THE MESSENGER

A COMMUNICATION MINISTRY OF
CHRIST CHURCH, DUANESBURG, NEW YORK

JUNE 2015

Photo by Christine Chandler

RECTORS REFLECTIONS

ear Friends in Christ,

At the last meeting of the Vestry we spent some time

discussing a report that examined trends among Episcopal
churches that are growing and churches that are declining. Parts
of the report were discouraging. For example, older churches in
rural areas of the northeastern USA are all declining. These are
facts about Christ Church that we cannot change. Similarly,
churches with only one service, most of the active members over
the age of fifty and a Rector who is over fifty are also declining.
While these facts again describe Christ Church, there is something
we can do about them.

INSIDE
Rectors Reflections

Deacons Notes

View from the Pew

Parish Schedule

Calendar

News & Notes

At the meeting we came up with a proposal that I would like to

offer for your consideration. The Vestry is considering offering a
Saturday or Sunday service once a month (4:30 or 5:00 PM)
geared toward families with young children. The service would be
informal and would be held in the parish hall, followed by a meal. Further, we would engage the
services of a priest in his thirties, who has a young family, as well as a musician of similar age and
background. We believe that such a service would meet the needs of young families in our
community, but we need to know more before we proceed. If you are under the age of fifty,
please let me or a member of our Vestry know what you think of this proposal.

At the last meeting of the Vestry we also discussed our current sign and agreed that it is in need of
being replaced. We are looking into some options that would give us a more durable traditionallooking signs that does not rely on spotlights that might be a hazard to drivers passing by. If you see
a sign that you think would serve us well, please take a picture of it and send it to me.
Yours in Christ,

Bill+
CHRIST CHURCH
DUANESBURG
NEW YORK

DEACONS NOTES
11 Lessons for Graduates and You

raduation is a time when many

contemplate their future and purpose. It
can be both a time of great excitement
and worry. I certainly remember the anxiousness I
felt after graduation. So whether you are
graduating high school or college, know a
graduate or perhaps you are graduating to the
next level of your life and career I wanted to
share 11 lessons from The Seed that I hope will
empower and inspire you on your journey.
1. You are here for a reason and the most
important thing you can do in life is to
find, live and share your purpose. Its the
one thing in life that truly matters and if
you dont pursue it, everything else is
meaningless.
2. Follow your passion. It so often leads you
to your purpose. You may not know what
your passion is right now. Thats ok. The
important thing is to make it your life
mission to find it, live it and share it. To
help find your passion, seek out jobs and
experiences that allow you to use your
strengths and gifts. Do what energizes
you.
3. Beware of hobbies. Just because you
love spending time on Facebook doesn't
mean you would enjoy working for the
company. And just because you love to
cook doesn't mean you would enjoy
owning a restaurant. For example, I
owned restaurants but I realized I didn't
love the food business. I loved the service
and marketing aspect of the business.
4. Quit for the right reasons. Don't quit
because work is hard or you're
experiencing challenges. Quit because in
your heart you know there is something
else for you to do. Quit because you are
not
benefitting
yourself
or
the
organization you work for. Quit because
you are absolutely certain you are no
longer supposed to be there.

by Deacon Debbie
6. Your current job may not be your
ultimate purpose but it can serve as a
vehicle to live and share your purpose.
7. Whatever
job(s)
you
take
after
graduation simply decide to serve. When
you serve in small ways you'll get more
opportunities to serve in bigger ways.
8. Your dream job is likely not the one you
dreamed about. So often we end up in
amazing careers that have nothing to do
with our college degree or childhood
dreams.
9. The quest for your purpose is not a
straight line. It is filled with mystery, signs,
obstacles, victories, dead ends, delays
and detours. Your job is to stay optimistic
and faithful on your quest.
10. Don't rush the future. There is a process
that seeds must go through in order to
become all they are destined to
become, and you must go through this
same process to become the person you
are meant to be and do the work you
are meant to do. You may want things to
happen NOW but more than likely if you
got what you wanted NOW you wouldn't
be ready for it. The purpose process
prepares you, strengthens you, shapes
you and grows you to be successful, not
in your time, but in the right time.
11. Be the Seed. Seeds surrender themselves
to the ground so they can be used for a
greater purpose. Wherever you work,
decide to plant yourself where you are
and allow yourself to be used for a
greater purpose. When you plant yourself
and make a difference you grow into the
person you were born to be and
produce a harvest that will benefit others
and change the world.
http://jongordon.com/se
ed.html

5. Learn from every job and experience.

Every job, good or bad, prepares you for
the work you were ultimately born to do.

PAGE 2

WWW.CHRISTCHURCHDUANESBURG.ORG

JUNE 2015

VIEW FROM THE PEW

Love & Marriage

e celebrated Mothers Day in May and

now in June, we celebrate Fathers Day.
For some reason they are separated by
one month, when actually, we wouldnt be here
today if it was not for Mother and Father being one in
the eyes of God. June is usually a busy month for
graduations as well as weddings. (and the beginning
of marriage). When my husband (a priest) met with a
couple for pre-nuptial consultation, he always told
them he was NOT going to discuss their wedding.
When the couple got over their shock, he explained
to them that he was going to talk to them about
Marriage. My husband once told me an amusing
story about a woman who told him she already knew
everything there was to know about weddings
because she always watched Bride for a Day on
television. Yet when her own wedding day arrived,
she shook so much the petals fell off her flowers!

soldier would do so. Therefore, he told Jesus, He did

not need to go to his house for his servant to be
healed. The servant, of course, was healed. There
were the miraculous healings of the sick, the maimed,
the lepers, the deaf, the blind, the palsied and the
lame. But the greatest miracle of all.was the
Glorious Resurrection of Jesus, following the cruel,
painful death on the cross. Such a miracle it is that
Jesus would die for our sins and the sins of the world
and then to rise again to give us everlasting life.

The first miracle of Jesus happened at a wedding,

when his mother noticed the host was running out of
wine. Jesus changed jugs of water into the finest
wine. Many of His following miracles were of healing.
Those who had enough faith did not even need Jesus
to go to the sick for them to be healed. One
example is the Centurion who explained to Jesus,
that if he told a soldier to go or to do, he knew the

Thank you God for your profound love in giving

us your son!
You are all always in my prayers.
In His love,

We celebrated Whitsunday/Pentecost in May,

when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles. Now
we begin the season of Pentecost, the longest in the
church year. Pentecost is the Greek word for fifty
and it is observed about 50 days after Easter.

Thank you Jesus for giving us salvation and

everlasting life!

Doris J. Weiler

JUNE 2015

PARISH SCHEDULE
Date

Acolyte

Greeters

06/07/2015

John Weiler

Carm Fusco &

Barbara Heimlich

06/14/2015

Jayden Sayles

Phil & Jenna Sayles

06/21/2015

Jane Weyers

Andrea & Bryan

Salisbury

06/28/2015

Sharon Mericle

Barbara Hinrichs

Date

Chalice

06/07/2015

Elizabeth

06/14/2015

Elizabeth

06/21/2015

Elizabeth

06/28/2015

Elizabeth

PAGE 3

Altar Guild
Linda MacDougall &
Cheryl Lennox
Linda MacDougall &
Cheryl Lennox
Marge Cummings &
Cindy Creasy
Marge Cummings &
Cindy Creasy

Lectors

Bell Ringer

Sandra DePoalo &

John Weiler
Marge Cummings &
Lena Dominy Santiago
Cal Weyers &
Doug Fortman
Sharon Mericle &
Barbara Hinrichs

Sunday School

Tony Miller

Tippe & Tony Miller

Bryan
Salisbury

No Sunday School
until September

Tony Miller
Bryan
Salisbury

DoK
Prayers of the People

Counters

Debbie

Sharon Mericle & Phil Sayles

Elizabeth

Jane Weyers & Steve Schrade

Sharon

Andrea Salisbury & Cindy Creasy

Debbie

Judy Breitenstein & Tippe Miller

WWW.CHRISTCHURCHDUANESBURG.ORG

JUNE 2015


JUNE 2015

BIRTHDAYS, ANNIVERSARIES & EVENTS
Sunday
31 PENTECOST 1
Bible Study 9am
Holy Eucharist 10am
Sunday School 10am
Analisa Bastiani,
June VanWie
7 PENTECOST 2
Bible Study 9am
Holy Eucharist 10am
Sunday School 10am

14 PENTECOST 3
Bible Study 9am
Holy Eucharist 10am
No Sunday School

Monday
1

Tuesday
2

Jasmine Therrion

Wednesday
3

Thursday
4

John Chandler
Tonya & Kyle
Rudolphsen

Friday
5 Diocesan
Convention at Camp
of the Woods (June
5th 7th)

Saturday
6

Andrea Fortman

10

11

12

13

16

17
Vestry Mtg 7pm

18

19

20

Billy Lucia

15

Samantha Moses

Joan Langston,
Deborah Van Zink

Christopher Lenehan
21 PENTECOST 4
FATHERS DAY
Bible Study 9am
Holy Eucharist 10am
No Sunday School
Adam & Dianne
Acevedo
28 PENTECOST 5
Bible Study 9am
Holy Eucharist 10am
No Sunday School
Parish Picnic
5 PENTECOST 6
Bible Study 9am
Holy Eucharist 10am
No Sunday School

PAGE 4

22

23

24

25

Benjamin
Lenehan

26

27

John & Elizabeth

Iseman

Ryan & Tricia

Moses
29

30

Dan Menzies, Eva

Weyers

7
Bonnie Kerr

John Michael
Iseman

Caitlin Menzies,
Tricia Moses

Molly Powers

WWW.CHRISTCHURCHDUANESBURG.ORG

4 INDEPENDENCE
Paul Munson IV

DAY

Carl Breitenstein

10

11
Cal Weyers

JUNE 2015

NEWS & NOTES

LADIES GUILD

SUMMER OUTING

PARISH PICNIC

JUNE 28TH

Similar to previous years, the

Ladies Guild will be hosting a
trip
to
the
Otesaga
in
Cooperstown, NY on July 2nd.
Invitations will be sent to the
women of the church at their
homes and will include this
years cost for lunch. Please plan
to meet at the church parking lot
at 10:30 to carpool. Join us for a
great conversation and great food
in a beautiful location. Contact
Jane Weyers with any questions.

Please save the date for the

annual Christ Church summer
picnic to be held at VanPatten
Park on June 28th. We will gather
at
the
park
immediately
following the 10am service.
Everyone is asked to bring a dish
to pass. Paper products, plastic
ware, hot dogs and hamburgers
will be provided. Please bring
your own drinks, ice, etc.

EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF
ALBANY

THE 147TH ANNUAL
DIOCESAN CONVENTION
If you have signed up to attend
this years convention, please
remember that it will be held on
June 5th 7th at Camp of the
Woods in Speculator, NY.
Additional information is
available on the Diocesan website
at:
http://www.albanyepiscopaldio
cese.org/forms/Convention/201
5/2015ConventionRegistrationFo
rm.php

Christ Church is a worshiping community of friends, joyfully serving,

encouraging and healing others in Jesuss name.

The parish is located at:

132 Duanesburg Churches Rd,
Duanesburg, NY, on the corner of Rt.
20 and Duanesburg Churches Rd.

Rector
Fr. Bill Hinrichs (518) 608-1139
or (518) 221-3425
WilliamRHinrichs@aol.com
Wardens:
Judy Breitenstein
Phil Sayles
Vestry members:
Cindy Creasy
Sharon Mericle
Tippe Miller
Andrea Salisbury
Steven Schrade
Jane Weyers
Deacon:
Debbie Beach (518) 372-1352
or (518) 669-1898
dbeach21@verizon.net
Treasurer:
Sherry Schrade
Parish Hall Ph.: (518) 895-2383
PAGE 5

Christ Church
P.O. Box 92
Duanesburg, New York 12056-0092

WWW.CHRISTCHURCHDUANESBURG.ORG

JUNE 2015