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1
2015
ANNUAL REPORT
St. Luke’s Episcopal
Church
1
ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH “St. Luke’s is a comforting and accepting community,
open to God’s love, rooted in tradition, on a journey of service to others.”
The Episcopal Diocese of Idaho
The Rt. Rev. Brian Thom, Bishop
The Rev. Susan Elizabeth Speir, Rector
Senior Warden
Misty Martinell
Junior Warden
Ginger Wright
Vestry Members
Kim Farnes Joe Cash
Jane Papi Jerry Coolidge
Susan Mills
Vestry Clerk
Loretta Moses
Parish Administrator/Treasurer
Suzanne Buchan
Administrative Assistant
Sara Jensen
270 No. Placer (208) 522-8465
Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402 stlukes@qwestoffice.net
http://stlukes.episcopalidaho.org
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ST. LUKES ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES January 25, 2015
In Attendance
The annual meeting of St. Luke’s was called to order at 10:52am by Pastor Susan following a prayer.
Brunch was served prior to opening the meeting.
Appointments made were: Tellers - Susie Smith, Cher Stone, and Moira Solle
Parliamentarian – Suzanne Buchan
Clerk – Sara Jensen
All were counted to make sure there was a quorum. There were 35 were needed and 37 present.
Pastor Susan recognized the outgoing Vestry members: Moira Solle, Janice Jemtrud, Nancy Jones, and
Todd DeVries. They were presented with gifts and applause from the congregation.
Nominations for new Vestry members were announced by Janice Jemtrud. The nominees were Joe Cash
and Jerry Coolidge. A question was asked about how many members should be on the Vestry. There were
no nominations for the floor. A motion to accept the nominees was moved and seconded. Nominations were
closed.
Suzanne Buchan explained the voting procedure for Vestry and for delegates to convention in 2015. The
location of the convention has not yet been determined. Misty Martinell told us about her trip to the 2014
convention and recommended attending to all present!
Nominations for delegates to convention were: Cher Stone, Carolyn Robertson, Nancy Jones, Suzanne
Buchan, and Janice Jemtrud. Ballots were filled out with vestry and convention delegates. Susie Smith and
her team counted the ballots and reported back to the meeting.
The treasurer’s report was given by Suzanne Buchan. Budget sheets and finance reports were passed out.
Suzanne explained the report and took questions. Pastor Susan explained that the Vestry had already
approved the budget so no vote was needed.
Dan Sanow reported on the Soup Kitchen. He explained that there are cash and donations that provide the
food for the meals. Year end numbers will be reported in the newsletter.
Carolyn Robertson reported on the Community Outreach Center.
Minutes of the last meeting held January 26, 2014 were approved and accepted. Patti Sherlock made the
motion and Carolyn Neblett seconded.
Virginia Wright Christina Pavlock Ray Fury Debbie Fury
Dan Sanow Kelli Marshall Janice Seargent Craig Riché
Lydia Cash Joe Cash Ruth Dean Nancy Jones
Mary Leberknight Susan Mills Paul Menser Larry Speir
Susan Smith Carolyn Neblett Celia Lyon Brian Humeckey
Patti Sherlock Cher Stone Carolyn Robertson Jane Papi
Denise Papi Buddy Hall Kim Farnes Mark Farnes
Bill Koester Kathy Koester Joan Abbott Roland Smith
Frances Teske Misty Martinell Kris Smith Suzanne Buchan
Brian Grant Sara Jensen
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Pastor Susan and Cher Stone presented the “Table Questions” for the meeting. The topic was tending the
front door, and tending the back door.
The first question was: How can we welcome people in?
Mary Leberknight was recognized for her job as greeter and for escorting guests to their seats and
inviting them to coffee after the service. We should have ushers besides the VPOD to help with this job.
Suggestions were made for reserved parking spaces for visitors, signs to direct guests to Sunday
School, nursery, coffee hour, etc. Inviting friends to church was recommended. It was also suggested that
an announcement be made during the service to fill out visitor cards.
The second question was: How do we mind the back door?
We should have someone at the back door (front door, too!) to say good bye and invite people back.
Follow-up was stressed. Again, making sure visitor cards are available. A suggestion was made to have
attendance sheets to see who was absent. We should check up on those who are absent and let them know
they haven’t been forgotten.
Pastor Susan presented gifts to Betty Clark and Sue Hacker for reading the whole bible in a year. Carolyn
Neblett was honored with a gift and standing ovation for service as the music director for so many years.
She is resigning.
The St. Luke’s Cross was given to Kelli Marshall for her leadership in the Turkey Box Outreach.
Denise Papi was recognized for her help with the music program as substitute piano player. She and Jane
announced their wedding plans on February 14th and invited the congregation.
At this point the election results were announced. Jerry Coolidge and Joe Cash were confirmed as the new
members to the Vestry. The delegates to convention were announced in order: Cher Stone, Carolyn
Robertson, Nancy Jones, and alternates: Suzanne Buchan and Janice Jemtrud.
Pastor Susan announced that Misty Martinell would be the new Senior Warden.
Shrove Tuesday was announced by Buddy Hall and friends. They danced around and handed out beads to
let us know that there would be a Mardi Gras theme to the evening with a kings cake from Louisiana. The
Mission Haiti team will donate the food, cook, serve, and cleanup afterward. No tickets will be sold this
year. Donations will be accepted for the trip.
Pastor Susan announced that Suzanne Buchan will represent the Diocese at a workshop in New Mexico for
disaster preparedness. She will learn how to coordinate disaster relief resources in an interfaith system in
the community and share that information locally and with the Diocese.
Pastor Susan thanked Senior Warden, Kim Farnes, and Junior Warden, Moira Solle for their service to St.
Luke’s in 2014.
A closing prayer was given by Deacon Larry Speir and the meeting was adjourned.
The new vestry met with Pastor Susan in the office for a short meeting.
NECROLOGY Todd Hicks
Gabrielle Janibagian
MaryAnn Whitham
Helen Theis
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RECTORS ANNUAL REPORT 2015 The Rev. Susan Elizabeth Speir
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church continues to thrive in Idaho Falls. Although some members have either
moved from the area or passed away, we have welcomed new members to our numbers. Two Sunday
morning services are attended by most parishioners, and we also offer a regular midweek service on
Wednesdays which is a small but vibrant bunch.
This past summer and fall, we also piloted a service on Friday evenings entitled “Friday 6:06” named for
the time of the service. This was an opportunity for trying out some variations of Rite III worship styles
including Celtic Eucharists. A number of musicians volunteered to play guitar, auto harp and piano adding
to the joy. While attendance declined as the nights grew shorter and colder, we made the decision to stop
for the winter and resume our Friday 6:06 services post Easter 2016.
Music has been a challenge for St. Luke’s this year. With the departing of our organist in September, we
made the decision to hire an interim pianist, Denise Papi. Denise has fit the bill and while not an organist,
we have certainly enjoyed her happy willingness to coach the choir and play hymns and some anthems. As
a member of our church, Denise deserves all of our praise for stepping up to this ministry.
Eric Archibald, a classically trained pianist, has joined St. Luke’s. He has been available for voluntaries
and extra music from time to time and we feel blessed by his contributions.
Faith ‘n Harmony, our contemporary music group, plays once a month adding guitars, fiddle and other
instruments; Angie Lee facilitates leadership for this group making certain that music is coordinated with
lectionary readings.
We are grateful for the bell choir (Tintinnabulation), led by the talents of Marilyn Taylor. We are happily
graced by bell anthems during the program year. Many of the members of this ministry are members of
other churches; however they make the effort to be at St. Luke’s when necessary which is truly appreciated.
While a new organist is still being sought, we do not feel deprived of good music at St. Luke’s. We hope
that with the addition of a new organist in the future, the above mentioned variety of music groups will
continue to actively participate in our worship services.
St. Luke’s is a joy to lead as Priest and Rector, this being my 8th year at St. Luke’s. Together with a more
than capable vestry, we have accomplished a lot in 2015. This year, serving in this leadership ministry was
Misty Martinell, Sr. Warden, Ginger Wright, Jr. Warden, Joe Cash, Jane Papi, Susan Mills, Kim Farnes and
Jerry Coolidge. Loretta Moses served as Clerk and Suzanne Buchan has been treasurer.
Coordinating with the vestry has been a strong finance committee led by Johanna Grant. Carolyn Robertson
serves as bookkeeper, and Suzanne Buchan as treasurer. This team also includes Susie Smith and Holly
Crawley with Misty Martinell as vestry liaison. They are a highly valued group since they meet regularly
making recommendations to the vestry (who makes final financial decisions), for budget and expenditures
throughout the year.
Our building, while aging, is cared for by the Building and Grounds Committee, led by our Jr. Warden,
Ginger Wright. Overseeing all of our building and grounds on a nearly daily basis is our Superintendent,
Roland Smith. Roland makes recommendations to the larger committee but also spends a great deal of time
replacing equipment as needed and finding ways to keep our facility in good shape. Not only does this
committee keep our facility in good shape, they also work creatively to suggest updates and improvements
that enhance our worship space and other spaces throughout the building and grounds.
Special services create times at St. Luke’s when we come together for celebrations. This year, February
14th, we enjoyed the first same-sex marriage ceremony between Jane and Denise Papi. The service was
beautiful and was followed by a lovely reception in the parish hall.
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In June, Transitional Deacons Joseph Farnes and Larry Speir were ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests
by the Rt. Reverend Brian Thom, diocesan bishop. Joseph answered a Call to a church in the Diocese of
Western Massachusetts as an Assistant Rector and Larry Speir remains in the Diocese of Idaho as a regional
priest serving several eastern deanery churches.
Ministry teams and committees throughout the church satisfy the needs of our congregation and provide
volunteer opportunities for all who are able to participate. Pastoral Care Team has risen to a larger number
of participants who provide meals for those as needed, visits to the shut-ins and elderly in our congregation.
The Rector is especially thankful for the efforts of this group, led by Susan Mills, along with those of the
Eucharistic Visitors, since not only do these ministries keep us all connected but provide information for
needed clergy visits.
Cher Stone, certified Spiritual Director at St. Luke’s serves as a reminder that our personal spiritual lives
are to be attended to as well as corporate worship. Cher makes herself available for private appointments,
leads dream workshops, provides occasional retreats and hosts the contemplative (centering) prayer service
each week.
Outreach mission and ministry remain areas of high focus at St. Luke’s. Ongoing ministries of soup
kitchen, food bank, collection of gloves and socks, Christmas angel tree giving are some of the ways our
church reaches out to the larger community. Personal assistance (through the discretionary account of the
rector), is provided as needed and as funds are available. Monthly donations to various outreach needs are
also made by parishioners’ personal contributions.
Beyond the borders of the United States, a Mission Trip to Haiti was organized and led by Buddy Hall. All
of those youth and adults who participated reported incredible stories of enriched lives as they gave of their
time, talents and treasures providing for needy children and adults this past year. Buddy reports that their
help was welcomed and that much need remains so that Haiti will be the destination for another mission
trip. A highlight with the Haiti trip in mind was the photo award given to Buddy hall as she held a Haitian
child in her arms for the child’s need for comfort.
It was necessary for our current vestry to lead the Stewardship Campaign this past year and I must
congratulate them on their ability to not only drive the campaign, finding people to speak on Sunday
mornings about giving, but also for their creative talents in shortening the campaign time and for stirring
the congregation in such a way that pledges were brought forward quickly, most of which came forth on
Commitment Sunday, when Bishop Brian was with us for his annual visit, and was able to bless the pledge
cards.
Following nearly all our celebrations, including every Sunday morning after church, receptions and
hospitality times with refreshments take place. This is not by magic, but by the coordination and direction
of the Hospitality Ministry, under the positive leadership of Jacquie Janibagian. Everybody in the parish
ought to be recognized here since everyone pitches in at one time or another to bring food, wash and dry the
dishes, sweep the floors and wipe down tables and counters.
I am always moved by the experience of watching members bring forth their yearly pledge estimate to the
altar knowing that much prayer and thought has been put into determining how much each person and
family is able to give.
Our biggest challenge as we look forward in 2016 are our Ministries for Children. While Gretchen Wright
has overseen the Sunday School program for children this past year, and taught much of the program along
with a couple of other parents, there remains a deep need from the parish for more regular commitment of
time and teaching.
The rector enjoys continuing to lead Kid’s Club, with meals provided by Ray and Debbie Fury, and the
newly formed Jr. Youth Group. However there is need for more involvement here as well. All children’s
ministries are experiencing cutbacks in time because the people needed to volunteer to teach and lead has
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fallen.
St. Luke’s is fortunate to have a wonderful children, children’s curriculum (easily understood), and helpers
to manage kids, we still lack people to teach (other than parents). If you feel called to this ministry and
would like to be trained to teach our kids, please let that be known. And if you have been one of our helpers
or teachers this past year, you are to be congratulated.
When we think about the effect that St. Luke’s has had on the community of Idaho Falls, we know that our
church has played a large part in making life better for many. While we look beyond ourselves and serve in
the way of Jesus, we cannot ignore that if we want to go on in this way of our Lord, we need to build a
vibrant group of people to serve. Our theme this year has be the Call. We enjoyed a teaching for adults by
Mark Gilchrist on this topic; we understood the Call as our way of understanding our stewardship
campaign; and we heard the word Call as we considered ministry opportunities. The question continues to
be asked of all of us through our relationship with God: What is our Call?
My hope for 2016 is that we continue to find creative ways to be life-long learners and worshipers, that we
continue to welcome the stranger, and that we make time to participate in the life of our wonderful church
in as many ways as possible.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Susan+
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SENIOR WARDEN’S REPORT Misty Martinell
Wow! What a year! As I look back upon the past year at St. Luke's, it would be a bit of a blur if I hadn't just
attended five Listening Groups with you all recently. We sat in groups expressing our joys, our fears, our
successes and some frustrations. It was so special to me to hear the things that had happened at St. Luke's
that had touched your hearts. These could be simple things like feeling welcomed as a newcomer. Or it
could be something more complex like the beautiful ordinations we witnessed this past year. A theme I
noticed in these groups was how our church is its people. We are the church. We bring snacks for Sunday
School (healthy ones of course). We bake cupcakes for coffee hour. We feed the hungry. We help the poor.
We make art together. We visit the sick and the elderly. We sing together. We comfort one another during
times of grief. We welcome those who are often ostracized. We pray together. We worship together. We are
St. Luke's Episcopal Church. I am so grateful to get to worship with so many people who do wonderful
things for our church community as well as our world community at large. I am humbled by your
generosity and the love you so freely give. Thank you all for all that you do for St. Luke's. Let us continue
to be a shining light in this often dark world.
JUNIOR WARDEN’S REPORT/BUILDINGS & GROUNDS Ginger Wright
The Buildings and Grounds Committee in 2015 included Roland Smith -- Church Sexton, Mark Farnes, Bill
Koester, Ginger Wright – Jr. Warden, Suzanne Buchan, Cher Stone, and Pastor Susan Speir +. We
appreciate new member Keith Shilling joining our team.
First, we thank all of the members of the committee and the other volunteers who aided in improving and
maintaining our sanctuary, building, and grounds for today’s needs and those in our future. During 2015,
the committee focused on multiple renovations to maximize use of the building and to make the building a
more hospitable space for all.
The following improvements were accomplished:
Downstairs bathroom remodel
Sunday school room renovations to regulate the temperature
Pew accessibility project in the sanctuary
Installing a railing in the choir loft
Installing a new columbarium unit and wooden encasement
Replacing toilets with low-flow versions
Installing emergency lighting
Installing LED lighting in the nave
Protecting the emergency exit ramp in the basement with a wall and gate
The following maintenance activities were accomplished:
Clean and wax parish hall floors
Multiple church clean-up events
Multiple maintenance and repair activities
In 2016, the committee plans to focus on:
Creating a formal agreement for columbarium niches
Cabinetry for storage in new bathroom areas
Office upgrade
Shelving for the basement
Outside lettering replacement
Other needs as assigned
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PASTORAL CARE Susan Mills
Pastoral Care : Supporting each other through the ups and downs of life.
At St. Luke's Pastoral Care consists of :
The Book Study -- meets every Wednesday at 11:00 a.m.
Funeral Receptions -- arranged by Buddy Hall with help from volunteers within and from outside of the
church
Home Visits -- made by members of the Pastoral Care Committee to those who are in care facilities or
who are home bound. The ministry which has 14 members has doubled in participation enabling us to
reach more people in new ways. The committee meets the first Wednesday of the month at 2:00 p.m.
Meal Ministry -- provides dinners to church members when a need arises
Prayer Chain -- offers prayers for those in need
Postcard Ministry -- sends hand written greetings to members of St. Luke's in recognition of
anniversaries and birthdays
Shawl Ministry -- provides hand made shawls to those who are in the hospital as well as to those who
have an emotional/spiritual need.
If you would like further information, would like to be involved in any of the above, or know of someone
who could use a little help, please call the church office, Buddy Hall (351-9376) or Susan Mills (522-0378)
PRAYER CHAIN Buddy Hall
We are all given spiritual gifts. St. Luke’s has a group of women (although men are welcome) dedicated to
prayer for their fellow parishioners. It’s a chain of prayer. Anyone listed on the chain may be called with a
brief and confidential prayer request. Some prefer morning calls or afternoon calls, so that is specified.
Your prayer request passes along the chain until it comes back to the one who received the call. In 2015,
prayer requests were down. We are guessing that prayers were still needed, but the chain was not utilized
to it’s full potential. We hope that more parishioners will use this powerful ministry in 2016. See the list
below.
THE ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH PRAYER CHAIN
The St. Luke’s Prayer Chain is a ministry of church members who feel called to pray for others. Any member of the
Prayer Chain may be called to initiate a “prayer request.” This request is then passed along the chain until it returns
to the member who received the call. (If one member is unavailable to receive the call, Prayer Chain members will call the following person on the list.) The Prayer Chain members will keep all prayer requests brief and confidential. Who to call in the Morning: Emergency Prayer Chain: Mary Leberknight 529-9357 Mary Leberknight 529-9357 Nancy Jones 200-3708 Pastor Susan Speir 521-3889 Debbie Fury 524-0392 Who to call in the Afternoon or Evening: Nancy Smith 522-9549 Caroline Filby 524-3868 Karen Hague 270-4030 Juanita Borror 523-2028
THE ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH PRAYER LIST
This is an ongoing list of people whose names appear in the weekly Church Bulletin. To initiate a name on the Prayer List, please call the church office at 522-8465. Names will be kept on the Prayer List and said aloud during the Prayers of the People. The office staff updates and edits the list each month. Please note, the St. Luke’s Prayer Chain and The St. Luke’s Prayer List are mutually exclusive. To have a name
in both places, please call each one. QUESTIONS? Call the church office at 522-8465.
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MONTHLY OUTREACH REPORT Dan Sanow
The purpose of the monthly outreach program adopted by St. Luke’s is to support those ministries whose
purpose is to reach out to specific needs within our local community and the activities within our
congregation that strengthen the faith and ministry of our own membership. During 2015, the members of
St. Luke’s provided monetary donations to several church activities and to organizations within the
community totaling $18,487. In addition to the monetary donations, members also donated turkey boxes
and gifts for the Angel Tree.
The selection of monthly recipients has been collected into like categories with each category being
assigned a quarter of the year. Each individual ministry has an assigned chairperson who shall act as the
“go to” person and be asked to promote the ministry during the assigned month. Dan and Marilyn Sanow
function as the Outreach Coordinators for the program and will coordinate the promotion of the program in
the Link detailing the upcoming individual ministries.
2016 Monthly Outreach Schedule
Month Program Chairperson
1st Quarter – Mission Ministries
January Regional Council for Christian Ministry-RCCM Suzanne Buchan
February Maintaining God’s Ministry Program-MGM Roland Smith
March Lillian Vallely School-Fort Hall, Idaho Cher Stone
2nd Quarter – Social Services
April Eastern Idaho Technical Center-EITC Roland Smith
May Community Outreach Center-COC Cher Stone
June Interfaith Community Service Project Dan Sanow
3rd Quarter – Hunger and Housing
July Food Bank Suzanne Buchan
August Emergency Housing Exchange-EHE Cher Stone
September Soup Kitchen Kaaren Parsons
4th Quarter – Seasonal Ministries
October United Thank Offering-UTO Johannah Grant
November Turkey Boxes Kelli Marshall
December Angel Tree Angie Lee
Annually Millennium Development Goals Sr. Warden
Special Donations & Collections Pastor Susan+
FROM THE OFFICE Sara Jensen
I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has volunteered to help this past year! St. Luke’s is a
warm and welcoming community of people who are willing to take on projects as big as the ordination of
two priests and as small as sharpening the pencils in the pews. Every job is important and appreciated!
As we look forward to the New Year, I hope to be able to meet more of you as we work together to share
the vision of St. Luke’s.
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WORSHIP COMMITTEE Cher Stone
Our Worship Committee is comprised of representatives from various ministries. Sandy Price from Altar
Guild who also trains our Lectors; Jacquie Janibagian from Hospitality; Pageant Jones who schedules Altar
ministers and Acolytes; Cher Stone from Spiritual Direction, along with our Rector, the Rev. Susan Speir.
Together we plan, review and create meaningful worship for our St. Luke's community.
This past year has seen some challenges with the retirement of Carolyn Neblett, choir director, and the
departure of the organist. However, when God closes a door, she/he opens a window. We have been blessed
with the skills of Denise Papi on our beautiful piano as she accompanies the choirs, and we have also
enjoyed the classical ability of Eric Archibald during pre-service prayer time. Both of these pianists fill the
nave with holy listening music.
We continue to search for alternate ways to worship God while at the same time hoping that it can be
convenient to most. This is a great challenge. Our summer schedule of one service seemed to work well and
it is so nice to have us all at one service.
One new idea that came to fruition is the 'Friday 606' service which is casual and yet filled with the spirit.
This service will begin again after Easter.
We have welcomed new Worship leaders, Eucharistic Ministers, Eucharistic Visitors, Lectors and Acolytes.
There is always room for more and it is a very special ministry in which to serve.
SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR'S REPORT Cher Stone
I have seen an increase of people seeking peace and a deeper relationship with God. Our Centering Prayer
Service on Wednesdays at 11:45 has seen an addition of regular prayers. I hope that is the result of an
Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop that was offered last October. Over 20 people attended to learn
the practice and hopefully continue the praying at least once a day. Donna Kreiensieck led the workshop
and says she will return when asked. I would love to offer another day of prayer. After attending an intro
workshop you may want to sign up for an extended Centering Prayer Retreat at St. Gertrude's Spirit Center
in cottonwood, Idaho. Patti Sherlock and I attended such a week last May and were so grateful and
enlightened by the experience.
I also have been blessed with a very active and delving Dream Group that has been meeting for a couple
years. Our numbers and faces may change but the purpose of exploring our dreams as unopened letters from
God is always present as is the Holy Spirit. I would never have guessed that Spiritual Direction would lead
me in this direction, but listening to God in prayer and in dreams has opened up whole new worlds for me. I
am planning on attending the Dream Conference in Kanuga, NC in May and I can't wait to hear what Spirit
is up to now.
I am always available for one on one holy listening sessions, please talk to me if you are seeking an ear.
UTO
St. Luke’s 2015 UTO ingathering came to $272
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FAITH and HARMONY Angie Lee
“Sing a New Song unto the Lord…..”
Faith and Harmony is a “contemporary/gospel/open to new styles” music group that leads the congregation
in music once a month – typically the third Sunday of the month. The group also offers their music
leadership for special occasions and services such as Maundy Thursday, special outdoor summer services,
Chapel in the Pines in Island Park, and Advent Lessons and Carols. The group has debuted original songs
written by members, but we remain humble. Membership in the group averages 6-8 musicians sharing
nearly professional talents on keyboard, guitars, drum, percussion, violin, voice, and occasional special
instruments (banjo, autoharp, harmonica, spoons, and washboard.)
Faith and Harmony typically practices Monday evenings from 7 pm to 8 pm in the Sanctuary. We have a
lot of fun and welcome those interested in sharing our spirited approach to musical worship. For more
information, please contact Angie Lee, who respectfully submitted this report!
ANNUAL REPORT FOR LAY LITURGICAL MINISTRIES AND ACOLYTES Pageant Jones
First of all, I would like to extend a thank you to everyone who serves at St. Luke’s in this ministry. You
are an important aspect of the worship service and I appreciate your service. The lay ministries include
Worship Leaders, Eucharistic Ministers, Eucharistic Visitors and Lectors. This year, two new Eucharistic
Ministers were trained – Zoe Creed and Mark Gilchrist. We currently have 6 Worship Leaders, 5
Eucharistic Ministers, 3 Eucharistic Visitors and 13 Lectors. Many of these people serve in multiple
ministries, such as Worship Leaders also serving as Eucharistic Ministers and Eucharistic Visitors. In the
area of acolytes, we have had two training sessions, one in the spring by the former Acolyte Director
Pageant Jones and one in the Fall by the current Acolyte Director, Gretchen Grant. Currently, St. Luke’s
has 2 acolytes that are currently serving on a regular basis (once a month), and 4 others who serve when
able. There is a definite need for additional service in all of the areas.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Virginia L. Wright, Christian Education Coordinator
We have a very vibrant Christian education program, serving between seven and ten students each Sunday.
In addition, our Kid’s Coffee Hour at 10 AM allows the children to enjoy social time and helps make sure
they can stay focused on the lessons. Our Seasons of the Spirit curriculum combines a solid biblical
foundation, an appreciation for Episcopal philosophy, and art to make the weekly lessons memorable and
provide an opportunity for students to share a rich and varied learning experience.
Buddy Hall and I have alternated as the primary instructors, however, we would love to have your help in
the classroom. Like the commercials say, you don’t have to be perfect to be the perfect teacher. No prior
training is needed, only a sincere appreciation of helping our young parishioners develop an appreciation
for the bible. Our curriculum is easy to work with and offers opportunities to explore art and music in
addition to solid religious principles.
Contact the Church office or Ginger Wright (ginger@thought.net) to volunteer.
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ALTAR GUILD Sandy Price, Altar Guild Mistress
The Altar Guild is a ministry of men and women who work “behind the scenes”. Altar Guild members
work each week on a rotating basis to clean and prepare the altar and sanctuary for each service on Sunday
and other days as needed. We have four teams, most consisting of four members. We are pleased to
welcome Mark Gilchrist and Edwin Skilling as new team members this year. Ray and Debbie Fury have
also joined to help with the vacuuming and polishing of the silver and brass items.
Members meet the first Sunday of each month generally after the Worship Committee meeting for
information and updates concerning upcoming Altar Guild activities. There are many other church related
activities that Altar Guild members participate in that are too lengthy to be mentioned here. We are always
interested in adding new members so if you are interested in this particular ministry, please let us know.
Altar Guild is also responsible for procurement and arranging altar flowers each week. Flowers are $35.00
and more than one donor may sign the altar flower chart noting any special dedications. There are no
flowers during the Lenten Season. Sanctus candles are $6.00-a sign-up sheet is next to the altar flower
chart. Please make checks payable to St. Luke’s and designate either flowers or candles on the memo line.
Charts have been posted in the hallway downstairs by the Parish Hall, so please sign up for your special
intentions!
Altar wine, wafers, linens etc. are purchased with designated Altar Guild funds from budgeted funds.
We wish to also thank Mary Leberknight for her continued help and any others who assist in the set up and
cleanup after the Wednesday service. A special thank you also goes out to Brian Grant and Mark Farnes for
their diligence in changing the large hangings in the Sanctuary and helping whenever needed even if it is
not their Altar Guild week.
Thanks to all the men and women who serve so faithfully each week in this ministry.
MISSION HAITI Buddy Hall
Three adults and eight college students traveled to Leogane, Haiti in July. Leogane was the epicenter of the
2010 earthquake and half the population was lost within moments after the earthquake occurred. We were
the first group to work with the Amoveo Group, a ministry partner based in Pennsylvania. Amoveo leaders
had just helped the leaders of Leogane to conduct a self assessment of their community needs. Now they
wanted to introduce themselves to the wider community and asked our group (along with youth and adults
from Texas and Massachusetts) to be the “face” of Amoveo during the week we were in Haiti. Half of us
went to different sections of town, including an orphanage, and provided a Vacation Bible School-type
program with music, a skit, games, and a craft. The other half offered community soccer and basketball
camps and did health-related skits. We donated many soccer balls, basketballs, craft materials, and a
parachute. It was great fun for us, the Amoveo people were pleased, and the children and adults of Leogane
loved it. At one village, it reminded me of Oprah Winfrey in South Africa. We had the parachute games
going on outside and rousing music going on inside a local church. Children and parents came running
from all directions to join. The Mission Haiti Team is profoundly grateful to Pastor Susan and the
congregation at St. Luke’s for not only giving us fundraising opportunities, but supporting those fundraisers
as well. A large group from St. Luke’s came to pray and see us off as we left on the Salt Lake Express.
And we felt your prayers while we were gone. The next Mission Trip to Haiti is scheduled for Summer,
2017. Talk to me if you are interested.
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PARADISE POINT CAMP (McCall, Idaho)
Buddy Hall
In 2015, we sent four youth campers to Paradise Point Camp in McCall, Idaho from St. Luke’s. Mea and
Jackson Burrows attended Ultimate Adventure Camp, where they had the opportunities to fish, rock climb,
mountain bike, and ride horses. Anya and Eden Smith attended Beginner's Camp with their dad, Kris, and
can’t wait to go back. I know that they especially enjoyed the climbing wall and waterfront. I served as
Camp Nurse during Ultimate Adventure Camp and this is my fourth year serving on the diocesan Paradise
Point Committee. In November, Bishop Thom appointed me to be chairman of the diocesan Paradise Point
Committee. Lots more will be shared on Paradise Point Sunday, February 14, 2016.
HOSPITALITY Jacquie Janibagian
As usual, this has been an amazing year of hospitality at St. Luke’s! We are blessed in our congregation to
be able to enjoy the company of one another every Sunday and all of the other occasions we celebrated
during 2015. One of the comments I most commonly hear is, “I feel so welcome at St. Luke’s!” It is due
to the dedication we all have to making St. Luke’s an inviting and comforting place through fellowship and
food.
The Hospitality Committee has been meeting on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm in the Parish
Hall. All are welcome to join us! Lonnie Martinell and Denise Papi are doing a fabulous job of helping
me organize each month, assign tasks, and report to Sara and Joe Cash. With each month that passes, I
appreciate you both more and more!
Thank you to all of the hospitality teams that bake treats, serve coffee and other drinks, and clean the
kitchen after each coffee hour on Sundays. This is the foundation of our service on the Hospitality
Committee.
During this past year hospitality has been given during many events, including birthday cupcakes the first
Sunday of every month, numerous pot lucks, and the Ordination celebration for Larry Spier and Joseph
Farnes.
It is my hope that hospitality in 2016 is as joyous and fun as 2015 and I look forward to serving you and
assisting the hospitality teams in any way I can to make St. Luke’s even more inviting!
GREETERS COMMITTEE
Jane Papi
The Greeters Committee has fairly recently rejuvenated. The committee is made up of some very special
hand picked members from our parish. To date we have had great success with welcoming members &
visitors to our worship service by greeting them at both the front & back door with a warm smile and a
bulletin to offer them. We will be holding a monthly meeting (TBD) to discuss ideas on how to improve
upon the functionality of the committee.
A special thank you to our greeters: Linda DeLia, Mary Leberknight, Ray & Debbie Fury and Lonnie
Martinell always so willing to serve. If anyone would like to become a part of the greeters committee,
please feel free to contact me.
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POSTCARD MINISTRY Buddy Hall
Many thanks to Joanne Galbraith for starting the Postcard Ministry several years ago. The idea is that each
month a volunteer sends postcards to our parishioners who have birthdays, anniversaries, and who are on
our parish cycle of prayer. Health issues made it necessary for Joanne to retire from this ministry in 2015,
but it is still going strong! Thank you to Susan Smith, Carolyn Neblett, and Buddy Hall for each taking on
the three months that Joanne was covering. And thank you to the rest of the 2015 team, who continue to
serve in 2016…Kathy Koester, Melanie Edwards, Nancy Jones, Debbie Fury, Nancy Smith, and Kelli
Marshall. Wish to join? Call me at 208-351-9376.
FINANCE COMMITTEE Johannah Grant, Committee Chair
The Finance Committee members during 2015 were Johannah Grant (chairman); Susan Smith, Holly
Crawley, Carolyn Robertson and Misty Martinell (who does double-duty in her Sr. Warden position).
Suzanne Buchan serves on the committee in her capacity as Treasurer, and Pastor Susan is also notified and
invited to our meetings. Thank you to all the members of the Finance Committee. Each member continues
to bring a different talent and/or expertise in their knowledge of bookkeeping, accounting, “money-
crunching” and church finances. The committee continues to work well together.
In 2015, the committee met as needed, but at least quarterly. Johannah also checks in with Suzanne monthly
to see how we are doing financially. If there is an abnormality or something seems amiss, we research the
issue and resolve it. By doing this at least on a quarterly basis, we have found that the financial aspect of
the church is running smoothly and we are on track. Over the course of the past few years, we have had
line-item categories added and deleted as needed. This has helped us keep the current budget informative
instead of bulking several items into one category that doesn’t offer the transparency we strive to have.
We work from two financial reports: The Profit and Loss (year-to-date) and the Balance Sheet. One thing
the Balance Sheet tells us how much money is set aside in “Dedicated Funds.” Dedicated funds are those
monies which were received for a specific reason, such as monthly outreach causes, the organ fund, payroll
taxes, etc. The Finance Committee makes sure we have enough money to “cover” these amounts at any
given time – in other words, if the checkbook balance shows that we have $10,000, but the balance sheet
shows that $9000 of that is "dedicated” to various funds, the checkbook balance that we can use is actually
$1000.
The Profit and Loss informs us where we are in comparison to our proposed budget. When we notice that
something is showing at a higher or lower percentage for that year-to-date report, we find out why and if
there is anything we need to do to adjust the next budget.
The Finance Committee met on January 5, 2016, to set the budget for the upcoming 2016 fiscal year. The
first thing we do is copy the budget and actual amounts for the prior year. Then we updated the line item
for pledges ($160,000 is anticipated as of January 5, 2016). Other steps include going through the budget
line-by-line looking at the actual costs for the prior year and anticipating costs for the upcoming year. The
budget we sent to the Vestry has a bottom line of ($1492.99). Those ( ) translates to a negative number,
meaning we are roughly $1500 short of a balanced budget. At the annual meeting, we will talk about this
deficit and a few solutions the finance committee has talked about. The Finance Committee would also like
to thank all the tellers (Clyde Toole (chairman), Lani Landon, Betty Benjamin, Susan Mills, Buddy Hall,
Kim Farnes, Cindy Gentillon, Marcy Nigg and Johannah Grant) for their time and timeliness in tellering
each week. We appreciate their efforts.
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LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE REPORT Kristoffer Smith
I like to think of this committee as a guiding coalition. This committee focuses on helping St. Luke’s
answer the question, “Where are we going?” We are a committee that is leading and supporting
collaborative actions focused on the future. One action from 2015 was our suggestion that St. Luke’s try a
Rite III liturgy. Rite I is considered traditional, RiteII contemporary, and Rite III “not intended for use at the
principal Sunday or weekly celebration of the Holy Eucharist" (BCP, p. 400). Pastor Susan created the
Friday 6:06 service. These were very compelling services! This committee is currently waiting to review
the feedback from the “Listening Groups,” which were conducted by The Rev. Canon Lucinda Ashby.
Your feedback from those Listening Groups will help us provide guidance to further shape our shared
vision for St. Luke’s. Your feedback will help steer collaborative change efforts. And, your feedback will
help develop the strategic initiatives to achieve our vision.
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