Mars Hill Proclaimer
St. Paul's Episcopal Church March Newsletter 2023
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Dear Friends in Christ,
I am praying that you are having a mindful and holy Lent. On Good Friday this year, we're going to combine some elements of the Taize service--candles and chant--with our regular Book of Common Prayer service and prayerful reading of St. John's Passion. This will be the final Taize service under Lynne's and my direction. For your consideration in this holy and thoughtful season, here is a prayer/poem by Rabbi Chaim Stern.
For the sin of silence,
for the sin of indifference,
for the secret complicity of the neutral,
for the closing of borders,
for the washing of hands,
for the crime of indifference,
for the sin of silence,
for the closing of borders.
For all that was done,
for all that was not done,
Let there be no forgetfulness before the Throne of Glory;
let there at last be forgiveness
when your children, O God,
are free and at peace.
Faithfully,
Barbara+
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Plans are to have a book study in March between the services using the Amy Jill Levine book, Entering the Passion of Jesus, available at Amazon as a paperback and can be borrowed at Hoopla as an e-book or audio book.
Issues of Living Well Through Lent 2023 from Living Compass will be available in the Sanctuary and in Parish Hall. You can also download a pdf from Living Compass
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Jesus risked his reputation when he entered Jerusalem in a victory parade. He risked his life when he dared to teach in the Temple. His followers risked everything when they left behind their homes, or anointed him with costly perfume. We take risks as we read and re-read these stories, finding new meanings and new challenges. |
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Designed for both individual reflection and for group study, this 84-page daily devotional provides a foundation for seeking a deeper experience of Lent, an experience that will help prepare us for the true meaning of Easter. |
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As part of our Lenten observance, you are invited to a series of three films to be shown at St Paul’s during Lent. They are not traditional religious films as offered in the way of Samuel Goldwyn. (Peace be to him.) These films do not depict Jesus. And yet, it is hoped, they are relevant to Lent, all stories, each in its own way, of sacrifice. They are not children’s films, although there is nothing sacrilegious or demeaning about them.
The three films are all spiritually rich and even deep, or so I judge them to be.
· Wings of Desire, by Wim Wenders, 1984, a story of angels who hang out with humans, with moral and theological implications. It’s in German, with English subtitles. It works.
· The movie The Catholics, made by the BBC in the 1970s, a story of Irish monks experiencing challenges to their traditions and faith. A beautiful film, its issues of faith and doubt and tradition seem to me to be relevant today.
· Captains Courageous, 1937, with Spencer Tracey, another beautiful film, simple and profound at the same time.
Dates. Saturday, March 11, 2023. 6 pm. Wings of Desire
Saturday, March 25, 2023. 6 pm. The Catholics
Saturday, April 1, 2023. 6 pm. Captains Courageous
Marilyn Cleland
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Dear St. Paul's Family,
This month, I am sharing a work in progress which is an ever changing list of current ministries at St. Paul's. This list can always be updated with the many hats that everyone wears and when folks just show up and help where needed. My goal is to put a light on the many ministries that our parish members give of themselves. Over the years, our parish has taken leads in many ministries in our community. New parish members and new community leaders brought or developed new ministries or built on established ministries.
When I think back of my twenty years at St. Paul's, I am reminded of a quote by Mr. Fred Rogers, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." I am comforted by all of you. Thank you for your many ministries at St. Paul's, and within our city and county communities, and within your personal families. My list is not complete by any means. It is just a list. But if it inspires you in any way, that is still good. Invite a person to church or an event. Volunteer on a different ministry. Start or restart a ministry. Read the local newspaper and listen to the local radio. Be inspired to meet a need in our community. Pray for your rector, your vestry, and your parish family. Most of all, thank you for your heart and your energy and your love in all that you do. Jennie
Jennie
Senior Warden
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WEEKLY DEVOTIONS AND
OCCASIONS TO CONNECT
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WEDNESDAYS
Grace Place Campus Ministry meets at 6:00 PM for service and meal
THURSDAYS
Choir Rehearsals at 7:00 PM as scheduled
FRIDAYS
Evening of Taize at 7:00 PM on the first Friday of the month.
SATURDAYS
Film series on March 11 and 23 and April 1 - 6:00 PM
SUNDAYS
Liturgy of the Word and Table
8:00 AM in Sanctuary (no music)
9:00-10:15 AM
Book Discussion
"Entering the Passion of Jesus" discussion
10:30 AM
Liturgy of the Word and Table
In Sanctuary and on Zoom (with music)
Coffee Hour following
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MAUNDY THURSDAY - April 6th, 7:00 PM Service
GOOD FRIDAY - April 7th
Stations of the Cross - 12:00 PM
Good Friday/Taize Service - 7:00 PM
EASTER SUNDAY - April 8th
Service of the Word and Table with Music,
10:30 AM
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TREASURER'S REPORT
FEBRUARY 19, 2023
As of February 17, our Heartland Bank checking account balance stood at $145,953.79. The large number is due to my having taken $100,000 from the Endowment Fund recently. This is just under 5% of the fund’s value and should carry us for several months. I spoke with Matt Myre, our Edward Jones advisor. He told me the stock market is having a “mini-rally” at the moment, and suggested that this would be a good time to take a large chunk of money out rather than taking several smaller amounts out over the next few months. The Endowment committee has a meeting scheduled for Marccch 28, where we will discuss these matters more thoroughly.
We spent $28,298.71 from our General fund in January, and we took in $17,810 from pledges and regular contributions. This is an unusually high amount of spending, which is largely due to quarterly bills, especially property insurance ($5,125), and a contribution of $2,000 to the Youth Services Bureau (vestry request). Our monthly spending is usually about $20,000. So far in 2023 we have spent 10.4% of our annual budget and taken in 6.6%. We are 8.3% of the way through the year.
The Rector’s Discretionary Fund has $196 in it. We took in $135 and spent $0 from our revolving and pass through funds in January.
Sometime in the next few weeks I intend to transfer more Capital Fund money to our interest-bearing account at Edward Jones. We need to keep some Building Fund money in our regular bank account to cover our expenses, but most of it can be earning interest for us. I am aware that we are going to have to spend some money for repairs on the furnace exhaust system. Rain has leaked into the exhaust ducts and is rusting them out and leaking. Rhys has been in contact with a vendor for this issue.
As of January 27, the Endowment fund was valued at $1,987,773.33. The Capital Fund at Edward Jones was $41,870.88. Our Apache stock was worth $331.02 on November 22.
We have received $25,917 for the Capital Campaign so far, with $48,630 pledged. This should keep the building running smoothly. Thank you everyone!
Most of my Treasurer time over the past few months has gone into writing the 2022 annual report, preparing the 2023 budget, and most recently getting the budget sheet set up for 2023 so our detailed monthly income and disbursements can be seen.
With Susan’s help, I got the annual giving statements out in early February, which is a few days late—sorry about that.
I should be able to get my part of the annual Parochial report (which is submitted to the diocese) done in the next few weeks.
Mack Patrick has some useful ideas for saving money on the computer and website.
Respectfully submitted,
Rick Johns, Treasurer
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GRACE PLACE CAMPUS MINISTRY |
St. Paul's is the host for Grace Place Campus Ministry for the weekly services and meals. You are welcome to join on Wednesdays at 6:00 PM.
St. Paul's members Bill Cummings and Jo Plenger-Schulz are on the Grace Place Board this year. The old building is in the process of being sold, and there is a search for a new campus minister.
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It seems strange, after weathering these terrible bouts of winter storms, that we can look at our gardens beds and see the promise of the coming season. Life is already peeking through the leaves and the snow, and hope really does spring eternal!
As we wind down the last part of winter, gardeners everywhere are winding up. We dust off our seedling equipment. We check those grow lights. We finally put down those garden catalogs that sustained us through the long, dark weeks. A joy rises up within us!
And so it is for St Paul's Green Team. Faithfully meeting over the last few weeks, we have shared our hopes for the 2023 growing season.
Our biggest goal is to be in service to the food-insecure members of our community. We plan our crops according to what best meets their needs.
We are looking at ways to raise awareness of our garden in our community, and hopefully gain more helping members as well. Please remember, if you would like to help us, you don't need to bend or dig. You can be a great help to us by washing, packaging, and delivering vegetables. Speak to Jocelyn if you have questions.
If you have been saving cardboard for us, let us know. We will pick it up from your house. The cardboard is needed for walkways and new beds in the garden. Large pieces of cardboard are very desirable to us, as long as there is no plastic film in the center.
Our projected work schedule once we are in Spring will remain the same. Mondays and Thursdays at 8 am, weather permitting. We will keep you informed of when we need help most.
I think you will see the Green Team hard at work very soon. And, despite what Jocelyn thinks, we all really do look fabulous in overalls!
Respectfully submitted,
Jo Plenger-Schulz
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A RETREAT WITH BISHOP PAULA |
The program begins at 10 am with guest speaker the Ven. Jennifer G. McKenzie addressing the theme of "Connecting in Community." At noon, Bishop Paula Clark and McKenzie will celebrate the Eucharist with the renewal of vows and the blessing of chrism, followed by an optional buffet lunch at 1 pm.
Jennie Cummings will be driving out to Rock Island to attend and welcomes you to go with her. Please contact Jennie to let her know if you want to go.
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In early spring, 2021, I joined the Board of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) Chicago Diocese. I was elected Secretary in May, 2022. This is a 3-year term. My duties are mainly recording minutes, although I also serve as the second signee when large checks are written.
The main source of funding for ECW Chicago is their endowment fund. The Outreach Committee is charged with developing and presenting a budget for our annual giving. Our “usual” recipients are campus ministries, Episcopal Relief & Development, Episcopal Charities, clergy spouse group expenses, etc. In addition to these, we also fund ministry partners (this year it is The Renaissance Collaborative, find them at www.trcwabash.org), the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and the Girls 4 Good organization.
Bishop Clark joined our meeting in December and encouraged us to keep making a difference in our Diocese. She was very supportive of women and their roles, and expressed appreciation for the efforts of all women in the Diocese.
Our Annual Meeting is April 22nd. This will be a hybrid meeting offered on Zoom and in-person at All Saints Western Springs (our president’s home parish). The keynote speaker will be Courtney Reid, who will speak about Ravenswood Community Services – how they grew from a simple feeding ministry. In addition to this morning meeting, an afternoon session will be held with a focus on Altar Guilds. There will be a speaker on the spirituality of the ministry, and discussion on what/how/why we do what we do, etc. Signup is available on Eventbrite for both Zoom and in-person attendance. Go to www.ecwchicago.org for the link to Eventbrite. The Zoom cost is $500 and in-person is $2500, which includes lunch.
In keeping with the theme of food insecurities, the board will be presenting a fall series on hunger issues. There will be 3 separate presentations via Zoom. Topics are planned around the hunger paradox, the community garden resources, and container gardening and hydroponics. Stay tuned for further information about signing up to view these presentations.
The National ECW board will be in the Chicago Diocese May 5 – 7. Along with other board members, I will be attending a luncheon where we will present to them our efforts on behalf of the ECW. The National board holds their meetings around the country, and it is Chicago’s turn. I am looking forward to this meeting, as it is a good way to feel involved in the bigger picture.
If you would like any information on the several topics I’ve touched on, please contact me. I will try to keep you updated on ECW Chicago events via our Proclaimer newsletter and at our meetings.
Submitted by Peg Newby
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Come and sing a joyful song!
The choir sings at the 10:30 AM services
and rehearses on Thursdays at 7:00 PM
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Streaming Ministries
Enhancing the Quality of In-Person and On-Line Worship Services
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Our streaming ministries sound and video system
continues to enhance our:
- Intelligibility of spoken and sung worship in-person and on-line;
- Ability to stream live via YouTube in tandem with Zoom to our Parishioners and community;
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Ability to offer an Assisted Listening System (ALS) "Listen EVERYWHERE" to enhance their ability to hear the service more clearly.
Zoom is available for coffee hour, for the parishioners zooming in from home after the service on Sundays to join in fellowship and essentially any meeting (book group, vestry, staff, etc).
Streaming Ministers:
Hannah Buckle, Peg Newby, Katt Scott, Rick Johns
We need more Streaming Ministers!
Let Mother Barbara know if you can join this ministry.
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YouTube and Zoom Links are below for easy access! |
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You may have noticed the pattern of white dots on Door 4. Birds were flying into the door and these were advised help them to avoid doing that. We'll be placing them them on Door 8 on the other side, too. |
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The Rector's
Discretionary Fund Collection
Donations allow us to assist people in need
in our community.
Remember that donations can be mailed at any time.
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March Birthdays and Anniversaries |
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Birthdays
3/6 Jimmy Russell
3/8 Emily Russell
3/9 Jane Nenonen
3/10 Danny Russell
3/11 Julie Stubblefield
3/16 Lucinda Brunner
3/27 Jackie Dickow
3/27 Mary Lincoln
3/28 Gail Piper
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St. Paul's Episcopal Church Contact Information |
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900 Normal Rd., DeKalb, IL 60115
Parish Office: (815) 756-4888
The Rev. Barbara A.T Wilson, Rector
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