CREATING A BRIGHTER BEACON God the Giver Christ s beacon to all seeking God St. Aidan s Episcopal Church Virginia Beach, Virginia
The Journey Continues Over the last year we have continued a journey towards living into the mission and vision for St. Aidan s. Guided by our mission and vision statements, we continue to move forward on the path that the Holy Spirit has set before us. Mark Wilkinson 9/24/13 2:09 PM Deleted: - Year 2 King s Grant Assisted Living opened their new wing last year and we have added biweekly services led by Deacon Dana. Once a month Fr. Mark joins her and they celebrate Eucharist for the residents. This past year we looked at our Outreach and with Deacon Dana s efforts we were able to expand this area of ministry including the two ecumenical days of service for the churches in Little Neck in the Spring and the Fall. Dana has also led a new effort in feeding homeless in Norfolk on the 4 th Sunday of the month that began in September. This year the vestry will continue their focus on our Fellowship Ministry. Seeking to revitalize our social gatherings we are looking to bring back some activities from the past like the Progressive Dinner. We will be looking for new ventures that will help build our sense of community. One new idea is to have one service on those months where there is a fifth Sunday and then follow worship with a potluck. We will do that in November. This past year we were faced with a deficit and the Stewardship Committee came back to you and you generously responded. This helped us turn around a downward trend in giving over the past several years. Because of a generous anonymous matching gift of $7000 and your response to that challenge we are in the black even at the end of summer. However, we need you to be just as generous this year. This presentation is intended to convey a vivid picture of what we are doing as a result of the generosity of our members and friends. We have demonstrated in graphic and narrative form the areas of ministry in which we are currently actively involved. We ve broken the work of St. Aidan s down into 5 segments that give you an idea of how we are currently focused. These segments are: Worship How we praise God through regular and special church services Christian Formation Making new Christians and assisting members on their own spiritual journey Outreach Documenting how we are active in our community Communication How we keep everyone informed of our mission and activities Pastoral Care Taking care of our members during illness and personal crisis. We have allocated all the usual expenses (building maintenance, utilities, salaries, etc ) into each of these segments based on the amount of resources that each segment consumes. Our hope is that this will allow you to better focus on how we are living into our mission. 2
CORE VALUES By our baptism we are all called as ministers in the name of Jesus Christ. In order to live out our baptismal vows we strive to live into these core values with God s help: WE ARE WELCOMING With God s help, we accept all whom God has created, respecting the dignity of every human being and loving our neighbors as ourselves. WE LIVE IN COMMUNITY With God s help, we love and care for one another. WE WORSHIP With God s help, we celebrate God s gift of love for all creation through worship that strengthens and sustains our faith, feeds our hunger for God and unifies our gathered community. WE ARE DISCIPLES With God s help, we equip our community to carry out the work to which God calls us. We pray that all are transformed from seekers (and believers) into disciples. MISSION STATEMENT St. Aidan s mission is to serve as Christ s beacon to all who are drawn to our door and all whose paths we cross. VISION STATEMENT St. Aidan s vision is to provide a safe and supportive environment for people of all backgrounds and interests to develop and strengthen their personal and communal relationship with God. God s loving Spirit beckons us to become the body of Christ. Striving for justice and peace in our community and in the world at large, we seek to serve God in all our daily interactions. To fulfill our vision, St. Aidan s strives to: * be an open, inclusive and supportive community of Christians; * provide a wide variety of meaningful worship opportunities grounded in the Episcopal tradition; * create an environment for vibrant spiritual development and Christian formation to promote discipleship, through a variety of programs that include prayer, study, and reflection for all ages * seek active engagement with our local and extended communities and the world at large to act as God s hands in the world. We have been blessed by God with many gifts and seek to share those gifts in partnership with a variety of community organizations both secular and sacred; * support an active youth organization offering age-relevant worship, outreach, and fellowship opportunities 3
LIVING INTO OUR VISION CALLS FOR A GENEROUS RESPONSE A message from the Rector What does it mean to be generous? Today North American churches exist in a society of abundance; however the fear of scarcity dominates most of our stewardship talk and action. What would it mean if we were to truly use generosity as a guiding value? What if we created a Generosity Commission for St. Aidan s? Generosity is giving to others beyond what is required or expected of us. Generosity is providing someone with a value that is not part of an exchange of goods. Generosity is liberality in giving and a nobility of thought or behavior. Generosity is responding to God as creator of all that is, God has been and still is very generous to all of creation, sustaining life on our planet. Generosity was a distinguishing characteristic of those early Christians who followed the Way of Jesus. Generosity should be a core value for Christianity today. Mark Wilkinson 9/24/13 4:11 PM Deleted: definite trade Our Core Values and Vision Statement imply that we are generous, but I realized in writing this reflection that we are not obvious about stating this. The fact is that we cannot truly live into our vision unless we are intentional about our generosity. Over the past year, I have been preaching about how God loves us all the time, even when we may feel unlovable. God s love is poured out on us as Grace that is freely given. A joy filled Stewardship Campaign is all about responding out of joy and gratitude for the many gifts that God has given us. A joy filled Stewardship Campaign is about responding in a way that says we know we live in a world of abundance not scarcity. A joy filled Stewardship Campaign is not about giving until it hurts, but giving until it feels good and right. A joy filled Stewardship Campaign is about celebrating the abundance that God has given us and sharing this abundance brings great joy. In the past two years I have made a conscious effort to grow my own giving to St. Aidan s, Virginia Theological Seminary and other charities to go past a biblical tithe when you add them altogether. I find great joy in this and have found I really haven t missed that money. I encourage you to experiment with being truly generous. All things come from thee Oh Lord and of thine own have we given thee is more than just a statement, it is reality. Mark Wilkinson, Rector 4
Small Business Tax Credit 4,000 Matching 1% Kroger & Other Pledge Income 7,500 2,600 3% 1% Dividend Income 100 0% Prior Years' Plate Pledges 2,500 4,000 1% 1% Head Start 17,585 6% Regular Contributions 10,000 4% Pledges 230,751 83% St. Aidan's 2015 Budgeted Sources of Funds Pastoral Care 27,116 10% Worship/Liturgy 103,042 38% CommunicaAon 29,828 11% ChrisAan FormaAon 46,098 17% Outreach 65,079 24% St. Aidan's 2015 Budgeted Use of Funds 5
CHRISTIAN FORMATION Godly Play for grades pre-k 5 EYC for our youth has been expanded to grades 6-12 with separate programs for middle school and high school students Adult Sunday School o Sunday morning between services. o Popcorn Theology movie and discussion once a month o Wednesday Evening Bible Study o Thursday Lunch Bible Study o Education for Ministry, 2 classes Lenten Programs Wellness Center which offers exercise classes, meditative experiences (Centering Prayer on Tuesday evening) Silent Retreats and Quiet Days during Advent and Lent Men s and Women s Spirituality Groups in conjunction with Good Samaritan. What s next? Reinstate the paid position of Christian Formation Director o With this many programs we really need a staff person to oversee and support the many volunteers and the rector. A minimum of $15,000 is needed to create the position. Continue to replace some of our more dated curriculums with new material Continue to purchase additional Godly Play stories ($100-200 per story) Bring in some outside speakers for special programs and retreats. Continue to develop the Community Prayer Garden next to the Columbarium Continuing to fund the rector s sabbatical. (required by the Diocese) Pastoral Care 27,224 10% Worship/ Liturgy 103,449 38% CommunicaAon 29,946 11% Chris&an Forma&on 46,280 17% Outreach 65,336 24% 6
OUTREACH The Vestry continues to identify outreach as a primary focus of our parish. This provides Deacon Dana a wonderful opportunity to exercise the traditional ministry of a deacon which is centered on Outreach. Our outreach efforts are a combination of expenses paid for by pledges and special fund raisers. Stop Hunger Now in partnership with other Little Neck Churches. Homeless Ministries: Manna Bags fsandwich making and monthly breakfast served in Norfolk Blood Drives Food Pantry on call three days each month Mission of the Holy Spirit 2 nd Sunday of every month. Over the course of a year, we serve over 400 meals. Seton House monthly collection of paper goods, collect personal size toiletries for Street Outreach Programs to support Mentors of Children of Prisoners Provide space for classes in parenting and anger management. Supplying water to the Girl s Shelter at no charge. Sponsorships at their fund raising events. Shawl Ministry and Craft Group who provide prayer shawls and items for Seton Youth Shelters and children s sweaters for international refugees. Head Start Pre-School Program Provide space for outside groups: AA -- Boy Scouts Girl Scouts Seton House Tidewater Pastoral Counseling Holiday Ministry Virginia Seminary: Yearly contribution to support training of new clergy. Lunch Buddies reading support group for elementary school students in the Beach. What s next? A summer 2016 REACH Mission Trip is planned for July. Start up of our participation in feeding the homeless in Norfolk Increased support of Seton Mentoring program to make us shortfall as a result of sequester Rebuild Parish Assistance Fund for members facing significant issues. Pastoral Care 27,224 10% ChrisAan FormaAon 46,280 17% Worship/Liturgy 103,449 38% CommunicaAon 29,946 11% Outreach 65,336 24% Mark Wilkinson 9/24/13 2:16 PM Formatted: List Paragraph, Widow/Orphan control, Adjust space between Latin and Asian text, Adjust space between Asian text and numbers Mark Wilkinson 9/24/13 2:16 PM Deleted: Mark Wilkinson 9/24/13 2:16 PM Formatted: Font:Comic Sans MS, 14 pt, Bold, Font color: Black 7
COMMUNICATION Phone system and internet connections Constant Contact E-news Website: Creation of mobile friendly website and the ability to accept online contributions Newsletters: We print paper copies for those members who do not have internet access or are not comfortable with that technology. Weekly bulletins: We mail bulletins to out shut-ins Signs: Yes our signs do draw people and there are repairs needed. Redesigned and updated website that allows for multiple people to maintain the pages for their ministry. What s next? Signage and banners that would allow us to better communicate with the community what is happening Reaching out to more people through a variety of publicity techniques. Continue to upgrade the sound system in the main church. o Including a wireless mike for our deacon Have recorded sermons on the website. We need recording equipment to make this happen. Add videos of sermons and special services. Mark Wilkinson 9/24/13 2:16 PM Deleted: U Pastoral Care 27,224 10% Worship/Liturgy 103,449 38% Communica&on 29,946 11% ChrisAan FormaAon 46,280 17% Outreach 65,336 24% 8
PASTORAL CARE Visits to hospitals and nursing homes Pre-surgical prayers Home communion visits for those unable to attend on Sunday. Home delivery of altar flowers. Encouragement cards Pastoral counseling and visits, with the rector, trained volunteers and through Tidewater Pastoral Counseling which uses our space free of charge. Healing Prayers during services on the 4 th Sunday of the month. What s next? Expand offerings in the Wellness Center to address the pastoral needs or our parish and our community. With the opening of their new memory unit we have a unique opportunity to work in partnership with King s Grant Assisted Living to provide this type of support and care. Offer caregiver support group using a licensed social worker or psychologist Offer parenting programs of a variety of types in conjunction with Seton Youth Shelters. Pastoral Care 27,224 10% Worship/Liturgy 103,449 38% CommunicaAon 29,946 11% ChrisAan FormaAon 46,280 17% Outreach 65,336 24% 9
WORSHIP Two communion services every Sunday Monthly Paws and Prayers Service - Thursday noon Eucharist Taize services during special seasons Adult Choir Children s Choir Adult Bell Choir Joyful Bells (youth) Nursery attendant Weddings Funerals Baptisms Bishop visit Lay Readers Eucharistic Ministers Communion bread bakers ushers greeters Worship expenses include wine, candles (or the liquid wax), flowers, replacement of worn vestments. Provided staff with the first increase in salary in 6 years. Increased our pledge to Diocese striving for 10% which is what the asking is of all parishes. What s next? Continuing to move toward bringing staff compensation to appropriate levels to make up for wage freeze from 2007-2013. To bring our diocesan pledge up to the 10% pledge and plate as reported in our Parochial Report. This year we are at 8.5%. For many years we were over 9% but we reduced that 3 years ago. We need to get back to paying our full 10%. In some diocese the assessment is 20%. Pastoral Care 27,116 10% ChrisAan FormaAon 46,098 17% Worship/Liturgy 103,042 38% CommunicaAon 29,828 11% Outreach 65,079 24% 10
Message from the Senior Warden I ask each of you to consider the importance of St. Aidan s to you, your family and to our community. As we embark on our annual stewardship campaign, this is the moment when we ask you to commit to our community to ensure that our congregation continues moving together into the future. We are faced with many challenges in our complicated world today. Among those challenges are a seeming complex array of threats to our beliefs, consistent bad news from both within and outside of our community, and an array of violent acts. In stark contrast to that are two things that I find myself returning to over and over again. The first is the teachings of Jesus, that when boiled down to their very basic tenets are to believe in God and treat others how you would want to be treated yourself. When compared to other theologies out there, whether Buddhism, the teachings of Confucius, or the Greek Philosophy of Socrates, there is almost no difference. The second is the incredible good our church community of St. Aidan s can do when we work together. As we consider our future together I think it important to recognize the critical importance of our church community for each one of us individually, for us as a collection of people that make up our congregation, and for the good our parish does for the community around us. There is real power in that something good that needs to be cherished and nurtured. Let s look to the future together with optimism, keeping in mind what Jesus asked us to: believe and treating each other as we would like to be treated! Chuck Marks Senior Warden STEWARDSHIP STATEMENT The Vestry, Clergy and Stewardship Committee St. Aidan's Episcopal Church We Believe: We are created in the image of a generous, loving and self-giving God. God calls us to be generous and loving. We are called to celebrate God s blessings by giving joyfully. Everybody has a home in this church and gifts to share We Commit To: Returning to God a generous pledge of our time, talent, money and of all our resources Nurturing an ever-deepening spiritual relationship with God. We Invite You to: Join us in opening your heart to experience the joy of giving. Dare to imagine a stronger connection with God that manifests itself in a growing ministry to and for one another and our community. 11
STEWARDSHIP IS A LIFELONG JOURNEY Discovering the Joy of Giving Becoming a faithful steward of God s abundant blessings enables us to experience the joy of giving. Some have humorously suggested that we should give until it hurts ; while the discipline of stewardship suggests that we give until it feels good. Discovering God s will for our lives and resources is an opportunity for spiritual growth and a deepening of our relationship with God. What Portion Shall I Give? By considering our gift to the church as a proportion of income, we establish priorities that reflect our relationship with God. Biblical tradition, as well as the teaching of the Episcopal Church, suggests the practice of giving away 10% (a tithe) of our income. For some, it is helpful to calculate the current percent of income given to the church and to grow one or two percent per year until the tithe is reached. As a guide for your stewardship journey, we offer this proportionate giving chart. Proportional Giving Annual Income 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% $30,000 $600 $1,200 $1,800 $2,400 $3,000 $3,600 $40,000 $800 $1,600 $2,400 $3,200 $4,000 $4,800 $50,000 $1,000 $2,000 $3,000 $4,000 $5,000 $6,000 $75,000 $1,500 $3,000 $4,500 $6,000 $7,500 $9,000 $100,000 $2,000 $4,000 $6,000 $8,000 $10,000 $12,000 $125,000 $2,500 $5,000 $7,500 $10,000 $12,500 $15,000 $150,000 $3,000 $6,000 $9,000 $12,000 $15,000 $18,180 $175,000 $3,500 $7,000 $10,500 $14,000 $17,500 $21,000 PLEDGE RANGES # of PLEDGES AVERAGE PLEDGE TOTAL $ PLEDGED % of $ PLEDGED Over $4,500 14 $9,574 $134,032 55.4% $3,000 - $4,500 10 $3,478 $34,779 14.4% $2,000 - $2,999 8 2,412 19,296 8% $1,000 - $1,999 22 1,397 30,731 12.7% Under $1,000 62 373 23,099 9.5% TOTAL PLEDGES 116 $2,086 $241,937 TOTAL PARISH FAMILIES 146 % OF FAMILIES PLEDGING 79% 12
WHAT S NEXT???? You have been hearing more about our missions during church services in October. You will receive a pledge card later this month. On Sunday November 2 we celebrate All Saints, this is when we remember the saints that have been in the past. You are the present saints of St. Aidan s and we all build on the work and generosity of those who have come before in order to provide for those saints who will come in the future. We ask that everyone return a pledge card even if you cannot make a pledge this year. Over the following two weeks the Stewardship Committee will call those of you who have not turned in a pledge card. You can avoid a call by simply returning your pledge card even with 0 as your pledge amount. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED???? There are many options for annual pledging to St. Aidan s. You may want to talk to your financial advisor about ways that will benefit the parish and offer you tax savings. Some examples would be donation of appreciated stock or direct payments from your IRA. We ask you to continue to support God s work in our parish. ONE LAST THOUGHT Have you considered putting St. Aidan s in your financial plans for the future? A Planned Gift can keep your legacy of generosity to us going even after you are gone. You have cared enough to support us in life, please consider supporting future generations of worshippers by including St. Aidan s in your will. Contact the rector for details. 13