A Message from the Rector & Wardens after the Annual Meeting
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Dear friends and members of St. Matt’s,
Thank you for a wonderful Annual Meeting yesterday. Thank you to our newly elected Officers and Vestry members, thank you to all those who served in 2019. Thank you to the Vestry for such a wonderful coffee hour. And thanks to all of you who were able to join us. For those of you who couldn’t be with us for this Spirit-filled time of sharing, we’re including the Annual Report (below) so that you can read it.
You’ll see that the 2019 Annual Report is full of numbers. We are happy to report that most of them are good, especially after the parish responded so faithfully with pledges for the year 2020. Thank you. Over the last several years, we have had to make some difficult cuts to the budget reflecting the changing landscape of the broader church. As we continue to discern who we are and who we are called to be, we are working with less revenue than years ago. We have made a commitment to live within our means, and we will.
Here’s the good news. It’s time to grow again. We have strong roots, and there are green shoots springing up all around this tree that is St. Matthew’s. We have so much good work to do together.
Yesterday, at the Annual Meeting, we passed a budget that restores some funding to a few important areas of our life together. There are some exciting plans and new ideas for 2020 that will help us grow in faith through worship, fellowship, and adult education. The staff is working hard to expand our programming and deepen our relationships with God, with each other, and with the surrounding community. Samantha has plans that will continue St. Matt’s tradition of being a safe place for our kids as they grow in their faith. Scott, even as Interim Director of Music, is beginning to put in place some important building blocks for our music program moving forward. And one piece of good news shared yesterday is that Scott will be with us through the middle of June 2020, giving us a chance to continue to look for the person God is calling to join us in ministry.
Mission has been reimagined. To demonstrate our commitment to this new vision, the Vestry has increased the budget for our Mission Team in 2020. We will continue to focus on opportunities for hands on involvement with organizations that are aligned with St. Matthew’s mission and values. And we will continue to grow in relationship with our Partners and Beneficiaries.
We wrap up our reflection with this simple invitation – get involved. The spiritual journey that we are on has been so special and full of love because of you. We want to grow in our relationship with God and each other and experience God’s love with you. We want to share in your story, so that we can more meaningfully be part of God’s story. So, look for some new and meaningful ways to connect this year. There will be some new programs and opportunities for children, youth, and adults. And we are inviting you to get more involved in the work we are called to do. We challenge you to get involved in a ministry you have never been involved with before. Try on something new, see how it goes. There are new and thoughtful efforts with newcomers. We always need more people to teach Church School and make coffee. There are opportunities to serve in pastoral care, flowers, social media – you name it! But try something new in 2020.
There is so much ahead of us on this spiritual journey and we are so grateful for you and for all the gifts God has given us. Take a look at the Annual Report, read about the good news of this place. And help us follow God’s call to share the good news of Jesus beyond our doors. We look forward to working and growing with you this year.
Faithfully,
The Rev. Marissa Rohrbach +, Rector
Jen Kepner, Senior Warden
Brian Angerame, Junior Warden
Click here to read the Annual Report.
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