Updated March, 2010


The people of St. Anskar's invite you to join us for Sunday morning worship at 9:30 a.m.

 

Donate uniforms
and send kids to school

 "What Can One Person Do" is a question given to Christians especially in light of The Millennium Goals (MDGs). 

The focus of "Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education" is foremost with the challenge from Bishop Lee to the deacons and parishes of the diocese. 

Schools have been or are being built, especially in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, but many children can't attend because they don't have the money to purchase required uniforms. 

Each uniform costs $12. We can help with the education of the children by writing a check to St. Anskar with 'uniform' in the memo section.  I'll have some more information and a 'gift card' you can give to someone in telling them you donated a uniform in their honor. 

Let's be agents of hope in promoting the education and well-being for these boys and girls in 2010.  

Deacon Nancy

 St. Anskar’s welcomes home
former Praise Team leader

Sunday Feb. 28 was filled with hugs and prayers of thanksgiving as St. Anskar’s welcomed home Melissa Brooker, who helped form and led the church’s Praise Team before her National Guard unit was deployed to Afghanistan in 2008.

Melissa, a sergeant first class, is part of the 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion. She was stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C., for premobilization training, and was stationed at Camp Phoenix in Kabul from Nov. 30, 2008, until Sept. 12, 2009.  

She served as an embedded training team senior supply mentor for Regional Division Advisory Command (RDAC) and mentored Afghan National Army logistics personnel at the Ministry of Defense and at Capital Division in Kabul. She also served as an assigned driver for her commander and a supply sergeant for multiple embedded training teams, sourcing their supply needs and managing four theater-provided equipment property books. 

Annual Meeting report
available in office

St. Anskar’s Annual Meeting was held Sunday, Feb. 7 and began with a tasty brunch.  For the most part this year’s Annual Meeting was uneventful, as we did not have any major issues to discuss. A highlight of the meeting was the recognition of the one-year anniversary of Nancy Conrads’ ordination as a deacon.

Elected to Vestry for 2010-2013 were Linda McIntyre, Don Marsden, and David Smith.  Senior Warden Paul Toboldt agreed to serve one more year.  Outgoing vestry members Judy Letourneau and Joanne Blunt were recognized and thanked for their outstanding service to the church.  Delegates from St. Anskar to our annual Diocesan Convention to be held in November are Don and Cindy Marsden and Bonnie Baxter.

Copies of the Annual Report are available in the office for those who were not able to attend.

Bishop invites laity
to Chrism Mass

In the past during Holy Week there has been two Chrism Masses where the blessing of the Oil of Chrism (the oil used for baptism and in the anointing of the sick) by the bishop was done along with the renewal of ordination vows for the clergy.  In this diocese it was encouraged to use this blessed oil for both occasions.  However, the Book of Common Prayer and the Book of Occasional Services describe the blessing and use of two oils --the oil of the sick and the oil associated specifically with Holy Baptism -- Chrism.  This year the bishop has decided to go back to a more traditional practice of blessing the Oil of Chrism as the particular oil associated with baptism and encouraging priests with pastoral oversight to bless the oil of the sick used for the anointing of the sick.  He also has decided to change the renewal of ordination vows for the clergy to another time and place, specifically at the annual Clergy Conference in the fall where as clergy we gather and focus on aspects of our shared ministry as ordained persons.  

And so the bishop is inviting the people of the Diocese of Chicago -- priests, deacons, lay persons --young and old alike -- and especially those who are candidates for baptism at Easter with their sponsors, parents and godparents to come and join him Saturday March 27 at St. James Cathedral for a day of
preparation for Holy Week and Easter.  The day begins with refreshments and gathering at 9 a.m.  Following the gathering at 9:30 a.m. will be a program by Vicki Garvey, Canon for Lifelong Christian Formation.  The Chrism Mass will begin at 11 a.m.

The new format should  be informative and exciting as people from all over the diocese gather for a time of learning more about some of the ancient practices in the process of the preparation of candidates for baptism and for worship.  Please, consider coming.  Carpooling with a group of people from St. Anskar could be arranged, and it would be fun.

Spring Creek School invites
local churches to help buy books

 As the result of volunteering for the past two years at Spring Creek School, St. Anskar has been invited to partner with Spring Creek School and Spring Creek United Church of Christ in helping address some of the needs at the school and in turn finding ways the school can help the churches in outreach to the community (more about this later).

Last year the school identified a program that they would like the churches to help with at one of the partnership meetings.  Each year the school chooses at least one grade level and a hardcover book is bought and presented to each student at the end of the year to take home to read during the summer and add to the student’s library.  This year the school has chosen the kindergarten classes (about 80 students) to receive an award-winning book (The Stray Dog) in May at an awards assembly.  The school has asked the churches if they would take on this project to purchase the 80 books at a cost of $12 each.  The total cost is around $960.  With both churches participating we agreed to ask the people in our congregations to donate the cost of a book or two.  The deadline for donations is March 31 so that the school can order the books and have them arrive in time to present to the students in May.

Please help our neighborhood school by donating to the book fund.  Cash or checks are accepted (memo Spring Creek book fund). Questions?  Please contact Pastor Andrea.        

Also, if anyone from St. Anskar would be interested in helping as a liaison between St. Anskar and Spring Creek School (with Pastor Andrea), our meetings are every other month -- usually on the first or second Wednesday during the school year -- at 1 p.m.

St. Anskar, Spring Creek UCC
to present Haiti talk to school

In response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti, fifth-grade students at Spring Creek School organized a special project called “Pennies for Haiti.”  They made posters and obtained a giant container (one of those big water bottles) and asked everyone to bring in their pennies and put them in the container to help the people of Haiti. 

Their goal was $400, and it was to go to the American Red Cross.  Within a day or so they reached their goal, but they decided to continue accepting donations for several more weeks.  The teacher who coordinates volunteers remembered that people from St. Anskar and Spring Creek United Church of Christ went to Haiti on a medical mission for the past few years. 

The teacher approached Pastor Andrea about the “Pennies for Haiti” project and said the students and the school wanted to use part of the proceeds to support the medical mission to Haiti. 

As a result Pastor Andrea and Pastor Michael Simmons of Spring Creek UCC have been asked to present a program at the end of March about their trips to Haiti for the fifth graders.  The students collected more than $1,600 (amazing!) and will be giving $400 (their original goal) to the American Red Cross; the rest will be donated to the non-profit group Little by Little – Haiti, which sponsors medical mission trips to the village of Gramothe in Haiti – where  Pastor Andrea and Pastor Michael have served as volunteers the past three years.  

Pastor Andrea to preside
over Easter Vigil service at Gloria Dei

An ecumenical Easter Vigil Service will again be held at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church on April 3 at 7 p.m.

For the past few years St. Anskar has participated, along with churches from the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Congregational and Episcopal traditions.  This year Pastor Andrea will preside at the service. 

Light refreshments will be served after the service. Everyone in invited and encouraged to attend the first of the Easter Day services when the new fire is kindled and the Paschal Candle is lit in celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Holy Week services set

Before we know it Holy Week will be upon us.  Holy Week starts at the Palm Sunday Service on March 28 with the Blessing and Procession of the Palms and the reading of the passion-this year according to Luke.  Our Maundy Thursday service begins at 6 p.m. April 1, ending with the stripping of the altar and an agape meal of soup and bread.  The Good Friday service will be at 12:15 p.m.  April 2. Parishioners and guests also will have the opportunity to walk the Stations of the Cross at 11:30 a.m. before that service. Our Easter Day service will be at 9:30 a.m. as usual on April 4.  Also, remember the Ecumenical Easter Vigil, which will be held at Gloria Dei Lutheran on April 3 at 7 p.m.

Cry Out Against Hunger program
set for end of March

Art Simon, founder of Bread for the World, will be the featured speaker at 7 p.m. Thursday March 25 at a prayer service hosted by Second Congregation Church, 312 N. Church. 

Simon, brother of the late Illinois senator Paul Simon, will speak about Bread for the World and its efforts to fight hunger around the globe.   The program is free.  In addition to the program on Thursday, there will be a soup luncheon on Friday, March 26, at noon hosted by Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 3300 Rural St.  To make reservations for the luncheon, please call to Carol Burmeister (815-397-5597).

Imagining
with Diana Butler Bass

The Office of Life Long Christian Formation in partnership with St. James Cathedral, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, and the Congregations Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago is sponsoring a series of conversations and presentations with noted author and educator Diana Butler Bass. 

The program is scheduled for March 11 through March 13 and will take place at three locations around the diocese for clergy, lay leaders, parishioners and the general public. 

"Trends, Tinker Toys & Transformation" is the topic for Thursday and Friday March 11 and 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Martin Episcopal Church, 1095 Thacker St. in Des Plaines.

Bishop Jeffrey Lee and Diana Butler Bass will be featured in a program from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. March 11 at St. James Cathedral, Wabash & Huron St., Chicago. At this event there will be refreshments and a book signing.  

The final presentation, "The People's History of Christianity" from her book of the same title will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday March 13 at St. Paul Episcopal Church, 900 Normal Rd, DeKalb.

The registration fee for Thursday & Friday is $40 (includes lunch both days).  There is no fee for Thursday evening’s event.  The registration fee for Saturday is $20 (includes lunch).  An all-event pass is available for $50.  More information is available on the diocesan website (www.episcopalchicago.org).  Register online or contact Barbara Rasero 312-751-4206.  For other questions, ask Pastor Andrea.

Episcopal Diocese of Haiti
continues work

The Diocese of Haiti will continue to care for all Haitians through its schools, clinics and churches.  The future of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti may well look very much like its past in one very important aspect -- its service to the people of that impoverished nation.

"We have been here before, we are here now and we will be there after," said the Rev. Canon Oge Beauvoir, a Haitian native and one of four Episcopal Church missionaries assigned to work with the diocese in the impoverished country, who spoke to ENS Jan. 27 via telephone from the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. 

The Episcopal Church of Haiti, known locally as L'Eglise Episcopale d'Haiti, will mark its 150th anniversary in 2011. Haitian Episcopalians have preached and practiced a "gospel of wholeness" since its founding in 1861, according to Bishop Jean Zach Duracin. 

A second missionary, the Rev. Lauren Stanley, echoed Beauvoir's promise.  "For 149 years the diocese has taken the lead in caring for the people of Haiti through our schools, through our medical clinics, our feeding programs, our water programs, through our churches, through the music program, through taking care of abandoned handicapped children." 

Stanley said that the diocese is committed to all of the people of Haiti, "not just Episcopalians in our pews," adding that it will rebuild its schools, hospitals and churches and "will continue to care for the people that nobody else cares about because that's what we have always done.”

On Sundays January 17 and January 24, we collected donations at St. Anskar’s to be sent to Episcopal Relief and Development for the Haiti Relief Fund.  More than $300 was collected, which includes the loose offering on Jan. 24.  With some additions from the Rector’s Discretionary Fund, $850 was sent in to ERD for Haiti.

Give thanks for blessings, loved ones
with Easter flower donation

The Altar Guild is seeking donations for the flowers for the Altar of Repose and decorating the church for Easter. Any amount is welcome.

A donor’s list will be included in the Easter bulletin. 

Flowers may be given in memory of a loved one or in thanks-giving for special blessings.  

Please fill out a check and the form below and:

Give or mail a check payable to St. Anskar's Flower Fund to Jennie Lamp, Flower Chairman, 6047 Carriage Green Way, Rockford, IL 61108, OR

Put your check made out to St. Anskar’s Flower Fund in the collection plate, and remember to write  Easter Flowers on the memo line in the lower left corner of check.

Or you may give the check and requested intention to Dan in the office.

 

Ministry opportunities
abound for parishioners of all ages

With our young people graduating and going off to college, we are in need of some people who might be interested in serving as acolytes. 

Older children as well as adults are invited to consider this opportunity to serve.  No prior experience necessary -- just an interest.  We will be happy to provide the training.

Please contact Pastor Andrea for more information or if interested in this ministry.

Do you like to read aloud?  Do you like visiting with people?  As well as putting out a call for acolytes, we are also looking for people to serve as greeters, lectors and home cmmunion ministers.  Presently we are visiting four different facilities to take communion to shut-ins on the third Sunday of the month.  To get an idea of what being a home communion minister entails, volunteer to go along with any of the persons taking communion to our shut-ins.  We will provide the necessary training and mentoring to anyone who might be interested in helping out in any of these ministries.  Contact Pastor Andrea or Deacon Nancy with questions.

 Join us for coffee, goodies, fellowship
after church on Sundays

With the help of our dedicated volunteers (this will be their third year of volunteering one Sunday every month to hostess the coffee hour), our usual coffee/fellowship hour has resumed.  Please join everyone else in the parish hall and enjoy a cup of coffee and some "goodies."

 

 Get ready
for the next Attic Treasures


 Please copy and save this list of items needed for the Attic Treasures Sale and keep it handy during the year. As you clean out your closets, cupboards, garages, or basements, keep Attic Treasures in mind.

 Dates: April 15-17, 2010

 Needed:

Padded hangers
Paper or Plastic Bags/Sacks: (with handles)
Children's clothes
Linens: (please list size of sheets and blankets.)
Jewelry
Housewares
Crafts
Appliances/electronics  (in good working order)
CD's, VHS's, DVD's
Books (No Reader's Digests or magazines!)

  Church members
invited to post video testimonies

A communications initiative to tell the Episcopal Church's story was launched on Ash Wednesday at www.episcopalchurch.org where visitors will find a new interactive feature called "I Am Episcopalian."

The so-called "microsite" contains short videos of people "sharing their deep, personal connections to the big, wide, vibrant church that we are," said Anne Rudig, who joined the Episcopal Church Center in New York as communications director on January 5.

Users will be allowed to upload their own videos, which should be no longer than 90 seconds. Communication staff will monitor the clips before posting on the "I am Episcopalian" webpage, which will be active throughout Lent.

Visitors to Episcopalchurch.org will be greeted with the I am Episcopalian page which includes a short description, a banner display of photo links to contributors' videos, and two navigation links, one to upload videos and the other to continue to the episcopalchurch.org home page. The microsite can be reached at http://www.iamepiscopalian.org/.

Campbell's offers
labels for education program

Campbell's Labels For Education is a program that helps schools obtain free educational  merchandise such as computers, software, physical education equipment, musical instruments, library books or even a minivan. Either cut out the small label or send along the complete label and we can have someone cut it out later.

Other products that do have this label on them include Swanson's, Pepperidge Farm, Prego, V-8 beverages, and Pace sauces. Please save your labels for our schools; a collection box can be found in parish hall.

 Check out St. Anskar's
new and improved library

St. Anskar's Library has been cleaned out, sorted and organized by Judy Schultz. Books are now shelved by category/subject. There is not a check-out system, just return them when you are finished. Please stop by the Hearth Room and see what we have.

If you have religious books, study guides, etc., that you no longer need, we could use them. Please
leave those books in the box on the top shelf. and we will file them away later. Maybe you will find some great reading for these cold winter nights!

Save your box tops
for education

Ahhh------"If only the schools had all the money they needed and the Air Force had to have bake sales to purchase their bombers....." as the saying goes! But we do have a couple ways we can help our schools in our own personal way.

One way is to save Box Tops For Education labels. Box Tops celebrated the $250 million mark in 2008 and it has been around for 12 years. More companies join in this wonderful cause each year.

It started out with only General Mills products and now you can find this label on other products such as: Betty Crocker, Nestle, Frozen Green Giant Vegetables, Juicy Juice, Yoplait yogurt, snack items, Kleenex, Huggies, personal care products, Ziploc, Cottenelle, Scott and Hefty products.

Every Box Top coupon is worth a dime. Schools can redeem these "little" coupons twice a year and individual schools could earn up to $60,000 if enough coupons were turned in.

Wow! The money can be used for anything the school needs. However, these coupons DO EXPIRE! so only save those from 2009  on. A collection jar has been placed in parish hall.

Help keep God’s world green:
Recycle those cell phones

Did you know that more than 130 million cell phones and PDAs will be retired this year in the U.S. but fewer than 10 percent of them are likely to be recycled.

Donate your old cell phones to help women build job skills and climb out of poverty.

The old cell phones can be refurbished and reporgramed as 911 phones for use by survivors of domestic violence, the elderly and others at risk. Materials from broken and obsolete phones and accessories can be reclaimed and used to manufacture other goods.

St. Anskar’s has two collection boxes for phones and PDAs. One is upstairs in the parish hall, and the other is downstairs.  Won’t you please donate you old phones to this good cause. Thanks. 

Study groups offer different ways
to learn about the Bible

As many of you all ready know, St. Anskar’s several Bible study groups offering three distinctly different ways of studying the Bible.

Join others like you who are on a special journey – searching for and discovering a special connection with Jesus.

Choose from the list below to join the group that fits your needs.

Oral Tradition Bible Study (Two groups)

Originating in South America where Bibles and lay readers are in short supply, this method of study has proven that the Bible is alive and holds meaning for each one of us in our daily lives the world over.

A reading from the Bible is chosen each week usually corresponding with the upcoming Sunday lessons. The passage is read three times as it leads the members to discover how the passage can be applied to their lives.

Contact Information:

Nancy Conrads (group leader) 877-4737

Meets 10:00 a.m. at various locations.

Tuesday Night Bible Study

This group is studying Genesis – with the help of a study guide – beginning with the story of the flood. Each week two chapters are read out loud by the members. The study guide asks appropriate, and at times probing, questions that often lead the members to a deeper understanding of the passage. The study guide is based on the New International Version and supplies many helpful historical facts. Study materials are provided.

Contact Information:

Cindy Marsden (group leader) 218-1874

Meets 7 p.m. Tuesdays in her home.

Automatic transfer can simplify
keeping up with pledge

Tired of playing catch up with your pledge after going on vacation or out of town for a long weekend?

It's quite easy to set up an automatic transfer from your checking or savings account. All you have to do is:

  • Go to your bank.
  • Tell them you want to transfer funds from your account to that of St. Anskar’s.
  • Tell them how much you want to transfer.
  • Tell them how often you want to transfer.
  • The bank will provide the forms necessary for the transfer to take place.
  • The routing/transit number for the church’s Alpine Bank account is # 0719 23307.
  • The account number at Alpine Bank is # 000-0208000.

Inform Gail Shaner and Chuck Reitsch that you will be paying by automatic transfer. This will help them balance the checking account and give proper credit for pledges fulfilled.

Memorial gifts beautify church,
empower ministries

Many people name St. Anskar’s Church as the recipient of gifts in memory of a loved one. Through the years, many items (such as our beautiful wall hangings) have been purchased with these memorial funds.

Here are the ways some memorial funds have been spent in the past year:

Celtic prayer books were purchased with part of the Mark Estabrook Memorial Fund.

New tract rack for the parish hall was purchased with the James and Louise Orbison Memorial Fund.

A new white funeral pall, brass followers for our candelabra, and a travel communion set were purchased from the Dorothy Dorgan Memorial Fund.

The remainder of the William Staats Memorial Fund was used to purchase new serving trays and bowls for the kitchen.

Nancy and Edward Conrads paid for new rosebushes to be put in the circle garden, which is in memory of their parents.

Small bequests paid for a vacuum for the Altar Guild’s use and a new coffee pot for the kitchen.

Our new Praise hymnbooks were paid for by the Eleanor Stanlis Memorial Fund and the Suzanne Grahn Memorial Fund.

The Grahn fund was also used to purchase music, pay for an Easter soloist, tune a piano, and buy some new music stands.

And two new stained glass windows are being designed for our sanctuary and will be installed soon. The windows are a gift from Don Fox.

If you would like to make a memorial gift to St. Anskar's contact our parish administrator, Dan Warren, or our warden, Paul Toboldt.

Send Flower Fund gifts
to right place

To ensure you receive credit for your gifts to the flower fund, be sure to make them out to St. Anskar’s Flower Fund and mail them to:

Jennie Lamp
6047 Carriage Green Way
Rockford, IL 61108.

If you have any questions concerning your gifts, please call Jennie at 398-4704. Thanks.

In need of prayer?
Let Prayer Circle know

All names on the St. Anskar's Prayer Circle will remain on the list for two weeks unless otherwise requested. If the person is still in need of prayer, please contact Judy Schultz (chairwoman), Janet Pavlak, John Pavlak, Chris Eaton, Barbara Morris, Elsie Estabrook, Julie Morehouse, Don Marsden, or Becky Bradford.

This page prepared by St. Anskar's, Rockford

For comments on this page, address e-mail to: generaldelivery@stanskars.org