st. paul's news - june, 2006

8/14/2019 St. Paul's News - June, 2006

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St. Paul's Episcopal ChurchLansing Michigan

Volume 31, IssuBy The Rev. Dr. Gordon Weller

St. Pauls NewsJune, 200

Upcoming Activities 2

St. Pauls News 6

Choir Schedule 7

Youth Ministry 8

Calendar 9

Vestry Highlights 5

Inside this issue:

T he EpiscopalChurch will meetin General Convention,June 13-21 in Colum-bus, Ohio. Given the

turmoil that has devel-oped in response tothe 2003 Convention,

this will be a very important meeting. I urge allmembers of St. Paul's to pay close attention tothe actions of Convention. There will be hun-dreds of votes taken on a variety of topics thatwill reflect and affect our lives together and willbe representative of our response to the call ofGod and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Certainly the two most important discussions willcenter on the election of a new Presiding Bishop

and our response to the Windsor Report of2004. (The Windsor report is the Anglican Com-munion's response to the action of the 2003Convention.) Currently there are seven persons

nominated for the position of Presiding Bishopand seven different resolutions indicating a re-sponse to the Windsor Report. What is most im-portant to note is that each of these votes willbe prayed about hundreds, if not thousands, of

times before they are taken, and the prevailingwish of every voter is that the will of God bedone and that the Holy Spirit will be present asvotes are taken and counted. It will be that waywith every vote. Those who go to Conventiondeserve our gratitude and our prayers. They putin extremely long hours at the Convention andprior to it. The workload is enormous.

There are several things we can do to be in-volved and supportive. First, there are Conven-tion Updates in the bulletin on each Sundaymorning, leading up to and during Convention.

Read them, discuss them and ask questions if youhave them. At the end of each insert, there aresuggested readings. Some of these are avail-

(Continued on page 11)

The Rev. Dr. Gordon Weller

General Convention - Some Thoughts

Whats in a Name?

By The Rev. Susie Shaefer

O ne of the questions Ive been asked most frequently at St. Pauls is: What should we call you,or more generally, How does one address a female priest? Like many things in the EpiscopalChurch, this is one of those questions where you can get six different answers from five differentpeople. The most common titles for women priests are pastor and mother. Mother is simplythe female version of Father, a common title for male priests. For some, this has wonderful impli-cations about the ways in which clergy can nurture our spiritual lives. But for others, it suggests acharacter like the Mother Superior from The Sound of Music . Pastor is a better description ofwhat we do as clergy, guiding individuals and congregations along the spiritual journey. Plus, ithas the added bonus of serving for both men and women! So as titles go, I believe that pastor ismost appropriate.

Personally, I believe in a strong emphasis on the shared ministry of all the people. As Paul writes,we have many gifts, but one Lord, and there are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit. We are

(Continued on page 11)


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Page 2 Upcoming St. Pauls ActivitiesSt Pauls In Action

Ongoing ActivitiesSt. Aelreds Guild, Bible Study, Book Cart, B&PW Dinner

Meeting, ECW, Family Night Dinner, 4Fs (Food, Faith,Fun, Fellowship), St. Elizabeth Guild, Prayer Group,Mens Breakfast, Mid-week Eucharist, will resume in Sep-tember

St. Pauls Library, open every Sunday

This Month at St. Pauls and ElsewhereMens Golf League, Thursdays, 3:30 PM, Groesbeck GolfCourse

Womens Golf League, contact Pat Riley at 882-1691

Confirmation, Reception & Reaffirmation , Sunday, June3, 10 AM

Lucy Finkel Recital, Sunday, June 3, 7 PM

Baptisms, Sunday, June 4, and June 25, 10 AM

Graduation Breakfast, Sunday, June 4, 8:45 AMYoung Adults Baseball Game, Saturday, June 10, 7 PM

Mission Trip Fundraiser, Sunday, June 11, 11:30 AMB&PW Annual Picnic, June 13, 6 PM at the home ofDebby Pierce

Infant/Toddler Playgroup, Saturday, June 17, 10 AM

Vacation Bible School, June 26-30

Looking Ahead

Eagle Ranch Mission Trip, July 15-22

B&PW Picnic

By Elisabeth Richardson, Treasurer

T he Business & Professional Women will meetTuesday, June 13 at Debby Pierce's home.This is our annual picnic. The dinner is at 6 PM, andthe cost is $8. Guests and visitors are always wel-come. Members should bring a side dish to pass.RSVP to Nancy Milne by June 11 at 882-0573.

Infant/Toddler Playgroup

The Rev. Susie Shaefer

Join us on Saturday, June 17, from 10 AM - Noon for the next meeting of the Toddler/Infant Play-group. This is for parents of kids under three. We have an hour with adults only, with time for chat-

ting over refreshments and a short program, and then an hour playing with the kids and sharing storiesand questions and ideas. This months program will be Talking to Pre-School Kids about Death, pre-sented by our own Dianna Erickson . Childcare is provided for the entire two hours so that parents witholder kids can bring them as well. Questions? Please contact Rev. Susie Shaefer. We hope to see youthere!

Young Adults BaseballGame, Take 2


C alling all young adults! Wetried to schedule a trip to aLansing Lugnuts game in May, but it didnt work out. So

we are trying again! Join us on Saturday, June 10 at7 PM for a Lansing Lugnuts game. Young Adults in-cludes those in their twenties or thirties, married or not,with kids or not. Bring your friends, bring your kids andjoin us for a day at the ballpark. To RSVP, contact thechurch office or sign up outside the Merrifield Room.


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Baptisms

By The Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

W e have set aside several times for baptisms dur-ing June, July and August. First, June 4, the dayof Pentecost, is a traditional time, and several are bap-tisms already scheduled. June 25 has also been setaside at the request of several families who have rela-tives coming in from out of town. Finally, if there is need,

a time may be requested in late August. Please contactFr. Weller if you have question or requests.

Page Upcoming St. Pauls Activities

To all Guilds, Committees andOrganizations:

J une is the month when we try to place all theactivities of committees, guilds and organiza-tions on the calendar for September 2006 throughJuly 2007. This will enable us to be ready whensummer is over. Please help us by getting a list ofall your meetings and activities to Kathleen Johnsonin the front office as soon as possible. We ask that

you do this by June 12, 2006.Gordon Weller

Lucy Finkel Returns to Perform

By Deborah McMartin-Finkel

S oprano Lucy Finkel , a former St. Pauls chorister and daughter of Deborah McMartin-Finkel and CharlesFinkel , will return to St. Pauls on Saturday, June 3 at 7 PM to give a recital. Arias and art song will fill oursanctuary as well as a few spirituals. Lucy will sing music composed by Copeland, Dvorak, R. Strauss, Menottiand others.

After leaving St. Pauls, Lucy finished her undergraduate degree at Grand Valley State University where shestudied with Dale Schriemer and Katherine Stieler. She spent two summers in New York City studying opera anddeveloping and performing the roles of Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi and Suzanna in the Marriage of Figaro.Currently Lucy attends the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where she studies with Mark St.Laurent. She plans to complete her masters program next spring. This summer Lucy will perform at the AshlawnOpera Festival in Charlottesville, Virginia. She will understudy the role of Maria in West Side Story, and haveminor roles in both West Side Story and The Merry Widow.

We hope to see you at the performance.

Mission Trip


I n exactly two months (at the time of this writing),seven youth and four adult leaders will leave St.Pauls church for the mission trip to Tennessee. I amhappy to report that we are doing very well with ourfundraising, thanks to the generous support of the par-ish. We would specifically like to thank the Businessand Professional Women for their gift in May.

Of course, we arent finished with our efforts just yet.We will be hosting another fundraiser brunch on Sun-day, June 11 after the 10 AM service. Suggested do-nations for the brunch are $5-8 for an individual, or$15-20 for a familyabout what you might spend go-

ing out for brunch at a restaurant after church. In addi-tion to the lovely food and fellowship featured at pre-vious brunches, we will also have a labor auction! Doyou need help getting the grass cut this summer?Wouldnt you like to have an extra pair of handscleaning the basement before the school year starts?Here is your chance! The youth going on the trip willgladly help you out, and will be auctioning off theirtime, with proceeds going to the Mission Trip.

We hope to see you on Sunday, June 11. Please sign-up outside the Merrifield Room or by calling the officeso that we can plan for food.


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Page 4 Upcoming St. Pauls ActivitiesGraduation Breakfast

By Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music

S t. Pauls will honor its graduates at the annual Senior Recognition Break-fast on Sunday, June 4, at 8:45 AM. The breakfast is sponsored by theVestry of St. Pauls, and Sr. Warden Elisabeth Richardson will share an inspi-

rational message with the graduates and their families (See box below for a complete list of graduates). Theywill also be recognized at the 10:00 AM service.

High School

Megan McGee Grand LedgeParents: Tim & Marian McGee

Planning to attend Central Michigan University

Sarah Niven DeWittParents Tim & Yvonne Lantz

Planning to attend the Boston Conservatory of MusicMichelle Benson Okemos

Parents: Dr. Ed & MaryLea Benson Planning to attend Lansing Community College and the

Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago

Katelyn Hanna-WortleyCranbrook Kingswood School, Bloomfield Hills

Parents: Greg Wortley & Barbara HannaPlanning to attend LeHigh University in Bethlehem, PA

College

Elizabeth Crabtree U-MParents: Graham & Amy Crabtree

Degree: Music Education

Mark Johnson MSUDegree: Masters Degree/Manufacturing

Steven Leverett U-MParents: Gary & Mona Leverett

Degree: Computer Engineering/Working for Intel

Summer Schedule and Vacations

By The Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

S ummer is always atime for vacationsand getting away. It isthat way for the Staff ofSt. Paul's as well. Summeris not a time when thetrials and tribulations oflife take a vacation; far

from it. If you should need to contact the Church orone of the Clergy during the summer, please callthe Church first. Even if you call after hours, thefirst message you will get will be a notification asto who (Gordon or Susie) is pastorally on call. Thiswill be followed by a listing of whom you shouldcall for other needs. Office hours will remain asthey have been in past years: Monday-Thursdayfrom 9 AM to 5 PM and Saturday from 9 AM toNoon.

Habitat for Humanity

By Debby Pierce

L ast month I told you about the next HabitatBuild which begins on June 2. Our build nowhas a name, Freedom Build . We still need work-ers for all of our times. Please contact DebbyPierce at 394-4800 or Susie Shaefer at 482-9454. This will be a good build. We will not beusing pre-built walls as is the past. We will startfrom scratch. Much more fun! We will work with a

different church each week, which will give us theopportunity to meet a lot of new people.

Look for the Habitat sign at the Sunday coffeehour. We have a copy of the house design andpictures of the lot.

If you have some available time on a weekend inJune or July, we need your help.


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Page 5 News from the Vestry Financial Information As of April 30, 2006

By Jeff Irwin

T hrough April 30, 2006, we have received total pledge and non-pledge revenue of $95,312, which is ap-proximately where we should be after four months to meet our 2006 pledge revenue budget. Also, Eastergiving was above the budgeted amount with $3,952 received.

We are current with our commitment to the Diocese of Michigan. Through April 30, $12,873 has been sent tothe Diocese.

We received $56,337 from the Lucille Penniman Trust in April. Per Vestry policy, $50,703 (90%) has beentransferred to the Perpetual fund and $5,634 (10%) to the Mission and Outreach fund.

The accounting for the month of April was not complete as of this writing, so the net income through April 30 isnot reported here.

As of May 10, we have received approximately $40,000 of parishioner pledges and contributions for the or-gan restoration project. The contract with Austin Organs, Inc. has been signed for a total of $135,690. Of thisamount, $123,569 is due in monthly installments between now and September 1, 2006. To the extent that wehave not received sufficient contributions to pay the Austin Organs, Inc. invoices, we will need to use funds fromthe St. Pauls Perpetual fund to make our payments.

Historically the summer months have been the leanest for receiving pledge contributions. However, the work ofthe church goes on and so do the costs. It will be greatly appreciated if can you keep your pledge paymentscurrent or even pay ahead if possible.

Highlights from the Vestry MeetingAt the May 16 Vestry meeting, your Vestry: Had devotions on Matthew 28:16 - 20 "The

Commissioning of the Disciples" Received correspondence from "The Record" (the

Diocesan Newspaper) that a meeting will be heldat All Saint's E.L. to discuss the financial shortfalland continued existence of the publication

Discussed the "Welcoming Church" committeetopic of reshaping the Mission/Outreach commit-tee and a reflection of who we are.

Received notification of the "Vision/Mission"group that they have a few ideas for re-wordingseveral portions of the document

Received an Organ Refurbishment Committeereport (found elsewhere in this issue) Discussed the Reaffirmation Service of June 3rd

at St Katherine's Received a report on the status of the defibrilla-

tor and a proposed CPR class for Vestry, ushers,and other pertinent groups in the parish.

Received various committee reports1. Roof needs to be repaired over the choir por-

tion of the building2. Sewer separation will proceed in the spring of

2007. We must be in compliance by the endof construction

3. Communications has a survey that will be go-ing out

4. Adult Christian Education is planning for2006-07

5. Youth Christian Ed is also planning with VBSand the Mission trip on the immediate horizon

6. Habitat for Humanity is doing a speed buildbetween June 2 and July 31-we are involvedmonetarily and with various aspects of thebuild

7. Personnel has completed the Spring review8. Stewardship for Fall 2006 will focus on the

deficit9. Worship and Music Committee is planning for

2006-7 Received a monthly treasurer's report (elsewhere

in the issue) Planned for Graduation Sunday - June 4th, 2006 Received the new Sexual Misconduct Policy to be

reviewed, adopted, and signed by the Junemeeting

Received the Curate's and Rector's report


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Page 6 St. Pauls NewsSt. Pauls June Prayer List

W e pray for those who are sick and in need: Cindy Robinson, Beverly McEachern,James Lantz Family, Dixie Durr, Audrey, Richard & Aaron Hegmon, ShelleyRobinson, Donna & Grady Letner, Clara Voges, Mason Hill, Mary Olds, Lois Caswell,Ruthann Perry, Dorothy Lawrence, Brian Schray, June Wyatt, Dick & Janet Siebert, AvelNeito, John Kim, Erik Lindquist, Bernie Lynch, Mary Ann Kelley, Carol, MelindaGordon, Judith Jones, Bill Hooks, baby Benjamin, Andrew Astley, Bill Kundrat, Tzimari

Kirkpatrick, Becky Chamberlain and Kim Cross

We pray and remember those in the Military, serving in dangerous areas: Carlos Sims, Stacey Speck and PaulJorae

We pray for comfort for the families and friends of Gloria Anderson , Richard Emerson and Barbara Millar , whorecently passed away

We pray for those expecting: Justin & Julia Heany, Justin & Jessica Leonard, Jeff & Mary Kate Powers, Mi-chael & Cassie Such, and Carlos & Joi Luckadoo-Villa

Prayer List

Our Russian Orthodox Friends

The Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

A ny of you who have come down to St. Paul's on aSaturday probably have noticed that there isanother group worshiping here, usually in the Chapel.They are members of the local Russian community inLansing and wish to establish a Russian Orthodox con-gregation in the Lansing area. They have named them-

selves St. Seraphim's. Currently there are congrega-tions in Detroit, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids. WhenSt. Seraphim's meets, a priest from one of these con-gregations will travel to do the services. Their meetingshave been going on for about a year, and it is ourpleasure to have them at St. Paul's. In February theyprovided a program for our 4F's group that included asampling of Russian food and a review of the RussianOrthodox faith.

The Surveys Are Out (And Now We Need Them Back In)

By Rick Laub, Communications Committee Chair

B y now, everyone should have received a Parish Survey in the mail. The goal of the survey is to find out abit more about our parish family, and how they were called to make St. Paul's their church home. Wehope to use the results to assist in telling the St. Paul's story to those who might want to see if they, too, arecalled to be here.

Thank you to everyone who has sent theirs in already. We would like to get as many responses as possible, soplease take the time to fill it out with other members of your household.

I want to thank everyone on the committee who helped put this together, and especially Stephanie Van Ko-evering for leading the effort.

We look forward to getting the results and sharing them with the congregation.

Design & Preservation

By Max Pierce

E ven though the crew was small, we accom-plished quite a bit during the recent SpringCleanup . We appreciate the help of Ree Huber,Lyn Zynda, Ed and Pat Meier and Gordon Weller .We cleaned out many closets, the back of theChurch, the Jerusalem Room and the Undercroft.

There is still much more to do and we are planningdates in the future to work on these particular ar-eas.

Thanks to all.


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Page 7 St. Pauls ChoirsAnnual Choir Banquet

By Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music

A t the Annual Choir Banquet on Sunday, May 21,after church, Minister of Music Stephen Lange recognized the service of all the youth choristers at St.Pauls this past year. Maureen Nauss , Cherub ChoirDirector, recognized the service of all the Cherub Choirmembers, including Emily Irwin, Alyssa McConnell,Kaitlyn Narezo, Alex Van Koevering, Kaleel VanVoorhees; and Erikah Alvarez, Dominique Damico,Justin Green and Frankie Nevin , second graders whomoved into Boys and Grace Choir on Sunday, May14. Steve Lange then recognized members of the Boysand Grace Choirs: Courtney Irwin, Margaret Kariuki,Anna Krupka, Maggie McDaniel, Elizabeth Boman

(who will move into High School Choir next year), An-tonio Clarke, Daniel Fletcher, Collin and MitchellGermaine, Drew Krupka, Thomas Laub, and ParkerVan Voorhees . Members of the High School Choir whowere honored included A. J. Fletcher, Emily Laub,Erin Sanchez, Baylie Sanchez, Staci Sparks, MelanieWalker, Rich Boman, Matthew Nauss, and StevenWalker . Receiving special recognition for their years ofdedicated service included seniors Michelle Benson ,Megan McGee and Sarah Niven .

All the choristers and their families were thanked fortheir dedicated work in helping to provide music and

inspiration for the worship services.

Keep the Music Alive!Be An Organ Donor!

By Nancy Milne and Jeff Kressler

T hank you very much to all who have made a pledge to the St. Paulsorgan restoration project. As of May 16, 2006, we had received 61pledges from families and individuals totaling $53,560. The total amount ofcash received as of May 16 from these pledges was $47,000. We greatlyappreciate your commitment to refurbish this valuable instrument.

Everyone who has ever sung in the choirs, including young people who have moved away, is especially encour-aged to give for this special project. Anyone who wants the packet of materials giving full details may contacteither one of us.

For those of you who have access to the Internet, the company doing our work can be found atwww.austinorgans.com/home.htm. This may give you some insight into the facilities of the Austin Organ Com-pany since there are several photos of their plant facilities. Incidentally, as part of the restoration, our organconsole will be taken from St. Pauls and shipped to the Austin Organ factory during the week of July 3 for ap-proximately two months. It will be redone with the needed electrical work, etc., to bring it up to code. While theconsole is gone, we will be provided with an electric Allen organ to use for our services.

By the way, check our Web site (www.stpaulslansing.org) from time to time for photos detailing the progress ofthe restoration work being done at the church. There will also be an actual organ pipe on display in the Merri-field room that will demonstrate our progress during the fundraising campaign.

Next fall, there are plans to hold a family dinner on a Sunday afternoon followed by a concert of musicalpsalms performed in the church. More details will be forthcoming in the months ahead.


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St. Pauls Youth Ministry Page 8

S unday, May 21 was the last day of church school until the fall. We had an excellent year, thanks tothe hard work and caring of all of our teachers. Many thanks to Carol Laub, Julie Fletcher, JudiClarke, Darrick Alvarez, Jill Walker, Kathy Gut, Chris Krupka, Charlie Krupka, Kelly Gmazel-Sanchez, Rod Sanchez, Chris Nazar, Sue LeDuc, Lyn Kressler and Yvonne Lantz . Thanks also go toour helpers, Barb Heany , who arranged for drinks every week, and Barb Hamm and Millie Ericson, whoserved as on-call substitute teachers. Church School takes many hands to run well, and we are blessedhere at St. Pauls with so many caring and talented people in our Church School program.

The Church School received a lovely gift from Pampered Chef, thanks to the organization of MaryLeaBenson, P.K. Van Voorhees and the generosity of parishioners. The gift included six chefs hats andaprons, two cookie making sets, two sets of cookie cutters, 11 safety cutters, two rollers and a funnel.These items will be used for all kinds of crafts and activities and are much appreciated!

There is no Church School in the summer, but the activity basket and childrens bulletins will continue tobe available on Sunday mornings. If you havent looked at the childrens bulletins, do look, they are awonderful resource. They offer games and coloring pages for kids based on the Scripture lessons forthe day. There are two versions, one for children ages 3-6, and one for children ages 7-11. They areavailable in the activity basket outside the sanctuary on Sunday mornings.

Of course, its never too early to start thinking about Church School for the fall! Our first Sunday of Church School will be September 10 . If you might be interested in helping with Church School this

year, please speak to the Rev. Susie Shaefer. Teaching Church School is a great way to deepen yourfaith knowledge and serve the church at the same time.

Church School News

By The Rev. Susie Shaefer, Curate

Aslan Is on the Move: Narnia VBS

By The Rev. Susie Shaefer, Curate

V acation Bible School is almost here! From June 26-30, St. Pauls will betransformed into the land of Narnia for a week of crafts, Bible stories,music and adventure. There is still time to register your children, grandchil-dren, childrens friends or friends children! Registration cards are availableoutside the Merrifield room or by calling the church office.

There is also still time to help out with VBS! We always need support, both with your prayers and finan-cial support, or gifts in kind. Our Wardrobe Wish List still has some items wed like to acquire. Volun-teers are still needed, too. We especially need people for the take-down crew on Friday afternoon, June30, and Saturday morning, July 1. If you can help with any of these things, please contact Val Boman orSusie Shaefer .


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A Spiritual Journey

New Member Matt Ferguson Tells of His Walk for Justice

I f you walk out the front door of St. Pauls, go across the street to the state capitol, turn left and keep go-ing, youll arrive at the Detroit River in about five days. This I can now tell you from experience.For those of you whom I havent had the pleasure of meeting yet, Im Matt Ferguson, one of the newest

members of the St. Pauls family. Im a Downtown Lansing resident and first at-tended St. Pauls just before Christmas. Ive been coming back ever since, and alittle over a month ago, I was baptized.

No doubt about it, getting baptized is a powerful experience. And for me, I wenthome with an unquenchable desire to do something more, something to commemo-rate my newfound gift of salvation.

Like a lot of people at St. Pauls, Im a political person. In my case, I run a Web-site called Michiganliberal.com, and I spend my time writing about Michigan gov-ernment and politics, injecting my particular perspective where it seems appropri-ate (which seems to be just about everywhere).

While working on my liberal Website, one thing I have come to feel very stronglyabout is the current initiative to repeal the state Single Business Tax without firstidentifying a replacement source of revenue, seeing it in opposition to my under-standing of Christs message of compassion for those least among us. But I cer-tainly understand and respect those who may hold a different view.

Yet, that is why I decided to walk to Detroit, raising public awareness as my way of fulfilling my baptismal vowto strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.

I left for my journey immediately after celebrating the Holy Eucharist at St. Pauls on April 29, and with Godshelp, and with the help of friends from my religious and political life, I arrived in Detroit five days later. Alongthe way, I distributed letters containing my message to 63 Christian churches that I passed. After a few days ofexploring our states largest city, I formally ended my journey by celebrating the Holy Eucharist at the Cathe-dral of St. Paul.

I am deeply thankful that I was able to make this journey in safety and for one of the most meaningful and re-warding experiences of my lifetime. Im especially grateful for the help I received during and before the walkfrom my new Episcopalian brothers and sisters. It was a truly wonderful way to get to know my new faith com-munity. And all just by walking out our own front door!

Page 9 St. Pauls News

Matt, who is a long-time friend of my daughter, Melissa, is a wonderful example of how resurrectionhappenslife out of death. He began this long journey at Norris's memorial service last December.Since then he has studied, prayed, made his vows and then acted as God has led him. What a comfort it is to me, in the midst of my loss, to witness his "new life" and his courageous living of it. I was hissponsor at Baptism, so I call myself his "fairy godmother." Carol Ingells

Im especially

grateful for the help I received durinag and before the walk frommy new Episcopalianbrothers and sisters. It was a truly wonderfulway to get to know mynew faith community.

And all just by walkingout our own front door!


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Episcopal Church Women Retreat

By Annette Irwin, ECW Secretary

Twenty-three women from St. Pauls, plus oneguest, took a well deserved break from their eve-

ryday duties and gathered for a retreat lead by ourvery own Carol Ingells . We met at the Weber Centerin Adrian on Friday, April 28 and stayed until the af-ternoon of the 29 th.

Carol used the story of Ruth and Naomi to lead usthrough the exploration of The Seasons of Friend-ships. We had the opportunity to reflect on the manydifferent friendships each of us has experienced, thosethat last a lifetime, as well as those that are fleeting,although often just as important to us. We exploredhow God is present in those relationships.

Many of us had the chance to make new friends. Eventhough we all worship together, we dont always havethe time to talk to and get to know one another. Wehad a diverse group of women who all seemed to finda real joy in spending time together. Some of us weremoms, grandmothers, women who worked at home, out

of the home or retired, and everyone enjoyed sharingdifferent experiences.

We all agreed that the Weber Center provided anexcellent environment in which to hold this type of re-treat. The facility was beautiful and had very nicemeals. The grounds were wonderful, with plenty ofspace to walk, enjoy the flowers, sit at a fountain orwalk the labyrinth. We were grateful for the perfectweather!

Most importantly, we were all thankful for the oppor-tunity to experience the spiritual leadership that Carolprovided us. I found it amazing how she knew what weall needed, whether it was group discussion, timealone, encouraging us to write our thoughts or giving ussome good old socializing time. She made us all verycomfortable and kept us all thinking.

I came away grateful for this opportunity and encour-age you to think about joining us next year.

St. Pauls NewsPage 10


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able at Church. Consider reading one of these that you may be informed about how the Church functions orthinks.

Secondly, consult the two Web sites mentioned on the bottom of the Bulletin insert. They arewww.episcopalchurch.org and www.comeandgrow.org. These will carry daily reports. If you do not haveInternet skills or access, find a friend or grandchild who does. Most would be more than happy to give assis-tance or instruction. Finally, pray daily for the Church and those who vote. It will be a wonderful help.

One last thing. There is currently an effort to get some people from St. Paul's and/or the Lansing area to-gether to go down to Columbus to visit, observe and prayerfully participate in the Convention. The timetalked about is June 16 or June 16-17. If interested, contact the church office or me for more information.

(Continued from, General Convention, page 1)

called to different roles and ministries, but we all serve one God. Because of that theology, many clergy including mechoose not to use formal titles, and to be called simply by name. So, in short answer, Susie isnot only fine, I actually prefer it.

All of these choices are shaped by our understanding of ministry and none of us understands ministry in quitethe same way. Just as we have many gifts, we have many perspectives. Thanks for letting me share mine withyou.

(Continued from, Whats in a Name?, page 1)

Lansing Schools Honor Our Dr. Cal Anderson

By Tom Shawver, Staff Writer

O n a pleasant night in early May, former colleagues and friends gathered at Everett High School's baseballfield to pay high tribute to a man who had been principal of four Lansing schools over 27 years. The oc-casion marked the dedication of the school athletic facility as "Dr. Calvin Anderson Field."

On hand to join in the dedication were Cal's wife of 56 years, Van, and their two daughters, Judith andDebra . Other St. Pauls members at the ceremony included Ellie Doersam , retired principal of Eastern HighSchool, and Hugh Clarke , attorney and member of the Lansing Board of Education. Cal and Van have beenmembers of St. Pauls since 1953.

During his career with the Lansing schools, Cal has been principal of Everett High School, West Junior HighSchool and Attwood Elementary School. His service also included time at the Boys Training School.

"He was involved in the lives of thousands of Lansing school kids," said Hugh Clarke. He was an important partof the system, and made sure that every kid who worked hard and followed the rules could succeed."

Cal has four academic degrees: a Bachelors from the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, Masters fromPennsylvania State University and Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. from Michigan State.

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The St. Pauls News is a publication of St. Pauls EpiscopalChurch, Lansing Michigan.

St. Pauls Episcopal Church Staff

The Rev. Dr. Gordon Weller, Rector

The Rev. Susie Shaefer, Curate

Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music

Ms. Mary Rodeck, Assistant Minister of Music

Ms. Kathleen Johnson, Office Manager

Mr. Patrick Brander, Sexton

St. Pauls News Editorial Staff

Christine Caswell, Editor

Tom Shawver, Staff Writer

Helen Hiscoe, Proofreader

Lyn Zynda, Layout Editor

st. paul's news - june, 2006

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