March 2005 East Range Epistle


	*The East Range Epistle* *March 2005*

Reflection on Lent and Easter
by Mary Groeninger, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Ely, MN

            Last year was a wonderful, moving, soul-satisfying Lent and Easter for our family. Since Sam and Cole were toddlers, I've collected books full of activities for Lent and Easter. Despite my best intentions, though, each Lent has gone by with only a few hurried moments actually spent doing anything related to the season. With my children, activity is the route to prayerful reflection – so from year to year, Easter has come upon us and something has been missing.
    Last year I resolved to get those books out and use them. Reason-ing that if I offered the activities to the churches and the community, I would have to actually do them myself, I organized Lenten Saturday activities. We planted grass and sticks for “New Life Trees,” baked bread, decorated eggs and candles, made Easter cards, and carved crosses from soap. At home, the boys and I read every night (well, almost every night): Bible stories, the Dangerous Journey (a retelling of Pilgrim’s Progress), and an old novel by Elizabeth Yates called The Easter Story and made symbols from at least some of the stories to hang on the bare branches of our tree.
    By Holy Week we were filled with the stories of our faith. We were surrounded by our preparations for Easter-bread for Good Friday and Easter in the freezer, a candle to light at the Vigil, a tree hung with palm crosses and biblical figures, and blown eggs decorated and boxed to decorate the New Life tree at the Easter Vigil. For once, I felt ready.
    On Palm Sunday, the kids sang “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” and handed out palms with the Presbyterian children during their service. On Maundy Thursday, we traveled to Eveleth (breaking bread at McDonalds on the way, much to the delight of my fast-food deprived children). On Good Friday, we headed south again to services in Virginia.
    We put lots of miles on the car that week, but our journey was more than physical. “Mom,” said Sam on one of those drives, “here’s what I think about what happens after people die.” His thoughts on heaven and hell and how we journey safely through life as Christians kept me awake that night. While I could trace in his thoughts threads from Pilgrim’s Progress, the Passion story, the liturgical prayers he had heard in church that week, his thoughts were also new and complex – and his own. My eight-year-old son was becoming a thinking Christian.
    This year, with the boys’ baby sister due just after Easter, I’ve scaled back our Lenten activities. We’ll be filling in a “Path to Easter” each day as we draw prayers and good deed suggestions from a bowl; we’ll revisit A Dangerous Journey; we’ll replant our New Life tree in Sunday School, bake bread, and decorate eggs. We’ve already gone to our first Lenten Supper (an ecumenical prayer service and meal shared with other Ely churches).
    By the Easter Vigil I think we’ll be ready again (I wrote about our amazing Vigil experience in last year’s newsletter). This Lent, in fact, promises to be even richer than the last, with the promise of New Life gracing our family as well as our Church.
    If you’re interested in recreating any of these activities as a family this year, don’t hesitate to e-mail me with questions. May your Lent be filled with the Spirit and your Easter with joy.

Mary Groeninger attends St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Ely.

Holy Week Schedule

Palm Sunday (March 19 and 20):
    Saturday: 4:30 PM at St. Mary’s (Ely)
    Sunday
        9:00 AM at St. John’s (Eveleth)
        10:30 AM at St. Paul’s (Virginia)

Maundy Thursday (March 24):
    7:00 PM at St. John’s (Eveleth)

Good Friday (March 25):
    1:00 PM at St. Paul’s (Virginia)

Easter Vigil (March 26):
    7:00 PM at St. Mary’s (Ely)

Easter Services
    Saturday, March 26
        4:30 PM at St. Mary’s (Tower)
    Sunday, March 27:
        9:00 AM at St. John’s (Eveleth)
        10:30 AM at St. Paul’s (Virginia)

In this Issue


Reflection on Lent and Easter Pat's Pastoral Notes East Range Churches Notes St. John’s Notes St. Mary’s Notes St. Paul’s Notes General Notes


The East Range Epistle is based on each congregation's input and assistance. It is published in hard-copy and on the Internet for the East Range Episcopal Churches. Please send comments and input to St. Paul's Episcopal Church P.O. Box 376 Virginia, MN 55792

Via Media is at
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via media represents a renewed commitment to evangelism in the Episcopal Church. One of the lessons of General Convention is that the Church needs to spread the message of an inclusive, powerful, passionate God to all people. Our churches have experienced a tension between “traditional” and “progressive” ideals in the weeks following the prophetic actions of General Convention. For more information click on the logo above.

Pat after her Installation, October 2003

Pat's Pastoral Notes ...
The Rev Patricia Gillespie

The Rite Stuff

     You may have noticed that our worship is a bit different this Lent – simpler and using the old- style language. It is meet and right so to do. The Rite I theology tends to be more penitential, remembering our sins, the ways we fall short of God’s dreams, as is suitable for Lent. The old words, so familiar to many of us from the 1928 Prayer Book, take us back to our roots – always a good place to begin in the spring as we approach Easter. It reminds us that it is a time of year to let go of the dead stuff in our lives and to dig deep into our hearts to prepare for a springtime renewal. Preparing the soil of our lives and becoming fertile again can be painful, yet it is at the same time a sign of hope.
    When Easter arrives, blossoming into new life, we will return to using Rite II, the more contemporary language reviving the traditional prayers. It is another kind of “via media”– a middle way in which we balance between the old and new, using newer language for ancient prayers. There is a slight theological shift as well, as in Rite II. the focus becomes more incarnational, more celebrat ory, reminding us that we are made in the image of God. The joyful alleluias return to our music. Sometime during the summer we may also try occasional “Rite III” worship services. In this case the language of the prayers is chosen by the priest according to “An Order for Celebrating the Holy Eucharist” in our Prayer Book (p. 400). Using the New Zealand Prayer Book, as we do in Ely, or other alternative services is Rite III. Or a priest may compose her own original worship service. These services are exceptions to the regular Sunday worship, where Rite II is the norm.
    It is not only priests who may chose or compose prayers for our shared worship. With the priest’s approval, the Prayers of the People may be original compositions by the lector, lay reader, or anyone feeling called to write prayers. As with “Rite III,” the Book of Common Prayer offers guidelines for the Prayers of the People (p. 383). It would be wonderful if some of you would like to gather or compose prayers for our churches. Ask Pat for details.
    Our tradition offers us a wonderful framework for our common prayer. It keeps us firmly grounded in tradition while allowing us to grow and change in the ways we worship together.
    It is a most invaluable part of that blessed “liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,” that in his worship different forms and usages may without offence be allowed, provided the substance of the Faith be kept entire ... "

The Book of Common Prayer 1789

Pat +


	East Range Churches' News

Midweek Lenten Services

On Wednesday march 2, 9, and 16 there will be an Evening Prayer Service at St. Paul's.

Holy Week Schedule

The Great Vigil of Easter
Easter Saturday (March 26), 7:00 PM
St. Mary’s in Ely (226 East Harvey Street)

    We spend Lent waiting for spring and preparing for Holy Week and Easter. On Good Friday the wait intensifies. Jesus has died and we wait for the third day and the Resurrection. The ancient and profound liturgy of the Easter Vigil embodies our Lenten wait and preparation for Christ and joyfully celebrates His Resurrection. There will be an Easter fire in the darkness and a candlelight procession. Congregation members will tell lessons from salvation history, and Easter Day will be welcomed with a renewal of Baptismal Vows and “the Great Noise” (bring along noisemakers of all sorts – drums, tambourines, bells, whistles, horns).
    This will be a longer service than usual, per-haps 90 minutes, but not the all-night, waiting- for-the-dawn vigil that the early church might have offered.
    All are welcome to join us – members of St. John’s and St. Paul’s are encouraged to car-pool to Ely for the evening! Wondering about the kids? For children who enjoy the occasional special late night up, the Easter Vigil is full of child-appeal-bonfire, candle-lit procession, and storytelling in the dark followed by light, music, loud banging, and celebration. The Easter Vigil can be a formal service, but we are an informal group and welcome the restless energy of children.
    Don’t forget, March 26, 7:00 PM at St. Mary's in Ely, 226 East Harvey Street

Region II Meeting Report

The Region 2 was held February 12, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Duluth. Major points from the meeting were:

None of the East Range Churches paid their annual dues for 2004 (due in January 2004). The dues for 2005 are now due.
The Episcopal Church, USA, has developed updated standards for Safe Church. All individuals in a congregation, as well as all clergy and staff must take the new training if they have any responsibilities with children.

The next Region 2 Meeting will be Saturday, May 7, 2005 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Duluth. Updated Safe Church standards will be provided for all needing the training.

EFM Schedule

Education for Ministry (EFM) will meet on Wednesday, March 2, 9, and 23 at 6:30 PM at St. Paul’s. On March 2 and 9 we will break to participate in the Lenten Evening Prayer Service at 7 PM

Diocesan Convention

   At the 147^th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota (Oct 29-30, 2004), Bishop Jelinek charged the delegates and clergy and the congrega-tions they represent to have the courage, commit-ment, and generosity to build congregations to meet the future of the church In this issue, we will cover the aspect of “commitment” from Bishop Jelinek’s speech.
    Commitment to build the “church of tomorrow” is focused on taking the courage we have identified in ourselves and in our congregations and starting to view our ideas and our lives through a new lens. We should take a much longer look at our communities (“Where is there an unfulfilled need for justice, peace or reconciliation?”) and transform our congregations to be the presence of Christ in our communities. What we do as a congregation should be framed around the idea that we are building the church of tomorrow and not protecting embers of the congregation or community we may have been at some point in the past. Commitment starts with a spiritually healthy congregation or a congregation intent on becoming spiritually healthy and then staying the course of spiritual health until it is achieved while experimenting with new models of ministry to bring “Gen-Xers” into active participation in our congregations. The church of the 21^st Century must keep developing models of ministries that will speak to the coming genera-tions. It is the commitment for a century.
    Next Month: Generosity

Next Epistle

Deadline for input to the March 2005 issue of The East Range Epistle is Wednesday, March 16, 2005 to your congregational contact. Processing is tentatively scheduled for Webnesday, March 23.

Epistle Contribution Schedule

The schedule for the lead article for the next three issues of The East Range Epistle is:

April: St. Paul's
May: St. John's
June: St. Mary's

Please keep the article to 400 to 500 words and send it to the lead article to Carol or Chuck Morello. Deadline is the same as for the regular Epistle production.

Getting Input to the Epistle


Preparation of the Epistle is time-consuming. The following guidelines will ease the work burden on those involved: 1. All submissions must be in electronic format (RTF, MS-Word, WordPerfect, Wordpad, Notepad, or as text inside an e-mail). Non electronic format materials must go through your congregation’s EpistleContact: St. John’s: Jane Kingston (218-744-3833) St. Mary’s: Mary Groeninger (218-365-3364) St. Paul’s: Deanne Polski (218-741-2503)	2. Deadlines have been established to make it possible for you to receive the Epistle before the new month starts. The Epistle goes to the printer on the Monday before the “folders, spindlers, and mutilators” process it. Input received late may not be printed. 3. If you wish to help with the production of the Epistle, please contact Pat (218-638-1206). 4. If you wish to help with the editing of the Epistle, please contact Carol or Chuck Morello (218-744-1615)


	St. John's News (Submitted by Jane Kingston)

Annual Meeting Notes

The following items were covered at St. John’s Annual Meeting, January 23, 2005:

Moved that a $5000 3-point checking account transfer should be included in the 2005 budget. Pat agreed and will contact St. Paul’s and St. Mary’s vestries with that recommendation.
The 3-point ratios changed from 2004 to 2005 as follows: St. Paul’s - 56.24% to 55.46%;
St. John’s - 27.68% to 28.16%; and St. Mary’s - 16.08% to 16.38%.
2005 St. John’s budget estimates an approx-imate $21,000 shortfall. Approved.
A congregational crisis meeting including all parish members should take place ASAP to discuss finances and brainstorm in an attempt to mitigate the shortfall.
Pat noted that investing in the ministry by spending down reserves has historically shown positive results in other similarly-positioned parishes, and speaks from a voice of experience in church growth.
Volunteer church members are signing up on a weekly basis to clear the walks throughout the week except for Sunday mornings. The front steps will be ribboned off during the winter in the interest of less shoveling and safer access, but noted it must be done in such a way so as not to make the church appear vacant.
Pat advised that financial audits will be conducted this summer for 2004 and 2003. Sandi Holmberg and Pat are working on kicking this off.
A request to Chuck Morello: what is the cost per address of providing the Epistle for one year?
Joanne Nichols presented her family’s wishes that the 2004 Memorial for dear Art be used for a new paschal candle. (Our last paschal candle at St. John’s was also donated by the Nichols in memory of Joanne’s and Art’s parents.).

Rector's Report:

We no longer have the pre-school nursery oper-ating in our building. This has opened up the space for church use such as 3-point meetings and gather-ings and Education for Ministry which began this year. We also are laying the groundwork for a youth group and Christian education for our youth.
This has been a year of transition for St. John’s. We have lost some gifted leaders through death and resignations; we remember and are thankful for all the ways they built up our church in the past. This has challenged St. John’s to reflect, to regroup, and to allow the Spirit to work through us in new ways. Special thanks to Liz Lenich and Tom Kingston for taking on new leadership ministries on short notice. Thanks also to the Rev. Canon Sandi Holmberg for helping us through the transition, to our remaining Vestry members Sue Grillo and Kathy Hall for their steadfast service, and to all who saw that the little things got done to help us continue in minis-try, especially to our faithful organist, Nancy Harvey.
We have some new faces as part of our regular congregation. This is a sign of hope and a reminder that we continue to be a place where people find God and a loving church family. Election Results

Member	Term expires end of:
Sue Grillo	2005
Kathy Hall	2005 Junior Warden
Gail Hallstrom	2006
Jane Kingston	2006 Senior Warden
Nancy Harvey	2007 Secretary
Tom Kingston	2007 Treasurer

Outgoing Senior Warden Liz Lenich expressed thanks to:
☺ Kathy Hall, Tom Kingston, Dick Harvey, Linda Davis, and Sue Grillo for all their help during the transition
☺ Kathy Hall for her finance work
☺ Nancy Harvey for this year’s potluck and her organ music.
☺ All members of the Altar Guild
☺ Linda Davis for her lay reading
☺ Larry LaPatka for the Christmas tree
☺ All acolytes and lectors
☺ All building and grounds work volunteers
☺ All Epistle workers
☺ Entire congregation for their support of our special place.

Vestry Notes

The following items were covered at the Vestry Meeting of February 15, 2005::

At St. John’s request, the 3 Point 2005 budget was adjusted to include a transfer of $5000 from its savings account, thereby decreasing all churches’ costs.
January resulted in a $2,228.42 deficit.
Miners’ Bank in Eveleth continues to give us extraordinarily good service on investments.
Checking account balance is $11,742.44.
Region 2 dues (10 cents per parishioner) payment will be made for 2004 and 2005
Gail will contact the City to request exemption from the monthly fee.
Approved holding one summer vestry meeting in July.
New Safe Church training is being implemented - all clergy and those involved with children’s activ-ities must take the training. Upcoming Regional meetings are scheduled for May 7 in Duluth (pre-ceded by Safe Church training) and October 8 in Virginia.
The Drobnicks have volunteered to take care of weekly shoveling duties the week of February 21. Thanks to Nancy for scheduling, and thanks to all our volunteer shovelers!
Joanne Nichols has requested that Art’s memor-ial dollars go towards a new paschal candle and a new silver baptismal basin.
The prospect of holding winter services in our basement next winter is under consideration.
Given the dismal state of our finances, the Vestry agreed that a Congregational Crisis meeting on April 3 be held for the purpose of brainstorming ideas on how to meet the challenge of continuing St. John's operations. A mailer to all parishioners and interested parties is forthcoming.
Canon Missioner Sandi Holmberg presented some key national and state canons pertaining to Vestries, characterized as the “bones of our Church's body” or “studs of our Church's building.” Thank you, Sandi!
Rector's Report: Thank you to the Vestry and to Jane for all the hard work.

St. John’s “thank yous”

☺ Thank you to all our volunteer snow shovelers
☺ Thank you to all vestry members, new and old!
☺ Thanks to Pat for her hard work in 2004 – we are hoping and praying for a positive future.

St. John’s Reminders

The next lead Epistle article from St. John's is scheduled for May. Please consider submitting an article!
Coffee Fellowship hosts are needed – especially for March 6.
Altar Guild: as part of your valuable weekly service, please prepare Today's Readings from the box in the vestment room and place on back credence table.
A Congregation Crisis meeting including all parish members is scheduled to follow church services on April 3. We find ourselves in dire financial straights and need a brainstorming session to help resolve this crisis. Please make every effort to attend this crucial meeting – everyone's attendance and input is critical for our future!
Lost and found items in back hall – small size Eveleth jacket, yellow toy bus, red hair brush, and purple coin purse.
Wish list: lower credence table or shelf for front of church, baptismal pitcher, heavy-duty snow shovel..

Annual Meeting

St. John’s Annual Meeting was held after The Epistle went to press. Minutes will be in the March issue.


	St. Mary's News (Submitted by Mary Groeninger)

Wednesday Night Meeting

Wednesday Night Meeting will be held on March 2 and 16 at the church. We will be finishing our discussion of A Human Being Died That Night and moving on to a study, through video and print resources, of the Muslim faith. All are welcome. Please e-mail to Mary if you would like receive e-mail updates about the group's upcoming topics or to order books at a discount

Easter Breadbaking

Saturday, March 5: A workshop where we will make 3 breads for Lent and Easter from scratch: pretzels, hot cross buns, and a special Easter bread. The breads can be frozen for Good Friday and Easter. Space is limited to 12 families, so register early by e-mailing Mary.
The Workshop will begin at 9:00 am, with a midday break while the dough is rising. It’s also possible to come at 2:00 if you just want to shape and bake the loaves. Children are welcome. We will also be making Easter cards as time allows.

Easter Egg Decorating

Saturday, March 19, 3:00-4:20: We will be decorating blown and plastic eggs. These make a wonderful Easter Day centerpiece hung from a bare branch “planted” in a pot (part of our Lenten Sunday School project). Plan ahead and plant some grass for Easter with your branch! Advance registration helpful but not required.


	St. Paul's News

Prayer Chain

If you haven’t signed the Prayer Chain list and would like to ad your name, contact, Beryl at 218-225-2500.
To submit a Prayer Request, phone Beryl, Pam at 218-225-2124, or Eathel at 218-224-2626. And remember the Prayer Reports. Giving Thanks and Praise are what we are all about.

Many thanks, John McIntosh

Vestry Notes

    Unofficial Minutes of the Vestry Meeting February 8, 2005:

        Before the regular order of business, the Vestry talked with Mike Gunderson, our property manager for the rectory, about the condition of the rectory.
    (1) He stated the basic building is very sound with both a strong foundation and a roof that should not need work for another 10 years.
    (2) He said the steam leak was only patched by the city until fuller repair can be made in the spring. Although the patch was a good seal from damage at first, it is beginning to wear, and signs of steam emission are in the house.
    The city is aware of this, he claimed, and should be amenable to paying documented damages after the full repair work has been done. One area of real concern, he said, is some crumbling along the base of the walls in the basement. This should be checked by a professional. The wall of the basement adjacent to the leak, he said, remains incredibly hot all of the time.
    (3) He reported that regular upkeep repairs that are overdue include exterior and interior painting, wallpapering, and replacement of some siding.
    (4) He agreed to arrange for a small group of vestry members to tour the inside of the house to see what needs to be done.

Planning Committee discussed the following event dates:
March 7 Befrienders Ministry Group at 6:30
March 15 Joint vestry meeting at St. John’s at 6:30
March 11-13 T.E.C at St. Paul’s (Duluth)
Outreach: In reponse to a request, Gail moved that we donate $50 for the Mt. Iron/Buhl High School Graduation Party. Motion was approved.
Building and Grounds:
     (1) Will said he had contacted the telephone com-pany about the problems with our line. Apparently they didn’t do enough when they came to give us phone service.He said he would contact them again
    (2) Vestry discussed a bill presented by Spencer for grass mowing for July and September when he was apparently filling in for Andrew. A motion was approved to pay Spencer $50 for this summer work.
    (3) Vestry understood that for snow shoveling/ blowing we were to pay $10 a week as a flat rate. Will said he would discuss with Spencer whether or not this was acceptable.
Youth: Gail and Pat said the youth group/confirmation class had been meeting regularly, socially as well as educationally.
Ham Dinner: David reported for Darrel that this year's Ham Dinner had netted $3400 ($600 over the previous year's profit).
Treasurers’ Report: Reports for both St. Paul’s and The East Range Churches were presented and accepted. For new vestry members there was some discussion about the nature of the two budgets. David explained that because of $5,000 additional income into the 3-point general fund from its own savings and the return of additional pledges to St. Paul’s, St Paul’s budget picture was better than that presented at the annual meeting. (Pledges reported at annual meeting: $34.375; actual pledges to date: $39,060.)
New Business:
(1)At Pat’s suggestion, Gail moved that we approve Evangelism as a line item in our budget. The motion was approved. Gail moved that we assign $1,000 to the Evangelism line item immediately. The motion was approved.
(2) Dorothy, Will and Larry Killien, will form a committee to tour the rectory to assess needed repairs and renovation. They will contact Darrel to arrange a time to access the rectory.
(3) Will moved that we renew our church insurance with Church Mutual at our present evaluation rather than the increased evaluation suggested by the company. The motion was approved.

Praying with you, Christ Jesus, the last words that came to your lips, “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing,” leads us to this other prayer, “Father, forgive me; sometimes it happens that I too hurt others without realizing it.”

Taizé Meditation for Lent

General Notes


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