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Reflections out of the Study Window
By The Very Reverend W. Scott Dillard
This is the Advent season. It is the first month of the Church Year. It is a time when the days grow shorter and shorter and the darkness at night seems almost never to end, a time when evening comes too quickly and dawn seems reluctant to steal across the land.
But it is a time when we are moving toward the light that is to come. In temporal time we are moving toward the winter solstice of December 21, the longest night and the shortest day of the year. But on the next day, December 22, the days begin to lengthen almost imperceptibly. And three days later, in sacred time, God's time, Christ is born, and the Light is reentering the world.
Keep a good Advent. We often hear of keeping a good Lent, but keep a good Advent. Focus on the Light. Focus on Jesus and the mission we share with him in the world, to prepare for his coming again. That's something good to focus on every day of every week of every month of every year of our lives.
Vestry News
By Emily Pomerleau
At the May 2003 meeting, the Vestry approved the allocation of $3,000 per year for the purpose of assisting children of Parish families to attend Shrine Mont summer camps or educational institutions. This is a Vestry designated fund; and monies in this camp/scholarship fund shall be cumulative.
A. Shrine Mont The Parish will pay fees for any child or children of Parish families in good standing to attend summer camp at Shrine Mont. Need is not a consideration. Rather, the purpose is to enhance and enrich the Christian education of our Parish children. Applications for Shrine Mont should be submitted to the Rector.
B. Scholarship Grants to assist students of Parish families in good standing for educational pursuits will be based on need and circumstances. Each applicant must make written application to the Rector. If the Rector considers the request of merit, he will present
this request to the Vestry. Each case will be evaluated and acted on individually.
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ECW News
by Marianne Stackpole
Since we have so many new people in our parish, I thought I would take this opportunity to explain how the ECW provides for coffee hour, funeral receptions, church dinners and other special events. Parish members are assigned to six teams. Each team is assigned two months each year and is responsible for all events that fall within their months. Each team has a captain who is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the team for those months. Team members take turns providing the refreshments for the coffee hour following the 10 o'clock service. Usually, two team members get to church a bit early, put on coffee and a pot of hot water, make a pitcher of lemonade, and set out cups, napkins, silverware, and the food they have prepared or purchased. The team members also clean up after coffee hour. If linens are soiled, they take them home to launder them and return them the next time they are at church.
The teams also act as a telephone tree when news needs to be spread around the parish. The ECW president will call each of the team captains who in turn will call every member of their team. In this way we are able to quickly set up a reception for a funeral or to get out any other important information. In the case of special events, such as the Every Member Canvass meeting or a funeral reception, the team responsible for that month sets up the parish hall for the event and the telephone tree is used to remind all team members to bring food for the event.
The 8 o'clock coffee hour is handled a bit differently. This service started out with just a few people and is less structured. Scott takes care of providing the food and setting up the kitchen for coffee hour. He buys the food, makes the coffee, puts the bagels in the oven and prepares the grits! Following the service, volunteers get the bagels and grits out of the oven and the butter and cream cheese out of the refrigerator. Likewise, volunteers clean up the kitchen for the next coffee hour. The 8 o'clock service has grown considerably, but remains less structured. No specific person is responsible for clean up. If you attend the 8 o'clock service and enjoy the coffee hour, please consider helping to clean up afterward.
As ECW president, I assign new members to the teams. Every household should be represented on a team. Typically, the team members are women, but if there is no woman in the household who attends church, the men are put on the list to ensure that they get any important news through the telephone tree. Of course, men are welcome to help with coffee hour as well! The current teams, captains, members and assigned months are posted on the bulletin board in the hall down the stairs from the kitchen. If you are not assigned to a team, please contact me and I will take care of that. I can be reached on 580-3739.
New Parish Website
by Peggy Federhart
The parish web site is growing !! First, a special Thank-You to those who responded with suggestions. Second, here is the current list of pages; this will change as we gather more information, organize it differently, and find out what is useful and not so useful. More pictures are coming. The web address is www.wicomicoparishchurch.org.
To get to the site quickly, you can add the address to your favorites or put a link on your desktop (your opening screen). To do the latter, open the Home Page. Look in the top window where the URL (web address) is. Click on and HOLD the symbol at the left, just before the address; then drag it onto the desktop. Subsequent clicking on that symbol will open the home page. (You can do this for any page, not just the home page.)
Here is the list of current pages:
Home page with picture of the 1902 church
Sunday Worship an index to the most current Sundays service, including Scotts
sermon and link to lections
Our History sections on each of our four churches by Bill Johnson
Newsletter selections from the most recent Newsletter
Meet the rector, senior warden, and staff
Announcements
Activities and events
Selected earlier sermons a growing collection of Scotts sermons
Calendar of events
Episcopal, Anglican Communion and other links
Lay Responsibilities - list of who does what for each Sunday
Miscellany, Potpourri, and Serendipity
Larger pictures, more pictures
Directions to the church
Contact information
While Scott is away, I am keeping the web up to date; so please send any suggestions to pf@rivnet.net. Thank you, Peggy
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Trivia Question
Provided by Bill Johnson
The bricks and Church land of the 3rd Church were sold to Hiram Ingram for $500.00. The church received only $250.00. What happened to that $250.00?
(Answer at bottom of page)
Men's Breakfast Notes
By Andy Kauders
To celebrate the first of November, the men of Wicomico Parish and their guests gathered for the regular monthly feast. We were well fed by Chefs Wes Armstrong and Jim Stone who enjoyed preparing the meal so much that they signed up to work together again next year. With Scotts return from his windy sabbatical, we had enough grits, sausage, and biscuits to assure that those attending the 8 AM service the following day would not go home hungry.
The men will meet next on December 6. All men and their guests are encouraged to join us. We promise not to offer turkey!
Mens Breakfast Schedule
December Jack Christie & Carter Fox
January Andy Kauders & TBA
Why Just the Holidays?
By Tom Price
It is interesting that as the holidays approach, the topic of Thanksgiving baskets and Christmas baskets become issues and projects. We also see on TV, Angel Tree and The Virginia Food Bank. All of these projects are great and worthy endeavors, but what about the rest of the year? Are people only hungry on the holidays?
We, at Wicomico Parish Church collect food to help others all year long. We do not begin to collect the amount of food we are capable of supplying to this good work.
Matthew 25:40 says, And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, as ye have done it to one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it to me Let this holiday season begin a new level of helping those in need. Put the hungry on your shopping list, clip coupons, buy on sale, and make a place in you pantry or kitchen to collect your items and then bring them to church. Food can also be dropped off in the box on the stage in the Parish Hall at anytime. You will find joy in the process.
In advance -Thanks!
Meals-On-Wheels and Chirstmas Baskets
By Nancy Yerdon and Lela Ingram
Christmas cookie baskets will again be handed out under the direction of Nancy Yerdon and her committee on December 19. Congregants are asked and encouraged to bake cookies for this cause and deliver them to the church on Sunday, December 14. The committee will assemble the baskets on December 17.
Meels on Wheels volunteers will deliver on December 15, 17, and 19. Volunteers are Andy Kauders and Tom Price, Bob and Marshall Waterman, and Ren and Lela Ingram with assistance from Bob Scull. The cookies mentioned above will be delivered with Meals on Wheels on December 19.
In advance, thank you to all who participate in this worthwhile effort.
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ANSWER: Bishop Meade handed it to the Virginia Theological Seminary for safe keeping until Wicomico Parish revived. Seminary became impatient and used the money to build a small Chapel on their campus. It still stands.
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