Thank you to everyone who attended the Annual Meeting. We had three questions on the budget that I promised to look up and answer.
- There was a typo in the Treasurer’s Report. In the first bullet point of the Summary of 2023 Operating Results, the report says a loss of $131,228 and it should have been $13,228.
- Line 325.1 (Adult Formation) recorded expenses of $456.27 in 2023. This was $80 for Living Compass Study books, $90 for Outdoor Fellowship, $270.50 for our Christian Video License and $20.50 for a book for Wednesday Morning Book Group.
- Line 346.3 (Meetings/Retreats/Convention) recorded expenses of $892.50 in 2023. Fees for Diocesan Convention made up $420, a QuickBooks class for our Bookkeeper was $395 and our Fall retreat had a loss of $77.50.
We asked people to put up anonymous post-its to talk about what is working well at St. Mary’s and what could change. In the working well column, people said:
- The comradery is awesome here
- Outreach is great
- Pippa is wonderful
- Joyful priest
- Community support and responsiveness to the needs of the parish and larger community
- Sharing space with community
- We take care of each other with kindness and love
- The outdoor activities: hiking, kayak, snowshoeing. Also game nights.
In the What Needs to Change/be Introduced/let Lapse people talked about the music program and wanting more contemporary music. If you have ideas of anthems or songs that feel more contemporary, please write them in the book by the bulletins or tell Carrie. She would love to accommodate you. We will also try instrumental music during communion, followed by an anthem after people are seated. One person mentioned they’d prefer communion to be a “reflective prayerful time.”
There was some interest in a real Bible study, a desire for more children in church and a thought that I could do more home visits. I want to thank everyone for sharing their thoughts, this is really helpful. I would love to offer a Bible study at St. Mary’s, perhaps we could meet after the 8 a.m. service to discuss the Gospel of Mark during Lent. If you have other ideas, please let me know. We will continue to work to invite new members to St. Mary’s, indeed our Soup and Substance will focus on identifying our gifts and sharing them with the world. I will work to be more mindful of people who would appreciate a visit, and I would ask for your help. If you would like a visit, or you have a suggestion of someone who might like a visit, please let me know.
Finally, I want to thank all of you for your commitment and support of St. Mary’s. The Annual Meeting is not the most exciting time of the year, but you all came with your good ideas and shared your thoughts, asked your questions, and generally worked to be informed parishioners. Thank you, it continues to be a pleasure and an honor to be here with you all. I love this parish!
Prayers and Blessings,
Mother Pippa