Happy New Year! That is, happy new liturgical year. We begin another new year and another start to our Advent Season. For too many, Advent is a countdown to Christmas, but really Advent is a season unto itself. In many ways most our lives are operating in an Advent mood, that is, watching and waiting. We often miss the subtle symbols, lessons and graces offered to us during the Advent Season. We watch and wait for Christ to be born into our lives in big, small and ordinary ways. While the Advent Season is a mere four weeks, it is a symbol of the whole of our lives as we search in the desert parts of our lives, to prepare, repent in order, wait patiently, and constantly watch for Christ to be born to us. This Advent, let us not look too far ahead to Christmas and learn the discipline the Advent Season offers us.

Update on Capital Campaign

Bob Ormsby and Mike Kinter presented the proposed project to the Diocesan Building Committee. After the presentation a brief discussion took place about the plans and procedures. Questions that were asked included: How many total parking stalls would be built out? How much more would the parish hall cost?

To save costs, a portion of the parking area could be gravel to start with. The Bishop wanted to know where the future church would go on the site. He also asked if we have any opportunity too purchase adjacent land for expansion. We discussed we have approached neighbors to the south and west in the past.

The committee agreed that although not glamorous, the parking areas need to be finished as part of this first phase. Financial information was shared. It was stated all monies have been raised for the project and that most of it has been collected. We stated that we were hopeful that once construction gets under way, more parishioners would financially support and give momentum to completing the parish hall. We were also asked about timeline for project. We shared some minor work to parking lot has started, but the project would bid in spring with a completion date end of 2019. We stated we would be bidding the project.

The Bishop closed with positive remarks with our process and procedure, and was pleased to see the perseverance of the parish to get something going.

Rev. James Kirby