Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill, NC

Why does Jesus talk so much about money and materialism? A staggering 109 times in Matthew's Gospel alone, and the other three accounts are not far behind - a total of almost 350 Gospel references!!

Since Jesus came that we "might have life and have it abundantly," he constantly addressed the human area with the most pitfalls and the most opportunity: our approach to money.

Money can help us accomplish many things. We can use it to bring life to ourselves and others: nourishment, education, health care, gestures of love and respect, the proclamation of the Gospel, the service of those in need. Money can be a great instrument for good, for loving God and our neighbor.

But fixation on money and the anxiety and hardheartedness it brings us can be major barriers to the life and freedom and joy God desires for us. "The love of money [not the money itself] is the root of all evil." Hoarding it or idolizing it distances us not only from ourselves and other people, but also from God. Such covetousness robs us and the world of that divinely intended abundant life.

How do we heed Jesus' words and so utilize money as a positive force, not a selfish preoccupation? An important step is accepting the reality that we are stewards, not consumers or owners, of all that God gives us. Just a few minutes ago, as I was writing this article at my computer, the "bell dinged," telling me I had an e-mail message. Ironically, it was from the staff of a new national cable channel called "WealthTV"! They wanted me to ask my cable provider to include this new network, whose "programming line-up allows viewers to travel around the globe and experience the finest the world has to offer." What most discomforted me was their logo, "WealthTV: It's Your Life, Spend It Well." While we ought to appreciate and make the most of the one life we have to live, the consumer approach, that what I have is mine to satisfy myself, is greatly lacking.

What we have is God's gift to us. Even if we worked hard to gain it, the desire, the energy, the health, the education, the opportunities, and all the resources we have needed, are gracious gifts from God. God's invitation is not so much to "spend it well" as to "use it fruitfully." Besides spending it on my needs, including not only the need for nourishment and shelter and health, but also the need for challenge and celebration and communication with others, I am also to return a significant portion to God (A tithe is the Biblical norm.) and to share it with others. This is not like paying dues or even paying taxes. Our giving back joyfully acknowledges that what we have is from God's loving generosity. One tither characterized it this way, "When we place money in the offering plate, we are not really giving to the Lord. We are simply taking our hands off what already belongs to him."

Such a "hands off" policy can make us much more open to the abundant life Jesus came to bring us.

The parish barbeque is always a great way to end the summer and begin the school and church regular schedule. This year the event underscored the rich programs and critical capital needs of the parish so well described in the recent Long Range Plan. Bad weather threatened throughout the day, forcing the festivities into the dining room - where of course we don't all fit! Yet the Gospel Choir and new pastor of St. Paul AME as well as the strong group of returning and new students joined the regular members of both Chapel of the Cross and St. Paul to make a wonderful occasion.

The evening brought to mind my notion of what we are about especially this year - talking about the future vision for the parish and funding its current ministry. We are beginning parish-wide conversations about our programs, worship, and facilities as we look to the future. We also have taken big strides to enrich our current programs and must provide the support to sustain those efforts.

This is a great time at the Chapel of the Cross - Stephen Elkins-Williams is in the twentieth year of his term as rector of this parish. A fourth full-time clergy joins the parish at the end of this year. Tammy Lee's move to Campus Ministry, Vicky Jamieson-Drake coming aboard full-time, and the addition of Gretchen Jordan have invigorated our programs. We are an endowed parish - we have about $1.5 million in permanently restricted funds that generate income for the building and grounds and for outreach. But we have a growing operating budget that we must fund ourselves with annual giving.

The Chapel of the Cross has been blessed with special financial gifts for endowment, for outreach programs including Johnson Interns and for capital needs, including the new chapel organ. At the same time, the individual giving by parishioners has not kept pace with the growing program and the cost of running the parish.

Our diocese and the national church face difficult budget times in part resulting from to conflict over issues of controversy in the church. We face our own issues of controversy, although to date we have worked faithfully and respectfully to move ahead together with expansion of program, even in challenging times.

In August, the rector and wardens met with both former wardens and former vestry members to discuss the current business of the parish and the vision of the long-range plan. Especially with the wardens, the actual conversation was about the past - the rich history of this parish making strong forward-looking decisions at times of controversy. Whether those issues were changes to the buildings, like the church organ or stone floor; or large social issues like race and gender inclusion, the Chapel of the Cross found the path to responsible change - together and God centered.

We are the parish where Pauli Murray, the first black woman priest in the Episcopal Church, celebrated her first Eucharist in the chapel where her grandmother worshiped as a slave. We are called to support the ministry of this place and to build toward the future for those who follow us. I know we will, with God's help.

I have been thinking about and working on an enclosure to this year's Annual Giving Campaign mailing for some time. It has not been easy. What can be written that you have not seen or read many times before? What can be printed that will focus your attention on our needs - all of us at the Chapel of the Cross and those to whom we minister - for the coming year? What are the facts that will influence you to increase your pledge or stimulate you to pledge for the first time?

For the last two years, the Chapel of the Cross has struggled to provide the vibrant ministries and programs that you anticipate and expect with the resources pledged. Though many in the parish were generous and forthcoming in their stewardship gifts (63 percent of our parishioners made a stewardship commitment), the results of the Annual Giving Campaigns for these two years were level and short of our goals, requiring the vestry to make hard and difficult decisions when approving the budgets. It is true that the Chapel of the Cross has other resources to draw on - the income from investments and endowment, and undesignated gifts and bequests - and does so; but these resources by their nature and design provide only a fraction of the total required to meet our budgetary needs.

This fall the Chapel of the Cross needs both an increase in total dollars pledged and an increase in parishioners pledging.

The goal for the 2005 Annual Giving Campaign is $1,110,000. This is a 15 percent increase above last year's total and will provide our continuing Christian commitment to vibrant liturgies, pastoral care and outreach, programs and activities for our diverse parish family, and the maintenance and preservation of our facilities. The pledge goal covers the significant growth in the parish's fixed costs, though most church programs and other activities will be held at last year's levels.

A 15 percent increase is a big jump, but I would not be writing this if I did not believe it was achievable. To lead the way, the members of the vestry are stepping forward early with leadership pledges exceeding the 15 percent, as will other parish leaders past and present. When you receive your pledge information in the mail, please study it carefully and prayerfully consider your commitment as a steward of God's gifts. Make a new generous pledge, if you have not before, or increase yours by 15% or more so that we will reach our goal, and much more.

The chart below shows various income levels and percentage amounts based on each level. You may want to consider these numbers as you determine the amount of your pledge this year.

Each year the Annual Giving Campaign gathers in the gifts and pledges that enable Chapel of the Cross to continue and to enrich its ministries of liturgy, pastoral care, outreach, and education. As we prepare for the 2004-2005 campaign, I invite you to read and think for just a few minutes about "The General Thanksgiving" that ends the services of Morning and Evening Prayer.

The words of this three-part communal prayer are probably as comfortably familiar to us as "God Is Great, God Is Good" is to our children and grandchildren. In it we first thank God for His "goodness and loving-kindness"; then we bless Him for creating us, blessing us, and providing for our redemption through "our Lord Jesus Christ"; and finally we ask God to give us an awareness of all His mercies. At this point it's helpful to look at the Rite I version of the prayer, because its author clearly envisioned two outcomes of this awareness of God's mercies: first, "that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful," and then, that we may "show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to thy service . . . ."

Practicing Christian stewardship gives us the opportunity to put this prayer into action. When we respond to the Annual Giving Campaign's challenge to give generously of our hard-earned financial assets, we act out of hearts that are "unfeignedly thankful." I love that fine, archaic word, "unfeignedly" (that my Spell-Check just told me isn't a word!). Its very strangeness makes us pay attention: more than saying just "truly thankful," or "sincerely thankful," it describes an act of thanks-giving free of pretense, sham, superficiality and full of whole-hearted commitment, a giving up of self to God's service.

With truly thankful hearts, then, we render praise to God "not only with our lips, but in our lives." That is, we honor and glorify God not just in songs and prayer, though these are vital acts of worship, but also by parting with pieces of our lives, of ourselves - our time, talents, and money - so that He may be served in ways that begin to repay His infinite "goodness and loving-kindness to us." During this Annual Giving Campaign, let all of us in our own ways live out the prayer that is often on our lips so that the Chapel of the Cross can extend its ministry to the parish, the community, and the world.

The Annual Giving Campaign continues to evolve in response to the stewardship initiative inaugurated by the vestry two years ago and to the ever-changing demographics of our parish. Last year the name was changed; this year the structure is new. Instead of being headed by a chair and vice-chair, as in past campaigns, this year's campaign is directed by a committee that reflects a variety of age and interest groups: (in addition to this year's chair) David Ross, Michael Stafford, Lynn Wilson, Kevin Trapani, Terry Johnston (last year's Campaign chair), and Junior Warden Paul Carew. In addition to devising and evaluating new programs and procedures, this committee has been instrumental in recruiting the caller coordinators (new term for vice chairs) who will in turn enlist the aid of the dozens of parishioners to staff the phone banks in mid-October.

The committee has also approved the incorporation of the program that Gretchen Jordan designed, and which she explains in the next article, to involve the children and youth of the parish in the spiritual discipline of stewardship. Additionally, we have decided to offer a pledge-payment-by-direct-bank-draft option for parishioners for whom writing checks is inconvenient or burdensome.

Mid-October: Church staff will mail each parish family a packet including a pledge card, a letter from the Rector and Senior Warden, and a fact sheet detailing financial accomplishments and requirements for the coming fiscal year.

Parents of children and youth will receive information about the children's stewardship program and a consent form allowing their children to participate if they choose.

Sunday, October 17: The vestry will host a forum to inaugurate the Annual Giving Campaign. The Rector will preach at all four services.

Tuesday, October 19: Volunteers will call parishioners' homes between 7 and 9 p.m. to determine if packets have been received and to answer questions about the Campaign.

If you do not receive your pledge packet by October 18, call the parish office or Ann Henley and another packet will be sent to you right away. If you plan to be out of town for an extended period during October and November, let us know so that we can take your absence into consideration.

Please answer the call to stewardship in the household of God with prompt and prayerful responses to this year's pledge drive.

In May, I attended a two-part seminar on Children and Stewardship at the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes in Atlanta. Part one offered an overview of stewardship which clearly was not just applicable to children but to persons of all ages. Part two presented a new stewardship program for children at All Saints' Parish in Atlanta. I offer you some of my gleanings and a new program for the children and youth of our parish to be included in our Annual Giving Campaign in October.

Stewardship is not about making budgets and an annual fund drive. It is not about providing salaries and programs. It is not about giving to special causes. It is not voting through approval or disapproval of how our money is spent.

Stewardship is about faith and works - an acknowledged perception that all we are and have are gifts from God; and that God, therefore, holds us responsible for our use of these gifts. To live out this faith in our daily lives demands sharing who we are and what we have been given - our time, talents, and resources. This is done through symbolic gestures such as tithing, pledging, making an offering at each Eucharist, and generous gifts of service for the benefit of others.

Responsibilities toward this end include providing instructional programs for all ages that are woven throughout the programming of the year, providing ways for individuals to claim the gifts they have to share, providing opportunities to learn about where time and talents can be applied within the parish and wider community, and providing involvement in specific missions. I believe this has implications for every committee, group, and class that gather in the name of the Chapel of the Cross!

Part two provided me the assurance and encouragement that some of the things I had been pondering for implementation in the parish were, in fact, important to any parish's stewardship, present and future. Taking these ideas to our Stewardship Committee in June, work immediately began to include children and youth in annual giving. Families will be receiving a letter introducing the inclusion of children and youth which will allow time for any parent(s) not interested in their child(ren) participating to contact the church office. The following week, a letter and pledge card will be sent to each child/youth from kindergarten age through high school. The pledge card will provide children and youth with the opportunity to pledge a financial contribution but will also list many ways they can pledge their time and treasures. There will be no accounting and no follow up with the children/youth as a reminder of their pledge. This is simply a way for children/youth to indicate ways they can serve and share those things which with they have been blessed.

[Sandra] Several years ago as I read the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, I realized that the Lord was saying, "Sandra, listen to this. This message is for you." Being a non- risk taker, I realized I was like the one who received the one talent and buried it to keep it safe. We all know what the Master's response was. The talent he was given was taken away and the worthless, lazy servant was thrown outside. I didn't want to be the "one talent" steward. I realized that the Lord expects me to be a good steward and to use the "talents," the time, and the gifts He has given me for the betterment of His kingdom.

James 1 tells me to be not a hearer of the Word only, but a doer also. Christ does expect me to do what His Scripture says - to reach out and help others. He expects obedience, but He also looks at the attitude of my heart. For me stewardship is more that just obedience to His will; it's not just a job to be done and then checked off my "to do" list. Stewardship is what I do in response to God's love for me. It is something I do out of a heart of gratitude because Christ gave His very life for me. Should I strive to do any less? What do I have that isn't already a gift from Him?

Practically, being a good steward means giving God the first fruits of my day, not the leftovers after I've finished my day's schedule. It means discovering the gifts I have and using them in service to my church, my family, my neighborhood, and beyond. It means joyfully being willing to help with projects at church, helping my husband and children even when I'm busy, listening to a neighbor who is struggling or taking her to chemotherapy, and giving my time to help in the community. Do I do this perfectly? Certainly not, but I am striving to do it better.

[Charlie] Since I was raised in the Roman church, the Bible didn't figure prominently in my early instruction. However, it hasn't taken the entire 34 years of my exposure to Scripture as an Episcopalian to figure out that we were probably not put on earth to "feel good about ourselves." Instead I have read, understood, and accepted that we are to love God and one another, feed the hungry, clothe the naked.... Like most people I think I'm kept pretty busy earning a living, supporting my immediate family, etc. This issue for me is not "what am I called to do" but "how do I do it (all)?"

As a businessman I am familiar with a concept, often attributed to the Japanese, called "continuous improvement." In short, it means that well-run businesses never stop striving to get better at every aspect of their art. Similarly, stewardship is not an annual event, but a never-ending process, part of our journey of faith. Few individuals have the ability, opportunity, and time to fully make good our calling to love our neighbors. I personally flunk. However, if we act together with like-minded people, remarkable things happen. After 15 years at the Chapel of the Cross, I am still amazed at the variety of ways "we" make a difference in our parish, our town, our state, the world. Our Annual Report may not win a literary award, but it is eloquent in showing the breadth and depth of our striving to be good stewards.

I am honored to support the ceaseless efforts of the clergy, staff, and the many talented, dedicated, and committed members of the Chapel of the Cross (including my wife) who daily represent me in ways I can't equal. This parish will remain the primary focus of our financial giving.

The Social Ministry Committee is charged to serve God by bringing Christ's love, justice, and mercy into the world through education, stewardship, and leadership in social outreach (Vision Statement, 1994). Financial stewardship includes several areas of work. The committee makes recommendations to the vestry about how to allocate funds received from parishioners in the form of pledges. Every year, the parish annual budget includes two social ministry line items: Community Organizations and Discretionary Outreach. In 2004, the Community Organizations account provided grants totaling $13,000 to eight local organizations selected at the beginning of the year by the committee and approved by the vestry. The Discretionary Outreach account for 2004 totals $13,000 and disburses money in response to requests received throughout the year. Outside the usual budget process, the committee (at the request of the rector) makes recommendations to the vestry regarding bequests and other monetary donations to the parish. Finally, the committee advises the vestry on dispensation of funds raised through the Annual ABC Sale (this year $22,753).

What criteria do the Social Ministry Committee use to guide this financial stewardship? How are financial decisions made within the committee? A subcommittee reviews and triages all requests for funding and makes recommendations at the monthly committee meeting. After a committee discussion and a vote, recommendations are forwarded to the vestry. Our discernment process is fourfold - based upon scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. Every committee meeting begins with a scriptural mandate to serve the poor and less fortunate. A favorite reading (Matthew 25) reminds us, "Just as you did to one of the least of these, you did it to me." The committee acts within a long tradition of Christian service and outreach. In Acts 11, "the disciples were for the first time called Christians." Their first act in this capacity was to organize famine relief. Reason and deliberation yielded a set of criteria for groups receiving money from the Community Organizations account: groups must be located in the Triangle area, include a liaison with a Chapel of the Cross parishioner, and provide direct service to persons in the community. Community organizations are often funded for five years or more. Reason and deliberation also generated criteria to evaluate requests for Discretionary Outreach and ABC Sale funds: Has the group demonstrated a clear need for financial assistance? Is the service important for the community? Who benefits from the services provided? Are parishioners involved as active participants in the group? How urgent is the need? Local, regional, and international organizations are considered for funding from the Discretionary Outreach account. Experience has taught us that some organizations need only a small amount of money (grants of $500 or less) on a one-time basis (e.g., Hurricane Isabel relief). Other organizations depend upon long-term grants of several thousand dollars per year (e.g., Inter-Faith Council homeless shelter). Experience also dictates that we ensure accountability on the part of the organizations that we fund: annual reports are required that demonstrate a proven track record, and representatives of groups requesting funding are often asked to introduce their projects at a Social Ministry Committee meeting.

As financial stewards, the Social Ministry Committee makes recommendations on behalf of the parish. We are your representatives. By taking the time to investigate and prioritize a large number of needy organizations, we strive to make wise use of your gifts and pledges. We often locate matching grants and investigate ways of maximizing the value of your contributions. We monitor and respond to emergency situations: organizations about to go under, natural disasters, areas of urgent need. The committee conducts social outreach on behalf of the parish, acting as your eyes and ears in the community. We hope and pray that we act wisely on your behalf and appreciate any input that you may have into our discernment process.

Most gracious and loving God: Strengthen the hearts of your people, that loving you with our whole heart, and loving our neighbors as ourselves, we might, in the power of the Holy Spirit, obey the call of Jesus to go into the world and make a difference. Amen.

Wednesday, October 13
Wylie S. Quinn III, organist
Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill

Wednesday, October 20
David Lynch, organist
Meredith College & Christ Church, Raleigh

Wednesday, October 27
William Weiser, organist
Edenton Street Methodist Church, Raleigh

Wednesday, November 3
Mary Lou Peebles, organist
First Christian Church, Winston-Salem

Wednesday, November 10
Eddie Abernathy, organist
Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill

Our fellowship will meet once in the fall, in preparation for Advent, and once in the spring, during Lent. For both sessions, we will be reflecting upon the selections in Devotional Classics, edited by Richard J. Foster and James Bryan Smith.

Our meetings are held at 12:30 p.m. in the parish library. Books may be ordered at a discount from Education/Liturgy Resources, 919-693-5547. All are invited to attend. Bring your book and your lunch. For more information, call Raquel Goldberg. Join us on Saturday, November 13, for Parts 1, 2, and 3 and on Saturday, March 26, 2005 for Parts 4, 5, and 6

We are pleased to have Mary Anne Handy join our staff as administrative assistant. She has the same position as Chandra Cook, who left us August 6 to enroll in graduate school. Mary Anne is the staff person who greets you in the parish office and answers the phone when you call. Her duties include maintaining and using our membership data base and scheduling meetings in the building. She comes to us from St. Thomas More where she managed the membership data base. You may reach her email at mahandy@thechapelofthecross.org or through the office phone number or you may leave items in her office mailbox.

"But I go to church almost every Sunday." You may not hear this very often, but it is a common thought for many of us when it comes to our involvement in the community. Food and Fellowship is a new experience at the Chapel of the Cross. A group of parishioners will gather monthly in the home of fellow parishioners to share a meal and fellowship. Newcomers will find this a particularly easy way to get to know other members of the parish family. The evening is strictly for fellowship and experiencing the community of the Chapel of the Cross. Food and Fellowship evenings are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month beginning at 6:30 p.m.; the cost of the meal is $7.00. Announcements of upcoming Food and Fellowship gatherings will be in Crossings. For additional information about this new opportunity for parish fellowship contact John and Gayle Risk, jrisk@i12.com.

The Rev. Tom Ehrich

Thursday, October 14, 2004

6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Catered Meal at 6:00

"Conflict itself is normal and natural, but
doing it right takes learning."

The Adult Education Committee is pleased to announce this opportunity for our parish. Join the Rev. Tom Ehrich, Episcopal priest, author, newspaper columnist, and consultant to learn ways to do it right or at least do it better. Gain new insights and understandings about division in churches, why conflict occurs, how to communicate more effectively, and proactive ways to handle division and conflict. Mr. Ehrich will be presenting this seminar at the upcoming Going Forward Together Episcopal Conferences in Houston and Atlanta.

"I was hungry and you gave me food:I was thirsty and you gave me drink" Matthew 25:35

The Chapel of the Cross has an exciting opportunity to make a difference in our community by helping to feed the hungry. Once again, we be will participating in Project 5000, a project founded on the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. In the story, a little boy gave Jesus five loaves and two fish - and Jesus used that to feed the multitude. This is our opportunity as a parish to make a difference in our community and help those truly in need.

Our goal as a parish is to collect 500 boxes of food. Each box we collect will provide emergency food for a family of four, for two days. Members of the Social Ministry Committee will be giving out boxes September 19 - November 14 after each of the Sunday services. Once you have a box, fill it with the specific items and sizes that are listed on the box. As an added help, we will have 'maps' of local grocery stores to aid you with your purchase. The specific items needed for each box are:

Please do not use any glass containers, dented cans or packages with expired freshness dates.

Once the box is filled, please return it to the Project 5000 table by Nov 21 so that it may be distributed.

The average cost for filling one box is $25.00. If you prefer to make a donation for that amount and have a box filled for you, make your check payable to Chapel of the Cross with Project 5000 on the memo line.

For additional information on Project 5000 contact either Sandra McClaskey or Frank Holt or any member of the Social Ministry Committee.

The Environmental Stewardship Committee has been honored to have had articles published in Cross Roads for several months now. Our goals for these articles have been threefold: (1) to raise the awareness of parishioners about issues related to our environment, God's creation, (2) to explore the theological basis for ecological concern and action, and (3) to provide suggestions on what each parishioner can do today to be a better steward of God's creation.

This month we are writing to inform you of a program in which each of you can easily participate and demonstrate your commitment to environmental stewardship. This program is amazing! It will help to protect air and water quality, habitats, and the creatures who live in those habitats, while also helping to protect our climate in a meaningful way.

What one program has the potential to do all this? It's called "NC Green Power," a landmark initiative that is the first statewide green energy program in the nation supported by all the state's utilities. The goal of NC Green Power is to supplement the state's existing power supply with "green energy" - that is, electricity that is generated from renewable resources, for example - the sun, wind, water, landfill methane gas, and organic matter such as agricultural waste.

Today, every time you turn on a light, computer, or any electricity-dependent device, or drive your car or truck, you are using energy. And until NC Green Power came on line, practically all of that power came from the burning of fossil fuels: coal, oil, or natural gas. The burning of these fuels creates air pollution and greenhouse gases that cause health problems for people and environmental problems for the planet. Examples include:

Additionally, the extraction and processing of fossil fuels result in discharges of water pollutants and generation of solid wastes.

To participate in NC Green Power, energy consumers (you and I), can contribute a minimum of $4.00/month in addition to our usual electricity bill. This $4 adds one block of 100 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy to North Carolina's power supply.

If you have seen the "invitations" in your recent electric bills and already subscribe to NC Green Power, our environment is already better! Your actions are protecting our air, water, and climate while helping to ensure our energy security.

But if you haven't yet subscribed because you just can't see how your subscription could make a difference, consider the evidence. The NC Green Power website uses the "environmental equivalent" of "trees planted" and "days not driven" to translate the benefits of using energy generated from renewable sources as contrasted with energy generated from the burning of fossil fuels. Using this metric, if every pledge unit at the Chapel of the Cross subscribed to NC Green Power, it would be the equivalent of planting 233,000 trees monthly, or 2,7966,000 trees annually, or 1,379,400 days not driven by your automobile in a year! (extrapolated from numbers found at: www.ncgreenpower.org/media/newsletter_summer2004.html).

Your individual action does make a difference! And because the organization administering the program, Advanced Energy, is a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization, your donation is tax deductible. Go to: www.ncgreenpower.org/ to learn more and to join today. Alternatively, you can use the form provided in your monthly electric bill.

God created the Earth and declared it good. Supporting the generation and use of renewable energy is one way to demonstrate our stewardship of God's creation.

Adult Education Event - East and West: Understanding and Learning from Each Other

Join us for an evening presentation by the Very Rev. Ross and Mrs. Gwin Jones. They will share their expertise and experience from four years of ministry in Jerusalem. Mr. Jones is the recently retired Dean of St. George's College Jerusalem. Prior to his service in Jerusalem, he served in parish and campus ministry in Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Louisiana. He and his wife recently moved to Asheville, N. C., but frequently visit their daughter and her family who are Church of the Advocate parishioners. Mr. Jones will assist at the 9:00 service, and Mr. and Mrs. Jones will also lead an Adult Education Class on Sunday morning, October 17, as a part of our series on "Sharing Our Many Blessings." In this time, they will share the work of our denomination in the Holy Land highlighting a program that our parish supported with the Lenten offering this year and will support through the Advent 2004 offering. They will be with the Episcopal Campus Ministry on Tuesday evening, October 19, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

My name is Ivana Washington. I attended UNC-Chapel Hill from 1992 to 1994. If I am not mistaken, you have a little chapel . . . . One of the doors to the chapel would always be open - just a little bit. I walked past and walked past and walked past the little chapel with the open door. Finally I walked through the door. I needed Jesus and he was there.

Just because people walk past the door it does not mean that the Lord has not told them to walk through it. Thank you for the open door.

There has been an abundance of good will and deeds provided to our homeless population during the current shelter/kitchen relocation at local congregations. The response by our hosts and supporting organizations has amazed everyone at IFC. The outpouring of care, resources, and volunteers has been phenomenal. Inter-Faith Council sends you, your organizers, and all of your volunteers a very special thank you for making this journey possible.

Steve, Sandra, Frank, Bob and volunteers, you finished your host experience on Saturday, July 31. Now that we are at University Presbyterian Church, we want [you] to know that you will never be forgotten. Our staff continually commented about your wonderful volunteers who served our homeless men well. Ted's editorial about what he learned as a volunteer helped to dispel many of the stereotypes about the homeless. We thank everyone who participated and hope that Chapel of the Cross volunteers will continue to work with us at Community House once we return in September. Upon our return, our hope is that congregations will continue to rotate their volunteers at our downtown facility in similar ways. Our Scheduling Coordinator, Colleen Jelley, will be in touch with your congregation leaders soon. The first normal day of operations at Community House will be Saturday, September 11.

You may be aware that the Town of Chapel Hill has found some extra funds to provide some needed changes at Community House. IFC and town representatives have agreed to a 30-day renovation extension so town contractors can do some additional work on the inside of the building (repair walls, cleaning, paint, bathroom partitions, etc.). The IFC Board of Directors has also taken on a special fundraising project to raise more dollars to make our return back home a little more comfortable. The Board is committed to helping staff and volunteers to replace the worn carpet in the dorm rooms with tile and to replace some or all of the window blinds. New beds, mattresses, kitchen chairs, tables, and other furnishings will be purchased with donated funds that have been collected from community groups and congregations.

"He will look with favor on the prayer of the homeless; he will not despise their plea." Chapel of the Cross and our hosts have not forgotten the words echoed in Psalm 102. We are grateful for the use of your facility and your commitment to homeless individuals. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.

Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.

Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation.

Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in hospitals. Above all else, avoid hospitals.

You will be pleased to learn than only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually due to previous physical disorders. Therefore logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at church!

Bible study is safe, too. The percentage of deaths during Bible study is even less.

For safety's sake - attend Church and read your Bible . . . it could save your life!