• What is their position on the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement?
• What will they do to increase availability of public transportation in the city or area or region?
• What is their timetable for implementing changes in automobile and industrial emission standards?

• What do they propose to do to improve water quality in the city or area or region?
• Do they support zoning restrictions around redrawing of wetlands?

• Where does our solid waste go?
• How do they propose to increase availability and use of recycling?
• Do they support city-wide purchasing of recycled goods?

• What plan do they have to educate about environmental issues?
• What would they do to educate government officials about environmental issues in your area, and to seek partners in strengthening environmental advocacy?

• Does our PUC allow for purchase of wind energy?
• What is their position on cutting back on fossil fuel use in government buildings?
• What is their dependence on – or independence from – the fossil fuel industry in your policy-making?

• Does the city purchase locally produced agricultural products?
• Does local law allow for/encourage an agricultural land category so as to not be ‘taxed out of business’?

• What do they propose to do to improve living conditions of low-income residents?
• Are low income housing sites located close to mass transit lines?
• Do they have a plan for smart growth that clusters businesses and service providers so that all citizens can easily access basic needs?

• What is their position on using chemicals on common green spaces (parks, playgrounds, etc)?
  How can we create more green spaces in our city or area or region?
• Are sidewalks and bikepaths strategically located so as to be both recreational, and available as an alternative transit option?

East Range Episcopal Churches' News

Preachers’ Group

The next Preachers’ Group meeting will be on Wednesday, November 15 at 6:30 PM at Trinity Episcopal Church, Hermantown. If you are interested in preaching or finding your voice, contact Pat
(218-638-1206).

Total Ministry Discernment

St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s have decided to move toward Total Ministry. Between now and the end of the year, these congregations continue exploring our Church, Our Gifts, Our Ministry, and preparing to call a Ministry Team. Most of the discernment will be at regular worship time or soon after.

Ongoing prayer is essential for this process. Please keep our churches especially in your prayers during this time of discernment.

Here is an overview of the process:

NOTE: Saturday Dates are for St. Mary’s and Sunday Dates are for St. Paul’s

Discernment Part III - Our Ministries

• Nov 4/5: Ministry Nominations (During/Following Worship)

Discernment Part IV - Calling Our Team

• Nov 11/12: Congregational Call (During Worship)

Discernment Part V - Answering Our Call

• Nov 12-30: Interviews and/or Discernment Group
• Early Dec: Commission on Ministry
• Mid Dec: Celebrating our Christmas Gifts of Ministry
  

U.T.O.

The Mission of the United Thank Offering is to expand the circle of thankful people. To achieve this mission, we encourage daily prayers, offerings and awareness of the abundance of God’s blessings. Our UTO ingathering will be Saturday and Sunday, November 4 and 5. Bring your Blue Box and/or a special thanksgiving gift.

Diocesan Convention

The 149th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota was on Friday and Saturday, Oct 28-29 at the DECC in Duluth. Look for more details in the next issue of Epistle.

All Saints’ Day Remembrance

On November 1, the Church celebrates the Feast of All Saints – a day to remember those who have died. Each year, we list all those of the East Range Episcopal Churches who have died since the previous November 1. This year we remember:

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

Vestry Notes

From the meeting of October 3, 2006:

• Monthly: expenditures $2,332.22, receipts $2,440.02, monthly $107.80, checking account balance $10,887.99.
• YTD: expenditures $20,271.90, receipts $13,567.37, budget $ (6,704.53).
  
• Congregational Vote results: Out of 28 eligible voters, 21 votes were cast as follows:
  

  17	Short-term Supply Clergy (volunteers: 8 for Vestry, 3 for Worship/Lay Reader, 1 for Senior/Junior Warden, and 1 for Treasurer)
  3	Merge with another church
  1	Total Ministry (volunteers: 1 for Eucharistic Minister, 1 for Social Outreach)

• Interfaith Power and Light environmental movies: Viewing 6 PM Tuesday October 24 St. John’s undercroft. Publicity: WEVE, MDN Range Pulses, Virginia City Hall Channel 12.
• Millennium Development Goals:
  

  1)	moved to make St. John’s contribution of 0.7% (~$100), but need to determine accounting procedures for tracking this and other individual parishioner’s donations to MDGs; &
  2)	donation for Convention Silent Auction, which will be handcrafted items from Jane Petik (stained glass cross) and Gail Hallstrom (pillow cases and/or coasters) as well as St. John’s Commemorative cookbooks.

• Revised 3-point monthly amounts for 4Q06 for Pat at half-time have been calculated and distributed: St. John’s goes from $1,353.79 to $1,037.98; St. Mary’s from $979.18 to $750.75, and St. Paul’s from $3,548.56 to $$2,720.75.
• Revised 3-point ratios/shares for future: at 9/19 joint vestry meeting, we agreed that ratios/shares will be calculated each year; that these annual percentages be averaged over a rolling 2-year period; that the PEOPLE count be taken directly from each parish’s Parochial Report (line M05 active baptized members + line 5 others who are active); and that the INCOME number be taken directly from each parish’s Parochial Report (line A Subtotal Normal Operating Income).
• Reporting Erickson Fund on future Parochial Reports: it was also agreed at the 9/19 joint vestry meeting that because the Erickson Fund is jointly held by our three parishes, that it be broken out using our annual 3-point ratios and reported on each parish’s Parochial Report (line 19 total investments at market value).

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

No information received.
Please direct inquiries about upcoming activities and events to Mary Groeninger.

News of St. Paul's Episcopal Church

United Thank Offering

Its that time again. UTO boxes are available on the little table by the office at St. Paul’s. We will be collecting the United Thank Offering on the first Sunday of November. You may turn it in before or after that to Kathy Garrett if you wish. Last year, if memory serves me, we collected about $200. Tyrus and Auriel had fun counting out all the coins and figuring out the total. Thank you so much.

Kathy Garrett (218-254-2536)

Dedication of Restoration and Repair Specified Gifts

A “Dedication of Restoration and Repair Specified Gifts” will be held at St. Paul’s November 5th during the 10:30 AM service. After the service, people will be able to check spelling, wording, and correct names for the permanent record.

The Second Century listing of persons who have given $100 or volunteered hours to equal that to the Restoration and Repair Fund since 1995 will also be ready to be checked. Almost everyone in the church at that time has made this listing. If you are new to the church, and would like to contribute, you may make a pledge of money or labor, over as long a period as you wish, to the Restoration and Repair Fund. This fund is always open for memorials, gifts, and volunteer repair projects.

We are planning that this fund will grow so that an ongoing maintenance fund is established. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact Marlene Munig (218-741-3077).

Vestry Notes

Unofficial Minutes of the October 10 Meeting:
Planning:

	November 5:	Restoration Dedication
	November 7:	Ham Dinner
	December 17:	Christmas Pageant
	December 24:	Christmas Eve service at 9 p.m

Buildings & Grounds, Restoration:

1. Marlene said Mike Gunderson has done the rock work at the rear of the church and installed hand railings up to the loft and in the front downstairs stairway. The latter still need to be varnished.
2. She summarized recent attempts to repair the lift, but said we are waiting on parts and a repairman from the Twin cities.
3. She explained the nature of the plaques that will acknowledge those whose contributions made restoration work possible. The vestry agreed to the choice.

Region II and Diocese:

1. Lynne moved that we remit $15 as our Region II dues for 2006. The motion was seconded and approved.
2. David said he would be serving on the Diocesan Commission on Mission.

Treasurers’ Reports:

1. The vestry discussed the September report for St. Paul’s with Barbara Strickland. Apparently using General Fund savings from the Elizabeth Prout bequest we will cancel out this year’s deficit and finish 2006 in the black.
2. Anna presented 3-point treasurer’s reports for July, August, and September.

The vestry applauded the work of our two new treasurers.

Old & New Business:

1. Since St. John’s has voted not to join St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s in total ministry, our past financial arrangements with them in support of clergy have changed significantly. David asked if the vestry was willing to continue sharing the costs of The Epistle and our youth program with them in addition to the use of the Erickson Fund. The vestry agreed and indicated we want to retain our ties to St. John’s as much as practically possible.
2. Pat led the vestry in the next step in the Total Ministry discernment plan. Working from the identification of necessary church work the congregation had begun after the service on Sunday, the vestry helped to tentatively define ministries to do that work.
3. For 2007 budgeting, the vestry agreed it would be helpful to know who will be our Total Ministry mentor. The costs of a mentor for St. Paul’s will probably be between $32,000 and $42,000 a year at present rates for the training period. Pat explained we could keep the cost closer to the $32,000 level if she became our mentor and regular supply clergy and we clustered with St. Mary’s for the training. The vestry agreed to pursue the possibility of that option, emphasizing that if we do, St. Paul’s would pay the same amount as St. Mary’s and not the old proportional percentage share for the support of clergy.
4. Pat asked that we decide on people to become responsible for the church work she will no longer cover as a ½ time priest for the rest of the year. Lynne agreed to check the answering machine for messages and, if Joanne LaPatka no longer wishes to do it, retrieve mail from our post office box. David said he would go through the mail and distribute it. Joie volunteered to be responsible for identifying people in need of pastoral care.
5. David asked that members think about and discuss the mentor choice before the November meeting. He also requested they think about vestry replacements for 2007. We will need to nominate two people to become 3-year vestry members and someone for senior warden. He said if they did their homework and came ready with names to put in nomination, he would buy pizza. If they didn’t, they agreed to buy pizza.