The people of St. Catherine's seek to share in the love that Jesus Christ has for us and the world by welcoming, accepting, nurturing, and serving all people through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We Welcome You!

The Newsletter of St. Catherine's Episcopal Church
Marietta, GA
January 9 - 22, 2006

Clergy Letter

News

I tried to stay up last night until we received word on the status of the trapped miners in West Virginia. I was confused when I first heard reports this morning because they were talking about the wrong information that had been passed along to the families. When I finally sorted through the stories I realized that all but one person was found dead. There was one thing I wanted to know more about, how that 27 year old man was doing. They reported that he was in critical condition but nothing more. Having been an intensive care nurse for several years, I know that there are many degrees of severity that fall under the words "critical condition."

The main focus of the reports was on the miscommunication by some and the previous violations of the company. I don't mean to downplay the importance of these things because they're very important. My heart is grieved for the loss of life and the devastation to their family, friends and community. In the midst of my grief there is a feeling of joy over the one man who is alive. I'm not only glad he survived but that his loved ones are so relieved. Even if he doesn't survive, they have an opportunity to see him, touch him, and say their goodbyes. My prayer is that he lives a long, full life. If he does survive, I'm sure he'll always wonder, "why me and not one of them?"

The apparent randomness of who lives and who dies is something most of us try to understand from time to time. I believe that God was with those who died and with the young man who lived. God never abandons us -- even to the grave. May God comfort the grief-stricken, soothe the suffering and show us how to be God's arms of love.

Vestry Election Results

We are pleased to announce the following results from our Vestry elections for 2006. Elected for three year terms were Maureen Donoghue, Al Jones, Ellis Kilgore, and Hale Sanders. Elected for a two year term was Gina Baumann. We congratulate each of these people and look forward to their leadership over the coming years.

We thank Ron Brannock, Donald Clark, and Rod Pope for their willingness to offer their time and talents to St. Catherine's as Vestry members. We hope that each will consider running for the Vestry in 2006.

We thank everyone who took the time to discern God's will for St. Catherine's and to cast your vote this past weekend. The year 2006 is shaping up to be a transformative year for this congregation. Thanks be to God!

Rod Brannock- Thank you for running for Vestry	Donald Clark - Thank you for running for Vestry
Rod Pope - Thank you for running for Vestry	Gina Baumann- Elected to 2-year term
(Photo of Maureen will be posted here on January 10, 2006. We apologize for the delay.)
Maureen Donoghue - Elected to 3-year term	Ellis Kilgore - Elected to 3-year term
Al Jones - Elected to 3-year term	Hale Sanders - Elected to 3-year term

Newcomer Coffee

Sunday, January 8

All newcomers to St. Catherine's are invited to join us for coffee and "goodies" at 10 AM in the Parish Hall, and get acquainted with St. Catherine's clergy, staff, and lay leaders in an informal setting. We hope to see you there!

Annual Meeting

Sunday, January 22 12:30 PM

The canons of the Church (Canon 31) require that the congregation meet annually on a date appointed by the Vestry. St. Catherine's Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Jan. 22 at 12:30 PM. There will be only two worship services that day at 7:30 and 10:30 AM. A light lunch will be served 11:45-12:30 preceding the meeting. The January 21 Saturday service at 5:30 PM will be unaffected.

The Parish Annual Meeting is a time for the congregation to receive reports from the Rector, Senior Warden, Treasurer, and other organizations throughout the parish. It is a time to reflect on the year past and to explore the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the new year. We hope you will be a part of this most important time in our common life.

Annual Reports due by January 13

Annual Reports are requested from all ministry teams and committees for presentation at the Parish Annual Meeting. Please email them to Rosemary Wolfe at rosewolfebellsouth.net. Please contact Rosemary if you would like a copy of last year's report.

Women's Retreat

February 17-19

Our next Women's Retreat will be held at the Center for New Beginnings in Dahlonega, Georgia. Ginny Lummus will be leading us in a lenten-based retreat using Taizé music and scripture. We will learn about breath prayer and spend time journaling. We'll also spend time in fellowship and have some fun! We hope you will be able to join us for this time to slow down and take in God's splendor. Cost is $180/person for double occupancy, all meals included.

Reservation sign up is in the church foyer. For more information please contact Maureen Donoghue or Lisa Cook.

Valentine Dinner Dance and Auction

Saturday, February 11

• 6:00 PM - Silent Auction opens
• 7:15 PM - Dinner
• 8:00 PM - Live Auction

The annual J2A Valentine Dinner Dance and Silent & Live Auction will be held in the Parish Hall and will include a gourmet meal served by our youth, a fun-filled evening of music and dancing, and an exciting live and silent action. This annual event will raise funds for the group's Pilgrimage, scheduled to take place at the completion of their two-year program (Summer 2007). Tickets will be on sale at church starting in January. The cost will be single $40.00, couples $75.00 (reservations required).

J2A members will be asking our parishioners for donations to be auctioned off. In the past, we have had vacation rentals, vintage wine, classes and lessons, gourmet-cooked dinners, antiques, collectibles, jewelry, gift certificates, pottery, tickets to sporting events, and much more. If you have suggestions, opportunities, or can assist our youth in helping make this event a success, please contact Ellis Kilgore or any of the J2A Leaders or Youth.

Please plan to participate -- it is a wonderful way to support our youth program and have a great time as well. We look forward to seeing you there!

Thanks,
Your J2A Youth Group

New Sunday School classes begin

• How Much is Enough? Hungering for God in an affluent culture
  Because possessions may capture the heart, but they cannot nourish the soul, our study book, How Much Is Enough? by Arthur Simon, maintains that only the source of joy can give us joy. It points you away from captivity to things toward fulfillment in following Christ. This class will be led by Sherry Coulter.
   
• Money Anxiety: January 22, 29 and February 5
  Three sessions of discussions about the spiritual impact of money in our lives and how our anxieties over money keep us from spiritual wholeness. We will start with "What is Money?", looking at how we define money and compare how culture defines money with how Jesus defines money. In the next session we will talk about our money lives: "Know Your Money Life." We'll learn about the different styles or attitudes about money that influence how we think about it and use it, and talk about how the source of our anxieties about money and how it affects our lives. Our last session is "Making Peace with Money." In this session, we will talk about aligning our attitudes about money with our core values and reducing our anxieties about money. Sessions will be held in the Parish Hall.

Continuing classes:

• Biography: A study of the more controversial holy or not so holy people of God. The Faith Explorers Group, led by Ginny Acocella.
• Bible Study Class: The Synoptic Gospels, led by Tom Snead and Jim Mattox
• Sitcoms for the Soul: Everyday lessons from everyday TV shows, led by Tom Blackstock
• Rector's Study, led by Fr. Jim Nixon

WWW: the New Year

Being the Light of Christ in the World

Epiphany is a time for rededicating ourselves to our own ministries and our missionary task to continue the spread of Jesus' light in the world. In our Wednesday night adult programs throughout January and February, we will discover the many and vibrant ministries to our community and to the world. We will revisit our biblical mandate to be the light of Christ and the salt of the earth.

We will hear each week from one of the many ministries we participate in and support in our community, in the Diocese and in the world. Our first presenter, on January 11, will be Rev. E Claiborne Jones, the Vicar at Emmaus House. This will be an exciting time for us to meet the wonderful staff from many of these ministries and for us to remember our own talents and gifts of the Spirit for mission and ministry. Join us as we celebrate our gifts and ask God to help us develop and offer them for the benefit of others.

Programs begin at 7 PM. Dinner is 6 to 6:45 PM. Please remember to make your dinner reservation by checking your bulletin or contacting the church office.

MENUS coming up:

• January 11 - New Year's Resolution Meal: Chef Salad Bar, Baked Potatoes, Angel Food Cake w/Fruit Topping; Kids: PB & J or Fish Sticks w/French Fries
• January 18 - Salad Bar or Old Fashioned Hobo Supper: Mixed Beans w/Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Cabbage, Cornbread, Peach Cobbler; Kids: PB & J or Chicken Nuggets
• January 25 - Italian Night: Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce, Salad Bar, Garlic Bread, Brownies, Kids: PB & J

Nursery Volunteer Schedule

A schedule has been set for volunteers to help in the nursery on Sunday mornings (8:45 or 11:15 am). If you are scheduled to work a particular day but find you cannot, please be sure to contact someone from the list to cover your time, and also contact Susan Roberts.

Additional volunteers are welcome on Sunday mornings. Please contact Susan at 770-578-6634 or see her in the Nursery.

Preschool Registration for 2006-07

Registration for St. Catherine's Preschool for the 2006-07 school year is coming soon:

• Sunday, February 12 -- For members of St. Catherine's not already in the Preschool
• Thursday, February 23 -- Open registration for the community

School tour times will be announced soon. Visit the Preschool website for school and registration information.

Mark's Gospel LIVE Coming to St. Catherine's!

February 24 at 7 PM

We are bringing a wonderful one-man show of the Gospel of Mark to St. Catherine's and our community! All of St. Mark's characters are portrayed as the story is narrated right from Biblical text, performed solo by the Rev. Joseph Morris of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Marietta. It is not a reading or a talk, but the actual words of the Gospel. Mark's Gospel LIVE has been presented throughout the United States and England.

Don't miss it! You can learn more about this exciting performance at Mark's Gospel LIVE.

Talent Show: Get ready!

Saturday, January 28

We're bringing back the St. Cat's Talent Show to benefit MUST, and we're looking for anyone who wants to sing, play an instrument, dance, recite a poem, or perform a skit, etc. The show is entertaining, and we ask you to give the gift of your talents, solo or with a group for this great evening. Sign up in your bulletin or for information please contact Connie Bergeron or Jim Greene.

Christmas Pageant and Reception, 2005

You'll find lots more photos on the Parish Life page of our website at Christmas Pageant 2005.

2006 Altar Flowers and Candles

The schedule to sign up for altar flowers and candles for 2006 is now available in the church lobby. Thank you for your contributions.

Lenten reflections contributors needed

Once again, St. Catherine's will produce a collection of reflections for the Lenten season written by parish members. It may seem early to think about this, but Lent will be coming along not too many weeks from now (Ash Wednesday is March 1). If you are willing to write a brief meditation on a piece of scripture to be included in the book, please contact Karen Manno at karenstcatherines.org or sign up with your name, email address (if possible), and phone number in your bulletin. We will be in touch with your assignment and your reflection will be due to Karen by February 24.

St. Catherine's contributions received by Bishop Mokiwa Excerpts from a letter from Kevin Keith regarding contributions sent to The Rt. Rev. Valentine Mokiwa, the Bishop of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, after his visit here last October I was contacted by Bishop Valentine this week to indicate that he had received the money from my brother's church and Vail and wanted to thank us again for our assistance. Bishop Valentine was extremely happy to state that with the monies donated to him on his trip here he had started his house building project. He was very proud to inform me that the foundation was poured and that the house was underway. Also, he used part of the money to take his youngest son, Joseph, to a speech therapist in Kilimanjaro, an 8-10 hour ride from Dar Es Salaam, to have him evaluated for autism. He said the initial visit went well and that they were going back for a second visit. He also indicated that they were looking for an EKG visit to help with Joseph's diagnosis. He praised God for all of this and thanked me again for the role St. Catherine's played in this.

Fr. Jim, the Bishop and the Rev. Thee Smith, Priest Associate at the Cathedral of St. Phillip in October 2005

2005 Habitat House Completed

Dedication Ceremony -- December 18, 2005

Congratulations to the Wilder family, and thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this new home a reality! You'll find lots more photos of the dedication on the Outreach page of our website at 2005 House Dedication.

Congratulations, Graduate!

Parishioner Blake Schnorf graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology at the Fall 2005 commencement. He was awarded a B.S. degree with High Honors in Industrial Engineering. He's a **** of an engineer!

In the Community: Volunteers at MUST

News received from the Volunteer Coordinator at MUST Ministries

Go to MUST Ministries for complete information and to fill out the volunteer form.

• Food Warehouse -- We now have a MUST warehouse at 1210 Kennestone Circle, Suite B - right across Cobb Parkway from our Marietta campus. We need volunteers to help us unpack supplies, sort food and set-up our new operation. We will be working every Saturday in January from 9am-Noon: 1/7, 1/14, 1/21, and 1/28. Bring your friends, family, faith or civic group to help us get started! Youth ages 12-17 may volunteer with a parent or in a group with a 1:7 adult to youth ratio and releases signed by a parent. To sign-up, please email back or call Tena Griggers at (678) 218-4488.
• Health Clinic Cobb -- Health Partners operate the health clinic at MUST Marietta. This clinic provides primary care for those who have no insurance, Medicaid or Medicare. They are looking for Spanish translators and nurses (LPN or RN) to serve on Tuesday and/or Thursday evenings from 5:30-8:30pm. For more information, email back or call Joanna Griffin at (770) 427-3968.
• Office Help -- Cobb Disaster Recovery is looking for volunteers to answer phones, using basic scripts, in their office at Sweetwater Valley CAMP in Austell. Volunteers are needed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am-1pm. Any questions that cannot be answered from basic scripts will be forwarded for a later response. It takes only 15 minutes of training to get started! Please email back or contact Pam Gauntner at (678) 218-4487 to volunteer.

Holy Baptism

Next Date: April 15 (Easter Vigil)

Please check with the office for more information and to request the customary booklet about Holy Baptism.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

SICK: Sharon Parisi, James, Lisa Arnold, Natalie May, Elaine York, Lori Matteson, Curtis Bagby, Ron Davidson, Karen Ann Mosso, Jeanne Tweeten, Betty Boyce, Ray Brooks, Bernice Lewis, Joy Lewis, Amondo Fiscal, Richard Huffstetler, Andrew Straub, David & Anne-Elizabeth Straub, Travis Rader, Abigail Durruthy, Mark Walker, Debbie Stokes, Becky, Joyce Hendricks, Renee Bradley, Jeroline Morris, David Shannonhouse, Jim Nixon, Sr., Nancy Riley, June Lewis, Scott Dickson, Alice Freeman, Gene Potter, Kathy Kareken, Judy Little, Ellen Brandt, Ashley Fowler, Trish Nowicki, Brad Smith, Pam Miller

DECEASED:Beverly Mutch, friend of Susan Roberts; Niel Nielson, Chris Williams' brother; Egon Andreasen, Gina Baumann's grandfather; Flonnie Fletcher; Shooter LaRose from St. Elizabeth's in Whiterocks, UT , friend of many in our parish; Bjorg Wickert, friend of Ron & Arlyn Cook

SPECIAL PRAYERS:
Defend all the men and women of our armed forces at home or abroad especially in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait that they will have a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be.
Please pray for the friends of Lucy Hilley whose homes were completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
For the birth of Caroline Elizabeth Spessard on December 30th to Lisa & Phil Spessard.

PARISH CYCLE OF PRAYER:

(1/15/05) -- David, Mary, Catherine & Laura Moore; Lee, Tracy, George, Arthur & Polly Moore; Mark, Sally & Rex Moore; Peter, Kyle & Jill Morich, Chris, Amy, Jacob & Alex Morris

(1/22/05) -- Richard Motter; Roger & Eileen Motter; Keith, Susanne, Gaby & Nicholas Muckerman; David & Marie Elena Murphy, Michael & Richard Quarantello; John, Danielle & Sidney Nabinger

HELP US HELP YOU

Please let the church know when you or a loved one has a medical procedure, an illness, a life transition, or other special need. We are here to serve you. Please allow us the opportunity to share your experience and offer our support. Simply contact the church office at 770-971-2839. Thank you.

St. Catherine's Calendar

Monday, 1/9		Monday, 1/16
3:30PM 6:30PM 7:00PM 7:30PM	Sherry's Day Off Catechesis Men's Book Group Girl Scouts Boy Scouts Troop 713	3:30PM 7:00PM 7:30PM	Sherry's Day Off Martin Luther King Jr.    holiday Office Closed Catechesis Cub Scouts Boy Scout Troop 713
Tuesday, 1/10		Tuesday, 1/17
10:00AM 6:00PM 6:30PM	Staff Meeting Youth Director Search Committee Cub Scouts	10:00AM 12:30PM 5:00PM 7:00PM	Staff Meeting Marietta Clericus Capital Group Vestry Meeting
Wednesday, 1/11		Wednesday, 1/18
6:00PM 6:45PM 7:00PM 7:00PM 7:00PM 7:30PM	WWW Youth Choir A.A. New Beginnings Programs & WNL Jubilate Adult Choir	6:00PM 6:45PM 7:00PM 7:00PM 7:00PM 7:30PM	WWW Youth Choir A.A. New Beginnings Programs & WNL Jubilate Adult Choir
Thursday, 1/12		Thursday, 1/19
6:00PM 6:30PM	Capital Group E.F.M.	4:00PM 6:30PM 6:30PM	Daisy Troop E.F.M. Women's Bible Study
Friday, 1/13		Friday, 1/20
10:00AM 8:00PM	Jim's Day Off Annual Reports Due Folders A.A.	10:00AM 8:00PM	Jim's Day Off Folders A.A.
Saturday, 1/14		Saturday, 1/21
14th-16th 8:30AM 8:30AM 3:00PM 5:30PM	J2A Urban Adventure Men's Bible Study Finance Century 2000 Holy Eucharist	8:30AM 5:30PM	Men's Bible Study Holy Eucharist
Sunday, 1/15		Sunday, 11/22
7:30AM 8:00AM 8:45AM 10:15AM 11:15AM	Holy Eucharist Breakfast Family Holy Eucharist Church School Holy Eucharist	7:30AM 8:00AM 10:30AM 12:30PM 3:00PM	Holy Eucharist Breakfast Holy Eucharist Annual Parish Meeting Youth Readers Training