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Vestry
From Your Senior Warden...Paying Rent for Our Parking Lot
As vestry members, we are spiritual leaders of the congregation, who pray regularly for you and our Church. We support our Rector and work to further the mission and vision of St. Michael’s. We are specifically charged with the supervision of the temporal, or business, affairs of the Church and with ensuring that the ministries of the Church are aligned with its mission and vision.
Sometimes the business affairs of the Church are not the most fun or interesting aspect of our job as vestry members. It is much more fun to join into fellowship with other members of our parish family, to experience the blessing of serving others to fulfill a need or to bring a smile to someone’s face. But the business of the Church gives us the structure we need to do ministry and to enjoy our life in Christ together. And one of the business matters that is pressing upon us today is very important to all of us: parking.
You may not realize it, but we do not own the parking lot that is used daily for parking by our staff and members; The South Carolina Society owns it. For many, many years we have had an agreement with The South Carolina Society pursuant to which they give us the right to use their parking lot, with certain limitations, in exchange for rent and the right to access their lot through our property, which is behind the Rectory. The most recent agreement was effective in April 2005 and ends on June 30, 2010.
We have received a proposal for a new agreement from The South Carolina Society. They are proposing an increase in the rent of 70%+ and putting more limitations on our use. For example, they want to keep for themselves the use of the lot on one Tuesday a month when they hold their monthly meetings and other times when they have events. Why is this important? It greatly impacts both our budget and our Alpha ministry, which is on Tuesday nights. Currently we rent the parking lot for around $1,100 a month.
Hopefully we will be able to move forward using the lot we have come to appreciate - but if not, with God’s help, we will do our best to find other options or will adjust to doing without. Most important, it is a reminder that we, as the body of Christ and in our own personal lives, must rely on God for all things. It brings us back to that first commandment:
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”
Let’s be vigilant about putting God first—first in our giving to His Church and first in each day.
~ Your Senior Warden, Ann Hester Willis
The 2010 Festival of Faith/Annual Meeting Continues . . .
My Dear Fellow St. Michaelites,
As your Senior Warden it is my responsibility to run the business portion of the Festival of Faith/Annual Meeting with the assistance of our Rector and Parliamentarian. In the excitement and emotion of our wonderful morning together, two important elements were neglected in last week’s Annual Meeting.
First, it is required that both the Junior and the Senior Wardens be elected at the Annual Meeting. We elected our new Junior Warden, Bill Lyles, by acclamation, and the next order of business should have been a motion to elect our new Senior Warden, Ann Hester Willis, again by acclamation.
The final order of business should have been for me to say, “As there is no further business to be addressed is there a motion that the 2010 Annual Meeting of St. Michaels Church be adjourned.” Assuming that motion was made and a majority voted in favor, we would have adjourned. Instead, we ended with a prayer by Bishop Alex Dickson.
Technically our annual meeting is still in session. We could give any number of excuses as to why these orders of business did not occur, but as this would serve no useful purpose, I simply ask your forgiveness. I also ask that all of you participate in the planned remedy. Please come to the continued Annual Meeting at 9:20 am in the Kinloch Room, on Sunday May 16. We will vote to elect Ann Hester Willis as our next Senior Warden and formally adjourn the 2010 Annual Meeting. We will also show the DVD of our Diocesan Canon Theologian, Rev. Kendal Harmon, speaking on issues about the National Church.
Please approach this final act of our Annual Meeting with the same seriousness that you applied at the first installment of our Annual Meeting on May 2.
This is indeed my final charge to you as your retiring Senior Warden, and I thank you in advance for continuing to do your part in this process.
Wishing you God’s Abundant Blessings and Peace,
John Sosnowski
There is so much that is so good being accomplished by God’s grace at St. Michaels. The mission of transforming hearts through Jesus Christ is being lived out in many ways through the vision that is in place.
Are we functioning like a well oiled machine? Not yet. Are we focused on a process to maximize God’s purpose for us? I promise you we are.
I suggest, however, that because we are St. Michaels Church, because we are looked to as a leadership church in our diocese and in this community, because we are in trying times, because we are responsible for our witness to the world, because of these things there are certain truths that we are called to represent.
Truth Number 1 is that God’s vision for St. Michaels is nothing new. The vision is that this would be a place where people would transition from being Cultural Christians, to Believers, to being Disciples, then becoming Missionaries having the apologetic ability to defend the faith that is in us. This is nothing new. This is the model Jesus used as he molded His Disciples, and it is what His Disciples used to spread the Gospel throughout the Gentile world. In truth, I personally am spread across all four phases of this transition, but God has not allowed me nor does He want us to be stuck in any one stage.
Another truth that is not new is that even believing Christians will fight this process. Our fallen Nature causes us to drift toward a Consumer Mindset where being a member of the Body becomes mostly about us. In this consumer mindset we just want to be fed on Sundays. We just want that quiet peace, and for some that is all they want.
My prayer, Dear Lord, is that St. Michaels and this diocese would never be that way. Lord, let us never become like the Church of Laodicea spoken of in John’s Revelation. To that church the Ruler of Creation says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So because you are lukewarm- I am about to vomit you out of my mouth.” Think about that. Scripture says that God, in His Holiness will violently reject a church that stands for so little. The Laodicean church had lost their vigor, lost their value, lost their their vision, and was no longer vested in their walk with Jesus. Can you think of a church in this country that fits that description? I can, and it is the majority of the Episcopal Chuch nation wide. Lord, May we always be stretched by you. May we always seek to live out your expectations for us. May we always trust in your future for us as we live in the now but not yet of your coming Glory.
I hear a lot about change and transition in this place, and I am well aware of the discomfort that often accompanies it. So here is Truth Number 2. The only thing in life that always stays the same and is consistent is the inescapable fact of change. Change without purpose and vision is fruitless, BUT Purposeful transition in our walk with Jesus moves us from where we are to where He would have us be.
I can tell you that in my 4 years as your Jr. and Sr. Warden I have experienced change to the point where I have turned a corner with Jesus. My transition has been a part of my ongoing transformation as I have been more and more steeped, like a tea bag, in the study of scripture and in prayer for guidance in my responsibilities. The water of change and transition I can tell you has at times been uncomfortably hot. We have all been and are being transformed in this process hopefully into a brew which will be life giving to our families, our communities, our nation, and our world. I recently heard a teaching on a scripture which has become my touchstone. It is from 2nd Peter. Peter writes in the 1st chapter beginning at verse 3 that “God’s Divine Power has given us everything we need for Life and Godliness”. Well how? How do we obtain from God the life and Godliness we need? Peter goes on to say it is, “through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” And for what purpose might we obtain that life and Godliness? Now listen to this – it is important- The purpose is “so that we might participate in the Divine Nature, and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” The more we grow in the knowledge of our Lord the more His thoughts and His desires become our thoughts and our desires. He allows us to take on His very nature more and more.
Folks, that is change and transition that I want more of. That is proof of sanctification, of being set aside for His purposes. As leaders we must be advocates for this transition we are in. God wants better things for us than what we have so far experienced. We must not allow ourselves to be like the Hebrews who told Moses, “Let us go back to Egypt. At least there we had leeks to eat.” We don’t want leeks!! We have an opportunity now to make the Best Choices as we move forward. All of us have this opportunity. Even though there is discomfort and unease, we must be advocates for it.
If we fail to reflect confidence in these things, we will fail to inspire confidence as we face the coming changes being brought on by our Presiding Bishop and the national elements of the church.
Truth #3 is that our enemy lies waiting to sow seeds of doubt and deceit. I encourage you to be diligent in prayer, study, and worship that you might be filled only with Jesus. And that being so filled you will be blessed with increasing faith, Goodness, Knowledge, Self Control, Perseverance, Godliness, Brotherly Kindness, and Love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive, in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. These gifts will trump intellect, creativity, and our own understanding every time.
It has been my great privilege to have ministered with you as your Jr. and Sr. Warden. I look forward to years of continued service and celebration with you.
Wishing you God’s Peace, I am,
John S. Sosnowski
Festival of Faith/Annual Meeting Details
Congratulations to our newest Vestry members who were elected at last week’s Festival of Faith/Annual Meeting. See Below. They will replace our retiring vestry members: Allston Kitchens, Michael Smith and Ned Simmons. Many thanks to our other candidates, Ed Barnett, Frank Grimball and Linda Soutter who agreed to be nominated for Vestry. Bill Lyles was elected Junior Warden. In the excitement of our Annual Meeting/Festival of Faith some technicalities were overlooked. So, please come to the continued Annual Meeting at 9:20 am in the Kinloch Room, on Sunday, May 16 to help us remedy that. At the beginning of that forum, we will finish our business by voting to elect Ann Hester Willis as our next Senior Warden and to formally adjourn the 2010 Annual Meeting.
Diocesan Convention Delegates - Johnnie Corbett, Bob Kunes, Bill Lyles, John Sosnowski.
Alternates: Bill Hewitt, Ann Hester Willis
From the Messenger for April 11 & 18, 2010
From Your Senior Warden:
2010 Vestry Nominations
The St. Michaels Festival of Faith and Annual Meeting will take place on May 2, 2010, and it will soon be our responsibility to elect three new vestry members for three year terms.
The criteria for nomination to the vestry include that one be a confirmed member in Good Standing of St. Michael’s Church and be at least eighteen years of age. In addition the general guidelines for a member of St. Michael’s vestry are no different from the principles of Christian duty spelled out for every Christian in the Prayer Book. We are to follow Christ, to worship God week by week in His church, and to work, pray and give for the spread of God’s kingdom. As a leader, however, your witness will be especially important. The moral standards reflected in your life; your faithful attendance at services in St. Michaels; your active participation in parish activities led by others; the evidence of prayer and study of Holy Scripture; and your commitment to support the Lord’s work with a tithe of your income are all aspects of your witness to your fellow parishioners.
It is important that those agreeing to have their names put in nomination for vestry service have an understanding of these criteria.
Please give prayerful consideration to this very important matter of the 2010 nomination and election of new vestry members. If there is a parishioner whose name you would like to put in nomination, please contact that person, be sure they understand the expectations for vestry service, and get their permission for the nomination. Then submit the name in writing to Brenda Georgi, Chief of Administration, brenda@stmichaelschurch.net. The names must be submitted by March 15, 2010 to give time for consideration by the Nominating Committee before all nominations are published prior to the Festival of Faith.
God’s Peace,
John Sosnowski
Senior Warden
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