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Christian Formation
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From the Rector Dear Friends, In this issue about Christian Education, I want to explain some
changes this year about preparing adults and youth for
Confirmation. To understand the context for these changes, let me
first explain an important modification in this diocese in the
bishop's visitation schedule. Starting this past year, Bishop Curry and his assisting
(half-time) bishops are now officially visiting congregations under
their care, not once a year, but every 18 months. This allows each
bishop to be present for the better part of a day in each
congregation rather than rushing off to another visitation on the
same day. The hope is that this will result not only in more direct
contact and communication between the bishops and the congregations
but also in better stewardship of the health and well-being of our
bishops. Bishop Curry's last visitation here was in May of
2004; his next will be December 18, 2005, and after that in May of
2007. You may recall that on a Wednesday evening this past May we
hosted a Durham Convocation service of Confirmation here for our
youth and adult confirmands, as well as for others of nearby
parishes. While adding a wider Church dimension to our liturgy of
Confirmation, the loss was that those making this mature public
affirmation of their faith were not surrounded by nearly as many of
their fellow parishioners as they would have been on a Sunday
morning. With the Bishop's coming this December, we will again
have that opportunity at the 9:00 service. It will be a different
experience for us, not only to have Confirmation mid-year, but also
during Advent - in fact the Sunday before Christmas! But this
unusual situation does provide several unique
opportunities. The first is that it gives a chance for two sets of Adult
Inquirers' Classes this year. In response to those who have
been unable for employment or family reasons to participate in our
usual Monday evening sessions, there will be a shorter set of
Sunday morning sessions this fall, ending with the Confirmation
service on December 18. The traditional Monday evening series will
also be available in the winter of 2006, concluding with a
convocation-wide mid-week service in a nearby congregation. The
second opportunity is for our Youth Inquirers (9th graders and up).
Instead of building the entire year to the liturgical service
itself, they will have the choice to be confirmed mid-year and then
spend the second semester learning more about living into this
mature faith In these programs and in all those outlined in this month's
issue, may our aim be to help ourselves and others grow "into
the full stature of Christ." - Stephen Vestry Actions - July 21, 2005 At its July meeting, the vestry:
Our Sunday Morning Mary Poppins: Joy Gattis Chrys Bullard All of them less than four feet tall, the boys and girls are
lined up on the Chapel of the Cross playground in their Sunday
best, trying to stand still. "21, 22, 23 - 23 children today," says Joy Gattis,
Sunday Morning Child Care Director, as the line threatens to
unravel. "We can go now," she says to Kellen, her son and
playground assistant, and they open the gate and shepherd the
children off to Children's Chapel. The gate to the playground or the door to the nursery may be the
first threshold crossed by a young family visiting our church, and
it could be "Miss Joy" as she is affectionately called
and not the rector, Stephen Elkins-Williams, who gets to offer the
first warm welcome. "We're often the first impression
visitors get of the Chapel of the Cross," Joy says.
"People shop for churches. When we show them the resources we
offer, they are enthusiastic." But a complete nursery for
babies and toddlers, a safety-approved playground for children ages
two to five, and the creative lessons and songs of Children's
Chapel are incidental to the resource visitors and members most
appreciate: Joy and her staff - seasoned professionals who welcome
children with open arms and inspire confidence in the parents who
say good-bye to their little ones to attend church. Each Sunday morning beginning at 8:45 and continuing through the
11:15 service, Wanda Farrington, hired by Joy in 1986, and Susan
Sylvester, hired in 1997, cuddle and calm the babies and toddlers
in the nursery. A third nursery helper, Viveca Coutinho, joined the
staff in August, as did Lawtnee Frazier, a "floater"
between nursery and playground. On the playground or in the Student
Center during wet or cold weather, Joy, Kellen, and parent helpers
tend the older kids, keeping track of them with sign-ins,
sign-outs, and head counts and keeping them safe and happy before,
during, and after their trip to Children's Chapel. In the past
two years, attendance has increased markedly and volunteer
caregivers are always welcome. "It used to be 10 to 15
children," said Kellen, who joined his mother on the staff in
1995. "Now, average attendance is 30 for the first service -
and we've had as many as 50 on Palm
Sunday." Joy originally worked at the Chapel of the Cross from 1973 to
1978 as a caregiver in the nursery. She returned as director in
1985 and counts among her many administrative duties enrollment,
hiring, payroll, buying supplies, and maintaining the childcare
facilities. Her most cherished role is that of our church's
Sunday morning Mary Poppins, comforting babies, toddlers, and
preschoolers alike in her gentle British lilt. "I continue to
delight in the time I spend with our younger church members,"
Joy says. "I am so proud to be part of the long tradition of
offering a loving and safe environment for children so their
parents may attend church secure that their children are well cared
for." Children And Family Ministry Molly Dempsey, Committee Chair The Christian nurture of our children extends beyond the weekly
45 minutes set aside for Church School. We wish to offer so much
more to our children than these few minutes of formal instruction.
Our Director of Christian Education, Gretchen Jordan, has
encouraged the Children and Family Ministry Committee to extend our
role and consider how Christians are formed beginning at
conception. Christian formation does not happen in a vacuum. The entire
parish is involved in the Christian formation of our children.
Faith is caught more than it is taught. It takes faithful,
committed models who set an example for our very youngest - youth,
young adults, middlers, and older adults sharing their faith story
through word and deed. In particular, the immediate family of a
child needs resources, opportunities, and encouragement as it
explores how best to join God in shaping the growing Christian in
its midst. To this end our committee endeavors to support parents and their
children with
offerings beyond the traditional Church School
education. Throughout the year, parent education classes are offered during
Church School time on topics of particular interest to parents. We
welcome suggestions of speakers and/or
topics. All ages gather together for learning several times during the
year. These Sundays are usually scheduled in conjunction with a
Holy Day, at the beginning of a liturgical season or for a special
emphasis. Intergenerational programs have included the First Sunday
in Advent for creating Jesse Tree ornaments and Advent wreaths, the
First Sunday after the Epiphany for engaging in outreach
ministries, a Lenten program to plan our journey toward Jerusalem
through the season, Earth Day to learn how to be better stewards of
that which God has given us, and a Pentecost picnic to celebrate
the formation of the church. Involvement of children in worship services has been expanding
every year. The
Junior Choir (third grade and above) sings every Sunday during the
school year at the 9:00 service. They are joined on occasion by the
Training Choir (first and second graders). Both choirs practice on
Wednesday afternoons. Youth Saints are children in the third grade
and older who assist with Children's Chapel. Training is
offered in early fall. Interested youth have been welcomed as
lectors at the 9:00 service. Also, families are encouraged to
become ushers and greeters. There are various alternative services for children. Every
Sunday morning all 2 to 5-year-olds may attend Children's
Chapel. This service provides a first liturgical experience and
includes music, stories, prayer, and the teaching of familiar
worship responses. Children make the transition from Children's
Chapel to corporate worship as they enter the first grade. A
worship education course for first and second graders is offered
once a month throughout the school year during the 9:00 worship
service. Each spring, either the God and Me or the God and Family
program is offered by
parishioner Frank McBride. Parishioner Sarah Shapard has designed
an outreach program this year for 3 to 5-year olds and their
families to do hands-on mission work. In addition, families are
encouraged to participate in some of the outreach programs of the
parish, contributing canned goods and hygiene items for one of our
shelters, baking foods for our parish's Fourth Friday meals at
the Inter-Faith Council, and participating in some of the special
collections. This year we will begin the year with a project to
purchase a complete ark for Heifer International. It is our committee's hope to address the needs and concerns
of the children and families within the context of both the nuclear
family and the entire parish, with regard to Christian formation.
Our committee meets each month. Members include Jeannie Riek, Lisa
Walter, Dana Campbell, Boykin Bell, Mary Kate Cunningham, and
Margaret Conrad. We welcome new ideas and suggestions to enrich the
opportunities for Christian nurture of our children. Godly play Kesslyn Tench For the past two years I have had the joy of teaching the
Kindergarten Sunday School class at the Chapel of the Cross. I have
used a teaching method called Godly Play in the classroom. When my
first child was born, I read a book called Godly Play by
Jerome Berryman. From that book, I learned that when children are
given the proper environment and opportunity they have a great
potential for spirituality and a tremendous ability to
understand
theology. I took this principle to heart and was so pleased to find
the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in the 4-year-old classroom
when we moved to this church. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was developed in Rome in 1954 by
a Hebrew scholar named Sofia Cavalletti and a Montessori instructor
named Gianna Gobbi. Godly Play was developed by Jerome Berryman, an
Episcopal priest, who studied in Italy under Sofia Cavalletti in
1972. The lessons and stories presented in Godly Play are the
result of more than 25 years of observation of how best to present
theological ideas to children. Godly Play uses sacred stories,
parables, liturgical lessons, and silence to bring the children
closer to God. The classroom time consists of a story, response
time, and a feast. It is during the response time that many will
see the biggest difference between Godly Play and traditional
Sunday School curriculum. This response time can be spent in silent
reflection, creating art, or retelling one of the stories
previously heard in the class. The important part of this time is
that the children work individually on something they
choose. When my son Riley was in the 4-year-old class, I worked on
generating interest in a Godly Play classroom for Kindergarten. I
attended a training seminar in the summer of 2003. We then found
classroom space and my husband and I built bookshelves for the
classroom. I talked with Ann Wilson about the needs of the
classroom and she made beautiful under-lays for the focal shelf to
represent the liturgical colors. She created objects for many of
the stories and lessons. John Steenstra made our Desert Box in
which we tell many of the sacred stories of the Old Testament. He
also did some research into authentic homes of Bethlehem during
Jesus' time and made some beautiful wooden models for us to use
in our Advent Lessons. Many other parishioners contributed their
time and talents to create materials for the
classroom. This fall we will miss Ann Collins who has been the creator,
inspiration, and leader for the 4-year-old Catechesis classroom. I
will be fortunate to use her beautiful classroom for the
Kindergarten Godly Play. Unfortunately, the 4-year-olds this year
will not benefit from the rich and sacred space that was part of
the Catechesis classroom. It is my hope that we can find some
teachers willing to take the one-weekend training to become a Godly
Play teacher. I would like to see the program expanded to include
the 4-year-old through second grade classes. Please let Gretchen
Jordan know if you would like to learn more about Godly
Play. Training choir Linda Everhart, training choir director As Christians we worship a God who desires our praise through
music. For 90 minutes each Wednesday afternoon, about a dozen first
and second graders in the Training Choir are learning to add their
voices to the Church's great hymn of praise. While nobody expects a child to study the Holy Scripture without
first being taught to read, many people seem to expect children to
be able to make a joyful noise to the Lord without any musical
instruction. But singing doesn't always come naturally. As
director of the Training Choir for the past three years, I have
found that more than half of the children coming into the choir are
technically "non-singers." Sometimes they are erroneously
called "tone deaf" or "monotones;" but in fact,
they are simply children who have never been taught how to find
their singing voice and how to match pitch. So first and foremost, my objective with the Training Choir has
been development of the singing voice. Every week we play a variety
of games that help the children develop their singing voices. We
"launch rockets" with our voices and imitate fireworks.
We imitate the sounds of big and little animals. The children love
to play singing games. They never tire of playing "I Have Lost
the Closet Key" or "Wrenard," and they are
blissfully unaware that they are repeating simple melodies designed
to make them more secure and confident singers. Through regular
practice every single child in the Training Choir has been able to
learn to match pitch and sing simple melodies
accurately. Of course there's more to it. God wants our song to be
joyful. And whether it's music or tennis or bridge, competence
and delight are seldom far apart. For young singers, part of that
competence comes from learning to break the code of musical
notation. In every rehearsal we use a variety of techniques
including rhythm instruments or choir chimes to engage children in
cracking the musical code. This year the Training Choir will change its name to the Cantus
Choir. The Latin word Cantus means "song,"
"melody," or "poetry" and the choir's name
change reflects its broad dual purpose. For all children this choir
will introduce them to the principal aspects of music, focusing on
singing, helping each child to find his or her voice and to use it
for God. Some children graduate from the Training Choir to the
Junior Choir where they offer their praise to God from the choir
stalls. Other children graduate to the congregation, where they
offer their praise from the pews. But all children in the Training
Choir have started down that path that will lead them to that
"more profound alleluia" so often found in music.
THE JOYS OF TEACHING SECOND GRADE CHURCH SCHOOL Betsy Pringle For many, many years I have taught in the Church School - most
years in second grade. Each year has brought me joy, surprise, and
a greater understanding of how God works in our lives. Second grade
happens to be an age that I love to teach. The children have new
tools for learning, an excitement about exploring ideas, and an
unself-conscious creativity. They ask questions that can be amazing
and enlightening and some that can stop you in your tracks. I often
have long reflections on how I have answered a question and how my
answer could have been better, but you never get the same question
twice. For second graders, we are trying to increase their sense of
belonging in our church. In doing this, we are teaching about our
faith. The Episcopal Curriculum that we use now is the best that we
have used during my tenure; however, a new one is being tested in a
couple of grades this year. The curriculum is an excellent guide
for teaching the great stories of the Bible, the Christian faith,
and the traditions and practices of the Episcopal Church. It is
full of suggestions and allows flexibility. Most importantly, we want our children to know that this is a
place where they are loved and respected. We are teaching about
caring relationships, love for one another, and helping others in
need. There is the challenge of channeling their sometimes abundant
energy and enthusiasm, without squelching it. The children are
teaching us as well. It has been a special privilege to know our
children as they grow and mature. Many have remained my friends
through the years. They enrich the life of the Church and
especially enrich mine. Team teaching, as we have done for a number of years, gives each
of us the opportunity to know and work with a group of teachers who
share ideas and the teaching load. We are all better teachers
because of what we learn from each other. Our children will be the leaders of the Church tomorrow.
Let's start early to help them find joy and learning and love
at the Chapel of the Cross. Being part of a team might be your
calling. Youth council Margaret Conrad, Youth Council Convenor This spring we formed a Youth Council at Chapel of the Cross.
Formally known as the Youth Advisory and Support Committee, our
purpose is to serve as a sounding board and source of advice and
practical support for the youth ministry, led by David Frazelle.
Members of our committee include David Frazelle, Margaret Conrad,
Casey Shaw, Kim Williams, Maria Saunders, Ellen Cole, Julia Taylor,
Miriam Fahrer, Rick Courtright, Jeannie Riek, Brad Williams,
Harrison Fahrer, and Tony Hawkins. In our meetings this spring we discussed the structures of
confirmation class, Episcopal Youth Community, senior high church
school, and the mission trip. A significant portion of our meeting
time was spent hearing from our youth members. They spoke movingly
on how much the youth programs of our church have meant to them and
their recommendations for building on them. Some of the suggestions under discussion are ways to improve
integration of EYC
parents; to provide even more leadership for youth for hospitality
and organization of EYC, mission trip, and church school; to
introduce a mentorship component to the confirmation process; and
to review curriculum. Members of the committee have been wonderful
in their support for David and in their eagerness to provide
hands-on assistance. Projects under way this summer are creating a
brochure outlining opportunities for current and new EYC members,
review of curriculum; plans to increase youth participation in EYC
food preparation, and consideration for fundraising for youth
programs. Please contact David Frazelle or me, or any of the members of
our committee with your thoughts and suggestions. We need and value
your input! Adult education Nancy Tunnessen, Adult Education Committee Chair Life long learners...that's us! Living here in the southern
part of heaven dominated by great universities, centers of
technology, and industrial innovators, we tend to pride ourselves
on our intellect, curiosity, and passion for understanding and
growth. In churchy terms, that passion for learning, understanding, and
growth is a major component of Christian formation. Part of our
growth as a Christian can be boosted by consistent involvement in
the education opportunities offered by the parish. Classes,
discussion groups, book groups, prayer groups, quiet days...all
offer you insights and information to help you as you mature as a
Christian. The task of the Adult Education Committee is to plan programs
covering a wide variety of Christian topics...from Bible study to
improving your prayer life to suggestions for tangible ways to live
out the tenets of your faith in the world. The committee pays
attention to current events, issues within our denomination, and to
concerns of our children's parents. Our brainstorming sessions
are never dull. But all the while we try to keep the parish's
mission statement and the Baptismal Covenant as our
foundation. Look for this fall's Adult Education schedule in the center
of this issue of Cross Roads on blue paper. It's a full
and exciting schedule. Plan now to attend. This year committee members are Paul Carew, Ian Dunn, Al Guckes,
Amy Harwell, Gretchen Jordan, Mary Ann Morris, Ralph Smith, Lee
Thomas, and Nancy Tunnessen (chair). Let us know what you would be
interested in learning! Enriching our Spiritual Life Noel Dunivant, Spiritual Life Committee Chair The Spiritual Life Committee provides opportunities to learn
about spiritual practices and join in community to pursue guided
meditation and contemplation. Our seasonal "quiet day"
programs have become a much-anticipated tradition at the Chapel of
the Cross. In recent years, programs have been offered on
iconography, worshiping God in Creation (Earth Day), and Lenten
disciplines. Additionally, we co-sponsor the annual Labyrinth
during Holy Week at Binkley Baptist Church. Walking the labyrinth
is a journey of reflection and spiritual renewal. (Interested
parishioners can walk labyrinths locally in the chapel at UNC
Hospitals, in the courtyard at St. Philip's in Durham, and at
Camp Chestnut Ridge in Efland.) The 2005-2006 program year will begin with an Autumn Quiet Day,
an Introduction to Centering Prayer, led by the Rev. David
Frazelle. Centering prayer is a contemporary form of an ancient,
silent, contemplative way of prayer. David will provide a
foundation and guide us in the practice of this method of prayer.
Following the quiet day, he will foster this practice in our parish
by convening a centering prayer group on Tuesday evenings from 5:30
to 6:30, in the chapel following Evening Prayer. The Autumn Quiet
Day will be held on Saturday, September 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30
p.m. in the parish hall of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in
Hillsborough. (A light breakfast and a simple lunch will be served;
small donations to cover food costs will be appreciated but are not
required.) To register, please notify our parish office
(919-929-2193). Directions and carpooling information are
available. If you have questions, please contact Jan
Seabock (jseabock@mindspring.com.) This year's Advent Quiet Day program will be led by Fr.
David McBriar, a Franciscan priest, whose pastoral ministry
included Immaculate Conception in Durham and St. Francis in
Raleigh. He also taught theology at the Franciscan School of
Theology in Berkeley. Father David's program will focus on our
inward and outward (in the world) journeys. Mark your calendars for
Saturday, December 3, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Rev. Tammy Lee will lead a Lenten Quiet Day retreat on the
writings of Philip Newell in preparation for his visit to the
Chapel of the Cross in November 2006. The program, which is
scheduled for Saturday, March 4, 2006, will help us achieve a
deeper spiritual experience of Lent. An Easter Quiet Day is being planned for Saturday, April 29, or
May 6, 2006, perhaps continuing the environmental theme that proved
popular this year. The committee welcomes all who seek to enrich their spiritual
lives to our programs. Interested members of the parish, who would
like to participate in creating opportunities to enhance the
spiritual development of our church family, are invited to join the
committee. In addition to planning programs, our meetings include
devotion, meditation, and sharing our spiritual
journeys. Current Spiritual Life Committee members include Edward Baker,
David Dodson, Noel Dunivant, Miriam Fahrer, Gayle Hartis, Vicky
Jamieson-Drake, Gretchen Jordan, David Moore, Laurie Pahel, Robin
MacNicol-Quinn, Harold Quinn, and Jan Seabock. For more information about the committee and its work please
contact Noel Dunivant (ndunivant@nc.rr.com) Formation of Environmental Stewards Linda B. Rimer, Environmental Stewardship Committee Chair This issue of Cross Roads explores the formation of each
of us as Christians, that is, how we begin learning about God when
we are children, then grow in our spirituality as we grow
physically, ultimately discerning God's will in our lives and
attempting to carry out that will. This leads to the question of
how we become formed as stewards of our environment - the air,
water, land, climate, plants, and animals that make up God's
creation. While the emphasis tends toward adults teaching children, the
Environmental Stewardship Committee invites you to consider the
formation of environmental stewards as a two-way process, that is,
with adults teaching children, and also with children teaching
adults. Woven throughout this two-way process is an underlying
theme: the importance of actually experiencing the natural world,
God's creation. In simple words, the importance of getting
outside! It is estimated that we Americans spend 90% of our time indoors.
This experience protects us from the weather and provides space and
opportunity for productive working and living. While windows to the
outside world provide opportunity for observing the natural world,
the formation of environmental stewards cries out for the
"experiencing" of that natural world. Being outside helps
us to connect with nature, both mentally and
physically. Go into this wondrous creation with your child, your grandchild,
or any child. See God's creation through their eyes. Take
advantage of this opportunity to learn and to teach about the
environment and the care, or stewardship, of that environment. And
don't feel that you need a degree in ecology or botany or
natural history to do this! It is more important to learn together,
to share the joy and excitement of discovering and experiencing
nature. John 3:16 tells us that God "so loved the world" -
meaning all the world; humans, yes, but also plants and animals
that are part of that creation. As an old Chinese proverb tells
us: Head outside with a child and a kite, or explore the world of
birds with a backyard feeding station, or lie on your back together
and see "life" in cloud formations, and teach these
children about their climate and the air they breathe: the
importance of having clean air and of our daily activities that can
cause pollution in that air. Go to a riverbank or beside a stream
or a waterfall and teach them about the water they drink: where it
comes from, the finiteness of that water and thus, the importance
of conservation, and the actions that protect or pollute that
water. Walk through a forest or a cornfield or a garden, and teach
them about the land that sustains our physical existence. Teach
them about the plants and animals with which we share this
creation, and about our uniquely human ability to alter the air,
water, land, climate, plants, and animals in either positive or
negative ways. Develop together an ever-evolving understanding that
we are all part of God's creation. When our actions and
decisions pollute the environment, we are polluting what God
created - the very air, water, and land that we have been charged
to protect. Ask a child where food comes from. If the answer is, "the
grocery store," visit a farm or a local farmer's market,
plant a garden, or perhaps just one flower or one vegetable and
watch it grow, pick strawberries in the spring, watch a cow being
milked. Ask a child where the trash goes. If the answer is
"away," teach them that there really is no
"away." Visit a landfill, model behavior for them that
demonstrates the three "Rs" of waste reduction: reduce,
reuse, and recycle. But wait! What about that "two-way" process mentioned
at the beginning of this article? The answer lies in the eyes of
that child. As you seek to be a teacher about God's creation,
so also seek to see that creation through the eyes of your child,
or the children you seek to teach. Share their joy and awe and
surprise as they watch minnows in the stream, or identify a bird by
its song, or delight in a rainbow, or taste those blueberries, just
picked and warm from the sun. Yes, we know from Genesis that God declared all in his creation
to be "good." Seeing that creation through the eyes of
children renews in our all-too-busy adult lives, the wonder that is
Earth, our planet home. Susan Gladin - new director for Johnson intern program Watson A. Bowes, Jr., Johnson Intern Program Board Chair The Board of Directors of the Johnson Intern Program announces
with pleasure the appointment of the Rev. Susan Gladin as its new
executive director. Following the resignation in April of Mary
Agnes Rawlings, who was director of the program during the past
three years, a search for a new director resulted in more than 40
completed applications from throughout the country. A number of
highly qualified individuals were interviewed for the
position. Ms. Gladin, who has a Master's of Divinity degree from Duke
University, is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church.
As the former executive director of the Orange Congregations in
Mission, she has extensive experience managing a non-profit
organization. In that position she established and directed 10
service programs affiliated with 35 member congregations. She is
also an accomplished writer, having won awards for her fiction, and
writes a regular column for the Chapel Hill
Herald. Susan and her husband, Peter Kramer, live in
Hillsborough, where he is a social worker with Family Counseling
Services. They have two daughters who are young adults. Susan
brings many talents and much enthusiasm to her position as Director
of the Johnson Intern Program, Inc. Although the Johnson Intern Program, Inc., recently became a
tax-exempt not-for-profit corporation, it maintains close ties with
the Chapel of the Cross, receiving both in-kind contributions of
office space and vestry-approved financial support. Importantly,
the rector appoints members to the board of directors, although all
members are not parishioners. The major goals and mission of the
Johnson Intern Program remain the same: to provide young adults a
10-month experience of spiritual development (living in Christian
Community), vocational discernment (working in community non-profit
service agencies), and leadership training. We have every
expectation that the program will flourish under the leadership of
its new director. I trust that all members of the congregation will
welcome Ms. Gladin and pray for the continued success of the
Johnson Intern Program, Inc. Youth Mission Trip to Chicago Compiled by Elizabeth Lienesch, Summer Intern This July, a number of young people from the Chapel of the Cross
traveled to inner-city Chicago to participate in a mission trip.
The participants were: Ellen Abrams, Marian-Kathryn Cranford,
Harrison Fahrer, Will Farley, Goldie Hanna, TJ Lovejoy-Henkel, John
Hoffman, Sam Hunt, Katie Nicholson, Lauren Peterson, Sarah
Pickering, Michael Rutledge, Julia Taylor, Karl von Allmen, Kate
Williams, and Rachel Wilson. The trip leaders were Dana Campbell, David Frazelle, and Mark
Graves. The following is a selection of their reflections on the
trip. 
What was the most exciting thing that happened this
week?
What was the most challenging emotional experience this
week?
What image, or scene, or face do you want to take with you
from this trip?
What did you learn about urban American culture that
surprised you?
How does poverty change perspective either in our lives or in
the lives of others?
Where, when, or how have you encountered God this
week?
KANUGA guest period Lucy Dempsey 
In addition to its year-round schedule of conferences, Kanuga
holds eight one-week summer guest periods; See the Leaves, a
fall guest period; and Thanksgiving and Christmas at Kanuga. The
Dempsey family attended week one of summer guest period. For more
information about Kanuga, see their Web site,
www.kanuga.org. This summer my family went to Kanuga Guest Week. My mom and my
dad went with my sister who is six and me (I am 11). Here are some
of my reflections. Kanuga is a very interesting and exciting experience to have. It
is up in the mountains of North Carolina near Hendersonville. At
Kanuga there is an inn for newcomers who are waiting to get a
cabin, because you have to have been there a couple of years before
you can have a cabin. Everyone eats together in the inn dining
room. If you do not know anyone, (like us) you sit with a family
you don't know; we sat all week with a family from Texas and
one from Florida. They already knew each other and had been going
to Kanuga for a long time. We sat with them our first year and by
the second year we had become good friends. After breakfast, at about nine o'clock, the children go off
to various programs and the adults have time to do whatever they
wish. My sister was in the Children's Program, which is for 5-8
year olds and I was in the Youth Program, which is for 9-12 year
olds. There is also a Teen Program for 13-18 year olds. In Youth
Program we did lots of fun things like climbing at the Rock Quarry,
swimming in the lake and doing a low-ropes course. At her program
my sister played games, tie-dyed T-shirts, made crafts, played on
the playground, and swam in the lake. In the afternoon there is another children's program time
and the adults can attend workshops in wood carving, watercolor,
and soap making. There is also a lake at Kanuga that is made by a
dam in the river, and every half hour or so there is an adult swim
out to the dam, it is called - you guessed it - a dam swim. There
are also fun tubes for kids and grownups to play in and sit
in. At Kanuga there is something for each family member to do and
they can do it alone or together as a family. After dinner there is
an evening activity every night; one night it was bingo, one night
it was square dancing, and since this summer the 4th of July was on
Monday, my mom and my dad and I sat and watched fireworks go off
from the dam and sang songs about America. It was a lot of fun and
we thought that there would just be a couple of small fireworks but
actually there was a half hour display that ended in an amazing
finale!! The last night we were there an entertainer came and juggled and
rode unicycles and did lots of amazing tricks. The first unicycle
he rode was of a regular size, the next was double that, and a big
man from the crowd had to stand and hold the unicycle while the
entertainer jumped up on it and pretended to be about to fall.
While he grabbed on to the big man's neck and pretended not to
be able to stay on, he secretly undid the man's watch and hid
it in his pocket. Then the entertainer told the man to go and sit
back down. When he got back to his seat the unicycle-rider said
"Hold your hands over your head, grab both of your wrists and
say, 'what happened to my watch?'" The man did this
and then started to laugh, because the entertainer had completely
fooled him. The evening ended as we watched him ride a giant
unicycle that was 15feet tall!! He had to lean it against the wall
and climb up using footholds stuck on to it. There are many hiking trails in the surrounding mountain woods
and one day my whole family went on a trail all the way up a
mountain and looked down at the valley below. While at Kanuga we
sometimes go away for a day trip to go white-water rafting, tubing,
sliding down Sliding Rock, or to see an historic place. This year
we hiked to a gorgeous waterfall!! Over all, Kanuga is a fun place to go for a week or even two!!!
Beyond Tuna Fish Elizabeth Lienesch, Summer Intern I used to equate Christian responsibility with bringing a can of
tuna for the Inter-Faith Council every Sunday. Loving my neighbor
meant loving and serving my actual geographic neighbor:
volunteering on a local Habitat house or visiting a local nursing
home. Recently, however, I've become aware of the limitations
of this concept of service. This is not to say that such outreach
is not necessary or important. Direct service in our community is
one of our parish's greatest strengths and we should continue
to support and be proud of it. But I have also begun to recognize our Christian responsibility
to think bigger, not only about what we can do in our local
community, but also how to become more active and involved in our
national political community. To be involved in affecting public
policy, by becoming better educated about the issues and by writing
or visiting members of Congress, is social outreach on a large
scale. We do not have to think about approaching this task alone. The
National Church provides information and structure to help us think
about social issues and take political action. The General
Convention discusses social concerns and publicizes its positions
on these matters in a series of policy statements called Policy for
Action. Policy for Action includes a wide range of issues, such as
advocating for children, fighting HIV/AIDS, and expanding
affordable housing. For example, this summer members of Congress have been debating
$3-billion cuts in the food stamp program and an energy bill which
fails to seriously address America's dependence on foreign oil
and which contains a number of provisions that would be harmful to
the environment. Policy for Action expresses the views of General
Convention in directly opposing both the federal cuts to food
stamps and the energy bill's weak stance on protecting the
environment. In addition, the Episcopal Public Policy Network is a nationwide
grassroots organization that writes to legislators in support of
the Episcopal Church's position on political issues. It is
funded by the Church and reflects the policies set by General
Convention. Individuals who join the Network receive current Policy
for Action statements and other information. They also receive
email updates on legislation, reminders to write to their
representatives, and links to sample emails that can be edited to
fit one's personal style and sent to one's own legislators.
I encourage you to go to the Episcopal Public Policy Network's
website at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/eppn.htm to join the
organization. It only takes a few minutes to become part of this
important side of our faith as Episcopalians. Upcoming Youth Events August 28 Church School Kick-Off - At the end
of the Church School time there will be a brief meeting for the
Youth Inquirers' Class Annual Parish Bar-B-Que - All 6th
through 12th graders are encouraged to come to the Episcopal Youth
Community (EYC) table at the bar-b-que September 8 Youth Inquirers' Class Parents
Meeting - 7:30 p.m. in the parlor September 11 Youth Inquirers' Class - first
full meeting EYC Kick-Off 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the
parlor - All 6th through 12th graders and their parents are invited
for a pizza dinner, games, and planning. October 14-15 Youth Inquirers' Class - Camp
Caraway retreat Little Parishioners Little Parishioners is a new Chapel
of the Cross charitable outreach program for children ranging from
three to six years of age and their parents. As a pilot program, it
is designed for children and parents who have a desire to guide
their child(ren) in helping others, and to enable the children to
feel, see, and touch the benefits of their contributions. Siblings
are encouraged to participate and help their little brothers and/or
sisters. Please look for details in future Cross Roads
newsletters; sign up sheets for each event will be posted on the
bulletin board for families. For additional information or if you
have questions or activity ideas, please contact Sarah Shapard
by email at rsshapard@cs.com. Our first event will
be: Little Parishioners: Plant Pansies with
Their Elderly Friends Tuesday, October 18, at the Charles House,
Carrboro, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. October is an ideal time to plant pansies
with our elderly friends at the Charles House. All you will need:
gardening tools and pansies. Snacks will be provided, and the
residents will perform and sing songs and play instruments for the
children, and a volunteer will read a story. Upcoming Events: Little Parishioners: Read Books with their
Homestart Friends (November 2005) Little Parishioners: Go Out Caroling
(December 2005) Little Parishioners: Collect New Shoes for
Homestart Children (April 2006) Little Parishioners: Share Their Soles at
an Ice-Cream Social (August 2006) Musical Notes Sunday, September 18 Feast of the Holy Cross Missa in C Major Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Senior Choir, Soloists, Orchestra Thursday, September 29 8:00 p.m. Feast of St. Michael and All Angels Solemn Evensong Music by Handl, Dering, T. Tertius
Noble Senior Choir ASKED AT THE CHURCH DOOR Q : Am I a full-fledged member of the parish just by
showing up? Is there anything special I need to do? Do I have to be
baptized - confirmed - what? Stephen Elkins-Williams' reply:
Another word for "full-fledged member" is communicant.
According to the canons of the Episcopal Church, a communicant of a
congregation is one who has been baptized and whose baptism has
been recorded in that congregation. A child baptized at the Chapel
of the Cross is a baptized member; at age sixteen that child
becomes an adult communicant. Others become communicants by
transferring their membership from a former congregation or being
declared communicants by the rector. The key requirements are
baptism, the intention to live out that baptism in this
congregation, and official acceptance by the rector. The canons do add that "It is expected that all adult
members of this Church, after appropriate instruction, will have
made a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to
the responsibilities of their Baptism and will have been confirmed
or received by a Bishop of this Church or by a Bishop of a Church
in communion with this Church. Those who have previously made a
mature public commitment in another Church may be received, not
confirmed." Confirmation, therefore, (or Reception for those
confirmed in a previous denomination) is an expectation, but not a
requirement, of membership. In this diocese, however, only those
adult communicants who have been confirmed or received can be
nominated for vestry or vote in a vestry election. The canons go on to define "communicants in good
standing" (also required for participation in a vestry
election) as those communicants of a congregation "who for the
previous year have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for
good cause prevented, and have been faithful in working, praying,
and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of
God." If you have been baptized or confirmed or received at the Chapel
of the Cross, or if you have specifically transferred your
membership from a former parish or been declared a communicant
"by cognizance of the rector" (usually after an
appointment with one of the clergy), you are "a full-fledged
member of the parish." If you are in doubt about your official
status, simply call the parish office and inquire. If you have a particular question,
you'd like addressed in this column, please send it to
info@thechapelofthecross.org The 11th Anniversary Sister Parish Covenant Banquet Celebration St. Paul A.M.E. & The Chapel of the
Cross Chapel Hill, NC Please join us for a BANQUET Featuring Guest
Speaker: The Honorable Justice Henry E. Frye, Mistress of Ceremonies: Melissa Wade,
Tickets are $30 and must be purchased by September 1, 2005 |