December 2005 Vol. 7 No. 11 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: Herc Roland, 538-3134

Table of Contents for December 2005 [Vol. 7 No. 11]

Arrivals and Departures Vestry Report Turning Points Advent and Christmas Youth News Around St. Patrick's

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ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

The church year has seasons of arrival and departure, which are like airports or railway stations where we welcome or send off a loved one.

Departures are familiar to us. We ourselves, and our own children, sooner or later grow up into adulthood and say goodbye to parents as we set out on our journeys to college or to far away places. At a wedding, there is the awareness that this is in truth a departure. As we approach death, we know that this is the ultimate departure.

In the church’s calendar, Holy Week is the time of departure. Jesus warns his disciples that he will be taken from them. He gives them words of encouragement that their hearts may not be troubled.

We look forward to arrivals with a sense of anticipation. There is much rejoicing when a prodigal son or daughter returns after a long absence. Parents celebrate the birth or the adoption of an addition to their family. Many look forward to gathering of families for the holidays. Sometimes an element of dread creeps into our expectations.

Arrival time is the season of Advent in the Church’s year. The prophets proclaim the coming of the Son of Man: “For us a child is born, to us a Son is given and the government will be upon his shoulders.” The birth of this child will be the cause of cosmic rejoicing, with angels and archangels.

In Hebrew, the common greeting is shalom, or “peace.” It means both “hello” and “goodbye.” Peace is part of both the arrival of Jesus and his departure. At the time of his birth, the angels sing, “Peace on the earth.” And before his departure on the cross, Jesus promises, “peace I leave with you, my own peace.”

At the airport a monitor will tell you where and when the arrivals and departures will take place. Sometimes they will be delayed. For Jesus they took place in Bethlehem and Jerusalem: for us, in our own homes and in our church.

There is work to be done. Before a departure, there is a process of letting go and of saying goodbye. Before an arrival, we clean the house and make the bed. Advent is about an arrival. May your Advent be filled with anticipation and may the coming of Jesus bring you profound joy.

Hugh Stevenson

VESTRY REPORTS

We had a lot on our agenda at the November meeting.

Commissions

The main work was to re-establish commissions at St Patrick’s. We made the following (provisional) assignments:

At this stage no one is assigned to Fellowship or Health and Wellness. As a result of the article in last month’s Grapevine, two people volunteered for a commission. Some commissions are already functioning; others will need to start from scratch. In some cases, the vestry person will represent the commission on the vestry; in others, they will need to organize.

The next stage is for the vestry rep. to write a brief job description for their commission.

We identified the following key areas from the responses made at the Neighborhood Meetings:

• 3 services.
• Finance and our need to increase our pledge income.
• Fellowship and small group meetings.
• Adult Education.
• Communications.
• Outreach.
• The welcoming of newcomers.

Vestry reps will pull together the comments in these areas from the reports of the Meetings.

• We also heard reports on the Diocesan Convention: rather dull but with “an elephant in the living room” which we only acknowledged in the last hour. The main theme was “20/20” A nationwide plan to increase our membership.
• We have the beginnings of a slate of candidates for next year’s vestry. If you would like to add a name, please call me (833-4228)
• We approved times of services for Christmas, New Year’s Day and the Annual Meeting.
• We heard a report on the Every Member Canvass and parceled out names to vestry members. A major snag has been that a number of people never received their pledge cards through the mail. If you have not been contacted, please call the parish office.
• We expressed appreciation for Bill McDonald’s research into solar energy for the church.

Finance

1. When people come up for birthdays and anniversaries, they make a donation of a dollar. Some give as much as $20-30. All the receipts go to Camp Noel Porter, the Diocesan summer camp for scholarships.
2. A number of people have remembered St. Patrick’s in their will. Some want their bequest to go to the Endowment Fund. Only the interest can be spent, and only for certain fixed objectives. If you want to offer more flexibility as to how the money is used, you have to specify.
3. There is money to improve the telephone system. The fax machine needs a dedicated line. We are examining the possibility of installing High Speed internet access for the church computers.

Clean up day

We agreed that the church needs some work and scheduled a clean up day on December 11.

TURNING POINTS

All find a welcome:

For this, much thanks:

A number of people have been busy with landscaping:

We ask God’s protection of:

We will exalt you, O God, our King:

May they know God’s healing power:

May they rest in peace:

THANKS FROM HUGH

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

Would you like to donate towards the cost of the Christmas decorations, in memory of or in thanksgiving for a loved one? Please sign the Flower Book in the church entrance.

ANNUAL MEETING

The Annual Parish Meeting will take place on January 15. There will one Eucharist on that Sunday, at 9:30 a.m.; the meeting will begin after refreshments at 10:45 a.m. We will elect new members of the vestry, receive the treasurer’s report and the Rector’s report. There will be time for questions and comments about the life of our parish.

ANNUAL REPORTS

Could those responsible for parish programs please submit their report by December 8 for the packet? Will you pick up your packet on or after December 26, in preparation for the meeting?

2006 VESTRY

At the Annual Meeting, we will elect new vestry members. The outgoing vestry members are Margaret Bock, Better Leedom, Ann Peters, John Redmond and Marcia Ronchetti.

A brief vestry meeting for the new vestry is held after the Annual Meeting on January 15. Vestry meetings are held on the Third Tuesday of the month at 7:15 p.m. Very rarely do they last longer than two hours. A major item on the agenda is concern for the well being of the members of St. Patrick’s.

On the evening of Friday, January 27, we have supper for vestry members. And on Saturday, January 28, there will be a vestry workshop. We will do team building for the new vestry, and we will continue forming parish commissions and following up on the comments made at neighborhood meetings. There will not be Deanery workshops with the Bishop this year.

END OF YEAR PAYMENTS

We plan to close the books for 2005 during the week following Christmas. If you have donations to make to St Patrick’s, which you would like entered on your 2005 statement, please make them by December 31. If you have appreciated stock to give, you win three ways!

YOUTH NEWS

There is a special program in the Parish Hall during Advent. Sunday school class is at 10:30 a.m. You can see their artwork during coffee hours.

November 27. Advent Sunday, children will make Advent wreaths to take home.

December 4. Children will begin making crèche figure with the toilet roll centers provided by the congregation. Today they will work on the scene of the Annunciation.

December 11. The crèche project continues. Today the children work on the journey to Bethlehem: Mary, Joseph and the donkey.

December 18. Angels and shepherds join the holy family in the crèche. The children will take their crèches home after church to share with their families.

Children will also practice Christmas carols during Advent and make ornaments for the Christmas Tree which will be set up in the Church Entrance.

Christmas Pageant. On Christmas Eve at 5:00 p.m. we will again have a simple pageant. There will be rehearsals during Advent.

Babysitting. The Parish Nursery is now set up in the Rector’s old office, next to the parish office. It has been cleaned and is prepared. We have been given a crib. Babysitting will be provided during Advent for infants and toddlers.

Youth Group plans. The Youth Group will help with food packing at Star of the Valley Roman Catholic Church on December 22 and will go out to lunch afterwards.

Youth Group Meeting. The next meeting will be on January 8. Meetings are held on the 2nd Sunday of the month.

Mark your calendar. The youth group will put on a “Mardi Gras” party on January 28. This is a fund-raiser. The proceeds will go to hurricane relief.

Publicity. Please pass on information about our Sunday school and youth group program to children and parents that you know. Thanks!

Volunteers needed. Sunday school will continue during January. We need help. How about you? Please talk to Ann Peters, Margaret Merchat, Lori Hunt or Michael Monnot.

WHY BE AN EPISCOPALIAN?

The following is an insight on why so many adults have chosen the Episcopal Church. You might like to share it with one who is a searcher and could find a home in the Episcopal Church.

• Worship that brings you in, instead of putting you on the sidelines.
• A theology that demands our intelligence rather than ignoring it.
• A willingness not only to tolerate, but also to celebrate differences.
• A heritage that takes the Bible very seriously but is not bound by literalism.
• A strong sense of community in which our consensus is in Christ, not a conformity of opinion.
• A devotion to the Biblical Sacraments instituted by Jesus, which evoke awe and mystery instead of factual explanation.
• A sense of ministry that is rightfully the obligation of every baptized person.
• An insistence upon morality (what is good and loving) and an avoidance of moralism (salvation by code and not by Christ).
• The heritage of Apostolic faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in the Apostolic order given to the Church by Him.

The Rev. Canon James McLean, Diocese of Arkansas; submitted by Minerva Haddad.

AROUND ST. PATRICK'S

COMING SHORTLY

JOHN BOGART LIBRARY

When you need a rest from holiday chores, check out one of our new mystery stories. Parishioner, Bill Babula, writes a series called the St. John mysteries. Bill’s protagonist, private eye Jeremiah St. John, is the proprietor of the St. John Detective Agency. His firm includes Mickey Farabaugh, a former policewoman and Chief Moses Tamiami, a Florida Seminole Indian. The stories are fast-paced, the dialogue exceptionally crisp and pertinent. No long descriptions here. Although it is a series, each volume stands alone.

All of these books are shelved in our “New in the Library” section on your right as you enter the library from the church.

THANKS TO THE BIZARRE BAZAAR PATRONS AND SUPPORT THEM!