Annual Parish Meeting
January 28, 2024
Following the 9:00 A.M. Service
1834
Zion Episcopal Church
Wappingers Falls, New York
AGENDA
I. Opening Prayer
II. The Recording Secretary for this Meeting is Peggy Kelland
III. Minutes of January 29, 2023 Page 2
IV. Welcome from our Senior Warden Pages 3-4
V. Acknowledgement of Retiring Vestry Members:
Sheila Rosewhite-Dolfinger
VI. Introduction of New Vestry Members
Wendy McNeil (Vestry, 3-year term)
Maya Hennebery (Vestry, 3-year term)
Steve Carlough (Senior Warden, 3-year term)
Betty Oommen (Vestry, 2-year term)
VII. Appointment of Altar Guild Matron: Annette Goodwin
VIII. Appointment of Property Manager: Doug McNeil
IX. Parish Reports Pages 5-20
X. General Discussion
XI. Closing Prayer
XII. Adjournment
Appendix Pages I-IV
ZION PARISH ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2023
Attendance: 39
I. The Annual Meeting opened at 10:35 with a prayer by Father Alex.
II. Peggy Kelland was appointed Recording Secretary.
III. The minutes from January 30, 2022, were moved by Bonnie Kieffer, seconded by John Singler, and approved as written.
IV. By Law Amendment (see booklet) was moved by Wendy McNeil, seconded by Greg Fredeman, and passed.
V. Acknowledgement of retiring Vestry Members: John Karge and Cindy Russo.
VI. a. Introduction of new Vestry Members: Peggy Kelland (Warden), Greg Fredeman (2 year term), Alison Friedland (3 year term), Michael Matts (3 year term), and Sheila Rosewhite-Dolfinger (3 year term). With no other nominations, Bonnie Kieffer moved, Wendy McNeil seconded, and nominations were closed. Bonnie Kieffer moved, Wendy McNeil seconded, and the slate was unanimously elected.
b. Vestry Nominating Committee for 2023:
Outgoing Vestry Members: Steve Carlough, Maya Hennebery, Wendy McNeil
Parishioners: Jodie Fredeman, Brabara Griffin, Doug McNeil
Mike Matts moved, Bonnie Kieffer seconded, and the Nominating Committee was approved.
VII. Priest-in-Charge Report (see booklet)
VIII. Parish Reports (see booklet)
a. Finance: increases for Cursillo and Youth
b. correction: social media report includes "Instagram" not "Twitter".
c. Next year include reports on "Counters", "Christmas Bazaar", and "Angel Tree".
d. Thank you to Chris Dorsey from Lems, Bulletins, Property, etc.
e. Bonnie Kieffer moved, Mike Matts seconded, and the reports were accepted.
IX. Warden Statement: Steve Carlough urged people to sit up front in church since the back pews do not show on the recordings. Property improvements have been made, but there is still work to be done. More volunteers are needed at coffee hour. The search committee was a big job but led to Father Alex; we couldn't have found a better priest.
X. General Discussion: Thank you to Poppy; thank you to the Vestry for coffee hour. Suggestion to have the collection plates at the door rather than passing them; concern that people would think it was the price of admission. Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on February 21 should advertise availability of gluten-free pancakes.
Xi. The meeting closed with a prayer by Father Alex at 12:10 P.M.
Welcome from our Senior Warden
Greetings Fellow Parishioners,
Before I begin, I want to highlight that Zion has been blessed with many new parishioners who have chosen to join our spiritual family. Welcome, and if you ever have any concerns, questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or the other members of the Vestry.
2023 has certainly been a busy year at Zion. We have a new tenant (the Montessori School) in the Undercroft. Meals on Wheels continues to provide their services from Zion’s kitchen, in fact, Zion now has a commercial license for its kitchen. Zion now has CPR trained members for its AED defibrillator we pray will never be used. The Food Pantry now serves more families than ever before. Our outreach mission to Darbonne has restarted. Our seemingly tireless Father Alex has led us in weekly worship, as well as Christmas and Easter celebrations, and another successful Christmas Pageant. He has been involved in the community, hopefully you were able to see his performance in “Stones & Bones”, and has led Zion through its property transformation. There are too many activities, programs and events at Zion to list here, but I would like to thank all of you who organize, run, and participate in them.
That said, 2023 has been the year of buildings and grounds. Thanks to Alison, Jenn, and our masonry contractors, you will see beautiful new gardens on the property. However, I would like to focus for a minute on the significant number of capital project done to the buildings. Many thanks to Father Alex, Doug and the other property committee members who helped drive these projects. The year began with having to change all of the aging fire sensors in our buildings. The Altar guild had a new floor installed. Then, when the daycare moved out of the Undercroft, we found significant water damage had occurred as ground water, mostly from the courtyard, was pushing though the foundations. Art In Stone excavated around the sanctuary and rectory down to the footings so the basement walls could be properly water sealed, and new liners and drains were put into the courtyard. Next, they replaced the rectory stoop and also built our new stoop into the parish hall. They renovated the water damaged Undercroft, replaced failing chimneys on the sanctuary, and built a new outside entrance to the Undercroft. 2023 would not draw to a close without our aging furnaces deciding it was quitting time. Zion has a new, high efficiency furnace system which will reduce emissions and provide Zion with a significant saving in its gas utility bill. Unfortunately, it has been cold during services these last few weeks. We ask for a little patience while our new furnace system is being calibrated.
How did we pay for all of these improvements? Grants from the Dioceses and generous donations to Zion certainly helped, but most of the funds had to be provided by our investments. They say you only want to draw on your investments when the market is high, and in that regard, we were truly blessed. Despite having to draw nearly two hundred thousand dollars from our investments for these improvements, the market was very strong, and our investments ended the year almost eighty-four thousand dollars higher than at the beginning of the year.
What to look forward to in 2024: there are additional property concerns to address, but they won’t be nearly as costly as 2023, and we are pursuing additional grants. The Sanctuary needs a new roof, masonry work and a new front entrance. Repairs are needed to the retaining wall out front and there are a few other smaller projects we are looking to complete to update our buildings and grounds.
Zion will continue to be a focal point to the community through our numerous outreach programs. Furthermore, watch for our “Spring Fling” clean-up day once the ground thaws and dries. There will be a new Parish directory created this year. There will be a return of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade cookout, the Outback Luncheon, Pancake Supper, Easter celebrations, Christmas in July, and many more activities. I personally look forward to all that Zion has in store for 2024.
Respectfully Submitted,
Steven Carlough
Senior Warden
ANNUAL MEETING 2024 INDEX OF REPORTS
PAGE #
Priest in Charge - Father Alex 6-9
Acolytes – Dora Ruf 9
Altar Guild- Annette Goodwinl 9
Bulletin Boards -Donna Ruf 9
Coffee Hour – Wendy McNeil 9-10
Columbarium- Mary Boscher, Alison Friedland 10
Cursillo – Anne Kasin & Maya Hennebery 10
Daughters of the King – Dora Ruf 10-11
Finance/Treasurer’s Report – Maya Hennebery 11-12
Food Pantry – Nancy Carlough 12
Friends of Darbonne – Bonnie Kieffer 13
Healing Service – Anne Kasin, Betsy Tripaldi 13
Love INC – Anne Kasin 13
Meals on Wheels - Mike Matts 13-14
Music Ministry – Greg Citarelli 14-15
Pastoral Care-Alison Friedland 15
Property – Doug McNeil and Father Alex 15-18
Stewardship – Joseph Rivera-Ramos 18
Ushers – Greg Fredeman 18-19
Vacation Bible School – Peggy Kelland 19
Zion Website/Internet Committee – Greg Fredeman 19-20
Priest-in-Charge Report (Father Alex+)
General Remarks
Well, my Zion brothers and sisters, we have completed our first full calendar year of ministry together and I, for one, have enjoyed every minute of it. As I reflect on our journey together in 2023, and I contemplate all of the blessings and challenges of the year, I am filled with hope for the future. Because, my brothers and sisters, as I am sure you have all noticed: our Church is growing! Growing in number and growing in Spirit.
In terms of number, when I first arrived at Zion in August of 2022, our average Sunday attendance was in the forty-to-fifty range. Now, our average Sunday attendance is in the seventy-to-eighty range, and our attendance for Christmas Eve was the highest since 2019 and for Easter Day since 2017. And as exciting as our growth in numbers has been over the past eighteen months, what I find even more exciting is how much we have grown in Spirit over this short amount of time. As a community, we are growing in our knowledge and love of God, and I sense an increasing thirst for the Gospel, and a desire for a deeper relationship with our Lord. It has been such a joy witnessing our growth in number and Spirit, and I truly believe that God has more surprises in store for us in 2024.
Before I close this section, I also wish to add how happy I am to see so many of my fellow Zion brothers and sisters answering God’s call to serve the Church. In 2023, we have seen a rise in both new and returning lay ministers here at Zion. I pray that the Lord continues to send forth laborers into God’s vineyard.
Worship
I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to all of those who make our Sunday liturgy possible. To our Acolytes: Joseph Rivera-Ramos, Chris Blatz, Jody Fredeman, and Doug McNeil. Our LEMs: Anne Kasin, Nancy Rubsam, Betsy Tripaldi, Marilyn Hill, and Lynea St. Pierre. To our Choir: Peggy Kelland, Grant Konno, Dora Ruf, Arnie Ruf, as well as Zita Kobos and Barbara Clark. To our A/V and Usher Team: Marilyn Hill, Grant Konno, Gregory Fredeman, Jody Fredeman, Gary McGovern, Doug McNeil, Maya Hennebery, Don Shultis, Sue Shultis, and Steve Carlough. To our Altar Guild: Annette Goodwin, John Singler, Nancy Rubsam, Terri Rhoades, and Ruth Wilsea. And to our Readers: Nancy Durr, Wendy McNeil, Terri Rhoades, John Singler, Joy Maryniak, Peggy Kelland, and Dinor Dhanabala.
And a very special thank you to our Music Director, Gregory Citarella, who has been such a blessing to work with.
And why do I thank my co-workers in Christ who serve with me before the altar of our Lord? Because, in my humble opinion, what distinguishes the Episcopal Church from other Protestant Denominations is the beauty of our sacred liturgy and music. And for us to have this beautiful liturgy and music, we need spiritually gifted believers to answer the call to serve before our Lord’s sacred altar. And therefore, I thank you, my fellow servants of the liturgy, for without you, the richness of our worship would certainly suffer.
Now, having said this, when reading the names of our brothers and sisters above, you may have noticed two things: one, those who serve on Sunday are few in number, and two, several of these names are repeated; as many of our fellow Zionites serve multiple functions on Sunday.
Hence, one thing that I ask of you, my Zion brothers and sisters, is to prayerfully consider answering the call to serve the Church for our Sunday liturgy. Do you have a gift for welcoming newcomers? Then, consider becoming an usher. Do you have gifts for singing? Then, consider joining our choir. Do you feel called to serve at the Lord’s Table? Consider becoming a LEM.
I believe strongly that for Zion to continue to grow, our liturgy must maintain a sense of honor, dignity, and beauty. But for us to do this, we need servants to step forward. And so, in this new year of our spiritual life together, my brothers and sisters, please earnestly consider how you can use your spiritual gifts to further enrich our common worship.
Worship Highlights
For the year 2023, there were some exciting new worship experiences, such as:
Candlemas, or the Feast of the Presentation, on February 5th
The Blessing of the Kitchen and the Meals on Wheels volunteers on February 12th
Weekly Stations of the Cross in the season of Lent
The Easter Vigil on April 8th
Father Alex’s Commissioning Service as Priest-in-Charge at Zion on Saturday, May 6th.
Rogation Sunday and the Blessing of the Fields on Sunday, May 14th.
The “Blessing of the motorcycles” at the Elks Club, Beacon on Saturday, August 12th
Holy Cross Day on September 17th
Bishop Heyd’s Visit to Zion on Sunday, October 1st
And, we had a more vigorous Christmas Pageant and Christmas Lesson and Carols service this year
Weddings, Baptisms, and Funerals
In the year 2023, we celebrated the baptisms of Lillian Pizzola; Evan James Secor; Sophie Marion Boundy; Sneyha Dhanabala; and Zion Norris.
Also, this year, I celebrated a total of 19 Funerals, many of which were celebrated at our Columbarium Chapel and Garden, as well as local cemeteries and funeral homes. I continue to accept funeral home and cemetery opportunities, when possible, not only because they are a form of community outreach, but because they also draw attention to our Church.
And lastly, in the year 2023 we witnessed the passing of our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, Tom Graham, Howard Dearborn, Elsie Sheppard, and Evelyn Conners. May their souls and the souls of all the faithfully departed rest in peace and rise in glory. Amen.
Although there were no marriages at Zion this past year, I am currently hosting pre-marital counseling sessions for a couple planning to be married in May 2024. Will I celebrate my first wedding this year? We shall see!
Pastoral Care and Education
For Pastoral Care, please see the report by Alison Friedland.
In terms of adult education for 2023, I led a Lenten Bible Study on “Moses and the Exodus” and for the season of Advent, we had a most stimulating series called, “Coffee and ????’s”
Outreach
In 2023, I had the opportunity to become more heavily involved in local outreach, which helped me to connect with many new friends and colleagues in the village. Some examples of outreach events in which I participated this year: the Stones and Bones Living History Tour; WFDBA luncheons; joining the Diocesan Property Committee; connecting with Father Mario and Father Joe at Mt. Alvernia; blessing of the wreathes for “Wreathes Across America;”
Priest’s Self-Care
I want to thank the Wardens, the Vestry, and the Church at-large for your continued support for the well-being of Poppy and myself. I am truly moved whenever my Zion brothers and sisters inquire about our health, our living arrangements, and our work-ministry-life balance. And thank you for encouraging Poppy and myself to take breaks, to go away on vacation, to take a retreat, or to spend quality time together. With the encouragement of the Wardens and Vestry, Poppy and I did take off for my allotted five Sundays per calendar year; which is something that I normally wouldn’t do, had it not been for the insistence of our Church leadership. For this I am truly grateful, as my zeal for Zion’s future often results in my needing to be reminded to “take a break.”
Having said this, there is a shortage of supply priests in the Hudson Valley. Hence, there is a growing concern as to whether the limited availability of supply Priests will hinder Poppy and myself from taking time off. As I have discussed with the Vestry, when Poppy and I are away, we may need to turn to Morning Prayer a couple of times this year, should we be unable to secure a supply Priest to celebrate the Eucharist. The Wardens and I will be organizing a formal Morning Prayer service bulletin, should we need to celebrate morning prayer in the absence of a supply Priest.
Acolytes (Dora Ruf)
Acolytes and Crucifers play a very important role in the Sunday service.
Thank you to Joseph Rivera-Ramos, Christopher Blatz, Doug McNeil and Jody Fredeman for your service.
Thank you, Jody Fredeman, for continuing to train new Acolytes and Crucifers,
We are praying for more acolytes and crucifiers in 2024.
Altar Guild (Annette Goodwin)
At this time, the Zion Altar Guild for 2023 has 5 members. Each member fulfills their responsibility individually.
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 du-es, as well as preparing some of these items prior to each Sunday for service.
At this time we do not have a Matron, however Annette Goodwin has been serving as the “Unofficial Matron” for several years. The Zion Altar Guild would enjoy welcoming new members seeking to join our extremely dedicated group. Please contact any Altar Guild member to learn more if you are interested.
Bulletin Boards (Donna Ruf)
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.
Coffee Hour/ Fellowship (Wendy McNeil)
2023 saw much growth in Zion’s fellowship activities!
● There were a number of repasts and receptions, with many volunteers coming together to help. Dora, as well as Gary and Maya
have done a wonderful job coordinating these events. Father Alex’s commissioning as our Priest-In-Charge was spectacular! So many
parishioners contributed to make it an exceptional event.
● Our Stewardship Campaign, headed by Joseph Rivera-Ramos, was extremely successful. He was able to reach out to local businesses
to sponsor the breakfast. Hopefully the community outreach will continue to grow.
● Coffee Hour has seen many parishioners sign up, as well as a great number of donations. I’m looking forward to this trend continuing to
grow.
● Fundraising has been very successful. Our Tag sale realized a profit of over $600, and our Christmas Bazaar brought in over $2023.16. A
huge thank you to Judy and Sue for their dedication and wonderful job. An impromptu St. Patrick's Day event was also a huge success.
Coffee, hot chocolate, Irish soda bread, and tea brack were offered, asking only for donations. Being such a dreary, cold, and rainy day,
we were happily surprised to raise over $800
Columbarium (Mary Boscher and Alison Friedland)
The Columbarium Garden has become more of an established garden this past year, filling in nicely. The noticeable empty space is where the maple was removed. It will be replaced this Spring.
Due to the high temperatures and usually dry summer months, it was decided that the hanging planters would not be installed during this time, as they require daily watering. Fall baskets with mums, pansies and ornamental cabbage were displayed.
With all the rain last season, the weeds flourished and were hard to keep up with. We hope to have volunteers help with that and watering the baskets this coming season.
Cursillo (Anne Kasin and Maya Hennebery)
Zion had one Candidate attend a Cursillo Weekend this past year. Look at the Cursillo display on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall to see pictures of those in our congregation who have now made a Retreat Weekend of their own and consider doing so yourself.
The Spring Weekend dates are April 18 - 21. The Fall Weekend will be in late October. More information about Cursillo can be found at nyepiscopalcursillo.org and then speak to us!
Daughters of the King (Dora Ruf)
We had an active prayer list for 2023. A prayer request box is located on the table in the Cloister.
Our thanks to Bonnie Keiffer, who moved out of state, but is continuing to help us. If anyone is interested in becoming a member, please contact us.
President: Dora Ruf,
Secretary: Rosanne Defini,
Treasurer: Maya Hennebery
Iin the future we will ask Father Alex to be our Chaplain.
Finance/Treasurer’s Report (Maya Hennebery)
2023 was an exciting year. Zion’s financial posture is solid. In addition to our annual pledges, we have been blessed with a large endowment from which we draw 5% annually to cover expenses. Endowment balance as of 12/31/23 was $2,362,877. Zion Expenses are categorized into OPERATING (normal church operations, Payroll, Utilities, Office, Social) and NON-OPERATING (Food Pantry, Capital Improvements, Memorials/Gifts, Friends of Darbonne, Rector’s Discretionary)
2023 Operating Expense budget was $267,034. Actual YTD Expenses $272144. Overage due to Central Hudson which was $7000 over budget. We paid $25,213 to Central Hudson in 2023..
Our 2024 Stewardship campaign was very successful. (See Stewardship report) 2024 Budget was approved and is included in Annual Report.
2023 Operating Income Budget was $267,034 and we surpassed this. Thank you everyone for your generosity. Income to cover the Expenses comes from your Pledges/Plate, 5% of Investments, Space Rental and Fundraising. On 12/1/23, Great Work Montessori moved into our renovated Undercroft so we are now receiving Rental Income for our undercroft space. Other major renters are Meals on Wheels and AA/NA.
NON-OPERATING does not have a budget. Every project is reviewed by Finance Committee to determine financing. Then our Vestry discusses and votes. Once approved, the work begins.
2023 CAPITAL EXPENSE Improvement work was very necessary, as our beautiful Sanctuary was being damaged by water and our foundation was deteriorating.
- Extensive Gutter Repairs
- Heat Detector Upgrade, all sensors were replaced
- Foundation of Church and Rectory, refurbished & waterproofed
- New Steps for Rectory, Parish Hall & Undercroft Entrance
- Undercroft, space below Sanctuary, totally refurbished
- Electric Upgrade in Kitchen & Undercroft (paid by a very generous parishioner)
- Rectory Basement repaired.
- New Furnaces for Parish Hall & Sanctuary
TOTAL 2023 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT $284,560
NWM Long Term $206,247
gifts/memorials $45,813
Diocese Grants $32,500
Total Capital Expense $284,560
Monthly Finance Meetings are every 2nd Tuesday and open to anyone interested.
Pie Charts for Zion Income Actual & Expenses Actual
See Appendix (Mike Matts, Author) Page I-II
Food Pantry (Nancy Carlough)
2023 was another busy year for the Food Pantry. We have over 100 households registered. When adding up all of our weekly log sheets, we had 2,786 client-instances, 293 more than last year. This represents almost 10,000 (9,967 to be exact) people were fed by our food pantry. In addition, we provided a record 82 Thanksgiving dinners and 73 Christmas dinners. This is something for all of us to be very proud of.
Feeding that many people is very costly. As you can see from our budget, food is by far our greatest expense. There were 28 visits to the Food Banks in which we picked up a total of 60,676 pounds of food. This was the first year that we ordered from both the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley and the Food Bank of Northeastern New York, which is based in Latham but delivers to a parking lot at Dutchess Community College. Using both Food Banks gives us access to more free food, which is federally funded. We rely on Aldi, Hannaford, The Dollar Tree, and Walmart to stretch our budget. Food donations from Zion and St. Nicholas also contribute to our food supply and are greatly appreciated. The Teacher’s Union at Wappingers Central School District as well as Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops conduct food drives throughout the year which are always beneficial. We continue to receive donations from Adams, Panera, and Shop Rite which allows us to offer extra items to families. We continue to welcome all ideas on ways to raise funds and find other sources of food donations.
I alone cannot keep this Food Pantry running. So I have a great support team with me: Judy Barba, Steve Carlough, Jack Devine, Jody Fredeman, Gloria Gibson, Ann Harrington, Maya Hennebery, John Karge, Steve Kelland, Amy Matts, Mike Matts, Gary McGovern, Doug McNeil, Liz Pavelka, Mary Porpora, Sylvia Profhe, Joseph Rivera-Ramos, Judi Roberts, Sue Shultis, and Lynea St.Pier. Thank you for all that you do!
I would also like to thank Nancy Mann for her clothing distribution. She gave out both new clothing at her personal expense and donated clothing (Thank you to those who donated) to 870 families. In the coming year we are hoping to collect more used clothing for her ministry.
I would also like to thank those in this Parish that have contributed to the Food Pantry this year. I am grateful that there are people who donate monthly, pay for transportation, buy a new freezer, knit hats and scarves, buy food every week, and donate holiday dinners. Together we will continue to feed those in need in our community.
Zion Food Pantry Financial Report for 2023 and Proposed Budget for 2024
See Appendix (Judy Barba, Author) Page III
Friends of Darbonne (Bonnie Kiefer)
The Friends of Darbonne 2023 mission appeal was very successful: $16,684 was donated by long -time donors, new donors, and Read-A-Thon participants from three churches- Zion, St Nicholas on the Hudson, and Christ Church in Sharon, CT. The funds are being sent to support the Church of the Annunciation and the Holy Spirit School in Darbonne, Haiti.
The highest percentage of the funds is earmarked for scholarships, with the nutrition program and special projects categories shared equally.
The campaign was conducted by Bonnie Kieffer with letters of appeal sent out and donations received at Zion. The Read-A-Thon was led by Marcy Wagman and Joan Freeman with a celebration held at St Nicholas on the Hudson. Bonnie Kieffer was able to attend a special coffee hour at Christ Church in Connecticut to discuss the Darbonne church and school needs, and the congregation professed their interest in helping with donations.
The Friends of Darbonne team will be needing volunteers for the 2024 campaign. Please see Maya Hennebery or Marcy Wagman for details and how volunteers may help.
Healing Service (Anne Kasin and Betsy Tripaldi)
Zion's Healing Service takes place every Tuesday at 9am in the Resurrection Chapel. Laity led, the format combines Morning Prayer with a Litany for Healing. Lessons for the coming Sunday are used for Scripture study and informal discussion. Information about one of the Church Saints is usually presented. Prayers are collected and offered for the sick and for those in any sort of need. Get Well/Praying for You cards are frequently sent to bring comfort to those being prayed for. All this takes place within an hour and all are invited and welcome!
Love Inc (Anne Kasin)
Although Zion is not collecting donations at this time, notices about Love INC Events will continue to be posted on the Crossings Bulletin Board for your information and participation. The February Cookie Walk is right around the corner to help you celebrate Valentines Day with homemade sweets! Another popular fundraiser is the October Scrabble Tournament!
For information about volunteering or donations, please call (845) 471- 0102
Meals on Wheels (Mike Matts)
Meals on Wheels (MOWs) celebrated the One Year Anniversary of preparing food at Zion on January 9, 2024. What an amazing year it’s been! The transition went very smoothly as both the Zion and MOWs teams worked together in support of a critical community need and each other. MOWs provides a hot lunch to 45 – 50 people in Wappingers Falls, 5 days per week throughout the year. (That’s approximately 11,700 meals in 2023!) The service provided by MOWs is a very important one to those in need.
- Other highlights in 2023 included:
- Fr. Alex blessed Zion’s “Commercial” Kitchen, as well as the MOW’s food preparers and Zion coffee hour team, on February 10, 2023.
- The Dutchess County Board of Health gave Zion “Full” Commercial Kitchen Approval on March 23, 2023 after the completion of several remaining work items (disconnected drain on the prep sink, storage room light cover, and establishing grease trap cleaning schedule).
- Lastly, MOWs replaced an aging refrigerator with a new, more efficient unit, which was installed in the back room in the kitchen on November 1, 2023.
Thanks to Fr. Alex, the Zion Vestry, Zion’s Building Committee, the Zion congregation, Doreen Shepheard, the MOWs Board, and the entire MOWs team for their flexibility and support to make the first year at Zion a successful one. We look forward to many more years together.
Music Ministry (Gregory Citarella)
Dear Parish Family:
Our music ministry continues to evolve now that COVID, while still here, is somewhat behind us.
This year we had a number of successful concerts by the Hudson Valley Woodwind Quintet followed by the Breezy Hill Woodwind Quintet.
On Christmas Eve we were serenaded with music from Mozart, Bach, and Brahms by the Hudson Valley Woodwind Quintet. A change from our usual hymn singing prior to the beginning of our Christmas liturgy.
I would like to thank choir members Dora and Arnie Ruf, Peggy Kelland, Grant Kono, Barbara Clark and Zita Kobos for their dedication to singing in our choir. Barbara Clark usually has business travel which keeps her away from being with us fully. Zita Kobos joins the choir when she is able to drive in from Columbia County. All these voices lend to our Sunday and special services (i.e.: Christmas Lessons & Carols) being all the more meaningful and festive. We thank them all for their dedication and love of music.
Our beautiful Austin Organ continues to serve the parish well with only tunings as required. Our pianos are tuned and used choir rehearsals and guest musicians.
Cellist, Jeanne Fox, rents our facility for teaching students.
Overall, our music ministry is continuing to take root and grow as our church begins to write new chapters with new faces joining us on Sunday mornings.
It is always a pleasure to serve as your Minister of Music and Organist. We are all lucky to have each other in our lives of faith.
In closing: “Music is the universal language of mankind.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Pastoral Care (Alison Friedland)
- Having Zion’s services broadcast via FaceBook and YouTube has allowed those who are homebound, in the hospital/care facility, or otherwise unable to be physically present, to take part remotely.
- The Tuesday Healing Service continued to regularly send out cards to those in need of care, as well as to families. They keep Father Alex informed regarding pastoral concerns.
- This past year has shown the need for Eucharistic Ministers for those who cannot attend Church.
- Father Alex continued to make home and hospital visitations and provided spiritual care at the office.
Education Report 2023
- Father Alex offered a Sunday Lenten Bible Study on the Moses story from the Book of Exodus.
- “Coffee and ???’s” were held by Father Alex during the Advent coffee hours.
Property (Doug McNeil and Father Alex+)
Opening Remarks
2023 was a big year for property improvements here at Zion. Through the tireless efforts of the Priest-in-Charge, the Property Committee, Wardens, Treasurer, and Vestry, the contractors Art in Stone Masonry, EZ Flow Gutters, Folkes Home Services, and American Flooring were hired to complete multiple masonry, carpentry, renovation, and HVAC projects throughout the Church campus. The initial inspiration for these capital projects can be summarized in two words: water damage.
For years, failing gutters, flashing, and masonry resulted in severe water damage to the Church sanctuary walls, sanctuary and rectory foundations, Church undercroft, and stairways. To prevent further destruction to our buildings, the water damage problem needed to be addressed immediately, which is why such swift action was taken in 2023. As the year came to a close, another challenge needed to be tackled: replacing our ageing furnace system for the sanctuary and parish hall. In December, the Vestry voted in favor of hiring Folkes Home Services to replace our thirty-plus-year-old furnace with a high efficiency boiler system. Given that this high efficiency system is a new technology for the building, the property committee is currently in the process of calibrating the system for the Church sanctuary. The goal of the Church is to both heat the sanctuary to a comfortable target temperature, while also benefitting from the fuel cost savings of a high-efficiency system.
Below, you will find details concerning our 2023 Capital Projects and other property maintenance
Masonry and Undercroft
In 2023, Art in Stone Masonry was hired to tackle our Church masonry projects, as well as our general renovation projects for the undercroft. The following was completed.
- Excavation and complete waterproofing of the foundations to the Church sanctuary and rectory;
- Repair and renovation of interior rectory basement walls, load-bearing walls, and supports
- Complete replacement of deteriorating rectory front steps and parish hall stairway. Both stairways are now up to code;
- Complete replacement of the undercroft entrance and doorway, bringing the stairway up to code;
- Renovation of sanctuary and rectory window wells
- Waterproofing and regrading of Church courtyard near the ramp
- Repair of interior undercroft foundation
- Removal, replacement, and painting of interior undercroft walls
- Partial renovation and painting of undercroft bathrooms
- Demolition and complete replacement of the sanctuary chimney
- Installation of numerous new garden areas surrounding the rectory and undercroft entrance
In addition, American Flooring was hired to replace badly damaged floors in the undercroft east classroom; Anago Cleaning performed a post-construction deep cleaning of the undercroft and stripped, cleaned, and waxed the floors; our brother, Michael Herasimtschuk, repaired a severely broken wall in the boy’s bathroom; and our own Doug McNeil and Don Shultis erected the bathroom dividers in the girl’s bathroom. Doug McNeil also cleaned and painted the undercroft slop sink.
Thank you, also, to Doug McNeil, Greg Fredeman, Steve Carlough, and Josh Fredeman for moving furniture and clearing junk out of the undercroft; which was a challenging job.
Because of the successful renovation of the undercroft, Great Work Montessori began leasing the space on Friday, December 1st. Leasing the space is a critical source of income for our 2024 annual budget.
Our treasurer, Maya Hennebery, sought estimates for a bi-weekly cleaner for the undercroft. Because of her efforts, we have now successfully hired someone to clean the undercroft for our new tenant.
Gutters
EZ Flow Gutters was hired to clean, repair, re-route, and replace our badly damaged gutter system throughout the Church campus. A few more gutter issues were identified during the last cleaning in December, the repair of which will be explored in 2024.
Sanctuary Furnaces
Folkes Home Services successfully installed our new high efficiency furnace system for the parish hall and sanctuary on Thursday, December 7th. It took them a total of four days to complete the job. They remained on campus until 3 am on Thursday, the 7th. Fr. Alex and Doug McNeil frequently visited the site to check-in on their progress.
In addition, Doug was with Folkes on Thursday, December 7th and Friday, December 8th to bleed the radiator systems. On one of these nights, he was on campus until 10:00 pm. I think Doug deserves a round of applause!
On Tuesday, December 12th, the lead Folkes technician gave Don Shultis, Doug McNeil, and Father Alex an orientation to the system and Folkes did a final test of the radiators that same day.
The furnace system is currently being calibrated to successfully heat the Church sanctuary on Sunday mornings.
Cleaning and Junk Removal
Marcy Wagman and Father Alex were present at the junk removal on Monday, December 11th. A total of four truckloads of “junk” was removed from the Church campus. Thank you, Marcy!!!
Choir Room
The Fredeman boys were kind enough to clear out and clean the Parish Hall Choir Room, which is now being rented by Jeanne Fox for Cello lessons.
Roof, Bell Tower, Flashing Repair, and Retaining Wall
In 2024, the sanctuary roof will need to be replaced, the flashing repaired, the bell tower repaired and repointed, and the archway and keystone to the sanctuary front door replaced. The Church retaining wall, which is in the process of collapsing, will also need to be addressed this year. These roofing and masonry projects will be costly, so in the Fall 2023, Father Alex contacted the Bedell Fund, a special Church building fund, to explore the possibility of receiving funding for these capital improvements. The Bedell Fund replied and scheduled a time to visit Zion and to tour the campus.
On December 10th, the Feast of St. Nicholas, a member of the Bedell Fund Committee from St. Matthew’s Bedford visited Zion and he was thoroughly impressed with the service, the community, and the campus. The committee has decided to continue forward with the funding application process. Father Alex, Steve Carlough, and Nancy Carlough have been invited to make a presentation to the committee on Thursday, February 2nd, 2024. Please pray for us!
Electrical, Utilities, and Safety and Security
Electrical modifications to the undercroft and parish hall kitchen were made by Soltish Electrical, bringing Zion up to code.
New fire sensors were installed throughout the sanctuary, parish hall, and rectory, including a new alarm box, permitting Zion to pass village inspection.
Software upgrade to our security system.
The rectory gas meter was repaired and replaced.
The pilot light for the oven to the parish hall kitchen has been repaired and a grease trap installed to bring the kitchen up to code for Meals on Wheels.
Various Repairs
Our brothers, Doug McNeil and Don Shultis, continue to perform various repairs and property projects throughout the year, which also includes monitoring and scheduling various safety inspections. Bless you, Doug and Don!
Stewardship (Joseph Rivera-Ramos)
This year’s Stewardship theme was Rebuilding our Foundations. This represents understanding our commitment to one another, to Jesus Christ and to our physical church treasure, Zion. The Stewardship team was Joseph Rivera-Ramos, Father Alex and Maya Hennebery. We all received a letter from Father Alex along with the updated pledge cards. We kicked off the program with a duet by Nancy Mann and Greg Konno. Anne Kasin spoke to the congregation offering inspiration and reflection on what this means to us and our future.
This year was a success, and we celebrated our Zion family generosity with a catered brunch after the service sponsored by some amazing local organizations and businesses. Donna Ruf shared her memories with us. Thank you all so very much for your love, loyalty, and commitment to the future of our community!
USHERS (Greg Fredeman)
The Zion Usher Team consists of: Gregory & Jody Fredeman, Gary McGovern, Maya Henneberry, Marilyn Hill, Don and Sue Shultis
The Zion Usher team welcomed 3 new members in 2023. Don and Sue Shultis and Marilyn Hill. The Usher team is responsible for welcoming folks to church, passing out bulletins, escorting people who need assistance, setting up the hymn numbers, and choreographing the gifts and communion. The other responsibilities include opening and closing the church for services. I want to thank the team for a great job in 2023. If anyone is interested in becoming an Usher please let me know
Vacation Bible School (Peggy Kelland)
We welcomed 23 children to this summer's Vacation Bible School, held from August 14 to 18 in Zion's parish hall. We had a staff of 4 teens and 9 adults from 5 different churches (Zion, St. Nicholas, Bethel Baptist, Community Methodist, and New Hackensack Reformed).
The adapted program, "Stellar", presented Jesus, the Light of the World, through Bible stories, astronomy, crafts, songs, and games. The week culminated with a potluck supper and entertainment by the children.
Thanks to many contributions in kind, including the generous donation of unused supplies from Poughkeepsie Methodist who did the same program earlier in the summer, and the small number of scholarships needed this year, we ended with a surplus of $126.86.
Zion Website/Social Media /AV Update (Greg Fredeman)
The Zion Social Media team continued to make progress in our Social Media footprint. This past year in March we created our Zion Wappingers You Tube channel. Which has expanded our online audience and another way for folks to enjoy our live streamed services.
The team consists of:
- Greg Fredeman – Livestream/ Audio Visual Coordinator,
- Wendy McNeil – Facebook and Twitter Administrator,
- Mike Matts - Website Administrator
The AV team lead by Greg has grown with the recent addition of Grant Konno to the team. The AV Team now consists of the following Members: Gregory Fredeman, Doug McNeil, Gary McGovern, Steve Carlough, Grant Konno
The AV team posted 61 Videos of Live which includes Sunday Services, Funerals and some of the special Holy Days. This year we added a second body pack transmitter and microphone so that when we have a visitor, like the Bishop, they can also participate in the service and be heard online.
The equipment has been running smooth all year except we recently had to send our amplifier out for service to fix an exhaust fan before it breaks. We have a temporary amplifier in place while it ours being serviced.
Our Social Media consists of Facebook and Instagram is administered by Wendy McNeil. She has done excellent at creating many posts pushing Zion’s message out to the public as well as posting some periodic videos of various Zion activities. Facebook has seen an increase in reach by 74% over last year with 720 followers. Instagram has grown to 396 followers, up from 125 followers in 2022.
The website which is administered by Mike Matts and has been running smoothly. Zion’s website (www.zionwappingersfalls.org) continued to evolve in 2023. It’s main purpose is to be a source of information about Zion, including the weekly Church service bulletin, weekly announcements, and the monthly Chimes newsletter, and other items. The website continues to be a work in progress. If you haven’t already seen it, please take a look. If you have any comments, feedback, or changes, see Mike or send a note to zionwfalls@gmail.com.
How many people look at Zion’s website? Here’s some data:
When: 2023 # of visits # of unique visitors # page views
Jan 1 – Dec 31 5,548 (+14%) 3,920 (+11%) 11,601 (+10%) (compared to 2022)
Monthly Average 462 326 967
Where are people looking at Zion’s website from?
Total # of visits 5,548
Country US 5,355 96.5%
Canada 61 1.1%
United Kingdom 21 0.4%
Other Countries (34) 111 2.0%
Within US New York 3,501 65.3%
Florida 361 6.7%
New Jersey 104 1.9%
North Carolina 95 1.8%
Virginia 85 1.6%
Other States (44) 1,209 22.5%
See Appendix (Greg Fredeman, author) Page IV
Appendix
