The Parish of
St. Mary and St. Jude
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The Rest of the StoryThis is the story of the family of Jacob. (Genesis 37:2a) And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? (Mark 12:26) In his daily radio spots, which are called "The Rest of the Story," commentator Paul Harvey picks up headline stories from the past and fills in the parts that occurred after the headlines were made. Churches are all about story telling because that's how we are able to convey how God is active in our lives. There is our foundational story from the Bible, there are the little stories acted out in our Sunday services, and there is a sermon, which either interprets the story or adds new information to it. But most important to this community are the stories of its local life and where that life connects to the larger life of the Church and the larger story of the Bible. And that means we haven't really finished the tale. This past year has been about transitions-endings and beginnings. We have said good-bye to and recognized the contributions of: Frances Cox the Interim Rector for her guidance, Janette Grindle for her service as Treasurer over many years, David Renault for his contributions as Sexton, Allen Fernald as organist, and Jennifer Mitchell, Newbold Smith, and Bill Foulke for their service on the Vestry. We have also welcomed into our midst organist Peter Vaux as well as a new Rector and his family. There have also been many highlight moments and continuations such as the award from the diocese for our web page maryjude.org, the Centennial Celebration of the first 100 years of the stone church, the installation of a new rector presided over by Bishop Chilton Knudsen, the outpouring of Christmas gifts for the angel tree and mitten tree managed by Jennifer Mitchell, Sheila Smallidge, Jean Fernald, and Jackie Agnese, the summer Bible study at "Sand Point," Sunset Services at "Rosserne," the Summer Fair, the work of the Episcopal Church Women, and a renewed interest in ministering to our young people in Sunday School. The Senior Warden's report following this message contains additional detail. However, if some highlight, event, or person has been left out, it is because this parish has a lively story to tell, and it would take many more pages to tell it all. But the best story of 2002 is that we want to tell more stories in 2003. That means we have a lot of life to live these next eleven months. O.K., so what happened in 2002 wasn't really the rest of the story. It's only the St. Mary and St. Jude portion of the Great Story for one year. The rest of the story needs to be added to each day, each week, and each month of our lives as we live together in this community of faith. As we review each year's events we should find new and exciting ways where we have added new endings and new beginnings to our part of the Great Story, the story told in the Bible, the story about our lives with God and with each other. Faithfully yours in the new year, David The Senior Warden's Review of 2002 The Year 2002 was an eventful one for The Parish of St. Mary and St. Jude. We experienced so many "firsts" that there hardly seemed time for "seconds." I do know with certainty that God was guiding us all the way. We were offered daily opportunities to communicate, work, and grow together. We learned valuable lessons about respecting and listening to each other's point of view. We didn't always see eye-to-eye. Yet we were given the wisdom to make right choices, and the heart to practice unconditional love. In no particular order I have chosen some of my most vivid recollections to represent our year together. I suggest that God's grace brought us strength and courage in 2002 for:
Sally Merchant Report of the Stewardship Committee In 2002, the Stewardship Committee addressed three important financial needs: the restoration of St. Mary's-by-the-Sea; the need to provide for adequate day-to-day operating funds; and the need for a more concerted annual stewardship effort within the parish. First: We are pleased to report that the fund raising results of Phase I of the restoration project yielded $501,100 in contributions with an additional $7,304 in pledges to come. This amount was contributed by 195 individuals, companies, and foundations, and was more than sufficient to cover the costs of Phase I. We now have a bank balance in the Restoration Fund of $60,525 to be used for Phase II of the project. Second: In an effort to build operating capital and income, we established The Leadership Fund. The goal for this new fund is to raise, in the coming years, $3,000,000 over and above the existing general endowment. Income from both endowments, Leadership and General, will be used, as needed, to supplement the annual pledges and contributions the church receives from parishioners - money which pays for the church's annual expenses. We are pleased to report that during 2002, sixty-six parishioners committed $289,847 to this fund. $164,597 has been received, and the balance of $125,250 has been pledged for 2003 and 2004. We will continue to build the assets of The Leadership Fund through ongoing solicitations. Just as important as increasing our endowment is increasing our annual giving. To do this, The Stewardship Committee first informed parishioners of the current and future needs of the parish and the current and past budget shortfalls. In light of a disturbing annual deficit trend, we asked each parishioner to consider increasing his or her pledge or annual gift by 50%. The Vestry took the lead by pledging, unanimously, to increase its annual giving by this percentage. And in an effort to make annual giving more predictable, so that the Budget Committee can put together realistic budgets, during 2002 we asked all parishioners to fill out pledge cards indicating the amount they would commit to annual giving. The number of pledges more than doubled from 2001 to 2002 and average amounts pledged also rose. Third: The Stewardship Committee realizes that begging parishioners to make up budget shortfalls every year is a short-term strategy that gets old quickly. To tap the vein of generosity that exists in this parish, attitudes about stewardship must change. Stewardship must not be thought of grudgingly as just one more financial obligation. Rather it must be welcomed as a way to thank God for the many blessings we receive. That is, giving with a joyful rather than a heavy heart. For some, this change of heart will take time. However, it will be accelerated by changes we have noticed taking place in this parish. A new spirit of participation and cooperation. A new spirituality. A deeper sense of community. New leadership by our new Rector and his family. Greater church attendance. New faces in the congregation. And a more joyful worship experience Sunday after Sunday. These signs encourage us. And we are gaining confidence that we can and will meet both our spiritual and secular needs. I want to thank my co-Chair, Michael Dennis, and the members of this Committee who have worked long and hard to raise awareness, raise money, and raise hope for the future of this parish. Martha Bucklin, Lauri Fernald, Sally Merchant, Roz Rea, Alan Gregory, Dooney Iselin, and Newbold Smith. And most of all, on behalf of this committee and parish leadership, I want to thank all parishioners and friends who are so generously helping to put our financial house back in order. Charlie Tyson |
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The Parish of St. Mary and St. Jude
P.O. Box 105, Northeast Harbor, Maine 04662 Tel: 207/276-5588 Fax: 207/276-3220