S t. J a m e s E p i s c op a l C h u r c h. The Net. St. James Mission Statement

Transcription

1 S t. J a m e s E p i s c op a l C h u r c h Volume 10 Issue 10 THE NET Page 1 The Net St. James Mission Statement St. James is called to serve God, Christ, and the community of Greater New London. From the Rector s Desk Waiting and watching for the Christ child December 2017 It was a greyish morning and I was on a pastoral visit, gazing for a moment outside of the panoramic window. I said to our parishioner, Carla Woodward, with a hopeful sigh, there is so much beauty in the world. And without skipping a beat she said, and so much of that beauty comes from flowers. It was a poignant conversation on a day which seemed, at least on the outside, so painfully dismal. It was grey, grey and more grey. If you hadn t known it, one might have thought that I was stretching to say there is so much beauty in the world, and yet it wasn t a stretch of the imagination. If you looked from a purely spiritual level, there was an unquantifiable beauty. And yet - it takes eyes to see the Realm of God breaking into the world. Eyes and maybe our own patience, a little bit of waiting and watching. Maybe it s our eyes that need to be brought in more intentionally. God knows it only happens sometimes for me. In such a kinetic world, waiting and watching seems so anachronistic, words from a different time and place. They happen to be difficult things for human beings to do, in a world that is so often on the move and beckoning us to react to new challenges. But as we move very deliberately into the Advent season, we find ourselves gifted with an opportunity - to open our eyes to the birth of the Christ child. We are invited to wait and watch, to pay attention to what is right in front of us. As the English mystic, Evelyn Underhill, says oh, but for a lack of attention, a thousand lovely things pass by us every day. This Advent, let that lovely thing that we miss, not be Christ. We can create an inn within our hearts for the Christ child. This waiting and watching, is active, as we seek to make space. Over the course of 2017, have we crowded our hearts with grudges and resentments? This season allows each and every one of us the chance to do the intentional work of making space. Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, says that grace is something that is always before us, drawing us deeper into whom God would have us be. And yet it is up to us to create intentional time of allowing silence to cascade in our relationship with God.

2 Page 2 THE NET Volume 10 Issue 10 The Net is the newsletter of St. James Church, New London, Connecticut. It is published eleven times a year (September through June and a summer issue) for the information and edification of St. James members and friends. Submissions are always welcome and should be submitted by the tenth of the month before publication. While your submission is always welcome, we would prefer to receive it by or memory stick in Microsoft Word format. Please continue to forward your submissions to the church office or them to: parishoffice@stjamesnl.org. We also welcome your comments and suggestions. This is your newsletter. 76 Federal Street New London CT Rector s Desk cont d With a consumerist mindset, more often than not, we willingly fill this time with other activities. As Quaker, Daniel P. Coleman says, contemplative practice is a real struggle for us Westerners, and maybe even more so for Protestant Christians because we are so used to consuming information as the primary aspect of our spiritual life. In silence, we have the opportunity in the space of grace to bring questions before God, to be in intentional relationship. My friends, as we move more deeply into this season, I invite you to take the time to switch it all off, and on a day to day basis, truly set aside time to simply be. This Advent, let s not consume; but just rather be and let God s presence swim over us. By moving in this direction of contemplation, we allow our hearts, souls and minds to be emptied, to walk more deeply into kenosis, which is all about self-emptying. When we intentionally empty ourselves of the dependencies that we have accumulated over the past many years, we have more space for Jesus to find his home in our hearts. Advent Blessings, Ranjit Immigration Forum On Sunday, December 3 rd, we will host an immigration forum at noon with Mr. Mike Doyle, Esq. of the Immigration and Advocacy Support Center (IASC) here in New London. Attorney Doyle will give a brief presentation of our present system and how it impacts the day to day lives of New London residents. He will then take questions from our parish community. If you have friends who are interested in learning more about the topic, please let them know. My friends, the impact of immigration on our country is a deeply spiritual issues, I hope you will join the discussion. Faithfully, Ranjit

3 Volume 10 Issue 10 THE NET Page 3 December Birthdays The names on this list reflect the information as recorded in the Church database. Is your name (or a family member s name) missing? If so, please contact the Church Office and provide us with the accurate information! 5 Johanna Kuruvilla 6 Joan Jones 6 Elizabeth Ahnell 8 Sade Velez 9 Victoria Brennan 13 Nicholas Streeter 15 Carole Shores 16 John Dillon 18 Ines Granville 19 Hayden Fraser 22 Joy Hewitt 23 Mary Hulme 27 Anaya Collins An Evening with Author and Parishioner Marci Alborghetti Wine, cheese, and books! What could be better? Join us at Thames River Wine & Spirits & Greenery at 70 State Street in New London on Friday, December 1, from 5 to 7:30 PM, for a festive evening of wine and cheese with New London author, Marci Alborghetti, who will be signing and chatting about her books, including her Connecticut-based Christmas novel, The Christmas Glass, and many of her other works. Spark the Gift of Making Come visit a show featuring handcrafted affordable art by local and regional makers/ artists including our very own Johanna Kuruvilla at the Hygenic Art Gallery located on Bank Street in New London. The show opens on November 25 and lasts until December 31. Hours are from 2:00 to 7:00 PM Tuesday through Sunday. Lectors and Chalicists The January-March, 2018 lector and chalicist schedule is being set now. If you would like to be added to or deleted from the schedule, please contact Fred Smith by engteach2003@yahoo.com or phone before December 15, Indicate the service you are or wish to be connected to, and contact information. This will help us greatly in having effective coverage of our services.

4 Page 4 THE NET Volume 10 Issue 10 Preparing for Advent Dear friends, This Advent, I invite you to slow down and take in the exquisite gift that we are given in this season of waiting and watching. Starting on Wednesday, November 29 th at 6:00 PM and on the three subsequent Wednesdays please join me in the parlor as we gather to read Simply Wait: Cultivating Stillness in the Season of Advent by Pamela C. Hawkins. My hope is that this will give all of us a space to ponder the Christ child, his meaning in our lives and the way in which Christ s birth is still teaching us. I hope you will join this conversation. Faithfully, Ranjit Inter-faith Happenings at St. James As we move into this season of waiting and watching, I have invited a friend of mine, Imam Mujadid Shah and some members of Dergah al-farah in New York City to spend some time with us in early December, mutually learning about each other s spiritual traditions. They are a part of Nur Ashki Al-Jerrahi Sufi order, which has a focus on Islamic Mysticism. On Saturday, December 9th at 5:00 PM in the sanctuary, Imam Shah and his congregation will offer a Dhikr prayer service to members of our parish and then we will enjoy a potluck dinner in the parish hall with conversation. For those who don t know, Dhikr is a short ritual, where we focus on cultivating the love of God within ourselves. On Sunday, December 10th, at Noon time, Imam Shah and I, will lead a forum during coffee hour. It is my sincere hope that engaging in such inter-faith events, will help us bridge the gap that exists within our Abrahamic traditions. Even though our religions come from the Abrahamic tradition, there is much that our respective congregants don t know about each other. Let this be one event, where we work collectively to understand each other better. I hope you will join us, as we seek the face of Christ in each other. In peace, Ranjit

5 Volume 10 Issue 10 THE NET Page 5 Advent Advent begins Sunday, December 3 The calendar during Advent is much more than the place to count down Christmas shopping days. Give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. from The Collect for the First Sunday of Advent, The Book of Common Prayer, p. 211 Holiday Parish Office Hours As we enter the holiday season, the Parish Office will observe the following holiday schedule: Monday, December 25 through Friday, December 29 Christmas holiday office closed. Monday, January 1 New Year s holiday office closed. Regular Parish Office hours resume Tuesday, January 2, Regular Parish Office hours are 9:30 AM -12:30 PM and 1:30 PM 3:30 PM. Church School Holiday Schedule Merry Christmas to all our students! May you enjoy a blessed and healthy Christmas season! We will be taking a brief vacation from classes in honor of Christ s birth on Sundays, December 24 and December31. We look forward to seeing you back in class on Sunday, January 7.

6 Page 6 THE NET Volume 10 Issue 10 Advent Lessons & Carols Prepare the way, O Zion, your Christ is drawing near! You are cordially invited to join us at 5:00 PM on Sunday, December 10 th, for our annual Service of Lessons and Carols for Advent, here at St. James. This tradition of over two decades represents the Singers adaptation of the famous Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, sung each Christmas Eve by the world-renowned King s College Choir, Cambridge University. This year we will dedicate our service to the memory of our beloved founding director, Marianna Wilcox, who died on October 20 th. As befits this time of preparation, the Singers will perform carols and motets which reflect the watchful waiting and hopeful expectancy that Advent symbolizes. These pieces are drawn from the Baroque era up to the 21 st century: from J.S. Bach, to James MacMillan. Interspersed throughout the service will be scriptural readings, prayers, and congregational hymns. Afterward, there will be a reception in the parish hall, featuring sumptuous treats. At 4:30 PM on December 16 th, Simon Jacobs and the Singers, for the third year in a row, will lead a concert of Christmas carols, hymns, and organ works at St. Paul s Episcopal Church in Westbrook. Be present with The Anglican Singers as we joyfully await the miracle of the Incarnation. Anne Carr Bingham Secretary, The Anglican Singers

7 Volume 10 Issue 10 THE NET Page 7 Music on Whale Oil Row Shoreline Ringers Advent/Christmas Concert The Shoreline Ringers will perform their popular concert of Advent and Christmas music here at St. James on Sunday, December 3 at 3:00 PM. The bell choir, under the direction of Jane Nolan, draws a large audience for its Christmas concerts. If you plan to attend, arrive early or you may be standing in line! A free will offering will be collected to help offset expenses and allow for future events. You are invited to greet the bell ringers and enjoy holiday refreshments in the parish hall. immediately following the concert. New London Community Orchestra

8 Page 8 THE NET Volume 10 Issue 10 Christmas Poinsettias and Greenery Now that Advent has arrived, we think of many tasks that have to be done in our own lives and in our Parish life. One of these takes place on Friday, December 22 at 4:00 PM with the Greening of the Church. There are a number of ways that you can participate in this tradition, but one way is by giving memorial donations for friends and family or thanksgiving donations for the blessings in your life. These donations are used to purchase the Christmas decorations. The memorial envelope is attached but if you should mislay it, we will have more in the Church or the Office the deadline for inclusion in the Christmas list is Wednesday, December 13. Thank you. The Altar Guild of St. James Greening of the Church Part of the wonderful tradition of the Anglican Church is the greening of the church, in preparation for Christmas on Friday, December 22 at 4:00 PM. Evergreens, representing the everflourishing life found in Christ, are arranged throughout the Church: in small clusters, in roping, in wreaths, and occasionally even in whole trees. Together, we can make the church beautiful and bring a splash of color into the otherwise drab wintertime. The altar guild will acquire everything we need, then they just need our help hanging and arranging it. Bring gloves, garden shears, and comfortable clothes and join us at 4:00 PM on Friday, December 22. A light supper will be available. Volunteer for Flower Delivery to Shut-ins If you would like to help brighten Christmas for members of our parish family who are homebound or in healthcare facilities, how about taking one of the poinsettia plants from our Christmas decorations to him/ her? Select someone who is near to your home or office, and it won t take much time at all! A sign-up sheet can be found in the parish hall. Please put your name next to the name of the person to whom you d like to take a plant. Plants may be delivered immediately following the Christmas Day service or anytime during the week after Christmas Day.

9 Volume 10 Issue 10 THE NET Page 9 Christmas Wish List for Adopted Families The Christmas Tree in the parish hall is decorated with ornaments. Please select an ornament with a requested item that you will then purchase, wrap, and label with the ornament attached. All wrapped gifts should be brought to church any Sunday or dropped off at the parish office. The deadline for final intake of gifts is Sunday, December17. Gift distribution will begin on Monday, December 18. For anyone who may not have the time to shop, monetary donations will be accepted. Please make checks payable to St. James with Christmas Wish List in the memo line. Deanna Bossdorf and Pat King, Giving Tree Committee Hats, Mittens, Gloves, and Scarves Wow! Thank you doesn't seem enough to say about how much we appreciate all your donations. We were especially fortunate to have so many wonderful items made by the fabulous knitters in St. James. It was a blessing to be able to deliver so many sets to the school children of New London Elementary, the Covent Shelter and our adopted families at Christmas. Your generosity is deeply appreciated. Sue Chojnacki, Chair Barbara Skinner Socks for the Homeless Hospitality Center This holiday season, we are requesting donations of new white socks for the Homeless Hospitality Center Shelter guests (male and female). Our goal is to gift each guest with three (3) pairs of socks. They may be wrapped (please note on the outside of the package the size and if they are men s or women s if unisex, no marking needed) or unwrapped. All donations should be received by Wednesday, December 13. If you would like to help with sorting and wrapping the socks, please contact Ellen in the parish office at

10 Page 10 THE NET Volume 10 Issue 10 Jumble Shoppe News The Jumble Shoppe is fully stocked with seasonal clothes and holiday decorations. Come visit us. You re sure to find something you ll want to buy! Donations of winter clothes, household goods and jewelry are now being accepted during shop hours on Tuesday and Saturday, 10:00-1:00 PM. For other drop-off times, please contact Dorothy Sieburg at We are sponsoring a Christmas Bazaar on the weekend of December 2 nd /3 rd. This would be an open-to-the-public event on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Items will be for sale in the parish hall during Sunday coffee hours. The St. James Quilters will also be participating in this event. Volunteers are needed on Friday, December 1 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM to set-up. Pizza will be served to all helpers. St. James Quilters Proceeds from the bazaar will be seed money for the purchase of air conditioning units for the Parlor and Choir Room on the main level of the Seabury Center. Think about how you can help with this and watch for sign-up sheets in the parish hall. Dorothy Sieburg, Manager Our mission is to make quilts for the children at the Covenant Shelter and for the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) Nurse Family Partnership (which cares for new mothers). We meet on the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. New members are always welcome. You do not have to know how to quilt as our experienced quilters will be happy to teach you. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Mary Chartier at Margaret Murallo, Member The Nativity O nata lux de lumine: begotten of thy Father s Light, reflect through us that Light, we pray. O nata lux de lumine: intensify the darkling night O nata lux de lumine: come radiant Son of Heaven bright, thou dawning of eternal Day! Anne Carr Bingham

11 Volume 10 Issue 10 THE NET Page 11 Nutrition and Coupon Ministry for The Lord's Pantry First a huge thank you to all who have been kind enough to bring in your Sunday paper coupons for The Lord's Pantry. To update you, the coupon board is a huge success and people gather around it immediately when they come in the door. This nutrition initiative also includes poster boards in English and Spanish about how to eat healthier and how to save money at the grocery store. In the future, there will be education materials on diabetes and heart health. We have also been providing "cooking classes" to help the folks use some of the produce and goods with which they are less familiar. Our first demonstration used kale, garlic, olive oil, and a little bit of sausage in a stir fry. It was very popular so the intent is to make this a monthly occurrence. If you get a chance, come on down to see what's going on. And, volunteers are always needed! Again, thank you so much for your support of this ministry. Deb Downes The Supper Group of St. James Please join us for our December gathering of fun, food and fellowship!!! Come join the fun! Been thinking about it? Now s the time! Next Gathering: Where: Who: Sunday, December 31 (New Year s Eve) at 6:00 PM Steak Loft Restaurant 27 Coogan Blvd., Mystic All of us who enjoy spending a fun evening with new and old friends. Sign-up Deadline: Wednesday, December 29 Rides available AND encouraged! RSVP (name, # attending, and if you would like a ride) by contacting Lori Sarkett or by at lorisarketthne@gmail.com.

12 Page 12 THE NET Volume 10 Issue 10 Faith in Action The Faith in Action Committee continues to meet monthly to plan visitations to our shut-in sisters and brothers. We also review the work of various outreach ministries, including our new ministries with refugees and immigrants. The committee also makes decisions about disbursements of earnings from the Jumble Shoppe. In our October meeting it was decided to help with travel expenses for Grace Barnum and David Higgins, who have been invited to attend the Convention of the Episcopal Church in Ecuador. We also voted to purchase a flat screen TV and DVD for the parish. St. James presently has no effective way to do visual presentations for educational forums. The next meeting of the committee will be Thursday, December 14, at 5:30 PM. Parishioners interested in lay visitation and other outreach ministries are encouraged to attend. Dorothy Sieburg, Chair Caring for Creation Committee The new Caring for Creation committee is off to a busy start. Since our first meeting in October, we ve gotten the church active in recycling and organized a neighborhood litter pickup and hike. We ve met with Terri Eickel, an organizer for the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network, a Connecticut group that helps churches with solar panels and other environmental projects. Look for more announcements in the weekly bulletin and more activities in Please join us at upcoming meetings and activities. For information, Judy Benson, chairwoman, at: moss153@att.net. Judy Benson, Chair A Special Thanks! Our annual fall clean up took place at St. James on Saturday, October 28. Twenty hard working parishioners gave up their Saturday morning to help out cleaning the church, sprucing up the grounds, taking care of minor repairs and replacing four very high spotlights within the church proper. Many thanks to: Tim Breitenstein, Nina Butler, Betty Chapman, Dave Downes, Fred Driscoll, Diane Dusza, Mark Enoch, Peter Hewitt, Dave Higgins, Nancy Higgins, Dhruv Mathews, Fr. Ranjit Mathews, Margaret Murallo, Tonya Royall, Lori Sarkett, Anna Shaw, George Shaw, Mike Spence, John Umland and Mary White who contributed their time and talents to work as a team to accomplish so many tasks in such a short amount of time! A special thank you goes out to Walter Chojnacki for supplying the donuts, coffee and pizza to help nourish a very hungry crew! Lori Sarkett, Junior Warden

13 Volume 10 Issue 10 THE NET Page 13 Vestry Highlights The Vestry met on Tuesday, November 7. Highlights of the meeting are as follows: (1) A discussion of the need to adjust the budget for 2018 in light of declining pledge income and ways to meet the 2017 deficit. (2) A discussion of a proposal from the Drop-In Learning Center requesting to expand their program to include a preschool as well as a program for middle school teens. (3) Fred Smith is the St. James representative to the Board of the Covenant Shelter. (4) Caring for Creation was made a formal Committee of the Vestry. (5) An informational talk was given by Immigration lawyer, Michael Doyle, who is the Executive Director of the Immigration Advocacy & Support Center in New London, about his organization and how they lend support to immigrants. Jan Dargel, Parish Clerk White Envelope Program The grant recipients for 2017 are Educational Resources for Children, Inc. and the New York Haiti Project. Each recipient has sent their heartfelt gratitude for the support of the White Envelope program. Please be sure to submit all 2017 White Envelope contributions by December 31, All contributions will be added to your annual pledge statement being mailed out in mid January, Jean Rogers White Envelope Chair Stewardship Thanks to all who have already submitted their pledge forms! It s heartening to hear from folks ready to help St. James maintain its worship and good works here in New London. If you have not sent your 2018 pledge sheet in, please pray about your gift and ask the Holy Spirit for direction. As you well know from your own experience with household budgets, a budget must be in place to plan for the next year. Please send your pledge form to the parish office or drop it in the plate in the Sunday collection so that the vestry can plan for Pledge packets for 2018 are available in the narthex and the parish hall. Stephanie Brandon and Dave Downes, Stewardship Team Members

14 Page 14 THE NET Volume 10 Issue 10 A Message From Your Treasurer Each year, beginning in September, the Vestry establishes a Budget Committee to prepare and propose an Operating Budget for the upcoming calendar year. The Operating Budget projects the cost of Mission, Programs, Salaries, Benefits, Maintenance & Operations, and Office expenses required to operate the church. This Operating Budget is approved by the Vestry in December and presented to the parish at the Annual Parish Meeting in January. The amount of money received from pledges, parish facility use, and other donations is never enough to fund our Operating Budget. To balance the budget, we withdraw money from the Parish investment account, known as the Endowment. This account has been built from the donations of past parishioners, usually as a remembrance in their will. To prevent the Endowment from being depleted, the Vestry set a maximum annual withdrawal limit of five percent per year (see the "Stewardship" section on the St. James webpage for more information on the"5% Rule"), many years ago. For more than ten years we have operated the parish without exceeding this five percent limit. However, we anticipate the need to exceed the five percent withdrawal to balance to 2018 Operating Budget. This is due to salary and benefit costs for a full-time rector for the full year (which we have not had since 2014), other unavoidable general cost increases, and projected pledge receipts at around 2016 levels. Since 2013, pledge receipts have dropped more than twenty percent. As a result, we will need to withdraw an additional $15,000 to $20,000 from the Endowment to balance the 2018 budget. Although the Endowment has ample funds to cover this additional withdrawal, we may be seeing the start of a trend unless we can increase our pledges in future years. While this is a challenge, we are better off than many other parishes, where withdrawals of more than ten percent form their endowment fund are needed to balance the budgets. Jerry Miller, Treasurer Pledge Up-to-Date? Is your current (2017) pledge up to date? Please make sure that your 2017 contributions are caught up as we approach the busy holiday season. Contributions cannot be posted for 2017 after January 31, The Vestry and Stewardship Committee ask you to prayerfully consider the ways Time, Talent, and Treasure that you can support St. James as it seeks to do God s work in our community and the world in Alma Peterson & Greg Rice, Co-Pledge Secretaries

15 Volume 10 Issue 10 THE NET Page 15 Parish Financial Update ST JAMES CHURCH TREASURER S REPORT November 7, 2017 This report covers from January 1, 2017 through September 30, Total Income: Budgeted Amount: $199,876 Actual Amount: $173,184 Amount Actual is Under Budget: $26,692 The primary contributor to budget underrun is Pledge Income, which is $24,067 below the budgeted amount. Total Expenses: Budgeted Amount: $306,521 Actual Amount: $288,040 Amount Actual is Under Budget: $18,481 The primary contributor to this expenditure underrun is Clergy Benefits, which is $17,234 under the budgeted amount. Net Ordinary Income: Total Income: $173,184 Total Expenses: $288,040 Net Ordinary Income: -$114,856 Endowment Income Applied $106,650 Net Income -$8,206 Summary: As of September 30, 2017, we are $8,206 behind where we expected to be based on our 2017 budget. Investment Summary: Balance 12/31/2016: $2,949,951 Balance 09/30/2017: $3,187,083 Total Value Change: $234,132 Withdrawal 5%: $106,650 Withdrawal-Elevator Repair $23,788 Change Pre-Withdrawal: $364,570 Summary: Our pre-withdrawal investment value has increased by $364,570, about 12.3%, through September 30, After factoring in the 5% withdrawal and the withdrawal for the elevator repairs, our investments are up $234,132, about 7.9% through September. Please note that a bequest of $48,150 from the William Ezell estate was deposited in the investment account this month and is reflected in the balance above. Gerald F. Miller, Treasurer

16 Page 16 THE NET Non-Profit Organization Volume 10 Issue 10 U.S. Postage Paid New London, CT Permit No. 236 St. James Episcopal Church 76 Federal Street New London, CT Postmaster: Time Sensitive Material, please deliver immediately. ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED. As Sunday, December 24 is also the Fourth Sunday in Advent. There will only be one morning Holy Eucharist at 9:00 AM. Schedule for Christmas Celebrations Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24 5:00 PM Festive Holy Eucharist with Christmas Music and Children s Homily (Planned for those with children, or those who simply want to get home early.) 10:45 PM Choral Prelude 11:00 PM Festive Choral Eucharist Christmas Day, Monday, December 25 9:00 AM Holy Eucharist (with music)