Dearly Beloved,
So many thanks to so many people who contributed to making our Advent and Christmas celebrations so glorious, from the new Christmas Pageant with St. Nicholas of Myra, to the Greening of the Church and flowering of the Sanctuary, to our musicians vocal and instrumental, to our acolytes and ushers, and a special thanks to those who responded so well to our call for help at the Christ Church, Waukegan, Soup Kitchen― we had a terrific turnout in the true Christmas spirit.
Missions Board
Our first meeting of the new Missions Board will be Sunday, January 10, 2010, at 1:30 pm. We will gather in Founders Hall for our opening plenary session, and then break into the three Teams: Diocese and Episcopal Charities; Parish and Local; and National/International.
The Missions Board has been supporting Kermit Titrud's work as a Bible translator with Wycliffe Bible Translators even longer than we have supported the McGregors― for over 22 years! Kermit lived just across the street from the church. He sent this Christmas picture by email with his wife Raquel, and their children Shona and Tim, with this explanation: When I thought it be cool to take our picture behind the advent candles after our Christmas service, I kind of reinterpreted the advent candles to be symbolic of one candle for each of us with the fifth and central candle being Christ. May we allow him to shine through us during 2010 and beyond. Kermit began his translation work in the Philippines with Wycliffe in the late 1980s, and is affiliated as well with SIL International and the International Bible Society, where since 1996 he has been their Director of Translations for East Asia.
Companion Parish Krismasy Kids' Club
On Christmas Eve we launched our Krismasy ("Christmas" in Malagasy) Kids' Club to link our children and teenagers with those in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar: Grant Keller with Erick (age 7); Lukas Anibal Hernandez with Claude (7); Mark Bozzano with Dadakely (10); Kate Baddeley with Andrianiaina Jocelin Dieu (11); Kristen Appelbaum with Anjelinah Rasoa (11); Myra Peterson with Masy Flomene (11); Nathan Appelbaum with Olivier (11); Ashley Benson with Mara Anthony (12); Hannah Benson with Vaha Martine (12); and Maddy Boutros with Mara Olivine (14). We have other Malagasy children from age 2 to 13. If any kids, or parents or grandparents with really young children or grandchildren, would like to sign up for a "pen pal" (in reality an "email pal!") please call or email me or Ida Butler in the parish office, or sign up on the lists opposite the office. More details next week!
Mission and Vision Discernment
This is the second in a series of Newsletter summaries of work we have done as a congregation over the past two years to discern (prayerfully consider) our Mission and Vision. Here is the second and final part of LoriLee Bielski's "Visioning our Future" exercise:
Name one change you would make today that would have a positive impact now and in 5 years?
Each family to bring in one new family
Evaluate what we do periodically to avoid burnout
Expand parish involvement during Gregorys Sundays for seniors and youth
More publicity and marketing to make us visible to the community
Sermons to include more personal experiences of faith
Become more inviting to guests
Strong outreach to the needier areas both in our community and outside
Implement small groups in the community to invite neighbors into the group
Recruit new young families to strengthen the youth program
What does this mean? (LoriLee reached these conclusions after looking at all the response)
1. We must ensure that we can maintain the course we're on and the programs we have.
2. We need to work harder to be a vital contributing member of our community both to fulfill or mission and achieve steady growth.
3. The Preschool represents something larger to this parish than serving preschoolers.
4. We should leverage our children and youth programs in outreach initiatives more heavily than we do currently.
Next week: Notes from Susan Czolgosz' work with us as our Congregational Sabbatical Consultant.
Parish Family Retreat
Last year a generous visitor to our parish gave us some seed money for a Parish Family Retreat. If you would like to be on a planning committee to make this happen, either this year or in 2011, please let me know.
Faithfully yours,
CATHEDRAL SHELTER CHRISTMAS BASKET PROGRAM
On behalf of the Cathedral Shelter Christmas Basket program, I want to thank you for your participation this season. Over 1550 families and seniors, as well as some homeless men and women, were able to celebrate Christmas this year because of YOU. A BIG thank you also to the following who were on hand to help load the truck with all the boxes on that Thursday morning: Sybil and Lyle Ten Eyck, Mike McComb (bus driver), Fernando Soberano, Erica Jeglum, Lisa Halpin, Dan Aberson, Paul Maraist, Tracy Babcock, Catherine Martin, and Dorthea White. A special thank you to Dorthea White who coordinated the loading of the truck and to Catherine Martin who helped with the basket sign-up during October.
If you have any doubt that your Christmas baskets make a difference, here is a sample from the Thank You notes that are written by the families and seniors. This is part of a note from a senior who was a first-time recipient: "May God bless you and your family. This is the first time that anyone has ever given me anything for Christmas." Again, THANK YOU for your support! Marilyn Knilans
COMMUNITY MEALS
We served 66 people last Sunday at the Community Meals, Waukegan Soup Kitchen. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped during this busy holiday season. The following volunteered: Annette Baez and her son Adam Fishman, Damaris and Chris Boutros, Cyn Brown, Allison Cioffi-Brown, Anders Fogt, Bill and Janet Foltz, Paul and Bill Franke, Lisa Halpin, Derek Hill, Sue Koy, Chuck and Marilee Morrison, Lin and Ruth Reichenbach, and Barb and Scott Schaper. Thanks to the people who provided desserts: Cyn Brown, Dori Carlson, Allison Cioffi-Brown, Anne Clark, Sam and Scott Falbe, Janet and Bill Foltz, Barb and Scott Schaper, and Sybil Ten Eyck. Our next turn to serve is on Sunday, March 7, 2010. Bill and Janet Foltz and Barb Schaper
JOINT YOUTH GROUP
The Joint Youth Group will meet on Sunday, January 3rd from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Dinner will be served. We will also be building our own marshmallow shooters to enjoy a tasty battle!
OFFERTORY ENVELOPES
2010 Offertory Envelopes have been delayed and will be available on Sunday, January 14th. For the interim, please place any checks loose in alms basin. If cash, please enclose in sealed envelope displaying your name. We do not need your assigned envelope number to properly record your contributions. Thank you!
PLEDGE CARDS FOR 2010
If you haven't already made your pledge for 2010, please remember to mail or bring it to church. So far we have received about two-thirds of our anticipated pledges.
OFFICE EQUIPMENT
With our new copier, we no longer need a separate fax machine. If you know of a local non-profit organization that would benefit from a well used, yet highly functional fax, we would like to donate it. An extra tape calculator is also available for donation. Please contact Dorthea White in the office, or call her cell @ 847-946-1829.
ST.GREGORY'S BOOK CLUB
St. Gregory's Book Club will meet on January 14th, at 7:30 p.m. in the Youth Room. Our selection is a Christmas story: The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans. The Christmas Box is a touching story of a widow and the young family who moves in with her. Together they discover the first gift of Christmas and learn what Christmas is really all about. The Christmas Box is a Christmas story unlike any other. It is a quick read. We hope you will join us.
Our next selection will be The Help by Kathryn Stockett. The date will be announced in January.
Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women. Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.
In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women—mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends—view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.
PARISH OFFICE DEADLINES
Newsletter announcements are due to the office by 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Newsletters are published on Wednesday.
Bulletin announcements are due to the office by 1:00 p.m. on Thursday.
To publish your announcements, please call the office or E-mail to office@st.gregoryschurch.org.
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In your prayers this week, please remember our companion parish in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar, and its leaders, Deacon Donné and Evangelist Tomboasy; the sick, particularly Connie Alexander, Jim Slattery, Fran Ingram, David Murray, Douglas Ten Eyck, Jan Alexandra, and Irene Besthoff; the departed, particularly Harris Snoparsky and Alex Cielpinski; and the men and women serving in our armed forces and their families, especially remembering Jared Doty, Mark Kraus, Ilan Keldar, Justin Cloe, Alex Koltanowski, Richard Hayward, Robb Dunlap, Greg Hirsch, Jamie Mitchell, Chad Field, Brian Adamson, Hunter Levine, Owen Leewis, and Daniel Fitzpatrick.
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