Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
November 2016
Rector’s Message
“I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared
to expect wonders.” – Henry David Thoreau, Faith in a Seed
I generally find myself thinking (and therefore writing) about fall this time of year. The leaves are so
ravishingly beautiful as I write this that I find myself drifting off as I drive (in my mind, not off the
road) and musing about all sorts of things. Fall is that one season above all others (though I love
winter, too) that arrests my senses and makes me ponder God’s grace and mercy. I sometimes hold
a leaf, after the tree has released it to the earth, and feel God’s love pulsing through it. There is
something divine about a tree dressed in fall and I am reminded that God blesses us with the
abundance of the earth and the sacred light that falls on everything. So, as you may be realizing, I
have paid some attention to fall. We all probably have; it brings out the Thoreau in us.
But what about the human strain of life on this planet? Do we see each other with the same
sensitivity? Do we marvel at the God-given beauty, the divine spark in the people we come across
each and every day? Do we see the lines in their faces and wonder how they came there? Do we
really see the poor or homeless person and pause, with no sign of pity, and see a wondrous creation
of God and want to hold that creature, as we might a leaf, and see the blessings of God in that thing
of beauty?
There is a woman who walks around Farmington village all the time; you may have seen her. I have
encountered her at CVS, Truffles, and other places and seen her walking down Main Street and
beyond, always clutching something ... a bag or other item. I have watched her movements and seen
her, but, you know something, I have not thought nearly enough of her humanity. I have heard from
folks in the town that she suffers from a profound mental illness which may or may not be true. And
yes, there is something sad about her. I have been, to my own shame, a little afraid to say hello,
though I have wanted to. Her irrepressible motion and all that she may have survived and overcome
seems to be written upon her, as the crimson or gold is etched into a leaf that has fallen to the
ground.
Do we really see our fellow creatures? Do we give them our attention and love; our support and
understanding? Our hearts? God grant us the compassionate and listening hearts to see the people
of our village, our town, community and world. May we be captivated by their beauty; for all are
beautiful in God’s eyes? In fact, I think it is because of the beauty we see when we look into the soul
of another that causes us to look away sometimes. God give us strength to gaze into the heart of
Jesus which peers out at us from beneath the lids of our fellow humans. May we have courage to
look back in love and to speak the words of God that flow from the recesses of our own deep hearts.
In Christ
George+
ST. JAMES
EPISTLE
Page 2 St. James Epistle
Warden’s Corner
As we enter the month of November and begin to look ahead to Thanksgiving and the other
wonderful holidays that follow close behind, our thoughts inevitably turn to anticipation and
gratitude. Anticipating celebrations with family and friends are such a treat as respite from our busy
work filled lives.
October and November are also the typical time for parishes to begin their stewardship campaigns.
As you know, St. James is no exception.
I’d like to share a story about an interesting approach that occurred a number of years ago. One of
my cousins was a member of a parish in Brooklyn, New York, and during the sermon on Stewardship
Sunday, the rector gave each family in the congregation a five dollar bill. He told them to go out for
brunch or buy donuts or do whatever they wanted with the cash. It was theirs to spend. He told them
to think it through carefully though, because this was not going to be repeated the next Sunday. (The
parish treasurer was visibly relieved.) He then went on to talk about generosity and giving. He
challenged those who were interested to put the money and their talents to work and to be creative.
The congregation was inspired and while some bought donuts, others were very creative. One woman
bought the ingredients for making cakes and sold them after church the next Sunday morning and
donated the proceeds to the church’s building fund. A young teenaged boy bought paint and brushes
and painted the fences and gates in his neighborhood and donated his earnings to the church.
Another bought a bag of groceries for a neighbor who was struggling to make ends meet. The
projects were varied and imaginative. The parishioners put their talents to work, expressed their
gratitude for their parish and demonstrated how they might be more mindful of the needs of others.
Did that rector take a large risk? Absolutely! What did those who participated learn? Among the many
lessons was to put talents to good use, to support their parish, because when many give, those in
need can be helped through the abundance. They expressed their gratitude by living generously.
Linda Larkin, Vestry Warden
First Sunday Breakfasts
We’re looking for A Few Good Men!! We are not the U.S. Marines, but the St. James men's group is
looking for a few volunteers to help with our monthly First Sunday Breakfasts. Chefs (no experience
needed) and servers are needed to continue our between-the-services breakfasts the first Sunday of
the month. If you have ever had an unfulfilled desire to wear an apron in the kitchen or greet your
fellow parishioners on the serving line, this experience is for you!! Seriously, we are a small, but
mighty band of men who have a lot of fun and derive a great deal of satisfaction from this ministry. If
interested, see Ev Lyons or give him a call (860-584-2560), and we promise to
share all our secret recipes!!
New menu for our monthly breakfast! This coming year the chefs of the St. James
men's group will be offering a little variety from our usual pancakes and eggs fare.
Every other month, beginning in November, we will be retiring our pancake flippers
in favor of French toast spatulas. The scrambled and specially–prepared fried eggs will continue, as
will our bacon and sausage sides. However, we thought a little more variety would have you comin'
down!! We won't divulge our secret recipe to the parish, but it is guaranteed to have you coming back
for more. We hope to see you between the services on November 6th for our holiday French toast
entree!!
Page 3 St. James Epistle
St James Parish is working once again with the Town of Farmington to supply ten families in need
with food to prepare their Thanksgiving meals. A poster with the list of Thanksgiving foods is in the
narthex. Please sign up for one or more items. Non–perishable foods may be left in the box labeled
Thanksgiving Meals. All items must be delivered to St James by Sunday, November 20th. Food for the
Thanksgiving meals will be delivered to Farmington Community Services who will then distribute the
meals to the families. Any questions? Please contact Pat Clark. Thank you for your continuing
generosity!
Celebrating November Birthdays A donation in your honor has been made to the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti.
Susan Kramer
Rebecca Tuttle
Chris Watkin
Mimi Hostetter
Doris Tchakirides
Mitchell Ives
Jim Wilkie
Catherine MacKay
Sheila Church
Betsy Stott
Anna Harris
Robert Root
Henry Root
Deb Agrella
Janice Riemer
Jay Buth
Kathy Bullard
Midge Savage
Michaela Flynn
Chris Hillemeir
Catherine MacKay
All Souls’ Day service
Wednesday, November 2nd is All Soul’s Day, a day traditionally commemorated in the Church for
those who have died, particularly in the previous year. If there is someone’s name you would like
remembered, forward it to Sue Deming in the parish office by October 31st, and we will pray for that
person and say their name during the service. We will use the liturgy for the Feast of All Souls,
instead of our usual healing liturgy. Prayers for healing, however, will be said. The service will take
place as usual in the Chapel at 11 a.m. Please join us if you are able.
Women of St James Book Group
Come join us as we discuss A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. This is a charming
story about a grumpy, but lovable man who finds his solitary world turned on its head
when a boisterous young family moves in next door. We will meet on Thursday,
November 10th at 7 p.m. in the parish library. We hope you can join us!
Page 4 St. James Epistle
St. James' Welcome Committee is looking for you
This committee has been looking at how to grow St. James and attract new members. We strive to
enrich the overall hospitality offered by our church. This is a visionary group working on forming and
implementing new ideas to create an inviting environment for our parish
community and visitors. If you are looking for a little challenge and enjoy
working with others solving puzzles, finding solutions and being creative,
then this team is for you. Please contact Tracey Roberts if you are
interested in joining our gatherings.
Adult Christian Formation
The Book of Common Prayer – Adult Formation for the Journey
This program year we focus our attention on The Book of Common Prayer (BCP). The Prayer Book
shapes the way we pray each Sunday and contains our Eucharistic prayers, our Baptismal Rite,
prayers for the sick, sacramental rites for marriage, burial, and so much more. We hold The Book of
Common Prayer in our hands each and every week during Sunday worship. There is a treasure trove
inside the covers – prayers and rites that have the potential to change lives, the way we think about
ourselves as Christians and the way we pray. If you are unable to attend between the services on
Sundays, please let Fr. George know and we may have an evening session as well.
On the 2nd Sunday of each month and usually between the services, we gather to share in
conversation on The Book of Common Prayer. This fall’s offerings include:
November 13th – We will go over a brief history of the Reformation, largely causes, (not too
much Luther), mostly the way in which the European Reformation affected the English
Reformation and led to the development of the first Prayer Book, which was essentially
created by Thomas Cranmer.
December 11th – We will focus on the American Prayer Book structure and the various
changes that the book has undergone over time.
Celebrate our thanks
On Saturday, November 19th, beginning at 5:30 p.m., we will celebrate our life
together with our annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner. Please plan to
come and join our parish family in a time of gratitude, fellowship, and warmth.
Bring a friend or neighbor and a dish to share (a sign-up sheet will go up on
November 1st) and join us for this time of giving thanks. If you have any
questions, please call Carol Calladine.
Page 5 St. James Epistle
Friendship Circle Dinners return
Interested in getting to know people outside of church? Maybe you've noticed some new faces in the
congregation? Join a Friendship Circle Dinner group. These groups are a great opportunity for us to
get to know one another better in a casual evening of food and fun.
Our friendship circle dinner groups started last winter and are getting ready to "mix it up" and form
new friendships. This is a great opportunity for fellowship in a home setting. Friendship Circle Dinners
are basically a supper club for 6-8 people. The participants rotate gathering at each other's houses.
Each assigned group will meet approximately 3 times in a 6 month time period. Then the groups are
shuffled and participants are grouped with others. It is a truly wonderful way to meet people in the
parish.
If you are interested in joining a group sign up in the Parish Hall or contact Tracey Roberts. There are
groups available with children, so families are welcome.
Great Community Service Opportunity on Election Day!
On Tuesday, November 8th Episcopal Youth at St. James Parish in Farmington will host a shoe cutting party to
benefit Sole Hope, an organization which provides shoes to people in Uganda who suffer from “jiggers,” a
debilitating, yet preventable condition. Jiggers come from sand-fleas which burrow into feet of children,
hatching eggs, which turn into terrible worms, preventing walking and normal foot development.
ALL are invited to be part of the Shoe Cutting Party, so bring the youth of your
parish, their/your family and friends, co-workers, teammates or classmates. The
morning will begin at 10 a.m. and run thru 2 p.m.
If you are not up to cutting shoes—please consider helping with a collection of
medical supplies headed to Uganda with our shoe pieces. Sole Hope treats the
feet of those they serve before the children receive their shoes. We are in need
of:
large safety pins, surgical gloves, cotton balls, medical tape, antibiotic cream (Neosporin), rolls of
gauze, band aids, stickers for the children (for being good troopers while having their jiggers removed).
If you would rather write a check, the real cost of getting ONE pair of shoes from Connecticut to Uganda is
about $10 per pair. This includes shipping from North Carolina to Uganda, purchasing the sole supplies,
paying the shoemakers and tailors, and purchasing some medical supplies necessary for the jigger removals
that happen before the children get their new shoes.
WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU ON THE November 8th (though not required):
A pair of FABRIC SCISSORS for each attendee
Perhaps a ten dollar bill or two
A servant’s heart
If you are interested please RSVP to Emily Perow at [email protected] or Trish Guglielmo.
Hope to see you there!
Page 6 St. James Epistle
Community Worship & Celebration of Thanksgiving!
An Ecumenical Celebration of Thanksgiving for Farmington/Unionville will be
held on Tuesday, November 22nd at 7 p.m. at First Church of Christ, Unionville.
There will be a combined choir for the service and anyone wishing to sing in the
choir may join the rehearsal at 6 p.m. in the sanctuary that evening. Local
clergy, community leaders, musicians and Scouts will take part.
A Celebration of the Spirit
On November 20th at 10:30 am, the Hartford Convention Center, the Episcopal Church in CT is going
to hold a worship service called A Celebration of the Spirit. Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend
Michael Curry, will preach at the service. The celebration will bring Episcopalians from around the
Diocese together in common worship and conversation on where the Church is, what our challenges
and joys are, and where we are called to be as people of the Risen Christ. The event is free, but there
is limited seating. Folks are asked to register as soon as possible. There will be a special coffee hour
held onsite after the event with additional opportunities for engagement.
Regular worship services will be held at St. James on the morning of November 20th at their usual
times. Please let Fr. George know if you plan to attend. For more information or to register for the
worship service: https://www.episcopalct.org/news-and-events/annual-convention/2016/
Church school & youth of St. James
Don't forget to join us for 1st Sundays in the hallway upstairs at 10 a.m. We invite children of all ages
to join us in our adventures on the first Sunday of each month. We gather together to start our
morning as a whole group by listening to a parable or story from the Old Testament. We've had some
wonderful guests visit so far to share their talents of music and story-telling. Don't miss our next
adventure as we hear about Moses in November and get a surprise visit from St. Nicholas in
December. Hope to see you there! Tracey Roberts & Kathy Roach
Please come and continue to support our Children & Youth on Sunday, November 20th at
the 10:15 service. Come and listen to their voices, music, silence & hearts!
Thanksgiving is a time for reflection. It is a day when hectic schedules,
appointments and careers are momentarily put on hold, and we give thanks for all
of the things and people in this life that we hold most dear to us. Watch the skit on
youtube called Your thanksgiving inventory by the skit guys. Keep a journal of
what you are thankful for and why?
It’s never too early to think about the Christmas Pageant! Our Pageant will be
on Christmas Eve at the 4 o’clock service. We will have a signup list in the
Church School wing beginning November 27th for the children and youth who
wish to participate in the service. A special thanks to AmyBeth Wahl, Cathie
Martin, and Julia Grieco for taking charge this year! We will need angels, shepherds, sheep, camels,
and many other animals. Rehearsals will be at 11:30 a.m. on Sundays, December 11th and 18th.
Costume fittings will be on Sunday, December 18th at 9 a.m. Stay tuned for more information!.
Page 7 St. James Epistle
Rummage Sale thank you’s are in order!
I would like to thank all of you who worked so hard to make this year's rummage sale a success!
First, to Armen Slusarz, for her outstanding leadership in the Boutique. To Wendy
Allerton, for her great work in advertising. To Skip Mason, for the signs. To Armen,
Dona Waugh, and Wendy for leading the evening crews. To Pat and Neil Clark, for
their leadership on clean-up. To all those who set up, sorted day and night, worked
the sale, cleaned-up, and drove rummage to charities. To Sue Deming, who was
always ready and able to help. To our sexton, Kelly Nauss, who cheerfully moved and carried
anything we requested. And to our Rector, George, who put up with all this upheaval and was still
smiling at the end! And, of course, to the shoppers who, through their purchases, support the
mission of this parish. The Sale cleared over $4,600.
TO ALL OF YOU, THANK YOU!
Donna Paye
Rediscovering Advent
The Advent season marks many things, including the beginning of a new liturgical year (Year A). We
shift out of green colors and into purple (or something like blue for some parishes) and prick up our
ears as John the Baptist cries out, “Prepare the Way for the Lord!” The Nativity crèche arrives in the
church and all is pointing with anticipation to the long awaited arrival of God’s promised Messiah.
We typically introduce a resource/devotional for the season of Advent and this year will be no
exception. On Sunday, November 27th, the first Sunday of Advent, look for Rediscovering Advent, a
wonderful new Advent devotional that boasts selections from such luminaries as the Right Reverend
N.T. Wright. Each day of Advent, I will blog on the devotion of the day, ending with a question for
reflection. My sermons during the season of Advent will be informed by our reading, among other
things. I invite you to spend some time, each day during Advent, exploring the deeper meaning of the
season that prepares us for the Nativity of our Lord.
St. Nicholas Day – Sunday, December 4th
Sunday, the 4th of December, will be a day of celebration and excitement! December 6th is the Feast
of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra. We will celebrate St. Nicholas on the 4th, beginning with the First
Sunday Breakfast. St. Nicholas, or so Fr. George has been told, may make an appearance during
Church School time and talk to our children!! On Sunday, November 20th, we will begin to pass out
envelopes for the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ), to raise funds for
the hospitals and schools supported by that organization. Our church school
children can put their monies into the Giving Dragon in the Church School wing.
We will collect money that will be dedicated on St. Nicholas Day, a tradition in many
Episcopal churches. The collection is to support the work of the Episcopal Diocese
of Jerusalem and the Middle East, a very poor diocese that does wonderful work
supporting hospital, clinics, and schools for children and families who would not,
otherwise, have anywhere to turn.
Page 8 St. James Epistle
Mia Flynn at Jerusalem Peacebuilders
Mia Flynn gave the opening to our homily on September 25th, sharing some thoughts from her
summer 2016 Jerusalem Peacebuilders in New Haven. The Peacebuilders bring together youth aged
15–18 from the United States and Israel-Palestine; young people who represent the three great
Abrahamic faiths: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. They engaged in worship, leadership training,
and service and got to know each other and a new context. The following is from a speech Mia gave
at JPB.
The word service has always brought to mind the word giving. We can give in a material sense
(money, food, shelter, clothing), and we can give in a more abstract sense (listening so as to hear the
voiceless, by offering experiences, embrace, laughing, and bringing lightness to often dire situations).
And though I categorize them both as giving, they can be vastly different. Giving materials =
productive, giving abstractly is human.
To serve is to offer both these aspects, and to
do so with the intent of spreading good and
without any expectation of reciprocation.
So how does this connect to religion? Because
in an environment like this and a world of
proclaimed religious motivations we must address it. Religion reminds us that service is not
mundane or random, rather it is an extension of the ideals and practices we see in the Biblical world
into our own. There may be something hopeless or unattainable, even, in preaching values without
serving. Because serving is our route to making these values, which we cherish, a reality.
Religion is a dedication to a certain, genuine, open, and forgiving way of life; and accepting that kind
of life as your own is also claiming responsibility for bringing it to, but not forcing it upon, others. And
there is humility in that: to offer without any assurance that your efforts will be accepted; but
practicing humility is simply part of service’s worth.
You see, an inherent element of believing in equality, charity, and generosity is ensuring others enjoy
those same qualities in life. Service is our opportunity to bridge the ideal and the real –our hopes for
humanity and its actual condition.
Sometimes I think we forget service is a two-way street. Each end gives and each end receives. We
say we want nothing in return, but that idea is actually fulfilling the concept that we receive when we
give. By not asking for anything in return, and more importantly, by not wanting, not having that
desire for anything in return, we fulfill our mission to spread the good which we value –if we could
not serve, we could not consider ourselves useful citizens in the hands of that which we love enough
to identify with, to attend service once a week to remind ourselves about. So this opportunity of
helping others is our opportunity to do just that, and in turn those we serve benefit because they
receive the confirmation that they are cared for, they are worthy of all the world has to offer.
Creating that feeling in others is all there is to service. Only when we feel relevant, hopeful, and
understood do we drop our defenses. The openness that results from that is the door to peace. I
think that if we feel one with the world, a part of others, that we are willing to sacrifice the primitive
instincts of aggression and aversion to things different from ourselves for the willingness to grow,
affection, and inclusion which defines peace.
I believe that our chance for a more peaceful world resides in using service to make others feel
fellowship with us as we give all we can give to them, and that unity seems one of the only things
with which we can mend the divisions in the world.
Page 9 St. James Epistle
Summary of Vestry Minutes – September 15, 2016
In attendance: Elizabeth Alligood, Sheila Church, Linda Larkin, Carol Kirkwood, EJ Ososki, Donna
Paye, Bill Raymond, Chris Roach, George Roberts, John Smith, Jessica Watkin
Minutes: for June meeting, 2016
Sheila moves to accept; Carol and Donna second; unanimous vote to accept.
Ministry Reports
Finance/Treasurer’s report –August, 2016
Treasurer reports: “We’re making progress. Total income is about $3,000 under budget. The pledge
income gap has narrowed to $6,000. Total expenses are about $3,000 under budget. The YTD
deficit of $40,000 is right on budget.”
Chris asks about $5,300 budgeted for the year in Mission & Outreach – Local Outreach, only $175
spent. Is that earmarked for something? Sheila says Outreach tends to wait until the end of the year
and then decide what to do with whatever we have left, last year we gave some to DR trip, American
Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, Traveler’s Aid Fund, Mothers United Against Violence,
Friendship Service Center, Operation Fuel.
EJ asks whether parking lot repairs are already reflected here. $8,727 under Church Property
Expenses – Repairs & Maintenance. Question whether that is all of it, as we haven’t paid the full
amount yet. Maybe Jay entered it all already though. George will look into that and let us know.
Childcare provider: we have had a harder time finding someone this time. Alyssa Buth pointed out
that on care.com most people are looking for $20 rather than $15, so we talked about bumping it
up. We guarantee $25 even if no kids show up. We’ll get through the year okay paying a higher wage
when we do find someone, because we have some savings from weeks Kayleigh has been gone. But
we will have to consider the higher wage when we budget for next year.
Chris asks about the sump pump. George says before, the backflow valve would have kept the
basement from flooding if the catch basin outside filled up. Now the catch basin and pipes are larger,
and a backflow valve wouldn’t work. EJ says we thought about putting a back-up sump pump in the
basement to help the primary and to work even without power. The pump only costs $200, but we
have to think about installation costs.
Donna moves to accept the financial report, Elizabeth seconds, unanimous vote to accept.
Old Business
Ev Lyons is taking on the role of leader of Men’s Breakfast
New Business
Stewardship
“They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is
well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice. For the
righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever.”
John Smith has agreed to lead our effort this year; Bob Raupach, Anna Whilby, Ev Lyons have agreed
to help in some capacity. Stewardship has had some kind of Scriptural focus each year. “Living
Generously” is the theme this year, and has a whole program put together by TENS (The Episcopal
Network for Stewardship), of which this Parish is a member. Psalm 112:4-6 is the Scripture verse the
program is centered around.
George: We have cut our budget pretty much as much as we can cut it. We might be able to find a
couple thousand dollars here and there, but really we’ve cut to the bone. John says he thinks the
expenditure side of the budget should stay the same next year. All new pledges should go toward
reducing the deficit and if we wind up with a little extra money, put it in a fund and set it aside for the
next emergency like the parking lot work. People are used to the numbers we have, and where else
Page 10 St. James Epistle
could we cut? We would have to cut programs. Carol says then focus on increasing new pledges.
Mark Dudzik has done such a great job with Stewardship the past couple of years and there is no
need to reinvent the wheel.
Bill asks is there a better way to communicate to the Parish about programs and outreach – is there
a better way to get the story across on a more consistent basis about what is going on, which would
give them a reason to support things more. George says there are a lot of avenues by which we try to
get the message out, but maybe there is a way to focus testimonials around outreach as a way of
connecting. Sheila says that there is an article in every Epistle, announcements in e-flash,
announcements in bulletin. Might they respond differently to someone physically telling a story rather
than reading a written announcement?
John asks whether keeping the budget the same makes sense. General agreement. Chris says it is
thin, there is no low hanging fruit. And fiscal responsibility matters, we show that we have been
responsible, we’ve trimmed the budget, we’ve worked on the deficit, now we need to really work on
revenue. Chris and John want to emphasize how much we’ve cut the deficit. Can we have a “half
party”? Donna says a celebration like that would make the Parish feel in partnership with us about
what we’ve accomplished. John says then the message isn’t: “If you don’t give us $X, we can’t do Y.”
Thoughts from Bart’s visit in June?
Where do we go from here and how? What is the long view and how do we engage the parish?
George says that the idea isn’t to increase membership but to be more faithful and more connected
spiritually to the world around us, and if more people are drawn to us, so be it. How do we do that?
Bart gave us one way – a full consultancy process spanning years. Let’s look at what the Diocese is
saying at this workshop: Saturday, September 24, St. John’s, West Hartford: Living Local, Joining
God. This is a more convenient and conducive place than the Commons. 9:00 to 2:00 with lunch
served. Tim Hodapp, Canon for Mission Collaboration, will be there. With this information maybe we’ll
have a better sense of whether we want to go a consultancy route, or do something ourselves,
formulate questions, how to get the Parish involved.
In the summer of 2018 George will be taking a sabbatical for 3 months. We have done a good job of
putting aside money every quarter to pay for the long-term supply priest; it doesn’t come out of the
operating budget. The Diocese has changed the tone around sabbaticals; it is not only a time of rest,
but also more like academia where there’s a question of what will you do with your sabbatical that
will enhance you professionally and enhance the life of the parish? How do we see George evolving
as a priest, as a leader serving this Parish? George is interested in the DR, learning Spanish, which
he is already doing. The idea of pilgrimage, how do we invite others along and go on a pilgrimage
together. This is three months for him to shape his ministry. He is going to write some grants that
exist to finance initiatives that we might undertake.
Rector’s Thoughts
Prayer Group “goes public” with an article in September Epistle. Having a paradigm for names
coming in for confidential and intensive prayer that may lead to a healing prayer ministry. Vestry
should try to plug ourselves in to what is happening with this. We can be a conduit for names that
need prayer. We can support the group spiritually as well – Donna and Carol are in the group with
Armen and Pat Clark and Jane Inrig, George is involved now, but is going to step away eventually and
let it be a lay ministry.
We adjourned at 8:49 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Jessica Watkin, Parish Clerk
Page 11 St. James Epistle
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1
7:00 Boy
Scouts
2 11:00 All Souls’
Day Service
7:30 Adult choir
rehearsal
3 10:30 Eucharist
at Touchpoints
4
7:30 AA
5 Daylight
Saving Time
ends
6
HE 8:00 & 10:15
9:00 First Sunday
Breakfast
9:45 Nursery,
Church School
10:15 Baptism
11:30 Coffee Hour;
Confirmation
7
8
9
HE 11:00
7:30 Adult choir
rehearsal
10
7:00 Women of
St. James Book
Group
11 Parish Office
closed in
observance of
Veterans’ Day
7:30 AA
12
13 HE 8:00 & 10:15
9:00 Adult
Formation: Book of
Common Prayer
10:00 Nursery,
Church School
10:30 Service at
Amberwoods
11:30 Stewardship
Celebration!
14
15
7:00 Boy
Scouts
16 HE 11:00
7:30 Adult choir
rehearsal
17
9:00 Serving at
Friendship
Service Center
7:00 Vestry
18
7:30 AA
19 Episcopal
Church in CT
Convention
5:30 Parish
Thanksgiving
Dinner
20
HE 8:00 & 10:15
Youth Sunday
(10:15 service)
10:00 Nursery,
Church School
10:30 Worship at
ECCT Convention
11:30 Coffee Hour
21
22
7:00 Boy
Scouts;
Ecumenical
Thanksgiving
Service
23 HE 11:00
24
25
Parish Office
closed
7:30 AA
26
27 HE 8:00 & 10:15
1st Sunday of
Advent
10:00 Nursery,
Church School
10:15 Baptisms
11:30 Coffee Hour
28
29
7:00 Boy
Scouts
30 HE 11:00
7:30 Adult choir
rehearsal
View the entire calendar of events at our webpage: www.stjamesfarmington.org upcoming events.
Mission Statement:
We welcome all to worship and nurture spiritual growth through faith, grace and reason.
We reach out to those in need as a caring community
and live Christ's teaching to love one another.
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
ST. JAMES PARISH
3 Mountain Road
Farmington, Connecticut 06032
Phone: 860–677–1564
Fax: 860–677–8219
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.stjamesfarmington.org
STAFF The Rev. George C. Roberts Rector
Emily Perow Director of Youth Ministry
Blake Hansen Director of Music
Susan Deming Parish Administrator
Kelly Nauss Sexton
OFFICERS Carol Kirkwood & Linda Larkin, Wardens
Jay Hostetter, Treasurer
Jerry Hess, Asst. Treasurer
Jessica Watkin, Parish Clerk
VESTRY 2016 2017 2018
Carol Kirkwood Elizabeth Alligood Bill Raymond
Linda Larkin Sheila Church Chris Roach
E.J. Ososki Donna Paye John Smith
ST. JAMES PARISH
3 MOUNTAIN ROAD
FARMINGTON, CONNECTICUT 06032
