By Beverly Whitley
The March Ladies’ Night out will be Tuesday, March 8, 2016, at 6:00 PM at Firebirds Restaurant in Midlothian. A sign-up sheet is posted in Denny Hall.
Ladies’ Night Out is an opportunity for Manakin women to share a meal and get to know one another!
By Holly Walker
In February, we enter the 40 days of Lent, a time of reflection as we prepare ourselves for Holy Week and Christ’s resurrection. Throughout the Lenten season, Manakin will offer a series of Wednesday evening programs to support this period of self-examination.
This year’s theme is “Going Beyond the Doors of the Church.” In today’s complex and ever-changing world, finding ways to fully live into our faith can be challenging. How do we express our faith in our workplace and in our community, while respecting the beliefs of those of other religions? How do we reconcile advances in technology and science with our faith? How do cultural influences impact the way we prioritize God in our lives? How does our faith develop throughout our lives?
During Manakin’s Lenten Program, we will explore these questions and more as we take a thought provoking look at our faith from multiple perspectives.
February 17
“Go to Love and Serve”
Speaker: Rev. Canon Fletcher Lowe
How do we incorporate our faith into all aspects in our lives? When we leave our church each Sunday, how do we continue to live into God’s Word? How do we take the gifts God has given us and utilize them in our careers, our communities and our families? Join us as Rev. Canon Fletcher Lowe helps us explores these questions and more.
February 24
“Celebrating the Richmond Area’s Diversity”
Speaker: Bill Martin, Director, The Valentine
What makes the Richmond area so diverse? How do we celebrate those differences and understand how they create a rich, vibrant community for us to live and worship in? Join us as Bill Martin, director of The Valentine, gives us a look at our area’s incredible diversity.
March 2
“Religion and Science”
Speaker: Rev. John Kerr
What is science, and what isn’t it? How do we reconcile science with our religious beliefs? Do we have to separate them and only believe in one or the other, or can we find common ground? Join us as Rev. Kerr takes us on a journey to look at science and religion through topics such as creationism and evolution.
March 9
“Our Evolving Faith: Why Bad Things Happen to Good People”
Speaker: Rev. Peter Stimpson
Our faith can be challenged throughout our lives, especially when bad things happen, such as the death of a loved one, the diagnosis of a serious illness, the loss of a job, or the challenges caused by a financial crisis. How can God allow this? Join us as Rev. Peter Stimpson shows us how the Bible answers this question and provides us with the strength to help us cope with whatever comes our way.
March 16
“Christianity in the Broader Culture”
Speaker: Caroline Black, Canon for Formation, Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia
Our culture is ever changing. Families and individuals prioritize their time differently than they did 20 years ago. People face different demands. The internet and social media have changed how information is shared and have blurred the lines between fact and fiction.
Each Wednesday, we will gather in Denny Hall at 6:30 PM for a potluck dinner. Our speaker will begin his/her presentation at 7:15 PM, and the program will be wrapped up around 8 PM or shortly thereafter.
A special thank you to the members of the Lenten Program Planning Committee: John Carnwath, Birdie Lighthiser, Jeff Lighthiser and Martha Steger.
By Birdie Lighthiser
Galatians 6:2
“Help carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:10
“So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially those who be- long to our family in the faith.”
Thank you to all who have reached out and shown kindness to someone in our church family during this past month. Phone calls, cards, conversations, e-mails, meals, transportation, prayers, visits, flowers…all of these are ways we can help one another. If you know of someone who might need help or if you are willing to sign up to be a person who will help, please contact the Church Office. Thank you to all of you who are on our Prayer Vine. Thank you to our Gracious Gourmets. And, thank you to our Stephen Ministers who quietly continue to reach out to their care receivers. Also, thank you to the Rev. Martha Jenkins who continues to be our clergy person during this time of transition.
By Tricia Kohlbeck and Pat Rock
In anticipation of the Christmas season, we are currently taking orders for poinsettias. The flowers you order will be used to decorate the church at Christmas, and those whom you wish to remember or honor will be listed in the church bulletin. After the holiday services have concluded, you will be invited to take your poinsettias home. If you are interested in purchasing a poinsettia, please fill out the forms provided in Denny Hall. The cost is $12 per plant, and all orders must be received by no later than Monday, November 23.
By Tricia Kohlbeck and Pat Rock
Eight Altar Guild members enjoyed High Tea in Denny Hall on Saturday, October 10. Tricia Kohlbeck and Pat Rock hosted the tea. Those in attendance enjoyed an afternoon of fellowship and delicious treats. Many thanks to Beth Christiano for providing a wonderful pound cake for the event. After enjoying tea and refreshments, the group discussed Altar Guild needs.
On Sunday, October 11, new covers for the altar linens were blessed by The Rev. Peter Stimpson and presented to the Altar Guild co-chairs. The covers were made and donated by Halsey Dillard. We thank Halsey for her labor of love and her donation of time and talent. Following the blessing, Altar Guild members were recognized and applauded for their service.
As the end of the year approaches, plans for Advent and Christmas will be made, and a new schedule for 2016 will be developed. We would like to welcome our new member, Sudy Adams.
By Don Marsh
The next Men of the Church breakfast meeting is Saturday, December 5 at 8:00 a.m. The program will be “Christmas Traditions: Background and History” presented by Don Marsh. Don will discuss where many of the Christmas traditions we observe during the Holidays originated. Come enjoy a hearty breakfast, and learn why Christmastime has such wonderful traditions.
By Beverly Whitley
The next Ladies Night Out will be Tuesday, November 10 at 6:00 p.m. at Cooper’s Hawk Restaurant, Short Pump Shopping Center. This is in a standalone building facing Broad Street in front of the shopping center
A sign-up sheet is posted in Denny Hall.
Ladies’ Night Out is an opportunity for all women who would like to visit with and get to know other Manakin women and enjoy a meal together.
As we begin the transition to a new phase of ministry at Manakin and prepare for the November 8 Annual Meeting of the congregation, it seems to be an appropriate time to discuss Stewardship.
Most of us are familiar with the three Ts used to describe Stewardship—offering our Time, our Talents and our Treasure in support of the mission of the church. Too often we focus on the “T” in Treasure as it is associated with the annual stewardship drive or as we Episcopalians say—“The Every Member Canvass.” It is good to emphasize the importance of that drive as it is the main factor in preparing our yearly operating budget. For the last few years, we have met or exceeded our current year pledge goals and have operated with balanced budgets.
But of more importance are the contributions given by our members of their Time and Talent. These become even more important during a period of transition. These two vital areas impact all the programs of the church and make us who we are—they are the true image of the Parish to our members, to the Community and to those who visit us. They provide every member the opportunity to be involved and gain a sense of self-fulfillment.
The list of the areas for contribution is too long for this letter, risks overlooking important areas and risks failing to give credit where credit is due. However, a few examples are: Altar Guild, Acolytes, Choir, Church School, Coffee Hour, Eucharistic Ministers, EfM, Lay Readers, Men and Women of the Church, Outreach, Ushers, and Stephen Ministers. Support of all these areas becomes more important when we are in flux and run the risk of becoming disengaged during the search process. Our Parish Leadership will be working during the coming months to strengthen our committees and focus on growth rather than maintenance of a status quo.
One area in which Manakin is fortunate is that it has a good start at building a financially strong and stable Church through the Manakin Foundation – with assets set aside from operating surpluses in the past and assets received from others as exemplified by the Denny Trust. There is the opportunity to grow this endowment through estate gifts that do not have a current cost. This is an area in which we have been notified of several commitments from current parishioners and which we hope to expand with an ongoing program to let our members know how they can include the Foundation in their estate plans.
Our goal is to have programs and human and financial assets in place so we can develop a leadership team to work with a new rector to ensure the long-term future growth of Manakin Episcopal Church. We appreciate everyone’s gifts of Time, Talent and Treasure. Your service and commitment to our Parish is truly appreciated and makes a difference in our ministry to each other and the Community.
By Birdie Lighthiser
Many people have asked me to pass along their “thank yous” for the many acts of caring that you have provided during the past month. Thank you for your prayers, meal preparation, transportation help, cards, call, e-mails and visits. You are all a part of the Pastoral Care Committee! If you need help or know someone who needs help, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Don’t forget our Prayer Vine. Prayer requests can be made at any time. If you would like to be part of our Prayer Vine, please contact the Church Office.
By Martha Steger
Before going on his sabbatical, Michael+ made Bob Pinkham and me aware of the need to expand lay-ministry services to Manakin members unable to get to church for the Eucharist. At present our lay-ministry group of five (Bob, Harry Broaddus, Brooke Doggett, Sarah Mahoney and me) administers the Eucharist as a vital part of the services we provide on the first Sunday of each month at Brookdale and Southerland Place assisted-living centers.
Anyone interested in becoming part of an expanded group to take the Eucharist to Manakin members unable to get to church can speak to either Harry or me at the 8:00 a.m. service or Bob or Brooke at the 10:00 a.m. service, or to Sarah, who is usually at Manakin during both services. This is a very important ministry, and the training would only take an hour of anyone’s time. I am hoping to set up a convenient training session before the end of September and will be back in touch with those who express interest.
I confess that I did not realize what a spiritual experience administering the Eucharist could be for a server until I became involved in this outreach program. I have come to see it as part of salvation – one day at a time. As the Rev. Robert D. Flanagan, priest in the Diocese of New York, author and educator, has written, “…for Episcopalians it is the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist that bring us into salvation and return us to relationship with God, respectively.”