THIS SUNDAY AT ST. NICK'S
September 2, 2018
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Services are at 9am & 10am
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
From the Rector
Safe Church?
To put it mildly, I am sad and angry about the recent reports on the sexual abuses within the Roman Catholic Church in six dioceses in Pennsylvania. The Grand Jury report investigated church documents from from a period spanning 70 years and generated almost 900 pages that describe horrific incidents of abuse committed by more than 300 priests. If you didn’t see the reporting on this, covered in every major news outlet, you can read more about it here.
As a member of the clergy, I’ve thought about that Grand Jury report and those priests each time I’ve put on my clerical collar. While the collar isn’t the symbol of priestly ordination (the stole is), people have come to see it as the sign that I am ordained. And frankly, with these new indictments, I worry that the collar will come to symbolize something else for people — that the person wearing it isn’t safe. On a larger scale, I worry about folks starting to look at our churches in the same way.
Certainly, sexual abuse happens in every denomination and organization. No one is immune, not even churches who ordain women, although some people believe that women’s ordination is a preventative. But now, more than ever, is the time to turn our attention toward prevention and training, in an effort to protect every person - each one God’s beloved child - who comes to our church to worship and to belong. To that end, the Episcopal Church offers Safe Church training (also known as Safeguarding God’s Children and Safeguarding God’s People). The training itself doesn’t prevent sexual abuse, but it is a significant roadblock we can put up for potential abusers.
Safe Church training can be completed in two ways: in-person and online. The training helps participants learn to recognize the signs of sexual abuse and the behavior of sexual perpetrators, as well as how to respond to those signs and behaviors when they are observed. The training also provides screening information to help stop abuse before it happens. Safe Church training should be completed every five years and is required of all ordained persons and Eucharistic Visitors. The Bishop and I expect the following folks to also complete the training, either in-person or online: all employees, wardens, vestry, pastoral visitors, youth leaders, confirmation sponsors, acolyte leaders, Sunday School teachers, and volunteers serving on a regular basis.
SafeguardingOnline for St. Nick’s should be set up by the end of September and is free to complete. In the meantime, an in-person training has already been scheduled for the Mid-Hudson region at St. Paul’s, Poughkeepsie on Saturday, September 22nd, from 8a to 1p and costs $30, which covers the cost of lunch and the facilitator’s fee. Pre-registration for the in-person training is required. To register for this training, please click this link:https://www.dioceseny.org/ednyevent/safe-church-training-mid-hudson-2018/
Mthr. Deborah Magdalene and I, both Safe Church trainers for the Diocese of New York, will together offer an in-person training to both Zion and St. Nick’s in January 2019. Please be on the lookout for that date.
And join me in prayer for all victims and survivors of sexual abuse and their families, for the priests and bishops who committed or allowed these egregious sins to continue, and for the Church, that it may have the courage to look at itself honestly and to make changes where they are sorely needed.
Yours, in Christ,
Leigh+
NEXT SUNDAY... SUNDAE SUNDAY, THE BLESSING OF THE
BACKPACKS, AND SUMMER READ-A-THON CLOSING CELEBRATION
Please join us to kick off the the new Sunday School year with these fun activities. Parents, have your kids bring their backpacks to have them blessed during the 10am service. Kids, now is the time to eat ice cream and show off all you've read to raise funds for the Read-a-thon. See you there!
2018 Pig Pickin' FUNDRAISER
Mark your calendars for our annual Pig Pickin' on Saturday, September 29th. This is a wonderful, yummy, family & friends event that we hold right in our own back yard! ALL ARE INVITED so spread the word and invite your loved ones. Tickets are on sale now! Please see Mtr. Leigh
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS Bring your furry or not so furry friends to church for their annual blessing on Sunday, September 30th.
SAVE THE DATE: LOVE Inc. ScraBBle TOURNAMENT
October 11, 2018 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Registration information to come.
THE NEW ROTA for FALL/WINTER is now available HERE
Being a Sunday participiant is a great way to be involved in the services at St. Nick's. If there is anyone that would like to sign up to get onto the ROTA for future services please contact Dana in the office atstnicholasnewhamburg@gmail.com.
UNDERCROFT PAINTING
We still have some paint to get up on the walls but we are getting there. If there is anyone interested in helping out on the last leg of the painting project please contact Greg Freeman at gregfreeman262@gmail.com.
WHERE'S OL’ FLAT NICK?
Next stop for Ol' Flat Nick...
Atlantic City, New Jersey where he took in some sun at the beach and some music at a Boy George concert with Gena Vanzillotta Beairsto!
Want to take Ol' Flat Nick for an adventure? Just pack him in your suitcase and take a picture with him where ever the Summer takes you. Then, send us your photo and upload to social media using #olflatnick
PS- Let's not forget that Ol' Flat Nick likes to visit with all parishioners so if he has returned from vacationing with your family please pass him along to a new family or return him to the Narthex to get picked up.
September 9th - Back 2 Sunday School &
Read-a-thon Closing Celebration
September 29th - Pig Pickin'
September 30th - Feast of St. Francis with pet blessing.
PERSONAL CARE PANTRY
St. Nicks is signed up for a special effort to help supply Love INC's personal care pantry. Please bring something in for our neighbors struggling to supply their families with non-food items.
They especially need laundry detergent.
AA GROUP MEETINGS Are held in St. Nick's undercroft every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 7:30pm.
COFFEE HOUR is a great time for fellowship! Thinking about hosting? The sign-up sheet is HERE, there are always slots available so please consider signing up. We like to keep it simple so Munchkins, cheese and crackers, or even some veggies would do. 😊
ONLINE STEWARDSHIP DIRECTORY Click here for the online version of the directory.
PASTORAL MINISTRY If you have a concern for yourself, a family member or friend, please contact Mother Leigh Hall, at 845-432-HOLY, or email leighellenhall@gmail.com.
WHO'S ON THIS SUNDAY September 2nd
9 am
Reader - Polly Myhrum
Server - Joe Haubrich
10 am
First Reader - Sue Blodgett
Second Reader - George Hemroth
Eucharistic Minister/Server - Liz Pavelka
Acolyte - Amelia Batta
Altar Guild - Deb E.
Counters - Greg F. & Ed S.
Sunday School - Resumes September 9th "Sunday Sundae"
Coffee Hour - Needed
September 2, 2018
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Services are at 9am & 10am
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
From the Rector
Safe Church?
To put it mildly, I am sad and angry about the recent reports on the sexual abuses within the Roman Catholic Church in six dioceses in Pennsylvania. The Grand Jury report investigated church documents from from a period spanning 70 years and generated almost 900 pages that describe horrific incidents of abuse committed by more than 300 priests. If you didn’t see the reporting on this, covered in every major news outlet, you can read more about it here.
As a member of the clergy, I’ve thought about that Grand Jury report and those priests each time I’ve put on my clerical collar. While the collar isn’t the symbol of priestly ordination (the stole is), people have come to see it as the sign that I am ordained. And frankly, with these new indictments, I worry that the collar will come to symbolize something else for people — that the person wearing it isn’t safe. On a larger scale, I worry about folks starting to look at our churches in the same way.
Certainly, sexual abuse happens in every denomination and organization. No one is immune, not even churches who ordain women, although some people believe that women’s ordination is a preventative. But now, more than ever, is the time to turn our attention toward prevention and training, in an effort to protect every person - each one God’s beloved child - who comes to our church to worship and to belong. To that end, the Episcopal Church offers Safe Church training (also known as Safeguarding God’s Children and Safeguarding God’s People). The training itself doesn’t prevent sexual abuse, but it is a significant roadblock we can put up for potential abusers.
Safe Church training can be completed in two ways: in-person and online. The training helps participants learn to recognize the signs of sexual abuse and the behavior of sexual perpetrators, as well as how to respond to those signs and behaviors when they are observed. The training also provides screening information to help stop abuse before it happens. Safe Church training should be completed every five years and is required of all ordained persons and Eucharistic Visitors. The Bishop and I expect the following folks to also complete the training, either in-person or online: all employees, wardens, vestry, pastoral visitors, youth leaders, confirmation sponsors, acolyte leaders, Sunday School teachers, and volunteers serving on a regular basis.
SafeguardingOnline for St. Nick’s should be set up by the end of September and is free to complete. In the meantime, an in-person training has already been scheduled for the Mid-Hudson region at St. Paul’s, Poughkeepsie on Saturday, September 22nd, from 8a to 1p and costs $30, which covers the cost of lunch and the facilitator’s fee. Pre-registration for the in-person training is required. To register for this training, please click this link:https://www.dioceseny.org/ednyevent/safe-church-training-mid-hudson-2018/
Mthr. Deborah Magdalene and I, both Safe Church trainers for the Diocese of New York, will together offer an in-person training to both Zion and St. Nick’s in January 2019. Please be on the lookout for that date.
And join me in prayer for all victims and survivors of sexual abuse and their families, for the priests and bishops who committed or allowed these egregious sins to continue, and for the Church, that it may have the courage to look at itself honestly and to make changes where they are sorely needed.
Yours, in Christ,
Leigh+
NEXT SUNDAY... SUNDAE SUNDAY, THE BLESSING OF THE
BACKPACKS, AND SUMMER READ-A-THON CLOSING CELEBRATION
Please join us to kick off the the new Sunday School year with these fun activities. Parents, have your kids bring their backpacks to have them blessed during the 10am service. Kids, now is the time to eat ice cream and show off all you've read to raise funds for the Read-a-thon. See you there!
2018 Pig Pickin' FUNDRAISER
Mark your calendars for our annual Pig Pickin' on Saturday, September 29th. This is a wonderful, yummy, family & friends event that we hold right in our own back yard! ALL ARE INVITED so spread the word and invite your loved ones. Tickets are on sale now! Please see Mtr. Leigh
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS Bring your furry or not so furry friends to church for their annual blessing on Sunday, September 30th.
SAVE THE DATE: LOVE Inc. ScraBBle TOURNAMENT
October 11, 2018 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Registration information to come.
THE NEW ROTA for FALL/WINTER is now available HERE
Being a Sunday participiant is a great way to be involved in the services at St. Nick's. If there is anyone that would like to sign up to get onto the ROTA for future services please contact Dana in the office atstnicholasnewhamburg@gmail.com.
UNDERCROFT PAINTING
We still have some paint to get up on the walls but we are getting there. If there is anyone interested in helping out on the last leg of the painting project please contact Greg Freeman at gregfreeman262@gmail.com.
WHERE'S OL’ FLAT NICK?
Next stop for Ol' Flat Nick...
Atlantic City, New Jersey where he took in some sun at the beach and some music at a Boy George concert with Gena Vanzillotta Beairsto!
Want to take Ol' Flat Nick for an adventure? Just pack him in your suitcase and take a picture with him where ever the Summer takes you. Then, send us your photo and upload to social media using #olflatnick
PS- Let's not forget that Ol' Flat Nick likes to visit with all parishioners so if he has returned from vacationing with your family please pass him along to a new family or return him to the Narthex to get picked up.
September 9th - Back 2 Sunday School &
Read-a-thon Closing Celebration
September 29th - Pig Pickin'
September 30th - Feast of St. Francis with pet blessing.
PERSONAL CARE PANTRY
St. Nicks is signed up for a special effort to help supply Love INC's personal care pantry. Please bring something in for our neighbors struggling to supply their families with non-food items.
They especially need laundry detergent.
AA GROUP MEETINGS Are held in St. Nick's undercroft every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 7:30pm.
COFFEE HOUR is a great time for fellowship! Thinking about hosting? The sign-up sheet is HERE, there are always slots available so please consider signing up. We like to keep it simple so Munchkins, cheese and crackers, or even some veggies would do. 😊
ONLINE STEWARDSHIP DIRECTORY Click here for the online version of the directory.
PASTORAL MINISTRY If you have a concern for yourself, a family member or friend, please contact Mother Leigh Hall, at 845-432-HOLY, or email leighellenhall@gmail.com.
WHO'S ON THIS SUNDAY September 2nd
9 am
Reader - Polly Myhrum
Server - Joe Haubrich
10 am
First Reader - Sue Blodgett
Second Reader - George Hemroth
Eucharistic Minister/Server - Liz Pavelka
Acolyte - Amelia Batta
Altar Guild - Deb E.
Counters - Greg F. & Ed S.
Sunday School - Resumes September 9th "Sunday Sundae"
Coffee Hour - Needed