missio:engage!...an introduction

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1 The Canterbury Tales December 2012 missio:engage!...an introduction A new project is coming to St. Augustine. This past summer, Canon Britt invited us as a congregation to join other congregations in our diocese and around the country to be part of a national church project led by Fr. Tom Brackett. It is called missio:engage! And yes, that is the correct spelling! A small group of us had heard Fr. Brackett speak at a diocesan conference earlier in the year, and we were inspired by his vision. And so we agreed to check out this big, new project for congregational redevelopment. We were not sure what it meant or what it entailed, but after a couple of introductory, high-tech webinars, it was clear that this project was a great fit for us at this time of transition. The goal of missio:engage! is to assist communities of faith in the process of re-rooting their ministries in the communities in which they are called to serve, with enough critical mass back home that this initiative is sustainable and avoids burn-out. Many of the congregations are in decline, churches that may feel that they have seen their best days. This project offers a way to invite the Holy Spirit into their midst and rediscover the giftedness of the congregation, to explore the real needs of the community they are in and to find new life by bringing those gifts and those needs together in creative and new ways. We at St. Augustine see that our best days are still ahead of us. And yet this process is full of possibilities for us as we navigate our transition to being a parish and moving into the First Church in Who are we as a congregation? What are our gifts? How is the Holy Spirit calling us to serve our surrounding community? Who can we be to visitors and newcomers to our church? This project calls for more than dreaming, though. This project asks our team to develop and then reflect on strategies and actions that are measurable and that will make a real difference. This is a two-year project. After a period of invitation and discernment, six people have agreed to covenant to the two years, committing to an average of four hours per week. They are Steve Mershon, Jack Dillon, Scott Dragaset, Lana Gartin, Joan Howe and Rhonda Wampler. They bring a variety of faith experiences as well as St. Augustine experiences to the group, and they will be inviting more to join in along the way. I invite you to offer prayers of support for this team as they work with the Holy Spirit s leading. You will continue to hear more about what the team is up to in the months ahead. God s Peace, Pastor Liz 1

2 missio:engage!...at St. Augustine With Pastor Liz as our "executive sponsor" for the program, our team of six has been meeting for over a month by way of attending webinars with Fr. Tom Brackett and a number of other churches across the country. We have been learning what the program is about, completing some assignments and gaining an understanding about how we can make contributions that will leave a lasting positive effect on our church and the community. It is important to understand that this work would not be possible or effective without the "top-down" leadership of the national church, our diocese, and Pastor Liz. As we move forward, we will invite more congregants to join the team and possibly spawn new teams. Currently we are focused on acknowledging the gifts and assets we offer to the community. This is for the purpose of developing microstrategies, building on our established values, vision, and mission. The strategies are directed at how we can better prepare the parish for transitioning from our current facilities to the new First Church in This is a fast moving program and you will all be finding out more about the progress and how you can contribute in the weeks to come. Blessings, Steve Mershon In this issue missio:engage!....1 & 2 Bible Challenge.9 & 10 From the Pastor..3 Birthdays, Anniversaries, Companion s Corner 11 Called to Build..4 The Great Motorcycle Rides.12 Parish Celebration.5 Church Contact Information.13 Service Times, Outreach, Calendar 6 Announcements.7 & 8 Stewardship

3 From the Pastor A New Year begins In our normal calendar, the new year begins in January. But for the church calendar, our new year begins with Advent 1, generally at the beginning of December. This new year begins not with resolutions to eat less or to exercise more. We start our new year of faith in anticipation of the coming of Jesus. What comfort and peace those thoughts bring us what hope! The baby is coming! This new year also begins with God s desire to draw us into a time of quiet reflection on this baby who is coming into the world to mend all that is broken. But there s more than that. God is drawing us into a time of contemplation of the next coming of Jesus. Are we ready for that? There is a bumper sticker/t-shirt slogan that says, Jesus is coming look busy. The desire of God s heart is much more than to have us simply looking busy, even if our busyness is full of good things. Are we ready for the one who is and was and is to come? Have we quieted our hearts and minds and lives enough to be ready? Jesus is coming. Take time to quiet yourself. Listen for the beauty of God s love. Jesus truly is coming. Pastor Liz 3

4 Called to Build IT S A NEW DAY! The Goal $500,000 The Results $518,079 Commitments Collected to Date Commitment Payments $86,347 Non-Commitment Payments $8,906 Total $95,253 Gratitude for the Results Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. (Luke 6:38) 4

5 The Parish Celebration Continues by Nicole Baxley, Office Manager & News Editor, Diocese of Northern California The floor of Convention lit up with excitement as Resolution R3-12 was voted on and immediately passed, changing the status of St. Augustine of Canterbury Church from a mission to a parish. A parade of joy-filled congregants proudly marched through the crowd to the front of the room, each carrying a balloon as bright in color as the spirits of its owner. The energy of the room swept up the crowd and the entire audience rose to their feet in joyful applause. The Rev. Liz Armstrong stood at the microphone surrounded by many proud members of this new parish and conveyed the journey the people of St. Augustine had shared and the many transitions that brought them to this moment. A video presentation, produced by Carlton Allen, revealed that the true heart of St. Augustine is its people and the family they have created with each other, making each Sunday a true blessing of family and fellowship. Members of this new parish, accompanied by Sarah Quinney on the guitar, led all of Convention in a beautiful rendition of, I, the Lord of Sea and Sky. These amazing moments shared by all on the floor of Convention were a true testament to the joy and excitement this diocese felt for their newest parish. The celebration will continue Sunday, December 9 at the 10 a.m. service. Carlton s video, which shows our journey as a church family, will be shown. Special refresments will be served. Please come and join in the Parish Celebration. 5

6 Service Times & Events Calendar Check 8:30 a.m. Sunday Service At 8:30 a.m. on Sundays there is a simple service without music using Rite II. This quiet service with communion will appeal to some every week and to others occasionally as a quieter way to worship. 10 a.m. Sunday Service At 10 a.m. on Sundays, there is a full service with the support of the St. Augustine Choir. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m. excepting some holy days and special occasions. Outreach St. Vincent de Paul Food Locker 2012 December 2 December 9 December 23 December 24 December January 19 January 27 Advent Lessons and Carols Celebrate our Parish Status! Baptism Adina Rubio Christmas Eve 4:30 PM Christmas Day - No Service Founding of a Church Celebration of a New Ministry 1 p.m. Bishop Beisner Annual Meeting St. Vincent de Paul foods for the month are items that contribute to a holiday dinner. Stuffing, cranberry sauce, canned vegetables, gravy packets, dessert boxes, etc. So please put your items in the grocery basket we can help to provide holiday cheer to folks less fortunate. The Gathering Inn The Gathering Inn is still in need of clothing for rain and cooler weather, during the winter months. Rain coats, wind breakers, heavy socks, sweaters and sweat shirts of all sizes are needed, so start looking around your closets. February 4 February 13 March 17 March 24 March March 31 June The Parables Study Groups Begin Ash Wednesday Confirmation ~ Bishop Beisner Palm Sunday Holy Week Easter Sunday Tentative Dates for Vacation Bible School 6

7 DOK Any woman who feels called to a life of prayer, service and evangelism is invited to come to our Daughters of the King meetings after the 10 a.m. service on the second Sunday of the month, in the school conference room. We will be having a membership study beginning early in Please speak to Greer Nave or any of the Daughters, if you are interested in joining our chapter. Our meeting this month will be December 9, in the school conference room. We will be choosing leaders for the new year. The prayer shawl ministry continues to seek anyone interested in joining this group. The prayer shawls are for those needing a physical reminder of our love and concern in times of healing and stress. Founding of a Church Bishop Barry Beisner will come to St. Augustine Saturday, January 19, at 1 p.m., to preside over the service of Founding of a Church. The Bishop and our congregation will take this opportunity to set aside the property for our Savior Jesus Christ. This will take place on the church property. Following this service, the congregation will move to the worship space for another very special occasion, Celebration of a New Ministry. This order will be used for the institution and induction of Pastor Liz as rector of our parish. A dessert reception will follow the services. The Brotherhood of St. Andrew holds its regular monthly meetings at 9 a.m., in Canterbury Hall. Coffee and refreshments are served. All men are welcome and encouraged to attend a meeting. If any men have an interest in learning what the Brotherhood of St. Andrew is about, contact Jack Dillon, Director, or John Redmond, Vice Director. Please join us for the December 8 special meeting at 9 a.m. in Canterbury Hall. Dave Thomas will provide breakfast in celebration of his 80 th birthday. Pastor Liz will attend our meeting and celebrate communion in honor of St. Andrew s Day which was November 30. Our parish nurses, Jeanne Rochelle and Mary Kathryn Marum, presented two Five Wishes programs in mid-november. The sessions were well attended and those in attendance found the exercise to be very valuable. Another group is scheduled to complete the Five Wishes Sunday, December 16, 3 p.m., at Mary Kathryn s home. If you would like to attend this session, please let Mary Kathryn know. Five Wishes is an advance directive that helps people make important end-of-life care decisions that address their medical, personal, emotional and spiritual needs, before a health crisis. 7

8 Feed My Starving Children packed 524,000 meals. Two thousand volunteers helped pack those meals, including 35 from St. Augustine. We also donated over $900. Thanks for your prayers, participation and donations. See you next year! Catherine Beckman St. Augustine Youth Group The St. Augustine Youth Group, F.I.S.H (Friends In Serving Him) will meet Sundays in December from 4:30 6 p.m., in Canterbury Hall. During the Month of December our youth group will be continuing our studies in the Chronicles of Narnia series as well as furthering our education and awareness through outreach. Church School News December will be a very busy month for our Church School children. We have a special Advent project planned to introduce the new season. The children will also learn about the other seasons of the church. We will be studying about St. Thomas, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph and St. Mary. And the children will practice special Christmas songs to prepare for their roles in telling the story of Jesus' birth for the Christmas Eve service, December 24, at 4:30 p.m. We invite all children to join us for each Sunday at 10 a.m. sharp in Canterbury Hall. If you would like to help out occasionally in our Sunday School classroom, during the January through June 2013 sessions (tell a Bible story, help with puppet shows, help with a song or craft), please contact Susan Lampton (see Church Directory for contact information). This month's outreach will include adopting a family for Christmas, to provide gifts and a meal! We also will be celebrating with a F.I.S.H. family night with Christmas caroling and a hot chocolate bar! Miranda White sharing her Christmas Tree Advent Calendar 8

9 Dear St. Augustine Family, We have wrapped up a wonderful stewardship season in record time! We are blessed by the response of the congregation in pledging financially to the 2013 Operating Budget. Our Stewardship Chair and Pledge Clerk report 15 new pledges. And many of our continuing pledgers increased their financial commitment. There is an increase in the number of adult pledges, and we have seven children pledging. Your generosity in pledges of all sizes and your faithfulness to the financial life of St. Augustine are wonderful blessings! Pledge Total 2012: $174,000 (63 adults, 7 children Pledge Total 2013: $182,820 (69 adults, 7 children) Jack Dillon Ralph Nave Pastor Liz Armstrong Stewardship Chair Pledge Clerk Rector The Bible Challenge Between the first and second cycles of The Parables home study groups, it is hoped that everyone will sign-up for The Bible Challenge. This is an international program and the worldwide list of Episcopal dioceses involved is astounding. Bishop Beisner encourages all of the congregations to support The Bible Challenge. Some find it helpful to take on the challenge with a study buddy, to hold themselves accountable and to have someone with whom to discuss the readings. Most of us have a couple of Biblical books that we have avoided over the years. When was the last time you read the book of Numbers? This is a way to feel the sense of prayerfulness and awe that can come from taking part and hearing the word of God freshly every day. P.S. You get every Sunday off since it is assumed you will hear the lectionary in church! See page 10 for more specific details. 9

10 Welcome! Thank you for joining me in taking The Bible Challenge. We will bless our Bibles as a kick-off on Epiphany Sunday and then begin our readings the next day, Day 1, which is Monday, January 7th. A section of the diocesan website will support The Bible Challenge, complete with daily readings and meditations. The daily readings will be posted one week at a time, Monday through Saturday (Sundays we listen to the Bible in church). Short meditations on each day s passages for the week will also be posted. These meditations are a gold mine in themselves, as they were composed by theologians, bishops and Bible scholars from around the world. I encourage congregations to plan now to support The Bible Challenge with local activities. I also ask that all individuals who intend to take The Bible Challenge 'subscribe' to an list, so that we can notify you of periodic supports. Please subscribe by ing to us your name, mailing address and the name of any church you may be attending, addressed to biblechallenge@norcalepiscopal.org. This is an exciting venture as the Body of Christ in Northern California. I personally look forward to reading each day, knowing that a cloud of witnesses is reading the same scriptures along with me. Grace and peace to you, Recommended Reference Center for Biblical Studies Website Oxford Annotated New Revised Standard Bible 10

11 Companion s Corner The Fourth Wiseman December Birthdays December 7 December 8 December 12 December 13 December 19 December 20 December 23 December 25 December 29 Jim Foote Dave Thomas Marcia Rush Catherine Beckman T. Cole Hackley Carol Vaughn Patrick Finn Lawrence Morehead Rich Wampler December Anniversaries December 2 Rick & Janice Stenzel December 10 Andrew & Gabrielle Sisk Proverbial Wisdom The Lord has given us eyes to see with and ears to listen with. In 1895, a little book was published called The Fourth Wiseman. I reread it every Advent season. The book is available in paperback through Amazon. The story centers around a Magi named Artaban. Like the other Magi, he sees signs in the heavens proclaiming that a King has been born among the Jews. Like them, he sets out to see the newborn ruler, carrying treasures to give as gifts to the child a sapphire, a ruby and a "pearl of great price. However, he stops along the way to help a dying man, which makes him late to meet with the caravan of the other three wise men. Since he missed the caravan and cannot cross the desert with only a horse, he is forced to sell another of his treasures in order to buy the camels and supplies necessary for the trip. He then commences his journey but arrives in Bethlehem too late to see the child, whose parents have fled to Egypt. He then saves the life of a child from Herod s slaughter of baby boys at the price of another of his treasures. He travels to Egypt and to many other countries, searching for Jesus for years and performing acts of charity along the way. After thirty-three years, Artaban is now a white-haired pilgrim. He arrives in Jerusalem in time for the crucifixion of Jesus, where he spends his last treasure, the pearl, to ransom a young woman being sold into slavery. He then is struck in the temple by a falling roof tile, and is about to die, having failed in his quest. Yet he knew that all was well, because he had done the best he could. A voice tells him "Verily I say unto thee, Inasmuch as thou hast done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, thou hast done it unto me," and he dies in a calm radiance of wonder and joy. It is only in reading the book that its impact can be truly felt. The Fourth Wiseman is a tiny but profound book. Advent blessings dear friends, Carole Psalm 20:12 11

12 The Great Motorcycle Rides The back roads to Auburn were very alive with our famous motorcycle hosts and their passengers for this exciting activity. Steve Mershon, Scott Drageset and Aaron Beckman donated rides (at the Fall Festival) to Auburn highlighted lunch at Awful Annie s. The winners and passengers included Sharon Mershon, Pastor Liz, Greer and Ralph Nave, Carole Peterson and June Meredith. Great fun for all in the name of supporting St. Augustine! 12

13 Church Contact Information Pastor Liz Armstrong Contact Information Cell Church Office Normal Work Days Sunday Thursday Please contact the Church Office or Pastor Liz for pastoral emergencies. The Mission of St. Augustine Church With God s Help To Worship God To proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ To reach out to our community and the world in service and education St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church A Safe Place for People Seeking God 1800 Wildcat Boulevard Rocklin, CA Phone: FAX: staugustine@staugustineepiscopal.com 13