St. John’s Episcopal Church E-Newsletter
2 January 2008
Called by God to be a Community that hears
God’s word and does God’s work
TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE:
Fr.
Michael’s Message
Proposed By-Law
Change
Epiphany Sunday
Announcements
Youth
Retreat
Stewardship
Report
Game Night
Jan. 16
Calendar
Liturgy
Ministries
Contact Us
FR. MICHAEL’S MESSAGE
This comes to you with all my prayers for a blessed 2008,
where you will have a lively sense of God’s presence among us and feel
the boldness of the joy that comes from that grace. My comments below
cover three areas.
First, our Annual Meeting will be on Sunday, 27 January
2008. This has already been on the calendar and announced at various
times. I am letting you know here in our newsletter also.
Second, in addition to the election of Vestry Members and
Wardens, one significant official matter must take place at our Annual Meeting.
This is a change in our by-laws. Please see Bea Winkler’s write-up
about that proposed change below in this message. In summary, what we are
doing is opening the door for young adults here to serve as equal members of
the congregation. They are already eligible to vote at 16; we are
proposing that they be eligible to be elected at 16 as well. As you know,
several of us have been focusing on supporting and incorporating our young people
during this time of transition in youth ministry. You will hear more
about that also at the Annual Meeting. We are intending, with this by-law
change and in other ways, to make their participation as integrated as possible
into our common life.
Third, I will be away during the middle of January.
Some of you know that I am the child of Southern Baptist missionaries. I
was raised overseas—we went to Spain when I had just turned 2—and I
did not come to this country in any ostensibly permanent way until
college. My parents received an invitation to go to Chile for the celebration
of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chilean Baptist
missionary work this January. We lived in Chile during the middle of the
1960s, when I was a teenager. They asked me if I would like to go with
them.
Well, it turns out that this reunion and celebration will be
at the school in southern Chile where my parents were stationed and which I
attended starting in seventh grade. I found I couldn’t say
no. How often would I have a chance to step into my past that way?
It will have been forty-two years since I was there. Already I have the
strange sensation of phantom tastes: remembering the flavors of Chilean food
that I haven’t eaten in all that time. I leave at night on 6
January and return on 17 January. Naturally, Priscilla will be looking
after liturgical and pastoral matters in my absence; and your two wardens,
David Wall and Betsy Hoover, will be in charge. I am grateful for your
prayers for safe travel.
Proposed By-Law Change to Article
III, Section 2
The by-law change will be voted on at the Annual Meeting, January 27,
2008
Proposal
The Youth Ministry Discernment Team, in conjunction with our vision and
recommendations for incorporating our young people into all aspects of church
life, propose that the By-Laws of
We propose that the By-Laws be changed to read: “There shall be
nine Vestry Members who shall be Adult Communicants in Good Standing in this
parish in accordance with the Canons of the Church and the
Diocese.”
Or alternatively: “There shall be nine Vestry Members who
shall be qualified voters of this parish and at least sixteen (16) years of
age.”
Rationale
The basis for these changes is as
follows:
Canon: The word is derived from the
Greek kanon, a "measuring rod or rule." [Regarding Church Law,]
Canons are the written rules that provide a code of laws for the governance of
the church. The canons of the Episcopal Church are enacted by the General
Convention. The current Canons were revised and enacted at the General
Convention of 2006.
Canon 14 of the
Episcopal Church, regarding Parish Vestries, states: “in every Parish of
this Church the number, mode of selection, and term of office of Wardens and
Members of the Vestry, with the qualifications of voters, shall be such as the
State or Diocesan law may permit or require…”
Canon 17 of the Episcopal Church
states: all Baptized persons whose Baptisms have been duly recorded in the
Episcopal Church (regardless of what Christian Church in which they were
Baptized) are members of the Church. Furthermore, all members sixteen
years of age and over are to be considered adult
members. All members who receive Holy Communion at least three
times during the year are considered communicants of the church. Communicants sixteen years of age and over are to be
considered adult communicants. All communicants who for the previous year have been faithful in
their worship, and in working, praying and giving for the spread of the Kingdom
of
God are to be considered communicants in good
standing. No one shall be
denied rights, status or access to an equal place in the life, worship, and
governance of this Church because of race, color, ethnic origin, national
origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, disabilities or age, except as otherwise specified by Canons.
Stated more concisely—a
baptized member who takes communion at least three times a year, who is at
least sixteen years old, who works, prays and gives for the good of the Church
is considered an adult communicant in good
standing.
Regarding elections, Canon 501.4 of
the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota states: “Each member who is an
Adult Communicant in Good Standing is entitled to vote.”
Canon 503 of the Episcopal Diocese
of Minnesota addresses the Lay Office of the Vestry. Canon 503.3
specifies that elected members of the Vestry must all be Adult Communicants in Good Standing.
Therefore, a baptized member who is
at least sixteen years old and is an adult communicant in good standing is
qualified to vote and to be elected to the Vestry.
While on occasion certain matters
before the Vestry may be difficult for a sixteen year old to fully understand,
the members of the Youth Ministry Discernment Team also appreciate that there
may be young adults in our parish who would like to contribute and be included
in the decision making process, especially in regards to matters which directly
or indirectly may impact the younger members of our church. We recommend that
the door be opened to these dedicated young adults to allow full participation.
EPIPHANY ANNOUNCEMENTS: There are 3
activities in association with Epiphany.
Sunday school students should meet
in the Sunday school room at 9:30 am this Sunday for assignments to the Gospel
pantomime.
The United Thank Offering Ingathering will be
this Sunday, January 6. Please bring in your blue UTO boxes, which of
course will be full to overflowing with coins!
We will have an Epiphany
celebration, with an Epiphany cake, on Sunday after the 10:30
service.
YOUTH
RETREAT
The Sr. Hi Youth group retreat at the House of Prayer on
January 11 and 12 is approaching quickly. The retreat will begin at
supper on Friday the 11th and be completed by mid afternoon on
Saturday the 13th. Cost for the retreat is $35 per student
(meals are included).
STEWARDSHIP REPORT
Pledge forms are still being accepted, and a great thanks to
those who turned in their forms. As of today, Jan. 2, we have
received 67 forms with a combined total (pledges and Faith Step) of $170,098. With
abundant gratefulness, The Stewardship Committee
GAME NIGHT JANUARY 16
Intergenerational Game Night Returns!
All are invited to our game night for fun, frivolity and
flavorful pizza. Supper begins at 6 followed by games galore at
6:30. There is a fee of $2 per person or $5 per family. Come and thaw
away your blues from this chilly January. This will be the only Game Night
until after Easter.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Sun 6 The
Epiphany: Eucharist 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM
Sunday School assignments at 9:30
United
Thank Offering Ingathering
Epiphany Party
following 10:30 service
Jan 7 – 17 Fr.
Michael on vacation
Tue 8 NO
Lunch Bunch this month
Wed 9 Department
of Indian Works (Diocesan) Meeting 10 – 3
Fri & Sat, 11 & 12 Youth Retreat at
House of Prayer
Sun 13 8:30
Morning Prayer
10:30
Hymn sing and Morning Prayer
Thu 17 Vestry
Meeting, 6 pm
Sun 27 9:30
Eucharist
Annual
Meeting & potluck follows service
Mon – Fri, 28-Feb 1 Home Delivered Meals
Liturgy
Ministers 6 Jan 8:30 AM 10:30
AM
Chalice
Ministers Barb Barb
& Rosie
Readers
Barb & Paul Elizabeth
& Sandy
Acolytes
Donny Ric
& Zack
Accompanist
Denise
B.
Altar
Guild
TBA
Coffee
Hour
Karl &
Mary Leslie
Communion Bread
Marty
Peterson
Hospitality
Ministers Louise
& Hi
Offering
Recorders Judy
& Carrie
Ushers Rosie
& Daniel
Cleaning
Team TBA
CONTACT US!
Sunday Services are at 8:30 and 10:30.
Father Michael's office hours are Monday
through Wednesday afternoons and other days and evenings by appointment.
Rector’s e-mail: rector@stjohns-episcopalchurch.org
The Secretary's office hours are usually
Tuesday and Wednesday 9 to 3 and Friday 9 to noon.
Office e-mail: office@stjohns-episcopalchurch.org
Web Address: www.stjohns-episcopalchurch.org