ALL SAINTS’ BULLETIN
The Monthly Newsletter of All Saints’
__________________________________________________________

October, 2009
228-9242
www.allsaintsthomasville.org
__________________________________________________________

THIS SUNDAY OCTOBER 4
CONSECRATION SUNDAY
10:30 a.m.

GUEST PREACHER:  THE REV. GAVIN DUNBAR
ST. JOHN’S, SAVANNAH

FOLLOWED BY A CELEBRATION LUNCHEON (CATERED)
PLEASE PLAN TO JOIN YOUR FELLOW PARISHIONERS.

THE TENTH BISHOP OF GEORGIA

On September 12, the Diocese of Georgia at a special convention chose as her Tenth Bishop the Rev. Scott Benhase, currently Rector of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Washington, D. C.  Amazingly, the election happened on the second ballot and within fifty five minutes; “amazingly” because when we elected Bishop Louttit fifteen years ago, it took two days and thirteen ballots!    At that time the diocese especially the clergy, were terribly divided.  Perhaps this stunningly quick election is indicative in part of the very real unity for which our Bishop has worked so diligently.

Fr. Benhase was not the first choice of a number of the more conservative members of the diocese, and it’s possible that most of those votes were split between Frs. Gahan and Logue.  Unfortunately, Fr. Benhase’s election was immediately perceived by some, accurately or not, as drawing the diocese into the liberal mainstream of the Episcopal Church.  As a member of the Search Committee which ultimately nominated Fr. Benhase, I can say that when I saw Scott’s initial paperwork and that he was the Rector of an established parish considerably more liberal than All Saints, I was more than a little disturbed -- and was the only one on the committee who at first did not want to move his name forward. 

However, every subsequent meeting I’ve had with him in phone conversations, in the car to and from the airport, in all day interviews, at supper and at lunch, at the walk-about session in Albany, in conversations with his former and present senior wardens and  his Bishop, and finally in two very lengthy phone conversations with Scott before the election, my estimation of this man has grown mightily.  I might add that he was the first choice of all three of our lay delegates consisting of what (in their words) would be a liberal, a moderate, and a conservative.

Given my initial concerns about Scott, while on the Search Committee I went out of my way to see as much of him as possible:  from the first phone interview when I learned he took the same courses from the same professors as I, liking and disliking the same things for the same reasons as I – all the way to another lengthy phone call with his very liberal Bishop John Chane, who said among other things, that “Scott is a very fine priest and has done a tremendous job under difficult circumstances.  I like him a lot, but please understand that he and I do not see eye to eye on several issues.”  All of us on the committee took that as another positive recommendation.

Further, despite what some may have read in various blogs from St. Alban’s website regarding practices of Same-Sex Blessings and Open Communion (the practice of admitting to communion the unbaptized), the Search Committee was aware of these, and Fr. Benhase has stated to us that these are practices which he inherited at the time he was called to St. Alban’s – and under the direction and authority of Bishop Chane.  He believes Holy Matrimony is between a man and a woman.  If there is any concern, I can honestly state that no name would have reached the convention floor if the Search Committee sensed in the slightest that the nominee was in the vanguard of General Convention religion and sexuality.   Nor would any name have reached the convention floor if we had sensed the person was in the least bit “anti-gay”.  Indeed, your delegation thought Fr. Benhase at the walkabout answered the sexuality questions not only pastorally but realistically, far moreso than the other candidates.

Most important, our Bishop-Elect brings to the diocese an impressive set of credentials with tenures in a variety of parishes which experienced significant qualitative and quantitative growth under his leadership.  With our very rural diocese where our tiny mission congregations fight for members with multi-thousand member Baptist and Methodist churches, and with close to a three quarter of a million dollar debt at Honey Creek our diocesan conference center, Fr. Benhase most certainly deserves our fervent prayers and good wishes.  His wife is a native of Tallahassee, and currently teaches high school English in one of the lowest performing sectors of Washington D. C., not because she has to but because she feels called to.  He will be consecrated in Savannah on January 23, and I look forward to introducing him and Kelly to the parish soon after.   FAB

BISHOP LOUTTIT’S FINAL VISITATION AT ALL SAINTS

Bishop Louttit will make his final official visitation to our parish on October 25 at which time he will celebrate the Holy Eucharist, preach, and administer Confirmation.  The parish will honor the Bishop and Jan with a sit-down luncheon immediately following the service that day.  Please put October 25 on your calendars.  FAB

FR. MCQUEEN AT MOULTRIE

Bishop Louttit will install Fr. McQueen as the next Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Moultrie, Georgia at 6:00 PM Wednesday November 11.  We know many in the parish will want to be present for this happy event, and to wish the McQueen’s and St. John’s a long and blessed marriage.

CONVOCATIONAL COUNCIL

All Saints will host the annual Convocational Council on Sunday afternoon October 25 at 4:00 PM in the Parish Hall.  Those required to be present are the clergy and one warden.  The purpose of the meeting will be to review the proposed diocesen budget for 2010, and to elect one layman to a three year term on the Diocesan Council (the “Vestry” of the Diocese).

ALTAR GUILD

Anyone interested in serving the Lord as a member of the Altar Guild, please contact Nicki Sanders at 229-225-1581 or email cnlcsand@bellsouth.net.  The Altar Guild is divided up into 4 teams. Each team is assigned one week a month to be responsible for preparing the Church and Chapel for all services during the assigned week, including weddings and funerals.  It is a great group of ladies dedicated to this integral part of our church.  With everyone's busy schedule, we really need more loving hands to learn the traditions of service in our church. 

Nicki Sanders

ALL SAINTS DAY

All Saints Day (November 1) falls on a Sunday this year, and a number of your parish leaders thought we should do something which we haven’t done in quite a while – which is to have a lovely dinner in the Parish Hall following the 5:00 service that Sunday. 

So please put this on your calendar, and phone in your reservations.  There will be no charge.

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL (Some of the Minor Prophets)

 October 4:  Joel and Habakkuk
 October 11:  Amos
 October 18:  Micah
 October 25:  Bishop Louttit

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

ECW Community Outreach Auction
Thursday, November 12

THE SANCTUARY IS NOT THE SANCTUARY:  IT’S THE NAVE!

The source for the following is an article titled:  “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church” by Don Armentrout and Robert Slocum.  It has been modified from the newsletter of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Albany, Georgia.  FAB

The key words in this article are:  Narthex or Vestibule, Nave, Transept, Chancel, Sanctuary, Reredos, and Sacristy.

So let’s walk our way through All Saint’s Church, the space in which we worship each Sunday morning. 

At the front entrance which faces Hansell Street, one enters the narthex or vestibule.  This is the space between the first set of doors and the second.  As St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, there was no narthex and one entered the nave directly.

Beyond the second set of doors, one enters the nave, the space where the pews are and where the people sit.  In protestant churches, the primary worship space is called a sanctuary.   There is a sanctuary in an Episcopal Church, but it is two spaces beyond the nave.  The term “nave” is derived from the Latin “navis”, which means ship.  Ceilings in older Anglican churches oftentimes are designed as hulls of ships that are upside down, which is true of All Saints’ exterior roof.

The center aisle ends in a space called the transept, the area between the nave and the chancel.  Seen from above, the transept appears as the two lateral arms of the cross, while the center aisle symbolizes the vertical portion.  The transept is that portion where the vertical and horizontal meet.

The raised platform is the chancel.  The clergy, layreaders, and acolytes all sit in the chancel.

Beyond the chancel, inside the altar rail, is the sanctuary.  There resides the high altar of table for the Holy Eucharist – also properly called the Holy Communion.  Behind the altar is the reredos – decorations behind or above the altar.  The reredos is typically a wooden screen or panels.  It may consist of stone, wood, jeweled metalwork, drapery, or glass.  Frequently a reredos contains biblical scenes or symbols.

To the right of the altar as one faces it, there is a door from the sanctuary into the sacristy.  The clergy, layreaders and acolytes vest there and vestments are stored there.  In this room the Altar Guild members prepare the sacred vessels and the bread and wine.  There is a sink in the sacristy called a “piscina” that drains directly into the ground (it is not plumbed) for the purpose of discarding the leftover consecrated bread and wine.

VESTRY

The October meeting will be held Sunday, October 18 at 8:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall Library.

EYC NEWS

Sunday, October 4 –
Bring some $ for Yummi Express following Evening Prayer.   (We will need a few drivers and pick up at restaurant at 7:00)

Sunday, October 11
EYC following Holy Communion

Saturday, October 17
Team 4 (EYC) to work at Food Kitchen at St. Thomas’ – 10:30–1:30

Sunday, October 18- No EYC

Sunday, October 25
Fun night at Granddaddys following Evening Prayer (we will need a few drivers and pick up at restaurant at 7:30)

Saturday, October 31 –
Halloween Carnival from 3:00 – 5:00; meet at church for lunch                  and setup at 11:30.

Sunday, November 1 - No EYC

ECW NEWS

The ECW Book Club will meet on Wednesday, Oct 14 at 11:50.  The book is "The Art of Running in the Rain" by Garth Stein. The discussion leaders are Gini Miller and Peggy Bochkay. We will be serving lunch so reservations are appreciated.  All are welcome to join us for this informal discussion.

That afternoon at 5:00 p.m. there will be a short business meeting, featuring Auction co-chairs: Margaret Brinson and Carey Sewell. Bring your ideas, items for auction and sign-up pencils.

That afternoon we will have a very special guest speaker, John Workman, who will speak about the Middle East.  We greatly encourage and invite everyone to attend this talk with questions. It will really help us understand that part of the world. Invite a friend, student or husband.

Mr. John C. Workman’s address will focus on the over lapping religious and ethnic groups in the Middle East.  While we may think that all 'Arabs' are same -they really are not.  The Middle East is really a group of families, clans, tribes, and nations, with a dozen nationalities, and almost as many religions.  A local resident, Mr. Workman spent 13 years living in three different Middle Eastern countries and has visited them all. He has a degree in History and International Relations, and a degree in Arab Studies.  Being an attorney he tries to be objective and realizes that things are often not as them seem. He enjoyed his time in the Middle East and returns often. He is always willing to answer questions and if he doesn't know the answer can usually send you off in at least the correct direction. He is still amazed by the overlapping friendships among middle easterners while officially the groups are not suppose to get along at all.

Thanks.
Lee and Lee

EYC Sponsored Halloween Carnival
Saturday, October 31
from 3:00 – 5:00

EYC members please meet at church for lunch and setup at 11:30.

 
ST. CECILIA AND ST. DAVID CHOIRS

The St. Cecilia and St. David Choirs have begun another year singing a wonderful service on September 27.  There will be no rehearsals on Wednesday, October 7. The choirs will sing again on October 25, which will be Bishop Louttit’s final visitation to All Saints’ Episcopal Church.  On that day the Bishop will confirm “one of our own”, chorister’s Ford Faulk. This year’s choir members are: (Check out all the siblings!)

 
St. Cecilia Choir

Sam Bruhn
Hardy Davis
Olivia Enright
Harris Jackson
Lily Jackson
Simms Ladson
Parker McCollum
Ethan Myers
Elizabeth Rollins
Maryam Sibley

St. David Choir

Curry Brinson                            
Reid Myers
Madi Bruhn                               
Raleigh Rollins
Marley Davis                             
Ella Simmons
Ford Faulk
Annalee Jackson
Virginia Jackson
Meme Hand

SATURDAY LUNCH MINISTRY

 Our Saturday lunch ministry at St. Thomas continues to grow by leaps and bounds.  The September team fed almost 300 people!

All Saint’s has four teams in place taking turns each third Saturday of the month.  If you would like to join an existing team we would love to have you.

Please save the date of November 7th for an exciting event to raise funds for needed supplies, etc for the lunch program. Raymond Hughes will give an organ concert starting at 7:00 pm at First Methodist Church. There will be a reception to follow.  Tickets are $7 and will be available soon in the office at All Saints.  Please help us by supporting this fundraiser for a great cause!

Thank you!
Debbie Beeson

USHERS FOR OCTOBER

October 4                     October 11
Chip Hancock                 Doug Harper
John Hand                     Bob Jackson

October 16                    October 25 - Bishops Visit
John Kavouklis                Bernie Lanigan
Bill Ladson                     Robert Lynde

TRANSITIONS:

Happy Birthday in the month of October to:

Elaina Kavouklis   10-5-94
Alisha Kavouklis   10-5-94
Caroline Penhallegon   10-16-93
Ali Hall    10-20-95
Eleanor Stubley   10-30-95

Happy birthday in November to:
C
hip Sanders    11-2-89
David Christopher Chubb  11-5-93
Harrison Jackson   11-7-04
Preston Chubb    11-8-92
Reid Myers    11-9-00
Christopher Bragg   11-11-91
Wilson Young    11-14-05
Ethan Myers    11-20-02
Robert Taylor Bragg   11-20-93
Alex Carico    11-22-95
Hardy Davis    11-26-02
Addison Faith Kelley   11-29-02
Kinsey Grace Kelley   11-29-02
Carsyn Trace Kelley   11-29-02

From the Parish Register

Deo Gratis

Mr. and Mrs. Philip Faulk announce the safe deliver of a son
William Bennett Faulk on September 15, 2009