Saint Boniface News Published by Saint Boniface Episcopal Church, 5615 Midnight Pass Road, Sarasota, FL 34242

APRIL 2018

WEEKLY SERVICES

Sunday Eucharist

8:00 & 10:00 am

Tuesdays 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist

Wednesdays 5:30 p.m. Evening Prayer

(Eucharist first Wednesdays)

Thursdays 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist and Healing

NURSERY Childcare is available for

our youngest parishioners on Sunday

mornings 8:45 – 11:45 a.m. in the

Nursery with Ms. Yu Ya, our licensed,

professional caregiver.

CHURCH SCHOOL Join us Sunday mornings at 10:00 in the Atrium! Our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program welcomes children age 3 up through 5th grade. Activity areas include stories and parables of Jesus, Baptism, Communion, prayer and the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, practical life and care of the Atrium, artwork, geography of Israel. For more information, contact Fr. Jonathan Evans, (941)349-5616 x313

Writings from Wayne Easter 2018

Alleluia, Christ is risen!

I’m writing this as Trish and I leave Sarasota for a few days to visit our daughter in New York. I usually have an aisle seat when I fly, but today I have a window. Taking off and climbing in altitude, my window quickly filled with the azure blues and greens of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and their white sand beaches. We are so blessed to live and work in this most beautiful corner of God’s creation.

What glorious worship we offered to God on Easter! I want to thank everyone; musicians and choir, greeters and ushers, altar guild, readers and acolytes, church school and nursery teachers, staff and clergy, just everyone who made the celebrations so special. And a special thank you to those who made additional Easter gifts toward the music and flowers. The church looked spectacular! Many were taking photos, and there was more than one Facebook post of pictures and video. By the way, you can hear or see the service on line by visiting our website www.bonifacechurch.org. Then, click on the “Worship” tab on top toolbar of the home page. Finally, thanks to all of you for responding to our change in service times. Close to 800 folks joined us for Easter worship. Few things are better that the sound of a full church singing and praying!

As I mentioned last month in this space, we will be using the prayers form the Church’s supplemental liturgical material Enriching Our Worship for the 50 days of the Easter season beginning April 8. EOW uses fresh metaphors to express our praise and more modern language when describing God. I know that anything new in worship can feel unsettling. And I will want to hear your thoughts after you experience EOW. Let me suggest that you think of it like taking a new model car out for test drive. You might, or might not buy it. As always, Jonathan, Elisa, and I are always ready to listen and try to answer your questions about liturgy. We will however continue to use the same Prayers of the People that we prayed at Easter. While the Prayer Book offers its six forms, it also invites variety and creativity allowing that we can craft more. I first heard these prayers at the Holy Cross Monastery when I visited there last month. I was so taken by them that I asked for a copy knowing you would enjoy them, too.

This is the time of year when we will be saying goodbye to many of our seasonal members for the summer. Some folks have already said goodbye and gone. For the next several Sundays, beginning April 8, we will be inviting those going north to join at the font for a travelling blessing. As our attendance at the 10 am service begins to reflect the summer, we will suspend the use of the communion station at the font and all be receiving at the main altar. All this being said, programs and activities continue year-round at St. Boniface. Bible studies and book groups, Healing Mission, church school, and choir still go on. The Preschool will be having its Summer Camp. And for grades 4-12 there is diocesan summer camp at Dayspring. The off-season pace also means that your clergy staff, while we are always here for you, is even more available. Feel free to e-mail or call and make an appointment if you need to talk, or to make your annual spiritual check-up. You do it for your physical health. Do it for your spiritual health, too.

God bless you, Wayne+

OUR HEALING MISSION is H.O.P.E. (House of Prayer Everlasting) Our half hour of silent, contemplative prayer does not end with the final blessing. It goes on and out the door and into your life with you. We lift up your intentions in our daily prayers. We remember all who have visited with us. Contrary to popular opinion, you do not need to be desperate to enter our doors. You simply need to desire silent prayer with two healing ministers who will be lifting up your intentions, stated or kept silent. Let the peace and prayers of 50+ years saturate your prayer life giving you new found peace and communion in a consecrated House Of Prayer Everlasting, a sanctuary of H.O.P.E. Call 941-349-5616 ext. 335 for appointments Tuesdays & Fridays 10-12, Wednesdays 2-4.

YOUTH GROUP welcomes high school

students and young adults on Sunday

evenings for food, fun, fellowship and

worship! Contact Fr. Jonathan Evans for

more information, (941)349-5616 x313.

CREATION SUNDAY APRIL 22 The Boniface Eco-Stewardship Team (B.E.S.T.) invites you to explore the wonders, diversity and dynamics of God's world around us with a special focus on creation during the morning liturgy. B.E.S.T. also welcomes a guest from the Friends of Legacy Trail after the service. They will share the Trail’s history and proposed expansion, and how it benefits our environment Sunday, April 22 at 11:15 in the Boniface Community Center. Refreshments will be served.

APRIL at St. Boniface Church

Thanks to the energy of our 40+

ministry groups, parishioners and

newcomers can share a talent,

meet new friends and deepen their spirituality. This month we

focus our spotlight on a few of our ministries that care for our

campus and parishioners while creating bonds of friendship.

Boniface Eco-Stewardship Team: Promoting environmental,

ecological & sustainable living best practices, B.E.S.T. shows caring

for God’s creation is an act of stewardship. Contact Grace Riker, 924

-8908 or Katherine Johnson, 927-2066

Front Desk Volunteers: Friendly volunteers greet office visitors,

answer the phone and help office staff with projects. We create

lasting first impressions. Contact Leslie McLean, 923-9104

Library Team: Enjoy the religious and spiritual reference resources

of our Parish Library, the writings of our own parish authors or a

good read from the Give-and-Take Cart. Contact Dor Brown, 908-723

-0369

Watercolor Group: Ranging from beginners to advanced artists, we

encourage and learn from each other…and have fun in the process.

Each quarter in the Parish Hall we hang a new show of our group’s

work. Most pieces are for sale, with a portions of proceeds

benefitting the church’s ministries. Contact Jane Aguilard, 927-

8442

YOUTH HAPPENINGS Sunday, April 8, Pool Party at Stephanie’s 12:15-2:30

Sunday, April 15, Counting mite box/hope chest donations 12:00

Sunday, April 22, Parking after church

Sunday, April 29, Canoeing

Sunday, May 6, Visit Elderly

Saturday, May 12, 7:00pm, Knockerball and Ninja at Sarasota Square Mall

Sunday, May 20, End of Year Celebration

ART SHOW and SALE

The Watercolor Group celebrates their Spring

Show and Sale with a special Coffee Hour on

Sunday, April 15. They will feature all new

artworks. Stop by and see the talent of our own

parishioner artists! Most pieces are for sale, with a

portion of the sale supporting the ministries of St.

Boniface, thanks to the generosity of the artists.

To purchase artwork, please contact Jane Aguilard,

or during business hours contact the church office

(941-349-5616). For further information

about the St. Boniface Watercolor Group

or the paintings in the Parish Hall, please

contact Jane Aguilard. She can be

reached by telephone (941-927-8442) or

email (janeaguilard@comcast.net).

RISE AGAINST HUNGER Event Wrap-Up A huge helping of thanks go to the many volunteers

and donors who made last month’s meal packaging

event such a success. Together, we packaged

20,088 meals and raised over $7,500 to support Rise

Against Hunger! This international group works to

stop hunger in our life time by providing nutritious

rice-based meals and responding to emergencies.

They also empower communities by working with

schools and creating agricultural and income-

generating programs. Our recently packaged meals

have been shipped to Haiti, supporting RAH’s local

partner there, Northern Haitian Alliance.

LENTEN MITE BOXES

and HOPE CHESTS

During Lent, our mite boxes provided a daily practice of providing for others from our own abundance. Be sure to return yours Sunday, April 8, when we will bless them at the altar. All collected donations will be sent to Episcopal Relief & Development, the independent outreach arm of the Episcopal Church.

BLACK NATIVITY We still have seats available (first 7 rows of

Orchestra seating) for the December 13th performance of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s performance of Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity at the Sarasota Opera House. The evening begins with a private reception of heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar in the Peterson Great Room. Sign-ups are available before and after services ($80 and $90) or on the church website, and payment confirms your reservation. Thanks to generous sponsorships, all proceeds support the ministries of St. Boniface Church.

HEADING HOME for the SUMMER? Please add these to-dos to your list!

Let the church office know your summer address, so we can direct your mail to the right place.

Send us your email address to get the latest scoop while you’re away.

When emptying your pantry, bring any unopened, non-perishable items to the church. We have bright yellow All Faiths Food Bank bins in the church and parish hall waiting for your donations!

Donate your books of fiction to the “Give and Take” cart to share

Remember you can stay in touch with your “winter church” through the newsletter and e-blast, website and our video stream of the Sunday service.

SARASOTA YOUTH OPERA We welcome back the Sarasota Youth Opera on Sunday, April 22 at 6:00 p.m., the fifth visit of the Youth Opera to St. Boniface Church, and they are astounding – if you have not been to hear them yet, then mark your calendars now! Since 1984, Sarasota Youth Opera has given countless young people age 8 and older an opportunity to experience the magic of opera through participation in choruses, Sarasota Opera's main stage productions, and the Youth Opera's own productions. A FREE event, thanks to the Boniface Friends of Music (freewill offering).

and MORE!

VIDEO STREAMING TEAM St. Boniface Church provides

video streaming of our 10:00 Sunday service and other

special events. Many parishioners let us know how much

it’s meant to them, when they could not be with us, to feel

that they were a part of the service from their home. Others

enjoy being able to revisit the sermon at any time, and

newcomers find it a helpful way to “church shop.” This is all

possible thanks to a dedicated team of volunteer parishioner

videographers. To join this team, see Vince Brennan at

Coffee Hour or call 941-356-4400.

PRESCHOOL NEWS We start April with excitement in the new Easter Season and as

we welcome the community to our Open House on April 10th from

5:00 to 6:30, to meet staff and see our wonderful preschool. Please

come and bring a friend or neighbor.

Last month’s Ministry Spotlight brought fourteen interested

volunteers to share their gifts and talents in the preschool. We

created and aligned the vetting process with the church to make sure

that volunteers have the ability to help in either ministry. If I have

not heard from you, please contact me to get your paperwork and to

let me know how God is calling you to serve, from reading to parking

lot attendant available. Please contact us by email

(preschool@bonifacechurch.org) or call the church office.

We would like to thank Dr. Ron Kar for the beautiful children’s

book library that he donated in honor of his late wife, Ann. We are so

blessed to receive such a generous gift.

The Preschool Board has been working hard at advertising in and

outside the church. New banners by the street to bulletin boards in

the narthex and Parish Hall, have been created to showcase the work

of the staff and children in this ministry. Summer Camp registration

is open and fall registration will start this month. Please pray for our

continued growth and blessings as we serve the youngest members

of our community. - Susan O’Carroll, St. Boniface Preschool Director

ST. BONIFACE CHURCH and S.U.R.E.

We turned out in force at S.U.R.E.’s Nehemiah Action Assembly

on March 19th. SURE collected and recorded 100 ticketed

attendees from St. Boniface. Thanks be to God and the hard work

of the Team Leaders of our Justice Ministry Network. But we’re

never done in pursuing justice, and so the hard work for justice

will continue.

The Civil Citation Committee reported that a bill before the

state legislature to implement Civil Citation statewide was passed

by both the House and the Senate, and now awaits the Governor’s

signature. The initiative was spearheaded by S.U.R.E., which

joined together with nine other similar organizations across the

state.

This year’s Nehemiah Assembly focused on two issues:

Implementation of restorative justice programs in all Sarasota

County Schools; and affordable housing for people in our city who

can’t now afford to live in Sarasota County - people we know:

teachers, lawn care workers, restaurant workers and many other

service providers.

Support from our elected and appointed school and county

officials was generally positive, although for both issues the

tension in the room was high as they balked at committing to

performing specific tasks by a date certain. Following brief

negotiations, officials from the schools as well as the two county

commissioners present expressed willingness to continue to work

with S.U.R.E. to move forward, as they are generally strongly

supportive of S.U.R.E.’s objectives.

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAYS! Join us for worship at 5:30 p.m. in the Church, social time and catered dinner at 6:00 in the Community Center, (for dinner reservations, please sign up at Coffee Hour or call 941-349-5616 x5 by noon the Tuesday before,

$10pp), then programs after dinner:

APRIL 4, 11, 18: “Intersections of Divine Love: An Exploration of Native American and Christian Traditions” We learn through stories, art, ceremony, and ritual. In the Western Christian Tradition, we have become familiar with the language and shape of experiencing God. Our theological heritage is grounded in philosophical principles of Greco-Roman imagery. Are there other languages and imagery patterns that lead to the same spaces of experiencing God? The Rev. Fred Mann shares what he has learned and come to treasure in one part of our Indigenous Peoples…the First Nations of North America.

YOUR LIFE, YOUR LEGACY With the focus on the

Resurrection during this liturgical season, this is an ideal

time to consider how your good works will continue to thrive

– even after you are gone. A bequest or other planned

estate gift helps you provide for your loved ones and

cherished organizations like St. Boniface. Creating a legacy

can be simple and brings peace of mind. To discuss your

legacy ideas contact Betsie Danner (941/349-5616 x318,

o r b d a n n e r @ b o n i f a c e c h u r c h . o r g ) o r v i s i t

www.bonifacechurch.org/stewardship.

BRADY CAMPAIGN GUN SAFETY WITNESS All are invited to join our Brady weekly Bay-front Witness for Gun Safety on Thursdays from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. near the Unconditional Surrender Statue on Tamiami Trail. Signage provided. For

information, contact David & Nancy Evans (941) 954-2059.

CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER GROUP The intent and desire of contemplative prayer is to be open to God in the here and now of life. There are a lot of voices both within and without us that can easily distract us from listening to God who sincerely desires to communicate with us. Contemplative prayer is a way of listening and responding to God. If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Fr. Michael Piovane at 610-442-0983 or at drritav@gmail.com. Our first gatherings will be in the Healing Mission on Thursday, April 12 at 10:45 am and Sunday April 15 at 11:45 am.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY NEWS A small cadre of St. Boniface parishioners have already logged 36 hours of hands-on work building affordable housing in our community. We hope to put in over 100 hours by next fall! All are welcome to join us on Tuesday, Thursday and/or Saturday mornings -- no special skills or tools required, just a desire to put a roof over a family’s head. These homes allow hard-working families to live near their jobs in our community. With Habitat for Humanity launching a 40-unit neighborhood this fall, we plan on hosting an all-Boniface Work Day on the new site in November. Interested in volunteering or making a donation? Contact parishioner Steve Reid (206-571-6392 or stevereid4@gmail.com) to learn more.