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Rector’s Annual
Report
The Church of St. Jude
(Episcopal)
Wantagh, New York
January 22, 2012
In 1960, the venerable family film studio, Disney, released
“Pollyanna,” about the little orphan girl, Pollyanna Whittier, who was sent
back from the United States to live with her Aunt Polly after the tragic death
of her parents. Pollyanna's aunt, Polly Harrington essentially owned or controlled
everything in the town of Harrington, even the church. For most of the movie,
Aunt Polly considered Pollyanna a nuisance to be tolerated (barely) as a
"charitable" gesture to her deceased sister, Pollyanna's mother.
In the movie, Pollyanna provides the viewers with several
lessons that all Christians should listen to. The movie's first lesson comes
when Pollyanna finds Reverend Ford, the local pastor, practicing one of his
sermons (which were known to be fire-and-brimstone sermons) in a field outside
of town. They sit down to talk, and Pollyanna tells Reverend Ford how her
father, a missionary preacher, preferred to preach from what he called the
"glad texts" of the Bible. Pollyanna's father had noted over 800
verses in the Bible in which God tells us to rejoice or be glad or be happy,
and was of the opinion that if the Lord took the trouble to tell us 800 times
that he wants us to rejoice, then he must really mean it. Reverend Ford takes
this lesson to heart, and the next Sunday he announces from the pulpit that he
has personally researched the matter and has found 826 "glad texts"
in the Bible, which by his calculation should provide material for over sixteen
years worth of sermons.
Like Reverend Ford, as we finished 2011 and enter 2012, we
as individuals and parishioners of St. Jude need to remember that God loves us
and wants us to enjoy God’s creation! “This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it!”
Without a doubt, 2011 was a time at St. Jude that God gave
us many reasons to rejoice and be glad! As I give this 8th Annual
Report to you, the faithful of St. Jude, see how God has blessed us:
- Our
20-30 something ministry, Saints with Swagger, under the direction of
parishioner Brian Barry, has allowed young adults from our parish, from
other parishes, and the unchurched to find a safe space to share their
struggles, question their faith and find Christian friends.
- On the
first Sunday of Lent, the much needed 6 p.m. service began. This
meditative, emergent Holy Eucharist, although very Episcopalian, has
provided a third, very distinct worship option for our parishioners and
others in the community. It has attracted children, teens, young adults,
adults and seniors. It continues to grow as worshippers invite others with
them to experience the joy of a very intimate worship experience.
- As
women’s roles in society and the church have rapidly changed over the past
couple decades and as the vast majority of women are working outside of
the home while managing their family, the need for women to gather
together for mutual support, prayer and study has become ever-apparent.
This past December, with parishioner Lynne Hansen’s leadership, a Women’s
Prayer and Support Group started on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. prior
to the Healing Mass. The women who have been attending are being blessed
and will continue to be as this ministry expands.
- Thanks
to Vestry member Heidi Felix’s work, we celebrated our 40th
anniversary of our church worship space at a highly successful and fun
intergenerational Family Fun Day.
- Reaching
out to those who society has forgotten or natural forces have ravaged has
been a hallmark of St. Jude’s ministry. Thanks to our outreach ministry
led by Brian Quinn, parishioners continue to volunteer weekly at the Ali
Forney Center in St. Andrew’s, Astoria, preparing and bringing food for
the homeless teen and young adult Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered
and Questioning residents. We continue to provide food to area food
pantries, our annual Adopt-a-Family campaign helped three large families
this Christmas, parishioners donated 46 units of blood at our 2nd
annual Blood Drive, we continue to provide space to The Health and Welfare
Council of Long Island to assist in enrolling individuals and families in
Child or Family Health Plus or Medicaid, we’ve donated thousands of
dollars to the Standing Rock Reservation, Episcopal Relief and Development
for its Japan Earthquake response, Interfaith Nutrition Network, and
Heifer International and more! We’ve been caring for folks outside of our
walls and inside our walls as well.
- In
May, the Episcopal Church released the documentary of St. Jude as part of
its Transforming Churches’ video
series. This documentary reminded us, and also gave a glimpse to the
greater Church, just how much we have been blessed and how much we have to
be glad about.
I could go on-and-on-and on about how much we have to be
glad about. Whether it be our ministry with seniors under Edna Sinche’s
leadership, Christian formation and fellowship with and for our children under
the direction of Wendy Morgan, our joyous worship supported by our worship
assistants, choir, ushers, greeters, linen ironers, altar guild members and the
ever-beautifully arranged flowers by Thora Heeseler and her team, and much
more. I could go on; however, there is still another lesson from Pollyanna to learn.
The second lesson is an essential part of Pollyanna's
character, what she refers to as the "glad game". Pollyanna tells how
this game was invented by her father after her parents had requested that one
of their supporting churches send a doll for their young daughter. When the
missionary supply package had arrived, however, it had contained a set of
crutches rather than the requested doll. Pollyanna's father had stood with her,
looking at those crutches, and had told her that they must look for something
to be glad about for the arrival of the crutches - and they had decided that
they were glad they didn't need them! After that it became a regular game for
them, and even (or perhaps especially) after her father's death, Pollyanna
continues to look for something to be glad about in everything that comes her
way.
I don't know of any scriptural basis for Pollyanna's
"glad game," but it seems to me that if we look into our hearts, we
will find that God would probably prefer for us to find reasons to be happy
with the circumstances that we find ourselves in, rather than find fault with
what God provides. This principle can be found in such secular sayings as,
"Every cloud has a silver lining," "When life gives you lemons,
make lemonade," and "Always look on the bright side." This
doesn't mean that we should ignore tragedy or sadness, or that we should stick
our heads into the sand like ostriches to ignore problems, but simply that we
accept that the Lord will look after us, and that we try to find the positive
side of things. As we say every week, "God is good, and all the time God
is good."
2011 has had its challenges. Many dear parishioners have
died or have been hospitalized. Some are struggling with illness or spiritual
battles. Many in our parish are unemployed or underemployed. Close friends have
moved away. In the midst of all of this and so many more adversities and struggles,
we, faithfully following the Holy Spirit’s guidance, have taken challenges and
made them into opportunities for ministry here and in our neighborhoods.
So, my sisters and brothers, we enter 2012 stronger than
ever. Bucking all national trends, for the 8th straight year our
average Sunday attendance has increased, our membership has grown, and thanks
to your faithful stewardship and the education by Chris Wright and his
Stewardship Committee, we ended 2011 in the black and the Vestry has been able
to approve a balanced Ministry Plan for 2012.
To meet the growing needs of this community and our
surrounding areas, we will be starting a few vital ministries including, under
the direction of Traci Colfer, a children’s choir. We are discerning starting an
after-school arts program focusing on how the arts, whether it be arts and
crafts to the fine arts, can equip children in their formation. We will also
begin a Stephen’s Ministry which, locally run by parishioners, provides
high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered care and support to people
experiencing grief, divorce, cancer, job loss, loneliness, disability,
relocation, and other life difficulties. These ministries will need your
prayers and your support of time, talent and treasures. If you have an interest
in these ministries, please speak with me directly.
We have much to be glad and give thanks about. There is so
much going on and so much work to do, that I simply cannot thank you enough for
the work you are doing and will be doing to help St. Jude be that place of
welcome for all.
As I conclude this report, along with thanking you for your
support and commitment, I would like to thank your parish’s leadership. St.
Jude has always been blessed with a great group of leaders. If you look in the
narthex you will see the Wardens throughout the years. I have had the
first-hand privilege of working with wardens Hal Quinton, Jan Commentz and John
Stone. Although I never got to work with Ted Gerbracht and Chris Wright as
Wardens, their support has been invaluable. This past year, our current Wardens,
Ken Norian and Tricia Corabi, have been faithful, level-headed and spiritually
centered in their advice and leadership. I can’t thank enough our Treasurer
Brian Quinn for his work and also all the members of our Vestry – especially
Wendy Morgan who is rotating off the Vestry having served the maximum 6 years.
When I began 2011, little did I expect that in August Kerry
and I would finally, after 17 years of being together, be able to be legally
married. Many of you witnessed that glorious day – it was a proud and joyous moment
for us and I hope for you as well. Thank you!
My sisters and brother, let us live 2012 with Pollyanna eyes
and faith. Our Lord and Savior wishes us to be happy and rejoice and be glad.
As we work and strive together to be the people of God in this place and in
this time, let it always be the case.
Let us be glad!
Amen!
The Very Rev. Christopher D. Hofer
Rector |
Imagine a church of radical hospitality. A welcoming congregation filled with people from all walks of life and all ages who are seeking meaning and purpose in their lives.