Vicar’s Voice September 2013

I think everyone will agree that the annual picnic on August 18 was a huge success. As the first event on our new property, it was a chance for everyone to see what a marvelous location it is. We celebrated the Eucharist on the grass next to the tall, graceful trees, with the music ringing out across the pasture. Then we shared a generous Sunday picnic under the awnings in the meadow. It was especially good to see some of our neighbors join us. My thanks to all who helped organize this, especially Carrie Rivers and John Stock-well.

You may have noticed the surveyor’s stakes and the freshly dug test pits on the property. These are the work of the architect and engineers who are helping us gather the information needed to submit our conditional use permit to the County. The Building Committee has been meeting regularly to envision the type of development we want to see, and on Sunday, September 15, the architect will meet with everyone in a parish meeting to show us the initial site concepts he and the Building Committee have come up with.

At this point, we are very early in the planning process and we haven’t chosen a design for the buildings. That will come later. For the conditional use permit, all we need to show the County is the basic floor plan and building height, as well as the plans for street access, parking, landscaping, stormwater runoff, and the septic system. Our architect and engineers are helping us put these plans together.

The Building Committee continues to visit other churches in our area, and it’s been very enlightening. I was so pleased that Bill and Chelsea Reeder visited the neighbors of our new property and invited them to our service and picnic. They said they got a very positive response from the neighbors they contacted.

As we wind up our summer and start into autumn, I hope you’ll remember to keep your pledge up to date. It’s normal to have a slow period during the summer months, but our church expenses continue, and we’ve had to dip into our reserves, which are limited. I’m very grateful for the continued support of all our members.

Remember that Sunday, September 8, will be the start of Sunday School, when our children will once again enjoy learning from our excellent teachers. May God bless us as we enter a new season!

Bill