Vicar’s Annual Report 2007

Grace to you and peace,

As I greet you this morning we are nearing the 5th year anniversary of our time together as partners in ministry.  Like each of the ones that have gone before it, this year has held unique challenges and blessings.  Some of these we may long to live again and some we would hope never to repeat in our lifetime! 

This year was, as you know, the 100th Anniversary of our founding in Bergenfield.  The grand and glorious celebration on November 4th exceeded even what had been imagined by those eager to celebrate the milestone event.  As we did on that day, we thank everyone who pitched in with everything from decorating, to stuffing envelopes, to sweeping floors and setting tables.  The extra work in the church headed up by Eleanor Belisle to welcome Bishop Mark Beckwith for a remarking of the threshold all came together. A beautiful new banner hangs in the nave and the commemorative books compiled by the Biesels – along with lots of photos - remind us of the big milestone day.  It was all quite wonderful and the scores of volunteers were led by Cynthia Hines-Smith and Eileen Frisby. 

After nearly two years in transition using supply organists and spoken services, we were blessed to welcome on to the staff of All Saints’ our new organist, David Burkhin.  David has already made an impact in our life with the fledgling children’s choir that has offered joyful praise at our  100th Anniversary, Christmas, and Epiphany services.  David is becoming increasingly familiar with Anglican worship and is settling well onto the organ bench.  It is said that those who sing pray twice.  The singing of our prayers, our understanding of God, and of the ‘stuff’ of our lives have always held a central place in Christian tradition.  We look forward to the rich diversity that David seeks to bring into our corporate worship and expression of God’s love. 

Among the many milestones we faced this year was our gathering in February to commend to Almighty God Adele Ahern who, for longer than anyone can remember, worshiped in these pews and gathered strength at this altar.  A more stalwart and faithful disciple of the gospel of the Living Christ would be hard to find.  Her last days were spent as the rest had been – offering her life to her Lord and placing herself in God’s presence in prayer.  

As one child of God returned to God, another was welcomed into Christ’s holy family.  Donavon Curtis Anderson was marked as Christ’s own forever in the sacrament of Holy Baptism.  The household of God was renewed by the faithful action of one of God’s holy families. 

Another milestone came upon us quicker than we had anticipated, when Barbara and Jake Alli’s family home in Bergenfield was sold quickly and brought about an early move to their planned retirement home in Toms River, New Jersey in late August.  We are still calculating the shaking of the floor boards that occurred as the moving van doors shut in front of their Roosevelt Avenue home.  Barbara has held every job, volunteered in every capacity, and weathered every storm of change and transition in this church as she has faithfully kept in step with Christ.  I asked Barbara to be with us today so that we could thank her for her life and witness as a member of All Saints’.  Personally I want her to see the work at the rectory, and especially the kitchen, because she was so much a part of getting that process going and working with me in the initial stages.  She raised her kids here and has introduced her grandchildren and even great-grandchildren here.  All Saints’ has been the church of all the life milestones that a life can hold because Barbara has intentionally and consistently invited God to be part of all those milestones.  There is a church community in South Jersey that is just now beginning to understand the greatness of the gift that has crossed their threshold. 

The Church Outside the Gate Korean Presbyterian church continues to share our worship space with us and enables us to experience the sharing of hospitality.  Many churches have similar arrangements that cause challenges and struggles.  That is thankfully not the case with our situation.  Ours is a blessing beyond measure with the increasing number of occasions when we are able to join together and share our lives of faith.  I have extended to Pastor Lim and their church leadership the invitation to hang a church banner in the nave, use removable pulpit and lecturn hangings each Sunday, and I have invited Pastor Lim to share my clergy vestment closet for his robe.  I have also invited their Sunday School children to create hangings for the side pillars for the Easter season this year.  It is our hope that next Epiphany our children’s presentation will also include the children of The Church Outside the Gate.  I hope this will extend the welcome further so that they too know this house of worship as their home. 

Ours is an incarnate life because we follow the Living God who became incarnate to walk with us.  We remember much of our life story as it is told through the lives of the people with whom we share our lives. That’s why the stories we remember are important to us.  They tell us about the story of our life too.

Other things that can make years memorable are events and circumstances.  For me, 2007 will be remembered for the ongoing construction at the rectory, the impact that it had on Nicholas’ and my life, and how it usurped the focus of my ministry.  Most days I have felt much more like a building supervisor and general contractor than your pastor and priest.  I have learned lessons about construction, inspections, disruption, and frustration that I would not wish for anyone to learn by experience.  But it was, I know, the work that needed doing.  Jack was a special companion in this long and arduous process.  We all owe him an incredible debt of thanks for his willingness to spell me in waiting for contractors who didn’t show up and couldn’t seem to remember they had a cell phone and my number in their pocket.   He took turns unlocking the rectory for the ones who did show up and made enough trips to Home Depot with me to equal driving to heaven and back a bunch of times.  Now, with the real possibility that after eight months the end is near, we and the Diocese have learned the hard way that health and safety repairs and maintenance must be an ongoing and regularly attended to process, and that needed major repairs and updating must be done (to the greatest extent possible) in-between clergy cures. 

As I mentioned in my Annual Report last year, one of the goals I set for 2007 was the computerization of the finances of both the church and school.  Church jobs that were once passed seamlessly from one person to the next now increasingly go begging – not for lack of heart - but for lack of time.  Computer programs that are available have the ability to track bills, manage balances, and generate reports.  To that end the vestry decided to hire a consultant to get us computerized.   We have hired a bookkeeper who works jointly with the church and school.  She is putting into action the prep-work that Barbara Alli and Joe Mamatz began with Quickbooks.  The program of Quickbooks that we us was modified by my sister Mary Beth.  She is involved with managing and tracking finances in three parishes both professionally and as a volunteer.  It was moving at a slow but steady pace as David Biesel continued to provide interim and transition support.  David’s careful and thorough records made the inputting of data possible.  After more than a year we were FINALLY up and running only to suffer a devastating computer crash just over two weeks ago from which we are still trying to recover.  The jury is still out on how much it will set us back.  But, as was the case with each step of the rectory construction, this event almost completely derailed my pastoral and priestly duties and relegated me to doing battle with Dell Computer Corporation. 

One of my major goals, one of our significant challenges, and one of the most important requirements of this congregation in the year 2008 is to form a solid finance committee to oversee, direct, and manage the financial life of this congregation and our school ministry.  It is unwise for the clergy to be in the middle of regulating finances.  It is my role to oversee and help to shape the wise use of the resources entrusted to this congregation by holding forth the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The primary work for the mechanics of the fiscal management of the parish is designed to be - and must here return to be - the work of the people of the congregation through the elected members of the vestry and the person appointed treasurer by the Bishop.  An analysis must be accomplished, a budget constructed, and a course set that will ensure the financial viability of this congregation and the success of the ministries for which this community of faith is proudly known.  

Two ministries of which this parish can be particularly and rightly proud is our Thrift Store and our children’s Sunday School program.  About a year ago the leadership of the Thrift Store passed from the faithful and capable hands of Pat Gargiulo to the vision-filled and ready hands of Eleanor Belisle.  This vital ministry of the parish has continued on through a relocation that sounded more effective than it turned out to be.  While the blue curtains and lower gym/parish hall provided some benefits, the arduous task of putting tables in and out has proved overwhelming.  Concerns were shared with the vestry and a meeting was set up including the wardens, clergy, and thrift store leadership.  Hopes, dreams, and frustrations were heard.  Clear decisions have been made and new goals have been set.  You will hear more about them in the next part of our meeting but please hear loud and clear that the All Saints’ Thrift Store is a ministry of value and priority to the wardens, vestry, and to me.  We hold in great respect and thanksgiving all those who offer of their lives to make it a reality.  Eleanor, Roger Belisle, Jack Racich, David and Diane Biesel, Barbara Rhodes, Alice Bullock, Pat Gargiulo, Rosilind Reid, and Pat MacKay.  Stay tuned … there is more to come!

One of the constants in our life is the need and desire to nurture our children in the life of faith.  In our very first action – the Sacrament of Baptism – we commit to this ministry.  It, like anything to which God calls us, blesses us more than we can ask or imagine.  In this parish church Kris Morris is the leader of the most diligent of the ministers who call this place home.  Week after week, whether we bring our children or not, Kris, Kathy Arlin, Jennifer Allen, Dylan Morris, and Kylie Morris are prepared to feed their souls from the richness of God’s bounty.  Through bible stories, activities fueled by their own creativity, and sustained by their own hearts, any child who walks through these doors – be it once a year or every Sunday – gets the same welcome and invitation to enter-in and share an experience of the Good News of Jesus.  The postal service has nothing on our teaching staff – they always deliver the Gospel. 

So, as we look forward to 2008 what is set before us? 
First – to strengthen our witness to the living Christ.  To find new ways to fling wide these doors and attract people to enter them to find the life that is here – available, open, and ready to embrace them. 

Second – Our financial health.  We must find ways to encourage each other to increase our Stewardship to and of this place so that we can increase the ministry of and from this place.  In the last year we have lost $15K in building use fees due to the closure of Bergenfield Gymnastics.  And while we have welcomed new families into our midst we have also experienced the natural retirement and deaths that are part of life.  It may be time for this congregation to undertake a fairly significant fund raiser to assist with ministry. If the rolled up sleeves for the 100th celebration are any indication, this is something that can be undertaken with success.    

Third – All Saints’ is known, among some, for the outreach in which we have long been involved.  We are also being challenged to look again and to cast the net of our response wider.  Our Outreach is – predominantly but not exclusively - on the local scale.  How can we direct the resources that we have to make a broader impact in the farther corners of God’s world?  We have some ideas to share with you at the meeting but it is intended to open the discussion – not come to a conclusion. 

Fourth – We all know that we can look and see resources and time in short supply.  But the resources and time we have are – as God has promised – sufficient to meet the ministry to which God is calling us to engage.  We as clergy, vestry, and congregation need to look deeper into the intended and unique responsibilities that have been entrusted to each of us in particular and we need to set our house in order.  This is work that we can do but seem to be reluctant to do.  This is the year to pay attention to it , set a clear course for addressing it, and to see the health and welfare of the community increase. 

When we have addressed and begun to implement what we learn in the fourth task, then will come the things that are on my list of goals and hearts desires for the very near and near future. 

 remains a goal. When I have individual pastoral conversations I know it is a desire and a need.  I LOVE those conversations that – particularly in this last year – have been an oasis of meaning.  We all need to be part of making a commitment to be present, involved, and engaged in the Sunday Gathering so it will be a time in which you experience yourself to be fed spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, socially, and physically.  Nothing more … nothing less.

And here’s the big one for me.  This is where I believe we are called to look next, once we address our housekeeping issues.  I believe with my whole heart that God has placed the success of the ministry of the child care center in our lives as an icon for reaching this busy and overscheduled world for Christ.  Each day of the work week 70 plus children and their families come through our doors.  They LOVE that we offer a God centered environment.  They LOVE that I offer chapel each week!  They LOVE that their children come home singing songs of God’s love and retelling the stories of the faithful!  They LOVE that we now offer bi-monthly family nights in combination with the church to provide fellowship and an opportunity for them to experience God in the lives of their families.  They LOVE it… and they want it. 

It is my prayer, hope, and desire that when we gather for our Annual Meeting next year that we will have added to our weekly calendar a mid-week faith formation experience designed – not just for – but AROUND the busy, hectic, short attention span family life that is the norm in our world.  We are in a unique and powerful position to be able to offer an as yet unexplored door into the faith for families who use church-run child care centers and nursery schools, but are not active in a church of their own.  I believe to my absolute core that THIS IS WHY GOD HAS BLESSED US with a successful child care center ministry – so that we can spread the welcome of Christ.  We can do this and we can create a model for others to do it too.  I believe God has set it as a challenge for us.  Why else would we have seen the growth and demand for our program that we are now experiencing?  How else than the loving - guiding hand of God? 

My brothers and sisters… from the world’s point of view the call may seem bigger than the resources.  But the world’s point of view is not our point of view.  And from our point of view … we know that all things are possible with God. 

May God who has given us the will to do these things give us the grace and strength to perform them.  Amen.