ST. JOHN'S ANGLICAN CHURCH

"Vibrant, caring, intergenerational community"
"Service together in love, hope and wisdom."
"Co-operation, appreciation, and involvement in our internal ministry"
"Caring, welcoming, accepting: respecting all and building on strengths"
"Open doors with the buzz of people working together inside"
"And finally a possible vision statement: St. John's: A safe harbor of fulfilling, meaningful, ministry in God's loving presence."

Do these statements sound like us? These quotes are from the work that several of our members did with Bishop Ed Leidel, small church congregational coach, in September 2009. After he presented a summary of what he thought we said about ourselves. we worked in a small group to develop vision and assumption statements. We needed to define what we wanted to be like in the next 2 - 5 years. What a worthwhile project!

There were six from St. John's. After a time to think on our own, we then combined all our ideas onto one page and then looked for common threads and patterns. From this we created four smaller, specific vision statements and then one summary statement at the end."

The next step is to generate discussion with everyone about these ideas and move to a detailed goal and action plan. Those at the workshop were very pleased both with the accuracy of Bishop Ed's comments about us and the potential of a mission and logo. What an opportunity for us! Would you be interested in an afternoon or evening discussion to review the charts that were created?

Along with creating a strong vision for ourselves, we need to also look after the operation of St. John's. We need everyone to continue to help in any way that they are able to do. We need to stay in touch with all our members and find ways to encourage new people to join us in our worship. We need to develop a church school. And finally, we need to ensure that we look after our finances.

We have balanced our budget through the generosity of ACW and the Keffer Memorial Funds. However, we are concerned as the bank interest upon which we relied last year has dwindled to nothing this year.

We know that economic challenges affect everyone. The 2010 budget reflects careful consideration of the fixed and variable expenses. We need you to think about your givings to the church. Are you able to increase your donations? Do you make up for weeks that you are away? Would you consider the automatic debit format? This year we may have to consider some fundraising events. If you have any questions or ideas, we would love to hear them. We can do this together.

Hans and I would like to extend our huge thanks to all the volunteers at St. John's. What a busy year we have all had! It is great to know that we have people who care about one another, who are so willing to help in so many ways.

· Think about what we have accomplished with everyone's help:
· New furnace in the hall
· New air conditioners in both the Hall and the Church
· Removal of the old kitchen cabinets and replacing them with new ones
· New room for spare choir gowns
· Cleaning up of the grounds around the church and the hall
· Re-modeling the children's room and office in the basement
· New sign at the front of the church
· A freshly painted hall, entry and sacristy
· New curtains in the hall

Thank you to the Altar Guild, ACW, and Choir. Your ongoing dedication is vital to our community. Thank you to the members of Parish Council; your time and support have been most valuable.

St. John's is a special place. Let's help it grow in 2010.
Blessings to all,