From the Vestry: Stewardship & the Patronal Feast

/

Every month the vestry meets to discuss the mission of the parish, review finances, and conduct other necessary business as the governing body of St. Mark’s. At the February meeting the following items were highlights:

  • Finances and Stewardship

  • Safety in the Kapahulu Neighborhood

  • Holy Week and Easter Worship

  • St. Mark’s Day

Finances and Stewardship

More parishioners are using the online giving option, and the online offertory cards have been well received. The vestry has also identified potential stewardship speakers in the congregation for testimonies at the masses in the upcoming months. The chart below from the treasurer, Dr. Michael Ida, shows a few financial trends for the first two months of 2019. Expenses have been well-controlled by the rector, wardens, and the vestry, being approximately $6,000 under expectation. Not much has been gained however, as pledge income is approximately $6,500 behind for the first two months of 2019. (Rental income is on target as expected.) The vestry will continue to monitor income, making necessary budget adjustments if pledge trends continue.

Safety Concerns in the Kapahulu Neighborhood

The rector shared confidential developments concerning safety in the neighborhood. The vestry is grateful for the work of the area police, and their helpfulness in regard to vandalism in the neighborhood. For further details, please speak with the rector or a member of the vestry in person.

Holy Week & Easter

The complete Holy Week schedule has been published on the parish website. The Rector has written more about Holy Week as well.

Feast of St. Mark

The vestry had a fruitful discussion about the best way to celebrate St. Mark’s Day. Many approaches have been done in the past. Sometimes the feast has been celebrated on April 25, and at other times the feast has been observed in conjunction with a Sunday in Eastertide. The observance is complicated, because when St. Mark’s Day falls within Easter Week, the day must be transferred to the first Monday after the Octave of Easter. This is the case in 2019. The result is a confused corporate memory for when the feast is celebrated, due to a lack of consistent practice, partly because of the rubrics of The Book of Common Prayer. After some discussion, the vestry and rector decided that a high mass for St. Mark will be celebrated on the last Saturday of April each year, preferably in the late afternoon, followed by a picnic, potluck, or barbecue. It is hoped that this becomes a beloved parish tradition. The feast will also be observed at the noonday mass on the appointed day, whether it is April 25, or an officially transferred day. Thus, in 2019 the Feast of St. Mark will be celebrated on Saturday, April 27 at at 4:00 pm with a high mass and garden party. The church will provide the meat for grilling, and parishioners are asked to bring a side dish to share. Parishioners may bring their favorite drinks. Weather permitting, the gathering will be on the lawn, so do not forget your lawn chairs, blankets, or beach towels. Those in the neighborhood who are hungry will be given plates of food and are invited to join us if they desire.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the Vestry will be on Sunday, April 28 at 12:00 noon in the Parish Hall.