News from the Red Doors - October 29, 2021

From Your Senior Warden, Jean Burns

Dear Members of My Church Family,

As I write this morning, I am reminded of how grateful I am to be a member of St. Paul’s family. We are a small, but stalwart and faithful group that, I believe, shares my dream of new, exciting, ministries and growth. You may recall, our diocese joined the Diocese of Indianapolis in the Church Buildings for Collaborative Partnership program. As a member of the project, St. Paul’s committee, Mother Michelle, Tom, and I participated in four introductory/ instructional/ sharing sessions.

And now the climactic event. On November 17 during an on-site visit, our church properties will be assessed for space sharing by our committee, members of the community, and members of the Thriving Congregations project team. I am hopeful that the results will guide us in using our historical property in new ways. I believe our size does not limit the many exciting possibilities for St. Paul’s. What new ministry would reach the needs of our own neighborhood, located as we are at Michigan and Harrison? What new ministry is a dream worth pursuing for St. Paul’s? What new ministry would inspire and excite you? We encourage you to share your thoughts, your ideas, your dreams, your gifts for St. Paul’s.

What a joyful lunch members of the Altar Guild shared a week ago. It was truly a special occasion. Winnie Eyrick, at 12, became a junior member of the Altar Guild of her parish in New York. She subsequently and faithfully served as a member of the Altar Guild and as a friend and mentor to all of us for over 70 years. It was such a privilege to thank her and recognize her service. What a blessing she is! In tribute to her, a new Gospel/Lectionary has been ordered to replace the outdated one we have. Inside, a book plate will honor her long and significant ministry. We are looking forward to using the new Lectionary for the first time on November 14.

Two groups in our church, the Vestry and the Thursday Bible Study are engaged in book studies. I am thoroughly enjoying both. As I reflect, I smile, grateful that I still able to read, think, and learn, all an abundance of my own life. The Vestry is reading and discussing, a chapter at a time, Part-Time Is Plenty, by Jeffrey MacDonald, who argues that churches with part-time clergy cannot only survive, but thrive when the members of the congregation become responsible for many of the duties traditionally delegated to the clergy. Carefully planning and oversight are needed, but a more vital, thriving church is attainable.

The second book, Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter is guiding the discussions of Bible Study on Thursday mornings. Compared with the number of named men of the Bible who speak, there are relatively few named women. However, the women’s voices are there and important, many of them ahead of their time and setting precedents. I was unfamiliar with the daughters of Zelophehad before reading their story in Numbers. I certainly did not know that their persuasive words have been used as legal arguments for women’s rights. How eye opening and inspiring to read and discuss the stories of these women.

On the fourth Sunday of each month, the words of one of these women are the subject of discussion during coffee hour. If you haven’t been to coffee hour lately, please give it a try. The gatherings are informal and welcoming.

Mother Michelle’s words from last week’s newsletter are with me as I close. I am grateful for the abundance in the lives of all of us. As God guides us, may our abundance flourish.

God’s blessings, Jean

This Week at St. Paul's
Mother Michelle Walker

Dear St. Paul's Family,

This week I was overwhelmingly blessed by our community dinner. While I know it was significantly different than what we did in the past, I witnessed many wonderful things:

  1. Our St. Paul's group was mighty. We had plenty of food and lots of volunteers. It was a joy to peek into the parish hall windows (I was outside) and see the vibrant hum of people caring for other people. THANK YOU to everyone to helped in big and small ways.

  2. We fed people. We fed people who were hungry, who remembered and appreciated the wonderful meals we've provided in the past, and who were thankful for an opportunity to simply be in community with others. (I also answered a few questions about being a female priest!)

  3. Most importantly, I witnessed the fruits of this ministry from before the pandemic. Several of the "regulars" were there, and they were thankful. They talked about how lovely our meals were and are. They expressed their delight at seeing us again. And they remembered the people of St. Paul's with fondness.

I praise God for our ability to restart this ministry and ask his blessings upon it. I thank Mike and Margie for their good work in planning and to everyone who made a dish or helped in anyway. I'd guess we saw between 15-20 people, many who took meals for a partner. All of these people will help spread the word for our next community dinner. We learned a few tips about relaunching, especially in terms of advertising, and expect this wonderful ministry to continue to grow.

Now, what are you willing to prepare for our Tuesday November 23rd dinner?

Blessings,
Mother Michelle
priest@stpaulslaporte.org | 219-575-0226 (c)

News from the Red Doors - September 24, 2021

confirmation.jpg

Sunday, September 19 (above)
(Left to Right) Bishop Doug Sparks, John Gouwens (confirmed), Tom Brown (received), Mother Michelle.
Welcome John and Tom. Thank you Bishop Doug.

Sunflower Festival Pictures (below)
Greg Herold and Susie Richter manning the popcorn machine.
Several of us enjoying the shade, breeze, and each other's company.

This Week at St. Paul's
Mother Michelle Walker

Dear St. Paul's Family,

Bishop's Visitation - What a glorious celebration we shared this past Sunday with Bishop Doug's visitation. We wish a warm welcome (officially) to our own John Gouwens (confirmed) and Tom Brown (received). It was so lovely to have them prayed over in our midst. And it's always a joy to have our bishop visit.

Sunflower Festival - Saturday was also a lovely day, for the Sunflower Festival. I'd like to offer a special thanks to Susie for organizing; to Greg for staying the entire day and offering church tours; and to the many volunteers who either helped setup/tear down, shared their baked goods, or simply enjoyed part of their day with us. We welcomed more than 50 people through our doors for a brief tour. Let's pray that each of them find Christ in their lives more fully over the next couple of weeks.

Jim Collingwood - I spoke to Jackie Collingwood late last week and she shared with me that they've made the difficult decision to place Jim in an assisted living facility. At this time it is primarily due to his loss of strength, to ensure his safety. Please keep Jim, Jackie, and their two sons in your prayers during this time of transition. (She gave me permission to share this with you.)

(Brief) Sunday Morning Bible Study - In case you've forgotten, this Sunday marks our first adventure together into doing a brief Bible study during coffee hour. Our Thursday morning group voted on the six Bible Women we've studied so far and have decided to focus on Eve. If you have a chance before Sunday please read Genesis 3-4 (or pages 26-30 in the Bible Women book). We will have a short introduction to the book we are studying and a brief overview of Eve (no more than 10 minutes total) followed by reflection questions for you to discuss amongst yourselves at your table. Please join us if you can.

CBCP - You may have heard that St. Paul's is participating in a diocesan program entitled Church Buildings for Collaborative Partnerships (CBCP). This is a Thriving Congregations grant received from the Lilly Foundation to the Dioceses of Indianapolis and Northern Indiana. This project is a study of our physical buildings and how they are or can be used to more fully engage with the local community. Jean Burns, Tom Konieczny, and myself are on the team and receiving training. We have a full day of training in Carmel, IN on Saturday to learn more. We'll be sure to keep you updated.

Spending of Endowment Monies - In an attempt to be fully transparent about our finances I want to share with you that we moved monies from our Edward Jones account to our Operating Fund in order to cover our September financial obligations. You may remember that instead of setting a reoccurring amount monthly to transfer we have opted to look at our finances monthly and move only what is necessary to pay our bills (keeping a minimum balance in our account). This hasn't been necessary since my arrival until now and we are blessed by the resources. I share this with you so that 1) you will know what is going on and 2) if you are behind on your pledge you might be reminded to catch-up (as you are able). THANK YOU for your continual faithful stewardship.

Walker Family Update - I'm so thankful for your prayers during this time of transition in my personal family regarding my mother's move to LaPorte. I was able to spend 3 solid days helping her with her house and will spend 3 more next week. You may remember I am able to do this as I'm on sabbatical from my Diocesan responsibilities. I'm extremely thankful for that. Things are going well and we're excited to welcome her in a month or so. There's much work to be done before then.

Prayer, ALWAYS Prayer - Lastly, and most importantly, there are many St. Paul's members, and friends of members, that need and appreciate our prayers right now. Some of them are on our prayer list. Some of them are not. Friends, never forget that prayer works. It doesn't always work the way we think it should, but it works. Please be in prayer for our faith community, for it's members, and for yourselves.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Blessings,
Mother Michelle
priest@stpaulslaporte.org | 219-575-0226 (c)

Stewardship for 2022

Our stewardship campaign for 2022 will once again be taken from TENS (The Episcopal Network for Stewardship) and will kick-off on Sunday October 10th. More information can be found on our St. Paul's website under the tab "Every Perfect Gift". I know you all give faithfully. Thank you for that! And stay tuned for further details.

News from the Red Doors - September 17, 2021

This Week at St. Paul's
Mother Michelle Walker

Dear St. Paul's Family,

The newsletter today is filled with many things that are important to share with you so let me begin:

Celebration Sunday - What a joyful Celebration Sunday we enjoyed last Sunday. It was terrific to see faces that aren't always with us on Sundays as well as experience the angelic voices of the choir. Our coffee hour was scrumptious and our time together catching up was precious. Thank you to each of you that helped, joined us, or simply prayed on our behalf.

Bishop's Visitation - Please don't forget we are honored to welcome Bishop Doug Sparks as our officiant and preacher this Sunday. It's always a joy to have our Bishop amongst us and even more so as we welcome John Gouwens and Tom Brown into our faith community officially. Join us if you can. It's a Sunday not to miss.

Bishop's Discretionary Fund - It is customary that the open plate offering on the day of the Bishop's visit be designated to the Bishop's Discretionary fund. We will do that this Sunday. Please be generous in appreciation of our Bishop.

Sunflower Festival - As Susie Richter told me, St. Paul's is to be a respite at the Sunflower Festival for any who want to stop. We will offer popcorn and baked goods, water and coffee, and a listening ear (with a prayer option as well). Be sure to stop by the tree lawn at 1000 Michigan Avenue if you're out and about this weekend.

Unlocked Doors ?!?! - Without assigning one bit of blame, I would like to recommend, encourage, and beg anyone who's on the property during the week to check and double check that the church doors are locked. In the last week someone arrived at the church to find the Harrison Street door unlocked AND the back alley door cracked open. We've also noticed twice that the Red Doors on Michigan Avenue appeared to be closed and locked but a small tug opened them wide. PLEASE, double check your doors before leaving. Thank you.

Community Dinners - St. Paul's is opening its doors once again to help feed the public starting in October. Be sure to sign-up for a volunteer spot for Community Dinner (need not cook to help). Sign-up sheets will be at the Harrison Street board or contact Margie Bender or Mike Konieczny for more information.

Thursday Morning Prayer and Study - What joy it has been these first two weeks to re-accustom ourselves to offering Morning Prayer at the side altar, Thursdays at 9am. As we fumble through our prayer books and shift back and forth looking for the good light, we are reminded that any and all prayer is gloriously received by our Heavenly Father. Join us if you can slip away from your daily activities.

We also kicked off, in earnest, our Bible Women study. This week we studied Eve, Sarah, and Haggar. The book is excellently arranged and we're having inspiring and thoughtful conversation. In case you're interested, but attending on Thursdays doesn't work for you, we're going to include some high points of the women we study weekly. See below for statistics on Eve, Sarah, and Haggar!

Gratitude - Last, but definitely not least, the Holy Spirit reminded me this week of just how amazingly blessed I am to be your priest. With my strengths and weaknesses, confidence and insecurities, loving attributes and those that aren't quite so loving - you have welcomed, embraced, and supported me. I am reminded that "our ministry" is really God's ministry that we all come alongside for a time. May God's ministry through St. Paul's Episcopal Church prosper in ways we can't even imagine in this moment.

Have a lovely day. And I hope to see you all over the next two days!

Blessings,
Mother Michelle
priest@stpaulslaporte.org | 219-575-0226 (c)