Church Organ News

As Rev. Kay said on Sunday, there is some bad news, some good news and some excellent news about the organ.

The bad news

Kevin Jacques, who plays for the church several times a year, gives the current organ six months to live. An increasing number of notes simply do not work, including one whole stop.

The good news

Our organ committee has listened to several options and has made a decision. The proposed new organ is a digital (electronic) organ that sounds remarkably good and has the endorsement of several of our friends who are organists. We will keep the organ pipes, and it's possible in the future to set up the organ console so the pipes will sound too.

The excellent news

One member of the organ committee, Mike McKinley, has decided to pay the whole cost of the new organ as a memorial to his dear wife Norma. The papers are being signed this week, so a new organ will certainly be in place by summer.

The footnote

When the Capital Campaign was first proposed, organ repair/replacement was part of the plan. We held off on several other needed projects (for example, new floor in the Parish Hall and landscaping) because of the expense of the organ, but now we can use Capital Campaign money for other needed building repairs and improvements.

Catherine Kearns 90th

March 27, Easter Sunday, was Catherine Kearns's 90th birthday. During coffee hour, we had a decorated cake and a card shower, and several family members came from out of town to help her celebrate.

Health News

Dean Glasener is home resting from successful thyroid surgery.

Allan (and Mary Rose) and Allan's mom, Jean Andersen and are home from a trip to Florida. Jean had a severe infection and was hospitalized for three days in Florida. She is still very weak and will not be in church on Sunday.

Cliff Broeder fell earlier this week in a parking lot but is doing much better and hopes to be back in church on Sunday.

Faithful former parishioner Martha Unger passed away Thursday morning (March 17th). Please keep Charlie Unger in your prayers. The memorial service will be April 2nd, at 3pm (reception beforehand), Trinity Episcopal Church, Alliance, OH. May Martha's soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

Church Building Improvements

As a result of our Capital Funds Campaign, we will be able to make several improvements around the property. The money from the Capital Campaign comes in quarterly, so here are a few of the changes you will see over the next few months.*

Landscaping

Many of the plants and bushes around the church have gotten tired and/or overgrown, and nobody ever took a look at the whole property to give it a coherent appearance. We've asked Brandon Nardo to draw up some plans and begin working on them. By the time the weather is hot, you should see some definite changes.

Paint

We were supposed to get a lot of painting work done last summer, but weather prevented our contractor from doing it. He's promised to get on the job just as soon as things are warm and dry enough that the paint will work well.

Door Paint

Church buildings often have red doors. The symbolism goes back centuries, and it's not just Episcopal churches. The reason behind the tradition is a little uncertain: some say it's because of the blood of Christ (and he did say, "I am the door."), while others say it's because churches were traditionally a place of refuge and safety. Whatever the reason, we have chosen a shade of red, we're buying the paint, and we will soon have renewed red doors on the church.

Church Organ

Our pipe organ represents the best technology of the 1970s. Unfortunately, the company that made it has gone out of business, and 45 years is a long time for electrical components, so some of the notes are reluctant to sound, while others simply do not go at all. We've got an organ committee examining several options for replacing and/or repairing our organ. It will be a major expense, so this change will probably not be immediate—but we are working on it.

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*If you have pledged to the Planting for Tomorrow campaign, you are receiving an envelope every month. That is where the money for these projects is coming from. Please be faithful in fulfilling your promise. If you would like to begin contributing, please talk to the church treasurer.

John Wagner, Parish Assistant

John has actually been doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work for the parish for years: collecting mail, cleaning, and so forth. Now we are making it official and giving him the recognition he deserves. John's new title is Parish Assistant.