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OUR SAVIOR AT HONEY CREEK
VESTRY MEETING MINUTES
14 April 2008
The
initial, organizing meeting of the Mission Vestry of Our Savior at Honey
Creek Church was held on April 14, 2008 at 6:15 p.m. with the following
Vestry members present:
Al Trogdon
Lee Watkins
Julie Lunt
Stacy Rawl
Barbara Mathis
All members
elected to the Mission Vestry on Sunday, April 13, 2008, were present for
the initial meeting held at the home of Lee and Susan Watkins in Waverly,
Ga. A record of the organizational proceedings will be made and distributed
to all members and to Rev. Logue by Mrs. Mathis.
The meeting opened with a prayer led by Stacy Rawl.
The meeting began with a general discussion of the purposes of the Mission
Vestry which included the charge which had been given in Rev. Frank Logues
letter to the congregation on April 9, 2008 including A Mission Council
operates as a council of advice for a Pastor and/or the Bishop on the
operations of a mission congregation (one that is not self-supporting). The
persons elected provide essential oversight on the budget, and other
operational concerns administering the temporal affairs of the mission.
Those present agreed that the Mission Vestry is to represent the full
membership of Our Savior at Honey Creek Church.
Al Trogdon shared some guidance points which he had received in conversation
with Rev. Logue including (1) the election of officials and terms of office
for those elected; (2) the need to focus on growth in membership; (3) the
need to settle concerns over a musician for services; (4) the need to
discuss the use of a visiting Priest; (5) the need to report on the current
state of church finances.
Ministry Officials
The following persons
were elected to positions within the Mission Vestry:
Senior Warden Mrs. Barbara Hadley Mathis
Junior Warden Mr. Al Trogdon
Clerk Mrs. Julie Lunt
Treasurer and Finance Chairman Ms. Stacy Rawl, Mr. Al Trogdon
Parliamentarian Mr. Lee Watkins
Terms of office
include:
Mr. Lee Watkins 1 Year 2008 - 2009
Mrs. Julie Lunt 2 Years 2008 - 2010
Ms. Stacy Rawl 2 Years 2008 - 2010
Mrs. Barbara Mathis 3 Years 2008 2011
Mr. Al Trogdon 3 Years 2008 2011
All five members of the Mission Vestry signed letters of commitment to the
Episcopal Church Diocese of Georgia. Mr. Trogdon will deliver those letters
to the Diocese offices in Savannah.
Financial Report
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Al Trogdon provided an
initial financial report on the current church finances. The operating
budget is presently $2,395.53. A Money Market Account presently holds a
January 2008 deposit of $10,000.
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Mr. Trogdon has talked
with The Rev. Canon H. Neal Phelps about the records, Church Registry,
financial documents, and computer for Our Savior at Honey Creek and Mr.
Trogdon will pick up those items from the Diocese offices in Savannah
during the upcoming week.
Interim Report
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Mr. Trogdon led a
discussion about the possibilities of working with the Honey Creek
Commission on costs for continuing use of the chapel at the Honey Creek
Episcopal Center, and about the possibilities of investigating with the
Diocese officials the acquisition of five to ten acres of land for future
use for Our Savior at Honey Creek Church.
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Mrs. Lunt reported on
problems with cleaning the chapel, cleaning chapel windows, maintaining
fire safety, and locking some doors at the chapel. She has been working on
these concerns and shared her progress with Al Trogdon who, as Junior
Warden, will handle future negotiations and communications with the Honey
Creek Commission and the Diocese of Georgia on behalf of the Mission
Vestry.
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Mr. Watkins moved and
Ms. Rawl seconded, a motion to approach Henry to request that he provide
music for Sunday Services for Our Savior at Honey Creek Church for the
amount of $100.00 per month. The motion passed unanimously and the Senior
Warden will meet with Henry to request his services.
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Ms. Rawl agreed to
continue her generous offer to use her home office as the official office
for Our Savior at Honey Creek, to store church materials, and to handle
contacts for the Mission Vestry to arrange mail delivery, investigate the
current post office box, and to use her personal cell number as a contact
telephone for the time being.
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Mrs. Lunt discussed
membership needs and will serve as Membership Chairman. It was suggested
that she investigate the web site of the Diocese of Georgia for resources
available on how to grow a congregation, explore ways of making visitors
feel welcome, and to acquire some information allowing follow-up contact
on visitors who might wish to make Our Savior at Honey Creek their church.
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Mrs. Mathis pointed
out some of the ongoing tasks being performed by volunteers within the
church congregation and suggested some way of showing appreciation for
those efforts and ensuring that such efforts continue. A program of
working committees, general duties, and current volunteers was recommended
and will be presented at the next Mission Vestry Meeting. Some additional
committees may be needed, and some committees need more help.
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The members discussed
initial suggestions made by Rev. Logue and Rev. Somerville about mid-week
services, bible study groups, pot luck suppers, and Thursday monthly
services including relationships with other nearby mission churches. It
was agreed that more thought and input from the congregation was needed
before proceeding with formal planning on any services other than the
weekly Sunday Service. Concerns were voiced about the costs of priests for
midweek activities as well as the desires of the congregation.
Follow Up
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The Junior Warden will
work with the Honey Creek Commission and the Diocese of Georgia on
arrangements involving the use of the chapel for services by Our Savior at
Honey Creek. Any concerns about the property, cleaning, etc. should now be
addressed to Junior Warden Al Trogdon.
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The Senior Warden will
work with Rev. Frank Logue and The Rev. Canon Neal Phelps on a schedule of
visiting Priests for Our Savior at Honey Creeks Sunday Services. In
addition, she will gather information for the Mission Vestry on
possibilities involving mid-week activities and bible study groups.
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Mrs. Mathis will meet
with Rev. Logue and will talk with the Mission Vestry members to establish
a suitable monthly meeting date and time for future meetings, and will
report to the members by telephone or email about the schedule.
The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Mathis, Recorder
The
Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
299 Episcopal Conference Center Road, Waverly,
Georgia 31565
contact@oursaviorhoneycreek.org |