The Church Bell
Vol. 5, No. 4
April/May 2021
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The 50-Day Season of Eastertide |
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Easter Sunday is a joyful day and a truly festive occasion.
Our gathering as a church family on April 4th of 2021 was special at many different levels.
At 6:30 am St. Agnes' was well-represented at the Sunrise Service at Cowan Montgomery Cemetery.
At 10:00 a.m. we had eight children come to St. Agnes' for a high-energy and very competitive Easter egg hunt.
At 11:00 am we held a festival service with an Easter-size crowd and a sanctuary adorned in beautiful Easter lilies.
After the service we held our Annual Easter Photo.
And then, later in the day, we posted and shared a video of the sermon for those in our extended family who could not attend.
Indeed it was a special day and a joyful occasion. What made it stand out even more is the fact that last year we were unable to gather in-person due to COVID-19 restrictions.
We were truly blessed to be back together this year and to also have a video broadcast as well. But, keep in mind that Easter is not over!
Our journey through the scriptures with our Risen Lord goes through the Day of Ascension on May 13th. Then, 10 days later, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
The 50-day Season of Eastertide is an ongoing celebration and a journey that reminds us of Jesus' identity as the Messiah, the Son of God, who fulfills all that was written about him in the scriptures.
Come and worship our risen Lord and invite friends and family to join us. And, if you are unable to attend in person due to health risks, we hope you will watch and listen on video.
Alleluia! The Lord is risen indeed: O come, let us adore him. Alleluia!
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May 23rd is the Day of Pentecost |
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On the 50th Day of Eastertide, the church throughout the world remembers the coming of the Holy Spirit and her empowerment to carry the holy gospel into the world. This is the Day of Pentecost, also known as Whitsunday.
On May 23rd St. Agnes' will hold a festival Day of Pentecost service at 11:00 a.m.
We encourage you to wear something red to symbolize the "tongues as of fire" mentioned in scripture. Whitsunday / The Day of Pentecost is a great occasion to invite a friend or neighbor to church - so keep that in mind as well!
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Montana Smith will graduate from FCHS |
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We are pleased to mention that our very own Montana Grace Smith will receive her high school diploma with the Class of 2021 at Franklin County High School.
Montana will then enroll in the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of the South in Sewanee.
We congratulate Montana and the Class of 2021 at FCHS!
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Chezleigh Lappin will graduate from HHS |
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We are also pleased to mention that Chezleigh Lappin will receive her high school diploma with the Class of 2021 at Huntland High School.
Chezleigh was part of our church family when she was a little girl living down the street from St. Agnes'. Her grandmother, Emma Walker Bradford, was a parishioner here for many years.
We congratulate Chezleigh and the Class of 2021 at HHS!
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Fr. Jean will graduate in May |
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Fr. Jean Mweningoma sent word that he defended his STM thesis in early April and will graduate en absentia in May. Fr. Jean also sent greetings and prayers to the rest of the church family and appreciates our support of his ministry. We received from gifts earmarked for his work in the church, which we will forward to Jean at the end of April.
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Dominique, Simion, and Shadreck are all graduating from Sewanee's School of Theology |
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We received wonderful news that Fr. Dominique Ciza, Fr. Simion Kinono, and Deacon Shadreck Kwagwanji are all three finishing their programs of study at the School of Theology at The University of South.
All three are eager to return home on May 18th and renew their work in the ministry of the gospel. We are truly sad that the COVID-19 pandemic interfered somewhat with our work and fellowship, but the Lord has kept us bonded in faith and love.
All three brothers sent a letter to St. Agnes', which we will paste in the space below. Between now and their departure, we will find a way to reach out and personally wish them happy trails.
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April 1, 2021
To: St. Agnes Church, Cowan
Beloved in Christ,
“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.”(2 Thess.2:13-15)
We pray that this greeting finds each of you full of the joy of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Happy Easter!
By now you have very likely learned that our theological training is nearing the end, and we will be graduating on May16, this year.
It is with great pleasure in the Lord to communicate with you through this letter. Our brief moment of gathering with you since 2019 till the time we were disrupted by covid19 was indeed a blessed time of refreshment and growth as we learned a lot from our fellowship together at St Agnes Church.
We thank God Almighty for this and believing that our God is All Knowing and has plans which none of us can know.
It’s unfortunate that we were unable to share our spiritual gifts with you through our teaching, preaching and celebrating the Holy Communion due to covid19.
All the same, during our time with you, we have seen our essential ties strengthened.
We believe St Agnes is poised to continue her good welcoming heart to those to come and pray with you. We will all be flying home on May18 and we seek your prayers.
With the covid19 pandemic in our midst, challenges are many as we travel back to our respective countries.
Your prayers are therefore indeed vital. It's our prayer that you continue to be a loving and steadfast Community. We are grateful for the friendships we have enjoyed making a St Agnes.
We hope God’s willing; we will meet again at an opportune time in future.
May the good Lord continue blessing you all!
In Christ,
Fr. Dominique Ciza
Fr. Simion Kinono
Deacon Shadreck Kwagwanji
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Memorials gratefully received |
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For Easter Sunday, St. Agnes' gratefully received Easter Lilies to the glory of God and in loving memory of the following:
Eric Cheek
Elizabeth Haynes
Mary "Moi" James
Agnes Pearson
Alton Pearson
Frank and Louella Sernicola
The Rev'd Philip Werlein
For the Season of Eastertide, St. Agnes' gratefully received contributions to the Altar Guild to the glory of God and in loving memory of the following:
Eric Cheek
Charles Ray Gibson
Bessie Leitzel
Judie Gibson Parson
Jo Ann Robertson
"Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them."
A monetary contribution was also gratefully received from Dane and Shelia Leitzel to offset the cost to pressure-wash the Nave in preparation for Easter Sunday.
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Get Ahead on Recent Sermons |
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Take full advantage of our online presence, especially if you are unable to attend services in person.
Here are some of our recent Video Sermons:
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Each and every Sunday we post the day's sermon on our Facebook page and on our YouTube channel. These posts are followed by an e-mail with video links to everyone in the congregation who was unable to attend on that particular day.
You can show your support by liking and commenting whenever you see a video sermon on YouTube and/or on Facebook. The more likes and comments we receive the more our posts will be visible to the general public.
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April 1 - Randy Patterson
April 7 - the anonymous parishioner
April 7 - Montana Smith
April 13 - John Ruffing
April 15 - Dane Leitzel
May 2 - Ella Grissett
May 9 - Carla Wilson Money
May 11 - Steve Pearson
May 31 - Kathleen Black
June 6 - Brian Judd
June 7 - Linda Milligan
June 9 - Gene Black
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"Watch over thy children, O Lord, as their days increase; bless and guide them wherever they may be. Strengthen them when they stand, comfort them when discouraged or sorrowful; raise them up if they fall; and their hearts may thy peace, which passeth understanding abide all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
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HRH, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh |
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The congregation at St. Agnes' joins with our sister constituents in the Worldwide Anglican Communion celebrating the life of His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, who was 99 years old.
The service of Christian burial will broadcast in the United States on Saturday, April 17th, 9:00 a.m. through various American broadcasting networks and through various streaming sources on social media.
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Herold Black, Scott and Sylvia James, Steve Jellison, Cash Bissey, Rachel Schnabel, Patsy Rigsby, W.O. Greene, Kathleen Black, Rev. Blake Stephens, Brandi Rigsby, Joyce Adams, Joy Boswell Owens, David Gibson, Wendi Wallace, Bob Turpin, Wynona Gibson, Brad Roberts, Rosemary Harris, Christy Shepard, Steve Pearson, Dick and Mary Ann Austin, Marty Judd, Jay Yowell, Iris Ellidge, Mary McDonald, Will Olsmit, Gina, Jordan and Austin Cleek, Brad and Anita Warmbrod, Roy Tankersley, Royana Stewart, Bill Keller, Linda Milligan, and Karen McCallie.
We pray continually for those who are diagnosed with COVID-19, those who are away from loved ones due to hospitalization and nursing home care, and for families who have lost ones due during the pandemic.
We pray continually for Christians around the world in grave danger and for those in our armed services, especially Wes Nevels.
We bless and commemorate HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who recently passed into glory.
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"O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayer, and grant to your servants the help of your power, that their sicknesses may be turned into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
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Personal Health Considerations |
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We want anyone and everyone who wants to join us for worship at St. Agnes' to find the same sense of welcome that's interwoven with the character and identity of this beautiful church family!
However, while we are in the early stages of re-opening the church for in-person gatherings, we need to follow some general guidelines to reduce risk and exposure.
If you fall under any of the following health conditions, or high risk categories, such as:
- Heart and/or lung disease
- A compromised immune system
- Recent hospitalization
- Ongoing and intense medical treatments, such as chemotherapy or dialysis
- Symptoms of fever, cough, respiratory infection, or shortness of breath, etc.
...we urge you to refrain from attending in-person services and group gatherings while health advisories are still in place. Our on-line ministry will continue for the benefit of those who cannot attend, and we will continue other forms of ministry "outside the walls" as well. Also,
- Hand sanitizer will be available near the front door of both buildings. Those serving at the altar will also have hand sanitizer.
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We are not at this time planning to section off the Nave to ensure social distancing. However, we do encourage everybody in attendance to "spread out among the pews" so that we maintain a comfortable and reasonable distance during worship.
- We are taking a short hiatus from the "passing of the peace" as we were doing when the pandemic started.
- We are also asking those who receive communion to avoid the practice of "intinction" with the cup. Those who do not wish to drink from the common cup are still invited to receive bread while declining the wine, which is a commonly accepted practice in the church throughout the world.
Please be mindful that some in our church family are taking a break from hugs and handshakes while health advisories are in place. This is a matter of personal preference and we want to uphold everybody's individual decision in that regard.
Our plans are subject to change in light of changing circumstances around us. However, we want to at every step preserve the character and the fellowship of our beloved church family!
We are in this together and God is in control!
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Sunday Service ....................................11:00 a.m.
Sunday School .....................................10:00 a.m.
Location/Address: 105 England Street E., PO Box 356, Cowan, TN 37318
Telephone: (931) 636-6313
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The Rt. Rev'd John C. Bauerschmidt..................Bishop of Tennessee
The Rev'd Dr. Linda Hutton.................................Interim Supply Priest
L. Jarod Pearson.................................................Lay Reader
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