News from St. Paul's Episcopal Church                                   October 2015 


 


Jesus said to the apostles:


"Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.--
The Gospel of Mark 6:31-32


Reverend Stacy will be on Sabbatical from September 1st through November 24th, 2015. You can check out her blog, Cry of the Indigo Bunting, for her activities during her sabbatical.


 


 
IN THIS ISSUE
Rev. Stacy on Sabbatical
Pet Blessing
From the Senior Warden
From the Junior Warden
Music Ministries
Treasurer's Report
Pumpkin Decorating
ECW Convention
All Saints Sunday
News from Sue Ouellette
Mid-Week Holy Eucharist
Eucharist at Oak Crest
Crop Walk
Diocesan Convention
Syrian Refugee Relief
Parish Office Reminders
Flowers for the Altar
Food Pantry Report and Reminders
Shelter Care
Interfaith Conversations
Faith and Family Day
Anniversaries, Birthdays, & Events
Contact Information
7TH ANNUAL PET BLESSING
OCTOBER 4TH

Join us for the 7th Annual Pet Blessing on the front lawn on Sunday, October 4th at 1:00 P.M.. We invite the community to bring pets of all sorts, on leashes or in crates - or pictures of pets if they can't travel. 

Meet the TAILS humane society "Pet of the Week" and bring donations for TAILS. (see our website for the list of hoped for donations). Reverend Amy Fallon from Grace Place Campus MInistries will be officating this year.

From the Senior Warden, Peggy Newby


We have made it through the first 4 weeks of our Sabbatical time!  For the most part, it has gone smoothly.  We have had a few glitches that were handled according to the plan we have in place.  Christian Education classes have resumed, the final Thrive Market is in the books, and our fall events are coming at us quickly!

Thank you to everyone who is stepping up during this time.  Perhaps we are realizing just what DOES go on around the parish on a daily basis, and how we can or should be a part of it.  If you notice something that needs attention, please let the office or one of the Wardens know.

Sunday ministries continue to need our attention.  If you can step up for any of these ministries, please let someone know!  I hope the summer "rota-less" schedule saw you trying a new ministry or watching as others bravely stepped forward.  Please try to add a ministry to your repertoire!

REMINDER - A new Parish Directory is available!  You can pick one up on the table in Parish Hall.   Please begin using it as soon as possible, and remember to let the church office know whenever you have a change in phone/address/email, etc. 

Our official Stewardship Campaign, God the Giver has ended.  HOWEVER, if you still need to turn in your pledge for 2016, it's not too late!  Our Finance Team needs this information as they begin formulating our 2016 budget.  Your prompt response is appreciated! 

The Nominating Committee will soon be seeking members to fill openings on the Vestry and other committees.  In a smaller congregation like ours, it's very true that we've all "been there, done that."  Please be receptive to the committee's requests and do what you can.

Thank you for all you do for the life of our Parish - See you Sunday!

From the Junior Warden, Rick Johns


Most of my job as junior warden involves taking care of building and grounds issues, with the help of the B+G committee.  This month we have had several events of note.  First, by the time you see this article, our parking lot will have been patched, crack-filled, and seal-coated.  We would like to avoid having to resurface the parking lot for as long as possible, and seal-coating is a necessary part of maintenance.  I hope none of you were inconvenienced by this! 

                We also had an unfortunate event occur: over the Labor Day weekend, someone apparently threw a rock through our new sign, breaking one panel and several fluorescent bulbs.  The sign company insures us against vandalism, and they will be shipping up a new panel in the next few weeks.  In the meantime, Rhys Prall used his trusty glue gun to do some temporary repairs, and the damage is barely noticeable.  Thanks Rhys!

                More amusingly, the company that runs our fire alarm got bought by another company, and the new company came out to install a new radio.  Unfortunately, the new radio caused the alarm to keep going off.  After 4 visits, totaling at least 10 hours of their time, the problem was diagnosed: they needed to connect the new radio with a better antenna.  On the fifth visit, this was done, and we have had no problems with the alarm since then.  All of this occurred at no charge to us, but certainly was a big waste of the service technician's time.



Joy! Exultation! The St. Paul's Adult/Youth 
and Children's Choirs first CD is ready! 
(Set of Two 2014 & 2015)

Sharing Music from the Six Major Liturgical Seasons: 
Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Advent and Christmas.

Here is a track (live song) from our CD of the Adult/Youth Choir 

The Children's Choir recorded several anthems this year to add to our 2015 choir CD. Here is Jesus Loves, This I Know

Come and join us in song, dance and scripture! All are welcome! If you like to sing & dance & even act, then this is your chance, because this is the place to have some artistic fun while giving thanks to the Lord. The Children's Choir rehearses Thursdays, 6:00-6:30 PM and The Adult/Youth Choir rehearses Thursdays, 7:00-9:00 PM  If you can't make our Thursday rehearsals and would like to sing with us, just meet up with us for a short run through of the anthem on Sunday mornings - The Adult/Youth Choir meets at 10:15 AM in the Parish Hall. The Children's Choir meets at 10:20 AM in the Parish Hall, when singing for Sunday morning service.

Treasurer's Report

September 2015 Mars Hill  Treasurer's Report with August 2015 figures: 


This report covers the month of August 2015.  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 August 31, 2015
We have received 76% of the pledged amount and 76% of the total budgeted receipts for the eight month period. Year to date receipts as of 08/31/15 were $167,858.

Disbursements through August 2015
Total operating disbursements for the eight month period were 71% of the budgeted amount. The total year to date disbursements were $160,395. The difference between receipts and disbursements year to date is $7,463 on the positive side. This includes the $80,000 we have allocated from the Endowment fund.

Building Fund
The balance in the Edward Jones Building Fund at the end of August was $45,998, $30,000 in CD's and $15,998 in the Money Market Fund.  The total balance of Building funds including $5,538 in the American Midwest Bank account was $51,537.  We expect to use some of the funds in the Money Market for Parking Lot repairs to be completed later this summer. We have ordered a new Advent wreath from Trevor Floyd & Company, which is the firm we purchased the Altar Covering and Vestments from. It should arrive by the first Sunday in Advent.


Endowment Fund
The value of the Endowment Fund at the end of July was $1,936,402. The net decrease in value for the year is ($105,288.) This includes the $80,000 already transferred to the Operating Account. According to the Bylaws we may use up to 5% of the yearly average monthly ending balance in the Endowment fund for operating costs. To exceed that amount would require a vote of parish members. At the end of August 4% of that figure was $81,944, and 5% was $102,430.  We have allocated $100,000.00 in the budget to come from Endowment funds. The recent downturn in the stock market accounts for a portion of the decline in value

.
Apache Stock -
The 5.979 shares on deposit with the company were valued at $270 on August 31, 2015. The value has decreased ($104) since the beginning of the year.

On August 31, 2015 the balance in the AMB checking was $23,998.15. The Flower Fund balance was $106.55; Discretionary Fund was $218.32; Columbarium Fund was $1,464.30.  The Garden Fund has a $188.03 balance.  The Building fund portion was $5,538.35 and Operations balance was $16,482.60.
If you have questions about this information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Respectfully submitted,
Pat Brown, Treasurer, August 19, 2015.
Pumpkin Decorating Party

Family fun for all is planned the for last Sunday in October, the 25th, after the 10:30 AM service. All ages are invited to decorate pumpkins in preparation for Halloween. Our hosts are again Jackie and Terry Dickow. 
ECW  Fall Forum - Sharing Our Cultures

The ECW Fall Forum is nearly here!  The doors of St. Hugh of Lincon, Elgin, will open at 8:30am on Saturday, October 3 as we celebrate the variety of cultures in our Diocese.  Bishop Joseph Garang Atem, bishop of the Diocese of Renk, South Sudan will be our special guest.  The Rev. Dr.  Marc Strong, (Church of the Incarnation, Bloomingdale) will be the moderator for our panel discussion.  Dr. Margaret Brady, director of music and worship arts has assembled singers and very special music for our Eucharist celebration. 
 
Day of registration is $25 and clergy are free as guests of the ECW.  Registration includes the program, morning coffee and lunch. ll women and men are welcome. Go to the Episcopal Church Women website for registration forms and information.

All Saints Sunday Dedications

All Saints Sunday Remembrance of Everyday Saints to be prayed for in the prayers of the people will be observed on Sunday, November 1.

A very meaningful part of this service is the remembrance of the saints in our lives who have gone before us. Again this year, we will be setting aside a space in the parish hall where pictures can be placed of those whom we remember as teaching and inspiring us in our faith. Cards will be provided in which parishioners may write a short remembrance or share a saintly quality embodied by a loved one.

We will have the cards available in the parish hall by the beginning of October and will set up the area on October 25. All parishioners are invited to participate and sign up names for both the altar of remembrance and the list of every day saints to be read in the prayers of the people.

Sign up names of the beloved everyday saints in your life who have gone on to glory (who are deceased) by October 25th on the list in the Parish Hall or via email to the Parish Office.
News from Sue Ouellette- 9/5/15

Dear friends,

I am finally settled in Rochester and wanted to thank each of you for all of your support and encouragement during this time of transition.  The move was not without complications (are they ever?) but I am very happy in my little condo here and am proud to say I haven't been lost once this week!  Matt is doing well and Cami is thrilled to have us nearby.  Michael is very busy in Chicago with his music and seems to be taking all of the changes in stride, too.

I began my clinical pastoral education (CPE) this week and it has been an amazing experience.... even more than I had hoped for.  I am working at a very large university hospital complex that has nearly 1000 beds and handles many of the most acute cases from the region.  I will see patients from all of the units in the hospital when I am on call but am specifically assigned to an oncology (cancer) floor, the bone marrow transplant unit, a surgical ICU and step-down unit and child/adolescent psychiatry. 

I have been attending a church in the suburb that I live in (Church of the Incarnation) and there are many things about it that remind me of St. Paul's.  There are many Episcopal churches in the Rochester area that I am looking forward to visiting but St. Paul's will remain my home parish and all of you will remain in my heart and prayers.  

May the peace of our Lord be with each of you,

Mid-Week Holy Eucharist Service 
with Prayers for Healing
 
While Reverend Stacy is on sabbatical, from September through November, there will be no Wednesday morning service. The service will resume on December 2nd.
Holy Eucharist at Oak Crest

 

The monthly service of Holy Eucharist for parishioners and others at Oak Crest Retirement Facility will be held at 2:00 PM on October 21st. While Reverend Stacy is on sabbatical this fall, Reverend Dave Hedges from St. Peter's in Sycamore will be leading the services.


 

This service includes music, readings, a short homily and communion. Readers, chalice bearers and music leaders are needed each month. If you would like to be involved in this important outreach of our parish, please contact the Parish Office.

Crop Walk 2015

The Sondra King Memorial CROP Walk of DeKalb  County will take place on Sunday, October 18th, starting at and ending at Sycamore United Methodist Church, 160 Johnson Avenue in Sycamore. Registration is at 2 PM and Step Off at 3 PM There are 2 walks: a 5K walk and a Golden Mile walk. CROP Walk addresses hunger worldwide and in DeKalb County.
 
We can walk on the web: go to crophungerwalk.org and look for our team: St. Paul's Dekalb. You can join the team as walker and/or make a donation using a credit card. For more information, contact Henry and Eva Leonard, 815-758-4831 or leonard@math.niu.edu.

Love Heals
2015 Diocesan Convention  
 
The 178th Annual Convention of the Diocese of Chicago will take place on Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center in Lombard.

The theme of this year's convention is "Love Heals," inspired by keynote speaker Becca Stevens and her ministry with Magdalene House and Thistle Farms. 
 
Our delegates from St. Paul this year are Peg Newby, Rick Johns, Marilyn Cleland, and Bill Cummings (alternate). Learn more on the website, download a preliminary convention schedule and stay tuned for more details.

Syrian Refugee Relief

Episcopal Relief & Development is engaging the Syrian crisis through support to agencies in Syria, to the Diocese of Jerusalem's Holy Land Institute for the Deaf and in support of large numbers of people traveling out of crisis areas into Europe.  The agency is in contact with Anglican Communion partners through The Episcopal Church's Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe and The Church of England's Diocese in Europe, as well as interfaith partners such as Islamic Relief.

Please continue to pray for all those fleeing violence and unrest. Contributions to the  Syria Response Fund will help Syrians fleeing violence as the country's civil war enters its fifth year.
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 next collection will be on Sunday, October 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.  The Food Pantry Sunday coming up is October 11th. This month's priority item is Pet Food.
 
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 2015 issue of the Proclaimer to the Parish office by October 18th. The maximum length for all articles is 300 words. Your pictures are also welcome.
 
The Vestry meets every month. The vestry minutes are available on our website here.
 
The Parish Office hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
Flowers for the Altar
Dates are open for your dedications

 


 

The flower sign up sheet is on the bulletin board outside the parish office and dates can be selected for all months during the year. Generally the donation is about $30 for a Sunday. Available dates are:

    

                       October 25th, November 1st, 8th, and 15th.

September Food Pantry Report and Reminders
  

Thanks to all parishioners who contributed to Food Pantry Sunday in September. 

 

On September 13, 84 pet food items (cans and bags). 2 food items, and 140 diapers were donated for the Salvation Army Food Pantry. Total donations year-to-date are 5,856 items.

St. Paul's has adopted the 1st Thursday of every month to help at the Salvation Army Food Pantry from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. We need another volunteer for November, February, May and August. Please contact Pat McMahon or Jennie Cummings if you can help out in these months or can substitute in other months.


 

The next Food Pantry Sunday is October 11th. Although any contribution is most welcome, we are choosing one particular item as a priority each month.  For the month of October, the priority items will be canned goods or household laundry items (laundry detergent, dryer sheets, dish washing liquid, etc.). Contributions may be made at any time during the month, not just on the 11th.  


 

Thanks to all whose donations helped to make this a successful ministry. 

                                                                                                               Pat and Vince McMahon and Jennie Cummings

Shelter Care and The State Budget


Because our Republican Governor and Democratic Legislature are locked in a stalemate, the State of Illinois budget has not been approved. Thirty-four percent of social service providers have suffered delays in funding and have had to cut services.

At Shelter Care, the State would have sent at least a portion of our allocation. Programs have already been cut and suspended, and employees have been laid off, leaving the most vulnerable in the community, the most underserved and the most underpriviledged without assistance. The negative impact is pronounced.

St. Paul's has been a loyal supporter of Shelter Care, and we are asking once again to dig deep into your hearts and help through the transitional period while the State waits to adopt a budget. Whatever you can do will make a difference. Your gift will go toward helping keep programs open, services active, and the lives of the people we serve consistent and stable.

You can make a donation on our website here. Thank you for helping us through this very unusual and difficult time.
NIU Interfaith Conversations
 
The Interfaith Conversation series explores diverse belief systems used to make sense of the world and guide ethical behavior. The 2015 series continues to offer introductions to belief systems represented across the NIU "communiversity." As the famous Swiss theologian, Hans Kung argued, there can be "(no) peace among the nations without peace among the religions."
 
The series begins October 1st, and continues through November 5th. The topics to be discussed this Fall are Exploring Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Paganism, Buddhism, and Judaism. Each seminar is 90 minutes long and consists of a presentation and discussion. They are held in the NIU Library Staff Lounge, Lower Level, on Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:30 PM. For information, contact 815-753-0028 or fsye@niu.edu.
NIU Football Faith and Family Day - October 10

The October 10th game with Ball State features tickets as low as $15 for groups starting as low as 15 people. Go to niuhuskies.com to purchase tickets.

Anniversaries, Birthdays & Events


 

October Birthdays


 

10/3           Richard Dowen

10/10         Lonnie Piper

10/12         Henry Leonard

10/19         Linda Lorbach

10/21         Rhys Prall

 

October Anniversaries

 

10/10          Adam and Kim Petty

10/11          Doug and Lynn Roberts

 

October Events


10/4             Pet Blessing, 1:00 PM

10/14           Children's Waiting Room. 3:00 PM

10/18           Crop Walk, 2:00 PM, Sycamore United Methodist Church

10/18           Vestry Meeting, 12:15 PM

10/21           Oak Crest Service - 2:00 PM

10/25           Pumpkin Party, 11:30 AM

 

 

Save the Date:

 

11/1            All Saints Sunday

11/20-21     Diocesan Convention

11/25          Rev. Stacy Returns from Sabbatical


   St. Paul's Episcopal Church Contact Information
 
St. Paul's Episcopal Church of DeKalb, IL  
                          St. Paul's Episcopal Church
                     900 Normal Rd., DeKalb, Illinois 60115 
                             Parish Office: (815) 756-4888 
                                Parish Fax: (815) 758-6140 
                            parishoffice@stpaulsdekalb.org 
                             http://www.stpaulsdekalb.org  

  

       The Very Reverend Stacy A. Walker-Frontjes, Rector  
                               revstacy@stpaulsdekalb.org  
  

 

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