report from the search committee heifer internationaldiocesan youth leader summit ii: connect, share...
TRANSCRIPT
Volume 19 Issue 5 May 2015
Report from the Search Committee
We welcomed Joe Chouinard to our meeting this month. Joe is a dioce-
san resource person assisting parishes in the formulation of their pro-
files and portfolios. He shared with us several suggestions about the
order of our sections and how to condense some areas and expand oth-
ers. With such generous help, we feel on the right path.
In addition, we are taking advantage of the Episcopal Church website,
Episcopal Digital Network, and you are welcome to explore this re-
source to see what our fellow parishes around the country are listing as
their call for new rectors. In many ways, it is comforting to see so
many thinking along the same lines as we are. The challenge then be-
comes to find a way to express our vision for the future of St. Stephen’s
and our next rector is a unique and interesting way. We’d like potential
applicants to see us, see our history as well as our challenges. This is
not an easy task, but each meeting brings us closer to that goal.
We also heard a preliminary report from the subcommittee working on
our mission statement, and have agreed to provide input back to them.
We also are looking over sections of the Parish Portfolio - sort of a
“want ad” approach to describing ourselves and what we are seeking.
We meet most Tuesdays, and retain our sense of excitement in the anxi-
ety of transition and transformation as well as our responsibilities in
representing the whole parish to others seeking placement as a rector.
Thank you for keeping this ministry in your prayers.
Bud Zeuschner, Communications Officer
BAKE SALE FOR
HEIFER INTERNATIONAL MAY 31
Buy Something Tasty Made by Our Kids to Help Feed Other Kids
The Sunday School is taking on a project this month of
raising money for Heifer Interna-tional, an organization with a 70 year history of changing impover-
ished communities by empower-ing families. Instead of giving handouts, Heifer Interna-tional helps to bring sustainable
agriculture and commerce with animals that provide both food and reliable income. When fami-
lies in a community gain this new sustainable income, it brings new opportunities for building schools,
creating agricultural cooperatives, forming community savings and funding small businesses.
During Coffee hour on May 31st our Sunday School kids will sell
Rice Krispie Treats, Pretzels and other baked goods to raise money and will also take direct donations
toward the purchase of chickens and honey bees. By purchasing our children's baked goods, you
have the power to give a hungry family the resources they need to feed
them-selves and their
children.
COMING UP THIS MONTH
May 9 Youth Leader Summit
May 10 Mother’s Day
May 13 St. Andrew’s Men’s Breakfast
May 16 Re-imagining Our Worship
May 24 Pentecost
May 25 Memorial Day
May 31 Trinity Sunday & Bake Sale for Heifer
The Witness Page 2
During Lent we took a journey with
Teresa of Avila and St. John of the
Cross through the Interior Castle and
the Dark Night. Essentially, we
learned that the simple practice for walking through darkness (a time of
aridity, bewilderment, and living in the
unknown) is to say “yes” to God at
every step. “Yes,” I am open to what
the spirit brings today. “Yes,” I am
open to change and transformation.
“Yes,” I am open to going back to the
very beginning and starting over.
“Yes” is the mantra that paves the way
through the darkness and leads us to
light and into a deeper love.
So much of the time when we are going
through a time of change and transition
we find ourselves resisting it either
because we like things just the way
they are or we are afraid to learn a new
way. Unfortunately, resistance makes
the transition more painful whereas
“yes” allows us to breathe into the un-
comfortable feelings and to make space
for what is actually present in the mo-
ment. Christ calls us to be present to God in the moment as Christ is present
to us in the breaking of the bread.
Not knowing the subject of our Lenten
series, Matthew Fox began his lecture
talking about the dark night, the collec-
tive dark night as a time of purifying
chaos where we are “stripped down to
the naked substance of ourselves” and
we are liberated from our old prisons in
favor of real change that brings about
new life. St. Stephen’s is undergoing a
time of change and it may feel chaotic
and unsettling. We may experience a
spectrum of feelings, grief, anger, fear, or joy, during this time of transition.
Whatever we feel during this time – it
is important to remember that the pur-
pose of change leads us from death to
life, from darkness to light, from stag-
nation to dynamism, and ultimately
leads us into a deeper love and under-
standing of who we are and who God
is. In her visions of the passion of
Christ, the 14th century anchorite,
Julian of Norwich came to understand
that the purpose of Christ’s passion was love, “Love was his meaning. Who
showed it to you? Love. What did he
show you? Love. Why did he show
you? For love. Hold on to this and you
will know and understand love more
and more. But you will not know or
learn anything else ever!.”
We can trust that during this time of
transition God loves us and leads us
through this collective darkness so that we might learn to love God more, learn
to say “yes” to the presence of God in
each moment of our day, to say “yes”
to God so that we might bring new life
into the world. Let us say “yes” to
Love.
Amber +
Vacation Bible
Camp
July 13-17,
1:00-4:00 pm
Our theme this summer is “In God's Garden.” The day's pro-gram begins with gathering at the hall and processing to the church for bible study and music. A crea-tive activity is introduced in the hall followed by outdoor play in the park. The closing session is devoted to music and happy dance in the hall. Snack foods are available throughout the day. The cost is just $25 for a whole week of fun, and scholarships are avail-able for families in need. There are also plenty of opportu-nities for adults to help with Vaca-tion Bible Camp, and you can vol-unteer for the full week or just a day or two. Volunteer areas in-clude the Snack Attack Team, Music, Crafts, Games and teach-ing 3-6, 6-9 or 9-11 year olds. Whatever your gift is, there’s sure to be the perfect way to use it in our Vacation Bible School pro-gram to help children have a fun adventure exploring God’s world and learning Christian values. If you have questions or would like to volunteer to help with the program, contact Dianne at [email protected] or Kathleen at [email protected].
FROM AMBER’S DESK
The Witness Page 3
News from Grandmother’s House
Our Annual Raffle/Fundraiser and
Spring Outing was a wild success!
GHCC parents and friends, St. Stephen’s parishioners and our local
community generously supported this
event. Thank You! I’m happy to report that Doris Highland was one of
the prize winners. The funds raised
have been earmarked for Program
Enhancement (i.e. Professional Growth, expanding our Science and
Music Curriculum and facility im-
provement).
April has been designated ‘the Month
of the Child’ and there will be events
around town to celebrate the youth of our community. Grandmother’s
House will partner with Kathleen
Pennington to decorate one of the bulletin boards in the Parish Hall.
You’ll be able to see some of the
creative artwork our students pro-duced.
GHCC is in the midst of enrollment
for the Fall Program. We serve chil-dren between two and five. Please
contact me [email protected]
or by phone 541-1305, if you are in-terested in touring the school for pos-
sible enrollment. We’d love to have
you join our family.
Respectfully,
Dottie Ryan
Ask the Treasurer
“"What is involved in preparing for the Financial Audit of the Church?"
First, let's talk about the question: "Why is a review of the financial records
needed?" Doing a review of the church financial records is to make sure that the finances and recordkeeping is in accordance with the National Church's
"Manual of Business Methods in Church Affairs". The National Church
requires (by Canon) that all accounts of Parishes be audited annually by a
person authorized by the appropriate diocesan authority. (That would be me as I attended the Audit Workshop last year and am certified to conduct an au-
dit.) The Diocese of El Camino Real requires (also by Canon) that at the close
of each year the Treasurer's accounts shall be reviewed by an entity or person approved by the Finance Committee of the Diocese. A complete copy of the
record review shall be forwarded to the Finance Committee before September
1 of the next year. Note: our last audit was in 2014 and was before we became
computerized with QuickBooks.
We began our preparation with a meeting last week (with Carolyn Platt,
Nancy Foran, and myself) and reviewed the section of the audit entitled "What
materials are needed to have available for the financial review?" This is ba-
sically all materials used to keep finance records for the congregation. It in-cludes:
1) Assets: Bank and Investment accounts, reconciled bank statements 2) Offerings and Deposits: deposit detail, copies of checks, correspondence
regarding contributions
3) Expenditures: cancelled checks, paid invoices, receipts 4) Computer records: General Ledger, year end financial statement, treasurer's
report to the Vestry
5) Other documents: all payroll records, copy of the budget, Parochial Report,
Property tax exemption forms 6) All Church Organizations: Altar Guild, Parish Council, compete review of
bank statements, checkbook registers, paid invoices
7) Discretionary Fund: complete review of bank statements, checkbook regis-ter, paid invoices.
Whew, this is a lot of work, but we do have most of it at our fingertips and
have made lists of things we still need. So, thanks again to Carolyn and
Nancy for being part of this process. We'll keep you posted when we've set up
a time (with another certified auditor) to complete the Audit.
Rabobank bank balances as of March 31, 2015
Operating $61,414.46
Money Market $11,279.39 Endowment Checking $10,473.86
Respectfully Submitted,
Katie Arndt, Treasurer
The Witness Page 4
Scriptures for
May
May 3, 2015
Easter V
The Rev. Amber Sturgess
Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 22:24-30 1 John 4:7-21
John 15:1-8
May 10, 2015
Easter VI
The Rev. Amber Sturgess
Acts 10:44-48
Psalm 98
1 John 5:1-6
John 15:9-17
May 17, 2015
Easter VII
The Rev. Amber Sturgess
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Psalm 1
1 John 5:9-13
John 17:6-19
May 24, 2015
Day of Pentecost
The Rev. Amber Sturgess
Ezekiel 37:1-14 Psalm 104:25-35, 37
Acts 2:1-21
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
May 31, 2015
Trinity Sunday
The Rev. Lyle Grosjean
Isaiah 6:1-8
Canticle 13
Romans 8:12-17
John 3:1-17
Diocesan Youth Leader Summit II: Connect, Share Ideas and Resources
Calling anyone who ministers to children and youth in our diocese!
The Youth Leader Summit II will be held on Saturday, May 9, from 10 am - 3 pm at St. John’s Chapel in Monterey (located at 1490 Mark
Thomas Drive). This is our second gathering for connection, mutual support, and the exchange of ideas and resources. Join us for another rewarding day of sharing and growth. Our topics for the day include: - Vacation Bible School - Using social media in our ministries - A curriculum roundtable Bring fruit, veggies or another plate of snacks to share. A $5 donation is requested for lunch. Register by emailing Mary Beth Powell at [email protected]. Email [email protected] with any questions.
Sexton’S RepoRt
Raise The Roof reached its goal!
Thanks to everyone that donated, we have raised the goal of $4,000 for the new barn/shed!. The shed was ordered in late April to take advantage of a 10% discount that expired on the 24th. The delivery order was put on hold until we get the old shed removed. Besides the base shed, I ordered it painted in colors to match the church and parish hall, 2 wall vents, a skylight, double doors for easier access, a 40 square foot loft, upgraded floor and lifetime shin-gles.
The old shed is emptied (again… people keep putting stuff in there…), thanks to hard work by Jonathan Richardson and Alisha. It’s locked to keep it clean.
We will now disassemble the old shed.
Once the new shed is erected, and before occupation, I plan to paint the in-side white or another light color for appearance, cleanliness, and light. There is enough money left over to purchase some industrial shelves for the inside
In the kitchen, I fixed a drip on the main sink faucets. I also met M&M refrig-eration there on the afternoon of March 26th to repair the pilot burner on the stove griddle. It works, and Bob Levison was able to make pancakes on it for the April Brothers of St. Andrew breakfast.
The urinal partition in the Ramsden hall men’s room is bro-ken off. I’ve stored the partition while I order new brackets.
Respectfully submitted,
Chris Arndt, Sexton
The Witness Page 5
Hands-On Stewardship
at St. Stephen’s!
MAY
BIRTHDAYS
MAY ANNIVERSARIES
5th Amber Sturgess
13th Ngozi Agbo
George Brown
14th Jeff Wheelwright
Lynn Hollister
16th Dick Riggins
17th Jonathan Richardson
18th Jean Arndt
19th Katie Arndt
29th Rosey Parks
25th John & Chris Kellett
THANK YOU TO Eric Fisher & Kathryn Marshall, Jean Wright,
Bud & Linda Zeuschner and the Youth Class for hosting a coffee hour
in April.
THANK YOU TO Carole Merrill, Carole McHugh and Jean Wright
for helping to prepare The Witness for mailing each month.
THANK YOU TO Jim Arndt for supplying our pantry with many
non-perishable foods of juices and pop-top cans of fruit and pasta for
those hungry people who stop by the office in need and to those
donating food in the basket on Sunday for ASN’s pantry.
THANK YOU TO Liz Frost and Roxanna Shaheen for preparing the
receptions following the Matthew Fox lecture and workshop.
THANK YOU TO Katie Arndt, Ann Patry and Deborah Heartwood
for all their work to make it possible to host Matthew Fox at St.
Stephen’s.
THANK YOU TO Doris Highland, Bob Levison, Kathryn Marshall,
Kathleen Pennington, Alison Preston, and Gail Taylor for teaching
Sunday School in April.
Coffee Hour
Coffee hour has happened with a lot of helpful hands. Thank you for
supplying the variety of menu items, washing the towels and table-
cloths, and preparing the table of eatable delights.
Please locate the signup sheet next to the Altar Guild’s Flower and
Candle signup sheets. May and June have a few vacant spots.
Remember June 7 is the Church picnic, no coffee hour that day.
Liz Frost
The Witness Page 6
Against the Tide: A Portrait of a Marriage
Melanie Hahnemann, early feminist,
brings Homeopathy out of the shadows, after a “scandalous” marriage.
Saturday, June 6 at 3:30 p.m.
Courtesy Dr. T. Cook Brit. Inst. Homeopathy
A reading by the author, Elizabeth Galloway Abrahams
Tickets $10.00
All proceeds go to the St. Stephen’s Parish Council for Community Outreach
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Ramsden Hall
1344 Nipomo Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
The Witness Page 7 MAY 2015
Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church 1344 Nipomo Street San Luis Obispo CA 93401-3935
Office: 805 543.7212 Ramsden Hall: 805 543.7215 Fax: 805 543.0744
[email protected] http://ststephensslo.org
Office hours: Monday — Thursday 9:00 a.m.— 1:00 p.m.
Key: Ramsden Hall – RH; Boydston Room – BR; Library – L
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
2
3 Easter V
8am Holy Eucharist I 9am Bible Study BR 10am Holy Eucharist Sunday School 12:00 Youth Comm.
4
5
10:00 Yoga - RH
5:30 Centering Prayer
6
10:30 Women’s Prayer - L 11:30 Healing Service
7
11:00 Bible Study BR 8
9
10am-3pm Youth Leader Summit
at St. John's in Mon-
terey
10 Easter VI 8am Holy Eucharist II 9am Bible Study -L 10am Holy Eucharist &
Sunday School 12:00 History Project
11
.
12
10:00 Yoga - RH 5:30 Centering Prayer
13
8:00 St. Andrew’s B-fast RH
10:30 Women’s Prayer - L 11:30 Healing Service
14
11:00 Bible Study BR
15
16
Reimagining Our Worship Together Workshop 1:00-5pm
17 Easter VII 8am M.P. & HEI 9am Bible Study BR 10am Holy Eucharist Sunday School
18
19
10:00 Yoga - RH
5:30 Centering Prayer 7:00 Vestry BR
20 10:30 Women’s Prayer - L 11:30 Healing Service
6:00 Book Club
21
11:00 Bible Study BR
22
Witness Deadline
23
24 Pentecost 8am Holy Eucharist II 9am Bible Study BR 10am Holy Eucharist &
Sunday School
25 Memorial Day Parish Office Closed
26
5:30 Centering Prayer
27
10:30 Women’s Prayer - L 11:30 Healing Service
28 29
30
31Trinity Sunday
8am HEII 9am Bible Study 10am HEII & Sunday School
The Witness Page 8
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Permit No. 57
ST. STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 1344 NIPOMO ST
SAN LUIS OBISPO CA 93401-3935
Address Service Requested
The Witness
St. Stephen’s Services
Sunday 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist without music 9:00 a.m. Bible Forum in Boydston Room 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II with music Sunday School for K-12 (during school year) Child care available during 10:00 am service
Wednesday 11:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist 5:30 p.m. Evening Prayer
Office Hours Monday—Thursday 9:00 – 1:00 1344 Nipomo Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3935 Office: 805-543-7212 Fax: 805-543-0744 Email: [email protected] Website: http://ststephensslo.org
General Information
The Witness is a monthly newsletter published by St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, San Luis Obispo,
CA to provide information about the parish to the congregation. Subscriptions are free to anyone. Send
request along with your name and mailing address to the church office. Donations to help offset
distribution costs are appreciated. Make checks payable to St. Stephen’s.
The Church’s e-mail address is: [email protected]
The Witness Editor is Chris Kellett. Contribution of articles is encouraged. Please e-mail
submissions to the editor at [email protected]
The deadline for emailed submission of articles is Friday following the Vestry meeting. Call or email
editor with any questions.
© Copyright 2015 by St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. All rights reserved.
POSTMASTER: Please send address corrections to: St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 1344
Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3935
BOOK DISCUSSION DINNER Wednesday, May 20 at 6:00 pm
The book chosen for this month’s discussion is Mat-thew Fox’s Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times. Matthew Fox recently gave a lecture and work-shop here at St. Stephen’s. We have a supply of these books available at the office for $17.95. For additional information contact Diane Levison at 544-6486.