LOAVES & FISHES THE NEWSLETTER OF ST. PAUL S EPISCOPAL CHURCH MILLERS TAVERN, VIRGINIA MR. F. POWELL JOHANN, JR., ORGANIST & CHOIRMASTER June 2014 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Search Committee 2 Graduates 3 Outreach 4 Outreach helps your Parish Grow 5
2 Update from St. Paul's Search Committee May 2014 Thank you for completing the recent parish survey. We received 50 responses. From your feedback, we created the Parish Profile, which has since been approved by the Vestry. Once the Profile is approved by the Diocese, we will commence an active search for a priest-in-charge. At that time, the Parish Profile will be available for review on the parish website. Below are highlights of the survey results. Again, thank you for your participation in this process. Dot Mahanes, Chair Grace Rhinesmith Paul Bennett III St. Paul s Vestry and Officers Lindeve Hostvedt Jerry Walker Julie Brown John Haile Elizabeth Miller Linda Minor David Sutton David Mann Rose Mary Zellner Bin Trice Eugene Rivara A.W. Lewis Gloria Blanton Howard Schmidt Loaves & Fishes Published by Senior Warden Junior Warden Register Vestry Members Office Administrator St. Paul s Episcopal Church 7924 Richmond - Tappahannock Hwy Millers Tavern, VA 23115 Phone: (804) 443-2341 Treasurer Rose Mary Zellner Newsletter Editor Contact info: (804) 310-6980 or rose@rainbowacrescampground.com Publication deadline: the 15th of the prior month Jane Durvin Photographer ST. PAUL S PARISH SURVEY RESULTS Abilities and qualities which a Priest-in-Charge might need (top 5 selected): Preaches with clarity; makes the gospel relevant in people's lives Attends to pastoral care of members (birth, death, life challenges, etc.) Brings new members into the fellowship of the church Visits the sick and bereaved Develops a strong sense of community among members Important aspects of worship service (top 3 selected): Good/Inspiring sermon Fellowship/Worship with others Communion Degree of Ceremony: Same amount of ceremony (60%) Success of activities, programs, or services offered by our parish (top rated): Scholarships for Shrine Mont camps Parish social events (coffee hour, lunches, etc.) Altar Guild and Music Outreach programs (community dinners, shoe box, angel tree, Cornerstone) First brought parishioners to St. Paul s (top 3 selected): Recommended by a friend My family attends Nearest Episcopal church to my home Parishioners continued attending St. Paul s (top 5 selected): I like the people Style of worship appeals to me Loyalty to the Episcopal Church The music Loyalty to St. Paul s (My family has always attended) Registered member of St. Paul s: Yes (86%) Parishioner age: 65 and over (46%) 55 to 64 (34%) 45 to 54 (6%) 35 to 44 (6%) Travel time to St. Paul s: 15 to 30 minutes (52%) Under 15 minutes (40%) 31 to 45 minutes (4%) 46 to 60 minutes (4%) Years attending St. Paul s: Service attended: Over 20 years (44%) 11 to 20 years (26%) 6 to 10 years (24%) 10 am Sunday (88%) Open to having a single service on Sunday: Yes (65%)
3 Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good", but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot anti-abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!" St. Paul's would like to recognize and congratulate our recent graduates.: Emma Schmidt, King William High School Jessica Payne, Old Dominion University Mary Sader, Virginia Tech Great job, go be a light unto the world. We are proud of you all! If there are other grads we have missed, we apologize, and please let us know what you are doing.
loaves & fishes June 4 Stuff it! Our efforts to supply backpacks to needy local school children have grown over the years. This year, we have already purchased 108 backpacks. We have committed to supply 25 of them stuffed with supplies for kindergarten to the CornerStone. The empty bags are already here, boxed in the back storage room with the freezer. Pick one or two up, now, and work on this project all summer! There are several ways to help with the backpack project. 1) Stuff one or two for kindergarteners. Since our commitment to the CornerStone is for kindergarteners, please take one or two of the 15 1/2 inch packs to stuff for them. These need to be back, stuffed, by August 10th. The following items should be in each kindergarten pack: 12-#2 pencils BEING DOERS OF THE WORD OUTREACH 24-Crayons 2-glue sticks 1-box of tissues 1-pink eraser 8-WASHABLE broad tip markers 1 pair of blunt-nosed Fiskar scissors 1 pencil case 1-wide-ruled, spiral bound notebook 3-pocket folders 2) The reason that the church purchases these is that we get such a good deal by buying them in bulk. These cost an average of $5.22 a piece. You can rarely find any backpack for less than $10. Unfortunately, these aren t the most fun backpacks in the world. The Kindergartener ones are black, navy, charcoal, royal blue, burgundy and dark green. Should you be so inclined, feel free to buy a more fun backpack and stuff it for a kindergartener with the previously mentioned items. 3) Like the idea of supporting the project, but aren t inclined to shop? Write a check to St. Paul s with School Supplies in the memo line! This should be done prior to the end of July. Someone will shop for supplies for you. 4) If you want to fill a pack in addition to one for a kindergartener, (you only get to do a bigger one if you re doing a kindergartener pack) take a larger pack some are 17 inches tall and some are 19, look on-line for items needed for the grade you d like to contribute to, stuff it with the necessary items, and bring it labeled for the county and grade number that you chose. The additional packs, some empty, some full, go to Essex and K&Q schoolchildren through other avenues, so, please, everyone consider participating! Wouldn t it be wonderful if we were able to provide 100 stuffed packs? Empty backpacks are at church for you to pick up by July 29th and returned, stuffed, on August 10th. Thank you all for supporting this project! Community Dinner Schedule The June Community Dinner is coming up on Monday, June 16th. Subsequent dinners this year are on July 21st, August 18th, September 15th, October 20th, November 17th, and December 20th. We have had some fall-out on our dinner teams. The list of who s participating when is on the St. Paul s website under outreach, Community Dinners, and then teams, 2013. If you d like to help for any of those, please look up who s participating and call them to volunteer! Start you own Outreach project Practice random acts of kindness. The CornerStone Community Development Center Help needed every Saturday to pack and distribute food bags. St. Paul s used to have several people helping to distribute food at the CornerStone most weeks, but attrition due to changing health, membership and work schedules, has taken a toll and we no longer have people helping with this important mission. Please volunteer at the CornerStone by calling 769-2996. Food Basket Remember to bring your contributions each week! Meat Stew & Vegetables thru July 15th Canned Meats & Beans July 22nd thru Aug. 12th. Fish, Vegetables & Beans Aug. 19th thru Sept. 9th We also need help delivering the basket to Aylett each Sunday. Additional funds given to St. Paul s memoed to the CornerStone / Food Basket will be sent to the CornerStone BRIEF-ly speaking Families need new undergarments The CornerStone UnderCover Project collects and distributes new underclothing in August & September.
5 from the Episcopal New Yorker: Eleven Ways Outreach Can Help Your Parish Grow By the Rev. Samuel J. Smith When passers-by see, or learn of, activity at a church (beyond Sunday morning), they gain a broader sense of its vitality. Your outreach efforts will only be an asset to church growth if you AREN T undertaking the work only to grow the church. People can easily sense your motivations; outreach undertaken only to make your church look better will not serve the community or attract long-term members. There s a big difference between going to church and participating in the life of one. Parishioners who are involved in outreach become better connected to one another, and thus more likely to remain active. The Churches of the Diocese of New York do amazing things to support our neighbors in need. The programs supported by Episcopal Charities alone touch the lives of more than 800,000 individuals every year through vital, transformational programs. Of course, this work is undertaken because serving our neighbors is a crucial part of our Christian mandate. But our outreach can also bring attention to our churches and more people into their lives. How? 1) Outreach shows that a church is alive. When passers-by see, or learn of, activity at a church (beyond Sunday morning), they gain a broader sense of its vitality. 2) Outreach highlights our passion for serving the community. We do this work to help our neighbors and nothing demonstrates compassion better. 3) Outreach gives us something to talk about. Outreach can provide PR opportunities. While it is a challenge to get a news outlet to talk about our worship or educational efforts, they are often interested in talking about the ways we reach out to support those in need. 4) Outreach provides a doorway for newcomers. Outreach provides an easy way to connect to a church newcomers can volunteer. As they get to know our church home, as well as the parishioners themselves and the work we do, they may take interest in joining in beyond the food pantry or tutoring program. 5) Outreach shows that we re about more than worship. Our service for our neighbors helps us to move from the theoretical to the practical and to show the love of Christ in action. 6) Outreach demonstrates to our children what it means to live Christlike lives. We can talk about caring for our neighbors every week, but for those who need more concrete illustrations, the love exemplified in serving the community speaks louder than any Sunday school lesson. And giving kids the opportunity to take part in hands-on outreach provides the opportunity to experience being of service to others. 7) Outreach allows us to really get to know our neighbors...and vice versa. Only when we move beyond our own familiar territory can we learn exactly who is in our community and what matters to them. When we help people meet their practical, day-to-day needs, we show that we care and that they are important to us and that the Church is a community that is for them. 8) Outreach makes us a more desirable church home. There s a big difference between going to church and participating in the life of one. Parishioners who are involved in outreach become better connected to one another, and thus more likely to remain active. 9) Outreach generates Church leaders. The regular work of outreach provides the opportunity for new leaders to emerge and hone their skills. The most vital outreach programs help create strong leaders who often move to other aspects of church leadership. 10) Outreach connects us to other community players. Politicians, social service leaders, other church communities outreach provides an opportunity to connect to the movers and shakers in our area. They come to know us better and become more likely to tell others about us. 11) Outreach makes Church relevant. When we serve the real, practical needs of others outside the church doors, we see our faith in action and we are reminded why the Church matters. One caveat (and oxymoron): While all of these statements are true, your outreach efforts will only be an asset to church growth if you aren t undertaking the work only to grow the church. People can easily sense your motivations; outreach undertaken only to make your church look better will not serve the community or attract long-term members. Only embark on this work when you have the full support of your church s leadership and volunteer base, and when there is a clear consensus about the needs of your community and the desire of the church body to work to meet those needs. And as you start new outreach projects, always remember that our diocese has great technical support resources through Episcopal Charities and through diocesan staff, commissions, and committees. As you develop new ministries, ask for help! Bless you all for the work you do to serve our community. May your work not only meet the needs of the world, but also strengthen your parish for the future. Smith is the assistant priest at St. Michael s Church, Manhattan. He was the director of programs at Episcopal Charities from 2009 to 2013.