Rector’s Update: Three Invitations

Dear Restoration,

It was so very good to be with over 300 of you at our fall retreat last weekend. I am grateful to God for the ways He encouraged us and helped us to connect to Him, to each other, and to the Scriptures. Many thanks to everyone who helped make the retreat happen.

The retreat really marks a transition in our fall. As we return to life on Quincy Street, our hearts and minds turn towards the bishop election, vestry selection, All Saints Sunday, our church birthday, and the big Apex Fall Fest. I am writing to invite your participation in the next few weeks of our life together.

I describe the three invitations below, but if you only have a minute, here is the quick version:

1. Join us in prayer for the bishop election tonight, Friday, and Sunday.
2. Submit a nomination for vestry by October 19.
3. Submit the name and photo of a loved one who has died in the last year no later than November 3.

Prayer for the election of our Bishop
The election is this Saturday at All Saints Anglican Church in Woodbridge, VA. The results will be announced almost immediately after the election concludes. The election is only open to voting delegates, but there are several ways you can join in corporate prayer.

1. Tonight, at 7:30pm, at Restoration, our vestry will lead our weekly prayer gathering for the bishop election. It is just for Restoration.
2. On Friday evening, October 14, from 7-8:30pm, our diocese will host a prayer gathering at All Saints in Woodbridge. This is open to everyone in the diocese. You can find more information, here.
3. On Sunday, October 16, after the 11:00 service, in the sanctuary, our vestry will lead us in prayer for our new bishop! We want to thank God for His provision and intercede for the transition of his church and our diocese. This prayer time will be for Restoration.

Thank you for your faithful prayers during this process. I invite you to come together with your Restoration community again as we walk through the election this weekend.

All Saints Sunday: November 6
Every year, on the first Sunday of November, the Christian church remembers both those who have died in the previous year and our hope in the resurrection. Every year, we intentionally remind ourselves that those who are in Christ, are saints, who will be with him forever.

Do you have a loved one who died in the past year? We would be honored to remember that person during our liturgy on November 6. Please use this form to tell us about the person and to submit their picture. When we gather for worship on All Saints Sunday, we will see their names and picture, we will give thanks for their life, and we will sing for all the saints who are experiencing our resurrection hope.

Nominations for Vestry close on October 19
Our church has a vestry board of nine women and men who serve as elders for three years. In November, Restoration will elect three new vestry members. Nominations are now open and I invite you to nominate yourself or someone in our church for consideration. The form for making a nomination can be found here. Feel free to be brief in your responses on the form. You do not have to inform your nominee that they have been nominated. Remember that most of the people who are nominated are not actually put on the election slate. We will have dozens of nominees, but a slate of only 5-7 candidates. It is a process that requires a couple of months of discernment and prayer.  

What are we looking for in a vestry candidate?
To serve on the vestry, an individual should:

1. Be a mature Christian committed to the orthodox doctrine, discipline and worship of the Church, not one who has recently come into faith;
2. Be temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, gentle, not quarrelsome, and have a good reputation with those outside the Church (see 1 Tim. 3 and Titus 1);
3. Maintain an active life of prayer and study of Scripture;
4. Be known and respected among the Church;
5. Have a strong record of serving the Church and cheerfully giving to the
   Church of his/her time, talent and treasure;
6. Have family relationships that honor God and reflect strong Christian commitment;
7. Have enough time to be able to serve effectively as a Vestry member; and
8. Make a commitment to put Vestry service high on the list of personal priorities.

This list is a challenge for us all and by God’s grace, it describes a number of people at Restoration. I encourage you to let these characteristics inform the way you pray about your nominees.

What is required of a vestry member?
Some of our past vestry members have described it like this:

“As a member of the Restoration Vestry, you are committed to devoting yourself to the Word of God and to be faithful in prayer. You will be encouraged to form a small team of intercessors who will pray with and for you as you cover our church, our staff, our missionaries and our meetings in prayer.” 
 
“The Restoration Vestry has ten Tuesday evening meetings each year as well as one weekend-long retreat and one meeting with the Bishop. Together, the Vestry will discuss and vote on items including the church budget, our strategic plan, the management of our facility, new initiatives, outreach and crisis management. Vestry meetings tend to last 2-3 hours each month and require 1-2 hours of advance document/email reading. In addition, every member of the Vestry serves as a liaison to a church advisory team and/or as a Vestry leader (Warden, Treasurer, Secretary). Advisory team participation involves 1-2 hours of additional involvement each month and leadership role time commitments will vary.”

It is a significant commitment of prayer, time, and leadership over a three year period. The vestry members who are elected this year will serve from January 2023 until January 2026. 

What is the timeline for the 2022 Vestry election?
Nominations will be open until October 19. Again, you can submit your nominations, here. 

During the week of October 24, nominees will be informed of their nomination. Not everyone who is nominated becomes a nominee. 

On November 16, the slate of candidates will be shared with the congregation, along with a brief bio on each candidate.

The actual election will take place through a personalized Survey Monkey link that will be sent to each member of the congregation on November 27. Those links can only be used once and will stay open for a week. The election will close on December 4 and the results announced on December 7.

Who is overseeing the election?
At their September meeting, the vestry appointed a vestry discernment committee who will receive all of the nominations and discern the final slate. That committee is made up of our three outgoing vestry members: Adam Guzzo, Lorene Eberhardt, and Dan Vogel, plus the rector, David Hanke. This committee will review the nominations and make decisions regarding the slate. Please pray for us as we pray for you and our congregation during this time. 

THREE INVITES!

1. Join us in prayer for the bishop election tonight, Friday, and Sunday.
2. Submit a nomination for vestry by October 19.
3. Submit the name and photo of a loved one who has died in the last year by November 2.

Thanks for considering these invitations. I am grateful to be alongside you in this season.

-David