Last Sunday of the Month:
Thank you to everyone who participated at our September 30 Children's Service and signed the get-well card for Fr. Robert Harvey. He has returned home from the hospital where he had three stents put in, but please continue to pray for his good health. Special thanks to Mother Elizabeth Hadaway for stepping in for Fr. Harvey. Kudos to our readers, oblation bearers, usher helpers -- you all did a terrific job! Seeing the children worship at the altar was inspiring for the rest of the congregation. We appreciate all the contributions of our children and youth to our parish and hope that the Children's Service will strengthen their sense of belonging to Calvary Church.
There are still some open slots available for anyone who wishes to play a key role in the Children's Services for October 28 or November 25. If interested, please sign up on the sheet hanging in the CYM bulletin board downstairs in the Sunday School Hallway. Those who sign up will be asked to rehearse their role with Fr. Harvey after church on the week before the Children's Service and should plan to arrive by 9:30 am on the day of the service.
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REFLECTION:
STEWARDSHIP
If we care about how our time, talents, and possessions can be used for the service of God, when do we show it? How do we decide we have enough resources for our own needs and yet some extra to share?
Accumulating private property matters so much in our culture, sometimes too much. If persons feel they can't collect enough resources and things, they won't share what they have.
When did it become important for people to say, "This is mine, not yours."? For most of human history, there was no such thing as private property.
While there were still glaciers outside during the late Pleistocene, people who moved around foraging for food or hunting for animals immediately shared any food they found or captured. The Iroquois would stockpile goods in longhouses, and women's councils would decide who could get to use them.
Private ownership may have begun just over 11,000 years ago, when people started farming. In fishing villages and wherever food could be found or grown, folks started building private living spaces. Then food could be kept in houses instead of being stored communally.
Even after notions of "this is mine" had taken hold, nearly every human settlement until the 1700s had shared land that locals could use for farming crops and grazing animals, a "commons" area. Extra land was set aside for the poor. Very rich people were often not permitted to use common land at all, while people without any money were sometimes allowed to use the land for free.
English commons were in strips--unlike modern farmland that's usually in squares. Farmers could work alongside each other in the strips, making it easier to share tools and help one another. Everyone in the community had a chance to survive.
Private ownership was discouraged in over two dozen 19th century utopian communities found mostly in the East and Midwest. Each one had communal life and a separate purpose or mission. Private ownership has been avoided in Israeli kibbutzim, too. In Amish communities, neighbors still gather to build a barn for a family in a "barn raising." They organize fundraisers that will attract outsiders to buy hand-made furniture, crafts, bakery, or used farm equipment and appliances for funds to pay medical bills for anyone in need going forward.
What about today? Is private ownership discouraged anywhere in our culture? Some say music, videos, games, programs, ideas, research, and articles freely available online have replaced the public "commons" that was a shared space with special provision for the needy in the past. The internet permits people to post for sale extra bedrooms, car rides, and video equipment. Uber and Airbnb let folks gain temporary use of property that belongs to others.
Ownership is still private, however. Everything is rented, not shared. Profit matters.
Can the sharing economy move us toward better use of property that's owned by individuals, not corporations? In other words, will it move us closer to the kind of sharing that defined humanity for tens of thousands of years--when persons who genuinely needed something were able to obtain it?
Where might generosity show up and even compete? Could this be a time when stewardship is recognized as so valuable that it's worthy of people's resources, even sacrifices, in order to restore the kind of community from the past where everyone had a chance to survive?
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From Deacon Mona
Thank you to all the young people who served on Youth Sunday! It was great to have all of you, with the help of parents, take part in the service. And, our readers were especially articulate. Personally, I loved sharing the space around the altar with so many of you. By the way, did you know that Owen Joachimiak got to sit in the Bishop's seat? We'll do this again on the last Sunday of October, so think about volunteering.
On Sunday, October 14, the
Youth Group will host the kids from St. Paul's. We will meet after the ten o'clock service for lunch at church and then head over to Island Park for an activity. We should be finished by 2:00 pm. It would be great if we have a number of people from Calvary. Come, bring your friends and meet some new people!
The
Christmas Pageant will be held on Sunday, December 16 at the ten o'clock service. We are looking to have lots of sign-ups to tell the Christmas story about the birth of Jesus. We will have a sign-up sheet ready during the month of November.Think about being an angel, a shepherd, or even a wise man/wise person. Or, you could be Joseph or Mary or the angel Gabriel or...
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Sign up Sheet
for CYM Special
Events
Parent volunteers are needed throughout the year to help supervise the children & youth during our special events at Sunday School. Please sign up on the sign up sheet in the Sunday School Hallway.
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Confirmation Class
Fr. Harvey will lead a confirmation class on Saturday, January 12, 2019 from 9 am to 3 pm. This class is open to any baptized person who is 13 years old or older and who wishes to be confirmed by Bishop Franklin on February 3, 2019. Saturday, January 19 is the alternate snow date for the class.
Please contact our Parish Administrator Alice Brown (716 633-7800) to sign your child
up
for the class. We will need the place and date of your child's baptism.
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Nursery (infant - 3 years)
Kelly Blackey
Madeline Fleming, assistant
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Nursery Care is available every Sunday from 8:45 to 11 am (we will close the nursery if there are no children after 10:15) for infants to toddlers up to and including 3 years old. We are happy to introduce my niece, Maddie Fleming, as our new Nursery Assistant. Maddie has acclimated well to the nursery routine, and the children seem to enjoy her. Unfortunately, Kiernan Haywood will not be joining us this year due to increased hours with his other job. Since Maddie is not yet 18 years old, we are looking for an additional Nursery Assistant to ensure that we will always have at least one adult to staff the Nursery.
For September some of our children painted wooden crosses - they turned out fantastic, especially when googlie eyes were added. Maddie and I are planning a fun and easy craft project for October.
We are collecting family pictures for a possible November or Christmas project. Other craft suggestions are welcome! We've missed seeing some of our littlest ones these last few weeks. Please come and join us!
-Kelly Blackey
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Beginners Class (Pre-K, K & 1)
Dr. Sarah English
Assistant: Andria McCarthy
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Greetings from the beginner class! For the past three weeks our group has been talking about the stories of Ruth and Naomi and the importance of family. As we end September and begin October we are starting to explore the story of David, his early life and soon his battle with Goliath! We will continue to explore more about his role in the bible and his path to becoming King. All of our lessons at this time focus on the idea of family and commitment to God. We are looking forward to continue our learning and having a wonderful time together!
-Sarah English and Andria McCarthy
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Primary Class (Grades 1-3)
Cinda Stone, Natalie Bottomlyey & Wes Stone
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The Primary class is off to a great start. The attendance is always the best in the beginning, which is wonderful. Lets keep it up!
It's been fun getting to know one another the past few weeks.
In the month of October we will talk about Jesus' love for the children. Did you know that He was never too busy to be with the children?
Another story is about the rich man and the camel. A young man asked Jesus to tell him what to do to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Can you guess what His answer was?
The third week we will discuss what is important to Jesus. We all can do what Jesus wants us to do.
Come join us! We always have fun learning and creating. You don't want miss any of these important lessons.
-Cinda Stone
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Intermediate (Grades 4-6)
Sue Schroeder, Patty Rooss & Carl Zebrowski
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Lessons in October in the Intermediate Class will be focused on God's plan for companionship, Jesus' talk with a rich man about how to have treasure in heaven, and Jesus' teaching disciples that greatness comes from service. Class members have demonstrated ability to construct skits and role plays to make meaning of lessons. They also take turns answering questions and entering conversations about applying lessons in daily life.
-Sue Schroeder and Patty Rooss with Carl Zebrowski
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For Older Youths
Instead of a traditional Sunday School class this year, those in grades 7 and up are encouraged to participate in the life of Calvary in other ways. With appropriate Safe Church training, they can assist in the Nursery or Sunday School. Another opportunity would be to serve as an acolyte. Join the Middle School Youth Group. High School students needing community service hours can find plenty of opportunities within Calvary's various ministries and events. We know how busy you may be with school, sports, scouting, jobs, etc, but please remember that you are always welcome and needed here at Calvary.
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I will go to the altar of God / To the God of my joy and gladness.
Community Service
Acolytes actively assist the clergy in leading the worship of God. Acolytes often find their service is not only fun, but also spiritually fulfilling. They learn to serve with dignity, humility, and care, always with love of Christ. We welcome you to this ministry if you are in 4th grade or higher. We work with your schedule: it's not an "every Sunday" commitment, and you will get training and practice so that you will feel comfortable at the altar.
It's possible that being an acolyte could count for community service. If you and your parents would like to learn more, please contact Doug Sandburg II at
dougks@inbox.com.
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CYM Calendar & Parish Events
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Oct 6
Intergenerational Event! Take a trip to Sky High Adventure Park, Holiday Valley Ski Resort, Ellicottville NY on Saturday October 6, 9:00am - 2:00pm. The cost is $54 per person with a minimum age 7. Price includes 3 hours on the ropes-zip lines course followed by a roller coaster ride through the hills at Holiday Valley. There are 3 different levels on the course. Payment is due that morning, at the park. If it is raining, the event will be cancelled. Please sign up at church so we can give their staff an idea on how many will be attending. -Norine Eaton & Jonathan Sandberg
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Oct 7
Pet Blessing! Bring your pets to Calvary (properly restrained) for a St. Francis Day blessing at 4 pm. From 3:30 - 5:30 pm, learn more about local pet services at "For Pet's Sake." Donations for St. Matthias Pet Food Pantry are due October 3.
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Oct 13 & 14
UTO Ingathering! Please remember to fill up your UTO boxes with coins as you count out your blessings and give thanks for them every day.
Calvary's UTO Ingathering will take place on the weekend of October 13-14. During the 10 am service on Sunday,
October 14
, children and youth will come up to place their UTO boxes into baskets at the altar. The money collected through UTO will be used in grants to fund outreach ministries and social services for Episcopal churches and communities throughout the world.
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Oct 14
Middle School Youth Group! On October 14, youth from Calvary and St. Paul's Harris Hill will gather at Calvary for lunch and an activity.
See Deacon Mona for more information.
The Youth Group meets after church on the second Sunday of the month. The location alternates between Calvary and St. Paul's.
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Oct 20
Fall Clean-up Day! Last spring, Sunday School families helped to clean up our Sunday School Rooms. Everyone is welcome to pitch in again!
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Bottle and Can Drive
Our usual recycling center, Integrity Bottle & Can Redemption Center 2790 Sheridan Dr., has not been open much lately, so Calvary Church has set up another account at the Millersport Recycling Bottle & Can Redemption Center at 803 Millersport Highway, a few blocks south of Sheridan Dr. You can now drop off your redeemable bottles and cans at either location or in the bins at the entrance to the church parking lot. The Sunday School children will decide which charitable organization will receive our recycling proceeds for this year.
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From the Diocese
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The First Thirty Ministries will be holding Journeys #9 from 7 pm, Friday, November 2 to 3 pm, Saturday, November 3 at Trinity Church, Buffalo. Journeys is a program for youth in grades 6-8 to allow them to explore different ways to "Find God" in their lives. The activities are always different, as they are developed by the leadership team of the weekend.
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They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither;
everything they do shall prosper.
[Psalm 1:3]
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photo waiver.
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