News You Can Use – 10/26/23
| A Message from Fr. Caleb |
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| Dear friends of the Church of the Transfiguration, Last week, we attended Diocesan Convention and heard from both our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Jennifer Reddall, and the Rev. Deborah Hutterer, the Bishop for the Grand Canyon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The Episcopal Church is in Full Communion with the ELCA. Both our Bishop and Bishop Debroah spoke about going into the world to evangelize and to grow the Church through gathering and giving. I thought that the theme of Diocesan Convention was perfect for our own Stewardship season. In looking at the fruits of the Spirit, we know that giving manifests in many ways. We can give our time, talent, and money while being formed as disciples of Jesus. The body of the Church is diverse and our gifts are diverse just as God reflects unity through diversity in the Godhead. We believe in one God in three persons who share one essence. We believe in the + Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Although three distinct persons, they are one God with one essence. This diversity is reflected all throughout the scriptures. If we look at the scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, we see God is described as father, as motherly, as a mother hen, as the Rock of salvation, and as the dove of peace. In thinking about the diverse gifts of the Spirit, I thought also about the diverse ways in which the Holy Spirit “shows up” in our lives and in scripture. In Hebrew, in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is called ברוח (rúakh) and this word is both of the masculine and feminine grammatical genders of Hebrew. In Greek, the Holy Spirit is πνεύματος (pneumatos) which is of the neuter grammatical gender in Greek. This means that, in English, the Holy Spirit can be translated as being “he,” “she,” or “they” (the singular use of they). I think that it is meaningful that the Holy Spirit is revealed scripturally as encompassing the many expressions of humanity. The Spirit gives a variety of diverse gifts to an awesomely diverse people of God. Remember, that we here at the Church of the Transfiguration are called to grow, gather, and give abundantly and welcoming the diversity of God’s people. You are beautifully and wonderfully made, fearfully made!, in the image of God who is + Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Blessings, Fr. Caleb+ |
| This Sunday |
| Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost October 29, 2023Holy Eucharist Rite II, in the Sanctuary 8am (quiet without music) Order of Worship – click here 10am (music with choir) Order of Worship – click here Facebook link (for streaming 10am service): https://www.facebook.com/transfiguration.mesa OR YouTube link (for streaming 10am service) youtube.com/@transfigoffice7704/streams Coffee, snacks and conversation follow the 8am and 10am services in the Fellowship Hall |
| Coming Up |
| The Week Ahead |
| Monday, October 30 7:00pm Compline including Spiritual Communion Tuesday, October 31 4:30pm All Hallow’s Eve Prayer 5:00pm Trunk or Treat 7:00pm Compline Wednesday, November 1 9:30am Morning Prayer 7:00pm Compline Thursday, November 2 9:30am Coffee Hour w/Fr. Caleb (1/2 hour earlier this date only) 7:00pm Compline Friday, November 3 7:00pm Compline Sunday, November 5 8:00am Worship Service – All Saint’s Day 8:45am Choir Rehearsal 10:00am Worship Service – All Saint’s Day Refreshments after both services |
 Stewardship Campaign Our stewardship campaign is underway. We are currently at 6% of our goal in pledges so far. Please prayerfully consider what you plan to give to the church next year; the information will be used by the Treasurer and the Vestry to help determine our budget for 2024. Our pledge financial goal is $160,000. We also want to find out what talents or time you would be willing to share with the church next year. We would appreciate you returning your pledge card by November 12th to the office, in the Sunday plate collection, or completing an online pledge card (link here). Thank you for your continued generosity and support in time, talent and treasure! |
 Trunk or Treat Please join us on Tuesday, October 31 from 5-7pm in the church parking lot for Trunk or Treat. Not only will the children and grandchildren in our congregation trick or treat with us, we will reach out to the children in our neighborhood! Come join in the fun by decorating your trunk for Halloween, dressing in costume and bringing your favorite Halloween treats to give out! |
 Coffee Hour w/ Fr. Caleb Please stop by for coffee & conversation in the Parish Office living room continuing on Thursday, November 2. This is a great opportunity for us to become better acquainted with Fr. Caleb and with each other. Coffee will be provided and you’re welcome to bring potluck snacks. |
 ECW Rummage Sale The ladies of ECW will hold their annual rummage sale on November 16, 17 and 18. Please bring your donations to the Parish Hall. If it is after office hours, please call Jo first before bringing any items over. For questions, contact Jo Laslo at jfaith3844@aol.com or (818) 825-3007. |
 Book Club This month’s book club discussion will be held on Friday, November 17 at 10am AZ time via Zoom. The selection for November will be The Book of Goose, a novel by Yiyun Li; our discussion leader is Jane Weichert. It is 368 pages long, the Goodreads rating is 3.74 and the link to the Goodreads review is here. |
| Announcements |
 Celebration of Life A lovely service and reception was held for the celebration of Jodene Weeter’s life at the 10am service this past Sunday. Lots of conversation, food and memories of Jodene were shared. |
 God’s Soup Kitchen Members of God’s Soup Kitchen encourage parishioners to pick up their latest offerings of soup from the Fellowship Hall freezer: potato, ham and cheese or pasta e Faggioli. Delicious soups from this faithful group can be given to those who are ill, those in need and those who are unable to leave their homes. |
 Name Tags Wearing your name tag in our church service can be a helpful way for people to connect and build a sense of community. It will also help Fr. Caleb get acquainted with us. If you would like a name tag, please contact the church office here. |
| Stewardship |
 3rd Quarter Financial Overview Copies of the third quarter financial overview are available for pick up at church. Did you know that financial gifts can be made via Zelle using our email address – officetransfig@gmail.com? |
 Superstition Community Food Bank Suggested donations for this week are: boxed cereals and crackers. For next week: canned or dehydrated soups. Please place items in the basket at the back of the church. |
| Worship |
 Sunday Servers Would you like to be a greeter, chalice bearer, reader, torchbearer, crucifer or help count the offerings? If so, please contact Janice Scalzo so she can arrange for training and schedule you to serve. |
 Altar Flowers Altar flowers can be dedicated in honor of special life events such as birthdays and anniversaries, in memory of a loved one or just as a general thanksgiving. If you would like to contribute to future altar flower displays, please contact the Church Office, use Zelle or put “Altar Flowers” in the memo when placing your check in the offering plate. |
 Choir Come make a joyful noise! We rehearse on Sundays at 8:45am, before the 10am service. If you are interested in singing in the choir, please reach out to Mackenzie Marr for more information. All are welcome to join! |
 Compline Come pray with us! We meet M-F at 7pm via Zoom for Compline/Evening Prayer. The service is available on ZOOM. Meeting ID: 740-940-1419. Passcode: 514 514. For additional information, please contact Thomas Blum. Every Monday at 7pm, Compline will include Spiritual Communion for those who cannot receive the Sacrament of Communion due to physical distance or medical reasons. |
 Morning Prayer Please join us every Wednesday morning at 9:30am via Zoom to prayerfully start the day. The service is available on ZOOM. Meeting ID: 740-940-1419. Passcode: 514 514. For additional information, please contact Ann Williamson. |
| Second Sunday Giving |
| On the second Sunday of every month all loose plate collection money (not tithes) will be given to several non-profit organizations. These organizations were selected by your Vestry because they reflect the mission and values of the Transfiguration Community and The Episcopal Church. For a complete list click here. November collection: RIP Medical Debt |
 RIP Medical Debt uses your donations to purchase bundled medical debt portfolios from hospitals and on the secondary debt market, and then forgives that debt at pennies on the dollar. |
| Travel Photos |
  From Lynn Graff: “We walked in a lovely setting at the University of KY arboretum. Also had a great catfish dinner at Reelfoot Lake in TN – created by a huge earthquake in 1800s. Cypress trees line the edge of the lake.” Please send your travel/adventure/special moments photos and accompanying stories/text to the News You Can Use editor, Mary Hovden at click here. |
| Diocesan News |
 Diocesan Publications Please contact the church office if you would like to receive the Arizona Episcopalian, a free quarterly publication from the Diocese. To sign up for the weekly Diocesan email E-Pistle click here. |
| Who We Are |
 The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration is an open and affirming Christian community in the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement. We acknowledge the living culture of the Salt River Pima and Maricopa people, the traditional custodians of the land we stand on, and pay tribute to the unique role they play in the life of this region. We are a member of the Union of Black Episcopalians, whose mission is “to unite the diverse cultures, concerns and gifts of Black Episcopalians by providing preparation and encouragement for living the Baptismal Covenant and fully participating in the mission and governance of The Episcopal Church.” |
| Clergy and Staff Fr. John Caleb Collins, Rector transfigurationrector@gmail.com; office (480) 986-1145 or mobile (480) 980-1981 (call or text) Mackenzie Marr, Choir Director & Pianist www.mackenzielynmarr.com Linda Ostmeyer, Office Manager officetransfig@gmail.com Janice Scalzo, Bookkeeper transfigbookkeeper@gmail.com Office hours: M-T-W-Th. 9am – 1pm Vestry Lynn Graff, Senior Warden lwgraff@yahoo.com; mobile (480) 201-2939 Heidi Kinney, Treasurer churchtransfigtreasurer@gmail.com Diane Klock, Clerk John Bishop Ellen Jackelen Bob Kistler Barbara Press Garth Seiple Jane Stoneback Peg Wier Social Media Tom Blum & Ben Brooks – website Tom Blum, Jo Laslo & Bill Robinson – Facebook page Mary Hovden – News You Can Use e-newsletter (please send stories, announcements, photos, etc. to Mary here) Peg Wier – Worship service streaming Lynn Graff – Vestry liaison |