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The Mainsail

St. Simon Peter March, 2015

Lenten Schedule: The Lenten series to be used is called “Living Well Through Lent 2015, Practicing

Resilience with all Our Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind”. The point is to make Christ the “living compass” for

the season of Lent.

March 4, 11, 18, 25 Lenten Dinner and Lesson – 6:00 until 7:30 p.m.

Holy Week

March 29 Palm Sunday (Service begins outside church) April 1 Holy Eucharist – 10:00 a.m. April 2 Maundy Thursday

Mother Mollie gives sermon at FUMC – Noon April 2 Maundy Thursday – St. Simon Peter

Holy Eucharist – 6:00 p.m. April 3 Good Friday

Holy Eucharist – 4:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross

April 4 Holy Saturday – 9:00 a.m.

Decorate Church– 9:30 a.m. April 5 Easter Sunday

Sunrise Service (Ed and Sandra Murray’s home) Holy Eucharist – 9:30 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt and Refreshments

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Rector’s Corner

When you were a kid, did you ever have growing pains? I did. Mine always seemed to come at

night. I can remember lying in bed at night with my legs aching to the point of making me cry.

My parents identified them as growing pains causing me to be both confused and upset. After

all, to grow is not just normal but a good thing so why in the world would it hurt? As an adult, I

have come to realize that growth often causes pain, and pain often causes growth. So the good

news about our recent painful time is that it has been as a result of growth and vice versa.

When we come together to share our thoughts and feelings with honesty and integrity we cannot

help but grow. We grow in understanding, in insight, and hopefully, in love. Unfortunately, other,

less desirable, things can grow at the same time. Things like resentment, impatience, and

negativity can dig in and fester and cause significant damage. It is up to each one of us not to

allow that to happen. We must respect each other and grant each other the room to be who we

are. We must have patience and love for each other.

As St. Paul would remind us, each of us has our own role in the part of the Body of Christ known

as St. Simon Peter Episcopal Church. We each contribute and are important. And no one person’s

role is more or less important than that of another. We do NOT have to agree on all things. We

do NOT even have to like everyone with whom we share this time and place. But we do have to

remember that each of us is a child of God, each of us is filled by the Holy Spirit, and each of us

is saved by the love of Christ. And it is that love that we are to show one another.

When we do that, when we respect the dignity of all, when we seek and serve Christ through and

with each other, and when we put our whole trust in the grace and love of Christ, then the growing

pains will be endurable and in the end, we will be healthier for them.

When I was young and lying in bed suffering from growing pains, my parents always assured me

that I would feel better in the morning. Of course they were right. So too it is with us, here we

are with growing pains, but soon it will be better, and with God’s help it will always be so.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Mollie+

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Welcome New Members: Yea! Stan and Marilyn Atkins are finally official members of St. Simon Peter.

Stan and Marilyn, welcome to the family.

New Website: stsimonpeter.dioala.org/ Take a look. Vickie Yaeger has done an amazing job of developing this site and giving

St. Simon Peter a beautiful vehicle to promote and share all that is happening in this parish. Vickie is the chair of

the newly formed Communications Committee. Any ideas or information you have to share with regards to your

group or committee, please pass along to Vickie or any other member of the Committee…Opal South, Denise

Jacinto, Karla Conway, or Jo King.

Planned Giving: An endowment makes it possible for us as a church to accomplish things beyond what we

could if we depended solely on our annual funds. This is not the same as seeking financial independence. Endowment funds empower us to move our ministry to new levels, enabling us to do the work we are drawn to do in ways that we could not accomplish without these funds. Our endowment funds become a blessing. Several years ago, this church was blessed with a substantial gift from Ruth King. At some point she had an ‘aha’ moment and made provisions in her will for this gift. Not all planned gifts turn out to be as generous as Mrs. King’s. Planned gifts are unique to each of us. No two gifts are exactly alike, but they are all motivated by a personal faith and an ‘aha’ moment when we realize that we can leave a bit of our treasure where our hearts have been. Please contact either Mother Mollie or Bill King with any questions you may have regarding including a gift to St. Simon Peter in your will.

Books: Do you have an author or a favorite book you would like to recommend and share? Do you have a

copy you would be willing to lend? If so, email the information to Jo King (jbking8586@gmail) and the list will be included in the April newsletter. The church library has a number of books you may want to borrow.

Intermediate Sunday School Theme: From the Manger to the Cross March Lesson Schedule (Sunday School begins at 11:00 a.m.): March 1 Jesus Heals March 8 The Boy Jesus in the Temple March 15 Review Stations of the Cross (need substitute teacher) March 22 No Sunday School (Spring Break) March 29 Palm Sunday – The Story of Palm Sunday

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EYC: “Laissez les bons temps rouler” (Let the good times roll) - …and roll they did. The EYC did a great

job with décor, service and most of all food….lots and lots of food and fun. This is an annual event at St. Simon Peter held the Tuesday evening before Ash Wednesday (known as Shrove Tuesday). It is always well attended and enjoyed. If you did not partake of the wonderful pancakes with all the trimmings and the fellowship, you missed a treat. The proceeds (almost $400.00) are designated for youth outreach projects and activities. Hats off to the youth and their sponsors for a job well done!

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Photos: Your help is needed to document all the activities happening at St. Simon Peter. Get out that cell

phone or camera and take lots of pictures. They are needed for the bulletin boards, website and newsletter. You may email them to Vickie Yaeger (vbyaeger@ceturytel.net) or Jo King (jbking8586@gmail.com). Note: Please send them as an attachment and not in the body of the email.

Crafts Bazaar: Please note the change for the next meeting for the “Crafters”. April 25 – 10:00 a.m. Craft ideas are still being considered so if you have a recommendation of a craft you think would sell well, please come to the meeting and share. The plan is to do the crafts with as little expense as possible so any donations of the items listed below would be very helpful. Costume Jewelry Ribbon Knitting Yarn and Embroidery Floss Drift Wood Craft Paints Canvass Fabric Old Decorative Buttons Craft Beads Burlap Fabric

Tablescapes Fundraiser Luncheon: “Love Feeds the Soul” On February 21, 2015, the Sixth Tablescapes Luncheon was held at the First United Methodist Church in Pell City. St. Simon Peter was represented by Betty Daugherty, Billie Caldwell, Jan Canoles, Debbie Cearley, Liz Parsons, and Marilyn Atkins (photographer). This event includes lunch, original table designs, door prizes, auction items and a guest speaker. The tables are judged with the winners being awarded prizes. Reserved seating for eight people to a table is $25.00 per person. This annual event benefits Lakeside Hospice and The Christian Love Pantry.

“Memory Jog”

…..Debbie Phillips needs the names of any graduating seniors, ASAP. She will be ordering Bibles to present to

them at the Youth Sunday service on May 17

…..Oblators are needed – Call Debbie Phillips in the church office to volunteer

…..The $$$ Campaign is making a difference. On May 5, 2013, the Cash Plate was $14.00. On May 5, 2014,

the Cash Plate was $136.00. The Cash Plate now averages more than $100.00 each week. (Please

participate by putting your dollar in the plate each Sunday)

…..As always, Hosts and Hostesses are needed for refreshments for Fellowship Hour

…..Easter Lily envelops are in the Narthex

…..Any food or toiletry items you can donate to Beans and Rice are greatly appreciated

…..Your help is needed to conserve energy. The power bill is escalating and the extremely cold weather

doesn’t help. Please turn off lights, turn back the thermostats, heat only the areas you are using, keep doors

closed (secure the building when you or your group leaves) and in general be good stewards of our resources.

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February 6-7, 2015

Diocese of Alabama Annual Convention

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Reporting on any convention has the same effect as turning down the lights and asking everyone to stay awake.

While there was no hidden agenda, the convention had several highlights, one of which will have a major

impact on our church over the coming years.

Most of your delegates, regular and alternates, attended Bishop Sloan's Fire Side Chat, a workshop held on

Friday morning. Bishop Kee stood in front of us and delivered a short extemporaneous talk about our church

and his view of our long term survival.

In a nutshell, he started with: “In the next 20 to 25 years, we, the white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants will become

one of the minorities in this country”. He continued with… “If our church is to survive, we must adapt and

change”. Needless to say, there was a great silence in the room. After a pause, he continued and gave his view

on what we must do to adapt. He then opened the floor for questions and/or comments. From the aged to the

seminary students, many people expressed their views and commented on what they foresaw. There was no real

coconscious either in direction or ideas.

As disturbing as this is, history does repeat itself. In 1860, at the outbreak of the Civil War, 45% of the New

York City residents were foreign born. We as a country survived both the war and the immigrants. We should

also remember that scientifically, those organism, including humans, which have ability to adapt also have the

ability to survive.

Later, Bishop Sloan gave his Key Note address, and repeated what he had said earlier in his Fire Side Chat. He

went on to highlight that we have doubled the size of Camp McDowell and we will dedicate Bethany Village

this coming June. There was a short slide show showing the various programs that we support in the Diocese as

well as Camp McDowell.

Later Friday evening, we attended a dinner sponsored by Christ Episcopal Church, Tuscaloosa. At the end of

the dinner, we walked through their church where they had various members stationed to tell us about the

church. In the nave, an elderly women talked to us about their church. It was organized in 1828, shortly after

Alabama became a State. Christ Church was a member of the Diocese of The United States.

This delightful lady, was 94 years old, and stood for the entire time she gave her talk. She has been married for

74 years, and a member of this church for 68 years. She and her husband are still active with the Alabama Choir

School that is sponsored by Christ Church. The school meets each afternoon from Monday through Thursday

and has about 350 children from first through twelfth grade each week. Most of the students are not

Episcopalian. How's that for an outreach program?

We all left the convention feeling proud to call ourselves Episcopalians and confidant that this Diocesan and the

Bishop who leads it are working hard to ensure the future of the church is strong and viable.

Submitted by: Worth Barham,

Delegate – 184th Alabama Diocesan Convention

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The Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell: The Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell provides an

opportunity for adults to be inspired and renewed in a supportive community while learning from and experiencing master artists, artisans and musicians. Workshop classes include: Banjo – Quilting – Mandolin – Basket Weaving – Fiddle – Pottery – Guitar – Homesteading – Ukulele – Creative Writing – Harmonica – Blacksmithing – Dulcimer. Sounds like a great way for a group of friends to make some memories. For more information or to see upcoming classes and workshops, visit the website at www.alfolkschool.com.

The Abbey – News from Carpenter House – Our Episcopal Coffee Shop is Open! What is The Abbey? It is a church with a coffee shop. Or put another way, it is a coffee shop with a church. The Abbey is a partnership of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Birmingham, The Abbey provides great coffee, espresso, tea, baked goods and light lunches. The Abbey is also a place to hang out, a place of community and a comfortable space to explore issues of faith and spirituality. Is this just an “Episcopal Starbucks”? No. The Abbey is influenced by the tradition of many monks and nuns who took on various secular professions – teaching, nursing, crafting, and even brewing beer. Besides being a way for monastics to support themselves, these were also ways in which ordinary folks came into contact with religious life. The Abbey hopes to be a place to rediscover and reimagine the traditions of the Christian Church in order to make Christianity readily available to anyone who wants to engage with it. Do I have to be Episcopalian or Christian? No. The Abbey seeks to be a place open to all people. It is a place for believers, questioners, non-believers, and everyone in between. It is open to and welcoming of all people, beliefs, non-beliefs, and faith traditions. All are welcome regardless of race, ethnicity, faith tradition, class, age, political party, education, gender, marital status, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender, identity or gender expression. The Abbey is a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. You will find Episcopalians and Episcopal clergy at The Abbey. You may even run into a Bishop. Our worship services will be in the Anglican tradition, which is grounded in the ancient creeds, prayers, and practices of the Christian Church. And we at The Abbey believe that it is this same faith that calls us to be place open to all people, to seek and serve Christ in each other, and to respect the dignity of every human being. So ALL are welcome at The Abbey. (http://theabbeybhm.dioala.org)

March Birthdays

1 Opal South

3 Garrett Brown 20 Belinda Allinder

6 Mark Engelbrecht 21 Kirsten Lewis

9 Marilyn Windham 25 Rodney Holland

10 Conni Hollis 27 Jim Barnes

11 Amy Walker 29 Judy Glenn

Patricia Hennessy

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March Calendar

March 1 Birthday Sunday

March 4 Lenten Dinner and Lesson - 6:00 p.m.

March 5 Finance Committee – 6:00 p.m.

March 7 DOK – Trip to Tuskegee

March 9 Vestry Meeting – 6:00 p.m.

March 11 Lenten Dinner and Lesson - 6:00 p.m.

March 18 Lenten Dinner and Lesson – 6:00 p.m.

March 21 Men’s Group – 8:00 a.m.

DOK – 9:00 a.m.

Beans and Rice – 10:00 a.m. - Noon (ECW Hosting)

March 25 Lenten Dinner and Lesson – 6:00 p.m.

Note: Regularly Scheduled Weekly Activities Are:

Tuesday: Cursillo – 4:00 p.m.

EfM – 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday: Holy Eucharist – 10:00 a.m.

Noon Needlework Guild – 11:00 a.m.

Chair Yoga -

A Parish Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray for the people Of this church and parish.

Make us wise to understand your ways And faithful to walk in your paths.

May Christ shine his light in our Hearts, and the Holy Spirit bear fruit

In our lives. Fashion us into a fellowship of love,

That we may serve and witness to the Glory of your kingdom;

In Jesus’ name Amen

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