Other good news includes that we ended 2023 with a strong financial outlook. And we have a balanced budget for 2024. Budget information for both 2023 and 2024 can be found in the Annual Report.
A few places we could use your help!We are bringing back Quarterly Ministry Team Meetings! Please save the dates and plan to attend. Held in the Parish Hall, the meetings for 2024 are at 6:30 PM on March 12, 2024; July 9, 2024; September 10, 2024 & November 12, 2024.
In addition to generally helpful information, these meetings are times with Vestry Liaisons and ministry teams can check in with each other, review budgets, and connect.
I could also use your help with this survey! During my sabbatical, we will have a weekly yoga class at St. Cat’s. If you imagine you might participate, please help us pick the best time by completing this survey. And, please save the dates for our in-house cooking classes, led by Chef Sue Snape!
FUN WITH FOOD WORKSHOP INFORMATION:
WORKSHOP ONE | April 27, 2024 | 10:00-11:30 AM
QUICK AND NUTRITIOUS SNACKS This workshop will be hands-on for the granola balls and the smoothies and hummus will be demonstration only. Smoothies and Hummus plates will be available for sampling.
WORKSHOP TWO | May 11, 2024 | 10:00-11:30 AM
“MEAL” PREP SCENARIOS VEGETABLES AND REDUCING FOOD WASTE
1. Main Ideas for food/meal prepping for your week
2. What produce is in season in Georgia in May?
3. Reducing food waste
Meal Prep
How to cook once and eat five times (but not the same meal).
Nutritious snacks / meals / options
Vegetable prep
WORKSHOP THREE | June 15, 2024 | 10:00-11:30 AM
FOOD AND YOUR MOOD tasting challenges, brain foods, meal ideas
And, without further adieu, let me introduce you to our new Senior Associate Rector, Father Trey Phillips!!
I want to talk a little bit about the vision of the new associate role and how we’ve strategically crafted the initial phase of its responsibilities.
I will inhabit this role in a stair step fashion, meaning, we’ve looked at our immediate needs and our long-term needs, and crafted the role to build capacities around each. The immediate needs revolve around Christian education, especially in transitioning away from the youth director role and onboarding the new youth coordinator. As that is secured, I will begin meeting with the young families and evaluating the needs for that ministry. This is an initial investment into a longer process of bolstering the young families ministry.
Here is an overview of the key areas of this role:
· Christian Education
Vision: St. Catherine’s as a center for deep theological learning.
o Children and young families
§ Bring back Vacation Bible School in the summer.
§ Strengthen our young families with resources and programming that empowers them to bring “faith formation home.”
§ Clearly naming the needs and fashioning a more long-term solution to this growing demographic of our church.
o Youth
§ Making sure we have the right person for the coordinator job, and working closely with them for the remainder of this program year to ensure a seamless transition.
§ Leadership development of our youth and 16 adult leaders.
o Adults
§ Offer robust and creative education opportunities that continue to make our faith relevant to everyday life.
§ Experimenting with technology to offer asynchronous teachings.
· Evangelism
Vision: St. Catherine’s as a “household name” to our neighbors in East Cobb”
o Exploring practices of evangelism that allow us to reclaim the “E” word.
§ There is a way to be Episcopalian and possess a robust culture of evangelism that avoids harmful practices that make us weary of that word in the first place. Evangelism is about developing the imagination around what it means to be a witness for God’s love here in Marietta.
o Our neighborhood has changed since St. Catherine’s was founded: we have an expanding school next door, we have a collaborative relationship with other religious communities, and we have rich outreach opportunities. But how well do our neighbors know who we are and what we are about?
o Strengthen our newcomer ministry so that we can help connect people with lifegiving relationships and ministries at St. Cat’s.
· Stewardship:
Vision: St. Catherine’s to bloom where it was planted for generations to come.
o Work with our stewardship team and finance committee to foster the spiritual attitude that stewardship isn’t a season, its Christian way of life.
Comments