May 2015 ST. PAUL’S EPISTLE 250 Hwy 2 NE • P.O. Box 1225 • Corinth, MS 38835 • 662-286-2922 In this Issue Church Family Life, p. 2 Happy Birthday/ Anniversary! p. 2 Green Market din- ner sale to boost organ fund, p. 2 St. Paul’s Mainte- nance List, p. 2 Calendar, p. 3 Camp Bratton- Green scholarships, p. 3 Vacationing? Keep pledges current with online giving, p. 3 Spring at St. Paul’s, p.3 Treasurer’s Report, p. 4 Memorial gifts and honorariums, p. 4 General Convention This June, I’ll be joining Bishop Seage, and 15 others (clergy and lay) comprising the Mississippi Deputa- tion to the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City. I attended a portion of the 75th Convention in 2006, but this will be my first time as part of a deputation. What’s it all about? The General Convention meets every 3 years as the governing body for The Episcopal Church. It is a bicameral legislature made up of the 800 member House of Deputies (laypersons, priests, and dea- cons from each diocese) and the 300 member House of Bishops. Our work includes considering legislation for the Church; amending the Book of Common Prayer, the Constitution, and the Canons of the Church; adopting a 3-year budget for The Episcopal Church; and electing candidates to various offices and boards. This year, we will elect a Presiding Bishop. There is a Community Eucharist every morning. It is incredible to worship with huge numbers of peo- ple; to be blessed by the music and preaching resources from our wide membership. Seminaries, organizations, and dioceses host dinners and receptions after close of business each day. (I’ll attend Mississippi Night and a Gathering of Leaders reception, among others.) An exhibit hall has booths from Episcopal Relief and Development, makers and artisans, monasteries, bookstores and sellers of Episcopal swag, etc. Some matters at hand include the work of the Task Force for Reimagining The Episcopal Church , which considered how our Church can pursue its mission in a changing world. Convention will receive a report from the Task Force on the Study of Marriage to consider, “What makes a marriage Christian? What is the relationship between the Church’s blessing of a relationship, whether different-gender or same-gender, and a union, ‘marriage’ or otherwise, created by civil law?” These questions are timely, given the Supreme Court’s work this month. Nominees for Presiding Bishop (a 9 year term) will be announced May 1. Mississippi has a highly regarded practice of working lunches for the deputation to discuss legislation. As second alternate, I’ll benefit from our diocese’s tradition of ensuring all members of the deputation get “floor time” during the legislative sessions (which means I have lots to read and prepare for!). We have been given a thoughtful “Mormon 101” paper put together by the Church of Latter Day Saints to aid in our understanding of Mormon tradition and avoid hurtful stereotypes. Eyes have glazed over just reading this note; I know conventions do not make everyone’s heart pound. I am pleased at the opportunity to be part of this great process in our church, and leave you with these words from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori: We will gather in Salt Lake City in June to consider the future of this Church, and to make decisions about how best to steer her in waters that are both hopeful and challenging. Like Jesus asleep in the boat in the midst of storm, trust that ultimately the love of God will prevail, whatever wind and hail beset us. We convene to assess the gifts we have been given for this voyage, and to consider how best to employ them so that more of this world might know the peace that passes understanding. In the months ahead, reflect on that boat at sea. How will you answer when the wind starts to whistle? Whose voice will you listen for? How will you engage those next to you in the boat — and those who are floating, or sinking, outside? Say your prayers. Gather with your deputation, and discover the gifts of those who share the same seat in the boat. Ann+ St. Paul's at the Green Market Saturday, May 2 Come help out at the booth and enjoy the action in downtown Corinth on the day of the Coke 10k race, Green Market (at the Depot), and more. See page 2 for details. It’s a great chance to be in the community, and to raise money for a new organ.
Transcript
May 2015
ST. PAUL’S EPISTLE 250 Hwy 2 NE • P.O. Box 1225 • Corinth, MS 38835 • 662-286-2922
In this Issue
Church Family Life, p. 2 Happy Birthday/Anniversary! p. 2 Green Market din-ner sale to boost organ fund, p. 2 St. Paul’s Mainte-nance List, p. 2 Calendar, p. 3 Camp Bratton-Green scholarships, p. 3 Vacationing? Keep pledges current with online giving, p. 3 Spring at St. Paul’s, p.3 Treasurer’s Report, p. 4 Memorial gifts and honorariums, p. 4
General Convention
This June, I’ll be joining Bishop Seage, and 15 others (clergy and lay) comprising the Mississippi Deputa-tion to the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City. I attended a portion of the 75th Convention in 2006, but this will be my first time as part of a deputation. What’s it all about? The General Convention meets every 3 years as the governing body for The Episcopal Church. It is a
bicameral legislature made up of the 800 member House of Deputies (laypersons, priests, and dea-cons from each diocese) and the 300 member House of Bishops.
Our work includes considering legislation for the Church; amending the Book of Common Prayer, the Constitution, and the Canons of the Church; adopting a 3-year budget for The Episcopal Church; and electing candidates to various offices and boards. This year, we will elect a Presiding Bishop.
There is a Community Eucharist every morning. It is incredible to worship with huge numbers of peo-ple; to be blessed by the music and preaching resources from our wide membership.
Seminaries, organizations, and dioceses host dinners and receptions after close of business each day. (I’ll attend Mississippi Night and a Gathering of Leaders reception, among others.)
An exhibit hall has booths from Episcopal Relief and Development, makers and artisans, monasteries, bookstores and sellers of Episcopal swag, etc.
Some matters at hand include the work of the Task Force for Reimagining The Episcopal Church, which considered how our Church can pursue its mission in a changing world. Convention will receive a report from the Task Force on the Study of Marriage to consider, “What makes a marriage Christian? What is the relationship between the Church’s blessing of a relationship, whether different-gender or same-gender, and a union, ‘marriage’ or otherwise, created by civil law?” These questions are timely, given the Supreme Court’s work this month. Nominees for Presiding Bishop (a 9 year term) will be announced May 1. Mississippi has a highly regarded practice of working lunches for the deputation to discuss legislation. As second alternate, I’ll benefit from our diocese’s tradition of ensuring all members of the deputation get “floor time” during the legislative sessions (which means I have lots to read and prepare for!). We have been given a thoughtful “Mormon 101” paper put together by the Church of Latter Day Saints to aid in our understanding of Mormon tradition and avoid hurtful stereotypes. Eyes have glazed over just reading this note; I know conventions do not make everyone’s heart pound. I am pleased at the opportunity to be part of this great process in our church, and leave you with these words from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori:
We will gather in Salt Lake City in June to consider the future of this Church, and to make decisions about how best to steer her in waters that are both hopeful and challenging. Like Jesus asleep in the boat in the midst of storm, trust that ultimately the love of God will prevail, whatever wind and hail beset us. We convene to assess the gifts we have been given for this voyage, and to consider how best to employ them so that more of this world might know the peace that passes understanding. In the months ahead, reflect on that boat at sea. How will you answer when the wind starts to whistle? Whose voice will you listen for? How will you engage those next to you in the boat — and those who are floating, or sinking, outside? Say your prayers. Gather with your deputation, and discover the gifts of
those who share the same seat in the boat. Ann+
St. Paul's at the Green Market
Saturday, May 2
Come help out at the booth and enjoy the action in downtown Corinth on the day of the Coke 10k race, Green Market (at the Depot), and more.
See page 2 for details. It’s a great chance to be in the community, and to raise money for a new organ.
Church Family Life News and notes about our parish family
Callie Emmons is faring well after her second knee replacement. Cynthia Harrell has been named one of three Gold Standard Bearers for Corinth’s 34th an-nual Coke 10k—an honor given to “ordinary runners who have done extraordinary things.” Seen on stage: Tom and Jan Soltz, Will Senf, Jake Pearson in the Corinth Theatre Arts production of Alice in Wonder-land. Sarah Bullard will receive her degree from the University of the South this month, and is planning to teach English in Turkey following a summer of travel. Alex Smith is home from a round of inpatient rehab in Selmer following his hip replacement. Darrell Davis is recovering from a knee procedure. John Bruhwiler underwent emergency heart surgery and is recovering well at home.
Happy Birthday! Sam Lee, 5/1; Amanda Patrick, 5/4; Ryland Bruhwiler, 5/11; Arch Bullard, 5/12; Dorothy Hopkins, 5/18; David Bauer, 5/23; Scott Bauer, 5/25; Paul Smith, 5/26.
Happy Anniversary! Dana & Arch Bullard, 5/21.
Is your special day missing? To add your birth-day, anniversary, or news, please call or email the church office at [email protected].
Building and Grounds Repair Log Book
Have you noticed a dripping faucet in a church restroom? Does a light bulb inside or out-side need changed? Is there a fire ant hill threatening those arriving at St. Paul’s? Robin Grisewood, head of
the vestry team that coordinates upkeep of our building and grounds, has placed a yellow “Maintenance Log” on the narthex table beside the youth room. Please list and date any problems need-ing attention. Robin or fellow vestry members Susan Adams and Gail Vaughn will follow up with minor repairs and maintenance and explore options when major repairs are needed. Speaking of repairs, work on damage to the library and youth room has been delayed as our insurance carrier waits for an invoice from the company that cleaned up after flooding from a burst pipe. Thanks for your patience as we deal with this problem.
May-July Serving Schedule available here
Help Cook, Sell, Meet and Greet, May 2 At Green Market to Raise Funds for Organ
The vestry is delighted to note good progress in our fund-raising toward a new organ. St. Paul's will have a booth at the May 2 Green Market, selling chicken dinners right off the grill. It promises to be a fun day of fellowship, fundraising, and friend-making in our community. Remember to allow a little extra time to navigate around some downtown streets and “tree streets” in the neighbor-hood north of Shiloh Road which will be closed for the Coke 10K race. Several members and friends of St. Paul’s will be running or walking in this year’s 10K. Gifts and pledges to the Organ Fund received as of April 27: Susan Adams, Barb Barrett, Scott and Beth Bauer, Jake Bland, Tana and Charles Daniel, Debbie and Danny Elam, Andrew and Ann Fraser, Glennan and Jan Grady, Robin and Darlene Grise-wood, Cynthia and Woody Harrell, Renee Harmon, Charlotte and Steve Icardi, Amanda Patrick, Paul and Sherry Smith, Gin-ger and Rick Stockton, Stan Taylor
Curious About the Vestry? These questions were posed last month: You are asking me serve on the vestry? Why me? I don’t even know what that is – or what they do. Why do they call it that? Is it a secret thing? Do they pay dues? How do they get there and why? Maybe they have to be old or be Episcopali-ans all their lives. Do they do this forever? Sounds compli-cated to me. It’s not so complicated, really. The vestry is a group of St. Paul’s members elected by the St. Paul’s membership to serve, along with our rector, as the legal managers of the non-spiritual matters of the parish. (The priest is a parish’s spiritual adviser.) The word vest is defined as “to place in authority.” In some denominations such a group is called the trustees; one synonym might be the council. Vestry members are volunteers who function according to By-Laws adopted by St. Paul’s with approval of the Bishop. The election process is prescribed in the By-Laws: a Nominat-ing Committee presents names of parish members who agree to be candidates for election to the vestry for a three year term. When does this happen and what if an elected vestry per-son can’t serve the full three year term?
(To be continued.)
Communion bread bakers
Thank you to Scott Bauer who baked bread for April. Susan Adams will be baking for us in May.
2 St. Paul’s BBQ chicken dinner booth at Green Market, 10:30am-1:30pm, or until last chicken is sold 3 Easom Fellowship Dinner, 12-2:30pm 18 Vestry Meeting, 6pm 21 Mission Mississippi, Martha’s Menu, 11:30am 21 Pastoral Care Meeting, 2pm. Wear red if you can. 24 Pentecost Sunday. Picnic after service. 31 Outreach Sunday
3
May Keep current with giving this summer Those with busy summer travel schedules may keep pledges current by giving online to St. Paul's. There are several options to make a secure gift to the church. You can designate the gift as a pledge payment, or mark it as a donation to the building fund, the organ, or as a memorial. You’ll find links on our website, our Facebook page, and in the weekly enews. You may also scan our QR (“Quick Response”) code with your smart-phone. This will take you to our secure donation page, where you can make a one-time pledge donation or set up a recurring gift by credit card or bank draft. A small transaction fee is applied to each gift and is paid by the giver; your requested amount is then deposited with St. Paul's. The offering plate isn't going anywhere! Many people choose the convenience of online shopping and banking, and we want to offer the same ease of use for your giving, especially if you’re worried that you won’t be here when the offering plate is passed.
How to text to give to St. Paul's
Text the amount you'd like to give (e.g. 25) to 646-832-4848
Click the link in the reply, and put in our Quick code (stpauls)
Complete the one-time setup and make your first gift
Camp Scholarships Available Youth who are interested in attending Camp Bratton-Green this summer are encouraged to register right away. There are scholarships available to help make camp tui-
tion work for your budget. Camp can be a wonderful way to grow in God’s grace in a wholesome, fun atmos-phere. Teens and adults find enrichment as volunteer staff.
There are two Special Sessions during the summer which serve campers with mental and/or physical disabili-ties. Volunteers for Special Sessions often speak of those weeks as joyful and spiritually profound. If you or someone in your family is interested in at-tending or volunteering for one of the sessions, follow the links to register. Ask Ann about scholarships.
Spring Snapshots at St. Paul’s
Spring activities at St. Paul’s included planting seeds for flowers to be transplanted in the Sunday school’s butterfly garden and an Easter egg hunt with diversions on the playground after the Easter Sunday service.
Are you receiving St. Paul’s Weekly E-News? To subscribe, please email [email protected].
If you cannot get to church and would like to receive Holy Communion or a visit at your home or the hospital, please call the church at 286-2922.
Did you miss a Sunday? Sermons are posted on our website when available. Listen to the audio files at: www.stpaulscorinth.dioms.org/worship/sermons.html
Deadline: Please send your newsletter submission by the 21st of each month.
A Gift honoring William Glisson, Susanna Fraser, and Eleanor Fraser was given
by Don and Marcia Ann Glisson
Gifts in memory of Jim Cooksey were given by Renee Harmon
and Debbie and Danny Elam
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Sunday Schedule: 9:30 Holy Eucharist Nursery available 9:15-12:00 The Rector and Vestry: The Rev. Ann Benton Fraser, Rector Beth Bauer, Senior Warden Cynthia Harrell, Junior Warden Sherry Smith, Treasurer Susan Adams, Clerk Barbara Barrett Francis Criss Tana Daniel Debbie Elam Robin Grisewood Robert Nelson Gail Vaughn Jan Soltz
Do you receive The Missis-sippi Episcopalian? If you would like a subscription to the Mississippi Episcopalian, the monthly newspaper of the Diocese of MS, please let the church office know.
March Treasurer’s Report
Operating Fund
Building Fund Building Fund Balance 24,635 Mortgage Balance 19,745
Thank you for keeping your pledge up to date.
Your generosity is an investment in our ministry and fel-lowship together in Christ’s name!
