Church Notes. News, Events, and Notes of Interest CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES. 170 Fairview Avenue Coventry, Rhode Island 02816

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1 Church Notes News, Events, and Notes of Interest for the week ending October 17, 2014 CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES 170 Fairview Avenue Coventry, Rhode Island 02816

2 CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES Evangelical Anglican The Truth Shall Make You Free (John 8:32) We are Christians proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ who worship in the Anglican tradition. Church of The Apostles is a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference.

3 The Commissioning of Linda Greco and Sue Pillsbury as Ecclesiastical Dignitaries of CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost All Saints Sunday November 2, :00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharists Brunch and Reception to Follow Older women [presbuteras] likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanders or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. (Titus 2:3-5)

4 All Saints Day November 1st LET US NOW PRAISE famous men, and our fathers that begat us. The Lord hath wrought great glory by them through his great power from the beginning All these were honoured in their generations, and were the glory of their times....these were merciful men, whose righteousness hath not been forgotten Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for ever more. The people will tell of their wisdom, and the congregation will shew forth their praise. (Ecclesiasticus 44:1-2, 7, 10, 14-15) The Collect for All Saints Day Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (Common Prayer) 2

5 CONSERVATIVE CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE Rev. Dr. Ronald E. Hamilton, Conference Minister September 9, 2014 Church of The Apostles 170 Fairview Avenue Coventry, RI Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Greetings from the CCCC! I am writing to express deep appreciation for the work that your church did in helping to host the CCCC Annual Conference in Providence, RI this summer. Your hard work and warm hospitality helped make this one of the best annual meetings ever held. We were encouraged by the way that you welcomed the Conference family to your region. The Sunday worship experience at your church was exceptional and Spirit-filled. The members of the Board of Directors mentioned how much they enjoyed the Sunday night outing you hosted. Every aspect of your involvement in the program was well-done and excellent. We deeply value you as a member church in our fellowship. I trust that I can visit you in the near future to share my gratitude first hand. May the Lord richly bless all that you do in your service for our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Lord, Rev. Dr. Ron Hamilton Conference Minister On October 26, 2014, the Reverend Dr. Ron Hamilton will be our Guest Preacher at both the 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services. 3

6 The Deacons Corner... Stewardship Sunday is coming November 16th In the coming weeks, we will be hearing testimonies from members of church family who will speak about how the Holy Spirit is working in their lives, how they offer their bodies and souls as their spiritual sacrifice (see Romans 12:1) to our Risen Lord, and what that looks like in how they live their lives. This time leading up to The Feast of Christ the King is a time of self-reflection for us all, a time to examine how the Holy Spirit is alive our own hearts, and a time to recommit ourselves to how we can best serve our Lord and Savior. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God s varied grace. (1Peter 4:10) Deacon Deb Adams A stewardship thought to ponder... God has taught us that we cannot love without giving and that giving includes our time, talent, and treasure. If we give ourselves to God and let the Lord Jesus use our talents to serve others, we will be amazed by the results. Not only will our lives be changed but so will the lives of others. "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." (Luke 3:11) 4

7 Body, Mind, Spirit Connection Taking care of ourselves is crucial to Christian living. We all would like to be whole in body, mind, and spirit. Often we settle for living a life that is something less than God intends for us. It is important to understand that our physical health is affected by our emotional health and our emotional health is affected by our spiritual health. Are you whole? Is your soul well? Are you living the full and deeply rich life that God wants you to experience? It takes courage to reflect and honestly assess your deep beliefs, emotions, and habits that could be affecting your physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Caring for our physical body certainly makes sense because each of us wants to be as healthy as possible but it s also a commandment by God. Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit (1 Corinthians 6:20). Truly, we are fearfully and wonderfully made as the Psalmist tell us (139:14). Isn t it reasonable that we should care for the physical body that God gave us? Caring for our body means taking care of our physical health. Being physically active, eating well, getting adequate sleep and rest, being free from addictions and managing our stress are a few key aspects of attending to our physical health. You may describe mental health as an absence of mental or emotional issues, although, everyone at times struggles with emotional issues such as stress, guilt, anger, anxiety, depression, or grief. Mental wellness really involves the process of using one s mind to create a greater understanding and depth, and deepening our appreciation of life and our world. The enemy wants to keep us dwelling on the negative and to steal our joy and health. However, God desires us to be filled with peace, joy, and love. The more effort we intentionally put into fighting this battle in our mind, the more likely we ll enjoy a healthier life. Like training the muscles of your body to be more physically fit, you can train yourself to feed your mind with healthy thoughts. Do 5

8 not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God s will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will (Romans 12:2). A healthy spiritual life is often overlooked when we search for happiness, purpose, and meaning for our life. Many times we fall short of these pursuits because we are too busy concentrating on the physical. When we are out of balance in one area, it tends to flow over to other areas as well. To sustain or improve your level of physical fitness it s especially important to consider the frequency, intensity and time of the various types of exercises you engage in. The same holds true for your spiritual fitness program. As Christian women we know that exercises for spiritual growth include prayer, reading and studying God s word, obeying Him, abiding in His presence, crying out to God, forgiving others, confessing our sins, being in community with others, worshipping, and loving and serving others. To have the kind of full and whole life that God wants us to have we must attend to our body, mind, and spirit. One way to assess our wholeness is to gauge the degree to which we are experiencing the fruit of the spirit in our lives as mentioned in Galatians 5: How prevalent is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in your life? He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Sharon Galloway Health & Wellness Ministry (Isaiah 40: 29-31) (The above article appeared in the September 2014 issue of The Forsee, a publication of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference.) 6

9 Ministry of the Altar Guild In the quiet of the Sanctuary, Altar Guild Members take special care to set up our holy Table and prepare the Altar before each service. It is a humbling experience, to be part of the body in celebrating the greatest gift we will ever receive at our worship service. The gift in His Word and the gift of receiving the Body and Blood of our Savior builds us to grow in our faith together. The Altar Guild Ministry consists of four teams at our church. Each team is scheduled to serve once a month in preparing the holy Table for our weekend services or any wedding or funeral service that may come that week. About four to five women serve on a team and each team has a leader who directs what needs to be done that week. There is a special bond that grows with these members. If you feel called to serve in the Altar Guild Ministry I ask you to pray the Servant s Prayer below and let the gift to serve the body of this church grow. When you feel ready to serve in this ministry or if you should have any questions please call me at The time is minimal, the task is rewarding and the fellowship of each participant grows. Sacristy Minister Barbara Battey Servant s Prayer Dear Lord, guide me today to use the time and gifts You have blessed me with. Create in me a servant s heart, one that serves in a humble and lovingly way. Guide me to grow in the knowledge of You by surrounding myself with those who work to build your kingdom and those who seek Your Word. Keep me forever on the right path I pray. To You Lord be the Glory, this I pray In Christ Jesus precious name. Amen. Until we all reach unity of the faith, and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13) 7

10 Musical Notes... Spirit and Youth It was great to have our young people in Spirit and Youth present their music to the glory of our Lord on Sunday, September 28th. We need to encourage these young singers and instrumentalists; we look forward to their future renditions. Many thanks to Spirit and Youth, and to Deb Adams and Scarlett St. Martin for assembling and working with the group. Your Organist, Marianne Salisbury, started her career in music when as a young girl she was released from school early to play at her first Church Service on Victory in Europe Day in 1945! Christmas Pageant We will take another trip from Advent to Epiphany at our annual Christmas Pageant on Saturday evening, December 6th. It will be preceded by a dinner prepared by our Kitchen Ministry. Watch future announcements as to menu and times. Anyone, young and older, who would like to be in the pageant should make themselves known to Director of Christian Education Linda Jones. All of our musical groups will be involved, and the Organist would love to hear from anyone with a special musical talent. Rehearsals are tentatively planned for following the 10:30 a.m. Service on Sunday, November 23rd, with dress rehearsal on Sunday, November 30th. Lost! A Manhasset Music Stand with extending shelves. We had two; now we have one! If you know its whereabouts, please contact Sara Oliveira or Sharon Galloway. 8

11 Seven Minutes of Prayer God calls us to different stations in the world. Yet, he asks us to be responsible beyond our own needs. The following is adapted from a publication prepared by Dr. Drake Williams, Professor and the Academic Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Tyndale Theological Seminary in the Netherlands. Dr. Williams was our guest preacher on Sunday, July 27th. Do not underestimate the effects of sincere prayer. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16b) Sunday: Pray for the spread of the Christian message. Pray for the development of international Christian leaders and for the work of Bible translation. Monday: Pray for current events. Read and listen to the national and international news and pray for particular events. Tuesday: Pray for people who have never heard of Jesus Christ. Of the world s 6.73 billion people, 2.74 billion have never heard of Jesus Christ. Wednesday: Pray for strength and perseverance for Christian believers who suffer for proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord. The top 10 countries where Christians are most persecuted are: North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Maldives, Afghanistan, Yemen, Mauritania, Laos, and Uzbekistan. Thursday: Pray of Christianity s interaction with other world religions. Pray for understanding and peace. Pray also against terrorism. Friday: Pray for Christian missionaries. Pray for their devotional life, strength in their family, cultural adjustment, financial support, and faithfulness to their mission. Saturday: Pray for issues of world crisis: HIV, poverty, shelter, and food. Pray for wisdom and resources to meet these crises. 9

12 Operation Christmas Child Please help us share the gospel with children around the world through shoe boxes filled of gifts and prayers. Since 1993, Samaritan s Purse, an organization directed by Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, has collected and delivered more than 113 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in over 150 countries. In 2014, Samaritan s Purse hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach another 10 million children through this project. More than 500,000 volunteers worldwide, with more than 100,000 of those in the United States, are involved in collecting, shipping, and distributing shoebox gifts. There are shoeboxes in the Narthex along with labels of gender and age suggestions: 2-4; 5-9; and years old. You may choose any age and gender child and Operation Christmas Child (OCC) headquarters divides them out to the children they have on their list. A donation of $7.00 toward the shipping of the box by a check made out to Samaritan s Purse is greatly appreciated. You may also donate online and discover the destination country of your shoebox. We ask that you leave a copy of the payment with the shoebox if you have paid online. Most importantly pray to ask God to use your gifts to show His love to the child who will receive it. If you would like to donate some items, there is a donation basket in the Narthex for individual item donations. Also donations for shipping cost may be made. Please indicate on an envelope or the check that you are donating to OCC. Your help is greatly appreciated around the world to brighten and enlighten a child s Christmas and by our prayers bring them closer to God. Adam Stomberg is working on this special project as his senior project at Exeter-West Greenwich High School. He has been working diligently on learning more about Operation Christmas Child and Samaritans Purse. Working together we hope to collect and fill all of the shoeboxes we ordered and register many of them online to see which countries your shoeboxes will travel to. All boxes and donations are due by November 3rd. If you have any questions please contact Erin Mead ( ) or Adam Stomberg ( ). 10

13 Crossroads Ministry Our next scheduled Crossroads Family Shelter visit is on Friday November 21st. If you would like a ride please meet at the church for 6:00 p.m. We have gone on two visits so far this season and both of them have been an enlightening experience. During our visit in September we created paper apples sewn together with yarn and the children decorated them with stickers and drawings. Also on these festive apples were pictures of the children and their families taken by Donna Tyler. She is always able to make shy children and parents smile for the camera to produce a beautiful family portrait. Some of these children have never had their picture taken and this is the first one they own to keep or mail to a distant friend or relative. It was also the first time many of them have experienced any type of sewing or a craft involving basic sewing. In October we did a similar craft involving pumpkins that the residents used to decorate the shared dining room and kitchen area of the shelter. Cathy Morgan s snack with apples and a variety of dipping items was a big hit with the children and parents. Donations of yummy festive brownies, cookies and oranges were enjoyed by everyone. Thank you to Diane Warner for her affection and devotion to infants. It allows the mothers to create crafts while their babies are being watched over. Thank you to Jim and Cheryl Bethel for your continuous devotion, time and special talents you bring to this ministry. Alana Asan and Rebecca Craig are always so very helpful with crafts and befriending children for an evening of fun fellowship time. To my husband Aaron thank you for your support and time that goes into this wonderful ministry. If anyone would like to come with us on our November visit please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex. We would be happy to bring anyone with us who would like to volunteer and would prefer not to drive. Donations of snacks, art supplies, new or used Bibles and children s bible stores are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions please contact Erin Mead at

14 If a Christian were a flower, what would it be? If a Christian would take the form of a flower, what would it be? Some would say a rose, some might say a tulip, and yet others would say a daffodil. I on the other hand, say that a Christian is called to be a dandelion, because a dandelion has all the attributes of a Christian witness. A dandelion is the first sign of hope in the spring. A dandelion is the first expression of love, for it is the first "flower" usually given to a mother by a small child. A dandelion makes itself known in the neighborhood quickly. A dandelion is not conscious of class and equally casts itself on the rich and the poor. A dandelion provides beauty and color where nothing else will grow. A dandelion can be cut, trampled, dug up, or pulled up and still bounces back with its witness as though nothing happened. A dandelion is a victim of slander, for some people call it a weed, but it pushes on undaunted to conquer the world. A dandelion is very neighborly. Wouldn't it be great if we would all act and witness like dandelions? Author Unknown 12

15 Mark Your Calendar... October Wednesday, Oct noon Wednesday Eucharist Wednesday, Oct 22 7:00 p.m. Evening Prayer Meeting Friday, Oct 24 6:30 p.m. Praise Band Rehearsal Sunday, Oct 26 Guest Preacher: Rev. Dr. Ron Hamilton Monday, Oct 27 7:00 p.m. Handbell Rehearsal Wednesday, Oct 29 All Saints Memorial deadline Wednesday, Oct noon Wednesday Eucharist Wednesday, Oct 29 7:00 p.m. Evening Prayer Meeting November Sunday, Nov 2 All Saints Sunday Sunday, Nov 2 8 & 10:30 Dignitaries Commissioning Monday, Nov 3 Operation Christmas Child Boxes due Monday, Nov 3 7:00 p.m. Handbell Rehearsal Wednesday, Nov 5 12 noon Wednesday Eucharist Wednesday, Nov 5 7:00 p.m. Evening Prayer Meeting Thursday, Nov 6 7:00 p.m. CareNet Fundraising Banquet Saturday, Nov 8 7:30 a.m. Men s Breakfast Saturday, Nov 8 8:00 a.m. Joyful Women Bible Study Monday, Nov 10 Church Notes deadline Monday, Nov 10 7:00 p.m. Handbell Rehearsal Tuesday, Nov 11 Office Closed: Veterans Day Wednesday, Nov 12 5:15 p.m. Shepherd s Table Saturday, Nov 15 8:00 a.m. Joyful Women Bible Study Sunday, Nov 16 Stewardship Sunday Sunday, Nov 16 9:00 a.m. Blood Drive Friday, Nov 21 6:00 p.m. Crossroad s Ministry Sunday, Nov 23 10:30 a.m. Installation of Mark Tellier Spring forward...fall back Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, November 2nd. Don t forget to set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed on Saturday! 13

16 Notices... Men s Fellowship Breakfast Saturday, November 8th at 7:30 a.m. Church of The Apostles Please join with your brothers in Christ to share food, fellowship and the Word of God. Bring a friend! For further information, please speak with Deacon Bill Sexton ( ). The Saturday Morning Women s Bible Study, Joyful Women, will not meet on November 1st. For those who wish to join us, we will be joining the men for breakfast on November 8th at 7:30 a.m. and then will retreat for our regular time of study and discussion. All are welcome to join us! Joyful Women normally meets the first and third Saturdays of the month at 8:00 a.m. For further information, please speak with Barbara Bickerstaff ( ). Have you seen the Coventry Street Maps sponsored by the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce? Copies are located in the entry-way outside the Church Office and on the table in the Narthex. In the map there is an advertisement for Church of The Apostles. Please take one and give it to a friend or neighbor. Additional copies are available in the office. Weekday Prayer: A service of Morning Prayer is offered each weekday at 9:00 a.m. The Holy Eucharist is celebrated on Wednesdays at 12 noon and Evening Prayer is offered on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. As you have opportunity, please join with your Elders, Deacons, Church Staff and friends as we give thanks and praise to the Lord for all the blessings of this life, break bread together in fellowship, and offer our prayers 14

17 for the Church, the world, our community and the needs of our Congregation, families and friends. The Church Notes deadline for articles and announcements to be included in the next edition is Monday, November 10th. In the Mail... Dear Friends, Thank you for continuing to send us Church Notes each month. We look forward to receiving it and we enjoy the various contributions of many gifted writers. It is also good to learn of the many activities involving so many people. The enclosed gift is to help with the mailing expenses. We are thinking we might drive to New England after Easter next year. If we do we would hope to include a visit to the Church of The Apostles. It would be lovely to see you all again. With blessings, Bishop Don and Trudy Harvey Tiffany Lane St. John s, NL Canada A1A AB7 Hello Rhode Island Church Family: Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We have been reading about your pulpit series The Family of God, and it makes us miss you so much more! We wish that we could be there taking part in the series with our family. All of you remain our close brothers and sisters in the Lord even though we are 1500 miles away! Things down here are beginning to settle down (a little anyway!). Roberta and I are learning our new jobs, and the kids are adjusting to their new schools (and Gianna her new job). Angela 15

18 is also settling into her new routine. We miss you a lot, as we are still waiting for God to lead us to our new church home in Florida. Thank you for all of your prayers! And thank you to those who are keeping in touch through your gracious notes and calls. We continue to pray for you all each and every day, knowing that God has great things in store for you, and his kingdom work that he will accomplish through you. We are always affectionately yours in Christ, Chad, Roberta, Angela, Gianna, Liam, Josh, and Emmi Aster Avenue Bradenton, FL Memorials for All Saints Sunday: If you wish to have loved ones remembered on All Saints Sunday, November 2, 2014, please fill out the form below and return it to the Church Office by Wednesday, October 29th ALL SAINTS SUNDAY November 2, 2014 On ALL SAINTS SUNDAY please remember the following persons who have departed this life: 16

19 CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES Evangelical Anglican 170 Fairview Avenue Coventry, Rhode Island Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Church Office: (401) Superintendent s Residence: (401) website: apostlesri.org office@apostlesri.org The Holy Eucharist Christian Education Sunday Brunch Evening Prayer Morning Prayer Superintendent Church Administrator Communications Officer Director of Christian Education Youth Minister Health and Wellness Minister Organist and Music Director Assistant Organist Sacristy Minister Property Maintenance Technician Sexton Treasurer Clerk Church Staff Board of Elders Sunday 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Wednesday 12:00 noon Sunday 9:15 a.m. Sunday 11:45 a.m. Wednesday 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. The Reverend Mark R. Galloway Erin Mead Barbara Bickerstaff Linda Jones Rebecca Galloway Sharon Galloway, RN Marianne Salisbury Shyanne Slinko Barbara Battey Jim Quinn Mike Edwards Bob Bickerstaff Joan Clarke Elder Rob Geoffrey Elder-In-Training Mark Tellier Elder Emeritus Conrad Ruppert Ecclesiastical Dignitaries Lady Linda Greco Lady Sue Pillsbury Board of Servants Archdeacon Bill Sexton Congregational Care Minister Deacon Tom Bourn Servant Evangelism Minister Deacon Kathy Kettle Outreach Minister Deacon Deb Adams Stewardship Minister Deacon Emerita Cathy Morgan

20 CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES 170 Fairview Avenue Coventry, Rhode Island Church Notes A publication of Church of The Apostles. Reviewed by The Reverend Mark R. Galloway, Superintendent. Edited by Barbara A. Bickerstaff, Communications Officer. October 17, 2014 Volume 9, Number 9