A PUBLICATION OF THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF PITTSBURGH • VOL. 36, NO. 1
In This Issue... Local Outreach Efforts from St. Thomas in the Fields Page 4
Rebirth of a Church in Canonsburg Page 12
A Guide to the New Diocesan Website Page 20
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O N T H E S U R E FO U N DAT I O N
A Goodly Heritage By The Most Rev. Robert Wm. Duncan, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh
Beloved in the Lord, As we move in the Year of Our Lord 2015 from the observance of the solemnities of Our Lord’s Passion, Death and Burial into the celebration of His Resurrection, Ascension and the Gift of the Holy Spirit we are mindful of events that have far less global significance, but a great deal of importance for local Christians. Just a few years ago, in 2008, we celebrated the coming of Anglican Christianity to Western Pennsylvania, observing the 250th anniversary of the first Book of Common Prayer worship service at Fort Pitt. This year we observe the 150th anniversary of the organization of the Diocese of Pittsburgh within that branch of the Catholic Church that was the Protestant Episcopal Church. Seven years ago we acted to re-align ourselves as the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh within the Anglican Church in North America, a province of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. Each of these local milestones was an aspect of the continuity we claim stretching
all the way back to Our Lord’s Incarnation and to the Apostolic Church He commissioned to preach the whole gospel to the whole world. Every Sunday points to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The central moment in all of history is Jesus’ Resurrection from the Dead. St. Paul says it so simply in Romans, chapter 10: “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” We believe this. We proclaim this. We also believe that our little celebrations must always be understood in the context of the great celebration. Twice this year we will remind ourselves about the significance of our sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) in the context of the Great Story. On the last weekend in May – May 29, 30 and 31 – we will have a series of gatherings at Thistle Hill (the Bishop’s home) in the Laurel Highlands: clergy, lay leaders, ordinary people. (Watch for details as the time nears.) Then in November we will focus the discretionary parts of Diocesan Convention on celebration of the 1865 story, including the Convention Eucharist and Friday night banquet on November 6 open to all. Symbols and seals are designed to remind us of who we are and how we got here. Opposite is the rendering of a seal we are commencing to use in this Year of Our Lord 2015. It is dominated by a cross whose center is light radiating into darkness, a cross whose outer arms suggest movement in every direction. The seal also bears three significant dates, and the simple motto: “Famous for God.” May this design always remind us of who we are and whose we are, of the lesser story and of the Great Story. n Faithfully in Christ,
Bishop, Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh Archbishop Emeritus, Anglican Church in North America
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TRINITY The Most Rev. Robert Wm. Duncan, Archbishop and Bishop
In This Issue... On the Cover: Deacon Marybeth Carey attends Archbishop Duncan as he and Ethan Magness, Sean Norris, Chris Klukas along with other priests ordain Charles Treichler at South Side Anglican on March 8. Photo by Will Burrows.
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4 St. Thomas in the Fields reaches out to local families through financial guidance and parenting workshops.
Christ the Redeemer in Canonsburg finds roots in the community in new ministry outreaches.
20 Learn how to navigate and use the new features on the updated Diocesan website.
Editor Ian Mikrut Design Kostilnik & Associates Graphics, Inc. Columnists Archbishop Robert Duncan Canon Mary Maggard Hays
11 • Every Congregation Engaging the Next Generation by Sharon Steinmiller
Contributors Ron Bailie Lynn Bouterse Fred Carlson and the BLTF Shaila Guiliani John Porter Sharon Steinmiller Charles Treichler David Wilson
12 • Rebirth of a Church in Canonsburg by David Wilson and Ian Mikrut
CONTACT INFORMATION
FEATURES 4 • At the Intersection of Passion, Gifts and God’s Work by Ronald J. Baillie 7 • Reaching the Unreachable by John Porter 8 • Mosaic Moves by Shaila Guiliani
15 • An Open Letter to All Diocesan Members from Lynn Bouterse 16 •ARDF: Revestida’s Story: Girls in Tanzania No Longer Forced to Wait for Education by Charles Treichler 19 • Kick-Starting the Bible Reading Engine by the BLTF, gathered by Fred Carlson 20 • The Diocesan Website’s New Look by Ian Mikrut 22 • Diocesan Calendar: April through July 2015 Clergy Milestones | Extra Mile Donors 24 • A Note on Bequests
EDITORIALS 2 • On the Sure Foundation: A Goodly Heritage The Most Rev. Robert Wm. Duncan, Archbishop and Bishop
23 • Encouraging Words: Masterpieces The Rev. Canon Mary Maggard Hays
Communications Director Ian Mikrut Phone: (412) 281-6131 Email: communications@pitanglican.org Web site: www.pitanglican.org Fax: (412) 322-4505 SUBMISSION INFORMATION TRINITY is a quarterly publication of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. Submissions for the next issue of Trinity must arrive at the diocesan offices by May 18 to be considered for publication. Documents that are not created in MS Word should be sent as text documents. Photos should be minimum 300 dpi and include photo credit when necessary. If physical photos are sent and must be returned must be accompanied by a selfaddressed, stamped envelope with proprietary information on the back of each photo.
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At the
INTERSECTION of Passion, Gifts and GOD’S WORK The Rev. Ronald J. Baillie
When I was a boy I can remember a priest saying, “Find the intersection of your passion, with your gifts and God’s work. There you will find your purpose.” I believe that is largely true not only for individuals, but for churches, too.
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ver the past few years we at St. Thomas in the Fields in Gibsonia, PA have been redefining our church mission statement. After exploring the things God has blessed at St. Thomas over the years and articulating our individual and corporate gifts of hospitality, generosity, service and fellowship, we developed this mission statement: Serving Christ and Community through Bible-based worship, fellowship and outreach. The word community was very intentional for us as we understand God calling us to serve Him best by serving the community
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in which we live. With that statement written two years ago now, we have been growing into a deeper understanding of how we live into that mission day to day as the Holy Spirit leads. Once we articulated this mission, shared it with the congregation and began to intentionally listen for the Spirit’s guidance, it wasn’t long before a couple in our congregation felt led to respond to the need they identified in our community for education and support for families with managing their finances. Glenn and
Donna Goss’ hearts were burdened by families young and old that they knew were suffering because of accumulated debt, failure to pay bills on time and generally not managing a family budget. As we talked together about this problem we began to hear stories in our congregation from people of all ages who have struggled with their finances. We heard from seniors who had spent their entire retirement fund, and with nothing to live on but social security were now moving in with their children. On the opposite end were young families burdened with credit
card debt, college loans and no savings wanting to understand the basics of family budget management. We thought that if we identified this as a need for so many in our own congregation surely there were others in the community at large who had the same need. From this need the ministry of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU) at St. Thomas Church was born. Glenn and Donna had participated in this program some years ago and found it to be truly life changing financially, but also spiritually as they came to a deeper understanding of Christian stewardship. Using Dave Ramsey’s well-developed and successful program, Glenn and Donna have co-coordinated FPU four times for the community at large reaching over eighty individuals to date. They are now joined by a young woman about to be married, Vicki Burke, who had her own financial life turned around by participating in the first FPU course at St. Thomas. She now shares what she learned with other young people, both single as well as married, who participate in the FPU program. St Thomas is also offering The Legacy Journey, which is the follow up program to FPU. The goal of this program is to continue with the basic steps of FPU and learn what it takes to build and leave a lasting family legacy to impact the Kingdom of God. These programs help families and individuals to understand God’s ways of handling money. While FPU was taking shape another person in the congregation came forward with her heart burdened by the number of teen suicides in our community in recent years. Having a son in our local high school and knowing one of the young men who had taken his own life, Mary Schnepp prayed and asked God
what she and St. Thomas could do to address a problem that is far too common in suburban America. A problem often not spoken about openly.
community are also offering Anchorpoint workshops, adding more workshops to various locations throughout our community.
As we talked and prayed about it we realized that although direct programming for teens is important, there was also a serious lack of good parenting skills among many families. But how could St. Thomas help? As we kept praying, we learned of an organization in the North Hills, Anchorpoint Ministries, and that the Chair of their Board, Cindy Gilch, is actually a St. Thomas parishioner! Anchorpoint Ministries offers a host of
Our future focus at St. Thomas is in strengthening our ministries focused on young people by enhancing our Sunday School, establishing a youth group and providing more direct programming for teens. We are also praying about local mission opportunities for St. Thomas adults and youth to work together to address an identified community need. For example, one parishioner was struck by research showing that parents living in or near the poverty line have less overall communication with their children. They read fewer books together and generally have less conversation. Praying about this, she observed the great number of children that come with their parents to our local food bank – over 500 families per week! This parishioner felt led by the Lord to create a children’s book corner at the food bank using second hand books gathered from churches and made available for loan or for kids to read while their parents are gathering food. Her vision is that our youth will work to build cabinets and shelving and with a little effort, a book corner could be up and running in short order. A simple idea that could have a real impact.
Glenn and Donna Goss’ hearts were burdened by families young and old that they knew were suffering because of accumulated debt, failure to pay bills on time and generally not managing a family budget. family support services from counseling and tutoring to workshops for parents with kids of all ages. St. Thomas began to offer a series of parenting workshops advertised throughout the community, some for parents of young children and others for parents of teens. Parishioners attended the workshops, provided snacks and beverages and interacted with other attendees from the community. The conversation that emerged in these workshops was wonderful as parents lowered their defenses and shared their issues and questions about good parenting. Now in its second year, other churches in our
“Find the intersection of your passion, with your gifts and God’s work. There you will find your purpose.” Once we articulated our own gifts for ministry and began to intentionally seek God’s will it was a very short time before our people’s hearts were burdened and indeed broken by the needs they saw around them and opportunities to serve began to abound. It never fails to amaze what God can do when He finds a heart willing to serve. n
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AFM’s vision is to birth church planting movements in the 10/40 Window, where most of the world’s unreached people groups are located
Reaching the Unreachable Grace Church partners with Anglican Frontier Missions to adopt and reach out to isolated Christians in southeastern Turkey. The Rev. John A. Porter
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any of you remember when Bishop Duncan cast his vision for the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh after realignment. The text he chose were the words of Jesus to Peter on the Sea of Galilee: “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). He challenged every congregation to stretch itself by identifying new mission fields in “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). At Grace Church we decided to ‘go long,’ which resulted in our working with Anglican Frontier Missions (AFM) to adopt an unreached people group in southeastern Turkey. Founded by The Rev. Tad de Bordenave in 1993, AFM has identified twenty-five of the people groups least-reached by the good news of Jesus. These groups all have populations of at least one million, of which typically less than one-hundredth of one percent are Christian! This means that out of a million people, fewer than twenty are counted as Christians. And these people tend to be scattered among those who are non-Christians, with no indigenous churches or organized witness. Because of isolation, remoteness and cultural or religious hostility to Christianity, the vast majority of these people have never even heard of Jesus! AFM is working to change this. Its new executive director is the Rev. Chris Royer, a former missionary in Turkey and a graduate of Trinity School for Ministry. Chris did his field education at the Church of the Ascension and was ordained to the priesthood in 2008. Here he explains AFM’s motto, “Going where the need is greatest”: “I hear so many American Christians these days say America is ‘the new mission field.’ Yes, and
no. While the nations are coming to the USA and while God calls us to reach out to them—as well as those who have grown up totally outside the church—God is still calling us to love ‘The Unseen One-Fourth,’ the roughly twenty-five percent of the world that has no access to (and does not live in geographic proximity to) churches, Bibles, dioceses, bishops or even Christians. “When people talk about the ‘unreached’ in America, are they talking about truly unreached people here (like the Arab Muslim immigrant with no true Christian contacts, living in a ghetto neighborhood with no churches within a ten-mile radius)? Or are they talking about unconverted people, who have access to the gospel, but who for some reason have chosen not to believe in Jesus? Most of the time, with the term ‘unreached’, people are talking about those who could go to church or a Christian bookstore, or turn on Christian radio, but choose not to. “But one-fourth of the world does not have this choice: they are unconverted, unreached and largely unsought-after, because they have never met a Christian, never seen a Bible (many don’t even know what it is), never seen a church, and don’t have access to TV, radio or the internet to learn about Christ. They may know about CocaCola, Apple and Toyota, but have never heard the name ‘Jesus.’ The heart and vision of AFM is to reach these truly ‘unreached’ people.” Chris reminds us that this was Saint Paul’s heart and vision as well. “It [is] my ambition to preach the gospel,” the apostle writes to the Romans, “not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on another man’s foundation, but as it is written, ‘They shall see who have never been told of him, and they shall understand who have never heard of him’” (Romans 15:20-21).
The Rev. Tad de Bordenave, founder of AFM
In light of this vast field that is, as Jesus said, “ripe for harvest” (John 4:35), it’s astounding but true that less than one percent of mission dollars are earmarked for evangelism in places where the Church is not yet established! Moreover, though “the harvest is plentiful,” “the workers are few” The Rev. Chris Royer, (Luke 10:2). Not only those who was ordained in who are equipped and willing Pittsburgh, June, 2008 to go to the truly unreached, but also those who are willing to give and pray for the gospel to reach them. Here are some ways you and your congregation can participate in the work undertaken by AFM: 1. GIVE a gift so that AFM can continue to recruit, train, and send missionaries where the need is greatest. Send donations to AFM, PO Box 18038, Richmond, VA 23226 or donate online: http://www.anglicanfrontiers.com/ donate/ 2. PRAY for AFM by signing up for our monthly e-prayer bulletin: communications@ afm-us.org. If your congregation would like to consider adopting an unreached people group to add to your corporate prayers on Sundays, call me at 412 381-6020 or email me at padreporter@hotmail.com. 3. READ about God’s heart for the nations: The Global Gospel of St. Paul and Light to the Nations: God’s Covenant with Unreached Peoples, both written by The Rev. Tad de Bordenave, are a great place to start. Contact our office to get copies. 4. COME to the AFM Mission Conference on Saturday, June 6 (9:00 am to 12:30 pm) at St. Matthew’s in Richmond, VA. To register, write us at info@afm-us.org. 5. JOIN one of our Discovery Trips this summer, sharing your faith where the Name of Christ in not yet known. n
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Mosaic
MOVES
by Shaila Guiliani
The backstory of the newest church to be added to the Diocese and an in depth look at its unique worship space in Imperial, PA.
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he vision for Mosaic was given to Pastor Elaine Storm in the fall of 2009. Although leading a church was never part of her plan for ordained ministry, it was part of God’s plan. Over the course of the next two years, the Lord revealed the vision and calling for a new church in Robinson Township. In the summer of 2011, in order to pursue God’s vision, she left her position as the Associate Rector of St. Philips Church in Moon Township. Mosaic was formed along with her family and a group of friends from St. Philips who desired to share God’s love with people living in the West Hills suburban communities of Pittsburgh. Mosaic began its journey in September of 2011 and officially launched weekly services September 30, 2012. Their mission was to invite the West Hills communities on an adventure to be restored by God’s grace, equipped by God’s Spirit and sent by God’s Son to engage the world. While the church was located in the cafeteria at Holy Trinity in Robinson, Lori Schneider was waiting for her son who was in CCD class. She overheard the worship music coming from the cafeteria. She was curious, because she loves worship music and felt led to explore. She learned about the service that Mosaic offered and decided to start attending. Since then, Lori has joined the prayer team and both of her sons help on the Audio Visual (AV) team and love the work they’re taking part in. Lori trusts in the plan that God has and feels that there are great things in store for the church.
She was a part of a church plant in Utah as well as Michigan before coming to Mosaic. “You feel more vulnerable and can see Christ move in ways you might not be able to once a church gets larger,” she said. God led the church to Imperial, PA. Several members of the congregation helped to restore the building. In only three weeks, the building was transformed and ready for worship. It’s truly amazing how what was once an old Penn Dot office has been converted to a warm, comfortable worship space equipped with the necessary tools needed to be successful in doing so. Many members of the congregation were led to become actively involved in helping the community share in the worship of God. Erin Smith, one of the youth who attends Mosaic, felt “called to go out into the community and share the word of God with others.” Erin and her family have been a part of Mosaic from the beginning. She helps her mother organize Tesserae, the children’s ministry at Mosaic. This is the area within the church that Erin is most excited to see grow.
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Mosaic has come a long way in just a few short years. In March of 2014, it became apparent that the congregation would need to move from their location in Robinson. Trisha Staible, who started attending Mosaic around this same time, noticed “a new desire within the people of Mosaic to share what God is doing in their lives.” Trisha has a lot of experience with church plants.
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Calling All Families! Study One Book of the Bible this Summer! Did you ever try a family Bible study? Sound a little scary? -- Materials for parents (or grandparents) and make it possible. Try it for 10 weeks this summer!
What book of the Bible? It’s a surprise! TBA June 1 at www.biblebee.org (and by materials arriving in the mail!)
What kind of study? You do a 20 minute lesson in your workbook 5 days a week. The workbook leads you through background information, chapter overviews, important themes, crossreferences, Greek or Hebrew word studies, and more.-- Memorize relevant verses. All ages study the same book, but workbooks are geared for different age levels. Weekly family meetings to share what has been learned, to pray, to prepare for the new week’s focus. Saturday, August 8, in Monroeville at Grace Baptist Church is the Pittsburgh regional Bible Bee where our Anglican families will be assigned.
Still hesitant? Understand that ALL materials are provided, even a Parents’ Guide… and weekly email encouragement. • Think of the side benefit of kids doing some reading and writing during the school break! • Ask another family to also sign up. It is more fun that way. • Join the fun review group that meets for games and quizzes in Sewickley. • Participating families can join for three fun fellowship evenings over the summer. • You can take it WITH YOU on vacation.
Questions? Contact Gail Macdonald of the BLTF with any and all questions! 412-269-3635 gailhmacdonald@verizon.net look around on this website for info and to sign up: www.BibleBee.org n
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Similarly, Tim Guiliani and his wife Shaila began attending Mosaic in 2013. They have noticed that a church plant really calls for the whole church body to work in ways they may have never imagined. Tim has joined the AV team at Mosaic and has learned how to operate the soundboard, lighting and slides, something he never thought he would be helping with. “You are able to feel God’s love when you walk through the doors just by the way the body has come together for this great purpose,” he said. God has also led Mosaic to support His missions in areas beyond the West Hills. Not only does Mosaic support other ministries in the Pittsburgh area, such as Choices Pregnancy Center and Focus on Renewal, Mosaic also supports missionaries around the world as they establish churches or schools and raise up leaders who are capable of reaching their own people. Some areas include South Sudan, Ethiopia, Alaska and Kenya. Through all of this, Mosaic has really lived into their vision – to be a vibrant community, open to God’s will, wherever it leads them. We cannot wait to see what God has in store for Mosaic as the congregation and its members continue to band closer together and grow. n
ENGAGE: TALK, STUDY, PRAY.
Every Congregation Engaging the Next Generation The following is a condensed version from New Wineskins Missionary Network’s bulletin, ReachOut. Pittsburgh ENGAGE Training January 24, 2015 by Sharon Steinmiller,
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he responsibility of passing on the faith to the next generation is a clear mandate from Scripture. Many of our churches eagerly wish to engage with young people but simply do not know where to start. ENGAGE is an initiative of Young Anglicans Project designed to equip and encourage ordinary, faithful believers in the pews to engage in meaningful and life-changing relationships with young people. In a day when fewer and fewer congregations can afford to hire full-time youth ministers, normal adults need to be empowered to reach young people. Every generation needs to engage the next generation, or we will quickly be in the situation in Judges 2:10, “Moreover, that whole generation was gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after them, who did not know the Lord or the work that He had done for Israel.”
The Method: Talk. Study. Pray. Many people are capable of helping young people to follow Christ but just need some encouragement and basic training in order to get started. The ENGAGE Initiative works around the simple idea of equipping older Christians to meet regularly with one or more young people to: Talk with them to get to know them and discuss matters of faith, Study the Bible, Pray together. This is a simple method of engaging young people in the faith. Yet for many, this kind of ministry has never been modeled for us, so starting out can be a little intimidating—but actually the only prerequisites are to love God, love His Word, and love people. ENGAGE starts in the Bible, with what God wants, not in youth culture. It’s not about being entertaining, it’s relational. It’s not about being able to attract a group of teens to
have a critical mass, it’s one on one. It’s not a program, there are no expenses, and people in any generation in any church can do it. 19 and 90-year-olds can both be effective in their own ways.
Plan to meet in a public place within walking distance from their house, maybe before or after another meeting or church service.
How to Make “First Contact”
Discipling is simply teaching someone to follow Jesus like you follow Jesus. Look at the example of Paul and Timothy in Acts 16: 1-3, 2 Timothy, 1: 1-5, 1 Corinthians 4:17, Phil 2:22, 1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1: 13 and 3: 14 for key principles of discipleship. Scripture is our primary source for growing in the knowledge of God. However, Bible study is incomplete unless we put it into action. God’s Word is a foundation that can withstand any storm. It’s effective for evangelizing and discipling young people—or anyone else! The way people start is how they continue. Common mistakes people make in discipling: • All talk and no Bible and prayer. It’s not just friendship and therapy. • All Bible and no relationship. • Random meeting times—they need consistent patterns, every week is best. • There’s no time limit, but an hour and a half should be plenty.
Making the initial contact is often the most difficult part. However, human beings need relationships and need to connect. And kids are desperate for adults who care for them. Their awkwardness doesn’t mean they don’t like you! They are afraid of being judged and are reacting to their own fear. So adults must be the ones to take initiative, not wait for the teenagers to initiate a relationship. Get a group of intercessors to pray for you and the teen. Talk to your rector and to the parents. Have your antennas out and see who God brings to mind. If you have no children, is there a grandchild or a friend’s child you might be able to meet with once a week? Look in your neighborhood at the local high school or store. Who shovels snow for you or sells you Girl Scout cookies? Look in your church—are there teenagers, acolytes, or children about to become teenagers? Don’t overlook people from a strong Christian background. How do you initiate a relationship with a teenager? Start conversations in whatever context you meet them. For an initial contact on the phone, you can call and say, “I was praying and God put you on my heart.” If you see them at church, you can offer to buy them a cup of coffee or ask for a movie recommendation. What was your favorite part? Express an interest in them. Express an interest in their interests. Be patient. If they don’t talk or are shy, share honestly about yourself first. If they don’t talk, share honestly about yourself first.
How to Disciple a Young Person
Young Anglicans Project is committed to helping the church reach the next generation with the good news of Jesus Christ. The simple, sustainable, doable ENGAGE model (Talk. Study. Pray.) can multiply as those discipled grow in faith and learn an easy way to disciple others. Young Anglicans Project offers oneday ENGAGE training seminars to equip adults from your parish or diocese to engage teens. Go to www.younganglicansproject. com for more information, Bible studies, and resources. n Go to www.younganglicansproject.com for info on one-day ENGAGE training, including small groups, coaching, and other resources
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Rebirth of a Church in
CANONSBU David Wilson and Ian Mikrut
St. Genevieve Polish Catholic Church, located at 120 E. College St., Canonsburg, was dedicated in 1922. Due to a steady decline in the Polish population since World War II, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh determined that Canonsburg could no longer support two Catholic parishes.
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t. Genevieve’s closed in 1993 and merged with St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. Although regular services were no longer held at St. Genevieve’s, funeral services were conducted in the sanctuary and the kitchen was used to make pierogi four times a year and to bake bread for Thanksgiving distribution. Officials of the Roman Catholic diocese agreed to lease the property at 120 E. College St., to Christ the Redeemer Anglican Parish in February 2012. The first service was held on Pentecost Sunday, May 27, 2012. The Anglican congregation had been based in the South Hills for over 60 years. It began as St. David’s Episcopal Church in 1948 in Bethel Park. It moved to Peters Township in 1950. St. David’s Episcopal Church was dissolved and transformed into St. David’s Anglican Church in 2009 soon after the Episcopal Diocese voted to realign and leave the Episcopal Church USA. It officially became the Anglican Parish of Christ the Redeemer in the South Hills
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in March 2012 as the parish was forced to leave the Peters Township property due to a Commonwealth Court decision. Moving to the Canonsburg site, however, meant a longer journey for many parishioners. Most were willing to make the change believing that this was God’s plan for them. They were warmly welcomed in the neighborhood. Honoring the traditions established at St. Genevieve’s, the pierogi makers and bakers continued their food preparations in the kitchen as before. “Bishop Zubik of the Roman Catholic Diocese and our bishop, Archbishop Bob Duncan, modeled for us what a true partnership in the gospel looks like in our region,” said Redeemer’s Senior Pastor and Rector, the Rev. Canon David Wilson. “Father Jack Batykefer and his people at St Patrick’s made that partnership a reality on the ground here in Canonsburg. We have been blessed.” After arriving in Canonsburg Canon Wilson and Deacon Rege Turocy became active in the Greater Canonsburg-Houston
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Ministerial Association (GCHMA). Christ the Redeemer hosted the 2013 ecumenical Good Friday service and provided leadership for the Light-Up Night Choir in December 2013. Deacon Turocy is a volunteer chaplain at Canonsburg Hospital. Wanting to become part of the Canonsburg community, parishioners have taken part in the July 4th community parade activities and hosted a Veterans’ day dinner. The parish has also taken leadership in conjunction with the GCHMA in supporting the police and the mayor in their response to reports of alleged Ku Klux Klan activity in Canonsburg. Redeemer purchased the former St. Genevieve property in January 2014. As the only Anglican Church in the South Hills – Canonsburg area, Redeemer created a permanent home and base of operation for outreach in and with the community.
“One of the things we struggled with when we moved here [from Peters Township], because none of us live here in the community, was how do you minister to people where you don’t live,” said Turocy. This past summer the existing congregation would meet two times a month at a potluck devoted solely to prayer in the hopes that God would provide a vision and means to attain a greater ministry plan in the area. Their prayers were answered in the form of a September 8, 2014 article in the National Catholic Reporter Online that both Wilson and Turocy happened to stumble upon independently and brought up at the same time as a possible ministry opportunity. “Only God could have led us to this, I don’t know why we would have read it but it was about the establishment of diaper banks around the country. Which I didn’t even know existed,” said Turocy. After exploring the means to undergo an effort involving diaper distribution, the need for such a ministry became even more apparent. As a mixed income area, some households in Canonsburg are selling their food stamps because diapers aren’t covered by them. Some are so desperate that disposable diapers are being washed out and reused. And, “63% of the families in
“God led us to Canonsburg for a reason,” said parishioner Jason McLean. “That reason is to proclaim the gospel in word and deed and to seek and serve all persons in Christ especially the least, the lost and the last. This is our vision, our aim and our joy.” Christ the Redeemer is honored to continue upholding the gospel in this community as a successor to the good work begun by St. Genevieve’s, but it hasn’t been without its challenges. Despite the many outreach opportunities Redeemer has participated in, creating a stronger presence amongst the existing Canonsburg community has still proven to be a challenge for the congregation. Part of that came from the move.
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this city borough, in Canonsburg, are single-parent families,” added Wilson. “More than half.” Another opportunity to minister to the community opened in the form of the Armory Youth Center just a block and half from Redeemer’s location. A Youth for Christ worker for Canonsburg envisioned using what once was a National Guard Armory as a place for the community to live, play and grow together. The hardwood floor inside has been renovated to become a basketball court and the rest of the facility will be used to fit the needs of a functioning youth center. After bringing it up with members of their congregation, Turocy and Wilson found that many were ready and willing to take both ideas head on. “So we have a group in the church that kind of sponsors and tries to do things with the Youth Center, and we have another group that is spearheading this [diaper] outreach,” said Turocy. “Those will be the main outreach for community so it’s pretty exciting.” Emily Nugent, a member of Redeemer, has led a committee of all parishioners who have prepared for diaper distributions which will be held the third Saturday of every month. As a teacher at a title 1 school where she sees a lot of need for lower income families and as a mother of young children, the cause really resonated with Nugent. “I felt called to do it as a mother,” she said. “The thought that somebody could not provide diapers for their children just broke my heart.” Donations have poured in. After researching and completing the necessary preliminary measures to become a diaper pantry,
Redeemer has collected roughly 15,000 diapers along with baby cream and wipes to distribute to the community. Big contributions have come from ANSYS in Southpointe, where the CFO of the company made donations as part of their Christmas outreach which resulted in thousands of diapers in just a week. Roman Catholic parishes, St. Patrick’s in Canonsburg and St. Peter’s in Butler, also put tags for Redeemer on their Angel Trees for Christmas which has resulted in roughly 3,500 diapers from the Catholic Church. While Parishioners have made physical donations, Nugent has also made contact with diaper organizations like Good360.org and the National Diaper Bank Network where monetary donations can be made to purchase between 400-600 diapers for just $80. Redeemer has also worked locally with the Western PA Diaper Bank. The word has also been spread in the Washington area doctor’s offices, pediatricians and hospitals to raise awareness that the extreme need for this ministry is now in place. Anyone who has a WIC or SNAP card with photo ID of the applicant and birth certificates for each receiving child are eligible to receive diapers. After two years of necessary relocation and renovation, Redeemer is poised to be an even larger presence within a community that’s ready for positive growth. “We have mission minded people who love the Lord and want to serve Him and want to reach people for Christ and help people who are less fortunate than they are and we have a cadre of people to do that. So we’re looking forward to doing just that!” said Wilson. n
Renovations to the building included installing a new sound system and screens to project services, a new grand piano and a lectern and communion rail and other necessary conversions to make it more Anglican. There were tiles broken on the roof, causing a leak in a corner above one of the beautiful stain glass windows. A specialist who happened to have the exact type of the eighty broken or missing tiles needed (which are no longer produced) was enlisted and the roof was completely restored.
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Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 Dear Friends, My name is Lynn Bouterse and I’m a member of Trinity Church in Beaver, PA. I’ve coordinated the Short-Term Ministries department of SAMS, Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders, for the last nineteen years. Does your church desire to respond to the Great Commission through team ministry but not enough people or resources are available to form a team? Have you ever wanted to participate in mission team ministry but have no idea where to begin? Do you have questions about team ministry, training or missionary service? Churches in the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh can now join with other churches in the diocese to form short-term mission teams. I’ll be coordinating a database of church members who are interested in team ministry. I’ll also maintain a list of church teams in the diocese who are looking for team members. All of this information will be available to churches looking for ministry opportunities and churches looking for members to join their established team. For example, Ron and Debbie McKeon, Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh missionaries serving with SAMS in Brazil, would like a team from their home diocese to visit them in Brazil next year. The new database will be a place for interested people from this diocese to connect with others for inclusion on that team. Teams from the diocese can travel overseas or to a location within the United States. An important component of the database will be listing church connections around the world. The Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh can provide immeasurable missionary service globally while strengthening congregational and diocesan relationships. Team members from the diocese will be required to attend short-term mission training before they depart for the mission field. I’ll be leading the first training sessions and possibly some of the teams. Certainly, new trainers and team leaders will emerge from the diocese to open opportunities for service. All you need to do is e-mail LynnBouterse@sams-usa.org and let me know how I can help your congregation. Or fill out the short inquiry online at http://www.samsusa.org/pitanglican-teams. If you have any questions, I’m happy to answers those too. I’m looking forward to this ministry and our collective opportunity to serve Jesus through short-term mission teams. n Sincerely,
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Revestida’s Story: Girls in Tanzania No Longer Forced to Wait for Education By The Rev. Charles Treichler
“I would like very much to say thank you [to ARDF’s donors] for what you are doing, not only for Tabora Diocese, but for the community at large, and for Tanzania in general.”- Bishop Elias Chakupewa, Tabora Tanzania 16 | TRINITY Easter 2015
Revestida is lucky. Many girls from rural Tanzania never make it to college—or even finish highschool. But Revestida was given the opportunity to continue her studies thanks to a special hostel for low-income families run by the Diocese of Tabora, Tanzania. Several years ago she told ARDF, “The Anglican Diocese of Tabora Girls’ Hostel is a good place to stay…During my time as a resident there, we used to have prayers every evening...The matron shared several Scripture readings and requested us to share and pray together as a family. I am who I am today because of the time and upbringing that I received while at the hostel.”
Still Waiting for Education: In rural Tanzania, the number of girls enrolled in college is far smaller than the number of boys. This is due in great part to a lack of safe housing for female students who must leave their rural villages— and the protection of their parents—to go to school. Sadly, those young women who do leave their villages face an increased risk of sexual violence, and even if they remain personally unharmed, living in unsafe conditions can inhibit their studies.
ARDF Partnership: Yet, as they waited, the Diocese of Tabora stayed busy fighting for Christ-centered social change under the leadership of their charismatic bishop, the Rt. Rev. Elias Chakupewa. And, when the Diocese approached ARDF in 2013 about finishing the much-needed project, our research showed that Tabora would be an ideal partner. The existing hostel had already housed 616 women, including Revestida. Bishop Elias Chakupewa spoke passionately about the vision for a larger hostel: “The girls’ hostel project is very important for the Diocese of Tabora. It receives girls
from villages, from very poor families who cannot take their children to the very expensive hostels in town…We can extend the existing girls’ hostel to accommodate a large number of girls who are pursuing studies at colleges in the town.” Thanks to your donations, the project was soon under way and proceeded quickly thanks to significant community buy-in, including free labor from local Anglicans. But then, just a few months later, the project was delayed again due to unexpected construction costs. It turned out that new bathrooms would be needed—just simple pit latrines, but more than the poor diocese could afford. Continued on page 18)
In response to this crisis, Anglican leaders in Tabora came up with a simple solution: they would build a safe, clean hostel where young women could live and attend local colleges under the care of a loving matron who would also teach them about Jesus. At night, a full-time security guard would make sure that the young women remained safe, so they could focus on studying math, science, and languages— not avoiding harm. But this was in 1998, and the hostel was never fully completed due to lack of funds. For the next 16 years its capacity never topped 45 girls.
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Project title: Safe Housing for Female Students: Hostel allows young women to live near their school and grow spiritually Implementer: Diocese of Tabora, Tanzania Investment: $36,318 Cost per beneficiary: $50.10 Impact Rating: Achieved n n n
Join the partnership. Transform lives. Donate online: www.anglicanaid.net Phone: 724-251-6045 Email: admin@anglicanaid.net n n n
A team of young adults from several churches in the Pittsburgh area will be running the Pittsburgh Marathon in order to raise funds for girls’ education around the world. Would you help us reach our goal? Donate now: www. anglicanaid.net/marathon 18 | TRINITY Easter 2015
What Empowerment Looks Like:
The Impact of Education:
But this time, the Diocese of Tabora refused to wait. They believed in the project, and soon they had raised enough money on their own to complete the project within the original budget!
Now young women in Tabora are receiving the benefits of higher education. Statistically they will be “healthier, participate more in the formal labor market, earn more income…and provide better healthcare and education to their children, all of which eventually improve the well-being of all individuals and lift households out of poverty” (The World Bank).
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” – Luke 4:18 Partners like this make ARDF’s model effective: There is no more powerful way to serve the poor than to empower local churches to identify and overcome local challenges with local solutions. That is why we support faithful Anglicans around the world who are already transforming lives in their own communities. These local Christians are inspired by their faith in Jesus and His message of radical grace to take huge risks on behalf of the poor, and it is our privilege to partner with them.
The hostel’s capacity has increased by 45% (to 77 girls), and is now fully rented out. The hostel is affordable, but charges enough to remain sustainable and pay for the matron and security guard. The project also resulted in 520 people growing in their faith through the Diocese’s church planting initiatives. Encouraged by their success, the Diocese plans to add a training center for young, unmarried mothers because, in Tanzania, girls who become pregnant outside of marriage are rarely allowed to continue their education. Thanks to your partnership and support, many other young women like Revestida will no longer have to wait for a quality education. Please consider continuing to support the Anglican Relief and Development Fund as we partner with local churches around the world to share the Gospel and transform lives. n
Kick-starting the Bible Reading Engine By the Biblical Literacy Task Force, gathered by Fred Carlson
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e pray our readers are enjoying and growing in Christ during their regular Bible reading. In every issue of TRINITY since early 2009, Archbishop Duncan’s Biblical Literacy Task Force has been promoting regular Bible reading, recommending Bible memorization, encouraging Bible knowledge, all leading toward a Biblical Worldview in our congregations in the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. The resources we would like to recommend this month are not to replace your regular Bible reading, but to grow the understanding and enhance the enjoyment of your Bible reading! We asked the members of the BLTF for their favorite “kick-starters” in their own Bible studies, and we received these resource recommendations ranging from commentaries to devotionals. Fred Carlson of Saint Alban’s Murrysville recommends How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding the Bible (Second Edition) by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart. “This book was recommended to me by Theresa Newell, an original member of our Task Force,” said Carlson. “This is a brilliant, necessary volume that covers all the basics of exegesis (the historical task of unearthing the original intended meanings of the scriptures and their audiences of the time), and hermeneutics (the interpretation of the ancient texts and the seeking of relevance to us today). The section on understanding the God’s-eye view of prophetic writing is indispensable.” Kurt Dudt mentions The New Bible Commentary, a 1950s volume by Francis Davidson. “This is an excellent one-volume commentary that is out-of-print, but can be found on Amazon,” said Dudt. Kurt says he reaches for this often in his preparation for his weekly Bible lessons that have a worldwide audience on the internet from Harvest Anglican in Homer City. Allie Overly mentions the Rt. Rev. Thaddeus Barnum’s work Real Identity:
Where Bible and Life Meet. Barnum leads readers through engaging devotional reflections. “In each four-page reading, Barnum artfully connects the truth of the biblical story to his own (and ours), revealing and modeling the way of an authentic disciple,” said Overly. “For those who are tired of a superficial belief in God and the Bible, this honest book shines the light of Scripture upon a well-worn path, for all disciples who would be real.”
Archbishop Duncan also endorsed Real Identity. “Thad Barnum challenges us to congruity between the outside and the inside, between what we seem to be and what we actually are, between the mind and the heart,” said Archbishop Duncan. “He also shows us how it is the Bible that lights our path, with God’s spirit making these connections in our lives. What happens when disciples are challenged by great adversity or hidden temptation? Do we walk the talk then? Or was it just talk? The church might be strengthened by wide distribution of Real Identity.” Sally Moury and Gladys Hunt Mason recommend a book used by the Rev. Karl Petterson, of Transfiguration, Clairton: The Joshua Code by O.S. Hawkins. It offers 52 verses to memorize, one a week, with a devotional study. “Scripture memorization isn’t easy,” said Moury. Hawkins solves that problem perfectly in this volume. The subtitle is “52 Scripture Verses Every Believer Should Know,” and Hawkins provides a “bite-sized” but crucial passage — usually a single verse — for readers to memorize each
week for an entire year. He also explains the significance of the passage so it will sink into your heart and mind. “For a one volume commentary we like the New Bible Commentary, 21st Century Edition from IVP,” said Peter Moore and Rod Whitacre of Trinity School for Ministry. “This is a new edition published within 10 years of the last one ‘for the 21st Century’, edited by Gordon Wenham and others. We also note that the excellent Keil and Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary is available free on a number of websites, since it is in public domain.” Bible study leaders and readers should also be encouraged by the list of resources included in our 12-page Bible Teaching Training Guide created by the BLTF last spring and sent out to the parishes of the Diocese. Difficult texts (and Bible study students!) can challenge leaders, so a go-to accessible body of resources is important for constructing a broad background to lead and grow our Bible readers as the Holy Spirit works in their Bible time. If you want your own free copy of the “Leading Adult Bible Study in Your Church: Starting, Growing, Keeping, Lasting: A Guidebook for Lay Bible Teachers in the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh” please contact Fred Carlson of the BLTF at fred@carlsonstudio.com or 412.856.0982. The BLTF is pleased to announce that our second BLTF Bible Teaching Training Day, for lay adult Bible study leaders, all Bible readers, and clergy alike will be Saturday May 30, 2015 at Saint Alban’s Anglican, Murrysville, PA from 8am to noon. There is no charge for this event, but please contact Fred to register by May 28. And don’t forget what noted Anglican theologian John Stott says, “The best Bible study is when believers are in community reading together.” n
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New Diocesan Website!
Welcome to the new website for the Diocese! We hope you are finding it not only easy to use, but enjoyable to visit as well. I wanted to take the opportunity to explain some new features as well as highlight where to find certain documents, information, etc. Top tabs: Here you will see a “Give” option which directs you to our PayPal account if you’re looking to make a donation. The “Time & Directions” button displays our Google Maps location, address and office hours when highlighted. There is also a general search button to the right of that if you’re looking for a particular page, document or piece of information. Above the large banner sliders are the main navigation tabs for the website. “Home” takes you back to the page you see pictured here. “Who We Are” takes you to our Identity, Vision and Mission, History, Congregations (list of names and locations in a Google
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Map of all the congregations in the Diocese), Diocesan Staff (with individual contacts and biographies) and Leadership Bodies subpages.
convenience. There is also a subpage specifically for the information and necessary documents concerning the Ordination Process.
“Mission Partners” takes you to a page displaying graphics of the many groups the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh works with and promotes “to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ in Southwestern Pennsylvania and around the world” with links to each individual organization’s personal page.
The “News” tabs directs you to the various blogs, photo galleries and TRINITY magazine information available on the website. Here you can subscribe to our blogs: “Transforming Lives, Communities and the Nations” (the latest news and announcements) or “Pittsburgh Advance” (Canon Mary’s weekly blog igniting Anglican leadership). Photo galleries of recently covered events will be uploaded and 2014 issues of TRINITY have been made available for download (including this one!).
The “Documents & Resources” tab take you to a page providing the necessary documents, forms and resources provided by the Diocese. All have been listed in alphabetical order for
To the left of the bottom of the home page under “Latest News & Announcements” is the live feed of the most recent posts to the “Transforming Lives, Communities and the Nations” blog. All blog posts will be accessible through the “view all posts” link. On the top right you can access the Latest Sermon electronically. Right now our featured Sermon Series is from the January Engage Training Seminar. Congregation Leaders: you are welcome to share your sermons to be published on the Diocesan Website. Again, all Sermons will be accessible as more and more are uploaded. Below the Sermon Box is the Diocesan Calendar. “View All” to get a comprehensive look at the
next few months of Diocesan activity and events. Finally on the bottom half of the page you will find our latest Tweet as well as social icons to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. If you haven’t already, check out the Diocesan presence on both of those platforms. Our new website was developed through a partnership with Church Plant Media, who have been building websites for churches, missions and other gospel-oriented organizations since 1998. Congregation and organization leaders, if you’re looking for a website update I’d highly recommend
Church Plant Media. They were very responsive, fast and the platform is very easy to work through for those who are less tech savvy. There are also plenty of guides in their help center. Check out their website for more information at churchplantmedia.com So that’s a basic rundown of what the new website has to offer. I hope you are as excited about it as we are and the potential there to continue to grow in Diocesan communications. Have any questions? Suggestions? Still confused? Please feel free to direct any questions my way at mikrut@pitanglican.org or by calling 412.281.6131 x135. n
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Diocesan Calendar April through July 2015 Bishop’s Schedule/Clergy Gatherings April o April N 1 4 5 6-14 15 19 26 29
Clergy Gatherings Holy Wednesday Easter Vigil Easter Day FAMILY TIME Wednesday 3 Easter 4 Easter Wednesday
Trinity School for Ministry Grace, Edgeworth St. Peter’s, Butler Harvest Anglican, Homer City Christ Church, Brownsville Morgantown Anglican, Morgantown, WV (PM) Prince of Peace, Hopewell Twp. Christ Church, New Brighton
May 3 5 9-10 12 12 14 14 17 19 21 24 31
5 Easter 3:00-5:00 pm 6 Easter 8:30-10:30 am 1:00-3:00 pm 8:30-10:30 am 8:30-10:30 am 7 Easter 1:00-3:00 pm 8:30-10:30 am Pentecost Trinity Sunday
St. Mary’s, Charleroi (AM) Transfiguration, Clairton (PM) City Gathering, Ascension, Oakland St. Stephen’s, Sewickley Sewickley Gathering, St. Stephen’s Church Cranberry Gathering, All Saints Church Charleroi Gathering, St. Mary’s Church City Gathering, Diocesan Office Ascension, Oakland Ligonier Gathering, Bethlen Home Ambridge Gathering, Trinity Seminary Christ Church, Fox Chapel Trinity, Washington
Tues. – Thurs. Saturday Proper 5 Proper 6 Tuesday Proper 7 Provincial Council Proper 8
Ordinand’s Retreat Diaconal Ordinations Christ’s Church, Greensburg (AM) Jonah’s Call, East End - PM Redeemer, Nashville St. John’s, Franklin - PM Bedford Anglican Church Epiphany, Ligonier & College of Bishops, Vancouver St. Peter’s, Uniontown
June 2-4 6 7 14 16 21 22-28 28
July
12 Proper 10
Good Shepherd, Harrisburg
Extra Mile Donors Steve & Sissy Alter Ralph K. & Frances A. Barclay, Jr. Pete & Jan Beccari Ken & Ramona Belgie Ken Bennett James & Norma Bond The Rev. Philip & Sylvia Bottomley Dr. Douglas Bowers Ray & Ellie Brannigan Kimberly Brant Mr. & Mrs. Robert Broadbent Mr. & Mrs. J. Budnik The Rev. Don & Kathy Bushyager Fred & Nancy Carlson James & Kay Catlos The Rev. Jim Chester Christ Episcopal Church, New Brighton Christ Our Hope Anglican Church, Natrona Heights Ed & Marguerite Cleis Warren M. Cochran Community of Celebration David & Diane Condron William & Mary Jane Cook Sam & Cindy Cooper John & Anita Coulter The Rev. & Mrs. Robert P. Coval The Rev. Dr. Daniel Crawford The Rev. John T. Cruikshank & Mary Cruikshank Jim & Lynn Cunningham Vaughn Dailey John Danchek Roger & Marilou Daniels Stella M. DeLess Liz Delgado Bob Devlin Thomas P. Di Santo Frank & Michelle Domeisen Angelo R. Dorazio Patricia Douglas Abp. Robert & Mrs. Nara Duncan James & Dayle Eckenrode Diane & David Edelstein Garnet Eicher-Smith Richard B. Elias Dorothy Fink Robert & Dorothy Fleming James & Georgette Forney Robert C. Fulton
Lorraine Furnier G. Gray Garland The Rev. Bruce & Deacon Karen Geary Stephen A. George Karen Getz William Gorman Leslie A. Goss Frank Grasha Wm. T. Green, Jr. Ms. Jane P. Griffin Barbara Harman Laurine K. Herman Bill & Deacon Joanne Hetrick Jane & Larry Hitchins Elizabeth & Worth Hobbs John & Coleen Hofschner Holy Innocents Anglican Church, Leechburg The Rev. Ira Houck Incarnation Church, Pittsburgh Joel & Karen Jeanson Bob & Lynn Jessup John & Karen Kapel John & Diane Kaufmann Mr. & Mrs. John W. Kearns, Jr. David R. Klitz Michael Shiner & Amy Kreithen Deacon Wade Lawrence Mrs. Elsie Y. Lewis Daniel & Barbara Lujetic Rosemary Lyon The Rev. Canon Dr. & Mrs. John A. Macdonald William H. Mallinson Dr. & Mrs. Wm. H. Marchl Deacon Greg McBrayer Howard and Ruth McClellan The Rev. & Mrs. R.H. McGinnis George & Bev McKee Robert & Anne McMarlin John Miles Bill & Nancy Mills Lt. Col. MG & Mary Moody Mrs. Ruth Ann Morgan Theresa G. Morgan Charlene Moskala Sally & Andy Moury Mr. & Mrs. David M. Nehilla Stephen & Peggy Noll North Hills Anglican Fellowship, North Hills Joseph & Nancy Norton George & Martha Ory Agnes Pangburn The Rev. Dr. Ann Paton Jane & Kevin Patterson The Rev. Langdon Pegram, MD
Mrs. Nick S. Petkovich Nadine Plummer Jane Caroline Pool Dale & Wendy Poole Carole Popp Annetta L. Pozzuto Mr. Richard & Dr. Margaret Prather Robert Pratt Prince of Peace, Hopewell Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Preniczky Donald & Deborah Pungitore Chuck & Kathie Rankin Ms. Elaine D. Read Mr. Shawn P. Reed Paul & Robert Reft Mary Lou Reynolds Ms. Lois Richards Bill & Linda Roemer Brad Root Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Rugaber Jack E. Russell Yong Say Tan Savani Shepherd’s Heart, Uptown W. Todd & Maria Shields Terry & Nicole Shirk Gail & Stuart Simpson L. Darlene Simpson Mrs. P. Slavishak Carolyn Smail Jeff & Lee Smead Donald, Jaqueline & Erica Smith The Rev. Michael C. Smith Pauline Smouse Ms. Veronica M. Snyder Rick & Pam Sorisio St. Martin’s Anglican Church, Monroeville St. Thomas Church in the Fields, Gibsonia James H. Sterrett Walter Stone Emily Swan Brian & Judith Taylor Isabella Thompson Fred Threlfall The Rev. Andrew J. Tibus Kirk & Lorinda Troxler Richard & Sue Ullery Cynthia Waisner Anne Walker Julie Weikert Sherman White Edward Williams Margaret Williams Judy & Ron Yadrick Beth Zwetsloot
Clergy Milestones The following clergy transferred to the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others on November 22, 2014: The Rev. Victor Scott Schreffler, The Rev. Dr. James Walter Mariner, The Rev. Bradley Allen Taylor, Deacon Martha MacGregor, Deacon Nancy Langley Mowry, Deacon Sylvia Anne Jenkins Lamon. n The Rev. Gary D. Miller retired on November 23, 2014. He served as rector at Holy Innocents, Leechburg. n Lauren Mara Scharf and William “Biff” Everett Carpenter were ordained to the transitional diaconate at St. Stephen’s, Sewickley on December 13, 2014. n Joseph Gerald Gasbarre was ordained to the priesthood at Somerset Anglican Fellowship, Somerset on December 14, 2014.
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n The Rev. Dr. Rodney Whitacre retired from his position as Professor of Biblical Studies at Trinity School for Ministry on February 1, 2015. n The Rev. John Strachovsky began serving as vicar at North Hills Anglican Fellowship in February 8, 2015. n The Rev. Charles Treichler was ordained to the priesthood on February 8, 2015 by Bishop Robert Duncan. n The Rev. Amanda Goin Burgess began serving as Pastor of Community Care at Christ Church, Overland Park, KS on March 1, 2015.
ENCOURAGING WORDS
Masterpieces By The Rev. Canon Mary Maggard Hays, Canon to the Ordinary
It was a masterpiece. In a large living room near my parents’ home, we were captivated. Three Julliard students played Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor Opus 50. Tchaikovsky wrote the piece in memory of his close friend and mentor, pianist Nikolai Rubenstein.
B
efore they began playing, each of the musicians gave a brief word about why the group had chosen this particular work. “It is quite challenging technically, as well as emotionally,” one of them said. “It lasts about an hour,” another explained with twinkling eyes, “and it includes so many different moods.” The third explained how the piece reflected Tchaikovsky’s deep love for his friend: both his delight in their companionship and joy, and his deep sorrow at his death. And then they played. We watched pianist, violinist, and cellist become a musical unit, even though no “timing cues” were exchanged. As we listened, we were captivated by the immense technical skill and the intense emotion of their performance. We experienced a masterpiece – or actually several masterpieces that night: the skilled playing of the trio, the extraordinary composition of Tchaikovsky, and the deeply
You have been and continue to be God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works... inspiring friendship between Tchaikovsky and Rubenstein. A few days later, I sat in church and listened to the epistle reading from Ephesians: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works that no one should boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. That night, I sat on my parents’ porch and watched how the sun played on the deep green leaves of swaying palms and live oaks, splashing them with light. “How could I ever paint that?” I thought as I watched the light playing on the shiny leaves. I breathed in the intoxicating perfume of orange blossoms as the clouds began to turn purple and pink and gold in the setting sun. What a masterpiece! And you are, too. A masterpiece. A masterpiece, created by God, and as extravagantly beautiful as a concert or a sunset. That’s what Paul says. When he says we are God’s workmanship or handiwork, he uses the Greek word poiema. (We get the word poem from it.) As we allow God to love on and shine through us, we demonstrate God’s artistry to anyone who has eyes to see or ears to hear something of His character.
Many of you don’t think you are masterpieces, because you are ordinary people doing ordinary things. You don’t see the ways that God’s love shines through you, opening others more fully to God’s love. I wonder – if one of the instruments became aware of itself, would it be aware when it was playing a masterpiece? Would it somehow sense the artistry of the one who was playing it? Or would it only be aware of being a piano, a violin, a cello? This week, as I reflected on Paul’s words and considered God’s handiwork in the concert and in His creation, I thought of you. Lots of individual faces and voices came to mind. You, individually and in groups, have shown me new things about God’s character, about His love and power. Most of you probably had no idea that you were “showing off” God’s character when you talked with me after a service or welcomed me to a meeting or worshipped wholeheartedly on a Sunday morning. But you were. You have been and continue to be God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works – good works that have blessed and shaped me. Masterpieces! n
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e strongly recommend that anyone who has included a bequest to the Diocese, a parish, or any related ministry, take the time to review the description in their Will or Trust to ensure that the intended beneficiary is clearly identified. In particular, organizations whose identity was unambiguous before realignment may require further clarification now. Make sure your bequest is received by those for whom it is intended. Assistance can be had from the Chancellor through the Diocesan Office if needed. Contact The Rev. Don Bushyager: bushyager@pitanglican.org or 412 281-6131 ext. 151 for additional information. n
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