September 2008
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Contents

2008 Fall Calendar

• September 7 – Rally Day – Change to fall schedule
  8:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist
  9:30 a.m. – Sunday School for everyone
  10:45 a.m. – Holy Eucharist
  
  Let's rally together and celebrate the start of fall programs including Sunday school.
  
• September 10 – Children’s Choir Practices Resume (Details found here)
  
• September 14 – Ministry Fair
  The annual Ministry Fair will be held in the parish hall on Sunday, Sept. 14. This is your opportunity to sign up for the many ministries offered at St. Dunstan’s. Groups wishing to reserve tables for the event should contact Bob Longino.
  
• September 17 – Episcopal Church Women, (ECW) (Details found here)
  
• October 5 – Blessing of the Animals (10:45 a.m.)
  
• October 7 – Tuesday morning class resumes, discussing The Faith Club (10 a.m.) Parish Hall
  
• October 8 – Village Suppers resume (6 p.m. Eucharist followed by pot luck supper)
  
• October 12 – Flying Pig Barbeque
  The Barbecue will be on Sunday, October 12th in the Beech Grove at 5:00 p.m. This fun event includes live music, excellent food, and a great opportunity for fellowship.
  
• October 19 – Evensong (4 p.m.)
  
• November 2 – All Saints’ Jazz Eucharist (10:45 a.m.)
  
• November 13 – Mary & Martha’s Place Dessert Party
  
• November 26 – Thanksgiving Eucharist (6 p.m.)
  
• November 30 – First Sunday of Advent
  
• December 14 – Advent Lessons & Carols (4 p.m.)
  
• December 17 – Carol Sing and Potluck Supper (6 p.m.)
  
• December 21 – Christmas Pageant (9:30 a.m.)
  
• December 24 – Christmas Eve Services (5 p.m. and 11 p.m.)

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Announcements

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Prayer for the parish

Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Christian Formation

Adult Christian Education

Sunday Mornings – Beginning Sept. 7 at 9:30 a.m. in the Founders’ Room. This fall we will study the Book of Exodus, one of the most engaging books of the Bible. Exodus’ story of liberation from bondage is one of the major themes of scripture. Exodus moves from slavery to freedom, from Israel’s bondage to Pharaoh to its bonding to Yahweh. Come move with the people of Israel from plagues to sea walls to wilderness wanderings to fiery mountains and golden calves, and see how our own lives can be illuminated by these ancient stories.

Tuesday Mornings – Beginning October 7 at 10 a.m. in the Parish Hall. We will begin the year with a discussion of The Faith Club: A Muslim, a Christian, a Jew – Three Women Search for Understanding. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, Ranya Idliby, an American Muslim of Palestinian descent, sought out Jewish and Christian mothers to write a children's book on the commonalities among their traditions. In their first meeting, however, the women realized they would have to address their differences first. Suzanne Oliver, an Episcopalian who was raised Catholic, irked Priscilla Warner, a Jewish woman and children's author, with her description of the Crucifixion story, which sounded too much like "Jews killed Jesus" for Warner's taste. Idliby's efforts to join in on the usual "Judeo-Christian" debate tap into a sense of alienation she already feels in the larger Muslim community, where she is unable to find a progressive mosque that reflects her non–veil-wearing, spiritual Islam. The women come to call their group a "faith club" and, over time, midwife each other into stronger belief in their own religions. Their honesty makes for a page-turning read, rare for a religion nonfiction book. From Idliby's graphic defense of the Palestinian cause, Oliver's vacillations between faith and doubt, and Warner's struggles to acknowledge God's existence, almost every taboo topic is explored on this engaging spiritual ride. Come join the discussions.

The ECW is an organization bringing together all women for worship, learning, service, gifts, and fellowship. Each woman of St. Dunstan’s Parish is a member and is welcomed to participate in all programs. Our advance calendar for 2008-2009 includes many opportunities for you to bring a friend or neighbor into the life of St. Dunstan’s. Please look ahead and mark these dates!

2008 ECW events

• September 17 - 10:30 a.m. Meeting at the home of Lucy Kaltenbach. Our guest speaker will be Suttiwan Cox, head of Path Academy, a DeKalb County charter school primarily serving children of refugees and immigrants in 5th-8th grades. Suttiwan is a member of the Georgia Teachers’ Hall of Fame, and a former Teacher of the Year in DeKalb and Gwinnett Counties. She was also Tricia’s boss in a refugee camp in Thailand 25 years ago. She first recruited students by literally walking up and down Buford Highway knocking on apartment doors, asking parents to entrust their children to her. Many of the students at Path are among the poorest of the poor, but their test scores are among the highest in the state. Come hear Suttiwan’s inspiring story, and find out how we at St. Dunstan’s can help make a difference in the lives of these children. A light luncheon will follow the program.
  
• October 15 - 10:30 a.m. Home meeting with program and luncheon.

2009 ECW events

• February 18- 10:30 a.m. Home meeting with luncheon. Craig Withers will present a program on the global work of the Carter Center.
  
• April 15- 10:30 a.m. Meeting at the home of Jane Lamkin. Patricia Templeton will offer highlights of her service in Asia. A light luncheon follows the program.
  
• Wednesdays, March 4, through April 1 -Lenten luncheons
  
• May- United Thank Offering (UTO) Ingathering
  
• May 20 - 10:30 a.m. Meeting in the parish hall and beech grove with a potluck salad luncheon. The Sandy Springs Fire Department will provide revised protocol CPR training. ECW members with a gardening bent (indoor or outside gardening) will bring pass-along plants.

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Children and Youth

Blessings

We are truly blessed . Here it is, the end of the summer, a time when I very well could be scrambling for Sunday school teachers, but we have a full contingent. All of our teachers from last year agreed to teach again this year, and two vacancies, created because we are starting a new middle school class, were easily filled. I am constantly amazed by, and grateful for, the dedication and giftedness of the folks who step forth to teach Sunday school at our church. And I love how they are a varied group, which makes our Sunday school program richer and stronger. Yes, we are truly blessed. And not only with great teachers, but also with smart, funny, good-hearted, spirited children and youth! I believe that if we put them – teachers and children - together, the Holy Spirit will be among them, and wonderful things will happen! It may not be dramatic or even noticeable, but seeds of faith will be planted and nurtured and down the road, sooner or later, these seeds will bear fruit…for our children, our church, and our world. I hope your children will join us. Below is some information about our classes. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

~ Ellen Gallow

Godly Play (3 yrs. old – kindergarten): This Montessori-based curriculum uses wooden figures to tell Bible stories & teach the children about the church year. It encourages children to use their imaginations by asking them “I wonder” questions. It also gives children the opportunity to respond to the story in a way that is meaningful to them through art and play. This class will be taught by Vicki Ledet and Lynn Hood. Tami Kimball and Ellen Gallow will assist.

All Things New (1st-4th grades): This class will start with the story of Adam and Eve, then move on to learning about the patriarchs and matriarchs in the book of Genesis. Who were they? How were they related? What are their stories? What was God up to through their lives? All of this will be explored through drama, art, music, and games. The teachers are Jane Lamkin, Monte Kimball, and Jocelyn Bowman. They will alternate leading and assisting in the class.

New, yet-to-be-named 5th-6th grade class: Lucy Kaltenbach and Michele Smither will lead this class that will focus on understanding and using the Bible. The students in this class will also study the patriarchs and the matriarchs, relating their stories to issues in their own lives and the world.

High School/Confirmation: Bible, church history, worship, and personal calling are some of the topics that will be covered. In the spring the students will have the opportunity to choose to confirm the baptismal vows that were made for them. Part of the preparation will include service and visiting other worshipping communities. Ellen Gallow and Tim Black are the teachers.

Abundant Thanks

Thank you to Connor Mark and Jana Delfino for helping to organize and clean our nursery.

Thank you to Vicki Ledet for the improvements made to the ‘Godly Play’ room.

Thank you to Bruce Lafitte and Daria Jones for shelving they are donating to the Godly Play room. 

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From the Organist and Choirmaster

 

St. Dunstan's choirs for children

Parents, do your children love to sing? Did they love singing during Vacation Bible School? Do your children love to make up songs? Really? All right, then! Let’s talk about getting them into one of St. Dunstan’s two children’s choirs!

Now is the perfect time to begin working choir time into your Fall schedule. The Senior Choristers for those ages 8 and up (formerly the St. Cecilia Choir) meet to rehearse every Wednesday during the school year from 4:30-5:15 PM, beginning on September 10. Our program is based upon the Chorister Training Program developed by the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM), founded in England in 1927 by Sydney Nicholson, Organist of Westminster Abbey, with the goal of raising the quality of music in the local parish church. The plan combines musical training with Christian education to enable children to reach their full potential, offering their musical gifts in our regular Sunday worship services several times throughout the year.

The Junior Choristers for children ages 4-7 (formerly the St. Julian Choir) also meet every Wednesday from 5:30-5:55 PM, beginning on September 10. Rehearsals include time for a little play and are followed at 6:00 PM by our Wednesday evening Village Suppers.

Both groups will learn songs, which we’ll offer during our Sunday Services, and we’ll spend lots of time learning how music works on the page, how to use our voices well, and singing hymns and service music. We’ll also get to see how all of this ties in with our Liturgical Year. (Do you know who ACELEP is? Wednesdays in the Choir Room is the place to find out!)

Who knows? We might even dance a little!

Rehearsals will get underway on Wednesday, September 10. Please feel free to contact Steve Furches soon to talk about all the good stuff to come in kid’s music at St. Dunstan’s!

Fall Chorister Schedule begins soon!

Please consider joining one of the St. Dunstan Choirs.
New members are always welcome in all groups.

Wednesdays, September through May

	4:30- 5:15 PM	Senior choristers (ages 8 and up)
	5:30- 5:55 PM	Junior choristers (ages 4-7)
	6:00- 7:00 PM	Village Supper
	7:00- 9:15 PM	St. Dunstan Adult Choir (childcare available)

Please feel free to contact me at any time.

STEVE FURCHES
Organist and Choirmaster
404-266-1018

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Calling all artists

This year the Annual Council of the Diocese of Atlanta will be held Nov. 14-15 in Decatur. The council’s theme will be addressing the Millennium Development Goal to promote gender equality and empower women.

On Friday evening there will be worship at St. Timothy’s, followed by dinner, music and an art auction. The proceeds from the auction will be sent to a designated ministry empowering women.

The leaders of the council are asking all artists to donate some of their work for the auction. All kinds of art – pottery, painting, sculpture, fabric, woodwork, jewelry, photography, children’s art – is welcome.

Please send your donation to The Rev. Tim Graham; Church of the Good Shepherd; 4140 Clark Street; Covington, GA. 30014, or contact Tim at 678-230-8026.

 

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Thank you from Tanzania

I recently received this note from Sandy McCann, a missionary from this diocese who works with the Msalata Seminary in Tanzania, where we sent the $3,200 Lenten collection for mosquito nets and other medical needs. Sandy recently officiated at the funeral of a 7-month-old boy who died from malaria .

Dearest Tricia,

St Dunstan's have been our faithful companions in this mission. Thank you. I don't think you can realize what a relief it is not to have to go begging for funds every time we need nets or meds or glasses. But the biggest relief is to our students who now do not have to fear getting sick or not being able to see. Most of our students have never slept under a net until they have come here. I feel that we are being good servant leaders when we provide a net and a blanket for each of them. It shows that we want to lovingly care for them, and my hope is that this attitude they will take with them back to their villages. The pastors truly are the link to the outside world here. Please convey our heartfelt thanks to the people of St. Dunstan's whose generosity makes this wonderful gift possible.

Peace and joy,
Sandy McCann

 

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Parish retreat

The Vestry has been discussing ways to encourage membership growth at St. Dunstan's.  One idea, put forth in the Strategic Advisory Committee's list of recommendations, is that of having a Parish Retreat.  It has been 10 years since the last retreat and there are new individuals and families in the church.  Such an event would be a key element in creating an environment for spiritual and membership growth.  The spiritual focus of the retreat would be determined by the Rector and the Vestry.

Now comes the fun part.  Questions to be initially discussed are:  

• Where to hold a retreat ( Red Top Mountain State Park has been suggested)
• How long it should be (one day, a Saturday OR a Sunday; OR an entire weekend)
• What time of year (excluding the winter months if outdoor activities are included).

I welcome all ideas, suggestions, comments, and discussion.  I envision  parish-wide inclusion in the planning and carrying-out of this event, should it be decided to even schedule such a retreat.  Please contact me via the webmaster form on this site or call me at home or on my cell. (Consult your church directory or call the church to get either of these numbers if you do not have them.)

I look forward to hearing from as many folks as possible!

~ Jeanne Taylor

 

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Treasurer's update

In June we had a negative cash-flow month.

In July we took in more income than we spent.

The church is still “ahead” for the year-to-date period by about $10,000. Thanks go to all who responded to the 2nd quarter pledge statements with pledge gifts! Additionally, a number of our pledgers have already paid their annual pledge in full.

Historically St. Dunstan’s always tried to keep a two months’ operating “reserve.” This means that we would have enough cash on hand to operate for two months if (God forbid!) no money were to come in. Under our current budget, that would be approximately $52,000. We have not had that much of a reserve for several years. At present our reserve funds are approximately $44,000.

It’s important to note that this figure is based on a bare-bones budget for 2008. The vestry has once again written an appeal to the Diocese, asking that our 2009 assessment be $20,000 rather than the assessed $34,000 (this is $5,000 higher than our current obligation, after an appeal, and reflects our effort to slowly return to meeting our full obligation to the Diocese). It is hoped that in 2009 the budget will be able to “grow” to allow for not only this increase, but also to re-incorporate some level of Outreach funding. When that happens, our two months’ “reserve” will be a larger amount.

All of this is to say …. Thank you for your on-going support of St. Dunstan’s. And please keep those pledge checks coming in!

~Nancy Elliott, Treasurer

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Congratulations to Gay Allen on her retirement from the Center for Disease Control, August 31.

Welcome back to Beverly Susan Hall, a long-time member who rejoins us.

Our sympathy to Dottie Albright and James Millikan on the death of Dottie’s mother, Dot Albright, August 26.

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Flower guild ministry

Outreach news

September is St. Dunstan’s Month to Collect Food for
Buckhead Christian Ministry!