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July– August 2015 The Rev. M. Carl Lunden, Rector
We are One Body in our One Lord!
Summer: a time for Vacation and Church
From the Rector
Many of you will be away at some point this summer with traveling and vacations. Un-
fortunately some people use this as an excuse not to come to Church all summer! Contrary to
the urban myth, Episcopalians do not take the summer off. Recently I read an article in the
Washington Post entitled, “The End of Casual Christianity.” In response to the recent Pew
Research Center’s report on significant declining Church participation since 2007, the author
posit that the down turn is attributed in part to the cultural departure of “Casual Christians.”
These are Christians with a very low connection to the Church, their attendance rooted only in
cultural practice and social convention. In other words, people loosely tethered to religious
faith; not really connected to Christ. Our culture and society no longer expects adherence to
the outer vestiges of Church membership and attendance. People are now culturally excused
from keeping up appearances of Church going normalcy. You can now sleep in, go golfing,
read the newspaper, take a run, have a cappuccino at your favorite coffee spot and so on. This
casual approach to Church has even affected those with a firmer commitment to Christ. At-
tendance figures in the Episcopal Church reveal that Church attendance has declined much
faster that Church membership. So why do Episcopalians skip Church, and let the society give
them a “Hall Pass” of an excuse? I believe it because we allow the cultural messages to affect
us and cloud our vision. As an Episcopal Priest and a lifelong Christian I can say with all my
heart that Church (our faith community) is very important. There is nothing casual or superfi-
cial about Christianity. While the Church is made up of broken and sinful people, it is Holy
because Christ is Holy. Weekly as we gather on Sunday, we break bread and proclaim that
Christ is present and most focused in our midst. It is by being “together” that we are the
“Body” of Christ present in the world. When we are together we can support and encourage
each other, providing the “heart” for the Holy Spirit to dwell among us. This is MORE signifi-
cant than vacationing or traveling. Enjoy the summer, but don’t forget to come to Church as
often as possible. Consider the Wednesday service as an alternate opportunity.
With Christ’s Love, Fr. Carl+
Email: [email protected]
Web-site: www.stjamesgoshen.org
The Tower Chimes The Newsletter of
saintJames’ Episcopal Church + Goshen, New York
St. James’ Episcopal Church, Goshen, N.Y., established 1803
There will be no Sunday School
during the summer months. It will resume on September 13, 2015 at 10:15 a.m.
Tammy Matula is moving with her family to North Carolina, so we
need a new Sunday School Director for the Fall. THIS IS AN
IMPORTANT MINISTRY! I know that God is calling someone at here
at Saint James to step into this position. Please be prayerful and if you
feel called, speak with Father Carl Lunden.
Many thanks to Tammy & Steve for their ministry here at Saint James!
We will truly miss Steve and Tammy, Cecelia, Abby and Rachael.
God Bless you always, your Saint James’ Family!
STEWARDSHIP 2015
I want to thank the members of the various organizations who spoke about the work of their organ-
ization the past couple of months at the 9 and 10:30 services. I hope this inspired members of St.
James to get involved in these organizations and make St. James a stronger parish.
We must be good stewards of our time and talent. There is much work to be done and there is no
time to waste. Make sure your goals include time for St. James. Volunteer to help with the work on
the church steeple. I want to thank everyone who helped with the Garden Tour which was very
successful. Help with the summer Vacation Bible School. Set aside time each day for prayer. Our
God given talents are a wonderful blessing. God has given us each unique gifts. Develop these tal-
ents to be good stewards for Jesus Christ. Use your talents to improve the lives of others. We are
all members of a special community, the body of Christ. As members of St. James become in-
volved in our community and develop your relationship with others as a reflection of your relation-
ship with God. An excellent opportunity is to get involved with making our grounds of St. James
beautiful. Keep your pledge current during the summer months. Enjoy your vacations.
“ YOUR TALENT IS GOD’S GIFT TO YOU “
“ WHAT YOU DO WITH THAT TALENT IS YOUR GIFT TO GOD “
Ed Fritsche, Stewardship Chairman
St. James’ Church THE TOWER CHIMES July-August 2105
St. James’ Church THE TOWER CHIMES July-August 2015
St. James’ Episcopal Church, Goshen, N.Y., established 1803
Choose Your Destination…
Summer is here and many of us will be heading out
soon to go on that long awaited vacation. Have you
chosen your destination?? Do you plan to stay near
home, travel by car to the mountains or the beach?
Maybe take a flight to that special place you’ve been
dreaming about for years? Wherever we plan to go
this summer, we need a plan, a route to get there,
and of course, a final destination.
If you’re “old fashioned”, you may be unfolding the
state maps and planning your route manually. Or maybe you’re on a computer inputting addresses so you can
print out directions and mileage. Most of us these days, I’d imagine, simply plug the address into the GPS and
let modern technology do the rest. But regardless of what means we use to plan our route, we need to know
where we’re going to end up!
Sure, the exact route may change as we take our journey. We may run into some detours or decide to take a
different route and make a few scenic stops along the way. But again, once we get back on course, we’ll be
anxious to reach our “point of interest” as the GPS would say, and eventually hear a pleasant voice say, “Y ou
have reached your destination” .
As we thumb through the travel books or surf through the vacation websites, can we draw any parallels to how
we are taking the journey through our spiritual lives? Hmmm, have we put as much thought into our “final
spiritual destination” as we have our vacation trip this year?
Let’s give that a little thought. Should our thought process be similar? How do we go about choosing our final
destination as Christians? The answer to this question is quite simple, it doesn’t require nearly as much plan-
ning and doesn’t have nearly as many options as choosing the summer family getaway.
The answer lies within the promise Jesus made to us in His last days. He promised us eternal life with Him if
we kept His Word. Our faith in the Lord will bring us to our final destination, which is everlasting life with
Him. Do we have a roadmap to get there? Well, actually, we do! Our “manual” map is in the Bible as Jesus
tells us exactly how to follow Him through this life and beyond. Do we need a GPS? Well, we have that too!
All we need to do is call upon His name, wherever we are, (especially when we’re lost!), and He will put us
back on the right course leading to Him.
Yes, looking forward to a great summer vacation is a wonderful thing, whether we stay at home or travel the
world. But looking forward to our ultimate Final Destination with Jesus is our reward for keeping our Faith
strong in Him throughout our lives.
We never have to look beyond the words and the love of Jesus to keep us on course to reach our final destina-
tion. Turn to the Lord at any time for direction, and don’t worry,…., He will get you there!!
Have a safe and enjoyable summer season,
Dom Perfetti
St. James’ Church THE TOWER CHIMES July/August 2015
St. James’ Episcopal Church, Goshen, N.Y., established 1803
July/August Greeters Schedule 2015:
The greeters look forward to welcoming you to services on Sunday.
Xxxx x
The Tower Chimes is the official monthly
publication of St. James’
Episcopal Church.
Rector Deacon Tom Liotta
Minister of Music
VESTRY
Debby Brown, Warden
Ed Connor, Warden
Dona Ash
Steve Matula
Tom Nixon
Jessica Ann Sutton
Wayne Wilson
Val Bynum
LuAnn Haviland
Malcolm Diaz
Bonnie Heslop
Jerre Coleman,
Treasurer
Nicole Wiggins,
Assistant Treasurer
Kathy Martin-Brown
Clerk of the Vestry
Altar Flowers for July-August 2015
July August
5 Schaumburg 2 Degenhardt
12 Varone 9 Lunden
19 Mayo 16 Giudice
26 M&L Mabee 23 Grout
30 Open
Thanks to all who made the Garden Tour
and Luncheon such a wonderful success!
From the Co-chairs
Ray Bally, Petrina Varone, and Marsha Burke
10:30 a.m. July 5 - Kathy Martin Brown July 12 - LaWahna Search July 19 - Pat Spencer July 26 - Florence Stoveken August 2 - Scott & Sharon Stark August 9 - Chris Tippin August 16 - Dona Ash August 23 - Jackie Bloem August 30 - Debby Brown September 6 - Val Bynum
- Jackie Kessler
9 a.m. July 5 - Tammy Matula July 12 - Linda Nichols July 19 - Diane Rainey July 26 - Jan Ptak August 2 - Meg Strobl August 9 - Malcolm Diaz August 16 - Bryan Giudice August 23 - Jackie Kessler August 30 - Barbara Killenberger September 6 - Jerry Killenberger
St. James’ Church THE TOWER CHIMES July-August 2015
Birthdays July: Birthdays August:
The Newsletter Deadline is the
15th of August. Please send articles to
If you would like your Birthday or Wedding An-
niversary added to the Newsletter email them to
Jessica Sutton at:
June Nursery Schedule 9:00 a.m.
Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should
go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
July August
5 Kim Pelfrey 2 Kim Pelfry
12 Kathy Martin-Brown 9 Kathy Martin-B.
19 Karen Fogerty 16 Karen Fogarty
26 Karen Golding 23 Karen Golding
30 LaWahna Search
ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEER HELP IS
NEEDED IN THE NURSERY.
CONTACT: LaWahna Search 294-3035
St. James’ Episcopal Church, Goshen, N.Y., established 1803
Anniversaries July:
Anniversaries August:
The Garden Tour was greatly blessed with
the work of Co-chair Petrina Varone!
Trina is leaving us to moved to Virginia to
live closer to her new Grandson.
We all here at Saint James will truly miss
Trina and wish her well in this new chapter
of her life. God bless you always!
Ricki Leal 7 /2
Deacon Don Lofman 7 /4
Meg Strobl 7 /5
Steve Search 7 /7
Marion Thorley 7 /10
Deacon Tom Liotta 7 /13
James Niper 7 /18
Jordan Ely 7 /20
Lu-Ann Haviland 7 /22
James Cassel 7 /24
Roy Splieth 7 /26
Adam Bynum 7 /26
Kyle Lent 7 /26
Kenneth Barnes 7 /30
James Heslop 8 /3
Fr. Carl Lunden 8 /6
Brendan Brown 8 /7
Sarah Schaumburg 8 /7
Karen Golding 8 /13
Malcolm Diaz 8 /15
Malini Chellappa 8 /15
Christine Guidice 8 /16
Kyle Haviland 8 /22
Tom Schaumburg 8 /22
Linda Coleman 8 /28
Kenneth & Carolyn Barnes 7 /1
John & Dede De Angelis 7 /12
Ray & Janet Bally 7 /12
Steve & LaWahna Search 7 /14
John & Ann Mayo 7 /18
James & Malinda Niper 7 /25
Nancy Newton 7 /28
Jerre & Linda Coleman 8 /31
St. James’ Church THE TOWER CHIMES July/August 2015
SUMMER WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Beginning on June 6, 2015
SUNDAYS, Two services at 9:00 a.m. and
10:30 a.m. Coffee Time will be between the
two services from 10:00a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
WEDNESDAY, EUCHARIST AT 12noon
With bring your own bag lunch fellowship afterwards
ALTAR GUILD NEWS
In February of 2015, we submitted a grant to the New York Altar Guild to assist in
doing a partial renovation of the Sacristy, which are the rooms off the main church
where we prepare for the Eucharist. The lower Sacristy had not been renovated
meaningfully since the 1920s.
The goal is to replace the ancient cast iron sink and faucet, to replace the cabinet
under the sink, to repair and recover the floor and to replace the light fixture with a
brighter modern one that would give more light. With the help of Dave Meffert, Father Carl and Jessica
Sutton, I wrote a grant request and we were awarded $1000.00. I also requested donations from the con-
gregation and we received $500.00. With that money we will buy the fixtures and floor covering.
We will be requesting volunteer assistance for the project, which will begin this summer.and hopefully
be completed by Fall. We will be ripping up the old floor covering, repairing holes in the floor, in-
stalling the new sink and cabinet, reinstalling the water heater and filter, installing the light fixture and
replacing the hatch cover to the organ pipes. We also hope to paint the walls.
If you are interested in this project or have questions, please see Marci Hanners or Fr. Carl. If you have
skills that would be needed for this project and would like to help, let us know!
GREAT AMERICAN WEEKEND BOOK SALE We will be having our annual Book Sale from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on July 4th. All book dona-
tions are most welcome and please feel free to encourage your friends and neighbors to clean their
shelves as well. As always, I would be grateful for any and all help on the day of the sale. We especially
need a good set-up and clean-up crew.
Please see or call Marci Hanners at (845) 673-5853 for information. The book sale contributes to
the Church’s budget and this a great outreach to the community. Thank You!
Sincerely, Marci Hanners
St. James’ Episcopal Church, Goshen, N.Y., established 1803
The CommuniTy Dinner aT ST. JameS’ SaTurDay,
July, 25 & August, 29 5:30pm
We (St. James’ Episcopal Church) will host the July dinner (as we start our 16th year of Dinners at St. James’) & The Murray Avenue Group will host the August Dinner, always held the last Saturday of the month from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the St. James’ Parish Hall. Call John Strobl at 294-9004 to find out how to help. We open at 4:00 p.m. to get ready for the 5:30 p.m. meal.
Goshen Ecumenical Pantry Inc. Distribution Dates
The next Saturday distribution dates at the Goshen Ecumenical Food Pantry will be held July, 11 &
August, 8 (the 2nd Saturday of each month) from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the First Presbyterian Church
Fellowship Hall at 33 Park Place, Goshen. Please arrive by 9:00 a.m.
The Goshen Food Pantry’s last Thursday of the month distributions will be held July, 30 & August, 27
from 6:30 to 7:15pm. Help is needed; all groups (Adults, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Youth Groups,
Football Teams etc.) are welcome to give us a hand. Please arrive at the pantry around 6:00pm.
Goshen Ecumenical Pantry Inc. Bagging & unloading of food dates
Bagging is done at the Goshen Food Pantry, every Tuesday morning at 9:30a.m. Unloading of Food pur-
chased from the Food Bank in Cornwall is done on the Wednesday after the second Saturday of the
month at 5:00pm at the pantry @ 33 Park Place, Goshen. The next dates for Food unloading are Ju-
ly, 15 & August, 12. Be part of this excellent opportunity for community service. Unloading takes
about 1 Hour.
Donations are ALWAYS welcome!
Food Donations: Fresh vegetables, eggs, anything perishable are welcome. These need to be
brought to us on or near the time we distribute (2nd Saturday of each month around 9:00am or the last
Thursday of each moth around 6:00pm) so they do not spoil. We can always use paper and plastic bags.
Foods to donate are
Peanut Butter, Spaghetti Sauce, Jam/Jelly, Tuna Fish, Canned Meals, Macaroni & Cheese, Deter-
gents, Hand Soap, Toilet Paper, Pancake Mix & Syrup, Rice, Canned Vegetables & Fruits, Soup,
Canned Beans (all types), Pasta, Cake & Brownie Mix, Instant Potatoes, Coffee/Tea/Cocoa, Oatmeal,
Puddings, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, etc.
We are always looking for help to unload food from the Food Bank pickups, and we could use
trucks and drivers to pick up the food at the food bank. We pick up food at the Cornwall Food bank on
the Wednesday after the 2nd Saturday of each month. We unload at 5:00pm at the pantry. Call John
Strobl at 294-9004 if you can help or need info. Visit us on Facebook for more info.www.facebook.com/goshenfoodpantry
St. James’ Church THE TOWER CHIMES July, 2015
St. James’ will be hosting the July, 25 Community Dinner
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