SENIOR WARDEN REPORT:

We are in the midst of the Holiday Season.  As we spend more time with our families, please do not forget to share your family time with your church family through worship and prayer.  Please continue your worship with your parish family.

Our Christmas party is Friday December 1, 2006 at 7:00 PM at the Peerless Café in Erwin.  Please bring an ornament or decoration, wrapped, for the gift exchange after the meal.  The cost of the meal will be eleven dollars per person ($11.00).

Our annual meeting will be held on Sunday December 3, 2006 after the 11:00 AM Service.  We will be electing four new vestry members.  We have five people who have agreed to be nominated:  Grace Baggett, Colon McLaurin, Donnie Pope (for the two year term), Jenny Sills and Mike Wells.  Grace Baggett has been with the church for a few years now.  She is a member of the choir, has helped with the weekly bulletins and been active in many church activities, including the ECW.  Colon McLaurin has been with the church for over five years after returning to Erwin.  He has served on the vestry before.  Donnie Pope has been a member of the church since marrying the former Lisa Byrd.  Donnie has served in about every capacity there is to serve in the church.  Jenny Sills has been with the church for many years and has served on the vestry before.  She is active as a lay reader, ECW and especially the annual Christmas Bazaar.  Mike Wells has been a member of the church since after marrying the former Sarah Lanier.  Mike has served in many capacities as well.  He has served on the vestry before as well.  All five members are either natives of the area or at least long time residents.  All five would serve the church well as vestry members.

Anyone else who is interested in serving on the vestry who is a member of St. Stephen’s is welcome to submit his or her name for consideration by the congregation.  Nominations may also be made by a member of the congregation during the annual meeting.

The vestry has been having small group socials with members and visitors of the parish.  It is a shepherding program started to allow you to get to know St. Stephen’s better through an informal gathering.  We hope that we will be able to assist in your spiritual needs as well.  Through the shepherd groups people may be more inclined to open up and ask questions about our parish, share concerns or ideas that will help them and the parish.  Please take full advantage of the shepherd groups.  If you have not been in contact with a vestry person in the past month or so, please contact me.

            Yours in Christ,

Peter

SENIOR WARDEN REPORT:

We are approaching the end of the Church year and the beginning of the Holiday Season.  As we get into the holiday season we remember our families and try to spend more time with our families.  Do not forget to share your family time with your church family as well through worship and prayer.  Please continue your worship with your parish family and continue giving of your time, talent and treasure as we finish out a good fiscal and spiritual year of growth.

Our annual meeting will be held on Sunday December 3, 2006 after the 11:00 AM Service.  Therefore, reports from all church organizations and groups should be turned in by October 31 to a vestry person.

The past few months have been taxing for our parish emotionally.  We have lost two wonderful parishioners in Dot and Waymon Byrd.  They are sorely missed by all in the parish, especially by their family.  Please keep their family in your payers. 

We have kept Sandra Joseph in our prayers.  It is wonderful to see her back home continuing her recovery.  Prayer has definitely helped in Sandra’s recovery, as well as others in our community.  Please continue to keep her in your payers, as well as those who have had medical difficulties recently. 

The vestry has been having small group socials with members and visitors of the parish.  It is a shepherding program started to allow you to get to know St. Stephen’s better through an informal gathering.  We hope that we will be able to assist in your spiritual needs as well.  Through the shepherd groups people may be more inclined to open up and ask questions about our parish, share concerns or ideas that will help them and the parish.  Please take full advantage of the shepherd groups.  If you have not been in contact with a vestry person in the past month or so, please contact me.

            Yours in Christ,

Peter

SENIOR WARDEN REPORT:

As I alluded to last month our annual meeting will be held during its regular canonical time on Sunday December 2, 2006 after the 11:00 AM Eucharist.  At that meeting we will be electing 4 new members to the Vestry.  Three of the new members will serve for three years and one will serve for two years.  Your church is in need of your leadership so please prayerfully consider whether you would be willing to serve on the Vestry. 

At the annual meeting we will also be presenting our annual proposed budget.  With that in mind we all will need to prayerfully consider our pledges for next year.  We have had a good year this year.  Our church would like to be able to afford a full-time rector.  To do that we would need to almost double our budget.  That is not feasible at this time, but we can begin saving up for that time by placing our extra revenues in reserve until the time we can pay a full-time rector. Therefore, please consider increasing your pledge for next year.

At the annual meeting the various organizations of the church will present their annual reports.  Those organizations are the ECW, EYC, Men’s Fellowship, Choir, Altar Guild, Acolytes, Lay Service Assistants, Finance Committee, Building and Grounds Committee, Memorials Committee, Evangelism Committee, Usher Committee, Tract Rack Committee, Christian Education Director, Rector, Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Secretary and Treasurer.  Each organization will need to submit its report in writing to the Vestry no later than October 31, 2006 .

It is great to have Sandra Joseph back at home recuperating.  Please keep her in your prayers as she continues on her road to recovery. 

It is also good to have Peggy Royal back in church after her wreck.

            Yours in Christ,

Peter

The Vestry meets Wednesday August16,  2006, after the 6:30 PM Evening Prayer in the church office.

SENIOR WARDEN REPORT:

            The past couple of weeks have been a difficult for the parish, since one of our most beloved, respected friends has been in the hospital.  Sandra Ralph Joseph has been at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill in critical condition.  As of this writing we are all praying for her recovery.  If love and prayer brings healing then Sandra should be recovering soon.  The whole town of Erwin has her in its prayers.  The love of her family has been with her night and day since she was admitted to the hospital.  We all hope and pray for a quick recovery.

Many parishioners may not realize that Sandra has been leading the Altar Guild for years.  At least since before I started attending in 1993.  If not for Sandra, then we would not have all of the supplies needed for our services.  We would not have the hangings, candles, linens, elements, wine and all the other items needed for our services.   However, her services and devotion to her church go well beyond that.  She is a hard worker behind the scenes and a true leader and teacher.

Please keep Sandra in your prayers and hope for a quick recovery.  Help her family in this great time of need as well.

Peter

SENIOR WARDEN REPORT:           

            This past week the majority of the vestry voted to go forward with the lift/elevator project in the parish hall. First, we need to get the bids on the project; then, we will need to raise the money for it.  It may be about $30,000.00.  We have about $4,500.00 so far for that project. 

However, we still need to raise about $4,500.00 to complete the organ restoration project.  I hope we can sustain two fund-raising projects at the same time.  The vestry wanted to complete one project before beginning the next project, but there is a definite need for the lift/elevator in the parish hall.  Not one person disputes that.  I hope we, as your vestry, will be good stewards with your treasures as we begin another expensive project.  The lift/elevator will add to the services St. Stephen’s provides for the congregation and the community.   

            Thank you to the women of the church for providing the community meal after the June 11 service.  It was a great meal and allowed those of us who stayed to eat to fellowship with one another.  It allowed newer members an opportunity to get to know more members in the church.  The meal was also a way for us to celebrate Fr. David’s birthday and anniversary of his leading his first Eucharist.

            The next meal after the Sunday service is planned for September 10.  Maybe the Men’s Fellowship can provide this meal as a welcome back to Sunday school.

Congratulations to Elaine Armstrong and Joshua Bussey on graduating from St. Mary’s and Triton, respectively, earlier this month.  Elaine is planning on attending Wake Forest in the fall.  Congratulations to all graduates.

                                                                                    Yours in Christ,

                                                                                                            Peter

SENIOR WARDEN REPORT:           

            In organ news we have now raised over $65,000.00 to repair and upgrade our church organ.   We have almost raised all of the $70,000.00 needed to complete the repairs.  We should be able to get the taxes back since we are non-profit and a church.  The taxes we get back will be put into an organ fund to cover all annual tuning and maintenance.  

As soon as we can get all of the money to cover the cost of paying for the organ repair and taxes the vestry will look into ways to fund a lift in the parish hall.  Several organizations within the church have already pledged about one thousand five hundred dollars for the lift.  We may need more than thirty thousand dollars ($30,000.00) to put in the lift.  

Thank you to all who attended the picnic on May 21.  Those who attended had a good time.  I hope we can continue that tradition every year.  

This past month I was privileged to represent you and the Brooks family in giving the Andrew Brooks Memorial scholarship to Adrienne Core.  She is planning on attending N.C. State University and wants to seek a career in childhood education.

                                                                                    Yours in Christ,

                                                                                                            Peter

SENIOR WARDEN REPORT:           

            Thank you for all those who took part in the Lenten, Holy Week and Easter services.  It went well.  It is almost a let down now after having been at church each night for one service or another.  It is too bad we do not have some sort of activity at church each night of the week.  That would sure be a good way to get everyone in our parish involved and provide for everyone as well.  Unfortunately, it seems as though it is the same few people who do all the work around the church.  I guess that is because it is the same few people who are active members of the church, all one hundred or so of us.  

A special thank you to David Heinzman in his work with Barbara Nicholl in getting our finances in good order.  Barbara keeps the books and keeps abreast of all the rules and changes.  David does all of the legwork making sure our finances are in good order, including deposits, checks, going to the bank, tax department, courthouse and all the other tasks that need to be taken care of during workday hours.  Please thank David when you see him for all of his unseen efforts.  

            In organ news we have now raised almost $61,000.00 to repair and upgrade our church organ.  The Vestry reviewed the two bids that the Organ Committee collected, and accepted one.  Therefore, it may cost a little more than $70,000.00 to complete the repairs.  We should be able to get the taxes back since we are non-profit and a church.  The taxes we get back will be put into an organ fund to cover all annual tuning and maintenance.  

                                                                                    Yours in Christ,

The Vestry meets Wednesday 19 April 2006 after the 6:30 PM Evening Prayer in the church office. The Vestry will hold their annual retreat at the Agape Lutheran Camp and Conference Center on Saturday April 1 from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM . 

SENIOR WARDEN REPORT

 We are about one month into the Lenten Season.  I hope you all were better at the meditation part of this penitent season than I have been.  Even with trying to focus on being penitent and attempting to meditate more, it has been difficult with all the other activities I have going on, which are not church related.  It seems that the more we try to simplify our lives with modern conveniences and programs, the more complicated it gets.  However, we can all celebrate the Glory of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior during the upcoming Easter season, since he died for our sins.

Sometimes I lose focus on the fact we are here to make life better for others, especially those who are less fortunate.  I hope we can be a part of an outreach where we can help those who are in need.  We have been spending a lot of effort the past several years taking care of ourselves and our parish which is important, but not necessarily others in our community who need it. 

I read in the paper this past Thursday about how our parish started the Hospice of Harnett County through an outreach program.  Some of the integral founders of the Hospice are still active in our parish.  We could learn something from them in beginning another outreach program we could all be a part of.

Last month I challenged each of you to give a little more this Lenten Season to provide for those who are less fortunate through a 0.7% giving.  That would be a good use of your treasure.  Now I challenge you to get involved by helping others through your time and talent.  Just look around your community and see what is needed.  Then we can work together to help those in our community through an outreach program, even a program that may already be in place. 

            In other news we have now raised over $61,000.00 to repair and upgrade our church organ.  The Vestry reviewed the two bids that the Organ Committee collected, and accepted one.  Therefore, it the repairs may cost a little more than $70,000.00 to complete the repairs.  It will take over six months to complete.  In fact the organ will be taken out of the church for it be worked on out of state.  We will receive a replacement organ during that time so we will not be without music.  Please keep the music ministry in your prayers as the vestry attempts to be a good steward in this area of our ministry.

                                                                                    Yours in Christ,

                                                                                                            Peter

            As most of you may be I am thinking what I should give up for Lent.  Usually it is something I really do not need anyhow, like sweets, television, bread, caffeine, soft drinks, junk food or the like.  It is usually difficult to decide, since we, as Americans, have so much.  In giving up some food item, or small thing in our life, I often forget the reason behind giving up something.  As Fr. David is oft to remind us, it to give us time to meditate and repent during this time of Lent, in preparation of Easter. 

            During the Diocesan Convention, the Keynote speaker was the Reverend Canon John L. Peterson, former Secretary General of the Worldwide Anglican Communion, London .  He spoke of his travels to poor, devastated third-world countries where he saw Christ in the faces of the children and people in such filthy places that it changed him.  It gave him the incentive to promote the Millennium Development Goals of getting the wealthier nations to help the third world countries.  This is proposed by having the member nations of the United Nations set aside 0.7% for International Development work to reach the goals.  The Episcopal Church of the United States has endorsed and re-affirmed its commitment to these goals during the past two General Conventions.  Our Diocese passed a resolution in 2004 committing to the Millennium Goals.  The 2005 Mission and Ministry budget included allocated 0.7% for International Development, as does the 2006 budget.

            Bishop Curry has asked each of the congregations to allocate 0.7% of its budget toward International Development.  He also has urged each individual parishioner to allocate 0.7% of his or her income to International Development.  That would be about $210.00 for a person earning $30,000.00 a year.  That would be $4.50 a week (the cost one lunch a week) or $.64 a day (the cost of a soft drink from a drink machine).

            During the five weeks of Lent and Holy Week that would be $27.00.  Since we are each giving up something (mostly a food item) for Lent, we should be able to save 0.7% of our income to give to International Development or helping some impoverished community in the United States or North Carolina or Harnett County .  I believe that would be a good outreach project for our parish.

            Therefore I challenge you all to please give this prayerful consideration during your Lenten meditations. 

            In other news we have raised over $57,000.00 to repair and upgrade our church organ.  The Organ committee has been working hard and has collected two bids for the vestry to consider.  It looks as if it may cost a little more than $70,000.00 to complete the repairs.  It will take over six months to complete.  In fact the organ will be taken out of the church for it be worked on out of state.  Depending on the bid the Vestry accepts, we may have a replacement organ during that time or not.  Please keep the music ministry in your prayers as the vestry attempts to be a good steward in this area of our ministry.

            During the month of January we had a great month of revenue of more than ten thousand dollars.  However, we also had a substantial month of expenses with over ten thousand dollars in payments.  The Lord is looking out for us as we continue our fiscal stewardship.   A Special Thank you to Barbara Nicholl for all her financial work this past year.

                                                                                    Yours in Christ,

                                                                                                                        Peter

Thank you all for your good works the past year.  We have become better stewards for our parish, in the areas of finances and upkeep of our facility.  Thank you to all who helped fix-up the parish hall this past year. 

Thank you to all who helped plan and carry out our Centennial Celebrations.  We are in good standing to start a new Century here at St. Stephen’s.  We have a good rector who, though only paid for part-time work, is there for us all the time.  Everyone, please take the time to thank Father David for coming to us three years ago and continuing to work with us and help us to grow spiritually as we have overcome our own hardships.

Please share your enthusiasm of worshipping at St. Stephen’s with your acquaintances, friends and neighbors by inviting them to St. Stephen’s with you.

            Yours in Christ,

Welcome to all of our visitors on this Centennial Celebration Sunday.  It is great to have all of you here to celebrate with us.  It is great to have our Bishop share the celebration with us as well.  Please keep our parish in your thoughts and prayers as we embark on the next century.

Thank you to all of those who worked in getting our parish hall cleaned, fixed, polished and refurbishes.  Special thanks to Nina and Lloyd Maynard, Diane and Bill Lanier, Sandra Joseph, Sarah and Mike Wells, Mary and Frank Speer, Colon McLaurin and all others who put extra time into the work.  The Parish Hall looks great.

These people have been great examples of stewardship by keeping the parish hall in good repair and good condition.  It just goes to show how our time, talent and treasures may be used for the good of the parish.  Now we need to further the efforts of all our congregation in becoming good stewards for not only our church and parish, but for outreach as well.

Please share your enthusiasm of worshipping at St. Stephen's with your acquaintances, friends and neighbors by inviting them to St. Stephen's with you.  We will have an informational booth set up at the Angier Crepe Myrtle Festival on Saturday, September 10, and at the Erwin Denim Days on Saturday, October 1.  We will need people to help at the booths.  Thank you in advance.

Yours in Christ,

Peter

SENIOR WARDEN REPORT  

            It is now the Easter season.  We are celebrating the resurrection of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ.  After the weeks of meditation and atonement during lent it is joyous to be in the Easter season.  During Lent the majority of your vestry went on a retreat to prayerfully consider what St. Stephen’s needs and wants over the next five years.  We discussed growth of our church – physically (buildings and members), fiscally and above all spiritually.  

We devised a five-year plan that would include promoting St. Stephen’s throughout the parish, which is all of Harnett County.  Therefore, we will be making a concerted effort to get information out to all the chambers of commerce of the towns, newspapers, motels and town festivals.  If we are able to grow spiritually and with members then are buildings will be able to grow.  The buildings will grow by having the much-needed expensive repairs to the organ, a lift built into the parish hall, renovations completed on the parish hall, the church and the grounds.  

For us to be able to accomplish all of this with God’s grace, we will all need to pitch in and do our part.  We will all need to make visitors feel welcome in such a way that they will want to come back again and again.  We will have to all take part in getting information out to residents all over Harnett County.  

Therefore, I ask you all for your help.           

                                                                                    Yours in Christ,

           We are midway through the Lenten season.  Often we tell people we have given up something for Lent.  When we give up a food or activity we like for Lent we are to prayerfully consider our spiritual lives.   We should have more time to reflect, meditate and pray.  In the busy lives we lead it is often difficult to make the time to meditate and pray.  It is a challenge to set aside the time do so.

            One of the things I have given up is watching television (except for ACC sports).  No more being tied to the television by the weekly shows.  I have made use of that time by reading, spending time with my family, catching up on sleep and most importantly praying.  It has been very helpful and has reduced the stress in my life some.  I have given up things in my diet which is helpful and healthful as well.

            In one comic strip in the daily paper, “Sally Forth”, the Forth family is doing the same thing, giving up television in order to spend more quality time with the family.  Of course the pre-teen daughter thinks the parents are nuts, but in the long run it will be beneficial for that family as it has been for me.  I just thought I would share that with you.

            One advantage of not being tied to the television so much is that I can also spend more time working around the house on home improvement duties.  In that effort I can keep the house, yard, barn, pasture and garden in good shape for the future.  I guess I am being a steward for my home. 

            That is one our callings as Christians, to be faithful stewards.  Several members of the church have done just that with our parish hall cleanup.  They have all done a marvelous job at a nominal cost to the church.

            Unfortunately, the vestry has not been a very good steward of your bounty.  The past two months we have spent over $4,200.00 more than what has been given to the church.  Last month I wrote that if we continue our deficit spending we will be out of money by June.  It turns out, after hours of Barbara Nicholl’s work on the finances, that St. Stephen’s no longer has any money left from which to operate.  The ECW, EYC, Memorials, Building Fund, Brooks Scholarship and Major Maintenance and Repair accounts have money, but the church operating account does not. 

            The best way to remedy this is to be better stewards and to actually begin living our mission statement, especially the second part.  “To know Christ and make Him Known.”  We have had several visitors recently, let us please make them feel welcome to our parish as we have done and make them feel as a part of our church family.   We also should make Christ known to people who have not visited our church, by going out and spreading his word to those who are un-churched and unbelieving.  That is probably the most difficult thing to do for Episcopalians, but it needs to be done since it is our mission from Jesus Christ himself.  As a family we can do it together.

                                                                                    Yours in Christ,

                                                                                                            Peter

SENIOR WARDEN REPORT  

            We are into our Centennial year.  St. Stephen’s has been providing services for almost 100 years.  Let’s please put forth an effort to show our community what it means to worship at St. Stephen’s.  Then maybe some of our neighbors may wish to join us.  More importantly let’s show our visitors the loving family type church we have.  The Centennial Committee has put forth some good plans for this year.  Please plan on attending the events scheduled throughout the year.  

            Thank you to all the adults who have taken part in the Sunday school discussions this past fall and early winter about “The Purpose Driven Life” written by Rick Warren.  David Heinzman has done a great job leading the class.  

            The parish hall has been getting a facelift lately.  It has been a long time since it has been fixed up.  Since we cannot afford to build a new parish hall several members are attempting to improve the parish hall we have.  Special thanks to Lloyd, Colon , Mary, Frank, David, Hilda and Junior for all their hard work.  They hope to move on to give the sanctuary some needed improvements as well.  It will make the Centennial year much more joyful.  

            It has become clear that we need to tighten our belts this fiscal year.  In 2004 we spent almost twelve thousand dollars ($12,000.00) more than we brought in.  If we continue there will be no money in the church’s operating account by June.  We were unable to pledge the amount the Diocese requires for us to remain in good standing.  Unless we come up with more revenue we will lose our good standing with the Diocese.  

We have several options to help St. Stephen’s financially.  We each can donate more to St. Stephen’s than we have pledged thus far.  We, St. Stephen’s, can make drastic cuts in our expenditures.  OR we can activate members who have not been coming to church lately and invite our recent visitors to join us in the worship and fellowship of St. Stephen’s.  Since our Diocese is a Mission Diocese, we need to start right here in our own parish and spread the word of our lord and have people join us at St. Stephen’s.  If we can get the word out to more people and have them join us, our financial trouble would solve itself.  

            Yours in Christ,

                                    Peter Strickland