We will begin our “remodeling” projects in October.

Watch out for changes in entrances and parking flow.

More information is inside this newsletter.

Clergy Notes

            Here we are in October. The program year has gotten started and the church is humming along on all cylinders. Like the weather outside, there is change in the air here at St. Charles’. We are about to start our long awaited construction project to rearrange our parking lot entrance to give us a little more room, and more importantly I think, an extra bathroom on the main floor. In addition to the changes you can see, there will be many changes that are not as obvious. We will be improving the water supply to the building and fixing the pipes that supply the kitchen. We will also be improving the fire protection in the building, adding alarms, smoke detectors, and emergency lighting. A lot of time and planning has gone into this project and it seems like we’ve been waiting forever.

            It may seem like we’ve all been waiting, but all of us haven’t been waiting. The process of getting a project of this size from the idea stage to the practical starting point is a rigorous one. Working with architects and contractors, getting bids and permits, and all the other little and not so little I’s that need to be dotted and T’s that need to be crossed, makes herding cats look like a cake walk. It requires patience and persistence in vast quantities. I am very thankful to Tom Miller for bringing his gifts to this task. It has been a long row to hoe, but we at last have a signed contract and are ready to go.

            The project will be starting sometime in October and finish up sometime before Christmas. It will be an inconvenience to us. We will have to work extra hard at helping each other as traffic patterns change while different building entrances become blocked during different phases of construction. The upper parking lot will be torn up for a while as our new water main is installed. Noise and dust will become regular companions. We will keep you informed as best we can through the Pulse, Homepage, and Newsletter, but things may change quickly so allow a little extra time to get to church. It won’t last forever and when it is done we will have a building better able to serve our mission.

            Remember most of all, that as complicated as it may be for you to get around the building during construction, anyone visiting will be doubly confused. Go out of your way to help the visitors in our midst. We are already a pretty inviting place. We’ll have to be on our best behavior during this time. Well done, good and faithful servants!

See you in Church!

Bill +  

From the wardens...

Autumn is here again, how times flies. The temperatures are starting to drop, families are back from their summer vacations, the leaves are beginning to change and the kids are back in school. How wonderful to walk down the hallway and hear all the kids back in their Formation classes. If you have not done so, please walk down the hall during class time and listen to all the excitement while the children are learning about church and God.

Congratulations to Bob Parks on his election to the position of Junior Warden. It will be a pleasure to serve with him.

Construction bids are in and the vestry has chosen MEB construction to do are remodeling project. Once the paper work is signed with the bank we should begin by the middle of the month. Please bear with us during this time of remodeling. During times of change things can get uneasy and can become very unsettling, just wait until the end to see the finished product.

Hope you had a chance to attend the Parish Festival (Pig Roast), the food and entertainment was great. Thank you to all who helped move everything inside on such short notice when the weather did not look good for having our Festival outside. How wonderful it is that our parish is so flexible that we didn't even skip a beat.

We are looking for someone to head the Stewardship Drive for this coming year, if you are interested in learning more about what this job entails, please give me a call or talk to me in church.

As the end of the year approaches, things come to an end and some of them are the terms of current Vestry members. If this is something you feel you are interested in, or called to please pray about it and then talk with Father Bill, Bob or myself. We would love to have you join us.

God Bless and see you in church

Joe

Joe Ryan (Senior Warden)

Bob Parks (Junior Warden)

A note from the Treasurer.

A contract has been signed for the new bathrooms and plumbing renovations. This includes a new 2 inch water main, replacing the old sacristy stairs and two handicapped accessible unisex bathrooms on the main floor. I know that one of our parishioners talked to me and George Hillard about donating the plumbing fixtures. Unfortunately I have lost the note with your name on it. Please contact me if you are still interested in donating the fixtures for our new bathrooms.

Construction should start in about two or three weeks depending on how quickly the city approves our building permit. The outside work will be done first. Please bear with us during the inevitable mess and disruption that this will cause. We plan to be done in time for Christmas.

On another note we are about $12,000 behind in pledge payments year to date. This has a serious impact on our ability to meet our obligations in a timely manner. Pledge income is budgeted at $5,098 per week. Our expense budget is $6,062 per week and pledge income makes up 84% of that number. Please help us out by bringing your pledge up to date.

Thanks,

Tom Miller

Happy Birthday to YOU

2          William Gillis

6          Fionnuala Cottrell

8          Elizabeth Deodhar

9          Barbara Bachman

9          Regan Jancauskas

11        Anita Wolff

12        Jody Rullman

14        Bob Haase

14        Sam Nesbit

16        Sally Punch

16        Carol Foster

16        Ceci Sharp

18        Judy Adams

20        Mary Kerr

21        Stanley Hildebrand

22        Matthew Becker

23        Jack Benjamin

24        Stephanie Murphy

25        Doug Brown

27        Emily Thomson

27        Lauren Hansen

27        Bob Madura

28        Avery Manning

28        Dorothy Payleitner

Happy Anniversary!

2          Gerald & Kathy Mertes

3          Dick & Anne Lander

3          Bob & Karen Madura

3          Jim & Diana Scanlan

3          Kevin & Melanie Enberg

4          Ian & Tracy Anderson

12        David & Gina Ingraham

14        Stanley & Kerri Hildebrand

17        Dallas & Kathy Heikkinen

17        Rob & Sarah Travis

24        Jack & Fay Viverito

28        George & Stephanie Hillard

Our Sympathies go out to...

to Linnea Windel on the loss of her father on September 23^rd.

Did you know?

….. that the Diocesan School for the Diaconate is a three year program which oversees the formation of future deacons? The curriculum covers such subjects as Old and New Testament, Church History, Liturgics, and Pastoral Care - to name but a few. It is a time of formation that also includes being assigned a mentor - someone already ordained who meets with the student monthly to discuss issues pertaining to his or her ministry and formation process.

This fall and until Epiphany, you will see and meet Debbie Harrington, she is one of the students from the Diocesan School for the Diaconate. I have been privileged to be Debbie's mentor for the last three years as she has gone through the training process.

She was raised up by the people of Calvary Church in Batavia, and when she is ordained in February, 2007, she will become the deacon at Calvary. She has almost finished her course work, and now begins the part of her training that involves internship. Fortunately for us, she has been assigned to St. Charles for the duration of her internship.

She will be serving at the altar as well as accompanying me on pastoral visits, and sitting in on pastoral conversations as you feel comfortable.

Please welcome Debbie as she lives among us for the next several months.

His servant-

Deacon Liz Meade

And Who Is My Neighbor?

The Muradovs, a three-generation Meskhetian Turk family, fled their home in Uzbekistan in 1990, barefoot and without any possessions, to escape ethnic fighting. With other refugees, they were airlifted to Russia and told they'd spend a month there. But the month dragged into 16 hard years.

What Happened?

With no identity papers, they couldn't get jobs, had no rights, and very little way of surviving, except for farming a small piece of land. Finally, the plight of the Meskhetian Turk refugees came to the notice of the larger world. In November 2005, the Muradovs arrived in Richmond, VA under the auspices of Church World Service (CWS) and the Virginia Council of Churches Refugee Resettlement Program, a CWS affiliate. Since then, their two grown sons have gotten good jobs as cabinetmakers. In June, Suleyman was born, and the proud family immediately applied for his Social Security card. "Finally," said grandfather Nuradin, "I can sleep again. I don't have to worry about somebody breaking down the door, and all my children are here and free."

(CWS, in addition to supporting work abroad, also does a tremendous amount of work in this country. These refugees from northern Europe serve as a reminder that people can be victims anywhere. "And, with a little bit of a break, they are capable of moving forward. Helping refugees helps people who have had disaster in their lives," a spokeswomen for CWS reflected. "It also enriches the American fabric. We are huge beneficiaries of what these people have to teach us.")

What Can You Do?

If you would like to make a contribution to CWS, visit secure.churchworldservice.org, call CWS at 800-297-1516, ext. 222,or send a check to: Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, 28606 Phillips Street, Elkhart, IN 46515. Or become a walker or sponsor of the CROP WALK, October 15.

Parish Festival a Success-

Thanks to Many!

A tremendous amount of gratitude goes out to all who made the Parish Festival such a wonderful success! So many individuals worked to make the day special for everyone! A special thank you goes out to the members of the committee including Matt Rhead, Liz and Joe Ryan, Ellen Johnson, Kathy Hari, Wendy Bangs, Bo Smith, Scott Bell, Sherry Maxson, Mary Benjamin and Ellen Gibson. Their giving spirit, to all aspects of the preparation for the day, made the planning process seem effortless. In addition to the committee, there were countless volunteers who assisted with set up and "re-set up" once the rain began to fall, including Anne Lander, John Benjamin, Henry Mora, Jack Benning, and members of the Ditch, Manning, Churchwell, Nesbit and Zupke families. Many pitched in to assist with food preparation and helping to make the event run smoothly including Susie Robinson, Douglas Johnson, Regan Jancauskas, Maria Foran and her daughters, Beverly Nesbit, Jim Hari and Cory and Alison Blane. Without the food donations of many, we would not have had such a delicious meal. The out-pouring of volunteers (too many to name) who assisted with clean up and other tasks made the work light and we are grateful for your assistance! Despite the weather, the After Hours Quintet brought a ray of sunshine with their fantastic music and the silent auction was a huge success! All in all, it was a delightful afternoon thanks to the efforts of many! For all who attended the event or gave donations in their absence, thank you for supporting this year's Parish Festival! We all look forward to next year's event and invite you to be a part of the Parish Life Committee and help us plan more fellowship opportunities for our church!

CROP WALK

An Opportunity.

CROP - Crops are raised for food. This is a appropriate name for a walk against hunger. CROP is also an acronym for Christian Rural Overseas Project. When CROP started nearly 60 years ago, food was collected across the United States from farmer's fields, transported by train to seaports, and put on freighters bound for Europe to feed those left hungry from the devastation of World War I. Today, CROP Walks raise money to continue the work started nearly 60 years ago.

No longer does the CROP Walk involve walks through farm fields to gather grain lost in harvesting. Instead, the walkers collect money to help those in need of food, clean water, and shelter. Of the money raised, 25 percent stays here in the Tri-Cities helping the hungry served by the Northern Illinois Food Bank, the Salvation Army Food Pantry, the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry, and Lazarus House. The remaining 75 percent of the money is sent to Church World Service. This organization of religious groups in the United States works to help others through the work develop the long-term resources necessary to raise their own food, to respond to emergencies, and assist refugees.

In the coming weeks, our church will prepare for the CROP Walk to be held on Sunday, October 15th. You can sign up to walk at the CROP table in Ludtke Hall. Walkers will be raising funds by asking for sponsors --- I encourage you to give even five dollars. Walkers can also register to walk on line at cropwalk.org. Join team SCEC Walk in the Tri-Cities CROP Walk. Our goal is to raise $950.00 ($25 more than last year) and to have at least 10 walkers (4 more than last year).

This is an opportunity to respond to hunger both locally and throughout the world.

Please join us to help the less fortunate throughout the world by being a CROP walker or sponsor.

What’s Up in Kids’ Formation?

Happy October!

Classes have started and the Formation Hall is buzzing on Sunday mornings! Our first day of classes saw the wonderful excitement of teachers and students of all ages!

            Karen Madura and Amy Custer have the pleasure of working with the children in the Green Atrium. These preschool to first graders are full of energy, wonderful singers and masterful question askers! They are learning that Jesus loves them and have started off the year learning that they can help others by saving their change to buy chickens through the Heifer project.

            Kathryn Manning, Bill Yeck and John Benjamin are in the Blue Atrium. The children are learning about the Bible starting with Who wrote it, and working through all the What, Where, When, and How questions they will cover Old and New Testament this year as well as many parts of the Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer. This group is also participating in the Heifer Project by saving their pennies for animals for needy families all over the world.

            Bill Van Nortwick, Beverly Nesbit and Ed Manning and their group are working on the Old Testament. Their approach includes a study of how the Old Testament stories lead us to Christ and how to be a Christian in everyday life. They will also be heading up the annual “Hunger doesn’t end with the Holidays” food drive in January and February.

            Lisa Parse, Sarah Travis and Cory Blane are leading the Jr. High class. The theme for this year is serving God and their study and activities will be great life lessons!

            Holly and Bob Parks have stepped up again for the High School class with Mike Ditch and Ali Blane completing the leadership group! They are spending the year learning about the History and tradition of the Episcopal church and have found a way to make that fun and exciting through the use of games made up by the leaders. Outreach is very important to them as well and they are still accepting clean, gently used coats for their annual Coat Drive for Lazarus House through Sunday October 8^th. Donations can be dropped off in the Sr. High Class (located down the kitchen stairs).

Announcements:

☺    There will be a blessing of the Animals on Sunday Oct. 1^st at 4 pm. Please plan to bring your non-human “family members”! And if you have no pets, just come and enjoy the service surrounded by God’s creatures great and small!

☺    There will be a “blessing of the trick or treaters” on Sunday Oct. 29^th. Children who are planning to go “trick or treating” on Halloween will receive a copy of the blessing and a special bag to collect their goodies in.

Looking ahead...

☞    Diocesan Convention is coming up November 10^th & 11^th at the Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling, IL. There is something offered for everyone, from young children to adults. Look for Registration forms in Ludtke Hall for more information.

Looking toward THANKSGIVING....

It’s that time of year again. Fall is here and we start to think about Thanksgiving feasts with family and friends. Our Soup Kitchen Committee is doing the same! We are looking for a few friends and family to help us cook and serve a Thanksgiving Feast to the people who attend the Soup Kitchen at Trinity Church in Aurora.

On the fourth Thursday of every month we at St. Charles’ Episcopal have a ministry to the homeless. We serve lunch to a group that ranges in size from 80 to 120 people who would probably go hungry without our help. Thanksgiving falls on that fourth Thursday every year and we are blessed with the opportunity to provide a wonderful Thanksgiving meal to those who need one.

During the year the people who participate in this ministry include those who donate food, cook on Wednesday night and those who drive down to Aurora to serve on Thursdays. We realize not everyone can be there to serve because of work and school obligations during the rest of the year. Here is your chance to be the hands of Christ (as most people have Thanksgiving off).

Beginning October 29^th you will find a special sign up sheet in Ludtke Hall. Please put your name somewhere on the list. We need donations of food and help. We will be cooking on Tuesday, Nov. 21^st to allow us to attend the Thanksgiving Eve service the following evening. Because the Northern Illinois Food Bank has changed their program, we will also need seven people to purchase and cook a 11-12 lb. turkey (saving the giblets and drippings for gravy) so we can slice them on Tuesday evening. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Liz Ryan or Barbara Ross.

This is a large undertaking every year and we are thrilled to say this parish has always risen to the occasion. We truly live the Prayer For St. Charles’ Episcopal Church. The Holy Spirit has “fill(ed) us with love for those outside the church and deepen(ed) our understanding of their needs”.

Let us continue to be a true light in our community. Sign up to help for Thanksgiving!

Update your directory....

Liz Carpenter

831 No. Batavia Ave. #128A

Batavia, IL 60510

Please delete the Porter Family from the Directory.

Woman’s Bible Study

Julie Mugge is new to the church but she is interested in starting a Women’s Bible Study. She would like to have it while the kids are in school. It looks as if the best times might be on Wednesday following the 11 am Eucharist service or 10 am on Friday. If you would be interested either contact Julie or sign up in Ludtke Hall.

Crafters Wanted

We will be having a Craft Show and Bake Sale at church on Saturday, December 2 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The cost is $30.00 for a 10' x 6' space; tables can be rented for $5.00. We can only accept handmade items. There are flyers and applications available in Ludtke Hall. You can also call Michelle Moore or Fay Viverito for more information. We'll also be needing people to help set up the night before, help the day of the show, and donations of baked goods.

Carson's Community Day Fundraiser

Want to help out with an easy fundraiser? You can purchase a coupon book for $5.00 which includes coupons you can use on Saturday, November 11, 2006 at any Carson's store or affiliate.

What do you get for your $5.00? Each booklet includes one $10.00 off coupon to use on a single regular or sale price merchandise item of $10.00 or more throughout the store, eight merchandise coupons (% off of an item), and Bonus Buy merchandise offers. We get to keep 100% of the $5.00 coupon booklet price for each one we sell (we must sell a minimum of 50).

We are also signed up to sell booklets at the Carson's store at Charlestowne Mall on three Saturdays: September 30, October 28, and November 11, from noon-2:00 p.m. Carson's will provide the table and we can bring information about our church to distribute. If you would like to volunteer to sell booklets on any of these days, please let me know. We can sign up for additional days at the store if there is enough interest.

A Note from Todd McGregor

Aug 31, 2006

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Kenya in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I'm writing to inform you about the good news.

I have been elected by the standing committee of the diocese of Antananarivo as Area Bishop of Tulear in South western Madagascar.

It looks like the consecration will be in early December but I'm waiting for further information from the Archbishop of the Indian Ocean.

Please pray for Patsy and I during this transition.

Serving Christ Together,

Todd McGregor

ST. CHARLES’ EPISCOPAL CHURCH

The Rt. Rev William Persell, Bishop

The Rev. William R. Nesbit, Jr. Rector

The Rev. Elizabeth G. Meade, Deacon

Dan Williams, Director of Music

Liz Ryan, Director of Youth & Children’s Formation

Lela Lowe, Administrative Assistant

phone: 630-584-2596

Fax: 630-584-8633

email: scecoffice@sbcglobal.net

Web site: www.stcharlesepiscopal.org