Goodbye and Thank You!

I can’t really believe that my time on the Bishop’s Committee, extended from three to four years, and my position as Bishop’s Warden, which went from a one year position which I deemed to be largely ceremonial, to the hardest working full-time voluntary position I have ever undertaken, has come to an end.

During this time we learned to stand on our own when Fr. Martin took his sabbatical break.  The lessons we learned, under the care of Karen Krestensen, our Bishop’s Warden at the time, stood us in great stead when Fr. Martin announced that he would be leaving St. Philip’s.  Suddenly we were having to make all the decisions, and we did, and soon Fr. Barry joined us and we learned that our role as Bishop’s Committee meant emergency meetings and urgent email streams and I feel that we answered the call. 

One of the lessons learned from Fr. Barry is that we must answer the call, and not rely on the priest, or even the person sitting next to us in church to be the one to undertake the tasks before us.  So many people have stepped up.  Immediately my thoughts turn to the roof repairs when a group of guys (not all regular attendees!) spent a whole weekend rebuilding, not patching, the roof.  They did a great job, and their work has stood the test of last month’s ghastly rain.

Tamah stepped up to assist Jane Ellis in the Music Ministry.  Wendy Harrison took over the Nursery care when Eve Yabroff left.  And so it goes on.  If we had the funds, we would get the roof replaced; if we had the funds, we might have a paid Music Director; if we had the funds we had hoped to hire a paid Nursery assistant, but we don’t so we have learned to do it ourselves.

However, there is only so much any of these people can do unassisted, and my plea to the people of St. Philip’s is this:  we are only as good as what we actually do.  I would ask each person reading this to think carefully about what he/she can do in a practical way to help our church.  Perhaps you could offer a regular hour a week in the Church Office helping Mardi prepare the bulletins, or offer one weekend a month teaching a Sunday School class, or digging the yard.  Ask if there is a committee that could use a helping hand.

The founding families of St. Philip’s worked so hard to build the congregation that we are part of now.  Our numbers have decreased and we have less people to do more work.  Our volunteers are getting burned out.  How sad it would be to lose our church because we couldn’t take care of it.  We are the church, you are the church.  It is for each one of us to ask what he/she can do to keep it healthy.

This is not a church where we blame and criticize.  We rely so much on the personal responsibility for each member.  We are a great community and we are loved.

If you have not turned in a pledge for 2006, do it.

Pray hard, again, on your pledge to St. Philip’s and if you can, increase it, or make a special pledge for the expenses of the search.  We really need your help.

Soon this period will be over, and we shall have a settled priest.  “Settled”.  Doesn’t that word sound cozy and safe?

Finally, thank you to all of the people of St. Philip’s for listening to my chiding and keeping my spirits up and for the beautiful quilt that keeps me cozy in God’s love each night! 

Thank you to the best ever Bishop’s Committee for the loyalty, hard work and amazing sense of humor. We have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in our meetings and in our work.

While I have not always enjoyed my time on the Bishop’s Committee, it has deepened my faith and my trust in the Lord.  I am so proud to have been a part of this group and of this Church.

In His service,

       Lucy Gowan, Bishops Warden

Altar Guild

Thank you to all the people who donated to the Altar Guild for Christmas flowers.  The new Flower chart is up and has many empty spaces.  This is a wonderful way to honor family and friends, give thanksgiving for the many blessings life brings us, to make special note of Birthdays or Anniversaries, and as memorials to family and friends.

The suggested donation is $ 35.00.  Checks should be made out to St. Philips Altar Guild, marked for Flowers.  Mardi calls to order the flowers and Perry's does a beautiful job arranging them!!!!

       Barbara Lyon,
Altar Guild Director