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The Ambassador
The Newsletter of
St. Matthias'
Episcopal Church
Minocqua, Wisconsin
Whoever you are, wherever you find yourself on the journey
of faith, we welcome you.
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MAY
2014
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Mark Your Calendars
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May 15 - 6:00 pm
3rd Thursday
Evensong & Potluck
May 18 - 8:30-Noon
40th Annual Parish Meeting
May 29 - 3:30-6:00 pm
Ascension Day Kite Flying,
Mass on the Grass,
& EFM Lasagna Dinner
June 6 - 7:30 pm
Organ Concert, John Linker
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Serving?
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Please remember to check the server list on the bulletin board at church (or click here to see the latest monthly schedule online).
Also, if you are going to switch dates with someone, please inform either Bill Kane or Michael Tautges at the church office. Thank you!
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Trig's Receipts
23 B
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 Total amount raised January-March: $181.22 Thank you for continuing to support our church by saving your Trig's receipts!
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Ambassador Archives
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Want to read a recent issue of the Ambassador? Just click on the links below. (older archives can be found on our website)
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The Clarion
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Curious to see what else is going on in the Diocese of Fond du Lac? Click the logo below to view the most recent Diocesan newsletter.
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From the Rector
Last month was a very full month at St Matthias', even with the snow that was slow to relinquish its wintery grip. Holy Week and Easter as usual were filled with beauty and meaning as we celebrated our Lord's passion and resurrection. Many thanks to all those who took part and helped with the services, music, cleaning, decorating, set up, food and everything else that goes into this most important week of the church year.
Our new Lych gate was completed in time for Palm Sunday, and we actually were able to go outside for our Palm Sunday Procession, walking through the Lych Gate and Garden before returning to the church.
Also on Palm Sunday, we hosted the first Sing-a-long Messiah at St. Matthias. David and Bev Baar did a fabulous job of directing and accompanying and four outstanding soloists from Lawrence University, made it a spectacular highlight of the season for many in our community. I hope it is something that will be repeated regularly in future years.
On Saturday, April 26, eighteen of us from St. Matthias' were present and the Ordination and Consecration of our new Bishop, Matthew Alan Gunter in Appleton, WI. It was an amazing occasion, filled with joy and a hope. About 800 people, including our Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, and bishops from numerous surrounding dioceses were present to celebrate this new beginning for our diocese. It is very exciting to have Bishop Matt in our diocese, and we look forward to having him visit St. Matthias' and getting to know him and his wife Leslie.
It doesn't seem possible, that later this month, I'll preside over my 25th and last annual meeting at St. Matthias'. I know I'll have mixed feelings that day, as I will about so many things this year. I am so very grateful for this parish, for all of you and the years we've shared together. It will not be easy to leave at the end of December. But each ending is a beginning and I am very hopeful about what God has in store for all of us.
I feel very good about all that is going on at St. Matthias'. We have outstanding lay leadership and very effective teams that carry out the various ministries in the parish. St. Matthias' has a wonderful history and I know will continue to be a vibrant, faith filled presence in our community. We have a very good transition team in place to begin preparing for the interim and search for a new rector after my retirement and I know that all of you will give them your ideas, thoughts, support and prayers as they go forward.
For me, the next few months will be spent reflecting on the past twenty five years here: the accomplishments and struggles, the joys and sorrows as well as finding ways to draw my tenure to a good close. I am looking forward to the next eight months and the numerous occasions of ministry, worship, fellowship and service that we still have to share.
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Parish Updates
Departed This Life
June Ward departed this life, April 12, 2014. A Requiem Eucharist was celebrated at St. Matthias' on Saturday, May 3. We extend our deepest sympathy to her husband Roger, sons Fr. Geoff and Steven and to her whole family. May her soul and the souls of all the departed rest in peace.
Rogation Sunday
Be sure to join us for Rogation Sunday, on May 25. As usual we will process outside at the end of the 10:00 am Eucharist for Rogationtide prayers. This year we will also bless the new Lych Gate.
Diocesan Eucharistic Festival
The Annual Eucharistic Festival will be held at the Cathedral in Fond du Lac on Saturday, June 28 at 11:00 am. Bishop Gunter will be the preacher. Bob and Marcia Holt from St. Matthias' will be the music leaders.
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Your Favorite Fr. Wallace Stories
Please start thinking about your favorite stories about Fr. Wallace that you would like to share. I will be compiling these into some type of booklet that we will present to him at his party on September 7th.
Time permitting, some of your stories may be read aloud at his party.
Start thinking... and reminiscing. I will be setting a deadline of around July 1st; I want to have plenty of time to compile them into a memorable gift.
Your stories will be a gift that he can cherish well into retirement.
Randy Bates
Senior Warden
Email: [email protected]
Cell: (715) 490-2479
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Sr. Warden's Report: Acolyte, Lector, Greeter and Usher Training
There will be a refresher course for those already serving in our ministries on Saturday, May 31st. It will provide an opportunity to ensure that we are all performing our responsibilities correctly. For those interested in becoming an acolyte, a lector, a greeter or an usher, it would be a great time to learn more about these ministries at St. Matthias'. If interested, please contact Michael in the church office.
The tentative times for the training is:
Acolyte - 10:00 to approx. 10:30 AM
Usher - 10:30 to approx. 11:00 AM
Greeter - 11:00 to approx. 11:15 AM
Lector - 11:00 to approx. 11:15 AM
Bill Kane will be sending out a reminder email to current volunteers confirming the specific times of the training above.
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Jr. Warden's Report:
Getting the Lay of the Land and Noticing the Treasures Within
This month the spotlight is on the church grounds that, until lately, have been buried under the snow. Our church grounds consist of the lawn, our courtyard area, the columbarium, and the gardens that border the church. In order to keep the grounds beautiful and thriving, we, once again, need your help with spring cleanup. Because parishioners do the initial cleanup, our member, Brad Schillinger, will donate Custom Caretaking and Landscaping staff for continued assistance during the summer.
Please mark your calendars and help us out on Saturday, May 17th, beginning at 9:00 AM
Our tasks: removal of dead plants, weeds and leaves in garden beds, sweeping and removing sand, picking up brush and raking the lawn. Please bring tools (rakes, shovels, brooms, etc.). Treats will be provided! 
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In Other News...
Thursday, May 29, 3:30pm  - Ascension Day Kite Flying & EFM Lasagna Dinner
Ascension Day (the Thursday after the sixth week of Easter) falls on May 29th this year. As we have done for the past several years, we will celebrate by flying kites (3:30pm) and celebrating the Eucharist outside in our traditional 'Mass on the Grass' (5:00pm). Afterward, EFM will once again serve their wonderful Lasagna Dinner -- along with appetizers, wine, salad, bread, dessert -- back at the church in the Parish Hall (6:00pm).
The kite flying and Mass on the Grass will take place at Berray Farm, located at 1261 South Farming Road, in Woodruff.
Donations for the dinner will go to the EFM scholarship fund. EFM is a four-year program (35-40 lessons per year with representation from each of the four years of study) that focuses on church history, including Old and New Testament history and Christianity from its beginnings to the present day. In addition to weekly discussion on select EFM readings, the group does guided "theological reflections" on a variety of themes and a personal "spiritual journey." Kathy Knobel, a trained facilitator, leads the program, which is open to church members and nonmembers. EFM members will be available at the dinner to answer questions about the program.
Friday, June 6, 7:30pm
- Organ Concert
John Linker, Organist and Choirmaster at Good Shepherd Church in Lexington, KY, will give a recital on the Jaeckel Organ at St. Matthias'. A reception will follow.
Sunday, September 7, 4:00pm
- Retirement Party for Fr. Wallace
Please save the date -- Sunday, September 7 -- to commemorate Father's 25 amazing years at St. Matthias'. As difficult as it is to think of him leaving, we have 25 years of memories to celebrate, and no one celebrates quite like the people of St. Matthias'! More information will follow, but do mark your calendar for Reulands, 4:00 - 7:00 on September 7!
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Transition Team (TT) Update
Submitted by Ken Ozinga
Team Members: Isaiah Brokenleg, Diane Diederich, Roger Ganschow, Gordon Hermanson, Ken Ozinga, Chair, Karin Randolph, Secretary, and Marilyn Walker.
As you may know, Chris Clark resigned from the Team due to her acceptance of the invitation to serve as Senior Warden in the coming year. We were sorry to have Chris leave, but we were pleased to have Karin Randolph fill that position on the Team and attend the next meeting on April 12.
At that meeting Emily Umentum announced that she was leaving the area to pursue a career opportunity and so she needed to resign from the Team. We were saddened by that but wished her well. Shortly thereafter Diane Diederich accepted the Vestry call to take Emily's place. We are glad to have Diane join the group - we are now at our full roster of 7 members.
TT met on Saturday the 12th for a day retreat. Barb Kane joined the group to serve as facilitator and co-leader for the day along with Isaiah. We spent time getting to know each other and setting some rules for our meetings over the coming months.
Other things covered that day:
- Reviewed and briefly discussed various topics which will be addressed in the coming months.
- Discussed how to engage our church members in this process, such as small groups, large group(s), written or electronic surveys, etc. In connection therewith we introduced the question of what information is critical in this process.
- Decided to set up a suggestion box in church.
- Started organizing the elements of a "church profile" for review by candidates when we get to that point, but which will also serve to help us organize our thoughts/ideas for the future.
After a request for a volunteer, Karin Randolph agreed to take over as Secretary of the Transition Team.
We met again on April 29 to follow up on the topic of congregational input. We decided to have several avenues of interaction with our members. These will include a comprehensive written survey, large group member meeting(s), and small group gatherings. We have a suggestion box in the main hallway for anyone interested in written comments/ideas. Some of our regular church teams (committees) will be approached for input.
Another idea for our profile is to have a pictorial presentation, submitted by you, our members, of what St. Matthias means to you. A picture that you take of something at or about St. Matthias which captures the spirit of this place for you. Please start thinking about this and take a picture (digital) for future use.
We will put together a timetable for this transition process and put it on the bulletin board. Some things are known and others will be discovered as we move along, but we expect to be working at this throughout this year and into the first part of 2015. Much of what we are doing now is "invisible" and will become evident at a later date. The written survey, for example, we plan to send out in mid Summer.
We are discussing the idea of having much of our church profile being available on our website. In today's fast paced, technology world, the internet is the mainline avenue for information. We won't eliminate written and printed material but having an up-to-date, comprehensive website with all the information we will be compiling seems like the best investment.
Thanks for your support. Please send any requests or comments to any member of the Transition Team. We are working on your behalf to find the right person to recommend as the next Rector for St. Matthias, using the talents and resources God has given to us. We do so with prayer and humility, acknowledging God's presence and faithfulness.
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The Thrift Shop Team
Submitted by Barb Kane
St. Matthias' is very fortunate to have a number of teams that help keep our parish functioning well.
In the spotlight this month:
The Thrift Shop Team
Top row left to right: Nancy Coleman, Rita Green, Jan Degner, Susan Mueller, and Karin Randolph.
Bottom Row: Barb Reinecke, Nancy Stankowitz, and Chris Clark. (Not present: Betsy Butler, Trish Slana)
The Thrift Shop Team of St. Matthias' is a small group of elected volunteers (both members and non-members of St. Matthias') who work under the leadership of Jan and Gene Degner. The team meets the second Monday of every month in order to make sure the Thrift Shop is running smoothly.
In addition to other responsibilities, the team also reviews applications for community needs and determines what donations will be made to the community organizations. Donations are given on a quarterly basis. All of the money that is donated goes to community outreach. St. Matthias' Episcopal Church also receives a quarterly tithe from Thrift Shop earnings that is also designated entirely for community outreach programs such as Caritas, Community Table, and the St. Francis Project. The St. Matthias' Thrift Shop donated to 50 organizations in 2013.
The mission of the shop is to:
- Promote goodwill in the community
- Provide quality merchandise
- Assure affordable prices
- Support community outreach activities
When asked why they like to volunteer for the shop, the answers include: "The work is rewarding and fun." "I enjoy the company of the other volunteers." "I like helping provide a place where the community can come to find treasures and that we are able to do so much to help the community."
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Know Your Vestry: Randy Bates
Randy joined the Vestry and served as Junior Warden during 2012-2013. This past year he served as Senior Warden and will go off of the Vestry in May of 2014. Randy and his wife Kathy and have two daughters. Carolyn is the oldest and lives in the Twin Cities; Christina lives in Denver. Randy and Kathy have no grandchildren.
Randy and Kathy came to St. Matthias' three years ago in their spiritual search for a church whose members are committed to the same ideals. Initially, Father Wallace's sermons lured them into the church. Later as they observed the members' generosity of time and talent as demonstrated in the outreach activities of the Thrift Shop, Caritas, and St. Francis Project they realized that they had found their 'spiritual home'.
Randy works for Benz Oil, a family owned company in Milwaukee. He is responsible on a nationwide basis for the company's product line of metal machining fluids. Randy works with the direct sales team on fluid recommendations in the Midwest and also as the company's technical representative in the rest of the United States.
Randy and Kathy purchased their current home as a second home between Rhinelander and Minocqua eight years ago. Four years ago, they made the decision to move to the Northwoods on a full-time basis. With frequent business travel, Randy was not limited to living in the Milwaukee area.
For pleasure, Randy enjoys his motorcycle. He purchased a used Harley-Davidson six years ago (despite never having sat on one) and then waited until the following Spring to take H-D's motorcycle education class. Three years later he was selected as the State Rally Coordinator for the 2013 Wisconsin State Harley Owners' Group Rally. This event occurred at the Minocqua Park Complex last August. After working with the rally team, the local Harley dealership, corporate Harley-Davidson, local businesses, and hundreds of volunteers, Randy feels it was one of the greatest experiences in of his life. The rally attracted approximately 1400 guests and was rated as one of the top three state rallies in the United States last year.
Randy is also passionate about equality and the environment. He views discrimination and the destruction of our environment as being despicable and morally wrong. As a Civil Engineering Co-op Student at UW-Madison working for the U.S. Geological Survey, he witnessed firsthand the destruction of our precious water resources.
Three adjectives to describe Randy are: passionate, determined, and sincere.
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Music Ministry Team News
Submitted by Le Ganschow
Let us know your favorite hymn and we'll incorporate it into a service
when appropriate. Fill out a form in the church office or let Kay Lee know.
The Music Ministry Team held its latest meeting on May 8, at which time we finalized the performance evaluations of our musicians and set up dates in June for our first "internal" review of organists and choir director. As stated in the review process guidelines developed by the team, "The purpose of this annual evaluation procedure... is to inform, support, evaluate and constructively improve the performance of the individual being evaluated..." The Team will select two members of the congregation to participate in the performance review process.
Our Team meets approximately once a month to select hymns, mass music and anthems related to the worship service(s). Our goal is to coordinate music with the prescribed liturgy for a given service. Each team member has specific responsibilities related to the music of the church. We then meet together to coordinate our efforts. Needless to say, it is a daunting task to handle the music of the church. We are fortunate to have a team of committed musicians at St. Matthias'!
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Touchstones: Triumphant Marriage
Written by Diane Diederich
After spending 2 months plus with Bob in the warmth of Florida, I decided that I'd like to use the next 3-4 columns to share some of the practical suggestions that we have depended on to keep our relationship on an equal footing. A look back to what we learned at a Marriage Encounter in the 70's still have us using the tools we learned then and during the 50 years of practice - sometimes well and sometimes not!
In the 70's there were many a "guru" to help us learn how to change the way our parents related and many more relationships were helped; ours is one. I want to share with you some of the "wisdom" we try to practice.
1) Express your gratitude to each other until it becomes habitual.
Thank each other for small, daily things we appreciate. This habit encourages us to be considerate of each other; it keeps the positive feelings flowing and helps us not take the other for granted.
2) Work at being great friends.
Isn't it profound to be sleeping, eating, working, vacationing, conversing and playing with someone who provides emotional and spiritual support? Is there anything better than this?
3) Create a "working partnership" with each other.
Whether our task has to do with family, our careers, our church community, or planning for our future, we are truly partners.
4) Strive for "mutuality" in our marriage.
We have a relationship characterized by mutual respect and mutual enjoyment. Neither is self-centered. We both serve each other with a natural give-and-take that depends on the need of the moment. We are two strong individuals who have become one as we grow older-in-love.
My hope is that we will refresh our relationships over the next few months by looking at some suggestions for "newness" in all of our marriages - yea for the 3 couples who will be celebrating 50 years this year. It's never too late to learn new tricks!
TTFN, Diane
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