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Calendar - May 2008

Who's Serving - Scroll to bottom

Please fill out these forms and return to St. Michael's Church

Parishoner Information Form 2008 - page 1

Parishoner Information Form - page 2

READ AND LISTEN TO SERMONS FROM ST. MICHAELS

The Messenger:

Bishop Lawrence to Preach on Sunday, May 4th

Reflection on Global Outreach Weekend

Register for Vacation Bible School

A Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Peter C. Moore

From the Clergy

THE BISHOP IS COMING

The Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence to Preach at 8:00 am and 10:30 am on Sunday, May 4th.

His First Visit to St. Michael’s Church

Baptism, Confirmations and A First Visit!

Bishop Mark Lawrence, newly consecrated Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina (XIV), will baptize, confirm, preach and give his address, all this Sunday. After preaching at the 8:00 am service, Bishop Lawrence will make his way into the Kinloch Room to make his address to the entire congregation, and, specifically, our confirmands. At 10:30, he will be our preacher, celebrant, and will baptize and confirm a wonderful flock of new and existing members of St. Michael’s. After the 10:30 am service, we will process out the beautiful stained glass window doors on the south side and go right into the Kinloch room for a festive celebration. Join us for this wonderful day of new beginnings!

Recap: For Sunday May 4th

8:00 am Bishop Lawrence Preaching

9:15 am Bishop Lawrence greets the members of the 8:45 am service

9:20 am Bishop’s Address to the Congregation and confirmands

10:30 am Bishop Lawrence preaches, baptizes, confirms and celebrates

11:45 am Festive Celebration in Kinloch Room

No other adult classes scheduled on this day.

Who is Bishop Lawrence? Born in Bakersfield, California, on March 19, 1950, he was educated at California State University, Bakersfield (BA, 1976) and Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, Ambridge PA (M. Div. 1980). He has ministered at Church of the Holy Family, Fresno, California (1980), Saint Mark’s, Shafter, California (1981-1984), Saint Stephen’s, McKeesport, Pennsylvania (1984-1997), and Saint Paul’s, Bakersfield, California (1997-2007). Known for being a dedicated pastor-teacher, Mark also served, among many other capacities, as a member of the Commission on Ministry, the Standing Committee, and the Board of Examining Chaplains, the latter of which he chaired. He also served as a deputy to the General Conventions of 2003 and 2006.

Mark has been married to Allison Kathleen Taylor since 1973. They have five children: Chadwick (33), married to Wendy; they have three children, Esther, Sarah, and Sydney; Adelia (30), married to Stephen Matson; they have three children, Natalie, Tobias and Macy; Emily (24), married to Jacob Jefferis; Joseph (23), married to Joette, who is expecting her first child this summer, and Chelsea (19).

On a personal note, we have talked a great deal of late about our first missionary priority being the hearts and homes of everyone in this congregation. To that end, Mark and Allison’s daughter, Emily and her husband Jacob, were parishioners at All Saints’ Chevy Chase, and beautifully embodied what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Before I even met Emily’s mother and father, I knew she had been raised by very special parents!

~ The Rector

Patti Sosnowski’s Term on Staff Ends

Longtime friend and parishioner Patti Sosnowski, who so graciously filled in the gap as our Interim director of Pastoral Care, has given the reins over to current staff member, Bob Lawrence. Following the retirement of Jean Corbett, Patti stepped in temporarily to make sure we didn’t miss a beat in our pastoral care ministry. After several months of prayer and discernment, and realizing the gifts of our own Bob Lawrence, we decided that Bob will be taking over this ministry and will work with our core Healing Team to make it a smooth transition. Moving forward, Bob’s main focus will be on both pastoral care and mission outreach. To make this possible, many of his previous duties have been given to our Chief of Administration (Ken Coker) as well as to our Newcomer/Alpha Director (Heidi Alexander). Patti will now continue her focus on the marriage ministry, specifically, organizing and directing with her husband John, the Marriage Course Conference set for June 27.

What is Pastoral Care?

The Pastoral Care ministry of St. Michael’s church focuses on what I call the 3 ‘H’s…

Healing - Specifically, the spiritual, physical and emotional healing.

Hospital Visits - Coordinating care for those who are hospitalized, giving birth, etc.

Homebound Visits - Coordinating care for those who are confined to their home, or retirement community.

Please continue to pray for Bob and the core Healing Team as they go forward in strength!

Global Outreach Weekend, The Rector’s Perspective: A Miracle in the Making

As I sat in the Kinloch room listening to the Strategic Global Outreach talks, I couldn’t help but smile with great joy on the inside. Indeed, if people could have read what I was feeling we would have had a room of people looking up saying only God could be doing this! The reason for my joy is that nearly everything that was said over the weekend by the wonderful leadership of the Missions Society were things we have been talking about both in our April 13,

Festival of Faith, as well as our vestry and staff Bible Studies. What have we been talking about? In short? ‘3’ words…

Mobilization - Praying everyone at St. Michael’s mobilizes to take that first step in going deeper in Jesus Christ through the Alpha course.

Transformation - A willingness to have a teachable and transformed spirit and heart, moving beyond Alpha into ministries of discipleship.

Celebration - Realizing we find our true selves when we are communicating the power of Christ to others locally and globally by word and deed. Specifically reaching:

- Our Hearts and Homes

- Our Holy City

- Our Hungering World

In many ways, I feel like I’m on one of those rides at Disney, where you get in and, while there is a steering wheel, you really don’t have any control at all because your little car is on a rail below! I feel that way in this wonderful church…that the Lord is doing something so beautiful in our midst…miracles in the making!

Global Outreach Weekend

One of the resounding themes that was echoed throughout the recent Global Outreach Weekend hosted by the staff of the Mission Society, is that mission is not something that the church does, but that it is the very reason for the existence of the church. It is who we are. The church exists for God’s mission, and God’s mission is that the Gospel be presented to all peoples. Through presentations on Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Sunday morning, through smaller group discussions with key leaders, and through the preaching of the Rev. Dick McClain during our Sunday morning worship, we were challenged here at St. Michael’s to broaden our view of missions, both in examining what we are presently doing, and in seeking God’s guidance in what we may yet be called to do.

In this year in which we have also intentionally focused on the theme of Sent to Serve with visits from all of our sponsored missionaries, with Michaelmas and Kanuga Weekend speakers who echoed this theme, and with short term missions opportunities, all of this has now coalesced into a time to step forward in faith to even greater opportunities for mission and outreach. To this end, the Service Commission, which in the past has held the primary responsibility for coordinating much of what has gone on at St. Michael’s regarding mission, has been renamed and restructured. With the recommendation of that commission’s membership and the concurrence of the Rector and Vestry, the Mission Outreach Commission has now been birthed under the new leadership of Commission Chair, Dave Soutter. In addition to Dave, the present membership includes, Bubba Corley, David Ingle, Barbara Simmons, Randy Gobel, Lynn Lawrence, Liz Lipscomb, Linda Soutter and Swain Marion. Additionally, both Arthur Ravenel and Chappy McKay serve as appointed Vestry Liaisons to this new commission. Whereas in the past the work of the Service Commission was largely limited to providing financial oversight and recommendations of budgeted funds for outreach, the new Mission Outreach Commission will now provide the leadership, structure and guidance for our entire focus on global outreach. Although this is a work in progress, it is a step toward the alignment of our resources in recognizing that we at St. Michael’s do exist to carry out God’s mission of proclaiming in word and in deed the good news of Jesus Christ. There are ways for all of us to be involved and I pray that you will want to be.

Bob Lawrence+

From the Vestry

Don’t forget to tip your Organist/Choirmaster

For 17 years Lee Kohlenberg has led us in worship at St Michael’s. Lee has tirelessly played the organ at 10:30 am, directed the choir, led the praise band and played the piano for the 8:45 AM family service. This amounts to more than 150 services per year and that does not even include weddings and special programs. Most of us have no idea how much thought, time, effort and energy goes into preparation, rehearsal and performance, week after week, so that our worship service is filled with beautiful music that is lifted up as a praise to God. We feel that it is appropriate to demonstrate our appreciation for the hard work and talent that Lee has devoted to this church community. The Vestry has agreed to set up a retirement purse to say Thank You to Lee for his dedication and service. This will be presented to him on June 1st at a celebration to honor his 17 years at St Michael’s. You can send your donation made payable to St Michael’s Church earmarked for Lee Kohlenberg. We’ll never be able to fully thank Lee for his years of ministry with us, but our prayer is that this purse will be a small sign of our gratitude.

Administration

Parish Directory 2008

The ability of a church to communicate with its members to exchange information is an essential part of organization. We would like to continue our ability to communicate and would like to “upgrade” the quality of our information. The first natural outgrowth of this effort will be a new Parish Directory! I thought that there was no change in my personal information since I had not changed residences, but then I was reminded that I had changed e-mail addresses and that my wife had her own new e-mail address. My point is that those changes are so subtle that we forget that they have happened! Cell phones, e-mail addresses, children that leave the nest (I’m going to sound like “Fiddler on the Roof”!)

Please fill out the below form completely and give us your most current, up-to-date information. We, of course, will not share this information with any individual or business. We use it only to communicate with you. You may drop the form in one of the blue boxes in the North and South Entrances, or the center Narthex to the church. You may also fax, email, or mail the form to the church office. Thank you for your time and patience in filling this form out and waiting for an updated Parish Directory.

~Ken Coker - Chief of Administration

Parish Directory Information Form page 1

Parish Directory Information Form page 2

Mission Outreach Commission

Operation Round Up

Do you live in either Charleston or Mt. Pleasant? Are you served by either Charleston Water System or Mt. Pleasant Waterworks? Do you participate in Operation Round Up? If not, you can. Operation Round Up allows you to have your water bill rounded up to the next even dollar with the difference going to support the ministry of Water Missions International. At the most, you would be paying an additional $11.88 in water cost annually presuming every monthly bill was rounded up the maximum of 99 cents. Minimally, it might only be 12 cents if each monthly bill was already only one penny away in rounding up. Regardless, it is a painless way to support the wonderful ministry of Water Missions International. How do you do it? Contact your water provider, or enclose the attached form with your next water bill. Although an individual contribution from this plan will always be minimal, imagine the collective impact it could make if all of those that can participate did so. What are you waiting for? Sign up now!

Crisis Ministries Men’s Shelter

On Thursday, May 8th, St. Michael’s will serve the evening meal to the men who come to the Crisis Ministry Men’s Shelter downtown on Meeting St. This opportunity to serve has been claimed by those involved in teaching during our Sunday Morning Christian Formation hour with Robb Imbus providing the coordination. If you are among those involved in this ministry and would like to assist, please contact Robb via email at

robb.imbus@wachovia.com or phone at (843) 324-0413.

Burundi Team Mission Video - Watch it on YouTube!

The Soundtrack for these videos includes music from Slater Armstrong's CD
"Even in Sorrow" used by permission. More information about Slater's
ministry can be found at www.joiningourvoices.com

Burundi Mission Reports

Parish Care Commission

Prayer Corner

Please pray for the following prayer requests: for the renewal and healing of the Episcopal Church; for the Anglican Communion Network of Dioceses and Parishes; for the Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence and his family; for Pastor Peter and the Church in Ukraine; for Simon Guillebaud and the Church in Burundi; for Marguarita, priest at San José Church; for Tabitha and her mission in Afghanistan; for Rob Kunes & Tyler Prescott, our seminarians.

Prayers for Deployed Military

Adam Chapman

2nd Lt. Philip Dickson, Iraq

Capt. Joseph R. (Bubber) Cockrell, Jr., USNR, MC, Germany

Capt. Dan Schnick USM (Marine Pilot)

Russell Deal

Zach (18 year old in Iraq)

Lt. Col. Robert Batts

Major Alston Middleton, US Marines, in Iraq

SPC Shawn Gordon Gourlay, Iraq

Cdr. Betsy Myhre, Afghanistan

Parents-to-Be Prayer List

God said, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”

Will & Julia Bryan Barnard (May 2008)

Diana & George Thornley (Adoption, Fall 2008)

Elizabeth & Roger Dixon (July 2008)

Tyler & Michael Edwards (July 2008)

Colley & James Joubert (July 2008)

Julie & Rob Kunes (July 2008)

Beau & Michaela Mueller (July 2008)

Frances & Telfair Parker (July 2008)

Magda & Felix Pelzer (July 2008)

Tyler & Lanier Prescott (Adoption)

Cara & Cuyler Applegate (September 2008)

Birth Announcements

Congratulations to Betsy & Leslie Shannon for the birth of Sophia Wren Shannon. She was born Thursday, April 24th at 11:00 am weighing 8lbs, 7 oz. Welcome Sophia!

Graduation Announcements

Trish Sosnowski will graduate from Presbyterian College on May 10, 2008.

If you would like to make a birth or graduation announcement, please email publications@stmichaelschurch.net

Thursday Healing Service and Prayers at St. Michael’s

10:00 am Service of Holy Communion and Healing

in the Church.

Study Groups meet at different times throughout the week. Call Heidi Alexander at 723-0603 to get connected.

A small sampling of those groups follows:

Adult Bible Studies

Thursdays 7:00–8:30 pm Room 201,

The Belser Building
(14 St. Michael’s Alley). “The Holy Spirit in Action.”

Rhett Smith (813-4968) or Peg Eastman (734-0004).

Men’s Bible Studies

Mondays 12:30 pm Men meet for prayer and study over lunch in Room 201 of the Belser Building

(14 St. Michael’s Alley).

Mondays 6:30 pm This bible study will be covering a video called the “Purpose Driven Life Series, You Are Created to Become Like Christ.” All men, married or single, are welcome to attend. It meets at Jerry Simmons home. Please call 406-9963.

Wednesdays 7:15 am Men meet for prayer and Bible Study at 151 Meeting Street. (Wade Logan’s Office)

Women’s Bible Studies

NEW TOPIC FOR WOMEN’S WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY TO BEGIN MAY 21 @ 11:00 am

The Women's Wednesday Bible Study will begin a new study on May 21 at 11:00. Fingerprints of God: Recognizing God's Touch on Your Life by Jennifer Rothschild is a 6 week study that exposes the wonder of God's touch upon our lives. Participants will learn that when they experience God's touch, they will recognize six things: honor, intimacy, shelter, guidance, redemption, and refinement. Books are $14.00 each and will be available in Saint's Alive Bookstore at the church. To sign up, Please call Patti Sosnowski at 723-0603 or 559-1285.

Mondays 8:15 am Women gather for Bible Study in the Ann Hester Willis Room of the Laura Hewitt Building

(71 Broad Street). Call Trish McGuinn (402-0630).

Tuesdays 12:15 pm Mother’s Bible Study meet in Room 206 of the Belser Building. We will be studying Parenting by the Book by John Rosemond. Lunch and a nursery will be provided. Call Jeannie Lyles 849-6294 if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

Mommy Bible Study

Tuesdays at 9:30 am to 11:00 a.m. in the Rectory. We will be reading Parenting by the Book by John Rosemond. Childcare will be provided. For more information please contact Kelly Brinson or Elizabeth Zadig.

A Source of Comfort

Have you experienced the death of a loved one within the last few years? If so, you are invited to join a 5 week group sponsored by Lutheran Hospice that will begin meeting in Room 201 each Thursday in May from 4 - 5:30 pm.

Martha Vadney, licensed social worker who has 12 years of experience with Lutheran Hospice, and is a parishioner at Holy Cross, will compassionately give educational and supportive components that will help participants find their way through the grieving process. There is no cost and the group is limited to 10 participants.

For more information. please call Patti Sosnowski at the church (723-0603) or Martha Vadney at 216-2217.

Youth

Transforming Families:

Connecting Spiritually Through Different Life Stages

Don’t miss the first Transforming Families seminar offered at St. Michael’s Church on Saturday, May 3rd from 6 – 8pm. Transforming Families is an opportunity to gather as a body of adults concerned for our children for worship, teaching and fellowship. Breakout sessions will be offered according to the different life stages of the children in your life.

Who should attend? Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents… in short, anyone who has a child in their life! Our speaker for the evening is our very own, Peter Rothermel, who served as the Youth Minister for several years and is now working for the diocese to help equip those who minister to families. The encouragement and information you will gather from this time together will be invaluable as you strive to impact your family with the love of Christ.

Please contact Susie Morrison – Susie@stmichaelschurch.net or 723-0603 ext. 7583 /7580 to reserve your spot now. Childcare will be available – please reserve in advance.

O – N.O.

Operation New Orleans – Sr. High Mission Trip

Each year the Sr. High youth work with other churches in our diocese to do missions within the country. This year is no exception as we will gather with several churches to head to New Orleans for a week in July to help minister to the people and serve them in any way we can.

There is still a lot of work to be done after the devastation hurricane Katrina left in her wake. Though there has been much effort the people of New Orleans are still living under the weight of this tragedy. It is our hope to partner with a local church, Church of the Annunciation, to share the love of Christ and pour out our resources to restore a community to hope.

Our theme for the week is RESTORATION TOUR and it comes from the book of Isaiah chapter 49 where God is looking to the restoration of Israel. Though New Orleans is certainly not Israel, we are called to share the restoration of hope in knowing Jesus as our savior and it is our desire to share this everywhere we go.

The mission trip is scheduled July 13th – 20th. The cost per person is $350 and covers travel, lodging, meals, materials, and much more. If you would like to sign up for this mission please turn in a $100 deposit by May 7th to reserve your spot. This is the deadline for signing up so please make sure you get the deposit in. If there are any questions or problems please contact me in the youth office. In His Grip, Susie Morrison

Middle School Blast – Sunday, May 4th

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm This week is FIELD GAME DAY! We will walk down to one of the parks and enjoy the outdoors, so please wear your tennis shoes. If you like competition games then you will have a GREAT time. Bring a friend and come enjoy the fun. We will end with a discussion on the SUBMISSION TO GOD VS. WORLDLINESS from our study in the book of James (James 4:1-10 and 5:7-20).

Graduation Sunday

Graduation from High School or College is a major achievement in the life of any young person. This year we would like to recognize the accomplishment of all our students who are graduating from High School or College. To honor our high school seniors we will present them at the 10:30am service on May 25th and send them off with a blessing. We would like to know where our graduates are headed after high school and with any honors they are graduating. This includes all of our away students as well even if they are unable to attend the service on May 25th. For our college students we would like to list their names in the bulletin with the graduation information including any honors and degree information.

Parents, Grandparents, or Graduates: please contact me with this information as soon as possible so we can recognize every St. Michael’s student we have. It is only with your help that we can make this a special blessing to everyone involved.

Please contact me in the Youth Office at the Church: Susie@stmichaelschurch.net or 843-723-0603. Thank you for your help.

The Future of Youth Confirmation

Check out Transforming Families This Saturday

This year we decided for several reasons to move the age of youth confirmation up to 8th graders. In light of doing this we discovered that the vast majority of the 8th grade class had been confirmed while in 6th grade, thus we decided to put off having a youth confirmation class this year and to take the time instead to evaluate and plan for the coming year. As a result, we only have one youth who is being confirmed this week. As he is a junior in high school, he felt confident attending the adult confirmation this year.

Confirmation is a sacrament admitting a baptized person to full participation in the church. This definition requires maturity and complete understanding of the commitment a young person is making. Not only are they reclaiming the faith that their parents claimed for them at baptism, but also they are accepting the responsibility to participate in all aspects of faith and church life.

In viewing this as something that is very important in our faith journey in the church, our youth group for this age will meet as a youth group but our study will be reaching toward the goal of being confirmed in 8th grade. Every aspect of our time together will be about fellowship, group building, and Bible Study just as regular youth for middle school students however, the curriculum will reach toward understanding why we believe what we believe and a goal of confirming those beliefs just before graduating into high school.

If you are still confused what this looks like, please attend our Transforming Families seminar this coming Saturday, May 3rd from 6:00 – 8:00 pm (please RSVP to the Youth Office). It is at this meeting that you will be encouraged as the spiritual leaders in your families, as well as discovering how confirmation will unfold for your middle school child.

Caedmon’s Call!

At The River Dogs!! Join us for the game and Christian Concert

Sunday, June 1st at 4:00pm

Bring the whole family for this awesome night

Tickets are $8 per person

Please Contact Susie in the youth office

Susie@stmichaelschurch.net

Worship Commission

Worship Notes: Easter Continues

The Sunday After The Ascension

This Sunday, May 4, is Confirmation and in the liturgical calendar is entitled The Seventh Sunday of Easter The Sunday after Ascension Day.

During the 40 days after Easter, Jesus appeared to many disciples in His resurrected body, giving us a model of what kind of body we will have in heaven—recognizable but without the physical limitations we had on earth. Ascension Day, Thursday, May 1, celebrated Jesus ascending back into heaven to be with God the Father in Heaven where He intercedes for us. He instructed the disciples to wait in Jerusalem to receive the power of the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses to those near and those far. That empowerment we celebrate the following Sunday, May 11, Pentecost.

This Holy Spirit is given by God at Confirmation wherein the candidates ratify and confirm on their own decision and responsibility the promises made for them or by them at their Baptism: 1) renunciation of evil, and 2) commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We, the congregation, also renew our Baptismal Covenant, both in the Apostles’ Creed and in the following: 1) to continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers. 2) to persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever we fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord; 3) to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ; 4) to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves; and 5) to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. These are promises we should consider before Sunday and pray for the Holy Spirit to help us fulfill them in our lives.

In addition to Confirmation, the Holy Spirit is also given when we are called to a special ministry or when we tell others what God has done for us. Jesus being in Heaven assures us of constant access to Him, an access not possible if He had remained on earth, still limited in time and space. The Holy Spirit gives the power which makes possible Jesus’ prayer in Sunday’s Gospel “that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:11)

The Sunday after the Ascension is indeed a time to praise God for His action to save and redeem us so that we might have a personal relationship with Him forever. As we gather to worship the one true God may we voice our faith and praise in the liturgy and music and thereby encourage one other in our faith. ~ Lee Kohlenberg

Choir Schedules Junior and Youth Choirs sing an anthem Sunday, May 11.

Christian Formation Commission

“Have I Ever Told You About...?”

How sharing personal stories strengthens your family ties

By Brenda Jank

My adventure into personal storytelling began with a question from my eldest son: "Mom, did you ever do anything wrong when you were a kid?" It had been a rough morning when eight-year-old Joshua popped that question. Though simple, it caught me off guard.

"Of course," I stammered. "Haven't you heard the stories?" Joshua looked at me with surprise and shook his head.

I dove into my memory bank, picked a good one, and shared it with him on the spot. In no time at all, Josh was off running through the house. "Do you guys know Mommy cut off all her hair when she was three years old?"

While he whooped it up with his siblings, I sat quietly, one question haunting me: Do my children really know me?

Sure, they knew me as a mom. They counted on me for birthday surprises, bedtime prayers, and Saturday morning chores. But did it stop there?

Did they know I twirled a baton, taught canoeing, worked on a Canadian Indian Reserve, and dreamed of parachuting while I was growing up?

The resounding answer was no. My children knew a slice of me, but they were missing many important parts of my life. They were missing my stories.

In the Beginning

I became a mom on July 5, 1994. Six-and-a-half years later, our family totaled seven—leaving me surprised, overjoyed, and overwhelmed on a regular basis. Sheer survival was my daily focus. Who has time for meaningful dialogue, much less storytelling, when there are diapers to change, dinosaurs to identify, doctors to visit, and dinners to concoct? But the day of my son's question I made a commitment to embrace the adventures of storytelling, and I haven't looked back.

Personal stories are fun, free, and with a little forethought, easy to add to our overloaded lives. Every day is full of stories. News channels funnel the world's top headlines into our living rooms. Radio stations keep us up to date on local events. The Internet feeds us its daily portion of news-making trivia. Unfortunately, this bombardment allows us to devalue and neglect both our stories and those of the ones we love.

Good news! There's a gold mine in each of our hearts waiting to be tapped. More good news! Mining this treasure isn't hard. It requires very little time or energy—just the acquisition of a few helpful tools and an attitude adjustment. Every parent has an arsenal of stories, and God will use them to strengthen family ties and fan into flame the spark of faith he's igniting in our children's souls.

Real-life stories can give children roots, or they can be met with resistance. Take for instance the tale of Grandpa's three-mile walk to school through a foot of snow when he was a boy. It's a story designed to elicit a sense of guilt and distance, not community. But stories can be powerful bridge builders. They tie hearts together by sharing the joys and challenges common to all people, through every era and stage of life.

My family was missing out on this kind of bridge-building experience. After conferring with my husband, Tim, we did a quick inventory of our childhood and pulled a slew of stories that had been buried under an avalanche of busy days.

Dinnertime was the natural place to begin, yet it was also one of the most chaotic hours in our day. The noise level is often deafening as squabbles erupt, pouting crescendos, and children vie for Daddy's attention. Second only to a Mount Mama eruption, nothing quiets our children faster than the enticing question, "Have I ever told you about…?"

Faith-Focused Stories

When I first realized the importance of storytelling, I began to explore the "how to" of tapping into the treasures of everyday stories. The answer came from a bedtime routine I've had for years. Trying to make my evening quiet time more meaningful, I focus my prayers on three questions: How did God bless me today? What did he teach me today? How did he use me today?

It didn't take me long to realize my evening reflection could potentially unearth a faith-focused story to add to the usual repertoire of questions and commands I direct toward my brood each day. Just last week a faith story emerged from a simple phone call with a friend. With a captive audience buckled into our van, I seized a quiet moment.

"Yesterday Mrs. Scheckler was on my mind all day long, so I decided to give her a call," I said. "As it turned out, she had just found out that her 11-year-old nephew was diagnosed with cancer. We had a chance to talk and then pray together on the phone. Just as we were saying good-bye, she got choked up and told me how much the phone call meant to her."

I wrapped up the story by taking the focus off me and pointing us back to God: "It's amazing how the Lord uses something as simple as a phone call to work in beautiful ways. I wonder how he's going to work through each of us today?"

Heaven-Sent Heroes

Scripture is filled with stories of heroes of the faith. Abraham, Rahab, and Peter were vessels of God's power, yet they were far from perfect. This is a source of comfort and encouragement as I often fall short of God's best for my life. Still, I want to seize the opportunity of being a modern-day hero to my children. It can happen—through the power of a story.

It took a while for Tim and me to unearth the faith stories buried in our souls. Some are exciting and full of adventure. Others reveal our mistakes, highlighting God's grace and mercy. Most seem rather mundane, yet they share a glimpse of God's handiwork in our lives. Neither Tim nor I have ever fought a taunting giant or slept in a den of lions, but our stories hold great value simply because they're ours. With eyes wide and hearts open, our everyday stories now fuel the faith God is igniting in our children's souls.

Real-life storytelling is not an outdated pastime but an invaluable, underused resource ready to make a gentle comeback in the lives of families at any stage of the game.

Coming home from church one Sunday morning, six-year-old Joseph announced, "I've got a story." As I readied my heart to listen, a grin crossed my face. The van was strangely quiet. No one moaned. No one grumbled. It seemed the adventure of storytelling was taking root—and even growing wings.

Brenda Jank is a mother of five and a freelance writer. She and her family live in Indiana.

Storytelling Suggestions

Show, don't just tell. Instead of "My grandpa loved me," try, "I loved the look on my grandpa's face when he winked at me in church each week."

Think snapshot. Remember: "A picture's worth a thousand words!" Meaningful stories don't have to be long and detailed; bits and pieces hold power and potential.

Draw a simple, aerial image of your backyard or neighborhood. Describe to your children the tree you used to climb, the personalities of your neighbors, the yards or fields you used to play in, etc.

Take advantage of bedtime. Curl up on your child's bed and share with each other the best and hardest part of your day.

Play the "Favorite Game." Pick a person or occasion and ask: "What's your favorite thing about going to Aunt Marge's house?" or "Tell me a favorite memory from summer camp last year."

Ideas for Sharing Your Faith Stories

Share a time you:

were surprised by God as a teenager.

saw your parent's faith in action.

failed a friend.

shared the Gospel.

overcame a fear as a child or as an adult.

saw God at work in the life of someone you love.

Important Dates to Remember

in Christian Formation

Below is a list of upcoming events for St. Michael’s children and families. Please mark your calendars now! For more details on any of these events, please go to the Christian formation page at www.stmichaelschurch.net or contact Amy Smith, Director of Christian Formation at 723-0603 ext. 7583 or amy@stmichaelschurch.net. All activities take place at St. Michael’s unless otherwise noted.

Saturday, May 3rd, 6 – 8 pm

Transforming Families:

Connecting Spiritually through the Life Stages

Saturday, May 10th, 9 am – 12 pm

First Communion Parent-Child Retreat (Required for children preparing to make their first communion)

Thursday, May 15th

Deadline for submitting VBS registration forms

Register for Vacation Bible School
Youth & Adult Volunteer Form

Vacation Bible School Child Enrollment Form

Sunday, May 18th, 10:30 am service

First Communion Sunday

June 9th – 13th, 9 am – 12 pm

St. Michael’s Vacation Bible School,

“Outrigger Island”

(for children ages 3 through rising grade 5)

Sunday, June 15th, following 10:30 am service

VBS closing celebration

Who does what?

Schedule for Children’s Ministry Volunteers

God bless you for assisting in this ministry! If you have a schedule conflict, please find a replacement and contact Amy Smith at amy@stmichaelschurch.net with the schedule change.

Nursery Monitor Schedule:

Please be prepared to stay on duty through the entire service.

May 4: Team D: Marchant; Collins, T & E; Vonrosenberg

May 11: Team E: O'Kelley; Dieck; Thornley

May18: Team F: Sanders; Smith, D & E; Turner

May 25: Team G: Smith, B & A; Byrne/Waring

Little Lambs Worship Service Monitor Schedule

(3-5 yrs in Youth Room):

Please be prepared to stay on duty until all children have been picked up between announcements and communion. See additional information on Morning Prayer Sundays.

May 4: Team C: McKay; Smoak; Foulke

May 11: Team D: Burnett; McKinney; Goehring

May 18: Team H: Cave, Gruber; O'Kelley;

*May 25: Team A: Swan; Bryant, McLeod

Big Kidz Worship Service Monitor Schedule

(1st–5th Grades) in Kinloch Room:

You will return to the service with the children during the announcements. See additional information on Morning Prayer Sundays.

May 4: Team D: Moore, Akers; Walpole

May 11: Team E: Horn; Rawls

May 18: Team F: Silliman; Wilson

*May 25: Team I: Smoak; Zadig

Toddler Time

Spaces Are Now Available...

For the Fall in

St. Michael's Toddler Time

a twice weekly morning program

for 1-2 year olds

Please contact Janet Sosnowski,

Toddler Time Director,

at 795-6963 for information.

Alpha

Completed Alpha… what now??

How about a little “One-on-One?”

“One-on-One” is a 4-week course for those

who have completed Alpha and want to know more.

"One-on-One"

Begins Tuesday, May 13th

Continuing through June 3rd

6:00 – 7:15 pm

Kinloch Room

Dinner & Fellowship

(One-on-One is open to anyone who has taken Alpha, no matter how long ago your Alpha was completed!) Fish Bowl questions where you can ask anything…theological, faith, or every day life answered by one of our very own St. Michael’s Rectors! Followed by short small group discussions. Cost is $6.00 and childcare is provided. For more information, please contact Heidi Alexander at the church: 723-0603 or yeagodboodevil@yahoo.com

The Gate - 20's & 30's

Visit www.thegatecharleston.net for more information on upcoming events.

Uno de Mayo Party - Thursday, May 1 at 6:30 pm

Serving this Week

Vestry of the Month: Robby Marion

Lessons: Acts 1:8-14,. John 17:1-11

Altar Guild: Group III

8:00 am Service:

Readers: Cornelia Pelzer, Henry Grimball

Acolytes: Ross Scarborough

Ushers: Rich Lewis, Sandy MacPherson

8:45 am Service:

Host Family: Brinson

Chalice: Ransford

10:30 am Service:

Reader: Jay Seibels, Ann Hester Willis, Tyler Prescott

Acolytes: Wythe Crisler, Logan Coleman, Jeb Hines

Ushers: Team 3: Bill Hewitt, Frank Grimball, Cantey Hare, John O’Brien, Felix Pelzer, Phillip Castello, Jerry Reeves, Fred Stone, Fred Willis

Prayer Ministers: (N) Patti & John Sosnowski (S) Amy Condon & Elizabeth Zadig

Greeters: Christen & David Reese, Ed Barnett

Coffee Hst: Amy Painter

Ch. Guide: Tommy Kirkland

6:00 pm Service:

Reader: Tyler Prescott

Team A: Gretchen Kroncke, Heather Bryan, Edward Simmons, Jason Bryan, Drew Phillip, Barbara Simmons

Prayer Mins: Harriet Harris & Chris Hider

Noonday Prayer Readers: (M) Bob Prioleau (T) Frank Barnwell (W) Charlie Bryan (Th) Bob Prioleau (F) Jerry Simmons

Messenger Angels: Trish McGuinn, Kit Coker, Neil Dawson, Harriott Johnson, Pat Prioleau, Jane Thornhill, Liz Young

Saint's Alive Bookstore

St. Michael’s Church is blessed to have many talented artists. Saints Alive Bookstore will be setting aside space in our shop to feature our artists work for sale. Criteria: Christian and/or St. Michael’s Church Theme. If you would like to participate in this exciting ministry, please contact: Christine at 725-5483 or email saintsalive@stmichaelschurch.net.

Saints Alive!

Christian Book & Gift Shop

Monday - Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Introducing Personalized Engraving for Wedding, Baptism, Mother’s Day, Birthday, Anniversary, or any special occasion on Pewter or Sterling Silver.

*Special order.

*Large selection of items to choose from.