In the Spring 2005 issue:
From Sarah
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Sarah Kinney's Ordination
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International Festival and Silent Auction
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Parish Retreat
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Welcome, Father Jack
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Seder Dinner: Help Needed
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In the Atrium . . .
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Koinonia and UCM
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Do you play bridge?
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Money
Dear Friends of All Saints - Sharon Chapel:
I cannot believe my two years with you are drawing to a close. My time with you has been full of rich experiences and relationships. My first impression of Sharon Chapel was of a warm, inviting community. How right I was! You deeply understand the Christian call to hospitality. That hospitality has been continually extended to me over the last two years. I have been welcomed by you, invited into your homes and into your lives.
I would like to give special thanks to Rachelle for the generous amount of time she has spent with me. She is a wonderful. mentor and friend. I would also like to thank the members of my lay committee. Keith and Karen Landry, Jeanette Baker and Lauren Shaw have spent two hours with me every month, giving me extremely helpful feedback on my ministry with you.
I wish you all the very best as you undergo a transition to a new Christian Education space. I look forward to hearing how that welcomes new families to Sharon Chapel and expands your Christian Education opportunities.
If you're ever in the Charlottesville area, please drop by Emmanuel Church in Greenwood, Virginia. I'd love to see you and catch up on your lives.
Peace,
Sarah
God Willing and the Bishop Consenting Sarah Kinney will be ordained to the Diaconate on Saturday, June 18th, at 10:00 a.m. at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D. C. All are welcome to attend and participate.
The International Festival and Silent Auction will be scheduled for this Fall. The date will be coordinated between the committee and the vestry and will be announced soon is October 22nd. Watch future issues of The Fishers and the Sunday bulletin for the date and more information!
Our Parish Retreat this year is scheduled for September 30th through October 2nd at Shrine Mont. This should be a beautiful time of year to enjoy the mountains of Virginia. The theme will be "Prayer" and will be geared for all ages. Please block out these dates on your calendar now so you won't miss this special time with your parish family. Sign-up sheets will go up in Gunnell Hall in June. Watch for further details in the Out and About. For more information, contact Carolyn Rae.
We welcome the Reverend Jack Weise as our Supply Priest while the Rector is on Sabbatical and vacation, May through September. Father Jack has been contracted to be present on Sundays, one day during the week, and for emergencies. Margaret Oosterman and Paul Rae, as our parish Pastoral Assistants, will be assisting Father Jack in the pastoral ministry of the parish during our Rector's absence. We are blessed to have all of these talented pastors with us.
A big thank you to all who helped this year with our annual Seder dinner. As usual, it was a wonderful evening of sharing our faith, fellowship and good food. I hope that this tradition will continue for many years. Personally, I have been organizing this event for 16 years and it had been an annual event for many years before I took it on. Next year will be my final year to head up this effort. With that in mind, I am looking for someone who is willing to co-chair the 2006 Seder with me and be willing to lead in 2007. I know that spring 2007 seems like a long time away, but it will be here before we know it. Please prayerfully consider co-chairing this event with me next year so 2006 won't be the last Seder at Sharon Chapel.
Carolyn Rae
This past March and April, several All Saints - Sharon Chapel children took part in communion classes to lead them to a better understanding of the Christian Eucharist. This was the first time that communion class was part of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. Central to the communion classes was a series of meditations focusing on the Parable of the True Vine. A fellowship meal followed each meditation. The classes culminated in an all-day retreat. Children's activities at the retreat included singing Christian songs, decorating communion candles, making white garments and embroidering them with cross designs, baking communion bread to be used in the church; selecting songs and writing prayers of the people, and privately discussing their spiritual journey with our rector, Rachelle. In a special ceremony, each child received their own communion candle. The retreat was followed by a special 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship service where the children read the Gospel lessons, the prayers of the people that they had written, and led the congregation in the songs they had selected. The church also presented each child with their own Bible personalized with their name. Later in the month, the children were treated to a celebratory luncheon. The All Saints Catechesis team thanks all the children and their parents for the contributions that made our first Catechesis Communion class a success.
There are five Sundays in May. As is our custom, there will be boxes in the back of the church the last two Sundays of the month for donations for Harvest Sunday. UCM needs non-perishable foodstuffs, and Koinonia requests cleaning supplies. As always, checks are welcome (note the agency on your check). Also, check the bulletin board to see what items are especially needed.
Sharon Chapel Bridge Club will hold its final session of the 2004-2005 year on Saturday, May 21st in Gunnell Hail. We invite any bridge players who might be interested in playing next club year to join us for a pot luck dinner at 6:00 p.m. followed by the opportunity to observe the players "in action." The group is composed of 16 players of various degrees of experience and expertise, but all are friendly and encouraging, and would love to have you join us Saturday evening. If enough people come, we will even set up extra tables for play. If you are interested, please call Sallie Dievendorf.
Soon, we will be thinking about summer vacations. Don't forget that the church's bills do NOT take a vacation. Please keep your pledges up to date. Your first quarter statement can be picked up in the Narthex.
A quote to ponder:
"As we give more control of our lives to the Lord, the less we need to push and manipulate those around us."
— Russell Burchard