Come ye thankful people, come! Raise the song of harvest home!
In this season of thanksgiving, we look back, give thanks for, and celebrate........
* An extraordinary gift from Ed Abbe in loving memory of his wife Gladys, which will provide additional funds (in perpetuity) to support outreach beyond monies already budgeted, music ministries, and our parish discretionary fund. Funds generated from this fund have already been used to provide support for a parishioner in college majoring in music therapy.
* Jessie Cole and her niece Ilene Wanat Titus’s completion of the first comprehensive illustrated history of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, a labor of love and a wonderful addition to our church heritage.
(Sixty-one copies were printed and sold for $15 each.)
* The hiring of Paul Utgoff as our new Director of Music and organist, and all the ways that has enhanced our worship and music fellowship. (Did you know you’re invited to breakfast with the choir the first Sunday of each month at 8:30? Were you in church on Double-the-Choir Sunday?)
* Our ability to sustain a paid nursery care provider (Bonnie Pelland) and a professional Youth Coordinator (Molly Ward) with the help of parishioners’ increased generosity and our diocese’s congregational development grant program.
* Molly’s outstanding leadership, and our teachers’ and nursery care assistants’ dedication and service to our youngsters. On Sept 10th we enjoyed a delightful songfest and display of children’s craftwork with lesson objectives, watched the destruction of 2 pinatas, and ate Mexican-themed refreshments at Coffee Hour, culminating a great new summer Sunday School program. And we shared the joy of seeing our Sunday School children help bless/commission their teachers last month at the altar rail.
* The installation of a new furnace in the Parish Hall, and the re-shingling of the south side of the church, through the generosity of parishioners who responded to a special appeal, and the availability of a diocesan loan.
* Mark Betsher’s generous time listening, caring, preaching, teaching, humoring, and sharing his stories with us over two years, with Fr Ray’s gifted, willing spiritual mentoring.
* The planned and spontaneous monies we gave for outreach in our community, our diocese, and the world. Over the past three years, we have not only fulfilled but exceeded our diocese’s assessment for common ministry ($10,309 in 2004, $9616 in 2005, and $10,550 this year). We have also contributed so far this year $300 to Jessie’s House (homeless shelter); $300 to the Easthampton Community Center to purchase food from the Food Bank for needy Easthampton families; $150 to Relay for Life for Cancer research; $150 to help with expenses for Oasis dinners; $400 to Fr Paul Munga for his parish discretionary fund in Kenya; $150 to the summer reading program at Easthampton’s public library; $150 to help sponsor our Diocese’s annual Reconciliation Conference; $200 to our diocese’s Alleluia Fund to support the new Episcopal church in Southwick and Fr. Freeman’s ministries in Liberia; $50 to help build a new field house in Nonotuck Park; $300 for Riverside Industries to purchase art supplies; $200 for Jacob’s Well (a youth ministry); $100 for Providence Ministries; and $300 for Five Talents (supporting international small business enterprise).
* Our continuing stewardship in extending the use of our Hall to AA (for nearly 50 years), to Boy Scout troops, to the Meadow City Pre-order Food Co-op, to the new-this-year Wednesday night AWOL group, and to the Easthampton Family Center (who called our Hall home for three years until their rapidly growing program outgrew our space last winter).
* Our continuing partnerships with Easthampton Congregational Church in sponsoring Oasis dinners once a month; with the Survival Center and Easthampton Community Center in contributing food every week for needy families; with greater Northampton churches in participating in a weeklong summer Vacation Bible School at Christ United Methodist Church where 6, 8, and 12 of our children have participated in each of the last 3 years, and Molly Ward has helped with planning and teaching; with Cradles to Crayons, the organization that sends a truck to pick up the donated leftovers from our All 4 Kids Sales for distribution to needy families; and our new partnerships this year with Riverside Industries, and with Immaculate Conception Church, where a number of our parishioners are teamed up to help provide hot meals for those ICC is sheltering overnight during the colder months of the year.
* A spiffy new design and timely editing of our quarterly newsletter under Julie Biehn’s oversight.
* All the activities during the year which helped raise money but also provided people with an opportunity for enjoyable fellowship just by helping out. The Oct. 14 Fall/Winter All 4 Kids Sale alone took in over $10,000, with 80 consignors and an enthusiastic crew of volunteers making it all possible. The first sale 3 yrs ago netted $500, the 2nd $700, the 3rd $1400, the 4th and 5th combined $4000, and the two sales this year netted nearly $6000 toward our fund-raising budget! Our 11th annual Steak Fry saw the largest crowd in several years and netted $750, and everyone seemed to enjoy our new Flea Market in August combined with the hunt for and collection of auctionable attic treasures. Stay tuned for the final financial report! In the meantime, we all look forward to the fun of our Holiday Fair on Nov. 11th.
* The many volunteers/ministry workers who quietly care for the grass and gardens and grounds during the growing season (Have you noticed the new Kousa dogwood tree that David Haines planted to replace the diseased maple that had to be taken down?); set up the altar and church for services and care for the altar linens; provide meals and other pastoral care in times of need; serve as acolytes and ushers and choir singers; host coffee hours; build racks for All 4 Kids Sales, paint, put window panels in our Sunday School room doors, clean cupboards and cellars; and so much more.
* The nearing completion of a St. Philip’s website, with several parishioners working with Paul Utgoff to bring it into being.
* An active prayer chain which has expanded to 23 members and continues to lift concerns and individuals in prayer.
* The support we are providing for Fr Ray by providing the sabbatical time and helping underwrite the costs of his attendance at eight 1-week sessions over two years at the Academy for Spiritual Formation in Birmingham, Alabama, and the spiritual benefits he and we are receiving from this opportunity.
and last, but by no means least,
* The continuing great fellowship of St. Philip’s Phillies, as Beverly Ann Howe gathers women of our parish and their friends for lunch or dinner and lots of laughs every six to eight weeks during the year. (Next outing Nov 18th for lunch at The Tavern Restaurant in Westfield.)