Transitions

The Song of Saint Francis

Saint Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church ● Salter Path, North Carolina May 2018

It’s a Date!

5/2 Elizabeth Singletary

5/5

World Labyrinth Day, Walk as One at 1:00

5/31 Hope Mission Cook & Serve

6/1 Ambrosia Duo Concert

7/6 Brierwood Ensemble Concert

8/3 Carolina Pro Musica Concert

9/7 Bright Walker Concert

10/13 LobsterFest

In Alice in Wonderland, Alice and a Caterpillar looked at each other for a long time, then the Caterpillar ad-dressed her in a languid, sleepy voice. Who are YOU? This was not an encouraging opening for a con-versation. Alice replied, rather shy-ly, that she really didn’t know who she was, she had changed so many times lately that she hardly knew an-ymore. Many of us at St. Francis by the Sea un-derstand. We have been through many ages and stages. Like Alice, we have been tiny and tall, large and small, back and forth. We have had closely-knitted and scattered families, requiring profes-sions and none, clear and fuzzy voic-es. We have been fiercely in control then unable to sustain it, robustly healthy and then with issues affect-ing vision, gait, digestion, conti-nence, sleep, breathing, hearing. We are not who we used to be! So who are we now? We’re all over the place, and, in my book, totally wonderful. Somehow, working together across only a few years, we have used our experiences and faith to help create a worship-ping community that not only values creativity but marinates in it. We take on amazing projects and bring

them to fruition. We have the best choir, the best labyrinth, the best gallery, the best liturgy. So you can tell that I am more than prejudiced, and totally in love with who we are, what we are doing, where we are headed. I am aware that what we are doing is requiring a mountain of work, and that it is being spread out

among a lot of people. I am delighted that so many choose to be involved in the work. We need even more. While we have weathered quite a few transitions, we face many more. We are

not through growing and shrinking, adding on and diminishing. What is tiny in us now is likely to grow. Today’s big deal may not be so next year. We keep changing, and the world keeps changing too. It is good that we are in the middle of all that fer-ment, not on the sidelines. We must keep awake and aware of changing needs and realities, and do our part to be agents of healing and love in a strange land. Everett +

Page 2

Grace Notes by Music Director, Linda Laughton

The first Sunday of May, 2018 marks my eighth year as music director at St. Francis by the Sea. On Sunday, May 2, 2010, the Fifth Sunday of Easter, I inherited a small but faithful choir that met on

Friday afternoons for a one-hour rehearsal. Now, eight years later, we offer an annual sum-mer concert series, the annual Handel’s MES-SIAH sing-along, a Service of Lessons and Car-ols and an annual Taize Service of Light and Silence; we host ticketed fund-raising concerts as occasions arise; we produce weekly POD-CASTS and provide music for the Wednesday Celtic Eucharist in the Clare Chapel; and we now manage a 24-chair choir with a 1-1/2 hour weekly rehearsal. Three of our choristers are members of the Diocesan Evensong Choir, Schola Cantorum, and seven of our choristers are members of the Carolina East Singers com-munity choir. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve during these years of growth. Now, as I prepare to take a mini-sabbatical for some sail-ing with Mark, the choir and congregation will be in very capable hands with Craig Everett fill-ing in for me at the organ from May 20 to June 10; Linda and Gary Keeter have volunteered to take on PODCAST production; summer con-certs are scheduled and confirmed, and promo-tional materials are programmed and ready to launch. For me, pray that Mark and I have fair winds and following seas… Sunday, May 6 at 2pm, I’m hosting my piano student recital in the sanctuary. My ten students, ages 8 to adult, will perform solo and duet pieces for their family members, and Mo-zart’s lively “Rondo alla Turca” will be per-formed by 16 year old Jonathan Merrill, my student for the past six years. A reception of cookies, tea and lemonade will follow. All my church family are welcome! Thanks to the St. Francis by the Sea fam-ily for supporting the Grenoldo Frazier Jazz Concert on April 6. This was a ticketed fund-raising event that raised close to $1500 for the general fund. Many hands participated in mak-ing this event happen: Layne and her fellow foodies, Jolene, Romaine and Libba on the tick-

ets, Tim and his crew on the gallery opening, Linda Keeter for her flier design, Jeanette and Linda D. for printing and folding the programs, Terry Smith, George, Donald Wells and Scott Shelton for putting the “stage” away and setting up the sanctu-ary. Above all, I thank Craig Griffin for his “reflexive hospitality” when, due to Grenoldo’s emergency car problems, Craig hosted Grenoldo in his home for the night following the concert, then drove him back to Wilmington the next morning.

Thank you, Craig! The Summer Concert Series starts on Friday, June 1 with “Ambrosia Duo,” a recital by cel-list, Rebecca Gil-more Phillips of the Virginia Sym-phony Orchestra and pianist (also violinist and con-ductor), Dr. Dan Lau, Chair of the Department of Music at Wash-ington Adventist University. They

will perform Beethoven’s Sonata for Cello and Pi-ano, No. 5 in D major, Op. 102, No. 2, and Rach-maninoff’s Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 19. While space does not permit in this article, the per-formers’ full biographies are posted in the church office window and on the church website. Please check them out! The brilliant, beautiful and very talented Heather Barlow has agreed to fill-in for me as MC for the concert. Thanks, Heather! The concert will start at 6:30 and will follow the art gal-lery opening of Tim Bradford, founder and curator of the Gallery at St. Francis by the Sea. Tim’s port-folio is abstract paintings in oils and acrylics. Con-cert admission is free and donations are gratefully received to sustain the series. A reception follows the concert. Stay Tuned! Linda

Page 3

We all are familiar with that very

old and wise fable. Personally, I

love fables and due to reading several of them

early in life. I followed their lessons and

continue to do so. …but why is she talking

about fables and a boy who called Wolf on this

bright sunny and finally warmish spring day?

It seems to me that this year, after a long

cold winter mother nature had her fun with us.

She has been crying wolf all spring…. Spring is

coming, spring is coming, spring is coming but

it’s been cold. The days were cold, blustery,

rainy and depressing. Where were our spring

days of heart, warmed by sun reflecting off our

crystal-clear waters, where was that pleasant

soft breeze lulling us into summer? What was

with that ground hog and why was mother

nature denying us our reprieve from winter.

She was crying wolf and we are weary of cold

windy days longing for the warmth of spring

and summer to embrace.

Just as in the ancient fable the warmth of

spring will come and soon we will be wearing

our shorts, light clothing and flip flops in

comfort and joy. Let us at this moment stop

and think about the cold staying too long and

the warmth taking it’s time…. Is it not because

of the cold that we love the warmth. If not for

the cold would we even embrace the fresh new

growth, the delightful sounds of birds singing,

the return of delightful warm days. I think

possibly not.

There is beauty in all our seasons, there is

beauty in all of nature whether its hot, cold,

wet, dry, green, brown and so forth. As each

season comes we welcome them, some more

than others but none the less we welcome the

change. We enjoy the renewed freshness of

spring and all the delights of life reemerging

after the cold and stagnation of winter, the

offspring of the birds, squirrels and wildlife

that share our lives on our island. Come summer

we welcome the warm balmy nights and 80-

degree ocean water. Fall arrives to cool us after

the heat of August then once again winter comes

and the blessings it truly brings.

Mother Nature, you can call wolf all you want.

We believe that spring and summer will

reemerge. That is what we Christians do, we

believe.

God’s peace, my friends.

Vestry View - The Boy Who

Cried Wolf by Layne Helwig

The Saint Teresa Chapter of the Daughters of the King at St. Francis would like the opportunity to pray for you or those you love. It is a sacred priv-ilege and we are called to pray for one another. If you have a private need or concern for which you would like intentional prayer, please let us know. This Prayer Request Box has been ordered and will be placed in the back of the church. On the side of the box is a sleeve which will contain cards for you to fill out. Once you fill out a Pray-er Request Card, place it in the box, and one of the Daughters of the King will check the box eve-ry Sunday after church. All requests are kept confidential and your re-quest will be included in our prayers for a month. If the need is ongoing, please complete a new form for the following month or as long as your need continues. We know there is power in prayer. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Barbara McCreary, Grace Kemp, Beth Parker, or Lisa Park.

The Daughters of the

King Want to Pray for You by Barbara McCreary

Page 4

LobsterFest

“Walk as one at 1”. That is the hope for World Labyrinth Day this year. We are a registered participant in that celebration, sponsored by the Labyrinth Society. As such, we agree to provide information about the number of peo-ple who walk our labyrinth that day, and pho-tos of our experience. You can help by walking that day and providing photos of you and your friends as you walk. We will have a sign-up form at-tached to the information receptacle as you enter the labyrinth. I hope that you are enriched by sharing the energy of walking at the same time with thousands of people across the world. Everett+

World Labyrinth Day

Saturday, May 5

1 - Sally Benson 16 - Roger Hahn

1 - Sharon Culpepper 20 - Joe Ragland

1 - Kieran Venable 21 - Owen Burns

4 -Bob Gallo 21 - Lavonda Van Benthuysen 6 - Meg Bradford

8 - Bob Hunt 25 - Wilton Burns

12 - Rachael Kemp 27 - Jolene McCann

14 - Betsey Randall

Here we go again. It’s time to start planning for

this year’s party. Our 2018 LobsterFest will be

held Saturday October 13. Meg Bradford,

Geraline Castle, Linda Davies, and I are already

making plans. Your suggestions are always wel-

come and you are encouraged to drop me an

email at tmsmith1023@gmail.com. I’ll make

sure your suggestions are routed to the appropri-

ate team leader. We’re not quite ready for volun-

teer sign-up but I will ask you to consider the fol-

lowing: We really need people to commit to

clean-up at day’s end. Last year was a challenge

and the ball was carried by a couple of volunteers

and people that had been working hard all day.

With the departure of the Makucks (we do miss

them) we have a need for someone to manage

press coverage. Phyllis did a great job with this

and I have her notes. This person will help with

the placement of promotional articles in our lo-

cal and community papers, public radio, radio

interviews and other available news outlets. I’d

love to combine this with social media manage-

ment as well. Keep watching the Newsletter.

Thank you in advance for all you will do to make

2018.

Terry Smith

FINANCIAL MINUTE by Dan Riddle

Year to Date 3/31/18 2018 2017 Budget

Pledge receipts $ 44,904 $ 48,404 $ 53,895

Plate offerings $ 5,266 $ 5,675 $ 4,193 Expenses & Mortgage $ 47,492 $ 46,874 $ 54,337 Based ONLY on the one estimate received thus far, the re-pairs to the south windows will be very expensive (may re-quire most of the funds in our capital reserve account).

Page 5

For the Kids of

St. Francis by

Marian Goetzinger,

Director of Youth Ministry

Recently I was able to check a very much dreamed of item off my bucket list; taking a group of young people from St. Francis By the Sea, to St. Andrews by the Sea in Nags Head for the annual Acolyte Festival. I had very high expectations since for seven years Father Everett has been telling me it would be a “life changing experience.” I dreamed of offering that life changing experience to our young people. Little did I know it would be life changing for me as well.

Jeanette Jenkins, our new parish administrator and my dear friend, agreed to go along as a chaperone and driver. Five thirteen-year-old young people, 4 boys and sweet Sofia, our brave young lady, loaded enough luggage in our two vans to stay away for the entire summer, not just the two days and nights planned. With high hopes and a little trepidation, and despite the very despondent faces of the moms whom we did not invite, we were off!

Thanks to traffic delays and a bridge raised for

what seemed like hours to allow sail boats to pass, our anticipated three-and-a-half-hour drive took us five hours. We arrived safely at the incredibly luxurious and spacious beach house provided to us at no charge by a generous St. Andrew parishioner with little time to spare. After a much too long “discussion” about which child could have which bedroom, luggage was unloaded and we made the five minute drive to the church. NOW our real journey began.

My first huge surprise happened almost immediately. The event team let us know that we could go shop, rest, whatever, we were not needed. They took our children away! I wish you could have seen the look that passed between Jeanette and me. I had expected to be right there in the midst of our kids, just like I am at St. Francis. It felt a bit like the day I dropped my first child at kindergarten. I was thrilled and scared and a little sad. I had to trust that these people knew what they were doing and that our young people would not embarrass us. The team definitely knew what they were doing and our youth constantly made us proud.

Jeanette and I returned to the house to organize and finish unloading. When we returned to the church the transformation had begun. We discovered our five sitting in the sanctuary on the front row waiting for the service to begin. Sitting behind them we heard our first rendition of “Wade in the Water” clearly being sung by five Kids of St. Francis along with dozens of other acolytes. (I have yet to hear the number but it seemed perhaps about 50-60 participants.). I have never seen our young people actively participate in services as they did in the three we were privileged to enjoy.

When it was time for everyone to choose which workshops to attend, I was pleased to notice all of our young people chose music for their first one. We had explained that they could split up if they wanted to, there were many wonderful classes to choose from. It didn’t surprise me that they stayed together or that they chose music. It did surprise me that for their second workshop they chose internet

Page 6

For the Kids of St. Francis (Cont’d.)

safety. Jeanette and I were able to attend the adult version of that class later when the children were in acolyte training. It was incredible! We learned disturbing things that are happening on the internet and ways that our children are at risk. Fortunately, we also learned how important it is for adults and youth to be aware of how to protect themselves. I hope to bring that same training to St. Francis by the Sea soon.

We enjoyed getting to know other Episcopal youth and leaders. The children made friends from other churches, learned many new things and stepped out and proved themselves as the leaders I knew them to be. We were thrilled that our Bishop was able to sit with us for lunch and we were able to have casual conversations with him.

I cannot possibly tell you all the moving and fun experiences we had, but you know me well enough to know that we will be hearing about this for a long time. I wish each of you could have been there to see these children, who sometimes are reluctant to participate, walking up and down the hallways singing, leading the others in dancing and visiting with each other at meals and fellowship times. I wish you could have been next to me in the car on the trip home to hear the conversations in the back seats. There were animated discussions about what we can do differently at “our church”. There were more renditions of “Walking on the Water” than I’ve heard in my lifetime. There were “I hope we get to come back next years”. And if you’ve never heard prayers done to rap, you would have been amazed.

I asked the children to sum up for me what they learned and what they didn’t like. There were many surprises for me. They all hope to do it again and they all want us to plan something for other churches

at “our church.” I’m on that one for sure. They made a list of what they want “back home at church”. Topping the list was more music for kids. Just for kicks, here are some of the things from their wish list”

Music for kids

Activities with local church youth

A swimming pool

A pickle ball court

A volley ball court

Comfortable furniture in the youth center

The young people can’t wait for next year. Me too.

Page 7

Trinity Center Campers This May, through mid-June, St. Francis will, once again, help the Trinity Center summer campers by providing new, inexpensive shoes/flip flops/water shoes and beach towels, as well as money to help campers have the optimal camping experience. It is important that summer campers, at least for that one week, are on equal footing. Cash dona-tions can be placed in the collection plate in a marked envelope showing that the money should go to the Trinity Center Campers Project, or by a check made out to St. Francis with a note that it is for the Trinity Center Campers Project. Please give generously.

Family Promise of Carteret County We continue our collection or Family Promise in Morehead City (men’s and women’s personal hy-giene items, cleaning supplies, napkins, toiletries, twin size bedding, and diapers). Additionally, if you’d like to volunteer to help out in their office, they are in need of volunteers to answer phones, help people fill out forms, take donations, sort do-nations, craft or read to children. As little as an hour a week would be a tremendous help.

Family Promise is a nationwide organization with 200 affiliates. It is a coalition of local churches working together to provide shelter, food, and dig-nity to families with children who have fallen on hard times and find themselves and their children homeless. Carteret County’s Family Promise Day Center (on Arendell Street in Morehead City) is where their “guests” can receive assistance looking for jobs, furthering their education, navigating the Department of Housing and Urban Development

system, looking for affordable housing, and attending to daily needs such as laundry, taking a shower, cooking a meal, attending parenting and financial skills clas-ses. Family Promise is equipped to help 4 families (14 people total) for a time frame of up to 90 days. Each family is vetted by Carteret County’s Social Services Depart-ment. Requirements for acceptance into the program are: they must be a family unit, must have no drug, alcohol, domestic vio-lence, or mental health issues, and must be willing to want to better their lives. After 30 days the adult must have obtained a job. There are 13 local churches that are current-ly filling the role of “host church” where these families actually sleep and eat dinner within the confines of the church for a period of one week. “It’s not a hand out, it’s a hand up” - Sandy Giacobbi (executive director of Family Promise)

Hope Mission Please place any non-perishable food items

in the tub under the table in the parish hall.

All items are delivered to Hope Mission at

the end of each month.

Outreach - Reaching Out to Others in Need by Denise Throckmorton

Page 8

We will be cooking and serving at Hope Mis-sion on Thursday, May 31. We could use one more cook, 5 servers, cleanup, and sonated desserts. If you’d like to help, please sign up on the sign up sheet posted on the office window. Servers should report to Hope Mis-sion by 10:45, cooks at 8:00, and dessert do-nations should be dropped off by 10:30. We will be serving baked spaghetti, salad, green beans, and dessert. If you’d like more info,

please see Terry or Robin Smith.

Hope Mission Cook and Serve We will be cooking and serving at Hope Mis-sion on Thursday, May 31. We could use one more cook, 5 servers, cleanup, and some do-nated desserts. If you’d like to help, please sign up on the sign up sheet posted on the office window. Servers should report to Hope Mis-sion by 10:45, cooks at 8:00, and dessert dona-tions should be dropped off by 10:30. We will be serving baked spaghetti, salad, green beans, and dessert. If you’d like more info, please see Terry or Robin Smith.

Hope Mission Ministries Annual Golf Tournament is coming up on Thursday, June 7. It will be held at the Morehead City Country Club(2900 Country Club Road). If you or your business would be interested in being a sponsor for this event, please call 252-240-2359 Ext. 1. For more information on Hope Mission visit the website at www.hmcm.org or like us on Face-book at https://www.facebook.com/HopeMissionofCarteretCounty/. Thank you for your kindness and support for Hope Mis-sion.

Artist for the Month of May

Elizabeth Singletary is the artist for May. She works with paper to create collages that are a combination of the natural and the fantastical. Her opening will be May 2, 5:30-6:30pm. All are welcome!

Tim Bradford

Thank you letter

Dear St. Francis By-the-Sea Friends, Bert and I feel so loved by the people of St. Francis who have supported us with your prayers, concern for our lives, and monetary support since our house fire in midMarch. We are so grateful for your overwhelming generosity. It has helped us look toward the future with hope and confi-dence that “all will be well”. Although there was tragedy in the loss of our home and posses-sions, yet there were also many blessings from an unexplainable garage door going up that alerted us at 7:00 am to the coming together of neighbors, friends, and family. Instantly we were covered in love through God’s people. This week we will be moving into our rental home in downtown Swansboro for the next year that we had previously rented when we first arrived in Swansboro. It is truly another blessing and we are excited. Yes, there will be many decisions to make but just as new life is seen in nature every spring time, we too are blest with new beginnings in our lives also. Thank-you again for your caring and love.

Peace and love, Carol and Bert Eaton

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the St. Francis members

of the

Carolina East Singers We are so grateful for the wonderful support our congregation provides in attending our concerts. While we’re on stage, it is a joy to look across the sanctuary at First Presbyterian and see so many of our St. Francis family cheering us on. Thank you for supporting us as we share God’s love in our broader community. If you love to sing, auditions for the fall semester will be held in June; see any of us for details.

Libba & Scott Shelton, Meg Bradford, Craig Griffin, Linda Laughton, Robin & Terry Smith

May 2018 Lay Ministry Schedule

Page 9

May 6

May 13

Mother’s Day

May 20

Kids Sunday

May 27

Memorial Day

Vestry Layne Helwig

George Hirasawa

Barbara McCreary

Pat Jones

Greeters

1.

2.

1.

2. Kids Barbara Bagby

Lector Libba

Shelton Linda Davies Kids Meg Bradford

Prayers Pat Jones Linda Davies Kids Pat Jones

Crucifer Scott Shelton Marian

Goetzinger Kids Beth Beswick

Chalice

Marian Goetzinger

Pat Jones

Marian Goetzinger

Richard Seale

Marian Goetzinger

Tim Bradford

Jolene McCann

Pat Jones

Altar Guild

Meg Bradford

Marian Goetzinger

Betsy Randall

Linda Seale

Meg Bradford

Linda Davies

Betsy Randall

Linda Seale

Torch-bearers

Martha Edwards

Sharon Watling

Linda Davies

Terry Griffin

Kids Linda Davies

Scott Shelton

Audio Stover Morris Larry Castle Gary Keeter John Clarke

Nursery Pam Ball Geraline Castle Jeannie Baxter Sam Baxter

Coffee Hour

Jeannie Baxter

Jan Corsello

Korin Gagnon

Beth Parks

Terry and Craig Griffin

Bobbie Hill and Harold

O’Briant

The Song of St. Francis is a monthly publication of

St. Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church.

Sound side of NC 58 between Mile Marker 10 and 10½

920 Salter Path Road ● Salter Path, North Carolina ● 28512

(252) 240-2388 ● © 2017 All rights reserved

St. Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church

920 Salter Path Road

Salter Path, NC 28512

First Class Mail

Save the dates!

Rector The Rev. Everett Thomas, Ph.D.

Priest in Residence The Rev. Chris Carlin

Vergers Tim Bradford Marion Morris

Parish Administrator Jeanette Jenkins

Treasurer Dan Riddle

Asst. Treasurer Stover Morris

Sexton David Shapiro

Vestry Class of 2018 Beth Beswick

Pat Jones, Senior Warden Terry Smith

Vestry Class of 2019 Layne Helwig

George Hirasawa, Junior Warden Barbara McCreary

Vestry Class of 2020 Ted Goetzinger Sharon Watling Stover Morris

Clerk of the Vestry

Korin Gagnon

Music Director Linda Laughton

Art Gallery Director Tim Bradford

ECW Chair

Bobbie Hill

Outreach Chair Denise Throckmorton

Director of Youth Ministry Marian Goetzinger

Sunday Schedule:

9:00 am — Adult Forum; 10:00 am —Eucharist Service

Nursery available; casual dress welcome

Wednesdays — 12:00 noon — Celtic Eucharist

St. Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church is a parish in the Diocese of East Carolina

The Right Reverend Robert Skirving, Bishop