LayReader Nov2014

SERVICES

at HEAVENLY

REST

Sundays8:00 a.m.Rite I with

Holy Eucharist in the nave

9:15-10:15 a.m. Sunday School

10:30 a.m.Rite II with

Holy Eucharistin the nave

1:00 p.m.Morning Prayer in

Swahili

Weekdays8:00 a.m.

Morning Prayerin the chapel

Wednesdays5:30 p.m.

Healing Service, Holy Eucharistin the chapel

Service liturgy is from the Book of Common Prayer.

MISSION As a community of faith centered in God through liturgy and Christian Practice,

the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest exists to:CARE for members of all ages and stages of life.

SHARE God’s inclusive and healing love with all people.CREATE opportunities to grow in Christ.

SERVE the church, the community, and the world.

Featured InsideParish Fellowship................................................2-3Youth in Action.........................................................3Birthdays & Anniversaries......................................4Parish Stewardship.................................................5Back Page ................................................................7

November 2014 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 11

All Saints

CELEBRATING

During the All Souls Evensong on Sunday at

5pm, the service will conclude in the colum-

barium, where the names of all the faithfully

departed will be chanted aloud. The Heavenly

Rest Choir will sing di-rected by Dr. Wes,

Fr. Luke will offi ciate the Evensong, Mtr. Susanna

will preach.

“Thank you “ A big thanks to everyone who has made their pledge and a spe-cial thank you to John D. Stowe, Dr. Rachel Anderson and the stewardship team for their efforts in the “10/10 What are the pos-sibilities.” In-Gathering Sunday was a wonderful day upon which we gathered 122 pledge cards to-taling $583,800. The Stewardship Committee will continue their work of gathering gifts and pledg-es in the days and weeks to come. Pledge cards are available in the church offi ce or on line at www.heavenlyrestabilene.org.

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Care. Share. Create. Serve. • November 2014

ParishFellowship

March 2015 Trip to the Holy LandThe deadline to sign up for Heavenly Rest’s trip to the Holy Land is coming up! We have a great group signed up so far, but there’s room for more. On Tuesday, October 7th, everyone who has already

signed up and those want-ing to find out more information shared a meal at Jackie and Bart Cox’s home and had a great discussion about the upcom-ing trip. If you are interested, you must sign up by December 5th. Please contact Mother Susanna at spcates74@gmail if you need any more information.

Welcome back, Katie!St. John’s and Heavenly Rest are thrilled to welcome, our very own, Katie Rose Gloyna

back as the third grade teacher. Native Abilenian, Katie joins St. John’s by way of San Antonio with already eight years

experience in the classroom and six years as an administrator. Katie, a Cooper High School and Texas Tech graduate, earned her Masters in Education from Texas A&M University. She is married to fellow Abilenian Myrick Gloyna and they have two sons, James (5) and John Christian (22 months). Katie is thrilled to be back home in Abilene and especially at St. John’s and Heavenly Rest. She said, “I was an acolyte here at Heavenly Rest from 6th through 12th grade, was confirmed at 15 and a very active member of JEYPS and EYC. Myrick and I were married here and our son James was baptized here. St. John’s and Heavenly Rest are a very important part of life and I am so happy to work and raise my children here.”

Heavenly Rest Members Elected as Diocesan LeadersCongratulations to

Annabel House who was elected to the Executive Council of the Diocese

of Northwest Texas, and to John Hill who was

reelected to the Board of Trustees at the University

of the South at Sewanee. Annabel and John join

other members of Heav-enly Rest serving North-

west Texas including: Tom Choate,

Diocesan Chancellor; Nancy Estes, Trustee; Jackie Batjer, Deputy to General Convention;

Susanna Cates, Alternate Deputy to General Con-vention; Scott Bishop, Parliamentarian; and Luke Back, Standing

Committee and Commis-sion on Ministry.

Susanna, Luke and Sue McWilliams at a dinner held at Jackie and Bart Cox’s home (others attending

are pictured above) for people wanting information about traveling to the Holy Land with Heavenly Rest.

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http://www.heavenlyrestabilene.org

YouthInAction

• November 5, EYC will be going out to a delicious din-ner. We will meet at the church at 6:30 and go together. Please bring $5 per person. • November 9, JEYPs will be having a movie night! The movie will be a surprise…it will be really good. Mtr. Susanna & Katie have excellent choices in movies. The movie & dinner will be starting promptly at 5:15. We should be over by 7:15 at the latest. • On November 26, we do not have youth group. • On December 12-13 the High School Youth Group will be having a lock-In where we the youth will be Christmas shopping for a few children of Bowie Elementary. We are asking for help from the congregation to fund this endeavor. If you would like to donate please send a check to the office with Bowie Christmas in the memo line or place a check in the offering plate during a service. Thank you!

Great fun was had by all as youth group

members worked on Trunk or Treat projects

to make Halloween extra fun for neigbor-

hood kids as well as parishoners: (pictured from left-right, back-front) Agatha, Anna, Elliana, Nathaniel, Sarah, Ashton, An-

nie, Amanda, Chris, Olga, Baitong, Nic,

and Katie

Special Speaker to Visit Thursday Bible

Study GroupMartha Fitzgerald of Shreveport, Loui-siana– accomplished author, editor and the

daughter of two remark-able physicians– will speak at the Thursday Bible Study Group on

November 6 about The Faith Journey of Drs.

Alice and Joe Holoubek.She will share with us

several moments in their lives and various stages of their 65-year journey

together, drawn from their writings—court-ship letters, memoirs,

diaries, Letters to Luke itself—and from her

personal memories. The more she reflects on her parents and their lives and the more reading

she does of their private papers, the more insights she develops into their relationship with God and their relationship

with each other. Their marriage was truly

synergistic, with the two of them stronger in faith together than they would

have been separately. All are welcome to join

us at 9:30am in the Bishop Garret Room on

November 6.

Many Thanks to Mary RenfroHeavenly Rest hosted a wonderful appreciation event for Mary

Renfro, recognizing her for nine years of service and dedication to the church. Gay Ann Walts, Sally Orsini and Maggie Morford joined about forty people for a fiesta open house. Members of Mary’s family were in attendance and a generous love offering from the congregation was presented to Mary as she moves on to Hendrick Hospital for a position in medical staff supervision. A special thank you to everyone who made a contribution to Mary’s gift and to those who provided a won-derful reception. Mary plans to continue assisting the Thrift House with their bookkeeping

needs and will be available to help Heavenly Rest finish out this stewardship season. A note of thanks from Mary: “Thank you for the flowers, the card, the offering, the party- and so many other things! It has been such a blast and these last few years have flown by.”

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Chamber Music Concert Series

The 6th season of the Heavenly Rest Chamber Music Concert Series is off to a great start! Our

last concert featuring our own Peter Isaacson on

violin and Mark Puckett on piano was an enormous success. Attendance was

at least 150 strong and the performance was beautiful and extremely well played. We are so fortunate to have

these talented musicians within our congregation!

The next concert: Key City Brass Quintet Sunday, November 9th

5:00pm Featuring works composed

by members Bernard Scherr, Jeffrey Cottrell

and Robert Tucker.

Formed in 2010, the Key City Brass Quintet is a

fairly new music ensemble that quickly has becoming an active part of Abilene’s musical community. Made up of local musicians and music educators, the en-

semble has extensive ties to Abilene. As soloists or with

other groups, members of the KCBQ regularly perform across the Big Country. They enjoy performing for diverse audiences and are continu-ally looking to grow their

performance schedule. As always, our concerts are free and open to the public.

Happy Anniversary

Happy Birthday

If your birthday or anniversary is not listed, please contact the offi ce. Blessings are given at both the morning services:

Birthday Blessings: November 2 • Anniversary Blessings: November 9 • Children’s Blessing: November 16

November 10Peggy & Bob Beckham

November 11Debra & Alex Morotini

November 1Mary Lou Conley

Josh StearnsTiffany Wagstaff

November 3Emily Hart

Carol Whisenhunt

November 4Joan Akin

Rob PattonAimee Powell

Raveigh RiojasBill Thompson

November 5Kathryn BartlettSusan BartlettGrace Taylor

November 6Daniel DeYoung

Glenn McWilliams

November 7Jim AlexanderButler Napier

November 8Courtney RamseyCarolyn Watson

November 9Jana BachmanAshton Hankins

Kim Snyder

November 12Carol HallElijah Long

November 13Jane Hill

November 14Tom LindleyKaren Renick

November 15Jeffrey PavellGay Ann Walts

November 16Jim Snyder

November 17Marlee CutbirthKathi Procopio

November 18Jerry DePriest

Jay HensonSam Phelan

Maxwell Taubert

November 19Nancy UrbanBriana ValdezNovember 20

Dru HallAngela Willis

November 21Anthony Wade

November 22Dave ByerlySusan PigottRoy Pritchett

November 23Christine CroweBarbara Morris

November 24Bart Cox

Jerry ReedJack Woods

November 25Mark Phelan

November 26Marinda Robertson

James StearnsCourtney Vletas

November 27Patti Jones

November 28Carolyn Sheffi eld

November 29Bill Sneed

November 30Dennis BrewsterStanly Treanor

Joshua West

November 12Lynsi & ???? Musselman

November 14Callie & Lee Hampton

November 22Lib & Alvin Hope

November 23Cyndi & Randy Stockstill

November 26Carolyn & Frank Sheffi eld

NovemberCelebrations

On Sunday, October 12th, the pews at Heavenly Rest were fi lled with audience members who came to hear Peter Isaccson and Mark Puckett

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ParishStewardship

Outreach Committee Report from October“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” –Hebrews 13:16

Because of your contributions to the ministries of Heavenly Rest, your Outreach Committee was able to “do good and to share” at our September meeting by responding to

needs of young families and emerging adults in our community. First, we contributed to “The Baby Room” at our sister church in

Abilene, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. This is an outreach ministry dedicated to children from birth through age four whose parents’ financial situations restrict their ability to provide basic needs for their secure and safe development. Our gift was designated for the purchase and distribution of car seats, cribs and strollers. Peggy Valentine, Deacon at

St. Mark’s, has expressed their sincere appreciation for our help in meeting the needs of struggling young families.

Second, we made a contribution to Abilene Transition Center/Our House. This agency serves young people ages 14-25 who are homeless or otherwise at-risk by providing housing, counseling, life skills training, educational support and employment connections. Emancipation into adulthood can be difficult for anyone, especially those who lack family encouragement and support. Our contribution was for the purchase of commercial grade cookware which will be used to teach cooking skills and to enhance the ability of these young people to make smart nutritional choices.

As we approach the end of the year, we are in the position of having spent most of our budget. But needs and opportunities to help abound. So, please pray that we make wise decisions concerning the best use of our remaining funds. As you know, the right kind of help at the right time– even when small– can make a huge difference in someone’s life. More importantly, “such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Doug Thomas, Chair

Building on our

HeritageThank you to everyone who has helped make

our Capital Campaign a success! So far the cam-paign has raised nearly

$4.8 million in gifts and pledges. Recently,

Parkhill, Smith & Cooper helped arrange a visit to Heavenly Rest from an

architectural firm accom-plished in Gothic-style design. Curtis & Wind-ham of Houston, Texas

has experience in remod-eling Episcopal Churches and building significant additions to Episcopal

schools that share a heritage much like our

church’s.

Thrift House Stories The examples below reflect the “Greater Good” created as a result of this ministry:• A woman whose home was burned completely to the ground has been

able to begin refurbishing her new house with items from the Thrift House store, something that would have been financially impossible for her otherwise.

• Each day, a woman comes to Thrift House (sometimes two to three times a day) to purchase two dollar bags, several at a time, for members in need at her church.

• When a woman shopping for herself and her teenaged daughter was obviously embarrassed about not having enough cash to purchase all the clothing items they had selected, another customer in line behind her at the register generously paid the remainder of the bill– which was more than forty dollars.

• There is an employee of a local nursing home who comes by regularly to buy cloth-ing for residents in need whose families cannot help them in any way.


NovemberCalendar

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Weekly Events at Heavenly Rest

8:00am Rite I Holy Eucharist

9:15am Sunday School

10:15am Adult Choir*

10:30amRite II Holy Eucharist*

1:00pm Morning Prayerin Swahili

5:00pm Change Ringers

5:15-7:00pm EYC grades 6-8

5:30am B.O.B.S

8:00am Morning Prayer

6:30pm Curate’s Study


9:30-11:30amHands-onOutreach

10am Staff mtg

6:00pm Change Ringers

6:15pm - EFM


SJES Chapel

9:30-11:30am Hands-on Outreach

5:30pmHealing Service Holy Eucharist*

6:15-8:00pm EYC grades 9-12

7:30pm Adult Choir


9:30amBible Study

withMother Susanna

9:30-11:30am Hands-on Outreach

7:00pm Bagpipes


Childcare is available every Sunday, 7:30 a.m-Noon, unless otherwise noted. *childcare will be available for this event **childcare can be arranged upon request

Special Events in November Sunday, November 2 - Birthday Blessings, All Saints’ Sunday

Sunday, November 9 - Anniversary BlessingsSunday, November 16 - Childrens Blessings

Alternating EventsTuesday, November 4 & 18 - 4pm - Centering Prayer (Bishop Mayer Room)

First & Third Tuesday of November - 6:30pm - St. Margaret’s Guild

Sunday ServersPlease take time to thank your Sunday Servers. They work hard to make each service run smoothly. The server schedule can be found on the website at www.heavenlyrestabilene.org, where it will be updated with changes over the course of the month and e-mailed to the servers at the beginning of each month. If you would like a hard copy of the server schedule, please call the offi ce at 325.677-2091.

Looking for the monthly schedule for Sunday duties? Go to the website, and click on this:

For an up-to-date calendar of events, please visit the church website at www.heavenlyrestabilene.org.

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“The Nights Before Christmas”Advent Wednesday Nights at Heavenly Rest

Advent begins Sunday, November 30th and Heavenly Rest continues its long tradi-tion of Wednesday night dinners and program. This year our theme will be based on “Twas Night Before Christmas,” the beloved poem of Episcopal priest Clement Clark Moore (1779-1863). Together we will study the nature of night and day in Holy Scripture, the role of Evening Prayer in sleep and the light of Christ in wak-

ing, and the meaning of the Twelve Days of Christmas. A delicious meal for children and adults will be served beginning at 5:45pm Wednesday, December 3rd, and again on Wednesday the 10th & 17th. After their meal children begin practice for the Christmas Pageant (happening Sunday, December 21st) in the lower level of the Parish Hall. More information will be forthcoming and everyone is invited.

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BackPage†

Dear Friends, Many years ago, I toured 9th Ward of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina had devastated the area. The tour had been arranged by the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes (CEEP), an organization of which Heavenly Rest is a member. People from over a hundred member churches surveyed damage and observed recovery efforts. Blocks upon blocks of homes had been devastated. The flooding was gone, but a soggy mess remained. A poor area in the best of times, it was now wasteland. A community, the size of Abilene, now only small clumps of surviving buildings. Haunted houses charge money to be seen, these houses scared investors out their wits. Yet many people refused to give up. They had pride of place. Be it ever so humble, this was their home. They adopted the motto: “We’re stay’n.” But there were no grocery stores, restaurants, drug stores or laundromats. The two activities that returned immediately were churches and public schools. In fact, an Episcopal church had taken over an abandoned CVS store. Commercial success would be a long time in returning, but business was booming for those serving the basic needs of body, mind and soul. The churches had little competition for people’s attention. “What you see at work here,” said the Bishop of New Orleans, “is our endowment of trust.” Churches had a track record of authentically caring. Political and economic interests were entwined and inhibited by issues of longterm viability and ultimate self-interest. In the 9th Ward, the more dire the circumstances, the more vibrant the tender light of Christ shone into the muddy darkness. The Church celebrates an almost invisible All Saints Day in the midst of an in-your-face ‘Halloween-media-world’ full of ugly, fear-filled, plastic monsters. The truth of God moves human hearts to do beautiful things! Far from their homes, it is missionary medical personnel that bear much of the battle against Ebola. It is our own local Abilene C-130 crews that are flying treatment isolation units to Western Africa. We are blessed with many faithful souls, refusing to run away from the horrors of the world, but instead face, suffer and overcome evil. All over the world, saints from every walk of life, continue building up an endowment of trust by engaging each new crisis. Biblically, the Spirit of God moves across the face of chaotic waters and over-whelming floods. Thankfully, the Spirit of the living God continues to move through the hearts and minds of faithful souls, bringing healing, renewal and restoration to God’s children on earth. Faithfully,

At the Blessing of the Pets in October, Karen Boyd’s nervous dog needed some convincing

and some consolation as an extra gentle bless-ing was given by Father Luke.

Return Service Requested

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDAbilene, TX

Permit #249

VISIONThe Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest is a Christian community of faith rooted in the Anglican

tradition. Empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word

and Sacrament, we seek

to know the reconciling love of God and to share

that love with others.

Church of the Heavenly Rest602 Meander StreetAbilene, Texas 79602-1009

Telephone (325) 677-2091

Office Hours Monday-Thursday: 8:30a.m.-12 noon; 1-4:30p.m.

Friday: 8:30a.m. - 12 noon(325) 677-2091

[email protected]://www.heavenlyrestabilene.org

Care. Share. Create. Serve.

Blessing of the Pets in October

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCHThe Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts-Schori, Presiding Bishop

THE DIOCESE OF NORTHWEST TEXASThe Right Reverend J. Scott Mayer, Bishop

PARISH STAFFThe Reverend N. Luke Back, Rector

The Reverend Susanna Cates, CurateThe Reverend Amanda Watson, DeaconDr. Wes Gomer, Organist and Choirmaster

Peter Kent, Church AdministratorBikole Mulanda, Swahili MinisterMary J. Renfro, Director of Finance

Laura Wright, Communications CoordinatorLynsi Musselman, Communications Coordinator

Belinda Shepherd, Christian Education CoordinatorCourtney Bryant, Christian Education Assistant

Katie Young, Youth Ministry InternSusetta Rockett, Music Assistant

Barbradon Brooks, HarpistArnold Guerra, Sexton

Dorothy Guerra, Housekeeper

NURSERY PERSONNELJoan Fulton, Ann Lobdell, Lucy Marak, Anne Mornell,

Monica Sherman, Rae Ann Rindhage, Camille Martinez

Left to right:• Rich Mansell brought his dog Penny, to be blessed by Mother Susanna• Chris Smith, with his ferret, a horse, and a dog all waiting to be blessed• Lorlei Prophet with her pet iguana

LayReader Nov2014

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Transcript of LayReader Nov2014