Providing a welcoming community in which all can, with open hearts and open minds, receive God's grace through worship, fellowship, learning and outreach to others.

Inside this issue:

Rector’s Reflection 2

Adult Christian Ed. 2-3

Music 4

Fellowship 4

Children & Youth 5

Outreach 5-6

Financial 7

Bulletin Board 7

Church of the Holy Apostles (Episcopal)

The Acts VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1

JAUNUARY 2017

MARK YOUR CALENDAR:

Jan 2: Parish office closed

Jan 4: Explorer’s Class begins

Jan 8: 50th Anniversary

Event: Former Rector,

Robert Certain

Jan 9: Centering Prayer

Group begins

Jan 10: The Acts Newsletter

deadline

Jan 13-15: Youth Ski Trip

Jan 16: Parish office closed

Jan 17: Reading with the

Rector

Jan 20: Prime Timers to

Grizzlies Game

Jan 21: Holy Hikers

Jan 22: Annual Parish

Meeting

Jan 27: Vestry Retreat

Jan 28: 50th Anniversary

Event: Spaghetti Supper and

Hymn Sing

Our 50th Anniversary Celebration Begins

T he Church of the Holy Apostles,

once described as the daughter of

Church of the Holy Communion on

Walnut Grove in East Memphis, and

the grand-daughter of Calvary Episco-

pal Church in downtown Memphis,

was founded in 1967 as a mission pro-

ject of the Episcopal Diocese of Ten-

nessee. In 1965, our mother parish,

Holy Communion, bought 10-plus

acres in the midst of undeveloped land

at the crossroads of two small country

lanes, Hickory Hill and Knight Arnold.

Episcopal families in the nearby Fox

Meadows area held meetings in their

homes to develop a congregation for a

new mission to be called Church of the

Holy Apostles.

The first service at Holy Apostles was

conducted on June 18, 1967, at Evans

Elementary School in the Fox Mead-

ows area by The Rev. Dr. Eric S.

Greenwood, the rector of Holy Com-

munion. At the 1968 January Conven-

tion of the Diocese of Tennessee, the

congregation was granted mission sta-

tus and by November, the Rev. Bruce

Green was assigned to be the first vic-

ar.

Strong bonds were formed from our

very beginning, and the people have

always been the primary importance at

Holy Apostles. A review from 1970

confirmed that the real strength of Ho-

ly Apostles was the commitment of

each individual to the whole group

which constitutes the Mission. "We

have traveled through emotional times

together. We have found resources we

didn't know we had, and with God's

help we have grown in love."

In 1970, the congregation strove to

become financially self-sufficient “as a

demonstrable achievement to the

mother parish,” and break ground for

our first structure. The Rev. John Rice

succeeded Father Green in 1971, and

helped parishioners shape plans for the

new building.

Construction was begun in 1972, and

our first building, including a multi-

purpose worship space, and education-

al and office space was dedicated 1974.

We had a communicant strength of

approximately 180. This beautiful

church was built in a wooded and park-

like setting and won several awards for

its innovative and contemporary design

features. One such feature was a wall

of glass which looked out onto the

During 2017, Holy Apostles will be celebrating our first Fifty Years of ministry as witness to

God's love made know by all who have shared in this journey. Welcome Home to Holy

Apostles - join us for all of our 50th Anniversary Events. On January 8th, we will kick off

our celebration with the first in a series of visits from former rectors. The Reverend Dr. Robert

Certain will preach at morning services and be our guest speaker at Rector's Forum.

Also this month, we begin a series of articles that will highlight the history of Holy Apostles,

its ministries, and its parishioners and their contributions.

Holy Apostles: The Early Years (1967-1979)

...continued on page 6, Early Years

Page 2 THE ACTS

As the new year begins, and

we celebrate 50 years of min-

istry at Holy Apostles, I am

compelled by the reminder in

the poem Suspended by Den-

ise Levertov, that we are em-

braced by God. Such imagery

fills the Psalms and evokes

hope that God is with us al-

ways and evermore. To know

this is a basic tenet of our

faith. To live as though this is

true is faith itself.

This community of faith

known as Holy Apostles, in all

her various iterations has been

embraced by God, even in

those most difficult of times

when the sensation of falling

and, even failing, crept into

the life of the most faithful of

apostles. Yet, we have not

plummeted nor have we been

abandoned to our whims,

decisions and disagreements.

Time and time again, the peo-

ple of Holy Apostles have

been loved by God, and have

loved God no matter the cir-

cumstances.

While we give thanks for all

those who have come before

us in making this faith com-

munity a place in which the

light of God’s love shines

today, we also must give

thanks to God for God’s

presence and guidance. In as

much as we are here because

we are faithful, we are here

because God has been faithful

in calling us to love, serve and

learn more and more for 50

years. For those whose jour-

ney came before us, I am

grateful. For those with

whom we share the present

journey, I am grateful. For

those who will come after us,

I am hopeful.

Peace, John+

Reading with the Rector January 17th

The Reading with the Rector

Book Club will meet on Tues-

day, January 17th at 6:30 p.m.

to discuss this month’s non-

fiction selection, In the King-

dom of Ice: The Grand and

Terrible Polar Voyage of the

USS Jeannette, written by

author and historian Hamp-

ton Sides.

This award winning book tells

the tale of the captain and

crew of the USS Jeanette as

they set sail from San Francis-

co in 1879 and headed into

uncharted Arctic waters, at-

tempting to represent the first

country to reach the North

Pole. Two years into the voy-

age, the Jeannette's hull was

breached by pack ice, forcing

the crew to abandon ship.

Hours later, the ship had sunk

below the surface, marooning

the men a thousand miles

north of Siberia, where they

faced a terrifying march with

minimal supplies across the

endless ice pack. Enduring

incredible hardships, the crew

struggled to survive.

With thrilling twists and

turns, In the Kingdom of Ice

is a spellbinding tale of hero-

ism and determination in the

most brutal place on Earth.

Suspended

by Denise Levertov

I had grasped God’s

garment in the void

but my hand slipped

on the rich silk of it.

The ‘everlasting

arms’ my sister

loved to remember

must have upheld my

leaden weight

from falling,

even so,

for though I claw

at empty air and feel

nothing, no

embrace,

I have not

plummeted.

Rector’s Reflection by The Rev. John P. Leach

Explorer’s Class begins January 4 th

For anyone who is new to

Holy Apostles and the Epis-

copal Church, the Explorer’s

Class offers a deeper connec-

tion to the traditions, teach-

ings and practices of our com-

mon life. All are invited to

participate. The class meets at

the church each Wednesday

from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

beginning January 4th, and

continuing through February

8th. Child care is available.

For more information, or to

register for the class, please

contact Fr. John at

john@holyapostlestn.net.

Rector’s Forum in January

Page 3 VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1

In January, we will com-

mence our 50th Anniversary

speaker series, which will

featuring five former rectors

at Holy Apostles.

On January 8th, we will host

the Rev. Dr. Robert Cer-

tain, who served as rector at

Holy Apostles from 1985 to

1989. Robert’s history was

detailed in the December

edition of the Acts Newslet-

ter. Please visit our website

for a complete review.

On January 15th, we will par-

ticipate in the Martin Luther

King, Jr. weekend observanc-

es by hosting Dr. Mark

Weiss, a recognized civil

rights leader and activist. Dr.

Weiss became active in the

Civil Rights Movement when

he saw police using dogs and

water hoses against peaceful

demonstrators in Birming-

ham, Alabama in 1963. He

started a chapter of Student

Nonviolent Coordinating

Committee (SNCC) on his

college campus; he raised

money, food and clothing

and traveled to Clarksdale,

Mississippi during the Free-

dom Summer in 1964; and he

volunteered with Operation

Bootstrap in Watts during the

time of the Watts Riots in

1965. He also started a com-

munity music program for

Black and Latino kids;

worked in Oregon State Pris-

on; worked with the Univer-

sity of South Carolina Deseg-

regation Center; and directed

an Early Learning Center at

Allen University, a historically

black University.

Dr. Weiss is a licensed Mar-

riage and Family Therapist.,

and has been helping people

through therapy since 1971.

Mark is highly regarded by

his clients and well known for

his sense of humor and

warmth.

On January 22nd Rector’s

Forum will be suspended for

our Annual Parish Meeting.

On January 29th, we will

begin a two-week series on

First Responders in our

Community, featuring leader-

ship speakers from the Col-

lierville Fire and Police De-

partments. First, we will host

Collierville Fire Inspector

Paul Witt. Inspector Witt

started his career in fire-

fighting as a volunteer 1992

and was hired as a full-

time firefighter in 1994. He

has been with the Collierville

Fire Department since Janu-

ary of 2000, after first serving

at the Millington Fire Depart-

ment. Inspector Witt is also a

member of Tennessee Task

Force One, one of 28 nation-

al rescue teams under FE-

MA working in urban search

and rescue. Tennessee Task

Force One was part of the

response effort to the Penta-

gon following the September

11, 2001 attacks, and has re-

sponded to weather related

disasters across the country.

Inspector Witt currently

serves as a communication

specialist with the team.

Paul has been married for 28

years and has three adult chil-

dren. He is a member of St.

Andrew’s Episcopal Church

in Collierville, is a lifetime

Shelby County resident

and volunteers at Page Rob-

bins Adult Day Center.

Rector’s Forum

Schedule:

Jan 8: The Rev. Dr. Robert Certain

Jan 15: Dr. Mark Weiss

Jan 22: Annual Parish Meeting

Jan 29: Collierville Fire Inspector Paul Witt

Centering Prayer Group to begin at Holy Apostles

On Monday, January 9th, a

new prayer group will begin

meeting weekly at 6:30 p.m. at

the church. This is a mean-

ingful way to deepen or devel-

op your spiritual life, and all

are welcome to participate.

Centering prayer is a contem-

plative practice focusing on

silence developed by Father

Thomas Keating (of the Cis-

tercian order of Benedictine

monks). It is not meant to

replace other forms of prayer

but to enhance and emphasize

ones personal relationship

with the divine. Centering

Prayer was developed as the

Christian answer for those

seeking a deeper experience

of God. For more infor-

mation on Centering Prayer

y o u c a n v i s i t

www.centeringprayer.com.

Page 4 THE ACTS

50th Anniversary Event: Spaghetti Sauce Contest and Hymn Sing

On Saturday, January 28th

beginning at 5:30 p.m., Holy

Apostles’ Friends of Music

will host an evening to delight

all comers. Go back in time to

an old fashioned church spa-

ghetti supper and hymn sing.

But - there’s a special twist -

individuals or teams will com-

pete to provide the “best”

church spaghetti sauce.

Friends of Music is now ac-

cepting entries for the spa-

ghetti sauce completion.

Please contact Sondra Tucker

(sondra@holyapostlestn.net)

to enter.

For the supper, the church

will provide the pasta, salad,

bread, tea, and dessert. Con-

testants will provide the

sauce. The winning entry will

take home a lovely certificate

suitable for framing.

The spaghetti sauce contest

and supper will be held in

conjunction with an old-

fashioned hymn sing led by

former Holy Apostles Organ-

ist-Choirmaster and re-

nowned raconteur Jackson

Hearn. Join the contest and

come sing as we welcome

Jackson home to Holy Apos-

tles and celebrate 50 years of

music ministry. The dinner

and the concert are both free

and all are invited.

Holy Hikers to “Tour de Wolf ” January 21st The Holy Hikers will walk the

Tour de Wolf Trail in Shelby

Farms on Saturday, January

21st. The hike is a 5.8 mile

loop trail that covers the East

end of the park, and is rated

moderate. It should be no

more than a three hour hike

Dogs are welcome. Meet in

the church parking lot at 9:00

a.m. to car pool to the park.

Call Frank Potter (901-230-

1818) with questions or to

confirm the trip in case of

inclement weather conditions.

Prime Timers to Grizzlies Game January 20th

The Prime Timers will jour-

ney to the FedEx Forum on

Friday, January 20th, to cheer

for the Grizzlies as they take

on the Sacramento Kings.

The game time is 7:00 p.m.

Our seats are in the Sec. 223

and 224, on Row N. We have

a limited number of seats, so

sign up early. The deadline

to sign up and pay for your

tickets is January 5th. You

can sign up online at the Holy

Apostles website. The tickets

are $25 each. Make checks

payable to Holy Apostles.

If you would like to carpool

with us, we will meet in the

church parking lot at 5:00

p.m. Contact Frank Potter

(901-230-1818) or Susan

Crawford (901-230-6059) for

more information.

Our annual Parish Meeting

will be held on Sunday, Janu-

ary 22nd at 10:10 a.m., in the

Parish Life Center. At this

meeting, we will elect new

Vestry members, hear various

ministry reports including the

Rector’s annual address, re-

ceive the Budget presentation,

and honor a parishioner with

the Brian Pecon Lay Ministry

Award. This is an important

meeting and we encourage all

to attend.

All Communicants in Good

Standing who are at least 16

years of age are eligible to

vote in the Vestry elections.

A Communicant in Good

Standing is defined as one

who has been confirmed or

received in the Episcopal

Church and who for the pre-

vious year has been “faithful

in corporate worship, unless

for good cause prevented, and

has been faithful in working,

praying, and giving for the

spread of the Kingdom of

God” (Title I, Canon 17, Sec.

3).

If you have any questions,

please call the church office at

937-3830. Information re-

garding the Vestry nominees

will be available on our web-

site and at the church.

Jackson Hearn, Former Holy Apostles Organist-Choirmaster

Annual Parish Meeting & Vestry Elections January 28th

For more information on

the youth program, contact

Cynthia McCarty at

cynthia@holyapostlestn.net

Page 5 VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1

Episcopal Youth Community (EYC)

The youth of Holy Apostles play an active and vital role in our parish. EYC is for teens in the

6th through 12th grades. Friends are always invited!

January 1st: Enjoy New Year’s Day with family (no EYC).

January 8th: 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Feast of Lights Join us for the Diocesan Youth Event at St. Mary’s Cathedral (see below).

January 15th: Diocesan Ski Weekend (no EYC).

January 22nd: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. We will begin making plans for events that will be coming up this year, including our Special Friends Event on February 5th and the Strove Tues-day Pancake Supper on February 28th.

January 29th: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Winter Fun and Games

Pizza & Prayer

Every Wed, at 6:30 p.m.

The Right Reverend Don Johnson will visit

Holy Apostles for Baptism and Confirmation

on Sunday, February 12th. A reception with

the Bishop will be held at 10:10 a.m. in the

Parish Life Center.

The sacrament of Holy Baptism will be of-

fered during Bishop Johnson’s visit. If you are

interested in being baptized or having a child

baptized, please contact Fr. John at

john@holyapostlestn.net

Episcopal Kids Community (EKC)!

EKC is for 3rd through 5th graders and is all about fun, fellowship, and God.

This Month’s Activity:

Sunday, January 22nd: 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Winter Fun and Games

Feast of Lights January 8 Begin the new year and celebrate the final days of the Christmas Season with a Diocesan candle-

light Epiphany service of lessons and carols at St. Mary’s Cathedral (700 Poplar Ave., Memphis).

4:30 p.m. - Youth Gathering, in the Crypt: Join us for BBQ and social justice focused activities

6:00 p.m. - Lessons & Carols, in the Nave: Preacher: the Rev. Sandy Webb, Holy Communion

7:00 p.m. - Burning of the Greens, in the West Parking Lot: Bring your greens from home to add

to the blaze!

Pick up for the youth event is 7:30 p.m.

Youth Ski Trip Jan 13 -15

All youth in grades 6th -

12th are invited to join oth-

ers from across the Dio-

cese for a ski weekend in

Missouri - friends are wel-

come! The cost is $300.

The final deadline for regis-

tration is Wed., Jan 4th.

Men’s Group Book Drive for DuBose Conference Center Through January, the parish

Men’s Group is collecting

new and gently used books

for the library at the DuBose

Conference Center in Mon-

teagle, Tennessee. Donations

may include works of adult

fiction and nonfiction. For a

complete list of requested

authors, visit our website.

Books about theology, social

justice and civil rights would

be appreciated. You also may

donate serviceable Episcopal

hymnals and Books of Com-

mon Prayer. Hardcover and

softcover editions welcome.

DuBose Conference Center is

home to major annual Epis-

copal church programs and

generations of Tennesseans

have enjoyed its peaceful

grounds and warm hospitality.

Please leave your donations in

the collection box in the hall-

way. For more information,

contact Glenn Hopper

(glennhopper@bellsouth.net)

o r B r y a n M a s s e y

(bryn_massey@yahoo.com).

Save the Date: Bishop Johnson’s Visit February 12th

Page 6 THE ACTS

Ministry Leader Feature: John R. Wasilik – Outreach Coordinator

John Wasilik grew up in Gar-

field, New Jersey, a small

town not far from New York

City. He regularly participated

in services at St. Peter &

Paul’s Russian Orthodox Ca-

thedral with his parents, and

served as an altar boy there.

Following high school, he

attended Bucknell University

in central Pennsylvania, earn-

ing an M.S. in Chemical Engi-

neering in 1969. He then

joined DuPont and embarked

on a 41-year career with the

company, retiring in 2011 as

Plant Manager of their Mem-

phis Plant. His company ser-

vice was broken for two years

in 1970 – 72 when he fulfilled

an ROTC commitment, leav-

ing the Army as a Captain.

John and Pat have been mar-

ried since 1975, with four

children and four grandchil-

dren, scattered in a wide geo-

graphic area extending from

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to

Arlington, Virginia.

John and Pat attended

churches in several Protestant

denominations before joining

Holy Apostles in 2003. Wor-

ship at Holy Apostles has

been one of the essential cor-

nerstones of their lives since

they joined. They found in the

church a warm and welcom-

ing parish, many activities well

aligned to their interests, and

lasting friendships.

Although John serves as Out-

reach Ministries Coordinator,

the “heroes” of outreach are

the many individual ministry

leaders and team members

who selflessly give of their

time and resources to help

their fellow human beings in

need.

John believes there is a place

for everyone in Holy Apostles

Outreach. Our ministries

bring so much good to others

and operate throughout the

year. If any interest you,

please contact the ministry

leader – we would welcome

your participation!

Early Years, continued from page 1

wooded park in the back.

Bob Capra (who would be-

come our long-time organist

and choirmaster) began play-

ing the piano to accompany

congregational singing when

we met at Evans Elementary.

Along with others, he helped

establish the Mission Singers,

a precursor to the church

choir. As a means to raise

funds to purchase a pipe or-

gan, the first Holy Apostles

cookbook, First Friday Feast,

was published in the early

1970s. When we moved into

the new building in 1974 a

three rank pipe organ was

installed. By the end of the

70's, Bob had acquired addi-

tional ranks of pipes and had

incorporated them into an

impressive 34 rank instru-

ment.

In the 1970s, as the Hickory

Hill area grew and flourished,

so did Holy Apostles. Father

Rice remained until June,

1975, and was succeeded by

the Rev. Allen Mustard who

served From 1976 to early

1979. During the 70s, our

young church developed its

strong character and parish-

ioners knitted together

threads of ministry that have

never broken: worship, fel-

lowship, learning and out-

reach. It was also during this

decade that chapters of Alco-

holics Anonymous and Al-

Anon began to meet at the

church, and the fire station

ministry began in 1979.

The Rev. Robert Allen arrived

in September, 1979, and guid-

ed our church to full Parish

status in January of 1981.

Throughout our journey, as a

mission or a parish, the great-

est strengths of Holy Apostles

have always abided within its

people. Led by knowledgeable

parishioners, enriched by new

members, and invigorated by

its youth, we retain the cordi-

al, family-oriented atmos-

phere of our church's first

congregations, and we remain

a warm, caring community of

Christians.

Pat and John Wasilik

John working at Collierville Food

Pantry

January Birthdays & Anniversaries

Page 7 VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1

Church of the Holy Apostles 1380 Wolf River Blvd.

Collierville, TN 38017

901.937.3830 • fax 901.937.3837

www.holyapostlestn.net info@holyapostlestn.net

Parish Office Hours:

Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. To 2:00 p.m.

Clergy

The Rev. John P. Leach Rector

john@holyapostlestn.net

The Rev. Susan K. Crawford Priest Associate

susan@holyapostlestn.net

Staff

Evan Baker Facility Manager

evan@holyapostlestn.net

Petrice Harvey Inter. Supv. of Nursery

petrice@holyapostlestn.net

Cynthia McCarty Dir. of Youth Ministry

cynthia@holyapostlestn.net

Holly McDaniel Parish Administrator

holly@holyapostlestn.net

Linda Obradovic Dir. of Communications

linda@holyapostlestn.net

Tiffany Siegel Lay Ministry Coordinator

tiffany@holyapostlestn.net

Flora Sims Hospitality

Sondra Tucker Organist-Choirmaster

sondra@holyapostlestn.net

2016 Vestry

Richard Spore Sr. Warden

Marianne Waszilycsak Jr. Warden

Stacey Hopper Clerk

Sally Barron

Lesley Cullen

Mark Harris

Kimberly Jordan

Kevin Kenny

Phil Morris

Bill Scofield

Marvin Townsend

Laura White

Ex officio:

Cary Barnes Parish Treasure

Mike Marshall Parish Chancellor

Prayer List

Allie Allen John M. Barron, III Barbara Bouton Freeda Bridges Kay Broughton Fred Bryan Snowden Farnworth Cole Harrison Fred Herrero Phil Irish

Isabella Dave Johnson Cornelia Klesges Paul Kruse Mary-Faith Holly McDaniel John Needham Pam Brian Pecon Mary Priest

Sam Sarah Michelle Sharron Hessie Stanley Richard Ellis Tucker Evan Ulrey Jim White Gene Young Lin Zheng

As Christians in a faith community, we invite you to share names of those who are in need

of prayer. For prayer requests, please call the office, or email linda@holyapostlestn.net.

Elizabeth Gates 1 Walker Dukes 1 Duncan Harwood 2 Brian Brittain 2 Megan Harwood 3 Matthew Harwood 3 Jake Farrell 4 Ben Wingfield 6 Robbie Faithful 6 Wade Scofield 6 Sue Balogh 7 Jean Morris 8 Chris Kotara 8 Mary Russell Philpott 8 Frank Cianciola 9

Caroline Finch 9 Wyatt Burnham 9 Nick Marshall 10 Lorena Sappington 12 Daniel Fang 14 Bailey Williams 15 George Kawell Jr. 15 Madison McMinn 15 Brendan Horton 18 Maeson Morris 18 John Evans 20 Katie Zanskas 20 Deborah Mingledorff 23 Jay Drake Jr. 23 Sarah Acuff 24

Emily Madison 24 Olivia Acuff 24 George Waszilycsak 25 Rendon Armstrong 27 Kate Collins 28 Will Sappington 28 Alex Britt 28 Harrison Litvin 28 Peggy Bardes 29 Karrie LaCroix 29 Eileen Cashbaugh 30 Jeremy Roberts 30 Andrew Tancredi 30 Pat Britt 31 Jay Broadhurst 31

Bob & Donna Abney 4 David & Phuong Fang 18

Clint & Judy Bratton 26

Nov 20 Pentecost Last 239

Nov 27 Advent 1 241

Dec 4 Advent 2 241

Dec 11 Advent 3 244

Attendance:

Financial Update November 2016

Month Year-to-Date Budget Y-T-D Plate: $7,294 $62,466 $87,549

Pledge: 34,941 504,605 542,665

Pre-Paid Pledge: 0 46,107 0

Prior Year Pledge: 0 1,675 0

Revenue Total: $42,235 $614,853 $630,214

Disbursements: $58,447 $638,958 $692,132

The Vestry and staff thank you for your continued generosity and giving toward the mission and ministry of Holy Apostles.

NONPROFIT ORG. U. S. POSTAGE PAID COLLIERVILLE, TN PERMIT NO. 12

Office: 901.937.3830 Fax: 901.937.3837

www.holyapostlestn.net

info@holyaposstlestn.net

Church of the Holy Apostles

(Episcopal)

1380 Wolf River Blvd. Collierville, TN 38017

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

The Acts January 2017

Collierville Christmas Parade (12/2/16) EKC (11/20/16)

American Christmas Concert with Memphis ChoralArts (12/17/16)

Youth Christmas Caroling (12/4/16)