Annual Meeting-This Sunday Between the Services

This Sunday, Jan. 26, we will gather in the nave between the services for our Annual Meeting, when we give thanks for Christ among us this past year and look forward to the future for our parish.  We will also elect four new vestry members to serve three-year terms and a Youth Vestry Member to serve a one-year term (see the new bylaw for Youth Vestry Member at the end of the newsletter).

Many thanks to Andy Schuyler, the Vestry's appointee to serve the one year remaining of Victoria Shipley's term on the Vestry.  

Biographies for 2014 Vestry Slate

Michael Cropper

Married to JoAnne for the past 24 years, we have one daughter, Brandi, and were blessed in July with our first grandchild. JoAnne and I have been members for approximately two and a half years. The saying "you can't be a member of St. Patrick's without being involved" is so true. Since becoming a member I have served as an usher, greeter, teller, Vice Director of St. Patrick's chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, and most recently co-chairman of the Malachi's Storehouse Christmas Toy drive. Now I would like to serve as a member of the vestry.

What keeps you at St. Patrick's: St. Patrick's provided me with a spiritual home. I want to give back more than it has given me and hopefully make St. Patrick's a special place for others.

What gift(s) do you bring to vestry service at this time: I offer the knowledge and experience gained from a 35 plus year career in the mortgage industry as well as six years operating my own consulting company. 

Elaine Judge

I have been attending St. Patrick's for over 25 years. During that time, I have been blessed to attend many spiritual growth classes and weekends, including parish retreats at Camp Mikell and Lake Martin. I attended Joy Collins' Christian Ed class for many years and, also, attended the Friday Mother's With Young Children Spiritual Direction Group for 8 years. I have volunteered in the preschool nursery, served on the Fellowship Committee, coordinated transportation and have taken middle schoolers to New Beginnings spiritual retreat at Camp Mikell, co-lead the Parish Life Committee, served on the Funeral Reception Committee, and served as coordinator for Hospitality House.   

What keeps you at St. Patrick's: I can't imagine not having St. Patrick's in my life. It is my home, my family and my friends. It is this community that gave birth and nurtured my desire to serve God. It gave me progressive opportunities to figure out how to do that in this complex American culture of family, work and expectations.   It is this caring and truly God loving community that keeps me at St. Patrick's.

What gift(s) do you bring to vestry service at this time: The gifts I will bring to vestry service are the love of serving and helping out, compassion, abundance of time to give, organizational and planning skills, and the determination to see things through to completion

Martha Mills

I have been a member of St. Patrick's for 10 years. I came to Atlanta from the Diocese of Colorado, an active, "on fire with the Spirit" kind of place where I was deeply involved with my parish and the Diocese. In the first few years I could not find a parish where I felt at home. Worship seemed very dry and formal, and I can remember saying to my children "Isn't anyone around here happy about Jesus?" I came back to Atlanta from Carrollton, GA in 2003. I had heard about St. Patrick's and started attending. I knew right away that this was my place. This was home. I have been here ever since. I have always felt the presence of God here. I have been fed here, I have, over the years, been a J2A leader and have led a few adult education classes. I have trained and scheduled acolytes in the past. Presently I am a Verger, Eucharistic visitor, and help with the Peachtree Pines feeding ministry. In the past I have also helped with Malachi's Storehouse. I believe God has great plans for us and I want to help in any way I can as we go forward. 

What keeps you at St. Patrick's: The love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that I feel here.

What gift(s) do you bring to vestry service at this time: I always want to be a peace maker. I want to always remember that other members of St. Patrick's are my brothers and sisters in Christ and worthy of my love and respect-even when we disagree. I have served on a vestry in the past and also some committees in the Diocese of Colorado, so have some experience. I was so grateful when I found this parish and I have been very happy at St. Patrick's. I am willing to give my very best effort and to help in any way I can.

Kathryn Turman

I came to St. Patrick's over a decade ago. I was immediately attracted to St. Patrick's unusual blend of intellect, liberalism, and charismatic faith (by "charismatic" I mean having a sense of the active presence of God in this world and individual lives). Being able to reveal my whole spiritual self was a source of tremendous relief. As I came to know various members of St. Patrick's, I realized how warm and open the members of the church are toward a wide range of people. I enjoyed participating in various activities including: Eucharistic Minister and Visitor, reader, Verger, choir member, prayer team member, altar guild member, Malachi's Storehouse volunteer, teacher, women's retreat co-leader, and member of various committees. I have also enjoyed having had a few opportunities to teach a bit on Wednesday nights. I look forward to serving as a Stephen Minister soon.

What keeps you at St. Patrick's: St. Patrick's is my spiritual home. I am deeply invested in the well-being of this house of God and its individual members. I feel profoundly called to be here.

What gift(s) do you bring to vestry service at this time: Within the church: I have been a member of half a dozen parishes as an adult. I have been a Senior Warden chosen by a Rector, Junior Warden, Treasurer, Vestry member, and active congregation member. I also served as the chaplain to the students of Trinity Episcopal School, Midland, Texas, and co-chaplain to a Canterbury group. During my tenure as a teacher at Atlanta International School, I was in charge of bringing all the native language departments together as a new administrative unit and then leading that new department. I also developed a new program enabling students to continue formal study of their mother tongues and ran the Theory of Knowledge program. I received my Masters of Divinity in 1995. I also hold a PhD in British Literature. My dissertation was an analysis of one of William Blake's prophetic poems and focused on his understanding of the presence of Christ in the world and within every individual. Having retired from classroom teaching, I have the time and energy required. In all the work that I have done, I have relied on what I perceive to be these spiritual gifts: service, leadership, teaching, wisdom, knowledge, administration, mercy, healing, and faith.

David White

I discovered St. Patrick's back in 1987. Joy and I were engaged to be married, her parents were fully entrenched with the community here and it seemed appropriate that we have the wedding here. We did pre-marital counseling in the Fall of 1987 and Winter of 1988, and were married in April. Joy became active in church before I did. We were blessed with the birth of Spencer in September, 1989 and she (along with Jim and Judy) enrolled Spencer as a young lamb in our Catechesis program, as soon as he was age eligible. I found my way here, as a broken pilgrim, in 1996. God used wonderful ways to change my heart and re-make me. By November of 1996, I was on a new path, with Jesus as my Lamp. St. Patrick's family and I became inextricably entwined and stayed that way ever since. We've endured many trials and celebrated many of Life's victories together over the years and the hope I hold for our church family has never been greater.

What keeps you at St. Patrick's: The people of St. Patrick's keep me here, but the fact that our community remains a "Light House and a Hospital" instead of a "Country Club" holds great appeal for me. There is so much brokenness in our world and our church remains a beacon of hope for all the seekers out there. The generosity and hospitality of this church community, particularly for our limited size is a source of inspiration.

What gift(s) do you bring to vestry service at this time: My particular gifts that might qualify me for service at this time are limited, but may be especially poignant as we look to the future. We will move into uncharted waters in the next few years, as we discern St. Patrick's call. Even as we seek this clarity, we must continue to minister to a congregation that has been faithful and abiding...even as we are still re-discovering ourselves. We need to keep this focus, even as we look outward, seeking God's Will for our capacities. My gifts for listening and empathizing, even as they are tempered with my sense of urgent needs beyond our church doors, may bring a useful balancing heart to the vestry. It may or may not be the right time for me to serve on our vestry. I am attempting to govern myself out of obedience and trust our congregation and The Holy Spirit to determine our next vestry.

Julia Clark-Youth Representative

I was baptized at church, but my mom and I never really found time to go to church when I was younger. After going to Camp Mikell and learning about God, I had a desire to develop a relationship about God, and to learn more about Jesus Christ and why he loves us so much. I asked my mom to bring me back to St. Patrick's, and I joined J2A and developed lasting relationships with multiple adults, youth, and God.   

What keeps you at St. Patrick's: I continue to come back to church because I fell in love with the Episcopal church and our teachings and ways. The people I met were so accepting and exciting and they taught me more about my spirituality and how to form my own beliefs. 

What gift(s) do you bring to vestry service at this time: I think that as a youth on vestry, I could bring a new perspective on things going on around church, and as an individual I could bring a love and passion for Christ (and also some excitement). I could bring energy and help organize things with the youth as a fellow youth.

St. Patrick's News    

Liturgy Note: We will be continuing our Advent practice of silence before the services. From 7:45 a.m. until 8:00 a.m. and again from 10:15 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. we ask for silence in the chapel and the nave.  While there are no announcements, every attempt will be made to include all necessary information about church happenings in the service bulletin. That means the services will start promptly at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.     

If you have announcements you would like placed in the bulletin and/or Shamrock, please email them to Amanda Vaughn by noon on Tuesdays.    

• Tonight (Jan. 22): Wonderful Wednesday Dinner and Program recommences with "Hellenistic and Greek Influences on Early Christianity"
• Sunday, January 26: Annual Meeting with Vestry Elections between the services(more info below) 

The cost for children 12-years and younger is $5.00, cost of an adult meal is $7.00.

Please be sure to be a part of this upcoming program and dinner. Email your reservations to Amanda Vaughn by the Monday before - please note if you need childcare.

Mardi Gras open house at the Games': Save The Date: Friday, Feb. 21 from 6:00 - 11:00 p.m. at the Game's house for a Mardi Gras party - children welcome! 

Cloverleaf Wants to Hear from Book Lovers: We'd like to know about your reading life - favorite books and authors, serious and fun, books that changed your life, hints on how to fit in more reading time. Forms are in the narthex and the Cloverleaf box on the office door. Please return to Cloverleaf box. This is a parish of readers and we'd like to know how and why that is.

Lee Hardy Gathering: If you were a friend of Lee Hardy's and would like to be notified of an evening we'll get together to share memories, please contact Barbara Allen at 404-377-9261 or email her here.  

Hospitality House Is Back: Come catch up with your St. Patrick's community and enjoy a little comfort food to stave off the hunger pangs as you chat. We are trying some new concepts to make Hospitality House more manageable for those that would like to support it by hosting or by bringing one tray of food. If you would like to host for a particular Sunday or bring a tray of food for a particular Sunday, please sign up at the parish hall bulletin board or email Elaine Judge.

6:00 p.m.     German Ensemble, Choir Room