ok, so it was more like "The Morning the Lights went out In Racine." I was right in the middle of the Eucharistic prayer at the 9 am service and the lights went out. It wasn't just someone inadvertently turning off a switch. The lights went out in the whole facility and, as we came to find out, they went out in the whole neighborhood. I didn't hesitate and I didn't stammer. We just pushed along with the service. Jim Sodke, our Music Director, switched from the organ to the piano and worship continued seamlessly. However I must admit I was a bit preoccupied during the administration of communion. My brain was scrambling to work out the logistics of the Annual Meeting and the breakfast. There was one conclusion I quickly came to which was the meeting would go on even without electricity. We were going to get it done one way or another
Well for those of you who were there, we ate breakfast in the undercroft basking in the light provided from window wells. I shouted instructions as we began the meeting and jumped right into elections. As we pressed on, I knew we would have some trouble with the rest of the presentation because the majority of the information was in power point form. We finished the elections and I began my portion of the presentation on the State of the Parish 2010. Now I was fast approaching parts of the presentation which were very reliant upon the material in the power point and voila, the lights came on. You may have not heard it but a deep sigh of relief came from my lips. We took a break and fired up the computers and A/V equipment and the rest of the meeting went off without a hitch.
The following members of the parish were elected to the vestry: Torben Christensen, Scott Meyer, Jill Heller, Brenda Torres, Mike Prudhom and Nancy Pierce. Derek Boom was elected to the position of Junior Warden. On February 27th, we will be installing the new members of the vestry and recognizing those who have finished their time of service: Don Nielsen (Junior Warden), Bernadette Longden, Doug Olson, and Wayne Pike. The Annual Meeting also approved a budget passed by the vestry. The 2011 budget is a balanced budget and even more exciting it is a budget with a $14,000 surplus. Our plan is to end the year with a surplus which will go towards replenishing our building fund.
The two high points of the Annual meeting was a presentation about the progress of the vestry's strategic planning. Nancy Pierce did a fine job outlining the foundations pieces established by this past years vestry and the plan to move into "nut and bolts" strategic planning in the ares of Worship, Fellowship and Outreach. It will be the work of our newly elected Vestry to establish an actionable plan built upon the foundation set by the previous vestry. We look forward to great things coming from the vestry this spring.
The second high point was a presentation by Jill Heller, the head of our Stewardship team, in regards to our 50th Anniversary Campaign. The good news is that we have already raised over $100,000 of our $250,000 campaign goal. The second piece of good news is that we have received $45,000 of the $100,000 pledged and we have retired our loan on the kitchen which has freed up $6,000 a year in our operational budget. We are well on our way to reaching our campaign goal. The 50th Anniversary Campaign will officially kick off on Easter 2011 and run through the 50 days of Easter and end on the feast of Pentecost. So keep your eyes open for more exciting information about the campaign and begin to think and pray how you and your family will be a part of the campaign and the next 50 years of ministry through St. Michaels Church.
If you would like to view the presentation slides for the Annual meeting please follow this link.
