Weekly Newsletter August 23, 2023

St. Michael’s Weekly News – August 23, 2023

Dear People of St. Michaels,    

          We found out last Friday (August 18th) that the supplies and the crew were ready to replace the roof on St. Veronica’s and do other repairs to our roofs in Larsen Hall, especially where Larsen Hall meets the sanctuary. The Vestry had approved a bid to do this at our last meeting. So the work was to begin August 21st, but rain put it off one day and they began yesterday! This work will continue for about a week.

          We are glad this scheduling allows the roof to be repaired and replaced BEFORE the strong rains of October or November, after our outdoor service, but to be completed before Paul Bunyan Days and the use of Larsen. But it has come a bit early to have our planned Capital Campaign in place to pay completely for this much needed change. We ALREADY have some members who committed funds for the roof repair upon hearing of the need, but we are still and will in the future need to have others help with this. We made it through last year’s strong rains and winds and knew that if we did, St. Veronica would need some work this year of 2023. In addition, we found out the place where Larsen Hall and our Sanctuary meet certainly needs repair and work; a worker even could see some ‘daylight’ up there!

          So if you want to help with our repairs now, as we all are very aware of the work being done, we request you give generously to the ‘2023 Roof Campaign’ and these funds will be diverted to that cause. We will also probably roll out a formal request in the next three weeks to ask for help for all the members and friends of St. Michaels to respond to this great need.

          St. Veronica’s is our oldest building and one that is used by the community nearly each day (sometimes more than once) for 12 step and other groups in and around Fort Bragg. We want our use and this community use to continue in safety, without leaks or other problems into the future.

          Please drive by this week, see what is happening to the roof of St. Veronica’s and parts of the roof of Larsen Hall and know that both of these important parts of our life together are being repaired, renewed and strengthened for the future; for us and for generations to come. 

In Christ,   

Pastor Randy Knutson

St Michael & All Angels Green Team
St Michael’s Green Team is making progress on the project to calculate the present day combined carbon footprint of the Church, Larson Hall, and St. Veronica’s Hall. Two Green Team Members, Rick B and Heather A, met with Energy Efficiency Expert, Colby May on Monday August 21ST.. He surveyed our buildings using a handheld thermal imaging camera noting the type of lighting, windows, along with the efficiency of  all the furnaces, electric panels, and water heater. Within a few weeks he will send a detailed energy efficiency assessment report. This assessment report will help the Team develop an action plan to become more energy efficient. A heartfelt Thank You to Marcia Waters and Sarah Fogg for putting in a lot of time and effort to break-down the past year’s usage of both propane and electricity of all of our buildings detailing the separate usage of Townsend Hall.

Green Team Mission Statement of St Michael & All Angels Episcopal:
As Stewards/Caretakers of God’s Creation - our shared home Earth - it is our responsibility to preserve and protect God’s gift. As part of being good stewards, St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church of Fort Bragg is committed to determine the carbon footprint of our Church buildings and grounds, develop a plan to try to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, and follow through with our plan.
The Green Team of St Michael’s is open to all who are interested in working on this very important project. If interested, contact any Green Team Member.

Please join us.

Your St. Michael’s Green Team:
Heather Anderson, Rev Randy Knutson, Robin Knutson, Marcia Waters, Rick Bondor, Renee Jones
Blessings

A Note from The Junior Warden
This week we are in the process of Roof Repair on St. Veronica’s Hall and the front part of Larson Hall.
FREE KINDLING will be available IF YOU HURRY!
Also, there has been extensive gardening work done around the Church grounds. When you see Kathe Charters, Ian Blanton, Richard Crandall, and Tom Charters. Be sure to give them a warm Thank You.

August Birthdays: Robin Knutson, Donald Romeri, Kathleen Johnson, Pat Karch, Bill Reynolds, Maria Miller, Rev. Cn. W. Barton Kendrick, Hailee Peterson, Lynette Smith, Steve Roberts, Steven Woeppel, Richard Crandall, Aaron Peterson

August Anniversaries: the Maganas, the Blantons, and the Norgards.

Recycling and Trash Concerns at St. Michaels

          Dear Members of the Parish, we are all adjusting to a new reality in our homes and around our community concerning trash, recycling and compost; the three categories of left over material from our lives and gatherings. Recently, we even received the first of three warnings concerning black trash bags in our recycling container: after three times, a $25 dollar fee. So we need to be more careful about refuse after our meals, coffee hour etc. The main concern seems to be with recycling and compost.

          Many of us had the mantra of ‘recycling’ repeated to us again and again, but we live in a different world now where less is able to be recycled and some things we might have thought to recycle should instead go into compost, including used paper plates, napkins and paper cups. These should go now into ‘compost’, not recycling. Compost can also include left over food, coffee grounds, fruit peelings, and other plant based waste; along with grass clippings and other plant trimmings.

          Recycling needs to include only clean paper, cardboard boxes, CA redemption bottles and cans (rinsed and dried), plastic containers (#1-#7) and glass. As we found out, these should also not be in any kind of garbage bag.

Trash includes so many things, but unfortunately includes styrofoam cups and many other things that aren’t ‘compost’ and can’t be recycled. It seems like a waste to throw some things away, but what isn’t ‘recycle’ or ‘compost’ needs to go into this container.

          Thank you as we all work together to clean up after our times of great fellowship and worship.

Narcan Overdose kits available in Fort Bragg and at St. Michaels
Recently our Chief of Police received a grant to have Naloxone and its nasal spray version, Narcan, widely available here in Fort Bragg; to help with overdose victims we might come across. The most recent meeting of the Fort Bragg Rotary had a presentation about it and through that, a Narcan kit is now at St. Michaels, if need. Here is some basic information:

Naloxone is a life-saving medication used to reverse an opioid overdose, including heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid medications. Naloxone can be quickly given through nasal spray (Narcan®) in the nose, or through an injectable or auto-injector into the outer thigh or another major muscle. Naloxone is safe and easy to use, works almost immediately, and is not addictive. Naloxone has very few negative effects, and has no effect if opioids are not in a person’s system.

Shared Ministry Outdoor Service, August 20th

Thank you to everyone who helped with this enjoyable event. Especially to our two chefs: Richard Crandall and Mike Stenberg; much preparation by Marcia Waters with Jim Waters help; Altar Guild preparation with Anne Blanton, Teresa Magana and again, Marcia Waters. We also had a great, helpful clean-up by Georgia Frey, Rick Bondor and Sarah Fogg. As they have so many times, Jim Blanton and Robin Knutson made the music enjoyable and singable. It was a joy to bring our two congregations together.

St. Michaels is planning another outdoor service, October 1 at our usual 10:45 am time; to honor St. Francis and to have animal blessings.

Our next Shared Ministry, 5th Sunday Service will be Sunday, October 29th at 10:00 at Trinity Lutheran, when we join them in celebrating Reformation Sunday.

Vestry Meeting: August 25th 2023 at 2:00 pm in Larson Hall

Bible/Book Study, Thursdays at 10:30 am

This week, due to the roof repair on St. Veronica’s Hall, our Shared Ministry Bible Study will meet this Thursday the 24th, at 10:30 am in the main hall at Trinity Lutheran.

Online worship will be back to our normal routine this week:

Live on Facebook at 10:45 am and then it remains there.

Also recorded and downloaded later on YouTube.

Online Worship Information

This Sunday we will offer in-person worship and at the same time offer the online broadcast of our service at 10:45 am in the ways posted below:

Our Sunday Service will be on St. Michael’s Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/StMikesFtBragg

https://www.facebook.com/StMikesFtBragg/videos

It will also stay there on the Facebook Pages and you can watch it later.

You can also watch it on this YouTube Channel later that day as well.

This is a NEW St. Michaels YouTube Channel and also on our website!

https://www.youtube.com/@st.michaelsepiscopalfortbragg

Website

When you can, check our new website: https://www.stmichaelfb.com/