Here is another installment in this series of Vestry Corner e-mails aimed at keeping you informed and up-to-date.
Interim Rector
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We formalized our agreement with Fr. Lyndon Shakespeare on July 16th. Fr. Lyndon will be beginning his ministry with us the first week of September and will be with us at the annual Shrine Mont parish retreat the weekend of September 9th through 11th. His first Sunday with us at Holy Comforter will be September 18th, the date of the ministry fair. We are excited that Fr. Lyndon will be joining us and we believe that he brings with him the talents and experience we will need during the next phase of the transition. Some of the deciding factors that led us to call him were his experience as an interim rector, his knowledge of the discernment (search) process and his desire to understand and work collaboratively with the staff and congregation at this time of transition. To learn more about Fr. Lyndon, visit:
Operating Budget Update:
We are happy to report that, at this point with the adjustments the Finance Committee has been making and the faithful pledges of so many, we are headed toward a balanced operating budget for calendar year 2016. We are almost, but not quite, there yet and we continue to welcome increased and new pledges. We will be kicking off our 2016-17 stewardship campaign soon. Stayed tuned for more information and opportunities to participate in the work of the Stewardship Committee.
Ministry Center Update
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As Fr. Rick announced during his leave taking service on June 26th, another anonymous $300,000 pledge has been made to the Generation to Generation Campaign. This is the second $300,000 pledge by the same parishioner. What a blessing! As a result of this generous pledge, we are so much closer to our goal of building the Ministry Center.
At our July Vestry meeting, we met with representatives of the Building & Grounds committee who reported that we were in the middle of the third stage of design. Site plans were submitted to the town of Vienna the
week of July 4th and the site plan approval process is on schedule with approval expected in February or March 2017. The next step would be to obtain bids from several contractors. From the bid process, a contractor will be chosen for the final stage of design contract performance. Construction would start between late Spring and early Fall 2017 and should be completed eight to ten months after construction begins. During our meeting, Kevin Reynolds, Finance Committee chair, reported that the Finance Committee has analyzed the costs and our financial condition in light of the additional pledge. The Finance Committee voted in favor or moving forward and recommended that the Vestry do the same.
The Vestry unanimously voted to move forward with the Ministry Center and tasked the Finance Committee to investigate options for third party financing.
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Discernment (Search) Committee Update
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At our August vestry meeting, we will be working on the formation of a Search Committee. Our hope is that the committee will be constituted and ready to begin work when our interim rector arrives in September. We are working to set up a website page so that parishioners will be able to follow the progress of the Search Committee.
There will be a period of self-study focused on three questions: Who have we been? Who are we now? Who is God calling us to be? This self-study will be done with input from the congregation. Eventually, the Search Committee will publish a community ministry portfolio that will be approved by the Vestry and the Bishop. The purpose of that profile will be to provide an overview of Holy Comforter and its vision. A complete outline of the discernment process and a template for the community ministry portfolio can be found at: http://www.thediocese.net/Ministries/Transition/The-Transition-Process/
Rodman House
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Fr. Lyndon will be residing in Rodman House. We see the use of the upper floors of Rodman House as a practical use of the space, a way to decrease operating (compensation) costs and a response to Fr. Lyndon's desire to live within the community he is serving. We have been busy getting the house ready for him thanks to the tireless efforts of Cathy Foust. We've installed a new lock on the door leading from the ground to first floor so that the living quarters will be separated from the ground floor. We will continue to use the ground floor for church activities including youth group. We've also installed closet doors and will be installing wooden blinds - finishing touches that were just waiting for a reason to be installed. We also purchased a suite of furniture for the living/dining room area and two bedrooms as that was a more economical solution than a monthly furniture rental fee. Fr. Lyndon will bring the rest via a POD delivery in early September.
In addition to all her other tasks, Cathy has been busy cleaning out the Rodman House garage. We ask that any items stored by parishioners be removed as soon as possible. As announced in last week's e-news, unclaimed items will be hauled away on Thursday, August 11th. Several used conference chairs and two conference tables are available free - so please contact Cathy is you are interested in any of those items.
Bulletin Boards
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As part of our goal this year of increased communications, we are installing bulletin boards in McGill Hall that will have information from the Vestry, the Finance Committee, and the Discernment (Search) Committee.
Ministry Fair
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The annual Ministry Fair will take place on Sunday, September 18th, after the 10 a.m. service. Stay tuned for more details.
If you have any questions, or would like additional information, please feel free to contact any member of the Vestry. Our names are listed in the weekly service bulletin and our contact information is easily obtainable from the church office.
Faithfully,
Your Vestry
