Great news on the music front at CHS.  Thanks to a generous contribution from “The Bible and Common Prayer Book Society of The Episcopal Church”, a donation of 60 copies of hymnal “Wonder, Love and Praise” was gifted to our church.  This is a supplemental hymnal to the 1982 hymnal and will give us more options for new music.  It has 200 hymns, songs and service music, including music from Taize as well as bilingual versions.

Sixty copies should give us enough so everyone can follow along with a hymnal.  Ushers will hand out with the bulletin before the service and will collect them afterwards because we don’t have enough copies to keep at every pew.  If you see a specific hymn you like, please contact Tricia Simpson-Curtin or Alexei Tartakovsky to ask if it can be included at the appropriate season.

The vestry reviewed the accomplishments during the last month, including

• Elected, notified the bishop, and learned that Mother Kimberly Reinholz has accepted the position of Rector of CHS.  Completed the Letter of Agreement (LOA) with the diocese and announced the news to the congregation on July 13th during services.
• The wardens and vestry discharged the Search Committee with grateful appreciation from the congregation and the vestry.
• Fellowship Ministry organized the CHS Picnic on June 22nd with over 35 attendees.  The event occurred in Dove hall instead of Pickle Park due to the weather.
• Formation/Education Ministry offered a discussion of the film "Will and Grace" on June 29th, during a two-hours session facilitated by Rev. Ayden Petrone, an ordained Episcopal priest and licensed clinical social worker; 34 people attended this event 
• Outreach Ministry coordinated a Blood Drive in Dove Hall on June 30th with donation of 26 units from 24 volunteers.  Another Blood Drive will be held in December.
• Attended the CHS annual outing to the Patriot's baseball game with over 60 people attending from CHS.

During the meeting, the vestry made progress on the following work in progress

• Reviewed planning for the Auction to be held September 20th.
• Discussed an Outreach opportunity to provide kits for women prisoners at the time they are released.
• Noted that our pledged giving is slightly behind as sometimes happens in the summer and agreed to remind parishioners during announcements.
• Learned of progress on the project to replace the fence between CHS and an adjacent home.  CHS received approval to remove damaged and overhanging trees which must take place before the fence can be replaced.
• Discussed timing and activities to recognize Fr. Matt's service as he completes his time as an interim and plans to welcome and onboard Mother Kim.
  • Father Matt's final Sunday will be August 31st, and we will have a reception coffee hour in his honor at both services.
  • We will have a supply priest on September 7.
  • Mother Kim's first Sunday in the pulpit will be September 14th, which coincides with our traditional Welcome Back breakfast.  This year the breakfast will be a potluck, and we'll ask the entire congregation to contribute.
  • Alex van Veldhuisen, with the support of the Property Team, will work with Mother Kim to redesign and refurbish the Rector's office to provide her with a welcoming space when she joins CHS.
  • Diane Hrozencik and Gary Scott will work on a plan to introduce Mother Kim to key volunteers and vestry members during her first week.
• The vestry is looking forward to welcoming Mother Kim and working with her to shape the future of CHS as we continue to grow in faith.

There is no other way to put it – CHS had a spectacular second quarter. My goal is to provide these reports every month, but so much has been happening even the Wardens can’t keep up! Feel free to ask me or Gary Scott any questions.
Diane Hrozencik, Senior Warden

Bishop Visit
Bishop Sally French visited CHS on Sunday May 27th. Although the Sunday after Easter is notorious for low attendance, we had 77 parishioners join a single service welcoming Bishop French. Following the service she lead a Q&A for the entire congregation and provided insight into
the challenges of the search process, and reflections on her experience as the first woman bishop in the NJ diocese. Despite widespread acceptance, she shocked our congregation when we learned that 5 of the 130 churchesin her diocese will not allow her to celebrate communion at their altars.

Fellowship Ministry
Dale Dabour, vestry lead, and her team offered several activities to engage the congregations. The
Good Friday continental breakfast was offered by the vestry to about 50 attendees. Lindsay
Wyglandowsky led the Children/Youth in offering a Mother’s Day Breakfast in April. The church picnic was held in Dove Hall on June 20th due to rain and high heat warnings. We missed the bikes and outdoor activities – but about 45 folks enjoyed a massive pot luck. Everything was great, but I must give kudos to Jane Paradiso for the most delicious baked beans ever.

Formation/Education
Janet Matts and Tricia Simpson-Curtin planned an event to support open conversations about gender and stereotypes on June 29th. They have organized three viewing parties of the movie “Will and Harper” and worked with the NJ Diocese office to identify and recruit a qualified speaker, Rev. Ayden to host the discussion. We look forward to high engagement.

Outreach / Engagement
. Suzanne Higgins and Jane Anderson worked with Eva Lesniak and members congregation to help
support outreach for Good Friday, including Mr. Fixit and Seaman’s institute donations, as well as efforts with the Children/Youth to create gift bags for those in need. Jane organized a Blood Drive in June. Suzanne Higgins lead a team to organize a Newcomers Welcome on June 15th, including a welcome during service and a coffee hour to recognize 12 adults and children (5 families) who have begun attending CHS in the last year. Remarkably, CHS has baptized four children this spring.
This is a testament to the welcoming parish that has been created by all.

Auction
The Auction will be held Saturday, September 20th and Sally Bird is leading the effort this year. She has a strong team of about ten volunteers who are making headway in key areas including donations, logistics, food and beverages, advertising and tech support. It is a massive undertaking and all volunteers are welcome.

Property
The Good Friday Service and combined with the visit of Bishop Sally French had our property sparkling. The Property Team worked with a crew to create an attractive surround for the dumpster
. It’s a well-crafted masterpiece and greatly improves the parking lot. All the miscellaneous items, from fixing or replacing broken lights, adjusting slamming doors and unraveling the mystery of our air conditioning and heat were progressed. 

Many thanks to Jim West and his son who fixed the water fountain outside of Dove Hall. After years of neglect we are happy to know that anyone can get a drink whenever they want. 

Security Cameras have been installed at the lower-level entrance, and two more cameras are planned for the upper level. Two larger longer-term projects are being planned with the generous
contribution of anonymous parishioners. The first is the replacement of a fence at the entrance at CHS and the second is an upgrade of the plumbing fixtures on the second floor. At the request of our Youth, the Burton Chapel has been cleaned out and is ready for service . It had become a dumping ground – but now it is available for meditation, prayer or other services.

Vestry members are continuing to clean up and prepare the St. Martin Room and the Rector’s Office and for renovation . All the books have been removed; plans are underway to remove the bookshelves and then plans need to be made to update the room.

Finances
Sally Bird and her team have been diligently supporting the weekly and monthly reporting and management of expenses and income. Because we have had part-time interim rectors in 2025 instead of a full-time priest, we are saving on employment expenses versus budget. Dave Dabour
and Eva Lesniak have been working to upgrade the office computer system and were able to add QuickBooks functionality for the finance team. Additional upgrades include the addition of Gmail on the office computer. Eva Lesniak is progressing the Stewardship campaign which will kick off in
October.

These are the interesting things the vestry has been working on in April, May and June. I will save the less glamourous things for the July report.

The vestry reviewed the accomplishments during the last month, including

• “Winter Thaw” Pot Luck held February 22nd , with about 40 attendees and food and fellowship focused on learning about the hobbies of several parishioners.
• Successfully engaging Fr. Matt Engleby at CHS as Interim Rector, including completion of his Letter of Agreement with the diocese.
• Well attended Lenten activities including Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and Ash Wednesday service with approximately 40 and 25 attendees, respectively.
• Initial meeting of the Lenten Book Study on March 19 th with 27 attendees. The study is being led by Fr. Tim Mulder on “Dancing in the Darkness” by Otis Moss III.
• Passing grades from the Fire Department on the new fire alarm system, recently installed to meet state and local guidelines.
• Repair of the water fountain across from the door to Dove Hall. After years of disuse, the fountain is now fully operational again.
• Fr. Andrew’s departure at the completion of his contract.

During the meeting, the vestry made progress on the following work in progress

• Reviewed on-going planning for the Good Friday Day of Service program
• Discussed general plans for additional services happening during Easter Week including Maundy Thursday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday
• Several topics were discussed, including communication and tracking of multiple programs that require financial overview (i.e., t-shirt sales, women’s retreat, etc.) and the question of what logo should be used on CHS banners. The vestry agreed to wait until Fr. Matt has settled in before returning to these topics.
• The vestry is looking forward to the leadership and experience that Fr. Matt brings as we continue to grow our congregation and create an environment that is optimal for our next rector.

February 20, 2025 
​We wish Fr. Andrew much joy as he completes his time with CHS and continues as a Supply Priest in New Jersey. We welcome Fr. Matthey Engleby, who will join us in mid-March as our Interim Rector, and we will share more details at that time. Fr. Matt has been an ordained Episcopal priest for over 30 years and graduated from The General Theological Seminary in New York. He was the Rector at St. John on the Mountain in Bernardsville for a decade and was the Executive Director for El Hogar Projects in Honduras, a non- profit educational organization, for ten years. More recently he has been the Interim Rector at Christ Church San Marcos in Tarrytown, NY. Fr. Matt will bring many new gifts to CHS through his experience as a parish rector and in working with congregations who are exploring their life in Christ while preparing for a new rector.  

The Vestry met on Thursday February 20th, and we would like to share some highlights.

We reviewed recent successes including the January 26 th Annual Meeting, where we shaped the meeting so we can share relevant information with the parish, specifically the financial gap we face in 2025. Other successes include a January 22 nd Orientation Session for new vestry members and a two-day Vestry Workshop to identify our focus for 2025 (February 1 st and 8 th ).

We discussed a new administrative approach to managing vestry meetings and minutes. To use vestry meeting time more efficiently, members will share ministry status prior to the meeting, and we will focus meetings on action items. Despite inviting eight parishioners to serve, we have not found a recording secretary, consequently we will rotate the responsibility of minute taking within the vestry and a sign-up sheet was circulated.

The Parochial Report was completed by Sally Bird, Eva Lesniak and Diane Hrozencik. It was approved by the vestry and is due to the Diocese on March 1st .

The Vestry discussed upcoming events including the Winter Thaw Potluck (2/22), the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper (3/4), the new Lenten Book Study (begins 3/12), and the Good Friday Day of Service. Our focus was to shape the events and expand opportunities for parishioners to volunteer at these activities.

Fr. Andrew shared that his contract ends on March 7th he feels it is time for him to move on, adding that there is great need for supply priests in New Jersey. The vestry thanked him for his service to CHS during this time of transition. His last Sunday at CHS is March 2nd and he will also be presiding at the Ash Wednesday Service on March 5th.
​
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Diane Hrozencik or Gary Scott.

​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.