Dear and Beloved People of St. Gregory the Great:
This past Sunday of gathering together for the work of the parish and breaking bread at our Annual Meeting covering 2023 was a blessing!! Thank you to all who were able to attend; we had a very nearly packed house. We understand that everybody couldn’t be there; even so, but we were all together in spirit! I commend to you reading all of Annual Report and the Financial Addendum, found here*. But here are a few highlights:
God has done glorious works in, through, and with us this past year, as you have answered God’s call to Nourish our parish family and the community; Grow spiritually, and draw the circle wider in diversity (and numerically as God wills); Go spread and live the Good News through outreach with funds and community involvement. (Nourish, Grow, and Go parish vision -aka strategic plan-can be found here https://www.stgregoryathens.org/nourish-grow-go
Nourish
In your ministry of supporting discernment and furnishing ministers to the wider church we have again hatched yet another baby priest out into the world: Fr. Doug Atkins is now in a new church in Kentucky, and David Stooksbury has been approved in diocesan discernment to become a candidate for the priesthood.
In the area of Spiritual formation, Sacred Ground completed their 3rd full year program, this time in partnership with our sister church, Emmanuel Episcopal with a joint celebration and Eucharist this coming Sunday afternoon.
The Blind Spot Ministry (formation for those in their 20’s and 30’s) not only grew, but expanded their meetings from once to twice per month.
Parish life was re-organized in July…many thanks to Karen Brill and Jill Crandall. They’ve been able to return to hosting funeral receptions and and Feast Day receptions, and parish lunches.
In Buildings and Grounds, the library has new Windows, the nursery has a new fence and landscaping, windows, cement pavers, and new gutters. The ceiling was replaced on the Christian Ed building. Painting has been completed on all three buildings.
Pastoral Care, in a massive project, wrote notes to parishioners who had been out of reach, in addition to prayers, food trains, and contacts for illness and birthdays.
Go
We've grown in number despite losing 12 beloved members to the heavenly realm this year. We've added 28 members which includes seven families, 3 new couples, and several new individuals.
We’ve given over $34,000 in outreach this year (which includes $18,000 of our diocesan pledge, $14,050 in disbursements by outreach committee, $1,754.67 from Rector’s Discretionary Fund for local residents in need of assistance with rent, utilities, or food.
Not counted in this number, but of note: Rector’s Discretionary Fund also gave $100 to Athens Reparations Association, and $200 to Joy Village in Athens. (The fund also gave $1200 in inreach, for our own members who were in need of housing, utility, and food assistance)
Our choir also began a foodbank at the UGA School of music and sponsored a meal plan for one student as well.
Outreach also sponsors:
The Annual BackPack Drive
Clothing Drive for Barnett Shoals Elementary
Christmas Drive for Oglethorpe County
Appleton Ministry Sunday
Food to Athens Area Food Bank
Food and services for Family Promise
(All roughly totaling an additional $ 7,000)
Your Rector represents our church in a number of diocesan and wider church positions:
Interfaith Clergy Partnership of Greater Athens, Dean of Oconee Convocation, Diocesan Executive Board of Executive Committee, Faculty of Diocesan Learning to Lead, Faculty in Episcopal Preaching Foundation, Regent Board at Suwanee University, Vice Chair of Wright House Board for UGA Episcopal Ministries.
2024 Budget highlights:
Pledging, while good, was not enough to meet our minimum proposed budget, and difficult cuts were made.
We’re in a hiring freeze, which means the open and very necessary positions of Choir Director, (and we’ll owe Jonathan back pay) and Children’s Ministry Coordinator (while our number of children has grown exponentially) can’t be filled. IF you are able and haven’t yet done so, please consider pledging or raising your pledge. If you are already giving, thank you!
A Huge thank you to the stewardship committee we're doing such hard work to organize our giving, and to the Finance Committee, For doing such hard work on the budget.
Thank you Saint Gregory the Great, for all your faithful work, partnering with God to make Beloved Community.
I'm so very proud to be on this journey with you.
Love,
Mother Nikki
*To find the report, click here.
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