2019

Annual Report

Annual Report 2019 Page 2

Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Colorado Springs

Parish Annual Meeting – Sunday, January 27, 2019

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson, Rector, Presiding

Meeting is Called to Order

Opening Prayer

Appoint Clerk – Define “Qualified voting member” – Call for quorum

January 2018 Annual Meeting Minutes

Opening Remarks and Parish Statistics

Necrology and Prayer for the Departed

Prayer for the Clergy and People

Explanation of the Ballot by the Nominating Committee

Introduction of Officer and Vestry Candidates

Prayer for Guidance

Vote

Rector’s Report

Senior Warden’s Report

Recognition of Retiring Vestry Members and Senior Warden

Recognition of Ministry Chairs

Prayer for the Mission of the Church

Treasurer’s Report

Prayer for the Right Use of God’s Gifts

Presentation of 2019 Budget

Parishioner Comments, Questions and Reflections

Ballot Results and Presentation of the new Vestry Members

Commissioning of New Vestry Members

Commissioning of the Centennial Visioning Committee

Prayer for the Parish

Adjournment

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Rector's Report

At a recent vestry meeting, our Clerk, Chuck Theobald, said something during our check-

ins that stuck with me. He said, “I don’t know how anyone gets through the death of a

parent without a Church community.” To which someone else replied, quite seriously, “I

don’t know how anyone gets through life without a Church community.”

As I stand before you to address my third Parish

Annual Meeting, on the verge of the beginning of

my fourth year as your Rector, I hold that

statement in my heart and in my mind. Even as

the Church, especially the institutional Church,

finds itself drifting increasingly towards the

margins of our national life, Grace and St.

Stephen’s, this Episcopal community in

downtown Colorado Springs, remains a vital

anchor for many of us – an anchor that grounds

us in human and divine community. What we do

is important; it matters. Who we are is important.

It is a humbling experience to be a leader in a

parish in which so many lives are being

transformed by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. I am honestly amazed by the

testimonies I hear in this place on a regular basis. God is really doing something here –

with us and for us and through us. And we get to be a part of that. We get to be

participants in the life-changing work of the Holy Spirit in this place, in this parish, in

this community.

I see so many ways in which the Spirit is moving. I can see it in the waters of the baptismal

font, where this year twelve more people were added to the mystical body of Christ. I

can see it in the tear-stained faces of those who bear witness to the power and grace of

that moment when that newly baptized member is marked as Christ’s own forever.

I can see it as each candidate kneels before the Bishop to be Confirmed or Received –

and there were fourteen this year alone who participated in that holy act of devotion

from our parish. And in that moment a great community that came together at this

church – in Faith-Seeking Journey or in the Regional Confirmation class – surrounds each

candidate in prayer and love. That deeper commitment to Christ and his Church that

happens in the sacramental act of Confirmation begins in the bonds that are formed

here – between Christians willing to share their stories and open their hearts to each

other.

I see the Spirit at work in the newly-formed Grace Café. Under the leadership of Susan

Bassett and Marti Lindberg, and their great team of aproned ambassadors, we are

opening our doors and our arms more intentionally to those who come into this place

hoping to find a spiritual home, hoping to be welcomed by a caring community in which

they can find the unconditional, embracing love of Jesus. It is a joy to see their smiling

faces as those who are new to our community are given a space to share their names

and their stories.

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The Spirit is working through the women of our parish in powerful ways. The Women’s

Fellowship and Book Group continues to go deep. As they share and learn together, the

women are creating a place of true spiritual companionship. And they are doing so as

they boldly explore some of life’s most challenging and vulnerable topics: sorrow and

loneliness, life and true joy. Our chapter of The Daughters of the King, a vowed religious

order of women that is active in our parish, are renewing their commitment to deep

prayer, relationship, and study. Also this year a new group formed amongst our female

members: a spiritual direction group. In this confidential space, the group of women lay

bare the raw places in their souls and are supported and challenged by a community of

compassionate companions.

These offerings join others such as the

Wednesday Parish Bible Study, the

Saturday morning Men’s Bible Study, the

Contemplative Life Group, the Faith-

Seeking Journey, the Sunday Forum,

Community of Hope International,

Education for Ministry, our mid-week

liturgies, Youth Group, Vacation Bible

School, Sunday School as places where

true spiritual growth and formation are

happening consistently. Members of

this community, members of all ages, are engaging deep spiritual questions, are

wrestling with the challenges of this world in honest ways, are entering into open,

vulnerable, and respectful conversation with other members of the parish. In a world

that often is so divided and superficial, things are happening in this place which we

should never take for granted, which can, I hope, serve as an example of what is possible

in this world. We are witnesses to the on-going work of the Holy Spirit.

For me, this is what defines our community. Yes, we have a beautiful building. Yes, we

organize and host some top-notch concerts – Taylor concerts and Jazz in the Garden.

Yes, those are two of the primary ways in which many people in the city know us – that

and the legal issues from last decade. But to me Grace and St. Stephen’s in a place in

which Christ is at the center of who we are and what we do, in which folks long to have

a deeper, more profound spiritual experience, in which lives are being changed, in which

friendships are being formed, in which union overcomes discord, in which hope beats

back despair, in which folks soak in the beauty of holiness, in which God is truly glorified

in word and deed. That is what Grace and St. Stephen’s is to me. That is why it matters

that we are here being about the ministry of Jesus.

We have been joined by many new partners as we continue in this vital work to which

God is calling us. Most of those ministers are not on the parish staff – they are filling our

pews and choir stalls and Sunday School classrooms – but a couple are. This year, after

an epic search process, we welcomed Simon Jacobs to the parish as our new

Organist/Choirmaster. He has become so quickly invested in our common life, it seems

impossible that he has yet to celebrate Easter with us. Simon has brought a renewed

passion and intensity to our music program. His deep love for Anglican worship and

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liturgy is easily evident, as is his extraordinary talent. His gifts and spiritual devotion

will, I hope, bless us for many years to come.

We also welcomed the Rev. Jennifer Williamson to the staff as the Youth Pastor. She just

started her work with the teens a few months ago, but already her tremendous gifts and

loving heart have created a space for our middle school and high school members to

grow spiritually and as a community. She values and respects them, invites them to

explore their gifts and callings, allows them to share openly and honestly. Already the

youth ministry has grown – both spiritually and in participation. I fully expect that to

continue into the future – a future I believe, for our youth ministry, is very bright.

Even as we celebrate the talented people who have joined us, we also know that that

means others have left. In 2018 Bonnie Price and her growing family left us for a tropical

paradise. We appreciate all of the love and care she showed the teens during her ministry

with us. Her impact will live on in those lives she touched.

Even as we anticipate those who will join us in 2019, and as we look forward to the new

ways in which God will continue to lead us this year, we also prepare to say some more

difficult good-byes. At the end of this month we will say good-bye to our Finance

Administrator, Karen Reinking. Though she has been with us only two years, her

outstanding attention to detail and sharp financial mind will undoubtedly benefit this

church long beyond her tenure. Karen has been a delight to work with; she is incredibly

competent. I know I speak for the entire staff when I say that we will very much miss her

sense of humor, her toughness, her skill, and her professionalism. Thank you Karen for

all that you have done with and for us.

We will also have to say good-bye to Fr. Brendan this year. When he started his ministry

with us in July of 2016, we knew that he would be leaving us at the end of May 2019,

almost three years later. But then we got to know him and experienced first-hand his

many charisms, and that makes it much more difficult to say good-bye. It feels like there

could be so much more ministry and spiritual growth in a shared future. And so, we tried

to find ways to continue the relationship, ways for Fr. Brendan, if even in a part-time

capacity, to continue to develop such ministries as the Contemplative Life Group or the

Friday Monastic Noonday Prayer or the Iconography and Celtic Spirituality workshops.

But unfortunately, our mortgage, which devours one-tenth of our annual budget,

continues to make it difficult to staff the parish in the ways that I, and we, would like.

I will miss Fr. Brendan, as a colleague, partner in ministry, and friend. I know God will

continue to work through him in powerful ways. I hope this time with us will provide the

strong foundation on which your future ministries will be built, Brendan. We will miss

you. But, by the grace of God, the ministries that you have planted here will continue to

grow and thrive. Thank you for sharing this leg of the journey with us. And for impacting

this parish in ways that will bear fruit for years to come – in individual lives and in our

collective life.

Today we will present a balanced budget – again. Many churches, in the Episcopal Church

and in the nation, are not able to say that. There are churches today, in our tradition, in

our city, that will be presenting this year deficits in the tens of thousands of dollars. I

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know this to be true because some of my friends pastor those churches. We are

financially stable. That is a gift. We should be thankful.

But once again a balanced budget also means

that we are trading some ministry

opportunities for a clean spreadsheet. Our

income has flattened out of the last few years;

expenses, such as health insurance, utilities,

continue to increase. What that means is that

we are simply doing more with less. And

simply doing more with less does not position

us for the amazing future that I believe awaits

us. I believe God has more in mind for us than

a stability achieved through penny-pinching. I

mean, stability is fine. But I believe God is

calling us to grow and thrive.

And it seems to me and the vestry that the way to do the things we feel God is calling us

to do is to retire the mortgage debt and invest in the present and future ministries of

this church. And so today, at the end of this meeting, we will commission a Centennial

Visioning Committee. This group will be about the work of helping us envision our best

future – one aspect of that work is dreaming with the parish what it might look like to

spend the ninety-thousand dollars a year that currently goes towards debt service on

mission and ministries that further the kingdom of God. Wouldn’t that be something?

God is doing some truly special things in this place. I can feel it. I think you can too. The

wind of the Holy Spirit continues to breathe new life into us and is blowing us towards

an even better future. As we continue to open ourselves to the calling that God is placing

on our lives and on our life together, we will continue to see that future unfold before

us.

This is an exciting time in the long history of Grace and St. Stephen’s. The dark clouds

of the recent past are clearing. We are walking, praying, worshiping into the future God

dreams for us – a future in which more lives will be changed by the power of the Holy

Spirit, more lives will be transformed by the love of Jesus. Beyond the doors there is a

world of people who are looking for a Church community that will accept them, that will

support them, in which they can experience the love of Christ and feel the presence of

the Holy Spirit, that will journey with them on the winding road of life, that will give them

hope.

We have found that Church community: Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. And

by the grace of God we will not be the last to experience what the Holy Spirit is doing

here. And so we must get ready for what God has in store for us, for the future God

wants for us. Because I can feel the Spirit moving in this place and I am confident that

that future is more amazing than we can even imagine. And you know what else is

amazing: we get to be a part of it. Thank you.

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson, Rector

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Curate’s Report

“[Christ] must increase, but I must decrease.” This saying from John’s Gospel, spoken by

John the Baptist, feels like an appropriate saying to mark the incredible spiritual work

we’ve done together this year at Grace and St. Stephen’s: work that in a variety of ways

has brought us—both individually and together, as one Body—nearer to the ‘hidden

wholeness’ of God’s abiding and mysterious Presence. I’ve had many occasions over the

past twelve months to reflect in wonder on all the new ministerial and formational efforts

that have blossomed in our midst. What a joy and a blessing it continues to be to walk

this journey with all of you.

Much of what I wished to highlight in terms of ministries—and the awe I continuously

feel in seeing the work God is doing amongst us—has already been well articulated by

Fr. Jeremiah, so rather than re-enumerate those things unnecessarily, I’ll simply affirm

all that he has named with a resounding amen.

As the close of my three-year

contract here at Grace draws

nearer, it feels increasingly that I

am entering a kind of liminal space.

Such transitions, and the goodbyes

they necessitate, are always

difficult. And I must confess that

this particular transition is already

an emotional one for me. My heart

would love to stay with you all in

perpetuity. But God inevitably calls

us toward new pathways, new

vistas of experience. Our task, our

discipline—and God’s unceasing

invitation—is to follow with faith and hope and love, with courage and vision and

determination, knowing that, as St. Julian once observed, regardless of the

circumstances of the moment, “All shall be well…and all manner of thing shall be well.”

There will be time for difficult goodbyes, for the offering of farewell prayers, good

wishes, and blessings—whenever God’s wisdom suggests the hour. But we still have

much work to do together in the coming months, and I am excited to see what all the

Spirit has in store.

Of course, our work in the spiritual life never ends—and, in this world, that work will

never be easy. It requires the loving support of likeminded souls. All of you continue to

strengthen and challenge and inspire me for that most needful of pursuits, which is truly

‘The Great Work’: the unending pursuit of Wisdom. I pray that I might do the same for

you—and that, long after our season together has passed, you would continue to lovingly

support each other in your spiritual lives, inspiring and encouraging one another ever

onward in the Way.

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I am immensely grateful to Fr. Jeremiah,

to our incredible staff, and to each and

every one of you. My love and prayers are

with you always. To quote a beloved poet

recently departed from this mortal plane:

“May [you] stay forever in the stream.”

I leave you for now with a tale:

Once in the deep dark of winter, when the

snow was very deep, a poor young boy

had to go out and fetch some wood. After

he’d gathered the wood together and tied

it up in a bundle, he felt so frozen through

that he thought he ought to make a fire and warm himself a little before striking out

once more on the road.

So he began to scrape the snow away from the Earth where he stood, and while he was

thusly clearing the ground, he uncovered a small golden key. Now, he imagined that

wherever a key is found, there must also be a lock, so he dug in the ground for quite

some time, and eventually he found a little iron chest. ‘If only the key fits!’ he thought.

‘Certainly there are valuable things in this chest!’ He searched the box over and over,

but there appeared to be no keyhole.

Finally, he did see what looked to be a keyhole, but it was so small that it could hardly

be seen. He tried the key anyway, and, miraculously, it was a perfect fit. He turned it

once to the right, and heard the lock inside begin to unlatch…

And now we must wait until he has finished unlocking it, and has opened the lid. For

only then will we learn what manner of wondrous things are there inside the chest.

Síochain agus gach beannacht—Peace and every blessing,

The Rev. Brendan E. Williams CSJC, Curate

Junior Warden

In 2018, our parish kept our heads above water with

our old but well-built facility. One problem with such

a beautiful church is the assumption if we have such

a nice building, we must have more than enough

money – and we don’t! To paraphrase Gandhi, it

takes a lot of money to make a facility look like it

doesn’t need any work. In 2018, we needed nearly

$40,000 just to maintain and repair the facility. We

needed our wonderful volunteers, contractors who

love working in our facility, external financial

support from the State Historical Society, and above

all else the sacrifices made by those who contribute

financial support – like YOU.

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This year, in keeping with the theme of “keeping our heads above water,” our roofers

found and repaired three roof leaks, while our plumbers and staff members helped take

care of two major leaks in the basement (one of the drainage plugs was so badly rusted

we needed an electric saw to remove it). Our grant administrator also oversaw mandatory

soils and percolation testing in preparation for the planned installation of drainage tanks

to help prevent damage from heavy storms and standing water.

This year, generous and dedicated donors financed repair of the fragile Resurrection and

Annunciation Windows. In addition to heavy rains, we also experienced heavy hailstorms.

Protecting our irreplaceable stained glass is a high priority, so replacing old plexiglass

with tempered glass remains on our wish list. We also plan masonry repairs on the main

church, and hope to examine and repair the tower and roof (inspections may make use

of a modern drone, which will combine 21st Century technology with timeless Gothic

architecture). We will also need help from the City to repair their sidewalks and adjacent

streets. Of course, we desperately need your continued support for this beautiful house

of worship, with volunteer work, management help, and financial considerations. And as

always, we will need plenty of help from Above, and we can be grateful that we have the

opportunity to worship in our grand old lady.

Vic Bradford, Junior Warden

Treasurer

For the second consecutive year, Grace and St. Stephen’s had an operating surplus. The

2018 surplus was $8,913 after expenses of $901,003. This result is largely a reflection

of spending discipline by our clergy, staff and vestry, with expenses finishing the year

at 96% of budget. This offsets parish giving finishing the year 3% behind budget.

While operating surpluses two years in a row are always

welcome news, the stagnation in pledge and plate growth

needs to be addressed as the church aspires to grow.

How can our congregation – growing in members – serve

all of our parishioners as well as have more impact in our

community? New ministries and more outreach,

supported by additional clergy and staff, are our

aspirations at this time. We have a leanly-staffed parish

office that needs our support. We worship in a beautiful,

historic space that needs our love, attention and of course, resources. Our growth and

aspirations will require additional pledge and plate support in 2019 and beyond.

Our church mortgage remains our largest liability, but also continues to see a steady

reduction in balance. Starting 2018 at $903,271, the mortgage balance ended 2018 at

$827,208, $50,063 by scheduled principal and interest payments and $26,000 by

special parishioner gifts, all of which are applied directly to principal. This is a lot of

payment progress on a loan that was $1.4 million when we took responsibility for the

church building in 2009.

The Grace Endowment grew significantly during 2018, from $39,776 at the beginning

of the year to $109,265 at year end, due to generous parishioner bequests. While the

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vestry and the endowment committee have currently elected to invest the funds of the

Endowment and not use its income and earnings for church operations, the Endowment

will someday be a meaningful source of funding for church staffing and ministry. Please

consider the Grace Endowment and other areas of need at Grace and St. Stephen’s for

your legacy. Others before us gave generously through trusts and foundations that

provide funds for our church ministries today. What can we provide to the future

generations of worshipers at Grace and St. Stephen’s?

Thanks to those who volunteer their time and talents on the Stewardship, Finance, and

Investment Committees, as well as those who serve as counters after the Sunday

services. A great many thanks to all of the generous members of our congregation who

support our church with heart-felt, abundant gifts.

David Brockway, Treasurer

Centennial Visioning Committee

In anticipation of the church’s Centennial Celebration in 2023, the vestry established the

Centennial Visioning Committee in October, 2018, based on a proposal presented by

Clelia deMoraes and Bruce Fogarty, who the rector named as committee co-chairs. The

purpose of the committee is to draw up a vision of the facilities, operations, staffing and

ministries needed to provide the church with a solid foundation to carry out its mission

for the next 100 years. Committee members will be announced and commissioned at

the 2019 annual meeting.

With the guidance of the diocesan Missioner for Development and Financial Stewardship,

the committee will conduct listening sessions with parishioners; interview clergy, staff

and lay leaders; and survey other faith communities to create the vision.

This vision will be delivered in the form of a report to the vestry for its approval and

shared with the congregation. The committee will recommend to the vestry a firm to

lead a fund-raising campaign to achieve the vision. The expectation is that the campaign

will launch in 2020 and conclude with funds in hand in time for the Centennial

Celebration in 2023.

Clelia deMoraes and Bruce Fogarty, Co-Chairs

Outreach

In 2018 our parish has embraced

outreach mission in many and various

ways. More than 100 parishioners

helped host homeless families through

Family Promise’s Interfaith Hospitality

Network. Others helped serve at the

Lord’s Dinner at Sacred Heart Church,

reached out to neighbors at Antler’s

Park, provided food and fellowship to

young people at TwoCor, staffed a booth

at PrideFest, collected food, stuffed toys

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and coats for people in need, prayed with prisoners, grew and sold fresh vegetables to

benefit Ecumenical Social Ministries, and supported Westside CARES as a sponsor of the

Feast of St. Arnold at Chapel of Our Saviour.

From our annual parish budget, we contributed more than $16,000 to the above

organizations. Proceeds from the Thrift House of the Episcopal Church Women,

supported by 46 volunteers from our church, granted an additional $13,450 to projects

in and outside the parish including Vacation Bible School, Care and Share, Franciscan

Community Counseling and Homeward Pikes Peak. The parish contributed just over

$1,000 to the Colorado Haiti Project at the December Soup Joumou luncheon.

During the year we created a ministries flyer and quarterly activity calendar, and held a

lay ministry fair. At a retreat the morning of February 2 we will reflect on where God

might be calling us to serve our neighbors at this time. All are welcome to join us, both

for our retreat day and at our regular second Monday meetings. For details about all

these activities, see the bulletin board outside the kitchen.

Lisa Noll and the Outreach Committee

Children’s Education

We welcomed many new young families

to our children’s programs, including

Vacation Bible School, Grace-Full

Wednesdays and Wee Worship, doubling

our participation from the beginning of

last year! Led by Jennifer Williamson, the

theme at VBS was Hero Central, where

children learned how to be God’s Heroes

in the world. It was a fun week where one

could see children in yellow capes

saying, “Do good, seek peace and go after it!” as they sailed through the halls to their

next activity. This year we advertised to the community through social media and the

Colorado Springs Parent Magazine and were pleased to have many new friends join us.

Our Sunday School theme this year followed the churches focus of living a 24/7/365

faith in the world. Our rotations sought to answer some of the challenges that children

might face in living out their faith in today’s world, looking at what the Bible and Jesus

tell us. We studied the stories of the Good Shepherd, Jesus eating with the tax collector,

His conversation with the Samaritan woman and the courage of Esther to help with

questions like: “Is God there when I’m afraid?,” “What does God say about loving people

that are different or hard to love?” or “How do I stand up for my faith?” We are continually

blessed to have an incredible, devoted group of teachers who make Sunday School fun

and engaging! This fall we welcomed a new nursery manager, Sophia Stewart, who, with

the help of parents, grandparents and mentor moms, nurtures our littlest ones and

welcomes children and families each week. God has filled our church and made us all a

part of His big family. We look forward to what the coming year brings.

Helen Hazelton, Director of Children’s Education

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Music Programs

I am now in my eighth month as Organist and Choirmaster, and it is a privilege to serve

Grace and St. Stephen’s in this capacity. Our choirs continue to thrive, and our musical

offerings put Grace and St. Stephen’s firmly at the center of the musical and cultural life

of the city.

There are choral opportunities for all ages at Grace and St. Stephen’s. The Taylor Choir

sings at the 10:30 am Choral Eucharist each week, offering fine music from the Anglican

choral tradition, while also exploring other styles. The ensemble sings a number of

services of Choral Evensong each year, and features regularly on the Taylor Memorial

Concert Series, made possible since 1928 thanks to the generous gift by Alice Bemis

Taylor of the historic Welte pipe organ. The St. Nicholas Children’s Choir and the St.

Cecilia Youth Choir, thirty-strong, rehearse weekly, and sing on the first and third

Sundays of the month at 10:30 am, as well as for occasional special services. Musical

theory training, following the curriculum of the Royal School of Church Music, is offered

for St. Nicholas choristers. The youngest choristers make up the Cherub Choir, directed

by Amalia Dobbins. A highlight of the year for many children and youth is the annual

Choir Camp at Cathedral Ridge, where much music is learnt, and fun activities abound.

The historic service of Compline is offered once a month, featuring plainchant and music

from the Renaissance period, sung by the professional Compline Choir.

2018 was a busy musical year, and special thanks are due to Scott Christiansen, Assistant

Organist and Choirmaster, for leading the January to May transition period. There were

many highlights from the Taylor Concert Series in 2018, including a concert of

Masterworks for Lent sung by the Taylor Choir, with music of Bach, Mozart and Brahms;

an a cappella concert of Renaissance music by the Compline Choir, directed by guest

conductor, Deborah Teske; and a very moving concert featuring music of World War I to

commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armistice. The ninth season of Jazz in the

Garden was a roaring success, with record attendance and fortuitous summer weather.

In July, the Taylor Choir embarked on a

choral pilgrimage to the UK, as choir-in-

residence at Norwich Cathedral, singing

daily services for a week. A very well-

attended and received concert was also

offered at St. Nicholas Church in Dereham,

a few miles from Norwich. The pilgrimage

was a wonderful immersion in the

Anglican choral tradition, which forms the

bedrock of our worship at Grace and St.

Stephen’s, and excellent international

exposure for the choir. Thanks to all who

took the lead in organizing this wonderful

expedition to the ecclesiastical motherland.

As a result of a very generous gift by Conni Eggers in memorial of her late husband,

Arthur, we eagerly anticipate the installation of an antiphonal division to be added to the

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Welte organ in 2020. This will be completed by world-renowned organ builders,

Schoenstein and Co. of San Francisco, and the pipes and casework will fully compliment

the architecture and fabric of the church. The addition of this division was initially

conceived many decades ago, and it will help support congregational singing, as well as

adding tonal depth and spatial variety to the instrument.

The future is bright for music at Grace and St. Stephen’s. Participation in all of our choral

ensembles is healthy, and both musical outcomes and variety of repertoire continue to

increase. I am particularly interested in providing musical opportunities for all abilities

at Grace and St. Stephen’s, and also in expanding intergenerational choral possibilities.

For the 2018-19 season, Choral Evensong is now being offered almost once a month,

and the Youth Choirs will lead this service on their own in March.

I look forward to many fruitful years as Organist and Choirmaster at Grace and St.

Stephen’s, and intend to be a faithful steward of the church’s rich musical history, as

well as leading it into the future. Thank you to everyone for so warmly welcoming me

and Mira into this wonderful community. Soli Deo gloria!

Simon Jacobs, Organist and Choirmaster

Women’s Fellowship and Study

Over the past year, Women’s Fellowship and Study has continued to bring both

parishioners and members of the local community together for stimulating conversation

and formation of authentic relationships. Our most recent selections have included

works by Annie Dillard, Krista Tippett, and Barbara Brown Taylor. These books

challenged us to explore everything from the problem of evil, to thinking and talking

about one’s own faith in a polarized cultural climate, to rethinking our concept of

“darkness” as it pertains to the spiritual life. While I have primarily selected works by

contemporary Christian woman authors up to this point, selections for 2019 will reflect

a broader range of topics and perspectives. Throughout the winter and spring we will be

discussing the works of cultural critic and historian Rebecca Solnit, followed by the

writings of Christian mystic St. Teresa of Avila. In the summer, I plan to lead a four-

session Enneagram workshop/discussion. I have considered it a tremendous honor to

provide a space where women of different ages and backgrounds can come together to

share and learn from one another, and I feel that our group has upheld its primary

ministry purpose as something that fosters sincere inquiry and spiritual growth.

Nicole Hensel, Facilitator

Youth Groups

In August I began my role as the

Youth Pastor of Grace and St.

Stephen’s. I organize, lead and

pastor youth in grades 6-12. We

began the year with a kick-off at

our house, we have assisted

with IHN setup, packed meals

with Cougars Care, held a craft

Annual Report 2019 Page 14

table at the Advent Family Festival, played gaga ball at Trunk or Treat, had a lock-in with

other Episcopal churches and partied at the Horner’s house for Christmas. We also

elected youth group officers: Co-Presidents- Coleman Horner and Patty Ekholm, Vice-

President- Nell Horner, Secretary- Michael Kirkpatrick, Treasurer- Abby Sena, Outreach

Coordinator- Sophie Urban, and Middle School Reps.- Lavender Roberts and Laura

Ekholm. The officers worked hard to put together a 2019 calendar that reflects a desire

to grow together in fellowship and discussion, reach out to new youth and serve the

community and church. In 2018, together with Helen Hazelton, we started the Children

and Youth Council which meets quarterly to review and plan these important ministries.

Pastor Jennifer Williamson, Youth Minister

Lay Pastoral Care Ministry: Community of Hope International (COHI)

The first class of ten lay pastoral caregivers (LPCs) finished their fourteen-week training

in December 2017 and were commissioned on February 11, 2018. Along with the

original three – Nel Benton-Hough, Leigh MacHaffie, and myself – and recent additions,

we currently have a total of nineteen LPC’s.

After the initial training, the COHI Circle

of Care supports LPC’s with monthly

meetings where we debrief, worship,

study the Rule of Benedict (our daily

discipline), and enjoy food and

fellowship. As of October, our group

had provided 1,131 hours of pastoral

care for 1,075 people – that’s an

average of eleven LPC’s meeting with

108 people spending 113 hours on

pastoral care every month. We meet with parishioners and non-parishioners. COHI

defines pastoral care as “… being ‘present’ in a listening, compassionate, non-controlling

manner to an individual or group for the purpose of… representing God to them and

seeking to respond to their spiritual needs.”

Today we have over twenty-five parishioners on our ever-evolving “Pastoral Care List,”

people who are isolated and alone, unable to come to church, struggling with illness and

infirmity, and the ups and downs of life. Our prayer is that COHI will continue to “equip

the saints in the pews” for lay ministry in pastoral care, thereby fulfilling the baptismal

vow to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself.”

Although not officially part of COHI, the eight Eucharistic Visitors (EV’s) work

complements our lay pastoral care ministry. Their names are listed in the Sunday insert,

and four of the eight are also COHI Lay Pastoral Caregivers. EV’s bring communion to

sixteen to twenty homebound parishioners monthly; between 2014 and 2018 EV’s made

867 visits. We meet as a group with the Rector on a quarterly basis, and are trained and

licensed by the diocese every four years. This year COHI plans to consolidate our

nineteen-member group and will offer a second training starting in September 2019.

Cindy Page, COHI Training Facilitator

Annual Report 2019 Page 15

Newcomer Committee

Our parish family is growing and that’s a good thing. No, it’s a great thing! But Sunday

mornings can be daunting the first time visitor…or even someone who comes more than

once. The church is busy, the building is gorgeous – and cavernous – and many people

who already know each other are enthusiastically catching up. While visitors consistently

share that they find everyone friendly, it can be hard to know where to get started.

Recognizing this, we relaunched the Newcomer Committee late in 2018 with a mission

to help shepherd these folks along. Right now, we have a two-part model: The Grace

Ambassadors who greet people after the services and Grace Café, a monthly informal

coffee hour especially for folks new or newer to the parish.

Each Sunday, you’ll find an ambassador stationed in the narthex and on the way

to Parish Hall. They are easy to spot: look for a red apron and a warm smile. They

have gift bag to share and are willing to answer any questions. This way, visitors

are greeted after a visit by clergy and a member of the parish.

Grace Café started in December in Taft Hall. With coffee and a treat in hand, it is

a way to informally meet visitors and anyone else who would like to stop by.

In 2019 we’re working on ways to get folks connected based on their interests – whether

it’s serving at worship or volunteering in any of the 30+ ministries that we currently

have… or maybe starting something new.

To date, the response has been very positive. We have 15 ambassadors and more are

most welcome. The commitment is small – serve one time a month, for 10-15 minutes

after one of the services. If you’d like to join us, have ideas about welcoming or

questions, please get in touch (contact information below).

Most importantly, please keep being the wonderful, welcoming people you are. Everyone

is an ambassador – even if you aren’t wearing a red apron!

Marti Lindberg and Susan Bassett, Co-chairs

Senior Warden

In 2009, the proverbial three-legged stool (time, treasure and talent) was a little shaky.

Time and talent matured quickly, but

needed treasure was a little more

elusive. Over time, with much prayer and

dedication by all, this challenge is

steadily being met. We joyfully

celebrated with income exceeding

expenses in 2017 and 2018, with a

similar scenario expected this year. That

said, the “elephant in the room”

continues to be the mortgage. David

Annual Report 2019 Page 16

Brockway has provided details on where we are now and what is needed to eliminate this

burden.

On the brighter side is the number of our outreach programs and the vital and impressive

impact they have in meeting the needs of our challenged citizens. Two such ministries

are the Thrift House of Episcopal Church Women, and the Interfaith Hospitality Network

(IHN). IHN provides basic, preventative, and supporting services to families with children

who are in homeless situations or at risk of becoming so. In our case, we host our visitors

three times a year for one week. We house, provide meals and companionship for four

families with over 100 church volunteers in this ministry. Many other ministries will be

highlighted during the annual meeting.

Grace has been involved with the Thrift House of Episcopal Church Women (Thrift House)

for over 65 years. Chapel of Our Saviour, St. Michael's and Grace are the owners and

make up the current board. We also have four other Episcopal parishes that have

members that volunteer there. Last year, we had 46 people from our church volunteer

over 1,500 hours. Please visit and consider volunteering for this wonderful ministry.

On a personal note, my role as the senior warden ends with this annual meeting. Serving

for and with Fr Jeremiah has been the highlight of my last 10 years, and I would do it

again in a heartbeat.

David Buckley, Senior Warden