PLEASE HELP FILL THE FOOD CUPBOARD BASKET
The Pittsford Food Cupboard supplies over 4,000 households totaling over 9,400 people. They provide food and other items to 6 different zip codes: E Rochester, Pittsford, Brighton and 3 in Rochester. Some items they are always in need of:
- Pasta and pasta sauce
- Canned fruits and vegetables
- Hearty soups and tuna
- Cereals
The items are dropped off to the food cupboard once a month. The volunteers are always so appreciative. Thank you Christ Church for helping to fill the basket that is in the back of the church every Sunday.
Christ Church Annual Meeting Reports
REPORTS on Christ Church Programs and Volunteer Opportunities
Along with pledging, the donation of one’s time to parish organizations and working groups has a tremendous impact on the vitality of the church. Below you’ll see a list of all the groups and tasks working at Christ Church. Groups with a crucial need are listed first, but all the groups welcome new volunteers. Please read the list and see what might match your interests and skills!
CHANCEL CREW – Acolyte, Crucifer, Subdeacon, Thurifer, Verger
At all celebrations of the Liturgy, it is fitting that the principal celebrant, whether bishop or priest, be assisted by other priests, and by deacons and lay persons.” (BCP, 322 & 354). When serving at the altar, members of the chancel team are fulfilling those directions of the Book of Common Prayer. We are aware that the purpose of assisting at the altar is “that God may be glorified.” We currently have twelve member to cover seventeen assignments each month. Although we would like each person to only have to serve once a month, several members are doing double and triple duty. Training as to what to do as well as why we do it will be provided at your convenience. Please contact me or the Rector if you wish to explore this service to our parish and to God. --Jim Bement, 585.734.5756, jhbement@rochester.rr.com
CRUCIAL NEED: help on altar crew on 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Sundays
THE SONG - Christ Church newsletter- Val Jutsum
The SONG is the Christ Church digital newsletter, has just had it’s first anniversary, and is available to view at songforchristchurch.org . The SONG publishes a new issue corresponding with the Seasons of the church year, rather than monthly, but, due to its online nature, is updated frequently during the time each issue is current. Typically, each issue features articles by Ruth, our rector, and Stephen Kennedy, our music director, highlighting relevant topics and events, parish and music, activities taking place at Christ Church, financial and vestry news, messages from parishioners, as well as, original art. The SONG has past issues available to view in the archive section, a place to contact us, and a way to pay your pledge or simply donate using a credit card. The number of people, who have looked at some or all of the SONG, can be seen below. Feb 2016- Jan. 2017
Total: Visits Page Views Audience Size
1,510 3,273 1,121
avg 125 monthly avg 272 monthly avg 93 monthly
My crucial need right now is for those numbers to be higher by having more people visit the site more often, for more people to submit things to share with the parish, and for 1 volunteer to help make a text only issue, monthly, if a significant number of things have been added or subtracted, to send to the office for printing and mailing for those parishioners who do not own a computer.
COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE
CRUCIAL NEED: This committee doesn’t yet exist and this is our greatest current need at Christ Church. We don’t have an official group that plans and monitors our communications about the church. Activities this group might undertake include regularly reviewing flyers, contacting media or issuing press releases for special events, tracking hits and monitoring content on our website, reviewing our FB page and developing a presence on other social media, and in general work on making sure the Rochester community is aware of our activities, and that our communications about our activities are up to date and accurate.
FOYERS – Deb VanderBilt
Foyers is a national initiative of the Episcopal church that gives congregations a way to gather in small groups for fellowship. Groups of 3-4 “units” (6-8 people if couples sign up) are set up in March and meet from April – October, meeting in each group member’s home once for a simple dinner. It’s a wonderful way to meet new people in the church.
CRUCIAL NEED: I’ve been setting up the Foyers groups for 7 years, and with my position as Warden I would like someone else to take over the coordinating of the groups. It takes about 4 hours of time in the month of March, and all you need is a computer.
RAIHN (Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality Network) – Beatrice Deshommes
RAIHN in an interfaith organization. Its mission is to help homeless families become independent by providing shelter, food and case management. Community churches provide housing and/or volunteers to support this ministry. Christ Church doesn’t host directly, but we help staff the weeks that our fellow downtown church St. Luke’s and St. Simon’s hosts the guests. Christ Church currently has six active volunteers participating in RAIHN. There are three times to volunteer: cooking dinner (5-7), hospitality (7-9:30), overnight (9:30 p.m. to when guests leave the next morning, usually around 7 a.m.).
Please go to www.raihn.org for more information and contact Beatrice at 585-880-7029 for information on becoming a Christ Church RAIHN volunteer.
CRUCIAL NEED: RAIHN is in need of more volunteers to help sustain this ministry: the need is greatest in hospitality (7-9:30 p.m.) RAIHN weeks occur quarterly (every 13 weeks or so).
MUSIC PROGRAM – Stephen Kennedy ( complete report is in Stephen's Music Notes )
Goals from 2016 (ongoing in 2017)
1. Attract more people to Christ Church through our music program Goal on target
2. Raise the level of musicianship in CC ensembles Goal on target
3. Raise community awareness of our rich and diverse music program Goal on target
4. Foster the education and training of musicians in liturgical music skills Goal on target
5. Engage people from the larger community (non parishioners) to help fund
our music program Goal on target
6. Install professional microphones in the church to record CC Choir,
Youth Ensemble, Consort, CC liturgies, and concerts Not yet reached
7. Provide more opportunities for youth participation and involvement in
Liturgies through music Goal on target
8. Enhance the church’s acoustic in light of the Chancel repair & renovation Goal attained
9. Fundraising to support our parish music program Goal on target
10. Strengthen existing community collaborations and partnerships in Music Goal on target
Opportunities for individuals to assist and contribute in our parish music program:
1. Compline ushers and Candle-lighters
2. Greeters at Tuesday Pipes to represent the parish
3. Volunteers to help send publicity to media via e-mail
4. Additional Youth Ensemble members
5. Additional Christ Church Choir members
6. People to help set up for Compline following the 11:00 a.m. Eucharist
7. People to assist in grant writing
A MEAL AND MORE Annual Report 2017- Lois Jones
A Meal and More served its first meals in 1979 and has continually feed the Downtown Rochester community for 37 years. Originally our mission was to serve our new senior citizen neighbors at Manhattan Square and people from the neighborhood by inviting them to Sunday lunch. However, we quickly realized the amount of Urban hunger far outweighed Christ Church’s monetary and people resources, necessitating developing with the Bishop and other Downtown parishes a sustainable feeding mission for our Downtown community. In 1984, Meal and More was incorporated as a Type B Not for Profit Corporation which provided it two very important tax considerations: exemption from federal income taxes and tax deductibility for contributions. Lunch on Wednesday was added and for the last 6 years, 85 – 100 (+ or -) meals each day have been served.
For A Meal and More to have provided a sustained feeding mission for 37 years has taken commitment, cooperation and effort on the part of:
Christ Church – provides “In Kind Services”: kitchen, Wilder Hall, the utilities (lights, heat, water) and Sexton and Secretarial services
A Meal and More Board -coordinates everything, seeks funds, files reports, identifies volunteers and coordinates volunteer efforts, hires staff, keeps accurate records for government agencies
Volunteers -- serve meals, contribute food stuffs, clean up, help prepare meals, perform special projects (Christmas Bags)
Chef – creates menus, orders from FoodLink, prepares meals, maintains Kitchen, etc.
Set Up/Break Down/Dishwasher – sets up & breaks down, does all the dishes, etc.
Greeter and Security – maintains records, maintains decorum, maintains safety, etc.
9134 meals were served by Meal and More during 2016
The Elderly are a very consistent presence between 150 and 200 meals are served to them every month.
Approximately 25 meals per month are served to Children with more being served in the summer
Adults – make up our largest group with approximately 650 meals are served to this group each month.
This year, including Christmas Day, our Mission has been carried out by:
Allen Callarame – Chef, Dave Jencek – Set up/Break Down/Dish Washer,
William Drayton – Greeter/Security
CRUCIAL NEED: Desserts, Dressings and Donations.
To volunteer contact Kristy Liddell at kristy.m.liddell@gmail.com or see her at church.
“1 in 6 Americans is food insecure” Howard Buffett, 40 Ways to Feed a Hungry World
GARDEN – Deb VanderBilt
Our garden is a jewel in the East End. Many people hang out there, walk their dogs, or play with their kids there and when we are working we always get complements on it. For a big place, it does not take that much work. There is a garden committee of Christ Church members and Sagamore (the building across the street) residents who plans and fundraises for the garden. We schedule “big” work days in Spring and Fall—for spring cleanup and fall leaf raking, and in the summer we depend on volunteer gardeners to stay on top of the weeds.
CRUCIAL NEED: We do need more people to volunteer to work in the garden. In the summer we try to assign a small portion to each person to be responsible for—half of one bed, for example, and ask that you weed it every 2 weeks. If we have a lot of volunteers, it’s very manageable, but becomes overwhelming when we have too few. So can you count you in as a caretaker for a small portion of the garden in Summer 2017?
USHERS – Hugh Kierig
The Usher Program at Christ Church is a vital part of the Sunday service experience by assisting both clergy and congregants. Just as important, Ushers serve as the welcoming face to both parishioners and visitors at our services. Each Usher is asked to serve one Sunday service per month and one fifth Sunday per year. Additionally, Ushers serve at special services such as funerals, ordinations, 12th Night, and other major events. If you would like to be an Usher, please let one of the other Ushers know.
CRUCIAL NEED: We are always looking for volunteers to serve in this vital position, but it is especially important to have four ushers on each Sunday, 16 total so no one has to usher more than once a month. As the list of current ushers shows, we are three ushers short.
8 am service: Ron Vukman, Alan & Lois Jones, Norm Geil
11 am service:
Doris Bailey-Gordon Cecilia Brereton Renate Eckart Tom Foster
Monae Howard Hugh Kierig Tony Kingsley Spencer Koehl
Bill Soleim Joe McCutchon Spenser McGuckin Shirley Ricker
Carl Vogt
-----------------------------------------
ALTAR GUILD – Bill Soleim
The Altar Guild is a group of men and women who works mostly behind the scenes to prepare for services on Sunday. Our ministry involves caring for the vestments, vessels, and altar linens of Christ Church. We usually work in pairs to set up for Sunday’s services at 9:30 on Saturday morning (for about 1 hour). After the 11:00 service, we take about 15 minutes to wash and put away vestments and communion vessels. We each serve one a week per month, but many of us also work together on Christmas and Easter to decorate the sanctuary. We are always looking for volunteers, since a larger team means each person does less work. If you think you would enjoy serving God and our congregation in this quiet ministry, please contact Bill Soleim (482-8745)
ANGEL TREES – Eleanor Peet
This outreach program is the collection of Christmas gifts for the women clients, and their families, of the Willow Domestic Violence Center (formerly known as Alternatives for Battered Women). The Center provides us with a wish list. Paper Angels with suggestions written on them decorate two trees that are placed in the sanctuary and the Guild Room each December. Parishioners take an angel or two and bring their gifts unwrapped back to church to be brought to the Center mid-December. Willow Center says: “over 70% of domestic violence crimes are witnessed by children. A simple gesture of providing new toys during their stay can give a child in crisis a sense of normalcy and hope.”
BIRTHDAY CARDS - Lois Jones
Each of us has one day during the year which we call our own and celebrate in special ways. It is our BIRTHDAY. Your Christ Church Family wants each of us to know how unique, special and valued you are, not only on your birthday but every day. So we send you a birthday card to remind you we are thinking of you and wishing you God’s blessings. “God danced the day you were born”
Please make sure your birth month and day are listed in the Church Office.
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN REPORT – Joe Schaller
A steering committee of vestry members, including the rector, was formed in September, 2016 to determine if there is a need for a capital campaign, and if so, to recommend to the Vestry the next steps. A capital campaign is not limited to raising money for capital projects/repair. It would include, at minimum, the establishment of a capital reserve fund, debt reduction, planned giving, grants and a fund for mission outreach. Furthermore, it has a great spiritual value as it will sharpen the focus of our members on the Christian ideals and principles, including stewardship, which enriches our lives and which brings the light of Christ into a troubled world.
The committee met several times, including conducting interviews with 4 consulting firms. In addition, there were numerous follow-up phone calls and email correspondence with all the candidates. Based on the information gathering and interviews the committee determined that a campaign would benefit Christ Church and for it to be successful a consulting firm should be hired. The committee recommend, and the Vestry approved, at their January 17, 2017 meeting that James D. Klote & Associates, a nationwide consulting firm, be contracted to assist us to conduct a feasibility study and capital campaign with a fee of $56,000. Klote and Associates has an outstanding track record of fundraising successes with many Episcopal churches including recently in Rochester, Ithaca and Cortland.
More details on a campaign are too numerous for the purposes of this report, but will be shared with the congregation over the next few months. Please know that it would fully engage each of us and would be conducted in a prayerful and completely open and transparent manner.
CARE TEAM – Kevin Finnigan
The Care Team is on “life support” due to the fact that many of the volunteers listed are no longer available. Several attempts to bring this situation to the attention of the congregation have been unsuccessful. It is the hope that the new year will see a revitalization of this ministry.
COFFEE HOUR – Vicki McCutchon
Coffee hour allows for people to mingle and catch up with one another and to also meet and greet visitors. Our team is made up of Meg Mackey, Elizabeth Dugdale, The McCallums, Christine Hill and myself. During coffee hour people visit, but they are also able to take part in other efforts that groups are working at CC. Gifts can be put under the tree for the Giving Tree, items for School #9 can be dropped off, and Sanctuary Movement opportunities are highlighted by Lucie. It is also just a nice time to enjoy some tasty treats! The coffee hour crew also helps out with the Annual Meeting lunch and we helped with the reception between RoCo and the art installation in memory of Sarah Collins.
FINANCE – Norm Geil
The Christ Church Finance Committee has the responsibility in conjunction with the Vestry, Treasurer and Rector, to oversee the financial condition and well-being of the parish. It makes recommendations to the Vestry on all financial matters deemed appropriate by the Committee or requested by the Vestry including among other activities: preparing an annual budget; monitoring investments and operating expenses and income; arranging for audits; and providing a report for the annual parish meeting. At present the Committee’s members include Meg Mackey, Josie Dewey, Kathy Brennan, Ron Vukman and Norm Geil.
FORUM (Sunday mornings) – Mary Vukman
The Forum is a small, informal discussion group that meets on Sunday mornings 9:45-10:45 in the Guild Room. The Forum began the year reading the Acts of the Apostles and doing a few short topics, but for most of the year we have been studying the "Farewell Discourse" in John's gospel, in which Jesus tries to prepare his disciples for what lies ahead for them when he is gone. We are currently in John Chapter 17. For upcoming topics, we are considering a book about Revelation or the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Qumran community or a book by John Lennox (Oxford mathematician, philosopher of science, and Christian apologist) or a book by Rodney Stark (an American sociologist who analyzes the interactions between the Church and society in historical settings). Feel free to drop in now and then or to join us every week.
JAZZ FESTIVAL – Carlos Mercado
2016 was the eighth year that Christ Church was a venue for the Xerox International Jazz Festival, and the seventh year that we hosted the Made in the UK Series in cooperation with the UK Arts Council. With some 7,000 people passing through our doors over nine days, this is perhaps the largest community activity of the parish each year. Over these years we have become the largest gathering of British jazz musicians in the world outside of the UK itself, and Christ Church has earned a golden reputation in British jazz circles and among local jazz fans for its hospitality, the quality of this venue, and the good spirit of the event. It is one of the most significant opportunities for Christ Church to showcase its building and the hospitality of its people to an international crowd. This year we mourn the untimely death of our wonderful liaison from London, John Elson, who died of a heart attack only a few weeks after we bid him good bye “until next year.” Our committee sent a donation in his name to the British Heart Fund. While 2017 will not be the same without him, we look forward to another successful year as one of Rochester’s great jazz hotspots! Jazz Fest team: Bruce & Patti Blaine, Vickie & Joe McCutchon, Carlos Mercado.
LECTORS AND INTERCESSORS (PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE) – Kevin Finnigan
Lectors read the lessons on Sundays, and Intercessors read the prayers on Sundays when they are not sung. We have added new lectors and intercessors to the roster since last year. In addition, lectors are receiving a reminder the week prior to the Sunday they are to read reminding them to arrange for a substitute, if need be, and informing them of the reading that they are to read. Intercessors are likewise being notified prior to the Sunday they are to lead the Prayers of the People.
MEALS FOR NEW MOMS AND DADS – Vicki McCutchon
This outreach is near and dear to me. It was over 25 years ago that Mary Vuckman presented us with a delicious meal that fed us for 2 days. A smiling face, tasty food and a feeling of belonging was wonderful and that is why we continue to do this for new parents. This has been a busy year for meals, which is AWESOME! Everyone so enjoys putting a meal together for new parents, because we all know how it is to be tired, thrilled, but a bit overwhelmed…..a home cooked meal is just the ticket!
PARISH LIFE – Kevin Finnigan
This has been a very busy year for the Parish Life Team. Salient events include Twelfth Night Service, Shrove Tuesday meal, various weddings, Jazz Festival, and Advent Lessons and Carols. Christ Church members also take on the responsibility of writing personal notes to parishioners who are celebrating their birthdays and to those who are ill and/or in the hospital and to tending to the needs of the bereaved.
PROPERTY COMMITTEE – Hugh Kierig
The Property Committee is charged with the responsibility of maintaining the buildings that comprise our Church. As Church is made up of buildings that are over 125 years old, this can be quite a challenge. With the assistance of our valued Sexton, Moses Roland, and the good work of the Finance Committee in preparing and receiving outside capital grants, the Committee has been very busy this past year. Major activities of the Committee have included:
• Repair to the cages that protect our beautiful Tiffany windows;
• A major repair to the roof over the north aisle that will prevent future snow melt infiltration into the Nave and better roof drainage;
• Repair of the fallen ceiling over the north aisle;
• Repair of the roof over the sacristy;
• Replacement of lights in the Nave and Narthex chandeliers;
• And in case you didn’t notice, plaster repair and repainting of the Narthex and Chancel.
Additionally, to make these repair work and not disrupt activities within the Church, the Committee coordinated work with the clergy, Eastman School of Music administration, our architect at Bero Architecture, and various contractors. The Committee held coordinating meetings weekly with these stakeholders. The Committee also coordinated meetings with two local architects to look at possible repurposing of our buildings and worked with Bero Architects on the planning and construction documents for the repair to the Lawn Street façade. Finally, the Committee is working to prioritize future general maintenance needs of the Church. Property Committee Members – Josie Dewey, Alan Jones, John Fields, Hugh Kierig, Tony Kingsley.
QUILTERS – Ann Piato
We have presented 26 handmade quilts to newly baptized members as they join Christ Church, 24 for infants and 2 for adults. We also made the quilt hanging in the hallway in honor of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Church. Lucy Alonzo and Marianne Sickles received quilts in honor of their service to Christ Church, and we made a quilt for Ruth Ferguson to honor her first year as our rector (with pieces of fabric donated by the congregation). The quilters of Christ Church are Eleanor Peet, Ann Piato and Pat Kingsley
SANCTUARY AT CHRIST CHURCH – Lucie Parfitt
Sanctuary at Christ Church is a new Outreach effort at Christ Church. Our mission is to share ways that Christ Church and its parishioners can act and engage in the community and the world. Initially, we hope to partner with local organizations to provide vital support to vulnerable groups, such as immigrants, migrant workers, and those who may be at risk of deportation. Long term, the Sanctuary group at Christ Church would like to provide shelter for any and all who feel unsafe or at risk of deportation in the coming years. For now, we hope to build our community at Christ Church and offer a platform to volunteer and work together. We invite everyone in the parish to get involved and join our Google Group and Facebook group for updates.
SCHOOL #9 – Vicki McCutchon
School #9 is the largest bilingual elementary school in the RCSD and it continues to grow on a daily basis. Many of its students are new to the USA and are not equipped or do not understand the ways of the school. By helping out with some of the schools programs, we try to help the student have a pleasant experience at their new school. Patti Blaine and Vicki McCutchon have helped organize school kit, coat, children’s underclothing and uniform drives. The outpouring of donations from CC is overwhelming and #9 counselors cannot thank us enough. Patti also coordinates a volunteer program to help with the reading program at #9 and she is also involved in a mentor program for the older students at the school who are getting ready to move onto middle school.
STEWARDSHIP – Gale Lynch
The Stewardship Committee just completed the 2016 campaign which focused on having small group, in-home dinner discussions. We disseminated the information we collected via the Sunday service bulletin as well as a display on the bulletin board by the drinking fountain. The number of pledge cards submitted will be announced at the Annual Meeting.
SUNDAY SCHOOL & YOUTH GROUP – Gale Lynch
Since October, St. John Fisher freshman Emily Brennan has been working in the Sunday School room presenting Bible-based lessons, activities and crafts to the kids. Attendance ranges from two to six kids. Please help spread the word that we are back to offering Sunday School of substance! Youth Group continues to meet once a month on Friday nights from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Emily Brennan leads Youth Group as well, and Gale Lynch arranges parents to volunteer as the "adult on call". This is a small critical mass of youth who get together for fun each month
TELLERS – Deb VanderBilt
The tellers count the money received from the offering every week. No math skills needed—we use calculators. What you need is the ability to stay after the service until 1:30 or 2:00 without dying of hunger. At present tellers are fully staffed.
TUESDAY BOOK GROUP – Ron Hilton
The Tuesday morning worship and study group is one of the older functions of Christ Church, having been begun by Fr. Bud Thurston. After years of meeting at 7:30 am, we chose in March to shift to 9:00 a.m. We have added two new members and are eager to welcome a few more. On first and second Tuesdays Ruth celebrates Holy Communion for us, and on the other Tuesdays, Mary Ann Wickett provides Morning Prayer. We tend to study fairly serious books, but have been known to read a novel occasionally. The criterion seems to be that of religion or spirituality, although we are now nearing the end of Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens: A Brief history of Humankind. I should add that we always have treats after the worship service as we begin the study activity.
WEDDINGS – Vicki McCutchon
2016 CC hosted fewer weddings than in the past two years--4 weddings, due to the incredible interior painting that was happening in Summer 2016. In 2015 there were 11 weddings and in 2014 there were 14 weddings. For 2017 we already have 7 weddings booked and we are hoping to cap off at 12. This is a significant source of revenue for the church: 7 weddings will bring in $11,900 in 2017. All these weddings could not take place and run smoothly without the great team of Marianne, Moses, Stephen and Lydia [and Vicki! –editor’s note!]. Thank you to all for all of your time, energy and expertise.
The top three ways couples find us are by coming to Compline, Jazz Fest or attending a friend or relative’s wedding at CC. People love how accommodating we are, the incredible music and our beautiful garden and interior for their wedding photos.
REPORT ON DIOCESAN ANNUAL CONVENTION - Mary Pietrzykowski
It was still dark as Deb Vanderbilt and I set out on what felt to me like a pilgrimage to our Diocesan Convention. Pilgrimage is defined as a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance, and for me, as a former Catholic, preparing for, and participating in dialogue and decision making regarding the life of our church, is indeed a sacred experience. I was eager to attend the liturgy at Trinity Church and to see and hear Michael Curry, our Presiding Bishop.
Extending the pilgrimage metaphor, we gathered at Hobart Smith and then walked to Trinity Church for the liturgy. Our theme for song and praise was "Seeing the Face of God in Each Other." We were a joyful, expectant group, on a journey toward celebration of our identity as the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement.
Michael Curry is a powerful speaker. His voice is deep and rich and his preaching style is reminiscent of the Southern Baptist tradition. He is deeply serious about communicating our responsibility to love and care for our brothers and sisters. He is deeply serious, but never overbearing. As we listened, he eloquently laced his message with humor. He demonstrated that he understands the way to hearts as well as minds requires a varied approach.
After the service, the convention got down to business. The main items were Grace Church Lyons changing from a parish to a mission church which will partner with Rural & Migrant Ministry; dissolving St. Paul’s, Montour Falls as a parish and having St. James Watkins Glen take over administration of its parish hall; passing the proposed diocesan budget with the addition of a $900 HRA for retirees; and some minor canon revisions, including shortening the time before convention when diocesan committee nominees have to send in (shortened because of email making it easier to do).
As Deb and I drove home in the early evening, talking about the day, our families and books we were reading, I was reminded that this pilgrimage wasn't over. If the day meant anything, it meant continuing to step out each morning, looking for, and finding, the face of God in each other.
Christ Church Vestry Minutes
December Vestry Minutes
Rector’s Report: Ruth reflected that the past month has been full of all things liturgical, spiritual, and political. We celebrated another Advent Lessons and Carols under Kevin Finnegan’s leadership and the Youth Ensemble gave us a glorious dramatic interpretation of the Gospel the last Sunday in Advent. The formation of Sanctuary at Christ Church has become a venue for parishioners to engage at the local and global level to help the vulnerable as Church. Ruth feels new sense of clarity as priest, perhaps even urgency: the atmosphere of hatred combined with fears for the economic, social, and even physical security of certain individuals and groups in our nation has drawn her into a more active engagement with social and climate justice issues. She emphasized that when we work for justice, we work not as Republicans or Democrats but as Christians.
She also thanked everyone who donated to Standing Rock through St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Fort Yates, ND. Christ Church gave just under $500.00, and the money has been used primarily for firewood, propane and gas, but other things as well. Firewood is extremely important not only in the cold of winter but also the sacred fires of Oceti Sakowin and the other camps must not burn out. Buying firewood is difficult and expensive because locals (racists, pro-DAPL, or both) do not like to sell to natives, so one must travel far and long to buy it. Fr. Floberg makes sure he always brings firewood to the camps. Fr. Floberg told us that our monies would be used also to fund the annual Christmas Dinner that his three mission churches cook for the residents of the three camps on the Standing Rock Reservation. They will feed 600 people in a giant room at the casino in Fort Yates.
Vote on Ordination to the Diaconate: The Vestry voted on the motion that we approve Patti Blaine to Bishop Singh to holy ordination of the vocational diaconate. The vote was a UNANIMOUS yes!
Capital Campaign Report
The Capital Campaign committee has been interviewing firms who submitted proposals. Some things the committee is thinking about and wants the Vestry and church to be aware of:
- A Christ Church capital campaign is a spiritual journey requiring of us much prayer and work.
- A capital campaign to be successful requires a significant commitment of time by the church leadership and others.
- The consultant does not do the gift ask. We do it directly with the potential donor
- Capital campaign is not limited to raising money for capital projects/repair. It would include the establishment of a capital reserve fund, a mechanism for planned giving, and a fund for mission outreach.
Finance Report
There was discussion about the budget and the need to add line items for a Sunday School teacher/youth and an additional $500 for the garden for mulch.
December monthly summary: December income includes $14,370 in pledges that were pre-paid in December 2015 resulting in a total income of about $313,350. Expenses were about $351,400 resulting in a 2016 deficit of about $38,000. In December income increased by about $44,200 and expenses increased by about $22,900. There were no extraordinary items of income or expenses, although Pledge Envelope income increased by about $19,000.
Property Report:
Ongoing projects include:
· North Aisle Roof repair – CSTM Roofing will complete the replacement of the roof over the north aisle of the Church and install new flashing along the area of façade. CSTM has also provided a painted sealer over the roof above the Church entrance on East Avenue. Bero Architects was hired to serve as the project manager and has provided a post construction report. This work is substantially complete with a sealer to be applied next spring.
· Sacristy Roof Leak – CSTM Roofing investigated the source of the leak in the roof over the Sacristy and applied a sealer in the area where it was leaking. The leak has stopped and the work is complete.
· Lawn Street Façade Study – Christ Church was awarded a $4,000 grant for Sacred Sites to cover the cost of an architectural study for the repair of the façade.
· Chancel Lighting – We are working with Newton Lighting Enterprises on options for improving the lighting in the Chancel, Nave and Narthex areas. They have provided a report for our review that would change current lighting to LED bulbs. There are no savings for RG&E incentives with this proposal. A report on the lighting proposal will be submitted in January.
Warden’s report
The Executive Committee met with members of the Meal and More board. Their board has been reduced to 5 people from 8 and they are spread very thin. Christ Church supports A Meal and More and wants to help. Their biggest need is more members on the board. The executive team from Meal and More was given an open invitation to meet with the CC Executive Committee every month so that we can be in communication. Lois Jones will serve as a liaison if they have questions about Christ Church.
Vestry on Call reports
Why have lectors’ names stopped appearing in the bulletin? Response: There are too many times that the readers change at the last minute. There is a lot of prep for the bulletins and they need to go to print by Thursday morning. It ends up working against our goal of knowing each others’ names if the names and readers don’t match.
From the Archives
Thanks to the loan of books from Christ Church archivist Mary Schultz, The Song will be highlighting some excerpts about Christ Church history in this and future issues. We are fortunate to have two history books that were written about the church, Christ Church: A Story-Chronological, by Jane Marsh Parker, covering the years 1854-1905, andChrist Church Rochester: The First Hundred Years 1855-1955, by James Demcey Hendryx.
Part V Please watch this space: we are looking into the histories of some of the donated items in Christ Church such as the angel where the lectors read, the statue of Mary, and other beautiful items.
