St. Paul’s Epistle
A Letter from Jen Fulton about Congregational Development
Hello, St. Paul’s!
For the past year, I have had the blessing of working with Mother Susan and Jon Adamson as a member of your Congregational Development Team. I am currently looking forward to my second year of training in congregational development, and am excited by the prospect of helping our healthy, vibrant parish further develop as a living member of the Body of Christ—as Christian community. This, of course, forces us to ask the questions, “What does it mean to live together as Christians? What are we called to do?”
The short answer—and there are many ways of answering these questions—is that as a community we are called together by common doctrine to engage in worship and action. My first actionable task in congregational development is to assess one aspect of our worship together. As Christians we are called to worship in three different but complementary ways. First, we are called to say the Daily Office (Morning and Evening Prayer) both individually and in community. Second, we are called to our own personal devotions. Third, we are called to celebrate the Eucharist each Sunday. Mother Susan, Jon, and I are beginning the process of assessing our experience of Sunday Eucharist. This is, of course, our principal act of worship, making it necessary to periodically re-examine our experience to see what works and what may require some rethinking.
Why are we doing this now? St. Paul’s has seen a lot of change in the past two years, including changes in leadership and membership. While our mission, history, and unique identity ground us in crucial ways, the changes we have lived through call us to this assessment of our shared experience of Sunday Eucharist. At this point, Mother Susan, Jon, and I are simply asking questions and initiating conversations to see how we stand together as individuals in community.
What does this mean, specifically? You will find a survey for each adult in your household following this letter. Please take a few minutes to thoughtfully complete the survey. Feel free to come to me, Jon, or Mother Susan with any questions you may have. Then on Wednesday, January 6, we will be celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany. We will be celebrating the Eucharist together at 6:00 PM, followed by a potluck supper at 6:30, and a Town Hall Meeting at 7:00. We are asking you to come to the Town Hall Meeting with your surveys completed; there will be a collection box for you to drop your surveys in as you enter. If you cannot attend the meeting, you may return your survey to a collection box at the back of church or mail it to the church office. However, while we are interested in the data that the surveys provide, we are more interested in the conversations we hope will spring from them; thus, we encourage you to come to this Town Hall Meeting if at all possible. We will spend some time discussing this assessment process and any thoughts that the survey may have generated at this meeting, and look forward to hearing what each of you has to say.
Thank you for your participation in this process! I look forward to taking a deeper look at the experiences of this parish and engaging in meaningful conversations with each of you!
Peace in Christ,
Jen Fulton
Saint Paul’s Worship Survey
Read each item carefully and fill-in the circle that best represents your response. If a question does not apply to you, or you do not know how to respond, leave the item blank. Feel free to write any comments you may have on the back of the survey. If you need more surveys for your family members, they are available at the back of the church, or feel free to make copies.
| Neither | |||||
| Strongly | Agree nor | Strongly | |||
| Disagree | Disagree | Disagree | Agree | Agree | |
| The Spirit | |||||
| The atmosphere within the church is conducive to prayer. | O | O | O | O | O |
| The atmosphere within the church is conducive to active participation in the liturgy. | O | O | O | O | O |
| The music played and sung during worship feeds my spirit. | O | O | O | O | O |
| I feel welcome at Sunday worship. | O | O | O | O | O |
| St. Paul’s worship meets my spiritual needs. | O | O | O | O | O |
| The People | |||||
| Our service has adequate congregational involvement. | O | O | O | O | O |
| Children have adequate involvement in our service. | O | O | O | O | O |
| Lay persons who help with the service have received adequate training. | O | O | O | O | O |
| Church leaders keep me involved in the life of the parish. | O | O | O | O | O |
| Church leaders listen to my concerns regarding our worship experience. | O | O | O | O | O |
| There is a sense of community at Sunday worship. | O | O | O | O | O |
| Neither | |||||
| Strongly | Agree nor | Strongly | |||
| Disagree | Disagree | Disagree | Agree | Agree | |
| The Mass | |||||
| Worship at St. Paul’s is rooted in the Book of Common Prayer. | O | O | O | O | O |
| It is easy to hear the readings from Scripture. | O | O | O | O | O |
| Lectors are well prepared to do their readings from Scripture. | O | O | O | O | O |
| I am proud of the sermons at St. Paul’s. | O | O | O | O | O |
| Sermons are relevant to my life. | O | O | O | O | O |
| It is easy to hear the Prayers of the People. | O | O | O | O | O |
| The distribution of the Eucharist is done in a worshipful manner. | O | O | O | O | O |
| I am comfortable with the amount of ceremony or ritual in our service. | O | O | O | O | O |
| The worship service flows smoothly. | O | O | O | O | O |
| The order of service is easy to follow. | O | O | O | O | O |
| A visitor could have trouble following our worship service. | O | O | O | O | O |
| I can hear the person presiding at Mass. | O | O | O | O | O |
| The actions of other worshipers does not distract from the worship experience. | O | O | O | O | O |
| The times weekend Masses are held meet my needs. | O | O | O | O | O |
| There are an adequate number of weekend Masses. | O | O | O | O | O |
| I could confidently recommend St. Paul’s worship service to others. | O | O | O | O | O |
Background Information
How many years have you been a member of St. Paul’s? [ ] Less than 1 year [ ] 1 to 2 years [ ] More than 2 years to10 years [ ] More than 10 years
How often do you attend Sunday worship at St. Paul’s? [ ] Every week [ ] 1-3 times per month [ ] Less than once per month [ ] Only for major Holy Days
Which service do you normally attend? [ ] 8:00 [ ] 10:00
Have you switched services in the last 5 years? [ ] Yes [ ] No If yes, please explain___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________
My overall experience in Sunday worship is [ ] Very Good [ ] Good [ ] Fair [ ] Poor [ ] Very Poor
What is your gender? [ ] Male [ ] Female
What is your current job status? [ ] Student (if also employed, check either part-time or full-time) [ ] Employed part-time [ ] Employed full-time [ ] Unemployed or retired [ ] Other (describe______________________________________________________________)
What are the ages of dependent children living in your household? (check all that apply) [ ] 0-2 [ ] 3-6 [ ] 7-11 [ ] 12-17
Please write any comments or suggestions you may have on the back of the survey.
[This page is deliberately left blank, for your responses.]
ST. PAUL’S CALENDAR—JANUARY 2010
Sunday Cycle Year C Daily Office Year Two
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday 1 | Saturday 2 | |
| Happy New Year | ||||||
| Sunday 3, II Sunday after Christmas | Monday 4 | Tuesday 5 | Wednesday 6 | Thursday 7 | Friday 8 | Saturday 9 |
| 8:00 AM – Holy Eucharist 10:00 AM – Choral Holy Eucharist 4:00 PM – Epiphany Tea and Evensong: Cathedral of St. James | Office closed | Noon – Executive Committee Meeting 7:30 PM AA | Epiphany 6:00 PM Holy Eucharist, Potluck and Town Meeting | 3:15 PM Homework Help | ||
| Sunday 10, Epiphany I | Monday 11 | Tuesday 12 | Wednesday 13 | Thursday 14 | Friday 15 | Saturday 16 |
| 8:00 AM – Holy Eucharist 10:00 AM – Choral Holy Eucharist | Office closed | 7:30 PM AA | 3:15 PM Homework Help 6:15 PM Vestry Meeting | |||
| Sunday 17, Epiphany II | Monday 18 | Tuesday 19 | Wednesday 20 | Thursday 21 | Friday 22 | Saturday 23 |
| 8:00 AM – Holy Eucharist 10:00 AM – Choral Holy Eucharist | Office closed | Annual Reports Due 7:30 PM AA | 3:15 PM Homework Help | 7:00 to 9:00 PM St. Hilarious Game Night | 3:00 PM Ultreya St. Andrew’s, Kokomo | |
| Sunday 24 Epiphany III | Monday 25 | Tuesday 26 | Wednesday 27 | Thursday 28 | Friday 29 | Saturday 30 |
| 8:00 AM – Holy Eucharist 10:00 AM – Choral Holy Eucharist 6:00 PM – Wheaton College Choir Concert, St. Thomas, Plymouth | Office closed | 7:30 PM AA | 3:15 PM Homework Help | |||
| Sunday 31 Epiphany IV | ||||||
| 9:00 AM – One Service Annual Meeting – Potluck brunch |
IMPORTANT NOTICE!!! We are getting ready to send out the EPISTLE by email each month. In order to do that, we need an up-to-date email address from you. Please add your email address to your mailing address (from the front of this newsletter) and leave it at the back of the church in the basket provided—or send it to your new EPISTLE editor, Jeanne Dams, jdams@jeannedams.com. IF YOU DO NOT USE EMAIL, OR PREFER TO RECEIVE YOUR EPISTLE ON PAPER, we will of course respect your wishes. Just let us know.
Ministry Schedule for January 2010
| 8:00 AM | |||||
| 1/3 | 1/10 | 1/17 | 1/24 | 1/31 | |
| Chalicifers | Sara Wolfe | Bill Whitman | David Betz | Marty Wolfe | Sara Wolfe |
| Bill Whitman | David Betz | Marty Wolfe | Sara Wolfe | Bill Whitman | |
| Lectors | Angie Hambling | Bill Hambling | Sara Wolfe | Bill Whitman | Angie Hambling |
| Marty Wolfe | Jeanne Dams | Jim Gross | Teresa Betz | Marty Wolfe | |
| Ushers | Jim Lovelace | Jim Gross | Bill Whitman | Jim Lovelace | Jim Gross |
| Oblationers | Sharon Katona | Christine Cannoot | Gina Myers | Diane Haywood | Rita Esarey |
| 10:00 AM | |||||
| 1/3 | 1/10 | 1/17 | 1/24 | 1/31 | |
| Chalicifers | Jim Pecsi | Tami Lewis | Mike Thompson | Jim Pecsi | Tami Lewis |
| Tami Lewis | Mike Thompson | Jim Pecsi | Tami Lewis | Mike Thompson | |
| Lectors | Barbara Books | Scott Williams | Betty Jo Adamson | Mary K. Bissell | Jen Fulton |
| Sarah Haynes | Pam Jentz | Brad Thames | Mike Thompson | Lisette Bolduc | |
| Crucifer | Rebecca | Ken Finkbiner | Madeline Ran- | TBD | TBD |
| Haynes | dall | ||||
| Torches | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Ushers | Ralph Burget | Jason Vice | Dale Keltner | Ken Finkbiner | Jon Adamson |
| Kyle Lendel | Dave Jentz | John Lendel | Ralph Burget | Ken Finkbiner | |
| Oblationers | Betty Jo Adamson | Bolduc/ VanInwagen | K & C Finkbiner | S & A Williams | B & M Thames |
| Intercessors | Mike Thompson | Brad Thames | Jen Fulton | Joel Dodson | Sharon Burget |
| Nursery | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
NOTE: If you cannot fulfill your scheduled ministry, please make arrangements for someone to take your place.
BITS AND PIECES
Annual Meeting
Please mark your calendars to reflect that Sunday, January 31 will be the date of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Annual Parish Meeting. On that day, we will have one service at 9:00 AM, followed immediately by a potluck brunch and then the parish meeting. As was done last year, Mother Susan will present the State of the Parish Address as part of the worship service homily, so that parishioners can immediately take up the business of the parish following the potluck meal. During that time, we will elect wardens and new vestry members as well as delegates to Diocesan Convention. We will also hear updates on Church Development Institute projects going on at St. Paul’s, a new visioning process which will take place during 2010, and most exciting of all, a sneak peak at the Diocesan pilgrimage to the Holy Land planned for 2011.
Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Imagine yourself sitting on the Mount of the Beatitudes beside the Sea of Galilee and partaking of the Body and Blood of our Lord along with your Bishop and fellow members of your Diocese. That’s the opportunity that you will have in February of 2011 when the Diocese of Northern Indiana, led by Bishop Ed Little, makes a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, a ten-day journey from Dan to Beer Sheba including four days in Jerusalem. Information will be distributed at the Annual Parish Meeting and is also available in the Church Office. Right now, save the dates: February 21 to March 2, 2011.
Epiphany Eucharist and Town Hall Meeting
The Feast of the Epiphany takes place this year on Wednesday, January 6. St. Paul’s will offer a Eucharist beginning at 6:00 PM, followed by a potluck dinner down in the Undercroft. Following the meal, we will host a special meeting called “St. Paul’s Town Hall Meeting.” Want to know what it’s about? Come and see!!
Order of St. Hilarious Game Night
The Order of St. Hilarious (of which everyone at St. Paul’s is a member) will be hosting a Family Game Night in the Undercroft on Friday, January 22 beginning at 7 pm. Bring your favorite snack, beverage and board or card game. These evenings have been loads of fun in the past, so set the date aside now!
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Many of you who knit have expressed an interest in starting a prayer shawl ministry here at St. Paul’s. Plans are underway now to begin that ministry. If you would like to be a part of this, please see Betty Jo Adamson or Mother Susan.
Adult Education
Because the winter months often make driving hazardous at night (and sometimes even in the day), the Adult Education Forum will take a break until Lent. At that time, we will resume our Wednesday evening adult education. Last year the educational forum met at the church. This year we will host small group meetings in individual homes. The first meeting will be on Wednesday, February 24 (a week after Ash Wednesday). We will be studying Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth. The cost of the book will be $10 and checks may be made payable to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. If you would like to participate, please let the church office know. Further, if you would be interested in hosting a small group in your home, please let Mother Susan know some time in January.
Wabash Comedy
Church Basement Ladies, a musical comedy celebrating church kitchens, will be presented in Wabash, Indiana, on Thursday, April 22 at 3 pm and 7 pm. Tickets are $12, $18, and $25. If a group from St. Paul’s is interested, we could drive down together. Check out the information posted on the bulletin board and let Mother Susan know if you’d like to attend.
Flower Calendar
The Flower Calendar is up for 2010! Be sure to sign up for the special day(s) when you would like to offer altar flowers. The Flower Committee wishes to express abundant thanks to all who provided for the St. Paul's Altar throughout this past year. If there is someone interested in helping with the flowers, and perhaps taking over this wonderful opportunity to serve in 2011, please contact Jan Frieden, 291-1742 or jan-art@comcast.net. We would be grateful to work with you and enjoy your new ideas! To the Glory of God!
Nadine Collier Jan Frieden Sue Mullett
ur seminarian, Greg Wilde, was ordained as a Transitional Deacon by Bishop Little at the Cathedral on December 20th. He was presented by Pam Jentz, and Tami Lewis read the New Testament lesson. Greg will complete his studies at Sewanee this spring and will apply for ordination to the priesthood in 2010.
Around Our Diocese
| Issue #111 | The Diocese of Northern Indiana | January 2010 |
| A Passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ | A Heart for the Lost | |
| A Willingness to do Whatever it Takes | A Commitment to One Another | |
A Letter from the Bishop
Dear brothers and sisters,
his Advent I’ve been re-reading C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity, for the first time in more than forty years. I first read the
book in 1966, shortly after my Christian conversion, and Lewis helped me to puzzle through the implications of my encounter with Christ: who Jesus is, what he does for us, and how we’re to respond. Re-reading it after so many decades, I found myself amazed by its relevance, and by the powerful way that Lewis prepares us to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Early in the book, for example, Lewis describes our planet as enshrouded in darkness, dominated by the forces of evil, the devil himself. And then he says:
Enemy-occupied territory – that is what the world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage. When you go to church you are really listening-in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going.
The “landing in disguise” that Lewis describes is Christmas. God himself slipped into human history – as a human being: born in obscurity, almost unnoticed (though a few, like the shepherds and the Magi, caught glimmers of meaning), a pawn in the geopolitical maneuvering of the Roman Empire. “The word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). When we look at the helpless baby in the manger, shivering in the cold, we are seeing the King of the universe, newly arrived on planet earth.
Veiled in flesh the God-head see;
hail the incarnate Deity.
Pleased as man with us to dwell;
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
- Hymn 87
Lewis goes on the remind us of Jesus’ claim to be God, echoed in words such as these: “The Father and I are one. . . . Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 10:30; 14:8).
I am here trying to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.
Christmas brings us to our knees in the presence of the One who claims our allegiance and our obedience. The rightful king, as Lewis describes him, has not only come. He calls. He invites us to open our hearts to him and to follow where he leads. Christmas, in other words, leads to discipleship. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, may we celebrate his birth in our hearts and the transformation of our lives.
O holy Child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
be born in us today.
- Hymn 78
Yours in Christ,
+Ed
New Ministry
St. Andrew’s, Valparaiso has called the Rev. Roger A. Bower as its next rector. On January 3rd, Fr. Roger will begin his ministry there. Please welcome him, his wife, Barbara, and their family to our diocese.
Wheaton Choir to Perform in Plymouth
As a part of its Sesquicentennial Celebration, St. Thomas, Plymouth invites all in the diocese to a concert by the Wheaton College Concert Choir on Sunday, January 24th at 6:00 PM (EST).
The choir is under the direction of Dr. Paul Wiens. For nearly three decades, the choir has performed according to their motto taken from J. S. Bach: “Music’s only purpose should be for the glory of God and the recreation of the human spirit!” In accordance with this motto, the Concert Choir’s tradition has been skillful performance of the highest quality repertoire through disciplined, rigorous rehearsal and commitment to the choir’s artistic and spiritual goals.
The concert coincides with the week of Prayer for Christian Unity and is being offered as a gift of thanksgiving to the community of Plymouth by the parish. For more details, please call (574) 936-2735.
Seminar in South Bend
The Good Samaritan Counseling Center in South Bend is offering a complimentary seminar at 12:00 PM (EST) on January 28 entitled, “Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times.” This seminar shares its title with a recent book by the Rev. Peter Steinke, an ELCA pastor, whose work in this field is internationally known. This seminar will be led by the Rev. Jeff Hawkins, the center’s Director of Clergy and Congregational Care. Bring your own sack lunch. Drinks and dessert will be provided. For more information, please call (574) 277-0274.
Website Updates & Other Internet News
Updates to the diocesan website for the coming year are underway and will be in place beginning in January. Also, Facebook users may wish to check-out the Northern Indiana group hosted by the Rev. Dolores Wiens of St. Barnabas-in-the-Dunes, Gary.
Congregational Development
In February, a new cycle of training by the Congregational Development Institute will begin. If you are interested in joining, please contact the Rev. Canon SuzeAnne Silla in the diocesan office.
Bishop & Diocesan Calendar for January 2010
January 1, 2010
12:05 PM (EST) Holy Eucharist at the Cathedral January 3, 2010 Visitation to St. James, Goshen January 4, 2010
Diocesan Office re-opens after holidays January 6, 2010
7:00 pm (EST) Celebration of a New Ministry for the Rev. Daniel S. Repp at the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Elkhart
January 10, 2010 Visitation to St. Stephen’s, Hobart January 12, 2010
12:00 PM (EST) Deans’ Meeting January 15, 2010
12:05 PM (EST) Holy Eucharist at the Cathedral January 16, 2010
10:00 AM (EST) Commission on Ministry
January 17, 2010 Visitation to Holy Family, Angola
January 18, 2010 Office closed January 18-21, 2010 Visitation to Seminarians at Sewanee & Duke January 24, 2010 Visitation to St. George’s, Berne January 24, 2010
6:00 PM (EST) Wheaton College Concert Choir performs at St. Thomas, Plymouth January 25-27, 2010 Province V Bishops & Chancellors Meeting
January 31, 2010 Visitation to Blessed Sacrament, Placentia, CA
(Delegated Episcopal Oversight)
Around Our Diocese is published monthly. Please send stories, articles, and images by the 15th of each month to:
Jon Adamson – info@ednin.org
117 N. Lafayette Blvd., South Bend, IN 46601 The editor reserves the right to edit all articles. Please visit www.ednin.org for regular updates and more news from around our diocese.
