Grace Episcopal Church, Yorktown, Virginia January 2014 From the Associate Rector Continued next page The presents have all been unwrapped and the ribbons and shiny papers have been put away for next year. It’s time to return to “normal” life. But as I write this it’s still the Christmas season, and though I didn’t receive any calling birds or French hens, I am thinking of gifts given and received, and the different kinds of gifts there might be. For instance, my children (who to my delight seem to conspire behind my back on birthday and Christmas giving) gave me a sharpening steel. Well, they know I hate dull knives when I cook. But how did they know that the steel that I have doesn’t work well and constantly irritates me? You mentioned it last summer at the beach, one of them said. I did? So one kind of gift is something that you definitely need and want, maybe even asked for at one point. But you forgot, settling instead for persis- tent, low-level, almost unconscious annoyance and dysfunction. But someone noticed and gave you what you weren’t expecting, and it made you happy. This week I learned what Kevin gave Brannan for Christmas. A porta- ble indoor photography studio. In a compact, packable and carryable case, there’s all an enthusiastic photographer might need for pictures on -the-go. Did you mention this to Kevin? I asked Brannan. No, she said. I didn’t even know there was such a thing. Another kind of gift is something just perfect that you never knew existed. But someone who knew you well and cared about you found it and was exceedingly pleased with both the discovery and your joy. My daughter and son-in-law are very easy to shop for, because they keep a wish list on Amazon for any gift-giver to see. I like finding surprises for them, but I love their straightforward making of the lists, and know- ing I will please them. A very good gift can be the direct giving of what is asked for. Inside This Issue: From the Assoc. Rector 1 Outreach 5 Lunch Bunch 5 Inspiration Corner 6 Volunteer Group of the Month 7 Stewardship 7 Children’s Pages 8 & 9 Book Store 10 Vestry 10 Parish News 11 Birthdays 12 Prayer List 13 Thank You 14 Calendar 15
Transcript
Grace Ep iscopa l Church , Yorktown, V i rg i n ia
January 2014
From the Associate Rector
Continued next page
The presents have all been unwrapped and the ribbons and shiny papers have been put away for next year. It’s time to return to “normal” life. But as I write this it’s still the Christmas season, and though I didn’t receive any calling birds or French hens, I am thinking of gifts given and received, and the different kinds of gifts there might be.
For instance, my children (who to my delight seem to conspire behind my back on birthday and Christmas giving) gave me a sharpening steel. Well, they know I hate dull knives when I cook. But how did they know that the steel that I have doesn’t work well and constantly irritates me? You mentioned it last summer at the beach, one of them said. I did?
So one kind of gift is something that you definitely need and want, maybe even asked for at one point. But you forgot, settling instead for persis-tent, low-level, almost unconscious annoyance and dysfunction. But someone noticed and gave you what you weren’t expecting, and it made you happy.
This week I learned what Kevin gave Brannan for Christmas. A porta-ble indoor photography studio. In a compact, packable and carryable case, there’s all an enthusiastic photographer might need for pictures on-the-go. Did you mention this to Kevin? I asked Brannan. No, she said. I didn’t even know there was such a thing.
Another kind of gift is something just perfect that you never knew existed. But someone who knew you well and cared about you found it and was exceedingly pleased with both the discovery and your joy.
My daughter and son-in-law are very easy to shop for, because they keep a wish list on Amazon for any gift-giver to see. I like finding surprises for them, but I love their straightforward making of the lists, and know-ing I will please them.
A very good gift can be the direct giving of what is asked for.
Inside This Issue:
From the Assoc. Rector 1
Outreach 5
Lunch Bunch 5
Inspiration Corner 6
Volunteer Group of the Month 7
Stewardship 7
Children’s Pages 8 & 9
Book Store 10
Vestry 10
Parish News 11
Birthdays 12
Prayer List 13
Thank You 14
Calendar 15
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Continued from previous page
Since December 30th I’ve had no heat in my house. No hot water, either. I’m typing this letter with cold fingers and a warm cat in my lap. It will take days to resolve. It’s just machinery (and money), but being cold and not knowing what solution to choose brought me nearly to tears. Then I remem-bered that a former parishioner, a neighbor, knows HVAC. He returned my phone call immediately and soon was in my living room, patiently explaining my options and giving me advice. Chaos and calm (if not yet heat) were restored and I’d made a decision.
One sort of gift comes when you’re confused or can’t manage alone – usually it’s exactly the right person with advice, a word of encouragement, or maybe even a space-heater.
Then there was a gift I received one late afternoon near Christmas. Not an object I could hold onto. Maybe not really “meant” for or “given” to me at all. But a reminder that goodness and generosity surround me all the time, despite myself. I was spinning in a vortex of distress, my spirit feeling nas-ty and low. I prayed for help.
I was heading home, going out over the water at the HRBT. Not thinking or praying, not vortexing either exactly, just glad a rainy day was clearing. And I saw all at once that the air was pink! Really it was. Pink! And the surface of the water, looking towards the Naval Base was pink too! Such sur-prising beauty didn’t seem possible. My distress just evaporated, and peace, calm, and deep joy took over.
If you think about it, these kinds of gifts are all tokens of the Nativity of our beloved Savior in this world. That God would bridge the gap between the Maker of the Universe and our own small world is the greatest gift ever given. It happened two thousand years ago, and it happens in every hour of ever day, should we have eyes to see. That God gives us what we need most, and maybe have asked for, but perhaps have forgotten we need. Gives us what we have not asked for because we didn’t know such a thing was possible. Hears our prayers and gives us what we have specifically asked for, when he knows it is just right for us. Gives us the right people at the right time to rescue, encourage, and love us. And gives us unmistakable signs, sometimes simultaneously cosmic and intimate – like the Incarnation itself -- of his presence and abiding, tremendous love if we will only lift our eyes to see them. As Christmas turns to Epiphany and the manifestations of Christ in this world, I give thanks for all this. I wish you, too, all the blessings of knowing the miracle of God-with-us.
Love in Christ,
I will be back at newsletter writing in February For the moment, I thank the many kind souls who sent beautiful cards, gave all manners of remembrance, and full-hearted blessings and hope to me and my family during the past weeks. You are beautiful and generous!
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December 2013
Dear People of Grace,
Each November, the Episcopal Church Women ask you to donate mittens and scarves. We collect them weekly and mail them to The New River Community Action Center in Floyd, Virginia during Decem-ber.
“Their mission is to promote and support the well-being and self-reliance of individuals, families and communities.”
On December 17th, a large and heavy box was mailed to the Community Action Center. It was filled with mittens, hats, scarves, jackets, shirts, earmuffs, and socks.
From your goodness and giving spirit, we sent
90 pairs of Mittens and gloves
40 hats
3 scarves
2 jackets
7 pairs of socks
7 shirts
2 pairs of earmuffs
Composition books, crayons and books
We are so grateful to you for your Spirit of Giving. Please know that due to your donations, many peo-ple will have some extra help to keep them warm this winter. All of this was due to your kindness, compassion and generosity.
Many thanks,
Episcopal Church Women of Grace Church
Sue Gorski and Sue Kidd Co-Chairs
, 12Next Celtic Eucharist is Sunday January
7 . . p m in the Parish Hall
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Adopt Lackey Free Clinic
2013 was a great year for sponsoring Lackey Free Clinic. A total of
25 families contributed to this great cause. If you are interested in
sponsoring a month, please contact the office at 898-3261 or e-mail
Won’t you support the Clinic by “adopting” a month to
celebrate events in your life and donate $100 to the continuing
operation of this vital service to our community?
Thank you again for your support of the Angel Tree program! One hundred forty presents were provided to help 37 incarcerated parents stay connected with 70 children through Christmas joy and the love of Jesus Christ! In addition to the more than 100 volunteers who buy presents, there are many others behind the scene who make this ministry of prison fellowship a success. Here is a list of Angel Tree volunteers for 2013:
Addressing letters to caregivers: Joe Mahan, Diana and Gerry Smelt, Kathryn Earle and Jeanne Harvey
Filling out Angel Tree gift tags: Deb Hotaling, Lyn Douglas, Jerry and Liz Landgraf, Mason Stoecker, Courtney Harris, and Kathryn Harris
Moving and sorting presents: Thomas Lopez, Mason and Kyle Stoecker, Joseph and Matthew O’Brien, Courtney Harris and David Forrest, and Dale and Debbie Ludi
Delivering presents to families: Elizabeth Wash, Deb Hotaling, Carolyn Griffith, Kathy Michaels, Sandy Swift, Laura Etheridge, Cornelia Taylor, Melinda Reed, Glenn and Anne Markwith and Bob Frady
We are sorry if we have not listed everyone who has helped this year (which is likely because the delivery folks probably have helpers) but are very grateful for the amazing gift provided by everyone in this parish to our community.
We are honored to contribute to the Lackey Free Clinic this December. This gift is thanks for the beautiful baptismal ceremony Grace church gave to Ean Layne in January. Thank you for joining us in celebration of life. Sincerely, John, Jess, Bella and Ean MacRae
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Outreach will hold a Red Cross Blood Drive
on Sunday, January 19, 2014,
from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
in the Parish Hall.
Give the gift of life in 2014!
This year the Big Bible Quiz will take place on January 26th in the Parish Hall after the 9:00 service. Signup for the teams will begin soon. We need a captain for each of the four teams. If you would be interested in serving as a captain, please contact Sharon Stack at 898-5343. There is very little to do and we're seeking to make this event fun! The questions will be based on the Book of Acts, so get your "act" together and study the inspir-ing story of the beginnings of the church. We need an audience, too, so come and cheer the participants on.
NEXT LUNCH BUNCH IS JANUARY 8
Come for a pot-luck lunch at 11:30 (with food to share)
and hear Vestry member David Douglas
speak about his career.
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God is No Stranger by Helen Steiner Rice
God is no stranger in a faraway place. He’s as close as the wind that blows cross my face. It’s true I can’t see the wind as it blows, But I feel it around me and my heart surely knows. That God’s mighty hand can be felt every minute, For there is nothing on earth that God isn’t in it. The sky and the stars, the waves and the seas, The dew on the grass, the leaves on a tree Are constant reminders of God and his nearness Proclaiming his presence with crystal-like clear-ness. So how could I think God was far, far away, When I feel him beside me every hour of the day. And I’ve plenty of reasons to know God’s my friend, And that his is one friendship that time cannot end.
submitted by Roselyn Washburn
Inspiration Corner
You’re invited to join
the Grace Church hikers
who will (weather permitting)
hike at Ft. Monroe
Sunday, January 29, 2014.
Meet on the Parish Hall steps at 1:00 p.m.
Something broken? This is your church! If you notice something is not working properly, you can fill out a “work request form” (available outside the parish office on a clipboard and in the kitchen). Or call the office Monday through Friday or tell the clergy.
News from Stewardship
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We begin the new year with thanks and gratitude for the generous outpouring of support for the 2014 pledge campaign. Our current pledge total is $507,000, which is considerably less than our goal of $575,000. Even though the final numbers are not yet in, it appears that we will be very close to matching our 2013 total of $537,000, despite difficult economic conditions, the Government shut-down, and other budget woes that we have faced. Achieving this pledge amount would not have been possible without the love and faithful giving that shines so brightly at Grace.
Another impressive fact is the number of people within our congregation that have placed Grace in their will. Planned giving such as gifts by will and gifts to the Grace Endowment Fund are a sure way to ensure that the ministries of Grace will grow and flourish far into the future. Our annual pledge campaign makes it possible to meet our yearly operating expenses whereas the planned gifts guarantee an even greater outreach of all of our ministries here at home, in our community and the world at large. Again, please accept our sincere thanks for your Christian giving.
Finally, it is still not too late to submit a pledge card, if you have not already done so. Extra cards are available on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall, or you may contact David Stephens (898-5079) or Karen Jackson (868-8078) for additional information.
VOLUNTEER GROUP OF THE MONTH:
Grace Church’s Vestry
The Vestry represents an excellent example of volunteering at Grace. The six Commis-sions plus the Junior and Senior Warden devote themselves to serving the congregation in ways that enrich the lives of those within the Grace family and God's greater commu-nity. January is the official transition time, when Grace Church says good-bye to out-going Vestry members Jeanne Harvey (Senior Warden), Bob Frady (Christian For-mation), Brad Brown (Evangelism and Communication), and Karen Smith (Worship); and welcomes incoming Vestry members Art Boyce (Stewardship), Nancy Pendelton (Parish Life), Elizabeth O’Brien (Christian Formation), Hugh Brownlee (Evangelism and Communication), and Jerry Smelt (Worship). Also, we acknowledge our incoming Senior and Junior Wardens, David Stephens and Jerry Twigg. Please take the time to thank each of these volunteers for their service to Grace and their willingness to take on the Vestry commitment. The Vestry is elected by and represents the congregation and is responsible for all matters concerning church property, and the relationship between the parish and its clergy.
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C H I L D R E N ’ S P A G E S
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Vestry Meeting Summary from December 2013
(full minutes posted in the Parish Hall)
The regular meeting of the Vestry was held on Monday, December 9, 2013. The Treasurer’s Report was approved. The Rector reminded the Vestry of the annual retreat to be held January 10-11, 2014 at Camp Chanco. A motion passed approving the 2014 draft budget as presented by the Treasurer, with careful review at the end of each quarter to make changes as necessary. A second motion passed approving the job descriptions for the Financial Director and Treasurer. Karen Jackson will begin moving into the newly defined role of Treasurer during 2014 and take full charge of the position when she rotates off the vestry in 2015. Bob Frady’s actual duties will change little but he’ll take on the title of Financial Director in 2014. A third motion passed approving the Archives Collection Management Policies developed by Brenda Moore’s archive committee. A fourth motion passed approving the clergy housing allowances for 2014. Finally, a motion passed electing Mason Stoecker as an alternate to Annual Council.
January at the Parish Book and Gift Store
New Books Daring Greatly, NY Times Bestseller (Recommended by Carleton Bakkum) The Sacred Meal (Recommended by Connie Jones) The Light Between Oceans, a novel (Recommended by the Monday Night Readers) Beautiful all-occasion cards Marked Christmas items at 50% off
2nd Annual Accessory Sale starts Jan. 15 -- Vera Bradley items, scarves, jewelry, & more
Thanks to all our patrons who gave the Parish Book and Gift Shop
a very successful 2013.
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YORK COUNTY FOOD CLOSET: How about a New Year’s resolution? When you or your group is planning a special activity/fundraiser at Grace Church, ask attendees to donate a can of food for the Food Closet in addition to any ticket/entrance fee. Also, keep in mind that the Super Bowl is scheduled for February 2nd, make it a "Souper Bowl" Sunday for our neighbors in need by bringing an extra can of soup/chili that Sunday and putting it in the "Red Ball Express" wagon in the Parish Hall. Your generous donations in 2014 are greatly needed and appreciated. Al Crane 867-8643.
SAINT FRANCIS PROJECT: Thank you all for your continued contributions of pet food and clean bowls and leashes to support the Peninsula Pet Pantry. Donations may be left in the Saint Francis box in the Parish Hall. Al Crane 867-8643
CEMETERY GRAVE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS: Please remove any Christmas decorations/plants on graves in the Church Cemetery by January 19th. After that date, the Cemetery Committee will dispose of any items left after that date. Thank you for your cooperation.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN (ECW)UPDATE:
Colonial Pie Sale: With the help of our Grace Church women, Linda Crane and Rose-lyn Washburn held their sixth annual home-made pie sale. We sold 57 pies and we made $800 for Outreach. We will vote at our May meeting in 2014 to keep people in need. Thank you for the women who gave six pies to help in our sale. Blessing to all who help with our pie sale. Thank you, Linda and Roselyn.
Fire Food and Fun! Sunday, January 5 at 5 p.m., we will celebrate the eve of Epiphany with the burning of greens, a potluck dinner, acknowledging retiring vestry members and welcoming new vestry members, and a liturgical mystery fea-turing talented readers, the choir, and a spe-cial guest musical group!
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BIRTHDAYS Jan 1 Anastasia Wash
Jan 2 Courtney Kelley
Jan 4 Don Durham
Jan 5 Johnny Wash
Jan 9 Gary King
Lynn Mei Geisken
Jan 10 Britt McCarley
Jan 12 Eric Brownlee
Jan 13 Brenda Moore
Bill Muntean
Mary Lynn Janis
Jan 14 Sandy Armstrong
Jan 17 Gail King
Jan 18 Jean Kirkham
Jan 19 Jim Noel
Jan 20 Dick Barton
Kathryn Saunders
Daniel Shean
Jan 24 Jill Brown
Matthew O’Brien
Jan 25 Dove Barton
Jan 28 Goody McLeester
Jan 30 Lisa Heuvel
Frank Lansinger
Birthdays And Anniversaries
ANNIVERSARIES Jan 6 Walt & Nannie Milliner
Jan 25 Harry & June Howard
Jan 26 David & Janet Stephens
Jan 28 Bill & Terry Randolph
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Please pray today especially for: Laurie Blanton-Coleman, George Trombley, Gerry Smelt, Martha Sim, Harry Howard, Bobbie Farina, Zachary Brown, Hal Herdey, Christy McCarley, Howard Griffith, Ellen and John Butler, Donna Kirby, Lisa, Brian Hallmark, Gary King, Keith Regan, Amy Jerimont, Barbara Kelley, Mary Jane Massey, Anna, Louis Wagner, Montee Allen, Leslie Hemmingsen, Jack and Birdie Burcher, and Betty Jeffers.
Please continue to remember in your prayers: Donald Markwith, Aleyne Hamers, Larry Kline, Amy Fuchs, Brian Smythe, Nancy Fuchs, Rose Warner-Ballard, Nicole Odom, Jennifer Carsten, Clare Raymond, Marie Loomis, Ferne Gapcynski, Martha Dowling, Leland Barnett, and Doris Brock.
We pray for others in the military and/or family and friends of parishioners serving overseas: especially Col. Bob Grey, Petty Officer Second Class Joshua Kline, Sgt Bowe Berghdahl, Joseph Swartout, SSgt. Michael Douglas Brown, Coley Newton, Lt. James Gouger, Carlette Carter, Jacob Edwards, Michael Loveland, and Laura and John Roy.
Please pray for those who have
died and those who mourn
their passing:
Sheila Plank,
friend of Myrna Hirv
Richard Stacpoole,
husband of Rosemary Stacpoole
Margaret Shrader
Michelle Katlyn Taskey
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To Everyone at Grace Church,
Thank you so much for the wonderful Christmas stocking! They brought lots of Holiday joy to everyone here! We so appreciate everything you have done for us and I hope all of you have a very blessed holiday season!
Catie Beal (soldier recipient of “Christmas is Everyday” box)
P.S. I am due to return to the States in the middle of January! :)
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newport News gratefully acknowledges the gift of
Grace Episcopal Church
on November 18, 2013, in the form of fruit and desserts donated to our
Community Outreach Program.
Your generosity helps us feed the guests healthier and more appealing food during this season of Thanksgiving.
Cathy P. Adam,
Warden
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks for all the love and support we have received from the whole Grace Church community during the passing of Ann. From the visits and prayers to the cards and calls, we knew we were cared for.
Carleton and Connie helped us to say goodbye and celebrate her life. Laura, Carolyn, Janet and Melinda made everyone feel at home in Riverview. They set up a beautiful lunch and allowed us to have some time to share our memories and relax.
Blessings,
Stuart and Nancy Pendleton
Please visit Grace Church’s Website for the most up-to-date calendar listings at www.gracechurchyorktown.org and click on “Calendar.”
