St. Andrew's Shared Ministry
The First Presbyterian Church of LeRay
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church of Evans Mills
8520 LeRay Street, Evans Mills, New York 13637
The First Presbyterian Church of LeRay
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church of Evans Mills
8520 LeRay Street, Evans Mills, New York 13637
Vicar: The Rev. Anne Wichelns Phone: 315 350-4844 email: awichelns@twcny.rr.com
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Sunday Worship
9:30 AM Sunday School: 10:30-11 AM |
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Sunday's Sermon: A Robe and a Ring--God's Prodigal Grace
----------------------------------------------------- Our Service of Reconciliation, @ 7PM, on Thursday, March 18, is a quiet, meditative time of worship using Taize prayer and culminating in a ritual of purification (handwashing). Our preacher is The Rev. Douglas J. Marlow, of Trinity, Watertown. Doug has been an ordained Deacon for 19+ years. People throughout the North Country District are invited to join us.
Missed Parts I & II of our Study of the Beatitudes? We are open at 5PM for quiet prayer and preparation. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Click here for Jerry's notes, and mark your calendars for Part III--Thursday, March 25, with supper at 5, Music and study to follow. We are joined by musician Roger Dicob. Many thanks to musicians Bernard Robinson and Dee Caldwell, leaders for this series as well.
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Celebrations of God's work in our midst and in the world
Preparation: I like to think our shared traditions give us insight into the many ways people seek closeness with God. Whatever your tradition, all agree sin blocks our ability to relate to God and one another and to participate in his dream for us. All of us agree that forgiveness is God's to bestow.
A Reconciliation Service acknowledges the communal nature of sin and respects our individual, private ways of confessing it.
We then get together to celebrate God's grace and begin anew in restoration to community with him and one another.
~Mother Anne
Law and Love: The Beatitudes
Next to the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes are the second most important scriptural source for ethics and morality.
Come, explore how they apply to your own life.
The Rev. Dr. Wichelns, a retired professor of ethics, philosophy and comparative religion at Jefferson Community College, received his Masters of philosophy from Columbia University in NYC, and his Doctorate in Ministry from the University of the South at Sewanee.
Before his retirement, Jerry served as Dean of the Episcopal North Country District and as Rector of the Shared Episcopal Ministry of Northern NY.
A Reconciliation Service acknowledges the communal nature of sin and respects our individual, private ways of confessing it.
We then get together to celebrate God's grace and begin anew in restoration to community with him and one another.
~Mother Anne
Law and Love: The Beatitudes
Next to the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes are the second most important scriptural source for ethics and morality.
Come, explore how they apply to your own life.
The Rev. Dr. Wichelns, a retired professor of ethics, philosophy and comparative religion at Jefferson Community College, received his Masters of philosophy from Columbia University in NYC, and his Doctorate in Ministry from the University of the South at Sewanee.
Before his retirement, Jerry served as Dean of the Episcopal North Country District and as Rector of the Shared Episcopal Ministry of Northern NY.
Sunday, Dec. 13
The Martin Family Singers just love to praise the Lord, in the Menonite tradition of hymnody. Members of the extended family, from young to old, will regale us with song--and will bring their famous pretzels to the covered dish at 5.
Guests are welcome to join us for this event. There will be plenty of food for everyone.
The Martin Family Singers just love to praise the Lord, in the Menonite tradition of hymnody. Members of the extended family, from young to old, will regale us with song--and will bring their famous pretzels to the covered dish at 5.
Guests are welcome to join us for this event. There will be plenty of food for everyone.
Rachel's Browning's ability to give a Christian message while working with life-sized puppets, or to create a beautiful chalk art picture and tell a story at the same time, held children and adults spell-bound at our first Family Night. Thanks, Rachel, and those who brought her here, for an enjoyable and inspiring event.
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Sunday, October 4, St. Andrew's celebrated the Feast of St. Francis, with Patrick Danforth and Alyson Rice, of The Foster Dog Chronicles. Laurie and Andrew Drury were there, with Finn, the Therapy Dog, and, thanks to Michelle Stephens of A Barker's Dozen Dog Bakery, Coffeen St., Watertown, not only were there dog snacks for Coffee Hour, but visitors from Fort Drum and the area joined us to have their animals blessed.
To the right is the sermon Patrick gave, and below are pictures of the event.
Service of Reconciliation--A Taize Prayer service
Join us for worship, Thursday, March 18, @ 7 PM, at a quiet, meditative service of reconciliation. The music and prayers are from the Taize community, our preacher is The Reverend Douglas J. Marlow, of Trinity, Watertown, and we will conclude our worship with a ceremony of handwashing. All are welcome, and invitations have gone out to other parishes.
The church will be open from 5 PM, for those wishing to stop by and pray. Let's take this time to prepare our hearts and minds to be at one with Christ.
~For private confession or personal prayer and counsel, call the church number to set up a time.
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Law and Love: the Beatitudes
The Rev. Dr. Jerome B. Wichelns, Presenter.
Part III--Thursday, March 25--from 5-7 PM--Join us for Supper, Music, and Study
Roger Dicob, of the United Methodist Church, will join us as our musician of the evening.
Special thanks to musicians Bernard Robinson and Dee Caldwell for blessing our other Beatitudinous evenings with the gift of song.
All are welcome!
Missed Jerry's first two presentations? Click here for the notes!
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Thursday, April 1--Maundy Thursday, @ 5 PM
Covered dish supper, followed by
A Commemoration of the Last Supper
with Holy Eucharist.
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Friday, April 2, @ 3 PM--Good Friday
Cross Walk
a community ecumenical Way of the Cross
We begin at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church.
For more information, call Pastor Penni Farrington @ 642-3204.
Thursday, April 1--Maundy Thursday, @ 5 PM
Covered dish supper, followed by
A Commemoration of the Last Supper
with Holy Eucharist.
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Friday, April 2, @ 3 PM--Good Friday
Cross Walk
a community ecumenical Way of the Cross
We begin at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church.
For more information, call Pastor Penni Farrington @ 642-3204.
Advent Evenings
Sunday, Nov. 29, @ 5 PM: Deck the Halls
Sunday, Dec. 6, @ 5 PM: Family Game Night--"Steal the Bacon"
Sunday, Dec. 13, @ 5 PM: A Musical Evening--with the Martin Family Singers
Sunday, Dec. 20, @ 5 PM: A Christmas Pageant, with Ron Sinclair
Sunday, Nov. 29, @ 5 PM: Deck the Halls
Sunday, Dec. 6, @ 5 PM: Family Game Night--"Steal the Bacon"
Sunday, Dec. 13, @ 5 PM: A Musical Evening--with the Martin Family Singers
Sunday, Dec. 20, @ 5 PM: A Christmas Pageant, with Ron Sinclair
A Shared Witness of Alyson Rice and Patrick Danforth 
of the Foster Dog Chronicles
As you walk down the aisles of animal shelters across the nation, it is hard to remember that everything happens for a reason. That everything and everyone has a purpose. Cage upon cage filled with sad, questioning eyes. Pets wondering where their families went, scared by the unfamiliar sights, smells, and sounds, longing for someone to love and cherish them.
Rows upon rows of discarded pets, lost pets, pets who have lived their whole lives being abused or neglected, yet willing to give unconditional love. I was reading an article the other day which calculated the number of dogs in the United States and the number of households. If every dog were given a home, each home would have 24 dogs in it. Looking at the big picture, it seems like an impossible situation. It seems easier to walk away than to invest yourself emotionally and have your heart broken as you walk out of the shelter knowing those animals will die without the comfort of a loving family.
Taking the easy way out is not always the most rewarding. Every one of us has a calling, a purpose for our lives. That calling can stay the same throughout our lives, or it can change depending on our circumstances and the paths our lives take.
Our calling changed ever so gradually starting with one single day. That calling now encompasses our life. This one day started with the decision that our son's dog had become older and could no longer endure the long walks, runs, and playtime that a 10 year old boy requires. We decided that his golden retriever Roxy would become a family dog. She had earned the right to sun herself, play in streams, and not have to chase butterflies and frogs hour after hour. That decision led us to the County dog pound in search of a dog with endless energy. This day changed our lives, our paths, and our calling. Our eyes were opened, our hearts saddened and our brains demanded that we take action--any action, as long as it meant something was being done to help these dogs.
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Healthy young abandoned, sad hopeful dogs peered out from inside wire kennels with concrete floors. Dogs who either found a home or they would be euthanized. One at a time we began pulling dogs, working through any issues they had, attending to their medical needs, spaying, neutering and microchipping them all in an effort to prepare them for a new home. Once outside of the confines of
their cages, these dogs' personalities blossomed. They gave love, received love, they learned manners, and best of all they found families who would love and cherish them.
After trying traditional training methods, we opted to head down the road of positive reinforcement. We were introduced to clicker training, which seemed really funny to use a child’s toy to train dogs. The results we saw changed our minds and training methods permanently. With clicker training we could train these once discarded dogs to be useful members of society. They could learn to turn lights on, close doors, retrieve items, pick up toys and laundry, all using positive reinforcement.
While rescuing dogs was very rewarding, we found the lessons we learned through the dogs to be even more rewarding. Each dog we rescued taught us valuable life lessons.
- Jack the yellow lab who couldn’t be adopted out to any house with a man in it learned over time to trust men, and in turn he found a great home. His fear of one man had become generalized over time to include all men. He taught us that sometimes our own fears become generalized, and that with love and patience we can all learn to trust again.
- Minnie, the white German shepherd with ears way too big for her head, spent three hours outside our house the first night in below zero temperatures. Her fear of new surroundings and new people made her choose to endure conditions that weren’t comfortable. Patience and love brought her inside, but her ability to unconditionally love and accept gave her a new home. How many of us endure conditions that aren’t right for us because of our own fears?
- Eric, the Shepherd, Rottweiler mix was on the table twice to be euthanized, but each time the staff member couldn’t follow through. Eric didn’t know that he was big and that his teeth that had once been small and puppy-like had grown. He was never taught manners or to keep his teeth off of people’s skin. He learned that manners, a closed mouth, and sitting quietly in front of a ten year old with a plate of cake paid well in crumbs and frosting. Good things come to those who wait.
- Bella the plot hound lay quietly in a room for two months. She had to be wakened up to eat and use the bathroom. She had lost all interest in life and was apathetic and unresponsive. No amount of play, affection, attention or love seemed to reach her. Or so we thought. Weeks went by, a month turned into two months, and then at 2am one morning, hope and life returned to Bella in the form of one loud, straight from the belly howl. We got up, and there sitting on the couch was one dog ready to live again. Now at 2am we were ready to be sleeping again, so we turned on the cartoon channel and Bella sat happy and content to watch cartoons until late the next morning. Today she is loved and cherished by a family with two children, and yes, she still loves her cartoons!
- It is easy to blame the county pound, its workers and the fact that it is a kill facility However, we all have jobs to do, and sometimes the job requirements conflict with our hearts desires. The people who work at the county pound love and cherish these dogs. Unfortunately, they sometimes are forced to end the very lives of the dogs they love and cherish. Their compassion was more than evident with Sir Forest The Duke of Hycliff. Forest was a young German shepherd who was abandoned in the Hycliff housing. Forest was chased off of porches, out of garbage bags and was unwelcome anywhere he went. He developed a fear of humans which made all efforts to catch him unsuccessful. After 100 days on the run in the dead of winter, Forest could no longer walk. He lost all his muscle tone, and he cried whenever he moved his head. Dog control nursed him for over sixty days. The employees spent their own time and money to try to help him. Realizing his rehabilitation would take longer than time would allow, they called and asked us to consider taking Forest. He came to us able to walk three steps before falling down, his back legs were bloody from dragging them behind him, and he still cried when he moved his head. After receiving a diagnosis of lyme disease and the appropriate medication, Forest began the long road to recovery. He took an interest in chasing a dog toy called a Kong. After months of love, good food and plenty of time chasing his kong, Forest could walk, move his head without crying and express affection towards people. He still walks with a sway in his back end, falls down occasionally and is afraid of new people but he has taught us that nothing is impossible to overcome with love, determination and support.
Our calling is to rescue dogs, one paw at a time, but those dogs in turn have taught us, reminded us and counseled us on being human, loving those around us, having compassion, patience and grace even when we don’t feel like it. It is those qualities that make life worth living and make the world the kind of place that we all want to live in. Everyone has a purpose and a calling, it is each person’s decision to have the courage and faith to decide to pursue it.
