A Major Milestone Arrives for Holy Spirit

Have you marked your calendar yet? Are you planning to attend? It’s that time of year… when our church plans for the future. You are an important part of that future.

Here’s your chance to have a voice in our decision-making process by attending our annual meeting on January 20, 2008. We present reports on the activities of all of our committees during the previous year, and elect the new members of our Vestry
(technically our Mission Committee, but that’s a longer name!), as well as our convention and convocation delegates. This is one difference between the Episcopal Church and many others: we trust– and expect!- our lay members to participate equally in the leadership of our church.

This is a vital time in the life of our congregation. We need to have a firm foundation as we continue the transition from a small church to our current home.
We will vote to fill two three-year seats on our Mission Committee and the position of Senior Warden. In addition, we need to replace 2 MC members who vacated their seats and have 2 years remaining of their terms and formalize the appointment of another member. This election will change the personality of our leadership significantly, since half of the members may change.

Our By-Laws are specific about the nomination process for the candidates. According to the By-Laws of the Church of the Holy Spirit:

Article IV: Committees
4.a) A Nominating Committee shall be comprised of two (2) Mission Committee members and two (2) members of the congregation who are not members of the Mission Committee. Said Nominating Committee shall convene at least forty-five (45) days prior to the annual meeting. The names, addresses and telephone numbers of the Nominating Committee shall be published and the Committee members shall receive recommendations for elective mission officers from any member of the congregation entitled to vote at the annual meeting who in turn shall ascertain from those recommended whether or not they will serve and thereafter make nominations for said elective officers from those recommended at the next annual meeting of the congregation.

b) The Vicar may attend the first meeting to offer suggestions to the Nominating Committee.

c) The recommendations of the Nominating Committee will be made known collectively at the annual meeting when nominations are opened. After which nominations may be received from the floor by a motion and a second by voting members of the congregation.

Our Nominating Committee, comprised of Evie Brown, Mary Malone, and Bill Chapman, all of them reaching the end of their elected terms, as well as Marlene Johnson, feel they were guided by God as they selected a slate of candidates You have the opportunity to submit your name, or that of others, during the election for our new leaders. Candidates for elected office must be eligible voters, and meet the following requirements, according to the Constitution and Canons of the Protestant Episcopal Church in New Jersey:

Canon 49, Section 2: The voters shall be baptized, at least sixteen (16) years of age, domiciled in the Parish or adjacent thereto, of good moral character, adhering to this Church and no other religious body, regular attendants at the services of the Church in the said Parish, meaning thereby those who are more frequently present than absent unless for a good cause prevented and regular contributors to the current expenses of the Parish for six months next before the said annual meeting in the manner proscribed by the Vestry of said Parish. Any members not baptized or confirmed in the Parish must have been enrolled as members of the Parish in accordance with the provisions of the Canons, or must be baptized persons who have been received on their written request to the Rector or to one of the Wardens if there be no Rector; and said Rector or Wardens shall keep a list of all who have been received as voters, which list shall be open to inspection by the members of the Parish. No one shall be permitted to vote or be eligible to office in more than one Parish in this Diocese.

Or, if you prefer:
A ”communicant in good standing” is a baptized person who has received Holy Communion in this church at least three times in the preceding year and who has been faithful in corporate worship and in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the Kingdom.

If you wish to nominate someone, please confirm their eligibility with Father Terry prior to the meeting.

You also have an opportunity to examine the 2008 budget approved by your Vestry and Father Terry. We make a bold statement this year with this document: we choose not to ask the Diocesan Board of Missions for a grant this year. This represents a leap of faith that God will continue to guide us in the direction He wishes us to travel.
This decision is not made lightly, but with the knowledge that the Diocese itself must be a cautious steward of its funds. We have received hundreds of thousands of dollars during the last 2 years as we purchased our new home and the property across the street. We must allow other churches the opportunity to share in the limited resources Trenton makes available to all qualifying missions.

This is part of the challenge awaiting our new Mission Committee (or Vestry) members. Yet another challenge will be the expansion of our church membership. Our current membership needs help shouldering the burdens (and physical demands!) of all of our on-going programs and fellowship events. As the old saying goes, “Many hands makes the work light.”

Please join us Jan. 20. Make an informed choice, and make a difference in the future of Holy Spirit.