St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Rooted in love, growing through God’s grace, reaching out to all.
2020 Annual Report Sunday, January 24, 2021
From the Rector’s Warden One year ago we were contemplating a capital campaign. An ambitious bit of an idea. One year ago we were hearing news stories about a cluster of pneumonia cases in China, possibly as a result of a new infectious agent crossed over from wildlife. But that was way over there and we were way over here, not really our concern. Globalization…. Increasing connections. Increasing connections with the world: Trade; Immigration; Cooperation; Shared labor; Shared talent; Shared customs; Shared resources; Shared microbes. It soon became apparent it was our concern, and we had to drastically revise our practice and customs. We could not worship together in community. Faced with losing our community, we forgot the capital campaign and commenced a connectedness campaign. Emily and Daniel with Emily’s iPhone brought us together in worship online. After we cut our virtual teeth on that, Mike Levin and PJ Linke stepped up our virtual game. Joyce and her coterie of music scholars, and the Flaherty family, kept beautiful music happening that helped us recall our worship together. Emily and Laura kept up their excellent service leadership and homilies. Altar guild, readers, and acolytes kept our services as customary as possible for our virtual attendance. Special services helped rekindle our sense of belonging. Socially distanced bell choir, virtual vocal choir, folk group musicians singing from home, slide shows featuring past activities together and folks’ current activities while apart were all melded into the services by our crackerjack tech team. The virtual venue allowed for “attendance” by people who would not normally have had reason or time or ability to have attended us physically. Family, friends, and maybe strangers “attended” from points around the Diocese, around the country, and around the globe. We held a couple of joint virtual services with St. Anne’s, Abington. This all established and strengthened connections. Our worship together is in a sense the “outward and visible sign” of our inner spiritual community. As important as it was to sustain the worship, we also needed to strengthen and sustain our community. And we did that. Our inreach team made phone calls, sent letters, and emailed to check in on folks, to make sure people didn’t feel forgotten, and to offer or coordinate help if needed. Emily had an enhanced discretionary fund with which to offer help where needed. Our food cupboard continued to benefit the Glenside community. Parishioners continued to participate in community assistance. We offered haircuts outside in the parking lot breezeway. We have a prayer request board outside in the parking lot breezeway. The pandemic forced our renters to curtail operations, and their rent to us, for much of the year. (Rent received was about half of normal for the year.) As things reenergize, we are working with them to survive and thrive once again. Again, strengthening our community ties. As we learned in our time of joining St. Philip’s and St. Peter’s, when there is change, there is loss, and grief for what is lost (even while there is excitement and pleasure at what is gained.) The past year was a big change in not being able to come together physically. We attempted to keep or at least evoke much of what was familiar. We acknowledged the loss and tried to soothe any snippets of grief. When we are able to “return to normal,” it will be a new normal. We will have a new “tech team ministry,” retaining our virtual presence online, maintaining some of our new-found connections and ways of connecting. And we will move on with a heightened awareness of the value of our connections. Respectfully submitted, Charles R. Hannum, Rector’s Warden 2
Worship and Music Worship In this unprecedented time of physical separation and social isolation, our worship services have been the primary means for spiritual connection among our members and visitors in 2020. Last year at this time I could never have envisioned what awaited us in the Spring. We spent more almost the entire year worshipping online together. This year has been filled with great creativity, experimentation, perseverance and a commitment to finding spiritual nourishment in ways new and unfamiliar and at times uncomfortable. Worshipping online will never replace the joy we receive offering prayer and praise in the pews with our fellow siblings in Christ. However, what this year has taught me is that technology is a new way into our faith community. Once the pandemic is behind us (hopefully in 2021) we will take the gifts and skills we’ve cultivated and continue to use our technology to welcome those looking for a spiritual home to find one both online and in person at St. Peter’s. An example of this shift in how we pray together is in our attendance for our Christmas services. In 2020 we had 635 worshipping compared to 317 in 2019! I could not have led us through this unfamiliar landscape without others who were willing to step out into the unknown with me. So many of them have been my guides. The beauty of this year is that we’ve been blessed to raise up new gifts, talents and wisdom from our members and staff in order to be the worshipping community we’ve been called to be. I am grateful for PJ Linke and Mike Levin who during the summer took leadership of our new Tech Team ministry. Their incredible experience in this work has allowed us to have a beautiful online presence - one that is as sophisticated as those of much bigger churches with larger staffs and financial resources. I am grateful to Rick DeKalb who worked countless hours over the summer and fall to upgrade our internet connections so that we could offer a better experience for our members and visitors. I am grateful to our Vestry who realized we needed to support this endeavor with financial resources. I also want to acknowledge my husband Daniel who in the earliest days of the pandemic stepped up and allowed us to worship together even while we weren’t completely comfortable or clear on what we were doing. His unwavering faithfulness in keeping our community connected enabled us to have regular Sunday services and all the special Holy Week and spring offerings. Our Wednesday service moved online through the Zoom platform. This allowed the entire group to gather in prayer. It continues to be the most consistent and faithful worshipping community among us. I give thanks for Rick Pearce and the Rev. Laura Palmer who shared in the leadership of these services with me. Our weeknight live streaming Evening Prayer services have been one of the most surprising and fulfilling additions to our worship ministry. We have a created a powerfully intimate experience for all who attend. Personally, this service has kept me sane and hopeful during some of the darkest moments in 2020. This service will continue long after the pandemic is beyond us. I am grateful to the Rev. Donna Barr (a retired deacon in the Diocese of Lexington and my mother), Laurel Mosteller, the Rev. 3
Laura Palmer, Daniel Richards and Warren Wanlund who have shared in the leadership of these services. Their voices and perspectives have added great meaning and connection. It is hard to put into words the impact of our music ministry during the pandemic. We have been extremely blessed with the leadership of Joyce Chen. She has worked tirelessly to create beautiful, musical experiences for us in partnership with Kathy Flaherty, Tim Flaherty, Meredith Flaherty, and our guest soloists, Alex De Aguiar Reuter, Rachel Lipson, Ally Mason Kyle Mason, Gus Mercante and Tess Varley. Joyce spent countless hours behind the scenes, recording and editing pieces with our musicians including learning to create virtual choral pieces (not an easy task). I am also so grateful to the “Flaherty Family Singers” as I fondly call them. Kathy, Tim and Meredith sang and played for us on many Sundays including many of our special services. Thanks to Kathy’s leadership the bell choir was able to be a part of our worship offerings at the end of the year. Joani Harkinson, Sebastien Guillotin, Jenna Linke all shared their musical gifts with us, as well. In a very powerful way, music uplifted our spirits and kept us connected and filled with joy and hope during this time of disconnection and fearfulness. One of the greatest joys as your Rector is the incredible opportunity to worship alongside of you. I give thanks to our dedicated staff members who work all week to provide meaningful worship experiences for you, especially acknowledging Patty McDonough, Tim Valera and Joe Mitros who do so much for us behind the scenes. They kept our buildings clean and safe for who need to worship in the sanctuary or in the Memorial Courtyard. I am grateful to the Rev. Laura Palmer who has assisted me this year as a leader of worship and preacher. Her spirituality, warmth and compassion have deepened our experienced of the sacred in both word and sacrament. I give thanks to all members of our Worship Ministries and who served even amid the pandemic as Altar Guild members, acolytes, intercessors, lectors, ushers and musicians. Finally, we remember Richard DeKalb, Bob McGrory, and Lois Sibley, who died this past year and were devoted to our communal experience of worship as lector, intercessor, Choir Member, Usher, Eucharistic Minister, Morning Prayer Leader and Eucharistic Visitor. Liturgy is the Greek word for work of the people. At St. Peter’s we take this to heart. This year was no exception. Early on in the pandemic there was a meme circulating on social media that states, “With church doors shutting across America, it is time for us to show that church has never been about the building.” We have been learning to live into the truth of these words through our worship ministries. Thank you for an unforgettable year filled with wonder, love and praise as God’s holy people! Faithfully submitted, Emily Richards+ Choir & Music This has been a challenging year to say the very least. The last time I was with the choir was on Sunday, March 8. Since the pandemic started, I have gotten a lot of help from soloists: Gus Mercante, Tess Varley, Rachael Lipson, Alex Reuter, Kyle and Ally Masson. Thanks to their weekly help, we have been able to provide solo tracks for virtual choir as well as special musical offerings. I also want to thank the Flaherty’s for their continued support and contribution by singing as a trio on a monthly basis. Regarding choir, we have been meeting over zoom on a biweekly/monthly basis. I started putting together virtual choir videos for All Saint’s Day, and it was a very steep learning curve: it took well over 20 hours to put that 3-minute video together. I got a little 4
better with sound recording and video processing, so it was slightly faster for the Christmas Eve videos. This year going forward, I plan on producing one virtual choir video per one season/holy days. With the vaccine distribution, I’m cautiously optimistic that choir or a smaller group of singers may start rehearsing again in the fall or by the end of the year. Thank you again for your support and kind words over livestreaming every week. Respectfully submitted, Joyce Chen, Minister of Music St. Peter’s Bell Choir This ensemble rang in the promise of 2020 with the energetic “Renaissance” during the celebration of Epiphany. The dedication and focus of the ringers allowed us to regroup, just 12 days after Christmas, and present a sparkling addition to this service. In February, on the last Sunday before Lent, the musical offering was “Blessed Assurance”. No one could have predicted how much we would need songs of comfort and solace in the coming months. This was the last time that the Bell Choir rang together until September 13th. It has been very difficult to miss our usual expressions of music and worship, through Lent, Holy Week, Easter and Pentecost. When the pandemic eased in September, the Bell Choir members were more than ready to ring again. The return to ringing has not been” business as usual”. In order to follow CDC guidelines, we needed to purchase more table set-ups, move each player to a safe distance, add additional bells to avoid sharing and sanitize hands, bells, and music at every turn. Janice Solla, player of B and C bells, created gorgeous, music printed face masks to keep us safe! Our playing could not happen during a live service since we moved out from the altar and filled the entire chancel area. During our 2020 fall return, we were able to learn and record music for Creation Sunday and Stewardship Sunday. Music for Advent and Christmas followed. The recording and photographic skills of Mike Levin and Tim Flaherty helped us create a real time presentation. P.J. Linke created a beautiful montage of the ringers in motion. We were fortunate to capture these musical offerings before COVID19 again curtailed our worship and music making. We look forward to the day when we can return to making music for worship at St. Peter’s and sharing in the fellowship of this endeavor. Respectfully submitted, Kathleen M Flaherty, Bell Choir Director Folk Group The folk group is celebrating the eighteenth year of our music ministry at St. Peter’s. Members of our group are Donna Kulp, Jenna Linke, Barbara & Linda McKinney (vocals); Debbie DeKalb (flute and vocals): Rebecca Fellerman (percussion and vocals), Bob Filice (keyboard): Sherry Butterworth (guitar) Joani Harkinson (guitar and vocals): Linda Toia (bass guitar). Calvin Haas is in his eighth year as sound technician. The folk group unfortunately was only able to play one service (Guatemala Sunday) since our last annual meeting. We have not been able to play since the beginning of the pandemic and are very much looking forward to the time we are able to make joyful sounds together again. Respectfully submitted, Linda Toia, Folk Group Leader 5
Formation Children & Youth Happy 2021, and I really mean that! 2020 started out well with the youth. Younger children met with Laurel Mosteller and Calvin Haas at Godly Play while everyone else met with me and Madeline Collins in the youth room. We had a successful pancake supper and on Sundays we played games and even were learning about the Saints of March Madness. Then, we were faced with Covid. This time has been a challenge and is truly an understatement. I’ve attended Diocesan Zoom meetings discussing the challenges youth leaders are faced with. During this challenging time, we have gotten together virtually and done scavenger hunts and bingo on Zoom. I have prepared art kits and other materials to try to keep the children and youth in touch. We have also had Godly play lesson on Zoom. In the fall, we had backpack and technology blessings as well as an in person Halloween event and movie night. We had a very successful virtual Rite 13 celebration with our celebrants, Samantha Gill, Harrison Reazor, Maggie Richards and Colleen Schmidt, and socially distanced celebration with Fellowship in a Box. Emily has done story time virtually. I’ve delivered prayers and advent calendars to children and youth homes. We had a great drive-by with St. Nicholas, incorporating service by asking families to be St. Nicholas for some of our older parishioners by participating in Mugs and Kisses in place of Mary Pat’s cookies. At Christmas, we had a lovely Christmas family service. 2021. Here we are. New ideas are needed. People to follow through on those ideas are needed. I am hoping we will be back to a more normal routine by fall, including a more solid curriculum. I’d even like to incorporate some music for the children. Contact me if you would like to help with some sort of music for the kids. My plan is to re-start some Zoom activities and some Godly Play lessons this winter. We may do an in person play date at a playground or an outdoor scavenger hunt on a nice winter’s day just to keep connected. A virtual talent show may happen; logistics will be discussed. This has been very hard on me, parents and the youth and children. Your support and prayers are much appreciated! I want to thank Emily Richards, the Vestry, Laurel Mosteller, Calvin Haas, Meredith Flaherty, Julie Rece and Dave Kipphut for your support, encouragement and your presence. I also want to thank the Tech Team and PJ Linke for their support with the children’s program. You all mean the world to me and I would not be able to do this without you! Bountiful blessings to all of you! Respectfully submitted, Helen Collins, Director of Children’s & Youth Ministries Adult Forums In the few short weeks between last year’s meeting and Pandemic shutdown, we finished the course on “A Bigger Table” by John Pavlovitz. In May, Rob DeKalb led a Zoom discussion on “PA Votes”, to prepare us for the November election. In April we looked forward to a visit from Linda McCrillis with a feature on the Pearl Buck House. Following that, a new program entitled “I’m Tired of Hate”. It would have fit in nicely with the current environment. Once again, a big thank you goes to Bill Roth for his outstanding timeline on Creation Sunday. Hopefully, we can keep that yearly tradition alive. Respectfully submitted, Rick DeKalb
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Listening Circle Based on the belief that we each have an inner teacher, what we might call our soul, the God within, or inner wisdom, a Listening Circle offers a place of safety and trust where participants are better able to connect with that place of wisdom and truth within. Two Listening Circles have been meeting monthly (one group for 11 years, the other for 8 years) to experience and practice deep listening. We are learning to ask open honest questions, rather than offering advice. We take time to share some of our personal stories with each other and use poems and stories to help guide our conversations as we explore some of the questions that arise about life. While a Listening Circle is open to anyone interested in deepening relationships, its size is limited to provide more generous time for each person’s participation. Due to the importance of building trust, participants are encouraged to attend as many of the sessions as possible. We are meeting on Zoom during the pandemic and are grateful that this has worked well. Please contact Linda or Melissa if you are interested in learning more about this opportunity. Respectfully submitted, Linda Toia and Melissa Olson, Facilitators Lectionary Bible Study Although we are not meeting currently, because of the virus, when enough peopled are vaccinated and full activities can resume, this is what it will be like. Most weeks from September to May, we meet after the service in the library for about an hour to discuss the Scripture readings of the day. The Bible is the story of what God is doing to set the world right again. Yes, God seems to taking a long time. So, we ask: what has already happened and what is promised for the future? We ask a lot of questions: How do these readings fit together? How are they part of the big story in the Bible? What does that word mean? What should we think, do, and pray in the light of what we've learned? What will the readings be next week? What were they last week? We pray the collect of the day as we close our discussion. We have a set of big maps to help us visualize the story and several reference books to help with the questions. We tell our own stories as part of God's story. And, yes, we laugh a lot. So, when you're curious about what you hear in church, grab your coffee and cookies and join us in the library after the service. Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Respectfully submitted, Larry Sibley
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In-Reach In Reach Team In mid-March Emily gathered a few people together to organize a new ministry during the pandemic. The purpose of this ministry was to connect with all the members of St. Peter’s and offer companionship, particularly while we were in shut down mode. A small team of folks carefully reviewed the parish data base and set up groups of about four-five people. Twenty-five parishioners enthusiastically agreed to contact the small group of people assigned them. Thus, our In-Reach ministry program began. Callers checked in regularly with their companions and adjusted their schedule of contacting folks, depending on the desires and needs of their companions. Through this program parishioners have had a way to communicate their needs and receive support as it has felt right to them. The in-reach ministry will continue through the pandemic and the regularity of communication will vary, according to need. We give thanks for this opportunity to be sure no one is left behind during this time of physical separation. We may be separated physically but we are still very much connected! Respectfully submitted, Sue Gordon and Linda Toia Women’s Group The Women's Group of St Peters is as strong as ever in our 22nd year! Despite having a challenging year, the love and support that the women have shown each other through this difficult time has filled my heart with joy! Even though we don't see each other in person, you can feel the love, care and support on Zoom calls and phone calls. The women so love each other, nurture each other, and love God, which is the purpose of the group. In a normal year, the group would have met for occasional dinners, brunches and activities. And unfortunately, we could not hold a retreat this year due to Covid. We had originally planned to go in March on retreat. At the time of cancellation, the retreat was rescheduled for November of 2020. But due to the circumstances, we were not able, still, to go anywhere as a group. We had scheduled a retreat leader and had planned to do a Zoom retreat in November but our speaker had to cancel in October and it was too short notice to plan another program. We have no plans at this time or idea when our next inperson retreat can be, but there definitely will be one! We will try for perhaps the fall of 2021 or the late winter of 2022. To be determined so stay tuned! We have held several Zoom calls for those who were able to join us on Thursday mornings or in the evenings. It is just wonderful and fulfilling to see faces so that we can check in and see that people are well, to share our joys and sadness, and of course, to laugh! I thank all the women who have joined in these calls. We will continue to do them for as long as we need. So again, the Women's Group, which is open to any woman at St. Peters, or friends, is stronger and more meaningful than ever this year. Our love and support through all these years has created a group of incredible women who love each other, learn from each other, support each other and love St. Peter's. God IS in the midst of us. The women and their friendships have helped to sustain us during this tough, tough year. I thank you for the love and support of this group by the women and from the church. Respectfully submitted, Polly Sanford
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Parish Life In January and February we were able to gather in the parish hall for the Lunch Club. Unfortunately the rest of the year we couldn’t meet due to the pandemic. We are hoping to have the “Lunch Club to go” program up and running soon. Daniel will be catering this lunch. We hope to continue this program until we can meet in person again. If you haven’t contacted me about being a part of this program, please call me as soon as possible. Each month a card is sent to those who are shut in, have ongoing or serious health issues, seniors that live by themselves (during pandemic), birthdays and anniversaries. During this year cards were also sent for sympathy, hospitalization, health conditions, congratulatory, thank you and “miss you” cards. Between Mary Rivera and me we mailed 729 cards in 2021. Respectfully submitted, Sue Gordon
Outreach Community Partnership (formerly Social Concerns) The Community Partnership Team coordinates social outreach activities for St. Peter’s Church and the distribution of money from the Designated Outreach Bequest Fund and the twice-a-year Rummage Sales. Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic some of our activities were modified and we continue to meet using Zoom. Activities for 2020:
January: The Mitten Tree- collected mittens and hats for Visiting Nurses of Abington and for Carson Valley Children’s Aid. Special thanks to Connie Clinefelter.
February: ECS Sunday- fund-raising for Episcopal Community Services.
April: The Bishops Day of Feeding was canceled due to the virus. We made a cash donation instead of sending food items being used to feed school children from neighboring communities.
May: Layette Sunday- we made a cash donation instead of collecting layette items for babies and toddlers.
August: Collecting Backpacks - we made a cash donation to Delta Family Services, Glenside instead of collecting school supplies and backpacks.
September: UTO Sunday- distributing information and fundraising for United Thank Offering.
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November: Seamen’s Church Institute – collecting knitted scarves, hats, work gloves and personal items for Ditty Bags for maritime workers who visit the ports of Philadelphia.
December: Mary Pat’s Cookies - this year mugs filled with candy were distributed to homebound members. Special thanks to Helen Collins. Carson Valley Children’s Aid- at the request of CVCA instead of gifts we collected gift cards. Special thanks to Joani Harkinson.
Spring and Fall Rummage Sales: These two events were canceled due to the pandemic.
Panera Bread: baked good from Panera are available for a free-will donation. We had this event in Jan., Feb. and March. The 2020 donations are being held over until 2021.
Distribution of funds from Designated Outreach Bequest Fund and Rummage Sale funds – the team vets organizations that are candidates to receive donations from St. Peter’s sources.
Disbursements from Rummage Sales from 2019:
$395 - Bishop’s Day of Feeding; lunch items for children in local schools who get discounted or free meals.
$300 - St. Barnabas Shelter for Women and Children.
Disbursements from Designated Outreach Bequest Fund
$500 - Project Home; Philadelphia homeless outreach.
$500 - St. Francis Inn’s; food, clothing and hospitality for poor and homeless in Philadelphia.
$500 - Nancy’s House; provides comprehensive respite for family caregivers.
$500 - Caring for Friends; sharing food and friendship with those in need.
$500 - Support Center for Child Advocates; free legal and social services for abused and neglected children.
$500 - Interfaith Housing Alliance; shelter and supportive services to families. Food Cupboard in Roslyn.
$500 - Broad Street Ministries; serves homeless population
$500 - Nursing Family Partnership; supports first time mothers living in poverty providing education, resources and health checks.
$500 - Women’s Center Montgomery Co.; work to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault through crisis intervention, assistance, advocacy, empowerment and social change.
$500 - Bread and Roses; work for racial and economic justice.
$500 - Delta Community Supports; supports individuals and families living with developmental disabilities and in need of foster care.
$500 - Guatemala campaign for hurricane relief
Total: $6,695.00
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Sincere thanks to our good-hearted and generous congregation for all that you do. The Community Partnership Team normally meets on the second Thursday of each month at 7 pm in the Library. During the pandemic we have been meeting using Zoom. If you are interested in this ministry please join a meeting or contact any member of the team. Respectfully submitted, Shirley Smith, chairperson Carol Boyle, Sam Hogg, Joani Harkinson, Mary Rivera, Calvin Haas, Maureen Schaeffer Rummage Sales Well, 2019 was the last year for any normal Rummage Sales. When the Pandemic hit in March, we canceled the April date, hoping we could still do the October date. As you all know, that was impossible. So, this is being written about the sales we made online! When our Church sister, Pat Duffy, died, her family donated stuff for rummage, much of which was costume jewelry. Kate Boyce set up an online jewelry sale; minimum bid $1.00 with pickup at her mailbox. Prior to this she had sent out an email to our rummage and thrift shop email lists asking if they were interested and about 50 people were. Kate loaded pictures and information onto the internet and began the sales. This seemed to work well. Pieces sold for $1 to $27 with an average price of $4.50 per item instead of the $1 we would have gotten at our live sale. In July, Kate had an idea about random online rummage sale items. What was proposed was that if someone had an item that they would have brought to rummage, they could let us sell it online. They took a picture, sent info to Kate and she put it online with a price. If someone was interested, they emailed back and Kate would put the donor and the buyer in touch and they worked out a pickup and a payment place and time. She sold a tent and a ladder and a few other items this way which proved the idea could work. So, it was launched on a larger scale. We were excited by the response. We even received a thank you email from a former Thrift Shop consignor who loved buying the jewelry online because she could think about it a bit longer than in the middle of rummage sale frenzy. Kate now manages three email lists. The Rummage List is to send out notices when we are having an in person, crazy, loud, and messy rummage sale (which we will have some day.) Then she has the Jewelry List (more than 60 people) for those interested in looking at such items whenever we get them. And finally, the Random Online Rummage List (numbering more than 100 people) for anything else that may come our way. The results are as follows: We were able to donate equally to St. Peter’s Community Partnership (formerly Social Concerns) and to the Property Fund a total of $2,010. Thanks to everyone from church that supported us. Thanks to Kate for all her work and dedication. Without her, this would not have happened. We encourage you to continue to look for things to donate to our sales. The sales will continue on-line for the foreseeable future. You may want to contact Kate at yellowkab1@gmail.com to add your name to one of her lists and thus find some great deals yourself. With your help we can continue to make money that helps. Respectfully submitted, Jeanne Robson and Kate Boyce
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St. Peter’s Food Cupboard Through the generosity of our parishioners and our neighbors, our food cupboard is thriving, and being used. Though we are not in the church for a regular service at the present time, the generous giving is still happening. This is not limited to the adults; our children are helping in a big way. Liam Linville and his scout troop donated several bags of food, and Dave and Kacee Schwanbeck (Jack Wilbur’s grandchildren) collected food on their porch and brought it to the church. We give our thanks to these children and everyone who goes out of their way to generously give to those who are in need. The coming months could be hard ones, and it is our hope that we can continue to provide nourishment for our neighbors. Thank you for your continued support. Respectfully submitted, Audrey Kipphut and Julie Rece
Giving Gobbler The Gesing Family continued their ministry this Thanksgiving on a smaller scale. We continued with our collections and asked families to please make bags if they wanted to. We again were lucky to receive so many donations. The weather was on our side this year and we were able to bring our ministry right to the streets of Kensington. We supplied masks, sanitizer, and toiletries, and our normal non-perishable items. We also supplied hats, mittens and socks. Like in years past, we ran out of goods on the street. We also did a bulk delivery to Prevention Point. We hope to continue our tradition normally next year, but are so grateful that we still could do it this year. Respectfully submitted, Nicole Gesing
Nominating Committee Nominating Committee The 2021 Nominating Committee is please to nominate the following members for election to the offices of leadership and representation in the following areas: Vestry (Vote for 4) Nancy Ironside, David Kipphut, Mary Rivera, Ken Rose, Linda Toia Lay Deputies to Diocesan Convention (Vote for 3) Connie Clinefelter, Carol Lorentz-Burnett, BJ Wanlund 12
Convention Alternates (Vote for 3) Bob Hartung, Jenna Linke, Laurel Mosteller Delegates to Montgomery Deanery (Vote for 3) Rob DeKalb, Charlie Hannum, Warren Wanlund. Alternate Delegate to Montgomery Deanery (Vote for 1) Calvin Haas The following members will continue to serve on the vestry in 2021: Jim Callahan, Nicole Gesing, Melissa Guillotin, Charlie Hannum, Bob Hartung, Dan Kelly, Debbie Panebianco, Jeanne Robson, Alex Stevers-Radtke. Respectfully submitted, Nominating Committee, James Moore, Chair* Sue Gordon*, Angie Mason-Hogsten *, Barbara McKinney * * outgoing vestry member Vestry Nominees’ Biographies Nancy Ironside – Worshiped at St. Peter's since 2019 One of the things I have always valued about St. Peter’s is its stance on justice, equity and love, which are at the center of everything we do. I first came to St. Peter’s on Christmas Eve in 2009. I always enjoyed time spent at church and left worship feeling ready to face the demands of the week, but it wasn’t until November of 2019 that I finally decided to become a member. I value the people of this community and the ways they go about mending the brokenness of the world. I am grateful for the virtual connections that have been maintained by the church and sustaining to me personally throughout the pandemic and look for opportunities to give back to a community that has given me so much. St. Peter’s is a place where all are welcomed and where hope and help abide. A favorite part of worship for me is the Prayers of the People. These embody the work we do - recognizing the vast problems of the world and calling on each of us to do our part as we also name the individuals among us who need support and extra love. Our community of faith has sustained me in both these general and very specific ways and I am proud to be a part of a community that is accepting, joyous and hopeful. I teach 5th and 6th graders mathematics at Science Leadership Academy in West Philadelphia. Raised in a large family with seven children by a now retired Presbyterian minister and nurse practitioner, I am comfortable with change and chaos, but able to create peaceful moments in the midst of life’s continual mayhem. My hobbies include planting vegetables and flowers, walking outside with my sons, writing words and singing. I am a good listener as well as an advocate for the tired and overworked. I am the proud mother of two excellent humans, George (21) and Charlie Beall (19). George is a St. Peter’s member who works at the Morris Arboretum in facilities and studies part-time and MCCC. He actively helps his family and neighbors and is warm and welcoming to all. Charlie sings with the choir at Christ Church Short Hills while he studies math and physics at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. He is a gifted musician, clever thinker and kind listener. We have thoroughly enjoyed the extra moments of togetherness afforded to us by the pandemic. Dave Kipphut - Worshiped at St. Peter's since 1994 I am a lifelong Episcopalian and was baptized at Emmanuel Episcopal Church – Holmesburg in Philadelphia. Over the years as I grew up, I attended Sunday school, was a member of the children’s and youth choirs, served as an acolyte and was a member of the Young Peoples Fellowship (YPF) which was their youth program. One summer a group of the YPF traveled to an Onondaga Indian Reservation outside of Syracuse New York and we helped run a summer vacation bible school. While there we lived 13
in the homes of the members of the reservation. We then hosted the Native American youth in Philadelphia and we ran a vacation bible school at Emmanuel. In my adult activities at Emmanuel, I was in charge of the Sunday school, member of the Vestry, chaired the Property Committee and served as Rector’s Warden during the time of discernment and the calling of a new Rector. I also served on Bishop Bartlett’s Education Committee with the Diocese. We transferred to St. Peters when we relocated to Abington and at St Peters I have served on the Vestry, Chaired the Property Committee, Garden Committee, am an usher, served as Rector’s Warden and was a leader in the J2A (Journey to Adulthood) program. With the other J2A leaders we led very successful pilgrimages to New York City, center City Philadelphia, hiked the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain and traveled through Portugal with youth from our parish. The pilgrimages are some of the most life changing events that I and the J2A youth have experienced in our lives. My skills and interests are very wide ranging. In my professional life I have worked as a Landscape Designer for a major construction firm in Philadelphia as well as a freelance designer. I taught Horticulture in a high school career and technical education (CTE) program, was principal of two high schools in Philadelphia and my final position was that of a Deputy Chief to the Superintendent of the Philadelphia School District where I was responsible for over 6,000 students in 135 CTE programs of various occupations located in 37 different high schools while managing an annual budget of over 50 million dollars. I retired from the school district after serving 43 years in 2016. My skills include professional development, program development, budget development and management of a large organization. As well as working with young high school age students in many areas. I enjoy gardening, biking, reading and working with groups on targeted projects. I also have a great interest in history and foreign travel having traveled across the United States as well as to many countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Currently I perform educational consulting, having worked with numerous schools and school district regarding high school redesign and CTE program developments. I also work with Citizen Diplomacy International Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Mayor’s office assisting high schools in establishing and conducting person to person high school student exchanges in which students and teachers live with families while attending schools in the host cities. I also work with the schools and the city as they host students from those countries visited here in Philadelphia. I hold a BS degree from Delaware Valley University (formerly Delaware Valley College of Agriculture and Science) and a Master’s degree from Temple University. Our church community provides for adults and children of all ages the ability to come together and celebrate God’s Love for all as well as we care for and support each other in our daily lives. The activities and programs that the church provides allows us act as a community of faith to address our personal needs as well as those of the entire community. This is so important for us as Christians in today’s world with all of its challenges as well as its opportunities. We must ensure that we value the ability to have the connections to this wonderful body of faith and to help others to grow in Christ’ teachings. It is important that our church provide as many possibilities for all members; adults, youth and children to be able to participate and interact with each other, with meaningful worship, programs and activities. I have been married to Audrey for forty-two years having known her from our high school days and attending Emmanuel. Our children have all benefited from being part of the St. Peter’s family and participation in the activities and J2A programs. Lindsay is the oldest, married to Luke and they have our two granddaughters Julia and Luke. They live just outside of Annapolis, Maryland. Lindsay is a high school educator and Luke is a dentist. Lara, our middle child is married to Tim and they have our third granddaughter, Harlowe. Lara has her own interior design firm, Tim is in automotive sales with the Ford Motor Company and they live in Chicago. Alexander our youngest, is married to Rachael and they live in center city Philadelphia. Alex is a graphic designer and marketing consultant and Rachael is a Nurse Practitioner. Audrey and I are so proud of all of our children, daughter and son in laws and the grandchildren and are truly blessed as a family and as members of St. Peters Glenside. 14
Mary Rivera - Worshipped at St. Peter's since 2018 I have attended St. Peters when I have been in this area since 2014. I moved permanently here in 2018. When I was in Illinois, I worshipped at St. Stephens Episcopal Church. While being here I have been part of the Knit Wits and helped organize the Prayer Pal ministry. I am a member of the Community Partnership Committee, the Guatemala Committee and The Listening Circle. I was working with the Rev. David Anderson and ESC, concerning the “Raise the Wage” and the Benefit Bridge” programs before we were closed for Covid. I was a CCU, ER, and Flight nurse for almost 40 years. I was in the first licensed class of Medical Legal Consultants, through Dallas, Texas. I have an Associate of Arts, an Associates of Nursing, a Bachelors of Criminal Justice and a Bachelors of Political Science, Pre-Law. I have a Master in Criminal Justice. I like to crochet, sew and knit. Lois Sibley taught me when I was here during 2014 and 2015. I am a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Post 100 in Wyndmoor, National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, William Penn Chapter in PA and Michael Hillegas Chapter in Illinois. I am also a member of Red Hats Society, Red Hats for God Chapter. The Church Community is part of my family. I have been in the church my entire life and have served in many capacities in my younger years. When I came here in 2018 I was very ill and this church played a great role in my recovery. I want to give back to this church and this community. My immediate family locally consists of my son, Bill Stevers, my son-in-law, Tom Radtke and my grandson, Alex Stevers-Radtke. I have two daughters who live in Florida. I have a total of 5 grandchildren - 3 boys, with Alex being the youngest boy and two girls, one 25 and one 17. I have 2 great granddaughters 6 and 5 and a great grandson almost 3. Ken Rose - Worshipped at St. Peter's since 1995 Lisa (Donahue) and I began attending St. Peter’s in 1995 and were welcomed into the Episcopal Church in December of that year, Lisa having grown up Catholic and I Presbyterian. Both of our daughters, Brigid (20, almost 21) and Miriam (18), were baptized and raised at St. Peter’s. Over the years I’ve been involved in a number of activities at St. Peter’s. I taught in the Rite-13 program twice in the late 1990s. I have served on Vestry two times previously, including a term as Accounting Warden. I also had the privilege and pleasure of serving on the Discernment Committee that called Emily to St. Peter’s. In addition to committee work, I am also a Eucharistic minister and lector. In addition to my dedication to St. Peter’s and its mission, I bring skills in finance and organization, as well as leadership that I hope will benefit the Vestry and the church. I am a coach of a youth mountain bike team, which brings out my people management and “cat herding” skills in planning activities at practices, organizing 30 12-18-year-olds, and in organizing the team and athletes for participation in races around the state. In this Covid-year of 2020, I also developed the team’s Covid protocol and am happy to say that we had a high rate of compliance and no cases despite having approximately 40 athletes and coaches at a typical practice (all outdoors). I have also served as the team’s treasurer for the last 3 years and ensured that our sponsorship dollars, dues and other income are received timely and all expenses paid on time; happily, we’ve been able to carry a small surplus into each successive season. In the winter I am a volunteer ski patroller at Spring Mountain and have been a hill-captain or assistant in charge of a shift of 8-10 other patrollers for most of my years on the patrol. As a day job, I work for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Philadelphia regional office where I’ve held a number of positions in finance and communications. In 2021 I will be shifting positions to work on grants and I hope the experience I gain in that area will be of benefit to St. Peter’s over my tenure on Vestry. I look forward to the opportunity to serve again on St. Peter’s vestry as we continue to navigate through the confusing and difficult times we currently are in.
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Linda Toia - Worshipped at St. Peter's since 2000 I became a member of St. Peter’s in 2000 after a yearlong search for a new parish community. In 1999 my husband Frank retired as the parish priest of Good Shepherd Church in Hilltown and began working in interim ministry. We decided that it was important for me to choose our new parish home since Frank would still be working. Finding a new parish community proved much harder than I anticipated, though, until a spiritual director suggested I visit St. Peter’s. After my first Sunday I knew I had found a new home. The warmth and welcoming I experienced continues to this day and I am committed to carrying on this tradition to all who enter our doors. My involvement at St. Peter’s has been in a variety of ministries. I have been a vestry member, a Eucharistic minister, and a member of the discernment committee that called Emily as our priest. I serve as an usher, am the folk group leader, co-facilitate two Listening Circles monthly, and co-facilitate the Guatemala Committee. I have a very strong commitment to our Guatemalan brothers and sisters and have visited them many times. I also am the program chairperson of the Interfaith Walk for Peace and Reconciliation and have facilitated people of different faith traditions taking part in our liturgy and community functions. During my career as a special education teacher in North Penn School District I had the privilege of working with students from kindergarten through high school. After my retirement I took part in a twoyear program at Shalem Institute and became a spiritual director. I believe some gifts I bring are my commitment to deep listening, my group process and organizational skills, and my creative approach to problem solving. I would welcome the opportunity to help envision life at St. Peter’s as we eventually begin to transition beyond the pandemic. Some of the important qualities of St. Peter’s for me are our commitment to serving people both within and beyond our walls, our focus on liturgy in a variety of settings, our strong music program, the way parishioners’ welcome the children in our midst, and our openness to other faith traditions. Since Frank’s death in 2019, I have been learning a lot about living life as fully as possible after the loss of a beloved spouse. My son Dave lives in Baltimore with his wife Justina and their four-year-old son Greyson. Frank’s daughter Meg and her husband Tom live in VA and Frank’s daughter Catherine lives in Willow Grove. I give thanks for their love and support.
Operations Property Report Normal maintenance and small projects were completes during 2020. These projects included: heating circulator installed in February; gutters for property were cleaned out and additional covers for window wells were created; annual fire alarm testing completed. The Fire Marshall conducted the annual inspection on March 3, which we passed; painting was needed in the offices due to leaks after the new roof was installed. The roofing company agreed to pay this cost; exterior painting of the Parish Hall from the kitchen to the garage, as well as the front of the building facing Easton Road was completed; the office space vacated by Krys Cooper was painted. Exceptional Connections is the new tenant for that office space; the broken curb edge of the handicapped parking area was removed and replaced with a flat slab to allow better access for handicapped persons; the St. Francis statue located in the Memorial Courtyard was damaged in a storm and was repaired and re-set on its stand; 16
yearly boiler inspection was done in August; three light fixtures in Kid View were replaced with new LED fixtures; one of the toilets outside the sanctuary as well as a toilet in Kid View had broken seals repaired; the off/on switch for the handicapped door was repaired; a window in Exceptional Connections was replaced; the flag pole light was repaired. 600 gallons of oil were delivered in the beginning of the year with an additional 700 gallons delivered mid-year. a swing gate was installed on the south fence. That area is now completely closed in for our tenants, Exceptional Connections. there were complaints about mice in the sacristy and kitchen and appropriate action was taken. Rectory maintenance included a sink pipe in one of the bathrooms being replaced.
Due to the shut down and the loss of revenue, cost cutting measures were put in place. They included the landscaping being changed from weekly to bi-weekly and the trash pickup changed to once a month. Lawn cuts were back to weekly by the summer and trash pickup was resumed at a weekly schedule in September. On January 15, 2020, an accident occurred on Easton Road which resulted in a car plowing into the stone wall on Easton Road. Work was required to rebuild a portion of the wall. Over $3000 was the amount paid by the insurance carrier for the motorist. This was not repaired until late April due to the pandemic shutdown. Alex Stevers-Radtke worked two days a week at church during the summer, weeding in the memorial courtyard, the front of the buildings and along the fence in the back. He assisted in removing all books from the sanctuary in advance of our in-person services. We thank him for his help. Both Kid View & Exceptional Connections moved into their new offices in the beginning of the year and then were locked out due to the pandemic. Exceptional Connections (EC) approached Patty in late April about opening up their offices as they were deemed essential services. They had been “seeing” clients via telemed but some clients needed face to face therapy. They came up with a plan to see limited clients a day; no more than 4. They now have two (2) offices in the lower level and see one child in the morning and one child in the afternoon in each space. There is one therapist per office. Parents did not enter the building; rather, the therapist met the child at the door and escorted them downstairs. Tenants with private office spaces were allowed to return July 1. Support groups would be able to return to in-person meetings beginning August 1, 2020. All groups would meet in the Parish Hall for the foreseeable future. Only four of the six groups returned. Then two of our support groups, Al Anon and Primary Purpose suspended in-person meetings until January 2021. Krys Cooper’s lease was up August 31, 2020 and Exceptional Connections took over the space as of September 7. Rent is $800.00 per month. Additionally, EC asked to rent the Older Elementary classroom on a month-to-month basis. A special lease was written for this. EC will vacate the space as soon as education resumes. They will pay $800.00 per month for that space as well. This will all be initiated as of September 7. Total rent for EC was increased to $2400.00 per month. Kid View requested a reduction of rent for a few months due to their decreased enrollment. A reduction to $2000.00 per month until November was agreed upon. That reduction continues. They continue to 17
pay the full rent for their office space. Prospects for Sobriety, a local support group, reached out to us to rent the Parish hall on Friday Evenings for the foreseeable future. They will rent for one hour and donate $120 quarterly to our church. Also, tenant Josh O’Hannon, pastor of Look at God, resumed his Sunday service on Sunday, November 15 at 1:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. The service was cut down to one hour from the two-hour service preCovid. His rent was reduced in half. Technology work has continued to provide better internet service to the Sanctuary for live streaming. Major foundation work is expected to be done in the lower level and the courtyard handicapped entrance area due to water issues in the lower level. Respectfully submitted, Jeanne Robson, Property Liaison Finance As of this writing (our books are fully reconciled later in January), we ended the year with a surplus of $13,600. The budgeted deficit was $66,000. Year-end income was approximately $36,000 less than budgeted. That reduction, in great part, is due to the loss of rental income resulting for the pandemic. However, total expenses were approximately $23,000 less than budgeted. Pledge income is approximately $25,000 below budget. I find this deficit quite understandable in that we have not had face-to-face community since March, and we continue to worship away from each other. Please know that the St. Peter’s community is grateful for your continued support in finding a way to sustain your giving during these times. In light of this, your generosity is evidenced in other ways. You have blessed St. Peter’s with nearly $50,000 in special offerings – gifts of abundance. Your gifts to the St. Peter’s Relief Fund have given joy and relief directly to St. Peter’s parishioners of over $4000. We received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in the amount of $40,468. As you may know, PPP is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses (including churches) to keep their workers on the payroll during the pandemic crisis. PPP loans will be forgiven if employee retention criteria are met. Earlier in the spring your vestry committed to the retention of our entire staff. I fully expect that the necessary criteria will be met; therefore, the loan forgiveness will be granted to us. On the expense side, expenditures are under budget. Discretionary property expenses have been put on hold while lower than expected utility expenses can be attributed to almost non-existent use of space. During the year, we committed $5000 to enhancing our WiFi capabilities as we improve our online worship experiences. These expenses were paid from memorial and bequeathed gifts to St. Peter’s and not from ordinary operating funds. In the Income/Expense table, you will notice that the estimated deficit for 2020 is $26,815 and not a surplus as I stated above. his is because the PPP has not been applied to the 2020 operating budget (it appears on the Balance Sheet). In the Income/Expense table, you will also notice that the last column indicates a 2021 1st quarter budget. At the advice of the Finance Committee and the concurrence of the Vestry, a single quarter budget was passed. The rationale behind this strategy comes from realization of uncertain times. Uncertain information would lead to an uncertain budget. Setting our sites to the near future was the prudent course. The underlying rationale in the creation of a 1st quarter budget was the assumption that rate of income and expenses would remain constant equal to the average of 2020. Among other things, this means that salaries for the entire staff have been frozen (at 2020 levels) for at least the first quarter. 18
As we approach mid-February, Finance and Vestry will reexamine the budget and make the necessary forward-thinking decisions. Our thanks and admiration go to the members of the finance committee; Bill Hower, Angie MasonHogsten, Anne Gibson, John Klarman, Jeanne Robson and Carole DeKalb. I am always and forever grateful for Carole’s good counsel. In recent years, they have made the decisions that have guided us to a healthier financial position‌a position admired by many throughout the diocese. I will try address questions posed during our virtual annual meeting. Please forward questions to me and I answer the collection and post for parish-wide viewing at a later date. Respectfully Submitted, Bob Hartung, Accounting Warden
INCOME 2019 Budget Plate Pledges Use of Building Fundraisers Special Offering + Program Investment Income Transfer From Gifted Funds Total Generated Income
Deficit/(Surplus) Total Income
2019 Actual
2020 Budget
2020 Estimate
2021 (1Q) Budget
2,000 240,000 69,693 1,000
1,621 214,655 72,214 1,891
2,000 225,000 88,795 15,000
706 199,854 46,477 2,944
162 46,350 11,082 0
6,074
12,981
6,074
50,878
2,346
9,000
11,085
9,000
9,366
2,529
13,000
13,000
3,828
358,869 36,591 395,460
323,225 26,815 350,040
66,297 22,581 88,878
327,767 66,066 393,833
314,447 60,721 375,168
EXPENSES 2019 Budget Personnel Administration Program Property Budgeted Contributions Total Expenses
243,150 12,313 15,000 108,150 15,220 393,833
2019 Actual 244,928 12,495 6,638 95,487 15,620 375,168
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2020 Budget 245,318 11,746 18,500 99,350 20,546 395,460
2020 Estimate 242,015 12,221 5,304 76,360 14,140 350,040
2021 (1Q) Budget 61,240 2,885 3,039 18,179 3,535 88,878
ASSETS 2019 Current Assets Bank Accounts
2020 (est)
39,627
41,504
39,627
60,356
318,438 20,527 0 30,752 21,316
311,522 22,959 0 30,752 21,236
Total Long-Term Investments
391,033
386,469
Total Assets
430,660
446,825
Total Current Assets Long-Term Investments Endowment Fund Memorial Fund Reserve Fund The Church Foundation Theological Education Fund
LIABILITIES & EQUITY 2019 Liabilities PPP Loan 0 Rent Escrow 1,875 Theological Reimbursement (2,217) Other (150) Total (492)
2020 (est) 40,468 1,500 (2,217) 1,902 41,653
Capital Improvement Capital Fund - General Elevator Fund Energy Fund Frank Hartung Capital Fund Fred Smith Accessibility Fund Stephen Waaks Library Fund Garden
4,800 33,740 3,901 1,010 4,173 2,000 1,588
(2,475) 33,740 3,051 6,010 4,173 2,000 1,588
Total
51,212
48,087
3,524 542 15,487 0 280
2,525 542 16,173 0 730
19,833
19,970
Education E. Miller Education Fund Fun Fund J2A Guest Speakers Education Funds - Other Total
LIABILITIES & EQUITY 2019 Memorial and Worship Altar Flower Fund 3,417 Barrett Memorial Fund 349 Eden Memorial Fund 1,347 Memorial Fund - Richard 0 DeKalb Memorial Courtyard 19,451 Memorial Fund - General 4,825 Memorial Fund - Pat Duffy 0 Memorial Fund - Rose 0 Cochran Phyllis Kelley Altar Guild 2,251 Fund
2020 (est) 3,333 349 1,347 55 20,451 6,310 75 850 2,251
Total
31,640
35,021
Total
4,787
8,154
6,062
10,276
1,561 493 100 6,160
3,822 397
14,376
20,065
0 22,500 47,128
(6,267) 51,318 47,128
69,628
92,179
7,952
1,814
Music
Parish Life Lin Watton Pastoral Care Fund Lunch Club Parish Life Events Pastoral Care Class Women’s Group Fund Total Other Funds Technology Fund James Bryson Bequest Maralyn Bryan Bequest Total Outreach Designated Outreach (10%
5,570
Tithe) Guatemala Crafts Guatemala Scholarships Other Outreach Funds Total Unrestricted Net Assets Designated Funds Net Income Total Liabilities Total Liabilities & Equity
1,562 6,286 4,059
562 4,674 5,807
19,859
12,857
282,215 211,335 (62,398) (492)
208,654 236,333 (39,815) 41,653
430,660
446,825
Special Acknowledgments Each of these parishioners and staff members have given of their skills, gifts and time in service to our community during this pandemic year. Thank you for your service!
Sue Gordon - outgoing Vestry member. Angie Mason-Hogsten - outgoing Vestry member. Barbara McKinney - outgoing Vestry member. James Moore - outgoing Vestry member. Mike Levin, PJ Linke, Rick DeKalb, Daniel Richards and Tim Valera – Tech Team Work. Joyce Chen, Kathy Flaherty, Meredith Flaherty, Tim Flaherty, Alex De Aguiar Reuter, Rachael Lipson, Ally Masson, Kyle Masson, Gus Mercante, and Tess Varley - Music ministry. Patty McDonough, Joe Mitros and Tim Valera – Keeping our buildings clean, safe and hospitable for our wider community and our parish. Helen Collins and Laurel Mosteller - Education ministry. The Rev. Donna Barr, Laurel Mosteller, Rick Pearce, The Rev. Laura Palmer, Daniel Richards and Warren Wanlund – Morning and Evening Prayer leaders.