Author: Church of the Nativity

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Outreach Uncategorized

Encouraging Notes for Haiti Reforestation Partnership

Want to Make Someone Smile in 2022?  Drop a card of encouragement for those in Haiti!

Our sisters and brothers in Haiti are going through a really hard time right now.  Our friends at Haiti Reforestation Partnership have communicated with us that not only are things challenging on the ground, but many feel “forgotten” by the outside world, especially as travel has become essentially non-existent.

Michael Anello, the Executive Director of Haiti Reforestation Partnership, will be in the United States mid-January through mid-February.  Let’s flood Michael with as many encouraging cards as possible to take back with him to distribute.  (You can even include a family picture so they can see our faces, if you’d like.)  With the hard work of 750 Haitian women and men, Haiti Reforestation Partnership plants roughly 500,000 trees per year – no matter what. They are investing in their future (our future) and are holding on to hope.  Let’s let them know that they are not alone.  We are thinking of them.  We are praying for them.  We are thankful for them.

Please use Google Translate to translate your simple message from English to Haitian Creole and then bring your cards to the church by January 20.

If you are unable to drop the cards or letters off at the church, please Email Becky Showalterfor pickup.

If you’d like to know more about Haiti Reforestation Partnership, check out this video – 30 Years of Reforestation Success – YouTube – or visit www.haitireforest.org.

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From the Clergy

Pre-Worship Prayers – Anglican Rosary (Epiphany)

Cross/God Symbol:

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the  Holy Spirit, Amen.

Invitatory Bead:

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Cruciform Bead 1:

Blessed Savior, we come to you in wonder, and lay our hearts before You: 

fill them with wisdom and courage that we may love You boldly and show forth your glory in our lives.

We pray for Clergy and Lay Ministers serving today

Set 1 Week Beads: Name 7 ministers/leaders

Cruciform Bead 2:

May we persevere in reflecting your light, Lord Jesus, in all we do and say,

by embodying compassion and integrity, resisting the forces of evil and injustice, and serving each other and You in humility and hope.

May both our words and our silences be ever aligned with building true justice and peace, O Holy One.

We pray for those among us

Set 2 Week Beads: Name 7 of those gathered for worship

Cruciform Bead 3:

May we ever be mindful as the Body of Christ in the world, bearing your name

as a sign of our devotion to your gospel, Blessed Jesus, that we stand with the lost and forgotten as You did, and never acquiesce to fear, exploitation, or hatred. 

We pray for those who need an extra measure of Christ’s presence

Set 3 Week Beads: Name 7 on our prayer list

Cruciform Bead 4:

May we remember that we are the children of your Light, O God, and called to holiness and love.

We pray for the work you are calling us into

Set 4 Week Beads: Name 7 events, tasks, or other work on our hearts

Final Cruciform Bead:

May we be forces for healing and reconciliation, and embrace each other in charity and empathy in the name of Our Shepherd and King.

Lord, we ask for your blessing and your grace, and ask your peace and light to rest upon those whose needs we lift before You.

Amen.

Invitatory Bead:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. 

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen. 

Cross/God Symbol:

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. 

Thanks be to God. 

Categories
Glad Tidings

Memorial Garden

Becky Christian

Nativity, said Stephanie Allen recently, does hospitality very well, and that includes our Memorial Garden, which is open to everyone. But three years ago parishioner Lesley Troan had a vision for how to make the garden more welcoming and cared for.  Now plans for Memorial Garden renovations are coming to fruition.

Thanks to a contribution from the Troan Foundation in memory of Lesley’s husband Larry, as well as contributions from some other parishioners, almost $40,000 has been raised to transform the space.  A committee comprised of Lesley, Nancy Reed and Lori Special (who has since moved to Denver) hired a landscape architect to develop a plan which was approved by the Vestry.

Now a landscaping and construction firm is improving the garden’s infrastructure by removing several poorly formed and troublesome trees, clearing out overgrowth and improving the drainage from the north property line to Estill House, which used to flood in heavy rains. 

Volunteers removed the former brick walkways to make way for wider, accessible concrete walkways. The bricks, which had been donated by Ford Thompson, were saved to create two gathering circles in the center of the garden. The plan calls for benches there so people will be able to gather, sit, meditate, pray, or simply enjoy the garden’s peace. Eleven red cedar trees and three Oklahoma redbuds have already  been planted.  Once the walkways, mulch planting beds, drains and grates have been completed, smaller plantings will be sourced from a local nursery that specializes in native plants, heirloom flowers, grasses and shrubs that are chemical-free. Opportunities for people to volunteer or to contribute toward the smaller plants will be announced in future issues of Glad Tidings.

Landscape design: Elliot Redding, VanHorne Design

Landscaping and construction: Scott Myatt, Myatt Landscaping

Smaller plants to be sourced from: Field to Cottage Nursery

Categories
Glad Tidings Outreach

Afghan Refugee Resettlement

Cheryl Waechter

Louise Miller and I have now completed our training with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) and we’re ready to go! Our area is expecting 500 individual Afghan refugees over the next 11 months. That translates to approximately 60-80 families.

Our original expectation was that we would have a specific family that we would “adopt” or sponsor. However, that will not be the case at this time. USCRI’s Covid protocols do not allow direct interaction of volunteers with refugee families.

Right now, we need volunteers to form teams that will set up apartments as families arrive or grocery shop and prepare a welcome meal for the day they move in.

Donations of gently used household furnishings, linens, kitchen pots and utensils, and any items that will help furnish an apartment are needed. The donations can be brought to The Green Chair Project, where the items will be stored, to be delivered to apartments as needed. Please see the list of accepted items below.

sofas and loveseats
upholstered chairs
dining tables and chairs
nightstands
dressers
coffee tables
lamps
decor items

dishware

eating utensils
kitchen utensils
small kitchen appliances
pots and pans
bedding
new bed pillows in original packaging
towels
shower curtains

Please call (919) 322-0474 to schedule pick-up for large items.

If you would like to help resettle refugee families or would like more information  please contact either Louise, at randrew.louise@gmail.com or Cheryl Waechter, at cherylw1127@outlook.com.

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Uncategorized

A Letter from the Senior Warden

John Oldham

Dear Nativity Community,

Happy Autumn! I hope you and your family are safe and happy. 

I want to update you on recent “regathering” activities at Nativity and invite you to consider coming back to participate in worship service and events in person on the Nativity campus. This is clearly a personal decision for each individual and family to consider based on your family circumstances, health, and other factors. My family and I began to attend services in person last spring and have found the benefits of sharing faith and fellowship in person to be comfortable and renewing. We are holding two services each Sunday and livestreaming the 10:30 service. The livestreaming of the 10:30 am service has been very popular, and I assure you that the staff and Vestry are committed to meeting our members where they are, and we will continue to provide online options for services and many meetings. This past Sunday we had over 100 people attend the 10:30 service in the nave (all masked), followed by a wonderful bring-your-own picnic and sing-along under the oak tree.  

I also want to update you on the activities and missions that Nativity continues to pursue. Ministry teams have been meeting regularly and we have resumed events such as Rise Against Hunger, Backpack Buddies, multiple campus cleanup workdays, youth gatherings, the adult softball team, and senior lunches. Multiple  groups, including Bible study, Spanish class, Social Justice book club, Chatty Yarns, Grief Group and others,  have also been meeting in person and online. Music offerings are back: the choir performed at worship last Sunday and a Beethoven performance was given in the church on Monday evening. Additionally, work has begun on expanding our memorial garden. Are you feeling called to join in any of these activities? You would be most welcome.

Finally, I am asking you to prayerfully consider your 2022 pledge. The Nativity community is blessed with an abundance of resources, and the time and talent gifted by our members to the church and the greater community are what make Church of the Nativity a truly unique community. It is your financial gifts, however, that allow us to compensate our staff, pay the utilities and mortgage, support the ongoing outreach, social justice, and environmental missions, provide children and youth programs, deliver the wonderful musical offerings, and make continued investment in our campus.

Please know that you all are treasured members of the Nativity community, whether you choose to participate in body or in spirit. Stay safe and healthy and please reach out if you would like support or information of any kind.

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Uncategorized

The Gift of Imagination

Evelyn Judson

Stewardship is the notion that we need to give of ourselves to take care of our church and the rest of the world. The phrase “time, talent, and treasure” is used to define the possibilities of what we have available. Gifts of treasure are vital to the church; we need financial support to continue our mission, to pay our clergy and staff, and to maintain our infrastructure. We all need to contribute. But giving financially, even generously and joyfully, is still a step removed from the core workings of the parish.

So we come to “time and talent”. Sunday school teachers, the Altar Guild, the choir, those who show up on workdays, or to cook pancakes, or help with church mailings. Many contribute to all the routine jobs that transform a church into a family. At Nativity we do that very well.

I believe “time and talent” needs to encompass more than routine and traditional jobs. It needs to be the very core of our corporate being. So, I would like to add a new stewardshipcategory. Imagination. What does each individual member see in our church and our world that goes beyond our family and routine? How do each of us give our own vision to the greater whole? How can we encourage and develop not only our own concepts, but those of every other member? This, after all, is what we affirm when we repeat our Baptismal vows.

I challenge every Nativity member today to think about what it is that you love to do? How can that love contribute to the Church of the Nativity and to our greater community? Do you write, draw, or sing? Scrub floors with joy? Fix lawnmowers, plant tomatoes or feed people? Do you love to pray for others? Consider your strengths and limitations and imagine how you can use them to love God, love your neighbor, and change the world.

Categories
Glad Tidings

Establishing a Couple Sharing Time

Carl and Nancy Terry

We encourage couples to have a regular sharing time. It is a time that is set aside for each one to briefly share events, thoughts, feelings that they feel good about or something you have been thinking about. We give our partner our full attention to listen and support them. It is also a time for compliments or a thank you. 

 Decide on a time that is good for both of you, a time when there are fewer distractions of work or children to bed. Time to set aside would be 10 to 20 minutes. Set the scene, have a cup of coffee, take a walk, or find a special place for the two of you. 

Just talking and sharing is great, but another method is the “Ten and Ten.” This means writing down your thoughts and feelings for ten minutes and then sharing for ten minutes. Find the way that works best for you as a couple. 

This is not a time for problem solving, resolving conflicts, or scheduling. Topics may arise that require a longer discussion and resolution. Then you would decide on a time to talk about these things. 

A great way to close this sharing time is with a compliment or appreciation of each other. A hug or a kiss can also be a part of this sharing time.

Commit to a time for a week and then adjust if necessary. You may need to experiment to find the best time and whether talking or writing works for you as a couple. Remember that you want to keep this time special and pleasant. This time of sharing will add to your loving relationship.

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Glad Tidings

Disattention – a new word, an old malady

Somehow, they forgot to give me, on my 90th birthday, the LITTLE GUIDE BOOK TO THE NINETIES. I laugh a lot at my antics – perhaps a video of my putting my socks on in the morning could earn a great deal if I sold it to Saturday Night Live!

I am covenanted to always be with my phone and my walker, and I lose one or the other every day. I’m constantly calling taxis to take me to doctors, dentists, physical therapists! Just once, I’d love to ask the generous taxi system of Raleigh: Take me to the beach!

I thank God for Mary, who takes me to swim twice a week, for Helen, who buys groceries when I send a list, and drives me to church; for Lois who comes Monday and Thursday – just to sit! FOR Patsy and Chris, who are on call and who have shared their red lounge chair to save me from pain, for George, who prays with me here on Tuesday, for my friend Paula, who is my constant angel, for Nancy,  who zooms with me on Fridays, and Ellen, who calls me on Saturdays.

I made a new word: I am not disappointed by inattention, phone calls, or visits because I had no appointment. Instead, I am “disattended”. I need attention as I need air to breathe!  I wonder if disattention can be fatal at 90, or at 20 if you are a new mom, or at 50, if you are a new widower?

This blog reminds me to call some old friends.  Right now! Or write a note! Or send an email!

Attention must be paid.

 JANE VELLA 

Categories
Glad Tidings

An Evening with Haiti Reforestation Partnership

I am excited to invite all of you to come out on November 3 at 6 pm to meet and hear Michael Anello, Executive Director of Haiti Reforestation Partnership. His passion and love for Haiti is palpable, and the work that is being done there is full of perseverance and hope – something that is often sorely missing in this world!

Six years ago, when I was asked to join the board of Haiti Reforestation Partnership by Jill Bullard (founder of the Interfaith Food Shuttle, deacon at St Phillips in Durham, and member of Nativity), I agreed because Jill asked me to . . . and it seemed like a good thing. But it’s amazing how God can lead you to exactly where you need to be. Since then, I have been struck that this organization and the work that is being done there fulfills so much of what I believe is needed in this world. 

  1. While some of Haiti’s woes are self-inflicted, many can trace their origins directly to colonization and racism. Restoring this land, restoring these communities – it is a significant step toward making right what racial oppression has wrought. 
  2. Jesus’ command to his disciples to “Feed my sheep” is being lived out here – hungry people are planting food trees (as well as others) that will sustain them for generations both in food and in economic opportunities.
  3. Planting trees has a fundamental environmental impact. These trees pull CO2 from the air, they stabilize the land, they reduce flooding and improve watershed and ocean health.

Racial reconciliation, loving our neighbor, protecting the environment – win, win, win.

Finally, while I hope you will come out on November 3 at 6 pm, for sure, I also hope that this blog will encourage you to go out and find the place where you can make this world better, the place where God is calling you. God’s vision for us IS possible – we just need to find our corner of the world and make it happen with God’s help. 

God bless,

Becky

An Evening with Haiti Reforestation Partnership

Wednesday, Nov 3, 6-8pm

A simple meal of Soup Joumou and Bread will be provided

Categories
Glad Tidings

Welcome Sherry Storrs

Born and raised in the Carolinas, Sherry Storrs has lived in the Raleigh area for over 40 years. She is a graduate of Meredith College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, and North Carolina State University with a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Sherry is currently pursuing her
Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree. Her passion is chaplaincy, which she currently fulfills as a hospital chaplain in Raleigh. She finds joy in her four-legged companion, Rocky (a boxer) and in traveling, kayaking, writing and photography. She has written, illustrated, and self-published two
children’s books, which she shares with elementary school students throughout the area.
Her spiritual journey has taken her from the Pentecostal/Baptist upbringing to the doors of many different denominations and churches. She has a deep appreciation for faith and respects others’ faith traditions and cultures. Twenty years ago, Sherry found her home in the Episcopal church and has been a practicing Episcopalian since then. The draw to the Episcopal Church for Sherry is the love of the liturgy and the welcomeness that abounds in the community. Her church home is
Grace Episcopal Church in Clayton, where she has served as a member of the church’s vestry and pastoral care team, providing support and care for the congregation, conducting hospital/rehab visits, and taking communion to members who were not able to attend church.
Sherry has been a member of an international disaster chaplain organization for 4 years. In her service to the organization, she is in charge of providing support to other chaplains via emails,
phone conversations, and Zoom meetings, while developing training aids to equip the chaplains in their respective ministries. Additionally, she serves with the American Red Cross on the Disaster Spiritual Care and Disaster Action Teams, and has been called upon during the aftermath of a disaster to aid individuals and families in recovery. A few years back, Sherry was blessed with a short-term grant position with the Catholic Diocese of North Carolina as a Disaster Case Manager. In this role, she assisted families who suffered from the storms and floods of Hurricanes
Florence and Michael, by helping them secure monies for re-homing or renovations to their damaged homes.
Lastly, in serving as a hospital chaplain, she has discovered her soul’s work. It has been the most rewarding and challenging experience that she has ever been a part of. Sherry has a heart to minister to those who are dealing with end-of-life issues, and considers it a blessing to serve them
and their families. Her passion is to be in service to others in their time of need; hence her joy in serving as a chaplain. She dreams of one day starting a hospice non-profit for the homeless.