The Network. St. James Episcopal Church

Transcription

1 The Network St. James Episcopal Church November 2014

2 Service Schedule Grow spiritually and spread the love of Christ Sundays Wednesdays 8:00 a.m. Rite I Holy Eucharist 10:15 a.m. Rite II Holy Eucharist 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Healing Prayers Highlights Balancing Acts Choir Vestments Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Keeping Up with Church News Turkey and $30 Alternative Christmas Giving New Volunteer Opportunity More than Enough by Jerry Hoffman Emergency Contact Information Page Mission Statement: To grow spiritually and spread the love of Christ. Vision Statements: All of our ministries are Christ centered, joyfully sharing Christ s love. Led by our Commissions we will reach out and encourage participation to nourish spiritual growth. Using our time, talents and treasure, we will support the ministries and activities of this faith community. We will be an open, welcoming and inclusive faith community with honest and respectful communication. Our ministries will serve the community of St. James and those beyond our walls.

3 From the Interim Rector, Rev. Keri Aubert Balancing Acts Our soon-to-be-complete annual stewardship campaign focused this year on gratitude. There are times when I get so caught up working toward the next thing that I forget to be grateful for the hereand-now, or for the process of getting from here to there. Occasional gratitude reminders help me slow down and appreciate. From my perspective, and I hope from yours, there is so much to be grateful for here at St. James. High on my gratitude list are the many parishioners who have recently stepped up with new energy and ideas. To name just a few... Amy and Jeff Brown have begun leading the children s choir. Kim Brownell conceived of and hosted the Coffee and Conversation book event. Marie Dixon is leading an effort to explore the idea of starting a paper pantry. (Paper pantries are sort of like food pantries, but rather than offering food, they offer personal and household necessities that cannot be purchased with food stamps things like toilet paper, bath soap, toothpaste, diapers, feminine hygiene products, and dish soap.) I am also grateful for the many parishioners who continue to do the ministries they have long done, in areas where there are things that simply always need to be done: the altar guild; Eucharistic ministers, lectors, and intercessors; coffee hour hosts; building volunteers; church school teachers; the choir; and on and on and on. If I haven t listed your group, it s not because I have forgotten you, but because there are too many to name. As I write this, it occurs to me that every congregation ought to have a balance of both the established and the emerging. The established provides a sturdy and steady core from which emerging reflects current wants, needs, and circumstances. In churchy circles, there is a lot of talk right now about the church of the future. It was a big topic of conversation at last weekend s annual convention of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. One small indication that times are changing is this new name for what we used to call the Diocese of Connecticut. It reflects the idea that the church is not a monolithic institution it is the people who make up our congregations. As we look to the future of the church on the local, state, and national level, and as we do so by engaging the people who make up Episcopal congregations, part of the conversation boils down to questions about how to balance the established and the emerging. In this, I believe St. James is in an increasingly healthy place. I recently ran across this: This cartoon reflects generalities about Christian churches that aren t true of St. James or The Episcopal Church. We offer something unique, something for which people hunger. It s true, the church is changing, and some changes will be hard. But if we balance the established and the emerging, we will continue to be a welcoming place for all God s people inter-everything and thinking a seedbed from which people of all varieties can grow their relationship with God through discipleship in Jesus Christ. 3.

4 Vestry Update Our October Vestry meetings were all about the new rector selection. We are so fortunate to have so many talented people helping us. The Vestry heard from June Aziz, our Consultant from the Episcopal Church in Connecticut who gave us the process and procedure and outlined the roles of Bishop Douglas and the Canon for Transitional Ministry, Tim Hodapp, in the final lap of the process. The Vestry also reviewed all of the information that the Discernment Committee created from the parish feedback. Co-Chairs Becky Lee and Iype Chandy walked us through the survey results, the answers to the OTM (Office of Transitional Ministry) questions, and the parish profile. By the way, if you re interested in reviewing this information, please go to the website and click on the tab at the bottom of the list titled Rector Search. It s all available online! The Vestry spent time drafting their own set of questions for the final candidates. The Recruitment Committee will pass several candidates to the Vestry so that they can make the final choice. Once the Vestry has made the choice, the Bishop gets involved, and we draft a Letter of Agreement with the new rector. The choice will not be announced until that Letter of Agreement is signed by the new rector, the wardens and the Bishop. At this selection stage of the process, it is important for Recruitment and the Vestry to keep the names and information confidential. So, feel free to ask about updates, but don t expect a lot of information. We need to be sensitive and protect the candidates as we are in conversation with them. We will be working on the preliminary budget in Finance Committee during the month of November, and it will be presented to the Vestry for their approval in the month of December. You can help us with this. Please complete your pledge card either during a visit with the Stewardship team, or on your own. The information that comes to us as a result of the campaign will help us to plan and budget for Lastly, the Vestry is exploring a new way to conduct the annual meeting. If you have been part of another parish and have seen it done well please see me or Gayle Kataja. We are open to some new ideas. I ll close with an important part of the profile that we reviewed. What is God up to at St. James? As children of God we are called to go further, to love, to trust, to stretch, and to risk. God is present here in love, challenging us to go out into the world. The opportunities to serve God s mission are close and accessible. God works through the entire Body of Christ, each of us, to trust and to serve. God is calling us to handle conflict with respect, grace, and a greater ability to see and appreciate differences. As disciples of Christ, we continue to listen and to act. Gail Lebert, Senior Warden Glebert14@gmail.com Worship Commission Looking ahead to Advent and Christmas! The first Sunday of Advent is November 30. Be sure to check out next month s issue of The Network for details about our Advent Lessons and Carols, Christmas Pageant, and Christmas services! 4.

5 Worship Commission Choir Vestments The Adult Choir is grateful for their new vestments. This month s article is devoted to a bit of history of choir vestments. The previous choir vestments were an alb and scapular. The alb resembles the simple long white linen tunic worn by the Romans. The scapular dates from around the 7th century, and is a band of cloth worn over an alb, either white or in different colors. The St. James albs and scapulars have been used for over twenty years. When the opportunity to acquire new vestments came up this summer, there was a consensus to go with an Anglican style, similar to what the acolytes wear. Using this type of vestment meant there would be a larger pool of vestments from which to draw when new choir members join. Puritan New England downplayed vestments until the Oxford movement in the mid 1800s. The ritualist movement, among many things, promoted the use of robed choirs seated in the chancel rather than a gallery. At this time pipe organs began to replace church bands, and Anglican men and boys choirs sprang up throughout New England. We take for granted robed choirs these days, but back in the day these were uncommon. The new Adult Choir vestments have been positively received by the choir and congregation. The choir now looks as wonderful as they sound! Jim Barry Minister of Music Interfaith Thanksgiving Service The red cassock also derived from the Roman tunic. This is the long garment the choir wears, and is the traditional garment worn under other vestments. Over the cassock is the white surplice (Late Latin superpelliceum, from super, "over" and pellis, "fur"), sometimes referred to as a cotta (meaning 'cutoff' in Italian). To distinguish the choir from the acolytes, we chose the Cathedral length surplice, longer than the regular size. Glastonbury Clergy Association Islamic Association of Greater Hartford New Britain Area Interfaith Conference Berlin Clergy Association Sunday, Nov. 23, p.m. Berlin Mosque 1781 Berlin Turnpike Berlin, CT All are welcome! 5.

6 Worship Commission The Flanagan Creche Watch for details on the blessing of the Flanagan creche which will happen the first Sunday of Advent. 6.

7 Anglican men speak out! The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence This leaflet accompanies the video at The Video: Anglican men speak out! Special thanks to : Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Canada Felipe Saravia, Chile Bishop William Mchombo, Eastern Zambia, Central Africa Archbishop Barry Morgan, Wales Bishop Andy Doyle, Texas, USA Archbishop Philip Freier, Melbourne, Australia Archbishop Francisco da Silva, Brazil Revd Professor Renta Nishihara, Rikkyo University, Japan Bishop Chad Gandiya, Harare, Zimbabwe Archbishop Winston Halapua, Polynesia This is what they say: Boys are not born to be violent men and most men are not violent towards women. But many of us are silent about violence against women and girls or see it as something that doesn't have anything to do with us. We must speak out and act against violence now. We can stand in solidarity with women by making sure our churches are promoting and modelling safe, equal, respectful relationships between women, men, girls and boys by providing safe space for victims and survivors of violence by paying attention to biblical texts that encourage empowerment and participation of women by finding the points of harmony between the values of our Christian faith and the best of our cultural heritage. We can teach our boys and girls, young women and young men to honour themselves and each other as human beings cherished equally by God. We cannot pretend that we are not aware of the reality of violence against women and girls. As men of faith, we can take responsibility to speak out and end it. Anglicans ending gender based violence! Preventing and ending gender based violence is the work of men, women, girls and boys. We know that men and boys can be victims and survivors of gender based violence too. For the 16 Days, the focus is on ending violence against women and girls but any activism that promotes equal and respectful relationship will be good news, all year round, whoever and wherever we are. For more resources for the 16 Days, see: Gender-based violence is one of the greatest injustices in our world today. Every time an act of violence is committed, the inherent dignity of the women or girl affected is degraded... The Church is already supporting and caring for those affected; it must continue in that work and must condemn the notion that such violence is ever acceptable. The Church must be an advocate for restored relationships of mutual respect and love, modelling the reconciling love shown by Christ to all people. Archbishop Justin Welby, see The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence begin on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and end on 10 December, Human Rights Day. The Anglican Men Speak Out video project was managed and edited by the Revd Terrie Robinson, Director for Women in Church & Society, Anglican Communion Office. The Anglican Communion is a member of the We Will Speak Out coalition against sexual violence. 7.

8 Christian Formation Commission Did you know? Keeping up with the Church! One of the great things about being an Episcopalian is that we are part of a community that extends across the country and around the globe. There are great resources on the Web that allow us to keep up with inspiring stories of our brothers and sisters near and far. Here are just a few: The Episcopal News Service ( is a great place to get the latest Episcopal Church News. On the main page, look for the box to input your address and receive daily news updates. You can get the latest news in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut at Click the link Electronic Newsletters to receive the weekly ECCT enews in your inbox. If you re interested in the global news, check out the Anglican Communion News Service ( On the main page, you can click the link to sign up for daily s. Episcopal Café ( is an independent Web site featuring news, commentary, art, meditations and video. Their feature The Lead ( is a great source of general news and information about The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. If you are a Facebook user, you can like these organizations and their news services. 8.

9 Outreach Commission Turkey and $30 FoodShare s Turkey and $30 Thanksgiving drive will take place in Glastonbury on Sunday, November 23 (the Sunday before Thanksgiving). St. James has participated for the past several years and has been asked again to staff the table outside Whole Foods to accept donations of frozen turkeys and checks/cash. Food- Share does all of the set-up, and we provide two people for each 2-hour shift between 10 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Blakeley Crevoiserat is organizing the volunteers, so please contact her if you would like to help. But even if you can t volunteer, please support this event generously. Drop off your frozen turkey (preferably along with a check for $30 to help pay for the other items in the Thanksgiving baskets). And don t feel that you have to do it at Whole Foods. There will be other collection points around town. FoodShare has found that individuals can get better deals on turkeys than they can as an organization, so if you can round up a coupon or take advantage of a sale on turkeys, please do! Monetary donations of any amount are, of course, most welcome. New Volunteer Opportunity for Outreachers and Potential Outreachers! Grace Episcopal Church in Hartford is changing the way their food pantry ( A Place of Grace ) is organized to allow those served to select their own food more like a supermarket experience than just going and picking up a bag of whatever foods were selected for them. This requires additional volunteers. Here are the details: Volunteers are needed for Thursday mornings, 8:15 to 11:30 a.m., EXCEPT when the food pantry is closed (first week of every month and the month of August). Volunteers will be stationed at tables containing various food items, and will supervise clients as they select their grocery items. Clients will have color-coded stickers based on the size of the family, and the volunteers will check to make sure that they take the appropriate amount of food according to these stickers. No heavy lifting involved. It is possible to volunteer every Thursday morning that the food pantry is open, or once or twice a month, according to your schedule. Perhaps you and a friend could pair up to make sure that one slot is covered each Thursday. Please consider this, and if you can add it to your schedule, please contact the organizer, Kathie Rovetti krovetti@gmail.com or

10 Outreach Commission Operation Christmas Child Get in the mood for the holidays! It is time for Operation Christmas Child! This mission spreads the love of Jesus Christ to children in over 120 countries and is a fun event that the whole family can participate in. Operation Christmas Child allows our congregation to directly touch the lives of children around the world in a personal and memorable way. Everyone, young and old, is invited to fill a shoebox with small gifts, school supplies, hygiene items or other fun things such as sunglasses, flashlights, hair clips, picture books, balls, hard candy, etc. The shoe boxes will be then collected and sent around the world to bring joy to children who may have never received a Christmas present, and introduce them to the greatest gift of all Jesus Christ! Literature in each child s native language accompanies each box that spreads the message of Jesus Christ. Also translators are always on hand to make sure children can read the messages and cards sent by those that sent the boxes. Be on the lookout for information distributed or log on to Once there, click on the Pack a ShoeBox for ideas, suggestions and directions. Bring the boxes to church on November 16 and the Outreach Committee will make sure they get to their destination. (Late boxes will also be accepted up until Nov 23.) Children and adults are all encouraged to contribute one or more boxes. Extra shoe boxes will be available in the coat closet in the lobby. Collection Date: November 16 Help Feed the Hungry Ministry Thank you for your continual generous donations of food and toiletries, which are shared with the Glastonbury Food Pantry (1st and 3rd Sundays of each month) and the MANNA pantry in Hartford (2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays). In addition, each Sunday the Glastonbury Panera bakery donates its surplus bread products, which are delivered to Hartford each Monday by our loyal volunteers. MANNA tells us that rice, canned vegetables, and PB&J are especially appreciated. Also, we would welcome another delivery volunteer, especially to give us more options during the summer. Bread is picked up at Panera at 8:00 p.m. Sunday and delivered to MANNA on Monday. For more information, contact David Buddington at Alternative Christmas Giving Is there someone on your Christmas list who is impossible to buy for? Are you tired of trying to find a gift for someone who already seems to have everything? If so, this Christmas season, consider alternative giving: make a donation on behalf of the recipient to a worthy cause. One excellent option is Episcopal Relief & Development ( or ), especially the Gifts for Life program, which allows you to give such essentials as goats, water wells, or mosquito nets on behalf of others. 10.

11 St. James Sponsors Successful October 24th Bloodmobile During the Friday afternoon Red Cross Blood Drive at St. James, 43 people sought to donate blood. Although a few were deferred, actual blood collected totaled 38 pints! There was a small but steady stream of donors all day the Red Cross staff was pleased with both the turn-out, and the hospitality of the St. James parishioners who helped set up, greet, feed, encourage, and thank all those involved. St. James did a superb job. Homemade, Homemade, Homemade! That s what the donors and staff kept saying about St. James post donation fare. Everyone loved our sandwiches, brownies, cookies and bars. Sweet grapes satisfied some very health conscious donors but the overwhelming favorites were the homemade sweet treats supplied by St. James parishioners. We offered a good variety of nibbles to tide folks over until dinner. Supporting the Red Cross Bloodmobile is great stewardship of time, talent and treasure! Volunteering to greet donors is a wonderful way to devote your time by helping others to donate blood. Our parish s talented chefs and bakers exercised their stewardship muscles as well. And what better example of giving personal treasure can there be than a blood donor. Many thanks to those who volunteered to greet all the Red Cross staff, donors, friends and family who entered our church. We re also grateful to those folks who brought fruit or who made sandwiches, cookies and bars to feed our guests. Providing hospitality like this helps others to donate blood which in turn helps save lives! Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets. The body will replenish the elements given during a blood donation some in a matter of hours and others in a matter of weeks. Donors can give blood every 56 days so if you weren t eligible today, you may be by the next time the Red Cross is in town. Or, if you intended to give blood during our Blood Drive but were unable to coordinate your time, do not despair. The Red Cross will be in Glastonbury on November 18 th just before Thanksgiving at First Congregational Church down the street. Also we may be able to sponsor another Blood Drive during Lent. Stay tuned and watch for an announcement for a new opportunity put your faith in action by giving your time, talent and treasure toward our next Blood Drive. Jeannette L. Brown Red Cross Blood Drive Coordinator 11.

12 Christians are Called to Give Blood Christians are being encouraged to make a different kind of offering this week and donate their blood. The call is going out as part of National Blood Week and follows on from the Flesh and Blood campaign that launched in [early 2013.] As part of the campaign, the church is being called upon to encourage Christians to become blood donors. Research carried out for the campaign revealed strong support among Christians for giving blood. More than two thirds of those surveyed (70%) said they regarded blood or organ donation to be part of their core 'Christian giving' or were open to the idea, while almost one in 10 Christians had given blood in the last year - higher than the national UK average of 4% over the last two years. The campaign aims not only to attract more first time donors but also to encourage those who have donated before to do so again. Lorna Williamson, Medical Director of NHS Blood and Transplant says, "All major faith groups support donation in the spirit of giving and we're excited to explore this in more detail with the Christian church. "By raising awareness amongst its members and community about the daily need for blood transfusion we hope to banish myths, educate people and encourage blood donation." Supporters of the campaign include the Evangelical Alliance, The Salvation Army and the Diocese of Worcester. The diocese tweeted, "This week is National Blood Week. You know what to do." The Salvation Army tweeted: "Today is the start of National Blood Week. Register, donate or volunteer your venue." Lt Col Ian Barr, Secretary for Programme at The Salvation Army, shared the personal impact of blood donation on his life in an interview for the campaign. "I used to teach Christian doctrine and I remember teaching many times that 'the life is in the blood'. It hadn't really struck me until I had two units of blood to allow me to come out of hospital last September," he said. "I went from being an invalid in bed, just about able to function, to coming out of hospital and resuming [my vacation] that had been interrupted and really enjoying it. It meant a great deal to be able to sense that someone else's blood had made such a huge change to how I felt about myself, my outlook and my sense of wellbeing." Churches and individuals are being encouraged to sign up together as a community on Sunday. Churches can also offer their buildings as potential new blood donor sites for NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). Redacted from the June 2013 issue of Christian Today Newsletter in England. 12.

13 Stewardship Commission More Than Enough By Jerry Hoffman God provides all you need to do what God calls you to do. You have more than enough talent, leadership, imagination and money available. Make an effort to encourage, discover and identify the assets God has entrusted to your care. God is extravagant with you. You can do far more than you ask or imagine. Paul asks the Christians at Corinth to give an offering for the Christian people in Jerusalem who are living in extreme poverty. In this portion of the appeal he makes a case for a generous response. I invite you to read the following passage as a personal letter from God through Paul to you and to everyone in your congregation: "Remember that the person who sows few seeds will have a small crop; the one who sows many seeds will have a large crop. You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly. And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause. As the scripture says: "He gives generously to the needy; his kindness lasts forever." 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 (CAV) How well do you think your congregation at the present time will receive this appeal to give above your present giving level? How will you? When people are asked to stretch in their giving, there are voices that cry out: "Who me?" "Who us?" "We are not talented enough." "We are too poor." "We do not have the leadership." "We are too old or too young." "We can't meet the budget we have." "If only we had more people." "If only we have more youth." "If only we had [or] could get some rich and talented members in our congregation." A more than enough perspective is biblical. It is rooted in the confidence that God will provide. A missional congregation trusts God and generously sows seeds of love in the world. I have heard these responses and many similar ones in congregations [where 30 worship and in those where 5,000 worship.] These are the voices of those whose mindset has bought into the myth of scarcity. This myth generates fear and defines continued 13.

14 Stewardship Commission More than Enough, continued people as deficient. In response to this, here is what I believe. First, regardless of your size or your context, God has given you and your church opportunities to join Jesus in loving the world. You are called to continue the work that Jesus began. God expects that the church will love mercy, do justly and walk humbly. Jesus states that we are to "love God" and to "love our neighbor" as ourselves and Jesus commissions us to make disciples. Every congregation and every person is called by God to enter into mission locally and globally. If you don't know what that might be for your congregation, you need to prayerfully identify it, write it down, pray about it, talk about it and intentionally commit yourselves to meet it. In Paul's letter to your congregation, Paul offers the opportunity to respond to the needs of the impoverished Christians in Jerusalem. Second, God provides all you need to do what God calls you to do. You have more than enough talent, leadership, imagination and money available. Make an effort to encourage, discover and identify the assets God has entrusted to your care. God is extravagant with you. You can do far more than you ask or imagine. A more than enough perspective is biblical. It is rooted in the confidence that God will provide. A missional congregation trusts God and generously sows seeds of love in the world. Recall what Paul wrote: 1. The more seeds you sow the greater the harvest. That is common sense. 2. God desires you to be a joyful giver. How do you know the joy of giving unless you give? God who is the ultimate giver finds great joy in giving. 3. And here is the clincher: "God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause". I invite you to live in God's promises. I invite you to choose a ministry which calls upon the use of the gifts that have been entrusted to your congregation. See yourselves from God's perspective not your own. The more you trust God and join Jesus in being the hands, feet and voice that God employs to bring God's love, hope, joy, peace and justice to the world, the more you will be living into the church you are called to be. 12/17/2012 Copyright: Jerry Hoffman Center for Stewardship Leaders e-newsletter Did you include St. James in your will? 14.

15 Fellowship Commission Administration Commission Change in Regular Office Hours Effective immediately, the office will be open from 9:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. St. James Men s Club The office will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 27 and 28, for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Pastoral Care Commission Coffee and Conversation Book Club Hospitalization, Serious Illness, or Pastoral Emergency If someone in your household is scheduled for hospitalization or experiencing serious illness, please alert the Church! Contact Interim Rector Keri Aubert ( x201 or ktaubert1@sbcglobal.net), Parish Administrator Jodi Lussier ( x200 or st_james_church@sbcglobal.net), or Pastoral Care Coordinator Judy Knowlton ( or judyknowlton@comcast.net), so that visits or other supports can be arranged. Ministry Fair 15. In case of a pastoral emergency, call the church office at , and then dial 9 any time during the message. Your call will be routed to the clergyperson on call.

16 Contact Information P.O. Box 206, Glastonbury, Connecticut Website Facebook The Episcopal Church in Connecticut The Rt. Rev. Dr. Ian T. Douglas, Diocesan Bishop The Rt. Rev. Dr. J. Laura Ahrens, Bishop Suffragan St. James Clergy The Rev. Keri Aubert, Interim Rector The Rev. Walter McKenney, Deacon Music Ministry James R. Barry, Minister of Music Jeff and Amy Brown, Children s Choir Directors ktaubert1@sbcglobal.net walter41634@att.net dirmusic@sbcglobal.net Christian Formation and Nursery Matt Cornish, Director of Children and Youth Ministry Laurie Kivney, Nursery Attendant Melissa Malchiodi, Nursery Assistant Office Jodi Lussier, Parish Administrator Jeanne Kowalsky, Bookkeeper Vestry Gail Lebert, Senior Warden Gayle Kataja, Junior Warden Steve Ciccalone, Treasurer Ralph Urban, Clerk mcornish@sbcglobal.net st_james_church@sbcglobal.net accounts-stjames@sbcglobal.net glebert14@gmail.com gpkataja@sbcglobal.net sciccalo ne@gmail.com rhurban@comcast.net Office Hours - 9:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Pastoral Emergency: Call the church office, , and then dial 9 any time during the message. Your call will be routed to the clergyperson on call. 15.