TIDINGS

MAY 2021

If you would like a full copy of the tidings for this month, please email or visit Annie in the office.

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FROM THE PRIEST-IN-CHARGE

 

Peace be with you

 

I hope that this Eastertide is one of bringing you all the joys of the mystery of the resurrection and the newness of Christ in your lives.

 

The newness of life is our task at this time with our need to attend to our Church structure. We put forth in our annual meeting attention to the exterior of our Church this year, which led to a need to start with our aged roof. The Vestry has followed through with seeking bids and two contracts at this time have been accepted. One contract is for enclosing the freezer on the northside of the Parish and match the stucco to blend into the rest of the Church. The other contract is for the roof, choosing pro-panel for the longevity and durability of this roofing material. The Vestry wanted to move quickly on both of these as the forecast in the construction world is a continued rise in costs for materials. The enclosing of the freezer has already begun, and the roof project will begin in 3-5 weeks (May/June), and the Vestry approved the exterior stucco, wood, and paint to proceed after the roof is installed.

 

In my April letter I initiated a fundraising campaign to raise the funds for these important projects, asking for prayerful consideration particularly of the stimulus checks to stimulate a need in our ministries of stewarding our inheritance of a Church building. This request was made with an anticipated cost for the all the work around $40,000. At this time, we are still looking around $40,000 as the Vestry finalized the contracts this past week. I give thanks to God that we have received $12,520.00 for the work ahead. Thank you all for your generosity at this time.

 

The Vestry in its March meeting approved the use of our current finances which afford us at this time the necessary monies to cover the costs of the work. However, we also need to be thinking long term and preparing for other needs for the stewarding of our property in the future. Our goal is to replenish the funds for the exterior projects so that the $40,000 in turn can be put into our investment funds in our endowment to generate interest to assist us in fathering the ministries of St. Barnabas for many years yet to come. In essence we are loaning money to ourselves. This is a great direction to undertake and gives hope to investing in the Church as we navigate the transformation of the Church to meet the needs of faithful living for the generations yet to come.

 

Lastly, this Parish is noted for its feeding of those in need. Feeding is central to this Parish and extends beyond Grace’s Kitchen. We feed and are fed in manifold ways in our life in Christ. Our investing now ensures that we are committed to feeding for many years yet to come. In the coming months and year ahead, I ask for your continued generosity in considering a bit more gift giving to the Church toward shoring up our foundations in Christ and further the ministries toward the future. Please see in the Tidings this month, Judy Schuenemeyer providing an opportunity for those with traditional IRA’s as a means to contribute to the work. We are grateful for any and all contributions toward the project of revitalizing our Church structure.

 

In gratitude for serving as your Priest-in-Charge in your profound feeding ministries.

Rev. Douglas K. Bleyle    

 

UPCOMING BISHOP’S VISIT

 

We are excited that Bishop Kym Lucas will be with us on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. On this weekday visitation our Bishop will be meeting with our church leadership, touring the area, meeting with our two Confirmands, and offering a worship opportunity with Eucharist. Please plan on attending the worship scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm. More details will be coming in preparation for this time with our Bishop.

 

CONFIRMATIONS

 

Please pray for our Confirmands, Judith and Denver, as they prepare to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church on Saturday, May 22 during the SW Regional Confirmations at St. Mark’s, Durango. Here is the prayer for such occasions:

 

Almighty God, we thank you that by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you have overcome sin and brought us to yourself, and that by the sealing of your Holy Spirit you have bound us to your service. Renew in these your servants the covenant you made with them at their Baptism. Send them forth in the power of that Spirit to perform the service you set before them; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  

(Prayer at Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation, BCP 309)

 

MORNING PRAYER: RESURRECTED

 

Morning Prayer is now being held each Sunday at 10am both in person and via Zoom! If you would like to attend in person, we do ask that you wear your mask and practice physical distancing within the space.

 

Please contact the office for Zoom access information!

 

A WAY TO SAVE ON TAXES AND HELP ST. BARNABAS

By Judy Schuenemeyer

 

If you are 72 or older and have a traditional IRA, you will be required to take a mandatory withdrawal amount this year. That amount will be added to your taxable income and you will pay taxes on the total amount. If you want to avoid some of the tax, you can contribute from your IRA to St. Barnabas to pay your pledge and/or donate to the building repair fund. The contribution must be made directly to St. Barnabas from your IRA. Contact the bank or company where you have your IRA for information on how to arrange for charitable contributions. If your charitable donations exceed the standard deduction, you may also be able to take your contributions as a charitable deduction.

 

HOW TO DONATE FLOWERS

By Judy Osterhoudt

 

Now that we are returning to in-person worship, you may want to know how to contribute flowers for our services!  First, please sign up on the correct spot on the clip board found on the bulletin board in the Narthex.  Add anything you wish such as colors or types of flowers preferred.  You may also write down what you want done with the flowers after the service.  They are yours so you can keep them or keep one and tell Fr. Doug you would like one arrangement to go to Grace’s or someone who is unable to attend services.

 

Janice Hansen, altar guild, will read your request and follow through.  Our flowers are arranged at the Flower Cottage and they deliver them so the altar guild can put them in the proper place for Sunday.  Then the Flower Cottage will bill you for them.

 

You may also arrange for your own flowers from your yard or purchasing them elsewhere.  If you have no vases, the altar guild can help with that.

 

Please consider donating because they make the church all the more beautiful. 

 

COVID-19 UPDATES

 

We have created a special page on our website specifically about COVID-19, so please visit there or contact the office for more information: www.stbarnabascortez.org/COVID-19.

 

ARTICLES OR ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE TIDINGS

 

If you would like to submit an article or announcement for the Tidings, please send it to office@stbarnabascortez.org by 10:00am on the last Thursday of the month!

 

MINISTRY & OUTREACH SUPPORT

January thru April 2021

 

Good Samaritan Food Pantry: $400

The Bridge Emergency Shelter: $400

Montezuma Youth Pride: $860**

Grace’s Kitchen: $10,559**

Sanctuary at Mancos United Methodist Church: $70*

Rector’s Ministry to Community: $2,527

 

*Ministry is funded solely by donation

**Ministry funded solely by donation and grant income

 

 

GRACE’S PATRONS

 

March 2021: 634 Meals Served

Total Meals Served Since 1998: 225,701

 

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

 

“We are called to be creators of a just world in which every human being is treated with respect, in which all of us are given a fair chance. We are called to a just world. That means that even in our imperfections, we are all offered the same opportunity…We need every single one of us committed to the idea that God’s beloved community is beautiful and diverse and it is a community in which all people are deemed beloved.

So this day, I want to ask you to continue striving for justice and peace. Continue speaking up when you see wrongdoing. Continue confronting the systems of this world that oppress and destroy God’s children. I ask you to continue with me this hard work of developing beloved community because that is what we’ve promised in our baptism and that is what we are committed to as followers of Jesus.”

Bishop Kym, after the trial of Derek Chauvin

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THANK YOU

 

We would like to express great appreciation to the following people:

 

  • Erin, Bill, Janice, Ann, Victoria, Helen, and Cindy for their hard work at our Spring Clean-Up!

  • Stan and Pat, for polishing up the name plates on the Columbarium

  • Dot and Rhoda for assisting with our Care & Share visit

  • Bob, Josh, Stan, and others assisting with progress on St. B’s building needs

  • Our ongoing donors of bottled water and plastic bags for Grace’s Kitchen, including Jack and Judy and David and Cathie.

  • Thank you for the support from the congregation with gift giving in time, talent, and treasure to the Church in its ministries