October Newsletter and Calendar

The St. Thomas' October newsletter and calendar are available on the side bar under newsletter and the calendar tab above. Enjoy!

Today's Canterbury Tailgate

Canterbury@ULM

Folks at St. Thomas':

The Bishop has asked that Canterbury Chaplains submit monthly reports. I previously shared my August report with Mthr Dawnell and Ed Ryland, your senior warden. However, I am happy to share it with everyone. Here it is:

Monthly Report

August 2014

The Chaplain met with returning students who were in Monroe beginning the second week of August to begin making plans for the upcoming academic year. First group meeting was scheduled the last week of the month, but one member could not attend due to work conflict. We chose a regular meeting time of Thursday evening at 6 p.m. in the Student Center on campus that will enable all current members to attend most of the time.

Study materials: The group will read Timothy Keller’s Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life’s Biggest Questions and study the Bible stories it is based on.

Officers & Delegate: The group ratified the continuation of Garrett Boyte as president and also approved his appointment as delegate to Diocesan Convention. Garrett and Ivania Vallejo agreed to be oblationers at the convention Eucharist.

The group has many ideas and things it wants to do this year, as follows:

Have an outdoor Holy Eucharist on campus to raise the profile of the group. Other campus ministries have done outdoor worship services. We will invite all of the other ministries on campus, plus the Grambling and Tech Canterburies.

Get together for a social activity with the GSU and LaTech Canterburies. The middle of the semester is better than near the end when everyone is getting ready for exams.

Have a retreat at Camp Hardtner for all Canterburies in the Diocese, to include some time with the Bishop. This will have to be in the spring to give us time to work on it.

Build the size of the group, both via inviting friends, but also through advertising. Ideas: Yard signs to put about campus, ads in Hawkeye.

Go on a field/mission trip in December right after the end of the semester. We’d like to do something that connects with the new Hispanic ministry at St. Alban’s since Ivania is involved there as well. Best idea so far: Go to New Orleans to connect with the Hispanic ministry at St. Anna’s Episcopal; worship with them, talk with people about what they are doing and how, and arrange for a work project to complete while we are there.

August Statistics:

Individual contacts (meetings & phone calls), Chaplain with students & other chaplains - ~6

Group meetings – 1

Participants – Faculty advisor/chaplain – 1; students – 3

Blog posts – 2

Expenditures:

Chaplain stipend (3/4 month) - $225

Food for meeting - $13.45

Study Materials (film & books) - $111.91

Respectfully submitted,

Archdeacon Bette J. Kauffman, Ph.D.

Canterbury Chaplain

Stewardship University

Our Congregational Vitality Institute put on a workshop about stewardship this Saturday, September 13, at St. Micheal's in Pineville.  The Reverend Timothy Dombek spoke to our diocese about the fun of giving.  

Community Walk

Of interest to all...

Communities Acting to Benefit Louisiana’s Elderly

invites you to attend

Theresa Marsala Celebration Walk

Friday, September 12, 2014, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Glenwood Regional Medical Mall

West Monroe, Louisiana

Admission is free!

Rain or Shine! 

• Walk the Path of Wellness
• Collect fun facts
• Nutritional snacks
• Give away snacks
• Door Prizes
• And so much more

Wheelchair and Walker Friendly

Music by Ted Telano

Blessing of the Backpacks and Parish Potluck

Please remember to join us tomorrow for the Blessing of the Backpacks during our 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist and then stay for our first of the month Parish Potluck! Hope to see you there.