St Clarian--May 2017

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Dear Ones,

At the Annual Meeting in January, we discussed the need for new roofing over our sanctuary and the reception area of our building. We must replace it with all haste so that interior surfaces are not damaged. The Genesis Board believes that a roof with a 50-year guarantee and more heavy duty materials will be the wisest choice going forward.

Each congregation currently contributes $35,000 per year to the Genesis capital fund, called the Building Systems Replacement Fund (BSRP). This figure represents a doubling of our BSRP contributions since 2015-2016. To fund the needed roof, each congregation must also contribute an additional $ 28,628. Funding either of these increases from St. Clare’s regular pledge income will take money away from program and staff.

To prevent this diversion of pledge giving into capital items, the Genesis Board and both congregations agreed that St Clare’s and Temple Beth Emeth could pay for the additional $17,500 for the BSRP and the $28,628 for the roof with donations that could be recognized with new leaves on the beautiful Giving Tree in our Reception Area. Anyone who makes a donation of at least $3000 over two years may have a leaf inscribed.

We give thanks and rejoice that to date we have had about 11 such donations! Several donors have already donated in full, and several others have contributed half of the amount to help us pay our BSRP increase of $17,500 for 2017, prior to its due date of June 30. I invite you to join these generous donors by making or pledging a gift in any amount toward the BSRP and the roof replacement. You may make these gifts with a check or through e-giving; just be sure to designate it for “Genesis capital expenses.”

Your Genesis Board members (Jim Downward, Christine Modey, Mark Davis-Craig, and Gail Jungbluth) would be happy to discuss these building capital needs with you. The Genesis Board are very careful stewards of our funds for the facility, and the roof contracting process is a good illustration of their excellent work on our behalf. Please thank them for their hard work when you get the chance.

In Christ's love,

NEWS AND EVENTS

HAND IN HAND SCHOOLS: At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, Temple Beth Emeth members Irene Butter, Don Redding, and Helena Robinovitz will host a gathering in the Adult Lounge to share information about Hand in Hand Schools in Israel and discuss ways we can help support these important schools. All are welcome to participate.

FOOD FOR THE SOUL: Food for the Soul is a community meal for the whole church. We gather for a time of conversation over a shared meal. Lunch begins around 12:30 p.m. and lasts until about 1:30 p.m. You’re also invited to join us for Bible Study at 10:45 a.m. in the Adult lounge and/or a service of Holy Eucharist at noon, before the lunch. RSVP to www.saintclareschurch.org/foodforthesoul by the Tuesday prior. Suggested donation is $7/person to cover the cost of the food. Mark your calendars for our upcoming Food for the Soul lunches: May 4 (an Indian feast prepared by Winnie Sathe) and June 15.

WATERS OF RECONCILIATION--WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR? You're invited to the Diocesan 2017 Ministry Fair on Saturday, May 6, at the Cathedral/Diocesan Center. At the Fair this year, we welcome our keynote and wrap-up speaker, Heidi Kim, the Staff Liaison for Racial Reconciliation for the Episcopal Church. We will have over 20 exciting workshops that will help broaden our understanding on issues of diversity and inclusion as they relate to our everyday lives as brothers and sisters in Christ. Registration is $15 with a box lunch available at an additional cost of $10. A vegetarian option is available. More details at www.edomi.org/ministryfair.

SUNDAY OF SERVICE/MITZVAH DAY: Sunday, May 7
Join us on Sunday, May 7, for a Sunday of Service with our sister congregations Temple Beth Emeth and Blue Ocean Faith. The day will include an interfaith worship experience, a lunch at noon, and an afternoon of volunteer opportunities for all ages (see schedule overview below). As part of the project, we will be collecting donations for the Back Door Food Pantry (pick up a donation bag and details from the church office). Sign up for projects at www.saintclareschurch.org/sos.

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY OF SERVICE/MITZVAH DAY

8:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
9 to 10:30 a.m. Service Projects for children (up to age 10) and their grown-ups

(morning projects are an alternative to the afternoon projects, and may better fit the needs of younger children)

Educational presentation by NAMI

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Interfaith Worship

(an interfaith children's program for children 2 years through 5th grade will take place at the same time—please take your children to the Core before the worship service begins; nursery care available for younger children)

11:30 a.m. Group photo in the Sanctuary

Volunteer team meetings in various places

Noon Lunch in the Social Hall

1 to 4 p.m. Service Projects for ages 4 years through adult

Child care provided for younger children

EVENING OF GRATITUDE: Have you helped out children’s and youth programming this year? Please join us for an evening of gratitude for all you’ve done on Friday, May 12, at the Fuller/Modey home (1607 Granger Ave) from 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. Childcare will be provided at St. Clare’s during the event. Look for an invitation in your inboxes soon!

TASTY TUESDAY TOGETHER: Tasty Tuesday Together is our monthly community meal for the whole church. We’ll see you between 5:30 and 7 p.m. for dinner on Tuesday, May 16. The suggested donation is $8/person and $5/child (12 and under). This will be our last Tasty Tuesday Together until autumn, so come on out!

VOICES OF CHILDREN: MANY FAITHS, ONE SONG
Sunday, May 21, 4 p.m. (doors open at 3:30 p.m.)
Join us in our sanctuary for a unique interfaith music event: "Voices of Children: Many Faiths, One Song". The program will feature children’s choirs from The Hindu Chinmaya Mission, Temple Beth Emeth, St. Clare’s Episcopal Church, and The First Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Given this current climate in our county and country, this will be a beautiful way to show our support for diversity and inclusion. There will be an opportunity to donate to the work of the Interfaith Round Table.

SUMMER WORSHIP BEGINS MAY 28: Our summer worship schedule (services at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.) begins on Sunday, May 28, and continues through the summer. We will return to our three-service schedule on September 10, the Sunday after Labor Day.

CONFLICT IN THE CHURCH: A 2-day workshop will be held Friday evening, June 2 (7 to 9:30 p.m.), and Saturday, June 3 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Conflict in the Church: Entrusted with the Message of Reconciliation will be led by Bill Blank of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center. This workshop is the second of two educational workshops that are part of the mediation process that St. Clare's has begun to address current problems, to help facilitate discussion within the congregation, to promote healing of relationships, and to guide our path forward. Prior to the June workshop, those registered will receive a Style Profile instrument to be filled out and returned to the Logistics Team on or before May 28. Register for this important and informative workshop by completing the brochure mailed to you in March (additional brochures are available from the church office). Deliver the completed registration form to the church office or any Logistics Team member.

The initial information-gathering questionnaire was completed in March by about 150 people, and about 80 people attended some or all of the first educational workshop (Healthy Congregations), in which we learned about ways to respond to the presence or threat of anxiety in a congregational system in ways that may prevent destructive conflict.

Later in June, we'll hold a number of Small Group Structured Dialogue Sessions. Each person will be asked to sign up for a single 1.5-hour time slot on June 23, 24, or 25. Each group will be limited to 12 persons, and two Lombard mediators will be at each meeting to facilitate and note the dialogue.

If you have questions, please contact a member of the Logistics Team: Judie Erb, Kathy Daly, Barry Fuller, Knut Hill, Gail Jungbluth, John Little, Sam Nuxoll, and Katie Oppenheim. In addition, please uphold in prayer everyone involved in this process of bringing healing to the congregation: members of our congregation, the Vestry, current and former pastors and staff, and especially those members from whom you may feel separated.

PENTECOST, JUNE 4: On Pentecost, we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension. Wear red! Pentecost is the next occasion for baptism. Speak with James or Jessie if you are interested in baptism for yourself or your child.

PARISH PICNIC AND CAR WASH: Mark your calendars for our annual Parish Picnic after church on Sunday, June 11 from 12 to 2 p.m. We’ll have a potluck meal, so please bring a dish to share. Come celebrate the beginning of summer with your St. Clare’s friends! St. Clare's youth will be washing cars as a fundraiser.

FOOD MINISTRY: Almost all good church events have food involved, right? Eating together is crucial to building our community and our relationships with each other. Katie Oppenheim has graciously agreed to take on the coordination of many of our food ministries at St. Clare’s, but she can’t do it alone! Please fill out this form to let us know how you might be able to help with our food ministries. We’ve been well-fed by a faithful team of St. Clarians for years, and we’re looking to add some more people to that list of regular meal providers. This is a great and often low-stress way to be involved in our programming at church. Have questions? Contact Katie Oppenheim (kjo@med.umich.edu) or Pastor Jessie (jessie@saintclareschurch.org).

KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS: Do you shop at Kroger? If you register and use your KrogerPlus card, Kroger will donate money to St. Clare's. Here's how it works (Kroger requires re-enrollment every year).

Go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com.
Sign In (if previously signed up) or Create an Account to Enroll.
Enter demographic information, including your Kroger Plus Card Number, and preferred store.
It will ask you to search for your organization—St Clare’s ID # is 82576 and that will find St Clare’s automatically.
Click enroll and you will get a confirmation page with all details.

Direct questions to Karen: karen@saintclareschurch.org.

ST. CLARIAN SUMMER BREAK: The St. Clarian staff takes a break in the summer. We will publish a June/July issue to be distributed at the beginning of June. There will be no July issue. An August issue will be distributed at the beginning of August, at which point we will be back on our monthly schedule.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS--FALL FUNDRAISING FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 23: Building on last year’s successful Outreach Fundraiser event, we’re planning a bigger and more diverse offering for 2017! Activities this year include the great games and food that put the FUN in the fundraising – plus many new options aimed at older youth, young adults, and adult-centered groups, with some requiring sign-ups (like a Cosplay Competition, a Brainteaser Team game, a Wine and Craft-Beer Tasting, and Bring-An-Item Tie-Dye area). Interested in joining the planning team? Have an activity idea we should consider? Please email Sue Evett (sevett@internet2.edu) to get more involved in this afternoon of fun, games, fellowship, and fundraising for our local outreach efforts!

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: June 20–22, 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
A joint program with First Presbyterian, Blue Ocean Faith, and St. Andrew’s, VBS will take place at First Presbyterian on June 20, 21, & 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. This year’s theme is 49 A.D.—Travels with Paul. Children will learn stories of Jesus and experience the life and family customs of bible times. All children who were 5 by November 30, 2016, through completion of 5th grade can participate as campers. We are also looking for adult and teen volunteers to act as family group leaders and crafters. Register campers and volunteers at www.saintclareschurch.org/vbs. Direct questions to Danielle LaMoreaux at Danielle.hoard@ameritech.net or 734-306-1739. VBS is for kids who turned 5 by November 30, 2016, through completion of fifth grade.

SERVICE MISSION TRIP: June 17–22
For 6th-12th graders, a Service Mission Trip to Chicago, led by Living Water Ministries. We travel by train from Ann Arbor with the whole group going. Make positive changes in communities through well-rounded volunteer service opportunities that touch areas of poverty, human services, advocacy, and the environment. For the adventure, we throw in a Segway tour of Chicago that is fun and memorable! Register at www.elcalivingwater.com. If you need scholarship assistance, talk to James. Cost should not determine whether you go on this awesome experience with other Michigan Lutheran and Episcopal teens.

LIVING WATER MINISTRIES DAY CAMP (at St. Clare’s): June 26–30
St. Clare’s will host a day camp led by Living Water Ministries from June 26-30. We’ll have crafts, music, worship, Bible stories, nature study, camp craft and recreation. This is a great introduction to the camp experience for children not ready to stay away from home overnight. The camp is for kids aged 5 through 12 years old. Cost is $150, but register before May 7 and you pay $140. Scholarships are available. Check out www.saintclareschurch.org/daycamp for more information and to register. Contact Pastor Jessie if you have any questions (jessie@saintclareschurch.org). Day Camp is for kids aged 5 through 12 years.

LIVING WATER MINISTRIES STONY LAKE OVERNIGHT CAMP: July 16–22
Campers learn about God and themselves by exploring the wonders of nature, trying new activities at camp (such as swimming, arts & crafts, nature walks), and participating in a fun Bible study time. Campers sing around the campfire, learn about themselves, and worship daily. It will truly be an experience they’ll never forget! You’ll find more details about the camp on their website [www.elcalivingwater.com]. Feel free to talk to Knut Hill (knuthill@yahoo.com) about your interest in the camp. He'll be attending this summer! Programs available for elementary (completion of grade 3 and above), junior high, and senior high.

OUR ANNUAL MUSIC THEATRE CHURCH CAMP: August 28–September 1
Camp at St. Clare’s is a great way to spend the last week of summer for kids and parents alike! Join us for a week of singing, acting, swimming, and growing in our faith. MTCC is for kids who have completed grades 1–7. Teens who have completed grades 9–11 can apply to be a camp counselor.

30-HOUR FAMINE: May 20th we all come together for the annual 30 Hour Famine Fundraiser that raises awareness and funds to combat world hunger.

SERVICE TRIP: Our service trip to Chicago June 17-22 will be exciting and rewarding. We depart by train from Ann Arbor. Jayin Wavrik will participate as the adult from St Clare’s. St Clare’s will subsidize 1/3 of the trip cost, and more scholarship assistance is available if cost is preventing your young person from participating. Additional detail above in the section on summer opportunities.

YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY

All adults aged 18 to 40 are invited to participate in our St. Clare's Young Adult Fellowship. We'll gather on the 2nd Saturday of every month for food, devotions, and/or an activity.

This month we'll gather at Jessie and Joe’s house for an evening of dinner and devotions on Saturday, May 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. at 1549 Marlborough Dr, Ann Arbor. RSVP to Jessie (jessie@saintclareschurch.org) and also please let her know your dietary restrictions. Friends are always welcome.

Mark your calendar for our next gathering: We’ll have a BBQ and party at Luke Stetson and Caroline Perry’s farm in Manchester on July 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. Look for more info and directions about this event this summer.

BACK DOOR FOOD PANTRY: Wednesday, April 19, saw the annual gathering of Back Door Food Pantry volunteers to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the pantry. In March 2007, four St. Clarians opened the pantry: Jane Crighton, Susan Jones, Judi Kleinman, and Marjory Luther had the vision and the drive to make their outreach idea a reality. It wasn’t long before Temple Beth Emeth became a partner, and, about seven years ago, the Muslim community was invited to join us as partners as well. The teachings of all three Abrahamic faiths are thus observed in welcoming the stranger and feeding the hungry. Two of the founders joined us for the evening, Judi Kleinman and Susan (Jones) Draffen. (Sadly, Jane Crichton was attending to a family emergency, and Marjorie Luther was ill.) Over 65 attendees saw the founders honored by the unveiling of a bronze plaque that will be installed on the door to the pantry, reminding all who enter of the vision of these women. Also on the plaque, is their inspirational mission statement: “Providing hunger relief with dignity.” What has been the impact of the wisdom and vision of these four women? In the first year of operation (actually 10 months, since the pantry opened in March 2007), 778 patrons received groceries, and allowing for family size, 2083 individuals were helped. In 2017, there were 6,032 patrons, and considering family size, 21,112 individuals were helped. The astonishing grand total for ten years (plus one month) of patrons served is 39,334 patrons, and 136,737 individuals assisted. Our Food Gatherers’ partners, Eileen Spring, CEO, and Markell Miller, Director of Community Food Programs, attended and Markell spoke about the current state of food resources in Washtenaw County and the state. The program ended with a reading of patron comments from a recent survey, expressing gratitude for and the necessity of the food pantry’s work. Ryan Seay provided lovely classical guitar music, and the Coordinating Committee provided the refreshments of savory and sweet treats. In all, it was a wonderful evening, and we move forward continuing to live out and live up to the mission statement: “Providing hunger relief with dignity.”

ALPHA HOUSE: St. Clare’s and Temple Beth Emeth will provide volunteers at Alpha House, the Interfaith Hospitality Network shelter for homeless families with children, during the week of June 5-11. Volunteers are needed for the following opportunities:

Bring a child-friendly dinner for about 25 people by 6 p.m. You can bring it earlier if necessary, and keep it warm in the oven.
Serve dinner, eat with the families, clean up, and play with the kids during the early evening, about 5:30 to 8 p.m. Depending on the weather (and the ages of the kids) you might use the enormous basement playroom or the playground, bikes, and basketball hoop outside.
Extra volunteers are also welcome and needed from 7 to 8 p.m. each evening. (Two adults are enough for dinnertime, but at least 3 are needed for playtime; 4 are even better!) These are good opportunities to volunteer as a family.
Spend the night from 8:30 p.m. until 7 the next morning (you can arrive later or leave earlier if necessary, or stay a bit later and have coffee).
Fix, serve, eat, and clean up after breakfast at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

There is at least one staff person on duty at Alpha House 24 hours each day. If you are volunteering for the first time, an experienced volunteer will be there to work with you. Signup sheets will be available after all Sunday morning services, or contact Jeanne Hernandez (jeannehernadez@gmail.com; 734-971-5357) to volunteer.

HEAR YE, YEAR YE!

The St. Clarian is published monthly (except July). Contributions are welcomed; send by e-mail (to the editor at editor@saintclareschurch.org), U.S. mail, or drop off at the church office. The deadline for inclusion is the 15th of the month.

Have you remembered St. Clare's in your will?

Visit the Church Calendar online at www.saintclareschurch.org/calendar.

In the event of a pastoral emergency, please contact James Rhodenhiser or Jessie Gutgsell. If you would like us to share personal support requests with the parish, please tell us, and any “where,” “when,” and “how” information. If you are hospitalized or want prayer, please contact the church office.