Summer 2016 St. Marianstmarysepisc.org/Newsletters/3rd Quarter 2016.pdfSUMMER 2016 3 The St. Marian Magazine |St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, High Point, N.C. » p.14 » p.26 4 extravagant

TheSt. MarianA QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF

ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, HIGH POINT, N.C.

Summer 2016

www.stmarysepisc.org

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T h e S t . M a r i a n M a g a z i n e | S t . M a r y ’ s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h , H i g h P o i n t , N . C .

THE ST. MARIAN MAGAZINE

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church108 West Farriss AvenueHigh Point, North Carolina 27262Phone: 336.886.4756/Fax: 336.886.6150Website: www.stmarysepisc.org

STAFFThe Rev’d David UmphlettRector

The Rev’d Amanda StephensonAssistant to the Rector

The Rev’d Nathan FinninPriest Associate

The Rev’d Larry ConradDeacon

Shannon CarterParish Administrator

Katrina ParnellFinancial Secretary

Paul CollinsDirector of Children’s & Youth Ministry

Dr. Harold AndrewsOrganist and Choirmaster

Margaret McDonaldDirector of St. Mary’s Music Academy___________________________________

Publisher - St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Editors - The Rector and Shannon Carter

Subscriptions/Change of AddressShannon Carter: [email protected]

SubmissionsAll submission ideas are welcomed and considered for publication. E-mail submissions to [email protected]

St. Marian Deadlines -

Mar 4 (Apr, May, Jun - Spring Issue) June 3 (Jul, Aug, Sep - Summer Issue)Sept 2 (Oct, Nov, Dec - Fall Issue) Dec 5 (Jan, Feb, Mar - Winter Issue)

Sarah Bentley’s Farewell Celebration

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» p.26

4 extravagant generosity

5 the spirit of giving

6 a narrative budget - The costs of ministry

8 faqs - The costs of Ministry

10 wrap-up: the clc in 2015 - fruits of ministry

12 communal worship - fruits of ministry

13 fellowship - fruits of ministry

14 expense or investment - fruits of ministry

16 blanketing us with love - fruits of minsitry

17 our journey to st. mary’s - fruits of ministry

18 an invitation - seeds of ministry

19 ways to give - seeds of ministry

20 events calendar

22 staff transitions

24 memorial garden

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C O N T E N T S MAGAZINE

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E X T R AVA G A N T G E N E R O S I T Y BY THE REV’D DAVID UMPHLETT

Along with Shannon Carter, our Parish Administrator, a dedicated group of parishioners has been hard at work producing this magazine to reignite our community’s con-

sideration of stewardship. Together, we are reading a little book called, Practicing Extravagant Generosity, by Robert Schnase. In the first section, he calls his readers to consider care-fully the differences and nuances of the words stewardship and generosity. Stewardship is a churchy word, focus-sing our attention on the church’s need for money. Generosity, on the other hand, is a spiritual virtue into which we all hope to grow. Schnase writes, “Generosity is not a spiritual attribute someone acquires apart from the actual practice of giving.” (p. 12)

This magazine is offered with the hope of sparking the desire for extravagant generosity. Generosity that stretches us and challenges us. Generosity that calls the best out of us and offers that for the well being of others. Generosity that helps us hold lightly the things of this world that are fleeting, while holding ever more tightly the things eternal.

I am thankful for the leadership of Elizabeth Finch and her commit-tee: Tony Bertschi, Holly Bovio,

Sally Bulla, Frosty Culp, Mary Eliza Duckett, Peggy Hussey, Smedes Linder, Carroll Ann Miller, Jeff Miller, Matt Murphy, Pat Simcox, Stacie Taylor, and George White. If you are interested in joining this team, please contact Elizabeth Finch.

Read this publication cover to cover. Soak in the depth of sharing. Rejoice that we are part of such an extraordi-nary community.

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T h e S t . M a r i a n M a g a z i n e | S t . M a r y ’ s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h , H i g h P o i n t , N C

T H E S P I R I T O F G I V I N G BY CARROLL ANN MILLER

At the first meeting of the 2016 Stewardship Committee we went around the room answering the question, “Why do you give to the church?” Answers included “I’m a

member so I should contribute”, “My parents, by example, taught me to pledge to the church”, “It’s the right thing to do”, and “The money is not mine anyway, so I take 10% off the top and return it to God.”

This issue of the St. Marian is about the the Costs of Ministry and the Fruits of Ministry. There are articles about what we do with the money that has been pledged to the church. I was given the task of saying something about the “spiritual” side of steward-ship. I thought about what I would say, I prayed, I read bible verses which deal with the concept, and I went to Google.

The first step in any google search is to read the definition of stewardship, “The careful and responsible man-agement of something entrusted to one’s care.” Psalms 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…” In synthesizing all of what I read, I have come to the realization that the fundamental concept that needs to be acknowledged is that God is the true owner of everything. We are simply here to manage what He has given us.

While all of the answers given at our meeting are true and good, the final one embraces the biblical impera-tive. For me, and perhaps for you, the concept of being merely a steward of (not owning, not deserving of by hard work, etc.) my blessings is not always my first thought when I consider my pledge. I need to be reminded, again and again, that what resources I have don’t belong to me. These resources have been entrusted to me for just a short period of time. Keeping this in mind in all that I do will be a chal-lenge. Having to consider all of this in order to write this article has been a blessing in itself. Please wish me luck as I work to always remember, “All things come of Thee, oh Lord, and of Thine own, have I given Thee.”

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C O S T S O F M I N I S T R Y -

A N A R R AT I V E B U D G E T THE REV’D DAVID UMPHLETT

We are fortunate to be part of a thriv-ing, growing community that offers us opportunities to deepen our relation-ships with God and one another, oppor-tunities to expand our knowledge of the Church and our own places in its history, and opportunities to stretch ourselves by giving ourselves away to our neighbors in need. St. Mary’s pro-vides for us a place to grow up into the fullness of God’s grace and desires for us.

Doing the ministry of St. Mary’s costs money. It also requires the time, talent, and energy of all St. Marians. This is our best estimation for our needs for 2017.

STAFF

Our capable and dedicated staff members work both behind the scenes and up front to help provide the support necessary to see ministry flourish here at St. Mary’s. With the addition of the Rev’d Amanda Stephenson and Paul Collins, we are once again fortunate to have a full, but not overly large, staff. We have two full-time clergy people, one volunteer deacon, three full-time lay people, and two part-time lay employees. For churches of our size and complexity, this is an appro-priately sized staff team. This year we have reevaluated our staffing needs and created a way to make the assistant to the rector position more sustainable. In

this curacy program, we call a person directly out of seminary to serve with us for three to four years while living in the Little House. Another impor-tant point to remember is that we are required by The Episcopal Church to use Church Insurance as the health insurance provider for our employ-ees. While Church Insurance pro-vides excellent coverage, it is cer-tainly not the least expensive option on the market today.

With benefits included, for 2017 our staff expenses are $460,910.

PROGRAM AND OPERATIONS

Whether it is through the work of the choir, Bible studies, youth group, or Godly Play, the programs of St. Mary’s offer us myriad ways to connect more deeply with our faith and one another. These are the life-blood of the church, creating a sense of community within the larger parish, and giving us places

to be plugged in and engaging in the good work that calls out of us our talents and gifts.

The program of the church includes the necessary resources and the per-sonnel to make them go, for example, the wine and wafers for communion, the sheet music the choir sings, the coffee for Coffee Connection, the crayons and goldfish for the nursery, and the bags our visitors receive on Sunday. It also includes the subscrip-tion to our data management soft-ware, postage, and our annual audit or review. All of the programs are supported by the staff members men-tioned above, so part of the expense of staff members also applies to program. In addition, the four paid choral schol-ars (two more are covered by a sepa-rate gift) and the nursery workers are essential to the continued excellence in their respective areas.

For the program of the parish in 2017, we need $73,866.

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OUTREACH

The church exists to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world today. St. Mary’s has a storied and inspiring history of outreach efforts. This repu-tation continues today with St. Marians on virtually every charitable board in the city, volunteering to hammer nails at a Habitat build, teaching yoga in the jail, and serving food to the hungry.

Our outreach includes our mandatory Fair Share for the Diocese of North Carolina ($96,623), our regular contri-butions to parish ministries and other organizations like Open Door Ministry ($6,000), Prison Ministry ($1,200), and Hispanic Ministry ($6,000).

Another major piece of our outreach is the use of the Community Life Center. Though the cost of running the CLC is included in the Utilities and Maintenance section of the budget, in 2015, 66% of the building’s use was for outreach related events.

Total outreach in 2017 is estimated to be $121,034.

UTILITIES AND MAINTENANCE

To keep the lights on for all these groups and for our own use, the costs may be surprising. Parts of our campus are now nearing 100 years old, which means regular maintenance is required. Some parishioners may remember a time nearly two decades ago when a special capital campaign was needed to address significant deferred maintenance costs. Regular upkeep of our campus is essential to its longevity. In addition, over the past seven years, it has been a goal of the Vestry to make a yearly contribution to a sinking fund or depreciation fund from the annual budget. Some years this was kept in the budget and some years it has been cut. Just last year we saw how important such a fund can be when the air-conditioning in the church needed replacing in the middle of the summer.

Utilities and maintenance for 2017 are estimated at $179,220.

COMMUNICATION

In order for this community to feel like a community, we all need to know what is happening and when. Effective communication is essential. We are regularly reevaluating our methods of communication to discern which are working and which are not. This year we have moved to the magazine format. Our own Parish Administrator designs the magazine and sends it to a printer. The total cost for producing and mailing the magazine four times in a year will be no more than $4,000. We hope that this will be a more effec-tive way to get the story of St. Mary’s out into the world. All other commu-nication costs are part of other areas of the budget. For example, we are fortunate to have an Administrator

who can maintain our website and take advantage of a myriad other electronic communication tools.

The total Mission and Ministry Budget for 2017 is estimated at $839,130.

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We met with a group of parishioners that represented a cross section of the church and asked them what ques-

tions they had about Stewardship and the church’s finances. These were their ques-tions and our effort to answer them.

1. What do our pledges pay for? Pledges are used for the operating budget. The oper-ating budget pays for our utilities, salaries, outreach ministries, youth programs, choirs, maintenance, kitchen supplies and office expenses just to name a few of the items.

2. How many people made a pledge to St. Mary’s in 2016? The committee distributed 310 pledge cards to families and individuals who are members. We received 193 pledges (62%). One of our goals this year is to reach out to those who did not pledge and empha-size that any pledge, big or small, can make a huge difference in reaching our budget goal. We need 100% participation from the parish.

T H E C O S T O F M I N I S T R Y -

F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S JEFF MILLER, SENIOR WARDEN & SALLY BULLA, VESTRYPERSON

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3. What was the total amount pledged for 2016 and what did we need? The total pledged was $653,579 which was $52,979 short of our budget plan. This was the third year that we have not met our budget and this resulted in the Vestry having to make some diffi-cult staffing changes to attempt to get our expenses in line with our income.

4. Doesn’t the church have Endowments that can be used to cover our expenses? We are fortunate that individuals over the years have donated money to create endowments. The legal endowment agreements allow us to draw only a percentage of these funds each year. The endowments contribute 11% of our operating expenses. The remaining 89% must come from pledges.

5. Why don’t we use the money from the Capital Campaigns to cover our budget shortfalls? The funds for the new buildings were given for that specific purpose, cannot be used for other needs, and have been accounted for sepa-rately. We have used almost all of the funds to cover the cost of the buildings. Fortunately, when the few outstanding pledges are paid from the Phase II campaign, we will not have to deal with a mort-gage. Both buildings will be fully paid for. This is a very positive factor as we develop our budget.

6. Doesn’t our nonprofit status remove concerns about our finances? Despite the fact that we don’t pay taxes, we can’t function without enough income to cover our expenses. Even though the church is not a business, we have

to have enough money from pledges to cover costs. We do not have an open line of credit to help us make up shortfalls or cover expenses when pledge payments don’t arrive when expected.

7. With all of the new families that have joined the church, didn’t their pledges make up the differ-ence? We were fortunate to have 17 new pledges for 2016 that totaled $27,335. That helped but was not enough to offset some pledges that were lost from people moving away and the increased expenses we realize every year due to inflation.

8. What impact has the Community Life Center had on our budget? When the CLC was opened it was our hope that the building would serve as a resource for the community as well as for the parish. Our expectations have been greatly exceeded each year since opening. Last year a total of 29,860 people used the facility. The build-ing is our largest outreach program. The total cost to operate the building is approximately $70,000 per year. Even though the building was paid for from a gift, the ongoing opera-tion of the CLC is an expense we must cover with pledged income from the church.

9. Are there guidelines as to how much we should be pledging? A pledge is a very personal and private decision each person must make. The Bible sets the normative tithe at 10% of income. If people are not able to pledge at that amount, we ask that they be prayerfully working toward reaching a tithe or increas-ing their pledge each year with that goal in mind.

10. What if we do not make our budget goal for 2017 in this year’s campaign? If we fall short again, the Vestry will be forced to make additional cuts in our expenses. We do not want to have to make major staffing and expense cuts like those that were necessary in 2016. With broad understanding and support of our Stewardship program, we are hopeful that we will not be faced with these dif-ficult decisions in the future.

11. What can I do to help? The Stewardship Committee and Vestry are confident that if every person will increase their awareness of the needs and prayerfully consider their pledge for 2017 that there is adequate capacity within our parish to reach and exceed or budget goals. The most impor-tant factor is that everyone par-ticipates with a pledge at what-ever level they can.

We are extremely fortunate at St. Mary’s. We are growing. We are engaging God’s mission in the world. We have magnificent facilities into which to welcome our community. With our finan-cial gifts, we have the oppor-tunity to give thanks for those many blessings and empower our pocketbooks to speak in unison with our grateful hearts.

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fruits of ministry - a year in the life of the community life center BY PAUL SICELOFF WORSHIP - Total Liturgies: 199; Participants: 5,645 Sunday Informal Service at 9:00 a.m., Occasional Sunday services at 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., Wednesday Service at noon, Sunday Sudanese Service at 2:00pm, Daily Morning Prayer, Daily Evening Prayer, Community Interfaith Service

FORMATION - Total Meetings: 211; Participants: 2,306 Sunday Morning Forum at 10:00 a.m., Daughters of the King Meetings, Godly Play, Vacation Bible School, Wednesday Morning Women’s Bible Study, Monday Morning Men’s Bible Study, Same Sex Marriage Parish Forum

ST. MARY'S MUSIC ACADEMY - Total Events: 2,610; Participants: 6,184 Studio Lessons, Concerts/Recitals, HP Piano Teachers Meetings

REGULAR COMMUNITY GROUP MEETINGS - Total Events: 489; Participants: 9,290 Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Emotions Anonymous, Reading Connections Training, Reading Connections Math Tutoring, Reading Connections English as a Second Language Tutoring, HP Community Clinic Board Meetings, Feeding Lisa's Kids, High Point Central Testing

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSES Total Events: 40; Participants: 1,640 Bi-weekly classes

CLERGY/VESTRY/STAFF - Total Events: 14; Participants: 312 Diocese of NC Clergy Quiet Day, Greensboro Region Clericus Lunch, Vestry Meetings, Lunch for Volunteer Receptionists

YOUTH SPECIAL EVENTS - Total Events; 8; Participants: 250 Valentine's Day Lunch, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, May Day Celebration, Youth Group Recreation, Diocese of NC Youth Overnight

EPISCOPAL CHURCHWOMEN - Total Events: 23; Participants: 592 Board Meetings, General Meetings, Chapter Meetings, Lenten Luncheons, Spring Gala

BROTHERHOOD OF ST. ANDREW - Total Events: 4; Participants: 130 Meetings, Music Academy Spaghetti Fundraiser

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OTHER ST. MARY'S COMMITTEES - Total Events: 26; Participants: 245 Parish Connections Palm Sunday Brunch, Monthly Cooking/Loading of Open Door Dinner, Matthew 25:40 Committee Meetings, Stephen Ministries Meetings

SPECIAL COMMUNITY EVENTS - Total Events: 6; Participants: 1,680 Kiwanis Chicken Feed/Boys & Girls Clubs, Puttin on the Grits/Community Clinic, Open Door Ministries Homeless Memorial Dinner, Smithills Brass Band Concert, Northwood Elementary Concert, High Point Race Relations Forum

PRIVATE EVENTS - Total Events: 12; Participants: 1,256 Sudanese Celebration, High Point Young Life Dinner, HP Jail Ministries Meal/Meetings, Piedmont School Graduation, Piedmont School Musical, HP Regional Health Center Cancer Survivors Celebration, Uptowne Holiday Stroll Planning Meeting

PRIVATE EVENTS BY ST. MARIANS - Total Events: 7; Participants: 410 Grubb Wedding Reception, Gus Schwenk Home Owners Assoc., Mary Darby Home Owners Assoc., Marilynn Nowell Party, Shannon Carter Party, Kathy Cloyd Student Piano Recital

TOTAL EVENTS: 3,649; TOTAL PARTICIPANTS: 29,940

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F R U I T S O F M I N I S T R Y -

C O M M U N A L W O R S H I P BY CARROLL ANN MILLER

Have you ever thought about how many people are involved in our worship services? When you consider the acolytes, the altar guilds, the chalicers, the choirs, the children’s chapel leaders, the flower guild, the greet-ers, the lay readers, the intercessors and the parishioners who write the Prayers of the People, the ushers, the vergers, and the congregants – the numbers are huge! That is as it should be, for communal worship serves to bind us to God and to each other.

One of the many special things about our tradition is that it compels us to participate. Even if we are not assigned a specific “job” on a particular day, we play a part in making our worship glorious. From the first hymn of the service until we process, singing again, into the world to serve Him and to serve others, we are active participants in a community of worshippers. Together we listen to scripture and proclaim, “Thanks be to God” and “Praise to you, Lord Christ.” We are educated, inspired, and challenged to seek God’s will for us from the pulpit. We proclaim our beliefs as a family of faith by reciting the Nicene Creed and we confess our sins together.

We are a part of the Great Thanksgiving in our prayers and our responses, preparing ourselves to receive the “gifts of God, for the people of God” and we walk to the table side by side to kneel in reverence to receive them. We pray for blessings upon the Eucharistic Visitors who will take these precious gift to those who cannot join us in corporate worship. Finally, we give thanks and we ask God to “Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to you serve you with gladness and singleness of heart….” We gather to worship as a community of faith and we all play a part. How lucky we are to be a part of this won-derful, enriching tradition. How lucky we are to be a part of St. Mary’s.

Why do you give to St. Mary’s?

We give because I feel there is an urgent need in our com-munity and world to support our church and Christian values

… plus we love St. Mary’s. - Kitty Montgomery, St. Mary’s member for 40 years

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Lemonade on the Lawn in the Garth after Sundays at 11:00 a.m..

Emma Bertschi Riding Dr. Mike Hussey’s walker after a Sunday at 9:00 a.m..

Revon Johnson taking a ride at the Brotherhood of St. Andrew cookout

fruits of ministry - fellowship

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F R U I T S O F M I N I S T R Y - A N E X P E N S E O R A N I N V E S T M E N T ? BY TONY BERTSCHI

Is it an expense or an investment? We’re constantly asking ourselves that question whether we’re aware of it or not. Time, emotions, relationships and of course money, there are expenses and investments in all aspects of life. But what’s the difference? According to Webster, from a financial perspective at least, an expense is “a financial burden or outlay” while an investment is “a commitment of funds for future gains”.

Future gains. Now that’s the tricky part, isn’t it? How do we know if investments made today will pay div-idends tomorrow? Well, we don’t. The best we can do is try to make educated guesses based on historical data. I know, that sounds exciting but hang in there with me. Let’s look at this specifically from the per-spective of St. Mary’s Youth programs.

I have three children, a seventeen year old, a thirteen year old, and because I'm apparently not a great planner, a five year old. So, while I’m becoming acutely aware that my prospects for ever retiring are in question, I am provided a great opportunity to witness how previous, current, and future investments have, are, and will impact our youth program.

My two oldest are boys. TEENAGE BOYS. It almost sounds like an expletive, doesn’t it? As they’ve grown closer in height but further apart in personality, Kirsten and I have sought solace in our marital union ever assuring one another that one day, one day, they won’t live here anymore. But despite their multiple and sometimes extreme differences, somehow they each rise on Wednesday mornings, during the school year no less, in time to get dressed and ride in a car TOGETHER and attend a 7:00 A.M. youth bible study at Carter Brothers. What?!! How do these two cauldrons of hormones and aggression, each certain of the other’s inferiority, lay down their weapons of insult and mockery long enough to sit with other like-minded youth to discuss God of all things?! It stems from a vibrant youth program that keeps them engaged in their faith. Investment, my friends!

Now let’s switch gears a bit and discuss my beautiful, vibrant, loving, affectionate little girl. Nothing in there sounds like an expletive. She can be a little chatty sometimes but still… SWEET! Emma has had the opportunity to be immersed in St. Mary’s Godly Play classes. This program was in its infancy when my boys were younger but has grown exponentially. Her engagement in these classes has opened her mind to who her God is. Her faith related questions reveal themselves in the car, while we’re eating and of course at bed time while she says her prayers. The genesis (nice bible word) for these questions is typically a discussion she’s had at Godly Play. The opportunities for faith based dialogues with a five year old are invaluable and would at least be less frequent if not for Godly Play. Again, Investment!

I want to thank so many of you who years ago accepted the invitation to pledge. Your pledge dollars were vital to the life of the Church at the time they were provided. But they also helped set a foundation for the

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We believe in the vision of our church and our able lead-ers as we grow together in our life in Christ. We want to

be fully vested in order to witness the many rewards from our giv-ing. As my Godmother instilled in me, “What we give, we get back ten-fold.” - Beachy Allen, St. Mary’s member for 32 years.

future members of our wonderful parish. Each generation is simply building on the land provided by the pre-vious ones. Because these previous generations chose to accept the invitation to pledge, St. Mary’s has been able to provide, with the help of dedicated staff and wonderful loving volunteers, a nursery for our young-est who require comfort and love, Godly Play as they grow and begin to learn our Lord’s story, and a vibrant youth program that allows them to discover what God means in their lives.

Thanks to this example, I’m aware of the importance of my pledge. While those dollars will be used for St. Mary’s overall operational needs, I know that a significant portion will provide the resources needed to con-tinue educating and nurturing our young people during their faith journey. We are the heritage of St. Mary’s future. For this and many more reasons I chose to make an investment in our Church and accept the invita-tion to pledge.

Youth Bible Study at Carter Brothers

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Lorri Chubbuck has literally blanketed members of St. Mary’s with love. She has knitted 38 beautiful prayer shawls for those in our church dealing with very difficult life situations.

As a young mother living in Ohio, smoking heavily and pregnant with her daughter Heather, her doctor informed Lorri that if she did not stop smoking, her child would not live. Lorri was so horrified that she stopped smoking “cold turkey.” In order to keep her hands busy and away from cigarettes, she began knitting. She has not smoked since--but she has not stopped knitting.

Back in Ohio, Lorri had begun quilting and knit-ting as part of a ministry to the homeless and for Warm Up America. When she and husband Bob moved to Wilkesboro, N. C., Lorri began a prayer shawl ministry which is still active at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Lorri and her late husband came to our church after moving to Kernersville in 2010 in order to be near Wake Forest Baptist Hospital due to Bob’s stage 4 lung cancer. Her daugh-ter, Heather, and son-in-law, Mike Chenevert plus grand children Michaeala and Michael

F R U I T S O F M I N I S T R Y - Blanketing st. Marians with loveBY KITTY MONTGOMERY

later moved to Kernersville and are also active members of St. Mary’s.

Lorri truly loves the colors and soft texture of yarn as she knits. May she continue to have that joy as she brings joy and comfort to parishioners here at St. Mary’s.

Lorri Chubbuck knitting a prayer shawl


We give to St. Mary’s as an act of stewardship out of what has been entrusted to us in order to

support the life and work of the parish to the glory of God. - Eric & Brandie Grubb, Members of St. Mary’s for 3 years

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F R U I T S O F M I N I S T R Y - Our journey to st. mary’sBY STACIE TAYLOR

As relatively new members to St. Mary’s, it has been interesting to reflect on how we ended up part of the St. Mary’s family. Originally from upstate New York, my husband and I, along with our young family, relo-cated to High Point four and a half years ago. Prior to moving here we had attended the Episcopal Church in which my husband was raised, where we were married and where both our children were baptized. Our previ-ous church, had an aging congrega-tion with very few young families and children and decreasing mem-bership. Coming from a church and area in general that was struggling , made the contrast of St. Mary’s stand out to us that much more.

Shortly after arriving in High Point, we started the process of visiting churches to find ourselves a new church home. Each Sunday we would visit a different church while attempting to attend a variety of dif-ferent types of services, in search of a place where we felt a sense of belonging when everything else in our lives was new and overwhelm-ing. St. Mary’s stood out to us from the beginning. Specifically, we were recognized as visitors and were wel-comed in a warm and friendly manner. St. Marians came up and introduced themselves, introduced us to others, took us on a tour of the church and facilities and gave us a welcome bag with freshly baked bread in it to take home with us. For a young family with a 2 year old and 3 month old, that didn’t know a single soul in High

Point, it made a lasting impression. That kind of greeting was not limited to our first visit. On subsequent visits people continued to be warm and wel-coming, stopping to speak with us or just give us a smile. As a young mother who was home each day taking care of my young family, those gestures made me feel connected to a commu-nity and that I wasn’t alone. It was often that hour each Sunday morning that allowed me to refresh and reflect in preparation for the week ahead.

At about the same time we arrived at St. Mary’s, so too did Sarah Bentley. We did not know what to expect as far as youth ministry was concerned, because we had never experienced a staff person dedicated to the church’s youth. It was quite impressive for us to see the number of youth activ-ities and participation at St. Mary’s. We felt it offered our family exciting new opportunities we had not previ-ously had. As our children have gotten older and gotten more involved, specif-ically with Godly Play, we have been

impressed and excited see all that St. Mary’s has to offer its youth. It is not just the activities and groups that are geared toward the youth that we are grateful for. It is the youth-cen-tric mindset that seems to permeate the entire church community, wel-coming and including the youth in all aspects of church life. Our chil-dren are welcomed and included in services where they are celebrated and encouraged to join and partici-pate in worship. Specifically they are often invited to come closer to witness certain parts of a service or help in collecting and presenting the offertory. These small gestures help create an atmosphere where ques-tions and involvement are encour-aged. This mindset has allowed our children at a young age to feel like they too are a part of the church community, they too belong and that breeds ownership in our church life. Our hope is that this inclusivity will lay the ground work for their per-sonal relationship with the church, their religion and their God, as they grow and make their own decisions when it comes to their faith. For us as parents we view this as an investment not only in our chil-dren and church community but as an investment into society as a whole. Embracing a youth-centric mindset cultivates a bright future for current members, future members and keeps us all a little younger, more active and engaged. This is why we choose to accept the invita-tion to pledge at St. Mary’s.

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Mark your calendars for October 2, 2016 at 10:00 am for our parish wide Celebration Sunday! We ask that you join all of our congregation as we meet to prayerfully discern God’s will for the resources we have been given.

“Stewardship is living out our lives with the belief that all we are and have is God’s, entrusted with us to Share.” 1

“Completing pledges as an act of worship is a wonderful way to dem-onstrate how we choose to use God’s gifts as an integral part of how we relate to God. Giving to the church is as much a part of our discipleship as our prayers, presence in worship and service to the church. How we use the blessings given to us by God is an indication of our willingness to follow God’s will for our lives rather than our own.” 2

The Stewardship Committee has been meeting and reviewing how we approach giving. In the past, St. Mary’s has handed out pledge cards on the Sunday of our annual picnic in September. We have taken the cards home for prayerful and thoughtful

consideration and have returned upon completion. This year, we want to gather as a church community at ONE service to worship (no other services that day), pray, and celebrate in thanksgiving all our many bless-ings. Pledge cards will be mailed out to members a couple of weeks before Celebration Sunday. During the only service on October 2nd, members will be invited to bring their completed pledge cards forward and place them on the altar to be blessed.

Many families with small children enjoy the 9:00 am service in the Community Life Center, where their children are able to play quietly with other children during the service. On Celebration Sunday, a similar space will be offered in the parish hall for those interested. The service will be viewed real-time on a large video screen, while children are welcome to play quietly together on the floor.

Please make Celebration Sunday a priority and join us as we gather on October 2nd to complete our pledge cards and celebrate all of our many gifts. Our parish picnic in Brantley

1 Lander, J.R. “Stewardship Begins with God’s Abundance & Our Response to It.” The Episcopal Network for Stewardship.” n.p., 29 Sep. 2014. Web. 01 Jun. 2016.

2 Miller, Kristine. “The Last Annual Campaign You Will Ever Need—COMPLETING PLEDGES AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP.” The Episco-pal Network for Stewardship.” n.p., 15 Sep. 2012. Web. 01 Jun. 2016.

Circle will directly follow the service to further allow us to gather and cel-ebrate together.

“Stewardship begins with the need of the individual to give, not the need of the institution to receive.”1

S E E D S O F M I N I S T R Y -

A N I N V I TAT I O N BY ELIZABETH FINCH, 2016 STEWARDSHIP CHAIRPERSON

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S E E D S O F M I N I S T R Y -

W AY S T O G I V E BY KATRINA PARNELL CASH – To receive proper donation credit, please use an envelope marked with donor’s name and fund des-ignation, i.e., pledge, building, choir, memorial, etc. Envelopes can be placed in the offering plate or dropped off at the administrative offices during regular office hours. After hours, a locked drop box is provided upstairs outside the administrative office doors. Please do not mail cash.

CHECK – Checks should be made out to ‘St. Mary’s Episcopal Church’ with fund designation in the memo line. Checks can be placed in the offering plate, mailed to church address (SMEC, 108 West Farriss Avenue, High Point, NC 27262) to the Financial Secretary’s attention or dropped off at administrative offices during regular office hours. After hours, a locked drop box is available upstairs outside the administrative office doors.

MOBILE - Donations by smartphone can be made by using the QR Code in the bulletin or magazine. Scan the code using your smartphone’s QR reader or go directly to www.stmarysepisc.org on your smartphone and locate the online giving page.

BILLPAY – Most banks offer online bill pay options. Your bank can send one-time or recurring checks from your personal checking account to the church. Please see your bank’s website or banker to set this up for you. Please note the Financial Secretary can’t contact your bank for you. If several fund designations are com-bined in one check, please explain breakdown in the memo line.

ONLINE – St. Mary’s secure website www.stmarysepisc.org can be used to set up one time or recurring ACH drafts using your bank account or credit card. On the website, you will see ‘Make A Payment’ or ‘Donate Now’ buttons in the lower right hand side. (There is also a quick link provided at the top.) Set up a profile on your initial visit, log in, follow the simple instructions and schedule your transactions. You will able to edit your upcoming transactions or view your history at any time. If you prefer not to use the website, please contact the Financial Secretary at 884-4735 or [email protected]. An authorization form can be provided that should be filled out completely and returned to the Financial Secretary, who will then handle the data entry for you.

FINANCIAL SECRETARY INFOKatrina H. Parnell, CCA, CUMCA, Financial Secretary(Church) 336.886.4756, x35 (Direct) 336.884.4735 (Fax) 336.886.6150, [email protected] Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays, 8am to 4:30pm, except holidays when church offices are closed.


We give to the church to help with budgetary needs, outreach programs, etc..“ - Keri Beth Scott, Member of St. Mary’s for 11 years

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S t . M a r i a n M a g a z i n e | S t . M a r y ’ s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h , H i g h P o i n t , N C

10Camp Kanuga is coming to High Point.

St. Mary’s is one of five churches in the Southeast that will be a sat-ellite venue for Camp Kanuga from July 10-15.

AUGUST

19ECW hosting lunch f o r G r e e n s b o r o

Convocation youth mission trip.

04 Church offices will be closed in observance

of Independence Day. Normal business hours will resume on Tuesday, July 5.

14St. Mary’s program year begins. Christian

Formation, Sr. Choir, etc. resumes. Fill the Bus distribution. Items to be collected during the summer months are: starches/other, such as pasta, crackers, rice, mac-and-cheese, peanut butter, etc.

Youth group kickoff at 5:00 p.m. in the Community Life Center.

13St. Mary’s Choir and Choir School depart for

England for a week-long residency at Canterbury.

30ESL (English as a Second Language)

classes resume on the lower level of the Community Life Center.

E V E N T S C A L E N D A RJULY

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S t . M a r i a n M a g a z i n e | S t . M a r y ’ s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h , H i g h P o i n t , N C

A complete listing of events at St. Mary’s can be found on our website at www.stmarysepisc.org or you may use the Church Life app on your smart phone.

SEPTEMBER

06The ECW will hold their General Meeting and

Dinner at 6:30p.m. in the Great Hall of the Community Life Center.

15Pledge cards mailed to homes.

05 Church offices will be closed in observance

of Labor Day. Normal business hours will resume on Tuesday, September 6.

16St. Mary’s 5th Annual Parish Retreat will

take place September 16-18 at Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC.

OCTOBER

0210:00 a.m. service and Parish Picnic immedi-

ately following service in Brantley Circle.


We joyfully give to Saint Mary’s because the people of Saint Mary’s give to everyone they touch. We are fortunate to be part of this wonderful worship community that pro-

vides so much within and outside of our walls. We also recognize that the majority of our oper-ating budget is supported through pledges”. - Joe & Emily Fisher

Joe has been a member of St. Mary’s since birth and the family has been members since moving to High Point in 2001.

Please look for further information in the weekly e-news this summer, as well as a parish-wide email, that will contain a link for registration for our annual Parish Retreat.

Costs:

$190 for adults (19 and older)

$105 for youth (10-18 years)

$66 for children (5-9)

$10 for babies and toddlers (0-4 years)

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The Rev’d Amanda Stephenson

Upon approval by the Bishop and with the strong encouragement of the Vestry, I have called Amanda Stephenson to serve as our next Assistant to the Rector. Amanda began her work with us on June 26 and moved into the Little House on May 22. Amanda is a Candidate for Holy Orders in the Diocese of Tennessee and a recent graduate of Sewanee's School of Theology, where she received her Diploma in Anglican Studies (2016). She also has a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University (2007) and a Master of Theological Studies from Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (2012). Amanda has worked as the Program Coordinator for Christian Formation at the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta and as the Executive Assistant to the Bishop in the Diocese of Tennessee. Amanda was ordained to the Transitional Diaconate on June 4, and will be, God willing, to the Priesthood in December here at St. Mary’s. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys hiking, reading, running, writing, yoga, painting, and spend-ing time with friends. Amanda is the first Assistant to the Rector under our new Curacy Program in which a recent seminary graduate will be called to work with us for a three to four year period, living in church provided housing at the Little House. She has a wealth of experience and a passion for Bible study and adult Christian formation that will benefit us all! I am thankful for the assistance of the search committee that included Joe Fisher, Sally Bulla, Jeff Miller, and Kirsten Bertschi.

Dr. Charles Hogan

Charles Hogan resigned his post as Director of the St. Mary’s Choir School at the end of May. Charles has taken a position as organist and choirmaster of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Burlington. He has been serving there in an interim capacity for the last year. Charles will remain a contract employee through the choir’s trip to England this summer. You will likely still see him around as he rehearses the choir school and prepares for Canterbury.

Charles has been an invaluable addition to our team at St. Mary’s. His deep spirituality, good humor, and excellent musicianship will be sorely missed. We rejoice, however, that he has found work that satisfies and fulfills him.

S TA F F T R A N S I T I O N S THE RECTOR

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Paul Collins

With the consent of the Vestry and urging of the Search Committee, I have called Paul Collins to serve as our next Director of Children’s and Youth Ministries. Already beloved by many of our young people from his work with diocesan youth events, Paul comes to us from a very successful tenure at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Southern Pines, North Carolina.

Paul was born and raised in Durban, South Africa. He moved to the U.S.A. to attend Gordon College in Wenham, MA, and graduated with a B.A. in Political Studies in 2007. After college, he worked as a union organizer with 1199SEIU, then as a middle school science and social studies teacher in the Moore Country School district. Most recently, he has served as the Youth Minister at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Southern Pines, NC and as the Chaplain to the Episcopal Day School, Southern Pines, NC. He and his wife, Lydia, have three chil-dren: Zion (9), Phoenix (6) and Leilani (3). He enjoys reading, following "The Proteas" (the South African National Cricket Team) and playing golf.

I am also grateful to the members of this search committee: Calvin Biesecker, Annabelle Fisher, Mark Schroeder, Sarah Yowell, Alicia Archibald, Joe Fisher, David Jones, Kerr Ramsay, and my wife, Lorinda Umphlett.

Youth Ministry is moving from the Little House to space that was designed for it on the lower level of the Community Life Center. As our youth programs begin to move into a model with significantly less use of the Little House, we began to look at our facilities and discern how best to use them to meet our needs. Meeting in the CLC will mean that the young people have use of the gym, the kitchen, the chapel, and their own des-ignated space in what was CR 4. And, as it turns out, using the Little House for housing creates a significant savings in our church budget.

This is an extraordinary time in our life together as a parish. We have finished our construction projects and now turn our attention to discerning our next big thing as a church family and as Christ’s hands and feet in the world today. With a new staff team full of new ideas, I look forward to seeing what God will do with us next. We are poised at an important turning point in the history of our church and our mission. Look for more information in the coming months on how you can be a part of the process by which we seek to hear where God is calling us next.

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Since 1966, cremated persons have been buried in St. Mary’s churchyard in what is now known as the Memorial Garden. Since most of the ground space for burials was either used or reserved for future burials, it became expedient to provide other spaces. This was resolved by Vestry action in approving construction of a Columbarium (a wall with niches for burial above ground level). This wall has 367 niches which may be used for single burials or for double burials. A number of these niches have already been reserved and others are available for reservation now. We also have a few niches available in the new covered walkway of the Education Building.

Proceeds from the sale of spaces in the Columbarium will be held in escrow for upkeep and mainte-nance. The Columbarium is not a profit-making service for the parish.

Any baptized or confirmed member of this parish and/or their spouse, whether the spouse is a member or not, may be buried in the Memorial Garden. In addition, former members of this parish may be buried here, whether they are residents of this city or not. Persons who are not members of St. Mary’s, but who have family connections or valid ties to the parish, may be interred in the Columbarium at the discretion of the Rector.

The cost of spaces in the Columbarium is $150, regardless of whether the space is used for the burial of one or two people. The burial of a second person in a given space will necessitate the removal of the original plaque and the casting of a new one with additional information.

The cost for markers is determined by the manufacturer, but a current estimate can be given by the church office. In addition to the above costs, there is a fee for the burial urn and for opening and closing the niche.

I am available to meet with you to assist with the selection of your niche and can answer any ques-tions you may have. St. Mary’s also offers pre-planned funeral forms that will help guide you through the planning of your own funeral service. If you would like to receive a copy, please contact me at 336.886.4756 or [email protected].


St. Mary’s has given so much to us, and it is important to us to see St. Mary’s flourish and give to others what we have

received. - Dillard Spring

S T. M A R Y ’ S M E M O R I A L G A R D E N BY SHANNON CARTER

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26 S U M M E R 2 0 1 6


JULY

2 Susan Fleenor, Sue Shinn

3 Mike Smith, Betsy Lehman

4 Katie Cottam

5 Charlie Hartsoe, Zoe Schroeder

7 David Earl, Henry Rhoton

8 Jeff Miller

12 Revon Johnson

13 David Stewart, Edward Lindner

14 Howard Altizer, Dick Dunnington, Llewjean White

18 Marty Purser, Henry Scott

19 Don Henderson, Bob Cottam, Henry Simcox

20 Peggy Hussey, Barry Collum

21 Kay Snow, Kim Gay

22 Andy Brehm

23 Pat Simcox

25 Frankie Gurganus, Harrison Bertschi

26 Ana Gonzalez

27 Michael Chenevert II

28 Stephanie Dunnington

31 Todd Newman, Nick Archibald

Photo Credit: Joyce Manning

Colleen Hartsoe celebrating her 91st birthday during the Wednesday morning Women’s Bible Study.

27S U M M E R 2 0 1 6


AUGUST

1 Bevret Reynolds, Sally Bulla, Carson Laney

3 Tony Bertschi

4 Mark Williamson

6 Chuck Fleenor, Mark Schroeder, Ethan Story

7 Brett Higgins, Adaobi Nwobu

8 Bob Slate

9 Nancy Ketchum, Steve Rohrbeck

11 Rebecca Henderson

12 Jane Whitehorne, Alex Hill

13 Gayle Kearns, Betsy Smith, Carter Chaney

14 Geoff Williams, Ava Harrell

16 Ron Kunder, John Drake Karcher

17 Erik Scheer, Palmer Ramsay, Seth Yowell

18 Dorothy Darr, Joe Fisher

19 Phil Johnston, Sophia Taxiera

20 Rebecca McAtee, Jay Marsh

22 Asia Brown, George Lindner

23 Bob Kuhn

24 Mike Chenevert

25 Heather Chenevert

26 JB Farlow, Parker Umphlett

27 Art Harron, Jake Scott, Cat Story, Elizabeth Willett

28 Hugh Bennett

31 Jan Kaley

SEPTEMBER

1 Jack Taxiera

3 Betty Thompson, Amanda Gane, Sarah Taxiera, Alaina Kunder

5 Kathy Dougherty, Erin Sanders, Shannon Carter

6 William Laney

7 Jim Armstrong, Beth Penley, Hunter Burris

9 Jane Marsh

10 Michael Hardin, Kay Anna Baird

13 Kathi May, Max Biesecker

14 Jack Harris

15 Kathryn Murphy

18 Kathy Brooks, Doug Lindner, Matt Murphy, Marilyn Nowell

21 Nicole Slate

22 Jason Johnson

23 Jan Kaley

24 Pat Plaxico, Lenora Sparks, Mason McHenry

25 Kitty Montgomery, Ben Story

26 Ted Reynolds

29 Alyce Hill

30 Susan Hoke, Bobbie Huggins, Zach Gaefke

NON-PROFIT ORG

U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 39

HIGH POINT, N.C.

ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH108 West Farriss AvenueHigh Point, NC 27262 336.886.4756

Interested in receiving weekly news from St. Mary’s? Be sure to sign-up for the E-Connection by vis-iting our website at www.stmarysepisc.org and clicking “Get Our Newsletter”. You can also stay in

touch by joining St. Mary’s Facebook page “Friends of St. Mary’s”.

Summer 2016 St. Marianstmarysepisc.org/Newsletters/3rd Quarter 2016.pdfSUMMER 2016 3 The St. Marian Magazine |St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, High Point, N.C. » p.14 » p.26 4 extravagant

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