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News from St. Paul's Episcopal Church  August 2013
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Dear Friends,
I am writing this on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon with the windows open for a rare midsummer breeze. These lovely summer days are precious and over all too soon. I'm so grateful we still have another month of summer before "real life" returns in the fall. I am referring of course to back to school for kids and teachers, welcoming back NIU students, welcoming back the Sunday School and choirs, and of course welcoming back the days of falling leaves and frosty mornings of fall.
As you will read in this month's edition of the Mars Hill Proclaimer, the leadership at St. Paul's has been quietly working throughout the summer to plan a warm welcome back to "real life" this September! Besides preparing a return to our usual ministries (and seeking new participants for our Sunday morning ministries in particular), there are opportunities for participating with the Holy Spirit and one another in new ministries that seek to share the good news of Jesus with the surrounding community: Feed My Lambs Breakfast Ministry, Prayers2Pass Welcome Week Edition, and Pet Blessings at the TAILS Humane Society Mutt Strut to name a few.
 | | Rev. Stacy & Family after the "Sundae, Sundae, Sundae!" relay race at Camp Chicago July 2013 |
Rev. Stacy's letter continues below...
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We are also celebrating other transitions approaching this fall, notably the confirmation of youth at Bishop Lee's visit on October 6th and saying good bye to our dear friends and longtime members, David and Ellen Anderson who are moving to Maryland to be closer to family (see their letter below). Please make sure you come to church in August before they leave, or give the Anderson's a call to wish them well and offer your prayers and support. And also, plan to be at the Parish Picnic on August 25th when the youth preparing for confirmation will be presented and prayed for during the Holy Eucharist.
I look forward to seeing you on Sundays, Wednesdays, and throughout the week at St. Paul's. I'm also often available for a visit and spiritual conversation at your home, over a cup of coffee, or picking vegetables in our St. Paul's Neighborhood Garden. Give me a call anytime. Until then, may God bless you and watch over you as you and yours enjoy these final golden days of summer.
In Christ,
Rev. Stacy+
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Treasurer's Summary, Pat Brown
June 2013
 This report covers the month of May and June 2013. The American Midwest Bank checking account is our primary operating account. Accounting is done by the American Midwest Bank Tax and Payroll Department.
Receipts through June 30, 2013
We have received 61% of the pledged amount and 50% of the total budgeted receipts by the end of this six month period. Since this is half the year we are right on track with 50% received. Total operating receipts through June 30, 2013 were $103,338. This includes allocations of $30,000 from the Endowment Fund. We will be taking an additional $30,000 in July 2013 for cash flow purposes.
On June 27, 2013 at the St Peter and St Paul service we collected $182 cash in a joint collection and some checks made out to the charities. This collection was split between St Paul's choice of Tornado Relief through Episcopal Relief and Development and St Peter's choice of Safe Passage with $91 donated to each.
Disbursements through June 30, 2013
Total operating disbursements for the three month period were $107,604. That is 52% of the total allocated. The difference of receipts over disbursements is a negative ($4,266.) We've received 50% of budgeted receipts and spent 52% of budgeted disbursements.
Building Fund
The balance in the Edward Jones Building Fund at the end of June was $82,400 and the balance in American Midwest Bank of $4,747 for a total of $87,147.
Endowment Fund
The value of the Endowment Fund at the end of June was $1,928,775. The net increase in value, year to date on June 30, 2013 was $53,779.
Apache Stock (210 Shares) was sold on May 15, 2013 for 17,107, and the proceeds deposited in the Endowment Fund. We now have 5.3 shares on deposit with the company. They will be sold in the near future.
On June 30 the Flower Fund balance was $12.11, Discretionary Fund was $1,233.66, and Columbarium Fund was $571.80. Checking Account balance was $4,893.
The Flower Fund Balance is low but can be added to by anyone wishing to make a donation of $25 for Sunday Flowers. There are many dates open in the Flower Chart in the parish hall where one can sign up to make a donation in honor of a special person, special event, or even for a beautiful day! We welcome your donations.
Respectfully submitted,
Pat Brown, Treasurer
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Have You Ever Thought About Serving at The Altar Sunday Mornings?
St. Paul's Needs You!
Eucharistic Minister and Acolyte Training Informational Meeting Sunday, August 4th
Want to become more engaged in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist? We are always in need of more volunteers to be lectors, intercessors, ushers, and coffee hour hosts. Please contact the Parish Office if you would like to be added to the list of current participants. Every month a schedule is sent out, which accommodates each participant's availability.
We are looking to train additional adult and youth Eucharistic Ministers (assist with serving communion) and Acolytes (servers in the procession and at the altar) for both the 8AM and 10:30AM services. There will be an informational meeting Sunday August 4th at 10AM in the Sanctuary. For more information, or if you are unable to attend this meeting, please contact Reverend Stacy.
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Updating the Prayer List
We will be updating the prayer list, including the names of those in the military, August 25th. Please fill out a prayer request form or send an email to the Parish Office with the names of those you would like to remain on the prayer list.
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Music & Creative Ministries
Time to warm up those instruments. Seeking musicians of all ages and abilities.
The Adult/Youth Choir will begin our evening choir rehearsals on Thursday, August 22, 2013 at 7:00 PM, in the Parish Hall.
The Children's Choir will begin our morning choir rehearsals on Sunday, September 8, 2013 at 10:45 AM, in the St. Timothy Center.
Everyone [Adults & Children] is invited to help lead the music for our Annual Parish Outdoor Service & Picnic on Sunday, August 25th. Adding a wonderful liturgy and music to the already great outdoor church grounds at St. Paul's can make for an invigorating spiritual and musical experience for adults and kids. Would you like to join us, play your instrument (flute, clarinet, guitar, steel pan, trumpet, bells, etc.) and sing with us, even if it is just for this one picnic? We would love to have you. If you would like to practice with us for the picnic, we will have a rehearsal on Thursday, August 22 at 7 PM. If you can't make the evening rehearsal, no problem, you are also welcome to simply join us on Sunday morning for a warm-up at 10:00 AM. Call/Text (847) 328-4104 or Email our Director of Music, Lorraine Langer, if you are interested.
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Reminders from the Parish Office
Rector's Discretionary Fund is collected the first Sunday every month. These funds are used to help people in need in our community. The collection this month will be on August 4th.
Food Pantry Sunday is the second Sunday of each month. You can bring your food any time and place it in one of the baskets. Non-perishable food items and monetary donations can be dropped off any Sunday, or at the Parish Office. Please make all checks out to St. Paul's with "Food Pantry" in the memo line. This month, Food Pantry Sunday is August 11th.
Proclaimer Deadline: The deadline to send information for the monthly newsletter is the third Sunday of every month. Please send any information you would like to see in the September issue of the Proclaimer to the Parish office by August 18th. Please note that the maximum length for all articles is 300 words.
The Vestry meets every month. The vestry minutes are available on our website here.
Melissa will be on vacation from August 11th to August 21. Reverend Stacy is available by appointment.
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Next Date for Confirmation and Baptism will be Sunday, October 6th, 2013
In the Episcopal Church only bishops may preside at the laying on of hands for Confirmation. Bishop Lee will be visiting St. Paul's on Sunday, October 6th 2013. Adults who would like to inquire about formal membership in the Episcopal Church through the rite of Confirmation, or who are considering Baptism, should contact Rev. Stacy as soon as possible.
Youth Confirmation classes will begin Sunday, August 25th at 9:15 AM and continue every Sunday at 9:15 AM through October 6th. Parents of youth should have received a letter pertaining to Confirmation requirements. Please contact the Parish Office if you did not receive this letter. Families of children considering Baptism should also contact Rev. Stacy as soon as possible.
Sunday School for Children & Youth returns September 8th.
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You are Invited to the Rockford Deanery Picnic
Saturday, August 24th at White Pines State Park in Mt. Morris, IL
The Rockford Deanery is hosting a picnic for the laity & clergy of the Rockford & Peoria deaneries at White Pines State Park in Mt. Morris, IL, Saturday, August 24, 11A.M. The Ford View picnic shelter has been reserved and is handicap accessible. St. Paul's family and friends are invited to attend including friendly dogs (leashed, please). Burgers, hot dogs, paper plates and cutlery will be provided. Please plan to bring a dish to pass & your preferred beverage. If you would like to attend, please reply to Reverend Stacy or call the Parish Office at 815-756-4888 by August 19th.
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Join us for our Annual Parish Picnic and Blessing of the Backpacks
Sunday, August, 25th at 10:30AM
 Our annual Parish Picnic and Blessing of the Backpacks will be held on Sunday, August 25th following the service at 10:30am under the shade from the trees in our front yard. Please note that there will only be one service that Sunday.
Rev. Stacy will be leading a prayer for the blessing of the back packs of all those who will be returning to school this fall, preschool through university! Those returning to school are invited to bring their backpack or other symbol of learning and/or teaching with them for prayers and blessings.
If you would like to be involved with the music during the picnic, please contact Lorraine Langer, our Director of Music. Freyja Rasmussen-Johns will be heading a planning team for this event. Please contact her if you would like to help. Look for a sign up sheet in the Parish Hall to bring a dish to share. We will also be praying for the Prayers2Pass team and asking for God's blessing on the donations collected (see Prayers2Pass article below).
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Prayer2Pass: Welcome Week Edition
Tuesday, August 27th and Wednesday, August 28th
 After the success of our Prayers2Pass prayers in hospitality outreach event during finals week, the Thrive Team is organizing a Prayers2Pass event during Welcome Week.
We will be collecting granola bars, energy drinks, and bottles of water at the Parish Picnic on August 25th to hand out during Prayers2Pass: Welcome Week Edition. The exact times are to be determined. Check out the coverage of the Prayers2Pass event from finals week in the Northern Star, the Daily Chronicle, and the Episcopal Cafe!
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Letter from the Anderson Family
To our St. Paul's Family,
 Many of you have heard our big news. We are moving to Maryland to be closer to Lindsey and Ty, our daughter and son-in-law, and our first grandchild, expected on September 24th. We are excited about welcoming our first grandchild into our lives and, being close to them as we get older also makes sense. Coming to this decision was very difficult after being in DeKalb for 32 years. We are excited and sad at the same time. Leaving our St. Paul's family is one of the hardest parts about this. Your friendship has meant a great deal to us. We have enjoyed our fellowship with you and the many wonderful social gatherings we have had, as well as all of the work projects we have done together, especially the Lobster Boil. We will never forget the love and support you gave us when we lost Christopher. Above all, we will miss our worship services at St. Paul's and the love of God and the peace we have felt. Ellen's last Sunday will be September 1 and David will be here a little longer as he has accepted a 10 week maternity leave substitute teacher position at Rochelle Township HS.
Come and visit - we are about 35 minutes from Gettysburg, just over an hour to Washington D.C. not to mention being near Baltimore's great museums, aquarium, and crabcakes.
Please keep us in your prayers and keep in touch.
David and Ellen Anderson
New address:
115 Houck Road
Westminster MD 21157
Cell numbers: David 815-761-2615, Ellen 815-761-2642
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St. Paul's at the TAILS Mutt Strut
Saturday, September 7th
 St. Paul's, DeKalb and St. Peter's, Sycamore will be co-sponsoring a booth at the TAILS Humane Society's 8th Annual Mutt Strut Dogwalk, Funfest, and 5K-9 Run for the Rescues. We will be distributing information about our respective Pet Blessings this October (St. Peter's: October 5th & St. Paul's: October 6th). The clergy of St. Paul's and St. Peter's will also be offering blessings for dogs at our booth from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on September 7th. Rev. Stacy is looking for some additional volunteers (of all ages) to staff the booth to greet dogs and their people, hand out dog biscuits, and spread the word about our Fifth Annual Pet Blessing on October 6th. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to share the love God has for all of Creation, and to tell the good news of how God is at work in the world through St. Paul's Episcopal Church. It's also an opportunity to support our brothers and sisters at St. Peter's as they spread the news about their ministry in Sycamore too.
Two members of St. Paul's serve on the TAILS Humane Society board: Sharon Dowen and Rev. Stacy. Rev. Stacy is raising funds for TAILS on "Team Copper and Guy" and Sharon will also soon have a fundraising page online for "Team Penny". Please contact Sharon and/or Rev. Stacy or visit their team pages if you would like to make a donation to TAILS Humane Society.
St. Paul's is proud to support the great work TAILS does in our community not only for pets seeking adoption, but through programs like Pawsitive TAILS which seeks to nurture the human-animal connection. Follow this link for a Daily Chronicle article from June of this year about the work of Pawsitive TAILS at local nursing homes.
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St. Paul's Neighborhood Garden Notes
 Thanks to the efforts of many parishioners who have been watering the vegetable garden during this long hot summer we are expecting an abundant harvest this August. In late July several grocery bags of broccoli, onions, and peas were delivered to Hope Haven and the Salvation Army Food Pantry. There are currently many vegetables and herbs (cilantro, basil and oregano) available for anyone who would like to have them. Help yourself or ask an able bodied person to help you pick something for dinner tonight!
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June and July Food Pantry Report and Reminders
Thanks to all parishioners who contributed to Food Pantry Sunday in June and July. On Sunday, June 9th, 172 food items and a record 669 diapers were donated. A total of 93 food items and 216diapers were delivered to the Salvation Army on July 14. The approximate number of total donations from St. Paul's so far this year is 3007.
The demand at the Food Pantry remains high. The lines at the Food Pantry on Tuesday, July 16, when our donations were delivered were the longest we've ever seen. The block in front of the Food Pantry was parked full on both sides of the street. The staff members at the Food Pantry continue to express their appreciation for our donations and have told us that they are in need of large sizes in diapers (4, 5, 6) and soup.
The next food pantry collection will be on Sunday, August 11th. Thanks.
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St. Paul's Mission & Outreach Committee Volunteer Opportunity at the Salvation Army and Food Pantry
We are looking for one new volunteer to work with Dick & Sharon Dowen with the September/December/March/June rotation. St . Paul's has adopted the 1st Thursday each month: 9a.m.- noon at the Salvation Army Food Pantry at 830 Grove Street, DeKalb, IL 60115. Please see Pat McMahon or Jennie Cummings if you cannot make your rotation. Food Pantry Hours: Monday-Wednesday: 9am-12pm; Thursday 9am-12pm, 5pm-6:45. Gary Billings, SA Volunteer Coordination, gbillings119@yahoo.com, 815-756-4308.
2013 Schedule:
Vince McMahon- Nov, Feb, May, Aug
Pat McMahon- Nov, Feb, May, Aug
Mary Keleher- Nov, Feb, May, Aug
Dick Dowen- March, June, Sept, Dec
Sharon Dowen- March, June, Sept, Dec
?? -March, June, Sept, Dec
Hazel Retherford- Jan, April, July, Oct
Larry Retherford- Jan, April, July, Oct
Bill Cummings- Jan, April, July, Oct.
Team:
1, 2. Vince & Pat McMahon pvmcmahon63@frontier.com,
3. Bill Cummings drbillcpa@comcast.net,
4, 5. Larry and Hazel Retherford l.retherford@comcast.net,
6. Sharon Dowen sdowen@niu.edu,
7. Dick Dowen ddowen@niu.edu,
8. Mary Keleher m.keleher514@comcast.net,
9. Rosemarie Ostberg~ no email.
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 S t. Paul's hopes to start a breakfast ministry for our children and the children in our neighborhood - a coffee hour for children, so to speak. The idea for this ministry came out of our experience this past year with young visitors from St. Paul's neighborhood who came to us in need of nourishment for body and soul. We will serve all children who arrive before the start of Sunday School so there won't be a distinction between members and visitors or needy and nurtured. We plan to begin at the start of the program year (September 8). Breakfast will be served at 9:00 a.m. We are looking for donations of non-breakable cups & bowls, as well as dry cereal (low sugar), cereal bars, juice & milk. The "in-gathering" date for donations to this ministry will be Sunday, September 8th.
We will also need volunteers to help serve Christ's lambs. If you've been looking for a way to spread the love of Christ to all people, please speak to Rev. Stacy, Rochelle Cripe, Julie Stubblefield, Maureen Gerrity or Luke Krueger. In discussing this ministry, I found myself thinking of my own children and their experience at St. Paul's. So many of you took an interest in them during their formative years. I have no doubt that you made a positive difference in their lives. I cannot thank you enough!
Sincerely,
Maureen Gerrity
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Send in Your Flower Memorials and Thanksgivings Today!
 Every week we are blessed to have beautiful flowers on the altar arranged by our own St. Paul's Flower Guild. Currently the flower fund balance is very low. While many parishioners sponsor flowers in memory of loved ones, you can sponsor flowers for any event or thanksgiving to God in your life: birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, thanksgiving for good health, thanksgiving for the birth of a child or grandchild, thanksgiving for a new job, thanksgiving for your family or friends. Each Sunday after the 10:30A.M. service the flower sponsor is welcome to take the flowers home. Frequently the flowers are also taken to home-bound parishioners or those in the hospital. The suggested donation is $25- checks should be written to "St. Paul's" with "flower fund" in the memo. The poster for available Sundays for flower sponsorships is located in the hallway in between the Sanctuary and the Parish Hall. Please contact Janie Torma or another member of the Flower Guild (Hazel Retherford, Mary Lincoln, Jane Nenonen, Kristin Duffy) for more information. Thank you for your support!
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Anniversaries, Birthdays & Events
August Birthdays:
Luke Krueger (8/24)
Brad Cripe (8/27)
Sue Ouellette (8/31)
August Anniversaries:
Rick/Freyja Johns (8/3)
Steve/Jane DeGolier (8/15)
Jim/Janie Torma (8/16)
Craig/Jo Abbott (8/20)
Richard/Sharon Dowen (8/22)
Roy/Nanette Mason (8/25)
Upcoming Events:
7/25-8/2: Reverend Stacy Away
8/18: Vestry Meeting
8/24: Rockford Deanery Clericus Picnic
8/25: Annual Parish Picnic in St. Paul's front yard
8/27-8/28: Prayer2Pass:Welcome Week Edition
9/7: St. Paul's at the TAILS Mutt Strut
9/8: Sunday School & Feed My Lambs Breakfast Kickoff
10/6: Bishop Lee's Visit & 5th Annual Pet Blessing
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Finding God in the Everyday
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St. Paul's Episcopal Church Contact Information
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
900 Normal Rd., DeKalb, Illinois 60115
Parish Office: (815) 756-4888
Parish Fax: (815) 758-6140
The Very Reverend Stacy A. Walker-Frontjes, Rector
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