Wardens Report for 2006

We wish to extend our thanks to those are “retiring” from Parish Council and thank them for serving in this important lay ministry – Vicki Dwyer, Alice Hadley, Richard Kirkey, Harley Sanford, Keith Smith. We are very pleased to announce that Richard has agreed to return and serve as the Chair of Property Committee. Carmon Stone leaves the office of warden.

What follows is a summary of some of the major tasks undertaken since the last Annual General Meeting.

Contracts for the Organist and Choirmaster, Dr. David Wilson, the Bookkeeper and Desktop Publisher, Mr. Allen Simpson and the Custodian, Mr. Michael Hadley, have been thoroughly reviewed and revised where necessary, and have been duly signed by all. Salaries, including the Rector’s, were held at last year’s levels by mutual agreement, with certain benefits, however, being improved where agreed to by the contracting parties. Contracts are reviewed on an annual basis.

The Property Committee has been very busy over the past 12 months dealing with a major heating issue in the spring which was finally rectified after several visits by Scotia fuels; renovations to the upper classrooms in the hall and work in the rectory. We are facing potentially expensive repairs to the roof, the heating system in the church and replacement of rugs in the narthex, nave and sanctuary of the church. Special thanks, and tip of the hat, to Harley Sanford for his excellent job as Property Chair over the past three years. Well done!! Gordon Bradley deserves special mention for his efforts as acting chair during Harley’s absence, as well as his work in promoting rental of the hall and looking after leasing parking spaces in the church parking lot.

The Finance Committee has also been very busy and in our estimation has done a first rate job in keeping expenses down, while not jeopardizing maintenance issues. Envelope offerings are up, the new POP program is well under way and the proposed budget for 2007 is one of the healthiest in years, with a projected deficit in the vicinity of only $10,000, which brings us much closer to a balanced budget than we have been for many years. Thanks to the fine efforts of our Treasurer, Sara Jane Raine, financial advisors, Alan Conrod and Paul Conrod, but most importantly to all parishioners who continue to support the parish so well. We are, compared to many other parishes, indeed, blessed. Thank you. Thanks to Rod Glover for all the ground work he did on behalf of the POP program and to Sara Jane for agreeing to administer the program.

Under the auspices of the Finance and Stewardship Committees, we undertook a parish promotional campaign at the latter end of August, sending out approximately 4000 post cards to homes within the parish’s catch basin. The intention was to advertise our presence in the community, encourage people to hear the Word of God at St. James, and, hopefully, increase our parish membership. A few families have been added as a result. The cost to the parish of this campaign was minimized thanks to an in-house design, and to Bruce Van Feggelen, who arranged for discounted printing charges through his company, Atlantic digital Reproductions Inc.

Parish Council agreed to place a new Memorial Plaque, dedicated to Founders and Benefactors of St. James Parish, who, over the years, donated various bequests to the congregation, and who had not been previously memorialized in any demonstrable fashion. The plaque was dedicated on All Saints Day, 2006.

On Sunday Oct. 01, 06, Parish Council met with Bishop Fred Hiltz to discuss the state of the parish, to share concerns, and to be informed of diocesan initiatives of import to the parish, such as the “Letting Down the Nets” stewardship program being promoted both at the national and diocesan levels of the Church. This was a most worthwhile meeting and we would encourage similar gatherings in the future.

During Lent, the Rector’s sermons were on the theme of “The Water of Life”, an exposition of the role of water as a symbol of faith and as a social issue. A further exploration of this theme was made by the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee which presented a series of 3 lectures. Bill Gates talked about the municipal water delivery system in HRM; Bill Li talked about the role and impact of the oceans on global climate change; and Carmon Stone talked about “Water in the biblical Middle East: Geography and the Role of Water”.

Members of the newly created Stewardship Committee have spent the past year educating themselves about the biblical and ecclesial nature of stewardship. They have worked with Charles O’Neill from the Diocesan Office and are currently developing three hands-on educational sessions to be presented to the parish during Lent.

The annual Yard Sale was, once again, a resounding success, bringing in excess of $5000, thanks to Bob Mann and his crew of dedicated workers. The success of the sale over the past number of years has added a substantial amount of money to the operating revenue of the parish. Such an effort provides a fine example of stewardship at work in our parish.

At November’s meeting, Parish Council gave its approval to the establishment of a Christian Mediation Group within the parish. We were very pleased that Irene Reid, a veteran meditation practitioner, agreed to lead the group which meets on Wednesday afternoons between 5 and 6 pm. An invitation was extended to Bethany United to join the group if they wished.

The Shoes for the Shoeless outreach program has delivered over 100 pairs of shoes to the Parker Street Food Bank depot, and to the Missions to Seafarers. Your continued support will help those in need of such fundamental items.

The Eye Glasses program has provided several dozen pairs of glasses for overseas missions. Gaudet Optical, Quinpool Rd, coordinates the collection and distribution of the glasses.

The parish was able to purchase two new stoves thanks to a generous contribution made by the Social Club. At the same time, a new upgraded electrical panel was installed in the kitchen, which brought us up to code. Our thanks to the Club for their support in acquiring these items.

Note of thanks and appreciation:

The work of any parish, or congregation, attains success only because of the willingness of those members who selflessly contribute their time and talents to the many organizations which are integral to its life. It is the many hundreds of hours those volunteers contribute which ensures the continued viability of each and every group within the parish, and to them we owe a considerable degree of gratitude. Without them the parish would not, could not, function in any meaningful way.

Therefore, to the following individuals, organizations and groups, we extend our heartfelt thanks for your stewardship of time and talent:

Audrey Li and her entire staff of dedicated teachers (Sunday School)), David Wilson and his faithful choristers (Choir) and musicians (Orchestra), Hugh McGinn (Envelope Secretary), Alice Hadley (Servers & Eucharistic Ministers), Jean and Gordon Bradley (Social Arrangements), Christine Sykora (Coffee Hour coordinator), Betty Whatley (Readers), Wally Roseveare (Sidespeople and Greeters), Bee Mason and Sheila Doucet (Altar Guild), Wendy Gillis (Mothers Union and the Sunday Nursery), Marian Rosborough (ACW), Carol Sanford (Outreach Committee), John Sharples (Social Club), Bob Mann (Annual Yard Sale), Stephen Fry (Cubs), Betty Rice ( the Omega Choir).

Also to Michael Hadley, Allen Simpson, Karen Simpson and Betty Rice many thanks for the fine work which you do for the parish. (Betty assures us that Scrooge will return next year, and that David Wilson is already rehearsing his role and updating his wardrobe.)

And finally, to our Rector and parish priest, Canon Rod Gillis, who continues to provide strong spiritual and pastoral oversight within the parish, we say “thank you” for your inspiring leadership and ministry amongst us. May God continue to bless you in your work.

Respectfully submitted,

Carmon Stone,

Pamela Williams,

William Li,

Wardens, St. James Church

February 19, 2007