SERVICES

at HEAVENLY

REST

Sundays8:00 a.m.

Worship Service, Holy Eucharist

in the nave

9-9:45 a.m. Parish Breakfast

10:00 a.m.Worship Service, Holy Eucharist

in the nave

1:00 p.m.Worship Service

Morning Prayer in Swahili

Weekdays8:00 a.m.

Morning Prayerin the chapel

Wednesdays5:30 p.m.

Healing Service, Holy Eucharistin the chapel

Service liturgy is from the Book of Common Prayer.

MISSION As a community of faith centered in God through liturgy and Christian Practice,

the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest exists to:CARE for members of all ages and stages of life.

SHARE God’s inclusive and healing love with all people.CREATE opportunities to grow in Christ.

SERVE the church, the community, and the world.

Featured InsideWelcome Peter Kent..............................2Youth In Action......................................3 Thanks from David & Sara Beth...........4Calendar & Special Events...................5Back Page ............................................7

July 2014 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 7

Please save the date, Thursday, August 7, for an evening at the Abilene Country Club celebrating the offi cial start of the Heavenly Rest capital campaign. Invitations with further details will be mailed out soon. Because of the historical signifi cance of this event a gener-

ous donor has underwritten the cost of dinner, so please make plans to attend!AUGUST 7th

Celebrate July 4th at the Amarillo Street Parade and Abilene Community Band concert at Heavenly Rest

The Annual Amarillo Street Parade will gather in the Heavenly Rest Amarillo Street parking lot. EVERYONE –neighbors, parishoners, and everybody else!—is invited to participate in the parade. Decorate bikes, wagons, golf carts, trucks, etc. and don your costumes (we would love to see George Washington, Abe Lincoln or the Statue of Liberty, and vehicles

with lots of red, white and blue!) Prior to the parade, the festivities start with a “Meet the Newest Council-man, Jay Hardaway” at 5:00pm on the porch of Candy and Charles Scarborough at 726 Amarillo.

At 6:00pm, the Parade begins with a blessing by the Rev. David Romanik, Associate Rector of Heavenly Rest Episcopal Church. At that point the pipers will be piping the parade down Amarillo Street followed by Councilman Jay Hardaway, Grand Marshall, in an apple red convertible (how appropriate!) driven by Carl Trusler. Then, all the bikes, wagons, neighbors– kids of all ages and vehicles of all sorts decked out in red, white and blue will fi ll the street. Highlighting the parade will be an Abilene Fire department fi re truck with siren blaring. The parade will travel down Amarillo Street to 9th Street where it will turn and meander down Meander Street, ending on the east lawn of Heavenly Rest. There will be popcorn and water for everyone.

At 7:00pm Jayne Middleton, accompanied by the Abilene Community Band, will sing the National Anthem. The evening culminates with a rousing concert of patriotic songs presented by the Abilene Community Band directed by Joe Ste-phens. Everyone is invited to bring a picnic basket, chairs and/or blanket to dine on the lawn, to listen to great music and to leave with hearts fi lled to overfl owing with the love of God and country.

July 4thParade Schedule

5pmMeet Jay Hardaway at

the Scarboroughs,726 Amarillo

6pmParade begins at HRC parking lot

7pmHeavenly Rest Lawn:National Anthem by

Jayne Middleton;Abilene Community

Band concert

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Care. Share. Create. Serve. • July 2014

ParishFellowship

Heavenly Rest in the Holy Land

In March of 2015, the parishioners of the Church of the Heavenly Rest are

invited to join a pilgrimage to some of the most signifi -

cant sites in Scripture. We’ll visit the Sea of

Galilee, Nazareth, and key locations in Jerusalem and

Bethlehem. We will leave the U.S. on Saturday, March 7,

and return on Saturday, March 14.

We are working on an air travel package right now;

details coming soon. If you have questions, please con-

tact Mother Susanna at sbrosseau@heavenlyresta-

bilene.org.

Festival Altar Committee Enriches Our Services Special thanks to the Festival Altar Commit-tee of the Altar Guild. Their imaginative, ar-tistic display gave us a memorable illustration of the flames of Pentecost, helping parishon-ers celebrate Pentecost and the birthday of the Church in a beautiful and dynamic way.

HealthCARE Opportunities at Heavenly Rest• STROKE SCREENING - The Heavenly Rest Parish Healthcare Committee will be hosting Stroke Screening on Monday, July 14, 2014 in the Parish Hall, 9a.m.-4p.m. Pre-registration is required. Call: 1-888-653-6450. Everyone is invited to sign up for this important event.

• TAKE FIVE AND SAVE A LIFE - AEDs (Automated External Defi brillators) are found in most public buildings in our city and state. Can you spare fi ve minutes or so to learn about these life saving devices? Your Parish Healthcare Committee Committee will be offering information on the use of AEDs and the location of our AEDs at Heavenly Rest. This will be an informative and fun training so that our parishioners are familiar with the location and use of this equipment. The sessions will take place between the services at 9:30 am on July 20. Come and enjoy the summer breakfast and stay for this learning opportunity. Pat Arth has generously donated her time and talent for this session. Please consider joining your fellow parishioners and “Take Five and Save a Life.” If you have any questions, please contact Gay Ann Walts at gayann.walts@gmail.com.

Welcome Peter Kent, Our New Church Administrator Peter Kent recently retired from the United States Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel after serving for over 22 years. His military career gave him a broad operational background, en-compassing jobs in the air defense community and fl ying operations as well as working on two different major headquarters’ staffs. He was Chief of Operations Inspections for the Air Combat Command Inspector General, a Deputy Division Chief at Headquarters US Air Forces Europe, and led the Electronic Warfare Coordination Cell for the International Security and Assistance Forces in Kabul, Afghanistan. As a military aviator, he was an instructor and evalu-ator Weapons Systems Offi cer in the B-1 bomber. He retired with over 17 years fl ight experi-ence including deployed combat time fl ying in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM over Afghanistan. His education background includes a BS from Virginia Tech, an MBA in Management from Touro University, and both Squadron Offi cer’s School and Air Command and Staff College through the Air Force. Peter is married to Sandra Kent. They met in Abilene in 1996 when they were both stationed at Dyess Air Force Base. They have two children, Rachel, 12, and Colin,11. Since their fi rst time in Abilene in 1996, they have lived in South Dakota, Virginia and Germany before return-ing to Abilene in 2012.

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YouthInAction

This year for Camp Quarterman Senior we took kids from the Diocese to Cathedral Ridge in Woodland Park, CO. We had a great time fi nding God in the unfamiliar moun-tains of Colorado. Thank you! Katie

Campers offer up prayers for safe travel as Bishop Scott Mayer leaves for his next destination.

Above, Ashton Hankins, Shelbey Bernett, and Emily Medrano are getting psyched about a game of Capture the Flag!

Right, Mitchell Gallegher, Zach Harbour, and Parker Eddington are exploring the

rocks and checking out the view during a hike to Cathedral Ridge.

Below, a photo of the entire group of campers as they experienced more natural wonders while hiking through the Garden of the Gods.

Vacation Bible

SundaysFamily Vacation Bible

Sundays will be the fi rst three Sunday

evenings in August. There will be activities, fun, and fellowship for any and all congrega-

tion members. The theme is “The Good

and Faithful Servant.” The focus will be a

family oriented service activity. There will be swimming and dinner

provided.provided.

4

Care. Share. Create. Serve. • June 2014

ParishGiving

Sarah Beth and David Offer their Thanks On May 4, the parishioners of Heavenly Rest once again demonstrated their wonderful gen-erosity. After the 10:45 service, Sarah Beth and I were treated to a delightful baby shower, complete with delicious food, charming decorations, fabulous entertainment from our Junior Ringers and Singers, and an embarrassingly large pile of gifts. As we opened gifts that eve-ning, we were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support we received from every part of this parish, and were once again astonished by the extraordinary community at Heavenly Rest. We will never be able to adequately express our appreciation for your generosity and your love. Thank you for helping us to welcome our little Texan to the world! The outpouring of love we received at our baby shower made it that much more dif-ficult to make the announcement we made a few weeks ago. As most of you know by now, I have accepted a call to be the Associate Rector at the Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. With the impending arrival of our child, it has become clear that we need to be closer to the soon-to-be grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, and uncles. The Redeemer is a dynamic, thriving parish and is less than a four hour drive from our families. We have been so blessed to be a part of Heavenly Rest and the Abilene community and we are so pleased that our child can forever call herself a Texan. We appreciate all you have been to us and we pray that Heavenly Rest will continue to be a place of refreshment, generosity, and love. Thank you allowing us to be part of your lives. May the God of peace be with you.

Yours in Christ, David and Sarah Beth

Friends of Music: Donor Fund Drive 2014-2015

The Church of the Heavenly Rest has established the “Friends of Music” program which is overseen by a committee and lead by our Organist/Choirmaster, Dr. Wes Gomer and music assis-tant, Susie Rockett. They have been working to further develop the wonderful things our music ministry provides. Our church musicians play an integral roll in our weekly worship services, but they also make themselves available for weddings, funerals and other special church services. This program also funds the Heavenly Rest Chamber Music Concert Series which hosts wonder-fully talented local and area professional musicians as well as world renowned artists. Their gifts bring the most exquisite music to life in harmony with the beauty of the nave.

Becoming a Friend of Music at Heavenly Rest would be giving your support to the music being made in this church. Your involvement can be as a church musician, monetary supporter, or simply a coinsure of fine music. Whatever avenue you wish to take part in we are happy to have your participation. Friends of Music will receive a monthly newsletter with information about upcoming concerts, events and what is happening with music and musicians here at Heavenly

Rest. You will also be recognized on each Heavenly Rest Chamber Music Concert Series program. We hope to include you on our list of Friends of Music. More information about this program can be found on the church website or you can contact Susie Rockett – srockett@heavenlyrestabilene.com. Our annual fund letter and brochure will be mailed out this month.

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JulyCalendar

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Weekly Events at Heavenly Rest

8 a.m. - Holy Eucharist

9:00 a.m. Breakafast in the Parish Hall

9:15 a.m. - Adult Choir*Children’s Craft and Story Time

10:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist*

1 p.m. - Swahili Service

5 p.m. - Change Ringers

5:30 a.m. B.O.B.S

8 a.m. Morning Prayer

6:30 p.m. Associate

Rector’s Study

8 a.m. Morning Prayer

9:30-11:30 a.m.Hands-on Outreach

10 a.m. Staff mtg

6 p.m. Change Ringers

6:15 p.m. - EFM

8 a.m. Morning Prayer

SJES Chapel

9:30-11:30 a.m. Hands-on Outreach

5:30 p.m.Healing Service Holy Eucharist*

6:45 p.m. Canterbury Bells

7:30 p.m. - Adult Choir

8 a.m. Morning Prayer

9:30 a.m.Bible Study

withMother Susanna

9:30-11:30 a.m. Hands-on Outreach

7 p.m. - Bagpipes

8 a.m. Morning Prayer

Childcare is available every Sunday, 7:30 a.m-Noon, unless otherwise noted. *childcare will be available for this event **childcare can be arranged upon request

Special EventsFriday, July 4 - 6pm, 4th of July parade; 7pm, Abilene Community Band Patriotic Concert

Sunday, July 6 - Birthday Blessings; Summer BreakfastSunday, July 13 - Anniversary Blessings; Summer Breakfast

Monday, July 14 - 9a.m.-4p.m., Stroke Screening in Parish Hall - Pre-registration required: 1-888-653-6450Sunday, July 20 - Children’s Blessings; Summer Breakfast

9:30am, “Take Five and Save a Life” AED Training in Bishop Garrett Room

Alternating EventsTuesday, July 1 and July 15 - 4:00 pm - Centering Prayer (Bishop Mayer Room)

First and Third Tuesday of July - 6:30 pm - St. Margaret’s Guild

Sunday ServersPlease take time to thank your Sunday Servers. They work hard to make each service run smoothly. The server schedule can be found on the website at www.heavenlyrestabilene.org, where it will be updated with changes over the course of the month and e-mailed to the servers at the beginning of each month. If you would like a hard copy of the server schedule, please contact Lynsi Musselman at lmusselman@heavenlyrestabilene.org or at 677-2091.

Looking for the monthly schedule for Sunday duties? Go to the website, and click on this:

Please visit the church website at www.heavenlyrestabilene.org for an up-to-date calendar of events.

JulyCelebrations

6

Happy Anniversary

Happy Birthday

Care. Share. Create. Serve. • July 2014

If your birthday or anniversary is not listed, please contact the offi ce. Blessings are given at both the morning services:

Birthday Blessings - July 6 • Anniversary Blessings - July 13 • Children’s Blessing - July 20

July 6Cindy & Bobby DeeganRolanda & Paul Fulham

July 7Sharon & Nolan Kelley

July 25Jackie & Bart Cox

July 26Sally & Dick Orsini

Susie & Harlan Owen

Parish Summer Breakfasts

It is time for Parish Summer Breakfasts.

Hot breakfast is served 9:00 - 9:45 am.

Cold cereal is also avail-able. A basket will be out to accept optional

donations to cover expenses.

Your group could spon-sor one of the breakfasts. Group members, family and friends may help–or

team up with another group for a Sunday.

Two Sundays still avail-able, July 6 and July 20.

Please contact Linda Goolsbee at lgoolsbee@gmail.com or 692-3353, if your group would like

to host or if you have any questions.

All are invited! We look forward to

another great summer.

July 1Michael LangfordSusan LangfordMadison Reyes

July 2Gary Blevins

Gretchen Henson

July 3Betty Parsley

July 4Bud Ramsey

July 6Rick Edington

Meredith Griffi thLuke MeHaffey

Karen RoseNick ShepherdKatie Young

July 7Luke Back

Juddson FerrellLori PittardJack Ramsey

July 8Lucy HardawayGaile Thompson

July 10Lynn Boyd

July 12John Babb

Jennifer DennisCarolyn Holmes

July 13Lonnie Baldridge

Christopher BartlettBobbie GrierLee Hampton

Mary Booth Steward

July 14Jimmy Herman

Ruth HillDodge Hubbard

July 15Hannah Crane

Justine Grisham

July 16Gordon Powers

July 17Dorothy Guerra

Jack Phelan

July 19Donald McDonald

July 20Elizabeth McCown

July 21Alexander Morotini

Billye Stovall

July 22Martha KielMike Lanier

Sharon RathbunFrank Scarborough

Susan SheltonBetty Sneed

July 23Boone Bredemeyer

Jim FitzhughMary Lou FryPansy Marak

July 24Alix Phelan

July 25Dianna IrwinHarlan Owen

July 26Sandy BridgesGage Choate

Darwin LovelessKelsey MilliornDebra Morotini

BJ Naranjo Smith

July 28Susie Owen

July 29Sam Cutbirth

July 30Julie Denny

Billy Edwards

July 31Joana AgertonDavid Henley

July 14Nancy & Bob Stephenson

July 17Julie & Mike Denny

July 9Shirley & John Kuzma

July 12Lauren & Mark Puckett

Interested in the Book of Revelations?

You are invited to join Mother Susanna for a

Bible study on the Book of Revelation. The class meets on Thursdays at 9:30am in the Bishop

Garrett Room. Everyone is invited and childcare is

provided.

Bishop Claude Payne and Mike Denny share information about the upcoming capital campaign at a gathering hosted by Julie and Mike Denny. Father Luke and Bishop Scott Mayer also made special presentations. Everyone had the opportunity to come to the Denny’s and learn about the latest developments as Heavenly Rest prepares to begins the campaign August 7th with a celebration dinner.

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BackPage†

Several staff members pause during a hike at Canyon Ranch at a recent staff retreat. Pictured are Mother Susanna, Father David, Katie Young, Courtney Bryant, Amanda Watson and Wes Gomer. Special thanks to Julie and Mike Denny for their hospitality.

Leiutenant Colonel Peter Kent retires from the United States Air Force. Friends from Heavenly Rest attended the ceremony. Joining Peter and his family for this photo are Mike Denny, Candy and Charles Scarborough, Yvonne Batts and Kim Snyder.

Dear Friends, I recently heard Bishop Mayer describe the Church of the Heavenly Rest as ‘a prayer.’ ‘A prayer’ that is said in stone and glass, not in words. Prayer emerges for anyone who pauses long enough to look up and really see. Even those outside, who might pause to listen to the bells, may hear the grandeur and beauty of sky sounding like heaven. Gothic architecture is complex, and so also is the day-to-day operation within it. In the past week over a thousand people have passed through the doors of Heavenly Rest. We come to this spiritual house to hear about God’s love for us, especially when our peace of heart is confronted by tragedy. We seek comfort and peace, fellowship and joy. The outward beauty of our structures, worship and music, all depend on the inward health of our faith and action. We are here to share with every soul the good news of heavenly reconciliation with God, and with one another, in Christ. A dedicated and talented staff work very hard enable ministry to flourish. They plan numerous events, care for count-less details and make every event look , feel and sound as ‘divine’ as is humanly possible. Assisted by a throng of great volun-teers and committed leaders, administration (i.e. add-ministers) empowers us to fulfill our worship, fellowship and outreach vocations. Many people are making Heavenly Rest their spiritual home and we rejoice that we are a growing community. For three years Fr. David Romanik has carefully nurtured both new and long time members through the meaningful events of life and church. Now, God is calling David and Sara Beth, to a new ministry. After rigorous discernment and deep consideration of the needs of his family, Father David has accepted a call to serve the Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania as Associate Rector. It is a wonderful church, close to family roots for both David and Sarah Beth. Their three years here have passed quickly. David has blessed this parish with countless gifts of love and he has been a special joy to me as a friend. We will send the Romaniks forth with our blessing and affection after an appreciation event on Sunday, August 17th. They will be taking a baby-Texan with them - due July 9th- guaranteeing that there will always be a tender, native tie, to Heavenly Rest. As one chapter concludes, another begins. In May Lieutenant Colonel Peter Kent retired from the United States Air Force. He has now accepted the position of Parish Administrator. When Bishop Scott was rector of Heavenly Rest he prepared Peter and his wife Sandra for marriage. They have been members of the church for many years. The Kents have two children, Rachel and Colin, who are active in Junior Ringers and Singers, EYC, and acolyting. After navigating B-1 aircraft through the sky, Peter should have no trouble helping us fly through growth, change and capital improvements. Heavenly Rest has always had gifted administrators. I am grateful to Mary Renfro, Director of Finance, for all the administrative duties she took on in the past two years. Candy Scarborough, a superb administrator, helped us work through challenging circumstances. The late Conrad Bratton served in this capacity so very well for so many years. Peter now brings new gifts for new expressions of parish life and work. Please pray for him as he begins this new phase of his life. Ultimately, all gratitude and all blessing are traced back to the Source. In God’s presence all endings are beginnings. Faithfully,

Luke Back+

Return Service Requested

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDAbilene, TX

Permit #249

VISIONThe Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest is a Christian community of faith rooted in the Anglican

tradition. Empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word

and Sacrament, we seek

to know the reconciling love of God and to share

that love with others.

Church of the Heavenly Rest602 Meander StreetAbilene, Texas 79602-1009

Telephone (325) 677-2091

Office Hours Monday-Thursday: 8:30a.m.-12 noon; 1-4:30p.m.

Friday: 8:30a.m. - 12 noon(325) 677-2091

chrepis@heavenlyrestabilene.orghttp://www.heavenlyrestabilene.org

Care. Share. Create. Serve.

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCHThe Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts-Schori, Presiding Bishop

THE DIOCESE OF NORTHWEST TEXASThe Right Reverend J. Scott Mayer, Bishop

PARISH STAFFThe Reverend N. Luke Back, Rector

The Reverend David Romanik, Associate RectorThe Reverend Susanna Cates Brosseau, Curate

The Reverend Amanda Watson, DeaconDr. Wes Gomer, Organist and Choirmaster

Bikole Mulanda, Swahili MinisterPeter Kent, Church Administrator

Mary J. Renfro, Director of Finance and AdministrationLaura Wright, Capital Campaign Office AssistantLynsi Musselman, Communications Coordinator

Belinda Shepherd, Christian Education CoordinatorCourtney Bryant, Christian Education Assistant

Katie Young, Youth Ministry InternSusetta Rockett, Music Assistant

Barbradon Brooks, HarpistArnold Guerra, Sexton

Dorothy Guerra, Housekeeper

NURSERY PERSONNELJoan Fulton, Ann Lobdell,

Lucy Marak, Anne Mornell, Monica ShermanRae Ann Rindhage, Camille Martinez

Bishop Jim Folts, Nolan Kelley, and Bishop Scott Mayer gather at Heavenly Rest

to celebrate the life of Conrad C. Bratton.