Chronicles of Canterbury
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Chronicles of Canterbury july 2016
From the Rector
Mary Currin To Lead Outreach/Mission
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ccording to Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, Christians are part of the Jesus Movement. And the mission of the Jesus Movement is to spread the love of God in word and deed. At St. Michael’s we do mission and Her many years outreach in many forms, not of faithful service least of which is how we seek as a longtime to respond to human need in member, volunteer, the world around us. Canterbury Shop
leader, outreach and Historically, feeding, housing mission worker, and and working are three areas overall leader make where we seem to find our Mary Currin a great greatest energy in responding fit for this important to human need locally. I work. believe this is where we should keep our focus in terms of local mission work. We have put a lot of time and energy into a vast range of different projects and programs over the years. But in the past decade we’ve done major fundraising, volunteering and partnering with several organizations in particular, and it has had a larger impact. what’s inside 2 YAMS Ministry 4 The Gathering 2017 6 VBS
These partners are: Backpack Buddies (feeding), Habitat for Humanity (housing), StepUp (working), Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network (all three). We have also done good work, and should do more, with Stop Hunger Now (feeding), and Episcopal Farmworker’s Ministry (all three). We need to build our capacity to inventory and communicate what we are doing, and to develop more volunteers from our membership. One of the best things to happen this past season was when the Holy Spirit led Mary Currin to take up my offer to be our first-ever volunteer Director of Mission and Outreach. Like being a choir leader, treasurer, Vestry, altar guild chair or so many other important roles at the church, this post is built upon several years of conversation about how we do mission and outreach. The idea is not to have her run everything in terms of our mission and outreach. Not at all. The idea is for her to work with existing groups to better understand all that we do in service to God’s world. See RECTOR on page 3
‘Team Walker’: 3 Generations for Annual Fund
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t’s hard to imagine a family more grounded in life at St. Michael’s than the Walkers. At present, close to 20 of them — four generations — call our parish their spiritual home. This fall, we’ll launch a year-long program that examines the Whole Life — our call to be disciples for our whole lives and how answering that call makes us whole. The Walkers will play a key role in that examination as chairs of the 2017 Annual Fund. The Walkers have a long and storied history in our parish. Harry Jr. and his wife, Sallie, joined our parish when they moved to Raleigh in 1961. Harry knew the first rector of St. Michael’s, Jim Beckwith, from his time as a teenage camper and Mr. Beckwith’s time as a counselor at Camp Leach on the Pamlico River. Harry III, Borden, Dan and Nat all grew up at St.
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Michael’s and were all confirmed here. After college, young Harry, Dan and Nat took jobs in other cities but moved back to Raleigh after a few years away. They joined Harry Jr. in the family business and came back into St. Michael’s as active adults. All have had children baptized and confirmed at St. Michael’s. Lee and Elizabeth — the third generation — have two children who are the beginning of the fourth generation of Walkers. From those early years, the Walkers have been extremely active in our parish. They have individually served on Vestry, taught Sunday School and have been members of the Annual Fund Committee for years. They’ve served on mission teams and as chalice bearers, and Harry, Jr., and Dan have been Jr. See ANNUAL FUND on page 5
Chronicles of Canterbury The People of St. Michael’s Church Phone: (919) 782-0731 All area codes are 919 unless otherwise noted.
The Rev. Samuel Gregory Jones, Rector ext. 117 • jones@holymichael.org (c) 559-2004 The Rev. Holly Gloff Associate Rector ext. 127 • gloff@holymichael.org (c) 612-7228 The Rev. Robert Fruehwirth Associate Rector ext. 105 • fruehwirth@holymichael.org (c) 475-0082 The Rev. Meta Ellington Deacon ellington@holymichael.org (c) 210-9123 The Rev. David Crabtree Deacon (c) 614-2164 Marion B. “Chip” Chase, Verger (h) 851-9576 VESTRY Will Lingo, Senior Warden • 833-1358 Michael Painter, Jr. Warden • 821-0126 Jenny Haase, Clerk • 460-1966 Debbie Reed Treasurer • 783-8978 Class of 2016 Marilyn Budrow • 510-5080 Anthony Carlton • 395-4229 Class of 2017 LeeAnn Graham • 782-5919 | Jeff Hensley • 424-7951 Todd Kasper • 784-8112 | John Merritt • 783-8792 Dale Roane • 791-0168 Class of 2018 David Bull • 785-9860 | John Constance • 332-2258 Anna McLamb • 848- 9012 | Allen Marshall • 720-4236 Joe Warenda • 602-0839 Valerie Jackson, Recorder • 917-5164 STAFF Stella Attaway, Director of Christian Education attaway@holymichael.org • ext. 106 Ann Garey, Publications garey@holymichael.org • ext. 103 Charlotte Griffin, Director of Development griffin@holymichael.org • ext. 121 Lee Hayden, Director of Operations & Newcomer Ministry hayden@holymichael.org • ext.108 A bby Van Noppen, Director of Youth Ministry vannoppen@holymichael.org • ext. 115 Kevin Kerstetter, Director of Music kerstetter@holymichael.org • ext. 101 Susan Little, Financial Administrator little@holymichael.org • ext. 113 Jean Olson, Parish Secretary olson@holymichael.org • ext. 112 Susan Rountree, Director of Communications rountree@holymichael.org • ext.122 FACILITIES STAFF Buddy Stegall, Facility Project Leader Jesús Epigmenio, Groundskeeper Marcela de la Cruz, Housekeeper PARISH DAY SCHOOL 782-6430 Mandy Annunziata, Director annunziata@holymichael.org • ext. 110
OFFICE HOURS Monday-Thursday, 9 am.-5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
CANTERBURY SHOP HOURS Monday/Wednesday/Thursday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday 9-9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.-noon
From the New Associate Rector
Young Adults One Focus of New Ministry
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yam is kind of like a sweet potato. I remember staring down, 10 years old, at a Thanksgiving dinner plate piled high with chunky sweet potato. At St. Michael’s, YAM means Young Adult Ministry, and the YAMs are those who participate in this ministry. Though I’m no young adult, as the associate rector in charge of YAMs, I might even be considered an honorary YAM myself. When I was interviewing for the position of associate rector, I started asking every young adult I met what they might want from young adult ministry. I wanted to see if this ministry would be a good fit for me. Although I’d worked with young adults as a therapist, and in teaching counseling and listening skills to groups of students, I’d never been involved in young adult ministry in the church. (Going into a monastery when I was 21 pre-empted that.) I received great feedback. The young adults with whom I spoke were passionate about wanting to deepen their faith. They craved authenticity, connection, a sense of meaning and a chance to be with others who shared a similar life situation. They did not at all reject the traditions of the church; they often valued these highly. What they rejected was authority without authenticity, and condescension from church leaders. To take the best discernment I could about the position of associate rector at St. Michael’s, I then convened a focus group of young adults, from another parish in Chapel Hill, at my house. I was surprised at how immediate, intense and enthusiastic was their response. They piled into my house one evening for fajitas, beer and conversation about young adults and the Church. They were not uninformed; some of them had participated in national gatherings about this ministry. What I heard that night sharpened what I’d heard before. They said that young adults, particularly single young adults, can feel invisible in the Church. They wanted connection, to be noticed first by the leaders of the church, but also connection with each other. They wanted someone to take an interest in them, their spiritual journey, their doubts, their faith. They wanted a chance to be authentic about their lives — not by being plunked down in a mandatory sharing circle, but when the right time arose, spontaneously, to talk about what was going on with them. And they did not want to be given pre-made programs, but the freedom to devise their own programs and ministry. I love almost every aspect of my work at St. Michael’s — I love praying, preaching, teaching, organizing, convening, listening and being a part of other people’s lives. It feels, so far, like the best-fitting yoke I’ve ever had in my life, and is thus easy to bear. For 25 years I have loved Adult Education, and I find Jesus present in all authentic outreach. But it was in praying about young adult ministry, and what I heard from my informal focus group, that I felt the strongest connection between the core of my prayer — you might say my soul — and the calling to be the new associate rector at St. Michael’s. This soul connection had something to do with a commitment I have to seeing those who are invisible, listening to the unheard and reaching out to make contact. It had something to do with welcoming an honest exploration of faith, doubt, meaning and life itself — because I crave that kind of honesty that is yet open to the 20 centuries of wisdom that we have in the Church. And this felt connection had something to do with supporting others as they step up into their ministry and creatively define it and themselves in the process. Continued on the next page
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YAMS
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Some 30 years after staring down a plate of yams at my grandmother’s house, I still don’t eat them, not even sweet potato fries, not even accompanied by ketchup and the best beer. But it’s great now to convene and be a part of St. Michael’s YAMS. Belgian brews, spirituality, retreats, the Durham Bulls — all this is fantastic. Even YAMS met on June 23 for fellowship and to shape their ministry. Watch for more information on our Youth better is giving attention and care Adult Ministry in upcoming Chronicles, in Canterbury Tales, This Week@St. Michael’s and at holymichael. to a community, giving it space to org. meet and stepping back to watch Octoberfest evening — along with more regular meetings to reflect God do God’s mysterious work. on our lives and Christian Faith. We considered several ideas for engaging in outreach, as well as connecting and serving other groups The YAMS met at St. Michael’s June 23 for drinks at St. Michael’s. We definitely want to plan a weekend retreat for this and dinner and to discuss how we wanted to develop fall, ideally at the Trinity Center in the Diocese of East Carolina, near young adult ministry at St. Michael’s. A great bunch Bogue Banks. of people came, and we had a great discussion. Many parishes in the area do not even have a young adult Great things are afoot! ministry, so it’s a fantastic that St. Michael’s can put its strength and resources behind developing a vital young If you were not at the meeting and you want to be more involved with adult ministry — giving these young adults the chance YAMS, text/call me at 919-475-0082, or send an email to fruehwirth@ to define how they want to minister to one another and holymichael.org. grow in their faith. — The Rev. Robert Gregory Fruehwirth During the meeting we filled several flip-chart sheets with ideas for the coming year. A sub-group is going to meet to plan a schedule of monthly large events — like the much-loved dinner with the OWLS and the
RECTOR
Newcomer Program Welcomes All
She has gotten down to it, and in conjunction with new associate Robert Fruehwirth, the church can take a look its approach to this vital aspect of God’s mission. The goal will be for us to keep track of our work in the areas of feeding, housing and working, communicate what we are doing, and develop volunteers from among our membership.
We will begin a new series of classes in September. “Intro To St. Michael’s,” a four-week program for all new to our parish begins Sept. 14. “The Faith” classes, required for those new to the Episcopal Church who are seeking membership, begin in October. They will be taught by the Rev. Greg Jones and the Rev. Robert Fruehwirth and are also for parents of children who are about to be baptized.
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Her many years of faithful service as a longtime member, volunteer, Canterbury Shop leader, Mary Currin, outreach and mission worker, Volunteer Director of and overall leader make Mary Outreach & Mission a great fit for this important work. I am so grateful to God for Mary and her years of wisdom, grace and work for the kingdom. — The Rev. Samuel Gregory Jones
In the past few years, we have welcomed more than 350 people into our parish family. Each one has attended a series of classes designed to acquaint those new to our parish with our history, our ministry team, our lay ministries and the Episcopal Church.
Classes begin Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 6:15 p.m. Child care is available with advanced reservations. Classes continue Sept. 21 & 28 and Oct. 5. The Faith class will be October 12, 19 & 26, also from 6:15 p.m.-7:30 p.m. If you would like to be part of our next newcomer class, contact Lee Hayden, director of Newcomer Ministry and Parish Operations, at hayden@ holymichael.org. If you are new to our parish and have never attended a Newcomer Dinner, you are invited to join us on Tuesday, Oct. 25, for wonderful meal and fellowship with fellow newcomers, clergy and staff and members of our Vestry. Contact Lee Hayden for reservations.
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Announcing The Gathering 2017: Author Heather Lende
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ew York Times bestselling author Heather Lende, praised by critics as “part Annie Dillard and Anne Lamott,” will be the keynote speaker at The Gathering 2017.
Journalist, obituarist, mother of five, grandmother and lifelong Episcopalian, Lende will come to us all the way from Haines, Alaska — where she writes for the local paper and is an avid outdoorswoman. She will reflect with us on her faith and relationship with God — something she has wrestled with and something she has come to treasure in the wake of an accident that almost took her life. She is the author of Find the Good, Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer, and Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs, Author Heather Lende is from Haines, Alaska. She’ll speak at The a True Story of Bad Breaks and Small Miracles. Both books are published by Gathering 2017, Feb. 24 & 25 next year. Algonquin Books. An interview with Heather on Public Radio International that aired on NPR in January drew Gathering co-creator Melanie Jones to Lende (prounounced Lend-y). Through discussion with The Gathering planning committee and researching her work, Heather’s many talents began to speak to the group. Her quiet and often humorous stories about regular people who live and die in the small town of Haines have garnered the attention of thousands of readers. Her first book, If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name, earned her a spot on the New York Times bestseller list. Heather has contributed essays and commentary to NPR, the New York Times and National Geographic Traveler. She is a former contributing editor at Woman’s Day. A columnist for the Alaska Dispatch News, she writes obituaries for the Chilkat Valley News. She blogs at heatherlende.com.
Heather calls Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs “my most Episcopal book,” as she recalls the story of her near-fatal bike accident. Her journey back to health was both physical and spiritual, as she continued to submit her weekly column to the Chilkat Valley News. In Take Good Care she explores faith and forgiveness, loss and devotion, with care, sensitivity and humor — all within the context of ordinary life. A native of Long Island, Heather and her husband took a cross-country trip shortly after their marriage and ended up in Haines, where they stayed and started a family. Heather began writing for the local paper and eventually was assigned the obit beat because a woman in the community who was dying didn’t like the regular obit writer. Heather has been writing the stories of ordinary people every since. “The lives of regular people aren’t celebrated as much as celebrities,” she says, “but their stories have much to teach us.” The Gathering 2017 is planned for Feb. 24 & 25. The weekend spiritual event for women — our fourth biennial event — will feature an evening reception, book signing and keynote on Friday evening, a Saturday hymn sing, service of Morning Prayer and two breakouts sessions. The committee has recently begun making plans for the event, and more information about Heather and our full program will be available this fall. We hope you’ll mark your calendars for our premiere event for women.
Holy Michael Foundation Hosts Canterbury Circle Dinner The third annual Canterbury Circle dinner was held Thursday, June 16 in the Convocation Room. Guests enjoyed a delicious meal and plenty of fellowship. The Rev. Greg Jones recapped the history of the Holy Michael Foundation. Board President Will Rideout and Development Director Charlotte Griffin thanked the members for their support of the Holy Michael Foundation, including the ECW for their generous support in donating the proceeds of $50,000 from their Spring “Garden Party” to the Holy Michael Foundation. As of June 20, the current balance of the Holy Michael Foundation is $753,000. The ECW’s donation will enable our endowment to grow to approximately $800,000, bringing us closer to the $1million threshold required before grants can be made. With your support, we can get there sooner! Canterbury Circle members have included the Holy Michael Foundation in their planned giving or have made a gift to the Foundation.
Greg Jones, right, addresses the Canterbury Circle dinner crowd with Holy Michael Foundation president Will Rideout, left. Donors at a qualifying — Charlotte Griffin, Holy Michael Foundation level are honored at the annual dinner.
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ANNUAL FUND Continued from page 1
Wardens. (Dan was Senior Warden twice.) The Raleigh Walkers are Harry Jr., his late wife Sallie — still present from her spot in the Heavenly Kingdom — Harry III, Linda and children Lee and Louisa; Dan, Kay, Daniel, Drew and Sara; Nat, Curry, Nathan, Ty, Will; and Lee, Elizabeth, Anna, Henry. Dan, who remembers Ford Worthy pulling the star of David across the stage in the Little Red Church during the Christmas pageant, helped form the Long Range Planning Committee and worked on the plan to expand the burial garden and the buildings during his time on the Vestry. Youngest brother Nat was an acolyte growing up, as are his kids. He has worked on Habitat houses, though he recalls his highest honor: “I was a lamb in the Christmas pageant in the old red barn for Miss Dees.”
Team Walker, Annual Fund 2017 chairs, from left: Nat, Lee, Dan, Harry Jr. & Harry III. (Drew, not pictured. )
And now Lee joins the generations of Walkers supporting the work of our parish. As a teen, he served on many youth mission teams. He is currently secretary of the Parish Day School Committee. “St. Michael’s is a part of our family life into a fourth generation,” says Lee. “ We have been blessed to be a part of the parish body in worship, fellowship and friendship. The church has supported us in our own individual faith journeys and in our family faith journey.” “We have, together as a family, celebrated many births, baptisms, first communions, confirmations, graduations and funerals — though no weddings yet,” says Dan. We have been blessed to be members of a church that has had a focus on serving its parish, and the local and world community through outreach and a commitment to being a light to the world.” Serving as chairs of the Annual Fund gives the Walkers an opportunity to serve the parish and the church as a family. “We want to lead as an example of Whole Life living, and commitment to the financial support and growth of our parish for the next generation of families and friends. The younger Walkers, Lee and Drew, want to honor the continued mission of St. Michael’s as part of Christ’s body in the world. “We have such a solid foundation of members that have set a shining example of love for us to follow,” says Lee. “We want to be welcoming to new members of all ages and family relationships, and raise the next generation in the tradition in which we were raised. “Elizabeth and I choose to raise our children at St. Michael’s (because of) St. Michael’s spirit as a living example of the love of God to the world through Christ. I came to know that as a young child here. Growing up in a loving parish, led by inspired clergy and seeing and following the example of my grandparents, parents, and aunts and uncles informed my
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faith and motivates me to try to pass that spirit on to the next generation.” Worshiping at St. Michael’s was a blessing to Harry and Sallie from when they first joined as new members. They raised a family of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and were able to worship with them and support them in their lives in Christ. They fell in love with the parish and were able to worship with their friends through the years. “After Sallie’s death,” says Harry, III, “the outpouring of support from the parish was incredible and helped our family celebrate her life and spirit as it lives on through us and with St. Michael’s.” “I don’t think that there has ever been an ‘expectation’ of the ‘Walker boys’ or subsequent generations falling in line and necessarily coming back to join the church,” says Lee. “All of us spent some time away from Raleigh and have visited other churches. I believe that we have truly been called to be a part of this parish as a family, and that we experience the living Holy Spirit by being in close communion to our friends and family at St. Michael’s.” “St. Michael’s is growing,” says Lee, not just in member count or finances — which it definitely is — but more importantly, in spirit— to serve the parish, community and world. In spirit to respond to the horrors of evil in our world today by building a church family that resides in God’s love. And in spirit to be a witness for Christ through our ‘Whole Life’.”
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID Raleigh, NC PERMIT NO. 696
1520 Canterbury Rd. Raleigh NC 27608-1106 Phone: 919-782-0731 Fax: 919-782-5085 www.holymichael.org
Chronicles of Canterbury is a monthly publication of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church Editor: Susan B. Rountree Phone: 919-782-0731, ext. 122 Email: rountree@holymichael.org
VBS Explores God’s Back Yard Children who attend the St. Michael’s annual Vacation Bible School will spend time exploring God’s back yard in story and song, the week of July 31-Aug. 4. The week begins with a Backyard Hot Dog Bash on Sunday, July 31, for all the family and continues each morning with activities, Bible stories and songs. Registration deadline is July 20. Registration is online at holymichael. org.
Questions? Story Ideas? Susan Rountree, Director of Communications rountree@holymichael.org • 919-782-0731, ext. 122 www.holymichael.org, Chronicles of Canterbury, ThisWeek@St. Michael’s & Rector’s Weekly Epistle: Susan Rountree, Editor rountree@holymichael.org Canterbury Tales/brochures/bulletins: Ann Garey, Publications Coordinator garey@holymichael.org
Deadlines: • Canterbury Tales: noon Wednesday before Sunday publication • Chronicles of Canterbury: Wednesday, August 3 NO AUGUST NEWSLETTER
Acolyte Training Sessions Planned in August Acolyte training sessions will be held on Sundays, Aug. 21 &28. These sessions are for any new acolytes and for current acolytes entering the 6th, 8th and 10th grades to be trained in their new duties. Jr. Torchbearers (4th - 5th grades) will meet at 2pm. Sr. Torchbearers (6th – 7th grades) will meet at 3pm. Jr. Crucifers (8th – 9th grades) will meet at 4pm. Sr. Crucifers (10th – 12th grades) will meet at 5pm. Only one session is required. Each session will be held in the church and should last approximately an hour. Questions? Contact Chip Chase (chip_chase@hotmail.com).