7.25.13 NL LookingForwardInHope - · PDF fileand resume the program year, Jennifer Turner and I, along with the full vestry, look forward to meeting ... wayne c. fowler wayne c. fowler

St. Columba’S Newsletter n July 25, 2013 1

St. Columba’S EpiSCopal ChurCh

4201 Albemarle Street NW Washington, DC 20016

202-363-4119 fax 202-686-2671

Columba.org

Anne M. Stone, Director of Communications

Vol. 56, No. 6July 25, 2013

Newsletter

. . . behold, all things

are become new.

We look forward with hope“. . . behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17–18)

As a parish, we are scattered for the summer, and will be to an even greater extent as July moves into August and the city empties. When we return from summer vacations and resume the program year, Jennifer Turner and I, along with the full vestry, look forward to meeting with the parish for a Sunday Forum when we can answer questions about our decision to ask for Janet’s resig-nation, report on our conversations with Bishop Mariann (including her visit to the parish on July 30 to share time with the clergy, staff, vestry and other leadership) and entertain discussion about the search process for a new rector. That forum will take place on Sept. 22. Mark your calendar. We hope it’s a full Great Hall.

Of course, your questions, concerns and suggestions need not wait until Sept. 22. Jennifer and I, as well as the members of the vestry, will be at most summer services and are happy to talk with you one on one. You can also e-mail us at [email protected].

As we begin to look forward to the next chapter in the church’s life, please reflect on what challenges the parish faces and what qualities we seek in a new rector. To assist you, we have posted on the website a copy of the parish profile, dated October 2005, that was prepared for

the last search. We will also put hard copies in the Common. The profile is a 20-page document describing who we were as a parish, the challenges we faced in 2005 and what we were seeking in the next rector. It was written after conducting a paper survey of parishioners, interviewing 100 staff and lay leaders and holding focus groups and open discussion sessions. Read it and tell us whether its description of who we are is still accurate, describe the challenges you think we now face and list what the search committee’s priorities should be. (Send your thoughts to rectorsearch@ columba.org and know that there will be further opportunities in the fall to share your thoughts individually and as part of larger discussions.)

When you read the parish profile again, my guess is that you will find that many observations hold true: the centrality of worship to our life, the importance of the music program, the emphasis on the education of children (among others). But you will also see that some things have changed, particularly in the description of St. Columba’s “by the numbers.” The profile reported in 2005 that membership had increased by an average of 2 percent a year for five years, that there had been 64 baptisms in the preceding year, that 1,200 attended on a typical Sunday and that total pledge income had increased at an average rate of 6 percent annually for five years. In contrast, over the past seven years, membership has declined, average (Article continues on next page.)

St. Columba’S n 202-363-4119 n Columba.org2

St. Columba’S n Rich in Worship

Worship Services

Sundays (beginning Sept. 8)

8 am EucharistWith homily and without music.

9 am EucharistIn the church nave, with sermon, choirs, hymns and the healing rite. Child care is available for children 4 and under, 8:45 am to 12:30 pm.

9:15 and 11:15 am Eucharist for families with preschool childrenIn the Great Hall, with story-style telling of the gospel and songs children can sing.

10:15 am Education HourSunday School, youth programs, forum, Bible study and refreshments. (Coffee follows all morning services.)

11:15 am EucharistIn the church nave, with sermon, choirs, hymns and the healing rite.

5 pm EucharistDeep Peace: A smaller, contemplative Eucharist (First Sunday: Live@5).

Weekdays (in the chapel)

Morning Prayer8:45 am Monday through Friday

Eucharist7 am Wednesday; breakfast follows. 10 am Thursday, with the healing rite.

holy baptism

For information on baptismal preparation and registration, please contact the Rev. Rose Duncan ([email protected]; 202-363-4119, ext. 212) or Pattie Ames ([email protected]; ext. 222). Forms are due six weeks prior to the date of baptism. Upcoming date: Sept. 8, 11:15 am (church nave and Great Hall). Class: Sept. 5, 7–9 pm.

St. Columba’s monthly newsletter (USPS#002559) is published by St. Columba’s Episcopal Church. Second-class postage paid at Washington, DC. Postmaster: Send address changes to St. Columba’s Newsletter, 4201 Albemarle Street NW, Washington, DC 20016.

Sunday attendance is now 724, there were half as many baptisms in 2012 as in 2005, and both the number of pledges and the amount of pledge dollars are down for the seventh year in a row—a sad fact that, as concerns the larger parishes in the diocese, is true only for St. Columba’s.

Our three principal challenges according to the 2005 profile were providing space for programs, maintaining excellent preaching and building community. And what did we seek in our new rector? Above all else, the profile said, an inspired preacher—then, a spiritual

guide, a person with vision, an able administrator, an inclusive pastor, a stewardship leader. As we go forward, we will be talking together about what we seek now.

Know that the wardens and the vestry have acted with unanimity and without reservation. Know that we have acted with the full support of the clergy and staff. And know that we acted with the advice of the bishop’s office and her approval.

We look forward with hope: Behold, all things are become new.

n Lane Heard [email protected]

looking forward (Article continues from previous page.)

Dear Friends,

As St. Columba’s enters a time of leadership transition and soul searching, I pray that God’s spirit of wisdom and healing surround you all. While there is no way to make a difficult situation easy, I was struck in the days leading up to Janet Vincent’s resignation by the graciousness and generosity of all involved.

That’s not to say that there aren’t raw emotions to be expressed, for of course, there are. And no doubt many of you want an answer to the largest question of all—why did the vestry ask and did Janet give her resignation, seemingly so quickly? I know that the wardens intend to answer that question at a Sunday Forum in September, and I believe that you will be satisfied with their explanation, as I was.

In the days and weeks to come, I encourage you to speak openly with one another, and yet also to remember that there are some matters that

must remain confidential. The vestry had, and has, my full support.

Know that I and others of the diocesan community are here to support you in any way we can. Above all, trust in the strength of your community and the mercies of Jesus, who is with you and is preparing a way for you, even now.

I look forward to my time with staff and parish leaders on Tues., July 30, and at future times with you as a congregation.

Faithfully,The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde

a word from the bishop


St. Columba’S n Open in Spirit

St. Columba Day

On St. Columba Day, Sun., June 9, we honored the life of our patron saint as we celebrated the end of our program year. At worship, members of the Primary Choir put on a wonderful St. Columba Day skit in the church nave, and God blessed us with a rare sunny day as more than 450 people gathered for our annual parish picnic. We enjoyed barbecue pork and chicken from Red, Hot and Blue; listened to live music by King Street Bluegrass; and learned how to have fun and be green (see page 4).

Picnic coordinators Judi Kane and Carolyn Donnelly were ably assisted in the effort by Bob Huebner; Environment Committee members Tom Bauder, Tom Calhoun, Cynthia Cathcart, Greg Drury, Nicole Holstein, Andrew Hullinger, Kate McLynn, Jeff Moore, Kris Moore, Penny Ray, Thelma Triche and John Wickham; Flower Guild members Anne Clippinger, Jeanine Hull, Judi Raak and Bill Riggs; 42nd Street Fellowship members Jane Chutchi, Barbara Goldhammer, Ann Lung,

Joan Miranowski, Carolyn Osborne, Mary Lou Shannon and Judy Smith. We are also grateful to Dustin Davis and our housekeeping staff Emanuel Grantham, Mike Kirksey and Santos Ruiz for their planning and support.

Leftover food was donated to Christ House, a medical facility for homeless men and women that provides 24-hour nursing care, as well as nutritional, pastoral and social services.

n The Rev. Rob [email protected]

wa

yn

e c

. fo

wle

r

wa

yn

e c

. fo

wle

r

wa

yn

e c

. fo

wle

r

jan

et

vin

ce

nt


St. Columba’S n Active in Service

our zero-waste parish picnic

St. Columba himself would have enjoyed our celebration on Sun., June 9. Good food, good music, good fellow-ship and green! The 450 people who came to eat and drink created a total of only about two pounds of trash, and the parish picnic successfully thwarted the notorious wastefulness of such large-scale events, all thanks to a handful of parishioners who knew we could do better for creation.

About 15 volunteers, mainly from St. Columba’s Environment Committee, joined green organizers Kate McLynn, Penny Ray and Thelma Triche to manage waste collection. With assistance from the catering company Red, Hot and Blue, we collected seven bags of recycling (37 lbs.), 15 bags of compost (122 lbs.) and just one tiny bag of trash (2 lbs.). “The picnic provided an excellent opportunity to show that with some planning, good signage and the cheerful cooperation of attendees, we can change our behavior and be more responsible stewards of the earth,” said Thelma.

The picnic had four main stations: food, drink, dessert—and compost. By organizing waste disposal at one table, volunteers could ensure that everything was put into the correct stream. Though parishioners at first approached the assembly line of waste receptacles with hesitation, by the time they reached the trash can

at the end and had nothing to throw away, they were beaming. Time and again we heard: “This is fantastic! It’s incredible that there is no trash!”

The idea for greening the picnic first came up in this past spring’s Wednesday night Almost Amish class, led by parishioner Greg Drury. The class studied Nancy Sleeth’s book by the same name, which explores living a simpler, less destructive, less consumeristic lifestyle. Thelma chose greening the picnic as her class project and, with classmate Penny, approached picnic organizers Judi Kane and Carolyn Donnelly, who were happy for the help.

Every consumable item at the picnic was planned for: Organizers ordered biodegradable cups and cutlery sourced from the Forest Stewardship Council. Water was provided from coolers instead of bottles. Waste liquids were pooled and poured on the children’s garden. Cans and juice packs were recycled, food was com-posted, food containers recycled, and the caterers provided compostable plates. Even the gloves volunteers used were recyclable. The only waste destined for the landfill was one small bag of leftover meats and alcohol wipes, which couldn’t be composted.

“I never knew you could pour Coke into a garden,” parishioner Jeanne McCann remarked. Kate

McLynn, the driving force behind composting and other green projects at St. Columba’s Nursery School, explained that soda is mostly sugar and water and hurts nothing.

“The picnic is so important in the life of our parish, but stewardship can take second place to ease and convenience at events like this,” said Penny. “We wanted to make a significant difference and show that if we just plan responsibly, it doesn’t have to be either/or.”

The greening of the picnic doubled as a learning opportunity. Colorful signs explained how compost is made and used, and guided children and adults to dispose responsibly of a variety of products. Volunteers shared tips about composting at home— for example, that food waste, napkins and paper plates without a wax coating can be put into regular compost.

This event demonstrated that we can easily incorporate creation care into church activities in a cost-effective way. Since St. C’s uses a private trash company, not the city, diverting waste from trash to compost means a lesser expense for trash removal. Big Bertha (the nursery school’s composter on the playground) can’t eat everything for us, but Compost Cab, an urban composting pickup service, generously agreed to haul away our extra picnic compost at no additional cost. Overall, service fees from a company like Compost Cab are likely to be offset by the savings in trash removal, resulting in no net change in church expenses, but a net benefit to Mother Earth.

Although volunteers received many thank yous for greening the picnic, the real gratification for those involved was knowing that we were furthering the Christian call to be better stewards of creation.

n Nicole [email protected]

wa

yn

e c

. fo

wle

r



What will thanksgiving look like this year?You may think that it’s too early to be thinking about Thanksgiving, but we’re already in full planning mode: For many years, St. Columba’s has hosted a community dinner on Thanksgiving Day at which we share what we have with the homeless, our neighbors at Friendship Terrace, neighborhood residents, stranded college students and anyone who needs or wants a place to share the holiday. We gather to celebrate the bounty of God’s creation.

Kathi Chapman has been the coordinator for the past three years, a role she inherited from Connie and Ray Hauser. Last fall she wrote that “each dish [of the Thanksgiving meal] is composed of ingredients that moms and dads, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters have purchased and delivered to the Great Hall kitchen, where they will be transformed by other moms and

dads, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters into a veritable feast.”

The dinner is a cherished and important holiday tradition at St. C’s, and we are incredibly grateful to Kathi for her wonderful work as chief cook and coordinator. But Kathi has let us know that she is ready to hand off the coordinator’s role, and as we look toward November, we wonder what Thanksgiving will look like this year. We clearly need new leadership for the meal—and we may also need a new approach to this important event that feeds the hungry and strengthens bonds of community in our neighborhood.

The meal has its challenges, to be sure. One of the difficulties we’ve found in recruiting a coordinator is that people may not be willing or able to change their Thanksgiving plans to spend the day at St. Columba’s cooking for and serving more than

100 people. The event is large, and it comes on a day that many have reserved for family and friends.

These challenges may actually provide new opportunities. We may be able to reduce the scale of the feast. We might consider hosting the dinner on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving or the Friday afterward. We are open to exploring many creative approaches. But first we need to know if the parish has enough energy and interest to keep this event going.

To that end, we are convening a meeting later in August with any who support and have enjoyed the community supper and might be prepared to help in some way. Full disclosure: We’re looking for doers, not advisors. I hope you will consider joining the conversation.

n The Rev. Rob [email protected]

Nursery School playground updateIn 2012, nursery school science teacher Kate McLynn helped secure a $70,000 RiverSmart schoolyard conservation site grant from the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) and the District Depart-ment of the Environment for a major playground upgrade. The nursery school board budgeted additional funds to broaden educational features, and work on the project is about to begin.

The playground project will solve a significant problem—persistent and damaging water runoff and erosion—and provide a beautiful, playable new site to teach children about water dynamics, wildlife, nature and water gardening. It will create a creek bed and a large underground system to capture and

reuse rainwater for both play and gardening. We have planned for a small hiking trail and nature area in the unused back playground area and will put a green roof (flowers and grasses) atop the big shed on the Albemarle side of the playground. As part of the project, we will also solicit an engineering opinion about possible future locations for a large “water tower” on our playground to capture rainwater runoff from the Albemarle side church roof.

The important thing to note in the short term is that the Butterworth side of the playground will be closed for most of August while the work proceeds. (Most of the Albemarle side will remain open throughout.)

But in the end we’ll gain new play-ground space, improve existing spaces for play and teaching, and add new natural sites for exploration and learning. Once the work is finished, St. Columba’s will also become a demonstration site for water management and environmental education in our neighborhood, the city and beyond.

You can read more about the RiverSmart grant and how the new playground will advance teaching in the nursery school in “Our nursery school is RiverSmart,” published in the June 21, 2012, newsletter and available at Columba.org.

n Julia Berry [email protected]


St. Columba’S n Deep in Faith

Nurturing vocations from within

St. Columba’s not only serves as a field education site for Virginia Theo-logical Seminary, helping to shape seminarians into their future clerical identity, but also nurtures vocations of those who feel called to ordained ministry from within our parish family. We have ties to three current semi-narians, formally sponsoring two and claiming another as one of our own.

Eva Suárez Eva graduated with a bachelor’s in religion from Columbia University this past May. In January she became the first aspirant to be made a postulant under the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde. She has now enrolled in a four-year joint graduate degree program with Union Theological Seminary and City University of New York (CUNY) Hunter, seeking a Master of Divinity and a Master of Science in Social Work. This summer, Eva is working at Charlotte’s Place, a community center and hospitality ministry of Trinity Wall Street. As a program assistant, she oversees a variety of programs— community art projects and camps for children—and works closely with Trinity’s homelessness ministry to connect homeless and mentally ill community members to services. Eva is also settling in to her first apart-ment, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Her upbringing at St. Columba’s was instrumental in helping Eva find her bi-vocational call. She credits the many different gifts and types of leadership she saw in our staff with showing her just how many ways there are to serve. Work trips with Emily Gowdy Canady and Paul Canady, the Rev. Janet Vincent’s congrega-tional leadership, theological talks with former associate rector the Rev. Drew Bunting, and pastoral moments with the Rev. Margaret Guenther and the Rev. Rose Duncan got her excited about the possibilities for her in this work. A conversation with fellow St. C’s parishioner and seminarian Will Stanley at the Tenleytown Starbucks helped Eva take her first official steps: “If this is what you love most,” he said, “what are you waiting for?”

Will Stanley Like Eva, Will was raised at St. C’s. His path to ordination through the Diocese of Atlanta began at a dinner with Bishop Neil Alexander of Atlanta, Ga., while an undergraduate at Sewanee: The University of the South. From that chance encounter (some might call it the Holy Spirit), Will entered the formal discernment process. At the time, the Diocese of Washington did not yet have a process receptive to college students. He was made a

postulant for holy orders before his senior year in college. Although he has transferred his parish membership to All Saints, Atlanta, he credits Emily Gowdy Canady, the Rev. Martin Smith and the Rev. Janet Vincent with laying the groundwork for his being receptive to a call to ordained ministry.

Will has just completed his junior (first) year at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University. This summer he is undertaking Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Grady Memorial Hospital, a well-respected Level 1 trauma center in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The program is a 10-week intensive course, and like the vast majority of seminarians, Will is tackling it in the summer between his junior and middler (second) year at seminary. When Will returns to New Haven in the fall, he will begin field education at Zion Episcopal Church in North Branford, a mission-sized parish in the Diocese of Connecticut.

Melinda M. Artman I am a rising senior (third year) at Virginia Theological Seminary. I had a career of more than 30 years in local government and am excited about beginning a second career in ordained ministry. My wife, Nina Seebeck, and I have been members (Article continues on next page.)

wa

yn

e c

. fo

wle

r

lea

h r

ed

dy /

trin

ity w

all

str

ee

t

Eva Suárez

co

urt

esy

of

wil

l st

an

ley

Will Stanley Melinda M. Artman



parish lifeof St. C’s for more than a decade and are grateful to so many who are a part of our parish family. I am also deeply grateful to Nina, whom I have affectionately referred to as “my little ATM” as she has supported me during the three years of seminary.

I was recently recommended for candidacy to holy orders by the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Washington and am waiting for the official letter from Bishop Mariann. God and the people willing, the bishop consenting, I will be ordained to the diaconate on Dec. 7 at Church

of the Epiphany (1317 G Street, NW). You are all invited!

In the meantime, I am honored to be part of the first group chosen to exper-ience seminary education in a different way. Funded by the Lilly Foundation, I am one of six seminarians who have taken most of the academic workload in the first two years of seminary. In this final year, I will spend three-quarters of my time working in a parish. By the time I graduate, I will have completed all the academic requirements of the seminary and will have spent more than twice the time in a parish setting

than the typical seminarian. The residency program also provides me with a full-time job for one year after graduation.

On July 1, I will start a summer job at St. John’s, Ellicott City in the Diocese of Maryland. This means I will see my sending parish family (St. C’s is the parish that is “sending” me to seminary) only occasionally from now on. It is a bittersweet moment. I thank all Columbans, past and present, who have supported me on my journey.

n Melinda M. Artman [email protected]

Vocations (Article continues from previous page.)

Sacristan Awards

On June 2, clergy, vergers and family gathered for dinner and to celebrate the dedication and ministry of the sacristans. Sacristans do most of their work behind the scenes, arriving Sundays by 7 am and working until well past noon to ensure that the five morning services run smoothly. On an average Sunday, they are responsible for hundreds of discrete tasks in support of the liturgy, combining a strict attention to detail with an instinct for what could (and quite possibly would, without their timely intervention) go wrong. All this they do with grace, humor and goodwill.

This year’s sacristans, with their combined years of service as acolytes and sacristans, are Todd Allen-Gifford (9), Jack Guenther (9), Alison Fortune (7), Sam Guenther (7), Caden Petersmeyer (7), Amanda Tarkenton (6), Annie Dayton (5) and Vivian Long-Sires (5). Also at this year’s sacristan awards dinner, verger A. Wayne Fowler announced the appointment of Jack Guenther to the position of assistant verger, a role he will fill during his senior year of high school.

n John K. Guenther [email protected]

Congratulations to . . .

. . . Annalise Weber, a rising 7th grader at National Cathedral School (NCS) and four-year veteran of the Girl Choir at St. Columba’s, who was recently inducted into the Washington National Cathedral Girl Choir. Annalise, the daughter of Kristin and Peter Weber, was selected as one of just five new NCS students accepted into the choir this year. The competition to sing in this choir is formidable. Diane Heath, members of the Girl Choir and I are very proud of her and wish her all the best in this endeavor.

n John Hurd [email protected]

jen

nif

er t

ur

ne

r

co

urt

esy

of

an

na

lise

we

be

r



We all need help sometimes

Since 1989, St. Columba’s has partnered with Heart and Hand Ministries in Barbour County, W. Va., to work with families who need help repairing or rebuilding their homes. Every summer, approximately 30 of our young people and adult leaders travel to West Virginia to participate in the week of home repair, camp living and Christian community known as St. Columba’s Appalachia Project (SCAP). Below are reflections from four high school seniors on their years with SCAP.

Madeleine ConoverFor the past four summers I have volunteered with SCAP. I like the close camaraderie that develops among the youth and adults living and working in community. I have learned leadership and communication skills as the head of the food and program committees. I have loved waking up at six each morning to run along the highway with three adults and talk about issues on our sites and at home.

This year I took on a new challenge as a senior site leader. Our team of 11 had to finish three major projects in five days despite heat, rain and mud: building a back deck, installing metal skirting around the base of the trailer home and fixing up the front deck.

SCAP has taught me many useful construction skills. It has also shown me that besides physical labor, our presence and friendships with the families and communities of Barbour County matter most. One year a family eagerly helped us rebuild their porch. Another year the elderly homeowner had almost no family left, so the time we spent talking together eased her loneliness and taught me about hospitality. One of my sites had no running water.

As a result of my SCAP summers, I am determined to help eradicate poverty. I love the feeling I get from helping others and plan to continue this effort during my gap year and throughout my life.

Christine MorrisWhen asked “What is SCAP?” I give my rehearsed response: “It’s a week-long mission trip where a group of teenagers and adults go to West Virginia to help the community.” But as I walk away, I realize I have just committed an injustice: SCAP is so much more than traveling in vans and working with power tools. Don’t get me wrong. I feel an invigorating spark when I pick up a circular saw. But SCAP is primarily about relationships.

Sometimes when it’s hard for me to see God, I stop looking in the clouds and look at the people around me instead.

My first year, I was given the task of repeatedly filling a huge bucket with water and bringing it back for mixing cement. The homeowner, an elderly man named Mr. Hill, asked if I needed help. Stubbornly I responded, “No, I’m here to help you.” The next day when I arrived at the site, there stood three huge buckets already filled to the brim with water. Mr. Hill smiled and said, “We all need help sometimes.”

SCAP is about relationships that last only a week yet stay with us for a lifetime. We are like family. We survive the long work week, the smelly cabin full of damp and sweaty clothes, the 6 am runners not so quietly leaving the cabin. We survive overdosing on Fluffernutters (Marshmallow Fluff sandwiches), the Nestorville potluck and fizzonators. I always start the week determined to help others out, and by the end of the week everyone has helped me out. Our buckets fill to the rim and God seems clearer in the people who surround me.

Nicole PayneI joined SCAP as a freshman looking for an easy way to fulfill my school’s community service requirements and hoping as an added benefit to help some people. The sense of community and purpose that I found quickly made SCAP the thing I most looked forward to every summer.

On SCAP, I have learned not only how to use power saws, demolish walls and rebuild a roof, but also how to work well with others, form friendships with adults and give my best effort. SCAP has taught me that strength isn’t about how many pounds of concrete I can lift or how many swings it takes to hammer in a nail—although those are definite points of pride. Strength is about how

jaso

n c

ox



much I’m willing to work to be the absolute best I can be.

Although the students and adults on this trip have teased me ruthlessly, soaked me with buckets of water and rolled their eyes at my impressive (my word, not theirs) knowledge of country music lyrics, they have become some of my closest friends. More importantly, they’ve helped me go from being a tentative follower to a confident leader. SCAP has allowed me to figure out who I am, where I am spiritually and most importantly who I want to be. For that I will always be grateful.

AnneMarie TorresenThe three weeks I have spent in Barbour County have been among the best of my life. In the hot sun or muddy rain, we have built porches, roofs and steps. We have cooked,

cleaned, played frisbee and worshiped together at our humble trio of cabins at nearby Camp Hope. The friendships I have made and strengthened in the shelter of this campsite have inspired me to come back year after year.

At SCAP, we drive all over Barbour County—to the hardware store, the dollar store, the thrift store, the ice cream store—but we always return to Camp Hope, where youth and adult leaders alike join in the shelter of the Appalachian mountains to get to know God and one another.

I will miss the quiet hours of reading and making friendship bracelets, and the not-so-quiet hours of dinner duty and bedtime, that greet SCAPers at the end of a hard day of work on the site. And whenever I think of a place where I find total peace, I will think of Camp Hope, where I am surrounded by

loving hearts, generous hands and the beautiful mountains of West Virginia.

St. Columba’s Appalachia Project (SCAP) participants Youth: Emily Ainsworth, Jonathan Butturini, Cecelia Carchedi, Madeleine Conover, Jameson Davis, Will DeBruin, Daniel Dulaney, Ellena Erskine, Hannah Fratt, Madeleine Gefke, Vivian Long- Sires, Ginger Mandel, Christine Morris, Christopher Nakamura, Lex Payne, Nicole Payne, AnneMarie Torresen, Sarah Torresen, Jack Ward, Sarah Ward, Amanda Weidman, Lillian Wessel. Adults: The Rev. Rob Boulter, the Rev. Jason Cox, Kelly Crabtree, the Rev. Rose Duncan, Julia Eager, Claire Eager, Laura Evans, Joe Evans, Fletcher Jones, Kristen McNavage, Ryan McNavage, Melissa McPherson, Keri Piester.

Serving Our Neighbor (SON) SON (pictured at left) is a week of summer service for middle schoolers. Our youth put faith into action by serving at several social service agencies across the city, including Martha’s Table, the Anacostia Watershed Society, So Others Might Eat (SOME), and Food and Friends. Youth are given the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of service at morning devotionals and guided conversation over lunch. Using public transportation and serving within their own local community, SON participants learn how we are called as Christians to serve one another. Youth Participants: David Butturini, James Davenport, Matthew Dulaney, Anna Gefke, Elizabeth Huebner, Erik Jones, Julia Losey, Sophie Lucas, Colin Lucas, Keely O’Keefe, Simon Palmore, Jason Payne, Alex Prince, Mackenzie Tucker, Annalise Weber. Adult Helpers: Will DeBruin, Colin Losey, Tom Bauder, Ryan McNavage.

jaso

n c

ox



Wrapping up our two campaignsOn St. Columba Day we marked the conclusion of the active phase of our Foundation for the Future capital campaign. Although we did not reach our $6 million goal, we raised an impressive total of $3,986,135 from 305 donors—more capital than in any previous campaign. Thank you to all who have given so generously.

The vestry has already approved work on three initial projects. The first, a new sound system for the church nave, should be in place by summer’s end. The second involves renovations for Fletcher House, home of the Haven, our transitional housing program for previously homeless women who are getting back on their feet. Fletcher House will receive new insulated siding, new windows, a new roof, and a new back door. The back porch will be repaired and all the railings will be scraped and painted. These essen-tials will vastly improve the house’s curb appeal and longevity, but also make the house more comfortable for residents and deliver significant energy cost savings. The third project, the expansion and beautification of the columbarium, will actually pay for itself as niches are sold. The vestry will continue to work with staff and parishioners to prioritize our spending and capital needs.

This campaign could never have been carried out without an intrepid group of parishioners who visited more than 400 households. Our deep gratitude goes to Paul Barringer, Tom Bauder, Inga Blust, Lucy and Bob Bremner, Suzanne and Bob Burrows, Gardell Gefke, Alice and John Goodman, Alice Gregal, Jean Hoff, Courtney Hundley, Heather and Fletcher Jones, Joe Kolar, Bob Leland, Sara Machir, Nan and Ron North, Mark Smith, Schroeder Stribling, Bill Taylor, Lisa Whelan, John Wickham, Serena Wille and John Sides, and Ron Wisor and Keri Piester.

On the 2013 stewardship front, more work remains. We currently have $1,649,914 in pledges from 473 households. People who have pledged have given generously, with an average increase of 13 percent. However, the number of pledging households continues to decline. In 2012, we had more than 600 pledging households. To ensure a balanced budget, we must reach $2 million—not to increase our spending, but to eliminate the deficits that have dogged us for a number of years. That target is even more impor-tant as we begin our search for a new rector, setting aside funds to conduct the search, pay an interim rector and fairly compensate the clergy and staff who will take on additional work in this transitional year.

The vestry, thanks to diligent work on the Finance Committee, has approved a budget for fiscal year 2014 that does not cut programs or staff. We are able to do this because vestry members are redesignating some of their own capital campaign pledges for stewardship. We are also using reserve funds, so we continue the pattern of deficit spending that we were hoping to break. However, it is particularly important during this time of transition that we support our staff and programs.

Before long, you will begin hearing about stewardship for 2014. For many, this timing will feel all too soon. We ask that you bear with us as we get back on our usual schedule after this extraordinary capital campaign year.

We are blessed with abundance. Let us celebrate and give thanks for what we have been given and what we have so generously shared. Rest assured that the vestry is filled with gratitude and remains committed to being good stewards on behalf of this beloved parish.n Jennifer Turner, Lane Heard and

John Nolan ([email protected])

photo policy

It is our custom to publish on our website photographs of members engaged in church activities, as a way of showing the life and spirit of this parish. We are sensitive to privacy concerns and do not name people in photographs except in rare instances and only with prior permission from those pictured. If you have a concern about a photograph of yourself or a family member on our website, please contact us at [email protected] with the particulars, and we will be happy to remove it from our site.

pastoral care

If you wish to request any of the following, please contact the Rev. Rob Boulter ([email protected]; 202-363-4119, ext. 245). For an emergency outside of office hours, you may reach a member of the clergy through the pastoral on-call phone (202-669-4856).

Sharing your news: We encourage you to let us know when an illness, death, transition or joyful event occurs in your life. You may request that events be shared with prayer lists and in the newsletter prayers.

Ongoing pastoral care: Stephen Ministry is our one-to-one caregiving ministry, consisting of lay parishioners who meet with people who have experienced a loss, crisis or difficult life transition.

Home communion: If you are unable to attend church services and wish to receive communion, Stephen Ministers and clergy are available to provide this service.



10:15 to 11:05 am in the Great hall

September 15Adult Formation Program: Fall 2013The Rev. Dr. Peter Antoci presents an overview of adult formation programming this fall. Come learn about upcoming courses, forums and retreats.

September 22Wardens’ ForumThe wardens and vestry give an update on the parish’s leadership transition: What happened? Where are we now? What are the plans going forward?

September 29Children’s Spirituality: A Developmental PerspectiveJulia Berry, head of St. Columba’s Nursery School, unpacks the development of spirituality in young children.

October 6Environmental Sustainability in the District of ColumbiaLearn more about the city’s strategic plan to make the District a leader in sustainability while improving the quality of life and creating new economic growth for all residents.

October 13Israel/Palestine: Is There a Samaritan on the Road?The Rev. Susan Wilder will help us explore what issues currently face the Holy Land, what is needed to pave the way for peace and how Christians can help.

upcoming Sunday Forums

Wednesdays at St. C’s: Fall Session iSign up in the Common: Sun., Sept. 22 and 29 Classes: oct. 2 through oct. 30

Wednesday Schedule

5–5:30 pm Columba Kids I, Rm 203 Bible story videos for ages 4–8.

5:30–6:45 pm Supper, Great Hall $12/adult or youth (over age 12) $8/senior n $6/child (age 4–12) Free for children 3 and under.

6–6:45 pm Columba Kids II, Rm 205 Stories, art projects and fun for ages 4–8.

6:50–8 pm Child care is provided only if a child is signed up at class registration.

7–8 pm Classes, 2nd Fl. Classrooms

Finding God in Your bodyIn Genesis, we read that God created us in God’s image. Why, then, did Christianity begin labeling things spiritual good, things of the body bad? This class explores ways in which honoring the body can bring us closer to the path of Christ. We will look at how religions use the body in prayer and how historial and current cultural attitudes shape our thinking. We will also explore our bodies as tools of discernment. Experience the presence and wisdom of God’s spirit in your body. This 90-minute course ends on Oct. 23. Each class will include basic yoga.

The Rev. Ann Gillespie is an Episcopal priest, professional actress and hatha yoga teacher.

ministry with the agingWhat a difference a preposition can make! We commonly and perhaps

unconsciously think of ministry to the aging. Our elders need physical and spiritual care, and it is easy to think of this part of the journey as a one-way street, with the role of giver and recipient clearly defined. But we are all on the same path (some are a few steps ahead) and aging can be a rich time of mutual ministry and friendship, of holy listening, as we talk of the mysteries of life and death.

The Rev. Margaret Guenther is a noted author, teacher, spiritual director and priest. She serves as an associate rector at St. C’s.

telling Your Story, living Your FaithStories have always been an important part of Christianity. The earliest Christian communities told stories of their faith even before the Gospels were written, and throughout history the Good News has been passed down through stories. Using public narrative techniques, learn the spiritual discipline of storytelling and how our own stories have the power to transform communities.

Christen Mills is a third-year seminarian completing field education at St. C’s.

on God’s Side: book StudyDelve into where and how religion, politics and the common good inter-sect and where they fail to do so. The primary resource is On God’s Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn’t Learned about Serving the Common Good by Jim Wallis.

Tom Bauder is a retired D.C. Public Schools teacher and St. C’s parishioner.



God is calling us to new beginningsFive years ago when I accepted the job as St. Columba’s director of com-munications, my husband wagered that he’d have to pry me away from it—that once I settled in, I would never want to leave. He was right. I have loved my work in this place. But God has a habit of uprooting us just when we get comfortable, of nudging us onward in His own time.

Thus it is that in just under three weeks, movers will come for our boxes, and my family will begin its migration northward to my native New England, where Nathan has accepted a call to serve a church in the Diocese of Rhode Island. Five years ago, we stayed in D.C. so I could come to St. C’s. Now, we are leaving so Nathan may stretch and grow in his own ministry. God is calling us to new beginnings. It is time.

When I began at St. C’s, I could never have predicted how much fun I would have, nor how much my life would change—and not just on the job. I arrived with a chipper 18-month-old on my shoulder; now my children are six and four. They have spent many a happy hour on the nursery school playground, at the summer day camp, even “helping” while I collated the occasional set of bulletins after hours. While we have not worshiped here, the children claim St. Columba’s as their own, for which I am glad.

If my family has grown over the years, so too has my understanding of church communications. I had the extraordinary privilege of helping to shepherd St. C’s from a primarily print-based model into the digital age. In the process, I have come to a new appreciation for the wealth and diversity of all our communica-tions tools, and for the ways in which the different media can be used to spread the Good News of God in this world. It is this, perhaps more

than anything else, that I will miss as I leave St. C’s: the continual challenge to learn and grow. My job has never been dull, and I will always be grateful for what I have learned here.

I’ve discovered that it’s tricky to offer public thanks—there are so many ways to botch a list of names, and I’ve tried them all. That said, I can’t leave without a nod to a few of those with whom I have worked.

Thanks first and foremost to Paul “Boss Man” Barkett, on whose humor and steady presence I have come to depend. Quite simply, I could not have done this job without you.

Thanks to the clergy and program staff, and especially to Pattie Ames and Rose Duncan, for the many ways you have kept me in business over the years, and for always coming through in a pinch with a newsletter article, a wrapper message or what-ever was needed by week’s end. It has been a privilege to work with you.

A special word of thanks to the communications staff, and particularly Rachid Gana, who has been St. C’s printer since long before I arrived, and who has lived graciously through many a blown deadline and urgent last-minute job. Thank you for your patience, skill and goodwill.

Thank you to our extraordinary photographers, Wayne C. Fowler and Jay Treadwell, who are ever ready to grab their cameras and document important events in our parish life. I could never have filled the website, the newsletter and the weekly e-news without your help, and I appreciate all you have taught me about telling the story of this church in pictures.

Thanks to the former director of communications, Susan Elliott, who set a high standard and on whose work I have been privileged to build. I am grateful for the skill you exercised in your own ministry at St. C’s.

Thanks to Elizabeth Terry, who has worn many different communications hats. She held the reins for six months between Susan’s departure and my arrival, and again for three months after my son was born; served on the Communications Committee for several years while I got my bearings; contributed many a newsletter article; and almost single-handedly kept up our Facebook page throughout my time at St. C’s. I owe a deep debt of gratitude for all you have done to further communications at St. C’s.

Thanks also to all of you who have submitted articles and events, offered suggestions and generally kept me on my toes. Please be generous with whoever follows in my footsteps. It’s a big job, and they’ll need your help getting started.

Lastly, thanks to my husband, Nathan, who prompted me to apply for this job in the first place and has supported me in it to the end. I look forward to our next adventure and all that it might bring.

God has a funny sense of timing, and I wish I were not leaving in the midst of this greater transition, but I will hold you all in my heart and know that good things are yet to come.

n Anne Stone [email protected]

I have come to a new

appreciation for the wealth

and diversity of all our

communications tools,

and for the ways in which

the different media can be

used to spread the Good

News of God in this world.



CalendarWhy We Can’t Wait Sat., Aug. 24, 8 am Join St. Columba’s Prison Ministry and others at the Lincoln Memorial (1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW) for an interdenominational revival in response to the mass incarceration of people of color and minorities. Learn more in the Upcoming Events section of Columba.org.

Mothers’ Group Potluck Thurs., Aug. 29, 7 pm All mothers are invited to the home of parishioner Julie Slattery for a summer potluck. Meet new friends and reconnect with those you haven’t seen in a while. Come even if you’ve never been to Mothers’ Group before: A-E main, F-K dessert, L-S drinks, T-Z appetizer or salad. Details, including a link to RSVP, can be found in the Upcoming Events section of Columba.org. Contact Katie McGervey ([email protected]) with questions.

Weekly music rehearsals Below are the first rehearsals of the program year. For more information on joining a music group, contact John Hurd (202-363-4119, ext. 226; [email protected]) or Diane Heath ([email protected]).

n Primary Choir (grades 1–2) Wed., Sept. 18, 3:45–4:45 pm. n Boy and Girl Choirs (grades 3–8) Wed., Sept. 4, 6–7 pm, registration and vestment fitting. 7–7:45 pm, rehearsal. 7:45–8:30 Chapel Choir (for interested singers in grades 5–8). n Gallery Choir (grades 9–12) Sun., Sept. 15, 12:30–1:30 pm. n St. Columba Singers (adult voices) Thurs., Aug. 29, 7:30–9:30 pm.

Summer office hours end Fri., Aug. 30 Normal office hours will resume on

Tues., Sept. 3: Mon.–Thurs., 9 am to 5 pm, and Fri., 9 am to 4 pm.

Sun., Sept. 1 Final week on summer schedule Services at 8 am, 9:15 am (for pre-school children and their families), 10:30 am and 5 pm (Live@5).

The parish will be closed Mon., Sept. 2, for Labor Day. If you have an urgent need for a priest, you may reach one through the on-call phone at 202-669-4856.

Sunday School registration Online registration is open for ages 3 through grade 5. Visit tinyurl.com/sundayschoolsignup. Beginning Sun., Aug. 11, you can also pick up a paper form on the Welcome tables in the Common or Great Hall.

Sunday youth classes registration In September, we begin a new two-year cycle of the Journey to Adulthood program for youth in grades 6–12. Register online at tinyurl.com/youthregistration2013. Open house: Sun., Sept. 8. Classes begin Sun., Sept. 15.

Preparing for the Baptism of Infants and Children Thurs., Sept. 5, 7–9 pm or Tues., Oct. 8 and 15, 7–8:30 pm For parents and godparents. This two-class session is offered several times each year and is required for those presenting infants or children for baptism. Contact the Rev. Rose Duncan ([email protected]; 202-363-4119, ext. 212) or Pattie Ames ([email protected]; 202-363-4119, ext. 222) for details or to register your child for baptism.

Sun., Sept. 8 Return to the fall schedule Services at 8 am, 9 am, 11:15 am

and 5 pm in the church nave; and at 9:15 and 11:15 am in the Great Hall for families with preschool children. Sunday School open house and registration takes place 10:15–11 am. Classes begin on Sun., Sept. 15.

Environment Committee Sun., Sept. 8, 12:30 pm Advocates for the environment by organizing educational and spiritual opportunities to promote faithful stewardship of God’s creation.

Sun., Sept. 15 Education hour resumes Sunday Forum, Sunday School and youth classes (10:15–11:05 am).

Mini-walkathon to help fund our homeless ministries Sun., Oct. 20 Save the date for our annual Help the Homeless miniwalk, proceeds from which provide vital support to our homelessness programs.

The Ground of Prayer: The Earth, God, and Us Nov. 1–3 Our annual parish retreat will be led by the Rev. Dr. Peter Antoci at Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, N.Y. Watch for details as the date nears.

For details on these and other events, visit Columba.org. While you’re there, why not log in to our secure member portal for members-only features such as an up-to-date online parish directory, an interactive calendar, easy and secure access to credit card payments and your personal giving history, and more? You can also update your home address, e-mail address, phone numbers, preferred contact and other information straight from the member portal—and that helps us better communicate with you.


How do you like the full-color newsletter? You’ve probably noticed the difference these past few issues. We love it too—it lets us showcase more images of our life together than we could before, and that’s something to cheer about. But with the shift to color have come added printing costs. Combined with recent changes in postal regulations that make newsletters harder to prepare for mailing, we are asking for folks willing to receive the newsletter electronically instead. Don’t worry—we will still print and mail copies for anyone who wants or needs them, and we’ll still offer copies at the Welcome tables and elsewhere around the building. But if you want to help the church save money, why not try it as a PDF instead. We’ll send a monthly e-mail telling you it’s available, and you can read it at your convenience. To opt out of paper newsletters, fill in our online form (tinyurl.com/stcolumbasnewsletter).

A word about our sound system If you’ve been in church lately, you know that our sound system is in need of attention. A few years ago we replaced all of the speakers, which improved the sound quality for a period of time. Unfortunately, now the digital signal processor (DSP), is at the end of its useful life. The DSP is the workhorse of the sound system. The average life of a DSP is 10–15 years. Ours is 13, so its time has come and we are working with our vendor to replace it and make a number of other upgrades that will greatly enhance both the audio and video quality in the church nave. Our hope is to have a new system by summer’s end. In the meantime, we’ve ordered a portable system that will help in the church nave, but also in the Common, the courtyard and other locations where we might need temporary sound amplification. We appreciate your patience. We promise you’ll be hearing us soon!

Join the Nominating Committee The Nominating Committee, under the leadership of chair Courtney Hundley and vice-chair Fletcher Jones, is gearing up to identify candidates to stand for election for vestry and diocesan delegate positions at the 2014 annual meeting. Nominating Committee membership should be broadly reflective of all that goes on in and around St. Columba’s, so that the committee’s consideration of potential vestry and delegate candidates will be well informed and inclusive. Please submit the names of any parishioner interested in serving on the committee and helping with its important work by Fri., Sept. 6, to Courtney and Fletcher ([email protected]; 202-360-8145).

parish life


Welcome those who have completed newcomer cards: Kim and Kofi McCleary, Arlington.

Welcome new member: Mary Beth Brubeck, Bethesda.

Welcome those who transferred in: Anne Suthers from St. Elizabeth’s, Roanoke.

Bid Godspeed to those who transferred out: Susan Kuhn to St. George’s, Arlington.

Welcome the newest members of Christ’s church, baptized July 14: James Joseph Harris Backfield, son of Samuel Backfield and Katlin McKelvie; Erica Leighty Blanton; Zoe Alexandra Leighty Blanton, daughter of Ashaki and Erica

Blanton; Adeleine Grace Colvin, daughter of Amy and Robert Colvin; Kaylen Espinel Keys, daughter of John and Michelle Keys; Annalise Evans Ross and Julia Evans Ross, daughters of David and Samantha Ross; Anna Grace Schmidtlein and Julia Reese Schmidtlein, daughters of John and Rhonda Schmidtlein; Cecelia Elizabeth Wilson, daughter of Carla and Christopher Wilson.

Rejoice with Mary Ann Ryan, who was received into the Episcopal Church, and Susan Crowther DeWitt, who was confirmed, both on May 11.

Pray for those who have died: Chris Dodd, grandson of Anne Mayfield; Phoebe, sister-in-law, and Grace, aunt of Roselyne Gombe; Holly, sister of Lanese Jorgensen; Eileen Campbell and Jamie

Onk, cousins of Mary Beth Campbell; Larry Tapp, brother-in-law of Melinda Artman; Frank Elmore Wilson and Esther Coleman Hambley Wilson, parents of Judy Smith; Anne Marie Duncan, aunt of Rose Duncan, June 4; Bobbi Pritchett, mother of Scott Pritchett, June 25; Andrew Driscoll Pochter, June 28; George Barkett, cousin of Paul Barkett, July 10; Danilo Herrera, father of Yvette Herrera and grandfather of Christine Morris, July 10; Hugo Robinson, Sr., father of Hugo Robinson, Jr.; Kenneth W. Condit, July 16; Florence Wanveer, July 18; Carl Kuntzman, uncle of Sondra Mills, July 20.

We encourage parishioners who are ill, injured or hospitalized, or who have a joyous event, to e-mail to pastoral@ columba.org to have their names listed here.

transitions

deep in faith = fish rich in worship = triquestra open in spirit = dove active in service = heart


What’s new in formation?Seeking Sunday School teachers Pattie Ames needs seven more teachers for Sunday School Unit 1, which begins on Sun., Sept. 15. Sunday School teachers are part of a fun and vital ministry with our children. Units last seven or eight weeks, teachers work in teams of three or four, and curriculum, supplies and training are provided. If you are interested and able to teach, please sign up on the board in the Common or contact Pattie Ames ([email protected]; 202-363-4119, ext. 222) with questions.

Meet seminarian Christie Hord In September, we will welcome our newest seminarian from Virginia Theological Seminary, Christie Hord.

Sponsored by the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, Christie holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Political Science from the Florida State University. She lives in Alex-andria with husband Rick, daughters Mattie (9) and Annie Mae (5), and the family dog, Sgt. Pepper (2). Prior to starting seminary, Christie enjoyed being a full-time mother. An avid surfer and hiker, she loves to read and watch documentaries. She also looks forward to enjoying D.C. art museums and performances at the Kennedy Center. Her favorite foods are fish tacos, avocados, bacon and chocolate chip cookies. Please give her a warm St. C’s welcome and watch for a profile in a newsletter sometime later this fall.


At its meeting on June 3, the vestry:

n Discussed the status of the capital and stewardship campaigns.

n Reviewed preliminary options for the FY 2014 budget.

n Approved a motion to open an account with Vanguard for purposes of receiving a gift of securities.

n Approved parishioner Jim Barnett’s appointment to the nursery school board of governors.

n Discussed potential candidates to fill the open seat on the vestry.

At its meeting on June 24, the vestry:

n Swore in Bob Broeksmit as a vestry member, filling Alan Beal’s vacated term.

n Heard about the wardens’ meeting with the bishop, who expressed her support for vestry’s asking for the rector’s resignation and offered her continuing support for the parish.

n Expressed its gratitude to clergy and staff present for their support of the parish.

n Approved the Agreement and General Release of Claims between the rector and St. Columba’s Episco-pal Church, giving the wardens full authority to complete the rector’s resignation process.

n Approved the treasurer’s recom-mended FY 2014 operating budget.

n Approved two projects to be funded with capital campaign funds: replacing the church’s sound system and replacing the exterior of Fletcher House.

Vestry notes

CLERGy The Rev. Dr. Peter Antoci, the Rev. Rob Boulter, the Rev. Jason Cox, the Rev. Rose Duncan, the Rev. Margaret Guenther, Associate Rectors; the Rev. Brooks Hundley, the Rev. Martin Smith, Assisting Clergy; Christen Mills, Seminarian.

WORSHIP John Hurd, Director of Music and Organist; Diane Heath, Assistant Director of Music and Organist; A. Wayne Fowler, Verger; Mark Allen-Gifford, Mary Claire Bond, Jack Guenther, John Guenther, Assistant Vergers.

CHILDREN AND yOUTH Pattie Ames, Director of Children’s Ministries; the Rev. Jason Cox, Associate Rector for Youth Ministries.

PARISH STAFF Paul Barkett, Chief Operating Officer; Elena Argueta, House-keeper; Kim Carlson, Accountant; Dustin Davis, Operations Manager; Marina Davis, Library Assistant; Anona Fowler, Pastoral Associate; Rachid Gana, Printer; Emanuel Grantham, Housekeeper; Devin

Greene, Communications Assistant; Lloyd Hill, Housekeeper; Tonika Hilliard, Book-keeper; Joshua Hutcheson, Assistant Director of Communications and Rector’s Assistant; Mike Kirksey, Housekeeper; Susan Laing, STEP Program Coordinator; Santos Ruiz, Housekeeping Supervisor; Larry Shelley, Water Ministry Director; Anne Stone, Director of Communications; Tim Welsh, Director of St. Columba’s Day Camp; Evan Witten, Accountant.

NURSERy SCHOOL Julia Berry, Head of School; Kristen Maxson, Assistant Director and Inclusion Coordinator; Karen Smyers, Administrative Assistant.

vESTRy Jennifer Turner, Senior Warden; Lane Heard, Junior Warden; Inga Blust, Bob Broeksmit, Suzanne Burrows, Gardell Gefke (Treasurer), Courtney Hundley, Fletcher Jones, Joe Kolar, Steve Smith, Schroeder Stribling, Elizabeth Taylor, John Wickham, Ron Wisor, Members.

leadership


A WElcOMiNg

cHRiStiAN cOMMuNity

tHAt SEEkS tO BE

OPEN iN SPiRit,

DEEP iN FAitH,

RicH iN WORSHiP,

ActiVE iN SERVicE.Mailed July 25: Dated material. Please deliver promptly.

St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, 4201 Albemarle Street NW, Washington, DC 20016

Periodical PostagePaid at Washington Dc

Wherever i go, i will have a bookWhat do you look forward to in the summer? Cooking out in the back yard? Lounging on a sunny beach? Adventuring in exotic places? I hope to do all of these—but wherever I go, I will have a book with me, because reading can help me reflect, learn and escape. The apostle Paul wrote to his delegate, Timothy, “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parch-ments” (II Timothy 4:13). The author of much of the New Testament, Paul still needed his books and copies of scripture. We too are readers and seekers, and luckily we have the fantastic Craig Eder Library, located near the parish offices on the second floor, to support us.

If you are interested in learning about the apostle Paul, we have 62 books about him and his writings. Anchor Bible: The First and Second Letters to Timothy (2001) will help lay readers navigate Paul’s letters and better understand their place within the context of his teachings. The Jewish Annotated New Testament (2012) addresses the Jewish background and culture of Paul and other major New Testament figures. Famous Conversions (1994) tells Saul’s story and other first-person conversion accounts. For little kids, there’s Shipwrecked Paul (2002), which tells the story of Paul’s journey to Rome,

the shipwreck, the landing at Malta, his eventual arrival in Rome and his preaching there. This summer, ask friends or family members to reflect on a moment that helped determine the course of their life—you may hear stories to rival Paul’s.

If fiction is more your idea of summer reading, we have a new collection, housed in Room 212, con-taining books by some of the best spiritual leaders and writers. Classic novels by Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy as well as authors C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien, known for their children’s books, deal with faith and struggle. The moving Diary of a Country Priest, the engrossing Stories of Mary Gordon and Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead and Coming Home all show that even the simplest life can be touched by grace and wonder.

Although I would love to visit to Scotland, floating across the Irish Sea in a coracle is not my idea of the way to travel, but St. Columba braved it back in 563. Our patron saint also transcribed more than 300 books, one reason that having a library is so important to St. Columbans. Travelling is well represented in the library, with books on walking the Camino de Santiago, Margaret Guenther’s Walking

Home: From Eden to Emmaus (2011), Anne Lamott’s Traveling Mercies (1999) and the reissued classic St. Paul: The Traveler and Roman Citizen.

Whether your journey is spiritual or physical, our library has books to help you along the way. With more than 7,000 volumes, 60-some different Bibles (everything from a replica of the original King James to cartoon-like Manga versions), 518 children’s story books and enough books on prayer to read a new one each day of the year, the Craig Eder Library supports the mission and ministries of the church. Stephen Ministers, Water Ministry helpers, People of the Way (diocesan summer book study) participants, Sunday School teachers, Environment Committee and Wednesday class members—we have the books you need.

Our own Treasures of the Library book club meets on the fourth Thursday of the month at 2 pm, and there’s a Bible study every Sunday morning. So if you’re looking for a good book to help you connect with, relax into or explore spirituality, come to the library and check one out today.

n Dale Glass [email protected]

Want to help? We’d love to have you join the library committee, adopt a shelf or donate a book. E-mail Marina Davis, Margaret Lefever, and Dale Glass at [email protected].

Come explore our shelves

Documents

7.25.13 NL LookingForwardInHope - · PDF fileand resume the program year, Jennifer Turner and I, along with the full vestry, look forward to meeting ... wayne c. fowler wayne c. fowler