To reiterate  something I wrote last week: 'no one really likes having to attend a meeting.'  Then again, last Sunday's St. Nicholas Annual All-Parish Meeting was not your "run-of-the-mill" meeting.  Absolutely not.  What we had was one amazing and uplifting gathering.  When all was said and done and the closing prayer was said, truthfully, I hated to see everyone leave.  There is a comfort, a sense of belonging when we're gathered together; as a community, as a family of believers.  What a joy it is for me to have this divine opportunity to serve such a church and such a wonderful community.

So much was accomplished in a relatively short period of time.  We elected our new members to the Bishop's Committee. Two delegates and two alternates to the 2015 Diocesan Convention have been elected.  We discussed the updates to our church and what is yet to come.  Finances were talked about, openly and with full transparency.  We talked about where we want our church to be, what we envision for our house of worship and our dreams of what could well come to be.  There was a lengthy conversation about our desire to become a "parish," to drop the term "mission" from our title.  There are both pros and cons to this move.  However, there seems to be a rather strong and healthy head of steam for us to pursue this very matter.  We will move carefully, judiciously and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

As members were sharing their thoughts and concerns, I took some liberty and looked out at the many faces that filled the Hall.  Certainly, I was paying attention to what was being said, be assured of that.  However, looking out at this, my parish family, I felt such an overwhelming sense of pride, of happiness and a love that is so rare and special.

My friends, we did ourselves proud.  We accomplished much, we focused our attention to the work that was before us, we ate our fill and we left the Hall in probably better condition than when we started.  Truly in good ol' St. Nicholas style and fashion, we did it right and we did it our way!

To everyone...you are forever in my prayers and always in my heart. 

Blessings to one and all, and a million times over...thank you.

Amen.

 

-Manny

Hard to believe but this year will be our 5th Annual Chili Supper and Raffle event.  And, we're hoping this is our best one yet!  Miss Jessica is hard at work making this year's event better than ever!

Mark your calendars and make sure to get your seats at this year's event scheduled for Saturday night, February 14th at 6PM.  Consider attending the 4:30 Saturday service and then, mosey on over to Holy Innocents Hall and join in the fun and a chance at some super-duper prizes.

Just follow your nose to the tantalizing aroma of chili simmering away atop the stove, pick up some raffle tickets, grab a seat and enjoy.  Bring the whole family and round up the neighbors and friends...all are welcome. 

There's nothing like breakfast for dinner, especially when bacon is involved!

St. Nicholas will once again host a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper.  Mark your calendar for Tuesday, February 17 at 6:30pm.  And remember guys, the men do the cooking and serving.  Volunteers are needed to help with food items, cook and clean up.  Let's make it another memorable St. Nicholas event.

All are welcome.  Come and get it!

 

To Val and Steve Gruenwald...Congratulations, Grandma and Grandpa!  We all celebrate the birth of Finley Isobel Meyer Gruenwald on Jan. 24, 2015.  Blessings to the proud parents Seth and Sarah Meyer Gruenwald.  God bless you all.

To EVERYONE who contributed to this year's Annual Meeting:  all who baked and cooked, picked up donated food and loving put together an amazing spread, submitted material and cleaned the Hall:  what an fantastic effort and all for God's greater glory. 

To Steve Raftery, Jessica Tamaski and Bob DeHaven who successfully and selflessly served as our Senior Warden, Junior Warden and Bishop's Committee Member for the past few years.  Your dedication and guidance have been much appreciated and valued.  Thank you and God grant you many blessings.

To Katie Black, Colleen Davy, Laura Lampe and Hal Stratton who have been voted onto the Bishop's Committee...welcome aboard good people.

To Randy Drolen and Hal Stratton who will represent St. Nicholas as delegates to the 2015 Diocesan Convention come November and to our alternate delegates, Thelma Malecek and Jennifer Brundige.  Thank you and God bless you for your service and early commitment.

To Pat and Bob Kalicki who served on the Building Committee with such grace and courage though now have stepped down:  your efforts will go a very long way in helping to make our church stronger and more enduring.

To Thelma Malecek who served as Recorder at our Bishop's Committee Meetings and now steps down:  your notes will live on history, literally!  Thank you, dear Thelma.

To Douglas VanHouten who helped with the creation of the Annual Report and lovingly put together the wonderful DVD presentation.  Great going and what a beautiful video!

To Jack Groat of Little Boots Rodeo who brought much relief to our food pantry with a huge donation of much needed cookies and crackers...thanks a million, Jack.

As a reminder, the full master calendar is always available online at this link.  Here is the schedule for the next week: