Bishop’s Committee Candidates

Bishop’s Committee Candidate...................... Dale Hurt or djhurt@comcast.com

My family Julie (my wife), Madeline (my 2 and a half year old), and I became part of the St. Peter’s family a little over two years ago after not being comfortable at the church we were attending at the time. St. Peter’s was suggested to us by Laurie Pederson saying “you’ll feel welcome at St. Peter’s and you’ll love Mary Kate.” So with that we came to St. Peter’s to see why Laurie was so excited for us to attend. As you can see, we are still coming to St. Peter’s two and a half years later because we were welcomed with open arms by Rev. Mary Kate and the St. Peter’s family of Christ.

By attending St. Peter’s for over two years I can help the congregation at St. Peter’s grow by playing a role of listening to what others have to say about the St. Peter’s church family and bringing those thoughts to the correct people to help us become better in serving God. One way of doing this is becoming part of the Bishop’s Committee.

God has always been a part of my life. But I have really seen His work over the past few years, by leading us to St. Peter’s. He has reminded me that He has a purpose in all that He does whether it is good or bad in our eyes. The constant reminders of love that He has shown my family and me in recent months tell me that there is no one greater than God. And by believing in Him there will be eternal life.

I would like to see St. Peter’s grow and reach out to those who need Him most even more by what we give to charities, helping those in need whether a part of the St. Peter’s family or not. And by spreading the news that God is watching over them in all that they do. I would like to also see the house in which we all worship Christ become even bigger so that more people would be able to come and listen to what He has to say.

Bishop’s Committee...................................... Susan Keenan or keenan@sopris.net

I first became a part of St. Peters at its inception in 1989. We had just moved to Basalt (Elk Run to be exact) and thought it was a perfect opportunity to move our church life from Christ Church in Aspen to the newly forming St. Peters. After about a year and a half, when the church began evening services at Basalt Methodist Church, we moved back to worshiping at Christ Church since morning services worked better for us. In the fall of 2000, we rejoined St. Peters. With its morning services and its first full-time vicar, Mother Mary Kate, it was a perfect time. Spiritually it was a good time, also. My husband and I had lost our 11 year-old daughter that June and needed all the strength and guidance that the church (the parish, the priest and God) could offer us.

I have been on the Bishop's Committee for one 2 year term and would like to continue for another term. It is an exciting time for St. Peters. We are growing by leaps and bounds with people and programs and I would like to be a part of it all. Looking forward to a bigger facility and all that entails and providing support to the growing congregation of young people are important and exciting. This church continues to be a family to both Bob and me.

Bishop’s Committee.................. Glen Parker 963-1628 or theparkers@sopris.net

My wife Lynn and I have been a part of St. Peters for over 14 yrs. We were invited to a service by the Hoffmann family and started to come on a regular schedule ever since. We have two teenagers-- Kaitlyn and Cory. They have been coming for most of their lives. My part in the church has been small but important. I have been working with EYC in one way or another for the past several years. This has been a challenge and learning experience, but most of all a great joy to see them grow into young adults. I hope to continue to work with our kids in the future. I am now and will be for the foreseeable future part of the Discernment Committee. This has also been a rewarding experience.

My faith with Jesus Christ is strong and has always been a big part of my life. I have not always gone to church as I grew up Roman Catholic and had difficulties with some of their ways. (I am more than happy to explain these to any one if need be!) St. Peter's has helped me to see church in a new light. The Church family has been important and I would like that to continue. The sermons are very rewarding and I would like for more people to hear them.

My life has changed in many ways for many reasons since I have been a part of St. Peter's. But church has always been a part of that. I have watched St. Peter's grow in numbers as well as in faith. I am not exactly sure what I can bring to the Bishops Committee, but I leave it up to them to decide if my talents are what are needed.

Bishop’s Committee.............. Bill Smith 927-3199 or wgsmith@fuller-realty.com

I am the Chairman of Fuller Realty Partners, a Houston based Private Equity Real Estate Investment Firm. I am also the Managing Partner of other investment and development partnerships. I have been married for 38 years to Martha Smith and we have two kids and six grandchildren. Before my real estate career I worked for Mobil Oil Corporation for six years after graduating from college. I have a business degree from Louisiana Tech University and have taken numerous post graduate courses over the years primarily in finance, accounting and real estate. I have served on several boards of non-profits in Texas and been involved in numerous committees of non-profit organizations. I am currently a member of St. Martins Episcopal Church in Houston as well as St. Peter’s. I joined the Episcopal Church when I was in college after growing up in the Baptist Church.

Martha and I purchased our home in Basalt approximately five years ago. We love St. Peter’s and have enjoyed being a part of this church. We live in Basalt most of the time but travel on business very frequently.

January:

Annual meeting – Welcomed Geoff Gwynne as Priest-in-charge at Christ Church

The Holland Hills church building goes on the market precipitating serious consideration of our own facilities and parish feedback process.

Established position of part-time office assistant

February:

Bishop’s Committee Retreat with Fr. Brooks Keith, Transfiguration, Vail

Women’s Retreat at St. Benedict’s Monastery

March:

Lay-Led Ash Wednesday services

Start of Lenten preaching series on the Church: Sanctuary, Body of Christ, Bride of Christ, and Ekklesia

Parish Ski Day at Buttermilk

April:

Parish Lent Evening Seder with Carolyn Manosevitz

Holy Week

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services

Stations of the Cross in English and Spanish with our Roman Catholic, Methodist, and other ecumenical brothers and sisters.

Easter Vigil

Easter Day—our highest attendance so far!

May

Mother’s Day and Graduate Recognition of Jenna Bruce, Sam Hoffmann, and Liza Seymour/Rudecoff

Discipleship Class convened with 12 students

Taizé Musicians begin offering music once a month at the 9:30 liturgy

June

EYC/Youth Group Mission Trip to Juarez, Mexico

Remodel of Church through a week-long Work Party

Diocesan Convention Elects Rob O’Neill to be the 10th Bishop of Colorado

July

Our first outdoor baptisms under a tent in the back yard

Discernment Committee convened.

Summer Camp at Trinity Ranch

Triennial Meeting of the Episcopal Church is convened – Mother Mary Kate makes sure that the worship at the Convention goes smoothly. And it did!

August

All Parish Camp Out at Chapman Group Campground

Ministry Review completed with goals for St. Peters and for Mother Mary Kate established

Renewed Letter of Agreement with Mother Mary Kate written and signed

September

All Parish meeting on St. Peter’s and the Growing Years School

Growing Years lease renewed for one year with conditions

Two Fall Kerygma Classes started with a total of 16 students

Fran McKendree inspires us again with his music for worship and an evening jam session with St. Peter’s musicians

October

Diocesan Convention in Denver

Consecration of Bishop Rob O’Neill

Pony Express Stewardship Drive gets off to a roaring start

Wonderful Harvest Feast at Blue Creek Grill

Membership Teaching and Process begins

November

Open House at the Vicarage

Baptisms at the Feast of All Saints and our first Welcoming Sunday for new members

Grandfathering and Grandmothering Sunday for all current members; more than 50 Bibles given away

December

Annual Caroling Party and celebration of Phyllis Hollenbaugh’s birthday – December 21st

St. Peter’s bursts at the seams at two Christmas Eve Services

Buildings Report...................... Peter Hoffmann, 963-1759 or sixhoffs@juno.com

St. Peter’s owns and manages two buildings: the vicarage, where the Vicar lives, at 402 Devon Court in the Columbines, and the church building, at 200 Elk Run Drive. We are responsible for all maintenance on the church building, and any interior maintenance and upgrades on the vicarage. Mother Mary Kate serves as the Secretary for the Board of Directors of the Columbine Homeowner’s Association also.

In 2003, the following maintenance issues were addressed:

The Vicarage

Daryl Pederson and Peter Hoffmann installed a new window in the hallway.

the gutters and down spouts were dissembled and cleaned.

John Kenworthy upgraded some of the heat tape electrical service.

the old redwood deck was removed and recycled

bringing natural gas to the residence was investigated

the carpets were cleaned at the vicarage by the Altar Guild in November

The Church:

Larry Gruel and Peter Hoffmann installed a newer microwave and range

the main entry to the Sanctuary was moved to make more room and the area was repainted

John Kenworthy installed a new electrical outlet

the boiler was inspected and numerous upgrades were performed to insure its' operation

a new thermostat was installed in the Sanctuary to insure comfort during the early services

the old drinking fountain was removed and the drywall was repaired

a bulletin board was put up to post projects about the area

the library area downstairs was turned over to the church giving us much needed space

a leak was repaired in the library ceiling

swamp coolers were serviced in the spring and fall

the exterior signs were repainted

I think this covers most of the work performed over the course of the year.

Treasurer's Report......................... Laurie Pederson 963-3112 or penfam@rof.net

St. Peters has experienced a good year in many ways. Our expenses for the year came in under budget, which is good news. Even though we had a 37% increase in pledges over 2002 not everyone who pledged support fulfilled their commitment. Fortunately, we had more than a 100% increase in plate donations, over the budgeted amount, which helped us offset the loss in pledge money. However, we can't always rely on increased plate donations which further stresses the importance of fulfilling our pledge obligations

Our expenses for the year were close to the budgeted amounts and even our remodel in June did not put us way over budget! There are only a few areas of the operating budget that exceeded 100% and most of the categories were under 100% expended at year’s end.

We look to be in relatively good shape for the start of 2004. Our pledges have increased by approximately 39% to more than $148,000. We still have $70,000 in our investment funds. We also have established two new important funds-a Building Fund to build a new church and a Sabbatical Fund for the vicar - both of which have received donations.

Larry Gruel has been invaluable with his strategic planning and we will be adding the expertise of Dwayne Romero. I will continue on with the day to day operations.

Vicar’s Report

The Letter of Agreement or Covenant I have with St. Peter’s states three primary roles through which I exercise my leadership, based on the Rite of Ordination of a Priest in The Book of Common Prayer (p. 531). Those roles are priest, pastor, and teacher. A fourth role that is unwritten in the vows but an obvious aspect of my ministry is administration and management. The lists below demonstrate how I have fulfilled those roles this year, usually Sunday-Thursday. Friday and (when possible) Saturday, are my Sabbath or rest days.

As St. Peter’s priest I provide:

Regular Sunday worship in three liturgies of Holy Eucharist;

Worship for feast and fast days including Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week and Easter, All Souls Day, and Christmas;

Scheduling and planning of music, along with lay volunteers;

Opportunities for review and evaluation of worship;

Welcoming of visitors and new members with written correspondence, visitation, and the Membership and Welcoming Teaching;

Preparation for and timely administration of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Matrimony

Occasional liturgies such as House Blessings, Healing Prayer, Reconciliation, and others as needed;

Communication with Christ Episcopal Church, Aspen, our parent church;

Evaluation of our overall ministry together with regular Ministry Reviews (most recent one completed in August of 2003)

As St. Peter’s pastor I provide:

Direct pastoral care, including hospital and home visitation, during times of illness, stress, death, transition, or life changes for members of St. Peter’s;

Appropriate pastoral counseling to those who seek it, informally and formally;

Some pastoral care for those in our community and not (yet) part of St. Peter’s on an as-needed or referral basis;

Regular, daily prayers offered on behalf of St. Peter’s and its members, mission, and ministry.

As St. Peter’s teacher I provide:

Primary teaching for regular adult Christian formation opportunities including: Bible Study, prayer groups, the Discipleship Course (Spring 2003), and Kerygma Bible studies;

Alongside lay leaders, training and consultation for liturgical and worship ministries such as Lay Eucharistic Ministers, Lay Readers, Acolytes, Altar Guild, and Ushers;

Primary leadership and support for the Youth Group/EYC, including regular meetings and the 2003 mission trip to Juarez, Mexico;

Opportunities for youth to participate in Diocesan Events such as the Quest 2K2 and Genesis Weekends at Frontier Ranch, and summer camps at Trinity Ranch or Camp Illium;

Opportunities for education for lay persons by use of moneys budgeted for Parish Leadership Training—this year for participation in the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People for three persons, and also for music training offered by Fran McKendree in September;

Leadership for the Annual Women’s Retreat;

Formation and support for the Stewardship Committee;

Occasional guest teachers and preachers—in 2003 this included Deacon Joe Forinash (Diaconate), Deacon Rhoads Hollowell (Diaconate), and Michael Kubec (Planned Giving); Kimmie Hollowell (Anglican Rosary)

Support of the Sunday School director and teachers.

As the person responsible for St. Peter’s administration, I have offered:

Leadership, formation, fellowship and spiritual guidance and counsel to the Bishop’s Committee;

All required paperwork and obligations as a church in the Diocese of Colorado and the National Episcopal Church—the parochial report, the annual giving of 10% of plate and pledge moneys to the Diocese of Colorado, and 3% of plate and pledge moneys to the Mountain Region;

Paid personnel for music, nursery care, bookkeeping, and office administration;

Day-to-day management of the St. Peter’s Building at 200 Elk Run, including Growing Years School and other organizations that use the building;

Regular communications including: the weekly bulletin, newsletter, email communications.

Because priests are ordained for the whole church while serving a local community, I also participate in ministries beyond the Episcopal Church and the Roaring Fork Valley. This year these have included four different areas.

On behalf of St. Peter’s in the local community I have:

Led a monthly gathering of Basalt, El Jebel, and Carbondale pastors, called Colleagues in Christ. This group is responsible for the Community Thanksgiving Service and the Basalt High School Baccalaureate Service, as well as serving as a vehicle for Christian unity and shared mission in the mid-valley;

Sponsored the work of and participated in the Safe Place Project to provide community forums to discuss the war in Iraq, foreign policy, and multiculturalism;

Taught the Everybody© HIV/AIDS curriculum to 6th graders (4 days) and 8th graders (5 days) at Basalt Middle School

On behalf of St. Peter’s in the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado I have:

Represented St. Peter’s at the Annual Diocesan Convention and the October Clergy Conference;

Served as the main speaker for the youth (6th-12th grade) Quest2K3 Weekend in April;

Served on the Board of Examining Chaplains (resigned in December 2003 due to other diocesan appointment and obligations);

Served on the Joint Western and Mountain Mission Strategy Committee;

Led a parish retreat for St. John’s Granby, in March;

Been recently appointed to the Bishop’s Task Force on issues of human sexuality and the Episcopal Church;

Provided primary leadership for a week of Diocesan Junior High Summer Camp (July 2003) at Trinity Ranch.

As a priest for the whole church:

I serve as a Coordinator for Worship Services for The General Convention (triennial meeting) of the Episcopal Church (indefinite term);

What I’ve done less of this year:

Christ Church, Aspen Vestry meetings quarterly instead of monthly;

Growing Years School Board meetings after we renegotiated my Letter of Agreement and the lease with Growing Years School;

General office work, thanks to the position of Office Administrator filled by Lindsay Hoffmann, Kathy South, and Linda Morgan;

Music planning, thanks to the ministry of Dory Light;

Snow shoveling—thanks to mystery snow shovelers!

What I intend to do more of next year:

study and preparation for teaching and preaching;

regular pastoral visitation of members;

bake bread;

camp and hike in the summer;

long range planning;

write.

Fast Facts for 2003:

Organizations that have used St. Peter’s Building in 2003: Growing Years School, the Parent/Teacher Resource Library, Parenting Courses and Workshops, Aspen Valley Hospital Birthing Classes, CMC Early Childhood Education courses, a Marriage Course offered by a local counselor.

Number of sermons preached at St. Peter’s in 2003: 152

Total number of persons who worshiped at St. Peter’s on Sundays or other days: 5,214

Miles I’ve driven on behalf of St. Peter’s, the Diocese, and the National Church: 13,277

Bags of food collected for Loaves and Fishes Sunday: 38 (and they were full!)

Number of Holiday Basket families sponsored by St. Peter’s members: 13

Cars given to the Episcopal Sudanese congregation in Denver by parishioners: 1

Funerals, Memorials, and Weddings provided by persons outside of St. Peter’s: 1, 1, and 1 of each

Meals Prepared by the Sunshine Committee for parish use: at least 40 (that’s in addition to all the meals prepared by members of the parish that are taken to those who request meals)

Remaining amount owed to St. Peter’s from the Find us Faithful Capital Campaign that was forgiven: $12,882.

Wraps from Bumps consumed at Parish Ski Day in March: more than 50

Parish Life and Ministry Reports

St. Peter’s is the people of the church, because the ministers of the church are rightly all baptized members. The Parish Life and Ministry Reports (arranged alphabetically) describe the purpose, goals, and people who are involved in these ministries. If you would like to join a ministry or volunteer to help, simply contact the contact person listed.

Acolytes............................................ Frank Rudecoff 927-9613 or franksr@rof.net

Our Acolytes are a wonderful group of young people who have served St. Peter's well over the past year. As our older members have been away at college(they still serve when they are here!!), we have been fortunate in gaining new members who have learned the ministry well and are already serving on Sunday. How blest we are to have such a talented group of young people. During 2003 we purchased one new alb as our growing acolytes require larger albs. In 2004, our needs will focus on adding and replacing albs and possibly getting 1 or 2 wooden crosses for the acolytes to wear during the service. Our alb needs would be met with the purchase of 3 more vestments with ropes(2 mediums and 1 large). In 2004, I would like to see our acolytes serve at the 8:00 AM service as well as the 9:30. This would give them more opportunities to serve. Many of them have mentioned that they would like to serve more often and adding their ministry to the 8 AM service would enhance the liturgy and provide more experience for our acolytes.

In conclusion, our acolyte program is an important ministry at St. Peter's and our young people have served exceptionally well. I am honored to have been their leader over the past year.

Altar Guild............................................... Mary Ellis 963-3002 or ellis@sopris.net

and Cindy Everett 927-3413 or keverett@sopris.net

The Altar Guild of St. Peter’s cares for the altar, the sanctuary and the preparations for our celebration of Holy Eucharist. This includes tending to the altar linens, altar vessels, flowers, candles and vestments. We are fortunate to have a group of dedicated volunteers. Our current members are: Karin Bannerot, Cindy Bruce, Maurine Fitzpatrick, Nancy Hoffmann, Martha Smith, Barbara Stirling, and Judy Whitmore with Cindy Everett and Mary Ellis serving as co-chairpersons.

This year we continued the special projects that we began the end of last year. We completed the different colored altar cloths that were made by Cindy Everett and Maurine Fitzpatrick. Sallie Enderlin made us several new sets of Altar linens. As we look forward to 2004, we plan to continue to work with Mary Kate to accommodate our growing needs as this relates to our duties on the Altar Guild. We are currently working with Sallie Enderlin to design a banner for St. Peters. We welcome any design ideas for this representation of our church.

We would like to thank all of our committee for being a dedicated and dependable group. Laurie Pederson retired from the Altar Guild this last year, and we would like to thank her for all of her years of dedication and leadership. We welcome any new members interested in joining us in our ministry.

Choir........................................ Dory Light 945-9560 or dlight@coloradomtn.edu

In 2003 a regular choir group formed under the volunteer leadership of Dory Light. Practicing after 9:30 church on Sundays, and occasionally at other times, the choir offered special music for All Saints Day and for the late service on Christmas Eve. More good things are in store for our music together in the year to come!

Church School/Sunday School...... Nancy Heard 927-4575 or elkheard@aol.com

Nature and Purpose: To provide Christian education on Sundays (Sept to April) during the 9:30 a.m. service to the children of St. Peter’s, aged 3 years old through high school. Sunday school is broken into three age groupings: Age 3-8 years, Upper Elementary (grades 3- 6), and Junior and Senior high (grades 7-12).

Curriculum and teachers: The curriculum for ages 3-8 years Godly Play. The “story tellers” are: Christina Kane (lead teacher), Susan Keenan and Nancy Heard. Hillary Smith is a teacher’s aid and is interested and ready to lead a class. The curriculum for Upper elementary is Living the Good News. The teachers are Linda Morgan (lead teacher), Margaret Maxwell and Lee Ann Eustis. The curriculum for the Junior and Senior High is Living the Good News. The teachers are Lindsay Hoffman (lead teacher) and Susie Evans. Carolyn Fisher is a substitute teacher for all programs.

Financial: The Sunday School program has spent $411.00 in 2003 on a budget of $1,000. The 2004 requested budget is $1,000.

Attendance: The Sunday School program has a potential ministry to 38 children. Since September 2003, 30 of these children have attended Sunday School on a regular basis. We have not seen the other 8 children and/or their families in church recently.

Vision and Goals:

To continue to expand the Godly Play library. Meet with Christina and Susan in January to organize the library, map out materials needed for the remainder of the year, and order materials.

Evaluate curriculums for Upper Elementary and Junior and Senior High programs. I will sit in on their class sessions to become familiar with the content and then meet with the teachers to gather their input and recommendations for next year’s curriculum. Evaluate the Godly Play program for Upper Elementary.

Prepare Hilary Smith for teaching Godly Play. She should be able to teach on her own very soon.

Acknowledgements:

Thank you to the teachers and the team leaders for their commitment to our children!

Thanks to Mary Kate for her support of the programs.

Discernment Committee........... Glen Parker 963-1628 or theparkers@sopris.net

and Karen Smith 963-1478 smith@sopris.net

The Discernment Committee was convened in July 0f 2003, at the direction of the Bishop’s Committee and the Vicar, to provide discernment for Karen Smith, a member of St. Peter’s. Discernment is provided for a person who feels a call to ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church. Training was provided by The Rev. Nina Stasser, Rector of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Glenwood Springs, and the group uses materials provided by the Diocese of Colorado for exploring a call to ordination through study, prayer, conversation, and reflection.

The Discernment committee continues meeting on a monthly schedule. It has been a rewarding and growing experience for all. We appreciate your prayers and support as we journey with Karen Smith through her journey with Christ. The committee members are Lindsay Hoffmann, Laurie Pederson, Susan Keenan, Linda Haydock, Marilyn Baker (from Christ Episcopal Church, Aspen), Glen Parker (meeting convener) and Karen Smith. The committee will continue to meet until the work of discernment is done, and then they will report to the Bishop’s Committee and to the Diocese of Colorado.

EYC/Youth Group..................... Glen Parker 963-1628 or theparkers@sopris.net

EYC/Youth group meets monthly and is open to all youth in 6th-12th grade and friends are welcome also. We eat pizza for dinner at our Sunday evening meetings. There are about 20 young people who are in the EYC age group—most Sundays we have about 10 of those great kids in attendance. We have had a great fall and early winter so far. I am hoping that it continues throughout the rest of the season. Our goals are to form bonds as a community of young people, and to learn and grow as Christians. It’s hard to do this meeting once a month.

The kids have even asked to meet more often for a shorter period of time. So one of our goals for the future is that we are considering meeting two times per month. I would like the help and support of parents and congregation so we can meet more often. The movie night at Mary Kate's on December 30 was a lot of fun and that might be a way of meeting two times per month. We are putting together a Lord of the Rings Lock-In for the Winter also. If you would like to sponsor a movie night please contact me at 963-1628. It is a great way for all of us to meet our youth and have fun at the same time.

We are also planning another mission trip to Juarez, Mexico in June and would invite all 8th grade graduates and up to consider coming. It was a great success and eye-opener for all of us as we saw a “different way of life” (to put it mildly). Thank you for your support. Without it we could not be able to do so much for our youth. Together we can continue to help the youth of St. Peter’s.

Holiday Baskets................................ Cindy Everett 927-3413 keverett@sopris.net

The Holiday Basket Project is a 22 year old program coordinated by Christ Episcopal Church in Aspen and sponsored by Aspen Interfaith Association. This program assists families in need that live in the El Jebel to Aspen area with Christmas gifts and food vouchers. Families are referred by local social service agencies. Tamar Johnson from Christ Church is the main coordinator of the program. Cindy Everett is the coordinator for St. Peter’s and works with the coordinators for 3 other Basalt churches, St. Vincent’s, Christ Community and the United Methodist. Another part of this program is money collection through change jars, this money goes towards food coupons for the families. Carolyn Fisher has been taking on this duty in the Basalt and El Jebel area for the past 2 years.

For Christmas 2003 the program served 260 families, of which over 1000 were children. At St. Peter’s, we adopted 13 families, a total of 51 people. In addition we collected individual gifts and money donations that went where needed. Thank you to all who participated in this special project!

Lay Eucharistic Ministers and Lay Readers

Frank Rudecoff 927-9613 or franksr@rof.net

Over the past year we have added a number of new people to the Lay Eucharistic Minister (LEM) and Lay Reader (LR) roster. Our LEM staff grew with the addition of 3 talented ministers and we added 2 exceptional Lay Readers to our ranks. Beginning 2004 finds us with 4 Lay Readers and 13 Lay Eucharistic Ministers. Our Lay Reader Class was newly formed in 2003 and gave the new (and old) LR's a good background in the rubrics of our services and the format of our Book of Common Prayer. In the coming year I would like to see us add 2 more LR's(2 are in training at present) and to revamp our books that we use at the altar to make them more easy to use. Our vestments needs are similar to the acolytes so any increase in their inventory will also benefit us. As we are going to an enhanced sound system for some of our services, a lavalier type of microphone would be a helpful addition for our LEMs and LRs. As with our other ministries at St. Peter's our LEMs and LRs are a spirited group who have served and continue to serve at a top-notch level. Their service during our services is invaluable.

Nursery....................................... Phoebe Gruel 963-1349 or gruels_co@msn.com

The nursery ministry of St. Peters provides care for infants and toddlers at the 9:30 am Sunday service and childcare for many ages during other gatherings and meetings throughout the year.

My mission for our nursery is two-fold. First, I want children to feel good leaving their parents for “nursery time.” Second, I want parents to know their “blessings” are safe and will be loved and nurtured. This gives parents the ability to focus on their worship and spiritual needs.

I lead this ministry with the help of parents, teens and other volunteers. In December, I was blessed with the help of Robin Child, a senior at Basalt High School and the granddaughter of Ruth Johnston. She is full of energy, patient and very happy playing with our children. I am looking forward to working with Robin for the coming months.

The budget of $3,000.00 for 2003 was used completely. For 2004 I have requested a budget of $3,500.00.

My goals for the coming year include my mission as well as some more structured leadership. I will be recruiting additional parent and adult volunteer help on a regular basis. Don’t be surprised if I ask you! It really is fun.

A significant portion of the growth of our church has been young families, many with “babies on the way”. It is critical that our nursery be prepared with two caregivers each Sunday to meet this need. I believe St. Peters will continue to grow by leaps and bounds if we nurture each child as if he is our own.

I am so humbled to know you trust your children to me and God has called me to this special ministry.

Office Cleaning...................................... Lee Ann Eustis 963-3707 or lake@rof.net

Cleaning the downstairs area of St. Peter's is scheduled for every other week. It is not an arduous job, especially when done by two in tandem, vacuuming, mopping and tidying the kitchen area and bathrooms. It is easily accomplished in two hours. Unfortunately this task has been neglected due to the lack of regular volunteers. If anyone would like to choose a way to contribute to the ministry of St. Peter's with an easy flexible calendar schedule, please consider this task. I would like to thank the volunteers who have stepped forward this year: Linda Haydock, Nancy Hoffman, Janet Mineo, Linda Morgan and Kim Ochko. We are using environmentally friendly cleaning products and paper whenever possible.

Office Volunteers and Work....................... 927-4235 or info@stpetersbasalt.com

We have on-going needs for people to pitch in with office things: such as folding and stuffing bulletins and liturgy books, assembling the newsletter, answering the phone or doing odd-jobs. There are several particular jobs for which we’re seeking volunteers with some very specific skills at this point; if you have skills to offer in these areas, please contact Mother Mary Kate:

Newsletter Publication and Editing

Web Page Construction and Maintenance

Computer Maintenance and Help

Photographers and Videographers to regularly record Parish Life and Events

Outreach.............................. Judy Whitmore 963-0884 or jwhitmore@sopris.net

St. Peter’s has traditionally made a commitment to give 10% of the income from pledges to spread God’s love to the community at large. The “Outreach Committee” is the group of church members who make the selections, and then those selections are communicated to the Bishop’s Committee for approval or changes.

In recent years the members of the committee have attempted to provide gifts to a variety of organizations, focusing primarily on local organizations and secondarily on statewide, national and international gifts. The committee also feels it is important to spread the gifts so that they would benefit people of various age groups (young to old). This year the committee selected the following gifts:

$1,000 to our EYC to gift during the 2004 mission trip. The idea is for the young people to gain experience in assessing needs of the community they serve during their mission and to come to consensus on how/to whom they want to spread these funds;

$1,500 to Tom’s Door (Interfaith outreach program serving the needy of the Roaring Fork Valley, run by volunteers, 100% of the money is gifted);

$1,000 to Youth Zone;

$1,000 to Basalt Family Resource Center;

$1,000 to Carbondale Family Resource Center;

$1,000 to Heritage Park Care Center;

$1,000 to the Salvation Army Emergency Fund, helping needy individuals in the Roaring Fork valley with emergency assistance, often for housing/utilities needs;

$500 to Response;

$500 to Advocate Safehouse Project;

$1,000 to Mary’s Hope (a Denver-based organization helping victims of child sexual abuse (young adults/adults) recover from the emotional damage;

$500 to the Mercy and Sharing Project (an organization established by the Krabachers of Aspen to provide orphanages and rescue of abandoned Haitian children).

$1,000 to Friendship Bridge, an organization that helps women in Guatemala to establish and run income-generating projects and businesses. Some of our church members and Mother Mary Kate have traveled to Guatemala and experienced this project first-hand (see Linda Haydock and Barbara Stirling for more information!) This gift was inadvertently left off the list when our gifts were reported in the newsletter in December of 2003.

Thanks to Linda Haydock, Betsey Safford and Ann Koveleski for their help this year! Since giving money as “outreach” is something everyone who pledges participates in, please consider helping with the committee next year if you would like to have input on where your money goes.

St. Peter’s members have traditionally collected food for Lift-Up and generously given gifts, money and food for needy families for the holidays. This is part of what we do to reach out to others, as well. This year in the July in-gathering for Loaves and Fishes Sunday, we collected 38 bags of food for a total of 456 pounds given to the Lift-Up Food Pantry in Glenwood Springs.

Outreach also consists of gifts of time and talent, and gifts of “in-kind” nature. The Bishops Committee has discussed our commitment of 10% of pledges, and we are considering some modifications next year. As we neared the end of the year and did not receive 100% of the money pledged, we ended up giving out over 10% of our income before we really knew what moneys would be received. Because we have budgetary concerns, the BC discussed being more responsible with our income by cutting back on the amount of money gifted, in part by considering such things as our large gift of free rent to Growing Years as part of our outreach for 2004. Although we hope to be receiving rent from Growing Years as of September, 2004, we could consider at least $5,000 of in-kind support to Growing Years as part of our outreach commitment. If you have ideas or other comments on this issue, please provide your input to the Bishop’s Committee or Mother Mary Kate.

In the past some members of St. Peter’s have expressed interest in having a more “hands on” approach to outreach. This means members spending time and talent helping people directly. (Did you know that St George’s Episcopal Church in Leadville provides 4 weekly community meals *free* to anyone, and their average Sunday attendance is under 20?) Our experience is that such efforts have been difficult to organize in our congregation, with members spread out in different communities and busy people going all different directions to their jobs. Many of us feel we don’t have time to spend with our families when we spread ourselves too thin. However if you have the time and energy and want to explore or begin a project or service our church members provide, either regularly or annually, please let Mary Kate know.

Parents’ Night Out......................... Nancy Heard 927-4575 or elkheard@aol.com

Monthly during the school year, parents of young children have an opportunity for free, safe childcare for an evening out. Parent volunteers sponsor each evening; a donor pays for teenage assistance for the parent volunteers in order to provide this as a free gift for parents of young children. Parents who participate regularly are asked to be the sponsors for one evening each year.

Prayer Ministry................................. Karen Smith 963-1478 or smith@sopris.net

The purpose of the ministry of prayer is that St. Peter’s would be a community that prays for each other and those for whom we care. The ministry is facilitated by Karen La Joy Smith. Anyone may participate in this ministry of prayer by contacting Karen via e-mail at smith@sopris.net When a need is identified Karen will send an e-mail to all those on her list that will include a brief summary of the need and a prayer to be offered. Prayers may be offered for those who are in grief or trouble. Prayers may also be for thanksgiving. On occasion a prayer group will be assembled to pray together to address a specific, and urgent need.

There is no cost to St. Peter’s for this ministry, but there is tremendous gain in answered prayer. The goal for the future is for the St. Peter’s family to grow in awareness and concern for each other and to continue as a prayerful community.

Stewardship Report...................... Lyn Smith 963-0860 or chainsaw@sopris.net

The most important focus of the stewardship committee this year was to plan the annual pledge gathering. The pledge commitments are what the annual budget is based on. The 2003 Stewardship committee consisted of Lyn Smith, Ann Koveleski, Lee Ann Eustis, Frank Seymour, and Audrey Bauhan.

Once again, we used the Pony Express pledge drive. We had a successful drive with pledges up over 20%. The Pony Express is a series of backpacks and bags that were passed from household to household. Each bag contained a notebook with pictures of events at St. Peters from 2003 and information pertaining to the budget for each member to see in order that they may make their pledge for 2004.

Sunshine Committee................ Barbara Stirling 927-2585 or bgs@avhaspen.org

The Sunshine Committee serves the church community by organizing our weekly hospitality after the 9:30 liturgy, providing meals to church families that are in crisis or transition, and offering our Annual Harvest Feast in the fall. It is led by Barbara Stirling, and Linda Haydock, Nancy Hoffmann, and Seymour are other members of the committee; they gather occasionally to make meals in large quantities to put in the freezer at Linda Haydock’s house. Many other households and people in the parish also regularly make meals to be given to families that request them.

Our Harvest Dinner this fall was held at the Blue Creek Grill, which is owned by parishioners Carolyn Fisher and Chris Sapp. It was crowded, the food was delicious and the company joyful. It was our best ever!

St. Peter’s budgets an amount annually to provide for supplies for hospitality and coffee and some meal preparation, and also the Harvest Feast, and another line item for other Parish Events, such as the Ski Day. These items have been funded again for 2004.

Goals for the future include more people signing up to provide hospitality after the 9:30 liturgy and encouraging those who want to help with meals and hospitality to join the Sunshine Committee by contacting Barbara Stirling.

Ushers........................................... Ann Koveleski 927-9704 or joeann@sopris.net

Ushers serve as greeters at St. Peter’s, especially to newcomers and visitors. We direct people where to go, where to hang their coats, where the church is, and where the nursery is. Ushers also collect the offering during the church service, and direct the people during the taking of communion. Usually, people on the right side go to the right side of the rail, and the same on the other side (this avoids criss-crossing). Ushers also take an accurate head count which gets recorded for the church records. After the service, ushers pick up bulletins, and straighten chairs and books.

Every person who enters St. Peter’s is served by the ushers. This year, these persons have been ushers: Hap Bruce, Susan Faulkner, Carolyn Fields, John and Maurine Fitzpatrick, Dale Hurt, John Kenworthy, Daryl Pederson, Frank Rudecoff, Gwen Smith, Scott Smith, and Alan Stubbs. Ann Koveleski has served as an usher for several years and has been the head usher for two years.

In the future, we should have two head ushers. The responsibilities of the head usher include: helping with scheduling, making copies of information available, training new ushers, and providing gifts for recognition annually. Regular ushers are asked to arrive about 15 minutes before the service in order to welcome people; earlier for special services, such as Easter and Christmas. There is not a budget for the ushers.

Ushers make people feel welcomed and that this is where they belong. They also encourage newcomers or people you see on Christmas or Easter to return, letting them know that we have a well-staffed nursery and good programs for children through high school.

Ushers have been previously led by Peter Hoffmann. This year, Mary and Stephen Holley and Betsey Safford retired from ushers, and we were occasionally served by substitute ushers Karen Smith, Peter Hoffmann, and Larry Gruel.

Minutes of the 2003 Annual Meeting, January 12, 2003

The Annual Meeting of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church was called to order at 6:00 PM on January 12, 2003 following a pot-luck dinner. The Rev. Mary Kate Schroeder, Vicar, welcomed members of the parish and visitors including George Baker and the Rev. Geoff Gwynne, interim priest from Christ Episcopal Church in Aspen. She particularly welcomed the people who have joined St. Peters since the previous Annual Meeting. She noted that 15 families were welcomed to regular worship at St. Peter’s in 2002. Frank Rudecoff offered an opening prayer.

1) 2002 MEETING MINUTES

a) The minutes of the 2002 annual meeting were reviewed and approved with no amendments. Karen Smith moved to adopt the minutes; Betsey Safford seconded the motion. Jan Johnson was appointed secretary for the 2003 meeting.

2) ELECTIONS

a) Mary Kate turned the meeting over to Janet Mineo who introduced the candidates for Warden, Bishop’s Committee, and Treasurer. The slate included the following:

i) Co-warden – Jan Johnson (Peter Hoffmann will start the second year of his term as Co-warden)

ii) Treasurer – Laurie Pederson

iii) Bishop’s Committee – Susan Faulkner, Beth Phillips, and Larry Gruel

b) (Members continuing: Judy Whitmore and Susan Keenan)

c) Short biosketches of the nominees were included in the Annual Meeting packet.

d) The Bishop’s Committee will appoint a clerk from its membership.

e) Scott Smith moved that the slate be approved. Nancy Hoffmann seconded the motion. The slate was elected. Betsey Safford asked who the retiring members are: Scott Smith, Hap Bruce, and Ann Koveleski, with Janet Mineo completing her term as Co-warden.

3) 2002 IN REVIEW

a) Warden’s Report

b) Janet Mineo and Peter Hoffman discussed the accomplishments and events of the year 2002. Janet said that it was an exciting year and noted the following:

i) 12 individuals were confirmed

ii) 4 individuals were baptized

iii) Many opportunities for education

(a) Just Faith Class that Frank, Karen, and Mary Kate attended

iv) Mission trip to Wyoming for St. Peter’s young people

c) Peter noted the loss of Fr. Babb in 2002. He briefly mentioned some of the year’s highlights including the huge, successful Harvest Feast and the Caroling and surprise party to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Mary Kate’s ordination. He mentioned the growth of the Sr. High youth group and the fact that we have three Sunday School classes.

d) Janet described some of the challenges including “growth with grace”, encompassing more and more people at our Sunday services.

4) Vicar’s Report

a) The Vicar’s report was included in the Annual Meeting packets. Mary Kate touched on some of the highlights. She cited John 21:15-17 as a guiding scripture for St. Peter’s and noted that we have much to celebrate including the fact that “We do Sundays well!” We have three Sunday services. The 9:30 service is generally packed. Fifty households worship regularly at St. Peter’s. Five or six committees meet regularly.

b) Betsey Safford has been appointed bookkeeper. Phoebe Gruel is in charge of the nursery.

c) Our financial status is healthy. $13,000 was paid down on the principal (on the Vicarage?).

d) Mary Kate noted that we are different from last year and we will be different next year. The existing building does not meet our needs. Our relationship with Growing Years needs to be considered. We will see many changes in the next year. It is time to make changes. A Ministry Review will be conducted over the first few months of 2003. The Bishop’s Committee will assess the buildings.

5) Growing Years

a) Karen Smith presented a report on the future of Growing Years at St. Peter’s. The report raised questions and concerns from the parish.

b) Is Growing years full? – almost. What is the financial obligation? Is Growing Years breaking even? Growing years does not pay rent. Growing Years is a non-profit organization.

c) St. Peter’s already subsidizes Growing Years by its use of the building.

d) Concerns and comments about St. Peter’s participation in Growing Years in the future expressed at the meeting include the following: Staffing; Curriculum and content; Would it require volunteers from the parish? How much of Mary Kate’s time would it take? Looking into this is a wonderful idea. Only two of the school’s patrons are members of St. Peter’s. Many of the Growing Years parents already assume that there is a connection other than just use of the building; St. Peter’s could help make Growing Years Better.

e) The history of St. Peter’s and Growing Years was discussed. When St. Peter’s re-occupied the building there was an exodus of parents. Chalmers Morse expected that St. Peter’s and Growing Years would someday merge. What will happen if St. Peter’s builds and/or moves will be determined as the process goes on.

6) Christ Church Report

a) George Baker, Christ Church Warden, noted that “God is really good.” “Praise God for his presence in the Valley and praise God for bringing Mary Kate to this valley.” George noted that she is a joy to work with. He thanked St. Peter’s for its prayer support. George stated that it had been an extremely difficult year for Christ Church, culminating with Jeff Fouts’s resignation in December of 2002.

b) He declared Find Us Faithful a success and noted that the mortgage payments on the building are included in the budget of Christ Church. George noted the good things that had happened at Christ Church including Andrew Todd coming in as Music Director.

c) Geoff Gwynne will be the Priest-in-charge at Christ Church until August. He has experience in “planting churches.” George noted that Christ Church became a church about 20 years ago with no endowment and no reserve, but a number of God’s people there. He sees a bright future for Christ Church but they need St. Peter’s prayerful support.

d) Geoff Gwynne introduced himself. He is married with 3 children. He is searching for where he will go next but is happy to be in the Valley.

7) FINANCIAL REPORT

a) Larry presented the financial report and budget that were included in the Annual Meeting packet.

8) ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

a) Mary Kate expressed thanks to Larry, retiring treasurer, and Ann, Hap, Scott, and Janet retiring members of the Bishop’s Committee and Co-warden. She acknowledged Phoebe and Betsey for their work as part of the staff. She noted that Betsey led the Stewardship Committee for two years.

b) Christina Kane had Godly Play items on display for the parish to see.

9) The meeting closed with prayers from the retiring Warden.

Minutes Respectfully submitted by Jan Johnson

St. Peter’s Pastoral and Demographic Information	2000	2001	2002	2003
Baptisms	3	10	4	4
Confirmations or Receptions	5	4	12	0
Marriages	0	1	0	2
Funerals	1	0	0	2
# Sunday services of Holy Eucharist	66	111	141	142
# weekday services of Holy Eucharist	5	16	14	6
# Daily Office and other Office services	13	132	133	56
Other Pastoral or Liturgical Offices	2	13	10	23
Average Sunday Attendance	48	60	68	81
New Households by Official Transfer	2	5	1	3
New Households (not officially transferred)	11	10	12	15
Households transferred out	0	0	2	1

Annual Report X January 18, 2004