From the Field
News & Events of the Church in Georgia
December 11, 2012Volume 3, Number 17
In This Issue
Diocesan Office Update
Bishop's Visitation
Campaign Overview Video
Deacons' Retreat
The Loose Canon
Thrift Shop
Mission Trip Deadline
Youth Minister Sought
Vocare
Web Links
 
 
 
December 16 Readings
Third Advent
Convention 2013
Still Time for Nominations

The deadline for nominations for diocesan office is December 14. The positions to be elected at this convention are:

  • Standing Committee (1 priest, 1 layperson)
  • Board of the Corporation (1 layperson)
  • Sewanee Trustee (1 layperson)
  • Diocesan Council (1 clergy or layperson)
  • Disciplinary Board (2 clergy, 1 layperson)

Full descriptions are online at the convention nomination's page

 

To nominate a person for any position listed below, email [email protected] listing your name, congregation and city, a contact phone number, and listing the person(s) you nominate and the positions for which you are nominating. Verify in the email that you have spoken to the person you are nominating and he or she will accept the nomination and will supply the information below. 

  

Biographical information and photo must be received by December 31, 2012 to guarantee inclusion in pre-conference materials.

Diocesan Office Update

Bishop Benhase will make his morning visitation at  St. Michael's, Waynesboro. In the afternoon he will make his visitation to Atonement, Augusta.

 

Canon Logue will be in Albany Convocation this Friday and Saturday doing work in preparation for Convention 2013.

St. Patrick's, Albany
Bishop's Visitation

The four persons confirmed and three received at St. Patrick's Albany, are shown at left with (on the back row) Deacon Joy Davis, Bishop Benhase and the Rev. Jay Weldon. One member of Calvary, Americus was ordained in the liturgy and is pictured here. Below is a photo from the confirmation rite at St. Patrick's.

 

Campaign for Congregational Development - Overview
Campaign for Congregational Development - Overview

Campaign to Grow Existing and New Churches

 In recent week's From the Field, has shared seven videos of Bishop Benhase speaking on the strategies of the Campaign for Congregational Development. This week we close out the series with the above linked video in which the Bishop gives an overview of the campaign, how it came about, the timeline and goals.
  
The priority areas for the Campaign for Congregational Development were generated through listening sessions across the Diocese. Within those areas-Congregational Development, Clergy and Lay Leader Development, and Youth and Young Adults, there are nine sub-priorities; in addition, investments are planned for Honey Creek as a strategic asset. For a complete listing of the priority areas, see A New Era Of Mission 

Deacons' Retreat 

Deacons Enjoy Community (and Books) in Retreat

The Annual Deacons' Retreat for the Diocese was held this past weeked with the Deacons (and those studying for the diaconate) spending tome with Bishop Benhase and also sharing much loved books with one another.

  

The Sacred Order of Deacons is a full order of ministry working under the leadership of the Bishop. Deacons are tasked primarily with taking the church out to the world and in bringing the needs of the world into the church. The deacons of the Diocese of Georgia work in a range of hands on ministries in their communities. It is this work out in the world that makes deacons the right order of ministry in our worship to read the Gospel, bid us to prayer and confession, assist in the Eucharist and to send us out into the world at the dismissal.
 

 

The Loose Canon
Financial Reporting Practices to Streamline Meetings
A common pattern for vestries has the group spending a fair percentage of meeting time in going over the financial reports of the congregation. While oversight of the finances is critical, spending more time in meetings discussing the report may not make for better oversight. I suggest three changes to how and when your congregation reports on its finances that can improve the quality of vestry discussion of the church's revenue and expenses.
  
The first is simply to time the vestry meetings so that every member can receive the previous month's statement one week before the meeting. Then add the expectation that any questions about the statement will be addressed to the treasurer in the week prior to the meeting. This means that you won't need to waste time asking why insurance expenses are down only to discover that this is paid quarterly and the report is merely reflecting that the May statement shows five months budgeted and only the one quarterly payment made. It looks like the expense is down, but the next month's report will show insurance exactly in line with the budget. This is easily cleared up in advance and need not sidetrack the vestries larger work with the picture of the congregation's financial health.
  
The remaining two suggestions are based on getting monthly financial reporting in line with the lived experience of running the church. Rather than budgeting a total number for every line item and then dividing by twelve to create the monthly reports, use knowledge of when the revenue is anticipated and expenses are due in creating the monthly reports.
  
For example, the reports can show $0 for insurance in January and February and then $867.36 for March if your quarterly insurance payment is due that month. By taking the few line items which spend in such predictable ways and reflecting that knowledge in the reports, you will give a clearer picture of where expenses stand year to date in any given month. It is not necessary to spend a lot of time on this as it will only matter for large line item expenses which follow a pattern other than spending 1/12 each month. This is a relatively quick fix to make your expense budget more transparent.
  
Likewise, churches have predictable patterns of revenue which can enter into the calculations. Prior to seminary, I served on the vestry of St. Peter's Church in Rome, Georgia. That church, like most congregations found a predictable pattern of lower giving in the summer and a larger amount coming in each December, nearly double most of the months of the year. A previous vestry member had analyzed five years worth of monthly revenue reports and discovered a predictable trend. This was used to generate a monthly target figure based on that pattern of giving. This kept the vestry less anxious in the summer (as long as we held to previous summer experiences and didn't do worse). It also meant that we could communicate with the members directly about the need to give at the year end as they had in previous years. 
  
Whether you follow these suggestions or not, vestry members should try to find ways to encourage their conversations away from the details of the budget when meeting together and to keep on the big picture. The more time spent on each tree, the less time there will be to manage the forest. The goal of the clergy and vestry should be to always be able to keep the bigger picture in view in when providing oversight to a very detailed task.
  
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue
Canon to the Ordinary

The Loose Canon columns are archived online at loosecanon.georgiaepiscopal.org
St. Thomas, Savannah
Thrift Shop Christmas Sale a Sucess
The St. Thomas Thrift Store's annual holiday Sale held November 30 and December 1 was an unprecedented success!  More than $2700 were added to the outreach ministry's coffers to be awarded to area charities and youth organizations this year.  A donation is also being made to The Episcopal Relief and Development Fund to assist the victims of hurricane Sandy.
 
The Thrift Store Board and volunteers extend a sincere thanks to all who have supported the ministry over the years.  The store is now open five days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday) from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm and is located at 1226 E. Montgomery Crossroads.  New merchandise is always needed, especially now after the sale.  Donations may be made any day during work hours, and donors receive a receipt for tax purposes.  The shop is truly a boutique thrift store selling only the best merchandise!  Come, see and shop with us, and benefit  the community, too.

-Sue Tengg

Companion Diocese
Youth Mission Trip Deadline December 15
 Registrations are going well for this coming summer's youth mission trip to the Diocese of the Dominican Republic. Registration remains open through December 15. The team, led by the Revs. Joshua Varner, Loren Lasch, Cynthia Taylor and David Rose, will be going to Mao, a small town north of Santiago. The group will be traveling from June 24 through July 1.
  
The focus of the mission trip will be telling the stories of our faith to children and adult by providing materials and support for a local VBS program.  The trip is anticipated to cost no more than $1,500, with the airfare being the greatest variable. The cost for the trip includes a mandatory weekend event in the spring to prepare the group to work as a team once in the Dominican Republic.
  
Get updated information for a teen mission trip to the Dominican Republic through email by subscribing here.

 

See more of Joshua's photos from his scouting trip online here: Mission Trip Scouting Photos. Contact the Rev. Joshua Varner about this trip at [email protected]

 

St. Andrew's and St. Cyprian's, Darien
Half-time Youth Minister Opening

St. Andrew's and St. Cyprian's Episcopal Churches in Darien, Georgia are looking for a half-time youth director (approximately 20 hours per week).  We need an energetic person who will not only minister to our young people, but will help us reach out to youth we are already serving in our afterschool and tutoring ministries but who are not active in any church.  Experience in youth ministry preferred, but energy and desire to reach youth for the Gospel are the most important criteria.  Interested applicants should submit a resume to Rector, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, PO Drawer 929, Darien, GA 31305, [email protected].(Pictured left to right: St. Andrew's and St. Cyprian's)

                         
Calling all Young Adults: Register for Vocare!

Vocare is an Episcopal ministry that enables young adults (ages 18 -30) to gather in community for an intentional weekend and explore their God-given vocations in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The Vocare weekend finds its heart in a series of talks that each focus on a unique aspect of the Christian faith and life, connecting to the overall theme of God's call to us, here and now. Talks may be followed by discussion, contemplation, worship, or any number of activities, but the weekend's ultimate theme is found in the intentional consideration of calling and vocation.

The next Vocare weekend will be held January 25 - 27, 2013 at Camp Mikell in Toccoa, Georgia. The participant registration deadline is January 14, 2013. To learn more and to register, please visit www.vocareingeorgia.org or contact Tony Morris, lay rector of the next Vocare weekend, at [email protected].

EYC Hits the Water

 
The Rev. Leigh Hall (at left) and the EYC of Christ Church, Fredrica, are ready to hit the water for a kayaking trip on the water in and around St. Simons Island. 

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Sincerely,                                      
            

Diocesan Staff                                
The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia