St. James Episcopal Church
Glastonbury, CT
Vestry Minutes for October 17, 2016, 7:00 pm
Present: Denise Cabana, Janet Donston, Janice Davis, Susan Wright, Bea Farlekas, Ralph Urban, Mary Jo Logan, Don Gardner, Fred Faulkner, Dan Aramini, Erin Parrelli, Iype Chandy
After “Dwelling in the Word,” based on Chapter 7 of “Beyond Business As Usual” the Vestry discussed what they believe they would experience at St. James as a newcomer, as a means of exploring how the congregation can best be a welcoming community for all.
Bishop Suffragan Laura Ahrens will be visiting St. James Sunday March 19, 2017.
Starting this month, whenever a given month has five Sundays, the church will hold a breakfast between the 8 and 10:15 services as an opportunity for fellowship and spiritual growth. Activities will be provided for children so young parents can participate.
Vestry orientation is scheduled for February 5, 2017 with a Vestry retreat March 17 and 18, 2017.
The Vestry approved permitting parishioner Pam Hall to occasionally use the parish hall for Reiki sessions. She will be offering first session for free and then $1 per minute for additional sessions. This will be a good additional to the healing ministries of the church.
The Vestry discussed the possibility of a general “listening session” open to the congregation; further discussion to follow. It was noted that Vestry meetings are always open to all. A Mutual Ministry Review with the Episcopal Church in Connecticut's (ECCT) consultant for our transition to Denise's ministry at St. James, June Aziz is coming up now that Denise has been at St. James for over a year.
Iype Chandy described his participation in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut's (ECCT) session entitled “Living Local, Joining God.” The emphasis is on members getting out into their local communities to learn what's happening, and how our church's could respond to community needs and interests. The ECCT may be asking St. James to be one of the lead parishes in this endeavor.
As explored in depth at the last Vestry retreat, the Vestry approved a new vision statement for the parish, to appear in most or all parish publications, as follows: “We are a Christian community committed to our individual faith journeys through learning, sharing and listening to God and one another. We live this faith through hospitality and acceptance, challenging ourselves and one another to join God in God's mission in our neighborhoods and the world.”