|
|
GOOD NEWS!
|
|
A Newsletter of St. Paul's Church, Concord, NH
"A place to belong . . . Whoever you are . . . Just as you are." | July-August 2012
|
|
|
Summer Calendar Highlights
July 4 OFFICE CLOSED
- Independence Day
July 10 Forever Young - 11:30 AM
July 15 Family Promise Presentation
- 9:00 AM
July 17 Parish Potluck - 5:30 PM
July 17 Vestry Meeting - 6:30 PM
August 4 Consecration of New
Bishop Coadjutor - 11:00 AM
August 5 Family Choir Starts
- 9:30 AM
August 13-17 Summer Celebration
Camp 9:00 AM - 12:00 noon
August 17 Parish Outing: Fisher Cats
- Game starts 7:05 PM
September 9 Parish Rally Day on the
State House Lawn - 11:30 AM
See entire calendar
For details of these and other parish events, check the weekly
|
|
Milestones
Baptisms
6/10/2012
Don Mathews
Alexandra Mathews
Shana Williams
Memorial Service
6/6/2012
Henry Crawford
|
Shorts
Faith and Baseball
Mark your calendars for Friday, August 17, our parish outing to see the NH Fisher Cats play at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester.
This is a special "Faith and Family Night" with a pre-game Q&A Baseball Chapel where Fisher Cats players will discuss the role that faith plays in their lives. Game time is 7:05 PM and the game is followed by a special firework display.
Tickets are $7.00 each and can be purchased from Sarah Nyhan, using the order form available here
Pie and a Bishop!
Another important date for your calendar is St. Paul's Rally Day on September 9, 2012. Following the 10:00 service, we will have all kinds of fun events on the State House Lawn, including lots of tasty home-made pies, balloons, games, entertainment, and much more, including a visit from our new Bishop!
Come join in the celebrations as we launch another great year of programs and ministry.
Food Pantry
While you are enjoying your summer travels, please remember St Paul's Food Pantry. If you are in a hotel or motel that provides soap and shampoos that you do not need, bring them to the Pantry, they are very helpful! Also, many children are on the government food program through their schools and this is not available during the summer so please make your food donations when possible! |
|
Come Worship With Us
Sundays:
8:00 AM This celebration of Holy Eucharist is quiet and reflective. Occasional music, but no choir.
10:00 AM This is a traditional service of Holy Eucharist. Music includes traditional and contemporary hymns and choir anthems. All ages welcome.
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 12:10 PM Holy Eucharist in the chapel.
|
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
21 Centre Street
Concord, NH 03301
Tel: 603-224-2523
Fax: 603-224-2524
rector@stpaulsconcord.org
|
Clergy and Staff
Rev. Kate B. Atkinson,
Rector
Rev. Herb Sprouse,
Assistant Priest
Rev. Darrell Huddleston,
Priest Associate
Rev. Charles Edward LeClerc, BSG,
Deacon
Rev. Will Ottery,
Deacon
Mark Pace,
Director of Music
Kristin Dunklee,
Parish Administrator
Sarah Nyhan,
Minister for Families, Youth and Children
Steve Blackmer,
Minister to High School Youth
Andrew Brundrett,
Sexton
|
|
|
|
School's out for summer, and Good News! is taking a bit of a breather as well, with a combined July- August issue. But we're still here! You can email us anytime at communications@stpaulsconcord.org |
|
|
Clergy Corner
 by Rev. Herb Sprouse
Dear friends,
What is God doing?
A seminary professor of mine often described our mission as Christians this way: "Our job is to figure out what God is doing, and then get on board!" Of course, the first challenge is in the "figuring out" part. I often find myself struggling to imagine just what God is up to in a particular place or situation.
Many of you know that I recently returned from a trip to China. Eighteen colleagues from Episcopal Divinity School visited seminaries and churches in six major cities. Christianity is booming in China, with growth rates that are unprecedented in the entire history of the faith. Yet, much of what we witnessed was confusing. The strange authority of the state over all religious expression; the conviction that Roman Catholicism and the Protestant Church in China are different religions; and the obsession with creating personal wealth in this still-communist country were just three of the many aspects of Chinese religious life that were hard to understand.
There are vast differences of culture, politics and economics between the U.S. and China. I am still working to comprehend all that we witnessed. And I certainly don't claim to understand fully the mind of God. But three things stand out as common ground between Christians living here in Concord and life as a Christian in urban China.
First, we are all drawn by the Holy Spirit into a dedicated life of devotion within a community of faith. We know, deep in our souls, that our life together is the very incarnation of the Body of Christ.
Second, our life together as followers of Christ inspires in us hope, compassion and love for each other and for all of God's creation. Both Chinese and American Christians seem to be living through that famous Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times!" We know that the challenges posed by our times can only be met through these fruits of our life in Christ.
And third, we recognize that our faith is, in fact, a precious gift from a generous God, which we are to nurture, to share and to demonstrate in our daily lives. As one of our Chinese guides exclaimed, "I've never led a group that was so happy!"
So I figure that these three things are, at least, pieces of what God is doing both in Concord and in China. And so, it's up to us to keep on figuring out how to "get on board."
Yours in Christ,
Herb+
hsprouse@stpaulsconcord.org |
|
Ministries and Missions: Family Promise and St. Paul's Refugee Partnership
by Kate Atkinson and Shawn LaFrance
At the vestry meeting in May, the vestry voted unanimously to become a host congregations for Greater Concord's Family Promise project.
Family Promise is a national organization with affiliates in 41 states and more than 150,000 active volunteers. Its mission is to help homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence, by providing food, shelter, and support services for homeless families, and working with at-risk families to break the spiral of poverty and homelessness.
Family Promise (originally known as Interfaith Hospitality Network - IHN) was founded in 1986 and has 80 served nearly half a million clients since then, most of whom are children. Nearly 80% of the homeless families served by Family Promise secure permanent housing.
The remarkable success of Family Promise is made possible by independent Affiliates - like St. Paul's - who provide volunteers, food, and accommodation for the families in transition. In order to make it possible for the program to be launched in the Concord area, we are seeking 13 host congregations, each of which will provide accommodation for up to 14 people (in family units) for four weeks per year. St. Paul's was the fourth congregation to commit to the project so we still have a way to go - but it is not too early to make your own commitment to this project.
You can find out more about Family Promise when we welcome Committee members Rabbi Robin Nafshi and Bobbi Blades to St. Paul's on Sunday, July 15 at 9:00 AM. Robin and Bobbi will show a DVD, provide an update on the local project, and answer questions. We are also featuring Family Promise as St. Paul's guest Mission of the Month for July - and we invite you to bring your questions to our parish representatives: Marcia Harrison, Darrell Huddleston, Linda McAllister, Cathy Menard, Bud Warren, and me.
The Family Promise vision is "a nation in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and the chance to build a better future together." I am delighted that St. Paul's has committed to helping make that vision a reality.
 The St Paul's Refugee Partnership (SPRP) put its efforts this past year in recruiting and training more volunteers who can assist refugee families who are new to the US and the Concord community. Lutheran Social Services (LSS) is the resettlement agency in Concord that provides training for volunteers and links to new families. Last fall, there were three refugee families in Concord who were victims of hateful messages on their homes.
Members of SPRP participated in two community rallies to demonstrate support for the three families and all new Americans in our community. The SPRP decided to alter the training plan and outreach to all members of the Concord Interfaith Council to join in the LSS training hosted at St Paul's Church. This resulted in more than a dozen people being trained. Currently there are 3 volunteers from St Paul's Church who are being matched with new refugee families.
In addition to the training effort, the SPRP worked to help address a communications challenge in the St Paul's Food Pantry. There are many new refugees who only speak Nepali and we have no volunteers in the Food Pantry who know that language. The Food Pantry developed a list of frequently asked questions and the SPRP was able to get the list translated to improve activity in the Food Pantry when Nepali speaking guests visit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poll of the Month
Last month's poll question was: "Which of our new Bishop Coadjutor Rob Hirshfeld's stated priorities are you most excited about?" Here are the results:
His openness to marrying any and all couples, regardless of orientation 6%
His belief that faith can help sustain us in these difficult economic times 6%
His commitment to continue the Episcopal church as an open church for all 50%
His encouragement to New Hampshire minorities to explore the Episcopal Church 6%
His commitment to development of faith in adolescents and young people 32%
This month's poll question is: "When, primarily, do you pray outside of church?"
o Every morning
o Every evening
o When I say Grace at meal times
o Randomly throughout the week
o All of the above
To vote, click here |
|
Topics in the News: Church's Digital Offerings Are Abundant
by John Bouton
 With Google's announcement this week of a tablet computer to rival Apple's iPad and the Kindle Fire, the moment is ripe to explore the digital presence of the Episcopal Church, for mobile computing is here to stay. Particularly as the Church seeks new members among what the Pew Research Center calls the Millienial generation - those currently under age 30 - it will be vital for Episcopalians to use social media, digital multimedia, and other electronic communications. Episcopal Church media - which include a YouTube channel, liturgy on demand, and plenty of musings and documents - are first found on the ECUSA website. ECUSA's website, www.episcopalchurch.org, contains a wealth of news and information for Episcopalians. As with St. Paul's Church's own website, there are multimedia presentations, news updates, and plenty of focus on people and liturgy. As the Episcopal Church prepares for its General Convention this summer, much of the news on the website in the last week of June has addressed liturgists and those serving in chaplaincies. To the point about digital involvement with the Church, ECUSA announced on Friday that "The Blue Book," The Report to the 77th General Convention, will be available for the first time as an e-book through Amazon, iTunes, or Barnes & Noble. It joins the Kindle version of The Book of Common Prayer (though the digital prayer book is the better bargain, at 1/10th the price). If one is looking for a comprehensive overview of the Episcopal Church and its ministries, the Church website offers hours of areas to explore. Especially for those seeking spiritual solace, the Episcopal Church's Facebook page and Twitter feeds present themselves as pithy, up-to-date, and interactive. Following Facebook's protocol of posting fewer than three times a day, the Church seems to have developed a pattern on Facebook of a matins prayer and an evensong prayer, with anywhere from 400 to 1,100 people "liking" any given prayer. On Facebook the Church marks feast days and anniversaries of famous Episcopalians with background information. Check out www.facebook.com/episcopalian. Twitter has made strides for people seeking to post quick updates in 140 characters or fewer. The Episcopal Church maintains two Twitter accounts; the more popular of these is found at www.twitter.com/iamepiscopalian. As with the Episcopal Church website, the two daily prayers are tweeted. For those who like to follow individual clergy, Bishop Gene Robinson maintains a Twitter feed: @BishopGRobinson. While a quick search for tweeting clergy within the diocese was fruitless, I did end up linked to Rev. Canon Charles Lafond's blog about rural life and creativity; our diocese's canon for spiritual life has been posting good stuff regularly! Check out http://charleslafond.com/blog/index.php. No electronic device will ever replace the authentic relationships we find in community with one another in our physical church. That said, these digital media, programmed by people we respect, surely complement the Episcopalian's quest for meaning.
|
|
Formation: Via Media
by Tim Frazer
 | | |
Parishioners at St Paul's had the opportunity to deepen their faith through "Via Media" video and discussion sessions presented from March to June. Topics included the Creation, Incarnation, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, Sin, Hope, Christianity, and Anglicanism's place within the Christian tradition.
While the Latin term via media originally described the Elizabethan Church of England as one of three branches of the True Catholic Church (with Rome and Eastern Orthodox), "reformed in doctrine but Catholic in form," the video series offers "a place to ask 21st century questions." These questions emerge frequently in the video's round-table discussions between respected clergy, theologians, and lay people.
The discussion of sin, for example, traveled far from the traditional preacher's calling for repentance with threats of Hell. The Rt. Rev. Stephen Charleston (a former Bishop of Alaska, retired President of the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, now Interim Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, Oklahoma City) spoke of growing up among churches in Oklahoma where "sin was the name of the game." He was attracted to the Episcopal Church where he was told "I am not sure we can answer every question," [but we would try to help]. Charleston's own definition of sin evolved over the years to mean silence in the face of injustice or cruelty. He wrote a meditation on the death of Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was tortured and beaten to death in 1998. "Silence killed Matt," he concluded.
Others offered that judging others can be sinful, since the Gospel tells us not to judge, and since
the Episcopal church tells us not to judge. "I heard [in other churches] a lot about sin, nothing about racism or destroying the planet." Another answered the question of "why does a loving God allow sin?" with the observation that the story of sin does not end in pain, but in the Good News.
The theme of sin in the light of the Good News underlays much of the discussion in the other units. After an introduction to scholarly study of the Bible and its history, discussants agreed that our use of the Bible should not exclude or condemn others, since we then violate the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Equally persistent was the theme of Justice. In the unit on Christian Hope, a discussant talked of his despair after a visit to Palestine. But a South African friend told him, "We didn't know God was working with some guy [Nelson Mandela ] in a jail cell. God is working right now to bring joy to the Holy Land."
For more about the Via Media program, visit www.everyvoice.net
|
|
Photo Feature: Polka Mass
On June 3 the 10 AM service at St. Paul's was a Polka Mass, a different twist on our celebratory music to liven things up a bit! All of the music, including the Kyrie, Gloria, and Sanctus, were polkas -- a tradition popularized by Polish and Czech immigrants. The service was also an Ageless Worship. Thanks to Kathy Bush for these photos:
 
 
|
|
From the Vestry
 June Vestry Notes
by Tamar Roberts
The June 19th meeting of the Vestry began at 6:30PM with a devotion by Ginnie Schartner. As is our custom, we shared fun facts about our interactions with parishioners. Valerie Blake presented the Treasurer's Report and noted that non-pledge income is below budget by approximately $10,000, and overall, we are behind budget in total revenue by about $3,000. There was some question as to whether the drop in non-pledge income was due to the fundraising efforts.
Kate Atkinson reported that a decision was made by the Executive Committee to defer replacing the carpet in the Upper Parish Hall until our financial situation improves. She also noted that a design has been prepared by Jerry Tepe, for handrails and a larger platform for the lectern. This is felt to be an important safety improvement and the vestry agreed to proceed with its installation. It will be funded by proceeds from the Parish Fair.
Kate also noted that Family Promise will be the Mission of the Month for July. Other information provided by Kate was that Steve Blackmer has met with the Diocesan Commission on Ministry, concerning his progression to Candidate for ordination. Linda Spinella is also moving ahead in her process and will meet with the Commission on Ministry in September. Kate also gave us some dates to hold: September 9th will be Rally Day at St. Paul's with Bishop Hirschfeld in attendance; Bishop Robinson will be celebrating the Eucharist at the 11:00PM Christmas Eve service, with Bishop Hirschfeld celebrating on Christmas Day; and Bishop Hirschfeld's visitation to St. Paul's will be June 9, 2013.
Herb Sprouse presented a written report on the first half of the year operations for Chapter Two, and the vestry approved the report and the distribution of $5,200 of revenue. Herb also noted that he will be offering a presentation on his recent trip to China, on Wednesday, June 20th.
Casper Kranenburg noted that Divine Comedy is being postponed until May 11, 2013, and Bishop Hirschfeld will be taking part; St. Paul's will again offer a hospitality station during Market Days as was done last year; and the Vestry Retreat for next year will be at Geneva Point on the first weekend in March.
Jan Greer-Carney initiated a discussion on a proposal to start the Great Lake Scrip Program at St. Paul's. The vestry approved a six month trial of the program beginning on the last Sunday in November.
Ginnie Schartner reported on the Diocese's Leadership Institute "School for Vestries" that was held on April 21, and encouraged all vestry members to attend next year's.
Terry Irwin provided a report on the fundraising efforts for the first half of 2012, and noted that, due to the postponement of Divine Comedy, the amount hoped to be generated for the year through fundraising initiatives is likely to be short. He suggested that the vestry analyze and evaluate fundraising efforts.
Casper Kranenburg presented John Elsnau's compilation report for the Shared Responsibility Task Force. There was discussion on the format and reporting requirements. Kate Atkinson noted that Linda Spinella has stepped down from chairing the What's Behind the Red Doors committee due to her other ministry commitments, and noted that vestry members with reports for that committee should send them to Casper until a new chair is named.
The meeting adjourned at 9:05PM after a closing prayer led by Herb Sprouse.
(Summarized by Tamar Roberts prior to formal vestry approval of the minutes.)
Casper Kranenburg, Senior Warden
Jan Greer-Carney, Junior Warden
|
|
Youth Happenings: Summer at St. Paul's
by Sarah Nyhan
People often ask me if things quiet down at church during the summer months and I always have to say - "not really." You see, our young people don't stop coming to church in the summer, and they are looking for new and different ways to experience their faith during these school vacation months. So each year, we make the move into the chapel for our Sunday worship classes, and pile in lots of crafts and games in preparation for our Summer Celebration Camp!
Last summer we averaged 10 kids each week in the Children's Chapel during the 10:00 am services. This is a slightly more informal class, while keeping some of our usual Sunday school format. We have more chances to talk to one another about the new things we are learning and doing each week, and great opportunities to share lessons that are old favorites and lessons that are new to our group. We even have a group prayer before we return at the peace. In the summer we try to pull from the lectionary readings for our lesson choices, and are now connecting that to activities and coloring pages in our new Pew Packets. We want the kids to have a chance to use the lesson materials and chat with each other in a special and relaxed place. The learning here just can't stop!
Summer Celebration Camp invites kids from our St. Paul's family and the greater community for a week of fun! Lots of music (thanks to Mark and Tracy), games, crafts, snacks and stories - and the theme of our session this year is "Baobab Blast". We will learn a bit about the landscapes and peoples of Africa while re-telling familiar Bible stories in some very different ways - including sharing information about animals in Africa like the zebra, giraffe and meerkat. We will talk about Abraham, Joseph and his brothers, and Jesus' disciples to mention a few stories. Our "buzzwords" for the week are TRUST, LOVE, FOLLOW, CARE and SHARE. All are welcome to attend - from age 3 right up through grade 5 and those middle and high school students make great counselors alongside our adults. We hope to see old and new faces - for just a day or two or all week long.
Things aren't slowing down at all now that school is out - as a matter of fact lots of great adventures are just beginning! |
|
Personal Reflection
by anonymous
This poem was written by a newcomer to St. Paul's after attending a service for the first time. The poet prefers to remain anonymous but agreed to have the poem published in Good News! in the hope that it will be meaningful to other parishioners who have had similar experiences.
Church
I went to church today.
Most of my trips there
have been as an escort
for someone in a box
or in an urn.
I sat down, afraid, a bit.
Worried I would be found
the imposter I have been
almost everywhere I have gone.
I didn't see the programs.
Didn't know the drill.
So I sat and watched.
Got the lay of the land.
And then at ten o'clock
the processional started,
Young, old, lay, clergy.
The choir started to sing.
There is only one thing
more beautiful than the
single human voice, and that
is the aggregate euphony of
many voices.
The moment the choir began its
first piece I started gently weeping.
The people sitting near me must have
been concerned.
I wept the whole time.
During the prayers and incantations
preparatory to communion I realized
something. I am the bread of life too.
People break off pieces of me and they
are nourished, sustained, by that morsel.
But what these companions have done
is take what I have long offered
and they have left me depleted, weak.
I think I was crying because
in church I was,
after so long,
finally sitting at a table,
about to have a meal.
|
|
History and Artifacts
by Kathy Bush
After the fire on April 11, 1984 there were many combined efforts and committees involved in the rebuilding of our church building. One of them was the Window Theme Committee, chaired by Susan Milliken. Another was the Artworks/ Craftworks, with consultant Mary McGowan. The Dedication Ceremony, a Service of Thanksgiving, was held on May 24, 1987, just 25 years ago.
Many of the local artisans involved in the rebuilding are still nearby! The beautiful stained glass windows were created by Susan Pratt-Smith, now of Northwood, NH. The altar, the archival cabinet, the pulpit, the baptismal font, the altar, benches, the communion rail, and the magnificent suspended cross were created by David and Janet Lamb, whose shop can be found in Canterbury, NH. Pat Thompson of Hopkinton designed the needlepoint kneelers. She organized a needlepoint battalion of over 20 volunteers. It was estimated that one kneeler took 287 hours to finish! Our own Patricia Sweeney designed and painted the oak leaf stencil in both transepts.
David Nugent of Franklin, NH custom designed the award-winning16 brass and bronze doorplates and handles. He still does foundry patterns for custom door hardware, but there are no more foundries that have the skill to make doorplates like ours! The pairs of figures on each pair of doorplates are displayed on a plaque just inside the east transept door.
  
Can you find these two at St. Pauls?
  The lower portion of each doorplate has heads and human figures as symbolic representations of the four gospels. The other characters on the doors were selected with children in mind. David writes, "All the characters on the doors were a lot of fun to design, but I remember it getting pretty hard to come up with enough characters that would be recognizable just from how the characters themselves were depicted. I wanted them to make sense even to young children that might not be able to read the labels, but who had heard the stories. Guess I imagined that children would ask what the figures were and their parents
would take them around the church and tell them the stories that go with each one. I wonder if that ever really happened!"
|
© St. Paul's Church, 2012. Next Newsletter: September 1; deadline for submissions: August 28. Please do not reprint text or graphics without permission.
|
|
|
