Incumbent’s Report, June 2, 2024
Confirmation Class 2024!
May has been – thankfully – a bit less jam-packed than March and April, but there’s still plenty going on!
I kicked off the month by being present with the Lay Readers’ Association of the Diocese of Montreal at their annual retreat at the Manoir d’Youville in Châteauguay, this time led by the diocese’s guild of spiritual directors. While both the “You are Leaven” conference and the LRA retreat were valuable experiences, it was also tough being away from the congregation on two out of three consecutive Sundays!
The May Messy Church was just as big as the prior two, but thanks to some savvy planning and more adults pitching in, it was considerably calmer and more manageable! And the weather was great so we barely noticed the lack of a kitchen as we bbq’ed on the lawn.
That’s right – the kitchen project got off to a running start on April 30! When I got to work at 9 AM the downstairs was already unrecognizable, and the work has proceeded full speed ahead since then. We’ve had some hiccups (like that time we had to call the fire department two days in a row …) but overall things are going well!
The Garage Sale on May 11 was graced with fabulous weather and everyone had a great time. A massive thank-you to Marie-Claude Martz for her skillful and tireless organizing!
On Pentecost Sunday, we baptized baby Benjamin Cyr and the three Ajoro children, and then blessed bicycles after the service. A week later, on Trinity Sunday, Bishop Mary preached and presided at the confirmation of four young people – three from All Saints’, one from St. John the Baptist, Pointe-Claire – and received Nicole Lalande into the Anglican Communion.
That afternoon, the tech team moved the Zoom equipment downstairs to the back of the church so that the sound booth and stained glass installation project can be completed in the coming weeks. Again, bear with us for the next few months as our usually constrained physical space becomes temporarily even tighter!
Looking ahead to the autumn, there are new projects and changes coming down the road. We’re starting to firm up plans for a capital campaign in 2025; thanks to the Building Project Committee that has helped us re-commence brainstorming what projects we might want to include! And our new families have asked for more focused formation for older children, so we’re planning a twice-monthly Bible Learning Time for all ages 8 and up, starting in September. This means putting off starting a new weekend afternoon/evening worship until after we see how these other new initiatives shake out.
The pace of things around here can be a bit head-spinning (I haven’t even mentioned the ongoing work of the Ginger Group!) but it’s all very exciting – and there will be a chance over the summer to catch our breath before diving into all these happenings in the fall.
See you at the next parish meeting on August 25 – and as always, of course, reach out to me directly if you want to talk.
In God’s peace,
Grace+
NEW MONTHLY SCHEDULE, SEPTEMBER 2024-JUNE 2025!
First and third Sundays of the month: Worship (Holy Eucharist) at 8:00 am and 10:00 am
Third Sunday of the month: kid-focused service at 10:00 am
Second and fourth Sundays of the month: Bible learning time (ages 8 and up) at 8:45; worship (Holy Eucharist) at 10:00 am
Fifth Sunday of the month: Worship (Morning Prayer) at 10:00 am
First Friday of the month: Messy Church at 5:30 pm (except January, when Messy Church will be on the second Friday)
SPECIAL EVENTS IN FALL 2024!
Welcome Back BBQ September 8
International Dinner September 28
Pet Blessing October 6
Roast Beef Dinner October 19
All Saints’ Evensong November 3
Christmas Bazaar November (15/?)16
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN 2025
June 2, 2024: Parish meeting – begin conversation, invite ideas
July/August 2024: Review prior conversations going back to the 2018 merger; start to get estimates for bigger pieces
Late August 2024: distribute list of ideas received to date
September 14, 2024, 9 am-noon: Final brainstorming session
October/November 2024: assemble capital campaign team
October 27, 2024: Extended parish meeting with potluck lunch; choose projects to include in capital campaign
January 2025: capital campaign team begins active planning
Annual Vestry 2025: vote on formally committing to capital campaign
May/June 2025: soft launch of capital campaign
September 2025: hard launch; hire architect and finalize plans
DO YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR WHAT WE SHOULD DO? Email them to buildingprojects@allsts.ca!
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