volume 11 issue 4 the net page 1 st. james episcopal...
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Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 1
April 2015
The Net
St . James Episcopal Church
St. James’ Mission Statement
St. James is called to serve God, Christ, and the community of Greater New London.
Adopted by the Vestry, May 2001
From the Rector’s Desk
As I contemplate the publication and distribution of this issue of The NET, I’m aware of the
many changes afoot. First, we’re not even midway through Lent yet, but by the time this is
in your hands, Holy Week will be on our doorstep. And fortunately that means that Easter
can’t be far behind.
Second, as I write this, I’m staring out my office window at the bright—dare I say spring-
like—sunlight, and as hard as it is to believe, melting snow (we’re scheduled for several days
of 40+ degree temperatures). The piles seem to be getting a bit smaller, and everywhere
blacktop and sidewalk is finally visible.
Finally, Daylight Saving Time has arrived—the very first day, the Third Sunday of Lent,
sundown was at 6:48 p.m.; it was nice to leave our 5:00 p.m. service and find it still light
outside. Although I was just getting accustomed to a little sunlight peeking through the
windows as the alarm went off each morning, it is now pitch-dark
once again; fortunately, the afternoon-into-evening sunlight makes
up for it.
Liturgically, we are preparing for change too. In our Gospel
readings, as Christ continues his journey to Jerusalem, he continues
to try and teach the disciples—and us—what it means to “take up
our cross and follow him.” And so, our Lenten journey is drawing to a
close for another year. Yet, with Holy Week still ahead of us, we
have some time to concentrate on what Jesus is going through and
what Jesus seeks to teach us about true discipleship.
I pray, in spite of the dreadful winter weather, that you have found a
little time for some sort of Lenten discipline: maybe you have
undertaken saying Morning or Evening Prayer; maybe you’ve joined
our Adult Ed classes; maybe you’re reading scripture along with
Vestry Highlights 3
Thanks 4
Birthday 5
Music 7
Holy Week/Easter Info 8
Outreach 9-13
Stewardship/Financial 13-15
Inside this issue:
Page 2 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4
The Net …
is the newsletter of St.
James’ Church, New
London, Connecticut.
It is published eleven
times a year
(September through
June, and a summer
issue) for the
information and
edification of St.
James’ members and
friends.
Articles are always
welcome and should
be submitted by the
tenth of the month
before publication.
While your input is
always welcome, we
would prefer to receive
it by e-mail or CD-ROM,
in Microsoft Word
format.
Please continue to
forward your
submissions to the
Church Office or email
them to: [email protected]
We also welcome your
comments and
suggestions. This is your
newsletter.
76 Federal Street
New London CT 06320-6601
860-443-4989
www.stjamesnl.org
Forward Day-by-Day; or maybe you’re using your Lenten
calendar-poster. Maybe you’ve even undertaken one of
the disciplines proposed from Ash Wednesday: almsgiving,
prayer, fasting.
I hope, despite the string of bad weather, seemingly
occurring every weekend, that you have been able to
make it to Church as often as you can, for the support of
other “struggling” disciples, where we gather as a Parish
family for our communal worship and witness to
discipleship. And above all else, I hope that you might find
time to join with your fellow parishioners during the
upcoming Holy Week services (which are offered every
day during Holy Week, see the schedule on page 8), so
you can prepare your heart and mind for our celebration
of Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Day.
Through our weekly scripture readings, our hymns, maybe
in the sermons, and even in the Holy Eucharist, we are
reminded that it is virtually impossible to experience the
joys of Easter, without the sorrows of the crucifixion and the
cross. Jesus’ experiences on his way to Jerusalem remind
us that the true Christian faith is neither a prosperity gospel,
nor a talisman that keeps us from hard times or illness.
Jesus repeatedly warned disciples—of all times and
generations—how hard it is to understand the joy of
resurrection and new life, without the sadness of
repentance and death. Jesus cautions disciples that to
“live with him,” means we are called “to die with him”; we
were “buried with him” and “raised to new life with him” in
our baptism.
Now, as we prepare to close out another Lenten season,
and to honor that “new life” in the celebration of the first
Resurrection, I pray that this Easter may be a time of
remembrance and celebration for you and your family!
Rector’s Desk cont’d
Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 3
As many of you know, we say
Morning Prayer in Hallam
Chapel every weekday
morning at 7:30 am. One of
the reasons for praying the
Daily Office is "to ask, for
ourselves and on behalf of
others, those things that are
necessary to our life and our
salvation." If you would like us
to pray for something on your
behalf during the week we
invite to add your prayer request to the
book located in the Narthex, at
the main Church entrance (off
Huntington Street). During the
week, we will offer your prayers
each weekday morning.
Of course, if you are able, we
invite everyone to join us any
morning during the week for
Daily Morning Prayer. “Lex
orandi, lex credenda”: As we
pray, so we believe.
Daily Morning Prayer
Vestry Highlights
The Vestry met on March 10 for its regularly scheduled meeting.
The Vestry reviewed its normal business items, but spent some extra time considering several
Vestry-oriented items, such as Safe Church Training and the annual Vestry Retreat. Fr.
Michel is trying to get a Safe Church Training closer to New London, and possibly host a
recertification class at St. James. The Retreat will be Friday evening and Saturday, April 24-
25, facilitated by Dr. Fredrica Harris Thompsett, a retired professor from Episcopal Divinity
School, regarding lay ministry.
The Seabury Deanery continues its plans for this year’s mission trip to Ecuador (August 6-17).
A flyer was distributed describing a Holy Land trip, co-led by a parishioner from Calvary,
Stonington, taking place October 6 –17, and co-sponsored by the Seabury Deanery.
The Vestry spent some time considering the establishment of the Emory Ayers Community
Fund, supported by a gift from the Ayers family to provided some additional outreach
funding. They also made a decision to begin repayment of the capital projects line-of-
credit loan, by making monthly payments beginning in April.
Statistics for 2013-2014 reveal with our new heating system we are lowered our use of natural
gas by 20% and 5.3% in electrical usage. Our Treasurer (Jerry Miller) will continue to monitor
our systems.
Respectfully submitted,
Jan Dargel,
Clerk
Page 4 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4
To Beverly Driscoll and her team Florence Bath, Krissy Bath, Lily Beeler, Mathew Calkins, Fred
Driscoll, Dan Ivey, Lillian Rosario, and Fred Smith for preparing and cooking the delicious
Lenten Fish Dinners.
To Jan Dargel for coordinating the Easter Egg Hunt for our children.
To All who generously donated to our “Coffee Collection” for Covenant Shelter (see article
on page 10).
To Robert Humphreville for his enthusiastic live organ accompaniment for this year’s silent
movie, “Ella Cinders.”
To Dick King for installing the chalk board over the window in the Pantry. The Lord’s Pantry
volunteers thank you very much.
To Grace Barnum, Dean Hantzopoulos, Dorothy Sieburg, Ron Steed and Fr. Michel, who
attended this year’s Diocesan Spring Training.
To Grace Barnum and Dan Ivey who attended this year’s Companions in Mission
Conference.
To those who supported the New London High School Junior Navy R.O.T.C.—the young
people assisting with our monthly Community Meal. (see photos on page 12).
To the Altar Guild Members for all their hard work during Lent and leading up to Holy Week
and Easter.
April 12 is our next monthly Parish Brunch of this program year
(after the 10:00 a.m. service), cooked and served by the Men of
St. James. We ask a $3 per person donation—little enough for a
wonderful meal with good friends and great fellowship.
Join us for great food and fellowship!!
Parish Brunch
Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 5
April Birthdays
The names on this list reflect the information as recorded in the Church
Database. Is your name (or a family member’s name) missing? If so,
please contact the Church Office and provide us with the accurate
information!
2 Donna Henry
3 Robin Olbrys
4 Diane Dusza
4 Marcia Pierce
4 Michael Kydd
4 Peter Kydd
5 Greg Rice
5 Abigail Ryan
5 Ellen Ryan
6 David Downes
11 Robert Rae
18 Carleen Lee
19 James Vest
24 Grace Jones
25 Mary Ellen Harris
26 Philip Hyman
27 Angeljolee Carter
29 Ivelisse Herrera
7 Sharon Dunning
7 Chelsea Steed
7 Heather Steed
7 Kathie Cassidy
8 Sue Chojnacki
8 Henry Kydd
9 Stephanie Brandon
9 Barry Runyan
10 Stacy Dunning
11 Barbara Harry
Farewell dear friend …
David Magin
Adult Ed will take a brief break after Easter, resuming
Wednesday May 6. Watch for the May issue of The
NET for details of our next educational offering.
Adult Ed
Page 6 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4
When: May 23 from 9:00 a. m. - 12:00 p.m.
Purpose: Church Clean-up Day
Reward: Donuts and coffee with a pizza party after the
work is done.
Contact: Sign-up sheet in Parish Hall or call Walter
Chojnacki 860.440.3427.
Parish Spring Clean-Up
Would you like prayers said for the health of
a loved one? Would you or someone you
know like prayer support during a
particularly challenging time of
life? Do you want to offer special
thanks for a new grandchild or
other joyous event?
St. James Prayer Chain would be
happy to pray with you. The group
prays for the people included in
the Prayers of the People each
Sunday. We also pray for those who are
listed in our Morning Prayer Journal found in
the front vestibule on Sundays. Please call
Grace Barnum (860.326.5447) to add a name
or names. It is up to you how specific you
make the prayer request. You can
simply give us a name or more
information about what they need
prayers for, as you see fit. The
people in the Prayer Chain keep
the information confidential.
You can also assist with this ministry
by speaking to Grace Barnum. We
ask you to remember the people
you pray for daily, but how or when you pray
is up to you.
Prayer Chain Ministry
A Word of Thanks …
To those of you who have prayed for me, and wished me well
before, during and after a risky surgery, I give you my sincere
thanks. For those of you who went above and beyond, in
addition to the prayers, I can’t thank you enough.
Sincerely,
Renee Ysordia
Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 7
Choral Evensong Sunday
April 19 at 5:00 p.m.
Please join us for an Evensong service at St. James, on April 19. We will be presenting the popular Hail,
gladdening light, by Charles Wood, William Walton’s unique and exciting Chichester Service, and the lovely
Rise up, my love, by Healey Willan.
Also, please mark your calendars for our next Evensong service at St. James, on May 10, when you can listen
to beautiful works by John E. West, George Dyson and Edward Bairstow. Yes, that’s Mother’s Day – and
what a nice occasion that would make, after taking her out to lunch or afternoon tea!
There will be receptions after both services; please take those opportunities to chat with the choristers,
Simon, and Jonathan over refreshments and a glass of wine.
Music on Whale Oil Row Friday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m.
TENET Ensemble, New York
"Concerto delle donne"
Concerto delle donne was a group of professional female
singers who became famous during the late Italian Renaissance
in the Ferrara court. Known for their artistry and praised as
virtuosi they offered private, informal performances in courtly
settings known as “secret music” (musica secreta) for members
of the court’s inner circle and important visitors.
Their signature style was florid and filled with ornaments, and they inspired composers and
musicians across Italy! Concerto delle donne revolutionized the role of women in
professional music, continuing a tradition that began in the Este court and flourished in the
powerful Medici and Orsini courts.
In addition to inspiring male composers such as Luigi Rossi, Domenico Mazzocchi, Claudio
Monteverdi to write for what became known as “the three ladies”, women were also
writing for them! Barbara Strozzi, Francesca Caccini, and Antonia Bembo along with a
group of fantastically creative nuns contributed greatly to the tradition!
TENET presents our own three ladies Jolle Greenleaf, Molly Quinn and Virginia Warnken in a
project dedicated to recreating the feminine vocal trio in Concerto delle donne in a
program of solos, duets and trios that show off the 17th century Italian vocal style in
close harmonies.
Page 8 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4
Calling all children!
Easter Day there will be an Easter Egg Hunt for children 3-12 years
old. at 11:15 a.m. (right after the 10 a.m. service) in the Seabury
Center Parlor.
Children will gather with their parents after Church in the Parish
Hall, and be escorted to the Parlor (everyone is welcome to come
and watch).
Easter Egg Hunt
Good Friday Walk of the
This prayerful event
begins and ends at Saint Sophia Orthodox Church
200 Hempstead Street
Baptisms—Easter Vigil The next “official” date for Parish baptisms will be on Saturday,
April 4. These baptisms will be a part of our regular Easter Vigil
service at 8:00 p.m. If you know of someone—child or adult—who
is ready to become an “official” member of Christ’s Church, now
would be an appropriate time. Anyone considering infant
baptism, would need to have both parents and godparents
attend a pre-baptismal counseling session, while adults being
baptized are asked to have their sponsors attend with them. The pre-baptismal counseling
session will be Saturday morning April 4 at 10:00 a.m. Please contact Fr. Michel for more
information, or to schedule a place in the class.
Holy Week and Easter Services
Monday, March 30
7 p.m. Holy Eucharist,
Hallam Chapel Tuesday, March 31
7 p.m. Holy Eucharist,
Hallam Chapel Wednesday, April 1
9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist,
Hallam Chapel
7 p.m. Tenebrae,
Hallam Chapel Thursday, April 2
(Maundy Thursday)
7 p.m. Holy Eucharist with
Footwashing and
Stripping of the Altar, Church
Friday, April 3 (Good Friday)
Parish Office Closed
Noon—3 p.m. Seven Last Words, Church
Presented by the Greater New London
Clergy Association
7 p.m. Good Friday Liturgy,
with Veneration of the Cross, Church Saturday, April 4(Easter Vigil)
8 p.m. Easter Vigil including Holy Baptism
(with incense), Church
Reminder: Bring bells to the Easter Vigil Service. Sunday, April 5t (Easter Day)
8 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Church
10 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Church
11:15 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt, Parlor
5 p.m. Holy Eucharist, Church Monday, April 6(Easter Monday)
Parish Office Closed
Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 9
Episcopal Church Women (ECW) 134th Annual Meeting—May 7, 2015
The Ascension Day United Thank Offering
In-gathering will be on Sunday, May 17.
United Thank Offering (U.T.O.) Blue Boxes
and envelopes can be found in the
Narthex and Parish Hall. If possible,
please convert any coinage to bills or
check memo’d U.T.O. Thank you!
United Thank Offering In-gathering
Place: The Aqua Turf, Plantsville (Southington)
9:00 a.m. Registration and Coffee, Displays
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Business Meetings, Election of Officers, Program
12:45 p.m. Luncheon
Guest Speaker: The Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton,
Episcopal Priest, Spiritual Director and Author
Reserved Seating Only—$20.00 per person.
Reservation deadline is Monday, April 20, 2015. Make checks payable to “ECW, Diocese of
CT” and mail to Patricia Chappell, 31 Parkview Road, Wallingford, CT 06492
White Envelope Program Our Community Meal program received an additional $2,000 from the 2014 White
Envelope grant Twelve round tables and a table cart have been purchased for use in the
Parish Hall, and we awaiting the arrival of a new commercial refrigerator.
Two in-diocese grant recipients have been selected for 2015. The first is the Covenant
Shelter of New London. They will use the grant monies to provide transportation for clients
to job interviews and for health care appointments.
The second recipient is the Shepherd’s Table at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in
Orange. They provide free hunch every Wednesday, and during 2013 served over 4,477
meals. The grant monies will be used to purchase food, supplies and make safety
modifications to the Shepherd’s Table entrance.
If you would like envelopes or have any questions about the White Envelope program,
please contact Jean Rogers 860.442.3066.
Page 10 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4
Mission and Outreach The Mission and Outreach Committee will hold its April meeting on Tuesday, April 21 at 5:30
p.m. in the Godly Play classroom. Please join us if you have ideas about mission and/or
outreach or would be interested in being a part of this valuable committee.
Contact Dorothy Sieburg, Chair, at 860.447.2896 for information.
Jumble Shoppe News The Jumble Shoppe is happy to receive clean, in-season clothing (men’s, women’s,
and children’s), shoes, linens of any kind, kitchen and household accessories, and
jewelry.
Just remember—storage space is limited. Please save your winter clothing until
September. The shop is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. If
you haven't been to the shop recently, please come by during those hours and see
the shop.
Remember, your donations help support the mission and ministry of St. James. We
are grateful for any volunteer time you may be able to contribute. We have some
heavy items to move and store, so volunteers with muscle strength would be
especially helpful just now. Contact Dorothy at 860.447.2896 for information.
The residents of Covenant Shelter thank you for your generosity!
Every year, during January and February, we collect coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice
boxes, and accompanying items. We’d like to express our thanks for your support of the
Annual Coffee Drive for the guests of Covenant Shelter.
As you’ll see, we exceeded some items this year (i.e., coffee at 55 pounds this year versus 39
pounds last year), while some items were significantly lower ( i.e., sugar at 6 pounds versus
25 pounds). All in all, however, we had a successful collection.
This year we donated:
55 pounds of coffee
2,934 tea bags
246 packets of cocoa/hot chocolate
6 pounds of sugar
24 pounds of coffee creamer
283 juice boxes
1,200 packets of artificial sweetener
$25 Monetary Donations
Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 11
Annual Biking Season Kick-off, Sunday, April 12. All
motorcyclists and their friends are invited—rain or shine—to
Ocean Beach Park in New London!
The Blessing of the Bikes will be at 2:00 p.m., performed by Fr.
Michel
The New London Motorcycle Club will make a donation to
the Covenant Shelter based on the success of the event.
For more information, visit newlondonmotorcycleclub.com.
Annual Bike Blessing
Join us in ending homelessness one step at a time!
Page 12 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4
NLHS Junior Navy R.O.T.C. at work!
Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 13
The Rector, Wardens and Vestry would like to express
their special thanks to those who have recently agreed
to give a portion of their gifts back to God—making a
financial contribution to the mission and ministry of St.
James. The people listed here have completed and
submitted Pledge Cards, and were not included in the
former listing. We believe our information is correct,
however if you have submitted a pledge, and your
name was not listed here, please contact our Pledge
Secretary, Alma Peterson, at 860.442.7338.
A Very Special Thanks … Belknap, Ken
Belknap, Theo
Delancy, Brian
Delancy, Martha
Gallagher, Ed
Gallagher, Fran
Hess, Emily
Jalonski, Karen
Kydd, Nora
Larson, Diane
McLaughlin, Beatrice
Ray, Emma
Ray, William
Sage, Sharrill
Wardwell, Ivon
Wardwell, Lyn
Ysordia, Renee
Bishop’s 5K Race You can now click on a
link from the home page
of the Bishop's 5K for Kids
run/walk, www.bishops
5kforkids.org, to register
for the May 9 event.
When you register, you'll
have the option to
check a box so that
fundraising pages will be
created for you. Team
leaders can create
pages as well (see the
"Become a Fundraiser"
pages on the active.com
website). Then ask your
family and friends to visit the
pages, select the name of
the individual or team from
the drop-down list, and
make a donation to support
your efforts to help kids at
risk!
The event takes place at
Webster Hill School, West
Hartford.
Volunteer Opportunities EARLY RISERS NEEDED to help pick up bread for the Lord's Pantry on Tuesdays once a month
at 4:30 a.m. If we do not get more volunteers this month, we will have to end the bread
program starting in May. Contact Dan Ivey at [email protected] or 860.326.8026 if you can
help with this crucial Outreach ministry.
KITCHEN HELPERS to assist our Chef, Fred Smith with the monthly Parish Brunches the second
Sunday of each month. No prior cooking experience required and summers off. For
Page 14 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4
Pledge Envelopes
Each year, we offer those who pledge a set
of envelopes. These make it easy for
pledgers to stay current with their pledge
(each envelope comes with a date on it).
They help St. James track pledge
payments, so that we can issue a
statement declaring the amount you’ve
donated to the Church (an Internal
Revenue Service requirement for any
donation over $250, to legally deduct your
donation—if you qualify—from your income
tax returns). So, they keep us all “on track.”
In each box, there are three “special”
envelopes. The first is a “Birthday”
envelope, to make a donation to St. James
honoring your birth (might I suggest $1 for
each year of your life?). The second is for St.
James Day (July 25) when you celebrate the
Feast Day of St. James, for whom our
Church is named. And the third enables
you to offer something for our Parish
Anniversary (September 26), the founding
date of St. James in 1725. Must you give?
No. Will you? That’s a question only you
can answer!
By the way, a set of envelopes is available
to non-pledgers as well. It offers you and St.
James a way to track your giving—and then
we can send you a statement you can use
for your income tax returns as well!
Tax Credit for Pledges. Did you know that you may be able to take an itemized charitable
deduction for your pledge payments to St James? If you are pledging, you receive
quarterly statements of your payments, along with a year-end statement for tax purposes.
If you support our Parish with cash in the offering plate, we would be happy to give you a
set of pledge envelopes for 2015 for your cash so we know who to credit. That way we can
send you a quarterly report for taxes. Please see Alma Peterson, Ron Steed, or Greg Rice for
details.
Charitable Contribution—Tax Deduction
Each Sunday (except during Lent) we adorn the Altar with flowers, light a Sanctuary
Candle, and consume bread and wine. The Altar Guild pays for these from gifts given by
members, families and friends of St. James. If you would like to assist one week, an Altar
Flower donation is $45; sanctuary candle, $5; and communion wine or communion wafer,
$10. Your donation can be made as a memorial honoring someone deceased, or as a
thank-offering to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or other special event in your life.
Contact the Parish Office or an Altar Guild member for more information.
As always, more than one person can make an offering in any given week. If you’d like
more information, speak to any member of the Altar Guild, or contact the Parish Office.
Some Giving Opportunities
Volume 11 Issue 4 THE NET Page 15
Parish Financials ST. JAMES CHURCH TREASURER’S REPORT
March 3, 2015
This report covers from January 1, 2015 through January 31, 2015.
Total Income:
Budgeted Amount: $22,958
Actual Amount: $26,305
Amount Actual is Over Budget: $3,347
The primary contributor to income overrun is Pledge Income, which is $2,576 over the
budgeted amount.
Total Expenses:
Budgeted Amount: $33,817
Actual Amount: $33,344
Amount Actual is Under Budget: $473
Net Ordinary Income:
Total Income: $26,305
Total Expenses: $33,344
Net Ordinary Income: -$7,039
Endowment Income Applied: $10,900
Net Income $3,861
Summary: Through January 31, 2015 we are $3,861 ahead of where we expected to be
based on our 2015 budget.
Investment Summary:
Balance 12/31/2014: $3,170,507
Balance 01/31/2015: $3,104,048
Total Value Change: -$66,459
Withdrawal 5%: $10,900
Change Pre-Withdrawal: -$55,559
Summary: Our pre-withdrawal investment value decreased by $55,559, about 1.7%, through
January 31, 2015. After factoring in the 5% withdrawal, our investments are down $66,459,
about 2.1% through January 31.
Respectfully submitted,
Gerald F. Miller,
Treasurer
Page 16 THE NET Volume 11 Issue 4 Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
New London, CT 06320
Permit No. 236
St. James Episcopal Church
76 Federal Street
New London, CT 06320-6601
Postmaster: Time Sensitive Material, please deliver immediately.
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED.
He is Risen