Wardens’ Report: March 2019

The Wardens’ Report: a brief summary of highlights from monthly Vestry meetings, designed to provide information about our growth, finances, priorities and progress towards our strategic plan.

At our March 26th vestry meeting, we enjoyed dinner together and prayer before starting the meeting. This month, Kevin Marshall led us through prayer which included a time of intercession and prayer for Nathan Dickerson, our associate rector. We prayed over Nathan’s work as he cares for our small group leaders and recruits leaders for the upcoming Spring trimester (which begins the last week of April). We gave thanks for Nathan’s work among the men in our congregation and how he cares for and shepherds them so well. We prayed that Nathan and his family would have a restful time away next month and that God would bless and guide each of them in their daily work and life. Additionally, we prayed over our strategic plan and the work being done to prepare it. We prayed that we would hear God’s voice as he leads Restoration in the process of discerning our next five years. As always, we hope that you will pray with us for all the staff, vestry and God’s work on Quincy Street.

In our meeting, we received an encouraging update on Incarnation and approved a memorandum of understanding with Incarnation providing them with back office support. This a generous and helpful gift we are giving to our friends and we are grateful to be able to help them in this way for six months into the next fiscal year. Additionally, we approved changes to our advisory teams and the hiring of a contractor during an upcoming maternity leave.

Brad Jones, our treasurer, led us through a financial report that showed February giving was again below anticipated levels. The vestry has prepared a letter for members updating them further on our financial situation. You can expect to see if in your mailbox early next week.  If you are not a member of Restoration and would like to see a copy, you can email Kat Downs.

David led a discussion with the vestry about the strategic planning process. We had a chance to hear feedback from the first congregational input session that occurred on March 17th and hear an update from the strategic plan advisory team. (Our current strategic plan ends this year.) As we celebrate ten years as Restoration Anglican Church, this is an appropriate moment to pause and look ahead to 2025. We are grateful for what God has done and anticipate His continued good work in the next five years.

We look forward to hearing from you: what is God saying to you about Restoration 2025? We invite you to join the Strategic Planning Advisory Team this Sunday, March 31st from 1-2pm (immediately after the 11 o’clock service). Food and childcare will be provided. You can also submit your ideas, feedback, questions and things you are hearing in prayer to this email address or using this form. We look forward to hearing from you.

If you have questions, concerns, words of wisdom or encouragement, please know that we are open to your feedback. You can read an archive of past Wardens’ Reports on our website or Vestry Meeting minutes on CCB, under the ‘Files’ tab in the ‘Entire Church Group’

– Chris Belen and Johanna Montague, Wardens