Annual Parish Meeting
Rector’s report – George Yandell
In my annual reports over the past twelve years, I have said these words, and I’ll say them again: This is your parish. I serve God with you, guided by the Spirit of Jesus. I want to tell what I perceive God has done, is doing, and what God may be leading us to do together.
Do you know what an ‘ear worm’ is? It’s a song or refrain that keeps bouncing around in one’s head – often annoying us. An ear worm can be maddening. The past weeks I’ve been hearing this repeated ear worm – “What a long strange trip it’s been” – from the Grateful Dead’s song “Truckin’”. That’s how I have experienced the life and ministries we’ve extended as Covid restrictions have loosened. It’s like learning how to do Church all over again. Yet it’s still continuing a long strange trip, isn’t it? A vast number of congregations of many denominations across the country have closed or severely cut back their ministries. Our parish has done remarkably well considering all the changes we’ve lived through. If the parish is the bridge for us in living into our baptisms in the company of Jesus, you have been resilient and devoted in serving Christ.
Where is the parish headed? That’s what the newly reconstituted vestry will continue to discern after they start their work in the meeting after this all-parish meeting.
We are now into our 37th year as a parish – the founding parents are almost gone. New members are finding Holy Family and becoming part of the ministering body. The results of our pledge campaign have surprised me and made me most grateful. We added 20 new members in 2022. One member transferred out. Our total active membership now is 264. There were no Marriages, noBaptisms and 7 Burials in 2022. We’ll remember the faithful departed by name in the annual meeting.
Our average Sunday attendance in 2019 was 169. In 2020, our average attendance before we began worshipping outside and online was 146. It was tailing off by early February. In 2021 it was 86. Last year average attendance for our Sunday services was 94. A number more of us report attending our worship services online – I suspect that’s at least 20 more folk on average. This is against the trend nationwide where congregations are experiencing declines of @ 17% per year since covid changed the way people choose to worship, or reinvested in other activities.
For Adult Education online last year, then in person @ 10 folks participated. Online Evening Prayer, Morning Prayer and Evensong has engaged both parishioners and non-members. I am so grateful to those who’ve continued to lead those services.
Plus there were over 110 people who participated in some way in the parish but are not members. Even during Covid, people are finding Holy Family who might not have been aware of us before. Just to note – it’s not difficult to join the parish. Talk to me if you’re interested in becoming a member.
In the diocesan council virtual meeting in November, the financial report showed that in 2021, Holy Family had the 27th largest budget in the diocese of ATL, out of 115 worshipping communities.
You will hear in the annual meeting about the finances in 2022 and the budget the finance ministry approved for 2022 and forwarded to the vestry – the vestry accepted it unanimously on January 17. Because of increased pledge dollars and more folks pledging, and with a good end to last year with good income and less than anticipated expenses, Holy Family is in good condition financially. You are the reason – your pledges have exceeded past years’ tallies, and you’ve set the table for enhanced ministries in this new year. 118 pledges totaling $465,500. Of that total, $40,000 is in new pledges from 13 new pledgers.
These totals are remarkable. Give yourselves a round of applause.
Five years ago, a group of us started strategizing with the diocese to accomplish the final goal in the parish Long Range Plan: “Eliminate the mortgage before refinancing is due in 2023.” Members of the 2019 vestry unanimously endorsed this major step. We reasoned that without mortgage payments we can free the parish for new initiatives in outreach, in ministry, and build a strong platform for Holy Family to thrive into the future. And you now know the mortgage is no longer. It has been burned. As the Monty Pythons might say, “It is deceased.”
I am grateful for all of you, especially as we’re learning how to live in this new era. You keep me focused on what’s most important, and you challenge me and one another to love like Jesus. You can read about the work the vestry and parish leaders have been engaged in over the past year in the annual meeting booklet.
We have added new members to our ministries. They’ve brought strength and purpose. You can read about each ministry’s report in the annual meeting booklet.
Worship: The Worship Ministry is chaired by Ric Sanchez, chief verger. With input from the clergy, vergers, altar guild chair, organist/choirmaster, usher chair, greeters, flower guild and others, we evaluate how services are working, and plan future worship.
After the third Sunday in Lent three years ago, we started taping the services. A crew of us with no experience used cell phones to tape and process the services through Good Friday. Then we had to move out of the nave and have solo worship recording. Michael DeCamp, Steve Franzen, Allan DeNiro and I (sequentially) sweated through the taping sessions, then spent hours trying to upload the services onto Vimeo. The parish had enough funds in a restricted account to build and equip the new production booth. Bit by bit we learned and gained more experience and recruited more volunteers to produce the services. We were able to move back into the nave in early summer last year under strict diocesan guidelines for recording and streaming. The production team members became primary evangelists for our parish. They always welcome new producers, particularly now for sound production. No prior experience needed.
Because of our online presence, folks who didn’t know about Holy Family are seeking us out. Some are contributing online. It is evangelism. Thank you everyone engaged in our services for keeping our liturgy dignified, meaningful, and challenging. You can read Ric’s report in the booklet.
Vestry Initiatives-
Long Range Plan: The new vestry needs to plan for and carry out small group input sessions around the question: “What are the most important things Holy Family should be doing?” This will be the third time parishioners’ combined input has given us direction in updating our Long Range Plan. The LRP guides our work and keeps us on task.
Working with this year’s vestry has been grace-filled. I am most grateful for all they’ve done. See more in Sr. Warden Jeannine Krenson’s report of the vestry. I find it hard as Roger Shultz, Allan DeNiro, and Julie Gooden rotate off vestry. Rosemary Lovelace was elected in last month’s meeting to fill Judy Wyndham’s unexpired term. All of the vestry have done exceptional work over the past year. The calls you made to parishioners, your leadership during the pledge campaign, kept folks plugged in and contributing, against the trends in the prevailing Church culture. Jeannine’s leadership has kept us on track, has generated plans for developing the parish, and has kept me accountable for the whole year.
I’m pleased I get to continue to serve with those remaining on vestry and those who will join us. We actually have fun together, even when we’re focused on sometimes difficult tasks.
Enhancing Stewardship of Money:
In 2022 the vestry employed the Every Member Canvass program developed in 2021. The response in turning in pledge cards in fall 2022 was stronger than last year. The vestry members gave excellent leadership in planning and carrying out the stewardship of money campaign. It was thorough and participatory. The canvass just ended was exceptional. Your pledging has equipped the vestry to meet the levels needed for funding parish ministries. You can hear more about the pledge results and the new year’s budget from Finance Ministry Chair Jim Braley and Treasurer Dan Ciomek in the annual meeting.
Finance Ministry: Read the report of the Finance Ministry to learn the details of our use of your pledge dollars. I am most grateful for all of your work and especially for the leadership of Jim Braley as chair, and our treasurer Dan Ciomek.
Clergy Colleagues: Holy Family is blessed with four clergy who volunteer in service to our parish. Their ministries for us are grace-filled, generous and essential to our spiritual and emotional health. To have colleagues like these is an asset beyond measure. Not only do they preach, serve at the altar, lead EFM classes, and serve in the Worship Ministry, they do pastoral calls and push outreach efforts, but we also have fun together. I am daily grateful for Katharine, Byron, Ted and now Bill Harkins who, with Vicky, has moved back into the Jasper area and back to our parish.
Conclusions: How are we doing in accomplishing the mission of the parish: “Creating Christian Community: Engaging people in vibrant ministry”? Your input gives direction and support as parish leaders plan for stronger ministries. Your volunteering puts the plans into action. During challenging times, your participation is a gift of community we all need more of. You can read about all the ministries’ accomplishments in the annual meeting report.
Most important question: Are you engaged in vibrant ministry? If not, volunteer. Engage yourself in the work of a ministry or committee. Seek a higher plane of engagement with the Spirit of Christ. Speak with the leader of the ministry. Your ministries through Holy Family help fulfill your baptismal promises. You find colleagues and friends you haven’t known before. Being engaged multiplies your joy as you work with others in company with the Resurrected Lord of Heaven and Earth. This is a remarkable community of love, support and nurturing, not only for one another, but for the wider community. I am honored to serve as your rector. G. Yandell