85th Anniversary Presentation Focuses on Capital Needs St. Elizabeth's at 85 - Who's Who in the Pew? Earn Money and Share God's Goodness this Summer if You're Age 18 - 80 Apostles' House Collection of Kitchen Items Return of the Kitchen Witches    Congratulations to 2008 HS Graduates!  And It Was FUN!!!  Reminder about the Parish Prayer List Upcoming Parishwide Events Hospitality

May 13 All-Parish Meeting Recap:
85th Anniversary Presentation Focuses on Capital Needs 

As one of several ongoing events celebrating St. Elizabeth's 85th anniversary, last month nearly 50 parishioners gathered in the Parish Hall to hear a presentation on the state of our beautiful, but aging, buildings. The meeting had a dual purpose:  to educate the parish and to get feedback on the idea of launching a capital campaign to finance capital maintenance and repair projects that are much needed at this point in our long parish history.  

Attendees raised many good questions and offered thoughtful responses, proper concerns, and solid suggestions.  There was a consensus that securing the $1.2 million needed for the repairs through a capital campaign was the right direction for our parish.  There was strong support, too, to raise an additional lump sum for an Outreach project chosen specifically for the anniversary campaign.  

Among the suggestions was to repeat the Capital Needs presentation one more time, with the goal of reaching as many members of St. Elizabeth's as possible.  Therefore, on Sunday, June 15, immediately following the 10:00 worship service, the presentation will be given again in the Parish Hall.  Please mark your calendars and plan to attend!  This is your chance to hear the plan and be part of the decision-making process.

Gigo Taylor/Debra Anderson

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St. Elizabeth's at 85 - "Who's Who in the Pew?"

What does St. Elizabeth's mean to you?  Do you have a favorite memory, anecdote, story to share?  In celebration of our 85th anniversary, we are compiling personal memories of life at St. Elizabeth's - funny, sad, poignant, whatever you would like to share.  We welcome writers of all ages and hope to hear from everyone. If you would like to recount your story orally, we will gladly be your scribe!

We will draw on these anecdotes to prepare inserts for the upcoming weekly Sunday bulletins and to make a memory book to mark the 85th anniversary of St. Elizabeth's. 

• Submissions should be brief, up to 250 words. CLICK HERE FOR A FORM

• Submit via email at st_ez85@yahoo.com

• Or leave hard copy in church:  85th anniversary mailbox

For more information, questions or to set up a time for an oral history, feel free to contact Debra Anderson

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Earn Money and Share God's Goodness this Summer if You're Age 18 - 80   

If you're age 18 through 80 and you'd like to earn some money making the world a better place this summer, St. Paul's in Paterson has an exciting job for you.  As a staff member of CityServe from June 26 through August 13, you could be one of 21 staff members leading a community service-based "day camp " for fifty 13 to 15-year olds. The CityServe program of fun, community service, leadership development, and academic enrichment provides its inner-city "campers " with a safe space where they are encouraged toward positive lifestyles and belief in their own potential.  Staff members earn $1,974 in cash and a $1,000 education award.  Needed for the staff are Team Leaders, an Art Teacher, a Politics and Government Teacher, a Cook and Assistant Cook (to prepare breakfast and lunch every day for 70 people), an Administrator and a CDL Driver (they'll help you get your CDL license).  See Lori Howard in the Church Office for more info and a job application.  The Application Deadline is May 31, 2008, but applications will likely be accepted after that date.

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Apostles' House Collection of Kitchen Items 

We have received a call from Apostles' House, requesting new or gently used pots and pans, kitchen utensils, flatware, etc.  Their need is great as they have two women who will be moving into their own apartments and who need everything to equip a kitchen.  These women are success stories, and it would be so nice to help them and their children start over with kitchens set up for family use. 

Thank you for your continued support of Apostles' House, which really appreciates the help they get from St. E's.  If you have any questions, please call Mollie Galletly.

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Return of the Kitchen Witches   

The Kitchen Witches are back!!  And they have been busy collecting dishes and containers that have been left in the main kitchen.  Please be sure to check the cart in the kitchen and see if any of these items belong to you.  Unclaimed items will be given to the Thrift Shop or Apostles' House.  We also have some non-kitchen items on the cart as well.

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Congratulations to 2008 High School Graduates! 

      Nancy Angelica                  Anna Hilditch              Michael Ng
      Zachary Belair                    Cameron Jones           John Saydah
      Tucker Borgman                 Tory Marchlik            Sarina Taylor
      John Davison                      Tory Mather               Thomas Vollkommer
      Christopher DePlautt          Alex Middleton           Christopher Weimann
      Ryan Fischer 

If you have a family member graduating from college, graduate school, or some other educational program, call the office so we can list them in September!

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And It Was FUN!!!

What started out to be a tongue-in-cheek Parish Work (FUN) Day, actually turned into that.  May 3rd started out with a misty rain that soon turned into a drizzle, but what a perfect opportunity for "the guys " (and resident gardener Beth Veca's sidekick Kathy Cohen) to throw on jackets, grab shovels, follow Beth's directions, and plant Star Magnolia trees and azaleas.  

Meanwhile, the younger crew was inside.  A star definitely goes to Aidan DeGooyer, our youngest worker, who, with his mom, spent his time dusting the kneelers while Aidan Walsh and his buddy were downstairs in the Kindergarten classroom and nursery wiping and sanitizing all the toys. 

Russ Borgman and Tim Waesche were happily checking off "complete " on the To Do list, just as more folks came in to help the weary and finish up even more jobs. To make the day even more FUN, the sun came out just as Don Chappell and the barbeque team got things fired up for dogs* and burgers.  

Thanks to all who participated. An unexpected total of 42 parishioners worked to make the garden glorious and the inside sparkle.  There's still more to be done; some of which can be done in small doses, some which will be a major undertaking, but a glorious community effort was certainly done by all.  I hope everyone in the parish has taken a moment or two to reflect on the Children's Garden and the west "hill " as they enter or leave from the parking lot.  We are truly blessed.  

*More dogs in the fall.  Note taken. 

Thanks again to everyone
Tim Waesche

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Reminder about the Parish Prayer List   

Please remember that we refresh our list three times a year:  at the First Sunday in Advent, at the beginning of our Church year; at Ash Wednesday (February 6th this year), the beginning of Lent, the season in which prayer takes a special place in our spiritual lives, and at Pentecost, the day we remember the gift of the Holy Spirit, which helps us to pray when we do not know how to pray ourselves (Romans 8:26-27).   

As Ash Wednesday approaches, please be in touch with the Parish Office to include a name on the Prayer List for the next season.  There is no limit to how often a name may be added, nor is there any membership requirement for being on the list.  Names may be put on for a specified period of time within the season of the list, and names may be removed at any time.  Thanksgivings, as well as intercessions, are always appropriate for the Prayer List.  It is our custom to pray for people who have died for four Sundays following our receipt of the name. 

LAC

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Upcoming Parishwide Events    

July 2                     Holy Eucharist and Healing Prayer  -  11:30 am
July 16                   Holy Eucharist and Healing Prayer  -  11:30 am
August 6                Feast of the Transfiguration
                              Holy Eucharist and Healing Prayer  -  11:30 am
August 15              September Tower Deadline
August 20              Holy Eucharist and Healing Prayer  -  11:30 am

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Hospitality    

Welcome Newcomers 

A big thank you is extended to our gracious St. Elizabeth's parishioners who baked bread for some of our newer members in the past few weeks.  Baking and delivering bread were: Lori Shepherd, George and Anastasia Swope, Karla Tombaugh, and Lori Yevchak. 

Though many newer members have taken the time to grant us interviews for short biographies in The Tower, many have not.  Ideally, we would publish a biography for every new person or family.  Please avail yourself of this opportunity by calling Ron and Nicole Schick or Anne Nettleton.  We would love to find out more about you, your families, and what brought you to St. Elizabeth's!  

St. Elizabeth's warmly welcomes these new parishioners...

      Todd and Sarah Burrows and their children, Charlie and Jane;
      Tom and Jill O'Brien and their children, Nathan, Julia, and Samuel; and
      Syd and Lora Salt. 

N.B.:  Our apologies to the McElroy family for the error in listing their daughters in this section of last month's Tower.  The entry should have read:  Todd and Paige McElroy and their daughters, Peyton and Meredith.  

Hospitality Ministry  

Greeters

         June 1              Carol Bald
         June 8              Member of the Church School
         June 15            Maura Fleming
         June 22            Alex Howard
         June 29             

Hospitality Hosts

         June 1              7th Grade Parents
         June 8              The Wesson Family
         June 15            The Graham and Watson Families
         June 22           
         June 29           

Hospitality Hour hosts are needed for June 22 and 29, as well as for upcoming Sundays throughout the summer.  If you would like to volunteer, please sign up on the special summer signup board in the Parish Hall or call the Church Office (201-444-2299).

Let mutual love continue.  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it."  

Hebrews 13:1-2

What Is Hospitality?

You shall not oppress a stranger; you know the heart of a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.  (Exodus 23:9 RSV)

A common theme in early Christian stories of hospitality "relates to the questions of identity...Early Christians talk about (this) identity in terms of the stranger, the sojourner, or the foreigner....Given their political location in the Roman Empire, it is not surprising that stranger status would be a primary way Christians understood themselves and their place in the world.  These Christians frequently remind one another that their allegiance is not with the powers of this world and they must hold a sort of double-consciousness....Christians under arrest often identify themselves not by reference to their nationality or province or even their family of origin, but by reference to Jerusalem or God as authoritative sources of identity...."

"And You Welcomed Me"

A Sourcebook on Hospitality in Early Christianity

By Amy G. Oden  

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