​The Vestry met on Thursday, January 16, and we want to share some highlights
from that meeting:
1.We reviewed recent successes:
     a.We 3 Kings House Blessings.
     b.Bell Choir performances at Christmas.
     c.Lessons and Carols.
     d.Blood Drive.

2.Sally Bird, Treasurer, reviewed the full year financials. Sally will make a
report on the financials at the Annual Meeting.

3.Sally Bird presented the Budget for 2025 and it was approved by the Vestry.

4.Eva Lesniak reported on the results of the Stewardship Campaign. Eva will
make a report on the Stewardship Campaign at the Annual Meeting.

5.It was reported that the upgrade of the fire alarm system has been
completed

6.Plans for the Vestry retreat were discussed.

7.Plans for Winter Thaw potluck dinner to be held on February 22 were
discussed.

​8.Plans for the Parish’s Annual Meeting, which will be held on Sunday, January
26, were discussed.
​
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact John Andrews or Diane
Hrozencik.

Report on the 12-19-2024 Vestry Meeting​
The Vestry met on Thursday, December 19, and we want to share some highlights
from that meeting:
1. We reviewed recent successes:

• Annual Stewardship Campaign. The results will be reported at the Annual Meeting on January  26.
• Breakfast with Santa.
• Children’s bucket drumming.

2. Sally Bird, Treasurer, reviewed the year-to-date financials and the revised budget. She will make a report on the financials at the Annual Meeting.
3. Sally Bird reported on the annual audit conducted by Oscar Jones, CPA, who is a member of the Finance Committee.
4. The Vestry confirmed that the church’s 2024 Marks of Mission contribution to the Diocese of New Jersey would remain at $35,000. The Diocese requested $39,249, but the Vestry, upon the recommendation of the Finance Committee, decided to not increase our original commitment due, in part, to, a distortion in the three year formula used by the Diocese that included the federal Covid-related Payroll Protection Program loan received by the church in 2021 in income for purposes of the Marks of Mission calculation.
5. The Vestry approved, upon the recommendation of the Endowment Committee, the transfer of $3,418.73 to the Diocesan Investment Trust (“DIT”) for the church’s Endowment Fund and $35,800 to the DIT for the Fr. Philip Carr-Jones Fund for CHS Facility Restoration sub fund of the Endowment Fund. The $35,800 is made up of $7,400 from the Service Auction, $10,500 designated donations and a matching gift of $17,900.
6. Eva Lesniak reported on the upgrade of the fire alarm system.
7. Plans for the We 3 Kings Epiphany House Blessings were discussed.
8. The Vestry discussed plans for the Parish’s Annual Meeting, which will be held on Sunday, January 26, 2025.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact John Andrews or Diane
Hrozencik.

The Vestry met on Thursday, November 21, and we want to share some highlights from that meeting:

1. We reviewed recent successes:
   >The Service Auction held on November 16 was a success. Preliminary results are that the net proceeds from the Auction were $25,426, which exceeds the budget of $25,000. In addition, $7,400 was raised for “The Father Philip Carr-Jones Fund For Facilities Restoration”, which is the endowment sub-fund established by Dick and Judy Emmitt. The Emmitt’s will be matching the $7,400 dollar for dollar.
   >The worship and music meeting was held on November 3 and was attended by 24 parishioners. Many good ideas were shared and discussed.
2. Gary Scott was elected to fulfill the remainder of the term of Meg McKenna, who has resigned.
3. Diane Bendahmane reported on the activities of the Welcoming Newcomers Steering Committee.
4. Eva Lesniak reviewed the Annual Pledge Campaign that will kick off today.
5. The Vestry reviewed the schedule  of the Christmas services and decided to not have a Blue Christmas service this year. The schedule of the Christmas services is in the bulletin.
6. The Vestry discussed plans for the Parish’s Annual Meeting, which will be held on Sunday, January 26, 2025.

 
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact John Andrews or Diane Hrozencik.

​The Vestry met on Thursday, October 17, and we want to share some highlights from that meeting:

1. We reviewed recent successes:
   1. The Parish Profile has been posted on the CHS website and the position of Rector has been advertised by the Diocese, as well as on the Episcopal News Service website. Interested candidates will apply to the Diocesan Transition Officer and the Diocese will conduct a “red flag” review. Candidates passing the “red flag” review will then be presented to the Search Committee. Rex van Veldhuisen, Chair of the Search Committee, reported that no candidates have been presented to the Search Committee by the Diocese as of last Thursday. Parishioners are encouraged to spread the word about the open position of Rector.
   2. Theology on Tap has been restarted on Tuesday nights at 7:00 pm in Dove Hall and via Zoom.
   3. The members of the Vestry and Search Committee attended a required Anti-Racism training session presented by the Diocese.
   4. The third quarter Stewardship Giving Statements have been distributed.
   5. We have received the $50,000 proceeds of the loan from the Diocese to fund the replacement of the roof on Dove Hall, upgrade our fire alarm system and repair the walkway to First Step.  Sally Bird, our Treasurer, has written an explanation of why we applied for the loan. It can be found in the Warden and Vestry News section of the church website.

 
2. Fr. Calandriello reported on his first six weeks as Interim Rector. He also discussed the plans for the Worship Committee. All will be welcome at Worship Committee meetings where worship, liturgy and music will be discussed. The Committee will review the feedback from the congregation gathered by the Search Committee, as well as other suggestions made by parishioners.
 
3. The preparations for the Service Auction that will be held on November 16 were reviewed. Please purchase tickets for the Service Auction online through the website or after the Sunday services in the Narthex.
 
4. Eva Lesniak reviewed the Annual Pledge Campaign that will kick off on November 24.
 
5. Jane Anderson reviewed the various outreach ministries and identified who is responsible for each of those ministries.
 
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact John Andrews or Diane Hrozencik.

Why did CHS ask the Diocese for a loan for $50,000?

The Vestry and Finance Committee of CHS work tirelessly to ensure that we are faithful stewards of the funds that are entrusted to us.  It became apparent that three major renovations/upgrades needed to be completed to our facility to keep it safe and in good repair.  First, a new roof was needed over “Dove Hall” due to several leaks and the age and condition of the roof.  Next, our fire alarm system is out of date and we need to upgrade this system to keep the church protected in case of a fire.  Lastly, the entrance to the church near the memorial garden floods with any major rain storm or snow melt.  This needs to be repaired to ensure the safety of those entering our building.  The total cost of these projects is close to $50,000.  The Diocese offers a loan assistance program to churches at a rate of 4%.  We opted for a term of 10 years, with no penalty to pay it back early. 

Why not use our savings account instead?  Again, as good stewards, we feel it is important to keep about 4 months of our monthly expenses in reserve (as many of us are advised to do in our personal finances).  The rate on the Diocesan loan is close to the rate we are making in our savings account.  It made good fiscal sense to apply for the loan.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me or either of the wardens.

Sally Bird
Treasurer
[email protected]

Vestry Meeting Highlights from September 19, 2024 Meeting

We reviewed recent successes:

• The replacement of the roof on Dove Hall on budget. Thanks to Alex van Veldhuisen for his leadership on this project.
• Outing to the Somerset Patriots game. 45 people attended. We would like to make this an annual event. Thanks to Dale Dabour for her leadership on the outing.
• Showing of the Philadelphia 11 Documentary. 35 people attended. Rev. Elizabeth Wigg-Maxwell did an excellent job of introducing the Documentary and leading a discussion after the showing. Thanks to Jane and Jeff Anderson for providing refreshments and to Marge Keller for making the coffee.
• The Welcome Back Sunday breakfast hosted by the Vestry. __ people attended and had the opportunity to get to meet Fr. Andrew.  Thanks to Eva Lesniak for organizing the breakfast.
• Our application for a loan of $50,000 from the Diocese to fund the replacement of the roof on Dove Hall, upgrade our fire alarm system and repair the walkway to First Step was recently approved. The term of the loan is 10 years and the interest rate is 4%. Thanks to Sally Bird, our Treasurer, for completing and filing the Application.

​

1. We reviewed the annual Diocesan Marks of Mission assessment for 2025. The Assessment is $40,752. The Vestry decided that given the uncertainties during this time of transition to maintain the same level of commitment as we did for 2024, which is $35,000.
2. Eva Lesniak reported on the Breakfast with Santa that is scheduled for December 8. There will be one service at 9:00 that day. 
3. Eva Lesniak reported on the Annual Pledge Campaign that will kick off on November 24.
4. The Vestry is reviewing the Parish Profile produced by the Search Committee in preparation for submitting it to the Diocese for approval.

 
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact John Andrews or Diane Hrozencik.

​Dear Family and Friends of CHS,
 
On behalf of the Vestry, we are very pleased to announce that Fr. Andrew Calandriello has been called to become the Interim Rector of the Church of the Holy Spirit.
 
Fr. Andrew was a Roman Catholic priest from 1975 to 1980. He then had a 32-year career in marine insurance claims management with several major insurance companies. After retiring from the insurance business, he felt God calling him back to active ministry. He became a parishioner at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in New Providence, NJ. With the encouragement of the Rector at St. Andrew’s, he became active in the parish and eventually met with Bishop Chip Stokes, who encouraged him to become a priest in the Episcopal Church. Fr. Andrew’s Holy Orders were received into the Episcopal Church on September 20, 2020. Since then, he has been serving as a supply priest in the Diocese of New Jersey.
 
During our search for an Interim Rector, Bishop Sally French presented Fr. Andrew to us as a candidate for the position. Fr. Philip Carr-Jones, who as Dean of the Watchung Convocation has gotten to know Fr. Andrew, encouraged him to seek the position.

Fr. Andrew will be serving as Interim Rector on a part time basis. He will work an average of 20 hours per week. In addition to preparing for and officiating at Sunday services, he will maintain office hours one day per week. He is committed to providing pastoral care, including accompanying LEVs on their visits to home-bound parishioners. He will attend Bible Study, Theology on Tap, and our social events. He will also assist in developing Formation programs for adults and our youth. He will attend Vestry meetings in his capacity as Interim Rector. Fr. Andrew’s extensive experience as a manager and administrator will also be helpful to us.
 
Fr. Andrew resides in Watchung with his wife, Mary Caterson. He has two adult sons and three grandchildren. He enjoys reading, listening to music, cooking, and rooting for the New York Yankees.
​
Fr. Andrew looks forward to leading our parish through this period of transition and his comments are enclosed with this letter.
 
We are excited to have Fr. Andrew join us. Please join us in welcoming him.
 
Sincerely,
 
John T. Andrews, Jr.                                                                        Diane F. Hrozencik
Senior Warden                                                                                  Junior Warden

We are pleased to announce that the supply priests in September will be:

• September 1 - the Rev. Ed Murphy
• September 8 - the Rev. Andrew Calandriello

Fr. Ed is, of course, a long-time friend of Church of the Holy Spirit and we are always happy to see him.

This is a letter from Bishop Sally French to the Diocese concerning the financial status of the dioccese.   Go to the online letter >

Further, we have learned that interest payments due to other diocesan accounts were also inappropriately placed in the operating budget and spent to resolve cash flow issues. While we have not completed our review of these accounts, we estimate that the missing interest payments may total as much as $350,000. In addition, as I wrote to you in February, we continue to address the issue of outstanding payments due to the diocese for mortgages and congregational assessments.
 
For a number of years now, our diocesan income has been lower than anticipated, and our expenses have been higher. The funds credited but not paid to the DIT and other diocesan accounts appear to have been used to sustain diocesan operations and support congregations and clergy in times of need.
 
As we work to return to financial health, this news is deeply concerning. The loss of these funds has harmed us as a diocese, today and for years to come. I am grateful to our finance team, our Trustees and our Diocesan Treasurer for their work in uncovering these irregularities, and for the progress made as we seek to complete outstanding audits and reconcile our accounts.
 
Over the past week, I have met with the Trustees of Church Property, the Trustees of the Diocesan Investment Trust, the Standing Committee, Diocesan Council, and the Finance and Budget Committee. I have been in conversation with our Chancellor and Treasurer, and with our senior staff. We are committed to full disclosure and transparency as we seek to resolve these challenges.

​Effective immediately, we are working to limit or decrease diocesan spending where we are able, including reviewing the budget for open positions and assessing current expenditures. Our efforts to increase income continue, but we know this situation will impact the availability of funding for congregations in 2025, because it means that we have much less money than we believed in the funds we use to support congregations. In the coming months, I will work with our Board of Missions, Diocesan Council, and Standing Committee to discern how best to support our churches and honor our commitment to prioritize ministry with our multicultural congregations and historically marginalized communities. In particular, we have several properties no longer in active use, and we will assess development and sales opportunities that might generate funds to restore DIT balances to the levels we previously believed them to have.
 
On Thursday, July 18, we will offer two online meetings.  Please register to attend online: for Clergy (11AM); for Lay Leaders (7pm).  The meetings will not be recorded and are for members and clergy of the Diocese of New Jersey. If you have questions or concerns, I invite you to bring them to those meetings.
 
I ask for your prayers, for the Diocese of New Jersey and our congregations, clergy, and lay leaders, for our finance team, and for all those working to restore appropriate financial practices and strengthen our diocese to equip us for God’s mission. 
 
Faithfully,

The Rt. Rev. Sally French, D.D.
Bishop of New Jersey