st. paul's news - october, 2009

8/14/2019 St. Paul's News - October, 2009

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newsSt.Pauls

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF ST. PAULS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

OCTOBER 2009VOLUME 34, ISSUE 8

With those words of Proverbs 3:5-6ringing in their ears, about 60 membersof our parish came together on Sunday,September 20 to prayerfully discernGods vision for St. Pauls. The key pur-pose of the session was to answer theseimportant questions:

What is the mission of our church?

What is our specific and unique call toministry?

How do we engage the resources ofour congregation to accomplish ourvision?

Following the 10 a.m. service and awonderful lunch prepared by DebbyPierce (thanks to Max, too) and Martie

Repaskey, participants in the Focus onthe Future Forum heard a presentationby Kristine Miller, a stewardship expertretained by the church. Ms. Miller, for-mer director of stewardship andplanned giving for the diocese, gave adetailed examination of St. Pauls cir-cumstances including trends in member-ship (steady), attendance (steady) andpledged income (rising). The key takehome message was that while these re-sults are not cause for dancing in thestreets, the numbers show a healthycongregation. In addition, many partici-pants felt that while a driving force inour church is tradition and programs, the

(Continued on page 12)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Focus on the Future ForumFires Up Congregation

By The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

A TIME FOR GRATITUDEBy Martie Repaskey, Sr. Warden

All things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee.

Each year, it seems inevitable that the Fall season brings to our minds a heightened awareness of all our blessings. Wesee Gods abundant creation in the harvest of colorful crops, in the lush beauty of autumn leaves, and we pause to givethanks on a special day of thanksgivinga time when we reflect on all that God has given us. Commissioning all our var-ied ministries at St. Pauls recently brought in sharp focus the many people who share their gifts and talents with others,within and without our walls. We are blessed with outstanding liturgical and pastoral leadership by our rector, our dea-con and our minister of music. The resurgence of folks in our pews and choristers leading us once again with songs in wor-ship and praise is yet another sign of the many ways we are blessed at St. Pauls.

(Continued on page 12)

Church Events

October 5 - Clergy Confer-

ence

October 10 - Blood Drive

October 10, 17 - Baptismal

Instruction

October 10 - Visioning Meet-

ing

October 11- Speak Out

Against Hate Crimes, Blessing

of the Beasts October 11 - Crop Walk

October 26 - Diocesan Con-

vention


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Business and

ProfessionalWomenBy Barbara Richardson

Do you know the name of the architectwho designed the capitol of Michiganand the capitol of Texas? Do you knowthe name of the architect who designedthe Pontiac State Hospital and the Jack-son Prison? If you would like the answers,please join us October 13 for our dinnerand program, with speaker ValerieMarrin from the Myers Archive Projectand Michigan Capitol Tour Information

Service. Dinner is served at 6 p.m. in theHill Room with the program immediatelyafter. Contact Debby Pierce for a dinnerreservation by October 11. Dinner is $8.All are welcome for this interesting andinformative program.

A Chance toSpeak Outagainst HateCrimesBy The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon Weller

On Sunday, October 11, beginning at 7p.m., St. Paul's will host a memorial ser-

vice in honor of Matthew Shepard. Thisyoung man was murdered 11 years agofor being gay. He has become a symbolfor many of the extreme behavior thathate can cause people to exhibit. If youwould like to let your presence speakout against the excessive, sometimes vio-lent, action that hate can cause, pleasebe present at the October 4 service.

Parish Life CommitteeBy Millie Ericson, Vestry Member

Get ready for the Upcoming Sea-son of Events from the Parish LifeCommittee:

October 2 Annual Pizza Partyand Game Night 6:30-8:30 p.m.

November Visit from Rabbi

Sandy Sasso (see informationelsewhere in this newsletter)

December Holiday DinnerTheater Outing to see the musicalversion of Its a Wonderful Lifeat Lansings Starlight Dinner Thea-

ter, starring our own Larry Clarkas George Bailey, Lydia Rose asZuzu Bailey, and Rebecca Roseas another of the Bailey children.Date and details to be an-nounced soon.

January Third annual OneBook, Many Journeys Parishwide Adult and Family BookRead. Watch for informationcoming in October about thisyears titles.

Blessing of the BeastsBy The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

On St. Francis Day, October 4,beginning at 4 p.m., we will onceagain have "The Blessing of theBeasts." We will gather together

and introduce our beloved pets toall who are assembled. We willthen have a small service ofthanksgiving commemorating thelove and joy our pets bring in toour lives. We will bless them andthen retire to the Merrifield Roomfor a presentation by the peoplefrom Potter Park Zoo. They willbe bringing some more exoticanimals for us to pet, examineand ask questions about. We will

conclude with pizza and pop forsupper.

Children of all ages, please bring

your parents if possible, but yourpets for sure to the blessing andcelebration. Pets teach us aboutthe unconditional love that is Godand usually are a real part of thefamily. To see a You Tube videoon pets and unconditional love gotohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoY. Obvi-ously, where food is involved,reservations are necessary. Callthe parish office at 482-9454, orsign up at the Church on Sunday.

Clergy ConferenceBy The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

Clergy of the parish will be at theAMEN (All Michigan EpiscopalNetwork) Conference on October5-8. This conference is for allclergy in the four Dioceses in thestate of Michigan. Held every twoyears, it gives an occasion fordeacons, priests and bishops todiscuss common interests andproblems across Diocesanboundaries in ways that usuallyare not possible. This conference

will be at the Grand Hotel onMackinac Island. This exquisitehotel is owned by Dan and Ame-lia Musser, who are Episcopaliansand very supportive of the Churchand its work. They have given usa wonderful rate that enables usto stay at the hotel. Should youneed pastoral assistance duringthis time, call the church office orthe Sr. or Jr. Wardens. Clergywill be available if needed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoY


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Red Cross Blood DriveBy Fred Junger

Our Red Cross Blood Drive willbe Saturday, October 10,from 8 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Ourgoal is to donate 50 pints of

blood, so we will need up 70donors. Please sign after our

Sunday services, or call the church during regular officehours at 482-9454 for your appointment.

Additionally, we need volunteers to work at the church onthe day of the blood drive and to provide sandwiches forthe donors. You can also sign up after Sunday services tohelp, or call the church office for an assignment.

What does it mean if you have been told in the past that you

could not give blood because your hematocrit is low? Simplyput, your iron level (and thus, your red cell count) is belowwhat the American Red Cross requires to safely give blood.The good news is you may be able to replenish your supply of

iron by eating more high-iron foods or by taking supplements.

Foods rich in iron include red meat, fish, poultry and liver.Other good sources of iron include iron-fortified cereals,beans, raisins, prunes andmulti-vitamins. Eating foods rich in Vi-tamin C will help your body absorb the iron you eat. Goodsources of Vitamin C are citrus fruits, broccoli and tomatoes. Itis also important to drink lots of extra water for severaldays before you donate blood to ensure you are well hy-drated.

Visioning, Diocesan StyleBy The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

In the same way St. Paul's is now involved in a visioningprocess to decide what we want to look like in the fu-ture, so is the Diocese. Visioning is always difficult be-cause you must gather the people. It is difficult togather the people at the parish level for it means an-other night of meeting at the church, so you can imaginethe difficulties compounded at the Diocesan level wheremileage and numbers of people are so much greater.

As an outgrowth of motions made and passed at lastyear's Diocesan Convention, it is beginning to happen.Two preliminary meetings have been scheduled. Thefirst was September 19 at the Cathedral in Detroit. Thesecond is at St. Michael's in South Lansing on October10. We will keep you apprised of the progress. Yourtask is to remember that you are the Diocese and tokeep the people and progress we make in your prayersand consciousness.

Diocesan ConventionBy The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

This year's Diocesan Convention will be held in Lansing on October 23-24. It will be at the Causeway Bay Hotel (formerlyknown as the Holiday Inn South). Portions of the Convention will be held Friday afternoon and evening while the Eucharistand main business session will be held on Saturday. Attending a Diocesan Convention is always a good way to see theEpiscopal Church in action and how the will of God has the possibility of being done through the voices of His people.

If you are interested in learning what some of the issues might be, consider attending a caucus (for all area Church's dele-gates and other interested parties) on Monday, October 12, at St. Paul's. If you would like to visit the convention, thereare always seats available for visitors/spectators. For more information, contact one of the clergy or one of your repre-sentatives: Martie Repaskey, Stephanie VanKoevering, or Sally Lawrence.

10 Years TogetherBy Lyn Zynda, ECW President

On September 15, 1999 Gordon Weller signed hisemployment contract with St. Pauls Episcopal Church.In the ten years since he has married us, buried us,baptized, counseled and prayed for us and with us.He has laughed and cried with us, blessed our gather-ings, and even dressed in goofy costumes to entertain,amuse and teach our children.

On Sunday, October 11 immediately following the 10

a.m. service we will have an opportunity to thank himfor his ministry, reminisce and wonder, where have theyears gone.

Please join this Parish wide celebration of our Rector,friend and colleague. We ask you to bring an appe-tizer to share and pictures to display. If you havequestions, call Debby Pierce (485-5446) or me (485-3450).


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St. Paul's News: The New Look, The New BenefitBy The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

Many of you will be reading the St. Paul's News this monthonline at www.stpaulslansing.org. If you are not alreadydoing so, I invite you to the online version because it offersso many more options. Pictures are in color and clearer

than in the printed copy. You can also adjust the text size.Plus there are savings to be had, both financial and eco-logical: less paper used fewer dollars for postage. More-over, it is available immediately. Under the old system thePost Office could hold the bulk mail for up to 72 hours (orsometimes, as it seemed, longer) before mailing it. Whenmaterial is time sensitive, that makes things difficult. And,most of all, the online version will offer links to other websites that can disseminate even more information to thoseinterested. Consider the topic I want to discuss this month:The General Convention of July 8-17.

On September 15, the October issue deadline, it is almost

two months past and is old news. And yet, things that hap-pened there will have long lasting effects on our Churchand need to be understood. What follows is the openingsynopsis that is contained on Episcopal Life online. It can befound atwww.episcopallife.org.

The 76th General Convention, meeting in Anaheim, Cali-fornia, July 8-17, acted on or referred every one of the419 resolutions it considered. Below is an unofficial, un-audited, abbreviated summary of some of the resolutionspassed by both the House of Bishops and the House ofDeputies. ENS staff culled it from the General ConventionOffice's searchable legislative tracking at http://

gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/.Meanwhile, the church's General Convention office hasproduced a 25-page summary of convention actions avail-able athttp://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/

GC2009_SummaryofActions.pdf. It includes a list of reso-lutions arranged by their final status, including those to thechurch's constitution, canons and the convention's rules oforder, and those referred to dioceses, committees, commis-

sion, agencies and boards or church center staff, as well asa list of the appointments and elections made during theconvention.

The document notes that the convention office is reviewingthe final language and final status of each resolution.Once that process is complete, the Journal and updatedConstitution and Canons will be published as the final andofficial records of the 76th General Convention.

My synopsis of the Convention is that three things standout. The first is the Robinson issue residue. In that we havegiven the process suggested by the Windsor Report of2003-2004 time to set in, we have indicated our desire tocontinue to be a part of the Anglican Communion. How-ever we must be faithful to who we have said we are andwhere God is leading us. This has upset some, but theywere in the process of moving on and away already. Theyneed to be faithful to who they are.

Second, there is so much more that the Episcopal Churchneeds to consider to be more fully aware of the otherGodly issues and options out there.

Third, we in this Diocese are blessed to have BonnieAnderson, reelected president of the house of Deputies, asa member of this diocese. We she speaks, she speaks as

one of us and does so articulately.

Questions or comments, call me. Better yet, use this newtool and email me. [email protected]

BaptismsFall and winter baptisms are nowbeing scheduled. The first occasionis All Saints Sunday, November 1,2009. The second is Sunday,Janurary10, 2010. If you have achild whom you would like to havebaptized or would like to be bap-tized yourself, contact one of theclergy or the parish office.

BaptismalInstructionIf you are considering being bap-

tized or having your child bap-tized, be aware that instruction is aprerequisite. The classes in thisBaptismal Covenant Series arebeing offered on the followingSaturday mornings: October 10and 17. They begin at 9:30 a.m.and last about two hours each.Nursery care can be provided ifneeded. Please contact one of theclergy or the parish office if inter-

Bishops VisitThe Rt. Rev. Wendell N. Gibbs, Jr.will make his pastoral visitation toSt. Paul's on Sunday, November 15at both the 8 and 10 a.m. services.Please mark this on your calendarsand make it a point to be present.Because of the size of the Diocese(87+ parishes), the bishop onlygets here every few years. Thiswill be a welcome and celebrativeoccasion for us.
http://www.stpaulslansing.org/http://www.episcopallife.org/http://www.episcopallife.org/http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/GC2009_SummaryofActions.pdfhttp://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/GC2009_SummaryofActions.pdfhttp://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/GC2009_SummaryofActions.pdfmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/GC2009_SummaryofActions.pdfhttp://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/GC2009_SummaryofActions.pdfhttp://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/GC2009_SummaryofActions.pdfhttp://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/GC2009_SummaryofActions.pdfhttp://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/http://www.episcopallife.org/http://www.stpaulslansing.org/


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Financial Information as of August 31, 2009

By Julie Young

August completes 67 percent of the year. Pledge income in August was $16,195, bringing the year to date total to$191,965, which is 61 percent of the budget. It appears that we are slightly behindyear to date projections with pledgerevenue collection.

Operations for August had a net loss of $24,757, bringing the year to date loss to $122,464. Much of this can be attrib-uted to building maintenance projects such as roof repair, sidewalk repair and updating the speaker system. Funds desig-nated for this purpose have been used to pay for these repairs and improvements.

There were no transfers from the investment account into the operating account during the month of August.

Vestry Highlights

At its September 15 meeting, your Vestry:

Shared the pleasure of one another's company over din-ner.

Discussed the implications for today of a book presentedby Fr. Weller, The Politics of Jesus - Rediscovering the trueRevolutionary Nature of Jesus' Teachings and how they havebeen corruptedfor devotions.

Approved the agenda with modification.

Approved the August 18, 2009 minutes.

Received the End of August financial reports. A synopsis iscontained elsewhere in this issue.

Discussed the accounting procedures recommended by theAudit.

Approved a motion from the Finance Committee that man-dates counting be completed and deposited by Tuesday.

Discussed "Desktop Banking."

Received a report from the Stewardship Committee thatthe process is on track.

Received a report from Building and Grounds:

Concrete work complete.

Parking lot treated and repainted.

New sound system in the Church complete and beingadjusted Sunday by Sunday.

Front Doors refinished and painting done.

Roof over Narthex complete.

New sound system in Merrifield Room incomplete.

Received a report from Personnel Committee that a newNursery Attendant has not been selected.

Decided to move the Action plan meeting to September28.

Received a report on the Memorial Garden Plaque: not

ready, maybe by October. Discussed our new Burmese congregation.

Discussed the budgetary process for the 2010 budget.

Re-activated the Vestry Calling model. The first call will befor the September 20 Visioning Forum.

Discussed the Diocesan Convention.

Appointed Martie Repaskey as our LAEP representative

Reviewed our Association with 4C's (Capitol Churches Coa-lition Corporation).

Discussed Vestry Attendance Policy.

Received Clergy Reports.


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The Cloister MosaicBy Jean Shawver

A prominent treasure of this area is the compas-sionately designed ceramic tile mosaic brought

from the Vatican Workshop in Italy by AndrewMajlia, a stained glass designer from Detroit.The mosaic was given to Patrice [Van Vorhees]by her father Jack MacGriff. She presented it tothe church as a loving tribute to her aunt RitaAssiff, who died in 1981. The mosaic portraysSt. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, teach-ing and guiding her daughter as a young girl.The inscription is taken from John 20:29, "Happyare those who have not seen yet believe." Thefigures of the two women are set in a dark-colored background with halos of aqua-greenlight behind their heads, the color symbolic of

new life found in the words of God. The nurtur-ing tone of the mosaic radiates with a peacefuland prayerful feeling of trust and guidance. Itmasterfully illustrates the lesson of the inscriptionurging followers of Christ to believe in thepower of faith. (From the St. Paul's Fine ArtsGuide.)

Rabbi Sandy Sasso is Coming!By Martie Repaskey, Sr. Warden

Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, teachers, ministers, and all those of uswho love and value children will be stimulated and energized at the coming pres-entation of Rabbi Sandy Sasso. Rabbi Sasso will be present at St. Pauls on No-vember 15-16, courtesy of the Shawver Fund for Special Programs. On Sunday,November 15, she will meet with school-age children from St. Pauls and a localJewish congregation on Finding the Fruits of Peace. Monday, November 16 willfind her gathering with the 4Fs at lunchtime. That evening, she will speak on the

topic, Nurturing the Spiritual Imagination of Our Children. Schuler Books will bepresent on that Monday evening, offering Rabbi Sassos books for sale, with theauthor available for signing.

As reported in last months St. Pauls News, Rabbi Sasso has written and lecturedextensively on the discovery of the religious imagination in children. She was pro-filed in the last several years in a PBS interview with Krista Tippett, noted spiritualwriter and commentator. Her passion for God and His children was evident in thatinterview, and we at St. Pauls await with excitement her presence among us!

The 4Fs Group ProgramsBy Nancy Sheldon

Usually meets the 2nd & 4th Mondays of each month. Exceptionsnoted *due to Town Hall conflict)

12:00 Eucharist, 12:30 Lunch ($4.00)

1:00 Bible Study (Steve Lange) 1:15-2:00 Program

Anyone is invited who has time in the middle of the day!

This year, we will continue the study of the psalms for our BibleStudy.

Oct. 12 - May Anaye, who works for St Vincents Catholic Charities,will speak to us about her experiences as a Christian in Iraq.

Oct. 26 - Sujatha Shankar will be coming to discuss her Hindu relig-ion and plans to share some Indian food with us.

Nov. 2- A visit to the Hindu Temple Bharatiya in Haslett at 955Haslett Road.

Nov. 16- Rabbi Sandy Sasso, a well known author (especially of

childrens books) and a co-rabbi with her husband in Indianapolis,IN, will be a guest at St Pauls for two days. During this time, shewill speak to the 4Fs group about talking to our children andgrandchildren about God.

Dec. 7- We will continue our tradition of an annual Christmas cele-bration with a special luncheon before a concert in the church. TheSomeko singers from Okemos High School will entertain us onceagain, and our own Matt Nauss (a member of this talented group)will be among them.


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Choir NewsWelcome Back Choristers!

Its great to have all of you back and singing on a regular basis. Below is the singing schedule for October and Novem-ber.

Special Date to Remember:

Sunday, October 11 - England Parents meeting after church

October 4 Cherubs; Boys and Grace; High School

October 11 High School; Chancel



November 1 Boys and Grace; High School; Chancel

November 8 High School; Chancel

November 15 High School; Chancel

November 22 High School; ChancelNovember 29 High School; Chancel

Singing Schedule

Date Choirs

Soprano Lucy Finkel to Perform

By Debbie McMartin Finkel

Former St. Pauls chorister, Lucy Finkel, will give a recital at the Cook-DeWitt Center, Allendale Campus, Grand ValleyState University on Friday, October 16, 8 p.m.

Lucy received her Bachelors of Music degree from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids in 2005. She then con-tinued her educational endeavors at New England Conservatory in Boston, receiving her Masters of Music degree in2007. Recently Lucy was a finalist in Harlem Opera Theater's first Vocal Competition and is being honored as GVSUsMusic Department 2009 Distinguished Alumna-in-Residence.

Lucys program will include works by Andre Previn, Libby Larsen, Georges Bizet, and Joaquin Turina. Her recital is open tothe public with free admission. For more information, please call (616) 331-3484 or visit www.gvsu.edu/music.


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Mitten Tree HasEarly CollectionBy The Rev. Deacon Bill Fineout

The St. Pauls Mitten Tree, which usuallygraces the cloister during December, willbe put up in October this year. ChristianServices needs the mittens, hats, gloves,etc., earlier in the year to properly pre-pare children for cold weather. Soplease adjust your giving and knitting

schedule to accommodate our children inneed of warm hands and heads. Pleasetarget your contributions for childrenages 05. This years Mitten Tree offer-ing will be given to Christian Services,which will distribute the collected effortsto the Love Closet, the WIC Office(Women, Infants and Children), andHead Start Classrooms.

Mission and Outreach Activities

Where is Christ calling you to help others?

Sunday, October 4

Youth Special Noisy Collection for Heifer

Saturday, October 10

Red Cross Blood Drive

Sunday, October 11

Youth Crop Walk

Sunday, October 25

Heifer International Auction

October

Mitten Tree Love Closet/Christian Services

Sunday, November 1

Youth Special Noisy Collection for Outreach

UTO Ingathering

Tuesday, November 16

Lansing Area Episcopal Projects (LAEP) meeting

November 822

Thanksgiving Food Baskets

Sunday, December 6

Youth Special Noisy Collection for Outreach

Thursday, December 24

Layette Gifts for the Christ Child/Christian Services

Ongoing:

Manna Sunday (first Sunday of the month, loose and dedi-cated offerings for street ministry, bus tokens and workboots)

Outreach Committee meeting (second Tuesday of the month)

Heifer gift cards

Prayer quilts Cars, INC

Habitat

Sudanese K-12 Education Scholarships

Crop Hunger Walk 2009

Sunday, October 11

By The Rev. Deacon Bill Fineout

The St. Pauls youth group will once again participate in the GreaterLansing Crop Hunger Walk, raising money to feed the hungry. CropHunger Walks help children and families worldwide, and right herein the U.S., to have food for today, while building for a better tomor-row. Each year some two million Crop Walkers, volunteers and spon-sors put their hearts and soles in motion raising over $16 million peryear to help end hunger and poverty around the world, and in theirown communities. You, too, can be a part of that by donating to oneof our youth walkers or by joining them in the walk. They will have a

table set up in the Merrifield Room after a couple of the Sunday ser-vices.

When sponsor Barb Heany attended the formation rally, an anony-mous donor committed $50 to St. Pauls total. If our young peoplecan raise more money than last year, they will receive another $50for their total.

Registration: 1 p.m., Walk: 2 p.m.Location: Dwight Rich Middle School


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St. Pauls Continues toTry to Fill our ArkBy The Rev. Deacon Bill Fineout

As our 2009 Millennium Goal Project, we continue ourfundraising for an Ark for the Heifer International

Project. This entails raising enough money to purchaseanimals and plants that could cost up to $5,000.

Our young people are working to provide you with anopportunity to purchase animals or parts of animalsand to bid on their animal artwork on Sunday, October25, our Heifer Day Auction. We plan on auctioning allthe stuffed animals you have seen in processions andused at Vacation Bible School, the childrens ARK art-work and a quilt decorated by the children. Please planto join us that Sunday following the 10 a.m. service.

We also have Heifer gift cards which you may purchaseas a birthday or Christmas present, donating a flock of

chickens or other animals) as a gift to someone. SeeDeacon Bill for the gift cards.

Our Vacation Bible School children collected a washtubof money this summer to start us toward our Ark goal.Please join us with a donation or purchase. Pleasemake all checks to St. Pauls with Heifer on the memoline.

Youth Christian EducationHappeningsBy Barb Heany

Church School resumed on September 13with all classes Pre-K through 12th grade assembling in the Merrifield Room tokick off the year with a group wide Millennium Goal Outreach Project for Heifer International. Under the direction ofMaryLea Benson, the youth colored animal squares which will be applied to a beautiful quilt that MaryLea is putting to-gether. The quilt, along with various stuffed animals, will be auctioned off on October 25 with proceeds supporting Heifer

International.

St. Pauls Jr. High Youth Group and its families will gather at the home of Barb Heany on October 4 for a fall cookoutand to discuss and plan for the coming years Outreach and Fellowship activities. If you are presently a 6th-8th grade stu-dent, please join us for an afternoon of fun and fellowship.

St. Pauls Youth Group will again walk the 33rd Annual Crop Walk on October 11. The youth are hoping to challengetheir last two years collection of $1,000. Consider being a walker or a rocker yourself. Look for the CROP Walk stationlocated in the Merrifield Room to support the youth group and to get more details about the walk.

If you have any questions regarding the Jr. High Youth Group, please contactBarb at (517) 420-5316 or email [email protected]. We are looking forward to a great year!

Quilts for Kids

By MaryLea Benson, Vestry Member

Quilts for Kids kicked off with a bang on Sunday,September 13. The church school students gathered inthe Merrifield Room and heard from Deacon Billabout Noah's ark and the animals. They then coloredanimals for ark-themed quilts that will be auctionedoff on October 25 and also given to children in thearea who are in hospitals or similar situations. Thechildren's original drawings will also be available topurchase at the auction.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Quilts for Kids Project Artists

Hank Bordon, Fr. Weller & Church School Burying Time Capsule

St. Pauls Picture Page

Confirmation Class, May 2009 Homecoming 8 a.m. Congregation


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Requests for PrayerWe pray for those who are sick and in need: Cindy Robinson, Richard and Aaron Hegmon, Shelley Robinson,Mason Hill, Lois Caswell, Erik Lindquist, Chance Collins, Barb Hacker, Marjorie Belles, Aleda, Dave, Kathryn

Senko, Barb Powers, Patricia Reno, Skip and Marsha Macholz, Michael and Gwen Skinner, Melinda Naumer,Tom Foltz, Vivian Hawkins, Linda, Kaema Amachree, Bill, Mary Lindquist, Yvette Constan and family, CrisPlyler, Brian French, Lynne, M.J. Wilson,baby Van Jensen, Debbie Staal, Kent Riley, Jan Bigham, Max Sut-ton, John Hawkins, and Karol Ryan.

We pray and remember those in the Military, serving in dangerous areas: Daniel Reno, Michael Benson, StevenJohnson, and Tyson Carter.

We pray for all those whose jobs and livelihoods are in jeopardy.

We pray for those expecting: Jill and Clif Schneider, Allyson (Huber) and Jerry Parker, Carrie (Kressler) andCharlie Smith,Kristi and Perry Thompson, Tonya and Joshua Couts, Mindy and Matt Pauly, and KatieThompson and John Shaw-Reed.

We pray for and celebrate: the birth of Madison Rose Cullum, daughter of Stuart and Rochelle Cullum, andher big brothers, Jackson and Harrison.

Pastoral Care Requires Help From All of Us

By Nancy Sheldon

Our clergy, staff, lay Eucharistic visitors, and St. Aelreds (our pastoral committee) members are continuously updating ourprayer and visitation notes in order to make sure that anyone in our congregation who has a special need is cared forthrough notes, visitation, prayer list management, Eucharistic visits, celebration of births and marriages or phone calls toshut-ins. St. Pauls would like to know when one of our parishioners is in the hospital, is unable to come to church, has beenmoved to a special care facility or just might appreciate a card or visit to let them know we are thinking about them andpraying for them.

The help we need from you is to let us know if you or a member of your family (or a friend) is in the hospital or ill. Due toprivacy laws, hospitals arent allowed to give us that information. Often, someone has been there and is back home be-fore anyone from the church knows about it. Perhaps you or a loved one are ill and would appreciate a visit, note orphone call or to be put on the prayer list. It might be about a deployment overseas or it could be joyful news about apregnancy, a birth, or an upcoming wedding. Whatever the reason, please let the church office know by calling 482-9454 and leave a message with Kathleen Johnson or email [email protected].

Pin this on your bulletin board or put it on your refrigerator as a reminder to keep the church informed. Thank you foryour help!


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increasing number of young families is a critically important factor that must be considered.

With some facts and figures out of the way, the group dove into a discussion of the strengths of St. Pauls; what were doing that isextraordinary and what were passionate about. While there were a variety of opinions about what makes us unique, the overridingopinion is that our clergy is a definite strength and that our music program clearly was in a class by itself. As one person said: If yourkids like to sing, come to St. Pauls. No less passionate were those who cited our vacation bible school, adult and youth education andoutreach programs, the incredible warm and welcoming nature of our congregation, our diversity, and the many small group events.

Next, the forum discussed St. Pauls relationship to the community assessing where our church lies on a one to five scale between being

self-centered and other-centered. Churches in the former category are inhospitable and concerned about maintenance whilechurches in the latter category are inviting and focused on mission. The assessment of the group was that St. Pauls was about 3.7 onthe scale and then considered ideas on how to make us even more other-centered.

Following a quick review on how to communicate and interact with different generational groups Miller asked the participants to readsome scripture, to consider all they had heard so far, and to recommend two or three priorities on which St. Pauls should concentrateits efforts. These recommendations will be reviewed in detail in her report and there will be additional discussions at meetings to beheld in parishioners homes (see article on page xx). There was consensus on some overarching principles:

That St. Pauls remain an inviting, welcoming and diverse church

That we continue our quality music program

That we must engage more people who are already members but who are not regular attendees

Ms. Miller concluded the session with some inspiration: If you knew the cure for cancer, wouldnt you share it with all you knew? You

know the good news of Christ. Dont be shy in telling people about it.

(Continued from, Focus, page 1)

As Christians, we believe that all of our lives come as a blessing from God. Furthermore, we know that our lives are re-ceived as blessings. When we see our lives as gifts of God, we can only respond with gratitude. As we become more andmore mindful of our gratitude, we discover that our lives are, in reality, filled with abundance. This awareness is genuinefreedomthe good news of the Gospel which propels us toward returning those gifts to God abundantly. Gratitude is,in and of itself, the cornerstone of stewardship.

The stewardship process at St. Pauls this fall contains many exciting possibilities, and it is hoped that many voices will be

heard at the small-group home gatherings which will occur early in October. This is an opportunity for discernment andvisioning. What will our collective vision for ministry at St. Pauls reveal? How can we best use our gifts to further Christskingdom? How can we nurture Gods gifts responsibly? How can we best share Gods gifts justly and charitably? Let usdiscover together where our gratitude will lead us!

(Continued from, Gratitude page 1)


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TheSt. Pauls News is a publication of St. Pauls Episcopal

Church, Lansing Michigan.

St. Pauls Episcopal Church Staff

The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon Weller, Rector

Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music

The Rev. Deacon William H. Fineout

Ms. Mary Rodeck, Assistant Minister of Music

Ms. Kathleen Johnson, Office Manager

St. Pauls News Editorial Staff

Christine Caswell, Editor

Lyn Zynda, Layout Editor

st. paul's news - october, 2009

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