Just minutes south of downtown St. Paul, near West St. Paul, South St. Paul, Mendota Heights, and Inver Grove Heights.


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                 A NOTE FROM LYDIA - June 2008

Strengthening the Fabric of Saint Anne’s: Growing in Knowledge, Sharing Ideas

    Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect.   Romans 12:2

 Knowledge of God is not Forbidden Fruit.

It is often said that to be an Episcopalian, you don’t have to check your brain at the door.  We are people who welcome questions, who encourage exploration of ideas, and who see doubt not as the opposite of faith, but as a necessary ingredient for ongoing spiritual development.  And so it is not surprising that St. Anne’s is full of avid readers.  As I talk with you, I discover that many of you are reading all the time, interesting books of all kind.  I have learned that, as a community, we share a broad range of interests.  I have also discovered that many of you are “armchair theologians.”  You read all kinds of books – history, theology, fiction, psychology – and you reflect on what you read in terms of your Christian faith, and you come up with all kinds of really interesting and provocative ideas.  But you don’t talk about them with others at church very much, because… well, maybe your ideas are too strange, and after all … it’s just a thought.

I invite you to leave your armchair and become “kitchen table theologians.”  Kitchen table theology is developed through conversation, over coffee or a meal or a glass of wine.  It can take place at the kitchen table, or in a living room or a bar, or even a meeting room at church.  It develops as faithful people engage one another with ideas they have read, intertwined with the truth they know in their lives, connecting with our biblical and traditional story.  Kitchen table theology is about learning what the “experts” are saying, then reflecting and interpreting it with other people, and not being afraid of new ideas.  It is about letting God speak in new ways to us in a new age.

To help us become kitchen table theologians together, St. Anne’s library is launching the “Virtual Book Club.”  What have you read, that caused you to think about God/life/important issues in new or challenging ways?  What have you read that you think it would be helpful or fun to talk about with others at church?  If you are willing to part with the book, write your name in the front, with the month and year you read the book, and a comment about why you liked it.  Put the book on the designated shelves in the church library.  Leave a book… take a book… and every time you read a book from the “Virtual Book Club,” add your name, date, and comment to the inside cover.  You will see who else at St. Anne’s has read the book – and you can pick up a conversation with them at coffee hour.  We’re also hoping to bring discussions to the website.

Another venue for developing our minds is that adult education will continue all summer, at 9:00 AM.  For some, the summer months may be a better time than the school year for gathering to explore ideas related to our Christian faith.  Details about upcoming topics are in this Announcer.  Childcare will be provided.

Knowledge of God is not forbidden fruit.  Don’t be afraid to explore ideas, entertain doubts, share insights, and let your mind expand.  Be transformed by the renewing of your minds.  Developing the brain God gave you can strengthen you spiritually and deepen your faith.

See you at the kitchen table.

Faithfully, Lydia +

A NOTE FROM LYDIA - MAY 2008

A Note From Lydia                   May 2008

Strengthening the Fabric of Saint Anne’s: Focus on Buildings & Grounds

Dear Ones,

As part of our work this year to “Strengthen the Fabric of Saint Anne’s”, each month we will be featuring a different ministry area in the monthly Announcer.  This month we focus on “Buildings and Grounds.”

Saint Anne’s is blessed with a goodly heritage.  The land we sit on was a gift from Duncan and Helen Baird in 1957, for the purpose of establishing a new Episcopal congregation in the Diocese of Minnesota.  In 1960 Good Shepherd Church was built. It was a long rectangular building, with the sanctuary located in what is now the parish hall. Kitchen, office, and classrooms were in what is now the kitchen and office wing.

When Good Shepherd and St. Andrew’s merged in 1985 to become St. Anne’s, one of the first things they did as the newly formed parish was to build the new sanctuary.  Bishop Robert Varley, who led the merger and served as St. Anne’s first vicar, had the vision to encourage this ambitious project.  The History of Saint Anne’s notes that they broke ground on September 21, 1985 – “a rainy Saturday.”

The outline of the new building was marked with stakes and ribbons. … Throughout the building process, parishioners did much of the finishing work on the new building, including the painting of the very high walls (one parishioner wore a parachute). Woodwork was sealed and stained by parishioners. The older sections were completely renovated: new insulation, a new roof, new siding, and new windows donated in part by Marvin Windows.

In 1995 the education wing was built. The choir room, vesting sacristy, and nursery were added.

Saint Anne’s House was also donated to the parish. But before that, it was built by Mike Coonan’s parents, and located on Lexington Ave.  In 1965 it was owned by parishioner Libby Pearson, and was directly in the proposed path of Highway 35E.  Libby donated the house to St. Anne’s, and had it moved to its present location, to become St. Anne’s Rectory.  In May of 1984, a thorough renovation of St. Anne’s House was undertaken as the first joint project of Good Shepherd and St. Andrew’s, even before they officially decided to merge.  The History notes:

Ray Brower (Good Shepherd) and Wayne Ogorek (St. Andrew’s) were appointed co-chairs of committee of volunteers from both parishes to repair the rectory. … With support from the Diocese, wood paneling was cleaned, plaster was replaced, tiles in the kitchen were replaced, kitchen cabinets were removed, refinished and re-installed, wallpaper was removed, and floors were scrubbed.  This was the first real co-project with the goal of mutual benefit. Thanks to the many hours of work required, the parishes really began to know one another.

Due to the vision, gifts, and hard work of many, we have inherited a physical plant that is an asset for ministry.  It is a place of beauty and serenity, where God’s presence is felt and God’s creation enjoyed. We are blessed that our building is not a money pit, but is generally in good repair.  We must continue to invest in maintenance and improvement, and our vision for expanding ministry and outreach lead us into developing more ways to use this wonderful asset.  Please see the special insert in this Announcer for an overview of this ministry area, and vision for the future.  Caring for our buildings and grounds is a matter of stewardship, so that many may continue to come here for worship, learning, spiritual growth, comfort, and healing.

Faithfully, Lydia +

A note from Lydia— APRIL 2008

 2008: A Year of “Strengthening the Fabric” of St. Anne’s

 Dear Ones,

 At its organizational retreat March 7-8, the vestry looked back over what went well at St. Anne’s in the past year.  The list was long.  We made progress on many fronts in 2007, from building & grounds to liturgy & music, from growing our staff to caring for our members, from welcoming new members to our education programs.  We then named areas where we could have done better.  That list was not as long, but there is plenty of room for improvement, in our communication, in long range financial planning, in children’s education and greater parishioner involvement in various ministries.

 The third list was about “blue-sky” visioning.  What would our ideal St. Anne’s look like?  No thought for what is practical or feasible, but simply “wouldn’t it be great if…” 

 And then the big question: What can we accomplish in the next 2 years, before our 25th anniversary?  In 2010 St. Anne’s will be 25 years old.  What do we want to look like then?  How do we want to be poised to enter the next quarter century?  What is God leading us to do and become together, in 2008 and 2009?

 The 3rd list, the “blue-sky” list, yielded clues to help us understand where our energy lies, where the Holy Spirit is at work among us.  Just as 2007 was a year of big new accomplishments, stretching us with new things and turning our focus outward, 2008 calls for tending to more of the inner structures that keep a community grounded and strong, and that will keep the initiatives we have started healthy and

viable.  A majority of the items on list 3 could be grouped under fellowship, buildings & grounds, and communication.  Uniting it all seemed to be a theme of strengthening our connections within our faith community and with the world around us.

 And so we came up with a theme for this year, that will guide the current vestry as we lead the parish: 

 “Strengthening the Fabric of St. Anne’s:  Deepening Connections and Community Through Shared Service and Fellowship.”

 We will be revisiting the Strategic Plan developed at the end of 2006, using it to help the various commissions and ministry teams prioritize what needs to be done.  Each vestry

 member will continue to work at inviting others into work that interests them and for which they have skills and abilities that can be used for the common good.  We will continue to care for our beautiful buildings and grounds, promoting their use by every member and by the greater community.  We will improve our communication both within the church and with the neighborhood.  We will encourage every member to actively engage in service, learning, fellowship, and worship, for the deepening of our spiritual lives, the strengthening of friendships, and the strengthening of St. Anne’s corporate identity.  We will continue to reach out beyond our walls through giving and service.

2008 is already off to a great start.  May God bless our efforts and help us to become ever stronger, a bright light shining with the love of Christ.

 Faithfully,

Lydia+