|
|
|
|
St. Philip's Episcopal Church
Easthampton, MA
|
|
|
Be careful: If you come here, you will grow!
|
|
|
|
|
Dear Folks:
One of the joys of living where we live is to experience the transitions between seasons. I don’t think I’d be very content to live in a place where the seasons were relatively the same. But we in New England need not worry about narrow weather experiences. In fact, the changing seasons and the unpredictability of our weather – by the day -- provide all of us with a common reference: namely, something to complain about! But seriously, the seasonal change we all look forward to in New England is the breath-taking transition to autumn. Who among us does not look forward to the foliage changes, to the warm sun and cool air, and specifically to the harvest? They all seem to be harmonious notes, coming together to form one stupendous, celebrative chord.
We at St. Philip’s will mirror this seasonal celebration in our own way. Starting on Sunday, October 3rd , and continuing through the early weeks of November, we, too, will mark the time of harvest and focus on the transitions in our parish’s common life. On October 3 rd , with the imaginative leadership of Deacon Jason, our worship space will be decorated with the signs of the harvest. Our liturgical space will include all manner of fruits of the earth, visually reminding us of this time of in-gathering and (in our case) abundance. We will be surrounded by the sight and smell of the reality we always proclaim at the Offertory: “All things come of Thee, O Lord; and of Thine own have we given Thee.” If you have some prizes from your garden you wish to share in this liturgical display for the altar and prayer space, do contact Jason Burns for details.
In the succeeding autumn Sundays, St. Philip’s will continue to honor this time of transition and harvest with the introduction of our Annual Parish Canvas. The “Canvas” is the specific, annual occasion in which we ask our members to make personal commitments of their time, their talents, and their treasure in support of the life, mission, and ministry of our church. This is the specific time in which we raise funds for our operations for the coming year and also report on the ministries all of us offer through St. Philip’s. On each of these “Stewardship Sundays”, members of St. Philip’s will offer a brief description of one of the ministries and programs that our parish church provides, along with their own story about the impact their participation has made on them.
Additionally, this parish in-gathering will be a true “canvassing” of the membership in that each parishioner will be invited to join in a small group discussion via Zoom (or the phone) to discuss the state of our church and what steps are before us to continue to be faithful. From these “Canvas” conversations, we expect to be able to formulate a way forward for St. Philip’s, which would indeed be a great and wonderful gift we could give one another for the parish’s marking of our 150th anniversary as a church in Easthampton.
I hope you will mark your calendars to participate in these Canvas events. In the meantime, keep thinking prayerfully how you will stand in committed support of our church’s place in our lives.
Michael+
|
|
|
Sunday Lectionary Study is at 8:45 a.m.
USE THIS ZOOM LINK
Meeting ID: 832 0782 9066 | Passcode: 70862#
To Join by Telephone
Audio conferencing participant (joining by telephone) will need to call: +1 929 436 2866 US AND follow the verbal instructions. Enter the meeting ID you wish to join followed by the # key. If you are asked for a password, enter the password followed by the # key. You will be asked to enter your participant ID. If you do not know your participant ID, simply press the # key.
|
|
|
|
Fall 2021 Ingathering
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Easthampton MA
Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel.
(Philippians 1:27)
As we mark 150 years of ministry in the community of Easthampton, we celebrate the rich heritage that has brought us to this moment in time and the many ministries that nourish our common life in Christ. We look to the future with open hearts and minds, considering how God is calling us to faithfully embody the gospel in the years ahead.
We give thanks for what has been, for what is,
and for what will be, with God’s help.
Harvest Sunday on October 3 kicks off the Fall Ingathering at our church.
- Can you help decorate the church building on Saturday afternoon (Oct 2, starting at 12:30pm)? Contact Jason Burns: altonfreth@gmail.com
- Let’s collect a bounty of nonperishable food items for the Easthampton Food Pantry on Sunday morning! Please bring what you can.
During October and November we give thanks for God’s call to mission and ministry in our parish and in the community.
- We continue to collect and share stories from parishioners (written and oral) about St. Philip’s history.
- We will hear testimonials from parishioners about how our investments of time, talents, and treasure nourish a variety of ministries:
* Music (Oct 10)
* Sacred Ground program (Oct 17)
* Take & Eat program (Oct 24)
* Small groups (Oct 31)
* Compline/Prayer (Nov 7)
* Technology (Nov 14)
- Every member of the parish is invited to participate in one of several small group conversations (6-8 people) arranged and hosted by this leadership team: Janet Couch, Paul Davis, Bonnie Katusich, and Becky & Steve Taylor. These one-hour meetings will take place on Zoom or by phone. They are designed to foster meaningful engagement with one another as we focus on what draws us to St. Philip’s, what keeps us there, and what we imagine for the future. Details will follow soon about how to sign up for one of the meetings.
|
|
|
Minutes
of Recent Meetings
Learn what your Vestry has been discussing and deciding for the parish. Click on the the links below to read the minutes from recent meetings.
August 24, 2021
No meeting in July
June 22, 2021
May 25, 2021
|
|
|
|
June 2021 Treasurers Summary
June saw our financial condition move into negative territory. This was not surprising as we budgeted for a loss of $20,000 for 2021, even if we met all our budget goals. We have a cash flow issue that will require us to withdraw money from our endowment.
Ordinary INCOME
Total ordinary income was $6683 vs a budget of $7160, $477 below budget. Pledge receipts were $6,368 vs a budget of $6665. Endowment Income was $0 vs a budget of $0. (It is paid on a quarterly basis). Plate & Special Offerings were $192 vs a budget of $325. Facility Usage was $122 vs a budget of $170
Ordinary EXPENSE
Normal expenses, such as Salaries, Property & Utilities, Admin., etc. were both above and below budget, overall expenses were $9881 vs a budget of $9804, $77 above budget. Clergy Expense was $353 over budget because we were charged twice for Clergy Insurance due to the number of weeks in June. Property & Utilities were $457 below budget. $305 was spent on website design ($0 budget) to transfer our website to WIX.com and adding video streaming from the site as well. This move will save us $420 next year, starting in 2022.
Based on June’s Ordinary income and expenses we had a net operating loss of $3198 vs a planned loss of $2644, over $550 more than plan.
OTHER INCOME/EXPENSE
This income included an unrealized gain of $16402 in the endowment, $47 for RDF, $170 for T&E, $20 PRBF. Expenses included, $384 for T&E, $47 for RDF, and $150 for the EHCC
Checking Account Balance
June 30 checking acct balance was $11,031. $2870 of this is designated for T&E funding and $1250 is required for outstanding checks. This leaves $6911 available to cover July expenses. Our July pledge goal is $6665. If all this is received, we would have $13576 for July bills. Our monthly payroll and Diocese assessment requires $7,090, other monthly bills are approx. $3000. By the end of July our cash balance will be dangerously low. A withdrawal from the endowment appears necessary to maintain cashflow/liquidity. This was presented to and approve by the Vestry in early July.
Please see the 2nd Quarter 2021 Treasurer Report HERE.
|
|
|
Creating Beloved Community –
“Jesus and the Disinherited”
In his book, Thurman discusses how Jesus‘ message ‘focused on the urgency of a radical change in the inner attitude of the people and that Jesus advocated a love of self and others that defeats the fear & hatred decaying our souls and the world around us. Thurman's message helped shape the civil rights movement and changed our nation.
We will have our first zoom study session on Wednesday, September 22nd from 7pm-8pm. We will meet (on zoom) for five sessions (9/22, 9/29, 10/06, 10/13, 10/20). We will discuss one chapter each session.
For our first session, we will look at the forward by Vincent Harding , delve into Thurman’s background & discuss Chapter 1. To consider: In Chapter 1: How does Thurman understand the life of Jesus?
Please contact Sue Brienes at suebreines@gmail.com with interest, questions, or suggestions.
|
|
|
|
ST PHILIPS ANNIVERSARY
Since we cannot safely gather to celebrate in our usual styles of food, fellowship, presentations, etc... let us gather virtually. Please write a very brief paragraph containing the theme - "What St. Philips means to me." These writings can take any form which is comfortable to you - a few sentences, a poem, a lyric, a phrase, or a scripture. What connects YOU to St Philips? Family, friends, geography, past moments, future hopes?
I would like to collect these and then publish them on our webpage, facebook, NOW, Sunday bulletin, etc.. Please take some time to consider participating in this exercise. My prayer is that it will be very uplifting to all.
If you may have pictures or brief videos capturing moments of St Philips' Parish life, these will be welcome also. These can involve special events in the sanctuary, parish hall, church grounds, or at other venues connected with the many missions and ministries of the people of St Philips.
You may send your selections to sbailey@hcc.edu or sdbailey316@charter.net. Thank you for your participation!
Steve Bailey
See submissions on our website.
|
|
|
For Members!
Our Pastoral Committee, our Tech Committee, and our Ushers could use your help!
We are always looking for volunteer drivers to help transport non-driving members to and from church, or to and from other appointments as needed. Drivers must have a valid driver's license and be fully vaccinated. Reach out to Bonnie Katusich at bkatu9@gmail.com or 413-563-5099 if you can help out.
Do you watch our streamed Sunday and other worship services on Facebook? We could use a few more folks to learn the 'how-to's' behind the scenes for these events, as well as to participate in other tech conversations and possibilities going forward. This is an ever changing and exciting opportunity! Contact Deacon Jason Burns or Susan May by leaving a message on the church office phone, if you are interested in helping. 413-527-0862.
We are also in need of more Ushers to help with the flow of the service. Please contact Julie Flahive (julieflahive@gmail.com or 413-433-2300) if you are interested in learning more about assisting in this important role.
Thank you!
|
|
|
Hi Folks!
Our next service is Saturday, September 25th. We'll be making barbecue chicken, potato salad and more! We are accepting baked desserts again. We ask that each volunteer bake two dozen treats and deliver them to the kitchen individually-wrapped by 9:30am.
If you are interested in joining us, you can sign up here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4CAEAA2EAAFB6-take
For those attending:
Kitchen staff, our coordinators will be improving our social distancing protocol this session, so make sure to check in when you arrive for details. As always, we ask that you wash hands on entry, wear gloves and an apron, and clean surfaces after every use . Please come with a clean hat and clothes, and bring your own mask.
Drivers, please sanitize the bags and coolers you use to transport food. Pickup will take place at the picnic tables outside the kitchen. During delivery, handle the food with gloves or use hand sanitizer, and when you drop off the food, please leave it outside and call the recipient to let them know.
Remember, if you feel ill, please stay home. Contact Jon if you cannot attend. Only come to a service if you have signed up, as we need to operate with a smaller crew to reduce exposure. We also ask that children stay home.
All the Best,
Jon & the Take & Eat Team
|
|
|
|
Easthampton Community Center
Weekly Food Donations
Now that we are back in church, we have resumed our weekly donation of food to the Community Center. During the pandemic, the Center has been distributing kids bags on a weekly basis. We would like to focus on supporting this program during the summer.
Kid’s bags include the following items,
- Raman Noodles
- Tuna Fish
- Chewy and Crunchy Granola Bars
- Cereal Bars
- 100% Juice Boxes
- Fruit Chews
- Mac & Cheese
- Apple Sauce/Fruit cups
- Chef Boy R Dee Ravioli
- SpaghettiOs
- Kraft Mac & Cheese
Food donations can be brought to the church on Sunday mornings or dropped off at the church hall on Thursday afternoons. You can also make a cash donation to the center by a designated contribution to Saint Philip’s, sending a check directly to the center at 12 Clark Street, or via their Facebook page.
|
|
|
Office Hours
Tuesday - Thursday, 1 pm - 4:30 pm
Since not all afternoons are in person,
please call or email for an appointment.
Phone: 413-527-0862
Email: office@stphilipseasthampton.org
Submissions for the NOW
This newsletter is published every Thursday at 10:00 am.
The deadline for submissions is 1:00 pm on Wednesdays.
Please email them to the office by that time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
