To download the complete parish newsletter for May 7, including the sabbatical grant proposal,click here



EXTRA! EXTRA! HAVE YOU READ ALL ABOUT IT?

The Proposal Narrative for Father Bill's 2009 Sabbatical, that is!

The Sabbatical Committee wants to make sure you have seen the entire Proposal Narrative either on-line or at the Church. If not, we encourage you to read it this week and let a member of the Committee know what you think. Are you excited? Confused? Delighted? Concerned? Whatever the reaction, we want to hear it. The Proposal Narrative is central to our application to the Lilly Endowment for a Clergy Renewal Grant, and the application is truly submitted from the congregation. So, understanding the opinions of our members and the level of support for this Sabbatical is very important to this Committee, which is acting on your behalf.

In summary, Fr. Bill has proposed that his Sabbatical be organized around evangelism in three distinct cultural contexts. Beginning in June of 2009, his Sabbatical will include: 4 weeks in Wales to study the Welsh language and how it is used in the mission of three different dioceses; 3 weeks in London, where Ingrid will join him, to engage in spiritual renewal and learn about the Emergent Church, particularly its outreach to the unchurched; and a brief trip to France to visit Ingrid's relatives and refresh their spoken French in preparation for the final 3 weeks in Madagascar. There Fr. Bill and Ingrid will learn about and support the work of Bishop Todd and Patsy McGregor, participate in primary evangelism, teach,and establish a relationship with a companion parish. Following these travels, Fr. Bill will spend time in re-entry and reflection back in Deerfield.

While Fr. Bill is away, we will experience our own Sabbatical, which will benefit from the guidance of an outside facilitator as we create a new St. Gregory's Mission and Vision. Each parishioner can be involved at some level in the workshops, history-telling, story-writing, data crunching (and pot-lucking!) that will culminate not only in a new Vision, but some concrete near-term plans for our parish. We will begin our Sabbatical in the spring and continue it into the fall, so that Fr. Bill shares some of our experiences with us.

There is much more detail available in the Proposal and we hope you will find the time to read it carefully. You can read and download a copy of the sabbatical grant proposal,by clicking here (Please note that the Proposal is also posted outside Fr. Bill's office at the church.) Our application must be postmarked to Lilly before May 15th and the Vestry will consider the document at its May 13th meeting. Your comments and questions are most appreciated prior to that time. Please contact any member of the Sabbatical Committee: Jon Dutcher, Catherine Martin, Curtis Baddeley, Bets Bukszar, Kevin Christenson, Karen Dahl or Nancy Nichols.

GET IN THE KNOWAND THEN LET US KNOW!

Dearly Beloved,

Sunday School News from our Church School Coordinator, Gretchen Bayer:

Calling all Teachers and Newcomers . . . Now is the time to inquire if you are interested in teaching or helping out with the Church School for next year. The following roles are open, with flexibility to suit your scheduling needs:

- extra teacher for 4-5th Grade to join current team of 3 (prepare 6-7 lessons over the year)
- extra helper for Junior High (no teaching or preparation required, rotation of 3)
- extra teacher for High School to join team of 4 (prepare 6-7 lessons over the year)
- helper for Intergenerational Events (one in fall, one in spring, minimal commitment)

Our end-of-year lunch is May 18 at 11:00, and anyone new is welcome to join in, just let me know so I can plan out the menu. Thanks!

Jim Collins is on the mend again with three new stents and the replacement of an earlier stent which had collapsed. Please continue to pray for Jims recovery from this latest cardiac episode.

Many thanks to all those who worked so hard and well on our Spring Clean-up. Special appreciation to new members Diane and Samantha Henley Samantha scrambled up and down a variety of roofs to help clean out our gutters!
(More thanks and highlights next week!)

Faithfully yours,

Bill +

We are ambassadors for Christ, God appealing to the world through us. 2 Corinthians 5:20

To download the complete parish newsletter for April 30, including the sabbatical grant proposal,click here


Dearly Beloved,

This Sunday, May 4: Spring Clean Up

Come to Church dressed to work inside or outside and beautify our Buildings and Grounds for
the coming Spring and Summer!

We meet in Founders Hall after the Nine O’Clock Service for our assignments, and

after we are done, we enjoy a wonderful luncheon together.

The Next Troop Care Package Assembly Night will be May 20th.

A message from the Charles Heyward, father of one of the soldiers for whom we are praying: “Rick is receiving your CARE packages and letters and believe me they are ALL consumed and appreciated very much— keep praying for all our troops safety and a faster than expected resolutions to the problems in this area of our world.

Our Lenten Collection to support Episcopal Relief and Development netted $695.23 toward the Millennium Development Goals. Thanks to all who prayed and participated.

Sabbatical Proposal

As Catherine Martin reported at the Quarterly Meeting, the Sabbatical Committee has been working for the past two months in order to prepare a Grant Proposal to the Lilly Foundation. If we are successful, Lilly will provide up to $40,000, including $15,000 to cover "at home" costs, such as for Meredith's increased compensation and for the services of a consultant to guide the parish through a process of developing vision and mission statements, and strategic planning to implement them.

The Sabbatical Committee invites you to read and review the Proposal Narrative which will be posted on the Bulletin Board outside my office. To read or download the proposal now click here. The Proposal must be submitted to the Lilly Foundation no later than May 8, so if you have comments or questions, I or any of the members of the Committee would be happy to receive them or answer them: Catherine Martin (Chairperson), Curtis Baddeley, Bets Lillo Bukszar, Kevin Christenson, Karen Dahl, Jon Dutcher, and Nancy Nichols.

When are People Most Open to Start Coming to Church?

A church treasurer, a normal, quiet CPA named Brian, told me, “It’s hard for me to be outgoing or really friendly like some people, so what I do is pray that God will show me people to pray for who might be open to Christ now. When I ask, God brings people to my mind, or into my life, whose kids left for college a couple months before. Sometimes it’s someone who just retired, or a lady whose husband just died, or someone who lost a job. When their names come into my mind, I call them for lunch or golf and then I ask them if they want to come to church. I don’t talk about a lot of stuff, but I invite them. I just tell them church means a lot to me and helps me. I guess my job’s just the praying and the inviting. [Martha Grace Reese, Unbinding Your Heart, Chalice Press © 2008. Available in our Library!]

One of our Newest Parishioners will also be our Newest Assisting Priest . . .

Dear People of St. Gregory's,

By way of introduction, allow me to briefly narrate the last ten years through my son Emil. He was born in Durham, NC, where I went to Divinity School at Duke. As part of the ordination process, my wife Katherine, Emil and I then spent a wonderful year in New York City at the General Theological Seminary. Following this year of being steeped in the Anglican tradition, we moved across the country to Salem, Oregon, where I began my ministry as the Associate at St. Paul's. As I grew up in Palos, and still have family in Chicago, we decided to come back to the Midwest, and I then served as Rector at St. Ann's, Woodstock, and Associate at Holy Comforter, Kenilworth. Emil has many friends scattered across the country! We are now glad to have been welcomed so warmly to this community by Father Roberts and many of you, and look forward to new friendships already begun here.

Faithfully,

The Rev. Ken Erickson

Ken will celebrate and preach occasionally as a non-stipendiary priest, as Meredith did when she first joined St. Gregory’s, and I look forward to Ken’s ministry among us.

Faithfully yours,

Bill +

“We are ambassadors for Christ, God appealing to the world through us.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

To download the complete parish newsletter for April 23,click here


Dearly Beloved,

Last Sunday's Quarterly Meeting

Sue Koy is the latest recipient of the Rector's Point of Pentecost Award "For making a significant behind-the-scenes contribution to the life of the Parish or to the larger community, and for consistently exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit: 'love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control'" [Galatians 5:22-23].

Her citation reads:

"On Easter Day 1992 Sue Koy worshiped at St. Gregory's for the first time, and she has been a devoted member ever since, working in a variety of ministries. Inspired by our festive Easter celebrations, Sue immediately joined the annual early-rising Balloon Brigade, and organized it from 2003 through 2005. Her desire to share her resurrection faith also inspired her to be among our first parishioners to participate in the Christ Church, Waukegan, Community Meals Ministry, and from its very beginning in 1993 Sue has been its co-chair. In October 1999 she joined the first class of Stephen Ministers, graduating and receiving her certification in March 2000. From that point on, Sue has been an active Stephen Minister for several parishioners, one of whom she has visited for over eight years. Liturgically, Sue has served for many years as one of our Eucharistic Ministers. She lends her skills and passion as a professional librarian with the Deerfield School District to our Sally Craig Memorial Library, beginning as an assistant and now serving in her fifth year as our Chief Librarian.
+ + +

The response to our Special Parish Meeting on Palm Sunday has come close enough to our goal that the Vestry has agreed to continue all employees at full time. This has been accomplished by adopting all of the cuts in the worst-case scenario. Even with the increased gifts and pledges of $22,725, our projected deficit is $3,977; we will do whatever is necessary to close that deficit by the end of the year.

We also presented a Consolidated Budget Sheet prepared by Dee West. It showed that without the Special Appeal, we would currently have a negative Net Worth of $1,099.48. With the Special Appeal contributions received to date, we have a positive Net Worth of $12,005.52.

I am grateful to all of you who were able to contribute either by one-time gifts or pledges. As the two prior paragraphs indicate, we haven't completely succeeded in fulfilling this year's financial need, and we will face the same budgetary challenge beginning next year.

A copy of the Interim Budget and of the Consolidated Balance Sheet
are available on the Vestry bulletin board or by clicking on the words "Interim Budget" or "Consolidated Budget Sheet" above.
+ + +


This Sunday

• at the Adult Forum: Leigh Stewart on the Cathedral Counseling Center
• during the Adult Forum: Training for All Acolytes

• Parish Newsletter