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May11 is The Day of Pentecost, when we commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the Book of Acts, Chapter 2. It’s tradition to wear red, orange, yellow or other “flame” color to church on this day, symbolizing the appearance of the Holy Spirit.

May 11 is Mother’s Day. We pray for and honor all those who nurture, encourage, and protect on this day.

May 11 is Recognition Sunday! The program year is quickly coming to a close. Christian formation classes for children and youth end May 11 and our students take an active roll in the liturgy at 10:30 a.m. A special coffee hour will be held after the service in honor of our young people.

Everyone is invited to join us for this happy occasion!

Marilyn Cleland, Editor in Chief...................................Eva Marie Leonard, Editor Emerita

Send your articles, announcements, profound thoughts, and not-so-profound thoughts

Eva Leonard is my friend. In that I am blessed. I know I am not alone in claiming this. But I want to acknowledge it. When I came to St. Paul’s, many years ago now, it was Eva who welcomed me right away, as she continues always to acknowledge and greet newcomers – strangers – to our midst.

Eva’s interest is always genuine. I think that she really wants to know who you are and what you have to say. There seems to be nothing generic or formulaic about her. She has authentic interest in others and a wide interest in current events, in history, in culture, in our faith. She has kept the library for St. Paul’s, and in talking to her about the occasional article I read in Christianity Today or in the Anglican Advance or in some other magazine on the library table , I find that quite often – indeed, usually – Eva has read it. Moreover, she has a response to the article. She can place it within the context of religious history or comparative religion. But just as importantly, she wants to know what I think about it. What my thoughts are. She is an informed, an enlightened person who greets us, who goes out of her way to engage us, to get to know us

And Eva has persisted with me. But it was not only her informed intelligence that spoke to me. What I found and continue to find in her is her faithfulness, which in her case has two meanings: her faithfulness to me and her fullness of faith. Eva’s faith shines through her, often spoken softly as an afterthought, a timely insight.. I remember her once, adding to something I had said that Christianity is “about forgiveness, isn’t it..” Or something like that. Said quietly, said quickly. But presumed. That is not the only thing one can say about Christianty, but within the context of our conversation, it was exactly right. Her observation was the right thing spoken at the right moment. It is one of her great gifts that Eva can speak of our faith with conviction and knowledge and timeliness but without bombast, without ego, without pride of faith.

It is her conviction and her values and her faith that have caused her to contribute so much to St. Paul’s. She was a Sunday School teacher; for 25 years she has been the editor for our newsletter and as far as I know, she continues as our librarian. Through Sunday School, she reached out to our children and remembers them, asking often about their lives today. My children remember her vividly and fondly. Through the Proclaimer, she has kept us informed about our church and the larger church. As librarian, she has displayed materials relevant to our lives as Christians and Episcopalians. (There isn’t a difference, is there?) Through the years I have looked through the materials and found something relevant to my faith journey.

Eva, then, is an ambassador of the Episcopal Church. (One we could all learn from as we work to gather new members.) She is one of those increasingly rare people in the Episcopal Church born into it and raised in its traditions and culture; yet, at the same time, she has no vanity about that fact (which some do, but not here at St. Paul’s of course!). One may say, as a matter of fact, that the current Episcopal Church is a church of converts. And, speaking as one of those converts, I have to say that part of my conversion to the Episcopal Church and especially to St. Paul’s is due to the evangelism – yes, if you will – of Eva Leonard, whose faithfulness shines through her radiant smile. For her friendship, for her outreach to me and to our community, I give thanks. --Marilyn Cleland

Sunday, May 25, we begin our summer schedule. The early service (8 a.m.) will not change, but the later service will be at 9:30 a.m. It will change back on Kick-Off Sunday, September 7.

We are in the final weeks before our annual fundraiser. This event not only results in raising money for many local charities and St. Paul’s programs but also is a wonderful community building event for our parish family.

How it works for those who are new:

A truck loaded with approximately 2000 live lobsters arrives at St. Paul’s late afternoon and the activities begin about 4:00 p.m., when those ordering live lobsters pick up their fresh crustaceans. The boilers are cranked up and the

cooking begins for the 5, 6 and 7:00 p.m. orders. The cooks pay close attention to the timing and when the lobster are cooked perfectly they bring them in containers to the tent. The staff in the tent work feverishly putting the lobsters in bags and then boxes which are carried into the garage. In the garage the orders are filled, according to names and number of lobsters ordered, which have been written on paper grocery bags. (The bag labeling process is done on Friday night by a dedicated crew!) As cars line up in the driveway, our runners pick up customer tickets from the waiting cars, run to the garage, pick up the order for that customer and run back to the car with the delicious lobsters and the car drives away – another happy customer!

In between each boil, there is time to munch on snacks and beverages and talk with fellow workers. Snacks include fruit, vegetable, cookies, sandwiches, etc. Beverages provided include, water, soft drinks and beer.

Following the boil, all the equipment needs to be moved from the rectory to the church and everyone needs to help with this process! (Many hands make light work – is the theme of this day!)

Many of us stay at the church and have a wonderful lobster dinner together. For those who would prefer to eat something else – there will be a grill going! Salad and desserts are provided.

NEW THIS YEAR:

· We discovered it is cheaper to have our printer label and mail the order forms so we didn’t have to do that – yay!!

· We have set up a process to order lobster on-line using credit cards through Google Merchant. This has been request for years and we are excited about this new payment option.

· We will be staffing a table outside Schnuck’s on Saturday, May 3 to take orders and distribute information.

On the Lobster Table in the Parish Hall:

· Sign up sheets for the various functions listed above – we need your help!! Workers are needed from 4 - 7:30. (If you can only work part of that time – we appreciate any time you can contribute.) Following the boil, all the equipment needs to be moved from the rectory to the church and everyone needs to help with this process!

· Posters and order forms for distribution. Please pick up posters and sign up to post them to designated locations if you have not already.

· If distributing order forms to various locations – if possible write the location on the order form somewhere so we can see which locations are most effective.

· Take a stack of order forms and pass them out to whoever you come in contact with or leave a pile in places you think they might be picked up. Feel free to take people’s orders and checks and put them in the Lobster Order box by the mail boxes.

We want to make this overwhelming success and we need everyone’s help. If you are going to be out of town on May 17 please help with the promotion and publicity. Questions or suggestions? Please contact Ellen Anderson at 758-0934 or Pat Brown, 758-5210.

Members of St. Paul’s Youth Group participated in Bowl-for-Kids’ Sake and baked cookies for Hospice in March. We met in April for a popcorn and movie night, and on April 27 we made a trip to St. James Cathedral to see the Keiskamma Altarpiece exhibit. The May 11 has been cancelled as that is Mother’s Day! You can see and learn about the Keiskamma Altarpiece on the Chicago Diocese website, www.epischicago.org. Note: The website noted is NOT a link. You will need to type the address into your browser window.

2008 Bowl-For-Kids’ Sake Report: Team St. Paul raised $507 for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program! Gail Sitzes was the top money raiser at $155. Bob Lastick had the best score at 151 - we had a bum lane!! Jennifer Sitzes had the best score of the ladies at 109, and Maggie Russell bowled 101! Gail Sitzes and Maureen Gerrity were “also rans”. Our faithful cheerleader Norma Fitzgerald kept our spirits up throughout. Thank you to all the bowlers, sponsors and well-wishers for your splendid support of this worthy cause. Maureen Gerrity

A $20 donation will buy dinner, shelter, and supportive counseling for one night for one person. You can get an envelope to make a donation of any size from the church office or in the sanctuary.

Dick Dowen was inducted as a member of Kishwaukee Kiwanis on April 23. He joins Father Mar k and Bill & Jennie Cummings as members of this service club.

Recovering…. Eva Leonard is grateful for all the good wishes, prayers, cards & flowers she received during her illness earlier this spring. Bob Brown and Jim Torma are also doing much better, thank you!

Gary & Arline Fanning have a new mailing address…they haven’t moved, just got a post office box. Please call the parish office if you’d like to have it.

On Friday, February 8 and Saturday, February 9, Rhys Prall, Ellen Anderson, and I attended the Magnetic Church Conference at St. Lawrence Episcopal Church in Libertyville. This event was sponsored by the Diocese of Chicago, and was led by Andrew Weeks, a member of the Anglican Church in Canada, who is an internationally-recognized leader with regard to church growth and evangelism.

Mr. Weeks has been leading Magnetic Church workshops for several years. I first became acquainted with him over ten years ago through his book, “Welcome.”

Rhys, Ellen, and I, as well as the other participants “read, marked, and inwardly digested” a wealth of new ideas that can help our congregations become more visible and inviting. Weeks offered us many suggestions that are both user-friendly and avoid the “hard sell” approach that can turn off so many people.

All of us were invited to look at our congregations from the point of view of the newcomer, particularly the first-time visitor. The first three minutes of a person’s visit to a church are crucial. More often than not, that person, in those first three minutes, will make up his or her mind as to whether or not to return.

First impressions are of utmost importance. Is there plenty of parking? Are the grounds attractive, and properly maintained? Are hallways and other common areas clean and well-lit? Are there visible, quality signs that point newcomers to the worship space, offices, Church School rooms, restrooms, and the parish hall? Is the furniture both safe and attractive?

But more importantly, are newcomers welcomed? Do they find established parishioners friendly, and interested in getting to know them? Is the service easy to follow? Does the format of the worship bulletin help, or hinder?

Are newcomers greeted upon arrival, at the Peace, and at coffee hour? Are there multiple ways by which newcomers can learn about and get involved in the ministries of the congregation? Does the congregation make it easy for newcomers to become involved? Will newcomers be visited in their home (or at work, or over a meal) by the clergy, and other designated representatives of the congregation?

Weeks also gave us some effective ideas as to how we can improve publicity in our congregations. Websites must constantly be updated, and the most important information must be easy to find and follow. We also learned how to effectively use the newspaper and other forms of media to make our congregations better known in the community. We even had the opportunity in small groups to critique one another’s newsletters, worship bulletins, and welcoming brochures. The three of us received some quite helpful feedback.

Ellen, Rhys, and I have been meeting to sift through all of the information we received at the conference (and there is a lot!). We currently are in the early stages of prioritizing the work we feel that needs to be done. But the welcoming and incorporation of newcomers is important not just for the three of us, but for all of us! It is pleasing to God!

Rhys, Ellen, and I will have even more to say about this exciting and holy work in the very near future. Stay tuned!

Fr. Mark, Rhys Prall and I attended this weekend conference which focused on church growth. The program was presented by Andrew Weeks, who travels all over the county helping congregations develop strategies for new member ministry. We came away with many ideas we can apply to St. Paul’s and some tasks we have all ready started to work on.

This work begins at the sidewalk – what can people tell driving by our church? Things that Mr. Weeks encouraged us to examine are signage and appearance. Can a person driving by tell what time services are? Are handicapped parking and accessible entrances marked? This is important to individuals with disabilities but also to new mothers who may have a stroller to push. Are the grounds well maintained? Is it well lit at night?

When you walk in the door – how are you greeted? Can you tell where the restrooms and nursery are? Is it neat and tidy? Is it well lit and does the paint look fresh? Can a new person find a “you are here” map? Are bulletin boards neat and well maintained?

Beyond the appearance of the physical plant, we discussed effective promotional and marketing strategies. We had the opportunity to have some our printed materials critiqued and you will be seeing a few things in that area improved.

When I was approached to be Junior Warden, I prayed very hard about it and the reason I said yes is because this is a wonderful church made up of with loving, generous welcoming individuals, who I consider extended family. We need to do a better job of telling our story. There is much we need to do, as I know we are all concerned with our shrinking numbers.

Over the next month or two I believe you will see the beginning of some changes and the implementation of some of Mr. Weeks’ suggestions. This is not a vestry project – we all need to commit to new member ministry.

This is my first occasion as editor of the Mars Hill Proclaimer. I have a tough act to follow. We were all much informed by the Mars Hill, with Eva Leonard’s tireless work. She did it all: seeking the news locally, reading the news from the diocese and the larger Church, keeping up with various Christian publications. But one of her most frustrating jobs was in getting people to commit to telling us what they were doing. Mind you, Eva never complained; she simply urged and encouraged. I know that she often did that to me. (But I failed her.)

So I have little right to urge you, to exhort you, to participate in YOUR Mars Hill. It is your committee work and your participation and your reading and your responses that make it YOURS. Without reporters and without respondents (the distinction below), this is not a newsletter.

To that end – to make it yours – I am seeking your writing. For a variety of things. As for instance, I refer you to Blythe Stason’s fine report and reflection upon his visit to Israel as the Holy Land, which he offered as a letter to the editor. And to Eva Leonard’s review of the literature – the journals and magazines and books relevant to our lives as members of St. Paul’s. She lets us know something about the journals themselves and then points to matters of interest to her. And to Ellen Anderson’s thoughtful description for newcomers of the Lobster Boil process, and to Maureen Gerrity’s enthusiastic account of the successful participation of some of St. Paul’s people in the Bowl for Kids Sake as well as her report on the youth. These reports are necessary to the informed participation of members of St. Paul’s Church.

At this time, I thought it would be interesting to add some news features (or to give them names):

A Call for Reporters. For each category above, I call upon people to volunteer to be the reporter. (For the Youth Group, I urge one or two of the members to write, to collaborate.) Reporters do not have to write anything of length: simply what has been done; and, possibly, what issues have emerged, and what each group hopes for itself.

For reporters on the Diocese and the wider Church, I refer you to the many resources available: Anglican Advance and the material online from the Diocese of Chicago (www.epischicago.org); for the Episcopal Church in the United States ,(www.episcopalchurch.org) , a national website. For the Anglican Church worldwide, there is an official website (anglicancommunion.org) also. Reporters on the Diocese and the larger Church do not have to feel that they must read everything. Often these websites and publications offer calendars of events that are of interest; in addition, they offer editorials of interest. Letters to the Editor of these sites and publications often point to the conflicts and challenges within the Church. So, reporters might read selectively and determine what is the news for a given period.

A Call for Responses. In addition to reportage, I suggest two additional sections: Reflections and Letters to the Editor. The Reflections section will begin with Fr. Mark’s Mark My Words. But it is also a place for our other members to write about matters that interest them in connection to our Church – from St. Paul’s to the Anglican Church world wide. The reflections might be about practices, questions of faith, liturgy, conflicts within the church: something you feel impassioned about or something that has engaged you about our faith in all its varied expressions. Perhaps what you are responding to is not anything connected to the Church but which causes you to think and those reflections are connected to our faith. (And are not all important questions in some ways connected to our faith? -- That certainly is a current political question, is it not?)

This section could also be devoted to anyone’s responses to their reading. I use the word reading broadly, to wit: a newspaper, a pamphlet, a lectionary reading, electronic publications, online websites, You Tube, a painting, a poem, a play, a movie, etc. Anything that you think connects to you (and possibly to others) in their faith journey. Anything which seems to offer a religious insight (even if it is not overtly about religion). Anything that engages you as you experience your faith. Perhaps you wish to recommend something; perhaps to argue with it; to ask questions of it and of our readers.

Some Online Resources. Here are some interesting websites: Episcopal Church, Chicago; www.episcopalchurch.org; www.anglicancommunion.org. A very interesting absolutely brand-new site is the Episcopal Café (www.episcopalcafe.com), described as “a collaborative effort by . . . writers and editors . . . . Together aspire to create a visually appealing, intellectually stimulating, spiritually enriching and at least occasionally amusing site where Episcopalians and those interested in our church can read, watch, listen and reflect upon contemporary life in a context informed by faith and animated by the spirit of charity.”

Don’t be frightened! And once again, what you write does not need be a long reading or response. Perhaps the reading that challenged you is a particular lectionary reading, perhaps an insight from Foreward or the Anglican Advance. Or perhaps watching Sister Angelica lead the nuns in the saying of the rosary, with her commentary afterword. (Have you seen her? She’s quite interesting and often challenging.) We do not need to stay within our own faith traditions. Certainly Christianity’s connection to Judaism is profound and yet historically troubled, and currently many of us have mixed feelings and insecure knowledge about Islam. We could read and learn and then respond.

For an instance, I offer you Eva’s latest review. (I should caution you that we do not all have to keep to her standard of depth and width of responding to material from the church: simply enjoy.)

To have some idea of what is happening in the churches in our Deanery, especially those at the western and southern ends of our Deanery, we exchange newsletters. I have found these interesting and I hope that some of you will too.

Grace Church, Galena, has been thriving in recent years. Under Father North the church had grown in membership, outreach and community participation and became a parish more than two years ago. At this point they must find a way to attain a larger and adjacent parish hall and more parking. Architectural plans were made more than a year ago but seem to be on hold at this time. Their cooperation with the Episcopal churches across the river in Iowa is also an innovative development.

THE GOOD NEWS is the news letter of Emmanuel Episcopal Church of Rockford. In the last two years they have begun capitalizing on their central geographic position in the diocese. Grace Church, Freeport, where Don McAlister served for a time, has been active in cooperative outreach with other local organizations and has a very active youth ministry. Their priest recently left to accept a position elsewhere. St. Luke’s, Dixon, was able to hire a full time priest last year and is very enthusiastically charging ahead. The congregation is thinking of starting a parish nursing program. They are eager to host Episcopal Church Women Deanery Days. St. Luke’s was the site of one of the bishop candidates meetings last fall. Grace Church, Sterling, has been sending us their newsletter Grace Notes. The have a new part-time but enthusiastic priest and are eager to share the large range of their activities.

God's Word Today is a publication of Catholic scholarship to which St. Paul’s has long subscribed. When I first became aware of it in the 1970s it was your basic bible study. It covers all the books of the Bible in about two year cycles. We used it in some bible studies at St. Paul’s. The editors followed the new historical, cultural school of biblical scholarship. As a historian and a student of ancient history I enjoyed the issues very much. Every month there were about three fascinating articles about when and how each book was written, the historical circumstances, the problems of the day that each

addressed, and the time periods over which they had been edited. The devotional format was always the same. The

assigned readings were accompanied by personal reflections and applications to our daily lives. Now the new editor, Jean-Pierre Prévost, has shifted to a more pastoral focus, how to read and meditate on the biblical literature as a guide to being a Catholic today. It is still a very good devotional guide and has informative essays including the varied meanings of the oft used Hebrew words

A new favorite of mine is the Episcopal Life monthly. If gives you a feeling of the diversity and activity of Episcopal life today. It makes one proud to be an Episcopalian, in contrast to THE LIVING CHURCH which now admits to its “Anglican Catholic” perspective, and I find it is rather discouraging.

If you want hope and possibilities read Episcopal Life. If you are evangelical, which we should be, and it means telling friends, churched and more likely unchurched, why the Episcopal Church at this time can speak to your needs and use your talents, by all means read Episcopal Life!

I hope you will use this to respond to what you read in the Mars Hill. If you are uncomfortable writing under the section “Reflections,” perhaps you would be more comfortable writing a letter. You may send your letter online to proclaimer@tbc.net or place it in the Mars Hill mailbox.

Please let me know what you think. Eva Leonard did so much while encouraging others to participate in the Mars Hill. I, too, call upon you to participate, some of you regularly as reporters, some of you occasionally as respondents and letter writers. And, of course, all of you as readers. I hope the Mars Hill continues to serve you as it has served me all through these years.

Natalie Clark and I returned recently from a visit to the Holy Land (A.K.A., ‘Israel’) – eight days. It was an intense learning experience, much walking and views from various places. We were in Tel Aviv, Tiberias, the Dead Sea, and Jerusalem. I learned a lot – from a lecturer informed on Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. I would recommend the experience.

Apart from the facts, I was much impressed that this little Mediterranean country, battled over by many for thousands of years, should be the point of origin of two important monotheistic religions, and an important base (Temple Mount, Jerusalem) of the third. I went across the Sea of Galilee, put a foot in the River Jordan, saw the holes [in caves] whence the Dead Sea Scrolls came, and tromped around on the Masada, where the Jews held out to the last man against [one of Vespasian’s] Roman legions -- stationed in Judea to keep the place and crucify those it deemed malefactors. [Ed. Note: According to the Jewish historian of the 1^st Century CE, Josephus, approximately 1,100,00 people, mainly Jews, were killed during the Jewish rebellion, many of them by crucifixion.]

In Jerusalem, I saw the Temple Mount, West (Wailing) Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the Mount of Olives – from which I have a few sprigs.

The fact of having generated these beliefs, and nurtured them, is my principal memory. I’m very glad to have gone.


Birthdays
Maggie Russell, April 2 George Jaros, April 4 Alec Dudgeon April 12 Jeffrey King Roberts, April 14 Alan Leonard, April 18 Greg Dudgeon, April 22 Doug Roberts, April 23 Amanda Riego, April 27 Breana Riego, April 27	Alexander Nygaard, May 4 Glenn Ouellette, May 9 Brian Prall, May 10 Terry Dickow, May 11 Nan Mason, May 12 Steven Dudgeon, May 13 Andrea Jones, May 13 Stephen Jones, May 18 Marguerite Harkness, May 20 Janie Torma, May 21 The Reverend Arra Garab, May 24 John Krusbe, May 27			Sean Michael Sitzes, June 7 Beth Gaillard, June 8 Thea Beard, June 8 Dick Beard, June 13 Eva Marie Leonard, June 14 Matthew Ouellette, June 14 Marilyn Sjoholm, June 22 Colin Prall, June 23 Bertha Lyon, June 24 The Reverend Mark Geisler, June 25 David Kim Roberts, June 25 Rita Anderson, June 26 Kenneth Gene Sitzes, June 28 Rosemarie Ostberg, June 30

Marriage Anniversaries
The Reverend Mark & Varsie Geisler, April 25, 1987 Brenda & Alan Leonard, June 5, 1993 The Reverend Arra & Suzanne Garab, June 16, 1956 George Jaros & Julie Zaborac, June 16, 2001 Vince & Pat McMahon, June 22, 1963 Michael & Kristin Duffy, June 24, 2000

The Faithful Departed
The Victims of February 14 at Cole Hall Jennie Kim Rodgers infant		The Reverend Sherman Miller Thomas Woodstrup Brett Bouma	Robert Scott Gerald Moore Dan Edwards