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a group of people standing around a buffet table with food

The spruced up St. Francis Garden at Emmanuel coming to life!

JUNE 2023 HARBINGER

Volume 9 Issue 6

NEWS FROM OUR RECTOR

Dear Beloved in Christ,

I’m delighted to announce the addition of Teressa Kyser to our EEC staff!

Teressa will begin her role as our new Office Manager on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. This start date allows Teressa to have a couple of days of training with Leah prior to Leah’s retirement.

Although we’ll surely miss Leah in the church office, Teressa brings valuable leadership experience and many gifts to our community. She’s friendly, organized, creative, and well-versed in juggling multiple projects at once. With a background in graphic design, Teressa most recently served as the General Manager of Northern Copy Express, where she demonstrated her skills in customer service and administration. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Teressa, and I’m excited for you to meet her soon.

A more detailed biography will be forthcoming. In the meantime, prepare yourselves to offer Teressa a warm Emmanuel welcome!

Yours in Christ,

Kay+

(Adult) Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows

There’s a service of confirmation scheduled at Trinity Episcopal Church in Alpena on Saturday, September 16. This is the closest regional confirmation available to us during the 2023 calendar year. Adults who wish to be confirmed or received, please RSVP to revkay@eecpetoskey.org by July 1. Classes will be offered beginning in mid-July, with time and day yet to be determined. A youth confirmation series will be held at a later date.

How do I know if Confirmation, Reception, or Reaffirmation is right for me?

If you were baptized at an early age and are ready to make a mature affirmation of your faith, then you may wish to be confirmed. Confirmation provides an opportunity to present yourself to God, and to claim your place in carrying out Jesus’ mission through the church.

If you were baptized and confirmed in another denomination,you may wish to be received into the Episcopal Church by committing yourself to the Baptismal Covenant, and to a life of prayer, fellowship, and service as an Episcopalian.

If you have already been confirmed in the Episcopal Church and have recently experienced a renewal of faith, you may wish to reaffirm your commitment to the Baptismal Covenant.

SENIOR WARDEN REPORT - JUNE 2023

Our Vestry met Monday May 15. I was unable to attend, but I have received good feedback.

Emmanuel’s finances continue to track onbudget. Our Finance Committee under Mark Thompson’s leadership has made the conversion from Huntington National to Chase Bank. Leah has been very helpful in this process.

The Vestry approved proceeding with the kitchen restoration.

Thanks to Leah and Reverend Kay our contract with Lake Effect Restoration stipulates that the project, including granite countertops, will come in within our insurance coverage. Well Done!!

As requested, the Vestry discussed the status of our Liturgical Arts projects.

The prior LA working group was brought to an end in December 2022. Adult

Forum will highlight the Art of Emmanuel in June, including the Connick Stained Glass windows in the sanctuary,the found stained glass and history of our building that Mary Street has discovered in her project. As the 2024 Stewardship Season is approaching, the Vestry decided to defer any further Liturgical Art discussion until 2024.

Respectfully Submitted,

Hal Lawrence, Senior Warden

MUSIC DEPARTMENT NEWS FOR JUNE 2023

Contact Pam Carpenter via phone at 813.503.6041 or via email at pamelacarpenter2021@outlook.com for more info and to sign up for June 14th. Bring a friend or two!

LAY WEEDERS AND WATERERS

We are looking for help to keep our gardens watered this summer when Mother Nature takes time off.

Please contact Pam Carpenter, via email at: pamelacarpenter2021@outlook.com or via phone at 813.503.6041, to sign up for one of the 12 weeks between June 18 and Sept 3.

If you have not done this before, Pam would be happy to show you at your convenience where the faucets and watering cans are located.

MULCHFEST 2023

Thank YOU to all who came out on the morning of Friday, May 19th ... yes we did get a jump on you with the 3 men from Harbor Hall. I was not quite sure how it would work and the threat of rain was making me somewhat nervous, so we got there at 9:00 a.m., uncovered the mulch and got started. Mary Street made coffee and the amazing cookies we are all hooked on. Who says we don’t work for cookies We finished and everything was cleaned up by 11am and we had just the right amount of mulch.

Below is a picture of our Pet Memorial Garden after being “spruced up"“.

BOOKS AND BEYOND - JUNE 2023

Emmanuel’s book group will be closing out this year’s round of discussions with “Too Close to the Falls” by Catherine Gildiner. This work of non-fiction chronicles the life of Catherine who, by today’s standard would probably be labeled with Attention Deficit Disorder. In the book Catherine describes her unconventional childhood growing up near Niagara Falls, NY. On her doctor’s orders she is put to work in her father’s drugstore to burn off some “excess energy.” As Gildiner describes her experiences from pre-school through her teen years she talks in the voice of the child she was, rather than the adult she is now. Her style is extremely effective in transporting the reader into her past life, a life that seems to have been both bewildering and magnificent at the same time. There is something for everyone here: television, racial conflicts, religious questioning, teen sexuality, an unconventional mother, Hollywood and much more. We will be meeting on Monday, June 12 at 2pm in the Lottie Petersen Room at Emmanuel. We welcome all! Questions? Contact Nancy Turner at taketurns1106@gmail.com

CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE CIRCLE

NOW ON WEDNESDAYS

at 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Emmanuel’s Chapel

Starting in June, the Contemplative Practice Circle will meet on Wednesday mornings, 9:00 am, in the chapel.

Practice being present by spending a quiet hour of contemplation and reflection. Most of us find it is easier to practice silence in the presence of others. During our time together we reflectively read the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel. Then, we sit silently for 20minutes, allowing our thoughts to settle, and resting in God’s presence. We conclude our time together by listening as participants share brief reflections.

We understand summer is a busy time,and no one can commit to every week. Please feel welcome to join us any Wednesday morning that works for you..

No commitment is necessary. Come as often or as little as you wish.

Contact Julie Eckhardt with questions: 231-590-2764 or julieeckhardt@mac.com

SUMMER HELP NEEDED!

Flexible hours, exceptional working environment, weekdays off!

Perhaps, this is the time to try something new?

Altar Guild awaits, quiet yet friendly.

Training is easy and can fit your schedule.

It is one of the special ministries at Emmanuel, working in the sacristy and the sanctuary, setting the table for Eucharist, celebrating the traditions and seasons of the Episcopal church, thinking prayerfully of our congregation, and the voices and prayers which have filled our beautiful church.

Interested in helping this summer?

We’d love to have you join us.

Sandy Selden

**For more information, please contact Rev. Kay at revkay@eecpetoskey.org**

PASTORAL CARE MINISTRY - JUNE 2023

We are grateful for June because it is the beginning of summer! With the days becoming warmer and longer, we have more opportunities to enjoy so many activities with our friends and family. June will also be the month when we

celebrate the arrival of a new Office Manager, Teressa Kyser, and think back

fondly on our time shared with Leah, who will forever have a place in our

hearts. Leah was such an integral part of the Pastoral Care Ministry and

our church family. She blessed us all with her professionalism and served

as a liaison between our ministry, the congregation and Rev. Kay. She was

always respectful of our members’ privacy, which is a core value of our ministry.

Her communications regarding the loss of a member of our church family was

done with love and compassion. We will remember her unwavering help with

many ministry projects including the development and printing of our

“Healing Prayers for You” pamphlet. Leah, we love you and will miss you and hope you enjoy every moment of our retirement.

Last month our ministry provided meals, respite care and made several

hospital visits to members of our church family who were facing health

challenges. In April we hosted Coffee Hour where we were able to share great

fellowship with our parish family. During the summer months our Pastoral

Care Ministry does not meet in person, but we stay connected with each

other through emails and phone calls. If you or someone you love is facing

a challenge, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Pastoral Care is the shared responsibility of both Reverend Kay and the

church laity. We continue to support each other and especially those in

need. Please remember that we offer support by giving rides to appointments,

delivering meals, reaching out to our parish members through cards and

phone calls, and with ongoing prayers for peace, joy and healing.

If you are in need or know of someone in need, please reach out to Sharyn

at 248.909.5862, Nina at 231.881.2630, Rev. Kay at 231.487.2199, or the

church office at 231.347.2350 ext. 110.

A MINI SERMON

"Yay,though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..."

I am RESURRECTED.

I'd like to share with you my recent medical experiences. Today is Wednesday, May 24. Yesterday I met with my primary care physician and learned more details of my recent surgery. It is truly a miracle that I survived.

I had earlier in March spent time at the hospital with pneumonia and some heart issues. I was discharged to Bay Bluffs for rehabilitation for several weeks and came home on Maundy Thursday. I was planning to attend the glorious Easter services at Emmanuel. But on Good Friday I was rushed to the hospital again, eventually having emergency surgery on Easter Monday for bleeding ulcers. It was questionable if I would survive. I became conscious on the next day and heard the details of my surgery. I slipped into a deep depression.

After many days in the ICU, Cheboygan MediLodge Rehab, and Bay Bluffs Rehab (again), the pain began to lessen and the depression began to lift. With the lifting of the depression, I discovered a whole new reality. I had been resurrected! It is one thing to believe in the resurrection, but another to actually feel it. God has truly given me a new life. Along with God's gift of life have been the thoughts and prayers of the Emmanuel community. With cards, calls, cookies, flowers, and visits, Emmanuel Church has supported me. I am touched and grateful.

I am resurrected! Thanks be to God!

Bill Nicholson