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June 1 - 30, 2001 St. John’s Episcopal Church 404-761-8402 SPECIAL EVENTS
EACH WEEK WE OFFER
JUNE BIRTHDAYS
MISSION TRIP TO CENTRAL AMERICA At the bowl-a-thon on May 20 we had lots of fun and raised over $1,000 for Whitney Reeves’ mission trip to Ecuador this summer. We are only $500 short of our goal and donations are still welcome! FROM RAY TOWNSEND The following is a letter Ray sent to the Vestry after learning that the Vestry approved increasing our donation to Family Life Ministries from $200 per month to $500 per month. As most of you know, I have been working each Tuesday at Family Life Ministries since last summer when we moved our food pantry to East Point. It was an excellent move and my only regret would have to be that we did not do it sooner. At Family Life each client is registered by name, address, social security number and other data required to insure that we are helping the really needy and deserving people. Before the move, we were only able to pass out lunches, frequently to people who abused the system. I have been personally blessed to see that real help is being given to the needy. My most sincere thanks to you for the increase in donations and other support that was approved at the last Vestry Meeting. Jane Gunter was ecstatic when I told her the good news. You can be sure that the funds are sorely needed, and carefully spent to do the work Jesus has given us to do. God be with you all, Love, Ray TRANSITIONS Our love and sympathy to Eleanor Kornahrens on the death of her father, the Rev. Hunt Comer. May the souls of the grateful departed rest in God’s nearer presence. We welcome new members Brent and Mary Warberg, 2161 Peachtree Road, NE, Atlanta 30309 (404) 350-0341. Welcome! KNOW YOUR OUTREACH COMMITTEE Here are the names and phone numbers of the folks who are on our newly organized Outreach Committee. Contact them for ideas and information, or if you have thoughts about how we can better serve the community:
YOU’RE GONNA GET BAGGED The week before we gather to eat together (brunch or picnic), the Outreach Committee will put grocery bags on your car (while you’re in church) with a list of food and hygiene items Family Life needs. This is a good way to help us remember those who are hungry and in need as we prepare to feast together. Good job, Outreach! PENTECOST PICNIC! Don’t forget to come to the picnic after the 10:30 service on Pentecost, June 3. We’ll provide hot-dogs, burgers, and drinks. Please bring a side dish or dessert. Fun! See you there! NEWCOMERS COMMITTEE NEWS The Newcomers Committee has held two meetings for the purpose of seeking ways to make newcomers and visitors feel more welcome and comfortable with St. John’s and the Episcopal liturgy. The committee would welcome any input or ideas. Please contact Jeanne Mull or Jane Randolph with suggestions. HERE’S A NICE THOUGHT I will hold the thoughts, confidences, joys, sorrows, victories, and defeats of others as gently as I would hold a hummingbird in my hand. Author unknown THE CHURCH’S POSITION ON THE DEATH PENALTY Since I preached about the death penalty a few weeks ago, some of you have asked about the Church’s position. You don’t have to agree, but you should know that the Episcopal Church first stated its opposition to the death penalty at General Convention in 1958 and reaffirmed that position in 1969 and 1979. The 2000 General Convention passed a resolution stating:
What other religious groups oppose the death penalty? Too many to list, but they include American Baptists, Disciples of Christ, General Baptists, Quakers, The American Jewish Committee, Lutherans (ELCA), Presbyterians (USA), United Methodists, the Roman Catholic Church, and the National Council of Churches. FROM THE RECTOR Some time ago, I had lunch with Jane Randolph to discuss a ministry she had heard about called Dinners for Eight. Dinners for Eight is a ministry of hospitality which identifies newcomers (or potential newcomers) and introduces them to members of the church in an informal setting. The idea is to encourage people to become involved at St. John’s by helping them form friendships with members. Someone is much more likely to visit, or a newcomer is more likely to stay, if they come on Sunday and see folks who are already their friends. Here is how it works: six people in the parish (three couples, six singles, or any combination thereof--we’ll call them "couples" for convenience sake) host a dinner for a "guest couple" or single. The host couples divide up responsibilities for the dinner, so no one has to do it all. Host couples also follow up with the guest couple over the next few weeks with notes and phone calls and, of course, invitations to church. Recently, we held a meeting to explore whether Dinners for Eight might work at St. John’s. The consensus is that it is a great idea (thanks Jane!). We are forming a steering committee to develop the specifics. Part of what the steering committee will do is develop a questionnaire for you to fill out so that we can learn more about your interests and talents. This will serve a three-fold purpose. First, it will help us match Dinner for Eight guests with hosts who share some of their interests. Second, it will help us learn more about one another (never a bad idea!). Finally, it will help us avoid calling on "the usual suspects"—the same folks who "do everything" at the church. We’d like to expand the circle, and learning more about one another helps us do that. So, we’ve got some planning to do. But don’t wait on us! This ministry will succeed or fail based on the presence or absence of one thing —initiative. If you want to host a Dinner for Eight, don’t wait on us! Go for it! Call Jane Randolph or the church. We’ll give you a handout explaining the specifics, and you can organize your own dinner, selecting hosts who have something in common with the guest (s). Go! Dinners for Eight is an opportunity to bring the old timers and new timers together, to strengthen parish ties, to broaden the St. John’s interest base, to discover and make use of parishioner talents, and to enjoy good food and hearty laughter. Who can say no to that?
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Eagle Notes