Graceapostleseptember2015 by lisa richey

The Apostle monthly newsletter for

Grace Episcopal Church including the Lutherans of Christ the King 105 S Madison Street, Whiteville, NC, 28472 www.gracechrist.com T: 910.642.4784

Delane and Susan Shelley, Ruth & Johnnie B. Glass, Frank and Gean Claire Gault, Peggy Blackmon, Shirley Jo and Seth Smith Sr., Harold & Marie Hughes, Jack & Alice Babb, Lisa Richey’s mother (Edna Bearnes), Elsie Campbell’s niece (Brenda), Margaret Palmer’s father (Shep), Jacqui Lye’s husband (Michael Newton), all in war’s way, the unemployed, underemployed, and those in financial crises. A complete list of prayer requests is located in the on the bulletin board by the rector’s office.

Choir: Rehearsals start Thursday, September 10 at 6 pm. If you are interested in joining the choir, please contact Jamie Faulk or Mother Anne. Liturgical Leaders: We are in need of a few more Lectors, Lay Eucharistic Ministers, and Worship Leaders to lead Morning Prayer on Sunday mornings. Lectors need a good speaking voice, but do NOT need to be licensed or receive extensive training. Lay Eucharistic Ministers and Worship Leaders DO require training and certification from the Bishop. If you are interested in either ministry, please see Mother Anne. Christian Formation

The Wednesday night bible study group is exploring the Gospel of Mark. Please join us. For more information, see The Rev’d Gary Bauer.

September 2015

August’s Family Night Event – Gathering School Supplies: Members came together on Wednesday night, August 19th for an ice social followed by sorting and packing donated school supplies. The supplies were taken to Edgewood Elementary School. A list of supplies collected is posted on the bulletin board. “Thank you” to all who contributed. Due to set up for the yard sale, Family Night dinner and activity in September has been canceled. Please join us next month for our Oktober Fest.

Stewardship Campaign 2016 Stewardship Campaign will kick off on Sunday, September 13th with Dr. Ray Thigpen, Senior Warden and Stewardship Chairperson, delivering the message that day. The theme of this year’s campaign is “Stewardship as Thanksgiving.” Please return you completed pledge cards by Sunday, October 11 so that the vestry can prepare the 2016 budget before the Parish Annual Meeting. Please remember that every dollar counts. Centennial Celebration: Commemorative Christmas ornaments featuring a picture of the church continue to be on sale for $12. !

Food Pantry: The food pantry is nearly EMPTY…again! Currently, it is in need of everything: Treat meat/Spam, stews, chili, soups; salmon, sardines, Vienna sausages; canned pastas; spaghetti sauce with meat and dried pasta; canned pasta; cereal; green beans, sweet peas, tomatoes, corn; instant potatoes and grits; white rice and dried lima beans; canned fruit (in light or no syrup is especially helpful); pancake mix and syrup; jelly; cooking oil; sugar and flour; tea and coffee; cake mix and snacks; toilet paper, laundry soap, personal

hygiene items, and cleaning supplies. Please consider purchasing an item for the pantry when you are grocery shopping. Food cards also are appreciated. Shoe Boxes: Don’t wait for the fall; start working on your contribution to our centennial project of a 100 filled shoe boxes for the Christmas Child Project (Samaritan’s Purse). Start NOW! Please place your filled boxes in the light blue rectangular container in the Parish Hall. If you cannot full a shoe box with gifts, please consider making a donation to help with mailing costs. See Kay Horne for more instructions Church Yard Sale: Saturday, September 19. Hours 8 AM-12PM. Helpers are needed to set-up tables and items for sale on Thursday, Aug 17 at 11 AM and to help clean up after the sale on Saturday. Drop-off items accepted 15th – 17th. Just place your items on the empty tables. For more information, contact Paula Blanchard (910) 918-5862. LOOKING AHEAD Annual Meeting and Elections Annual Parish Meeting with election of new vestry members will be held October18. The meeting will be followed by a potluck lunch in the Parish Hall. A signup sheet will be posted on the bulletin board. If you are interested in running for vestry, please contact Nominating Committee persons Kay Horne, Connie Ghent or Dr. Ray Thigpen. We need people to fill three 3-year terms (1 Lutheran, 2 Episcopal). Please prayerfully consider your selections since these vestry members will be part of the leadership team who will guide Grace Church during a time without a rector. We also are seeking two delegates and one alternate to represent the parish at the Diocesan Convention in

February. If you are interested in serving as a delegate, please see Mother Anne.

Bits and pieces . . . LOST: Does this look familiar? The large round cover to a Tupperware divided tray was lost at the Centennial Celebration. Please check your dishes. If you locate it, please bring to church and contact Carol Brack. Diocesan News Deanery Meeting – St. Andrew’s On-the-Sound, Wilmington on Wednesday, October 7 at 7 PM. Refreshments and fellowship at 6:30 PM. All are welcome to attend. Topics of discussion: (1) overview of the General Convention experience, (2) a preview of the new diocesan policy on marriage, and (3) the next steps in renewing deanery life. For more information: see Bishop Skirving’s letter on the bulletin board. Commemorative Christmas ornaments featuring a picture of the church continue to be on sale for $12. Treasurer’s Report: In-House Audit of the Church Financial Records: Every year the church is required by the diocese to conduct an audit of all financial records. Committee members include: John Gardner (Chair), Tim Blackmon and Jim Blanchard. The committee completed its work August 24, reporting no deficiencies found in financial procedures. Be sure to thank them (and especially Connie Ghent!) for their hard work. A FRIENDLY PLEDGE REMINDER: While you were off enjoying your time traveling, visiting family and friends, playing golf, or soaking up rays at the beach, the church’s financial commitments and bills did NOT take a vacation. Please catch up your summer pledges.

OUR AUGUST STEWARDSHP DATE 08/02/15 08/09/15 08/16/15 08/23/15 08/30/15

ATTENDANCE

OFFERING $ 1,791.00 $ 2,097.00 $ 605.00 $ 595.00 $ 1,582.00

SPECIAL GIFTS______ Families First Cash $ 20.00 Help Mission $ 18.00 Food Pantry $ 816.89 Op. Christmas Child $ 30.00 Ornaments $ 24.00

Total

$ 6,670.00

Total

$ 908.89

Our weekly Ministry needs are $ 2,487.29

$12,436.45 5,766.45 Short

Budget needs YTD Income YTD

$ 87,055.15 $ 83,599.24

RECTOR’S RETIREMENT: As many of you know, my health has been deteriorating steadily over the past several years. I will turn sixty-five in November and, after much prayer and thought, I have decided to retire from active parish ministry. Bishop Skirving has approved my request and the Wardens and Vestry have concurred. My last Sunday at Grace and Christ the King will be the First Sunday in Advent, 29 November 2015. I have worshiped and lived among you, my dear friends, for nearly thirteen years (I interviewed here the Third Sunday of Advent 2002!). So, leaving is both sad and sweet. Any transition is filled with anxiety, frustration, melancholy, turmoil, and grief. But it is also graced by gratitude and anticipation. For me, I hope that retirement will be restorative, a time to mend and strengthen my body and spirit. I have no real plans other than enjoying being grandma for a while (although I jokingly did tell Rev’d Gary Bauer that I thought I’d become a master biscuit maker at Hardees). Eventually, I may decide to substitute at churches in the Richmond area or to take an adjunct teaching position at the local college. For now, keeping up with Luca and his soon-to-be-born sister should be more than enough. While it may be unsettling to face an immediate future without a full-time priest in place, Grace Church is blessed with many committed and talented disciples. Some of them already are at working finding substitutes for the short term; others will train to be worship leaders when clergy are not available. Worship here will continue and so will ministry. You know how to be a lay lead church for you have done it before and done it well. I have no doubt that God will continue to call forth and equip leaders from within the congregation to serve. But there is a caveat: being a mission station for God’s kingdom in the Whiteville area according to the Episcopal and Lutheran traditions will require dedicated and active participation of all our members. I leave you with this prayer for absent friends: O GOD, who art present in every place: I thank you that no space or distance can separate us from you, and that those that are absent from each other are still present with you. Have in your holy keeping the members of Grace and Christ the King from whom I will be separated. Watch over them and protect them in all anxiety, danger, and temptation, and grant that both they and I, by drawing nearer to you, may be drawn nearer to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. In His holy name, Anne+

SERVICE SCHEDULE Day/Service

Crucifer/Acolyte

Lectors

September and the first Sunday in October Usher/Greeter

Altar Guild

Fellowship of the day Jamie F

Vestry People

Alice M

Ray T Paula B

September 6 Donna T© Willie W Margaret P Connie G Pentecost 15 volunteer Ray T Susan W Ray T HE II 9:30 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sept 13 Jerome W© Bill H Peggy B Paula B Paula B Pentecost 16 volunteer Kay H Avis H Connie G H.E. 9:30 Lutheran _Stewardship Sunday _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________ Sept 20 Rev Gary B © same as Pentecost17 Connie G Alice M volunteer above Hilli H Ray T H.E. I 9:30 Jerry J ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________ Sept 27 Shari G Pentecost 18 Lisa R Lisa R© John D Connie G Lisa R John D HE II 9:30 Peggy B Shirely Jo S Alice M October 4 Pentecost 19 H.E. II 9:30

Lisa R

Ray T© Donna T

Jerome W

Margaret P Susan W

THANKS FOR FINDING A REPLACEMENT (and letting Anne & Connie know) IF YOU CANNOT SERVE YOUR SCHEDULED TIME.

Grace Episcopal Church 105 S Madison Street Whiteville NC 28472

September 2015 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

6 PM HE II 6:30 Bible study & fellowship meal

Friday

Saturday

Office Closed

Labor Day

Noon Clericus Mtg

6 pm Choir rehearsal

Office Closed

Church of the Servant, Wilmington

6 PM HE II 6:30 Bible study & fellowship meal

13 Pentecost 16

9:00 choir 9:30 Lutheran HE Stewardship Sunday Message given by Dr. Ray Thigpen

7 PM Compassionate Friends Meeting

8 AM - Noon

20 Pentecost

Yard Sale Drop off

10:30 Commission on Ministry Mtg, Kinston 11 Set up Yard Sale

Office Closed

6:30 Vestry Mtg

6 PM HE II NO evening activities

6 pm Choir rehearsal 6 pm Choir rehearsal

Office Closed

6 Pentecost 15 9:00 choir 9:30 Episcopal HE II Yard Sale Mtg. after service in Parish Hall

17 9:30 Episcopal HE I

27 Pentecost 18 9:00 choir 9:30 Episcopal HE II

6 PM HE II 6:30 Bible study & fellowship meal

30 6 PM HE II 6:30 Bible study & fellowship meal

Yard Sale