The Episcopal Church of Christ the King/Holy Nativity Sturgeon Bay/Jacksonport, Door County Wisconsin

Newsletter

FROM THE AUGUST 2008 GOOD NEWS LETTER, our monthly newsletter…

AUGUST 2008

THE GOOD NEWS LETTER

Dear Friends in Christ:

The Summer months are traditionally a time when the pace of life slows. When the days are warm and the sunshine abundant we find it easier to give ourselves permission to take time to relax and enjoy the blessings which surround us. Typically, these blessings present themselves in the form of appreciating the beauty of nature, or investing more time in celebrating relationships with family or friends. These are rich times, indeed, when we wish that we could relish such moments more frequently. The fact of the matter is that most of these blessings are around us all the time, but because we are busy, or otherwise distracted, the beauty and value of life can become obscured from our vision. We neglect to treasure the present moment as we become consumed with a focus on tomorrow…or even later today!

The rhythm of the seasons has much to teach us. Summer with its luxurious greenness, fragrant breezes, and quiet gentleness reminds us that there is much for which to be thankful. As the petition from the Prayer Book’s “Litany of Thanksgiving” quoted in the title above suggests, the gifts of “health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play” are awesome tokens of God’s abiding commitment to us. But as we receive these gifts and rejoice in them, we must also remember our primary vocation to bring glory to God and do our individual part in building up his kingdom in the world. So, while we bask in the joys of Summer, we can also be renewed in our commitment to honor God by offering thanks for blessings received, and being intentional about conveying blessing to those around us whenever possible.

It is worth remembering that in religious vocabulary, “prayer” is spoken of as “the work of God.” In an age when so much emphasis is placed upon being productive, our faith reminds us that Christ has redefined the meaning of productivity. Real productivity involves being fruitful for God…and not just for ourselves. Thus, whether we are working or playing, we can accomplish a great victory by maintaining a conscious “God focus.” We can pray…do the “work of God”…in whatever posture or situation we may find ourselves. In our determination to bless God for the gifts we have been given, and by remembering to serve as ambassadors for God in all that we do, we can find a deeper entry into the beauty and mystery of life. In this way, every day has the potential to be like a “summer day” when God seems so near and there is time to breathe and live thoughtfully…gratefully. +++

I want to close this message by extending in Debbie’s name (that’s my wife, for those of you who do not know her) heartfelt thanks to all of you who have reached out so lovingly to her during the recent period of her medical crisis. Needless to say, I echo that gratitude. We, like other parishioners and friends of our church who have experienced recent trauma, have been blessedly deluged with many acts of kindness and expressions of loving care. None of us could possibly articulate just how much this has meant to us, and how much strength and hope we have derived from your support, demonstrated in both tangible and intangible ways. May God bless and keep all of you! Our gratitude is genuine indeed!

Faithfully yours,

George, Vicar
The Very Reverend George E. Hillman, Vicar

News from our Parish

Summary of monthly statistics for July 2008…Please note that the statistics below include the last Sunday of June not accounted for in last month’s news letter.

Attendance for Sundays of July Total:

(Fifth Sunday of June…June 28: 26 at Holy Nativity; 48 at Christ the King    Income: $869)

165 ( CTK );   133 (HN)

Plate and Pledge Income: $ 9337 (Budget: $10,273 per month; Year to date actual (through July: $66,608 ; Budget: $71,911)

+++ As you will notice from the financial figures quoted above, we are currently running behind in pledges by about $5000.00 for the year. If you are in arrears in your financial commitment for 2008, please try to bring your pledge up to date. If you have a problem and need to adjust your level of intended giving to our Parish, please speak to Challoner Brown, Treasurer, Julie Hathaway, Sr. Warden, or Fr. Hillman, Vicar. Thanks!



Please keep the following individuals in your prayers as they recover from various health situations:

Phyllis Bartlett, recovering from a hip replacement

Larry Burkhardt, dealing with the after-effects of an accidental fall

David Freier, husband of our Secretary, Linda, who is recovering from a foot injury caused by a lawn mower accident

Debbie Hillman, recovering from intestinal surgery

Deacon Jerry Kuehn, healing from back surgery

Fr. Joe Mazza recovering after surgery

Pat Rondeau, recovering from an infection

The all Door County Episcopal Picnic was held on Sunday July 13^th at the Peninsula Art School in Fish Creek. This was the first ever attempt at such an event and it proved to be a huge success. There were approximately 150 Episcopalians from all the county churches (except Precious Blood, Gardener which did not respond), including some fifty parishioners from Christ the King and Holy Nativity. Good food and fellowship were enjoyed by all and the general feeling is that this picnic really should evolve into an annual event.

Many thanks to all our members who participated in the picnic and helped to provide such an extraordinary assortment of delicious foods…from soup to nuts. A special “thank you” goes to Melinda Johnson who served as our Parish’s coordinator for the picnic and helped to work-out organizational details with Judy Bush of St. Luke’s, Sister Bay and Meredie Scrivner of the Church of the Atonement in Fish Creek.

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Fr. Hillman is in the final stages of planning for and scheduling classes to prepare individuals for CONFIRMATION/RECEPTION. Since the Bishop will be making his annual Visitation to our Parish then first week in October, we will want to have completed our preparatory classes by that time. So, this is the last call. If you desire to be presented to the Bishop for Confirmation or Reception this year, please make yourself known to the Vicar. Thanks!

Thank you to all for your prayers, cards and expressions of support during my husband David’s recent injury and hospitalization.   We are truly grateful for your kindness.

Linda and David Freier



Some thoughts on the possibility of sponsoring a RUMMAGE SALE…

At its July meeting members of the Bishop’s Committee discussed the possibility of having a parish-wide RUMMAGE SALE on the grounds at Christ the King, Sturgeon Bay. Although the committee had a variety of responses to this possibility, it was decided that it would be a good idea to put the question to the larger congregation. So, here you go…what is your level of interest in this possibility, perhaps sometime next Fall or Spring. Such issues as storage, a possible rain date. And other important matters need to be considered, but before we start to tackle those questions, let’s see what your level of interest might be. If you have any reactions to this possibility, please let your thoughts be known to one of the Wardens or the Vicar. Thanks!

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Our own parishioner, Melinda Johnson, together with three other employees of the Door County Advocate have bonded together to raise awareness about and elicit help in addressing the PROBLEM OF HUNGER in Door County. (Please see the letter included below)They are approaching local corporations, business and individuals to help in the collection of food and/or funds to purchase food for the relief of those in hunger. Isn’t this a great initiative? Just look what a few caring individuals can do to confront his problem. Now it’s up to us, and others, to respond! Thank you, Melinda!

The food collection dates and sites are as follows:

All food Drives will be 10am –two pm.

July 26^th Main Street Market, Egg Harbor

August 2^nd Econo Foods, Sturgeon Bay

August 9^th Pick n’ Save, Sturgeon Bay

August 16^th Piggly Wiggly, Sturgeon Bay

Letter is as follows

Dear Friends,

We are writing with a simple problem. The shelves at our local food pantries are nearly empty. When we heard this, we knew something had to be done. The employees of Door County Publishing are holding a food drive in July and August to raise awareness in the community, and to collect food and monetary donations before the heating season starts.

We have a simple solution. We will be collecting food on Saturdays at local grocery stores, and throughout the summer at our Sister Bay and Sturgeon Bay Door Reminder offices and the Door County Advocate. We will also be raising awareness of this issue in the newspapers with an editorial and advertising campaign.

We have a simple request. Please help our neighbors with a donation. The food shelves can purchase food from America’s Second Harvest for an average of 18 cents per pound, which they estimate as an average family meal. Many of the families who use food shelves have small children or elderly, who eat even less. If we raise $500.00, it could pay for 2000 family meals!

Will you help us? Please send a check- made out to Feed My People, Koinonia Kupboard or Lakeshore CAP (or equal amounts to each) to one of our offices by August 15, 2008:

Gannett Gives Back                         Gannett Gives Back
c/o Door County Advocate          c/o Door Reminder
P.O. Box 130                                       P.O. Box 198
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235               Sister Bay, WI 54234

Thank you,

“Advocates for Food” Fundraising Committee

Melinda Johnson

Lynn Michelsen

Ann Kaminski

Katie Henz

Historical Marker

      The Jacksonport Historical Society has notified us that their application to have The Episcopal Church of the Holy Nativity designated as a historical site has been approved. The Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation, is responsible for approving submitted applications. The first church in Jacksonport to receive a marker was the Methodist Church, located on Cave Point Dr. We expect the marker to arrive sometime in August.

Other news from around our community…

On Friday, July 11th the Door County Boys & Girls Club held their annual Wine & Cheese Fundraiser at Stone Harbor Resort. Our very own Keys provided the wonderful entertainment for the evening. Don Domencich is a staff member at the Sturgeon Bay center and assisted the guests during the silent auction. The children made bakery items for the silent auction and one of our members purchased brownies which were served at our 1st annual church picnic.

   Christ the King

Our fellow parishioners, and especially those from Christ the King, Sturgeon Bay, were delighted to see that our church’s front door, side panels, and even the posts of our 5^th Avenue signboard, all received a fresh coat of paint thanks to our own JOEL DUSKEY. Not only did Joel do the painting, but he also did extensive repairs on the front door side panels which he discovered to be in quite a deteriorated condition. God bless you, Joel, for a job well done! We are grateful!

Thanks, also, to DON DOMENCICH, who did an emergency pruning job of the birch tree which grows next to the Michigan Street windows of our Church Office. The tree looks great and Don’s work has greatly minimized the likelihood that a passerby will be confronted with a low-hanging branch. Thanks, Don!

Our own parishioner and pianist, KEYS, is a regular performer at the Master’s Brew Coffee House at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Sturgeon Bay. Check it out!

     Holy Nativity

WE OFFER THANKS to Don Fritz and Ken Buehler who have gifted Holy Nativity with a beautiful holy water receptacle which is placed in the baptismal font in the nave at Jacksonport. This lovely pottery bowl replaced the very ordinary cereal bowl which held the holy water prior to this donation. Our community is thankful to Don and Ken for their aesthetic eye and generosity in providing this gift.

WE ARE GRATEFUL to Barb and Tim Graul, Darlene Kallaus, Gil Southwell, Kathy Watson and Nancy Williams, who participated in a recent yard clean-up (“weed- a – thon”) at Holy Nativity, Jacksonport. Your efforts have benefited all of us. And, thank God, no poison ivy victims this year.

The rain collection barrels at Holy Nativity, which were donated by Nancy and Chip Morris, are proving to be a great help to those who tend the plants and flowers in the Jacksonport church yard. Nancy Williams, and others, are wearing broad smiles on their faces as their task of transporting water or garden use has just become much easier.

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KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

Thank you to all who turned in their grocery receipts at Christ the King Church.    Those who turn in the Econo slips have earned a donation of $137.00. If you are registered at Pick and Save to have your receipt earnings sent automatically to Christ the King Episcopal Women, you have earned a donation of $105.31.

Thank you for your support!

Pat Mayer

FUTURE EVENTS

CHURCH OF CHRIST THE KING AND HOLY NATIVITY

Wednesday 6 August 6:00 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Nativity Eucharist for the FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

Friday 15 August 5:00 p.m. Loaves and Fishes Community Meal at NE Wisconsin Technical College

Tuesday 19 August at 6:00 p.m. Open Forum at Christ the King, Sturgeon Bay

Monday 25 August at 6:00 p.m. at the Church of Christ the King    Eucharist for the FEAST OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, Apostle

Tuesday 26 August 6:00 p.m. at Christ the King Christian fellowship gathering, potluck supper, music and fellowship

Saturday 30 August-Monday 1 September: Labor Day weekend

Fridays 5 and 19 September 5:00 p.m. Loaves and Fishes Community Meal at NE Wisconsin Technical College

Saturday 6 September 8:00 a.m. Men’s Group Breakfast at Christ the King, Sturgeon Bay

Tuesdays 9 and 23 September 26 6:00 p.m. at Christ the King Christian fellowship gathering, potluck supper, music and fellowship

Tuesday 16 September 6:30 p.m. Bishop’s Committee Meeting at Christ the King

Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October Bishop Jacobus’ annual Visitation to our Parish

We would like to share the special thank you note below received from Open Door Dental for the donation of proceeds from the geranium sale.

“With special thanks to all of you”

“To know you is to know people who are kind, considerate, and thoughtful. To know you is to be grateful for the special things you do.”

Dear Vicar and Parishioners,

I cannot begin to tell you how much your monetary support and physical and spiritual help means to Open Door Dental Clinic. The number of children 3-18 that we can help with this money is huge. Unfortunately the number keeps growing of children with no dentist or who are uninsured or underinsured. No dentist is taking new Medical Assistance or Badger Care patients because of the low reimbursement. So, with help like yours and Door County Memorial Hospital/Ministry Health Care support, we will continue to see these special children.

Every year I personally have bought your wonderful plants and again this year they continue to flourish!

Thank you is such a small word but means so much to us.

May Ann Rjala, BSRDH

Open Door Dental Clinic Coordinator

August Birthdays & Anniversaries



1)          Jerry Kuehn

4)      Jerry & Vickie Kuehn

9)     Keith Lauder

17)    William Bartlett

30) Fred Knoebel

I recently came across this very powerful excerpt, from an ancient sermon, on the value of mercy and ways in which it informs and directs all that we seek to do in serving Christ. Please read it and see if it speaks to your heart as it did to mine.

A sermon of St Caesarius of Arles

On divine and human mercy

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. ‘Mercy’ is a beautiful word: more beautiful still is the thing itself. All men wish to receive it, but the worst thing is that not all of them behave in a way that deserves it. Although everyone wishes to be shown mercy only a few wish to show it.
O man, how can you have the effrontery to ask for what you refuse to give to others? You must show mercy in this world if you want to receive mercy in heaven. So, my dearest brethren, since we all desire mercy, let us make ourselves mercy’s slaves in this world so that she can give us our freedom in the world to come. For there is mercy in heaven and we come to it through earthly mercies. As Scripture says: Lord, your mercy is in heaven.
So there is earthly and heavenly mercy: that is, human and divine. What is human mercy? Exactly this: to have care for the sufferings of the poor. What is divine mercy? Without doubt, to grant forgiveness of sins. Whatever human mercy gives away on the journey, divine mercy pays back when we arrive at last in our native land. For it is God who feels cold and hunger, in the person of the poor. As he himself has said: As much as you have done for the least of these, you have done it for me. What God deigns to give on heaven, he yearns to receive on earth.
What sort of people are we if we want to receive, when God offers, but when God asks, we refuse to give? For when a poor man hungers, it is Christ who suffers want, as he himself has said: I was hungry and you gave me no food. Do not despise the misery of the poor if you want a sure hope of forgiveness for your sins. Christ is hungry now, brethren, in all the poor. He consents to suffer hunger and thirst – and whatever he receives on earth he will give back in heaven.
I ask you, brethren: when you come to church, what do you want? What are you looking for?

Is it anything other than mercy? Then give earthly mercy and you will receive the heavenly kind. The poor man asks of you, and you ask of God: the poor man for food, you for eternal life. Give to the beggar what you want to deserve from Christ. Hear Christ saying Give and it will be given to you. I do not know how you can have the effrontery to want to receive what you do not want to give. And so, when you come to church, give, whatever you can afford as alms for the poor.

Please remember that we are soliciting, and certainly joyfully receiving, donations to the BUILDING FUND of the Church of Christ the King and Holy Nativity. As we move forward with our hopes to undertake necessary improvements at both of our facilities, we will need to accumulate assets to enable us to begin renovations. If you are a potential donor, or know someone who might be, please be aware of the need which presently exists as we try to build-up our now very small building fund account.

Assuming that a building project does begin, we will certainly want to tap into any potential funding sources. If you know of any foundations or other sources for potential grants for building improvements we undertake, please make them known to one of our Wardens (Julie Hathaway, Donna Domencich ( CTK ); Gil Southwell (HN)) or Fr. Hillman. Thanks!

Our previously scheduled August 19^th OPEN FORUM at Christ the King, among other issues, will include a report from Tim Graul, from our Building Committee, regarding progress made in our conversations with Keller Builders. This report will include some preliminary architectural drawings and some talk about potential costs at both of our church sites.

CHURCH SCHOOL ?

You know that we already have a functional Nursery at Christ the King, Sturgeon Bay, but with a growing number of children present on Sunday mornings, it seems to be time to revive a church school program for our post-nursery age children.

CAN YOU HELP? We will need a couple of volunteer teachers and perhaps another person or two to assist the Vicar in getting this program up and running. It is important for our Parish to make a visible investment in our youth. And an additional benefit of such a program is that it makes our church a far more desirable destination for young families that are seeking a new church home.

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES

The Church Office has repeatedly requested that members let us know the dates of their birthdays and anniversaries, and yet we are still missing quite a number of these dates. If you notice that your birthday or anniversary date is not listed in the weekly intercession bulletin insert or in the newsletter, PLEASE COMMUNICATE YOUR DATES to us so that we can ensure everyone is included in our rotation of prayer and thanksgiving marking these dates. The month and day are the only figures we need. No years required!

The Episcopal Church of Christ the King and Holy Nativity
Office: 512 Michigan Street
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
(920) 743-3286
E-Mail Now: cckhn@att.net
copyright© 2007 The Episcopal Church of Christ the King and Holy Nativity

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