2015 Annual Report of the Parish

Transcription

1 2015 Annual Report of the Parish Annual Meeting of St. Patrick s Sunday, February 7, :00 PM

2 Dear Members of St. Patrick s, Church development studies consistently highlight the importance of a strong lay leadership. Fortunately for us, a strong lay leadership stands at the core of our St. Patrick s culture. With this is in mind, the St. Patrick s vestry adopted a new system of governance in In league with the ancient model of church, the clergy are responsible for overseeing liturgy, sacraments, spiritual formation, preaching, pastoral care and diocesan representation. The laity are responsible for overseeing all other areas of church life. Our organizational structure is detailed in the document entitled LEAD (Leadership Empowerment and Direction) found on our parish website. Alternatively, a copy may be obtained in the church office. The format for our Parish Annual Report is structured in accord with LEAD. The report has been divided along the lines of the top tier of ministry responsibility within the parish. Reports are presented by each Vestry member, inclusive of ex officio Rector and Preschool Administrator. This equates to eight separate reports, one for each formal column of ministry responsibility within the parish. In addition to these eight reports, we have also included 1) a copy of the agenda for the Annual Parish Meeting (detailed minutes of which will be kept in the church office, and posted in the Weekly Reminders) and 2) a record of the appreciation calisthenics which take place during the Annual Meeting. In the spirit of the report, we give thanks for the blessings God has bestowed upon our faith community and for the work we have been called to do in the service of His love. We celebrate each of you for your commitment to our mission. In Faith, Mark Forbes, Rector

3 Annual Meeting Agenda Opening Prayer: Rector Appreciation Calisthenics: Rector & Sr. Warden Election of Vestry Leaders: Sr. Warden Keynote Presentation: Finance Vestry Ministry Leader or appointee(s) General Q&A for all church ministries: Sr. Warden Closing Prayer: Rector Let us pray. Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with those who take counsel in Saint Patrick s for the renewal and mission of your Church. Teach us in all things to seek first your honor and glory. Guide us to perceive what is right, and grant us both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

4 Annual Meeting Appreciation Calisthenics We, of course, do not participate in the life of this community seeking recognition. We do not assume leadership roles in order to be honored. We do these things simply as a response to faith, and out of affection for one another. Nevertheless, and though we do not seek recognition, it is good to celebrate our activities. At each Annual Meeting we engage in a little exercise called St. Patrick s Appreciation Calisthenics. The format is simple. If one of the following statements applies to you, you are invited to either briefly stand or raise your hand. Should you not be in attendance, we hope you find your contributions noted below, and feel honored. During the 2015 calendar year: *You cooked for a parish event, either at the church or in your home *You participated in the life of a small group *You served as a member of a church committee or ministry *You chaired or co-chaired a church committee or ministry *You served as Sunday morning Sexton *You assisted at a youth or children's event *You supported St. Patrick s through a pledge or regular contributions *You participated with heart and soul in worship *You participated with heart and soul in an Outreach offering *You served on the vestry *You served as church treasurer *You preached and/or provided a personal reflection in church *You read scripture or led the prayers in church *You served as chalice bearer or bread bearer *You greeted a visitor *You served as an EFM mentor *You represented St. Patrick s at a Diocesan or National Church event *You taught an adult education class *You taught Sunday School, children s or youth * You participated as an attendee in any educational forum *You served as an acolyte *You served as an usher *You prayed for a member of the church *You participated in the life of the choir *You otherwise sang in church *You visited a church member who was sick or hospitalized *You set-up and/or cleaned up for a church event *You worked to maintain the church and its property *You served as a dedicated member of the church staff The exercise will be concluded with an uproarious applause for all membership participation.

5 2015 Report of the Rector As Rector I am responsible for overseeing liturgy (inclusive of music, preaching and the sacraments), spiritual formation, pastoral care and diocesan representation. My report therefore focuses on these distinct areas of ministry. Worship is the central feature of our common life. It is the common thread which connects us all together and binds us in the life of God. Average Sunday attendance, the prevailing metric for church vitality, remained essentially flat in 2015 compared with Considering the headwinds of culture, whereby Sunday mornings are no longer sacred and families face increasing and competing demands upon their time, this is to be somewhat expected. With this said, however, our Sunday worship was as rich as always. We were graced with a number of guest preachers, each providing meaningful messages. Thanks to Jayne Sprinkle s special talents and commitment, the dedication of our choir, and the presence of gifted guest musicians, we were blessed with spirited music. Lastly, our Sunday worship was complimented by twice weekly Centering Prayer offerings, a mid-week Eucharist and newly initiated Wednesday evening meditation offering. Spiritual formation at St. Patrick s takes many forms. We are blessed with active children's and youth programming, led by Stacey Fox and Mark Fowler. Both curriculum programs and offerings have remained essentially the same, feeding our young souls in meaningful ways. In terms of adult spiritual formation, we continued our varied programming in 2015: Lectionary Based Adult Bible Study on Sunday Mornings, Advent Study, Lenten Study, Education for Ministry, Confirmation/Inquirer s Retreat, Daughter s of the King, Meditation for Beginners, Quarterly Spiritual Retreat Days, and weekly Rector s Forums. Additionally, we have a number of Life Groups where spiritual formation constitutes a core component of their gatherings. Lastly, new initiatives for this year, we introduced on our website and social media accounts a Spiritual Living forum and Rector s Blog. Complimenting the unique contribution of clergy, pastoral care remains the purview of all church membership. We are called to celebrate with one another in good times. We are called to be there for one another in rough times. We are called to help one another spiritually discern the movements of Grace in our lives. And, all the while, we are called to pray for one another. I think we do a pretty good job of all this at St. Patrick s. For my part, it is a privilege to walk this journey with you. We have continued our commitment to live in communion with the diocese. Our clergy and lay delegation (Jack Pendergast, Bob Millikin, and Frankie Vasquez) attended and participated in preconvention and diocesan convention meetings. As the primary representative of St. Patrick s in the diocese, I served on the Mission Resources Support Team and the bishop s Faith and Morals Committee. I also chaired the Inner Room initiative. Additionally, I participated monthly in the clergy councils of the church including, but not limited to, regional convocation meetings and pastoral care gatherings for parish s in crisis. Lastly, representing the Diocese, I served on the Regional Contemplative Outreach Board. Lastly, as mentioned in my post-sabbatical letter, I remain grateful for the time away in 2015 to replenish and recreate. I thank the vestry and Sally Brower for their leadership in my absence. Respectfully submitted, and in Faith, Rev. Mark Forbes, Rector

6 2015 Financial Stewardship Ministry Report In 2015, the finance committee completed a reserves policy. The purpose of the Reserves policy for St. Patrick s Episcopal Church (the Church) is to ensure the stability of the mission, programs, employment, and ongoing operations of the Church. The new policy provides for two reserve funds; the Operating Reserve and the Building and Capital Asset Reserve. The Operating Reserve is intended to provide a source of funds for situations such as a sudden increase in expenses, one-time un-budgeted expenses, unanticipated loss of funding, or uninsured losses. The Building and Capital Asset Reserve is intended to provide a ready source of funds for repair or acquisition of buildings, leaseholds, furniture, fixtures, and equipment necessary for the effective operation of the Church and its programs. The vestry has seen the new policy once and made comments. A final draft is up for vote in February. In a unique intersection between the Interior Refresh Initiative and the Building and Capital Asset Reserve, the finance committee recommended and the vestry voted to use $20,000 from the Building and Capital Asset Reserve to fund the recent interior painting. The finance committee is also working on a future endowment policy to provide guidance on how endowment gifts can be made to St. Patrick s and how the funds given are to be managed. Also in 2016, we will form and implement a program that will allow for the collection and recognition of funds for items included in the Interior Refresh plan in order to fulfill the promise of keeping the Interior Refresh items separate from the operating budget. This will make it clear the needed and much valued enhancements in the Interior Refresh Program pose no risk to the financial stability of St. Patrick s. The vestry began work in 2014 to purchase much need beckoning and welcoming signs for St. Patricks. At time of writing, the B&G committee (Mark Stehle) has performed a quote comparison for the signs, a vendor has been selected and the contract signed. Based on price, we selected Allen Industries. Respectfully Submitted, John Ritter, Vestry Leader for Financial Stewardship

7 2015 Worship Support Ministry Report Worship Support teams, plus the choir, total more than 90 distinct service positions dedicated to the many aspects, liturgical and logistical, that make our communal worship possible from week to week. In the fall, St. Patrick s introduced the addition of intinction cups into our Eucharist. To support this new endeavor, seven new chalice bearers trained and joined the team, bringing the total to 20. All volunteer signup sheets, including acolyte service and flower donations, are now on ivolunteer software on the Web site. The Sunday Transportation Ministry is available to assist people in getting to church, by calling the church office for a ride with a fellow parishioner. Recruiting is ongoing, in particular at the beginning of 2016 for youth acolytes and sound system operators. Worship Support Ministry Teams & Leaders, by the numbers: Acolytes Bob Millikin leading eight adult acolytes and youth acolytes Chalice Bearers 20 parishioner volunteers Altar Guild John Azali leading 11 volunteers Lectors 30 parishioner volunteers Ushers Ray Fulton leading 25 ushers Sound System Randall Sprinkle leading three volunteers Altar Flowers Open (John Syme with Beryl Frey) Honorary Sexton Rick Krumel Sunday Transportation Offering Counters Head Counters Respectfully Submitted by John Syme, Vestry Leader for Worship Support

8 2015 Communications Ministry Report Emanating from the LEAD transition plan, this vestry ministry began in February 2014 with the election of our first official Communications Vestry Leader at the Annual Meeting. Continuing to enhance our internal and external communications, the primary focus in 2015 was on the development of an attractive new website. Designed to be consistent with the Vision and Mission for our church, which we developed in 2014, the new site aims to attract new members while enhancing communications with our own congregation. The website was developed over eight months and launched to the congregation at a special vestry forum in August. Adding new elements like Rector s Blog and Spiritual Living, directly linked to social media, we reach out to the community while providing opportunities to enhance the spiritual life of the parish. To maintain communications on our Vision and Mission, weekly updates continued to be provided as a feature of the Sunday News as the Pulse of Vision and Mission. In addition, some oversight and guidance continued to be provided on external communications to the local media around ministries events. Leveraging the efforts and contacts of colleagues with existing experience we were able to drive publicity of our key events to the larger community. For internal communications we focused on improving clarity and quality. We give thanks for all who contributed to our communications activities during the year. For 2016, further focus will be given to marketing ourselves to the larger community, through our new website and by other means. We look forward to enhancing our growth by increasing the visibility of St. Patrick s Episcopal Church as a spiritually vibrant community that warmly embraces people of all spiritual dispositions, cultural attitudes and lifestyles. Respectfully Submitted by Laurie Smith, Vestry Leader for Communications

9 Outreach Giving Budget in 2015 ($10,000): 2015 Outreach Ministry Report International Giving ($3,700): o Solace for the Children (*) - $1,500 o St. Paul s within the Walls Refugee Center (**) - $500 o Heifer International (**) - $500 o Give Hope Global (*) - $1,200 United Sates Giving ($3,500): o Stop Hunger Now This ministry provides both international and US relief (*) - $3,000 o Christ Church Cathedral Rebuild the Church s (**) - $500 Local Giving ($2,800) o Serenity House (*) - $500 o St. Martin's Episcopal Church SC Flood Relief (*) - $500 o Charlotte Urban Ministries (*) - $500 o Room In the Inn (Dale House Plumbing) (**) - $500 o St. Patrick s Hispanic Ministry - Bilingual Bibles (*) - $300 o Mooresville Soup Kitchen (*) - $500 * (indicates giving to an established St. Patrick s Outreach Ministry) ** (indicates giving per a St. Patrick s Parishioner identified need) Yet that is not ALL Individual / Parish giving in 2015: Taste of Wine fundraising - St. Patrick s donated $2,000 to Mooresville Christian Ministry Angel Tree Ministry St. Patrick s Christmas Gifts for over 50 local children in need Back to School Bash Ministry - St. Patrick s donated 3 large moving boxes full of school supplies to local students in need Give Hope Global Ministry St. Patrick s provided medical and support assistance while working on a Give Hope Global Ministry Team in Haiti. Just One Can Ministry St. Patrick s has donated over 2,600 pounds of supplies to the Mooresville Christian Mission food pantry Mooresville Soup Kitchen Ministry St. Patrick s volunteers to prepare, package, and freeze meals for the Mooresville Soup Kitchen. During the course of 2015 this Ministry has expanded from one day to two days a month. Room In the Inn Ministry St. Patrick s hosted 9 evenings (provided shelter, meals and fellowship) to the homeless of Charlotte. Serenity House Ministry St. Patrick s volunteered their time and services to the terminally ill at the Mooresville Serenity House. Solace for the Children Ministry St. Patrick s hosted an Afghan child while he underwent medical procedures. Stop Hunger Now Ministry St. Patrick s helped assemble over 10,000 meals to those in need. Individual Small Groups St. Patrick s has provided monetary assistance to the North Carolina Dioceses - Episcopal Farmworker Ministry Respectfully Submitted Pete Sale Vestry Leader for Outreach

10 2015 Building and Grounds Ministry Report Undertook and completed gifted and funded landscaping of church grounds Installed irrigation system to support new plantings and grass Installed trees, shrubs and perennial plants Completed gifted landscaping to the right of the church entrance Completed gifted landscaping on circular area of center island Installed paver walkways through island Installed new sod and grass seed on the entire property Installed safety lighting in the parking lots Completed landscaping of Memorial Garden Completed unfinished landscaping on Fairview Road and Medical Park Drive Removed weeds and prepared ground for planting and sodding Repaired and replaced irrigation system dug up during Cram construction Replaced over 60 ligustrum plants along Fairview Road and in the parking lot islands Replaced 8 Crepe Myrtle Trees and a Maple tree dug up during Cram construction Re-sodded grass dug up during the Cram construction Initiated completion of landscaping of Center Island Install drip irrigation to reduce amount of water needed to sustain plantings Install additional plantings in circular area to enhance the gifted memorial plantings previously installed Install low maintenance plantings in island for ground cover and appeal and to reduce maintenance requirements Install three new trees Other building and grounds completed projects Installed new gutters on entire exterior area of the building Eagle Scout project of rebuilding the outside shed completed Negotiated contract for professional maintenance of grounds Negotiated contract for professional cleaning of interior of church Roof repaired and replacement of collars and flashings around vent pipes to prevent water leaks HEPA vacuum of drop ceiling area in preschool and youth rooms Strip and wax floors in preschool and youth rooms General HVAC and plumbing repairs Corrected HVAC issue in bathrooms near kitchen Completed painting of entire interior of church Prepared proposals for signage to be installed at the Church. Estimated completion first quarter 2016 Recognition to Jim Sabine, Bob Milikin, the green team led by Bob Smith, and countless others for their dedicated service. Respectfully Submitted, Mark Stehle Vestry Leader for Building and Grounds

11 2015 Parish Life Ministry Report St. Patrick s offers rich and diverse choices for Parish Life activity, reflecting the vision and mission statement Inspire Embrace Connect Share. Newcomers - Greeters The greeters team welcomes people to St. Patrick s with smiling faces, a loaf of bread, and a nametag on the second visit! Hospitality and a warm welcome are St. Patrick s hallmarks. Newcomers - Guides A new undertaking for Parish life in 2015 was the extension of the Newcomers program. Ten families have been paired with Guides to be the face of St. Patrick s for them as they move through the early stages of affiliation. This embodies our vision and mission goals of embracing others and connecting with them, encouraging them to become involved with the various ministries of the church. Sunday Hospitality Each Sunday, coffee and light refreshments prepared by a coffee hour team are offered to parishioners, guests and visitors. ECW Episcopal Church Women is open to all women. This group provides fellowship and raises money for Outreach and Inreach. One of their events is a fall Books and Bites, including a book sale, chili cook-off, soup and salad lunch and a bake sale. Concert Series St. Patrick s welcomes excellent musicians and audiences from the parish and the community. For 2016: February 28 May 8 September 11 September 25 October 22 October 23 December 4 Tim and Myles Thompson Pat Donahue Don Alder Mike Dowling Kim Robertson Harp workshop Kim Robertson Harp Concert Robin Bullock Foyer Groups Groups of 6-8 are formed each fall from a pool of people who sign up. Foyer Groups provide fellowship, usually in members homes. In , 58 people participated, 6 of which were newly recruited into the groups. Life Groups A mix of fellowship and education/spiritual discussion, Life Groups usually meet in members homes. Each group decides on their own format, and chooses materials to read or view and discuss. Respectfully Submitted, Jan Krumel Vestry Leader for Parish Life

12 2015 Preschool Report St. Patrick s Preschool is a vital, self-sustaining ministry of St. Patrick s Episcopal Church. The Preschool is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of church members, preschool staff, and parents. The Board is responsible to the Vestry. Our mission is to help each child grow and develop academically, emotionally, socially, physically and spiritually according to their individual capabilities. Learning is fostered through play, using a traditional theme-based preschool curriculum with an emphasis on music and fine arts. St. Patrick s Preschool fosters child development through the use of music and the arts; exploration of nature, including field trips; emphasis on the environment and good health, including recycling and healthy snacks; language and math, using both Scott Foresman learning materials and traditional materials. The Preschool serves children 2 to 4 years-old in year-round programs. It operates 4 classrooms and employs 9 people. The morning preschool program is in session Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. till noon. Early morning care is available daily from 8:30 a.m. An afternoon Playdate program is in session Monday through Friday from noon to 2 p.m. Playdate is a time for children to enjoy lunch and social time with their friends, offering parents extended time to accomplish their tasks. The weekly chapel service continues to evolve. Rev. Sally Brower has taken over for Rev. Mark Forbes as officiant and she has added some new prayers to the service. The service continues to celebrate children demonstrating love for their neighbors. Besides fellow students and family members, the prayers of the children often include pets, stuffed animals and even requests for snow. Lead teacher Lanita Justus has taken over as music director for the service and she has all the children making a glorious noise unto the Lord! Long-time program director, Deb Sapanaro, accepted a full time teaching position in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system and left the Preschool in August. Saint Patrick s Preschool is blessed to have a very dedicated teaching staff and they worked through the transition seamlessly. We are grateful to them for all their hard work to make our school the best that it can be and to prepare the children to be the best that they can be as they enter kindergarten! Respectfully submitted, Julie Lynch Administrator