Professional Documents
Culture Documents
This Christmas threatens to be one with many of those kinds of stories filling the newspaper and Choir Schedule 7
evening news programs. People are losing their homes, sometimes set out on the street with no
place to go. And, while I think it is not right that consumerism overwhelms the spirit of Christmas, this Mission and
year will be a financial disaster for many. Some businesses will close, stores will close, and jobs will Outreach
8
be lost. Sorrows will abound.
Prayer List 6
The paradox of some of this is the way we romanticize the story of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. In re-
ality it was a story of sorrows. It was about an unwed mother, an unyielding Roman Empire forcing St. Paul’s News 6, 10
unreasonable travel, no room at the inn and a child being hunted down by a murderous King
Herod. Upcoming
2-5
Activities
What brings all these stories together is the ability of God to transcend the sorrowful reality of
(Continued on page 12)
he December 9 meeting will feature Dr. Stephen The December meeting on St Elizabeth Guild will be
T and Mrs. Lange with a program of Christmas music. a Corporate Communion at the 8 a.m. service to be
followed by brunch and a musical program. Vicki
Dinner is at 6:15 p.m. in the Hill Room and costs $8. Walker and her daughter, Melanie will entertain us
Everyone is welcome and for a reservation, please con- with a selection of Christmas music.
tact Debby Pierce. We invite you to join us for a won-
derful evening of holiday food and beautiful music. For additional information and to make reservations,
please call Debby Pierce.
December 2008
St. Paul's News Page 3
December 2008
Page 4
St. Paul's News
4 F’s Looking Back Helps Us to Director in Grand Ledge, we’ve invited the
Someko singers from Okemos, as our own Matt
Look Forward Nauss is a member of this talented Okemos
High School group.
By Nancy Sheldon • January 12 - Fr. Weller will give us a presen-
tation on the Roman Catholic Church and how
sually the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month
U (exceptions noted *due to Town Hall conflict):
it presently relates to the Episcopal Church by
comparing and contrasting the two faiths.
• 12 noon Eucharist • January 26 - We will visit the Cathedral of St.
• 12:30 p.m. Lunch ($4.00) Mary and have someone there guide us and
• 1 p.m. Bible Study (Steve Lange) talk to us about the cathedral and the Catholic
• 1:15-2 p.m. Program faith.
• February 9 - Steve Lange will give us a pres-
Anyone is invited who has time in the middle of the entation on the Wesley brothers and the rela-
day! Please sign up for lunch outside the Merrifield tionship of Methodism to Episcopalianism.
Room or call the Church office for a reservation. • February 23 - We will visit Central United
Methodist church next door and tour their fa-
• December 8 - We will continue our annual
cilities. We will also continue our conversation
tradition of a Christmas celebration with a with Joe Huston, their minister, about the Meth-
special luncheon before a concert in the church. odist church and their faith.
Since Nancy Lange is no longer the Choral
December 2008
St. Paul's News Page 5
December 2008
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St. Paul's News
Vestry Elections
By The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller
ive new members will be elected to the Vestry at the January 25 Annual Meeting. One will be our youth
F member. This position, created in 2006, is for a one-year period and is filled by a young person nomi-
nated by a youth caucus, which will be held in early January, and then elected at the Annual Meeting. The out-
going Youth Representative is Stephen Karauki. Thank you, Stephen, for your time and efforts. The other four
positions have been admirably occupied by Sr. Warden, Charlie Krupka, and Vestry members Susan Hender-
son, Kelly Gmazel and John Nevin, who is completing an unexpired term. We thank them for their service as
well. These four positions will be filled at the Annual Meeting. To qualify you must be:
• A Baptized member
• At least 16 years of age
• Regular in attendance
• A contributor to the life of the congregation with time, talent and treasure
• Willing to attend a minimum of 10 Vestry meetings a year
• Willing to chair a Vestry committee
Willing to attend a Vestry retreat at the Weber Center on February 6-7, 2009
If you would be willing to serve or would like to nominate someone, please confirm that person’s willingness and
submit his or her name in writing through the parish office. As always, nominations from the floor of the Annual
Meeting will be accepted if the consent of the person nominated has been obtained.
e pray for those who are sick and in need: Cindy Robinson, Richard,
W Audrie and Aaron Hegmon, Shelley Robinson, Mason Hill, Erik
Lindquist, Charles Weaver, Chance Collins, Barb Hacker, Darrick, Marjorie
Belles, Aleda, Dave, Kathryn Senko, Barb Powers, Patricia Reno, Skip and
Marsha Macholz, Carrie, Michael Skinner, Edward Such, Virginia Jessop,
Mason Beasley, Judy Jones, Mary McClelland, Ken Vogel, Berthella Hock-
ert, MaryLea Benson, Cambria McMillen, and Marguerite Upham.
We pray and remember those in the Military, serving in dangerous areas:
Daniel Reno, David Granger, Bill Sheldon, and Michael Benson.
We pray for comfort: for the family and friends of Vivian Toomey, Richard Edwards, Mary Olds, and Clem-
ent Laurion, who passed away recently.
We pray for the recently baptized: Hannah Violet Hall, daughter of Matthew and Kimberly (Kym) Hall,
Thomas James Hilbert, son of Douglas and Shelly Hilbert, and Kate Brooks Waugh, daughter of John and
Elana Waugh.
We pray for those expecting: Sarah (Weller) and Joseph Evenden, Linda and Don Junger, Amanda and
Darrick Alvarez, Summer (Sleight) and Jake Stevens, and Brooke and Ian Broughton.
December 2008
Choirs News
St. Paul' Page 7
Special Dates to Note:
Thursday, December 25 — There will be no Chancel Choir rehearsal
Wednesday, December 31 and Thursday, January 1 — There are no rehearsals
We will resume the normal singing schedule on Sunday, January 4 and Wednesday, January 7.
Singing Schedule
Date Choirs
Annual Meeting
By The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller
he Annual Meeting will be held on January 25,
T 2009, immediately following the 10 a.m. service.
This will be a very important meeting as we will review
our activities in 2008, our hopes for 2009 and elect
Vestry members for three-year terms. Please make
every effort to attend. Child care will be provided.
December 2008
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St. Paul's News
Water for Life: Church World Service Collection Ends December 14
By the Rev. Deacon Bill Fineout
ll water bottle “piggy banks” are due, along with other donations, by Sunday, De-
A cember 14, when we end this year’s special Millennium Development Goals project.
For the last six months, we have handed out bottled water donated by Meijer, and we
have asked parishioners to fill the empty bottles with money.
Church World Service will use our collective donation to support places like Kenya. Mary
Obiero, coordinator for the Water for Life program in Kenya, said that only 61 percent
of the rural population has access to an improved drinking water source.
“It is the responsibility of women and girls in Kenya and Africa, in general, to fetch water. In the arid and semi
-arid areas of Kenya, where we work, they walk an average of between seven and 13 miles round-trip in
search of water. The first priority… is to increase the supply of potable water for households in water-stressed
communities, and to reduce the distance women and girls walk,” she said. “We are also providing water to
schools, because teachers also send the girls out to search for it, making them miss valuable class time.”
Closer proximity to potable water keeps women in the community and girls in schools, also providing access to
better sanitation facilities. If you haven’t taken a bottle of water yet, please do and enjoy it, fill the bottle with
money and return it on December 14.
Let’s “dig deep” for good water. Water for Life!
December 13 May
• Housing Assistance Fund – Fruit and Greens Pickup • Sudan Education Project for 2010
December/Advent Ongoing:
• Youth - Mitten Tree • Outreach Committee meeting, second Monday,
5:30 p.m.
December 14 • Manna Sundays for street ministry (busing/work
• MDG – Water for Life Ingathering/Wrap up boots)
• Water for Life
December 24 • Heifer International
• Gifts for the Christ Child • Prayer quilts
• Cars INC
April 1—December 13, 2009
Check the Newsletter articles and the Sunday Bulletin
• Episcopal Relief and Development or Heifer Interna-
Announcements for additional details and informa-
tional
tion.
April 12-26
• Food Drive—Food Bank
December 2008
St. Paul's News Page 9
Vestry Highlights
On Tuesday evening, November 17, your Vestry: ∼ Stewardship report of 100 pledges so far in
the amount of $230,132
• Enjoyed dinner together ∼ Reviewed Adult Christian Education programs
• Approved the October minutes to be presented in the spring
• Shared devotions on where we find God in life • Noted a new, less expensive, color copier for the
changing moments office
• Received a draft of the 2007 audit • Appointed Charlie Krupa, Susan Henderson,
• Continued discussion on the 2009 budget. This John Nevin and Kelly Gamazel (the out going
evening’s discussion centered on Diocesan Support Vestry members) as the nominating committee for
and Staff Compensation the 2009 Annual Meeting
• Received a report on the revamping of our web • Discussed the possible need for and opportunities
site available for fund raising in the 2009 period
• Discussed LAEP (Lansing Area Episcopal Projects) • Agreed to the need for a Shawver Fund long
representation range planning committee
• Reviewed Vestry calling with an eye to the calling • Noted that the deadline for reports to be in-
scheduled for early January, 2009 cluded in the Annual Report booklet is January 3,
• Received various committee reports and noted: 2009
∼ B&G Reported flat roof leaks • Received clergy reports
December 2008
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St. Paul's News
The Gathering “Coffee House at St. Paul’s”
By Millie Ericson
n November 7, the Merrifield Room was turned into a 60s/70s style coffee house and about 45 people
O enjoyed the waft of freshly brewed coffee and the sounds of folk music from the “New St. Paul’s Minstrels,”
a.k.a. various talented members of the congregation, singing such classics as “Imagine,” “Puff the Magic
Dragon,” “Country Roads” and “This Land is Your Land.” Thank you to Max and Debby Pierce for so skillfully
transforming the Merrifield Room. Thanks to Larry Clark for all his hard work in organizing the music and sound
system. Thanks to all the singers for joyfully entertaining. Thanks to the members of the Parish Life Committee
for all their contributions. Watch for return of this fun event next year!
December 2008
St. Paul's News Page 11
any human situation and infuse the divine power of love and hope. As the seasons transition from Advent to
Christmas to Epiphany, we will hear more stories of personal heartbreak and sorrow. God does not cause these
tragedies that His glory might be revealed, but we should be reminded that they are opportunities for us to be
God’s agent of change in the world. May you be blessed in these marvelous seasons with the love and hope
that is God, and may we be given to share these wonderful gifts.
The two Sundays prior, the congregation heard testimonials regarding, “What St. Paul’s Means to Me,” from
Jean Shawver and Matt Ferguson. Both were inspiring, passionate and heartfelt, perfectly delivering the
message that St. Paul’s is a very special place and that by sharing our gifts, we can share both the glory of
Christ and the love of fellowship. Both presentations are posted on St. Paul’s webpage at
www.stpaulslansing.org.
At the Invitation Sunday services, a healthy number of pledge cards were returned, but we have a long way
to go to meet the needs of the parish and our work in the community. Pledge cards and copies of the testimo-
nials have also been mailed out to everyone who has not yet pledged.
December 2008
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