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GOOD NEWS!
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A Newsletter of St. Paul's Church, Concord, NH
"A place to belong . . . Whoever you are . . . Just as you are." | September 2012
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September Calendar Highlights
3 OFFICE CLOSED - LABOR DAY
4 Rhythm-Dance-Movement-Song
(RDMS) resumes - 5:15 PM
5 Back-to-School Mustard Seed
Pre-School - 9:00 AM
5 Rhythm-Dance-Movement-Song
(RDMS) resumes - 10:30 AM
9 Sunday School resumes
- 10:00 AM
9 Adult Choir resumes - 8:50 AM
9 St. Paul's Rally Day Event
State House Lawn - 11:30 AM
10 Children's Choir resumes
- 4:00 PM
10 Youth Choir resumes
- 4:00 PM
11 Forever Young - 11:30 AM
12 RSCM Choristers Introductory
Session - 4:00 PM
15 Safe Church (Initial Training)
- 8:30 AM
15 1817 Legacy Society
members' reception - 5:30 PM
16 Confirm not Conform (CnC)
resumes - 11:30 AM
16 Lector Training - 11:30 AM
16 St. Paul's Youth Group (SPY)
resumes - 6:00 PM
18 Parish Potluck - 5:30 PM
18 Vestry Meeting - 6:30 PM
19 Friendly Kitchen - 4:30 PM
19 How to Read the Bible
- 6:00 PM
27 How to Read the Bible
- 6:00 PM
29 Interfaith CROP Walk
(starts at Church of Latter Day Saints) - noon
See entire calendar
For details of these and other parish events, check the weekly
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Milestones
Memorial Services
Charlie Sweeney
7/12/2012
Richard Hicks
8/6/2012
Jean Verville
8/10/2012
Carol Eaton
8/11/2012 |
Shorts
Don't Miss Rally Day!
St. Paul's Rally Day will take place on September 9, after the 10:00 service. There will be all kinds of fun events on the State House Lawn, including a home-made pie contest -- with our new Bishop Coadjutor, The Rt. Rev. Rob Hirschfeld as one of the judges! -- plus music, balloon sculptures, games, face-painting, and much more.
Come join in the celebrations as we launch another great year of programs and ministry.
Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) Choristers at St. Paul's
The Royal School of Church Music began in England in 1927, and has since spread to be a world-wide organization educating choristers of all ages. We will be offering an RSCM Choristers program at St. Paul's for children in 6th grade or above, with both unchanged voices (treble) and changed voices (alto, tenor and bass.) This is a highly structured group that will rehearse each Wednesday from 4:00-5:00 PM and then rehearse again on Sundays at 8:50 with the Adult Choir. The Choristers will sing with the adults each Sunday. There will be an introductory session on Wednesday, September 12th from 4:00-5:00 PM, for interested singers and their parents.
Great Lakes Scrip
is Coming to St. Paul's!
"What's that?" you might ask. Great Lakes serves more than 14,000 non-profit organizations and has raised more than $300 million for those organizations since 1994. The best part? It doesn't cost you any extra money! If you are willing to spend as you normally do at participating merchants and retailers and utilize the Great Lakes program, you will be fundraising as you shop.
As we get closer to the rollout, there will be more information around the church. If you have any questions or would like to receive more information, please contact Ray Fournier at ministry@stpaulsconcord.orgwith "Scrip" in the subject line.
How to Read the Bible
Have you tried to read the Bible, only to find yourself a bit overwhelmed by its complexity? Are you disoriented by the huge gap between our modern culture and ancient Biblical times? Have you struggled to make sense of what you have read for your own life? You are certainly not alone, but a few basic reading strategies and some easy to use tools can open up a lifetime of engagement in reading scripture and applying it to our lives. This fall, the Rev. Darrell Huddleston and the Rev. Herb Sprouse will offer a four-part series that will help you discover new ways to read and interpret the Bible. We will meet on Wednesday nights (Sept. 19 and 26th, Oct. 3 and 10) from 6:00-7:30. A light dinner will be provided. We will concentrate this fall on providing ways to approach and understand the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) as well as to reflect on its meaning today. In the spring, we plan to continue with the New Testament. Please sign up for the fall course at the reception desk or by calling the church office by Sunday, Sept. 16. Feel free to contact Darrell or Herb with any questions.
A New American! Congratulations to Michael Atkinson who becomes an American citizen on Friday, September 14. Give that man an apple pie!
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Come Worship With Us
Saturdays:
4:30 PM Our Simple Saturday Service of Holy Eucharist.
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.
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St. Paul's Episcopal Church
21 Centre Street
Concord, NH 03301
Tel: 603-224-2523
Fax: 603-224-2524
rector@stpaulsconcord.org
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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
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The summer is winding down, but Good News! is ramping up again, reporting on happenings in the parish and beyond. What is happening in your own spiritual journey that might be of interest to the St. Paul's community? Feel free to share news at communications@stpaulsconcord.org |
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Clergy Corner
 by Rev. Kate Atkinson
Dear friends,
At the beginning of August, we celebrated the Consecration of our new Bishop Coadjutor, The Rt. Rev. Rob Hirschfeld, with much rejoicing, great ceremony, beautiful music, inspiring liturgy, and a lot of laughter!
From my perspective, that description applies to the life of the Episcopal Church in general -- at least to the part of the Episcopal Church known as St. Paul's, Concord NH.
There is no doubt about it, our Episcopal tradition offers us a wondrous variety of liturgy -- rich in meaning and symbolism that inspires us in our journeys of faith. We encounter these elements whenever we gather for worship in our beautiful sanctuary, and they are also very much a part of the missions and ministries that take place both in our building and beyond our red doors.
And of course the music that flows through so many of our ministries and worship experiences, takes us to another level of spiritual engagement, lifting our hearts and our spirits and helping us to move closer to God.
But let's not forget the laughter! Genuine, loud -- one might even say raucous laughter erupted on several occasions during the Consecration of our new Bishop Coadjutor. It was an important part of the events of that day and it is an important part of our daily lives as Episcopalians living in a world full of challenges. God's wonderful gift of laughter helps us to bear heavy burdens, to grow in fellowship with one another, and to rejoice in the abundant life that is all around us.
On September 9, St. Paul's Rally Day, we will step out of a worship service rich in music and liturgy, and step into a gathering on the State House Lawn that is rich in laughter and fun. Both events will be a joyful celebration of what it means to be a part of the Episcopal Church.
As we begin a new program year at St Paul's, with many of our existing ministries starting up again -- and some new ones making an appearance -- we have so many opportunities to immerse ourselves fully in all that our church has to offer, and all that we have to offer through our church.
And we have so many opportunities to enjoy fellowship together, to laugh and have fun. Thanks be to God.
Yours faithfully,
Kate+
rector@stpaulsconcord.org |
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Ministries and Missions: Ministry of Presence
by Jean Gillespie
Ministry of Presence is St. Paul's Mission of the Month for September. The name Ministry of Presence is given to this ministry to emphasize how important our presence is for those in need of our care.
There are many ways that this ministry is carried out. Many parish members offer their presence as they make regular visits to parishioners who are in the hospital, nursing homes, retirement communities, who are home bound or are dealing with a serious medical condition. Other groups also share in this ministry. Stephen Ministers offer long term caring presence. Eucharistic Visitors take communion to those who are not able to come to church. The Flower Ministry brings our altar flowers to hospital patients and shut-ins. Forever Young offers our senior members an opportunity to get to know each other as they gather once a month for lunch, a program, and fellowship. Each week the members of the Prayer Group are given names of those for whom their prayers are requested.
The Ministry of Presence is a blessing to all who receive the gift of our loving care and presence, who enjoy regular visits, Communion, flowers, and other opportunities for fellowship, who know that they are in our prayers. It was organized in 2009 to coordinate the ministries of all the different caregiving groups. All who take part in these ministries meet once a month, for mutual support and encouragement, for help and guidance in their caregiving responsibilities. They exchange information about their experiences, encourage each other, and worship together, ending the meeting with a service of Compline.
All members of the parish who feel they are called to the Ministry of Presence are encouraged to explore that calling by contacting Rev. Herb Sprouse. The Ministry of Presence gives us an opportunity to put our prayers into action and show our love for others by being present in their time of need.
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Formation: Alcoholics Anonymous
by Tim Frazer
"Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon. Here are the steps we took. . . ." These words are read by AA groups who meet at St. Paul's five days a week.
"The steps" are the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The AA program requires an admission of complete defeat (Step 1), and a faith that a Higher Power can "restore [them] to sanity."(Step 2). The recovering alcoholic must submit to the will of God (Step 3), and then write a "fearless moral inventory" (Step 4), sharing that inventory with God and with another human being (Step 5). In Steps 6 and 7, alcoholics ask God to remove their character defects, and then, in Steps 8 and 9, seek to repair the damage caused to others. A lifelong practice of self-examination begins with Step 10, and Step 11 seeks to improve "conscious contact with God" through prayer and meditation.
The AA program is prayerful, always seeking to eliminate egotism. The Step 3 prayer asks for "release" from the "bondage of self." AA literature suggests the St. Francis prayer for Step 11 (we also have this in our Book of Common Prayer, page 833) which asks that we might seek to be more loving rather than loved, more understanding than understood, "for by giving we receive, and by dying we awaken to eternal life." Both of these prayers are used by the Meditation Meeting on Monday nights in Ordway Hall; and the Tuesday night Men's Meeting and the Thursday noon Step Meeting study the St. Francis prayer often.
AA's Christian roots derive from a 1930's Christian encounter movement whose "life-changing experiences" were sought by alcoholics as well. Step 12 must follow a "spiritual awakening" which allows AAs to "carry the message" to other alcoholics -- the purpose of every meeting. Jesus' command to "love your neighbor as yourself" becomes vital, not only to claim the promise of Heaven, but to stay sober day by day. A leader of that encounter movement, Rev. Dr. Samuel Shoemaker, rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in New York City, addressed an AA convention in 1955: "I believe A.A. may yet have a much wider effect upon the world of our day. . . and may contribute greatly to the spiritual awakening which is on the way but which is come none too soon." Amen.
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Topics in the News:
 by Cherie Greene
For the second time in a row, the Republican National Convention found itself delayed by the weather. In 2008, it was Hurricane Gustav that threatened Louisiana. Although the Convention was taking place in Minnesota, the speakers were understandably wary of appearing oblivious to the plight of Gulf residents with memories of Katrina still so fresh.
This year they're in Tampa, Florida, a city on the Gulf of Mexico, which made the approach of Hurricane Isaac impossible to ignore. Although the RNC festivities were only shortened by one day after Isaac flooded some Tampa streets, the storm's impact on-yes-the Louisiana coast created what many journalists have called a "split screen" focus. On TV news, this might be literal. In a broader sense, it means that no matter how stirring, polished, dull or provocative the speeches at the Convention might be, they are being upstaged by Mother Nature.
Protestors in Tampa had planned on some 5,000 attendees, but the torrential downpours damped their enthusiasm. Still, somewhere around 300 die-hards showed up to chant "We are the ninety-nine percent!" and to display a statue of Republican candidate Mitt Romney labeled, "King of the One Percent." With the economic recovery puttering along at a disappointing pace, both parties will be working to make the case that their approach is the one that will lift it out of the doldrums.
The hurricane, which has once again flooded many homes not protected by the new levees, is not the only story that will take attention away from the Republicans' intended message. Among the other sideshows surrounding the Convention big-top, there's Todd Akin's biologically misinformed assertion that raped women don't get pregnant. While both Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan denounced Akin's remark, Mr. Ryan's no-exceptions anti-abortion plank did make it into the GOP platform.
In an effort to control some of the damage this might have done among women voters, Ann Romney took the podium with a well-delivered speech about moms. Whether that or the address by Condoleeza Rice will defuse the Akin grenade remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the PAC-produced ads on both sides are becoming nasty, underhanded and, in some clearly documented cases, patently false. This kind of thing is only likely to increase between now and November. Thoughtful voters will know better than to believe everything they hear on TV.
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Poll of the Month
Last month's poll question was: "When, primarily, do you pray out of church?" Here are the results:
Every morning 23%
Every evening 23%
When I say Grace at meal times 0%
Randomly throughout the week 36%
All of the above 18%
This month's question is "What, primarily, is your focus when you pray?"
ᴼ Adoration
ᴼ Contrition
ᴼ Thanksgiving
ᴼ Supplication
ᴼ Guidance
To vote, click here |
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Photo Feature: Consecration of our New Bishop
On Saturday, August 4, at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, over 1500 people gathered for the Consecration of the Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld as the tenth Bishop of New Hampshire. Thanks to Geoff Forester for these photos:
 
  
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From the Vestry
 August Vestry Notes
As a gift to our Vestry members, there was no meeting in August -- giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy a good summer break.
We are so grateful to these wonderful, committed people, who give so generously of their time, their energy, their creativity, and their care for one another and for our parish.
As a new program year begins, be assured that your Vestry will continue to do their very best for St. Paul's. An important part of that process is getting to know one another better. At every Vestry meeting, we share fun facts about parishioners who are new to the parish, new to us, or from whom we have discovered something new -- a celebration of the amazing people and the remarkable gifts that abound in our parish. So, when you come across someone who is wearing a Vestry name badge, be prepared to share some fun facts about yourself! It's a pleasure to get to know you.
Casper Kranenburg, Senior Warden
Jan Greer-Carney, Junior Warden
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Youth Happenings: Summer Celebration Camp
by Sarah Nyhan
What was the best gift I received this summer? It was a Baobab Blast!!
St. Paul's Summer Celebration Camp was lively and fun-filled and a true adventure of the Spirit. It took place in mid-August, drawing in children from our parish and our community. Over 40 young people aged 3-16 participated as campers and counselors and we had eight adult leaders. We marveled at the welcoming nature of all of our children, and the blossoming leadership skills of our older elementary and middle school students.
There is so much love and life in this building during that week each year. The children arrive excited to begin each day, and the parents are so grateful for this place and this opportunity for their kids to make new friends and learn and grow.
The core lessons of our week taught us about ways that we TRUST, LOVE, FOLLOW, CARE and SHARE with God and with one another. We discovered surprising facts about African animals, and learned Bible verses and stories. We overwhelmingly enjoyed the visit from "The Village Drummer" (aka Julie Corey) who led us in a drumming circle. We cared for each other by sharing in a cool treat on a hot summer day with a visit from the Kona Ice truck.
As this year's theme centered on the continent of Africa and the Baobab Tree, we chose to make a charitable donation to the Nets for Life program through Episcopal Relief and Development. This venture received overwhelming support and "netted" nearly $700. What a blessing!
My favorite moment of the whole week was probably on Thursday when we had the whole group engaged in "doing the Hokey-Pokey." To have such a large group of children and adults laughing and being silly together is so amazing and important. This is the place to be - in God's house, being ourselves, and loving each other.
What an amazing gift!
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Personal Reflection: "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You"
by Frank Spinella
 When I was in my mid-thirties, a divorced/remarried Roman Catholic looking for a new spiritual home, one of my first glances was toward the Episcopal Church. Its liturgy was close to what I was used to, it proclaimed apostolic succession, it recognized the importance of reason and tradition as well as Scripture in matters of faith, and its Anglican roots suggested acceptance of my status (recall that the Church of England was born out of Rome's refusal to condone Henry VIII's divorce and remarriage). The match seemed promising.
Thus it was that in 1992, when Linda and I were living in Gilford and looking for a church to baptize our new son, All Saints Church in Wolfeboro was our first stop. To our pleasant surprise, the rector, Randy Dales, was instantly comfortable with the baptism even though neither Linda nor I was Episcopalian. He required no commitment to or reception by the Episcopal Church; our desire to raise our son in the Christian tradition sufficed. Randy's was the human face of the Episcopal Church for us, and it was as welcoming as we could have hoped. Were it not for him, Linda and I might well be worshiping elsewhere today.
In the years since then I have come to appreciate even more the Episcopal mindset of welcoming everyone, no matter who they are. Acceptance of women in positions of ecclesiastical authority, and of gays and lesbians as full-fledged members of the Body of Christ, sits well with my personal sentiments about what Christianity is and should be, and it is exciting to see such an approach pressed boldly to its limits.
This welcoming mindset embraces not only who we are, but what we believe. Certainly I have retained a few beliefs from my Catholic tradition. In a sense, the Episcopal Church's acceptance of disparate beliefs is both its moral strength and its doctrinal weakness; for a church's doctrine is defined not by the most it allows but by the least it insists on, and in Episcopal circles that is little indeed. "Unity in essentials, liberty in inessentials" begs the question of what is essential and what is not. The idealist in me pines for a church whose members all agree on the meaning of the creedal recitations and sacramental practices they share. But the realist in me recalls that I myself left such a church as a doctrinal dissenter, and somehow ended up in Randy Dales' office.
Toleration and welcome have very different feels to them. Where I have landed feels more like welcome. And like home.
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History and Artifacts
by Kathy Bush and Marjorie L. Hascall
The Archives of the parish is a repository of historical papers, documents and pictures as well as vital Parish Records, which include, for example, Baptisms and Confirmations. They follow closely the Archives maintained at Diocesan House, but Record Group titles are different.
Following the rebuilding of the church after the fire, Mark Levesque began the initial work of organizing the Archives, but eventually other demands on his time forced him to give up this work. In 2010 Marjorie Hascall took up the task of completing that work. To date all papers, documents, and reports that Mark did not sort or that have been received after his work ended have been perused and sorted into appropriate categories. Included among these are historical items that Virginia Colby collected which have been given to the Archives.
Marjorie contacted the National Episcopal Archive Office for assistance in setting up the Record Groups For Parishes. She did a review of the cataloging that Mark accomplished in preparation for organizing the materials into appropriate Record Groups for Parishes This was accomplished with some variation, for example, adding a Record Group titled Church Fire and Rebuilding.
The Record Groups for St. Paul's include:
Sacramental Records and Parish Registers
Parish Clergy and other clergy associated the the Parish
Records of the Clerk - Vestry Meetings and Annual Meetings
Parish Ministries, Programs and Organizations
Publications
Visual Records - Photographs
Parish History
Church Fire and Rebuilding
During 2011 and early 2012 paper document review and sorting into the appropriate Parish Record Group was completed. All folders were reviewed and labeled with the Record Group letter and with a general description of the contents, and stored in document cases.
This year, 2012, Marjorie has been developing a directory, thus making it easier for staff to access requested materials. Marjorie volunteers one morning every week to accomplish this priceless task.
There is a large collection of snapshots taken at various Parish functions, many of which have no identification of the event or people. At sometime in the future an attempt will be made to catalog these by identifying where possible the event and/or the people pictured.
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© St. Paul's Church, 2012. Next Newsletter: October 1; deadline for submissions: September 28. Please do not reprint text or graphics without permission.
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