Record of the 07 December 2008 Annual Meeting 

The St. Paul’s Annual Meeting was held after the Sunday service on Sunday, 07 December 2008.  Agenda included: Prayer Workshop, Awards, Selection of Register, Election of Vestry Members, By-Laws Change, and Oral Reports. 

Prayer Workshop:  The Reverend Jim May requested St. Paul’s congregation to discuss “prayer” in small groups.  Each table was asked to read and discuss questions listed on the reverse of the Agenda document, then share their thoughts with everyone.  The questions were:

      Does prayer have practical significance?

      Why not just form a committee, identify a problem, and create a program?

      We are not the builders.  How do we learn to adopt that perspective?

      How can we encourage and support prayer in our church? 

Awards:  Whit Turner and Bob Griswold presented a special award to Bob Richardson for his tireless work on the St. Paul’s Pipe Organ – a sweatshirt with a picture of a massive pipe organ on the front, and the words: “Problem Solver Extraordinaire” on the back.  Jim May presented framed photos of St. Paul’s altar to Stuart Ashton and to Chuck Gleason for their service as Wardens of the Parish. 

Selection of Register:  Richard Frazer, Register of the Vestry was requested to record and prepare minutes for the Annual Meeting. 

Election of Vestry Members:  There were no nominations from the floor.  The election committee presented Mike Shippee and David Kitterman as qualified candidates willing to serve on the St. Paul’s Vestry.  They were approved unanimously. 

By-Laws Change:  Cindy Malyevac read the change to St. Paul’s By-Laws written in order to avoid overlap in Vestry terms and clarify who was on the Vestry, when, and for how long.  During discussion it was noted by Wayne Culbertson that the overlap situation occurred when the annual meeting and vestry elections were moved from January to December.  The motion to accept the By-Laws change was passed by majority voice vote, but it was not unanimous. 

Oral Reports:   

Senior Warden:  Stuart Ashton said that “The mission of St. Paul’s Parish is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ through worship, outreach, and education” and that we are accomplishing much in the pursuit of our goals.  In his leadership of the Vestry, it was his goal to reach consensus in all matters that affect the church.  He was very pleased with the energy and output in our Missions and Outreach areas and support of the OPP Shop.  Our Christian Education Program is strong and we were able to open the St. Paul’s Day School.  The physical plant is in good shape.  However our operations, notably Pastoral, Musical, and Administrative, are not supported by resources - if we want to continue as a viable church, all of us are accountable.  “St. Paul’s is not just asking us for MORE, but for ENOUGH.” 

Treasurer:  Steve Malyevac presented 2008 status, trends and projections, and the draft 2009 budget.  In 2008 our expenses exceeded income by approximately $20,000, drawing down the general fund balance by that amount.  The draft 2009 budget shows a similar shortfall, leaving perhaps one more year of surplus in the general fund.  This would indicate that unless revenues increase dramatically, some very difficult decisions will be necessary in 2011. 

Stewardship:  Mindy Ashton reported that the goals of the Stewardship Committee are: increase the number of pledging units from 50 in 2008 to 60 in 2009, and raise the average pledge to $2500 per year.  So far there are 49 pledges for 2009, but more are expected. 

Missions and Outreach:  Terri Gallagher reported that more than $10.5 K was provided to support M&O Projects.  The primary projects were:  The Haiti Micah Project, Relay for Life, and The Heifer Project. 

Long Range Goals:  Donald Baxter noted that the processes to define long-range strategic objectives and to establish pro-active management of future directions for St. Paul’s Church was begun by Whit Turner and began with the articulation of our Mission Statement.  Survey data revealed what the congregation liked about St. Paul’s:  the historical buildings, the music program, the good people.  To stress the importance of identifying the things that will help us do God’s work, Donald quoted Proverbs, “Where there is no VISION, the people will perish.”  Three Long Range Goals were identified by the committee: 

      Increase average Sunday attendance.

      Sustain our ROBUST Missions and Outreach Program.

      Increase financial stewardship through spiritual education. 
 

Committee chairmen were encouraged to submit written reports to Bob Griswold for posting on the St. Paul’s website. 

The Annual Meeting was concluded with a prayer. 

Respectfully submitted:  Richard A. Frazer