Joint Vestry Meeting - June 16, 2021

Discussion on the retreat continued building relationships. Volunteer fairs, good works initiatives, and small dinner groups with vestry members as hosts to bring the parish members together for meeting and continued fellowship was touched upon from the retreat. Sinead, Dave, and Nancy B thought the idea was worth pursuing. A start date was in the fall and to be determined. Communication needs to be sent out to find interest among the parish members.

Service – fall schedule was discussed and returning to three services. Veronika would like to pursue an evening service, potentially on Saturday evening. This service could be a vespers service, evensong, prayer service or a full eucharist. An idea was presented to invite other Episcopal churches to join in the program and maybe alternate between churches to help reduce cost and increase Episcopal church exposure to the public. Another proposal was discussed about having a supply priest to allow two worship services with music on Sunday mornings, one at each church. Service schedules would resume discussion in the fall. The JV felt feedback would be helpful.

Joint Vestry Meeting - April 15, 2021

Veronika asked Vestry members to reflect on the Covenant, especially those who were part of creating it, and what the most memorable aspects have been to date.

Vestries discussed the upcoming Annual Meetings at each church (St. Martin’s on April 18 and Christ Church Ithan on April 25).

• The Annual Meetings will be held in-person with a Zoom option.

• New vestry members and Diocesan Convention delegates will be elected.

• Directories of both churches will be made available to members of each church.

The vestries will have a retreat on Saturday May 15th. Canon Betsy Ivey will be supporting. Topics are expected to include reviewing the covenant, discussing administrative support, and goals for this year. The retreat will be held at St. Martin’s Church, masks on, and bring your own water.

Joint Vestry Meeting - March 18, 2021

Veronika presented the Holy Week and Easter Schedule with COVID protocols.

After the resignation of one parish administrator, Pierce and Carisa agreed to chair a joint personnel committee to create a new job description and examine budget impacts of combining parish administration into one position, perhaps with communications support from other staff. Julia Gould and Sinead Bortner were invited to join the committee. A report is expected at the May meeting.

Result of phone calls to parishioners were shared and discussed.

• The general sense was that a later service at SMC and an earlier quiet service at CCI would work well going forward. We decided to maintain the service with music at CCI at 9:30 am and to stream it online.

• Many members are vaccinated, and those who are interested are viewing the livestream of services.

• There are some feelings of disconnection, and Veronika is to follow up with a few members who asked for a call.

The decision was made to implement the following Sunday schedule beginning in May for in-person worship:

• 8:30 am- Outdoors at Christ Church Ithan (quiet)

• 9:30 am-Indoors at Christ Church Ithan (with music, livestreamed)

• 11:00 am-Indoors at St. Martin’s Church (with music)

Joint Vestry Meeting - January 21, 2021

Worship committee: Fran agreed with Veronika’s summary that there would be a weekly Lenten series with speakers regarding outreach and mission

Morning Prayer: Veronika’s assessment is that it was meant to take less time but it didn’t; parishioners did not seem “to take to it”

Financials:

Bruce reported end of December: pledge/non-pledge donations down; other constant expenses down; could pay off camera and steeple project, could pay down loan on endowment. He is pleased with financial position being unexpectedly good despite the pandemic.

Sandy: received a bequest; revenue was as expected; 34% decrease in Bolingbroke revenue; maintenance expenditures; pledges up 10% over 2020 (the number of pledges went down while the amount of the pledges increased)

Live Streaming: info from Jacqui and Martin: 36/week watch live stream; about 50/50 watch live vs later; about 50/50 SMC/CCI; hard to make any decisions based on data at this stage

Discussion about returning to live/in person worship:

As soon as first/second week of February? Allowed 10% back which translates to ~15 people in each church including those involved in the service

Concern was expressed about not wanting to start and stop again, would prefer to try to start when there is not such a high likelihood of needing to stop based on current high and rising numbers in our area

Agreement not to put this topic on February vestry agenda but to include on March’s vestry agenda

Service times later in the Spring: decision to table discussion until April. Original plan had been to discuss during Lent but that does not appear to be feasible given current Covid #s

Possible addition of a Saturday eve service

Outreach:

Discussion to call parishioners as we’d done earlier in pandemic. Both churches had parish lists divided before and can use same, each church will follow up on name/number distribution. During calls, check on how people are doing/basic social “checking in”; consider asking about feelings of returning to in person services; ask how they’re experiencing the online services; would they like/join a zoom coffee hour? Inform about Bible discussion and Fri Eve Prayer if don’t already know (did you try? did you like?) Would you be interested in a book club?

Zoom book club discussion: book suggested is When Truth is All You Have by Jim McCloskey; Another book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson was suggested as a good related book; Dave DeWitt will start inquiring about how to start

SMC Chili Cook-off: Saturday before Super Bowl (2/6), details to be shared via newsletters

Joint Vestry Meeting - July 16, 2020

The meeting included all members of both vestries and the search committee.

Search member Brian Penny opened the meeting giving a background with how well the committee worked together to nominate Veronika Travis for the position of new rector.  Then using the key points from what both churches were seeking in a new rector six search committee members took one quality and spoke to how well Veronika would meet those needs.

The meeting then broke apart so that each vestry could hold their separate election.  The vote was unanimous by all to call Veronika.  Jacqui and Sandy then made the call to her, and she accepted conditionally. 

We were reminded that this decision is still very confidential until the announcement is made by all three churches—Christ Church, St. Martins and Veronika’s church—at a Sunday service in the near future.

Pierce and Missy will be the transition leaders from CCI, and Jan Andersen and Chris Delaney will be the leaders from SMC.  Due to the virus it will be harder for Veronika to get to know members of each church.

There was a discussion about options for church services in the month of August when Fr. David will not be available. Options were put forth, and Jacqui will confer with Fr. Karl to see if he is still amenable to the following—

                                    8:30 spoken service outside at CCI – weather permitting

                                    9:15 service with music inside at CCI

                                    10:30 service with music at SMC

June financials were pre-read and not discussed.

Outreach – Missy W is on the board of Connelly Foundation. They have made a $5,000 grant to us to be used for Covid-related causes.  $2,000 has gone to the Good Works mask project, and the balance is left for something else.

Rector’s Wardens Reports – There was a brief report on the return to live services. There was an update on the live streaming and recording of services by CCI. SMC is also looking into this with the same company. CCI will hold an outside service on July 19th, weather permitting. 

Joint Vestry Meeting - June 11, 2020

Shared Rector Status and Dates for Candidate Visits

Two live candidate meetings are planned: June 26 at SMC and July 10 at CCI

These will be Friday night services celebrated by the candidate followed by a meet-and-greet gathering for the joint vestry members. The candidate will arrive the night before for a dinner with the search committee.

A committee consisting of two people from each church will be formed to organize the welcome for the shared rector.

May Financial Positions

Financials submitted by both churches show decreased revenue from pledges but decreased expenses. A PPP stimulus payment of $17,000 was received by SMC, and CCI has applied for the same benefit. The PPP requirement is that the funds be used for staff compensation and utility expenses.

Reentry

Written plans for reentry were approved by the vestries for submission to the Bishop. Both plans call for a June 28 date for first live service and complete CDC precautions. Communications to the congregants will be accomplished by e-mail, internet, letter, and phone calls.

Joint Vestry Meeting - April 23, 2020

Search Committee

Currently no plans for personal meetings with two finalist candidates. The Search Committee does plan on meeting with candidates on Zoom soon to maintain interest. We are projecting a possible in-person meeting in June. New rector to be in place hopefully by July 15.

Worship Committee

Father Karl served for his final Sunday on April 26. He is moving to a similar position in Devon. We will move forward with Father David as our lone priest for all services for the time being. Another supply priest was referred to us by the Bishop`s office, but we determined that he was not a good fit for the requirements of both churches. Fr. David will preach virtually from both churches on alternating Sundays starting May 3. It is possible that these services could include music after May 3.  Zoom (virtual) coffee hours or outdoor coffee hours were discussed, but questions remain.

New Rector

A Welcome committee will be formed to attend to the needs of the new rector. It will consist of parishioners who are not vestry or Search Committee members. The Welcome group will orient the new rector to the area and consult on living arrangements and encourage support to the new rector.

The Path Forward

Your vestries will remain in as close touch as possible with the congregants as we move through  the late Spring. A letter updating the “postal” congregations that do not normally communicate digitally went out in early April. The vestries will be calling parishioners in early May to garner feed back on health, welfare, and worship priorities for the future. The information we gather will be discussed at the May 5 worship committee meeting and at a special vestry meeting to be held May 7.

Upcoming Vestry Meetings

There will be a special joint vestry meeting on May 7, and regular joint & individual vestry meetings on May 21, June 18, July 16 and August 20.

Joint Vestry Meeting - March 19, 2020

Shared Rector Status

Pierce reported that the March 20 and April 3 Meet and Greet sessions for the two identified candidates are now on hold because of COVID-19.  Video conferencing was discussed, but the Search Committee really wants to follow the path they have laid out initially, and so face-to-face meetings are still anticipated when conditions allow. For accounting purposes, we are still listing Rector start on June 1.

Supply Priests

Both have provided inspirational leadership during their tenures. Karl will be serving until May 1, and David will be serving until August 1.  Canon Arlette has put us in touch with a replacement supply priest to replace Karl. His name is Joe Rivers, and the Worship Committee will be in touch with him soon.

Lenten Series

The Series continues in virtual mode on Wednesday, March 25 and April 1.  Father Karl will be the guest speaker for one of them.  Broadcasts on ZOOM begin at 6:30 PM.

2020 Budgets and February financials

Both budgets have been submitted with February updates and a reconciliation concerning projected Shared Rector expenses.  Pam and Bruce met on March 13 to coordinate these numbers. It was noted that there is a strain on cash flow with each church not holding live services.  It was recommended that a special message be sent out recommending that checks be mailed to the parish offices in order to keep pledge funds flowing.

Rector`s Warden`s Report

Fr. Karl has been recording devotionals, and this week’s worship service to be sent out via link to Vimeo.  It was agreed that the staffs for both churches remain in place with normal salaries during this health crisis.

Outreach

Jacqui circulated two documents for the meeting that listed opportunities for service for both Churches.  Abby will aggregate these two lists for publication to both congregations.

One idea was to have those who are shut-ins in our congregations be sent drawings commissioned by the children of the parishes and perhaps surrounding schools – if schools ever open again.

Janice suggested that the group develop a Welcome Letter to be used for Church new-comers and as an outreach tool.  Our struggle to ascertain how we can use the letter for recruitment is a familiar one, but in these changing times there may be new technological possibilities.  Everyone will bring idea to the next vestry meeting.

General Church Ancillary Activities during COVID-19

CCI has suspended all Ithan Hall activity except AA meetings.  SMC will do the same for Bolingbroke now that the pre-school has been suspended.

Easter

The all-night vigil on Maundy Thursday will consist of two-hour shifts at SMC from 7 PM to 7 AM. Abby has volunteered – need others.

Joint Vestry Meeting - February 20, 2020

The two vestries met at Christ Church’s Ithan Hall. The meeting began with our Covenant prayer, and a warm welcome to David DeWitt, the new St. Martin’s vestry member. We also thanked Dirk Soutendijk and Jeff Lyons for their vestry service as they both complete their terms with Christ Church’s vestry.

The focus of the meeting was the progress of the Search Committee. Tonight’s conversation gave both vestries the opportunity to ask questions of Pierce Eckhart and Abby Thomas, two of the Committee representatives on the joint vestry. It was a productive conversation, and it was clear that there will be continued work once a new Rector is called, and a Transition Team will be formed to support the new Rector.

The Search Committee has reduced the number of candidates to three. The Search Committee is sending three members to the candidate’s parishes to hear them preach and to meet with them face to face before reducing the number to two. The two final candidates will come here separately to meet the Bishop, the Search Committee, and the joint vestry before the Search Committee makes their final recommendation to the joint vestry. Scheduling of these visits is dependent upon the Bishop’s travel schedule as he is making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in March. The committee continues to meet weekly to do its work.

A summary of the two churches 2019 final financial positions and 2020 budgets will be compiled and shared via email with the Joint Vestry, before giving to the Search Committee for their meetings with the candidates in anticipation of questions from the candidates, as an update to the Profile data.

End of January Financials were circulated for both churches ahead of the meeting. Both budgets have been approved by the respective vestries.

A calendar of Lent and Holy Week events was reviewed.

It was agreed that an Overview of each church’s outreach activities would be shared at the next vestry meeting for visibility and to consider how to best communication to both parishes.

The next shared meeting of the vestries will be March 19, 2020, at SMC at 7:00PM. The two vestries then adjourned to their own meetings.

Joint Vestry Meeting - January 23, 2020

The two vestries met on the above date at Bolingbroke Mansion, St. Martin’s Church The meeting began with our covenant prayer. The focus of the meeting was a status report on the progress of the Search Committee. Tonight’s conversation gave both vestries the opportunity to ask Pierce Eckhart and Abby Thomas, the two Committee representatives, questions directly. It was a productive conversation, and our vestries felt affirmed about the direction in which our two churches were headed, and it was clear that there will me much work to do once a new Rector is called.

The Search Committee has reduced the number of candidates to 5. The initial search process was completed at the end of December. Father Bob Tate and Reverend Arlette Joseph from the Diocese have been great resources to the committee and is facilitating the next steps in regard to interviewing techniques and tracking information in the interview process. The committee is meeting weekly to do its work. The plan is to reduce the number for consideration to 3 people, and then to attend the applicant`s church to hear preaching.

There was general agreement as to the service schedule over the next three months:

Ash Wednesday February 26 at SMC 7 PM [12 noon service was added later].

Lenten Series, weekly for five Wednesdays at 7pm, starting March 4 (venue rotating between CCI and SMC).

Palm Sunday April 5 at both churches.

Maundy Thursday April 9 at CCI 7 PM. Good Friday April 10 at SMC 7 PM [12 noon service was added later]. Easter Sunday April 12 at both churches.

The following vestry changes were discussed. SMC has one vacancy coming up that will be filled soon. Two members are rotating off the CCI vestry. A recent by-laws change reduces the number on the CCI vestry to 7, the same number as that of SMC.

Budget information was supplied for both churches. The CCI budget is approved, while the SMC is under review.

Deb Parker will be leading a “Keep Lent Holy” initiative before Ash Wednesday. “Tool kits” will be handed out in both churches in connection with this, and Deb will address the vestries on the subject of formation competencies.

A schedule of dates for combined meetings in the first half of 2020 was set. The next shared meeting of the vestries will be February 20, 2020, at CCI at 7:00PM. The two vestries then adjourned to their own meetings.

Joint Vestry Meeting - October 17, 2019

The two vestries met on the above date at St. Martin’s Church, Radnor at Bolingbroke. The newly formed Search Committee gave a report. Pierce Eckhart noted that the committee will meet with the consultant, Fr. Bob Tate, on Monday, October 21st at CCI. The profile has been posted on both church websites and Canon Arlette from the Diocese is posting the information to the OTM Portfolio. Next week, a posting will be placed on the ENS service so it will have national exposure. The committee is receiving applications and so if anyone knows a possible candidate, please inform them about the position opening. It was decided to keep the application period open through the end of the year, but the committee will immediately begin their work of screening applicants and doing initial interviews. There is great hope that given the uniqueness of this opportunity that there will be many applicants. Fr. John noted that the Diocese has 10 new priests who have accepted calls in the past year and it seems like the Diocese of PA is a sought-after Diocese. He also mentioned that the position opening was announced at Tuesday’s Clericus meeting of the Merion Deanery.

The confidentiality of the search process was stressed in order to protect the applicants. However, both vestries were encouraged during this transition time to keep the churches informed about the progress of the search and to keep everyone engaged in the process. It was announced that Fr. Laquintano and Fr. Karl Krueger will be the supply clergy in the transition. They will alternate their service between the churches on Sundays. Once the new Rector arrives, we will maintain a supply clergy (possibly through the end of the year) and the two will alternate between the churches on Sunday giving the new Rector the opportunity to become acquainted with both congregations. Much discussion was focused on the role of the vestry leadership during the transition.

A question was raised about other similar models that have been successful. It was noted that the churches Fr. Chris and Fr. John visited in MD would be a good resource. Fr. Greg Syler is the Rector and information is available on the website of St. George’s Church in Valley Lee, MD.

The vestries received the financial reports of both churches. There were no questions. A report was given about Good Works and there is a need for more project leaders. The Upper Room continues at Radnor Memorial Library but continues to be evaluated. Fr. John again extended an invitation to all at St. Martin’s to join the Centennial Celebration at CCI on Nov. 10th and stressed that it will be a celebration of our common history and the future we are creating together.

Dates have been set for Fr. John and Fr. Chris’ farewells. Fr. Chris’ farewell will be on Sunday, December 15th and Fr. John’s will be December 22nd. Both priests will be leaving at the end of December and will be sending official notice of that to their respective vestries this week.

Joint Vestry Meeting - September 26, 2019

The two vestries met on the above date at Christ Church, Ithan in Ithan Hall. The main focus of the meeting was to review the Parish Profile for the Search of a Rector to serve both churches along with the Office of Transition Ministry (OTM) data sheets that will be used by the Diocese of PA for the OTM Portfolio. Outside of a few corrections and suggestions, the work of the Parish Profile Committee was applauded. They worked tirelessly through the summer to gather and collate all the material necessary to produce these two fine documents. Both vestries concurred that the final product was outstanding. These documents will be sent to the Diocese for the Bishop’s approval and they will then “go live” on both parish websites and the work of the Search Committee will commence.

The members of the Search Committee have been selected and approved by the vestries. St. Martin’s representatives will be: Abby Thomas, Steve Parker, Brian Penny, and Sinead Bortner. Christ Church, Ithan’s representatives will be: Pierce Eckhart, Porter Gould, Lori Dugan, and Chris Herring. They will meet soon with our consultant, the Rev. Robert Tate, who will orient them to their work.

When the Profile and accompanying material are posted, applications will be received for a two-month period through the end of November. During that time, the Search Committee will review applications as they come in and begin phone interviews. At the end of the two-month application time, the committee will begin face-to-face interviews and parish visitations as necessary. A recommendation for the call of the Co-Rector to the vestries will take place early in 2020, upon completion of the committee’s work during this discernment period. Following the departures of Fr. Chris and Fr. John, the two churches will be served by two regular supply clergy who will alternate churches from week to week until a Rector is called.

Parish members from both churches are encouraged to stay in touch with their vestry representatives for progress reports about the search. It is important to note that the work of the Search Committee in regards to individual candidates and applications received is strictly confidential. Once the parish profile is posted, parishioners are welcome to approach clergy they know who may be interested in this position and invite and encourage them to apply.

A report followed about Good Works and the Upper Room, two outreach ministries we jointly share. Fr. John extended a warm invitation to St. Martin’s parishioners to join Christ Church, Ithan as it celebrates its 100th Anniversary on November 10th. He noted that this should be a true celebration of our Covenant, the progress we are making in the search, our shared roots and the future we are making together.

Joint Vestry Meeting - June 20, 2019

The two vestries met on the above date at St. Martin’s Church in Bolingbroke for a dinner prepared by Catering by Design. The dinner was an opportunity for both vestries to socialize and get to no one another better. At the conclusion of the meal, Fr. Bob Tate offered his reflections about the discernment process. He was very complimentary about the work of the Profile Committee and was impressed with the amount of work they have accomplished to date. He informed the vestries of the committee’s desire to continue to press forward on their work into the summer. He believes a final draft of the profile will be ready by September and then the search process can begin. He noted that work also needed to be done on the OTM Portfolio and that the Wardens should work on the first two pages that cover salary and benefits. He encouraged both vestries to think about people to serve on the Search Committee as not everyone working on the Profile wish to remain on that committee. He suggested a broad representation of a good cross-section from both churches. He would like that work to be accomplished by September to coincide with the release of the Profile. The two vestries adjourned to their own meetings.

Joint Vestry Meeting - May 2, 2019

The two vestries met on the above date at St. Martin’s Church in Bolingbroke. The meeting began with an opening prayer. This was the first meeting after Fr. Chris’ return from sabbatical due to Holy Week / Easter conflicts in the April calendar. The meeting was facilitated by The Rev. Bob Tate, our search consultant. We spent most of the meeting assessing the current state of the relationship between both churches and each member spoke about their current hopes and reservations. The conversation was frank and productive. Toward the end of the meeting, the profile committee was charged with continuing its work on the joint profile, which should be completed a few months after the congregational meetings. The parish meetings, facilitated by Bob Tate will take place as scheduled: May 19th at Christ Church, Ithan and June 2nd at St. Martin’s Church, Radnor, to get congregational input for the profile.

Joint Vestry Meeting - March 21, 2019

The two vestries met on the above date at Christ Church, Ithan. The meeting began with a shared Scripture passage and opening prayer. January financial reports were shared electronically before the meeting. The Rev. Bob Tate who is serving as the consultant to the Profile / Search Committees was present at the meeting and he outlined in great detail the usual timetable for such a process. He indicated that we had a unique situation and so he was open to making the process adaptable to our needs. However, he did caution that this is not a process that can be rushed as it involved serious discernment and prayer. In addition, there will be some periods of time in the year ahead when not much will get done due to vacations, holidays, etc. So, he thought our original timeline was a bit ambitious and suggested we readjust our expectations to be more in line with some of the observations he made based on his experience in leading many of these processes. The Profile Committee has been formed and had their first meeting, with progress underway.  He distributed a contract outlining his fees and expected costs (approximately $3,000) and asked both vestries to review, sign and return the contract to him. There are some matters that will require further discussion / clarification when Fr. Chris returns from sabbatical and will be followed up on by St. Martin’s Vestry. After he left, we reviewed the Holy Week schedule and Fr. John updated us about the Upper Room and the success of our Lenten program so far this year.  

Joint Vestry Meeting - February 21, 2019

The two vestries met on the above date at St. Martin’s Church. The meeting began with a shared Scripture passage and opening prayer. January financial reports were shared electronically before the meeting. An opportunity was given for vestry members to ask questions about the reports. The focus of the meeting was the formation of a profile committee and the setting of a timeline for the work of the profile committee and eventual search for a Rector to serve both churches. The following people have been commissioned to serve on the Profile Committee: Amy Harper and Pierce Eckhart from CCI vestry; Porter Gould and Mary Wilson from CCI congregation; Fran Pettit and Joe Piergiovanni from SM vestry; Matt Wynn and Brian Penny from SM congregation.

Jacqui North presented a proposed timeline for the profile / search. We seek to have a profile completed by the end of April. Applications would be received from May through July. Screening, phone interviews, developing a short list of candidates and visitation to candidates’ parishes would occur from July through September. A call would be extended sometime in September, negotiations completed and announced to congregation in October. Preparations to welcome a new Rector would then occur and new Rector would be in place by the end of 2019. While this is an ambitious plan, both vestries decided to move forward with a willingness to be flexible and make adaptations along the way. There was some discussion about engaging a diocesan consultant. Fr. John is in the process of contacting The Rev. Bob Tate about this. Canon Arlette Benoit-Joseph, the Canon for Transition Ministry, has been briefed about our partnership and plans moving forward and has offered her support in any way she can. She will be taking a two-page profile with her to a regional transition officers’ meeting to let people know about the upcoming call opportunity for our two churches. The first meeting of the profile committee will be announced soon.

Joint Vestry Meeting - January 24, 2019

The vestries of St. Martin’s Church, Radnor and Christ Church, Ithan met on the above date. The meeting began with a reflection on a selected Bible passage and opening prayer. The vestries reviewed and agreed on “Principles To Guide Our Meetings Together.” The Holy Covenant between the two churches was reviewed and a few minor revisions were made and passed. The members present approved and signed the Holy Covenant. The year-end financial reports for 2018 and budgets for 2019 were presented and there was time for discussion and questions. Some preliminary comments were made about the formation of a profile / search committee and our work ahead and Fr. John briefly reported on a meeting with the Canon for Transition Ministry from the Diocese of PA. A more comprehensive discussion about a profile / search and a suggested timeline was tabled for the next meeting on February 21, 2019.