As a member of Grace Church, one privilege is the opportunity for you to attend and engage at the Annual Meeting by watching, listening or voting (if eligible). The Annual Meeting will be held in the Sanctuary following the 10 am service on Sunday, January 20. In the event that severe weather prevents a quorum from attending, the meeting will be held the following Sunday, January 27. Services will be held at their usual times on Saturday and Sunday the weekend of January 20. Church School classes and nursery care will convene at their regular times. Childcare will be provided for children during the meeting. One important task during the annual meeting is to elect persons to the Vestry and delegates to our Diocesan Convention to be held in April 2013 in Grand Rapids, and persons to the nominating committee to seek candidates for the year 2014. A slate of nominees and a biography of each is provided in this issue. Candidates may be identified by colored nametags in the coming weeks. Vestry (elect 4): Mike Cotter, Mary Merrill, Denny Meyers, John Strickler Delegates to the Convention (elect 3 delegates and 3 alternates): Bob Foote, Sandy Foote, Ann Hackett, Jamie Hackett, Jeff Westcott, Chuck Wolterink Nominating Committee for 2013 (elect 2 members to serve with 2 Vestry members: Mike McManus, Chris Post, Kay Rickard Absentee ballots are available in the church office (GC Bylaws Art. I Sec. 1 (e)(4). Absentee ballots must be returned to the church office one day before the start of any Annual Meeting. In keeping with our bylaws, a list of eligible voters is posted at the communications center in the Parish Hall. Eligibility is defined as persons who are: baptized, over 16 years of age, and have for the last six (6) months worshipped regularly and contributed regularly. Please direct questions of eligibility to either Barbara Klugh, Sr. Warden or Steve Wade, Jr. Warden. In preparation for the annual meeting, the office plans to make the Annual Reports booklet available by Friday, January 11. The booklet features reports from the various ministries, biographies for candidates, and financial information. While the votes are counted, a photo presentation of the previous year s activities will be been presented.
Compassionate, creative, and a dry sense of humor are three qualities that may best describe Mike Cotter. Mike is an artist who earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in fine arts and later went on to spend 30 years in the world of business. For 20 years, he owned and managed a corporate travel agency specializing in group and incentive travel. In the remaining 10 years of his business career, Mike served as the director of operations for one of his principal clients. Hired to work at their world headquarters, Mike primarily oversaw their facility management. Shortly after retiring five years ago, Mike moved to Traverse City with his wife, Irene, (also a artist) and their son, Will, who is an actor. Will graduated from Interlochen Academy and is is currently a junior at CalArts in Valencia, Calif. Although they lived in the Chicago area for most of their lives, Mike and Irene were excited to make the transition to living in northwest Michigan. Both Irene and Mike have been happy to again engage in their art and be part of a community where the arts play an important role. From their very first visit to Grace Church, Mike and Irene were warmly welcomed and knew they had found a home. Learning about the extensive outreach ministries that are integral to Grace Church, as well as its table to which all are welcome, set it apart from the Roman Catholic churches in which they had worshiped while living in suburban Chicago. They are thankful to now be members of a church that has made helping and inclusiveness a major priority of parish life. At Grace Church, Mike volunteers with Safe Harbor, coordinates the monthly mailing of Grace Notes, and helps out in the parish office every Thursday afternoon. Outside of Grace Church, Mike volunteers as a docent at the Dennos Museum and delivers Meals on Wheels once a week. If honored to be elected to the Vestry, Mike hopes to combine the creative solutions he has learned as an artist along with his corporate managerial and logistical skills to help Grace Church continue to be and expand as the exceptional faith community it truly is. I am honored to be a Vestry candidate for I reside in Interlochen with my loving husband and precious daughter. I have been a dedicated, compassionate elementary educator for more than twenty years, both in public and independent school settings. I hold a Master of Arts degree in education. Last year, I home-schooled my daughter, joyfully beginning each day with Bible study and prayer. Currently, I am a guest teacher in the Traverse City area. My personal interests include travel, sewing, photography, music, theater, and the creative arts in general! My husband and I have been members of Grace Church since we relocated to the Traverse City area in 1995. (Prior to that, St. John s Episcopal Church of Saginaw was our spiritual home.) Grace Church and her people have been deeply valued blessings in my life. Here, I have been welcomed, supported in spirit, and loved. My daughter, Elsa, was welcomed home from China in the old sanctuary and baptized in the fellowship hall while construction of the new sanctuary began. Over the years, I have served as a choir member, Sunday school teacher, education committee member, usher, Friday lunch helper and coffee hour host. My heart is filled with uplifting experiences at As a Vestry candidate, I would like you to know that I am an attentive listener with a compassionate heart. Spiritually, I feel ready and poised for a journey toward an ever-deepening understanding of God s word and the teachings of Jesus. I am genuinely interested in all ministries of Grace Church. With my background in education, I feel I can be of particular support to our youth program. As a church community, I envision continued our growth as disciples of Christ through welcome, prayer, study, worship and service to God. Jesus said, The kingdom of God does not come with careful
observation, nor will people say, Here it is, or There it is, because the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:20-21) With love, strength and hope in our hearts, we can all use this gift to follow Jesus.. I have been married to my wife, Connie, for 40 years and we have lived in the Traverse City area since 1973. Together we have raised three daughters, Katie, Abbey, and Carrie, who are all married and live in the area. We have been blessed with eight grandchildren. I enjoy participating in events and activities with the entire family, playing golf, hanging out with my wife, and traveling to warmer climates during the winter months. At Grace Church, I am part of a men s group that meets weekly to participate in Morning Prayer and to share about what s happening in our lives. Professionally, I worked as a Special Education teacher and administrator for 33 years in and around the Traverse City area. In addition, I enjoyed many years of coaching high school sports such as football, hockey, and girl s softball. I graduated from Central Michigan University with a major emphasis in Psychology, Special Education, Physical Education and a Master s degree in Educational Administration. My Episcopal Church experience began in 1980 when we started to attend St. Paul s in Elk Rapids and worshipped there for 28 years. There, I served on the Vestry (2+ terms) and was active as a Lay Eucharistic Minister, a lay reader, usher and actively participated in Cursillo. In addition, I served on the Commission on Ministry for a period of time and began the process to become a Deacon. In 2008, we decided as a family to come to Grace Church where I have been involved as a LEM, reader, serving Friday lunches, S.T.A.G., and monthly grocery pick-up for Jubilee House. Personal skills and traits that may be valuable to the Vestry include being a good listener, having a calm presence when dealing with others, and having a total trust in God that He will care for us and guide us as a church family. We as a church family have many challenges, including, but not limited to, dealing with a diverseaged congregation, feeding the hungry, Christian Education, and just working together as a Christian community/family to profess and share our love of God with others. With God, all things are possible and I know that He has a great plan for all of us here at My wife, Nan, and I moved to the Traverse City area in 2006 following my retirement from the Lansing Board of Water and Light, a municipally owned electric, water, and steam utility. I served there as the utility s director of communications for 23 years following 10 years as director of public information for the Michigan State Employees Association, a labor organization representing state civil service employees. Prior to that, I worked in broadcast journalism in the Grand Rapids and San Francisco markets. We joined the Episcopal Church in the late 1960s, after what can best be described as some years as lapsed Christians. At the time, we were the parents of two young children and were concerned that they receive spiritual grounding. We quickly realized this was something important for more than the very young, and so began our lives within the Episcopal Church. With the exception of a brief interlude in California, all of this has occurred in the Diocese of Western Michigan, first at Holy Cross in suburban Grand Rapids, then at St. David s in Lansing, and now here at Grace Church. At St. David s, both Nan and I served multiple terms on the Vestry, and as senior warden. I also chaired a search committee for a new rector, a long process that was both challenging and rewarding. Nan and I marvel at the spiritual vitality we experience at Grace Church, ranging from the welcoming warmth of the congregation, to its community outreach and spiritual leadership. Among other things, we derive great comfort and satisfaction in joining other volunteers at Jubilee House, who serve our homeless brothers and sisters in the Grand Traverse area.
I first attended Grace Church with my parents and grandmother in the summer of 1961. I attended Catechism classes with Father Foley in the summer of 1962 and was confirmed the following Easter Service at Holy Trinity in Manistee. My family moved from Glen Lake in 1966 and we attended St. John s in Mount Pleasant through my high school years. Sandy and I, along with our daughters Stephanie and Stacy, moved to Traverse City in May of 1984 when I joined Mike McManus s practice. From 1985 through 1988, we attended During this time Sandy and I served as Sunday school teachers for 5 th 7 th grade classes. For a variety of reasons, Sandy and I grew apart from Grace Church until being joined by Father Ed on one of our eye missions to Honduras. The Holy Spirit guided us back to Grace Church, and we have attended Grace Church on a regular basis for the past seven years. In the winter of 2007, Sandy and I attended Father Ed s Inquiry Class, which culminated in Reaffirmation vows. I served on the Vestry as Clerk in 2009 and as Senior Warden in 2010 and 2011. In addition to the Vestry, I have served as a LEM and on the Stewardship committee. I have worked as an optometrist for 27 years and enjoy helping people here in Traverse City and in countries where eye care is not available. Locally, I volunteer my services through the Community Health Clinic and in the Migrant Education program. I am honored to be considered as a candidate for a Delegate position to the Diocesan Convention. If chosen, I look forward to representing Grace Church at the 2013 Diocesan Convention. Yes, my name is Sandy Foote; it proves how much I love my Alma College sweetheart Bob. I graduated from Northville High School, a town west of Detroit. I was active in the Presbyterian Church s youth group and attended Alma College where both Bob and I were biology majors. We moved to Grand Rapids, where I worked as a medical technologist and where I was confirmed in the Episcopal Church at Grace Church in 1978. After Bob s graduation from optometry school, we moved to Traverse City in 1984. We attended Grace Church from 1985 1988, and taught Sunday School for 5 th 7 th graders. After a hiatus, we returned to Grace Church in 2007, attended classes, and were reaffirmed. Immediately, I joined the Rector Search Committee, met wonderful people, and compiled responses to a church survey. After 18 months, Rev. Daniel Richards and family arrived at I am a member of Grace Harmony, the Worship Planning Committee, assist Kathy Will with Joyful Noise, and have the blessing to serving as a LEM. I am honored to be considered as a candidate to represent Grace Church as a Delegate to the Diocesan Convention. I have been attending Grace Church since my husband and I moved to the area from the East in 1973. While raising three daughters in this congregation, I participated in a variety of church activities and ministries and, following my retirement from teaching, was elected to the Vestry in 2005. I served as senior warden for two years. In 2008, I was appointed Interim Coordinator of Lay Ministries by our interim minister during the search process for a new rector. Upon Rev. Daniel s arrival in 2009, I have served full time as the Parish Administrator. In this capacity, I engage in a wider perspective of the diocese and the place that Grace Church holds within that organization. Using my personal gifts, I seek this opportunity to take a place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church at the diocesan level while representing
Born an Episcopalian, my comfort with the church and my matured outlook on what we do has grown over the 35 years that my wife, Ann, and I have attended It has been my experience to serve on the Vestry and to be available for maintenance and projects on the property and grounds. I now focus more and more interest on what takes place at Grace Church as I tackle odd projects around campus and involve myself in the vibrant life that breathes through her walls. Most recently I have embraced the objectives of the Men of Grace as co-chairman, from which I have derived great satisfaction. Our goal is to grow the organization, to broaden our focus to the welfare of the Grace Church community, and to perpetuate their good works beyond our involvement, a timetable only God knows. As for my nomination as delegate to represent Grace Church at the Diocesan Convention, it is again out of my growing concern as to what directions are available for the Episcopal Church and the part that Grace Church may play. The excitement arising from the election of a new Bishop also intrigues me and so I am compelled to participate, Grace Church willing. Thank you for your consideration. Jeff Wescott has been a member of Grace Episcopal Church since he and his family moved here from Boston fifteen years ago. A past member of the Vestry at Grace Church, Jeff is currently Columbarium director, serves on the church school and youth committee, and is very active around the Feast of St. Nicholas. His interest in serving as Diocesan delegate is met with his current commitment to Christian study through Education for Ministry, an adult study class at Jeff has taught English for twentysix years and is currently instructor of Classical Mythology and American Literature at Interlochen Center for the Arts. A recipient of several professional grants, his interest in the role of myth in modern poetry stems from a 2008 NEH Seminar at Harvard University, from a 2010 sabbatical to Greece, and from a symposium lecture given at Pacifica Graduate Institute in September 2012. My family and I began coming to Grace Church about twelve years ago, soon after we moved to Traverse City. Before that, we were members of Lutheran (ELCA) churches in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, and Williamsburg, Virginia. I was raised in the United Church of Christ. Shortly after we began coming to Grace Church, I joined the choir (now Chancel Choir), the Episcopal Peace Fellowship, and the worship planning group, and I began volunteering in the Food Pantry all of which I continue to be active in today. I have served one term on the Vestry (2009 2011), and I joined Grace Harmony a couple of years ago. In May of this year, I finally took the plunge and was received into the Episcopal Church. I am a candidate for delegate to the Deanery and Diocesan Convention. I have not previously been a convention delegate. My Vestry experience, in particular, has made me more aware of and interested in the workings of the Church beyond our own parish. I look forward to the opportunity to serve Grace Church in this way.
I have been a member of Grace Church since 1972. I have also served two terms on the Vestry and have been Senior Warden for two years. At present, I am coordinating the Walking With Benedict gathering monthly at I usually visit St. Gregor s Episcopalian Abbey in Three Rivers, Mich., twice a year and am a Benedictine Oblate. I am a retired ophthalmologist and was Medical Ethicist at Munson Medical Center for 12 years. I am married to Sue Brightheart and we have three grown children and two small grandsons. I would be honored to serve Grace Church as a member of the Nominating Committee. Chris Post has been a Grace Church parishioner for eight years. He is married to Maria DiStefano-Post and has two children, Ben, age 11, and Elena, age 10. He moved to Traverse City to co-found the Woodland School, where he has been teaching math and science for sixteen years. He has served one term on the Vestry, during which time the Vestry oversaw the transition of priests. He values the time he spent on the Vestry and looks forward to diligently vetting candidates and then convincing them to serve using whatever means necessary. I have attended Grace Episcopal Church for 46 years. During that time I have been involved with many ministries: ECW (Episcopal Church Women), Church School, Altar Guild, Newcomer Greeting, Jubilee House, Bible Study, Vestry, Parish Life, Building Committee, and Office Volunteer. Over many years, there are many opportunities, but most importantly, Grace Church is my center of worship. I cannot imagine a life without God and His grace. If I am elected to Nominating Committee, I will pray for guidance and an over-abundance of nominees! Jim and I are snowbirds so we will not be at the annual meeting.