May 2013 Volume 13, Issue 5

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church

he word Dear People of St. Alban’s,

As most of you know, in January 2012 Bishop Johnston appointed Fr. Jeff Shankles Priest-in-Charge of St. Alban’s following our previous rector’s departure. In his appoint-ment letter to then Senior Warden Leneice Wu, Bishop Johnston included several condi-tions that are to be fulfilled after 18 months:

• St. Alban’s must “examine its mission and vision for ministry and discern the clergy leadership skills necessary for the parish’s continued success and growth.”

• Fr. Jeff must “ascertain if his ministry is a good match for the leadership of St. Alban’s.”

• “If after this discernment process has been completed and there is mutual agreement on the part of the priest in charge and the vestry that Fr. Jeff and St. Alban’s have established a good working relationship that is supportive, positive, and flexible, then I would be willing to approve his call as rector."

• "If either party has discerned that moving forward with a call to Fr. Jeff as rector is not mutually beneficial to the parish or Fr. Jeff, then the parish would enter a search process for a rector.”

As we approach the end of that 18-month period, the Vestry plans to fulfill these conditions by holding three listening sessions to explore how St. Alban’s parishioners feel. You are invited to attend one of these sessions to express your views concerning but not limited to the following questions:

What activities are we pursuing now that should continue and grow? What additional activities should we pursue? What are the gifts/skills we need in clergy?

Are there any activities we should stop doing, or consider changing?

The listening sessions will take place at St. Alban’s in the parish hall at the following times:

Sunday, May 19 at 12:00 pm Tuesday, May 21 at 12:00 pm

Wednesday, May 22 at 7:30 pm

Of course, you may at any time contact a member of the Vestry to express your opinions on any matter con-cerning St. Alban’s whether or not you attend a listening session.

Delores Baisden Nancy Harrell Sr. Warden Jr. Warden

Meal Ministry Commissioning We are off to a tremendous start with our new meal ministry. Members were commissioned and blessed on April 21 in a liturgy of commissioning at both services (more photos page 5). Commis-sioning sets the tone for our work and sets our ministries apart as something truly sa-cred. Equally important, your dedication to this ministry speaks to the parish about need and hun-ger in our community. Thank you for your work and commitment.

-Fr. Jeff

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The Warden’s Pen

Holy Week seemed especially moving to me this year. There were only a handful of us at the special “Quiet Morning” that Kay Lusk organized the Saturday before Holy Week, but it was a spiritually refreshing time that I hope to experi-ence again before the end of this year.

More recently I had great fun participating in St Alban’s new ministry of feeding hungry children at Poe Middle School. Jane Lesko and I cooked 160 hot dogs, put them in buns, wrapped them in foil and contrived to keep them hot until the delivery volunteers picked them up to take to the school. It didn’t sound like it would be much of a production until we actually got into it.

When Audrey Spencer showed up with a contribution and then asked if we wanted her to help I almost said, “Nah, we got it covered.” Thank goodness, I didn’t! And by the time Richard Froh showed up shortly after and offered to help I was realizing that those dogs weren’t getting hot as quickly as I had thought they would. But we got them all done in time for the pickup, and it was great fun getting to know Jane, Audrey and Richard better. I’m looking forward to next month’s meal. We’re looking for more volunteers. See photos of our volunteers preparing and serving meals, and com-missioning of the volunteers on page 6.

If this is something you would enjoy, please let Fr. Jeff or Moira Skinner know. They’ll put you on a team. -Delores Baisden

From the Stewardship Committee

Simply, it is home.

There are so many changes in life. My childhood home has been sold, parents and two siblings are gone. Both my sisters' weddings were at St. Alban's. Too many celebrations of life as well.

I remember the nursery. I would climb onto the bouncy horse and ride it until my parents pried my little hands off of it. I remember being baptized when I was 6, being lifted rather ungraciously by Fr. Frizzell to have the water poured on my head. It was the night before Easter, although it was not in the dark. I was a participant in the Christmas pageant all 12 years I was in school and have now helped with our current Epiphany pageant. I was both an acolyte and sang in the 9:00 am choir, singing "O Holy Night" at the early Christmas Eve service. I was in "Amahl and the Night Visitors," and remember that the Christus Rex had to be repaired when it was dropped while being reinstalled. If you look very closely, you can see the repair of the crown on the left side.

Three of my Sunday School teachers still attend. I’ve managed to get used to calling two of them by their first names, but my first grade teacher will always be Mrs.

Cousins. I remember youth group, with lock-ins, running games and a haunted house for the bazaar. And yes, I was responsible for live goldfish as prizes.

Other Memories:

Sex education with Churchill Gibson. The highlight of our year was the week-end at Shrine Mont.

I remember working in the office during the summer, before computers and answering machines. You took messages and used the mimeograph machine; I can still smell it.

I remember spending one week every summer helping my mother make pickles for the bazaar. I even took off work for as long as she did it.

I remember the old lights in the parish hall. I remember not having A/C and using either a fan or the leaflet accordion-folded.

I have seen the blessing of new altar linens, including the current and soon-to-be-retired white linen in memory of my father.

There were times when I have not come to church -- young and too busy or had my feelings hurt and let it dissuade me from attending.

I am on now the vestry and currently Jr. Warden.

All my life, St. Alban’s has been the one thing that has remained constant. It is home. -Nancy Harrell

The Stewardship Committee has asked a number of people to write about their experiences with St. Alban’s and what it means to them. Please let the committee know if you’d be willing to write your story. Long-time parishioner Nancy Harrell shares her thoughts this month.

Why I love St. Alban's by Nancy Harrell

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Publisher: The Rev. Jeff Shankles. Managing Editor, Photo Editor, Design & Layout: Barbara Hallman.

Production and Distribution: Monica Beniste, Sharon Belanger.

Contributors: The Rev. Jeff Shankles; The Rev. Cayce Ramey; Delores Baisden; Marty Barringer; Sally Hanlein;

Nancy Harrell; Clarence Zuvekas. Photographers:

Barbara Hallman; Fred Holmes; The Rev. Cayce Ramey

Articles/photos welcome! email to: bhallman1@cox.net

Deadline for Next Edition: May 15

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church Annandale, VA 22003 Phone: 703-256-2966 Fax: 703-256-6546

stalbansva.org www.stalbansva.org

Choir Notes

On April 6, Brian Slaymaker on Guitar with Victoria Wyatt

(to the left) on Piano and Gina Mirenda, Soprano, entertained

the audience with an evening of classical music in the

final Muldoon Series concert for the season. Bravo!

May 5. Amy Marcy Cheney was born in New Hampshire in 1867 and exhibited remarkable pianistic and compositional skills at an early age. In 1875 her family moved to Boston, where she received formal musical training. She gave her first public performance as a pianist at the age of 16, and by 18 was a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Later in 1885 she sought treatment for a hand injury with prominent Boston physician Dr. Henry Harris Aubrey Beach and ended up marrying him that same year. Since it was then considered bad form for a woman of her social standing to have a career as a performing artist, she limited her public appearances to an annual benefit concert and occasional solo appear-ances with the Boston Symphony. In keeping with the times, she was known during her married years as “Mrs. H.H.A. Beach,” and her creative talents were focused then on composition. Her output consists of more than 150 numbered piano, orchestral, chamber, vocal, and choral works. She was the first American woman to compose a symphony and the first to have her works performed by major U.S. orchestras. After the death of her husband in 1910, she resumed her performing career, touring in Europe for three years as Amy Beach. Upon returning to the United States, she reverted to Mrs. H.H.A. Beach but continued to perform as well as compose until her death in 1944. This Sunday the choir will sing Amy Beach’s Peace I Leave with You, composed in 1891.

May 12. One of our choir’s most frequently performed works is T. Frederick Candlyn’s anthem, Christ Whose Glory

Fills the Sky. Candlyn was born in Cheshire, England in 1892 and was educated at the University of Durham. He emi-grated to the United States in 1915, becoming organist and choirmaster at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Albany, NY, a position he held until 1943. From 1943 to 1954 he was choirmaster at St. Thomas’s Episcopal Church in New York City, succeeding Dr. T. Tertius Noble (1867-1953), who wrote the music to our Hymn #541 (Come, Labor On) and harmonized the tune of Fairest Lord Jesus (#383). Candlyn wrote a total of more than 200 choral, organ and other com-positions. He died in 1964. Noted British conductor Sir Thomas Beecham described Candlyn’s work with St. Thomas’s choir as “among the best in the world.”

May 19. The October 2012 Choir Notes noted that English composer Thomas Attwood (1765-1838) was a student of Mozart (from 1785 to 1787), who helped him with melodic structure and harmony. Upon returning to England, Attwood taught music to members of the royal family, and from 1796 until his death he was organist at St. Paul’s Cathedral and composer to the Chapel Royal. The text of Attwood’s hymn, Come Holy Ghost, which the choir will sing today, is a 17th century English translation of the 9th century Veni, creator spiritus.

May 26. The children’s choir will treat us to a presentation of the traditional Latin American hymn, We Sing of Your

Glory (Tuya es la gloria), harmonized by Carlton R. Young (b. 1925), editor of the 1966 Methodist Hymnal and the 1989 United Methodist Hymnal, in which he is represented as composer or arranger of 42 hymns and responses. Young is a Past President and Fellow of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, and Emeritus Professor of Church Music at Emory University. Of possible interest to some is that he has harmonized the tune for Kum ba yah. -Clarence Zuvekas

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Commissioning & Blessing of Meal Ministry—St. Alban’s parishioners have come together to provide

free hot meals to low income children at Poe Middle School. Shown in photos on the left are some of the members of the two teams at work preparing the food and serving it.

Blessing of New Vestments

Beautiful white and gold vestments given by the Schwartz family

in Honor and Memory of Andrew Schwartz, late husband of Ingrid Swartz, were blessed at both

services on April 21. Shown here with Fr. Jeff are Ingrid and her family at the 10:15 am service. The new vestments will replace much beloved but aging vestments given many years ago in

memory of Nancy Harrell’s father.

Also, our volunteers were commissioned and blessed on April 21 at both services. Shown on the right is the two commissioning ceremonies.

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A 5K Our Little Roses Benefit Run—April 20 Run for the Roses

Running to the glory of God on a brilliant blue-sky Saturday, St. Alban’s parishioners participated in the Alexis Jackson Memorial 5K Run to benefit charities, including St. Alban’s mission interest, Our Little Roses, a school for underprivileged girls in Honduras.

Photos by row: Moira Skinner, St. Alban’s race coordinator; the refreshment team: Jo, Debbie, Betsy, Marie, Kate and Chris (those red aprons sure do come in handy!); Fr. Jeff with Penny Gross, Mason District Supervisor; Trevor

Herschner, number 315, finished 5th; Alison Dilworth crosses the finish line; general crowd scenes at the start of the race.

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FIRST FRIDAY OF THE

MONTH LUNCH BUNCH

May 3—Ozzies at Fairfax Corner

Please RSVP to Lynne Schrag

lynneschrag@email.com or 703-941-9174

Confirmation Classes

Sunday mornings during the 9:15-10:00 am Sunday school time, on the following dates:

May 5, 12, 19; June 2 Everyone is welcome to attend. Please speak with Fr. Jeff or Fr. Cayce for more information

The American Cancer Society’s

Relay for Life and Team Capital H

The 2013 Springfield-Burke Relay for Life will be held on May 17 – 18th at West Springfield High School. This is the fourth year that Team Capital H has participated at that location. The team was formed in memory of SaraH Hanlein, who lost her battle with cancer in May, 2005.

Relay for Life is the signature fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. Money raised is used for research as well as pro-grams to support people fighting cancer now. Because cancer never sleeps, each team at a Relay is asked to have at least one team member walking the track at all times during the overnight event. If you would like to come out and support our team and walk a lap or two with us, we would love to have you there. The event begins at 7:00 pm on Friday night and concludes at 7:00 am Saturday morning.

St. Alban’s will be represented by Ray and Sally Hanlein, Mike

Rowe and his wife Loretta, as well as former parishioners Kristy

Hudson and Event Chair Amy Hanlein-Falcon and Amy's hus-band David. -Sally Hanlein

For more information, please visit the team page:

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/capitalH

Passages Doreen Graves, mother of Alison Dilworth, died on April 19. The funeral was held at St. Alban’s on April 27. Please hold the Dilworth family in your thoughts and prayers.

"Receive, O Lord your servant into the

arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of

everlasting peace, and into the glorious

company of the saints in light."

Youth Group News:

Wrapping-up and Looking Ahead Our Youth Group is coming home strong. Full Communion concluded its year-long exploration of Justice and Faith with a look at our criminal justice system, including a visit from a Fairfax County Police Officer and a mock trial (the Big Bad Wolf was exonerated).

Following-up on a great “Movie Night,” we are going to LASER TAG! Check your email for an invitation and details. Be sure to tell us what times and dates are best for you and your friends to join us.

Finally, as the school year winds to a close, the Youth Group is ready to celebrate! We’re having a Parking-Lot Party at Peace Lutheran on May 19! We’ll have the grills going with plenty of food and drinks. Come ready to play – we’ll have games, prizes, and lots of fun to help celebrate.

But don’t forget! Over the summer, we still have space on the Mission Trip (24 people are already registered!), and we’re planning another great trip to King’s Dominion. Stay tuned for details. -Fr. Cayce

Photo above: Mock Trial

Curly Pig (Deanna) places her left

paw on the “bible” held by Court

Security Officer (Sam) while

being sworn in

Photo left: Mock Trial

Jury forewoman (Christina) informs

the judge that a verdict has indeed

been reached.

Photo Right: Mock Trial

Curly Pig (Deanna) and her attor-

ney (Angela) react with shock at the

exoneration of the Big Bad Wolf

during the Youth Group’s

recent mock trial.

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May Birthdays

Vacation Bible School

August 5-9 9:00 am —12:00 pm

For more information, contact Kate Lauderdale

Jayden Ann Grace Baer was baptized by Fr. Cayce on April 28. Her parents are Robert Alan Paul Baer and Jessica Lee Baer (shown in photo to right). Jayden’s big brother is Jett. The godparents are Melanie Marie Sheets, Carolyn Michelle Cornell, Helen Fones Dawson, Jason Wesley Trollinger, Jennifer Ann Trollinger and Jackson Wesley Trollinger. Jayden is the great niece of parishioner Dorothy Fones. Shown below is the Trollinger family in attendance, includ-ing Dorothy and her mother, Grace. Many, many St. Alban’s weddings and baptisms among this crew!

June 9 Episcopal Visitation and Annual Picnic

Bishop Ted Gulick will be at St. Alban’s to celebrate the Rites of Confirmation and Reception for Youth and Adults at a service at 2:00 pm. Following the afternoon ser-vice everyone is invited to the rectory grounds for the annual parish picnic catered by Red, Hot and Blue. There will be only one morning service on Sunday, June 9, 8:15am

Youth Group Mission Trip

May 5 Signup Deadline & Deposit Due June 2 Mission Trip Training

June 16 Payment Due; Forms Due July 14 Depart from St. Alban’s

July 19 Return to St. Alban’s

In a dispute over the ownership of The Falls Church, the Supreme Court of Virginia ruled on April 18 in favor of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and the

Episcopal Church. The decision affirms an earlier ruling returning Episcopalians to their church home at The Falls Church.

Erica Payne 1 Audrey Spencer 3 Mel Daymont 3 Evan Lese 4 Samuel Jillson 4 Joan Jurenas 5 David Spencer 6 Doug Hyde 6 Justin Traum 6 Mariana Hershner 6 Joan Fealtman 8 William Peck 9 David Conrod 11 Grace Trollinger 12 Emma Cheek 12 Queenie Foard 13 Ginny Peters 13 Carter Koppelman 13 Luke Nassar 13 Mattteson Scott 14 Joyce Aument 14 Molly Andrews 14 Ben Rosse 15 Benjamin Hite 15 Caroline Wulff 15 Larry Hodgin 16 Edward Watson 16 Jessica Payne 17 Angela Leersnyder 18 Martina Hyde 20 Scott Stern 21 Matt Dillard 21 William Shankles 21 Kate Lauderdale 22 Bobby Brinkema 22 Audrey Beccles 22 Mary Lou Cooper 23 Betty Elmore 23 Joann Phillips 23 Rich Rosse 25 Steve Peck 25 Phil Huheey 27 Carolyn Krafft 27 Fritz Gilbert 28 George Irish 30 Jordan Gilmore 30 Rose Broberg 30 Linda Craig 31 Jane Howard 31 Quincy Butler 31

Cheese Tasting Event The ladies of the parish and their friends are invited to a Cheese Tasting Event on Sunday May 19 at 3:00 pm. The cost is $10. Reserve your place early. Look for the sign-up sheet in the narthex. You can send your check directly to the church office (attn: Monica) or drop a check in the plate clearly marked "Cheese Event."

Baptism of Jayden Ann Grace Baer

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St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 6800 Columbia Pike Annandale, VA 22003

First Class Mail U.S. Postage

PAID

Annandale, VA Permit No. 38

April 28, May 5, 12, 19, June 2 Confirmation classes continue 9:15-10

May 3 First Friday Lunch Bunch Ozzies, Fairfax May 5 Deadline to sign up for Youth Group Mission Trip May 9 Region VIII Ascension Day Service at St. Paul’s May 12 Baptism of Cole Lieberthal 8:15 service

May 19 Youth Group End of Year Party; Peace Lutheran Parking Lot May 19 Listening Session Rector Discernment 12:00 pm May 19 Ladies Cheese Tasting 3:00 pm May 21 Listening Session Rector Discernment 12:00 pm May 22 Listening Session Rector Discernment 7:30 pm May 26 Baptism of Will Pickard 10:15 service June 9 Annual Visitation and St. Alban’s Picnic; services at 8:15 am and confirmation service at 2:00 pm; picnic following.

Youth Group

End of Year Party May 19 Parking Lot @ Peace Lutheran

Calendar Highlights

On April 13, St. Alban’s hosted a “Spring Fling” Potluck Dinner with live musical entertainment by our very own Delores (on auto-harp) and Harry Baisden (on guitar), with friend Ron Shifflett. Delores and Harry have an eclectic repertoire, including old ballads, gospel songs, and old rock and roll. Harry plays at Timberline Ski Re-sort in exchange for a season pass, and also plays at wineries for free wine and tips! Playing at church, Harry gets free blessings!

Spring Fling April 13

Youth Group Mission

Trip

July 14—19