September 2015
St. Mark’s News Volume 19/Issue 8
From the Rector As I write this, families are posting photos of their children on their first day of school on Facebook. I love seeing how these children have grown and are growing and I must admit to a bit of nostalgia that we are now past those years of back-to-school shopping for clothes and school supplies since our daughter has grown. I am thankful that I can, however, shop for back-to-school supplies for Austin children who are in need of those supplies to begin their new school year. I am always thankful for the generosity of St. Mark’s parishioners throughout the course of a year. I love seasons of new beginnings – especially September and January. Every Tuesday at St. Mark’s, during the program year, we have a noon Bible Study. We usually work our way rather systematically through various books of the Bible. In 2015-2016 we have decided to study Luke, Jeremiah, and Lamentations. September 8 will be a day for this new beginning for Bible Study. Not everyone is free to join us midweek at noon, but each one of us can embark on a new beginning of Bible Study this September.
In this Issue
On August 14 there was a helpful article written for The Living Church by Bishop Daniel Martins entitled “Top 10 Rules for Reading the Bible.” Bishop Martins prefaces his “rules” with this reminder: “For Christians, the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the foundational text of our faith, both the ultimate source of illumination in our relationship with God and the ultimate tether in our speculation about God and God’s ways.” Here is a summary of that article/of those rules:
From the Rector......................... 1 Vestry Highlights........................ 2 Parish Life.................................. 4 Outreach .................................... 6 Christian Formation ................... 7 Parishioner Highlights .............. 10 Caffeine Ministry ...................... 11 Celebrations ............................ 11 ROTA....................................... 12
1. The Bible is the Church’s book. The texts of sacred scripture arose organically out of the dynamic life of a community of people – first the community of ancient Israel, then the community of the earliest Church. The only way reading the Bible can be an “eye-opening experience” is when one reads it as an insider, as a member of the community which is its natural home. 2. The Bible is many books – it is a collection of astonishingly diverse documents ranging in length from the one-page brevity of Philemon to the enormous batch of poetry known as the Psalms. Each of these documents has its own integrity, its own “voice.” 3. The Bible is one book, which is the bookend to #2 – both are essential and need to be held in dynamic tension. Both the diversity and the essential unity of this array of documents must be honored at the same time. 4. The Bible is God-breathed. We are not bound to accept a sort of crude dictation understanding of the inspiration of Holy Scripture; the process was more artful and organic, working with and through the natural proclivities of the various human authors. Nevertheless, the result is canonical – i.e. it stands as a measuring stick, a rule of faith.
Page 1
September 2015 5. The Bible that we read is a translation of Hebrew, Greek and some Aramaic. In personal and group study it is best to consult a variety of translations. 6. The Bible contains different literary genres: poetry, hymnody, historical narrative, correspondence that contains exhortation and teaching and theological explication, aphorisms, apocalyptic, prophecies, legend and myth, and other genres. Each of these genres must be discerned and respected. 7. Each text in the Bible has a literary and historical context. Yes, God speaks to us through the pages of Scripture as we read it today. But our ability to hear accurately what God intends to say is tied at least in part to our willingness to understand what he also meant to say to the text’s original readers. 8. Christian disciples read the Bible with the Church. 9. The Bible may profitably be read devotionally: there are ways of engaging biblical texts using practices that are non-academic and prayerful. Christians should regularly encounter scripture in a liturgical context as well as devotionally. 10. Not everything in the Bible is a positive example. The Bible speaks descriptively about numerous patterns of behavior and social institutions, but does not condone such things as polygamy, slavery, racial discrimination, monarchy, gratuitous violence, etc. Bishop Martins concludes by saying, “It is meet and right that every literate Christian ‘read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest’ the words of sacred Scripture. Those words then form the grammar and syntax and vocabulary of our lives in Christ, they tutor us in our eventual destiny of living in the unmediated presence of the Holy One. But reading the Bible is often a challenge. It can be confusing and troubling, and it is easy to be deceived. These ten guidelines are not the Alpha and Omega of successful biblical interpretation. But perhaps they are useful touchstones.” So how do we go about it? One way is to read the Daily Office, which has daily readings from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the New Testament, and a Gospel. I also recommend some version of “Through the Bible in a Year.” I have a Bible that does just that: The NRSV Daily Bible. And another resource I like is online: thecenterforbiblicalstudies.org – the Bible Challenge. On each day of the Bible Challenge you read a few chapters of the Old Testament, a Psalm, and a chapter from the New Testament. Or, on your own, you can simply read 3 chapters a day and that will get you through the Bible in a year. EZT+
Vestry Highlights The St. Mark’s Vestry met in the Bennett Wing Classroom at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18, 2015. The meeting opened with the Collect for William Porcher DuBose. The agenda and the July meeting minutes were approved. The Rector’s report included:
Discussion about the Assistant search: Timothy McLeod and his wife Caitlin decided to stay in Durham rather than relocate to Austin; Kai Ryan gave Elizabeth+ the name of a priest in Kansas and a priest in California has contacted Elizabeth+ having seen the job opening on the Diocesan website. Both men have been ordained for two years and Elizabeth+ will be following up with them in the next several days. July was an expensive repair month: $650 for the Parish Hall air conditioning and $1,000 for an electrical repair. We granted the Austin Diaper Bank a mini-grant for $500 and we sent Habitat for Humanity $1,000 for the Fall Faith Build (October 3 is St. Mark’s Day to participate).
Page 2
September 2015
The Building Committee met on July 22 and agreed that we would do three things: get new lighting for the church, get a new sound system for the church, and bring in a consultant to look at the Parish Hall/Kitchen area to see how best to improve that space. On August 10 Jim Susman of STG Design met with Elizabeth+, Tim Hendricks, and Amelia Sondgeroth to see the space. Jim has agreed to work with us on a redesign that will raise the roof line, heighten the Parish Hall ceiling, improve the kitchen, and provide more adequate bathroom space. This building project will involve initiating a Capital Campaign in the Spring. We return to our three service schedule on September 6. The Day School has had a small drop in fall enrollment: it dropped from 102 to 98 but then rose again to 101. The Day School has a capacity for 104 students.
Diana Stangl gave the Finance Committee Report:
At the most recent Finance Committee meeting we began work on the 2016 budget. Pledge contributions have been below budget in both June and July, though overall we are still above budget (if you are behind on your pledge please try to catch up in September). The Men’s Scholarship Golf Tournament was very successful and netted @ $6,000 for the scholarship fund The parish was generous to Nate and Janna with financial gifts totaling $2,300. We spent $1,793 on new hymnals for use at the 9:00 a.m. service (see Mark’s article in this Newsletter)
The meeting concluded with the service of Compline.
A Homily for August 16, 2015, (Lectionary B, Proper 15) at the Trinity Center On Sunday, August 16, our youth group led worship and served our Austin neighbors at the Trinity Center. One of our young people, Claudia Janes, was the preacher that afternoon. Her text was a portion of the Bread of Life discourse from the 6th chapter of John and she did a fine job of tackling a difficult and obscure passage. Here is the text of Claudia’s sermon. I tell you unless you eat of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you. I got baptized when I was five. I had been bugging my parents for forever to finally let me. I remember going up to the altar and kneeling in between my mother and grandmother watching as both of them got communion while I got a blessing. I remember sitting in the car on the way home from church, when my mom told me that in a month, I was going to get baptized. At the time, I didn’t understand why people got baptized; I just knew I didn’t want to be left out anymore. Now, I understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us. When we make the commitment to be baptized, we are accepting the Christian faith as our own and being included in something so much bigger than all of us. We are being included in the following of his teachings. He gave himself for us and that is what communion reminds us of every Sunday. Without his body and blood there would be no life in us. Every time we take the communion we’re reaffirming our faith in Jesus and renewing our eternal life.
Page 3
September 2015
A Letter from Our New Seminarian St. Mark’s Community, I am excited to be joining St. Mark's as its newest seminarian for the next two years. Jennifer and I have enjoyed visiting St. Mark's this past year as guests, but we look forward to becoming a part of your community. I am a middler seminarian (that means a second year student) at the Seminary of the Southwest, and I am also a postulant (someone who is in the early process of becoming ordained) with the Diocese of Texas. I grew up in East Texas in a small town called Van where oil, football, and big trucks reign (much to my chagrin). I did not grow up in the Episcopal Church, but in an evangelical home, and it was only after college that I found the Episcopal Church. I went to a Roman Catholic university in Dallas, called the University of Dallas, which was founded by a group of Cistercian monks and where I studied English and classical literature. It was here that I got my first taste of the liturgy, the sacraments, and the rich heritage of the catholic tradition. The Episcopal Church immediately felt like home to me. I sensed that in the Episcopal Church I could be a sacramental Christian without having to abandon my evangelical background with its own spiritual resources and insights. Interestingly, one of the groomsmen in my wedding is now an ordained Presbyterian minister and another is an ordained Roman Catholic priest. I guess I split the difference! It was also at that Catholic university that I first met my lovely wife, Jennifer, who attended the University of North Texas but often visited UD to see a mutual friend. We dated through college and have been married now for five years. We both came to the Episcopal Church together and have strikingly similar religious backgrounds. She was born and raised just outside of Fort Worth, and as a result, can clearly and passionately delineate the differences between Dallas and Fort Worth to anyone who might make the mistake of conflating the two cities. She currently works from home with an organization called Mercy Ships, a non-profit that provides free medical and surgical care in Africa through a hospital ship. If you get a chance, ask her about her family's connection to France. Prior to seminary, Jennifer and I lived in Tyler and attended Christ Church Episcopal. Our first year of marriage was spent in a cabin by a small lake with no internet and little cell reception, and my job at the time was driving a tractor (putting my English degree and classical Greek to good use). However, for three years I was a high school English teacher and soccer coach at a boarding school in Tyler. I loved teaching and think that it will continue to have a place in my vocation in the future. Jennifer and I both love travel, food and cooking, good movies and books and exploring Austin with our Cocker Spaniel Molly, who is terrified of water but loves perilous heights. We both look forward to getting to know everyone at St. Mark's and are excited for the next two years! - Neal McGowan
Parish Life First Friday Book Group 11:00 a.m. in the Bennett Wing Classroom As your schedule allows, join us on the first Friday of each month for our First Friday Book Group. Here is what we are scheduled to read for the remainder of 2015: September 4 October 2 November 6 December 4
The Boys in the Boat Beautiful Ruins The Good Lord Bird Girl Meets God
Daniel James Brown Jess Walter James McBride Lauren Winner
Page 4
September 2015
Music Notes A New Hymnal for 9:00 We will begin using a new hymnal at the 9:00 service this September. Entitled Worship & Rejoice, it is an inclusive collection drawn from traditional and contemporary sources, with a special focus on hymns that can be sung effectively by smaller congregations. The hymns are drawn from the best of traditional Anglican and Protestant hymnody; from the American Spiritual, gospel, and folk repertoire; from the Catholic renewal music that flourished after Vatican II, from the monastic community at Taizé, and from several multicultural sources. This new hymnal will replace the “Red Book” supplement that we made ourselves a few years ago. Worship & Rejoice includes many of our favorite hymns from the “Red Book” and The Hymnal 1982, but adds an outstanding breadth and variety. This will enable it to serve as the primary songbook for the 9:00 service. It is an exciting and useful collection of hymns, and I trust that it will enrich our worship.
Choir Rehearsals Resume The first Adult Choir (open to youth!) rehearsal of the season will be Wednesday, September 2 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. We welcome singers with varying levels of experience. While some music reading ability is helpful, several first-time choir members sing in the group. The first Choristers (primarily elementary school kids) rehearsal will be Wednesday, September 9 from 6:15-7:00 p.m. in the Common Room. By participating in Choristers, children not only develop their musical skills, but they also strengthen their faith by joining a community and building friendships within the church. They sing approximately once a month at the 9:00 a.m. service during the academic year. I hope that you will consider singing with us! Please contact Mark Reed by email (mreed1685@gmail.com) or phone (512-203-1780) for more information.
Youth Happenings September 6
Bowling! – 12:00pm – 3:00pm Bowling and lunch at Dart Bowl
September 13
Lunch and Fellowship
September 20
Eric’s Going Away Party – 12:00pm – 3:00pm Potluck lunch after the 11:00am service. Parents are invited to attend.
September 27
Lunch and Fellowship
Page 5
September 2015
Women’s News The salad/sandwich lunch was a great way to end the summer and reconnect with those we haven't seen in a while. Thanks to everyone who pitched in and helped make this a fun and relaxing lunch, with special thanks to Brenda White, Dee Ann Thomasson, and Karen Dulaney Smith for the Saturday set-up. September 28 is our next potluck and bunco. Bring a dish to share and $3 for bunco.
2015 Women's Retreat at Camp Allen St. Mark's Women's Group is the host church for the annual women's retreat at Camp Allen this year. The retreat is scheduled for November 20-22, and committee chairs are:
Pat Bullock - Host Church committee chair Tina Stonebarger - Goodie Bag Chair Beth Brode - Decorations Chair Laura Merritt and Bradley Johnson - Cookie Co-Chairs Elizabeth Turner and Lisa Martin - Worship Co-Chairs Pat Bullock - Greeters Chair
Our theme for the retreat is "And who is my neighbor?" Tina Stonegarber and her committee have the goodie bags and items for these bag purchased, and Beth Brode and her committee are beginning to work on ideas for decorations. Laura Merritt and Bradley Johnson are rounding up volunteers to help in baking cake pops for the Friday evening convocation gathering, reception with Bishop Fisher, and the 500 cookies needed for the retreat. So, your help is needed! Please sign up to bake cake pops or cookies and help with decorations and then join us at Camp Allen to participate in making the retreat a wonderful experience for all those attending. Irit Umani, Executive Director of Trinity Center, will be the opening plenary speaker and will also be the speaker at one of our workshops on Saturday. Donna Emery, Development Director at Mobile Loaves & Fishes, will be the closing plenary speaker on Sunday. The Shower Ministry is the outreach project for this year and registrants are asked to bring donations of gift cards from Target and Walmart to the retreat. In addition to being the host church for the retreat, we will also have a booth in the marketplace/vendor area. We are looking for crafters and creative types to help us supply our booth with handmade items, such as holiday decorations, pillows, table runners, place mats, napkins, scarves, etc. Registration opens on September 6 and closes November 6 - there is a limit of 150 so get your registration in early!
Outreach St. Mark's is hosting a blood drive on September 13, between 10 a.m.-1 p.m.! We need a minimum of 18 participants for them to send out their mobile unit. Please sign-up on the sheet posted in the Parish Hall near the kitchen. All donors must be in good health, at least 17 years old, and weigh at least 115 pounds to donate whole blood, or weigh at least 110 lbs. to donate platelets. If you have questions, contact the operations manager at 512‐206‐1108 or whocandonate@inyourhands.org.
Page 6
September 2015
A Letter from Janna and Nate Lee We would like to thank you, the people of St. Mark's, for being such a big part of our journey and for all of your generous and loving support. We feel truly blessed for having been a part of such a special place with such great people. What we are going to miss most will be the relationships that we have built. I asked Nate what his favorite memory from St. Mark's this past year was, to which he replied that it was not just one specific memory, but that it was the people that we were going to be leaving (especially the men's group). During our short tenure you have touched our lives and have left a lasting legacy on our hearts. We would like to thank you for your generosity and support of us as we begin a new stage of life. The shower that Brenda and the Martha's threw for us was incredible and made us feel so loved. We were even able to use the flowers and mason jars for our wedding ceremony! We are so thankful of all the kitchen goods that we received, as well as the generous donations that you made to us. It is going to help so much as we make this cross country move and get settled down. We also want to say a special thank you to Elizabeth and Philip. Nate and I look up to both of you and are so thankful to have you in our lives. Thank you for helping in our wedding ceremony, for hosting us our last weekend in Austin, and for your continued love and support extended towards us. You have been great mentors to both of us and thank you for the wisdom and advice you have given through different situations. During our wedding season people from across the church helped to support us and ensure that we had a great ceremony. Millie and Jim, thank you for taking great care of our sweet puppy Molly, for your friendship, and for hosting us on our return from our honeymoon. Bo, thank you for all of your help, including making sure that we had everything we needed and everything returned and for taking great care of Nate's car. Abby, thank you for making 590 cake balls and for your friendship the past few months. Michele, thank you for helping decorate and for clearing out the church. Brenda (and Rex) thank you for your support and for all the help in the decorating. We could not have done it without you. J.P. and Laura thank you for allowing us to use your place in Costa Rica, it was incredible! To all the staff, thank you for putting up with Nate and me during the last few weeks of wedding planning. There are many more who have touched our lives as well. St. Mark's is a tough place to leave. Neither of us had been in a parish this happy or healthy. It encourages us as we continue in ministry. Sometimes we reflect back and wonder why we are leaving, but we know that St. Mark's is going to continue to flourish. God speed and if you are ever in the Washington D.C. area, please let us know. Thank you, Janna and Nate Lee
Christian Formation for Children and Youth, by Cathy Nelson, DRE As we approach the beginning of the school year and the return to our normal Church schedule, St. Mark’s is having a face-lift, as it were. Most of us know that St. Mark’s has a vibrant and loving day school, but many never see it in action. As I write this article, there is much action in the Day School hallways! Our hardworking sexton and her husband, Irma and Tim Glover, have freshly waxed the floors, and soon the carpets will be cleaned. The teachers are cleaning and arranging the classrooms. Nametags and signs are being printed and laminated. Each child’s appearance in the rooms is being anticipated and planned for with pleasure. St. Mark’s Day School Director and teachers are amazing and their work and excitement is filling the building with fresh energy. Somewhere I read that the beginning of the school year is the best time for families to make New Year’s resolutions. When you experience the energy put into getting back to school after the long summer break, you know this to be true. The new school supplies, fresh new clothing, new teachers and new students, new friends
Page 7
September 2015 and renewed friendships with old friends combined with the anticipation and hope of another year of exploration and growth make it the perfect time to begin anew. It is a time of fresh beginnings for St. Mark’s Church as well. Along with the spruced-up facilities, there is fresh fall programming for Church School and Adult Ed classes, new music for the Choir and Choristers, new and returning Youth Lectors and Acolytes, and the list goes on. And, we are blessed by our families who with their renewed energy and hope make efforts to attend church and Church School more regularly and volunteer to be part of the many ministries, committees and groups that are so important to St. Mark’s. A fresh, new beginning at home seems possible at this time too. As you adapt to different schedules and activities at school and church, families are more open to adding something new into daily routines, especially when doing so brings more family time together. Families can make a resolution to add one or two faith rituals or traditions during this transition. There are plenty of ideas on the web and on our bookshelves, but these simple ideas might be easier to turn from a resolution into a practice. If you like to explore links, I have included some sites I stopped to read. http://vibrantfaith.org/2015/01/resolve-practice-faith-home/ As you drop off your children at school or send them out to the bus stop, say a brief blessing such as, “God bless you and keep you, God make his face to shine upon you, and be with you always.”. Other prayers can be found in our library book, To Bless a Child, by Roy G. Pollina. Begin saying a prayer together at meals, school drop-off, sports games, bath or bedtime. Whenever you feel most comfortable. Your children might have a prayer or song they would like to use. http://www.vibrantfaithathome.org/library/library-by-category-col-150/library-category-prayer Read a chapter of the Bible together after dinner. This article in The Briefing, a digital magazine produced by Matthias Media, an evangelical publisher in Australia has some good suggestions. http://matthiasmedia.com/briefing/2011/10/reading-the-bible-with-kids-even-the-hard-bits/#fnref-12343-29 A variation of this could be to ask one family member to tell a story from the Bible during dinner. It is hard to resist a good story! You may be surprised how many your children already know how to tell themselves. Tips for Doing Rituals and Traditions, from Vibrant Faith Ministries. https://player.vimeo.com/video/38927780 As with resolution, these will take some work and if the whole family is involved in choosing the ritual or tradition you wish to add you can support each other when someone forgets or is too tired or it’s too late. Most importantly, choose something that works with your lifestyle and schedules. And don’t worry if you miss a time or two, just try again when the right moment presents itself. Christian Formation classes begin September 6 Classes for children and youth from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade will resume on September 6, at 10:00 a.m. St. Mark’s wonderful Church School teachers are planning for and anticipating the appearance of our children in the classes too! The Godly Play class for children in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten meets in the Common Room. This class will have an orientation on Sunday, September 6 to introduce the children and parents to the program. They will hear the story The Circle of the Church Year. The following Sundays, the class will hear The Holy Family, which is told each time we begin a new season of the Church year, and Creation and The Flood and the Ark, stories about God’s presence among his people. The storytellers for this class are Scott Forrest, Pam Johns and JP Kloninger. Parent volunteers will continue to be class helpers. The Godly Play Two class for 1st and 2nd graders will meet in the Parish hall behind the portable walls. This group will hear many new stories this year. In stories from Volume 6 of Godly Play, we dig deeper into the lives of many of the central figures of the Old Testament stories. In September, following the story of The
Page 8
September 2015 Circle of the Church Year, the children will hear Creation, The Second Creation: “The Falling Apart” and The Great Family. Henry Olivas and I are the storytellers for this class. Parent volunteers will continue to be class helpers. Christian formation for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders will once again be led by David Genet. We are so very glad to have David back with this group! The Youth Class will continue to meet for breakfast and discussion with Ellise Johnson in the Bennett Wing classroom. Danielle Welcome back! And Adkins and Jay Brown will help lead the class. thank you for Confirmation Classes begin September 20 supporting our
children’s programs! For 7th graders (and up) wanting to be confirmed, class will meet on September 20, 27, October 4, 11, 18, and 25 September 20, 27, October 4, 11, 18, and 25. We have postponed the Confirmation Class so all teens can attend the Adult Formation Class on September 6 and 13 to learn a little about Thom Temperli and Neal McGowen, our seminarians who will be leading the Confirmation Class. Confirmation is on January 31. When we return to three services on September 6, Children’s Chapel services for 4 to 6 year olds will be available during both the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services. In order to provide a safe environment in which our children can worship and play, we will continue to ask a parent to help our Chapel leaders during each Chapel service. Chapel leaders this year are Anna Bryan-Borja, Kevin Cromack, Amy Farley, Henry Olivas, Cathy Nelson, and Ellie Reshetnikov.
Christian Formation for Adults Sunday Mornings. Christian Formation classes for adults and young people resume on Sunday, September 6 at 10:00 a.m. The Adult Christian Formation class meets in Grace Chapel each Sunday. I hope you will plan on scheduling two hours for church each Sunday for the entire family: one hour for worship and another for education. Cathy Nelson does a wonderful job of planning Christian Formation classes for our young people, and the adult classes offer an array of interesting topics for discussion. Classes for 2015-2016 will include Ross Ramsey talking about politics, local and national; Rich Oppel moderating a panel discussion on race relations; Philip Turner signing and discussing his about-to-be published book, Christian Ethics and the Church; Ecclesial Foundations for Moral Thought and Pratice; Greg Garrett discussing his book Entertaining Judgment; a Lenten series on the Seven Deadly Sins; and a two-week class on the Creeds. We will also hear from our seminarians, Michael Meigs will teach a two-week series, and we will have a class on end-of-life considerations. Here is the schedule for September: September 6: Meet our new Middler seminarian, Neal McGowan September 13: Our Senior seminarian, Thom Temperli, will talk to us about his time in Israel this summer. September 20: We will discuss some of the General Convention resolutions September 27 and October 4: Ross Ramsey will talk to us about local and national politics. Tuesdays at Noon: Brown Bag Bible Study. Every Tuesday at noon we gather in the Bennett Wing classroom for Bible Study. We call it the Brown Bag Bible Study so that participants can bring their lunch should they choose to do so. Few of us do, however – instead we snack on popcorn, mixed nuts, and Chex mix (except on the first and last sessions of the year when we have a pizza lunch). Bible study resumes on Tuesday, September 8. Philip Turner will be leading us through the Gospel of Luke from September through December.
Page 9
September 2015
Parishioner Highlights As I read this fascinating article about Karen and Michael my mind went to movies I have seen with themes of espionage and famous people in history. From their lives as well as their children’s and their adventures abroad I thought how fascinating and what fun and memorable experiences. We are so fortunate that they have kept their ties with St. Mark’s after relocating to Northwest Hills. As you can see they have been valuable members not only of our parish but also of the community and we thank them for all that they have contributed. Beth Chenoweth
Karen Milton and Michael Meigs Members of St. Mark’s since they moved to Austin eight years ago, Karen Milton and Michael Meigs have been shaped by language and by languages. They met as Peace Corps volunteers teaching English in French-speaking schools in the Ivory Coast (now known as Côte d’Ivoire) and were married there. After graduate studies in New York their career with the United States Foreign Service included three-year assignments in South America, Africa, the Mediterranean, Europe and the Caribbean. Both speak French and Spanish. Karen teaches English to speakers of other languages. Michael served as an economic officer and political-economic counselor. He’s now selfemployed as a free-lance literary translator, primarily from Swedish to English. He edits and publishes the arts website www.CTXLiveTheatre.com, serves as secretary and bursar of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin, and does pro bono interpretation and translation for refugees and asylum seekers.
Their adult children Nina and Lamar grew up mostly abroad, attended French-language schools, and now pursue professional careers in Boston and in Chicago. The family’s church history began anew in Central Africa, thanks in part to activities with Christian missionaries. The Milton-Meigs family was assigned subsequently to Washington, DC, and became involved with St. Frances Church, Potomac; their later church homes were Emmanuel Church in Geneva, Switzerland, Emmanuel Cathedral in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and a mission church in the nearby poverty-stricken beachfront town of Boca Chica. Here in Austin they moved from Oak Hill to Northwest Hills, happily maintaining their ties with St. Mark’s. Both have served on the vestry. Karen’s a member of the altar guild and is beginning her fourth year of Education for Ministry. Michael’s on a men’s group cooking team; he also participates with the St. Mark’s finance committee, stewardship committee, and newcomers’ committee. From time to time he has identified opportunities for St. Mark’s parishioners to enjoy fellowship and entertainment at theatre events in Austin.
Page 10
September 2015
Caffeine Ministry You will notice a change on this Caffeine Ministry list. Dear and faithful Beth Chenoweth makes the lemonade and sets out the cookies before the 7:30 service, so this schedule only has a team for cleaning up after the 11:00 service. All that is asked is that the assigned team stays after coffee fellowship to wash coffee pots, put away leftover cookies, and clean counters. (So, no early duty---help is now only needed after the 11 a.m. service.) And if you are unable to help, please switch w/someone or contact the vestry member assigned for the month. Thank you! EZT+ September (David Johns) 6 Cindy & Dan Bogard 13 Cecily Bennett & Sue Borel 20 Shelly Botkin & Ryan Marquess 27 David and Cookie Bowman
October (Jim Nolan) 4 Diane & Charles Brewer 11 Beth & Mike Brode 18 Becky Brownlee & Ross Ramsey 25 Chuck Bryant & Scottie Alpin
November (JP Kloninger) 1 Kim & Wade Buckner 8 Cindy & Dru Cabler 15 Kevin & Meredith Childs 22 Barbette & John Cooper 29 Liz Davis & Linda Crannell
September Celebrations Birthdays Marty Clark Miles Barker Cindy Bogard Kelly Vande Streek Andrea Michael Gregory Knapp Frank Severn Max Reshetnikov Connor Fuhrman Dillon Johns Emily Lehrach Jacob Sondgeroth Anna Mazac Rosemary Nolan Harper Sanders Dayna Blazey Anna Bryan-Borja Alexandra Geraci Kemble White Megan Frederick Jackie Whalen Barbara Dody Al McKinney Betty Lee Kyle Way
09/01 09/02 09/02 09/02 09/03 09/04 09/04 09/05 09/06 09/06 09/06 09/06 09/07 09/07 09/07 09/09 09/09 09/10 09/10 09/11 09/11 09/12 09/13 09/14 09/14
Zephyr Gates Dan Bogard Sydney Doidge Logan Pugh Sonnie Barham Kim Buckner Olivia Rush Lorraine Bowman Clay Buckner Jill Collins Emily Rogers Carolyn Wier Elizabeth Turner Raymond Gallardo III Carol Oppel Kyle Rush Marsha Topham Michael Fuhrman Tim Glover Adam Stockstill Rick Tennant Susan Baxter-Harwell Trent Weems Josephine Baumgart Bryn Delfausse
09/15 09/16 09/16 09/16 09/17 09/17 09/17 09/18 09/18 09/18 09/18 09/18 09/19 09/20 09/20 09/20 09/21 09/22 09/22 09/22 09/22 09/23 09/23 09/24 09/24
Stella Kloninger Emily Mazac Kate Nogarede Claire Cabler Shannon Eaton Estella Minne Lansing Pugh Suzann Dvorken Katherine Frederick Jim Nolan Kathy Overstreet Pam Johns Benton Tso Rex White Christopher Elliott Benjamin Forrest Samuel Forrest Mehron Azarmehr Aaron Barker Joey Genet Laura Merritt Diana Stangl Henry Janes Michelle Lehrach
09/24 09/24 09/24 09/25 09/25 09/25 09/25 09/26 09/26 09/26 09/26 09/27 09/27 09/27 09/28 09/28 09/28 09/29 09/29 09/29 09/29 09/29 09/30 09/30
Anniversaries Mina Kumar & James Spindler Diana & Greg Stangl Nancy & John Hicks Liz Badger & Lansing Pugh
09/03 09/03 09/07 09/09
Irma & Tim Glover Jana Kay & Tim Green Penny & Christopher Considine Beth & John Chenoweth
09/10 09/12 09/14 09/19
Page 11
September 2015
September ROTA
9:00 a.m. SERVICE
7:30 SERVICE
TIME
MINISTRY
September 6
September 13
September 20
September 27 Youth Sunday
October 4 Choristers @ 9 a.m.
LECTOR
Jonea Raney
Amelia Sondgeroth
Jill Collins
Nancy Middlebrook
Pattie Rose
Jill Collins
Pattie Rose
Jonea Raney
Margarita Moreno
Wes Raney
USHERS
Danielle Adkins Stephen White
Ed Shipsey Al McKinney
Beth Chenoweth Mary Smith
Jonea Raney Jill Collins
Danielle Adkins Stephen White
LECTORS
Michael Brown (1) Nancy Kibler (2)
Mike Thomasson (1) Gary Taylor (2)
Mike Fuhrman (1) Mike Thomasson (2)
YOUTH
Ken Whalen (1) Lynn Edgerton (2)
LEM
Bill Kibler Carol Oppel
Kim Buckner Lynn Edgerton
Thom Temperli Pam Castles
Neal McGowan Becky Janes
Thom Temperli Carol Oppel
Suzanne Lightsey Ethan Fuhrman Nora Kelly Hunter Rogers Carol
Karen Milton Clay Buckner Meredith Shaw TBD Kim K.
Ariston Awitan IV Ethan Fuhrman Matthew Awitan Ryan Dempsey Kim K.
Aidan Brady Claudia Janes Henry Janes Hunter Rogers Kim B., Kim K.
Abbe Kelly Will Kelly Nora Kelly Meredith Shaw Kim K.
LEM / ACOLYTE
ACOLYTES
Mark Breen Dee Ann Thomasson Dodie Wells Glen Baumgart Maria & Mike Fuhrman
Mike Brode Phil Aboussie Ross Ramsey
Ken Whalen Michael Brown Ariston Awitan III
John Edgerton Lynn Edgerton Kevin Cromack
Mark Breen Dee Ann Thomasson Dodie Wells Glen Baumgart
Meredith Childs Kevin Cromack
Kim Buckner Laura Merritt
Michael Meigs Diana Stangl
Maria & Mike Fuhrman
LECTORS
Beth Holmes (1) Rex White (2)
Kevin Childs (1) Meredith Childs (2)
Bill Willis (1) Kimberly Horne (2)
Ann Seyler (1) Roger Seyler (2)
Melissa Blanding (1) Andrew Poynot (2)
LEM
Ann Seyler Roger Seyler
Neal McGowan Brenda White
Thom Temperli Liz Davis
Thom Temperli Dru Cabler
Neal McGowan Michele Bonner
Bonnie Brode Claire Cabler Emma Kloninger Evan Overstreet Jay, Cindy
Matt Forrest Jay Brown Ben Forrest Sam Forrest Jay, Michele
Jim Casparis Michael Meigs Meredith Childs Karen Milton Jay, Cindy
Frank & Jean Severn Jay Doran Jodi Doran Pam Johns David Johns Sue Borel Steve Niemeyer Barbara Dody Meredith Childs-TC Millie Casparis Karen Milton Helen Anderson Cynthia Archer Elijah Gallardo
Carolyn Wier James Wier Bo Overstreet Rick Tennant John De Marines John Works Jean & Frank Severn
USHERS
11:00 a.m. SERVICE
GREETERS
ACOLYTES
USHERS
ALTAR GUILD
GREETERS
Sat. 9:00
Sophie Lawrence Luke Thiessen Ryan Dempsey Claire Dempsey Michele Carolyn Wier James Wier Bo Overstreet Rick Tennant John De Marines John Works
Max Genet Meredith Childs Josef Genet Emmaline BaxterHarwell Jay, Cindy Jim Casparis Charles Brewer Bob Peterek Manuel de la Rosa Jim Nolan Ryan Marquess Yvette Webb Jay Doran
Henry Olivas Yvonne Chavez Darlene Goodnight Debbie Thornal Sandy Sterzing
Shelly Botkin Ryan Marquess Diana Stangl-TC Jonea Raney-TC Dee Ann Thomasson-TC Tina Stonebarger Dodie Wells Jill Collins Darlene Goodnight Barbara Dody Carolyn Wier Debbie Thornal Judy Elkins Pat Bullock Liz Davis Lynn Edgerton Susan Baxter-Harwell Henry Olivas Jean & Frank Severn
Jonea Raney-TC Jill Collins Carolyn Wier Pat Bullock Lynn Edgerton
Depositor
John De Marines
Bo Overstreet
Jim Nolan
Shelly Botkin
Al McKinney
WED. 6 p.m.
September 2
September 9
September 16
September 23
September 30
Lector
Jonea Raney
Eric Panter
Meredith Childs
Jill Collins
Kevin Childs
Page 12
September 2015
Vestry J.P. Kloninger, Sr. Warden Diana Stangl, Jr. Warden
Vestry members: Clarence Bonnen, Michele Bonner, Shelly Botkin, Mark Breen, Jill Collins, John Cooper, Karen Dulaney Smith, Suzann Dvorken, David Johns, Nancy Kibler, Karen Milton, Jim Nolan, and David Randle
Committees Acolytes: Jay Brown, Carol Oppel, Cindy Cabler, Kim Kiplin, and Kim Buckner
Rector The Rev. Elizabeth Zarelli Turner
Altar Guild: Millie Casparis
Director of Religious Education Cathy Nelson
Building Committee: Amelia Sondgeroth Christian Formation: Cathy Nelson Communications: Pattie Rose Daughters of the King: Pam Johns Women of St. Mark’s: Pat Bullock Facilities: Ray Smith
Deadline for the October 2015 St. Mark’s News is Tuesday, September 15, 2015. Please submit your article by email as an attachment to: office@stmarksaustin.org.
Staff
Finance: John Edgerton Outreach: Laurie Mayor
Organist/Director of Music Mark Reed Seminarians Thom Temperli Neal McGowan Head of Day School Anne Wingler Parish Administrator Joanne Foote
Parish Life: Brenda White Pastoral Care/Health Ministry: Jonea C.S. Raney
Newsletter Editor Becky Janes
Stewardship: Amelia Sondgeroth Ushers: Henry Olivas
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 2128 Barton Hills Drive Austin, TX 78704 512.444.1449 www.stmarksaustin.org office@stmarksaustin.org
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Page 13