Prayers and assistance for the people of Haiti At least three million people are estimated to have been affected and hundreds of thousand killed in the catastrophic earthquake Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, on January 12. Innumerable homes have been destroyed structures have been damaged, including the of Haiti's.
Our Presiding Bishop requests our prayers and assistance to the people of Haiti.
Episcopal Relief & Development is in the Diocese of Haiti to both address immediate needs and prepare for long-term rehabilitation work. Your help is critical in providing life-saving services and emergency supplies such as medicine, food and water, as well as-term support for the country's ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts in the days to come.
If you’d like to join with the Emmanuel family in responding to this need, you can send a check to the parish office ASAP (9 South Bompart Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119), payable to “Emmanuel Church” and noted “Haiti ERD”. A series of checks from the parish will be sent to ERD over the next several weeks. If you'd like to make an online gift directly to ERD, go to http://www.er-d.org.
Register NOW for 2010 All Parish Conference April 9-11, 2010 at YMCA of the Ozarks Trout Lodge (Read more, below!)
For about the past 40 years, the All Parish Conference (aka “APC” or “Potosi”) has given our Emmanuel family an opportunity to get together as a parish to get to know each other better, have fun, and worship God in the beautiful, peaceful setting of Trout Lodge. This is a multi generational weekend – there is something for everyone! We want to have as many participants as possible this year!
In addition to the teambuilding that eating together, praying together, and worshipping together, we also play together at this fantastic setting! Some of the exciting activities available are: Pontoon boat rides, Canoeing, Kayaking, Hiking, Campfires, Games, Bridge card game, Parties, Archery, Riflery, Geo-caching, Mini-golf, Orienteering, Alpine & Tower, Pony and Trail rides.
It also takes many wonderful volunteers to make the APC a success. Please get involved and join one of the many committees. Some of the committees include Greeting, Cross Decorating, YMCA activity coordinators, door signs, youth parties, Adult party, Take Homes, Sunday Choir, and the all important weather committee.
A registration form can be found here. Forms and a non-refundable deposit equal to ½ your total registration fees are due in the parish office by February 8. Please contact APC Chairs Duane and Anne Benson (636-326-5918 or frecklefaceseven@yahoo.com) to volunteer or if you have questions. You can also go online at www.troutlodge.org to view pictures and read more about the activities.
BEHOLD Building Project Update:
With a much-needed break in the weather, construction activity will focus on getting the new building under roof and water-tight in the coming weeks. Interior finishing work cannot begin until the building is water tight. The sequence of work is non-negotiable: certain things must happen before subsequent work can begin. The roof will go on first; once that is completed, the window openings will covered with plastic until glass can be installed. Following that, work on the masonry stone on all three sides of the exterior walls will begin on the 1st floor level; and finally exterior doors will be installed. The hope is that despite the weather in February, interior finishing can commence.
Despite construction delays caused by bad weather, important work has continued in the area of planning. A Building Use Committee consisting of staff, clergy, vestry and ministry chairs was formed in late November and has been meeting regularly to assign building space for Sunday morning Christian formation (Faith Quest, youth groups, Bible study), meeting spaces during the week (Vestry, Book Club, Prayer Shawl Ministry, 12-step groups) and office space. Once space usage was nailed down, the committee addressed how rooms in the new space will be furnished, based on how the space will be used and by whom – as well as the ever-important cost considerations. Special thanks to Sara Canavan for sharing her design expertise, Clark Hotaling and Mimi Shipp for their assistance with furniture, and to Anne Crown, Pamela Dolan, Jennifer Dunn, Angie MacBryde, and Rita Rundquist for helping with decisions about the new nursery space.
