St. Paul's Memorial Church - St. Paul's Memorial Church, Charlottesville, VA

St. Paul's Memorial Church Newsletter

                                                                                                                     

Telephone: 295-2156     www.stpaulsmemorialchurch.org     April 22, 2010

Pastoral Emergency: 806-9069

The Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 25, 2010

8:00 a.m.           Holy Eucharist I with Homily

10:00 a.m.         Holy Eucharist II with Hymns and Sermon

5:30 p.m.           Holy Eucharist II with Hymns and Homily

Scripture for Sunday – Acts 9:36-43, Revelation 7:9-17, John 10:22-30

This Sunday, April 25th, we will celebrate Baccalaureate Sunday at our 10 am worship service.  Students will be preaching and offering prayers.  The service is an opportunity to give thanks to God for the academic year, a sending of the 4th years into the world, and a blessing of all those involved in this incredible institution of higher learning.  A locally sourced spring luncheon for all members of the University Community (students, faculty, staff, and members of the University Commission) will be held following the service.

Parish Tea - A Parish Tea will be held at the home of Jim & Lori Richardson this Sunday, April 25^th. from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Evening Prayer at 5:00 pm. Directions: Drive west on I-64, exit on Highway 29 south; move immediately into left lane on Highway 29. When you see the X sign, move into left turn lane turn left, cross highway onto Teel Lane. You can park in the park-and-ride area immediately on your right, and a van will pick you up. (Jim Richardson's cell 434.964.7946)

Youth Sunday – We will celebrate Youth Sunday on May 2nd during the 10:00 am service.

 

Commencement Sunday and Pentecost Outdoor Service and Picnic, Sunday, May 23rd - Service of Holy Eucharist at 8:00 am at St. Paul's.  Pentecost Outdoor Service and Picnic from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm at McIntire Park shelter #3.  Bring kites! Wear red!

The 10 ½ Street Community Garden will host a kick-off event on Saturday, May 1st, at noon.  The garden is located near the intersection of 10 1/2 Street and Grady Ave.  There will be food and music and poetry and planting! Come one, come all and join the fun!

Attention All Knitters: We have an opportunity to send small knitted “duduza” (comfort) dolls to children in Haiti who have been left homeless by the earthquake. The Rev. Lauren Stanley of Richmond, Episcopal Missioner to the Diocese of Haiti will deliver the dolls we make on her May trip to Haiti. We plan to have a blessing ceremony on May 2 for the dolls we will be sending. The easy pattern is available at <www.creativestitchonline.com/pattern.html> It takes about one evening to knit one doll with more time the next day for sewing up and stuffing. For questions or encouragement phone Margaret Haupt (456-6596) or Jane Rotch (972-2410).

PACEM's Volunteer Recognition Event: Shelter from the Storm - Come together as a sheltering community to celebrate PACEM's sixth year of providing "a pillow for every head." This event is Friday, April 23rd, from 5 - 7 p.m. at The Haven at First and Market. Gather with PACEM's extended family for fellowship, music and food prepared with some PACEM guests' help.

Offering of Letters, May 9^th : Childhood Hunger in America - There is hunger in America’s classrooms.  In a recent survey one teacher wrote “the only meals that Kimberly was guaranteed were served at school.  . . She would always want to take any leftovers home to her little brothers and sisters.  She was a second-grader trying to make sure that her family got fed.”  Another wrote “I see kids asking for extra food at the end of the day before they go home because they don’t know if they are having dinner.”

The fastest and most direct way to reduce the childhood hunger that affects about one fourth of all U.S. families is through national child nutrition programs.  Congress must pass a child nutrition reauthorization bill this year to renew the national school lunch and breakfast programs, summer, after-school and childcare feeding programs, and WIC.   The Food Stamp program, (SNAP), is vital for many families.  Eligibility certification for these programs needs improvement to include all needy children. 

But food assistance programs aren’t enough to end childhood hunger.   Families need financial resources for basic needs.  A few key tax credits can make a huge difference for them.  At the BFW Offering of Letters on May 9^th in the Parish Hall after the 10:00 am service we will write to Congress asking that these tax credits be upheld and strengthened.

Large Print Bulletins - We now have large print editions of the Sunday bulletin.  Please ask an usher if you would like one.

Newsletters - The cost of postage continues to increase and has a direct effect on our budget. We currently mail our newsletter to 390 people. If you would like to change from a mailed to an electronic weekly newsletter, please contact the office at 434-295-2156 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

 

Vestry Notes – A Summary of the April Vestry Meeting

 

• The March financial news is good: we continue to receive pledges and our budget-to-date shows income greater than expenses by approximately $11,000.
• Bruce Carveth presented the new Communications Ministry Task Force charge. In addition to Bruce, members are Sumner Brown, Bonny Bronson, Lavahn Hoh, Barbara Nordin and John Reid. This task force will build on the work done in 2008 by a group led by Bob Gibson.  Their first meeting will be April 28. 
• The Vestry Nominating Committee will begin work in May.
• The Vestry is considering using a process of Mutual Ministry Review (MMR) to assess our work together (clergy, Vestry, and congregation) and to identify priorities and goals for the future. MMR is a means to identify what has been done well and to understand what might be done better. It acknowledges that ministry is the work of the whole people of God, not just of the ordained clergy. You may learn more about Mutual Ministry Review at www.edow.org/parish/congregation/development/mmreview.html.
• Bill Wilkerson and Janice Dean will join the University Commission to strengthen connections with Vestry.
• Virginia Ritchie and Gwynn Crichton are co-leading the 2010 Stewardship Committee; they begin work this month.
• Bids have been received for work on the Meditation and Memorial Gardens; work may begin in early May. Improvements for the kitchen floor, roof and door safety handles are being discussed.
• Bill Wilkerson reported that feedback on the proposed Memorial Garden signage was helpful and suggestions are being incorporated into the plans.
• Jim Richardson announced that more than 1,300 people attended Holy Week and Easter services and Hannah Trible has been visiting Episcopal high schools in Virginia to recruit for Canterbury.
• The meeting adjourned at 9:15 pm following a closed personnel session.

 

Library Notes – Recently the parish Library has acquired a number of books that may be of interest. Some of them are displayed on the shelf at the Chancellor Street entrance. Please browse and borrow, trying to limit yourself to no more than three items per visit. The book slips should be filled in and placed in the box in the Library next to the card catalog.

The Junior Choir is welcoming new singers! Boys and girls, preferably between the ages of 6 and11, are invited to join the Junior Choir. Rehearsals are held on Sundays after the 10 o' clock service from 11.15 am - noon in the church school wing and on Sundays that the choir sings at 9:25 am in the chancel. The children receive voice training and they learn a lot of new songs. For more information please contact Albrecht von Gaudecker ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Tel: (434)296-6748.

The Birds & the Bees - Baroque Music concerning things avian, apian & amorous on April 30th at 8 pm at St. Paul's Memorial Church.  Megan Sharp (soprano), Loren Ludwig (viola da gamba) and Jonathan Schakel (harpsichord) will perform music by Purcell, Byrd, Händel and other composers. Free admission, donations are welcome.

Funeral Information Society of the Piedmont (FISP) presents Controlling Costs, Do's and Don'ts, Going Green, Sunday, April 25^th, at 1:30 pm at JABA, 674 Hillsdale Dr, Charlottesville 22901.A panel discussion on Funeral Planning with Susan Seidler - Information and Assistance Supervisor at JABA, Lyn Harbaugh - Co-President of FISP and Mark Ascoli, Funeral Director at Hill and Wood Funeral Service. FISP, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the right to choose dignified, meaningful and affordable final arrangements, also needs volunteers to help with outreach, research, legislation, lobbying, website design/management and board of directors.  For info:  fisp.avenue.org

Thank You to our Bulb Planters - A warm thank you to everyone who helped plant 300+ daffodil bulbs on the Church grounds during November, December and (yes!) January. This was a project of St. Paul's graduating seniors, as a way of saying "thank you" to the church community for its help and support over the years. As a result, we now have a spring flowering display on the corner of University and Chancellor Streets (as well as other spots around church grounds) that will increase in beauty as the years pass. Our bulb-planters included seniors Hayden Barnes, Ellen Frierson, Edward Rubin, and Julia Schnyer, and adults Rebecca Barnes, Melinda Frierson, Janet Legro, Mark Rylander, and—especially—Joan Albiston. Joan was a tremendous help in selecting the bulbs, providing guidance on where to plant them, and getting them in the ground. Thanks to everyone for your hard work!  - Jane Perry

African Development Project Update: Wednesday May 5, at 7 p.m., after the Community Night Dinner.  Bev Wann, a long-time ADP member, will report on her March trip to Kenya, where she visited the Rev. Peter Indalo’s Oyani Christian Rural Services project and learned of recent accomplishments and the challenges faced by our friends there. She will also report on our World Neighbors project. Kenyan crafts from a new shipment of baskets and jewelry will be on sale.  All are invited. Sharon Davie of ADP also visited Peter as well as Janet Mumo and the Kitui Development Center and will be present; Sharon was the speaker at a gathering of hundreds of women for International Women’s Day on March 8.

The African Development Projects needs to raise at least $10,000 in the next five months to meet the needs of the projects we help support. The projects enable villagers to raise more food, improve their health, start small businesses, and keep children in school. Checks made out to St. Paul’s Memorial Church, with African Development Project in the memo line, may be sent to the church office.