December 2015

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A Time for Beginnings

A Message from Michael Walker, Senior Warden

My Fellow Parishioners, Welcome to Advent!

In the church, Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year. The season begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ends on the day before Christmas. It is also thought of as a time for a new beginning for us as Christians. This is fitting for the family of Manakin as we find ourselves at the doorstep of several beginnings.

In December, the Vestry’s goal is to choose the Search Committee. I thank all who have been nominated or who nominated themselves. Unfortunately, we currently do not have enough nominees to move forward, so we have reopened the call for nominations. If you previously have been nominated or self-nominated, there is no need to resubmit your responses. If your name has not already been put forth, I ask you to prayerfully reconsider if you wish to participate in this important process. In my letter to the congregation about the search process, I asked each candidate to provide responses to four questions. Why do you want to be on the committee? What gifts, experience, and skillsets do you bring? What aspects of Manakin Church are the most important to you? What other information do you want the Vestry to know about you? Additional nominees can submit their responses to the Senior Warden through the church office, or they can be emailed to me.

Nominations will close on December 11. The Vestry will review the nominees’ answers and will put together the best possible combination of members who will truly represent every one of us in the search for our next rector. I thank all who wish to be considered.

The next beginning we will experience is our new Vestry which starts in January. At the November Annual Meeting, we elected 3 new members who will replace the 3 Vestry members whose terms end at the end of this year. I am excited to see some new faces on the Vestry. I congratulate Gunnar Kohlbeck, Robert King, and Coleman Brydon on their election. I am confident you will see this new Vestry continue Manakin’s long history of strong lay leadership.

This is the last time I have the honor of writing to you as your Senior Warden. It has been a busy year, and I appreciate the support I have received from so many parishioners. I thank the Vestry for diligently attending to the business of Manakin and keeping their fingers on the pulse of the congregation. I especially want to thank Ginger Marsh and Priscilla Condyles, who along with me, are ending their time on Vestry. I thank them for their service and commitment to our church. I thank our Junior Warden, Roy McLeod, for his support and for doing an outstanding job with scheduling supply priests, as well as keeping so many aspects of the church moving along. I also thank Martha Jenkins+ for her wonderful work with our pastoral care. There are many others who have helped me throughout the year, and I thank each and every one of you too.

I recognize this is a busy time in all our lives. It is also an important time in the life of our church. I ask you to continue to support the church and each other as you have in the past. We have special services like the 1662 Service, Advent Lessons and Carols, the Christmas Pageant and Christmas Eve service. Our committees continue their great work and there are plenty of opportunities to participate in the life of our church. Don’t forget Stop Hunger Now January 16.

The strength of Manakin Church is its people. Let us continue to support one another and continue to do all the good work God has called us to do. I am confident that with all of us worshiping together and working together, our family will continue to be strong.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and Joyous New Year.

Your Senior Warden,
Michael Walker

Note: As Manakin moves through this transition period, members of our congregation will be contributing to the Rector’s Message section of our web site.