Rector's Weekly Report
Week Ending, Jan. 23, 2011

I was pleased to meet with wardens Lloyd Miller and Renee Fraser on Tuesday morning to review the reports for our Annual General Meeting. Thanks to every ones commitment to the deadline for submitting reports (including the rector) all reports were in and could be sorted, copied and assembled for Parish Council on Thursday evening, and for distribution to the congregation this morning.

I have been keeping regular office hours on Wednesday and Friday mornings. This gives me time to return phone calls and emails  catch up on correspondence and it also means that the church and office is open to anyone needing to get in or wanting to meet with me.

The smell of paint in our church this morning is the smell of progress being made to renovations of our church. Shelves and a coat rack have been installed in the Choir/Fellowship Room and we look forward to having this room completed and functioning in the very near future. Thanks to the choir for their patience as they were temporarily displaced following the construction of the Rector's office.

The Ways and Means Committee met on Wednesday evening at the home of Jo-Anne Rector. I thanked them for their work in 2010 and was excited to hear the enthusiasm and plans that are being made for 2011.

I met with Rev. Judie, and Marilyn Hamlin, postulant for the diaconate, on Thursday morning. We meet regularly to discuss the pastoral needs of our parish, make plans for worship and seek ways to make our ministries efficient, effective and addressing the needs of our congregation and the community. We do this by scheduling regular visits to the hospital, nursing homes and to parishioners from our congregation.

In my capacity as Regional Dean I was at a meeting in Bedford at noon on Thursday.  

The Book Study Group met on Thursday afternoon to continue our study of Harold Kushner's book When Bad Things Happen to Good People. The sessions have produced some great conversation, hopefully some new insights and a willingness to be open to the possibility of the many ways that God is actually involved in our lives. 

Parish Council met on Thursday evening. In addition to the regular monthly business this meeting received the reports for the Annual General Meeting and approved the budget for our parish for the year 2011. For some members of Parish Council this was their last meeting. Lloyd Miller completes his term as warden, Jinny Giza and Don Schwartz complete their terms a member-at-large and Keith Fraser is stepping down as Parish Treasurer. Thank you for your faithful service.

The Men's Breakfast Group met on Saturday morning. As usual no one went away hungry, we enjoyed fellowship together and we were pleased to see some new faces around the table. This is a wonderful opportunity for men of the parish and the community to come together. Thanks go out to Don Schwartz for his continued leadership in arranging this monthly breakfast gathering.

May your words and actions this week be a blessing to God's kingdom among God's people.

Rev. Mike