St. John the Apostle

Anglican Church

 

 

“We strive to be a spiritual centre that meets people where they are and invites them to walk with us as we learn and grow together in Christ. We seek to be the agents of transformation in God’s world, offering nourishment, compassion and support while working towards an inclusive and just society.”

 

ANNUAL VESTRY REPORT 2015

As presented at the Annual Vestry Meeting

February 28^th, 2016

 2208 St. Johns Street, Port Moody, BC V3H 2A7

604-936-7762 

 Email- stjohn7@shaw.ca

Website- www.stjohnanglican.ca

Facebook- St. John the Apostle (Port Moody)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Statistics………………………………………………………………………………………….    1

Rector’s Report………………………………………………………………………………..    2-3

Warden’s Report ………………………………………………………………………………. 4

Deacon Anne Anchors Report……………………………………………………………… 5-6

Deacon Trudi Shaw’s Report……………………………………………………………….          insert

Envelope Secretary’s Report ……………………………………………………………….  6-7

Altar Guild Reports……………………………………………………………………………. 8-9

ACW Reports…………………………………………………………………………………….          10-13

Entertainment Book Report…………………………………………………………………          13-14

Coffee Fund Report…………………………………………………………………………..          14-15

Food Bank Report……………………………………………………………………………..  16

Bottle Drive Report……………………………………………………………………………          16-17

Seniors’ Tea Report…………………………………………………………………………..   17

Prayer Circle Report………………………………………………………………………….   17

Tuesday Study Group Report……………………………………………………………..   18

Sunshine Box Report……………………………………………………………………….     18

Parish Visiting Team Report…………………………………………………………….      19

Property Development Report…………………………………………………………..          19-24

Stewardship Report………………………………………………………………………….          24-25

Financial Report/Budget…………………………………………………………………..INSERT

 

Agenda for the Annual Vestry Meeting of St. John the Apostle Anglican Church

2208 St. Johns Street, Port Moody BC Canada V3H 2A7

February 28^th, 2016

1. Attendance count and Voters Registration
2. Opening Prayer by The Venerable Grant Rodgers
3. In Memoriam
4. Appointment of the Vestry Clerk
5. Acceptance of the Agenda
6. Adoption of the Minutes of the 2015 Vestry held February 22,2015
7. Acceptance of the reports as presented
8. Acceptance of the proposed budget for 2016
9. Announce Appointments for

• Rectors Warden – Terry Walton
• Parish Treasurer-
• Envelope Secretary- Ruby Ng

10. Nominations and Election of Members at Large to Parish Council

• People’s Warden
• Associate Warden
• Synod Delegates
• Alternate Synod Delegates
• Members-at-Large

 

• Announce Appointments of Lay Administrators
• Vote of Appreciation
• Other Business
• Adjournment and Doxology

STATISTICS

 

FUNERALS

WINSTON ANG LEE

WILLIAM MILLER

FANNY LIER

LAUREN SAVAGE

DOROTHY SAUNIER

ROSALIND CHONG

 

WEDDINGS

0

 

BAPTISIMS

 

EMBER ANN PAO PEI MONETTE SIM

MAISY ROSE MALLINDER

 1.

RECTOR’S REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2015

Greetings all:2015 represented a major change in responsibilities for me.  In August, I was honoured to be invited to join the faculty of the Vancouver School of Theology (VST) as Director of Anglican Formation.  It is a great opportunity to be able to share experience and insight gained in 34 years of ordained ministry with a new generation of ordained leaders.  Thanks to the leaders at VST, the Diocese and the parish, we made it happen in a way that allows me to serve at VST and also to remain Rector of St John’s on a 2/3 time basis.  The position at VST is 1/3 time, and typically means that I am on campus Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I continue to work at balancing the demands from each place.

We have been fortunate to have the Rev. Carla McGhie available to us to pick up some of the responsibilities that had formerly belonged to me such as the Tuesday morning study.  She has also agreed to be present every third Sunday of the month as celebrant and/or preacher, and to be available for certain pastoral calls at my discretion.  Carla is an experienced priest and teacher and brings a vibrant presence into the life of St John’s.

We have covered off certain aspects of my responsibilities without actually hiring a person on a 1/3 basis. 100% of many aspects of the work is still there and it is important to realize that at 2/3 time, I cannot be dealing with the load I had previously.  I will cease serving as Archdeacon of Lougheed in the near future, which will lessen my responsibilities to some degree, but it will be important for us all to step up and help to create a broader based approach to ministry.  A parish is about serving; it is not about being entertained or waited upon.  A priest is not in a parish in order to do all of its ministry but (in addition to teaching, preaching and leading them in the worship of God) to encourage, enable and equip the people in becoming a welcoming, supportive and caring community of servants in Christ.

We now have an extensive clergy “team” to help make that happen.   Along with Carla, we have our two parish deacons, the Rev. Anne Anchor and the Rev. Trudi Shaw.  We have also been fortunate to have the Rev. Michael Chin and the Rev. Lilian Elliott (both formerly of St Margaret’s) in our midst. The Rev. Ruth Monette, Director for Mission and Ministry Development for the Diocese, is also involved at St John’s.

2.

Sharon Cooper is stepping down as People’s Warden after many years of faithful service; so is John Binns, who has overseen our building and property issues for 14 years.  Mickey Marshall steps down after a similar length of time coordinating our Prayer Circle.

As folks step down, we acknowledge with gratitude the faithful service they have offered, but at the same time we must realize that it is time for some to step up, to receive the baton or the torch being passed on.  Essentially, you decide what kind of parish this will be going forward.   It is a rewarding privilege to be entrusted with leadership in areas like Children’s Program, Warden, and Council.  Are you our next Children’s Program leader?  Warden?  Council member?  If you haven’t served in such a capacity before, realize that everyone has to start somewhere.

You will continue to be led by competent and trustworthy wardens (Terry Walton and Maureen Simons-Regan); a good representative Parish Council; as well as the excellent clergy group we have here.  We continue to be well served by the people of the Altar Guild, the ACW, the St John’s Family Food Bank.  Be thankful; be positive; this parish has a lot going for it.

I will continue to work energetically and enthusiastically for the well-being of this parish.  We continue to see new and younger faces appearing, which is a promising thing.  I hope we will all continue to see to it that people are encouraged and welcomed into full involvement and participation, and that we remain open to new ideas about what it means to be a parish community for the 21^st Century.

In Christ,

(The Ven.) Grant Rodgers

Rector

3.

Wardens Report to Annual Vestry 2016

2015 was our first full year as the new merged parish of St John the Apostle.  It has been a continuation of the members of the two original parishes to getting to know each other at the same time as new members come into our midst.  The wardens are extremely grateful to everyone who contributes to the life of this parish, first by attending and participating in worship celebrations, second by being involved in the many activities both visible and invisible that make this a living Christian community and third by financial contributions to enable worship and ministry to continue.

We kept a close eye on parish finances and at one point we were concerned that we may end the year in deficit.  As it turned out our projected expenses were reduced by Grant’s working fewer hours for the parish in order to take on new responsibilities at VST.  Our parish contributions to the ministries of the diocese and the national church by means of the assessment were also reduced when the final figures for 2014 were taken into account.  At the end of the year we had a modest surplus and were also able to dedicate all the money from fund raising to the capital fund.

The parish has continued to move ahead with the building improvement project under the leadership of Maureen Simons.  We have a conceptual design for adding an elevator, pushing out the north wall of the church and creating more seating for the congregation and more space in the sanctuary.  We have also clarified the likelihood of receiving funding from the Diocese.  The Diocese has advised that since we have significant assets including the parish house on Napier Street in Burnaby and capital reserves, we have the capacity to do this project without assistance.  We will present further information at the vestry meeting and seek the parish’s advice as to how to proceed.

Maureen and Terry are especially grateful for the contribution that Sharon Cooper has made as People’s Warden over the past 8 years and we thank her as she completes her term and steps down.

4.

Deacon Anne Anchor Annual Report for 2015

Looking back over 2015 reminds me that one consistent in my life, as a deacon has been change. One thing about change that I have learned is that it can come about slowly or it can come so quickly that you are left reeling at what the impact of this change means in your life.

Early in the year I met with Bishop Melissa and discussed my desire to resign as Diocesan Coordinator of Education for Ministry, after 15 years of being involved with EfM in this capacity I felt it was long overdue for fresh blood to do this ministry. I love EfM and still believe in its value to transform peoples understanding of their faith and understanding of their baptismal ministry. I continue to mentor a Deanery group along with Debora Jones-Akiyama. We have eight students from three parishes in this area.

Not long after that discussion I received a request from +Melissa to be an Examining Chaplain for Applicants and Postulants for Ordination in the diocese. This is not a time consuming function as there may be up to two interview sessions a year but it is an honour to be selected to help discern individual calls to ordained ministry and their future in the church.

We see weekly at St. John’s new faces of all generations and it is refreshing to see younger adults and children joining us. This growth and change has refreshed my concern for a rich Christian Formation program for children. We gathered together a group of people to attend the Godly Play introduction sessions and we have been working slowly to incorporate this program into parish life.

In my family life my continuing care and support of my mother, Eleanor Bishop, changed my understanding of care for the elders in our lives. It has also given me new insight into the challenges of our failing medical system in this province.  It is a maze of bureaucracy and processes that takes twists and turns constantly. I see now that as we care for our aging family members, pastoral care is more than spiritual care but about advocacy for them in all that needs to be done to navigate the system and processes that overwhelms them.

5.

As mom lay in a hospital bed, our year ended with our third granddaughter Angelina being born sleeping at five months gestation and Christmas was a time of mourning for us.

Trudi’s healing and strength in her journey with breast cancer have been an inspiration to me as I witness her faith and the strength of God’s grace and love in her life. It has been an honour to stand because this person of deep faith on her journey through this time.

St. John’s is blessed with a network of supportive and caring people and this is felt whenever we gather together but also by our clergy team of Grant, Trudi and myself as we meet regularly to share our concerns and dreams and seek support of each other in parish life. We are complemented by the presence of Michael, Lilian and Carla, truly this team is a blessing to St. John’s and it is amazing to minister with each one of them. We are blessed and for this I say Thanks be to God.

Respectfully submitted, Anne Anchor

Envelope Secretary’s Report

I put up my hand when it was announced that May Fung is stepping down as Envelope Secretary after 7 years. I was advised that it is not a difficult role and I naturally assumed that it “would be a piece of cake”.  My “steep learning” began in April, 2015, and, I am still on the learning curve.

Many thanks to May Fung for holding my hand through the months, and is still continuing to do so. Thanks also to Bonnie SooChan who has been very patient and helpful with support and encouragement, not to mention the tremendous amount of time she took in helping me “undo careless mistakes”.

In 2015, 76 envelopes were issued, but only 69 were utilized. 29 Parishioners/Families donated by using pew offertory envelopes and 29 Families sanctioned Pre-Authorised Donations (PAD) on a monthly basis.

Should you wish to become an envelope subscriber, or to join the PAD programme, please contact the undersigned, or Bonnie SooChan.

6.

Offertory envelopes, for Visitors as well as for Parishioners who wish to use them, can be found in the pews and are also available at the Greeters’ table.

Interim Contribution Statements were distributed at the end of May and September 2015.

2015 Tax Receipts will be available in February 2016.

Below is a comparison of pledges for 2015 and 2016.

	No:	2015	No:	2016
General & Property Funds	69	$117,420.00	71	$132,792.00
Capital Improvement Fund	11	$5,030.00	7	$3695.00
Food Bank	9	$2,504.00	15	$4544.00
PWRDF	13	$3,313.00	18	$4517.00
Care & Share	11	$2,607.00	9	$2464.00

Many thanks, to all who have made my job a lot easier than what it would have been.

Respectfully submitted, Ruby Ng

 7.

 St John’s Altar Guild Financial Report 2015

Balance Forward – Bank balance as of December 31^st 2014     $189.49            

Receipts

Flower Donations                     $565.00

Candles                                     $  19.50

G.S.T                                        $    3.27

Other Donations                      $375.70

Total Receipts                                    $963.47                                     $963.47

Disbursements

Flower Expenses                                $711.58 

Bank Charges                                    $  20.99

Petty Cash                                $100.00*

Total Disbursements                          $832.57                                     -$832.57

Balance as of December 31^st 2015                                                      $320.39

*  Petty cash on hand $100.00

 

8.St. John’s Altar Guild Annual Report -January 2016

2015 has seen some changes to the Altar Guild with the addition of 3 new members who have been ‘in training’. We welcomed Josephine Thien, Ramona Howard and Jan Castle to our group.

As yet we have still not made the 5^th team and hopefully will be able to do so before too long. Anyone else who would be interested in joining us, whether to work on a regular basis, or to volunteer to help decorate the church at Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas, is encouraged to speak to a member of the Altar Guild, or phone Brenda Binns at 604 931 2482.

Charlotte Robertson continues as our treasurer. Changes have been made in this area with the closing of our account due to bank charges mounting. Funds are now being deposited to, and claimed from, the church.

All contributions are gratefully received for the candles being lit in the chapel.

There are still a few of the plates from St. Margaret’s. If anyone is interested in having one, please speak to a member of the Altar Guild.

If you would like to make a donation to the Altar Guild that we can apply towards extra flowers to have in the church for Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas, you may do so through your envelope.

There is a new flower chart located at the back of the church, beside the entrance to the chapel. If you would like to place flowers at the Altar to recognize a special occasion, in memory of someone, or for whatever reason you choose, please write your name on the chart and a member of the Altar Guild will contact you.

Many thanks to the members of the Altar Guild:-  Bonnie Soo Chan, Charlotte Robertson, Deborah Jones – Akiyama, Fay MacDonald, Fran Gordon,  Jan Castle, Josephine Thien, Lynne Milner, Mickey Marshall, Penny Lim, Ramona Howard, Roberta Oehlschlager, Rosa Weisensel and Sharon Cooper  for their dedication and hard work this past year.

Respectfully submitted -Brenda Binns

9.

St. John the Apostle –ANGLICAN CHURCH WOMEN

Statement of Receipts & Disbursements for the year ended December 31, 2015

Receipts

ACW Monthly Dues                                          310.25

Fundraising:

Spring Tea                                              1,828.25

Bazaar                                                       500.00

Crafts/Display Case                                  199.55

Calendars                                                  301.00

High Tea                                              1,150.00

Funeral Tea Donations/Meals on Wheels         1,844.20

United Thank Offering                                      202.65

Pizza Nights & Potluck Dinner Proceed           198.20

Estate & Memorial Fund Donations                  650.00

TOTAL                                                                    $7,184.10

Disbursements

St. John’s Contingency Fund                          2,000.00

Donations (Seafarers/PoCo Women/VST/      2,000.00

              St. Jude’s/Coming Home Society/Guyana)

Calendars                                                             207.00

ACW Annual Dues                                            264.00

Funeral Tea Reimbursement                               538.04

Sunshine Fund                                                      60.00

United Thank Offering                                        202.65

Vinyl tablecloths & bags for bazaar store         295.09

Miscellaneous        (AGM Reg./Hot Socks,

Altar Guild/Bulletins, etc.                                229.00

TOTAL                                                                     $5,795.78               $5,795.78

Net Receipts/Disbursements for the year                                                 $1,388.32

Funds on hand January 1, 2015                                                                $2,417.60

Funds on hand December 31, 2015                                                       $3,805.92

Respectfully Submitted-Antoinette Woodman, Treasurer

10.

Report on the A.C.W. activities for the year 2015

St. John’s Anglican Church Women generally meet on the third Thursday of the month, from September through to June. We have an average attendance of approximately 22 members at each meeting, but also receive support and contributions for our outreach programs and various activities from many other women (and on occasion, the men) of the parish on a regular basis. The A.C.W. meets to discuss and organize various fundraising functions, as well as other aspects of supporting our parish and the community. From time to time we organize and participate in a thorough cleaning of the church facilities. St. John’s A.C.W. members are also available to organize and serve refreshments following funeral services.

Some of our members attended the World Day of Prayer at Como Lake United Church, Coquitlam in March.

In May, a delegation of ladies spent an afternoon with Dorothy Saunier, taking all the supplies with them, for her birthday tea. Sadly, this was to be the last birthday celebration we had with Dorothy, as she passed away in August.

We held coffee and craft meetings throughout the year in preparation for the Spring Tea and the Fall Bazaar. Throughout the year we also hold some small social functions. This year we joined together for three evening meals and one ‘High Tea’. These are mostly social fellowship events but also generate additional funds for our outreach programs.

At our December meeting Brenda Lou-Hing gave a presentation on the expectations of her intended outreach mission to St. Anne’s Orphanage in Georgetown, Guiana in January, and the A.C.W. also made a donation to this mission.

We stay well connected with the Diocesan A.C.W. A small group attended the Area meeting at Christ Church, Hope in March, and a small delegation also attended the Diocesan A.G.M. in April at St Helen’s, Surrey. I continue to hold a position on the Diocesan A.C.W. executive board and meet regularly with other A.C.W. members from various churches throughout the diocese.

11.

Our outreach missions this past year included:

• Collecting used stamps, Campbell’s soup labels, aluminum pull-tabs, travel sized toiletries, used eye glasses, clean warm clothing and new layette (for newborn babies) items. These items are distributed to A.C.W. Place and other agencies that use them for outreach and other fund raising efforts. (We are no longer collecting prepaid envelopes.)

• Collecting our ‘United Thank Offering’ to donate to the Diocesan A.C.W. for Diocesan outreach programs.
• Assisting at A.C.W. Place one morning a month to sort and organize used clothing and to help pack the bales that are sent to the northern churches.

• Organizing the sale of the Canadian Church Calendar to raise funds towards our outreach programs. 45 calendars were sold.
• Supporting the St. John’s Sunshine Box by coordinating this outreach and providing funds for supplies.
• Supporting the St. John’s Food Bank by coordinating and assisting with pick up, sorting and packaging of Cob’s bread. Some of our members also assist with organizing the Food Bank.
• Hosting a monthly ‘Seniors’ Tea’ for Dufferin and Burquitlam Lion’s care homes and for our own parishioners. This event has been well attended and most successful. However it has been decided to reduce monthly teas to four times a year as Burquitlam Lions will soon be closing down and Dufferin are currently having some transportation problems.
• Hosting a ‘Driver Appreciation Luncheon’ for POCOMO Meals On Wheels Society to recognize their volunteers who deliver to seniors in the Tri-City area.
• Providing refreshments for five memorial services.
• Supporting the Mission to Seafarers, V.S.T., Tri-city Women’s Center, the Coming Home Society, St. Jude’s Anglican Home and St. John’s General Fund with both financial donations and practical assistance.
• Donating to the Mission to Seafarers 25 (shoebox) Christmas gift parcels, a large box of homemade cookies and treats, as well 36 dozen pairs of warm socks and 3 bags of gently used, freshly laundered stuffed toys.
• Preparing 23 baskets of Christmas goodies to deliver to some of St. John’s seniors and others who needed a little extra ‘cheer’.

12.

• Organizing the ‘Spring Tea’, ‘High Tea’ and ‘Fall Bazaar’ parish fundraising events. These are our main fundraisers and last year (2015) raised a total of $9,477.75. These funds are distributed mainly between the church’s General Fund and our outreach projects. (See Antoinette’s financial reports for further details).

The tenets of the A.C.W. are prayer, work, stewardship and fellowship which we continue to uphold. St. John’s is blessed to have a significantly healthy membership of A.C.W. women in our diocese. We not only work hard together and support each other in our endeavours, but also gain strength and solace from our fellowship together. We also appreciate the support that we receive from the rest of the parish. All women of the parish are welcome to join us at any of our meetings or social functions.

Respectfully Submitted by: Ann Adair-Austin

 COFFEE FUND REPORT

Thank you to all who graciously donate their time on an ongoing basis preparing coffee and refreshments for both services on Sunday mornings.   Also, a big thank you to our new members from St. Margaret’s sharing in this ministry.  A sign-up sheet for coffee duty is posted on the bulletin board in the hall and new names are always welcome.

Moving forward, Mel will also post a “goodie/baking” sign-up sheet on the bulletin board.  One member already offered to provide baking every 2^nd Sunday of the month.   If you wish to contribute towards coffee hour with goodies only, please sign your name on the sheet.  The person(s) signed up for coffee, will consult the “goodie/baking” sign-up sheet and will provide treats accordingly.

Since July 2007 we’ve been purchasing Fairly Traded Coffee via Kathy Renehan.  With the weekly donations the following supplies such as coffee, tea, sugar, napkins, juices and milk are purchased and the balance is donated to the Primates World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF).

13.

Coffee hour is by donation for everyone.  Below is a breakdown of donations received and expenditures during 2015:

Weekly Donations:                                                                                              $1,482.05

 

Minus:  Supplies                                                           $417.95

Fairly Traded Coffee                                          382.00

PWRDF                                                              682.10                           $1,482.05

  Closing Balance                                                                                                       NIL

Thanks to Mel and Betty who are responsible for purchasing all the supplies for coffee hour.

Respectfully submitted, Antoinette Woodman

 14.

Food Bank Lunch Program

 The Food Bank is held on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursday of the month. During 2015 we have received food for the lunch from Farrah Behni, for one of those weeks, which she has prepared in memory of her son. On the 3^rd Thursday we provided them with soup or sandwiches using the bread we receive from Cob’s. We also use their scones, cinnamon buns and fruit breads to ensure our costs are kept to a minimum.

The average amount spent on food for the lunch program is approximately $30.00 per Food Bank day from which we serve about 40-50 people.

Food Bank Christmas Dinner 

On Thursday December 17th approximately 74 participants and volunteers were served a turkey dinner. We were very fortunate this year that the Costco, in Burnaby, gave us a donation of $200, as they were unable to supply the turkeys we had been promised, at the last minute. The cost came in at $1.52 per meal.

Each family were given a Christmas card, a box of cookies and also a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables from the donations received from the parishioners of St John’s. These items were well received and again they were all very grateful for providing them with these extra treats for Christmas. 

Food Bank – Shopping / Costco /Hope for Freedom/ Donations

We have been able to take advantage of sales to buy extra supplies to give out at the Food Bank with funds that have been made available to us. These were a great help in restocking our supplies and helping to purchase enough items in order that the participants could be treated equally.

In December we were very fortunate to be the recipients of the “Food Bank Donation Bin” that was put out for the shoppers at the exit of the Costco store in Burnaby. Our shelves are well stocked at the moment with Kraft Dinners, baked beans, canned vegetables, fruit,  soup, pasta, sauces, cookies and crackers and these items should keep us going for a few months at least.

15.

Donations have been received again this year from the Hope for Freedom Society who periodically had a surplus supply of non-perishable items.

Donations of items such as small sized jars of peanut butter and jam, cereal, tins of tuna/salmon/corned beef/ham or chicken, pasta and sauces would be gratefully appreciated. Larger bags of rice, flour and sugar are also welcomed and will be divided into smaller quantities for distribution.

Bottle Drive

To date we have raised $6434.84 from recycling bottles, pop cans and juice cartons. The funds received from this are put into the General Fund. Please continue to support this by bringing these items to the church for recycling, or by taking them directly to ”Biggar Bottle Depot” on Kingsway Avenue in Port Coquitlam and crediting your refund to the St John’s account.

Our thanks go to Juanita and her helper, Myrna, who faithfully pick them up from the church on a Wednesday and return them to the depot.

Seniors’ Tea

The Seniors Tea at St. John’s is an outreach to the community and has been held on the 4th Monday of each month (except December) at 1.30 p.m. with an average of about 35 – 40 people attending. A group of seniors are brought by bus from the Dufferin Care Centre and another group are brought from the Burquitlam Lions Care Home. We also have about 12 parishioners who attend regularly and a dedicated group who volunteer to prepare, bake, set up and serve.

16.

The seniors have been entertained this year by:-The Glen Pine Singers; Bill Walls and Flora and Friends.

With Dufferin having problems getting transportation each month through Handi Dart as they have deemed a Non Essential Service, Burquitlam Lions Care Home closing by August 2016 and our own participants from St John’s going into Care Homes or being so busy, we have decided to hold 4 Seniors Teas this year. They will be held on February 29^th, May 9^th, September 19^th and November 21^st at 1.30 p.m.  We hope to see some of you there.

St John the Apostle Church-Financial Report for Senior’s Tea

Balance January 1^st 2015                  $255.80

Donations received                            $642.75

                                                            $898.55                          

Expenses                                             -$777.50     

Balance on hand December 31^st 2015                                       $121.05                         

The reason we have a positive balance for the Seniors Tea is due to the fact that we have donations of homemade baking and supplies made for these events.

Respectfully submitted by Brenda Binns

The Prayer Circle

The Prayer Circle has been serving the Parish of St John the Apostle since April, 2001.  The Prayer Circle is available to those in need, who seek the strength and healing power of unity in prayer.  Prayers can be e-mailed or phoned to the coordinator anytime.  They are shared in confidence among 22 members.  Prayers are offered for one week or longer if requested.  The Prayer Circle is also a place to share prayers in thanksgiving, praising the goodness of the lord.  New members are always welcome.

Respectfully submitted by Mickey Marshall

17.

Tuesday Study Group

12-14 people have been meeting for Bible Study on Tuesday mornings between 10 and noon. During Lent 2015 we studied the book, “The Interfaith Alternative”. We were saddened to see Grant go as leader and thank him for his spiritual guidance. We welcome Carla McGhie as our new leader. We will be doing a book study during Lent. This time provides an opportunity for prayer, spiritual growth and fellowship. Anyone interested in joining in on Tuesday mornings would be most welcome.

Submitted by- Lynne Milner

 Sunshine Box

 This past year the ACW sponsored sunshine box sent out 49 birthday cards, 3 baptism cards, 14 sympathy cards, 23 get well/thinking of you cards and 1 baby congratulation card.

Opening balance – $23.65

Credit from ACW – $60.00

Debit-Stamps – $53.55

Debit-Cards – $5.60

Closing balance – $24.50

Cards are sent out to anyone in the Parish who is in need or is age 70 or better. So if you know of someone who could use a card please contact Sue Hall after the 10:00 service or call 604-936-0176.

Submitted by: Sue Hall

18.

Parish Visiting Ministry – 2015

In 2015 we added two to members to our visiting team and we are grateful for their involvement. Twenty-one people are in this group including Grant and Trudi as our leaders. We meet three times a year to review the needs of the parish regarding pastoral care.  Generally, the visitors go in pairs to visit those in care or in hospital or homebound.  It is very sad when we lose dear ones who have been visited, sometimes for many years.   Dorothy Saunier died after 12 years in care, Lauren Savage died at home after months of home visits.

Rosalind Chong received pastoral care after news of a terminal illness unexpectedly shortened her life.   May they all rest in peace.

The needs change but the goal of compassionate and competent care is what we strive for and with our faithful and caring team here at St. John’s we will continue to do our best.

Submitted by- Joanne Walton and Alma Oldenburg

Property Report as of January 2016 – By: John Binns

2015 Review.

During 2015 the main focus was on straight maintenance with no major projects planned for the year, except for work at the Napier Street Rectory building.

Special thank you to the few individuals whose donations of time made it possible to keep the church grounds tidy, car park cleared, hedges trimmed, the flower beds weeded and the fence and parking lines painted. Special thanks to Olesea Chitul for the regular lawn mowing she completed regardless of the weather.

19.

2015 Church Maintenance included the following:

• Hinged window frame beside northwest exit staircase was damaged when opened with safety catch still locked. Entire frame was removed and rebuilt in Langley and broken glass panes replaced. Wood of frame was still in good condition, but joint fingers, which had snapped off, were all replaced.
• New signs were installed at top of car park and over church hall entrance
• Water leak detected and found to be in the cold water pipes which were buried beneath the concrete floor of the hall many years ago. Original line to under floor area was isolated and sealed off. As a consequence, new cold water supply lines had to be installed to all toilet tanks and washroom sinks, plus new supply pipes to the sacristy and kitchen sink. Finding a fairly unobtrusive run for the pipes was difficult, but ultimately the work was completed, and to date I have not received negative comment on the few sections of exposed pipe.
• Mandatory Fire safety inspection conducted and old expired extinguishers replaced or recharged, also smoke and heat detector fully tested along with fire alarm bells.
• New flag support frame built of machined oak, varnished and now in use so both Maple Leaf and Diocesan flags can be stood in furled vertical position.
• Mandatory Emergency lighting inspection, assuring lights remain on for at least 20 minutes under emergency power and then certification completed.
• Motion detection Alarm monitoring (annual).
• New CO detector installed in Korean office.
• Main Hall vacuum cleaner trunnion snapped off and is being replaced with new parts to avoid the alternate of a costly replacement of the entire unit. Power on/off switch also failed separately, which was replaced.
• Two floodlights failed due to ingress of water. Transformer, starter and capacitors all replaced, along with new bulbs.
• Ongoing pew, bookshelf and pew kneelers repaired, rebuilt and replaced as they are broken.
• Mandatory Furnace annual safety inspections and maintenance (3 units)
• Furnace filters replaced every 3 months including PMC filter cleaning.
• Suspected “Sink Holes” at rear of church investigated and found to be just surface erosion due to no proper drainage from east side roof downpipes.
• Gutters around church and PMC cleared of leaves and pine needles.
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• All alarm and clock batteries throughout both buildings replaced every December.

• Rodent problem appears to have been completely overcome. No sign of rodents in the church during 2015.
• Was advised by Port Moody engineering that all properties on this part of St John’s Street are NOT connected to storm drains and no practical way to change this. (see below)
• Complete stripping and re-waxing of church hall floors by Olesea and Brenda. This was a 2 day task. Thank you.

 2015 PMC Maintenance

• Old scenery supports from VBS etc. has been deconstructed to allow it to be stored on the shelving in the PMC. This has opened up the floor area considerably, with no further occupation of the floor
• Old gate latch removed from interior basement door and new ball latch installed to keep door tightly closed, yet remaining accessible from both sides.
• Roof power washed to remove buildup of tree needles etc. Gutter cleaning under trees to prevent overflow.
• Emergency equipment tested.
• New smoke detectors fitted in basement.

 2015 Yard Maintenance

• Cinch bug damage destroyed the front PMC lawn. The area was tilled, raked, new soil added and was then reseeded, and unfortunately this corresponded with our 2015 drought and “no watering” restrictions. As a consequence, the grass never germinated properly and needs totally redoing in 2016.
• Weekly lawn mowing from spring to fall by Olesea was completed very well.
• Sweeping / clean-up of car park by volunteers as required, especially in fall.
• Snow removal service not needed this year.
• New mercury vapour light was installed in upper car park and pedestrian ramp area.

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• Lawn mower serviced, oil changed, filter changed.
• Drain in car park power cleaned by city crew, but this is not connected to main city drain and is only a sump pit, so still very limited capacity, but a little better.
• Car park is still being used as a dumping ground by someone in the area; we have had batteries, car parts, and garbage bags of waste dumped in our car park, all of which we clean up on an ongoing basis.

 2015 Rectory Maintenance

• Outside of building power washed to remove any mildew etc, and then entire building repainted. Shutters etc removed, painted contrasting colour and reattached after wall surfaces completed.
• Large deck was power cleaned and rotting wood identified and replaced.
• Entire deck and outside staircase painted to match the new house colours.
• Furnace found to be very badly neglected, I had BC Furnace do a full furnace inspection and clean up, safety inspection report revealed the furnace is still safe to use. With this work, and improved air flow we hope high humidity found in building is now reduced, due to much better air circulation.
• Furnace inspection requested to be undertaken by BC Furnace.

 2016 Work

Church Maintenance 2016

• Steel handrails need repainting on steps near emergency exits and PMC rear entrance. VOLUNTEERS.
• Front double doors need to be removed and reinstalled in spring to correct locking latch problem. VOLUNTEERS.
• Staircase from Hall / Kitchen to Church needs painting now that better lighting is more clearly showing the blemishes in this area. VOLUNTEERS welcome!
• Gutters need at least annual cleaning to prevent damage to foundation and lower fittings.
• Need to investigate digging new drainage pit behind church to better handle storm rain flow from roof. (currently overflowing across grass)

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Paint ghost boards around outside woodwork on Church. VOLUNTEERS!

• Recertify fire emergency equipment.
• Recertify emergency lighting.
• Furnace annual maintenance.
• Ongoing lighting repairs and replacement.
• Hall floors need stripping and re-waxing again. This is an annual function at the very least.
• Drain to weeping tile at side entrance to Korean office is 90% blocked and needs professional attention, to prevent rain runoff from flowing into church basement in the event of a heavy rainstorm.
• Hot water boiler at end of its normal lifespan. We will replace it this year to avoid a potential flood.

 Yard Maintenance 2016

Front lawn of PMC and church will need replanting due to cinch bug infestation and consequential crow damage followed by draught in 2015 after it was reseeded…

• Lawn mowing will hopefully again be handled by Olesea as no consistent supply of volunteers has come forward.
• Garden shed needs urgent attention or replacing (floor and roof critical).
• Top soil mix and sod is needed to level the grass areas behind church, where subsidence too place. (This work to be timed after decision on weeping tile drainage pit)
• Pruning of trees and shrubs (especially away from flood lights)
• Ongoing maintenance issues, flood lights etc.
• A new lawn mower is required to replace existing unit now equivalent of 20 years old (if based on normal single lot domestic home use).

 PMC Maintenance 2016

• Rear deck surface needs refinishing.
• Deck and stairs need repainting and possible wood replacement where rot found.
• Gutters will need cleaning every spring and fall to prevent overflow.

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• Remove bee hive / wasp nest from west side basement wall of PMC. (in the wall)
• Funds permitting start project to rewire sockets in PMC to include a ground circuit. Some recently installed sockets are ok already, but 12 or more originals do need attention. To complete this work existing basement ceiling will need to be removed to allow for wire runs, and then replaced with drywall to code.

 Rectory Maintenance 2016

• Back yard fence needs a few fence supports which are leaning over either replaced or straightened up.
• Likely the furnace may need replacing as it is getting quite old. Await report from BC Furnace.

Volunteers for any of the above would be most gratefully received. Please contact the new property steward when announced or John Binns at 604-931-2482 to volunteer.

Respectfully submitted by- John Binns

STEWARDSHIP 2015 – TIME, TALENT, TREASURE

Your newly formed Stewardship team came together in September.  We attended the workshop lead by Glen Mitchell, Diocesan Director of Stewardship and Planned Giving.  We used Glen Mitchell’s suggested format for our campaign.  We used the 6 week schedule model.

Week 1 started October 18 and finished November 22.

We had wonderful presentations from Tony Pellett, Maureen Simons and Ann Adair Austen sharing their thoughts on what stewardship meant to them.

November 15 we focused on Time and Talent.  All of our volunteer groups shared what their groups did after the service.

There were tables set up in the lower hall and there was a good turnout.  Some groups even got more volunteers.

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Pledge Sunday was a success.  After the service we gave thanks by sharing cake and tea/coffee.

If you wish to pledge and have not done so you can do so any time.

Respectfully submitted,

The Stewardship Team- Fran Gordon, Teri Hazelton, Mary Lou Kyle and Betty Moore     

 

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