St Clarian--February 2017

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Dear Ones,

When I came to St Clare’s the parish did not have a mission statement or a vision statement, of what living that out would look like. Inspired by Jim Downward’s challenge, we spent 2005 discussing what it might be. On January 1, 2006, we tried the above on “for size,” adopted it at the annual meeting at the end of the month, and have been using it ever since. At one point the vestry was inclined to drop the word, “endeavor,” perhaps inspired by some writing teacher or another in our midst. It has been eleven years since.

On Sunday January 1, 2017, I asked the 79 worshippers present if after eleven years, this mission statement, which people generally knew, and the vision description, speaks to them, or are there ways it does not? Is there anything missing? If you were not there and have reflections, I would be happy to hear from you!

Below you'll find the written responses we got during Sunday worship, and I took the names out for the purposes of the newsletter. What do these responses say to you?

In Christ’s love,

REFLECTIONS ON ST. CLARE'S MISSION/VISION STATEMENTS
To share my faith with my young children, to show them the JOY in worship [smiley face]
-a member

[Underlined:] We endeavor to nurture people of all ages. Yay!
[Bracketed:] Faith without action……one expression of this commitment. Yay!
I miss the rich Episcopal tradition. Innovative liturgy gets in my way, not a fan at all. Sometimes, more and more frequently in the last year-I feel that our desire to be innovative includes what is really, not great music, that gets in the way of worship. The music by and large does not speak to met and really turns me off. It gets between me and feeling the Spirit. Often its either too simple, or too…boring. Frankly, I had not noticed this in the vision statement. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. – a member

Favorites: [starred,] Diverse music and liturgy. This statement is filled with hope and love for everyone. Welcoming is so important to a church in order for it to grow. Our congregation may be on the smallish side but it is mighty in “walking the walk.: – a member

I value the diverse music and innovative liturgy that is relevant. – a member

I like the diversity and knowing that there are no boundaries that get in the way of being accepted. -a member

[A check by] everyone is valued and included. But it may be overwhelming.
[A check by] the third section on social justice. Maybe a little too much micromanagement and not enough empowerment. -a member

I resolve to become more active in the refugee resettlement efforts. I like the statement a lot. -a member

We reach out to refugees of all sorts-spiritual, economic, and political, to welcome and include them in Christ’s love. -a member

Continue to help the refugees and the homeless. -a member

Do we need a bigger Outreach mission? Is that what it’s all about? Doing well with the Food pantry. Sundays make us feel good but there’s more…mission trips, housing. -a member

We should strive to dedicate 30% of our annual church income to outreach. -a member

Grow in faith, worship with joy, -pretty well covered. I would like to see increasing commitment to “act with justice.” I think we’ll need that for ourselves and our country in the years ahead. My cell group would like to see action around greater understanding of other cultures and social groups. Lack of understanding and each other creates barriers that need to be dismantled, But St Clare’s could really help us find a way to do that through action. -a member

[Circled:] Act for Justice. Underlined: Everyone is valued and included. This is a meaningful vision. Acting for justice, I’d like ways to do this as action steps for this vision. Actions steps to have a more diverse congregation.
I’m especially interested in “faith without action is empty.” It can be too easy to just come to church and then go home without doing anything about what we have prayed. Jesus was about acting, healing the sick, assisting the poor. So should I be. - a member

[Underlinings for] Christ-centered, welcoming community. Tradition, valued and included. All stages, all ages. Grow in ministry, to work for peace, reconciliation, and justice. We support each other in our faith journey as individuals and as a community. This helps each of us be more intentional in our actions. - a member

[Underlinings for] all stages, all ages, [circled]: faith without action is empty.
How about changing the circled sentence to a positive, affirmative statement, or eliminate it? - a member

Mission: carry on the great traditions of the Church, helping modern people to realize the universality of them. I attend regularly because being religious helps me live a good life-in harmony with my fellow humans and those holy people who have lived holy lives through the ages. We live in time to come grounded in the footsteps of all the company of heaven. Looking backward helps us look forward. - a member

“Worship with Joy, Grow in Faith, Act for Justice” I like this as it is. But including community would be great. - a member

Worship with Joy, Grow in Faith, Act for Justice seems right to me, but it is always good to reevaluate things. - a member

This [mission and vision] statement all rings true. But I wonder if too much time and energy is spent on things not on this list. How can we stay focused on the goals and not get distracted? I believe this is the call in 2017! - a member

I wish that the mission statement itself also included the word JESUS, and also included, maybe an acting subject like “we” or “our church.” I think the vision statement captures who we are really well. - a member

I love this mission & vision statement. The only thing I would add, and I am not sure how to do this, is something about connection as an internal thing. As a relatively new person, I know that it’s hard to figure out how to connect with people who attend all three services. I continue to marvel, sometimes with tears, at this place. - a member

Continue our mission for 2017, we are on the right path! - a member

After the challenge and desire to create what we have in the existing vision, I find it to be “still” be relevant, inspiring, and complete, but I am open to new thinking. Perhaps something more about learning. - a member

There is always room to grow. Our mission statement and vision is neither old nor stale. I feel it calling me to be accepting of others-all others, and to act in those words, not just speak them. - a member

St Clare’s mission and vision statement is alive and well…it serves to remind us that church/religion/faith is not a one day a week commitment but rather a way of living each day. – a member

I enjoy reading the different giving cards [inserted in the bulletin]; one made its way home with me and has a place on my refrigerator. The statements on the cards give me a moment to reflect, but a more important gift from St Clare’s is the example of its members walking the walk of Jesus. - a member

This is the kind of church I want us to be. Are we all working on giving ourselves to this vision and hope? St Clare’s matters to me. - a member

My vision- more interdenominational activity with our companion congregations. The vision statement embraces a multitude of future actions, so it should endure. - a member

Include Blue Ocean in more activities. I like our mission statement as it is, short and meaningful to me still. - a member

[In the second part of the vision statement] Do we? How do we include those without children? Much of our gathering and worship is focused on children and parents. While this is very good, how do we show we value people as adults and help those adults grow? - a member

Perhaps a reference to the Children’s Ministry could be included [in our vision statement]. Overall, well done and on target. - a member

Why is there no mention of the Holy Spirit in our mission? How do we experience the Holy Spirit in our lives? Do we have a gender issue with the Spirit-he-she-it? - a member

To learn more about the Episcopal Church. - a member

What does it mean to grow in faith? For me this means to relax even more fully into the security of God’s love, and of God’s vision of who God wants me to be, letting go, little by little, of all the encumbrances that interfere with that vision. - a member

St Clare’s is as though I was embraced by Jesus and the angels. I was home. - a member

NEWS AND EVENTS

LEADERSHIP CHANGES: At St. Clare's Annual Meeting on January 29, four Vestry members completed their terms: Phil Christman, Rachid Hatem, Andy Koha, and Peter Millar. We thank them sincerely for their service. The Vestry welcomes new members elected: Ken Cook, Joanne Heaton, Martin Heggestad, and Knut Hill. The Vestry will meet the evening of February 1 to discern who will serve as wardens. Also at the Annual Meeting, Jim Downward was elected to the Genesis Board (term starting July 2017); and Thom Bales, Joseph Rhodenhiser, and Victoria Walters were elected as delegates to the Diocesan Convention, with Larry Vandenbergen, Matt Walters, and Jayin Wavrik as alternates.

RECOVERY SUNDAY: On Sunday, February 5, we will observe Recovery Sunday in honor of recovery from any sort of addiction. We do this on a Sunday close to January 31, the day that the Episcopal Church has set aside to commemorate the Rev. Sam Shoemaker, who was the spiritual influence on Bill Wilson that led to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12 steps.

WASHTENAW READS $2.00 A DAY: LIVING ON ALMOST NOTHING IN AMERICA: Join St. Clarian Luke Shaefer, a co-author of the book, for a discussion at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 7, at Rackham Auditorium as both authors discuss the themes of this unforgettable book. The event includes a book signing and books will be for sale courtesy of Barnes & Noble. Click here for more detail.

EVOLUTION: February 10--12 is Evolution Weekend, and February 12 will be our Evolution Sunday. We'll have one service at 9 a.m. on February 12. It's an opportunity for serious discussion and reflection on the relationship between religion and science. We are one of over 300 congregations participating in an effort to honor the theory of evolution as part of God's creation. More information is available at www.evolutionsunday.com.

PARISH MEETING: On Sunday, February 12, we will hold a single worship service (at 9 a.m.), followed by a congregation-wide meeting from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. to learn more about what the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center might offer us in a Family Systems consulting process. This meeting is your opportunity to provide your input as to whether you would support the process through your participation. A special Church School session is being planned for that morning for children to be engaged during the meeting, and, for teachers who want to attend, we will make this possible. Refer to the letter from our vestry sent on January 20 for additional detail about this process that Bishop Gibbs has recommended we undergo.

PLANNING A MISSION TRIP TO HAITI: St. Clare's is organizing a mission trip to Haiti in the fall of 2017. This is an opportunity for some of our medical specialists to share their unique skills. Our parish has been a member of Haiti Outreach Mission (HOM) for 12 years. HOM sustains a medical clinic and pays the salaries of a physician, dentist, and nurse. The annual HOM trip to Haiti has traditionally augmented the staff at the clinic. In some years there has been a day trip to a remote village which has no regular doctor. Those activities make best use of general practitioners and pediatricians. With the blessing of the HOM Board, St. Clare's is looking at a different kind of mission trip. Below are some key points we have been talking about:

We work with the priests we know in Haiti and ask them to identify parishioners in the 16 remote villages that they serve who could benefit from specialty care.
We let them know we have physicians and other health professionals with specific (would be defined, of course) specialties who would be able to make a short trip to Haiti in the fall if there is demand for their skills. These patients would be seen in the clinic in Mirebalais.
We hope to set up a system that lets the providers refer patients directly to the Partners in Health hospital for followup care after our team leaves.

You are encouraged to come to a planning meeting on Sunday, February 19, at 12 noon.

JUST A CLOSER WALK... A DAY OF CELEBRATION AND SERVICE: The diocese’s annual Absalom Jones celebration begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 18, at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit. The celebration marks the work of three trailblazers in their respective churches: The Rev. Absalom Jones (the first African-American priest ordained in the Episcopal Church), the Rev. Richard Allen (first bishop and founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church), and the Rev. Jehu Jones Jr. (first African-American pastor ordained in the Lutheran Church). A reception will follow the service. Click here to access an event flyer.

SHROVE TUESDAY MEETS TASTY TUESDAY TOGETHER: February 28 is our next Tasty Tuesday Together, and it's Shrove Tuesday! Dinner is served from 5:30 to 7 p.m. There will be vegan and gluten-free options each month. The suggested donation to cover the cost of the dinner is $8/person and $5/child (12 and under). Mark your calendar for all the Tasty Tuesdays Together: March 21 (with St. Clare's Variety Show), April 25, May 16, and June 20.

ASH WEDNESDAY: On Wednesday, March 1, we'll observe Ash Wednesday with worship services and lunch as follows.

12 noon---Ash Wednesday service
1 p.m.---Soup and bread lunch
5:30 p.m.---Intergenerational Ash Wednesday service
7 p.m.---Joint Ash Wednesday service with Blue Ocean Faith

LENTEN DINNER/DISCUSSION GROUPS: During Lent St Clare’s has usually offered one or more Lenten Dinner Groups. This year Pastor James has been inspired by the book Leadership and Self-Deception. The organization that produced this book, the Arbinger Institute, does training in organizational transformation for businesses, governmental agencies, and nonprofits similar to what the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center does for religious congregations. During Lent the Rhodenhisers will offer a Friday night dinner group that is child-friendly, and we will discuss and try to figure out how to apply the methods described in another Arbinger book, The Anatomy of Peace: resolving the heart of conflict. This book can be ordered easily by those interested, or you can tell James to order it for you. It will require about 50 pages of reading. The group will meet 6 to 8 p.m. on these Fridays: March 3, 10, 17, 24, and April 7. Please sign up at www.saintclareschurch.org/Lent2017. If there is sufficient interest, we will launch a second Lenten group on the same or a different night.

RACIAL RECONCILIATION WORK AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE: On Sunday, March 5, Eric Travis (Diocesan Missioner for Youth and Young Adults) will join us to preach at all services. At noon, Eric and Nicole McCarthy, Program Innovator from Living Water Ministry, will hold a meeting on the topic of Racial Reconciliation Work Among Young People. They will discuss how our diocese and our camping programs both address this important goal and desire of the church. Last summer, partly with the generous scholarship help of St. Clare's, we reached more disadvantaged minority children to participate in our Episcopal Week at Stony Lake Camp than ever before. In some ways staffing resources were overwhelmed that week. Eric and Nicole will be happy to hear the concerns of parents whose children were part of that memorable week, and discuss the work being done to increase the capacity of our camping program to welcome greater diversity and promote a great experience for all campers.

JUST EAT IT: On Sunday, March 19, there will be a screening of Just Eat It: A food waste story, 1 to 3 p.m. at 1st Unitarian Universalist Congregation (4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, Ann Arbor). After the movie there will be discussion about strategies to waste less. A light lunch will be provided using foods at risk of being discarded. Learn more about the movie at www.foodwastemovie.com.

APRIL 15 BAPTISMS: The next occasion for baptism will be Saturday, April 15, at the Easter Vigil. If you are interested in baptism for your child or yourself please speak to James or Jessie.

SAVE THE DATES
Wednesday, March 1 Ash Wednesday, services at noon, 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 21 Tasty Tuesday Together with St. Clare's Variety Show
Friday, March 31 & Sunday, April 2 Annual Pulpit Switch with Temple Beth Emeth
Sunday, April 9 Palm Sunday Party at 5 p.m.
Tuesday, April 11 Tenebrae service at 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 13 Agape Feast at 6 p.m.
Friday, April 14 Good Friday: Stations of the Cross and Services
Saturday, April 15 Easter Vigil at 6 p.m.
Sunday, April 16 Easter Worship services at 7:45, 9, and 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, May 7 Sunday of Service / Mitzvah Day: a shared event with Temple Beth Emeth and Blue Ocean Faith

MINISTRY TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

GET INVOLVED IN CHILDREN'S MINISTRY! You may have noticed that St. Clare’s Children’s Ministries have changed quite a bit in the past few months. If you’d like to be a part of the next chapter of St. Clare’s children’s ministry, please fill out this interest form. This is a way for us to learn who’s interested in what areas of ministry. It’s not a formal commitment. We’ll be in touch with more information soon after you complete the form!

SPECIAL CHILDREN'S PROGRAM ON FEBRUARY 12: All children of the church are invited to a day of special children's programming on Sunday, February 12. The adults of the church will be attending a meeting of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, and the kids will be having lots of fun downstairs. We'll have a service project set-up (making Valentines for our food pantry guests), games, songs, and more. A pizza lunch will be served. There will nursery care for those 3 years old and younger. Are you interested in helping out with this event? Please contact Jessie (jessie@saintclareschurch.org) and let her know.

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN
Vacation Bible School: June 20–22, 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
St. Clare’s, St. Andrew’s, First Presbyterian, and Blue Ocean Faith join to offer a fabulous VBS. VBS is for kids who have completed grades K-5.

Living Water Ministries Day Camp (at St. Clare’s): June 26-30

Back by popular demand, St. Clare’s is hosting the Living Water Ministries Day Camp this year! Day Camp is for kids aged 5 through 12 years.

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.

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. Please mark your calendar for the Winter-Spring 2017 gatherings.

February 11: Dinner and Devotions at Jessie and Joe's home, 5 to 7 p.m., 1549 Marlborough Dr, Ann Arbor
March 11: Service project together (time and project TBD)
April 8: Lunch & a Hike, noon to 2 p.m., Bird Hills Nature Area
May 13: Dinner and Devotions at Jessie and Joe's home, 5 to 7 p.m., 1549 Marlborough Dr, Ann Arbor
June 17: CedarPoint trip
July 8: BBQ and party at Luke Stetson and Caroline Perry's farm, 5 to 7 p.m.

Thanks to all who made it to our ice skating event in January. We had a great time, and I learned how good so many of our young adults really are at ice skating!

OUTREACH

CRAFTS FROM EAST AFRICA: On February 5 and 19, we will hold a sale of handcrafted African gifts. The merchandise is provided by African Team Ministries, a charity that works as an intermediary between African and American churches. The proceeds from the sale will make it possible to provide Drip Irrigation Kits for the families in the drought and famine areas to whom the organization has provided emergency food relief. This will enable the people there to grow food all year round instead of only when it rains. More than 250,000 people died during this recent drought and famine. African Team Ministries has been serving the churches in East Africa for more than 20 years. They also resettle displaced people, support orphans, provide AIDS education and prevention and literacy training.

ALPHA HOUSE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: St. Clare's and Temple Beth Emeth will provide volunteers at Alpha House, the Interfaith Hospitality Network shelter for homeless families with children the week of March 6--12. Volunteers are needed for the following opportunities.

Prepare a child friendly dinner for about 25 people each evening except Wednesday.
Serve and eat dinner, clean up, and play with kids afterwards from 5:30 (or thereabouts) until 8 each evening. Depending on the weather (and the ages of the kids), you might play in the enormous basement playroom or outdoors (playground, bikes, basketball hoop).
Extra volunteers are always needed for playtime from 7 to 8 each evening. These are great opportunities to volunteer as a family.
Spend the night from 8:30 (later arrival OK if necessary) until 7 the next morning.
Fix, serve, eat, and clean up after breakfast at 8 Saturday and Sunday morning

FELLOWSHIP AND GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

FOOD FOR THE SOUL: February brings two opportunities on Thursdays (February 2 & 16) to join us for our mid-day worship in the sanctuary at noon, followed by a catered lunch in rooms 7/8. The long-standing Bible Study, which is open to all, continues to meet from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. in the Adult Lounge. RSVP to www.saintclareschurch.org/foodforthesoul by the Tuesday prior. Suggested donation is $7/person to cover the cost of the food.

SOLES ON FIRE: Soles on Fire, our Saint Clare's running group, is getting ready to start our third race!!! This year we will be training for the Dexter-Ann Arbor run on June 4, a race that includes 5K, 10K, and half-marathon levels. No running experience is needed to participate in Soles on Fire, and walkers are welcome. This Saturday morning running/walking group presents a unique opportunity to meet and bond with your fellow St. Clarians and friends. This is an amazing way to challenge yourself and your fitness in a supportive environment with friends. New for 2017 we will be partnering with St. James in Dexter to grow the size of our group and provide new running courses. The first run is Sunday, February 5, at 12:30 p.m. at Gallup Park (meet at the first parking area at the main entrance (Fuller just west of Huron Parkway). Saturday runs will start at 9 a.m. on February 11, and child care is provided on Saturday runs. We have an email group and a Facebook group. Contact Karen Slagell (karen@saintclareschurch.org) or Mark Davis-Craig (mad@umich.edu) to get connected.

POLITICS

EPISCOPAL PUBLIC POLICY NETWORK: Do you ever wonder what the Episcopal Church has to say about politics these days? Here's a website from the Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) that will help you stay informed and up-to-date: http://advocacy.episcopalchurch.org/home.

WOMEN'S MARCH ON WASHINGTON: Thana Millar, Karen Slagell, 'gitte Lozano, Meredith Hill, Eliza Nuxoll, Kay Hodges, Phil Christman, Ashley Lucas, Erin Ranville, and Jessie Gutgsell all made the trip to Washington D.C. for the Women's March on January 21. Thank you for your prayers as we traveled. We were hosted by former St. Clarians Amanda & Rohit Setty and daughters Shalini and Gayatri in Virginia. Our marchers proudly wore knitted pink hats made by Jayin Wavrik, Erin, Ranville, and other friends. Our church network goes far and wide! Thanks be to God!

PARISH COMMUNITY

PASTORAL CARE: A core strength of any great congregation is providing support and care for members when they are in need. We feel the love of our community most profoundly during times of vulnerability, the loss of a loved one, when a family member falls ill or, in our family's case, the birth of a child… and a child... and a child… and a child… and a child. St. Clarians are a remarkably generous collection of people. Generous not only with their financial resources, but with their time and compassion. I did not realize, until I became the chair of the Care and Belonging Commission, that despite a robust response to most any stated need, there is not a formal process in place for the “initiation” of pastoral care. There is no dropbox or secret email to ask for help. Pastoral care grows out of intimate interactions with one another. In fact, pastoral care starts with that first conversation. Listening to each other at coffee hour, at an Un-Group meeting, during StorySong dinner or during a run with Soles on Fire. We interact with each other more than with staff or clergy. Listening is pastoral care. Offering kind advice is pastoral care. Providing a meal is pastoral care. Meeting with a congregant in the hospital is pastoral care. Providing child care is pastoral care. Whether we realize it or not, by being an active member of our community, we are all already providing pastoral care. And, we are pretty good at it. Thank you for all the amazing work. In addition to these informal ways we minister to each other, we also have more structured systems available to provide a coordinated effort in times of significant need such as Meal Trains and scheduling of hospital visits. If you are conversing with a fellow member and this more formal system might help them, ask them if it is okay to share this need with James or Jessie. Most of us are not great at asking for help, but would be willing to accept help when it is offered. Feel free to offer the help of St. Clare's to any member in need. Pass that need up to the staff and clergy. Our obligation to one another is to care.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Rotary exchange program is a family to family exchange which has been sending students abroad since 1929. Unlike other programs, it is a true exchange because two students directly switch places for the year. Emma Jane Rhodenhiser has been selected for this prestigious program and will live abroad beginning in summer 2017 through summer 2018. Congratulations to Emma on this achievement!
Joan, Brian, Asher, and Isaac Atkins will be moving to Seattle, Washington, this month. Their last Sunday at St. Clare’s will be February 12. We give thanks for their presence in our community for the past few years. We’ll miss them and wish them many blessings as they go onto their next adventures.
Check out these articles about the work of Ashley Lucas and Phil Christman with the Prison Creative Arts Project at the University of Michigan:
Professor showcases hard realities of incarceration through theater (The University Record, January 23, 2017)
Artists on the inside (The Christian Century, December 29, 2016)
A December recital/concert organized by Phoebe Gelzer-Govatos and her colleagues raised $669 for the Back Door Food Pantry. Phoebe and her colleagues are grateful for everyone who attended and contributed, and Kathy Daly (co-chair of the food pantry) writes "We of the pantry were so grateful to Phoebe and her colleagues for their extraordinary generosity at this fun holiday recital!"

HEAR YE, YEAR YE!

The St. Clarian is published monthly. 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.