October 2006 Cross Roads

NEWSLETTER OF THE CHAPEL OF THE CROSS

Contents
ANNUAL GIVING
Master Plan Steering Committee
New Junior Choir Members
From the Rector
Vestry actions
Vestry Budget Priorities for 2007
Next Steps for the Master Plan
CAPITAL GIVING COMMITTEE UPDATE
Annual Conference of Solo Flight, An Organization for Single Episcopalians
Stewardship Investment in the Environment
Adult Education Opportunities
Special Worship with People With Developmental Disabilities
October Programs & Meetings
October Service schedule
Church School Teachers 2006-2007
Church of the Advocate to Dedicate Mary Esser Memorials
Upcoming Musical Events
Bach's Lunch
Bluegrass Mass
All Aboard again! launching the Gift Ark
Altar Flowers

ANNUAL GIVING

Ele Ross, Annual Giving Chair

And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance; so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.

-II Corinthians 9:8

As parishioners, we may not be surprised that with the arrival of fall, publicity begins for the Annual Giving pledge drive. We are told that our pledges dictate the parish's ministries of worship, education, pastoral care, and outreach. We are invited to give back with gratitude and thanksgiving and we are reminded that giving is a joyful opportunity for each of us to celebrate all that we have been given.

In fact, your pledge commitment to the Chapel of the Cross does allow the vestry to plan the parish budget for the upcoming year. The Chapel of the Cross cannot embrace its Christian commitment to ministries in the church and in the community without our pledged support each year. Pledges from parishioners will determine the budget for 2007 and in so doing will promote vibrant ministry programs. Our budget is certainly the dollars and cents of what we can do, but it also provides a tangible way to support our plans to continue Christ's ministry in our Chapel of the Cross community. In this way we certainly are given the opportunity to - and we must - give back joyfully and with gratitude. What we pledge this fall will shape programs and ministries. My hope is that you will truly give gladly to support God's work through the Chapel of the Cross. This is an integral part of our faith.

The Annual Giving Campaign will take place during October and November.

Mid-October: The parish staff will mail all parishioners a pledge packet which will include the annual giving brochure, a letter from the rector and more detailed financial information. Parents of children and youth will receive information about the children's stewardship program.

Sunday, October 15: The Annual Giving Campaign will kick-off with a Vestry Forum at 10:20 in the chapel.

Monday, October 16: Volunteers will call parishioners' homes in the evening to be sure packets have been received and to answer any questions.

Sunday, November 26: In-Gathering Sunday will conclude the Annual Giving Campaign.

The Annual Giving Committee members - Watty Bowes, Paul Carew, Steve Lackey, Ele Ross, and Lynn Wilson - are hard at work to coordinate this year's Annual Giving Campaign. You will hear from the committee through articles in Cross Roads, the Sunday Announcements, and at services and other gatherings. We all eagerly anticipate a fruitful campaign that will further enhance the ministries of our parish, and we encourage each of you to join us in giving thoughtful and prayerful consideration to your 2007 pledge. Let us all together be stewards of God's grace.

Master Plan Steering Committee

Terry Eason, Committee Chair

On Wednesday, September 13, the new Master Plan Steering Committee met for the first time to continue the process of moving forward with our parish's vision for future facilities both sufficient and worthy for the ministry of the Chapel of the Cross. This is at least the fourth consecutive committee to carry forward, step-by-step, a sense of calling, a sense of being prepared for our current pressing needs as well as for the needs that we can only imagine.

A number of years ago but well after I had become a regular active parishioner at the Chapel of the Cross, it became clear to me that, of our present buildings, only the church and the chapel (both designed by noted architects) continue to serve quite well for their intended purposes. In fact, the chapel continues to surprise me in that such an historic building serves as many purposes as it does. In contrast, the evolved hodgepodge of inadequate rooms and winding corridors that comprise our Yates and Battle buildings were certainly not working well, even though they were extensively renovated as recently as 1992. In fact, several of the leaders of that renewal effort readily acknowledged these limitations and gladly participated in dreaming a more extensive dream. Our buildings had become an impediment to our ministry, and we had to work to get them right so we could move on with the very real and important work that we have been given to do.

The concept plan recommendation from the Next Step Committee that the Master Plan Steering Committee has been charged to carry forward is extraordinarily bold. It is bold in its willingness to replace structures that are cherished by many of us. It is bold in its scope which easily exceeds that usually accomplished by parishes of our size and resources. Yet this scope and boldness were tested again and again against doing something less extensive and even against doing nothing. This boldness is further reinforced by a renewed sense that the Chapel of the Cross has an even brighter role to play than that witnessed by our storied and treasured past in our growing "town and gown" community, as well as within the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina.

Two clear tasks, both specifically defined by our vestry charge, are among the first our Master Plan Steering Committee will undertake. First, we must begin the lengthy process of working with the Town of Chapel Hill to gain approval of our emerging architectural plans by incorporating required citizen committee input and by verifying compliance with local regulations. The town process will take at least a year. Secondly, we must be prepared to look hard at our conceptual plans to align the scope of our proposed building project with the financial feasibility that emerges from the work and discernment of the Capital Giving Committee. As this work moves forward, it will also be the committee's important duty to continue engaging parishioners' input about the plans and keeping the entire parish informed of new developments that will influence the design. We will not likely have our architects do any further work until the first part of 2007 when some of this information begins to become available. Therefore, it will be a number of months before there will be any new development in our plans to show, but there will be a lot going on to get to that point. Please contact me or any member of the Master Plan Steering Committee with your thoughts during this exciting time for the Chapel of the Cross.

New Junior Choir Members

On September 10, the following new members of the Junior Choir were recognized: Riley Tench (left), and Katherine Kyriakoudes, (center) from the Cantus Choir, and Olivia McBride, (right). Photo by Ted Pratt.

From the Rector

Dear Friends,

The term "financial stewardship" an cause a shudder to run down our spines and move us quickly on to a more "pleasant" subject. All of us have concerns about money, no matter how much is available to us. Do we have enough? Will it last? How can we get more? That is human nature and the nature of money as the source of an unquenchable thirst.

So when the subject is raised about being grateful to God for what we do have and not being controlled by our money and hallowing all of it by giving a portion of it back to God, we can get very nervous. Giving some of it away seems counterintuitive. That means less for us and therefore more anxiety.

But think of the people you know who do not seem to carry this burden. Whether they have a great deal of money or a smaller amount, they do not waste their God-given time worrying about it. They seem to recognize that "every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above" and are truly grateful for whatever they have been given. They realize that up to now there has always been enough, and they trust that abundant sufficiency will continue. They are generous with what they have, and they take delight in using their money to love God and love their neighbors.

That freedom and joyful generosity is available to all of us, no matter how large our financial woes may seem. When we acknowledge that all that we have is a freely given gift from God, that is a first step. When we determine to prioritize God above mammon, that is another step. When we live out our gratitude and priorities by returning to God a portion of our annual income (no matter how large or small), that is a further step. When we work at increasing that percentage each year to a tithe or beyond, that is another significant step, and we will begin to find ourselves in the company of those cheerful givers just described.

Each fall we are given a new opportunity to grow in the joy and fruitfulness of healthy financial stewardship. The Annual Giving Campaign is not just a time to refuel the parish's vibrant ministry, although it is that. It is also an opportunity for us to live out our faith and trust in God by pledging to give through the Church an increasing share of what we have been given.

In light of the Chapel of the Cross' financial feasibility study later this fall to assess our capability for a significant capital campaign, how do I distinguish between my annual giving for 2007 and a capital pledge I may be asked to make later that same year? My annual giving is based on an increasing percent of my annual income. My capital giving stems from my accumulated assets. Each has its own significant place, both in my spiritual growth and in the life and ministry of the parish.

In this issue you will read more about both our Annual Giving Campaign and the upcoming information sessions for all parishioners to learn more about and discuss the parish's space needs and building plans. Our participation in both is an important part of our financial stewardship, a term that I hope instills more joy in you than dread!

- Stephen

Vestry actions

At its meeting on August 17, the vestry:
Approved the 2007 Diocesan Share in the amount of $203,527
Discussed budget priorities for 2007
Approved the Preschool Contract for 2006-07
Approved the nominations of Martha Schutz-Lo and Jefferson Parker to the Master Plan Steering Committee
Approved the recommendations of the Social Ministry Committee for disbursement from discretionary outreach funds in the amounts of $100 to Meals on Wheels and $1000 to Lebanese Refugee Aid. X

Vestry Budget Priorities for 2007

Building on the momentum of the last several years, next year's budget will focus on:

· Solidifying the increases in outreach (including the Church of the Advocate, Global Mission, the Johnson Intern Program, and our increased diocesan asking)

· Increased staff hours to support program (for Youth Ministry Assistant and Parish Administrator)

· Maintaining the strength of program in the face of increasing participation.

MASTER PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE

October 2006

masterplansteeringcommittee@thechapelofthecross.org

HOME WORK EMAIL

Martha Dill, Vice-Chair 967-4758 m.dill@earthlink.net

Terry Eason, Chair 929-7235 968-0445 tbe105@aol.com

Bruce Heflin 942-8136 bruceheflin@yahoo.net

Jefferson Parker 960-7220 jeffersondparker@earthlink.net

Linda Rimer 929-7076 541-0785 lbrimer@bellsouth.net

Martha Schütz 929-9941 dlo@email.unc.edu

Rob Sullivan 967-7568

Dick Taylor 942-1426 966-2559 dick@ncatl.org

Ramsey Terhune 929-6127 362-7073 rrterhune@aol.com

Ford Worthy 969-7584 998-3330 fworthy@pappasventures.com

Next Steps for the Master Plan

Martha Dill, Master Plan Steering Committee Vice-chair

What is our "next step"? A fragment from Philip Larkin's poem "Church Going" may prod us toward an answer.

Yet stop . . . I often do. . .

Wondering what to look for;

wondering, too,

[If] churches fall completely out of use

What we shall turn them into,

if we shall keep

A few cathedrals chronically on show . . .

And let the rest rent-free to rain

and sheep.

Larkin is "wondering" what happens when a community fails to convey its vision to succeeding generations. Growth in education and service is proof of our parish's vitality, and the church and chapel are in no danger of losing their roof-tiles. So we, by contrast, wonder if we have sufficient church structures to support our mission now and in the future. To explore this question, the rector and vestry appointed a Long-Range Planning Committee and a Program Review Committee in 2002. Their conclusions underscored "the dynamic relationship . . . between the quality and flexibility of our physical space and the quality of our programs and of our community." A Next-Step Committee was charged, therefore, with developing a master plan assuring future generations that we are more than a "cathedral . . . chronically on show."

Consider how our forbearers affirmed this faith. The chapel, the church, and the other parish building are tangible evidence of their belief in an active church. The original "chapel of ease" was destroyed during the American Revolution, but 15 congregants worked together to build our chapel. If they had not, we literally would not be here. As the congregation grew, major contributions built the church and the cloister connecting it to the chapel. Had the congregation not acted then, we would perhaps now be . . . an urban parking lot? This combination of vision and action has been repeated many times, and our mission has grown. We have laid the ground-work needed to join this story once again.

The Next-Step Committee completed its work in May 2006 and proposed to the vestry the building of an entirely new parish hall, adding a larger fellowship area. It became clear that renovation and an addition would be as expensive as a new building and would result in an inadequate, and in many ways, dysfunctional space. Therefore the committee proposed building the new parish hall to support our programmatic needs.

What will our "next step" be? The process of making architectural choices, seeking the approval of town and historical commissions, and raising money is not unique to Episcopalians. Our neighbors - the Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Roman Catholics, and the United Church of Christ - have wrestled with the same issues that confront us. Each parish made its own decisions about renovating, expanding, or moving. We can learn from their experiences and delight in the growth of their ministries.

The rector and the vestry have appointed new committees, but our "next step" is one we will take together. We will wonder together what to look for as we "do all with truly thankful hearts in the name of Jesus."

CAPITAL GIVING COMMITTEE UPDATE

David Ross, Capital Giving Committee Chair

The Capital Giving Committee is continuing its work in preparation for a capital campaign to implement the Next Step Committee's new facility recommendations. The firm of Whitney Jones, Inc. of Winston-Salem, NC, has been selected as fundraising counsel. This firm has a history of involvement with successful church campaigns, including St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem. Whitney Jones, President, and Lisa Luzwick, Senior Project Manager, are currently working with us in determining specific plans for a campaign.

Currently, the focus is on a series of information sessions to which every member of the Chapel of the Cross will be invited. The purpose of the sessions is to inform each parishioner about long-range plans and to provide an opportunity for input and suggestions. Your participation is encouraged and welcomed. These meetings will begin in October, 2006, and continue through January, 2007. Leaders for the sessions include Virginia Carson (Program), Jim Dondero (Communications), and Alan Rimer (Arrangements).

At the same time, a campaign survey will be undertaken with individual interviews of selected vestry members, parish leaders and others who have a special interest in the future plans of Chapel of the Cross. The interviews will take place October - December, 2006.

A summary of the findings and data obtained from the information sessions and the campaign survey will be presented to the Capital Giving Committee in January, 2007. Recommended action will then go to the vestry for final review and decisions on campaign plans.

Assuming a positive response from the various reports, we anticipate that a major part of a capital campaign would take place during the balance of 2007. This will be an exciting and challenging time in the life of our parish!

Annual Conference of Solo Flight, An Organization for Single Episcopalians

Jill Shires

A national Episcopal gathering for single adults called me to the Kanuga Episcopal Conference Center over Labor Day weekend. The Solo Flight attendees included divorced, widowed, never married persons, those who are romantically unattached due to choice or circumstances. In a couple-oriented church and society, we single adults face significant challenges of living happily alone and recovering from break-ups-tasks for which we receive no preparation as young people.

In the context of our faith journeys, understanding healthy adult relationships and singles' sexuality can help us make choices for our lives which are right for us. Transitions involve letting go, often forgiving ourselves and others as we lean into Christ. As we allow Him to cradle us, it's helpful if we can also experience the accepting and affirming love of others in our church community. Within our homes, visual art, music and favorite things can help singles create sacred space and transform our loneliness into solitude. Then with support in the body of Christ, we can stay alert for next steps in our own ministries.

Highlights of the weekend were talks by The Rev. Dr. Thomas Breidenthal of Princeton University, worship services including the Eucharist, small group discussions, and evening times for just socializing. Anyone who would like a copy of the list of developmental tasks for singularity, guidelines in healthy adult dating, or information on Episcopal ministry with single adults is welcome to contact me (Lauren Jill Shires) at 919-933-4052 or jshires@email.unc.edu.

Stewardship Investment in the Environment

Linda B. Rimer, Environmental Stewardship Committee Chair

One of the two environmentally-focused resolutions adopted recently at General Convention is perfectly aligned with the financial stewardship theme of this October Cross Roads. This resolution, labeled "Response to Global Warming", speaks to the role of the church in national and international legislation related to energy use, and the manner in which the Church can use its investment powers to promote a sustainable global environment. http://gc2006.org/legislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=188&type=CURRENT

Copied below is the language of Resolution B002:

Resolved, That the 75^th General Convention affirm that Global Warming threatens the future of God's good creation, and the effects of Global Warming disproportionately hurt the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable in the United States and around the world; and be it further

Resolved, That Episcopalians and The Episcopal Church at every level support efforts that seek to reduce Global Warming, including national and international legislation that increase the supply of clean energy and reduce consumption of fossil fuels; and be it further

Resolved, That the Convention commend the Executive Council and particularly its Socially Responsible Investment Committee (SRI) for the work they are now doing with the Global Warming Shareholder Campaign (GWSC), and the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) and the leadership they exercise as a member of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR); and be it further

Resolved, That the Convention urge the Executive Council and its SRI to:

(a) use resources of The Episcopal Church, including its investments, to promote a sustainable global environment;
(b) seek by shareholder resolutions to change current policies and behaviors of those companies that are significant contributors to Global Warming, and if necessary, divest from those companies;
(c) call upon the expertise of Episcopalians who are closely connected with the GWSC to assist in this initiative;
(d) report the results of this initiative to Executive Council no later than its fall meeting in 2007.

All this really does matter to us as parishioners. Below is an explanation of some of the terms and organizations which were referenced and which will possibly provide a better appreciation of the intent of this resolution.

Socially responsible investing: "investment decisions or activities conducted with the deliberate application of an investor's moral, ethical, social and/or environmental values." (Investor Responsibility Research Center; http://www.irrc.org/)

Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR): an association of 275 faith-based institutional investors, including national denominations, religious communities, pension funds, and others, that press companies to be socially and environmentally responsible through shareholder resolutions. The combined portfolio value of ICCR's member organizations is estimated at $110 billion. (http://www.iccr.org/)

Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES): founded in 1989, CERES is a national network of investment funds, environmental organizations and other public interests working to advance environmental stewardship on the part of businesses.

The origins of what we now call socially responsible investing date back hundreds of years. In biblical times, Jewish law provided guidance on ethical investments. In this country, early Quakers refused to invest in companies connected to the slave trade; and in the 1920s, many American Churches kept their investments away from any industries related to alcohol and tobacco. Many people today may have encountered socially responsible investing for the first time in the 1970s and 1980s with the unprecedented divestment from South Africa during apartheid.

In fact, the Episcopal Church of the United States filed the very first social issue shareholder resolution by a religious institution back in 1971, which called on General Motors to withdraw from South Africa.

So Resolution B002 of the 75^th General Convention continues a 35 year history of socially responsible investing by the Episcopal Church. This resolution also emphasizes the enormity of the threat that global warming represents for our planet, God's creation. This emphasis can best be appreciated by reading the language used in the "explanation" accompanying the resolution: "This resolution acknowledges the impending catastrophe of Global Warming, empowers the church to speak the truth to our political leadership and to advocate for sustainable energy programs and policies, and directs the Socially Responsible Investment Committee of Executive Council to identify those companies whose behavior regarding Global Warming is so egregious that it is or would be a violation of the Church's core beliefs to continue to own such stock."

Adult Education Opportunities

October 2006

Sunday Mornings

October 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29

Synoptic Sources: David Jamieson-Drake

Each of the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, has a distinctive "take" on Jesus' life, even though the basic elements of the story are similar from book to book. David Jamieson-Drake, who taught New Testament Greek at Yale Divinity School, will focus on the styles, motivation, and differences between the accounts found in these texts.

October 8 after the 11:15 Service

Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth will be shown in the parlor followed by discussion. Light lunch provided but please sign up in advance in the parish office. Come and raise your awareness of our role in taking care of God's great creation.

October 8 Parent Gathering: Quiet Prayer with Children. This program will address ways that even young children (at least for short periods) can learn to be still, centered and prayerful. (Library)

October 22 Parent Gathering: Answering Children's Questions About Prayer -Martha Hart "Can I pray that my soccer team wins the game?" "Can I pray that we get a puppy?" "I prayed that my grandmother wouldn't die but she did." How should parents respond to their children's questions and beliefs about prayer? Martha Hart will lead this discussion on talking about prayer, especially prayers of intercession and petition, with children. (Library)

October 29 Parent Gathering: Talking with Teens about AIDS -Peter Leone. Parishioner and medical director of the HIV/STD Prevention and Care Branch at UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Peter Leone will explain the rise in new cases of HIV among black college students in North Carolina and discuss why, even if you think your child is in a low-risk group, you should be deeply concerned about the spread of this disease. The discussion will include ideas for talking with teenagers about risk and prevention. (Library)

Quiet Days

October 7 (9:30 am to 2:30 pm)
Autumn Quiet Day: Meditations on Hildegard
of Bingen; St. Matthew's Episcopal, Hillsborough, NC
The Quiet Day will be led by Loma Collingridge, author and musician who wrote her dissertation on Hildegard's songs.

Weekdays

Tuesday Mornings:
September 6 through May, (8:30 - 9:30, parish library)
Mary Harris Bible Study
New members are welcome! The group began years ago reading and discussing the Bible. In September, they will continue a study of Paul's letters and other New Testament letters: James, Peter, Jude, John and Hebrews. Group members share in facilitating the weekly study.

Thursday Mornings:
October 5, 12, 19, and 26 (10:00 to 11:30 in the parlor)
Living the Questions: facilitated by the clergy

People know that at its core, Christianity has something good to offer the human race. At the same time, many have a sense that they are alone in being a "thinking" Christian and that "salvaging" Christianity is a hopeless task. What is needed is a safe environment where people have permission to ask the questions they've always wanted to ask but have been afraid to voice for fear of being thought a heretic. Living the Questions is a 12-week DVD group study exploring beyond the traditions and rote theologies. The first 4 sessions will be facilitated in October with continuation during the winter and spring. Sign up in the parish office.

Evenings

Thursdays: October 5, 12, 19, and 26
(7:30 to 9:00 in the parlor)
Living the Questions: facilitated by the clergy

(See description above).

Tuesday, October 3 (7:30)
Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth will be shown in the parlor followed by discussion. Popcorn will be provided. Come and raise your awareness of our role in taking care of God's great creation.

Thursday, October 5 (6:00)
Honduras Night (dining room)
Watch for details and sign up instructions in upcoming Crossings for this catered meal and program about our Honduras connections.

Last updated: October 2, 2006