St. Timothy's Church

All Saints Day - Name That Saint

2008-10-27T19:42:00.001-07:00

The All Saints Day celebrations begin this Friday at 6:00 pm. Everyone is invited to join us for fun, games, food, bonfire, s'mores, hay-ride and more. Everyone is invited to dress as their favorite Saint. A special prize will be given to the best Saint costumes!

52nd General Council of the Reformed Episcopal Church

2008-10-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

L-R: Rev. Michael Mobley, Alyssa Mobley, Rev. Canon Brad Cunningham, and delegates Nancy & Ralph Robison, all standing in front of the organ (c.1880) at Church of our Lord, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

From October 22-25, our church celebrated its 135th anniversary with a wonderful general council in Victoria, British Columbia. Although the primary function of a General Council (which happens only once every three years) is to conduct business, there is also much worship and fellowship. This year's preacher was the Rev. Dr. Justin Terry, Dean of Trinity Episcopal School For Ministry in Ambridge, PA. Although business meeting are usually dull, our business meeting was so fantastic that dozens of parishes joined our church and more are expected to do the same.

If you would like to hear more about what happened at general council, please attend the adult Sunday school class on November 1.

A Year with St. Clare

2008-08-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to the Patron Saint of needle pointers, the St. Clare's Guild is made up of women and men who give tremendous time and talent and resources to glorify God in the beauty of his church. After more than a year of work, the needle pointing of some of the kneelers is being completed. Below are some sneak peeks at the three that are complete. There are also a few snapshots of some (but not all) of the guilders at work.

New Ancient Baptismal Font

2008-08-04T13:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the generosity of the Howard Templeton Memorial Fund, we have added an antique marble font to our liturgical furnishings. We will dedicate the font on September 7 at the Rally Day Eucharist service. During this service we will tell the amazing story of how over the past 100 years or so this font traveled from Europe to Pennsylvania to Arkansas via ebay. Wait till you hear how much it cost! (Howard must be loving this!)

The detail below shows a carving we added to this side of the bowl. This carving repeats the original hand carved design on the opposite side of the bowl.

Chicken Fest 2008

2008-08-04T12:59:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our latest fund raiser. Thanks to Chris and Mickey Baugh for spearheading this wildly successful event. Many, many people worked hard to make this such a great event, raising thousands of dollars to help rebuild our heating and cooling system. Unfortunately, the photographer was exhausted by the 100+ degree weather and didn't get photos of everyone. Here are the ones he did get.

Anthony and Chris

The first chickens come off the grill

Mike outside

Mike inside

J.D.

Linda

Mickey

More About GAFCon

2008-07-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

As is obvious from the post below, The Reformed Episcopal Church is a partner in GAFCon. Our church and her Holy Orders are recognized as a valid Anglican ministry in North America, along with our fellow members of the Common Cause Partnership.

Here is a summary of the importance of GAFCon to our Church from our Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Leonard Riches.

"GAFCON establishes a new alignment and marks a new beginning for faithful Anglicans throughout the world. In particular, it launches a new era of opportunity for the Reformed Episcopal Church. With joy and thanksgiving we take our place as members of a global family and fellowship, uniting in witness, mission, and purpose to bear testimony to Jesus Christ as the only Name whereby men must be saved, and to serve Him, together with all faithful Anglicans, in building His church."

To read Bishop Riches' letter in its entirety, click here.

GAFCon and the REC

2008-06-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

Many of our folks have asked about our involvment in GAFCon in Jerusalem. Here is a great photo of our Suffragan Bishop Ray Sutton (left) and our Presiding Bishop Leonard Riches (right.) Here they are reading the official GAFCon statement before its official adoption on Sunday morning. Keep our bishops in your prayers as they return from Jerusalem today.

Vacation Church Camp

2008-06-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of the participants in our inaugural Vacation Church Camp. We are blessed in deed. Hopefully, more pictures will show up shortly.

Children's Chapel

2008-05-25T19:02:00.001-07:00

Fr. Michael leads Children's Chapel each week. We have been so blessed to see our children's ministry double in size in the six months since Fr. Michael joined our family. Just look at those beautiful faces. This is just the second week of Children's chapel, and the chapel is still developing. Children ages three through third grade process to their own chapel and participate in their own liturgy. Then they process back to the Nave to participate in Holy Communion with the whole church. We love our kids!

Pentecostal Baptisms

2008-05-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

On Pentecost Sunday, we had the honor of baptizing two beautiful children, Anecia and Cache.

Anecia was all smiles.

Cache was a little more laid back about the event.

Nini was in a hurry, pulling Father back to the font for her blessing. Thus the blur!

Mike and Cache tried to keep up.

As the choir sang, "Cache and Anecia, God claims you!"

Episcopal Visit 2008

2008-05-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

Earlier in May we welcomed Bishop Royal Grote to our parish. While visiting, he gave the Sacrament of Baptism to Madison, one of our newest members and soon to be acolyte.

And of course we tried to feed the Bishop well so that Mrs. Bishop wouldn't have to worry.

But then again, this parish loves to eat!

We're going to need a bigger parish hall!

I've found God, says man who cracked the genome

2008-04-11T03:18:00.000-07:00

by Steven Swinford
The Sunday Times
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article673663.ece
June 11, 2006

THE scientist who led the team that cracked the human genome is to publish a book explaining why he now believes in the existence of God and is convinced that miracles are real.

Though this great scientist does not arrive at orthodox Christian conclusions yet, his testimony is a welcome breathe of fresh, honest air. Someday, God willing, he may take the next step in his own logic and conclude, "if God chose to use some other method than evolution to create man, even if today's scientists haven't figured out how, who are we to argue?" Fr. Brad+

On miracles he says, "If one is willing to accept the existence of God or some supernatural force outside nature then it is not a logical problem to admit that, occasionally, a supernatural force might stage an invasion." Fascinating idea - allowing logic to get in the middle of science! Read it all by clicking the link above.

Cute and with a Purpose

2008-03-27T03:59:00.000-07:00

This child is adorable - and demonstrates the importance of music in the transmission of the faith. She makes it clear that we should be diligent, deliberate and careful in our selection of music in worship. What we sing is what our children will know of God.

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

Easter 2008 began with another record breaking attendance (shattering our old record!) as worshipers packed the house to shout Alleluia! The Lord is risen!

Children brought Easter baskets filled with brightly colored eggs.

We celebrated the Sacrament of Holy Baptism!

Three young men were born into the Kingdom of Christ! And two young ladies received their first Holy Communion! See them all dressed in white?

At the end of the service, Fr. Brad explained the symbolism of the easter egg and then gave the traditional Easter Blessing of the Eggs.

Look at all these beautiful children. Thanks be to God!

Then came the recessional and we all went to the parish hall for a feast.
See the new Paschal Candle?

Time to eat!

One very proud and happy grandmother.

Let's get this part over with - there's candy to be found!

The child who is always happy.

YUM!

Now that's a handsome young Anglican!

Hey, Look. It's Fr. Michael's first Easter at St. Timothy's. Welcome, Fr. Michael. And thanks for all the Easter fun.

And, finally, time for the Annual Easter Egg Hunt!

That smile is worth it all!

This is serious work!

Dakota hands out the awards. Thanks Dakota for all the hard work.

Holy Week Schedule

2008-03-12T04:10:00.000-07:00

Holy Week is March 16-23

Palm Sunday
Liturgy of the Palms with Eucharist @ 10:30 am
Holy Monday
Eucharist @ 12:10 pm
Holy Tuesday
Eucharist @ 12:10 pm
Holy Wednesday
Eucharist @ 12:10 pm
Maundy Thursday
Eucharist and Stripping of the Altar @ 6:00 pm
Good Friday
Stations of the Cross @ 12:10 pm & 6:00 pm
Resurrection Sunday (Easter Day)
Eucharist @ 10:30 am
No Sunday school today
Eucharist with Baptisms
Lunch and reception following
Easter-Egg hunt for children

Attention: PARENTS

2008-02-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

"Hear this, ye fathers and mothers, that your upbringing of children shall not lose its reward...It was on account of his children that Eli perished. For he ought to have admonished them, and indeed he did admonish them, but not as he ought; but from unwillingness to give them pain, he destroyed both himself and them. Hear this, ye fathers, bring your children up with great, great care in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Youth is wild, and requires many governors, teachers, directors, attendants and tutors; and after all these, it is a happiness if it be restrained. For as a horse is not broken in, or a wild beast untamed, such is youth. But if from the beginning, from the earliest age, we fix in it good rules, much pains will not be required afterwards; for good habits formed will be for them as a law." [emphasis added]

St. John Chrysostom

While I'm At It

2008-02-21T18:59:00.000-08:00

Here's another good tid-pit from Russian Orthodox bishop Hilarion - delivered to the World Council of Churches. Wonders never cease.

"It is not our duty to defend Shariah, promote alternative lifestyles or secularized values. Our mission is to announce what Christ himself announced".

He also said, "Christians only have strength if they follow the precepts of Christ, not when they build their lives upon the whims of the secular world".

Bishop Hilarion, born in 1966, is a member of the Executive and Central Committees of the World Council of Churches.

Wish I Had Said That

2008-02-21T18:24:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I find great things in the strangest of places. Here is something brilliant from someone we've never heard of...but its still brilliant!

"Education and knowledge are good things, but if they are not sanctified, they are a waste and lead to disaster...Natural knowledge helps us acquire spiritual knowledge. But when man remains at the level of natural knowledge, he is confined to nature and does not reach Heaven. In other words, he remains on the earthly paradise, which was watered by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, enjoying beautiful nature with all its animals, but does not ascend to the heavenly Paradise to rejoice with the Angels and the Saints. But in order to reach the heavenly Paradise, we need to have faith in the Landlord of Paradise, to love Him, realize how sinful we are, and be humbled. In this way, we will come to know Him, to converse with Him in prayer, and praise Him for His help but also for the ways in which He is testing us."

Elder Paisios of Mount Athos (b 1924, Eastern Orthodox monk on Mount Athos, Greece.)

Lenten Discipline for Deadly Sin

2008-02-20T13:08:00.000-08:00

During Lent, Christians are asked to engage in extraordinary disciplines for the furthering of the Christian life. There are basically three such disciplines: 1. extraordinary acts of charity, 2. extraordinary almsgiving, 3. Fasting.

The purpose of this discipline is to help us to combat the seven deadly sins or, in biblical terms, to mortify the flesh. In helping us to deal with our sins, the Church has always identified those sins which are most grievous, and from which all other sins spring. These grievous sins are usually called the seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, greed, envy, wrath, pride and sloth.

The disciplines of Lent are designed to combat each of these deadly sins by mortifying (killing) the sin and bringing to life the virtues of the godly man. Here are a few examples of how the Lenten disciplines attack the deadly sins and support virtue.

Lust is any intense desire or craving for self gratification whether through sex, power, or experiences of any sort. (Lust for adultery, lust for life, lust for power, lust for blood, etc.) Gluttony is the over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or intoxicants to the point of waste. The Christian should discipline himself against lust and gluttony through fasting, which teaches him to control his cravings and to find gratification through self control and self mastery.

Greed is the driving desire to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves; it is the insatiable desire for wealth. Envy is a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something that is possessed by another and fills the envious with spite and resentment at seeing the success of another. These deadly sins are combated through extraordinary acts of almsgiving, which help the Christian to replace the sins of greed and envy with the virtues of thankfulness and generosity.

Wrath is an intense anger characterized by belligerence (usually on an epic scale) aroused by any wrong, real or supposed. Pride is unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem. Because these two sins flow from an inordinate exaltation of self over the other person, these two are combated through mortification and the sanctification of extraordinary acts of charity (love). Acts of charity exalt the other in love, just as the bible says, so that we esteem others more highly than ourselves.

Lastly, sloth is apathy and inactivity in the practice of virtue, making sloth perhaps the deadliest of all deadly sins. What makes sloth so dangerous? Sloth ensures we take no action to discipline the body or soul. The slothful person may be the most honest about his sins but will find no will or strength to exercise the virtues necessary to discipline himself. For this reason, any and all of the Lenten disciplines work to mortify sloth by replacing that sin with godly action. Unfortunately, the slothful man is the most likely to excuse himself from the exertion of any of these healthy disciplines. If sloth is your sin – do something - anything. The doing is your discipline.

Below are a few practical ideas for how to practice Lenten Disciplines.

Fasting – the one everybody talks about and few people actually do. Remember that fasting combats gluttony and lust and builds self control and mastery. So design your fast with the goal in mind. Ideally, the Lenten fast is a vegetarian diet of one meal a day with only those snacks required to allow you to do your duty. Realistically, many people fast from meat, desserts, favorite foods or drinks, especially alcohol, and tobacco. Some people also fast from activities such as computer gaming, golfing, sports, television, etc. The purpose of this fast is to build self mastery. If it isn’t hard for you to keep your fast, then you’re probably wasting your time.

Extraordinary acts of charity are difficult because they require us to demonstrate love to those we find most unlovable. This may include apologizing to people we have mistreated, repairing relationships with obnoxious relatives, serving meals in a scary downtown mission, cleaning restrooms at our child’s school, or just “reaching out” to someone at church who does not fit in our regular social circle. The goal is to humble yourself and exalt someone else for no particular reason except love.

Finally, extraordinary almsgiving is often the biggest challenge. Almsgiving is bad enough but extraordinary – ahhhrrrg! (We hate to give even reasonably? What must extraordinary giving be like?) The Lenten almsgiving combats greed and envy, so we give away what makes us greedy or envious. Perhaps we should give an unusually large sum of money to fund a ministry to the poor or to provide a much needed item for the ministry of the church. Or perhaps we should give away a favorite article of clothing, an exorbitant pair of shoes we really like, that favorite sofa might look great in someone else’s living room, those cherished video games or plush animals might make some disadvantaged child very happy. I don’t really need that really cool power tool I bought for no reason but I know a struggling carpenter who could put it to good use (and would delight to receive it as an anonymous gift in the mail.) Remember, almsgiving combats greed and envy while teaching thankfulness and generosity. If our extraordinary giving hasn’t “cost us” enough to feel its squeeze, then our giving isn’t exactly extraordinary, is it?

Soup Night (every Wednesday in Lent)

2008-02-13T15:09:00.000-08:00

Join us for delicious vegetarian soup and bread each Wednesday night during the season of Lent. Our meal will be followed by Evening Prayer.

The teens will meet for their Bible study as soon as they are finished eating and last until about 7:30.

Choir practice will start at 7:00.

St Clare's Guild (every Tuesday from 11:00am)

2008-02-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

Come join the ladies and men of our needleworking guild as they work on magnificent projects for the beautification of our church building.
Don't know how to needlepoint? Don't worry. They'll happily teach you!

Here is Lyle with his newly finished needlepointed banner. It took eight months of diligent work to complete.

Sunday (Feb 3) The burial of the Alleluias

2008-02-03T08:49:00.000-08:00

Because we are about to enter the season of Lent, this is the last Sunday we will say our "Alleluias" until Easter. At the end of the service today the children will "bury" their Alleluia signs (which they made on Friday during Family Fun Night) in a wooden casket which will reside under the altar until Easter.

Ash Wednesday Services

2008-02-03T03:58:00.000-08:00

Ash Wednesday is this week - February 6 - and for the first time, St. Timothy's will offer two services with Imposition of Ashes on Ash Wednesday.

Wednesday, Feb 6, 12:10 pm
Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion (Said)

Wednesday, Feb 6, 6:00 pm
Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion (Sung)

Family Fun Night- Tonight! (parents' night out)

2008-02-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

Kids meet in the parish hall for fun and games. Dinner is provided. 6-9pm.

Welcome Fr. Michael and Alyssa Mobley

2008-01-31T14:11:00.000-08:00

We are thrilled to announce that Fr. Michael Mobley has joined St. Timothy's Church.

Fr. Michael is a native of eastern Tennessee and a graduate of the University of Tennessee. He also earned his theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and his Anglican studies certificate from Cranmer Theological House. He served in ordained ministry in Dallas and in south Alabama before accepting the position of assistant rector at St. Timothy's Church. A convert to Anglicanism from the Southern Baptist faith, Fr. Michael will now work to catechize and minister to families with children and youth.

Fr. Michael is married to the wonderful Alyssa, a native of central Georgia. Alyssa brings a joyful disposition and a glorious alto voice to our church. Together, Father Michael and Alyssa are the proud parents of their first son, Andrew. They live in a happy home filled with lots of love and quite a few dogs.

Welcome, Fr. Michael, Alyssa, and Andrew. May God bless your family and your ministry among us for many years to come!

A visit from St. Nicholas!

2007-12-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

Fr Michael and Alyssa are coming soon!

2007-10-31T10:28:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that Fr. Michael Mobley has accepted the call to serve as Assistant Rector of St. Timothy's Church. He will be curate to families with children and youth. Fr. Michael and his wife Alyssa along with their young son Andrew will arrive in Jonesboro on or about November 20. Keep a look out for celebrations and welcome wagons to greet the Mobleys. Fr. Michael begins his ministry at t. Timothy's on Sunday, November 21. Welcome Fr. Michael, Alyssa, and Andrew.

All Saints Party 2007

2007-10-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

More pictures will be posted soon, but I just had to get this one up now! (Diana)

~St Benedict & St Thomas Cranmer

The Blessing of the Reredos- October 7

2007-10-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

St Fancis Blessing of the Animals- Oct 6, 2007

2007-10-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

On October 6th we celebrated God's love for his creation with a blessing for the animals. In addition to dogs and cats we even had bunnies and hamsters come for their blessings! Here are some pictures of that fun day:

~Tory Dee & Clover
(Tory did a wonderful job organizing this special day. She decorated the parish hall, provided treats for the pets (and their humans), and had special bandannas as gifts for the animals, among many other things.)

~(Most) of the pets & their owners

~Margaret & Ginger

~The three-legged doggie wearing his bandanna

~Rebecca & Princess, Tammy and her pretty kitty

~Chloe & Jack