Dear Christ the Redeemer family,
A few weeks ago, on Sunday, the 13th, we did something we do each year in September: we elected new members to our vestry. I wanted to take a few moments this week to share what a vestry is, and to introduce our vestry.
“Vestry” is not a common word, and if you, like most of us, have come to CTR from another tradition you may well not have heard it in your previous context. A vestry is traditionally a room or building attached to a church, used as an office and for changing into vestments: imagine a quaint stone village or rural parish church in England in a Dorothy Sayers mystery or a P.G. Wodehouse story. So while it may seemingly hint of a back-room cabal, it is actually quite innocent: the team of lay leaders known as a vestry took the name of the only available room for their meetings in many parish churches.
Our vestry consists of ten to thirteen members, four of which are the officers: the senior warden, junior warden, treasurer, and clerk. Members serve three-year terms; more or less a third roll off each year and a new third comes on. Officers serve three-year terms and are required to be re-elected each of those three years.
That’s a bit of history and of detail. The good stuff is that we work to ensure that our vestry is made up of growing, praying, mature members of the church from various life stages, both sexes, representing all our worship services, with a good range of gifts and perspectives, and so on. The vestry cares deeply for the life and mission of CTR, and, together with the rector, and receiving input from staff and some special other lay teams, give attention to the overall health and direction of the church, also taking the big decisions.
It is a joy and privilege for me to work with these brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus, who take their responsibilities seriously and yet also with joy and a lightness which comes of our Lord’s Presence with us. You can “e-meet” the vestry here. Please join me in praying consistently for these brothers and sisters.
May Jesus Christ be praised,
Tim+
PS: This autumn, in spite of COVID and all that is unusual, many of our lovely placeholder events will be on! This Sunday we will celebrate Holy Michael and All Angels; on October 4th we will bless the animals; a Newcomer’s Welcome and CTR Orientation Class is in the works; and more as well. We’ll get the news out as we are able to get things planned.
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