NATIVITY NEWS. June 2017

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1 NATIVITY NEWS The newsletter of the Episcopal Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen Newport and Thompsontown, PA 159 South Second Street, Newport PA Phone: Parish Website: A note from the Rector June 2017 In June of 2013 when I moved out of my seminary apartment, I picked up my grandchildren and immediately headed to the beach. My cousins have a condo at Sea Isle City and most graciously allow me and my family to use it when it s not rented out. The ocean and (other waters like rivers) are important spiritual places for me. Something about water refreshes me and rests my soul. I think the ocean is in my DNA, because so many of my ancestors lived on islands. Whatever the reason, my connection is deep in my soul. Once when I was in Sicily, when I swam in the ocean where my grandfather was from, I felt like I d come home. In June, I ll once again go with family and friends for a week at my cousins condo. While I ll definitely go swim in the ocean and sit on the beach, on some days I ll just sit on the porch, facing the bayside of the island. I ll watch the red-winged blackbirds and listen to their distinctive call. I ll watch the wading shore birds. I ll watch boats go in and out of their marinas. I ll watch the tide come in hiding the marsh grass and go out leaving a much smaller channel of water. I ll enjoy the blue, blue sky and the beautiful sunset. I ll rest. I ll have a Sabbath. Sabbath rest is absolutely essential for all of us, especially if you re like me and go, go, go. We need that time to stop all of the busyness of our lives. We need that change of routine and change of scenery. Our Sabbath rest allows us to see things differently. It allows us to see the tasks of our lives and our mission and ministry more clearly. A Sabbath rest provides us with the energy, enthusiasm and joy to do the work of our lives. Where and how will you take your Sabbath rest? Love, Rebecca+

2 VESTRY REPORT May 10 meeting Opening Prayer and Story Miguel Gonzales read the daily meditation from Forward Day by Day. Rebecca told a story about the importance of our church to the community. Setting goals for 2017 based upon our mission Vestry reviewed various documents guiding the mission and purpose of the church. We read The Baptismal Covenant on Pages of the Book of Common Prayer. We read about the church from The Catechism on page 855 of The Book of Common Prayer. We reviewed the Five Marks of Mission of The Episcopal Church: The Mission of the Church Is the Mission of Christ To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom To teach, baptize and nurture new believers To respond to human need by loving service To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth We recognize with gratitude that the Five Marks of Mission, developed by the Anglican Consultative Council between 1984 and 1990, have won wide acceptance among Anglicans, and have given parishes and dioceses around the world a practical and memorable "checklist" for mission activities. We reviewed our Mission statement: The Mission of our Parish To seek and serve Christ through service to others To manage responsibly the financial resources of our parish as loving and caring stewards. To welcome and involve all persons into our parish family valuing both diversity and unity. To enable nurture and learning in the Episcopal heritage of Scripture, tradition and reason. To foster a community of faith for worship, spiritual growth, ministry and mission. Based on this reading, we spoke about possible goals for ideas we d like to explore and accomplish by the end of 2017 that would carry out our Baptismal covenant, the mission of the Church, the Five Marks of Mission and our Parish Mission. Ideas included: Continue to work in an organized way on our property list Have a feeding program at our church Open up the church for 12-step groups Increase the number of people involved with the programs at the Commons and Gardens, possibly doing programs in the evening or on weekends so those who work could be involved. Complete our Reimagining Faith Formation project, including faith formation website content. Explore where the people are why aren t more people joining? Address issues with our organ Complete 2017 property projects Talk more about how we seek and serve Christ through service. We are people of service. Create items for Realtors and/or Perry County Chamber to distribute to people new to the community, i.e. grocery store gift cards for gas or food that realtors distribute. What do you think? Please let us know. Vestry will continue to discuss and develop goals.

3 Our Financial Resources Our April financial statement shows income of $36,905, which included Easter and 5 Sundays in April. Expenses of $21,412. Our checking account balance was $148,397. (We want the balance to be at least $120,000 amounting to 6 months of expenses). Our mortgage balance is just under $124,000. New Signs for Nativity Vestry accepted a proposal presented by Jane Hoover to have Shane Davis work on the signs for Nativity. We will replace the wooden sign in the yard of the Parish House. It will be similar in design with materials that resist weather damage. The sign in the yard by the parking lot will be changed to accommodate banners that can advertise special events or messages. Vestry approved up to $2,000 for the project, which includes money to create banners. Other Property Projects The Property Committee met with project manager Russ Hoover to adopt a 6-year project plan. Projects from the EMG Facility Condition Assessment and the Envinity Energy Audit were integrated with other maintenance projects. Mr. Hoover created a chart detailing when projects will be done, which projects will require his coordination, and which projects can be done solely by the committee. The electrical work project of replacement of exit lights, emergency lights, smoke detectors, outdoor lights, and the church electrical box is underway. Painting at St. Stephen s has also been completed. Mr. Hoover will work on obtaining proposals from a number of companies to replace the air conditioning units in the church and Undercroft. One air conditioning unit is not currently working and Sanyo no longer manufactures the units, making repair parts nearly impossible to obtain. In addition, newer units include heat, as well as air conditioning. We could use the units to heat the church and undercroft and use the boiler as backup or when the temperature goes below 32, for instance. Computer consultant hired Vestry approved having a contract with Scot Brown to assist with computer purchase and maintenance. Mr. Brown is the son of Rebecca. Up to $500 was approved for him to assist in the purchase and configuration of a replacement office computer, as well as working on some issues with other computers. Our budget includes resources each year to replace one of our computers so that all computers are replaced on a regular basis, usually every 3-5 years. Two tables reserved for Canal Days October 7 Vestry approved obtaining two tables for Canal Days to be held on October 7. One table will be for the church, including blessing of the animals. The other table is for the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg.

4 Our Pipe Organ and Music Ministry On May 17, Harold Ulmer and Gary Nace of SDG Organs in Millersville, PA, met with us to talk about their recommendations for our Pipe Organ. A video of the meeting is available in two parts on our You Tube channel at Watch both to gain an understanding of what is wrong with our current instrument and SDG Organs' recommendations. You will see from the video that Mr. Ulmer and Mr. Nace from SDG will provide a proposal in about a week that details options for us up to an amount of $100,000. This would involve installation of a "used" and in good shape organ. Currently such an instrument is available; however, typically a small organ like we'd need is difficult to find. Some Questions to think about and to respond to: 1. What part does a pipe organ play in our ministry and mission? 2. What kind of investment should we make in our pipe organ? 3. A pipe organ can last years; however, is the money spent worth it? Should we find another solution that is less costly and use the money for more mission and ministry? 4. Some are concerned that putting the investment into a pipe organ is risky because we do not know the future of the church in the next years. Vestry will discuss this issue at the June 14 meeting, so please let us know what you think. Reimagining Faith Formation Project Bill Rohm and Rebecca attended their last training session for this project. Based upon the information gathered from you in various ways survey, as well as the say/do/think/feel activity a new website design is being worked on with a variety of content. We ve renamed the Christian Education tab as G.I.F.T. Growing In Faith Together. For the Fall, we ll use the theme of Micah 6:8 and provide content for a variety of age groups on doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with God. In January, we ll move to a new theme and then have a summer theme. We also hope that we ll have various church activities that coincide with these themes.

5 During 2017, we will be celebrating baptism on June 4, November 5 and December 3. Let Rebecca know if you or someone you know would like to be baptized on any of these days. 130 th Anniversary of Nativity Church, June 4. We ll be celebrating the 130 th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone at Nativity Church. A reception will follow the service. Baking needs and chocolate items available through Equal Exchange. See the cart in the parish hall. We are now a wholesaler for Equal Exchange, a company that supports small farmers who use sustainable practices for chocolate, cocoa, coffee, tea, nuts, olive oil and other baking items. A price list and basket are available to pay for the items you choose to buy. Also, be sure to write down what you ve purchased to help us maintain our inventory. A catalogue is also available. If there s an item you d like us to order, please see Jane Hoover. To The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen! We ve added a Give Online button to our website. You can use your credit card to make a onetime or recurring monthly donation to the church. On the second screen before final confirmation, you can give special instructions if you d like to split your donation between the program fund, building fund, flowers or another area of the church. Check it out! Items of the Month Clothing: socks, hats, gloves, scarves, and toddler/baby clothing Toiletries: Adult Diapers, Combs, Hair brushes, Hair care products, Conditioner, Deodorant, Diapers and Wipes - sizes 1 to 6, Feminine hygiene products, Lotion, Mouthwash, Paper Towels, Shampoo, Shaving Cream, Soap/shower gel, Tissues, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Toilet Paper, Band-aids and Cough Drops Other Items: Quilts, Blankets, Towels, Wash Cloths

6 Parlor People and Godly Play will resume in the fall. Upcoming Meetings June 14, 6:30pm, Vestry June 27, 7pm, Perry County SURJ June 28, 6:30pm, Diocesan Eliminating Racism Task Group Volunteers needed for Perry County Work Camp, June Skilled and unskilled labor needed to provide home repairs to those who cannot do them. The project is coordinated by Cornerstone Church. See Rebecca or our website for the application. CCU 40 th Annual HELP Ministries Golf Tournament, Monday, June 5, 7:45am, Sunset Golf Course, 2601 Sunset Drive, Middletown. Register as an individual or pull together a foursome. Download a brochure and registration form at or call Steve Burlew at CCU: There is also information posted on the bulletin board in the undercroft. Rotary Club of Perry County Scholarship Fund 25 th Annual Golf Outing, June 16, Carlisle Barricks Golf Course, Four person Scramble. The cost is $100 per golfer and includes a light lunch, green fees, cart, dinner and prizes. See Rebecca if you are interested in registering. Deadline is June 9. Church Picnic, June 25, 11am, Landis Farm. Quiet Eucharist at Nativity at 9:30am. There will be sign-up sheets for dishes to bring. Volunteers needed for Newport Ministerium summer breakfast/lunch program, Perry Manor, 9am noon, Fridays from June 16 August 18. Cold breakfasts and lunches, made by the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, will be distributed in the community center to any child under the age of 18. Volunteers are needed to distribute the food, as well as interact with the children. The Perry County Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) will develop activities for the children and will most often lead those programs. Working with Perry County Food Bank, we may be able to provide bags of food to help the young people eat over the weekend. If you are interested in volunteering, please let Rebecca know. A training session will be held June 6, 6:30pm at Perry Manor.

7 The Perry County Relay for Life, June 16-17, Newport High School Athletic Field. There are many ways to participate in this event. You can order luminaria in honor or member of a person by going online at &fr_id=79736&search=event or completing a form in the Undercroft. RELAY FOR LIFE 2017 SCHEDULE Super Heroes We re Fighting Cancer, What s your Super Power? Friday, June 16 11:30am Team captain meeting (registration tent) 12pm Prayer Pastor Trevor Lightner (soft start) 1st lap: relay committee 12:30pm Wacky lap Favorite Super Hero 1pm Bootleg Ice Cream will be available to purchase from 1pm? 4:30 pm Wacky Lap Hero Lap (first responders, military, nurses, etc.) 4-7pm Dinner pulled the concession stand (Team Angie s Hope) 6pm Opening Ceremony (walking stops) Perry County VFW Color Guard National Anthem Speaker County Commissioner Brenda Benner 6:20pm Survivor/Caregiver Ceremony Steph, Abby and Laurie Soloist Addy Machemer, a 10 year old cancer survivor 6:30pm Testimonials/Survivor Lap 8:00pm Wacky lap super power of purple (dress all in purple) Sale of the luminary bags stop 8:30pm 9pm Saturday, June 17 Midnight 7am 7:30am 11am Wacky lap heavenly angel (dress as an angel) Luminary Ceremony (walking stops) (feel free to bring glow sticks and flashlights) Music Grace group of ladies from the First Church of God Luminary Speaker Reading of luminary names & slideshow Silent Lap Ice Cream Social (concession stand, relay committee) Breakfast (concession stand) Kenny s Krusaders Wacky Lap Flash Lap (who finishes the lap the quickest) Fight Back Ceremony ACS Speaker Jillian Team fundraiser announcements Recognition of teams NO PETS, NO SMOKING, AND NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE PERMITTED ON SCHOOL PROPERTY

8 THANK YOU SETH JACOBY! Seth Jacoby has found a new position and is no longer available to be our organist and choir director. While he loved our worshiping community, he needed to earn more money. Thanks to Seth for his organist skill and for his direction of the choir. The choir has become more active under his leadership. Donna Jacoby, Seth's wife, is continuing as a member of our parish. Sue Beamer and Andrea Jezewski are returning as organists. Sue will also direct the choir.

9 June Episcopal Commons 1 Becky Gephart-Crup 2 Harry Focht 6 Joel Davis 26 Dennis Walburn 7 Bryce Crup Ethan Jezewski 10 Julie Johnson Honaman House 11 Gregory Schreiber 12 Lynne Mitchell 7 Susan Michaels Jacki Fried 10 Dorothy Wentz 13 Kenneth Benner 18 Deborah Fry Lauren Fried 15 Paul Murray 17 Mary Price 24 Nicholas Saner Miguel Gonzales 25 Maren Norlock 28 Lea Shull 29 Donna Jacoby Date Greeters Lector Prayers Acolyte Euch. Min. Coffee Hour June 4 (A.G. 1) Bakers Wendy D. Wendy D. Alivia H. Day 130th Anniversay 130th Anniversary Reception June 11 (A.G. 2) Rice/Brownfield Marion F. Jean T. Alivia H. Davis Anne C./Elizabeth P. June 18 (A.G. 3) Davis/Burns Sue B. Janice Y. Day Day Kay C./Wendy D. MP - Bill Rohm June 25 (A.G. 4) Beamer/Kern Jill B. Jane H. Ethan J. Rohm Church Picnic Counters: June 4 Tootser and Kay June 11 Becky and Bill D. June 18 Lynne and Gail June 25 Bill R. and Tootser

10 May June 2017 July Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Worship - 9:30am 130th Anniversary of Nativity Church 5 6 Taize Tuesday, 5pm 7 Men s and Women s Breakfast, 9am, Espresso Yourself Café Special Offering 11 Worship - 9:30am LGBTQ Observance Taize Tuesday, 5pm 14 Men s and Women s Breakfast, 9am, Espresso Yourself Café Vestry Meeting, 6:30pm 18 Worship - 9:30am Bill Rohm- Morning Prayer Taize Tuesday, 5pm 21 Men s and Women s Breakfast, 9am, Espresso Yourself Café Worship - 9:30am Quiet Eucharist Special Offering Church Picnic, 11am, Landis Farm Taize Tuesday, 5pm Perry County SURJ, 7pm 28 Men s and Women s Breakfast, 9am, Espresso Yourself Café Diocesan Eliminating Racism Task Group, 6:30pm Notes: Special Offerings: June 4 Health and Heating June 25 Building Fund Rebecca is on vacation June Michele is on Vacation June 26-July 4