The Red Door

DECEMBER 2012 News of the people and ministries of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Sanibel, FL

MESSAGE FROM THE RECTOR

Dear Friends in Christ,

Tuesday’s “Science Times” never lets me down. Not a week passes

without some fascinating piece of research or discovery or other earthly

(or unearthly) illumination! Last week I read that crickets and

grasshoppers are having a pretty hard time living in urban areas. It seems

that the excessive noise level from highway traffic has forced them to

change their whole way of communicating with one another - especially

their attempts to send love songs to prospective mates. The article was

entitled “Love Songs Adapted for the Rush Hour” and the latest research

explained that road noises “can mask the grasshoppers’ and crickets’

signals.” The study stated further that this increase of human “noise” is

having a steady negative impact not only on crickets and grasshoppers

but also on the songs of birds and frogs. Their unique and beautiful ways

of interacting seem to be getting drowned out by all of our hectic, fast-

paced, got-to-get-there way of living. I guess the good news is that these

little creatures adapt, they still communicate......they just sing their love

songs in a different key, and the cycle of nature goes on.

Our cycle of liturgical life goes on as well as we enter into the season of

Advent on Dec. 2 – another opportunity to reflect, another opportunity to

take stock of our soul, another church season to strengthen our

relationship to God in Christ. But how to do it! How to prepare for

Christmas in the midst of so much noise! The cacophony of television

and radio ads, pop-ups on our e-mails, strident secular Christmas songs

blasting in big-box stores. It’s a wonder that the “noise” of the urgency of

Christmas shopping doesn’t adversely affect the human brain. And what

about our love songs – to God and one another – our communicative

ways of compassion, empathy, and care? How do we prepare for the

renewal of Christ in our lives at Christmas with the noise of the

marketplace? How will we continue to sing our love songs?

Thomas Merton felt very pulled and pushed by the world and its

busyness and accompanying noise – so much so at one point that he had

to retreat into solitude in a monastery. However, his retreat to find

solitude was never an escape from life, never a total retreat from the

world. Merton knew in his deepest heart that his solitude with God was

only a way – the only way for him – to reflect and renew and reenergize

his soul in order to go back out into the world to do Christ’s work. He

wrote, “We need to protect our spirits from the ambushes of busyness

and schedules.”

[Continues on next page]

Holy Eucharist Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

Sunday at 8:00 & 10:30 a.m.

Morning Prayer Tuesday at 9:00 a.m.

Healing Eucharist Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.

Wednesday Evening Worship 5:00 p.m.

Potluck Supper December 5th

5:30 p.m.

Christmas Eve Services Monday, December 24th

5:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.

Christmas Day Service Tuesday, December 25th

10:00 a.m.

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[Rector’s Message continued]

The commandment to love our neighbor is our call

to do Christ's work in the world – our call to sing

love songs to one another. It may be difficult to

warble in the midst of the ambushes of this season

or because someone who's hurt you is so very hard

to love. If you're having trouble "adapting," find

some quiet and solitude each day during Advent -

even ten minutes will do it - and you will find the

grace to love your neighbor in a different key.

Blessings, Ellen

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

Worship Services We invite you to join us for one or more of our

special Christmas services this year as we celebrate

the birth of Christ together as a Saint Michael’s

family.

The 5:00 p.m. Eucharist on Christmas Eve –

will be filled with Christmas carols, a children’s

procession with animals for the manger, and much

music, candlelight, and joy. Please know that all

children and youths are invited to this service –

whether they live here or are visiting for the

holidays – we invite them to be in our procession!

(We’ll be forming that about 4:45)

The 8:00 p.m. Eucharist on Christmas Eve –

will be our traditional Eucharist also with carols,

music, prayer, and refreshments following.

The 10:00 a.m. Eucharist on Christmas Day –

Join us for inspiring and uplifting music and joyful

prayer and communion together as we gather to

celebrate the birth of Christ.

“A stable lamp is lighted

Whose glow shall wake the sky;

The stars shall bend their voices,

And every stone shall cry.

And straw like gold shall shine;

A barn shall harbor heavens,

A stall becomes a shrine.”

10th Anniversary of Ordination Come join us as we celebrate the 10

th Anniversary

of The Rev. Dr. Ellen M. Sloan’s ordination.

Sunday, December 9th

3:30 p.m.

Front of Church on Periwinkle (Please use the Dunlop entrance to enter/exit)

Christmas Sing-Along

Tuesday, December 11th 1:15 p.m.

Shell Point Pavilion Everyone in the parish is invited to join us in the

lobby of the Pavilion to sing carols and seasonal

songs to the residents. This has become quite the

tradition. Singing ability not necessary (but

appreciated) as our friends and

neighbors at Shell Point enjoy the

entertainment. This annual event

is a wonderful way to share our

joy with so many people who are

alone or ill during the Advent

Season. Come one, come all!

Music News Advent brings new anthems

for our worship. The season of expectation brings A

Shoot Shall Come Forth out of Jesse. Richard Horn is the composer of this song new to

the choir. We will also sing the well-known O Jesus, Grant me Hope and Comfort by

the German composer Johann Franck (no relation to the French organ composer). Bonnie Duckworth of North Carolina

writes Come, Dear Christ, Your World Awaits, last Advent anthem.

During the Christmas season we will sing carols by John Joubert, a South African

composer, Michael Praetorius and Felix Mendelssohn.

3

Save the Date “Rachel Carson

Distinguished Lecture” Join us for a poetic evening

with Pulitzer Prize and

National Book Award

winner Mary Oliver as she

reads from a new collection

of her poetry, A Thousand

Mornings, during the Rachel

Carson Distinguished

Lecture February 8, 2013 at

7:30 p.m. at St. Michael &

All Angels Episcopal Church on Sanibel. The

Lecture is the signature event of Florida Gulf Coast

University’s Center for Environmental and

Sustainability Education. FGCU and church

participants are excited to invite Oliver back after

last’s year’s Lecture was cancelled due to her

serious illness. Her poetry reading will be held in

the sanctuary and followed by a book signing.

The Center will also hold its Ninth Annual

Fundraising Celebration the following evening,

Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

at the Sanibel Island beachfront home of Peter and

Mallory Haffenreffer. The lecture is free and open

to the public, but seats will be reserved for

contributors to the Fundraising Celebration.

For more information on these events, please call

Center Director Peter Blaze Corcoran at (239)

590-7166 or visit the Center at www.fgcu.edu/cese.

Mission Fair 2012

a Huge Success! Special thanks to the St. Michael's Outreach

Ministry for its planning and efforts to host the

Mission Fair this year. Over twenty agencies and

organizations from the Ft. Myers and Sanibel area

were invited to take part as parishioners learned

more about how to volunteer and give of

themselves. Some wonderful connections were

made as well!

Youth Group Helps

to Raise the Roof! Please help our kids as they do their part to

renovate/build our St. Michael's home for Habitat.

During each of the weekend services in Advent,

they will be "selling" hammers, nails, light bulbs,

doorknobs - you name it - all to go toward our Raise

the Roof effort! When you purchase one of these

many things, a Christmas ornament will be put on

the Angel Tree in the Parish Hall. Let's make it

FULL of decorations!

Anna Kjoller and Emma Neill

sell ornaments to Nannette Marciano.

(Michael & Sean O’Brien sold ornaments on Saturday night.)

Ellen Trevor represents CCMI at the Mission Fair

Ellen and Carol Daniels visit the ECHO table at the Mission Fair

Photo by Rob Howard

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New St. Michael's

Youth Minister The Rector takes great pleasure in appointing

Marvell Bradley as St. Michael's new Youth

Minister! Marvell is a freshman at Edison State

College and will work with Ellen in the planning of

all youth events this year. Our first gathering was

held in November as four teens joined us from the

Sanibel Congregational Church - making our total

about 14. We'll next meet on Dec. 4 (6:30-8:00) for

dinner, scripture discussion, and an exchange of

"crazy" gifts. (Place: Congregational Church on

Periwinkle)

Invitation for All Women of St. Michael’s to:

ECW’s Monthly Lunch of the 2012-2013 Season

Monday, December 10th

at 12:30 p.m.

The program will be “Laces of Love” presented by

Jeanne Nealon, the creator of “Laces of Love.” The

“admission fee” will be one pair of new sneakers

(any size) for school children from Lee and Collier

counties who are identified by their

school as needing new shoes. The

alternative for shoes would be a $10

or $15 donation. Christmas carols

will also be played by Hank Glass for all to sing.

Those who wish to join us for lunch must sign up in

advance in the church gallery or at Noah’s Ark by

December 6th

. Those who wish to attend only the

program may come at 1:15 p.m.

United Thank offering (UTO) ingathering took

place the weekend of November 10th

and 11th

. You

gave gifts of $3,114.00 for ministries in the USA

and around the world. Our UTO is one of the ways

we show our gratitude to God for our many

blessings and are willingness to share our

abundance with others.

Thank you all for your generous support. We

appreciate each and every gift.

Margery Almas, Chairwoman of UTO for ECW

Healing Ministry at

St. Michael's Remember that the healing process in each one of

us is an extraordinary and beautiful mixture of

spiritual, emotional, and physical factors, but that

the power of prayer is one of the most potent. We

invite you to step outside into the garden after

communion each Saturday and Sunday to be with

people who will pray with you and for you.

Whether you need healing for yourself or for

someone you love - or whether you would like to

offer thanksgiving to God for renewed health, we

will be there with you - in silence or in words.

Healing is not a new fad nor a process conceived of

in the 21st century. Healing, by Christ and his

followers, has been an intricate part of our heritage

for centuries. From the Letter of James: "Are any

among you suffering? They should pray. Are any

cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are

any among you sick? They should call for the

elders of the church and have them pray over

them...Pray for one another, so that you may be

healed." As a follower of Christ yourself, we invite

you to seek healing - even as you heal others with

your care and love.

Men’s Fellowship

Join together in fellowship, discussion

and prayer at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday,

December 11th

in the Parish Hall.

Light breakfast provided (7:15).

Walking Together through

the Bible

Join us on Thursdays, at 11:00, in the Parlor,

as we continue our Advent series of music

and scripture.

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Christmas Offering for

Habitat for Humanity

Donor Provides Matching Grant The Christmas offering will be dedicated to Habitat

for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties and this

year will be credited toward St. Michael’s

sponsorship of a Habitat house. An anonymous

donor has agreed to provide a matching grant of

$5,000. Thus, any donations you make at the

Christmas offering will be matched up to $5,000

and result in a 2 for 1 contribution. Checks

should be made out to St. Michael’s and write

Habitat in the memo line. Cash contributions will

also go to Habitat. We thank you in advance for

your generosity.

The house sponsored by St. Michael’s is located in

the Harlem Heights area of South Fort Myers, about

12 miles from our church. It is an existing house

that will be extensively rehabbed and will be known

as the “St. Michael’s House”.

Habitat for Humanity is a faith based organization

dedicated to follow God’s lead and partner with the

community to provide decent, affordable homes for

people in need so that they may build better lives

for their families

Parishioners wishing to learn more about the St.

Michael’s house sponsorship should look at the

display in the church gallery (at the parking lot

entrance). Information about how you can

participate as well as pictures of Habitat families

and volunteers are displayed.

The Sunday, December 9th

forum (at 9:30 a.m.) will

feature Katherine “Kitty” Green, President and

CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry

Counties. Kitty is a very dynamic speaker who

expresses her mission with energy and enthusiasm.

The forum is another step in building awareness for

the church sponsored project which will raise

$50,000 for a Habitat house, culminating in the

“Raise the Roof” celebration and fundraiser on

February 1, 2013 at the Community House. The

fundraiser portion will be a fun-filled live auction of

house parts with all proceeds dedicated to “St.

Michael’s House”.

If you have any questions, please call Bob

Syversen at (239) 945-0530.

Lines Written in the Days of Growing Darkness

(from Mary Oliver's A Thousand Mornings)

Every year we have been witness to it: how the world descends

Into a rich mash, in order that it may resume.

And therefore who would cry out

to the petals on the ground to stay; knowing as we must,

how the vivacity of what was is married

to the vitality of what will be? I don't say it's easy, but what else will do

if the love one claims to have for the world

be true? So let us go on, cheerfully enough,

this and every crisping day,

though the sun be swinging east, and the ponds be cold and black, and the sweets of the year be doomed. Special Note: Mary Oliver will be our guest at St.

Michael's at the Rachel Carson Lecture on February

8, 2012.

“Raise the Roof” Feb. 1, 2013

Join us for this festive evening at the Community

House as St. Michael’s raises money to build a

house for Habitat! As well as working toward this

goal, the evening will also be a time to gather

together to give thanks to God for all the blessings

in our lives. AND we’ll have some fun as well! If

you’d like to be part of planning this evening,

please call Phil Pilibosian (239) 410-3175.

6

Holiday Stress and Depression by Roberta Heller, RN, Parish Nurse

For many of us, the holidays become a time for

increased stress and depression. We find ourselves

on overload with an array of dizzying demands.

Some of us may be facing the holidays without a

loved one, without a job, changes in our family,

dealing with an addiction, or facing a change in our

own health status. All of these situations have the

potential for sadness or loneliness. “The biggest

stress is expectations – those that others have of us

and those we impose on ourselves,” says Mary Jo

Kreitzer, PhD., RN, and Director of the Center for

Spirituality and Healing, University of Minnesota.

There are three main triggers that cause holiday

stress and depression.

Relationships can cause conflict and stress any

time of year, but tension among family members

often increases during the holidays.

Finances at any time of year cause stress and

overspending at the holiday’s increases this stress.

Physical demands. The pressure to cook, shop,

decorate, attend parties and more brings on

exhaustion which in turn increases stress.

Some things that may help to prevent stress and

depression:

Keep Christ at the center of your day and allow

Jesus to be reborn in the stable of your heart.

Planning ahead helps to avoid feeling

overwhelmed with holiday responsibilities.

Acknowledge your feelings of sadness if you have

lost a loved one, a job, a home, a marriage, or your

health. Give yourself permission to grieve.

Seek support if you feel sad or lonely. Talk with

family or friends. Volunteering to help others will

help you to get outside yourself and may lift your

spirits. Ask family members to help with

preparations. You don’t need to do everything

yourself.

Be realistic. We have a mental picture of how

things should be for the holidays. But as families

change, traditions and rituals may have to change

as well. If certain traditions trigger sadness, think

about changing them or starting new ones to

replace old ones.

Set differences aside. Try to accept family

members as they are. Family conflicts of many

years are not likely to go away and may intensify

during Christmas. We cannot expect to change

other personalities but we can change how we

respond to them.

Make a budget and hold fast to it.

Learn to say no. Recognize and acknowledge

that you cannot be all things to all people. Be

aware of your own needs and honor them.

Keep up healthy habits. At the very time when

stress reducers are more important than ever, we

tend to skip them. Schedule daily exercise. Get a

good night’s sleep – 7 hours. Don’t over-indulge

in food or drink. Have private time that nourishes

your soul and revitalizes your energy and self-

worth. Allow quiet time for God to speak with

you. Pray and listen.

Seek professional help. Holiday depression may

be eased by talking with a family member, clergy,

or friend. But when you have persistent sad

feelings for weeks, are unable to sleep or cannot

perform routine chores, you need to seek

professional help.

Remember to nourish your total being – spiritually,

physically and emotionally. Be kind to all you meet

because everyone is fighting some sort of battle.

Blessings and love to you this Advent and Christmas

season, Roberta

Sources: www.EpiscopalHealthMinistries.org; www.healthywomen.org; www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress

The Prayer Shawl Ministry

Prayer Shawl Ministry is canceled for December.

Mark your calendar for our next meeting on January

16 @ 1 PM

Health Forum January 9

th at 1:00 p.m.

Save the date: Dotty St Amand, Executive Director

of Arden Courts and former Executive Director of

The Alvin A. Dubin Center will give us an

overview of Alzheimer’s and how we as a caring

community can help those with Alzheimer’s.

7

Luminary

Night Friday,

December 7th

at dusk

Join us as St. Michael's

takes part in Luminary

Night on Sanibel. Be

there to enjoy and sing

along with the choir....

or to help as we pass

out homemade cookies

and hot mulled cider to

all the passersby on the

walkways.

A Prayer for Church Musicians and Artist

O God, whom saints and angels delight to

worship in heaven: Be ever present with

your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; and grant to them

even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus

Christ our Lord. Amen.

Welcome Back!! As you start settling back in,

don’t forget to let Susan in

the Church Office know of

your return. Call, e-mail or

just stop in and say “Hi.” We

are always happy to see you.

Did You Know?

Altar rails or communion rails – what a history they

possess! Altar rails were used as early as the 5th

century to prevent people from interfering with the

ministers of the eucharist; although many people in

the early church still received communion from the

ministers who moved around the standing people.

Standing was the normal posture for receiving

communion until the 13th

century! Then kneeling

for communion slowly became the custom. Altar

rails were first used in England during the reign of

Queen Elizabeth I. Puritans disliked altar rails and

often removed them from churches – moving the

altar table into the body of the church to be closer to

the people. In the 15th

century, William Laud,

Archbishop of Canterbury, directed that all altars be

returned to the east wall of churches and that altar

rails be put back – “to protect against desecration"

of the sacrament. Some altar rails were made of

latticework and the Bishop of Norwich once noted

that the lattice was "so thick with pillars that dogs

may not get in." Given all of this, many English

clergy continued to move among the people to

administer the sacraments until the 18th

century

when the altar rail became more the norm and was

often referred to as the "communion rail." On into

the 19th

century the chancel was seen as the room

for the sacrament and the nave was seen as the room

for the liturgy of the word. Altar rails in the

Episcopal Church are usually very low, reflecting

the assumption that all people will kneel to receive

communion. Current 20th

/21st century liturgical

usage emphasizes the shared participation of priest

and people in the eucharist, and many churches

have removed the barrier between the altar and the

congregation. In addition, the original practice of

standing to receive communion is practiced with

growing frequency. We actually stand for

communion at all of our Wednesday morning

Healing Eucharists at St. Michael's, as well as at all

our beach Eucharists. (Some material taken from An

Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, Armentrout & Slocum)

8

Christian Yoga Tuesdays, 3:00-4:00 p.m.

(no class December 25 & January 1)

in St. Michael’s Parish Hall

A Christ-centered approach to physical and spiritual

health is offered, free of charge. This is a gentle,

basis and beginners class. Join us as we…

Increase flexibility, balance and endurance

Strengthen and reshape muscles

Improve coordination and range of movement

Relieve tension and stress

Increase bone strength

Help control weight

Regulate the internal organs

Alleviate muscle and soreness

Relieve tension and stress

Please bring a Yoga mat, a strap or old tie and

abstain from eating 1½ hours before class.

Call Gari Lewis, certified Yoga instructor, with any

questions. (239) 395-2403

“The Lord makes all things new.”

Adult Christian Education

Forums November–March @ 9:30

The Adult Christian Education Ministry is pleased

to announce the 2012-13 Forums: "Passionate

Issues in the Context of our Faith."

December and January Forum Calendar includes:

Mission Fair – December 1st – 2

nd

Kitty Green – December 9th

Hank Glass & Jim Bird – December 16th

No Forums – December 18th

– 30th

John Harries & Michael Wood – January 6th

Jonathan Scalone – January 13th

Tim Padgett – January 20th

Nola Theiss – January 27th

Eucharist on the Beach At 5 p.m. on the evening of Wednesday, November

14th

, 36 people gathered on the first Causeway

Island Park for a service of Evening Prayer and

Eucharist. The service was led by Bettie Modys

and the Rector, Ellen Sloan. The service ended just

before 5:30 but most of those attending stayed to

enjoy the wonderful sunset which followed. (See

photos on page 9.) We look forward to the

possibility of future beach services on the causeway

in the spring when the evenings again become long

enough and warm enough to be reliably

comfortable.

Photo Credit:

By: Jan Pearson-Graham

Grand Affair Photography

www.GrandAffairPhotography.com

Wednesday Evening Worship

and Potluck Supper

December 5th Service at 5 p.m. & Potluck at 5:30

There will be three Wednesday Evening Services in

December before Christmas. Join us in the church

December 5th

before Pot Luck and in the Chapel of

the Angels December 12th

and 19th

. All services

begin at 5 p.m.

On December 5th

we’ll gather for food, fun and

fellowship. Please bring a main dish, side dish or

dessert to share.

Wednesday Evening

Worship Leaders & Hosts

Date Leaders Potluck Hosts

Dec. 5 Liz Farrow

Anne Stewart

Lee Williams

Sally Lund

Peggy Hupfeldt

Dec. 12 Bill & Betty Carr

Dec. 19 David & Gillian Bath

Dec. 26 No service (Christmas)

Jan. 2

Jan. 9 Bill & Betty Carr

Jan. 16

Jan. 23 Alex & Beryl Flesh

Jan. 30 Dory Rooker

Betsy Schuman

9

10

New Prayer List – Nov. 2012 Beginning November 1

st we started a new prayer

list for the year which will be published in this issue

of The Red Door. If you would like your family

member(s), friend(s) or yourself to remain on the

list, please send or call names to Susan in the

Church Office at parishsecretary@saintmichaels-

sanibel.org or 239-472-2173.

Please Remember in Your Prayers

Parishioners:

Bonny Bradley Ina Galloway

Bob Rohde Bob Stewart

Gloria Tucker Ted Charles

Francis Bailey Phyllis Stumpel

Bill “Nick” Nickolds Bill Stumpel

Nancy Santeusanio Milena Eskew

Jean Chapman-Castle Stella Farewell

Penny Chrysler

Family of Parishioners: Cathy Bob Campion

Susan Jahnsen Steven Gentile

Barb & Kenny Klunk Bill Staples

Crawford Peace Karen

Friends of Parishioners:

Suzy Post Linda Smith

Al Hogref Bob Goukler

Cal Don Maurer

Rev. Canon Edward Wisbauer Jr. Sharon Tucker

Admitted to the Hospital? Going to the hospital is a stressful time, at best.

When you are admitted, (and if you’d like us to

visit) please tell the admissions person that you are

a member of St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal

Church. This way, the hospital will let the church

know you are there. Or if you prefer, you or a

family member can let Ellen or the office know you

are there and if you would like a visit (and

communion).

May She Rest in Peace Marilyn B. Bigelow November 6, 2012

December Birthdays and Anniversaries

If you have not already done so, please consider

sharing your birthday and/or anniversary with us.

Birthdays 1

st Ruth Anderson 15

th Ruth Amend

2nd

Janet Davis Anna Kjoller

Linda Deason 16th Rookie Bradley

4th Marilyn Lewis 17

th Nancy Bacon

7th Violet Dhimos 18

th Marilyn Bigelow

Bob Fuchs 20th Diana Miner

8th Judy Moorhouse Roger Heider

Bob Winters 24th Carol Daniels

9th Nancy Johnson Lynn Mallory

Roger Paul Pam Blanton

10th Bill Eagleson 25

th Paulette Robison

Ken Ellenberg 27th Patty Sprankle

Eleanor Hornbrook Doug Lind

13th Robert Kunde 28

th Nick Gonzalez

Yuan Bonhayag 30th Jane Bone

14th June Ingraham

Anniversaries 2

nd Betsy and Jerry McCullough

11th

Polly and Art Pinney

15th

Laurie and Rob Kjoller

19th

Dottie and Handy Moore

Char and Lynn Mallory

20th

Carol Daniels and Dick Jacker

Betsy and Jack Winters

23rd

Mollie and Parke Avery

26th

Ellen and Ralph Sloan

29th

Joan and Ronn Downey

30th

Bonny and Rookie Bradley

11

Christmas Poinsettias: Gifts in:

thanksgiving for…,

honor of …,

in memory of…

…loved ones and friends are welcome as we

prepare for the decoration of the Christmas Season.

Please earmark your gift check “Poinsettia,” attach

to the form below, and place it in the offering plate

or bring or mail it to the Parish Office:

2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957

by noon on Wednesday, December 19th

.

-----------------------------------------------------------

In memory of: Given by:

In memory of: Given by:

In memory of: Given by:

In thanksgiving for: Given by:

In thanksgiving for: Given by:

In honor of: Given by:

Suppers for Six Groups are forming for 2013!

Please sign up now!

Believe it or not, this is the 13th year of Suppers for

Six and it still remains one of the best ways for people

to get to know each other. Given we are such a

growing congregation where people who attend the

Saturday service may not know people from the

Sunday services, these suppers are a wonderful way to

meet others in a small group setting and not a large

coffee hour!

How does it work? Very easily and smoothly!

Whether you are single or a couple, simply "sign up"

on the form below that you'd like to take part in a

supper (or lunch). Then Dianne Leonardi and her

committee will take all of the names and form small

groups of six, seven, or eight people. (Each group will

be made up of singles and couples.) These small

groups will then meet 3 or 4 times between January

and May at two of the people's homes - with each

group deciding who will be the hosts. Over the years,

we've found that the easiest way to plan these suppers

is to have them be potlucks or "pitch-ins" - thereby

not putting too much of a burden on the hosts. The

most important thing is that the food preparation

is simple - with the main purpose being "getting to

know someone."

We send a deep note of gratitude to Mardi and

Wayne Ponader as they "retire" from their work in

planning the first 12 years of Suppers for Six! Their

work and commitment made these gatherings a

wonderful tradition at St. Michael's. Thank you,

Dianne, for picking up the baton and moving us

forward!

Please fill out the form below and place in the offering

plate, e-mail, snail mail or sign-up on the clipboard in

the Gallery

Deadline January 7, 2013 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name(s) __________________________________

Tel. or e-mail _______________________________

Group size: (Circle one) 6 8

Church service you attend:

Sat. Eve __ Sun. 8:00 __ Sun. 10:30 __

Dates you will be in Florida: __________________

Dianne Leonardi, Chair, Suppers for Six

12

Rekindle the Lights that Lead

to Bethlehem At the beginning of each of our three services every

weekend, we will light candles on the Advent

Wreath, listen to a brief prayer, and sing "Oh come,

O come, Emmanuel." As your Rector, I encourage

you to fully participate in this ritual and use its

symbolism as a reminder to rekindle and refresh,

your own inner lights of Christ's love - to better

share this light and love with one another.

The Episcopal Community

Advent Devotional 2012

Download your copy of the Advent Devotional by

going to The Episcopal Community website:

www.theepiscopalcommunity.org

The link to the 2012 Advent Devotional is on the

home page.

A Note of Thanks

I would like to thank everyone at St.

Michael’s for their flowers, calls

and notes of inspiration.

~ Nisla Tolp

Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Sanibel

Call for Nominations

for the Vestry In accordance with the by-laws, Ellen Sloan

appointed Hyde Tucker as Chair of the Nominating

Committee, and at the November 29th

Vestry

meeting, the following people were appointed as

members of the Nominating Committee: Jandy

Bird, Charlie Hohns, Dory Rooker, Dick Salerno

and Pat Van Alstyne.

Per by-laws, The Vestry Nominating Committee

shall use its best efforts to see that 3 qualified

candidates are nominated for the 3 vacancies.

Candidates for the Vestry may also be proposed by

petition signed by 3 electors unrelated to the

candidate. No person shall be nominated by

petition nor by the Vestry Nominating Committee

who has not first, in writing:

a. stated his or her qualifications as an elector,

b. furnished a short biography setting forth his/her

church-related experience at St. Michael’s and

elsewhere,

c. furnished a short statement of what he/she will

bring to the Vestry if elected.

If a nomination is brought forward by petition, that

nomination will bypass any deliberations of the

Nominating Committee and will appear on the

ballot. The Nominating Committee will not make

any distinction between candidates nominated by

petition and those nominated by the Nominating

Committee in presentation of names on the ballot.

(The deadline for submission of petitions and

suggestions of names is Friday, January 18, 2012.)

If you would like to suggest names this year, you

may do so by emailing, phoning, or writing a

member of the Vestry Nominating Committee. If

you choose this route, it is helpful if you check with

the candidate first, and ask him/her to prepare the 3

point written statement mentioned above. If you

only want to suggest a name, the Nominating

Committee will follow up with the candidate for his

or her statement.

The by-laws state that at least 30 days before the

Annual Meeting, the names, biographies, and

statements of all candidates shall be published to the

Parish.

The most important factor for the success of this

process is that members of the congregation give

prayerful and thoughtful consideration to whom

they think would make good Vestry members.

13

Stewardship Campaign for

2013 Begins Now! “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now

remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will

remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s

commands and remain in his love. I have told you this

so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be

complete. My command is this: Love each other as I

have loved you.” – John 15: 9-12 (RSV)

Our Stewardship Team, headed by Don Rolley,

(and Hyde Tucker, Annual Giving) have developed

a dynamic program for our 2013 pledge campaign

around the theme, “Sharing Christ’s Love”.

Stewardship, of course, isn’t just about money;

there are many wonderful opportunities, both within

and beyond St. Michael’s, to share Christ’s love by

giving of our time and talent in His work. The

month of January is our time to make our pledges of

time, talent and treasure and the team is striving to

reach everyone, including those new to the Parish.

Here’s what you should expect to happen in the

upcoming weeks:

• You’ll receive a letter from the Rector sometime in

mid-December inviting you to consider your

commitment to stewardship in the Parish of Saint

Michaels. (If you haven’t received it by December

21st please call the office.)

• The Stewardship Team’s letter (including pledge

forms for you to return) will be mailed early January.

• You’ll be invited to attend a neighborhood

conversation at a parishioner’s home. There, you will

have an opportunity to visit with fellow parishioners,

hear a message from the Stewardship Team, and have

informal conversation with the Rector. Please RSVP

promptly. (If the invitation is not received by

December 21st or if the date doesn’t work for you,

please call the office to arrange an alternative.)

• The Rector will concentrate on stewardship in a

sermon sometime during January. Also parishioners

will give testimonies about the importance of

supporting Saint Michael’s. You’ll also hear weekly

campaign progress reports.

• At a weekend worship service in February, we will

celebrate and give thanks for our mutual commitment

to stewardship.

Please become engaged in the stewardship journey

as it unfolds; sharing Christ’s love is deeply

rewarding.

The Stewardship Team

Vestry Highlights Due to Vestry Meeting date of Nov. 29 and

publication of Red Door the very next day, there

will be no "November Vestry Minutes/Highlights"

in this issue. Please look for them in the next Red

Door and thank you for your understanding!

Vestry Members’ Reminder of future meeting date:

December 20th

at 12:30 and

January 17th

at 1:00 p.m. Join us for lunch at 12 noon to allow for a little

catch-up time.

New Address for Dawn Grable 925 Lincoln St.

Apt. 4D

Denver, CO 80203

Trinity Institute – Again this Year at Iona Hope

December 7th

– 9th

RESCHEDULED: Due to the aftermath of

Hurricane Sandy, the Trinity Institute’s 42nd

National Theological Conference has been

rescheduled from November 9-11 to December 7-9.

Joan Chittister will address a local and webcast

conference on the topic, “Radical Christian Life:

Equipping Ourselves for Social Change,” at Trinity

Cathedral in lower Manhattan. Check this website

for updated information.

http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/news/articles/trinity

-institute-updates

Iona Hope Episcopal Church invites us to join them

for the 42nd

Trinity Institute (live from Trinity

Church, NYC.) This Institute will be organized into

six sessions, beginning on Friday evening at 7pm

and culminating at the Sunday Eucharist at 11:15.

For detailed information, please call Iona Hope at

454-4778.

14

LABEL

SAINT MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS EPISCOPAL CHURCH 2304 Periwinkle Way • Sanibel, Florida 33957

[239] 472-2173 or [239] 472-9289 Fax: [239] 395-1670

www.saintmichaels-sanibel.org

The Rev. Dr. Ellen M. Sloan, Rector rector@saintmichaels-sanibel.org

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Worship & Fellowship Saturday at 5:00 p.m. – Holy Eucharist Rite II, followed by Reception

Sunday at 8:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist Rite I, followed by Coffee Hour

Sunday at 10:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist Rite II, followed by Coffee Hour* (*With Sunday Shuttle pickup at Woodlands and then at SPV Island)

Sunday School – 10:30 a.m. – Grades PreK-3rd

and 4th-5

th

Tuesday 9 a.m. Morning Prayer

Wednesday 9 a.m. Eucharist with Healing Prayer

Wednesday 5 p.m. Lay-led Evening Worship

1st Wednesday of the month 5:30 p.m.

Potluck Supper – Dec. 5

th & Jan. 2

nd

-------------------- Christmas Eve & Day Services --------------------- Monday, December 24

th at 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 25th

at 10:00 a.m.

------------------------ Noah’s Ark Thrift Shop ------------------------ Monday-Friday & 1

st Saturday of the month

9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

[239] 472-3356

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Fort Myers, FL

Permit No. 5761