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Dear Friends in Christ,

On Saturday morning the thirtieth of October, the Cathedral will host a major Diocesan service. The liturgy for this gathering of Delaware Episcopalians will lead them through an acknowledgment of the Episcopal Church’s participation in slavery in Delaware and provide an opportunity for repentance.

In March of 2009, a special Diocesan Committee issued a report on its study of the Episcopal Church’s involvement in the enslavement of Africans in the Colony and State of Delaware. Three members of the Cathedral, Anita Manning, Norwood Coleman and Susan Thomas-Holder served on the Committee.   Copies of this report were made available to members of the Cathedral and it can be found on line by going to ww.cathedralsaintjohn.org and using the link A History of Slavery in Delaware. One telling sentence in the report states:

To all appearances, until the modern era, the Episcopal Church (and its predecessor the Church of England) accepted with equanimity, first the enslavement of Africans and later a very unequal segregation of Delawareans based on the color of their skin.

The Committee’s study found that clergy were often paid with income produced through the slave trade and slave labor and that clergy held slaves:

The Rev. Mr. Phillip Reading, Rector of St. Anne’s Middletown from 1746 until his death in 1778 bequeathed in his will a considerable estate. Amid the lists of household silver, furnishings and farm implements he left to his wife “three certain slaves named Patrick (the elder), Menib and Moll, for her sole use and as her entire property. And with regard to the remainder of such slaves as shall be possessed and owned by me at the time of my decease, I give and bequeath them unto my son Phillip Reading and my daughter Catherine Anne Reading, to be divided according to age, sex, and other qualities, equally betwixt them.” The division of families, husbands from wives and children from parents, was not one of the criterion for division of the assets.

It is clear that the Church has deep roots in Delaware slavery and until now it has not publically acknowledged this and formally repented.

So when the clergy and laity of the Diocese of Delaware gather in their Cathedral on Saturday the thirtieth of October at 11:00 a.m., they will be participating in an historic event. In acknowledging and repenting for its history of having condoned and benefited from the enslavement of Africans and then later segregation, the Episcopal Church in Delaware will be doing what the Church too often fails to do, owning up to its participation in sin against God and neighbor. It will not be the case that those present on that Saturday have directly engaged in the enslavement of others.  But it will be the case that those present of European decent are heirs of those who did, and part of their inheritance is to be the generation that does repentance which invites reconciliation.

A cathedral’s role is to be the Bishop’s Church and thus the Church of the Diocese. Over the years, Saint John’s has served well in this role. On Saturday the thirtieth of October, it will once again be the gathering place for a momentous event in the life of the Diocese of Delaware.  We Cathedral folks will be both hosts and participants. Your presence and mine will be important for our own spiritual journey and a witness to our brother and sister Episcopalians that we value the Cathedral Church of Saint John’s place in the life of the Diocese.                                                          

                                                                                                                                       Bill Lane

LUNCHTIME WITH JESUS

Adult Study

Wednesdays in October

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The Very Reverend William B. Lane

                                                 A series on the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth:

                                                       October 6- When and where was Jesus born?

                                                       October13- John the Baptizer and Jesus.

                                             October 20- On the road with Jesus.

                                             October 27- Death & resurrection- the end that wasn’t. 

Bring a sandwich, salad or whatever you like for lunch. Coffee and tea will be provided. Please register by Thursday the 30^th of September. A minimum of ten participants is required for the series to take place.

 Register by e-mail: ctimko@cathedralsaintjohn.org

Register by phone: 302.654.6279 (Ask for Cindy Timko)

Register by signing in on the registration sheet in the Great Hall beginning on September 12.

When registering, please give your name, phone number and, if you have one, your e-mail address.

                                 Vestry Meeting and Pot Luck

Many thanks to all who turned out Tuesday evening the 20^th of July for the pot-luck supper and the brainstorming session on fund raising. The food was delicious and the ideas for fund raising were plentiful and thoughtful. Below is a list of the ideas, please check them over and see if any resonate with you. The Vestry met following the pot-luck supper and brainstorming session. The following were elected as officers for the 2010-2011 term: 

                           Tom Angell- Sr. Warden

                           Debbie Layton- Jr. Warden

                                         Scott Serota- Secretary   

                           Bill Kauffman- Treasurer 

The Treasurer’s Report for June is posted on the bulletin board in the Great Hall.

 FUND RAISING IDEAS

(Taken from list during brainstorming session)

 Grants and Foundations

 Leasing out space for special functions

 Tag Sale (Pay for your own table plus a % goes to community outreach

 Concert Series (monthly with subscriptions)

 Dinner and Movie-advertise to non-parishioners

 Always invite widely and publicize

 Lecture series on …………………..

 Arts Series: Art show and Poetry Slam

 Partner with other community groups

 Outdoor Flea Market

 Wine Tasting (partner with liquor stores

 Rent parking spaces

 DD Driving services

 Benefit concert for CCSJ (our own choir or another)

 Fall Festival: sell pumpkins and have activities for kids such as fire trucks and hay rides

 5K Run for CCSJ “Pumpkin Chase”, sell food

 Golfing Benefit

 Dog Show

 50/50 Raffle

 Casino Night

 Silent Auction on the cathedral’s website

 Bus trip (New York at Christmas; a ball game; to National Cathedral to see choir performances

 Invite other parishes to all events

 Box Lunch sale after church for special gatherings such as the Super Bowl

 Sell Easter flowers or Christmas trees in the parking lot. Contract with growers for a percentage of the proceeds (Rising Sun, MD floral plant growers. Check with Joe T.)

 Car Wash

 Dog Wash

 Use the parking lot

 Partner with GBVR, Inc.

 Bake Sale (Routine)

 Partner with Wilmington Music School and local high schools to use the Cathedral as a venue

 Cultural Arts Festival

 Beef & Beer (pit BBQ $12k and up!) (Nelsons 1% to CCSJ)

 Restaurant Night with raffle (Joan B.)

 Dine Out for CCSJ % from restaurants

 Raffle in home dinner / cooking / flowers

 Live Auction. $ per appraisal, “Antiques Road Show” at CCSJ

 Rent tables at other festivals

 Calendar of ladies and men of St. Johns

 Cookbook-self publish and sell it

 Amazon / Ebay with % to the 501(c) 3

 Grocery cut to CCSJ from us of club cards from Acme, Target, etc.

(The following two pages are ideas contributed on paper during the meeting)

Swap Meet

Notation: This could become an annual “save-the-date” affair. It could start out small with planned, incremental growth over year. Could eventually      become “the” event.

 Process: Invite vendors (business and household) to participate. There should be a  variety of items from which to choose. “Cleaning house” could be                                                a focus for those who do not want to sell on Ebay.

 Place: Church parking lot and Great Hall.

 Income: Generated through fees to vendors for space and a small percentage of vendors gross receipts. Any politician, group, etc., who wants to     “advertise” must pay a fee.

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Pancakes and Pajamas

Notation: This could be a “festival” type event.

Process: Early morning activity which will focus on family fun. Award “prizes” for  children, adults, families etc. who wear pajamas (set categories).

 Place: Church parking lot and Great Hall.

 Income: Generated by sale of pancakes, toppings, bacon, etc. Generated by businesses  who would want to set up a table, post a sign, etc.

*******************************************************************************************

Cathedral Dog Show

Process:  Not a Juried show for dogs. Guidelines and entrance rules must be set.  Could be a Westminster type show or could have categories for       winners e.g. “spoof dogs” in costumes, outfits, etc. Planning could  allow for as much creativity as possible.

 Place: Church parking lot.

 Income: Generated through entrance fees and through admission to the show. Income also can be generaged through sale of snacks, advertising, etc. which should be contributed through our congregation.

 ********************************************************************************************

Additional Fundraising Ideas

Music series (Matt? Hiroko Yamazaki/Meredith Amado?)

Art auction

Antique Show (books, art, furniture)

Flea market – sell tables and food

Swap Shop—better clothing or household items (higher prices than NTN) donated goods only

Street Fair (in parking lot)

Strawberry Festival

Themed Meal

Fondue party

Fair (mini St. Anthony’s type)—rides, food, books, flea market, sweet booth, jewelry, needlework, plants/flowers, toys and games, white elephant, etc.

Raffles

Breakfast/speaker

Wine tasting

Magic show

Spaghetti supper (invite all churches in Diocese—Cathedral benefit)

Cooking show

Kids’ Christmas Shop

Fall or spring plant sale

Box lunch sale (after church—order ahead) once a month?

 SCHOOL SUPPLIES

 As in years past, Christ Church Christiana Hundred will join with the Cathedral to collect school supplies for the children who participate in several of our programs. Students can use all the usual items, particularly pocket folders, loose leaf paper, composition and spiral notebooks, pencils and pens (they especially like erasable pens), erasers (both the large single erasers as well as the pencil top size), glue sticks, scissors, rulers, index cards, colored pencils and markers, highlighters, pencil cases (to hold all their loose supplies), subject dividers for binders, sturdy binders (various sizes - 1", 1 1/2", 2"), poster board, and report covers. Heavy-duty backpacks are also helpful. Please bring your donations to the Great Hall on Sundays or to the office Monday thru Thursday, 9-noon p.m. All donations should be at the Cathedral by August 22 so they can be sorted for distribution on Thursday, August 26, because school starts the following Monday. Thanks for all your support!!

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE

HOSPITALITY

The Neighborhood Assistance Program has moved to the Next-to-New Shop which offers greater individual privacy. Also, we are now able to provide hospitality (coffee, etc.) which encourages the members of the program to talk among themselves as well as with the members of the church who support the program each Thursday morning. A donation of just $25 would allow you to be a part of the weekly offering of hospitality to our friends in the Brandywine Village neighborhood.

August Anniversaries

 George and Beverly Romain                       8/2

S. Lup and Mary Bock Jung                         8/3

Jennifer and Scott Andrews-Weckerly         8/4

Norm and Suzie Veasey                                8/4

Bill and Beverly Lane                                    8/5

Al and Fran Weber                                        8/6

Stanley and Carolyn Verbit                           8/8

Wayne and Holly Wright                               8/17

Bernard and Bertha Fisher                           8/23

Linda and Brian O’Connor                            8/25

Karen and Ned Stinson                                 8/25

Dave and Liedeke Skinner                           8/28

 AUGUST BIRTHDAYS

SCOTT SEROTA                             8/1

RICK HARVEY                               8/2

MARY EPPELHEIMER                 8/4

CHARLOTTE BECKER                8/4

CRYSTAL MEREDITH                 8/5

HARRIS THOMAS-WALKER       8/5

GRETA PARRIS                             8/9

RYAN VAN VOORHIS                   8/10

JEAN SHORT                                 8/11

BILL LANE                                     8/12

CATHY CLARK                             8/14

WALTER MEREDITH                  8/15

SARAH VAN VOORHIS                8/18

JOSIAH HANNON                         8/18

CHARLES GIBB                            8/19

ROBERTA WALKER                    8/20

CAMILLE PRINGLE                     8/20

HAYDEN BOYD                             8/21

ADELE MEREDITH                      8/22

ERIN HAYES                                  8/25

EDITH MENSER                            8/26

JOHANNA DES CELLES               8/27

AL WALKER                                   8/27

TRACEY DIXON                            8/31

KAHLIL BOATWRIGHT               8/31