Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 1

April 2015

The Net

St . James Episcopal Church

St. James’ Mission Statement

St. James is called to serve God, Christ, and the community of Greater New London.

Adopted by the Vestry, May 2001

From the Rector’s Desk

As I contemplate the publication and distribution of this issue of The NET, I’m aware of the

many changes afoot. First, we’re not even midway through Lent yet, but by the time this is

in your hands, Holy Week will be on our doorstep. And fortunately that means that Easter

can’t be far behind.

Second, as I write this, I’m staring out my office window at the bright—dare I say spring-

like—sunlight, and as hard as it is to believe, melting snow (we’re scheduled for several days

of 40+ degree temperatures). The piles seem to be getting a bit smaller, and everywhere

blacktop and sidewalk is finally visible.

Finally, Daylight Saving Time has arrived—the very first day, the Third Sunday of Lent,

sundown was at 6:48 p.m.; it was nice to leave our 5:00 p.m. service and find it still light

outside. Although I was just getting accustomed to a little sunlight peeking through the

windows as the alarm went off each morning, it is now pitch-dark

once again; fortunately, the afternoon-into-evening sunlight makes

up for it.

Liturgically, we are preparing for change too. In our Gospel

readings, as Christ continues his journey to Jerusalem, he continues

to try and teach the disciples—and us—what it means to “take up

our cross and follow him.” And so, our Lenten journey is drawing to a

close for another year. Yet, with Holy Week still ahead of us, we

have some time to concentrate on what Jesus is going through and

what Jesus seeks to teach us about true discipleship.

I pray, in spite of the dreadful winter weather, that you have found a

little time for some sort of Lenten discipline: maybe you have

undertaken saying Morning or Evening Prayer; maybe you’ve joined

our Adult Ed classes; maybe you’re reading scripture along with

Vestry Highlights 3

Thanks 4

Birthday 5

Music 7

Holy Week/Easter Info 8

Outreach 9-13

Stewardship/Financial 13-15

Inside this issue:

Page 2 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4

The Net …

is the newsletter of St.

James’ Church, New

London, Connecticut.

It is published eleven

times a year

(September through

June, and a summer

issue) for the

information and

edification of St.

James’ members and

friends.

Articles are always

welcome and should

be submitted by the

tenth of the month

before publication.

While your input is

always welcome, we

would prefer to receive

it by e-mail or CD-ROM,

in Microsoft Word

format.

Please continue to

forward your

submissions to the

Church Office or email

them to: st.james.parish@snet.net

We also welcome your

comments and

suggestions. This is your

newsletter.

76 Federal Street

New London CT 06320-6601

860-443-4989

www.stjamesnl.org

Forward Day-by-Day; or maybe you’re using your Lenten

calendar-poster. Maybe you’ve even undertaken one of

the disciplines proposed from Ash Wednesday: almsgiving,

prayer, fasting.

I hope, despite the string of bad weather, seemingly

occurring every weekend, that you have been able to

make it to Church as often as you can, for the support of

other “struggling” disciples, where we gather as a Parish

family for our communal worship and witness to

discipleship. And above all else, I hope that you might find

time to join with your fellow parishioners during the

upcoming Holy Week services (which are offered every

day during Holy Week, see the schedule on page 8), so

you can prepare your heart and mind for our celebration

of Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Day.

Through our weekly scripture readings, our hymns, maybe

in the sermons, and even in the Holy Eucharist, we are

reminded that it is virtually impossible to experience the

joys of Easter, without the sorrows of the crucifixion and the

cross. Jesus’ experiences on his way to Jerusalem remind

us that the true Christian faith is neither a prosperity gospel,

nor a talisman that keeps us from hard times or illness.

Jesus repeatedly warned disciples—of all times and

generations—how hard it is to understand the joy of

resurrection and new life, without the sadness of

repentance and death. Jesus cautions disciples that to

“live with him,” means we are called “to die with him”; we

were “buried with him” and “raised to new life with him” in

our baptism.

Now, as we prepare to close out another Lenten season,

and to honor that “new life” in the celebration of the first

Resurrection, I pray that this Easter may be a time of

remembrance and celebration for you and your family!

Rector’s Desk cont’d

Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 3

As many of you know, we say

Morning Prayer in Hallam

Chapel every weekday

morning at 7:30 am. One of

the reasons for praying the

Daily Office is "to ask, for

ourselves and on behalf of

others, those things that are

necessary to our life and our

salvation." If you would like us

to pray for something on your

behalf during the week we

invite to add your prayer request to the

book located in the Narthex, at

the main Church entrance (off

Huntington Street). During the

week, we will offer your prayers

each weekday morning.

Of course, if you are able, we

invite everyone to join us any

morning during the week for

Daily Morning Prayer. “Lex

orandi, lex credenda”: As we

pray, so we believe.

Daily Morning Prayer

Vestry Highlights

The Vestry met on March 10 for its regularly scheduled meeting.

The Vestry reviewed its normal business items, but spent some extra time considering several

Vestry-oriented items, such as Safe Church Training and the annual Vestry Retreat. Fr.

Michel is trying to get a Safe Church Training closer to New London, and possibly host a

recertification class at St. James. The Retreat will be Friday evening and Saturday, April 24-

25, facilitated by Dr. Fredrica Harris Thompsett, a retired professor from Episcopal Divinity

School, regarding lay ministry.

The Seabury Deanery continues its plans for this year’s mission trip to Ecuador (August 6-17).

A flyer was distributed describing a Holy Land trip, co-led by a parishioner from Calvary,

Stonington, taking place October 6 –17, and co-sponsored by the Seabury Deanery.

The Vestry spent some time considering the establishment of the Emory Ayers Community

Fund, supported by a gift from the Ayers family to provided some additional outreach

funding. They also made a decision to begin repayment of the capital projects line-of-

credit loan, by making monthly payments beginning in April.

Statistics for 2013-2014 reveal with our new heating system we are lowered our use of natural

gas by 20% and 5.3% in electrical usage. Our Treasurer (Jerry Miller) will continue to monitor

our systems.

Respectfully submitted,

Jan Dargel,

Clerk

Page 4 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4

To Beverly Driscoll and her team Florence Bath, Krissy Bath, Lily Beeler, Mathew Calkins, Fred

Driscoll, Dan Ivey, Lillian Rosario, and Fred Smith for preparing and cooking the delicious

Lenten Fish Dinners.

To Jan Dargel for coordinating the Easter Egg Hunt for our children.

To All who generously donated to our “Coffee Collection” for Covenant Shelter (see article

on page 10).

To Robert Humphreville for his enthusiastic live organ accompaniment for this year’s silent

movie, “Ella Cinders.”

To Dick King for installing the chalk board over the window in the Pantry. The Lord’s Pantry

volunteers thank you very much.

To Grace Barnum, Dean Hantzopoulos, Dorothy Sieburg, Ron Steed and Fr. Michel, who

attended this year’s Diocesan Spring Training.

To Grace Barnum and Dan Ivey who attended this year’s Companions in Mission

Conference.

To those who supported the New London High School Junior Navy R.O.T.C.—the young

people assisting with our monthly Community Meal. (see photos on page 12).

To the Altar Guild Members for all their hard work during Lent and leading up to Holy Week

and Easter.

April 12 is our next monthly Parish Brunch of this program year

(after the 10:00 a.m. service), cooked and served by the Men of

St. James. We ask a $3 per person donation—little enough for a

wonderful meal with good friends and great fellowship.

Join us for great food and fellowship!!

Parish Brunch

Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 5

April Birthdays

The names on this list reflect the information as recorded in the Church

Database. Is your name (or a family member’s name) missing? If so,

please contact the Church Office and provide us with the accurate

information!

2 Donna Henry

3 Robin Olbrys

4 Diane Dusza

4 Marcia Pierce

4 Michael Kydd

4 Peter Kydd

5 Greg Rice

5 Abigail Ryan

5 Ellen Ryan

6 David Downes

11 Robert Rae

18 Carleen Lee

19 James Vest

24 Grace Jones

25 Mary Ellen Harris

26 Philip Hyman

27 Angeljolee Carter

29 Ivelisse Herrera

7 Sharon Dunning

7 Chelsea Steed

7 Heather Steed

7 Kathie Cassidy

8 Sue Chojnacki

8 Henry Kydd

9 Stephanie Brandon

9 Barry Runyan

10 Stacy Dunning

11 Barbara Harry

Farewell dear friend …

David Magin

Adult Ed will take a brief break after Easter, resuming

Wednesday May 6. Watch for the May issue of The

NET for details of our next educational offering.

Adult Ed

Page 6 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4

When: May 23 from 9:00 a. m. - 12:00 p.m.

Purpose: Church Clean-up Day

Reward: Donuts and coffee with a pizza party after the

work is done.

Contact: Sign-up sheet in Parish Hall or call Walter

Chojnacki 860.440.3427.

Parish Spring Clean-Up

Would you like prayers said for the health of

a loved one? Would you or someone you

know like prayer support during a

particularly challenging time of

life? Do you want to offer special

thanks for a new grandchild or

other joyous event?

St. James Prayer Chain would be

happy to pray with you. The group

prays for the people included in

the Prayers of the People each

Sunday. We also pray for those who are

listed in our Morning Prayer Journal found in

the front vestibule on Sundays. Please call

Grace Barnum (860.326.5447) to add a name

or names. It is up to you how specific you

make the prayer request. You can

simply give us a name or more

information about what they need

prayers for, as you see fit. The

people in the Prayer Chain keep

the information confidential.

You can also assist with this ministry

by speaking to Grace Barnum. We

ask you to remember the people

you pray for daily, but how or when you pray

is up to you.

Prayer Chain Ministry

A Word of Thanks …

To those of you who have prayed for me, and wished me well

before, during and after a risky surgery, I give you my sincere

thanks. For those of you who went above and beyond, in

addition to the prayers, I can’t thank you enough.

Sincerely,

Renee Ysordia

Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 7

Choral Evensong Sunday

April 19 at 5:00 p.m.

Please join us for an Evensong service at St. James, on April 19. We will be presenting the popular Hail,

gladdening light, by Charles Wood, William Walton’s unique and exciting Chichester Service, and the lovely

Rise up, my love, by Healey Willan.

Also, please mark your calendars for our next Evensong service at St. James, on May 10, when you can listen

to beautiful works by John E. West, George Dyson and Edward Bairstow. Yes, that’s Mother’s Day – and

what a nice occasion that would make, after taking her out to lunch or afternoon tea!

There will be receptions after both services; please take those opportunities to chat with the choristers,

Simon, and Jonathan over refreshments and a glass of wine.

Music on Whale Oil Row Friday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m.

TENET Ensemble, New York

"Concerto delle donne"

Concerto delle donne was a group of professional female

singers who became famous during the late Italian Renaissance

in the Ferrara court. Known for their artistry and praised as

virtuosi they offered private, informal performances in courtly

settings known as “secret music” (musica secreta) for members

of the court’s inner circle and important visitors.

Their signature style was florid and filled with ornaments, and they inspired composers and

musicians across Italy! Concerto delle donne revolutionized the role of women in

professional music, continuing a tradition that began in the Este court and flourished in the

powerful Medici and Orsini courts.

In addition to inspiring male composers such as Luigi Rossi, Domenico Mazzocchi, Claudio

Monteverdi to write for what became known as “the three ladies”, women were also

writing for them! Barbara Strozzi, Francesca Caccini, and Antonia Bembo along with a

group of fantastically creative nuns contributed greatly to the tradition!

TENET presents our own three ladies Jolle Greenleaf, Molly Quinn and Virginia Warnken in a

project dedicated to recreating the feminine vocal trio in Concerto delle donne in a

program of solos, duets and trios that show off the 17th century Italian vocal style in

close harmonies.

Page 8 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4

Calling all children!

Easter Day there will be an Easter Egg Hunt for children 3-12 years

old. at 11:15 a.m. (right after the 10 a.m. service) in the Seabury

Center Parlor.

Children will gather with their parents after Church in the Parish

Hall, and be escorted to the Parlor (everyone is welcome to come

and watch).

Easter Egg Hunt

Good Friday Walk of the

This prayerful event

begins and ends at Saint Sophia Orthodox Church

200 Hempstead Street

Baptisms—Easter Vigil The next “official” date for Parish baptisms will be on Saturday,

April 4. These baptisms will be a part of our regular Easter Vigil

service at 8:00 p.m. If you know of someone—child or adult—who

is ready to become an “official” member of Christ’s Church, now

would be an appropriate time. Anyone considering infant

baptism, would need to have both parents and godparents

attend a pre-baptismal counseling session, while adults being

baptized are asked to have their sponsors attend with them. The pre-baptismal counseling

session will be Saturday morning April 4 at 10:00 a.m. Please contact Fr. Michel for more

information, or to schedule a place in the class.

Holy Week and Easter Services

Monday, March 30

7 p.m. Holy Eucharist,

Hallam Chapel Tuesday, March 31

7 p.m. Holy Eucharist,

Hallam Chapel Wednesday, April 1

9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist,

Hallam Chapel

7 p.m. Tenebrae,

Hallam Chapel Thursday, April 2

(Maundy Thursday)

7 p.m. Holy Eucharist with

Footwashing and

Stripping of the Altar, Church

Friday, April 3 (Good Friday)

Parish Office Closed

Noon—3 p.m. Seven Last Words, Church

Presented by the Greater New London

Clergy Association

7 p.m. Good Friday Liturgy,

with Veneration of the Cross, Church Saturday, April 4(Easter Vigil)

8 p.m. Easter Vigil including Holy Baptism

(with incense), Church

Reminder: Bring bells to the Easter Vigil Service. Sunday, April 5t (Easter Day)

8 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Church

10 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Church

11:15 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt, Parlor

5 p.m. Holy Eucharist, Church Monday, April 6(Easter Monday)

Parish Office Closed

Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 9

Episcopal Church Women (ECW) 134th Annual Meeting—May 7, 2015

The Ascension Day United Thank Offering

In-gathering will be on Sunday, May 17.

United Thank Offering (U.T.O.) Blue Boxes

and envelopes can be found in the

Narthex and Parish Hall. If possible,

please convert any coinage to bills or

check memo’d U.T.O. Thank you!

United Thank Offering In-gathering

Place: The Aqua Turf, Plantsville (Southington)

9:00 a.m. Registration and Coffee, Displays

10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Business Meetings, Election of Officers, Program

12:45 p.m. Luncheon

Guest Speaker: The Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton,

Episcopal Priest, Spiritual Director and Author

Reserved Seating Only—$20.00 per person.

Reservation deadline is Monday, April 20, 2015. Make checks payable to “ECW, Diocese of

CT” and mail to Patricia Chappell, 31 Parkview Road, Wallingford, CT 06492

White Envelope Program Our Community Meal program received an additional $2,000 from the 2014 White

Envelope grant Twelve round tables and a table cart have been purchased for use in the

Parish Hall, and we awaiting the arrival of a new commercial refrigerator.

Two in-diocese grant recipients have been selected for 2015. The first is the Covenant

Shelter of New London. They will use the grant monies to provide transportation for clients

to job interviews and for health care appointments.

The second recipient is the Shepherd’s Table at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in

Orange. They provide free hunch every Wednesday, and during 2013 served over 4,477

meals. The grant monies will be used to purchase food, supplies and make safety

modifications to the Shepherd’s Table entrance.

If you would like envelopes or have any questions about the White Envelope program,

please contact Jean Rogers 860.442.3066.

Page 10 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4

Mission and Outreach The Mission and Outreach Committee will hold its April meeting on Tuesday, April 21 at 5:30

p.m. in the Godly Play classroom. Please join us if you have ideas about mission and/or

outreach or would be interested in being a part of this valuable committee.

Contact Dorothy Sieburg, Chair, at 860.447.2896 for information.

Jumble Shoppe News The Jumble Shoppe is happy to receive clean, in-season clothing (men’s, women’s,

and children’s), shoes, linens of any kind, kitchen and household accessories, and

jewelry.

Just remember—storage space is limited. Please save your winter clothing until

September. The shop is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. If

you haven't been to the shop recently, please come by during those hours and see

the shop.

Remember, your donations help support the mission and ministry of St. James. We

are grateful for any volunteer time you may be able to contribute. We have some

heavy items to move and store, so volunteers with muscle strength would be

especially helpful just now. Contact Dorothy at 860.447.2896 for information.

The residents of Covenant Shelter thank you for your generosity!

Every year, during January and February, we collect coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice

boxes, and accompanying items. We’d like to express our thanks for your support of the

Annual Coffee Drive for the guests of Covenant Shelter.

As you’ll see, we exceeded some items this year (i.e., coffee at 55 pounds this year versus 39

pounds last year), while some items were significantly lower ( i.e., sugar at 6 pounds versus

25 pounds). All in all, however, we had a successful collection.

This year we donated:

55 pounds of coffee

2,934 tea bags

246 packets of cocoa/hot chocolate

6 pounds of sugar

24 pounds of coffee creamer

283 juice boxes

1,200 packets of artificial sweetener

$25 Monetary Donations

Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 11

Annual Biking Season Kick-off, Sunday, April 12. All

motorcyclists and their friends are invited—rain or shine—to

Ocean Beach Park in New London!

The Blessing of the Bikes will be at 2:00 p.m., performed by Fr.

Michel

The New London Motorcycle Club will make a donation to

the Covenant Shelter based on the success of the event.

For more information, visit newlondonmotorcycleclub.com.

Annual Bike Blessing

Join us in ending homelessness one step at a time!

Page 12 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4

NLHS Junior Navy R.O.T.C. at work!

Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 13

The Rector, Wardens and Vestry would like to express

their special thanks to those who have recently agreed

to give a portion of their gifts back to God—making a

financial contribution to the mission and ministry of St.

James. The people listed here have completed and

submitted Pledge Cards, and were not included in the

former listing. We believe our information is correct,

however if you have submitted a pledge, and your

name was not listed here, please contact our Pledge

Secretary, Alma Peterson, at 860.442.7338.

A Very Special Thanks … Belknap, Ken

Belknap, Theo

Delancy, Brian

Delancy, Martha

Gallagher, Ed

Gallagher, Fran

Hess, Emily

Jalonski, Karen

Kydd, Nora

Larson, Diane

McLaughlin, Beatrice

Ray, Emma

Ray, William

Sage, Sharrill

Wardwell, Ivon

Wardwell, Lyn

Ysordia, Renee

Bishop’s 5K Race You can now click on a

link from the home page

of the Bishop's 5K for Kids

run/walk, www.bishops

5kforkids.org, to register

for the May 9 event.

When you register, you'll

have the option to

check a box so that

fundraising pages will be

created for you. Team

leaders can create

pages as well (see the

"Become a Fundraiser"

pages on the active.com

website). Then ask your

family and friends to visit the

pages, select the name of

the individual or team from

the drop-down list, and

make a donation to support

your efforts to help kids at

risk!

The event takes place at

Webster Hill School, West

Hartford.

Volunteer Opportunities EARLY RISERS NEEDED to help pick up bread for the Lord's Pantry on Tuesdays once a month

at 4:30 a.m. If we do not get more volunteers this month, we will have to end the bread

program starting in May. Contact Dan Ivey at danivey@live.com or 860.326.8026 if you can

help with this crucial Outreach ministry.

KITCHEN HELPERS to assist our Chef, Fred Smith with the monthly Parish Brunches the second

Sunday of each month. No prior cooking experience required and summers off. For

Page 14 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4

Pledge Envelopes

Each year, we offer those who pledge a set

of envelopes. These make it easy for

pledgers to stay current with their pledge

(each envelope comes with a date on it).

They help St. James track pledge

payments, so that we can issue a

statement declaring the amount you’ve

donated to the Church (an Internal

Revenue Service requirement for any

donation over $250, to legally deduct your

donation—if you qualify—from your income

tax returns). So, they keep us all “on track.”

In each box, there are three “special”

envelopes. The first is a “Birthday”

envelope, to make a donation to St. James

honoring your birth (might I suggest $1 for

each year of your life?). The second is for St.

James Day (July 25) when you celebrate the

Feast Day of St. James, for whom our

Church is named. And the third enables

you to offer something for our Parish

Anniversary (September 26), the founding

date of St. James in 1725. Must you give?

No. Will you? That’s a question only you

can answer!

By the way, a set of envelopes is available

to non-pledgers as well. It offers you and St.

James a way to track your giving—and then

we can send you a statement you can use

for your income tax returns as well!

Tax Credit for Pledges. Did you know that you may be able to take an itemized charitable

deduction for your pledge payments to St James? If you are pledging, you receive

quarterly statements of your payments, along with a year-end statement for tax purposes.

If you support our Parish with cash in the offering plate, we would be happy to give you a

set of pledge envelopes for 2015 for your cash so we know who to credit. That way we can

send you a quarterly report for taxes. Please see Alma Peterson, Ron Steed, or Greg Rice for

details.

Charitable Contribution—Tax Deduction

Each Sunday (except during Lent) we adorn the Altar with flowers, light a Sanctuary

Candle, and consume bread and wine. The Altar Guild pays for these from gifts given by

members, families and friends of St. James. If you would like to assist one week, an Altar

Flower donation is $45; sanctuary candle, $5; and communion wine or communion wafer,

$10. Your donation can be made as a memorial honoring someone deceased, or as a

thank-offering to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or other special event in your life.

Contact the Parish Office or an Altar Guild member for more information.

As always, more than one person can make an offering in any given week. If you’d like

more information, speak to any member of the Altar Guild, or contact the Parish Office.

Some Giving Opportunities

Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 15

Parish Financials ST. JAMES CHURCH TREASURER’S REPORT

March 3, 2015

This report covers from January 1, 2015 through January 31, 2015.

Total Income:

Budgeted Amount: $22,958

Actual Amount: $26,305

Amount Actual is Over Budget: $3,347

The primary contributor to income overrun is Pledge Income, which is $2,576 over the

budgeted amount.

Total Expenses:

Budgeted Amount: $33,817

Actual Amount: $33,344

Amount Actual is Under Budget: $473

Net Ordinary Income:

Total Income: $26,305

Total Expenses: $33,344

Net Ordinary Income: -$7,039

Endowment Income Applied: $10,900

Net Income $3,861

Summary: Through January 31, 2015 we are $3,861 ahead of where we expected to be

based on our 2015 budget.

Investment Summary:

Balance 12/31/2014: $3,170,507

Balance 01/31/2015: $3,104,048

Total Value Change: -$66,459

Withdrawal 5%: $10,900

Change Pre-Withdrawal: -$55,559

Summary: Our pre-withdrawal investment value decreased by $55,559, about 1.7%, through

January 31, 2015. After factoring in the 5% withdrawal, our investments are down $66,459,

about 2.1% through January 31.

Respectfully submitted,

Gerald F. Miller,

Treasurer

Page 16 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4 Non-Profit Organization

U.S. Postage Paid

New London, CT 06320

Permit No. 236

St. James Episcopal Church

76 Federal Street

New London, CT 06320-6601

Postmaster: Time Sensitive Material, please deliver immediately.

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED.

He is Risen