November 2010 Issue

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MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH NOVEMBER 2010 — VOLUME 35, ISSUE 8

St. Paul’s 
news
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4FS OUTREACH COMMITTEE MTG. NEWCOMERS’ DINNER YOUTH GROUP RAKE-N-RUN B&PW ST. ELIZABETH SILVER BELLS IN THE CITY

The Hidden Agenda

Life today, in these difficult times, often has a hidden agenda. Often, the hidden agenda is selfish and self-serving. As times become more difficult, the strategies are more devious, and it becomes more difficult to get real information.

Certainly we have been made aware of this in By the Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller the election campaign this year. Candidates want to get elected. They will say anything. If they can make you afraid of what the other candidate will do, they don’t have to say anything about what they will do. It’s all about power and prestige and has very little to do with what is good for the country. The sad thing is that this style of campaigning seems to work despite our protests. Television ads have gone the devious route for years. They use wealth, power, youth, beauty, sex and being “in” for all the wrong reasons: they sell the illusion to get you to buy their products, not because their products are so much better or less expensive. It seems to work here, too, because they make it all look so easy, so good, and we’re so gullible. As we approach the holiday season, I would contrast the human agenda with the sacred one. Humans can be so devious in getting what they want. And it is about what they want. God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit want human happiness, too. It has been the topic of theological talk from the beginning. Our understanding is that there is no hid(Continued on page 8)

Church Events November

Silver Bells Float: A First for St. Paul's
By Debby Pierce
This year we will be entering a St. Paul's float in the Light Parade of Silver Bells. As the time draws near, we will need help in preparing the float and, on the last days, preparing the vehicle hauling the float. The Parade Committee wants enough lights to "dazzle" the crowd, and we plan on dazzling the crowd! The Bell Choirs will have a concert in the Church after the parade, lighting of the tree and the fireworks. After (and during) the Concert, we will be serving really, really good hot chocolate and cookies. If you are interested in working on the float, bringing cookies or helping to serve the hot chocolate, please call Sally Lawrence at 323-7211 or Debby Pierce at 394-4800. Please help us make this a success.

4 F’s
By Nancy Sheldon
Please mark your calendars and join us for the 4 F’s Group in 2010-2011. This year, our meetings are the first and third Mondays of each month (*exceptions noted). Anyone is invited who has time in the middle of the day! 12 noon Eucharist 1 p.m. Bible Study (Steve Lange)
          

12:30 p.m. Lunch ($4.00) 1:15-2 p.m. Program

November 1 – Programs by Altar Guild and on Kneelers November 15 – Overview of Lutheranism by Amanda Highben of University Lutheran Church December 6 – Someko Singers Christmas Celebration (with Melanie Walker and Emily Laub) *January 10 – Program on Australia, Fiji and New Zealand by Nancy Rudd *January 24 – Program on Autism, its causes and treatments February 7 – Visit to Ele’s Place (grief counseling for children) February 21 – Rites of Passage March 7 – Visit to Mt. Hope Assembly of God Church & Gideon Healing Center *March 9 (Ash Wednesday) to April 24 (Easter) – 5 Lenten Book Reviews May 2 – Visit the Buddhist Retreat Center (lunch & Eucharist at the Millars’) May 16 – Annual Picnic, book review, planning session at Nancy Sheldon’s

Evangelism and Parish Life
By Sally Lawrence, Vestry Member

St. Elizabeth
By Debby Pierce, President
"The purpose of the St. Elizabeth Guild of St. Paul's is to gather for education and fellowship..." The November meeting will be at 12:30 p.m., on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at Sally Lawrence’s home. If you would like to join us, please call Debby Pierce at 394-4800 or 485-5446 or e-mail [email protected].

By the time this article is in print, Parish Life will have held its fourth annual Family Game Night. Our popular book read is next and will take place in January or February. We are still on the hunt for that perfect book, so if you have a suggestion, please contact Debby Pierce or John Craig. Evangelism is planning a Newcomers’ Dinner on Friday, November 5. At that time ,we hope to make our new people feel at home and welcome at St. Paul’s. Now for our big news, the Evangelism Committee, with the help of Mike Young, submitted a successful float application to the Lansing Principal Shopping District. We are going to be in the Silver Bells Parade!! This will take place on Friday, November 19, so mark your calendars. See Debby Pierce’s article on what is needed. Page 2

B&PW
By Debby Pierce
The Business & Professional Women (B&PW) will meet on Tuesday, November 9 at 6 p.m. in the Hill Room. Our guest will be Jim Childs who will give a poetry reading. Please call Debby Pierce for reservations at 3944800 or 485-5446 or e-mail at [email protected]. Join us for an evening with good friends good food and good Fellowship.

St. Aelred’s Guild Has Its Own Therapy Dog
By Nancy Sheldon
St Paul’s began a ministry a number of years ago to offer spiritual friendship to members of our congregation in time of need. We call it St. Aelred’s Guild and we have a small group of dedicated volunteers who offer spiritual friendship through notes, visitation, prayer list management, Eucharistic visits, celebration of births, and phone calls to shut-ins. The majority of our visits are to people in assisted living or nursing homes who usually are unable to come to church because of age or health reasons. Maxwell, a certified Therapy Old English Sheepdog, who is often seen at St Paul’s with one of his owners (Nancy or Pete Sheldon) regularly visits some of our seniors, and they love to see him come. He loves to visit, too, as he gets so much attention! His specialty is “giving kisses” as he licks faces on demand and his size is such that his large head fits perfectly in the lap of someone in a wheelchair, or he’ll lay his head on a pillow of someone who is bedridden. Even though he is a boisterous three-year-old “adolescent” at home, he is trained to do what he does and knows when he enters a facility what his job is and goes to “work.” He picks up the spirits of everyone he passes, not just those whom he visits. We need to plan extra time for visits as it takes quite a bit of time just to get in and out of the hallways. He loves his work and we love taking him!

Yes, the ERD Used Book Sale Will Return
By Sue Millar
Come mid-winter or early spring, we will again offer used books for sale to raise money for Episcopal Relief and Development. This announcement will give you a heads-up to begin selecting books for which you no longer want to give bookshelf space but will still provide good reading for others. Watch for details in future issues of St. Paul’s News.

Personal Needs Collection
By Barbara Heany, Vestry Member
The youth groups will be taking a “Personal Needs” collection during the month of November for the Maplewood Center, a homeless shelter for women and children. Some of the items they will be collecting are deodorant, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, and socks and underwear for women and children in various sizes, including plus sizes. In addition to the personal needs, the “noisy offering” collection taken these past few months will be given to Maplewood Center. The youth are hoping for an opportunity to take their collections to the center and have a tour of the facility.

Rake-N-Run
By Barbara Heany, Vestry Member
St. Paul’s Youth Groups are praying for leaves. On November 7, they will be grabbing their rakes and running off to rake and bag leaves at parishioners’ homes. This youth group event will take place immediately following the England Choristers’ Brunch. Contact Barb Heany at 420-5316 or Shelley Sanford at 482-9454 for more details. 

Money Raised for CROP
By Barbara Heany, Vestry Member
The Youth Group would like to thank everyone for their pledges of support for CROP Walk 2010. Thanks to your generous donations, we far exceeded our goal of $1,100, bringing in $1,580 for this very important cause. CROP Hunger Walks are sponsored by Church World Services and help children and families worldwide, with 25 percent of the proceeds staying right here in our own community to aid services such as Advent House Ministries, The Garden Project and Volunteers of America, among others.

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Youth Christian Education
By Shelley Sanford, Youth Christian Education Director
It’s hard to believe that it has already been a month since the children returned to the classrooms that remained empty throughout the summer months, and they seem to be adjusting well to their new Church School schedule. Whether this is the beginning of your child’s relationship with God or he or she is continuing to build on an already established relationship, St. Paul’s Youth Christian Education Program is helping children learn about Christian faith and church history and tradition through bible stories, prayers, songs, games and crafts. Children are nurtured in faith and grow in knowledge and experience due to the wonderful teachers that are encouraging their students, at any age level, how to reach their potential emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually.

Embracing Our Nursery
By Nancy Sheldon
As a member of the Personnel Committee, I’ve been asked to facilitate a group of parents who have (or have had) children in our nursery program with the goal of updating and improving our policies and procedures. Even though we’ve had a warm and welcoming nursery for decades, we have been blessed with a “growth spurt” recently which is increasing the number of infants and toddlers to be cared for each Sunday. What a terrific reason to take a fresh look at our facility and our procedures to see what we can do to improve our care for these families. We’d like our nursery to be the St Paul’s by nurturing and supporting families in caring for their children. We hope to have recommendations for the Vestry after the first of the year.

3rd-5th Grade Youth Group
By Larissa and Larry Clark
It’s a fresh group of kids, a new year, and a time to gather to make new friends!! The youths will be discovering how their lives connect with many of the Bible Stories in the Old and New Testaments. We met for the first time, Sunday, October 10. We read, “In the beginning God put together the earth.” We talked about how youth group is “being made.” And we had MaryLea Benson, Hilary and Andre come in to show us how they put together prayer quilts for those in need. Five youths showed up: Alex VanKoevering, Emma Clark, Grace Baer, Lydia Rose, and Anna Johnson. We would love to have more youths come and join us. Our next gathering is Sunday, November 7. Below is a schedule through December 2010, just a taste of what else the kids are experiencing
   

November 7 November 21 December 5 December 19

“Rake and Run” Community Outreach “Peer Pressure & Two Bros.” “A Helping Hand” “A Helping Hand” continued, caroling at Senior Center/Children’s Home.

Come join us!

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Financial Information as of September 30, 2010
By Julie Young, Treasurer
Pledge income in September was $28,191. This brings year-to-date total pledge income to $221,640, which is 67 percent of the annual budget amount. Operations for September had a net loss of $3,101. Transfers were required from the investment account into the operating account during September for a total of $20,000. The investment accounts/funds had a net gain of $32,420 for the month. We have begun the process of putting together a budget for 2011. Anyone who is involved in a group or activity that is expecting to use Church funds next year should submit a budget request. Please submit this information to me at your earliest convenience. You can call me at (517) 505-4055 or email me at [email protected]. Thank you for your cooperation!

Vestry Highlights
On October 19, your Vestry met and:
 Started with dinner at 6 p.m.  Called the meeting at 6:30 p.m.  Receives the treasurer’s report (a synopsis is found  Received committee reports by title, including:  Stewardship - two days into the campaign al-

elsewhere in this issue)
 Heard an update on the pictorial directory (will be

out by December)
 Discussed the computer situation  Heard about the float we will have in the Silver Bells’

parade
 Received a report from the Diocesan Convention  Discussed the Vestry calling

ready have 42 pledges for $118,100  Finance – Pledges behind – need letter  Worship and Music – Instructed Eucharist planned  Outreach – Thanksgiving baskets and mitten tree on-going  Youth Christian Education – Shelly is doing well – programs for three youth groups planned  Adult Christian Education Advent Series planned  Building and Grounds – Painting, tuck pointing and heating system fixed  Parish Life – Game night planned  Received Clergy Reports 

Requests for Prayer
We pray for those who are sick and in need: Cindy Robinson, Shelley Robinson, Mason Hill, Lois Caswell, Marjorie Belles, Barb Powers, Skip & Marsha Macholz, Tom Foltz, Bill, Jan Bigham, Max Sutton, John & Grace Hawkins, Stephanie, Maureen, Noah, Jared Miller, Pat Amundson, Emilio Garcia, Lloyd Law, Ray Benner, Andrea Ingraham, Jacob Thomas, Pat Reno, RuthAnn Lubben, Leeland McMartin, Lee Kinney, Ellie Freed, Raymond White, Susan Irish, Marquerite Upham, Dottie Marie Stallcup-Harper, Rick Hawkins, Fransico Duazo, and Gail Lynch. We pray and remember those in the Military, serving in dangerous areas: Jeff Doorlag, Justin Murphy, and Adam Sheppard.

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England Choristers and Parents to Host After-Church Brunch
By Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music
Come one, come all! Bring your appetites, a desire for camaraderie (and perhaps even a dish to pass!) to a Brunch sponsored by the 2011 England choristers (yes, this summer a group of choristers will be traveling to Great Britain to tour and study at a Royal School of Church Music Summer Course in Bath!). They’d love your support for this fundraising activity. Please sign up by the elevators if you’re willing to bring a dish to pass, and if you will stay and join them for the fine food and fellowship! A free-will donation will be accepted to support their efforts. The brunch will be November 7, right after church. Bring friends, relatives, neighbors! The more, the merrier! Thank you!

Chancel Choir to Present Special Music
By Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music
St. Paul’s Chancel Choir will present selections from Missa Brevis in C Major, K. 258, by W.A. Mozart during the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, November 14. This mass was composed by Mozart in 1776, when he was only 21 years old. The Choir will be accompanied by a string trio—two violins and cello—and organ.

Preparing for Christmas
By Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music
In response to the extremely enthusiastic comments received about the time of fellowship, sharing and scriptural sleuthing that occurred last Lent, The Adult Christian Education Committee is offering another series of sessions designed to help you prepare for both Advent and Christmas in an enriching and stimulating way. The series, modeled after last Lent’s format, will take place on four consecutive Sundays after church, beginning on November 21 and ending on December 12. We will make every effort to have church end near 11 a.m., with the sessions lasting from 11:15 a.m. (yes, there will be coffee and some sort of refreshments at each of the stations) until noon. The first session will offer workshops designed to help you celebrate the richness of the Advent Season. There will be opportunities to make a Jesse Tree and ornaments for it, a Jesse Mural, Christmas tree ornaments, or an Advent log. For those who would prefer, there will also be a session offered to look at the two Creation stories in Genesis. On the following three Sundays, the groups will look at scripture that focuses on three of the main characters associated with Advent: Isaiah, John the Baptist and Mary. These sessions are aimed at providing insights for the readings of Lessons and Carols, which relate to these three characters and the Creation story. Please set aside these four Sundays to help prepare yourself for the celebration of the Nativity on Christmas. Your presence and sharing of insights can help enrich each of our spiritual lives!

Page 6

Choir News
Special Dates to Save:
 November  Thursday,

7 - England Chorister Brunch (All choir families are asked to provide a dish for the brunch. Sign-up sheets to bring food and to eat at the brunch are available by the elevators.) Thanks! November 18, No Chancel Choir rehearsal November 24 - Harvest Home Dinner (England Choristers to serve, Cherubs to sing) (Cherubs and Boys’ and Grace Choirs will rehearse only from 5:30 to 6 p.m.) November 25—No rehearsal for Chancel Choir

 Wednesday,  Thursday,

Singing Schedule
Date
November 7 November 14 November 21 November 28 December 5 December 12

Choirs
Chancel Choir; High School Choir; Boys’ and Grace Choirs Chancel Choir; High School Choir Chancel Choir; High School Choir Chancel Choir; High School Choir High School Choir; Boys’ and Grace Choirs Chancel Choir; High School Choir

Date
December 19

Choirs
Lessons and Carols: Cherubs; Boys’ and Grace; High School; Chancel Christmas Eve Family Service: Cherubs, Boys’ and Grace Choirs Christmas Eve Eucharist: Chancel; High School Choirs No Choirs will be vesting

December 24 December 24 December 26

Christmas Means Special Music at St. Paul’s
By Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music
Although still nearly seven weeks away, Christmas is rapidly approaching! To help the congregation prepare for and celebrate this feast, St. Paul’s will host or sponsor several musical events. First will be Silver Bells in the City, a community-wide celebration of the upcoming holidays. St. Paul’s will sponsor a float for the parade and then open its doors to the spectators for a half-hour concert of handbell music, provided by St. Paul’s Handbell Choir and the Handbell Choir of Pilgrim Congregational Church, directed by John Broughton. The concert will be followed by free hot chocolate and cookies for those attending. On Friday, December 12, The Men of Orpheus will present their annual Christmas Concert. Directed by former parishioner Gayle Pohl, this group of men will perform a wide variety of Christmas music, sacred and secular. The concert begins at 7 p.m., and tickets will be available at the door. On Saturday, December 18, The Lange Choral Ensemble will present its annual Christmas Concert. The program will include works by G. P. Telemann, Rene Clausen, Bob Chilcott and others. The group will be accompanied by organ and a small instrumental ensemble. The concert will begin at 7 p.m., and tickets will be available at the door. And finally, St. Paul’s will present its usual Service of Advent Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 19, at the 10 a.m. service. All of St. Paul’s Choirs will sing at this service, featuring readings and anthems appropriate to the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Page 7

Mission and Outreach Activities
November
Where is Christ calling you to help others? Housing Assistance Fund, Fruit & Greens Sale

St. Paul’s and the MDGs: the Millennium Development Goals
By the Rev. Deacon William Fineout
We are in the third year of our St. Paul’s eight-year outreach program to help make a difference in the Millennium Development Goals established by the United Nations and supported by The Episcopal Church. Recently the Episcopal News Service reported, “The United Nations' three-day summit on the Millennium Development Goals closed in New York Sept. 22 with promises of more money and more action to achieve the goals by their deadline.” The goals are a set of eight targets designed to reduce poverty, hunger, maternal and child deaths, disease, inadequate shelter, gender inequality and environmental degradation by half. The world's leaders agreed in 2000 to achieve the goals by 2015. “Today we close the most significant global development conference since the Millennium Summit ten years ago,” U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told reporters as the gathering was winding up. “And we open the final five-year push until 2015.” “We are committed to making every effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015,” leaders of the U.N.'s member states said in the outcome document that the summit adopted. The leaders said that they “’recognize that without substantial international support, several of the goals are likely to be missed in many developing countries by 2015.’" St. Paul’s has been doing its part by supporting Water for Life in 2008, Heifer International in 2009, and local agencies (like the City Rescue Mission & Maplewood) for 2010. Input into our 2011 project may be offered at the outreach committee meetings in November and December for a recommendation to the parish at the annual meeting. 

3 7 14 14-21 December
5

Outreach Committee Meeting, 6 p.m. Mitten Tree ends ECW United Thank Offering Thanksgiving Baskets

Canterbury MSU dinner by St. Paul’s Sudanese Education Fund

24-25 Ongoing

Layette Gifts for the Christ child

1st Sunday Manna Sunday, loose and dedicated offerHeifer Gift Cards Prayer Quilts CarsINC Habitat for Humanity

ings for street ministry, busing and work boots; Youth Noisy Offering for local charities

Noisy Offering on the First Sunday of the Month
By the Rev. Deacon William Fineout
The noisy offering of clanking and clinking coins continues to be collected by our youth on Family Sundays, the first Sunday of each month. In keeping with our St. Paul’s MDG 2010 project of local agencies, the young people chose the City Rescue Mission and its Maplewood women’s center as this year’s recipient. Please remember to bring your loose change on the first Sunday each month, as we support our children’s participation in the worship service and in outreach service.

(Continued from, “The Hidden Agenda” page 1)

den agenda. God has tried to convey the essence of happiness from the beginning. His essence is in so many of the stories of the Bible: true happiness is yours if you give it away, that is being more concerned about others’ happiness and less about your own. Entering the Advent and Christmas seasons provides us with the truth we so long for and find so elusive. You will find your happiness in what you give, not in what you strive for. Enjoy the seasons and find someone with whom to share your joy. Page 8

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ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non Profit Org. US POSTAGE PAID LANSING, MI Permit 1621

St. Paul's Episcopal Church Lansing Michigan
218 W. Ottawa Lansing, MI 48933
Phone: 517-482-9454 Fax: 517-485-8621 Choir Room: 517-482-0369 Website: Stpaulslansing.org

The St. Paul’s News is a publication of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Lansing Michigan. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Staff The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon Weller, Rector Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music The Rev. Richard Sauerzopf, Priest Assistant The Rev. Deacon William H. Fineout Ms. Mary Rodeck, Assistant Minister of Music Ms. Kathleen Johnson, Office Manager St. Paul’s News Editorial Staff Christine Caswell, Editor Lyn Zynda, Layout Editor

If you no longer wish to receive these mailings, please call the church office (517) 482-9454, any time of the day Page 10 leave a message to be taken off our mailing list. or night and

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