Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Paul’s
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
NOVEMBER 2010 — VOLUME 35, ISSUE 8
news
The Hidden Life today, in these difficult times, often has a
hidden agenda. Often, the hidden agenda is
selfish and self-serving. As times become more
Agenda difficult, the strategies are more devious, and it
becomes more difficult to get real information.
Church Events
Certainly we have been made aware of this in
By the Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller the election campaign this year. Candidates want November
to get elected. They will say anything. If they can
make you afraid of what the other candidate 1 4FS
will do, they don’t have to say anything about 3 OUTREACH COMMITTEE MTG.
what they will do. It’s all about power and prestige and has very little to do with what
is good for the country. The sad thing is that this style of campaigning seems to work 5 NEWCOMERS’ DINNER
despite our protests.
7 YOUTH GROUP RAKE-N-RUN
Television ads have gone the devious route for years. They use wealth, power, youth,
beauty, sex and being “in” for all the wrong reasons: they sell the illusion to get you to
9 B&PW
buy their products, not because their products are so much better or less expensive. It 16 ST. ELIZABETH
seems to work here, too, because they make it all look so easy, so good, and we’re so
gullible.
19 SILVER BELLS IN THE CITY
As we approach the holiday season, I would contrast the human agenda with the sacred
one. Humans can be so devious in getting what they want. And it is about what they
want. God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit want human happiness, too. It has been the
topic of theological talk from the beginning. Our understanding is that there is no hid-
(Continued on page 8)
Evangelism and
Parish Life
By Sally Lawrence, Vestry
Member
By the time this article is in print,
St. Elizabeth Parish Life will have held its fourth B&PW
annual Family Game Night. Our
By Debby Pierce, President popular book read is next and will By Debby Pierce
take place in January or February.
"The purpose of the St. Elizabeth We are still on the hunt for that per- The Business & Professional
Guild of St. Paul's is to gather for fect book, so if you have a sugges- Women (B&PW) will meet on
education and fellowship..." tion, please contact Debby Pierce or Tuesday, November 9 at 6 p.m.
John Craig. in the Hill Room. Our guest will be
The November meeting will be at Jim Childs who will give a poetry
12:30 p.m., on Tuesday, Nov. 16 Evangelism is planning a Newcom- reading. Please call Debby
at Sally Lawrence’s home. If you ers’ Dinner on Friday, November 5. Pierce for reservations at 394-
would like to join us, please call At that time ,we hope to make our 4800 or 485-5446 or e-mail at
Debby Pierce at 394-4800 or new people feel at home and wel- maxpierce@prodigy.net. Join us
485-5446 or e-mail come at St. Paul’s. Now for our big for an evening with good
maxpierce@prodigy.net. news, the Evangelism Committee, friends good food and good Fel-
with the help of Mike Young, sub- lowship.
mitted a successful float application
to the Lansing Principal Shopping
District. We are going to be in the
Silver Bells Parade!! This will take
place on Friday, November 19, so
mark your calendars. See Debby
Pierce’s article on what is needed.
Page 2
St. Aelred’s Guild Has Its Own Therapy Dog
By Nancy Sheldon
St Paul’s began a ministry a number of years ago to offer spiritual friendship to members of our congregation in time
of need. We call it St. Aelred’s Guild and we have a small group of dedicated volunteers who offer spiritual friend-
ship through notes, visitation, prayer list management, Eucharistic visits, celebration of births, and phone calls to shut-ins.
The majority of our visits are to people in assisted living or nursing homes who usually are unable to come to church
because of age or health reasons. Maxwell, a certified Therapy Old English Sheepdog, who is often seen at St Paul’s
with one of his owners (Nancy or Pete Sheldon) regularly visits some of our seniors, and they love to see him come. He
loves to visit, too, as he gets so much attention! His specialty is “giving kisses” as he licks faces on demand and his size
is such that his large head fits perfectly in the lap of someone in a wheelchair, or he’ll lay his head on a pillow of
someone who is bedridden. Even though he is a boisterous three-year-old “adolescent” at home, he is trained to do
what he does and knows when he enters a facility what his job is and goes to “work.” He picks up the spirits of every-
one he passes, not just those whom he visits. We need to plan extra time for visits as it takes quite a bit of time just to
get in and out of the hallways. He loves his work and we love taking him!
Page 3
Youth Christian Education
By Shelley Sanford, Youth Christian Education Director
It’s hard to believe that it has already been a month since the children returned to the classrooms that remained empty
throughout the summer months, and they seem to be adjusting well to their new Church School schedule. Whether this is
the beginning of your child’s relationship with God or he or she is continuing to build on an already established rela-
tionship, St. Paul’s Youth Christian Education Program is helping children learn about Christian faith and church history
and tradition through bible stories, prayers, songs, games and crafts. Children are nurtured in faith and grow in knowl-
edge and experience due to the wonderful teachers that are encouraging their students, at any age level, how to
reach their potential emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually.
Page 4
Financial Information as of September 30, 2010
By Julie Young, Treasurer
Pledge income in September was $28,191. This brings year-to-date total pledge income to $221,640, which is 67 percent of the
annual budget amount. Operations for September had a net loss of $3,101.
Transfers were required from the investment account into the operating account during September for a total of $20,000. The invest-
ment accounts/funds had a net gain of $32,420 for the month.
We have begun the process of putting together a budget for 2011. Anyone who is involved in a group or activity that is expecting to
use Church funds next year should submit a budget request. Please submit this information to me at your earliest convenience. You can
call me at (517) 505-4055 or email me at julielyoung@gmail.com. Thank you for your cooperation!
Vestry Highlights
On October 19, your Vestry met and: Received committee reports by title, including:
Stewardship - two days into the campaign al-
Started with dinner at 6 p.m. ready have 42 pledges for $118,100
Called the meeting at 6:30 p.m. Finance – Pledges behind – need letter
Receives the treasurer’s report (a synopsis is found Worship and Music – Instructed Eucharist planned
elsewhere in this issue) Outreach – Thanksgiving baskets and mitten tree
Heard an update on the pictorial directory (will be on-going
out by December) Youth Christian Education – Shelly is doing well –
Discussed the computer situation programs for three youth groups planned
Heard about the float we will have in the Silver Bells’ Adult Christian Education Advent Series planned
parade Building and Grounds – Painting, tuck pointing
Received a report from the Diocesan Convention and heating system fixed
Discussed the Vestry calling Parish Life – Game night planned
Received Clergy Reports
We pray and remember those in the Military, serving in dangerous areas: Jeff Doorlag, Justin Murphy, and Adam Sheppard.
Page 5
England Choristers and Parents to Host After-Church
Brunch
By Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music
Come one, come all! Bring your appetites, a desire for camaraderie (and perhaps even a dish to pass!) to a Brunch
sponsored by the 2011 England choristers (yes, this summer a group of choristers will be traveling to Great Britain to
tour and study at a Royal School of Church Music Summer Course in Bath!). They’d love your support for this fund-
raising activity. Please sign up by the elevators if you’re willing to bring a dish to pass, and if you will stay and join
them for the fine food and fellowship! A free-will donation will be accepted to support their efforts. The brunch will be
November 7, right after church. Bring friends, relatives, neighbors! The more, the merrier! Thank you!
Page 6
Choir News
Special Dates to Save:
November 7 - England Chorister Brunch (All choir families are asked to provide a dish for the brunch. Sign-up sheets
to bring food and to eat at the brunch are available by the elevators.) Thanks!
Thursday, November 18, No Chancel Choir rehearsal
Wednesday, November 24 - Harvest Home Dinner (England Choristers to serve, Cherubs to sing) (Cherubs and Boys’
and Grace Choirs will rehearse only from 5:30 to 6 p.m.)
Thursday, November 25—No rehearsal for Chancel Choir
Singing Schedule
Date Choirs Date Choirs
November 7 Chancel Choir; High School Choir; December 19 Lessons and Carols:
Boys’ and Grace Choirs Cherubs; Boys’ and Grace; High
School; Chancel
November 14 Chancel Choir; High School Choir
December 24 Christmas Eve Family Service:
November 21 Chancel Choir; High School Choir Cherubs, Boys’ and Grace Choirs
November 28 Chancel Choir; High School Choir December 24 Christmas Eve Eucharist:
Chancel; High School Choirs
December 5 High School Choir; Boys’ and
Grace Choirs December 26 No Choirs will be vesting
Sudanese Education Fund The goals are a set of eight targets designed to re-
duce poverty, hunger, maternal and child deaths, dis-
Layette Gifts for the Christ child ease, inadequate shelter, gender inequality and envi-
24-25
ronmental degradation by half. The world's leaders
Ongoing agreed in 2000 to achieve the goals by 2015.
1st Sunday Manna Sunday, loose and dedicated offer- “Today we close the most significant global develop-
ings for street ministry, busing and work boots; ment conference since the Millennium Summit ten years
Youth Noisy Offering for local charities ago,” U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told re-
Heifer Gift Cards porters as the gathering was winding up. “And we
open the final five-year push until 2015.”
Prayer Quilts
“We are committed to making every effort to achieve
CarsINC the Millennium Development Goals by 2015,” leaders
of the U.N.'s member states said in the outcome docu-
Habitat for Humanity
ment that the summit adopted.
The leaders said that they “’recognize that without sub-
stantial international support, several of the goals are
Noisy Offering on the First likely to be missed in many developing countries by
2015.’" St. Paul’s has been doing its part by support-
Sunday of the Month ing Water for Life in 2008, Heifer International in
2009, and local agencies (like the City Rescue Mission
By the Rev. Deacon William Fineout & Maplewood) for 2010. Input into our 2011 project
The noisy offering of clanking and clinking coins continues to
may be offered at the outreach committee meetings in
be collected by our youth on Family Sundays, the first Sunday November and December for a recommendation to the
of each month. In keeping with our St. Paul’s MDG 2010 pro- parish at the annual meeting.
ject of local agencies, the young people chose the City Rescue
Mission and its Maplewood women’s center as this year’s re-
cipient. Please remember to bring your loose change on the
first Sunday each month, as we support our children’s partici-
pation in the worship service and in outreach service.
den agenda. God has tried to convey the essence of happiness from the beginning. His essence is in so many of the
stories of the Bible: true happiness is yours if you give it away, that is being more concerned about others’ happiness
and less about your own. Entering the Advent and Christmas seasons provides us with the truth we so long for and find
so elusive. You will find your happiness in what you give, not in what you strive for. Enjoy the seasons and find some-
one with whom to share your joy.
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