|
|
SAINTS Alive! THE NEWSLETTER OF THE PARISH All Saints’ Church Chelmsford, MA July/ August 2005
|
|
|
SAINTS Alive! THE NEWSLETTER OF THE PARISH All Saints’ Church Chelmsford, MA July/ August 2005
|
From the Rector
CHANGING THE WORLD
Jesus sends his followers out like sheep in the midst of wolves and tells us to change the world, to heal the sick, raise the dead and proclaim that the Reign of God is at hand. It is easy to think that there is little we can do, especially when we face issues like global poverty. The scope of the problems is daunting. How might we as Christians live out our baptismal vow to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?
One way we at All Saints’ are doing this is through the efforts of our Diocese, the National Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion to end third world debt.
In June, President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain announced that they would support the cancellation of debt of 18 of the poorest countries in the world. In addition they said that nine other counties would probably qualify for debt cancellation in the next few months. This means that 27 of the 62 ‘Heavily Indebted Poor Countries,’ as the World Bank calls them, will have $55 billion dollars for health care, education, nutrition and economic development that would have gone into the coffers of the United States and other rich nations. It is a truly significant step in alleviating world poverty. What was not reported in the secular news is that this idea of debt relief originated with, was advocated for, and believed in by Christian churches and other people of faith. Anglicans were at the forefront of that effort.
In the mid 1990, as we approached the year 2000, Christians around the world began thinking that a good way to alleviate world poverty would be to declaring a Year of Jubilee in which the worlds’ rich nations would write off the debt of the worlds’ poor nations. In an example of true bipartisanship, the Democrats, Republicans and the leaders of the other wealthy countries pretty much chose to ignore this idea.
Even so, in 1998, at the meeting of all Anglican Bishops, called the Lambeth Conference, debt relief was the number one issue discussed. There was unanimity between the bishops from England, America, Canada and the bishops from poorer counties in Africa, South America and Asia that the time had come for debt relief. While the media primarily reported about the disagreements over homosexuality, what was really significant was the agreement around working towards debt relief. Bishops like Tom Shaw and Gayle Harris from our diocese were in the forefront of these efforts. In the time since Lambeth, the Episcopal Church has been advocating for debt relief in Washington while Church of England has been doing the same in London. Supported by the Anglican churches in the third world, our church has been quietly but persistently advocating for debt relief. Working with other Christian denominations including a growing number of conservative churches, church leaders pushed the politicians to address the fact that international debt was unjust.
Now that debt relief is on the front pages, we hear little of the fact that it was people of faith who set out to change the world. What the G8 are doing is a good step towards global justice. Even so, it is not a time for us to rest. We are still sheep, and there are many wolves. Jesus was clear that only God can create God’s reign, but he was also insistent that we have our assigned part in changing the world.
Peace,
Tom
Memorial Garden
Every year there are donations given in memory of loved ones for flowers in the Memorial Garden. This is the area just outside the Narthex. In addition to being the final resting place for a number of past parishioners, it is dedicated to all those deceased who have been All Saints' members or have loved ones here who would like them remembered.
This year donations have come in memory of Barbara Pierson (Wendy Bruce's mother), Sarah Twelves (daughter of former Rector Paul Twelves) David Willman (son of Barbara Willman), Hilda and Edward Tebeau (Parents of Carolyn Livingston) and Connie Gaieski (wife of Ben Gaieski).
These donations enabled the planting of four rose bushes and colorful annuals in the garden as well providing plants for the urns and planters around the church.
The Garden Committee
B&G: Boilers and Greenup
Environmental Stewardship starts at home, as we surely know. And in a facility such as ours, energy saving is the principal place we make our difference. Certainly our recycling efforts are meritorious, but energy savings not only make us feel better about the planet, but come straight 'to the bottom line'.
Regular readers of our B&G notes may remember that our Parish Hall refurbishment paid particular attention to Green Technology. Our walls were well insulated, our doors and windows were low UV, and windows and fans were placed to take maximum advantage of sunlight and breezes. The newest furnaces were chosen for highest efficiency. You can be proud that we 'walked the walk' on the environment, because, of course, the initial outlays on these items were somewhat higher, but the benefits are immediate and sustaining.
The work is ongoing. To that end, your B&G has been systematically replacing older fixtures of incandescent lighting with various energy saving bulbs and fixtures. Timers and motion detectors are used on exterior lighting. Bit by bit, some light switches throughout the entire facility will be replaced with 'twist timers'. Soon, window shades will be installed in the Parish Hall, as well as some 'indirect' lighting.
Recently a small electric water heater was added under the Sacristy sink to provide hot water without drawing from a distant gas hot water heater. This unit is on a timer, so hot water is present only when the Church is in use!
The biggest savings will come from a recent project in the Thrift Shop/ Chapel heating unit. We are installing 'dampers' that will allow the Thrift Shop to be heated WITHOUT heating the Chapel. We are investigating how to use half the furnace capacity of those 'twin units' when only the Thrift Shop is operating. Just guessing, but for about $1000 expenditure, we expect to save a minimum of $2000 in the first year!
The last 'big item' on energy would ultimately be to replace the main Church and Thrift shop furnaces. They are old and very inefficient. Again, as a rough guess, the cost savings would equal the expenditure over a 5 to 7 year time frame. Unfortunately, this item is neither currently budgeted nor planned.
So much of the green savings comes directly from the environmental consciousness of our All Saints community. These are the same things you would do in your own home. We try to make our systems more 'automatic' as befits a facility of many users; but it is NEVER our intent unalterably to set the temperatures to the verge of discomfort, nor lighting too dim to be safe. Simply imagine the extra good things that we could do with the money that we could save if everybody remembered to turn off the lights when they leave a room! Other ideas for the 'greening' of All Saints are always welcome.
Rich Jerome
ps from the Rector:
I wanted to update all on the air conditioner settings. Yes it works. I know because the thermostat is set to use the AC... but it sometimes works when we do not want it too. I have now programmed the office thermostat for both zones one and two. I have tried to set it erring on the side of not using air; if someone needs it they can punch it up. So the office is set at 78ºF, Mon-Fri from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and Sunday after services for the counters. The rest of the time it is set at 90ºF, the highest setting. Upstairs, zone two is also set high. I also have it set so that if it is turned down it will return to 90ºF at 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM and 10PM. We will have to monitor how it is working. So please let each other know.
Affordable Housing and Smart Growth in Chelmsford
On Wednesday evening, July 6, at 7:00, people interested in affordable housing in Chelmsford will gather at Trinity Lutheran Church, 170 Old Westford Road. This meeting is an effort of the Chelmsford Clergy Association and the Merrimack Valley Project. We will explore how we as people of faith may advocate for affordable housing as well as for environmentally friendly development. With the number of 40B housing developments coming into Chelmsford, we feel that as people of faith we need to be informed about the issues and learn to discriminate between projects that will truly create affordable housing in a positive way and projects that seem to be solely about making a quick buck.
For more information please speak to The Rev. Tom Barrington.
Fourth-of-July Booth
THE 4th OF JULY is right around the corner, and
we need your help! This is the town's 350th birthday so there should be a lot
of people. We need people to help set up the booth in the morning on
Friday, July 1st, stretchers, cookers and sellers for Friday night and
Saturday, and people to help take down the booth and clean up Saturday after it
is all over. There are sign up sheets in the Narthex.
Charlie Mulcahy has agreed to chair the event, so please speak to him if you have any questions. He can be reached at: CRM01824@Yahoo.com.
Lowell Folk Festival
A call for volunteers! Please help us at the Lowell Folk Festival, July 29-31. We need people to help us prepare, serve, and sell food for these three days. All money raised supports Mustard Seed Communities in Kingston Jamaica.
Please contact Edith or Nalin Parekh at 978-454-7642
Team Sunday needs YOU
YOUR SUNDAY WORSHIP TEAM NEEDS YOU!
Your Sunday worship services are led by a dedicated corps of volunteers who are scheduled by me and others on a quarterly basis. In addition to acolytes, ushers, and altar guild, needed weekly are Litanists, Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEMs), and Lectors.
Litanists are individuals who have undergone some training and are qualified to lead a worship service in the absence of a priest. At All Saints’, on a weekly basis, our Litanists lead the Nicene Creed, the Prayers of the People, and also administer the bread alongside Tom Barrington. Litanists must also arrange for substitutes on the spot for LEMs or Litanists who are missing. A LEM is someone who administers the chalice at communion. LEMs also receive training, and both Litanists and LEMs are licensed by the Episcopal Diocese. Lectors read the weekly Old and New Testament lessons, and receive some basic training also.
Due to natural attrition, we have a need for more people to assist in weekly worship services. If you are interested in learning more, please speak to Tom or to me.
Since the schedule is prepared quarterly, we can accommodate vacation requests and can be fairly flexible. Our faithful group would welcome some additional support, too!
In Christ,
Maggie Marshall
Greetings...
Good news! Since the Greeters Program never managed to get its feet off the ground this past spring, there's still time to sign up! We'll be finalizing details of the program over the summer and starting up in the fall. If you're interested, please e-mail Katie McSheehy LaRochelle at kate2323@aol.com with your name, your email address, and dates you know you're not available from mid-August through December. Thank you to the patient folks who have been waiting to volunteer - let us know if you're still interested!
Katie McSheehy LaRochelle
Cabaret Night
Keep October 29 open for our gala Cabaret Night for the adults. Our parish hall will be transformed into a nightclub of the 1930s/1940s with the wonderful music of George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, and other songwriters and composers of the genre, performed by the outstanding talented vocalists and musicians of our parish. It will be an evening of food, drink, and music. More information will follow later in the summer.
We will need card tables for that evening to create intimate seating arrangements. If you have a card table that the committee can borrow, please contact Ron or Carol Cannistraro at 978-256-0929 or carolron@comcast.net.
Remember Christmas...
Christmas FairSaturday December 3, 2005, 9 am to 2 pm.
Possible activities for this year's Christmas Fair:Food SalesTable (Decoration) IdeasChoir Christmas CDOrnamentsWreathsPoinsettias saleFancy Appetizers/Sauces for saleSilent auction itemsKids’ thingsOther IdeasWine & Cheese preview the night beforeCombine with Music Event at 10:30AM
Please contact the office 978-256-5673 if you can help with any of the items listed above.
Lunch-Time Help Wanted
A cafeteria in Concord, MA is looking for help with preparing and serving food to employees at the US Army Corps of Engineers. Hours would be from 11 am to 1 pm, Monday to Friday.
For wages and details, contact:
Michelle Nemours 617-938-7524.
Coffee Hour
People often host a coffee hour after church as a way to celebrate or memorialize certain occasions. It may be a birthday, wedding anniversary, or the death of a loved one. Let us know if you would like to reserve a certain Sunday each year, since having a list of "perpetual dates" simplifies our effort of lining up coffee hour hosts every year.
Churches and institutions we are asked to consider especially during the month of July and August are listed in this section. (Don’t forget to pray for the success of the summer visits of children from Chernobyl, too.)
 |
|||
|
|||
Sunday, July 3, 2005 The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Grace Church, Newton
Parish of the Messiah, Auburndale (Newton)
Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill (Newton)
St. Aidan's Chapel, South Dartmouth
Deputies to General Convention
Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center
 |
Sunday, July 10, 2005 The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
St. John's
Church, Newtonville
St. Mary's Church, Newton Lower Falls
St. Paul's Church, Newton Highlands
St. Andrew's Chapel, Hyannis Port
Neponset Deanery
Ministries
with the Aging
Sunday, July 17, 2005 The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
St. Paul's Church, North Andover
Grace Church, North Attleborough
Brooks School Chapel, North Andover
Trinity Church, Newton Centre
Hospital Chaplaincies
Intentions for Summer 2005 cont.
Sunday, July 24, 2005 The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Grace Church, Norwood
Trinity Chapel, Oak Bluffs
Church of the Holy Spirit, Orleans
Dennen Family Campground
Ministries to the Homeless
Merrimack Valley Project
Sunday, July 31, 2005 The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
St. Paul's
Church, Peabody
St. David's Mission, Pepperell
Emmanuel Chapel, Manchester-by-the-Sea
Cape Cod & Islands Deanery
St. Peter's Church, Osterville
 |
Sunday, August 7, 2005 The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
Christ Church, Plymouth
Christ Church, Quincy
Chapel of St. Philip of Bethsaida, Mattapoisett
Episcopal Marriage Encounter
St. Mary's of the Harbor, Provincetown
Sunday, August 14, 2005 The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
St. Chrysostom's Church, Wollaston (Quincy)
Trinity Church, Randolph
Chapel of St. James the Fisherman, Wellfleet
Congregations: Parish Historians
Church of the Good Shepherd, Reading
 |
“If one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the missing one until he has found it? How delighted he is then! He lifts it on to his shoulders, and home he goes to call his friends and neighbors together. ‘Rejoice with me!’ he cries. ‘I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, I tell you, there will be greater joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.” – Luke 15: 4-7.
Sunday, August 21, 2005 The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Trinity Church, Rockland
St. Mary's Church, Rockport
Grace Church, Salem
The Society of St. John the Evangelist, Cambridge Epiphany Middle School, Dorchester
Sunday, August 28, 2005 The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
St. Peter's
Church, Salem
The Massachusetts Council of Churches
North Shore Deanery
St. John’s Church,
Sandwich
St. John's Church, Saugus
Youth Ministry at All Saints’
All Saints’ has a wonderful and rich tradition of youth ministry. This includes formal programs for youth as well as the ministries and gifts by our youth. We are a richer community because of the ways in which our youth help us discover who and what God wants us to be. As we look to continue these programs and opportunities we need adult leaders who are willing to work with our youth. At a youth leadership planning meeting last week we identified the following needs for youth leadership.
If you are interested in being part of the youth program at All Saints’ please speak to or E-mail The Rev. Tom Barrington at asctom@gis.net.
Adult Christian Formation
Upcoming Events
July 12 Silent Night 7:00- 8:30pm in Blue Room
July 24 Book Discussion Group after 9am service in Blue Room
Aug 9 Silent Night 7:00- 8:30pm in Blue Room
As the list of upcoming events shows, Adult Christian Formation at All Saints’ is gearing down for the summer. In fact, I warned Tom in a recent memo that my brain is officially on hiatus until July 24, when I return from a two-week-long course about congregational development.
Not just undertaking some serious study, but the recent wrapping up of several projects-- if I’m permitted to call having a son graduate from high school the culmination of a project – make me aware of my real need for a change of pace. I need both some recharging of spiritual and psychic batteries and some change of pace. I am sure that many of you are in similar places, and my formation-connected hope is that you intentionally seek down time and some nurturing activities for yourself this summer. Read Desmond Tutu’s No Future Without Forgiveness with the book discussion group. Or ask me for some spiritual reading – or a mystery featuring an Episcopal priest! Join Silent Night for an evening of silent prayer or activity in the company of others. Or spend time outside or with family or in the company of friends, seeking to be aware of gratitude for the gifts of your life and how these connect you with God.
Summer will not be a time without activity at All Saints’. I am excited about the work that the Raising the Roof learning team has started to help foster conversation and strategic planning at All Saints’ as we look at our identity, community and call. The via media pilot program was a great success in June and we are planning to offer the full program in the fall. I am still looking for folks to participate in the EFM (Education for Ministry) program which runs Sept- June. July and August are times to look to the program year ahead and decide what events we hope to offer.
On a personal note, I am pleased to share that I have written two essays for the “Living by the Word” feature in The Christian Century, to be published this July. This is my second foray into publication.
To read the earlier pieces, you may check out http://www.religion-online.org/indexbyauthor.asp and scroll down to “Amy B. Hunter.”
I wish you all a restful and blessed summertime.
in peace,
Amy Hunter
Associate for Adult Christian Formation
Vestry Members
Scott Bempkins Robb Dussault
Beth Anne Economou Lois Freeman
Steve Grillo Karine Marino
Joe Sala Sally Warren Anne Whitaker
Adrienne Jerome, Senior Warden
Kevin Davis, Treasurer
Over the summer we will be working on the master calendar scheduling meetings, fundraisers, and other events. Please be thinking about any committee, group or personal requests you have for the 2005-2006 year. Even if your request is for an ongoing weekly or monthly time slot, it is helpful to know the beginning and ending dates and times. In July the master calendar will be on tables outside the office for you to see what dates and times are available.
Also, every request should be made in writing, either on a Space Reservation Form found on the standing bulletin board outside the church office,
or on the church’s web site under Site Tools, Site Map at www.allsaintschelmsford.org. All requests should be given to the church office.
If you cancel a scheduled event you should also let the church office know to help facilitate room allocation for other meetings and events.
You can check out the master calendar online. There is
link on All Saints’ web site, at the above address, under News & Events,
Parish Calendar. Please call Darlene at the church office if you have any
questions or concerns.
(All phone numbers are area code 978 unless indicated)
Church Office...................................... 256-5673
Senior Warden....... Adrienne Jerome
Junior Warden........ Ron Cannistraro
Treasurer............... Kevin Davis
Clerk..................... Jeremy Ahouse
Acolyte Director.... Clem Cole
Adult Education...... Amy Hunter
Altar Guild............. Liz Landers
Buildings and…….. Rich Jerome
Grounds
Christian School..... Laura Marshall
Michelle Thomas
Elizabeth Danieli
Coffee Hour.......... Cindy Dussault
Endowment ........... Jean McCaffery
Environmental Stewardship
Committee............. Liz Marshall
Fellowship.............. Meredith McElroy
Finance.................. Clem Cole
Music Minister....... Maggie Marshall
Outreach............... Dave Kuzara
Pastoral Care......... Joy Chadwick
Saints Alive............ Patrick Blumeris
Stewardship........... Steve Grillo
Thrift Shop............. Carol Cannistraro
Youth Group.......... to be filled
Webmaster............ Richard Coles
Web site................ www.allsaintschelmsford.org
… for the September 2005 Saints Alive! is
August 21st, 2005
Please leave your articles in the Saints Alive! mailbox in the church office, or send them via email to SaintsAlive@yahoo.com
Thanks