July 2007
(410) 489-4411
16457 Old Frederick Road,
Mt. Airy, MD 21771
http://www.stpauls-poplarsprings.ang-md.org
Contents (page numbers are from paper version)
MDGs 3
August 19.......Church Picnic (details on page 3)
October 27......St. Paul’s Church Bazaar
Pastoral care is a complex topic and one that bears explanation from time to time. While visiting one member of our congregation recently, I admitted that the pastoral visits are my favorite part of being a rector. One perception of pastoral care is visiting the sick, being present when a person is dying, and offering sacrament to the shut-ins, but for me it is more than that. Pastoral care is a process of getting to know the people in this parish. When I became your rector in October of 2005, I set a goal for myself to visit every home in the parish within the first two years of my tenure here. So far I have made it to 37 families in the parish, not counting visits to hospitals. That means I have made it half way and have 35 more visits to make it through the active members of the congregation. In addition to the households in our current directory, we have five new families this year, each of which is being added to my list. There may be some who resist having the rector make a visit to their home and if I call to schedule an appointment you are free to decline, but I hope you will accept. You do not need to feed me or entertain me, I am interested in knowing more about you and that is the only purpose of the visit. I will not ask for money, a pledge of time or recruit you to a committee. I will listen to your story if you will share some of it with me.
There are practical and spiritual reasons for my project. The practical reasons are that if I am called out in the middle of the night, I will know where I am going and have less difficulty finding your residence efit from receiving reserve sacrament, please and if a crisis should occur, I am more prepared to be helpful if I know more about your individual situation. I have noticed that when entering the hospital room of a person with an injury or critical illness the sight of the priest can be either alarming or comforting. Some who are more distantly related to the parish may be frightened, thinking, “If the priest has been called, I must be in bad shape.” For those who see the priest more often and know that he or she is involved in the lives of the members of the congregation the visit is more comforting than threatening. I do respect your privacy and if you prefer to schedule a visit in the office or another location we can plan accordingly.
Being paid a half-time stipend does not mean being a half-time pastor. Pastoral care is a commitment I made in the process of becoming a priest. Being available to offer pastoral care is a commitment that I take very seriously. In order to continue regular visits with those who are seriously ill or shut-in Trudi Lawson and Nancy Landry help as Lay Eucharistic Ministers in distributing reserve sacrament. If you know of someone in the parish who would benefit from receiving reserve sacrament, please bring it to my attention.
The life of our parish should be viewed as a tree. When you look at the great oak adjacent to our church building, do you see the root system, or just the branches and leaves? The depth and breadth of the root system is bigger than the part above ground. Nurturing the roots is an essential part of the life, growth and stability for the tree—and pastoral care is, for me, a tending to the roots. Likewise, our faith is rooted in the love of God and our parish is the living branches, reaching out to the world.
The life of the parish is dynamic. What unifies us is that we are all members of one body in Christ. The mission of the church is to reconcile all persons with God. Being connected as individual members of that body means building relationships.
Ann+
This summer St. Paul’s will have an intergenerational Sunday School at 9:15, between the two morn- ing services. The theme is “Virtue in Children’s Literature.” The series is based on a graduate course I took in seminary. It was fun finding themes in the familiar children’s stories that teach the same virtues that we find in Holy Scripture.
The series began June 17 with a look at The Wizard of Oz. What moral teaching do you remember from the story? What do you think your children learn by listening to, watching the film version, or read- ing this story? For starters, here are two of my favorite lines. The first occurs after the tin Woodman, want- ing a heart, cries after stepping on a beetle, he says: “you people with hearts have something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but I have no heart so I must be very careful.” The second comes from a later sec- tion where a mark is put on Doro- thy’s head that protects her from the winged monkeys who say, “we dare not harm this girl for she is protected by the Power of Good and that is greater than the Power of Evil.”
The other stories we will examine are: Peter Pan, The Secret Garden, A Wrinkle in Time, The Trumpet of the Swan, Wise Woman, The Jungle Books, and others as time permits. Please plan to join in the fun!
Ann +
Charles (Chuck) F. Samuel, Jr., son of Mi- chele and Charles Samuel, graduated on May 19, 2007 from Johnson and Wales University, Providence RI, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Food Service Management. Chuck is manager of the new NY J&P Pizza Restaurant, Urbana, MD.
Our annual Parish Picnic will be held at the home of Landon and Dallas Reeve: 3275 Jennings Chappel Rd., August 19. It will be a pot- luck picnic with the Reeves providing napkins, plates, cups, lemonade, and iced tea. and of course, their terrific pool. Bring your own towels and favorite drinks.
Suggestion for potluck: Appetizer/salad: R-Z,
Main dish: A-H, Dessert: J-P
Sign up sheet will be in the Parish Hall in August. Note: There will be an 8:00 service at the Church. as well as one at a later time at the picnic!!
The majority of the parents of children currently enrolled in Sunday School elected the fall to begin the program. The materials will be ordered during August—so it is not too late to reserve books. The program is eight weeks. We will begin on Sept 23 with a pizza party for parents and enrolling children following the 10:30 service. The Rector will describe the books, the purpose of the study, and how to work as a family at home during the program. We will all meet together for a progress meeting midway through the program Oct 28 (about 12:30 pm). We will all celebrate the accomplishment of the students who complete the course with a festive Eucharist on Nov 18 at 10:30 a.m.
Ann+
If you would like to receive your newsletter by email as a pdf, contact newsletter editor, Leigh Anne Kippeny, leighanne.kippeny@gmail.com. Please specify if you would like to receive it in addition to a paper copy or just as an email attachment.
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development
To make a donation to ERD: 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017; www.er-d.org; 800-334-7626 x 5129.
To find additional MDG resources, visit www. e4gr.org.
To join ONE Episcopalian, visit www.episcopalchurch.org/ONE.
If these seem a bit much for one person to take on, you may want to start by reading What Can One Person Do?, by Sabina Alkire and Edmund Newell.
The MDG toolkit is posted on St. Paul’s web site: www.stpauls-poplarsprings.ang-md.org.
Those attending had an interesting day and learned a lot of Maryland History as well as seeing a beautifully restored Cathedral. We also visited Old St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, nearby. Everyone is eager to visit other points of interest. Contact Pat Marquis with your ideas.
from Linda Barnes: The St. Paul’s Bazaar will be on Saturday, October 27, 2007. We need your handmade gifts, fancy items, decorations, tree ornaments, baked goods, and candy, for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
It doesn’t take a few people for the Bazaar to be successful, it takes everyone helping and participating. So lend a hand, and help where you can to make our Bazaar a big success. If you sew, sew something. If you bake, bake something. If you knit, crochet, do counted cross-stitch or embroidery—get those needles working. So all you “crafty people” put your talent(s) to work. Does anyone know how to make candles or wreaths or baskets using pine cones? Any men do woodworking, making bird houses, bird feeders, paper napkins holders, anything made from wood? Any questions, don’t hesitate to call me. Home: (410) 747-2676, or cell phone: (443) 604-3402. Let’s all work together for a wonderful Bazaar.
Linda Barnes is collecting pull tabs for The Baltimore Shriners. The Shriners receive $0.50 per pound, which is equal to 1,450 tabs. All money is given to the Shriners Hospitals for Children, where any children with severe burns, orthopedic problems and spinal cord injuries are treated free of charge.
On the table in the parish hall there is a plastic box with a pink lid where you can leave your tabs. Only beverage can pull tabs are needed—not the large tabs from soup cans. Many thanks for your help—it is greatly appreciated.
As mentioned in the May newsletter, the Worship Committee has decided to improve the altar area by placing a smaller cross at the base of the stained glass window behind the altar. The Committee submitted three crosses for the congregation’s consideration.
The Committee decided on a cross. We now ask that members consider donations for the price of that cross, which is $1390.00.
The Worship Committee is comprised of members of the Altar Guild, the Organist, and the Rector.
Thanks to the efforts and contributions of countless people, the annual yard sale was a big success.Our profit is in the neighbor- hood of $1700. Everyone take a bow!!!
If you have something for the newsletter, please email it to leighanne.kippeny@gmail. com.
The vestry devoted Saturday June 16 to working toward a framework for discerning God’s call to us at St. Paul’s for how best to be stewards of the Parish Life Center. The Rev. Alice Jellema led the retreat. The participants worked through the five promises in the baptismal covenant, offering individual bible references for each of the promises, some personal experience related to each, and then shared with the larger group. In this exercise, the 5 promises (*) (p304 BCP) capture the tradition’s understanding of what it means to be in the body of Christ. Scripture abounds with examples of how each of the promises aligns with God’s plan for creation and the work of the kingdom. Experience based on reason give diversity to the ways in which each person found identity in the promises.
Each member of the body has unique gifts. When each person brings his or her gift to the work of the whole body, there is enough richness of talent and devo- tion to accomplish what God calls us to be and do. Each member of the Body of Christ is called to grow into the full stature of Christ. We prepare by consistent engagement in the study of the Word and in the nurture of sacrament. We learn new insights into the meaning of mission and ministry by engaging in Christian formation (often a variety of forms of education, both didactic and experiential). We learn also by reflecting on and sharing what we learn from our active engagement in mission e.g. our trips to Honduras, the Gulf Coast, working in the Thrift Shop, making prayer shawls, volunteering with a variety of agencies in our community, etc. The vestry members present defined St. Paul’s as a community that “welcomes all (hospitality), gives generously (generosity), and is compassionate and active in mission.”
The group generated a list of what we understand Mission to mean in the context of furthering our growth into the full stature of Christ:
Witness of other people’s lives
Following Jesus’ example and teaching
Pulls us out of self-focus into others focused living
Helps us toward a God-centered view of the world
Place for doing the work of reconciliation
Church becomes an incarnation of God’s action
Like sacraments, mission renews identity as the body of Christ
Opportunities to hope
Experiential – learning to live in covenant
Makes things real
Re-prioritizes lives and redefines success.
The Parish Life Center is the house we use for Sunday School, Scout meetings, for birthday parties, and retreats, but the building is not utilized to its full potential. The parish is still paying off the mortgage of the building with about two more years left in the payment cycle. Certain restrictions currently apply to use – including days of the week and hours of occupancy. The vestry is submitting a legal petition to Howard County to seek removal of covenants on the property so that full access and utilization can open up new opportunities for mission and ministry in the facility. Please pray for grace and guidance as the leadership of the parish continues to strive to be faithful stewards of God’s bounty. Ann+
Sunday
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I & Sermon
9:15 a.m. Christian Education for all ages
10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II & Sermon (Family Service with hymns)
Coffee Hour Following Service
11:45 a.m. Choir Practice
There is always room for more volunteers, especially for the early service and forum.
July 1: Ellen Zior & Nancy Landry
July 8: Suzanne Bourg & Jean Meissner
July 15: Robin Mooney & Leigh Anne Kippeny
July 22: Phyllis Weston & Lee Hajek
July 29: Nancy McIntosh & Norma Prentice
12–3 pm, Thursday, Friday and Saturday The Thrift Shop has many additions from the recent church yard sale. Come soon for widest selection!
Proceeds from the Thrift Shop benefit outreach programs.
Mount Airy Net is a non-profit group that provides emergency help to those in need. If you know of someone who needs assistance, contact:Mount Airy Net, c/o Calvary United Methodist Church, 403 S. Main Street, Mount Airy, MD 21771-5346, Phone: 301-829-0472
Mary Lou Briggs July 08
Tarah Cook July 30
Ayana Fenton July 06
Harly Fitterer July 04
Scott Gallagher July 01
Missy Gulli July 05
Stuart Harshberger July 23
Mei-ling Jones July 14
Sandy Lamb July 30
Bryan Landry July 26
Shelley Lauffer July 28
Trudi Lawson July 12
Erin Mooney July 03
Landon Reeve July 03
Karen Softy July 07
Etta Lee Spaulding July 09
Judi Robinson July 09
Merle Ricketts, III July 14
Alan Yeater July 21
If you would like to update your family’s information, please contact the church office by phone (410-489-4411) or email (stpaulsemail@comcast.net).
Stephen & Mei-Ling Jones July 02, 1986
Paul & Suzanne Bourg July 16, 1966
Ron & Linda Sharp July 26, 1975
Donna Alexander
the family of Francis Arffmann
Gordon Barnette
Charles Beck
Ernest Bellaire
Agnes Bevacqua
Paul Bourg
Claudia Casseday
Jim Cookley
Cris de la O
Millie Fitterer
Marie Galtieri
Patsy Green
Scott Hagan
Phyllis Heffner
Christopher Honsberger
Douglas and Leslie Johnston
Bill Kuhn and family
Bryan Landry
George Leda
Grey Mayer
Philip Meo
Justin Meo
Bobbie Miller
George Natoli Jr.
Anita Palmer
Michael Patterson
the Poggi Family
Cheryl Primrose
Sonia and Eric Richardson
Joe Rineer
Pat Rocco
Alan Sadaka
Michele Samuel
Malcom Scates
Doris Sharp
Dorothy Streaker
Ben Sturm
Jill Sturm
Nancy & Jack Trescot
Bob Vincent
Marc Wienner
Sophie Wilmot
Karlyn Yeager
Mary Beirne ZeppFor pastoral care contact either the office of St. Paul’s (9-12 am Mon-Fri) at 410-489-4411, or call Dr. Boyd: cell is 301-471-1861; Hood office: 301-696-3683; home: 301-898-1711.
When Dr. Boyd is out of town the senior warden, Pete McIntosh is the person to call. The Rev. Columba Gilliss has agreed to be available for pastoral emergencies while Dr. Boyd is on vacation (July 10-24).