Epiphany News

Okay, we’re having some fun now. I’ve added a forum to the site so we can all visit with each other in real time. You’ll see the link on the left hand side; just click on the word “Forum” or click on this link. You can read everything that’s there (right now only my first welcome post) without registering, but to post or reply to a post, you’ll need to register.

You’ll also see that I’ve added several pages describing tasks that need to be performed at the church and all linking to that VolunteerSpot site. I’d love to know what experience you have with it. To use a geek term, please regard everything here as if it were in “beta” form right now. That means it’s important that you use it so you can spot problems with it but that it’s not quite ready for prime time, so you probably will encounter little (or big) glitches as you use it. Just make sure you let me know when you encounter those glitches so we can figure out together how to fix them. Thanks!

Lee

I’m beginning to include some links on the site to a web service called VolunteerSpot.com so we can all see how it would function. If it works the way I hope, we’ll all be able to sign up for things like ushering, lay reader, nursery, and refreshments using the web service. The nice thing about it is that we’ll sign up for what we really want to do, and we’ll each get an e-mail reminder as the date approaches so we’ll be more likely to remember our commitments.

I hope you’ll play with the links and tinker around with it, because it will be helpful for us to know how it’s working and whether you find it easy to use. However, I don’t consider the VolunteerSpot.com system “live” yet, and I hope you won’t either. For the time being, let’s continue with the system already in place. If we decide to change to VolunteerSpot, I’m sure you’ll be hearing about it. Thanks!

Lee

Thanks for your patience as we’re working to add content to the web site. The latest additions are pages describing the Vestry, our Beans & Rice ministry, Education for Ministry, and Worship at Epiphany.

You should also begin noticing some photos. The rotating header banners are now all from our church. The crepe myrtle blossom, Father Buddy’s granite cross, and the Japanese maple are from the columbarium (thanks, John and Kathy!), the candle image is from inside the nave. You may need a little prompting to recognize the head of the eagle on the lectern side of the nave.

Lee

This is a quick summary for our transition plans in the wake of Father Larry’s departure. Charles Womelsdorf has graciously agreed to officiate at our worship for our services today, August 21, and August 28. For Sundays following, the Vestry is working closely with Pat Wingo, the Deployment Officer for the Alabama Diocese. There may be a Sunday here or there on which we will have Morning Prayer (that is, without a priest), but Pat has assured us that these Sundays will be isolated.

Pat is due to meet with the Vestry later this month to discuss the procedure for the transition. We hope to report here as much of that conversation as possible under the circumstances. Pending that conversation, it’s encouraging to see members of the parish swinging into action to fill voids as they become evident. A special thanks to Betty Weldon for working (in close consultation with Charles Womelsdorf) to design and print our worship bulletins.

We are embarking together on a journey, as all of us at Epiphany adjust to the sudden departure of our former priest, Larry Sharpton. Thanks for your patience with me as I work to get information about Epiphany up on this site. Right now, for example, I’m doing all this from Los Angeles where Amanda and I are visiting with our children. You should see more content appearing almost immediately, and as soon as I can get back in town, you’ll begin seeing more photos on the site.

 

Lee Borden