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Thursday, November 13, 2014

Caritas

Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes
13 November 2014

Here is the text of the caritas letter sent (on parish letterhead stationery) by the parish to the participants at The Happening, our gathering of diocesan youth taking place this weekend (with our own Kaleigh Kraft as Rector, Bobbi Kraft is co-Lay Director, Nick Whitford as Musician, Jon Whitford as Dad and Dcn. Michele Whitford as spiritual director.)

WE ARE PRAYING FOR YOU!

When I first became a priest I served a parish in the Diocese of Mississippi.  In that diocese we had a summer camp called Camp Caritas.  It was a camp for young children whose parents were in prison.  These children came from very deprived, stressful environments where it was difficult to understand what self-giving love is.  This was made clear to me at the first arrival of a busload of children.  When the children were greeted, they each received a backpack full of all the things they would need in camp, like shoes, a swim suit, tee shirts, fun stuff, etc.  They wouldn’t take the backpacks, but held back.  Why?  Because no one had ever given them anything without expecting something in return.  The world had taught them that “giving” was all about getting.
In The Happening you get to experience God’s love, and experience that His love is unconditional—it really is all about giving.  Part of the way God expresses His love to you is through the prayers of other people.  You experience His love in how you pray for each other, in how God’s Holy Spirit opens your hearts that you may be filled with love, and in how being filled with love you can share His love with all others.  And, even if you can’t quite put your finger on it, you experience God’s love by being lifted up in prayer by people who are not present with you, and who you may not even know.
At Grace we are praying for you, for every one of you by name, and for all of you gathered together.  We are offering prayers of thanksgiving that the Holy Spirit is already moving within you, to call you together in worship and praise, and in exploration of your faith.  We are offering thanksgiving that God’s Spirit has opened your hearts to now fill them.  We are offering thanksgivings for your witness to us, for how you show us what faith looks like when it is alive.
May Our Lord bless you in your gathering, and may the sparks of faith glowing in each of you be fanned by the Holy Spirit, that the faith which burns in you may be a light to us all!

In Christ,


The Rev. Dr. Karl C. Schaffenburg
Rector

Grace abounds:  Please thank:
§  Bill and Deb Gagin for the Sunday coffee hour.
§  Bill and Deb Gagin for All Saints’ Chapel cleanup on 8 November.
§  Bernie Markevitch, Barb MacEwen and Martha Shad for preparing and serving the Sunday birthday luncheon.  They also worked in cleanup, together with Makiah Shad, Paul Aparicio, Nicci Beeck, Julie Davidson, Paige Heule, and Pat Ford Smith.
§  All of the parishioners (twenty-one!) who rang bells for The Salvation Army this past Saturday.
§  Ben Dobey for gardening and cleanup in the columbarium courtyard.
§  The Boy Scouts for leaf-raking.

Congratulations!  The Rt. Rev. Matthew Gunter has named Dcn. Michele Whitford as Archdeacon of the diocese.  In this capacity she will serve as the “go to person” when diocesan gatherings are planned and executed, and she will work in the establishment and maintenance of a council of deacons with the bishop.  And, here’s an “Episcofact” for you:  The form of address for an archdeacon is “The Venerable ...”

Episcofacts:  Why do we use incense?  Why do some people make the sign of the Cross at specific times in the Mass?  Do we call it Mass or Holy Eucharist?  These are examples of questions many people have, particularly in a church in which many people did not grow up as Episcopalians.  Questions can relate to the “wy or the origin of a practice, about doctrinal statements, etc.  Staring this Sunday, at announcements we have focus on one brief discussion of an “Episcofact,” as a way to better understand our common identity, and the broad range within this identity.  This Sunday, we will begin with the sign of the Cross.  If you want to suggest topics or questions, please let Fr. Karl know.

Youth EventsWhat's Happening!?

Happening is a weekend long High School youth retreat, organized and lead by youth, for youth. It is and has been a formative and trans-formative weekend for many people in their relationship with God and others, being a place where you can experience Christ in your peers and be Christ in return to your peers. Throughout the weekend there are games, skits, talks, small groups, music, and of course food. The whole weekend has been tailored and crafted to allow the Holy Spirit to work within the group to meet them where they are in their faith, and guide them towards a deeper faith in Christ.
This, like summer camp, is one of those events where the people you meet there are likely to be the people you will know for your whole life. If you let yourself participate, you cannot but help make new friends, and having friends who are on the same faith walk as you is empowering, and comforting because you can share your successes and lift each other up when you fall. My longest friendships come from Happening and Camp.
Happening is open to all High School aged people, and those adults who work with or want to work with youth. Happening is a one-time event which means that you can only be a participant once, but if you are interested in "doing Happening again" you may be asked to be on the team, to be a leader among your peers. There are of course adults on the team too, they play an important but relatively minor role in the weekend.
Happening was grown out of the success of Cursillo, by youth who wanted something similar for their age group. On any given weekend there are multiple Happening's being run, and there are people all around the world who pray for these events all year round. This Happening is #68 in the Diocese of Fond du Lac, and we have several members from Grace Church on the team. Dcn. Michele is Spiritual Director, Jon Whitford is a Dad, Bobbi Kraft is co-Lay Director, Nick Whitford is Musician, and Kaleigh Kraft is Rector (which literally means, she's in charge of the whole thing). This has been a labor of love, and a God stress on each of us, please keep us in your prayers. 
One last thing, if you can at all come to the closing Eucharist to show your support of the youth, and those present whom you know, you are welcome and encouraged to do so. Closing Eucharist will take place at All Saints Episcopal Church, Appleton, this Sunday, Nov. 16th, at 2:00 pm.If you have questions about the weekend, and the different ways you can participate please contact Nick, Bobbi, or Dcn. Michele. Thank you for supporting the youth of Grace and the Diocese. 

In Christ,
Nick Whitford

Call for ContributionsIf you have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshippers toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by Wednesday in the week of publication.

Music this week:  Proper 28A

Prelude                                    Prelude on Christe Redemptor Omnium                        Hubert Parry
Offertory Hymn 680               “O God, our help in ages past”                                      St. Anne
Communion Motet                  Give ear, O ye heavens                                                  Dale Wood
Communion Hymn 312          “Strengthen for service, Lord”                                      Malabar
Closing Hymn 5r41                 “Come, labor on”                                                           Ora labora
Postlude                                  Chorale Prelude on O God, our help                             Hubert Parry

Parish Notices

§  Adult Education: Sunday, 16 November, we will follow up on the discussion held on last Sunday, about the Holy Spirit. Our class will be about the dogma and doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and the life of this Person in the life of the Church, every believer, and the world.  Come armed with questions! Our Heresies course will resume on 23 November. 

§  Happening Closing Eucharist: The Happening Closing Eucharist is a time of joy, and you're invited. We have several people on team this time. Kaleigh Kraft is the Rector, Bobbi Kraft is Co-Lay Director, Nick Whitford is musician, Jon Whitford is a dad, and Deacon Michele is Spiritual Director. Come and celebrate at the Closing at 2:00 pm on Sunday, November 16th at All Saints, Appleton. We hope to see you there! More details at diofdl.org/happening.

§  Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes: This Sunday November 16th , 9:00 am, we will be packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child downstairs in the 4K-2nd classroom.  These will be delivered to Sonlight Books for shipment.  It's a real delight to see what our Grace kids put into their "gift" to be shipped to another country.  The cost of shipping is $7.00 per box, and we have received some donations. If you want to help with this cost please make checks payable to Operation Christmas Child.  There is a little store set up in the classroom.  We could use some of the following "new" items:  pencils, pens, crayons, colored pencils, stickers, markers, individually wrapped hard candy, fun sun glasses, small toys or stuffed animals, hair accessories, or anything you think would fit into a shoebox size container that would be fun for a child.  Each box wilI have soap, washcloth, toothbrush and paste.  If you have any questions contact Pat Ford Smith: 458-0355 or 918-1492 or by e-mail:  patfordsmith83@gmail.com or Nicci Beeck: 208-7243.  God bless you and thank you for your generosity.  

§  No Mass: There will not be 12:10pm mass Monday, November 17th. Fr. Karl will be at a meeting in Appleton.

§  Life Line Screening: Grace Church is pleased to offer a preventive health event.  Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, will host their affordable, non-invasive and painless health screenings on 11/20/2014. Five screenings will be offered that scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries which is a leading cause of stroke; abdominal aortic aneurysms which can lead to a ruptured aorta; hardening of the arteries in the legs which is a strong predictor of heart disease; atrial fibrillation or irregular heart beat which is closely tied to stroke risk; and a bone density screening, for men and women, used to assess the risk of osteoporosis. Register for a Wellness Package which includes 4 vascular tests and osteoporosis screening from $149 ($139 with our member discount). All five screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete.  In order to register for this event and to receive a $10 discount off any package priced above $129, please call 1-888-653-6441 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com/community-partners.

§  Salvation Army Adopt a Family Gift tags: We have the tree up, and all the name tags on it, for the Salvation Army Family gifts, please take a name or two and follow the instructions on the table next to the tree. Please return the gifts to Grace Church by December 8th. If you have any questions please call Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.

§  Tripartite Thanksgiving Eve Worship: Join the Celebration on Wednesday, November 26th at 7:00pm at St. Dominic’s Parish. Pastor Kristin Berglund will preach. Join in the Tripartite Combined Choir and enjoy fellowship and deserts following the worship. The Thanksgiving Offering will benefit the Salvation Army. We will need two people to serve as ushers and a reader, if you can help please call the office. Thank you.
§  Christmas Castle Volunteers! On Thursday, December 18th from 1:00-3:00pm Grace Church will participate in the Salvation Army Christmas Castle. This gives those in need an opportunity to “shop” for Christmas presents for their families. We are in need of at least 5 people to help. Please sign-up on the sheet on the table in the Narthex. If you have any questions please contact Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.

§  Raking Leaves Fundraiser:  If raking your yard this year seems like too much of a task, then our Boy Scout Troop is here to help. They will be raking leaves by appointment. If you are interested please contact Paul Aparicio (paac92399@yahoo.com).



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