INDEX
PAGE NO.
Agenda.............................................................................................………………….... 2
Annual Meeting Minutes of February 2, 2020...................... 3-5
REPORTS:
Vestry Report....................................................................................................... 6-7
Acolytes........................................................................................…………………........ 8
Altar Guild......................................................................………………........................ 8
Archives.......................................................................................…………………......... 8
Bulletin Boards......................................................................………….................. 9
Coffee Hour. ............................................................................…………….............. 9
Columbarium...............................................................................…………........... 9
CROP Walk...........................................................................…………………............... 9
Daughters of the King (DOK)................................................................ 10
Finance – Treasurer’s Report............................................................... 11-12
Finance Committee .......................................................................……........ 13-14
Food Pantry.........................................................................................…………….... 15-16
Friends of Darbonne................................................................……............... 17
Godly Play.......................................................................................………………….... 18
Greeters........................................................................................…………………........ 18
Jail Ministry...............................................................................………………............ 18
Mid-Hudson Love INC..........................................................….................... 19
Music Ministry...........................................................................……………............ 19-20
Property..........................................................................................………………........ 20-21
Readers and Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEM’s)................. 21
St. Simeon Foundation............................................................................. 21
Stewardship and Fundraising ........................................................ 22
Vacation Bible School.............................................................................. 22
Women of Zion....................................................................................………... 23
Zion Website/Internet Committee.............................................. 23-24
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ANNUAL MEETING
January 31, 2021
Following the 10:00 a.m. Service
Agenda
Opening Prayer
The Recording Secretary for this meeting is Peggy Kelland.
Minutes of February 2, 2020 Annual Meeting
Acknowledgment of Retiring Vestry Members
Stephen Carlough
Greg Fredeman
Diana Magel
Terri Rhoades
Lynea St. Pier
Marcy WagmanIntroduction of New Vestry Nominees
a. Vestry Members 2021 Vestry/Resolution and Vote Required
Stephen Carlough Senior Warden (two-year term)
Peggy Kelland Junior Warden (two-year term)
Alison Camp Vestry (three-year term)
Carol Helion Vestry (three-year term)
Maya Hennebery Vestry (one-year term)
John Karge Vestry (two-year term)
Wendy McNeil Vestry (three-year term)
b. Vestry Nominating Committee 2021 Vestry/Resolution and Vote Required
Parishioners Outgoing Vestry
Dinor Dhanabala
Maya Hennebery
Bonnie Kieffer
6. Interim Priest
7. Parish Reports
8. Warden Statement
9. General Discussion
10. Closing Prayer
11. Adjournment
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Zion Parish Annual Meeting
Sunday, February 2, 2020
The Annual Meeting of the Zion Parish opened with a prayer by Mother Mag at 10:30 a.m.
Bonnie Kieffer was appointed Recording Secretary.
Annual Meeting minutes from January 27, 2019 with corrections moved by John Singler, seconded by Nancy Rubsam; approved unanimously.
Acknowledgments were made and thanks given to the outgoing Vestry members: Maya Hennebery and Jim Barba. Gifts were handed out.
The following nominees for Vestry were introduced:
Barbara Rignanese Senior Warden (one-year term)
Greg Fredeman Junior Warden (two-year term)
Alison Friedland Vestry (three-year term)
Diana Magel Vestry (three-year term)
Mike Matts Vestry (three-year term)
Motion made to approve by Steve Carlough, seconded by Judy Barba; approved.
Nominating Committee for 2020:
Parishioners- Joy Maryniak Hyacinth Stewart, Linda Geohegan Devine,
Cindy Russo- substitute Peggy Kelland- substitute
Outgoing Vestry members- Jim Barba, Maya Hennebery
Motion made to approve by Peggy Kelland and seconded by Judy Barba; approved.
Reports
1. Rector’s Report
2. 10:00 Acolytes
3. AltarGuild
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4. Archives-New York Landmarks Conservancy Open House May 16, 17 for visitors of sacred sites
5. Bulletin Boards
a. Cursillo Board is in place - Cindy Russo
b. Military Board - Carol Walker, Mary Boscher
6. Coffee Hours
7. Columbarium Committee - Lynea St. Pier is the chairperson
8. Community Building and Fundraising Committee
9. Crop Walk
10. The Daughters of the King
11. Diocesan Convention
12. Zion Finance Committee Re-Cap
13. Food Pantry
a. There are no Episcopal Charities funds for this year
b. Volunteers are needed
c. Our Food Pantry will become a Choice Food Pantry
d. Lynea St. Pier and Nancy Carlough are working on financing the Pantry
14. Friends of Darbonne
a. Letter received from Reverend Dr. Ajax, former priest in Darbonne, Haiti
b. Plans being made for a visit from Father Michelin in May 2020
15. Godly Play/Sunday School
a. Reinstated on September 2019
b. Three teams of teachers are working
16. Greeters/Ushers
17. Jail Ministry - 38th Anniversary of this mission
18. Mid-Hudson Love in the Name of Christ (LOVE INC)
19. Music Ministry
20. Pastoral Care
21. Property Committee
22. Readers and Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEMS)
23. St. Simeon’s Foundation
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24. Stewardship
25. Vacation Bible School
26. Wardens’ Report- Steve Carlough and Don Shultis are Property Committee volunteers
27. Women of Zion
28. Zion Website
Moved to approve all reports by Carol Helion, seconded by Peggy Kelland; approved.
Special gift given to Ruth Wilsea, 7:30 greeter, for her service to Zion.
Moved to adjourn by John Singler, seconded by Barbara Griffin; approved. Adjourned at 11:30.
Respectfully submitted,
Bonnie Kieffer, recording secretary
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Vestry Report - 2020
This year has been possibly the most challenging year for the Vestry and our Parish. Throughout the whole year there were constant changes and ‘opportunities’ and the Vestry worked tirelessly to get us to this day, and we have many people to thank for their assistance throughout the year.
We started the year needing to continue to fill roles that Mary Bendas handled up to her passing in 2019. I want to thank Jim and Judy Barba for filling the roles as our Treasurer and Bookkeeper for Zion. Their expertise and guidance throughout the year has been invaluable. In the beginning of the year, we were also blessed as Zion was listed as a beneficiary of Mary’s estate. Mary bequeathed to Zion about $1.3 million dollars. This overwhelming amount has positioned Zion to not only have a closed budget this year, but to face the challenges of transitioning to remote worship.
In March all of our lives were changed as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across our world and in our community. The Vestry quickly went into action with multiple meetings each month and countless additional hours to put together an action plan for our Parish. The Vestry had to understand changing and evolving guidelines from the Diocese, the local and federal governments, and apply that to our particular situation to determine what the Parish could and could not do. After much learning and discernment, the Vestry made the very difficult decision to close our beloved church with plans to reopen as the external environment allowed. Throughout the year we constantly monitored the COVID situation while trying to balance the needs of our Parish’s Spiritual life and the safety of the congregation. While we had hoped to reopen in November the Vestry again had to keep the church closed due to the latest surge in infections. We look forward to re-opening our church in 2021 for in person worship.
There is always a silver lining in any challenge. When the Vestry made the decision to close down the church, we had some discussions with Mother Mag to go with virtual services. The Vestry thanks John Beischer and Sally Norvell for the tremendous effort of being there each Sunday to live stream our services on Facebook up through Mother Mag’s retirement. This ability to go online has opened new and exciting avenues for Zion to reach parishioners. By going online, we have been able to not only give the parish the spiritual need they desire but it also allowed parishioners who have moved away to join us and reconnect. We also received word that our service was being viewed in nursing and assisted living facilities.
Recognizing that we would not be able to return to in-person services and would need live streaming capability for an indefinite period, we contracted with Hugh’s Audio Video service. With the success of live streaming the Vestry made a decision to continue our live stream services even when we return to in-person services. The Vestry thanks Marcy Wagman for driving the plans with Hugh’s and putting in place a great future for live streamed services.
With this added focus to reaching others online, we began to think about our social media presence. The first step was to ensure we had up to date information on our website about Zion and what we have to offer. Our website is now hosted on a new platform. Many thanks to Matt Rignanese for all of his years of dedication and support for Zion’s website and the help he provided in getting off the ground with the new one. We also thank Mike Matts for developing our beautiful new website using Squarespace.
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As summer rolled around the Vestry continued its work of trying to get back to in-person services. The Vestry, with the leadership of Mother Mag, created a new service, the Saturday evening prayer service, in our Zion Park. This service required much planning since it was going to be in-person and outside. The Vestry put in place a PA system as well as socially distant circles. This service was a great success and well attended all the way until it got too cold.
This year has brought several improvements to Zion’s property. We have a new roof and gutter system over the Parish Hall, and Breezeway. We also have a beautiful new Columbarium garden with an automated watering system. The Vestry would like to thank Don and Sue Shultis for their continued support of Zion’s property. The Vestry would also like to thank Alison Friedland and Jen Whiteside for the new Columbarium garden they planned and planted for Zion.
In late summer we were notified that Barbara Rignanese would be stepping down as Warden. The Vestry thanks Barbara for all the years of dedicated service she has given to Zion as a vestry person, and as Junior and Senior Warden. We thank Steve Carlough who volunteered to fill the Junior Warden position and Gregory Fredeman who became the Senior Warden.
We were also notified that Mother Mag would be retiring in October. Thanks to Alison Friedland, Maya Hennebery, Gary McGovern and Terri Rhoades our parish celebrated Mag’s years of service with a wonderful send off for her in October. Thanks to the generosity of the Zion family we presented Mag with a gift of over $3,400 dollars and an envelope full of the congregation’s thoughts and best wishes for a happy retirement.
Mother Mag’s retirement then triggered a new series of challenges for the Vestry to solve. The first was managing the day to day running of the church. Then the next major step was finding a supply priest as the Wardens and Vestry searched for an interim priest. Mother Mag and the Vestry arranged an agreement with Father Glenn Chalmers to be supply priest for all of Zion’s services including the late fall Saturday evening prayer services in the park. The Wardens and Vestry, working with the Diocese through the fall and winter searched for our interim priest. Fortunately, we were blessed again and found Father Anthony Stephens.
The Wardens and Vestry thank the congregation for their support, encouragement and patience through 2020 and look forward to a new and exciting 2021 for Zion.
Respectfully submitted,
Gregory Fredeman and Steve Carlough Wardens
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10:00 Acolytes
At the Sunday 10:00 a.m. worship service there are two main functions for the Acolytes - Crucifer and Torch Bearer.
The 10:00 a.m. Crucifers are a devoted team of people. Those who served in 2020 were: Nancy Durr, Jody Fredeman and Cindy Russo.
Crucifers are needed to carry the cross during our 10:00 a.m. liturgy. No experience is necessary. All the necessary training will be happily provided.
I handle the scheduling.
Due to the COVID 19, worship stopped in March.
Please pray for us to come back to our 10 am liturgy worship service.
Respectfully submitted,
Dora Ruf
Altar Guild
At this time, the Zion Altar Guild has seven members. Due to the pandemic the Altar Guild members each serve alone. Additionally, the serving schedule has been modified to ensure everyone’s safety.
We are responsible for setting up vestments, frontals and the proper hangings to coordinate with the liturgical color of the church season for all services in the church and the chapel, including baptisms, weddings and funerals. We are also responsible for washing and ironing all linens and filling all the candles. Ordering the wine, wafers and flowers are also included as part of our duties, as well as preparing some of these items prior to each Sunday for service.
At this time, we do not have a Matron. We are always seeking new members.
Respectfully submitted,
Annette Goodwin and Ruth Little
Archives
Due to COVID19, there is no news to report.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Griffin
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Bulletin Boards
The cloister bulletin board is used to inform parishioners about happenings within the parish, the diocese, the Anglican Communion, and the community in which we live.
The bulletin board has been on pause for most of the year due to the pandemic.
A special thanks goes to Terri Rhoades for keeping it current in the early part of the year and to Barbara Griffin for transporting me when I was once again able to do it.
Respectfully submitted,
Marge Brooks
Coffee Hour 7:30 (8:00) & 10:00 Coffee Hour
No activity since March. The fellowship is missed.
Columbarium
The Columbarium Garden received a beautiful makeover thanks to Alison Friedland and Jen Whiteside. Their expertise and many hours of hard work are greatly appreciated. When weather permits, the garden is open during designated hours for prayer, reflection and personal enjoyment of this quiet space.
There are no niches available in the indoor Columbarium; however, many spaces are available in the outdoor Columbarium and Garden.
Information about the Columbarium is available on our new website at: https://zionwappingersfalls.org/columbarium.
CROP Walk
In the face of increased food insufficiency both locally and around the world, Zion parishioners stepped up and increased their donations for the annual CROP Walk to $539.00 – the number of our hymn “O Zion Haste, Thy Mission High Fulfilling”. Of the money donated, 25% stays in our county to aid Dutchess Outreach, soup kitchens, and the Community Action Agency, while the remainder is used by Church World Service to provide for people in dire need all around the world.
Respectfully submitted,
Peggy Kelland
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The Order of the Daughters of the King
The Order of the Daughters of the King is a national and international Order for laywomen who pray daily and evangelize for our Lord.
Our chapter is named the “St. Margaret of Antioch Chapter” in the New York Diocese. We meet on a monthly basis to share our prayer lists and the Zion prayer list, all with confidentiality and privacy.
Our members include: Bonnie Kieffer, Dora Ruf, Cindy Russo, Linda Devine,
Maya Hennebery, Joy Maryniak, Barbara Clark, Sally Norvell, and Rose Ann DeFini.
We discuss activities to promote our faith and have for the past few years collected handbags and filled them with toiletries, hair products, notepads, pen, dental care products, and other sundries. These were then donated to a local church which provides these handbags to women going on job interviews or women with jobs that need a serviceable handbag. This past year we supplied over sixty handbags!
Some of our Daughters have made calls contacting Zion parishioners during the COVID pandemic.
We hope to add to our Chapter through individual study and ask that anyone interested please contact Bonnie Kieffer.
Respectfully submitted,
Bonnie Kieffer
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Finance
Treasurer’s Report
At this time last year, no one had any idea how financially difficult 2020 was going to be.
We started the year in good fiscal health – there was a growing economy, Zion was holding two services every Sunday, and our pledge and plate contributions were robust.
And then came COVID-19.
The financial impact on Zion because of the coronavirus cannot readily be assessed, but it was significant. We did save some money on heating, electricity, and snow plowing, and the Diocese reduced our assessment by 25%, but there were additional expenses e.g., PPE cleaning supplies, deep cleaning of the undercroft (so the Daycare could return), and the cost of broadcasting our Sunday services. We had no regular Sunday services, so the plate contributions essentially went to zero, except for a few gifts received in the mail. All our rental income disappeared, and we had to cancel our fundraising events. Fortunately, for the most part, the congregation kept their pledges current, but that was not enough to cover our recurring spending. Therefore, the Vestry decided to withdraw $15,000 in 2020 from surplus funds from prior years. (Note: The Vestry plans to withdraw another $15,000 from surplus funds from prior years to help balance the 2021 budget, which will effectively reduce these prior year surplus funds to zero.)
As another twist, parishioners that had been giving their pledge payments through the E-Pledge program needed to find a replacement when the Diocese closed the program at the end of September. The Vestry chose Vanco as Zion’s replacement for E-Pledge. This option has been widely accepted by parishioners, and is being used not only for pledge payments, but also for other contributions.
I cannot thank enough the Finance Committee – Judy Barba, Steve Carlough, Greg Fredeman, Mother Mag (until her retirement), Mike Matts, Barbara Rignanese (until her retirement), Lynea St. Pier, and Marcy Wagman. These outstanding individuals worked as a cohesive group, keeping Zion’s finances in order.
And a special thank you to Gary McGovern, who has come to Zion regularly since the lockdown to do what is normally done by two people from a rotating group of eight. He prepared the bank deposit, as well as entered the donor information into the Church Windows program.
2020 brings my tenure as Zion’s Treasurer to a close. The Wardens have asked me to stay on to train the new Treasurer, who hopefully will be chosen in the next month or so.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Barba Treasurer
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Food Pantry
2020 was a difficult year for many. Over 2,000 bags of food were distributed by the Food Pantry to people right here in our community. When businesses were shutting down in the spring, we switched to opening every other week. To support the clients’ needs, we gave double the amount of food. In June, we resumed our weekly distribution and started a drive- thru service to help with safety protocols.
But 2020 was also full of surprises. People from this church and this community donated money to help support our organization like never before. The Wappingers Congress of Teachers was disappointed that their food drive was canceled. They started a Go Fund Me page and raised $10,000; another donation of $3,000 was received in December. The New Hamburg Yacht Club, St. Nicholas Church, Town of Wappinger Democratic Committee, John & Ingrid Collins Giving Back Fund, and the Rotary Club are some of the other organizations that also significantly increased their support to the Food Pantry. I received many hand-written notes that poured in with donations and enjoyed reading each and every one. Since we were not in church every Sunday, a box was placed on the Rectory’s porch for food donations. This box was constantly being filled by generous people.
This past year, the Food Pantry was planning on becoming a Choice Food Pantry. Because of the pandemic it would not have been safe to have many people in our small building. Currently, distribution is a drive-thru process. However, the clients select many items each week. A pre- made bag of groceries is also given along with their selections. We plan to discuss and evaluate whether to make a full change in the future.
Changes to the Food Pantry building are coming this year. We are planning on removing the garage door in the front of the building and replacing it with a French door. This will allow another entrance/exit without losing heat during the winter. A grant for $2,500 (Mid-Hudson BOM Grant) has already been awarded to help with the cost of this improvement.
I could never do this job alone. I would like to thank my wonderful volunteers: Gloria Gibson, Jody Fredeman, Ann Harrington, John Karge, Gary McGovern, Amy Matts, Mike Matts, Marion Paskey, Liz Pavelka, Sue Shultis, Lynea St.Pier, and Dean St.Pier. Thank you also to the high school and college students that help during the summer and holidays. I am very grateful to Judy Barba for being my accountant and bookkeeper. Thank you also to Chris for all of your help. I truly appreciate all of you, your hard work, and your dedication to the Food Pantry.
This church is the main reason that the Food Pantry can help so many families. Your generosity is incredible! I want to thank all of you. Whether you donate time, food, or money, it is greatly appreciated.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Carlough
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Food Pantry
Revenues 2020 Actual 2021 Proposed Budget
Grants
OSP $ 1,270 $ 1,100
Mid-Hudson BOM Grant 2,500
Dyson Foundation 3,000 3,000
4,270 6,600
Organizations 22,896 2,600
Individuals 25,307 10,000
Surplus Funds from Prior Years 5,500
Total Revenues $ 52,473 $ 24,700
Expenses
Food $ 5,963 $ 10,000
Food Packaging 663 800
Supplies / Postage 339 400
Transportation 661 1,000
Maintenance 77 500
Building Improvements 7,500
Utilities 1,173 1,500
Equipment 809 1,000
Gifts 715 800
Administration (Zion) 1,200 1,200
Total Expense $ 11,599 $ 24,700
Funds deferred for Future Use $ 40,874 -
NOTE: The Food Pantry receives Grants which are deposited on account at the Regional Food Bank and are drawn on as needed.
HPNAP (NY State) 20/21 9,900 $ 8,000
Rebate from 2019 93
Gratitude 2020 999
Wakefern Corp 1,000 $ 1,000
Bezos Covid Response Grant 2,083
United Way 400
AAP 1,309 1,000
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Friends of Darbonne
Zion’s work in partnership with St. Nicholas-on-the Hudson and The Episcopal Church of the Annunciation in Darbonne continued in 2020. Our long hoped for visit from Fr. Michelin unfortunately had to be postponed because of travel and gathering restrictions in 2020. We pray that we can begin to plan for a visit soon.
In 2020, we distributed an annual appeal letter to long-time contributors, to members of Zion and St. Nicholas explaining our ongoing support of the children and families in Darbonne. As a result of the annual appeal held in the spring, we were able to send $9,400 for scholarships, $1,450 for nutrition needs and $950 for special projects for a total of $11,800. This represents a decrease of $748 from 2019. The support for the annual appeal is gratifying and appreciated. Please note that the donor names are sent to Fr. Michelin and he sends his gratitude.
We again went ahead with our Summer Read-A-Thon program, albeit changed a bit as we couldn’t have an in-person kick-off or an end of program celebration. Instead, packages were delivered to each of our readers at the beginning of the program and yard signs were delivered to those who were willing to display their support for the Friends of Darbonne Read-A-Thon. We had 44 readers and sponsors who participated in the Read-A-Thon and for those who wanted to participate, we created an end of Read-A-Thon video which was published on the Zion and St. Nick’s websites. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pq_sxc19kdYgnNOIb3iQvum23jI6e2QI/view. We were able to send $2400 to Darbonne ($200 less than last year) to fund scholarships (each scholarship is $300).
Each of the readers, youth and adult, were congratulated for their participation with age- appropriate books about Haiti.
Additional donations were received late in the fall, there currently is $3,836 in the Friends of Darbonne account which will be sent to Darbonne as part of the 2021 annual appeal.
Mother Mag, Marion Paskey, Cathlyn Cantone, Maya Hennebery, Bonnie Kieffer,
Joan Freeman and Mother Leigh Hall met via Zoom periodically to discuss our mission in Darbonne, our programs and how to adapt them to the realities of 2020.
Thank you,
Marcy Wagman
Friends of Darbonne fund balance at the beginning of 2020 - $ 3,765
2020 Annual Appeal Contributions - $ 7,121
Spring Wire to Haiti - $11,800
2020 Read-A-Thon Contributions - $ 2,400
Fall Wire to Haiti - $ 2,400
Fall Contributions received - $ 3,750
Ending Account Balance - $ 3,836
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Godly Play Annual Report – 2020
Our plans for a big outdoor Easter Egg hunt were cancelled due to Covid. Sunday School will be reinstated once the church reopens. I plan to meet with Interim Rector to discuss possible curriculums that will be appropriate for our children. We will then develop a team of teachers so we can rotate weekly.
Respectfully submitted,
Maya Hennebery
Greeters Report (formerly Vergers/Ushers)
Thank you to all who have been greeters this year at the 7:30/8 and 10 o’clock services. If anyone is interested in participating as a greeter at Sunday services, when we return to in- person, please contact Ruth Wilsea, Greg Fredeman, or Gary McGovern. Being a greeter is a great way to get to know your fellow parishioners and only requires a smile and the ability to pass out bulletins as people enter.
Respectfully submitted,
Gregory Fredeman
Jail Ministry
Dear Friends,
After 38 years of the Jail Ministry, we had to suspend it because of the coronavirus
pandemic. The Ministry could not have lasted this many years without your continued support, for which we greatly thank you. We hope that at some point in the future, we may be able to resume the Ministry. God bless you all.
Anne and Steve Friedland
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Mid-Hudson Love in the Name of Christ
After six years of faithfully supporting this outreach ministry with donations of personal care items and household linens, Zion's collections were shut down abruptly in March when our Church and Parish Hall were closed due to health-mandated COVID restrictions. There seem to be no Space Usage changes in sight so, until further announcement, there will sadly no longer be any Love INC outreach program at Zion.
There is however no shortage of people needing assistance so please continue to keep them in your daily prayers! The Love INC Clearinghouse, Gap Ministry Services, and Classes are still operational and financial donations are a great help - especially since the major fundraisers (Scrabble Tournament and Cookie Walk) had to be canceled in 2020. Checks can be mailed to 94 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.
Love INC's phone number is (845) 471-0102. There is still furniture donation pickup and volunteers at the Clearinghouse can provide more information about where to directly deliver other donations or how else to help.
Anne Kasin
Music Ministry
Bach gave us God's Word,
Mozart gave us God's Laughter,
Beethoven gave us God's Fire,
God gave us Music that we might pray without words.
A quote from a German Opera House
Dear Parish Family,
To say the year 2020 was unique in all of our lives is for certain something that will live in all our minds for years to come.
At the outset of 2020 Zion’s choir, myself, and a few members of our parish travelled on a bus to the Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford Connecticut for the annual performance of the Boar’s Head Festival.
The festival is a medieval celebration of the triumph of good over evil; which celebrates the Feast of the Epiphany (the manifestation of light). We laughed, sang, cried at some of the poignant moments during the festival and then returned home. A good time was had by all!
As many of you know already, a few years ago, I had begun a concert series with guest artists using our beautiful church facilities in both the parish hall and the church. The 2020 calendar was filled with many guest artists who wanted to grace our community with music, dance, poetry and discussions. This included BachFest2020 (piano & organ), Hudson Valley String Quartet, a Halloween organ recital, etc. Unfortunately, the pandemic took hold and a serious pall descended on the entire global community. All guest artists were contacted to put a hold on their performances.
I am an eternal optimist. I am very confident that once we have a vaccine that has been amply distributed for the COVID-19 virus we will be back to community worship and our concert series can resume. Until then, we are on pause.
In the meantime, the choir and I have been meeting weekly via ZOOM since the pandemic began. The only exception was during the last week of October through the second week of December. This was a time of great change in my life. I sold my house in the town of Wappingers. I was the third generation owning this very large & beautiful home. The house had gotten way too large for one person to live in, no less to maintain.
During our Zoom hiatus, I was packing, storing, packing, moving, packing, searching for a new place to call home; and did I mention packing? The list goes on. I think you get the picture.
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Thank God for YouTube! I send members of the choir YouTube videos that I recommend for them to view: singing, vocal coaching, organ recitals (but of course!), music discussions, weekly hymn videos, cathedral choirs, lessons & carols, etc. I instituted this to keep a close point of contact and interest during this time of social distancing. Did I make mention that I have been reading a lot more too! I highly recommend Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s “Love is the way”.
Over the pandemic Zion church moved to livestream worship services using Mother Mag’s smart phone; that evolved to John Beischer setting up a camera and mics; then we went to a third platform using two cameramen, a much larger camera and many more mics! Talk about evolving and seizing the moment!
Overall, I just want to express my gratitude and appreciation to our vestry, members of the choir and all of you for your patience and prayers during the pandemic. The choir wants to sing and I am anxious to conduct them. All of you, I suspect, are anxious to be back in church as a community again. I am grateful to Mother Mag and our vestry for their continued support of my music ministry here at Zion.
We all wish Mother Mag many happy years of contentment and enjoyment for a job well done while she was our rector.
We all welcome Rev. Anthony Stephens as our interim priest. I look forward to serving with Rev. Anthony Stephens.
In closing, remember that music is said to be the voices of angels! Keep singing! In His Happy Service I remain...
Gregory+
Property Committee
2020 was an unusual year for your Property Committee, as well as for all of you, our parishioners. Again, the focus was on saving money by repairing items using the skills of the parishioners when possible instead of contracting out general repairs. While the wear and tear on the buildings was reduced due to the lack of the usual traffic of people in, out and around, things still wore out. Leaks developed in faucets and roofs, furnaces stopped working, leaves and branches dropped, etc.
In addition to the usual repairs, all be it at a reduced rate, a major project was initiated and completed. The roof of the Parish Hall had been slowly leaking in places for years, as evidenced by the dark water spots on the ceiling tiles on the street side of the room. This year (2020) these tiles began to bow downwards and concerns were raised that they could fall down. The leaks were getting worse and it was time to fix them by replacing that area of the roof.
The roofing contractor that we used last year for the roofs over the kitchen and the other side of the Parish Hall was hired to do the work. During his initial inspection it was discovered that the fascia boards to which the gutters are attached was decaying in places and should also be replaced. And, if you are taking down the gutters to get to the fascia, why not replace those
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leaky gutters that you are taking down with new ones at the same time? So, it was decided to get all these fixed at the same time. The replacement shingles, fascia and gutters should be good for fifty years, so we are told.
You may recall that last year we installed a new WiFi system in the Parish Hall which significantly upgraded our ability to access the internet from there. This year a new requirement surfaced due to the COVID Sunday service restrictions. How can we get WiFi capability in the Church Sanctuary to broadcast the Sunday services on Facebook? A WiFi extender was installed in the Sanctuary which connected to our existing internet router in the Parish Hall. A professional audio/video person has been hired to do the actual recording, using this WiFi system to get to the internet. All parishioners, and some other non-parishioners as well, who have watched the Sunday services know that this is working very well.
All the other usual property related items such as village inspections, permits, daycare requests, plumbing and electrical items were completed without any unusual difficulties.
I would like to offer a very sincere thank you to all who gave of their time and talents to water the flowers, clip the bushes, and do all the dozens of other things that need doing, even in these COVID times, to keep our church facilities functioning and looking so great. In reality, you all are honorary members of the Property Committee, and a hearty round of applause is warranted.
Respectfully submitted, Don Shultis
Readers and Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEM’s)
The Readers and Lay Eucharistic Minsters (LEM’s) (previously Lectors, Lay Readers and Sub Deacons) are a dedicated group of volunteers who faithfully served in this meaningful ministry at the beginning of the year until COVID hit and in-person services came to a halt. All were encouraged to be flexible and serve where needed.
St. Simeon’s
St. Simeon’s, like the rest of us, has been dealing with the corona virus as best they can. They have had a few cases but remain basically healthy. Our board meetings started out on Zoom but are now half-and half...some of us appear in person while others join online. Mother Mag has continued on the board via Zoom. We are all looking forward to a better year this year.
We have, unfortunately, had to suspend the monthly service.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Griffin
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Stewardship and Fundraising Committee
The Stewardship and Fundraising Committee included Mother Mag,
Mike Matts, Dora Ruf, Greg Citarella, Nancy Rubsam, and Bonnie Kieffer.
We had the twofold goal of helping raise funds for Zion and expanding our connection with the local community. We were able to connect with the Town of Wappinger and the Presbyterian Church in hopes of combining and teaming up for a Christmas Bazaar this fall. Our vendor contact person, Judy Barba, was able to build a list of potential vendors for our Christmas Bazaar, but with the COVID restrictions, we cancelled it for 2020. A list of potential vendors who are ready and willing to work with us gives us hope for this coming fall.
All other events were cancelled.
The committee members were polled and it was decided to separate into two committees, as in the past.
The Stewardship Campaign was delayed this year and began in earnest in late November 2020. The theme this year was “God Now More Than Ever”. Pledges are coming in and a report will be forthcoming.
Both of these committees are looking for volunteers and chairpersons.
Respectfully submitted,
Bonnie Kieffer
Vacation Bible School
Last February an enthusiastic committee had already begun planning for the 2020 Vacation Bible School when the lock down occurred. We hope to be able to continue with this theme of Jonah in the coming summer. Thank you to Mother Mag, Mother Leigh, Gwen Higgins, Leslie Batta, Jennifer Klein, and Barbara Gutzler, who worked on the planning.
Respectfully submitted,
Peggy Kelland
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Women of Zion
January
Speaker - Bonnie Kieffer
Subject - “Daughters of the King”
February
Speaker - Mother Magdalene
Subject - “The Book of Common Prayer”
March – April
COVID
Respectfully submitted,
Doris Niles
Zion Website/Internet Committee Update
After discussion at the Vestry’s May meeting on the need for a better social media presence, the “Zion Internet Committee” was formed on May 20, 2020. Committee consisted of Mother Mag, Greg, Mike, John, and Sally.
Goal: Develop a Social Media Strategy for Zion moving forward.
Tasks: 1) Define/ Create New Website (Platform TBD)
2) Define what other social media platforms should be added to Website (Facebook, Twitter,
You Tube, etc.)
3) Define content of other platforms/ rules for posting.
4) Insure monetary transactions can occur via website
5) Determine cost to create new website
6) Determine ongoing cost/ labor to update for next five years
7) Transition from current website to new website
8) Define schedule for completion.
9) Define video/ audio upgrades for online services
On July 8, 2020, Zion switched from a Google to a Squarespace website, with the web address of www.zionwappingersfalls.org. Vanco was selected as the app used on the website for monetary transactions. Based on a quote, between $3,000 - $5,000 was saved by Zion volunteer(s) creating the website, vs. hiring a web designer.
Note: Matt Rignanese maintained Zion’s website on Google for eight years. Thanks, Matt, for performing this “behind the scenes” activity for that long. Thanks, too, to Mother Mag, Greg, John, and Sally for their inputs and help in getting the Committee started and moving. Thanks to Diana Magel for her work in evaluating and implementing the Vanco app. When Mother Mag retired, the online services ended. Thanks to Marcy Wagman, who spearheaded an effort to get Hughes Electronics to “temporarily” film the Sunday service after Mag left, while quoting a new sound, lighting, and video system for continuing online Sunday services in the future. Great job, Marcy! Thank you.
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The new website is a “work in progress”. Today, pages on the website include “Welcome/ Worship/ Leadership/ Clergy & Staff/ Events/ Calendar, and Ministries (Zion Food Pantry, Community Garden, Friends of Darbonne, Columbarium, and Daughters of the King).
More items are to be added in 2021, including an updated History of Zion, a salute to Zion Members in the Military, updates on Baptisms, Weddings, Christian Education, additional ministries, and other information.
As Zion looks for a new rector/ priest in charge, the website is a key component in the search process. In addition, the website is one of several places potential new members look to find a church.
If you haven’t already, please take a look at the new website at www.zionwappingersfalls.org. Most importantly, send your feedback, positive or negative, to zionwfalls@gmail.com. Your feedback will help to improve it. If you have any photos of Zion, especially people, please send them to zionwfalls@gmail.com for use on the website. Finally, if you would like to volunteer to be on the Zion Internet Committee, please let me, Father Stephens, or any Vestry member know.
Respectfully submitted,
Mike Matts
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