Wardens’ Report: October 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 at the rail on Tuesday and gave thanks for Liz Gray and her vital ministry among us. We thanked God for her passion for prayer and the practical ways in which she helps connect us to God, to each other and the needs of the world. We prayed for RestoWomen and upcoming Outreach trips and we thanked God for the careful ways she has mentored our aspirants and postulants through the DOMA ordination process. We prayed for strength and wisdom as she handles many pastoral needs and we thanked God for her love of learning and the wonderful ways in which God has used her and her husband and children to bless us and so many others around the world.
Our business meeting began with an update by Carolyn Weimer on the recent Wardens Gathering with Bishop John and other wardens from partner churches in DOMA. She shared both spiritual insights (like the encouragement from +John to raise up intercessors for our leaders) and a few business matters (like a minimum recommended insurance checklist) from this day-long gathering designed to encourage and enable Anglican churches in our area.
We joyfully received yet another discernment team report for a member exploring a call to ordained ministry and were pleased to make the recommendation that he be considered a postulant by our Diocese’s Ordination Committee. Thanks again to the team who surrounded this aspirant with prayer and wisdom and took great care with this important decision.
We also received a letter of resignation from one of our members, Ali Burke, who notified us that she will be unable to serve the last year of her term on Vestry. We are so thankful for all her contributions over the past two years and are glad she will remain in our midst as a committed member (and busy nursing student). This does mean that we will be electing four new Vestry members at the upcoming election – three to serve three year terms and one to serve the remaining year of Ali’s term.
Our Treasurer, Ramsey Wilson, walked us through our Finance Report. While we are only one month into our new fiscal year, the story remains full of God’s provision with increased attendance (7% increase from last September), a strong start to giving (94% of budget) and under-budget spending. The Finance Team also presented recommended changes to our Finance and Accounting Manual helpfully clarifying roles, updating procedures and providing recommendations to further bolster our financial planning and controls. Thanks be to God for a strong Finance Team that cares deeply about our church and how we use our resources towards God’s strategic purposes.
If you have questions, concerns, words of wisdom or encouragement, we’d love to hear from you!
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