July 2003 Vol. 5 No. 7 Archive of Previous Issues The Grapevine is published monthly (except for a combined July/August issue) by St. Patrick's Episcopal Church E-mail St. Patricks The Rev. Hugh Stevenson, Rector Editor: Joan Mills, 538-1057

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Table of Contents for July 2003 [Vol. 5 No. 7]

Worship Survey Summer Events Sunday School The Spirituality of Gardening Unique Boutique Vacation Bible School Worship From the Bishop Worship Notes Vestry Notes Turning Points September Grapevine New Parish Administrator Mesico, Here We Come! Jazz Mass Sing of Mary

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Worship Survey

These are the benefits of three services. Attendance increased by about 15 persons as compared with last year. There are more landing places for newcomers. Julie's education time for adults at 9:40 was a hit with about 20 people. The 9:00 a.m. service was brief and parents of young children felt that their children were welcome. A number of new people offered their help with the worship. We have 3 teenagers licensed to be Lay Eucharistic Ministers. The times of our services worked for some; older people who have difficulty getting moving in the morning, appreciated a later start, and some found that a 9:00 a.m. start made room for other Sunday morning activities. A number of under-50s attended the 9:00 a.m. service regularly. One of the main benefits was that we were able to achieve some consistency in our worship. Many people enjoyed a more formal (though Rite II) service every Sunday; they loved the music. One 8 o'clocker commented that 3 services made us a more vital church.

The most common disadvantage is the fear that 3 services fragment the congregation.

Those who came to the 10:30 service missed seeing the children. Many commented that we are spreading ourselves too thin and that the load for clergy is too great. Young people said, they have a hard time getting up on Sunday morning for the 9:00 a.m. service, and attendance at Sunday school declined. A major contributor to this was that, during the last six weeks of Sunday school, make-up games were scheduled on Sunday mornings (because of the wet spring) for most of our young people. Some feared that towards the end, the numbers at the 9:00 a.m. service were not enough to make a "critical mass." No one signed up to make the coffee for 10:15 and that coffee hour petered out. I suspect that change is hard to cope with and this was the single biggest disadvantage.

If we go with three services in the fall, we will need to do a number of things differently. Robert Young would play twice a month at 9:00 a.m., to take pressure off Judy Buff and Ann Peters, and from time to time we would invite visitors to lead our music. Julie and myself would alternate between the first 2 services. We would do more to promote our worship. We would explore prayers etc that are not in the Prayer Book at 9:00. We would schedule occasional Sundays when we all get together. We need to plan more social times to unite our congregation. For further information, please call me. Again thanks very much, Hugh Stevenson.

--Julie Wizorek

Summer Events

Coffee Makers: Could you please keep an eye on the sign up sheets for coffee makers in the Parish Hall? Lets have coffee, tea or cold brunch during the summer.

Sunday School

How can we best teach the children at St. Patrick¹s using the resources of time space and families that we have? What is Christian Education and how does it happen? This is an important question for all of us to answer, and we hope that all families and other interested adults will come help us plan our program.

Judy Buff

The Spirituality of Gardening

Unique Boutique

Pantry Requests: Jelly jars -- no quarts or pints needed. If you have access to fruit and are not a jam maker, call Jean Meyer. Also if you need labels, call Jean. Jean Meyer -- 833-5575.

Elayne Roland still needs glass beads from old necklaces or other jewelry. Please contact Elayne if you can provide beads.

Seamstresses are needed to hem dishtowels, make Christmas stockings and a variety of other items for the Boutique. Please join us the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month, 9:00 a.m. until noon.

Vacation Bible School

The dates are set for Vacation Bible School to travel through time zones to discover the unwavering, unending love of Jesus. August 4 thru 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon are the dates to bring your children, grandchildren and friends to St. Patrick¹s for a fun filled learning experience. Each day we will travel by time machine back 2000 years to meet Jesus and then back to today to talk about what that means for us right now. We will look forward to the future with the knowledge that Jesus always loves us and will be with us forever.

Classes will be for children aged four through grade six. Middle and High School students are needed to be part of the staff to serve as helpers in classrooms, crafts and recreation. Registration forms are available now in the parish office or from Judy Buff. Please return them by July 27 so we will be ready for the first day.

We are still looking for classroom teachers, a craft assistant and registration helpers for Monday morning and snack helpers to put on Friday lunch. Please talk to the clergy or Judy Buff (539-2667) as soon as possible if you can help.

We also need cardboard cans with plastic lids (Pringles potato chip style) for each student to be made into time capsules. Please save these and bring them to church.

On Friday, August 8 at 11:30a.m., we will have our closing celebration in the church followed by a hot dog lunch on the patio. This is a traditional event that we look forward to each year and invite you all to join us.

Once again we thank the E.C.W. for funding Vacation Bible School. This really is an outreach event for St. Patrick¹s as many of our students do not attend church here. Special offering envelopes are available if you would like to donate to help pay the expenses.

~Hugh Stevenson

Worship

CHURCH FLOWERS Before taking away the altar flowers after services on Sunday mornings, please check with the directress of the altar guild, Bette Leedom, or with an altar guild member.

SERVICE TIMES During the summer, services will continue at 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Sometime during the summer, the Rector and vestry will make a decision about the Fall schedule which will be publicized in the September Grapevine.

THANK YOU Many people helped make the Bishop's Reception the wonderful success it was. Sweet Team: Norma Creaghe, Doris Campbell, Louise Clark, Barbara Fry. Set-up and Breakdown: Bob Fry, Harry Morse, George Thoresen. Kitchen Staff: Barbara Fry. Cheese Trays: Elsa Redmond, Marcia Ronchetti. Fruit Tray: Irene Odone. Flowers: Barbara Hunt. Organizer: Marcia Ronchetti. It's so much easier delegating instead of doing it all one self. Imagine that!

From the Bishop

I know a lot of people worked hard to prepare for this visitation and I ask that you pass on my words of thanks to all of them. I also ask that you express my appreciation to the vestry who gave a significant amount of time on Sunday afternoon to visit with me. I look forward to my next visit to St. Patrick's.

Worship Notes

BAPTISM. Hannah Hartley will be baptized on August 3. She is the daughter of Jack and Melissa Hartley who were married at St. Patrick's in 2000.

Vestry Notes

• 1. Survey of highway segment for the turn
• 2. Design for changes from present striping.
• 3. Caltrans charges for permit reviews etc.
• 4. Construction costs which are;
  • a.traffic control.
  • b.removal and disposal of present stripes.
  • c.applying new striping.

AY VESTRY MEETING
This meeting was actually held on June 3 to accommodate different members' vacations.

· The treasurer reported that we are up-to-date with the apportionment that we pay to the Diocese.
· During the course of the year, we have at least 15 special offerings on behalf of different good causes. We resolved that Sunday morning is for worship and we should do fund raising differently. Beginning next year, donations will be made from the Outreach Committee and we will ask our members to support our giving through their pledging.
· There was no oral report about this meeting on June 8 (the day of the Bishop's visit). We invite different committees to submit their reports through the Grapevine and post their minutes in the parish hall.
· We began thinking about the fall's Every Member Canvass and invited John Morelli to chair the committee.
· We did some planning for the Bishop's visit, which passed off very happily.
· We were concerned about how we may strengthen our Sunday school.
· Hugh presented an interim report on the responses to the questionnaire about worship. We began our discussion about what we wanted in the fall (to be continued, next meeting).
· Julie attended a diocesan retreat on management and the church. Assisted by Judy Kimsey, she is initiating a "Prayer and Presence" group for women with cancer.
· Ann Peters convened a meeting to organize a trip to Mexico in 2004 to build houses. Most of the teenagers in our church are interested!
· John Morelli is working with Hank McLain to make a name-tag rack, so that you will have a place to store your nametag at church. Please dig out yours and wear it!
· John has also been in contact with California Highway Patrol about access to our driveway. Please make the left hand turn (from Oakmont and Santa Rosa very cautiously). The best way to turn seems to be entering the central striped area immediately opposite the driveway entrance, rather than entering the turning lane for Kenwood Market where you might be facing a car coming in the opposite direction who wants to turn into the market.
Hugh Stevenson

Turning Points

Died
John Leonard in Cloverdale on May 29. John and Doris were members a few years back.
Sarah Phillips died June 5.
Anne Campbell died on June 17.

In our prayers
Camille Richardson
John Pond
Marilyn Schlangen
Linda Lewis
Fred Shidler
Else Redmond who was in a serious car accident on Interstate 80.
Dicksie Tamanaha's father and Lou Traeger.

The following were commissioned by the Bishop as Lay Eucharistic Ministers

Karen Steelman	Tom Nute
George Arack	Barbara Jones
Margaret Ruehrdanz	Angela Stevenson
Victor Howard	Dorothy Howard
Sandra Bowman	Ray Estabrook
Else Redmond	John Redmond
Carol Papworth	Karen Borgfeldt
Lincoln McLain	Wendy Wood
Matthew Atkin	Loren Brown
Sharon Traeger	Charlie Buff
Marcia Ronchetti	Spence Flournoy
Jim Duffy	Cathy Castle
Paula Cook	Sharon Traeger
Jim Duffy	Charlie Buff
Ray Estabrook	Margaret Ruehrdanz

Thanks to Robert Young for re-being our music director, and to the choir for their music during the past year

Connie van Loben Sels Charlotte Horne
Phyllis Cressy	Bernadette Gibb
Else Redmond	Karin
Jackie Senter	Elayne Roland
Linda Lewis	Hank McLean
Charles Richard	Hugh Stevenson
Armand Russell	Spence Flournoy
John Redmond	John Leech

Blessings on...
Casey Hall who was baptized by the Bishop.

The Bishop confirmed the following:

Scott Alderson	Gus Peters
Heather Flournoy	Casey Hall
Meredith Johnson	Kay Plaut
Ian Papworth

Karen Borgfldt reaffirmed her baptism promises.

Congratulations
Marge Ward is the great grandmother of Isabella Carmen.
Carol & Bill Gwatkin are the grandparents of Charlotte.
Alice Fielder is the "God-grandmother" of Sean Patrick & Jessica Leigh.
Marion Barry's son, Neil, was married recently.

September Grapevine

It was a wonderful day for all. Thank you again for making the day possible.

New Parish Administrator

Farewell to Robin. She has been our secretary for 3 ½ years. She gave in her notice in mid-June in order to make time for other pursuits.

Mexico, Here We Come!

Jazz Mass

Sing of Mary

Now is the time to complete an application to request a grant from the Endowment Fund of St. Patrick's. Applications received by August 1, 2003 will be considered at the next quarterly review. Distributions from this Fund are limited to (1) capital needs of the parish, (2) outreach ministries and grants, and (3) seed money for new ministries or special one-time projects. Call Phil Holm at 833-4430 for additional information or an application form.