Wardens’ Report: October 2017

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 24 October Vestry meeting, we enjoyed dinner together and prayer before starting the meeting.  This month Susie Wallin led us through our prayer time which included prayers for Rev. Liz Gray.  We are so thankful for Liz and the many ministries she leads at Restoration including outreach both locally and globally, prayer, RestoWomen, DOMA Standing Committee, the discernment process for people seeking ordination, and, of course, gearing up to plant Incarnation Anglican Church in south Arlington.   She and all our staff are amazing and we are grateful and humbled by all they do in leading us.  We always welcome your prayers for Liz, the staff, the Vestry and God’s good work here at Quincy Street. 

Meredith Taylor, our treasurer, led us through the Fiscal Year 2017 and September financial reports.  Average Sunday attendance year to date is up 10% from 2016.  FY 2017 offerings were 103% of budget and spending 98% of budget.  As a result, we finished are starting FY 2018 with 3.7 months of cash on hand.  We are very grateful.

We voted to approve a recommendation from the Outreach Steering Team (OST) to grant the remaining FY2017 outreach funds. 

Gifts were given to:

• St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in partnership to further their benevolence ministry to members of the local community
• Families-in-need at Glebe Elementary in the form of grocery gift cards.  We will also be providing an opportunity for Restoration to provide over 50 Christmas gift boxes for these families.  We will tell you about it in November.
• Rev. Tammy Firestone in support of her missionary ministry as rector of La Trinidad Church in Cochabamba, Bolivia. 

We also voted to allow OST to carry over up to 10% of outreach funds each year, but with a strong sense of Vestry that they should work to minimize any carryover.  We are so grateful for the congregations generous giving that enables us to support God’s work in the local community and globally.   

Finally, we received an update from David on our search for a church plant resident and the progress of Incarnation Anglican Church.  Both efforts are on a positive trend for which we thank God. 

As always, 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’

– Dietrich Kuhlmann, Warden