The St. Paul's Epistle
April 16-31, 2003
Contents
Letter From Ed Hunt
Upcoming Events
Urban/Suburban Clergy Conference
Young People at St. Paul's
Habitat Coordinator
Ourdoor Revival
Teachers Plan Retreat
SHALOM
Three Generations At St. Paul's
Phoebe Griswold Visits St. Paul's
Arbor Society Celebration
SPY BALL
Vacation Opportunities For Children And
Youth
Antiques Show Insert
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Congratulations Kristin and Andrew Martin, parents of Irini Therese Martin born March 24, 2003 |
Christian Formation
One of the learnings I took away from the "Will Our Faith Have Children?" conference was the need for all Christians to be involved with a program of formation, no matter what their age. Christian formation is a necessary and vital part of our faith if it is to grow and flourish. Without a sustained, systematic and intentional program of formation, churches will have members who have an eighth grade Christian education. In any other setting, an eighth grade education does not equip a person to perform the functions or duties of an adult. Is church any different?
It is important for us personally to continue our education to the highest level possible, but it is also important that we increase our knowledge for the sake of our children. Children or grandchildren will ask us questions about God, but we will not have adequate answers if we have only a limited theological education. Our children are looking to us for the information they so earnestly desire. We cannot place the entire burden of Christian formation on the clergy or the church school staff and not recognize our responsibility as parents, Godparents, and grandparents. Clergy and teachers are important and have a role to play, but they cannot take the place of Christian formation that happens between a parent or grandparent and his or her child or grandchild. In a world where there are complicated answers to everything, we need to take the initiative to answer the questions that our children have on our own terms, not someone else's. I encourage you to try one of the many Christian formation programs here at St. Paul's, not only for your sake, but for the sake of your children and grandchildren.
The Rev. Edward Hunt
Curate for Family Ministry
Upcoming Events
Bishop John Shelby Spong at St. Paul's
St. Paul's Spring Concert |
Urban/Suburban Clergy Conference
The Rev. Frederic Reynolds will attend the annual Urban/Suburban Clergy Conference in New York City at the end of this month. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, will be speaking at this year's conference of the Trinity Institute (Shaping Holy Lives: Benedictine Spirituality in the Contemporary World) and his sermon will be webcast internationally.
The conference takes place April 28-29. Archbishop Williams will preach at the opening Eucharist, and later speak on "God's Workshop" (St. Benedict's term for the monastery).
He joins former Benedictine prioress Joan Chittister, author and poet Kathleen Norris, and Benedictine monk and author, Laurence Freeman. For more details, see this article.
Nathan Brockman
Parish of Trinity Church Communications
Young People at St. Paul's
There are many ways for young people to be involved at St. Paul's. St. Paul's offers fellowship, education, outreach and worship opportunities designed with youth in mind.
SPY (St. Paul's Youth) meets once a month on Sunday evenings from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Expect plenty of fun, fellowship, service projects and thought-provoking discussion.
SPY's mission is to raise $5,000 for the Heifer project which provides farm animals to poor families in developing countries.
WANTED
Co-coordinator for St. Paul's volunteers who will be building a Habitat House. All this needs is pen and paper... no hammers, nails or ladders. The schedule has been created....we just need to fill in the blanks with willing volunteers. If you can help in this way or want more information, call Judy Carpenter (336-4856).
Construction began April 1 on our new Habitat House at 118 Fulton Avenue off Lake Avenue, by the South East Area Rochester Churches for Habitat (SEARCH) coalition. The coalition includes St. Paul's, Incarnate Word, Asbury First UMC and Third Presbyterian. Weekday construction volunteers are urgently needed. Please call Kathy Schaertel at 421-3226 during the day or 288-6489 evenings or Lissa Stiffler at 442-1617 to schedule a time and date. You can also sign up in the Parish Hall. We are counting on YOU!!
Outdoor Revival
On Saturday morning, April 19, the Property Committee is inviting one and all to participate in an annual clean-up of leaves, sticks, papers, etc., on the church grounds. Come with rakes from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. This is a great fellowship opportunity to get closer to our special place.
PRAYERS: If you have friends and loved ones involved in the war effort and would like them included on the prayer list, you can call the church office with those names for the Prayers of the People.
Teachers Plan Retreat
The church School teachers will be meeting Saturday May 3 from 9:00 a.m. till 1:00 p.m.in Wainwright Hall. The program will include Joanne Poland from the Presbytery of Genesee Valley Resource Center who will speak to us about the ministry of the Church School teacher. Anyone interested in becoming a teacher is welcome to join us.
Carol Miller
SHALOM
Shalom will meet on May 2, which is the date it was originally scheduled before it was changed to May 9, which has changed back to May 2. That's May 2, regular time (6:00 p.m.). Louise Moore has contracted "Reptile Man" to entertain the kids while the adults have "open mike night". Rev. Reynolds has agreed to do a state of the parish for Shalom at the June meeting, which will be the last meeting of the year (except for picnics at the park on Tuesday nights during the summer???). Shalom sponsored Eucharists are planned for the third Friday in May and June, with the possibility (as I look out my window and see SNOW falling) of outdoor worship for at least one of these Fridays. Shalom is a group of parents who have children to the age of 18, and acts as a spiritual and parenting support and mutual aid society. ALL persons who are parents of children to the age of 18 are invited to join this dynamic group. It is a lot of fun and deepens relationships in Christian community. Come and join us!!
The Rev. Ed Hunt
Three Generations At St. Paul's
Emily Wood, Maddy Wood and Nancy Lyke at the March 23 Enhanced Coffee Hour hosted by the Antiques Show Committee. |
Phoebe Griswold Visits St. Paul's
St. Paul's enjoyed the visit of Mrs. Phoebe Griswold, wife of
the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the USA, upon the
occasion of the Episcopal Relief and Development Collection on March
30, 2003.
Mrs. Griswold spoke at the 10 a.m. service as well as at a Forum following the service. Her unique perspective on the Church was meaningful. She spoke of St. Paul's part in the whole Anglican Communion which is in 140 countries today. When one part of us hurts, it hurts the whole body. No other denomination has as large a worldwide presence and we must respond in our role as the worldwide church to all crises of fellow Episcopalians and Anglicans.
Arbor Society Celebration
The Arbor Society is a group of parishioners who, through planned giving, have remembered St. Paul's in their wills. It will hold its annual celebration on May 8, at the Chatterbox Club, North Goodman Street. All members and parishioners who are interested in planned giving are invited to attend this celebration. The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a cash bar, followed by a buffet supper at 7:00 p.m. There is a nominal charge of $10 per person. Our speaker will be Betsy Brayer, a local historian and author. Reservations are necessary and can be made by calling the church office (271-2240) no later than May 4.
SPY BALL
Get your dancing shoes on and get ready for a great time at the SPY Ball, May 9, starting at 9:00 p.m. This year the proceeds from the Ball will go to Heifer International for our ARK project. We need to raise $5,000 to complete the project, and the Ball will go a long way toward doing that. This year's theme is the animals that Heifer sends to needy families around the world to alleviate their poverty. When you walk in the Parish Hall, you will see water buffalo, oxen, bees, fish and all sorts of animals decorating the dance floor. We will have a sound system (as soon as we can find one) playing your favorite tunes, and there will be slices of pizza and soft drinks for sale to keep your energy up to dance the night away (or at least until 11:00 p.m.). Tickets will go on sale sometime after Easter, so keep your eyes and ears open. We have also invited Christ Church, Pittsford, to join us, so the Ball will be at least as much fun as the Toronto trip!! Make your plans now to have a Ball and support Heifer.
GOOD NEWS! The records of our needlepoint kneelers have been found and archived.
Gwen Cheney
Vacation Opportunities For Children And Youth
Register now for CREATION WEEK CAMP, a creative arts camp for children ages 11 (or finished 5th grade) through 18. The camp is sponsored by the Diocese and is held at Camp Koinonia, Italy Valley Road, Middlesex, New York. For more information contact Carol Miller or call St. Mark's, PennYan 315-536-3955 directly.
St. Paul's and the other East Avenue churches will be joining Asbury's Vacation Bible School. The theme is Son Harvest County Fair. Camp will be in session 9:00 a.m. till noon, August 11-15. Camp is for children 3 years through 8th grade and the costs is $10/child, $30.00 max / family. Nancy Raca from Asbury will be at Coffee Hour on Sunday, April 13 to answer your questions. Please stop in Parish Hall to talk to her.
Carol Miller
St. Paul's 54th Annual
ANTIQUES
Show & Sale
Friday April 25 11-8
&
Saturday April 26 10-4
SIX DECADES OF ANTIQUES SHOWS - Archives Display Case
For many years the St. Paul's Church Women had several Chapters instead of just one auxiliary plus a Women's Council with a representative from each chapter over all of them. In 1950, the Arthur Mann Chapter (named after a former curate at St. Paul's who drowned when a missionary in China) decided to have an Antiques Show as a fundraiser and so it began. The Antiques Show continued to grow each year and so the Fourth Chapter joined with the Arthur Mann Chapter to put it on. Then the Women's Council became part of it, until by 1969 all six chapters were involved. In 1970 the decision was made to include all members of St. Paul's who wished to participate, though most of the Chairs of the Shows and the Committees came from the Women's Auxiliary which is now known as the ECW (Episcopal Church Women of St. Paul's).
For the month of April, the Display Case in the conference room holds archives from our many Antiques Shows and Sales, including the Minutes Book of the Arthur Mann Chapter showing how it all got started, newspaper clippings, photographs of volunteers and dealers, posters, and the 1994 cookbook SHOW STOPPERS. Please come and see it.
The first Show (in 1950) raised a net of $1509, some of which went to the Church Carpet Fund and some to the new mission starting in Webster. The last few Shows have netted between $18,000 and $21,000. A great deal of Outreach & Mission work has been accomplished over the years through the Antiques Shows plus many items and events for St. Paul's have been covered by these funds. Just as important as the money raised for good causes is the fellowship enjoyed by the volunteers. It is a wonderful way to get to know one another at St. Paul's and to help mold us into the "Church Family".
Gwen Cheney,
Co-chair of Archives
BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOK
Do you have piles, or shelves, or boxes of books cluttering up closets, tables, attics or basements? The BOOK NOOK needs your donations of used books of all kinds. Please bring them to the Parish Hall stage on Sundays or the Church Office during the week, and we will find new owners for all of your gently read paperbacks and hardcover books.
TAX DEDUCTION FORM
To get a tax deduction for your Antiques Show donations, bring or send an itemized list of your contributions to Lisa in the church office. She will generate an IRS-acceptable letter and mail it to you. Be sure your name and address are on the list but do not place a value on the items. The value you decide on is between you and the IRS.
ATTENTION STITCHERS AND CRAFTERS
The Linen Shop is the place for you this year. There will be hundreds of fabric samples, both large and small, and many decorative trims available to choose from. Visit the Linens Annex across the hall from where the bakery used to be. It will be a feast for the eyes.
HELP WANTED—We Need YOU!
Your help is needed to staff the Antiques Show. If you bake, make jam, jelly, pickles or other treats, or would like to help sell them, call Jennifer Marini (586-9079) or Fran Speer (223-0579). If you would like to help serve lunch, please call Nancy Kleintop (461-5508). To help at The Kitchen Door, call Susan Dow (742-5477). To help in one of our other shops, call Mary Jane McKnight (248-0393) for the Old Curiosity Shop; Sharron Isaacson (872-2919) to help in Linens; David White (482-2616) if you would like to help sell books; and Linda Butwid (473-6857) to work in Jewelry. If you are new to St. Paul's, or not sure where you can best help, call Linda White at 482-2616, and she will help you find your perfect spot.
Let's all help make this the most successful Antiques Show ever! To do that, WE NEED YOU!
DONATIONS, DONATIONS
Your gently used linens, jewelry, old curiosities and books may be left in the church office during the week or on the Parish Hall stage on Sundays. Please label the box or bag describing its contents. Remember, if it is too old or worn for you to use, we can't sell it either. If you have questions about the suitability of any item, please call Sharron Isaacson (linens) or Mary Jane McKnight (Old Curiosity Shop).