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St. Stephen's Episcopal Church of Mullica Hill
Email Newsletter
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September 2009
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Issue #5
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In this issue:
Editor's Note
Vicar's View
From The Senior Warden
From The Junior Warden
Deacon's Corner
Mission Board Minutes
Committee Notes
Community Ministries
Parish Life
Children's Activies
Evangelism
Christian Formation
the Lighter Side
Community Information
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Epsico-Speak
Service Times:
8 AM Rite II
10 AM with Music, Rite II
10 AM with Music, Rite I on the third Sunday of the month
Healing Service on 10 AM on Wednesdays, except Sept. 2 when it will be at 11 AM
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Editor's Note:
It’s hard to believe that fall is right around the corner. This morning I think I even detected a little chill in the air. How can that be? But with fall comes the start of school and in our family, we are looking forward to Cecilia starting kindergarten. It’s a big milestone and we are proud of her.
I was proud of her for another reason earlier this month. In our home, we talk about God a lot and we watch programs, like Veggie Tales, about God and stories from the Bible. Cecilia came home from day care one day and said to me, “You know Mom, a lot of the kids at my day care don’t know about God. I think I should bring in a movie to show them.” Well, as you can imagine, these signs of a budding evangelist made me very happy. But in the next instant, I recalled something Rev. Valerie has said, which is that 50% of the people in this country aged 40 and under have not been raised in any kind of religious tradition. This is a sobering statistic, especially since it means that this same cohort is probably not raising their children in a church either.
And so I hope you will take this opportunity as our family has, to think about ways to reach out to those, especially our littlest ones, who may not have had an opportunity to know God through a church. Maybe you could even invite them to New Comers Sunday on September 20!
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 Vicar's View:
The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), which many churches use to parse out readings from the Bible for Sunday services over a 3-year period, offers us the opportunity to approach the Gospels in a systematic way. Year A is the Gospel of Matthew, Year B is the Gospel of Mark, Year C is the Gospel of Luke, and the Gospel of John is sprinkled throughout all three years to supplement as needed. We are currently in Year B and have been working our way through the Gospel of Mark (though most of August was from the Gospel of John).
One of the prominent features of Mark’s Gospel is the sense of urgency. The word “immediately” is used 28 times in this Gospel, as well as many other words and phrases to express the instantaneous effects of Jesus’ actions in his ministry. In this day and age, we expect things to happen immediately, if not sooner. We have no patience to wait for anything – a traffic light, a supermarket check-out line, an older person walking in a door. We all have places to be and things to do – there is no time to waste. At a glance, Mark’s Gospel seems to confirm our approach to life; that things need to get done and get done now. We could even argue that our fast-paced lifestyle is just like how Jesus lived, so what’s the problem?
As any good recovering English major would do, I looked up the root of “immediately” and learned that it means “without anything in between.” I believe this is a much better definition for the term as applied to Jesus and very helpful to us in our lives. When “immediately” is used to describe Jesus’ actions, it connotes that there was no separation, no barrier between him and the result. His intent and purpose are clear – whether is it healing someone, performing a miracle or making his way to Jerusalem – and nothing gets in his way. He does not doubt what he is doing, he does not listen to those who would stop him and he does not allow anyone’s fear (even his own, perhaps) to persuade him to do things differently.
Jesus shows us what it is like to live life knowing there is nothing between him and God. All of these things take place “immediately” because God is with Jesus in his humanity and Jesus is with God in his divinity.
As God’s beloved children, we too are invited into a relationship with God that has nothing in between us, but in order to achieve that we must give up our doubt, fear, impatience and need for approval. We surround ourselves with these veils and then wonder why we cannot hear what God is saying to us.
Ironically, the practice of “immediately” takes time to develop. We must make the time for prayer to learn how to follow God with confidence, trust and love, knowing that God’s will for our lives is what is best for us, always. A good way to start is finding a Bible verse that speaks to you and repeat it, such as “For God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:27)
As we start a new program year and our lives and schedules begin to fill us with too many things to do and not enough time to do it, I encourage you to make the time to remember that there is nothing between you and God expect what you put there. If you are willing to give that up, you will immediately notice a difference.
In Christ’s Love,
Valerie+, vballing@comcast.net |
Save the Date:
September 6 – St. Paul’s Soup Kitchen in Camden. If you would like to make or bring food, contact Jean Immler clauinet@comcast.net, Sharon Patterson (twinfish2@comcast.net) or Carole Misinkavitch (andrewmisinkavitch@comcast.net. We leave the church at 5:30 pm and return at 8:30 pm.
September 13 – Homecoming Sunday and first Children’s Chapel for ages 4- 7 at 10 am in the Parish Hall
September 14 – Evangelism Committee Meeting, 7 pm at the Combs House
September 20 – New Comers Service and Brunch following 10 AM Service– This is an accessible service especially designed for those who are new to the church. Please invite someone and sign up to bring something for brunch. Special fun children’s activity being planned during brunch!
September 28 – Book Club Meeting, 7 pm in the Parish Hall to discuss “Beloved” by Toni Morrison. Join us for a discussion of a multi-layered title. You might love or hate the selection but you’ll definitely enjoy the conversation!
October 4 – Blessing of the Animals – Bring a picture of your pet or a stuffed animal to service. No Children’s Chapel as there will be a special homily for the children. (There will still be Nursery).
October 10 – Harrison Twp Open House and St. Stephens Rummage Sale – Volunteers needed for both! Contact Sheila Raman (sraman@upenn.edu) or Nicole Stamm (ninianende@verizon.net).
Mission Board Minutes
- The Mission Board met on August 3, 2009.
- Meeting was opened with prayer.
- The minutes from the June 15, 2009 meeting were approved.
- Mutual Invitation Bible Study : Mark 8:11-21 was led by Rev. Valerie
Leadership Topics - Focus for Fall
- We have a full slate of volunteers to lead the Children's Chapel and have successfully recruited enough teachers.
- Deacon Carmen Viola will be conducting a weekly adult education series starting in the fall.
- Evangelism - Plans are coming together for a second commercial. There has been an increase in the number of "hits" on the website – which had received as many hits through mid-July as in the whole month of June.. A "Newcomers Brunch" will be held on September 20th.
- Stewardship - The committee met on July 15th and moved forward with plans for a special coffee hour to be held after the 8:00 o'clock service and the 10:00 o'clock service on Homecoming Sunday - September 13th. Plans are being made to conduct the cottage meetings in the fall as part of our visioning process.
- New Business - Checks were ratified that were presented.
- The audit will be conducted on August 7th.
- $45,000 will be moved to the Fidelity Asset Mgr. account until the Vanguard account can be opened.
- Meeting was closed with prayer.
- Carole Misinkavitch, andrewmisinkavitch@comcast.net
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From the Senior Warden:
Summertime and the living is supposed to be easy, but it’s been an active time.
I am looking forward to the coming year. There’s been lots of work going on in July and August. Our deacon Carmen Viola has been brimming with ideas and made his presence known. Has been serving with Rev Valerie at the altar and led Morning Prayer while she was on vacation.
The Evangelism Committee met and we’ve had a record number of hits on our Website. This could be in part because of the commercial that has been running. Two more are planned before the end of the year. One is due out in September or October and another one for the end of the year for Christmas.
The Fundraising Committee hopes to have a raffle set for later in the year. We are still waiting for approval from the State of New Jersey.
The Stewardship Committee met several times. They are planning home meetings in October where we will talk about various aspects of stewardship including looking at our professions and talents that we can offer to St. Stephen’s.
Sunday School has seven teachers, up from the four that we had last spring. Valerie has been wonderful with the kids. In addition to Sheila Raman, Rachel Rowe and me, we now have Heather Holt, Janet Mastronardi and Sharon Patterson. We will be teaching three classes. And we have several volunteers to lead Children’s Chapel: Melanie Cloyd, Helen Evans, Nancy McLaughlin, Sharon Patterson and Sheila Raman.
It’s been an exciting summer and hope it continues through the year.
- Lisa Redfield, redfieldlisa@aol.com
From the Junior Warden:
The contact list is being updated again to include all of the names that were inadvertently left off with the first go-round. If you want to update any information you can email it to me at ninianende@verizon.net. A new list should be copies and ready to hand out the last week of August/first week of September (I am on vacation until the 25th).
- Nicole Buehler, ninianende@verizon.net
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Committee Notes:
Evangelism:
The Evangelism Committee met on July 14. Topics for discussion included the September 20 Newcomers service and brunch, the next commercial, distribution of brochures and the October 10 Mullica Hill Open House. Next meeting: September 14 at Combs house, 7 pm.
-Sheila Raman Combs, sraman@upenn.edu
Fundraising:
Believe it or not it is almost that time of year again!! We will host our 4th annual indoor yard sale on October 10th. As you work through summer clean outs and fall planning, please try to keep us in mind if you have any items that might be good for the yard sale (please try to limit the clothing and shoe donations). We will begin collecting items at the beginning of September. We will need people to help set up on Friday night, ‘mind the store’ on Saturday, and help clean up on Saturday afternoon. If you would like to help out in any way, or need items picked up from your house, please contact Nicole Stamm at ninianende@verizon.net or at 856-981-6102.
Children’s Chapel:
We will launch the new Children’s Chapel program on September 13 at 10 am. This is a children’s version of the prayer service that the adults experience in church. Geared for ages 4-7, this will be taught by a rotating group of volunteers. Children’s Chapel will take place in the new chapel/classroom in the basement of the parish hall, across from the nursery. Children will return to the service in time to rejoin parents for communion. Come and join us! And thanks to all have offered to lead the Chapel: Melanie Cloyd, Helen Evans, Nancy McLaughlin and Sharon Patterson. Extra special thanks to April and Nancy for setting up the Chapel!
Nursery
Nursery will continue at 10 am in Collins Parish Hall. This is geared for children aged 6 months – 3 years. It is staffed by a rotating group of parent-volunteers. Children return to the service and join parents in time for the communion.
Volunteers Welcome!
If anyone would like to volunteer for nursery (ages 6 mo - 3 years) or Children's Chapel (ages 4 and up) please contact Rachel Rowe (rrowe13@comcast.net) or Sheila Raman Combs (sraman@upenn.edu). This is a one Sunday per month (or less) commitment.
-Sheila Raman Combs, sraman@upenn.edu
Stewardship
Homecoming Sunday
The Stewardship Committee is hosting a special coffee hour after both services on Homecoming Sunday, September 13th.
You will hear about the many special events planned for the Fall at St. Stephen's and the many opportunities for ministry. Look for your email invitation --coming to your in-box soon!!
-Stewardship Committee
"Stewardship is everything we do, after we say, we believe"
Cottage Meetings - Vision for St. Stephen's
A special series of "cottage meetings" will be held in mid-October. These meetings, held in the homes of fellow parishoners, are designed to give us an opportunity to share what our vision is for St. Stephen's. Many exciting things have been happening as we continue to grow and so the Mission Board would like to hear from all members of our church family as we joyfully proclaim the gospel in our spiritual home in Mullica Hill.
Additional details, as well as an opportunity to sign-up to attend one of these important meetings, will be provided on Homecoming. Sunday. Please plan to join us and share your ideas.
- Stewardship Committee
Simultaneous Spanish translation available upon request.
See the Fall Ministry Institute catalog for further descriptions and registration information (also online) or contact Annette Buchanan at annbuc2000@cs.com or The Rev. Sheelagh Clarke at sheelaghclarke@hotmail.com.
- Valerie Balling
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Walter Jacob 9/1
Trevor Godfrey 9/2
Joe Sweeney 9/2
Valerie Balling 9/11
Melanie Cloyd 9/11
Carmen Viola 9/18
Hannah Rowe 9/20
Valerie and Don LaBarr 9/23
Sheila Raman Combs 9/24
Lynn Sweeney 9/30
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Deacon's Corner:
Thoughts On Stewardship
(One in a series of reflections by members of our congregation)
I am very excited to now be a part of St. Stephen’s family. I think it’s appropriate that I have been asked to write an article on Stewardship since one of the deacon’s role is to help match the gifts and passions of our congregation with the needs of the world. Coming this fall, it is our hope to envision together the future of our Church in service to Christ.
The summer is now upon us, a time for rest and reflection on our busy lives. I invite you also to reflect on your service to Christ as well. In this especially troubling time of economic heartache, it is vital for us as Christians to show our faith in our actions. There are many people out there with real needs; people having such difficulties that they don’t know where their next meal is coming from, people that are unemployed, people that are having a crisis of faith: in their nation, and possibly in God. How do we then as Christians become Christ for those in need? Stewardship is a great way to let others see Christ in you.
For each of us, Stewardship takes on many guises. To one, it’s donating to a church, a children’s hospital, or to a charitable organization. To another, it’s caring for someone in need, or caring for our planet. The word Stewardship means to take care of that which belongs to another. In the Christian sense, this means we are responsible to care for all of God’s creations - ourselves, our neighbors, and our world.
We all have special gifts and talents. Each of us is unique and has something very special to offer. We all have a song to sing, and no one should leave here with that song unsung. We are all part of God’s creation—fitting together like pieces of a puzzle. We are joined and share the same spirit. Stewardship, then, is a way to re-connect with one another and with God through fellowship and communion; by giving of ourselves to one another.
Now is a good time to reflect on how best to serve one another by giving of ourselves—our time, our money, our talents, and especially our spiritual gifts.
My vision is to provide each of you with opportunities to use your gifts in service to Christ by matching your passions and gifts with the world’s needs - whatever they may be! God works through us all in many different ways. Our God is a God of love and abundance. There is always enough when we share our blessings with one another.
I ask each of you this summer to reflect upon how you can be a good steward with what God has entrusted you with. For example ask yourself:
- What is my profession?
- What are my hobbies?
- Am I an "at home Mr. Fixit"?
- Do I like to cook?
- Do my friends think that I’m the most organized person they know?
- Am I great with kids/teens?
- Do I love to plan events?
- Am I tithing the resources God has graciously blessed me with?
- Do I have an idea for ministry, or a cause I would like to champion?
We welcome all your talents "great and small". Your gifts, talents, and passions will be used in the service of Christ by serving St. Stephens, your community and the world! A recent USA Today poll showed that the happiest people on our planet were those who volunteered their time in service to others! Let us know how you can be of service; even in a small way; even with limited resources or time. Little is much when God’s in it! Prayerfully consider God’s purpose for you in serving His church.
Working for God may not seem to pay much money, but the fringe benefits and His retirement plan are out of this world!
…and don’t be shy in letting me know how I can be of service to you as well!
Your faithful servant,
Carmen, Carmen.Viola@dla.mil
The Lighter Side
I had been teaching my three-year old daughter, Caitlin, the Lord's Prayer.
For several evenings, at bedtime, she would repeat after me the lines from the prayer.
Finally, she decided to go solo. I listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer: "Lead us not into temptation," she prayed, "but deliver us from e-mail. Amen."
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Thoughts On Stewardship
(One in a series of reflections by members of our congregation)
I have received many gifts from God and the best of those is without a doubt my children. To be a good parent I believe that I need to strive to set a good example for my children. That is why, while pregnant with my oldest son, I reacquainted myself with God and began to attend regular church services. I want my children to grow up with a strong faith and a connection to God, so over the years we have become more actively involved at St. Stephen’s than we have in any prior congregation. I feel fulfilled when I give to others, but even more so when I see my children’s joy at learning this same lesson.
While reflecting on what it means to be a good steward of God’s bounty and all that I have been blessed with, I have come to realize that as my children grow they need me not only to SHOW them how to be a good steward, but to TELL them. I’m pleased that my sons can watch me give of my time, talent, and treasure by serving on the Mission Board, hosting coffee hour, providing fun activities of fellowship for the kids of our congregation, and as of the fall, teaching Sunday school. But, my goal this year is to tell them how THEY can be good stewards. I want to offer them more opportunities to serve their church family and thereby spread the Good News of Christ.
In my experience, giving comes naturally to children but they often need direction on how best to do it. Recently, my eldest son expressed a desire to give all of the change in his piggybank to a homeless man we came across on a city street. While I was proud of his wanting to help, it dawned on me that I don’t foster this feeling often enough. To be sure, he has been involved in various community service projects, including serving lemonade at an Alex’s Lemonade Stand, decorating hats for underprivileged youth at Robin’s Nest, and raising money for UNICEF, to name a few. But, I’ve never offered my children the opportunity to give more to their church. We often donate toys and money to deserving charities, but what about giving kids the pleasure of placing some of their own coins in the collection plate at offering? Older children, especially, will benefit from a lesson on the day-to-day support of the church, as well as a model of how the congregation itself has shared.
Although my children may still be too young to serve as acolytes, there are other avenues I can usher them down so that they too can feel the joy of serving as good stewards of God’s bounty. In the past, I only considered what I could give of my time, talent, and treasure to ensure that a thriving St. Stephen’s continues His ministry in our community and the world. How much Good work we are able to do, however, will also depend upon the generous hearts of our children. God has entrusted me, as a Christian and as a mother, with two little boys who I can teach that every contribution matters. There is always something to give and you’re never too young to be a good steward.
-Heather Holt Godrey, holtgodrey@verizon.net
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Community Information
Speaking, Hearing, Walking . . . In the Spirit
A Series of Retreats September 2009 – January 2010
Sponsored by the Right Onward Vision Committee ~ Spiritual Renewal Initiative
September 12, 2009
Basic Spirituality - An Invitation to Christian Spiritual Teaching: How God Loves, Transforms, and Makes People Whole
Leader: Dr Elizabeth Koenig
Location: St. George’s, Rumson
October 10, 2009
Urban Ministry Retreat
Leader: The Rev. Canon Dr. Sandye Wilson
Location: St. Paul’s, Camden
November 7, 2009
Young Adult Retreat
Leaders: The Rev. Greg Bezilla and The Rev. Dr. Deborah Meister
Location: St. Andrew’s, Mt. Holly
November 14, 2009
Deepening Spirituality
Leader: The Rev. Ed Zelley
Location: Holy Trinity, Wenonah
December 4-5, 2009
Overnight Silent Retreat: A Sampler of Prayer
Leader: The Rev. Ann Holt
Location: St. Marguerite’s Retreat House, Community of St. John Baptist, Mendham
January 9, 2010
Spiritual Growth through Music
Leader: The Rev. Phil Carr-Jones
Location: Trinity Cathedral, Trenton
Simultaneous Spanish translation available upon request.
See the Fall Ministry Institute catalog for further descriptions and registration information (also online) or contact Annette Buchanan at annbuc2000@cs.com or The Rev. Sheelagh Clarke at sheelaghclarke@hotmail.com.
- Valerie Balling
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Episco-Speak
Evangelism, Evangelist
From the Greek euangelion, "good news." An evangelist is one who tells the story of Jesus. The epistle to the Ephesians (4:11) names evangelists after apostles and prophets in the list of ministers in the NT church. Little else is said about evangelists or evangelism except that Philip was an evangelist (Acts 21:8), and Paul urged Timothy to "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Tm 4:5).
Later, in the early church, the word "evangelist" was used to describe the writer of a gospel and eventually considered an office. An evangelist is primarily someone who presents God's message to make known the good news of the life, suffering, and death of Jesus. The evangelist presents the importance and significance of the good news for the people of the evangelist's own time and cultural situation. Therefore, the message of specific evangelists can differ from what others have said, even though they are all presenting the good news. The term "evangelist" is now often used to refer to someone who is dedicated to evangelism or missionary work. The 1988 Lambeth Conference summarized evangelism simply as "the making of new Christians." It also asked each province and diocese of the Anglican Communion to make the closing years of this millennium a "Decade of Evangelism" with a renewed and united emphasis on making Christ known to the people of his world. The General Convention of 1991 designated the 1990s a "'Decade of Evangelism,' during which we will reclaim and affirm our baptismal call to evangelism and will endeavor, with other Christian denominations, to reach every unchurched person in the nine Provinces of the Episcopal Church with the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Evangelism is virtually synonymous with mission.
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September, 2009 Edition
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Copyright © 2009 St. Stephen's Episcopal Church of Mullica Hill
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