FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE

Volume 61 Number 10 NOVEMBER 2011

The Episcopal Church of Saint Michael

Pacific View Drive at Marguerite Corona del Mar California 92625 949.644.0463

& All Angels

www.stmikescdm.org

BELOVEDS IN CHRIST,

...From the Desk of the Rector

Thank you! Our parents and mentors were right when they taught us to say Thank you! as often as possible, and for more reasons than they knew. Saying Thank you! is more than politeness and good manners, more than foregoing our impulse to enjoy good things coming our way before being grateful that they have. A recent ten-year study of 200,000 managers and employees reveals that when people are thanked for what they do, they are more motivated and productivity improves; both profits and satisfaction increase.As long as Im truly grateful, Your contribution is important, You make my effort so much easier and similar Thanks! are sincere, they are effective. Saint Paul understood this. In the letter-writing conventions of Pauls day, it was common to include an expression of thanksgiving in the opening section; and Paul did so in all of his epistles, except the one to the Galatians. Scholars suggest that he was so distressed about problems in Galatia that he couldnt find any basis for thanksgiving. But that single exception suggests to me that when Paul did include a thanksgiving in a letter, he didnt do it as a matter of courtesy or routine, but only when he believed it was warranted. Pauls first letter to the Thessalonians is a great example of Thank you!s: He not only includes a thanksgiving for church members at the beginning (1:2-5), he also thanks God again for them halfway through the second chapter (2:1316) and a third time in 3:9-10. Considering that there are only five chapters in this whole letter, this is a lot of Thank you!s! As commentator Beverly Roberts Gaventa puts it, There is more thanksgiving here than interpreters know how to handle. Pauls expressions of thanks are addressed to God on behalf of the Thessalonians. Writing for himself and Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy, Paul says: We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3) Surely, when Paul thanks God for them, the Thessalonians would have heard it as a Thank you! to them, too. When I thank God that I am your rector, and am truly grateful for your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope, in other words, for Christianity in your living, do you hear this Thank you!? I sincerely hope so, not only because I want you to hear and understand that thankful people are generally happier people, but also to encourage you to continue translating faith into action and trusting The One Who is in charge! We can help Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Parish Church and make it more vital by thanking God for the faith, hope and love of our fellow worshipers, and by thanking them directly as well. We can help our family, friends and acquaintances by thanking them. And we can become better people and better Christians ourselves by taking the time and effort to express our gratitude. There really is a lot to be grateful for, isnt there? Thank you!

Yours, in Christ -

FAITH: LO SERVING BUILDING OUR FAITH: LOVING CHRIST AND SERVING OUR COMMUNITY

FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE

NOVEMBER 2011

PARISH NEWS AND NOTES

CONTRIBUTIONS WERE MADE TO THE RECTORS DISCRETIONARY FUND by Terry Lynberg, Sam

Anniversaries in November
Birthdays 3rd - Cam Wallis 7th - Jim Headley 13th - Linda Sevier 19th - Danielle Shaw 25th - Jeff Stone 26th - Robin Hardt Baptisms 1st - Lynne Ruedy 8th - Susan Zevnik 14th - Joan Wilcox 16th - Stacy Stone Weddings 21st - Keith & Paddy Nelson 23rd - Tony & Mary Caldarone

Horton, Pauline Benjamin, Ruth Poole and Marlene Pope in thanksgiving. These funds extend our Parishs mission of outreach, providing for such needs as can be helped by financial assistance.

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CHRISTMAS WORSHIP SCHEDULE 2011 Saturday December 24 4pm Christmas Pageant & Eucharist in All Angels Court 5:30pm Festive Choral Eucharist 10:30pm Festive Choral Eucharist Sunday December 25 8am Holy Eucharist 10am Holy Eucharist

SEPTEMBER FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS: YTD pledge income is short of budget by $28,984; YTD Total Income of $354,321 short of budget by $32,503; YTD Expenses of $391,578 is less than budget by $26,378; YTD Net Income is short of budget by $6,124.

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THANK YOU: Saint Michaels 2011 Golf Committee would like to thank all of you who played, contributed, donated, cooked and did all the things that helped make our 2nd Annual Golf Tournament a complete and wonderful success!!

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THE 11TH ANNUALPRAYING OUR GOODBYES SERVICE will be held on November 6th at 4pm in conjunction with the Friends of Music First Sundays at Four program. This service commemorates those we love but see no longer and other major losses in our lives and is held on a Sunday close to All Souls Day, the day our church honors all saints and martyrs who have no official feast day on the church calender and, traditionally, those who have died during the past year. The parish necrology will be read at this service.

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SUNDAYS AT NINE: The Ecufilm video series continues through the month of November in the Davis Library between worship services. St. Mikes NEW Facebook Page http://on.fb.me/pJUcpv Join us Read us every day Leave a comment!

LOAVES AND FISHES: This November we are collecting new and used, in good condition blankets, sweatshirts and jackets for the homeless patrons of Loaves & Fishes. Monetary donations are always welcome, too, and checks should be made payable to Saint Michael & All Angels, with Loaves and Fishes on the memo line. (Tax ID #95-2123746)

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LEST WE FORGET: There have been 4436 American military casualties in Iraq and 1473 in Afghanistan. "Lord hear our prayers for those who are dead and for those who mourn."
Senior Warden.............................Craig Kennedy [ckennedy@mtbklaw.com] 949.675.6711 Junior Warden...............................Lynn Headley [pirrung@earthlink.net] 714.963.5932 Christian Education.................... Anne Conover [anabananacaddie@aol.com] 949.721.1050 Clerk of the Vestry..........................Gail Haghjoo [gail@hallresearch.com] 714.966.0314 Building and Grounds.......................Mike Ortt seagate@socal.rr.com 714.323.8189

A very important part of our Celebration of All Saints/Souls on November 6, 2011, will be reading the names of beloveds who have died since All Saints/Souls 2010. Please...get names of beloveds who have died in the past year to Peter before November 6 and invite their families and friends to worship with us on November 6.

FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE

is a publication of Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, Corona del Mar, CA. Copy deadline is the second Wednesday of the month. We welcome letters and articles. Editor: Susan Beechner 949.644.0463

VESTRY MEMBERS 2011

Communications..........................Clyde Dodge [clydedodge@roadrunner.com 949.375.1530 Evangelism.............................Murry McClaren [murrymcclaren@ca.rr.com] 714.979.6978 Fellowship..............................Mary Ellen Sindt [belle107@roadrunner.com] 949.640.2395

Finance......................................... Jim Palda [paldajim@yahoo.com] 626.533.8037 Mission..................................Michele Duncan [theduncanfour@cox.net] 949.888.1314 Stewardship...................................Joan Short [joanshort@earthlink.net] 949.644.0719 Worship.The Very Revd Canon Peter D. Haynes [phaynes@stmikescdm.org] 949.644.0463

FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE

NOVEMBER 2011

REVISITING THE COMPASS ROSE SOCIETY

By Norris Battin

ts been 10 years since a parishioner donated the membership fee and Saint Michael & All Angels joined the Anglican Communions Compass Rose Society. Heres some background on the Society: Were a mission oriented group that works throughout the Anglican Communion. Heres what we do: First, we financially support the outreach ministries of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Anglican Consultative Council. The secretary general of the Anglican Communion and members of his staff are active in the Society and members interact with them one-on-one. Second, we contribute to ministries of Anglicans we meet during diocesan visits and study trips. Personal relationships help strengthen the bonds of affection throughout the Communion as Anglicans from around the world work together for common ministry. A few facts about us: We have over 300 members from 10 different countries around the Communion. The Archbishop of Canterbury hosts our Annual General Meeting at Lambeth Palace. Each year, members can visit different provinces of the Communion. Since 1994 we have donated over $7 million for Anglican Communion communications and other needed support. You can join us as an individual, chapter or parish member. Individual or parish membership starts with a gift of $10,000 with annual sustaining gifts thereafter. A chapter is a group of any size who makes the initial gift and subsequent annual sustaining gifts. Our membership entitles us to send the rector and four members of the parish to the annual meeting in London and join the mission or study visit that follows the meeting. Sad to say, weve rarely taken advantage of the privilege. Ive just returned from this years meeting and am hoping that someone whos planning to be in London next fall might join me at the annual meeting. As an introduction to what you might expect on a mission or study visit -- were going on a mission trip to Burundi in 2012 -- Ive reprinted below my story on our Liverpool study visit that we just completed at the end of September. Please let me know if you have an interest in attending next year (nbattin@usa.net; 949-6734299) or forming a chapter here at SMAA. Theres more about the Society at www.compassrosesociety.org. Compass Rose Members Visit the Diocese of Liverpool and Liverpool Cathedral By Norris Battin While my travels to England over the years have taken me to many cathedrals through the country, this was just my third visit to an English cathedral with the Compass Rose Society -- we'd been to Canterbury Cathedral for a board meeting several years ago and to Salisbury Cathedral on a previous study visit. At each of these magnificent places we learned a great deal about the cathedrals, about

Anglicanism, about The Church of England and its liturgy and about English history, and our visit to Liverpool Cathedral and the Diocese of Liverpool continued to expand this knowledge. Liverpool Cathedral, for example, is the largest Anglican Cathedral, the largest cathedral in England and the fifth largest cathedral in the world. It is a modern edifice. Designed in the Gothic style by the architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott with its foundation stone laid in 1904 by King Edward VII, its third and final phase was completed in 1978. What's really striking about it is that from the west entrance to the reredos there is only open space. There's not a column to be seen down an enormous open nave with its two transepts and "Central Space", a ceiling 175 feet above it (at its apex) and a 331 foot central tower topping it off: ride two lifts up to the bell chamber - 14 bells reside there; the heaviest and highest peal bells in the world --then walk 108 steps to the top of the tower and a magnificent view. But as it turned out, this spectacular cathedral was but one part of a broadly educational and spiritual visit to the Diocese of Liverpool. Lynne Butt, the travel manager for the Anglican Communion Office in London who along with Clare Kerrigan on the Cathedral staff looked after our arrangements flawlessly, described the scope of our visit well: "Liverpool was an excellent visit. I assumed that as a study visit we would be hearing a lot from both sides about the relationship between Anglicans and the Roman Catholic Church in the diocese. Relationships are obviously very cordial, as our welcome dinner with Dean Justin Welby was held in the Catholic cathedral [the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King]! We also attended mass there. "But it turned out to be more of a mission visit, as our visits were to various community projects in the diocese - schools, children's centre with parenting classes, a halfway house for women prisoners, and a community centre offering art classes and we met some truly inspiring people (mostly women!) who were doing so much with virtually no funding at all. "Liverpool has some of the most deprived boroughs in the whole of Europe, a mix of unemployment, drugs, lack of educational attainment, alcohol and underage pregnancies - the works. "The basic theme of our visit was regeneration, and the city centre and waterfront are very impressive, but it's hard to see how it will continue to the very poor areas with all the government cuts they are experiencing." We came to the Cathedral at a transition point in its life. Dean Welby has been elected Bishop of Durham and was in the midst of his leave takings as he assumes his new post at the end of November. Nevertheless, he was most gracious and generous with his time as he introduced us to the history of Liverpool and the Cathedral, accompanied us to several stops on our program, led an Evensong for our group and, with his wife Caroline, hosted us at a final dinner in the cathedral's on-site refectory, Couture. A presentation by Mike Eastwood, Diocesan Secretary, Diocese of Liverpool and Director of Operations of the Cathedral, taught us about the mission of the Diocese of Liverpool and how the activities of its Cathedral are integrated into that mission. Continued on page 5

FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE SAINT MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION

NOVEMBER 2011

PRAYERS & PASSAGES FOR THIS LIFE

Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we beseech thee, faithful stewards of thy great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Our mission is to seek and share Jesus Christ as spiritual food for lifes journey.

3233 Pacific View Drive Corona del Mar, CA 92625 949.644.0463 949.644.9247 FAX www.stmikescdm.org The Very Revd Canon

OREMUS
HEALING

Peter D. Haynes, Rector

[phaynes@stmikescdm.org] Stephen M Black, Minister of Music [stephenmblack@gmail.com] The Ven. Canon Terry Lynberg Assisting Priest The Revd Ronald C. Bauer Assisting Priest The Revd Canon Ray Flemming Assisting Priest The Revd Jefferson Hulet Assisting Priest Susan Beechner, Parish Secretary [sbeechner@stmikescdm.org] Donnie Lewis, Bookkeeper [dlewis@stmikescdm.org]

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Elizabeth Henry

A church without children, is a church without a future.

--from the St. Marks Coptic Orthodox Church of DC website

WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Sunday Holy Eucharist 8am Choral Eucharist 10am Adult Education 9am Sunday School 10am Nursery Care provided from 9:30am Tuesday Matins 7am Peace Mass 7:30am Thursday Eucharist with Healing - Noon
ABOUT SAINT MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS CORONA DEL MAR

We are a Christian Community of the Anglican Communion who come to hear Gods word and receive and share the Lord Jesus Christ. Our purpose is to have Christ live in us in order that in Christ we may live faithful and productive Christian lives. Our commitment to the Gospel is evangelical; our liturgical tradition, catholic; our theology orthodox but open to thought, reflection, and spiritual endeavor. We care about the world and strive to serve Christ in it.

ts a simple enough thought, but one that should strike home to anyone who loves the fellowship and community of this Episcopal Parish Church. Thats why we are working hard to keep children active and interested in the church. Whether it is as acolytes, or as members of the childrens choir, or in Sunday School, there is a place for all children here. This month our studies will take us to the power of prayer. Beginning with the Lords Prayer in Luke 11:1-4, the children will discuss and examine the Prayer that Jesus taught. Next, during this time of gratitude, they will consider prayers of thanksgiving. And from 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11 they will be introduced to the heartfelt prayer of Hannah. Advent brings the special wreath that each child will make, along with a lesson on what these weeks leading up to Christmas mean to Christians. Hint: Its more than just Santa Claus! We will also begin casting and practicing for the Nativity Pageant. If you are interested in helping with the pageant or have questions about our Childrens Curriculum, please contact Anne Conover. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. -- Proverbs 22:6

Michele Bob Roberta La Juan Sally Megan Leasa Pat Burton Bill Peggy George Mary Betty Jan Chris GUIDANCE Scott Dottie Doug Sam Martha Alex John, Jack REPOSE Ken Eberhard THANKSGIVING - for all the blessings we remember with gratitude especially on Thanksgiving Day; - for all those we will name as we celebrate All Saints/Souls particularly Greg VanNorman and John Peyton Blevins; - with Melinda and Rob & Ashley for the birth of Benjamin Duane Rader

Call Esther McNamee for prayer requests at 949.640.1749

FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE

NOVEMBER 2011

Continued from page 3 The Diocese sees its mission as: "To see a sustainable, lead and transforming Christian presence in every community to enable all people to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God," and the Dean characterizes the Cathedral as a "safe place to do risky things in Christ's service." Mary Donovan reported, "I was impressed by the way in which the Diocese had analyzed the basic social and economic problems confronting the clergy, developed the Bishop's Growth Agenda and then translated that agenda into specific goals for each congregation. Obviously a great deal of thought has gone into helping clergy deal with the problems they confront." After this briefing, we were well prepared to visit local parishes and the institutions that Lynne mentioned above. (Recall that a parish in the Church of England refers to a geographic area and that the clergy in the parish support the schools and social agencies within it as well as the congregations in the parishes. The Liverpool Diocese and the Cathedral are strongly focused on ministry in the local community.) A subsequent tour of the city with Ken Pye, a most knowledgeable local historian, helped us understand the city's past, its current ongoing renaissance and the challenges that the Diocese faces. Mary Donovan provided an insightful summary of our visit to city and its suburbs: "This trip had such a powerful effect on me because it forced me to confront the difficulty of adjusting to life in a post-industrial age. All around us were the remnants of the industry and commerce that had made Liverpool a great city: the extensive dock system, the huge tobacco and sugar warehouses standing empty and literally unusable today, the elaborate collection of locks within the harbor, even the Cathedral itself, a monument to a system of pomp and ceremony that is largely gone out of people's lives today. "The work of importing and distributing goods continues--but it is accomplished largely by mechanized systems. The huge number of teamsters who had formerly moved those goods are simply not needed today. All the

people we talked to told us unemployment is the biggest problem they deal with. Unemployment and all its effects--apathy, lethargy, alcoholism, family brutality, and poor health--were so pervasive, both in Liverpool itself and in the outlying village of Wigan. And no one could really see ways to put people back to work. "I came away with a tremendous admiration for the people we met in the various schools and social agencies who were so fiercely dedicated to instilling hope in clients who had so few reasons for hope. I was impressed with the imagination and energy with which programs were designed. "The St. Francis of Assisi school [editor's note: this high school is a joint activity of the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches in Liverpool], for example, painted their hallway walls with scenes from St. Francis' Canticle to the Sun to emphasize the school's focus on ecology. "The art center in Wigan [a Liverpool suburb that we visited] actually hired a local graffiti artist to embellish its outer walls to make the place more inviting to the "toughs" of the neighborhood. "Since the people of St. James in the City hadn't yet found the funding to restore the roof of the deserted church building they were reviving, they simply erected a tent inside and held services there. "I was also impressed by the obvious spirit of cooperation between the Anglican and the Roman Catholic authorities--their joint support of various community centers and schools we visited and the evident working relationship between the two cathedrals and I was intrigued by the amount of church-state cooperation in the educational system--church schools funded by the state in a way that would never be allowed in the United States and religious classes in the secular schools. "But at the end of the trip, the overwhelming question in my mind was why can't we figure out a massive way to put people back to work? We can send a rocket to the moon, why can't we regenerate our inner cities?" Our visit ended with a spectacular twenty minute son et lumiere show inside the Cathedral following our farewell dinner with clergy

representing other faiths in the Liverpool religious community and the Cathedral staff and diocesan clergy who had been so generous with their time during our stay. As the Cathedral organist played an ever growing crescendo of classic pieces on the massive 9,765 pipe Willis organ, the lights flashed brightly around us in the deepest recesses of the building gradually bringing us from total darkness to brightest light. This familiar Christian metaphor sent us home thinking about the renaissance we had seen taking place in the City of Liverpool and with its people, praying mightily that it would continue and most thankful to all those who made our visit so memorable.

(MORE) PARISH NEWS AND NOTES

LABYRINTH: If you are interested in helping with Saint Michaels Labyrinth Project, please contact Lynn Headley, 714.963.5932, or Peggy Montgomery, 949.644.2239.

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THE MENS GROUP, READERS AND SEEKERS, meets on Thursdays at 7:30am in the Davis Library to discuss classical and contemporary thought in theology, science and philosophy. All men are invited. UTO INGATHERING: How heavy is your UTO blue box? Is your blue box almost filled with quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies-from-heaven? Count your numerous blessings and offer thanks the UTO way. New blue boxes and blue envelopes are available on the credenza in Michaels Room. The collection date is Sunday, November 13. Remember UTO every day!

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NURSERY CARE for infants through 2 years of age is available in the Parish Center beginning at 9:30 a.m., and Sunday School is available for children from 3 to 13 years.

FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE

NOVEMBER 2011

HOLY Norm Ewers WOMEN HOLY MEN RICHARD HOOKER (1553-1600) Priest, Theologian n any list of Anglican theologians, Richard Hookers name would stand high, if not first. He was born in 1553 in Heavitree, near Exeter, son of a good family that was neither wealthy nor noble. In 1567 he was admitted to Christ Church, Oxford, where he became a fellow. In 1577 he was ordained a priest and in 1581 married Jean Churchman, whose family included staunch members of the Puritan wing of the Church of England. Together they had six children, only two of which survived to age 21. In 1585, Queen Elizabeth chose Hooker to be Master (Rector) of Temple Church, London. Assistant Rector was Walter Travers, a leader of the Puritan wing, with whom Hooker immediately clashed. Other postings, including sub-deacon of Salisbury Cathedral, followed until his death fifteen years later. Hookers clash with Travers led him to prepare a comprehensive defense of the Reformation settlement under Elizabeth I. This work, his masterpiece, was entitled Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. Comprising eight volumes, it dealt with issues of church-state relations, biblical interpretation, sateriology (religious doctrines of salvation), ethics and sanctification. In it he makes clear that theology is relevant to the social mission of the church. Book Five of the Laws is a massive defense of the Book of Common Prayer, directed primarily against Puritan detractors. Concerning the nature of the Church, Hooker wrote The Church is always a visible society,not an assemblyMen are assembled for performance of public actions; which actions being ended, the assembly dissolveth itselfwhereas the Church which was assembled dothcontinue afterwards His emphasis on reason, tolerance, and the value of tradition came to exert a lasting influence on the development of the Church of England. Together with Thomas Cranmer and Matthew Parker, Richard Hooker established the theological base of Anglicanism.

In 1595 Hooker was appointed Rector of Saint Mary the Virgin, Bishopbourne, and of Saint John the Baptist, Kent. He died November 3, 1600 at age 47 in his Bishopbourne Rectory. In his will he bequeathed three pounds of lawful English money toward the making of a sufficient pulpit in Bishopbourne. That pulpit can still be seen today.

CHURCH IS ASKED TO ENGAGE IN 'STRUCTURAL REFORM' CONVERSATIONS TO SHIFT FOCUS TOWARD MISSION
By Lynette Wilson [Episcopal News Service Quito, Ecuador] The Episcopal Church's chief operating officer has asked the House of Bishops to engage the laity and clergy in their dioceses in conversation in support of a potential structural reform that he said could shift the church's focus toward mission. The Rt. Rev Stacy Sauls on Sept. 20 offered the bishops a "model" resolution for each diocese to submit to the 77th General Convention in 2012 for consideration. "We find ourselves at an adaptive moment in the time of the church, if we choose to take it," said Sauls at the start of a presentation titled "Becoming a Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society: An Adaptive Moment." Sauls gave his presentation during the Sept. 20 morning session of the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops Sept. 15-20 meeting being held at the Hilton Coln Hotel in downtown Quito. The model resolution would call for a special commission to be charged with "presenting a plan to the church for reforming its structures, governance, administration and staff to facilitate this church's faithful engagement in Christ's mission." Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson would appoint members to the special

commission. The resolution would also call for a special meeting of General Convention before the 78th General Convention in 2015. The resolution, Sauls said, could be distributed at upcoming diocesan conventions or in committees to start the conversation. "This is a way of engaging the laity and clergy on the ground, not a bishopcentric thing," Sauls told ENS after his presentation. "We are asking the laity and clergy to have this conversation." Sauls' presentation, he explained, stemmed from conversations and discussions going back to the 2004 formation of the Budgetary Funding Task Force. It began with the question: "Why reform?" From there Sauls used eight separate slides to list the church's 75 commissions, committees, agencies and boards -- those he could readily identify, he said -- and another five slides to list the 46 Episcopal Church Center departments and offices, all of which have multiple reporting structures. And then, he said, there is General Convention, which has 46 legislative committees of the two houses, which meet together in another 23 cognate committees; nine provinces; and 110 dioceses. He then offered a pie-chart break down of budget resources by percentage: Mission 53.2 percent Administration 26.3 percent Other governance 13 percent General Convention 7.6 percent Sauls' next slide showed how the income earned by dioceses has declined in recent years. The Episcopal Church asks dioceses to contribute a percentage of their income to the denomination's budget, and thus revenue it receives from the dioceses has also declined. That decline is coupled with a decision made at the last meeting of General Convention (2009) to reduce the percentage of the so-called "asking." It was 21 percent in 2010, dropped to 20 percent this year and will decline another percentage point in 2012. In addition, the convention increased from $100,000 to $120,000 the amount that dioceses could exempt from their income before calculating their commitment to the denomination. Continued on page 7

FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE

NOVEMBER 2011

DIOCESE JOINS IN EFFORT TO SUPPLY WHEELCHAIRS TO THOSE IN NEED

from: Episcopal News, Los Angeles by EN staff Kenyon at 949.273.8470 ext. 220 or mkenyon@freewheelchairmission.org St. Mikes parishioner Ray Pentz is on the board of directors of Free Wheelchair Mission. The parish held a fundraiser for FWM in 2008.

he Diocese of Los Angeles has joined with Free Wheelchair Mission, a nonprofit nonsectarian organization, to raise funds to supply 2,750 wheelchairs for people with disabilities in developing countries by June 2012. Bishop J. Jon Bruno has encouraged all congregations in the diocese to consider raising funds for one or more of the wheelchairs, which are manufactured from existing components, such as plastic lawn chairs and bicycle tires, to be as inexpensive and durable as possible. According to Mike Kenyon, pastor of church development for Free Wheelchair Mission, each wheelchair costs $63.94 to manufacture, ship and deliver to a person in need. So far, the organization has distributed more than 500,000 chairs all over the world. Kenyon and other members of the Free Wheelchair staff have, with cooperation from Bishop Bruno, developed a set of programs to be used in the Diocese of Los Angeles to raise both awareness and funds. For the Christmas season, parishioners are encouraged to consider buying a wheelchair in honor of a loved one. Gift donation cards are available through Free Wheelchair mission's website. For Lent and Easter 2012, the organization has developed a 30-day program of prayer and study for congregations wishing to engage in this ministry. Free Wheelchair Mission has also provided a Children and Family Curriculum complete with DVDs and CDs of story and songs -- to be used in Sunday schools and vacation bible school programs that teaches about the need for mobility in developing countries. In addition, a short video outlining the mission may be viewed here. A number of other tools and resources, including materials for use by youth groups and individuals, may also be found at the Free Wheelchair Mission website. A web page specifically for the Diocese of Los Angeles Free Wheelchair Mission partnership is here. For additional information, contact

STRUCTURAL REFORM
Continued from page 6 As it stands in the current budget process, governance is funded first, Sauls said, and then asked, "What would happen if we reversed that priority, starting with mission?" In order to get a good rating from the Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit organization should spend no more than 35 percent of its budget on overhead, while the Episcopal Church, he said, spends 47 percent of its budget on such expenses. Ideally he added, the percentage spent on overhead should be closer to 15 to 20 percent. Based on that, he continued, what if, in creating a hypothetical annual budget of $27 million, $19 million of that budget went toward mission and the remaining $8 million toward overhead? (The current budget is closer to $35 million, he said.) Such a budget, he continued, could be funded by the church's investment and rental income and by a one-percent contribution of congregational income, based on full participation. "One percent could fund mission and ministry at the church-wide level and leave more [money] for local mission and ministry," Sauls said. From there he offered four principles: engaging conversations aimed at reducing overhead; redistributing oversight responsibilities based on strengths; creating a linear rather than a top-down approach to engagement; and emphasizing local participation. Depending on how you look at it, he said, the fact that General Convention takes 7.6 percent of the church's resources is a major or a minor cost. Sauls went on to explain the estimated "total cost."

General Convention costs the church $8.3 million plus another $353,000 to church center departments and $3.5 million to dioceses to send its deputation and bishops -- a total of $12.2 million every three years, not including the costs to individuals, he said. Reducing the frequency of General Convention to every four years would save 25 percent and every five years would save 40 percent, Sauls continued, adding that the length and size of the meeting, how business is presented and ongoing work also could be restructured to reduce costs. If given an extra $1 million dollars, the Church Center could deploy 40 additional appointed missionaries, or 85 Young Adult Service Corps volunteers, Sauls said. And if the church center and the diocese split the cost of a YASC volunteer 50/50, they could deploy 170 volunteers. "We are entering a period of leveraging our resources through partnership, but won't have resources to leverage unless we do things differently," he said. Sauls ended his presentation by offering a "faith statement" about the people of the Episcopal Church: "The people of the Episcopal Church want to engage God's mission," he said. "The people of the church want to participate in decisions about engaging God's mission. The people of the church want to fund God's mission." Sauls then asked the bishops to talk at their tables about their own definition of what mission means and practical suggestions for reform. He also asked them to consider whether they would be willing to submit the resolution to their dioceses for support. Sauls is scheduled to address the church center staff on Sept. 22, where he will begin a conversation with them on how they can begin to take some risks and shape their future rather than have it shaped for them, he said. Sauls became the church's chief operating officer Sept. 1, succeeding Linda Watt, who retired in June. -- Lynette Wilson is an editor/reporter for Episcopal New Service. DO WE HAVE YOUR MOST RECENT EMAIL ADDRESS? Please contact Susan Beechner at sbeechner@stmikescdm.org with changes or additions.

FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE

NOVEMBER 2011

SHARPS AND FLATS

STEPHEN BLACK

The Origin of English handbells he ancestor to our modern handbells originated in England at the end of the 17th century. Robert and William Cor, two brothers in Aldbourne, Wiltshire, began making small hand-held bells, and these bells had leather clapperheads and handles. The impetus for their invention came out of a desire by bell tower change ringers to practice their peals and patterns without disturbing neighbors of the church. Many churches in England have sets of bells in their bell towers, and in these sets there can be anywhere from four to sixteen bells. The average English church bell tower at that time contained six to eight bells, and because they were so heavy, each bell was rung by a different person. The ringers were just ordinary village folk who got together on Sundays and rang the bells! As they were amateur musicians, they needed to practice the patterns and permutations of change

ringing, yet it was a nuisance for the entire village to endure the racket of their rehearsing. So one can see how the Cor brothers invention made life a little better for many English people! Nowadays English handbell ringing is a popular activity in many countries. People of all ages enjoy getting together and learning how to ring bells in ensemble with each other. This development probably would not have happened if the tuning of handbells had not changed. If youve heard bells in European church bell towers (especially older ones), you might remember that you heard patterns of notes, rather than melodies. Think about the ceremonial occasions at Westminster Abbey. One never hears tunes played on those bells. Rather, one hears patterns of tones, which are repeated over and over again. This is because bells have a complicated overtone and undertone spectrum. Overtones and undertones are frequencies of sound which naturally occur in addition to the fundamental pitch. For example, if one plays a C on the piano, there is naturally occurring G, E and B flat in the air. They are very hard to hear, but they are there, and the presence of these frequencies makes

the timbre rich. Because bell overtones and undertones are so complicated (and loud!), it is very difficult to make a tune sound nice, because at any given time there are many, many pitches in the air. When handbells began to be manufactured so that the fundamental frequency of each bell was emphasized, and the overtones and undertones deemphasized, a whole new world of musicmaking opened up. This development occurred in the middle of the 19th century. It became possible for melodies to be played, and consequently interest in handbells as an ensemble instrument soared. The first set of handbells to arrive in the United States arrived in 1902, and now there are thousands of handbell choirs spread all across the country. Saint Michael & All Angels handbell choir meets on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11am. We have a great time playing well-known melodies of the church as well as other music, and we would love to have some new ringers! You dont need to be able to read music to have fun with us! If you are interested, please contact Minister of Music Stephen Black at (949) 644-0463 x14 or by email: sblack@stmikescdm.org

FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE LO

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