|
|
If you would like to be notified when each issue
of the Grapevine is put online, click here.
|
|
Table of Contents for February 2001 [Vol. 3 No. 2]
Annual Meeting Report
About 100 of us gathered on January 21 after the 9:00 a.m. service for the parish annual meeting. Jane Linker organized an excellent coffee hour. This was the shortest annual meeting
on record-just under an hour.
Diana Estabrook served as Parliamentarian and Margaret Bock as clerk. Jean Derum, Jackie
Senter, Don Allison and Hutch Gibb were elected to the vestry. Sharon Traeger, Bette Leedom, Angela Stevenson, Nina Pohl, Karen Steelman and John Leech were elected as our
delegates to the Diocesan Convention, which will be held in Redding in November.
Josie Ross, the treasurer, presented an overall view of the budget. Detailed copies were also
available. If you would like one, there are extra copies in the parish hall. Our budget for this year is $309,000. Phil Holm presented a report about the parish endowment and invited
anyone who wants to contribute to the Endowment Fund to contact him.
Those who had written annual reports were recognized. Bill McDonald gave a report about the
closure of the Charter School. We heard this with much sadness, recognizing the great efforts that the teacher, board and parents have made to establish the school. Bill invited Ann Peters
to speak and she offered thanks to St. Patrick's on behalf of the board for the support the Church has given. There have been no major problems with having the school meet at St. Patrick's.
In my annual report, I offered some visions for this year. Among them were the formation of a children's choir and improving our communications by the use of email. If you have an email
address, please send it to the church at stpatricks@juno.com. You can now read the Grapevine on line at our website: www.stpatskenwood.org/
Karen Steelman talked about the idea of jubilee, which had been a central idea at both the General Convention in July and the Diocesan Convention last November. The Episcopal
Church resolved to double its membership by the year 2020. It was called the "20/20 vision." At the Diocesan Convention we were asked to pay off the debt of start-up parishes. Our
diocese will be returning to us a tithe of our assessment. The Cathedral in Sacramento has decided to give their rebate to the building fund of the new congregation of Faith Church, Cameron Park.
The Rev. Ed Howell made the announcement that gained the most attention. He told us that he had accepted the Bishop's invitation to be the interim rector of the Church of the Incarnation in
Santa Rosa. This was greeted with surprise and dismay. He will be starting there immediately.
I have invited Neil McKay to be the new Senior Warden and he has accepted. At the vestry
meeting after the annual meeting, the vestry elected Armand Russell as Junior Warden. We are looking for a new Property Manager to replace Will Brown, and Margaret Bock would like to
step down as clerk when we have found a replacement for her. Any offers?
The vestry will continue to meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:15 p.m. Meetings are
open to all members of the congregation. The vestry will hold their annual workshop at Bishop's Ranch on Saturday, February 3 and Josie Ross will be attending the Deanery
workshop for treasurers and vestries on the same day. We have begun planning for the parish office and for the bookkeeping to run more smoothly.
I am extremely grateful to the many lay leaders at St. Patrick's who offer their gifts to serve the common good.
-- Hugh Stevenson
Turning Points
Congratulations to Mimsie and Mark Breining on the birth of Brannon Mark on January 6. Brannon weighed in at 8lb. 8oz.
Thanks
from Greta MacLeod to Janet Fisher, Julie Lorenc, Dee Keller and Hugh Stevenson for putting together the joyful Christmas pageant. Julie and Raymond Wilmers made sure that
there were no "fallen angels" from the balcony and coached them in their part. "Remember," he
said, "Belt it out!" and they did. The wondrous star was created from a Mickey Mouse piñata donated by Caren Weidner-Mullins; she decorated it with help from Janet Fisher and others.
(Thanks to Greta for bringing all these creative people together.)
Thanks to Pam Kepler who came over from the Bishop's office in Sacramento to help Robin,
our secretary, with W-2's and other tax items.
Blessings on Karen Wilson and J.T. Carlin who were baptized on the feast of the Epiphany.
And on Nancy Dill and Jack Schuyler who will be married on February 24.
Prayers for Tom Clark who has been in North Coast Rehab. and Linda Belding who is
making slow progress at NCR on Fulton Road. Shelley Cochrane is now in the facility in Santa Rosa; Shirley Rush and Hugh Stevenson have not been successful in trying to visit her there.
Betty Kent and Neil McKay's brother-in-law, Glenn Miller, are making good recoveries from orthopedic surgery.
Welcome
to Michelle Renee and Steve Merla who have been attending the 8:00 a.m. service and are getting married in July. They brought Michell's parents on January 21. The Dohaney
family has moved to Wild Oak Drive. They came originally from Nova Scotia. The Rev. Therrel Holt was here on January 14; old "Incarnation-ites" gave him a warm welcome. Dan
Zimmerman came with his fiancée and brought her parents, the Reynolds. The Rev. Lorents Flak and his wife have been attending; Flak was for 20 years the Lutheran Pastor at Faith
Lutheran Church on Newanga Avenue. Karen and Doug Gallagher and their children were here for the annual meeting. They were formerly both teachers in Costa Rica and now live in Santa Rosa.
Farewell to Christie and John Dermengian who are moving to the big island of Hawaii. Christie will be doing the same banking job and traveling in the "Pacific Basin." John is doing better
since his surgery.
Around St. Patrick's
FOYER SUPPERS are an opportunity for parishioners to get to know one another by sitting down to supper in one another's homes once a quarter. We have welcomed a lot of new
people recently and this is a good way for them to meet existing members. So far 23 people have signed up, plus several families. Please call us at the parish office if you would like to be included.
GIFT OF FLOWERS. Would you like to give the altar flowers to mark a special occasion? Please sign the book in the church entrance and the guild will arrange the flowers. You can
choose the amount of your donation; about $25 seems to be the average.
HISTORIC LITURGIES continue on Sunday mornings at both services. We see how liturgy
has developed over the ages becoming more "user friendly," and recognizing the participation of the laity in liturgy, which means "The people's work."
FORWARD DAY-BY-DAY
These Bible study notes for February-May have arrived and have been placed in the rack in the church entrance. Please help yourself to a free copy.
CONFIRMATION CLASSES
will be forming in preparation for the Bishop's visit in June. There will be separate classes for adults and children. If you are interested please call us at the parish office.
OUTREACH COMMITTEE meets at 10:00 a.m. on February 1, to make disbursements from the parish's outreach fund. The annual budget of this fund is now $10,000. The committee
welcomes new members. In addition, if you would like to make a donation to help the victims of the earthquake in El Salvador, there are envelopes for the "Episcopal Relief and
Development" on the table in the church entrance. Hundreds have died, thousands are injured and tens of thousands are without homes.
BISHOP'S CONFERENCE.
The Bishop invites all clergy to a conference in Sacramento. The Rector will be gone, February 5-6, but will return in time for the midweek Eucharist at
9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 7. The speaker will be the Biblical scholar, Marcus Borg.
SHAMROCK SUPPER. The next Shamrock supper will take place on Sunday, February 11
at 5:00 p.m. The speaker will be Jerry Eilerman who will speak about "A Journey Through Scotland." His talk will be both entertaining and informative. This potluck supper is open to all.
Please sign up in the parish hall and bring your own place setting and a dinner course.
WOMEN'S LUNCH will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday February 13. The speaker
will be Dee Sand, long time resident of Kenwood and local historian. All women are invited. There is a sign up sheet in the parish hall. Bring a salad or dessert.
YOUTH GROUP SKI TRIP.
Our youth group has been invited to join the youth of the Church of the Incarnation on February 16-18. They will be sleeping on the floor of the parish
hall of the U.C.C. church in Squaw Valley. For further information call Paula Cook (526-9266).
MOVIE NIGHT. A group will meet at 4:00 p.m. on February 18 in the Education Center to
watch a popular movie and then reflect upon the theological implications. All are welcome.
ASH WEDNESDAY is February 28, the first day of Lent. I will celebrate the Eucharist at
9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. with the imposition of ashes for those who wish. Please mark your calendar with this important fast day. In order to make ashes, I will burn last year's palm
crosses. If you have a cross at home, please bring it before Sunday, February 25.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. About 30 people signed up for this course that would have
been led by the Rev. Ed Howell. I propose that we offer it during Lent on both Wednesday mornings after the midweek Eucharist and on Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. concluding with compline at 9:00 a.m.
ROBIN AWAY. Robin, our parish secretary will be away February 28-March 8. We will need volunteers for the seven weekdays that she will be gone to hold the fort in the office,
answer the phone, fold the bulletin etc. Can you help? Call the office (833-4228).
FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH, the parish's arts festival will take place, March
3-11. A number of people have offered needlework, photographs, painting sculpture and many other things for display. For more information, call Dorothy Pierce (537-9159)
ST. PATRICK'S DAY DINNER. We usually have a fund-raising, corned beef and cabbage supper in honor of our patron. March 17 falls on a Saturday this year. Watch this space for
more information about the supper.
ADULT VOLUNTEERS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED FOR THE NEW JUMP START MENTORING PROGRAM FOR AT-RISK YOUTH, AGES FROM 12 TO 18.
The program "Jump Start" is designed for the first-time, non-violent juvenile criminal offenders as well as at risk boys and girls located at Los Guilicos and in the Santa Rosa-Sonoma area.
The program objectives are:
- 1) To significantly reduce the number of repeat juvenile offenders,
- 2) To shorten the amount of time between the offense and the consequences for that offense,
- 3) To have the youth be answerable to their community through community service, restitution, letters of apology and feedback from the community,
- 4) To have the community accept the ownership of their youth and their problems,
- 5) To promote communication and to interact between youth, families, and community,
- 6) To provide closer supervision of youth while on probation.
Jump Start is not an alternate to an existing juvenile system. It simply is a way to enhance the system and allow community involvement that has proven successful through the use of
volunteer adult mentors and an eight-week curriculum (classes are once a week) of decision skills, goal setting and community respon-sibility. There will be mentor training and a
commitment of eight weeks - one two-hour class per week.
If you are interested in helping to turn a youngster's life around and help him or her become a
responsible citizen, please call Paul Offill at (707) 537-7058 for more detailed information.
JOHN BOGART LIBRARY
There are several interesting new books in our library.
The first are two biographies by our own John Bogart, former rector of St. Patrick's and now
Historiographer of the Diocese of Northern California. The first is Clarence R. Haden, Jr., fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Northern California. 1957-1978. The other is John L.
Thompson, Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Northern California. 1978-1992.
There is much background information from former years in the books. Bishop Haden's most
serious challenge was to save the Diocese from financial ruin due to the construction of St. Luke's Medical Center. He also dealt with such controversial matters as the death penalty, the
ordination of women and issues involving the Vietnam War. Bishop Thompson's collegial style of management led to many new and creative accomplishments. One great problem of his years
was clergy misconduct and ensuing litigation. These books are very readable and outstanding additions to our library.
Pertinent to the current controversy over General Pinochet of Chili is the autobiography Audacity to Believe by Sheila Cassidy, a British doctor who lived in Chili from 1971 to 1975.
She was arrested, interrogated, and tortured by Chili's Gestapo-like police. Finally, expelled from the country she returned to England. Throughout her ordeal she was sustained by her
belief in Christianity. (An anonymous gift)
The last book is the story of one man's determination to help blacks in rural Mississippi.
Dolphus Weary, who grew up there black, poor and exploited in the 60's, writes
I Ain't Comin' Back. The author escaped to school in California, vowing to never return. But
his determination to help his people led him to go back, establish the Mendenhall Ministries which is dedicated to providing the rural poor with health care, education, legal services,
economic development and pastoral care. This is a true story of Christianity at work. (Gift of Norma Creaghe)
--Ronnie Leonard
MESSAGE FROM HEALTH MINISTRY:
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE
Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article seemed in order.
Let's say it is 6:15 p.m. and you are driving home (or you are home alone). Suddenly you start
experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home, but unfortunately you
don't know if you will be able to make it that far. What can you do? You have been trained in CPR but you were not taught how to perform it on yourself!
Without help the person whose heart stops beating properly and who begins to feel faint, has only about ten seconds left before losing consciousness. These victims can help them-selves by
coughing repeatedly and very vigor-ously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the
chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is beating normally again.
Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In
this way, heart attack victims may have time to get to a hospital.
From Health Cares, Rochester General Hospital.
HEAVEN'S HMO
A line of candidates waited to enter the Pearly Gates. St. Peter questioned each one about their work on earth. He asked the first one, "What did you do to qualify for Heaven?" "I was a
family doctor," the candidate answered. St. Peter replied, "You did much good, you can go in."
The next candidate replied, "I was a doctor, a pediatrician." St. Peter replied, "You did a lot of
good, you can go in." The next candidate declared, "I was CEO of an HMO." St. Peter thought for a while, scratched his chin and said, "OK, you can go on in, but you can only stay
three days."
FROM REPRESENTATIVE OF STAR OF THE VALLEY CATHOLIC CHURCH IN OAKMONT REGARDING FOOD PACK-AGING EVENT FOR THE POOR.
January 2, 2001
Dear John:
We did it again! It's a fun and rewarding experience. Thanks for taking over when I could not be there.
Please express my gratitude to those wonderful young people and their parents from St. Patrick's. Without their help us older folks would still be down at the Center packing.
Thanks again, John. Happy New Year and God bless,
Signed - Dan
The Science Project
One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. They picked one scientist to go and tell Him. The scientist walked up to
God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you.
“We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost."
God listened patiently and kindly to the man and after the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well! How about this? Let's have a man-making contest."
To which the man replied, "OK, great."
But God added, "Now we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."
The scientist said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.
God just looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt."
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM NOAH'S ARK
1. Don't miss the boat.
2. Don't forget that we're all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
4. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone might ask you to do something REALLY big.
5. Don't listen to critics, just get on with what has to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
8. Two heads are better than one.
9. Speed isn't always an advantage; the snails were on board with the cheetahs.
10. When you're stressed, float awhile.
11. Remember that the ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic was built by professionals.
12. Remember that woodpeckers inside are a large threat than the storm outside.
13. No matter the storm, when you're with God there's a rainbow waiting.
Submitted by Kimberly Denton
And the Lord said
And the Lord said GO
And I said Who, me?
And he said Yes, you.
And I said
But I'm not ready yet,
And there is company coming
And I can't leave my family.
You know that there is no one to take my place.
And He said You're stalling.
And the Lord said GO
I said but I don't want to
And he said I didn't ask if you wanted to.
And I said
Listen I'm not the kind of person
To get involved in arguments.
Besides my family won't like it
And what will the neighbors think?
And he said Baloney.
And yet a third time the Lord said GO
And I said Do I have to?
And he said Do you love me?
And I said
Look, I'm scared.
People are going to hate me
And cut me into little pieces.
And I cant' take it all by myself.
And He said Where do you think I'll be?
And the Lord said GO
And I sighed
Here I am . . . . send me.
Anon
|
