Vestry News
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Vestry News
February 21, 2026 Vestry Meeting. The Vestry met on February 21, 2026 as part of a retreat for the new Vestry.
January Financial Report. For January 2026, net income was a loss of $13,323, partly due to the timing of insurance expenses. Pledge payments and non-pledged gifts were both slightly below budget. Expenses were slightly below budget. The endowments increased in value net of withdrawals based on market changes.
Vestry Votes
Vestry Discussions and Reports
March 1, 2026 Special Vestry Meeting
February 21, 2026 Vestry Meeting. The Vestry met on February 21, 2026 as part of a retreat for the new Vestry.
January Financial Report. For January 2026, net income was a loss of $13,323, partly due to the timing of insurance expenses. Pledge payments and non-pledged gifts were both slightly below budget. Expenses were slightly below budget. The endowments increased in value net of withdrawals based on market changes.
Vestry Votes
- Elected Harry Dandelles as Treasurer, Shawna Gehres as Chancellor, and Joe Woltz as Clerk.
- Approved minor updates to the Personnel Policies Manual and the Expense Reimbursement Policy to reflect current staffing and organization and approved minor updates to the Clergy Discretionary Funds Policy.
- Safe Church: The Vestry adopted the model policies required by the Diocese for Protection of Children and Youth and for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults.
- Updated authorized check signers on the Parish’s bank accounts.
- Authorized the sale of the Parish’s pickup truck, which has recently seen little use.
- Approved the minutes of the January Vestry meeting.
- Accepted the Treasurer’s Report.
- The Senior Warden called a special Vestry meeting for March 1 to review information on the rector search process.
Vestry Discussions and Reports
- Making the most efficient use of time at Vestry meetings.
- Completing the 2025 annual parochial report.
- Vestry meeting times will continue to be on the fourth Sunday of each month at noon, but the Vestry will revisit meeting times later in the year.
- Recruiting an assistant treasurer.
- Filling the part-time position for Christian education.
- Heard an update from the Junior Warden, Justin Strong about gutter cleaning, planning to update the playground, and Parish workdays on March 7 and April 11.
- Hear a report on the status of the 2026 pledge campaign. Additional pledges and increases in pledges were received after the annual meeting.
- Discussed Parish office hours and finding enough volunteers to cover the reception desk.
- Discussed appointments to committees required by the Bylaws.
March 1, 2026 Special Vestry Meeting
- The Vestry approved the final version of the 2025 annual parochial report for filing with the Diocese.
- The Vestry heard from Joy Hadweger, the chair of the Rector Search Committee, on the status of the rector search.
- The Vestry discussed the process for evaluating candidates for rector.
- The Vestry held an executive session to address the rector search process.
Vestry News
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Vestry News
The Vestry met on January 25, 2026.
December Financial Report. For December 2025, net income was $24,743 above budget. Pledge payments were above budget, and miscellaneous income and oil income were below budget. Expenses were below budget.
Vestry Votes
Vestry Discussions and Reports
Filling Vestry Vacancy Because of the election of Sara Arnold as Senior Warden at the annual meeting on February 1, a vacancy was created on the Vestry. On February 4, the Vestry voted by unanimous written consent to elect Jessica Smith to fill the vacancy until the next annual meeting.
The Vestry met on January 25, 2026.
December Financial Report. For December 2025, net income was $24,743 above budget. Pledge payments were above budget, and miscellaneous income and oil income were below budget. Expenses were below budget.
Vestry Votes
- Approved a revised 2026 budget based on projected expenses of $1,187,024, revenue of $813,633 from pledges and other income, revenue of $306,324 from the endowments, and oil revenue of $36,000. For 2026, budgeted income from the endowment has been reduced to an annual distribution percentage of 4.5% and budgeted oil income has been reduced based on projected market prices. The revised budget leaves a deficit of $31,067 to be made up by additional income or reductions in expenses.
- Accepted a gift restricted to the expense of installing new playground equipment, subject to not incurring additional expenses for its installation.
- Moved the regular February meeting to 10:00 a.m. on February 21 as part of a Vestry retreat.
- Accepted the Treasurer’s Report.
- Approved the minutes of the December meeting.
Vestry Discussions and Reports
- The Vestry discussed the status of the 2026 pledge campaign and plans to follow up with parishioners who have not yet responded.
- Heard a report from Justin Strong, the Vestry liaison to the Rector Search Committee, on the status of the rector search process. The committee has begun Zoom interviews with candidates and will likely need to go beyond the current February 15 deadline.
- Heard an update on the Child Development Center from Shawna Gehres.
- Heard a report from Fr. Steve Carlsen on his work in the Parish.
- Heard a report from the Senior Warden, Kathryn Shackelford, about her recent activities.
- Heard a report from the Junior Warden, Justin Strong, about the playground, work on the third-floor offices, and the new system for tracking work orders.
- Heard the December Financial Report from Harry Dandelles concerning December 2025.
- The Vestry thanked the outgoing Senior Warden, Kathryn Shackelford, and the outgoing members of the Vestry, Caroline Crain, Jane Faulkenberry, and Kevin Kelly.
Filling Vestry Vacancy Because of the election of Sara Arnold as Senior Warden at the annual meeting on February 1, a vacancy was created on the Vestry. On February 4, the Vestry voted by unanimous written consent to elect Jessica Smith to fill the vacancy until the next annual meeting.
Vestry News
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The Vestry met on December 21, 2025.
November Financial Report. For November 2025, net income was $29,412. Income and expenses were both below budget. For the year to date, the endowments have grown net of withdrawals. Revenue and expenses are both lower compared to 2024.
Vestry Votes
• Approved a preliminary 2026 budget of roughly $1.2 million with a budgeted deficit of $90,000. The Finance Committee is continuing to work on the budget and a final budget based on revised amounts will be presented in January.
•Approved the recommendations of the Nominations Committee for candidates to be presented at the 2026 annual parish meeting. The Vestry nominated Sara Arnold as candidate for senior warden, Justin Strong as candidate to complete the remaining one-year term as junior warden, and Harry Cook, Donna Farrior, and Julie Yeabower as candidates for Vestry. The Vestry nominated Jan Beaty, Emily Bibens, Harry Dandelles, Teresa Dreiling, Jane Faulkenberry, Frank Leech, Robin Leech, Lizze Radford, Jann Scott, Kathryn Shackelford, and Mark Shackelford as candidates for convention delegate and alternates.
• Moved the time of the annual parish meeting from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on February 1, 2026, because of the new service times.
• Accepted the Treasurer’s Report.
• Approved the minutes of the November 23, 2025 meeting and the November 30, 2025 special meeting.
Vestry Discussions
• Sara Arnold and other parishioners will participate in planned giving training in early 2026.
• Executive session on personnel.
• The Vestry discussed how to support candidates for ordination and seminarians.
• The Vestry discussed the status of the 2026 pledge campaign and plans to follow up with parishioners who have not yet responded.
• Heard a report from Fr. Steve Carlsen about planned conferences and classes and pastoral care.
• Heard a report from the Senior Warden, Kathryn Shackelford, about her recent activities.
• Heard a report from the Junior Warden, Justin Strong, about a recent parish workday, gutter cleaning, cleaning of the building and grounds, and parking rentals during the week.
• Heard the Treasurer’s Report from Harry Dandelles concerning November 2025 finances.
November Financial Report. For November 2025, net income was $29,412. Income and expenses were both below budget. For the year to date, the endowments have grown net of withdrawals. Revenue and expenses are both lower compared to 2024.
Vestry Votes
• Approved a preliminary 2026 budget of roughly $1.2 million with a budgeted deficit of $90,000. The Finance Committee is continuing to work on the budget and a final budget based on revised amounts will be presented in January.
•Approved the recommendations of the Nominations Committee for candidates to be presented at the 2026 annual parish meeting. The Vestry nominated Sara Arnold as candidate for senior warden, Justin Strong as candidate to complete the remaining one-year term as junior warden, and Harry Cook, Donna Farrior, and Julie Yeabower as candidates for Vestry. The Vestry nominated Jan Beaty, Emily Bibens, Harry Dandelles, Teresa Dreiling, Jane Faulkenberry, Frank Leech, Robin Leech, Lizze Radford, Jann Scott, Kathryn Shackelford, and Mark Shackelford as candidates for convention delegate and alternates.
• Moved the time of the annual parish meeting from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on February 1, 2026, because of the new service times.
• Accepted the Treasurer’s Report.
• Approved the minutes of the November 23, 2025 meeting and the November 30, 2025 special meeting.
Vestry Discussions
• Sara Arnold and other parishioners will participate in planned giving training in early 2026.
• Executive session on personnel.
• The Vestry discussed how to support candidates for ordination and seminarians.
• The Vestry discussed the status of the 2026 pledge campaign and plans to follow up with parishioners who have not yet responded.
• Heard a report from Fr. Steve Carlsen about planned conferences and classes and pastoral care.
• Heard a report from the Senior Warden, Kathryn Shackelford, about her recent activities.
• Heard a report from the Junior Warden, Justin Strong, about a recent parish workday, gutter cleaning, cleaning of the building and grounds, and parking rentals during the week.
• Heard the Treasurer’s Report from Harry Dandelles concerning November 2025 finances.
Vestry News
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October Financial Report: For October, net income was $14,125. Revenue was slightly above budget and expenses were below budget. For the year, net income is a loss of $1,974.
Vestry Votes
Vestry Discussions
Vestry Votes
- The Vestry nominated Eric Landin to enter the process leading to ordination to the priesthood and voted to form a committee to develop plans on how to support seminarians.
- Approved a mandate to the Rector Search Committee asking the committee to identify up to three candidates for consideration by February 15, 2026.
- Voted to direct the Finance Committee to prepare the 2026 budget based on endowment withdrawals using an annual 4.5% rolling average.
- Voted to increase the monthly usage fee paid by the Child Development Center by 10% beginning in 2027.
- Approved the October minutes.
Vestry Discussions
- The status of the 2026 pledge campaign and following up with parishioners who have not yet pledged.
- Developing an endowment spending policy to limit withdrawals in future years to a 4.5% rolling average.
- The Nominations Committee is in the process of gathering names of possible candidates for election at the next annual meeting.
- Received a report from Fr. Steve Carlsen on his work with the pledge committee, the Elsdon Conference on the use of church property, Shelley Nachtigall’s beginning as operations manager, and work on the transition process.
- Received reports from the Junior Warden, Justin Strong, and the Building and Grounds Committee concerning the physical plant, including gutter repair, maintenance software, the outside grass and plantings, and a planned Parish workday.
- Received the Treasurer’s Report from Harry Dandelles.