January/February 2010
Church of Our Saviour
Celebrating the
Epiphany
and entering
Lent
From the Rector…
Dear Brothers and Sisters in
Christ,
Christmas is barely over and we are already in the
Sunday’s after the Epiphany and soon it will be Lent. Unlike the long warm days
of spring, summer, and most of the fall and the even longer number of Sunday’s
we have that time of year, this time is cold, dark and short. We set aside this
time of year to close in a bit. It is a natural time to reflect, be a little
secluded, and give thought to our relationship with God and our neighbor. If we
are to properly prepare for the great celebration of Easter and all it means,
then we should take some time to withdraw and think about why Easter had to
happen for us.
Recently I took my annual retreat to begin the process of
reflection. To re-charge my own batteries I need some seclusion and quiet time.
It came as a bit of a surprise and no less disturbing when that quiet was
disturbed. It is the tension and anxiety that particular moment brought that I
share with you some insights about Epiphany and Lent and what it means to be a
Christian community today.
It was a cold sunny morning. We guests visiting the
monastery had joined the Brothers for Morning Prayer and just finished
breakfast. There was some personal time left to just be quiet, read or meditate
before the Eucharist began. My custom is to go out on the porch with a cup of
coffee to watch the sun rise over the nearly frozen Hudson River and to pray.
Being secluded, however, was not to be. No sooner had I settled in when the
construction workers showed up. And they spoke and acted like construction
workers. One young buck had caught site of a woman who was on retreat and began
singing a very suggestive song. This was soon followed by swapping tales about
weekend adventures all peppered with extremely “rough” language.
At first I was little angry. Didn’t they know there were
people here who were in silent retreat? We came to the monastery to get away
from the world for awhile but here was the world right in our backyard! It
seems that one can’t even escape to a monastery to get away from the outside
non-religious world. That’s when it hit me. Christ reminds us to “be in the
world but not of the world”. Not only are we “in” the world we are also called
to be the Christ-light for the world.
How often do we try to separate our “religious” life from
our life that runs from Monday to Saturday? It’s as if we recognize the darkness
that is a part of the secular world and we try to balance these two worlds.
Separating the two, however, is not what Christ asked us to do. We are no
longer “of” this world because we are now the adopted heirs of the world known
as the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet we are in this world and we are in it from Sunday
to Saturday.
For the next several weeks in January we will celebrate
Christ as the light of the world. We begin by remembering the wise men who saw
the star. Theses Gentiles represent Christ’s invitation to all the world and
not just a select people. Now more than ever there is a need for light, a
beacon of hope, a guide to help those who are crashing on the rocks of despair.
There is a wonderful saying, “God has all things in hand
– but it’s your hands he’s using.” We are his light in the world and though we
are tempted to withdraw a little from the cold and darkness we are asked not to
separate ourselves from those looking for a light. Even as Lent approaches and
we intentionally turn in to look at our own relationship with Christ, we are
invited to still be that light for others.
How can we balance this being the light yet still direct
our own thoughts to God? In this months Banner you will see new and wonderful
programs sponsored by the Outreach Committee. They are providing the COS
community an opportunity to be faithful to Christ, reflect on our relationship
with God, and provide the means to be a light to people who are in need. I hope
you will take the opportunity to be involved with these creative ideas and as
Christ is the Light of the World may your hearts and minds be illumined by such
peace that is brought to us through His saving grace.
Yours in Christ
The Rev’d David R. Milam+
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
Tuesday February 16th
The Shrove Tuesday Pancake
Supper is an Annual Parish Event. The cost of the supper is $5.00 per person,
$15.00 per family. There will be pancakes, sausages, juice and coffee included
in your meal.
You can reserve tickets by
calling Fran in the church office at (508) 947-1900. Just as we did last year,
proceeds from the Pancake Supper will go to the Outreach Committee to help with
their programs, and activities. Checks may be made out to Church of Our
Saviour. In the memo portion, please write “Pancake Supper”.
Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting will take place on January 31, 2010
after the service. The Vestry took a considerable time discussing when and
where the Annual Meeting would take place. It has been decided there will be only
one service at 9 a.m. and the Annual Meeting will be in the
Church. We are asking for help with the Nursery and childcare.
Last year we heard only a few comments concerning our
meeting in the Church which ranged from not feeling comfortable speaking one’s
mind in sacred space to being unable to hear. It is probably important to
remember that “when two or three” gather, Jesus said, “I will be among you”.
When we are outside the building and with others that space is just as sacred
as it is inside our own walls. As to the sound, we will provide more
microphones to boost the sound.
There will be refreshments provided after the Meeting.
Reports for the Annual Meeting
Reports are due No
Later than Jan. 8 and can be mailed or emailed to our Secretary at
The following persons and
committees are responsible for publishing reports:
Rector Treasurer St. Margaret's Altar Guild Prayer Chain
Sr. Warden Choir Director ECW Nominating
Jr. Warden (includes report
from Properties Cm.) Christian
Formation
Parish Clerk Acolyte Communications
Outreach Worship Nearly New Shop
From the Outreach Committee: Programs for Epiphany and
Lent
First – A “Thank You”
Thank you to all those who participated in this year’s
Christmas Outreach Project. It was a tremendous success due to all of your
wonderful gifts you contributed. We were able to provide three families
wonderful Christmas gifts. All of your donations went to Christ Church in
Swansea. In return, Christ Church provided wonderful gifts to our own parish
families in need. Christmas Dinners and Grocery Store gift cards were also
donated to our parish families. In addition, the parish also sponsored fifteen
children from the Salvation Army charity. Thank you so much for your continued
participation in this wonderful mission.
Outreach Committee
Spare Change Program
The Outreach Committee is proposing a new fundraising
program called “Donate Your Spare Change”. Beginning the first Sunday in
January of 2010, we are asking parishioners to drop your loose change into the
specially designed lockbox located in the back of the Church for the period of
January 2010 until May 2010. The purpose of this latest project is to raise
funds so that the Outreach Committee can continue on with existing projects
such as “Have a Heart for Seniors” and “Stock the Freezer” campaigns. We are
also looking forward to building a budget so that we may fund some other
projects that come our way. Outreach would like to cook meals ourselves to
stock the freezer as our turnout has been low over the last year. This will
enable us to make delicious and nutritious meals to anyone in the Parish that
could use one.
Have a Heart for Seniors
The Outreach
Committee is organizing our annual “Have a heart for seniors” campaign. This
project will target food and toiletries for seniors through the Middleborough
Council on Aging. This project will also be for homebound seniors in our Church
family. Our youth will be involved via making Valentine Cards and decorating
the bags of items collected for the seniors. Beginning on January 24, 2010
there will be a basket placed in the back of the Church for Parishioners to
drop off their donation up and until February 7, 2010. This will allow us to
have items and good wishes accompanying them to arrive for Valentine’s.
Below is a list of some suggested items. Please keep in
mind that we are seeking smaller sizes of food/toiletries, as seniors have
smaller appetites and are sometimes alone. Also, low sodium products, whenever
possible are appreciated.
Food suggestions (small
sizes & low salt when possible)
Canned meats such as turkey,
chicken, ham and tuna.
Canned vegetables such as
potatoes, carrots, creamed corn, and peas.
Canned fruits in light syrup
and applesauce.
Crackers, cookies and muffins
(preferably un-seeded, and no chunk peanuts or nuts please.)
Ready-made pudding cups, rice
and tapioca.
Canned soups.
Toiletries
Shampoos, toothbrushes &
paste, combs, soaps & lotions.
Please Help! Collecting
Tab’s for Dialysis Centers
Some of you may have or had a relative or friend on
kidney dialysis and may realize that while these dialysis centers are
life-saving, during treatment they can be very cold and uncomfortable. These
centers do the best they can, but we can all easily help out a little more!
For your information, those aluminum tabs are on soda,
beer, soup and cat food cans can keep someone warm. Please take the tabs off
before you recycle the can and bring them to church. There will be containers
to put them in. The tabs will be given to Kidney Dialysis Centers where they
will “turn into” blankets. Dialysis is a cold procedure and having a warm
blanket makes the life saving treatment more tolerable: a simple step to help
others.
Faith Hope Charity,
Outreach
Fasting to Feed Others
“I invite you…in the Name of the Church, to the
observance of a holy Lent. by self-examination and repentance; by prayer,
fasting, and self-denial:” from the Ash Wednesday service in the BCP p. 265
There are two
reasons the Church calls us to observe “a holy Lent”. The first is to remind us
of God’s great mercy in sacrificing his Son on the cross. The second is to
intentionally change our way of living into a purposeful life of ministry. Most
people give up something such as candies or a meal, while others will take on a
discipline such as reading the Bible or setting aside some part of the day to
pray. Here is a Lenten idea we would like to propose to the members of Church
of Our Saviour.
Lent is a time of reflection – simplify life – We usually
give something up we enjoy but can live without. We’re asking parish families
to pick a week and either:
1)
Give something up
as a family
2)
Have soup /
sandwich for dinner
And donate the money saved to
a local food bank or charity. You can do this yourself or give the money to the
outreach committee and we will get it to either the Christian Fellowship food
bank, or the Veteran program in town.
“Thereby, the whole congregation [will be] put
in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our
Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their
repentance and faith.” BCP p. 265
Faith, Hope, Charity,
Julie, June, Judy, Lisa, Rhonda, Ursula, and Barry
Important Services and
Dates
Start the New Year with
Prayer
Anglican Rosary –
January 1, 2010 at 7 p.m.
January 1st falls on the first Friday of the
month. The Church will be open at 7 p.m. for our regularly scheduled praying of
the rosary. We begin with a brief reading of Scripture, a meditation passage
and then pray the Anglican Rosary. This is followed by discussion and then we
end with Compline. We have extra rosaries you may use or purchase.
Sunday January 3, 2010
January 3rd is the Second Sunday in Christmas.
This year the Worship Committee recommended to the Vestry there be one service
at 9 a.m. The Vestry accepted and advised the Rector to consider the
recommendation. The service will be a Rite II service with hymns. Parents
please be aware there are no classes or child care on this Sunday.
Epiphany Service:
Wednesday, Jan. 6th at 7 p.m.
Epiphany is such an important moment in the Church that
we mark all our Sundays leading up to Ash Wednesday as Sunday’s after
the Epiphany. Beginning on January 6th, we focus our attention on
the revelation of Jesus to the world. Not just the Jewish world but to the
Gentile world in the likeness of wise men who also came looking for a Saviour.
The
tradition of serving King Cake comes from the Italian and English celebrations
of the Epiphany and later became part of the French and Louisiana Cajun
tradition. Years before Christmas Day dinners became popular with its
traditional plumb pudding, communities would celebrate the end of Christmas
with a large feast. The centerpiece of the celebration was the King Cake named
so for the legend of the wise men who were thought to be kings from the
oriental east. The cake
is iced or glazed and then sprinkled with yellow, green, and purple sugar
crystals. Each colour represents the three gifts the wise men brought to the
baby Jesus. Yellow for gold, green for myrrh, and purple for frankincense used
on bodies at the time of death (traditionalist today still dress their wise men
in these colours). Inside or under the cake is a little baby Jesus. The
tradition is that whoever finds the baby Jesus is to bring the King Cake to the
next party.
Please
join us for this festal celebration of ending Christmas. Beginning at 7:00 p.m.
on Wednesday, January 6, we will sing hymns of the season with the choir,
celebrate with Holy Communion and then enjoy coffee and King Cake at the back
of the Church.
Scout Sunday February
7, 2010
Celebrating both the
Girls and Boys Scouting Program at 10 a.m. Service
“A Scout is Reverent: The Boy Scouts of America designates the Sunday that falls before February 8 (Scouting Anniversary Day) as Scout Sunday, which is the primary date to recognize the contributions of young people and adults to Scouting.” from the Boy Scouts of America website scouting.org
This year Church of Our Saviour will continue the
tradition of inviting both the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts to participate in a
service recognizing the Scouting programs COS sponsors. We began this tradition
last year. Once again we will ask the Scouts and their leaders to participate
in processing, reading the lessons, and helping at the Altar. Fr. Dave will
preach a “Scout Sermon” to also mark the day. This is a wonderful opportunity
for parents and youth interested in the Scouting Program to ask questions and
talk to leaders after the service during our Coffee Hour.
From the Parish Historian: A RADICAL RECTOR (part 1)
The first rector of Church of
Our Saviour was a restless, energetic, visionary, ambitious and devoted man who
galvanized many to dream and give and do great things to establish the
Episcopal church in Middleborough.
In 1889 eight people
participated in the first Episcopal worship service to be held in
Middleborough. From 1890-92 the Rev. Jeremiah Jewett Cressey, of Trinity
Church, Bridgewater. conducted services once a month for the fledging
congregation. Weekly worship was led by
a seminarian named William Morris Gilbert, who served as Missionary and Lay
Reader from Jan. 1891 until he was called to Grace
Church in Carthage, N.Y. and ordained in
1892. Gilbert’s replacement in
Middleborough was another student from the Episcopal Theological Seminary in
Cambridge: William Bayard Hale.
Hale had been admitted, by newly elected Bishop Phillips
Brooks, as a Candidate for the Sacred Order of Priests on Nov. 24, 1891 and was
licensed as a Lay Reader later that week.
From 1892 Hale served as Deacon in Charge for the Middleborough
congregation and in 1894 he was recommended
for the priesthood. His ministry as an
ordained priest in the parish lasted for less than 5 years, devoted almost
entirely to the building of a congregation and, through the generosity of Mr.
and Mrs. James Earl Peirce, construction of the splendid church building in
which we worship today.
William Bayard Hale was a man
of words. He wrote and preached
tirelessly, with guest appearances and lecture tours both in the United States
and abroad. One of the fragile and precious treasures in our parish archives is
a scrapbook with newspaper clippings recording some of his lectures, travels
and achievements. Though Hale constantly
invoked and pointed towards the higher spiritual realities, he also
relentlessly strove to inspire and ignite fervent social action.
The commercial, scientific
and industrial achievements of the late 19th century had created an
atmosphere of tremendous energy, optimism and sense of achievement, but also
tremendous disparity in human circumstances.
The wealth generated by the thriving and expanding mill towns of New
England fostered ever higher cultural and spiritual aspirations for many and
provided fertile ground for the growth of the Episcopal church. But these towns and mills also were the site
of grinding poverty and oppression in the lives of many workers, laboring long
hours in dangerous conditions without time, hope or means for even the simplest
joys of family and community life. In
his preaching and writing Hale zealously called on his fellow Christians to
live out Christ’s love by taking every measure possible to address the material
and spiritual needs of the poor.
The following quote from an
article entitled “The Epic Opportunity,” published in the journal Arena
in March, 1898, gives a sense of some of Hale’s passion:
That we are at
this moment a fallen nation, an apostate people, enslaved by a gluttonous
materialism, and a disappointment to our God, an awakening conscience among us
bears witness. On the other hand, there
are not wanting evidences that we possess (the gift of Providence) traits which
when aroused will restore us to our appointed place... that there is arising in
the heart of the people a yearning for better things... an inarticulate
resolution to be something besides commercial—to be a servant of progress and
honor.
I
hope in the next edition of the Banner to explore some of Hale’s
radically challenging ideas from a series of sermons he preached at St. Paul’s
Church in Boston on the Friday noons of Lent in 1896, and published under the
title “The New Obedience” in 1897. The
final article of this three-part “Radical Rector” series will deal with Rev.
Hale’s departure from Church of Our Saviour in January, 1899.
Gretchen Umholtz, Parish
Historian
(with thanks to Cheryl
Copeland)
Adult Education
Epiphany Bible Study:
Bible Study is
every Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Washburn Library. For the next 6
weeks beginning January 13th we will study last book in the New
Testament known as The Revelation to John or simply Revelation.
Did you know this book almost didn’t make it in the
Bible? The Catholic Church would barely speak about it. When the German
Reformer Martin Luther translated his Bible into the local language he put this
book in as an epilogue. At the turn of the 20th century, traveling
evangelist used this book to scare people and from their pulpits preachers
quoted from this book to convince their congregations that other churches were
not going to make it into heaven. The Republican Party has used it to preach
against Communist Russia and socialist activities in the United States and the
Democratic Party has quoted it to promote social awareness and justice issues.
The Book of Revelation fascinates us and even scares us.
Is this about the end of everything? Does scripture have something to say about
how the world will end? Many of us have seen or read Timothy LeHaye’s Left
Behind series, heard televangelist preach about the end of the world
according to this book, and some have read Hal Lindsay’s Late, Great, Planet
Earth which uses Revelation to damn other churches, governments, and
people.
Join us and find out what Revelation really says. We will
look at when it was written, who it was written for and why it was written in
the style it is presented. We will also explore how Revelation is important to
us into day’s world. Bring pen and note paper. If you have your own Bible
great! If not, we have plenty in the Library.
Lenten Bible Study – Soup,
Bread and the 1st Letter of Peter
For our Lenten Bible Study on Wednesday’s, we will study
the First Letter of Peter. This will be a “guided” course using Mark Hoffman’s Tested
By Fire: Living as a Christian in the post modern era.
We sometimes think the problems of our age were not the
same as those who lived when the Church was first forming. Christians such as
those who were living in Rome, however, faced many of the difficulties we face
today. Commercialization, capitalistic individualism, competition over sports,
religions, and class status were just as much a way of life in 1st
century Rome as it is today. The faithful were not in organized institutions
but were communities trying to survive. The Church of our day is no longer the
institution it was and we are now faced with the same challenge of how to be a
family of faith among the other faith’s and faithless people.
Join us in a study to see what the author of the 1st
Letter of Peter had to say to those caught in the struggle between being
Christians and the secular life.
As a part of our study we will gather around the table to
enjoy soup and bread as we discuss this letter. There will be a volunteer sheet
for participants to sign up to bring soup and bread for the group.
For All New Members and
Old:
An Inquirers’ Course on the Origin of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion
Where did the Episcopal
Church come from? What is the “Anglican Communion” and who is in it? What do we
believe and what does “Episcopal” mean anyway?
This course is for anyone who
would like to learn about the Episcopal Church. This class is
especially recommended for all new persons to the parish. It is
also a wonderful discussion group for Episcopalians who are already members of
the Church but would like to learn more about our identity and place among the
other Christian denominations. No person is required to take this course except
those who come from other faith traditions (both Roman Catholic and Protestant)
and desire to join the Episcopal Church. There is a signup sheet in the Church
or you may contact Fran in the Office. You may also email Fr. Dave. Please let
us know if you will need childcare.
The 5 week Adult Ed. course
will meet Sunday’s at 11:45 a.m. beginning February 7th. During this
time we will look at the origins of the Church, what the Church believes, how
Scripture is viewed, and discuss issues facing the Church today and in the
future.
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS
Nathan Reed 01/01 Jeanne Turney 01/12 Robert
Capistron 01/27
Christopher Thomas 01/04 Chelsea Holdsworth 01/15 Rhonda
Gardner 01/27
Christopher Sylvia 01/16
Anne Wentworth 01/17 Priscilla
Derrick 01/29
Alice Lacombe 01/11 Mary Jean Liberatore 01/24
Donald Atkins 01/12
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS
Dorothy Wells 02/01 Haley Soule 02/14 Richard Muller 02/22
Steven Thomas 02/05 Judy Thompson 02/16 Genie Mullen 02/23
Timothy Sylvia 02/08 Bryan Young 02/19 Elizabeth Lenihan 02/28
Arline Shaughnessey 02/11 Elvis
Choate 02/21
Andrew Soule 02/14 Wally Kling 02/21
Ash Wednesday
Imposition of Ashes and Communion
On Wednesday, Feb 17th, Lent begins with the
Imposition of Ashes followed by Communion. Two services will be conducted on
this day. The first service will be at 9:30 a.m. in the Chapel. Our second
service will be at 7 p.m.
Ash Wednesday is one of the holiest days of the Church
Calendar and is marked not only by ashes but is also a day when one should
consider fasting. Unlike some other faith traditions, the Episcopal Church does
not tell its members when and how to devote their time and worship. We offer
opportunities of worship and suggest proper practices of devotion.
A proper form of devotion would be to fast on this day.
There are a variety of was to conduct a fast. A suggestion that might fit a
busy lifestyle would be to eat a light breakfast such as toast and a piece of
fruit (one can omit the fruit); prepare a soup and water or juice for lunch or
order a soup lunch with bread but omitting a salad; consider a smaller
portioned dinner possibly omitting a meat dish. Be sure to remember it is
important to remain hydrated when fasting. Sodas and drinks with caffeine are
not recommended. It is also important to note that young children, persons with
health problems, and elderly persons should not consider fasting because of the
potential health risks to such individuals.
You are cordially invited
To Our Open House at the Rectory Jan. 10th
Fr. Dave and Ruth invite the COS family and friends to their
Open House on Sunday Jan. 10th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ruth
along with the kids will provide the usual delicious home cooked hor doeurves for
munching and you are welcome to bring something to share (though it is not
necessary). Fr. Dave will make his homemade eggnog, wassail, and there will be
available other soft and hard beverages.
We so enjoy this time when parishioners and friends come to visit. We especially are happy when new folks in our parish come for the first time. Our address is 108 Lakeside Ave, Lakeville. People may park along Rt. 18 or on the side street (Island View). A map with directions will be placed in the bulletin on that Sunday. Didn’t keep the bulletin or directions? Give us a call (508-947-2067) and will help navigate you to our home. We hope you will be able to join us.
Vestry Notes: November
2009
Annual Convention
Annual Convention was held on
November 6 and 7th at Trinity Church in Boston. Fr. Dave attended
along with Delegates Randy King and Kevin Lynn. A celebration was held for
Bishop Thomas Shaw as he celebrated his 10th year as Bishop. At the convention it was announced that the
Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts has changed the formula regarding
assessments for each parish. Church of Our Saviour was assessed at $8,000.00.
Fr. Dave negotiated this figure down to $4,000.00. Fr. Dave advised the Vestry this
would be a good time to start looking into grants.
At this convention, two
resolutions were passed. Fr. Dave informed the Vestry that resolutions begin
with the Vestry and encouraged members to reflect upon this and possibly come
up with some ideas.
Nearly New Shop
Financial data as of October
31, 2009 is $1,340.00 less at this same time last year. At this time last year,
sales were $8,900. While consigners are up, sales are down. The shop will be
focusing more on advertising in the upcoming year.
In past years, a volunteer
from the Nearly New Shop shoveled out the stairs and walkways to clear away
snow. The volunteer has since resigned and the issue of snow removal is a
concern. Fr. Dave will check with the sexton to find out whether he has the
resources available to him to provide this removal of snow. If needed, the shop
will have to hire someone to perform this task, resulting in a reduction of
Nearly New contribution to the Church. It was confirmed by Fr. Dave that snow
removal is in the sexton’s contract.
Craft Fair
It was reported by Barry
Capistron that the fair raised $2,200.00 but there is still money expected to
come in to increase this total.
Outreach
A report was submitted by
Julie Siderwicz outlining existing projects and proposing new ones. Some of the new projects will include “spare
change program” and saving aluminum tabs to be donated to Kidney Dialysis
Centers and possible some other organizations’ in need of these tabs.
Discussion was had regarding funding some of the projects, such as providing
materials to promote projects. It was suggested that Outreach should have a
line in the Church budget. The hope is to be a self-supporting committee once
new projects are put in place.
Lisa Buckley made a motion to
allow Outreach to have a $50.00 budget to kick-off new projects. Nancy Lee
seconded motion. Motion was voted on and approved unanimously.
Nominating Committee
There are 3 vestry members
rotating off this year. Lisa Buckley, Mary Granfield and Nancy Lee. Mary Granfield will be the chairwoman of the
Nominating Committee. Members include Martha Edwards, Wayne Besegai, Beth Anne
Young, Julie Siderwicz, Barry Capistron and Fr. Dave. The Nominating Committee
consists of department heads from each Committee at COS.
Banner
There will be a December
Banner going out before Thanksgiving. Deadline for January/February Banner is
December 18th.
December/January Events
1.
Christmas Letter
and Christmas Flower Envelopes will go out week of December 1, 2009/
2.
Greening of the
Church will be on December 20th.
3.
Christmas Pageant
will be on December 20th at the 10:00 service.
4.
Christmas Eve
Services 5:00 pm and 10:30 pm
5.
Christmas Day
Service 9:00 am
6.
Festival of
Lessons and Carols on December 27th at 9:00 am (one service only)
7.
Epiphany –
Wednesday January 6, 2010 – Service at 7:30
8.
Open House at the
Parsonage on Sunday January 10, 2010
9.
Annual Reports
due January 10, 2010 by all Committee Chairpersons
10.
Annual Meeting –
January 30 – there will be further discussion as to location and time at
December 17th Vestry Meeting.
REPORTS
Treasurer’s Report – As of November 19th, 40 pledges have
been sent in totaling $77,000.00. The rough budget has a deficit of $50,000.
Per audit recommendations, an audit committee needs to be assembled.
Junior Warden’s Report
Church
Work on the Church roof is
starting on November 23, 2009 by Cape Cod Copper Company.
Nearly New Shop
Heat Exchanger needs to be
replaced for $2,700.00. The Fire Box was repaired last year.
Parish Hall
Windows in the Washburn
Library will cost around $7,000 - $9,000 because they are custom made, made
with lead and quite an involved job. Wally suggested just replacing the broken
window pane with glass costing $500.00 to prevent anymore leaking and then eventually
apply for a “green” grant.
Motion was made by Sim
Bullard to pay $500.00 the replace the broken part of the window pane. Motion
was seconded by Joe Morrissey. Motion voted on and approved unanimously.
Spare Office downstairs
Wally reported that we are
not required to hire a professional cleaning company to remove mold in spare
office. Cleaning supplies can be purchased and be removed ourselves.
Joe Morrissey has been
replacing ballast’ downstairs and would like to replace more. Nancy Lee made Motion
to allow Joe Morrissey to purchase 3 cases of lamps. Motion was seconded by
Betty Wainwright. Motion was voted on and approved unanimously.
New Business
Girl Scouts would like to use
Benshoff Hall on February 20th from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Discussion was
made reminding the Girl Scouts that it falls during February School Vacation
week. Barry will discuss with troop and get back to us.
Rector’s Report
There will be an Interfaith
Service at the Methodist Church on Tuesday, November 24th 7:00 pm
for Thanksgiving.
COS hosted a joint Vestry
retreat on Saturday October 18th. Several Vestries from the Taunton
River Deanery attended. There were about 40 attendees. Betty Wainwright, Mary
Granfield and Julie Siderwicz attended along with Fr. Dave.
Worship Committee meeting was
cancelled due to some member’s illness.
Fr. Dave will be on retreat
at Holy Cross on December 10th and 11th, 2009. He will
also be out of the Parish December 12th and 13th, 2009.
Billie Mae Gordon will be the supply priest on that weekend.
Fr. Dave met with Bishop
Cederholm while the Bishop was at COS and the Bishop said he was very pleased.
He noted that this isn’t the same Parish it was two years ago.
