Our journey to the Cathedral was somewhat interesting. Chris was raised Presbyterian while Alison grew up

Episcopalian. In fact, Alison’s mom, Nanette, whom we lost last year, was the activities coor-dinator at St. John the Divine for 36 years.

When Chris was liv-ing in Amarillo, he joined its First Presby-

terian Church. A few months later, the longtime pastor retired. When he moved to Houston, he joined First Presbyterian here and again, after just a few months, longtime pastor Jack Lancaster retired.

By that time, we were headed for the altar, so together we looked for a church. We visited the Cathedral but didn’t even have to join; after seeing us sitting in the pews, Dean Pittman McGehee an-nounced he was out of there. We wound up in another Episcopal congregation and guess what? After a few years, the rector left. Shortly afterwards, Chris met Joe Reynolds and we gave the Cathedral an-other look. It was one of the best decisions we ever made.

We share all of this because we think it’s humorous, but also, in all serious-ness, because we think fellow parishio-ners need reassurance during this time of transition. Change is hard. But we are liv-ing proof you can survive a major change in church leadership. The Cathedral also offers living proof, since it has survived again and again throughout its history.

We are proud to serve as chairs of the Every Member Canvass during this time of transition and hope you will work with us to make it just as successful as in years past. This is not the time to take a step back. This is the time to step up. When considering your pledge, we ask that you think about our great congregation and the future of the Cathedral. Please do ev-erything you can to make sure that future is bright.

A time to step up

ALISON AND CHRIS BELL

Giving is a personal commitmentEveryone who has ever attended a church

service is familiar with the idea of steward-ship. Whether they pass the offering plate or pick up a pledge card, everyone has to con-template giving at some point. But for Cathe-dral member Flo Ray, her father made sure she understood the significance of pledging at an early age.

“When I was a little girl and joined the Presbyterian Church, before I became an Episcopalian, my father sat me down in the pew after the service and handed me a pledge card,” Ray said.

Ray’s father then walked her through the process of figuring out how much to pledge

from her 50-cent weekly allowance, taking 10 percent and then multiplying it by the num-ber of weeks in the year. Despite the fact that she could only contribute a nickel per week, her father felt that pledging was important.

“He said, ‘Now that you’re a member, you have to make a pledge. That’s what members do.’” Ray recalled. “That has always stuck with me. There were some years when I went to Christ Church Cathedral and didn’t make a pledge. And to be honest, I felt like I wasn’t pulling my own weight, and I didn’t like feel-ing like that.”

Now, Ray always makes a pledge, and she

Flo Ray sets the altar for communion as a member of the Altar Guild.

CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRALAn Episcopal Community in the Heart of Houston, Texas

OCTOBER 2012CHRISTCHURCHCATHEDRAL.ORG

PLEDGING, inside

Landmark cancer study seeks participantsThe American Cancer Society invites men

and women ages 30–65 with no personal history of cancer to join a historic research study. Cancer Prevention Study-3 is a multi-year survey that will study lifestyle, behav-ioral, environmental and genetic factors that may cause or prevent cancer.

Screenings will be held at the Cathedral on November 4 and at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church on November 11.

To learn more about the study and to en-roll, visit cancerstudytx.org or the Pastoral Care Council table in the cloister on October 14 or 28.

We celebrate with E Meredith Moore and James Wiersma who

were married in the Cathedral on September 8. Meredith is the daughter of Cathedral member William Tyler Moore.

We extend heartfelt sympathy to E to the family of Lamar Neale who died August

29. He was the son of Cathedral member Terrylin Neale.

E to the family of Margaret Dom who died September 7. Margaret was the mother of Cathedral member of Ted Dom and grandmother of Henry Dom and Isabelle Dom.

The Flowers on the Cathedral Altar E on September 30 were given to the glory of God

in thanksgiving for the blessing of loving family and friends.

E on October 7 are given to the glory of God in honor of Elizabeth Avery Larson on her birthday by Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Avery.

E on October 14 are given to the glory of God in loving memory of Phyllis Kneese Webb by her family.

E on October 21 are given to the glory of God in loving memory of his parents, Frank E. Hood and Lillian Wadkins Hood, and his aunt, Margaret Hughes, by Frank E. Hood Jr.

E on October 28 are given to the glory of God in thanksgiving for the Cathedral Bookstore’s 30 years of service to Christ Church Cathedral, the Diocese of Texas and the downtown community, with special thanks to its faithful volunteers and supportive parishioners.

The Flowers in the Floor Vases E on October 14 are given to the glory of God in

loving memory of Bill Renfro by his family.

E on October 21 are given to the glory of God in loving memory and gratitude for the life of their wonderful husband and father, Doug Hoffman, by his family.

Our Cathedral Family

Fun and games abound at the Annual Parish Retreat at Camp Allen, scheduled this year from November 30 through December 2. Register online now or in the cloister starting October 14.

The Cathedral and the Shepherd School of Music have established a new program that provides a gifted student with valuable practical ex-perience while majoring in organ at Rice University.

The English term “organ schol-ar” is commonly used in such a case. We are very pleased to an-nounce that our organ scholar for this aca-demic year is Monica Czausz, a freshman at Rice who hails from western Massachusetts.

Czausz has already won several na-tional organ competitions. She was valedictorian of her high school class and a participant in statewide televised academic trivia competi-tions.

Working closely with Robert Simpson and Bruce Power, Czausz will be involved in every aspect of

the music program from service playing and accompanying to directing the choirs and as-sisting with administrative duties.

New scholar program to train young organists

Monica Czausz

stresses the importance of commit-ting, rather than just putting differing amounts of money in the plate each week.

“I’ve never really understood why peo-ple don’t make a pledge,” she said. “Es-pecially people who already put money in the plate. It’s like me working for my boss and my boss saying, ‘OK, I’ll bring you some money once a month or twice a month, and you can count on that. Don’t worry about it.’ If that happened, I would say, ‘Wait a minute, I need to know how much money I’m going to get paid so I can maintain my other expens-es.’ I couldn’t live my life that way. Why do we think the church can?”

Ray says she thinks every member can count two or three ministries that they would like to continue or support. Pledging allows the church to plan and expand the reach of those ministries.

“If you make a pledge and later have

a disaster in your life, then you can call the church and let them know you can’t meet your pledge. It is totally safe,” Ray said. “The church isn’t going to come af-ter me with a baseball bat. It’s a personal commitment and the only person who will be disappointed if I don’t meet it is me.”

Since joining the Cathedral in the 1970s and becoming an Episcopalian, Ray has become very involved. She has served as junior and senior warden, and she is currently in the Altar Guild and the Parish Choir. She says that the more involved she becomes, the more she wants to support the church.

“What the Cathedral has given me is infinitely greater than what I have given to the Cathedral. I am the person I am today because of Christ Church Cathe-dral. The only way I know to show how grateful I am is to give something to the church.”

EvEry MEMbEr Canvass 2013

Look upon the works of the LOrD, what

he has done.

PLEDGING, from cover

Todd Wilson Organ Concert7 p.m. in the Cathedral. The head of the organ department at the Cleveland Insti-tute of Music performs the first concert on the new organ console.

OCTOBER 25–NOVEMBER 7

Fall Neighborhood GatheringsWatch your mailbox for an invitation to gather at parishioner homes for fellow-ship and conversation.

OCTOBER 28 SUN

Exploring the Cathedral Neighborhood 3–4:30 p.m. Walking tour led by archi-tectural historian Stephen Fox.

OCTOBER 7 SUN

Interesting Times10 –11 a.m., Reynolds Hall. Viewing and discussion of a documentary covering changes in the culture of Houston during the last 30 years.

Rhythms of Grace1 p.m., Jones Basement. Worship experi-ence for special-needs children and their families.

OCTOBER 12 FRI

O Come Let Us Sing Unto the Lord 7:30–9 p.m., Belin Chapel at HBU. Ca-thedral outing to hear Haydn’s “Little Organ Mass” in concert.

OCTOBER 12–14 FRI–SUN

Youth Fall Retreat Pine Cove Campground, Columbus. Sixth through twelfth grade. Register by Oct. 4.

OCTOBER 14 SUN

The Enneagram 1:30–5:30 p.m., McGehee Conference Room. Learn to identify nine personality styles. Also on Nov. 11.

Foyers Kickoff Potluck Dinner 6–7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall. First meet-ing of the Foyers social groups.

OCTOBER 18 THU

Fall Welcome Dinner 6–8 p.m. at the home of Andy and Carol Vickery. Gathering welcoming those new or feeling new to the Cathedral.

OCTOBER 20 SAT

Engaged Couples Workshop 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., McGehee Conference Room. Open to all. Learn what a healthy marriage looks like. $100 per couple.

WEEKLYSUNDAYS

Episcopal Youth Community (EYC)4–6 p.m., BYC. Gathering of youth for dinner, games, teaching, movies and worship. Meets through May.

TUESDAYS

Women’s Bible Study9:30–11 a.m., Jeffers Conference Room. Meets through May.

WEDNESDAYS

Cathedral 20s & 30s6:30–8 p.m., Mellinger Room. Weekly discussion group and social gathering of young adults. Meets through May.

THURSDAYS

Buscando la Luz6:45–8:30 p.m., Mellinger Room. Span-ish-language discussion group.

THIS MONTHOCTOBER 3 WED

Come to the Table 6 p.m. The Beacon. A culinary evening to support Houston’s homeless — mind, body and soul. Reception and dinner.

OCTOBER 5 FRI

Wendy Wight Art Opening6–8 p.m., Cloister Gallery. Exhibit runs Oct. 5 through Nov. 1.

Bridge Night6–9 p.m. McGehee Conference Room. Newcomers and all levels welcome.

OCTOBER 6 SAT

Service Saturday 8 a.m. to noon. Planting trees with Trees for Houston. All ages welcome.

CALENDAR OF EVENTSVisit www.christchurchcathedral.org or call 713-222-2593 to learn more about these and other events at the Cathedral.

Registration recommended Registration required

OCTOBER 6 SATBishop Suffragan Consecration 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Caldwell Au-ditorium in Tyler. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will ordain the Rev. Jeff Fisher as Bishop Suffra-gan of Texas.

OCTOBER 20 SATThe Mystery and Art of Living 9:30 a.m. to noon in the Cathedral. Krista Tippett, the host of radio’s “On Being,” shares lessons learned from a life of conversation. $30 early bird, $35 at the door.

OCTOBER 7 SUNBlessing of the Animals4–5 p.m., Bishop’s Courtyard. In observance of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. Snacks for humans and animals at 3:30 p.m.

UPCOMINGNOVEMBER 1 THU

All Saints’ Day12:05 and 6 p.m. in the Cathedral. Holy Eucharist celebrating the saints and re-membering the departed.

Icon Painting Workshop 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., McGehee Conference Room. Thursdays, Fridays and Satur-days, Nov. 1–3 and 15–17.

NOVEMBER 3 SAT

Quartus Players/Pei-Ju Wu Concert 2 p.m., Latham Auditorium. $20.

NOVEMBER 4 SUN

Cancer Prevention Study-3 Screening10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mellinger Room. Participate in this long-term study to help the American Cancer Society determine causes of cancer. Enroll online now or Oct. 14 or 28 in the cloister.

All Saints’ Organ Recital and Evensong4:15 and 5 p.m. in the Cathedral. Featur-ing organ scholar Monica Czausz and the Cathedral Choir.

NOVEMBER 10 SAT

Annual Fall Wine Tasting 2–3:30 p.m., Latham Auditorium. Presented by the Cathedral Episcopal Church Women (ECW).

NOVEMBER 11 SUN

Betty Pulkingham Book Signing9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Bookstore. Re-deemer Episcopal Church’s former choir director will sign her new book.

Bruce Power Organ Concert3:30–5 p.m. in the Cathedral.

NOVEMBER 17 SAT

The First Apostle3 p.m. in the Cathedral. World premiere of a new oratorio by David Evan Thomas on the life of Mary Magdalene.

NOVEMBER 18 SUN

Loyalty SundayRemember to turn in your pledge cards!

Alternative Giving Market10 a.m., Reynolds Hall.

NOVEMBER 30 – DECEMBER 2

Parish Retreat Camp Allen. Fun and relaxing weekend for all ages. Glenice Robinson-Como will speak. Sign up by Nov. 4.

OCTOBER 21 SUN“Claim the High Calling”6 p.m. in the Cathedral. A celebra-tion of the life and work of Dr. Gerre Hancock, performed by attendees of the Diocesan Adult Choral Festival.

Non-Profit Organization

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Houston, Texas

PERMIT No. 64041117 Texas AvenueHouston, Texas 77002-3183

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Did you know you can read The Bulletin on our website? If you’d like to go “online-only,” contact Anne Shepard at ashepard@christchurchcathedral.org or call her at 713-590-3301.

As reported previously, the Search Committee has been working dili-gently to prepare for our next big step: formal interviews with qualified can-didates. We have done our homework. From over sixty nominated priests we have selected a small number of the most qualified to take to the next level.

We have been helped in our prepara-tion by some excellent training given to us by Mary MacGregor of the di-ocesan office. The STAR program has been developed from a secular human resources interview training program that has been overhauled and adapted to meet the needs of a congregation searching for a new rector (or dean).

This training is based on the prem-ise that future performance can be predicted by past behavior. Questions to ask during the interview have been formulated based on STAR — situa-

tion, task, action and result. An exam-ple of this would be: “Tell us something you have accomplished in your career about which you are most proud. Spe-cifically, how did you accomplish it? What has been the result of this work?”

The questions are designed to cover most aspects of a rector’s work. Our committee then took these questions and reworked them to fit our particu-lar situation. A core set of questions has been developed that will be asked to each candidate. Other questions can follow that cover situations specific to the priest being interviewed.

We really appreciate your under-standing and patience regarding our process. With God’s help and grace we will find that special person to contin-ue the fine work that has been a hall-mark of Christ Church Cathedral.

— Wick Rowland

Diocese assists Search Committee with interview training, preparation

In the Cloister Gallery: Postcards from AwayDuring October

Artist Wendy Wight explores healing childhood memories on canvas and through sculpture and collage.

In the Cathedral Bookstore: Unabashedly EpiscopalianBishop Andy Doyle’s new book calls both new and lifelong Episcopalians to embrace the church’s unique history and use it as a springboard to sharing the love of Christ in the world.

Online listings spotlight wide range of volunteer opportunities

You now can sign up to volunteer at the Cathedral through the new Volunteer page on the church’s web-site. Go to www.christchurchcathedral.org/volunteer to see the many opportunities available to you and to submit your name for specific listings.

With the start of the new program year, now is the perfect time to see all that’s going on and to get in-volved.