the
Church
News
November / December 2013 The newspaper of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas
Addie Lipe, pictured right, hugs a young boy at Haiti Children’s Rescue MIssion, where she traveled with a group from several congregations on a mission trip this summer. See story on page 6.
Inside this issue
4 Mollie Zachry delivers remarks at the Camp Capers New Buildings Dedication on Sunday, Oct. 20. See story on page 9.
The Elisha Leadership Initiative in College Missions
6 7 8
Haiti: Collaboration Brings Joy
The Work of World Mission 2013
Habitat Home Dedication in Lockhart
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News and Features 2 On the Bishop’s Mind: One Another 4 Elisha Leadership Initiative 6 Haiti: Collaboration Brings Joy 8 No More Helping That Hurts 9 Habitat Home Dedication in Lockhart 10 Camp Capers Buildings Dedication 10 New Acreage for Camp Capers In Every
Issue
3 From the Editor 10 Around the Circuit 12 Calendar Cover photo by Tommy Lipe. Photo of the Camp Capers facilities dedication (cover, bottom left) by Peter Polk.
the Church News is published six times a year by the Dept. of Communication Episcopal Diocese of West Texas P. O. Box 6885 San Antonio, Texas 78209 Editor: Laura Shaver Laura.Shaver@dwtx.org Deadline for news and advertising is the 15th of the month preceding publication. Periodicals Postage paid at San Antonio, TX and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Church News P.O. Box 6885 San Antonio, TX 78209
Volume 70 Number 6 November/December 2013 USPS 661-790 The Diocese of West TX is a family of 26,000+ members in 90 congregations across 60 counties and 69,000 square miles in South Central Texas. Bishop of West Texas: The Rt. Rev. Gary R. Lillibridge Bishop Suffragan: The Rt. Rev. David M. Reed The Bishop Jones Center 111 Torcido Dr. San Antonio, Texas 78209 Telephone: 210/888-8245387. FAX: 210-824-2164 general.mail@dwtx.org www.dwtx.org
Communication Department Staff: Marjorie George: editor, Reflections Magazine and ReflectionsOnline Laura Shaver: communications officer
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On the Bishop’s Mind The Rt. Rev. gary lillibridge Bishop of the Diocese
One Another
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s I write this, Congress has just avoided, for the time being, the healthcare/debt ceiling meltdown that has been front page news for several weeks. We all have been reminded, in the statements and actions which have been occurring in Washington and throughout the country, of the deep disagreements that affect this nation. You don’t have to look too far to see disagreements and poor relationships all across the globe. Recently I was discussing the Ten Commandments with a Sunday morning group, and I noted that the first four commandments have to do with our relationship with God, and the next six have to do with our relationship with one another. (They can be found in Exodus 20 and in the The Book of Common Prayer on pages 317-18 and 350, if you need a refresher). Most of life—the good times and the difficult times, times of peace and times of conflict—is directly connected with our relationships with one another. For people of faith, the way we see one another should be directly based on our relationship with God; which is in turn based upon a holy understanding of how God sees all of us. This issue of The Church News is full of stories about our relationships with one another. We have many examples in this issue, and in our ongoing life as a diocese, that we are working both with one another and for one another. Furthermore, “one another” is not limited to those who are members of the diocesan family; but all with whom we come in contact on a daily basis. Recently I was reading The Anglican Digest and came across an article entitled, Thirty “One Anothers.” The article identifies a list of “one anothers” that are involved in living a New Testament lifestyle. It makes it clear that God intends the Church to be built upon caring, giving relationships. Here’s the list: Love one another. Forgive one another. Be devoted to one another. Forbear with one another. Encourage one another. Build up one another. Don’t judge one another. Accept one another. Counsel one another. Greet one another. Wait for one another. Care for one another. Serve one another. Pray for one another. Fellowship with one another. Mutually depend on one another. Outdo one another in showing honor. Submit to one another. Rejoice with one another. Weep with one another. Stir up one another. Be hospitable to one another. Minister gifts to one another. Be clothed in humility to one another. Don’t speak evil against one another. Don’t grumble against one another. Be kind to one another. Confess your faults to one another. Bear one another’s burdens. Have the same mind toward one another. If these one anothers, these building blocks, are missing, Christianity becomes brittle formalism. The article concludes, “Seeing this list makes at least two things clear: 1) Christianity cannot be lived in isola-
tion; and 2) few of them can be fully exercised in a public assembly alone.”
From the editor
These thoughts seemed to me to serve as a good partner in a conversation about the Ten Commandments as a guide for a relationship based life – relationships with both God and with our neighbors.
Laura Shaver
As I’ve been aware of the news reports about conflict and strife in all kinds of arenas, I have been reminded that while “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord” (Isaiah 55.8); they certainly should be. Here’s a suggestion for a spiritual practice in days ahead. Take one of these 30 “one anothers” per day for the next month and pray and think about it throughout your day. Put it as a daily reminder on your phone and/or computer, or write it down on a note card that you can carry with you. At the end of a month, you will have quite an assembly of reminders, but more importantly I am confident that you will see the world around you, and the people in it, differently. Closer to how God sees them, and us. What a good way to approach the upcoming seasons of Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas. May you be blessed by knowing that for God, it always counts when we love our neighbor. And may this knowledge lead you, day by day, to abide in Christ.
Grace. Gratitude.
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llow me to try and set the scene: Bishop Reed was making his annual visit to a church in San Antonio. This is a church of young families who worship in today’s vernacular; everything they do is on screen and online. While preaching on the Gospel story of the healing of ten lepers and the return thanksgiving to Jesus from only one of the lepers, Reed said, “Gratitude in response to grace makes us gracious.” The priest of the church repeated the phrase following Reed’s sermon and asked that someone text it to him, so he could “graciously use it some other time.” At announcement time, iPhone in hand, the priest thanked the congregation for the many text messages, especially his 12-year-old son, whose text message read, “Gratitude something something, grace something something.” Everyone laughed, including the bishop. The son’s response did make me wonder, though, what word will that 12-year-old remember the most, gratitude or grace? Grace. Gratitude. Two words that I am learning should always go together. I am currently reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, as part of a preschool mom’s Bible study offered at St. David’s, San Antonio. During our first session this fall, we watched Voskamp’s promotional video for the book, in which she invited readers to take a journey with her – “to live each and every moment for what it truly is – holy, ordinary, amazing grace.”
110th Diocesan Council February 20-22, 2014 Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center San Marcos Hosted by St. Mark’s, San Marcos The Council website is up and running with all your need-to-know information.
http://council-dwtx.org
Those words resonated so deeply with me, that as soon as I was able I typed and printed them and have taped them directly in front of me at work and on the inside of my front door at home, the door I open each and every morning with one boy in my arms and the other clinging to my leg, bags in hand, ready to take on the day.
only at the table of the euCHARisteo – the table of thanksgiving.” She then asks, “Is it that simple?” Reading the same Gospel story that Bishop Reed delivered his sermon on, Voskamp notes that when the one leper returned after being healed to thank Jesus, Jesus then said, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” The leper had already been healed, but it was when he offered his thanks that he was made well. Saved. “Our very saving is associated with our gratitude,” writes Voskamp. These days everything leads back to grace for me. Grace in waking, grace in doing, grace in living, and grace in sleeping. Grace in frantic mornings, spilled milk, skinned elbows, not-ready-fast-enough dinners, and grace in kisses, tackles, prayers, and the beaming eyes of an innocent child. A very dear friend told me that each Sunday in church when she was growing up her mother would tell her right before Communion, “Go up and get your grace. You may not think you need it now, but one day you will.” Grace so freely flows, and in living the thanksgiving of that grace, all circumstances can change. We can see God in the hard things, in the times when we’d rather question his intention. We can see God in the small things, in the brightness of freshlypicked orange flowers. Grace. Gratitude. It is given, we bow down and we say thanks, and we give that grace to the many others who are in our lives each and every day. Even I may not recall Bishop Reed’s exact words that Sunday, but I am grateful for the influences and reminders around me to give thanks for grace, for those ordinary and holy moments, and to live a gracious life.
In her book, Voskamp shares her epiphany of living in Eucharisteo. The root word of Eucharisteo is charis, meaning grace, a derivative of the word chara, meaning joy. Voskamp writes, “Deep chara joy is found
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Featured News
Elisha Leadership Initiative
| By Laura Shaver
O
ne of Greg Richards’ favorite Bible stories is that of the prophet Elisha told in 2Kings, chapter six. In the story Elisha prays that his servant will be able to see what apparently only Elisha can – God’s army encompassing the enemy’s army, which has surrounded them with horses and chariots of fire. The idea of faithful followers of Christ opening the eyes of other followers appeals to Richards, who is director of College Missions for the Diocese of West Texas. “We need leaders who can see faithfully like Elisha, especially in College Missions,” said Richards. That insight has led to an effort to raise up young, dynamic leaders in the diocese, and the Department of College Missions has established the 10-month Elisha Leadership Initiative (ELI), an intensive internship program with three primary parts: individual development, church ministry engagement, and outreach. Three recent college graduates and one college senior are taking part during the inaugural year of the program, which is a “natural extension of doing College Missions well,” said Richards.
Photos submitted by Greg Richards.
Richards knew that many churches across the Diocese of West Texas could benefit from youth leaders, and he knew raising up leaders within the diocese was vital. He began questioning how College Missions could best facilitate this, and after a few years of research and discernment, Richards began to piece together the ELI internship. The participants engage in youth or church ministry for an academic year, while also taking leadership roles in College Missions programs.
“We need leaders who can see faithfully like Elisha, especially in College Missions.” “The hardest thing about doing youth ministry is doing it alone,” said Richards. “I knew it would be beneficial for the interns to take on their ministries as a group, encouraging and supporting each other while living together in community.” 4
www.dwtx.org
Joe Sanchez, Tyler Cantebury, Sam Regonini, and Alex Diaz are the four interns participating in the Elisha Leadership Initiative. The picture above was taken in front of the house provided by Ed Reischling.
Each intern took part in one of the College Missions campus programs while he or she was attending school. College Missions has active programs on the campuses of Trinity University, St. Mary’s University, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and the University of the Incarnate Word. The interns devote 19 hours a week to the ELI program and are paid in part by the church in which they are learning ministry and in part by the Department of College Missions. They earn $1,000 per month and are provided a place to live. In this first year of the program, the interns are all working in San Antonio at St. David’s, Grace Church, and St. Luke’s. “We are in our pilot year, so plans are developing still,” said Richards. “Our longterm goal is to help the smaller churches with part-time youth ministry.” However, in the larger churches this first year, staff members are mentoring the interns, and the interns are grateful for the wisdom the experienced staff imparts.
Sam Regonini graduated this past May from St. Mary’s with a degree in economics and philosophy. During his undergraduate years, Regonini was very involved in The Bridge, the on-campus weekly praise and worship group led by the Department of College Missions, which is now in its seventh year. Regonini is serving at St. David’s, San Antonio, as a youth ministry intern for the ELI program. “It is a pretty big learning curve,” said Regonini. “It is good to be with Sarah [Kates] who has experience. The mentoring is a great thing about the ELI program.” Along with Kates, the director of children, youth, and family ministries at St. David’s, Regonini leads the high school youth group, which this year has 20 or more participants. Regonini did not grow up in the Dicoese of West Texas, but by being an active participant in The Bridge while at St. Mary’s, he has made strong diocesan connections. “The Bridge was a big part of my life, and it helped me get to various places to serve,
such as Camp Capers and on a summer mission trip to Uganda,” said Regonini. He also served on the Family Camp staff at Mustang Island Conference Center this past summer. Joe Sanchez recently earned a degree in theology from St. Mary’s, where he, too, was involved with The Bridge. “Through The Bridge, I found good friends and good community,” said Sanchez. He spent much of his time leading worship with his guitar. Sanchez is interning in the music department at St. Luke’s, San Antonio, where he helps lead the family-friendly contemporary worship service on Sunday mornings. “Nothing says leading worship like banging on the drum,” he said. Sanchez also takes part in youth ministry at St. Luke’s, along with fellow ELI intern Tyler Cantebury, a senior at UTSA. Both are working closely with Glenn Meschko, youth director at the parish, and are thankful for his mentorship. Regonini, Sanchez, and Cantebury all reside in a home together, which was provided to College Missions for this school year by Ed Reischling, a parishioner at Reconciliation, San Antonio. The boys are learning how to take care of a home, and divide up the day-to-day duties. Sanchez is the cleaner, including the bathrooms, while Regonini utilizes his green thumb in the backyard vegetable patch. Cantebury, along with roommate Brian Buchmeyer, is the “fix-it” guy and a good cook. “It is good to live with friends, good to work together to make sure things are right,” said Regonini.
Alex Diaz, the only female participating in the ELI program this year, is another alumni of The Bridge and of St. Mary’s, where she recently earned a degree in English Communications. She is engaged in communication ministry at Grace Church, San Antonio, where she produces the weekly e-newsletter, takes pictures at events, updates the church’s website, and is planning to film various marketing material.
The Cathedral House Gallery at the Bishop Jones Center in San Antonio presents a College Missions Art & Music Benefit Evening
Diaz lives with three other girls who have been involved in College Missions in a house provided for the ministry. One of Diaz’s roommates, Jen Gil, planned on participating in the ELI program before she accepted the part-time position of children’s and youth minister at Holy Spirit, San Antonio. Both Diaz and Gil were participants in The Bridge and The Fire (Incarnate Word) and are still helping to lead and facilitate the campus programs.
Remnants of Bezalel
Though in its early stages, the Elisha Leadership Initiative is shaping young lives as they transition from college to the real world and are learning to serve in ministry. Richards, along with Allie Melancon and Roberto Cellis, college missioners, also mentor the interns, engaging in theological conversations and providing time and space to ask questions, discern, and occasionally have some fun as well.
Music and Worship 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
“The program may look different than early visions, but we are very excited about it and what’s to come,” said Richards. The long-term goal of ELI remains to get young leaders trained and serving throughout the diocese. Housing and financial needs will shape the future of the program, so to learn more or to make a donation, visit www.dwtx.org/ college-missions or contact Richards at agoragreg@gmail. com. To learn more about the interns and ELI visit www. elishainitiative.org.
Sunday, November 17 111 Torcido Dr., 78209 Barbeque and art show by college student artists 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Donations welcome for food and drink. “See, I have chosen Bezalel, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs and to engage in all kinds of crafts.” Exodus 31:2-5
Highly Recommended...
Listen to the teachings at the various College Missions university programs. Log on to: www.vitalum.org/ feed/podcast/ Or subscribe to the Vital University Ministries podcast on your smart phones or tablets.
the Church News
november/december 2013
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Featured News
Haiti: Collaboration Brings Joy | By Laura Shaver
I
n the dozens of checked bags that collectively weighed 3,000 pounds was a basketball hoop meant to bring joy, exercise, and fellowship to orphans in Haiti. This past summer, parishioners of five different churches in the Diocese of West Texas planned and went on an international mission trip, where they completed construction projects at Haiti Children’s Rescue Mission, presented Vacation Bible School for the children, and formed incredible relationships. St. Luke’s, San Antonio, headed the trip and facilitated most of the planning, but it was the collaborative efforts to raise funds and collect supplies that made this trip happen. The relationships built while in Haiti were the catalysts for future collaboration among the congregations involved, including St. David’s and Grace Church in San Antonio; St. Alban’s, Harlingen; and St. Helena’s, Boerne. “World Mission at St. Luke’s is focusing on investing long-term in a few places, so we
Andrew Harris, member of St. Luke’s, San Antonio, and a sophomore at the University of Texas makes a young friend in Haiti.
can develop relationships and see the growth and outcomes of our involvement,” said the Rev. David Read, rector of St. Luke’s. This shift moves St. Luke’s from investing, mostly financially, in many places and many projects. St. Luke’s first sent an exploratory team to Haiti in the spring of 2013, but the church’s connection to Haiti had begun after the January 2010 earthquake that devastated the country and brought an 11-year-old injured girl to live in San Antonio with a parish family.
Photos submitted by the Rev. David Read.
The young girl, who suffered a crushed leg that required surgery, came to St. Luke’s that year and to Vacation Bible School that summer. She formed relationships with many in the church. Dr. John Leininger, a retired optometrist from Boerne, has been the driving force behind the Haiti Children’s Rescue Mission orphanage for decades, and he connected the St. Luke’s family with the young Haitian girl. Leininger also served as St. Luke’s contact for the mission trip to Haiti. Interest in the trip grew, and the five churches involved began extensive efforts to make the trip a success. Among the group that traveled to Haiti were seven high school students and six college students or recent college graduates.
The handmade basketball goal goes up for the children at Haiti Rescue Children’s Mission.
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St. Helena’s took over 150 solar-powered lights for families in the community near the orphanage in Haiti. The light-emitting
diodes (LEDs) provide light in a room for eight hours or up to three to four days and can be recharged by sunlight during the day. “There is such little infrastructure in Haiti, something we take for granted,” said Tommy Lipe, parishioner at St. Helena’s. “These lights will keep the Haitians from having to buy kerosene, which can be dangerous, and they will help eliminate the dependence on batteries for flashlights.” In a great outpouring of support by parishioners on one Sunday morning, St. Helena’s raised $3,000 to purchase the LEDs to take on the trip. Construction projects at the orphanage in Haiti were the main focus. The group built the children bunk beds, a nice playground, a basketball goal, and a swing set. It was a collaborative effort among the 33 team members to figure out how best to transport the tools and parts they would need, as well as donations of clothes and school supplies. “We all met before our departure to distribute items into checked luggage. With the 33 of us, we knew we could carry 3,000 pounds, and we maxed out our weight,” said Lipe. To raise funds for the construction supplies, St. David’s hosted a Valentine’s dinner and dance in February. Many parishioners came to enjoy dancing under white lights set up in the church’s parish hall. A few families at St. Luke’s helped their children set up a lemonade stand in front of the Green Door
warmest of welcomes. “The kids were so excited. Their arms were wide open when we got there, and they were all over us wanting to play,” said Lipe. “It was truly amazing. We knew we wanted the relationships to last, to garner as much support as we could for these children.”
Children from St. Luke’s, San Antonio, set up a lemonade stand in front of the Green Door Thrift Shop to raise money for the mission trip to Haiti.
Thrift Shop to raise money for the mission trip. “We knew not everyone could go on this trip,” said Read. “But we wanted even our youngest parishioners to feel invested and to embrace mission.” Jessica Lundgren, president of the Women of St. Luke’s, organized the lemonade stand with her two young children and close family friends with children the same ages. They purchased lemonade mix and made snicker doodle cookies using a great-grandmother’s recipe and set up a table at the shop for ten kids to manage over two weekends. “The kids had a tangible goal. They knew $250 would build a bunk bed for the children in Haiti, and they were able to tell customers exactly what they were raising money for,” said Lundgren. The lemonade stand brought in $700, enough to build two bunk beds and a single bed. Many from the community and passersby supported the cause. The children wanted to “change the world,” said Lundgren. Her daughter would call out, “My mommy is going to Haiti, and we want to build beds!” Lundgren said it was a great way to include them in the trip. “There was such beauty in their understanding of what they were doing.” Experiences on the Trip
T
he group of 30 flew to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on June 25 and then traveled to Gressier, where the orphanage is located. Trash piled in the streets, unclaimed animals roaming freely, and people walking in threadbare clothing and with bare feet were some of the first images the group saw. But all it took were the smiles on the children’s faces to make the group feel the
James King, a 16-year-old member of St. David’s, said the images of poverty resonated deeply with him. But he learned that it didn’t matter how little the children had, they were always willing to give. “Most of the time they were starving for food come meal time,” said King. “Yet, when they got their food they wanted to share it with their peers. I learned from them how little you really need to show love and how you can be deprived of so much yet still give. They were such an inspiration.” Sarah Bauml, a graduate student at the University of Texas in San Antonio and a member of St. David’s, built many relationships with the children while there and had a hard time leaving them at the end of the trip. During the trip one three-year-old orphan boy climbed onto Bauml’s lap and called her “Mama.” “That will always be a moment I treasure,” said Bauml. “The smiles, the laughter, and the joy of the children will always resonate with me.”
efficiently-run water pumps at the orphanage and light and power for about 30 nearby homes. “The collaboration with the board of the orphanage is important,” said Read. “We want to know the master plan. We have ideas, but we need to be able to seek guidance.” Lipe added, “This first step will change quite a few lives.” The team members expressed great appreciation for one another and for the various efforts of each congregation. “We were from five different churches, we hardly knew each other, but we set up group emails and got on Facebook, and we worked together,” said Lipe. “It was nice to have such support from each congregation—a full investment. We all had our different ministries, and we came together, and it worked.”
Long-term Assistance
T
he collaborative effort that formed this mission trip continued once back on Texas soil. Along with the American board of directors for the Haiti Children’s Rescue Mission, led by Leininger, the Rev. Scott Brown, rector of St. Alban’s, Harlingen, has led the effort to assess the needs and how best to help the orphanage and surrounding community. There is no power supply at the orphanage. Though they have a generator, it often breaks down and is unreliable. Without power, there is no refrigeration and 70-90 children must be fed each day, as well as the adults who work at the orphanage. With water in great need, and with Leininger’s expertise and guidance, the group decided the best way to help was to provide a more reliable power source. St. Luke’s, St. David’s, St. Alban’s, and St. Helena’s, as well as the diocesan Department of World Mission collectively donated $20,000, and the power line is currently being installed in Haiti. Soon the power source will provide refrigeration, lights, and the Church News
Media Outlets Spread the Mission Trey McCarty, youth minister at Grace Church, San Antonio, whose stage name is JFM3, produced a music video “A New Day” for HopeSound, a company he created with two friends to bring hope to people living in poverty. “A New Day” is a song about Haiti, inspired by his trip this summer. Viewers of the music video, can link to McCarty’s personal Paypal account, where donations are accepted that go directly to Haiti Rescue Children’s Center. View the video here:
www.dwtx.org/blog/a-new-day Tommy Lipe, parishioner at St. Helena’s, created a pictorial slide show that tells the story of the mission trip to Haiti this past summer. The video is on YouTube, and you can find it by going to:
http://youtu.be/4AVtYHuBjW4
More MINISTRY Stories
on the DWTX Blog
www.dwtx.org/blog november/december 2013
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Featured News
The Work of World
Mission 2013
No More Helping That Hurts By Marthe Curry, Development Director of World Mission
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classic story that’s told in mission circles is of the team that built a lovely church modeled after their own home church for their partners in a remote area of another country. After several years had passed, the team received a message, “Your roof is leaking. You need to come fix it.” The team thought they had done a good thing by constructing a place of worship, but the local congregation had no buy-in, and so they perceived that the building belonged to the foreign team, and they had no responsibility for it.
Enthusiastic participants at a VBS program in Piedras Negras, Mexico. VBS was offered at several colonias in Piedras. A program for mothers was also offered and very much enjoyed. The Diocese of West Texas supported this successful program with volunteers and funding.
By trial and error, we’ve discovered that some of our best plans and intentions harm our mission partners rather than help them by making them dependent. Just as with our own children, the more we encourage others to rely on us, the less capable and independent they become. It’s so tempting to just write a check or to fix the problem (to our thinking) rather than promote development and problem-solving skills in cooperation with our foreign partners.
Photos submitted by Marthe Curry.
Everyone has resources; sometimes they don’t recognize them or are too focused on immediate needs to discover long-term development opportunities. We are not patrons; instead we are partners, which implies working together with the people to whom we are sent. At their invitation, we help identify local resources—e.g., bees for a honey-producing micro enterprise, baking for selling sweets locally, improved farming techniques for bigger crops—and sometimes provide seed money to develop these resources.
Two members of West Texas traveled to Uganda to hold band and worship workshops for young Ugandan musicians in several locations. A young communicant participates in the Eucharist in a Costa Rican church. Members of the Diocese of West Texas enjoyed the service with him during a trip to Costa Rica for conversation with Bishop Monterroso to plan future mission initiatives in that country.
West Texas has supported a “transitional home” project in St. Petersburg, Russia, for many years. The home provides a safe Christian family environment for Russian orphans who must leave the orphanage at an early age.
The point is we must work to empower our friends in other countries to become independent and self-sustaining rather than dependent on our largesse. No more helping that hurts. Three children take a beloved pet to the West Texas veterinarian team in Honduras for treatment. West Texas has sent a vet team to Honduras for over 25 years.
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The Nebbi, Uganda, “Threads of Blessing” members pose in front of the Women’s Vocational Training Center that was built by funds from West Texas. Women from many parts of Uganda gathered for a week of worship, needle work, and celebration.
www.dwtx.org/world-mission The World Mission Department says “Thank you” for making all this and much more possible.
Habitat Home Dedication in Lockhart
| By Laura Shaver
W
ith a smile that never once faded, Regina Samilpa graciously accepted the keys to her new home at the Habitat for Humanity dedication ceremony in Lockhart on October 12. The recently-completed home is the first build in a six-year diocesan initiative to build three new Habitat homes in the Diocese of West Texas. The congregation of Emmanuel, Lockhart, served as hosts for the home build, bringing many volunteers to the construction site and facilitating the behind-the-scenes work, such as providing breakfast and lunch for all the volunteers each Saturday and Sunday during the 16-week build. “At Diocesan Council in 2012, the bishop said, ‘Let’s build a house together,’ and we did,” said Volunteer Coordinator Mike Ammerman at the dedication ceremony.
Volunteers also came from the Caldwell County and the City of Austin Habitat affiliates, local businesses and youth groups in Lockhart. Five Master Gardeners helped with the home’s landscaping. Jodi King, chairman of the Caldwell County Habitat for Humanity, said this was the first Habitat build in Lockhart. Addressing Bishop Lillibridge at the dedication ceremony, King said, “You have been more than a partner, you have been a blessing.” Several volunteers made it to the work site on multiple occasions, including Curt and Caroline Mowen, parishioners at St. Luke’s, San Antonio, who volunteered 14 out of the 16 weekends. “Regina also had an army to help,” said Pat Horne, who leads construction efforts for the Caldwell County affiliate. “Thirteen different family members joined her on the weekends, as well as some of her friends. She had a great support system.” Homes built for Habitat for Humanity are made possible only through volunteer labor and donations. Homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor into building their home and homes for others. Samilpa
Bishop Lillibridge prays a blessing over the new Habitat home for homeowner Regina Samilpa and her two daughters.
worked on her home every weekend. “I want to continue to participate wih Habitat in Caldwell County,” said Samilpa, “to continue to pay it forward and give to others.” Samilpa and her two daughters, ages 18 and 13, humbly thanked all of those gathered for the dedication. “I am a lucky recipient of this home because of you,” said Samilpa. “I give thanks to God for everything, especially for my children, the most wonderful gifts in my world. We look forward to the many memories to come in our new home.” Samilpa, whose husband died a few years ago, always believed and always told her girls that things were going to get better. The older daughter, Sabrina, was able to join her at the work site a couple of weekends during the home build. “I was so glad she was able to see the good in the world and be reaffirmed in the hope we have,” said Samilpa. “Everyone was so kind to me and my daughters. We made friends from San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, and many other places.”
“After my husband died, when I started to feel better, I knew I wanted to start living again and to give my girls a home. I knew things would get better; it was just a matter of time. If I didn’t have God in my heart, it wouldn’t be this good. We would not be here without Him,” said Samilpa. Bishop Lillibridge, who attended the dedication ceremony, acknowledged the many hours of physical labor offered by so many. “Our Habitat group cares a lot about other people,” said Lillibridge. “We have been building Habitat homes for many, many years, and this house is number one of a renewed effort, a good opportunity for our 90 churches, 27 schools, and 27,000 members.” With Samilpa and her two daughters by his side, Lillibridge prayed for God’s blessing on the home at the close of the dedication ceremony, asking God to be the family’s constant companion and to sanctify their hours of rest and of work. “Bless those who will come to this home, fill them with the gladness of your presence, and stay among us to bind us all together,” said Lillibridge.
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Photo by Laura Shaver.
With 85 people in attendance at the ceremony, Ammerman reported that 184 different volunteers worked on the home this summer. From the diocese, volunteers came from 16 different churches, and both Bishops Gary Lillibridge and David Reed helped with construction. There were 95 different Episcopal volunteers. “Now that’s what I call working together,” said Ammerman.
Around the circuit
Camp Capers Buildings Dedication by Marjorie George
Mollie Steves Zachry remembers Sunday afternoons with her grandfather – he loved opera, and he would lay on the sofa as she lay next to him on the floor, together listening to opera on the radio. His name was Albert Steves, Jr., a name and a family made recognizable in the Diocese of West Texas because of his generous gift of land near Waring that later became Camp Capers. Mollie retold the story of the gift on a Sunday afternoon many years later, as the diocese dedicated new facilities at Camp Capers on October 20. Albert had five sons whom he cherished. Mollie recalled the day they got the news toward the end of World War II that one of them, Walter, had been shot down behind enemy lines and was in a prisoner of war camp. And she remembered the joyful report, a few days later, that Walter had talked an enemy guard into stealing an airplane and the two of them were headed home. (That guard settled in San Antonio.)
Bishop Lillibridge knocks on the front door of the new Steves Hall with the crozier that once belonged to Bishop Capers.
In deepest gratefulness, Albert Steves, Jr. gave to the diocese the land that was the family’s Hill Country get-away. And the first Steves Hall got its name. On October 20, Bishop Gary Lillibridge dedicated the third iteration of Steves Hall along with two new lodges that have recently been completed. In his remarks during the dedication, Lillibridge said, “If there is one person in the diocese responsible for keeping us on track with the development of Camp Capers, it is Mollie Zachry.” Zachry credited scores of people – the dreamers, the pray-ers, the architect, the contractor, the landscaper, and the Camp Capers staff – with the success of the new facilities. “It turned out to be what the dreamers had dreamed,” she said. The new Steves Hall features a large gathering room that opens to a wrap-around porch and includes a small kitchen, restrooms, and a small meeting room. Groups that have already used the facility report that it is cozy, comfortable, and inspiring. On either side of the new building are two lodges, one with 12 rooms and the other with eight rooms. Each has two queen-sized beds, private baths, ample closet space, and a desk and chair. The two lodges will accommodate 40 overnight guests.
Photos by Marjorie George and Peter Polk.
Also added to Camp Capers during the recent renovation is a new Welcome Center with offices, a small conference room, the camp store, and a porch suitable for rocking the day away. The Health Care Center also received a complete renovation.
New Acreage for Camp Capers From Bishop Lillibridge October 2, 2013
It is one of the great honors of my episcopate to tell you that we have signed the final papers and purchased the 108 acres adjacent to Camp Capers. With the stroke of a pen, and a Godly one at that, we more than doubled the size of the 80-acre camp. This is truly a historic and significant moment in the life of the Diocese of West Texas. The new property includes over 2,000 linear feet of water frontage on the Guadalupe River. Our diocese is blessed beyond measure through all of our camping endeavors Mustang Island Conference Center, the Colorado Adventure Program at soon-tobe-named Duncan Park, and Camp Capers. The purchase of the additional acreage at Camp Capers strengthens one of the finest camping ministries in the Church.
The money for the $3 million dollar renovation was raised through a capital campaign that has been underway for two years and has been headed by Mollie Zachry. Construction on the new facilities was started in the late summer of 2012 and completed for the 2013 camping season. “The renovations,” said Lillibridge, “are the result of the involvement of many people, and it is the kind of thing that happens in this place.” He noted that the camp was named for Bishop William Theodotus Capers who died just a few years before the opening of the camp. The crosier that Lillibridge used in the dedication ceremony on October 20 had belonged to Bishop Capers. “Not very many dioceses in the Episcopal Church have what we have at Camp Capers,” said Lillibridge. “We have wonderful momentum going on all over our diocese, and Camp Capers is part of it.” The group gathered for the new buildings dedication on Oct. 20 at Camp Capers takes a hay ride over to view the new acreage.
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Summary of apportionments through October 28, 2013.
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November/December 2013
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Episcopal Diocese of West Texas P. O. Box 6885 San Antonio, TX 78209 www.dwtx.org Send address changes to The Church News, P.O. Box 6885, San Antonio, TX 78209
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calendar of events
Diocesan events november
Happening #126 Happening #126 will be held at All Saints, Corpus Christi, Friday-Sunday, November 2224. Susannah Wright is the rector. HIS Love #126 will be held at Reconciliation, Corpus Christi, Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 23-24. Register online at www.dwtx.org/events. Thanksgiving on the Island Escape to the island for a Thanksgiving to remember at Mustang Island Conference Center. A beautiful feast will follow the Holy Eucharist on Thanksgiving Day. First meal is Wednesday dinner, and the last meal is Saturday lunch. Cost is $375 (family of two), $505 (family of three), $635 (family of four), additional child is $85 and additional adult is $160. Register by calling Lynn at 361-749-1800.
110th Diocesan Council The 110th Council of the Diocese of West Texas will convene on Thursday, February 20, at the Embassy Suites Hotel Spa and Conference Center in San Marcos. St. Mark’s, San Marcos, will serve as the Council host. The Council website is up with information on the hotel (registration is open), Pre-Council meetings, speakers, nominations, and Youth in Action. A tentative agenda has also been posted. Visit the site at http://council-dwtx.org.
February
Father-Son Retreat The annual Father-Son Retreat will be held at Camp Capers, Friday-Sunday, February 7-9. The weekend will be led by the Rev. Ripp Hardaway. Boys ages six to 18 are invited to bring their dads, or other father figures. Cost is $80 per child and $120 per adult. Register at www.dwtx.org/events.
www.dwtx.org/blog
Read ministry stories from our churches in between issues of The Church News. The blog also features current news, national news, and diocesan ministry updates.
ReflectionsOnline
The diocesan spiritual formation blogsite, ReflectionsOnline offers weekly reflections and resources for your spiritual journey. www.reflections-dwtx.org “Episcopal Diocese of West Texas Bishop Jones Center” @DioceseWestTX
January
Mid Winter Retreats at Camp Capers Camp Capers holds three weekends of fun and meaningful Mid-Winter camps each January for the following age groups: grades 3-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12. Each session has a separate staff and clergy team. Cost is $135 per session. Visit www.dwtx.org/capers/mid-winter for more information and online registration.
The Diocese of West Texas Online
What can we learn from the saints? That is the topic of the fall/winter 2013 issue of Reflections, the diocesan spiritual formation magazine, due in your mailbox this week. The magazine is also online in its entirety and by individual article. You can talk to the authors, leave comments, and read additional articles. Find ReflectionsOnline at www.reflections-dwtx.org.
In addition to the honorees listed in the July/August issue, the following is from Reconciliation, San Antonio: Yvonne Walcott, in honor of her mother Winifred Curtle.
The Mother’s Day Offering benefits the Department of World Mission and honors mothers and other influential women in our lives.