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ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH • 3 PEABODY ROW • LONDONDERRY, NH.03053 • 603-437-8333

FROM THE INTERIM RECTOR As my year and a half interim draws to a close and we all look forward with eagerness to Colin’s arrival after Labor Day, I have been reflecting on our time together and what it means to truly be Church. All too often we think of church in a hierarchical sense … Bishop, Priest, Vestry, People … and I guess in an organizational chart sort of way that is valid. But, what I have seen here at Saint Peter’s is far from that business structure arrangement. We function more like a living organism with a multitude of interacting organs (not the big one in the back of the Nave). An organism has a variety of parts each working with an interactive independence that enables the whole entity to live and thrive. No part of this organism is more important than the others and all are needed to survive and to grow. I look at all the ministries we have as a parish and realize how each contributes to the whole and how we depend on each other and interact with each other. Sunday morning services come together not because of the person behind the altar but rather with a host of interacting parts (some often unseen). The altar guild prepares for communion, the choir and organist carefully prepare music, the priest prepares a homily, the parish administrator crafts the bulletin, lay Eucharistic ministers and lectors present readings, acolytes assist at the altar, the sexton has cleaned and beautified the church, the flower committee has arraigned the flowers, parishioners have prepared for coffee hour, Sunday school happens because of careful preparations of the teachers … Clearly when we come together as a parish it is not one person who enables our worship. The work of the church happens because it is a living entity (a synergistic organism) with a multiplicity of parts (people, organizations) working together. Each organ laying its work before God and feeding the life of the church. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE ~

September 2016

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Vestry Members

Wardens

2015-2017 David Moeri (1st term) 2016-2018 Sally Nelson (1st full term) Vestry

2015-2017 Bruce McKay (elected to fill out unexpired term of Deb Aboud)

Noel Cartwright (1st term) Paula Paciulan (elected to fill out unexpired term of Sally Nelson)

2016-2018 Peter Henry (1st full term) Paul Stuart (1st term) Cindy Litchfield (1st term) Clerk

2016-2018 Fay Morlock (1st of 4 allowable terms) Treasurer (Appointed bi-annually at first Vestry meeting following Annual meeting )

2016-2018 Earle Rosse (3rd of four allowable terms)

+ + + + + + ++ + + + + ++ + + + ++ + ++

Delegates to Convention

2015-2017 Marilyn Bragg (1st term) Peter Henry (1st term) 2016-2018 David Moeri (1st term) Gail Pratt (1st term) Alternates to Convention

20116-2018 Jackie Thesse (1st term) Jane Darnell (1st term)

Youth Delegate OPEN

There are several passages in the Bible that speak of this synergy … how eye, hands, etc are vital for the body so too each of us is vital to the life and health of our parish and our greater church. And the parish and greater church are parts of the way God’s presence is felt and made known in the world. No part of that body is insignificant or unimportant, each is vital to life. Who we are as church goes well beyond Sunday worship, the true work of the church happens outside the walls of our buildings and is empowered by our worship. Our future effectiveness as the hands of God comes out of the multitude of ministries and our realization that each part makes a major contribution to the whole. Through creative ideas, new ways of feeling the Holy Spirit’s presence, each of us makes God’s hands come alive for ourselves but even more importantly for the communities are us. We Episcopalians worship from “Common Prayer”, meaning prayer we offer in common as a collective body. The life, health, effectiveness of us as a church, comes from us gathering in common and making a synergistic whole for God. May that spirit of God glow in each of us and may we come together to make the reality of God active and visible outside the walls of our buildings and beyond our worship hours. Amen … and thank you for a wonderful 15 months together. Dick+

Just an early reminder...

This is just a reminder that we will resume our Sunday services at 8:00 & 10:00 AM, as well as church school at 9:45 AM, beginning September 18th.

Sunday Worship changes for the Fall

St. Peter’s Bake Table The fall craft fair is fast approaching the weekend of Sept 10 and 11. Please help to make this a successful fair by baking something for the bake table. It would be very helpful if you can package baked goods individually and drop off either Friday evening or early Saturday morning. Some examples of good sellers are brownies, cookies, rice krispie treats, fudge, whoopee pies, breads, and fruit pies. Please email Sandi Critchley or Mandy Jasper (bake table co-chairs) with any questions. Thanks in advance for your help!

The Rite of Coffee: An Invitation to Relationship Like many people during the recession in 2008, I found myself out of a job. After spending a month on the couch feeling sorry for myself I started to apply EVERYWHERE. It wasn’t long before I found myself wearing a green apron and taking orders for tall-skinny-two pump-mocha-lattes at Starbucks. It was in a coffee shop that I learned to savor the experience of coffee - it spoke to my liturgical leanings. There’s a ritual to making coffee: taking in the aroma of the open bag; measuring and grinding the beans; pouring in the water; changing the filter. It presented a rhythm, not much different than the one I find now preparing the altar for the Eucharist. This may be why I find the communion shared over a cup of coffee so rewarding. Here is my invitation: I love the fact that St. Peter’s is just down the street from Janie's Uncommon Cafe. I have every intention of making that space my “office away from the office” and I want you to join me there. While I certainly will be picking up the phone in the next couple of weeks to say hello to many of you as I can, I warmly invite you to reach out to me to} share your story over a cup coffee (or tea). I want to hear about you, your families, your faith, and your doubts. Email me, rector@stpeterslondonderry.com, and let’s find a time where we can start a conversation about what you think God is up to in your life and in our Londonderry community. Blessings, Colin+

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY

As a group we knit prayer shawls for anyone in need, whether it's a debilitating illness (especially cancer), or (more happily) a new baby's arrival, simply ask any of us mentioned here: Sally Nelson, Karen West, Marlene Thompson, Denny Bolis, Elizabeth Flumignan, Betty Gilkinson, Ann Doten, and Justina Trevorrow. Our next meeting will be on Monday, Sept. 19th at 7 pm at Betty Gilkinson’s home. We welcome new knitters; please contact any current member if you have any questions. Justina Trevorrow

Reminder: LEM/LR meeting

Thursday, Sept. 8th at 7:30 PM.

“Green Living Tip of the Month” Since we have had little rain this summer, here a few tips to help save our water supply.

Run your dishwasher only with full loads.

Wash only full loads of laundry. Also, try to wash less. Many garments can be worn 2 or even 3 times.

Save about 8 gallons of water a day by turning off the tap water when brushing your teeth. Same goes for shaving and washing your face. Try to reduce your shower to under 5 minutes. Be good stewards of our resources. GOD will love you for it! Blessings, Jackie

United Thank Offering-UTO

St Peter's Episcopal Church is happy to announce it will be partnering with the United Thank Offering-UTO by means of the Thank Offering Boxes this coming fall. The United Thank Offering is a ministry of the Episcopal Church. The UTO is entrusted with the promotion, reception and distribution of thank offerings. Through United Thank Offering, men, women and children exercise the practice of gratitude by acknowledging daily blessing. Those who participate in this practice learn that thankfulness leads to responsiveness. The money boxes offer members of the church an opportunity to offer thanks by way of giving. The boxes will be handed out on September 25th and collected on October 30th. The monies collected will be combined with other collections occurring across the country and placed into a grant fund which is awarded by the UTO. These grants support mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world. Thank You, Gail Pratt, UTO coordinator

1 Dave Critchley Hailey O’Connor 10 Jack Chapman 11 Kathleen Rosse 14 Nathan Sobol 16 Peter Wright 19 Sabina Chen Richard Gillaspie 22 Shirley Cartwright 24 Xavier Simonsen 28 Patrick Cooper 29 William Craigie 30 Pamela Lada

September Birthdays

Choir Rehearsals “Music speaks to us in a language beyond words.”

~Saint Benedict

After the annual summer break the choir will return to help lead worship on Sunday, September 11, at the 9:00am liturgy. Choir rehearsals will begin on Tuesday, September 13, at 7:00pm. We are always looking for new members to join us. If you enjoy singing and being with a warm and caring group of people than the choir at St. Peter’s is the place for you. Even if you have had no prior experience and feel that you don’t have a “good singing voice” I still hope you will consider joining us. There is on the job training, just ask any choir member. I look forward to welcoming back returning choir members as well as those joining us for the first time. Yours in Christ, Emery Freethey

OUTREACH NEWS AT ST. PETER’S Our June Habitat for Humanity Work Day was postponed and is now scheduled for Saturday, August 27th from 9 AM until 3 PM at Habitat’s newest construction site at 262 Lowell Street in Manchester. Anyone 16 years of age or older is encouraged to get involved with this important ministry. There is a signup sheet in the church narthex. Advance signup is required. Save the date! The 2016 Greater Manchester/Londonderry Crop Hunger Walk is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, October 23rd at 1 PM right here in Londonderry. Churches from Manchester, and Deerfield will be joining us this year. Please plan on walking and raising funds to provide food, water, and resources that empower people in underdeveloped regions of the world. 25% of funds raised go to local food pantries/shelters. Visit www.crophungerwalk.org for more information. There is a planning meeting with all involved churches on Monday, June 27th at St. Peter’s at 7:30 PM. Contact Lee O’Connor at 781-801-8161 (cell) if you are interested either of these ministries. St. Peter’s Prayer Shawl Ministry delivered a stack of beautiful prayer shawls to St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua. St. Joe’s was very appreciative. See their thank you note below!

St. Peter’s supports the mission of Liberty House in Manchester, NH. For more than a decade, Liberty House has been providing a safe, supportive, substance-free housing community for American veterans transitioning out of homelessness. Since their doors opened in 2004, they have helped more than 200 homeless veterans rejoin their communities and regain fulfilling, independent lives. Their facility provides ten beds for residents along with a variety of resources and services ranging from employment search and housing assistance to case management and agency referrals. They also operate a food pantry and clothing closet to serve not only their ten residents but the greater community as well. LIBERTY HOUSE WISH LIST (5/10/16)

Tents

Sleeping Bags

Bicycles

Men’s shorts (waist sizes 30-34)

Men’s work boots (sizes 10-10.5 preferred)

Men’s sneakers, all sizes

Paper Towels

Toilet Paper Donations can be dropped off at the address below during daylight hours or contact Lee O’Connor @ 781-801-8161 or loconnor621@gmail.com if you need help getting donations to Manchester. Contact Liberty House 75 W. Baker St. Manchester, NH 03103 Phone: (603) 669-0761 Visit our website at libertyhousenh.org

September will be a busy and exciting month at St. Peter’s!

On Sunday Sept 4th, Reverend Dick Matthews will celebrate his last service at St. Peter’s. We have been very blessed to have Dick here with us during this transition, and to have Jackie in the choir, well we’ve been doubly blessed. We will have a special thank you brunch and cake in his honor. then how ironic…

The September 2015 issue of our churches newsletter “The Key” had this small article below…

The search has begun! Applications for search committee members are in the Narthex. Please fill out and return to me or any vestry member if you are interested in being considered. This committee will probably start in November. Thank you, Dave Moeri, Warden

...and now one year later in our September 2016 issue, our new rector of St. Peter’s “The Rev. Colin Chapman” will preach his first sermon on Sunday, September 11th at the 9 am service. then... On Sunday Sept 18th (the Sunday following the craft fair) please join us as we will have a festive brunch after the 10 am service to welcome our new rector Colin Chapman and his family. There will be a sign-up sheet in the narthex for food for this event. Please see Jackie Thesse or Sandi Critchley with any questions, or if you would like to help with food, set-up or clean-up for these events. Thank you!

ST. ANDREW’S FOOD PANTRY

Thank you for your continued support of St. Andrew’s Food Pantry. Food donations may be left on the table in the back of the fellowship hall and are delivered to St. Andrew’s on the first and third Saturday of the month. September is canned fish month! All donations are appreciated and may include food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and paper goods as well as the “Food of the Month”. Thank You! Please let me know if you are interested in delivering food to St. Andrew’s Food Pantry in Manchester on Saturday mornings (round trip drive/drop off takes about 1 hour). There are 1-2 spots open in our rotation. With a 5 person rotation you would be delivering food approximately once every three months. Thank you for your consideration.

Fresh fruits and vegetables delivery

NEXT DELIVERIES

SEPTEMBER 6 AND 20 OCTOBER 4 AND 18

St Peter's will deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to St Andrews Food Pantry (Manchester) on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. There is white canister for donations on the small table at the rear of the nave. Your generosity is much appreciated. THANK YOU! Justina Trevorrow