A community reshaping itself to be fit for God's purpose. Keep in touch! 
 Thursday, June 27, 2019
REMINDER!
Starting this Sunday (and through September 1st)
ONE service at 9:30 am
This will be the last epistle from me until after Labor Day. Summer schedule changes are listed below in this E-News. On the focus for this last epistle until after Labor Day, I feel torn. I want to explain the recent review of the church office job descriptions and other changes with regard to office opening hours. Yet, as I write, the most horrendous things are coming to light with regard to the separation of children from families and their incarceration in facilities along the border that are grossly inadequate for the purpose.

The last living prosecutor from the Nuremberg Trials speaks of this situation constituting a crime against humanity. The United States never ratified the Treaty of Rome which defined the scope of a crime against humanity. Maybe this explains why the American press and people remain ignorant and silent in the face of atrocities against migrants and refugees; women, men, and particularly children. I commend to you
Umair Haque’s article from June 18 th  The Last Prosecutor From The Nuremberg Trials Say’s We’re Committing Crimes Against Humanity – a mere 7 minute appearing in Medium. I will leave you to follow the link but let me cite a short quotation from the article:

That nothing- nothing – merits the stripping away of person hood, the systematic violation of a people, the removal of humanity. Not a thing- and definitely not being a
refugee or migrant.

I also want to take this opportunity to write about the recent reorganization of the church office as a result of a review of office staff job descriptions. We have come up with the following job profiles and their holders:
·    Deborah will remain as Parish Administrator covering reception and routine office administration however this will now be a 20 hour a week job and from Labor Day, the public opening hours for the office will be 10 am - 2 pm, Monday to Friday.
·       Melinda will remain as Finance Administrator with an added responsibility to advise me on personnel matters.
·      Susan will continue as Assistant to the Rector and will be the overall Office Manager with continued co-ordination of internal membership and volunteer areas. She will take on new responsibility for the monitoring of facilities and contractors in coordination with the lay-led Property Committee.
·       The new 18 hour per week position of Events and Marketing Coordinator is a response to a growing need for one person to be responsible for events, marketing, and more actively profiling St Martin’s across social and print media and within the wider community.  If interested in this position, please contact Susan Esposito.

Following the retirement of Missy and Gordon, the main purpose of the review has been to clarify the core elements of the existing positions, identify new areas of work such as a new integrated parish management & data system, and tighten up the boundaries for co-working between areas of responsibility. A good example of co-working across lines of job demarcation concerns our buildings. Oversight is Susan but routine buildings use i.e. bookings and rental remains Deborah, and Event hosting will fall within the new job profile of Event and Marketing Coordinator. All office positions are now classified and part-time, i.e. maximum of 20 hours per week.

Other changes: Brigit will continue as part time manager of the Thrift Shop. With Mario’s resignation as full-time sexton, David will continue as Sunday and events sexton with three additional weekdays. Ian, and new person and currently a student will fill in the two remaining weekdays. We have engaged a commercial company to carry out a weekly deep clean of the Church and other public areas. I am pleased to say we have managed this reorganization within current budget realities.

In particular I want to thank Melinda, Susan, and John (Bracken) who worked tirelessly to review and construct the new office job descriptions and roles.

Summer time invites a change of pace, for many this means some time off, but for all of us our attention shifts to a more measured pace of life. I want to wish all our members and readers a happy 4 th of July and a peaceful and relaxing July and August.

Until September then, but remember Church attendance qualifies as recreation not work, and so is a very fitting summer-time activity!

See you on Sunday,
Mark+

PLEASE

.....do not plant anything on church property without first checking with the office. Thank you!
Office/Church Service
Summer Hours
Office Hours:
July 1 through August 30 9 am to 12 noon
Closed July 4 & 5

Worship Services :
Now through September 1
Sundays at 9:30 am
Wednesdays Holy Eucharist at 7 am,
Morning Prayer at 9 am
EPISCOPAL CHARITIES
Running through the end of the year is
St Martin's 2019 fund raising for the
 
Donations may be one-time or periodic and may be charged against MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express credit cards. Any questions, please contact: Stevens McAleer , 203-906-5853 mobile or stevens.mcaleer@icloud.com
OUTREACH BASKETS
AT THE BACK OF
THE CHURCH
The Food Pantries:
Non-perishable food items for Better Lives RI (formally PICA) and Camp Street Ministries

The Cloak:
(for Harrington Hall and Camp Street Ministries)
USED : Men’s shirts, t-shirts, footwear, jeans, sweaters, jackets, sweats, shoes and caps
NEW : Men’s white tube socks, boxer shorts

RISPCA:
Dry food, pet toys, blankets, towels, water bowls etc. (new or used)

Thank you!
Please support St. Martin's Ministries here !
THIS SUNDAY, JUNE 30
one service only!
(through September 1st)

9:15 am Nursery
+
9:30 am service

(Track 1)
Coming Up!

The Knitting Ministry will meet on Thursday, July 25 from 6-9 pm in the Stearns Room. Contact Natasha for more info.
Saturday meetings are cancelled for
July and August.
CLOAK
St. Martin cut his cloak in half. Is it time to cut your closet in half?
It's summer and a great time to downsize! Donate gently used garments to the CLOAK and make room for your new outfits! All donations are greatly appreciated, and help support the work of Harrington Hall, Camp Street Ministry, Open Closet, Savers, the Soup Kitchen and RI SPCA.
Estate Sale
 
St. Martin’s is having an Estate Sale on September 21 & 22.
 
We are looking for donations of household goods, furniture, bric-a-brac, etc.
 
Contributions can be dropped off at your convenience. Any questions or to schedule drop-off day/time speak with Susan Esposito or call the church office at 751-2141.
Follow St. Martin’s on Facebook @stmartinsprovidence and on Instagram @st.martinschurch
Follow the Thrifty Goose on Instagram @thriftygoose