1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

PARISH MEETING
Grace Episcopal Church  January 28, 2015
Parish Meeting ............................. 1
Meet Your Vestry Nominees .............. 3
Parish Reports
Rector ..................................... 5
Associate Rector ......................... 6
5:30 PM .......................... Fellowship
6:00 PM ............................... Dinner
and recognition of outgoing vestry
7:00 PM..................... Parish Meeting
Senior Warden ............................. 7
Formation ................................. 7
Worship & Music ...................... 7
Spiritual Growth & Prayer .......... 8
Children of Grace Preschool ...... 10
Compassion ............................. 11
Outreach ............................. 11
Pastoral Care ........................ 12
Participation ........................... 13
Parish Life ........................... 13
Newcomers ........................... 14
Evangelism ............................ 14
Communication ..................... 14
Creative Expression ................... 15
Administration ......................... 16
Finance ............................... 16
Building & Grounds ................. 16
Stewardship ......................... 17
Statement 2014 & Budget 2015 ... 18
Statement of Funds ................ 19
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
Opening Hymn 433
Kremser
The Opening Sentence
Rector Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one
lights a lamp to put it under a bucket, but on a lamp-stand where it gives light for everyone in the
house. And you, like the lamp, must shed light among your fellow men, so that they may see the
deed you do, and give glory to your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16
The Prayers
Rector As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now pray,
Rector and People
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
V.
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O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;
And grant us thy salvation.
Endue thy ministers with righteousness;
And make thy chosen people joyful.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in thee can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under thy care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let thy way be known upon earth;
Thy saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
A Collect for the Presence of Christ
Rector Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in
the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know thee as thou art revealed in
Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of thy love. Amen
For a Church Convention or Meeting
Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with those who
take counsel at this annual meeting for the renewal and mission of your Church. Teach us in all
things to seek first your honor and glory. Guide us to perceive what is right, and grant us both the
courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn 390
Rector
People
Lobe den Herren
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Rector Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and
ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
Rector’s Comments
Election of New Vestry Members (see page 3)
Hymn 382
General Seminary
Hymn 680
St. Anne
Stewardship Report (see page 17)
Financial Report (see page 16)
Introduction of Continuing Vestry and 2015 Officers
Closing Hymn 24
St. Clement
Blessing & Adjournment
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
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MEET THE VESTRY NOMINEES
As provided for in the Grace Church bylaws, the Vestry
Nominating Committee, consisting of those vestry members who retired at the previous annual meeting and
those vestry members retiring at the next annual meeting, shall nominate qualified parishioners to serve vacant
terms on the vestry. To be elected to serve on the vestry
a nominee must (1) be a confirmed communicant of the
Episcopal Church enrolled as a member of the parish, 18
years or older; (2) have been regular in attendance at the
services of the church in the year preceding election;
and, (3) have made and substantially maintained a stated
financial commitment to the parish, known to the treasurer, in the year preceding the nomination. The following
parishioners have been nominated and certified as qualified to serve Grace Church in accordance with the bylaws.
JANE BRADLEY
Jane joined Grace Church in 1966 and
was confirmed the same year. She has
served on the vestry, been a member of
the choir for 30+ years and also serves
on the Altar Guild. She is a committee
member of Friends of Music, has helped
with Bible School, has been Women of the
Church President, and was connected with Children of
Grace during its infancy under the direction of Judith
Landers. She and Charlie have five children and seven
grandchildren…ranging from age 20 to four month old twin
girls. After 35 years of teaching (30 at Fair St. School) she
now is happily retired. Jane enjoys having time for Bible
classes, reading for pleasure, exercising, traveling, and
when she needs a “student fix” she returns to Fair Street
as a support reading tutor.
PEPPER BROWN
Pepper, who was born and raised in
Gainesville, is a cradle Episcopalian
baptized and confirmed in Grace
Church. He has served on the Communications and Endowment committees and
presently serves as an usher. He has previously been on the Vestry and also served
as Senior Warden.
He is a General Surgeon at the Northeast Georgia Medical
Center. He and his wife, Clarissa, also a cradle Episcopali-
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an, have three children: Parrish, a business analyst with
Chick-fil-A; Logan, a Junior in marketing at UGA; and Pep,
a Sophomore Biology major at Wofford College.
MEGHAN COOK
Meghan has been a member of Grace
Church since 2012. She and her family
are very grateful and happy to be a part
of Grace. Meghan is an internal medicine
physician at the Northeast Georgia Diagnostic Clinic where she works part time.
She graduated from UGA and then the
Medical College of Georgia in 1991.
Meghan and her husband Kim have two children. Katelyn is
a freshman in college and Josh is in middle school. Josh is
in the youth program and he has started serving as an acolyte this year. Meghan is on the Family Promise committee
and she and her family have enjoyed being involved with
Family Promise. She also volunteers once a month at the
Good News Medical Clinic and she loves to row as a member of the Lake Lanier Rowing Club.
MARY LYNN COYLE
Mary Lynn has been an Episcopalian all
of her adult life. Originally from Gainesville, she graduated from the University
of Tennessee. Mary Lynn's background is
in education and business. During her
years in Tennessee, she was active in
Trinity Episcopal Church where she served
on the vestry and worked to develop the children's Christian education program.
She and her husband, John, have been members of Grace
Church for 26 years. During this time she has served as a
member of the Outreach Committee, Good News at Noon
team, and has co-chaired the Food Pantry for 20+ years.
Mary Lynn previously was elected to the Vestry at Grace
and served as Senior Warden.
Throughout the years, Mary Lynn has been active in the
community serving on Brenau University Board of Advisors;
The Arts Council; Elachee; Volunteer Gainesville; Quinlan
Visual Arts Center; and Northeast Georgia Medical Center
Auxiliary. Currently she serves as Chairman of the Board of
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Trustees of Northeast Georgia Health System and in that
capacity works on a number of committees including Governance, Quality Performance Improvement, and Strategic
Planning.
GREG MASTERSON
Greg and his wife Laura are very proud
parents of Zachary (12) and Lydia
(9). Their family have been attending
Grace Church for about a year, but have
been very active in The Episcopal
Church for about 12 years. Together,
they find God in community and are anxious to enter exciting opportunities at Grace. Greg has
been a BtJ youth leader this year and has found yet again
that "it is in giving that we receive.” His family very much
enjoys helping out with Family Promise and wherever they
can. Professionally, Greg is an Assistant Vice President at
Diamond State Group, a commercial property insurance
company, but by schooling and at heart, he is an engineer.
Still though, he seeks to find holy places where he is.
SCARLET PENDARVIS
Scarlet grew up in Nashville, TN and received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing
from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She married Derek in 1998 at St.
John's Cathedral in Knoxville, TN. They
moved to Gainesville in 2001 and joined
Grace at that time. Their children, Connor, Caroline and Camille, were all baptized at Grace.
Connor and Caroline are COG grads, Millie is currently enrolled. Big kids are enjoying playing a larger role in the
church services as acolytes this year.
Scarlet has been active in the community throughout the
years, serving on PTA, Chair of Marketplace, INK board
member and various other boards and committees. She
served at Grace as Sunday School teacher, VBS volunteer,
various outreach ministries and Search Committee. She
enjoys the Seekers adult Sunday School class and Bible
Study. She is currently COO of the Pendarvis household and
her other interests include reading, running and traveling.
Scarlet would be humbled, honored and excited to serve
Grace Church as a vestry member.
JIM TAFLINGER
rounded by a community of caring and welcoming members. At Grace, he has been active with the Parish Life
Committee, serves as a lay reader, and was a founding
member of the Seekers class, partnering with fellow members in organizing class programs. Jim previously was on
the Vestry from 2009 through 2011, serving as the Vestry
representative on the Outreach Committee. Over the last
year, Jim has worked on Parish development and strategic
planning, especially looking at the Listening Circle process
and articulating the progression and implementation of the
various ideas and opportunities. He has worked with the
staff on special projects, especially exploring ways to increase partnerships with the broader community. He currently serves as one of the Grace representatives on the
Planning Committee for the EMW Lecture Series.
Jim attended Southern Illinois University and is currently
studying Art Management through the University of Mass. Amherst, with core studies in Creative Economies. He currently provides limited consulting services to top-tier hospitality companies with an emphasis on IT training, project
management, and effective HR utilization. Jim resides in
North Hall County with his husband, Durwood Pepper, his
#1 team member for many of the life projects he takes on.
JASON VOYLES
Jason Voyles is a partner with Hulsey,
Oliver and Mahar, LLP where he specializes in corporate law and estate planning
and administration. He is a life-long
Episcopalian and grew up attending St.
Peter and St. Paul in Marietta, where he
served as an acolyte, a thurifer, and an
usher. After graduating from UGA law school in 2003, he
and his wife, Jessica, moved to Gainesville and joined
Grace. He is the proud father of two children: Aidan (7)
and Aderyn (4).
At Grace he serves as a verger, a lector and intercessor, a
chalice bearer, and with Family Promise. Previously, he
served as an usher, on the Newcomer’s Committee and
Parish Life Committee. He served on the Rector Search
Committee in 2012-2013 and on Vestry from 2007-2010.
He has served as legal counsel for the Gainesville Jaycees
since 2005, serves on the legal committee for the Rugby
Alumni Association of UGA, serves as a pro bono attorney
for the Hall County Probate Clinic, volunteers with Meals
on Wheels, coaches youth baseball, and is an Assistant Den
Leader with Cub Scout Pack 16.
Jim, raised in the Roman Catholic religion, has been a member of Grace Episcopal Church since 2004. In the Episcopal Church he found the tools to enhance his spiritual fitness while sur-
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
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Rector
Submitted by Fr. Stuart
If there is one over-arching question that has hooked
me during my first year as your rector it is this: What
does a mindful community look like? What does a community rooted in prayer, conscious of its place in the
community, embracing of the myriad gifts and
strengths of its members, attuned to God’s call to embody Christ’s love in the world around us…what does
such a community look like?
My friends, during our first year of shared ministry, you
have shown me such a community. And, you have done
more than just show me; you continue to seek and
search, to explore and grow “into the full stature of
Christ” (Book of Common Prayer, 302). Each and every
day, I watch you share Christ’s love with one another.
I watch you hold one another accountable in a way
that encourages growth and intentionality. I have
watched you honor 187 years of tradition and customs
while simultaneously leaning into new spaces of the
Spirit.
In previous years, you may have seen numbers and
more hard “data” in the Rector’s Report: how many
new members? How much has attendance increased?
How do we see ourselves growing? This year, I wonder
how we might approach the “data” in another way:
through the image of shared space and encounter. An
example of this is the rich work undertaken by the
youth leadership. Recognizing that we want to grow
and expand the youth program, the leadership structured itself into working groups to discern the vision,
curriculum development, and logistics for the entire
program. We are recognizing ways the youth were nurtured in previous years even as we note ways we are
being invited to embark on new ways of envisioning
the youth program. We are taking the “data” of the
program and using it as a tool to practice listening,
wondering, exploring, and imagining what the Spirit is
leading us to become. It is deeply meaningful work!
In the remainder of this Annual Report, you will have a
chance to explore the breadth and depth of our common prayer and compassion. There will be many wonderful details: a phenomenal music and worship ministry, children and youth, formational spaces, the rich-
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ness of the Ministries of Compassion, and our unbelievable administrative leadership team with stewardship,
finances, and endowment—and more. I encourage you
to read and explore these details!
I also encourage you to wonder with me what we could
embark on in 2015. In 2014, I shared many conversations with you. Together, we wondered where the Spirit was leading us. How might we shape our common life
and ministry in a way that fosters even greater formation, compassion, and hospitality? Connecting with
my wondering about the shape of the community, I
wondered with many about “breaking out” of a program-maintenance model that focused so much energy
on making sure that programs work well, that they run
smoothly. While such a concern is necessary to be sure,
there is much more to ministry! Under the necessary
concerns on program development, there is the rich,
faithful space of discernment, prayer, and spiritual
gifts. Sometimes we aren’t called “just” to maintain a
program; sometimes we are called to a holy risk.
We have been invited, through our identity as the Body
of Christ, to embody Christ’s love in the world. As St.
Paul reminds us, we are called to “put on the mind of
Christ” (Philippians 2). My own reflection on this call to
mindfulness has led me to invite the vestry, staff and
the entire parish to re-envision our common life together along collaborative teams.
You will see in the report that all of our ministries and
opportunities are organized into five Ministry Clusters:
Formation, Compassion, Participation, Administration,
and Creative Expression. Each of these clusters has different committees and working groups that will continue to build the faithful ministries of the parish, as well
as share collaborative spaces of prayer, reflection, and
development. Together, we will seek to discern our
gifts and strengths, wondering how we can experience
our community growing in faith and love.
To me, a mindful community is one that always seeks
to listen to the Spirit’s guidance. To me, a mindful
community looks like you. I am so grateful for the
space we share together, for the prayer, the support,
the encouragement, the laughter, the tears, the joy,
the faithful work we are called to share with one another.
Blessings,
Stuart+
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Associate Rector
Submitted by the Rev. Dr. Park
on various gifts and skills that can all work to be the
hands and feet of Christ in the world. What I am able
to personally contribute as a priest can then be part of
the overall work of the Community of Hope, rather
than a miniscule offering in response to so much need.
My time between beginning here in early October and
the year’s end has been spent staying close to the Rector and getting to know the members of the parish and
the leaders in the community. The work is settling out
into three foci: Liturgy and Worship; Pastoral Care
and Outreach; and, Formation.
Because of the work of so many in responding to
inreach and outreach, there has also been time for offering individual counseling to parishioners. This particular ministry is limited to members of the parish or
their immediate family, however, and is not open to
the community. (Gainesville has many excellent therapists who are well able to respond to the community,
at large.)
LITURGY AND WORSHIP
FORMATION
Stuart is wonderfully generous with the pulpit on Sundays! In addition, we share the other coveted worship
opportunities at Lanier Village, weekly Wednesday
12:10 Eucharist in our Chapel, and with our pre-school
aged children. My first Sunday at Grace included the
celebration of the Feast Day of St. Francis where I met
many parishioners by way of meeting their beloved
pets. In November, Stuart and I shared in reciting the
necrology roll as part of the opening to the choir’s
presentation of Mozart’s “Requiem.” Advent’s liturgical highlight was the Quiet Day with guided meditations and the opportunity to be together in community
and experience the power of silence. Finally, the
Christmas Eve services were a wonderful glimpse into
the strong connection that so many families have to
the parish. Even though I am still learning names and
faces, I could appreciate the joy in witnessing the universal signs of “homecoming” as so many “children”
returned here with children of their own.
During Advent we met on Sunday mornings and again
on Wednesday evenings for the series “Staying Sane
During Sacred Seasons.” The different venues offered
different dynamics for the group discussions, and we
have decided to continue the two formats with the
Wednesday evening session being somewhat of a reprise of Sunday morning for those who are unable to
participate in the Sunday morning forums.
PASTORAL CARE AND OUTREACH
As director of Ministries of Compassion, my primary
focus is this work, especially as it derives from our
worship and liturgy. This is the “Breathing Out” piece
of our life as disciples of Jesus. In a parish this size, it
is immediately clear that doing outreach and inreach
well is the work of an entire team of individuals, each
of whom brings specific gifts and skills to the mission.
Toward the goal of organizing this effort, we are going
to introduce to the parish the Community of Hope.
In addition, there are plans to make available a class
on a weekday morning. “Loving Our Kids on Purpose” is
a series by Danny Silk to help parents raise children
who are capable of making a heart to heart connection
with other humans and with God. Hopefully, we will
begin this program after the EMW lectures in the early
Spring.
I have also reached out to some faculty and students at
Brenau Women’s College to encourage the women to
think of Grace as a place where they might participate
in our worship and learning. Some of these meetings
took place in December and some are scheduled for
January.
Personal: Jack and I are so very grateful to be here
among you. We are thankful to God for the gift of living and worshiping here for as long as God makes it
possible. Stuart did not overstate the amazing community of faith in this place!
Respectfully submitted,
Cynthia+
The Community of Hope is a model for coordinating
and delivering pastoral care, both within and outside
the parish family. This Benedictine model is the one
preferred by our bishop for use in this diocese. It draws
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
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Senior Warden
Submitted by Becky Whitmire
The Parish Profile completed by the Search Committee
in 2012 states that the members of Grace Church “see
ourselves as a church ready to grow, develop new programs, and move into the future fulfilling our potential
in traditional and innovative ways”. It also states that
we “endeavor to create a spiritually welcoming atmosphere for both parishioners and community” and
“value an open mind, enjoy a good laugh, and are looking for a deep connection with each other and our
church”. As Father Stuart finishes his first year with us
I am grateful to the Search Committee for doing their
homework and bringing us a Rector whose work in our
parish has given us those things that we so clearly said
we wanted.
Much has gone on at Grace this year, and much of it
began at GWAG with the Listening Circles. Cheryl Kelley and Jim Taflinger have done a wonderful job of
creating a working document to highlight the goals
identified through the Listening Circles as well as the
status of actions taken thus far to meet those goals. A
small sampling of those actions includes an Instructional Eucharist, the creation of Narthex Prayer Chapels,
the creation of the Life of Faith Sunday School class to
help integrate newcomers into the life of Grace, an
international outreach program through Amigos for
Christ, and a vastly expanded system of communication
so ably managed by Jennifer Williams.
This year we enjoyed a wonderful production of Godspell by our youth, have seen the installation of a
beautiful and functional new playground, have also
seen an effort to update both our bylaws and our financial policy, and experienced a wonderful stewardship
campaign where we were all reminded that everyone
counts. We have grown in numbers, continued to enjoy
the beautiful music provided by our choir and Dr.
Brown, and had the wonderful addition of Cynthia as
our Associate Rector.
It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to serve on
the Vestry. I am so very thankful for Father Stuart,
Cynthia, the entire church staff, and the Vestry members with whom I have served.
FORMATION
The Formation Cluster’s focus is on the spiritual development and Christian education of all adults, youth,
and children at Grace Church. The term “spiritual formation” refers to the over-arching hope that all members of Grace Church explore the richness of their faith
and grow in a greater awareness of God’s presence in
their lives. We do this through study, prayer practices,
music, worship, and conversations…many ways!
Worship & Music
Submitted by Tricia McDuff
“We, who are many and diverse, come together in
Christ through our worship, our common prayer.”
Although there are many different areas of ministry at
Grace, all of which are necessary to fulfill the mission
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of the church, by far the ministry that is the most visible and has the most effect on the most people are our
worship services. The two things that make Anglican
worship at Grace so special are the familiar liturgies
from the Book of Common Prayer and the beautiful
music from The Hymnal.
But these two books are merely the source material….it takes the knowledge and efforts of the Clergy
and Director of Music, combined with the assistance of
countless volunteers and the wholehearted participation of the congregation, to make the liturgy and the
hymns come alive in our hearts and minds so that we
truly come together in Christ through our worship.
Many of these volunteers are visible at worship services—the Parish Choir and Choristers, the Vergers, the
Lectors, the Readers, the Chalice Bearers, the Acolytes, the Lay Eucharistic Visitors, the Greeters and the
Ushers, while others are not—the Altar Guild, the Brass
Guild, the Flower Guild and the Needlework Guild.
Additionally, the Church Staff accomplishes many necANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Cathedral
essary tasks, including preparing bulletins, overseeing
volunteers, maintaining and preparing the Nave, managing the audio, and much more. All of these dedicated parishioners, whether visible or not, contribute
greatly to our common worship.
However, I think it is safe to say that no volunteers
give so much of their time and contribute so much to
our worship as do the members of the Parish Choir.
For each typical Sunday worship service, Dr. David Burton-Brown and the Choir lead the singing of the hymns
and perform two anthems, a prelude, a postlude, and a
sung Anglican chant. There are hours and hours of
preparation and practice that go into each Sunday service, week in and week out.

A Trumpet & Organ Concert at Grace with Dr. Brandon Craswell, Trumpet and Dr. David BurtonBrown, Organ

An absolutely marvelous full performance, with
chorus and orchestra, of Mozart's REQUIEM that
filled Grace Church with appreciative parishioners
and guests from all over our area
In March 2014 Grace Church hosted the presentation of
Faure’s REQUIEM, by the University of North Georgia,
Gainesville campus with Dr. Benjamin Schoening, director and Dr. David Burton-Brown, accompanist.
No report on Worship and Music for 2014 would be
complete without mentioning the loss of Ron Evans, a
most talented and accomplished musician, a wonderful
human being, and a long time member and leader of
the Choir and Grace Church. He served as Vestry Chair
of Worship and Music until just prior to his death in
February. His wisdom, leadership and kindness are so
greatly missed.
Worship at Grace Church, through our meaningful liturgy and beautiful music, brings us together as the Body
of Christ and then sends us forth as we “go in peace to
love and serve the Lord.”
In addition to this, in 2014 we had extraordinary musical offerings at five very special services:

The Installation of the Reverend Stuart
Higginbotham as Rector of Grace Church

Three glorious services on Easter Day

Holy Cross Day

Advent Lessons and Carols

Two Christmas Eve services, including a fabulous
midnight Choral Eucharist with Orchestra that will
long be remembered.
The extremely high quality of the music program at
Grace can be attributed to the abilities and dedication
of Dr. Burton-Brown, the gifts of time and talent by
our Choir members and Choristers, and the support of
Friends of Music. Friends of Music are Grace parishioners like you and me who contribute to the music program over and above their annual pledge to the
church. This support primarily goes for special music
offerings, including sheet music, instrumentalists and
section leaders.
In 2014, special music offerings made possible by
Friends of Music included:

An organ recital and sung evensong with Dr. Burton
- Brown and the Grace Church Choir at St. Philip’s
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Spiritual Growth & Prayer
Submitted by Cheryl Kelley
SPIRITUAL FORMATION
As we look toward becoming a mindful church, we
have spent this year becoming more and more intentional about the formation opportunities we offer parishioners of all ages. I would like to thank the tireless
members of the Adult Formation, Youth Formation and
Children’s Formation Committees, as well as all of our
teachers (clergy and lay for your dedication and hard
work as we transition from the program based formation models we have known, and discern together
those formation opportunities we will offer for all ages. I also want to give heartfelt thanks for Melanie
Couch, our Director of Children’s Ministry and Teddy
Ivey, our Director of Youth Ministry for their leadership
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and enthusiasm in working with our young people this
year. We wish Teddy our very best as he explores new
opportunities in 2015.
ADULT FORMATION
On Sunday mornings during this academic year, the
Seekers class has explored Christianity as one of the
world’s great faiths by examining the overlap and the
disparity between our faith and other religious traditions of modern human culture. The Great Course offering, “Cultural Literacy for Religion: Everything the
Well-Educated Person Should Know” is the starting
point for the discussion.
The Sunday Forum began the year studying Barbara
Brown Taylor’s, Learning to Walk in the Dark, explored
the mystical side of our tradition, and enjoyed lively
discussions around “Staying Sane During Sacred Seasons.” The group is currently studying Short Stories by
Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi in preparation for the upcoming lectures by Amy-Jill
Levine in February as part of the “Religion for the 21st
Century” lecture series. During Lent, the class will explore poetry as a means of exploring and understanding
our faith. Come and explore with us!
This fall, a Newcomers class was offered to orient new
parishioners to Grace. The course introduces new
members to all of the activities and opportunities at
Grace, helps new members get “plugged in” to areas
which interest them, and pairs new members with
mentors in the parish. It will be offered again starting
February 22.
Also new this year was an Advent Quiet Day, which
gave parishioners an opportunity to gather and “simply
be” together for a time of reflection, rest, and rejuvenation. Look for more Quiet Days and parish wide retreat opportunities to come in 2015!
Other opportunities for adult formation include upcoming groups to be offered during the week. One will be a
video based series entitled, “Loving our Kids on Purpose: Making a Heart-To-Heart Connection” by Danny
Silk; and another organized around the graphic novel,
“Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant” by
Roz Chast about her experiences living with aging parents. Keep your eye out for these and more!
YOUTH FORMATION
2014 has been a year full of fun, fellowship, spiritual
growth and service for all of our youth. Our young people have enjoyed retreats at Camp Mikell, diocesan
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youth events, Gwinnett Braves games, “lake day” parties and a pilgrimage to Scotland. They have built Habitat houses, served the Food Pantry, participated in
the Hunger Walk, served needy families at Christmas
through their Secret Santa shopping, and served our
parish through their efforts at GWAG events, parish
work days, and through their steady service in worship
as acolytes, lay chalice bearers, readers, choir members and youth preachers. In addition to all of that,
they brought us Godspell this spring, and planned and
implemented our first parish-wide lock in! Thank you
to everyone who has made all of that possible!
As we turn toward 2015, our youth, youth leaders, and
parents are spending some time looking intentionally
at our programming as we go forward. We have organized ourselves into three leadership committees during this transitional time: Vision & Discernment
(chaired by Jeff Williams); Curriculum Development
(chaired by Greg Masterson); and Calendar Planning
(chaired by John Avery). All interested parishioners are
invited to join in this process. It is proving to be an
exciting time! After numerous meetings and much
prayerful consideration, the Vision committee has formulated a mission statement for the youth program,
which will guide future decision-making:
To celebrate the journey from youth toward adulthood
by:

exploring our faith and personal relationship with
God;

preparing our young people with the skills for
adulthood;

serving others; and

building a joyful community.
We are excited about this journey (in every sense of
the word) and ask for your prayerful support!
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
CHILDREN’S FORMATION
ensure the quality of COG and its programs.
Our Discovery Kids have had a great year, continuing to
explore our faith and tradition using the Workshop Rotation Model and Curriculum for Sunday morning classes. For those of you who haven’t experienced the
WoRM model yet, it teaches a particular theme or story in more than one way over a period of several
weeks. Children move or rotate each week to a different workshop and a different leader. This model incorporates the educational theory of multiple intelligences. Parents and parishioners are encouraged to lend
their time and talents to the workshop teams!
The Vestry, Rector, Associate Rector, and the church
staff are always positive and supportive of the preschool. Father Stuart or Rev. Cynthia lead chapel with
thirty-four amazing pre-k students on the second and
the fourth Wednesday of each month. The preschool
offers three after school extracurricular activities for
children ages three and up. These activities are Ballet,
Funderful World of Music, and Play Ball.
Not only do our children enjoy a wide variety of opportunities on Sunday mornings, they have special opportunities throughout the year to learn about our faith
tradition in “hands-on” ways that involve our entire
parish and members of our community. This year we
explored some of the reasons behind what we do with
this year’s “Holy Ghost Hunt” and our unique VBS program, “Cathedral, A Pilgrim’s Path”. Both offerings
were “firsts” this year, were unique to Grace, and
were thoroughly enjoyed by children and adults alike!
Also new this year was our Epiphany pageant written
and directed by our own Melanie Couch. What a hit!
The children told us the story of the travels of the wise
men to meet the Christ child, and invited us to join
them on their journey. Plans for this year’s VBS have
already begun, and it promises to be just as special.
Our children and their families enjoyed many opportunities for fun and fellowship through activities like the
Discovery Kids picnic, and the expanded opportunities
through our “Eat, Pray, Connect!” evenings, where we
have enjoyed things like cookie decorating, pottery
painting, wreath making, and Bingo! We look forward
to lots more in 2015, and invite you to join us!
Children of Grace
Submitted by Ansley Forrester
Children of Grace Preschool, more commonly known as
COG, is a program of Grace Episcopal Church and operates under the oversight of the Vestry. The preschool
was started in 1979 under the direction of Judith
Landers and is currently under the leadership of Ansley
Forrester as the Director and Terri Kirby as the Assistant Director. Both Ansley and Terri work tirelessly to
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Children of Grace Preschool is looking forward to another very successful 2015-2016 school year. The preschool provides quality care and education for children
six months through five years of age. This year we are
blessed to serve ninety-two families with a total enrollment of one hundred and twelve amazing students.
Only eleven of the ninety-two families are from Grace
Church. This gives Grace Church the opportunity to
provide a valuable outreach to the community. The pre
-school has sixteen employees: one director, one assistant director, one music/art/science teacher, and thirteen teachers.
We held our “Spring Fling” fundraiser in March and
with the help of our dedicated, supportive parents and
church members we raised $18,000. These funds were
used to enhance the preschool program with new toys
and new resources for the classrooms. This year’s
Spring Fling fundraiser theme is “Under the Big Top”
and scheduled for Friday, March 6th. Be sure to mark
your calendars, because everyone’s attendance is welcomed and needed.
This year the preschool was able to upgrade the 20+
year old playground equipment. This major undertaking was a testament to the many years of support
shown to our program by Children of Grace parents,
teachers, staff, and parishioners. Architectural Design
Specialties designed Children of Grace Preschool a
state of the art playground from Landscape Structures.
10
Richard and Julia Padgham donated a custom built
playhouse from Richard Padgham Fine Custom Homes.
This was a perfect addition to the playground, and the
children have already spent many hours enjoying this
gift. This eye-catching project will not only benefit the
preschool children, but the children of the parish as
well. Please stop by and check it out if you haven’t
seen the new playground.
We are currently holding registration for the 2015/2016
school year and are looking forward to another wonderful year!
Please visit www.gracechurchgainesville.org/cog to
keep up with the preschool activities. Contact Ansley
or Terri at 770-536-9088 for more information about
Children of Grace and please tell your friends about
our wonderful preschool.
COMPASSION
The Compassion Cluster focuses on the ways we embody Christ’s love in the world around us. Through Pastoral Care, we care for our brothers and sisters within
the parish. Through Outreach, we seek out ways to
bear witness to God’s love in the world, loving our
neighbor as ourselves.
homeless families for a week. Many Grace volunteers
help each time we host our guests. Thirty families that
we have hosted have graduated from the program and
regained their independence by finding employment
and housing. Family Promise coordinators are Tricia
McDuff and Sue DeLong.
Other outreach efforts supported by the time and talents of Grace Church parishioners include:
Outreach
Submitted by Kathie Futrell
Grace Church responds to God’s call to help and serve
others through our outreach ministries. We support
various organizations and ministries with both financial
backing and the time and talents of Grace parishioners.
Grace members donated and distributed food to needy
families through our support of the Community Food
Pantry, our longest continuous outreach effort. In
2014, over 160,000 pounds of food was distributed
among 2,754 families. Daphne David and Mary Lynn
Coyle lead this ministry with great dedication and
many enthusiastic volunteers
Each Tuesday a passionate team of Grace volunteers
gather to prepare and serve a hot lunch to clients of
Good News, just as we have since 1977. Grace was responsible for serving over 4000 meals in 2014.
One of our newest outreach ministries, Family Promise, continues to be successful. Four times each year
Grace takes turns housing and feeding one to four
11

Thanksgiving meals for Emmaus House

Christmas toys and clothing for 50 children through
the Salvation Army Angel Tree project

Collection and distribution of school supplies for
over 100 children

Purchasing and painting bowls for the Food Bank’s
Empty Soup Bowl Lunch

Support for the Challenged Child Fall Festival

Grace Church team at the annual Alliance for Literacy Spelling Bee
We have also begun supporting The Matthew Project,
which you will learn more about in the future. We anticipate this might be a great opportunity for adults
and youth to work together on an in-state mission project. For more information please go to
www.thematthewproject@episcopalatlanta.org.
You will also want to “stay-tuned” for more information on our participation in 2015 on another Habitat
build – this time with other area churches.
In addition to these “hands on” ministries, Grace provides much needed financial support to the following
worthwhile organization and ministries:

Alliance for Literacy
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Action Ministries Gainesville

CenterPoint

Community Food Pantry

Good News at Noon

Guest House

Meals on Wheels

My Sister’s Place

Family T.I.E.S.

Rape Response

Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Family Promise

Mental Health Court

Challenged Child & Friends

Work of our Hands

Women’s Prison Ministry
Members of the Outreach Committee are Kathie
Futrell, Tricia McDuff, Carla Kantola, Barbara Danner,
Chuck Danner, Donna Smiley, Carolyn Kokenge, Craig
Carpenter, Joe Cronmiller, Durwood Pepper, Jim
Taflinger, Robin Hale, Janis Roper and Annie Davidson.
If you would like to become part of the Outreach Committee, or help with any of these ministries, please
contact Kathie Futrell or call the church office.
Pastoral Care
Submitted by Julia Greene
The mission of the Pastoral Care Committee is to provide care and support for all parishioners, especially
those in need, and we have a wonderful group of volunteers who strive to do just that in a number of ways.
Some of them prepare meals for church members in
need, others deliver altar flowers or send cards and
notes in an effort to maintain contact with fellow parishioners, and still others make Lay Eucharistic visits
to parishioners who are not able to attend church. We
also have dedicated volunteers who serve in the Public
Prayer for Healing ministry, make hospital visits, or
serve at funeral receptions. In addition to the above
ministries the Daughters of the King, who dedicate
themselves to a life of prayer, service, and evangelism, fell under the Pastoral Care umbrella in 2013.
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Forty to fifty parishioners receive personal attention
from pastoral care volunteers on a monthly basis,
while others receive attention on an as needed basis. I
am so very grateful for all pastoral care volunteers,
and especially so for the ministry chairs who have
shown great compassion and given so much of their
time and themselves to our fellow parishioners through
their commitment to this ministry.
Pastoral Care always has room for additional volunteers. Please let me know if you are interested in joining this work. Also, if you know of a parishioner in
need please let the church staff know. Pastoral Care
can only be of help to our fellow parishioners when we
know of a need.
We are pleased this year to be bringing the Community
of Hope training to Grace this year. As Cynthia has
previously shared, the Community of Hope International is “a school for God’s service” (The Rule of St. Benedict). Its mission is to “create a Christian community of
volunteer lay chaplains united in prayer, shaped by
Benedictine spirituality, and equipped for pastoral care
ministry.” It was started by an Episcopal priest in Houston, Texas, the Rev. Dr. Helen Appelberg. It provides
training for pastoral care ministry, and assists lay persons to minister where their spiritual gifts are best
suited for giving comfort and care to those in need.
And Bishop Rob Wright has endorsed this particular
model for effective pastoral care in our diocese.
Within a parish, it operates as a ministry of presence,
teaching its members how to listen with the “ear of
the heart” and develop spiritually-centered pastoral
care teams of two, so that no one ever serves alone in
isolation. Perhaps the best brief description of Community of Hope comes from the Rev. Donald D. Binder,
PhD, Rector of Pohick Episcopal Church in Lorton, Virginia:
“What distinguishes the Community of Hope from other
Pastoral Care groups is its ordering around the Rule of
St. Benedict. And so ministry in the Community is not
just about doing for God; it is about being with God.
That’s essential for this type of ministry, since it entails a lot of emotional involvement that can quickly
lead to burn-out. The emphasis of the Community on
group and individual prayer—in addition to study and
service—helps to sustain the members of the Community, as well as to draw them closer to God and each
other.”
12
PARTICIPATION
The Participation Cluster focuses on ways in which we
build up the community of Grace. When folks explore
the community, we welcome them into this space of
spiritual growth and prayer. And, for those who have
been here for a while (sometimes decades!), we continue to find ways to strengthen our connection to one
another. Also, we are adding an element of Evangelism
this year, because we realize that we have been given
a mandate to share the Gospel in the world, by sharing
our gifts and strengths.
Parish Life
Submitted by Susan Trotter
Parish Life & Involvement began 2014 with many families of Grace opening their homes for receptions in
January & February to welcome Fr. Stuart, Lisa & Evelyn. These gatherings provided the perfect setting for
those initial meaningful conversations which proved to
be full of excitement and hope for “what’s to come.”
The Celebration of New Ministry on March 16 with the
installation and induction of Fr. Stuart as the 8th Rector of Grace was followed by a reception in our Grace
Parish Hall.
Two spring events engaged volunteers from Parish Life
& Involvement. The first event was the Lenten Luncheon which served the Gainesville Church Community
following our noon Lenten worship. On May 18 we
gathered for our annual Parish Picnic which is probably
one of our biggest celebrations of the church year. It
may have been wet outside but it didn’t rain on our
parade! We had fun & games for everyone not to mention desserts, desserts & more desserts…
showing Hospitality and Spiritual Encouragement? Out
of these meetings came our new look for GWAG...
1st & 3rd Wednesdays: #EatPrayTalk An evening just
to enjoy a meal & socialize with friends.
2nd Wednesdays: #EatPrayConnect An opportunity
for all ages to come together for activities to reinforce
our connection to one another. Many thanks to Melanie
Couch who so graciously guided these interactive evenings and to Isabel Smiley-Lewis who provided any
needed support whenever a request was made.
4th Wednesdays: #EatPrayLearn Following dinner,
the Adult Formation Committee provided guided reflection on various topics & themes. Many thanks to
Jay Gaspar for his continued leadership in this area
and to this committee who continue year after year to
bring programs to Grace.
5th Wednesdays: #EatPrayServe This evening is reserved for learning more about Outreach at Grace. We
certainly appreciate Kathie Futrell leading this charge.
Also, our summer work sessions culminated in the formation of a Ministry Cluster involving Newcomers, Parish Life & Involvement and Stewardship. This cluster
will continue to delve more deeply into ways in which
every member of our Grace Parish will be invited to
share of themselves through “time, talent and treasure.”
2014 brought many new friendships and experiences
through Parish Life & Involvement including the winter
hike to Len Foote Inn, lunch at the Oyster House in
Dahlonega, delicious Foyers dinners, the Taste of
Gainesville, canoe/kayaking adventures in South Carolina…someone reported a canoe overturned on purpose
(Imagine that?), plus both inspirational and fun movies
watched in the comfort of Grace’s own Youth Room.
The summer months brought changes to Parish Life &
Involvement as we worked with the discernment document that came from our GWAG sessions. Parish Life &
Involvement teamed with Newcomers Committee &
Adult Formation to explore ideas for providing meaningful opportunities across lines…How does each group
fit within the puzzle? How do we find new ways of
13
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The following programs would not exist without the
dedication and tireless commitment of these incredible leaders:
Grace Foyers- Judy Carpenter& Bobbie Ingenito
Grace Hiking Group- Marsha Conner & Jeremy Landers
For the year we have had 12 Baptisms, 52 membership
transfers into Grace, and 51 re-categorized prospects/
newcomers as baptized members. We also had 47 visitor cards turned in. Please continue to greet anyone
you do not recognize and make every effort to make a
new visitor feel welcome to come worship at Grace.
Monthly Movie Night- Barbara & Chuck Danner
Nifty Fifties Plus- Bonnie Olentine
GOALS FOR 2015


To re-energize a Parish Life Committee representing a cross-section of our Community that is
touched by Parish Life
To engage the Parish Community as a whole for
some events with participation similar to the annual picnic
Thank you to every parishioner who took the time to
assist us with providing these wonderful opportunities.
Thank you to each Grace staff member who, whenever
needed, came to our rescue with information, manual
labor or, at times, just a smile to say: ”Everything will
be all right.” You are so appreciated!
Evangelism
New for 2015
This year, we will begin having an Evangelism chair on
the vestry. Having this person focus on evangelism will
be a wonderful opportunity both to reflect on what we
“mean” by evangelism as well as to explore ways to
live into our vocation to share God’s love in the world
around us. Something to consider: the word
“evangelism” simply means “good news,” as in the
Gospel itself. Some of us may bump up against this
word, given previous experiences. But, we shouldn’t
shy away from exploring ways in which we can authentically share Christ’s love with those around us. I look
forward to our conversations!
Newcomers
Submitted by Joey West
Let me first say that it has been a blessing and honor
to serve on the Vestry these last 3 years. I thank you
for the opportunity to serve and continue to look forward to offering my services wherever the church
needs help.
While last year was a transition, this year we had significant growth and changes with Newcomers. A great
deal of credit and change can be attributed to the
hard work of Sheila Nicholas, who put together a Newcomer class called “Living the Life of Faith”. This is an
introductory class for any new members or transfers to
get more information about the history of Grace and
all the outreach opportunities. We also now have several parishioners who have volunteered to be mentors
for new members. We continued to deliver welcome
bags and had another welcome BBQ at our house.
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Communication
Submitted by Jennifer Williams
NEWSLETTER
The Evangelist remains our primary means of communication. Grace Church switched fully to an online or
electronically delivered newsletter beginning with the
August 3, 2014 issue. This has saved paper, printing
costs and countless volunteer hours.
To receive the newsletter by email, go to
www.gracechurchgainesville.org and click on "Join Our
Email List" in the blue bar at the bottom of the page.
During the sign up process, select Parish Newsletter The Evangelist as one of the areas of interest for which
you would like to receive emails from Grace Church.
14
The newsletter can also be read online at www.grace
churchgainesville.org/evangelist. The current issue is
posted there by 6:00 AM each Friday morning. Be sure
to bookmark the page; for privacy reasons it is not accessible from a link anywhere else on our website.
www.facebook.com/gecgainesville so photos and notifications will appear in your newsfeed.
If you do not have access to internet or email, please
call Isabel at 770-536-0126 to request that a copy of
the newsletter be mailed to your home.
BLOG
WEBSITE
Our website, which is updated regularly, continues to
be a valuable resource for information about Grace
Church—especially our ongoing ministries, programs,
and services.
Goal for 2015: redesign/restructure the website to
organize the information to better reflect the implementation of our new ministry clusters
EMAIL LIST
Goal for 2015: encourage more participation by parishioners
Our blog celebrated it’s one year anniversary on January 17. 57 people follow the blog via email and another
28 follow via their own WordPress accounts. The blog
has had over 8,007 total views from readers in 36 different countries. There are 142 total posts in 16 different categories. Homilies are the most popular category
and Fr. Stuart's June 15 homily "The Communion of the
Holy Spirit" was the top post of 2014 - it has been
viewed over 179 times.
Blog authors are Stuart, Michael, Cynthia, Director of
Children’s Ministry Melanie Couch, youth contributor
Emilie Gille, and me. Vestry members have also been
invited to contribute.
Our email list, set up in 2006, now has 464 active contacts - which is 107 more than this time last year.
There are 5 different areas of interest – parish wide,
newsletter, parish life events, Nifty Fifties Plus, and
music events. Every member of Grace Church is encouraged to join the parish wide list, and any of the
other categories of interest to you. go to
www.gracechurchgainesville.org and click on "Join Our
Email List" in the blue bar at the bottom of the page.
We encourage parishioners to follow by email or subscribe to the RSS feed. You can find the blog at
www.gracechurchgainesville.org/blog.
Goal for 2015: evaluate the possible need for additional areas of interest
Photos were taken for a new pictorial directory last
fall. We recently received the draft of the directory
from Lifetouch and have returned our corrections.
FACEBOOK
Our Facebook page is a great place to get news, reminders of upcoming events, and see photos of church
events and activities. Please “follow” the page at
Goal for 2015: continued development of content, encourage comments by readers, bring more contributors
on board
PICTORIAL DIRECTORY
Goal for 2015: distribute the new pictorial directory in
the next couple of months
CREATIVE EXPRESSION
As you listened to one another this year in our shared
conversations, a common refrain was that we recognize how gifted we are as a parish in the arts. From
visual arts to sculpture to music to drama to poetry
and writing….we are a gifted community of people!
15
This particular cluster—a new endeavor at Grace to
help focus ways in which we can share our gifts and
strengths—will seek to bring new spaces of exploration
to the community. There is much more to come in
2015!
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
ADMINISTRATION
We are blessed with a very strong administrative staff
and team leaders at Grace. From the day-to-day operations of the phenomenal staff to the dedication of the
Finance Committee, to the work of the Buildings and
Grounds Committee, to the focus and invitation of the
Stewardship Committee…so many give so much of their
time and energy to making this campus run extremely
smoothly…and faithfully.
ued membership growth in 2015–2016, and by the end
of 2016 this cumulative unrestricted contribution of
$150,000 should be well covered through growth in
plate and pledge revenue.
2015 will be a busy year for your finance committee
with much on the “to do” list to ensure that Grace is
on a sound financial footing and is able to support the
many mission critical needs of the parish and community.
Indeed, “we are sooooooooo blessed”.
Finance
Submitted by Pete Miller
Reflecting on pledge and plate offerings, Reba Page
recently wrote “We are soooooooo blessed” and indeed
we are with 2014 total pledge and plate revenue of
$901,313, an increase of 8.27% over 2013! This increase enabled Grace to do so many things it would not
have otherwise been able to do. Going into 2014 it
seemed doubtful that revenue would cover expenses
but it did with a slight surplus of $14,000.
Your finance committee worked diligently to put together a 2015 budget that reflects the needs of the
parish and community. Thanks to the great work of the
Stewardship committee under George Henderson’s
leadership and your generosity, budgeted pledge revenue of $854,742 represents a 6.27% increase over 2014
actual. 2015 operating expenses are expected to increase a significant 14%, almost ½ of which is attributable to personnel – certainly an investment in our future. And for the first time in many years, the budget
allocates resources to a “Building Reserve Fund”, to be
used for future capital expenditures over and above
normal maintenance. The 2015 budget also reflects the
full cost and revenue for music and worship.
Budgeted revenue also includes $75,000 “Other Unrestricted Contributions” which reflects a $25,000 individual contribution contingent on matching parishioner
gifts of $50,000. This challenge gift also extends to
2016 with an additional $25,000 and hopefully the requisite matching gifts. It is reasonable to expect contin-
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Building & Grounds
Submitted by George Butler
2014 was an active year for Building and Grounds at
Grace Episcopal Church. During the course of the year
we have had the bulk of the shingled roof replaced,
this time using Core Roofing, the contractor who successfully replaced the flat roof in 2013. We are now
confident that we have functional and durable roofing
throughout our facility.
Other major repairs included the replacement of the
stairs leading to the choir loft due to insect damage,
repairs to the awning at the Nave entrance, and various repairs to fascia at the front of the Nave and the
Chapel. These repairs were expensive, but necessary.
Great thanks are owed to the finance committee and
to the people of the congregation for making these repairs possible.
Grace Episcopal Church is blessed with a wonderful
facility; beautiful, historical and spacious, the campus
is a great place to worship and to enjoy fellowship.
The building is also a huge responsibility. Properly
caring for our church requires time, thought, and financial resources that will always be hard to come by.
We must continue to pursue the various maintenance
16
issues that confront the church with an eye to getting
ahead of the needs and addressing them before they
turn into emergencies.
Looking to 2015, there are plenty of opportunities for
improvement around the campus. Painting, both interior and exterior, represents the largest single category and should be pursued as the budget allows. We
should look at the possibility of volunteer painting projects where practical, and determine priorities for
contract painting within the limits of our finances.
Stewardship
Submitted by George Henderson
Every One Counts was the emphasis of this year’s stewardship campaign. The parish was asked to reflect on
the blessings we have received in the past year, to include the arrival of Father Stuart Higginbotham. We
asked each parishioner to decide how he could support
God’s mission at Grace Episcopal Church. Your response was overwhelming as together we achieved a
significant increase in fundings available for our various ministries. For the first time we separated our
stewardship campaign for financial support from our
time and talent campaign; the latter will be a focus of
the Lenten season in the first quarter of 2015. Our
team provided focused messages to support this campaign through Stewardship Reflections in our Sunday
services and columns in The Evangelist.
Our goal for this year was $850,000, and with pledges
received to date we have exceeded this goal. This represents a 19% increase in pledges received to date. Of
note are the 45 new giving units who contributed
$94,462 to the parish. The transition in parish leadership is now complete with the arrival of Reverend Dr.
Cynthia Park, and this clearly was a major contributing
factor to these results. Your stewardship committee
believes that we have solidified the foundation for financial support in our parish, and we look forward to
building on this in the years ahead. We continue to
work on a number of outstanding pledges, and we believe we will further exceed our goal as these pledges
are received.
I want to thank Melissa McCollum, Alice Ann Mundy,
Bill Kantola, and Julia Greene for serving on the Stewardship Committee. Helen Ray, Doug McDuff, Emilie
Gille, Mike Whitmire, Stan Lewis, Grant Cummings, and
Melissa McCollum shared their individual messages with
the parish. The parish staff, especially Reba Page and
Jennifer Williams, provided the support that is necessary to achieve a successful stewardship effort with
minimal outside assistance.
I believe that this stewardship campaign was the result
of our parishioners reflecting on the gifts this parish
has received and responding with a renewed commitment. It has been a long, intensive process, but together we have realized the promise of what we can
accomplish with God’s help.
This year’s campaign has attracted 246 pledges to
date. A breakdown of pledges received to date is
shown below:
New Pledges received
45
$ 94,462
Increased pledges received
100
451,920
Pledges remaining the same
84
251,710
Decreased pledges received
17
56,650
246
$854,742
Pledges received to date
17
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Statement of 2014 and Budget of 2015
2013 Actual
2014 Actual
2015 Budget
INCOME
Pledges
$
Plate Offerings
770,030.00
$
62,366.84
804,274.43
$
97,038.53
50,000.00
Other Unrestricted Contributions
75,000.00
Prior Year Pledges
20,000.00
1,000.00
Misc. Income
69.24
GWAG Income
Building Use Income
COG Building Use Income
17,717.00
22,752.00
27,000.00
1,900.00
1,330.00
2,000.00
11,000.00
25,000.00
24,000.00
Friends of Music Donations—Designated
38,250.00
6,000.00
Flower Donations—Designated
TOTAL
854,742.00
$
898,013.84
$
951,464.20
$
88,499.00
$
89,942.00
$ 1,076,992.00
EXPENSES
Diocesan Support
$
91,135.00
Seminary Support
1,000.00
1,000.00
Seminarian Support
1,000.00
1,000.00
Other Expenses
2,516.86
1,999.80
60,000.00
60,000.00
60,000.00
Salaries and Benefits
424,227.64
460,167.79
528,500.00
Building and Grounds
157,542.02
173,691.23
196,452.00
Administration
52,931.69
53,824.62
54,700.00
Programs and Committees
53,935.07
65,281.93
65,500.00
Music and Worship
17,509.87
17,983.29
70,505.00
Interest
15,506.02
11,371.85
8,400.00
608.23
800.28
800.00
937,062.79
$ 1,076,992.00
$14,401.41
0.00
Outreach
1,000.00
Contingencies
Broker's Fees
TOTAL
Net Total
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$
875,276.40
$22,737.44
$
18
Statement of Funds at 12.31.14
General Funds
Prepaid 2015 Pledges
$
Flower Donation Fund
31,100.00
2,439.60
Windows of Grace Book
(5,687.97)
Youth Travel Fund
6,633.34
Friends of Music
28,675.32
Stained Glass Windows
(54.12)
Food Pantry
1,163.08
Other designated funds
5,682.98
Other funds
6,830.20
Total
$
76,782.43
Building Fund
$
47,816.70
Columbarium Fund
$
28,676.66
Memorial Fund
$
39,235.89
Reserve Fund
$
(68,118.53)
$
328,053.63
Endowment Funds
Van Giesen
Grace Church Fund at NGCF
Children of Grace Preschool
Loan Balance at SunTrust
19
344,839.59
Total
$
672,893.22
Cash
$
162,554.63
$
217,469.46
ANNUAL REPORT: GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
VISIT US
location
431 Washington Street
Gainesville
CONTACT US
address
422 Brenau Avenue
Gainesville, GA 30501
phone
voice: 770-536-0126
fax: 770-536-1587
STAY INFORMED
online
gracechurchgainesville.org
gracechurchgainesville.org/blog
facebook.com/gecgainesville
The Rev. Stuart Higginbotham, Rector
stuart@gracechurchgainesville.org
The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Park, Associate Rector
cynthia@gracechurchgainesville.org
The Rev. Michael McCann, Priest Associate
Dr. David Burton-Brown, Director of Music/Organist
dbrown@gracechurchgainesville.org
Melanie Couch, Director of Children’s Ministry
mcouch@gracechurchgainesville.org
Reba Page, Parish Administrator
rpage@gracechurchgainesville.org
twitter.com/gecgainesville
Brenda Morgan, Parish Secretary
bmorgan@gracechurchgainesville.org
at church
Jeremy Landers, Facility Manager
jlanders@gracechurchgainesville.org
bulletin boards
information table
worship bulletin
mail/email
Jennifer Williams, Director of Communication
jwilliams@gracechurchgainesville.org
Tom Kubala, Financial Secretary
tkubala@gracechurchgainesville.org
Isabel Smiley-Lewis, Assistant to the Clergy
ismileylewis@gracechurchgainesville.org
The Evangelist
Reba Page, Nursery Supervisor
monthly calendar
Ansley Forrester, COG Director
cog@gracechurchgainesville.org
email list
Terri Kirby, COG Assistant Director
cog2@gracechurchgainesville.org