East Range Episcopal Churches' News

“HOSS” Meetings

Tom Campbell is scheduled to hold a “HOSS meeting” on Wednesday, February 8 at 6:30 PM. Check with your Vestry as to location. “HOSS” means Helping Others Strive for Success.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

On Tuesday, Feb 28, from 4:30 PM to 7 PM, St. Paul’s will be holding its annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. Members of all East Range Churches and their friends are invited to attend. Proceeds will be used to support “Bev’s Magic Penny Fund”, St. Paul’s outreach program.

Region II Meeting

The next Region II meeting is scheduled for Saturday, February 4, 2006 at St. Andrew’s By-the-Lake Episcopal Church, Duluth. The meeting will run from 10 AM to 2 PM and lunch is included. If you are interested in carpooling, contact Chuck Morello (281-744-1615).

New Directory

The new East Range Episcopal Church Directory will be distributed in February. If you have not received your copy by Feb 28, let Pat or Chuck know.

Diocesan Convention

The 148th Convention of the Diocese of Minnesota was held on Friday and Saturday, October 28 and 29 at the St. Paul River Centre.

The convention began with a Service of Light, at which the Rev Bill Tully, St. Bartholomew’s in New York City, gave the homily.

Last issue we reviewed the details of the convention and Rev Tully’s approach to his problems. This issue we will look at some of the ideas he presented.

The Rev Tully presented several points he called “Assumptions, theological and otherwise”. These included:

1. The opposite of church is sect, not world. This means we should change the balance of how we view those who do not go to church. They are as much a sect or community as those who attend church.
2. The church is its truest when it is loose around the edges and solid at the core. When a church community functions at its best, it’s outer edges are open to anyone who is interested – with no strings attached. At some point an individual will be interested in getting more involved with the internal workings of the congregation. This inner core needs to be more solid in its beliefs and in how it expresses itself.
3. The intersection of church and individual member or seeker: You can belong before you believe. Successful religious communities welcome inquirers without requiring that they believe in a certain set of tenets. The inquirer will either be interested enough to learn more and want to belong to the community or will be turned off or turned away and go elsewhere. Tully asked if there was any value in setting a high standard just to come in the door.
4. The Gospels are clear: The church is a living organism, a body. The church lives by growing. If not growing, it is dying. If we consider the church to be a living body (even the Body of Christ), then if it is alive, it should be growing. If it is not growing it is dying.
5. There are always people in your surrounding community who need and want what you have – once you stop pining for the usual suspects. Many plans for growth fail because they always target the same people and miss the people in the community who are really seeking to hear about what a congregation has to offer. This is an opportunity to take a different approach to evangelism without pre-judging the outcome.

Rev. Tully then presented several “principles and practices” that he found worked for him at St. Bartholomew’s:

1. Invest ahead of the growth you seek, to cause the growth you seek. Tully’s focus was on not trying to do things without a budget and without a focus. Growth won’t come if it is not supported by funds and by a specific focus.
2. Make "will it make us grow?" the primary question you pose about every decision, every idea, every program. Tully charged his Vestry to base every decision on this one question. If the idea or project could not be identifed as making the congregation grow, then it should not be undertaken.
3. Priority on worship: make it powerful by lavishing time, imagination, attention, and a passion for quality. For many people, the experience of the service will be the dominant reason why they come back again and again. If the service is done sloppily or the instruments are out of tune or lectors and lay readers and clergy speak in monotone, seekers won’t come back. The vitality of the service will move from the congregation to the visitor.
4. There are 52 equal Sundays—all powerful and beautiful; stop fooling around with the schedule. Many churches “take the Summer off” and allow all the vitality of the year to disperse. Summer visitors then get liturgical left-overs rather than the vitality of a service that carries on from one week to the next.
5. Intentional, radical welcome: sweat the big things and the small things. Welcoming takes more than a “hello” during the Peace. It needs to be intentional by all members and it should permeate everything that the congregation does. Attention to detail will allow the first impression to be a positive one.
6. Get straight about money, and learn to talk about it candidly and lovingly and often. Money is one of the big “off limits” areas of congregations, spoken of in whispers and behind closed doors. Our congregations need to become comfortable talking about the money the congregation has and in asking members for money. Talk of money is not left just to a few Sundays in the Stewardship Drive but should be considered a part of the sacramental life of the congregation.

In the Question & Answer session the Rev Tully admitted that some of his concepts would be hard to initiate in smaller, rural congregations without some modification. The underlying strength of his concepts lies in having effective leadership in a congregation. This will be covered in the next issue of the Epistle.

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

Vestry Notes

From the meeting of January 3, 2006:
+ Treasurer’s Report for December 2005: expenditures $2,838.46, receipts $2,509.74, $328.72 monthly deficit, checking account balance $17,592.52. Final YTD actual disbursements $31,894. Final YTD receipts $20,516, annual shortfall $11,378.
+ Special ‘05 Matching Gift pledged and/or received to date: $2,000!!
+ Treasurer brought to vestry’s attention the Whitman Memorial Fund allows for higher than present 5% distribution rate, although it would require written request, and may not be immediately effective. The fund total is now $90,011, with 5% 2006 distribution set at $4131. To be discussed with Saint Mary’s
+ Nancy Harvey continues to investigate possible snow removal services. Vestry members share this duty for the time being.
+ Vestry: Joanne Nichols and Kathy Hall were approached to serve, followed by Liz Lenich who volunteered. Vestry to consist of no less than five, comprising Senior & Junior Wardens, plus three regular members, one of whom may or may not be the Treasurer. Elections will take place at Annual Meeting on January 22 to fill at least one position
+ Treasurer submitted the 2006 Budget for Saint John’s. Projected disbursements $27,811, projected receipts $14,453, resulting in $13,358 anticipated shortfall for 2006. Approved as presented.
+ Baptism of baby Camryn, scheduled for December 11, rescheduled for January 8, has been necessarily postponed and rescheduled for January 22, the date of our annual meeting, as approved by Pat via telephone.
+ Everyone was grateful for Marta Maddy’s service on Christmas Eve, and enjoyed her very much!
+ Vestry approved 3-Point 2006 Proposed Budget of $75,571 less $5,000 offset from 3-point checking account. Saint John’s portion is $16,245.
+ Pat’s ongoing absence: vestry reiterated its emphatic support of Pat being with her daughter Juliet in Florida for as long as it takes. Vestry further authorized paying Pat to the fullest extent possible provided by contract (“Covenant”). Vestry approved payment in the following order: paid personal time until exhausted (24 days total accumulated through end of 2005, of which ~17 were taken in 2005), paid vacation time (3 weeks total) until exhausted, and continuing to pay Pat until she returns, settling salary overpayment (if any) at that time.
+ Recognizing Rector pay is a 3-Point venture, St. John’s Vestry respectfully submits the following for approval by St. Mary’s, St. Paul’s, and certainly, Pat: to minimize duplicate payments (and expense overruns) for supply clergy while our rector is not present but being paid salary, St. John’s prefers we use Lay Readers primarily to fill the void, with one Eucharist/Supply Clergy per month. We further request that January 22 (baptism) be the date that Supply Clergy arrangements are made through the end of January ‘06.

News of St. Mary's Episcopal Church (Submitted by Mary Groeninger)

Wednesday Night Book Group

Wednesday Night Meeting continues to meet on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 7-8:30 PM at Ely Presbyterian. At our first meeting in February, we will bring books we think the group would enjoy reading, and set up our spring schedule. As always, feel free to join us at any time. E-mail Mary if you would like to be on the group e-mail list, to be notified of upcoming topics and meeting changes.

New Worship Space

St. Mary's is now meeting weekly at the Mary Brown Environmental Center at 715 S. Central Ave. To get to the house, turn south on Central Avenue (off Sheridan at Piragis Northwoods Company). Travel approximately 1/4 mile. The house is on the right, directly after the entrance to the golf course.

News of St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Vestry Notes

Unofficial Minutes of the Vestry Meeting of November 15, 2005:

The Planning Committee:

Calendar events:
January 15 — Annual Meeting
January 31 — 3-point meeting with Canon Missioner Sandi Holmberg to discuss the future of the East Range churches.
February 28— Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Outreach

It was understood that proceeds from the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper will again be for Bev’s Magic Penny.

Building and Grounds:

In response to requests from Spencer, Darrel has purchased salt for icy sidewalks and Erwin will check on needed snow blower repairs.

Treasurers' Reports:

Joanne reported for the East Range churches and Rae Lynne for St. Paul’s. Both December reports are year-end reports and will serve as such at the Annual Meeting.

Old Business:

1) The vestry continued discussing replacements to its membership that will become necessary to enact at the Annual Meeting, including a replacement for Junior Warden. David reported that Dorothy has agreed to serve as Junior Warden for the 2 remaining years in Will Frederickson’s term and Dianna Salsbury has agreed to be a vestry member. An additional needed vestry person was still unnamed.
2) The vestry discussed a proposed budget prepared by Rae Lynne and Barbara. After some minor changes, it was approved.

Annual Meeting Notes

Unofficial Minutes of St. Paul’s Annual Meeting of January 15, 2006:
1) Members voted to reduce vestry to 6 instead of 9 people.
2) Elections:
Jr. Warden — Dorothy Parish (2 years)
Treasurer - Barbara Strickland (1 year)
Vestry - Dianna Salsbury (3 years)
Ginny McBride (3 years)
3) Members approved a $19,000 deficit budget. Because this financial problem promises to not only continue but worsen unless new directions are taken, the members discussed options. They deferred taking action, however, recognizing the problems need ongoing discussion not only among themselves but with the other East Range Churches. The first such 3-point meeting will be January 31 with Canon Missioner Sandi Holmberg facilitating. After that St. Paul’s members called for another meeting among themselves. It was understood that deliberations may continue throughout the year and that the budget approved may need severe revising.

Shrove Tuesday Trivia

Ever wonder just what Shrove Tuesday is all about? Here is some information to help your understanding:

Shrovetide
The last three or four days before the beginning of Lent is known as Shrovetide. The old names for these days were:

• Egg Saturday
• Quinquagesima Sunday
• Collop Monday - the day on which all meat left in the larder would be used up.
• Shrove Tuesday - the day on which all fats and cream had to be used up.

Shrovetide was celebrated with games, sports, dancing and other revelries. There were feasts to use up the food that could not be eaten during the Lenten fast. Football was played in the streets and Nickanan Night (as Shrove Monday evening was called in Cornwall) was a time for boys to run riot in the villages: hiding gates, taking off door knockers, and making off with anything that householders had forgotten to lock away.

Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day)
Shrove Tuesday is the last day before the period which Christians call Lent. This day is one of the moveable feasts in the church calendar and is directly related to the date on which Easter falls.
Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before to Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9.

Where does the word Shrove come from?
The name Shrove comes from the old word “shrive” which means to confess. On Shrove Tuesday, in the Middle Ages, people used to confess their sins so that they were forgiven before the season of Lent began.

Shrove Tuesday a time for celebrations
Shrove Tuesday is a day of celebration as well as penitence, because it’s the last day before Lent.
Lent is a time of abstinence, of giving things up. So Shrove Tuesday is the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that aren’t allowed in Lent. Pancakes are eaten on this day because they contain fat, butter and eggs which were forbidden during Lent.

Other names for Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday is also called Pancake Day, Mardi Gras in France (which means Grease or Fat Tuesday), Faschingsdienstag in Germany, Fettisdagen in Sweden.

Some Shrove Tuesday Lore
In Ireland long ago, it was usually a family celebration. For the faithful, Lent meant abstaining from eggs and all dairy products, so all of these had to be used up before Ash Wednesday.
Generally, the family, and sometimes friends and neighbors, gathered around the fire which was often fueled in part by the Christmas holly, saved just for the occasion. The pancakes were baked over the fire and the honor of tossing the first cake was always given to the eldest, unmarried daughter of the host. It was said that if she could toss it and receive it back into the pan successfully, she’d be married within the year; but, if it didn’t turn or was dropped, she would remain single. Often, her mother would put her wedding ring into the batter for the first cake; if the daughter was successful in her toss, she would immediately divide the cake into enough servings as there were guests. The person receiving the piece that contained the wedding ring was doubly fortunate - they’d be married that year and their choice of a spouse would be a good one.
In old England, even the church bells that rang early on Shrove Tuesday morning summoning everyone to confession and to be “shriven” became known as Pancake Bells. They also reminded all to use up the “forbidden foods” before Lent. An old London rhyme went “Pancakes and fritters, say the bells on St. Peter’s.”

The Pancake Bell
More than a hundred years ago, Shrove Tuesday used to be a half-day holiday. A church bell, called the the ‘Shriving Bell’, would have been rung signalling the start of the holiday and to call people to church to confess their sins. The church bell was rung at eleven o’clock in the morning, as a reminder to housewives to prepare their pancake batter and so the bell became known as the ‘Pancake Bell’.
The bell is still rung today in villages across England, although Shrove Tuesday is now not considered a half-holiday.