Table of Contents for December 2011 [Vol. 13 No. 11]

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DEVOLUTION

Minerva Haddad, Charlie Chapman, Barbara & George Hunt, and Angela & I attended Diocesan Convention on November 12 in Redding. It was for the first time a one-day affair, with a standing-room-only Eucharist in the parish church the night before. Other conventions lasted longer while we spun our wheels and I wished to be somewhere else. This convention was different: we were much more focused.

Although I have long believed that most of what goes on at convention has no relevance to the real world, this time we came to terms with how the economic crisis is impacting our church.

In his address, Bishop Barry talked about the impact of the fire on diocesan functioning and commended his staff for their tenacity and passion. The main part of his address concerned the structuring of our diocese and the national church for the 21st century. He said we have been working with an outmoded model: a church, with full-time clergy, in every town. Finances have forced us to rethink this strategy. The majority of churches in the USA have less than an average of 100 worshippers each Sunday.

We've become hostages to buildings that suck up our resources. We are afraid we will not have enough. But just as the 3Gs committee has taught us as individuals to be grateful for what we have rather than lamenting what we don't have, so as congregations we need to thank God for the abundance that he supplies for us. We need to restructure ourselves to make best use of that abundance.

The new word is "flattening" and becoming a less hierarchical church. The National Church will pass responsibility to the dioceses, which will pass it to congregations, and on to lay people in the pews, who will no longer be "God's frozen people." We will need to work hard to make our deanery an effective community rather than a geographical area. I thought of a few areas of Deanery cooperation by which we can get to know one another: shared outreach; joint musical festivals; Cursillo gatherings of cursillistas from various Episcopal churches; study groups with outside speakers; and joint book study groups.

The National Church has to change. Nearly half of the apportionment that dioceses pay the National Church is spent on administration rather than mission. Bishop Stacy Sauls, our church's C.O.O., said, "The people of the Church want to engage in God's mission. The people of the Church want to participate in decisions about engaging God's mission. The people of the Church want to fund God's mission."

The other major piece from Convention was an invitation for our diocese to raise $100,000 to rebuild the Episcopal Cathedral in Haiti after the earthquake. The Cathedral is the center for many outreach activities. The offering at the Diocesan Eucharist was nearly $10,000. Our outreach committee will decide how we play our part. Of the $86,000 given by our diocese to ERD, St. Patrick's contributed nearly 5%.

Angela put her package of reports in the Parish Hall. The Treasurer reported that 16 struggling congregations had been forgiven their debt of unpaid apportionment of a total of $350,000, 28% of the total received. We are fully paid up. During the year, some congregations grew, others shrunk, but we remained much the same. The Total Ministry Development Groups see healthy congregations as "ministering communities rather than communities gathered around a minister." Four congregations (Willits, Colusa, Gridley & Willows) have raised a priest (unpaid) from among their people.
Hugh Stevenson

TURNING POINTS

All Find a Welcome:

Dolora Hurst came on October 23 from St. Stephens Belvedere. Delora pitched in at the Fall Fling.

Many visitors from Incarnation came for the confirmation on October 30.

Rick & Katja Crumley and their son, Thorston, came to 9:00 a.m. services in November.

Cathy Castle brought her friend, Rick Browning.

Norma Creaghe brought her nephew & his wife, Steven & Delilah Creaghe.

Brianna & Jason Weber brought their children, Stella & Sadie.

Connie Carroll and Larry Levinger brought their granddaughter, Indica

Timothy Dorman attended on November 13.

Sunday school and nursery are filling up!

For this, much thanks:

Fall Fling: see the separate page. How can we thank one another adequately!

The Bishop, Barry Beisner, was here for his bi-annual visit, assisted by Deacon Tina Campbell on October 30, All Saintstide.

Delegates to Diocesan Convention on November 12 in Redding: Barbara Hunt Angela Stevenson, Minerva Haddad & Charlie Chapman.

Addenda. The following also helped the over 90s party:

We will exalt you, O God, our King:
Sadie Olive, daughter of Brianna & Jason Weber, sister of Stella, was born July 1.

Blessings on:
Judy Rolston was confirmed and Jack Rolston renewed his baptismal vows.

We ask God's protection on Christopher Creaghe and Chris Leonard, serving in harm's way.

May they know God's healing power:

Deepest sympathy:
To Karen and family on the death of Bill Kelly on October 24. Bill was ordained in the Congregational Church in 1954 and was a missionary in India, He worked as a family therapist from the 1970s. He was ordained in the Episcopal Church in El Camino Diocese in 2004. He and Karen joined St. Patrick's in 2008.

To Jose & Maria Cruz (our sextons) on the death of Jose's brother, Philippe.

To LA King on the death of Keith Sadko.

Rest in Peace
Peg Robins died on November 15. She and Tom moved in Spring Lake Village in 1986 and attended the 8:00 a.m. service at St. Patrick's. Peg worked on the Altar Guild and cared deeply about the church's worship. Tom died in January 2005.

VESTRY THANKSGIVING
At our November meeting, the vestry was grateful for:

• The Fall Fling. A good time was had by all and we worked well together.
• The beauty of our neighborhood, the open space, the fall colors especially the pistachios.
• The gift of health, the healing of those close to us, dedication and skill of health care professionals.

DECEMBER AT ST PATRICK'S

DANA COUEY & DOUG HARMON perform their Christmas concert at St. Joseph's Church (Cotati) on November 27, and at Resurrection Parish (Santa Rosa) on December 4, both at 3:00.

CONCERT of Renaissance Music played by the Festival Consort, directed by Joanna Young, with Carol Menke and friends on December 3 at 3:00 p.m. Carols & Songs played on recorders, shawms, crumhorns, gittern, douçaine, and other amazing medieval instruments. Tickets: $15.

CRÈCHES EXHIBITION, sponsored by the Daughters of the King, is December 4 in the Parish Hall. All are welcome to bring crèches and angels to display. Set up December 3 at 11:00 a.m.

WEDDING of Dolores Rajakovic and Ralph Long is at 3:00 p.m. on December 10.

SING-ALONG MESSIAH. The 31st Sing-along Messiah will be performed at the SR High School Auditorium on Saturday, December 17, at 7:30 p.m. The SR Symphonic Chorus will lead the singing, directed by Dan Earl. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Proceeds benefit the SR Symphony League's music education programs. Jackie Senter and Hugh Stevenson will be singing in the chorus. http://www.sing-along-messiah.org/

CHURCH DECORATING. We will decorate the church for Christmas on Wednesday, December 21, after the 9:00 a.m. service. All help is welcome.

FOOD GIVE-AWAY. The annual packing of food parcels will be done on Monday December 19 from 10:00 a.m. at Star of the Valley Roman Catholic Church, White Oak Drive in Oakmont. They need us to provide 8 volunteers.

CHRISTMAS EVE (Saturday), at 5:00 p.m., Christmas pageant and Eucharist.
At 10:30 p.m. Festal Eucharist, with carols.

CHRISTMAS DAY (Sunday), at 10:00 a.m., a celebration of the Eucharist with carols, for those who seek a quieter, more reflective service.

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.

SHEPHERDS & ANGELS WANTED
On Christmas Eve at our traditional Christmas pageant is at 5:00 p.m., we need lots of actors for sheep & wise men. Do you have children or grandchildren who would like to take part? Contact Raymond Skipp.

Come early to get a seat. You are welcome to save a seat for a spouse or child, but you may not reserve the whole row!

LESSONS AND CAROLS. On January 1 (Sunday), there will be lessons and carols at all services. At 9:00 a.m. a guitar choir will lead the carols. The theme is the Holy Name of Jesus.

AROUND ST. PATRICK'S

ANNUAL MEETING
The Annual Parish Meeting will take place on January 29. There will one Eucharist on that Sunday, at 9:30 a.m. The choir will sing and musicians from the 9:00 a.m. service will play. The meeting will begin after refreshments at 10:30 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.

VESTRY NOMINATIONS
At the Annual Meeting, we will elect three new vestry members for 3 years and one for 1 year. The outgoing vestry members are Barbara Fry, Ingo Rencken, Wes Cazel and Winston Bull (who served a "casual vacancy"). The continuing members are Don Allison, Charlie Buff, Jini Bauer, Charlotte Horne and Susan Boak. Do you have people to nominate? Please give their names to Barbara, Ingo or Hugh.

ANNUAL REPORTS
Could those responsible for parish programs please submit their reports as soon as possible for the packet? Will you pick up your packet early in 2012, in preparation for the meeting?

NATIONAL STATISTICS
The membership of the Episcopal Church is 2.1 million. On an average Sunday, about 700,000 attend worship. The largest parish is St. Martin's, Houston with 8,406 members. There are 127 congregations with 10 members or less. 58% have 200 members (that's different from Average Sunday Attendance) or less. The average pledge is $2,346. Sixteen dioceses are growing (but not Northern California).

CONVENTION
More information on Convention is available at the website of the Diocese: http://www.norcalepiscopal.org/convention

BEEN THERE; DONE THAT

• I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.
• I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.
• I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work.
• I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.
• I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.
• I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.
• Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.
• One of my favourite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!

Submitted by Minerva Haddad

EPISTLE TO ST PATRICK'S

Come Holy Spirit, Come. Enter the hearts of your faithful people and enkindle in them the fire of your Love.

I started coming to St. Patrick's church sometime in 2000, when I was living in Berkeley and was engaged to be married to my husband, David. The first thing I noticed about St. Patrick's was the powerful simplicity of the altar window. The second thing I noticed was the welcoming attitude I felt from the people I met here.

When I first moved to Sonoma County I mostly attended church with David at First United Methodist in Santa Rosa, where he is still a member. I came to St. Patrick's occasionally, mostly at Christmas and Easter. However, after about a year and a half, I realized how much I missed the rhythm of the Anglican liturgy and the practice of weekly communion, so he and I began coming to St. Patrick's more regularly.

More than a decade later, our family now includes our 7-year-old daughter Lily, who was baptized at St. Patrick's by Hugh 6 years ago this January. Despite the fact that there aren't a lot of families with young children in this congregation, there is a welcoming attitude toward the children who come to worship at St. Patrick's. That welcome and acceptance are why we are grateful to be part of this community.

We were asked to give the Epistle this Sunday on the subject of Abundance, and then I realized that today would be Consecration Sunday, the day we bless all the pledges made for the coming year. One day last week when I was driving in Santa Rosa thinking about what to say in this talk, I noticed that the car in front of me had a bumper sticker that read, "What are you grateful for today?" It is gratitude for God's blessings in our lives that inspires us to give back to the church and the community.

Over the past couple of years, David and I haven't known how much we could give from month to month, and although we did contribute each week to the offering plate, we didn't make an annual pledge. This year, we decided to return to making a pledge at St. Patrick's. The process of prayerfully considering how much and where to give a share of our income has helped me realize that our family can and should increase our giving.

I'm also grateful that at St. Patrick's we pass the offering plate to each other down the pew during the service. For me, the practice of offering something into the plate each Sunday is a tangible reminder that what I have has come from God and it helps our daughter Lily understand that as a family, we practice sharing with the church and with the wider community. Passing the offering plate and then watching it be taken to the altar and be blessed each week reminds us that we are called to give back to God a portion of our material wealth.

What is truly abundant here is the presence of God's Love at work in this community. The way programs and projects get done by many volunteers who work hard and without complaint, the way the Daughters of the King and many others pray daily for those on the prayer list, the way Hugh, Angela, Marsha and the vestry members graciously welcome newcomers and make it seem effortless are all examples of God's love in action through the members of this church.

The Holy Spirit is alive and well here at St. Patrick's and David, Lily and I are blessed to be part of this church family.

It Takes a Village . . . And What A Village We Have At St. Pat's!

The Vestry set two goals for the Fall Fling: (1) create a social opportunity for the parish community and (2) raise much-needed funds to cover a budgetary shortfall. Choose your favorite adage: The more the merrier; Many hands make light work; Together, ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results; If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself; Now the body is not one member, it is many . . . Measured against any of these, the Fall Fling met its goals with resounding success.

Throughout its inception, planning and execution, the event provided many opportunities for members of the congregation to interact with one another. It was inspiring how readily people offered their time and talent to the various tasks that needed doing (see Event Crew). The spirit of camaraderie carried into the final preparations, where flexibility became the watchword and everyone pitched in wherever needed.

Attendees arrived at the event prepared to have fun, bid as they were able, and celebrate one another's good fortune in winning raffle and door prizes. All seemed to overlook any logistical shortcomings in order to experience the best evening had to offer. The remarkable feeling of community continued at the event's close, when so many people stayed to help that all was in order in less than an hour.

As to the second goal of the event - that of fundraising - many people gave of their treasure by donating and bidding. The auctions and raffle were filled with attractive items and services (see Donor List). The Vestry was hoping to raise about $4,000 against a total shortfall of $8,000. When all receipts were counted, the evening netted a total of $9,789! The detail is provided below.

Bits of Trivia
There were 12 Live Auction Items,
32 Silent Auction Items,
25 Raffle Items and 19 Door Prizes.
1,197 Raffle Tickets were sold.