Dear People of God at St. Luke's,

  

I give thanks here for so much. First up is the Adult Choir and their music on Easter; one of their anthems we will enjoy a second time, at my request on May 4th. Then there was the Angel Choir on Palm Sunday and Young Adult Choir on Easter at the 9 a.m. service. And of course, thanks are due to Jean and Debbie. The Altar Guild once again transformed our church with the flowers. Who needs incense when the lilies and hyacinths are so fragrant? Thank you as well to all of the LEMs, acolytes, lectors, greeters, and ushers during our special services of Holy Week. Martha Tansey in the office once again made all the necessary office preparation look easy; thank you to her.

 

Special thanks goes to Denise Fox-Barber, Joyce Barthold, Randy Robertson, and Joan Powers who stepped in last minute to make sure that the Easter brunch food was out on the table and coffee (started earlier by Ron Swan) was refilled.

 

With Easter so late in the year, and as I write this only three (!) more regular church school Sundays remaining, I give thanks for the teachers and children of our Sunday School program. We'll be recognizing them on May 18th.

 

I'm also looking toward the summer and already making plans for next fall.

 *during the summer we hope to have paid nursery coverage each Sunday

 

Because a general call out for volunteers doesn't seem to cover all of our needs:

 

*a Hospitality Committee is being (re)formed to oversee the logistics of special parish events such as picnics and special coffee hours/brunches.

 

*from the ranks of current ushers coordinators will be named who will ensure that enough ushers will be available not only for regular services, but special ones as well.

 

*returning and new Sunday School teachers being lined up for next fall.

 

Please remember that our church is primarily supported by the financial contributions from our members. As in every year we entered 2014 with a deficit budget. For all but one of my nine years here we have ended though in the black. In part that is due to the generosity from people such as yourself who understand the need to give the mission of the church.

 

In Christ,

 Grant  

Sometimes people who are relatively new-or others who have been around for a while-  are interested in finding new ways to help out at St. Luke's. Each of these roles is time-limited-in most cases a year, but renewable. Significant support available through the office, such as putting out signup sheets. First up...

 

HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE

Needed: 2-3 people to be the coordinators (one has already stepped forward). 10 or more people to take on regular tasks.

For what sort of occasions?

 

Easter brunch: set up and clean up; people during the 9 a.m. service to be organizing food and coffee that people bring in.

 

There are four or five other such events during the regular year.

Other needs?

 

*1 or 2 people who will regularly sort through the refrigerators to get rid of expired items.

*1 or 2 people to make sure that all the kitchen stuff (esp pots and pans, but random paper products as well, get stowed away) are stowed away; communicate directly with sexton (janitor) about special cleanliness issues.

 *1 or 2 people to check on supplies-coffee, tea bags, sugar (but not dairy-that is brought in by weekly coffee hour people).

 

Regular Coffee Hour Scheduling

A schedule already exists. In August what is needed is someone to review the list, add or remove households as needed. Thereafter Martha sends out reminders.

 

Please let Grant or office know of any interest, [email protected], [email protected]

Congratulations to:

who were confirmed by Bishop Bud Cederholm at St. John the Evangelist in Duxbury on May 3, 2014.  Each renewed their baptismal promises and received a personal copy of the Book of Common Prayer.

Congratulations to the following who were recognized for their yearlong study of the Holy Eucharist, and for some, their First Communion on May 4, 2014. Each received a personal new Kid's Study Bible, a guide to Communion called Alleluia Amen and a handmade cross bookmark.

Once a month, be at the church by 9:45 a.m. Hand out bulletins, answer questions from visitors. At offertory, bring up the bread and wine, receive offering plates and take up the collection. When it's time for communion, help regulate the flow, pew by pew, of people to go up to take communion. At conclusion of service, look over pews and remove and bulletins left behind, make sure books are back in racks.

 

We are working on a coordinator from the ushers' ranks as well to take charge of scheduling, especially for the holiday services (the later Christmas eve one, the 11 a.m. Easter service).

 

Please let Grant or office know of any interest, [email protected], [email protected]

How fast 2/12 years fly by! We have enjoyed and benefited from having Joyce in our midst. With an end to the generous bequest of Dick Clay for youth  ministry now almost exhausted, as anticipated, the end of Joyce's contract is upon us. Recognition Sunday is May 18th. We will offer a special recognition to Joyce then with gifts and a special coffee hour immediately following the 10 A.M. service. To contribute to the gift, please make any checks out to St. Luke's, and in the memo line include "Joyce Scheyer".

Chris & Mary Swigart, Jennifer Penney, Diana Huntress -Nursery substitutes

Adrienne Wood- preK and K

Denise Fox-Barber- 1st and 2nd, Communion Class

Paula Rooney- substitute 1st and 2nd

Joyce Lukacik- 3rd and 4th

Janine Beal- 5th and 6th

Ann Johnson- 7th, 8th, 9th

Rev. Beatriz Hurwitch- substitute 7th,8th,9th

Rev. Joyce Scheyer and Philip Flaherty- Confirmation Class

Rev. Joyce Scheyer

Martha Tansey, Administrative Assistant

Chris Pierce, Sexton

Gayle Beaudoin, Parent Assistant

Nancy Reid, Overall Assistant

Nick Beaudoin, Teen Assistant

Bethany Bergin, Nursery Staff

Adrienne Wood

Joan Powers- The Table with Cyndra Zambo

Nancy Buckley, Steve Rafferty- ASP Trip Chaperones

Parker, Arevian and Clancy families- Community Dinner

Kelley Arevian, Stacey Stratton, John McDowell, Meiji Yang- Pancake Supper

Joyce Lukacik- "Wish Upon A Crayon" coordinator

Thanks to the following who completed all or part of the free online training for adults who work with children in the Episcopal Church called "Safeguarding God's Children"....Grace Strong, Nursery Assistant (beginning April 2014)

Molly Rafferty, Nikki Margeson, Paula Jewell, Janine Beal, Shey O'Grady, Bethany & Shane Bergin- Christmas Pageant

Linda McDowell- Handmade Cross bookmarks for Communion  Celebration

John & Linda McDowell- Transfer Station coordinators

Corbina Foucart, Karen Hirsh, Cyndra Zambo, Ed Malouf-Transfer Station mentors

Gayle & Nick Beaudoin, Nancy Reid, Denise Fox-Barber, Jayme & Maddye Parker and many anonymous candy donors- Easter Egg Hunt

Once a month to stay after the 10 a.m. service to count, with a partner, to count the contributions from the offering plate. Care is already in place to assure anonymity of donors who use regular envelopes. Training given. This is one of those behind the scenes important roles.

 

Please let Grant or office know of any interest, [email protected], [email protected]

Volunteers are needed to serve the meal in Brockton. Teens are especially welcome to earn community service hours. Please sign up in Dutton Hall. Contact Joan Powers for more information.

We now have a group of 7 parishioners from St. Luke's and two from Holy Trinity, Holbrook (the Rev. Colette Wood and a high school aged member) set to go to Oaxaca (pronounced wah-ha-ka), Mexico from August 2 to 12th. We will undertake two projects. The first is to work with school age children at a center that helps 600 children a year with tutoring, support, medical and dental care, uniforms, and one nutritious meal a day. Please look for further information about how those children came to be in need as well as what supplies we hope to take with us. Second, a town outside of the large city of Oaxaca has great poverty; we will be working with people there to build a playground and perhaps paint the school, time permitting.

 

The project will be funded by a diocesan grant, a small family foundation, individual participants' contributions, and fund raising-our goal for that effort is $1,500. Please save the Sunday, June 1, the Sunday after Memorial Day, for a post-10 a.m. Mexican Feast. Ever had a spicy chocolate sauce-one of the 7 mole sauces from Oaxaca-over chicken? It's good! Other options will be available. Although fried grasshoppers are also a staple of the region, we figure we won't offer those. Tickets will be on sale in May.

Set up for services-making sure the wine and bread are out, as well as the chalices; candles have oil in them; cleaning up after the services. Once a month.

 

And of course there are many other opportunities; acolyte, sing in the choir, read lessons on Sunday during worship, help administer the chalice, be a greeter.

 

Please let Grant or office know of any interest, [email protected], [email protected]