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St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church

A Spiritual Oasis Where Lives are Transformed
Volume 20; Issue 06
June 2003

The Inviting Church!

"Then Jesus said: Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." (Luke 5:1-11)

In the gospel story of The Unexpected Catch, Peter and his fishing partners had been fishing all night without much success. But when Jesus told him the place and time to drop his net, so many fish were caught that the boat almost sank. This story, of course, is not about the latest tips in fishing. It is about Jesus' command to go out and make disciples of Christ. This passage from Luke (please read), brings up three things for me. 1. Working hard (to the point of exhaustion), does not necessarily bring results. 2. Listening to the voice of Christ leads to abundance. 3. Jesus was not satisfied in simply presenting the path of compassion and forgiveness to a group of 1st century Jews. In order for his message to have the power to unite humanity, relieve suffering, and transform creation, he needed this message to be spread to the far reaches of the globe. Thus evangelism became an integral part of being a disciple.

This story of The Unexpected Catch, will be a guideline for our long range planning process at St. Jude's. We need to take a serious look at what we do as a community (programs, outreach, and rental agreements) and decide which ones are life giving and which ones are causing exhaustion among a finite number of members. Next, we need to listen to God's voice in all that we do. Being a congregation of high intelligence and ego- strength, there is a tendency to make choices based on our own personal preferences, rather than on what God is calling us to do as a unified congregation. Prayer, the contemplative life, silence, Bible study, worship, are ways that we can hear and discern the voice of God for our future. If God is not at the center of our planning, then it will not bear fruit. Finally, we need to invite more people into our community of faith and teach them about the path of compassion that Jesus laid out. The primary mission of the Church is transforming lives and equipping people for discipleship. While we are generous in our outreach and in opening up our campus to many groups, we have not gone the next step in inviting others to join us on the path. If we are not intentional about inviting others into our community of faith, then our community will not have the strength in numbers to continue its level of involvement.

The focus of the long term planning process will not be about making a list of additional programs. Instead, we will be making plans and laying out the groundwork on how to be a more inviting Church- "a spiritual oasis where lives are transformed."

Peace,

Did You Know?

Vestry Notes- May 2003 By Barbara Pollek

The May Vestry meeting focused on preparation for the Long Range Planning retreat that the Vestry will be attending on June 21st. We discussed the results of the Adult Forum led by David Knapp on April 27th. There were many ideas for changes brought up at the brainstorming session of the Forum. These ideas were compiled into a handout by Linda Morris, and distributed to the Vestry for review. In conjunction with these results, each Vestry member was given a questionnaire to complete before the Long Range Planning retreat. Each member is to consider where St. Jude's is currently. What are our strengths and weaknesses? What should be our niche in the future, and how do we achieve that transformation?

If you have any comments, questions or input regarding Long Range Planning for St. Jude's, please see any Vestry member or Clergy.

Got Peace? Go Climb a Rock By Pastor Mary Blessing

Our world has tumbled through the tragedy of war. We are on the other side of physical conflict. While politicians and military leaders sort out government leadership of Iraq, villagers suffer deep losses. What can we do about it? New parishioners Angela and Robert Muonio thought of an idea to raise some funds to send to the International Red Cross for Iraqi Relief. Robert owns Epic Adventures, a rock-climbing organization. Pastor Mary had been seeking an opportunity to take Youth on a rock-climbing outing. When Pastor Mary, Angela and Robert put their heads together, they came up with an idea to invite youth to learn rock-climbing and raise some funds to send to the Red Cross. Robert donated his time and talent (and use of equipment) for this adventure! St. Timothy's and Holy Spirit Church Youth Groups joined St. Jude's Youth in this adventure to help the Red Cross bring order out of chaos in the lives of those who have suffered in this war. In addition to having a fabulous, fun hike and rock climb, our youth showed their compassion, quick- thinking, and deep care for others as they rallied up to help with an emergency situation when the Muonio's little boy, Daniel, was bitten by a baby rattlesnake on the hike. Daniel is making a full recovery, his twin sister, Emily, and parents are relieved and we earned $250 to send for Iraqi relief. Thanks Robert and Angela! (Check www.saintjudes.org for photos of our amazing rock-climbing adventure).

Adult Forum
By Bruce LaFetra

June 1 - The Creed What is it? Do I have to believe it to be a Christian? What is its purpose in the life of the Church? The Rev. Robert Seifert will address the difficult theologies of the Nicene Creed and lead us through a lively discussion of its pros and cons

June 8 - The Holy Spirit: What is it? Do I want it? How do I get it? What are its benefits? Why has Western Christianity previously downplayed the place of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church? On this day of Pentecost, Pastor Karen will explore these questions as well as the coming age of the Holy Spirit.

June 15 - No Forum (Father's Day)

June 22 - Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) The Christian goal of reading Scripture is transformation of one's life, not information about an ancient text. Pastor Karen will teach this Benedictine Method of reading Scripture so that it becomes a living prayer originating from within.

June 29 – TBD

Adult Forums are a great way to introduce someone to St. Jude's. With recent Forums available on the Web, the ability to request a CD or tape of any Forum in the vast St. Jude's Archives, there are three ways to use education as an introduction to St. Jude's.

Stephen Ministry Grows By Jerry Witherspoon

The Christian caregiving ministry in the Diocese of El Camino Real will be growing soon. Eleven new Stephen Ministers will be commissioned in the coming weeks at St. Andrew's, Saratoga; St. Edward's, San Jose; St. Jude's, Cupertino; and St. Luke's, Los Gatos. These new lay caregivers join the many Stephen Ministers already commissioned and serving throughout the Diocese.

The twenty weeks of training for these new Stephen Ministers was recently completed by a team of trainers from three parishes. The team included Marian Abbott and Beth Taylor (St. Andrew's), Phoebe Goold and Dianne Growitz (St. Edward's), and Betsy Fox Fisher, Diane Snow, and Jerry Witherspoon (St. Jude's). The trainees were David Crosson, Priscilla Higgins, and Rosalie Purcell (St. Andrew's), Amanda Evans, Carole Swan, and Madelaine Yannacone (St. Edward's), Ann Shepherd and Susan Stanley (St. Jude's), and Kim Bennett, Ken Sporleder, and Claudia Jo Weber (St. Luke's). The new ministers from St. Luke's will work under the supervision of St. Jude's Stephen Ministry until St. Luke's has its ministry fully implemented.

Stephen Ministers offer care and support for people experiencing life difficulties such as the death of a loved one, job crisis, aging, separation or divorce, long-term illness, or for those needing the support of a Christian friend. They have received 50 hours of intensive training covering topics such as effective listening, confidentiality, the stress of hospitalization, feelings, and utilizing community resources. Having a training team and a group of trainees from multiple parishes and deaneries was an experience that was obviously blessed by the Holy Spirit. It helped to expand the horizon of what is possible when parishes work together in such a vital ministry.

Stephen Ministry is a confidential ministry; those receiving care can be sure that their identity and what goes on in the caring relationship will remain private. In addition to the training, these Christian lay caregivers will continue to receive twice-monthly continuing education and supervision support sessions as they strive to offer the highest quality Christian caregiving.

On July 20, 2003, we will commission St. Jude's new Stephen Ministers at both services, and the Forum will address how this ministry of pastoral care can benefit the members of the parish and what the congregation can do to make it more effective. Join in the celebration! Come pray for and show your support for this caring ministry and these gifted people whom God has called and equipped for this important role in our congregation.

Summer Potlucks on the Patio By Pat Coles

The traditional Summer Potluck Suppers on the patio at St. Jude's will begin Wednesday, June 11, at 6:30 pm. and continue each Wednesday through August 29. Newcomers are especially welcome and invited to come as first- time guests. Do come if you can, there is good fellowship and often good food. Being potluck sometimes there's more dessert/salad than main dish but this is part of the fun.

These events are strictly potluck; only tables and chairs are provided! There are no sign-ups, just come when you can and bring a dish to share (enough for 3 times the number in your family/group) in addition to your own dishes, flatware and beverage (some folk bring tablecloths too).

If this sounds like fun but you're concerned that you won't know anyone, invite a friend and come check it out together. For more information call the Parish Office between 9:00 am and 2:30 pm. at 408-252-4166 or email the Web Ministers.

Coffee Hour and Special Events By Pat Coles

There are two ways you can participate in the Sunday Coffee Hour. The first, if you are willing to prepare and serve coffee, tea, juice and hot chocolate once a quarter (or so) and clean up afterwards: Contact Nancy Chapman to offer your time.

The second way is to sign up to bring refreshments if you have a special event to celebrate with the congregation, e.g. a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or whatever. The "Special Events" signup poster is on the Bulletin Board (on the left as you enter the parish hall). The refreshments after both services are greatly enjoyed and they encourage people to hang around for a while after church to greet newcomers and visit. The kids love it too! If you are scheduled to make coffee and would also like to serve food, please signup on this poster also. This avoids conflict and disappointment. If you have questions contact me at web@saintjudes.org.

Last Deanery Meeting By Linda Morris

The next Deanery Meeting will be at St. Timothy's, Mountain View on Thursday, June 12th. Gathering and refreshments will begin at 6:30 pm and the meeting will be from 7-9 pm. The meeting will include the Diocesan Steering Committee report, an update on the Bishop, and a Budget Committee report with the fiscal impact of the Bishop's retirement. All Clergy, Delegates, and Alternates are urged to attend, but everyone is welcome. Contact Linda Morris for more information.

Men's Get-away By Don Disney

The second annual men's mountain get- away is scheduled for the weekend of October 10-12, 2003. We will stay in several cabins near Arnold, about 3 hours east of here. Possible activities include golfing, fishing, hiking, and just relaxing. The cost should be less than $50 per person. Please mark your calendars now, and look for more details and a sign-up sheet in August.

Talents Needed By Linda Morris

Do you like to sing, play an instrument, dance, act, read poetry, or tell stories? If you would be interested in sharing your talent at St. Jude's 4th of July Bar-B-Q, contact Michael Morris at music@saintjudes.org sign up on the kiosk.

The stage platforms, piano, tape/CD player, and microphones will be available to use. The talent show will probably be before the dinner so that those who want to go elsewhere to see the fireworks will have time to get there. NOTE: If no one steps ups to organize the Bar-B-Q, the Talent Show will not happen.

Summer Musical Offerings By Michael Morris

It's time again for those with musical gifts to volunteer to offer a selection of music during the Offertory. (The choir will not be singing an Anthem July 6--August 31.) If you sing or play an instrument (it can be a solo, duet, or group) and would like to volunteer, please sign up on the kiosk or email Michael Morris at music@saintjudes.org. Include the names of the musicians and the title & composer of the musical selection; indicate if you need an accompanist or CD/tape player and/or microphone. Contact Michael Morris with any questions.

Fourth of July at St. Jude's By Pat Coles

A Chairperson for the 4th of July Barbeque and Potluck is NEEDED if we are going to have this annual event!

Michael Morris is making arrangements for the Talent Show! The fireworks will not be at De Anza College this year so the after dark entertainment won't be visible from our parking lot. But if we still want to get together for a BBQ and potluck a chairperson is needed to coordinate the arrangements. To volunteer please contact Pat Coles!

Editor Needed
By Evelyn R. Robledo

For several years Jovito and I (Jovito is the silent assistant editor) have had the privilege of publishing The View From the Orchard every month. This is a ministry we have greatly enjoyed.

We find ourselves in a situation that requires we move away from Silicone Valley. This means Jovito and I will no longer be available to continue this ministry. This is not happening immediately, but we need someone to take over this ministry before we leave. The publishing process is quite simple. If you have a computer and some word processing skills you can do it. We have it set up so all article are sent via e-mail to the St. Jude's web page and then download when we am ready to publish the newsletter. If you have desktop publishing skills them your work is even easier. Do you feel called to this ministry? Is this the type of work you enjoy and would like to do for Saint Jude's? Please think about it. Call me if you are interested or want to know more about it, Evelyn Robledo at theview@saintjudes.org.

 

 

Updated 6/12/03
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