News

Church Street News (see Past Issues)
The Newsletter of St. Lawrence Episcopal Church
Issue No. 7, Volume 98
July 2006

Dear Friends;
Former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell has a favorite new expression: There is nothing I can do about what’s in the rearview mirror,” he explains, “and if I go fast, that which is behind me will disappear more rapidly.”

Indeed, if something painful or dreadful has happened, healthy people don’t linger over the mistakes, living such things over and over again. But rather we count the losses and move on wiser and more careful. Remorse and forgiveness are stages in a process of recovery which all of us embrace as we navigate through life’s ups and downs.

The recent actions of the Episcopal Church’s General Convention will be history soon but how they will be dealt with by the Anglican Communion’s leadership will be unfolding in the days and months ahead. There is no one response that everyone will accept. There is much to be thought through and a prayerful discerning approach will require time, listening and reflection. Once again the Internet is a valuable tool to access information from official sources and also the mumblings of a vast array of special interest groups. ( Be careful of self-proclaimed authorities and experts)

By the grace of God, with love and charity towards all, we can get on with the business of the faithful people of God---the Mission of the Church to bring about the reign of God to all people of the earth. Ultimately, all things we do and say are local. I am in constant awe of how dedicated and deliberate is the leadership of St. Lawrence parish. So also are all of you in the various ways you care about our parish and your own families, friends, and communities.

I have observed that this parish is energized, pro-active, and talented in a most blessed way. You generate much ministry in all sorts of activities and causes.
For example, the search committee is right on schedule, plans are being set in motion for a great fall program, and new and old things are supported with enthusiasm. God is with us. Alleluia.

Peace and Grace,
Fr. Tom

SEARCH COMMITTEE UPDATE
We are moving ahead at a steady pace. We have narrowed the field down and are now starting the phone interview process. We are still getting the occasional inquiry sent to us from the diocese which we follow up on. Our schedule looks to be finished with all interviews by the end of July. At that point we will then narrow the field down again for actual visitations to their home church. The committee is excited with the fact that our candidate pool is so talented. We feel truly blessed. If you have question about the search process contact Todd Seiler 847 775-0770 or Liz Halbert 847 918-1363.

FROM THE WARDENS
This month the Vestry concentrated on our future with a planning session for events and activities. The calendar on our website shows how busy St. Lawrence is as parish community.

As our Vestry members discussed their ideas and plans for the future months we came to realize, as Wardens, our function in planning is implementing Stewardship, searching for time and talent.

As we grow our parish, we are finding that we need more people to help with our common ministries. We want to reach out to as many parishioners as possible. Knowing who may interested in volunteering time and talent is often a difficult task.

With this in mind, we need your help. If you have a special talent, especially in event planning, organization or outreach and have some time to give to a special project, please let us know. Some events planned in the coming months are, Lobster Boil, Dinner Dance, Welcome parties. We need your help.

As for other parish news, we have said good-bye to Wendy, our organist, and Court, our seminarian. We wish them well on their new journeys and ask for God’s blessing. The Search Committee is working diligently on the process for finding our new rector. Financially, as always we ask you to keep St. Lawrence in your thoughts by keeping current on your pledges or giving as you can. The summer months are always rough on our income and expenses.

During the summer, we sometimes lose communication because of our busy summer schedules. If you have a special need or concern please let Fr. Tom, Mary Jane or the office at St. Lawrence.

To all our parish community, if we can be of help to you as Warden, please contact us either in person, by phone, or through email. We will be glad to listen and help.Have a safe and healthy summer!

Senior Warden Jeanne Murphy can be reached at
valentinejam@sbcglobal.net

Junior Warden Frank Top can be reached at
thetops@comcast.net

PAUSE A MOMENT WITH ME...
Often the last thing we remember is the only thing we remember -- especially when the media and internet chatter act like it's the ONLY thing that happened. But those who were in Columbus urge us to remember the first seven days of Convention. Seven days that overflowed with a commitment to ministry -- to building the bridge that draws the church out of itself into the world.

A seven days when:
*More than 750 people crammed into a ballroom for the Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation Eucharist where Michael Curry and Chilton Knudsen led us in celebrating the church's commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) -- and more than $4,000 was raised for ERD, Five Talents and the Millennium Villages Project.

*The House of Deputies snapped its fingers every three seconds and a cross of 10,200 Popsicle sticks was built to remember the child who dies every three seconds from extreme poverty.

*A crowd of women gathered to pay tribute to the 500,000 women who die from complications from childbirth and pregnancy and raise awareness about What One Can Do about it.

*Archbishop Ochola of the diocese of Kitgum in Northern Uganda spoke passionately to the House of Bishops and a crowd about the child abductions and slaughters in his country.

*Legislation was passed celebrating the 71 dioceses that have embraced the MDGs and 0.7% giving and challenged all dioceses to be on board by July 7, 2007 (07/07/07 - the halfway point to the MDG target date of 2015)

*The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were named the top mission priority and a budget was passed that included
-a line item representing more than 0.7% of the budget dedicated to supporting the MDGs.
-an additional $1,326,000 in new and increased mission funds that support the MDGs throughout all budget mission priorities.
-a challenge to every department and funded mission and ministry of the Church to give 0.7% of their money toward the MDGs.
-a pledge by all members of Program, Budget and Finance to pledge 0.7% of their personal incomes toward the MDGs and a challenge to all bishops and deputies to do the same.

*We elected a Presiding Bishop who when asked after her election what her passion was, said:

"My passion is for mission. Because I think that's how we build the reign of God. The Millennium Development Goals give us an image, an icon or a lens, if you will, for how we can build the reign of God in our own day. They're achievable. They're achievable in less than 10 years if we can commit as nations and communities and individuals across the world to do it. That is remarkable! It's the first time in history when we have been able to say that it's possible to make poverty history. I think that's a great and glorious and incredibly engaging model for what it means to be the church."

... So when you talk about our church’s General Convention, don’t just talk about The Windsor Report response and what happened Tuesday and Wednesday. Talk about the great work that was done during the rest of the time. Talk about the energy and the excitement. Talk about the hope for the future and how committed and unified our church is around a mission orientation rooted in the MDGs and reaching beyond ourselves to seek, serve and meet Christ in the world.

We have a mandate -- a mandate that can vitalize the ministry of all, change the church and the world.

That's exciting. That is remarkable. That's the God I believe in.

Christ's peace,
MJ+

ALL ABOARD THE GOSPEL EXPRESS!
Our vacation bible school adventure is just around the bend! Get your ticket today for the St. Lawrence Gospel Express!

This fun-filled VBS program is for everyone ages 5 to 10. The journey begins July 17th and ends July 21st. Sessions run from 6-8 pm each day. Join us for Bible stories, zany games, cool crafts, train tunes and treats!

Registration is going on now. For more information or to register for VBS, please visit the church office or call Sue at 847-362-2110.

We need youth helpers for VBS! Kids 10 and over can help in the classrooms or with our nightly story-telling. Should be lots of fun! Please let us know if you have an interested youth!

We are also looking for donations of snack and craft supplies. Sign up posters are in the Narthex now. Thanks for your generosity and for helping us spread the word about this new ministry!

EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN SUMMER EVENTS
Coffee-In-The Park
Summer is here and that means Coffee-In-The-Park at the Libertyville Farmers Market, the 22 year-old St Lawrence tradition of selling donuts and coffee to shoppers, is in full swing. The Coffee-In-The-Park tent is set up on Church Street on Thursday mornings thru October 12. There are 2 shifts each morning, 7:00-9:00 am and 9:00-11:00 am.

This is a fun and enjoyable way to help raise money for the St Lawrence ECW. Come and watch the shoppers and babies and dogs stroll the Farmer’s Market! Enjoy some fellowship with other church members! Get your own shopping done!

Donations of powdered lemonade and napkins would be greatly appreciated.

Market Day
The next Market Day sale date will be Wednesday July 12th, with pick up in the Parish Hall between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. For those unfamiliar with Market Day, Market Day offers a variety of meats, family meals, breakfast foods, snacks, and beverages all conveniently packaged. Most meats are individually packaged which makes it great for families of any size. Proceeds from Market Day go into the outreach funds distributed annually by the ECW.

Market Day order forms will be available in the Church Street News, the church office, and online at www.marketday.com. You may submit a paper order into the office by Sunday, July 2nd, or you may place your order online by noon on July 8th.

Calling All Cooks!
The ECW needs all of your wonderful recipes to create the 2006 "Spice of St. Lawrence" Cookbook. The categories are: Appetizers & More, Breads, Cakes, Cookies & Candies, Desserts, Main Dishes, Vegetable & Sides, and Soups & Salads. Please email your recipes to Lisa Perrone @ ljwperrone@cs.com or drop them off at the church just outside the church office. Please contact Lisa Perrone with any questions 847-573-1187.

WHOSE CHURCH IS IT ANYWAY?
We have a great opportunity to learn more about teaching. If you’ve ever taught Sunday school or led a youth group or facilitated an adult education class — or ever thought you might — this is something for you.

Episcopalians from across the upper Midwest are sponsoring a two-day conference for those who work in formation ministry with children, youth, and adults. Learning experiences will be interactive and include workshops, hands-on use of resources, experiencing a portion of a specific curriculum or program, brainstorming sessions for exploring questions, and exchanging ideas and experiences — all aimed to help us figure out what fits the particular needs of our congregation. There will be over 50 learning experiences on topics related to adult learning, youth and young adults, children, lifelong Christian Formation, congregations, mission, peace and justice, technology, and stewardship.

The conference will be held on August 26-27, 2005, and is conveniently located at the Conference Center at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein. The registration deadline is August 1.

SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS AND YOUTH LEADERS NEEDED FOR FALL
Plans are being made for the 2006-07 formation year. Sunday School will embark on an all new curriculum, which we have researched and hand-selected. The format will offer both our volunteers and students a fresh look at our religious education. With the new format it will also offer a wide variety of teaching opportunities, with flexibility to fit all schedules. There are support roles related to special events, short term positions and administrative needs that can be done at home as well as many more.

If your talents are with the older children we are still looking for some youth leaders. This is an exciting program, “Journey to Adulthood.” Three levels take our youth through their formative years of middle school and high school.

Our teachers share their gifts—loving hearts, listening ears, friendly faces and caring hands.”

FIRE UP THE BARBIE
Mark you calendars…July 8th at 6:30. Please join us for our second annual Newcomers BBQ. If you are new since last summer or could not make it to the last one, please come and enjoy some time with new friends. We will be gathering at the home of Mike & Janet Chickey, 710 Ardmore Terrace in Libertyville. If you need babysitting, we can help you out there with names of well-liked sitters.

SANCTUARY CANDLE AND ALTAR FLOWERS
Is there a special date coming up that you would like remembered with the Sanctuary Candle or Altar flowers? An anniversary, birthday, in memory of a loved one? The following upcoming dates are open for the candle: July 16, 23, 30; Aug. 13, 20, 27; and all of September. Sign up books are in the Narthex. The candle is $12 ($6 if two people sign up for the same week); flowers are $36 ($18 if two sign up). Mark the memo line of your check with "candle/flowers" and put it in the collection plate. Question - call Ann Leffler, 847-918-9697.

PUTTING OUT THE WELCOME MAT
Summer is often a time when people decide to seek out a new church. We know when a person accepts an invitation or just shows up at church that God is at work, yet we sometimes denigrate that work with labels of “church shopping.” The truth is it is never an accident when a visitor or stranger comes into the church; God is at work. To encounter a visitor is a holy moment; it is to be in the presence of God at work.

Welcoming is participating in God’s mission to reconcile all people to God and one another in Christ. Don’t just leave the welcoming to the designated greeters! We all should go out of our way to welcome guests to our church. Just remember – people become members of a church for a variety of reasons. One BIG reason that they stay is how well they feel welcomed and included in the life of the congregation.

IT’S ALL A SCRAMBLE
Come be a part of the St. Lawrence Annual Golf Outing Sunday, September 17th. All golfing levels welcome - this is a 9-hole scramble. Scramble = play the best ball of the foursome, so don't be afraid to come out and play. Tee times start at 1:30 at Vernon Hills Golf Course. Cost is $25 which includes golf and prizes (cart will be extra). See the sign up sheet in the narthex or contact Bob or Jean Ostroga at 847-680-0136. See you on the tee!!!!

LOBSTER BOIL DATE SET
On October 7, boil your potatoes and sweet corn, warm the butter and get your crackers out. The lobsters are coming. The first annual Lobster Boil fundraiser will be held at St. Lawrence. We will have more information as it develops and pass it on to you.

SUMMER CRAFT DAY
On July 23 the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) will have a St. Nicholas Room Workshop - this event will provide an opportunity for people to exchange ideas for contributions to this year's St. Nicholas Room. There will be crafts to try, and ideas to share. Come with lots of ideas and/or samples. See you for a wonderful afternoon of fellowship and crafting.

DEAR ST. LAWRENCE CONGREGATION & STAFF,
Thank you very much for your gift of a dinner at my favorite restaurant. Thanks so much for the kind reception on my final Sunday and for the warmth and appreciation shown & Spoken. I have loved working here and will miss you very much. Best of luck in the future. Sincerely, Wendy Unrath Young

ST. LAWRENCE BOOK GROUP NEWS
Looking for some good books to read over the summer? The St. Lawrence Book Group met in June and made selections for next year. We are looking for new members and would love to expand our group to make our discussions livelier! The only requirement to join is to have read, or attempted to read, the book.

The Book Group meets the 2nd Monday evening of each month (September through June) in the Fireside Room. We have designated a leader for each month to lead the discussion. Usually the discussion begins with a background of the author and then moves into questions regarding the theme and characters of the book.

Please keep this book list handy as you are looking for a good read to take along on vacation this summer, and we hope you will join us in September! If you have any questions, please contact Julia Karnstedt at 847-549-7024 or juliakarnstedt@sbcglobal.net.

St. Lawrence Book Group List

September – The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
October – Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
November – Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
December – Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
January – The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander
February – Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
March – Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
April – The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
May – The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks
June – Hummingbird House by Patricia Henley

KNITTING THE MYSTERY
St. Lawrence will start–up the Shawl Ministry again this fall. This ministry is quite a lovely idea which came from the hearts of women. We will come together in prayer and love to create a gift for those in need.

Besides the obvious reasons of comfort during illness or grief, the shawls can be given in times of joy and celebration. Everyone who can knit or would like to learn, is welcome. The summer months are a wonderful time to have some prayerful quiet time. If you are ready to begin a shawl you will need:

• Size 11 or 13 needles
• Three skeins of yarn that are six ounces net weight and 185 yards each (it is suggested that it be washable)
• Instructions available in the church office

We will meet on the third Monday of the month, our first meeting of the fall will be September 18, in the Sanctuary, from 6:30-8:00 pm. Group prayers begin at 7:00 pm with closing prayers at 8:00 pm. If you have any questions contact Sue Montgomery 847 247-1651.

FINDING PEACE IN A RUSHED WORLD
Friday Morning Women’s Bible Study has planed to start on Friday, September 8th at 9:30 am in the Fireside Room. We have had an overwhelming response to our next study book, The Frazzled Female, by Cindi Wood. Author, speaker, and entrepreneur, Cindi is also a wife, mother of two . . . and prime material for stress overload! That is why she has turned her focus to the needs of so many Christian women who seek support in handling the tremendous stresses of life in this new millennium. The study reaches out to busy ladies everywhere, guiding them to sanity, peace, and a deeper, more vibrant relationship with the Lord.

Please join us Friday Sept. 8th, when we will re-acquaint ourselves with each other and our new book over brunch! You can purchase the book at your favorite bookstore either on-line or in person.

Please be sure to pass along this invite to anyone else you know of that may be interested in being a part of the Friday morning women's Bible Study group at St. Lawrence. We welcome any and all interested women.

OUR FUTURE IN FOCUS – CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE
In 2004 we held our 2nd Capital Campaign to raise money for paying the obligations incurred in our building expansion project. For all of you who supported the campaign and continue to make payments towards your pledge, we thank you very much. We will be sending out semi-annual statements shortly to remind everyone where they stand on their Capital Campaign Pledge.

Technically, the pledges from this campaign should be completed by March of 2007. We realize that some people may need more time to complete their commitment. In order for the Oversight Committee to update our 10 year business plan, we do ask that if you are unable to complete your pledge by March of 2007 you contact either Bill Keating or Julia Karnstedt to advise your intentions. The same is true if you find you are unable to fulfill your pledge for any reason. However, we ask you to prayerfully consider fulfilling your promise to the church.

If you have completed your pledge, we would like to sincerely thank you and ask you to continue your financial support for the Building Fund at the same level.

Most importantly, if you were unable to make a commitment to our last Capital Campaign, or are new to the parish, we invite and need your support. If you would like more information regarding the Building Fund, please contact us.

We ask you all to continue to prayerfully consider making your gifts to St. Lawrence, so that we may continue to do the works God has intended for us to do.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL EVENT FOR RELAY FOR LIFE
It was a beautiful evening and successful fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. Many thanks to the St. Lawrence Team, Lisa Parker, Betsy Barnett, Kelley Rich, Kit Helliwell, Don Craig, Cele & Dave Secor, Luke & Ruth Lucas, Ann Leffler and friends. They raised over $4300.00. The entire Greater Libertyville Mundelein, Vernon Hills took in $450,000.00. Thanks to all who supported the team!

A SPECIAL APPEAL FORM PADS
Our local non-profit organization which provides food and shelter to the homeless of Lake County (PADS) has sent us a letter of appeal. In response to the overwhelming needs of individuals and families, the organization has found itself in a budgetary crisis. Please read the excerpt from their letter. To read it in it’s entirety you will find it on the bulletin board outside the office.

“I am appealing to you to help us in our effort to continue providing urgently needed services to the homeless men, women, and families with children in Lake County.  It is important that we begin the 2006-2007 year with our financial position is in the positive. This is especially important as we go after Foundation and Corporation dollars in the new year. It is critical that we reflect a positive financial position.

Any consideration you could give us would be greatly appreciated – perhaps a special collection this Sunday. If members would like to contribute by credit card, please have them call me directly at 847-689-4357, ext. 123. We have less than 9 days to turn this trial into a blessing. Thank you again for being part of the community that cares.”

Sincerely,Linda Rongey
Development Director 
Registration forms can be found outside the office and in the Narthex. For information contact the church office, 847 362-2110.

Summer Schedule
Sunday Services:
7:30am - Holy Eucharist Rite I Liturgy
10 :00am - Holy Eucharist Rite II Liturgy
Thursday Service:
8:30am - Holy Eucharist