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| Our new banner! Weaving Generosity into Our Lives! |
Services
for this coming Sunday, February 8th, the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, will be at 8 and 10 am,
followed by coffee hour.
Readings for this Sunday: Isaiah 40:21-31, Psalm 147:1-12, 21c, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39.
Thank you to each of you who
came last Sunday and participated so whole-heartedly
in the life of this Parish and our Annual Meeting. For year-’rounders who were
not with us, your Annual Report is in your Parish Hall mailbox; for affiliates,
please email the office and we’ll be happy to mail yours’ out to you. Highlights
of the meeting are included in the “Food for Thought” at the close of this
MEMO, along with some pictures! For your viewing pleasure, slideshow of our
year is available by clicking here:
Giving up chocolate isn’t
enough! A group will be gathering this Sunday, Feb. 8,
at about 11:20 in the Prince Room to make decisions about our Lenten
programming and scheduling. Lent is traditionally a time to take on some form
of spiritual practice that helps us draw closer to God. What approach will best
equip us to be the people and the church we are called to be? Prayer? Book
reading and discussion? Meal-sharing? A service project? Support for reflecting
on our lives? On-line sharing? A simple, all-parish, at-home endeavor? What
would make your heart sing for Lent?
And if you can’t make it on the 8th, let me know your thoughts asap.
It’s time to put the Shrove
Tuesday Pancake Supper on your calendar! Tuesday, February 17, at 6 PM. The
men of the parish are the lead team on this. If you’d like to help out, get in
touch with George Rau [367-8223].
FYI: The Episcopal Journal will no longer be mailed to individuals free
of charge due to the ever-increasing publishing costs. However, as a parish we
will receive 10 copies free of charge. They will be available for the taking on
the parish hall table. If we would like more than the 10 copies, the diocese is
happy to provide them, free-of-charge. Of course, if you would like to cover
the cost yourself ($36 / year) and receive it directly by mail, subscription
information may be found on their website www.epsicopaljournal.org and click
on “SUBSCRIBE.”
Eleanore’s
Project chairs and equipment on their way to Peru! This is the ship that will carry the
container to Callao, Peru, for the Eleanore’s
Project session there in May.
In addition to the 140+ chairs selected in Sioux Falls, SD, the
container will hold the 17 wheelchairs packed here in Tamworth, plus all the
supplies made available by the support of Saint Andrews. It is due to arrive in Callao on March
30, 2015.
Food for thought… Reflections from the Rector on last
Sunday’s Annual Meeting
Well, three snowstorms in
eight days made for a wintery week, but a spirit-filled congregation gathered
for our meeting last Sunday. For the benefit of those who were unable to join
us, and as a reminder of the good work done by those who were present, I’d like
to share some of the highlights:
George Rau was this year’s
recipient of Saint Andrew’s Special Recognition for the unique ways he
has contributed to the life of Saint Andrew’s and models for us a life of
Christian love and service.
The weaving we did last fall
as part of our stewardship season – Weaving
Generosity into Our Lives – has been made into a handsome processional
banner, reflecting the diversity, beauty, creativity, and generosity of this
parish. Thank you, Barbara Lord, for your handiwork. Thanks to the generosity of this parish, we ended 2014 comfortably “in the black,” with excellent fulfillment on pledges. Our pledged total for 2015 is $137,333! Thank you! Thank you! The budget we presented shows a deficit of $4,000 with total expenses at $191,069, so there’s room for additional generosity, but that’s a number we can work with.
We elected Jen Huckman as a
new member of the Vestry and Sally DeGroot as our Jr. Warden.
The Vestry has agreed that
it’s time for a “tune-up” on our parish mission statement, such that it
reflects both our identity and our purpose. We want it to be memorable,
pleasing, and accurate … and it might even excite! Once clarified, it should
become a lens through which many decisions get made. The parish leadership
generated a rich list of responses to the questions “Who are we?” and “What is
our purpose?” then several people tried their hand at composing statements.
These possibilities were posted on the church walls during Sunday’s service. We
welcome your comments and suggestions! (See below.)
As you will see if you have
read the Rector’s Annual Report, we are at an exciting point of decision as to
the possibility of moving forward with a modest capital campaign that would
address a number of important building issues. There was considerable energy
around an exercise at the meeting: each person was given a blueprint of the
church building and grounds and asked to designate places you love with a heart
and places that bother you with a frowny-face. If you missed the meeting and
would like to participate, let us know and we’ll send you out a blueprint.
Alternatively, just send us your responses. Our next step is for the Vestry to
appoint two leadership committees – one that would take responsibility for the
planning, designing, and contracting of the actual work; the other to lead the
fund-raising. So stay tuned as we thrive into the future!
Blessings in this season of
light.
See you in church!
Heidi+
See you in church!
Heidi+
How do each of these speak to you? Let us know!
