From the Vicar

      What a wonderful event was our consecration and official opening under the tent on September l4 with Bishop Gepert, the St. Andrew’s choir, kites, drums, flutes, guests from St. Phillips, incense, new vestments, new altar and parish banner and a great party. What fun! Thank‑you again to all who made that day and event possible.

      As we live into some of the changes in the sanctuary, and the liturgy, we notice the time of harvest is upon us. Again, we give thanks for all we have been given. Our deacon, Charleen Crean, placed here by Bishop Gepert is a gift and a blessing to us. She is teaching the Junior High Sunday School class, and hopes to do some teaching on parenting and other topics which will appeals to both families, and singles. She brings substantial gifts and we are so fortunate to have her. As Canon Bill Spaid said in his sermon at the ordination of Cindy Nawrocki to the deaconate recently, the deacon is not the assistant to the rector, or in our case, the vicar. The deacon is there to help connect us to the world outside of the parish in areas of service and compassionate giving. Charleen will be showing us the ways in which we can do that in our parish.

      I was delighted to welcome the North Kent County Clergy Association for breakfast last week to discuss our goals and projects for the year. We are especially partnered with Peace Lutheran the ELCA parish down the road on 12 Mile, and their pastor John Hitzeroth. We will be sharing a service with them now and then, beginning with the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, when we will host them here at Church of the Holy Spirit and the Sunday evening before Thanksgiving when we will join all of the Sparta Area Churches in a service of Thanksgiving at Holy Family Catholic Church. It has been especially heartwarming to experience the warm welcome from other area clergy. They have openly expressed their happiness that we are a new and growing faith community in the Sparta Area. We partner with them again during Holy Week and for a Community Baccalaureate Service.

      We have a ministry of presence right here on the corner of 12 Mile and State Streets. I look forward to finding all the ways to manifest that witness. Do you know that we had 12 people at our first Wednesday night soup, bread and discussion of  “A Purpose Driven Life?”. Two of them read about us an article in the North Kent County Advance, got our phone number off of the sign out in front and signed up. Summer Gross is facilitating that class, and from what I could tell, they were having a great time. That is how we will grow this church, and this is the time of the harvest, gathering in our resources, and welcoming others to join us.  We will teach and  we will learn and we will worship together and we will have fun together, and we will change lives.

Thanks be to God. SUE

Western Michigan Episcopal Cursillo Weekend 54

October 16 - 19 at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Lansing Michigan

Holy hour is Saturday at 7 PM

Closing (Closura) is Sunday at 7:30 PM

David Byers, Rector

First Friday Social!

Come play Bunko! Church or the Holy Spirit is holding it’s first Friday Social, October 3rd, 6:30-8:30 PM. Babysitting will be provide for the younger ones. Please bring a “white elephant” or gift in a paper bag and each player will leave with a prize. Snacks and beverages provided. R.S.V.P. Julie Kuhn at 677-1837

The Apple County Bazaar

      We still need volunteers for the Bazaar on November 1. If you are interested in helping in any way, please see Helen Little. The bazaar will run from 9 AM to 3 PM. We will be serving a luncheon, selling apple butter, and holding a cookie walk and raffle. Tables have been leased to local crafters and all have been taken, so we should have a great bazaar. Proceeds are used to fund the various outreach projects of the parish.

            Not only will we need cookies, cookies, cookies for the bazaar this year, we need pies and baked goods, and items to raffle.  Cookies and baked goods can be delivered to church starting Thursday night October 30th. If you have any raffle items please see Julie Kuhn. Any other questions see Helen Little.

Book Study

There are still a few books left for the Journey

Using The New York Bestsellers List

A Purpose Driven Life

By Rick Warren

Study started: September 24, 2003

Every Wednesday night for 7 weeks

6:30-8:00 PM

Soup dinner provided

Babysitting provided if needed

Summer Gross facilitator

Call and a book will be waiting for you. 616-887-7769

HAPPENING

Diocese of Western Michigan

Attention ALL H.S. TEENS (Grades 10-12): The next diocean HAPPENING weekend will be held from December 5-7, 2003 at St. John’s Episcopal Church (Grand Haven)! Happening is a fun, spiritually charged weekend youth program held all across the globe for teens... by teens. You will get to meet many new friends from the diocese, and will have an opportunity to get to “Know Jesus” on a much more personal level as a result of this experience. It will be the time of your life! If you are interested in knowing more about Happening, or would like to pick up an application for the upcoming fall weekend, contact Carrie Kubiak at 616-874-1260.

The absolute deadline for registering to attend this fall weekend is Thursday, November 20, so let’s get busy and sign up today!

Sunday School News

      The instruction and guidance given to our children by their Sunday school teachers is a gift of love. We have been blessed with very enthusiastic teachers this year. This Sunday school year is off to an exciting and joyful start. Here are your teachers for this year:

            Preschool - 1st grade                2nd grade - +

            Dawn Noble                             Helen Kay Kennedy

            Heidi Willison                           Julie Kuhn

            Jeanine Wudkewych                 Jeanine Wudkewych

            In our Preschool - 1st grade room this year, Lisa Zimmerman will be our honored assistant. Please check our “Sunday School News” bulletin board in the parish hall to see what is happening in our classrooms. Thank you to our teachers for your commitment to our young people, and to our parish for support of this program.

Outreach

There is need in our community for warm clothing:

            coats, sweat shirts, sweaters, gloves, hats

Food:   canned meats, vegetables, tomato sauce, soups, peanut butter, etc.

            Dried:   pasta, rice, beans, potatoes, sugar, flour etc.

Other: tooth paste, tooth brushes, soap, shampoo, toilet paper, pampers

But if anyone has the worlds’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

1 John 3:11-18

Congratulations:

        to the newly elected officers of the Grand Valley Deanery which met Sunday, September 21 at St. Andrew’s in Big Rapids.

Elected were:

Rev. John Crean, Dean, John is rector of St. Pauls Grand Rapids

Ms. Glory Meyer, Vice chair. Glory is a member of Grace Church, Grand Rapids

Ms. Lois Galasch‑secretary, Lois is a member of St. Pauls, Grand Rapids

Ms. Margaret Stretton‑treasurer, Margaret is a member of St. Marks, Grand Rapids

        Congratulations also to Amy Zimmerman elected delegate to diocesan convention, and Jim Byers elected alternate at our parish meeting in August. They will represent us at convention to be held on October 10 and 11 in Traverse City, and to be seated as the delegation from Church of the Holy Spirit when we are recognized by convention.

If you would like to be present on October 10, Friday, for the seating of the delegation, please see Sue York for more information. It would be wonderful to have a number of us there.

Thank You!

St. Thomas Episcopal Church of Battle Creek for a folding machine.

St. Paul’s Episcoplal Church of St. Joseph for a gift of $610 and a pledge of $1000 per year for 2004 and 2005.

Western Michigan Episcopal Cursillo for half of the collection plate at the closing of weekend 54, October 19, Lansing.

Anniversaries and Birthdays

October Anniversaries:

Phyllis and Arthur Sullivan, October 4th

Marsha and Michael Hirt, October 6th

James Winschel and Ann Patterson, October 14th

Art and Christine Melendez, October 17th

Michael and Heidi Willison, October 28th

October Birthdays:

Mercedes Noble, October 2nd

Linda Gerrard, October 4th

Alexander Kuhn, October 7th

Doug Kuhn, October 12th

Ron Marsteiner, October 14th

Paige Noble, October 15th

Helen Andree, October 25th

CALLING ALL QUILTERS!

            We are meeting Tuesday nights from 7 to 8:30 PM, to work with quilt teacher Joan Rop to make a tied quilt to raffle for the bazaar as well as a table scarf of our own. See Rev. Sue for details.

Muffin Baking

See Marsh Hirt to get on the muffin baking rotation. We will sell them at coffee time and use the money to buy new “stuff”. Our latest purchase, compliments of the muffin money and a church parishioner, we have a new refrigerator. Call her at 784-5422.

I heard the Lord saying WHOM SHALL I SEND, WHO WILL GO FOR ME? And I answered HERE AM I, SEND ME!

Isaiah 6:8