Wardens’ Report: February 2016
The Wardens’ Report: a brief summary of highlights from monthly Vestry meetings, designed to demystify our work and provide some information about our growth, finances, priorities and progress towards our strategic plan.
The Vestry gathered in the sanctuary — as we do each month — to pray. This month we devoted additional time to pray for David and his upcoming sabbatical. We prayed through the instruction to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” We took time to pray for those close to David and for God to sow seeds of long term fruit during these next six months.
As was outlined at our recent parish meeting, Vestry will be chaired by the Senior Warden (Carolyn Weimer) over the sabbatical season. We are grateful for the five advisory teams that work diligently and think critically about many facets of our life together. We approved new vestry liaisons to each of those teams (Personnel, Finance, Facility, Outreach, and Church Planting), as well as many new members who will serve one- to three-year terms. Restoration is home to a talented pool of individuals with a range of expertise and we are thankful for the ways you practice your gifts for the common good. To that end, the Personnel Team presented Vestry with options for updates to our healthcare plan and the Facility Team brought forward recommendations for necessary repairs to our property.
Our new Treasurer, Ramsey Wilson, walked us through attendance and financial reports. For the first five months of our fiscal year (beginning Sept 1) we are at 95% of year-to-date budgeted giving and are currently operating at 99% of budgeted expenses. We’ll keep a careful eye on this dynamic over the next few months. Thank you for your continued financial commitment to this church and the work to which God has called us.
We concluded our meeting by looking ahead to possible 2017 budget priorities in light of our strategic plan. As we consider the time and costs of growing 1000 disciples here on Quincy Street and looking outward to growing 1000 more disciples through church planting, we are thinking carefully about our gifts and resources. We invite you to revisit the vision that our leadership carefully considered in 2014. As we move forward, please look for ways to connect and grow with us.
Also, please pray for David and his family during his sabbatical. Pray for our staff as they adjust to new roles, pray for our Vestry and advisory teams as they navigate budgets and priorities, and pray for our church—that we we would live into our mission to connect people to God, to others, and to the needs of the world.
If you have questions, concerns, words of wisdom or encouragement, please know that we are open to your feedback on all aspects of life together on Quincy Street.
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’
-Carolyn Weimer and Hannah Royal, Wardens