SAINTS Alive! THE NEWSLETTER OF THE PARISH All Saints’ Church Chelmsford, MA                                                                   October 2006

From the Rector

Grace and peace to all in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ.

It is wonderful to be back.  Your welcome and encouragement have reminded me again and again how blessed I am.  Your support during my sabbatical and enthusiasm on my return have defined for me what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ.

Amy Hunter shared with me the following quote from an article by Br David Steindl-Rast.  “The difference between a journey and a pilgrimage is this: on a journey, reaching the goal means success; a pilgrimage is successful when each step becomes the goal."

I have become increasingly convinced that the idea of pilgrimage is more appropriate to our Christian lives than the idea of a journey.  As modern western people, we are trained to be goal oriented.  This is the heart of our prosperity and comforts.  Yet, when we try to make our lives in Christ goal oriented, we can lose track of why we are doing what we are doing.  This does not mean that we do not have a vision.  Jesus had a vision; he preached that the Kingdom of God is near.  His parables, stories, miracles and his very life point to the reality that the Kingdom of God is at hand.  He did not, however, attempt to institutionalize his vision or set goals for his followers to meet.  Jesus did not establish hospitals, he healed people.  He did not set up feeding programs, he fed people.  He did not even tell the people to go to Church; he said “Follow me.”

In my pilgrimage, I know that I have a long way to go but that every step can take me deeper into the heart of God.  What matters is that I am seeking Christ.  Being intentional about each step promises to help me understand more fully what God has in mind for me.  I am grateful that I may be a pilgrim here at All Saints.  I pray that together we all may be more intentional about our pilgrimages with God.

Peace

Tom

Outreach Events

The Outreach Team has resumed meeting on its regular schedule after meeting less frequently during the summer.  We have crafted an Outreach Mission Statement to guide our future actions.  We are currently summarizing what we learned from last year’s Mission Season and the Q&A session we held on Pentecost.  Both the Mission Statement and the lessons learned will be shared with the parish in the near future. 

Looking forward, there are many Outreach and Mission-related events coming up in the near future.  Some of these are discussed in greater detail elsewhere in Saints Alive.  Upcoming events are:

Oct. 1: Ted Gaiser to preach 
Ted is a deacon at the diocese and will preach on developing relationships with parishes in other countries.

Oct. 7 Episcopal City Mission Advocacy Convention
Includes workshops on housing, wages and immigration as well as sessions on how to influence public policy on these and other issues.

Oct. 14 Deanery Workshops
Includes “Neighbors in Mission,” “Developing International Parish Relations,” and a workshop on Africa taught by Rev. Tom.

Oct. 27 – 28 Diocesan Convention
The diocesan convention this year will have a focus on Mission.

Oct 17, 24, 31 (AM sessions)/Oct 18, 25, Nov 1 (PM sessions) Kenya and Mission
Rev. Tom discusses his sabbatical in Kenya and engages the parish on the possibilities for Mission work there.

Nov 12 Habitat for Humanity recovenanting
Someone from Greater Lowell Habitat will be here to bring us up to date on their progress and to renew our covenant relationship with them.

Dec 1 Christmas Fair
There will be a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity at the Christmas Fair centered around the creation and auctioning off of gingerbread houses.

If you are interested in attending the off-site events or just want more details, contact Dave Kuzara at 978-256-5484.

Cabaret Night

Cabaret Night-October 21

Please save October 21 for our second Cabaret Night.  It will be a dress-up adult evening of fellowship, fun, food and entertainment.  Again we plan to transform the parish hall into a 1930s/1940s nightclub.  The evening will begin with hearty hors d’oeuvres and conversation, followed by music and songs performed by talented members of the parish.  This year the theme will be music from Broadway shows.  During the intermission in the musical program, there will be dessert, coffee and more conversation.  Beer, wine and soft drinks will be available from a cash bar during the evening. 

Proceeds from the evening will go partly to support the diocese-owned Barbara Harris Camp and Conference Center and partly to the scholarship fund we established last year to help our parish youth financially to attend the camp.

The evening will start at 7:30 PM.  Tickets for this event will be $20 per person.

Card Tables Needed for Cabaret Night

The Cabaret Night committee needs to borrow approximately 25 card tables to create intimate seating for our cabaret night on October 21.  If you have a card table we can borrow, please contact Ron or Carol Cannistraro at 978-256-0929 or at carolron@comcast.net.  The tables can be ugly (we will be covering them), but they need to be sturdy.

Preventing Lighting Blues

Mission, Stewardship, and Fluorescent lights?  HUH?????

This article is about fluorescent lights.  It's about taking care of the environment.  It's about Mission.  How can it be about all 3 of these?  Two are critical to our lives in Christ, and the other is just about lighting.

Well, as our recently-returned Tom mentioned in a recent sermon, one of the 5 Marks of Mission is: "To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.”

So here's the thing.  There is some new technology that is truly changing the way we "light our lives."  Fluorescent lights.  WHAT?  That can't be it.  We've seen fluorescent lights in our offices and at home for 30 years.  The advertisements always sounded too good to be true:  "Less energy!  They're perfect for every use!”  They're something like 4 times as efficient as incandescent bulbs, and last 3-4 times as long, which means much fewer bulb changes.  Bulbs will often last 2-5 YEARS and save an enormous amount of dollars on energy and bulb replacement (upwards of $50 per bulb). 

But if you bought fluorescent lights for your house, suddenly your living room looked like a garage.  Bright generally, but not easy to live with.  They just didn't look as good as the incandescent lights that they replaced.  So many of us simply went back to the good old bulbs and figured fluorescents are better left in the office.

Unfortunately, many of us have been burned by purchasing fluorescent bulbs, and so we went back to "normal" bulbs and haven't really re-considered them.  Why did we do this?

Well, for very good reasons.  Some fluorescent bulbs were horrible (especially up until VERY recently).  Let me count the ways:

· They make your house look like a bluish garage.

· They don’t work when it’s cold

· They take minutes to warm up.  In fact, some flicker if the room is cold.

· They aren’t dimmable.

· They don’t “fit” into floodlight enclosures.

· They aren’t small.

· I bought fluorescent bulbs a while back that were supposed to be 65W equivalent, but they were MUCH dimmer than the 65W bulbs they replaced.

· I can’t get high-wattage fluorescent bulbs to replace my 120 W bulbs.

· They look bluish and harsh compared to “normal” bulbs.

· They have exposed “tubing” and they don’t look like normal bulbs.

· They don’t work outside in our cold winters.

But times have changed, and they have changed VERY recently.  EVERY one of these problems is being addressed by different bulbs that have come out recently.

If you've bought fluorescent bulbs and have been disappointed by them, please read on.  And I promise I'll bring this back to Mission AND taking care of the environment.

Here are the keys for replacing an incandescent bulb with a new fluorescent one:

· THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!!!  Buy a "warm temperature" bulb (sometimes it's called "soft-white").  These bulbs might cost a dollar or two more, but they will virtually match your other incandescent lighting.  (I can prove this - keep reading).

· Newer bulbs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.  You can now get floodlights in R40 (large), R30 (medium), and even R20 (very small).  They look just like the floodlights they replace.  I've actually been replacing R20 halogen bulbs at All Saints', and they produce more light, and everyone is happy with them.  You see them every week and don't even know it (ask me - I'll show you where I put them).

· If you require a dimmer in the location where they're to be used, make sure you buy dimmable fluorescent bulbs.  Dimmable bulbs are harder to find, and they're not often available in warm color-temperatures ... yet.

· You need to select bulbs designed for enclosed fixtures if your fixture is sealed.

· Make sure you buy a bulb designed for outdoors if you're going to use them outdoors.

So how can I prove how bulbs are changing, and suggest that you try again if you got burned previously?  

I just completed replacing all of the bulbs in the choir loft (previously 45W floodlights) with 14W soft-white floodlights (soft white is similar to "warm temperature").

Next time you're at church, take a trip up into the choir loft and turn on the lights.  Wait for a few seconds and look around.  How do they look to YOU?  They put out more light than the previous bulbs (65W-worth compared to 45W), they use 1/3 the energy, they will last several years, where the other bulbs were going out all the time (ask Maggie).  Because the choir loft is used so many hours a week, it was a great place to put these bulbs.  By my estimates simply replacing these 17 bulbs will save the church over $2,000 over the next 4 years in both energy and bulb replacements.  They cost me $100 for 18 bulbs (about $5 each).  They look EXACTLY like the previous floodlights, except that they're brighter.

Now how do I know that these look "better" than the previous bulbs?  I left 1 bulb up there that's the old style.  Just over the stairway there's an "old one.”  You decide how much "worse" the fluorescents are.  Or better.

Why do they look so good?  Many reasons, but the key is that they're "soft white,” or warm color temperature (the lights in the Parish hall are also warm-color fluorescents which look great).  That's the key for indoor lighting to match other lights in your home, so that they don't look harsh.  Also, the improvements in technology let them start up quicker, use normal housings, and fit into R30 floodlight bulbs.

So are you willing to rethink fluorescents in your home?  Think about it.  Where can you take advantage of them?  Where do you use bulbs for many hours a day or night?

Here are some ideas:

· For outside landscape light-poles with 60W bulbs?  Change them to an outdoor bulb that uses 12-14W.  It may take 30 seconds to warm up in the winter, but it will look just as good as a 60W bulb, will last years, and save lots of energy.

· Consider using a new fluorescent floodlight for security lighting (assuming that your fixture is on for hours a night).

· How about warm-fluorescents for your kitchen, bedroom, or den?  Note that if you purchase a fixture that has the donut-shaped fluorescents, and if they aren't "warm temperature,” you can replace the bulbs at a lighting store, like Westford Lighting.  I did this for a kitchen fixture that Lynne and I liked, but when we got it home, the lights were very bluish, and harsh.  We spent $20 and changed out the 2 tubes with "warm color temperature" tubes and it looks fantastic now.

· Look around and see where you might benefit from new lighting.  Look first at the areas that have lights on at least 3 hours a day, so that you'll get the biggest benefit.

Where can you buy these cool bulbs?  (I mean "warm" bulbs, sorry).  I have found that Home Depot has the greatest selection of fluorescents recently, including soft-white bulbs in various shapes and sizes.

I'd be more than happy to chat with any of you about my experiences with fluorescent bulbs, and tips.  Feel free to chat with me after church, or email me at steve@odic.com.  I really do believe that it's time to reset our expectations on these lighting options.  They will save you lots of money in the long run, will put less stress on the energy infrastructure, and are simply good sense.  

The technology really has changed.  See it for yourself.  Check out the choir loft.

So that's it.  Wait, though.  I didn't bring the discussion back to environmental stewardship, nor did I talk about the 5th Mark of Mission: "To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and renew the life of the earth.”

Hmmm...  Maybe I did.  Think about it.

Peace,

Steve Grillo

Thank You

Our heartfelt thanks go to our parish family.  Your cards, your personal support and all of you who did so much to make the reception so successful have been a great help to us in this difficult time.  Thank you all.

Liz and Maggie Marshall

Pie Workshop

It is hard to believe on this sunny, summerlike day that it is time to start preparing for what has become our annual Pie Workshop on Saturday, November 4.  This is an invitation to one and all to come join us for a morning of fellowship while we make lots of pies to help put some money into the coffers.  Last year we made about $1000.  Not bad for a morning's work.  We start at 9:00 a.m. and usually work until about 1:30 or 2:00 p.m.  Coffee and sticky buns are available through the morning and a light lunch is served. 

If you can peel apples or cut them up into slices we need you.  We also need people who can assemble the ingredients for the fillings, crimp the pies, and bag them for the freezer.  If your expertise is making pie crust you will be very welcomed. 

If you can't help in the kitchen but would like to contribute, we need aluminum pie plates (9 inch), frozen blueberries, flour, sugar, shortening, and/or money to defray the cost of buying the above.

Put this event on your calendar for November 4th at 9:00 a.m.

If you have any questions call Esther Davenport at 978-256-0638.

Barbara Harris Camp Fund

The Barbara Harris Camp in Greenfield, NH is run by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and offers many different kinds of camping experiences from art and music to soccer and family camp programs.

Last fall with the proceeds of the Cabaret Night, we established a scholarship fund to help with the expenses for our parish youth to attend the Barbara Harris Camp. 

At present the fund is small, but scholarships are also available from the diocese.  If you are interested in a parish and/or a diocesan scholarship, please contact either of the wardens: Adrienne Spear at 978-251-4199 or Ron Cannistraro at 978-256-0929.

Also plan to attend the Cabaret Night, October 21, proceeds again to benefit the scholarship fund. 

From the Associate for Adult Christian Formation

Upcoming Formation Events

Oct 10  Discussion on leadership with Bp Tom Shaw  7:30 Cranberry Room

Oct 14  Deanery Workshops for Parish Action   8:30- 12:30 at St Paul’s, North Andover

Oct 18 “Kenya and Mission,” session 1              7:30 Cranberry Room

Oct 25  “Kenya and Mission,” session 2              7:30 Cranberry Room

Oct 27- 28  Diocesan Convention

Nov 1         Feast of All Saints

Worship service at 7:00

Nov 1   “Kenya and Mission,” session 3                    7:45 Cranberry Room

From Amy Hunter: I love the energy of the new program year!  This fall feels especially exciting to me with Tom’s return from sabbatical and with the work the parish has been doing around strategic planning and mission.  A lot is going on!  Come and be part of your parish as a learning, serving community in mission.

Kenya and Mission: Reflections, Conversation and Action-- an adult formation event this October:

Join us for a three-week series

Tues mornings, 9:30- 11:00, Oct 17, 24 and 31

OR

Wed evenings, 7:30- 9:00, Oct 18, 25 and Nov 1

In the Cranberry Room

Our rector Tom Barrington spent half of his four-month sabbatical in Kenya, visiting parishes and parishioners in a setting very different from ours here in Chelmsford, MA.  Tom is back home with us, which offers All Saints’ the gift not just of hearing about his adventures, but of looking through the lens of Kenya and Tom’s personal pilgrimage there to consider God’s mission and God’s invitation to all of us to join God in that mission here.  We will gather for three sessions to learn about Tom’s experiences, to explore how the lessons and insights from those experiences might inform our daily lives and to consider how God is calling All Saints’ into God’s Mission.  There will be time each evening for discussion and refreshments will be provided.

Bishop Shaw to Discuss Leadership at All Saints’ on October 10:

Intrigued by this parish’s identification of leadership as an area of desired growth, our Bishop Tom Shaw has asked to come and work with us for three evenings, October 10, December 5, and a date yet to be announced.  The goal is to help parish leaders build up the community life of this parish.  This series is especially for the vestry but is open to other parish leaders as well.  The group is limited to 20 participants.

Merrimack Valley Deanery Workshops for Parish Action:

Come to a free event, “Putting Legs on Mission Strategy,” Saturday, October 14, 8:30AM- 12:30PM at St Paul’s, North Andover.  Workshops offer information and practical ideas for parishes around Christian formation, music ministries, missions, being a parish treasurer, and worship.  Speak with Tom Barrington for more information about programs and registration.

2006 Province I Convocation: "Our Story, God’s Story at All Times and in All Places”:

This annual gathering and educational event for New England Episcopalians, sponsored in 2006 by the Province I Christian Education Network, will feature fantastic workshops, worship and activities for all ages.  The focus is on Christian formation, generation to generation, as we celebrate the many ways to share our Christian story through worship, the arts, music, storytelling, outreach and prayer for all ages.  The featured guest artist is Masankho Kamsisi Banda, a multi-disciplinary performing artist, educator, spiritual healer and peace-builder, who will weave the fine arts of storytelling and dance from his Malawian culture to enhance our understanding of sharing our story as part of God’s story.

Date: Friday and Saturday, November 17-18 at the Wyndham Westborough Hotel, Westborough

All Saints’ is looking to put together a group to attend and bring back ideas to use in Church School, adult formation, and worship.  The parish will pay for folks to attend the convention.  Speak with Laura Marshall or Amy Hunter to find out more and to come along.

Thoughts from the Summer of 2006, again

In last month’s issue, the news of the summer was mentioned briefly (a ceiling tile collapse in the Big Dig tunnel system; more earthquakes and a tsunami in the Indian Ocean; a brief war in the middle east).

What went unmentioned included the following:

All Saints' Episcopal, and Central Congregational, Churches’ taking a week long trip to the Cabell-Lincoln WV Work Camp in West Virginia to make house improvements for area residents who couldn't afford to pay for the repairs (June 18-24)

The full house of Paul and Meredith McElroy, who were hosting two girls associated with the Chernobyl Children Project

Sergei and Nina Furs, also here by courtesy of the CCP, staying with the Cole/Marshall household, while Sergei was in and out of hospital

The Fried Dough Booth at the Chelmsford Annual Celebration of the Fourth of July

The Mustard Seed Communities’ food stands at the Lowell Folk Festival at Boarding House Park and the JFK Plaza, raising thousands of dollars to support orphanages in Jamaica, Haiti, Nicaragua and Zimbabwe (July 28-30, unless you were in the Parekh family, in which case the work began months earlier!)

Benton and Garrett Burgess’ participation in the Travis Roy Foundation Wiffle Ball Tournament in support of research into spinal cord injuries (August 11)

Rev. Ray Bronk’s Authentic Italian Dinner (August 30), with Chef Reverend Ray.

Parish Pantomime January 6, 2007

The Rector has agreed to a time slot on the evening of Saturday January 6, 2007 for a fellowship function in the form of a pantomime.  No, not a wordless mime-show: a fairy-tale pantomime.  So: keep the date free for a kids’ show at the parish hall on January 6, 2007.  Twelfth Night. Epiphany.

With words, songs (that you will likely know already), a hero and a heroine, a problem or two in the script (there may be more!), a few wicked witches, a few good fairies, an impish elf, a genie, and Forty Thieves (well, only five, per the Producer’s oft-repeated instructions), a famous marine (a fleet commander by the name of Sinbad), three gypsies, a town crier, and more!

This would be perfect if there were a cast in place: we already have an original script for about 50 people.  Or a few dozen if necessary.  The audience’s imagination (well, have YOU ever seen a real fire-breathing dragon?), or their participation (if only cheering for the good guys and jeering the bad), or preferably both imagination and participation, will be enlisted as necessary to help out on the night.  Or else someone’s going to get all tired out playing quite a few roles simultaneously!

The story begins in Anonsville, a village in the Island Kingdom of Caprice, where the king pops in by mistake and vows to make an heir out of whoever takes care of the wandering dragon whose menacing roar (when produced to the Producer’s specification) belies his true nature.  The play also entails Cherry, whose Mamma has high hopes for her, and Kurt, who doesn’t meet those high hopes, and so enlists a lowly horse to help him find an errant dragon.

If you’re not there, you won’t get to see the elf who spent a while in a bottle before moving into the fruit-and-vegetables business.

Again: keep the date free for Kurt and Cherry at the parish hall on January 6, 2007.  Twelfth Night. Epiphany.

Details will be announced in the bulletin, in the next Saints Alive, and in announcements in the parish: stay tuned!

Surprisingly (?), we still have a few parts to fill: If you would like a part, you need a script!  Please contact Patrick Blumeris at 978-256-9638.

Intentions for October 2006

Churches and institutions we are asked to consider especially during the month of October are listed in this section.

Sunday, October 1, 2006  Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

All Saints’ Church, Stoneham

Trinity Church, Stoughton

St. Elizabeth’s Church, Sudbury

Church of the Holy Name, Swampscott

South Shore Deanery

Sunday, October 8, 2006  Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Christ Church, Swansea

Saint John’s Church, Taunton

Saint Thomas’ Church, Taunton

Trinity Church, Topsfield

Congregations: Acolytes

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Deanery Workshops: “Neighbors in Mission,” “Developing International Parish Relations,” and a workshop on Africa taught by Rev. Tom Barrington.

Sunday, October 15, 2006  Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Grace Church, Vineyard Haven

Church of the Good Shepherd, Waban (Newton)

Emmanuel Church, Wakefield

Parish of the Epiphany, Walpole

Order of Saint Luke

Wednesday, October 18, 2006 Saint Luke the Evangelist

St. Luke’s Church/Iglesia de San Lucas, Chelsea

St. Luke’s Church, Fall River

St. Luke’s Church, Hudson

St. Luke’s Church, Malden

St. Luke’s Church, Scituate

Order of Saint Luke

Sunday, October 22, 2006  Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Christ Church, Waltham

Church of the Good Shepherd, Wareham

Church of the Good Shepherd, Watertown

The Diocesan Convention

Greater Boston Interfaith Organization

Monday, October 23, 2006  Saint James of Jerusalem, Brother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Martyr

St. James’ Church, Cambridge

St. John and St. James Church, Roxbury

Friday, October 27, 2006 and Saturday October 28

Diocesan Convention (Day One)

Saturday, October 28, 2006 Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apostles

Diocesan Convention (Day Two)

Sunday, October 29, 2006  Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Church of the Holy Spirit, Wayland

Saint Andrew’s Church, Wellesley

All Saints’ Church, West Newbury

Emmanuel Church, West Roxbury (Boston)

Union of Black Episcopalians

The Officers of the Diocese

Wednesday, November 1, 2006  All Saints

All Saints’ Church, Belmont

All Saints’ Church, Brookline

All Saints’ Church, Chelmsford

“Kenya and Mission”: What could ASC Chelmsford do to help mission in Kenya?

All Saints’ Church, Dorchester

All Saints’ Church, West Newbury

All Saints’ Church, Stoneham

All Saints’ Church, Whitman

Saturday, November 4, 2006

Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori’s installation as Presiding Bishop, replacing Bishop Frank Griswold.  The service will be at the Washington National Cathedral.

(Pie Workshop at 9:00 a.m. at All Saints’ Church, Chelmsford)

Greetings!

Please keep wearing your nametags!!!  There are always lots of new faces at this time of year, and it really is helpful to have your name clearly displayed when getting to know new members.  If you don't have a nametag, please email me (kate2323@aol.com) or sign up in the Narthex and I'll make you one. 

Thanks so much!

Katie LaRochelle

Greeters Coordinator

Current Vestry Members

David Cahill Beth Anne Economou Lois Freeman

Derick Gates     Steve Grillo Doug Hausler

Deb Dutton (note-vestry is filling two openings)

Adrienne Spear, Senior Warden

Ron Cannistraro, Junior Warden

Melanie Hickcox, Treasurer

Meredith McElroy, Clerk

New Starts

The latest diocesan e-newsletter includes articles about new school years, with features on the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, the small Epiphany School in Dorchester (epiphanyschool.com), and closer to home, Esperanza Academy (esparanzaacademy.org), the brand new girls’ middle school in Lawrence.  Esperanza will have a benefit dinner October 13, 2006 in Andover: for details, contact Rev. Jeffrey Gill, Christ Church, Andover, or call 978-686-HOPE.

The school year begins in September; the Church’s year begins in November; the calendar year begins in January. 

Let us pray for productive continuations and fruitful endings for all these new beginnings!

Patrick Blumeris, Editor

Parish Contact List

(All phone numbers are area code 978 unless indicated)

Church Office...................................... 256-5673

Senior Warden....... Adrienne Spear

Junior Warden........ Ron Cannistraro

Treasurer............... Melanie Hickcox

Clerk..................... Meredith McElroy

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 ........... to be filled

Environmental Stewardship

Committee............. Liz Marshall

Fellowship.............. to be filled

Finance.................. Clem Cole

Music Minister....... Maggie Marshall

Outreach............... Dave Kuzara

Pastoral Care......... Joy Chadwick

Saints Alive............ Patrick Blumeris

SaintsAlive e-mail:.. ...  saintsalive@yahoo.com

Stewardship........... Steve Grillo

Thrift Shop............. Carol Cannistraro

Youth Group.......... to be filled

Webmaster............ Richard Coles

Web site................ www.allsaintschelmsford.org

Submission 

… for the November 2006 Saints Alive! is

October 15^th, 2006

Please leave your articles in the Saints Alive! mailbox in the church office, or send them via email to SaintsAlive@yahoo.com  Thanks.