Bibles for Scouts ST. ANDREW S CROSS. Brothers provide New Testament editions MAY 2016

Transcription

1 ST. ANDREW S CROSS The Brotherhood of St. Andrew of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion MAY 2016 Bibles for Scouts Brothers provide New Testament editions By Ed Milbrada The Brotherhood of St. Andrew has joined other denomina ons to provide 30,000 New Testament Bible edi ons to Scouts at one of the four Boy Scouts High Adventure Bases this summer. Our partners in this project are United Methodist Men, the Na onal Catholic Commi ee on Scou ng, the Associa on of Bap sts for Scou ng, the Na onal Lutheran Associa on on Scou ng and the Members of Churches of Christ for Scou ng. This is a wonderful opportunity for us, President Jeff Butcher told the Brotherhood s Scou ng Commi ee. Go for it. These New Testament Bibles will be given to Scouts who a end a religious service during their ou ng at a High Adventure Base. We chose the New Revised Standard Version con nued on page 5

2 A REPORT FROM PROVINCE V Province of the mighty Midwest Waring Webb By Waring Webb Province V is composed of 14 dioceses in the Midwest from Ohio to the Mississippi River. Our largest membership is in the dioceses of Chicago, Ohio and Indianapolis. Chicago has four ac ve chapters. In the last year we rechartered a chapter in East Liverpool, Ohio and we just received a request to recharter a chapter at The Church of St. Michael and St. George in St. Louis. Our contact there is member-at-large Mike Bickel. The Church of St. Michael and St. George is the largest parish in the Diocese of Missouri (which covers only eastern Missouri), Brother Bickel says. More than 50 years ago it had a very large Brotherhood chapter as well the Daughters of the King. But there has been no chapter for many decades. I am happy to report that there is now a high respect for the Brotherhood of St. Andrew among the new, very young clergy members. Pray for me that that we can form a strong chapter soon. There are more than 60 members-at-large in Province V who are not members of an ac ve chapter but maintain their na onal membership. If this defines you, would you be interested in star ng a chapter in your present parish? Please contact me or our na onal office for more informa on. Th e Brotherhood offers many opportuni es for service and leadership. For example, 15 Brothers from St. John s-naperville and St. Andrew s-downers Grove traveled to Aurora, Illinois to visit the new residen al building at Wayside Cross Ministries. Both of our chapters have supported its ministry for several years. WCM s prime ministry is a residen al program for up to 95 men who may be former substance abusers or are homeless. WCM also has a new similar facility for women that is in a nearby renovated former convent. In addi on, it also offers programs for urban youth, a correc on facility ministry, counseling for families and incarcerated fathers. More than 400 volunteers make this possible. Our visit began with a Morning Prayer service and then we Brothers from St. John s-naperville and St. Andrew s-downers Grove visit the new residen al building at Wayside Cross Ministries. Seated are, from le, Jeff Dooling, Ted Main, Rodney Fair, Kurt Wiesner and Nick Velazquez. Standing are, from le, Dick Barr, John Walker, unknown, Tony Chamblerlin, Waring Webb, Noad VanDam, Jim Hoover, Phil Matejczyk, Birnie Harper, Mel Lopez and Bill Powell. heard a resident share his story. Development Coordinator Birnie Harper outlined the history and mission of WCM, which has been in opera on since We had a tour of its beau ful new building and performed several service projects in the maintenance shop and in its Hope Chest resale store. We concluded our visit with a lunch with some of the residents, ending an informa ve and inspiring morning. Province V has a large poten al for chapter growth. The Brotherhood provides a valuable lifesaving service to bring persons to Christ through our disciplines of prayer, study and service. What if every parish had a Brotherhood chapter? The 2015 Episcopal Church General Conven on commended the Brotherhood for its long- me ministry to men. Let s make this a reality. Waring Webb is Province V president. He can be reached at waringwebb@sbcglobal.net. 2 The ST. ANDREW S CROSS May 2016

3 A MESSAGE FROM OUR TREASURER Let s dedicate ourselves anew Part of what we recite together during the Opening Service of our chapter mee ngs includes the tle of this ar cle, which is on page 3 of the Devo onal Handbook. Further, We dedicate ourselves anew to the purpose of the Brotherhood, the spread of Christ s kingdom. What is this purpose? Do we believe in it and are we called to live this purpose? I believe in this purpose, and I thank God you do! Our Three Disciplines help us live this purpose. The purpose is in the lives we lead and how we fulfill our calling in ministering to men. Have we thought about how important this is in our lives today, but so much more in the lives of the men we are discipling? Another interpreta on of the disciplines is that they are an investment in your future. Study ensures your future and service is your calling. Prayer is talking to God and in study we are le ng God talk to us. That leaves service, which is our mission. In James 2:14, What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? From 2:18, Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. Our mission is not only to disciple men as commanded in the Great Commission, it is also to thoroughly equip men for good works or deeds. To be equipped, we must be faithful, available and teachable! We must share our ministry resources, our study materials, our ministry ideas and our willingness to band together to minister to men, leading them into a growing rela onship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How can we ask a man to go and make disciples if he is not prepared? A priest prepares his sermon in advance of giving it and in so many professions people are educated and trained before and prac cing their professions. Ministry work requires prac ce and more prac ce and it all begins with prayer. Like Paul, you plant the Robert Dennis seeds and let the next man water, (his ministry) and let the Holy Spirit make it grow. Everything is in God s ming, not ours. Therefore, what we do in ministry will be for the glory of God and not for ourselves. God will make things happen. Too o en we are impa ent and I can only speak for myself in this regard. When I let go and let God be in charge, amazing things happen. That is why once again I dedicate myself anew! The Brotherhood of St. Andrew provides an opportunity for men to pray, study, worship and serve our Lord together. I have met with many men over the years and like them I am con nually searching and not for the meaning of life which was popular years ago. I am looking to fulfill the purpose God created me for. I want to con nue to minister to people in Church and elsewhere, which has its rewards and challenges. I will listen to what God is asking me to do. If you know me, listening is not always easy for me, and I need pa ence to understand once again that all things are in His ming, and not mine. Many are the plans in a man s heart, but it is the Lord s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21. The golden years of our lives are now, we are hopefully more mature Chris ans, willing to be mentors, and realize that every day is a learning process. No one is at a point in his life today that he needs no further teaching. I believe that if you can t learn something new every day, then the day is lost. There are men wai ng to be discipled and you are the man to do this ministry. Please join with me and dedicate yourself anew to the purpose of the Brotherhood, the spread of Christ s kingdom, especially among men and boys, not by our might but by the power of God s Spirit. Be bold and courageous. Joshua 1:9. God bless your good deeds and your ministry to men now and always. Treasurer and former president Robert Dennis can be reached at rdennis4@nyc.rr.com. The ST. ANDREW S CROSS May

4 NATIONAL SERVICE DAY 2016, A NEW CHAPTER An upgrade in Brooklyn By Robert Dennis BROOKLYN, New York - The fourth annual Na onal Service Day at St. Philip s Episcopal Church in Dyker Heights was one of our busiest. We accomplished so much. Among other things, we disconnected and discarded two old air condi oners and a dish washer from our rectory. Then we installed new two new air condi oners. A er that, we covered 60 feet of hot water piping in the basement of the rectory with proper insula on. Next came cleaning and repairing leaders and gu ers. Bags of leaves from the gu ers and the church and parish hall roo ops were removed. Then we came back to earth and performed landscaping tasks, re-plan ng flowers in our memorial garden areas, adding mulch, spreading out new ornamental stones, Parishioners at St.Philip s Episcopal Church in the Dyker Heights sec on of Brooklyn performed several improvement projects during Na onal Service Day April 25. trimming bushes and pain ng the leaders in front of the church building. We also spruced up the parish kitchen and cleared out file cabinets of old and no longer important documents. Back outdoors, we removed two hazards on the church grounds, filled in topsoil and planted flowers in their place. It was a successful day with good weather and plenty of food was provided. Robert Dennis can be reached at rdennis4@nyc.rr.com. New California chapter A new chapter of the Brotherhood was commissioned at St. Peter s Episcopal Church in Rialto California on April 17. From le are Assis ng Priest The Rev. Hunter Silides and members Vince Jovero, Jim Blayney, Vice Director Kevin Hertz, Secretary Chris Consolo, Director Stan Hobbs and John Heatley. Not pictured are members Archbishop and St. Peter s Rector Samuel Azariah, Treasurer Bill Reid, Andrew Autrey, Brian Smith and Blake Smith. The church is part of the large Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. 4 The ST. ANDREW S CROSS May 2016

5 BROTHERS HELP PROVIDE BIBLES AT HIGH ADVENTURE CAMPS The New Testament Bibles will strengthen Scouting s Duty to God con nued from page 1 because it s a modern transla on used by scholars from across the Chris an world, Philmont Scout Ranch Chaplain Nathan Williams said. It has the broadest buyin and is the version most used at Chris an colleges and universi es. The High Adventure Bases are Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico; Florida Sea Base in Islamorada, Florida; Northern Tier in Ely, Minnesota and The Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean, West Virginia. They offer hiking in the Rockies, sea kayaking in the Florida Keys, canoeing near the Canadian boundary and white-water ra ing in West Virginia. Each base offers a Duty to God patch for Scouts who choose to work on it during their ou ng. For example, the Philmont patch requirements are: * Par cipants must a end a religious service while at Philmont, par cipate in at least three daily devo onals with their crew and lead Grace before a meal; * Par cipants must obtain a Chaplain s Aide signature to cer fy comple on of requirements. The patch reinforces a Scout s understanding of their Duty to God requirement at the High Adventure Base and we believe these New Testament Bibles will strengthen the Boy Scout emphasis on Duty to God that is part of both the Scout Oath and the Scout Law even further. Funding comes from the Brotherhood s Faith Budget on a one- me basis. While the Brotherhood s na onal leadership recognizes the value of the High Adventure Base New Testament project and provided ini al funding, the New Testament Bibles can be an ongoing yearly ministry. Brothers are encouraged to donate to the Faith Budget so this project and other important projects can be supported by the Brotherhood now and into the future. Tax-deduc ble dona ons to the Faith Budget can be made at any me through the Brotherhood Na onal Office: Brotherhood of St. Andrew Faith Budget PO Box 632 Ambridge, PA Clockwise from top le : The Philmont Scout Camp, an Episcopal Scou ng worship service, the Northern Tier Scout Ranch, the Florida Sea Base Scout Ranch and the Summit Bechtel Reserve, site of the 2017 Jamboree. The ST. ANDREW S CROSS May

6 NATIONAL SERVICE DAY, DALLAS GOLF EVENT Dallas golf tournament full - again By Jim Vineyard Pensacola painters DALLAS - The annual Dallas Assembly Brotherhood of St. Andrew Golf Tournament is almost full. All foursomes are commi ed (36 foursomes, 144 golfers). Ther e are s ll a few singles available to fill out the foursomes. Don t fret if you can t play but want to support this most worthy cause of providing service dogs for disabled veterans. This is the fourth year in a row the Dallas Brotherhood Assembly has supported Patriot Paws, a 10-year-old non-profit ministry that selects and trains the service dogs disabled veterans use to help them live independently. A Patriot PAWS mobility service dog will train for 18 months to two years. Dallas Brothers have raised almost $60,000 during their threeyear involvement with Patriot Paws. The tournament will be held June 8 at Buffalo Creek Golf Club in Rockwall, a lakeside suburb east of Dallas. By Dick Hooper FAIRHOPE, Alabama - Thirteen Brothers from the Christ Church chapter in Pensacola, Florida journeyed to Beckwith Camp and Conference Center of the Central Gulf Coast April 25 to paint the interior of a cabin in prepara- on for the summer children s camping sessions. This was the third consecu ve year the chapter has par cipated in Na onal Service Day. From le are John Ma hews, Bill Bragwell, Warren Jerrems, C. Ray Jones, David Anderson, Jim Miller, Dick Hooper, John Hendrix, Bob Stumpf, Dean Prestwood, Bob Moulton, Don Meyer and John Griffing. 6 The ST. ANDREW S CROSS May 2016

7 TEXAS GOLF TOURNAMENT SCHOLARSHIPS Aus n Brothers award a $2,000 scholarship to Hailey Nichols in the top le photo. The Brothers are Paul Veihman, Dave Saxon from St. Alban s Episcopal Church and Bruce Newman from St. Ma hew s Episcopal Church, which Ms. Nichols also a ends. In the right photo Brothers Dan Brast, le, and Al Co on present another $2,000 scholarship to Ravey Westley, Texans award scholarships By Dan Brast HOUSTON The Texas Assembly held its 10th annual golf tournament at Cypresswood Golf Club in Spring, Texas on May 22. The tournament raises $35,000 with 143 players. All of the revenue comes from sponsors and players fees. Its original purpose was to fund a boys retreat each October, but its success has afforded us to contribute to other ministries, including offering two scholarships to gradua ng high school seniors. Each parish and mission in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas can submit one entry. A scholarship commi ee of seven Brothers judges the entries and picks two recipients. Each recipient receives $2,000. who a ends St. James Episcopal Church in Houston. Brother Brast is from the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter in Spring and Brother Al Co on, right, represents the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross in Sugarland. Scholarship funds are raised by an annual Episcopal Diocese of Texas Brotherhood Assembly Golf Tournament. photos courtesy of Brother Allen Keith This year s recipients are Hailey Nichols of Aus n and Ravey Westley of Houston. Hailey plans to a end Texas A&M and Ravey has been accepted to Houston Bap st University but is also weighing athle c scholarships offers he s received. The students have been accepted and plan to a end college in the Fall semester. The criteria we use are grades, school, church and community involvement. Other ministries we donate to are Inside the Walls Prison Retreat in Lake Jackson; Camp Good News in Huntsville; the Lord of the Streets in Houston, Trinity House in Aus n, St Vincent s House in Galveston and the Na onal Brotherhood Missionary Fund. Texas Assembly President Dan Brast can be reached at dbrast@pdq.net. BROTHERS WHO HAVE DIED Joe Parks Houston, TX Leland Brumley Houston, TX Michael Morgan Gadsden, AL The Rev. George Stebbins The Villages, FL Richard Hawley Kingwood, TX Fred Goebel The ST. ANDREW S CROSS May

8 A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. JEFF KRANTZ Are you what God is doing? The Rev. Jeff Krantz Last week I was out of town, caring for a family member whose health is failing. One of my jobs for the rest of the family was to assess how well I thought this par cular member was doing living alone. Having been a pastor for so long, it was easy to slip into the manager role. I ve had the privilege of shepherding so many families through similar mes in their lives before, I Because of Pentecost, you and I have at our disposal a whole arsenal of spiritual weapons. just reverted to form. Just so you won t worry, this member of the family is doing be er than I d been led to expect. But there came a moment in all of it when I became aware of how detached I d become, evalua ng so many things without being fully engaged. I was given a chance to examine my heart, to figure out what my real place in this process was and to step into that role more authen cally. It was at that moment that I asked, Where is God in this? When Jesus was challenged for healing on the Sabbath in John 5, He responded, Very truly, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but does only what He sees the Father doing. So o en, especially in a me of crisis, we put on our work hats and gloves and get down to fixing things without ever asking, Wait a minute, what is God up to right now? Working at anything without knowing the answer to that ques on is like building a house without a founda on. It may look good when you re done but it won t last. We re a lot more likely to see fruit that will last if we ve aligned ourselves with God s purposes before we get too far along. THE REV. JEFF KRANTZ So I asked myself where God was and at first I couldn t see Him anywhere. But He was, He always is, so I stopped and prayed on it some more and the answer came back, You re what I m doing right now. Now, I don t know about you, but that s not an answer I like to get. I m much more comfortable being the hanger-on when it comes to things of God. You may think that s not how it s supposed to be, but that s how it is, probably for most of us. It always seems a lot easier to join a great move of God than to be one. Some mes you are what God is doing. That could be a cliche, but there s a lot more to it than just you bringing whatever earthly skills we have to a situa on. We just celebrated Pentecost and because of that day so many years ago, you and I have at our disposal a whole arsenal of spiritual weapons mighty to the bringing down of strongholds. Wisdom greater than we could have had, knowledge of things that aren t visible on the surface, an ability to look into God s plans for a person and see His victory, hope that isn t grounded in what we can do but who He is. I think that we might be reluctant to be the answer to Where is God right now? because we forget all that we have been given through the presence of Holy Spirit. What is God up to in your life? The Rev. Jeff Krantz can be reached at jhkrantz@gmail. com. 8 The ST. ANDREW S CROSS May 2016