Whatπs Happening in March?

1^st – Eucharist, noon & 7:00 p.m.

5^th – Blanket Sunday

6^th – Habitat for Humanity, 6:00 p.m.

7^th- Executive Committee, 7:00 p.m.

8^th – First Lenten Potluck, 6:00 p.m.

Evening Eucharist /Prayers for

healing, 7:00 p.m.

9^th – Mary Margaret Guild, 11:00 a.m.

Mother Barbara on call at ACMC

11^th- Childrenπs Services meeting in

Guild Room, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

12^th - 2-cents-a-meal collection;loose

offering to Rectorπs Discretionary

Fund; lunch prior to concert,12:30;

Cleveland Orchestra Piano Trio

concert,2:00 p.m.

13^th – Renovation Committee, 6:00 p.m.

Vestry, 7:00 p.m.

14^th – Game night with kids

Mother Barbara on call at ACMC

15^th – St. Elizabeth Guild, noon

Lenten Potluck Supper, 6:00 p.m.

16^th – Corned Beef & Cabbage dinner,

5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

19^th – Food Pantry Collection; Deadline

for news for April Epistle

22^nd- Lenten Potluck Supper, 6:00 pm

28^th - Evening Guild, 7:00 p.m.

29^th - Lenten Potluck Supper, 6:00 pm

Breakfast Chef Groups

5^th – Roger Smith Group

12^th – Clayman Group

19^th – Grotto Group

26^th – Diane Podgorny

Have you noticed?

New tables! New tables!

If you have attended breakfast in the

dining room or have stayed for coffee

I in the Parish Hall, you have noticed the

24 new dining tables.

Thanks to ECW, St. Elizabeth Guild,

Living Memorial Fund, and those who

gave in memory of our dear friend,

Mike Pelyhes for purchasing the much

needed furniture. Mike directed that any

funds given in his memory be used for

new tables.

No more chattering teeth!

We now have electronic thermostats

in both the Church and Parish House,

which Don sets to come on before a

group is due to meet and go off later so

that weπre not heating either building when

no one is in it. So, please let us know if

your group is meeting at the Church, or if

a regular meeting is canceled, by calling

the office and telling Lois. Weπre glad to

have you meet here, and we want you to

be comfortable.

The Lectern

You may have noticed the lectern on

the main level of the Nave. This allows

those who cannot or should not

negotiate the steps to serve as lectors

and intercessors with less risk of falling.

This lectern also allows an important

distinction: the readings are still directed

to the people, as they should be, but our

prayers are directed to God. Most of the

time the readings will still come from the

original lectern and the Prayers of the

People will come from the lectern on the

main level. There are, however, always

exceptions.

And the answer is

The question to be asked about every

congregation is not: How big is it? How

fast is it growing? How rich is it? It is:

What difference is it making to that bit

of the world in which it is placed? Is it

actually functioning as first-fruit, sign

and instrument of Godπs new creation

for that bit of the world?

~ Leslie Newbigin ~

From our Sr. Warden

The St. Peter Fine Arts Committee is

soliciting donations from the Ashtabula

County community with a direct mailing.

The following letter is being sent to some

citizens in and around Ashtabula. If you

would like to be a part of the support

base for the Fine Arts Series, please make

your check payable to St. Peter Church

with Fine Arts written on the memo line.

Support can be given, also, by attending

the free concerts.

Thank you,

Roger Smith, Sr. Warden, Committee

Member

23 February 2006

Dear Friends:

With a near-capacity crowd of over 300

enthusiastic fine arts aficionados in

attendance, last Novemberπs 90-minute

chamber music concert by the Juilliard-

trained Manhattan Piano Trio was a

spectacular start for the St. Peter Fine

Arts Series, a unique new fine arts out-

reach ministry to the Ashtabula County

community.

The mission of the St. Peter Fine Arts

Series is to open the Colonial-styled

church sanctuary to the community as

the host site for high quality free-to-the-

public fine arts concerts, including the

Cleveland Orchestra Piano Trio on

March 12^th at 2:00 and award-winning

pianist, Spencer Myer on May 5^th at

7:30 p.m. Free will donations are taken

at the concerts in support of community-

based outreach ministries, multiplying the

outreach impact of the concerts. It is also

hoped that the concert series will play

a vital role in the redevelopment and

renewal of downtown Ashtabula.

Following the inaugural concert last

November, Manhattan Piano Trio

manager, Reggie Bahl, said he and

the Trio musicians felt blessed to have

been able to travel to Ashtabula and

inaugurate the St. Peter Fine Arts Series.

it was our pleasure to be in Ashtabula

and we are delighted to make so many

new friends thereäIt is a beautiful town

and I hate to see it struggle. What the

church is doing for the community is one

small first stepäwhich will have a domino

effect on local businesses, residents, and

so forth

In the hopes of creating a solid financial

foundation of underwriters to continue and expand the St. Peter Fine Arts Series

through 2006, we are writing today to ask

your kind support of the multi-faceted

outreach work of the St. Peter Fine Arts

Series. Would you be willing to provide a

minimum tax-deductible gift of $50 in

support of our unique fine arts outreach

ministry?

We look forward to your kind response.

With many thanks,

St. Peter Fine Arts Committee

P.O. Box 357

Ashtabula, OH 44004

Mary Hedberg, Janis Hall, Terry Hall,

Neil Meloro, Roger Smith, Eric Johnson,

Bert Carlisle, Irving Goodman, Harriet

Goodman, Zelda Altman, Dr. Timothy

Kalil.

From Mother Barbara

Are you one of these?

If you are an active member of St.

Peterπs and plan to graduate from

High School this Spring, please let us

know. Traditionally, the congregation

presents a Bible to each senior for

their continuing study, and we need

to know how many to order. We know of

Tim Podgorny, Ryan Podgorny, Nick

Meloro and Chris Shippy. If you know of

any others, call the Church Office.

Lights – on – the – Lake

The Ashtabula Ministerial Association

would like all the churches to work

together to sponsor a Nativity Scene for

Lights-on-the-Lake, a drive-through

Christmas lighting display planned for

Lake Shore Park. They are trying to raise

$5000 and would like each church to

contribute $200. If you would like to

help, please make the check payable to

St. Peter Church, with ≥lights on the lake≤

in the Memo. We will send it on.

The Bishop is coming!

Remember, the Bishop is coming on

Sunday, April 2^nd. He will be the

Celebrant and Preacher at the later

service. He will also be here to baptize,

confirm and receive those parishioners

who are so prepared.

There will be an 8:00 a.m. Eucharist

that day if you absolutely cannot attend

the later service. Bishop Hollingsworth

plans to have breakfast with the confirm-

ation candidates, but you can meet him

at a reception in the Parish Hall following

the 10:00 a.m. Eucharist.

Thought for the month

Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.

Will you help?

A Call for Nursery Guild

Is anyone interested in volunteering one

Sunday a month to help with the Nursery

Guild during the 10 a.m. Worship?

Iπm looking for ADULT volunteers to start

up the Nursery for Sunday morning

worship. I feel that the little ones in our

congregation may be distracting for some

but are blessings for others. Iπd like to

start a sign up sheet for adults, no teen-

agers, to care for these little ones. If you

canπt volunteer time, can you volunteer

talents of treats for the children? This

would help out the parents who would

love to spend worship time without

having to worry about their child(ren).

If youπre interested & can help out,

please call me, Pam Bean, at:

(440) 992-0128

Ushers, ushers, ushers

We need someone who can schedule

ushers and serve as a substitute in a

pinch. Eleanor Andrews has done this

for many years – all on her own since

since Gwen & Ron Taylor moved, and

she feels it is time to pass the baton.

Thank you, thank you Eleanor! Eleanor

insists that she will be available to

encourage the next person and answer

questions. She says it isnπt too difficult,

and the schedule is already done

through April.

Are you the one who would be blessed

by serving the Lord at the door of his

house and helping others to do so?

If so, see Mother Barbara.

2006 Summer Reading Campaign

Greetings from Sacred Path Books &

Art! We are asking for your support,

and the support of your parish, in

making this yearπs summer reading

campaign, once again, a resounding

success.

Sacred Path is compiling lists of books

for summer reading. As a nonprofit

ministry dedicated to providing a

selection of books that speak to the

celebration of life and faith, our staff

is working to bring quality reading

materials to children in parish &

community summer programs. This

is accomplished by donations made

to the Summer Reading Campaign.

Your help is needed to make this

program a success.

Can you help us achieve our goal?

Please help us enrich a childπs summer

through the power of books Donations

may be sent to:

Diocese of Ohio, Sacred Path Books

& Art, Dept. 161, PO Box 94753,

Cleveland, OH 44101-4753.

Please include your name, address, gift amount, phone #.

Checks payable to: Sacred Path

Books & Art. Many thanks for

your consideration.

Announcements

Edward Wood Scholarship

Time to think again about the Edward

Wood Scholarship. The requirements

for application: be a member in good

standing of St. Peter Episcopal Church;

be accepted at an accredited college or

university in Ohio; plan to pursue a

course of study in Engineering or

Architecture.

Application forms are available in the

church office. The deadline to return

applications to the church office is

June 15, 2006, allowing for the inclu-

sion of a complete grade transcript.

Scholarships are available to qualified

candidates planning to pursue a four-

year degree or a two-year associate

degree.

We will be glad to answer any questions

you may have. Just direct them to Mother

Barbara, Jan Green, Nettie Weidig or

Eleanor Andrews.

The Prayer Chain

With the departure of Ginny Feigh, who

so ably captained the prayer chain, a

call for help went out. It was answered

generously by Linda Doxsie. So, if you

need to add someone to the Prayer

Chain, call Linda at: 964-3171.

Free Wheelchair Mission

Ashtabula County Campaign contin-

ues with Don Schoendorfer returning

to Ashtabula County. He is thanking

us for giving the largest single contri-

bution, ever. 6000 people no longer

have to live on the ground because of

our help. Power Point presentation will

be given highlighting countries such as

Iraq. Don will describe how your church

can go on distribution trips as a mission.

All are invited on Wednesday, March 8,

7:00 p.m. at Second Congregational

Church, 319 Lake Avenue, Ashtabula.

Info: James von Tesmar,964-2211 or

964-9640.

Ash Wednesday

On Ash Wednesday, March 1^st, the

Eucharist will be celebrated with the

imposition of ashes at 12:00 noon, and

7:00 p.m. The noon service will not have

music.

Lenten Potlucks

Our Lenten potluck suppers will begin

on Wednesday, March 8^th, at 6:00 p.m.

Mother Barbara has reminded us that

this is a season of penance. In that

vein, she suggests that we bring soup

or bread or something else to share that

is simple and nutritious.

Our first potluck, on March 8^th, will be

followed at 7:00 p.m. by a Eucharist

with Prayers for Healing.

Another feast of music!

The Cleveland Orchestra Piano Trio

will be here on March 12^th at

2:00 p.m. Lunch precedes the concert

at 12:30 p.m.

Call Roger Smith (964-0292) or the

Church Office (992-8100) for reservations.

Hospice of the Western Reserve

Hospice of the Western Reserve, Ashtabula

County, invites you to attend a Cake Auction

and Cake Toss sponsored by the Ashtabula

County Board of Realtors on March 12, 2206,

from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the

Ashtabula Mall Center Court. This event is

sponsored annually in memory of a realtor,

Andy Leiber, who initiated this fundraiser in

1993. One can toss a ≥cake≤ at a local

celebrity (2 for$1.00) from 11:00 a.m. to

2:00 p.m., or listen to Sherry Cornell, the

Contemporary Gospel Singer from 1:00 p.m.

to 2:00 p.m., and then bid on a delicious

cake at 2:00 p.m. Please mark your

calendars for this special day set aside to

support hospice care in Ashtabula County.

Mmm corned beef & cabbage

Diane Podgorny & Bob Ashley are planning

our annual corned beef & cabbage dinner

for Thursday, March 16^th. The dinner will be

from 5:00 p.m åtil 6:00 p.m. and the cost is:

Children up to age 12- $3.00

Adults - $5.00

Anyone who would like to make a dessert

please contact Diane.

New in the Book Store

JUST IN: Larger print Contemporary

English Bibles (with Apocrypha). The

The CEV Bible is the successor to the

Good News Bible. It is a fresh transla-

tion into contemporary American

English, an effort to make Scripture

accessible and understandable to all.

Although it is not the translation we

read in church (that would be the New

Revised Standard Version), it comes

with Mother Barbaraπs recommendation.

If youπve tried reading the Bible and had

a hard time understanding it, this may

be just the ticket. This would be an

excellent investment for Lent. At any

rate – come look at all the good stuff!

In case you werenπt there

At the Annual Parish meeting in January

David Huyck, Eric Johnson and George

Ducro were the three candidates elected

to the Vestry for 2006.

This brings the Vestry to the required

number of nine members. This reduction from 12 to 9 was approved, also at the meeting.

At the first Vestry meeting since the election Roger Smith was re-elected as

Sr. Warden, Brian Van Allen as Jr. Warden, George Ducro as Treasurer and

Pat Van Allen as interim Clerk.

Do you hear what I hear?

An elderly man had serious hearing prob-

lems for a number of years. His family

tried again and again to convince him to

get a hearing aid. Finally, he relented. He

went to the doctor and was fitted for a set

of hearing aids that allowed him to hear

100 percent.

A month later he went back to the doctor.

The doctor said with a smile, ≥ Your hearing

is perfect! Your family must be really

pleased that you can hear again.≤

The old man replied, ≥ Oh, I havenπt told my

family yet. I just sit around and listen to

their conversations. Iπve changed my will

three times!≤

Coal Basket Bible

~ a story~

The story is told of an old man who

lived on a farm in the mountains of

eastern Kentucky with his young

grandson. Each morning, Grandpa

was up early, sitting at the kitchen

table reading from his old worn-out

Bible. His grandson, who wanted to

be just like him, tried to imitate him

in any way he could.

One day the grandson asked, ≥ Papa,

I try to read the Bible just like you –

but I donπt understand it, and what I

do understand I forget as soon as I

close the book. What good does read-

ing the Bible do?≤

The grandfather quietly turned from

putting coal in the stove and said,

≥ Take this coal basket down to the

river and bring back a basket of

water.≤

The boy did as he was told, even

though all the water leaked out before

he could get back to the house. The

grandfather laughed and said,≤ You

will have to move a little faster next

time,≤ and sent him back to the river

with the basket to try again.

This time the boy ran faster, but again

the basket was empty before he

returned home. Out of breath, he told

his grandfather that it was ≥impossible

to carry water in a basket,≤ and he

went to get a bucket instead. The old

man said, ≥ I donπt want a bucket of

water; I want a basket of water. You

can do this. Youπre just not trying hard

enough,≤ and he went out the door to

watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was

impossible, but he wanted to show his

grandfather that even if he ran as fast

as he could, the water would leak out

before he got very far. The boy scooped

the water and ran hard, but when he

reached his grandfather the basket was

again empty. Out of breath, he said,

≥ See, Papa, itπs useless!≤

≥ So, you think it is useless?≤ the old

man said, ≥ Look at the basket.≤ The

boy looked at the basket and for the

first time he realized that the basket

looked different. Instead of a dirty old

coal basket, it was clean.

≥ Son, thatπs what happens when you

read the Bible. You might not under-

stand or remember everything, but

when you read it, it will change you

from the inside out. That is the work of

God in our lives. To change us from the

inside out and to slowly transform us

into the image of His son.≤

Thank you, we get thank yous

From ≥Ashtabula Homeless Shelter≤

Dear Parishioners:

We would like to express our deepest

thanks for your generous donation to

the shelter. Every dollar and all goods

that are donated by you and the

community help us very much. Your

kindness to the homeless is much

appreciated.

Thank you for choosing the shelter as a

recipient of your donation.

The staff and the board of directors are

grateful for your help.

Sincerely,

Steven E. Sargent, Director

From the recipien of 2 cents/meal

Dear St. Peterπs,

Thank you so much for your continued

support of the Red Cross Chapter. We are

working hard to assist those in the county

that need our help, and your donation will

be used wisely.

Sincerely,

Mary Ellen Coneglio

Odds and Ends of thanks

The G O Ministries were most happy

to receive the 18 donated coats that

Jan Green delivered to them from

St. Peterπs.

Thanks to Mother Barbara for

announcing at church and in the

Epistle ≥ A Walk Through the Old

Testament.≤ Mr. Nelson has a great

ability to teach with humor. He held

the interest of some 40 persons.

I highly recommend his seminars to

everyone.

~ Karen Flack ~

The influence of the Crucified

Christ

Nikolaus Zinzendorf was a child of

German nobility born in Dresden in

1700. When he was a young man he

entered a public hall and saw a large

painting of the crucifixion. On the

bottom of the painting were the

words: ≥ This I have done for you.

What have you done for me?≤

Zinzendorf was so deeply moved by

the words that he never forgot them.

He said, ≥ From this time I had but

one passion, and that was He, only

He.≤

He dedicated his life to the cause of

Christ and eventually became a bish-

op of the Moravian church. His zealous

religious activities resulted in his exile

from Saxony. But that didnπt stop him.

He traveled the continent proclaiming

the Christian message. His strong faith

and spiritual depth had a great influence

on 19^th century Protestant theology and

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.

Later, Zinzendorf helped establish the

Moravian movement in America.

All of this was Zinzendorfπs answer to the

question on the painting, ≥ What have

you done for me?≤

~ Newsletternewsletter ~

Fun for kids of any age