March 2000
CONTENTS:
From the Interim Rector
March Parish House Kitchen
Cleaning Committee
March Altar Care
Vestry Ministry Teams & Club
Reports
The Endowment Fund
Finance Report
Thoughts on Stewardship... Tom Balsley
News from The Episcopal Day School
EDS Spring Fund-Raiser
We Need Your Stuff!
Congratulations & Thank You Notes
Summer Camp at The Summit
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
Inquirer's Class
"Supporting Me to Support Myself"
For Adults
Happening #36
Time to Think About Camp This Summer... Bettie
Rhodes
Kids Club
March Youth Schedules
Vacation Bible School Preview... Bettie
Rhodes
Look What Cool Things You Can Do IF You're 55
Or Over! ... by Bettie Rhodes
Dear Friends:
Our Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Frank Griswold, proclaimed a Jubilee Year beginning the 1st Sunday of Advent 1999 and continuing until the Day of Pentecost 2001. Since this is a time-honored concept, it really doesn’t matter that the year lasts 18 months! Scripture explains Jubilee as a time of rest, reconciliation, and renewal. Bishop Griswold asks: "…how might our congregations take a respite from the soil of conflict that confounds us? What does it mean to set people free from labels and judgments?"
Between now and Easter will be a good time to meditate on these questions in our personal and family prayers; to discuss them in our Church school classes, our Bible study class, our Vestry meetings and our Search Committee meetings. Our "taking a respite" may provide specific answers, which will affect the ministry of St. Thomas’.
March 5th will be the Last Sunday after the Epiphany. To provide one last extravagance before the Lenten discipline, our Men will sponsor their annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper Tuesday, March 7th from 5-7 PM. It is always a great time to meet together as a family. (I am informed that all the problems with the grill last year have been resolved.)
The Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday, March 8th with Celebrations of Holy Communion, Healing, and Imposition of Ashes at Noon and 7:30 PM. These services will both be in the Church.
Beginning March 12th and continuing through April 16th there will be an Inquirer’s Class for those who would like to be confirmed when Bishop Gloster makes his visitation April 30th. The classes are also open to anyone needing questions answered about our faith and practices. We will meet in the Vestry Room between 3:30 and 4:30. This time was selected so our young people could immediately join their youth groups without making another trip.
In addition to the weekly Wednesday noon Healing Services and Holy Communion in the Chapel, we will have special observations on Wednesday nights. The format is: supper in the Parish House beginning at 6 PM, program in the Church at 6:45, Compline or Evening Prayer at 7:30. This month’s programs are:
March 15 Viewing of the new St. Thomas’ Website and a "sing-a-long" with our talented musicians, Craig Bennett and Chuck Rhodes.
March 22 Dr. Mike Simpson, Senior Pastor, First Christian Church, Greensboro, and author of The Lazarus Project, now being studied by members of the Vestry and Search Committee.
March 29 The Rev. Kermit Bailey, former Deacon at St. Thomas’, and presently Director of Triad Disability Advocates, Greensboro.
In the Narthex you will find copies of Henri Nouwen’s From Fear to Love: Lenten Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son on which you may base your study.
Your Interim Rector will be attending the Lenten Clergy Retreat March 20th and 21st at The Summit but can be reached in event of an emergency.
An opportunity for deepening our Lenten observance will be the conference entitled "An Inquiring and Discerning Heart" led by the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Massachusetts. March 16th through 18th at The Summit, you may attend any of six workshops conducted by outstanding presenters.
Another conference recommended by the Diocesan Stewardship Committee is Leadership 2000 at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Greensboro, from 7 to 5, March 18th . This is open to Vestry members and the Search Committee to develop leadership skills during this period of transition.
Expanding the Church’s Jubilee 2000 program, a workshop will be held at Grace Church, Lexington, 9:30 to 3:30, April 8th. This will include introduction to materials from the National Church and opportunities to network with people throughout this Diocese.
It is not too late to register for the New Wineskins for Global Mission 2000 which will be held April 26th through 30th at Ridgecrest Conference Center. This annual event is sponsored by the Episcopal Church Missionary Community and features dynamic speakers from around the world. The goal is to equip Episcopalians to fulfill our Lord Jesus Christ’s Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.
Information on all of these events is available at the Church Office.
Let us cleanse our hearts and prepare with joy for the Paschal Feast.
Nelson
March Parish House Kitchen Cleaning Committee
Dottie Worth
Patricia Bobbitt, Chm., Mildred Cummings, Donna Van Ness, Dot Reilly, Penny Reilly
Vestry Ministry Teams & Club Reports
The morning chapter of Episcopal Church Women will meet Wednesday, March 15 at 10:30 a.m. at the home of Jeanne Horsley.
Here are three ways to help the St. Thomas' Endowment Fund grow.
Make gifts of appreciated stocks, real property and other assets.
Give to the Endowment for memorials and to honor friends and family members. Acknowledgement will be made in Tidings unless anonymity is requested.
Remember the Endowment in your will.
A gift to the Endowment Fund is a gift that keeps on giving to St. Thomas' - year after year - it is a wonderful legacy. Talk to Bob Lee Watt or John Garrett about special ways to help the Fund.
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Please try to keep your pledge payments caught up. Thank you.
*A complete financial statement is displayed on the bulletin board next to the Vestry Meeting room.
"And passing along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw Peter and Andrew casting a net in the sea... and He said to them follow me. Immediately they left their nets and followed Him." from Mark 1:16-18
If you have not already completed doing your income tax, you’ve started getting information together. This is an opportunity for us to take an inventory of our financial situation, see what we’ve earned and what we’ve given to church and charitable causes.One question we may have is "What percentage of our income does God expect us to give to His work?" A friend of mine from my college, who is now an Episcopal bishop, told me some time ago that he and his wife constantly explore ways to give away more than ten percent of their income. He added that he also urged his vestry to allocate more than ten percent of its budget to outreach endeavors. At a recent stewardship conference I learned that a church in our diocese is looking at using the investments and earnings from their Estate and Planned Gifts to fund their yearly budget. In turn, whatever they receive from tithes and pledges, they plan to give to needs outside their parish. They feel they can help more people this way. Sometimes Christ has a way of turning our "rational" world upside down.
It’s this kind of "outside the box" thinking that Jesus is urging us to do. Jesus never said that we have to give ten percent or any other amount. He didn’t say to his disciples, "Follow me and bring your money with you!" Jesus simply said, "Follow me."
As "God People," putting Christ first in our lives will always be our biggest day to day challenge. God being all knowing realizes that if we follow Him, our time and treasure will be a part of the total package. If we, like those early disciples will give Him our allegiance, He will lead us far beyond anything we could ever expect or imagine.
Tom Balsley
News from The Episcopal Day School
Preschool Report – from Carol Puryear Well, after ALL the cold & snowy days we are certainly enjoying being back outdoors again (especially in this spring-like weather!) No matter what the weather, the kids hit the door in the morning asking if we’ll be going outside during the day! At the beginning of the month, the kids had a big trip to the circus – accompanied by "the Chapel Guy" himself! Throughout the month we’ve been "Celebrating Special People". We had a great class valentine’s party and sent special notes to our grandparents. Three firemen AND a fire engine came to visit us and we will finish out our "celebration" by visiting the police station and post office next week during P week. We can also say thank you to all of you for providing us with such a great place to come to school!!! Kindergarten Report – from Kim Jones The months are flying by and the kindergarten boys are learning so much. During February we celebrated Valentine’s Day and our 100th day of school. We talked about two of our Presidents: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and the boys are now reading and writing sentences! During our chapel time we’ve been talking about Jesus being our shepherd. The boys would also like to say a big "thank-you" for the new see-saws on the playground. They have really enjoyed riding on them. We would also like to say how much we enjoyed our visit to your service in January. We all felt so welcome and truly enjoyed the visit. Thanks for all of your support.ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT–from Shelly Ellington
Hello! My Name is Shelly Ellington and I look forward to serving as EDS Administrator this year. The Day School, with the help of Ms. Carol, has been a blessing for my child, Nicholas. He amazes me each day with the new things he learns and I can’t say enough about the program. I am employed with Adams Electric Company, married, and the mother of two children. My 4 year old will be attending the Day School again this year. Registration is going great – the Preschool is almost full and the kindergarten has 5 registered already! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to working with everyone! |
The Episcopal Day School is planning the spring
dinner and raffle to be held in April. Be on the lookout for more information and an
invitation to the
"Family Fun
Night Hoe Down".
The money raised will go toward scholarships and supplies. We are in need of prizes for the evening. If you would be willing to donate an item or service, please call Edie Stadler at 342-6223. No item is too small. We would love to have some homemade crafts to give away! |
Congratulations & Thank You Notes
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Congratulations
to Shannon and John Horshock on the birth of a daughter! Margaret "Maggie" Clark Horshock Thursday, February 17, Congratulations to proud grandparents, Clark and Susan Turner. |
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A sincere "THANK YOU" to John Bullock for his hard work and devotion to organizing the St. Thomas’ web page. If you have internet access – check us out at |
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Congratulations to Cub Scouts Jeffrey Kinnarney and Spencer Wilson who earned their "God and Country" recognition recently. |
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The Summit is now registering for summer camp. If you have not received your flyer with camp information, they are available on the bulletin board outside the Vestry room. These camps are for children entering grades 3-12. There is also a session for special campers ages 4-25. The Summit will be hiring counselors to work with campers as cabin/program/activity leaders (ages 16 and over). See the flyer for information on hiring of camp staff. |
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The Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
will be held on March 7 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. The all-you-can-eat pancake dinner, complete with bacon or sausage, will be held in the Parish House.Tickets are $5 each or $15 per family. See any of the men of St. Thomas’ to purchase tickets or call the church office at 349-3511. |
| For six Sundays beginning March 12th Mr. Hodgkins will conduct an Inquirer’s Class on Sunday afternoons. This will be of interest to those seeking Confirmation and to those seeking information as well as those who would simply like to refresh their knowledge of the Church. |
"Supporting Me to Support Myself"
You are invited to attend
"Supporting Me to Support Myself"
a grief support group sponsored by
Hospice of Rockingham County.
Madison Presbyterian Church,
204 W. Decatur St., Madison
Or
Central Christian Church,
233 East Stadium Drive, Eden
Six Thursday nights from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Madison, February 17, 24 and
March 2,9,16, and 23
Eden, April 6, 13, 20, 27 and
May 4 and 11
Adults, teens, and children over 5 years of age are invited (will meet in separate groups). Please note that any person in the county who has experienced loss is invited. Invite your friends, relatives, or fellow church or civic club members who might benefit from grief support. Please call Hospice of Rockingham County at 427-9022 weekdays if interested in more information or to register. The sessions are free but, registration is required by February 7 for the session beginning on February 17 and registration is required by March 31 for the session beginning on April 6.
March 28 "Forgiving From the Heart," Considerations of the Parable of the unforgiving servant and other knotty problems: A time to reflect on what it means to forgive and be forgiven. Led by Rev. Virginia Herring, Associate at Holy Trinity in Greensboro
May 9 "A New Look at the ‘Our Father,’" This most common of prayers, can become so familiar that we lose an understanding of its full meaning. Through teaching, prayer and discussion gain fresh insight into the prayer taught to us by Jesus. Led by Rev. Ida Louise Johnson, Rector of St. Michael & All Angels in Charlotte.
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A number of our
senior high youth group will either be candidates or on the team at The Summit for the
next Happening. This is a youth retreat for 9th grade through college freshmen. Sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of NC, Happening is open to young people of any denomination. An intense spiritual week-end, Happening includes communion services, compline, Stations of the Cross, talks by young people on the team, responses to the talks, lots of singing, new friends, and more! Many young people who’ve already been to Happening return to be on the team. They attend team meetings and work very hard to put on the weekend. The joy from a Happening weekend spreads quickly. As you can see from the list below, more and more of our young people and others from area churches are participating:
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Time to Think About Camp This Summer... - Bettie Rhodes
When my three children were growing up, they all went to camp. In addition to learning many skills, they also became adept at getting along and living with their peers. I am a proponent of camp for young people.There are many camps in North Carolina, however, there are two I have received information about: Camp Grier in Old Fort, an outdoor ministry of three Presbyteries and Camp Summit, an Episcopal Camp at Brown Summit. Children of any denomination may attend these camps.
Please call me if you would like more information—349-3474.
Camp Grier
2nd & 3rd Graders "Rising Sun" (Sunday-Wednesday) $158
3rd - 6th Graders "Cherokee Lodge" (Sunday-Friday) $240
7th- 9th Graders "Pioneer Rustic" (Sunday-Friday) $240
Senior High Two Week Adventure Camp (6/18-6/30) $515
Senior High One Week Wilderness Camp (7/16-7/21) $240
Sr. High Counselor in Training Two Week Camp $380
Sr. High Sailing Camp (6/24-6/29) $299
Camp Summit
3rd- 5th Graders "Scamp Camp" (6/25-6/30) $225
5th-7th Graders "Junior Camp" (7/2-7/7) $225
7th-9th Graders "Middlers Camp" (7/9/-7/14) $225
9th-12th Graders "Senior Camp" (6/18-6/23) $225
For special campers, HUGS Camp (7/17-/22) $225
*Helper Campers (grades 6-12) for HUGS Camp (7/16-7/22) $225
**Both First Presbyterian and St. Thomas have scholarship funds available.
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Kids Club met
on Tuesday, February 15 from 4:30 to 5:30. Anne Covington and Bettie
Rhodes helped 23 children in grades 3-5 with an opening devotional activity,
making Salvation Strips for backpacks, snacks, and TiniKling practice. Kids Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month in the Boyd Room. If your child needs a ride from Intermediate School to Kids Club, please contact Bettie. She can help with transportation now that she’s over her fear of driving the church van! |
March Dinner Schedule |
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| 3/5 | Sue & Ronnie Cardwell Bettie Rhodes & Gayle Ferguson |
| 3/12 | Scottie & Ted Penn Pattie Scott |
| 3/26 | Teresa & Richard Frohock John Ferguson & Mark Cresenzo |
Vacation Bible School Preview... Bettie Rhodes
A
memorable moment occurred when I spent a week in Richmond at Union/PSCE. I sat a at a
table with four DCE’s from Pennsylvania, Florida, Atlanta, and Sandford, NC. After we
completed our group task, we exchanged ideas about our work. I threw out a question,
"What is the BEST Bible School curriculum you’ve used in the last two
years?"
Immediately, two of the people sitting with me responded with, "Habitat for Humanity." This was new to me. When I returned home, I called the Moravian Board of Education in Old Salem (where I order lots of our curriculum and resource materials). The specialist there connected me to a church in Winston which had used Habitat last summer.
A few weeks ago, I borrowed the program, read through it, and asked Anne Covington to check it out.
Frankly, it’s the most exciting VBS curriculum I’ve ever seen! It’s very connected to the community effort with Habitat for Humanity, adults who raise roofs in this church, the senior high youth who’ve worked on house #10 twice last fall, our senior high youth mission trip to the mountains coming up in July, and outreach in general.
The curriculum will involve not only the children, but adults involved in building, contracting, operating big equipment, building materials, and more. "We’re Building a House" is the theme song for the week and it’s beautiful! Teachers will be engineers, wearing jeans, overalls, and tool belts. Children will have yellow hard hats and "Under Construction" t-shirts. Even meals will incorporate construction, like "HAMmer Sandwiches." Each evening, Bible stories are acted out for the group.
Perhaps the best part of this wonderful approach to Bible School is that throughout the week, in the "Hard Hat Area" (Crafts), they will construct things like key holders, welcome mats, and even a quilt (Moe Hooper has agreed to put the squares together!)—to be given to Habitat families when they move in. Hopefully the children will feel a new connection to the community and gain insight into the rewards of reaching out to others.
I guess it’s clear that I’m excited about this curriculum and am already looking forward to July 23-27. It’s not too early to contact me if you’re interested in our construction team.
Look What Cool Things You Can Do IF You're 55 Or Over! ... by Bettie Rhodes
Today when a newsletter from Elderhostel came in the mail, I was angry that I’m not yet eligible to go on any of these cool trips coming up this spring and early summer. Frankly, they all appeal to me. If you’re interested in any of the following "Short Programs in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina," I have detailed itineraries you can have, plus you may call 1-877-426-8056, Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. to sign up.
2. Swamp at
St. Mary’s Community, a coastal community in Georgia. Highlights of this trip include
learning the history of t May 4-May 7 [$310] Cumberland Island & the Okefenokee he
Barrier Island,the Swamp, and submarines, plus field trips to the Swamp, Cumberland
Island, and Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base—more stuff, too!
3.May 30-June 2 [$295] The Joy of Hiking: Southern Appalachia Up Close at a mountain top retreat near Highlands, NC. You learn about the Blue Ridge, Southern Appalachians, natural history, Cherokee Folklore in classes and through first hand experiences of hiking and seeing waterfalls. There’s even an evening featuring a campfire and marshmallows! Definitely for the outdoorsy types.
4. June 18-21 [$345] Historic Wilmington & the Marine Environment of Cape Fear at a hotel near UNC-W, in Wilmington. Classes include these topics: "Our Coastal Culture," "Creatures of the Deep," "History & Architecture of the Lower Cape Fear," "The Civil War Here," and "A Cultural Overview of the Lower Cape Fear." Field trips are an all-day event with marine scientists "Exploring Marine Life Along the Caper Fear River" and historic downtown Wilmington.
