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St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

The Epistle January 2020

Love God. Love others. Help others love God.

We welcome you to join us on our journey as we strive to share the love of Jesus through worship, Christian education, fellowship and service to each other and the community

beyond our walls.

From the Desk of Father John

2020. I find it kind of funny that we are in the year 2020. WOW. Remember the scare when the year 2000 was coming and how there might be “issues”? If we want to play on words we can ask ourselves, do we have 20/20 vision? Maybe the real question should be, why don’t we have 20/20 vision? Where in our life do we have a blurred vision of reality? In our spiritual life? In our future? How can we have clearer vision? If hindsight is 20/20 then we could ask ourselves what we have learned from the past that gives us the fortitude to move forward with courage. Can we find God in the unexpected? In Scripture we learn that when we are plowing, we should not look back but that we should focus on the path ahead.

We have certainly increased our vision by launching our Capital Campaign and working on the areas of concern regarding our physical plant. The work that we will undertake is of importance for our place on the corner of Broad and Jefferson. Maintaining our buildings allow others a place to come for faith, food, community and security. Although our buildings are necessary and needed they do not define us as who we are. They allow us to have a place in the community as a symbol of faith.

The church is a Spiritual environment that requires more than just bricks and mortar; it is a real foundation in the Jesus of History and the Christ of Faith. We need both the buildings and ministry to work hand in hand as we proclaim the Good News entrusted to us.

As we work hand in hand with these two realities of building and ministry what hopes do you have for the future? What do people think of when they hear the words, “St. Paul’s Episcopal Church”? Is our identity consistent with our mission?

I would like our focus in the coming year to be clarity of our identity, a deepening of our spiritual life and the courage to share our faith with one another so that we can begin to have conversation with others about the good works that we have begun and how we can share them others. Some would say that is evangelism, which it is but that seems to scare us a bit. So, let’s see how we can get others to enjoy what we enjoy as we share with them the benefits of being a member of the Church, the Body of Christ.

Father John+

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Thank you to Matt Moon and Jennifer Westermann for refreshing the lines in the parking lot after Caminiti Construction repaired the potholes.

Thank you to the December Movin’ On Crew: Casey Korchynsky, Jennifer Westermann, and Stephanie Alexander.

Many thanks go out to Deb Wirag and those who assisted in making the Advent Workshop an enjoyable time of learning, fellowship and feasting. Thanks to Ruthie and Steve Koerts who donated the hot dogs. Also thank you to Sue Mahon for the delicious Yonanas. Thank you to Deb Wirag for turning the Women of the Church Christmas lunch into a party with her games. Not only were they a ton of fun but we learned fascinating factoids about each other! Thank you to the tree gathering crew: Zach and Scott Manchester, Matt Moon, Kurt Jones, Jack and Jennifer Westermann, Fr. John and Kurt’s friend Chris Thrash for the use of his truck to transport our tree. It was cold but the hot chocolate warmed us up. Thank you for all those who “greened” the church as it is called. Those who helped trim the tree, did the window candles, arranged the manger and flowers and hung wreaths. Many thanks for all your help, especially the Manchester “kids”, Zach, Cassie and Amy, who stayed until the last Chrismon was hung. Thank you to Jennifer Westermann and to Linda Littell (from Diane) who helped at this very busy time in the office while she was out sick. Thank you to everyone who supported the Wyoming Conference Children’s Home gift card tree this year. Over $800.00 in gift cards were donated!

What a beautiful site to see people come to the Outreach Christmas tree and select a hat, mittens/gloves or a scarf. Thank you to all those who have reached out to keep our neighbors warm this winter. Thanks to Dick and Sandy Schwab for setting up the tree and all those who brought the warm goodies.

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With Gratitude Barb, Samuel, Molly and I would like to thank everyone for their generosity this Christmas Season. We appreciate all the expressions of gratitude shown to us in the wonderful Season of celebrating Christ’s birth. We are grateful for this community that we are part of and all the support we receive over the year. May God continue to bless the good works that He has begun in all of us. Father John+

New Year’s Day Service January 1st, 9:00 AM

Come ring in the New Year at St. Paul’s on Wednesday, January 1st at the 9:00 a.m. service. Breakfast will be served following the service in Fellowship Hall.

Stewardship Thought

This month we celebrate Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord. The Wise Men came to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. They brought with them their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. This morning we brought our offering envelope as our gift to the Christ Child, to pay Him homage. We do this each time we gather.

Wise men and wise women still seek him! You have traveled here to St. Paul’s seeking Jesus and have brought your gifts that represent the

gold, frankincense and myrrh. Our time, abilities and funds become our gifts. We also remember the Baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. In all

the synoptic Gospel accounts, God proclaims from Heaven words such as: “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” This affirmation begins the ministry of Jesus. In our baptism, we begin our ministry, our stewardship of time, talent and treasure.

Thank you for your generous gifts that allow us to continue to tell the story and to make Jesus known throughout our world. By your generosity you enable us “to worship and serve in Jesus’ name.” Fr. John+

Epiphany Lessons and Carols Sunday, January 5th, 10:00 AM

As the Christmas season ends, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. This is a celebration of the wise men’s visit to baby Jesus. Please join us on Sunday, January 5th after the 10AM service for an Epiphany Ethnic Luncheon after the service. You are invited to bring a food that reflects your ethnic heritage to share with one another after the service or simply a dish your family enjoys. We will wrap up the festivities with a piñata for the kids.

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Annual Meeting Reports

The year 2019 is rapidly drawing to a close, which means the Annual Meeting is just around the corner. The Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020 following the 9:00 AM service. As you know, reports from each ministry group in the church are needed for the annual report. I am asking that Ministry Chairs submit your report as soon as possible. Include in your report, if applicable, the purpose of your group or committee, the day and time you meet, the number of active participants, what you accomplished this past year, financial information, and any other information you feel is pertinent. The purpose of these reports this year is twofold. The first is to have an accurate reporting of the activities of the church for the annual report. The second is that our Canons and Constitutions require us to have such documentation. There is a real urgency in submitting your reports. We ask that your report be submitted to the Parish Secretary by Monday, January 20th. The sooner we have these reports the easier it is for us to complete the booklet for the meeting. Thank you in advance for your attention to this very crucial step. NOTE: A soft copy is much appreciated! If you can either send it as an attachment or simply paste it into an email it will speed up the process here in the office, as it won’t need to be retyped. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Fr. John+

Prayers for Our Ministries

Each week a different ministry area of St. Paul’s is featured in the bulletin to highlight, encourage involvement and give thanks for the people who make it happen. During the month of January we pray for the following ministries:

JANUARY

1/5 Gould Scholarship Committee 1/12 All the people of St.Paul’s 1/19 Lay Assistants 1/26 Lectors

All Things Spiritual! We gather for prayer and discussion about a chapter in the book each meeting. The session lasts 60 minutes. We will be discussing Chapter 11. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 5th, at 10:15 AM.

Fr. John+

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A Book of the Bible - Leviticus Our study of the Bible will continue with the Book of Leviticus. This is different from the Thursday morning Bible Study which uses the Sunday readings as its basis. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, January 8, at 10:15 AM. We will be discussing Chapters 5-9. Come join us and see what it’s all about!

Fr. John+

All Things Theological! We gather for prayer and discussion about a chapter in the book Theology of a Troubled Believer. The session lasts 60 minutes. We will be discussing Chapter 15. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 15th, at 10:15 AM. Fr. John+

Bible Study

Thursdays, 9:00 A.M.

Bible Study continues on Thursday mornings. This is an informal way of studying the Scripture readings for each upcoming Sunday. Please come to the Conference room, enjoy a cup of coffee and lend your thoughts as to what you feel God is saying to us. Ruthie Koerts

Rector’s Forum

Rector’s Forum will resume meeting again on Sunday, January 19th. Everyone is invited.

Flower Memorials

Flower Memorials are available for January 19, and 26. There will be no flowers on January 5th and 12th due to the Manger being up.

Sanctuary Candle Memorials

Sanctuary Candles are available for January 5, 12, 19, and 26.

Note: Please call the office (748-8118) any time during the month if you would like to designate the altar flowers or candles in memory of a loved one, to recognize a special event or simply in thanksgiving for God’s many blessings. Forms are in the back of the church. Dates may be shared.

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Vestry Meeting

Vestry will meet on Tuesday, January 14th, at 6:30 p.m.

JANUARY

1/2 Jenise Soules 1/20 Ruthie Koerts 1/5 Jewel Fenty 1/21 June Palmer 1/6 Nolan Dougherty 1/22 John Swavola 1/7 Sue Kinne 1/23 Carole Walton 1/10 Scotty Race 1/25 Paula Giroux 1/11 Anneliese Besemer 1/25 Lauren Saleeby 1/13 Judy Shannon 1/26 Bruce Dailey 1/13 Natalie Petras 1/27 Ronald Reece 1/14 Lynda Helmer 1/27 Bruce Fineout 1/14 Michael Jones 1/30 Jim Buffum 1/19 Jackie Fabiano

JANUARY

1/11 Jon and Casey Korchynsky 1/14 Ray and Lisa Besemer 1/26 Ed and Mary Cermak

Are you a January birthday or anniversary but don’t see your name here? Please let the office know so we can update our records! We don’t want to miss anyone!

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at St. Paul’s

The office will be closed on Tuesday, January 1st. Have a healthy, happy new year!

A Note from Our Parish Nurse

Our program is currently doing the 2nd Sunday blood pressures but we have several church members who can take your blood pressure anytime. I will post a list on the office door in January. An average of 12

people per month are taking advantage of the program. The American Heart Association recommends you take your blood pressure twice a month unless you have issues that you need to take it more often. We will be either downstairs or in the coat closet 9:00 to 11:30 AM.

We will be working with Father John and the Women of the Church to have programs or education throughout the year. We would love any ideas you may want us to consider. Please email me at ackyfab@gmail.com.

During the next two months I am asking that you bring in a picture of you or your family together in a 3x5 or 4x6 size. We are doing a bulletin board with pictures of our parishioners. This will help the 8 and 10 services help to know each other. We will post any positions held in the church also. I can also take a picture for you. In the past a booklet was done but this will help us stay current and just look downstairs to help us recognize a face.

Have a blessed 2020!!!!! Jackie Fabiano RN, BSN, Lead Parish Nurse

Social Committee Meeting Sunday, January 5th, 12:00 PM

The Social Committee will meet on Sunday, January 5th at noon, right after the Rector’s Forum, in the Fellowship Hall to plan for 2020. We are open to any ideas that you would like to see us try to do. Please talk to myself or Marge Johns, or just come join us at the meeting. Ruthie Koerts, Chairperson

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CHOW delivery will be on January 9 and 23 at 10:00 a.m. Mary Cermak, Chairperson

Christmas Decorations January 12th, 11AM

Come help put the Christmas decorations away for next year. Feel free to bring a snack or leftover Christmas cookies to share!

Movin’ On Luncheon Monday, January 13th at Noon

The Movin’ On Lunch is held on the 2nd Monday of the month. All widows and widowers are invited to share in this time of food and fellowship at noon in Fellowship Hall.

The office will be closed for Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 20th.

Capital Campaign News

We have been very gratified with the enthusiasm and support for our campaign. But as this is a new venture for us, we are trying to make the recording of your campaign pledges as easy for our counting teams as possible. If you would like to enclose your campaign check in your regular stewardship envelope, please mark Capital Campaign in the memo line. If you would like separate envelopes for your campaign contributions, there will soon be colored ones on the table in the back of the church for your convenience. Please indicate your name and “account” number (your envelope number) on the envelope as we want to make sure it is credited to your account. It is always helpful to write your number on EVERY check you contribute. Thank you for helping make this campaign a success!

The Capital Campaign Cabinet

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Women of the Church News

As we welcome in 2020, I would like to extend a thank you to all the ladies of the church. Because of you 2019 was a good year for us and I am confident 2020 will be as equally eventful. In 2020 we will be working some more with Jackie Fabiano and the Parish Nurse Program to schedule speakers and events that will aid us in staying healthy and locating services and assistance that we or someone we know may need. I would also like input from you as to what types of other new activities or programs you would like to have during

the coming year. Reusable bags - For January, we will be continuing with our tote

workshops. With the new law eliminating single use plastic grocery bags approaching, we will meet twice this month to make totes. Workshops will be held on Wednesday, January 8th and Wednesday, January 15th at 1:00 p.m. in the undercroft. We have made great progress with over 40 bags made thus far. We need people to cut fabric, pin the bags together, sew, clip embroidery threads and more – so be assured we have a task for every skill level. If you have not yet seen one of our bags, check out the WoC bulletin board in the undercroft.

Our Christmas tree of hats, scarves and gloves has been a great hit in our community

and there are a number of heartwarming stories coming out of this venture. Thank you to all who donated items for the tree. We would like to keep the tree decorated with warm items through the winter, as long as our supplies last. Therefore, we will continue accepting new or gently used hats, gloves and scarves for all ages and all sizes. The box remains at the back of the church for your donations.

Chrismons - On January 22nd, we will have a workshop in the undercroft at 1:00 p.m. to

learn to repair and create Chrismons – the white and gold decorations on St. Paul’s Christmas tree. Every one of these ornaments has a special meaning in the Christian faith, and some of ours date back to the 1960’s when they were first used in St. Paul’s. As you can imagine, over the years they have become in need of repair. Additionally, there are many designs we have never made. At this workshop we will learn to do both. Sylvia Fulk will aid us in this endeavor and hopefully we will be joined by some of the other ladies who have been part of the creation of these ornaments in the past. We invite everyone in the parish to join in on this endeavor.

Happy New Year and let’s make 2020 another fun, educational and creative year. Don’t forget to send me some of your ideas.

Sandy Schwab, Chairperson

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Prayer Strips Is there someone/something in your life that St. Paul’s could pray for?

At the rear of the church there are new prayer strips that were generated by our congregants and community members during the

August Ice Cream Social. If you would like to pick one up before the service begins to read aloud during the Prayers of the People portion of the service, please consider doing so. Join with us in honoring those pleas from others in keeping with our mission to extend God’s love beyond the walls of St. Paul’s. LCI Team

January Liturgical Ministers Schedule

January 5 8:00 AM 10:00 AM

Lay Assistant Mary Cermak Meghan Walton

1st Reading Zach Manchester

2nd Reading Jennifer Westermann Barb Dailey

Chalice Jack Westermann Suzanne Pettit

Readings Epiphany Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:1-12

January 12 8:00 AM 10:00 AM

Lay Assistant Sue Mahon Georgia Wilber

1st Reading Bob Pettit

2nd Reading Marilyn Karlson Aiden Browning

Chalice Mary Cermak Barb Dailey

Readings Isaiah 42:1-9 Acts 10:34-43

January 19 8:00 AM 10:00 AM

Lay Assistant Jack Westermann Jim Buffum

1st Reading Sanders Browning

2nd Reading Nancy Elwood Carl Kinne

Chalice Chip Kinne Sandy Schwab

Readings Isaiah 49:1-7 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

January 26 8:00 AM 10:00 AM

Lay Assistant Jennifer Westermann Jim Garceau

1st Reading Suzanne Pettit

2nd Reading Garvin Alexander Judy Shannon

Chalice Richard Parker Sue Jones

Readings Isaiah 9:1-4 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Treat others with kindness.

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St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Vestry Minutes – December 10, 2019

To love God, Love others, Help others love God.

Rector: Fr. John Martinichio

Wardens: Dick Schwab, Jennifer S. Westermann

Treasurer: Jack Westermann

Vestry:

Jim Garceau (A) Ruthie Koerts Cassie Manchester

Marge Johns (A) Linda Littell Deborah Wirag

Chip Kinne (A) Sue Mahon

Non-Vestry Present: Tony Ferrand, Sandy Schwab

Fr. John began with a prayer for both the meeting and for the food for the pre-meeting Christmas

party at 5:30. The actual meeting convened at 6:18 PM.

Gould Presentation: Tony Ferrand gave his annual presentation on the Gould Fund, including its

history and current worth and holdings of the fund. The vestry thanked Tony for his outstanding

stewardship of the fund. Report attached.

November Minutes: Motion made by Ruthie Koerts with second from Cassie Manchester to accept

the November minutes as presented. Motion carried unanimously.

Financial Reports:

Gould fund - Balance at the end of November was $4,907,104. Bob Pettit noted that the fund is

currently up 13% from January 1, 2019.

Income/Expenses - Pledges a little ahead, about $1,820.

Treasurer’s Report - Financial reports submitted from the following accounts: Checking Account -

$83,471 of which the following have earmarked funds: Flowers and Candles - $3,791; CHOW -

$13,626; CHAP $1,053; Memorial Fund - $1,649; Women of the Church - $3,129; Youth - $649.

Motion made by Ruthie Koerts with second from Sue Mahon to accept the financial reports as

presented. Motion carried unanimously.

Items for Discussion and Action:

• Pledge Report – 65 pledges have been returned for a total of $160,923. For comparison sake,

for 2019 85 pledges were returned for a total of $159,790.

• Capital Campaign - 68 pledges have been returned for $410,142. Down payment monies

contributed so far totals $46,029.

• 2019 Diocesan Pledge – Jack Westermann, treasurer, feels we are financially sound enough

to honor our entire pledge. Motion made by Ruthie Koerts with second from Linda Littell to

honor the entire amount which would be the approximately $3,600 that was cut from the

budget last fall. Motion had been tabled until this meeting in order to make sure our finances

are solid enough to afford it. Motion carried unanimously.

• Nominating Committee – The nominating committee reported that the slate still has two

vacancies: one two year term and one three year term.

• Housing Allowance - Motion made by Ruthie Koerts with second from Deb Wirag to accept

the 2020 housing allowance of $18,000 for Fr. John’s housing.

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Wardens’ Report:

• Dick Schwab shared thank you notes from Broome County Council of Churches for

contributing $600 to the CHOW Walk.

Committee Reports:

• Property Committee – Dick Schwab reported that the parking lot depressions have been

patched.

• Capital Campaign – Pledge numbers have steadily grown showing tremendous support for

the campaign. Co-chairs Sandy and Dick Schwab have heard very few, if any, negative

comments about the campaign.

• Women of the Church – Linda Littell reported that the December meeting on the 18th will be

a Christmas lunch.

• Social Committee – The next committee meeting will be Sunday, January 5 after Rector’s

Forum.

• Learning Communities Initiative – The team is collecting winter accessories (hats, gloves,

scarves, etc.) to be placed on a tree (or rack) outside the church for anyone who needs

them. There is a box on the back pew of the church for collection of items.

Canteen Dates: Volunteer Coordinators

• March 29 – Dick Schwab

• May 31– Cassie and Zach Manchester

• August 30 –

• November 29 -

Next Meeting: Tuesday, January 14, 6:30 PM.

Fr. John adjourned the meeting at 7:58 p.m. with the Lord’s Prayer being prayed by all.

Minutes submitted by Jennifer S. Westermann, Vestry Clerk