to see our September 2015 Newsletter
Transcription
to see our September 2015 Newsletter
THE QUILL & INK Inside This Issue: Welcome Student Deacon Babette Haggenjos 1 Belfry Ministry Update 2 Welcome to our New Organist 2 Social Justice and Outreach Commission News 3 WELCOME STUDENT DEACON BABETTE HAGGENJOS Education for Minis- 4 try The Mystics, Chal4 lenging Companions Episcopal 101 Class September, 2015 4 Healing Mind, Body, 4 & Spirit Do You Love Coffee Hour? 4 Who Let the Dogs Out? 5 Stuff in our Church 5 PLUS MUCH MORE! To submit an item to the newsletter, please email it to newsletter@churchofstmartin.org or contact the parish administrator Jan Sanders at (530) 756-0444. The deadline is usually the 20th of the previous month. Newsletter Credits Rector - Rev. Mark Allen Communications Committee Chairman - Mike Hannon Editor - Elizabeth Sagehorn Photographers - Gail Gong, Nathan Hannon A note from Deacon Margaret: St. Martin's is blessed to have Babette (Babs) Haggenjos as our student deacon for the next nine months. Babs will work under my supervision to learn the liturgical role of a deacon and help with outreach ministry. You will see her most Sundays, serving at the altar and doing many of the things that I do. Please help her get to know us by wearing your nametags! A message from Babs: Greetings! I am very excited to serve as your student deacon this coming year. I am a third-year student at the School for Deacons in Berkeley. If all goes well and the Lord is willing, I will be ordained a vocational (“permanent”) Deacon in August 2016. Unlike a transitional deacon, I do not feel that my call is to the Priesthood, but rather to the Diaconate. I attend school for a full weekend every three weeks, so there will be some Sundays I will not be with you. I wish I could, but I haven’t mastered the ancient art of bilocation. My full name is Babette Haggenjos, but I go by Babs. My home congregation is St. John’s in Roseville. I am married to the Rector of St. John’s, Cliff Haggenjos and we have six adult children, 20 grandchildren (number 21 is due in December) and three great -grandchildren. Our youngest son Mason is still living at home and will start his first year at Sierra College this fall. I currently work full time as an accounting manager, but my degree is in business administration, so I have a wide variety of job experience in the business and accounting fields. I have always had a heart for service to others as long as I can remember. It was a defining moment in my life when I stopped resisting God’s call on my heart and said “yes” to the call to the diaconate. This past year as a part of my training I served in a program called the Lazarus Project in Roseville. I mentored women who had been homeless and suffer with borderline personality disorders or who are recovering from some type of addiction. This was an eye-opening experience and made me realize that being present to the least, the lost and the lonely is truly one place where my heart is. I am still discerning what God is calling me to, and also that this call may change over time. This is what gives me true joy, simply remaining open to love all and serve all wherever God leads me. When I am not working or attending school I enjoy reading, walking, bike riding, sewing, playing the guitar, singing, and watching movies. I also like to scrapbook and it is my ultimate long-term goal to get the hundreds of pictures that I have in shoeboxes into photo albums! I am looking forward to getting started so I’ll see you all on September 6th. Blessings! THE BELFRY MINISTRY UPDATE by Pastor Jocelynn Hughes I hope you all had a wonderful summer! As I write this, we are preparing to welcome a new group of LEVN Volunteers to the area to spend a year living in intentional Christian community in Davis, while serving the community in Sacramento and Yolo counties. There will be opportunities to meet and welcome them in the coming weeks, and several of them will be looking for a church home here in Davis so please welcome them if you see them on a Sunday morning! You can read their bios here: www.levn.org/volunteers. We are also gearing up to welcome our new and returning students to campus at the end of September! We look forward to another year of ministry and fellowship with the UC Davis community. Wednesday Night Worship and Dinner will return on September 23rd, so we’ll be looking forward to the meals that you have so generously provided over the years. Your Belfry Board members will have signup sheets for the year. This is a great opportunity to help us feed some hungry college students! And we appreciate your help and support. Finally, you are cordially invited to our wine tasting fundraiser, “Toast and Taste,” on Sunday, September 20th from 1-4 pm. We’re doing it a little differently this year. We’re holding it at Vini (611 2nd Street) in downtown Davis. There is no entrance fee, you simply buy the tastes you want and the Belfry will get a share of the proceeds. Light appetizers will be provided, along with a raffle and silent auction. This is a fun afternoon and is a great way to support our ministry with young adults. Please bring your friends and plan to attend! Toast and Taste Fundraiser for The Belfry: Please join us Sept. 20th at 1pm at Vini Wine bar in Davis. We will have a raffle for some wonderful prize baskets and you will have the opportunity to taste a variety of wines. We will receive 20% of any purchases of beer and wine. There is no entrance fee and all tastings are purchased at your discretion ranging from $2-4 on a preloaded card provide by Vini. If you cannot attend, please consider donating directly to The Belfry by mail or in person. Please come support this life changing ministry, catch up on the activities at The Belfry, and get to know the new 2015-2016 Lutheran Episcopal Volunteer Network Interns. http://viniwinebar.com/ A WARM WELCOME OUR NEW ORGANIST — SHARON CUTHBERTSON I am happy to announce that we have hired a new organist/keyboardist. Sharon Cuthbertson has accepted the position and will begin September 6th. Sharon is a gifted musician who has played both organ and piano in a number of church and community settings, most recently at the Lutheran Church of the Incarnation here in Davis. She will be working with Janie Knudsen and Chris Reynolds to make up our wonderful team of music leadership. Please make a point of welcoming Sharon to St. Martin's. Mark+ Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 3 SOCIAL JUSTICE & OUTREACH COMMISSION NEWS By Janet Lane, Commission Chair Social Justice and Outreach Grants: We have invited 41 organizations whose mission is to serve others to submit grant proposals by Sept. 8. We will then review the proposals we receive and make recommendations to the vestry for their October meeting. We are fortunate (thanks to your generosity) to be able to give out approximately $35,000 in grants this year (from budgeted Matthew 25 funds, Christmas and Easter offerings, parishioner donations designated for social justice and outreach, and earnings from the Linda Frost Outreach Endowment). In addition to giving out grants based on proposals, we consider emergency needs as they come up during the rest of the year. Church Arsons in the South: At our August 2nd meeting, we discussed the recent church fires at several predominantly black churches in the south. A fund to help these churches has been established by Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis, MO. We will continue the discussion at our next meeting on how St. Martin’s might help with the rebuilding process. STEAC Food Closet: Now that the lease agreement between STEAC and St. Martin’s has been signed, the building plans for the STEAC Food Closet (to be located at St. Martin’s) have been submitted to the city and are being reviewed. We are very excited to partner with STEAC on this project, which clearly fits our mission of serving those in need. As part of the project, St. Martin’s will have storage space in the building, which will allow us to remove three sheds from the parking lot. STEAC hopes to be able to open the new food closet before the end of this calendar year. Weekly Food Collection: Thanks to those who generously contribute to our weekly collection of nonperishable food items. These items go to Dixon Family Services, STEAC, and The Pantry at UC Davis on rotating weeks. Thanks also to our volunteers who deliver the food: Jerry Hulbert, Adam Russ, Sandy Filby, Janet Lane, Charlie Bamforth, and Nick Kenyon. We also collect toiletry items, which Lynn Zender delivers to St. Matthew’s Church in Sacramento for their outreach programs. Ministry Fair on Sept. 27: We will be participating in the Sept. 27 St. Martin’s Ministry Fair. We will have a table after the 9 am and 11 am services and would love to talk to you about our ministries, including our Thanksgiving Holiday Program and Advent and Lent special projects. Volunteers in YIIN’s weekly visitation program with the youth in detention at Yolo County Juvenile Hall will also be at the Social Justice & Outreach table to talk about their ministry. Diocesan “Welcoming the Stranger” Task Force: As a result of a resolution passed at last year’s Diocesan Convention (and authored by several St. Martin’s parishioners and clergy), the Bishop has appointed a task force on immigration. The task force has been given the charge of working on the goals of the resolution, which are: and families who have been released from detention and are on their way to their next destination grant populations to our government and representatives difference. We are working on incorporating individuals from all over the Diocese into the task force. If you would like more information, or would like to join the task force, please talk to Alison Pease, Lynn Zender, Helen Campbell, Adam Russ, Carole Hom, Margaret Grayden+, Janet Lane, or Beth Robbins. Commission Meetings: We usually meet the first Sunday of the month. However, our next meeting will be later— on September 20 at 12:30 and will last several hours—as we will be focused on reviewing this year’s grant proposals. All are welcome (although some advance preparation is helpful for this particular meeting). If you would like more information, feel free to contact Janet Lane (jrlane@ucdavis.edu) or Adam Russ (adamdruss@russ.com). With the input of many, we can continue to discern the best ways to use our resources and to be the hands and heart of God in the world. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN EDUCATION FOR MINISTRY? Is this your year to enroll? EfM is a small group study course out of the University of the South. It focuses on learning about the Bible and our Christian tradition. Half of each weekly meeting is devoted to theological reflection, listening for God and growing as Christians. We will meet from early September through May. Cost is $350 and scholarships are available. For more information, contact Beth Robbins or Robert Lynch. Education for Ministry is enrolling now for the class starting in early September. We have three second -year and three fourth-year students, with openings for several first-year students. Half Bible study, half spiritual growth, we meet weekly for 2-3 hours. Alex Leach says, "EFM really helped me unpack and bring the Old Testament alive. I deeply cherish the bonds and connections I made with my classmates. Learning about the New Testament and church history has brought more depth to Sunday worship. And the snacks are pretty good too." For more information, contact Robert (robert.b.lynch@gmail.com) or Beth Robbins (robbinse13@gmail.com). THE MYSTICS, CHALLENGING COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY This class will offer an overview of the rich mystical tradition of the western church. We’ll use DVD presentations, class discussion, suggested readings and various exercises to explore this tradition as a resource for prayer. The mystics aren’t always easy to understand but they definitely have something to say. No guaranties of religious experience are provided, but hopefully as we hear God tugging on the hearts of the mystics, we’ll be more aware of that same gracious God tugging in our own lives. This nine-week class will be facilitated by Anne+ and will meet in rooms 6 & 7 on Wednesday mornings from 10:30-11:45 a.m., beginning September 29th. An evening session will be available if there are sufficient signups. It would meet on Tuesday evenings 7:15-8:30 p.m. in rooms 6 & 7, beginning September 28th. If you wish to participate in the evening session, please indicate your intent by phoning or emailing the church office. Signups for the morning class would be helpful but are not required. EPISCOPAL 101 CLASS An initial gathering will take place on September 13th after the 11:00am service in rooms 6/7. All are welcome! HEALING OF MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT: A STUDY OF HEALING ENCOUNTERS IN THE GOSPEL In a small group setting we will study the healing ministry of Jesus in the gospels. Beginning Sunday, September 13, we will meet 10:30-11:30 am in Room 8. All are welcome! The group will meet weekly for thirteen weeks, concluding December 6. If you have any questions please contact Carolyn Chamberlain at carolyn.chamberlain1@gmail.com or 916 769-7639. WE ALL LOVE COFFEE HOUR But do you love it enough to pitch in and help? In order to keep coffee hour alive and well, we need enough people to both make coffee and clean-up. Starting in the fall, we will have coffee hour with snacks at 10:15-ish am (after the 9:00 am service) and coffee only after the 11:00 am service. We need two more people to make coffee before 10:00 am and three more people to do clean-up at about 12:00 noon. If we get those new volunteers then the schedule can be made so you do it only once every eight weeks. Can you please help? Training will be offered. Please call Lynn Zender (530-756-4610) or email her LynnZender@sbcglobal.net or snag her during (you guessed it) coffee hour! Page 5 WHO LET THE DOGS OUT? People passing through St. Martin’s on several evenings this summer may have noticed a series of dogs, each with an owner following close behind, intently searching for something. But what? These dogs all were doing K9 Nosework, a canine sport inspired by the dogs who work to detect narcotics or explosives. But instead of contraband, these particular dogs search for hidden cotton swabs scented with birch, anise, or clove oil. Any dog – whether a teacup poodle or a Newfoundland, a champion show dog or a rescue mutt – can learn K9 Nosework. And any person can learn how to “read” her or his dog and be a supportive teammate. The dogs love the challenge of using their noses to find odor and getting a food reward. Their handlers enjoy the confidence and focus that their dogs gain, the gratification of a successful search, and the enhanced bond with their dog that arises through the partnership. St. Martin’s is one of several sites used as an occasional training venue by a local K9 Nosework group. These locations are invaluable to Nosework teams as they prepare for the mental and physical challenge of competitions. Both handlers and dogs are grateful to the St. Martin’s community allowing use of the facility. Thank you! For more information on K9 Nosework, see http:// www.funnosework.com/. Newsletter Title STUFF IN OUR CHURCH, PT I: SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW Newcomers who enter the nave of St. Martin's generally notice two things: first, we have a drop-dead gorgeous church. Second, the cross hanging above the altar both draws the eye and enhances the architecture. Where did that big ol' cross come from? According to parish historian Shipley Walters, "The large wooden cross which hung over the altar...was made from redwood salvaged from the 1916 Yolo Causeway when the bridge was rebuilt in 1963." (Walters, The Church of St. Martin: The First Forty Years, 1993). While the cross appears to float over the altar, it's actually suspended quite securely via a system of cables anchored both above it and on the sides. Long-time members of the parish also might notice several new items. Sharon Cucinotta, a skilled quilter, has created several seasonal banners that hang at the front of the church, left of the altar. Sharon modestly says that the designs just "came to her." A banner that echoes the ceiling window, created by Carol Boyer, graces the paneling on the right. If you're ever in the Great Hall of Trinity Cathedral in Sacramento, look for the mate of this banner in the rafters, courtesy of Carol. Another new item: the table near the healing station includes two statues: La Virgen de la Milagrosa (Our Lady of the Miraculous) and the smaller La Virgen del Valle (The Virgin of the Valley), the patroness of eastern Venezuela. These were a gift from Jaime and Jhonayre Millan in thanksgiving for the baptism of Gabriel Sanz, who was baptized this summer. Gabriel's mother, Jhoja Millan, is from Venezuela and his father, Camilo Sanz, is a UC Davis graduate student from Colombia. Last but not least, a Cross of St. Brigid hangs in the sacristy as a gift from the Rev. Maureen Ryan, an Anglican priest from Ireland and a friend of the Rev. Debra Warwick Sabino, one of our former assistants. Want to see it? You can do so on a regular basis if you're a member of the altar guild or flower guild, an acolyte, or a Eucharistic minister. Contact one of the clergy for more info on how to connect with these groups. Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 6 LUNCH BUNCH Every one is invited to come to a great Lunch Bunch at St Martin on the third Wednesday of every month to have a chance to eat well and to talk to a great bunch of people. There are two requirements in order to participate. 1. Bring a "Pot-luck" so everyone can sample a little bit 2. Be prepared to tell us about something you are doing, going to do, etc. presumable in the month we are participating lunch bunch. We love to hear something from everyone in attendance. Please come in September on the 16th (Room 6 & 7), and every month thereafter so we all can have a GREAT time. TAKE ACTION TO PRESERVE THE EARTH Care for God’s Creation encourages all members of St. Martin’s to become aware of the action positions taken by California Interfaith Power and Light. St. Martin’s is a longstanding member of CIPL. The national organization, Interfaith Power and Light, originated as Episcopal Power and Light and continues to be led the Rev. Canon Sally Bingham. If you support this proposed legislation, CFGC encourages you to let your voice be heard. SB 32—SB 32 will set an enforceable limit on climate pollution that continues the reductions required by California’s landmark AB 32 of 2006. It will require a greenhouse gas emission level of 80% below the 1990 level by 2050. Tell Sen. Bill Dodd to support SB 32. SB 350—Senate Bill 350, now in the Assembly, will put us on the path to freedom from fossil fuels. It embodies Governor Brown’s “50/50/50” pledge: to increase California’s renewable energy use by 50%, increase building energy efficiency by 50%, and decrease petroleum use by 50%, all by 2030. Tell Sen. Dodd to support these goals. CIPL also encourages individuals and congregations to take the Paris Pledge. Signers commit to striving for a 50% carbon emission reduction by 2030, with a goal of being carbon neutral by 2050. If we ask nations to set these goals at the UN Climate Talks in Paris this winter, we must be willing to do the same. Take the Paris Pledge today, as an individual. And let the commission know if you think we should take it as a congregation. Other Quick Actions: Tell the EPA: Tighten Restrictions on Fracking Now—“Fracking,” short for hydrofracturing, involves injecting the earth with chemicals, diesel fuel, water, and sand to unlock oil and gas. It can also release methane into the air and radioactive elements underground, contaminate groundwater, and many believe that it destabilizes faults and creates earthquakes. But fracking is so minimally regulated that we don’t even know what chemicals are used or what health effects they may have. Sign Climate Action Petition for UN—Add your name to the Interfaith Climate Petition calling for U.S. leadership at the climate summit, with a commitment to both meaningful emissions reductions and support for poor and vulnerable nations. Sign Petition to Divest the Vatican—Did you know that the Vatican bank controls $9 billion in investments? What if all that money were invested with the values Pope Francis shares: protecting creation for future generations and serving the poor? That could have a big impact. IPL is joining with our friends at 350.org to encourage the Pope to put the Vatican’s money where its mouth is. Join IPL and our friends at 350.org in urging the Vatican to divest from fossil fuels. To find California Interfaith Power and Light on line, go to interfaithpower.org. To access the above petitions, click on Take Action. Page 7 NURSERY INTERIOR REMODEL UNDERWAY Newsletter Title A SEAON OF JOY: STEWARDSHIP 2015-16 Our stewardship season this year will be from Sunday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, October 18. Our theme is joy, and each of the four SunOur nursery, days will focus on one aspect of joy. where we offer childcare Stewardship season is a time when we ask you to prayerfully confor infants-five years sider what St. Martin’s means to you and how you might be able to supduring most church serport the ministries of our parish. Soon, you will be receiving a printed vices, is in the process of flyer with more information. You can look forward to the following being remodeled. The events: upgrades include new September 27: The Joy of Ministry and Service flooring, paint, light fix Come to our Ministry Fair where you can talk to people on commistures, some new furnisions and committees and find out about their ministries and reflect ture, Bible-based posters on what ministries you personally might be called to. for children, a reading October 4: The Joy of Caring for God’s Creation nook, and interactive toys All three services will be focused on Care for God’s Creation. A (such as a train table, Blessing of the Bicycles will be held between the 9 and 11 am serdress-up station, agevices. A Blessing of the Animals will take place at 4 pm. appropriate art materials, October 11: The Joy of Generosity and a wood block set). Lay speakers will share their faith journeys and what St. Martin’s The remodeled means to them. nursery will be open for October 18: The Joy of Community (Stewardship Celebration) the beginning of our We will all worship together at one combined 10 am service. The church school year on Rev. Canon Andrea McMillin will preach. All are invited to a festive Sept. 13 and possibly lunch immediately after the service (lunch will be provided). The sooner. While this project Davis High Madrigal Choir will be here and will perform during focuses on the interior lunch. only, we would, ideally, love to be able to upgrade FRIENDS OF EMPOWER YOLO PRESENT “SEVEN” and reconfigure the outdoor play area adjacent to On October 18th the Friends of Empower Yolo, are bringing a special this room as a second and and powerful documentary play to Davis, SEVEN: the Play. later phase to this project. SEVEN tells the story of seven ordinary women from around the world We hope you’ll who did extraordinary work in response to terrible injustices. The aim in bringstop by and see the faming SEVEN to Davis is to give our community the opportunity to hear the comily-friendly space when it pelling and triumphant stories of women from around the world and to raise money to support two vital organizations: Empower Yolo, dedicated to the interis complete. vention, prevention, and elimination of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalkJanet Lane (jrlane@ucdavis.edu) and ing, human trafficking, and child abuse in Yolo County, and International Rescue Committee (IRC), delivering care to victims of sexual violence in more than Janet Thompson (jethompson@ucdavis.ed 17 countries, helping survivors gain economic independence, and working to strengthen national and international laws against the exploitation of women. u) are jointly coordinatEach production of SEVEN draws on local talent. Jan Ahders, the direcing this project. Feel free tor for the October 18th production in Davis, and the actors she has recruited, to contact them, Mark+, have all donated their time as their commitment to the two organizations, ensuror a Vestry member with ing that the production costs are as low as possible. The play will be presented any questions. in Davis on October 18 at 3 p.m. at the City of Davis Veterans Memorial Theater.