X St. Andrew’s Net X
September, 2009
PASTORAL LETTER
Dear Friends,
Although the calendar says it’s still summer, it sure felt like fall this morning on my walk! And fall is the time when churches traditionally gear up for all kinds of programs and activities. St. Andrew’s is no exception. So far, we have a family supper and movie night planned for mid-September (date to follow very soon), a teen night in September or October, a five part series on Christian meditation taught by the Rev. Ken Poppe, Dean of the Cathedral, a pledge drive, a blessing of the animals service, possible painting of the exterior of the church before it gets too cold and some other possibilities.
I am excited by all of the above. I believe the Christian meditation program will help those of us who attend to find inner spiritual strength and quiet to go and do the work we have been given to do out in the community. I believe that “social” activities for the parish will help bring us closer together and to be more responsive to the needs within the parish. I encourage you to find your way to participate in the fall offerings.
Our Deacon, Armand Henault, has other offerings. He has restarted the healing prayer group and is in the process of training new acolytes and Eucharistic ministers. There is always room for one more, so please, if any of these ministries are calling you, speak to Armand.
May God continue to bless all of our ministries.
Jean+
SEATING ARRANGEMENT
On behalf of the Worship Committee and the Vestry, I would like to share some information concerning the arrangement of the new chairs once they arrive. First, we will NOT be changing the set-up every week! It has been agreed that we will try setting the chairs up in a particular way and leaving them that way for a church season or longer. For example, we will set up one way for all of Pentecost, change for Advent, change again for Christmas/Epiphany, change for Lent, and finally change again for the Easter season. We have experimented with several different arrangements and will use those as we move through the first church year with flexible seating. We will also make use of both the small altar and the high altar. There will be an evaluation after each change. Please feel free to speak to me or any member of the worship committee if you have questions.
Jean+
FROM THE DEACON'S BENCH
It's been several months now, and I still feel as though I'm just beginning to settle into this new role called 'deacon' at this fascinating and wonderful place called St Andrews. Yep, at 56 years old, I still feel like a 'newbie', and it's both exhilarating and unsettling. It's a bit of a strange job: learning the liturgical roles is perhaps the easiest part... but fulfilling the ordination vows about serving all people and exemplifying the role of Jesus in bringing the Gospel to the world, and the needs of the world before the church is much more difficult. There is just so much to be done! Where do you start?
I try to balance my own discernment callings (healing, pastoral care, preaching, etc.) with the needs of the parish, which might require quite different things altogether. How does one grow into the kind of servanthood Christ calls us to? Where are the limits, the boundaries for caring for oneself, juxtaposed against the needs of the people who are in need of care? And how does one balance one's own worldly needs (relationships with family, paying the bills, etc.) with the vast expanse of human pastoral need? These are things I think and pray about constantly, and ask for your prayers for support and guidance as well.
Now I wear a clerical collar, on Sundays and during the week sometimes, too. It chafes. It humbles me. It enables me to enter into places and relationships which were heretofore beyond me. It is an uncomfortable constant reminder that I have willingly chosen to take on the vows of my Lord and Saviour, who has suffered greatly on my behalf, and reminds me that I must be willing to suffer, too, to do the work of bringing the Dream of God, the Kingdom, into fruition, along with the help of all of you others who make up the Body of Christ. But I also greatly hope that this collar does not alienate me from all of the rest of the people of God, because in no way am I any different, better, more holy, less sinful than anyone else. I am just Armand, who is likely to be wearing a T-shirt and shorts and sandals under that alb and stole, but who is also willing to wear the collar which binds me to my vows whenever necessary. God helped me to discern the difference, and I ask your help and prayers to help me to understand better what is needed from me.
We are a community of faith; as such we also contribute in different ways and enact different roles. But, in the end, we are all one, the same, a part of the Body of Christ, attempting to better ourselves and the world around us. A friend of mine who is a newly ordained priest tells me that she 'wears that damn collar as little as possible', and I know what she means and where she's coming from. Please help me to wear that collar to the glory of God and to the good works God calls me - and all of us - to do.
Thank you for allowing me to learn how to become evermore a deacon in God's Church here in our little corner of God's world. I need to feel your support, your prayers and your help to do the work I believe I've been called to do. I think I'm in the right place for this to happen, and I am grateful.
May the Light of the Son of God shine upon you in these waning summer days,
+Armand
THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST
The life of the church is in the life of its people. God's Spirit lives and moves through us to one another and to those around us in our community. In the following few editions of the NET I will be presenting partial job descriptions, as outlined by the Episcopal Church leadership, of those who serve you in leadership positions in St. Andrew's and in the larger Episcopal church. I hope you find these articles interesting, and will be glad to have your feedback and comments.
This month's job outline is for the one you asked me to do; Senior Warden. If you don't know what is required of me or of others before me, I hope you find this interesting. Watch for next month's article!
Diane Montague
Sample Job Description
SENIOR WARDEN
From the Vestry Resource Guide, Vol. 1
©2000, Cornerstone
Qualifications and Gifts
Have a love of God and demonstrate a commitment to following in the way of Christ;
Be active in and knowledgeable about the congregation, its programs and governance;
Be known as someone who is fair, interacts well with people, and is respected by members of the congregation;
Have respect and, preferably, affection for the rector;
Have an ability to "check one's ego at the door," to be a servant of the people without a need to be the most important person in the congregation or to be the one with the right answers to everything;
Have an enthusiasm and vitality for this vocation.
Time Commitment
Vestry meetings
Vestry retreat
Weekly worship services (rotating occasionally if more than one)
Congregational events: coffee hours, meals, fundraisers, adult education programs
Weekly meetings with the rector (junior warden and other staff), if required
Diocesan meetings as necessary
Annual meeting
Responsibilities
Meet regularly with the rector to review the life and work of the congregation, plan ahead, anticipate and resolve problems
Provide leadership in the vestry to identify the vision, mission and goals of the congregation, make and implement plans, assess progress and celebrate achievements
Provide leadership in the congregation by demonstrating a consistent positive attitude that seeks to solve problems and learn from mistakes, recognizes accomplishments and gives thanks for those things that build community and further the mission of the Church
Pray daily for the rector, leaders and members of the congregation
There are MANY more responsibilities....
URGENTLY NEEDED: compassionate human beings who can spare some time and energy to extend our pastoral care services to our congregational members. At the moment, Sybil Hazen and Armand are attempting to provide pastoral care (along with our priest, Jean), and this important ministry is in dire need of extra helping hands and hearts! Contact Sybil, Armand or Jean if you feel called to this important service! Please help us care for one another!
ALSO NEEDED: parishioners who feel called to a ministry of Healing Prayer. Armand and others will soon begin to offer a healing prayer ministry after Sunday services, and would like to train, support and involve members who feel the call of the Spirit to 'lay hands upon' those in need of prayer for themselves or for others for whom they are concerned.
Interested and want to learn more? Contact Armand at 748-8199 or by email: ahenault@post.harvard.edu. We need to be God's hands and heart in this troubled world. Let us know if you have some extra time and energy to follow Jesus' wishes and God's dream for us to care for His flock. Bring a sense of humour and an openness to letting the Spirit lead...
2009-2010 PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH
The Christian Education Committee met this summer to plan ways to expand programs for our youth beginning in September. While we will continue to have a family service geared toward children the first Sunday of every month and nursery care provided by Kerry Surles for young children every week, we are delighted to announce that Karen Cheney will be heading up the program in Jones Hall for children ages 3-7 on second and fourth Sundays. She is excited to be working with our younger members this coming year. She will continue to use the Godly Play curriculum, as well as helping children express their faith with singing, crafts and maybe drama.
Hoping to involve our older children in the worship service upstairs most of the time, we will be offering a program for 8-12 year olds on third Sundays with Nene Riley. For our teens we will be reinvigorating the monthly suppers/film series on the fourth Monday evening beginning September 28 with support from Armand and Jean.
If children are not in church on a given Sunday, we will be mailing home The Sunday Paper (a weekly newspaper for children that explores that Sunday’s gospel) so that you and your child may read it together during the week.
We Need Your Help
Our theme for our programs this year is God is Love. We would appreciate any recommendations you have for great books, films, speakers, and/or service opportunities. We would welcome special snacks or a contribution to a meal for teens. We will continue to need a volunteer to be downstairs with Kerry on first Sundays during the family service. We could, in short, use your participation at any level. It is very important that children have mentors and teachers other than their parents as they grow as Christians, and we hope that many in our St. Andrew’s family will help support this very important ministry.
Finally, look for more information to follow about a Family Film Night on a Sunday evening in September featuring the film Animals of the Bible. Family and friends, young and old, are invited to this celebratory opening for the church school year.
Thank you for support and please keep us in your prayers.
Nene Riley
Christian Education Ministry Team Member
DISCRETIONARY FUND
The people of St. Andrew’s are a very generous group and for this I and many others are thankful. This fund enables me to help parishioners and community members in need; whether once or on a continuing basis. This year some of the funds have sent a boy in a difficult situation to summer camp for a week, paid for groceries for a man returning to the community after serving time in prison, donated generously to H.O.P.E. (one of the agencies helping the fire victims) so that they could purchase toiletries, helped with a car repair bill so that the person could continue working and being self-supporting and donated to Camp Agape which is a program for children whose parents are incarcerated (sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, the Methodist Church and United Church of Christ). You have done so much! Thank you for your generosity on the first Sunday of every month.
Jean MacDonald
Jocelyn Burrell and Jean MacDonald are making plans for St. Andrew's first Blessing of the Animals event, to be held Sunday, October 4th at 4:00 PM. More information will follow!
Vestry Meeting Wednesday September 23 at 6:30pm
