may know the joy and grace of faith, and the chronicler mission of christ church is the chronicler...
TRANSCRIPT
The Chronicler October 2015 Spotsylvania, VA
Routine Life Ahhh… fall. The return of routine. Kids are back in school. Bed times, meal times,
extracurricular activities all push us into a regular schedule for our lives. When I worked with
children in a psychiatric center I learned about the power of routine to calm, and heal kids who
were truly hurting. As parents, Sian and I have tried to establish routines for every part of our
children’s lives as they were growing up. The older I get, the more I realize how important
routines are for all of us. Our bodies, minds, and spirits long for regularity—waking, sleeping,
exercising, eating, working, relaxing, socializing, time spent alone—all are integral to our
physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Fall may be a good time to examine our personal routines. We all have habits. The
question is: are they helpful habits or harmful? So, before the real craziness starts, before the
Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year’s insanity take a moment to examine your daily, weekly,
monthly routine of life. In addition to considering your diet and exercise, your hours of daily
sleep, your intake of water, or your need for time off from work, and in addition to being
intentional about how much time you spend reading or learning new skills, how much time you
spend with family and friends, or how much time to devote to your favorite activities, ponder for
a while how you care for your spiritual self. It isn’t just a matter of self-improvement, though
improving one’s self would be a happy consequence, but it is truly a matter of stewardship.
Christian stewardship is based on the understanding that all we have is a gift from God.
That includes our own bodies. It also includes every second of every day. To be a steward is to
have responsibility for something that has been entrusted to you. That is, to be responsible to the
One who has entrusted it to you. We are responsible to God for how we treat all of his gifts to
us. So in addition to our physical self, and in addition to our mental self, we have this big
responsibility for our spiritual self. In monastic life they have taken the concept of routine to its
extreme. Every minute of every day is carefully parsed out into the categories of work, study,
and prayer. We may not subscribe to the rule of life that a cloistered Benedictine nun observes,
but we can certainly benefit from some similar discipline.
Work: we can devote a portion of our time, talent and treasure (the fruit of our labor) to
God through volunteering and giving for church programs and ministries as well as other worthy
causes. Prayer: we can devote our time and attention to our relationship with God in personal
prayer and in public worship. Study: we can spend time each week reading the Bible, as well as
other things that support our spiritual life and challenge us. These habits will be different for
each of us based on our temperament and our lifestyle. However, we must all pay attention to
the routines of our lives. If we fail to do so, when life is disrupted by the unexpected or the
awful, as it always will be, then we discover that we lack a firm foundation upon which to
weather the storm.
THE MISSION OF CHRIST CHURCH is to bring all persons to the saving
knowledge of Jesus Christ through Word, Sacraments, and instruction, as taught through the Episcopal tradition, that all
may know the joy and grace of faith, and to share that grace through outreach.
OCTOBER 2015 LAY MINISTERS SCHEDULE
Lector Chalice Bearer Acolytes Ushers Altar Guild Nursery
October 4
8:00 Beth Goshin
Ray Crafton Barbara Deal Wieland Team
10:30 Beverly McNeill
(OUTDOORS – Blessing
of the Animals)
Jeff Massey
Jenny LeBlanc
Rachel Stockli
Chloe Stockli
Ethan Goldberg
Bill Estes
Frank Carosella
Amy Biscoe
October 11
8:00 Thom Smelter
Tricia Smelter Robert Truslow Williams Team
10:30 Judi O’Neill
Linda Rooney
Donna Nuzum
Aaron Packard
David Packard
Justin Phillips
Werner Wieland
Frank Stewart
Molly Watts
October 18
8:00 Dana Houck
Edd Houck Joseph L. Ilk Magin Team
10:30 Roy Smith
Penny Knepp
Stephanie Smith
Matthew LeBlanc
Megan LeBlanc
Ian Gibson
Judi O’Neill
Bob McGann
Erin Senters
October 25
8:00 Joseph L. Ilk
Ray Crafton Calib Garland
Wieland Team
10:30 Sian Packard
Werner Wieland
Steve Clifford
Aaron DiFilippo
Jack DiFilippo
Drew DiFilippo
Bob Massey
Ron Magin
McKenzie Goldberg
You are responsible for finding your own replacement in the event that you cannot serve when scheduled. If you are unable to
find one, please contact Penny Knepp at [email protected] or 891-6299 and she will assist you. Notify parish office of
replacement(s).
The Chronicler
October 2015 Edition
Choir Director
Vacant
Organist
Hannah Massey
Secretary
Ruth Feltner
Newsletter Coordinator
Ruth Feltner
Christ Episcopal Church 8951 Courthouse Road
Spotsylvania, Virginia 22553
Phone (540) 582-5033
www.christchurchspotsy.com
Rector
The Reverend Jeffrey A. Packard
Director of Christian
Education
Jenny LeBlanc
Vestry
Senior Warden Ray Crafton
Jr. Warden
Linda Wieland
Treasurer
Mary Williams
Asst Treasurer
Linda Smith
Register
Jeri Phillips
Members
Linda Wieland
Bill Butler
Ray Crafton
Missie Jarman
Beverly McNeill
Jeri Phillips
Roy Smith
Tim Watts
Sue Roberts
Congratulations to Gene and Liz DiRusso on the birth of their great granddaughter
Adison, who was born to their grandson, Anthony Hart and his wife, Laura.
We extend a warm welcome to Joan Goodbody who
recently transferred her membership from St. Mary’s
Episcopal Church in Arlington, VA. We are pleased
to have you as a member of our Church family, Joan.
Our Christ Church family extends their sympathy to Edd and Dana Houck
on the death of their son, Todd, on September 22. “May his soul and the
souls of all the departed, by the mercy of God, rest in peace.”
10/02 Hannah McWhirt
10/04 Harry Ruth
10/06 Josh Goldberg
10/08 Al Daniels
10/09 Donna Nuzum
10/10 Cheryl Sutton
10/10 Ruby Strysko
10/10 Ted Gurniak
10/11 Dana Houck
10/20 Gary Bates
10/20 Chloe Stockli
10/20 Rachel Goldberg
10/21 David Flues
10/23 Lynne Lee
10/25 Stephanie Smith
10/26 Jill Bates
10/26 Tim Zafrano
10/28 Betsy Menin
10/29 Jennifer Eagle
10/31 Brady Goldberg
Church School
Christian Education for all ages started fall classes last month. Children, from preschool through
high school meet in the classrooms downstairs in All Saints Hall, while the adults meet in the Great Hall
upstairs at 9:15 AM.
The adults will continue their overview study of the Old Testament using the Kerygma program
“Discovering the Bible”.
We are starting a new class for high school students who have already been Confirmed. It will
meet during the normal Christian Ed time, 9:15 to 10:15 Sunday mornings, and will cover a wide variety
of topics with the help of a wide variety of leaders, each working with the group for 3 to 6 weeks at a
time and covering one topic. This discussion-based class will be, we hope, interesting and challenging
for all involved. Stay tuned for more information.
Confirmation Class Convening
Father Packard will once again be offering a Confirmation Class starting this fall. At this time, we do
not know when we will have a visit from the bishop for Confirmation. If you are interested in taking the
class, please let Father Packard know. We will schedule a time that is most convenient for everyone.
This class is appropriate for anyone, youth or adult, who is interested in, or curious about, Confirmation.
You also may enjoy the class as a refresher course. And finally, it is recommended for anyone who is
relatively new to the Episcopal Church, whether or not you are interested in Confirmation.
Harvest Festival ~ 2015
We’re off to a great start with Elaine Wyant being named as the Chairperson for the Harvest
Festival. Assisting Elaine will be all members of the ECW, Altar Guild and those of our church family
who we hope will be a part of this joyous celebration. The Altar Guild teams will be decorating the
church for the harvest festival on the 24th
of October, the same day the ECW is preparing the Great
Hall for Sunday’s event. Items needed for these displays will be pumpkins, gourds, and squash. The
canned goods (for the food pantry) and UTO envelopes should be brought when you come to church
on Sunday, October 25. If you could please bring the pumpkins, squash and gourds to church with you
on October 18 and leave them in the back pew, it would be very much appreciated. It would also be a
blessing to have our parishioners who are able, to help decorate the church and Great Hall on October
24 at 10 AM.
On Sunday, October 25, we are asking that all members participate by bringing a dish to share
in the pot luck dish event and then sit down together, give thanks, and enjoy. This is always a festive
and fun event. Although we have discontinued the haunted house, there will certainly be other
activities and goodies to make it worth your while to join us. There will be a number of contests that
we would love for you to enter: Pumpkin Decorating; Baking Pumpkin and Apple Pies; Cupcakes;
and, of course, guessing the number of candy corn in a jar. Children will wear costumes and adults
will, again, wear hats (your choice). Games for the children begin at 4. Please have your baking
entries IN THE GREAT HALL between 4 and 4:30 because the judging will start promptly at 4:30
PM. ECW will also have its annual raffle for Chrysanthemums of which the proceeds will go to the
food pantry for their holiday baskets.
Excitement is beginning to build as planning progresses. So, as additional details unfold, they
will be sent out.
The Annual Christ Church Car Show is October 3. The registration fee is $15.00 for those
entering their vehicles and runs from 8:30 to noon the day of the event. For those who just want to walk
around, eat, and have a good time: 8:30 to 3 PM. We will have lots of fun with food (provided by our
ECM) and baked goods to purchase (provided by our ECW). D.J. Coach “Maceo” and Master G will be
our D.Js. We look forward to seeing ALL of you. Come and join the fun and excitement of seeing these
vintage cars! It’s an experience you won’t want to miss.
Outdoor Service & Blessing of Animals ~ October 4
The first Sunday in October will be both an outdoor service at 10:30 AM and the service at which we will
bless animals. Dress for the weather and bring your pets with appropriate controls, i.e. leash, kennel, or
bear enclosure. This is an unusual way of doing this service for us. Normally we have had the outdoor
service in conjunction with the parish picnic, and the blessing of the animals has been an extra service in
in the afternoon. So, consider this an experiment.
Let’s take a trip down the Rappahannock! Ages 6 and up are welcome with their families. Unless we get
some more good rain, we'll be doing a flat-water run this time. We'll meet at Old Mill Park after
church on Sunday, October 11, about 1:15. You can paddle kayak or canoe - all equipment is furnished
by Bill Micks at Virginia Outdoor Center as a gift to our church in memory of Deborah Gayle. Please
sign up at the Communications Center or by email to Kristi Gross ([email protected]) or phone,
leaving at message at (540) 786-6843, by Tuesday, October 6. If we get a lot of rain, we'll go upriver to
catch more current and a few rapids! No experience is required, however. Email, call or talk to Kristi for
more information.
You’ll need water, sunscreen/hat, clothes for the weather and shoes you can get wet. You may also want
dry clothes to change into before heading home. I’ll have a cell phone and a dry bag to keep car keys safe
and dry – other valuables should stay in the car or at home. Questions? Contact Kristi for more info.
Let’s get out on the river together!
Canoeing/Kayaking Again This Year
The Food Pantry Looks to the Upcoming Holidays
Is it too early for you to start thinking about your Thanksgiving or Christmas meal? Probably.
We haven’t even experienced Halloween.
For the families we serve through our food ministry it is also too early to think about a holiday
meal. Their focus at this time is not on a holiday meal – it is on their next meal. “Food insecurity” is a
term that the USDA now uses to describe when a household faces difficulty at some time during the year
in providing enough food for all their members. One in seven American households is considered “food
insecure.” Among the more than 48 million Americans (or 1 in 7 individuals) facing hunger, there are 15
million children.
These national figures are reflected in our own client numbers of our food pantry. From April
through September 2015 we had 38 new families request assistance from our pantry. The average number
of people receiving food each time we open our pantry twice each month is 255 individuals or about 80
families. The average number of children under age 18 served by each pantry is 85.
Is it too early for our Outreach Commission to think about our holiday feeding program?
Unfortunately, it is not too early because we face some serious challenges this year to provide for our
food pantry clients. The most serious challenge is the rising cost of providing the traditional holiday meal
similar to past years for an increasing number of families in need on a limited Outreach budget. This year
we have been told not to expect free turkeys from the Food Bank. A shortage of turkeys nationwide has
increased the demand among consumers for the available turkeys. The cost of turkeys is expected to be
very high this year. We have committed to pay that cost at Thanksgiving from our budget and
congregational donations.
However, in December this year we plan to do something different from our traditional Christmas
meal distribution. We will shift our focus in December from a Christmas single-meal distribution to
providing our patrons with two well-rounded bags of groceries to try to ensure their “food security” in the
winter between our food pantry dates. This change in focus is appropriate due to the high cost of the
single holiday meal and the long delay we will experience between the last food pantry of 2015 on
December 8 and the first food pantry in 2016 on January 12.
As in past years, members of the Outreach Commission thank our congregation for your generous
support of our holiday feeding program. You will see envelopes in the pews beginning October 11 that
you can use to support our holiday feeding program.
Here are the important facts and dates you need to know. Jim and Janice Kenkel will once again
coordinate our Thanksgiving food distribution. Thanksgiving distribution will be much like other years
with food packing on Thursday, November 19 at 7:00 pm and Friday, November 20 at noon. Distribution
will be on Saturday, November 21 at 10 A.M.
Kristi Gross, Bill Butler and Penny Knepp will coordinate our December food distribution. We
will have our last regular food pantry on Tuesday, December 8. We will pack food for the winter
distribution on Thursday, December 17 at 7:00 P.M. and Friday, December 18 at noon. Distribution will
be on Saturday, December 19 at 10 A.M.
I hope you will be able to join the Outreach Commission on some or all of these dates as we feed
the hungry in our community.
Want to be a winner of a double-bed size quilt hand-crafted by our very own Christ
Church Quilters? Tickets are selling for $1.50 for one or $10.00 for a book of ten. You may
purchase tickets at fellowship hour after the 10:30 service or, Tuesday through Saturday, 10- 4,
at the Thrift Shop (cashier). Most importantly, the raffle will take place at the Christ Church Car
Show next Saturday, October 3. Be a winner, buy one or more tickets!
Original Christ Church Bible and Book of Common Prayer
The Episcopal Church Women have committed to restore our original Lectern Bible and the
1841 Book of Common Prayer. We have contacted the same woman who did such a good job on
the Mattaponi Bible. The cost for both totals $1,875.00. The ECW plans to use the money from
their 208 Sale Trail bake sale and the bake sale at the Car Show towards the expense of
restoration. However the cost is more than the bake sales will cover. Therefore, we are inviting
contributions from the congregation to help. If you would like to contribute, please make a
check out to Christ Church with ECW Books on the memo line and put it in the plate by
September 13. We hope you will help save them for future generations.
Episcopal Church Women Thank Those Who Helped At 208 Sale Trail
The ECW would like to thank all who baked and physically helped sell those delicious “goodies”
at the 208 Trail Sale on Friday and Saturday. Thanks to your efforts we made $539.75 for repair
of the Bible and Prayer Book. On Oct 3 we will have another bake sale at the Christ Church Car
Show of which part of the proceeds will go to repairing the Bible and Prayer Book.
Thrift Shop Benefits from 208 Sale Trail
We had one beautiful day and one day that had rain on and off, but there were plenty of people
shopping both days. This year’s Sale Trail exceeded last year’s in gross sales. Friday we
brought in $1,443.77, and on Saturday it was almost as much $1,389.91. That’s a grand total of
$2833.68! Thanks to everyone who came out to help. It turned out that we had plenty of people
- more than expected. Quite a few came and stayed for hours. We couldn’t have handled the
crowds without all those people pitching in. The Sale Trail not only helps our bottom line with
sales, it also introduces many more people to our shop. Lots of folks come out for the Sale Trail
who would not normally come this way. Hopefully, some of them will become regular
customers. Finally, a huge thanks to Sherry Moynahan and the assistant managers for their
leadership. The Thrift Shop provides a significant part of income required to fund our operations
and ministries. Without the help of many volunteers it would not be possible.
Fall Camp at Shrine Mont
The Tri-Diocesan Council on Aging will offer its annual Fall Camp on October 26-29, 2015.
Fall Camp is an opportunity to spend time in the mountains of Virginia at Shrine Mont, the
diocesan camp and conference center with other seniors from across the Commonwealth and
from other states. The Camp is an attempt to take seriously the spiritual needs and journeys of
primarily retired people. We attempt to challenge participants through keynote speakers,
workshops, worship and interaction with one another. More information and registration can be
found at http://www.shrinemont.com/v.php?pg=41.
Fall Stewardship Pledge Campaign
The vestry is in the process of rewriting its Stewardship Resolution. That will be published as
soon as it is available. Then for three Sundays in October we will have brief talks from members
of the vestry during the morning services. Adjustments will be made to the services to
accommodate these talks without extending the length of the service. Look for a packet of
information to be mailed to each household around mid-month which will include your pledge
card for 2016. We will be asking for pledge cards to be returned on All Saints’ Day, November
1. As always we ask that you prayerfully consider your pledge to the church and approach it as a
spiritual matter rather than simply a practical one.
New Presiding Bishop
The Presiding Bishop is elected by the house of bishops and confirmed by the house of deputies
at the General Convention. The convention that met in June this summer in Salt Lake City
elected the Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry, the bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina, to serve a
nine year term as our next presiding bishop. He will be invested at the Washington National
Cathedral on All Saints’ Day, November 1. Bishop Curry will be the first African American to
serve as the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. He was elected on the first ballot, an
extraordinary occurrence.
Episcopal Church Men: This month, ECM will not meet. Their next meeting will be in
November, date and time to be announced. However, look for them at the Car Show next Saturday
serving up their delicious fare of hot dogs, hamburgers, and chili dogs, etc. Rumor has it that Bobbie
Canaday will again be providing her absolutely delicious (and world-famous) bean soup. What a treat
we are all in for!! Don’t miss it!
Fellowship: We want and need you to share yourself and your time hosting Fellowship on
Sundays. Fellowship hour is a very important ministry as it gives us time to socialize/unwind once a
week as a church family. You can host in honor of someone or in celebration of an event. Talk to Bill
Butler about hosting and then sign up at the Communication Center. Even once a month will help.
Christ Church Recycles: Bring in your used ink jet cartridges and place them in the box at the
Communication Center at ASH. Each cartridge has the potential to bring in $4. Sorry, no Epson ink jet
or laser cartridges accepted. This is a permanent feature, so please remember to recycle your cartridges
at any time of the year. If you have any questions, please contact Ruth, our parish secretary. Also, we
have a large green dumpster out back that you can dump all your newspapers or paperback books into.
You can also recycle your old eye glasses and hearing aids by placing them in the box at the
Communications Center. Thanks to Greg Hall and Ann Woolford for being our contacts with the
Lions Club on this important work.
Sunday morning worship schedule and Children’s Chapel and Sunday school: Two services 8:00
and 10:30, (Children’s Chapel is held in the Choir Room during the 10:30 service) with Christian
Education for all ages from 9:15 to 10:15. Children’s Chapel is not held on the first Sunday of the
month.
Episcopal Church Women meet the 3rd
Tuesday of each month in the Great Hall @ 11:30 AM.
Episcopal Church Men normally meet the 2nd
Saturday of the month in the Great Hall at 8:00 AM for
a meeting and breakfast.
The Vestry meets on the 2nd
Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM in room #8, All Saints Hall.
Sunday bulletin announcements due by: noon Wednesday, call 582-5033.
Deadline for the November Chronicler is October 16. Please send articles in a Microsoft Word
document to Ruth Feltner: [email protected]
318:00am RAAI, ASH
8:00pm AA Mtg
308:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
10:30am Quilters, ASH #8
298:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
288:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
10:00am Food Pantry, ASH
278:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
268:00am HE Rite 1
9:15am Christian Education
10:30am Children's Chapel
10:30am HE Rite II
11:45am Fellowship, GH
4:00pm Harvest Festival, ASH
25
10:00am Prepare for Harvest Festival
248:00am RAAI, ASH
8:00pm AA Mtg
238:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
10:30am Quilters, ASH #8
7:00pm Finance Commission
228:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
218:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
11:30am ECW Meeting, GH
208:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
198:00am HE Rite 1
9:15am Christian Education
10:30am Chhildren's Chapel
10:30am HE Rite II
11:45am Fellowship, GH
18
178:00am RAAI, ASH
8:00pm AA Mtg
168:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
10:30am Quilters, ASH #8
158:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
148:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
10:00am Food Pantry, ASH
6:00pm Sunlight Garden Club, ASH #6,7
138:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
128:00am HE Rite 1
9:15am Christian Education
10:30am HE Rite II
10:30am Children's Chapel
11:45am Fellowship, GH
12:30pm Depart for Canoe/Kayak Trip Down River
11
108:00am RAAI, ASH
8:00pm AA Mtg
98:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
10:30am Quilters, ASH #8
7:00pm Vestry Meeting, ASH #8
88:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
7:15pm Choir Rehearsal
78:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
68:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
58:00am HE Rite 1
9:15am Christian Education
10:30am HE Rite II - Outdoor Service - Blessing of the Animals
11:45am Fellowship, GH
4
8:30am 8:30 to 3: Car Show
38:00am RAAI, ASH
8:00pm AA Mtg
28:00am RAAI, ASH
8:30am Morning Prayer
10:30am Quilters, ASH #8
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Christ Church October 2015