The AbbeyThe Episcopal Church of St. Benedict September 2011

Bolingbrook, Illinois

Harvest BBQSaturday, September 10

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Music! Food! S'mores!

Childcare provided.-2-

From the Vicar

This year, rather than a full pay raise, the finance committee and Bishop's

Committee, gave me two more weeks and Sundays of vacation in 2011. It's

given me some extra time to visit friends and family and explore some

interesting places. I spent a week in July at a writing workshop for pastors,

which helped me think about ways I could write for Christians beyond St.

Benedict. Those thoughts are still percolating.

This year, I've also accepted an invitation to attend a "CREDO" conference, from

October 31- November 7, at the Lake Logan Conference Center in Canton, North

Carolina. CREDO is a sort of clergy "check-up" program sponsored by The

Church Pension Group to get clergy to focus on wellness in four areas: spiritual,

health, vocational, and financial. The Church Pension Fund pays all but $500 of the conference costs.

It is truly a gift to me, as a clergyperson. CREDO will help me make sure that I'm staying healthy both

personally and professionally and help me stay strong enough to do the work of ministry for the long

haul. Clergy leave the week with a wellness plan that is both realistic and:

d Spiritual - offers a sacred space where each participant can reflect on his or her interior life

and relationship with God in Christ.

d Vocational - provides opportunities for reflection, discernment, and planning in the

professional areas of vocation, career, and work.

d Health - encourages reflection on physical and emotional health and well-being, stewardship

of the body, and development of a plan to address the individual's health needs.

d Financial - explores all aspects of personal financial management and encourages reflection

on God-given resources and how best to use them in response to God's call.

All these areas are important for each one of us. Living faithfully is a holistic enterprise - there is no

part of life that doesn't connect in some way to God. As demanding as life can be, we make choices

about how we live. Those choices shape who we are and how we are, and we are almost always free

to change them.

I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to telling you about it when I return. Episcopal

clergy are unusually lucky to have a Pension Fund that provides an opportunity like this, but I hope

you also take some time in your life to examine these four areas. Or even just one! Wellness is a gift,

but one that only you can give yourself.

Blessings,

-3-

From the Wardens

Mortgage Reduction Capital CampaignAn Update…

The planning for our mortgage principlereduction campaign is about to kick intothe next gear; one that starts to involvethe greater congregation in theFeasibility phase. This step will askeach household to fill out aquestionnaire stating their thoughts andopinions regarding the proposedcampaign. Once these are all receivedback, there will be an assessmentinvolving our consultant, our advisorsfrom the Diocese, and our leadershiphere at the Church, as to whether or notto move forward, and if so, whatfinancial goal we can set for ourselves.Right now our plan is modeled arounda $200,000 target. We are indiscussion with the Diocese to see ifthey would support a matching loan tothat amount (or whatever is raised) andthrough that we hope to make asignificant pay down to our mortgagenote.

Part of this process will be to arrange forseveral personal interviews between our

professional consultant, Andi Tilmann,and some of you. In the next week orso, you may receive a call asking if youwould be willing to fill out thequestionnaire and then spend about30-40 minutes on the phone with her.The actual interviews will be conductedbetween August 31st and September3rd. So if you do receive an invitation,please consider taking this importantopportunity with Andi. You will find hervery easy to talk to!

Whether it's done as part of a personalinterview or just filling out thequestionaire on your own, we urge thateveryone take the time to participate inthis key part of the feasibility phase,which will set our direction towards thereal activity this fall, and our ultimategoal of reducing our debt expense andgreater independence as a thrivingcommunity of God!

Thank you for your prayerfulconsideration.

Joel Wegman and Ruan WrightCo-Wardens of the Bishop's Committee

-4-

Christian Formation

Godly Play (for children ages 3-7)Second and fourth Sundays, after worship, along the green hallway.

Children are met at the back of the sanctuary, and are welcomed at the classroom door by a door

person. The children will sit in a circle to hear their teacher, a trained Godly Play storyteller, tell them

a story about God and God's kingdom. They will have time to wonder and play before sharing a small

feast (snack) and saying good-bye. The session last about 45 minutes, during this time, parents are

welcome to have coffee and/or participate in Sunday Seminars.

Sunday, September 11 The Creation Renee WegmanSunday, September 25 The Exodus Esther Simonson

Sunday School (for children ages 8-12)Second and fourth Sundays, after worship, in the second classroom along the blue hallway.

Sunday, September 11 Planning a Kid’s Eucharist Rev. Heidi & Rev. Adam

Sunday, September 25 Saying and doing Sarah Allcock & Rev. Adam

Sunday, October 9 God’s Party Sarah Allcock & TBA

Sunday Seminars (ages 13 to adult)

September 11: Ministry Fair - Learn more about the many small groups, ministries,

and teams of St. Benedict. Tables with information will be set all around the church.

September 18: Ask an ex-Benedictine nun - Leona Holting, a former Benedictine

nun (and friend of the Adibe family), comes to share her experiences and answer your

questions. In the sanctuary.

September 25: Handbell workshop Want to try out our handbells? Have any interest

in playing them once in a while as part of worship? Join our music director, Brian Cromer,

to give them a try. In the sanctuary.

October 2: Little Mosque on the Prairie - watch and discuss a 25-minute episode of

a Canadian TV show about a Muslim mosque that meets in the basement of an Anglican

church out in a small town in rural Saskatchewan. "… a humorous look at relationships,

family, the generation gap, and balancing Muslim beliefs and traditions."

-5-

Christian Formation

Monday Morning Prayer Class

In case you missed the study of Jane Tomaine's book, St. Benedict'sToolbox, during Lent, you will have another chance come September.The Monday morning Prayer Study group will be taking a closer look atthis book on the second and fourth Mondays of the month beginningSeptember 12 at 10:00 a.m. This book is about using the tools developedin the Benedictine monasteries to strengthen our own spiritual livestoday. Everyone is welcome. No monk robes required. Contact EstherSimonson at 630-548 3549 for more information.

Wednesday Evening Bible Study

Beginning on September 14 and continuing for the next three weeks,th

please plan to join us for a study of the Book Of James. We will meet onWednesday evenings at the church from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. There are fivechapters loaded with great content! You may be surprised to see howmuch of this short book is familiar to you, even if you weren’t aware that

the verse you love, and may even quote from time to time, is found in this amazing littlebook. We will use a couple of different translations as we explore James and discovertogether all the ways this book still speaks to us today. Please plan to join us. There is asign-up sheet on the table in the narthex where you can indicate an interest in this study.Come for one week or all four - all are welcome!

Grace and Race

The Grace and Race groupwill be having a snacks and amovie event with Father Ray Massenburg Wednesday,September 28, 2011, 7:00 p.m., at St. Benedict. "The Poet,Preacher and Politician" Young People and the Church.Come out and join us. Contact Vince Macikas (630-357-7530) or Donnie Williams

(donnie.williams@illinois.gov) for more information.

Around St. Benedict

DREAMCATCHING

The dreamcatching lists we created last spring are now up on the church website and our

Facebook page as a slideshow. Check out the beautiful way that Donna Williams, Sheeba Eapen,

and Meagan Klupshas have presented our ideas and hopes. Some dreams have already become

a reality:

- a baby grand piano, donated by the Williams family

- a promise for two picnic tables from the Brownson family

- a new microwave donated by Rev. Heidi

- a refrigerator donated by the Wallace family

- altar linens being sewn by Carol Todd

- a kids lock-in last May

- a Columbarium / Memorial Garden and votive candlestand are possible "bonus

items" in the mortgage reduction campaign we are exploring this fall.

If you see an item you'd like to help make a reality, contact Rev. Heidi or one of the wardens,

Ruan Wright (630-378 4193) or Joel Wegman (630-229-6635).

WELCOME OUR NEW SECRETARY: Erika Masters

My intention has been all along to hire someone from outside our parish as our secretary

because it can be complicated to balance being both a member of a church and an employee of

that church. But after searching for several months and interviewing more than 10 candidates

for the position, Erika Masters asked if I would consider her for the position. Renee' Wegman

has shown me, serving as our interim secretary, that the right parishioner can do a great job of

balancing church participation and employment. After speaking with Erika, checking her

references, and consulting with the wardens, I feel that she has excellent qualifications both to

do the work the job requires and to balance her life as part of this community with her work for

me and in our office.

Erika will start on Monday, September 12. Renee' Wegman has done

great work as our interim secretary these past 9 months. We've been

blessed by her work and will continue to be blessed by her many gifts.

Thank you, Renee'!

~Rev. Heidi

-7-

Around St. Benedict

MINISTRY FAIR

St. Benedict will be holding a Ministry Fair on Sunday, September 11, after

the worship service. This is a wonderful opportunity to earn more about

the many groups all around the church. Please contact Donnie Williams

(donnie.williams@illinois.gov) or Margaret Bauman (815-886-1960) if

you have any questions or would like to represent a particular ministry.

We look forward to seeing you there!

St. Benedict Annual Pet BlessingSaturday, October 1, 2:00 pm

In honor of the Feast of St. Francis, The Church of St. Benedict

invites you to our annual Pet Blessing.

This and That

Give to the Vicar's Discretionary Fund

Rev. Heidi has a separate account to use for privately helping membersof this church who may be in need, for helping the needy in our localarea, and for special church projects she may be working on not includedin the church budget. It's funded entirely by special gifts from thecongregation. If you'd like to make a gift to the vicar's discretionary fund,mail or drop your gift in the offering basket and clearly mark it "Vicar'sD. Fund." A clear accounting of the fund is kept by the Treasurer. Thankyou!

Green Team Tips

From the Chicago Tribune August 21, 2011

Here are some tips on how to save money during these warmer months:

L Set the thermostat at 78 degrees or higher when you are at home. When no one is at home, set it to 85 degrees. You will save 1-2% on cooling costsfor each degree you raise your thermostat.

L Close the curtains or shades on any south or west window to save 2-4%.

L Use ceiling fans and table fans to increase air flow. Make sure that ceiling fansare turning counterclockwise.

L Shut doors to unused rooms and close the air supply vents inside them to save upto 3%.

L Cook with the microwave instead the oven to save up to 90% of the cookingcosts.

L Install compact fluorescent lights to save about 66% of lighting cost per fixture.

L Wash and dry full loads of clothes and dishes to save 2-4% on energy costs (a fullload means that you will be washing fewer times).

L Check your power company's website for tips, programs, incentives, rebates, andothers.

-9-

A Heartfelt Thank You

Bill Scheets and Tish Wallace, coordinators of the St. Benedict Festival,want to thank EVERYONE who helped make our annual festival a success.Your donations of baked goods, concession items, raffle prizes, andsupplies were invaluable! We humbly thank you for the hundreds ofvolunteer hours folks logged before, during, and after the event.Monetary donations were greatly appreciated and most importantly, yourprayers were truly a blessing!

This year’s event raised more money than last year, despite theconstruction happening right in front of the church. It also introduced usto members of our community and provided an opportunity for buyersand sellers to meet. We offered prayer and spiritual experiences to folksas we showed Bolingbrook what a spirit-filled community St. Benedict is.We welcome your feedback as we seek to make next year's festival evenbigger and better!

This and That

WELCOME!

Some folks who have visited and signed our guest register this summer:

Patty Wilson (Romeoville)Zane Osborne, and kids Morgan and Wagner Osborne (Bolingbrook)

Joshua HarveyTim & Ginny Adams (Friend, Nevada)

-10-

Coming in October and November

Sports Sprit SundaySunday, October 17

Grab that old Bears sweatshirt or your favorite Bulls jersey - it's time for SportsSpirit Sunday! Come to church October 25 dressed in support of your favorite playeror team, whether it's baseball, hockey, football, basketball, soccer, or NASCAR. Afterthe service, please join us in the parish hall for St. Benedict's version of an indoortailgate party. The men's group has graciously offered to provide (and grill) themeats ~ all you need to bring is a dish or beverage to share, and a little team spirit!If you have questions, please contact Chuck Wallace at 630-679-1005.

SAVE THE DATE!

Our Fall Auction Evening has been scheduled for

Saturday, November 12. Mark your calendars for an

evening of wonderful food, great fellowship, and a

fabulous auction of items and services donated by you

and the people here at St. Benedict!

-11-

Around the Diocese

Anti-racism Organizing & Training October 20-22, 2011 at the Cardinal Meyer Center

3525 S. Lake Park Ave., Chicago

Presented by Crossroads Anti-Racism Organizing and Training and the Diocese of Chicago, this 2½

day workshop explores the historical development of racism in the U.S.; how it is perpetuated in

institutions and how it continues to manifest itself in our culture; and how it affects both people of

color and white people.

Thursday, 6 pm to 9 pm.

Friday, 8:30 am to 6 pm.

Saturday, 8:30 am to 5 pm.

Contact: the Rev. Gary Cox at gary.cox@alum.ssw.edu with any questions

Keeping God's Children Safe

This workshop trains adults to prevent sexual abuse of children at church and everywhere. The

training is free and very well done. You might know other adults and parents who would also be

interested to learn some of these ways to keep children safe in all times and places. All adults who

work with children at St. Benedict are required to take this training. Both trainings are from

9am-12:30pm.

Saturday, September 10 Saturday, September 17

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, DeKalb St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Downers Grove

Register: call (815) 756-4888 Register: call (630) 968-9188

or email stpaulsparish@tbc.net or email@saintandrewschurch.net

-12-

Thank Yous

to Steve Johnson, Erik Scheets, Michelle Braxton, Ruan & AndrewWright, and Bill Scheets for preparing and performing wonderfulmusic at our outdoor service for the Feast of St. Benedict.

to Red Brownson, Joel Wegman, and Bill Scheets, for continuedmaintenance of the lawn.

to Karen Woolever and Henry Vega, for training as new ushers.

to Andrew Wright and Bill Scheets, for inspecting the roof and working with Aspen to getsome repairs made, with no cost to St. Benedict.

to Carol Todd, for re-upholstering the piano bench and repairing and washing all the choirrobes.

to Ruth Denofrio, for answering the office phones while Rev. Heidi and Renee' were onvacation.

to Frank Klupshas, for working with the Village to get a directional sign posted for ourchurch at the corner of Veteran's Parkway and Lily Cache Lane.

to Ruan Wright and Jill Crisman, for hosting the Tiny Tots worship series for youngchildren and their caregivers this summer.

to Frank Spoto, for organizing the Grace & Race trip to visit the synagogue of Beth Shalom.

to Henry Vega and Renee' Wegman, for donating battery chargers for our hearingassistance devices.

to Bill Scheets and Joel Wegman, for repairing and repainting the walls of the music office.

to Jacqueline Soltys, for training as an adult acolyte.

to Joel Wegman and Ruan Wright, for working so hard to prepare the Feasibility Study asthe Bishop's Committee considers a mortgage-reduction campaign this fall.

to our coffee hour hosts in July and August: Margaret Bauman, Tish Wallace, RuthDenofrio, Frank & Meagan Klupshas, Bob & Esther Simonson, Henry & Sunshine Vega, JillCrisman, and to Chuck Wallace for hosting our Feast of St. Benedict cookout.

-13-

BC Highlights

HIGHLIGHTS of a meeting of the Bishop's Committee

held on Monday, August 15, 2011

Present - Rev. Heidi Haverkamp (Vicar), Joel Wegman (Warden), Jill Crisman, Cindy Johnson, FrankKlupshas, Don Williams, Reneé Wegman (Treasurer); Apologies -Ruan Wright (Warden), Margaret Bauman(member and Clerk)Meeting Commenced at - 7:01pm

Budget HighlightsJune review: pledge giving down 30%, probably because June is a transition and vacation month. Plate givingwas up 150%! Excess monies collected for Easter flowers will be spent on floral supplies and/or flowers forworship this fall.

Review of Goal: A Focus Outward - Rev. HeidiThe Bishop's Committee reviewed Sunday worship, coffee hour, publicity, and church events from the point ofview of our 2011 goal: to focus outward. We found many excellent examples, and look forward to more this falland winter.

"Focus Outward" reports from BC members - variousMembers shared their progress in working on various "Focus Outward" projects for the church: Ministry Fair,Harvest BBQ, a booth at Bolingbrook's Pathways Picnic, signage along major streets nearby, Tiny Tots Worshipthis past summer, and Threshold Ministry, or integrating newer members into ministries and activities that theyhave interest in.

Feasibility Study update - JoelOur consultant, Andi Tillman is helping finalize our case statement. All congregants will be invited to fill out awritten questionnaire, and Andi will conduct 8 personal interviews, to gauge the thoughts of the congregationof going through a mortgage-reduction campaign this fall.

Mutual Ministry Review - JoelThe Church Assessment Tool survey the congregation took in May will take the place of the Mutual MinistryReview this year. We will do an "MMR" again next year.

Updates from the VicarBrian Cromer, music director, is coming back September 1st from vacation. Our roof will be repaired, for free, by Aspen because of construction defects.Left turn lane now in place on Lily Cache - yikes! We almost didn't get one.A review and report on the St. Benedict Festival will be held at our September meeting.Auction evening has been postponed until November 12..Nighttime Devotions (BCP 140) were led by Heidi.Meeting Concluded at - 8:40 p.m.Next meeting - Monday, September 19, 7:00pmThe Bishop's Committee holds open meetings. All are welcome to attend.

Rev. Heidi Haverkamp, Vicar

revheidi@stbenedict.ws

Joel Wegman, Warden

Ruan Wright, Warden

Margaret Bauman, Jill Crisman,

Cindy Johnson, Frank Klupshas,

Donnie Williams

Bishop’s Committee

Brian Cromer,

Music Director

music@stbenedict.ws

Erika Masters,

Church Secretary

info@stbenedict.ws

The Church of St. Benedict

909 Lily Cache Lane

Bolingbrook, IL 60440

www.stbenedict.ws

office: (630) 759-5955

fax: (630) 759-5622

Sunday Worship 9:00 a.m.

Office Hours

Monday - Thursday

9:30 am - Noon