Newsletter
Calendar
Friday, March 12
7:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (St. Mary’s Chapel)
7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer (St. Mary’s Chapel)
5:30 p.m. Evening Prayer (St. Mary’s Chapel)
Saturday, March 13
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer (St. Mary’s Chapel)
4:30 p.m. Evening Prayer (St. Mary’s Chapel)
5:30 p.m. Choral Eucharist
Sunday, March 14
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist I
9:15 a.m. Choral Eucharist I
11:15 a.m. Choral Matins
5:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist II
Sermon- Dr. Leslie Williams
Lenten Schedule
Stewardship
Music
Announcements - March 8-14, 2010
"Living Christ in this World"
Day Light Saving Time
Sunday, March 14, begins Daylight Saving Time. Don’t forget to spring forward. Set your clock ahead one hour Saturday night.
Sunday, March 14
Guest Speaker
Our guest speaker, Dr. Leslie Williams is a Professor of English at Midland College and Northwest Vista College in Texas, author, mother and grandmother, will be this year's speaker at the Women Retreat. She has also taught at Yale's Divinity School and is the author of several books, which include When Women Build the Kingdom, Night Wrestling: Struggling for Answers & Finding God and Seduction of the Lesser God. She is married to Stockton Williams, an Episcopal priest.
The Rector’s Forum
10:30 AM Taylor Room
The Rector’s Forum resumes its study of the Book of Exodus. In the context of rousing discussion and give-and-take the Rector brings this important letter to life week-to-week.
Spiritual Seeds
10:30 AM Sverdrup Room
During the Season of Lent, Fr. Fox will offer a class entitled Christianity and Social Order. This class will explore the role of church in society. Should it even have a place? If so what does that look like? All are welcome.
Parents of 8th Graders
10:30 AM
Rector's Conference Room
in the Tower
All parents of 8th graders: Please join Mary Warburton and Brian Connor in a Sunday School class just for you! The focus for this class will be on raising adolescents in today’s world.
Faith & Life Forum
10:30–11:05 AM Sant Library
The Forum, led by John Tyler, will continue a discussion of 1 Corinthians in a series titled The Church of Corinth and The CSMSG. Topics include: What causes divisions among Christians, and what creates unity? How does the “foolishness of God” overturn the “wisdom of the world”? How is love a “more excellent way”? How does “Christian liberty” enable us to act as we ought, not as we want? Why is Jesus’ resurrection the guarantee of our own? All are welcome to attend on any Sunday and on all Sundays.
Preaching Rota
- March 14 - Dr. Leslie Williams
- March 21 - The Rev. Jedediah Fox
- March 28 - The Rev. Dr. Paul Weston
- April 4 - The Rev. Andrew J. Archie
Stewardship
Give To Grow Update
Your financial support to the Church of St. Michael & St. George is one of the three hallmarks of the Episcopal Church - worshipping together, serving others and giving generously. To date we have raised, through pledges, a total of $1,722,138 for 2010 or 78% of our $2.2M goal. As the Rector and Senior Warden recently reported, 2009 ended on a positive note thanks to responsible fiscal management and record-breaking December offerings. Thank you for your faithful generosity!
A few short weeks ago, the 5-year strategic plan was presented at our annual meeting. Central to this plan is the strong desire to grow our congregation in an effort to do God’s work in this community. I hope that each of you are considering your role as stewards of CSMSG as we endeavor to increase the reach of this parish.
Your abundant gifts over the past two years have allowed the Clergy and Vestry to (almost) balance the budget and avoid major deficits. Today our staff is lean and our clergy have willingly “stretched” to do more with less in an effort to maintain our sound financial footing. Most of us have become familiar with these necessary steps both at home and in our professional lives over the past 18-24 months. While prudent in the short-term, operating this parish without a fourth priest will diminish the level of pastoral care to existing and new members. We must hire a fourth priest in 2010 in order to remove encumbrances that hinder growth within the parish. Restoring our clergy group to 2008 levels will require a commitment of additional gifts over and above the $1.9M that was pledged in 2009.
We are blessed with a stream of new prospective members each Sunday. Often, we have 90 minutes or less to demonstrate what a wonderful community of faith CSMSG is and how the prospective member will benefit from worshiping in our parish. Follow-up with first-time visitors also requires time and effort on behalf of both lay members and clergy. Thorough communication of the depth and breadth of our programs and unique ministries are vitally important. New prospective members are searching for the perfect “fit” among all congregations in their consideration set. Today, our clergy vacancy limits the reach to families with young children and we simply must fill this gap if we are to grow. This opinion is widely supported by experts both inside and outside of our parish.
As you approach the altar next week, consider the generations whose life-long giving has sustained and strengthed this parish. Despite two world wars, The Great Depression, countless economic recessions and the erosion of traditional Christian values throughout society, CSMSG has endured and prospered. By pledging your support you will solidify the legacy of this church and your stewardship journey as well.
To date we have received 421 pledges, if those pledges could be increased by $650 each, our $2M commitment threshold will be reached enabling the rector and vestry to begin the search for a fourth priest. If you have not committed your pledge for 2010, please consider making it today. If you were unable to increase your pledge when it was made, will you consider increasing your financial commitment to this parish? Thank you again for your faithful generosity!
Lenten Easter Schedule
Click here for schedule in PDF file.
This Week
Monday, March 8
Susan Mount
11:30 AM The Great Hall
Rob Lehman, Organist and Choirmaster at The Church of St. Michael & St. George, will present a Lenten Music Program. A Punch Bowl begins at 11:30 AM with Lunch ($5) following at noon. The Lenten Program will begin at 12:30 PM. Please join us for this special luncheon presentation. Call Helen Cavin 314.647.0889 to make reservations.
Tuesday, March 9
Church Service League Lenten Series
12:30 Great Hall
The CSL is pleased to present our Lenten Series Speakers. Our speaker this week, for this most holy season of meditation and sacrifice will be The Rev. Becky Ragland, Associate Pastor, of the Church of the Holy Communion, University City.
- March 16 - The Rev. Teresa Mithen-Rector, St. John's Episcopal Church, St. Louis
- March 23 - The Rev. Kelly Carlson, Associate Rector, St. Peters Episcopal Church, Ladue
You are invited to attend any or all of our weekly Tuesday activities, which include Eucharist at 10:30 AM in St. Mary’s Chapel, Bible Study at 11 AM in the Sverdrup Room and lunch ($6) at noon in the Great Hall. Complimentary nursery is available (reservations required) by contacting the church 314.721.1502 or alice@csmsg.org.
Steak and Stories
6:00 PM The Great Hall
Our speaker will be Dr. Robert Tabscott who is recognized throughout the St. Louis region as a black history and civil rights scholar and is the founder of the Elijah P. Lovejoy Society. He will share his insights on the evolution of the struggle for constitutional freedom in the American experience. Dr. Tabscott came to St. Louis in 1970 to take the position of clergyman at the Des Peres Presbyterian Church, a church established in 1833 by the minister/newspaper editor Elijah Parish Lovejoy.
Please call or email Heidi Dowgwillo 314.721.1502 or Heidi@CSMSG.org before noon on Monday March 8.
March 10, 17 and 24
Lenten Great Wednesdays
6 PM Great Hall $6/meal
7 PM Program
Great Wednesdays resume this Lent at the CSMSG. Let the church cook and partake in one of the two classes “How to Face Life: Five Spiritual Practices for the Pursuit of Virtue and Wisdom,” presented by Fr. Wheeler, and “On the Road: Five Parables from the Road to Jerusalem,” presented by Fr. Fox. End the evening in God with Compline, a short service of prayer. Childcare available upon request. Please call Heidi at 314.721.1502.
Friday & Saturday, March 12 & 13
2010 Women's Retreat
When Women Build the Kingdom:
Who We Are, What We Do, How We Relate
A retreat of personal reflection and storytelling about the various ways God calls women to build His Kingdom in the ministry of daily life.
Friday, March 12
Women’s Bible Study
7:30 AM Sverdrup Room
Bible study led by the Rev. Mike Wheeler will continue. We will begin a Lenten series on the First and Second Letters of Peter.
Saturday, March 13
Saturday Evening Eucharists
5:30 PM Church
The theme for Lenten Saturdays will be "Desert Spirituality".
March 13 Silence and Tears
March 20 The Treasury of the Heart
Upcoming Events
Monday, March 15
Faith@Work
12:00 PM Sverdrup Room
Please contact Mike Hanrahan or the church at 314.721.1502 and insure you are informed of the “Word of the Day” ahead of time and also that a meal ($7) is ordered for you.
Holy Week Preacher
The Rev. Dr. Paul Weston, MA, MPhil, PhD, is Tutor in Mission and Homiletics at Ridley Hall in Cambridge. For eleven years, he was on the staff of Oak Hill College, where he was latterly Vice-Principal. A Member of the College of Evangelists, he has led over eighty missions in parishes and universities both here and abroad. He has an MPhil in New Testament studies, and a PhD on the writings of Lesslie Newbigin. His various publications include “Why We Can’t Believe,” “X-Ray: In-sight from Outside,” and “Planning a Church Mission.” His latest book is “Lesslie Newbigin: Missionary Theologian – A Reader.”
Saturday, March 20
Sandwich Making
10 AM Taylor Rm
Sandwich making will take place March 20. All parishioners are invited and encouraged to join the St. Michael’s Hunger Ministry on the third Saturday of each month from 10-11 AM to make sandwiches for the Gateway Homeless Center’s clients.
Friday, March 26
Palm Crosses
8 AM - 1 PM Sverdrup Rm
The Altar Guild, with your help, are making palm crosses for Palm Sunday. Please come, many hands make the work light. All are welcome.
Saturday, March 27
Gateway Homeless Shelter
Fundraiser
Join the celebration! Our church has a long and wonderful relationship with the Gateway Homeless Shelter. Gateway is throwing a fundraiser and celebration on March 27 and we'd love to get a table or two of St. Michaels parishioners to join the fun. Dinner, drinks, dancing, live and silent auction–all for $150/person. Please e-mail Jim Holbrook at jimholbrookjr@hotmail.com or Nick Clifford at nickclifsr@yahoo.com if you're interested! We'd love to have a big turnout for this great stewardship ministry!
Youth
High School SENIORS!! You are invited for Pool, Ping Pong, Pizza AND to hear Rev. Dr. Paul Weston talk about transitioning from a high school senior to a college freshman as he discusses "Keeping the Faith in College." Come be a part of this conversation on Sunday, March 28 at Marty Chapman's home from 6:30-8:00 PM. RSVP to interns@csmsg.org.
The Youth Ministry staff would like to thank everone who so generously supported the 2010 High School Mission Fundraiser: Touching Hearts, Changing Lives near and far... Thanks to your generous support, we have raised 88% of our goal! The funds raised will provide scholarships, transportation for the trip, chaperone fees, and other trip expenses. It is NOT to late to contribute! There are envelopes placed around the church that you can return with your donation. Thank you!
2010 High School Mission Trip - The summer high school mission trip is going to Red Lake, MN to do housing rehab on an Indian Reservation. The team will leave on Saturday, June 26 and return Sunday, July 4. Cost is $750; Scholarships are available. There are spots open for rising 9th graders - high school seniors! E-mail youth@csmsg.org for more information on the trip.
Spring Service Day - The Youth Ministry would like to invite ALL parishioners to make plans now to participate in this day of service on Saturday, April 10. We will meet at church at 12:15 PM and plan to work until 4:00 PM. There will be a couple of service opportunities which will be announced as soon as they are confirmed. Please RSVP to interns@csmsg.org to sign up! All ages are welcome, as are friends and neighbors! Let's make a difference in our community!
Wednesday Night Bible Study continues to meet each Wednesday for dinner at 6:30 PM and Bible Study from 7:00 to 8:00 PM in the Armstrong Room. Come early at 5:30 to hang out and play Wii if you like. Spring break would be a great time to bring your friends!
Church School Happenings
The 4th and 5th Grade Outreach Project in St. Cecilia's Room is decorating book bags for the children in Nicaragua this Sunday, March 14.
There is no special service for Preschool - 1st Grade children on Palm Sunday, as originally scheduled. Palm Sunday and Easter liturgies (March 28 and April 4) are family services. The regular Church School schedule resumes on April 11.
Faith in Action
Auction Items
Items are needed for the Dinner-Auction to benefit the Nicaragua Mission Trip 2009. Please show support of this valuable ministry by considering a donation to the auction. Items needed include restaurant gift certificates, baseball tickets, Muny tickets, Fox tickets, dinner parties, gift items, symphony tickets etc... Contact Heidi at 314.721.1502 to receive a donation form.
Hunger Ministry’s Annual TRIVIA NIGHT
Plan to attend TRIVIA NIGHT. Friday, May 7, a wonderfully fun evening is planned to benefit Hunger Ministry of CSMSG. KEZK host, Jim Doyle, will MC the evening for $20/person.
Canterbury Bookstore
Canterbury Bookstore has the resources you are looking for during this Lenten season. Bibles and prayer books to fit any age or use. Gold letter imprints available for $15. There are books for personal daily devotions and gift giving.
Bulletin Board
TRI-ART Summer Camp
St. Michael's School is in need of a few old portable sewing machines and fabric/trim for our summer camp sewing studio. (Tax donation letter is also offered.) Please contact Theresa Eppert at teppert@stmichaelschool.org for more information.
2010 Nicaragua Dinner
Mark your calendars!
"A Night in Managua" at Windows Off Washington will take place on Friday, April 23.