Vestry Minutes for May 21, 2012

Formation

Evening Prayer and Thanksgiving and Prayer Requests
Evening Prayer began at 7:00 PM. The vestry then met in the undercroft meeting room where the meeting began with each person offering prayers of thanksgiving and intercession.

Attendance
Present at the meeting were the rector, Kristin Orr; senior warden, Frank So; junior warden, Audrey Ongman; vestry members Candice Barrera, Anne Edwards, Steve Hofer, Bev Keene, Greg Lawrence, Gale Michael, Mark Moxley, and R.J. VanSwol; the treasurer, Clay Denton, and the clerk, Susan Marquis. John Huntoon was absent.

Parish Stewardship

Approval of Minutes from the April Meeting
Audrey Ongman moved that the minutes from the April meeting be approved, and Steve Hofer seconded the motion. The motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report
Clay Denton reported that the financial news has been all good for the past month. There were no surprise expenses, and the regular expenses have been reasonable. There was an unusually high Easter offering this year. Anne Edwards made a motion to accept the report, and following a second by Gale Michael, the motion passed.

Information

Rector’s Report
Pastor Orr thanked those who taught this year at all levels. She noted the good participation and discussion in the Sunday morning group, and she offered congratulations to Nadia Kemp, who completed the four-year Education for Ministry program.
The rector will be on vacation from July 10th through 31st, a period that includes three Sundays. The names of the supply priests covering these dates will be announced later.
We will begin a search for a new music director soon. Coverage has been set through June so far.

Wardens’ Reports and/or Reports from Parish Organizations
Although last month he thought he could do so, Frank So reported that he would be unable to participate in May’s webinar on endowments. [See further discussion below.] Audrey Ongman expressed thanks to all who use the kitchen and take such good care of it. She also thanked the parishioner who donates paper goods to the kitchen every year. She noted that the new sexton has been doing a good job.

Upcoming Parish Events
Pentecost is next Sunday, May 27th. Ted VanSwol will be baptized, and the service will include a special anthem that Ted’s father, R.J., composed for the event.
On Saturday, June 2nd, the vestry will gather for the annual retreat at St. John’s. Coffee and snacks will be served from 8:30 until 9:00 AM. The program, focusing on lay leadership, will follow from 9:00 AM until approximately 12:30 PM.
High school graduates will be acknowledged during the 10:00 AM service on June 3rd, and the annual parish picnic on the south lawn will follow the service.
Bishop Lee will confirm/receive several of our parishioners on Saturday, June 9th at 10:00 AM at the cathedral. All are welcome to attend.

Discussion and Decisions

Reports on Capital Campaigns Webinar
The April webinar, an interactive online seminar produced by the Episcopal Church Foundation on April 26th, dealt with the topic, “Basics of a Parish Capital Campaign.” Gale Michael was the only vestry member able to participate. She reported several highlights:
   --- The presenters favored hiring a consultant to help organize the project. --- A congregation is ready to start asking for money when 70 to 80% of the congregation knows what the project is about and can talk about it.
    --- The giving potential within a parish is approximately three to five times the annual pledging and plate collection amount. For a parish of our size, the best estimate would be five times the annual amount.
   --- Fund raising can take three to four years, with three years being preferable.
This Wednesday, May 23rd, the second of the pair of capital campaign webinars will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. The topic for this installment is “Spending Rules for Endowments.” Pastor Orr, Audrey Ongman, and Mark Moxley plan to participate.

Reports on Foundation Research re: Accessibility Project
Last month Anne Edwards compiled a list of foundations that may be able to provide grant money to St. John’s for our accessibility project. She divided the list among vestry members for further research. While the majority of the foundations did not contribute to our particular type of project, there were a few that warrant a further look. Candice Barrera reported that the Beatrice P. Delaney Charitable Trust has a history of donating to churches, and Candice will look into this further. Bev Keene found the Retirement Research Foundation to be a possible match. Gale Michael discovered the Helen Brach Foundation and the Helen M. Galvin Charitable Trust could be good sources.
When the time comes, Stephen Russell has offered to write grant proposals for us.

Discussion of Next Steps in Accessibility Improvements
The June vestry meeting will focus on a timeline or strategy for the accessibility project.

Closing
The meeting closed at 8:40 PM following prayer. The next meeting will be on June 18th. As always, there will not be a July vestry meeting.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Marquis
Clerk of the Vestry

Approved June 18, 2012