St. Paul's News - May, 2008

8/14/2019 St. Paul's News - May, 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/st-pauls-news-may-2008 1/16May 2008

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Lansing Michigan

Volume 33, IssueBy The Rev. Ronald C. Byrd, Sr., Curate

St. Paul's NewsApril, 200Peace Be With You

Honoring the Bishop’s Request

By Sue Millar

The Becoming the Household Conference was held the first weekend in April at St. John’s, RoyalOak. During Bishop Gibbs’ parting words he asked those of us who were fortunate enough to beable to attend the Household Conference to carry Dean Tracey Lind’s message about living in theCrossroads of Life back to our parishes. She was a dynamic speaker and her topic was challeng-ing and not easily shared but I will do my best to follow the Bishop’s directive.

Her vision of living in the piazza, not unlike the public square found in the center of early ruralcommunities, grew out of her understanding and study of a an Italian 15th century sister, St. An-gela de Medici, founder of the Ursulines Community of Women. Drawing upon St. Angela’s wordsand life, Dean Lind urged us to pursue a radical hospitality that transforms lives and communities.She shared many stories of how such a radical hospitality is being lived out in the center of Cin-

(Continued on page 13)

Calendar 12-13

Choir Schedule 9

Prayer List 6

St. Paul’s News 6, 8

Upcoming

Activities

2-5

Vestry News 7

Youth Group 10

Mission

& Outreach11

Inside this issue:

A few weeks ago I heard a cleric remark, “It doesn’t feel like Easter:everything is brown, where are the flowers, the [sprouting] plants, thebudding trees?” While listening to my colleague explain how Easter ismarked by spring I thought, “There’s a good thing Easter lasts for fiftydays maybe he’ll feel like an Easter person soon.” Over the next fewdays I would come to reflect on my friend’s fanciful observation.

While returning from Detroit after dropping off my children at theirgrandparents’ house, where they would spend their spring break, in the quiet of the car as I wit-nessed the lifelessness of spring along the highway, my thoughts would be consumed by myfriend’s comments concerning Easter. I too, began to think how it did not seem like Easter, becausespring had not yet arrived. Easter and spring are two sides of the same coin, I thought. After allEaster is about all things becoming new again, right? So where are the spring flowers, the greenplants, the budding trees? Then I felt it, the peace of God! The peace that had fallen upon me wasnot an unusual feeling, but one, which I often experienced while traveling alone in the quiet of mycar.

For nearly ten years I lived in the great state of Vermont. I call Vermont a great state because ofthe state’s natural beauty and peaceful landscape. My daily commute to work involved a twenty-

five to thirty minute drive from the city of Burlington to a small town south of Burlington called Ver-gennes. My frequent drives from Burlington to Vergennes required me to cruise down Route 7,which was approximately a 15 to 18 mile stretch of two lane road. No one could drive faster than25 miles an hour or so, because one had to watch out both for cows crossing the highway and fordeer darting in front the car. While cows and deer made every drive along this stunning section ofhighway an adventure and anxious experience, what I remember most about my time to and from


The Rev. Ronald C. Byrd, Sr.

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Page 2 Upcoming St. Paul's ActivitiesActivities at a Glance

Ongoing Activities

• St. Aelred’s Guild

• Book Cart, 2nd Sunday after 10 AM• B&PW, Tuesday, May 13, 6 PM• ECW, third Monday, 7 PM• St. Elizabeth Guild, Tuesday, May, 12:30 PM at

the home of• Family Night Dinner, Wednesdays, 5-6 PM• 4 Fs, second and fourth Mondays, noon to 2 PM• St. Paul’s Library, open every Sunday• Prayer Group, first Tuesday, 5:30 PM, Choir Re-

hearsal Room• Men’s Breakfast, third Thursday, 7-8 AM, Hill Room• Mid-Week Eucharist, Tuesdays, noon

This Month at St. Paul’s and Elsewhere• Ascension Day Outreach Dinner, Thursday, May 1

• Ministry Fair, Saturday, May 3, 8:30 AM to 4 PM• ACTION of Greater Lansing, May 5, 6:30 PM, All

Saints, East Lansing; and May, 19, 6:30 PM, UnionMissionary Baptist Church • Men’s Golf League, Thursdays, beginning, May 8,

3:30 PM• UTO Ingathering, Sunday, May 11• Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation, Satur-

day, May 10, 10:30 AM, St. Michael’s, Lansing

Looking Ahead

• Graduation Sunday, June 1• Parish Sunday Mass/Picnic in the Park, June 8, 10

AM, Lake Lansing• Vacation Bible School, June 23-27, 9 AM to Noon

Ascension Day Dinner

By Bill Fineout, Diaconal Candidate

On Thursday, May 1, Ascension Day, the Mission & Outreach committee invites all members of the St. Paul’scommunity to gather for an evening of dinner and worship. Beginning at 6 p.m. in the Merrifield Room, theCommittee will serve a delicious dinner, present a brief review of this year’s ministry and discuss plans for nextyear’s mission and outreach activities. Then we will celebrate the Ascension Eucharist at 7 p.m.

This dinner is Mission & Outreach’s opportunity to thank the St. Paul’s community and is free to all. A free-willoffering to support the MDG project chosen by the Parish, Water for Life, will be cheerfully accepted.

Please respond to the church office or the signup sheet located outside the Merrifield Room. We look forwardto seeing you there.

St. Elizabeth Guild

By Debby Pierce

The last meeting of the year for St. Elizabeth

Guild will be on Tuesday, May 27th at noon. Thiswill be our annual salad luncheon and we willmeet at the home of Debby Pierce. Someone fromthe calling committee will ask if you plan to bringa salad, finger sandwiches or dessert.

If you are interested in the Guild or would like toattend the meeting; please call Debby Pierce at394-4800 or 485-5446.

B&PW

By Barbara Richardson

On May 13, B&PW will gather for dinner at 6 p.m. in

the Hill Room. Following dinner, we will work on ouroutreach projects. Please bring your cards for Dimon-dale and toiletries for EVE Inc. Reservations for dinnerare required, so please contact Debby Pierce by May11.

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Page 3Upcoming St. Paul's Activities

Saturday, May 3, 2008 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Registration $15

Lunch $10

THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF MICHIGAN PRESENTS

Ministry Fair 2008

Ministry Fair is a day of workshops providing new ideas, skills and knowledge for people

of faith. Our day together will include 4 different time blocks of workshops where you might find yourself

learning how to develop a website and use specialized church communications systems, or how to design bi-

lingual worship, or find ideas for both local and global initiatives regarding the Millennium Development Goals,

or how to increase giving to your church, or strengthen pastoral care, or strengthen your youth program, or ….

the opportunities go on and on.

Choosing from thirty (30!) offerings will be a challenge, so plan to send a team in order to bring back as many

ideas and as much information as possible.

By special arrangement The Youth and Family Institute, will present a one-day experience of their Passing On

Faith Conference. This all-day track is designed to inspire and equip church leaders and educators with a vision

for passing faith among the generations, empowering and supporting families as they become primary faith

instructors for their children. Participants will go home with a wide variety of ideas and resources, all ready to

adopt, adapt and apply in their home and congregation.

Following are the topics and workshop session titles for Ministry Fair. For more workshop information and a reg-

istration sheet, pick up a Ministry Fair booklet in the cloister or the church office.

Improve Your Communication

• Church Communication in the Diocese of Michigan• Finding better ways to communicateMaking Technology Work for You

• Technology in Youth and Youth Adult Ministry• Diving (web) Design:Advocacy for Youth and Children

• The Church and TBLG (Transgender, Bisexual, Les-bian and Gay) Youth

• Outreach As Youth Ministry• Teambuilding Activities for Youth Groups• MDGs/Local: Children in Poverty in Michigan

Called to Advocacy and Mission• MDGs/Global: Women and the MDGs• MDGs/Local: The Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initia-

tive (MPRI)• MDGs/Global: Global Action on Extreme Poverty• The Challenges AheadBringing New Life to Liturgy

• Deacons in the Liturgy• Say Amen: Somebody• Eucharistic trade secrets from Diocesan Altar Guild• Planning a Bilingual Liturgy

Ministry of Money

• Teens, Consumerism and Values• Climbing the Stewardship Mountain• Marketing and evangelism on a shoestringCare of the Soul

• Pastoral Care in Tender Moments• The Pastoral Caregiver: Care & Feeding• Praying with Body, Mind and Spirit• Spiritual Discernment in Later Years• Exploring your Spiritual JourneyAdult Formation

• History, Structure and Governance of the Episcopal

Church, Parts One and Two• “The purity code, the Good News, and its implica-

tions for Christian ethics• Deacon Formation ProgramDeveloping Leadership Skills

• A Workshop for Clergy• Sizing up the Work of the Vestry• Leadership Development ProgramPrevention Training

• Safeguarding God’s Children• Sexual Exploitation and Harassment Prevention

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Escanaba in Love

Page 4 Upcoming St. Paul's ActivitiesThe 4Fs “Taking Care of Ourselves

& Others”

By Nancy Sheldon

The 4 F’s meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of eachmonth for12 noon Eucharist,12:30 p.m. lunch, 1:00 Bi-ble Study and the program from1:15 – 2 p.m.

May 12

Year-end picnic with participants giving a brief reviewof the one or two of their favorite books that wouldmake for good summer reading

By Millie Erickson, Vestry

“The Gathering,” a social groupof St. Paul’s parishioners has a special theater nightplanned for Saturday May 10.

The evening starts with hearty hors d’oervres at thehome of Sally and Don Lawrence at 6 p.m. The festivi-ties continue at the BoarsHead Theater at 8 p.m. withthe uproariously funny “Escanaba in Love” by JeffDaniels. This prequel to Escanaba in da Moonlight tellsthe love story of Yoopers Albert Soady Jr.’s and BigBetty Baloo.

The cost of tickets is $18 and we ask you to bringhearty appetizer to share. We hope you will sign upoutside the Merrifield Room and join us for this fun-filled evening.

Graduation Sunday

By The Rev. Ronald C. Byrd, Sr.

As is our custom, we will honor our high school, collegeand advanced-degree graduates on Sunday June 1.At 9 a.m., the Vestry will provide a breakfast for thehigh school graduates and their families. During the 10a.m. Eucharist, there will be a short ceremony andgraduates will be presented with a small gift from thecongregation.

Members or relatives of parishioners graduating thisyear are asked to contact the parish office and pro-vide the name of the institution and date of gradua-tion.

UTO

By Nancy Milne

T he next United Thank

Offering collection willbe Sunday, May 11. Enve-lopes will be available on

both that Sunday and the Sunday before, May 4.For those of you who are traditionalists and put inyour pennies of thanksgiving throughout the year,the boxes will be collected at that time as well.

At least three-quarters of the money collectedstays in the U.S. The UTO board metes out thegrants with special attention to the disadvantagedwithin the diocesan mission strategy. The grantsare usually fairly small and some are used to pro-

vide services to smaller churches, such as getting aleaky roof replaced, plumbing repairs or buildinga handicapper access. All of the funds must bespent within a year.

If you are feeling particularly thankful, pleasemake a contribution to the UTO on May 11, andwe will be grateful to you.

By The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

O n Saturday, May 9, Bishop Wendell N.Gibbs, Jr. will visit Lansing for the purpose of

Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation. TheService will be held at St. Michael’s in south Lans-ing and will be open to all who have been suffi-ciently instructed. This service begins at 10:30a.m.

Confirmation is the sacramental rite available toall persons who have been baptized as childrenand now want to have that rite of initiation af-firmed by the bishop with the laying on of hands.

Reception is the rite of initiation that is availablefor all persons who have had their infant baptismaffirmed by a bishop in another denominationand now want to make a statement of their inten-tion to be a sacramental part of the EpiscopalChurch. Finally, Reaffirmation is the occasion thatmany Episcopalians take to restate their faith asChristians. If you would like to participate in anyof these rites, please contact the front office orone of the clergy.

Confirmation

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Page 5Upcoming St. Paul's Activities

Miss Baylie Sanchez is going toSan Antonio, Texas


Baylie Sanchez’s application has been acceptedby the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan and Bayliewill represent St. Paul’s and Diocese of Michigan,along with several other youth from across thediocese at this year’s Tri-annual Episcopal YouthConference (EYC) in San Antonio Texas, July 8 – July 13.

The EYC brings together over 1500 youth fromacross the Episcopal Church USA for a week oflearning, music, worship, prayer and of course,fun. “EYC serves as a celebration to inspire adeeper faith in Jesus Christ, and a renewed com-mitment to mission and ministry.” (YAYA Diocese ofMichigan)

Congratulations Baylie!

Men Golfers!!!

By William H. Fineout, Diaconal Candidate

Don’t hesitate any longer. The St. Paul’s Men’s Golf League wants you! Sign up with Jim

Huber or the church office immediately. This year’s Men’s League will again play atGroesbeck Golf Course in Lansing. Play will begin at about 3:30 p.m. on Thursdays, withopening night scheduled for May 8. If you have a partner in mind, let us know that infor-mation as well. Everyone is welcome to play. As we have observed in the past, skill is nota prerequisite. Just ask the diaconal candidate, Bill Fineout, who will collect your leaguefees this year.

2nd Annual Sunday Service and Picnic in the Park

Millie Ericson, Parish Life Committee

At 10 a.m. on June 8, 2008, we will meet at North Lake Lansing Park for the

2nd Annual Sunday Service and Picnic in the Park. This outdoor service will re-place the usual 10 a.m. service at St. Paul’s, although the 8 a.m. service will beheld at the church as usual.

A signup sheet will be available soon outside the Merrifield Room. The ParishLife Committee encourages you to join the festivities and sign up to bring oneof the following: potato salad, baked beans, green salad, fruit dish, or dessert.

Hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks and picnic ware will be provided. Fun for the afternoon will be offered by theYouth Christian Ed. Committee and the Youth Group who will be organizing games for all to play. Watch theSunday Bulletins and the June issue of SPN for a map and directions to the site.

St Aelred’s Guild…offers spiritual friendship tomembers of our congregation in time of needthrough notes, visitation, prayer list management,Eucharistic visits, celebration of births and mar-riages, as well as phone calls to shut-ins. St Paul’swould like to know when one of our parishioners isin the hospital, is unable to come to church, hasbeen moved to a special care facility or just mightappreciate a card or visit to let them know we arethinking about them and praying for them. Pleasepick up a form for this special ministry at the Wel-

come Table after church or call Kathleen in the of-fice at 482-9454. All parishioners are welcome tojoin us in this Ministry the Third Wednesday ofeach month from 5:00 – 5:30 PM in the Van AttaRoom.

St. Aelred’s Guild

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Page 6

ï ï ï ï ï ïï ï ïï ïïïï ï ï ï ïï ïï ï ï ïï ïïïï ïSt. Paul's News

St. Paul’s Prayer ListWe pray for those who are sick and in need: Cindy Robinson, Richard, Audrie & Aaron

Hegmon, Shelley Robinson, Grady & Dennis Letner, Clara Voges, Mason Hill, Lois

Caswell, June Wyatt, Dick Siebert, Carol, Judith Jones, Becky Chamberlain, Nancy His-

coe Clark, Charles Weaver, Ben Herbert, Chance Collins, Caroline Thomas and her fam-ily, Betty Jensen, Dan Heany, Mary Ann Kelley, Ed Farmer, Ed Jones, Justin, Elizabeth,

Barb Hacker, Andrew Astley, Michael Skinner, Ginny Bancroft, Darrick, Chris, Tom,

Cheryl, Patricia Utter, Marjorie Belles, Edith Self, Cal, Christopher, Carrie, Sally, Kathryn

& Elizabeth Senko, Daphne Such, Aleda, Rina Rister, Barb Powers, Pam Lacey, Dave, Anne Ross, Skip &

Marsha Macholz, Patricia Reno, Linda, Walt Naumer, Chuck Buck, Rick Edwards, and Clem Laurion.

We pray for and remember those in the Military, serving in dangerous areas: Daniel Reno, Daniel Laurion,

David Granger, Bill Sheldon

We pray for Fr. Gordon Weller and his wife, Linda, while they are absent from St. Paul’s during Fr. Weller’ssabbatical

We pray for those expecting: Kym & Matt Hall and Andrea Horton

We pray for and celebrate the birth of Lillian Maria Bott daughter of Rachel and Jeff Bott

We pray for and celebrate the marriage of Charles Buck and Mary Lindquist

We pray for those who have died and for their families: Hugh Clarke, Sr., Margie Matthews, and Donald H.

Dewey

Prayer List

The St. Paul’s chapter of Prayers and Squares presented two quilts for blessing and prayers on March 9. The

quilts were blessed at the 8 a.m. service. After both the 8 and 10 a.m. services, the quilts were available in thecloister for parishioners to say prayers while tying a knot in the quilts.

I was the recipient of one of those quilts. After St. Paul’s parishioners prayed and tied knots, friends took thequilt to two schools where I used to work and also to a quilt group where more knots were tied and prayerswere offered. My family also had an opportunity to tie and pray.

I brought the quilt with me to the Ingham Regional Medical Center on the morning of March 14. It covered mewhile I waited in the pre-op area and until I was moved to surgery. My family held the prayer quilt andplaced it over me immediately after my open-heart surgery.

The quilt covered me all during my hospital stay and still covers me while I recuperate at home. I feel asthough I was and am still truly covered, surrounded by prayer. My surgery was successful even with an unex-pected tear in the aorta. I truly believe that the prayers surrounding me guided the hands of the doctors and

medical staff toward the positive outcome of the surgery. I feel blessed to have been the recipient of a prayerquilt. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the parishioners of St. Paul’s who prayed for me.

Please support the new Prayers and Squares ministry at St. Paul’s. It is not necessary to know how to sew. Thereare many ways that each of you can help. Please contact MaryLea Benson to volunteer.

I Was Covered with Prayers

By Sally Boron

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Page 7

News from the Vestry Financial Information as of March 31, 2008

By Jeff Irwin

We are a quarter of the way through 2008 and total pledge income was $77,003 which is nearly 26% of the

budget.

Operations had a loss for the month of March of $10,683 which brings the year to date operations loss to$29,187. Contributing to the loss was a large utility bill of $5,786.

Through March 31, 2008 the used book sale generated $1,728.00 for the benefit of Episcopal Relief and De-velopment (ERD).

Through March 31 the designated and restricted funds had net revenue of $556. However, in April we will looksignificantly better because we received $53,360 from the Lucille Penniman Trust in early April. Per vestry pol-icy $48,024 (90%) has been transferred to the Perpetual Fund and $5,336 (10%) to the Mission and Outreachfund.

Additionally, in March the estate of Alice Hand made a $5,000 contribution to the church. Again $4,500 (90%)

has been transferred to the Perpetual Fund and $500 (10%) to the Mission and Outreach fund.

The combined net loss of the church at March 31 was $28,631. As of March 31 it has been necessary to with-draw a total of $20,000 from the Perpetual Fund in order to make payroll and pay outstanding bills.

At the March 18, 2008 vestry meeting the vestry approved $50,000 for future withdraws from the PerpetualFund as is needed

At the April 15th meeting of the vestry at St. Paul'syour vestry:

• Shared in devotions led by Fr. Ron Byrd• Approved a bid from All Terrain Alterations, Inc.

for the separation of the downspouts on the eastand west sides of the parish house from the sani-tary storm sewer (as required by the City of Lans-ing) and another bid from All Terrain for recon-struction of the catch basin riser in the rear park-ing lot between the ramp and our entrance.

• Approved a bid to shorten two pews in the churchto accommodate wheel chair access.

• Received the March 2008 financial reports (foundelsewhere in this issue).

• Discussed the possibility of working with the Visi-

tors & Convention Bureau to rent our facility.• Signed up to assist in the parish clean up day and

to serve as greeters at the Ministry Fair.• Heard that Mark Doyal is preparing a proposal

to redo the Web site and to assist in the designof a welcoming brochure.

• Received committee reports.•

Heard about the plans for the Ascension Day din-ner for the parish on May 1st.• Approved a plan for St. Paul's to assist the Pines

Health Care Center in establishing a chapel intheir facility.

• Were reminded that Jo Ganzer will visit St. Paul'son Sunday the 20th and that confirmation will beheld May 10th, 10 a.m. at St. Michael's.

• Heard from the Charlie Krupka, Sr. Warden thatthere are some maintenance issues around thefacility and they will need to be addressed soon.

• Discussed recycling at St. Paul's.• Learned that Fr. Byrd hopes to attend the 8th

annual Black Clergy Conference planned for Oc-tober in New Orleans.

• Received a written report from Bill Fineout.• Closed the meeting with prayer

Vestry Highlights

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St. Paul's NewsPage 8

Our Book Group Still Meeting

By Sue Millar

The parish’s response to the January book-read experience organized by the Parish Life Committee indicatedboth an interest in the chosen book (The Worst Hard Times) and a desire to meet with other parishioners, per-haps making new friends in the process. The project was so successful that our group decided to continue meet-ing. We are officially “The Greater Shaftsbury Reading Group” and have a place on Schuler’s table showcas-ing several such groups. It should be obvious by the name that we don’t take ourselves too seriously.

But we do take our reading seriously. Our first choice following The Worst Hard Times was Mountains Beyond

Mountains, describing the amazing work and dedication of Paul Farmer, a doctor working primarily in Haitiaddressing the health needs of the very poor. Since our parish has committed to supporting a water project inHaiti, this book may be of some interest to others.

The next choice, Al Gore’s book Assault on Reason, describes his deep concern over the state of communication


Prayers You Can Feel!

By MaryLea Benson

Ever wondered what a prayer feels like; what it would feel like to

wrap yourself in prayers? St. Paul’s has started a prayer ministry inconjunction with Prayers & Squares International. This ministry is aboutthe “gift” of prayers through the tangible form of a quilt and is for thewhole church, young, old and in-between; men, women and children;people who sew, those that don’t and even those how might want tolearn.

The basis for the Prayer Quilt ministry is to give persons who are in need physically, spiritually or emotionallya gift of God’s prayer in which to wrap themselves. As of April 14, three quilts have been gifted to parishion-ers: Kaema Amachree, Sally Boron and Linda Weller. You can read Sally’s “thank you” elsewhere in this issueof SPN.

The ministry is looking for the assistance of good men, women and children to help out. Time and talent areneeded for washing, ironing, cutting and sewing the material for the tops and backs. And yes, your treasure isalso needed to help purchase items are not donated.

Donations in the form of fabric remnants at least 3 inches wide by 7 ½ inches long, get well cards or a sewingmachine in working condition will also be cheerfully accepted.

The ministry works on three “Commandments”

1. The Prayers & Squares motto is, “It’s not about the quilt; it’s all about the prayers.” The purpose of theministry is to promote an active prayer life among the participants, not just to make and give away quilts.

2. We must ASK before we give the gift of a prayer quilt as surprises are not appropriate. Ask if the personto receive the quilt will accept your gift of prayer, ask what they would like you to pray for and ask whatinformation about their situation may be shared with others.

3. The ministry does not accept any form of payment for a prayer quilt; it is a gift of love and prayer whichcannot be bought or sold. Those who request or receive prayer quilts must not be made to feel obligatedto Prayers & Squares in any way.

Look for the box of quilt “wishes” to choose from for those who would like to like to participate by donatingmaterials or would like to volunteer in some way.

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Page 9

It’s hard to believe that the year is beginning to wind down already, but June 1 will be the last Sunday that

choristers will vest until next September. The year-end schedule looks like this:

Sunday, May 11

Cherubs and Boys’ and Grace Choir will sing for Mothers’ Day. Cherubs in Second Grade will move up

to Boys’ and Grace Choir during the service and will be presented with a vestment.

Wednesday, May 14

Last Family Night/Rehearsals for Cherubs, Boys’ and Grace, and High School Choirs. (England choris-

ters will continue to meet at their usual time on Wednesdays through June 4.)

Sunday, May 18

Choir Recognition Dinner (which will be an all-parish brunch sponsored by the England choristers) and

Awards Presentation (to follow the brunch). This will also be the last Sunday that members of Boys’ andGrace Choirs will vest until next fall.

Wednesday, May 21

Choir Picnic (for members of Cherubs and Boys’ and Grace Choirs) at Patriarche Park in East Lansing,

beginning at 5:00 p.m.

Thank you so much for your dedicated work throughout the year. Your ministry of singing has blessed the wor-ship community on Sunday mornings in many ways. Your gift of time and talent is greatly appreciated!

Choir Newsletter and Dates to Remember

By Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music

May 4 High School; Chancel

May 11 Cherubs, Boys’ and Grace, High School, Chancel



June 1 (Graduation Sunday) High School; Chancel

Singing Schedule

Date Choirs

St. Paul's Choirs

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Page 10 St. Paul’s Youth Ministry Youth Ministry Articles Provided in Collaboration By:

Youth Ministry Articles Provided in Collaboration By:Youth Christian Education and Youth Fellowship Chairperson, Kelly Gmazel

Youth Group Executive Council President, Steven KariukiYouth Group Coordinator, Barbara Heany

Youth Group Advisor, Tom Foltz Acolyte Guild, Directors Patricia Bellinger & Carol Sleight

The Rev. Ronald C. Byrd, Sr., Curate

Upcoming Youth Events:

May 4 Closing Picnic 12 pm to 4 p.m. at Pot-ters Park, with Caroline Thomas

Service Project Completed

By Margaret Kariuki

On March 2, St. Paul's youth group cleaned thechurch nave. Mrs. Heany provided the sponges,wash clothes, buckets, and wood polish. YouthGroup members washed, polished and restockedthe pews with hymnals, bibles, and prayer books.Some people went around and put pledge cardsfor money in the pews, too. When we were all

done the church looked great and had afresh lemon smell. Great effort was put in to cleanthe church nave. I thank all the helpers that tooktime to make our church nice. We enjoyed helpingkeep our church clean!

A Box City Experience

Inclement weather may have foiled our plans to sleepoutdoors in cardboard boxes however it did notdampen the spirit and focus of the night for the nineyouth who participated in St. Paul’s Box City on April11-12. The evening was filled with eye-opening infor-mation, life-learning experiences, creative team effort,

and I think all would agree good fun.

Box City was not a typical youth lock-in. From begin-ning to end the focus was on the complexities andmagnitude of issues which confront homeless peopledaily. The evening kicked off with a presentation byLansing Rescue Mission Executive Director, Mark Crissfollowed by a testimonial given by Joe, a previouslyhomeless man who is now the Operations Coordinatorof Lansing Rescue Mission. It concluded SaturdayMorning with an eye-opening tour of the Lansing Res-cue Mission located on Michigan Avenue. During the16 hour event the group used their ingenuity and

creativity to design cardboard box homes worthy of

inviting a very special guest (Rev. 3:20); experienceda soup-kitchen style meal; combined team effort in ascriptural scavenger hunt and participated in an inspir-ing and moving closing Eucharist.

Once again, the youth group would like to thank eve-

ryone for your prayers and support throughout thismission outreach project. Thanks to your generous giv-ing we were able to collect $500 for the Lansing Res-cue Mission which is presently renovating the formerMaplewood Elementary School into a shelter forwomen and children.

We hope that you will find an opportunity to ask oneof our youth group participants about their Box Cityexperience. Our participants were AJ and DanielFletcher, Drew and Anna Krupka, Tommy Gut, StevenWalker (who brought friend Daniel Andrews), Marga-ret Kariuki and Maggie McDaniel.

Looking for a Babysitter?

By Courtney Irwin

If you are looking for a babysitter, Daniel Crabtree,Anna Krupka, Courtney Irwin, Drew Krupka, MargaretKariuki and Steven Walker all took the babysittingtraining program from the Red Cross. On SaturdayMay 10 special rates will be provided for church mem-bers that are planning to attend the Parish Life spon-sored Spring Theater Outing to BoarsHead. Please

feel free to contact anyone of these certified babysit-ters directly if you need a babysitter

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Recognition Sunday


The last day for St. Paul’s church school this yearwill be Sunday May 18. We will be recognizingall of the teachers who have worked so hard pre-paring and nourishing our children in their Chris-tian journey. We have a wonderful group ofteachers who regularly sacrifice their time, talentand personal treasure towards ensuring our chil-dren healthy spiritual growth in the Christian val-ues we all hold dearly. Please mark your calen-dars for this important day when we say thankyou to our Sunday school teachers for their love,care and Christian instruction to kids.

The Youth Christian Education and FellowshipCommittee is also in the process of planning nextyear’s Sunday school program. It is our hope torecruit a few more teachers and substitute teach-ers. Please consider offering your gift to God, bygiving a gift to God’s children. The committee willconvene on Sunday May 4 at 9 a.m. to discuss thisyear’s Vacation Bible School program and nextyear’s Sunday school curriculum and staffing con-cerns. (Committee members please note date andtime change.) If you are interested in becoming aSunday school teacher/substitute or would like tooffer suggestions or comments please contact Fr.Ron or Kelly Gamazel

Calling All Heroes!

By Carol Laub

Ahoy, ye good-hearted pirates! All hands on deck for a whale of a good

time as the "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything-A VeggiTales VBS" docks atSt. Paul's from June 23-27. Kids from age three to fifth grade are invited fora fun-filled week exploring what it means to be a true hero for God. Ourtravels center around the verse of the week: "I can do all things through Christbecause he gives me strength," Philippians 4:13. Our crews will launch theirday with the Yo-ho-ho opening show where we will sing lively songs, view amovie clip, learn our daily Bible theme (e.g., true heroes do the right thing),and participate in skits. Then we will sail on to adventures in The SpyglassBible Theater, Whipcrack Island Games, Rock Monster Science Lab, ClappingRock Crafts and Cheesecurl Cave Snacks. To book your spot on our crew, callthe church office (482-9454), fill out a registration form or contact Carol Laub (349-5149) with questions. Toenlist as part of our seaworthy crew (volunteers), look for inserts in the church bulletin.

Page 11St. Paul’s Youth Ministry

St. Paul’s Easter Egg Hunt

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Mission & OutreachACTION of Greater Lansing

By William H. Fineout, Diaconal Candidate

Last year, St. Paul’s was an active member of AC-

TION, a justice ministry coalition in Ingham County. Thisyear the St. Paul’s justice ministry team has been evenmore involved, helping with research on the 2008topic, equitable housing. Parish members, Sue LeDuc,

Fred and Terry Junger, Dorothy Marsh, Brad Dea-

con, and Ed and Pat Meier are a few of those whohave been attending the meetings and asking the im-portant questions.

A final report, which include suggestions for the pro-jects emphasis and a plan for implementation, will bepresented at the ACTION Rally, on Monday, May 5,at 6:30 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church in East

Lansing. On Monday, May 19, the 2008 ACTION planwill be presented to the appropriate community lead-ers at the Nehemiah Action Assembly to be held atUnion Missionary Baptist Church, 6:30 p.m.

These two meeting are where the St. Paul’s justice min-istry team and the Mission & Outreach committeewould like your support. We are asking you to attendboth the Rally and the Assembly meetings. Last yearmore than 400 people from 12 churches (37 personsfrom St. Paul’s or nearly 10% of the total) attendedthe Assembly. The more people that attend from ourParish, the more we demonstrate our commitment to

justice to our community leaders. We encourage youto, Stand up and be counted!

I encourage you to mark your calendars today. You

will not be asked for a donation, just your presence.Your attendance will make a public statement aboutthe importance of equitable housing in our community.Each of these ACTION events is exciting and enjoy-able. Being united with like-minded churches, in thename of Christ, working for justice is a wonderful andfulfilling way to spend a couple spring evenings. Youcan car pool, drive alone, or let a member of the Mis-sion and Outreach Committee know if you need aride.

For two nights this spring, it is crucial that we join our“St. Paul’s” voices with those of the other member

churches and fulfill our covenant with Christ while let-ting Greater Lansing know we care and are willing towork for our community.

Rally - Monday, May 5, 6:30 p.m.All Saints Episcopal Church800 Abbott Rd. (across from the Hannah CommunityCenter)East Lansing

Nehemiah Action Assembly - Monday, May 19,6:30 p.m.Union Missionary Baptist Church

500 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.Lansing

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Mission & Outreach Activities:

Where is Christ calling you to help others?

May 1

• Ascension Day Outreach Dinner/Eucharist

May 3

• Ministry Fair for the Diocese of Michigan – At St.

Paul’s; see article on page 3 for Workshop overview

May 5

• ACTION – Rally, 6:30 p.m. All Saints, E. Lansing

May 11

• UTO Ingathering

May 12, 7pm

• LAEP (Lansing Area Episcopal Projects) Mtg. St

David’s

May 19

•

ACTION – Nehemiah Action Assembly, 6:30 p.m.Union

May—December

• Water for Life and Heifer International

Check the newsletter articles and the Sunday BulletinAnnouncements for additional details and informa-tion.

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work was the time I spent in the presence of God’s peace.

It was always easy to feel and taste God’s peace when I traveled down route 7, because the road that I trav-eled included beautiful scenery and a serene majesty. You see, as I would look out of my window, on one side I

could see the magnificent Adirondack Mountains and the sixth largest Lake in country, Lake Champlain. Whenlooking out my other window, sitting less than ten feet from the road was the base of Vermont’s own GreenMountain chain. Irrespective of the weather, time of day or the season of the year, the mood and magnificenceof God’s peace would be consistently clear.

Sometimes God’s peace could be sensed in the majestic snowcapped mountains and the frozen lake occupiedby ice fishermen. At other times the presence of God’s peace would be revealed through my panoramic view ofsome of the most brilliant fall foliage colors the eyes could imagine. The array of stunning sunsets and fre-quently changing weather patterns would also tell of God’s peaceful presence.

In the beauty of God’s creation I was and continue to be reminded of God’s presence with us. In the Glory ofGod’s masterful work I can always feel and taste the peace of God, and it is in this everyday experience, Ifind and feel Easter. Easter, although only recognized on our liturgical calendar for fifty days, is an everydayexperience, exemplified in the peace of God’s presence. Regardless of weather, time of day or the season of

the year, we are Easter people, being in spiritual communion with Christ, vestured by the peace of God’s pres-ence.

During this season of Easter, and always, my hope for every one of you is that you may taste and feel the fra-grance and peace of our living God, given to us in the breath of the Holy Spirit, through the death and resur-rection of our Savior Jesus the Christ. Jesus said, “Peace be with you, peace I leave with you, my own peace Igive to you.” Taste and feel God’s peace, a peace which surrounds us and invites our understanding and wit-

ness.

(Continued from “Peace Be With You,” page 1)

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St. Paul’s News

cinnati, flowing out from and bringing people into the Cathedral.

Dean Lind believes that this radical hospitality functions as an operating principle, as a way of being the church.

It is hopeful and reflects openness. With such hospitality and openness as our guide, we discover God’s abun-dance, and additionally are led to care for God’s created world. She suggests that we consider the earth ourhome, not a hotel. Sabbath practice and honoring elders soon becomes a part of this “operating principle.” Thisway of living brings stability in our world that knows primarily transience. She sees this path as leading us tostand before the cross, an expression of incarnational living when we experience brokenness and inter-connection.

This opening of our hearts and our churches creates excitement and engagement with others, offering people“what they are hungry for.” Dean Lind encourages us to be “peace-willed” and to remember that we are“knitting things together” while we seek diversity rather than sameness.

Next month I plan to write Part 2 as I seek to follow the Bishop’s suggestion.

Greg Wortley also heard the Saturday presentation and he shares the following observations that help ex-

pand my summary.

“Dean Lind had various ways of characterizing her “piazza,” or, ”living at the crossroads,“ metaphor for the lifeof faith. She stated it’s “living like a house with doors wide open,“ being open and welcoming to the stranger.She stated it‘s “living a life of stability amongst all that is transient about us,” being a fixed presence amidst theflux of life. She stated it’s “standing as reconciling agent within the rich mix of our society,” being a centeringpresence amongst the wide diversity of life. And furthermore, she stated that it’s not just a matter of seeingChrist in others, but of deliberately seeking out and actively greeting that Christ in all persons we encounter inthe thick, “the crossroads” of our daily living. No matter how she explained it, though, I found it all highly in-structive, both in terms of how I personally can live out my faith as I step into the world each day, as well as howwe corporately at St. Paul’s can live out our faith amidst the rich mix of the greater Lansing community eachday. Dean Lind was truly thought provoking and inspirational!”

(Continued from “Honoring the Bishop’s Request,” page 1)

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St. Paul’s News Available On Line

By Lyn Zynda, Layout Editor

The staff of St. Paul’s News makes every effort to assure you receive each monthly issue well before the firstof the month. Christine Caswell, editor and I browbeat the writers to get their articles in on time, we oftenwork late into the night to get the material edited and formatted, and Kathleen Johnson, Vivian Toomey

and the other worker-bees in the office work diligently to get each issue printed, addressed and off to thePost Office in plenty of time for early delivery. Unfortunately, this is where the delay occurs.

The Post Office has the option to delay the distribution of non-profit bulk mail by up to four days which is whysome people get their newsletters on time and some people don’t. Very annoying, especially when there areactivities during the early days of the month.

However, there is some good news and a solution of sorts. For those of you with internet access, the newsletteris available at our web site: www.stpaulsnews.org. Our apologies to our readers who aren't yet connected.We will continue to do our utmost assure your issue arrives in a timely manner.

in our country. Because of the influence of radio and particularly with the impact of television, participation inour local and national governing process has moved from being participatory with the citizens maintaining asense of empowerment and involvement, to the present circumstances when communication is passive with littlefree exchange of opinion and ideas. Gore sees this as a serious threat to our democracy as he spells out howwe got to where we are. He does, however, end on a note of hope.

Our current selection is Jim Wallis’ newest book, The Great Awakening. He describes in compelling languagehow our faith commitment requires energetic response and engagement in today’s world. As our parish familycurrently focuses on responding to the MDGs, Wallis’s prophetic message fits well.

If you are interested in joining us, see Terry or Fred Junger at the 8 a.m. service or me at the 10 a.m. Youwould be most welcome. Thanks to the Parish Life Committee for getting our group launched.

(Continued from “Our Book Club’s Still Meeting,” page 8)

St. Paul’s NewsPage 14

St. Paul’s Altar Guild Prepares Palms

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The St. Paul’s News is a publication of St. Paul’s EpiscopalChurch, Lansing Michigan.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Staff

The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon Weller, Rector

The Rev. Ronald C. Byrd, Sr., Curate

Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music

Mr. William H. Fineout, Diaconate Candidate

Ms. Mary Rodeck, Assistant Minister of Music

Ms. Kathleen Johnson, Office Manager

St. Paul’s News Editorial Staff

Christine Caswell, Editor

Helen Hiscoe, Proofreader

Tom Shawver, Staff Writer

Lyn Zynda, Layout Editor

Documents

St. Paul's News - May, 2008