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Faithfully,

Roger Rapp

Interim Rector

We are about to enter the season of Lent, the time of preparation for the festival of Easter. Lent is early this year, beginning with Ash Wednesday on February 18th.

I am hopeful that this year's Lent will be a significant one in at least two ways:

-The ancient tradition of waiting, preparing, and anticipating the celebration of the Res-urrection of our Lord never changes, and never will, until Christ comes again, which is not ours to know.

-What's unique this year is that we will be engaging in important conversations during the five Wednesday's between Ash Wednesday and Holy Week. Specifically the Wednes-days of February 25th, March 4th, March 11th and March 18th. Our primary resource for these sessions will be the Rev. Canon Joel Dingman of our Wyoming Episcopal Dio-cese.

Rev. Dingman began this process with our Vestry retreat on November 22nd of last year.

Pastor Dingman will be serving as our guest preacher at both Ash Wednesday services (12:15 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.) He will also lead us in our discussions on three of the five Wednesday events, beginning on February 25th. These meetings will begin with a soup supper at 6 p.m. and concluding with a brief service of Compline following our conversa-tions together.

I have asked each Vestry member to reach out and contact members, active and inac-tive, to participate in these events. Some of this is already happening.

Please join together as our church family this Lent, 2015, as we chart the future of our life and ministry, seeking, and finding, God's will for St. Christopher's.

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To the many faithful members of our church family who attended the Annual Meeting last Sunday . . . . As

well as to those who pledged stewardship support for 2015. Your financial commitment to the well-being of

St. Christopher’s is deeply appreciated. Also, many thanks to all who contributed to the creation of the 2015

Budget. Thank you to everyone who helps to keep God’s Cupboard well supplied. Especially thank you to

the Ministry Group Leaders for providing leadership for our church. Thank you to Ted Maxwell for diligently

keeping our financial records, all of the kitchen angels who keep the kitchen clean, to Lloyd Osborn for all he

does, Lynda Hardgrave for always being there when we need her, and Sherell Jones for coordinating God’s

Cupboard.

Shrove Pancake Supper - February 17th - Save the Date

Alex Bowler is asking all able bodied men to help pre-pare for, serve, eat, and cleanup after this year's

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. We will start setting up around 3:30 PM that afternoon with the idea of serv-ing the first dinner by 5:30 PM. Everyone is invited to join us for dinner on Tuesday, February 17th from 5:30 PM until 7:00 PM regardless of whether or not you attend St. Christopher's. Bring a friend or two. It should be fun.

Join the Discus s ion

Lenten Schedule

February 18 12:15 & 7 pm service

The Reverend Joel Dingman will preach Pastor Rapp will preside

February 25 7pm service

The Reverend Joel Dingman will begin the church for-mation process with the congregation

March 4 7pm service

Pastor Rapp will lead step 2 of the process

March 11 7 pm

Roger lead step 3 of the process

March 18 7 pm

The Reverend Joe Dingman lead step 4 pf the process

March 25 7 pm

Joel lead step 5 of the process

April 1 7 pm

The Reverend Joel Dingman will lead step 6 of the pro-cess, if needed

Nancy Freudenthal February 5

Katie Williams February 11

MaQuela White February 11

Dick Hughes February 13

Tom Satterfield February 16

George World February 18

Kristie Neises February 21

Rev. Roger Rapp February 22

Randy Hardsocg February 25

Janet Osborn February 26

David Reynolds February 27

Elizabeth Oaks February 27

Deb Nelson February 28

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The wrong Genesis Garden Report was sent for the annual meeting. Following is the correct report. My apologies.

Gene Williams, Garden Coordinator

St. Christopher's Genesis Garden

St. Christopher's Genesis Garden completed the fourth year. There were 4 gardeners this year. 2014 produced the

most bountiful harvest so far. 408 pounds of vegetables was harvested with 255 pounds given to the parishioners,

the Food Pantry, Safe House, Salvation Army, and Comea, 62.5 % of all produce. Gardeners are asked to give 25 %

and have consistently given much more.

Participation has declined over time due to the increased number of community gardens in the area. In 2015 we will

offer plots to those who participate in the Food Pantry as part of the St. Christopher's outreach.

Gardeners are being innovative with raised beds, drip watering systems, and no till gardening, as well as different veg-

etable crops. One gardener had an excellent golden potato crop this year. The garden will continue with 10 plots.

Please let the office know if you are interested in a plot. Water and tilling is provided to start the season.

Each gardener is responsible for watering, fertilizing, and weeding their plot.

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Psalm 25:1-9 Page 614, BCP

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; my God, I put my trust in you; * let me not be humiliated, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

Let none who look to you be put to shame; * let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.

Show me your ways, O LORD, * and teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth and teach me, * for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.

Remember, O LORD, your compassion and love, * for they are from everlasting.

Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; * remember me according to your love and for the sake of your goodness, O LORD.

Gracious and upright is the LORD; * therefore he teaches sinners in his way.

He guides the humble in doing right * and teaches his way to the lowly.

All the paths of the LORD are love and faithfulness * to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies

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Vestry

Fiscal year 2014 has been a challenging year for your Vestry and our Congregation. We have been so blessed

to have The Reverend Roger Rapp as our interim priest and Roger has agreed to stay on during this transition

process through September of 2016. Our Search Committee under Alex Bowler’s direction put in many hours

compiling a church history and church profile. The Diocese put our church profile on a national web site with

the hopes of attracting some qualified and desirable applicants to come to St. Christopher’s. Because of our

pay package and declining membership we were not able to attract anyone who wanted to serve us at St.

Christopher’s. While that has been disheartening, we still know that God has a plan for us but that we may

have to search in a new direction,

Your Vestry held a retreat in late November and with the able assistance of The Reverend Joel Dingman and

Laurie Modesitt we took a serious look at St. Christopher’s history, our high and low energy times as well as

church membership as a way to look for the road ahead. In furtherance with that retreat, your Vestry decided

that during Lent in February and March we would hold a series of meetings after the Wednesday Lenten ser-

vices to have some discussions with the Congregation about where we want to go. The Reverend Joel Ding-

man will be on hand for 3 of these meetings to help us discern what direction and options that might be avail-

able to us at St. Christopher’s. We hope that each of you will be able to attend to provide guidance and input

into this process. During Lent, we will have Wednesday night soup suppers and discussions followed by an

Evening Prayer Service. Please mark your calendars for February 19, Feb 26, March 5, 12 and 19 for those

services and discussions.

St. Christopher’s Food Pantry has been a huge success as a means of community outreach as has our Genesis

garden. Our Congregation has always been very generous financially even though our number of pledging

units is down from last year. Below is our budget picture for 2015:

Anticipated Revenues: $105,825

Anticipated Expenses: $112,479

We do believe that we have sufficient revenues for the upcoming year and we thank you for approving the

2015 Budget at our annual meeting

Your Vestry continues to work on other issues such as a five year physical plant plan so that we can continue

to maintain our fine church buildings and parking lot. We have had to make some small repairs but we have

not had any major maintenance problems. While we have lost several church members we ask you to take

care of each other and please remember that God does have a plan for us and will always be walking with us

in our Christian journey. We ask for your continued prayers as we begin this next year.

Yours in Christ,

Gary Hartman, Sr. Warden

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St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church 2602 Deming Blvd. Cheyenne, WY 82001 www.stchrischeyenne.org 307-632-4488

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