What are the 12 days of Christmas really about? Though the song speaks of all the gifts “my true love gave to me,” it fails to name Jesus Christ as our true love who gave his life, so all who loved him and came to believe in the “good news” would have eternal life at his second coming. With the hustle of gift buying, parties and other events going on around Christmas, we seldom think about the 12 days of Christmas. The 12 days lead up to the Epiphany, 6 January, when the wise men followed the star and came to seek Jesus. Since we are still in the season of Christmas, it is just something to think about. At St. John’s Episcopal Church in Youngstown, the Rev, Gayle Catinella, who had just returned from the Holy Land two days prior, said our notions of the Christmas story are all wrong. People at that time all slept in one room at the inn. They carried their own bed rolls to sleep on. She came to the conclusion that the stable was the only private place for a woman giving birth. The innkeeper lived in the front of the stable with the animals in the back part. She spoke of the very small spaces where families lived. Everything went on in the same space, cook, eat and sleep. What an epiphany! (Epiphany, a sudden realization about the nature or meaning of something-according to the business dictionary.)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Baptizer The Newsletter for St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church 1505 East Wooster Street, Bowling Green, OH 43402

this issue

Cover Story, p. 1 Financial Report, p. 2

St. John’s News, p.3

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 7 Potluck

January 16 Vestry Meeting, 7pm

January 21 Annual Meeting

January 28 Bishop Hollingsworth

February 2-3 Winter Convocation Kalahari Conference Center Sandusky

January, 2018

St. John’s did not hold its regular monthly vestry meeting May.

Financial Report

December 2012

YTD

2012 Budget

Revenues

Plate

378.71 2,271.43

1,500.00

Pledges

2,290.00 34,058.00

33,690.00

Discretionary Fund

25.00 848.00

Flowers

60.00 960.00 6,700.00

Other Gifts

1,407.00 5,741.19

Interest Income

.77 62.42

20.00

Diocesan Grant

4,181.66

50,179.92

50,180.00

Miscellaneous

0.00

44.10

0.00

Total Revenues

8,343.14 95,165.06

92,090.00

Total Expenses

8,199.38 129,192.23

102,680.00

Revenues minus Expenses

143.76

(34,027.17)

(10,590.00)

November, 2017 Financial Report

November 30, 2017 YTD

Income: $ 6,102.00 $46,214.72

Expenses: $ 5,947.48 $53,121.14

Net Income $154.52 $(6,906.42) If you have any questions about this financial report, please call

St. John’s office at (419) 353-0881.

Jon Klever Parish Treasurer

A History of Ohio’s Seventh Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Nelson M. Burroughs

The seventh bishop of the Diocese of Ohio, Nelson M. Burroughs, was born on July

12, 1899, in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Robert Nelson Burroughs and Lillian May

Dunworth. He received a B.A. from Wesleyan University in 1922 and studied

theology at the Berkeley Divinity School in 1925. He married Ann “Nancy” Bywater

Cluett in 1938. Together they had four children: Robert N., Anita B. Fahy, Margaret

G. and Timothy R.

Burroughs was ordained in 1925. After various curate and rector positions in

Syracuse and Troy, New York, he served as rector at Christ Church in Cincinnati,

from 1939 to 1949. His work there helped establish the church as one of the most

prominent Episcopal parishes in the country. One of his innovations was to

establish a “Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival” at Christ Church which he

subsequently brought to the Diocese of Ohio when he became the bishop. Another

innovation was his insistence that lay leadership should be shared widely by many

people rather than just a few.

After being elected Bishop Coadjutor, Burroughs delayed his decision to accept, in

part because of his affection for the people of Christ Church and Cincinnati. After

prayerful consideration, he accepted this new challenge and was duly consecrated

as Bishop Coadjutor in November, 1949. He became “the Bishop” when Bishop

Tucker retired in 1952.

Outside of Ohio, Burroughs served as the president of the church’s Fifth Province

(Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maryland) from 1957 through 1963. He

also served as the vice-chair of the House of Bishops from 1958 through 1968,

presided over the House of Bishops in 1965, and was a member of the National

Council in 1963.

(continued in next column)

Seventh Bishop (cont).

Burrough’s episcopacy saw the purchase of the Cedar Hills Center and the establishment of this institution as a place for camps and conferences. He successfully navigated two substantial financial campaigns. The Episcopal Advance Fund provided for the creation of 10 new missions, 37 church buildings, and the Diocesan headquarters (Church House).

During Burrough’s tenure as Bishop, the decision was made to move Bexley Hall, the seminary of Kenyon College, to Rochester, New York where it would become part of an ecumenical consortium of theological schools known as “The Colgate Rochester Divinity School/Bexley Hall/Crozier Theological Seminary.” He also oversaw the creation of the diocesan Archives and initiated a program to microfilm parish record books and vestry minutes for each congregation in Ohio.

In 1968 Burroughs moved to Chatham, Massachusetts. He died at the age of 99 on December 19, 1998, in Exeter, New Hampshire, where he and his wife moved in the early 1990’s.

Source: Beth Bergstrom, Communications Intern at the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio

R W

News from the Vestry

St. John’s held its regular monthly vestry meeting December 19, 2017 The meeting opened with prayer. The following was discussed: Building & Grounds: The toilet seat in the men’s room was replaced, and the sink still needs to be attended to. The parking lot still needs to be repaired. Financial: No report. Senior Warden: Baptizer copy is due on the 20th of December. Other Business: The rental policy will be discussed at January’s Vestry meeting. The Bishop’s visit was discussed. The questions of vestments and the number of people to call for making refreshments for the reception were discussed.

The meeting closed with prayer.

Next Vestry meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 16, 2017 at 7pm.

Remember that all parishioners are welcome to attend vestry meetings.

1/10 Mike Grassley 1/13 Laurie Nesbitt 1/29 Ann Stubbs 1/31 Holly Lashaway

Please take a moment this month

to pray for those members of our

community who celebrate a

birthday.

Even better, send a card, give a

phone call, or share your good

wishes in some more personal

way. Everyone loves feeling special

on their birthday!

Pat’s Ramblings…

This note warmed my heart, and since it was addressed “To the members of St. John’s” I quote” Once again we come to that time of year where we pause to thank people who have been so important in our lives. I am sure many of you do not know the impact St. John’s has had on so many people who are trying to find a new way of life ‘one day at a time.’ You have continued to open your doors and provide a ‘home’ to those of us who struggle with addiction. You have made such a difference! So, thank you for welcoming us into your ‘sanctuary.’” -The BGAM Group 12-14-17 The BGAM Group assists St. John’s with heavy lifting, spring and fall clean-up and anything else we request of them, or anything they see where they can offer help.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The vestry has also said yes to allow F.A.C.E.S. – Families of Addiction Critical Education and Support to meet at St. John’s on Tuesdays from 6-7:30 p.m. The group sees a need to connect to one another to find their way through the opiate epidemic that is taking so many of their loved ones. “Topics will include information about addiction and recovery, enabling behaviors and boundaries, support resources and self-care, and the use of emergency medication such as Narcan/Naloxone” A Renewed Mind Services is the parent organization of this group. Information is from the Sentinel-Tribune, 19 December.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., Bishop of Ohio will visit and celebrate the service with us on 21 January. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2018 Winter Convocation The Winter Convocation is 2-3 February at Kalahari Conference Center in Sandusky. Our Keynote Speaker is Heidi Kim. Heidi Kim is Director of “Becoming

Beloved Community,” the Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice. Becoming Beloved Community represents not so much a set of programs as a journey, a set of interrelated commitments around which we as Episcopalians may organize our many efforts to respond to racial injustice and grow a community of reconcilers, justice-makers, and healers. It builds around four long-term commitments: 1) Telling the Truth, 2) Proclaiming the Dream, 3) Repairing the Breach, and 4) Practicing the Way of Love. Will you attend? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2018 Evangelism Matters Save the dates for the next "Evangelism Matters, an Episcopal Evangelism Conference" on March 15-17, 2018 for anyone excited to learn about sharing and growing loving, liberating, life-giving relationships with God.

Hosted by St. Paul's Church-Cleveland Heights: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ St. John’s Annual Meeting is scheduled for 21 January following the morning service and coffee hour. Pam Bechtel and Pat Patton rotate off the vestry for at least a year. So far Carol Heckman, Anne Stubbs, and Dorothy and Michael Grassley have agreed to serve. John Klever will continue as treasurer and Pam Bechtel has agreed to handle the tasks of the vestry clerk. (These two positions can be filled by people who do not need to be vestry members.) We are still short two people. Are you one of them? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We had delightful times with BGSU students on Thursdays during the fall semester. Dinner was followed by open discussions concerning the world we live in. Compline at 9:30pm allowed students to attend whatever part of the evening fit their busy schedules. Bridges will resume 11 January 2018 for the spring semester.

St. John’s Episcopal Church

1505 East Wooster Street Bowling Green, OH 43402

(419) 353-0881 http://www.StJohnsBG.org

Please join us for worship and fellowship!

Our Sunday morning worship service is at 10:00 a.m.

Vestry Members

Carol Heckman – Clerk

Pat Patton- Senior Warden

Pam Bechtel-Junior Warden

Treasurer - Jon Klever

The Mission of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church

Our mission is to serve Christ by nurturing and educating people in the faith, providing a spiritual home for our community and Bowling Green State University students through prayer, worship, and theological programs. To do so, we are committed to motivate parish members and students to reach out in active service to our community and the world

St. John’s Episcopal Church

1505 E. Wooster Street

Bowling Green, OH 43402

Date

Officiant

Celebrant

Chalice

Bearer &

Crucifer

Acolyte

Usher

Reader

Coffee Hour

Jan-07 Rev. Tim

Rothfuss

Jon Klever Pam Bechtel Pat Patton Rosemary

Brown

Potluck

Jan-14 Rev. Tim

Rothfuss

Jon Klever Pam Bechtel Robert

Ormsbee

Pat Patton

Jan-21 Rev. Tim

Rothfuss

Jon Klever Pam Bechtel Pat Patton Pat Patton

Jan-28 The Rt. Rev.

Mark

Hollingsworth

Jon Klever Pam Bechtel Robert

Ormsbee

Reception,

Congregation

January, 2018 - Server Schedule