Vestry Ministry Areas | Leadership (Clergy-Staff Resources) | Purpose |
Administration and Communications | Steve Bentley, Senior Warden | To collaborate with staff and lay leaders on the roles and responsibilities related to overall parish administration including staff development, personnel committee, operations, and membership; and provide support necessary to effectively and efficiently communicate all aspects of parish life both within and beyond the parish. |
Congregational Engagement | Mary Virginia Woodall | To collaborate with staff and lay leaders on a comprehensive approach to the development, engagement, and growth of parish ministries; to invite, create, and incorporate new members; and to explore ways for the parish to spread the Gospel and engage the wider community. |
Fellowship and Parish Life | Ginny Brien | To collaborate with staff and lay leaders on the offering of fellowship opportunities in the way of ongoing and seasonal events that support a parish commitment to building community among its members, newcomers, and visitors, including receptions after all worship offerings of the parish. |
Finance | Mary Gotschall Dave Lavoie, Treasurer | To collaborate with staff and lay leaders on the overall stewardship and management of the various financial resources entrusted to support parish operations. |
Pastoral Care | Doug Hutto | To collaborate with staff and lay leaders on helping ministries that express the love and concern of the parish to members and newcomers in times of sickness, suffering, loss, and celebration. |
Outreach | Elsie Erneston | To collaborate with staff and lay leaders on creating and maintaining ways for parishioners to serve others through parish and non-parish initiatives and agencies that focus on the poor and needy, respect for the dignity of every human being, including our Servant Ministry Partners who receive Outreach and Social Justice Grants; not mutually exclusive from Social Justice. |
Children, Youth, and Families | Katie Nelson | To collaborate with staff and lay leaders on helping ministries that express the love and concern of the parish to members and newcomers in times of sickness, suffering, loss and celebration. |
Buildings and Grounds | Ann Miano, Junior Warden Matt Sharp | To collaborate with staff and lay leaders on the overall stewardship and management of parish buildings and grounds entrusted to support parish operations. |
Social Justice | Charmaine Welch | To collaborate with staff and lay leaders on the engagement of measures, laws, systemic, and policy reforms that will support persons in need in movement from dependency to greater self-sufficiency, including our Servant Ministry Partners who receive Outreach and Social Justice Grants; not mutually exclusive from Outreach. |
Stewardship | Paul Keller | To lead the people of St. Peter’s into generous responses to God’s love by the offering of gifts of time, money and talent, caring for parish facilities and sustaining our natural environment. Given that the financial wellbeing of the parish is directly related to Christian discipleship, the team sees worship, education and outreach as key sources for discovering what it means to be faithful stewards of God’s abundance. |
Worship and Music | Will Burton-Edwards | To collaborate with staff and lay leaders on offering and supporting worship opportunities that reflect parish needs and styles within the context of the Episcopal/Anglican traditions; to assist with recruitment of the variety of persons required to serve during and in support of worship; and to coordinate parish support of the community outreach ministries of both the Choir School at St. Peter’s and Center City Concerts at St. Peter’s and their respective Board of Directors. |
Ministry Organization Relationships. In addition to collaboration with Vestry Member’s Clergy-Staff Resources (above under Leadership), the following outlines the relationships between Ministry Area Vestry Coordinators, Team Leaders, Assistant Team Leaders, and Team Members to do the collective work required for efficient and effective parish administration and programs. For more information, use our Contact Form to reach a member of the vestry or staff..
Administrative Process. Each Vestry member serves as “Vestry Coordinator” for a ministry area for a one-year term with the option to continue in said role upon conversation with the Rector and/or the Senior Warden.
- Vestry Coordinator(s) assigned to a ministry area in January during the Vestry Retreat must appoint “Team Leaders” for one or more subcommittees (mini-ministry circles) in said ministry area to serve for a two-year term from the date of her/his appointment.
- The Team Leader appointments should be made and communicated to the Rector and Senior Warden no later than one month from the January Vestry Retreat.
- The Team Leader, with assistance from the Vestry Coordinator, is responsible for recruiting an “Assistant Team Leader” no later than one month from when the Team Leader assumes her/his duties.
- The Team Leader and Assistant Team Leader should recruit a broad representation of the parish family to establish a “Ministry Team” to assist them and the Staff in carrying out responsibilities of said ministry area. The Assistant Team Leader is eligible to serve as Team Leader to maintain leadership consistency and advocate for ministry opportunities.
- Ministry Teams should provide their respective purpose, roles and responsibilities, organizational structure, and any needs to Team Leaders for sharing with Vestry Coordinators and the Rector.
- It is the primary responsibility of the Vestry Coordinator to provide a brief written monthly “Ministry Area Report” to the Secretary of the Vestry no less than one week before the monthly Vestry meeting. Ministry area reports will be included with the distribution of the Vestry agenda for advanced review by Vestry members.
Ministry Area Team Leaders, Team Members, and Clergy-Staff Resource Contacts should meet as needed to check-in about ministry area performance (progress and challenges) and to ensure open communication about all things related to the role that said ministry area plays in parish life and administration. Vestry Coordinators are expected to attend occasional ministry area meetings for the purpose of building community and actively participating in the work of said ministry area in a hands-on fashion.
The Rector, Associate Rector, and Clergy Assistant support Vestry Coordinators with their roles and responsibilities as outlined above.