St. John’s Episcopal Church 105 State Street Kirkland, WA 98033 425-827-3077 www.stjohnskirkland.org June 2012 MISSION STATEMENT TO KNOW CHRIST, TO WALK WITH HIM, TO MAKE HIM KNOWN Our Vision: We envision St. John’s Parish as a Caring Christian Family; caring for ourselves and our community; reaching out to grow our family of faith through Episcopal traditions and values. WOW Fundraiser Rocks the Night by Bonnie Darves The June 16 Women of the World (WOW) “Tropical Summer Evening” event at St. John’s Marsh Hall was a stellar success on several counts. Besides achieving its intended purpose of raising funds for the Rebuild Our Church in Haiti Campaign, the festivities unfolded as a rollicking respite from the “June gloom” outside. After enjoying an elegant, islands-inspired dinner prepared by parishioners Joe Marsh Hall “dance floor” gets a workout. Katterhorn and Rob Robinson, attendees, several sporting Hawaiian shirts, reveled and rocked to the music of parishioner John Cannon’s Blue Lizard Band. Even Jimmy Buffet would have been impressed, Susie Sanders, parish coordinator for the Rebuild Our Church in Haiti campaign, observed. “People really did dance all night long,” said Susie, who co-chairs the WOW committee with Marilyn Robinson. “It was clear that everyone was having a wonderful time. We had to stop the music at 10, but I think people would have kept going!” Tony Banks, who served as the event’s emcee, summed up the spirit of the evening: “Women of the World, you rock. What a gala evening! How many times are you going to see an Episcopal Bishop and his wife dancing to the music of the Blue Lizard Band?” The Rt. Rev. Gregory Rickel and Fr. Scot, in their respective messages that evening, underlined the importance of the Episcopal Church-wide campaign to rebuild Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince, which was reduced nearly to rubble after the devastating 2010 earthquake. As is the case in many poor countries, the Church in Haiti serves not only as a place of worship but also as a focal point of community life and a critical resource for the people of Haiti. Many of the services that people in First World nations expect from government—such as health care, education and culture—are provided in Haiti by the Episcopal Church, Bishop Rickel explained. The Church there serves more than 100,000 Episcopalians and other Haitians. It supports 250 Haitian schools and scores of medical facilities, for example, and offers comprehensive ongoing services to many Haitians with disabilities. (Continued on page 3) WHAT CAN I DO... There are many ways we can further St. John’s ministries with very little time and commitment. In the next few issues of the Emblem, we will highlight some of the wonderful things you can do to help. Greetings & Peace to St. John’s from Your Vestry Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 1 Peter 3:8 Your vestry recently met to finalize the stewardship committee selection and make some decisions about our building and grounds. We’ve been talking about light bulbs and fresh paint, copiers and elevator maintenance, gardening and drainage. Some of us don’t know a lot about these things. I, for example, don’t have an elevator in my house! All of my light bulbs can easily be changed after a quick trip up the road to Ace Hardware and a quick scamper up the ladder by my daughter. And it must be admitted that the Gulley landscaping is done by the efficient and taciturn Mr. Phuong, and not by a convivial group of volunteers or a professional crew in a painted truck. And I don’t think about drainage much, unless I forget about cleaning the drain in front of our garage or develop a sinus infection. That’s why I am so glad that we have John as our junior warden and a dedicated Buildings & Grounds ministry! If you have the chance, please thank them for all they do for all of us! Speaking of thanks, I hope you will also take time to thank Kelly Chapman-Pontiff for his years of service as our Youth Group Director! Kelly recently convened the last Wednesday evening gathering of the school year and assured the youth that he’s not disappearing, but rather spending more time with family. We plan to celebrate Kelly’s ministry in the near future, and there will be regular Youth Group meetings again in the fall. In the meantime, check the narthex or your e-mail inbox for our Youth Summer Fun calendar—we have great activities planned for July and August! Youth Group typically includes youth in grades six to 12. We are looking for some adult volunteers to chaperone our bike trip July 20 and the Seattle Scavenger Hunt August 15. And…back to Stewardship. You should know that our plans for this ministry include a change in how we “do” Stewardship. We’re not looking for a committee of folks to plan a fall pledge drive; we want a group of ministers who gather all year and find value in teaching us all how to best use our time, talents and treasures. We are hoping for a group that acts a lot like a vestry: leading the parish in particular areas, delegating where appropriate, and bringing in new members at regular intervals. If you’re not part of this ministry now, be assured there will be more opportunities to participate in the future. In His Peace, Kristin Gulley, Senior Warden WHAT CAN I DO… in 5 minutes? Take photos of altar flowers to post on website or Facebook. Serve as a lay reader or as a lector. Pray. Send e-mails. School’s Out at St. John’s! by Joan Sullivan Our preschool’s last day of regular school was May 25. We finished up a short summer program on June 14. We’ll be gone for the summer, but back in early September, when we will welcome more than 200 students. We bid good-bye to longtime employee, Annette Schwientek, who has started a preschool at her church in Kirkland. We also welcome two new employees, Allison Clevenger and a familiar face and name to you, Sheryl Vincent. This summer, we’ll continue our cleaning and organizing, and will begin the process of ordering in our materials for fall. In the meantime, our students, staff and parents wish all of you a wonderful summer! Lectionary Light by Father Scot Wright If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face my distress. Numbers 11:15 NAB A man from Michigan had an idea for removing a tree stump from a friend’s yard. He would use some dynamite that he had stored in his house. It did the trick. The explosion turned the stump into an airborne missile that traveled 163 feet downrange before crashing through a neighbor’s roof. The stump opened a threefoot hole in the roof, split the rafters, and pushed through the ceiling of the dining room. Moses was fed up. He had led the Children of Israel out from Egypt onwards to the Promised Land. However, this had not been a rosy path. The people forever complained and upbraided him at every step. His leadership was constantly called into question, his motives always impugned. You knew the volcano was going to erupt and the lava would spew forth. Moses’ complete rant can be found in Numbers Chapter 11, and it was directed at God, no less! What a good thing that God did not do what the prophet asked! How tempting it is, when pressure is applied, to dissipate that stress with an explosion of words or actions. The temporal relief, however, comes at the price of much collateral damage. Words can injure, and thoughtless actions leave marks on the spirit. Jesus said: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NAB) When life becomes arduous, and a stump needs to be removed, remember that the answer to Numbers 11 is Matthew 11. Your neighbors will be blessed! WHAT CAN I DO… in 1 hour? Cut out an art project for the preschool. Visit a shut-in person. Work in the nursery. Serve as a greeter or an usher. WOW Fundraiser (continued) As such, its near destruction—more than 70% of the cathedral complex buildings were rendered unusable— was a loss for the Port-au-Prince community and the entire country, Bishop Rickel said. The Diocese of Haiti is the largest single diocese in the Episcopal Church. To date, the St. John’s campaign effort, launched in April, has raised more than $3,500, through the sale of bricks ($10 apiece) and the WOW event. St. John’s Fr. Scot (left) & Emcee Tony Banks parishioner Jeanne Ederer serves on the Diocese of Olympia’s steering committee for the campaign. For more information on Rebuild Our Church in Haiti and its progress to date, go to http://archive.episcopalchurch.org/ HaitiAppeal/. Each year, St. John’s WOW Committee focuses its efforts on a global-poverty issue and hosts an associated fundraiser. In concluding his message, Bishop Rickel thanked WOW and St. John’s at large for their commitment to the Haiti campaign and other initiatives. “So much of what this diocese has done in the past few years for the greater world has started in this room,” he said. “The Bishop of Haiti told me, shortly after the earthquake, ‘please don’t forget us once everyone else goes home.’ This night proved we have not and will not.” Fr. Scot, in closing the evening’s festivities, reminded attendees of the important role that St. John’s and all churches participating in the Rebuild Our Church in Haiti initiative are playing—not just now but well in to the future. “When we reach out to Haiti, the people reach out to us, too. By supporting the rebuilding of the church in Haiti, you are making an impact on eternity,” he said. VBC Outreach Projects by Cathy Christensen St. John’s is hosting the annual Greater Kirkland Ecumenical Parish’s Vacation Bible Camp July 16-20. This year’s theme is Operation Overboard; the kids will dive deep into God’s Word. An important part of the VBC experience is giving to others through annual mission projects. This year, the VBC outreach projects are the Lake Washington School District’s Pantry Packs Program and Hopelink’s End Summer Hunger program. Sadly, there are children in our own community who don’t have enough food at home to keep their tummies full over the weekend. Our VBC families are being encouraged to bring loose change to St. John’s to put in the LWSD Pantry Packs receptacles in the narthex. These funds will help provide crucial assistance to a program that supplies backpacks filled with food for the weekend every Friday during the school year. These backpacks are distributed to children on the free and reduced-fee lunch program who might otherwise go hungry. For more information about this program, visit http:// pantrypacks.blogspot.com. Profits from the Operation Overboard t-shirts sales will also support this program. Our second mission project is End Summer Hunger, Hopelink’s campaign that provides food for children in north and east King County who normally receive free and reduced-fee breakfast and/or lunch during the school year. Last year, the community of caring donors (including VBC) raised nearly $170,000 in cash and food to help low-income families feed their children. VBC alone donated more than 600 pounds of food during last year’s camp. St. John’s parishioners are encouraged to join in VBC’s efforts by bringing non-perishable food items to VBC. Core menu items include: cans of soup, chili, stew, beans, vegetables, tomato products, fruit, tuna or chicken, jars of juice, peanut butter, boxes of macaroni and cheese, and large packages of pasta or rice. Blessings Abound for RV Ministries by Becca DeShaw In this column I usually write about the colors and seasons of the Episcopal Church. As there are no color changes until Advent, I decided to instead introduce you to RV Ministries (www.rvministries.org ), the ministry of Fr. Glen, Becca and Jenn DeShaw, a sub-ministry of St. John’s. We have gotten off to a rocky start, as the RV we will use—which was to become our only home in late June—developed problems while Glen was serving on the men's Cursillo in early June. Fortunately, we have been blessed with offers of help from our church community—from donations of $100 to $1,000, to offers of housing should we end up homeless for a while. The tears flow in gratitude every time I think about the wonder of the church's love! Hopefully, by the time you read this, the coach will be repaired and we will be living in it. History: How RV Ministries came to be Glen and I first came up with the idea of living in an RV when he retired from our church in Artesia, New Mexico. We used my brother’s RV until Glen needed to be somewhere with wheelchair access while he healed from surgery. The idea of living in an RV stayed with us. So when we were able to buy a used coach for cash, we did so and began our planning. At that time, we had no notion of creating a ministry associated with full-time RVing, which can be an affordable way to live because opportunities abound for free or inexpensive places to “park.” During our first trip out in the RV, we stayed at a park that offered a non-denominational Bible study during the week and a service on Sunday. A spark was kindled then, but it was (Continued on page 6) A Biography of Marge & Les Bereman by Diane Perman My mother, Marge, was born and raised in Wyoming, where her father worked as a railroad engineer. When the time came for her to choose a college major, Mom, an art lover, wanted to go into interior design. But her father told her that he wanted his daughter to have a steady career to fall back on, so she chose to major in teaching. He was a wise father: Mom has taught school for much of her life. I followed Mom’s example and have been teaching kindergarten for 15 years in the same classroom where she taught for 20 years! As an added bonus, she used her love of art to teach drawing to kindergartners in her classes and in mine. Mom and my father, Les, met and married during World War II, a period that Mom remembers being a good time to be an American. Everyone was pulling together for a common goal, and the national spirit was positive and patriotic. After the war, Dad followed his flying buddies to California, where he worked in the airlines most of his life. My little sister and I were blessed with what we remember as a “Leave It to Beaver” childhood; we knew all of our neighbors, and Mom was involved in all of our childhood activities. However, Mom also believed that women needed to have their own interests and not just live through her children. The fruits of one of Mom’s hobbies, flower arranging, is on display weekly in the seasonal flower arrangements she creates for the St. John’s women’s restroom. When our family moved to Kirkland in the 1960s, we started attending St. John’s church. I remember Kirkland as a scruffy little city on the lake at that point. There was no marina or park on the lake. There were no high-end, trendy shops or restaurants. J.C. Penny and Ben Franklin were two of the major businesses. Mom and Dad, with their spirit of volunteerism, immediately got involved at St. John’s. They were on the Bishop’s committee. Mom was on Altar Guild (for 40 years!) and Dad joined the choir. He helped carry many large pipes up the stairs when St. John’s beautiful pipe organ was being assembled in the 1970s. When the Cursillo movement came to St. John’s, it changed Dad’s life. He had always been a church-goer, but after Cursillo he was on fire for the Lord. He and Mom developed a closeknit group of Cursillo friends, who include the Wests and the Paynes. Dad’s enthusiasm for Jesus changed many lives in his circle of friends, and his testimony to me brought me back to the faith as when I was in my twenties and searching for answers. After Dad passed on in 1978, our St. John’s family meant even more to Mom, providing her social as well as spiritual nourishment. When Mom retired, Father Dunn asked her to take on the church library, a project that was mainly in boxes at that point. This thrilled her, as she had always wanted to be a school librarian but lacked the credentials. As with all of her volunteer projects, Mom has remained steadfast in this ministry, serving as librarian for more than 20 years. I remember walking with Mom through the ashes of the St John’s fire, assessing the damage to the books. With her amazing helpers, including Bev Feichter and Patt Thomas, Mom literally brought the library “back from the ashes.” Mom started the St. John’s knitting group, which makes knitted items for the “street babies.” She was so pleased when she received a letter of thanks from the St. Joseph’s Baby Corner, whose mission is to serve the needs of babies and toddlers living in poverty. In part, that letter read: “When a street mom is given the new knitted things for her baby, most often she bursts into to tears. Most of the new moms have literally nothing for their new baby and want so much to have something new and pretty for their newborn babies.” Mom continues to donate artwork for church fund-raisers and remains involved in local art shows. When praised for her artistic talents, my modest mother always raises her hands toward heaven, and gives “all glory to God.” I am so proud to be her daughter! RV Ministries continued just a spark. We got to know the man across the way who lived in his small truck fitted with a canopy over the truck bed, where he slept. He cooked on a camp stove under a small awning off the back. He ran short of food for his dog one day, so we shared some of our dog Ginger’s food. One morning he told me his dog had passed in the night. We shared his sorrow. It was then that the spark became a small flame: We realized that we could minister in God’s name to this community of people. Some are permanent RVers or campers by choice; but others, because of economic constraints, live barely above homelessness. Future outings brought additional opportunities to share God’s love with those around us. There was the man whose wife was visiting a family member who was being placed in hospice; the little old lady who had lived in her fifth-wheel for 15 years in the same spot; the little girl who was teased by other children because she lived in a travel trailer; and the man who needed help unloading groceries. The flame became a fire when Glen was asked to do the Sunday service at one of the national Good Sam Rallies, which are essentially “conventions” for RVers held in various spots throughout the country. We had a vision for RV Ministries! The vision: Our plans for RV Ministries If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans, as we have done. We do frequently hear God laughing in response, but the basic vision remains. Our ministry will serve the RV community. Working with RVchurchesUSA (at www.rvchurchesusa.org), we will contact RV parks to add them to a list of parks that provide a Sunday worship service. We will assist them in establishing Sunday worship, and will also offer services wherever we are. We also plan to offer workshops and would delight in doing so for St. John’s. These include: Prayer: various forms and methods to increase the efficacy of your prayer life. Prayer Aids: Making and using prayer beads and prayer ropes. (This can be combined with the prayer workshop.) Worship resources for the rest of the week: Originally, this was called “The Prayer Book: Not just for Sundays,” but it now includes other resources too. Jenn will be working on her college degree in Christian Counseling via online learning. She feels called to ordained ministry, but she must first finish her degree. Then time will tell! For RV Ministries, Jenn will provide childcare for parents participating in workshops, Bible study or services. She also will handle administrative tasks. Our original plan was to travel throughout the United States, starting with a trip to Southern California in September to go to Disneyland with our other daughter, Jessi, and her family. After that, we’d like to visit friends in California, New Mexico and Texas. An opportunity to see the Northeast is still on my “bucket list,” as are places of wonder some of us have never seen—Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon, among others. Modifications to the vision: A few words from Glen Well, Becca gave you most of the story, but we have some updates. We are being given strong guidance to begin RV Ministries here in the Northwest. So except for the trip to Disneyland, we will be hanging around these parts for some time. I have wonderful opportunities to do ministry in the Diocese of Olympia, including some with the Cursillo Community, while we work with the campgrounds in the area and continue as frequent visitors to St. John’s. I also hope to perform “supply” services around the state, in both the dioceses of Olympia and Spokane. Therefore, we keep planning, God keeps laughing, and we keep listening. Life is good, challenging, a bit scary, and still filled with joy! Blessings, Becca and Fr. Glen St. John’s History by Anne Payne, Historian The Columbarium The concept of bringing a columbarium to St. John’s evolved from a challenge posed by John West, a longtime member of the parish. In 1999, a Columbarium Committee was formed. Led by Neil Eney, the committee also included Earl Payne, Joe Fowler, Cherrel Furuya and LaRue Krumm. The committee selected the size, style and location of the prospective columbarium, and developed the policies and procedures—addressing the legalities, costs and constraints —for what would be a new ministry at St. John’s. On its arrival the 740-pound piece was assembled by Neil, Scott Reilly, Philip Bookout, Simon Lie and Robert Bradley, and placed in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd. The columbarium later became a memorial for Lawrence West. In May 2000, the Marsh Hall education building fire destroyed the area of the chapel where the columbarium was housed, but the surviving metal unit was relocated to the end of the original narthex in the church. When reconstruction of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd had been completed, the columbarium was positioned on the west wall of the chapel, where it remains permanently. While many niches have been purchased, a number are still available. Earl Payne, who continued on as columbarium minister, said that another unit can be added in the future. Jesus Calms the Storm Already Arose Asleep Beat Being Boat Care Ceased Come Crowd Cushion Even Great Just Leaving Other Peace Perishing Rebuked Said Side Stern Still Swamped Teacher Then There Took Waves When Wind Windstorm Woke St John’s to Participate in SummerFest by Kristin Gully Kirkland SummerFest is coming! Downtown Kirkland and Marina Park will become the lively site of a festival of music, art, food and fun on August 10 and 11. St. John’s has applied for a booth at SummerFest, where we plan to offer cold water, shade and fellowship for all and a resting/activity spot for young visitors. Sign up in the church office if you would like to take a shift in the booth and share God’s love with our Kirkland neighbors. For more details, go to http://kirklandsummerfest.com/. Watch your bulletins for more information. We Came Together …. by Gwen Ellison To love, to share, to hope, to volunteer and give generously. Following is a story I would like to share with you: In late June, I stopped off at QFC to purchase three cans of kidney beans for the taco soup that we planned to serve in Marsh Hall for the blood drive. I decided that floral centerpieces on the round tables would be a nice touch. Off to the floral department I went to see what I could find. I found some beautiful red roses. Just then, the florist asked if she could be of any assistance. I explained that St. John’s was having its first blood drive and needed flowers and greenery for eight tables. The florist became very excited about the blood drive. She explained that her son had cancer, and that if it had not been for the blood bank and donors, her son would have passed on. She said, “When you give blood, you are giving the gift of life to someone.” Well, that made my day. To all blood donors, junior bakers and junior cook, babysitters, donor scheduler, cleanup crew, and supporters: Thank you all for making the St. John’s Community Blood Drive a success! Mark Your Calendars! St. John’s all-parish picnic will be August 14, 2012 after the 10 a.m. service. Watch for more details! Jabez Council Report by Nancy Laswell The Jabez Council, with the Vestry’s blessing, held a parish-wide conversation about our hope and dreams for St. John’s. Eight workshops, in which 160 people participated, were held between January and March to allow parishioners to voice their ideas about our future. The Jabez Council reported the results of the workshops on June 10 during the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services. Parishioners dream of a parish with abundant and appealing programs that will serve all age groups and attract new members. The target growth group is young adults and families (67%). Parishioners want a strong educational and outreach program, and more diverse worship opportunities. Such programs will require faithful committed volunteers who donate time and talent; staffing and growth go hand in hand. The parish stated a need to grow staff, with an emphasis on more ordained leadership and increased training for secular leadership. The Jabez Council held a special youth workshop attended by 30 young people aged 13 to 30. The purpose was to ask “the experts” what it would take to achieve this parish dream of attracting young adults and teens. The No. 1 desire participants cited is appealing activities that meet their needs for socializing and belonging. Participants also voiced a strong desire for worship options, particularly services that include youth leadership and youth-led music. Young adults are most concerned with having a place in St. John’s to call their own, as the parish currently lacks appropriate dedicated youth facilities. It was strongly recommended that we develop a facilities plan this summer so that youth belong at St. John’s. The vestry is looking at ways to implement these findings and hopes to move forward this fall. Bishop Rickel learned about the Jabez Council’s work during the recent WOW dinner and has asked for more information on the project. The slide show used in the presentation can be found at St. John’s website. Letters to the Editor are always welcome... Constructive opinion, comments, notes of thanksgiving and prayers, and questions should be sent to [email protected]. Please contain your thoughts to less than 100 words. If appropriate, responses will be in the next issue of the Emblem. WHAT CAN I DO… Once A Month? Join Altar Guild. Read to preschoolers. Write thank you notes. Mow a person’s lawn in need. Emblem Submissions Welcomed The Emblem welcomes submissions from parishioners and individuals who wish to share information of potential interest to the St. John’s community. Opinion articles, profiles of St. John’s parishioners, and perspectives on ministry, as well as updates on activities occurring throughout the parish, will be considered for publication. Please limit word count to 300 for opinion articles, perspectives and updates; and 700 for features or profiles. Submissions should be sent to [email protected]. Articles received by the 15th of the month will be considered for publication the following month. For more information on contributing to the newsletter, please call the parish office, at (425) 827-3077. July Birthday Celebrations 01 Anna Aubry 18 Thomas Will Merrill Yarborough 03 Ted Christensen 21 Russel Perman 04 Thomas Ellertson Irene Young 07 Kelly Reed 22 Liam Gallagher 08 James Anderson 24 Rob Entrekin 09 Elizabeth Hildreth Benjamin Laura Heilstedt Niewiadomski Quinlan Hughes 27 Jill Anthony Clementine Nielsen Erik Vicklund Isabella Otanez 28Kay Frye 11 Jerry Mickelson Willard 12 Michael Cole Lennon-Jones 14 Marlene Gill 30 Molly Anderson Presley Robinson 15 John Rudkin Patt Thomas Valerie Foley Bridget Day 16 Jacqueline Smith Pledge Allison DeCastro Giving 17 Timothy Rayburn Other Giving Alexander Rayburn Total Income Adam Niewiadomski Expenditures Bottom Line Save the Date… For more information go to http:stjohnskirkland.org/calendar July 4 Happy 4th of July St. John’s has a float in the City of Kirkland Parade Office Closed July 12 Order of St. Luke Meeting, 7PM July 16-20 Vacation Bible School July 19 Vestry Meeting July 21 Memorial Service for Phyllis Conant, 11am St. John's Episcopal Church Treasurer's Report as of May 2012 May YTD Balance $25,826 $153,066 $169,770 -$16,704 $8,508 $34,334 $65,474 $218,540 $65,775 $235,545 -$301 -$17,005 $39,874 $232,377 $235,559 -$3,182 -$13,837 Budget YTD (Negative) +/-
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