The Spirit of Saint Nicholas
The E-Newsletter from Saint Nicholas Episcopal  Church  
69 Mobley Road, Hamilton, GA 31811
706-628-7272
May 3rd - 9th, 2017
Sunday Services 8:30 and 11:00am 
SNICK -  Wednesdays 5:30 
(led by Children of St. Nick - followed by dinner)



St. Nicholas' mission is to be an example of Christ's love 
for all people.
Our vision is to be the center of nourishment in mind, body, and spirit
for all people in our community.  
Bluegrass Sunday May 7 at 10:00AM
   Mark your calendar for our annual worship service featuring bluegrass hymns by the Shade Tree String Band!  We will have only ONE service this day, followed by a potluck meal for the whole parish! 
Bring your favorite country cookin' recipe to share with the parish after that service and plan to stay, relax and enjoy the company! 
Iced tea and water will be provided. 
Contact Phebe Robertson for more information about the lunch.




You are invited to a Partnership Dialogue with church leaders and parishioners across the Chattahoochee Valley! 
How can we come together for learning and action across our parishes? 
Sunday, May 7 from 2- 4 p.m. at 
St. Nicholas

 










 

From Fr. Jeff:

Two men were walking on a road, depressed and hopeless. Their minds were firmly fixed on their Lord, who was recently killed. They probably felt guilty because they, and the rest of his followers, abandoned him. But he didn't abandon them. In fact, he met them on that road. They were so wrapped up in grief that they couldn't recognize him. It wasn't until the Scriptures were cracked open and the bread was broken that they truly saw him. Maybe you're distracted with heavy things like they were. Are you missing Jesus standing in front of you? Open the Scriptures and break bread with friends so that your eyes might be opened to see Jesus walking with you. 

*If you would like to receive messages like this in text form from Fr. Jeff every week, text "Add me" to 

Peace,  Jeff
 


CONGRATULATIONS SNICK 
(and St. Nicholas Family)!!!

Your Fundraiser raised enough to feed 40 KIDS for a whole school year!!!

Here's what we raised together for Mary's Meals:
  • Lenten Boxes: $323.01
     
  • Pancake Breakfast:  $362.00
     
  • Mary's Meals Envelopes: $135.00
GRAND TOTAL: $820.01

$20 feeds one child at school for a full school year.
(To find out more, go to  https://www.marysmealsusa.org)


 
 

SNICK HAVING FUN @ LASER TAG
     
           Outreach Ministry Opportunties:

Mondays at 2:00pm - Holy Eucharist at Harris County Jail, contact Fr. Jeff at 706-761-0115

Wednesdays at 1:40pm - Packing 
back packs for BackSnacks, deliveries to school on Thursdays, contact Grant Flynn at 706-457-9531
 
Needed --- Lay Eucharistic Visitors (LEV's)

Aside from regular services, St. Nicholas is out and about visiting parish members and community.   
Fr. Jeff and LEV's visit hospital or home-bound parish members, family members, Bright Way Personal Care Home, and Harris County Jail.   Other places would love to have visits from us.  There is a big need to bring God's love to the community through Eucharist and pastoral care.   LEV's are trained to give  Eucharist and provide pastoral care.  
 
We are in need of additional Lay Eucharistic Visitors for this ministry.    
Several members are visiting the prison and Bright Way, however, only two LEV's are active at the moment.   
If you are interested in being trained as an LEV or are able to become active again as an LEV, please contact Fr Jeff ([email protected]) or the church office ([email protected]


Journey to Adulthood
Our new youth program continues with our Rite 13 class (grades 6 & up) at 9:45 in the Classrooms, led by leaders 
Sheri Cody, John Brent, 
Jennifer Milton, and 
Bob Hamilton. 
For more information, contact Sheri Cody



 
St. Nicholas is piloting a new program for the whole congregation. 
SFFC is a national movement partnering with the Church to temporarily care for at-risk children and youth, while strengthening families in crisis. 
With over 30 homeless children and youth in Harris County, we are partnering with 
to show hospitality in the homes of our parishioners to children and families in need. 
We will have a parish-wide training on May 20, 10:00am-12:00 noon for those interested in hosting and for those can support families who do host. 
There are many ways to help with this program! 
For more information on how SFFC works, go to http://www.twincedars.org/program/safe-families-children/ or contact Chris Butzon, ministry leader or  Fr. Jeff

 
Lunch Bunch
The next Lunch Bunch will be May 2nd after church. 
Mark your calendar for our next monthly parish gathering out to eat after church!
More information to come!

 
All Ladies of St. Nicholas!


The Daughters of the King will host an informal luncheon and informational meeting after the  11:00 a.m.  service on
Pentecost Sunday, June 4, 2017
Please mark your calendars and plan on coming to learn more about DOK and get to know members of our chapter here at 
St. Nicholas.

If you have been contemplating becoming a member of our chapter of the DOK, now is your chance for some fun and exciting information about our plans for the near future.

Please let Andy Butzon or Jennifer Milton know if you plan to attend. Spread the word and bring a friend!

 

 
Stewards of the Month

Back in Epiphany, when determining where to take our annual Ashes to Go, Father Jeff asked new member Shannon Klein, who has done a monthly Bible study at the Harris County Jail, if we could take ashes in to the jail. She put him in touch with the authorities there and they allowed us to come in on Ash  Wednesday
That led to a conversation with parishioners of taking communion to the prisoners there. 
Since  March 20 , Father Jeff and three other volunteers have gone every week and set up a full Eucharist service in the jail. 
Men and women prisoners alternate weeks that they come. 
As many as 15 men and 8 women have been served in this outreach ministry. 
The volunteers give their time to be present and listen to the prisoners, with non-judgmental ears. 
We read Scriptures, have a conversation about them, and break bread together. As several volunteers say commonly, "I get more out of this than they do." 
These volunteers exemplify the Scripture that when we visit the prisoner, we are visiting Christ himself. 

Therefore, this month's Stewards of the Month go to the 
Jail Eucharist Ministers: Martha Dimon, Alex Garrett, Jim Gilliam, Katherine Johnson, Shannon Klein, Janice Murphy, Larry Nordin, Phebe Robertson, Barrett Smith, and Bert Tomlin

Thank you all for your ministry!

 


please contact Marci Horne for changes

 
Needed --- Lay Eucharistic Visitors (LEV's)

Aside from regular services, St. Nicholas is out and about visiting parish members and community.   
Fr. Jeff and LEV's visit hospital or home-bound parish members, family members, Bright Way Personal Care Home, and Harris County Jail.   Other places would love to have visits from us.  There is a big need to bring God's love to the community through Eucharist and pastoral care.   LEV's are trained to give Eucharist and provide pastoral care.  
 
We are in need of additional Lay Eucharistic Visitors for this ministry.    
Several members are visiting the prison and Bright Way, however, only two LEV's are active at the moment.   

If you are interested in being trained as an LEV or are able to become active again as an LEV, please contact Fr Jeff ( [email protected]) or the church office ( [email protected]




         
Bright Way Services

Worship services continue at Bright Way Personal Care Home  in Pine Mountain. Other  Lay Eucharistic Visitors are needed for this ministry. 

Contact  Bert  if you would like to participate.



 
Zion Services for 2017:
 October 1st 
November 12th 
4:00pm

An opportunity to worship at historic Zion Church, built as an Episcopal church in the 1840s, will be offered at  4 p.m. Sunday, April 30th, in Talbotton. 
On the N ational Register of Historic Places, Zion's building has been spared modernization. 
It is a rare Gothic American parish church constructed of old growth timber. 

Zion Church is located at 100 Main Street in Talbotton on U.S. 80. 
Contact Father Jeff Jackson at  (706) 761-0115  for further information. 
Non-perishable food will be collected for Talbotton families in need.

All are welcomed - Invite a friend.

 



**** NO SUNDAY SCHOOL ON MAY 7TH- BLUEGRASS SUNDAY****

 
Lectionary Readings 

If you would like to see the readings for Sunday, 

                        


For those who are ill, recovering or needing special prayers:

  Members of St Nicholas:

Carleen Frokjer
Bill Caudill
Bob Hamilton
Chris Butzon
Jacqueline Duval
Harris County Prison Ministry
Jenny Jackson
BackPack Program
Safe Families Program
Lynn Norris
Cecelia Rood
Michelle Moody
Bill Eidson
Nate Taylor
Clara Butzon


 
Family members and friends of the Community:


John Halmrast
Grace Millet
Terri
LuAnne Creighton
Anita Cheshire
Jordan
Denson Franklin
Trish Davis 
Ann Carolyn King  
McCullohs Family
 Brightway Patients & Staff
Dexter Crotts
Russ Fackler
Joseph Green
Heather Partin
Barbara Hamilton
Danny Hatchell

For Those In Mourning:

The Family of Gay Shephard
The Family of Grace Ebstyne
The Family of Fred Young


    Prayers for all our veterans, those currently 
serving their country  away from home, 
for their safe return and for their families 
who wait for them.
 
   

      MAY BIRTHDAYS

2 Martha Dimon 
3 Jackson Crowley 
8 Judy Jenks 
10 Andy Butzon 
13 Phebe Callaway Robertson 
14 Doug Jr. Martin 
16 Karen Thorne 
16 Rose Brent 
28 Nick Simpson 
29 Erick Whitworth 
29 Randy Dameron
29 Theresa Dorminy


MAY ANNIVERSARIES

1  Karen & Jay Thorne 
5  Graham & Marci Horne 
   18 Bob & Patty Hamilton 
   20 Scott & Rebecca Crowley 
   20 Larry & Julie Nordin 
   21 Kin & Beth Brown
  
 
In This Issue

Bluegrass Sunday

Parish Partnership Dialogue

From Fr. Jeff

Mary's Meals Fundraiser

Outreach Opportunities

Journey to Adulthood

Safe Families for Children

Lunch Bunch

Lay Ministry

Daughters of the King

2017 Organ Tour

Stewards of the Month

Vestry Minutes

Bright Way Ministries

Sunday School Schedule

Zion Worship
 
Lectionary Readings
 
Prayers
 
Birthdays & Anniversaries



Links (in alphabetical order)
 
















CONTACT
  
Deadline for submitting news items is noon Monday.

 Send news and photos to: 
 
The Spirit of St. Nicholas 
is published weekly by 
St. Nicholas Episcopal Church.

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Than

Thank you, St. Nicholas family, for your active involvement in our parish. 




If you or family members will be in a play, concert, sports or school activity please send the information to the church [email protected] to be printed in the newsletter. St Nicholas members can then know what is happening with their church family and perhaps attend some of the functions. Include the event with dates, times and location. This is for children, teens and adults.

 

Please help us keep the church directory as up-to-date as possible.


 

If you have not yet filled out a form, please pick one up in the cloister room and return to the church office. Or you can send your info via email to the Parish Administrator at [email protected]

  1. Please include:your names and the names of your minor children,
  2. address,
  3. email addresses,
  4. phone numbers (cell and home),
  5. birthdays and anniversaries.

If you need a new picture or a new name tag, indicate that as well. Feel free to use a favorite picture. Just send it in jpeg form to [email protected].


 



Mobile App Installation Instructions






Church members can view the St. Nicholas Church Directory from their iPhone, iPad, Android or Kindle Fire by downloading the free Instant Church Directory Members App.  

You may search for "Instant Church Directory" in the Apple App Store, Google Play, or Amazon Appstore, or use this link: 

After installation, open the Instant Church Directory icon (it looks like a church).  It will ask for your email address.  If your email address is in our church directory, the program will generate a password for you and email it to you.

 

This worked great for most, but if you have any problems make sure you first check to see that your email address is in the church directory.  

 



Please look for these cards in the narthex or in the pews and place them in the alms basin if you give electronically.

Father Jeff will bless them at each service along with the other offerings.



Electronic Common Prayer


Electronic Common Prayer, Version 2.0   (eCP)  is a brand new update to the first, fully authorized, interactive version of the Book of Common Prayer 1979 of the Episcopal Church USA.
Click here for details 
 
GoFundMe Campaign for Zion Church



For our next phase of fundraising for historic  Zion Episcopal Church  
in Talbotton, Georgia , we have set up a
GoFundMe  campaign. 

There is much to be done to help this amazing bit of Georgia history. 
Please share this and encourage people to be generous. 


For over 160 years, Zion Episcopal Church has watched over the village of Talbotton, GA. There are not many 160-year-old structures still standing in our country.





Calling all artists, DIY-enthusiasts, yard-sale fanatics, collectors of cool things: The Chattahoochee Valley Episcopal Ministry needs your expertise and your chairs for its CHAIRity for CVEM. CHAIRity is held on  May 21  from  Noon to 6 p.m.  at Arts in the Park in Lakebottom Park. CHAIRity features one-of-a-kind chairs donated, created, or repurposed by local artists and friends of CVEM and proceeds benefit our neighbors in need in the Chattahoochee Valley region. There are no real rules for chairs: It can be a chair you decorate, repurpose, create or just something unique you've collected through the years. We are also looking for chairs that others may use to decorate. If you would like to donate a chair, please contact us at  [email protected]  or call  706.327.0400
Let me know if you need anything else please!

Holli

Holli Melancon
Communications Director
Chattahoochee Valley Episcopal Ministry
 





It's almost time to TAP! 
TAP   2017 will take place on   June 26-30   from   8:45 to Noon   at the Rankin Arts Center Uptown. 
TAP is a week-long art program for children ages 6-11. 
Through music, drama, dance, art and stories, 
TAP paves a way for a lifelong journey of peace. 
Children are recruited from diverse cultures and faiths and provided the opportunity to unify through art.
About this year's theme: A butterfly begins its life in one form, and ends it in another: Transformation! 
Through the performing arts, TAP transforms hate to love, anger to peace, confusion to clarity, judgement to acceptance, competition to community. Come be a part of TAP 2017: "Transforming Me to We"
There is an application process for TAP. You can apply online   HERE   or print off a brochure and mail it in   HERE

Other ways to participate in TAP:

Teen Intern/Mentor Program: We are also seeking teens to serve as Interns (rising 7th & 8th graders) and Mentors (9th-12th graders). 
Teen training takes place the week before TAP,   June 19-23
You do not have to have participated in TAP before to apply! 
If you're interested, contact us