Pie Auction & Pot-Luck... Postponed. Watch this space for future date. There are so many things going on at the parish right now that we've deiced to postpone our pie auction for a bit.

ERD Continues Relief Work in Wake of Hurricane Katrina... Thursday Sept. 22 2005: Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) reports that it is furthering its efforts to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina.

ERD is partnering with the Diocese of Texas to support a multi-faceted response. ERD's funding will help the diocese take part in Operation Compassion, an effort of faith-based and secular agencies to assist individuals relocating to the Houston area. The project is providing aid such as food, supplies, and child care for the over 5,000-10,000 evacuees being processed daily through the convention center and other area shelters. ERD is also helping the diocese coordinate and support congregations and parishioners providing emergency services to displaced people. For example, Episcopal parishes in Bryan, Woodlands, Bastrop, Friendswood, and Beaumont are transporting and feeding several hundred evacuees. Congregations in League City and Austin are assisting with the medical needs of displaced people by securing donated medicines and holding blood drives.

ERD is providing additional support to the Diocese of Mississippi for its disaster relief station located at Coast Episcopal School in Long Beach (Miss.). "There are medical clinics in two of the four disaster relief stations [set up by the diocese] in Long Beach and Ocean Springs where services from food to clothing to other supplies are available," said the Rev. Diane Livingston, volunteer coordinator for the diocese and ERD's diocesan coordinator. "ERD's funds to the diocese are helping to make this happen," said Livingston. "Crews are also going into the community to help people clean and repair their homes."

In the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, four Episcopal churches and one camp and conference center are providing support to families directly affected by the hurricane. Members of St. Paul's Church in Magnolia Springs are helping displaced families by providing them with clothing, housing, transportation, job search assistance, and other needs. St. Paul's Church in Daphne is supporting the efforts to feed evacuees at the Daphne Civic Center.

Robert W. Radtke, ERD President, and Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold are visiting New Orleans and other affected communities in Louisiana this week, accompanied by Louisiana's Bishop Charles E. Jenkins.

"It is a privilege to witness and assist the work of Episcopalians throughout the entire Gulf Coast as they minister to those in need and work to rebuild their communities," said Radtke.

For more details about the response to Hurricane Katrina, please check the Hurricane Katrina Crisis Center at www.er-d.org. The center is regularly updated with new information, personal accounts, and other resources.

Have You hugged Your Usher Today..? Sunday Sept. 18: Yes, it's finally here; today is "Usher Recognition Sunday..." Among their many duties, Ushers greet and guide arriving parishioners, lend assistance when needed, and answer questions about the church. These functions are performed as artfully as possible with the dignity appropriate to worship. During the 10:00 a.m. service we'll have an Usher commissioning and after the service, there's a very important meeting for all current and prospective Ushers.

Welcome our Newly (almost) Confirmed... Saturday Sept. 17 10:00 a.m: Eric & Violet Mandeson and Tanya Steinkamp will be confirmed at The Cathedral Center of St. Paul on Saturday Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. Please come join us to support the newest members of our Episcopal community. After, we plan to go to Taix for lunch. Congratulations to Tanya, Violet & Eric for attending all of those Confirmation classes and for your dedication!

Back to School... Sunday Sept. 11: Sunday School officially today during the 10:00 a.m. service.

Episcopal Night at Dodger Stadium... Thursday Sept. 9 7:40 p.m: The Dodgers will meet the San Diego Padres. I wonder if the Bishop will be throwing out the first pitch..?

Return of the Night of the Living Choir... Thursday Sept. 8th: St. Martha's choir begins its season this Sunday Sept 11. Evening rehearsals begin this evening, Thursday. Interested in joining or just singing just every once-in-a-while? Speak with Violet. We'd love a great turn-out for the inaugural Sunday.

Second Plate Offering Raises Over $600... Sunday Sept. 4 2005: Today's ad-hoc second plate collection raised well over $600 for hurricane Katrina relief. Donation forms are available at the back of the church.

Hawaiian Shirt Sunday... Sunday Sept. 4. From the vicar: Greetings everyone and I hope that your week has started out well! This Sunday (Sept. 4) is our first family service. It will be the first time that our Youth Chorale sings. It is the anniversary of my first year at St. Martha's. Let us all celebrate and be joyous! Last Sunday it was so incredibly hot that we thought nobody should suffer in robes or heavy clothing. Therefore, we have declared this Sunday (Sept. 4) "Hawaiian shirt Sunday." Please wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt and tell anyone who doesn't have e-mail so that they don't feel left out.

Aloha!
Vicar Alexandra +

St. Martha's Youth Chorale... Sunday Sept. 4 inaugurates St. Martha's Youth Chorale. They'll be singing the anthem and joining the choir at the 10:00 a.m. service the first Sunday of every month.

Time Flew... Sunday Sept. 4 marks The Rev. Conrads' one-year anniversary as vicar of St. Martha's. Join us on the patio after the service for a congratulatory toast.

In Katrina's Aftermath... Sunday Sept 4: There will be a second plate offertory at all services today which will be donated quickly and directly in support of ongoing relief efforts for those affected by hurricane Katrina. Please give generously.

Double the Music... An extremely generous anonymous donor has created St. Martha's "Special Music Fund" and is doubling all contributions. By contributing, you'll be helping to enrich our music programs with instruments and music. Donate by writing "Special Music Fund" on the memo line of your check. Let's all take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

Bishop Bruno Calls for Assistance, Prayers for Victims of Hurricane Katrina... Thursday Sept 1 2005: Donations are desperately and immediately needed to help relieve suffering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which battered the southeastern coast of the United States earlier this week, says Bishop Diocesan J. Jon Bruno, who also calls on the people of the Diocese of Los Angeles to offer prayers for the victims, many of whom have lost everything in the disaster.
Episcopal Relief and Development, the national Church's agency (formerly known as the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief), has sent trained teams to the area to assist in rescue and relief efforts, and is gathering funds for both immediate relief and long-term assistance to storm victims.

In addition to lost homes and businesses, many Episcopalians in the Gulf Coast have seen their churches destroyed by flooding and high winds (see story, below, from Episcopal News Service). One message e-mailed to a member of the bishop's staff describes a church's organ and pews floating by in a flooded street.

Bishop Bruno has asked that members of congregations in the Diocese of Los Angeles make their contributions to ERD. Monetary donations are the most effective, Bishop Bruno notes, because they can be used to get supplies immediately to the affected areas. Checks may be made out to ERD and sent to the Treasurer of the Diocese, P.O. Box 512164, Los Angeles, Calif., 90051-0164. The diocesan finance office will forward all donations directly to ERD on behalf of the people of the Diocese of Los Angeles.

Episcopalians Mobilize in Katrina's Aftermath... Thursday Sept. 1 2005: Episcopalians are working tirelessly to assess and respond to the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, a category four hurricane that ripped through the Gulf Coast August 29, leaving at least 120 people dead and countless more displaced and homeless.

Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, in an August 31 message to all bishops, clergy and congregations, called for "a community united in prayer and service during this time."

"At this time let us be exceedingly mindful that bearing one another's burdens and sharing one another's suffering is integral to being members of Christ's body," Griswold said in his statement. "I call upon every member of our church to reach out in prayer and tangible support to our brothers and sisters as they live through these overwhelming days of loss and begin to face the difficult challenges of the future."

[Full statement at: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_64601_ENG_HTM.htm]

Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) responded immediately by sending emergency funds to the Dioceses of Central Gulf Coast, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Western Louisiana to support immediate needs such as food, shelter and medical supplies.

Robert Radtke, president of ERD, described the hurricane's devastation as "tsunami-like."

"Authorities are locating people, rescuing them from houses, from rooftops," he said. "But our main concern is taking care of those persons who have been displaced or have lost their homes and everything they have."

The people most affected in any natural disaster are the poor, Radtke explained. "The people who have resources can get out of harm's way," he said. "Our priority is people living in poverty -- we're looking after the people who've been most drastically affected by this."

"We're like a deer caught in the headlights," said Bishop Charles Jenkins of Louisiana, by phone from temporary offices at St. James' Church in Baton Rouge. "We've lost at least 18 churches. The diocesan offices didn't flood until today, but I understand they had already been looted. New Orleans is a city with many poor people, and there's a lot of civic unrest.

"But we've had calls from dioceses all over the country offering help, and ERD has been a tremendous aid to us," he added. "This is the church at its best -- pulling together and helping each other through hard times."

Bishop Bruce MacPherson of Western Louisiana explained that his diocese has taken on thousands of evacuees during the past 72 hours. "A number of our congregations are providing care for some of these people, and we have about 200 people from nursing homes and individual families housed at our diocesan camp and conference center," he said. "The latter are being provided with rooms and meals, with many sleeping in group cottages."

In Mississippi, many churches are a "total loss," explained diocesan communicator Lauren Auttonberry. "We have lost the structures for many of our coast area churches," she said. "St. Peter's by-the-Sea suffered extensive damage, although some of the walls are still standing. St. Mark's, Gulfport, Christ Church, Bay St. Louis, and Redeemer, Biloxi are a total loss."

Bishop Duncan Gray of Mississippi described the disaster as one of "unprecedented proportions."

"Long time residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast have noted that the damage and facilities from the storm will far exceed that of Hurricane Camille in 1969," he said. "Thousands have lost their homes and those holy places of worship to which they have instinctively gone in times of crisis. Unconfirmed reports have indicated that at least six Episcopal Churches have been totally destroyed with serious damage to many others. It is a time of deep shock and grief and tears."

"And it is a time of hope," Gray added, citing the hundreds of Episcopalians from throughout the country who have called offering help in various forms. The diocese received immediate relief funds from Episcopal Relief and Development.

"A list of coast-area clergy and their status is currently being compiled," Auttonberry said, urging those with information on any of the churches and their clergy to call the diocesan office at 601.948.5954 or email allinhouse@dioms.org.

Further information and details on how to send donations are available from the Diocese of Mississippi website at http://www.dioms.org.

Bishops Jenkins, Gray and Philip Duncan of Central Gulf Coast have instituted a daily conference call to coordinate relief efforts between their three dioceses.

ERD has responded with preliminary support to the Diocese of Louisiana. "While full details of the devastation continue to unfold, a complete needs assessment is underway," said Malaika Kamunanwire, ERD's director of communications and annual fund. "The funds will support immediate needs for basic payroll, food, shelter, medical supplies, and additional needs for all affected."

A grant has been sent from ERD to the Diocese of Central Gulf Coast. "These funds will be directed toward helping vulnerable populations whose homes were either destroyed or severely damaged by the storm," Kamunanwire said. "The diocese is also in the process of assessing the damage and its responses, but these initial funds will help resource parishes that are helping to meet emergency housing and sustenance needs in their communities."

ERD is also sending a grant the Diocese of Western Louisiana as it provides care for thousands of evacuees. ERD stands ready to continue support as additional needs emerge.

To make a contribution to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina, please donate to the US Hurricane Fund by credit card at http://www.er-d.org/ or by calling 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to: Episcopal Relief and Development, c/o US Hurricane Fund, PO Box 12043, Newark, NJ 07101.

Episcopal Relief and Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church of the United States. An independent 501(c) 3 organization, ERD saves lives and builds hope in communities around the world. We provide emergency assistance in times of crisis and rebuild after disasters. We enable people to climb out of poverty by offering long-term solutions in the areas of food security and health care, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.

For the latest news and information from ENS on Hurricane Katrina, visit: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_64552_ENG_HTM.htm.

A message from the Presiding Bishop

8/31/2005

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

I am sending this message by email to our bishops, clergy and congregations - insofar as is possible -- so that it might be shared and that we might be a community united in prayer and service during this time.

During these past days I have been contacting bishops in the areas affected by hurricane Katrina and have spoken to the bishops of Alabama, the Central Gulf Coast, Louisiana and Mississippi. As you would imagine, they are ministering to their communities the very best they can under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Communication is tenuous, and in some cases impossible. As hour by hour the almost unimaginable ravages of the hurricane become more fully known we are continuing to learn of further losses of life, houses, churches, and other familiar points of reference, including the destruction of whole communities.

At this time let us be exceedingly mindful that bearing one another's burdens and sharing one another's suffering is integral to being members of Christ's body. I call upon every member of our church to reach out in prayer and tangible support to our brothers and sisters as they live through these overwhelming days of loss and begin to face the difficult challenges of the future.

Episcopal Relief and Development has been in contact with all the dioceses in the Gulf Coast area touched by the hurricane and will be working with them long after the television cameras have left. Funds have already been sent to the dioceses of Central Gulf Coast, Mississippi and Louisiana. I ask you to donate funds to the work of ERD such that our brothers and sisters in Christ will have the resources needed for the monumental task of reconstruction and rebuilding. Donations to ERD can be made as follows with an indication that they are designated for hurricane relief: via ERD's website at http://www.er-d.org/ 24 hours a day; by calling ERD at 800/334-7626, extension 5129 Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard time; by sending a check payable to Episcopal Relief and Development, Box 12043, Newark, New Jersey 07101-5043.

The Rt. Rev. George Packard, Suffragan Bishop for Chaplaincies, has been in contact with bishops in the Gulf Coast area. Bishop Packard is working such that a network of chaplains - police, fire, civil defense and military chaplains - is providing information to the bishops about what is happening in areas of their dioceses they have not been able to reach. The next stage of his work will be setting up training for clergy and others in dealing with the trauma so many have experienced.

Episcopal Migration Ministries is also responding and Richard Parkins, the Director of EMM, is investigating the possibilities of resettlement for people who are temporarily homeless.

Life affords us very few securities and yet deep within us, often revealed in the midst of profound vulnerability and loss, springs up a hope that contradicts the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Such hope emerges from the depths of despair as pure and unexpected gift. This is the way in which Christ accompanies us and seeks to share our burdens. May Christ so be with those of us who are enduring the effects of the hurricane, and may each one of us be a minister of hope to others in these dark and tragic days.
May we together pray:

God of mercy and compassion, be in our midst and bind us together in your Spirit as a community of love and service to bear one another's burdens in these days as we face the ravages of storm and sea. This we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord from whom alone comes our hope.
Amen.

The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church, USA

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