From your priest April 2017 Beloved in Christ. I begin with the words, “Beloved in Christ” for it beautifully sums up both my feelings and the reality of the relationship I have with you individually and collectively as your priest. It is hard to imagine that I have been away from you and from the Church of the Ascension for almost three months. Besides the annual meeting and a few days in the office around that time, you have been worshipping and ministering without me by your side for all of 2017. I am wondering what that has been like for you, what insights you have had and what things you have been thinking and praying about in this holy season. I can tell you that it has been a real blessing to me to have the opportunity to study, write, pray, and reflect on my vocation as a priest in Christ’s Church during this time away. I have really enjoyed the time and have been challenged and renewed. I have also really missed you and have missed being with you at Ascension. During my time away one thing has become even more abundantly clear to me, the Holy Spirit has brought us together to participate in God’s mission in and through the Church of the Ascension. I am so honored and grateful to be your priest and am really excited about returning. FROM REV. VINCENT BLACK Inside this Issue Message from Fr. Vincent ................... 1 Message from Gil Newlands ............... 2 Stewardship ....................................... 2 Palm Crosses ...................................... 3 Lenten Observances ........................... 3 Easter Vigil at Saints John's ................ 3 Keep Watch and Pray Vigil .................. 3 Adult Formation ................................. 4 The Shawl Ministry ............................ 4 Community Meal ............................... 4 The Ascension Choir ........................... 5 Afternoon Guild.................................. 5 Taizé Prayer Service ............................ 5 Calendar............................................. 6 Alter Flowers for Easter ...................... 7 Indians Game Tickets.......................... 7 Pat Hendy .......................................... 7 Lakewood Montessori School ............. 8 Building and Grounds Meeting .......... 8 Book Club ........................................... 8 Community Spaghetti Meal ............... 8 Volunteers Needed ............................. 9 Choir Clothing Drive ........................... 9 Anniversaries and Birthdays............... 9 Hospitality Roster............................. 10 Yard and Garden Clean-up................ 10 Dinner Nite Out Group ...................... 10 Good Friday Offering ........................ 11 Holy Week Services .......................... 12 Continued on Page 2 Holy Eucharist 8:00 am & 10:30 am Sunday School 10:30 am & 12:00 am Nursery 10:15 am & 12:15 pm Website: http://ascension-lakewood.org
Transcript
From your priest April 2017
Beloved in Christ.
I begin with the words, “Beloved in Christ” for it beautifully sums up both my feelings and the reality of the relationship I have with you individually and collectively as your priest.
It is hard to imagine that I have been away from you and from the Church of the Ascension for almost three months. Besides the annual
meeting and a few days in the office around that time, you have been worshipping and ministering without me by your side for all of 2017. I am wondering what that has been like for you, what insights you have had and what things you have been thinking and praying about in this holy season.
I can tell you that it has been a real blessing to me to have the opportunity to study, write, pray, and reflect on my vocation as a priest in Christ’s Church during this time away. I have really enjoyed the time and have been challenged and renewed.
I have also really missed you and have missed being with you at Ascension. During my time away one thing has become even more abundantly clear to me, the Holy Spirit has brought us together to participate in God’s mission in and through the Church of the Ascension. I am so honored and grateful to be your priest and am really excited about returning.
FROM REV. VINCENT BLACK
Inside this IssueMessage from Fr. Vincent ................... 1Message from Gil Newlands ............... 2Stewardship ....................................... 2Palm Crosses ...................................... 3Lenten Observances ........................... 3Easter Vigil at Saints John's ................ 3Keep Watch and Pray Vigil .................. 3Adult Formation ................................. 4The Shawl Ministry ............................ 4Community Meal ............................... 4The Ascension Choir ........................... 5Afternoon Guild.................................. 5Taizé Prayer Service ............................ 5Calendar ............................................. 6Alter Flowers for Easter ...................... 7Indians Game Tickets .......................... 7Pat Hendy .......................................... 7Lakewood Montessori School ............. 8Building and Grounds Meeting .......... 8Book Club ........................................... 8Community Spaghetti Meal ............... 8Volunteers Needed ............................. 9Choir Clothing Drive ........................... 9Anniversaries and Birthdays ............... 9Hospitality Roster ............................. 10Yard and Garden Clean-up ................ 10Dinner Nite Out Group ...................... 10Good Friday Offering ........................ 11Holy Week Services .......................... 12
I’m sure I need not remind anyone that Easter is just a few weeks away. Those of you who are of my generation certainly remember the anticipation, the excitement and the joy that Easter brought. Beautiful music, colored eggs, Easter candy, special holiday food, new clothes, etc. I especially remember an “Easter basket” that an old Polish lady who was a neighbor of my grandmother’s would bring over on Holy Saturday after it had been blessed by the priest at her church (Our Lady of Good Counsel). Somehow that food – those Polish delicacies – always tasted special. Well, Mrs. Pawlowski has been gone for many years now, and I wonder if the tradition of blessing Easter baskets is still practiced.
When my great-niece, Krystal, was a little girl, we always had an Easter egg hunt in the backyard of my house on Riverway Drive. I’m sure every family has its own Easter traditions.
Here at Ascension, we have our own traditions. For the last few years, there has been an Easter egg hunt. And of course, for many years it has been the tradition to decorate the altar with flowers in memory of deceased loved ones.
No matter what our Easter traditions, Easter Day is a day of joy and excitement. The day when our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead!
Have a blessed Easter,
Gil Newlands Senior Warden
FROM GIL NEWLANDS, SENIOR WARDEN
FROM REV. VINCENT BLACKI look forward to sharing with you more specifically some of my adventures and insights during the coming weeks. I am back for Palm Sunday and then through Holy Week and Easter. Please note the service times on the flyer included in this newsletter. I hope to see you at many or all of those services. Holy Week is the most sacred time of the year for us as followers of Jesus. Easter is the most important of our holy days for it is the celebration of life, the victory of life over death, Jesus raised from the dead. I know that Jesus lives and the very life he breathes is moving mightily at the Church of the Ascension. Spread the word, invite all your family and friends. We certainly don’t want to keep secret the great joy and love we live in Jesus Christ.
Continued from Page 1
STEWARDSHIPReminder to Ascension parishioners. This year, 2017, is very important as Ascension continues to move toward financial independence. If you have not yet pledged, please do so. If you are behind on your pledge, please try to catch-up. Stewardship is a year-round commitment.
Have you noticed there is a "donate" button on Ascension's web page? Just go to http://ascension-lakewood.org and look on the lower right side! Convenient - but not free. (PayPal charges us 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction).Thanks to Rincy Isaacs and Joe Sgambellone for creating this.
ALTAR FLOWERS FOR EASTER – A HOW-TOIt is our practice to create a temporary pool of funds from which to buy the plants which adorn the altars on Easter Day in memory or in honor of loved ones.
Here’s how it works. We place our contributions in envelopes provided (checks made out to the church, with “Easter flowers” in the memo line or cash) and list those we want to remember with our gifts on the form provided next to the box in which we collect the contributions. The amount of each gift is determined by the donor.
The deadline this year for making gifts to the fund and placing names on the remembrance list is April 9 (Palm Sunday), which allows sufficient time for that list to be compiled for publication with the Easter service bulletins.
Following the 10:30 service on Easter Day the plants are distributed to parishioners who due to ill health or disability are unable to attend worship.
INDIANS GAME MAY 31: 6pm game; 20 seats available @ $22 per seat
First Come First Serve;
Sign up sheet in office or talk to Rob Theibert to RSVP.
Pat Hendy is currently residing at The Harbor Court in Rocky River.
The Harbor Court 22900 Center Ridge Road, Apt 217
Rocky River, OH 44116
You are missed!
P A G E 8
Coordinated by Jonathan GrayCOMMUNITY SPAGHETTI MEAL
MONDAY, MARCH 24TH DOORS OPEN AT 5 PM
MEAL SERVED AT 5:30 PM
Only Montessori Staff and students are to be in the undercroft and adjoining areas during school hours.
Please respect our Montessori school, and protect the safety of the children, by strictly adhering to this policy.
SCHOOL HOURSMonday - Friday
7:30 am –6:30 pm
HELPERS FOR THIS MEAL ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!Whether you come at 4:00 to set up, or later to serve, let the office know so Jonathan Gray can be notified.
Will resume in May.
Bldg & Grounds meeting Tuesday April 4th 6:30pm.
P A G E 9
APRIL CELEBRATIONSANNIVERSARIES
Did I miss your anniversary, birthday, or do I have the date wrong?Please let me know, so I can update our records!
Once a month, the choir (and anyone who would like to join us) will go to help sort the clothing.
April 01: Mary StaleyApril 05: Maizie GilliesApril 11: Jerry KnappApril 19: George StaleyApril 28: Charlotte K. PartlowApril 30: Rosemary Ballard
BIRTHDAYS
CHOIR CLOTHING DRIVEThe Choir is continuing to collect articles of clothing for St. Lukes Episcopal. They have
been thrilled with your generosity. Father David indicated that they can always use more socks (probably new), shoes, diapers, warm clothing and small appliances (coffee pots,
mixers, toasters, crock pots etc.) A great way to clear our excess!
April 12: Carol Culp & James Hendy Sr.
P A G E 10
April: VestryHOSPITALITY ROSTER
WE WILL MEET ON MONDAY, APRIL 10TH AT 6 PM
HOULIHAN'S IN WESTLAKE 25651 DETROIT ROAD AVENUE
ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STREET If you are traveling I-90, get off at the Columbia Road exit,
left to Detroit, make a right on Detroit. You can't miss it.
THIS IS A FUN EVENING FOR ALL. PLEASE TRY TO COME.
LET JOYCE MAKE A RESERVATION FOR YOU. CONTACT HER AT 216-521-9259, BEFORE SUNDAY, APRIL 9TH.
DINNER NITE OUT GROUP
Contact Joyce Knapp with any questions.
Saturday, April 1st, at 9 am & Saturday, May 6th, at 9 am
The first Saturday of each month during the Spring, Summer, and Fall.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GOOD FRIDAY OFFERINGThe history of the Good Friday Offering (GFO) reaches back to 1922 when, in the aftermath of World War I, The Episcopal Church’s Department of Missions sent the Rev. William C. Emhardt to travel the region seeking to establish new relationships with and among the Christians of the Middle East. From these initial efforts, which focused on a combination of relief work and the improvement of ecumenical and Anglican relations, the Good Friday Offering was created.
HOW MUCH MONEY IS RAISED?Over the past 10 years (2006-2015), a total of $3,207,591 has been allocated to the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. The three most recent years have seen a total of $994,228 allocated: $266,179 in 2013, $377,663 in 2014, and $350,446 in 2015 (2016 is awaiting final audit to be completed by mid-2017, though “early returns” are in line with the previous two years). All funds are disbursed; there is no carry-over from year to year.
WHAT DOES THE GFO COST AND WHO PAYS FOR IT?Thus far, the Good Friday Offering enjoys the support of The Episcopal Church budget, which covers the cost of staff from the Communications Of-fice, the Finance Department, and the Global Partnerships Team, of which the Middle East Partnership Officer is a member.
The costs of the program comprise the design, production, and mailing of program materials, including a letter from the presiding bishop inviting all parishes and bishops of The Episcopal Church to participate. The only other cost is the production and mailing of thank you letters. The most re-cent cost, after audit, for 2015 showed expenses of $12,408 with a total of $350,446 distributed to the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East.
WHO DECIDES HOW THE FUNDS ARE USED?The Synod of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East provides a rec-ommendation to The Episcopal Church on how to distribute the funds, which The Episcopal Church has consistently supported.
WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?These funds are used for a variety of humanitarian purposes, including an eye clinic, hospitals, scholarship aid for young people, empowerment programs for women, rehabilitation programs, and similar efforts.
WHO PARTICIPATES IN THE GFO?As an initiative of the Presiding Bishop’s Office, the presiding bishop encourages the bishops and clergy of the Church to have their parishes participate each year. As of September 2016, the past four years have seen a total of 2,095 parishes generously support the Good Friday Offering. For 2016, a total of 1,205 parishes are on record (as of September), and of that total, 75% have participated in two or more years since 2013.
IS THERE A WEBSITE?Yes! episcopalchurch.org/goodfridayoffering
