June 2015 Guntersville, AL

Transcription

1 Editor: Rusty Ogden Episcopal Church of the Epiphany 1101 Sunset Drive P. O. Box 116 June 2015 Guntersville, AL Vacation Bible School June 5, 6:00pm 8:30pm June 6, 9:00am 11:30am June 7, 9:00am 11:30am For children in Kindergarten through 5 th grade Please complete the sign-up form on the children s bulletin board outside of Sanderson Hall or EpiphanyYouth@EpiphanyGuntersville.org with child s name, parent name, phone number and any allergies to be aware of. Please sign-friends you are bringing. Set-up and decorating will be held Wednesday June 3, 9:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., June 4, 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and June 5, 9:00 a.m. We are still in need of the following items for decoration/props: 10x10 (or similar size) pop up sunshade tent wicker/woven baskets pottery bowls and jars wooden bowls artificial greenery and fruit These items will be needed from June 1 thru June 7. If you can lend any of the above items, please mark them with your name and phone number and deliver them to the church by June 1. Please contact Shelly Hardin at EpiphanyYouth@EpiphanyGuntersville.org or if you can help or if you have any questions. The choir will take a six week recess June 1 to July 12 with the blessing and encouragement of Fr. Aaron. Kay and Valerie will continue to lead service music and offer instrumental anthems while we take this time to worship with family, travel and relax a bit. All practices will be postponed until Sunday July 19 when they resume at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday evening practices will start up again at 6:30 p.m. with the evening Fall programs in August. Please consider joining us in July. We welcome all who enjoy music and are happy to guide you through the ropes. Right now we have a particular need for tenors and altos. Welcome Crystal Scott! Crystal joins us as a soprano. Cheri Blair will take over as volunteer choir director June 1. We are thankful for her directing experience and her vast knowledge of liturgical and choral music, and look forward to her leadership. I ve enjoyed directing, and now look forward to just singing when not traveling with Scott. Thank you for the confidence and support you ve shown me and the choir over the years. My deep appreciation goes out to Kay who became my mentor, teacher and friend. And to all choristers, past and present, I thank you for all your hard work, your endless patience and most of all, for your unconditional gift of joy through music. Velma Atkins CHILDREN S CHURCH Children s church will resume June 14 th and continue through out the summer. Children s church begins at 10:30 a.m. each Sunday for children 3 years old through the 5 th grade. Children s church is held upstairs in the children s chapel.

2 Epiphany Epiphany Star Star Page Page 62 Congratulations to the 2015 EfM graduates. Haley Brown and Cole Nichols request the pleasure of your company at the celebration of their union Saturday, the thirteenth day of June two thousand and fifteen seven o'clock in the evening Woodall Commons grounds 1101 Sunset Drive Guntersville, Alabama Left to right: Graduates, Jim Coleman, Jackie Camper, Rick Cooley, Susan Armstrong, Cheri Blair and Guy Caffey with EfM mentor Jeanne Nelson. Reception to follow Haley and Cole are registered at: Baker s on Main Target Lowes The Guntersville Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a 4th of July Fireworks show over beautiful Lake Guntersville. The fireworks are viewed best between Civitan Park and LB Wallace Drive pier. Epiphany s parking lot is in this prime location. Father s Day Altar Flower Dedications The Altar Guild is taking dedications for the Father s Day altar flowers on June 21. A dedication form is on the counter in the church office. Each dedication is $5.00. This dedication is a wonderful and thoughtful way to remember those men who mean so much to us; your husband, your father, your brother, your grandfathers, a favorite uncle, or a special friend. To get the best spot, ask for a free parking pass in the church office. Only 55 passes are available so don t wait too long. You may bring your own food and beverage and have a tailgate party. Don t forget your lawn chair. WEDNESDAY HEALING SERVICE The regular 11:30 a.m. Wednesday Healing Eucharist will continue through June and then be on hiatus for the month of July. It will resume August 5.

3 Epiphany Star Page 3 As is so often the case, the seasons of the church year reflect the changing seasons of the calendar year. The summer months are beginning, and we are entering the long, green season after Pentecost. On Pentecost Sunday, we celebrated the birth of the church. Throughout the season that follows, we celebrate the life and work of the church. It is common to refer to this season after Pentecost as ordinary time. Generally speaking, this is a phrase used to describe those parts of the year that are not included in the specifically designated seasons of the year (i.e., the Season of Advent, the Season of Lent, the Season of Easter). It is a somewhat deceptive phrase, because there is nothing ordinary about ordinary time. This is the season of living out our Christian faith and exploring the power of Christ s resurrection in our daily lives. These upcoming summer months are the traditional growing season, when the fruits of the earth begin to produce in abundance. We can see the glory of God s creation as soil, sunshine and rain bring forth their bounty. We need look no further than the creation accounts in the book of Genesis to see that God cares for the Creation, as God has made the good things of this earth that provide for our sustenance. In the best of circumstances, summertime is a moment when we can also enjoy the fruits of our own labors. It represents for us a time of Sabbath rest. We pause for refreshment and relaxation, taking a step back from some of our duties in order to be able to approach them again in the future with renewed vigor. Summertime is a chance to take some time off; it is the season of vacation and holiday. And although most of us continue in our various labors, we also take time to be renewed and rejuvenated. But even though we do our best to take a break, our continuing growth in the life of faith does not cease. This summer, I invite you to faithful attendance in the life of our parish. There will be opportunities to serve, to care, and to build up the Body of Christ. An example would be our annual Vacation Bible School, which will be held June 5-7. Whether you teach, lead games, make crafts, or provide food or supplies, there will be many opportunities to offer your gifts. This is just another way that God takes our ordinary time and makes it extra-ordinary. And even though we aren t in an official season of the church year, now is a time set apart and made sacred; it is a time for growing in faith. The life of faith is often a series of small epiphanies that add up to a full, rich, and deep relationship with God. Our call is to be attentive for those moments to be on the lookout for the many ways God interacts with us. I look forward to hearing of the ways in which God is inviting you into a deeper relationship through your labor and work, and through your rest and relaxation. Blessings & Peace, Fr. Aaron The Season after Pentecost, 2015 FR. AARON TO CO-OFFICIATE AT BETHANY DEDICATION Fr. Aaron has been asked to co-officiate with Bishops Jefferts-Schori, Sloan, and Marray at the Blessing and Dedication of Bethany Village (see page 5). The Vestry has agreed on behalf of the parish to pursue a five-year fund-raising goal for the sake of construction at Bethany, specifically for a special creative arts studio. The new studio a beautiful, light-filled space will be named the Epiphany Art Studio in honor of our efforts toward its construction. More news of Epiphany s partnership with Bethany is to come, so join Fr. Aaron and others at Camp McDowell on June 20 th, and stay tuned!

4 Epiphany Star Page 4 Dear Friends, For more information or to register for any event go to A CALL FOR CAMPERS Camp McDowell has NEW camps offered this summer in the NEW space of Bethany Village. We are calling for campers, ages 3rd -12th grades, to come and see what else is wonderful, wonderful at Camp McDowell this summer. You may be surprised, even amazed, at the unique opportunities our diocesan camp has waiting for you, including: Youth Workshops - Blacksmithing (July 9-11), Guitar (July 20-Aug 1) Bethany's Kids - inclusion summer camp (July 26-29) Plus volunteer opportunities! Please join us this summer. Your diocesan camp and conference center is waiting to serve you. For more information go to: In faith, Susanna Whitsett Faith-based Programs Developer for Camp McDowell Summer is just around the corner! Camp McDowell and Bethany Village have a host of camps available for children and youth of all ages. Visit to check out the camps that are available. Scholarships are available! If you need financial assistance, contact: Lamar Auman lamar.auman@gmail.com Shelly Hardin EpiphanyYouth@EpiphanyGuntersville.org or Father Aaron FatherAaron@EpiphanyGuntersville.org DEDICATION The Dedication of Bethany Village is Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 10 a.m. in Doug Carpenter Hall, with lunch following. This will be a fantastic, spirit-filled celebration of Camp McDowell s beautiful new expansion built with universal design and alternative energy features. Please join The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, The Rt. Rev. Kee Sloan, the Rev. Mark Johnston, the Bethany Campaign Cabinet, and the Department of Camp McDowell for this grand opening of our new diocesan home for ministry and programming. You are invited to come for the dedication only or stay on for the afternoon and/or the remainder of the weekend! Many wonderful activities are planned, including a Folk School concert (Saturday evening) and closing service of Holy Eucharist (Sunday).NOTE: Friday night lodging is FULL at this time. We invite you to bring your family and friends to Camp McDowell for this glorious weekend. Registration is required for all by June 14th! There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board outside the nave if you would like to ride the bus for the dedication and lunch. The bus will be $15 per person. You must still register at Camp

5 Epiphany Star Page 5 Camp McDowell is a place where our youth broaden their horizons and make friends from across the state at summer camp, but it is so much, much more! Camp McDowell is a place where Epiphany sends pilgrims to Cursillo; it is a place where Epiphany holds parish and vestry retreats; it is a place where Epiphany meets other parishes in Diocesan events; it is a place where members of Epiphany hold family reunions; it is a place we call God s back yard for a reason. I spoke with several young adults who have connections to The Church of the Epiphany and asked them to share their thoughts on the question, How has Camp McDowell affected your life? I have received several inspirational replies that range from a sentence or two, to a five page essay! The Epiphany Star will feature an article or two this month and in the months ahead. I believe you will find these words spoken from the heart and inspirational! Lamar Auman, Epiphany s Liaison to Camp McDowell How Camp McDowell has affected my life? By Lydia Atkins, Church of the Epiphany, Guntersville, AL The story I often tell the people in my life now, as I move through the world in my late 20 s, is that Camp McDowell is where I learned to listen to others a huge gift and life skill that s always evolving; where I could celebrate unlimited creativity; where it was safe to question and redefine the purpose of rules and order in our schools, churches and social circles. It was a place where our stories mattered. When I think of WHY Camp was able to create this influential place for thousands of children and young adults, I think of circles. We met in circles to get to know one another, to form small groups that met throughout the program to discuss our thoughts and tell our stories. We met by Clear Creek, behind Eppes Hall, or on the playground. We shared fears, anxieties, and traumas as well as dreams and joys we d never spoken aloud to another soul. Camp McDowell is where I learned to listen to others a huge gift and life skill that s always evolving; where I could celebrate unlimited creativity; where it was safe to question and redefine the purpose of rules and order in our schools, churches and social circles. It was a place where our stories mattered. Lydia Atkins We gathered in large circles to play games and celebrate made up traditions. When I think back on the nearly two decades I participated in Camp programs, I realize that I had thousands of chances to reflect and form my identity in small, safe spaces. I questioned who I was in this world and genuinely thought about what I wanted to do with this precious life of mine. I left each session inspired beyond words and just so deeply in love with the people I met. The Best Way To Pray A priest, a minister and a guru sat discussing the best positions for prayer, while a telephone repairman worked nearby. 'Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray,' the priest said. 'No,' said the minister. 'I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven.' 'You're both wrong,' the guru said. 'The most effective prayer position is lying down on the floor.' The repairman could contain himself no longer. 'Hey, fellas,' he interrupted. 'The best prayin' I ever did was when I was hangin' upside down from a telephone pole.

6 Epiphany Star Page 6 How Camp McDowell has affected my life? By Haley Brown, Church of the Epiphany, Guntersville, AL When I was sixteen years old, I was waiting in the Houston airport for my next flight to Phoenix. I was wearing a Camp McDowell t-shirt, and I got stopped by a young man not much older than myself. He asked if it was the same Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Alabama. He used to attend summer camp there when he would stay with his aunt in Birmingham. We established a few mutual friends and talked for a long time about how Camp McDowell is/was the best place in the world. It was then I realized the magnitude of how Camp McDowell had helped so many people. I was fortunate to start attending summer camp at Camp McDowell when I was eight years old. I met many new people and made many lifelong friends, two of which are bridesmaids in my wedding. Throughout the years, I attended many other sessions at Camp McDowell such as Winter Weekend, Vocare, and Special Session. Though many proved to be very spiritual and life changing, none hold a candle to what Special Session has done for me. Special Session is a week long summer session for adults with physical and mental disabilities. I was fourteen the first time I volunteered to be a counselor. That was the first time I met Kee Sloan. I was young, awkward, and probably not near mature enough for what was to occur that week. I was assigned two campers, Bertha Eubanks and Tanya Hawkins, two names I will never forget. The week started out slow. I had never worked that closely with special needs and was hesitant and shy. Special Session has been and will always be a part of who I am. Because of it, I have chosen a career path to work with special needs. I have learned to accept all of God s creations, to spread God s love to everyone, to love the moment you are in when you are in it, and to know that God is present always. Haley Brown Unfortunately, Bertha was sent home early due to the passing of her father. So it was just Tanya and me. Tanya was a first year camper, so no one knew much about her other than what her application said. She had transitional issues and would get aggressive when she didn t like what was happening. Throughout the week, I obtained many bruises and scratches, but it didn t matter. Tanya and I swam, canoed, sang, and she even did a magic show during the Talent show. On the last night, we were having milk and cookies before bed. I heard Tanya scream and start crying from across the Rec Hall. It was the same scream and cry she did before she got agitated. Before I knew it, Tanya was running very fast towards me. I thought she was angry, but she grabbed me and hugged me crying and talking about how much she loved me and was going to miss me and camp. I knew then I would not miss the next year at Special Session. The next day, during the awards that are given to each camper and counselor at the end of the week, I received the Golden Gloves award. I have attended Special Session every year since then. Kee Sloan always talks in staff training about how Special Session is like a pot of Gumbo, it has a little of everything in it. He talks about how once the Gumbo flavors really start to work together; it is hard to tell what is what. All you know is that it is a delicious flavor. He explains that if you do Special Session right, you will have that Gumbo moment. There will be a time when you look around and you will not be able to tell which people are the staff and which people are the campers. I have seen that moment many times. All of God s children in one place and all of them equal. I hope you can understand the magnitude of that. Many of the campers are told what to do and what to wear every single day of their lives, except at camp. Special Session is the only place many of the campers are treated with actual respect. Everyone has disabilities; some are just more visible than others. At Special Session, those disabilities are invisible. Many of the campers go home from camp, wash their clothes, repack, and start counting down the days until camp next year. Special Session has become, to many, not a camp session but rather a family reunion. I was asked one time how did I know that God is present during Special Session. It s not something you can even begin to describe, but you can certainly feel it. It s something you have to experience for yourself. Special Session has been and will always be a part of who I am. Because of it, I have chosen a career path to work with special needs. I have learned to accept all of God s creations, to spread God s love to everyone, to love the moment you are in when you are in it, and to know that God is present always. Some could argue that it is not the camp itself that makes all these things so great, but rather the community you are in. To them I say, You are wrong. Camp McDowell truly is God s Backyard. I don t believe you can truly appreciate all of these things if you weren t fully surrounded by one of God s most beautiful masterpieces, Camp McDowell. I ask that you please consider supporting Camp McDowell and Bethany Village. They mean so much to so many people. We need them around for many more years to come.

7 Epiphany Star Page 37 Treasurer s Report Church of the Epiphany Balance Sheet Consolidated April 2015 ASSETS BANK ACCOUNTS CHECKING ACCOUNTS Citizens - Operating $17, SAVINGS ACCOUNTS Citizens Money Market 83, Vantage Money Market 19, Subtotal Savings Accounts 103, Subtotal Bank Accounts 120, INVESTMENTS State Street Global Adv. 40, DIOALA Pooled Investments 16, Subtotal Investments 57, FIXED ASSETS BUILDINGS Nave/Office Space 1,036, Sanderson Hall 679, Woodall Commons 767, Accum. Depr. - Buildings (873,286.83) Subtotal Buildings 1,609, EQUIPMENT Equipment and Furnishings 411, Accum. Depr. - Equipment (183,878.03) Subtotal Equipment 227, Subtotal Fixed Assets 1,836, RECEIVABLES Coffee Ministry TOTAL ASSETS $2,015,247.55

8 Epiphany Star Page 8 Balance Sheet continued LIABILITIES CURRENT LIABILITIES PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS TAXES PAYABLE Federal Withholding $ Social Security 1, Medicare State Taxes Payable Subtotal Taxes Payable 2, Subtotal Payroll Deductions 2, Subtotal Current Liabilities 2, LONG-TERM LIABILITIES MORTGAGES & LOANS Vantage Bank Loan 272, TOTAL LIABILITIES 275, NET ASSETS UNRESTRICTED General Fund Balance $3, Facilities and Equipment 1,563, Subtotal Unrestricted 1,567, TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED Children's Offering 1, CJ Rives Forum 1, Epiphany Scholarship Fund Contingency Fund 5, Operating Reserve 13, Daughters of the King Brotherhood of St. Andrew Rector's Discretionary Kitchen Fund 22, Epiphany Memorial Fund 2, Playground Tree Project EYC Fundraisers 3, Altar Guild Fund 6, Memorial Garden Escrow 17, Memorial Gdn.Unrestricted 2, Epiphany Ultreya Debt Reduction Budget Surplus 33, Subtotal Temporarily Restricted 113, PERMANENTLY RESTRICTED Alves Outreach Fund 17, Epiphany Tapestry Fund 41, Subtotal Permanently Restricted 58, Subtotal Donor Restricted 172, TOTAL EQUITY 1,739,959.78

9 Epiphany Star Page 9 Income and Expense Statement General Fund March 2015 INCOME CONTRIBUTION INCOME UNRESTRICTED $26, $111, $339, % FUND RAISERS 2, , , % Subtotal Unrestricted 28, , , % DONOR RESTRICTED TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED 1, , % PERMANENTLY RESTRICTED , % Subtotal Donor Restricted 1, , % Subtotal Contribution Income 30, , , % INTEREST INCOME % RELEASE FROM RESTRICTIONS TEMP RESTRICTED RELEASE (7,007.53) (24,737.01) % RELEASED FROM RESTRICTION 7, , % Subtotal Release From Restrictions % TOTAL INCOME 30, , , % EXPENSES BUDGETED EXPENSES CLERGY COMPENSATION RECTOR COMPENSATION $11, $39, $111, % OTHER CLERGY COMPENSATION , % Subtotal Clergy Compensation 11, , , % LAY STAFF COMPENSATION FIN ASST COMPENSATION 1, , , % COMM ASST COMPENSATION 1, , , % YOUTH DIR. COMPENSATION 1, , , % OTHER LAY SUPPORT STAFF 1, , , % EMPLOYER EXPENSES , , % Subtotal Lay Staff Compensation 5, , , % NON-PERSONNEL EXPENSES BUILDINGS/GROUNDS EXPENSE 5, , , % CHRISTIAN EDUCATION , , % OFFICE EXPENSE 1, , , % PROGRAM EXPANSION 5, , , % WORSHIP EXPENSE , % Subtotal Non-personnel Expenses 12, , , %

10 Epiphany Star Page 10 Income and Expense Statement General Fund continued OTHER EXPENSE KITCHEN FUND EXPENSE , % FUND RAISER EXPENSE , % Subtotal Other Expense 1, , % OTHER DESIGNATED EXPENSES % NON OPERATING EXPENSE WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNER , % SUNDAY BREAKFAST , % FUND EXPENSE 6, , % Subtotal Non Operating Expense 7, , % TOTAL EXPENSES 38, , , % EXCESS INCOME\EXPENSES ($8,463.91) ($477.49) ($9,313.00) 5.13% Top Reasons to set up a direct debit for your pledge or contribution: No searching all over the house on Sunday mornings for your checkbook. Give the staff and volunteers a break. It is faster to process an automatic debit than it is to open an envelope, verify the amount, endorse the check, run an adding machine tape and go to the bank. Save the church money. Use less envelopes. Relax on vacation, knowing that your contributions are still hard at work and providing a smooth cash flow for church operations. Save the environment. Go green ; eliminate paper. You won t have to worry about your pledge being up to date. It always will be! SUMMER PLEDGES Historically the collections during the summer months are lower due to people being away for vacations or other events. To date, contributions are down by 12%. If too many parishioners allow their pledges and gifts to fall behind, Epiphany struggles to meet its obligations. At the end of June, we will be sending out a mid-year report of your giving. Please review the information, and do your best to stay current in your pledge to both the General Fund and the Building Fund. Our tithes and gifts to our church reflect our thanks to God for his goodness to us, and that should continue all year around.

11 Epiphany Star Page 5 Epiphany Star Page 11 JUNE 2015 CODE: DOK Daughters of the King; ECW Episcopal Church Women; HC Holy Communion; HE Holy Eucharist; Men s B & B Men s Breakfast and Bible Study; Birthdays in italics Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Set up for VBS 3 Set up for VBS Centering Prayer 9:45am Healing Service 11:30am Book Study 6pm 4 Staff mtg 10am Dream Group 12pm 5 Men s B&B 7am VBS 6pm 8:30pm 6 VBS 11:30am 7 HE 8 & 10:30am Nursery VBS 11:30am Lectionary Class 9:30 8 DOK 11:30am Michelle Bradshaw 9 Building & Grounds 6pm Shelia Smith Arlyne Black 10 Centering Prayer 9:45am Healing Service 11:30am Book Study 6pm Randy Alexander 11 Staff mtg 10am Dream Group 12pm Stations of the Cross 7pm Cursillo #198 Trip Hembree 12 Men s B&B 7am Cursillo #198 Jon Auman Valerie Fleming Joyce Rehfeld Ron Thomas 13 Brotherhood 8am Beans & Rice 10am Brown / Nichols wedding 7pm Cursillo # HE 8 & 10:30am Nursery 10am Lectionary Class 9:30 Outreach 9:30am Children s Church 10:30am Cursillo # Vestry mtg 6:30pm 17 Centering Prayer 9:45am Healing Service 11:30am Book Study 6pm 18 Staff mtg 10am Dream Group 12pm 19 Men s B&B 7am 20 Bethany Dedication 10am Jenn Baker Dianna Ratliff John Branum Rusty Ogden Amanda Mitchell Ben Booth Chris Hartley Ken Kadrmas Charles Ruddy 21 HE 8 & 10:30am Nursery 10am Lectionary Class 9:30 Children s Church 10:30am 22 DOK 11:30am Centering Prayer 9:45am Healing Service 11:30am Book Study 6pm Ashleigh Brown 25 Staff mtg 10am Dream Group 12pm Gemma Brown 26 Men s B&B 7am Kirk Sorbo 27 Brotherhood 8am 28 HE 8 & 10:30am Nursery 10am Lectionary Class 9:30 Children s Church 10:30am Ultreya 5:30pm Kathy Morita 29 Don Hall 30 July 1 July 2 July 3 July 4 Fireworks 9pm Parking lot closed for parishioners only