The Council of Church of South India Congregations in North America

Transcription

1 The Council of Church of South India Congregations in North America President The Most Rev. Thomas K. Oommen CSI Moderator Vice-President Rev. Varkey Thomas Secretary Mr. Thomas Paickattu Treasurer Mr. Mathew Oommen Representatives Region1 Mrs. Elizabeth Oommen Region 2 Mr. Cherian Abraham kunnel@aol.com Region 3 Mrs. Mary J. Abraham josieabraham@hotmail.com Region 4 Mr. Sam T. Thomas Thekanal2@msn.com Region 5 Mr. Jose Stephen josestephen74@gmail.com Rigion 6 Mr. Christy Abraham c_abraham@rogers.com Women s Fellowship Dr. Rachel George drrachelgeorge@yahoo.com Youth Fellowship Ms. Harsha John mjohn206@gmail.com From the Desk of Vice President Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I am delighted to have this opportunity to offer my greetings through this of The CSI Council. I extend a warm welcome to our beloved Most Reverend Thomas. K. Oommen, newly elected moderator of Church of South India and the President of Council of CSI Congregations in North America. His deep faith, his vibrant spirituality, his inner strength, his courage of convictions, his pastoral concern, his unfailing calm during even the most daunting circumstances, his unwavering commitment to God s mission and his determined efforts to take everyone along in the realization of God s plan for His people all this and more mark him out to be a wonderful human being, a wise leader and a caring pastor. On behalf of the council we extend him warm wishes and looking forward for his leadership for the council. I also take this time to thank Rev. Ninan Jacob, Rev. Alpha Varghese Joseph, Rev. Biju John and Rev. Bejoy Mathew Scaria who completed their term and went back to India. As a Council, we are thankful to them for their contributions for the activities of the council and their leadership for the churches in North America. Thanks to Mrs. Mary Abraham for coordinating the issuing of this year also. I encourage everyone to join for the Conference in Toronto and make it a meaningful one. Thank You and God Bless you all. Regards, Rev. Varkey Thomas, Vice- President CSI Council. Moderator Reception -Region 1&2 After a substantial wintertime, April 2nd, Sunday, started with a great morning. For the Church of South India in North America too, it was an imperative mile stone. An impressive chunk of 575 believers from 13 CSI Churches from Region 1&2 came together at St. John University Auditorium, NY, to celebrate the Eucharist Service followed by the Felicitation Program in honor of our newly elected Moderator The Most. Rev. Thomas K. Oommen. (Cont..). 1

2 The Council of Church of South India Congregations in North America Moderator Reception -Region 1&2 (Continued from page 1) In his Sermon, our Holy Shepherd reminded us to first raise our hearts and minds to the good Lord, the giver of all good things. He reminded us that our maker has helped us to accomplish everything in the Indian and distant soil. After the well-attended Holy Communion Service, with much delight and pride we journeyed with our Moderator onto the dais, accompanied by traditional Chaenda-mela, Sunday School Children with Candles and 13 Muth-kuddas representing 13 Churches. As the truth goes, Church is not an isolated island in a sea of humanity, rather it is leaven in the dough. With this in mind, our Chief Guest for this Felicitation Service was H.E Mar Joy Alappat (Auxilary Bishop of St.Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago). It was a delight to the eyes to see two revered leaders of two great communities seated on the stage. The presence of both was a source of encouragement and joy to those present. During the Felicitation Program, the eminent representatives from 13 Churches and 2 outgoing esteemed Clergies from Region I & 11 applauded our newly Elect Moderator for his sagacious guidance, deep faith, lively spirituality, inner strength, pastoral concern, his far-sighted plans for the education of the poor children, his dreams of seeing our youth appearing in civil services, his unfailing calm amid the most daunting circumstances, and above all his untiring commitment to his mission. Now when the time came for our Bishop to speak his heart out, he implored us to look back with thankfulness the voyage that we as a denomination has travelled and asked the Diasporic community to see how the great Lord has escorted us consistently, strengthened us to overcome weaknesses, gave us the zeal to spread the Gospel in a foreign land, compassion to reach out to those in our area of ministry, desire to vision impossible dreams and to make the Church a beacon of hope to all those who feel lost, abandoned and deprived, be it at our home, Church or society. We had members from 13 Churches who worked day and night along with two of our Conveners Rev. Varkey Thomas and Mr. Mathew Joshua to make this a wonderful program. All the new things that we see today in our CSI denomination are the solid foundations laid down by our mighty God and by a wonderful human being, a wise leader and a caring Holy Shepherd. As we conclude this ongoing expedition, let s ponder the words of our honorable Moderator, Life is an endless journey in which we are called to make road for others, towards God. Reported by Rev.Robin Ipe, Convener- Programs 2

3 Region 1&2: Regional Sunday School retreat One day regional Sunday school retreat was held on April 29, 2017 at CSI Congregation of Hudson Valley. The theme of the retreat was based on Daniel 6: Daniel and the Lion s Den with memory verse from Hebrews 13:5 Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. A total of 67 children and 23 teachers attended the retreat, along with parents. The retreat was attended by CSI Congregation of Hudson Valley, CSI Christ church in PA, Ascension CSI church Boston, CSI Christ church of South India, CT, CSI Malayalam Congregation of Greater NY, Seaford, Immanuel CSI Church, Elizabeth, NJ and Christ CSI Church, Tappan. The day started with procession by all of the participants entering the main sanctuary singing songs, followed by Praise and Worship as well as worship service using the Sunday School version. The participants were divided into two groups by age - children under 13 and youth group from 13 years and above. Rev. Robin Eipe Mathew led the youth in the afternoon with brief history of the CSI Church. In the afternoon, Sunday School teachers had a teacher retreat under the leadership of Christian Evangelism Fellowship. The retreat ended with a dedication service, which was led beautifully by Rev. Robin Eipe Mathew. Region 1&2 : Women and Laity Fellowship Retreat Women and Laity fellowship one-day retreat during Spring season was held on March 25th, 2017 at CSI Christ Church in Pennsylvania. Nearly 180 members from nine churches attended this retreat. Retreat started with holy communion service followed by the singing session lead by the CSI Christ Church Retreat choir. The theme for the retreat was An Invitation to Return based on the book of Zechariah. Rev. Sony Thomas, Vicar of St. Andrews Mar Thoma church of Yonkers was the main speaker for this retreat. This time we had arranged a game session named RECONNECT to reconnect and build more relationships with other churches. Participants were divided in to groups for games. During the meeting, it was also decided to start a Tracts Ministry as a part of Women and Laity fellowship through Churches. As usual, a quiz competition was held from the book of Zachariah. Emmanuel CSI Church Philadelphia won the first prize (picture above) and CSI Malayalam Congregation of Greater New York, Seaford won the second prize. The retreat ended with business meeting, prayer and benediction. 3

4 Region 3: Sunday School retreat On March 4, 2017, Sunday school held a one day retreat for children from KG- to 9 th Grade at the ST. Thomas CSI church of Greater Houston. The retreat was based on Jeremiah 29:11-12 For I know the plans for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. A total of 40 children attended the retreat. The day started with prayer by Rev. Alpha Varghese Joseph, followed by praise and worship and singing session, led by child evangelists Mr.& Mrs. Vini Samuel. Children were divided into two groups according to their ages and they had fun filled interactive sessions including games, throughout the day. During the afternoon session, children were able to listen to the beautiful testimonies from the children ministry leaders. The day ended with a closing prayer by Rev. Alpha Varghese Joseph. Region 3: Inauguration of New CSI Congregation in Austin, Austin CSI Mission Church had the Inaugural Service on March 26th, Rev. Alpha Varghese Joseph, Vicar of St. Thomas CSI Church of Greater Houston led the Holy Communion Service. Late in 2016, Alpha Achen met with some of the CSI Youth who moved from Houston to Austin, and strongly encouraged us to pray about starting a Second-Generation CSI Church in Austin. After months of planning and prayer, we were blessed to have him lead our Inaugural Service. Our congregation is grateful for his support and prayers. Austin CSI Mission Church seeks to be an authentic church of Jesus Christ that plants the traditions of the Church of South India in the soil of Austin, Texas. Our congregation sends our prayers, love, and support to our CSI family across the nation! God Bless! 4

5 Region 4: Consecration of New Church Facility, CSI Congregation of Great Lakes, MI Our new Church Building was dedicated on December 24th, 2016 by Bishop Rt. Rev. Thomas K Oommen. This was one of the biggest accomplishments in our church history. Ministers and Members from our sister churches in the Detroit Metropolitan area participated in this auspicious occasion. Our vicar, Rev. Happy Abraham, presided over the public meeting. Felicitations were given by the vicars from our sister churches and by Dr. Susan Thomas, Bishop's Kochamma. Message was given by Bishop Rt. Rev. Thomas K Oommen. Secretary, Saraja Samuel gave the vote of thanks. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Bishop and Kochamma for taking time from his busy schedule to come all the way from Kerala to dedicate our church. We also thank the ministers and members from our sister churches for their presence and participation. In addition, we extend our sincere thanks to each and every one of our church members for their dedication, commitment and financial support to make our come true. Above all, we thank our God Almighty for showering his blessings upon us. Submitted by Saraja Samuel, Secretary Welcome to New Clergies 2017 Rev. William Abraham, St. Thomas CSI Church of Greater Houston, Texas Rev. Sajeev Sugu Jacob, CSI Jubilee memorial Church, New York Rev. Prince John, Emmanuel CSI Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Rev. Pratheesh Babu Kurian, CSI Congregation of Hudson valley, New York Rev. Raju Mathew, CSI Emmanuel Congregation, Snellville, Georgia Rev. K.G. Thomson, CSI Congregation of Dallas, Garland, Texas Monthly Teleconference Prayer - First Thursdays of the month at 9 pm est. All the Churches are invited to be part of it through singing songs, reading lessons and Intercessory prayer. Dial-in Number: Conference Code:

6 31st CSI Family & Youth Conference of North America Date: July 6 9, 2017 Place: Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre, Toronto The 31 st Annual CSI Family and Youth Conference will be hosted by the CSI Church, Toronto, Canada from Thursday July 6 to Sunday July 9, 2017 at the Hilton Suites, 8500 Warden Avenue, Markham, Ontario L6G 1A5, Canada. The Conference provides the platform for the gathering of members from different congregations of Church of South India in North America to celebrate the fellowship of our faith journey. It is a great privilege to invite all members from various CSI Congregations across North America with family to participate in this event. There will be separate sessions for senior families, young families, youth and children. Theme: Celebrating Life in its Abundance and Fruitfulness (John 10:10 & Galatians 5:22,23) Leaders The Most Rev. Thomas K Oommen (Moderator, Church of South India) The Rev. Dr. James B Lemler (Christ Episcopal Church, Greewich, Connecticut) The Rev. Robin Eipe Mathew (CSI Church, Seaford) Mr. Jacob E Jacob (Houston) Mr. Phil Z Mathai (Brampton) Guests: The Rev. Dr. Daniel Ratnakara Sadananda, General Secretary, Church of South India Adv. Robert C Bruce, Hon. Treasurer, Church of South India Dr. Susan Thomas, President, Women s Fellowship, Church of South India Bible Quiz: The Gospel According to Matthew Souvenir: Articles and literary works are invited to the Souvenir that is being published in connection with the Conference. Also you may contribute your best compliments and advertisement to the Souvenir. Activities: There will be Volley Ball tournaments for the Young families and the Youth. Be prepared to present your God-given talents during Choir Fest and Talent show; and showcase your Artistic talent like painting, literary works, authored books, handcrafts and so on. The Land of Niagara Falls and maple trees await your presence with families to celebrate our unity in Christ and to enjoy Life in its Abundance and Fruitfulness. We humbly request you to mark the dates and we pray that your presence and participation with your family at the Conference may be a blessing to all. Kindly bear the Conference arrangements in your earnest prayers. Conference website Contacts President: Rev. George Jacob Convenor : Mr. Daniel Thomas Registration: Mr. Christy Abraham Souvenir: Mr. Joy Chemmannoor Youth: Mr. Samuel Chacko Children: Mr. Phil Z Mathai Choir Fest: Ms. Priya Abraham Talent Show: Mr. Sanju Ben Cherian Prayer: Mr. K. P. Alexander Finance: Mr. Ajoy Lional Program: Mr. Abraham P George Hospitality: Mr. Shaji Levison Moothedom Public Relations: Mr. Rennie Philips Joseph Website: Mr. Varghese V. John First Aid: Dr. Nibu Varguise