George and Tom prepared
exquisitely grilled chickens at Friday's Barbecue

Saint Andrew's-in-the-Valley
Thursday MEMO
The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
June 24, 2011

Services for this coming Sunday, the 26th of June and the Second Sunday after Pentecost, will be at 8 and 10 AM, with coffee hour following both services and child care available at 10:00. Val May will provide harp music at the later service.

Exciting updates from Facilities Planning:
Generosity from the Tamworth Foundation: We received word this week that the Tamworth Foundation will be providing us with a $10,000 grant toward kitchen renovation and insulation in the Parish Hall and Prince Room. We are deeply grateful for this support, a sincere recognition of the role of our hospitality in this community. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of the Facilities Planning Committee (Lynne Clough, Sally DeGroot, George and Patti Rau, Lisa Thompson, Carol Tubman, and Duane Dale, chair), decisions have already been made as to make and model of our new stove, and the counter surface. The insulation challenges are significant, due to quirks in the construction of the Parish Hall and Prince Room, but we are being ably and generously assisted by Larry Klein in making prudent decisions there. We expect work to get underway very soon on both fronts!

Plans are also on "the front burner" for replacing and upgrading our ramped entrance to the Parish Hall so as to a provide safe and secure entrance to our facility. Two falls in this area in the past two months, which fortunately led to no significant harm, have alerted us to the dangers in our ramp and entrance as things now stand. Both the Vestry and the Facilities Planning Committee see the importance of our addressing this promptly. Contractors have been contacted and bids for aspects of the project are being received. The good news is that we have received offers of volunteered service for this project from two area contractors who recognize the importance of our Parish Hall space as a truth community resource. We hope that their generosity, together with generosity of members of our parish, will make it possible for us to embark this season on a new ramp,equipped with properly designed landings and railings.

Replacement chairs for the Parish Hall: (Yes, it's time to bid farewell to the old gray clunkers.) New chairs have been ordered and could arrive as soon as this coming week. So far seven individuals have responded to the invitation to "sponsor" a chair ($50) or a part there of (seat? back? legs?). While sufficient funds have been set aside to pay the chair bill when it comes, your contribution towards a chair will help us stretch our "building projects" money. "Chair envelopes" are available in the pews. Thank you to the seven who have already stepped forward to help.

The Bishop Search Questionnaire has now been completed by 27 of us! At a diocesan clergy gathering yesterday it was reported that Saint Andrew's-in-the-Valley is currently tied (with Trinity, Meredith) for 5th place in terms of numbers of surveys submitted. Not bad, when you consider that #1 and #2 were Concord and Nashua, both large, multi-staff churches. But I think we can make it to 40 with your help! Hard copy surveys are in the Parish Hall. Click here for the electronic version. If you let me know when you have done it, we will add your name to the posted list. Thanks.

And let us not forget last Friday's successful and delicious Chicken Barbecue.
Very special thanks go the chief organizers, Carol Tubman and Lynne Clough. Gratitude also goes to the team from Lakeview Neuro Rehab Center (pictured here) who came and contributed wonderfully to the clean-up. Thank you to everyone else who contributed to the dinner, either by working on the event OR making something to donate to the meal OR both: Gretchen Behr-Svendsen, Sally DeGroot, Chris Mills, Peggy Reinfuss, Tom Reinfuss, Carol Tubman, Peg Cade, Peggy Cannon, Pat Cook, Duane Dale, June Donovan, Heidi Frantz-Dale, Ginger Heard, Claudia Kennedy, Barbara Lloyd, Val May, George Rau, Patti Rau, Elaine South, Sammie Wakefield, Nancy Whitaker. And a thank you, also, to those who bought a ticket, came, and enjoyed a tasty meal with friends.

Tickets for our 4th annual Boiled Lobster and Grilled Steak FUN-Raising Dinner on Friday, July 22nd are now available at coffee hour and by calling the church. Advance reservations are necessary for this meal.

Looking for an excuse to eat out this Saturday? Our friends at Trinity Episcopal in Meredith are hosting a Roast Beef Supper ($10) on the 25th from 5-7. (Trinity is the little white church on the left as you head down the hill into Meredith on route 25.) It might be fun to support our neighbor and see how they do their suppers! Let me know if you want to drive over together.

Readings for Sunday: Genesis 22:1-14, Psalm 13, Romans 6:12-23, Matthew 10:40-42

An invitation for reflection from poet Mary Oliver as we begin the summer season...

"Invitation"
Oh do you have time to linger
for just a little while
out of your busy and very important day
for the goldfinches that have gathered
in a field of thistles for a musical battle,
to see who can sing the highest note,
or the lowest,
or even the most expressive of mirth, or the most tender?
Their strong, blunt beaks drink the air
as they strive melodiously
not for your sake and not for mine
and not for the sake of winning
but for sheer delight and gratitude--
believe us, they say,
it is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning
in this broken world.
I beg you, do not walk by without pausing to attend
to this rather ridiculous performance.
It could mean something.
It could mean everything.
It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote: You must change your life.

May you be blessed by the divine, transforming presence during the coming days of summer.
See you in church.
Heidi+