This letter from Annemarie Fredericks expresses the consensus of our Vestry. It is an outcome of the Strategic Planning process that we have been developing over the past two years. Thank you for your careful attention to it!
Dear Fellow Parishioners at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church,
Our parish is in great shape:
Physically – our grounds are tip top, building repairs have been made and a beautiful new addition was installed in the big church (e.g., the new stained glass window!)
Financially – our church accounts are tidy and their balances are well managed
Personally – our clergy and staff are productive, helpful, efficient and dear to our hearts
Charitably – our outreach to our community in dollars and in programming has never been higher
Spiritually – our Sunday worship in two services is steady and well attended, with some new faces among us (Yay!)
Strategically – ah! Now THAT is where we might take advantage of some fine tuning…
But first, an aside:
What does it mean to be a member of this church? Yes, we welcome all who want to draw closer to God in our Episcopal tradition, but what does that mean exactly? Since I’m a relative newcomer to this Episcopal parish, I’ve learned that to be a member of this church, we have key faith practices aside of those beliefs listed in the Nicene Creed that we pray on Sundays.
Specifically, we Episcopalians are reverent, thrifty, kind, intellectually curious and we are especially noted for our generosity in giving of our time, talent and treasure to worthy causes inside and outside of our church. We pride ourselves on having a church and campus that is run well, is an asset to the community and that is open to supporting those groups in our community needing a home.
To run our parish the way we do, we rely on the ability of our parishioners to devote their time to vestry when requested, to help with special events as needed and to add to our sustained collective effort in sharing the load financially…it is our Bounden Duty.
As a result of the measurable progress we’ve made in supporting our community with family centric programming, for being able to help the less fortunate and the bereaved, our church is at a crossroads. During our Strategic Visioning effort undertaken over the last year, our parish has been able to clarify what is important to all of us, as well as what we’d like to see St. Gabriel’s to be known for in the next five years.
We want more young people and families to celebrate with us; we want our long time parishioners to be able to stay in touch with the parish, even when they cannot be physically present. We want to maintain and enrich our music ministry. We can, and will, make this happen, but not without your help.
So where are the crossroads, you say?
Clearly, the initial faces of St. Gabriel’s to our larger community are our Rev. Geoffrey and our Deacon Cathy. While they are only two people, enlightened by God’s fire in their hearts, they are only two people. Geoffrey is known as the “go-to minister” when no one else can come, and he guides us with nudges and suggestions in services throughout the year. Cathy trains our acolytes, helps with Sunday School, pastoral care and is our representative to the Councils on Aging, food pantries, kids in transitional housing who need school supplies and the originator of our Family Connections program that is now reaching out to our schools and their parents, whether or not they are “churched”.
What about those young people and families? Neither Geoffrey nor Cathy have any more hours left. We need another horse to pull this wagon, which means that your vestry, and therefore your parish, is contemplating the addition of another part-time Assistant Priest. Her/his ministry will be to engage newcomers, youth and young families, and to share in pastoral care over the next several years.
The timing of hiring an assistant priest will be when our annual pledging can support the additional cost without inordinately drawing down our church investment account. This may take time so we must start to build our church budget now with this goal in mind.
So now, here is the strategic thinking part: this message is not your old “beating the drum to make a pledge for next year so our budget can be balanced for our annual meeting in January” letter. Instead, this is a stewardship letter pointedly asking you to reflect on your “skin in this game” for our future. Are you in? Can you prove it with a first time pledge or another pledge, knowing that we’ll be asking again next year and the year after?
Together we can do great things. As members of this Episcopal Church, it is our Bounden Duty. But here’s an even better reason:
God loves us, and it feels good to give!
The rewards of giving outweigh the anxiety we have over making a commitment to this church, but you won’t know this until you experience it personally. It doesn’t matter how much…what matters is that you make a commitment…$5/week, $100/week? You decide…there are no pledge police…but pledging is what we do. With your pledge your vestry plans responsibly. We want to welcome you into full membership of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church. It’s your right and a true joy. We can’t wait to share it with you.
With joy from one who knows,
Am Fredericks
Dear Fellow Parishioners at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church,
Our parish is in great shape:
Physically – our grounds are tip top, building repairs have been made and a beautiful new addition was installed in the big church (e.g., the new stained glass window!)
Financially – our church accounts are tidy and their balances are well managed
Personally – our clergy and staff are productive, helpful, efficient and dear to our hearts
Charitably – our outreach to our community in dollars and in programming has never been higher
Spiritually – our Sunday worship in two services is steady and well attended, with some new faces among us (Yay!)
Strategically – ah! Now THAT is where we might take advantage of some fine tuning…
But first, an aside:
What does it mean to be a member of this church? Yes, we welcome all who want to draw closer to God in our Episcopal tradition, but what does that mean exactly? Since I’m a relative newcomer to this Episcopal parish, I’ve learned that to be a member of this church, we have key faith practices aside of those beliefs listed in the Nicene Creed that we pray on Sundays.
Specifically, we Episcopalians are reverent, thrifty, kind, intellectually curious and we are especially noted for our generosity in giving of our time, talent and treasure to worthy causes inside and outside of our church. We pride ourselves on having a church and campus that is run well, is an asset to the community and that is open to supporting those groups in our community needing a home.
To run our parish the way we do, we rely on the ability of our parishioners to devote their time to vestry when requested, to help with special events as needed and to add to our sustained collective effort in sharing the load financially…it is our Bounden Duty.
As a result of the measurable progress we’ve made in supporting our community with family centric programming, for being able to help the less fortunate and the bereaved, our church is at a crossroads. During our Strategic Visioning effort undertaken over the last year, our parish has been able to clarify what is important to all of us, as well as what we’d like to see St. Gabriel’s to be known for in the next five years.
We want more young people and families to celebrate with us; we want our long time parishioners to be able to stay in touch with the parish, even when they cannot be physically present. We want to maintain and enrich our music ministry. We can, and will, make this happen, but not without your help.
So where are the crossroads, you say?
Clearly, the initial faces of St. Gabriel’s to our larger community are our Rev. Geoffrey and our Deacon Cathy. While they are only two people, enlightened by God’s fire in their hearts, they are only two people. Geoffrey is known as the “go-to minister” when no one else can come, and he guides us with nudges and suggestions in services throughout the year. Cathy trains our acolytes, helps with Sunday School, pastoral care and is our representative to the Councils on Aging, food pantries, kids in transitional housing who need school supplies and the originator of our Family Connections program that is now reaching out to our schools and their parents, whether or not they are “churched”.
What about those young people and families? Neither Geoffrey nor Cathy have any more hours left. We need another horse to pull this wagon, which means that your vestry, and therefore your parish, is contemplating the addition of another part-time Assistant Priest. Her/his ministry will be to engage newcomers, youth and young families, and to share in pastoral care over the next several years.
The timing of hiring an assistant priest will be when our annual pledging can support the additional cost without inordinately drawing down our church investment account. This may take time so we must start to build our church budget now with this goal in mind.
So now, here is the strategic thinking part: this message is not your old “beating the drum to make a pledge for next year so our budget can be balanced for our annual meeting in January” letter. Instead, this is a stewardship letter pointedly asking you to reflect on your “skin in this game” for our future. Are you in? Can you prove it with a first time pledge or another pledge, knowing that we’ll be asking again next year and the year after?
Together we can do great things. As members of this Episcopal Church, it is our Bounden Duty. But here’s an even better reason:
God loves us, and it feels good to give!
The rewards of giving outweigh the anxiety we have over making a commitment to this church, but you won’t know this until you experience it personally. It doesn’t matter how much…what matters is that you make a commitment…$5/week, $100/week? You decide…there are no pledge police…but pledging is what we do. With your pledge your vestry plans responsibly. We want to welcome you into full membership of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church. It’s your right and a true joy. We can’t wait to share it with you.
With joy from one who knows,
Am Fredericks
FAMILY CONNECTIONS AT ST. GABRIEL’S
FAMILY SUPPER & PUMPKIN FEST!
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018
6:00PM – 7:30PM
FAMILY SUPPER & PUMPKIN FEST!
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018
6:00PM – 7:30PM
Bring your own pumpkin.
Carving, Stickers, Painting supplies provided.
Families may wear costumes and have their pictures taken.
Please sign up on Sunday at church or RSVP by calling/emailing the church office by October 17th.
508-748-1507 stgabrielsmarion@gmail.com
ALL WELCOME!
Carving, Stickers, Painting supplies provided.
Families may wear costumes and have their pictures taken.
Please sign up on Sunday at church or RSVP by calling/emailing the church office by October 17th.
508-748-1507 stgabrielsmarion@gmail.com
ALL WELCOME!
This Sunday School year, our children are receiving a special gift. It is a Spend, Save, Share box that they will put together with their families. During classes, we will emphasize especially the importance of sharing. Our particular focus will be on how our children’s giving enables God’s work in the world.
Why do we Give? To demonstrate the loving and giving nature of God. Through Bible stories, lessons, and an outreach field trip or two the children will continue to learn about Jesus, the greatest giver, who changes us and our world!
What do we give? No matter how much treasure, talent or time we give, we offer it gladly, and God’s power multiplies the gift for his work. Often, our families think that the adults’ donations suffice to cover all of God’s concerns. We know from our own offerings as children that we experience God’s blessing when our own hands are extended and opened to make our own gifts! We train young hearts in honesty, in courtesy, in every other virtue. We are right to train our youngest children in the virtues of generosity and sharing. Remember the child’s role in the feeding of the five thousand story? The child brought five loaves and two fish. In spite of the small amount, the boy was willing to give it to Jesus. Jesus did great things with that offering!
How do we give? God invites us to give what we can, as often as we can, with happy hearts. God loves cheerful givers! We start by the spiritual discipline of setting apart a portion of our income—alongside our saving and spending money—to share with God’s worship and work in our world. At a later date, the children will bring the monies from the Share part of their box into church. All Sharing money will be used for a special outreach ministry that each Sunday School class will choose.
Parents: we rely on your diligent leadership in this good work! Please help the children assemble their boxes. Put the box in a prominent place in your home, and talk with the kids about the opportunities they will have to manage their Spending, Saving, and Sharing. Let them know how you make your Sharing commitments. Please keep this a cheerful ongoing conversation, and don’t let it become a source of conflict! We want to join with you as we unleash their compassion and generosity, their giving and sharing to bless our world.
Grandparents and parish mentors: if you would like to purchase a Spend, Save, Share box for your grandchildren, or for other children, please come to the Parish Hall after church. Our cost was $3.75, however any donation to help cover the cost is welcome.
Why do we Give? To demonstrate the loving and giving nature of God. Through Bible stories, lessons, and an outreach field trip or two the children will continue to learn about Jesus, the greatest giver, who changes us and our world!
What do we give? No matter how much treasure, talent or time we give, we offer it gladly, and God’s power multiplies the gift for his work. Often, our families think that the adults’ donations suffice to cover all of God’s concerns. We know from our own offerings as children that we experience God’s blessing when our own hands are extended and opened to make our own gifts! We train young hearts in honesty, in courtesy, in every other virtue. We are right to train our youngest children in the virtues of generosity and sharing. Remember the child’s role in the feeding of the five thousand story? The child brought five loaves and two fish. In spite of the small amount, the boy was willing to give it to Jesus. Jesus did great things with that offering!
How do we give? God invites us to give what we can, as often as we can, with happy hearts. God loves cheerful givers! We start by the spiritual discipline of setting apart a portion of our income—alongside our saving and spending money—to share with God’s worship and work in our world. At a later date, the children will bring the monies from the Share part of their box into church. All Sharing money will be used for a special outreach ministry that each Sunday School class will choose.
Parents: we rely on your diligent leadership in this good work! Please help the children assemble their boxes. Put the box in a prominent place in your home, and talk with the kids about the opportunities they will have to manage their Spending, Saving, and Sharing. Let them know how you make your Sharing commitments. Please keep this a cheerful ongoing conversation, and don’t let it become a source of conflict! We want to join with you as we unleash their compassion and generosity, their giving and sharing to bless our world.
Grandparents and parish mentors: if you would like to purchase a Spend, Save, Share box for your grandchildren, or for other children, please come to the Parish Hall after church. Our cost was $3.75, however any donation to help cover the cost is welcome.
Mark your calendars!
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We would be happy to know about any items you would like to donate. Furniture, housewares, rugs and antiques are especially desirable - but please, no clothing or electronics! We will also be holding a food/bake sale with soups, casseroles, bread, cookies and other baked goodies. Sponsored by the adult Choir, the sale helps to fund the special music at the festive services of the year, such as Christmas, Palm Sunday and Easter, as well as providing a tithe to outreach organizations. We're grateful for your donations, which are tax-deductible - so it's a win-win! Any help to organize and tag the sale items would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Leslie Piper with any questions at lesliepiper@msn.com.
Thanks for helping us to make a joyful noise to the Lord!
Thanks for helping us to make a joyful noise to the Lord!
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The Rev. Geoffrey Piper- Rector The Rev. Catherine Harper - Deacon Leslie Piper - Choir Director & Organist Janet Bullock - Administrative Assistant Terry Saulnier - Bookkeeper Amos Perry - Sexton Church office hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 2:30 pm Our Weekly Schedule Sunday Rite I 8:00 in the Chapel Rite II 10:00 in the Main Church During the school year we have Sunday School for grades Pre-K through grades 6 at our later service. Youth group meets monthly, please call the church office for more information. Nursery is available at our 10:00 service. Wednesday Morning Prayer with Communion in the Chapel at 7:30 followed by a Bible Study at 8:00 and a Women's Bible Study at 11:00 in the Library St. Gabriel's Episcopal church is located in Marion, Massachusetts on the corner of Front and South street at 124 Front Street. Parking is available on South Street as well as in the lot located on the right between South and Main Streets. |
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Please click for our Facebook Page or to Email the office-------------------------->
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