From the Senior Warden

Dear Parishioners,

As we go into the fall, the vestry begins to turn its attention toward setting financial and programmatic goals for the coming year.

There are a number of things we'd like to do. A long-standing priority is to start a ministry to the senior adult population of our parish by funding a part- or full-time staff position to attend to their special needs. We shall also want to provide some continuing support to the new Orange County mission parish, Church of the Advocate, as it sets off on its own.

Meanwhile we've grown to the point in our own worship and programs that we'd like to increase the position of Associate for Pastoral Care from part-time to full-time. Two years ago, we increased our organist-choirmaster position to full-time, but we have not increased funding commensurately for choir and music programs to take full advantage of Van Quinn's greater availability.

We'd like to improve our young adult ministry to appeal more to that crucial younger population, perhaps by adding administrative staff support for campus ministry and youth. We'd also like to restore funding for youth mission trips, which we eliminated in 2003 because of a tight budget.

We need to increase the outreach and social ministry programs of the Chapel of the Cross. Funding for outreach was frozen this year because of the budget situation. And we desperately need to increase support for the wonderful staff who serve our parish so well. This year, the priests and administrative staff received only the bare cost-of-living increase of only 1.4 percent. We also reduced the hours of our staff administrator.

The goal we have established for ourselves is to fully fund our operating budget from pledge and investment income, including the desired programmatic growth and the equitable increases due our staff. We are fortunate that ours is a vibrant parish with the vision and steadfastness to achieve these goals. Though the last two years were difficult financially and the vestry was forced to make hard programmatic choices to balance the budget, I am confident that with our renewed spirit of stewardship the 2004 Annual Giving Campaign will allow us to achieve our goals. Yours in Christ,

Ted Vaden

Senior Warden