: We identify professionals in the carpentry/construction industry to provide services to alleviate a "punch list" of household items to complete. Small home repairs may include fixing a leaking sink, repairing holes in the wall, replacing appliances, snow removal, lawn mowing, etc Our goal is to lovingly respect the families wishes while alleviating some of their day to day needs, to allow them a breather during their most challenging moment. For more information or to volunteer or donate please visit or call Sue Litera at or sue@billsbrigade.org.

5 PAGE 5 The Vestry recently updated St. Paul s Mission Statement. Check it out on the First Page of the Newsletter! Join us on the CROP WALK Hello! This year's CROP WALK will be held on Sunday, October 14th. Registration will start at 1:30 at St. Paul's, and the walk will commence at 2 pm. The walk will be approximately 1.5 miles long, which is a great distance for walkers of all ages and abilities. There are 2 ways to participate. First, you can donate to your church's team. Remember that 25% of all money raised stays right here in Chittenango. Second, you can register to walk in the CROP WALK. The best choice is choice #3, do BOTH! You can donate and register in person at church, or you can also choose to do so online. If you register online, you do not need to fill out a paper envelope, unless you want to collect donations from friends and family members. You can also collect donations online if you prefer. If you would like to register or donate online, here is the link: If you want to donate, you will quickly find the large blue "DONATE" icon to the right of our picture. If you would like to register to walk, click on the large blue "REGISTER" icon. All you need to register is an address! Once you are registered to walk, the website will walk you through a series of steps. You can skip most of them! You may also choose to share the website with family and friends! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call or Lisa McGork, she is our chairperson for the CROP WALK this year. Her phone number is (315) , and her address is hixlisa@hotmail.com. We would love to continue our community s strong showing for the CROP WALK. Thank you in advance for your support!

6 PAGE 6 (Robin s Message Continued) Father Grover had left a booklet in the Parish Hall and it caught my eye. It is about the Benedictine Way of Living. While reading the Preface, these words jumped out of the page at me: Jesus taught the preeminence of compassionate living over correct belief. Those words struck me to the core. Do we want to be seen as compassionate? Or is it more important to be correct? I believe that St. Paul s would rather be seen as compassionate, don t you? God bless! Robin Weisbrod Senior Warden Just a reminder: Pledges are due by November 11th HELP THE MISSION OF MIRACLES The 16th Mission of Miracles medical mission to El Salvador will take place February 2-10, Notes from a Brief Vestry Meeting A Special Meeting was called Sunday after service by Robin this 30th day of September The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the woman who broke into our church and what we wished to do regarding her case. Members present were: Robin, Ed, Tania, Sue and Pat. It was discussed what we might do to help this woman. It was suggested that if we did nothing this would not help her. Following a discussion a Motion was made and seconded that she should seek help for her problems and do 20 hours of community service. No other action would be taken by St. Paul s. All were in agreement with this. We all stand ready to help her should she wish it. Meeting Adjourned Respectfully Submitted Judy Olmsted The mission depends on your generous contribution of: toothpaste individually packaged child or adult toothbrushes children s liquid acetaminophen (Tylenol) nasal saline spray antifungal cream anti-itch cream cranberry tablets muscle rub children s cartoon bandages reading glasses (+2.25 and above) sunglasses (child or adult) batteries (AA, AAA, C, and D) children s prescription glasses you no longer need Please bring items to the Mission of Miracles table in the Exhibit Hall. Thank you for your help and continued support!

7 News from the Pews August 10, 2018 PAGE 7 In attendance: Tania Mousaw, Ed Hoffman, Pat Davis, Robin Weisbrod, Sue Gerling Absent: Fr. Leon Mozeliak Start time: 6:32 PM Opening Prayer: Robin Weisbrod Review of June Minutes: Motion: To accept the June 11, 2018 minutes as is M/S/C: Tania Mousaw/Sue Gerling Treasurer s Report: Finances are good for the summer months. Pledges are doing well. Motion: To accept the Treasurer s Report as is M/S/C: Tania Mousaw/Pat Davis New Business: Motion: To accept the Finance Committee Audit Resolution as is M/S/C Sue Gerling/Tania Mousaw September Bread Drive Decided to wait until after Labor Day when families are back in town. May collect paper or laundry products instead, depending on what is needed most. Lent Self Denial Donation - Decided to send the money to Clear Path for Veterans Robin will oversee the Stewardship Drive and write a letter to the parish in conjunction with Fr. Leon. There was a discussion about having a lunch after church with a presentation. There was a discussion about finding a priest to fill in for Fr. Grover who will be moving. A suggestion was made to have more morning prayer services. There was a suggestion to change the service time to 10 AM just for the winter. There was a review about Vestry member terms and needing a new vestry clerk. A discussion about the Memorial Committee covered what to do with the memorial funds, creating a committee with a few members from the vestry, and asking donators where they would like the money directed. Committee Reports Buildings and Grounds/Outreach Tania Mousaw No Report Communication/Education Robin Weisbrod Bible Study is back up and running. Sunday school is on hold for lack of attendance. Want to create a deadline notice for table reservations for the Fall Festival. Fellowship Pat Davis No report Pastoral Care/Worship Sue Gerling Regular Sympathy and Get Well Cards sent out. Old Business: There have been more people attending movie night every month. There was a discussion about putting movie night on hiatus from November to March due to the weather and busy holidays. October will be the last month for the year. Bikes at St. Paul s There was a discussion about hosting Blessing of the Bikes, when to host it and how to best advertise. A date was set for May 11th, 2019 and coffee and donuts will be served. Tag Sale There was a discussion about putting advertisements out a month ahead of time to encourage more visitors. There was a discussion about choosing a new lawn mowing service or purchasing a new lawn mower. There have been problems with the St. Pauly s Shed and a new lock may need to be installed. Next meeting: September 27, 2018 Closing Prayer: Robin Weisbrod Meeting Adjourned 7:36PM - Motion: To adjourn the meeting M/S/C: Sue Gerling/Tania Mousaw Respectfully submitted, Amy Dieffenbacher Vestry Clerk

8 PAGE 8 Volunteering Opportunities If you are able to join us and want to become more involved, we would love to help you!! There are things you can do behind the scenes like, Altar Guild. There are 12 months that need coverage, we try to have 2 people on, but lately that hasn t been happening. The dedicated members of the Altar Guild are: Director: Mary Jane Pokorny (who will be retiring from this position soon), Ethel Barber, Joann Furtado, Sue Huebler, Becky Kraus, Jennifer Jackson, Jill Just, Judy Olmsted and Robin Weisbrod Thank you to this group of women who come and set up the Altar for Communion. I know, that any one of these women would be willing to Mentor someone, willing to learn the job. Talk to any of them, and they will gather you under their wing. Another form of service is being a Counter. After the service, the 2 unrelated counters, go into a dark and dingy, smoke filled room..wait, that s something else. Sorry. They go to the Priests Office, where one uses a laptop for inputting information and the other counts. They verify the sheets balancing, sign them and hand the deposit to Don Lee. Interested? Talk to Don Lee or Robin Weisbrod. The members of the St. Paul s Counting Society are: Would you be interested in being a Lay Reader? They are the ones who do the readings every Sunday. For now, we have two different voices heard every Sunday. Becky Kraus makes sure you get your copy early enough so you can practice. It s not difficult, just imagine everyone in their underwear it helps. Training by Fr. Leon. Our Lay Readers, who also do Prayers of the People, are: Sue Gerling in charge of scheduling, Father Grover, Jennifer Jackson, Claudia Jenkins, Roberta Kincaid, Becky Kraus, Joe Litera, Sue Litera, Tania Mousaw, Judy Olmsted, Dorothy Saunders and Robin Weisbrod Then there are the Lay Eucharistic Ministers this training is also supplied by Fr. Leon these are the ones who administer the Cup of Wine during Communion: Sue Gerling in charge of scheduling, Fran Abriola, Becky Kraus, Judy Olmsted, Tania Mousaw and Robin Weisbrod How about the St. Pauly s Box? Tania Mousaw is the Lead Sorter and would LOVE some extra hands!! Helping her right now are: Bob and Roberta Kincaid, Sue and Neil Huebler, Mike and Joann Furtado and Becky Kraus. Acolytes!! You must at least be in 3rd Grade to be an acolyte Fr. Leon would love to train YOU!! Especially needed the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. Don Lee Esteemed Leader, Sue Gerling, Roberta Kincaid, Tania Mousaw, Judy Olmsted and Robin Weisbrod There are other areas that we could use help, but I have probably bored you all out of your minds. I hope not. Even if you don t see a fit for you, that is okay we still would love to see your faces.

9 St. John s Episcopal Church & Members, My Deepest apologies to your Church and each member. There is no excuse for my actions. I did enter God s home with a heavy heart towards him and did the unthinkable. I pray that He will forgive me. I ve been a breast cancer survivor and recently found out my health is failing, so I am trying to understand that He won t give me more than I can handle, however it s hard. I m writing this because my heart is heavy with guilt for what I ve done, I am ashamed of myself. I m sorry for your inconveniences. Please find it in your hearts to forgive me. Sincerely, Barbara Schultheis Dear Barbara, Re: The September 9th Break-in God forgives us daily for our sins. That is what is so wonderful about Him, don t you think? St PAGE 9 Paul s is made up of humans, and as such, we too sin on a daily basis. But, we pray, ask for forgiveness and do our best not to commit such a mistake again. We pray that you too, will not make such a mistake again. You are on our Prayer List, not because of your error in judgment, but because you are obviously a lost sheep that needs help finding your way. We pray that you will be able to. Please know that St. Paul s extends to you, a warm and helping hand. Please join us on Sunday mornings, please share your burdens with us, please know that God loves you and wants you to find peace. May we help you on that journey? Dear God please help, we beseech you, your lost sheep Barbara. Help her to find peace, comfort and love in your arms. Hold her hand as she goes through this journey, so she may know that she is never alone. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Go with God s peace, Robin Weisbrod Sr. Warden, St. Paul s Chittenango September Remembering By Father Leon Mozeliak When the picture of Jesus holding the World Trade Center Towers (that were obliterated by Terrorists on September 11, 2001) appeared on the internet earlier this month, I was touched by the message the picture told. Then the question immediately came to mind, Does God hurt when humans hurt? We are all aware that pain is real for each and everyone; and depending on the day we share in our own portion quite often, and at times pain seems to never cease. Where is God in all of this? Does God even care? If so, why doesn t God just stop pain from happening? Then I remembered a verse from the First Gospel when Jesus wept over the Holy City. (Matthew 23:37) Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those wo are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! and I wonder how many, if any, of us would be willing to surrender our free will. Or could this be the wrong question to be asking since very often our pain is caused by our own actions, or the actions of other human beings, and each one of us has free will. This was the case with the three terrorist incidents that took place back in At other times, pain is experienced simply because of the human condition; our bodies aren t made to last forever. As I think about it, does anything on earth last forever? So I returned to the original question that I asked. Does God hurt when humans hurt? Then the answer seemed to be obvious. If God doesn t, why would God have become one of us in the person of Jesus? Why would Jesus have lived his earthly life on such a meager scale simply to teach us the ways of God, and how God would have us live? And most importantly, why would the Incarnation of the One who is omnipotent allow himself to suffer the most excruciating pain that could be inflicted on a human being, just because God loves us? Then I remembered other words that Jesus taught us (John 15:13) No one has greater love than this, to lay down one s life for one s friends. and the answer to my question came to me Yes.

10 PAGE 10 NEW FALL FESTIVAL!! Sat. November 3rd 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Raffle Vendors Bake Sale CHS Select Choir Performing at 11:30 am 9 Vendor Spaces Available Tables Supplied (7) 8 ft Tables - $15 or (2) 6 ft Tables - $12 (must be Pre-paid to reserve) Call: or Our Holiday Bazaar is taking on a whole new look! After much discussion by the fund raising committee and Vestry, it was determined that the traditional Bazaar needed to change in order to be a viable fund raiser while also meeting the changing needs of our congregation. The Fall Festival will take place on Saturday, Nov 3rd, from 9 to 3:00. The festival will have our traditional Basket Raffle, and the CHS Select Choir will still perform. The luncheon has been replaced with a big Bake Sale, and our Holiday Craft area is giving way to outside vendors, with a single Holiday table from St Paul s. The Luncheon was discontinued as over the past four years, our records showed our customer base had dwindled so significantly that it is too labor intensive and not cost effective to continue. While it will be missed by some, we hope our Bake sale will be enjoyed by many. It had also become much more difficult and expensive to produce a large quantity of Holiday crafts, and records also showed sales significantly down. We still have several lovely items from last year that will be available. By opening up the Parish Hall space to outside vendors, we are hopeful we will find a whole new audience this year! As the song says Life Changes and so must we. We are excited for this new venue, and hope the congregation will enjoy it and attend!!

11 PAGE 11 Outside These Walls Youth Skating Overnight January 12, :00 PM to January 13, PM St. Paul s Church, Syracuse A free event. More information to follow. Dementia Friendly Congregations Workshop October 6, :00 AM to 2:00 PM (Please register by September 22nd) St. Paul s Church, 310 Montgomery St., Syracuse Become a designated Dementia Friendly Congregation. Congregation receives a Dementia Friendly facility logo provided by the Dementia Friendly Massachusetts initiative, which can be placed in a church window or entryway. Certificates can also be provided to individuals upon request. Workshop includes: Stories of this ministry at work and why it matters; discussion on God s presence in the life of those living with dementia; why reconnecting with faith can improve quality of life; a Dementia 101 informational guide; practical tips and tools for visiting, living with, praying with, and interacting with people living with Alzheimer s and dementia; ideas for congregational engagement. a demonstration of a dementia friendly worship service that can be used in congregations or in facilities; tips on making church facilities safe for parishioners with dementia; pastoral conversations for supporting family members. For more information and to register, please visit: Want to know more about what s going on in the Diocese? Check out the diocesan website at:

12 St. Paul s Episcopal Church Chittenango, New York stpaulschittenango.net Forwarding Service Requested The Good News The October 2018 Newsletter of St. Paul s of Chittenango 204 Genesee Street Chittenango, NY (315) stpaulschittenango@gmail.com stpaulschittenango.net