Summer 2004

The Vicar’s Verbiage

Greetings in the name of Our Lord!

I want to begin by thanking you for the wonderful warm welcome I have received here at All Saints. I have truly felt a part of your family since I arrived. I have had an opportunity to meet many of you and am looking forward to meeting all of you before my time here is over. Opportunities abound for that – even though summer is just around the corner, there are many ‘‘family’’ events scheduled. June 12th is the International Dinner and Silent Auction to benefit Outreach and Mission, the Shrine Mont parish weekend in July, and of course our regular Sunday worship (information on these and other events can be found elsewhere in The Fishers).

. . .

I also want to extend a BIG thank you to all who work behind the scenes cutting the grass, keeping things neat and in order, to the acolytes, altar guild, LEMs, readers, etc., who are being very gentle with the ‘‘new priest on the block’’ and helping me find my way around All Saints. A special thank you to Renee and the vestry, to Venita (every priest knows that the administrator is the ‘‘real power’’ behind the scenes), and to all who have stepped forward to help and help me get settled.. Another special thank you to the stealthy person who keeps the cicadas swept off the walks. Last but not least a big thank you to Fran Carter, the editor of The Fishers; it is always a challenge to get a newsletter put together and she is doing a great job. You have made this time for me among you very easy.

Finally, as I was writing this article for The Fishers, I was also preparing my sermon for Pentecost –– the Church’s birthday. This year finds our celebration of Pentecost falling on the Memorial Day weekend. It is the first long weekend of the summer and I know many of you were using the opportunity to visit family and friends. Summer does indeed bring us time to visit and vacation, long warm and lazy days, gardens filled with flowers and vegetables and (this year) the loud love songs of the cicadas. This year, though, it also brings concern and uncertainty over high fuel prices, unemployment, terrorists and war. In some ways these days are not unlike those times of uncertainty and concern that the first disciples found themselves in as they received the power of the Holy Spirit and were sent forth to do God‘s work. They, as we do today, felt concern over economic unpredictability, the tensions of war, and the threat of terrorism. Today we, like those first disciples, find ourselves amidst the uncertainty and changes and dangers of the world; we find ourselves in an ‘‘in-between time," a time where we are caught between God and God, a time of living in the world but not being of the world. Yet, for Christians there is, as there has been through the ages, one sure and certain constant –– the love and Grace of God.

In the great priestly prayer of Jesus, Our Lord prays for all his disciples and that includes us. In those beautiful comforting words of John 17, we can come to understand not only our call but the care and love of God. (John 17:20 ff). We can live in this in-between time because we have the Love and Grace of God and the fellowship of believers.

May this summer be for each of us a time of rest, peace, and assurance, a time to visit with family and friends –– a time also to continue our journey closer to God. Also remember that, in these long summer months, our relationship to God is not only personal and private but corporate and public. We can live in joy in these ‘‘in-between times’’ because we live it, not only in the loving embrace of God, but with the strength and support of other Christians.

I will conclude with the following excerpt from an article in the Anglican Digest written by the Reverend Mark Gatza:

"We come together on Sunday mornings because our faith is corporate and public. We worship together because God has promised to be with us whenever a few or more of us have gathered together in Christ’s name. If worship were only about the sermon or hearing some inspirational music, we could tune into the Christian TV or radio stations and get our fill; but we know there is something powerful about coming together.

Summer comes on the heels of Pentecost, and with it the temptation to stay home on Sundays – resist the Devil’s wiles! None of us have received enough of God’s grace that we can let a little go by. In a world filled with chances and changes, it is a blessing to return to a place where ‘all seems perfectly natural.’ "

Peace and blessings to each of you and See you in Church!

In His service,

Donna

(The Reverend) Donna Foughty, Vicar

"OUT AND ABOUT" DEADLINE

Any and all items for the weekly church bulletin need to be received no later than Tuesday close of business. Hard copy or e-mail preferred. Thank you for your cooperation.

PLEDGES

Is your pledge up to date? Don’t forget to keep it up during the summer months. The bills which need to be paid do not take vacations even if we do.

AS-SC BRIDGE CLUB

The Bridge Club, which meets once a month September through May (except December), has completed its 2003-04 season, but we will start up again in September. This is a strictly fun group. If you’d like to be a regular player, or a substitute, please contact Sallie Dievendorf for more information. Do it NOW, as the schedule has to be set up during the summer.

LOAVES AND FISHES

The Vestry and Outreach Committee have determined that the offerings for Loaves and Fishes need to be separated from the fifth Sunday collections of pantry items and cleaning supplies for UCM and Koinonia.

The meal program at Carpenter’s Shelter is a monthly event. The groceries for our night run about $100 each month. We have been using the Loaves and Fishes Fund which was healthy and robust when we used to have the collection for it on the third Sunday of each month for the Route 1 Corridor feeding program. Now that the fund is almost depleted (after 2-3 years of draw down), we are returning to the pattern of passing a wicker basket after the regular offering plates to received cash or checks designated for the Loaves and Fishes ministry. Once the fund is sufficiently replenished, we will take a hiatus from collecting until such time as we need to build it up again. Thank you for your generous support of this vital community ministry in which we participate. If you are interested in cooking or serving, contact Renee O’Brien.

---

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN

ALL SAINTS-SHARON CHAPEL ANNUAL PARISH RETREAT WILL BE HELD JULY 9-11 AT SHRINE MONT

The Parish Retreat theme this year is "Why Do Episcopalians Do That?" The Reverend Churchill Gibson will lead us in exploring the reasons behind such things as: why we sit, stand or kneel at certain parts in the Eucharist; why we bow toward the altar; what the reason is behind all that singing; etc. The program will be inter-generational and family oriented. Please plan to join us for this wonderful opportunity to learn more about our liturgy in a fun, relaxing atmosphere and beautiful place. There will be time for games, relaxation, singing, hiking, swimming, worship and, of course, eating the wonderful Shrine Mont food.

Cost this year for meals and two nights: Adult single (no roommate) $130 ; Adult double (per person sharing a room) $116 ; Children (ages 6-12) $70 ; Children (ages 4-5) $24 ; Children (ages 0-3) free.

Please sign up on the sheet on the bulletin board in Gunnell Hall. If you have any questions, please see Carolyn Rae, Renee O’Brien or Mary-Blair Valentine. Don’t wait – space is limited. SEE YOU THERE!

---

JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE THE WONDERFUL DIVERSITY OF OUR PARISH FAMILY

The Second Annual International Dinner will be held on Saturday, June 12th, in Gunnell Hall. We will gather at 6:30 p.m. with an opportunity to taste foods from over ten different countries while we enjoy some good old fashioned fellowship with friends and family. After the food comes more fun with a chance to enjoy folk dancing led by our chief musician of many talents, Hedy Rothfuss.

Children will enjoy a mini International Film Festival in the nursery with supervised child care.

Cost for the evening is: $8.00 per adult, or $18.00 per family. Children 5 and under are free. Proceeds go to the Outreach and Mission Committee.

COME ONE, COME ALL AND INVITE YOUR FRIENDS

The All Saints - Sharon Chapel Silent Auction will be held this year on June 12th in conjunction with our annual International Dinner. Items and/or services have been donated by parishioners. Some goods will have a minimum bid. All bids will be sealed, so please make your "best and final offer." Envelopes and slips for bidding will be available starting at 6:00 p.m. on June 12th. If the minimum bid is not offered that evening, the bid process may continue through the following Sunday. Help us make the silent auction a roaring success. Proceeds go toward the Outreach and Mission Committee and other projects. Please contact Linda Ysewyn for more information. (Silent Auction Report)

The All Saints - Sharon Chapel Website

We have a new home on the World Wide Web – www.sharonchapel.org.

Now we are asking a few things from you.

First, please remember to visit our new website to find what’s going on at Sharon Chapel. Second, please help promote Sharon Chapel by spreading the word about the website. Third, please consider helping create and expand our presence on the Internet by submitting materials for use on our website.

Using the website: On the Sharon Chapel website you’ll find online versions of the Out and About, announcements from the weekly bulletin; our quarterly publication, The Fishers; as well as the parish calendar. There are also pages that describe parish life and activities, our various ministries, the history of Sharon Chapel, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

With all that content, is it hard to navigate? We hope not! The left column on every page contains links to the main sections of the website: Home, Worship, Get Involved, Out and About, The Fishers, Catechesis, Calendar, Church Tour, Staff, About Us, and Directions. Clicking on one of those left column links will take you to the main page (sometimes the only page) of that section. If a section has more than one page, then the right column will contain links to the other pages in the same section. On the homepage, the right column contains links to upcoming calendar events and recent announcements.

Promoting Sharon Chapel and its website: If you use e-mail to promote church activities, please consider adding our new web address, www.sharonchapel.org to your e-mail signature. If you have a website that discusses our church, please include a link to the church website.

Helping create and expand our website: First, please take a look at the website. We want it to represent everything that is Sharon Chapel. Is anything missing? If so, please let us know. A website isn’t carved on stone tablets. Anything and everything on the World Wide Web can be changed and improved.

The fact that there are only a few additional pages in some of the sections of our website shows that there is still a lot of work to be done. For example, our "Get Involved" section ( www.sharonchapel.org/involve01.html ) has just one additional page: a page about the annual Parish Retreat. Yet it describes more than 20 of our Sharon Chapel events, groups, and ministries with just a few sentences each. Those descriptions just barely scratch the surface – they don’t tell much about the good things that are happening.

We’d really like for those who are actually involved with these activities to provide some content. There’s no reason why each and every event, group, and ministry can’t have its own web page on the Sharon Chapel website. So, here’s your chance to tell the world, or at least the parish and prospective members, about your Sharon Chapel event, group, or ministry. All you need to do is create an electronic text, either in an e-mail message or a word processor file and, if you are able, provide digital photos. The Sharon Chapel Web Team (Doug Himes, Amy Spagna, and Jim Trigg) will do the rest.

Similarly, there are three web pages in our "About Us" section: FAQ, Church History, and Links. There’s lots of room for expansion here. We can record more of our church’s history; we can add historical photographs; we can answer more questions for prospective members or established parishioners alike. If you feel moved, please do what you can.

Even if you aren’t up to creating a whole new web page, please check to make sure your group’s activities are entered on the calendar. All items that appear in the Out and About and The Fishers will also be put on the website. Other items should be submitted to the Web Team or to a Vestry member.

Also, please take a look at the website from time to time and keep an eye out for any mistakes or typographical errors. And do let us know if you have any suggestions for improvement. We want our part of the World Wide Web to be the best it possibly can be.