A Letter from the Finance Committee:

Transcription

1 ST. MICHAEL S EPISCOPAL CHURCH GROSSE POINTE WOODS, MICHIGAN OCTOBER 2009 A Letter from the Finance Committee: St. Michael's is in a position similar to that of many families at this time in our country. Our pledge income is less that expected, making it difficult to meet our operating expenses. Specifically, our year-to-date pledge income is $26,043 less than was budgeted for this year-to-date. In addition, loose offerings this year-to-date are down 38% from the budgeted amount. St. Michael's is above all, a family and families always find a way to pull together and make it through the tough times. This is a tough time, however, this is not a glass half empty time in our parish. This is a GLASS WAY MORE THAN HALF FULL time. St. Michael's is in growth mode and although our 2009 Budget is behind, we are a strong parish financially but most important, spiritually. The Finance Committee is taking several actions in response to this budget deficit: Committee Chairs and staff members have been asked to reduce expenses and refrain from all but critical expenditure. Research is constantly being done to identify efficient ways of doing things leading to reductions of expenses in all areas of the budget. Planning for the 2010 budget is already under way and all areas of the budget are being looked at closely. However, resolving our budget crunch for 2009 is dependent on the involvement of every member of St. Michael's family. Here are some actions that individual members can take: If you are behind in your pledge, do the best you can to bring it current. If you are not yet a pledging member, try to add more to the Sunday offering. Support efforts to reduce church expenses. Do you have fundraising ideas? If so, share them with any member of the vestry or clergy. Thank you from Drew McSkimming, your treasurer and the Finance Committee.

2 Page 2 The Sword October 2009 Vestry Highlights from September 15, 2009 The Finance Committee submitted the Treasurer s report through August. The report reflected an income about 14% under the budget and expenses about 6% over budget. The committee chairs will be asked to be very conservative with spending for the balance of the year. Drew McSkimming, our treasurer and the Reverend Marianna+, will be working with the third quarter reports to better understand the shortfall. We are all aware of the current economic times and the effect they have on some of our parish family. I would ask that those of you who, perhaps, were away over the summer work to catch up your pledge in the weeks ahead. The complete report is posted in the information center. The Property Committee presented and the Vestry approved a new phone and internet system which provides a significant improvement over our outdated system and is considerably below the cost of our existing system. The committee and their co-chairman Ray Rhein, working with Grant Gilezan our Junior Warden, were commended by the Vestry for their hard work on this complex but important matter. The Communications Committee reported that the sound system upgrades are completed and in use in the church. The Stewardship Committee reported that they were pleased 76 parishioners attended the several small gatherings they have held to date. The Ministry - Focused Budget is being finalized for presentation to the parish in October. The Vestry called on the third year members to serve as the 2010 Nominating Committee. They will officially begin the nomination process to present a full slate of committed candidates to fill the four seats that will be voted on at the parish annual meeting in January. This is a critical part of our responsibility to St Michael s parish family, and we hope our members will respond with grace and passion when asked to serve. We need you to answer the call when asked by the committee. The Little Thrift Shop Fashion Show and Luncheon, Tuesday, November 10, 2009 This popular event begins with a luncheon, served in Yeoman Hall at noon. The style show that follows features beautiful bargains found on the racks of The Little Thrift Shop, complete with jewelry and accessories and other treasures that have come into the shop. Tickets are $15 and will be on sale after each Sunday service beginning October 18. More details will be announced in the next few weeks. Save the date and invite your friends to join us for a delightful afternoon! Faith Community Nursing October is Cancer Awareness Month! Cancer can and has affected many individuals and families. Awareness can be demonstrated in a variety of ways: a donation of time and/or money to cancer societies or foundations, knowing and practicing a healthy lifestyle, including following a nutritious diet and physical activity, make a screening appointment with your doctor and shielding yourself from tobacco. In the fight against disease, Knowledge is power!

3 The Sword September 2009 Page 3 WHERE DO WE COME FROM? Given that there will be two diocesan events this month the bi-annual All Michigan Episcopal Network (AMEN) conference of clergy from the four Michigan dioceses and the Diocesan Convention, this month s article seemed like a good place to discuss the origins of the Episcopal Church. Now, admittedly, this topic may remind some of you of laundry that needs doing, or, balancing your checkbook, but bear with me, our origins are definitely more interesting than doing laundry! It is well known that as Episcopalians, we trace our origins back to the Church of England (C of E). The beginnings of the C of E are filled with stories of intrigue, scandal, and executions - all for a king who knew no bounds to his energy, appetite, or need for a male heir. What you may not be aware of is that King Henry VIII was a faithful Roman Catholic who brutally suppressed the Protestant Reformation in England. His first marriage was to Catherine of Aragon, the young widow of his tubercular older brother Arthur, and the youngest daughter of the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, royal sponsors of Christopher Columbus. However, after 24 years of marriage and six pregnancies, and with no surviving male heir, Henry came to believe that an annulment from Catherine and a quick marriage to an already pregnant Anne Boleyn was the only way to continue the Tudor dynasty. Significantly, about this same time, Anne Boleyn s family chaplain, Thomas Cranmer became Archbishop of Canterbury. And on May 23, 1533, during a special court, he declared the first marriage illegal. Five days later, Cranmer declared the marriage to Anne Boleyn valid. Of course, these acts separated the English or Anglican Church from union with the Holy See in Rome. Cranmer supported the idea of Royal Supremacy, in which the sovereign was considered the head over the church in his realm. He was also responsible for the first Anglican doctrinal and liturgical structures such as the Eucharist, clerical celibacy, images in worship, and the veneration of saints; the first officially authorized vernacular service; and he compiled the first two editions of the Book of Common Prayer. Within a year, the Treasons Act will make refusal to acknowledge the King as the only Supreme Head in Earth of the Church of England high treason, punishable by death, Death by execution was a favorite tactic for dealing with those who disagreed with Henry - from the Reverend William Tyndale, tried for heresy and burned at the stake for translating the sacred Bible from the Hebrew and Greek to the English vernacular of his day; to the execution of Thomas Cromwell through an Act of Attainder who presided, and some say personally benefited, from the dissolution and looting of the English monasteries; to the Reverend Sir Thomas More, Henry s former Lord Chancellor who refused to take the oath of supremacy and was beheaded at the Tower of London for his refusal. During the American Revolution, (some two hundred and forty two years after Henry and Cranmer created the Church of England), the refusal by patriotic Anglican clergy to take this same oath and swear public allegiance to the King of England will necessitate the establishment of The Episcopal Church (TEC). There now, wasn t that way more interesting than doing laundry? - Reverend Marianna + A Note of Thanks from the Altar Guild We are grateful to May Jean and Steve Chan for purchasing a white silk urn pall for the church, given in memory of her mother, Soo Fong Lim. This essential piece will be used at funerals or memorial services when the white altar paraments are displayed.

4 Page 4 The Sword October 2009 Can You Explain the Trinity? If your answer to that question is, Yes, you must be in a small group of exceptional minds! Although most of us were taught that the Trinity is a Holy Mystery that cannot be completely understood by human beings, that has never stopped humans from trying to explain it. There has never been a shortage of people who think they understand the Trinity, yet everyone s understanding is a little different from everyone else s. There is probably no other subject that has engendered more discussion, argument, and conflict among theologians than the Trinity. The Bible doesn t much help us sort out our understanding of the Trinity. You will not even find the term Trinity used in the Gospels (I got this bit of information from another book. I can t claim to have read every word of the Gospels myself.) So, how did the idea of the Trinity originate, and how should we think of it today? Try to imagine what it was like to be a follower of Jesus in those first years after the crucifixion. There was no organized church, no scriptures (the first Gospel, Mark, was not written until about thirty years after Jesus death), and no single recognized authority on theological questions and there were plenty of questions. Who was this man, Jesus? Was he an inspired prophet like Isaiah or Ezekiel, or was he something more? He called himself the Son of God, but he also called himself, the Son of man. What did he mean by that? If there were only one God, how could he have a divine Son? Had the Son been created by God the Father? If so, was he subordinate to the Father? And what was the Holy Spirit, how did it relate to the Father and the Son? As the Church grew and spread throughout the Roman Empire, these discussions became intense. They often led to bitter arguments, not only among clergy. In a wellknown quotation, Gregory of Nazianzus wrote: If you ask the baker the price of a loaf, he will reply, The Father is greater and the Son inferior. And if you ask if your bath is ready, the servant will tell you, The Son was made out of nothing. Finally, in 320 A.D., the Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea, to settle these matters. The Council defined the Trinity as The Father, maker of heaven and earth; Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father; and the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. Did that stop the arguments? I think you can guess the answer. Questions over the Trinity were the major cause of the split between the Orthodox and Catholic denominations. They contribute to the difference between Protestant denominations. The Unitarians, even reject the concept of the Trinity. This month, the book group at St. Michael s will be reading William Young s book, The Shack, a novel that presents another understanding of the Trinity. You don t have to agree with this view (The Shack, after all, is fiction), and it s probably not going to answer all of your questions, but it will get you thinking about the relationships between God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit and how they each interact in a unique way with humanity. I tend to agree with my early teachers, No human completely understands the Trinity. But being exposed to another view of the Trinity can certainly expand and deepen our faith. Book Nook Update - Jack Renick Does Autumn find you yearning for a hammock and a good book or snuggling under a cover somewhere with a great book? Then you need to visit the Book Nook for a new title. There are several new books by Debbie MacComber, also No Safe Place by Patterson, and Dreamland End Game by Brown. Paperbacks are 50 cents, tall paperbacks $1, and hardcover $2. A canister is located on the cart to pay for your selections. We thankfully accept small book donations of 1 or 2 current adult fiction or biography titles from all parishioners. If you see a space on the lower 2 shelves on either side of the cart, just insert your book. Any questions: Contact Jan Rhein (313) or Karen McCarthy (313) Together this Book Nook is a success!

5 The Sword October 2009 Page 5 Spiritual Journey Committee Book of Act s Study Program October 7 th January 27th (no class the week of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year s) Two Sessions on Wednesdays, 10:00-11:30am and 7:00-8:30pm Lynne Thomas is a Christian psychotherapist who will lead a 14 week Bible course at St. Michael s: An Incredible Journey, Book of Acts. This study group will include prayer, spiritual enrichment, insight, discussion and meaningful application in our lives. The cost of the course is $15 per person and includes the guidebook written by Lynne. Please put your name on the sign up sheet in the Information Center, so that Lynne will know how many books are needed. Childcare will be provided as needed. Book Group Saturday, November 7 th at 10:00am The first quarterly Book Group will be discussing The Shack by William P. Young. This short and powerful book leads the reader on a journey of discovery into the nature and being of the Trinity: God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. The Shack has been widely read and should lead to an interesting discussion. Episcopal Church Women Creative Caring The ECW Board will meet on Tuesday, October 13 at 10:00 am in the Conference Room. The program is an evening event, beginning at 7:00 pm in Yeoman Hall. In the year 2000 the United Nations set the Millennium Development Goals to eliminate extreme poverty by the year Guests David and Karen Hooven from St. Philips Episcopal Church in Rochester, MI will introduce the concept of these ambitious goals and correlate biblical poverty to action today. They will also share the approach that has been taken by St. Phillip s to implement the goals. The creative caring group is responding to a request for scarves from the Cathedral Church of St. Paul. These scarves will be given to the homeless. The yarn stash is available to all crafters. Scarf kits are available during Sunday coffee hour. The completed scarves will be collected at the 10:30 service on Nov. 22. New crafters are invited to meet on the first three Monday evenings of each month at the church from 7 until 9. Kroger Rewards Program Two church school classes hosted an exhibit, complete with dragon cupcakes, to observe the Feast of St. Michael. KROGER REWARDS PROGRAM Congratulations to each of you who signed up to participate in the Kroger Community Rewards Program. The first quarter report is in, and you earned $1, for St. Michael's! What a great start! For those of you who may have forgotten to register your Kroger card, there is still plenty of time to do so. Registering is very simple. Pick up a copy of a bar code in the parish office or from Carolyn Skaff on Sunday mornings. This bar code identifies St. Michael s as the group you wish Kroger s to give a percentage of your total bill. When you are ready to check out, ask the clerk to scan the bar code. That will allow a percentage of all subsequent purchases you make with your Kroger card in Michigan to be credited to St. Michael s. Take copies of the bar code for any friends or family members who may also wish to participate in this fundraiser for St. Michael s.

6 Page 6 The Sword October 2009 THE SWORD Vol. 56 No. 6 Picture Credits: Deborah Cooper, Joanna Holsinger The Sword is published 11 times a year. Editor: Dianne Pegg Producer: Kathy Zmyslowski Submissions can be sent to the St. Michael s Church office or ed to: communications@stmichaels.org St. Michael s Episcopal Church Sunningdale Park Drive Grosse Pointe Woods, MI Fax: Website: SUNDAY SCHEDULE 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with church school at 10:15 The Rev. Marianna Gronek Rector Cell: The Rev. Jack G. Trembath Deacon Assistant (part-time) Dale Scrace Senior Warden Grant Gilezan Junior Warden Drew McSkimming Treasurer Bill Ball Secretary to the Vestry Deborah Cooper Church School Director Gavin Craig Music Director Barbara Pappas Youth Choir Mary Gage Parish Secretary marygage@stmichaelsgpw.org Patti Coe Financial Secretary Dennis Angell Sexton IN MEMORIAM The following faithful departed, whose deaths occurred during the month of November in years past, will be remembered at the Requiem on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. Marilyn Bacon William J. Bayer Charles A. Berry Timothy Blair Ralph Blohm Robert Bozell Alberta M. Chown Winifred DelCotto Joan M. Dixon Mackie Garzel Addie Gunn Ada Hakenjos John Hakenjos H. Norman Harden Everett M. Hawley, Jr. Lillian J. Higbee Dolores Jones Gertrude May Robert E. Miller Lois Misner Bernice Murphy Russell C. Pegg Roberta B. Peters Malvinas Regan Jessie Reno Robert G. Russell William G. Russell Marie M. Schmidt Alice Shanks Norine Sieloff Mary Skaff Arnold Soden, Sr. Robert Wilton Mary L.Wood Mona Workman Harriet Q. Yeoman Mary-Jean Bristol Yarnold Jane H. Yost Rest eternal grant them, O Lord; let light perpetual shine upon them. DEATHS Helen DeWolf September 20, 2009 Robert F. Leech September 24, 2009 CALENDAR OCTOBER 4 Worship, 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. 5 Sword mailing, 10:45 A.M.; Creative Care every Monday, 7 p.m., 6 YaYA (Youth and Young Adult) Committee, 7 p.m. 7 Book of Acts Study Program, 10-11:30 a.m., 7-8:30 p.m. 8 Adult Choir practice, 7 p.m. (every Thursday) 10 Monthly Requiem, 9 a.m.; The Progressive Dinner 11 Worship, 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., Eucharistic ministers commissioned 13 ECW Board, 10 a.m.; ECW Program, 7p.m.; Evangelism Committee, 7 p.m. 14 Book of Acts Study Program, 10-11:30 Aam 7-8:30 p.m. 15 Choir 18 Worship, 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., Sword articles due 19 Outreach, 7 p.m. 20 Finance & Property Committee meetings, 6 p.m.; VESTRY 7 p.m. 21 Book of Acts Study Program, 10-11:30 a.m., 7-8:30 p.m.; Blood Drive, Memorial Church, 1:30 7:30 p.m. 22 Choir 23 Friday Night at Mike s, 6:00 p.m. Heifer Halloween 24 Diocesan Convention 25 Worship, 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m.; Thrift Shop OPEN after 10:30 service 26 St.Teresa s Guild, 7:30 p.m. 27 St. Mary s Guild, Noon; St. Elizabeth s Guild, 12:30 p.m. 28 Book of Acts Study Program, 10-11:30 a.m., 7-8:30 a.m.; Businessperson s Lunch 29 Choir NOVEMBER 1 Worship, 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 2 Creative Care every Monday, 7 p.m., 3 YaYA (Youth and Young Adult) Committee, 7 p.m. 4 Book of Acts Study Program, 10-11:30 a.m., 7-8:30 p.m. 5 Choir 7 Book Study THE SHACK 10 a.m.

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8 DO NOT FORWARD Address Service Requested St. Michael s Episcopal Church Sunningdale Park Drive Grosse Pointe Woods, MI Three Sundays in September Dr. Eldonna L. May and Dr. Norah Duncan IV, of Wayne State University, presented Music in the Woods, an oboe/organ concert September 20, part of a three-part series to introduce the Skinner 705 restoration project to the greater St. Michael s community. Proceeds from the concert were split between the Skinner Restoration Fund and Wayne State s Music Scholarship Fund. Music in the Woods continues in support of the restoration of the E. M. Skinner opus 705 with Dr. Glenn Burdette s concert of harpsichord music on Sunday, November 15. A suggested donation is $10. The Episcopal Diocese of Michigan gave St. Michael s the Skinner 705 which had been built for St. Columba s Episcopal Church in 1928 and faced certain ruin if left in that now-empty building. A Little Time, A Big Reward: Thrift Shop Volunteers Needed The Thrift Shop is the fundraising arm of St. Michael s Episcopal Church Women which divides the Thrift Shop profits almost equally between outreach and monthly donations to the church itself. Both men and women support the Thrift Shop by volunteering, some several hours a month and others several hours each week. As business picks up in the Thrift Shop this fall, more volunteers are needed in each department of the Shop. The hours can be very flexible: Ticketing volunteers work on Monday morning or Friday, Salespeople work Wednesday, Friday or Saturday, Receiving is on Friday from 10am - 2pm. You could even come once in a while to help straighten and dust the shelves. With so many ways in which to help with just a small time commitment; surely there is a spot in your schedule when you can help in the Thrift Shop. There are many benefits to being a volunteer at the Thrift Shop, but the best of all is the reward of wonderful, lasting friendships that are made while working at the shop. If you are interested in volunteering, please stop by the Thrift Shop during store hours or contact Thrift Shop Manager, Genny Davenport at Please note: Winter items for consignment will be accepted starting October 3rd. Items for the Christmas Boutique will be accepted only during the month of November starting November 7th. Donations are always welcome!