st. paul's news - may, 2007

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St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Lansing Michigan

Volume 32, Issue 5By The Rev. Dr. Gordon Weller

St. Pauls NewsMay, 2007

Most of us dontremember the

sequence of the ApolloMoon flights, but wedo remember the high-

lights. Apollo XIblasted off on July 16,1969. Several days later, on July 20, some ofthe most memorable words in my lifetime camefrom the television, Houston, Tranquility Basehere, the Eagle has landed. And a few hourslater, One Small Step for Man, One GiantLeap for Mankind. These words will forever beetched in our human history.

As dramatic and history making as Apollo XIwas, I tend to remember Apollo X more. TheApollo X mission was May 18-26, 1969. Per-haps the most significant event occurred whenthe orbiter made its first orbit around the moonand came out the other side. As the spacecraftcame out of the silence of blackout, we all saw

the first color television transmission from space.In the middle of our TV screens was an image ofthe earth, about the size of a quarter and yet asbeautiful as anything ever could be. If there wasever a moment that solidified the belief that

humanity is one and this is our island home, thiswas it.

I bring this to our attention because this year,The Day of Pentecost is May 26. It will be the38th anniversary of the Apollo Xs return toearth. In Church that Sunday morning, we willhear the story of our human unity, under Godsparental wings, as it was told some 2,000 yearsago. We will hear the story of the people ofJerusalem being enveloped by tongues of fireand everyone hearing Gods saving message intheir own language. It is evidence that in thesight of God, we are all one. It is a messagethat has been told throughout the history of ourrelationship with God. It is a message that for

(Continued on page 5)

The Rev. Dr. Gordon Weller

Apollo X

Vestry 2007: The Many Faces of Welcoming

By Greg Wortley, Sr. Warden

To follow Christ in restoring all persons to unity with God and each other is how we envisionour mission here at St. Pauls. In last months News I shared my deep conviction that the Ac-

tively Welcoming Church initiative is a fine expression of that mission and hopefully the cornerstoneof our growth as a congregation in the coming year. I also indicated that to be a true expressionof that mission, the welcoming of all persons to St. Pauls and to the reconciling work of Christ mustbe through many actions and on multiple levels.

Currently, there are three initiatives being worked on at the vestry level that coincide with eachother and converge with initiatives at the Diocesan, National Church and Anglican Communion lev-els--all expressions of the many faces of welcoming. Of course, originating from our EvangelismCommittee, the Actively Welcoming Church initiative itself has us working on ways to be open, re-ceptive, attractive and eagerly inviting to the wide diversity of citizens in the Lansing area whoare in search of an affiliation for their spiritual journeys. Beyond the welcoming initiative itself, ourStewardship Committee is orchestrating The Gift of Generosity initiative which has us looking be-yond the mere dollars and cents of a yearly stewardship campaign to considering the bigger pic-


CalendarChoir Schedule

St. Pauls News

UpcomingActivities

Vestry News

Inside this issue:

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Page 2 Upcoming St. Pauls ActivitiesSt Pauls In Action

Ongoing Activities

St. Aelreds Guild, 3rd Wednesday, 5 PM

Book Cart, First two Sundays, after 10 AM B&PW Corporate Communion, May 6, 8 AM St. Elizabeth, Tuesday, May 22, Noon, Merrifield

Room ECW, 3rd Monday, 7 PM Family Night Dinner, Wednesdays, 5-6 PM 4Fs, Monday, May 14 and 28, 11:30 AM Infant/Toddler Group, 3rd Saturday, 10 AM-Noon Mens Golf League, beginning Thursday, May 3,

3:30 PM, Groesbeck Golf Course St. Pauls Library, open every Sunday Prayer Group, 1st Tuesday, 5:30 PM, Choir Re-

hearsal Room Mens Breakfast, 3rd Thursday, 7-8 AM, Hill Room Mid-Week Eucharist, Tuesdays, noon

This Month at St. Pauls and Elsewhere

Inquirers/New Member Classes, three sessions

beginning Wednesday, May 2, 6:157 PM Kristine Miller visit, Sunday, May 6, at the 8 & 10

AM services Fundraiser for Caroline Thomas, Sunday, May 6,

after 10 AM service Youth Group Lugnuts Game, Sunday, May 6 Noon UTO Ingathering, Sunday, May 13 Pentecost & Baptism, Sunday, May 27 Recognition, Sunday, May 20, 10 AM Young Adults Group, May 20, 6 PM

Looking Ahead

Graduation Sunday, Sunday, June 3

Mass in the Grass, June 10, 10 AM, Lake Lans-ingNorth Park

VBS, June 18-22

B&PW

By Barbara Richardson

The B&PW Guild will gather for a corporatecommunion at 8 a.m. on May 6, followed by

breakfast. Reservations are needed. ContactDebby Pierce at 485-5446. The cost for breakfastis $5.

Our May meeting of B&PW will be on Tuesday,May 8 at 6 p.m. Reservations are needed for thisas well, so please contact Debby. Dinner is $8.00.Our program is a service project, so please bringextra greeting cards.

Kristine Miller to Visit St. Pauls

By The Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

For many the name, Kristine Miller, will sound familiar. Since the spring of 2006, she has been the Steward-ship and Planned Giving coordinator for the Diocese of Michigan. She has attended several Stewardship

Committee meetings and spoken to the Vestry. She was very involved in our Every Member Canvass this pastfall. She will now address the congregation on the two important topics of stewardship and planned giving.

The visit will be on May 6. At both the 8 and 10 a.m. services, she will speak briefly on the topic of steward-ship. Following the services, there will be a luncheon for the Vestry, Stewardship Committee and Finance Com-mittee where we will once again explore planned giving. If you are interested in being involved in this discus-sion, please indicate this interest by calling Fr. Weller or the Church office.

Inquirers and New Member Classes

By The Rev. Susie Shaefer, Curate

Are you new to St. Pauls in the last year or so?Would you like to learn more about the hows

and whys of what we do hereeven if youve beenhere for a long time? Then these sessions are for you!Starting on Wednesday, May 2, we will have a three-session series about the Episcopal Church and St. Pauls.The first three sessions (May 2, 9, 16) will be held onWednesday evenings at the church, after Family Nightdinner, from 6-7 p.m. On Sunday, May 20, we will rec-ognize new members in the church during worship ser-vices. A fourth celebration session will be planned forthat weekend as well, with details to follow soon! A sign-up sheet for the class will be outside the MerrifieldRoom or at the Welcome Table on Sundays.

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Upcoming St. Pauls Activities Page 3

St. Elizabeth Guild

By Debby Pierce

The last meeting of this year will be on Tuesday,

May 22 at 12 noon. We will be in the MerrifieldRoom at St. Paul's. This is the annual salad luncheon andour program will be given by Dr. Lange. If you are in-terested in joining us for lunch and the program, pleasecall me at 394-4800. When you are contacted by thecalling committee, please let them know if you will bebring finger sandwiches, salad or dessert. Thank you.

Recognition Sunday


On Sunday, May 20, we will welcome a groupof new members to the life of St. Pauls con-

gregation. Many of them have completed the In-quirers/New Member Classes (see related articlepg. 2).

This Sunday will also be the last day of churchschool, and we will take this opportunity to providea special thank you to all who helped make thechurch school program possible this year.

Please join us in worship and at coffee hour forspecial refreshments to welcome our newest mem-bers and to thank our valued volunteers.

Church School


The last day of church school before the summerbreak is Sunday, May 20. On that day, we will

recognize our teachers who have worked with the chil-dren and youth of St. Pauls this year.

For Church School, weve been blessed by the work ofCarol Laub, Julie Fletcher, Judi Clarke, Jill Walker,

Kathy Gut, Chris and Charlie Krupka, Matt and KymHall, Chris Nazar, Sue LeDuc, Tom Foltz and LynKressler. It takes a lot of energy and commitment tocarry out our church school program. Many thanks tothese volunteers who give of their time and talents!

Benefit for Caroline Thomas

By Debby Pierce, Service/Outreach Committee

Shes been called Courageous Caroline and The Princess of Jerome Street, but to the members of the St.Pauls community Caroline Thomas is family, one of our own. Many of you gave blood or volunteered dur-

ing our most recent blood drive to help support Caroline in her valiant fight against brain cancer, and on Sun-day, May 6, you can help again and enjoy a wonderful meal after the 10 a.m. service.

The Service and Outreach Committee is sponsoring a brunch to benefit Caroline. All donations collected will begiven to help defray some of her medical expenses.

Everyone from our community and beyond is invited and welcome. We ask that you sign up for brunch at thesign-up table outside the Merrifield Room. We hope you will join us to support Caroline, her brothers, Jacoband Josh, and moms, CarolThomas and MableMenadier-Thomas; and to celebrate spring with your ParishFamily.

UTO Ingathering

By Kay Gallup

The integrity of our legacy

has been maintained forover 100 years. It was started by two far-sighted,mission-minded women in 1889. The UTO's proudpast is our heritage; the present is our responsibil-ity; but the future is our real challenge.

Every penny given in prayer and thanksgiving isdistributed throughout the world in response tocompelling human needs. The UTO Blue Boxes areplaced at the two entrances to the church. UTOenvelopes will be in the April 29 and May 6 bulle-tins. The Ingathering will be at both services onSunday, May 13.

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Page 4 Upcoming St. Pauls Activities

Mass-on-the-Grass

By Pastor Susie Shaefer, Curate

On June 10, the 10 a.m. service will be held atLake Lansing - North Park. Come worship in

the beauty of Gods creation.

A potluck luncheon will immediately follow. Therewill be plenty of fun and fellowship to fill the af-ternoon. Look for details in upcoming church bulle-tins.

Galilee By The Sea:Vacation Bible School June 18-22


Come explore the seaside town of Galilee and learn about an impor-tant visitor: Jesus! In this years Vacation Bible School, children will

experience the hustle and bustle of a seaside fishing town while learning about all the wonderful blessings Jesusstill provides for us today.

In the marketplace, children will visit shopkeepers, and learn about carpentry, fishing and jewelry making. Theywill also discover what the shopkeepers know about Jesus. Our time travelers will go to synagogue and observe

the customs of Jewish families both historically and today. Daily dramas provide the tribes of Israel an oppor-tunity to hear familiar Bible stories told in a new way, and devotion time will help each child translate the loveof Jesus into todays world.

We hope you will join us for this exciting program, full of music, games, crafts and fun. Explore the town ofGalilee as we step back in time and learn how to walk with Jesus today! Registration forms are available atchurch, or call the office.

Young Adults: Easter in the Movies


Join us for the second of our two-part Young Adult

movie series. We are exploring the idea of newlife in two recent movies, The Pursuit of Happynessand Stranger Than Fiction.

Young Adults generally include folks in their twentiesand thirties, married or single, kids or not. If that mightbe you, then please join us on Sunday, May 20 at 6p.m. We'll have movie snacks and then dessert and dis-cussion of the movies. Location is TBA.

If you'd like to host (all you need is a TV & DVR player,Ill bring the snacks) or attend an evening, please speakto Rev. Susie Shaefer.

Baptism

The Day of Pentecost, this year onMay 27, is celebrated on the seventh

Sunday after Easter and commemoratesthe descent of the Holy Spirit upon the

apostles. It is the time we mark the giving of the HolySpirit to humanity and the beginning of the Church.

It is also one of the four Sundays during the Church yearwhen we schedule baptisms. We do so because Baptismis the rite of initiation into the Church.

If you or someone in your family would like to be bap-tized, we hope you will contact the Church office foradditional information.


Graduation Sunday


It has long been a tradition at St. Pauls to

honor our high school, college and advanced-degree graduates. On Sunday, June 3 your Vestrywill provide a breakfast for the graduates andtheir families at 9 AM. During the 10 AM servicethere will be a short ceremony to honor the highschool grads, and a small gift by which to remem-ber us will be presented.

Please provide information to the office regardingany Parish-family graduates for inclusion in thefestivities and also so we can provide recognitionin the June issue of St. Pauls News.

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Financial Information as of March 31, 2007

By Jeff Irwin

The total pledge and non-pledge revenue received through March 31was $76,752, which is 27.1% of the total

2007 budget. The end of March marks the end of the first quarter of the year.

In March, we booked a loss from operations of $21,936, which brings the year to date total loss from opera-tions to $23,856.

We received $59,194 from the Lucille Penniman Trust in March. Per vestry policy, $53,275 (90%) has beentransferred to the Perpetual fund and $5,919 (10%) to the Mission and Outreach fund. In 2008, we can ex-pect the distribution of a similar amount, which will be the final distribution from this trust.

The restricted and designated funds have recorded $9,889 in investment gain for the first quarter. Combinedwith $68,142 of restricted contributions (including the $59,194 from the Penniman Trust), we have recorded atotal of $78,031 in restricted income through March 31, 2007. This brings the combined net income of thechurch through March 31, 2007 to $54,175.

In March it was necessary to withdraw $20,000 from the Perpetual Fund to support operating expenses. Thisleaves $20,000 still available per prior Vestry approval.

News from the Vestry Page 5

Highlights from the Vestry Meeting:

At the April 17 meeting of the Vestry, your Vestry:

Reviewed the Welcoming Church Document For devotions discussed and prayed for those

involved in the Virginia Tech tragedy

Received a thank you from Micah Jackson forhaving him as our Holy Week preacher Accepted, with regret, the resignation of the Rev.

Susie Shaefer effective June 30 Reviewed our financial reports (see synopsis else-

where in this SPN) Authorized moving an additional $50,000 from

reserved funds to operating funds when needed Approved the Shawver Fund bequest document

Reviewed the Sewer Separation project. It willbegin soon. We must have a contractor separateour building's sewers.

Received various Committee reports Reviewed a "Marketing Plan" prepared by

Stephanie Van Koevering Reviewed Easter events Discussed the addition of Bill Fineout to the staff

as a Vocational Deacon Discussed the "Ministry Fair" happening on May 5 Received notice from the Presiding Bishop's office

that she will not be able to be with us in October Discussed the visitation of Kristine Miller (Diocesan

officer for Stewardship and Planned Giving) onMay 6

some reason we want to ignore.

We continually seek to divide ourselves and portray ourselves as different, unique, better than one another.We have little regard for those who suffer. We focus on personal achievement and lose sight of the unitythat diversity still encompasses. The smaller the world has become, the more we ignore our similarities. Wehave little regard for the fact that we are destroying the only home we have.

On that Day of Pentecost, May 26, we will once again remember the gift of the Holy Spirit. If this Spirit livesin our lives, let us amend our lives to reflect that belief.

(Continued from, Apollo X, page 1)

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Toddler/Infant Playgroup


Do you have a child under age three? Then this

group is for you! Come get to know otherparents of young children and enjoy a short pro-gram. The Toddler/Infant Playgroup meets on thethird Saturday of the month, from 10 a.m.-noon.

On Saturday, May 19, we plan to have apampering day for mothers. RSVPs are alwaysappreciated but not required. Questions? Pleasecontact Rev. Susie or Dianna Erickson.

Page 6

Youth Group to Lugnuts


We are planning another youth outing, this time to

a Lansing Lugnuts game, on Sunday, May 6.Bring your hometown team spirit, and come cheer on theLansing Lugnuts!

Well have lunch together at church, and then (weatherpermitting) walk over for the 2 p.m. game. As always,friends are welcome to join us. Tickets cost $8. Pleasesign up outside the Merrifield Room, or contact Rev.Susie Shaefer if you would like to attend, so that ticketscan be bought together.

Christian Summer Camp: Fun and Faith


Looking for another experience of Gods love for your children? Lookinto Christian summer camp! Camp provides a unique environment

for children and youth to experience Christian community with peopletheir own age, all the while enjoying Gods creation. All this plus theusual camp activities: making crafts, singing, gathering around camp-fires, swimming and boating. This year, the Episcopal Diocese of Michi-gan is partnering with the Lutheran summer campscalled Living Wa-

ters Ministriesto provide programs for children completing third grade up through high school. If you missedtheir visit in February, stop by the youth bulletin board and check out their brochure.

In addition to summer camp experiences for youth, Living Waters Ministry offers week-long family camps. Bringthe whole family, and stay either in your own tents or in cabins at camp. The camp does all meals, as well asprograms like archery and arts and crafts, including some kids-only activities, to free up some adults-onlytime. If youre interested, or have any questions about these summer opportunities, please talk to Pastor SusieShaefer.

From the Worship Committee


Have you ever wondered what it would be like to lead prayers in worship or help serve the chalice atCommunion? Ask and you shall receive!

Our worship life depends on participation from various people. We need people (called lectors) to read thelessons. We need people to lead our prayers, to help serve the chalice (called Eucharistic ministers), people toserve as ushers and acolytes and on the altar guild. If you are interested in being a part of our worship life inany of these ways, you dont have to wait for the fall to get started.

For more information on any of these groups, at any time of the year, speak with one of the clergy, and we willhappily connect you with the leader of that group.

St. Pauls Youth Ministry

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Page 7St. Pauls ChoirsChoir News and Dates to Remember

By Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music

Abig thank you goes to all of you who sang at the Easter services! The singing was wonderful, and I passon the appreciation of many parishioners who expressed their gratitude for your inspiring work. Your

dedication of time and talent helped greatly to enrich the two worship services and bless the lives of those pre-sent. Alleluia!

May 7 High School

May 14 Cherubs; Boys and Grace; High School; Chancel

May 21 High School; Chancel

May 28 High School; Chancel

June 3 High School; Chancel

Singing Schedule

Date Choirs

Upcoming Musical Events at St. Pauls

On Sunday, May 6, Michael Wright will present a senior recital at St. Pauls at 3 p.m. Michael is a student atGrand Ledge High School and a voice student of Stephen Lange. He will play the piano and sing several

pieces, including a duet with his high school vocal music teacher, Nancy Lange. He was named the top high-school French Horn player in the state and will attend Michigan State University next fall. The concert is open tothe public without charge.

On Monday, May 7, Michael will join with four of his friends playing woodwind quintet music. That concert,also at St. Pauls, will begin at 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public without charge.

Its hard to believe that the year is winding down so rapidly. Here are a few special year-end dates to makenote of.

May 13 (Mothers Day) - Second Graders (former Cherubs) will move up to Boys or Grace Choirs. They will

sing with Cherubs first (at the beginning of the service) and then be given their new vestments, so that theycan sit with Boys and Grace Choirs for the remainder of the service.

May 13 - Also, Fifth and Sixth Grade Girls will move up to High School Choir after they have sung the Boysand Grace Choir anthem. They will vest with High School Choir for the remainder of the year.

May 16 - The last Cherub, Boys and Grace, and High School Choir rehearsal for the spring. (If we can workit out, we hope to visit a retirement home with some of our Cabaret acts.)

May 17 - Chancel Choir party at the Langes (6 p.m.)

May 20- Choir Banquet - Our year-end recognition of the choristers and the work they have put in. Therewill be a sign-up sheet for the potluck on the bulletin board by the Choir Rehearsal Room. The banquet willbegin as close to 12 noon as possible. This is the last Sunday that the Boys and Grace Choirs will vest.

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St. Pauls NewsPage 8

Welcome to Bill Fineout


As indicated in a mid-April letter, St Pauls will once again have a Vocational Deacon on staff. Mr. BillFineout joined the staff on Sunday, April 29.

Bill's duties will be twofold. As a deacon, he will have specific Eucharistic responsibilities. He will read the Gos-pel, prepare the altar and give the dismissal. In addition, there are a variety of things he might do in other ser-vices. These will be made clear after discussion with the Bishop.

In his vocational work, Bill would like to have involvement in our outreach ministry. This probably will involvesome oversight in our street ministries and Mission and Outreach Committee.

Bill was baptized at St. Pauls. His family moved to Haslett when he was six. In the intervening years he has at-tended several parishes. Hes glad to be returning to St. Pauls.

Thanks to You,ERD Book Sale a Great Success

By Sue Millar, ERD Diocesan Coordinator

Remember how we pitched this years ERD BookSale as a WIN-WIN-WIN?

You won when you donated books. You opened upwelcome empty space on your book shelves oremptied boxes in your basement.

You won because you chose from among the manywonderful titles of new books to take home forreading pleasure and enrichment.

You won because you helped Episcopal Relief andDevelopment continue its compassionate aid tothose in need.

Thank you . . . . thank you . . . . thank you!

Also, thanks to the many people who helped sort, selland store the books. It was a big job, but we had agood time doing it.

ERD will receive over $1000about double what wasdonated last year. By any measure, the book sale wasa great success.

GLADE


Some have heard about an organization calledGLADE. These letters stand for Greater Lans-

ing Development and Empowerment. The organiza-tion is a grassroots attempt to involve many of thechurches in the Greater Lansing area in looking fora project of peace and justice that might not onlytie us closer together, but serve the Lansing area as

well. Several members from St. Pauls have beeninvolved and may soon be asking you if you mightlike to actively search for a project. Be ready torespond. If you have questions, contact Fr. Weller.

A Look Back at Our Lenten Series


For five Wednesdays in February and March welooked at what Christian responsibility might be

like if the 25th Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew wereused as a model. Among the areas we explored werefeeding the hungry, clothing the naked, assisting thesick, visiting prisoners and welcoming the alien.

Now is the time to decide how St. Pauls will respond tothis Gospel imperative. This response will be discussedat a Mission and Outreach Committee meeting at 5:30p.m. on May 21. We are hoping that this will be one ofthe best attended meetings of the spring. As Christianswe are all called to respond. The question is how? Themagnitude can seem overwhelming. Please considerattending.

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Reactions to the 10th Becoming the Household of God Conference

Compiled by Sue Millar

I

returned from this years Household of God Con-

ference exhilarated again by many new insights,but also wishing that others at St. Pauls had shared theexperience. Just as it is often difficult to convey to oth-ers enthusiasm for a book youve read, a play youveseen or travels youve taken, I have found it difficult tocommunicate to others the value of these annual con-ferences.

In an attempt to share my enthusiasm, I thought thebest thing might be to let people you know speak oftheir experience this year.

Dorothy Marsh:

The Household of God. Why is it that so few peoplefrom St. Pauls attend this event each year? Better still,why do the same people attend each year? From thosewho dont go, weve all heard the old arguments. Itstoo far. They always have everything in Detroit. Youhave to stay overnight, etc.

Well, from someone who has always tried to attendregularly, the same issues apply. I would like you to

know that you dont have to stay overnight. Some of us

go on Friday night and some of us go for the Saturdaymeeting. Is that the best way to get the full benefit ofthese wonderful speakers? No, but it is still worth thetrip. Is it too far? Well, I dont like to have to go to theDetroit area either, but when two or three drive to-gether there is a great opportunity for fellowship andsharing, and that is a blessing in itself. I dont knowwhat is planned for next year, but I promise you it willbe worth your time and effort to go. In fact, lets car-pool, right?

Libby Richardson:

I attended the "Household of God" conference with the

Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry on March 24. It was a greatconference. Bishop Curry is an amazing speaker. Hespoke on "Keeping the Faith. Keeping it alive. TheStewardship of Faith." The Bishop recited scripture,answered questions and kept us all right in the palm ofhis hand for about five hours. His delivery remindedme of a Southern Baptist preacher. He was mesmeriz-


Page 9St. Pauls News

St. Pauls April Prayer List

We pray for those who are sick and in need: Beverly McEachern, Cindy Robin-son, Richard, Audrey & Aaron Hegmon, Shelley Robinson, Donna, Grady, &

Dennis Letner, Clara Voges, Mason Hill, Lois Caswell, Brian Schray, June Wyatt, DickSiebert, Carol, Bernie Lynch, Judith Jones, baby Benjamin, Becky Chamberlain, Nancy

Hiscoe Clark, Elizabeth Marsden, Dezi & Penny Horvat, Charles Weaver, Kristin Kelley,Rich Davis, Cris Plyler, Ben Herbert, Tim Ross, Chance Collins, Caroline Thomas andher parents, brothers & godparents, Steve, Betty Jensen, Aaron Robinson, Marjorie

Belles, Dan, Marsha & Skip Macholz, Gloria Harvat, Cindy Alvarez, Jack Siebold, Joe Manson, DakBaiDakBai, Jessica Ryan, Leon Hawkins, Irene Jones, Roger Ophaug, Richard Bailey, Fredrick Engle, Kelsey

Bauman, Daisy Dockstader, Ruth Helmer, and Esther Rivas

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

We pray for the children who completed the March Communion Class: Rebecca Rose, Lydia Rose, Andrew

Stephenson, Jane Stephenson, Henry Young

We pray for and celebrate the marriage of: Joan Bolander and Matthew FergusonWe pray for those expecting: Ian & Brooke Broughton, Daren & Ellen McConnell, Matt Ferguson & JoanBolander, Brian & Amy (Fowler) Ashcraft, and Daniel & Gretchen Barnas We pray for and celebrate the baptism of: Angelica Lynn Hickey, daughter of Patrick & Julie Hickey andAnya Joy Heany, daughter of Justin & Julia Heany

We pray for comfort for the family and friends of Marjorie N. Goodrich and Fern Folkers who recentlypassed away.

Prayer List

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St. Pauls NewsPage 10

ing. Again, for the third year in a row, this conferencehas exposed me to another wonderful teacher.

Susan Henderson

I have been to several Household of God conferences,and each time, regardless of the theme or speaker, Iwas inspired and challenged. This years speaker,Bishop Michael Curry of North Carolina was equallyeloquent. His message, Keeping the FaithKeeping ItAlive, was a call into relationship and to action.Through stories and metaphor and imagery, he spokeof a faith that calls us to a new way of seeing, whichbrings about a new way of being, which produces yetagain a new way of seeing, which produces yet newerbeing, and so on.

My husband (Chuck Millar) also agreed that the

preaching was powerful, and he is holding on to a fa-vorite quote he brought back, and finds himself re-peating:

"Live in the unlimited possibilities of faith, not the lim-ited probabilities of human options. Think about that;it's liberating.

I have attended all 10 Diocesan Household of Godconferences, and this year's was one of the best.

Bishop Curry combined a deep authentic biblical Chris-

tianity with passionate teaching and preaching. I foundmyself repeatedly wanting to say aloud an emphatic"YES!

Brad Deacon

In March, I had the opportunity to attend a portion ofthe "Becoming the Household of God" session, the tenthyear that the Whitaker School of Theology and theDiocese have presented this kind of workshop. I wasn'tsure what to expect, other than a promise that thespeaker was excellent and a hope that I'd leave withsome new things to consider during Lent. The Rt. Rev.Michael B. Curry, a longtime friend of Bishop Gibbsand now a Bishop in his own right in North Carolina,has a rare and special giftthe ability to talk for along time without its seeming so, leaving people want-ing more. He talked of the importance of faith andhow faith in God connects the Old and New Testa-

ments, the history of Christianity, and our lives in thepresent. Peppered with Biblical references, currenttheological commentary and large doses of humor,Curry's talk challenged us to think about faith and ourstumbling blocks. For us, both literal and figurativemountains often stand in our way, but from the pano-ramic view of God, there are no mountains at all.

Though I couldn't attend the second day of the retreat,the trip to hear the first day's presentation was wellworth the effort and left me wanting more.

(Continued from, Household of God, page 9)

ture of how we can practice the spiritual discipline ofgenerosity, and thereby be more outward lookingcollectively, 365 days a year. The Adult ChristianEducation and Formation Committees WednesdayLenten Series looked at several concrete examples ofLansing area organizations seeking and servingChrist in all persons. Now, the Mission and OutreachCommittee is leading an initiative whereby we ac-tively and visibly define our serviceour welcometo those with special needs in our community.

Converging with these welcoming initiatives locally at

St. Pauls are the broader diocesan, national churchand Anglican Communion commitments to the Millen-nium Development Goals. In the year 2000, over180 countries, including the United States, signed theMillennium Declarationa covenant to pursue eightobjectives (the Millennium Development Goals)sothat extreme global poverty could be significantlyreduced by the year 2015. The 74th General Con-vention of the Episcopal Church (2003) endorsedthese goals. Moreover, the 75th General Convention(2006) adopted them as a mission priority for thecoming triennium, committing 0.7% of its budget for

Millennium Goal related programs. The Convention

challenged the church as a whole to both contributetoward and advocate: 1) cutting in half income pov-erty and hunger; 2) achieving universal primary edu-cation; 3) promoting gender equality and empower-ing women; 4) reducing child mortality; 5) improvingmaternal health; 6) combating HIV/AIDS, malariaand other diseases; 7) ensuring environmental stabil-ity; 8) and creating a global partnership for devel-opment through aid, trade and debt reliefall con-crete expressions of welcoming persons globally intothe transforming love of God.

This expression of mission through the many faces of

welcoming is, perhaps, best expressed by theArchbishop of Canterbury. In the April issue of Epis-copal Life, Rowan Williams reflects on the churchsmission in this way: If were talking about mission,we must begin with a conviction about mission beingthat set of actions and habits that makes God in Je-sus Christ known. Mission is about helping people toknow God [who] promises absolute commitment tothe whole community and everyone within it. No oneis outside that relationship, therefore no one is for-gotten and no one is invisible.

(Continued from, Vestry 2007, page 1)

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TheSt. 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. Daniel Kallish, Sexton

St. Pauls News Editorial Staff

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st. paul's news - may, 2007

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