The Assister. Maggie s Meanderings. Minds to think Hearts to love Hands to serve

Transcription

1 The Assister SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS Minds to think Hearts to love Hands to serve We welcome you without concern for race, color, ethnic or national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or age. Maggie s Meanderings As I told the vestry last week, and most of you individually through the recent weeks, it is my honor and pleasure to be with you as your ½-time interim rector! I am so much looking forward to the next few months, to get to know you better, to hold the fort until your new rector comes, and to be here for you in any way that you may need. Judy Franklin and I tried to work out how to schedule the 20 hour week, and we planned my office hours to be 9-1 on Monday and Thursday. Sermon and Sunday School prep is done at home, normally 8+ hours each week, and of course there is Sunday. The challenge immediately presented itself, though, as it does to all clergy everywhere. There are always funerals, weddings, diocesan meetings, Birmingham clergy meetings and other such events that upend the apple cart of schedules and hours. I plan to be here each Monday and Thursday as much as is possible, but I ask you to bear with me when these other things get in the way. My door is always open, but it looks as if it might be wisest to call before you drop in, just to be sure Iʼm in the office and it isnʼt an apple cart day! Thanks so much for your help! Shalom! Maggie CAHABA VALLEY ROAD, INDIAN SPRINGS, AL (205) STFRANCHURCH@BELLSOUTH.NET

2 Each time there is a new resident at Episcopal Place, we give the new resident a gift bag. The bag varies in what it holds: a bar of soap, a small bottle of lotion, razors, a small deodorant, a cross, a welcome card from St. Francis and so forth. Every once in a while, I receive a thank you card from a new resident. Here is one I received the other day. I wanted to share it with this community so that all of you would know that the residents really do appreciate these small gestures. Shalom, Deacon Judy. Deacon s Corner - Judy Lee Dear St. Francis. It has been a busy few months. To mention just a few things: Mass on the Grass, cleaning the classroom near the kitchen, Koa's life and celebration, the vegetable garden, Habitat, Dave Lambert's ordination, animal blessing, the starting of St. Francis Music Academy fall semester, a new air conditioner, some new members have joined our ranks, we have had guests and visitors enter our wonderful nave and worship with us. Many things, I am sure, I have missed. And here we are - We have a permanent interim rector, Maggie Taylor. School & college have begun for our children. We have Godly Play in our classroom for our youngsters. We have an enthusiastic bunch attending adult Sunday school with Maggie. We have folks joining choir, willing to lector and willing to usher. Soon we may have some new acolytes. We know of one young parishioner, Archie Creech Jr., who has flown to Senegal with the Peace Corps to serve there for about two years. We have a guest day coming up that I am sure will bear more fruit for this community. The discernment committee is once again at work to find an appropriate settled rector for our parish. A bible study has begun. A book study may be in place soon. The Beattitudes are going strong. The Bishop will be coming soon to confirm, reaffirm or receive anyone who wishes. I speak with joy & gratitude when I see so many of you who are already so busy, step up and make things happen at St. Francis. As Maggie has said to me - St. Francis is a "can do parish". Wonderful praise in that simple quotation. Almighty and ever living God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen all of us who are faithful, arouse us to greater faith, to greater joy in each other. Fill us every day with your grace and loving presence. Grant us all things necessary for our common life; and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Shalom, Deacon Judy Lee From Mother Teresa: If you can't feed a hundred a people, feed just one.

3 Senior Warden - Judy Franklin I ve been thinking a lot lately about new beginnings. Perhaps it is the time of year. For me that has always been the fall. A new school year starts. Cooler weather (finally) pulls me back outside to do those things I love hiking, gardening, paddling around in my little kayak, or just sitting outside to enjoy nature. I love to be outside, but I don t like to sweat. So, like many Southerners I spend much of the summer months protected by air conditioning. We see many new beginnings at St. Francis. I am thrilled to have Maggie Taylor as our interim rector. For a while now we have had the pleasure of hearing her Sunday morning sermons. She is consistently one of the best preachers you ll ever have the pleasure to hear. Now, we will be blessed with her leadership. Thanks be to God. Dave Lambert will be a deacon. Unfortunately, that means he and Janet will go to Epiphany Episcopal Church in Leeds. Although, their presence here at St. Francis will be sorely missed, we wish them well as they embark on this new chapter in their lives and ministry. The Church has added an impressive soul to the diaconate. Thanks be to God. Several members of St. Francis recently participated in building a Habitat for Humanity house. It was a great day! We caulked, hung siding, put in insulation (and probably others things I can t remember) to help prepare a home for a wonderful family. We were able to meet the family who will call this house their home. It was a pleasure to speak with them and get to hear how this new home will shelter their family. Thanks be to God. Sunday school for adults and children begins anew. Godly Play has returned (after many years) for the younger members of St. Francis. It s a wonderful program. Thank you to Marco Palmer for heading this up. For adults, we ve had a bit of Episcopal 101 no matter how many years you have been an Episcopalian, there is always something new to learn. Thanks be to God. Stewardship or Giving Season comes again at St. Francis as well as the rest of the Episcopal Church. While giving is a year round activity, at this time of the year we make a new promise (or pledge) for how much of our resources we will return to God. In the coming weeks, you ll be hearing from Maggie and several parishioners about giving and what St. Francis means to them. Our giving, of course, allows St. Francis to do the things that keep the doors open - pay the electricity and mortgage. But more importantly it allows us to be the Church, to facilitate new beginnings for both those who attend St. Francis and those who will never pass through our doors the family in Calera who is getting a new home, the single mother who receives a Thanksgiving meal from Oak Mountain Missions, the school children at Shelby county DHR who receive gift cards to buy school supplies, the residents of Episcopal Place who get welcome baskets when they move in and a birthday party and gift each year.and many more. Thanks be to God. So many new beginnings. How many new beginnings do we get? How many new beginnings are we allowed to witness? I have no idea. Perhaps we get as many as it takes. Thanks be to God.

4 Notes from Alina Voicu KEEP US IN THE LOOP! Please send newsletter information and pictures to the st. Francis Newsletter

5 Vestry meetings are open to all who wish to observe. If you wish to address the vestry during the meeting, please contact the Senior Warden, Judy Franklin, beforehand so she can add you to the agenda. Vestry Meeting - August 17, 2016 Vestry members present: Betty Bond, Judy Franklin, Eric Holmes, Janet Lambert, Irene Lanca, Deacon Judy Lee, Jessica Manfredi, Lara Patterson Vestry members absent: Karen Valencia Judy Franklin gave the devotion. Senior Warden's Report (Judy Franklin) *Copies of the Part Time Interim Rector's Letter of Agreement for Reverend Maggie Taylor was passed out to the vestry members for review. *The annual golf tournament was a success. A profit of $8, was made. This does not include the $500 still to come. The vestry thanked Buster Norvell for all his time, effort and hard work he put into the tournament, making it such a success. Thank you's also go to the EYC for their work in selling the 50/50 raffle tickets. *Karen Freemen-Franklin offered to do a walk-through of the church and grounds to make suggestions for improvements and betterments. She prepared a Property Condition Report which includes findings and recommendations to assist the Finance Committee with the 2017 budget preparation.the report was handed out to the vestry members for review and further discussion. Financial Report (Eric Holmes) *The July Financial Report was distributed. Both Pledge and Plate offerings are below budget year-to-date. Some of the Expenses are annual and are not budgeted for each month. Thus, the Personnel, Programs & Ministries, and Total Expenses are not valid as shown. A motion was made to approve the Financial Statement. It was seconded and approved. *Money from the Restricted Fund ( ) is going to be moved to the Operating Fund ( ). A motion was made to approve the transfer. It was seconded and approved. Junior Warden's Report Grounds (Irene Lanca) *Irene is going to get a quote for the oak tree out front to be trimmed, as its hanging branches are becoming dangerous when doing the lawn mowing and other yardwork. Welcome Ministry (Jessica Manfredi) *The Welcome Ministry is in the development stages. There are two parts to the Welcome Ministry: 1) the Visitor Day Event and 2) an ongoing Visitor Invite, Welcome and Connect. *The purpose of Visitor Day is to have a kick-off event to energize the congregation and let the public know who we are and where to find us. Visitor Day will focus on welcoming people to St. Francis of Assisi. All will be welcomed on Visitor Day with a special focus on the outcast and those rejected by the church in other places in our community, just as Jesus reached out to the lowest of the low. It is designed for, but not limited to: *The LGBTQ community *Heterosexual individuals and families that support the LGBTQ community and want to find a church that does so *The immigrant community *The divorced who need a new church *The disabled (both physically & mentally) *Minorities

6 On this special event day, visitors will be met with welcoming signs, banners and decorations, as well as a team of greeters who will hand out gift bags, brochures and visitor cards. Refreshments will be served after the service. *Advertising for Visitor Day will include personally inviting friends, family, neighbors and community members to attend our church. In addition, social media, local publications and flyers to local groups & organizations can be used. *After Visitor Day, efforts will be made to continue to welcome visitors every Sunday using the principles of inviting, welcoming and connecting. Also, depending on the success of Visitor Day, additional events will be planned throughout the year. SFMA Sign (Deacon Judy Lee) *A layout for the St. Francis Music Academy outdoor sign was handed out to the vestry. The dimensions are 60 inches by 40 inches, with a cost of $2,225. It will be metal and weather-worthy. It will not be lighted. An anonymous donation has been made to cover the cost. A motion was made to proceed with the ordering of the sign. It was seconded and approved. Recommendations (Janet Lambert) *The ceramic coffee mugs will be moved to the refreshment table each Sunday to make them more accessible for those with mobility issues. *To help make the Vestry Person of the Day more easily identified, a badge will now be worn by the individual on each Sunday. *We should consider using note cards and stationery with the St. Francis logo on them. Some existing ones were located and will be used until more need to be printed. *On the towels for Oak Mountain, we should print a prayer to be attached to each towel. The last day for towel collection is Sunday, August 28th. Down Syndrome - Buddy Walk 2016 (Judy Franklin) *It was suggested that we support the Buddy Walk, as we have in the past. It will be on October 2, 2016 at Veterans Park. Judy is researching further. Submitted by, Jan Underwood Clerk of the Vestry Assister photographer, Janet Griffin

7 A Fond Farewell from Deacon Dave Lambert Dearest St. Francis family, I am writing this with a heavy heart. As you know, I have been assigned to the Church of the Epiphany in Leeds where I will report next Sunday. October 1 st was Janet and my last Sunday with you for a while. As I said in this Sundayʼs service, it may take a village to raise a child, and I think you can also say that it takes a church to raise a deacon. When Janet and I first moved back to Birmingham 6 years ago we visited a lot of Episcopal churches in the area. We finally decided on St. Francis mainly because of the openness / welcoming enthusiasm of the congregation and the superb inspiring music. In my opinion it is what makes St. Francis special compared to other churches. We found worship at St. Francis to be spiritually fulfilling and nourishing. At the time, becoming a deacon was not anywhere close to being in my future plans. (Let that be a warning to each of you that God may tap you on the shoulder some day too..) As I mentioned this Sunday, each one of you has been an integral part in my spiritual journey. I can look back on my time with you and look at the different opportunities I had (Beatitudes, choir, EFM, book club, various outreach activities, etc.) which afforded me the chance to work and share with all of you at various times. The exposure was fundamental to my spiritual development. In fact, I find it hard to believe (but have no doubt) that God was a fundamental driving force in using or influencing all of us along the way to a common goal; to share in a common goal of sharing the joy of the Gospel in Jesus Christ. I couldnʼt possibly repay the debt of fellowship and spiritual development you have given me; and I hope I have been able to return a modicum of some back to you as well. In all things time marches on, and things change (you may remember I once gave a short uninspired homily on the engineering law of thermodynamics to explain this!). Many of you have expressed sadness about our leaving; and I am sad as well. However I would invite you think of this as a time of celebration; you are doing Godʼs work: sharing and influencing others to develop spiritually and consistently contributing to the development of outreach and clergy for fellow members to the Christian community. It is an example of really promoting the gospel by developing all of us and sharing with others in our community for the betterment of the church as a whole. So you should understand that I am not really leaving but taking all of you at St. Francis with me in my heart. My ministry going forward will instill the spirituality of the St. Francis family to others. Thanks again and may God bless you all, Dave

8 Mark your calendars for Sunday Oct. 16 following the 9:30 a.m. service. It's fall cleanup time - just in time for the Bishop's visit. Outdoor Warden Irene Lancaster says everyone is needed to clean the church grounds. (And there is pizza involved...) "Dead bushes need to be dug up or trimmed. Weeds have been killed, but they need to be cleaned up," Irene says. The big water oak by the driveway needs trimming as well, so the lawn mower can cut underneath. If there is time, the pear trees also need to be trimmed. Please bring tools, chain saws, shovels, etc. News from Ellen Hamilton... Episcopal Relief and Development is starting to send teams of workers to Louisiana to help with clean-up. If you think you may be interested in a long weekend working in La., we have done these trips away before and had so much fun and saw that we could make a difference! We will probably try to pick a time this winter. Please let Ellen Hamilton know at ellenhamiltonpt@bellsouth.net if you are interested. Also... We had a great crew from St. Francis join a group from Holy Spirit in Alabaster to work on the Diocesan Habitat Build September 24 in Calera. The Coates, for whom the house is being built, are a delightful couple with three children. Both parents teach and coach sports at Restoration Academy. They are so excited about their new home! We installed insulation and caulked as well as hung siding. We felt very accomplished by the end of the day. We had 12 workers, and our St. Francis friends provided our lunch. Thank you to everyone who participated in this very meaningful day!

9 Diocesan Habitat Build The Norvell family wishes to thank ALL at St. Francis Church for the love and support of our grief with the tragic loss of our beloved little Koa. It has left a void in our lives that can never be replaced.the joy of his presence is gone forever. Koa is gone but all of you are here. We will continue to have your love and support. We truly value this so much. Everyone knows how difficult and uncomfortable it is to say the right thing and console the bereaved. It s no less difficult for the bereaved to find the right words when expressing their thanks. Please accept a simple but most sincere - THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH!!!!

10 Ordination of Dave Lambert

11 We are St. Francis