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St. Mary the Virgin 2014, Page 1
Thankful Tidings
A Quarterly E-Newsletter of Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church, Chattanooga
Feast of St. Mary the Virgin, 2014
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E
1 Rector’s Letter
2 Stewardship Rally Month 2014
3 Outreach Ministry Team
An invitation to Episcopal Church Women
Children’s Ministries
Christian Education & Adult Formation
A note from Metropolitan Ministries
4 Upcoming Events
Bishop’s Visitation
Worship Notes
Vestry Notes
Rector’s Letter
The Rev. Leyla King
We’re about to begin the program year of the church in just a few weeks. The Bishop’s Visitation on September 7 will kick things off for us here at Thankful, most especially our new-and-improved Stewardship Rally Month. For those of you who don’t know, traditionally, over the years, we’ve had a Stewardship Rally Day early in the fall, which was a chance for Thankful Ones to gather together, consider how we would be involved in the parish’s mission, and discern our financial contribution to Thankful for the following year. But it’s a tall order to do all of that in just one day! So the Vestry and the Stewardship Ministry Team thought, instead, to give us a much longer opportunity to do this important and prayerful work as individuals and together as a community.
But, if you think “Stewardship Season” is just that – a season (whether it lasts a day or a month or a few months) – when we’re asked to fill out a pledge card for the church, I challenge and invite you to think of stewardship instead as a year-round, ongoing process of spiritual discernment. Since stewardship is all we do with all that has been entrusted to us by God, we make stewardship decisions – about how we will use our time, our God-given gifts, and our money – every day of our lives. We make stewardship decisions with every spending decision, whether it’s exchanging money for a morning latte or choosing family-time over solitary facebooking. Stewardship is all we do with all we have, all the time, so the stewardship season is a year-round one. And God invites us not only to make sacrificial offerings to God, but also to use all the gifts that have been entrusted to us as wisely as we can.
And over the month of September, our fellowship hour after church every Sunday will be dedicated to helping each of us consider why we choose to be stewards of God’s gifts to us at Thankful, in particular, and how we can start or continue to be good stewards of all those gifts – as individuals and together – as a part of this community. As an introvert myself, I know how daunting the idea of meeting and talking with other Thankful Ones about – of all things – stewardship can be. But I invite and challenge all of us to come be a part of this exciting time in the life of our parish and see what new friendships – and what new stewardship – are born. I invite you to make Thankful a priority in your schedule every Sunday in September and stewardship a priority in your Christian life – this month and always.
continued on page 3
St. Mary the Virgin 2014, Page 2
You are cordially invited to Thankful Memorial’s
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body.
And be thankful.” -Colossians 3:15
When: Every Sunday in September, after the service, in St. Mary’s Parish Hall.
See the schedule in the box below.
What: Get to know other Thankful Ones, hear others’ reasons for being Thankful and decide how we will each and all together be Thankful in 2015.
Who: You! and all of your fellow parishioners at Thankful Memorial.
How: Come to every Sunday service in September and stay for coffee hour to meet and greet old friends and new around the tables in St. Mary’s Parish Hall. We’ll spend time getting to know our community better.
Then, bring your completed 2015 pledge card to Sunday’s service on October 5 and join every other Thankful One in a celebration of thanksgiving both during and after the service. We’ll also elect 2015 Vestry members on this day.
22001144 SStteewwaarrddsshhiipp RRaallllyy MMoonntthh SScchheedduullee Sunday, September 7: Bishop’s Visitation
Bring a dish to share at our potluck supper and mingle with the Bishop, our newest confirmed members, and all other Thankful Ones in a kick-off celebration.
Sunday, September 14: Thankful Conversations, Part I Sit with a member of the Stewardship Ministry Team and a group of Thankful Ones you
don’t know very well to hear what makes each of us Thankful and talk about how we show our Thankfulness.
Sunday, September 21: Thankful Conversations, Part II Time to change up our groups! Find new friends for fellowship and conversation about why
and how each of us is a Thankful One. Sunday, September 28: Thankful Ministry Fair Leaders of all the various ministries at Thankful will host Thankful Ones at their tables in two
15-minute sessions so you can learn about and discern how you can best be Thankful. Sunday, October 5: Thankful Commitment Sunday
Bring your 2015 offering of a financial pledge to the glory of God at Thankful to our worship, then join us afterwards for a potluck celebration of all that makes us Thankful!
Colossians 3:14-17
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the
peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude
in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do
everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
St. Mary the Virgin 2014, Page 3
Adult Sunday School is extending its vacation through September to make way for Stewardship Rally Month, but we will reconvene on Sunday, October 12 with a new set of Adult Christian Formation and Education offerings. We’re considering a number of topics for discussion and learning, but we haven’t yet set the schedule, so if there’s something you’d like to learn about, talk to Mike Gray ([email protected]), our lay leader for Adult Sunday School, or call or email the church office to give us your ideas. Adult Sunday School gathers every Sunday after the service. All are welcome!
C H I L D R E N ’ S M I N I S T R I E S
CHILDREN’S CHAPEL continues through the fall as we
invite children to come to the church on Sunday mornings to sing our opening hymn and hear the readings of the day. Then, after the Gospel reading, children aged 9 and under (and any accompanying adults who wish to join them) follow the procession into St. Mary’s Parish Hall for Children’s Chapel where they’ll hear a children’s sermon and participate in an activity designed for them under the leadership of Mary Frances Beesorchard. Children’s Chapel participants rejoin the main congregation in time for the Eucharistic Prayer. Children who wish to remain in the congregation throughout the whole of the service are very much welcome to do so, too. If you’d like to volunteer in our Children’s Ministries programs, please contact Mary Frances at [email protected] .
And some important ongoing reminders to all our parishioners: Because of the necessity of some come-
and-go with children in the church service, the back two pews of the sanctuary are reserved for families with children. If you do not have a child with you during the service, please try to find a seat elsewhere in the church. Whether they go out for Children’s Chapel and return, or not, children of all ages are an integral and vital part of our parish community and their presence in our worship and in our fellowship after the service is very welcome. Children’s “noise” – crying, playing, whining, laughing, not-quite-whispering, and all the rest – is just part of the way they worship among us and engage with us and is cherished as such. All parishioners, whether you come to church with children or not, are encouraged to take some time to read this letter to “parents with young children in church” as a reminder of why the littlest among us matter.
And Adult Formation
From the Outreach Ministry Team
Updates and Events from our Outreach Series
12 Months of Thankfulness
July/August’s event, a collection of supplies and financial
contributions for students’ needs at Calvin Donaldson
Elementary School was a huge success! In addition to a number
of school uniforms and backpacks, Thankful Ones raised $890
in donations to Calvin Donaldson and the school administration
was hugely grateful. Thank you! And mark your calendars:
September’s event will take place on September 20: Thankful
Block Party; Erin Tocknell ([email protected]) is the
contact. Details for October’s event will be coming soon, but we
know November 1: a Community Nature Walk will be led by
Holli Richey ([email protected]). And for our December
Christmas Sharing, Bill & Ann Webster ([email protected])
will organize a collection of gifts for a local family in need.
And… we invite and encourage you to
Please Take our Survey
To help the Outreach Ministry Team make some decisions
about mission and outreach for our parish in 2015, we’re asking
all Thankful Ones to take a short survey about the events we’ve
held so far this year. You can take the survey online by following
this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HCJRWRY
or pick up a hard copy of the survey in St. Mary’s Parish Hall,
fill it out, and place it in Mother Leyla’s box at the back of the
hall (on the outer wall of the conference room). We’d love to
have every Thankful Congregant participate in this survey to
make it most helpful for our ongoing vision, so please help! If you
have any questions about the survey or the Outreach Ministry
Team in general, please contact co-chairs Lynn Swearingen
([email protected]) and Monica Luck
A note from the Episcopal Metropolitan Ministries… MetMin’s 2014 YOU MATTERTM
Golf Tournament, our fundraising
event of the year, was the most successful one yet! Net proceeds from the event totaled $20,969, exceeding our goal. The 21
teams included players from our area churches and many other community supporters. The coveted Bishops Cup was awarded
to Bishop Young and his team. Proceeds go directly to stopping homelessness before it starts for those in our community with
no place left to turn. SAVE THE DATE, Monday, May 11 2015, for next year’s YOU MATTERTM
Golf Tournament at Black
Creek Golf Course. Contact Miller Blain ([email protected]) to reserve a spot for your team. And if you’d like to volunteer
at MetMin, please contact Cindia Williams, volunteer coordinator ([email protected] or 423.624.9654 x104)
An invitation to Episcopal Church Women: All Church Women
of the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee are cordially invited
to the 30th Annual Episcopal Church Women Fall Ingathering,
Meeting and Luncheon with the Rev. Michelle Warriner Bolt
Sat., Sept. 13 at 9:30 a.m. at Grace Point Camp. Come to
worship, share ideas, enjoy lunch and celebrate the 40th
anniversary of the ordination of women in The Episcopal
Church! To register, go to the ECW webpage:
http://dioet.org/Formation/episcopal-church-women.html
St. Mary the Virgin 2014, Page 4
.
Vestry Notes The Vestry continues to meet monthly and will
spend a Saturday in October together on retreat to engage
in a Mutual Ministry Review with Mother Leyla, do some
visioning and planning for the parish, and have
conversation around our hopes for the future. Minutes of
Vestry meetings (including the upcoming retreat) are
available by contacting the church office.
The Vestry has also recently approved some
preliminary plans for Mother Leyla’s maternity leave.
She will be on leave from Nov. 30-Mar. 1. The Church
Pension Group funds this leave. Details will be coming
soon about continued clergy leadership during maternity
leave and how we’ll be preparing for her absence in the
coming months.
1607 W. 43rd St., Mail to: P.O. Box 2274, Chattanooga, TN 37409
423-821-3135, [email protected]
thankfulmemorial.dioet.org
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
BISHOP’S VISITATION AND STEWARDSHIP MONTH KICK-OFF
Join us for a potluck supper after the service to celebrate
Baptisms, Confirmations and Receptions, the Bishop, and all
the many reasons we have to be Thankful!
SUNDAYS IN SEPTEMBER
STEWARDSHIP RALLY MONTH
Come for worship, fellowship and conversation every Sunday
in September after the service. See box on p. 2
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
VESTRY: 7:00 P.M., CONFERENCE RM, ST. MARY’S PARISH HALL
Thankful members are invited to observe vestry meetings.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
BLOCK PARTY!: 12-3 P.M., GARDEN AND THE WHOLE BLOCK!
September’s “12 Months of Thankfulness” Event. Join
Thankful and the St. Elmo communities for food and fun!
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5
COMMITMENT SUNDAY: 10 A.M. CHURCH, ST. MARY’S PARISH HALL
Bring your completed pledge card and join us for a celebration
of all the ways we are Thankful. An earlier-than-usual annual
parish meeting will also take place on this day.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14
VESTRY: 7:00 P.M., CONFERENCE RM, ST. MARY’S PARISH HALL
Thankful members are invited to observe vestry meetings.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18
VESTRY RETREAT: ST. MARY’S PARISH HALL
Current and newly-elected 2015 Vestry members will do some
visioning and planning together with Lynn Schmissrauter.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25
OMT RETREAT: TENTATIVE, TIME AND LOCATION TBA
Tentative date for an OMT visioning retreat/exercise.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1
NATURE WALK: TIME AND LOCATION TBA
November’s “12 Months of Thankfulness” Event.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2
ALL SAINTS’ SUNDAY: 10:00 SERVICE, CHURCH
This is an appropriate day for Baptisms, so speak with Mother
Leyla if you or someone you know would like to be baptized.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23
MOTHER LEYLA’S LAST SUNDAY BEFORE MATERNITY LEAVE
See Vestry box to the right. More information coming soon.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23
BONNIE’S LAST SUNDAY AS OUR SEMINARIAN
We’ll wish Bonnie and Jess godspeed and many blessings as
they finish up the academic year at Sewanee and move on to
new things!
U P C O M I N G E V E N T S
Worship Notes
Welcome back Choir! The Choir will begin singing at
every Sunday service again on September 7. Rehearsals
will begin the previous Wednesday (Sept. 3) at 6:30.
Even if you’ve not been in our choir before, membership
is open to all, so speak with Don Stilwell, our choir
director if you’d be interested.
And with the Choir comes the Psalm chant, of course.
Don’t forget that, beginning Sept. 7, we’ll be singing,
instead of saying the Psalm together.
The Bishop’s Visitation is
Sunday, September 7 and we’ll be welcoming some folks into deeper commitments in the Episcopal Church here at Thankful through Baptism, Confirmation and Reception. Inquirers’ classes have begun and will continue through this month to prepare the following Thankful Ones for the Bishop’s laying on of hands: Bonnie Currey-Stamps (Confirmation), Jim Coleman (Reception), Paula Dunlap (Confirmation), Caitrin Henkel (Confirmation), Scott Milner (Baptism), Tammy Milner (Reception), Holli Richey (Reception), Tom Trevor (Confirmation), Jess Underwood (Reception), Amy Walker (Reception). Please support these folks as they prepare for this event by offering a word of encouragement and keeping them in your prayers.