NEWSLETTER OF THE CHAPEL OF THE CROSS - August 2007
In This Issue:
- Youth Ministry
- From the Rector
- Vestry Actions
- Capital Campaign is Busy
- Thinking About Christian Stewardship
- Youth Mission Trips
- From the Diocesan Web Site
- Youth Council
- Space for Youth Ministry
- Youth Group Ministry
- Youth Week at Kanuga
- Choirs
- Summer Vacation: Your Opportunity to Connect with God, Creation and your Children
- August Programs and Meetings
- August Service Schedule
- Centering Prayer: A Heart Opening Experience
- The Spiritual Life Committee presents Centering Prayer Workshop
Youth Ministry
David Frazelle, Associate for Parish Ministry
Between Sunday morning worship roles, church school, Sunday evening youth group, summer trips, retreats and lock-ins, "Youth Ministry" at the Chapel of the Cross can present a confusing landscape to navigate. What is the relationship between these different activities? How are they related to the ministry of the larger parish? How do I choose what to do? In what new directions are the youth headed? This article seeks to address some of these questions common to newcomers and old-comers alike.
The method behind the madness, so to speak, of our multi-faceted youth ministry lies in the Baptismal Covenant. In short, we seek to provide multiple opportunities for youth to live the Baptismal Covenant. A reminder of some important vows from this Covenant - With God's help, I will:
- Continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers.
- Persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever I fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord.
- Proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ.
- Seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving my neighbor as myself.
- Strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.
For most of our youth, parents and Godparents have taken these vows on their behalf at their baptism. Also at their baptism, the Church promised to do all in its power to support them in their life in Christ. Hence, all the activities under the Youth Ministry heading seek to do just that - to support our youth, as they grow into the full stature of their life in Christ, by engaging the various practices and vows of the Baptismal Covenant.
I offer just a few examples. Participation in the Junior Choir allows youth, through the gift of sacred music, to "continue in the apostles teaching and fellowship," and especially "in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers," by deepening their participation in and assimilation of our rich liturgy. Our Acolyte, Reader, and Usher Programs offer different levels of responsibility for youth leadership in worship. Crucifers, Torch Bearers, and Servers "proclaim by example the Good News of God in Christ," as they lead the congregation in "the breaking of bread, and in the prayers." Ushers practice Christian hospitality as they welcome members of the gathered community. Readers practice for the congregation the incarnate and oral interpretation of the written word of God. Church School classes from childhood through 8th grade help us "continue in the apostles' teaching . . . and in the prayers," and to gain language to describe and proclaim "the Good News of God in Christ." EYC (Episcopal Youth Community) provides an opportunity to continue in "the apostles' fellowship," to "proclaim by example the Good News of God in Christ," to "seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself," and to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being." In short, the strengths of EYC are fellowship and service, though it includes some teaching and worship. The annual EYC Mission Trip for Senior High students provides an intensive experience of Christian fellowship and service. It also includes corporate worship and personal reflection and prayer time. In other words, this trip is an intensive experience of all facets of the baptismal covenant. This list is not exhaustive, but it gives some sense of the breadth of how we practice and receive our faith through youth ministry here.
How do I choose what to do? We know that no one young person can participate in everything offered to them. We encourage youth to think and pray about which ways of engaging the Faith seem right to them, and to use the clergy and youth staff as resources in their decisions.
Our youth are moving in exciting new directions, especially in the areas of mission, spiritual formation, and participation in the Diocese of North Carolina. Last summer, we added a second summer youth mission trip. This past year, under the strong leadership of Caren Parker, youth minister extraordinaire, we began to take fuller advantage of the rich diocesan and regional opportunities for spiritual growth. Caren has led groups of youth to youth conferences at The Summit (near Greensboro) and, more recently, to Kanuga (near Hendersonville). As we plan for this coming academic year, we are building a very gifted staff of lay youth leaders and are discerning how we might be called to new service ministry in the community - possibilities include a local service week, a local hunger ministry project, and domestic mission trip(s). Also, grades 7 through 12 will be trying a new church school curriculum that the Youth Council researched and recommended.
If you have any questions or concerns, or if you are trying to discern what mode of involvement is best for you, I really hope that you will be in touch with me, with Caren Parker, with Ellen Cole (the Chair of the Youth Council), or with someone else on the youth staff.
From the Rector
Dear Friends,
Recently I attended a two day field education orientation at Duke Divinity School in anticipation of having a summer intern here. It was a much bigger deal than I had anticipated.
Along with about 200 interns, there were an equal number of us supervisors there from 17 states and Canada. We not only learned about the expectations and guidelines for our intern's ten weeks with us, we participated in several workshops designed to help us and our interns minister better with the ‘invisible people' of our congregations and communities, i.e. those whom we easily ignore. You could choose from offerings on prison ministry, mental illness, end of life issues, youth ministry, and domestic and sexual violence. I could have benefited from all of them, but I chose the ones on mental illness and youth ministry. In this issue focusing on the latter, I want to tell you what struck me from that workshop.
Youth ministry, the leader declared, is not simply a program. Rather it is the ongoing engagement of loving adults with youth, who know them by name. That is worth repeating: the ongoing engagement of loving adults with youth, who know them by name. Good programs are essential, but they are hollow and ineffective unless the youth involved in them sense the personal interest and care of adults. In reflecting on your youth, you may realize this is true. You flourished to the extent that interested adults - parents, teachers, coaches, clergy, youth leaders - helped you do so. You responded to those who knew you by name and shared their time, knowledge, and dedication with you.
In this parish, I am grateful for the number of loving, dedicated adults we have working with our youth. These include not only our clergy and youth ministry leaders, but also our church school staff and teachers, our Junior Choir leaders and parents, our acolyte moderators, and others. In the context of these important programs and beyond, these devoted people by their "prayers and witness help [our youth] grow into the full stature of Christ."
The rest of us also play an important role in keeping our youth from becoming ‘invisible people.' Through our financial stewardship and moral support, we enable fruitful youth ministry to flourish in our parish. By attending youth-sponsored events and becoming stockholders in EYC mission trips, etc. we encourage not only our youth but also those adults who regularly engage and lead them. But most importantly, I would like all of us to make a special effort to know and call our youth by name. Use your pictorial directory, read the bulletin information about, for example, the lector that day, or ask parents the names of their children. Make a point of greeting them by name whenever you can, and you will make a significant difference in how much our youth feel, not invisible, but an important part of a loving, believing community.
-- Stephen
Vestry Actions
At its meeting on June 14, the vestry:
- Further discussed the issue of blessing of same-gender relationships
- Approved the recommendations of the Social Ministry Committee for approval of discretionary outreach funds in the amounts of $1000 to Urban Ministries, $1600 to Camp Meadow Wood, $2000 to Iglesia El Buen Pastor, $1500 to El Hogar Ministries, and $500 to Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate
- Approved the recommendations of the Social Ministry Committee for disbursement of ABC Sale Funds in the amounts of $2000 to Student Health Action Coalition, $500 to Thompson Children's Home, $1200 to Orange Congregation in Ministry, $1500 to Project Compassion, $1500 to Family Violence and Rape Crisis Services of Chatham County, $1000 to El Centro Latino, $1000 to El Futuro Inc., $1500 to A Helping Hand, $500 to UNC Best Buddies International, $3000 to AIDS Community Residence Association, $2500 to Inter-Faith Council, $1000 to The Women's Center, $1000 to Alliance of AIDS Service Coalition, $1600 to Camp Meadow Wood, $1000 to Orange County Literacy Council, $1200 to The Augustine Project, $1000 to Freedom House, $1000 to Orange County Rape Crisis Center, $1000 to Urban Ministries of Durham, and $500 to YMCA of Chapel Hill-Carrboro
- Approved the recommendation of the Personnel Committee for approval of the revised job description for the position of Director of Stewardship and Development
- Approved the recommendation of the Personnel Committee for approval of the revised job description for the position of Facilities Manager
- Learned that Mary Anne Handy has assumed the position of Parish Administrator, Marsha Pate has been hired as the Administrative Assistant, and Ron Mc Gill will begin work as Facilities Manager on July 1
- Accepted the 2006 Draft Audit
- Approved an increase in the salary for the position of Facilities Manager from $39,500 to $43,000 so that Mr. McGill would not come here at a reduced salary
- Accepted with gratitude designated bequests from the estate of Lewis Finney in the amounts of $13,420 for prison ministry and $8,910 for social ministry
- Allocated $1,000 from tithes of undesignated bequests to Hidden Voices.
Capital Campaign is Busy
Ted Vaden, Capital Campaign Communications Chair
Summer has brought a sweet lull to our regular parish routines, but there is much below-the-radar-screen activity in the parish capital campaign. Committees continue to meet on a monthly basis to plan for a campaign that is expected to occur mostly in 2008.
The Communications Committee has produced a plan that envisions regular communications to parish members that will accelerate as the campaign proceeds. There will be monthly updates, like this one, in Cross Roads. As the campaign goes on, you can expect more frequent communications in the weekly church bulletin, as well as mailings from campaign and parish leaders, special messages from parish notables old and new, frequently asked questions (FAQs) and a parish history.
The plan also includes electronic communications to you via the parish Web site and even an occasional online chat opportunity for you to ask questions directly of campaign leadership. There will be numerous in-person opportunities too, possibly including more parish dialog meetings in homes, as occurred earlier this year, and coffee-hour discussions on Sundays.
The first parish-wide introduction to the campaign will come at the annual Parish Barbecue, which this year will be on Sunday, September 16. You'll have a chance then to meet and hear from the campaign leadership. As reported previously, Reid and Margaret Conrad are co-chairs of the Campaign Cabinet. Please put that important parish event on your calendar now.
In June, the Campaign Cabinet approved a name for the campaign: "A Light on the Hill: Building to Serve." We think this reflects the overarching theme of the Chapel of the Cross as a spiritual presence in our community, sustained and strengthened for the future by improved facilities to support our missions of worship, education, and service.
Also as previously reported, the parish continues to search for a person to fill the new position of Stewardship and Development Director. The position was approved by the vestry in May. It is expected that, for the first two years, the primary responsibility will be to assist the Capital Campaign, with the salary paid through the Capital Campaign. That also enables the campaign to avoid hiring a paid consultant.
The search committee, chaired by vestry member Larry Logan, has received about 20 applications and begun interviews.
If you have questions about the Capital Campaign, you may contact the co-chairs Reid and Margaret Conrad at (call office for number), reidconrad@mac.com, maconrad@mac.com.
Thinking About Christian Stewardship
Ann Henley, Junior Warden
Several years ago the Chapel of the Cross changed the role of the Junior Warden from his/her traditional oversight of Buildings and Grounds to responsibility for Stewardship Formation within the parish. So I've been giving considerable thought lately to the meaning of stewardship and to ways that together we can foster Christian stewardship at the Chapel of the Cross.
All of us are, of course, stewards of many things-the environment; relationships with partners, children, friends; our time and skills. And our money. If you are like me, thinking about money in the context of my spiritual life-trying to meld God and mammon-can feel awkward. My personal credit and debit spreadsheet, I sometimes think, could have nothing whatsoever to do with my relationship to God or my life in the church.
However, an article in the 2007 issue of Giving, a publication of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center, has helped me see just how closely money matters and the life of the spirit are linked, how the financial support we give our church's life and mission not only reflects "our love for God" but also "takes us beyond duty to delight." I'd like to share some thoughts from "Give of your Treasure and Your Heart Will Follow" with you and invite you to use them as we think together in the coming months about our opportunities and responsibilities as Christian stewards.
The writer of the article, Mark Allen Powell, a professor of New Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, remarks that, though he is no fundraiser, he has become convinced "that spiritual growth and financial stewardship are closely related-what happens in one area inevitably seems to affect the other." And, he points out, other men of the cloth have felt the same way:
Martin Luther said that everyone needs to experience three conversions-of heart and mind and purse. Billy Graham says, "When people get their attitude toward money right, it seems to straighten out every other area of their lives." Neither Luther nor Graham were interested in fundraising when they said these things. They were interested in helping people have deeper, more meaningful, and more spiritually satisfying lives.
Jesus, too, Powell continues, makes the connection between money and the life of the spirit in Matthew 6:21. In this verse Jesus does not say, "Where your heart is, there will your treasure be." Instead he says it the other way around: "Where your treasure is, there you heart will be." This order-giving treasure first and the heart following after-is, says Powell, both a promise and "good news":
According to Jesus, there is a way for us to alter our spiritual affections. We can decide what we want to care about and then we can do something that will change us inside until we really do care about those things. We can decide who or what we want to love, and then we can do something to direct our hearts accordingly.
Powell observes that throughout the ages saints and pilgrims have practiced and advocated the spiritual disciplines of regular worship, scripture reading, and prayer. But he challenges us to add a fourth: "generous giving. Give of your treasure and your heart will follow." He concludes: "Stewardship is the surest path to spirituality. There is no more Biblical way to follow Jesus than to give away our money. Good news! We can be closer to God! Where our treasure is, there our hearts will be!"
In the middle of the season of Pentecost, the "ordinary time" of the liturgical year, before the Capital Campaign is fully launched and the Annual Giving Campaign begun, let us all take some time to consider the value-to ourselves and to our church-of the spiritual discipline of "generous giving." May we all be led to a closer relationship to God by giving our treasure to the work of His kingdom and allowing our hearts to follow.
Youth Mission Trips
Lauren Peterson
An Indian Reservation in Wind River, Wyoming, thousands of miles from Chapel Hill and with no Episcopal churches in sight, seems like an unlikely place to determine you will remain a member of the Episcopal Church even after you leave home. However, this was no overnight realization during a summer mission trip. Instead, it was a decision based on a strong foundation in Christian education and involvement in the Church. As a lifelong member of the Chapel of the Cross, I have attended church with my family as long as I can remember. I have since left home for college, but not Chapel Hill and not the things I value most about the Chapel of the Cross.
As a student at Carolina, coming to Church or ECM always feels like coming home. I truly value the sense of community, the tradition, and the welcoming of new ideas. Sunday school provided an environment where the teachers did more than provide an hour of supervision while our parents enjoyed coffee or an Adult Education Class. One of my fondest memories of Sunday School is of Betsy Pringle presenting my peers and me with real Bibles at the end of our second grade Sunday school class. The teachers genuinely cared that we were exposed to all aspects of the Christian faith, not only the stories from the Bible. Those stories came alive in projects, discussions, and skits. The projects were not limited to crafts but community service projects for the Chapel Hill community and beyond. The discussions were animated, and I never heard a question go unanswered. The most valuable class for me in addition to the Confirmation Class was a high school course taught by the Lienesch family. The focus was world religions, ultimately giving me a greater appreciation for other religions and denominations in addition to my own. Finally, the skits have become more elaborate in recent years, but I will always remember the Christmas pageant. This past Christmas I felt like something was missing as I waited to go watch the pageant as a parishioner for the first time in ten years.
Most of my education in the Christian faith did not come from Sunday School classes. I learned the Nicene Creed at the prompting of Dr. Quinn when I was in the junior choir, but I received much more than a better understanding of the service. I gained an appreciation for the music and the history of hymns. Likewise, I gained an appreciation for the tradition and history of the Episcopal Church through serving as an acolyte and becoming a lector. However, the experience that had the most impact on me was two Chapel of the Cross mission trips in the summers of 2004 and 2005.
I always attended church with my family and was confirmed as an Episcopalian because I saw no reason not to be. However, it was the mission trips that cemented my decision to remain involved in the Episcopal Church once I left home. The weeks that I spent in Wind River, Wyoming, and Chicago were two of the most emotionally intense weeks of my life. Not only were we exposed to abject poverty, but we were also exposed to other ways of worship and beliefs of other Christian denominations. We were stunned by the lives of other Americans, but also uplifted by their inner strength and the hope of the children. I clearly remember lighthearted moments such as playing in a fire hydrant in Chicago or finding a turtle on the Indian Reservation. There were tough moments too. Going to the door of a two-room trailer packed with fifteen people and speaking with the drunken father standing in front of his badly bruised wife or talking with a girl two years younger than me, already pregnant with her second child. It was difficult not to look away.
The reason these trips were so powerful was they brought up so many emotions and forced us to ask questions about God, our faith, and ourselves. It was a discussion with Tammy Lee and Elizabeth Lienesch in Wind River that helped me cement my faith. We asked many questions ranging from "Where is God in these homes?" to "How are some people so certain about their faith?" While these were not easy questions to answer, Tammy provided ideas and things to think about. Similar discussions with David Frazelle and leaders such as Dana Campbell on the subsequent trip helped me as well. Those trips have affected many aspects of my life. When studying public policy this past semester I often thought of the conditions I had seen in Chicago. When I am having a difficult time with something, some of the things that Tammy and David said often provide comfort. I am grateful for the care and support so many parishioners have shown as I grew up in the community of the Chapel of the Cross. I cannot think of a better place to have grown up.
From the Diocesan Web Site
What is a Youth Conference?
A Youth Conference is time away from it all, meeting new people, making new friends, having lots of fun, and exploring your faith. Conferences are designed and led by youth, so you can relate to the activities and the message. There are small groups, recreation and sports, art, cool workshops, worship, music, skits and a variety of presentations.
Youth Council
Ellen Cole, Council Chair
The Youth Council at the Chapel of the Cross is made up of both parents and teens. Our goal is to provide advice and practical support for youth ministry concerning the Youth Inquirers Class, Episcopal Youth Community (EYC), Senior High Sunday School, and Mission Trips. For the past two years, Margaret Conrad has served as the chairperson. I've taken over as chair this summer, and I look forward to working with David Frazelle and Caren Parker in the coming year.
Since its inception we have had a dynamic group of participants. This committee has included Casey Shaw, Tony Hawkins, Rick Courtright, Kim Williams, Jeannie Reik, and Emily Von Allen. Janie Cole has served as our youth representative. Since most of us are well past our EYC days, her opinion is vital. On more than one occasion, Janie has kept us from wandering into "old dude" thinking.
As evidenced by the sheer numbers David and Caren deal with, our youth programs are wonderfully successful. It is, frankly, more than two people can handle. This is where the Youth Council steps in. Last year we helped organize food for EYC, raised money for the mission trips, offered logistical support for executing the mission trips, discerned and agreed upon an overall vision for youth ministry, and researched a new curriculum for the Senior High Sunday School, among other activities.
While the Youth Council exists to serve the youth and to support David and Caren, we are also a voice for the needs and concerns of the families. We welcome feedback and questions. Are you interested in serving? Please contact David (929-2193; dfrazelle@thechapelofthecross.org) or me ((call office for number); ehc430@aol.com). Questions about one of the programs or how to get your child involved? Call any one of us. At the Chapel of the Cross, we are blessed with so much: an incredible team of youth leaders, supportive clergy, involved families, and, most of all, engaging, creative, and energetic young people that add a multi-dimensional layer to our activities. Thanks be to God.
Space for Youth Ministry
Caren Parker, Youth Ministry Assistant
I have heard that there is a thought among youth ministers that if they just had a bus all of their problems would disappear. A bus sounds really nice, but what I dream of is space. Last winter the senior high EYC had a great deal of energy around making the choices and doing the work to make room six - the "Ramp Room" - theirs. The room looks much nicer, but the reality is that it is a small space used by many groups of people. Ownership of a warm, inviting space would also help in the effort to create a sacred place - a place different from the worlds of school and sports and other extracurricular activities. Our goal should be to create a space where the youth can feel the safety of community when they enter.
Now is a time of creativity at the Chapel of the Cross. The buildings are tight for staff and program needs. We can do a great deal using space from here and there. There are also many things that we cannot do because of space constraints. It is challenging to find a space that is large enough for the whole group and allows the youth to feel some connection with the space. Many youth spaces incorporate pool tables, ping pong, and places to gather for conversation; our space is not big enough for that. I am very excited by the prospect of the space for youth proposed in the new building plan. Many committees have worked MANY hours to get to where we are in our plans for a new building. The plans for the new buildings include a large youth space.
I had the opportunity to attend the Adults Who Work with Youth Conference at Kanuga this June. There were many youth leaders from many places. There were volunteers, part-timers, full-timers, and diocesan leaders. People are doing a great deal with few resources. It would not be fair to say that we have to have a dedicated space to make a program. It would be fair to say that ownership of a space gives people the feeling that they are at home. A big beautiful space designed with our youth in mind and entrusted to them to care for could speak volumes about who they are to the church and how they are valued.
Youth Group Ministry
Elizabeth Pfeifer, EYC Leader
"The youth group at the Chapel of the Cross has an amazing spirit and the potential to serve the Lord in an overwhelming capacity."
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity."
1 Timothy 4:12
For my seven years in middle- and high-school, church youth group was my saving grace. It gave me a space of my own to have fellowship with others, it provided an opportunity to learn Bible verses and their modern-day relevance, it gave me chances for new responsibility within the church, and it provided a safe haven when anything became too difficult. Having to leave the St. John's youth group was an almost unbearable thought until my youth minister reminded me that we were not the only youth group in the country; go and serve others!
I found the Chapel of the Cross youth group during my sophomore year in college and was hooked immediately. Sunday nights no longer consisted of being holed up in the library; instead I was doing random acts of kindness, playing water games, singing "Light the Fire" with David jamming on the guitar, and worshipping the Lord in closing Compline services. I was one of 10 adult volunteers (we call ourselves advisors) who devoted Sunday nights to the amazing youth of the Chapel of the Cross.
As an advisor for the youth group I was allowed into the secret world of teenagers (even though my birth certificate technically says I am still one). I learned about the rivalry between East Chapel Hill High and Chapel Hill High, the best games to play on different video game systems, who was dating whom, and what our parish youth really thought about Sunday School that morning. I shared in the excitement and the tears of the 30+ students who regularly attended youth group meetings.
The youth group at the Chapel of the Cross has an amazing spirit and the potential to serve the Lord in an overwhelming capacity. Caren Parker and David Frazelle have been working on gathering musicians to play at meetings for worship. They have organized weekend retreats to the beach and the mountains and hosted lock-ins (which usually means staying up all night). Students have also participated in hours of service for the community and the world at large. This past February, 15 students went for 30 hours without food to raise money for third-world countries; in April the youth group volunteered at the annual ABC sale; and for the second year in a row, a high school team traveled to New Orleans in late July to serve Hurricane Katrina victims.
After only a year's work with Caren, the other advisors, and of course the youth, I am hooked to the Chapel of the Cross youth group. I am excited to see what is in store in the next two years of my college career, I have a feeling that I am in for a great ride with some even greater students.
Youth Week at Kanuga
Caren Parker, Youth Assistant
When I was a student in high school, my friends and family spent a great deal of time hearing me talk about Kanuga, an Episcopal Conference Center near Hendersonville, North Carolina. It was a place where I felt that I could be myself and that people really understood me. Youth conferences offered an experience that I longed for but had not found.
This year I was able to return to Kanuga in a different role. Instead of rushing into a sea of young people, I wandered down the hill to the waterfront to meet other adults who work with youth. On that very short walk, I saw the first of many familiar faces. Over the course of the week it was amazing to reconnect with this friend from many years ago, to learn the course of her life after Senior Young People's Conference (SYP) and how her life continues to intersect with many friends from this influential time and place in both of our lives.
Adults Who Work with Youth (AWWwY) gave me an opportunity to spend time with other people who have chosen to work with youth. I learned so many things, many of which I hope to share during the next year. I had time to slow down and reflect on my life and career choices and to think about the influence Kanuga has had on both.
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share this special place with three young people from the Chapel of the Cross. Rising eighth graders Kyle Ferriter, Alex Riek, and Dylan Wignall participated in Junior Young People's Conference (JYP) for the first time. We talked about our hopes and fears on our drive to Hendersonville. They were all worried that they were heading off to housing and food similar to Boy Scout camps they remembered. Kanuga received high marks from them for food and lodging. I was impressed by the housing, and not so excited by the food. However, for less than a week it was great to have someone else doing the cooking and cleaning.
Since we were participating in separate conferences, we rarely crossed paths. On Wednesday, all three conferences (Senior Young People, Junior Young People, and Adults Who Work with Youth) joined forces for Eucharist. The energy was amazing! The youth in the center of the room wanted to be so close to each other and the music that every time we sat down someone was left standing for lack of room. The passing of the peace was saved for the end of the service, because the hugs don't stop with the people on either side of you - they go on and on and on. On our drive home I learned of some really exciting experiences they had. They told me of music concerts, services begun with the energy of a party, and a healing ceremony that moved many to tears.
I am already planning to return next year - driving a van filled with people. Mark your calendar for June 22 - 27, 2008.
Choirs
Wylie S. Quinn, Organist and Choirmaster
All our choirs will be returning to their regular schedules over the next few weeks. Check the information below for groups that may be of interest to you. All choirs are recruiting new members, so please step forward if you have been waiting for just the right moment. This may be it.
Junior Choir: This choir is open to all young people beginning in the third grade. Rehearsals are held on Wednesdays from 4:00-5:15 p.m. Many choir families join in a potluck supper every Wednesday following the rehearsal. Returning choristers will vest and sing for the first 9:00 service on August 26. The first Wednesday rehearsal will be held on August 29, from 4:00 to 6:00. Come immediately after school for registration and vestment fitting. There will be a pizza party for choristers and their families, and a parents' meeting, 6:00-6:45. There will be a swim party and potluck picnic at Eastwood Lake in late August. Check Sunday leaflets, website, and e-mail for details. Please call Dr. Quinn if you have questions about the Junior Choir.
Senior Choir: This choir sings at the 11:15 service on Sundays during the academic year and at the 10:00 am service during the summer. Rehearsals will resume on Wednesday, September 5; but if you are interested in joining the choir, please call Dr. Quinn now to inquire about openings and to arrange an audition..
Compline Choir: This choir sings Gregorian chant and polyphony in a late Sunday evening service of Compline. The choir is composed of townspeople, students, and parishioners. New singers (especially basses) are needed because of choristers who have graduated and moved away. Please call Dr. Quinn for a conversation about Compline. The first rehearsal (followed by a service) is on Sunday, August 26, at 8:00 pm.
The Cantus Choir: This great musical adventure is designed for first and second graders to introduce them to both the pleasures and the disciplines of music making. We hope that most of these children will move up into the Junior Choir, but the principal objective is that all will develop a life-long love of singing. Rehearsal time coincides with that of the Junior Choir: Wednesday, 4:00 - 5:15. Many choir families join in a potluck supper every Wednesday after rehearsal. Information about this group and its start-up schedule will be mailed to all parents of first and second graders. If you have questions, please call Linda Everhart, at 933-4993.
Parish Choir: This choir sings at 5:15 and other services. It is open to everyone, including young people and students. No audition is required. Rehearsals are on Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. All voice parts are needed. The first rehearsal is scheduled for September 10.
Compline returns on August 26 at 9:30 pm
"Set your minds on the things that are above, where Christ is." The ancient monastic service of Compline, the "completion" of the day will be offered in the church every Sunday evening during the university semester at 9:30 pm. The service, which lasts about 25 minutes, is completely sung by the choir in a darkened church, illuminated by candlelight and adorned with the sacred smell of incense. The service consists of prayers, psalms, the Nunc dimittis, a short "chapter" (scripture lesson), a hymn extolling the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, all sung to Gregorian chant and renaissance-style polyphony. An organ improvisation, often on one of the chant themes sung in the service follows the service. Come join us and put all of your comings and goings, your beginnings and endings, and everything in-between into the loving hands of God.
Summer Vacation: Your Opportunity to Connect with God, Creation and your Children
Linda B. Rimer, Environmental Stewardship Committee Chair
It's summertime! Time for the family vacation! Are you "beach folks" or "mountain folks"? While the times have obviously changed, July has been the predominant vacation month in North Carolina for many years. Perhaps this is a consequence of our manufacturing history. i.e. all those textile mills and furniture factories that typically closed for the week that contained July 4th - so all those workers packed up their families for a week of vacation fun. Not surprisingly, those family vacations - and summer camps as well - 'spilled' over into August as time passed, industries evolved, and employers changed.
Reflect a bit! If you were an ocean family, what did you do? I bet you swam, played for hours in the sand, marveled at the pelicans skimming across the water, smiled at the antics of the shore birds digging for goodies as the waves subsided, and searched for sea shells, all the time wondering about the creatures that had used them as their homes.
If you were a mountain family, did you hike or camp? I'm sure many of you can recall hours walking along streams, picking up rocks to find salamanders, or sitting by a campfire late into the evening listening to the sounds of the woods and identifying constellations in the dark skies.
American families obviously have far more flexibility these days in both the times they take for vacations and their destination of choice. So what are families doing on these holidays? And what are kids doing in summer camps today? Still hiking? Or camping? Or looking for shells and salamanders?
Chances are, the answers involve far fewer activities that occur "in nature". Family vacations or summer camps easily become extensions of what families do during other parts of the year, connect more with computers and simulations than with real time experiences in the forests or meadows. Disney World and King's Dominion may be entertaining, but visiting them provides few opportunities to experience nature. And as for camp opportunities, summer camps today are often ‘themed,' for example, weight-loss or computer camps.
Being outside in nature is very important to nurture an environmental stewardship ethic. God created the earth and put humans here to tend the garden, to be stewards of the land, the plants and the animals. Unfortunately, this stewardship is not genetically endowed. It requires teaching and demands personal interaction. And we are now learning that - just as creation requires our nurturing care to thrive, so do we too, need nature.
There is a growing body of research that documents the fact that kids today are spending less time out in nature, and this distancing from nature has potentially serious implications. In his 2006 book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv explores this research. A very basic conclusion of the book is that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy development in children. On the other side, this research links the absence of these outdoor experiences with some of the recent trends we are seeing in children, such as a rising incidence of obesity, attention disorders, and depression.
Whatever considerations are important in determining what you and your family do for vacation or summer camp, the Environmental Stewardship Committee invites you to get "up close and personal" with nature, that is, with God's creation.
As it is so elegantly stated in Eucharistic Prayer C in the Book of Common Prayer:: "At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home." This year, take the family out into nature, to explore and to experience the sights, the sounds, the feel, and the smells. Let this be the beginning of a re-connection that ultimately benefits all of us, and the Earth which God gave us.
