Dear Friends,

Money is a spiritual issue.

It represents the heart. It is an

indication of where our life’s

treasure is stored.

“How much money should

I put into the offering plate?”

is a question often asked of

clergy. The answer is “As

much or as little as you like.”

Like most churches, Epis-

copal congregations exist

mainly on donations from our

members. Once a year most

parishes present a stewardship

or pledge campaign, asking

each individual or family to

make a financial promise, or

pledge, for the upcoming year.

We then total those promises

and create a new yearly budg-

et.

Like most Episcopal parish-

es, St. Paul’s spends the ma-

jority of its promised income

on salaries, building mainte-

nance, and program and out-

reach. Since the first two tend

to be fixed costs, the more

money that is promised, or

pledged, the more our church’s

ministry can be expanded and

directed into new programs

and to help the needy outside

our parish.

At St. Paul’s this last cate-

gory, the expenditures outside

the fixed costs of salaries and

building maintenance, is made

up of outreach ministries such

as Christmas and thanksgiving

help to the needy, the growing

wood ministry, yearly gifts to

THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL’S

In recognition that all that we have are gifts entrusted to us by God, it is the

purpose of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church to work and pray and give for the spread of

God’s kingdom.

November 2012

This is why St. Paul’s, and the

Episcopal Church in general,

asks us to use the tithe (ten per-

cent of one’s income) as a start-

ing point. Tithing is never a re-

quirement for membership; most

parishes gratefully receive any

contribution. However, money is

a spiritual issue and most parish-

es address it by gently challeng-

ing their members to grow—-to

strive less for acquiring things

for ourselves, and doing more to

help those in need.

The bottom line is, when the

plate is passed to you, or when

you sit down to fill out a pledge

card, use your own discre-

tion. Few people know (or

care) how much money

you give. What we give is

between God and our-

selves. It is God’s approv-

al we seek. Any contribu-

tion will be appreciated (and is

tax deductible!). We need only

remember the many gracious

gifts of God to us and to those we

love, and God’s endless compas-

sionate regard for us as his chil-

dren living in a broken world,

and the words of the Lord Jesus,

how he said “It is much better to

give than to receive.” Jack

Habitat for Humanity, our neigh-

bors at Calvary Church,

A.C.E.S., local fire and rescue

stations, Virginia Voice, local

homeless shelters and refuge

centers for abused women and

children, and C.A.R.I.T.A.S.

Also adult and youth mission

trips, money for youth camps and

Shrine Mont, and emergency

help to all manner of local chari-

ties from needy individuals

(food, shelter, utility assistance,

rent, transportation, medicine) to

the Hanover Christmas Mother.

Donations also come in the

form of volunteer time, as with

the firewood ministry, many

aspects of grounds mainte-

nance, and the hard work of

individuals who prepare reg-

ularly to teach Sunday

school, prepare programs for

our congregation, and serve

faithfully on the Vestry.

Of course, the main reason for

giving to the church has less to

do with paying bills and much

more to do with cultivating gen-

erous hearts. God wants you and

me to be generous (2 Corinthians

9:7). The Lord wants us to be

known not by the kind of car we

drive, the size of the house we

live in, or the jewelry we wear,

but by our love for God and one

another. As Christ gave himself

away for us, so to are we asked

to give of ourselves away to oth-

ers. The old adage comes to

mind: “Give ‘til it hurts.” In

fact, it could be better stated:

“Give ‘til it feels good.”

Inside:

Women’s Fellowship

Retreat

Shrimp & Oyster feast

Thanksgiving service

The cookbooks are here!

From St. Paul's Women Fellowship......

WOMEN'S RETREAT UPDATE - Our Women's

Retreat that was cancelled due to weather this past

June has been rescheduled for the weekend of Jan-

uary 19th. Anne Cross has graciously opened her

home once again for a 2 night weekend! Winter-

time is a beautiful time on the creek and a perfect

time to get away. Also that weekend on Saturday,

will be the rescheduled private art class at the Bay

School for those who would like to partici-

pate. There is a $35 fee for the class with the ex-

ception of those who had previously paid for the

June class. The deadline for class registration and

payment is December 1st.

Please let Sandra know if you would like to

participate in the class, stay for one night or two or

just come for the day on Saturday and enjoy the

view from Anne's beautiful porch! There is lim-

ited space for overnight stay so please RSVP by

December 15th for that.

As always, if you have any questions,

please feel free to contact me at 559-7349 or

teas@verizon.net. Don't forget to like our St.

Paul's Hanover - Women's Group Facebook page!

Sandra Heins

* * * * *

Our thanks to Sandra and Tommy Heins and Di-

ane Freeman who came out to spruce up the

church prior to the Bishop’s visit. What a differ-

ence a few hours of manual labor can make to the

appearance of a building and grounds. Thanks to

Anne Cross for pruning the roses as well. Thank

you all for your time and efforts.

* * * * *

Altar Guild

The Altar Guild workshop scheduled for October

will be held this winter. Stay tuned. Thank

you to Wendy Harris, Diane Freeman, Anne

Carroll King, Eve Burton and Paulette Lon-

gan who all helped out when I hurt my knee

in October! Thanks also to Diane for prepar-

ing the Ruritan supper in September and to

Reta Ann Heins for cooking in October.

Thank you to Colleen Hewitt who shared

her talent for flower arranging with us on Oct. 14.

Remember the Advent Wreath Workshop before

and after our services on Dec. 2. You can create

your own Advent Centerpiece to take home. All

supplies, including candles, are provided.

P a g e 2

Hospitality and Parish Life

Thank you to all who provided refreshments after our

worship services during the past month. My special

thanks to the Sunday classes who served refreshments

on two different Sundays. The reception for the Bishop

and Confirmands was lovely. The food provided by so

many of you was, as always, delicious (and pret-

ty). Diane Freeman, Scott and Wendy Harris, Jeanette

Wagner, Tom Lambert, Beverly Townes and many oth-

ers set up and cleaned up and saw that the food table

was never empty. Thank you!

In lieu of a "Last Friday Social" in

November we are having a Parish Oyster

Roast and Shrimp Boil on Saturday, Novem-

ber 10 at 5PM at Scott and Wendy Harris's

home. Please come! Our cook is coming all

the way from Mathews County to prepare bushels of

roasted and raw oysters for us . He will also be prepar-

ing pounds and pounds of shrimp! It will be a treat.

We will be both inside and out so dress accordingly.

We ask that you bring liquid refreshment of your

choice and if you want or need one, a chair! Please

sign up so that we know how many bushels of oysters

to order! The suggested donation at the door is $15 per

person. I hope to see you there!

Please join us for the 2nd Sunday Lunch after

the 10:30 am service on Sunday, November 11.

St. Paul's and Hillcrest Baptist will gather to-

gether to give thanks at the annual Thanksgiving Eve

service on Wednesday, November 21 at 7PM at St.

Paul's. There will be a reception afterwards. Please

sign up to bring some cookies and let me know if you

can help that night.

On Saturday, December 1 at 10AM we will

hold our annual "Gathering of the Advent Greens and

Cocoa and Cookies with Santa" at Summer Hill, the

home of Susan Newton. This is a unique opportunity

for our young people to enjoy the beautiful grounds and

house which is one of the most significant of the many

historic homes in Hanover. We use the greens to make

the Advents wreaths for the church and at the Advent

Wreath Workshop the next day (Sunday, December

2) during Christian Education and Coffee hour. Under

the direction of the Altar Guild everyone will have the

opportunity to make an Advent

Centerpiece to take home.

The Annual Ladies

Christmas Luncheon will be on

Saturday, December 15 at 12

noon in the Parish Hall. Please

mark the date. If you can help me

with set up, serving, or clean up

please let me know.

Faithfully yours,

Anne Cross, Hospitality Chairman

P a g e 3

View from the Back Pew

by Scott Harris

What do you do when you get con-

fused by scripture to the point that you aren’t even sure

what it means? That happens to me a lot. I sit in church

and I listen to the collect, the lessons and the psalm. I

hear the holy Gospel and the sermon. They all seem

related and sometimes they even make sense. Other

times, I don’t have a clue what they are trying to tell

me and it seems as if I’m listening to a language that I

have no understanding of.

Often the scripture speaks of the power of God

in dark and ominous tones. The Old Testament can be

particularly bleak with all the fire and brimstone. God

is seen in the role of exasperated parent and in shades

of black and white. In the New Testament, on the other

hand, God seems to be more patient and understanding,

the use of his power more reasonable and merciful. In

his lessons, Jesus spoke of the power of God in a tem-

pered and personal manner. He assured us that God’s

judgment could be severe but that the intent was any-

thing but malicious. Jesus himself, though clearly frus-

trated with us at times, acted more as a trusted teacher

and advisor than someone to be feared.

I’m not sure why there are such differences in

language and meaning between the Old and New Testa-

ments. Likely they were different approaches to the

same problem. We weren’t and haven’t been listening.

Sometimes on those difficult Sundays I just give up on

understanding the meaning and instead focus on the

power of communal worship. There is a positive and

obviously transformational energy that comes from

gathering together. Still, I want to better understand

the message. I want to understand what God is saying

to us.

What is the power of God and, as someone

who professes to be a member of the faithful, how am I

strengthened in my faith by that power? Jesus said “For

God loved the world so much that he gave his one and

only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not

perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the

world not to judge the world, but to save the world

through him” (John 3:16-17). Maybe the strength of

God’s power is not as confusing as it sometimes seems.

The power of God in our lives is His love for us. When

we are stymied in our understanding, when we stray

from God’s path or when we just turn to Him in desper-

ation, it might just be the strength we need; the strength

to save ourselves.

Faithfully, Scott

“It's time to start living the life you've imagined.”

-- Henry James

More youth speak out about the mission trip to

West Virginia

The mission trip this year was life changing.

You don't realize how much you take for granted

until you meet people who can't even afford the

simplest of things. Us coming to help restore

Kathy's house changed her life just as it had

changed mine. Knowing that you have changed

someone's life is one of the best feeling in the

world. I think everyone should go on mission trips

because you build a relationship with other people

in different communities as well as a relationship

with God. Emily Beaudin

THEY HAVE ARRIVED!!

The long anticipated St. Paul's Cook-

book has arrived and is ready for de-

livery. If you haven’t already picked

up your pre-ordered cookbooks be

sure to track Anne Holliday down at

church on Sunday! Remember: we have extra

copies which are on sale for $18 each. The cook-

book committee appreciates your patience as we

have endured several delays from the publisher on

this project. But boy were they worth the wait!

FISH FEED ALL MINISTRY

Many thanks for your generous financial dona-

tions this month to the 3rd - 5th Grade Sunday

School Class' Fish Feed All Ministry. During

Sunday school we made 24 additional bags of food

each containing a two day supply. We are able to

make many more each month as the need aris-

es due to your generosity. Please take a few bags

to store in your car and give to the needy you may

encounter at stop lights, shopping centers, etc.

Last week I asked one young man with two dogs,

if he would like a bag of food. When I handed it

to him, his eyes grew wide as saucers, and he

couldn't stop thanking me. He obviously had no

home and had not been able to bathe for months.

He immediately opened the food and began eating

and sharing with his dogs.

The bags and collection bin are near the double

doors in the parish hall. We will continue to col-

lect individually wrapped foods such as apple

sauce, slim jims, chicken or tuna meals, peanut or

cheese crackers, breakfast or protein bars, nuts,

etc. Thank you. Patti Drudge

If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying hard

enough. Vince Lombardi

P a g e 4 SUNDAY MINISTERS FOR NOVEMBER

Lector-8 Lector-10:30 Chalicer Greeters__

04 J. Sutor R. Evans M. Pauley C. Young, L. Reeves

11 P. Cash A. Cross H. Rice G. Price, T. Lambert

18 J. Sutor C. Heckel A. Long H. Holloway, A. Palmer

25 Pl. Cash S. Heins R. Wortham M. Lavender, A. Holliday

Crucifer Server Psalm Torches

04 S. Reeves J.J. Sadler H. Barber M. Young, K. Walker

11 S. Walker P. Lambert J. Farrell J. Farrell, C. Kent

18 W. Sadler A. Heins A. Heins C. Kent, L. Holloway

25 E. Beaudin E. Heins E. Beaudin G. Temple, R. Young

Altar Guild

Darlene Himelright, Debra Holloway, Lauren Holloway, Anne Cross

STEWARDSHIP: This is an especially joyous and uplifting time of the church year for me, the onset of reflections on the matter of Stewardship. Halfway through my 87th year of life, the realization has crossed my mind that it is a time of heightened illumi-

nation of the celebration we experienced about six months ago, the resurrection of our Lord Christ Jesus, following his incred-ibly painful suffering and death upon the cross for you and me, and all humankind, his willful giving of his life itself so that through the grace of God we would have not just the assurance, but the evidence of life eternal. What an incomparable gift!

I realize also that there has been a transformation in my reflections about stewardship through the years. In earlier times, my focus was more centered on the church budget and the annual pledging goal, the number of families who would be pledging, wanting to select a personal pledge amount which would be pushing the average up instead of pulling it lower. Of

course the proposed budget needs are important and should not be ignored, evoking a natural desire to be supportive, and I was always cognizant of the wonderful parishioners who had become personal friends and the joy of interfacing with them on Sundays (never surpassed elsewhere by the “loving neighbor as thyself” aura so evident at St. Paul’s – Hanover). But the ele-

ments of heartfelt appreciation and being “unfeignedly thankful” for that incomparable gift of Christ Jesus, for the countless blessings showered upon me daily, for the promise of Divine forgiveness for all my many sins and shortcomings, were not

placed in highest priority, as they should have been. Indeed, even the joy we sense when mingling with others in our church family is a gift from God: we would likely have never met one another but for the presence of Christ in our lives, drawing us together for corporate worship. We have been “marked as Christ’s own, forever” at Baptism; alongside beloved brothers and

sisters in Christ our knowledge that “Christ dwells in us and we in him” is renewed at the Eucharist; and Jesus has provided the essential guidance for us on the pathway to that everlasting life in our Biblical Scripture. I cannot return at stewardship time anything of comparable value or significance, nor is such expected of me, yet I can remain acutely aware that all that I

am – my total personhood, all that I have, all that I possess, all of my beloved church family, have come to me through the grace of God. Through prayer, may I be led to pledge a support for our church which clearly is sacrificial in character and

reflects my belief and conviction that Jesus is my Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Hope, my Friend, my Shepherd and my Salvation. Lord God, I pray that you will continue to sculpt me until I become the very person you had in mind when you first created me. —Bart Hinkle

Remember, capture some of your thoughts around Stewardship on paper (e-mail, etc.) and send me these stories to be shared in the

monthly newsletter or weekly bulletin. Please forward to Greg Price e-mail price.greg@comcast.net or 10944 Founders Place,

Mechanicsville, VA. 23116.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving; we must sail some-

times with the wind and sometimes against it—-but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Church Office Hours

Mon-Thu 9AM-1PM

Page 5

November 2012 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

4 Blood Drive

8:00AM Worship

9:15Am Christian

Education

10:30AM Worship

11:30AM Fellowship

5

2:00PM Prayer

6:30PM Vestry

6

6:30PM Yoga

7 8

7:00PM Women’s

Group @ Sandra

Hein’s

9 10

5:00PM Oyster roast

and shrimp boil @

the home of Scott

and Wendy Harris

11 8:00AM Worship

9:15Am Christian

Education

10:30AM Worship

11:30AM Second

Sunday Lunch

12

2:00PM Prayer

13

9:30AM SPAA

6:30PM Yoga

14

10:00AM Newsletter

deadline

2:00PM Woman’s

club

15 16 17

18 8:00AM Worship

9:15Am Christian

Education

10:30AM Worship

And Holy Baptism

11:30AM Fellowship

19

2:00PM Prayer

20

9:30AM SPAA

6:30PM Yoga

21

7:00PM

Thanksgiving

Eve Worship

With guests

from Hillcrest

Baptist Church

22

23 24

25 8:00AM Worship

9:15Am Christian

Education

10:30AM Worship

11:30AM Fellowship

26

2:00PM Prayer

7:00PM Ruritan mtg.

27

9:30AM SPAA

6:30PM Yoga

28

Noon Pastoral Care

29 30

NON-PROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE PAID

ASHLAND VA

PERMIT # 5

In The Diocese of Virginia

The Right Reverend Shannon Johnston Bishop of Virginia

The Reverend Jack Sutor Rector

The Reverend Alwin Reiners, Jr. Rector Emeritus

Mrs. Colleen Hewitt Senior Warden

Mr. Charles Young Junior Warden

Mrs. Brenda Boldin Parish Secretary

Ms. Sarah Cothern Organist and Choir Director

Ms. Andrea Kent Christian Education Director

Sunday Services are at 8:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist (Rite I) and

10:30a.m. Holy Eucharist (Rite II). Christian Education for all

ages begins at 9:15AM. A nursery is available for the later ser-

vice. Further refreshments follow all services. Parish office

hours for the Administrative Assistant are Monday – Thursday

9:00AM—1:00 PM unless otherwise published.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

P. O. Box 441

Hanover, VA 23069

Phone: 804-537-5516

E-mail: stpaulshanover@comcast.net

www.stpaulshanover.org

8050 St. Paul’s Church Road

Hanover Court House

Return Service Requested

Mark your calendars now: November 3—2AM, time change FALL BACK! November 10—5PM, Oyster roast and shrimp boil at Scott and Wendy Harris’ home November 21—7PM, Thanksgiving worship December 1—10AM Gathering of the greens, Cookies and cocoa with Santa December 2—Advent Wreath workshop December 15—Ladies’ Christmas luncheon