Saint Alban's Episcopal Church

From the Assistant Rector

Karen F. Humbert+

“What would it take to make you change your mind about what you believe?” asked a former bishop turned Th.D. student. At the time I confidently replied, “absolutely nothing!” Naiveté has not always served me so well and on this occasion the Th.D. student soon became my teacher. What he had to teach me was in the questions he asked himself. Like many of us in seminary, he fell victim to Faith Seeking Understanding, (the motto of St. Anselm of Canterbury 1033-1109). When I first met this student he was serving as an adjunct professor while he waded once again through the vast array of theological questions that brought him to ordination in the church in the first place.

What I learned over time was that this adjunct professor painfully surrendered his bishopric to recover his faith and that was what brought him back to seminary. He had to leave behind what he once knew and thought, revisiting the questions, to recover who he was and what he believed. The implication of St. Anselm’s motto is that catechesis, or Christian Formation, is a lifelong endeavor. What my new teacher had discovered in his service as a bishop over time was that what he had held onto firmly as his core beliefs suddenly no longer held the truth for him. Life experience and ministry had challenged his rigid faith and thrown him back into the sea of longing for answers.

What would it take to make you change your mind about what you believe? Jesus poses a similar question on more than one occasion when we hear him ask Peter, “Who do you say that I am?”(Matt. 16:15) Belief is hard won for many of us and sometimes comes as a great surprise when you find it has taken a turn to incorporate something new. In my brief time in ministry I have come to value and even cherish the turns along the way whether mine or that of another. When Jesus asks us “Who do you say that I am?” We are challenged to understand the root of who and why we are Christians and not some other faith tradition. Simon Peter’s answer to the question was “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” but what does that mean to you specifically, or to the person sitting next to you in the pew? Why is it then when we say the words, Messiah and living God, that they do not always carry enough water to wash away our doubts and confusion? Why does language often leave you wanting something more tangible, something with flesh and bones?

Some of the answer may be discovered in what Jesus tells Simon Peter when Jesus says Peter is blessed because his belief did not come from “flesh and blood” but rather from God. That is good news for those of us who have at one time or another been confronted with the statement or thought, “if only you had enough faith.” The very fact that you doubt, question, and wrestle with difficult questions does not negate faith, rather it is an exercise in faith when you seek understanding. A change of heart, to see the world anew, is the work of God in you, through the action of the Holy Spirit.

The adjunct professor had one more question for me, “What, if anything, would it take for you to conclude that Christianity is not true?” His question had surpassed even my own and nearly dropped me to my knees at the thought of it. What I could not put in words surfaced in my heart: in the rising and setting of the sun; in the cry of an infant child; in the witnessing of a changed heart; in the community gathered at the altar with open hands; in the breaking of the bread. As I think of what I have learned Jesus continues to ask, “Who do you say that I am?”

3rd Annual Wine and Cheese Tasting

Mother Humbert+

A tremendous thank you goes to all who participated in our recent Wine and Cheese fund-raiser for Habititat for Humanity. Over 160 people were in attendance and not a morsel of food remained! Peggy Moseley and Pat Ellis did an outstanding job with much help from many of you. Many thanks to all who prepared and donated food items for this event. Also, many thanks to the generous time and efforts of our youth, Matt Billesbach, Gregory FitzMaurice, and Jolie Hiers, who tirelessly offered childcare for 10 children during the evening's festivities.

Congratulations

Our own William Blake Amick, son of Blake and Dell Amick, received his Eagle Rank on July 27, 2006, will be one of the young men honored. Congratulations Will, from your St. Alban’s family. Will has also been named Student of the Year at Lexington Technology Center.

Episcopal Church Women Evening Guild

Tracie Ifkovits

The May meeting for the Evening ECW will be Tuesday, May 6. We will meet at 6 PM (an hour early than usual) in the St. Paul room at the church. Please email Tracie Ifkovits at tracieif@windstream.net or 951-3614.

African Team Ministries Jewelry Sale

Rose Braddock

The Episcopal Church Women will be selling jewelry to benefit the African Team Ministries on Sunday, May 4, the Sunday before Mother’s Day. African Team Ministries assists children who have been orphaned by AIDS in Africa. The jewelry is made by African women who also assist these women by providing them with an income to support their family. The jewelry is beautiful and affordable.

Brotherhood of St. Alban

Steve Senf

The Brotherhood met on Thursday, April 10, and managed to cook without Father Maltby. After supper we enjoyed learning about Libba Rhoad and Mark FitzMaurice’s upcoming mission trip to Equador. It appears to be a beautiful, but poor country that is interestingly apart of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Mark and Libba are still in need of donations.
The next Brotherhood will meet Thursday, May 8. ALL men are invited and welcome for food, fellowship, and fun. If you want to be included on the e-mail list just send an email to ssenf@pbtcomm.net.

Pastoral Care Committee Meeting

Pastoral Care Committee will meet on Thursday, May 22, at 6:30 PM in the Parish House. We will discuss Chapters 3 & 4 of Mary Earle’s book, Broken Body, Healing Spirit.

Look for the Light . . .

Cheryl Banks & Pat Ellis

Truth, goodness, fantasy, selflessness, magic, animals, and lessons to learn lead by masters of wisdom. Look for the forest but you must first see the trees. Sound interesting; join us on another adventure at Vacation Bible School. Be a part of it, June 23 – 27.

May Birthdays

1 Bubby Pinckney
2 Kathy Keith
3 Maddie Barefoot; Karen Billesbach
4 Roz Chandler
6 Jean Hiers
7 Doris Walker
8 Robert Sears; Donald Walker
9 Melanie Dunnagan; Jessie Helms
Carl McMillan
10 Nathaniel Allen; Nancee Arnold
Doug Catoe
11 Lynn Benasutti; Christine Merkel
13 Janis Parker
14 Holley Brown; Ben Cochran
Pratt Mounfield; John Nowakoski
Reese Wilkins
16 Nancy Lind; Brenda Turner
17 Chuck Watts
18 Rose Wilkins
19 Johnny Clemens
20 Kay Frank; Irene Wehle
21 Jim Cornwell; Cynthia Reed
22 Seth Dunnagan; Kelly Holliday
23 Austin Monts ; Katelynn Monts
24 Tyler Frost; Corey Sturkie
25 Anna Bliss; Sarah Cooper
Karen Giles; Stephanie Langford;
Kori Lorick
26 Gary Baker
27 Suzanne Mathis
30 Joanne Duncan

For A Birthday

Watch over your children, O Lord, as their days increase; bless and guide them wherever they may be. Strengthen them when they stand; comfort them when discourage or sorrowful; raise them up if they fall; and in their hearts may your peace which passes understanding abide all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

May Anniversaries

5 Joe & Edna Bedenbaugh
6 Warren & Dawn Mock
12 Dean & Kathy Keith
16 George & Debbie Murray
19 George & Jackie Brothers
21 Craig & Karen Giles
25 Pat & Jennifer Clemens
31 David & Elaine Moseley

For a Wedding Anniversary
O God, you have so consecrated the covenant of marriage that in it is represented the spiritual unity between Christ and his Church: Send therefore your blessing upon these your servants, that they may so love, honor and cherish each other in faithfulness and patience, in wisdom and true godliness, that their home may be a haven of blessing and peace through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Monthly Treasurers Report

Bill Cochran

This report is now going to appear in the first of the month issue of The Alert due to the fact that the mid-month issue of The Alert has limited distribution. The data, because of the new timing will be the previous months data.

Operating Account: During the month of March the income that was generated for the month was $5,498.54 over the budget projections. This is due to the fact that there was 5 Sundays in the month of March. On the YTD side the income is $2,439.75 over income needed. We are now up to date with all bills except for the Diocesan Assessment. We did pay only half of the assessment in February and March. I will be tracking our shortage so you know how much our total is.
Building Fund Account: Building Fund offerings exceeded the amount needed for YTD even though this month was $521. short. Bottom line is we are over in contributions YTD and the Building Fund Account is in good shape.

I have learned there are new IRS rules concerning contributions and am publishing them here for your information:
Churchgoers still in the habit of placing cash in offering plates will need to change the way they give if they plan to receive a deduction for the contribution in next year’s taxes, according to tax law changes approved by Congress last summer that are now in effect. “To deduct any charitable donation of money, a taxpayer must have a bank record of a written communication from the charity showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution,” an Internal Revenue Service news release said. “A bank record includes canceled checks, bank or credit union statements and credit card statements.”

Bank or credit union statements should indicate the name of the charity – or church – and the date and amount paid, according to the rules.

According to the IRS, donations of money include those made in cash or by check, electronic funds transfer, credit card and payroll deduction.

“For payroll deductions, the taxpayer should retain a pay stub, Form W-2 wage statement or other document furnished by the employer showing the total amount withheld for charity, along with the pledge card showing the name of the charity,” the IRS said.

Before the changes, taxpayers could provide personal bank registers, diaries or notes made around the time of the donation in order to document their contributions. But such records are no longer sufficient for contributions under $250. Charitable contributions of $250 or more still require written acknowledgment from the charity. In figuring whether a contribution is $250 or more, the IRS says separate contributions should not be combined. For example, if a person places $25 in the offering plate each Sunday, the weekly payments should not be combined. Each payment is a separate contribution.

For each cash contribution that is less that $250, the IRS now requires the taxpayer to keep a canceled check, a receipt or other reliable records from the charitable organization showing th name of the organization, the date of the contribution and the amount of the contribution. Contributions of $250 or more require an acknowledgment from the qualified organization, the IRS says, and if more than one contribution of $250 or more was made, the tax payer must have either a separate acknowledgment for each or one acknowledgment that shows the total contributions.
New rules regarding cash donations are expected to impact smaller churches most, especially if they don’t already give year-end statements. But the rules are supposed to provide churches with better protection against embezzlement by mandating more comprehensive record keeping.
Anonymous cash donations are rare in churches these days, though, as most people have moved toward writing checks or placing their money in offering envelopes with their names on them.
Lisa Francisco, business manager for a Nashville church, told The Tennessean newspaper that less than 1 percent of all Sunday morning offerings at their 6,000 member church come in the form of unidentified cash. The church provides quarterly statements to its members listing their contributions.

I would suggest that if all possible that you use the envelopes provided or use a pew envelope providing your name and amount. Of course this will only impact cash donations or as we call them “loose cash donation.” For more information you should contact your tax preparer or the IRS for further details.

Another item is that of non-cash contributions. If you have purchased items for fellowship, etc., and you want to donate the items rather than be reimbursed, indicate that on the receipt, sign the receipt and put it in the plate or give it to myself or Lisa Kleinfelder so we can record your contribution.

REMINDER: Don’t forget to write the check number on the outside of the envelope and be sure to indicate where the contributions are to be credited, i.e., building, operating, etc. This will speed up the counting process.

Lastly, if there is something you would like explained about the financial aspects of our church, e-mail or call me with your comments or questions, and I can include them in a future article and provide you with an answer.

E-mail wcochran@sc.rr.com; phone 957-4424

Vestry

Mike Gearon, Senior Warden Pat Ellis, Junior Warden
Bill Cochran, Treasurer Frank Braddock, Clerk

2009
Mike Gearon, Alfred Turner, Nancee Arnold

2010
Pat Ellis, Frank Braddock, Bill Cochran

2011
Cheryl Banks, Rick Hiers, Adrien Voisine