Calvary family and friends,
Two notes of interest today. Bishop Van Koevering will be making his annual visitation to Calvary on December 11th this year. It will be an opportunity for those wishing to receive the sacrament of Confirmation and those who may have been confirmed in a different denomination to be received into the Episcopal Church. If there are baptisms, this would also be an appropriate time. This next Sunday, those who are interested or would like to know more about Confirmation and reception into the church will meet at 9:00 a.m. in the parish hall. We will be setting up sessions between Sunday and his visit. Confirmation and reception are conscious choices to be an active part of the Episcopal Church. Our sessions will revolve around some teaching about the Episcopal Church, but also looking at what ministry you may have as you continue in the church. I liken it to commencement rather than graduation. You are not finished, but only beginning a new phase of your life in Christ. On the day of his visitation, it is expected that he will meet with the Vestry prior to the service, celebrate and preach as well and join us after the service for fellowship time. Please plan to be with us on this special day. The second item concerns the diocesan convention held in Berea this past weekend. We were well represented by Liz Alexander, Sean Farrington, Cindy McKnight, and Debbie Braun. We thank them for taking the time to represent Calvary to the rest of the Diocese. The normal required business of the church went smoothly; passing the 2023 budget, electing members of the Executive Council and Standing Committee, passing a resolution that would permit most of our vocational deacons to avail themselves of the Church Pension Fund services, and some Canon changes. The one that will most affect Calvary was a change in the assessment system which lowers our and other faith communities fair share giving a percentage to support the ministry of the Diocese. As a result, we will retain a bit over four-thousand dollars which can be used locally at Calvary. The hope is that the savings can be used to enhance our ministry. The theme of the convention was “Breaking the Mold”. Throughout the two days, we were given an introduction to Asset Based Community Development, a process by which we work to improve our communities not by what we do for people, but by working with them, using the gifts we both have. A foundational aspect of ABCD is not for those outside to determine the local needs, but for those to be discovered within the local bodies and then working together to develop ways to meet them and to ensure they are made sustainable. You will be hearing more about this in the coming weeks and months.
Peace,
Bryant+
