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Crossties
The Parish Newsletter --
Keeping People Informed
March 2010
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Lent,
Transition and Community
Lent
is about transition!
Lent is the time we move through the life and ministry of
our Lord to his crucifixion and his resurrection. It is a
time when we focus inwardly, paying special attention to our
relationship to God and enhancing that relationship with our
own disciplines. It can be a meaningful time in our own
lives, mirroring the journey of Christ through our own
spiritual journey.
Lent
is about community!
Individual examination is always contextual. We must have
some reference point by which we calibrate our individual
sense of being and relationship to God. As Christians, we
always seek to see ourselves in the context of God as shown
to us in Christ Jesus. However, the meaning of our
experience of God is best seen and understood in community.
In
our own community at St. Elizabeth’s, we have had some
important experiences which have helped to prepare us for
this communal Lenten journey. Earlier, we explored with
Alice Mann the issues important to a faith community in size
transition. More recently, we have explored with Marcus Borg
the foundation blocks of a relevant faith for today as a
Christian community. As a parish, we have prepared ourselves
well for this Lent.
Lent
is about individuals in community!
Let us now use these forty days to explore both our
individual journeys and the positive role each of us can
play in the growth of St. Elizabeth’s as a faith community.
May we each explore how St. Elizabeth’s can best support us,
as individuals, as we continue in our journey of faith. How
can this community facilitate a more meaningful relationship
to God for each of us? May we also each explore how we, as
individuals, can support our community as it attempts to
meet the needs of all parishioners. Each and every one of us
is equally important to our Lord, and each and every one of
us is equally important in the life of St. Elizabeth’s.
An
exciting life of faith in community is ours to claim!
Dick
Brown,
Interim
Rector
Gourmet
Hiking Group
The
first hike for 2010 is scheduled for Saturday, March 20th.
We will meet at St. Elizabeth's parking lot at 7:50 am and
have breakfast at Mimi's Cafe on Parkside Drive at 8:00 am.
The hike will be at Grace Point Camp and Retreat Center near
Kingston, TN. There are 5 different hikes from which to
choose, and a room has been reserved for our use for the
day. The Camp charges $50 for a minimum of 10 people, and
$5 per person after that. Please sign up ASAP on the hiking
bulletin board located across from the church office.
Include your phone number with your name so that if the hike
is cancelled due to bad weather, we can notify you early
that morning. Driving directions are on the Bulletin
Board. Please bring a lunch item to share with the group
following the hike.
Non-hikers
are welcome to join us to spend time at the camp.
Let's support Grace Point and enjoy spring at the same time!
Thank you to Heather Dahlberg for organizing this hike!
 Church
Clean Up & Repair Day
Saturday, March 27th
8:00 am
– 2:30 pm
Join us
for this wonderful time of fellowship as we unite to do a
Spring-cleaning and perform minor repairs on our church.
Tools and supplies, donuts, coffee and a light lunch will be
provided. Multi-generational tasks are plentiful for all
skill levels, so make it a family affair.
There is
a sign up sheet on the bulletin board near the Memorial
Garden doors, and you may contact John Tomlinson for more
information.
Parish Life Council
We have
the following upcoming events for you to put on your
calendars now!!
April 17th
- Saturday Game Night 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm in Tharp Hall. Price
of admission – your favorite ‘finger dessert’.
May
9th
–This year Bishop vonRosenburg will visit St. Elizabeth's on
Sunday, May 9th. There will be a reception for
the Bishop immediately following the 10:15 am service, and
sign up sheets will be posted three weeks prior to list the
favorite ‘upscale’ snack you plan to bring.
May
14th & 15th
- Friday and Saturday, 7:30 pm. Choir fundraiser show -
Broadway & More!
May
23rd
- Parish picnic - Sunday, 11:30 am, be ready for a great
time!
If
you would like to donate a DOORPRIZE for the parish picnic,
please contact Nan Henderson at 966-0973 or Steve Draper at
531-6057.
Lectors
and Chalice Bearers
Hugh
Shannon has agreed to take over the scheduling of Chalice
Bearers and Lectors, and Charlie Gouffon will help train new
people. If you have an interest in this ministry, please
call or email the church office and we will train you and
get you into the rotation. Lectors usually have to read
every couple of months depending on the number of services,
and chalice bearers usually serve every five or six weeks.
Interim
Committee
Charlie Gouffon, on behalf of the Interim Committee, will
present two Sunday adult forum sessions on March 21st
and 28th on our heritage as Episcopalians and our
history as St. Elizabeth’s. The committee thanks Charlie for
his dedicated research and encourages your attendance at
both sessions.
The literature on effective interim periods prescribes
various tasks for a parish to accomplish in the time between
called rectors. Two of those tasks will be addressed through
these presentations: enhancing awareness of denominational
linkage and understanding of congregational history.
St. Elizabeth’s ministers within a tradition that extends
throughout time, back to the days of the early Church and
throughout the world in its connections with the wider
Anglican Communion. Charlie will discuss some of the
fascinating details of our heritage that have eventuated in
our particular systems of beliefs and practices. In
addition, as a parish we have a history, since our founding
some 25 years ago, as a mission church that continues to
live out in a spirit of welcome and inclusion. Since both of
these aspects contribute to our unique identity, calling and
potential, they are to be understood and embraced as we seek
to move forward into a new day.
Interim
Committee members are: Dianne Britton, Jill Carroll
(secretary pro tem), Jeff Chelette, Charlie Gouffon, Kate
Jacobs (chair) and Marcia Williams (secretary). You may also
address any questions or concerns to the committee by way of
the announced after-worship Vestry listening sessions.
Mission
statement: “The Interim Committee, as authorized by the
Vestry, will support the interim rector as he serves the
congregation, and give special attention to issues directly
related to that period between called rectors.”
Search
Committee
The Search Committee is grateful to all those who attended
the sessions held to discuss the results of the parish
survey and the implications of those results for our search
process. The discussions helped to clarify certain
priorities as we move forward.
We have completed the parish profile; a link to it can soon
be found on the St. Elizabeth’s web site. Much effort went
into producing a profile that will reflect very well on St.
Elizabeth’s, and that should be an effective introduction to
our parish for any priests who might be interested.
We are now actively engaged in the process of collecting
and considering names of candidates with whom we may wish to
engage further in our search. If you know of a priest you
believe to be a good fit to our needs and who might be open
to a call to St. Elizabeth’s, please give his or her name to
a member of the Search Committee.
Stuart Lewis
 March
7 Bake Sale to Help Haitian Earthquake Victims
A
delightful and delicious opportunity to help Haitians will
be provided to us by Isabel Deeter, the 11-year-old daughter
of Paige Buchholz and Betsy Deeter. For the past few years
Isabel has been making and selling baked goods as a way to
help those living in extreme poverty in Haiti.
 She
became interested in helping while visiting her aunt who
showed her pictures of people she knew who lived in terrible
poverty in Haiti. Isabel wanted to keep these people from
getting sick. It also interested her because she was born
on St. Vincent another Caribbean Island. After the
devastating earthquake, Isabel’s efforts grew more intense.
Her sister Emabet is also often involved in the efforts. (If
you would like to read more about how this project started,
please pull up on the internet: Isabel Deeter Knoxnews.com)
On
Sunday, March 7, Isabel will be at St. Elizabeth’s offering
her baked goods for sale. The plan has inspired others and
several in our own children’s programwill be including their
baked goods to increase the profits.
We want every item sold, so if you have given up sweets for
lent or are on a diet, buy them for your office or freeze
them!!
Funds
will go to Parish Twinning Program
of the Americas. PTPA is the non-profit organization that
Isabel’s Aunt Frances works for and that has been actively
working in Haiti since 1978. They are raising $10,000 in
order to purchase and hand-deliver tents, food, personal
items and other survival necessities for up to 10 families
in Haiti who are now homeless due to the earthquake.
Don’t
you just love it when you can help someone and reap some
sweet rewards while doing so?!
Book
Group
The book
group meets the second Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm in
St. Elizabeth's Gathering Room to discuss interesting
literary selections. Please join us in March for a
discussion of the novel “Harvest” by Catherine Landis.
“Harvest
opens near Norris, Tennessee, in 1933 as the Tennessee
Valley Authority is preparing to build a dam. It’s a
convincing and sophisticated story about Appalachian
identity, land conservation, the disappearance of family
farming, the corporate greed associated with suburban
sprawl, and the displacement and demise of an Appalachian
family. Without preaching or proselytizing, Landis
skillfully comments on these heady subjects while giving
readers a memorable and mature character study.”
-
Marianne W., Cumberland College
April
Book Group Selection: “South of Broad” by Pat Conroy,
fiction 528 pps.
Wednesday Lenten Series on “Living the Questions “
The highly acclaimed video and discussion series Living
the Questions will be used for our Lenten Series on the
first four Wednesdays of March leading up to Holy Week. The
dates are March 3rd, 10th, 17th,
and 24th. The times and location will be from
7:15 pm - 8:15 pm in the Library.
Adult
Forum
The
Adult Forum is a program designed to foster our spiritual
growth in an environment of free inquiry that invites a rich
sharing of diverse points of view. Each week a new topic
and\or speaker will give a presentation on Sunday at 9:15 am
in Tharp Hall. We hope you’ll join us there!
March
7th, The Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg
(Jerry Burgess)
March 14th, The
Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg (Jerry Burgess)
March 21st,
Were the Apostles Really Episcopalians? (Dr. Charlie Gouffon)
March 28th, Were
the Apostles Really Episcopalians? (Dr. Charlie Gouffon)
April
4th, Easter (no adult forum)
April 11th,
Faith and Belief (Jerry Burgess)
April 18th,
Faith and Science (Dr. David Greene)
April 25th,
Faith and Science (Dr. David Greene)
May
2nd, Time and Talent (Stewardship Committee)
May 16th,
Time and Talent (Stewardship Committee)
May 23rd,
Brainstorm Topics for the Fall (Jerry Burgess & Sam Weaver)
Confirmation,
Explorers, and Episcopal Refresher Class
The
class for those to be confirmed, as well as those who wish
to explore or refresh their understanding of the Episcopal
Church, has been rescheduled for late March and April. There
will be two sessions on Sunday during the Adult Forum on
March 21st and 28th. Then, in April
and May there will be five sessions on Wednesday nights from
7:15 pm to 8:15 pm. Those dates are April 7th, 14th,
21st, 28th, and May 5th.
Bishop vonRosenberg will be at St. Elizabeth’s for
Confirmation and Renewal of Baptismal Vows on Sunday, May 9th.
Lofty
Notes
All the
members of our choirs are happy the Vestry has approved
plans to expand the choir loft. The Junior Choir has more
new members. Welcome to Catherine Miller, who has been with
us for many rehearsals this year and has now joined the
choir. And welcome Veronica and Jacob Ward, who were
baptized February 14th, bringing the total
choristers to fifteen! The Adult choir has also now
welcomed two new members: Cheri Jenkins and Carrie-Cate
Rathgeb.
The
March 7th service will feature Bonnie Farr, oboe,
playing the prelude and also accompanying the choir on a
beautiful modern anthem, “In the Shadow of your Wings”.
Bonnie is a sophomore oboe performance major at UT, and has
recently won the School of Music Concerto competition, as
well as the Celebration of Excellence performance award.
During
Lent, much of our choir music will feature composers of the
Renaissance and early Baroque: William Byrd (1542-1623),
Antonio Lotti, (1667-1740) Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625). The
music of these composers is ideal for our numbers of voices,
and we are working to offer renditions that will establish
the Lenten message. It is hoped that the purity of this
music will bring a fresh insight to the season of Lent. You
may also look forward to the music of Antonio Vivaldi and
Jonathan Willcocks during this month.
March
will be busy for our adult choir. We are planning a
traditional Evensong on March 7th, Sunday evening
at 5:00, and will end the month with the Palm Sunday service
at which we will sing the traditional, beloved “The Palms”
by J. Faure.
The
Junior Choir will lead the service next on March 14th.
We are currently taking nominations for a new name for
them. Please email Elizabeth (jffarr@bellsouth.net)
with your ideas!
Elizabeth
Farr,
Choir
Director
Nursery
Thank
you to John Tomlinson for all he has done for the nursery.
He set up a pager system and added a room-darkening shade to
help our little ones sleep better. We appreciate all that
you do!
Youth
MUCHAS
GRACIAS St. Elizabeth's!! WOW!! The Chili Cook Off and
Auction was a huge success. Thanks to everyone who made the
wonderful event possible. The support of our St. Elizabeth's
family is truly amazing. We raised almost $3,000.00 to
support our Youth Pilgrimage and Mission Trip fund, and we
had a blast doing it! We enjoyed record attendance, and
sampled some wonderful chili and desserts. Prizewinners
included the Poindexters for Best-of-Show Chili, the
Hanson's for Beaniest and Most-Colorful Chili, Ed Laurence
for Spiciest Chili, and Abigail Hill won both the Best
Chocolate and Best Dessert prize with her Oreo Truffles (she
made 120 of them!!). We've already got big plans for next
year... including having much more chili to eat!!
A big thank you goes out to Melissa Kirk for
organizing the fabulous auction. Our kids have been learning
to identify and appreciate our own gifts and talents, and
Melissa built on that idea with our "Gifts and Services"
Auction. Our St. Elizabeth's family responded
enthusiastically and generously. Thanks for your support!!
March Schedule
Wednesdays
6:30 pm - Father Brown will lead a contemplative (chanting)
service during Lent.
7:00 pm - We've started a new series we're calling "Movies
with a Message". We're watching and discussing
inspirational movies with a Christian Message. We began
with "Lilies of the Field", and are planning to watch "To
Kill a Mockingbird", and inspirational movies YOU suggest!
(Amanda is bringing a great one!)
Sundays
March 7th - Bowling!! We'll meet a
little early so we make sure we get a lane. 3:00 pm -5:30
pm at Family Bowl, and we'll have some pizza there, too!
March 14th
- Happening weekend, so non-Happeners will meet for a movie
off-campus.
March
21st - Baking Night!! 4-6:30 in the Youth
Room and Kitchen. Some of St. E's master chefs will teach us
some baking tips. (There will be much sampling, of course!!)
March
28th - Off for Spring Break
I'll look forward to seeing you all very soon. It
is an honor and pleasure to be a part of such a loving and
supportive community!
Barbara
Adamcik,
Youth
Ministries Director
St.
Elizabeth’s To Host Youth “Happening”, March 12-14
The second weekend in March, St. Elizabeth’s will open our
facilities to host Happening, a spiritual growth event for
high school students put on by the Diocese of East
Tennessee. “Happening” will begin Friday, March 12th
at 7:00 pm and continue through Sunday, March 14th
at 5:30 pm.
The host parish is asked to help with meals (preparation,
serving and cleanup) as well as final clean up at the end of
the event. There are five meals: breakfast, lunch and
dinner on Saturday March 13th, and breakfast and
lunch on March 14th. If you can help, please
contact Ellen Morar at (865) 675-1821 or
emorar@chartertn.net. There is also a sign-up
list on the Bulletin board by the Memorial Garden.
Children’s
Ministry
Our last
Rotation unit for this school year, Three Women of Faith,
began on February 21st. The unit will cover the
lives of Lydia, Priscilla, and Dorcas. These wise and
courageous women showed their love of God and Jesus through
their faith and service. These women can be role models for
all of us and through the study of their lives we will
discover how. Our first three areas of study will be art,
storytelling, and games. These classes will be taught by Don
Stansberry and Brittany Hodge (art), Susan Finnerty
(storytelling), and Bill Bannow (games).
First
Communion Classes began on February 24th.
Veronica Ward, Jacob Ward, Isabelle Hanson, and Brandon Hyde
are participating in this class taught by Susan and Steve
Draper. Their first communion will be celebrated during the
Easter Sunday service.
Beverly
Christian,
Children’s Ministries Director
Outreach
Gift
of the Month
Iva’s
Place in Lenoir City
Iva’s
Place fills a significant need by offering assistance to
women in crisis living in Loudon County. Woman and children
who are escaping domestic violence or are otherwise homeless
find shelter and support as they develop the means to be
safe and independent. The center was originally begun in
1991. In 2005, it was renamed for Iva Evans in memory of
her and her husband’s hard work and heartfelt love of the
poor.
Iva’s
Place came to the notice of the Outreach Council through
church members living in Loudon County. A few years ago we
donated clothing through the Care Can, this year we donated
our replaced carpet to be used in their new facility, and
our children filled a need by wrapping eating utensils in
napkins for the soup kitchen. Staff from Iva’s Place will
be speaking to our children on March 14 about the program
and its residents. We plan to have a children’s service
activity on their site in April.
This
month we will be collecting some of the most needed items:
For
the Women:
Deodorant, Chap Stick, Hand lotion
For the
Shelter:
Bleach
and Vinegar for disinfecting and odor control
Also
for March, April and May, the Outreach Council will be
colleting Hotel Toiletries in addition to our regular Care
Can gifts.
March
7 Bake Sale to Help Haitian Earthquake Victims
A
delightful and delicious opportunity to help Haitians will
be provided to us by Isabel Deeter, the 11-year-old daughter
of Paige Buchholz and Betsy Deeter. For the past few years
Isabel has been making and selling baked goods as a way to
help those living in extreme poverty in Haiti.
She
became interested in helping while visiting her aunt who
showed her pictures of people she knew who lived in terrible
poverty in Haiti. Isabel wanted to keep these people from
getting sick. It also interested her because she was born
on St. Vincent another Caribbean Island. After the
devastating earthquake, Isabel’s efforts grew more intense.
Her sister Emabet is also often involved in the efforts. (If
you would like to read more about how this project started,
please pull up on the internet: Isabel Deeter Knoxnews.com)
On
Sunday, March 7, Isabel will be at St. Elizabeth’s offering
her baked goods for sale. The plan has inspired others and
several in our own children’s programwill be including their
baked goods to increase the profits.
We want every item sold, so if you have given up sweets for
lent or are on a diet, buy them for your office or freeze
them!!
Funds
will go to Parish Twinning Program
of the Americas. PTPA is the non-profit organization that
Isabel’s Aunt Frances works for and that has been actively
working in Haiti since 1978. They are raising $10,000 in
order to purchase and hand-deliver tents, food, personal
items and other survival necessities for up to 10 families
in Haiti who are now homeless due to the earthquake.
Don’t
you just love it when you can help someone and reap some
sweet rewards while doing so?!
Book
Group
The book
group meets the second Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm in
St. Elizabeth's Gathering Room to discuss interesting
literary selections. Please join us in March for a
discussion of the novel “Harvest” by Catherine Landis.
“Harvest
opens near Norris, Tennessee, in 1933 as the Tennessee
Valley Authority is preparing to build a dam. It’s a
convincing and sophisticated story about Appalachian
identity, land conservation, the disappearance of family
farming, the corporate greed associated with suburban
sprawl, and the displacement and demise of an Appalachian
family. Without preaching or proselytizing, Landis
skillfully comments on these heady subjects while giving
readers a memorable and mature character study.”
-
Marianne W., Cumberland College
April
Book Group Selection:
“South
of Broad” by Pat Conroy, fiction 528 pps.
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