ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
14 State Street Brockport NY 14420
Annual Meeting January 19, 2014
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WORSHIP
JOY – that is worship. There are many ways to be involved in worship – choir, acolytes, lay readers, chalicists, and the list goes on. Get involved by connecting. Training provided as appropriate. See specific areas for contact information.
Acolytes serve our Celebrant at the altar. This is a service open to anyone 10 years-‐old or older (no upper age limit). Contact Anthony DeRose (723-‐3616, [email protected]).
Altar Guild members prepare the altars for all regularly scheduled services, along with any special services. Contact Linda Kruchten-‐Merring (465-‐1077, [email protected]).
Amnesty International (AI) is an integral part of both our Sunday services on a monthly basis. AI coordinators choose the Prisoner of Conscience. Contact Dane Emens (964-‐8191, [email protected]) and Jennifer Skoog-‐Harvey (637-‐2248, [email protected]).
Chalice Bearers assist the clergy in the administration of Holy Communion. Contact Krista+ (637-‐6650, [email protected]).
Eucharist Visitors take the Eucharist to persons who are unable to come to our regular services. Contact Krista+ (637-‐6650, [email protected]).
Lectors read the lessons of the day and lead the congregation in the reciting of the Psalm. Both services have their own lists of willing lectors. Training is provided by the church. Contact Cas Dubicki (303-‐3775, [email protected]).
Liturgical Arts and Design Team explores creative ways of enhancing our worship experience while respecting our liturgical traditions. The team uses voice, dance, instruments, color fabrics, icons and sacred items to create worship experiences using all our senses. Contact Krista+ (637-‐6650, [email protected] and Brenda Tremblay (637-‐2297, [email protected]).
Music ministry is an offering of the choir at the 10 o’clock service through the school year. Contact Brenda Tremblay (637-‐2297, [email protected]).
Ushers & Greeters hand-‐out bulletins and assist those arriving for services, along with providing the count of attendees and taking up the Eucharistic elements. Greeters welcome newcomers or those returning after a hiatus from attendance. Contact Ricki DeBaun for ushers (637-‐4681, [email protected]) and Sue Holm for greeters (621-‐8696, [email protected]).
EDUCATION
Adult Education at St. Luke’s offers a variety of education opportunities, such as our Bible Study that go deeper into the Gospel through informal discussion, as well as liturgical calendar offerings. Contact Krista+ (637-‐6650, [email protected]). Episcopal Centered Children’s Program provides a Sunday School Curriculum for ages 2 and up based upon lessons from both Godly Play Resources and OTHER Episcopal materials. Godly Play is a Montessori based program that uses storytelling to teach the liturgical calendar and Episcopal traditions we hold dear. Children's Christian Formation works in connection with Rev. Krista and other church committees to expand our lessons into outreach ministries and church wide fellowship. We are currently working on creating ties with other Youth Groups in our area to provide social and spiritual opportunities for our youth ages 12-‐18. Contact Robin DeRose (723-‐3616, [email protected]).
MINISTRY
St. Luke’s has a long and varied history of active social ministry and has been designated a Jubilee Center by the National Church since 2000. St. Luke’s is committed to outreaching ministries, as well as ministering to each other. Brockport Ecumenical Clothing Shelf gathers and distributes free clothing to the greater Brockport area communities. There are six Brockport churches that voluntarily coordinate and staff the Center which is housed in St. Luke's basement. Contact Staci Vergin (cell: 469-‐3961, [email protected]). Brockport Ecumenical Food Shelf provides food and other household items to those in need. Parishioners donate items weekly and specially requested items as needed. Contact Linda Krutchen-‐Merring (465-‐1077, [email protected]). Brockport Ecumenical Outreach Committee is committed to being a bridge between farm workers, farmers and the rest of the community. The board consists of member churches, which includes St. Luke’s. BEOC meets every other month at St. Luke’s. Contact Bill Plews (637-‐3665, [email protected]). Dining Divas’ goal is to celebrate the women of St. Luke's through laughter, new friendships and making social connections through monthly dining. Contact Laurel Avery DeToy (637-‐0712, laverydetoy @hotmail.com). Luke’s Harvest Kitchen provides free nutritious homemade soup and bread dinner and socialization to anyone in our community. St. Luke's Harvest Kitchen is open every second Sunday of each month from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. Contact Nancy Plews (637-‐3665, [email protected]).
North Porch invites parishioners to donate clothing and basic necessities for newborn infants of mothers in need in Brockport and the surrounding area. Contact Linda Schmackpfeffer (259-‐1304, [email protected]).
PASTORAL CARE
Pastoral Care – The Pastoral Care Team is a network of members helping “pastor” our members with visits, home communion, cards, flowers delivered at Christmas and Easter, with an occasional “take-‐out meal” delivered after an event. Contact Krista+ (637-‐6650, [email protected]).
FOCUS TEAMS
Communication Team – We use The Spire, marketing, and website as tools to communicate within and beyond our parish family. Contact Ginny Campbell (638-‐6273, [email protected]) or Keith Ewanyk (305-‐7389, [email protected]). Finance Ministry Team -‐ Advisors to the Vestry in all matters concerning the fiduciary responsibilities of St. Luke’s. Contact Rob Banzer (395-‐9343, [email protected]). Parish Life Team – This team plans and implements a wide range of activities for our parish members, giving them opportunity to interact socially, strengthen the concept that we are a parish family. From dances to game nights to parish picnics, we strive to create events for persons of all ages. Contact Robin DeRose (723-‐3616 [email protected]). Stewardship – Currently there is no formal stewardship team, however, stewardship exists all around us. “Good stewardship centers upon the conversion of people, not the collection of more dollars.” There are many ways to commit to good stewardship and many already in action on a more informal basis. If you are interested in helping to bring
stewardship to a new level of awareness within St. Luke’s please contact a member of Vestry. Welcoming Team -‐ All of us are considered to be members of the welcoming process. The Welcoming Team meet on a fairly regular basis to focus on specific areas of welcoming that include involving and engaging the congregation, as well as making our church home welcoming to all who walk through our doors. Contact Sue Holm (621-‐8696, [email protected]).
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Lawn and Garden -‐ Each year, especially during the growing season, a group of volunteers work on the lawn and gardens around St. Luke’s and the rectory. Bushes are pruned, mulch is spread, gardens are cultivated, weeds are pulled, leaves are raked, sidewalks and gardens are edged, grass is mowed and the snow removed from the sidewalks and entrances. Cleaning Crew -‐ Parishioners volunteer to offer stewardship as a response for the gift of our beautiful historic buildings. We pick up clutter, clean, polish, sweep and vacuum. Contact Ralph Crane (747-‐9679, [email protected]) or David Keller (815-‐3158, [email protected]).
ELECTED AND APPOINTED OPPORTUNITIES
Clerk of Vestry is appointed by the Vestry and serves to record the actions of the Vestry.
Delegates and Alternate Delegates to Diocesan Convention are elected to serve 3-‐year terms, with 1 delegate and 1 alternate being elected each year. Duties include attending District meetings several times a year and attending the annual Diocesan Convention.
Pledge Secretary records weekly donations, provides quarterly pledge/donation reports to those donating, serves on the Finance Committee and provides an annual overview of pledges.
Treasurer/Assistant Treasurer work closely together attending to the financial needs of the parish for: paying bills, completing payroll functions, completing bookkeeping entries, maintaining bank balances, preparing financial reports, monitoring the yearly budget, maintaining insurance information and communicating with the diocese necessary financial information regarding parochial reports, portfolio information, insurance needs, loan information and audit requirements. The treasurer and/or the assistant treasurer present financial information to the Rector, Wardens and Vestry each month. The treasurer and assistant treasurer also sit on the parish’s Finance Team, who prepares and recommends to Vestry the yearly Budget and other financial situations as they arise.
Vestry members are primarily responsible for authorizing the financial and business decisions of the church and for maintaining the parish property. Vestry members serve for three years and may seek reelection for another term. There are nine Vestry positions, plus two Wardens.
Wardens chair the Vestry and assume the administrative responsibility of the rector when the Rector is absent. The office of Warden is for two years, but may seek reelection for another term. The first year of service is as the People’s Warden, with the second year serving as the Rector’s Warden.
CONTACTS
Acolytes Anthony DeRose 723-‐3616, [email protected]
Altar Guild, Brockport Ecumenical Food Shelf Linda Kruchten-‐Merring 465-‐1077, [email protected]
Amnesty International Dane Emens 964-‐8191, [email protected] Jennifer Skoog-‐Harvey 637-‐2248, [email protected]
Adult Education, Eucharist Visitors, Liturgical Arts and Design Team, Pastoral Care Rev. Krista Cameron 637-‐6650, [email protected]
Brockport Ecumenical Clothing Shelf Staci Vergin 469-‐3961, [email protected]
Brockport Ecumenical Outreach Committee Bill Plews 637-‐3665, [email protected]
Chalice Bearers, Lectors Cas Dubicki 303-‐3775, [email protected]
Communication Team
Ginny Campbell 638-‐6273, [email protected] Keith Ewanyk 305-‐7389, [email protected]
Dining Divas’ Laurel Avery DeToy 637-‐0712, [email protected]
Episcopal Centered Children’s Program Robin DeRose 723-‐3616, [email protected]
Finance Team Rob Banzer 395-‐9343, [email protected]
Greeters, Welcoming Team Sue Holm 621-‐8696, [email protected]
Liturgical Arts and Design Team, Music ministry Brenda Tremblay 637-‐2297, [email protected]
Luke’s Harvest Kitchen Nancy Plews 637-‐3665, [email protected]
North Porch Linda Schmackpfeffer 259-‐1304, [email protected]
Parish Life Team Robin DeRose 723-‐3616, [email protected]
Ushers Ricki DeBaun 637-‐4681, [email protected] Updated January 2014
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The Annual Meeting Address to the Congregation of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Brockport, New York
January 19, 2014 The Rev. Krista Cameron, rector
As Christians living in an intentional community, every year we gather to reflect on what we have done and look at how we will support our current year’s ministries, staff, and buildings. We will do all of this in the context of worship and celebration through celebration, prayer, and the sharing of meals together. As I travel back and forth to church, I listen to audio books. Currently, I am listening to a light, British mystery that has an Anglican priest as its lead character. He describes an upcoming church meeting as an “eat, pray, plan gathering.” It fits for us today doesn’t it? This Sunday’s scripture readings have much to offer us in the way of reflection, focus, and purpose. Paul says to the church in Corinth:
“To those who are called to be saints… so that you are not lacking any spiritual gift…while waiting for the revealing of Christ’s work around us.…
you were called into community in fellowship.” Paul makes it pretty clear what the early church was called to do. Granted, they were waiting for Jesus to return quickly, but it still rings true for us today. He gives us an identity. We are saints. We are God’s holy ones! He tells us what we are called to do:
1. Wait for the revealing of Christ’s work around us 2. Live into community and fellowship with each other 3. Use our spiritual gifts
We also hear in Psalm 40 of a person testifying to trusting God. The truth proclaimed in this psalm is that those who have remained faithful by not turning to false gods or leaving the community in impatience will see the revealing light of new life and hope. The joy in remaining faithful to God rings out in these words:
God has put a new song in my mouth How great are your wonders and plans for us!
Isaiah, the prophet also has an insightful message for us this morning. He tells the faithful Israelites; who are living as refugees, they will be coming back home! God will take the survivors and restore them. Finally, the gospel of John is where we find our calling in very clear ways. The gospel of John is called the Book of Signs. The book itself reveals the physical and spiritual nature of Jesus working in the world. To the writer in this particular community of Christians, Jesus is the revealer of God’s grace and love. It is said that this is a story of God; not Jesus. Here is the reasoning behind this statement.
Jesus always points to God; not himself John always points to Jesus; not himself
Do we point people to God through our knowledge of God through the life of Jesus? John’s gospel tells us over and over again to “bear witness” and “remain” with God. Here at the start of the gospel, the disciples of John respond to Jesus’ invitation to “Come and See.” These disciples remain with Jesus all day! Later, in this gospel, “abide with me” is a term used over and over again by Jesus. As they travel along, Jesus wants them to stay close and learn a “new song” about God.
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Have you ever invited Jesus to remain with you all day as a spiritual discipline? As part of a children’s formation program in one of my former churches, we had a travelling Jesus doll. This doll was soft, cuddly, beautiful, and good sized. The children loved it! They took turns taking the Jesus doll home with them. A small journal went with Jesus. They were to write about their experiences and share their stories with us the following Sunday. The children took Jesus everywhere with them. Sometimes Jesus travelled hidden in their backpacks or stayed in the car. Soon, the adults wanted to take Jesus home with them! They loved telling their stories with Jesus. Jesus celebrated their birthdays, went to school, played in sports, and went shopping. Jesus even attended funerals with them. Jesus was “abiding” with them through the image this simple Jesus doll. We all need these gentle and sometimes simplistic symbols of Jesus to remind us we have a God that loves us all day long; through all life experiences. This is the most important lesson a young child needs to learn. As experienced, sometimes cynical, sometimes sad adults have we forgotten we are still God’s beloved children? Let’s continue with our scripture message this morning. Not everyone is called to be a preacher, but everyone is called to testify to their faith journey and share their stories with others. John pointed out Jesus in the crowd and revealed his identity. Jesus then asked these few disciples of John a question and an invitation:
“What are you looking for?” “Come and see.”
Andrew, one of the disciples, then invited his brother Simeon (who became Cephus or Peter) to see Jesus. Jesus then invited Phillip to follow him. Phillip invited his brother Nathanael. Soon, many new disciples were following Jesus. They were learning about a new way of seeing the world through the eyes of a God of compassion and mercy, peace with justice. I have heard it said, that our faith stories are personal, not to be private. Here at St. Luke’s, we are learning to share our faith stories through our personal testimonies. We all benefit from sharing our faith with each other. We tell these stories during the time of making our recommitment to God, our church, and its ministries. The very first homily I ever preached was during my second year in seminary in 1992. This was in front of my professors and peers. I was very nervous! I had never spoken in public about the Bible before. It was on or around St. Andrew’s Feast Day November 30th. I still have my notes on that little homily. I diligently learned everything I could about Andrew and the assigned scriptures. I learned that Andrew was a “behind the scenes” evangelist. He followed in the wake of his brother Peter. It did not mean he was a lesser evangelist. He just had a different approach. He didn’t speak in front of large crowds like his brother, but he invited people one by one.
1. Andrew brought his brother to Jesus Mt. (1:40) 2. Andrew brings the young boy who had 5 loaves and 2 fish to Jesus (Mt.6:8) 3. Andrew helps to bring some Greeks to Jesus who want to meet him (Mt. 12:20)
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As Paul reminds us; we are the communion of “saints.” I see many of you working behind the scenes doing your ministries. Some of you are becoming preachers in your own right. Some of you continue to invite people one by one. We all have spiritual gifts we are called to share in our community. Our annual meeting starts with our call to worship and ends in our Parish Hall. We will “eat, pray, plan” together. You will “come and see” what we have done, what we can do, and what it will take to do our ministries. We will look at our needs to support our work with God. This work is all about revealing the light of Christ in ourselves and in those we serve. As is our custom, you will receive:
1. A new church directory to connect with others in our community 2. A new Ministry Booklet to find a place to share your own gifts of ministry 3. Pictures to reveal who we are and what we have been doing together! 4. The Annual Report which includes our “year in review.”
Once a year at this time, your rector shares her hopes and dreams for the coming years. I can also share with you what I have been doing to support my own sense of ministry. In 2013, I have chosen to keep my continuing education money in the “bank” as I save for my sabbatical time. I still took some local courses in 2013.
1. Writers and Books: Creative Writing; a 10-week course supporting writers and assisting in sparking creativity. 2. 3rd Presbyterian Church: The Enneagram as a tool in understanding personality and its
use in spiritual transformation. 3. Attended the yearly ecumenical Lenten retreat in preparing for Lenten preaching. This
year Bishop Matthew Clark led our retreat. 4. Received 2 certificates for completing workshops sponsored by The Institute of Spiritual
Healing and Aromatherapy held in our church. We had an exciting 2013 year in the recognition and celebration of being a church in our community for 175 years! In 2014, two very exciting things will be happening.
1. The creation of a Visioning Team to assist us in focusing and setting specific goals. 2. A 3 month Sabbatical for your rector with the support of a Sabbatical Team, the diocese,
and all of you. Your wardens and rector, with the support of vestry, invited some of our former wardens to discuss leadership at St. Luke’s and how we can move forward with trust and faith. We asked them to consider taking a leadership role on a new Visioning Team. Kelly Vergin and Dan McLaughlin agreed to help facilitate this new team. The first task was for Kelly and Dan, along with vestry, to come up with a list of leaders to join this team. We now have a team in place that met for the first time January 9th. Our next meeting is January 23rd. We plan on meeting every other week for 6-9 months. We will be supported by the diocese and possibly a trained facilitator. The plan is to come up with a strategic plan. We will offer many focus group discussions during this time on the various aspects of ministry. If you recall, we did something similar during Lent two years ago. This visioning process will be more in depth and broad in scope. It will assist us in developing a focused mission with specific goals for the next few years. During this time, we will continue to do our ministries. This process is to both enhance what we are doing well, while creating new ways of being a viable church. Members of this team are Kelly Vergin, Dan McLaughlin, Sue Holm, Ralph Crane, Ginny Campbell, Keith Ewanyk, Ruthann Tryka, Nicole DeRose, Linda Kruchten-Merring, and Larry Tallman.
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We are excited about our ministry and working with all of you. We will be reporting back to you each month on what we are doing and what we ask of you. After gathering information from you, this team reports back to vestry for next steps for strategic planning. Another exciting event in 2014 is my sabbatical. In our diocese, a 3 month sabbatical is available for clergy after each five years of ministry. I have been involved in ministry for 23 years; 18 as an ordained leader. With the vestry support and advice, I have put together a Sabbatical Planning Team. Team members are Ann Frey, Kelly Vergin, Jennifer Skoog-Harvey, Sue Holm, Ralph Crane, and Anthony DeRose. We have met a couple of times and will meet again very soon to plan out the coming months prior to and during my sabbatical. Here is a glimpse of my tentative schedule and plans:
1. July: Attend a 30-day guided retreat on the Ignatius exercises on the gospel and spiritual transformation. This is fully funded by a diocesan grant and my continuing education money. It is held at Conzaga Eastern Point Retreat House in Gloucester, Massachusetts
2. August: Debrief and then head out on a solo cross country road trip with my dog; Dancey-girl and my tent. We will travel to Wyoming and beyond to visit my colleague and friend, Robin Chance.
3. In September, I will visit family and friends, camp, read, write, and enjoy life in simple ways.
4. We will all be invited to read a book together. When I return we will gather to discuss and enjoy fellowship in small groups.
Now back to the immediate future. It seems we all enjoyed the teaching and preaching series during Advent. I would like to do another teaching/preaching series prior to our Bishop’s visit on March 9th. This time, I would like to present a teaching series to reacquaint ourselves with the history and traditions of our Episcopal faith. This is an opportunity to learn more about our church and its teachings. Stay tuned in the coming weeks. I have always wondered what Jesus and the disciples discussed together that one day long ago. They spent the entire day with Jesus! In the culture and society we now live it, it seems time is precious. Let’s begin to spend a little bit more time with God and each other in the coming year. Jesus invited his Jewish sisters and brothers to learn new ways of living with God, let us consider the same as the church of Jesus. We are we continually called to do?
1. Continue in the apostle’s teachings and fellowship and in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers.
2. We are called to persevere in resisting evil and return to God. 3. We are called to proclaim by word and example the good news of Jesus God through
Jesus. 4. We are called to seek and serve Christ in all people. 5. We are called to strive for justice and peace among all people.
These are taken from our Book of Common Prayer and are considered our “calling cards” as affirming, active adult Christians. We have the opportunity to reaffirm our calling when the bishop comes for his annual visit. If you haven’t been “confirmed,” this would be the perfect time for you. In a reversal of roles; why don’t we ask Jesus to “come and see” us! We may not need a Jesus doll to help us realize God is always with us, but we do need each other along with our sacred scriptures and holy food to sustain and nurture us all the days of our lives.
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We might be more apt to listen to the voice of change if we just knew Jesus was with us. During Advent, I said that the church can never go backwards to the way it was in the 1970-1990’s. We have stories and people to remember, but we must travel forward with our faith intact. We will need to bring the best of what we do forward. Our ministries can always be improved upon. We should never become too comfortable or complacent about what we do. We will need to reflect on what we do and ask the hard questions. As we heard it said this morning, we are called to restore and renew ourselves as God’s people of faith. How will we do this? We have a choice to make:
1. We can live abundantly by sharing what we have with our community. Your vestry has already committed to sharing 10% of an unexpected gift from the Morgan Trust.
2. We can be curious about our future. We can make a commitment to gathering together to ask questions and offer suggestions. We will listen to each other with generosity and patience.
3. We can see new possibilities and not be afraid to try new ways of being God’s church. Or
1. We can let scarcity rule our lives as if we have nothing to share or give to others. 2. We can let fear take control of our lives that makes us stop and refuse to move forward. 3. We can let rigid control take over where the spirit used to invite us to see thing anew.
Let’s take the best of our past and go dancing into our future—with God and with each other. Come and See! Be a part of the change! We are called into fellowship with the saints those past, present, and yet to come! The book I have chosen to set as an example for us is I Sing a Song of the Saint of God. Remember these words from our Bishop about the focus for our diocese: Radical Hospitality Passionate Spirituality Thoughtful engagement Remember these words we selected for our focus as a church: Caring for us Caring for others Worship We have our focus, now it is time to set a new vision and specific goals. Let us go forth into the world rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit working in us and around us!
MISSION STATEMENT OF ST. LUKE’S
The community of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is called together by God to celebrate and live out the Word of God in the Episcopal tradition through joy of worship, by being an active presence in human struggle, and by growing and learning together in love and
fellowship in Christ’s name.
2014 ANNUAL MEETING Sunday, January 19, 2014
AGENDA
Opening Prayer The Rev. Krista Cameron Welcome and Introduction The Rev. Krista Cameron
Sue Holm Acceptance of 2013 Annual Meeting Minutes Sue Holm Election of Officers Ralph Crane Presentation of 2013 Budget Summary & 2014 Budget Jean Brundage & Vestry Committee Reports Krista+ Recognitions Krista+ Closing Prayer Dear Lord, Thank you for bringing us together, this day, to share this meal and to share in the work of our church. Please help us to plan and make decisions that will serve you and St. Luke’s to the best of our ability. Help us remember that our love for you and for each other is the most important thing of all. AMEN. Adjournment Sue Holm
ST. LUKES’ EPISCOPAL CHURCH BROCKPORT, NEW YORK
ANNUAL MEETING MINTUES SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013
The 2013 Annual Meeting of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church was opened during the one church service at 9:00 am on January 27 by Rev. Krista Cameron. People’s Warden, Susan Holm, read the list of nominations and asked if there were any nominations from the floor, provided the nominee had been previously asked. Ralph Crane was nominated for People’s Warden and Keith Ewanyk and Nancy Plews for members of Vestry. In lieu of a sermon, Rev. Krista Cameron highlighted our accomplishments during the year 2012. (ref. Krista’s Report in the Annual Meeting Report) A breakfast was provided by the Vestry and at 11:15 the meeting was reopened with 37 adults in attendance. Copies of the 2013 Annual Report and 2013 parish directories were made available. A MOTION was made and seconded to approve the 2012 Annual Meeting minutes as found in the 2013 Annual Report. The minutes were unanimously approved. The following names were put forth for Members of Vestry: Ralph Crane - People’s Warden Term expires January 2015 Keith Ewanyk Term expires January 2015 Nancy Plews Term expires January 2016 The following names were put forth for Convention Delegates: Dick Frey - Delegate re-election Term expires 2016 Gail Dubicki - Alternate to Convention Term is expiring and is eligible for re-election. She will be asked if she wishes to continue as Alternate. A MOTION was made and seconded to close the nominations accept the slate. The motion was unanimously approved and nominees were elected. With this meeting, the terms of Rector’s Warden, Kathy Kristansen, and Vestry members Dennis Lysy, Jennifer Skoog-Harvey and Sue Ward are ending. Kathy was recognized for her many years of service on the vestry and she was given a gift in remembrance. Dennis, Jennifer and Sue were also recognized and thanked. The new vestry members were introduced. The remaining vestry members, treasurer, assistant treasurer and clerk were also thanked for their service.
A complete list of 2013 Vestry and delegates follows. The 2012 Budget Summary and 2013 Budget were presented. Jean Brundage and Sue Holm clarified and commented on the budget. They pointed out that we are comparing the budget to 2011 not 2012. The paid staff have received a 2% raise, funds for supply clergy have been reinstated and maintenance budget has been restored to the 2011 level. A MOTION was made and seconded to receive the proposed 2013 Budget. The motion was approved unanimously. The Budget will be formally approved at the February Vestry meeting. We have received many blessings from gifts which have been given to us. Louie and Joan Smith’s daughters have given a $15,000 gift to improve heating in the sanctuary. Parish hall renovation and improvements will begin thanks to the Hill Bequest. We received an income check of $5,000 from the Morgan Trust. A plaque recognizing the history of the building at 109 Main St., as the former rectory of St. Luke’s, has been designed and created. It will be installed on the building in early spring.
The inscription reads:
St. Luke’s Rectory This house was purchased by St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in 1868 to be a home for the Parish Priest and his family. The building was immediately enlarged and updated in the Italianate style popular at that time. It was home to twenty-two Rectors over the course of the next one hundred and eighteen years.
Included in the Annual Report, are Krista’s + yearly list of ‘thank yous’ and recognition of ministries. Recognition and thanks were also given to:
� Vestry for providing the breakfast � Margy Ashley, who has since moved, for her dedicated leadership as worship
leader/chalice coordinator and Parish Life facilitator. We will miss her and her lively presence among us
� Dick Frey – for his dedicated work as Pledge Secretary � Rectory Ad Hoc team for their facilitation of a lease and, most likely, sale of the building
at 109 Main St. � Brenda Tremblay as our talented and dedicated Music Director � Debbie Turner as our dedicated office secretary and ‘minister of the office’ � Parish Life team for wonderful events during the year � Linda Kruchten-Merring for her dedicated work as Vestry Clerk
Also, see pages 9-39 in 2013 Annual Report for reports from various teams and ministries.
A MOTION was made, seconded and approved to adjourn the 2013 Annual meeting at 12:30pm. Kathy Kristansen closed the meeting with prayer.
Respectfully submitted, Linda Kruchten-Merring Clerk of St. Luke’s Vestry * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
2013 Vestry
Rector’s Warden Sue Holm 2014 People’s Warden Ralph Crane 2015
Vestry Members
Nancy Plews 2016 David Keller 2015 Robin DeRose 2014 Ed Hefke 2015 Ann Frey 2014 Keith Ewanyk 2015 Dane Emens 2014 Delegates to Convention Alternates to Convention
Linda Kruchten-Merring 2014 Gail Dubicki 2013 Barb Deming 2015 Dick Fry 2015
A year in Review at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Brockport New York
in the Year of our Lord 2013
• Epiphany Progressive dinner with our Bishop Prince Singh and his wife Roja • They also stayed the night at the Victorian B&B and then celebrated with us the next
Sunday morning. What a nice way to start our “2013” year of celebrating 175 years in our Brockport community!
• Continuing with our Tuesday evening Bible Study conversations with the gospel of Luke in our upstairs Chapel/Library this group claimed as their sacred learning space
• Continued with our Dining Divas monthly dinner out at the Red Bird Café • Continued our monthly Harvest Kitchen under the direction of Nancy Plews, Jeanne
Derefinko and all the other wonderful volunteers in our church and in our community. We also received a diocese grant to help fund our regular supplies!
• Continued our monthly Amnesty International Urgent Action campaigns • Continued support of our North Porch Ministry assisting new Moms and babies • Participated in the 2nd annual Ecumenical Progressive Dinner sharing desert
responsibilities with our Methodist friends • Krista+, Jessica Longstreth, and Josh Barrett were on Happening #1 design team and
Sarah Banzer and Jack Tremblay attended as first time “Happeners;” a faith transforming teen weekend retreat. This is a national church sponsored teen program.
• Parish Life offered a Bingo Game Night • Our rectory was sold to our new neighbor Kevin Johnson, Esq. We are awaiting final
sale. • Holy Week with Krista+ renewing her vows with her colleagues on Tuesday; a yearly
custom with our bishop • Bishop Singh returns to confirm Josh Barrett on Easter morning! • Baptized Delany Hope Schultz on May 19th • Heating improvement project in the sanctuary completed with gift money from the Louie
and Joan Smith family • The Hill Bequest, from our endowment for specific church improvements, funded the
following projects o New and energy efficient lighting in the sanctuary, hallways, and parish hall with
new ceiling tiles as well o Outside window repairs and improvements o Men’s bathroom renovations sharing space with a new supply closet o Parish hall and hallway floors refinished in August o Painting project and other improvements to be completed in spring 2014 o All renovation projects facilitated by Jon Bell and Ed Hefke—many thanks!
• R&MM along with BEOC rode the bus to Albany for Farm Worker Day to be a witness and testify to the rights of our farmworkers
• 2013 Celebration Committee invited everyone to an Ice Cream Social in Sagawa Park after services on June 23rd
• Larry and David were married on June 29th! • The Art Festival had a new booth this year; BEOC! • Brenda offered a wonderful community music program in July and August—thanks! • We had our annual book sale and hot dog stand thanks to the many wonderful members
who helped and supported this important fund raiser and communication connection event every year. Many thanks!
• Celebrated the marriage of Ray and Lee on August 24th! • Celebrated the life of Leon Zastrow with a Memorial Service on October 12th • On October 20th, we had a reception for ourselves and our community in celebration of
St. Luke’s Feast Day and our 2013 celebration. Our mayor proclaimed “St. Luke’s Day” in our community and also attended our reception.
• Thanks to Red Bird for catering this wonderful celebration! • Krista+ invited 3 guest speakers/preachers; Joy Bergfalk from the Coffee Connection;
fair trade coffee employing women in recovery in our city, Rev. Richard Witt; R&MM Director, and Chet Fery our local “Breadman”
• Many of us attended the Harvesting for Justice Symposium and Dinner, where Barb Deming received the first annual George Exley-Steigler Award
• Celebrated the life of Ralph Smith with a Memorial Service on November 2nd • Our Diocesan Convention was hosted by Asbury United Methodist on East Ave. where
our Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori was our guest presider and preacher. Youth issues were a focus and Josh Barrett was on a panel discussion on youth violence. Our delegates and many others attended all or part of this event.
• During the year, we also honored the lives of those who had died: Sara DeFilipps, Clifford Donahue Jr., Lucille Yantz, Phillip Heiler, Elizabeth Sorel and Chester Good
• Advent focused on a teaching series on possibilities based on Diana Butler Bass’ book; Embracing Spiritual Awakening
• Baptized Eva Sullivan, Daniel and Aaron Hoff during Advent • Celebrated our first one service Christmas Eve at 7:00pm • During the year, we continued to host many groups, such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, AA
and many new ones too
Highlights of Krista’s 2013 year
• Spoke at our Village Board meeting with other members of our 2013 Celebration Team about St. Luke’s and our celebration year
• Participated on a second discernment team for Christ Church, Pittsford as clergy/diocese support as a member discerned God’s call to ministry
• Co-Spiritual Advisor/team planner/participant for Happening #1 • Continued monthly gatherings with local colleagues in the village • Attended and participated in our ecumenical VBS program • 2nd year volunteering at Christ Church downtown at the Jazz Fest • Assisted and led prayer at the 9/11 service at the Brockport Fire House • Assisted in the dedication of a corner of the Fire House Museum in honor of
D. Scott Warthman • Participated in a 10-week Enneagram workshop at 3rd Presbyterian. The Enneagram
is based on the transformative power of utilizing this ancient, complex system of understanding personality and the essence of each individual.
• Took a reading week in place of continuing education in anticipation of my sabbatical in 2014
• Enjoyed bimonthly meeting at our homes with our wardens • Enjoyed home visits with folks and celebrating each Sunday morning • Enjoyed working with our creative staff; Debbie and Brenda • Pleased that Linda Kruchten-Merring and Anthony DeRose have lead morning prayer
for us and also reflected on the gospel • Enjoyed spending time over the holidays with my family • Enjoyed my annual dance festival with friends • Enjoyed visiting with my friend, The Rev. Robin Chase
Rector’s Warden Report for January 19, 2014 Annual Meeting
Once again I am honored and privileged to serve St. Luke’s as Warden. I am ending my third term in this elected leadership position that in sum can be said to be rewarding and challenging. I am grateful for the dedicated leaders on Vestry who serve St. Luke’s well in this capacity as well as offering their time and talents in other important ministries at St. Luke’s. A special thank you to Dane Emens and Ann Frey who continued on Vestry for two additional years after their initial terms ended, and also Sue Ward who recently came back on Vestry after her term ended in January 2013. In October we celebrated our 175th– remembering our past and honoring the present – it was a simple and fitting celebration. I was able to attend the Village Board meeting when the proclamation for St. Luke’s was read – very moving. St. Luke’s shines in all that we do. The parish hall and heating enhancement projects gave testimony to people’s commitment to improving our church home whether it be by financial giving and/or moving these projects forward. Missions and ministries abound with very dedicated people giving of their time and talent. Most of our ministries get our attention and action by helping out with Harvest Kitchen, signing a card for Amnesty International, “working” at the Clothing Center, donating food and baby items. However, oftentimes no one has signed up to host coffee hour. We struggle to get people to serve on Vestry. We need to make sure we aren’t relying on the same people. There comes a time when we need to look at what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. This doesn’t happen with the flick of a switch; it takes careful review and planning although in a timely manner. In an annual report written about eight years ago, I shared that a rector’s role is 24/7 and this is still true today. Clergy responsibilities include preaching and offering worship in the Episcopal tradition, making the Gospel relevant in people’s lives and managing the business of the church including finances, liturgy, personnel, and building use as well as an expectation that the Rector support our ministries. There are other areas that might not be so visible, such as visiting our members who are homebound, pastoring a family in time of need, preparing for a memorial service for a parishioner, attending the Bishop’s bible study to name a few. I am mindful that being in a leadership position is not always a popular road to be on; not everyone is “happy.” Sometimes people chose to move forward in different directions; sometimes people strengthen their connection with St. Luke’s. In my opinion, what matters is that our personal journey is a testimony to our faith
by unconditionally and purposefully trying to live out the call to action in the Gospel and our Baptismal Covenant.
Communication is an area we could improve on. We have great ways of communicating such as the Spire, website, weekly bulletin, Friday flyer, and announcements at services. I’m talking more about the one-on-one conversations and connections. We have talked at Vestry about the importance of making sure we are transparent in decision making and discussions, etc. and sharing this information so that people know what’s going on and in a timely way. I believe and hope this is an area that Vestry will continue to work on. Being a small church that functions at such a full and fast pace can sometimes impede our efforts to communicate. We get so caught up in what we’re doing that sometimes we don’t stop to make sure that others who may need to know are informed and aware of what’s going on.
We have had wonderful blessings in 2013. Yet we have challenges ahead of us in a real way whether it be financially, Sunday attendance, or giving of our time. Challenges present opportunities. The connecting rod is we need to work together. As I mentioned in the January Spire, my hope for St. Luke’s in 2014 is that we embrace our future whatever it may hold, as it will be God’s Plan. I feel that first and foremost, the leading questions need to be: Where does God want us to go and what’s best for St. Luke’s? I close with the following: Excerpt from Bishop Singh’s letter in Winter 2013 issue of Tidings “The writing on the wall is clear: Congregations that are not discerning their purpose and developing a roadmap to get there are destined to fade away. I am sorry if that sounds melodramatic, but really, every congregation has to choose between managing decline and growing in spiritual and missional ways. Please continue to stop, learn, pray, discern, plan our path, invest, and trust in God.” Amen.
Respectfully submitted, Sue Holm
NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE
The Nominating committee was formed at the November 2013 Vestry meeting and members are listed below. Members serve until the Annual Meeting, when the Chair nominates the slate of officers. Members of this Committee are asked to solicit nominations from the Congregation, check names with the Pledge Secretary to make sure nominees are pledging members, and encouraged to place their names on the ballot.
The Nominations Committee members: Ralph Crane, People’s Warden Robin DeRose, Vestry Member Dane Emens, Vestry Member
Ann Frey, Vestry Member Sue Holm, Rector’s Warden Jennifer Skoog-Harvey, former Vestry member
The Nominations Committee met December 1, 2013. Following are discussion highlights from the meeting: Reviewed open positions for Warden and Vestry: Reviewed the "Role of the Vestry" document that is a combination of what we have used in the past as well
as some bullets of sample Vestry job description from the Vestry Resource Guide. Suggested changes have been incorporated into the document as well as the number of open positions and terms.
Talked about the importance of working as a team and group dynamics. Ann will work on a December Spire article that will include the information on the Role of the Vestry and ask
members to submit names to Nominations Team Each of us submitted names for consideration and will ask people and provide updates. Would be good to get an 8:00 person for purposes of Vestry on Call. Ralph shared his thoughts on possible warden candidates.
Currently, we do not have a full slate to offer for election. The names of those accepting the nominations are being presented for election at the Annual Meeting to be held on January 19, 2014.
Existing Warden and Vestry Members after terms of Warden Sue Holm and Vestry members Robin DeRose, Dane Emens, Ann Frey, and Sue Ward end:
People’s Warden moving to Rector’s Warden: Ralph Crane; term expires January 2015 Vestry: David Keller; term expires 2015 (will move to People’s Warden) Vestry: Keith Ewanyk; term expires 2015 Vestry: Nancy Plews; term expires 2016
Open Vestry positions two positions; term expires 2015 (includes position vacated by David Keller (becoming Warden)) two positions; term expires 2016 three positions; term expires 2017
For election –Warden and Vestry People’s Warden: David Keller; term expires January 2016 Vestry: Sue Ward; term expires January 2015 (Sue was appointed in October 2013 for a four-month term
ending January 2014) Vestry: Rob Banzer; term expires January 2016
Note: after election, and if no nominations from the floor, remaining open Vestry positions will be five. Vestry will work to hopefully fill/appoint people to open positions.
For election – Delegates and Alternates Delegates to Convention Alternates to Convention Ginny Campbell; term expires 2015 Gail Dubicki Dick Frey; term expires 2016 Linda Kruchten-Merring Bill Plews; term expires 2017
Respectfully submitted, Sue Holm, Nominations Committee
Narrative for 2013 and 2014 income and expenses 2013 was a challenge for St. Luke’s financially and that will continue into 2014. We are operating in a deficit situation, a trend which has unfortunately occurred more often than not over at least the last ten years. Following are some informational highlights:
• Over the last ten years, in most instances, we have had to rely on using at least $6,000 annually from our portfolio. Portfolio money is managed by Genesee Valley Trust in partnership with the Diocese.
• In 2010 and 2009, development grants from the Diocese in the amounts of $7,000 and $8,000, respectively, were a source of income for St. Luke’s in addition to the portfolio withdrawal.
• In 2012, the Rector offered to reduce her salary and Vestry accepted. The choir director and parish secretary did not receive any salary increases in 2012. Other areas such as clergy supply, organist supply, and clergy and choir director professional development were reduced to zero. Most of these were reinstated for 2013.
• For 2014, Krista+ has again offered to reduce her salary and while Vestry was appreciative the consensus was to decline at this point in time.
• The rectory was a good source of rental income for many years but that has ended. Soon the rectory will be finally sold and some of the proceeds from the money will be used to close the 2014 deficit. A good portion of the remaining money will be put in the portfolio and some will be used to pay off a Diocesan loan for the rectory roof replacement several years ago.
• There has been a decline in pledge income of approximately $10,000 from 2013 vs. 2014. The year 2008 presented a challenge for pledge income as well – actual received was $105,500 (budget was $108,000).
• The heating improvements have helped toward having 2013 heating cost below budget and that has a positive impact on the 2014 budget projection. Electric costs continue to rise due to increased rates and have been analyzed for potential savings.
In 2014, the Finance Team will meet on a more regular basis to assist Vestry in reviewing our income and expenses and our portfolio in addition to looking at ways to reduce expenses. Some of the areas that will be addressed are the annual apportionment from the Diocese, office expenses, reviewing fees/donations we receive for use of our building.
St. Luke's 1/13/14 Vestry meeting for annual meeting
INCOME
Budget
2011
2011
Actual Budget 2012(1)
2012
Actual
Budget
2013
2013
Actual
Budget
2014
Our Pledge Income 123,000 121,059 118,232 127,475 122,000 120,779 112,000
Our Special Offerings
Easter, Christmas 3,000 2,505 3,000 1,996 3,000 3,033 2,000
Plate - loose offering each Sunday 1,500 1,857 1,500 1,525 1,500 1,467 1,500
Income from other sources
Rent 109 Main 8,400 3,500 8,000 8,000 9,600 6,827 0
Donations to use our buildings 2,000 1,550 2,000 2,265 2,200 2,215 2,200
Portfolio Withdrawals 6,000 6,000 6,000 5,430 6,000 0 0
Interest on Bank Accounts 50 32 50 12 10 144 50
Altar Flowers 1,000 2,122 1,000 1,760 1,000 1,595 1,000
Fundraisers 6,000 4,611 4,000 4,238 4,000 2,273 2,500
Development Grant 2,000 2,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Miscellaneous 500 853 500 463 500 1,073 50
Total Income 153,450 144,282 121,300
Deficit/Shortfall 4,169 5,378 14,629 20,830 37,461
Funding from Savings to offset deficit (2014) 37,461
TOTAL OPERATING INCOME 157,619 146,089 149,660 153,164 164,439 160,236 158,761
(1) 2012 budget was based on rector's salary reduction (including SS and pension), no salary increases for other paid staff and other misc. items
(2) $6,000 not drawn from portfolio; budgeted deficit of $14,629 and $6,000 = $20,629/difference -$200
EXPENSES
Budget
2011
Actual
2011
Budget
2012(1)
Actual
2012
Budget
2013
2013
Actual
Budget
2014
Our Ministries 17,216 17,553 18,053 18,158 19,465 18,827 19,784.00
Diocese Apportionment 12,816 12,816 15,403 15,403 15,865 15,865 16,659
Social Ministry 1,000 853 500 500 500 500 500
Christian Education 500 368 250 336 400 383 250
Adult Formation 500 99 0 0 500 145 200
Diocesan Convention 400 356 400 0 400 0 75
Music (includes $100 annual license) 300
Worship Supplies 1,000 1,190 500 700 800 699 800
Altar Flowers 1,000 1,871 1,000 1,219 1,000 1,235 1,000
Our Church Home 25,275 24,568 25,752 24,651 27,671 24,327 24,394
Heat 11,000 10,571 11,000 9,111 10,000 6,740 7,000
Electric 2,500 2,194 2,500 2,103 2,000 2,934 3,000
Water 210 109 210 108 125 102 125
Maintenance 2,000 2,099 1,000 1,915 2,000 1,149 1,500
Instrument Maintenance 700
Taxes (water district) 40 20 40 30 35 30 35
Fire Alarm Monitoring 900 884 900 937 950 937 950
Insurance 7,500 7,691 7,500 8,110 8,600 8,474 8,600
Development Loan Interest 1,125 1,000 1,125 975 2,484 2,484 2,484
Sibley Loan Payment 0 0 1,477 1,362 1,477 1,477 0
Our Church Office 9,700 9,497 8,500 9,972 9,700 11,387 10,575
Office Copier Contract/Maintenance 4,200 4,188 4,200 4,188 4,920 5,683 5,450
Office Expense 1,600 2,072 1,400 2,330 1,080 1,526 1,500
Advertising 500 302 0 0 500 210 250
Postage 1,000 658 500 712 600 904 750
Telephone/Internet 1,600 1,572 1,600 2,004 1,900 2,342 1,900
Paychex payroll prep 800 705 800 738 700 722 725
Our Staff 103,828 101,423 95,755 95,049 103,103 102,643 102,908
Clergy Salary 51,624 51,639 50,000 50,000 52,656 52,656 52,656
Clergy Social Security 7,898 7,210 7,650 6,650 8,056 8,056 8,056
Clergy Pension (quarterly) 10,714 10,590 10,377 10,347 10,928 10,928 10,928
Clergy Travel Reimbursement 2,400 805 0 0 0 0 0
Clergy Health Insurance 5,496 5,496 5,532 5,856 6,324 6,324 6,888
Clergy Professional Devel. 1,000 970 0 0 500 300 500
Clergy Supply 800 917 0 0 600 541 0
Sabbatical Fund Clergy Supply 600 500 0 0 600 600 600
Music Director Salary 10,506 10,505 10,506 10,506 10,716 10,716 10,930
Music Director Social Security 804 804 804 804 820 820 836
Music Director Professional Development 500 500 0 0 200 200 200
Substitute Organist 600 600 0 0 600 400 0
Secretary Salary 10,112 10,113 10,112 10,112 10,314 10,313 10,510
Secretary Social Security 774 774 774 774 789 789 804
Misc 1,600 1,261 1,600 1,539 4,500 3,051 1,100
Fundraising 1,100 1,261 1,100 905 1,100 505 600
Miscellaneous 500 500 634 800 280 500
175th Ann Exp 0 0 0 0 2,600 2,266 0
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSE 157,619 154,302 149,660 149,369 164,439 160,235 158,761
BALANCE SHEET
14/1/14 Current Year Prior Year13/12/31 12/12/31
ASSETS: Cash in Bank
Chase Checking $7,320.54 $21,880.41Chase Savings $66,605.29 $12,264.62
Chase Memorial Savings $8,927.17 $4,070.40Rector's Discretionary $422.84 $0.00
Total Cash in Bank $83,275.84 $38,215.43
UNRESTRICTED FUNDSDiocese-‐Endowment 1 $112,832.44 $49,662.90
TEMPORARILY RESTRICED FUNDS:Diocese-‐Hill Endowment 2 $25,000.00 $50,000.00
Diocese-‐Capital Bldg $15,567.72 $12,899.87Diocese-‐Memorial Fund $7,438.18 $6,163.37
Diocese-‐ Music Fund $2,074.36 $1,718.83
RESTRICED FUNDS:Ashley Endowment Rector DF $5,400.00 $5,309.12
Total Investments $168,312.70 $125,754.09
1 Includes $30,375 (3 of 4 quarterly deposits) from Morgan gift money received in 20132 $25,000 of Hill Endowment used for Parish Hall Projects
TOTAL ASSETS $251,588.54 $163,969.52
BALANCE SHEET
LIABILITIES: 2010 Loan from Diocese (CDL) $4,916.88 $8,000.00 2009 Loan from Diocese (CDL) $12,000.00 $12,000.00
2008 Loan from Diocese (CDL) $19,000.00 $19,000.00 2011 Sibley Loan for Roof Rep. $16,508.17 $17,555.63TOTAL LIABILITIES $52,425.05 $56,555.63
FUND BALANCES Unrestricted Funds:
General Fund $2,125.26 $20,817.53 Diocese-‐Endowment $112,832.44 $49,662.90
TEMPORARILY RESTRICED FUNDS:Portfolio Restriced Funds:
Diocese-‐Hill Endowment $25,000.00 $50,000.00Diocese-‐Capital Bldg Fund $15,567.72 $12,889.87Combined Memorial Fund $16,365.35 $10,233.77
Diocese-‐Music Fund $2,074.36 $1,718.83
Rector's Discretionary Fund $422.84 $0.00Designated Funds:Designated Funds:
Contingency Reserve $4,543.03 $6,965.45Clothing Ctr $1.75 $455.83
General Discretionary $538.35 $0.00Amnesty International $0.00 $50.00
Mens Bkfst $0.00 $19.10North Porch $269.36 $1,070.48Parish Life $90.31 $67.28
Prof. Dev-‐ Clergy $1,217.99 $367.99Harvest Kitchen $2,203.87 $1,910.27
Kitchen Renovation Fund $0.00 $155.00Rectory Fund $0.00 $2,266.10
Special Offering Fund $0.00 $0.00Sabbatical Fund $600.00 $0.00
Morgan Trust Fund $51,082.38 $0.00Giving Back Fund $9,000.00 $0.00
Smith Heating Fund $2,253.53 $0.00Sub-‐total Designated Funds $71,800.57 $13,327.50
RESTRICTED FUNDS:Ashley Endowment $5,400.00 $5,309.12
TOTAL FUND BALANCES $251,588.54 $163,959.52less liability adjustment $52,425.05 $56,555.63
TOTAL LIABILITIES & FUNDS $251,588.54 $163,959.52
2013 FUND RAISER REPORT
PROJECT NET RECEIPTS EXPENSES
Pancake Bfst 83.60$ 83.60$ -‐$
Book Sale (start up cash) 824.80$ 824.80$
Recycling 56.30$ 56.30$
Hot Dog Sale 803.40$ 1,308.00$ 504.60$
Total Fund Raisers 1,768.10$ 2,272.70$ 504.60$
Respectfully Submitted,Jean Brundage, Treasurer
2013 Memorial Fund Annual Report
Balance Forward 12/31/2012 #######
Deposits/Donations #######
Interest 2.67$
Disbursements 320.90$
Balance 12/31/2013 ######
Respectfully SubmittedJean K Brundage, Treasurer
PLEDGE ANNUAL REPORT for 2013 Final 2013 contribution statements have been prepared and sent out this past week to 83 households of which 71 were pledgers. As always these summaries reflect the accuracy and efforts of our counters. Join me in thanking Gail and Cas Dubicki, Barbara Kays, Sue Holm, Mike Roffe, Susan Sharp, Laura Sullivan, Ruthann Tryka, Kelly Vergin, Barbara Whited, and the late Leon Zastrow for their dedication and good work. Of the 71 pledgers in 2013, 51 fulfilled their pledges (and 25 of those gave beyond it). Several of the 20 pledgers recorded as not reaching their pledged target paid them up in the first few weeks of this new year. Notice that the number of pledgers I report here (71) does not match the number (63) in the breakdown below for 2012. That’s because at the time of preparing these Annual Reports, not all the formal pledges for the year ahead have been received. This is particularly true this year; 20 pledgers last year have not sent in pledge forms for 2014. The numbers in the breakdowns below always reflect the situation at the time this Annual Report is prepared. Envelopes or contribution numbers for 2014 have been distributed or established for 86 households. Within that group, formal pledges have been received from 49 persons or families. The 49 received pledges include 23 that have been increased (3 more than last year), 10 that were decreased (12 last year), and 1 from a person new to St. Luke’s. PLEASE COMPLETE AND SEND IN A PLEDGE FORM IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY DONE SO. Breakdown of pledges by yearly amount: 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 $ 0-260 (or up to $5 per week) 11 7 11 7 7 6 261-520 (or up to $10 per week) 9 15 13 13 10 8 521-780 (or up to $15 per week) 8 7 7 4 4 5 781-1040 (or up to $20 per week) 6 10 10 8 10 5 1041-1560 (or up to $30 per week) 9 12 11 18 11 9 1561-2080 (or up to $40 per week) 8 7 4 5 4 3 2081-3640 (or up to $70 per week) 6 8 10 9 10 6 3641-8400 (or to over $165 per week) 6 8 8 7 7 7 Total Pledging ------------------------ 63 74 74 71 63 49 The dollar total in pledged income from the current 49 actual pledges for 2014 is $90,852. Some additional pledge income for 2014 can be expected from the 20 families or individuals who have not yet pledged ($16,168 paid last year) and the 15 families or individuals who didn’t pledge last year but nonetheless contributed money to St. Luke’s ($2,719 last year). The 2014 budget figure of $112,000 is a reasonable target. Dick Frey, Pledge Secretary
175th Anniversary Committee
Committee Members: Ginny Campbell, Robin DeRose, Keith Ewanyk, Sue Holm, Sue Ward
Envelopes and letterhead heralded the 175th logo, and two banners were created and displayed throughout the year. One was displayed in front of the church, and the other was displayed in the Parish Hall.
The stained glass windows were photographed by internationally recognized photographer John Myers, who provided his services to St. Luke’s free of charge, because he said, “It was in service to the Lord.” The photo images have been used in various venues.
Prayer cards with the stained glass image of St. Luke were printed and distributed at the culminating Open House in October.
Fifty sets of prayer cards, with the images of the 10 side stained glass windows and the St. Luke window were printed and made ready for distribution.
In June, an ice cream social, hosted by Dane Emens and Jennifer Skoog-Harvey, and sponsored by Jimmy Z’s, remembered the Victorian-era and St. Luke’s beginnings. The social was held in Sagawa Park.
The Village of Brockport presented St. Luke’s with a proclamation, recognizing St. Luke’s long history of service to The Village of Brockport and surrounding community. A letter recognizing St. Luke’s history, service and designation of honor as a Jubilee Church and its place on the New York State and National Lists of Historic Places was also received from the Office of the Governor of New York. An article appeared in the Suburban News following the official reading of the Village of Brockport proclamation.
In October, St. Luke’s feast month, an exhibit of St. Luke’s stained glass windows was on display at The Seymour Public Library. The exhibit included 8” x 10”
photo prints as well as descriptions of the windows, the names of the individuals that were being honored by the windows and those who commissioned the work. Seymour Library staff reported that, “We have never had an exhibit like this. Many people stopped to look at the display.” Service hours and contact information were included in the display as well as an invitation to join us for Sunday worship.
The commemoration and celebration of St. Luke’s 175 years of Worship, Service and Community culminated in October in a special worship service with a theme that spoke to “home,” specifically our church home, and was followed by an open house, to which the Parish, public officials and special guests were invited. The open house honored the workers who oversaw and executed the extensive building renovations that took place throughout the year, and was catered by The Red Bird Café, with desserts provided through Cheesy Eddie’s.
A video was created by Keith Ewanyk, highlighting events throughout St. Luke’s history and the history of the Village of Brockport and the nation. Keith and Bill Henderson kept the Web site up-to-date with reports on the events and activities throughout the year. The Alter Guild prepared a display of traditional, historic vestments and artifacts, and created an exhibit in the Parish Hall.
Also in October, The Brockport Village Museum created and installed a commemorative panel, featuring the Main Street and surrounding churches. The panel was dedicated October 20, and St. Luke’s was represented at the ceremony.
Currently, a book to highlight the year of celebration is in production and will include images of the stained glass windows and photos take at events throughout the year. A sampling of collateral materials have been collected to be placed in safe keeping—a time capsule—for future generations to look back on and ponder their understanding and perspective of the history of St. Luke’s.
By Ginny Campbell and Keith Ewanyk
2013 Annual report for St. Luke’s Music Department
“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” - J.S. Bach
YOUR CHOIR
Four hundred years after J.S. Bach declared music the oxygen of the spirit, we enjoy a vibrant, multi-generational music program at St. Luke’s thanks to the generous and committed musicians of our choir: Becky Cousins, Janet Brodesser, Bill Henderson, David Keller, Larry Tallman, Dennis Lysy, Don Tremblay, Sue Ward, Jocie Rowley, and Jean Brundage. We were sad to lose a few members this year. Beloved tenor Ralph Smith died in October, and the choir sang one of his favorite anthems, Edward Bairstow’s I sat down under his shadow, at his memorial service. Other significant losses: Jessica Ashley moved to Georgia, and tenors Nate Rhodes and Josh Barrett moved away to college. We miss them all!
In 2013, we’ve been happy to welcome Molly Steele and Janet Connor. Guest singers Lynda Krens, Kristen Jarvis, and Sid and Etha Bolton have been part of our ministry on special occasions. We are still in need of a soprano and bass so we can take on the challenges of all the resources in the library. If you’re been feeling a need to connect with fun and loving people in Brockport, St. Luke’s choir welcomes you. There’s no audition. We will meet you where you are, musically speaking. We meet Wednesdays at 7:00pm and we are small but mighty.
INSTRUMENTALISTS This past year, our ministry has been enriched by many instrumentalists of all ages, including trumpeter Jim Steele (who generously played two services on Easter Sunday morning), trumpeters Jim Sutton and Cody DeToy, guitarists Don Tremblay and Rob Heywood, Allison and Nicole DeRose, violist Mona Seghatoleslami, pianist and clarinetist Randy Pollok, Brockport High School cellist Monika Eggenberger, and bassist Jack Tremblay.
David Keller and Larry Tallman continue to inspire and delight in countless ways.
THE ORGAN St. Luke’s made its first major investment in St. Luke’s organ in decades this year, tuning the organ and fixing some of the “dead” notes. Bill Henderson volunteered to take on this daunting project, and there’s not enough ink in the ocean to express my gratitude to him and technician Joe Barone. Now that our 1960’s electronic Allen organ has been restored to a certain level, Bill is planning a regular maintenance schedule to keep it in
good shape for the next generation. Thank you to Bill - and to the Vestry - for investing in the future.
SUMMER RENAISSANCE! For the very first time, St. Luke’s opened its door for a summer reading group open to the whole community. Brockport High School Chorus director Elizabeth Banner was hugely helpful in lending copies of madrigal books and getting the word out to young musicians. On Thursdays in July and August, people gathered from all over the area to sight read music for the sheer fun of it. On our fullest nights, we welcomed about 30 people, including a gentleman from Keuka who even brought a recorder to play. This was a multi-generational, ecumenical effort that sparked new friendships and at least one unsolicited donation to the church.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT In the winter and spring, St. Luke’s supported my taking voice lessons at the Eastman School of Music with DMA student Andrew Gilchrist. Since then, I’ve been teaching what I’ve learned about the mechanics of good singing to St. Luke’s Choir members. Andrew came out for a one-night workshop at St. Luke’s in the
spring, working one on one with our singers. It was an intimate and beautiful experience, and all of our singers learned something valuable.
OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS Rochester chamber choir Madrigalia with director and composer Cary Ratcliff offered a lovely Christmas concert that was well-attended in December. Some St. Luke’s choir members attended concerts together, including a performance by the professional ensemble VOICES and the musical Oklahoma at Byron-Bergen Central School, directed by Larry Tallman. It was wonderful! Jocie Rowley hosted a summer picnic at Lake Ontario. Thank you.
NEW MUSIC St. Luke’s music library expanded substantially this year, adding new anthems by Felix Mendelssohn, Carson Cooman, Hal Hobson and other major choral composers. Through a bizarre and happy coincidence, Bruce Leslie donated about $600 of new organ music to our collection. (It’s a long story I’d be happy to relate at coffee hour.)
It’s been a year of growth and opportunity at St. Luke’s, and there’s been so much going on I may have forgotten to mention someone or a specific event. My apologies. And please accept my sincere gratitude for everything the Vestry and parish does to support music at St. Luke’s.
Respectfully submitted, Brenda Tremblay Director of Music
Altar Guild Annual Report – 2014 The Altar Guild of St. Luke’s is a ministry of love preparing the altar for worship and caring for many of the objects which make services beautiful, dignified and holy. This includes care of our linens, silver, brass, candles, the bread and wine. Our members include Jean Brundage, Svetlana Emens, Barb Hefke, Dottie LeSchander, Nancy Reynolds, Nona Spitzner and co-chairpersons, Linda Kruchten-Merring and Sue Ward. Prior to special services such as Easter, Christmas, and the Bishop’s visit, we gather to polish the brass and silver. We purchase our sacramental wine from O-Neh-Da Winery in Conesus, New York. We set up for all special services and occasions including funerals, memorial services, weddings, and baptisms. Nona obtained a glass cover for the credence table. Svetlana has taken on the responsibility acquiring and arranging beautiful plants for the Easter and Christmas seasons. For our 2014 Celebration, Sue Ward displayed some of the ancient and fragile vestments that are in our storeroom. We would be very eager to speak to anyone who would be interested in learning more about the Altar Guild and perhaps joining our ministry.
Respectfully submitted, Linda Kruchten-Merring and Sue Ward
Buildings & Grounds 2013 has been an important year as St. Luke’s celebrated its 175th anniversary. The buildings, listed on the NYS Registry of Historical Sites, continue to serve as the gathering place for worship, service, and community. During this past year, three major projects were completed with stewardship serving as the catalyst in supporting, expanding, and building relationships in ministry. Sanctuary Lighting Project: Early on in the year, a plan for sanctuary lighting was developed with four goals in mind. These goals included: creating a brighter environment, energy efficiently, less maintenance by reducing the frequency for light bulb changing and cost effectiveness. Representatives from Maynard’s Electric in Rochester visited St. Luke’s, surveyed the sanctuary lighting and presented a recommendation on how we might achieve the four goals. Vestry approved the recommendations and authorized the purchase of 48 LED light bulbs and 8 flood lights which would service the eight chandeliers. In addition, 17 LED spot lights were installed above the chancel and choir area. A large wooded scaffold was constructed and all of the fixtures were re-lamped. The new mercury free light bulbs resulted in 75% less energy and 25% more light. Longevity expectation is approximately 6 times longer than the conventional light bulb and funding for almost half of the cost would come from a National Grid program entitled “The Energy Initiative Rebate Program.” Excellent planning and extensive conversations with the “experts,” Maynard’s Electric and National Grid, have resulted in a brighter and more welcoming sanctuary. Heating Enhancement Project: This project was made possible by a generous gift from Anne Smith and Carol Jelinek, daughters of Joan and Louie D. Smith Jr., long-time faithful and active members of St. Luke’s. The family desired a warmer sanctuary during worship services. Clark Whited, long time faithful servant of our heating program, in consultation with Isaac Heating out of Rochester, provided the vestry with a list of improvements that would support the present boiler and provide systemic improvements to the heating system. These improvements were completed this past spring and include:
§ Installation of an aqua-stat to the present boiler § New outside bilco door and new concrete foundation § New insulated enclosure and insulated door inside the undercroft § New hanging heater in the undercroft under the sanctuary § New wall heater in the vestibule entrance § Improved heating in the sacristy § Relocation of the thermostat § Installation of control switches on the two blowers and connection to thermostat § Weather proofing the red doors, as well as, the bell tower doors.
The goal of providing more heat to the sanctuary flooring and the entrance area was achieved. In addition, keeping out as much of the cold air as possible was also achieved with the improvements to the outside bilco door and new inside door enclosure constructed in the
undercroft. Improvements to the red doors and bell tower doors also assist in keeping out the cold air. Again, excellent planning and extensive study resulted in the completion of a plan of action that will serve St. Luke’s in the years ahead. Parish Hall Improvement Project: This project was made possible by a bequest from Lucinda Hill, daughter of Dr. John L. and Laura M. Hazen, members of St. Luke’s from years ago. The Parish Hall is a gathering place for many church related events, as well as, community ministry. A comprehensive needs assessment was approved by Vestry and funded through the Hill Bequest. Improvements included: creating a new storage area with shelving, updating the men’s restroom with new flooring and fixtures, installing new light fixtures and new ceilings throughout the Parish Hall and upgrading the hardwood floors. The beautiful wooden floors were sanded and refinished to match the kitchen floors which were refinished during the kitchen renovation project several years earlier. Damaged ceilings in the stairwell and second floor classroom were also replaced. The two large outside bay windows were rebuilt, repaired and repainted. The 47 exterior window frames were covered with metal framing. The chancel dormer was repaired and sealed plus the installation of a new window and metal flashing were completed. Finally, the entire Parish Hall, first floor hall, stairwell and eventually the outside fire escape have a fresh coat of paint. By October of this anniversary year, each of the improvements, noted in the needs assessment, were met. The Parish Hall, built in 1903, was not only visually and structurally improved but also became more welcoming, accommodating and ready to serve. Above provided by Jon Bell
Addendum to Buildings and Grounds Report The building projects that took place during the first part of the year were managed superbly by Jon Bell and Ed Hefke. In early July, Jon announced his intent to retire effective September 1st from active involvement in ministries at St. Luke’s, including buildings and grounds. Ed also chose to retire in early September. Both Jon and Ed have been faithful stewards of our church home for a good number of years – job well done to both! Rev. Krista Cameron and Wardens Ralph Crane and Sue Holm met with Jon in early August to talk about transition of leadership in the buildings and grounds area. Jon provided extensive reference documentation to assist in this process. Ralph took the lead to review and assess the needs in the buildings and grounds area and to look at new ways and means of continuing the weekly essentials, maintenance, and other necessities. Several church members have agreed to assist in these areas and we are still fine tuning these responsibilities. We are grateful for the people who have routinely offered their time to maintain our buildings and grounds by cleaning the interior, mowing the lawn, removing the snow, and pruning and planting our beautiful gardens. Rectory: The 2013 annual meeting Rectory Ad Hoc report communicated the intent to move forward with the plan to sell the rectory to our current tenant, Johnson Property Holdings, LLC, an established and reputable law firm with solid roots in Brockport. The Rectory Ad Hoc and Finance Teams met jointly in February 2013. The purpose of the meeting was to determine a fair and reasonable purchase price not less than $100,000 to recommend to Vestry for review and approval and to plan next steps, one of which resulted in retaining the law firm of Heath and Martin in Holley to represent St. Luke’s in this real estate transaction. In early June, the Diocese approved the sale of the property at $114,000 as set forth in the terms of the Purchase Agreement with the provision that the existing loan (approximately $17,000) from the Diocese for the rectory roof be paid in full from the proceeds upon completion of the sale. On June 23, 2013, the Vestry met to formally approve the sale with an anticipated close date in mid-September. 2013 was an incredibly busy year for real estate transactions for attorneys and the courts. We have been met with an unexpected and unfortunate delay in closing the deal in 2013 through no fault of our own. Both Krista+ and Ralph have been extremely diligent in attempts throughout the last several months to bring this transaction to an end. We continue to have faith that the deal will close in January. Above addendum provided by Ralph Crane and Sue Holm
SLB Communication Team Report 2013
Your communications team was formed in late 2012 to address furthering communications between Krista+, the wardens, vestry and the parishioners. The team is made up of Krista+, Virginia Campbell and Keith Ewanyk.
Our goal has been to further communications (via: the Spire, emails, community publications and the web – www.stlukesbrockport.org). A good part of our efforts in 2013 have been focused on sharing the news of St. Luke’s 175th anniversary. Communications have been sent out in this regard to: the White House, state and local government offices as well as the community newspapers.
With the help of Anne Frey, our wonderful Spire (monthly news letter) continues to share SLB news. People who do not have access to a computer or prefer a paper copy will continue to receive the Spire via US Mail or pickup locally. Electronic recipients during 2013 however have noticed a change in this area due to some technical issues. Rather than e- mailing out the Spire each month which could be quite large (due to submitted pictures of our events), Debbie, our parish secretary, is now e-mailing a web link (URL or web address) for the monthly Spire from our website. This saves bandwidth and ensures everyone is getting accurate and up to date information directly from our webpage. Friday Flyer electronic notifications will not change and will continue to be sent on a weekly basis to electronic recipients.
We also have been promoting our ministries and highlighting their mission and history when possible in the Suburban News. Additionally outside of the 175th celebration, we have been working with Debbie and Bill Henderson to promote our news and activities on our webpage.
Speaking of the web, you will notice that we have made a very concentrated effort to keep our website (stlukesbrockport.org) up to date with news and pictures. Additional reference information for our lay readers, acolytes and vestry can also be found here. You can also find out when the next Bishop visit is, old editions of the Spire, information on all of our ministries, as well as schedules and an interactive Google calendar for SLB on our webpage. Want to know what is happening or the schedule for this or that? - then just go to the website! Our website is your information central for any news you may need. Please check it out! We are excited about this media and please stay tuned for updates in this arena. If anyone has any concerns or ideas in this area, please feel free to reach out to any of us.
Thanks for listening and we are sure we will be communicating more with everyone, God Bless.
Submitted by Keith Ewanyk & Ginny Campbell
Dining Divas
St. Luke's Dining Diva's has been meeting for four years now with one single goal -- to celebrate the women of St. Luke's through laughter, new friendships and making social connections through dining. Attendance has varied; with a strong core of women of all ages who attend regularly. The laughter is contagious, the conversations rich! Our favorite restaurant is right here in Brockport -- Jo Matela's, "The Red Bird Cafe." She prepares wonderful dinners and desserts for us to enjoy!
The numbers in attendance have ranged from January - 14; March - 15 and April - 7. This was a "High Tea." We cancelled our September 2013 and January 2014 dates due to lack of availability. Our women assist each other with transportation needs and scholarships are available for those who have need. Staci Vergin has taken a co-leadership role with myself. All women are invited to join us and are welcomed.
Our next event is Monday, March 24, 2014 from 5 pm - 7 pm at the Red Bird Cafe. Dinner is served at 5:30 pm. Our menu consists of Green Salad with oranges and pecans; choice of Beef Bourguignon or Vegetable Stew, Perfect Scalloped potatoes, Seasonal vegetables and Decadent Chocolate Cake! Sign up on or before March 17th. We need 15 ladies to gather and confirm our reservation! Please join us! Questions? Please email Laurel Avery-DeToy at [email protected]. [email protected]
Harvest Kitchen Annual Report 2013 Overview Harvest Kitchen is an outreach that provides a healthy and balanced meal to our community members and provides our volunteers with a rewarding opportunity to serve others. Harvest Kitchen is offered the second Sunday of each month, free of charge to people in the community. We intentionally run Harvest Kitchen like a restaurant with servers waiting on tables, posted menus in English and Spanish, a variety of options for people to choose from and the most recent and popular addition has been adding a dessert tray with several selections available. We also change up the menu depending on the season. Co-Leaders of Harvest Kitchen are Nancy Plews and Jeanne Derefinko. While we are growing, we also continue to draw many of the same people each month, often in family groups including children. We do serve members of the seasonal farmworker community. Many guests who attend regularly appear to have health, financial or other concerns. Our volunteers have donated paper goods, warming trays, hams, bread, soups, casseroles, desserts, ice cream, other staples, flowers, decorations. We would continue to offer menu items that fit the season and a selection of donated desserts that have become very popular with our guests. Harvest Kitchen would continue to be primarily made up of food donated by our volunteers. (A loyal core of volunteers donates prepared food with no expectation of reimbursement.) Harvest Kitchen has become a solid, sustainable offering in our community, supported by the members of St. Luke’s and an enthusiastic group of volunteers who are sincerely committed to making a difference in our community, and enjoyed by anyone who wants to join us for food and fellowship. Target: 40 guests/month/minimum sustained and able to serve 75 during the warmer months when the seasonal farmworkers are in the area. Participation from Parish and Community Members of St. Luke’s who have participated over the past 12 months include Jeanne Derefinko, Annette Locke, Shirley Seever, Beverly Walker, Ruthann Tryka, Nicholas Tryka, Heather Packer, Keith Ewanyk, Ricki DeBaun, Steve Bergmann, Robin DeRose, Dee Fleming, Josh Barrett, Bill Plews, Nancy Plews.
There are additional volunteers from the community and volunteers from Service Groups at the College at Brockport with the Circle K group being the most active.
Harvest Kitchen Budget Income: Funding Sources Other Than the Proposed District Grant Current funds are from donations from community
In Kind Resources (i.e. free rent, donated food) Donated soups, breads, staples, flowers, casseroles
Expenses: Staples are running between $45 and $60 each month. This includes juices, fresh fruit, paper goods, creamers, salad greens and dressing, tuna fish, mayonnaise, sugar, coffee, bread, butter, cheese….
Donations Our volunteers have donated paper goods, warming trays, hams, bread, soups, casseroles, desserts, ice cream, other staples, flowers, decorations. We would continue to offer menu items that fit the season and a selection of donated desserts that have become very popular with our guests. Harvest Kitchen would continue to be primarily made up of food donated by our volunteers. (A loyal core of volunteers donates prepared food with no expectation of reimbursement.) Some volunteers estimate they spend between $25 – $50 (for example on Mother’s Day) on average for their contributions at Harvest Kitchen.
Total Yearly Expenses – $750 not including volunteer donations.
Annual Report – Clothing Center
It has been an exciting year with lots of progress for the Brockport Clothing Center.
The Brockport Clothing Center has seen some cosmetic changes over the last year thanks to several dedicated volunteers. The Brockport High School Key Club, Athletes form SUNY Brockport and an Eagle Scout helped to make several changes with paint, cleaning materials and organizational skills.
The storage room has been redesigned to help accommodate the Food Shelf and the use of the space has made the area accessible to customers more organized and clothing is much easier to find.
The Unitarians are now involved on a regular basis adopting the monthly slots that were previously handled by the Presbyterians who are no longer able to help.
The Center has seen a steady increase in traffic and now serves at least 250 people per month.
We are always in need of additional donations especially men’s casual or work clothes as well as children’s clothes of all sizes.
Special thanks to Heather Packer for organizing a clothing drive on campus and my husband for helping to organize and deliver winter coats collected in October by the Brockport Athletic Department.
I and very happy to report the donations and volunteerism from St. Luke’s and the entire community has stepped up to meet the increased needs.
I encourage you to volunteer for a shift. You will be enriched and uplifted by the feeling of support for our community. St. Luke’s is called to volunteer in the months of February and August.
The continued support of so many members of our congregation makes the job of organizing the staffing on our two months a year a breeze. Thank you so much for your continued support. I would like to especially thank the Tremblay family for continued support.
Submitted by,
Staci Vergin Clothing Shelf Director
North Porch 2013 Report
I would like to say thank you to all the North Porch supporters at St. Luke’s. Those of you who donate baby clothes, diapers, loose change, dollars, and diaper coupons. And those of you who sort and wash baby clothes. Your help is truly appreciated. For those of you who do not know, The North Porch Ministry helps moms in need, who have a newborn baby at home. We provide the moms with a layette of baby clothes, blankets and diapers. You may recall we have a new Location to distribute our layettes as of 2012. After Lakeside Hospital closed, I contacted the Unity Ob/Gyn office in Brockport and talked to Mary Davis who is a social worker there. She was thrilled to hear from us and agreed to distribute our layettes to moms in need with newborn babies. These moms are from towns in western Monroe County (West of Spencerport) as well as some towns of eastern Orleans and Northern Genesee Counties. She assured me that the layettes will be given only to moms who really need them and will appreciate them. During 2013 we gave away about 13 layettes.
2013 Baby clothing collection was a success:
As in years past we held a winter baby clothing collection during Advent. This collection helps us supply warm layettes for the babies born during the winter months. Two other churches were able to participate in our collection.
Ways you can help the North Porch Ministry grow: 1.) Please tell your family, friends, and co-workers about North Porch and our ministry to
help new moms in need.
2.) Many families, employers and organizations are looking for an outreach project to help. Please ask them to consider donating gift cards, money, diapers or baby clothes to North Porch.
3.) Get the kids involved, girl scouts, boy scouts, sports teams, etc. Kids love giving to other kids especially babies.
We can help you get your group organized and learn the joys of giving their time and talents.
Hands on help for North Porch: Thank you to Nicole Derose who has joined the North Porch Team and took on the responsibilities of Team Lead while Linda is in Florida this winter.
We are always looking for people who would like to help us with donations, to wash and sort baby clothes and put together and/or deliver layettes.
If you would like to learn more about the volunteer opportunities with North Porch, please contact Linda Schmackpfeffer at 259-1304.
2013 BEOC Accomplishments
-‐ Led a letter-‐signing campaign across the major churches in Brockport that resulted in 632 individually signed letters supporting comprehensive immigration reform going to US congress people
-‐ Co-‐hosted a Farmworker Day Rally that culminated a cross-‐state RMM tour supporting reform of the State Fair Labor Practices
-‐ Developed a BEOC website (BEOCNY) -‐ Provided significant support to Farmworker Day in Albany including visits to a number of
legislators -‐ Provided financial and personnel support to the GRCC Faith in Action Dinner -‐ Responded to urgent financial needs of several migrant farmworker families -‐ Created a transportation ministry that provided farmworkers with transportation to
immigration, for medical purposes, and for legal assistance -‐ Created and manned a booth at the Brockport Arts Festival -‐ Supported the RMM Harvesting Justice Dinner
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