A Message from Roy McLeod, Senior Warden

Dear Fellow Parishioners,

Despite the rare cancellation of services due to snow on January 24th, the activity in our parish continues at a high level. Average Sunday attendance has increased. Over 60 parishioners came out for both the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and the first Lenten Program presented on February 17th by the Reverend Canon Fletcher Lowe. We encourage you to plan to attend the upcoming programs which are listed on page 2 of this newsletter.

Our Search Committee continues to meet weekly and is currently working to develop elements of our Parish Profile. Paula Price, our Stephen Minister Leader, has trained a new group of Stephen Ministers who will graduate next month. The original class of Stephen Ministers is fully engaged serving our parishioners in this important area of pastoral care. And we continue to make progress in our efforts to engage an Interim Priest by early April.

Your Vestry has been busy reviewing our operations in a number of areas—one of which is the Kroger Community Rewards Program. Your attention is directed to the article on page 3 concerning the program and its importance in providing outside income to our operating budget. Our participation in that program fell from 47 registered families to only 9 in September due to Kroger’s requirement that all participants re-enroll. This program is a painless and easy way to supplement our operating budget and I hope you will consider taking part in it.

At its February 14th meeting, the Vestry continued to focus on the three priorities cited in the last issue of the Messenger. As a first step, with the assistance of Gunnar Kohlbeck, the Vestry briefly reviewed our current mission and vision statement as developed in 2007 to ensure these priorities meshed with our long term goals. It then determined that the goals of attracting new families with children and providing more opportunities for Christian Education and spiritual formation at every age and stage of life could best be met by developing a vision of what Christian Education at Manakin should be. It was decided to form a Parish Committee to (1) develop, with the assistance of the Diocesan Staff, a vision of what Christian Education at all levels should look like and (2) outline the steps to be taken to revitalize our programs so that we can begin achieving that vision this year. Among the items that might be studied are: staffing, budget, curricula for youth and adults, Sunday worship service schedules etc.

If you have an interest in being considered for service on this committee, please speak with any member of the Vestry.

By the time you receive this, we will be half way through the Season of Lent and our preparations for the Feast of the Resurrection on March 27th—so we encourage you to continue your participation in our corporate worship services and to strengthen your individual penitential efforts during the coming weeks.

Lord look favorably upon your people,

Roy McLeod
Senior Warden

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.