Newsleeks

March 15, 2011

Worship Service Leaders

March 20, Holy Communion, Rev. Myrna Bevens
March 27, Morning Prayer, Charlie Vervalin
April 3, Morning Prayer, Don Butzlaff
April 10, Holy Communion, Fr. Lanny Geib
April 17, Palm Sunday, Fr. Lanny Geib
April 24, Easter Sunday, Fr. Lanny Geib
May 1, Morning Prayer, leader to be determined
May 8, Holy Communion, Lutheran Pastor Wayne Pouppirt
May 15, Morning Prayer, leader to be determined
May 22, Holy Communion, Lutheran Pastor Wayne Pouppirt
May 29, Morning Prayer, leader to be determined

Living Faith Circle

Please participate in these stimulating and spiritually rewarding Living Faith Circle (LFC) meetings, immediately following the fellowship time after the worship service. Topics are usually announced in the weekly Tidbits, published by e-mail every Thursday and issued in print every Sunday. During Lent, LFC will focus on a Lenten theme of “Time in the Wilderness.”

Leaders regularly scheduled for LFC are: first Sunday, Karen Lege; second Sunday, Marcia Ford; third Sunday, Christy McCornack; fourth Sunday, Charlie Vervalin; fifth Sunday (when there is one), a potluck meal will be served right after the worship service.

Would you like to lead a LFC session sometime in the future, or request a topic for one? Contact Marcia Ford at the phone or address below.

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding LFC, or anything else related to the parish’s education program, including children’s Sunday School, please contact Marcia at 352-5765 or ford2200@gmail.com.

On Helping the St. David’s Needy

St. David’s has established a fund, to which you can contribute, for helping parishioners in financial need. The following discretionary funds policy was approved by the Vestry on March 2, 2011:

Use: To assist the needy of the congregation. Individuals or families may present their need to the Vestry or privately to a member of the Vestry, for consideration. The Vestry will consider these requests and discuss them at the regularly scheduled Vestry meeting, or by special communications if an emergency exists.

Eligibility: The requesting person/family should have developed a relationship with St. David’s (i.e., attends fairly regularly for four to six months or so, pledges or gives of time and talent). The determination of eligibility shall be made on a case-by-case basis by a consensus of the Vestry.

Amounts: Needs will be addressed on a case-by-case basis by consensus of the Vestry, dependent upon available resources. Parishioners will be made aware of alternative local resources, such as Community Cupboard, Help the Needy, and the Aspen Mine Center.

Funding sources: Monies shall be part of the regular operating fund, and have a line item under “Ministries” in the budget. The fund will be seeded with $250 from the General Operating Fund and maintained by 50% of the monthly loose plate collection, up to a maximum line item value of $1,000. Individuals may also make contributions to the Discretionary fund in the same manner that flower donations are currently made, i.e., by special donation. These donations will be tracked as part of quarterly giving.

Disbursement: The anonymity of the recipient of the funds needs to be protected, but a simple, dated form indicating the nature of the disbursement should be signed by the official signatories (and kept separate from the Vestry Minutes, as these are public record). The beneficiaries are guaranteed that the donation from St. David’s is confidential (except for the Vestry member who presents the need to the Vestry). A check will be cut so that there is a paper trail. There will be no cash disbursements. When possible, the check shall be made to the utility company, landlord, etc., or a gas or grocery card purchased.

Notice of Availability: Parishioners will be reminded of the availability of this fund via regular notices in "Tidbits" and Newsleeks.

Want to Relay for Life?

Awhile back, Newsleeks published a list of what small churches are doing to serve their communities, despite limited resources and tiny congregations. Marcia Ford came up with the list from attending a program dealing with Small Church outreach activities. The idea behind publishing the list was to provide a starting point from which St. David’s can explore increasing its stewardship and serving God by serving others. It was an exciting idea, and an exciting and impressive list.

Here’s an additional idea, from Linda Culley: Form a St. David’s team for the Teller County Relay for Life, to be held July 22-23 in Woodland Park. What is Relay for Life? It is a charity effort to raise money for fighting cancer. Cancer is a disease that a number of St. David’s parishioners have personally fought, or about which others are personally familiar via friends or relatives who have had it.

You can learn more about Relay for Life by going to the website www.tellerrelay.org. Then go to the heading “General Information” and click on “About Us.” Then cursor over to the box at the right of “About Us” and scroll down to the “Relay for Life” heading” and click on it. Now you can read about what RFL is, how it works, etc. After reading about the relay, please consider whether you would be interested in participating in a St. David’s Relay Team. If you are interested, contact Linda at 687-6667 or lindaculley@gmail.com. If enough people want to participate, St. David’s can work out the details of forming a team and preparing for the July 22-23 event.

Let’s Have a Party

On Sunday, March 27, Fellowship time will be a celebration in honor of Richard and Terri Davies sale of their local Oe-Vee Dub, Inc., business. Richard has agreed to work for the new owners in Illinois, where the business will re-locate, for nine months. Consequently he will be away from St. David’s and Terri for weeks at a time. He will be missed by all of us during this period. So, while Richard is home on March 27, we will have a best-wishes-and-we’ll-miss-you-a-bunch party.

Have an Announcement for 'Tidbits'?

If you have a message or announcement for "Tidbits," please contact Randi Heard at jackrandi@gmail.com. Anything that parishioners should know about upcoming events is fair game. IMPORTANT: please submit your info by noon Tuesday. And kindly take the initiative to inform Randi of what should be published. Announcements are of great value to our parish, but she cannot always know what needs to be publicized. Step up, folks. Thanks.

Say ‘Thank You’ to...

...Those who contributed food and services to the Ash Wednesday pancake supper: John Young (merits special praise for his wonderful pancake recipe), Don Butzlaff, Charlie Vervalin, Lonnie Davidson, Jane Lass, Jerry Forster, Nancy Congiardo, and Marcia Ford.

...All of the Lay Readers who conduct our Morning Prayer services; also our excellent Supply Priests, Acolytes, Chalice Bearers, and Lesson Readers.

...Carolynne Forster, Jane Lass and Marcia Ford for their good stewardship shown by planning to attend the Diocesan Mission-Shaped Leadership Workshop on March 19. Interested in joining them? Contact any of the three for information. See also workshop info under “Parish Happenings,” below.

Is there someone special you’d like to see thanked, in Newsleeks and elsewhere, for a particular act of stewardship or help to the parish? Let Charlie Vervalin know. 687-7646 or chvervalin@earthlink.net.

Sanctuary and Altar Flowers Glorify God

Please plan to purchase an Easter-season Lily for the sanctuary. They are $10 each. Make your check payable to St. David’s and give it to Jane Lass or Nancy Congiardo by Sunday, April 10. After the Easter service you may take your lily home.

Experience the satisfaction of purchasing altar flowers in celebration of a special event in your life or that of a loved one. Sign up for flower donations on the bulletin-board chart next to the food table. Please give your $25 check to Nancy Congiardo or place it in the offering basket on any Sunday, with a note that the money is for flowers and the date. The flowers will be given to you after the service. Thanks to the Altar Guild for preparing the beautiful bouquet arrangements.

We appreciate all who help to beautify our sanctuary and thus glorify God. Thanks to donors for February and March: Randi Heard, Jane Lass, Carolynne Forster and the Congiardos.

Make Prayer Requests Known

St. David’s values the opportunity to pray for your family and friends during the Prayers of the People portion of the Sunday worship service. Prayers for these people will also be offered by individual parishioners during the week. Write the names of persons for whom you seek prayer on the Prayer Request sheet, which is in the Parish Hall on the table next to the name tags board.

Please pray for those on the current prayer list, which is published in the weekly "Tidbits." ("Tidbits" is included as a supplement to the bulletin that you receive at Sunday services. It is also sent to everyone on the St. David’s e-mail list).

Tap the Literature Resource

Be aware of the literature on a bookcase shelf in the Parish Hall. On it, and the other shelves, you will find some wonderful books available for loan. There is also various information about the Episcopal Church in general, and the Diocese, plus some items specific to St. David’s. A current directory of our members for you to take home will appear there soon. See also Forward Day by Day, a booklet of Bible excerpts relevant to the season and church calendar. The current issue of Colorado Episcopalian, published by the Diocese, is on display. And also printed copies of Newsleeks. All that, and more materials await you. Take a look.

Thrift House: An Opportunity to Serve

There is an ongoing need for volunteers to help at the ECW Thrift House, a charity-based Colorado Springs retail shop. This worthwhile enterprise not only assists Episcopal Church charitable activities financially, but also is a great place to enjoy the fellowship of other Christians willing to help. Everyone who works at Thrift House says it is fun. Thanks to the people who staff this worthy cause.

For future TH assignments, sign up on the bulletin board located next to the church entry door. Shifts are on the second Saturday of every month from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information on TH can be obtained from Michele Dexter at 330-8680.

Parish Happenings

• A Mission-Shaped Leadership Workshop will be held on Saturday, March 19 at Grace & St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Colorado Springs. The cost is $15, and the workshop is open to all persons who are in a parish leadership role or would like to be in one. For more information, contact Carolynne Forster.


• Georgina Boysen will be touring Europe in June and July. Kris Warner may not be available to fill in. Please contact Jane Lass if you know someone who can play the organ, keyboard or piano in Georgina’s absence.


• During Lent, the church sanctuary will be open every Wednesday from noon to 1:00 p.m. for meditation. Bibles, books and Lenten reading materials will be available. (March 16, 23, 30 and April 6 and 13).


• The next ECW dinner, and all future ones for that matter, will be open to women and men alike. Contact Michele Dexter for information on future dinners at 330-8680 or birdshavenests@msn.com. Dinner locations and dates are also posted on the bulletin board next to the church entry door.


• A Discretionary Fund has been established to help with the financial needs of needy members of St. David’s. To contribute, make your check payable to St. David’s Episcopal Church. And be sure to put a note on, or with, your check, specifying “Discretionary Fund.” (For more information, see “On Helping St. David’s Needy...” in this issue).


• Want to address the Vestry? St. David’s monthly Vestry meetings are held to conduct all of the parish’s business. If you wish to address the Vestry, or to simply sit in on a meeting to see what typically occurs, you are welcome to attend. Please let Senior Warden Carolynne Forster or any Vestry member know in advance. Meetings are usually held on the first Wednesday of the month, starting at 5:30 p.m.


• Take note of the new Hymn Board installed on the sanctuary’s north wall. Sing its praises.


• The Palm Sunday procession for the worship service will be held outside, weather permitting.


• Spell check: It is Fr. Charlie Sumners (with an “s”). It is Michele Dexter (with only one “l”). It is Rev. Myrna Bevens (with an “e,”--not Bevins, with an “i”). Pronunciation: Fr. Geib pronounces it as in the word “guy,” ergo, Guyb.


• Our Children’s Sunday School class members designed the Easter Service Bulletin covers. Thanks, kids, for a job well done. You make us Easter happy.

Embrace the Pain

In the world about us, a radical distinction is made between joy and sorrow. People tend to say: “When you are glad, you cannot be sad, and when you are sad, you cannot be glad.” In fact, our contemporary society does everything possible to keep sadness and gladness separated. Sorrow and pain must be kept away at all cost, because they are the opposites of the gladness and happiness that we desire.

Death, illness, human brokenness...all have to be hidden from our sight because they keep us from the happiness for which we strive. They are obstructions on the way to the goal of life.

The vision offered by Jesus stands in sharp contrast to this worldly vision. Jesus shows, both in His teachings and in His life, that true joy often is hidden in the midst of our sorrow, and that the dance of life finds its beginnings in grief. He says: “Unless the grain of wheat dies, it cannot bear fruit. . . . Unless we lose our lives, we cannot find them; unless the Son of Man dies, He cannot send the Spirit.” To His two disciples who were dejected after His suffering and death, Jesus says: “You foolish people, so slow to believe all that the prophets have said. Was it not necessary that Christ should suffer and so enter into His glory?”

Here, a completely new way of living is revealed. It is the way in which pain can be embraced, not out of a desire to suffer, but in the knowledge that something new will be born in the pain. Jesus calls our pains “labor pains.” He says: A woman in childbirth suffers because her time has come; but when she has given birth to the child, she forgets the suffering in her joy that a human being has been born into the world.” John 16:21.

The cross has become the most powerful symbol of this new vision. The cross is a symbol of death and life, of suffering and joy, of defeat and of victory. It is the cross that shows us the way.

From the book Here and Now: Living in the Spirit, by Henri Nouwen, The excerpt published here was quoted by Dr. Vaughan in a Good Friday sermon. (Thanks to Jane Lass for contributing this to Newsleeks).

St. David’s Vestry and Committee Chairs*

Carolynne Forster: Senior Warden and Clerk

Don Butzlaff: Co-Junior Warden

Dick Lass: Co-Junior Warden

Charlie Vervalin: Fellowship/Pastoral Care

Joan Simmons: Stewardship

Lonnie Davidson: Treasurer

Marcia Ford: Faith Formation

Nancy Congiardo: Assistant Treasurer

Jane Lass: Worship

*Please see the Church Directory for phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Copies are available in the Parish Hall.