June 2004

Dear Friends,

Peace be with you. The rains falls softly as this is written - a sign of warmer weather to come - a hope of a slower pace - a promise of rest and relaxation. To that end, this will be the last newsletter until the September issue goes out. In the meantime, programs for the coming year will be planned. We will all gather for fellowship in a variety of ways: a Creative Memories workshop on June6, the Strawberry Festival and Flea Market on June 19 and the Gold Tournament on June 26. More information about these events can be found in the Upcoming Events link (on the left-side navigation menu).

Several people trained in the BeFriender ministry program are designing a Newcomer's packet, which will detail all programs and contact people at St. Anne's. These materials will also be available in upcoming newsletters and in the narthex of the church.

The Endowment committee has again announced that scholarships will be given to members and their families. Application forms are in the narthex in addition to the one in this issue. Completed forms must be submitted by July 31 and monies will be available for the fall.

Many of you have requested updates on the financial health of the parish. The Finance committee is preparing a PowerPoint presentation for you at coffee hour on June 6 just before the Creative Memories workshop. With the exception of the diocesan assessment, all our bills are paid to date. We are mindful, however, that fewer people attend services during the summer. Please make every effort to keep up your financial offering.

Next time you are here, please walk down to the atriums of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. They have new draperies and carpeting. When classes resume, we will host an open house for the next class. Thank you to Ron Desmarais, who has made this fine program available to all children, ages 3-9. If you would like to be a part of this ministry, please contact him through the church.

During the next month, we will be replacing some of the material on the bulletin boards. If you have dated material on them, would you please remove it so we can start anew in the fall?

The Alpha course was a great success. Thank you, Cindy and Steve Hopkins for your leadership. Another course is planned for the fall, but the dates have not been set yet. The follow-up to Alpha is a short course entitled "Welcome to the Episcopal Church" - for all members new and old. It has sparked some dynamic conversations on Wednesday evenings. We will also be making available another course in the fall called "The Purpose Driven Life".

Because of an active M.O.M.'s group, we are now blessed with several toddlers who have a difficult time staying within the bounds of the overflow area. We are looking into different ideas for gates and reconfiguring that space for toddler age children. If you have any ideas, please let Peggy know.

Next Sunday, May 30, is Pentecost. It's the birthday of the church; for the tongues of fire that fell upon the whole congregation "and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the spirit gave them the ability." (Acts 2). In honor of this day, please wear colors of the spirit if you can - red, yellow or orange.

Faithfully,

Peggy