Report from the Endowment Committee

The Annual Meeting is coming up on February 3. Continuing last year's tradition, we're publishing reports as we receive them. Here is the report from the Endowment Committee, submitted by Freida Thompson.

The Episcopal Church of All Saints has an Endowment Fund that has reached $384,000.  These donations are from estate planning gifts and bequeathments to the church. Any bequeathment from a will that is not otherwise designated for a particular fund, e.g., organ fund, building fund, is then placed in the All Saints Endowment Fund. The Vestry approved the The Episcopal Church of All Saints Endowment  Fund Agreement on Dec. 12, 2010. This document establishes guidelines for the management of the Endowment Fund. The Diocese of Indianapolis manages and administers the fund (which also includes other churches in the diocese.)  Financial reports on our portion come from the Diocese to the church treasurer.

The All Saints Endowment Committee will oversee the Endowment Fund.

There are three parishioners on the committee. Denton Raubenolt rotates off this year. A new member will be appointed at the Annual Meeting. The agreement mandates that approximately one half of the dividends and interest accrued for the previous year be dispersed during the current year for religious, charitable, and educational activities of the Church.    The principle will remain intact until it reaches $500,000.

The Endowment Committee met  Feb 12,2012 and made the decision todistribute $2,500 from 2011 Endowment Fund earnings.

We granted:  1) Diocesan Convention - $1000     2) IYG writing program - $500 3) Imagio Deo - $200 (not used) 4) Renovation of the Church Sign - $800 (not used).  No other committees submitted grant requests.

At the end of February 2013, the committee will meet to distribute approximately $5,000 from the earnings from 2012.

Report from the Prayer Ministry

The Annual Meeting is coming up on February 3, and continuing the tradition established last year, we're publishing reports as we receive them. Here's the report from the Prayer Ministry, submitted by Don Bryant.

The Prayer Ministry for All Saints Episcopal Church has seen some change this year, exciting change.  This group that may have been best described as successfully under organized has taken on a bit different appearance.  While the ministry worked well, after some tweeking, growth has already happened.  The group has nearly doubled in size since a mini workshop that was held in November.  This not only involves more people but it broadens opportunity for many at All Saints to serve Christ and the church.

With this growth there is also agreement among the prayer ministers that occasional meetings to share with one another and to pray for one another will strengthen the group and encourage growth in the spiritual practice of prayer.   

Report from the Outreach Committee

The All Saints Annual Meeting is coming up, and continuing last year's tradition, we'll be posting reports as we receive them. Here's what the Outreach Committee has been up to, submitted by Patricia Griffin.

Significant accomplishments:

- Remaining mindful of the purpose of the committee and the Millennium goals
- Great support and enthusiasm from clergy and vestry for activities
- Received Endowment Funds from AS for three Outreach Projects
- Promoting outreach opportunities to parishioners
- Participation with several community based organizations
- Raising money by organizing a yard sale that provided funding for two monetary contributions to charitable organizations, Dayspring Center, and St. Philip’s Food Pantry, and $ 600.00 to the AS Parish Events Committee
- Collecting items in bins for distribution to various entities, including food and non-consumables, school supplies, socks and underwear, blankets, eyeglasses, pill bottles

Challenges in 2012:

- Selecting entities as recipients of donations due to vast needs within the community
- Committing to work with other churches and organizations without over- committing

Goals for 2013:

- Continue to promote outreach activities already organized
- Look to start-up something new if a gap in services is evident
- Involve the entire congregation in initiating new projects, and announcing opportunities for participation

Members include: Bethel Bose, James Underwood, Jeff Hostetter, Joshua Siege, Cathy Scott, Joan Head, Jane Billman, Jesse Clark, Lance Ratliff, Mary Elise-Haug, Patricia Griffin

Report from the Knitting Committee

The All Saints Annual Meeting is coming up, and continuing last year's tradition, we'll be posting reports as we receive them. Here's what the Knitting Commitee has been up to, submitted by Rose Lane.

The All Saints knitting group had another busy year. In addition to continuing to contribute to our supply of prayer shawls, the group agreed to knit scarves for the Red Scarf Project which is part of the Foster Care to Success program. FC2S provides assistance to college students who have grown up in the foster care system. In addition to help with school expenses, rent, clothing and other necessities, FC2S sends a Valentine’s Day care package to each student. Every care package contains a red scarf that has been knitted and donated to the project. While we neglected to count how many scarves we sent, it was a large box that filled with our work. We invited the parish to participate by donating other “goodies” for the care packages and you were very generous.

This year’s project is to make newborn snuggle sacks for babies seen at the Rafael Health Center at 34th & Central Avenue. The clinic sends a welcome bag with each new mother when she returns for post-natal care. We are pleased that we can provide something of use for an organization that is nearly a neighbor. There are many patterns available and anyone may contribute. We would like to have our finished products blessed in November so they can be given to the Rafael Center before the end of the year. Our group’s numbers have fluctuated a lot this past year as folks have moved or become involved in other activities. Anyone is welcome to come as your are able -- you don’t have to be an experienced knitter to join us at 5:30 on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month.

Mother Suzanne's Sermons are Now Posted on the Website

We're now posting Mother Suzanne's sermons on the All Saints web site. Find the most recent sermons on the front page, and we'll be storing the older ones in the archives section. We've only got two up so far, but we look forward to growing the list.

Proper XIX - Take up your cross and follow me
Mother Suzanne's first Sunday sermon at All Saints reflects on the cost of discipleship and what it means to follow Jesus.

Proper XX - Whoever wants to be great
On the relationship between prayer and being servant of all.

Parish Picnic Tomorrow, September 23

Our parish picnic is tomorrow, September 23, immediately after Mass. Our friends from Holy Life Missionary Baptist Church will be joining us. Holy Life has recently regained access to their building for worship, and we're excited to celebrate their return to their space and our period of partnership together.

Burgers, hot dogs, and drinks will be provided by the Parish Events Committee. Here's what you should bring:

Last name A-I: Salad
Last name J-R: Dessert
Last name S-Z: Vegetable
EVERYONE: Please bring a source of canned protein (SPAM, tuna, chicken, turkey, chili, etc) to support the food pantry at St. Philip's Episcopal Church.

Bringing back the Red Letter Days

Today is Holy Cross Day, the day our church celebrates the cross itself. Celebrating the instrument of Christ's execution is a strange thing. But we do this for the same reason we call Good Friday "good". The event is simultaneously tragic and the means by which God implements the plan of salvation.

It's traditional on Holy Cross Day to bring a cross or crucifix to the service to receive a blessing. Today is also Mother Suzanne's first worship service with us. We hope you can join us at 6pm tonight.

One of the things we're doing at All Saints is bringing back the observation of the red letter days. These are the major holy days identified in the Book of Common Prayer, and are called red letter days because they used to be marked on calendars in red ink.

Some of these dates are familiar, some less so. Their role in the life of the church is twofold. First, it is an opportunity for us to pay special attention to the events in Christ's life and the role of those figures in the early church who perpetuated Jesus' message. Second - and this is a more modern development - they are a way that the life of the spirit breaks into the world, a reminder that God is calling to us not just on Sundays, but any day of the week. Or, as the Pet Shop Boys put it in their 1997 single, "Red Letter Day", "I'm always waiting...for something special, somehow new, someone saying, 'I love you'." The red letter days are just that.

So join us tonight, or, failing that, join us next Friday, September 21, at 6pm as we celebrate the life and work of St. Matthew, author of the Gospel bearing his name.