St. Paul s Episcopal Church The Epistle January 2019 Love God. Love others. Help others love God.

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1 St. Paul s Episcopal Church The Epistle January 2019 Love God. Love others. Help others love God. We welcome you to join us on our journey as we strive to share the love of Jesus through worship, Christian education, fellowship and service to each other and the community beyond our walls. From Your Rector God, bless to me the new day, Never vouchsafed to me before; It is to bless Thine own presence Thou hast given me this time, O God. Bless Thou to me mine eye, May mine eye bless all it sees I will bless my neighbour, May my neighbour bless me. God, give me a clean heart, Let me not from sight of Thine eye; Bless to me my children and my wife, And bless to me my means and my cattle. For those of you familiar with Celtic spirituality know that each day has a great deal of significance. They consider each day to be sacred. Each new day is a beginning and is uniquely significant. Each and every day is a new beginning and is considered a gift from God. The metaphor about vision is such that in it there is an invocation that the human eye may bless all that it sees. In blessing what is seen they know that God will guard them throughout the day and guide the step of their day. Like St. Francis of Assisi they believe that in this blessing God, self, others and creation all our embraced. Since they believed each day was new, they in my opinion, would celebrate New Year s Day each and every day of the year. We, on the other hand, look at one day to begin a new year. We make resolutions that many times don t last all that long. We have hopes and desires and items on our bucket lists that we would like to accomplish and for a variety of reasons never really get to that list. The Collect from the BCP states: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of Him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ. What is in our hearts this year? What is in the 1

2 hearts of our brothers and sisters in the world? Is this the year the violence and hatred we experience going to subside. Are more people going to accept the belief of the Golden Rule? What will it take to focus on those things we have in common with all of creation than those that divide us? Will this be the year that the gifts of the Christ Child: Peace, Joy, Love and Hope will be the gifts that we give to each other? We all have expectations of what the year will bring. May each of our hopes and dreams come true in May we not be disappointed when, at the end of the year, we reflect on the year gone past. A traditional Celtic prayer translated by Alexander Carmichael ( ), compiler of oral traditions in Scotland. Source: Academia Father John+ Thank you to those who set up and prepared the December Movin On Lunch: Lynn and Bill Freeman, Sue Jones, Stephanie Eldred Alexander, Casey Korchynsky, and Jennifer Westermann. Many thanks to all who assisted in our Christmas celebration. To the tree hunters, decorators, those who made our services such a celebration of God s dwelling among us. Everything was perfect. Barb, Samuel, Molly and I appreciate all the cards, thoughts and prayers and your generosity this Christmas Season. We are blessed to be part of such a great group of people called St. Paul s. God bless you and yours this holiday season. Fr. John+ Thank you to all who provided food for the Blue Christmas reception in December, as well as to all who so graciously provide desserts throughout the year for Memorial lunches, WoC gatherings, and numerous church events. Thank you to all who aided with Memorial Luncheons throughout Whether donating time or food, your efforts have meant a great deal to many over the past year. 2

3 New Year s Day Service January 1 st, 9:00 AM Come ring in the new year at St. Paul s on Tuesday, January 1 st at the 9:00 a.m. service. A breakfast will be served following the service in Fellowship Hall. Epiphany Lessons and Carols Sunday, January 6 th, 10:00 AM As the Christmas season ends, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. This is a celebration of the wise men s visit to baby Jesus. Please join us on Sunday, January 6 th at the 10AM service for Epiphany Lessons and Carols and an Epiphany Ethnic Luncheon after the service. You are invited to bring a food that reflects your ethnic heritage to share with one another after the service. We will wrap up the festivities with a piñata for the kids. Prayers for Our Ministries Each week a different ministry area of St. Paul s is featured in the bulletin to highlight, encourage involvement and give thanks for the people who make it happen. During the month of January we pray for the following ministries: January 1/6 Gould Scholarship Committee 1/20 Lay Assistants 1/14 Greeters 1/27 Lectors All Things Spiritual! We gather for prayer and discussion about a chapter in the book each meeting. The session lasts 90 minutes. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 2 nd, at 10:15 AM. 3

4 All Things Theological! We gather for prayer and discussion about a chapter in the book each meeting. The session lasts 90 minutes. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 16 th, at 10:15 AM. Fr. John+ A Stewardship Thought On January 6 th we end the Twelve Days of Christmas with the Celebration of the Epiphany and the following Sunday we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. As we remember the coming of the Wise Men to the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. They brought with them gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. On Sunday morning we bring our gifts with us in our parish envelope as our gift to the Christ Child. We do this each time we gather together. We, like the Wise Men, bring our gifts to honor our Lord and Savior. Thank you for your generous gifts. The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John is proclaimed in Matthew, Mark and Luke, as God proclaims Jesus his beloved Son with whom he is well pleased. This affirmation begins the ministry of Jesus. In our Baptism we begin our ministry. This ministry includes the time, abilities and your generous gift of funding of St. Paul s that enables us to tell our story both inside and outside our walls. I give thanks for your stewardship and ministry at St. Paul s. Fr. John+ Reception, Confirmation, Reaffirmation Anyone interested in being Received into the Episcopal Church, becoming a Confirmed member or having their Baptism vows reaffirmed is asked to speak to Fr. John. Bishop DeDe will be here at St. Paul's on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 for Reception, Confirmation and Reaffirmation. There needs to be a time of preparation and plans are being made to hold such a class. In the Episcopal Church you need to be a confirmed member in order to be a Eucharistic Minister, Eucharistic Visitor, Worship Leader or Warden. Outside of the "legal aspect" many feel that it is a step where one makes their faith their own. If you have questions or are interested, please see Fr. John. Bible Study Thursdays, 9:00 A.M. Bible Study and discussion continues on Thursday mornings. This is an informal way of studying the Scripture readings for each upcoming Sunday. Please come to the Conference Room, enjoy a cup of coffee and lend your thoughts as to what you feel God is saying to us. Ruthie Koerts 4

5 Our study of the Bible will continue with the Book of Proverbs and rotate between the Old and New Testaments. This is different from the Thursday morning Bible Study which uses the Sunday readings as its basis. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, January 9 th, at 10:15 AM. Come join us and see what it s all about! Father John+ Flower Memorials 1/6 The flowers on the altar this week are in loving memory of Frank and Mildred Orris from Bob and Sue Hankey. 1/13 available 1/20 available 1/27 available Sanctuary Candle Memorials Sanctuary Candles are available for January 6, 13, 20 and 27. Note: Please call the office ( ) any time during the month if you would like to designate the altar flowers or candles in memory of a loved one, to recognize a special event or simply in thanksgiving for God s many blessings. Forms are in the back of the church. Dates may be shared. CHOW Pantry As a result of a meeting with the CHOW Warehouse and Broome County Council of Churches, the following changes have been made: Deliveries will be the second and fourth Thursdays of the month starting in January Food purchases for the Pantry will only be made through the Buyers Club co-op. We will continue to collect donations of food and cash to support the CHOW Pantry. These changes should increase the amount of food available to our Pantry and reduce our expenses. These changes reflect an ongoing effort to be good stewards of our bounty and ensure the future of the CHOW Program at St. Paul s. Thank you for your continued support. Mary Cermak 5

6 JANUARY 1/2 Sarah Bowie Soules 1/20 Ruthie Koerts 1/5 Jewel Fenty 1/21 June Palmer 1/6 Nolan Dougherty 1/22 John Swavola 1/7 Sue Kinne 1/25 Paula Giroux 1/10 Scotty Race Lauren Saleeby 1/11 Anneliese Besemer 1/26 Bruce Dailey 1/13 Judy Shannon 1/27 Ronald Reece 1/14 Lynda Helmer Bruce Fineout Michael Jones 1/30 Jim Buffum 1/15 Christopher Meade JANUARY 1/11 Jon and Casey Korchynsky 1/14 Ray and Lisa Besemer 1/26 Ed and Mary Cermak Are you a January birthday or anniversary but don t see your name here? Please let the office know so we can update our records! We don t want to miss anyone! 6

7 at St. Paul s The office will be closed on Tuesday, January 1 st. Have a healthy, happy new year! Sleeping Bag Workshop Thursday, January 10 th at 1 PM Our sleeping bag workshops are held at 1:00 pm on the 2 nd Thursday of each month in the undercroft. This month we will have it on January 10 th. Please feel free to join us. Sewing skills are not necessary. Deb Wirag, Chairperson Christmas Decorations January 13 th, 11AM Come help put the Christmas decorations away for next year. Feel free to bring a snack to share. Movin On Luncheon Monday, January 14 th, Noon The Movin On Lunch will be held on the 2 nd Monday of January. All widows and widowers are invited to share in this time of food and fellowship on Monday, January 14 th at noon in Fellowship Hall. The office will be closed for Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 21 st. 7

8 Women of the Church News We are now into 2019 and it looks to be a busy and exciting time for the WoC. We will hold our January meeting on Wednesday, January 23 rd at 1:00 p.m. Our guest speaker will be Michael Danner, Assistant Attorney General in the Binghamton Regional Office. Michael will speak to us about the common frauds taking place in our communities, and give guidance on what to look out for and how to protect ourselves from being scammed. These schemes are getting more and more troubling and the perpetrators seem to be getting more and more creative in their efforts to fool us into giving them money. This is a topic that can benefit everyone, therefore, we invite the entire parish to join us at this meeting. If you have friends who you feel might benefit from this meeting, please feel free to invite them. A signup sheet will be placed at the back of the church. Coffee and tea will be served. The newly formed Planning Committee is working on a number of ideas, and 2019 should be a very interesting year for the WoC and fun too. In closing I would like to thank each of you for all that you do for St. Paul s and the community. Ours is an organization of which we can be proud, and that is thanks to the efforts of each and every one of you. I thank you all for the support you extend to me and hope that 2019 brings blessings to you all. 8 Sandy Schwab, Chairperson Social Committee Game Night Young and old (I hate to use that term), mark your calendar for a fun night of games on Saturday, January 26 th at 7:00 PM until 9:00. We invite you to bring your favorite board or card game (Uno, Phase 10, Pitch, etc.) We can teach people how to play our favorite game, or we can play with others that know the game. The social Committee will provide the drinks and popcorn; you can provide your favorite snack, if you wish. The night is to have fun and get to know each other. As time gets closer, there will be a sign-up sheet in the back of the church. This will help us know how much soda and popcorn to have on hand. Follow-up reminders will be in the Sunday bulletin. Any questions, talk to Judy Shannon, Marge Johns, or Ruthie Koerts. Hope to see you on January 26 th to help ring in the New Year by having fun together. Ruthie Koerts

9 The Episcopal Diocese of Central New York is hosting Episcopal Night at Syracuse Crunch Hockey! Grab a friend or get the family together for the game at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 7th at Syracuse's War Memorial Arena. Your $21 ticket includes a $5 food and drink voucher; please call (315) x134 and mention promotion code CNYE to order by January 7th. Youth attending the weekend Skating Overnight can stay over at St. Paul's Episcopal Church downtown after the game. More information at cnyepiscopal.org/crunch. The Youth Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York invites 6th-12th graders to enjoy a weekend of winter fun on Saturday and Sunday, January 12th and 13th at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in downtown Syracuse. We'll volunteer together at a local community outreach program, enjoy skating at the Clinton Square Ice Rink and spend the night in the church before Sunday morning worship. Please sign up by Saturday, January 5th at cnyepiscopal.org/2019-skate. St. Paul's Episcopal Church Vestry Minutes October 9, 2018 To love God, Love others, Help others love God. Rector: Fr. John Martinichio Wardens: Bruce Dailey, Jennifer Westermann Treasurer: Jack Westermann Vestry: Karen Cahill Ruthie Koerts Robert Pettit Sindy Garey Chip Kinne Richard Schwab Marge Johns Linda Littell Deborah Wirag Treasurer: Jack Westermann Fr. John opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. with a prayer from A Book Uncommon Prayer titled I Need Reminding of the Presence. September Minutes: Motion made by Ruthie Koerts with second from Chip Kinne to accept the September minutes as presented. Motion carried unanimously with Karen Cahill abstaining due to absence at the meeting in question. Financial Reports: Robert Pettit 9

10 Gould Report Bob reported that the Gould Fund balance at end of September was $4,838,452. The Gould draw is still on target to be under 4% by year s end. Income/Expenses - Pledge income has caught up and is a bit over what was pledged, year-to-date. But expenditures are still about $11,000 over income year-to-date. The good news is the difference is a little smaller than last month. Jack Westermann Checking Account Balance As of September the Church Windows balance was $35,132. CHOW and CHAP Financials CHOW balance is $13,100; CHAP is $976. Flowers Still expending more on altar flowers than contributions that have come in. Motion made by Bruce Dailey with second from Marge Johns to accept the financial report as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Audit Report 2017 report is complete and ready to send to diocese. However, one item that should be corrected is that there should be a second person verifying payroll expenditures. Bob Pettit volunteered to do this. Motion made by Karen Cahill with second from Ruthie Koerts to accept the audit report. Motion carried unanimously. The vestry thanks Mitzi and Don Manning and Nancy Boyd-Goff for their time spent serving on the committee. Rector s Report - Items for Discussion: Gould Grants - Motion made by Ruthie Koerts with second from Karen Cahill to add $1,076 to the Gould Grants budget line in order to fulfill grants requested by Kopernik Society of Broome County, Inc., A Home of My Own, Inc. and United Presbyterian Church totaling $3,516 with the following stipulations: the aid will be sent to A Home of My Own, Inc. upon receipt of proof of its 501(c)(3) status (currently pending) and monies granted to the United Presbyterian Church not to be used for personnel fees. Motion carried unanimously. Stewardship Committee Report Letters will go out this week with pledge cards included. Ruthie requested that she be able to join the committee and offered to chair it. Request granted. Nominating Committee A notice went into the weekly bulletin and October Epistle stating the need for candidates as well as criteria that must be met in order to be a viable candidate. Snow Removal Fr. John will renew last year s contract as the price did not change. Front steps of church A proposal was submitted by Marchuska Bros to fix steps and railings at a cost of $4, Written proposal attached. Memorial money is available to repair the steps through the generosity of two of our parishioners. This couple will make up the difference of what is remaining in the Major Improvements budget ($2,760) and the cost of the repairs. Motion made by Ruthie Koerts with second from Chip Kinne to accept this donation and hire Marchuska Bros. to repair steps. Motion carried unanimously. Fr. John opened a discussion on attempting to fill the needs created because of the death of Eunice Barton and what those needs are. Some of these needs that were identified: the upcoming Advent Workshop, keeping the children s church activity bags filled, leading the creation of Palm crosses, teaching Sunday School, serving on one of the funeral lunch teams, providing a breakfast for the choirs between services on Easter Sundays, chairing both the Women of the Church rummage sales and the Ice Cream 10

11 Social. Other committees she currently served on include the Social committee, the Gould Grant Allocation committee and the Learning Communities Initiative. Fr. John asked that all vestry members give thought and prayer to either trying to fill these needs or letting the ministry drop. He also noted that pertinent information of any ministry should be in written form and kept at the church. AED AED A date will be scheduled for all those who received AED certification to watch a video on using an AED. Safe Church Training will be on Sunday, October 21 at 11:30 a.m. Liturgical Minister/Visitor License renewal make-up class will be on Sunday, October 21 at 11:30 a.m. Learning Communities Initiative team Sue Mahon will join the team for Note: On Sunday, November 18 Canon John Crosswaite will preach during the services then attend the LCI meeting after the 10:00 service. Wardens Report: Bruce shared thank you notes from Samaritan Counseling Center and Christ Church, Tom s River for Gould grants. We also received a thank you note from Sermon 4 Kids, which provides Sunday School curriculum at no charge, for our voluntary contribution. Committee Reports: Christian Education The C.E. commission would like to find a second teacher to work with Deb Wirag in the Saints class as Eunice Barton had been serving in that role. Women of the Church Linda Littell reported that the WoC hosted a memorial lunch for Steve Mahon; the fall rummage sale netted about $2,000 and about 20 people stayed for the movie, I Can Only Imagine. Next meeting will be on Wednesday, November 7 at 6:30 which will include coffee and dessert. A committee has been formed to generate ideas for new programs. Property Committee Dick Schwab reported that the committee has been meeting almost weekly. It had identified a group of projects that need work, about a dozen, and prioritized them as to need. Also contacted contractors to get broad estimate of costs. Social Committee Ruthie Koerts volunteered to take over as chair of the committee as the position was previously held by Eunice. Ruthie reported that the Advent Workshop is coming up; the Harvest Dinner will be Saturday, October 20 th and the group will once again host Trick-or-Treaters for Halloween. It will ask parishioners for donations of candy for this endeavor. Fr. John would like to show the movie Mandela for Forum on November 11. Trinity Canteen Coordinators will be needed for 2019 if the vestry decides to continue with this ministry. The following people have agreed to be coordinators for these meals: o March 31 Dick Schwab o June 30 Chip Kinne o September 29 Steve Koerts o December 29 Jack and Jennifer Westermann Next Meeting: November 13, 2018, 6:30 p.m. Fr. John adjourned meeting at 7:54 p.m. with closing prayer from A Book of Uncommon Prayer titled I Need to be Reminded of God s Care. 11

12 Minutes submitted by Jennifer Westermann, Vestry Clerk St. Paul's Episcopal Church Vestry Minutes November 13, 2018 To love God, Love others, Help others love God. Rector: Fr. John Martinichio Wardens: Bruce Dailey, Jennifer Westermann Treasurer: Jack Westermann Vestry: Karen Cahill (A) Ruthie Koerts Robert Pettit Sindy Garey Chip Kinne (A) Richard Schwab Marge Johns Linda Littell Deborah Wirag Non-Vestry Present: Sandy Schwab, Ted Wolf Fr. John opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. with a prayer from the BCP. Gould Presentation: Tony Ferrand presented the history and status of, and his thoughts on, the management of the Gould Fund. October Minutes: Motion made by Ruthie Koerts with second from Deborah Wirag to accept the October minutes as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Financial Reports: Robert Pettit Gould Report Bob reported that the Gould Fund balance at end of October was $4,647,983. The Gould draw is still on target to be under 4% by year s end. Income/Expenses - Pledge income has caught up to what was pledged, but probably will not meet budget due to expenses being higher than total income. Jack Westermann Checking Account Balance As of October 31 the Church Windows (checking account) balance was $28,386, $17,000 of which is designated for other accounts meaning we are about $11,000 to the good. CHOW and CHAP Financials CHOW balance is $12,201; CHAP is $834 Flowers Still expending more on altar flowers than contributions that have come in. Motion made by Linda Littell with second from Ruthie Koerts to accept the financial report as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Rector s Report: Pledges Cards 67 pledge cards have been returned totaling $120,312. As a means of comparison, for the current year, 2018, 87 cards were returned promising $149,

13 Canon John Crosswaite will be attending and preaching at both services on Sunday, November 18 and will stay for the Learning Communities Initiative meeting after the 10:00 service. Wardens Report: Bruce shared thank you notes from BCCC and United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton for Gould grants. Committee Reports: Nominating Committee Chair Bruce Dailey reported that Michele Wolf agreed to serve on the committee. Christian Education Chair Jennifer Westermann reported that The Prophets classroom has been painted; choir shelving will be reinstalled soon. Saints teacher Deborah Wirag would like the classes to present another Gospel reading at some point. Women of the Church Linda Littell reported that the WoC will continue to offer Memorial Lunches. There are no plans at this time to continue with the rummages sales but in-season clothing may be donated to the CHOW Clothing Closet; cards and visits to homebound continue as well as the sleeping bag ministry - five more bags have been created. Dottie Bachman offered to make the phone calls when baked goods are needed, continuing this ministry as Connie Hess recently passed away. Property Committee Dick Schwab reported that the committee, consisting of Linda Littell, Bob Pettit, Chip Kinne and Dick, has been meeting weekly for several months now, gathering estimates and prioritizing needs. One major concern is upgrading the electrical system to handle any upgrades we make. Broad scale estimate for projects needed is about $417,000. Note: not every project need is imminent. Social Committee Ruthie Koerts reported that Deborah Wirag offered to coordinate the Advent Workshop; the Christmas Tea has been canceled and that the committee will meet after the 10:00 service in the Conference Room on December 9. All are welcome to attend. Next Meeting: December 11, 2018, 6:30 p.m. Fr. John adjourned meeting at 8:20 p.m. with the collective praying of the Lord s Prayer. Minutes submitted by Jennifer Westermann, Vestry Clerk 13

14 January Liturgical Ministers Schedule January 6 - Epiphany 8:00 AM 10:00 AM Lay Assistant Mary Cermak Georgia Wilber 1 st Reading Barb Dailey 2 nd Reading Jackie Reece Kristin Walton Chalice Jack Westermann Sue Pettit Readings Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:1-12 January 13 8:00 AM 10:00 AM Lay Assistant Debbie Dieffenbacher Steve Koerts 1 st Reading Bob Pettit 2 nd Reading Bill Dieffenbacher Aiden Browning Chalice Richard Parker Barb Dailey Readings Isaiah 43:1-7 Acts 8:14-17 January 20 8:00 AM 10:00 AM Lay Assistant Jennifer Westermann Jim Buffum 1 st Reading Sanders Browning 2 nd Reading Sue Mahon Judy Shannon Chalice Chip Kinne Georgia Wilber Readings Isaiah 62:1-5 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 January 27 8:00 AM 10:00 AM Lay Assistant Jack Westermann Ruthie Koerts 1 st Reading Sue Pettit 2 nd Reading Garvin Alexander Kelly Parker-Seeley Chalice Sue Mahon Steve Koerts Readings Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, Corinthians 12:12-31a 14

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