St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church
Our Vision: To be a community… Real. Rooted. Relevant.
Our Purpose: To follow Jesus Christ so that we will be His hands and feet in the world.
The Call
October, 2024
A Message from Steve Hirtzel, Vestry Warden
On Sunday, September 22, your vestry met after church.
-
Steve has assembled a full schedule of supply priests through October.
-
Upcoming on-site events include a KC Men’s Chorus performance to benefit SingleMomKC (October 20), the Church Picnic (October 6), Trunk or Treat (October 27) and a weekend Youth event.
-
Our application for a small grant from the Diocese was approved and we will use it to complete replacement of some windows that are developing condensation between the panes.
- Name tags are available in the rack to the left of the door as you face the driveway. Wear yours during the service!
-
Minutes of the August vestry meeting are at this link.
“Pay off Principal” Has an Impact!
Last year we were able to contribute $25,000 towards additional principal on our mortgage and this year we received an anonymous donation of $15,000!
Under some reasonable assumptions (depends on the interest rate and term of the new loan) every $10,000 we pay against the mortgage now can reduce our future monthly payments by about $100.
This is an ongoing effort to encourage year-round awareness of stewardship as one way to give from what God has given us. Please take an envelope home so you can add donations to the offertory plate when you’re moved to do so. No amount is too small!
Planned Giving Reminder: Members of our leadership frequently receive material on Planned Giving and sometimes attend educational sessions. We were surprised and blessed when Arni, our former Business Manager, left us her house in her will and the proceeds have provided a nice financial cushion, which is being kept partly in cash and mostly in CDs yielding over 5% annually. This is a relatively small congregation and people don’t update estate documents frequently, but if you are in the process and wish to discuss planned giving, QCDs, donation of appreciated stock or any other non-cash forms of donation, please talk to Dave Pierson, Chair of the Finance Committee, Cyndi Troyer, our Treasurer, or Regina Berens.
Update on our Priest Transition
This is a report of the progress your Search Committee is making towards calling a
new Rector to St. Mary Mag.
I reported a couple weeks ago that we were officially on the church’s job-search
website. Today I’m happy to report that since that time we are beginning to receive
some applications.
The committee will look them over and arrange for a first interview. Our purpose is
to determine whether the applicants are a good fit for St. Mary Mag. We will keep
you posted.
I the meantime, you can find our Parish Profile from the front page of our site or at this link.
Please keep us in your prayers.
Thank you,
Karen Hansen
Chair, Search Committee
Update on the Bishop Transition
On July 31 the Diocese announced the slate of candidates for the next Bishop of the Diocese of Western Missouri. Full profiles, including video interviews, are at this link .
During the week of September 16, the four finalists arrived in Kansas City (3 with spouses) to meet with people all around the Diocese. They answered many prepared questions and some from the floor at each meeting. Reports on the sessions, including recorded streaming, are at this link.
Check out our New Web Site!
The Diocese has migrated church web sites to a new platform (WordPress). As in the past, this support is paid for from Diocesan funds at no additional cost to us. Zach, our Diocesan Communications Director, created a beta version and I updated it and added items. Please take a look at it and let me know what you think! I’d also welcome help with it; WordPress is widely used so there are many helpful resources on the web.
Remember that the site will be a resource for prospective priests wanting to learn more about us, so it’s important that they really see how vital our community is!
The URL is unchanged; it’s still http://www.marymag.com.
A detailed description of the process, potential time line and the work of the three Committees involved (Search, Transition and Consecration) in the selection of the new Bishop is here.
The New Spirit is published every two weeks. Read the latest issue here.
On-Line Training
If you’re involved in any kind of ministry at St. Mary Magdalene (and most of you are!), the Diocese strongly recommends the “Safe Churches, Safe Communities” series of on-line modules. Each can be covered in 15 minutes or less. Everyone- Chalice Ministers, Lay Readers, Acolytes, Vestry members, people with a key to the church, Sunday School teachers, etc.- needs to be educated on risks and risk mitigation to keep God’s people safe.
If you haven’t started these courses, contact Cyndi and she’ll set up an account for you.
Women‘s Book Club
The October 7th meeting is at Debbie Hall’s house at 13149 El Monte, Leawood, KS 64064. The book is Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
The book for the November 4h meeting is The Women by Kristin Hannah. We will be meeting at the home of Karen Hauswald at 14345 Manor Ct, Leawood, KS 66224.
Blessing of the Animals, October 5 at 11 AM
This popular community event in honor of St. Francis will be held at Lord of Love Lutheran Church this year. The address is 8306 E. 171st St. in Belton.
Daughters of the King
Members of our chapter of Daughters of the King helped serve dinner for the second time at Heart-n-Hand in Belton.
Daughters of the King meets the third Sunday of the month in Education Room right after church. If you’re interested, please contact Cyndi Troyer.
October 18
God and Guinness Night at Conroy’s
Please join us for a fun gathering of fellowship, drinks, and food.
Contact Rich Koch 913-707-0148 or koch0520@sbcglobal.net for questions or information.
Walk for the Single Mom KC
The Single Mom KC is one of our outreach partners and several members of our church are actively involved with this faith-based organization, which supports women and their children through a necessities pantry, a free clothing boutique, workshops on healing from trauma and assistance in jobs and training. Their annual fundraising walk will be at Sar-Ko-Par Park at 87th and Lackmann on Saturday, October 5 from 9-11 AM.
More details and registration at this link.
Parish Picnic Sunday, October 6
Trunk or Treat, October 27
KC for Refugees Needs Household Items
A few years ago we opened up the basement of the House of Grace to KC for Refugees, an organization that provides support for newly-arrived refugees from war-torn countries. They’re in need of all the basic necessities. Here’s their most recent communication:
We need your help! Our Welcome Closet is nearly out of all supplies! We need lots of help to replenish our storehouse for the refugees arriving weekly to the KC Metro area!
Needed donations include: Towels, blankets, small kitchen appliances (rice cookers, electric tea pots, pressure cookers, etc), dishes, silverware, pots and pans (the bigger the better), diapers, sheets (twin and queen size) and hygiene and cleaning kits, diapers, maxi pads, socks and underwear for children and adults.
Our Amazon wishlist is available for easy donation! All items purchased are delivered to a KC for Refugees volunteer who delivers to our Welcome Closet.
Amazon Wish List Link
Or donations are always welcome in person! All donations should be new, or very gently used with lots of life left in them. They can be dropped off at the lower level of the House of Grace on Thursdays from 9-11am, or brought to church.
Thank you so much for your help! We cannot do this great work without your help and support!!!
Heart-n-Hand Ministries
Heart-N-Hand Ministries, right here in Belton, serves the homeless as well as others just needing a hand up. At their website, www.heartnhand.org, there is always a current list of donated items they are seeking.
Heart-N-Hand would also appreciate volunteers to assist in their Thrift Store, Monday-Saturday; the store hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For for more information, please contact Alexis Butterfield, Executive Director, at 816-322-1133 or 417-551-2470. Her e-mail is alexisjbutterfield@gmail.com.
Here’s the latest list of items they need most. Donations can be left in the Narthex.
Canned meals like Chili, Ravioli, Spaghetti-O’s, stew (pop top preferred)
Pancake Mix Eggs
Pork & beans Crackers
Refried beans Ready to eat Soup
Spaghetti sauce White rice
Boxed mashed potatoes Baking goods: Flour, Sugar, cooking oil
Peanut Butter Grape Jelly
Canned chicken, ham, or pork Canned fruit
Condiments Powdered milk
Fresh produce Meat ( ground beef, ground turkey)
Lunch meats Cheese
Juice Dressing
Baby wipes Dish soap
Toilet paper Paper towels
Household cleaning products Shampoo and conditioner
Tampons and pads Kleenex
Here is a link to items you can order from Amazon
Help Save Lives with Your Donation!
We collected 23 units of blood at our August 28 drive- a record! (The offer of a $20 gift card to donors may have helped. 🙂 )
We have agreed to host an “interim” drive on Friday, November 29 from 11 AM to 3 PM.
This is the day after Thanksgiving but they always have shortages during holiday periods.
Our next drive after that will be Thursday, January 23.
Single Mom KC needs clothing for women and children and full-size toiletries.
The Call
We are still looking for another person to create The Call every other month (alternating with Regina). It can be done gradually as you get announcements of events, etc. Many other items are provided by others and you just have to incorporate them with some pretty straightforward “drag-and- drop” software. Please let Regina know if you are interested.
More About Us
St. Mary Magdalene offers in-person Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m. We are also live streaming the service for those who prefer to join us from home, on our YouTube channel at this link.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
We miss you when you cannot participate in church, and we want to know when one of our members can be comforted from a pastoral visit, being added to our prayer list, or by receiving communion at home.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
.
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church | 16808 Holmes Rd., Belton, MO 64012
(816) 331-2222 | http://www.marymag.com
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church
Our Vision: To be a community… Real. Rooted. Relevant.
Our Purpose: To follow Jesus Christ so that we will be His hands and feet in the world.
The Call
October, 2024
A Message from Steve Hirtzel, Vestry Warden
The roller coaster of temperatures continues as I write this. That’s the Midwest for you. I can’t believe it’s been nearly 3 months since Fr. Larry’s retirement. Thanks go out to all of the supply priests and especially Brock as he continues to steady the ship until we call a new priest. In addition to his normal duties, he led us in morning prayer twice as well as preaching one Sunday. Also, much appreciation goes to Regina Berens and Scott Laurent for preaching this month. We’re very fortunate to have them both in our congregation.
The vestry and Search Committee met with Bishop Bruce and Fr. Chas earlier this month to spell out our needs and the qualities we want in a clergy person It was a good discussion and I believe they came away with a better understanding of what is needed at St, Mary Magdalene.
The community garden continues to reap a healthy harvest. Over 150 lbs. of vegetables have been delivered to Heart n Hand. There will be another opportunity to help them coming up. Stay tuned.
Please pray for the Rev. Mary Margaret Saxon. one of our first supply priests after Fr. Larry’s retirement. She had a bad fall last weekend. Fortunately there were no broken bones but she suffered severe inner and outer contusions. She will be laid up for a few weeks but we look forward to seeing her in October.
I’d like to end this update with my favorite verse. If you know me at all, you know I’m a worrier. This passage gives me strength. If you, too, have worry and anxiety, I hope it will help you.
Philippians 4: 6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition and with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
God’s Blessings,
Steve
On Sunday, September 22, your vestry met after church.
-
Steve has assembled a full schedule of supply priests through October.
-
Upcoming on-site events include a KC Men’s Chorus performance to benefit SingleMomKC (October 20), the Church Picnic (October 6), Trunk or Treat (October 27) and a weekend Youth event.
-
Our application for a small grant from the Diocese was approved and we will use it to complete replacement of some windows that are developing condensation between the panes.
- Name tags are available in the rack to the left of the door as you face the driveway. Wear yours during the service!
-
Minutes of the August vestry meeting are at this link.
There was no vestry meeting in July.
“Pay off Principal” Has an Impact!
Last year we were able to contribute $25,000 towards additional principal on our mortgage and this year we received an anonymous donation of $15,000!
Under some reasonable assumptions (depends on the interest rate and term of the new loan) every $10,000 we pay against the mortgage now can reduce out future monthly payments by about $100.
This is an ongoing effort to encourage year-round awareness of stewardship as one way to give from what God has given us. Please take an envelope home so you can add donations to the offertory plate when you’re moved to do so. No amount is too small!
Planned Giving Reminder: Members of our leadership frequently receive material on Planned Giving and sometimes attend educational sessions. We were surprised and blessed when Arni, our former Business Manager, left us her house in her will and the proceeds have provided a nice financial cushion, which is being kept partly in cash and mostly in CDs yielding over 5% annually. This is a relatively small congregation and people don’t update estate documents frequently, but if you are in the process and wish to discuss planned giving, QCDs, donation of appreciated stock or any other non-cash forms of donation, please talk to Dave Pierson, Chair of the Finance Committee, Cyndi Troyer, our Treasurer, or Regina Berens.
Update on our Priest Transition
This is a report of the progress your Search Committee is making towards calling a
new Rector to St. Mary Mag.
I reported a couple weeks ago that we were officially on the church’s job-search
website. Today I’m happy to report that since that time we are beginning to receive
some applications.
The committee will look them over and arrange for a first interview. Our purpose is
to determine whether the applicants are a good fit for St. Mary Mag. We will keep
you posted.
Please keep us in your prayers.
Thank you,
Karen Hansen
Chair, Search Committee
Thank you,
Karen Hansen
Chair, Rector Search Committee
Update on the Bishop Transition
On July 31 the Diocese announced the slate of candidates for the next Bishop of the Diocese of Western Missouri. Full profiles, including video interviews, are at this link .
During the week of September 16, the four finalists arrived in Kansas City (3 with spouses) to meet with people all around the Diocese. They answered many prepared questions and some from the floor at each meeting. Reports on the sessions, including recorded streaming, are at this link.
Check out our New Web Site!
The Diocese has migrated church web sites to a new platform (WordPress). As in the past, this support is paid for from Diocesan funds at no additional cost to us. Zach, our Diocesan Communications Director, created a beta version and I updated it and added items. Please take a look at it and let me know what you think! I’d also welcome help with it; WordPress is widely used so there are many helpful resources on the web.
Remember that the site will be a resource for prospective priests wanting to learn more about us, so it’s important that they really see how vital our community is!
The URL is unchanged; it’s still http://www.marymag.com.
A detailed description of the process, potential time line and the work of the three Committees involved (Search, Transition and Consecration) in the selection of the new Bishop is here.
The New Spirit is published every two weeks. Read the latest issue here.
On-Line Training
If you’re involved in any kind of ministry at St. Mary Magdalene (and most of you are!), the Diocese strongly recommends the “Safe Churches, Safe Communities” series of on-line modules. Each can be covered in 15 minutes or less. Everyone- Chalice Ministers, Lay Readers, Acolytes, Vestry members, people with a key to the church, Sunday School teachers, etc.- needs to be educated on risks and risk mitigation to keep God’s people safe.
If you haven’t started these courses, contact Cyndi and she’ll set up an account for you.
Women‘s Book Club
The October 7th meeting is at Debbie Hall’s house at 13149 El Monte, Leawood, KS 64064. The book is Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
The book for the November 4h meeting is The Women by Kristin Hannah. We will be meeting at the home of Karen Hauswald at 14345 Manor Ct, Leawood, KS 66224.
Blessing of the Animals, October 5 at 11 AM
This popular community event in honor of St. Francis will be held at Lord of Love Lutheran Church this year. The address is 8306 E. 171st St. in Belton.
Daughters of the King
Members of our chapter of Daughters of the King helped serve dinner for the second time at Heart-n-Hand in Belton.
Daughters of the King meets the third Sunday of the month in Education Room right after church. If you’re interested, please contact Cyndi Troyer.
October 18
God and Guinness Night at Conroy’s
Please join us for a fun gathering of fellowship, drinks, and food.
Contact Rich Koch 913-707-0148 or koch0520@sbcglobal.net for questions or information.
Walk for the Single Mom KC
The Single Mom KC is one of our outreach partners and several members of our church are actively involved with this faith-based organization, which supports women and their children through a necessities pantry, a free clothing boutique, workshops on healing from trauma and assistance in jobs and training. Their annual fundraising walk will be at Sar-Ko-Par Park at 87th and Lackmann on Saturday, October 5 from 9-11 AM.
More details and registration at
KC for Refugees Needs Household Items
A few years ago we opened up the basement of the House of Grace to KC for Refugees, an organization that provides support for newly-arrived refugees from war-torn countries. They’re in need of all the basic necessities. Here’s their most recent communication:
We need your help! Our Welcome Closet is nearly out of all supplies! We need lots of help to replenish our storehouse for the refugees arriving weekly to the KC Metro area!
Needed donations include: Towels, blankets, small kitchen appliances (rice cookers, electric tea pots, pressure cookers, etc), dishes, silverware, pots and pans (the bigger the better), diapers, sheets (twin and queen size) and hygiene and cleaning kits, diapers, maxi pads, socks and underwear for children and adults.
Our Amazon wishlist is available for easy donation! All items purchased are delivered to a KC for Refugees volunteer who delivers to our Welcome Closet.
Amazon Wish List Link
Or donations are always welcome in person! All donations should be new, or very gently used with lots of life left in them. They can be dropped off at the lower level of the House of Grace on Thursdays from 9-11am, or brought to church.
Thank you so much for your help! We cannot do this great work without your help and support!!!
Heart-n-Hand Ministries
Heart-N-Hand Ministries, right here in Belton, serves the homeless as well as others just needing a hand up. At their website, www.heartnhand.org, there is always a current list of donated items they are seeking.
Heart-N-Hand would also appreciate volunteers to assist in their Thrift Store, Monday-Saturday; the store hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For for more information, please contact Alexis Butterfield, Executive Director, at 816-322-1133 or 417-551-2470. Her e-mail is alexisjbutterfield@gmail.com.
Here’s the latest list of items they need most. Donations can be left in the Narthex.
Canned meals like Chili, Ravioli, Spaghetti-O’s, stew (pop top preferred)
Pancake Mix Eggs
Pork & beans Crackers
Refried beans Ready to eat Soup
Spaghetti sauce White rice
Boxed mashed potatoes Baking goods: Flour, Sugar, cooking oil
Peanut Butter Grape Jelly
Canned chicken, ham, or pork Canned fruit
Condiments Powdered milk
Fresh produce Meat ( ground beef, ground turkey)
Lunch meats Cheese
Juice Dressing
Baby wipes Dish soap
Toilet paper Paper towels
Household cleaning products Shampoo and conditioner
Tampons and pads Kleenex
Here is a link to items you can order from Amazon
Help Save Lives with Your Donation!
We collected 23 units of blood at our August 28 drive- a record! (The offer of a $20 gift card to donors may have helped. 🙂 )
Our next drive will be Thursday, January 23.
Single Mom KC needs clothing for women and children and full-size toiletries.
The Call
We are still looking for another person to create The Call every other month (alternating with Regina). It can be done gradually as you get announcements of events, etc. Many other items are provided by others and you just have to incorporate them with some pretty straightforward “drag-and- drop” software. Please let Regina know if you are interested.
More About Us
St. Mary Magdalene offers in-person Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m. We are also live streaming the service for those who prefer to join us from home, on our YouTube channel at this link.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
We miss you when you cannot participate in church, and we want to know when one of our members can be comforted from a pastoral visit, being added to our prayer list, or by receiving communion at home.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
.
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church | 16808 Holmes Rd., Belton, MO 64012
(816) 331-2222 | http://www.marymag.com
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church
Our Vision: To be a community… Real. Rooted. Relevant.
Our Purpose: To follow Jesus Christ so that we will be His hands and feet in the world.
The Call
October, 2024
A Message from Steve Hirtzel, Vestry Warden
The roller coaster of temperatures continues as I write this. That’s the Midwest for you. I can’t believe it’s been nearly 3 months since Fr. Larry’s retirement. Thanks go out to all of the supply priests and especially Brock as he continues to steady the ship until we call a new priest. In addition to his normal duties, he led us in morning prayer twice as well as preaching one Sunday. Also, much appreciation goes to Regina Berens and Scott Laurent for preaching this month. We’re very fortunate to have them both in our congregation.
The vestry and Search Committee met with Bishop Bruce and Fr. Chas earlier this month to spell out our needs and the qualities we want in a clergy person It was a good discussion and I believe they came away with a better understanding of what is needed at St, Mary Magdalene.
The community garden continues to reap a healthy harvest. Over 150 lbs. of vegetables have been delivered to Heart n Hand. There will be another opportunity to help them coming up. Stay tuned.
Please pray for the Rev. Mary Margaret Saxon. one of our first supply priests after Fr. Larry’s retirement. She had a bad fall last weekend. Fortunately there were no broken bones but she suffered severe inner and outer contusions. She will be laid up for a few weeks but we look forward to seeing her in October.
I’d like to end this update with my favorite verse. If you know me at all, you know I’m a worrier. This passage gives me strength. If you, too, have worry and anxiety, I hope it will help you.
Philippians 4: 6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition and with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
God’s Blessings,
Steve
On Sunday, September 22, your vestry met after church.
-
Steve has assembled a full schedule of supply priests through October.
-
Upcoming on-site events include a KC Men’s Chorus performance to benefit SingleMomKC (October 20), the Church Picnic (October 6), Trunk or Treat (October 27) and a weekend Youth event.
-
Our application for a small grant from the Diocese was approved and we will use it to complete replacement of some windows that are developing condensation between the panes.
- Name tags are available in the rack to the left of the door as you face the driveway. Wear yours during the service!
-
Minutes of the August vestry meeting are at this link.
There was no vestry meeting in July.
“Pay off Principal” Has an Impact!
Last year we were able to contribute $25,000 towards additional principal on our mortgage and this year we received an anonymous donation of $15,000!
Under some reasonable assumptions (depends on the interest rate and term of the new loan) every $10,000 we pay against the mortgage now can reduce out future monthly payments by about $100.
This is an ongoing effort to encourage year-round awareness of stewardship as one way to give from what God has given us. Please take an envelope home so you can add donations to the offertory plate when you’re moved to do so. No amount is too small!
Planned Giving Reminder: Members of our leadership frequently receive material on Planned Giving and sometimes attend educational sessions. We were surprised and blessed when Arni, our former Business Manager, left us her house in her will and the proceeds have provided a nice financial cushion, which is being kept partly in cash and mostly in CDs yielding over 5% annually. This is a relatively small congregation and people don’t update estate documents frequently, but if you are in the process and wish to discuss planned giving, QCDs, donation of appreciated stock or any other non-cash forms of donation, please talk to Dave Pierson, Chair of the Finance Committee, Cyndi Troyer, our Treasurer, or Regina Berens.
Update on our Priest Transition
This is a report of the progress your Search Committee is making towards calling a
new Rector to St. Mary Mag.
I reported a couple weeks ago that we were officially on the church’s job-search
website. Today I’m happy to report that since that time we are beginning to receive
some applications.
The committee will look them over and arrange for a first interview. Our purpose is
to determine whether the applicants are a good fit for St. Mary Mag. We will keep
you posted.
Please keep us in your prayers.
Thank you,
Karen Hansen
Chair, Search Committee
Thank you,
Karen Hansen
Chair, Rector Search Committee
Update on the Bishop Transition
On July 31 the Diocese announced the slate of candidates for the next Bishop of the Diocese of Western Missouri. Full profiles, including video interviews, are at this link .
During the week of September 16, the four finalists arrived in Kansas City (3 with spouses) to meet with people all around the Diocese. They answered many prepared questions and some from the floor at each meeting. Reports on the sessions, including recorded streaming, are at this link.
Check out our New Web Site!
The Diocese has migrated church web sites to a new platform (WordPress). As in the past, this support is paid for from Diocesan funds at no additional cost to us. Zach, our Diocesan Communications Director, created a beta version and I updated it and added items. Please take a look at it and let me know what you think! I’d also welcome help with it; WordPress is widely used so there are many helpful resources on the web.
Remember that the site will be a resource for prospective priests wanting to learn more about us, so it’s important that they really see how vital our community is!
The URL is unchanged; it’s still http://www.marymag.com.
A detailed description of the process, potential time line and the work of the three Committees involved (Search, Transition and Consecration) in the selection of the new Bishop is here.
The New Spirit is published every two weeks. Read the latest issue here.
On-Line Training: We Especially Need a Sunday School Team!
If you’re involved in any kind of ministry at St. Mary Magdalene (and most of you are!), the Diocese strongly recommends the “Safe Churches, Safe Communities” series of on-line modules. Each can be covered in 15 minutes or less. Everyone- Chalice Ministers, Lay Readers, Acolytes, Vestry members, people with a key to the church, Sunday School teachers, etc.- needs to be educated on risks and risk mitigation to keep God’s people safe.
As we think about how to attract young families, having Sunday School is key. For this effort in particular, we need a team of people who can be “on call” if there are children in the congregation who want to be in Sunday School. You won’t be put on a schedule but if you’re in church and there are kids in Sunday school you’d be asked if you can serve. All you need to do to prepare is to go over the readings in the Bulletin and lead a discussion on one. There are plenty of supplies in the classroom for recreation and crafts afterwards! We require two adults for Sunday School so you’ll have help. Please let the clergy or any vestry member know if you’re interested.
If you haven’t started these courses, contact Cyndi and she’ll set up an account for you.
Women‘s Book Club
The October 7th meeting is at Debbie Hall’s house at 13149 El Monte, Leawood, KS 64064. The book is Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
The book for the November 4h meeting is The Women by Kristin Hannah. We will be meeting at the home of Karen Hauswald at 14345 Manor Ct, Leawood, KS 66224.
Blessing of the Animals, October 5 at 11 AM
This popular community event in honor of St. Francis will be held at Lord of Love Lutheran Church this year. The address is 8306 E. 171st St. in Belton.
Daughters of the King
Members of our chapter of Daughters of the King helped serve dinner for the second time at Heart-n-Hand in Belton.
Daughters of the King meets the third Sunday of the month in Education Room right after church. If you’re interested, please contact Cyndi Troyer.
September 20
God and Guinness Night at Conroy’s
Please join us for a fun gathering of fellowship, drinks, and food.
Contact Rich Koch 913-707-0148 or koch0520@sbcglobal.net for questions or information.
Walk for the Single Mom KC
KC for Refugees Needs Household Items
A few years ago we opened up the basement of the House of Grace to KC for Refugees, an organization that provides support for newly-arrived refugees from war-torn countries. They’re in need of all the basic necessities. Here’s their most recent communication:
We need your help! Our Welcome Closet is nearly out of all supplies! We need lots of help to replenish our storehouse for the refugees arriving weekly to the KC Metro area!
Needed donations include: Towels, blankets, small kitchen appliances (rice cookers, electric tea pots, pressure cookers, etc), dishes, silverware, pots and pans (the bigger the better), diapers, sheets (twin and queen size) and hygiene and cleaning kits, diapers, maxi pads, socks and underwear for children and adults.
Our Amazon wishlist is available for easy donation! All items purchased are delivered to a KC for Refugees volunteer who delivers to our Welcome Closet.
Amazon Wish List Link
Or donations are always welcome in person! All donations should be new, or very gently used with lots of life left in them. They can be dropped off at the lower level of the House of Grace on Thursdays from 9-11am, or brought to church.
Thank you so much for your help! We cannot do this great work without your help and support!!!
Heart-n-Hand Ministries
Heart-N-Hand Ministries, right here in Belton, serves the homeless as well as others just needing a hand up. At their website, www.heartnhand.org, there is always a current list of donated items they are seeking.
Heart-N-Hand would also appreciate volunteers to assist in their Thrift Store, Monday-Saturday; the store hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For for more information, please contact Alexis Butterfield, Executive Director, at 816-322-1133 or 417-551-2470. Her e-mail is alexisjbutterfield@gmail.com.
Here’s the latest list of items they need most. Donations can be left in the Narthex.
Canned meals like Chili, Ravioli, Spaghetti-O’s, stew (pop top preferred)
Pancake Mix Eggs
Pork & beans Crackers
Refried beans Ready to eat Soup
Spaghetti sauce White rice
Boxed mashed potatoes Baking goods: Flour, Sugar, cooking oil
Peanut Butter Grape Jelly
Canned chicken, ham, or pork Canned fruit
Condiments Powdered milk
Fresh produce Meat ( ground beef, ground turkey)
Lunch meats Cheese
Juice Dressing
Baby wipes Dish soap
Toilet paper Paper towels
Household cleaning products Shampoo and conditioner
Tampons and pads Kleenex
Here is a link to items you can order from Amazon
Help Save Lives with Your Donation!
We collected 23 units of blood at our August 28 drive- a record! (The offer of a $20 gift card to donors may have helped. 🙂 )
Our next drive will be Thursday, January 23.
Single Mom KC needs clothing for women and children and full-size toiletries.
The Call
We are still looking for another person to create The Call every other month (alternating with Regina). It can be done gradually as you get announcements of events, etc. Many other items are provided by others and you just have to incorporate them with some pretty straightforward “drag-and- drop” software. Please let Regina know if you are interested.
More About Us
St. Mary Magdalene offers in-person Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m. We are also live streaming the service for those who prefer to join us from home, on our YouTube channel at this link.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
We miss you when you cannot participate in church, and we want to know when one of our members can be comforted from a pastoral visit, being added to our prayer list, or by receiving communion at home.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
.
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church | 16808 Holmes Rd., Belton, MO 64012
(816) 331-2222 | http://www.marymag.com
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church
Our Vision: To be a community… Real. Rooted. Relevant.
Our Purpose: To follow Jesus Christ so that we will be His hands and feet in the world.
The Call
October, 2024
A Message from Steve Hirtzel, Vestry Warden
The roller coaster of temperatures continues as I write this. That’s the Midwest for you. I can’t believe it’s been nearly 3 months since Fr. Larry’s retirement. Thanks go out to all of the supply priests and especially Brock as he continues to steady the ship until we call a new priest. In addition to his normal duties, he led us in morning prayer twice as well as preaching one Sunday. Also, much appreciation goes to Regina Berens and Scott Laurent for preaching this month. We’re very fortunate to have them both in our congregation.
The vestry and Search Committee met with Bishop Bruce and Fr. Chas earlier this month to spell out our needs and the qualities we want in a clergy person It was a good discussion and I believe they came away with a better understanding of what is needed at St, Mary Magdalene.
The community garden continues to reap a healthy harvest. Over 150 lbs. of vegetables have been delivered to Heart n Hand. There will be another opportunity to help them coming up. Stay tuned.
Please pray for the Rev. Mary Margaret Saxon. one of our first supply priests after Fr. Larry’s retirement. She had a bad fall last weekend. Fortunately there were no broken bones but she suffered severe inner and outer contusions. She will be laid up for a few weeks but we look forward to seeing her in October.
I’d like to end this update with my favorite verse. If you know me at all, you know I’m a worrier. This passage gives me strength. If you, too, have worry and anxiety, I hope it will help you.
Philippians 4: 6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition and with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
God’s Blessings,
Steve
On Sunday, September 22, your vestry met after church.
-
Steve has assembled a full schedule of supply priests through October.
-
Upcoming on-site events include a KC Men’s Chorus performance to benefit SingleMomKC (October 20), the Church Picnic (October 6), Trunk or Treat (October 27) and a weekend Youth event.
-
Our application for a small grant from the Diocese was approved and we will use it to complete replacement of some windows that are developing condensation between the panes.
- Name tags are available in the rack to the left of the door as you face the driveway. Wear yours during the service!
-
Minutes of the August vestry meeting are at this link.
There was no vestry meeting in July.
“Pay off Principal” Has an Impact!
Last year we were able to contribute $25,000 towards additional principal on our mortgage and this year we received an anonymous donation of $15,000!
Under some reasonable assumptions (depends on the interest rate and term of the new loan) every $10,000 we pay against the mortgage now can reduce out future monthly payments by about $100.
This is an ongoing effort to encourage year-round awareness of stewardship as one way to give from what God has given us. Please take an envelope home so you can add donations to the offertory plate when you’re moved to do so. No amount is too small!
Planned Giving Reminder: Members of our leadership frequently receive material on Planned Giving and sometimes attend educational sessions. We were surprised and blessed when Arni, our former Business Manager, left us her house in her will and the proceeds have provided a nice financial cushion, which is being kept partly in cash and mostly in CDs yielding over 5% annually. This is a relatively small congregation and people don’t update estate documents frequently, but if you are in the process and wish to discuss planned giving, QCDs, donation of appreciated stock or any other non-cash forms of donation, please talk to Dave Pierson, Chair of the Finance Committee, Cyndi Troyer, our Treasurer, or Regina Berens.
Update on our Priest Transition
This is a report of the progress your Search Committee is making towards calling a
new Rector to St. Mary Mag.
I reported a couple weeks ago that we were officially on the church’s job-search
website. Today I’m happy to report that since that time we are beginning to receive
some applications.
The committee will look them over and arrange for a first interview. Our purpose is
to determine whether the applicants are a good fit for St. Mary Mag. We will keep
you posted.
Please keep us in your prayers.
Thank you,
Karen Hansen
Chair, Search Committee
Thank you,
Karen Hansen
Chair, Rector Search Committee
Update on the Bishop Transition
On July 31 the Diocese announced the slate of candidates for the next Bishop of the Diocese of Western Missouri. Full profiles, including video interviews, are at this link .
During the week of September 16, the four finalists arrived in Kansas City (3 with spouses) to meet with people all around the Diocese. They answered many prepared questions and some from the floor at each meeting. Reports on the sessions, including recorded streaming, are at this link.
Check out our New Web Site!
The Diocese has migrated church web sites to a new platform (WordPress). As in the past, this support is paid for from Diocesan funds at no additional cost to us. Zach, our Diocesan Communications Director, created a beta version and I updated it and added items. Please take a look at it and let me know what you think! I’d also welcome help with it; WordPress is widely used so there are many helpful resources on the web.
Remember that the site will be a resource for prospective priests wanting to learn more about us, so it’s important that they really see how vital our community is!
The URL is unchanged; it’s still http://www.marymag.com.
A detailed description of the process, potential time line and the work of the three Committees involved (Search, Transition and Consecration) in the selection of the new Bishop is here.
The New Spirit is published every two weeks. Read the latest issue here.
On-Line Training: We Especially Need a Sunday School Team!
If you’re involved in any kind of ministry at St. Mary Magdalene (and most of you are!), the Diocese strongly recommends the “Safe Churches, Safe Communities” series of on-line modules. Each can be covered in 15 minutes or less. Everyone- Chalice Ministers, Lay Readers, Acolytes, Vestry members, people with a key to the church, Sunday School teachers, etc.- needs to be educated on risks and risk mitigation to keep God’s people safe.
As we think about how to attract young families, having Sunday School is key. For this effort in particular, we need a team of people who can be “on call” if there are children in the congregation who want to be in Sunday School. You won’t be put on a schedule but if you’re in church and there are kids in Sunday school you’d be asked if you can serve. All you need to do to prepare is to go over the readings in the Bulletin and lead a discussion on one. There are plenty of supplies in the classroom for recreation and crafts afterwards! We require two adults for Sunday School so you’ll have help. Please let the clergy or any vestry member know if you’re interested.
If you haven’t started these courses, contact Cyndi and she’ll set up an account for you.
Women‘s Book Club
The October 7th meeting is at Debbie Hall’s house at 13149 El Monte, Leawood, KS 64064. The book is Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
The book for the November 4h meeting is The Women by Kristin Hannah. We will be meeting at the home of Karen Hauswald at 14345 Manor Ct, Leawood, KS 66224.
Blessing of the Animals, October 5 at 11 AM
This popular community event in honor of St. Francis will be held at Lord of Love Lutheran Church this year. The address is 8306 E. 171st St. in Belton.
Daughters of the King
Members of our chapter of Daughters of the King helped serve dinner for the second time at Heart-n-Hand in Belton.
Daughters of the King meets the third Sunday of the month in Education Room right after church. If you’re interested, please contact Cyndi Troyer.
September 20
God and Guinness Night at Conroy’s
Please join us for a fun gathering of fellowship, drinks, and food.
Contact Rich Koch 913-707-0148 or koch0520@sbcglobal.net for questions or information.
Walk for the Single Mom KC
KC for Refugees Needs Household Items
A few years ago we opened up the basement of the House of Grace to KC for Refugees, an organization that provides support for newly-arrived refugees from war-torn countries. They’re in need of all the basic necessities. Here’s their most recent communication:
We need your help! Our Welcome Closet is nearly out of all supplies! We need lots of help to replenish our storehouse for the refugees arriving weekly to the KC Metro area!
Needed donations include: Towels, blankets, small kitchen appliances (rice cookers, electric tea pots, pressure cookers, etc), dishes, silverware, pots and pans (the bigger the better), diapers, sheets (twin and queen size) and hygiene and cleaning kits, diapers, maxi pads, socks and underwear for children and adults.
Our Amazon wishlist is available for easy donation! All items purchased are delivered to a KC for Refugees volunteer who delivers to our Welcome Closet.
Amazon Wish List Link
Or donations are always welcome in person! All donations should be new, or very gently used with lots of life left in them. They can be dropped off at the lower level of the House of Grace on Thursdays from 9-11am, or brought to church.
Thank you so much for your help! We cannot do this great work without your help and support!!!
Heart-n-Hand Ministries
Heart-N-Hand Ministries, right here in Belton, serves the homeless as well as others just needing a hand up. At their website, www.heartnhand.org, there is always a current list of donated items they are seeking.
Heart-N-Hand would also appreciate volunteers to assist in their Thrift Store, Monday-Saturday; the store hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For for more information, please contact Alexis Butterfield, Executive Director, at 816-322-1133 or 417-551-2470. Her e-mail is alexisjbutterfield@gmail.com.
Here’s the latest list of items they need most. Donations can be left in the Narthex.
Canned meals like Chili, Ravioli, Spaghetti-O’s, stew (pop top preferred)
Pancake Mix Eggs
Pork & beans Crackers
Refried beans Ready to eat Soup
Spaghetti sauce White rice
Boxed mashed potatoes Baking goods: Flour, Sugar, cooking oil
Peanut Butter Grape Jelly
Canned chicken, ham, or pork Canned fruit
Condiments Powdered milk
Fresh produce Meat ( ground beef, ground turkey)
Lunch meats Cheese
Juice Dressing
Baby wipes Dish soap
Toilet paper Paper towels
Household cleaning products Shampoo and conditioner
Tampons and pads Kleenex
Here is a link to items you can order from Amazon
Help Save Lives with Your Donation!
We collected 23 units of blood at our August 28 drive- a record! (The offer of a $20 gift card to donors may have helped. 🙂 )
Our next drive will be Thursday, January 23.
Single Mom KC needs clothing for women and children and full-size toiletries.
The Call
We are still looking for another person to create The Call every other month (alternating with Regina). It can be done gradually as you get announcements of events, etc. Many other items are provided by others and you just have to incorporate them with some pretty straightforward “drag-and- drop” software. Please let Regina know if you are interested.
More About Us
St. Mary Magdalene offers in-person Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m. We are also live streaming the service for those who prefer to join us from home, on our YouTube channel at this link.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
We miss you when you cannot participate in church, and we want to know when one of our members can be comforted from a pastoral visit, being added to our prayer list, or by receiving communion at home.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
.
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church | 16808 Holmes Rd., Belton, MO 64012
(816) 331-2222 | http://www.marymag.com
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church
Our Vision: To be a community… Real. Rooted. Relevant.
Our Purpose: To follow Jesus Christ so that we will be His hands and feet in the world.
The Call
September, 2024
A Message from Steve Hirtzel, Vestry Warden
I can’t believe how fast this summer as gone. My parents always told me when I was younger, that the older you get, the faster time flies. I didn’t believe them then. I do now. It’s amazing how smart you realize your parents were looking back.
Before I talk about July, I want to talk about a swing and miss on my part in last month’s The Call. I forgot to mention a very important event that took place on June 9 th . That being the baptisms of Emma and Rebecca Sutton. My apologies to the Sutton family on not mentioning such a blessed event. Congratulations ladies. Also, thanks to Brock and Fr. Bill Fasel for baptizing them.
July has been a busy month. Thanks to Fr. Stephan Beatty for preaching three of the Sundays and to Rev. Mary Margaret Saxon for preaching the other. We look forward to having them both back. In August, we look forward to Fr. Bill Fasel and Fr. Mark
McGuire returning. In addition, Regina Berens, Scott Laurent and Brock will be preaching. I personally want to thank Brock for all of his guidance and support. I’m learning my way through this transition. Having only been an Episcopalian for 4 years,
I’m learning on all fronts with being the Vestry Warden as well as the going through the
Clergy transitional period. Thank you, Brock.
The Search Committee has been busy this month, thanks to Karen Hansen and the rest of the committee. You’ll see what they’ve been up to in Karen’s report in this edition of The Call. The Search Committee and Vestry will be meeting in person with Bishop
Bruce on August 14 th at the church. It will be an opportunity to discuss our progress and to exchange ideas back and forth with her on the search going forward. We’re all looking forward to that.
Many thanks to the generous anonymous donor of funds to replace the windows in the vestibule. They have lost their seals and really look bad. They will be replaced in August. In addition, this person is donating to the replacement of the windows and frames in the
education wing. This is something that has to be done soon because the carpenter ants have wreaked havoc. Thanks again.
Thank you to all who contributed non-perishable items for the food pantry at Heart & Hand. We were able to deliver 4 BIG boxes of items. Pam at Heart & Hand was thrilled and overwhelmed. We have a very generous congregation, which I am so grateful for.
Also, the community garden continues to flourish. In July, we’ve donated squash, tomatoes and cucumbers. The garden is doing very well with much more to donate in the coming weeks.
Finally, I want to conclude with my scripture theme of patience in our clergy search. Trust me, I do this as much for me as anyone. This month’s passage comes from Romans. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same
attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus has.”
God Bless,
Steve
On Sunday, August 11, your vestry met after church.
-
Steve has assembled a full schedule of supply priests through September.
-
Fr. David Wilcox, Diocesan Youth Missioner, will preach at our service on September 15 and hold a short meeting afterwards.
-
We have completed $9,000 of repairs on our A/C units and will be using donor funds, which we hope to supplement with a small grant from the Diocese, to replace some windows that are developing condensation between the panes.
- Name tags are available in the rack to the left of the door as you face the driveway. Wear yours during the service!
-
Minutes of the June vestry meeting are at this link.
There was no vestry meeting in July.
“Pay off Principal” Continues
Last year we were able to contribute $25,000 towards additional principal on our mortgage and this year we received an anonymous donation of $15,000!!
This is an ongoing effort to encourage year-round awareness of stewardship as one way to give from what God has given us. Please take an envelope home so you can add donations to the offertory plate when you’re moved to do so. No amount is too small!
Planned Giving Reminder: Members of our leadership frequently receive material on Planned Giving and sometimes attend educational sessions. We were surprised and blessed when Arni, our former Business Manager, left us her house in her will and the proceeds have provided a nice financial cushion, which is being kept partly in cash and mostly in CDs yielding over 5% annually. This is a relatively small congregation and people don’t update estate documents frequently, but if you are in the process and wish to discuss planned giving, QCDs, donation of appreciated stock or any other non-cash forms of donation, please talk to Dave Pierson, Chair of the Finance Committee, Cyndi Troyer, our Treasurer, or Regina Berens.
Update on our Priest Transition
This is an update on the progress your Search Committee is making towards calling a new Rector
to St. Mary Mag.
We have finished writing the Profile, and Ian Coleman is putting the finishing touches on it. The
Profile is the document that tells potential candidates what St. Mary Mag is all about. We have
also completed the comprehensive questionnaire that will go up on the Diocesan website with the
Profile.
We had hoped to have these two documents online by the end of July, but the Bishop has asked
for a meeting with the Search Committee, the Vestry, and Fr. Chas. She wants to discuss the
possibility of our offering the House of Grace as part of a compensation package for the new
rector. The earliest we could schedule a meeting is the middle of August.
Our new goal is to be up on the Diocesan website by the end of August. We ask that everyone
continue praying for us.
Thank you,
Karen Hansen
Chair, Rector Search Committee
Update on the Bishop Transition
During the week of July 7, Regina and Brock, along with other members of the Bishop Search Committee, spent four days in a retreat with the Bishop candidates. It was holy, hectic, well-organized and a fascinating experience. In addition to in-person interviews, there was plenty of informal time (including a dinner with BBQ samples from Joe’s, Gates, Arthur Bryant and Jack Stack) and Daily Office services which gave each candidate a chance to preach.
We are VERY pleased with the quality of the candidates who applied, especially with our final selection. They have been (virtually) presented to the Standing Committee. The final slate will be uploaded to the Diocesan web site at noon on July 31. You’ll be able to meet them in person in September; the full schedule is at this link.
We on the Search Committee are committed to communicating what we can while maintaining necessary confidentiality.
Please pray for us during this challenging and important process.
Check out our New Web Site!
The Diocese has migrated church web sites to a new platform (WordPress). As in the past, this support is paid for from Diocesan funds at no additional cost to us. Zach, our Diocesan Communications Director, created a beta version and I updated it and added items. Please take a look at it and let me know what you think! I’d also welcome help with it; WordPress is widely used so there are many helpful resources on the web.
Remember that the site will be a resource for prospective priests wanting to learn more about us, so it’s important that they really see how vital our community is!
The URL is unchanged; it’s still http://www.marymag.com.
A detailed description of the process, potential time line and the work of the three Committees involved (Search, Transition and Consecration) in the selection of the new Bishop is here.
The New Spirit is published every two weeks. Read the latest issue here.
On-Line Training: We Especially Need a Sunday School Team!
If you’re involved in any kind of ministry at St. Mary Magdalene (and most of you are!), the Diocese strongly recommends the “Safe Churches, Safe Communities” series of on-line modules. Each can be covered in 15 minutes or less. Everyone- Chalice Ministers, Lay Readers, Acolytes, Vestry members, people with a key to the church, Sunday School teachers, etc.- needs to be educated on risks and risk mitigation to keep God’s people safe.
As we think about how to attract young families, having Sunday School is key. For this effort in particular, we need a team of people who can be “on call” if there are children in the congregation who want to be in Sunday School. You won’t be put on a schedule but if you’re in church and there are kids in Sunday school you’d be asked if you can serve. All you need to do to prepare is to go over the readings in the Bulletin and lead a discussion on one. There are plenty of supplies in the classroom for recreation and crafts afterwards! We require two adults for Sunday School so you’ll have help. Please let the clergy or any vestry member know if you’re interested.
If you haven’t started these courses, contact Cyndi and she’ll set up an account for you.
Women‘s Book Club
On August 12 we will discuss The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin.
On September 9 we will discuss Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
Meetings will be held at the home of Susan Petrakos (13204 Jefferson Ct., Kansas City, MO 64145).
Daughters of the King
Members of our chapter of Daughters of the King helped serve dinner for the second time at Heart-n-Hand in Belton.
Daughters of the King meets the third Sunday of the month in Education Room right after church. If you’re interested, please contact Cyndi Troyer.
August 16
God and Guinness Night at Conroy’s
Please join us for a fun gathering of fellowship, drinks, and food.
Contact Rich Koch 913-707-0148 or koch0520@sbcglobal.net for questions or information.
KC for Refugees Needs Household Items
A few years ago we opened up the basement of the House of Grace to KC for Refugees, an organization that provides support for newly-arrived refugees from war-torn countries. They’re in need of all the basic necessities. Here’s their most recent communication:
We need your help! Our Welcome Closet is nearly out of all supplies! We need lots of help to replenish our storehouse for the refugees arriving weekly to the KC Metro area!
Needed donations include: Towels, blankets, small kitchen appliances (rice cookers, electric tea pots, pressure cookers, etc), dishes, silverware, pots and pans (the bigger the better), diapers, sheets (twin and queen size) and hygiene and cleaning kits, diapers, maxi pads, socks and underwear for children and adults.
Our Amazon wishlist is available for easy donation! All items purchased are delivered to a KC for Refugees volunteer who delivers to our Welcome Closet.
Amazon Wish List Link
Or donations are always welcome in person! All donations should be new, or very gently used with lots of life left in them. They can be dropped off at the lower level of the House of Grace on Thursdays from 9-11am, or brought to church.
Thank you so much for your help! We cannot do this great work without your help and support!!!
Heart-n-Hand Ministries
Heart-N-Hand Ministries, right here in Belton, serves the homeless as well as others just needing a hand up. At their website, www.heartnhand.org, there is always a current list of donated items they are seeking.
Heart-N-Hand would also appreciate volunteers to assist in their Thrift Store, Monday-Saturday; the store hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For for more information, please contact Alexis Butterfield, Executive Director, at 816-322-1133 or 417-551-2470. Her e-mail is alexisjbutterfield@gmail.com.
Here’s the latest list of items they need most. Donations can be left in the Narthex.
Canned meals like Chili, Ravioli, Spaghetti-O’s, stew (pop top preferred)
Pancake Mix Eggs
Pork & beans Crackers
Refried beans Ready to eat Soup
Spaghetti sauce White rice
Boxed mashed potatoes Baking goods: Flour, Sugar, cooking oil
Peanut Butter Grape Jelly
Canned chicken, ham, or pork Canned fruit
Condiments Powdered milk
Fresh produce Meat ( ground beef, ground turkey)
Lunch meats Cheese
Juice Dressing
Baby wipes Dish soap
Toilet paper Paper towels
Household cleaning products Shampoo and conditioner
Tampons and pads Kleenex
Here is a link to items you can order from Amazon
Help Save Lives with Your Donation!
Our Next Blood Drive will be Wednesday, August 28 from 2 PM to 6 PM.
Single Mom KC needs clothing for women and children and full-size toiletries.
The Call
We are still looking for another person to create The Call every other month (alternating with Regina). It can be done gradually as you get announcements of events, etc. Many other items are provided by others and you just have to incorporate them with some pretty straightforward “drag-and- drop” software. Please let Regina know if you are interested.
More About Us
St. Mary Magdalene offers in-person Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m. We are also live streaming the service for those who prefer to join us from home, on our YouTube channel at this link.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
We miss you when you cannot participate in church, and we want to know when one of our members can be comforted from a pastoral visit, being added to our prayer list, or by receiving communion at home.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
.
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church | 16808 Holmes Rd., Belton, MO 64012
(816) 331-2222 | http://www.marymag.com
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church
Our Vision: To be a community… Real. Rooted. Relevant.
Our Purpose: To follow Jesus Christ so that we will be His hands and feet in the world.
The Call
September, 2024
A Message from Steve Hirtzel, Vestry Warden
I can’t believe how fast this summer as gone. My parents always told me when I was younger, that the older you get, the faster time flies. I didn’t believe them then. I do now. It’s amazing how smart you realize your parents were looking back.
Before I talk about July, I want to talk about a swing and miss on my part in last month’s The Call. I forgot to mention a very important event that took place on June 9 th . That being the baptisms of Emma and Rebecca Sutton. My apologies to the Sutton family on not mentioning such a blessed event. Congratulations ladies. Also, thanks to Brock and Fr. Bill Fasel for baptizing them.
July has been a busy month. Thanks to Fr. Stephan Beatty for preaching three of the Sundays and to Rev. Mary Margaret Saxon for preaching the other. We look forward to having them both back. In August, we look forward to Fr. Bill Fasel and Fr. Mark
McGuire returning. In addition, Regina Berens, Scott Laurent and Brock will be preaching. I personally want to thank Brock for all of his guidance and support. I’m learning my way through this transition. Having only been an Episcopalian for 4 years,
I’m learning on all fronts with being the Vestry Warden as well as the going through the
Clergy transitional period. Thank you, Brock.
The Search Committee has been busy this month, thanks to Karen Hansen and the rest of the committee. You’ll see what they’ve been up to in Karen’s report in this edition of The Call. The Search Committee and Vestry will be meeting in person with Bishop
Bruce on August 14 th at the church. It will be an opportunity to discuss our progress and to exchange ideas back and forth with her on the search going forward. We’re all looking forward to that.
Many thanks to the generous anonymous donor of funds to replace the windows in the vestibule. They have lost their seals and really look bad. They will be replaced in August. In addition, this person is donating to the replacement of the windows and frames in the
education wing. This is something that has to be done soon because the carpenter ants have wreaked havoc. Thanks again.
Thank you to all who contributed non-perishable items for the food pantry at Heart & Hand. We were able to deliver 4 BIG boxes of items. Pam at Heart & Hand was thrilled and overwhelmed. We have a very generous congregation, which I am so grateful for.
Also, the community garden continues to flourish. In July, we’ve donated squash, tomatoes and cucumbers. The garden is doing very well with much more to donate in the coming weeks.
Finally, I want to conclude with my scripture theme of patience in our clergy search. Trust me, I do this as much for me as anyone. This month’s passage comes from Romans. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same
attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus has.”
God Bless,
Steve
On Sunday, August 11, your vestry met after church.
-
Steve has assembled a full schedule of supply priests through September.
-
Fr. David Wilcox, Diocesan Youth Missioner, will preach at our service on September 15 and hold a short meeting afterwards.
-
We have completed $9,000 of repairs on our A/C units and will be using donor funds, which we hope to supplement with a small grant from the Diocese, to replace some windows that are developing condensation between the panes.
- Name tags are available in the rack to the left of the door as you face the driveway. Wear yours during the service!
-
Minutes of the May vestry meeting are at this link.
There was no vestry meeting in July.
“Pay off Principal” Continues
Last year we were able to contribute $25,000 towards additional principal on our mortgage and this year we received an anonymous donation of $15,000!!
This is an ongoing effort to encourage year-round awareness of stewardship as one way to give from what God has given us. Please take an envelope home so you can add donations to the offertory plate when you’re moved to do so. No amount is too small!
Planned Giving Reminder: Members of our leadership frequently receive material on Planned Giving and sometimes attend educational sessions. We were surprised and blessed when Arni, our former Business Manager, left us her house in her will and the proceeds have provided a nice financial cushion, which is being kept partly in cash and mostly in CDs yielding over 5% annually. This is a relatively small congregation and people don’t update estate documents frequently, but if you are in the process and wish to discuss planned giving, QCDs, donation of appreciated stock or any other non-cash forms of donation, please talk to Dave Pierson, Chair of the Finance Committee, Cyndi Troyer, our Treasurer, or Regina Berens.
Update on our Priest Transition
This is an update on the progress your Search Committee is making towards calling a new Rector
to St. Mary Mag.
We have finished writing the Profile, and Ian Coleman is putting the finishing touches on it. The
Profile is the document that tells potential candidates what St. Mary Mag is all about. We have
also completed the comprehensive questionnaire that will go up on the Diocesan website with the
Profile.
We had hoped to have these two documents online by the end of July, but the Bishop has asked
for a meeting with the Search Committee, the Vestry, and Fr. Chas. She wants to discuss the
possibility of our offering the House of Grace as part of a compensation package for the new
rector. The earliest we could schedule a meeting is the middle of August.
Our new goal is to be up on the Diocesan website by the end of August. We ask that everyone
continue praying for us.
Thank you,
Karen Hansen
Chair, Rector Search Committee
Update on the Bishop Transition
During the week of July 7, Regina and Brock, along with other members of the Bishop Search Committee, spent four days in a retreat with the Bishop candidates. It was holy, hectic, well-organized and a fascinating experience. In addition to in-person interviews, there was plenty of informal time (including a dinner with BBQ samples from Joe’s, Gates, Arthur Bryant and Jack Stack) and Daily Office services which gave each candidate a chance to preach.
We are VERY pleased with the quality of the candidates who applied, especially with our final selection. They have been (virtually) presented to the Standing Committee. The final slate will be uploaded to the Diocesan web site at noon on July 31. You’ll be able to meet them in person in September; the full schedule is at this link.
We on the Search Committee are committed to communicating what we can while maintaining necessary confidentiality.
Please pray for us during this challenging and important process.
Check out our New Web Site!
The Diocese has migrated church web sites to a new platform (WordPress). As in the past, this support is paid for from Diocesan funds at no additional cost to us. Zach, our Diocesan Communications Director, created a beta version and I updated it and added items. Please take a look at it and let me know what you think! I’d also welcome help with it; WordPress is widely used so there are many helpful resources on the web.
Remember that the site will be a resource for prospective priests wanting to learn more about us, so it’s important that they really see how vital our community is!
The URL is unchanged; it’s still http://www.marymag.com.
A detailed description of the process, potential time line and the work of the three Committees involved (Search, Transition and Consecration) in the selection of the new Bishop is here.
The New Spirit is published every two weeks. Read the latest issue here.
On-Line Training: We Especially Need a Sunday School Team!
If you’re involved in any kind of ministry at St. Mary Magdalene (and most of you are!), the Diocese strongly recommends the “Safe Churches, Safe Communities” series of on-line modules. Each can be covered in 15 minutes or less. Everyone- Chalice Ministers, Lay Readers, Acolytes, Vestry members, people with a key to the church, Sunday School teachers, etc.- needs to be educated on risks and risk mitigation to keep God’s people safe.
As we think about how to attract young families, having Sunday School is key. For this effort in particular, we need a team of people who can be “on call” if there are children in the congregation who want to be in Sunday School. You won’t be put on a schedule but if you’re in church and there are kids in Sunday school you’d be asked if you can serve. All you need to do to prepare is to go over the readings in the Bulletin and lead a discussion on one. There are plenty of supplies in the classroom for recreation and crafts afterwards! We require two adults for Sunday School so you’ll have help. Please let the clergy or any vestry member know if you’re interested.
If you haven’t started these courses, contact Cyndi and she’ll set up an account for you.
Women‘s Book Club
On August 12 we will discuss The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin.
On September 9 we will discuss Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
Meetings will be held at the home of Susan Petrakos (13204 Jefferson Ct., Kansas City, MO 64145).
Daughters of the King
Members of our chapter of Daughters of the King helped serve dinner for the second time at Heart-n-Hand in Belton.
Daughters of the King meets the third Sunday of the month in Education Room right after church. If you’re interested, please contact Cyndi Troyer.
August 16
God and Guinness Night at Conroy’s
Please join us for a fun gathering of fellowship, drinks, and food.
Contact Rich Koch 913-707-0148 or koch0520@sbcglobal.net for questions or information.
KC for Refugees Needs Household Items
A few years ago we opened up the basement of the House of Grace to KC for Refugees, an organization that provides support for newly-arrived refugees from war-torn countries. They’re in need of all the basic necessities. Here’s their most recent communication:
We need your help! Our Welcome Closet is nearly out of all supplies! We need lots of help to replenish our storehouse for the refugees arriving weekly to the KC Metro area!
Needed donations include: Towels, blankets, small kitchen appliances (rice cookers, electric tea pots, pressure cookers, etc), dishes, silverware, pots and pans (the bigger the better), diapers, sheets (twin and queen size) and hygiene and cleaning kits, diapers, maxi pads, socks and underwear for children and adults.
Our Amazon wishlist is available for easy donation! All items purchased are delivered to a KC for Refugees volunteer who delivers to our Welcome Closet.
Amazon Wish List Link
Or donations are always welcome in person! All donations should be new, or very gently used with lots of life left in them. They can be dropped off at the lower level of the House of Grace on Thursdays from 9-11am, or brought to church.
Thank you so much for your help! We cannot do this great work without your help and support!!!
Heart-n-Hand Ministries
Heart-N-Hand Ministries, right here in Belton, serves the homeless as well as others just needing a hand up. At their website, www.heartnhand.org, there is always a current list of donated items they are seeking.
Heart-N-Hand would also appreciate volunteers to assist in their Thrift Store, Monday-Saturday; the store hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For for more information, please contact Alexis Butterfield, Executive Director, at 816-322-1133 or 417-551-2470. Her e-mail is alexisjbutterfield@gmail.com.
Here’s the latest list of items they need most. Donations can be left in the Narthex.
Canned meals like Chili, Ravioli, Spaghetti-O’s, stew (pop top preferred)
Pancake Mix Eggs
Pork & beans Crackers
Refried beans Ready to eat Soup
Spaghetti sauce White rice
Boxed mashed potatoes Baking goods: Flour, Sugar, cooking oil
Peanut Butter Grape Jelly
Canned chicken, ham, or pork Canned fruit
Condiments Powdered milk
Fresh produce Meat ( ground beef, ground turkey)
Lunch meats Cheese
Juice Dressing
Baby wipes Dish soap
Toilet paper Paper towels
Household cleaning products Shampoo and conditioner
Tampons and pads Kleenex
Here is a link to items you can order from Amazon
Help Save Lives with Your Donation!
Our Next Blood Drive will be Wednesday, August 28 from 2 PM to 6 PM.
Single Mom KC needs clothing for women and children and full-size toiletries.
The Call
We are still looking for another person to create The Call every other month (alternating with Regina). It can be done gradually as you get announcements of events, etc. Many other items are provided by others and you just have to incorporate them with some pretty straightforward “drag-and- drop” software. Please let Regina know if you are interested.
More About Us
St. Mary Magdalene offers in-person Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m. We are also live streaming the service for those who prefer to join us from home, on our YouTube channel at this link.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
We miss you when you cannot participate in church, and we want to know when one of our members can be comforted from a pastoral visit, being added to our prayer list, or by receiving communion at home.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
.
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church | 16808 Holmes Rd., Belton, MO 64012
(816) 331-2222 | http://www.marymag.com
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church
Our Vision: To be a community… Real. Rooted. Relevant.
Our Purpose: To follow Jesus Christ so that we will be His hands and feet in the world.
The Call
August, 2024
A Message from Steve Hirtzel, Vestry Warden
I can’t believe how fast this summer as gone. My parents always told me when I was younger, that the older you get, the faster time flies. I didn’t believe them then. I do now. It’s amazing how smart you realize your parents were looking back.
Before I talk about July, I want to talk about a swing and miss on my part in last month’s The Call. I forgot to mention a very important event that took place on June 9 th . That being the baptisms of Emma and Rebecca Sutton. My apologies to the Sutton family on not mentioning such a blessed event. Congratulations ladies. Also, thanks to Brock and Fr. Bill Fasel for baptizing them.
July has been a busy month. Thanks to Fr. Stephan Beatty for preaching three of the Sundays and to Rev. Mary Margaret Saxon for preaching the other. We look forward to having them both back. In August, we look forward to Fr. Bill Fasel and Fr. Mark
McGuire returning. In addition, Regina Berens, Scott Laurent and Brock will be preaching. I personally want to thank Brock for all of his guidance and support. I’m learning my way through this transition. Having only been an Episcopalian for 4 years,
I’m learning on all fronts with being the Vestry Warden as well as the going through the
Clergy transitional period. Thank you, Brock.
The Search Committee has been busy this month, thanks to Karen Hansen and the rest of the committee. You’ll see what they’ve been up to in Karen’s report in this edition of The Call. The Search Committee and Vestry will be meeting in person with Bishop
Bruce on August 14 th at the church. It will be an opportunity to discuss our progress and to exchange ideas back and forth with her on the search going forward. We’re all looking forward to that.
Many thanks to the generous anonymous donor of funds to replace the windows in the vestibule. They have lost their seals and really look bad. They will be replaced in August. In addition, this person is donating to the replacement of the windows and frames in the
education wing. This is something that has to be done soon because the carpenter ants have wreaked havoc. Thanks again.
Thank you to all who contributed non-perishable items for the food pantry at Heart & Hand. We were able to deliver 4 BIG boxes of items. Pam at Heart & Hand was thrilled and overwhelmed. We have a very generous congregation, which I am so grateful for.
Also, the community garden continues to flourish. In July, we’ve donated squash, tomatoes and cucumbers. The garden is doing very well with much more to donate in the coming weeks.
Finally, I want to conclude with my scripture theme of patience in our clergy search. Trust me, I do this as much for me as anyone. This month’s passage comes from Romans. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same
attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus has.”
God Bless,
Steve
| Jul | 7/24/2024 | OAT | Costco 7/24 | 500.00 | Travel – |
On Sunday, June 23, your vestry met after church.
-
Steve has assembled a full schedule of supply priests through August. Scott, Brock and Regina will each be preaching the sermon at one service.
-
Discussion on the possible use of classrooms for a Montessori Pre-School has been postponed unti we know more about our plans for a new priest.
The Diocesan Deanery Meeting was held at at SMM, June 8th and the Master Gardeners met on June 13th. The Master Gardeners have worked hard at supplying Heart n Hand with fresh produce from our Community Garden and they’ve just planted tomatoes.
-
Minutes of the May vestry meeting are at this link.
There waws no vestry meeting in July.
“Pay off Principal” Continues
Last year we were able to contribute $25,000 towards additional principal on our mortgage and this year we received an anonymous donation of $15,000!!
This is an ongoing effort to encourage year-round awareness of stewardship as one way to give from what God has given us. Please take an envelope home so you can add donations to the offertory plate when you’re moved to do so. No amount is too small!
Planned Giving Reminder: Members of our leadership frequently receive material on Planned Giving and sometimes attend educational sessions. We were surprised and blessed when Arni, our former Business Manager, left us her house in her will and the proceeds have provided a nice financial cushion, which is being kept partly in cash and mostly in CDs yielding over 5% annually. This is a relatively small congregation and people don’t update estate documents frequently, but if you are in the process and wish to discuss planned giving, QCDs, donation of appreciated stock or any other non-cash forms of donation, please talk to Dave Pierson, Chair of the Finance Committee, Cyndi Troyer, our Treasurer, or Regina Berens.
Update on our Priest Transition
This is an update on the progress your Search Committee is making towards calling a new Rector
to St. Mary Mag.
We have finished writing the Profile, and Ian Coleman is putting the finishing touches on it. The
Profile is the document that tells potential candidates what St. Mary Mag is all about. We have
also completed the comprehensive questionnaire that will go up on the Diocesan website with the
Profile.
We had hoped to have these two documents online by the end of July, but the Bishop has asked
for a meeting with the Search Committee, the Vestry, and Fr. Chas. She wants to discuss the
possibility of our offering the House of Grace as part of a compensation package for the new
rector. The earliest we could schedule a meeting is the middle of August.
Our new goal is to be up on the Diocesan website by the end of August. We ask that everyone
continue praying for us.
Thank you,
Karen Hansen
Chair, Rector Search Committee
Update on the Bishop Transition
During the week of July 7, Regina and Brock, along with other members of the Bishop Search Committee, spent four days in a retreat with the Bishop candidates. It was holy, hectic, well-organized and a fascinating experience. In addition to in-person interviews, there was plenty of informal time (including a dinner with BBQ samples from Joe’s, Gates, Arthur Bryant and Jack Stack) and Daily Office services which gave each candidate a chance to preach.
We are VERY pleased with the quality of the candidates who applied, especially with our final selection. They have been (virtually) presented to them to the Standing Committee. Target date to publicize the final slate is July 31. You’ll be able to meet them in person in September; the full schedule is at this link.
We on the Search Committee are committed to communicating what we can while maintaining necessary confidentiality.
Please pray for us during this challenging and important process.
Check out our New Web Site!
The Diocese has migrated church web sites to a new platform (WordPress). As in the past, this support is paid for from Diocesan funds at no additional cost to us. Zach, our Diocesan Communications Director, created a beta version and I updated it and added items. Please take a look at it and let me know what you think! I’d also welcome help with it; WordPress is widely used so there are many helpful resources on the web.
Remember that the site will be a resource for prospective priests wanting to learn more about us, so it’s important that they really see how vital our community is!
The URL is unchanged; it’s still http://www.marymag.com.
A detailed description of the process, potential time line and the work of the three Committees involved (Search, Transition and Consecration) in the selection of the new Bishop is here.
The New Spirit is published every two weeks. Read the latest issue here.
On-Line Training: We Especially Need a Sunday School Team!
If you’re involved in any kind of ministry at St. Mary Magdalene (and most of you are!), the Diocese strongly recommends the “Safe Churches, Safe Communities” series of on-line modules. Each can be covered in 15 minutes or less. Everyone- Chalice Ministers, Lay Readers, Acolytes, Vestry members, people with a key to the church, Sunday School teachers, etc.- needs to be educated on risks and risk mitigation to keep God’s people safe.
As we think about how to attract young families, having Sunday School is key. For this effort in particular, we need a team of people who can be “on call” if there are children in the congregation who want to be in Sunday School. You won’t be put on a schedule but if you’re in church and there are kids in Sunday school you’d be asked if you can serve. All you need to do to prepare is to go over the readings in the Bulletin and lead a discussion on one. There are plenty of supplies in the classroom for recreation and crafts afterwards! We require two adults for Sunday School so you’ll have help. Please let the clergy or any vestry member know if you’re interested.
If you haven’t started these courses, contact Cyndi and she’ll set up an account for you.
Women‘s Book Club
On August 12 we will discuss The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin.
On September 9 we will discuss Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
Meetings will be held at the home of Susan Petrakos (13204 Jefferson Ct., Kansas City, MO 64145).
Daughters of the King
Members of our chapter of Daughters of the King helped serve dinner for the second time at Heart-n-Hand in Belton.
Daughters of the King meets the third Sunday of the month in Education Room right after church. If you’re interested, please contact Cyndi Troyer.
August 16
God and Guinness Night at Conroy’s
Please join us for a fun gathering of fellowship, drinks, and food.
Contact Rich Koch 913-707-0148 or koch0520@sbcglobal.net for questions or information.
KC for Refugees Needs Household Items
A few years ago we opened up the basement of the House of Grace to KC for Refugees, an organization that provides support for newly-arrived refugees from war-torn countries. They’re in need of all the basic necessities. Here’s their most recent communication:
We need your help! Our Welcome Closet is nearly out of all supplies! We need lots of help to replenish our storehouse for the refugees arriving weekly to the KC Metro area!
Needed donations include: Towels, blankets, small kitchen appliances (rice cookers, electric tea pots, pressure cookers, etc), dishes, silverware, pots and pans (the bigger the better), diapers, sheets (twin and queen size) and hygiene and cleaning kits, diapers, maxi pads, socks and underwear for children and adults.
Our Amazon wishlist is available for easy donation! All items purchased are delivered to a KC for Refugees volunteer who delivers to our Welcome Closet.
Amazon Wish List Link
Or donations are always welcome in person! All donations should be new, or very gently used with lots of life left in them. They can be dropped off at the lower level of the House of Grace on Thursdays from 9-11am, or brought to church.
Thank you so much for your help! We cannot do this great work without your help and support!!!
Heart-n-Hand Ministries
Heart-N-Hand Ministries, right here in Belton, serves the homeless as well as others just needing a hand up. At their website, www.heartnhand.org, there is always a current list of donated items they are seeking.
Heart-N-Hand would also appreciate volunteers to assist in their Thrift Store, Monday-Saturday; the store hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For for more information, please contact Alexis Butterfield, Executive Director, at 816-322-1133 or 417-551-2470. Her e-mail is alexisjbutterfield@gmail.com.
Here’s the latest list of items they need most. Donations can be left in the Narthex.
Canned meals like Chili, Ravioli, Spaghetti-O’s, stew (pop top preferred)
Pancake Mix Eggs
Pork & beans Crackers
Refried beans Ready to eat Soup
Spaghetti sauce White rice
Boxed mashed potatoes Baking goods: Flour, Sugar, cooking oil
Peanut Butter Grape Jelly
Canned chicken, ham, or pork Canned fruit
Condiments Powdered milk
Fresh produce Meat ( ground beef, ground turkey)
Lunch meats Cheese
Juice Dressing
Baby wipes Dish soap
Toilet paper Paper towels
Household cleaning products Shampoo and conditioner
Tampons and pads Kleenex
Here is a link to items you can order from Amazon
Help Save Lives with Your Donation!
Our Next Blood Drive will be Wednesday, August 28 from 2 PM to 6 PM.
Single Mom KC needs clothing for women and children and full-size toiletries.
The Call
We are still looking for another person to create The Call every other month (alternating with Regina). It can be done gradually as you get announcements of events, etc. Many other items are provided by others and you just have to incorporate them with some pretty straightforward “drag-and- drop” software. Please let Regina know if you are interested.
More About Us
St. Mary Magdalene offers in-person Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m. We are also live streaming the service for those who prefer to join us from home, on our YouTube channel at this link.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
We miss you when you cannot participate in church, and we want to know when one of our members can be comforted from a pastoral visit, being added to our prayer list, or by receiving communion at home.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
.
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church | 16808 Holmes Rd., Belton, MO 64012
(816) 331-2222 | http://www.marymag.com
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church
Our Vision: To be a community… Real. Rooted. Relevant.
Our Purpose: To follow Jesus Christ so that we will be His hands and feet in the world.
The Call
August, 2024
A Message from Steve Hirtzel, Vestry Warden
I can’t believe how fast this summer as gone. My parents always told me when I was younger, that the older you get, the faster time flies. I didn’t believe them then. I do now. It’s amazing how smart you realize your parents were looking back.
Before I talk about July, I want to talk about a swing and miss on my part in last month’s The Call. I forgot to mention a very important event that took place on June 9 th . That being the baptisms of Emma and Rebecca Sutton. My apologies to the Sutton family on not mentioning such a blessed event. Congratulations ladies. Also, thanks to Brock and Fr. Bill Fasel for baptizing them.
July has been a busy month. Thanks to Fr. Stephan Beatty for preaching three of the Sundays and to Rev. Mary Margaret Saxon for preaching the other. We look forward to having them both back. In August, we look forward to Fr. Bill Fasel and Fr. Mark
McGuire returning. In addition, Regina Berens, Scott Laurent and Brock will be preaching. I personally want to thank Brock for all of his guidance and support. I’m learning my way through this transition. Having only been an Episcopalian for 4 years,
I’m learning on all fronts with being the Vestry Warden as well as the going through the
Clergy transitional period. Thank you, Brock.
The Search Committee has been busy this month, thanks to Karen Hansen and the rest of the committee. You’ll see what they’ve been up to in Karen’s report in this edition of The Call. The Search Committee and Vestry will be meeting in person with Bishop
Bruce on August 14 th at the church. It will be an opportunity to discuss our progress and to exchange ideas back and forth with her on the search going forward. We’re all looking forward to that.
Many thanks to the generous anonymous donor of funds to replace the windows in the vestibule. They have lost their seals and really look bad. They will be replaced in August. In addition, this person is donating to the replacement of the windows and frames in the
education wing. This is something that has to be done soon because the carpenter ants have wreaked havoc. Thanks again.
Thank you to all who contributed non-perishable items for the food pantry at Heart & Hand. We were able to deliver 4 BIG boxes of items. Pam at Heart & Hand was thrilled and overwhelmed. We have a very generous congregation, which I am so grateful for.
Also, the community garden continues to flourish. In July, we’ve donated squash, tomatoes and cucumbers. The garden is doing very well with much more to donate in the coming weeks.
Finally, I want to conclude with my scripture theme of patience in our clergy search. Trust me, I do this as much for me as anyone. This month’s passage comes from Romans. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same
attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus has.”
God Bless,
Steve
| Jul | 7/24/2024 | OAT | Costco 7/24 | 500.00 | Travel – |
On Sunday, June 23, your vestry met after church.
-
Steve has assembled a full schedule of supply priests through August. Scott, Brock and Regina will each be preaching the sermon at one service.
-
Discussion on the possible use of classrooms for a Montessori Pre-School has been postponed unti we know more about our plans for a new priest.
The Diocesan Deanery Meeting was held at at SMM, June 8th and the Master Gardeners met on June 13th. The Master Gardeners have worked hard at supplying Heart n Hand with fresh produce from our Community Garden and they’ve just planted tomatoes.
-
Minutes of the May vestry meeting are at this link.
There waws no vestry meeting in July.
“Pay off Principal” Continues
Last year we were able to contribute $25,000 towards additional principal on our mortgage and this year we received an anonymous donation of $15,000!!
This is an ongoing effort to encourage year-round awareness of stewardship as one way to give from what God has given us. Please take an envelope home so you can add donations to the offertory plate when you’re moved to do so. No amount is too small!
Planned Giving Reminder: Members of our leadership frequently receive material on Planned Giving and sometimes attend educational sessions. We were surprised and blessed when Arni, our former Business Manager, left us her house in her will and the proceeds have provided a nice financial cushion, which is being kept partly in cash and mostly in CDs yielding over 5% annually. This is a relatively small congregation and people don’t update estate documents frequently, but if you are in the process and wish to discuss planned giving, QCDs, donation of appreciated stock or any other non-cash forms of donation, please talk to Dave Pierson, Chair of the Finance Committee, Cyndi Troyer, our Treasurer, or Regina Berens.
Update on our Priest Transition
This is an update on the progress your Search Committee is making towards calling a new Rector
to St. Mary Mag.
We have finished writing the Profile, and Ian Coleman is putting the finishing touches on it. The
Profile is the document that tells potential candidates what St. Mary Mag is all about. We have
also completed the comprehensive questionnaire that will go up on the Diocesan website with the
Profile.
We had hoped to have these two documents online by the end of July, but the Bishop has asked
for a meeting with the Search Committee, the Vestry, and Fr. Chas. She wants to discuss the
possibility of our offering the House of Grace as part of a compensation package for the new
rector. The earliest we could schedule a meeting is the middle of August.
Our new goal is to be up on the Diocesan website by the end of August. We ask that everyone
continue praying for us.
Thank you,
Karen Hansen
Chair, Rector Search Committee
Update on the Bishop Transition
During the week of July 7, Regina and Brock, along with other members of the Bishop Search Committee, spent four days in a retreat with the Bishop candidates. It was holy, hectic, well-organized and a fascinating experience. In addition to in-person interviews, there was plenty of informal time (including a dinner with BBQ samples from Joe’s, Gates, Arthur Bryant and Jack Stack) and Daily Office services which gave each candidate a chance to preach.
We are VERY pleased with the quality of the candidates who applied, especially with our final selection. They have been (virtually) presented to them to the Standing Committee. Target date to publicize the final slate is July 31. You’ll be able to meet them in person in September; the full schedule is at this link.
We on the Search Committee are committed to communicating what we can while maintaining necessary confidentiality.
Please pray for us during this challenging and important process.
Check out our New Web Site!
The Diocese has migrated church web sites to a new platform (WordPress). As in the past, this support is paid for from Diocesan funds at no additional cost to us. Zach, our Diocesan Communications Director, created a beta version and I updated it and added items. Please take a look at it and let me know what you think! I’d also welcome help with it; WordPress is widely used so there are many helpful resources on the web.
Remember that the site will be a resource for prospective priests wanting to learn more about us, so it’s important that they really see how vital our community is!
The URL is unchanged; it’s still http://www.marymag.com.
A detailed description of the process, potential time line and the work of the three Committees involved (Search, Transition and Consecration) in the selection of the new Bishop is here.
The New Spirit is published every two weeks. Read the latest issue here.
On-Line Training: We Especially Need a Sunday School Team!
If you’re involved in any kind of ministry at St. Mary Magdalene (and most of you are!), the Diocese strongly recommends the “Safe Churches, Safe Communities” series of on-line modules. Each can be covered in 15 minutes or less. Everyone- Chalice Ministers, Lay Readers, Acolytes, Vestry members, people with a key to the church, Sunday School teachers, etc.- needs to be educated on risks and risk mitigation to keep God’s people safe.
As we think about how to attract young families, having Sunday School is key. For this effort in particular, we need a team of people who can be “on call” if there are children in the congregation who want to be in Sunday School. You won’t be put on a schedule but if you’re in church and there are kids in Sunday school you’d be asked if you can serve. All you need to do to prepare is to go over the readings in the Bulletin and lead a discussion on one. There are plenty of supplies in the classroom for recreation and crafts afterwards! We require two adults for Sunday School so you’ll have help. Please let the clergy or any vestry member know if you’re interested.
If you haven’t started these courses, contact Cyndi and she’ll set up an account for you.
Women‘s Book Club
On August 12 we will discuss The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin.
On September 9 we will discuss Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
Meetings will be held at the home of Susan Petrakos (13204 Jefferson Ct., Kansas City, MO 64145).
Daughters of the King
Members of our chapter of Daughters of the King helped serve dinner for the second time at Heart-n-Hand in Belton.
Daughters of the King meets the third Sunday of the month in Education Room right after church. If you’re interested, please contact Cyndi Troyer.
August 16
God and Guinness Night at Conroy’s
Please join us for a fun gathering of fellowship, drinks, and food.
Contact Rich Koch 913-707-0148 or koch0520@sbcglobal.net for questions or information.
KC for Refugees Needs Household Items
A few years ago we opened up the basement of the House of Grace to KC for Refugees, an organization that provides support for newly-arrived refugees from war-torn countries. They’re in need of all the basic necessities. Here’s their most recent communication:
We need your help! Our Welcome Closet is nearly out of all supplies! We need lots of help to replenish our storehouse for the refugees arriving weekly to the KC Metro area!
Needed donations include: Towels, blankets, small kitchen appliances (rice cookers, electric tea pots, pressure cookers, etc), dishes, silverware, pots and pans (the bigger the better), diapers, sheets (twin and queen size) and hygiene and cleaning kits, diapers, maxi pads, socks and underwear for children and adults.
Our Amazon wishlist is available for easy donation! All items purchased are delivered to a KC for Refugees volunteer who delivers to our Welcome Closet.
Amazon Wish List Link
Or donations are always welcome in person! All donations should be new, or very gently used with lots of life left in them. They can be dropped off at the lower level of the House of Grace on Thursdays from 9-11am, or brought to church.
Thank you so much for your help! We cannot do this great work without your help and support!!!
Heart-n-Hand Ministries
Heart-N-Hand Ministries, right here in Belton, serves the homeless as well as others just needing a hand up. At their website, www.heartnhand.org, there is always a current list of donated items they are seeking.
Heart-N-Hand would also appreciate volunteers to assist in their Thrift Store, Monday-Saturday; the store hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For for more information, please contact Alexis Butterfield, Executive Director, at 816-322-1133 or 417-551-2470. Her e-mail is alexisjbutterfield@gmail.com.
Here’s the latest list of items they need most. Donations can be left in the Narthex.
Canned meals like Chili, Ravioli, Spaghetti-O’s, stew (pop top preferred)
Pancake Mix Eggs
Pork & beans Crackers
Refried beans Ready to eat Soup
Spaghetti sauce White rice
Boxed mashed potatoes Baking goods: Flour, Sugar, cooking oil
Peanut Butter Grape Jelly
Canned chicken, ham, or pork Canned fruit
Condiments Powdered milk
Fresh produce Meat ( ground beef, ground turkey)
Lunch meats Cheese
Juice Dressing
Baby wipes Dish soap
Toilet paper Paper towels
Household cleaning products Shampoo and conditioner
Tampons and pads Kleenex
Here is a link to items you can order from Amazon
Help Save Lives with Your Donation!
Our Next Blood Drive will be Wednesday, August 28 from 2 PM to 6 PM.
Single Mom KC needs clothing for women and children and full-size toiletries.
The Call
We are still looking for another person to create The Call every other month (alternating with Regina). It can be done gradually as you get announcements of events, etc. Many other items are provided by others and you just have to incorporate them with some pretty straightforward “drag-and- drop” software. Please let Regina know if you are interested.
More About Us
St. Mary Magdalene offers in-person Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m. We are also live streaming the service for those who prefer to join us from home, on our YouTube channel at this link.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
We miss you when you cannot participate in church, and we want to know when one of our members can be comforted from a pastoral visit, being added to our prayer list, or by receiving communion at home.
If you have a family illness or a personal concern, please contact the church office at 816-331-2222 and leave a voicemail.
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St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church | 16808 Holmes Rd., Belton, MO 64012
(816) 331-2222 | http://www.marymag.com
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church
Our Vision: To be a community… Real. Rooted. Relevant.
Our Purpose: To follow Jesus Christ so that we will be His hands and feet in the world.
The Call
August, 2024
A Message from Steve Hirtzel, Vestry Warden
I can’t believe how fast this summer as gone. My parents always told me when I was
younger, that the older you get, the faster time flies. I didn’t believe them then. I do
now. It’s amazing how smart you realize your parents were looking back.
Before I talk about July, I want to talk about a swing and miss on my part in last month's
The Call. I forgot to mention a very important event that took place on June 9 th . That
being the baptisms of Emma and Rebecca Sutton. My apologies to the Sutton family on
not mentioning such a blessed event. Congratulations ladies. Also, thanks to Brock
and Fr. Bill Fasel for baptizing them.
July has been a busy month. Thanks to Fr. Stephan Beatty for preaching three of the
Sundays and to Rev. Mary Margaret Saxon for preaching the other. We look forward to
having them both back. In August, we look forward to Fr. Bill Fasel and Fr. Mark
McGuire returning. In addition, Regina Berens, Scott Laurent and Brock will be
preaching. I personally want to thank Brock for all of his guidance and support. I’m
learning my way through this transition. Having only been an Episcopalian for 4 years,
I’m learning on all fronts with being the Vestry Warden as well as the going through the
Clergy transitional period. Thank you Brock.
The Search Committee has been busy this month, thanks to Karen Hansen and the rest
of the committee. You’ll see what they’ve been up to in Karen’s report in this edition of
The Call. The Search Committee and Vestry will be meeting in person with Bishop
Bruce on August 14 th at the church. It will be an opportunity to discuss our progress and
to exchange ideas back and forth with her on the search going forward. We’re all
looking forward to that.
Many thanks to the generous anonymous donor to replace the windows in the vestibule.
They have lost their seals and really look bad. They will be replaced in August. In
addition, this person is donating to the replacement of the windows and frames in the
education wing. This is something that has to be done soon because the carpenter ants
have wreaked havoc. Thanks again.
Thank you to all who contributed non-perishable items for the food pantry at Heart &
Hand. We were able to deliver 4 BIG boxes of items. Pam at Heart & Hand was thrilled
and overwhelmed. We have a very generous congregation, which I am so grateful for.
Also, the community garden continues to flourish. In July, we’ve donated squash,
tomatoes and cucumbers. The garden is doing very well with much more to donate in
the coming weeks.
Finally, I want to conclude with my scripture theme of patience in our clergy search.
Trust me, I do this as much for me as anyone. This month’s passage comes from
Romans. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same
attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus has.”
God Bless,
Steve
| Jul | 7/24/2024 | OAT | Costco 7/24 | 500.00 | Travel – |
On Sunday, June 23, your vestry met after church.
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Steve has assembled a full schedule of supply priests through August. Scott, Brock and Regina will each be preaching the sermon at one service.
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Discussion on the possible use of classrooms for a Montessori Pre-School has been postponed unti we know more about our plans for a new priest.
The Diocesan Deanery Meeting was held at at SMM, June 8th and the Master Gardeners met on June 13th. The Master Gardeners have worked hard at supplying Heart n Hand with fresh produce from our Community Garden and they’ve just planted tomatoes.
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Minutes of the May vestry meeting are at this link.
“Pay off Principal” Continues
Last year we were able to contribute $25,000 towards additional principal on our mortgage thanks to your generosity!
This will be an ongoing effort to encourage year-round awareness of stewardship as one way to give from what God has given us. Please take an envelope home so you can add donations to the offertory plate when you’re moved to do so. No amount is too small!
Planned Giving Reminder: Members of our leadership frequently receive material on Planned Giving and sometimes attend educational sessions. We were surprised and blessed when Arni, our former Business Manager, left us her house in her will and the proceeds have provided a nice finacnial cushion, which is being kept partly in cash and mostly in CDs yielding over 5% annually. This is a relatively small congregation and people don’t update estate documents frequently, but if you are in the process and wish to discuss planned giving, QCDs, donation of appreciated stock or any other non-cash forms of donation, please talk to Dave Pierson, Chair of the Finance Committee, Cyndi Troyer, our Treasurer, or Regina Berens.
Update on our Priest Transition
This is an update on the progress your Search Committee is making towards calling a new Rector
to St. Mary Mag.
We have finished writing the Profile, and Ian Coleman is putting the finishing touches on it. The
Profile is the document that tells potential candidates what St. Mary Mag is all about. We have
also completed the comprehensive questionnaire that will go up on the Diocesan website with the
Profile.
We had hoped to have these two documents online by the end of July, but the Bishop has asked
for a meeting with the Search Committee, the Vestry, and Fr. Chas. She wants to discuss the
possibility of our offering the House of Grace as part of a compensation package for the new
rector. The earliest we could schedule a meeting is the middle of August.
Our new goal is to be up on the Diocesan website by the end of August. We ask that everyone
continue praying for us.
Thank you,
Karen Hansen
Chair, Rector Search Committee
Update on the Bishop Transition
During the week of July 7, Regina and Brock, along with other members of the Bishop Search Committee, spent four days in a retreat with the Bishop candidates. It was holy, hectic, well-organized and a fascinating experience. In addition to in-person interviews, there was plenty of informal time (including a dinner with BBQ samples from Joe’s, Gates, Arthur Bryant and Jack Stack) and Daily Office services which gave each candidate a chance to preach.
We are VERY pleased with the quality of the candidates who applied, especially with our final selection. The next step is to present them to the Standing Committee. Target date to publicize the final slate is July 31. You’ll be able to meet them in person in September; the full schedule is at this link.
We on the Search Committee are committed to communicating what we can while maintaining necessary confidentiality.
Please pray for us during this challenging and important process.
Check out our New Web Site!
The Diocese has migrated church web sites to a new platform (WordPress). As in the past, this support is paid for from Diocesan funds at no additional cost to us. Zach, our Diocesan Communications Director, created a beta version and I updated it and added items. Please take a look at it and let me know what you think! I’d also welcome help with it; WordPress is widely used so there are many helpful resources on the web.
Remember that the site will be a resource for prospective priests wanting to learn more about us, so it’s important that they really see how vital our community is!
The URL is unchanged; it’s still http://www.marymag.com.
A detailed description of the process, potential time line and the work of the three Committees involved (Search, Transition and Consecration) in the selection of the new Bishop is here.
The New Spirit is published every two weeks. Read the latest issue here.
On-Line Training: We Especially Need a Sunday School Team!
If you’re involved in any kind of ministry at St. Mary Magdalene (and most of you are!), the Diocese strongly recommends the “Safe Churches, Safe Communities” series of on-line modules. Each can be covered in 15 minutes or less. Everyone- Chalice Ministers, Lay Readers, Acolytes, Vestry members, people with a key to the church, Sunday School teachers, etc.- needs to be educated on risks and risk mitigation to keep God’s people safe.
As we think about how to attract young families, having Sunday School is key. For this effort in particular, we need a team of people who can be “on call” if there are children in the congregation who want to be in Sunday School. You won’t be put on a schedule but if you’re in church and there are kids in Sunday school you’d be asked if you can serve. All you need to do to prepare is to go over the readings in the Bulletin and lead a discussion on one. There are plenty of supplies in the classroom for recreation and crafts afterwards! We require two adults for Sunday School so you’ll have help. Please let the clergy or any vestry member know if you’re interested.
If you haven’t started these courses, contact Cyndi and she’ll set up an account for you.
Women‘s Book Club
On August 12 we will discuss The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin.
On September 9 we will discuss Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
Meetings will be held at the home of Susan Petrakos (13204 Jefferson Ct., Kansas City, MO 64145).
Daughters of the King
Members of our chapter of Daughters of the King helped serve dinner for the second time at Heart-n-Hand in Belton.
Daughters of the King meets the third Sunday of the month in Education Room right after church. If you’re interested, please contact Cyndi Troyer.
July 19
God and Guinness Night at Conroy’s
Please join us for a fun gathering of fellowship, drinks, and food.
Contact Rich Koch 913-707-0148 or koch0520@sbcglobal.net for questions or information.
KC for Refugees Needs Household Items
A few years ago we opened up the basement of the House of Grace to KC for Refugees, an organization that provides support for newly-arrived refugees from war-torn countries. They’re in need of all the basic necessities. Here’s their most recent communication:
We need your help! Our Welcome Closet is nearly out of all supplies! We need lots of help to replenish our storehouse for the refugees arriving weekly to the KC Metro area!
Needed donations include: Towels, blankets, small kitchen appliances (rice cookers, electric tea pots, pressure cookers, etc), dishes, silverware, pots and pans (the bigger the better), diapers, sheets (twin and queen size) and hygiene and cleaning kits, diapers, maxi pads, socks and underwear for children and adults.
Our Amazon wishlist is available for easy donation! All items purchased are delivered to a KC for Refugees volunteer who delivers to our Welcome Closet.
Amazon Wish List Link
Or donations are always welcome in person! All donations should be new, or very gently used with lots of life left in them. They can be dropped off at the lower level of the House of Grace on Thursdays from 9-11am, or brought to church.
Thank you so much for your help! We cannot do this great work without your help and support!!!
Heart-n-Hand Ministries
Heart-N-Hand Ministries, right here in Belton, serves the homeless as well as others just needing a hand up. At their website, www.heartnhand.org, there is always a current list of donated items they are seeking.
Heart-N-Hand would also appreciate volunteers to assist in their Thrift Store, Monday-Saturday; the store hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For for more information, please contact Alexis Butterfield, Executive Director, at 816-322-1133 or 417-551-2470. Her e-mail is alexisjbutterfield@gmail.com.
Here’s the latest list of items they need most. Donations can be left in the Narthex.
Canned meals like Chili, Ravioli, Spaghetti-O’s, stew (pop top preferred)
Pancake Mix Eggs
Pork & beans Crackers
Refried beans Ready to eat Soup
Spaghetti sauce White rice
Boxed mashed potatoes Baking goods: Flour, Sugar, cooking oil
Peanut Butter Grape Jelly
Canned chicken, ham, or pork Canned fruit
Condiments Powdered milk
Fresh produce Meat ( ground beef, ground turkey)
Lunch meats Cheese
Juice Dressing
Baby wipes Dish soap
Toilet paper Paper towels
Household cleaning products Shampoo and conditioner
Tampons and pads Kleenex
Here is a link to items you can order from Amazon
Help Save Lives with Your Donation!
Our Next Blood Drive will be Wednesday, August 28 from 2 PM to 6 PM.
Single Mom KC needs clothing for women and children and full-size toiletries.
The Call
We are still looking for another person to create The Call every other month (alternating with Regina). It can be done gradually as you get announcements of events, etc. Many other items are provided by others and you just have to incorporate them with some pretty straightforward “drag-and- drop” software. Please let Regina know if you are interested.
More About Us
St. Mary Magdalene offers in-person Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m. We are also live streaming the service for those who prefer to join us from home, on our YouTube channel at this link.
