Notes from the August Bishop's Committee meeting
The August meeting, held at Trinity Church, opened with a meditation by Sarah Wolf drawn from Theresa of Avila's prayer, "Christ has no hands but yours..." After some sharing of celebrations and pastoral concerns, and approving the minutes of the June meeting, the individual Bishop's Committees met:
- Christ Church's committee made plans for completing the pet memorial garden in preparation for the first interment of ashes at Blessing of the Animals, Oct. 2. A work day following the Eucharist on Sept. 11 was planned. It was announced that the lighting retrofit project is nearly complete, and that plans for the accessible rest room project are moving forward. An assessment of our sewer line has been scheduled. The triennial Ministry Review with Little Blessings revealed a high level of satisfaction at the level of parents and children, but also some internal issues needing follow-up. July's financials were typical of the summer: it was a deficit month. On the bright side, expenses are down from a year ago, with income relatively "on target." The current deficit is some $2,000 less than a year ago.
- Trinity Church's group concentrated much of its time on the recent flood in the sacristy (all repairs are now done) and the mold and ventilation issues that repair work revealed. It will be necessary for us to spend $7,900 to replace our non-functioning air exchanger and repair a condensate pump and related ductwork and drainage lines - and urgently, as the work must be done before the Village Pre-School can reopen. This will deplete our Next Generation Fund, which means a major effort will be needed to restore it. (See Senior Warden Patrice Wood's article below for more details.) Also on the agenda was the need for weeding, seeding, and other grounds work (the drought this summer has taken its toll). July financials showed a small current deficit, which, like Christ Church's, is about $2,000 less than a year ago.
After reconvening in joint session, the Bishop's Committee:
- Heard a report from the Bylaw Review Committee and received final drafts of that committee's work. We will take some time between now and our Sept. meeting to review these and raise any questions we have. We hope to finalize the drafts by our November meeting so there is time for the congregations to familiarize themselves with the proposed changes before January's Annual Meetings.
- Heard a report from the Church Vision Task Group, which is meeting every three weeks over the next four months to reflect on our mission, propose revised and updated mission statements for our congregations, and address realities (demographics, finances, facilities, visibility, strategy) our Shared Ministry needs to take into account as we plan for the next 3-5 years. This group next meets on Aug. 28.
- Agreed to provide a periodic "From a Bishop's Committee Member" article for the E-News. Before the first of these, Christ Church's new interim Warden team will offer an introductory reflection on their work. The first regular such column will appear next Thursday, Sept. 1.
- Discussed Fund-Raising options, including a Thanksgiving pie sale, a Yankee Candle sale including Little Blessings participation, and exploring a new "scrip" program that allows people to purchase gift certificates for everyday expenses that provide a "cut" for our two churches. St. David's, Salem, has had great success with its program, and raises a significant portion of its fundraising budget through its use.
The meeting closed with some reminders concerning upcoming plans: our fall Stewardship Campaign and the Sept. 18 Homecoming Cookout at Christ Church, a joint event for both congregations. The meeting adjourned with a benediction. Full minutes will be posted as they become available.
Notes by Fr. Chip
Water, water everywhere This has been a summer of extremes - devastating forest fires, floods, droughts - our country has seen it all. Here in NH, the southern part of the state, lawns are brown, dust and dirt fly when someone does decide to mow and even in our own church yard, the grand maple beside the church is dropping its leaves. As our yards and wells suffer from lack of water, the one place that has seen more than its fair share is our church. First it was the case of the exploding water heater (ok, it didn't explode, but it sounds more exciting than just leaking) in the sacristy. Fortunately, it was found soon after it started so that neither the entire church nor the pre-school were affected - much. Repair work started and stopped several times, as with each step along the way, hidden problems were revealed. Finally, after several weeks, repairs seemed to be done. Except the odor. Both Insurcomm and Armstrong (duct and vents) returned, re-inspected and confirmed that problem was not the result of the 'flood'. What they found was a non-functioning air exchanger, a leaking drain pan in the furnace/air conditioner, a non-functioning water pump, a reservoir that was overflowing into the hallway of the Village Preschool. Attempts were made to fix the problem, but it clearly needed more than just a Band-Aid - it needed corrective surgery. Members of the Bishop's Committee were given a guided tour of what was, what is and what now needs to be done. I won't go into detail here, but please feel free to ask me for your own personal guided tour. Estimates were reviewed and a contract was agreed to. Work is expected to start September 1st and take up to 7 business days to complete. We will hire a cleaning company following the completion of this project as both the preschool and the sanctuary will be affected by the dust raised in the work. The cost for these repairs, indeed improvement, will be covered by our "Next Generation Fund" (capital fund). Former parishioner Bruce Kirk has been a valuable source of information and helped this non-HVAC person have a better understanding of what was installed 25+ years ago. Thank you! To those who have already made donations to the NGF towards this project, my heartfelt thanks. Updates will follow as things progress. Patrice Wood Trinity Senior Warden Ringing bells for peace Each year on Sept. 5, churches throughout Portsmouth ring their bells for three minutes at 3:47 p.m. to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, which was ratified on that date in 1905 at Christ Church (the original building on Madison St.). Christ Church has faithfully participated over the years - and this year will be no exception. If you happen to be at Christ Church or in the vicinity that day, listen for the tolling of the bell at 3:47. Christ Church will also be represented at the Governor's Proclamation and reception at Strawbery Banke later that day.
A word of thanks to the Trinity community Over the past several weeks, as the aftermath of our sacristy flood revealed issues well beyond a mere water heater leak, the people of Trinity Church have stepped forward magnificently to enable quick action. First, Rusty Bridle, Patrice Wood and Nita Niemczyk provided effective and rapid "first response" to get the situation assessed and repairs underway. Then, when it became obvious we would need to draw funds from the Next Generation Fund to cover the insurance deductible and the actual cost of the new water heater, folks opened their wallets and restored the funds. Finally, when we discovered the entire air handling system needed immediate replacement in order to allow the Village Pre-School to open for the fall, people opened more than their wallets, they opened their hearts. We nearly have every dollar needed covered - and it is all because of how deeply you, the people of Trinity Church, care. Patrice and I will keep you posted as repairs move forward. We hope to have everything done and back in order by the week of Sept. 11. It truly never would have been possible without your generosity. Fr. Chip
Cross Roads House volunteer training Seven nights a week, volunteers prepare and serve dinner to the residents of Cross Roads House, Portsmouth's homeless shelter. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, you are encouraged to attend Volunteer Orientation on Thursday, September 8th, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the shelter. Orientation includes a shelter tour, an overview of kitchen operations, and volunteer expectations. If you have any questions about volunteering or about the shelter's orientation program, email Marsha Filion at m.filion@crossroadshouse.org or call 603-436-2218 ext. 107. Pre-registration for orientation is not required. Our Shared Ministry Cycle of Prayer Each week, in both of our churches, we pray for one ministry we share and one or two households in each church. About once every six weeks, we will instead using the Shared Ministry Collect we prayed throughout the opening months of our Shared Ministry. In our prayers the next two weeks, we give God thanks for... |
Aug. 28
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Christ Church bookkeeper Marianne Cusano; Miguel & Yvonne Draper
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Sept. 4
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Pastoral Care Ministries of both congregations; Betty Raitt; Barbara Hall
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A joint event for both congregations... Homecoming Sunday cookout at Christ Church Date: Sunday, Sept. 18 
Time: 10:30 a.m. (or whenever we're ready to start!)
Location: Weather permitting, the service will be held outdoors at Christ Church. Who's Invited: Everyone from both churches! (There will be a said 8:45 a.m. service at Trinity for any who absolutely cannot come - but please, Trinity folks, consider this your "main service" for the day.)
More Info: There will be a pot-luck cookout following the service. Please bring a salad, side dish or dessert. Hamburgers, hot dogs and condiments, as well as beverages, will be provided. We especially need people to help set up before the service, and clean up at the end - but the most important part is this: invite someone you know, who you haven't seen in church in a while, to come!
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