News & Notes
News & Notes: August 26th, 2010
When a man is singing and cannot lift his voice, and another comes and sings with him, another who can lift his voice, the first will be able to lift his voice too. That is the secret of the bond between spirits. – Martin Buber (Source: Ten Rungs: Hasidic Sayings)Please take a moment to read this e-news edition; there is a lot of new information in here as we gear up for the “program year” to start in September. I hope all of you are drinking up all of the beauty, peace and fun that the last days of summer have to offer!
I missed you all last Sunday – but had a wonderful weekend with my family in Old Forge (and yes, we went to the Hardware Store! J)
-- Carrie +
A Theft At St. Matthew's
From Jim Sullivan, vestry member & property commissioner:
Sometime between Friday (8-20) around 3:00 PM (when the lawn mowers were put back into the shed after mowing and the shed locked) and Monday morning (8-230 around 11:20 AM when Milt noticed the shed doors flapping around in the wind, someone broke into the shed and stole all of our lawn mowers, the gas trimmer, the 10 x 10 ft. canopy and a 5 gallon gas can. The Onondaga County Sheriff Dept. was called and paperwork has been filled out. Sue Turo notified our insurance company. An adjuster has been in touch with us. The value of the stolen property is well over $1,000. We believe the “dirty deed” was done Sunday night, August 22. Until new mowers are obtained, the grass mowing will need to be either contracted out or Parishioners will need to bring their mowers from home and mow the lawn under a coordinated/scheduled effort. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Jim.
Update: New locks have been installed on the shed and we are getting estimates to purchase replacements for the stolen items. We have good insurance and the insurance company has been very helpful. However, we have a $500. deductable (that we sure didn’t budget for!).
How can you help? If you would like to make a contribution to help us with the expenses St. Matthew’s will incur (above and beyond insurance compensation), please make a check out to St. Matthew’s with “Capital and Maintenance Fund” written on the memo line. (Or you can mark a blank envelope similarly) Thank you in advance.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6: 19-21
It feels lousy to be stolen from, but we’re a Christians. Our home base is community and our mission is love. So, take our lawn mowers & gas cans – and we’re still Christians, continuing in mission and ministry. Thankfully, that which is beautiful, true, noble and pure about our faith and about our community can never be stolen. Thanks be to God
Rummage Sale
St. Matthew’s will hold our annual Rummage sale on Saturday, September 11th . It really is an opportunity to get rid of "stuff", make $ for church, and help others get bargains - and all left-overs go to various charities. Sign ups will be on bulletin board and help is needed.
Real Life Bible Study
Real Life Bible Study will resume on Wednesday, September 8, at 7:00 p.m. in the conference room. We’ll meet once a month (after our first meeting, it will be the first Wednesday of each month) to discuss the previous Sunday’s lessons and talk about how our common sacred story connects with our real lives. This group is open to all – regardless of faith tradition or background. Each month’s discussion can stand alone, so please join us when you can. Contact Courtenay McKeon at 214-9276 or Mother Carrie if you have any questions. All are welcome.
St. Matthew's Choir
It's that time of year again! St. Matthew's Choir will be starting back up with the first two rehearsals on Wed 9/8 and Wed 9/15 at 7:00pm. The first Sunday performing will be St. Matthew's Sunday, Sept. 19th. If you're interested in joining the choir, entertained the idea of ever singing in any choir, or even if you sing in the shower on a regular basis, contact Tim Laughlin in person or by email (talaughlin@gmail.com).
Sunday School & Youth Group News
It's hard to believe but them there leaves are a changin' already. That means it's time to get back into the swing of things with our Educational programs for youth and adults at St. Matthew's. Here are some important dates to remember for the next few months:
- August 29th: Sunday School registration begins (Forms will be available at church or via PDF in Mother Carries weekly email, please return to Stacey Balduf, Matthew Schiller or the Education commission mailbox.)
- September 5: Sunday – Car Wash to raise money for our sponsored children
- September 8: “Real Life Bible Study” (geared for adults) begins again. 7:00 in the Conference Room
- September 25th: Youth Leaders Convention at the Cathedral (for all those interested in or currently working with youth, especially our older kids)
- September 26th: Sunday School for all ages, Pre-K through Adult begins between the services (9:15 or so depending on the 8 o'clock service end time).
- October 3rd: 7th - 12th grade Youth group meeting
- October 24th: 3rd - 6th grade Youth group meeting
- Adult Forum: Continues at 9:30 on Sunday Mornings. All are welcome.
Car Wash
There will be a car wash at St. Matthew’s on Sunday, Sept. 5th to benefit Saffa & Emilie, our sponsored children. Please contact Karen Stace for more information kstace@twcny.rr.com and make sure you bring your car (dirty or not) to be cleaned at church the day before Labor Day! Volunteers also needed.
Youth Leader Event
The Youth Council of the Diocese announces:
An event for all people who care about children, work with
children or who would like to work with them; for all who love our youth:
leaders, parents, and those wanting to get involved
When: September 25, 2010
Where: St. Paul's Cathedral,
Syracuse
Registration is at 8:30
Event Starts at 9:00, Ends at 4:00
We will have a keynote speaker: Bronwen Clark Skov, Coordinator of Youth
Ministries from the Episcopal Church Center in
New York
Some of the workshops:
- Youth and Spirituality
- Confirmation, how to prepare young people and engage them in the process
- Regional Youth Ministries
- Music
- Our keynote speaker will also do a workshop
More information on this exciting event will be available in the next Diocesan Messenger.
"GreenBlade" Conference
Healing Our Relationship with the Earth: Learn, Reflect Act, the first conference sponsored by Greenblade, a grass-roots organization based in the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, will be held on Saturday, September 18, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Camillus , New York . Greenblade is grounded in the Anglican tradition and strives to integrate creation, faith, and justice.
We know we must heal our relationship with the earth or the environmental and spiritual legacy we leave coming generations will be grim indeed. In this conference we will explore what healing means, what it requires of us, and how we do it. Most of all, we will explore how this healing can bring all of us, human and non-human, to a place of fulfillment, abundance, and joy. Greenblade welcomes all who struggle with these questions to bring their thoughts, passions and beliefs and join the dialogue.
The keynote speaker will be Sr. Catherine Grace of Bluestone Farm, an organic farm run by the sisters of the Community of the Holy Spirit, in Brewster , N.Y. Her talk is titled "Grounded in the Cosmos: A New Context for Healing." Participants will have the opportunity to discuss this talk and then to participate in two of four afternoon workshops. The topics for these workshops are: "Hydrofracking: Beyond 'For' and 'Against'"; "Landscaping: Listening to the Land"; " Church Gardens : Food to Share"; and "Community Food Security: Regional Issues."
A suggested donation of $40 includes a catered lunch of local and seasonal food. We invite participants to pay as they are able. To register please download and mail the form on the Greenblade site, www.greenblade.org. Payment is by check. St. Luke's is located at 5402 West Genesee St. , Camillus , New York . There is plenty of parking and handicapped access. For further information please email Susan Dixon at contact@greenblade.org.
Family Weekend Retreat
Everyone is invited to the Family Weekend Retreat, held at
Vandercamp Center ,
on the beautiful lake in Cleveland ,
NY , on Friday and Saturday October 8-9. Celebrate our connection with
God's creation in the Octave of St. Francis. The event begins Friday at
6:30 PM and runs through Saturday at 3:00 PM. The cost is $22 per person.
You define "family"...we stand to welcome all! Come rejoice
through prayer and fellowship our common goal to preserve and enhance this
wonderful gift of creation!
For more information or to sign up, please contact:
The Reverend Doug Marlow email: deacondoug@juno.com;
phone: 315-408-9032. Registration will be limited to 60.
Sponsored by the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission
Discernment For Ministry Day
The Discernment For Ministry team will hold the 2nd annual
Discernment For Ministry Day on Saturday,
October 23, 2010 at St. Paul 's
Cathedral in Syracuse .
All are welcome. We will begin with Morning Prayer and then the Bishop
will address the subject of "Discernment in the Context of Scripture and
Tradition".
Five sessions on different aspects of discernment will be offered including
Spiritual Direction, Individual Discernment, Group Discernment, Discernment of
Gifts, and Discernment Through Prayer.
A flyer with more information and a registration blank will be e-mailed to each
parish and will be included in future Diocesan Newsletters. The cost of
$10 will include lunch and snacks. If you have any questions please
contact Kathy Crowther at kathyc15@juno.com.
“A-OK” Acts of Kindness Weekend:
The Syracuse-based, inter-faith group, Women Transcending Boundaries, is sponsoring an “Acts of Kindness Weekend” in our communities September 10-11th. A weekend of service and mission!!! How cool??!?!
Follow these links for more information:
Women Transcending Boundaries: http://www.wtb.org
A-OK Weekend: http://www.wtb.org/?page_id=776
Samaritan Center Needs Help!
The Samaritan Center is short on volunteers again; this August has been especially difficult. The two dates we have unfilled this month still are August 15, 2010 and August 29, 2010. Both of these dates are Sundays. We are looking for about 10-15 people to volunteer from about 12:00PM-3:00PM. If you can help out, please contact the Samaritan Center directly:
Julie Ann Gilbert, Volunteer and Guest Services Coordinator
The Samaritan Center
P: 315-472-0650
Blood Drive Update
For the year 2010 there will be one more St. Matthew's sponsored blood drive. This has been scheduled for Saturday, October 16, from 8 AM until 1 PM. Our sponsored blood drives will commence in 2011 on Saturday, January 8 and will continue throughout 2011 at eight week intervals.
At our Blood Drive of August 21 we were credited with 29 units of blood. This equates to - our efforts will help 87 people ( The Red Cross states that one unit of blood will serve to benefit three in need of this life sustaining treasure.) Thank You. Lord. At the 21st of August Blood Drive there were eight that had a scheduled appointment, yet did not show. But we had eight walk-ins (people who saw our signs and walked in to donate their blood ). Coincidence ? Our faith says otherwise. We are disappointed that the eight who had made the commitment did not show.
I thank all those who did give of their blood, and to those who willingly and cheerfully give of their time and self to sustain this outreach program. It is my honor to be associated with you. God bless you. And I also ask all to keep us and our purpose in mind and consider a blood donation at our upcoming drive of 16 October.
Thank You,
Milt Oatman
