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| News from St. Mark's Episcopal Church | September 2010 |
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 Letter from John de Beer
Dear Friends,
Many of you have been regular in worship this summer. Our average Sunday attendance was over forty. We have prayed together, laid hands on one another for healing, continued to care for our property and grounds, begun preparations for the Welcome Sunday, the Stewardship Dinner, the Flea Market and the Fall Fair. Conversation at coffee hour has been relaxed, fun and occasionally raucous. A multigenerational group from St. Mark's served lunch on two consecutive days to a hall full of kids in Dorchester as part of the Diocesan BSafe program. A Boy Scout Eagle project made a major contribution to our grounds. At the same time, many parishioners have been suffering from illness; some are recovering, others are living with chronic ailments. The pastoral care team, convened by Deb Smyth and Catherine Owens, are drawing parishioners together to weave a net of loving care around those in need. If you would like to be a part of this care, or if you would like some support for yourself, please contact Deb Smyth. Here is a prayer from Archbishop Desmond Tutu you may wish to use: Goodness is stronger than evil
Love is stronger than hate
Light is stronger than darkness
Life is stronger than death
Victory is ours through God who loves us. Amen
As summer fades into fall, visitors are arriving at St. Mark's, looking for a faith community to call home. On August 22 there were 62 people in the congregation, enough to make the parish hall comfortably full. (Worship was downstairs, as the sanctuary was dark and the electricity to the building was out.) So I am excited to see what the fall will bring, as those who have been away for the summer return and new members begin to make a place for themselves in the parish.
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I will be taking a week of retreat/continuing education in early September, with a focus on the parable Jesus told about the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:45-45). Please welcome the Rev. Frank Fornaro, who will celebrate the Eucharist and preach on Sunday, September 12th. When I return I will let you know what I discover about choosing the Pearl over everything else!
The following Sunday, September 19th, is welcoming Sunday. I look forward to seeing you all at the Eucharist and at the brunch which follows. Our new deacon, Philip Major, is preparing a program for children and adults so that we begin the program year together. You can read more detail elsewhere in this ROAR. What I want to say is PLEASE COME! This is a time for all of us to connect and reconnect as we listen for God's call to us in the coming year.
Peace
John de Beer
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Service Time Change!
Beginning Sunday September 5th our service begins at 9:30. |
 Save the Date!
September
5 (Su) Service begins at 9:30
9 (Th) Adult Choir Rehearsals begin, 7:00 pm
12 (Su) Sunday School Registration
14 (Tu) Women's Group Meeting 7:00 pm
18 (Sa) Flea Market 9 am - 2 pm
19 (Su) Welcoming Sunday (Multigenerational program and brunch)
25 (Sa) Resource Day at Bentley 9-2 (click Resource Day for more information) Stewardship Dinner 5-9 pm (sign up in Narthex)
26 (Su) Youth Choir rehearsals begin, after service
October
2 (Sa) Rain date for flea market
23 (Sa) Fall Fair 9 am - 2 pm |
From the Associate for Multigenerational Ministries
I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your elders shall dream dreams and your youth shall see visions,
[Joel 2:28, adapted]
Dear Friends,
It is a great joy to be part of this blessed community! Thank you for your welcome and for adopting my family and me so quickly as your sisters and brothers in Christ.
One of the things that I love about St. Mark's is each member's engagement in the process of being the church; everyone seems to understand that being the Body of Christ requires the involvement of each member. This is what the passage from the book of Joel is all about: the idea of the entire community sharing in the prophetic relationship of immediacy and intimacy with God. Furthermore, we are not just being, we are becoming. But where is God leading us? What are we becoming? What new fruit might grow here?
As one of the newest members of this community I am certainly in no position to answer these questions myself. Many churches might turn to the rector or the vestry to provide the answers, but at St. Mark's people seem to understand that if we really intend to grow and move together in doing God's work we will need everyone's help in discerning answers to these questions. We need everyone to share their thoughts and everyone to listen:
* From our youngest to our oldest members.
* From those who helped build this building to those who first walked into it just yesterday.
* From those who feel like they are on the edge looking in to those who feel that they are in the center of all of the activity!
So we hope that everyone will attend our Welcoming Sunday activities on September 19th. We will worship at our new "normal" time: 9:30 a.m. Then we'll move into the parish hall for a 90 minute feast of fellowship activities: songs, discussions, presentations and a delicious brunch. As we work together we'll be following a model of congregational discernment and growth developed by Eric Law. I want to encourage each one of our teenagers to participate with our adults as they are comfortable; we will need their visions as well as the dreams of our elders! Our children will participate in a parallel program of songs, stories, activities and food in the Sunday School rooms and join the adults for final presentations, songs and a prayer.
This will be a joyful time of fellowship at St. Mark's! I look forward to seeing you there.
Faithfully,
Philip
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Trash to Treasure Flea Market
One person's trash is another's treasure. Come and find your treasure at
PLACE: ST. MARK'S CHURCH
10 ST. MARK'S ROAD
at the CORNER OF TERRACE HALL AVE
AND BEDFORD STREET
DATE: SEPT. 18 (Rain date Oct 2nd)
TIME: 9 AM to 2 PM
For more info or to reserve a table or space contact
St. Mark's 781-272-1586, Shirley at sherlstar@comcast.net or 508-423-7503.
Tables are $20, space is $15 (bring your own table) |
| Family Night
WHEN? SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2010
TIME? 5PM TO 9PM
WHERE? SAINT MARKS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
JOIN US FOR AN EVENING OF FAMILY FUN, MUSIC AND FOOD. THERE WILL BE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE! PLEASE JOIN US.
THERE WILL BE A SIGN UP SHEET IN THE NARTHEX.
- Sue Thompson |
 The Fall Fair is Coming!! White Elephant Donations Needed
Please take a look at the "treasures" in your home, and donate them to the White Elephant room. It will help us if you clearly mark "Fair: White Elephant" on boxes. Your treasures can be left in the shed. It is also a greatly appreciated if you bring your donated items several days before the Fair so they can be priced and displayed.
- Rosemary Eaton
Kitchen Help Wanted
How can you help St. Mark's? This question has been addressed by our Rector in many ways, and in substituting God for "St. Mark's" as the object of the question. After all, St. Mark's exists as a community to serve God. Our Fall Fair is merely one revenue generating event to help our community to serve God. So, how can you help St. Mark's?
Do you have three hours to invest in the Kitchen? We need six people to make sandwiches, serve hot lunches, work "the register" (which is a cigar box), set-up, and clean-up.
If you do not have three hours, we need 24 donors of the food items, beverages, plastic ware, paper plates, coffee...we will post a list of what we need and you may commit to sponsor an item or two which will make the cost of running the kitchen much lower and the profit greater.
Lastly, if you cannot spend time in the kitchen, or sponsor an item, at least come to the Fair and join us for lunch and shop in the varied areas. It is a lot of fun and builds comradery. (Note, my spellcheck does not like my spelling of this word, but it does not offer a substitute, either). I think you understand.
- Rick Eaton |
Women's Group News
September is here and that means that The Women's Group of St. Mark's is ready to start meeting again. Our first meeting will be on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 7:00 PM in the parish hall. We have been asked to continue our contributions to the basket auction for the church fair which will be on Saturday, October 23th. We are asking the ladies of St. Mark's to bring along with them on the night of the meeting, new items you may have at home that you have no use for. At that time we will gather together all the donations and sort them into groups that will make interesting baskets. Volunteers wishing to create baskets will take home donated items, create the basket and bring them to the church on Sunday, October 17th. If you are unable to attend the meeting on the 14th but have items you would like to donate, please speak to Linda Kelley and she will make arrangements to pick up the donations. All of the women of St. Mark's are encouraged to attend. This is a wonderful opportunity for all of St. Mark's women to come together in a social atmosphere to meet new women, greet old friends and have a few laughs along the way. If you are unable to attend due to transportation issues, please feel free to contact one of the ladies below and we will make arrangements to have someone pick you up and take you home. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact: Linda Kelley at 781-883-8972
- Linda Kelley |
Sunday School News
Sunday school registration will be held on Sunday September 12th in the parish hall after the service. The first day of Sunday school will be on Sunday, September 19th. SUNDAY SCHOOL WILL NOW START AT 9:30AM along with the regular Sunday service. Please contact Tracey Healey with any questions. - Tracey Healey |
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This year we have begun to formalize our pastoral care initiatives, as we begin to address the fact that our congregation is growing, and that each of us, at one time or another, is going to need help.
Our model is to have a coordinator for a two month rotation. The coordinator is both someone any of you can come to if you need any kind of assistance, from communion to a card, from a casserole to a drive to the doctors. Most importantly though, the coordinator is someone who keeps an eye on the various pastoral care initiatives, to make sure that everyone who needs a service is receiving it in a coordinated fashion, and that no-one providing services is overburdened. We thank Pat Doleman for being our first Pastoral Care Coordinator, and thank Sue Thompson for taking on that responsibility for September and October. Please don't hesitate to speak with her or email her at Sue Thopmson if you have any needs. If anyone is interested in serving in this role in the future, please see Deb Smyth or Catherine Owens.
Shirley Estrella is the Eucharistic Visitor Coordinator, and has set up a regular rotation so that one of our licensed Eucharistic Visitors (Shirley, Deb Smyth, Catherine Owens, and Sally Toye) is available each Sunday. We like to have at least two parishioners on each visit, and some of you have found this to be a deeply moving experience. If you are interested in accompanying a Eucharistic Visitor or just in learning more about what this means, please see Shirley or any of the Eucharistic Visitors.
We have an active card circle whose members are helping make sure that parishioners who can't attend church know they are missed. Thanks to Priscilla Seaward, Betsy Figenbaum, Elizabeth Grace, Doris Floyd, and Sue Thompson (please forgive me if I missed anyone!) who are helping with this important activity.
Currently we are also looking for help with driving one of our parishioners to appointments, and with dinner, or just company, for another parishioner.
If any of you are interested in helping in any of these areas, please speak with Sue, Deb Smyth, or Catherine Owens. We would love nothing better than to have every parishioner be part of the net of care John referred to in his letter, as we live into Jesus' command to love one another.
- Deb Smyth and Catherine Owens |
| ROAR and Website Reporters Wanted!!!
Do you like to write? Do you like to talk with people? St. Mark's needs you! We need content for the ROAR, and especially for our website. We advertise upcoming events, but no-one ever writes about what they are like. We would like to feature parishioners each month, but need someone who would be interested in doing the interviews.
We have a lot going on at St. Mark's, and we should be talking about it so that people who come to our website see who we are. If you are interested in reporting in general, or in writing about a specific event, or in interviewing parishioners, please email Catherine Owens. |
God and Us -- News from the Vestry
A lot has happened since my last report. Here's hoping that I leave nothing out.
The center rail has been removed, so now we will not have to worry about a mishap with caskets during funerals.
After a survey, it has been decided to have services begin at 9:30 am starting in September.
Corey Wilkins has cleared the brush and shrubbery, weeded the flower gardens, put down mulch and planted 10 plants. The mulch and plants were donated by Lowes in connection with Corey's Eagle Scout project.
The outreach group has donated the following:
B-Safe Camp in Boston (food and supplies) $ 425
Playground fuund at St Mary's Church $ 500
(this is where B-Safe is held)
El Hogar Sponsorship for Julio $1,500
El Hogar Suitcase Project (for jeans & sneakers) $ 400
Lillian Valley School $ 300
(Episcopal School for Indian Children grades 1-5)
I had the honor to accompany John and Shirley to witness Philip being ordained as a deacon in New London, NH. What a ceremony.
We have a number of upcoming events - see Save the Date for more information.
Well that's all for now.
Don Howser |
Choir Notes
Youth Choir Notes
I'm looking forward to seeing the members of the St. Mark's Youth Choir at our first rehearsal of the new school year on Sunday, September 12th. We'll get started after the service, as soon as our members have had an opportunity to get a drink at coffee hour and come back up to the sanctuary. We'll finish up at 11 am. Since we'll be trying lots of new music, it will be helpful to have as many at our rehearsals as possible.
As always, children in grades 2 or higher who enjoy singing are welcome to join us. We rehearse on Sundays after the service, and sing during two services a month, along with our Christmas Eve Family Service and our Easter service. Come along and bring your friends! Even if you can't start with us on September 12th, join us whenever you can and we'll teach you all the songs.
PLEASE NOTE: We will be having regular rehearsals after every Sunday service, with the exception of September 19th, our "Welcoming Sunday". We want to give our Youth Choir members the opportunity to join us at the luncheon and festivities that will follow the service. Our regular rehearsal schedule will resumer on September 26th.
I am also on the lookout for any children who are playing a musical instrument and who think they would like to play during a service at St. Mark's. It would be great to have them be part of a future "Story Sunday" service (our intergenerational service held on the first Sunday of each month). Student musicians could play as part of an ensemble or as a soloist. There are plenty of opportunities, so I invite any interested instrumentalists to come speak with me about the possibilities.
Adult Choir Notes
I would like to thank our Adult Choir for their commitment to singing during our summer services. Those who were in town joined us in our offertory anthems and to lead our congregational singing. This is very unusual for church choirs, so I am grateful for their devotion, their time and their talent. They continue to inspire me every week!
We will resume our Adult Choir rehearsals after Labor Day, beginning on Thursday, September 9th at 7pm and every Thursday until mid-June. We welcome anyone who likes to sing to come try us out on a Thursday night. We have a wonderful time making music together, and we'd love to see you there.
All of us in the Adult Choir send out our get well wishes to Bruce Burrell. We miss his singing and playing more than we can say, and look forward to his being back in our pews.
Susan Dearborn
Organist and Choir Director |
 Notes from EDS
I had all kinds of plans for upcoming academic year. I was going to serve on chapel staff, take two academic classes, and explore singing in choir. After last year spent commuting to Vermont and dealing with a number of other issues, this was going to be my year to spend a lot of time on campus, and immerse myself as much as possible in campus life.
As it turns out, that's not the kind of year it's going to be. I realized over the summer how deeply exhausted I had become. I will continue to have commitments to caring for my family. I will continue to need to work. I had to start saying no. I withdrew from Chapel staff, I will drop one of my classes, I will only go into Cambridge on Wednesday. And I am starting to say no to things at St. Mark's. I am continuing with the ROAR, with serving as a eucharistic visitor and otherwise helping with our initiatives as we weave our net of caring, and I look forward to preaching and participating in the liturgy. Otherwise I won't be doing much of anything.
As I continue to wonder why God has brought me to this point in my life, at EDS - where I know I am meant to be - and at St. Mark's, I have come to understand at a very personal leverl that in order to listen for God, to be open to that loving relationship with God, we need some quiet time. In order to know our passions, we can't squander our energies trying to fulfill everyone's needs - which is hopeless anyway. I am learning, slowly and painfully, that following God's call can be as much about having the courage to say NO as it is about saying YES!
I invite you to join me. Think about this - If God pulled you out of your life, if you couldn't do anything you currently do in your busy lives, what would you long to get back to - and what would you be just as glad to leave behind? Then, try saying no to even one of those things. And then, listen . . . what is God saying to you in those newly opened spaces?
Catherine Owens |
| Schedules
Lectors
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Date |
Hebrew Scripture/Psalm |
New Testament |
Prayers of the People | |
Sept 5 |
Ann Sullivan |
Bruce Burrell |
Norm Dooley | |
Sept 12 |
Sally Toye |
Steve Cunha |
Bruce Burrell | |
Sept 19 |
Justin Turner |
Rick Eaton |
Shirley Estrella | |
Sept 26 |
Howard Bettinson |
Catherine Owens |
Betsy Figenbaum | |
Oct 3 |
Story Sunday | |
Oct 10 |
Bruce Burrell |
Mark Lamourine |
Norm Dooley | |
Oct 17 |
Steve Cunha |
Jack Heidbrink |
Nelson Holt | |
Oct 24 |
Rick Eaton |
Shirley Estrella |
Sally Toye | |
Oct 31 |
Catherine Owens |
Howard Bettinson |
Betsy Figenbaum |
Chalicers
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Date |
Crucifer/Chalicer |
Chalicer 2 | |
Sept 5 |
Shirley Estrella |
N/A (last weekend of summer) | |
Sept 12 |
Sally Toye |
Catherine Owens | |
Sept 19 |
Steve Cunha |
Norm Dooley | |
Sept 26 |
Pat Doleman |
Howard Bettinson | |
Oct 3 |
Story Sunday | |
Oct 10 |
Jack Heidbink |
Sue Heidbrink | |
Oct 17 |
Catherine Owens |
Steve Cunha | |
Oct 24 |
Shirley Estrella |
Norm Dooley | |
Oct 31 |
Sally Toye |
Howard Bettinson |
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St. Mark's Schedule
Holy Eucharist and Church School both begin at 9:30 am on Sunday. Church School children join the congregation at the peace. After service we have coffee hour in the parish hall.
On the first Sunday of the month Sunday School combines with our regular service for a special Story service.
The Bible study group meets on Sunday in the parish hall after coffee hour to study the lessons for the next Sunday. No special background or education is required, and you do not have to attend every week. Please join us when you can!
The Youth Choir rehearses after service on Sunday. The Adult Choir rehearses on Thursday at
7:00 pm.
The Youth Group meets on the first and third Sundays after the service.
Confirmation class meets on the second and fourth Sundays after service. Any youth from 8th grade and up is invited, even if you've already been confirmed!
Vestry meets at 7:00 pm in the Choir Room on the second Monday. Vestry meetings are open to all, unless otherwise announced.
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