The Annual Meeting of St. Andrew s Episcopal Church Reviewing Calendar Year 2015 January 10, 2016

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1 The Annual Meeting of St. Andrew s Episcopal Church Reviewing Calendar Year 2015 January 10, 2016 Call to order and opening prayer Introduction of Vestry Nominees & Vote Adjourn to Parish Hall for Blessing of the Meal Election Results Senior Warden s Remarks Treasurer s Remarks Rector s Remarks Endowment Remarks Farewell to retiring Vestry Concluding Questions and Answers Agenda In your packet are the following documents: Rector s Report Senior Warden s Report..6 Treasurer s Report & 2016 Budget Endowment Fund Year End, Revenue & Expense Report..10 Worship and Formation..11 Altar Guild Outreach & Mission Ministry with Children Puerta Abierta Community Ministry Music Ministry...15 Site Planning Report..16 Youth Ministry (EYC) report Junior Wardens Report Bazaar Committee Report Parish Calendar Report...20 Slate of candidates for Vestry, Class of Vital Membership Statistics for

2 Rector s Report Last week one of St. Andrew s parishioners said this about our church: The love we have for one another at St. Andrew s, and the love we have for our Lord, warms my heart. This warmth and faithfulness captures well the spirit of this place. We have much to celebrate from this past year. We hosted the Diocese in saying farewell to Bishop Curry. We had over 90 people gather in stewardship neighborhood gatherings. We welcomed a Deacon (and a diaconal Intern). We raised over $30,000 for the Endowment. The Children s Ministry team updated the undercroft classrooms. Audra Abt received a prestigious fellowship and has grown the ministry of La Puerta Abierta. Children s Chapel and Sunday School have grown, and a children s choir has been revived, as a result of our service time changes. It was a vibrant and exciting year. We ve had challenges as well, of course. With Audra s change to ¼ time we see less of her on Sundays. Other staff members have moved on from St. Andrew s, with each departure presenting unique challenges. The service time changes were important and have produced good results, but the new time is not ideal for everyone. This is a normal part of change, but difficult nonetheless. Moving from Surviving to Thriving I ve been thinking lately about the difference between a church that survives, and a church that thrives. A church can be both at different times, but there are critical moments when it must decide between the two. Sometimes survival mode is exactly what we need. Perhaps a staff member leaves suddenly, perhaps the economy tanks, perhaps a building floods or burns or fills with locusts. These things happen, and when they do, a church must do what it needs to get by. But we stay there at our peril. When a church is in survival mode it is very, very difficult to grow in number and in spirit. Indeed, survival choices can actually make it difficult to thrive and to grow. Decisions that might lead to new growth & vitality in the near future can feel deeply unsettling. Consider the feelings surfaced by a staffing change, or a building campaign, or even a change in worship times. Ironically, the very decisions that might help us to thrive can challenge us. They are risky. (They don t always work, either). They can be disruptive and they are often difficult. And yet, these decisions reflect our desire to grow and renew, to be who God is calling us to be, to respond faithfully to the challenges of the day while also celebrating the history and people whose presence and prayers have built this church. How do we continue to support that desire, and move to become day by day a place that vi2

3 brantly proclaims the good news of the Gospel in today s world? Thriving, by the way, is not just about bringing in the new folks. Thriving also means offering meaningful pastoral support to everyone in our community, from newborns to homebound parishioners. That, too, is a central part of our life together. I see abundant good news as we move towards thriving. We have been laying an important foundation, from the Mission and Renewal Plan in 2013 to the growth of children s ministries, from the creation of the Mission and Outreach Team to the growth of the Endowment. We have much to celebrate, and much upon which to build. Vision, Mission & Purpose This year the Episcopal Church published a paper called New Facts on Growth that surveyed churches that are growing or declining to see what makes them tick. Perhaps the most important factor is this: a church with a clear sense of mission and purpose is more likely to grow, and less likely to decline. Its author, C. Kirk Hadaway, writes, Churches that are clear about why they exist grow because they understand their reason for being and make sure they do the things well that are essential to their lives as communities of faith. We ve done good work here. In 2013 we created the Mission and Renewal Plan in which we committed ourselves to feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, and being transformed by God. Churches that have a vision for themselves grow; those that don t tend to decline. Our vision for being a congregation of welcome, feeding and transformation may well be our strongest asset. Children s Ministry that is Vibrant and Visible It probably won t surprise you that the presence of children has a lot to do with growth or decline, but not in the way you might think. Large children s programs never hurt, but they don t guarantee growth either. What matters most is how vocal the church is in supporting children, how present children are in the life of the church, and how well-supported children s ministries are. Sunday school still matters, writes Hadaway. Churches with strong ones will likely grow. But do we have to be big? Not necessarily. Churches with small and medium-sized children s programs do just fine. What matters is not size: what matters is intention, action and visible support of children s ministries. Churches that support children and are vocal about it are more likely to grow. 3

4 Setting New Patterns In 2015 we made the decision to move our primary service from 10:30 to 10am. Why exactly did we do this? First, a word about change: the report on growth and decline has something to say about that. Simply put, churches that were willing to change to meet new challenges were more likely to grow. Churches unwilling to do so were more likely to decline. So why did we make this change? The short answer was to better accommodate families with children and to make our fellowship and Christian formation more robust. We learned in the discernment process that included surveys and a community meeting that parents almost universally favored an earlier service. We learned also that a middle service at St. Andrew s (they were once at 8, 9:30 & 11) was eliminated 37 years ago due to decreasing attendance. The result, I believe, is that we ve closed a vital door to families with children for a rather long time. This limited our ability to grow, and our financial picture followed suit. Over the years we have struggled to fund our ministries adequately, often relying on reserves, grants and staffing shortcuts. We need to break out of this well-worn pattern, and in recent years we have made great progress. Despite going into 2015 with a substantial deficit budget based on pledged revenue (owing largely to demographic changes) our expenses were much lower than anticipated and non-pledge income far exceeded our expectations. With pledged income coming in very close to expectations, we finished 2015 in very good shape although we still incurred a deficit. What might a thriving budget look like? Perhaps a little different than we might think. I am grateful for the households who give generously to support our ministry, many of whom increased their pledge for We ll need to ask those households who do not pledge to re-consider doing so this year. But we will also need to consider what church incomes look like today: Many Episcopal churches today find that less than 75% of their ministry budgets are funded from pledge and plate income. The rest comes from sources like endowment income, fundraisers and miscellanea such as rental income. The service time change is a step on the right direction, but it won t be a quick fix. We have had positive results so far. The presence of children is noticeably more robust and consistent: Children s Chapel and Sunday School have both grown. Our fellowship time after church has been more vibrant, and we ve had the chance to have larger conversations after church about vital issues facing our wider community. Perhaps most importantly, the willingness to reconsider our service times represents a desire to grow and thrive, today and in the years to come. I am very pleased with the discernment process 4

5 and parish-wide conversation that made this possible. Looking to 2016 We will continue our mission & renewal work in the new year. Starting in January, the Vestry will take greater responsibility for lay ministries at St Andrew s from outreach to Sunday school, from parish life to newcomer ministry. This will broaden the ministry of the Baptized at St. Andrew s while making me more available to offer pastoral care to parishioners and represent St. Andrew s in the wider community. I will also take a sabbatical this year, leaving on March 28 th (the day after Easter) and returning on June 26 th coincidentally, the 10 th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. It will be my first sabbatical since being ordained, and I look forward to travelling, taking time with my family, and exploring some areas of interest for which parish life doesn t leave much time. We are working now to establish Sunday coverage, as well as pastoral care during that time. There will also be parish-wide discernment events during my absence to further build the leadership of the laity at St. Andrew s. St. Andrew s also has an important milestone coming up: September 17 th will be the 125 th anniversary of St. Andrew s establishment as a mission of the Diocese of North Carolina. I look forward to marking this time with you. I give thanks for the hard work of many people in carrying out the ministry of this church: for our wardens Cathy Jordan, Finley Middleton, Mike Van Ormer and Dirk Siegmund, for our treasurer John Frizzell, and for our very thoughtful and faith-filled vestry. I give thanks for our wonderful staff: Kimberly Howard, Ann Doyle, Olivia Wilson, Audra Abt, Debbie Dowd, Brooks Johnson and Ann Herman. I give thanks for you, the people of St. Andrew s. This is a place of great faith, of great wisdom and depth, and indeed a great hunger for spiritual growth and transformative ministry. I believe that we have everything we need to carry out our vibrant, thriving, lifegiving ministry together. Blessings, BJ+ 5

6 Senior Wardens Report 2015 has been a year of transitions, challenges and many blessings. We have been privileged to have worked closely with BJ and our vestry throughout it all. A long-held goal of significantly increasing giving to our mission and outreach programs was accomplished thanks to the hard work and dedication of our wonderful Bazaar committee and parish volunteers. (25% of net Bazaar proceeds and 100% of Raffle and Frozen Assets). A successful Mission Fair was held Sept. 13 to introduce our members to some of the organizations that will receive our monetary support and to encourage involvement in their work. Our fall stewardship campaign organized neighborhood gatherings which called us to deepen our faith by giving. Eleven groups met and 90 parishioners enjoyed fellowship and meaningful conversations. The results thus far show a decrease in our operating income/expenses gap. There were also positive results in a drive to boost our endowment. Donations were made to commission three stained glass windows for the chapel to be installed next year. We hosted a farewell event in September for Bishop Michael Curry and offered thanks for his ministry in NC as he prepared to assume the role of Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church. The following day was our fall Newcomers Luncheon. In preparation for those events, volunteers and donors stepped up to insure the much-needed floor cleaning and set-up, as a result of staff transitions, which seemed to be a part of our year, as well. The resignation of our sexton and part-time business manager required some restructuring. The part-time Parish Administrator s position was expanded to full time to absorb duties, and temporary help was secured for the facility until a solution was identified. There were unfortunate breaches in our infrastructure requiring changes in our computer networking, phone system, premises maintenance, and security system. The full effects of our clergy changes were felt this year following the retirement of Bob Hamilton in late 2014 and the conversion of status of the Rev. Audra Abt. Audra s efforts beyond the walls of the church through the La Misa and Puerta Abierta programs have engaged new members, and long-term members in a new way. The expanding Eucharistic Visitor ministry work begun by intern, Rick Sigler, will be taken over by our new Deacon, the Rev. Brooks Johnson. We hope it will continue to grow. A change in service times was implemented after a trial period to maximize involvement on Sunday mornings. We offer deep appreciation to our wonderful St. Andrew s community which works together in love and service. Submitted by Cathy Jordan and Finley Middleton 6

7 Treasurer s Report The Lord knows I have a very thick head so He had to remind me again in 2015 that He will be faithful despite our worries and doubts. If you recall, we approved a budget at last year s Annual Meeting that had a $90,000 deficit. With a strategic reserve of $110,000 and operating cash of $43,000 I thought we would be standing here this year with a budget that included only a Rector and requiring we operate without heat or AC and only during daylight hours. Oh ye of little faith! As I write this report on December 22, it looks like we will end the year with a deficit of about $45,000, with operating cash of $38,000 and a strategic reserve of $80,000. That is a remarkable testament to your faithfulness and God s. And to the continued careful stewardship of our resources by BJ and the Vestry. BJ and the Wardens reports will tell you about all the activities and changes that, in addition to the support of your hands, hearts and pocketbooks, helped achieve this remarkable operating performance. I thank you for all the work you have done on the committees, groups, guilds, Bazaar, ministries and events that ultimately are the foundation of this community of faith and of our willingness to support the community with our financial resources. The Vestry has recommended for your approval a budget for 2016 that has a deficit of $66,000. A summary of the major categories of the budget is provided below. There are two points I would like to make about the budget. First, we have increased the amount allocated to children and youth ministries. That accounts for the majority of the difference between this year s actual net result and the 2016 budgeted net result. This is an investment in an area where we already see growth and momentum. We need to continue to water this vine. Second, I am not a particularly strong swimmer and I remember when I would go swimming in a friend s pond in Rappahannock County I was always a little anxious to be able to feel the bottom of the pond. With regard to pledge and non-pledge giving, we have been reaching with our toes to see if we can feel the bottom of the pond. We believe we have found it. The budget reflects the reality of where we are and the conviction we have that by good stewardship, by the right use of our resources including our strategic reserve, and by a greater focus on building active and vibrant ministries that all of us are involved in, our community of faith will thrive. I want to thank BJ and the Vestry for their willingness to make the decisions necessary to deal with our financial requirements. I want to thank all of our staff for their contribution to the careful stewardship of our resources. And I want to thank Kimberly Howard for her hard work and perseverance. She was thrown in the deep end of the pond in June and by faith and perseverance has kept her head above water and my bacon from being cooked. Submitted by John Frizzell, Parish Treasurer 7

8 St. Andrew's 2016 Budget Current Year Pledges $287,700 Parishioner Non-Pledge Giving $18,000 Other Income $35,900 Total Revenue $341,600 Clergy $129,922 Administration $134,348 Formation and Mission $9,717 Operations $92,817 Diocese $40,479 Total Expense $407,283 Income / (Deficit) ($65,683) St. Andrew s Endowment Fund 2015 was an exciting year for the Endowment. The fund grew from $308,390 as of December 31, 2014 to $345,148 as of November 20, 2015 based on the figures at the time of this summary. Through the generous support of the parish we managed to increase the fund by over $30,000 during the matching challenge program that took place this past year. It is through actions such as these from members of our church community that continually demonstrate the love that we all have for our parish as we work to grow the fund to a half million dollar position that will allow the parish to fund both in reach and outreach programs. Over the past four years the fund has returned an average of 5.96% which is consistent with our cautious position yet desire to grow the fund responsibly while protecting our assets. The fund is 82% vested in the market and the rest in a cash position. Due to the strength of the US economy we have positioned about 56% of this amount in US stocks and within this sector 64% of this is in large equity investments which include companies such as Apple Inc, Microsoft Corp, JPMorgan Chase & CO and Alphabet Inc Class A (the parent company of Google). Early this spring, we choose to slowly add to our position in the developed European markets. This area represented an opportunity based on our exposure and how the economy was performing. We chose to increase our position in the area and currently hold almost a 14% position. Due to the massive influx of refugees to Europe, this area of the market has not experienced the growth that we anticipated but has remained flat. How- 8

9 ever as world leaders work to stabilize the Middle East the results should reassure the markets in Europe and allow this economy to move forward and we do expect these area to reflect positive gains in the coming year. Based on what the Federal Reserve (FED) continues to report on a slow but healthy growing US economy we expect a modest growth rate for the coming year of slightly more than 2%. Due to this slow growth and a national wide unemployment rate of only 5% the FED took action the middle of December and increased the FED Fund Rate (the rate it charges banks for overnight deposits) by a quarter point after almost nine years with rates at 0%. This should have a favorable effect in the short run for our positions in the banking industry but it does remain to be seen what the long range effects will be on the economy. This is why the FED has consistently said that it will slowly increase rates over the next year or two. Historically we normally see a positive bounce at the end of the year but based on this move the expected outcome in the market will reflect a slight pull back. Overall we feel bullish on our positions and will continue to take a conservative growth position on our investments with the goal of growing the fund to the goal of a half million dollars and begin drawing on the interest from that point to fund the needs of the mission of our church family. Thank you again for your support. Chris Berger, Chair of the Endowment Committee 9

10 St. Andrew s 2015 Year End Cash Operating Cash $32,338 Schwab Operating Reserve $18,855 General Funds $51,193 Strategic Operating Reserve $75,762 Legacy Funds Vestry Designated General Use $25,398 Reserve Funds $101,160 Available Operating Funds $152,353 Endowment $345,000 Total Capital $497,353 NCECF Loan Balance $70,325 Designated Debt Service Reserve $28,919 NCECF Loan Balance - Net $41,406 Net Capital Position $455, Operations Budget Actual Pledge Revenue $284,210 $295,138 Parishioner Non-Pledge Revenue $18,000 $31,505 Other $43,600 $51,572 Total Revenue $345,810 $378,215 Clergy $148,263 $132,520 Staff $121,316 $106,324 Formation & Mission $13,367 $11,791 Operations $97,391 $97,396 Diocese $44,404 $44,404 Total Expenses $424,741 $392,435 Net Income / (Deficit) ($78,931) ($14,220) 10

11 Worship & Christian Formation Team The Worship and Formation Committee s primary work during the year 2015 was to create a smooth transition to a new Sunday morning meeting time of 11:15 a.m., following the 10:00 service. With some few glitches, the time shift has worked well, allowing members to meet informally for coffee before discussion begins. Groups met during the spring to study the lectionary, explore the Benedictine tradition during Lent, and met to learn of the house church tradition of Iglesia Puerta Abierta. Throughout the summer, members facilitated sessions on faith and literature, considering writers as varied as John Donne, Stephen King, and J.R.R. Tolkien. A number of Sunday events (the reception for Bishop Curry was a highlight) in the fall made Sunday morning classes a little erratic, but a class on Gun Violence among others was well-attended. The committee scheduled several Advent events: Wednesday evening prayer services preceded by dinner, the story of St. Nicholas and a look at the beautiful Chrismons made by St. Andrew s members forty years ago. Plans for spring 2016 include a discussion of the major faith traditions of Buddhism, Islam and Judaism with invited outside speakers and a study of Richard Rohr s work on topics such as ecospirituality and atonement. Submitted by Hepsie Roskelly Altar Guild The Altar Guild prepares for services (Sunday 8:30, 10:00 and Tuesday 12:00.) Our duties include care of Altar linens, vessels, candles, flowers, hangings and clergy vestments. The Altar Guild has 22 members organized into 4 teams. During 2015 the Altar Guild has worked with the Clergy to prepare for over 160 services including Sunday, Tuesday and special services such as weddings, funerals and Baptisms. We also prepare communion kits for Lay Eucharistic Ministers. We are a self supporting ministry. All funds for bread, wine, vestments and other requirements for worship are received primarily from donations for Christmas and Easter flowers. 11

12 Outreach/Mission Committee The Outreach and Mission Committee met 10 times during the year. The membership grew, which, in the last half of the year, consisted of 14 members. Our average attendance was a robust 8-9, so we had a wide array of experience and input. This year, to no credit to this committee, Rev. Audra Abt converted to missioner, serving our entire community, especially outside the walls of St. Andrew s. La Misa/Puerta Abierta represent an outward sign of St. Andrew s fulfilling its mission. Seeking to contribute to the spiritual and service growth of our congregation, many ideas were discussed, and some converted to action. Noteworthy items include a listing, along with Google map, of public and private services that are available to those in need in our community. This very comprehensive document, unvetted, will provide a valuable resource. This will be placed on our web site for all to access. Special thanks to Charlotte Chun and Rick Siegler. Thanks to Doug Sanecki for establishing the Mission Fair, which was well received and attended. This brought the needs of select non-profits to our church to share with our congregation. Stop Hunger Now was very successful. Once again, St. Andrew s was the second largest of all communities participating in the packing event. With special thanks to the Bazaar team, we were able to increase our contributions to agencies which support our greater community. In challenging times, we increased our donations 16% over last year, and nearly 100% over Submitted by: Finley Middleton 12

13 Ministry with Children has been a busy one for the St. Andrews Children's ministry! While under interim guidance since May, we have managed to keep our children and young families thriving. During the summer months, we took advantage of resources budgeted by the vestry to redesign the undercroft. We cleaned out unused classrooms, purchased new furniture, toys, and carpets. The result was a new children's library space, a nursing/quiet room, a new Godly Play space, and a renovated nursery. The hope was to create an inviting and useful space that communicates care and respect for our children. In the fall, we built on the volunteer pool and Sunday school schedule used previously to create a schedule (with BJ's ingenuity and input from other serving groups) that puts families on a monthly volunteer schedule. It allows all serving family members to do so on the same Sunday. The goal is to create a more consistent schedule and reduce volunteer fatigue. In addition, we used this opportunity to reinvigorate Godly Play. Our goal going forward is to adjust our monthly scheduling in the Spring so Godly Play can be implemented more regularly allowing our children to fully immerse themselves in this important ministry. It has been a true blessing to work with our parish s youngest members! 13

14 Puerta Abierta Community Ministry 2015 Worship We gathered each month for a bilingual Eucharist in each other s homes, with an average attendance of 16 people, and we celebrated 4 baptisms this year. During Holy Week we observed our third annual downtown Way of the Cross bilingually, and we celebrated Las Posadas in December, welcoming 3 new families into our ministry. Mission Puerta Abierta began a neighborhood youth group and homework help ministry with St. Andrew s EYC and offered a Christmas Break VBS in December. We partner with FaithAction, The Servant Center, UNCG, and YWCA to serve our community. Produce People (right) connects neighbors through food to build stronger neighborhoods. Fellowship We share a meal at every Misa, Posaas, or formation gathering; this is how we grow as a committed community. For example, Robin Bartlett hosted a dinner on September 11 where members shared stories of those events in their home countries that shaped them and their societies. Funding The Rev. Audra Abt received a 3-year fellowship from the Episcopal Church Foundation to continue and expand her ministry in the community, and our Diocese is financially supporting this work in partnership with St. Andrew s through Mission Endowment and the Mission Resource Support Team. 14

15 Music Ministry The music at St. Andrew s has the reputation for great music and in 2015 this traditions of excellence has continued. The adult choir has grown in membership and has been enhanced with the continued strong support of 5 vocal section leaders. For three years, the choir has exhibited community involvement by joining with St. Francis to bring special music to our All Saints Services. We have brought professional musicians to our services to perform and accompany our services. The Handbell Ensemble provided special music for the 8:00 Christmas Eve Service and will continue to rehearse and play for services as well as accompany choir anthems. Molly Anderson, Auden Mirando, Laney Kaley, Matthew Anderson, Amelia Owens, Harper Kaley The re-instated Children s Choir provided special music for the 4:30 Christmas Eve Service and will continue to rehearse and sing for special services throughout the coming year. 15

16 2015 Site Planning Team Update The St. Andrew s Site Planning Team made exciting and significant progress in Working with the architectural firm Tise-Kiester all of the historical site plans and drawings were reviewed and a new, updated set of site plan drawings were prepared. In addition, we completed a series of thirteen User Group focus sessions to identify our various facility needs throughout the site campus. Over fifty parishioners and outside users attended these meetings. In addition a parish-wide survey was conducted to obtain further input. Based on all of your input a clearer picture of our higher priority needs began to emerge. While we have a diversity of perspective there were several areas that consistently appeared at or near the top of our priorities. These included Accessibility, Children and Youth Ministries, our Music Ministry and Providing Warm, Welcoming and Functional Spaces. Of course there were a number of additional needs identified ranging from replacing outdated HVAC systems, updating security systems and meeting spaces among many others. Based on this input, Phil Kiester and team were able to develop several preliminary, alternative architectural plans designed to address these higher priority items. These plans were developed in such a way that they can be phased over time. Additionally, preliminary construction cost estimates for each phase were prepared. The next step in the process is to review these plans and information with the Vestry early in the new year and obtain their thoughts and input. Joe Stultz on behalf of the Site Planning Team 16

17 Episcopal Youth Community (EYC): In 2015, EYC changed the schedule for meeting times from every Sunday to the first and third Sunday s of the month. EYC also started a new collaboration with Muirs Chapel United Methodist to use their facilities Tuesday evenings. The Tuesday groups were started as an effort to involve the youth at St. Andrew s with the immigrant youth that live in the surrounding neighborhoods of the Methodist church. The focus on the Tuesday gatherings is multicultural community, language skills, homework help, discussion about current events, and the study of scripture. We also began to offer a youth formation class for discussion of the lectionary every Sunday following the 10am service. We welcomed the leadership of Chesley Huskins to c0-teach this class with Olivia. We are hoping to see a steady increase.in involvement. This year at EYC we have had a focus on service projects. We incorporated monthly themes into our activities and discussions such as fellowship, humility, gratitude, giving, etc. Among other activities, EYC participated in service events such as writing cards and raking leaves for elderly parish members, packing bags for BackPack Beginnings, assembling boxes for Operation Christmas Child, Purchasing Donations for Pathways Center, delivering canned goods for Second Harvest Food Bank, etc. In June 2015, we took three young people to Glory Ridge and continued our second year partnership with St. Paul s Edenton Episcopal Church. We also incorporated two Sunday services led by the youth instead of one. This year we said goodbye to long time youth advisor Scott Durham, welcomed back Margie Baker, and continued to have participation from Brittany White and George and Ashley Wigglesworth has been a year of incorporating new ideas in hopes to see positive change, and a focus on how God is calling us to create new traditions to meet the youth of today s world where they are. ~Many Blessings, Olivia Wilson Smith, Youth Ministry Coordinator 17

18 JUNIOR WARDEN S REPORT Fortunately, this past year from the Jr. Warden s perspective has been mostly routine with when maintain a building as old as St. Andrews. The majority of the time was spent on activities whose purpose was to maintain our beautiful building such as painting and waterproofing. Special consideration, as always, was given to our temperamental but functioning oil furnace which required much tender loving care and our ongoing battle with waterproofing the undercroft which we finally seem to have under control. During the year St. Andrews had the honor of hosting a reception for Bishop Curry. In conjunction with this celebration, it was determined that an overall sprucing up of the building was in order. As such all of the floors in Herman Hall and the parish hall were stripped and waxed. Due to the extraordinary efforts of Betty Atwell, the process was carried out without any expenditures from the budget. Our Sexton resigned midway through the year and the decision was made to not immediately hire a permanent replacement. A temporary person was brought in and eventually the Vestry decided to use a cleaning service going forward. The job of the Jr. Warden s is made possible due to the efforts of too many people to mention. Submitted by Dirk Siegmund and Mike Van Ormer, Co-Jr. Wardens 18

19 St. Andrew s Bazaar On behalf of the 2015 Bazaar Committee we would like to thank all who contributed to a very successful event. As the parish s largest fundraiser, we had well over 100 volunteers who worked between 2 and 200 hours to ensure a well executed bazaar. We are grateful for the generosity and support of both the Saint Andrew s family and our local community. The 2015 edition of the Bazaar included a few changes, a couple of deletions and one addition. The goal was to protect sales and minimize the workload where possible. All areas except the silent auction were consolidated to the main level. The chapel was used for the first time, and a wine pull was added. WiFi was expanded to Herman Hall and the expanded use of Square contributed to sales success Gross Sales: $21,527.74, less $2, expense, resulted in a net income of $19, and a 6.75% increase versus The top three sales volume areas for 2015: The Silent Auction: $6,673.00, increase of $2, versus 2014 a 45.6% increase. Baskets: $3,128.29, increase of $ versus 2014 a 14.7% increase. Wood Crafts: $1,299.25, increase of $ versus 2014 an 18.5% increase. Many areas achieved over $1, in sales: Accessories: $1, Raffle: $ Thread Bear: $ Edible treasures: $1, Books: $889.00, increase of $111.41, plus 14.3% Wine Pull: $ (new in 2015) Unique Boutique: $619.00, increase of $52.50, plus 9.3% BBQ Lunch: $617.62, increase of $87.85, plus 16.34% (despite a cold, rainy day). Frozen Assets: $ Respectfully submitted, Beth Berger and Nancy Kimbrough 19

20 Parish Calendar In May, the vestry created a 2015/2016 parish calendar. The goal for the calendar is to have an overall view of the church year to ensure St. Andrew s offers meaningful and engaging events that can be well-supported and wellattended. In addition, it allows us to clarify our leadership and volunteer needs for parish year. Items for the church calendar are parish wide activities of fellowship, worship and service. Individual committee meetings and events are not included. To start the process, we reviewed the last two years of Harmony articles and created a master list, by month, of past events. Each committee group was asked for their input. We wanted to provide all groups the opportunity to resource new projects, support ongoing events and give things on the wane a chance to sunset. Gathered with the past years events and the committee s input, several vestry and church members met to finalize the 2015 / 2016 parish calendar. Once the monthly events were selected and the responsible group identified, we engaged Chris Hill from the Printery to create a very organized and easy to read one page calendar which was published in the September Harmony. Submitted by Barbara Lawless 20

21 2016 Vestry Nominees Profiles Ken Massey St. A s is warm and unpretentious. There is high value placed on worship, social justice, spiritual formation and fellowship. There is also a rich diversity of backgrounds and personalities at St. A s that foster interesting and rewarding relationships. Regardless of your spiritual history, you can find a spiritual home at St. Andrew s. I feel that my experience in church leadership could be valuable to St. A s, especially during the time our rector will be on sabbatical. I m also very interested in promoting a ministry at St. Andrews called Invite, Welcome, Connect, which is an Episcopal strategy for reaching new prospects and members for life and service in the church. I was a senior pastor in Baptist churches for 32 years and am now doing intentional interim ministry in Winston-Salem and chaplaincy work. As a pastor, I have served on many denominational and executive boards in Texas and was chair of a denominational social service board in North Carolina. I ve served with every kind of committee imaginable. I am a visiting Eucharistic minister and serve on the Newcomer Welcome Team at St. Andrew s. I am entering a discernment process for Holy Orders and have been active with Habitat for Humanity, the Children s Home Society and the Faith Leaders Council in Greensboro. Carol Phillips St. Andrew s is a diverse welcoming church. We are interested in the welfare of the city, and involved in multicultural outreach. All are welcome and encouraged to take an active part in our congregation and the Greensboro community. My greatest attributes are my creativity and my desire/willingness to do all that I can to serve the church community. I feel that my time as well as my monetary gifts to the church are important. I am eager to participate in helping St. Andrew s continue to grow as a welcoming church and active participant in the surrounding community. Establishing relationships with our neighbors will benefit all in our church and the world. I have been a lay reader and chalice bearer, altar guild member, member of the prayer team, member of the Trinity Undoing Racism Network (TURN) and a section leader and soloist in the church choir at Trinity Episcopal Church in New Orleans. At St. Andrew s I have served on the formation team, and am now part of the outreach/mission team. As a member of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) at St. Andrew s I have served as past chapter leader, representing the church at diocese wide meetings and serving on the planning committee for the diocese wide ECW meeting in November of 2014, and past co-president of ECW. At trinity in New Orleans, Larry and I participated in the adult fellowship group. I was a Wednesday night children s group assistant, and co leader of the Brownie and Girl Scout troops. 21

22 As members of the Symphony chorus we were members of the board and part of the fund raising committee. I also did the needlepoint on one of the new kneelers for the sanctuary. I attended the Liturgical Arts Conference at Kanuga, as a representative of the church and made stoles for the clergy. I gained knowledge there of care and repair of the church vestments. Here at St. Andrew s I am an active member of the La Misa fellowship, an active participant in the bazaar, cooking for the Wednesday night activities, part of the prayer shawl group, a lay reader and chalice bearer and a volunteer with Parents as Teachers and the Hemphill branch of the Greensboro Public Library. Susan Brannon If you want a great church family, I believe that St. Andrew s is the place to be. I would like to use my God given talents to serve the people and parish of St. Andrew s. Yes, St. Andrew s former children s Sunday school teacher, children s choir, VBS, children s chapel, Newcomer s committee, Parish care committee, St. Agatha & Mary s Women s group, Bazaar, greeter, usher. Guilford county schools and Children s home society of NC. Ashley Wigglesworth St. Andrews is a warm and inviting Episcopalian community. George and I really like the size of St. Andrews. It is a church that has a wide variety of ways to worship, be part of the St. Andrews activities and give back to those in need here locally as well as globally. I feel I have gifts to offer in this capacity given my experience within the church working with the EYC, participating in the music ministry. I also think my professional experience as a financial and tax professional is a gift I have to share with St. Andrews. I worked with the Endowment a few years ago at St. Andrews. Besides that, I do not have any church leadership experience. Currently my husband and I are in our third year as Youth Advisors for the St. Andrews EYC group. I also play piano in the church a few times a year. I help out with the Bazaar when possible. In addition to the above I have worked professionally for over 30 years championing children and youth with 22

23 2015 Vital Statistics Increases during the year: BAPTIZED (4) TRANSFERS IN (8) Daryel Gabriel Perez-Garay Charlotte Chun Palmer Elias Medlin Thomas Chun Cora Rose Rich-Minardo Marion Seaman Auden Mae Rich-Mindardo Dan Seaman Brie Fowler Jeremy Fowler Fred Wilkerson Peggy Wasson Decreases during the year: BY DEATH (7) TRANSFERS OUT (3) CONFIRMATIONS (5) Elaine Odenwald Carney Bryan Brianna Richardson Eleanor Canada Susan Shelton Debra Richardson John Owens Bob Shelton Cynthia Shane Monica Root Ken Massey Sondra Cassells Jennifer Jones John K. Ganim Sr. Elizabeth Stockard RECEIVED (4) Marion O Brien (Others that were in our Johnetta Shablack Pastoral care died, however Jose David Garay Marriages: (1) Brittany & Chris White Lloyd Wilkerson & Lillian Gibson they were not in our membership roles.) Mabel Perez-Garay Soliel Garay This information will be included in the 2015 Parochial Report. 23

24 St. Andrew s Episcopal Church 2105 West Market Street Greensboro, NC Staff Vestry 2015 The Rev. Bernard J. Owens, Rector bernard.owens@standrewsgso.org The Rev. Audra Abt Assistant to the Rector for Mission & Community Engagement audra.abt@standrewsgso.org The Rev. Brooks Johnson, Deacon Debbie Dowd, Pastoral Associate debbiedowd@mindspring.com Kimberly Ann Howard, Parish Administrator & Business Manager parish@standrewsgso.org Finley Middleton, Co-Senior Warden Cathy Jordan, Co-Senior Warden Mike Van Ormer, Co-Junior Warden Dirk Siegmund, Co-Junior Warden Tim Fleming Mark Kaley Judy Hackett Charles Kappauf Betty Self Barbara Van Cleve Barbara Lawless George Platt John Frizzell, Treasurer Ann Herman, Adm inistrative Assistant ann.herman@standrewsgso.org Ann Doyle, Minister of Music anconex@triad.rr.com Olivia Wilson Smith, Interim Youth olivia.wilson@standrewsgso.org 24