July 20, 2023

It doesn’t seem possible that out of compassion for refugees who were caught up in the United States’ abrupt withdrawal in August 2021 from two decades of presence in Afghanistan, a family of two adults with five children under 9 would land in Massachusetts. Ihsanullah and Zahida Rawan escaped their country and were eventually sponsored for resettlement through an organization called Ascentria Alliance. Working with six other faith communities in Winchester a partnership was established under the name Winchester Interfaith Resettlement Partnership. Rev. Bob Davidson shared leadership duties with a member of Shir Tikvah Temple, and together they guided almost 70 volunteers to provide support for the Rawans beginning in February 2022. Over 20 of those volunteers came from Parish of the Epiphany who tirelessly gave of their time and heart to grow to love this amazing family as we witnessed their gradual integration into American culture.

After nearly 16 months with us, on June 24th, the Rawan family (which now included a six-month old U.S. citizen) boarded an Amtrak train for their new home in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Our Interfaith partnership promised to help with securing housing and shipping their household goods allowing the Rawans to settle into a three-bedroom apartment near several of their closest family. Summer will be a time for becoming familiar with their new location, finding work for Ihsanullah, and registering the school aged children in school and preschool. 

A unique opportunity for this resettlement partnership was that members of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions worked together as a witness to our shared faith. The Rawans taught us all respect and admiration of their culture and Islamic traditions. Discovering how to deeply communicate with someone whose primary language is not English encouraged volunteers to create bonds not dependent on language. Finally, to see how excited particularly the children were with the simplest gift or new gadget helped us realize how truly privileged our lives are in America.

Will this mission experience of resettling an Afghan family leave a lasting mark on our parish in addition to the volunteers whose lives will be forever changed. Hopefully Parish of the Epiphany will build on the experience of working with other faith traditions, will continue to welcome diverse cultures and languages into our community and will find ways to lose our grip on the privileges and entitlements of our daily life which in the end had little to do with the love and hope we gave as gifts to the Rawan family.

Rev. Bob Davidson, co-lead
Winchester Interfaith Resettlement Partnership

Our B-SAFE (the Summer Program run by St. Stephen's Youth Programs) Field Day and Magic Show is next week! Around 80 young people and staff will come to Winchester for a morning of magic and lunch at Epiphany and an afternoon of splashing, running, and playing games at Shannon Beach on Mystic Lake. 

1. For Friday, July 28 when the kids come to us, we need many volunteers to make sure everything runs smoothly and the kids and staff feel welcome and have a great time.

Sign up here to volunteer to help at Epiphany or at the lake.

2. We are invited to come into SSYP (in the South End of Boston) and assist our parent chefs with preparing, serving, and cleaning up lunch. We do not have to plan menus or buy food as in the past. I have signed up during the week of July 24 and invite you to join me (or you can volunteer any day during any of the 5 weeks of program). It's a great way to meet some kids and staff before they come out to Winchester. I'm guessing the time frame will be in the 10-2 range. We can carpool if there is interest.

Sign up here to help at St. Stephen's in the South End.

Thank you so much for all of the many ways you have and will support our partnership with SSYP and the B-SAFE Summer Program! Please reach out with any questions. 

Betsy Walsh

(781-249-6554)

On Sunday, July 30 from 11:30-12:30, an informational meeting will be held in the Chapel following Sunday worship to learn more about Education for Ministry. Rev. Bob Davidson, a long-time mentor with EfM, will welcome anyone who might have an interest in registering for EfM in September, or someone who is just interested in learning more about EfM.

EfM helps the faithful encounter the breadth and depth of the Christian tradition and bring it into conversation with their experiences of the world as they study, worship, and engage in theological reflection together. The program invites participants into small, mentored groups that provide the framework for understanding life and shaping actions as Christian faith is deepened. EfM seminar groups provide a four-year curriculum that develops a theologically informed, reflective, and articulate laity.

While the Education for Ministry program is a four-year curriculum, participants enroll for one year at a time. Each program year is 36 weeks long, running from September through May. Annual EfM tuition is paid at the time of enrollment. Scholarships and discounted tuition are also available.

Jeremy Bruns will perform at Methuen Memorial Music Hall on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at 7:30pm. The program is: 

• Allegro deciso from Évocation, Op. 37 by Marcel Dupré (1886-1971)
  
• Joies from Trois Danses, AWV 119 by Jehan Alain (1911-1940)
  
• Pastorale from First Sonata, Op. 42 by Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911)
  
• Passacaglia in C minor, BWV 582 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
  

Intermission

• There is a Happy Land and I Love Thee, My Lord by George Shearing (1919-2011)
  
• The 94th Psalm by Friedrich Julius Reubke (1834-1858)
  

Tickets can be purchased at the door, or also online at: https://mmmh.org. Methuen Memorial Music Hall is located at 192 Broadway, Methuen MA 01844. Doors open at 7:00pm. Tickets: Adults $15; Student ID $10; Children $5.

Epiphany has partnered with "Gardens For Good," a collaboration of gardeners and gardens in Winchester to provide food for local food pantries. Our small but mighty garden plot in the Bishop's Garden is thriving with onions, carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes thanks to the faithful care of our Creation Care group. If you're interested in learning more or helping tend the garden, let Rev. Janelle know at jhiroshige@3crowns.org

The Summer Choir assists in leading the music at our 10am services, and anyone (entering 2nd grade or older) is invited to sing. Simply be in the choir loft at 9am on any Sunday you choose, and we will prepare the music for that day. Contact Jeremy at jbruns@3crowns.org with any questions.

We had another meaningful Saturday at St. Luke's in Chelsea. Thanks to all our volunteers we were able to serve breakfast and lunch to all who entered the doors! We also got compliments on the beef chili and texas toast. Epiphany serves on the 3rd Saturday of every month. If you are interested in volunteering, let Rev. Janelle know at jhiroshige@3crowns.org

Hello Beloved Community,

On the weekend of June 24-25, Team Epiphany participated in the Tri-State Trek which you may have been hearing about in this newsletter. Cyclists from Parish of the Epiphany rode up to 200 miles over the weekend either in person or virtually to support the ALS Therapy Development Institute. It was a fun and moving event where the ALS community came together to ride, break bread, tell stories, and celebrate the progress being made against this horrible disease. We were honored to ride especially for our friends and fellow parishioners, Rick Marks and Steve Lewis, who succumbed to this disease in past years.

Overall, three of us completed at least a century (100-mile ride) over the weekend, with four of us participating in person both days, but many more participated virtually, riding and walking many more in various locales. Most importantly, the team has raised over $14,000 for ALS research, which puts our team – our parish – in 9^th place overall of all the teams which participated. And, it’s not too late to help – you can help our parish climb that leader board by contributing at www.team-epiphany.org. Though the ride is completed, the fundraising continues.

And though riding bikes is fun, the real story is that as a group we raised $590,535.78 (and counting) over the weekend. And not two days after the event, the ALS-TDI announced a major expansion of the ALS Research Collaborative, which you can read about here: https://www.als.net/news/announcing-the-expansion-of-arc/

Though maybe not as sexy as a new drug in clinical trials, this study framework is an extensive enabling technology that will accelerate the pace of drug discover and approval.

We would like to thank everyone who contributed and prayed for us, and especially the riders and walkers: Josh Reynolds, Dana Long, Jason Kinchen, Kate Reynolds, Eileen Marks, Ellen Willson, Liz Kinchen, Abby Schrader, and Michael Schrader.

It’s never too early to start planning for the Epiphany Christmas Fair on Saturday, November 18. We need and appreciate donations, especially homemade items.

• If you’re making jams or jellies this summer, please make a few extra jars for the bakery table. Let Sara Post (snsp17@gmail.com) know what you are donating.
  
• If you like to knit or do crafts, please check with Alison Taber (alison.taber123@gmail.com) or Jeanni Pendergrass (jepen@mac.com) about what they need for the knits and crafts table.
  
• We’ll have a box outside Hadley Hall now for your old Christmas cards – so the crafters can make Christmas gift cards from the old cards.
  
• While you’re doing spring-summer cleaning, you may find items for the jewelry table or white elephant sale. Please box them up now with a note about what they’re worth, so you can bring the box to church in the fall.
  
• The kids room at the fair would welcome children’s books. We’ll have a box outside Hadley Hall for the books after Labor Day. Books which do not sell at the fair are donated to St. Stephen’s Church or More Than Words.
  
• During your travels this summer, if you find something or have a great idea for a silent auction item, please let Leslie Aitken (lja315@gmail.com) know about it.
  
• If you have any other ideas for the Christmas Fair, please send an email note to Linda Brown (mlindabrow@aol.com) or Nick Candee (nickcandee@aol.com).