Annual Meeting

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church of rural Hays held its annual meeting following the morning worship service on January 20th, 2008. The meeting was presided over by Senior Warden Dennis Johnson. The annual meeting was combined with a church potluck. Those in attendance were Father Peter Nissen, Dennis and Denise Johnson, Frances Eichman, Gwen Johnson, Fred McIntosh, and Paul, Jacinta, and Xan Faber.

The meeting opened with an invocation offered by Father Nissen.

The minutes of the 2007 annual meeting were read and approved. The treasurer's report for 2007 was read and accepted. The 2008 budget was proposed, discussed, and approved. Motions for approval were made by Paul Faber and seconded by Jacinta Faber.

In the new business, the first item on the agenda was the appointment of various congregational officers. Dennis Johnson and Fred McIntosh were reappointed to the posts of senior warden and junior warden respectively. Gwen Johnson graciously agreed to continue performing the treasurer's duties. Jacinta Faber was appointed clerk. Dan Johnson and Paul Faber will continue to serve on the Bishop's Committee.

Denise and Dennis Johnson agreed to serve as the delegates to the 2008 diocesan convention, which will be held in October, 2008, in Hutchinson, Kansas. Paul and Jacinta Faber volunteered to be the alternates.

The second item on the agenda addressed the Bishop's call to increase church membership. Dennis Johnson proposed hosting a church picnic and inviting those living in the surrounding area. This idea was enthusiastically received by the meeting attendees. A picnic had been tentatively planned for early summer at St. Andrew's.

Finally, the congregation offered its heartfelt thanks to Father Nissen for another year of service as pastor, to Gwen Johnson for her service as organist and treasurer, to Denise and Dennis Johnson for serving as delegates to the diocesan convention, and especially to Frances Eichman for her many years of service as the congregational clerk. She received a well-deserved round of applause.

The meeting was adjourned and followed by a generously provisioned potluck dinner.

Faithfully submitted by Jacinta Faber, clerk.

Father Nissen's sermon, January 20

There is a Christian research group called the "Barna Research Group." They did a study comparing people of faith and those who have no faith. They discovered that no-faith-ers and active-faith-ers had about the same problems. But those of faith declared themselves as having peace.

We can fail and make mistakes and yet have peace. God will help us to face problems of life without being devastated to them. For some problems there are no solutions. We just live through them. We can with the peace God gives us.

God promises us peace, just as he did the ancient people of Israel in the book Isaiah, chapter 49, verses 1 through 7 (from the version called "The Message"):

Listen, far-flung islands,
pay attention, faraway people:
God put me to work from the day I was born.
The moment I entered the world he named me.
he gave me speech that would cut and penetrate.
He kept his hand on me to protect me.
He made me his straight arrow
and hid me in his quiver.
He said to me, "You're my dear servant, Israel, through whom I'll shine."

But I said, "I've worked for nothing.
I've nothing to show for a life of hard work.
Nevertheless, I'll let God have the last word.
I'll let him pronounce his verdict."

"And now," God says,
this God who took me in hand
from the moment of birth to be his servant,
To bring Jacob back home to him,
to set a reunion for Israel--
What an honor for me in God's eyes!
That God should be my strength!
He says, "But that's not a big enough job for my servant--
just to recover the tribes of Jacob,
merely to round up the strays of Israel.
I'm setting you up as a light for the nations
so that my salvation becomes global!"

God, Redeemer of Israel, The Holy of Israel,
says to the despised one, kicked around by the nations,
slave labor to the ruling class:
"Kings will see, get to their feet--the princes, too--
and then fall on their faces in homage
Because of God, who has faithfully kept his word,
The Holy of Israel, who has chosen you."

Annual meeting

The worship service January 20 will be followed by the annual meeting of the congregation and then a shared meal. Bring something if you like, but you do not have to do so, since there is always plenty of food to go around.

House Blessings

This season, the Epiphany season, is a time to bless homes. Let Father Nissen know if you want prayers and a blessing or if you know of a friend who does. You can e-mail Father Nissen by clicking here: e-mail Father Nissen.

Christmas and Epiphany Message

The Christmas message tells us the angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields, telling them Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The story reminds us that common people such as you and I must carry the story of Jesus' love.

The Epiphany message goes beyond the emotional message of Jesus as a child and goes on to the message of Jesus' bringing Epiphany light to everyone. All of us will have better physical and mental health as we let God in our lives and then share the old, old story.