The East Range Epistle December 2001 - January 2002

In 1980 Roger Weaver became the priest for the four Iron Range Episcopal Churches – a forbidding assignment to say the least! To the Ely Episcopalians he proposed yet another commitment – a regular monthly Eucharist during winter months to be held in alternate homes. An immediate success! Each month after the service we enjoyed tea and goodies and shared problems, hopes, and dreams with a unique bonding of young and old.

Several years ago, to be more accessible to new members, we found a welcomed home (an upper room) in the Northern Grounds Café and began weekly Saturday services year around. Roger designed and printed into a folder a Eucharist based on a New Zealand liturgy. Instead of a sermon, we read and discuss the Sunday gospel lesson. We all take turns reading the liturgy and prayers.

For two summers St. Mary's Ely enjoyed a Diocesan grant which partially funded weekly visiting clergy for a resort vacation and a Northern Grounds meal in exchange for presiding at the Saturday Eucharist. We met many clergy, and many remain friends.

Our church spans ages. We all learn from one another and have gotten to know one another well through the years. It is a special joy to watch the children grow up. They are a constant source of amazement!

In April of this year, the Ely Presbyterian Church invited us to have our Saturday service in their Common Room. This new arrangement is working very well. Now that you know where we are located, please join us when you are in Ely on a Saturday afternoon… we'd love to see you. Come worship with us!

East Range Churches' News

There will be a Three-Point meeting on December 3 at 6:30 PM at St. John's.

The Annual ECW Christmas Party will be held on Thursday, December 13, at 6 PM at Marlene Munig's home.  Supper will be pot luck.  To help make a varied menu, please call Marlene (218-741-3077) to arrange what dish to bring.  All women of the East Range Churches are welcome and invited.

The Children's Christmas Program will be held on Sunday, December 16, at 10 AM at St. John's.  The program will be followed by Coffee an'.
All interested children are encouraged to come to the rehearsal on Saturday, December 15, at 10 AM at St. John's.
Questions to Nancy Harvey (218-744-2599).

December 22 (Saturday):  4:30 PM: St. Mary's in Ely
December 23 (Sunday):  10:30 AM: St. Paul's
December 24 (Christmas Eve):

• 4:30 PM: St. Mary's in Tower
• 7:00 PM: St. John's
• 10:00 PM: St. Paul's

A Diocesan Acolyte Festival will be held January 26-27, 2002 at St. Mark's Cathedral, Minneapolis.  The event will include training, a lock-in and commissioning.  Details will be available in December through your Vestry.

Three-Point leadership desires having lead articles in The Epistle which are generated only from within our congregations.  Starting with the October issue, each congregation is responsible to provide the lead article for The Epistle.  This is the schedule for the next three issues:

• February:  St. Paul's
• March: St. John's
• April: St. Mary's

The 144th Annual Convention of the Diocese of Minnesota was held on October 26-27 in Minneapolis and covered the following:

• Five resolutions were passed on the topics of
1. making 2002 the Year of the Rev John Johnson Enmegahbowh
2. compensation for lay staff
3. the spirituality of food production
4. the Bishop Whipple Centennial
5. supporting anti-racism initiatives
• A new vision statement for the Diocese was not agreed upon.  The proposed vision statement was overwhelmingly rejected
• Regions 1 and 2 donated $1,500 to start a Capital Funds Drive for the new Cass Lake Camp Board

Deadline for input to the December-January issue of The East Range Epistle is Sunday, January 20, 2002, to Carol Morello (218-744-1615, or fax: 218-744-1635).  Processing is tentatively set for January 24.

St. John's News (Submitted by Nancy Harvey)

The following was covered at the Vestry Meeting of November 11:

• The Children's Christmas Program will be at St. John's on Dec 16 at 10 AM
• The Vestry desires to meet with the other vestries and their transition teams early in December.

St. John's Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 20, 2002, immediately following the 9:00 AM service.

St. Mary's News

Join the St. Mary's Ely Congregation for weekly Eucharist in the Common Room of the Ely Presbyterian Church (226 East Harvey St).
We meet at 4:30 PM each Saturday. For more information please call Mary Brown (218-365-5234) or Mary Groeninger (218-365-3364). Your call will be returned if you leave a return number.

St. Paul's News

The Fall U.T.O. Ingathering brought in $479.95.  Thank you to all who contributed

A big "Thank You" to all who helped on the Ham Dinner.  It was a success!  We did well and all of you made it possible.

 Poinsettias can be ordered for St. Paul's for the Christmas services for $10 each. You can bring them home after the services or leave them at the church. To order, notify Gail Coon [218-744-5138 (H), 218-744-5099 (W), 218-744-0275 (fax) or e-mail] as to how many and what colors you would like.

 The following was covered at the Vestry Meeting of November 19:

• There will be a service of Holy Eucharist on Sunday, December 23, at the normal time.
• The Annual Meeting will be on Jan 20.
• Service Guidelines were approved.
• Erwin Coon was thanked for doing a fantastic job of painting the Guild Hall ceiling.
• David Allen made tentative arrangements for Steve Schaitberger to visit for Easter Week.

At the Vestry Meeting on November 19, the vestry voted to accept the following service guidelines, provided by Roger, as policy after Roger's departure:
Worship

1. Selection of music for Sunday services is the responsibility of the organist, unless the visiting clergy makes suggestions.
2. Selection of prayers, lessons, and sermon for the liturgy is the responsibility of the layreader appointed for that day.
3. The Senior Warden and vestry are in charge of worship decisions.

1. Both the organist and appointed layreader are to consult with the visiting clergy for service procedures.
2. Suggestions may be made ("we are accustomed to...") but final decisions are made by the clergy.

St. Paul's Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 20, 2002, immediately following the 10:30 AM service and preceded by a potluck lunch.

Other links of interest:

• the Diocesan Commission on the Environment.
• the Episcopal Church.

This page maintained for the East Range Episcopal Churches by Chuck Morello on behalf of . Address comments on typographical errors to Chuck.