February 2015
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2
Our annual Lenten Program begins on Wednesday, February 25th, and continues every Wednesday through March 25th. Our program this year will focus on Eucharist in the Christian Church. Our teachers come from faith traditions across Abilene: Dr. Susan Pigott, professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Hardin-Simmons; Dr. Philip LeMasters, Orthodox priest and head of the Religion Department at McMurry; Pastor Cliff Stewart from First Central Presbyterian; Bruce Lampert, chaplain at Hendrick Hospital; and the Reverend Susanna Cates, from the Church of the Heavenly Rest. We’ll begin each evening at 6 pm with a potluck dinner, with the program running from 6:30 until 7:30.
To allow all of our parishioners to enjoy the dinner and teaching programs of our Lenten Series, our Wednesday Healing Service and Eucharist will take place at 5:15pm instead of 5:30pm on Wednesdays, February 25 - March 25.
HEAVENLY REST SERVICES Sundays 8:00 a.m. Rite I with Holy Eucharist in the nave 9:15-10:15 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Rite II with Holy Eucharist in the nave 1:00 p.m. Morning Prayer in Swahili
Weekdays
Festivities! Please join us as we celebrate Mardi Gras on Tuesday, February 17! The talented men of Heavenly Rest will be cooking up a great Low Country Boil– shrimp, sausage, potatoes, and corn– and we’ll have plenty of other delicious food and beverages to suit all tastes. The party starts at 6:00pm in our Parish Hall. Please RSVP to Mother Susanna at scates@ heavenlyrestabilene.org.
8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer in the chapel
Wednesdays
5:30 p.m. Healing Service, Holy Eucharist in the chapel Service liturgy is from the Book of Common Prayer.
Heavenly Rest’s bell tower, a landmark in Abilene, was recently restored. Read more about this on page 6. Featured Inside Annual Meeting news............................................2 Parish Stewardship .............................................2-3 Bishop Quarterman Conference Center news....4 Youth In Action........................................................5 Back Page ................................................................7
MISSION As a community of faith centered in God through liturgy and Christian Practice, the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest exists to: CARE for members of all ages and stages of life. SHARE God’s inclusive and healing love with all people. CREATE opportunities to grow in Christ. SERVE the church, the community, and the world.
Care. Share. Create. Serve. • February 2015
ParishStewardship Annual
Monday, February 9 and Tuesday, February 10 This year’s speaker for this lecture series is the renowned theologian Dr. Stanley Hauerwas, professor emeritus of divinity and law at Duke University. Monday’s lecture is “How to Write a Theological Sentence” and Tuesday’s lecture is “How to Remember the Poor.” Both lectures will begin at 7:30 pm in the Matthews Auditorium on the McMurry campus. The Church of the Heavenly Rest will be hosting a hospitality table at Tuesday evening’s lecture. If you would like to assist with its setup, please contact
Far right, Lynsi Musselman and little “piggy” Mae Musselman, helped the youngest participants take part as the stable animals during the Christmas Pageant in December. Right, Peter Kent literally went “above and beyond” his duties when he helped hang the greens above the altar at the greening of the Nave before Christmas.
Special thanks is given to everyone who helped with the Annual Meeting held on Sunday, January 25. The meal was delicious and it was very gratifying for all attending to look back at the past year with its challenges and accomplishments. We are also grateful for the willingness of the many people who offered themselves to serve in leadership capacities for the coming year. Those elected to serve on the vestry at that meeting were Lauren Puckett, Sue Ivey, Geanna Cutbirth, and Rosemary Suttle. The new Vestry elected Rosemary Suttle to be Junior Warden and Kathy Diamond to be Clerk. Delegates to convention were also elected: Jackie Batjer, Martha Ferguson, Lew Carter, Josh Stearns and Steve Strain. Diocesan Convention will be held at the Overton Hotel in Lubbock, October 15, 16 and 17, 2015. SPECIAL UPDATE ON CAPITAL CAMPAIGN & CONSTRUCTION PROJECT: Yvonne Batts, our Senior Warden for 2014, presented an update at the Annual Meeting on the Capital Campaign and Construction. She explained that the Vestry had approved a goal of 3.5 million dollars and that the congregation had surpassed the goal, reaching 5.9 million dollars. She thanked Julie and Mike Denny for their leadership and said that Mike wanted to give special thanks for those who made the campaign successful. Yvonne also reported Mike Denny Curtis and Windham recently visited the church with conceptual drawings and will return in the coming weeks for further conversations. Construction of the Great Hall may begin as early as August and could be completed by Rally Day 2016.
Many thanks go to Lynsi Musselman for her service to Heavenly Rest as Communications Coordinator and Newcomer Ministry these roles at our church. She and her family will continue to contribute and participate as active members, and we pray for God’s blessing to be with her as she begins other exciting new endeavors. Parishioners will also want to know that Peter Kent will be leaving his job as Parish Administrator at Heavenly Rest after accepting a civilian position at the Headquarters of the United States Air Force in Europe. Peter has been an excellent administrator and a huge help during the Capital Campaign process. Peter, Sandra, Rachel and Colin will all be greatly missed. We will be giving this family a more personal goodbye at an appreciation event for which plans are still being way, we send them forth with our blessing.
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ECW (Episcopal Church Women) began its partnership with Bowie Elementary on January 18 when they gathered in the Parish Hall to assemble “Goodie Bags� for the fourth grade students to use during their required testing at Bowie this spring. The fourth grade teachers had requested that each student have available a Ziploc bag with a small bottle of water, a small package of tissues, two sharpened pencils and a note of encouragement. They needed two per student because there are two different testing sessions. ECW to the rescue! The women assembled 220 bags within a very brief time. Notes of encouragement were written and decorated with paw prints (the Bowie mascot). Job extremely well done! ECW has also been asked to participate in reward parties for the fourth grade students. These parties are given at the end of each six weeks. Students may attend if they have met a high standard for academics, behavior and attendance. Each party will have a different theme. ECW will provide the refreshments and will be present to interact and encourage the students dents were treated with popcorn and soda. Nine volunteers from Heavenly Rest were in the classrooms and enjoyed interacting with students. This is a great way to extend our commitment to community outreach. Volunteers are still needed for the future reward parties. These are scheduled for March 6, April 24 and May 26. Come enjoy the fun and fellowship at this immensely rewarding expeeramsey@yahoo.com) or Gay Ann Walts (gayann.walts@gmail.com). Suzie Ramsey and Gay Ann Walts oversaw 220 goodie bags prepared on short notice last month by hardworking members of the ECW.
Elizabeth Ducey Moss, soprano, with Marc Sanders, piano Sunday, February 8 5:00pm a native of Newfoundland, Canada and serves as Assistant Professor of Voice at McMurry University. Ducey Moss has established a reputation as a polished performer of the highest caliber. An active recitalist and concert soloist, she continually seeks to expand and diversify her repertoire by performing a variety of programs from new music to chamber and oratorio works. She will be performing works by Handel, Ravel, Strauss, and Burleigh. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information please contact Susie Rockett at srockett@ heavenlyrestabilene.org.
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Care. Share. Create. Serve. • February 2015
If you are new to the Church and are interested in becoming a member of Heavenly Rest, we hope you will join the recently began on January 18. The class will explore fundamentals of this faith and basic spiritual practices of this community...everything you always wanted to know about the Episcopal Church but were afraid to ask! uled for May 17, 2015. Class meets every Sunday morning at 9:15 am in the Parish Hall. We’ll study Episcopal traditions in worship, sacrament, Scripture, and everyday life. The class is taught by the clergy and laity of the church. Breakfast refreshments will be served and childcare is available. If you are interested or have more questions, please or speak with a member of the clergy.
If your birthday or anniversary is not listed or is incorrect, Blessings are given at both morning services: Anniversary Blessings, February 8
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“Quarterman Ranch,” as it has come to be called, has been the camp and conference center for the Diocese of Northwest Texas for many years. The Diocese recently sold the facility to Faith City Mission, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, located in downtown Amarillo. Faith City Mission provides long term residential rehabilitation of one year or more. All proceeds from the sale of Quarterman Ranch will be held in trust by the Diocese. From the Executive Director of Faith City Mission: “We will ultimately move our homeless families, mommies and children, and single women program out there (Quarterman Ranch). They will be housed in one of the dormitories and be eligible to graduate to the house where they will take on life skills such as shopping, cooking, cleaning, and caring for their children properly. During their time with us, each adult is under the care of a PHD in Psychology with individual therapy sessions every week. In addition, the children have access to a PHD in Childhood Psychology for assessment and therapy. The parents will then transition into a good job and transitional housing available in town. They will continue to be case managed. Can you imagine the children living out there? What peace and healing await them.” “We are also working on plans for an alumni “communion reunion” for former campers and friends. We will have to visit with the Bishop and diocese about such plans, but want the land to be available to those who have fond memories of the camp. It is a sacred place. The chapel is so very dear to us, and know it is to many. We want to see communion celebrated there once more.”
FebruaryCelebrations Happy Birthday February 1 Melissa Fletcher February 2 Julia Dickerson February 3 Jeri Escobedo February 4 Nicolas Yost February 6 Jessica Hart Tyler Lillick Becky McDonald Nathaniel Pigott February 7 Dickson Ferguson Vona Lindsey
February 8 Aubrey Irwin Richard Wittie February 9 Carolyn Barber February 11 Sarah Hart Gail Kaiser Cecilia Nevill Avery Walton
February 14 Kevin Bredemeyer Charlie Taylor Sarah Taylor February 15 Mary Reyes Atticus Thompson February 16 Claire Hardaway
February 12 Craig Urban
February 17 Austin Beckham Pat Garren
February 13 Daniel Clement Richard Gore
February 18 Yvonne Batts Estrella Valdez
February 19 February 26 James Garner Elizabeth Henderson Arthur Goolsbee February 27 Bill Young Eric Brann February 20 Robert Dennis Robert Peterson Kerry “Kat” Tighe February 21 Orlan Akin February 23 James Gloyna Dorothy Thompson
February 28 Joshua Engard Ann Phipps February 29 Lew Carter
February 24 Ernesteen Barton-Roberson February 25 Christine Gilliard
Happy Anniversary February 1 Kathy & Bob Hale
February 11 Julie & Rob Beckham Kristi Morris & Paul Jungmeyer
February 14 Margaret Ann & Michael Brandon Mary Lou & Ed Conley
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ParishFellowship Sunday, February 22 at 6:00pm, Heavenly Rest will host an old fashioned neighborhood party with Frito pie, games and music. Everyone is invited to come and meet our neighbors, for it is in welcoming the stranger that we may be entertaining angels. Save this date to help the parish entertain the angels that live among and around us! For more information, and/or to help with this fun project of neighborhood outreach, call Deacon Amanda Watson at 677-2091. We will need food preparers and servers, fun & game leaders as well as music leaders. Fellowship, fun and music will warm all our hearts on a possibly cold winter night.
YouthInAction Left, Michael Scarborough shows his feedback during Sunday school: Right, EYCers Annie and Agatha pose
Great things are planned for all the youth at Heavenly Rest starting this month and looking forward all the way to this summer– making this an excellent time to join our groups if you haven’t been able to before! Below, Agatha and Chris at EYC.
Two things to take note of this month: • On Wednesday, February 11, EYC will be meeting at 6:30pm, but rather than meeting at the Church we will be takHobby Lobby on South 14th near the Winters Freeway underpass. • JEYPs member alert: we will not be meeting on Sunday, February 22. (That
evening at 6pm, The Church has invited the neighborhood to a Frito pie dinner and party in Parish Hall - see the article above.)
SIGN UP NOW! Heavenly Rest Middle School Youth, grades 6-8, are invited to join other youth from around the diocese February 20-22 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Odessa. It will be a great weekend of games, fellowship, food, outreach, learning and meeting some new friends! St. John’s, St. Barnabas’ and San Miguel Arcangel churches are hosting the weekend retreat. Plans for an exciting time are in the works! Cost to attend the weekend is $60.00. Scholarships are avail-
If you are looking for deeper insights into the theology and belief of the Episcopal faith you are invited to join a book study on Sunday mornings that recently began on January 18. We are studying “Glorious Companions: Five Centuries of Anglican Spirituality,” by Richard H. Schmidt, which covlike Thomas Cramner, compiler of the Book of Common Prayer, and C.S. Lewis, author of the “Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Everyone is invited to join us in the library at Heavenly Rest at 9:15 am. Questions? Please contact Fr. Luke at lback@heavenlyrestabilene.org.
SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 17-19, 2015 PRIMARY YOUTH EVENT For youth currently in grades 2-5 - location to be announced later!
DIOCESAN YOUTH CHURCH CAMPS THIS SUMMER: Quarterman Sr. (completed grades 7-12) – June 7 - 14 at Cathedral Ridge in Colorado Quarterman Jr (completed grades 2-7) – June 28 - July 4 at Ceta Glen near Happy, Texas
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Care. Share. Create. Serve. • February 2015
ParishStewardship Several years ago the Church building suffered lightning damage to two of the four pinnacles on the top of the bell tower. Yvonne Batts and Mike Denny worked for several months to locate a company that was able to replicate the design of the original pieces. Those pieces were re-created and recently installed. That installation involved scheduling large cranes when the weather was cooperating and many other variables that had to all come together. Many thanks to Yvonne and Mike for taking on this somewhat formidable task!
FebruaryCalendar
Ash Wednesday
• Weekly Schedule at Heavenly Rest 8:00am Rite I Holy Eucharist
5:30am B.O.B.S
8:00am Morning Prayer
9:15am Sunday School
8:00am Morning Prayer
10:15am Adult Choir*
6:30pm Curate’s Study
9:30-11:30am Hands-on Outreach
10:30am Rite II Holy Eucharist* 1:00pm Morning Prayer in Swahili
10am 6:00pm Change Ringers
8:00am Morning Prayer SJES Chapel 9:30-11:30am Hands-on Outreach 5:30pm Healing Service Holy Eucharist* (5:15pm on Feb. 25)
8:00am Morning Prayer 9:30am Bible Study with Mother Susanna 9:30-11:30am Hands-on Outreach 7:00pm Bagpipes
8:00am Morning Prayer Childcare is available every Sunday, 7:30 a.m-Noon, unless otherwise noted. *childcare will be available for this event **childcare can be arranged upon request
6:15pm - EFM
5:00pm Change Ringers 5:15-7:00pm JEYPs grades 6-8
• Scheduled on Alternating Weeks 6:15-8:00pm EYC grades 9-12 7:30pm Adult Choir
Tuesday, February 3 & 17 Centering Prayer (Bishop Mayer Room), 4:00pm First & Third Tuesday of February St. Margaret’s Guild, 6:30pm
Sunday Servers Please take time to thank your Sunday Servers. They work hard to make each service run smoothly. The server schedule can be found on the website at www.heavenlyrestabilene.org, where it will be updated with changes over the course of the month and e-mailed to the
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Looking for the monthly schedule for Sunday duties? Go to the website, and click on this:
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BackPage† Dear Friends, “What is possible?” You were asked this question throughout 2014. Your answer has enabled immense possibilities to become anticipated blessings. “Building on our Heritage of Faith, Hope and Love” is
improve and expand our facilities to meet today’s needs and tomorrow’s opportunities. The “Celebrating our Heritage” dinner in August abides as one of the great memories of our parish life together. At this event, challenge of our mission in this time and place.
hungry lips pray to God “Give us today our daily bread,” we abide as part of God’s way to provide much labor and nearly half a million dollars in outreach support. community as they settled in a new homeland. You embraced and included them, making a
“The Celebrating our Heritage dinner in August abides as one of the great memories of our parish life together. At this event, we felt the vision, courage
ministry a second mile, helping with material, employment and educational needs.
and the Board of Trustees has begun a strategic planning process to study the possibility of expansion.
lay leadership, wardens, Vestry, our faithful volunteers in so many areas of service to God, for our church and our community. May God continue to uphold and bless you! Faithfully,
Luke Back +
we could meet the challenge of our mission in this time and this place.”
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts-Schori, Presiding Bishop
children’s craft lab • To build a Great Hall and courtyard area to address In-Reach and fellowship opportunities
Care. Share. Create. Serve.
Monday-Thursday: 8:30a.m.-12 noon; 1-4:30p.m. Friday: 8:30a.m. - 12 noon (325) 677-2091 chrepis@heavenlyrestabilene.org http://www.heavenlyrestabilene.org
Church of the Heavenly Rest
• To preserve and adapt the historic Parish House by renovating the existing structure to address In-Reach and fellowship opportunities as well as children’s and youth issues by renovating the nursery and youth space • To repurpose the upper level of the existing Parish Hall for our Music Ministry and provide space on the lower level of the Parish Hall for
PARISH STAFF The Reverend N. Luke Back, Rector The Reverend Susanna Cates, Curate The Reverend Amanda Watson, Deacon Bikole Mulanda, Swahili Minister Peter Kent, Parish Administrator Dr. Wes Gomer, Organist and Director of Music Ministries April Powers, Financial Manager Katie Young, Office Assistant, Youth and Christian Education Laura Wright, Communications Coordinator Susetta Rockett, Music Assistant Shelly Reed, Director: Junior Ringers & Singers Courtney Bryant, Christian Education Assistant Lucy Marak, Childcare Barbradon Brooks, Harpist Arnulfo Guerra, Sexton Dorothy Guerra, Housekeeper
602 Meander Street Abilene, Texas 79602-1009
The Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest is a Christian community of faith rooted in the Anglican tradition. Empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament, we seek to know the reconciling love of God and to share that love with others.
THE DIOCESE OF NORTHWEST TEXAS The Right Reverend J. Scott Mayer, Bishop
Telephone (325) 677-2091
VISION
The Discernment and Feasibility Study was completed with the guidance of the Episcopal Church Foundation, helping our Parish identify priorities from which the following solutions were prepared:
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