Dearly Beloved,
This Sunday we will offer our Healing Liturgy at all three services.
The 58th Annual Meeting of St. Gregory's Episcopal Church will be Sunday, January 30, 2011, beginning with the Nine O'Clock Service, for the purpose of reviewing the Spiritual and Temporal Condition of the Parish, and for the election of Wardens, Vestry, Diocesan Convention and Deanery Chapter Delegates, and members of the Parish Nominating Committee.
Last Sunday, the Parish Nominating Committee chose a potential slate of candidates to be presented to the Annual Meeting. As we go to press I am still calling the nominees, in the order that the Parish Nominating Committee established, to invite them to consider serving in one of the offices. Sometimes it takes a while for nominees to be reached, and sometimes they request time to reach their decisions. I am sure we will have the slate by next week's Newsletter!
ENJOY VISITING WITH YOUR FELLOW PARISHIONERS OVER A CUP OF COFFEE OR TEA?
"If we each volunteer one or two Sundays a year to set up the coffee hour, those good times will continue! Everything is here for you and the coffee is already made― hosting is an easy task. We need two co-hosts each Sunday."
Please sign up to co-host on the 2011 sign-up sheet which will bring us through May 22. You'll find it on the table across from the parish office.
EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT
Nathan Richards, who is an Eagle Scout candidate in our St. Gregory's Boy Scout Troop 50, writes:
"You may have noticed the sign and collection bin for children's books in the Church hallway across from Erica's office. For my Eagle Scout project, I am collecting books for Bernie's Book Bank (www.berniesbookbank.org), a charity that collects and then gives away gently used books to thousands of needy kids in our area, from beginners to the 6th grade level. It's been found that when kids have some books of their own, they take a much greater interest in reading.
The book collection will end on January 28. I'd like to let everyone know to bring books, especially on Sunday!
REPORT ON LAST SUNDAY'S COMMUNITY MEAL
This past Sunday, 12 members of our church served a delicious hot meal to 74 guests. Desserts were provided by Gretchen Bayer, Marcia Bazzoni and Dori Carlson, and by those whose names are in red bold font and who also prepared and served the meal: Kathy Block (brand new parishioner), Alison Cioffi-Brown, Anne Clark, Bill and Janet Foltz, Marsh LeSueur, Mary and Paul Maraist, Marilee Morrison, Karen Nicholas, Barb Schaper and Sybil Ten Eyck. Thank you one and all!
Our next turn at Christ Church, Waukegan is Sunday, April 3rd. Mark your calendars and plan to join us.
Barb Schaper and Bill and Janet Foltz
NEWS FROM OUR COMPANION PARISH IN FORT DAUPHIN
Bishop Todd McGregor sent me these two photographs by the parish's Treasurer, Mara Willy with this note:
"We have completed the roof with funds you sent. We are now raising additional funds ($4-5,000) to complete the church. We hope to have it completed by mid March. Please send my greetings and love to Ingrid and the rest of the parish family."
Also, we received this letter:
To God's People of St. Gregory's Episcopal Church ―
My name is Syd Verinder, President of the Board of Directors of People Reaching People, Inc., a U.S.-based organization established to support the ministry of Bishop Todd and Rev. Patsy McGregor.
I want to personally express my heartfelt thanks to the parishioners of St. Gregory's Church for your recent financial gift to the McGregor's work of spreading the Gospel message in southern Madagascar.
And there is such exciting and joyful news to share about the McGregor's ministry! During my recent visit to the island, I could tangibly see and feel the Lord doing a mighty work in southern Madagascar to spread the Kingdom to all people. Churches are being built and filled with joyous worshipers at every service. Hope is proclaimed to those with little hope.
May God bless you abundantly!
Syd.
THE FIRST TROOP CARE PACKAGE EVENT IN 2011 IS SET FOR JANUARY 25th – 7 PM
The next troop care package event will be held on Tuesday, January 25th at 7 o'clock.
We will begin set up at 4:30 and will start packing boxes at 7 o'clock.
If you have an address for a soldier who needs a care package, please give the information to the church office or to Cissy Singleton.
We need donations of hygiene items, socks, hand warmers, snacks, and food items.
Our packages will have a Valentine's Day theme so any items related to Valentine's Day will be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Faithfully yours,
PRESCHOOL NEWS
Registration is under way for the 2011-2012 academic year. If you'd like to enroll your child or children, please let Debbie Ham-Bolger or Sara Lemrise know.
There's a new sign-up sheet for Preschool "Mystery Readers." If you'd like to take a turn reading your favorite story to the children, please sign up on the table across from the parish office. Mystery Reader Kathy Seghers was mysteriously left out of the last Thank You list of prior Readers; sorry for the omission!
NEW EPISCOPAL CHURCH HYMNAL?
The Church Pension Group's Office of Research is assisting the Episcopal Church's Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music in fulfilling its General Convention mandate to determine whether a revision of The Hymnal 1982 is needed and wanted by the Episcopal Church.
Congregations, music directors, and clergy are invited to participate in the Hymnal Revision Feasibility Study, a landmark research study being conducted via online surveys and focus groups from October 2010 to March 2011.
The Standing Commission would like to hear from members of Episcopal Church congregations (with additional questions for choir members); music directors, and clergy.
INTERFAITH MANNERS
On Sunday, January 30, from 12 Noon to 1:00 pm, at Deerfield's Christ United Methodist Church, 600 Deerfield Road, Faith In Action is presenting a series of classes to foster interfaith understanding.
How do you know what to do when you are a guest at someone else's religious ceremony?
What does it mean and why do people do the things they do to mark key life transitions?
When to sit and when to stand?
What is an appropriate gift?
And the most important question of all, "Whom can I ask without looking foolish?"
The upcoming session will cover food, clothing and holidays and is open to everyone! Bring your friends, neighbors and your questions. Future sessions will cover weddings, illness, funerals, and will rotate among the sponsoring congregations of Faith in Action: Congregation B'nai Torah in Highland Park, and Holy Cross Catholic Church and Zion Lutheran Church in Deerfield. Questions? Please contact Mary Ann Spina at 945-0430 or send an email to MASpina@holycrossparish.net.
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In your prayers this week, please remember the sick, particularly Cheryll Johnson, Raquel Titrud, Francis, Don White, Deborah Potter, Evelyn Tigan, Yvette Carlson, Kathy Pokeny, Regina, Colin, Ann Shields, Jan Cesar, Ethan Saunders, Margaret Peat, Richard Nicolas, and Jack Trapani;
our companion parish in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar, and its leaders, Rev. Donné and Evangelist Tomboasy;
pray for peace between North and South Korea, and for peace in Sudan;
the men and women serving in our armed forces and their families, remembering especially Mike Demmon, Ryan Krochmolny, Sarah Shirley, Jason Greenman, Jamie Hayes, Chris Meinhardt, Michael Molloy, Tom Samella, Robert Steere, Eric Cloe, Mark Kraus, Ilan Keldar, Robb Dunlap, Greg Hirsch, Jamie Mitchell, Chad Field, Brian Adamson, Hunter Levine, and Jack Lee; and
for the departed, especially Becky Crain, sister of Kermit Titrud.
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