It is with mixed feelings that I write this month's article. This January I, as well as Mary Brad Kelley, complete our three year tour on the Vestry. It has been a very busy and exciting three years, but it is time to pass the baton on to some new folks.

What a busy couple of months it has been for Emmanuel. I hope everyone had a joyous holiday season, and are now ready to begin another exciting year at Emmanuel. Despite having to cancel a couple of Sunday Services, we were still able to accomplish all our scheduled activities. I can't begin to thank everyone who made all the services and events so successful. The youth again participated in the Chincoteague Christmas parade; the weekday Advent Services included the preparing and mailing of Christmas cards to those on our sick list and those serving in the Armed Forces; the Church was beautifully decorated as always; Christmas caroling was a fun evening, especially meeting our Angel Tree family, and the party afterwards; the Christmas Eve Service was outstanding, and very well attended; the Lessons and Carols service was enjoyed by all in attendance; and then the icing on the cake was the Christmas Pageant presented by our youth under the watchful eye of Jenny Barker and some of the parents. It was absolutely phenomenal! Thanks also to Pastor Claire for a joyous open house.

The Vestry completed the year by distributing $1,400.00 from Pennies from Heaven to needy families and organizations in the local area. Thanks again for making this such a successful outreach program. From the Christmas Eve Service, $206.00 was distributed to Boys Home and Jackson Field Home in addition to the support provided the young man we are sponsoring at Boys Home.

As always, the Vestry has prepared the 2010 budget to be presented at the annual meeting. It has been a tough year. Expenses were held to the minimum, thanks in part to the donations from many of you in the form of office, kitchen, and bathroom supplies. As you will see, the checkbook balance ended very low, so we are continuing to solicit your help with Church finances. At this time there are still a few of outstanding pledge submissions, so if you have not sent yours in, please do so as soon as possible. Lastly, we are making slow progress on repaying ourselves for the loan for the kitchen renovation. I know everyone is enjoying the new kitchen, so any help in repaying the loan is greatly appreciated. On 24 January, we hold our annual meeting. Please plan on attending this very important meeting. We will be reviewing the activities of the past year, electing new vestry members, discussing the budget, and future activities at Emmanuel. We need your participation.

Then can you believe it, Ash Wednesday is February 17th which also signals the beginning of the Lenten season. Read more on the planned Lenten activities elsewhere in this newsletter. Lastly, I thank you for the honor and privilege to serve as your junior and senior warden. I never cease to be amazed at what this little Parish in North Accomack County does for our local community and our own Emmanuel Family. We are truly a welcoming community of loving, caring and nurturing Christians who bear witness to God's Presence by proclaiming His Word and serving His people.

May the Peace of the Lord be Always with You!

Eric Redifer

Fellowship at Emmanuel

With the beginning of a new year and the onset of the Annual Church Meeting it is easy to have a feeling of great anticipation. What will this new-year bring to each of our members? We have seen in our history that what ever it is, the effort will be made easier by the fellowship with ample amount of prayer and laughter and most of all our faith that we can do what is offered.

As hard as it is to believe, Lent is only 5 weeks away! We have begun the planning for the Wednesday Lenten Service. We will once again have a meal of soup and bread. No desserts please due to Lent. Rev. Claire's subject for the study sessions will be forgiveness. We hope that many people will find the subject interesting and the fellowship inviting. See you there.

Also, as a reminder, there is frozen food as well as offers of help if you know of someone who could use some assistance preparing a meal.

Respectfully submitted,

Carolle Aldinger, Fellowship Goal Champion

2010 Pledge Update

Emmanuel's 2010 Pledge Campaign is moving into its final phase. We have received 30 pledges from commitments as of Jan 10thwith $44,854.00 being pledged.

Seven new pledges have been received for 2010 which is the most new pledges we have received in many years, and nine members have increased their pledge for the New Year, Unfortunately, we have also lost four pledges that were received last year and five families who have yet to make a decision about their pledge for 2010. Hopefully, some or all of these will be renewed. If so, we have a chance to reach our budgeted pledge goal of $50,000.

We hope to have a final total by our annual meeting on January 24th. If anyone has misplaced their pledge card, there are additional ones at church for your use.

Youth News

During the Spring Sessions of Youth Formation, Pastor Claire and Jenny Barker (with help, of course) will continue to lead the 9:15 Sunday morning gatherings. Parents & youth will be receiving a detailed schedule, also posted in the parish hall. Our topics will range from "Parts of Jesus' Body" to "Names for Jesus" to "Re-Checking out the Eucharist".

Our youth collected money and non-perishable food for the Food Pantry on March 7th and will again lead our service on May 9th, Mother's Day.

Our last session will be May 23rd, with a 9:15am Breakfast Party for our youth. We will take a Sunday break for the summer, and restart in the fall on September 12th. However, I heard the rumor that a Vacation Bible School will be finding its way to Emmanuel this summer. Stay tuned!

Pastor Claire+

Xerox Is Doing Something Cool

If you go to this website, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services. It is FREE and it only takes a second.

Exclamation Point! Memoirs of a Life Well Lived

The Rev Bill Starkey served for 30 faithful years as an Episcopal priest in the state of West Virginia. He and his late wife retired to south-east Virginia to be near family, where he has continued to serve God in myriad ways. The Rev Starkey signed his unique memoirs on March 7th at Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

All profits will benefit the Mission of the Holy Spirit in Norfolk, which is a collaborative effort of a group of individuals, businesses, churches and the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia. Their vision is to offer spiritual, educational, and psychosocial services to at-risk, inner-city children, adolescents, and their families.

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PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

For Those With Ongoing Needs:

** Dark Blue = Newer to the Prayer List **

Butch Arnold	Chad Bakely	Cathy & Ron Bakely
Randy Beauchamp	David R. Birch	Bob Bisker
Bill Blecha	Patricia Boda & family	Rev. John Boucher
Wren Bray	Leonard Brown	Margaret Butler
Ronnie Byrd	Barbara Clifford	Barbara Custis
David Derrickson	Johnny Downing	Roy Duhon
Catherine Early	Conda Eckles	Caroll Elliott
Joan Farrell	Michael Farrell	Costen Gladding
Harry Godwin	Jill Grahl	Bryce Greene
Mary Grinnell	Mary Eleanor Grinnell	David Hickman
Jackson Hoffert	Vickie Holden	Jim Hollinger
Norah Ivecich	C. Austin Joy	Phyllis Kilborn
Frederick King	Pam Linton	Floyd Mason
Sydney Maugham	John McVickar	Bill Miles
Danny Miles	Kasey Moyer	Reed Muller
Katrina Oldland	Jim Pafford	Louise & Kenneth Precht
Roland Satchell	Rev. Linda Scholer	Andrea Shoemaker
Eldon Soward	Katherine Strautz	Jessi Taylor
Cathy Thomas	Wayne Thornton	Lee Tracy
Rev. Edward Tracy	Bill Ulman	Howard Underwood
Dr. Ben Van der Spuy	Jill van Scyoc	Jean Vilov
Robert Watson	Craig Wessels	Herman White
Una White	Margaret Ann Wilkerson	Mark Yeager

Serving in the Military:

Thomas Barrentine	Billy Beebe	Jacob Beebe
Charles Buchanan	Nathaniel Davis	Darren Douglas
Seth Dybedahl	Jason Fehrer	Greg Fostram
Rev. Phil Glick	Mitchell Murphy	Charles Pulman
Travis Purdy	Stephen Redifer	Willie Stickley
Jackie Thompson Teixeira	Joe Teixeira	William Thornton
Eric Velasquez	Edward White	Treye Wilkerson

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Marianne Elebash - 03/03	Tom Brown - 04/06
Faith Brown - 03/03	Susan Thornton - 04/09
Saynne Redifer - 03/15	James Edward Haley - 04/09
Ross Darling - 03/16	Snicks Sutton - 04/09
Larry Brantley - 03/16	James Wedner - 04/10
Eddie Kelley - 03/18	Jack Waterfield - 04/12
P. Jacob Darling - 03/18	Emily Glovier Rance - 04/14
David Waterfield - 03/19	Michael Elebash - 04/18
Charlie LeVecque - 03/23	Matthew Redifer - 04/20
Justine Fletcher - 03/25	Chris Miles - 04/20
Marie Brantley - 03/28	Bill Rouse - 04/21
Nancy Kupar-Page - 03/28	Charles Fletcher - 04/25
Richard Fletcher - 03/28	Lynn Abbott - 04/26
Barbara Clifford - 03/30	Jim Williams - 04/27
Glenn Warner - 03/30	Sharon & George Moore - 04/30
Mary Brad Kelley - 03/31
Carolle & Glenn Aldinger - 03/14
Ruth & Bev Fletcher - 03/21

Thanksgivings:

For the birth of a grandnephew, Caleb Oldland, to Judy & Eric Redifer.

For the Departed:

Khylil Holden, Helen Riggin Thorne, Pat Thomas, Kimolina Allen, Eric Beauchamp, & Rochelle Matthews

Praying unlocks the doors of heaven and releases the power of God. God's answers are always right and good and best. Whether prayer changes our situation or not, one thing is certain: Prayer will change us!

The Rev. Billy Graham