Although everyone is welcome, it is expected that adults who will be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church , will participate in these classes.
ALTAR GUILD
The primary work of the Altar Guild is to prepare the
Altar for celebration of the Eucharist and to clean up afterwards. This includes all Sunday and weekday
Eucharists as well as weddings, funerals, and other special services. Members insure that the Altar hangings are
the correct color and that the nearby credence table is set with the bread,
wine, water, vessels and linens needed by the priest.
The responsibilities of the members extend to the care of
vestments, laundering of the Altar linens and cleaning and polishing of the
sacred vessels. Those scheduled to serve
each Sunday also take the Altar flowers to parishioners in hospitals, nursing
homes or those ill at home.
MEETINGS:
Second Tuesday of September, November, March, and June.
PREREQUISITES: Being a faithful communicant of the
Episcopal Church
A willingness to serve Christ and His Church
by making this work a
priority in their
schedule.
ARCHIVES COMMITTEE
The archives committee sorts
through items of historical significance or interest, organizing and cataloging
papers and information to preserve as much history of Zion Parish as is
possible. Baptisms, marriages, funerals,
vestry minutes, etc. are entered into computer files for future access.
BIBLE STUDY CLASSES FOR ADULTS
Adults may not only prepare for
Sunday liturgy, but also grow in the Christian faith by studying the Sunday
scripture readings in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere.
Come and find yourself drawn more deeply into God’s
presence and power in the scriptures.
Don’t feel embarrassed by the thought that you don’t know enough, that’s
why we are learning. Come learn with us.
No one is ever made to feel uncomfortable!
MEETINGS:
Thursday, September-May. 10:00-11:00 a.m. in
the Old Rectory Conference Room
BULLETIN BOARDS
The bulletin boards in the cloister are used to inform
parishioners of news and events within the parish, the diocese, the Anglican
Communion, the community, and activities of parishioners.
Anyone having pertinent information that should be
displayed on the bulletin boards should leave that material in the bulletin
board mailbox in the hall of the Old Rectory.
CHIME SHOP
Items such as The Book of Common Prayer, Bibles, hymnals,
cards, Zion notepaper, and other
gifts are available for purchase at the Chime Shop in the Parish Hall. For the convenience of parishioners, the shop
is open during coffee hours on Sunday.
CHIMERS
The eleven bells in Zion’s
tower which chime every 15 minutes may also be rung manually using a set of levers
located one floor above the balcony.
Chimers are trained and scheduled to play the bells on Sunday morning
prior to the 10 a.m. Eucharist. The bells may also be rung for other special
occasions, such as weddings.
CHOIRS
ADULT CHOIR:
The adult choir sings each Sunday
from September through mid-June at the 10 a.m.
liturgy as well as for special Evensongs and Holy Days such as Epiphany and Ash
Wednesday.
REHEARSAL: Wednesday evenings from 7:30-9:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall.
PREREQUISITES:
Anyone who loves to sing and can match
pitch is welcome.
Ability to read music is helpful but
not mandatory.
Junior Choir :
This is a group of young people in Grades 1 - 6
who sing at the Sunday 8:45 a.m.
liturgy, as well as on Christmas and Easter.
REHEARSAL: Wednesday from 4:30-5:00
p.m.
PREREQUISITES: Attend rehearsal on a regular basis.
COFFEE HOUR COMMITTEE
After the Sunday worship services is time for fellowship,
time for welcoming new friends and greeting familiar ones. Coffee, juice and sweet things are provided
by the Coffee Hour Committees. Members
of the committee sign up for specific dates and are responsible for both the
set up and clean up.
Clear, explicit,
step-by-step directions and assistance to newcomers are provided.
7:30 A.M.
COFFEE HOUR:
Coffee, milk, sweeteners and half & half are on hand in the kitchen refrigerator
paid for by the Church. People signing up for this coffee hour donate
the food such as coffee cake or rolls and orange juice.
Those willing to host a coffee hour after the 7:30 a.m. service should sign up on the 7:30 list
posted in the Parish Hall
8:45 a.m. and 10:45 a.m COFFEE HOURS:
Church funds are used to purchase all the supplies for these coffee hours. Baked goods can be donated or supplied by the church. All other supplies are available in the parish kitchen
Those willing to host these coffee hour should sign up on the list posted in
the Parish Hall.
COLUMBARIUM COMMITTEE
Zion’s
Columbarium offers niches, both in the Chapel of the Resurrection and in the
outside garden wall, for the interment of cremated remains.
The Columbarium Committee is responsible for the oversight
and maintenance of the Columbarium and Memorial garden. The Chairperson has the overall
responsibility for the operation and care of the Columbarium in accordance with
the By-Laws. The Financial Officer keeps
the financial records of all money received and expended for Columbarium
purposes and the Secretary is responsible for keeping all of the other records.
Anyone desiring to purchase a niche in the chapel or
garden wall or arrange for the interment of cremains in the Memorial Garden or
is desirous of information, should contact the Church Office.
First Friday Dinner
As an extension of the Zion Food Pantry, a free community dinner is held on the first Friday of each month at 6:30 PM in the parish hall. Everyone is welcome. Call 297-9797 for reservations.
Membership: Volunteers are always welcome to help.
FOOD PANTRY
Through cash donations as well as donations of
non-perishable foods brought each Sunday by many parishioners Zion’s Food
Pantry is able to provide food to area residents who find themselves in
need. Special bags of food, appropriate for
the holidays (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas) are also prepared and
distributed to any family needing assistance at that time.
MEETINGS: The Pantry is open on Wednesdays from 11:30-2:00 p.m.
MEMBERSHIP:
Volunteers are always welcome.
FRIENDS OF DARBONNE
For more than forty years, Zion
has had a close relationship with the Episcopal Church’s Mission
at Darbonne, Haiti. The clergy and many people from Zion
have visited Darbonne, and clergy from Haiti
have come to visit us as well.
Over the years many thousands
of dollars have been raised for that mission and the ongoing “Sponsor-a-Child”
Program. For a mere $275 a year, a child
receives an education, a school uniform, and a hot meal. Both individuals and organizations are
presently sponsoring children at Darbonne. There are many children waiting to be helped.
Fundraising events to benefit
the Church and School are sponsored each year by the Friends of Darbonne.
MEETINGS: Held
several times a year alternating between Zion and St. Andrew’s in Poughkeepsie. All
are welcome to attend.
GODLY PLAY
Godly Play is the Christian Formation Program for children
ages 3-11. Using a Montessori style
approach, each child is recognized as unique and precious, unconditionally
loved by God. One distinctive feature of
Godly Play is its ability to foster the spiritual development of every child
regardless of his/her individual learning style.
Working with the Parables, Sacred and Liturgical Stories
of our faith, the children are helped both to know Gods love and feel connected
to the Christian community. The program
offers age appropriate worship experiences which parallel the Sunday a.m.
worship of the Church. It is here that
God is given time and space to work in each child according to His purpose.
MEETINGS: Sundays 9:45-10:40
a.m. in the undercroft
MEMBERSHIP: To enroll a
child simply show up on Sunday morning and fill out a registration form.
Teachers
work in a team of 3 people working for 2 Sundays in a row with the 3rd
Sunday off.
The support staff help take attendance, prepare the feast and help with
dismissal.
JAIL MINISTRY
In order to provide inmates of the Dutchess County Jail
with cards to send to family and friends throughout the year, parishioners are
encouraged to donate new greeting cards and notecards, with envelopes to this
ministry. The cards are simply placed in
the “silver box’ on the shelf above the coat rack in the Parish Hall. Periodically, these cards are picked up and
delivered to the jail.
JOURNEY TO ADULTHOOD
The Youth Formation Program at Zion
is based in a program entitled Journey to Adulthood. This program responds to the needs of youth
in 7th-12th grades.
During this formative period, the young people participate in guided
exploration of self, society, sexuality, and spirituality as thy gradually
mature in their relationship to God, to each other and to the world around
them.
Journey to Adulthood has three stages beginning with Rite
13.
Rite 13 derives
its name from a liturgical celebration that acknowledges the gift of manhood
and womanhood as a young person reaches their 13th birthday. This liturgy recognizes that these persons
are moving out of childhood but are not yet adults.
J2A (Journey to
Adulthood) builds on rite 13 by helping the youth to develop necessary
skills of adulthood. This is a time of
developing the life skills needed by a mature adult Christian.
Young Adult
Christians (YAC) continues building on the pervious material and give opportunities to practice their newly-acquired skills
in the congregational community.
MEMBERSHIP:
All youth in grades 7-12.
MEETINGS: Journey
to Adulthood (J2A) for 7th – 10th graders
Sunday mornings at 9:45 a.m. in the Old Rectory .
Young Adult Christians
for 11th and 12 graders
Sunday
mornings at 9:45 a.m. in the Old
Rectory
LAYREADERS
Layreaders are men and women who are licensed by the
Bishop of the Diocese to assist at Eucharist by reading lessons, leading the
Prayers of the People, and administering the chalice. In addition, they may also conduct
non-sacramental services, such as Morning and Evening Prayer.
LAY EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS [LEMS]
LEMS are licensed by the Bishop
of the Diocese to take Holy Communion to the sick or shut-ins after the Sunday
liturgies. They are only permitted to do
this immediately following the Eucharist in Church. This enables all of the baptized desirous to
receive Holy Communion on Sunday and share in the corporate life of our church
community.
LECTORS
Lectors are individuals who
come up from the congregation to read the first lesson at the Eucharist. They underline the importance of the role of
the laity in proclaiming the Word of God.
LIBRARY
The Zion Parish Library is
located in the Old Rectory across the hall from the Parish Office. Both
Christian books and videotapes are available to borrow.
MEDICAL TRANSPORT ASSISTANCE
Sponsored by the Pastoral
Committee, this group provides transportation for any member of Zion
Church, or relatives of members,
who are in need of transport to any local medical facility for the following
reasons: hospital admittance/discharge, same day surgery, physician’s office
visits, dialysis, cancer treatments and testing such as X-rays, CAT scans,
stress tests, etc. Patients must be able
to walk and to sit in a car without special assistance devices. Please allow three days notice.
MEMBERSHIP ADMINISTRATOR
Parish membership updates our Membership records with
parishioners baptismal and confirmation dates, and places, as well as other
pertinent information. In addition,
individual pictures are taken for the database.
MONEY COUNTERS
Every Sunday after 10:45 am
worship two people are scheduled to count the offering money and enter the
contributions into the computer finance system.
MEMBERSHIP:
New members are paired up with an experienced
partner in order to become familiar with the process.s
NURSERY
Competent adult care is available for young children on
Sundays in the undercroft from 8:30 a.m-12:15 p.m. The nursery has many Christian books and toys
designed to impart the unspoken lesson that this is a place to be with God in a
special way.
The ushers are in contact with the nursery during the
worship service, in case a child needs his/her parent.
PARISH OFFICE VOLUNTEERS
Parish Office Volunteers, coordinated by the parish office
manager, help put together the worship bulletins for Sunday and other special
services and prepare mailings, such as the Zion Chimes.
PASTORAL CARE COMMITTEE
The Pastoral Care Committee supports the Rector in caring
for the pastoral needs of members of the parish. Special attention (cards, notes, calls,
visits and treats) is given to members of Zion
who are living alone, residing in nursing homes, or confined to their homes
because of ill health. Medical Transport
Assistance, listed previously, is also sponsored by this committee.
Recognizing a wide variety of needs, the committee mails
tapes and Sunday bulletins to shut-ins, hosts the “Blessing of Animals” on the
Feast of St. Francis, sends Angel Christmas Tree Ornaments to those baptized in
the past year, sends birthday cards to members of a “certain age,” as well as
many other activities. When a new
pastoral need is perceived, the Committee strives to meet that need.
PRAYER LIST
Parishioners, their families and friends that desire the
prayers of the Zion Community are listed weekly on Zion’s
Intercession List printed in the Sunday Bulletin. Those in hospitals, healthcare facilities, or
at home and in need of prayer support are prayed for, by name, during the Daily
Office throughout the week. The recently
departed are also remembered in these prayers.
PROPERTY COMMITTEE
Zion Church’s
buildings and land are sizeable and need constant special care and
maintenance.
Each year a “Parish Spring Clean-Up” is scheduled for a
Saturday morning and all parishioners are invited to come
wash windows, rake, prune, weed, and plant so that our property looks it
best. The parish will be notified of
the clean-up date in the Sunday bulletins and at announcement time.
ST. SIMEON PROPERTIES
St. Simeon Foundation is a non-profit organization founded
by Zion Church
in 1968. The goal is to provide good,
well maintained, and affordable housing for low-income senior citizens in an
environment that will enhance and extend the lives of the residents.
St. Simeon Properties is located on 35 acres of beautiful
land at 24 Beechwood Avenue
in Poughkeepsie, NY.
An all volunteer board of directors presides over the operation of St.
Simeon. A paid staff of ten, including an executive director,
are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operation of the housing complex
which presently has 230 apartments on three separate sites.
If you have relatives or friends who may be interested and
meet the requirements for living in one of the St. Simeon facilities, they may
obtain information and an application form by contacting the St. Simeon Office
at (845) 471-9651
TAPE MINISTRY
The 10:00 a.m.
worship service is taped for distribution to parishioners unable to attend the
Sunday service. The recording unit which
must be monitored during worship is located in the back of the church under the
balcony stairs. When the service is
over, tapes are duplicated with equipment stored in the parish hall and left on
the kitchen counter for pick up by the volunteers who deliver them.
When previously recorded
tapes are returned, they are erased and reused.
VACATION BIBLE
SCHOOL
Vacation Bible
School is held for two weeks during
the summer. It is open to all children
in the community and so also functions as an outreach program. The fee is approximately $5 a week per child.
MEMBERSHIP:
To enroll a child, call the Parish Office at 297-9797. Extra staff members
are always welcome.
VERGERS/USHERS
In preparation for worship, the verger opens the church,
puts the hymn numbers on the hymn board and selects people to take the bread,
wine, and food basket to the Altar during the Offertory. He/she also gives a head count to the Rector
and locks the church after worship is over.
The verger is also responsible for making a schedule for the ushers.
Ushers hand out the service bulletins and count the people
coming in prior to the beginning of worship.
They take the collection and facilitate the flow as the congregation
moves to receive Holy Communion. After
worship, they do a basic clean up, such as picking up stray bulletins from the
pews.
Prior to the 7:30 a.m. service, the Verger selects the individuals to take
the offering and bring the bread, wine, and food basket to the Altar rail.
Ushers for the 10:00 a.m. service work a full month at a time, approximately
once every 6 months.
VESTRY
The Vestry is the legal governing and decision-making
group in the parish. The Vestry makes
the final decisions regarding the hiring of the rector, approving a parish
budget, parish policy decisions, and the stewardship of parish resources.
Zion’s Vestry
is comprised of 2 Wardens and 9 Members, 3 vestry members and one warden are
elected each year by the Parish at its annual meeting in January. Vestry members serve a term of 3 years and
the warden serves a term of 2 years. The
Vestry elects a Recording Secretary who keeps official minutes of all Vestry
meetings. The Presiding Officer is the
Rector.
YOUTH SUPPORT GROUP
Parents and interested adults comprise this Support
Group. The purpose of this group is to
provide assistance to the Youth Ministry by arranging for chaperones, providing
transportation, ford and beverages for events, and arranging for special
programs.
ZION NEWSLETTER (CHIMES)
The Zion Chimes is the monthly newsletter mailed to
parishioners and friends of Zion. It contains a message from the Rector, news,
noteworthy events, and articles of general interest to the Zion Parish
Community.
Contributions to the Zion Chimes must be made prior to the
second Friday of the month for inclusion in the next month’s issue. Items may be
left in the Zion Chimes mailbox in the Old Rectory or e-mailed to the Editor,
Christine Cole-Dorsey chrisatzion@verizon.net
ZION WEBSITE
Check the website for Parish information, and the current Chimes Newsletter.
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