God is Good, All the Time! At Camp Capers, every gathering is begun by the Chaplain saying, “God is good” and the children answering, “All the time!” It is somewhat simplistic but it is something adults and children need to remember every minute of every day. As you read this, my family and I are observing the one-year anniversary of my eight-year-old son’s diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes. At the time, I went quickly through most of the emotions: shock, denial, anger, pity for myself, and pity for my son. I ultimately reached a place where I could say in all honesty – “God is good, all the time!” As we rushed from doctor’s office to Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin, my faith was strengthened every mile that we drove. God’s love was very much present in the kindness of the doctors, nurses, social services workers, and hospital staff. Although my whole family (my wife, daughter, son and I) spent four days huddled in a small hospital room, my son declared each passing moment to be “the best ever.” And in an odd way it was -- we were together and he was feeling better. God is good, all the time!
JULY 2016 EUCHARISTIC LECTIONARY YEAR C
SUNDAY WORSHIP 7:45 AM 9:00 AM 11:00 AM
Holy Eucharist Rite I Holy Eucharist Rite II Holy Eucharist Rite II Children’s Chapel
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 10:00 am
Adult Classes Encouragers
WEEKDAY WORSHIP 6:00 PM
Wednesday, Holy Eucharist Rite II
12:00 pm
Thursdays Holy Eucharist & Healing (Chapel)
I‘ve noticed some huge changes in all of our lives. We sit down as a family for breakfast and dinner. We watch what we are eating. We are closer to our immediate family. We are more respectful of each other. We are more patient with each other. I celebrate that God gave some people the gift of wisdom and knowledge to be doctors and nurses and researchers. These people have taken a disease that would have at one time killed my son and made it where he can live with few inconveniences. God did not choose to give Diabetes to my son. A virus may have triggered the disease or my son’s DNA may have contributed to the disease, but it wasn’t God. God does not take healthy, happy little boys and inflict disease upon them. God loves us, all the time! God is good, all the time! (continued on page 2)
(continued from page 1) When tragedy or illness invades your life, please don’t turn away from God. You can be angry at God. You can yell at God (God can handle it)! But don’t turn away from God. It is God who will get you through the difficult times. It is God who will give you comfort and strength. It is God who is good— all the time! If you turn away from God, most times you will be filled with bitterness and grief about “what God did to you.” If you continue to be in prayer with God, you will realize that God is good all the time. You will realize that miracles are happening around you every moment, even the darker moments of your life. You will realize that life is good, even though it may be changed. A few weeks ago, my son was at his first Camp Capers session. A few tears welled up in my eyes when I heard the chaplain for the week say, “God is good” and heard my son answering, “All the time!”
Father Bur
New Daughters of the King Installed Father Jeff installed Joan Petty, Millie Bennet, Debbie Agnew and Nancy Braunitzer into the Daughters of the King on June 5, as Discernment Leader, Evelyn Burns looks on.
Volunteer at Vacation Bible School Carl Luckenbach We often hear that STEWARDSHIP includes not only treasure, but also time and talent. Well, a perfect opportunity to offer your time and talent is coming up during August 1—5, 2016 at St. Barnabas Vacation Bible School. Karen Young and her volunteer staff need your help in transforming our Parish Hall into Egypt and sharing the story of Joseph from prison to palace. Available volunteer positions are: Family leaders (teachers)
Music leaders
Marketplace leaders (crafts)
Recreation leaders
All ages are welcome! Share the excitement! To learn more details and to sign up, contact Karen Young at 800 285-1012 or kyoung002@austin.rr.com.
Get ready for a mission trip to beautiful Honduras! St. Barnabas is funding a project to drill a water well in a rural village in the El Paraiso region of Honduras. The Texas Water Mission (TWM), which is responsible for the project, is inviting a mission team to go to Honduras during the drilling, and we’re starting to make plans for the trip. The trip will be from Thursday, January 19 to Thursday, January 26, 2017. We’ll stay at the Kellogg Center at Zamorano Agricultural University. The rooms are comfortable and it’s very safe. We will travel as a group to the drilling site and other places we’ll visit. The actual drilling is done by Honduran crews, but there is other work to be done at the project site. We’ll have daily devotional services and, on Sunday, we’ll attend services at the local Episcopal church. In addition to drilling the well, the TWM conducts Health and Hygiene training for people in the surrounding area. The training focusses on how to use the clean water from the well, and how to maintain good hygiene in food preparation and other daily activities. While the H&H training is going on, the TWM also holds Bible school for the children in the village and surrounding area. The mission team will see and participate in all of these activities. The TWM takes on the obligation to maintain the wells for five years. Commercially drilled wells and wells drilled by NGOs usually don’t have this follow-up. To carry out this obligation, we have a Honduran crew to test the water and repair the wells when something breaks. The mission team will also be able to see and participate in this program. We will have two pre-mission meetings in Fredericksburg, one in November and another in early January The trip will cost approximately $1,400 per person, the major portion being the air fare. You will need to have a passport. I f you are interested in going, please contact David Spencer at 830-995-2912, or Johnny Gorden at 830-285-7867. Praise the Lord! David Spencer
Troop 137 to Attend Summer Camp in Late July St. Barnabas’ Boy Scout Troop 137 will be attending summer camp July 17—23 at Buffalo Trails Scout Ranch in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. Scouts will be divided into two groups with the younger boys participating in the Introduction to Backpacking program. The older boys will hike the 65-mile Davis Mountain Trek. All Scouts will participate in several short practice hikes between now and summer camp. Boys ages 11 to 18 are invited to join in these events and in the adventures to follow! Troop 137 meets each Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:00 in the Parish Hall. Contact Scoutmaster Gayne C. Young at 830-285-1011 or Troop 137 members Barrett Young, John Fotschky, at gayne@gaynecyoung.com for details. Liam Mattes, Michael Penton, Carl Wilger on a practice hike at Pedernales State Park June 4.
May 2016 Financials St Barnabas Financials as of May 31, 2016 May 16 Monthly $ +/- BudgActuals Budget et Income 43,205 40,230 2,975 Expenses: Staff 30,415 26,685 3,730 Operating 5,101 6,449 30,691 Ministry 3,884 2,778 1,106 Apportionment 5,381 5,381 0 Total Expenses 44,781 41,293 3,488 Net Income -1,576 -1,063 -513
Jan-May YTD $ +/- Annual Actuals Budget Budget Budget 213,952 201,150 12,802 482,750 130,566 30,691 14,575 26,905 202,737 11,215
133,425 32,245 13,890 26,905 206,465 -5,315
-2,859 -1,554 685 0 -3,728 16,530
320,199 77,400 33,350 64,572 495,521 -12,771
Balance Sheet: There was a decrease of $10,532. The following is the breakdown by area: Monthly Operations -$1,575 (explained below) Moms Morning Off +$ 554 (explained below) Prepaid Pledges +$2,440 Funds -$6,866 Office relocation and Maintenance (-$2,269) Outreach Donations, (-$5,083) Significant activity from other funds was as follows: Columbarium (+$1,076), Dugat MMO Scholarship (-$256), Endowment (+$659), Rector Discretionary (-$887) Monthly Operations: Overall there was a deficit of $1,575 versus a budgeted deficit of $1,063. Close enough for the month to call it good. However, income was higher than budgeted by $2,975, while expenses were over budget by $3,488. The higher than budgeted expenses were primarily driven by an annual payment of the medical spending account for the assistant priest. The YTD balance is still positive $11,213 versus a budgeted -$5,315. Things are still looking good. MMO: MMO had a small surplus of $554. In June, expenses will be incurred with no income so the expectation will be a deficit for the month. The YTD balance is a positive $8,305.
From the Senior Warden Save these dates! September 11, 2016, October 16, 2016, and January 15, 2017! These are Sundays that we will have One Service/Meal to Follow. In September, we will bless the students and teachers for their new school year. Then in October, we will kick-off the Stewardship Campaign and finally in January we will have our Annual Parish Meeting. There were so many positive comments about our One Service/Meal on May 1 to welcome Fr. Bur and his family, that the vestry is honoring your requests……to have more One Service/Meal Sundays. Be watching in the coming weeks for construction that will expand the Columbarium. This process has been ongoing for over a year. Many thanks to the Columbarium Expansion Committee that met and made plans for this expansion. You may remember that Jack Oates, our Junior Warden, staked out for your input where the expansion will be. The coffee and donuts between and after services has been a big success. More people have been talking and visiting and getting to know one another in a lovely setting. Fr. Bur is to be thanked for getting this going! He is really full of ideas one of which is having a Newcomer’s Dinner every six weeks or so for those who may be new to the parish. Look for more information on that in the future! (continued next page)
The Hymn of the Pearl The Journey Home St. Barnabas Wisdom School is sponsoring a retreat on The Hymn of the Pearl, a text from the Acts of Thomas, written in the second or third century about the Apostle Thomas and his travels in India. St. Thomas fostered the spread of Christianity and ministered for 20 years in the southern part of India, where Christianity continues today. On the evening prior to his execution, tradition says St. Thomas received the Hymn of the Pearl, which he sang, or recited, throughout the evening. Only recently, with the discovery of the Gospel of Thomas in 1945, has the beauty and importance of this hymn been realized in the Western Stream of Christianity. It has been used and recognized for a much longer period within the Eastern Christian Communities, in their liturgy and in their teachings. During this weekend retreat, we will offer an introduction to the beauty of The Hymn of the Pearl and its relationship to our personal spiritual growth. We will be using music, image, and text to broaden our openness to the metaphors, sacred symbols, and other elements contained in the hymn. Dates:
Friday, August 19 and Saturday, August-20, 2016
Friday Evening:
St Barnabas Parish Hall, 6:00—8:30 p.m. Introduction to Hymn of the Pearl
Saturday:
Way of the Wolf Retreat Center, 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m.
Presenter:
Ron Poidevin with Facilitators: Richard Mickelson, Karen Poidevin, Tom Christofferson, and Debbie Gorden.
Registration:
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church Office, stbarnabasfbg.org, (830) 997-5762.
Fee:
$30 includes a contemporary translation for the “Hymn of the Pearl” Bring a light lunch on Saturday . Directions to Way of the Wolf will be provided Friday night.
(Continued from the previous page) A new balcony rail has been installed. Now we are “up to code” and we don’t have to worry about Hazel anymore! The Parish Hall will have some new tables soon. The vestry approved at its last meeting the sale of the old wooden tables in the Parish Hall and the purchase of new round, rectangular, and seminar tables. The new tables will be more lightweight and very sturdy. There are going to be some changes in the Sunday School Program for our youth. Fr. Jeff and Fr. Bur have shared a few of those changes with the vestry with more information to come. Sunday school teachers and potential Sunday school teachers will be excited and of course, the youth will, as well. New church directories are in the works. Fr. Bur has promised them in four weeks! You should have received a directory information form in the mail. Please fill it out and return it so that the directory will have the most complete and up-to-date information. Each and every one of you is important to St. Barnabas and its mission to serve Christ and others. You are missed when you are not present! Faithfully,
Vicki
A New Community of Hope
Class Begins This Fall What is Community of Hope? It is a lay pastoral care ministry dedicated to “creating Christian communities of lay pastoral care givers united in prayer, shaped by Benedictine spirituality and equipped for and serving in pastoral care ministries.” COH ministries at St. Barnabas include visiting the homebound as well as individuals in the hospital and nursing homes. Caregivers Community of Hope International “A School for God’s Service” are also involved with the St. Barnabas Food Ministry, providing transportation, mentoring, prison ministry, literacy programs, women’s shelter, Wounded Warriors, Meals on Wheels and American Gold Star Mothers.
What does it mean for St. Barnabas? COH provides the opportunity to learn the how's and why’s of such ministries, and to undertake them in a mutually supportive way. For many people, a level of insecurity holds them back from taking on these kinds of personal ministries. In a world marked more by isolation than connection, the skills and discernment needed to minister effectively don’t come easily. It can be difficult to love well; it really helps to know what you are doing and have others walk with you. What is “Benedictine spirituality? It is a mode of living, a “rule of life,” developed by St. Benedict in the 5th century. It offers a way towards balance, moderation and reasonableness in everyday life. It is a guide to loving others and helping ourselves stay sane. Training for COH includes 15 training modules covering such topics as Benedictine Spirituality, Theology of Pastoral Care, Listening skills, Prayer, Grief: Coping with Loss, and Pastoral Care for Seniors. Classes will begin in September and will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday or Tuesday evenings, depending on the group’s preference. How can you learn more? Pick up a brochure at the church office and contact Steve Neale at 9901497 or snealefbg@gmail.com. Or talk to these current COH caregivers: Debbie Agnew, Cindy Beeman, Bill Burns, Janice and Tom Christofferson, Sheila Dubois, Jane Good, Margaret Hawn, Marianna Lively, Richard and Cydney Mickelson, Nan Mosley, Bud Parrish, Carol Schreider, Lyda Slayton, Bernie Swanzy, Judy and Tom Taylor, Karen Welch, Morey Weldon, Pris Williams, and Sandy Wuest.
A Prayer for Our Country Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP)
M EETINGS & M INISTRIES
JULY
ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS
B IRTHDAYS
Wednesday—6 p.m. in CEB
1st
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
Sun Mon Tues Wed Fri Sat 8 p.m. in CEB Spanish Speaking Meeting Sun & Mon 6:30 p.m. in CEB Thurs, Closed Meeting (Women) 7 p.m. in CEB
3rd 4th 7th 9th 11th
AL-ANON
Monday—6:30 p.m. in CEB Friday—6:30 p.m. in CEB
12th
BELL CHOIR
Off for the summer
13th
BIBLE STUDIES
Monday—7 a.m. in Library Thursday—10 a.m. in CEB
14th 16th
BOY SCOUT TROOP 137 CHOIR Off until further notice
DAUGHTERS OF THE KING
2nd Saturday of the Month 9:30 a.m. in Sanctuary
7th 12th 14th
LIBRARY GUILD
15th 17th
MEN’S BREAKFAST
22nd 26th 27th 30th
1st Thursday of the Month 10 a.m. in the Library Thursday—7 a.m. in Parish Hall
MMO (MOM’S MORNING OFF) Resumes late August
VESTRY
3rd Monday of the Month—5 p.m. in Conference Room
WISDOM SCHOOL
Hymn of the Pearl August 19-20
Lynne Cross Martha Davis Frances Money Stella Hill Jane Elwood Rebecca Williams Luke Cowsar James Muncey Evelyn Burns Paula Provost Stephen McCrummen Pam Montandon Michael Swanzy Shelly Kothmann Asher Seracen Thea Setterbo Mike Massengale
A NNIVERSARIES
Tom & Judy Taylor Stella & Billy Hill Chris & Katharine Brundrett Jonathan & Sharla Godfrey Harvey & Elizabeth Coe Tom & Janice Christofferson Robert & Ginny Thomason Jimmy & Beth Davis Rex & Mary Lou White Morey & Bill Weldon Richard & Cydney Mickelson
Lost and Found A blue and black bag with notebooks, math flash cards, pencils and pens was left in the office. Please claim before July 15 when it will go to Goodwill.
17th 18th 19th 21st 24th 25th 26th 28th
30th
Mell Jackson, Jr. Tracy Mason Eleanor Russell Jack Daffern Cindy Scroggins Jana Neale Kristina Seracen Bostyn Woolverton Rex White Joan Harris Cydney Mickelson Bill Sadd Meridith Clements Rosamond Haertlein Carly McMahon Marilee Pankratz Morey Weldon
Happy Independence
Day
CHURCH CLERGY AND STAFF: Rector: The Rev. Jeff Hammond Assistant Rector: The Rev. Bur Dobbins Lay Pastoral Minister: Morey Weldon Clergy Associate: The Rev. Dr. Dyana Orrin Clergy Associate: The Rev. Anne Finn Clergy Associate: The Rev. Tom Luck Parish Administrator: Rachael Cole Office Assistant: Carol Schreider Youth Director: Marilee Pankratz Director of Music: Hazel Hanson Lay Ministry Coordinator: Steve Neale Mom’s Morning Off Director: Deanne Moellering Nursery Director: Madeline Clanton Housekeeper: Patty Ramirez
Return Service Requested
V A C A T IO N B IB L E S
C HOOL
◊
A UG US T 1 –5
Summer is here and “Egypt” is coming to St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. The church will be transformed into Egypt for Vacation Bible School August 1-5, 9:00 a.m. to noon. This year’s VBS kids will visit Egypt, where they will explore the life of Joseph who, with the help of God, moved from a prison cell to a palace. Kids will participate in a Bible-times marketplace, sing songs, play games, taste Egyptian snacks, create Bible-time crafts, visit Joseph in prison and then in his palace home, and collect Bible Memory Makers to remind them of God’s Word. The children will look for evidence of God all around them through something called God Sightings. There is no charge to attend VBS at St. Barnabas. It is a gift from our church to the children and grandchildren of St. Barnabas, to their friends and to the wider Fredericksburg community. Children ages four through twelve are eligible for VBS at St. Barnabas. Registration is due by July 29. Visit our website at ww.stbarnabasfbg.org to register on line. Registration forms are also available in the church office. Call (830) 997-5762 for more information.