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May/June 2015
A monthly Publication of The Church of the Transfiguration
Rector’s email: [email protected]
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[email protected]
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Website: ectransfiguration.org
Jesus said, “Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19) .…
Anna’s family making plans
with Fr. Wes about Anna
being baptized.
Anna, Fr. Wes and Anna’s
dad (Tom) getting into the
lake.
Anna being baptized by Fr.
Wes as he dunks her into
the lake.
Anna, Tom and Fr. Wes all
smiles after Anna is
baptized.
Sunday, May 3, 2015 - Anna Phillips’ Baptism at 10 am service at Lake Lure Beach.
The Messenger
A monthly newsletter of The Church of the Transfiguration, Bat Cave NC
Cursillo # 78...
O
ur Church of the Transfiguration was well-represented at
Cursillo #78, April 23-26. Serving on team were Curt Ellingson,
Carlann Scherping, Marta Campbell, and Veryle Lynn Cox. Pilgrims
from our church were Marily Floyd, Shirley Welindt, and Laura and
Wes Shields.
The theme of this weekend was from Psalm 100, “Make a Joyful
Noise.” As part of the prayer team, I wrote an icon of Archangel
Gabriel with Trumpet. The 46 participants prayed then painted clay on
the edges of the icon. A silent auction was held at the closing of the
weekend, and the icon earned $2000 for Cursillo scholarship funds.
Veryle Lynn Cox
Want to know more about Cursillo?
D
o you hear people who have been to a Cursillo Weekend using words that seem
strange? Cursillo (Cur - see -oh) or Ultreya or Palanca? Well these are really just the Spanish words
that have stayed around after the first Cursillos that started in Spain.
Palanca is a Spanish word meaning lever. It applies to Cursillo because we consider our letters of
encouragement and our prayers to be a lever that can move a person from one place in his/her heart to a
new place.
An Ultreya is a gathering of people for a little bit of singing, always some eating, and of course,
worship. You do not have to have attended a Cursillo to come to an Ultreya. Actually, it's a great way to
see what this thing called Cursillo is all about.
Cursillo is actually a short study in Christianity, and the three day weekend of Cursillo is a little bit like a
workshop. You hear people talk about different aspects of Christian life and service, and you sing, laugh,
and do some activities like making posters or skits. People are affected by the weekend in many different
ways, but most people find it to be an experience that deepens their understanding of our role as
Christians in today's world.
So, if you are still reading this article, there will be a Cursillo Ultreya on May 30 at 12 noon at Trinity
Episcopal Church in Asheville. I hope that some of you who have not attended a Cursillo weekend will go
with us to the Ultreya. You'll love the music! And this time there will be lunch. If you decide to go, we
need to let Carroll Summerour know so she can order the food. You can email her a
[email protected].
Carlann Scherping
The Messenger
A monthly newsletter of The Church of the Transfiguration, Bat Cave NC
2
Y
our TCW (our nickname for our ECW) has been busy! We had a successful potato bar fundraiser
on April 19. We raised around $300 that will go toward our current projects: Diapers for Haiti and the
Thailand project.
After the Diapers for Haiti project finished their first shipment of diapers, there were scraps of the
waterproof material left over. Out of those scraps sprang the Thailand project. The scraps were the
perfect size to make a waterproof liner for the feminine hygiene kits. So with little additional cost, the ladies
bolted into action and began making the kits to send to Thailand with the Rogers.
Many thanks to all of the ladies who have attended the work sessions for the Thailand project and those
who worked at home to make this project a success. Special thanks to Laura Shields and Amy Spanjers
who have been heading up this project. These are on-going projects. For more information contact Laura
or Amy.
Coming up on May 16, many of the TCW ladies will be taking part in the ECW Spring Extravaganza at the
Lake Lure Inn. The ECW, Episcopal Church Women, in our Diocese is putting on a fashion show, high
tea, and silent auction to raise money for Women Helping Women. Seven ladies from the TCW will be
modeling fashions from April's Boutique in Chimney Rock. We lovingly call these ladies the
Transfigurines!
Check out the Church's webpage for photos of TCW projects and our field trip to Strawberry Hill on May
12.
Carlann Scherping, TCW President
Billy Graham had just finished a tour of the Florida East Coast and was taking a limousine to the airport.
Having never driven a limo, he asked The chauffeur if he could drive for a while.
Well, the chauffeur felt like he didn't have much of a choice, so he got in the back of the limo and Billy took the wheel.
He turned onto I-95 and accelerated to about 75 MPH. WHAM! The blue lights of the State Highway Patrol flashed in his rearview mirror.
He pulled over and a trooper came to his window. When the trooper saw who it was, he said, "Just a moment, please, I need
to call in."
The trooper radioed in and asked for the chief. He said, "I have a REALLY important person pulled over and I need to know
what to do."
The chief replied, "Who is it, not Ted Kennedy again?" The trooper said, "No, even more important."
"It isn't the Governor Jeb Bush, is it?" asked the chief. "No, even more important," replied the trooper. "It isn't the President
George Bush, is it?"
"No," replied the trooper, "Even more important." "Well, WHO in the WORLD is it?!" screamed the chief.
The trooper responded, "I don't know for sure but I think it might be Jesus, because his chauffeur is Billy Graham!"
(Fr. Wes)
The Messenger
A monthly newsletter of The Church of the Transfiguration, Bat Cave NC
3
Happenings Out and About In the Gorge ...
May 16, 2015 - Spring Go in Chimney Rock - This event will include activities for the day with a breakfast
at the Fire House. Breakfast is part of the fundraising activities of the CDA in Chimney Rock for community
development. In the evening there will be a Symphony play at The Gathering Place.
May 23-25, 2015 - Arts and Crafts Festival across from the beach in downtown Lake Lure. This
festival benefits Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach.
Don Miller wanted to share this information with you re: daily email reflections that he enjoys reading. You can google these by name and go to
that particular website. Inward/Outward as well as Frederick Buechner and Richard Rohr.
Wednesday Night Covered Dish Dinners. The
last Wednesday of each month.
May 27th at 5:30 pm
June 24th at 5:30 pm
Come for an evening of fellowship and
programs.
This is your newsletter, so please share your photos
and stories by sending them to me at
[email protected]
Come Join Us For
Wed Bible Study!
“The Messenger’s” next deadline will be June 25,
2015. Thanks, Mary Ann
Friendship Dinners
Monthly Church’s Breakfast
Every Sunday at 5:30 p.m. the church
Thanks to Chef Chuck Hailey, a wonderful
celebrates a Friendship Dinner. The community is
breakfast is provided the 3rd Saturday of each
invited. You do not have to attend the church to
month at 8:30 am. Come join us!
participate in this community gathering. The dinner
is free. Thanks to Hope and George Wittmer,
owners of Lake Lure Inn & Spa for providing the
dinners.
The Messenger
A monthly newsletter of The Church of the Transfiguration, Bat Cave NC
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The Messenger
A monthly newsletter of The Church of the Transfiguration, Bat Cave NC
5
Friends of Thai Daughters Project...
W
e completed 45 kits today,
and have 9 more to finish out. We had
about 18 participants (some at both
workdays) between the two workdays,
along with additional donations of
supplies, money and prayers! The plan
is to bless the kits and the Rogers
during the service on May 17.
Laura Shields
This is an organization started by some
friends we knew while living in
Boothbay, Maine. For girls who are at
risk for sex trafficking, who also show
an interest in education, Friends of Thai
Daughters provides safe housing,
education and much more for
them. They have "daughters"
graduating from college who have been
with them. I also recently learned that
our very own Trey & Lizzie Rogers
(Georgia & Daisy) will be spending
three weeks of June in Thailand. I
spoke with the Rogers first, and they
will be within one hour of the Friends of
Thai Daughters house and are excited
to be carrying our packages to
them. Next, I spoke with Patty and
Jane of Friends of Thai
Daughters. They in turn, spoke with
their "daughters." The girls are
interested in our packages, AND very
interested in also taking them out to
their villages where they have
confirmed a need. Within two days,
this entire project came together. This
is another great direct hands-to-hands
ministry!
The Messenger
A monthly newsletter of The Church of the Transfiguration, Bat Cave NC
6
The History Column: Part 5
F
ather Saylor had been Rector of St. Andrews
Church in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico for many years when he
was called to serve our little parish in Bat Cave. He began his duties on August 1,
1939. The congregation was small and many of the members were not very active,
but when Fr. Saylor came, his leadership got the people excited and more
interested in the Church. The church building was long in need of repair and he
launched a building program. The men of the congregation and many of the women worked with Fr. Saylor
to remodel the church. By 1941, the Church took on a new life in its beautifully remodeled building. The
congregation grew steadily and each year Fr. Saylor was happy to present a class of adults and young
people to the Bishop for confirmation.
On May 24, 1945, a fire originated in a house near the church and spread rapidly to our building. In a short
time, the entire structure was in flames. The white cross on top of the church did not catch fire and stood
out in bold relief against the fames, unharmed. It wasn’t until the front wall of the building collapsed that
the cross fell into the flames below. Father Saylor was nearby when the fire started and he was able to
save the altar, the communion rail, and the baptismal font. Some of the light fixtures were not burned too
badly and Harvey Freeman repaired them and they are in our current building.
Soon after the fire, a meeting of the congregation was held at Rockwood Inn and plans for a new church
were discussed. Funds were pledged to carry on the building program. Bishop and Mrs. Matthews
deeded a 2 ½ acre tract of land bordering the Asheville Highway for the Church site and a Rectory. Dr.
James Murray Washburn planned and made a model of the new Church and this model served as the
blueprint for the construction.
Carlann Scherping
The Messenger
A monthly newsletter of The Church of the Transfiguration, Bat Cave NC
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Stewardship & Membership…
Stewardship is a word I struggle with everyday. As chair of this committee, I
find this word weighs heavy on my heart and mind. I envision stewardship
as a word many of us really do not want to talk about, maybe really don’t
understand what it means, or think we know what it is all about. All week
long, I have been reading and praying about how to move forward to make
sure we are all engaged in doing stewardship in its many forms.
I know when we give from the heart and give with joy, we begin to do what
God wants us to do such as

Serve the poor in body, mind, and spirit

Share what we have with those who are suffering

Take care of our earth and heavens

Learn to live not only for ourselves but for others

Make sure our church has enough funds to do its mission and ministry
In time, when we give from joy, we begin to see Christ’s face in everything we do, in everyone we meet,
and we begin to make a difference in our community and in our world.
Stewardship has many faces and can be something as simple as a prayer, a smile, a thank you note,
taking a meal to a shut in, or just visiting someone who is sick.
Stewardship can also be helping your church by being willing to volunteer and serve in any of these
positions: Lay Reader, Chalice Bearer, Organ, Choir, Usher, Greeters, Nursery Worker, Altar Guild just to
name a few positions that we need to keep our church healthy. (Contact Fr. Wes or Harriet)
I ask you to get in touch with me is you wish to help me with Stewardship. We can meet after church
service on some Sunday in June and July. Please let me know if you want to help with this committee.
Membership is important because we want to find ways
to engage our new members and families as well as
nourish our older members. We have to come up with a
way to track all our newer members and find ways to
incorporate them into our congregation. We need to
listen to all members and as a church family create
programs and activities that will give all our church family
the opportunity to feel that their voices are heard and
take their ideas and put them to work in our church.
I ask you to get in touch with me is you wish to help with Membership and this group can also meet on
some Sunday after church service.
Mary Ann
625.8338 or [email protected]
The Messenger
A monthly newsletter of The Church of the Transfiguration, Bat Cave NC
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(Please let us know if there are any updates to our
birthday list and anniversary list.)
Birthdays for May
Please pray for members who are in the
hospital and who are sick.
Shane Maxwell,
09 - Dick Ransom
10 - Smith Goodrum
Susan Brown; Katie
Burch; Steve Gale;
13 - Joe Whitt
Lee Butler; Jim
17 - Carlann Scherping
Davis; Liz Easley;
18 - Carl Nelson
Monica Ferguson;
25 - Harriet Taylor
Sam Fine; Chris
25 - Dave Scherping
Folwell; Matthew Greenway; Margaret Hodge;
David Woodcock; Tony Mauldin; Hal Henriksen;
Brian Daniels; Gertrude Merrill; Carol Michael; Ray
Birthdays for June
Michael; Ackie Okpych; JoAnne Okpych; Ellie
03 - Katie Burch
Osborn; Chelsea Parks; Jim Stanier; Stacey
11 - Barbara Freeman
Weaver; Bertha Whitt; Joe Whitt; JoAnne
Woodcock; Peggy Sarratt; Barbara Meliski; Brian
Anniversaries for May
29 - Charlene & David Effrid
29 - Gloria & Russell Anders
Daniels; Robert Ell; Rick Metcalf; Louise Aldridge;
Saundra Nelson; Jacob Chalker; Steve Ruddy;
Steve Hailey; and Ken Lenglands.
Anniversaries for June
15 - Mary Ann & Dick Ransom
Please pray for our
men and women in the
military and those
serving in other areas
Join our Choir
of conflict.
Cailein Campbell;
Daniel Crane; Ralph
Salamone; Benjamine
St. Pierre; Hamilton
Practice on Sundays at 9:15
am and for more information
contact JoAnne Ellingson at
[email protected]
Jordan; Shannon Miller
and Hunter Fitzpatrick.
Please pray for Jeanne Taylor’s friend Dr. Carolyn
Thiedke who is with Doctors Without Borders and
is serving in Jordan working with Syrian refugees.
The Messenger
A monthly newsletter of The Church of the Transfiguration, Bat Cave NC
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Vestry 2015
Inside this issue: 2015
Worship & Education Fr. Wes Shields
Anna Phillips Baptism
1
Senior Warden
Mike Boff
Cursillo News
2
Junior Warden
Joe Carter
TCW News
3
Joke
3
625.9244
419.438.3460
625.8844
Finance/Church Treasurer JoAnne Ellingson 625.9637
Outreach
Marshall Brooks
Parish Activities
Vestry as a whole
Happenings - Out and About in the Gorge, Potluck 4
Dinners
Pastoral Care
Jack Stanier
Friendship Dinners, Monthly Church’s Breakfast
4
Pastoral Care
Barbara Mauldin
Kids Page
5
Stewardship
Mary Ann Ransom
625.8338
Friends of Thai Daughters Project
6
Membership
Mary Ann Ransom
625.8338
History of Our Church
7
Clerk of the Vestry
Harriet Taylor
625.1188
Church Secretary
Harriet Taylor
625.1188
Stewardship and Membership
8
828.748.7462
625.4274
828.779.2751
(Please pray daily for the leaders of your church.)
9
Birthdays, Anniversaries, Prayers for the Sick
9
Vestry
10
The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration
Diocese of Western North Carolina
106 Saylor Lane
PO Box 130
Bat Cave NC 28746
828.625.9244
Weekly Services
Holy Eucharist: Sundays 8:00 am and 10:00 am
Holy Eucharist and Healing: Wednesdays 10:00 am
Bible Study:
Sundays 9:00 am & Wednesdays 11:00 am
Choir Rehearsal: Sunday 9:15 am
The Messenger
A monthly newsletter of The Church of the Transfiguration, Bat Cave NC
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