Church Shield

In This Issue
Upcoming Events
Birthdays
December
 4    Irene Graham
 5    Jennifer Moya
 6    Jean Pierre Chanu
10    Winnie Lebo
11    Graham Parvinkarimi
14    Lois Cascella
15    Laurie Los
15    Moi Phan
24    Jane Chapman
 25    Amelia Nicholson
28    Paul Los
30    Patricia Phan
31    Trang Diep
31    Chon Kim Huynh

January
4   Suong Pham
4   Catherine Burgess
7   Jim Clark
8   MeiLi Haan
9   Debbie Mills
9   Tinh Huynh
10   Jocelyne Miller
12   Loc Mai
15   Kevin Tingley
15   Hue Vo
22   Jay Parrotta
25   Anne Hiller
28   Tyler Mills
30   Robin Tingley

Our Prayer List

Saint Patrick's Ministers 

The Vision of St. Patrick's

Previous Issues of the Epistle

St. Patrick's Organized for Missions and Ministry 

Join Our List

November 27, 2015
Photos
Arranged by Ann Nelson
 
Arranged by Hong Pham
 

Arranged by Nhung Dan


----------------------------------------------
Feeding the Homeless
   
------------------------------------------
Bishop Jones' Nov. 8th visit



------------------------------------------
Makoto Nakura on the marimba

Parish:  The Thought
"Giving is Receiving"
The Rev. Bernie Schroeder

"For it is in the giving that we receive." This line from A Prayer attributed to St. Francis (BCP 833) says it all. When we give, we receive. The more we give, the more we receive. And so it is with stewardship.

This is the time of year when your clergy, Vestry and church leaders ask for your support to maintain and improve the programs and property of the church. My plea to you this year is that you make your pledge a very personal and prayerful decision with an eye to making that pledge a reflection of your relationship with God.

When I officiate on Sundays, I use the Offertory Sentence, "Offer unto God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and make good your vows to the Most High" (Psalm 50:14). This places your offering directly in response to your devotion to God and your desire to see his Kingdom grow. St. Patrick's is in the forefront of expanding God's Kingdom here in the Northern Virginia and your financial support makes it so. I hope that you will take some quiet time to pray and meditate about your pledge: Is it truly reflective of my relationship with God? Is it enough? How will I feel after I make this pledge? Closer to God or more removed from God? It does not matter what the person in the pew next to you gives or the fact that the parish may have a (restricted) endowment. It is not about what you observe outside of yourself; it's about what you observe inside of yourself, in your heart.

While some say that you should give to your church until it hurts, I believe that you should give to your church until it feels good. Please pray the Prayer attributed to St. Francis several times over several weeks before you make your pledge decision. I pray that this will be a powerful and fruitful exercise for you.


A Prayer attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is despair, hope; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in the giving that we receive; it is in the pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.


Parish Notes
Dear Friends:
"At the heart of giving is a profound sense of gratitude-that sense of gratitude that brings tears to our eyes-that prompts us to give thanks-that motivates us to give and to serve.... I approach giving to the church from a deep sense of thanksgiving. Personally, I do not give to budgets or to carefully articulated mission strategies. My gift is given out of gratitude for what God has done for me through God's church. Like picking out a gift for a special person, it is a gift that is carefully chosen and lovingly offered." This is the essence of the message that Bishop Jones shared with us during his recent visit to Saint Patrick's. In this way, he encourages each of us to consider: What has God done for us through God's church? How do we carefully choose and lovingly offer our gifts of thanksgiving to God?

First, an Update from the Search Committee
In 2014, when our beloved rector of over two decades unexpectedly announced that he would be retiring, Saint Patrick's Search Committee was quickly formed. As the Search Committee Chair, Liz Nguyen would certainly describe the past year as challenging. However, despite all of the challenges the Search Committee has faced, it is your love, loyalty, prayers, support, participation, feedback and especially patience that keep the Search Committee strong and committed.

The Search Committee continues to work with much intensity.
The Self-Study Phase has been completed, and the committee is mid-way through the Profile Development Phase in which they are using all of the information that you provided to develop the Community Ministry Portfolio.This Community Ministry Portfolio will include our hopes and dreams for the future of Saint Patrick's and a description of the qualities we are looking for in our next Rector.

The search for a new rector to shepherd us is a significant challenge as we are a small church with limited resources. However, based on your responses and feedback from recent surveys and focus groups, it is refreshing to know that we, as a congregation, have an honest understanding of who we are at this point in time and we have a knowledge of the kind of leader whose gifts might best shepherd us into the future.

O
ur ministries at Saint Patrick's are based on love and compassion for both our parishioners and for the local community. We are searching for a leader who will continue to support us in our current ministries, as well as bring energy to help us to grow spiritually, to share God's love with the world around us, and to welcome new members to share with us in the work that God has for us to do.

The most critical period of the discernment process will be the Interview and Selection of a Rector phase which the committee is on target to begin early next year.  Please continue to pray for the Search Committee as they continue their work over the holiday season and into the early part of 2016. If all goes according to God's plan for us, we will call our new Rector this spring!

Special thanks to the members of Saint Patrick's Search Committee: Lois Cascella, Joe Hiller, Michael Knowles, Tuyet Mai, Nyonkon Mason, and Milton Thomas. The dedication, sacrifice, generosity, and love for Saint Patrick's that you have displayed for the past year and a half have made it possible to keep this spiritual journey of self-discovery for Saint Patrick's a joyous one.

Second, an Update from the Vestry and Interim Rector
Your Vestry and Interim Rector also appreciate your continued support and encouragement. During the last year and a half, we have faced numerous challenges together.
  • We made substantial improvements to the Rectory, and the $24,000 we spent on repairs has been recouped by renting the rectory for the past year. The current tenants will soon move to Florida. We are searching for a new tenant in need of a six-month lease. Our intention is to have the rectory available, if needed, for the priest that the Search Committee and Vestry will call in the spring.
  • We replaced major portions of the heating and air conditioning systems in the church and in the school wing downstairs; these major repair bills cost over $20,000. Currently, the systems are in good working order, and plans for ongoing maintenance and energy conservation are in place.
  • We received a Peter James Lee Small Church Revitalization matching grant from the Diocese. We will use these funds to replace the windows in the office wing as well as to replace the carpets, paint, and repair the book shelves under the windows. We received $20,000 from the Diocese, raised the matching funds, and signed the contract with Vienna Glass. We hope to see this project completed in the next couple of months.
  • We continue to feed the homeless once a month and provide assistance to the children and families of Westlawn Elementary School. In addition, we have assisted individuals in need in our community and beyond. We are a small but "mighty" congregation; and we are honored to work together with you these efforts.
 
This is Saint Patrick's first Stewardship campaign since beginning the journey of transition. A pledge card for 2016 is enclosed for your prayerful review. Please consider what God has done for you through God's church and lovingly offer your gifts of thanksgiving to God.
 
Prayerfully,  
 
Liz Nguyen, Chair Search Committee
Father Bernie Schroeder, Interim Rector                 
Kathy Oliver, Senior Warden/Treasurer

Prayer Partners
Sign ups are requested for the first "St. Patrick's Episcopal Church Advent and Christmas 2015 Prayer Partner"
As a Secret Prayer Partner, I will give the gift of prayer to my Secret prayer partner starting with Advent (November 29, 2015), going through the Christmas Season and ending with on Epiphany (January 6, 2016).    
 
It is your choice to reveal yourself to your Secret Prayer Partner.
 
Please sign up before 9am on Sunday, November 29. 
SIGN   UP   - names will be distributed during coffee hour on Sunday, November 29. Advent resources from St. Patrick's library can be made available to borrow. Any questions or comments, see Lois Cascella or email [email protected].  703-560-7579

Cầu Nguyện Cho Nhau Trong M�a Tr�ng Đợi v� Lễ Phục Sinh 2015
 
Nh� Thờ sẽ tổ chức một m�a Cầu nguyện cho nhau trong M�a Tr�ng Đợi v� Lễ Phục Sinh 2015.
Xin qu� vị ghi danh tham gia v�o cuộc cầu nguyện nầỵ . Khi ghi danh, qu� vị hứa sẽ d�ng lời cầu nguyện cho một đồng t�n hữu ẩn danh trong suốt thời gian từ ng�y đầu của M�a Tr�ng Đợi (November 29, 2015) cho đến m�a Hiển Linh ( January 6, 2016). Qu� vị c� thể cho đồng t�n hữu biết t�n m�nh hay kh�ng.
Xin ghi danh trước 9.00 s�ng ng�y Ch�a Nhật, November 29, 2015. V�o giờ c� ph� ng�y ấy sẽ c� cuột bốc thăm về người đồng t�n hữu .
Đ�y l� lần đầu ti�n t�i tổ chức mục vụ nầy. Xin qu� vị cho biết � kiến, nếu c�.
Những t�i liệu về M�a Tr�ng Đợi hiện c� trong thư viện của Nh� Thờ. Qu� vị c� thể mượn về đọc.
Nếu c� điều g� cần hỏi, xin gặp hay đi�n thoại cho Lois Cascella (ĐT 703-560-7579)
hoặc email : [email protected] 
 
Holiday Benefit Gala 
Sunday, December 6, 2015, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
An afternoon of live big band music, dancing, dessert, tea & coffee, and silent auction 
Live music by Bob Gibson Big Band
Fundraising event for the Saint Patrick's Episcopal Church building renovation fund.

Westlawn Angel Tree
As we head into this season of Advent, we find ourselves inundated with requests for donations for this and donations for that.  This has been a tough year, monetarily for St. Patrick's and you have been asked to give support to cover many repairs.  We are having a big fund raiser to help with our building repair costs.  Now, we find ourselves with our Faith Partner, Westlawn Elementary School, and the request to help families in need to have a happy Christmas.  This year, we have the largest number of families in need than ever in the past.  Nineteen families have been identified as needing help.  We have 33 adults and 45 children.  Our group this year includes three different nationalities, a single father of 27 with two children--a six year old boy and a five year old special needs daughter; two sets of grandparents raising their grandchildren; a homeless family; plus many more examples of hardship. Because our list is so long this year, we are cutting down the number of presents to each child to two.  Each adult will receive a gift card.  Please help us to help them!  Checks may be made payable to St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, with "Angel Tree" on the memo line.  These may be placed in the alms basin, or mailed to St. Patrick's, 3241 Brush Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042.  All donations need to be received by December 13. If you have any questions, please contact Winnie Lebo at [email protected].
Previous Sermons
Sermon Videos
Previous sermons by Father Bernie as well as those by visiting minsters can be viewed on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/stpatsepiscopal

Many thanks to Joe Hiller for recording and posting videos of some of Father Bernie's sermons.

May God bless and keep you, and may God grant us peace.  

Please pray for Saint Patrick's throughout the process of transition 

 

Saint Patrick's Episcopal Church

Falls Church, Virginia 22042  


Anyone wishing to contact Father Bernie can reach him any time at: 202.258.0962 (cell)