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News Church
Street News (see Past Issues) There's never enough time. Amidst all of the demands on our time, there never seems to be enough of it. That's true any season of the year. And what's true the rest of the year is especially true for us at this time of year. For those in school (or with children in school), school activities pick up before the break, with extra concerts and programs to fit in. Parties at work add to the crunch. If you're going away to visit family and friends, there are the hassles of getting ready to go away. If you're expecting company for the holidays, there's bound to be some extra cleaning and cooking to get done. Even if you're staying home for a quiet Christmas, most of us will still have to face the malls to get the shopping done. Let
the church help! I'm reminded of one of those classic church bulletin bloopers:
We should re-vamp it maybe. Don't let the pace of life kill you - let the church help! That's one view. If time is simply a commodity we don't have enough of, then church programs and activities are likely just one more drain. But there's another way of looking at things. And it seems to me that the church actually does have some help to offer in this regard. All our time is a gift to be treasured. In this season of hurrying and scurrying, take some time to appreciate what you've been given. If you've ever just stopped and sat still for even 20 minutes, perhaps you've glimpsed how much time we've been given. If you're trying to do no thing - not trying to make a list or read an article or get a job done or any of the countless ways we spend our time - even 20 minutes is actually a long and full time. The beauty of Advent, as far as I'm concerned, begins with its insistence that it's not Christmas here yet. Christmas music and lights pervade our life everywhere else, but here it's a quieter, calmer season. If we stop rushing and take some time out, God will come to us. There's nothing we need do; we dare not force anything. Advent
opportunities So, yes, let the church help. Let the church help you appreciate how much time you really have. We won't lie to you about having enough to do everything that needs doing, but you've been given enough time - time enough to be still and to know God.
THE MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH = 100% OF US Though it's not as well-known as the Roman Catholic version, the Episcopal Church has a “catechism.” In it, on page 855 of The Book of Common Prayer, there is the following:
Notice how lay persons are listed first among the Church's ministers! The next question asks, “What is the ministry of the laity?” The answer:
The laity of the church is considered to be the most important because we form the foundation of the church; without us, a parish can not function as a parish. As we approach “Advent,” the beginning of our liturgical year, we need to focus on our new year and how the ministry of lay persons interacts with the needs of our parish. In last month's newsletter and also this month's you will see a “Help Wanted” ad as we look for parishioners to be part of the “governance of the Church” i.e.: the Vestry. Once the new Vestry is elected, they in turn need laity to help with our various ministry teams. This past year we saw the laity of our church step forward by getting involved in the Capital Campaign along with working on the various projects necessitated by the expansion of our building. The work of the laity is on going through the various ministries that keep us working together as a spiritual community. We ask that each of you consider the various ministry teams, projects, and organizations that St. Lawrence offers and help carry on Christ's work. It is said that 20% of the people do 80% of the work. Can we change this? Let's get 100% of the people doing all the work!
A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND GRATITUDE Thank you to everyone for all of your help with the Open House. People began arriving before noon and continued until the service began at 2:00 pm. There were approximately 180 people at the service and 35 people signed the Guest Book. Following the service, guests enjoyed a beautiful reception, which included music by Scott Bakshis's jazz trio, in the Parish Hall. As a part of the reception, the Time Capsule was displayed and ceremonially placed in the wall of the church. (It was permanently - at least for 100 years - sealed into the cavity on the north face of the church the following Wednesday.) Again, thank you to everyone who contributed their time and effort toward - and attended - the Dedication and Open House.
2005 STEWARDSHIP UPDATE Campaign Kudos to everyone who has sent in their pledge card (in support of our operating budget)! As of the writing of this article we have received 95 pledge cards - roughly a 45% response rate. And many of the pledge cards we've received are from newcomers and members who have not previously signed pledge card. This is wonderful! Based on the pledges already made, it is very obvious that our request to “Fill the Shell” has been heard. The average percentage increase in pledge amounts thus far is almost 20%. The Stewardship Committee heartily thanks everyone for listening to our presentations, challenging us with your questions, and most importantly signing and returning your pledge card. The response to our request to “step up” a level in giving has been incredible and that is good news. But there are still many cards not yet returned and we do not yet have enough pledged dollars to meet our fixed expenses much less anything else. It is extremely crucial, therefore, that we get responses from those who have not yet turned in pledge cards. The Finance Committee is scheduled to meet on December 12. Their intention is to prepare a draft budget to present to the Vestry for adoption at its meeting on December 14. In order to have complete and accurate income projections available to them, the Stewardship Committee will be sending out reminder postcards to those who have not yet returned their pledge cards by around the 1st of December. VESTRY NOMINATIONS SOUGHT At the next Annual Meeting for St. Lawrence Episcopal Church, the members of the congregation will elect three new members to the St. Lawrence Vestry, as well as a Warden. It is important that anyone who may be interested in serving in one of these vital roles know what is entailed in the position. A fairly comprehensive description was included in the November newsletter, but a summary of the requirements is offered below. The “canons” of the Episcopal Church provide the rules, laws, etc. for any Episcopal congregation. These canons specify that a vestry member must be an adult (16 years or older) and a “communicant in good standing”. The canons also elaborate on the specific areas of responsibility of vestry and wardens. In addition to these requirements, the current St. Lawrence Vestry has expanded on the canonical definitions to provide further expectations related to supporting the life of the congregation by participating in meetings of the Vestry and the various “ministry teams” established to coordinate the programs and ministries of the parish. In particular, both returning and new members of the Vestry will need to plan to gather for an off-site overnight retreat on February 4-5, 2005. It is imperative that anyone joining the Vestry join in this time of discernment together. Elections will be held at the Annual Meeting in January of 2005. At that time, a Nominating Committee (comprised of retiring Vestry members) will present names for voting. Candidates also can be nominated from the floor. If you would like to know more about serving on the Vestry, please speak with Father Jed, one of the Wardens, or any other member of the Vestry.
OBSERVING THE SEASON OF ADVENT At St. Lawrence, we're offering a number of ways to help keep Advent as a season of preparation. During the hustle and bustle, take a break to keep your spirit on track and so remember the “reason for the season.” Quiet
Day Bring a sack lunch, (beverages will be provided). Babysitting is also available. This is a great way to set your Advent season in the right track. The times are from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm. Evensong
Sing-along
Messiah Singers will be asked to contribute $10 each, with all proceeds to be donated to PADS of Lake County. (The program will also be presented on Sunday, December 12, at Gorton Center in Lake Forest.) Your attendance, participation and help with this endeavor would be greatly appreciated. It has been a dream for many St. Lawrence members to bring an orchestra performance, especially the Messiah, to our home. Help us share this experience with the Libertyville area by spreading the word and creating a beautiful afternoon for the advent season here at St. Lawrence. Erik Larson and Cecelia Secor are assisting Jan Billings in organizing the event. Blood
Drive Centering
Prayer CHRISTMAS BASKETS This year we are again participating in the Cathedral Shelter Christmas Basket program and we have agreed to supply gifts and food for 9 large families, totaling 60 people. We have a diverse group of recipients, from the very young to the elderly, with household monthly incomes as low as $500.00. Here's how it works. The ages and sizes, along with some suggestions have been provided for you. Please label each gift with the name and code number of the recipient. A list of food items for each family has also been posted. There will be boxes in the Narthex to drop off your gifts. Please return them by Wednesday, December 8; pick-up is Friday, December 10. Cathedral
Shelter vouchers for Borders Books
PUBLIC ACTION TO DELIVER SHELTER (PADS) St. Lawrence sponsors a PADS site on the 4th Tuesday of the month from October thru March, at the Wildwood Presbyterian Church. We are looking for volunteers to prepare food and serve on one of the 3 shifts Tuesday December 28th, beginning at 5:30 pm. Each shift requires at least 2 males and 2 females per shift. We are also looking for people to provide the food for the evening. Please see the sign-up sheets in the Narthex for more information. BOOK GROUP The St. Lawrence Book Group meets the second Monday of the month from 7:30- 9:00 pm, in the Library. All are welcome! The only preparation required is to have read the selected book and to be prepared for some rousing discussion. December's meeting is Monday, December 13th, when we will be discussing The Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom. This is a novel that will invite conversations about the most moving and painful parts of life. A modern-day fable, the book is based partially on the life of the author's uncle, a plainspoken veteran of World War II. Eddie is a man
who has worked, almost all of his adult life and into old age, as
a maintenance man at a timeworn amusement park called Ruby Pier.
He is dogged by the sense that he hasn't made anything of his life
- that, in his own words, “I was nothing. I accomplished nothing…
I felt like I wasn't supposed to be there.” At the age of
83, Eddie is killed when a ride malfunctions and he attempts to
save a little girl from being crushed. STATIONS OF THE CROSS Have you ever wondered about where the Stations of the Cross in the Narthex came from? While we may not know exactly how they came into St. Lawrence Church's possession, we do know something about the artist - Allan Rohan Crite. Allan Crite, an African-American artist, was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, in 1910, but moved to Boston, Massachusetts, as a child, and continues to live there today. His family was middle-class - his father was an electrical engineer and his mother was a homemaker. His mother encouraged his pursuit of art and he graduated form the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 1936. After 30 years of courses in liberal arts, Mr. Crite received a bachelor's degree form Harvard University Extension School in 1968. In 1940, Allan Crite took a job at the Boston Naval Shipyard and for 30 years he sketched ships and illustrated machines in the yard. But Allan Rohan Crite is best known for 2 types of work. The first is paintings and drawings of black urban life. In 1986, the Boston City Council named the intersection nearest his home in the South End Allan Rohan Crite Square. It is the only square in Boston named for a nonmilitary hero. The second is religious images. These include drawings for weekly church bulletins at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Boston, illustrations of African-American spirituals, large altarpieces and paintings in the Cambridge, Massachusetts, monastery of the Society of St. John the Evangelist, and Stations of the Cross. In 1994 Christ Church Episcopal in Bronxville, New York, dedicated a stained glass window in Mr. Crite's honor, calling him “the best -known artist in the Episcopal Church.” Allan Crite's work can be found in collection of some of America's most impressive museums, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Art Institute of Chicago. The Stations of the Cross are block prints hand-colored with gold leaf, created by Allan Crite in the late 1940's. Each Station is a “vertical Diptych” with the upper image showing Christ's face in a moment of his ordeal and the lower image depicting only his foot. The Museum of Fine Arts has a set of the Stations of the Cross, which it purchased in 1947. For Allan Rohan Crite “Art is communication. You got a story to tell. You want people to listen. So you try and build a relationship with everyone who looks at your art.” And he says “I've only done one piece of work in my life. I regard everything I've done since age six as part of one work. And I'll stop working on it only when I die.”
ACOLYTES IDENTIFIED One of the special pleasures of our recent Dedication and Open House was the chance to welcome some old friends back to St. Lawrence. Former member Dorothy Shanks was one of them. After her visit with us, she wrote a note about the acolyte photo on display near the glass case outside the church office. One of the acolytes included in the photo, she tells us, was her brother, James Sage. We hope to continue working on this project and identify all of them. COURT WILLIAMS IN DISCERNMENT PROCESS The process for discerning a vocation for ordained ministry in the Diocese of Chicago is based on the concept of “call in community.” The idea is that if God were calling someone to a specific vocation, then others in the community will hear this person's call as well. To that end, the Diocese has set up a process of questioning, listening, prayer, and meditation as a way of helping “aspirants” to either the priesthood or the diaconate discern God's call for them. The process begins with the aspirant meeting with the rector and discussing their call. The next step is for the Diocese to assign a “discernment shepherd” to train a Parish Ministry Discernment Committee (PMDC) to meet with the aspirant. This committee is ideally comprised of five people, two from within the aspirant's congregation and three others from outside that congregation. This group meets once or twice a month for at least a year until they feel, through the leadership of the Holy Spirit, they understand the aspirant's call. If the PMDC concurs with the aspirant's sense of call, the aspirant begins the process with the Diocese. I have been through all of the steps outlined above and am in the midst of the next set of steps in the process (having already completed some and anticipating others): v Meet with
Director of Pastoral Care
COOKING CLASS Have you ever wondered where we get our Communion bread? Would you like to become a communion bread baker? The recipe is easy and we need some more bakers! I am planning a hands-on workshop for anyone who is interested in learning this basic recipe. Even if you don't feel comfortable baking for Sunday Services but are curious about the recipe we would love to have you. Once we get a group together, we'll set a date for sometime in January. SALES TAX REMINDER When purchasing supplies or other items for the church please be sure to take advantage of our tax exempt status. This is accomplished by presenting our tax exempt letter to the vendor at the time of purchase. These letters can be obtained from the church office or from the specific Vestry Ministry Team Coordinator. Paying sales tax when we are exempt affects our total church budget! INVITATIONAL MINISTRY/NEWCOMERS A lot of people are involved in helping St. Lawrence be more and more welcoming to our guests and visitors. Attention,
Greeters We're also interested to see if there are volunteers willing to act as greeters at the 7:30 and 11:00 services. And we can always use more volunteers for the 9:00 am service as well. Thanks again for volunteering!!
Newcomer
Game Night
Look for the sign-up sheet in the narthex. We look forward to seeing you! EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN (ECW) NEWS Shirt Sales The ECW is still selling denim and khaki shirts, for both men and women. Sales will continue the shirt sale thru December. Cookie
Exchange Annual
Meeting and Potluck The ECW Board is asking for the written submission of requests for funds by December 12. These are funds raised by ECW for the annual disbursement for charitable causes. Please contact Wendy Guarnaccio or Margaret Snow for more information. |
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Nametag
display board is here!| St. Lawrence Episcopal Church 125 West Church Street Libertyville, Illinois 60048 Phone: (847) 362-2110 Fax: (847) 362-2145 Email: info@stlawrencechurch.org |
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