January 2003
Dear People of God,
As I think back over the past
year I can only give thanks to our Lord for all of the challenges and
blessings we have received. We have shared many good times, sad times, and
faced challenges that have caused our faith in God and one another to
grow. 2002 was a tough time for many as the economy struggled and as the
nation recovered from the terrible events of the previous year. The
challenges we face in life can have one of two effects. We can allow them
to overcome us, or we can gain strength, resolve, and faith through them.
I believe that we have grown closer to God and to one another, and have
built a foundation for the future along the way.
Most charitable institutions
have suffered in the past year due to the economy, and the church is one
of them. Though we have been blessed by your generosity and have continued
to keep up with our obligations, projected increases have fallen a bit
short. This gave the Vestry the occasion to look more closely at our
budget and to pay more attention to our responsibility as stewards of
God’s gifts. The challenge has been good for us. We were able to focus
more on our priorities and hone in on our mission.
The budget committee had to make
some difficult cuts in next year's ministry requests. After making those
tough decisions we received a number of late pledges which allowed us to
reinstate some of the funding. At our last Vestry meeting we agreed that
our children and youth remain a priority, and ministry to them will be
fully funded next year. We also agreed that outreach, fellowship, and
adult education would receive first priority as the year plays out.
In the midst of all this
financial stuff the challenge is to make sure the ministry of All Saints’
carries on into the future. We have some wonderful problems. The leaders
of children’s church (sermon time at 9:00 a.m. service for little ones)
tell me they are bursting at the seams, our church school classrooms are
full, and, as we witnessed at the wonderful Advent Tea, Groff Hall has its
limitations. In addition to this we are in need of clergy help. The
officers and Vestry have been working on these issues and will present a
full report of our progress at the Annual Meeting on January 12.
Finally, I would like to urge
everyone to plan to attend the Annual Meeting this year. It will be the
most information packed meeting since my arrival almost five years ago. We
will talk about the challenge grant for the hiring of a curate, changes to
the by-laws, site plan report, budget challenges, and the discerning of
new Vestry members. You won’t want to miss it. I also would like to thank
the three members of the Vestry who have completed their terms. David
Arrington, Skip Stevens, and Bob Vaughan have given their time and talent
to the Vestry and their work is greatly appreciated by all. If you have an
opportunity to thank them personally, please do so.
May God grant you a happy and
prosperous New Year.
Fr. David
top
|
