Rooted in the past, reaching for the future
After this Sunday’s Service, January 29th, our youth will stand outside with a soup pot and request cash donations for our Outreach. This activity began more than 25 years ago, with a simple prayer from a youth group:
Are you interested in welcoming newcomers to our parish? Would you enjoy being a greeter to introduce a newcomer to our parish and church community? If you are friendly, love St. Mary Anne’s, and like to chat, this is the committee for you! February’s meeting time TBA. Contact: Karen Schaeffer
Dance your way to feeling better with one of the most popular exercise programs in the country. A great way to get in shape and have fun in the process! Open to 55 years old and older people.
Six FREE sessions
Taking place: SMA on Mondays 1:30pm to 2:30pm; February 20 thru March 27
Contact Jennifer Silverman at 410-996-8177 or the Church Office
Sponsored by Cecil County Department of Community Services/MD Department of Aging
Women’s Fellowship Circles are Forming!
Are you interested in building deeper relationships with other women in the parish? If so, join a Women’s Fellowship Circle!
Our first ECW Fellowship Day (WFD), this past November, has encouraged us to form a couple of Women’s Fellowship Circles to discuss, in more depth, some of the topics raised during that workshop such as: forgiveness, anxiety and fears, friendship building, and simplifying our lives.
Did you miss that day? No worries if you didn’t attend November’s event, as we will do a topic review to get the discussion rolling. Additional discussion ideas will be determined in the months ahead.
Once the circles are formed, we will gather one evening a month, from 7-9PM, in a parishioner’s home. One circle, will be held in the Chesapeake Isle area; another will be close to the church; and a third, may be in the Elkton area. Meetings may be held on either a Wednesday and Friday evening.
Women of all ages are encouraged to join in as we begin to formulate our circles and meeting locations. So far, 15 women have expressed an interest!
Please, let Karen Schaeffer know if you are interested—by January 29th (Annual Meeting Day)!
Vestry Nominations for Terms beginning in 2017
As we approach the annual meeting on January 29th, we need to focus our attention on the election of new vestry members.
The vestry is the legal representative of the parish regarding all matters pertaining to its corporate property. The number of vestry members and the term of office varies from parish to parish. St. Mary Anne’s By-laws calls for nine vestry members, each serving for a period of 3 years from election to election. No member of the Vestry shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms. Vestry members are elected at the annual parish meeting. The presiding officer of the vestry is the rector.
The basic responsibilities of the vestry are to help define and articulate the mission of the congregation; to support the church’s mission by word and deed, to select the rector, to ensure effective organization and planning, and to manage resources and finances.
We have five vestry vacancies to be filled. Rotating off from vestry office is: Melissa Cook-MacKenzie, Nancy Leizear, Carol Weisel, and Andy Flood. In addition, Terry Brown was not able to remain on vestry due to business commitments, so his term of service (until 2019) also needs to be filled. (Please note: In November, the vestry elected Bruce England to fill Terry’s role until the annual meeting).
We have listed our nominees with bios (click here), so please review prior to the annual meeting. Other nominations may be made from the floor, but those nominations must be members who meet the qualifications of eligibility as defined in Article V, Section 1 of our Bylaws and must have the consent and approval of the member nominated. As is St. Mary Anne’s policy, all nominations from the floor must be submitted two weeks prior to the annual meeting in order that they may be verified as to the qualifications of eligibility as defined in our Bylaws, their willingness to serve, and in order that their biographical information may be presented to the parish in advance of the annual meeting.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and to those who are willing to serve.
Blessings,
Father John and the Vestry of St. Mary Anne’s
January, 2017
