Dear Friends,

I should preface this month’s reflections by saying that my wife thinks that I am being too upbeat.  But I am indeed heartened, as I was last month, by the effective work and ministry that is being done by the vestry officers, committees and individual parishioners.  I would especially like to note the contributions of Patrick Dexter, the new Treasurer, John Martin, and Jeff and Faustine Stasi who volunteer at the Monday Night Coffeehouse.

Patrick has provided helpful and accurate analysis of our finances. His thorough reporting of line item projections of revenues and expenses has enabled the Vestry to make clear and thoughtful decisions.  Though we still face challenges, restrained optimism best reflects our current financial situation. The mid-year stewardship campaign brought in $8700 in additional pledges, and we are expectant that the scrip and gift cards that have recently been ordered will provide additional revenues.   Richard Enriquez was commissioned by the Vestry to make an order for scrip of $4000.  The congregation has already placed advanced orders for $3,000. The 5% return on this one order is far better than what we are currently earning on our CDs and restricted assets.

It was a great joy to celebrate the baptism of Faustine Stasi on August 14^th.  Faustine has been attending Calvary with her husband Jeff for several months and have been active kitchen volunteers at the Monday Night Coffeehouse. In fact they were married at Calvary on June 15.  The music that Jeff and John Martin provide at Coffeehouse is often received with ovation and applause.  A Kitchen Committee with Win Guthrie, Sonja Reetz, Melinda Martin, Spook and Faustine has recently been formed.  This committee will ensure that our well run kitchen is producing an even healthier and more cost efficient fare.

CoG, the Committee on Growth in a Changing World, continues with planning for our fall “house meetings.”  We will be exploring two central questions:  Who are we, and what God is calling us to do as a parish.  The Reverend John Buenz will be preaching and leading a “kick-off” Sunday on September 25^th to inaugurate October “house meetings.”  A DVD is being produced that will  include  short reflections from Bishop Mary,  Father  Donald Schell and Father John Buenz to guide us in our parish wide discussions about practice, tradition  and wisdom.

Murray Walker and the choir are back after their summer break.  During the summer months Kate Alm, Leah Parker and Kylan de Ghetaldi kept us singing and moving celebrating.  Holy Communion was well attended this summer and “First Sunday” services were especially appreciated under the musical leadership of Kate Alm.

On August 14^th I participated in a the TV program: “Voices from the Village,” “Voices from the Village” is a Community Television program produced  by our own Charlie Phillips. The TV forum included Peter Connery, Vice  President of  Applied Survey Research of the Santa  Cruz Census, Steve Pleich, candidate for City Council, and Monica Martinez, director of  the Homeless Services Center in Santa Cruz .  The discussion topic for the TV forum was homelessness.  All expressed appreciation for the newly formed Association of Faith Communities (AFC) that was organized principally by the efforts of Scott Galloway, Herb Schmidt and Paul Lee. In an environment of economic austerity and cutbacks to social services in Santa Cruz, it is hoped that AFC will do much to shore up the budget of lagging, social programs and specifically reinstitute the Interfaith Satellite Shelter Program (ISSP).  AFC is made up of more than 20 churches and faith-based organizations in Santa Cruz County

Thankful to God and to you for a robust and active summer.

Father Joel+

Dear Friends,

There has been some recurring vocabulary in committee conversations at Calvary Church the past several months with regards to ongoing questions: Who are we, and who we are becoming as a community of faith?  Allow me to list some of the more featured words in recent conversations at Calvary Church

Dear Friends,

There is lots of Lent remaining before we celebrate Easter resurrection. April has 24 days of Lent left. Easter has only been observed at a later date twice before in the past 275 years. In 1886 and 1943 Easter was celebrated on April 25^th.  This means that we are traversing some unfamiliar territory in our liturgical calendar.

Incorrect theology would suggest that Lent is to be 40 days of melancholy and drudgery, no matter how prolonged or delayed.  But the liturgy of Lent is full of joy.  Even though the word Lent comes from the Middle English word, lente, to lengthen, and the observance of Lent is when Christians are asked to scrutinize their lives by “self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word” (as the BCP states), Lent is not a morose and gloomy occasion. Negative perceptions of Lent are reinforced by church traditions of refraining from “alleluias” in the liturgy, the restriction of flowers in the church during , and the prohibition of weddings in Lent.

Central to Lenten piety is the joyful courage to address sin and mortality because we are confident in the absolute love of God. It is not only our minds and our spirits that God loves and accepts. God loves all of us: our bodies, our sexuality, our emotions, our souls and our thoughts.  That is what it means to be a resurrection people.  We do not have to leave any part of our lives at the door when we come to church to worship and pray.  God loves every part of us: body, soul and spirit.

Henri Nouwen, the well-known author and Roman Catholic priest, speaks of being “joyful penitents” during Lent.  We are not dismayed by sin and mortality.  With joy and confidence we look honestly at our lives because we know that God’s love is absolute and certain.

It is for this reason that the Liturgy of Lent is repeatedly interspersed with joy and praise.  Regularly during Lent we sing the Venite, the ancient canticle of joy.  This is also the reason that it was entirely appropriate to have a special concert on the 3^rd Sunday of Lent in which the choir preformed the Te Deum: “You are God we Praise You.” The well attended concert was a wonderful statement of Lenten joy.

Wishing you a joyful continued Lent and a blessed Easter.

Rector’s 2010 Annual Report

January 23, 2011

It is significant that our Annual General Meeting occurs each year during the season of Epiphany – the season of light, the season of wonder, the season of splendor.  Looking at a year gone by through the lens of Epiphany compels us to reflect upon the challenges that we have faced together at Calvary Episcopal Church, as well as manifold blessings that we have received from God, with the expectation of God’s ongoing work and presence among us.

In spite of the glory-tinted glasses that we wear during Epiphany, my hope is that our annual meeting of the church does justice to all that we have experienced:  all that we have anguished over, and all that we can celebrate.  I am mindful not to gloss over any part of our life together as a parish family as I write this annual report.

2010 has been an active year.  We had over 60,000 visits to our parish campus.  Those who visit our church campus do not come idly or casually.  They come to address the most profound and important matters in life.  Calvary parishioners come on Sundays and during the week to worship, study and to seek God.  Others come to address their fears and compulsive behavior in the many 12-step groups that meet each week in the Parish Hall and in the Education Building. Students of dance and music come to learn the Tango and study the violin.  Families come to have their children nurtured and mentored at our pre-school.  The needy and hungry come to receive food and discover a community where they can feel safe and find a spiritual home.  Many from the Hispanic community come on Friday and Saturday nights to celebrate weddings, baptisms, quinciñearas and First Communions.  Recently we have begun a bilingual service of Holy Eucharist on Thursday mornings.  Altogether there are 150-200 people who pass over our thresholds everyday of the year.

Not everyone has felt at ease with such a diverse array of people.  I assume that you are aware that formal complaints have been registered against me and against the leadership of the church.  A few have left our community of faith because of these tensions.  Though the Reconciliation Committee reached out to those who have felt disaffected with disappointing results, I am optimistic that 2011 will witness an end to recriminations and accusations, and that those who feel alienated will find their way back among us in Holy Communion.  The Vestry labored relentlessly through mediation to find trust and renewed affection among those Calvary members who have not felt at home in our midst.  In this context, Average Sunday Attendance has dropped slightly this past year.  This drop in numbers is not simply due to individual members feeling disaffected.  Some have left us through illness and death.  Others have moved away because of university education, or because Santa Cruz is no longer a place where they can afford to live.  Others have simply come to a place in their life where spiritual vitality has seemingly waned and they question the relevancy of organized religion.

As we grieve losses, we should also mark and celebrate growth in our parish.  This past year, 16 adult candidates prepared for either Confirmation or Reception into our church. According to the church register, this is the first time that so many adults have been received or Confirmed into Calvary Church in over 50 years.  Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves described our gathering of Confirmanads as a marvelous and diverse array of new church members.  In addition there were nine who were baptized at Calvary Church in 2010.

The Calvary Pre-school has maintained full registration this past year despite a difficult economic environment for many families.  Liann Chance, the Calvary Pre-school directress, tells us that enrollment has never been as consistently high since her coming to the Calvary Pre-school 20 years ago.

The 12-step groups continue to thrive with four new 12-step groups added this past year.  The hundreds who attend these groups have found them be a safe place to seek God and spiritual clarity.  As Episcopalians we should be proud of the fact that the theology of AA’s 12-step program were crafted and written by an Episcopal priest from Calvary Episcopal Church in New York City.

Calvary outreach ministries are known and respected in our community. 75 individuals came to an Outreach Ministry Conference in December, sponsored by Calvary Church to determine how outreach ministries in Santa Cruz might be more effectively coordinated. Attending this conference were three City Council members, the Director of the Homeless Service Center, a representative from the Census Bureau, the Organizer from COPA, and over 45 pastors and lay leaders from various churches.

At the fundraising dinner, on the following evening, $13,000.00 in pledges and revenues was raised.  To help us become more effective in our role as a leading institution in the community, the Vestry has approved an interim budget that includes COPA membership as part of the 2011 budget.

Calvary outreach ministries continue in exemplary fashion to provide food, clothing, services and meals to those in need.  Nearly 50,000 lbs of groceries were distributed this past year and over 5,000 meals have been served at our Monday Night Coffeehouse. After six years the Clothing Closet will be closing because of depleted resources and personnel.  The Carousel child exchange has also closed its doors due to a lack of clientele and volunteers. I am convinced that the greatest accomplishment that Calvary outreach ministries have achieved is the smaller communities of fellowship that have been formed among volunteers and clientele.  Each outreach ministry represents a community within the greater community of faith at Calvary Church.  Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves commented that the Monday Night Coffeehouse was the most tangible example of the “emerging church” in our diocese.

Our Youth ministries and Sunday School served 29 young people.  A rota of Sunday School teachers and caregivers has insured that lessons have been taught every Sunday during the academic school year and nursery aged children have been given Christian supervision.  A highlight of this year’s youth ministry was our Snow Camp with 15 young people and seven adults that traveled to the Zell’s Lodge in Lake Tahoe. The time together was both spiritual and fun. Many junior and senior high school students in the community look forward to this event every year.   Surpassing all expectations was the Christmas Pageant and Living Nativity presented by our youth.  The Choral music, skilled acting, a cello and ballet solo made this year’s family Christmas season the best in recent memory.

Our choir continues to maintain a high standard of excellence and was affirmed by robust giving at the GinSing! fundraiser in May.  $5,000 was raised.   Murray Walker, our choirmaster, has built a reputation in this diocese for outstanding Anglican choral music.   Unofficially we are known as the best in the diocese.

So far this year we have attained $146,000 in pledges during our Stewardship Campaign.  Considering that many have had to lessen their giving because of economic hardship, $145,000 represents generous and sacrificial giving.  This has enabled the Finance Committee to present a balanced budget for 2011 with small raises for staff and personnel.

In the last part of 2010, clergy and the pastoral care ministries have been especially busy in the visitation of ill and infirm parishioners.  175 people received Communion in their homes or hospital beds.  Weekly, individuals come to the church office for counseling as well as “private confession”   Five received the Sacrament of Ministration at Time of Death, commonly known as Last Rites.  The ministry of pastoral care was especially saddened with the loss of Bob Wiggins, Bill Shakespeare and Dale Gray.  Bob, Bill and Dale contributed so much to our church family and are sorely  missed.   In total, there were five burial services at Calvary Church in 2010.

The season after Epiphany compels us to examine our disappointments, challenges and achievements of these past 12 months through the lens of light, wonder and awe. Christian hope gives us no other choice. God has woven his glory into the fabric of life. Or as the apostle Paul said, “God is the one in whom we live, move and have our being”.  In all the vicissitudes and successes of the year past, we have hopefully discovered the truth of the angel’s announcement to Joseph: “He shall be called Emmanuel which means God with us.” God has profoundly been with us.  One is reminded of some sage advice as we enter a new year:  Don’t let any good crisis go to waste.  Our challenges have made us better.  Because of God’s bounty and grace, we have thrived.  The light, wonder and awe of Epiphany have taught us to anticipate God’s grace for the year ahead.

Respectfully submitted,

The Reverend Joel P. Miller