Dear Redeemer Family,

Soon, on March 14, we will have our next Vestry election. Two faithful members (Robyn Burlew & Jeromy Lewis) are rolling off after their three- year term, and we are voting to elect two new members. You can submit your nominations here—nominations are due by Sunday, February 14. (Remember, both you and the person you nominate must be Confirmed Members.)

In a healthy, vibrant, growing young church, there are so many different ways to serve. Some of these roles are highly visible (leading music on a Sunday), some are seen only by a few (leading a fellowship group), while others are almost entirely unseen (sanitizing the sanctuary between services).

Serving on the Vestry occupies a kind of unique in-between ground between public and private service. In one sense, Vestry members have very public and visible roles. Serving as a Vestry member is the greatest responsibility that a lay person can exercise in a Parish. Yet, at the same time, almost everything a Vestry does occurs in secret, behind the scenes. Nobody ever got famous serving on a Vestry!

Here are just a few things that the Vestry works on each year:

Annual ministry budget.
Staff salaries.
Improvements to our rented space here at 2715 Grove Ave.
Distributing the Mercy Fund to those in need.

All of these tasks (and many more) could be filed under the heading: How can we leverage all the material resources given to our Parish for the greatest Kingdom fruitfulness?

So a Vestry does not create a vision for the Parish (that’s the Rector’s job, under the oversight of the Bishop). Rather, the Vestry stewards the vision, enables the vision, and funds the vision. The Rector and the Vestry must work together, as a team, to carefully lead the Parish forward, following the Lord’s call.

So What Makes a Good Vestry Member?

Wisdom: Someone, male or female, who is wise. We don’t need rash hot-heads or passionate brawlers to storm the gates and take the hill. We need stable, even-keeled leaders who are not easily thrown off kilter.
Affection: This person must love our parish. A Vestry member is not someone who is dissatisfied with our church and is desperate to grab the wheel and (finally!) change our church to conform to their personal vision. Rather, this person must already love our little church - feeling a deep affection for the people, the staff, the clergy, the vision, and the ministry.
Experience: This is not their first rodeo. Stepping behind the curtain (so to speak) in church leadership can be difficult for an inexperienced person who might have too-rosy a view of the church. This lack of experience can lead to a person being scandalized when they find out that, yes, all Christians are sinful human beings. So we need someone who has experience working with and leading other people in ministry contexts.

What does a Vestry Member Not Need to Be?

A Gifted Bible Teacher: If the person you’re thinking of nominating to run for Vestry is a gifted Bible Teacher, then encourage them towards that seat on the bus! There are plenty of opportunities for the excellent teachers in our midst to use their gifts, but the Vestry is not an elite Bible study.
A Dynamic Leader: We are blessed with many gifted, dynamic leaders here in the Parish. While these folks are certainly welcome to serve on Vestry - what the Vestry needs most from them is their maturity, not their dynamism.
A Savvy Financial Mind: Yes the Vestry oversees the budget and the building, but that does not mean that all Vestry members need a financial background. The Finance Team serves as a Task Force of the Vestry and provides the Vestry with all the financial expertise they need to make wise decisions.

If you’d like to read more about what it means to serve on the Vestry. I would first recommend this document I put together years ago: Definition & Purpose of a Vestry.

And if you’d like to go even further, I recommend reading The Rector & the Vestry by David Roseberry. You can pick up a copy at the book table on Sunday morning.

I’m looking forward to this year’s election and to welcoming two new members to our Vestry Team.

In the Father’s love,

Dan