Nearly 70 members of this Covenant Community stayed at the Church for more than two hours on Sunday to express their hopes for the future of the parish.

The June Parish Forum provided the best opportunity for parishioners to give their feedback to the Vestry’s Recommendations on ensuring this Parish’s future.

Jr. Warden Stephen Ashurkoff began the forum by recounting the history of this Parish, which has seen an increase in the number of parishioners, and an increasing burden of debt.

“We seek to be a ‘Covenant community where no one stands alone, learning to love one another as we learn to be loved by Jesus,'” Ashurkoff said.

“But that vision must be matched by our commitment.”

Ashurkoff then outlined the Vestry plan to ask parishioners help balance the parish budget for next year with a giving campaign in addition to their regular pledge, and the creation of several task forces to deepen the ties between members of the Community.

Questions Show Commitment
After his presentation, the floor was open for comments and suggestions.  And what had been a planned hour long meeting stretched into two-plus hours.

Around 20 people raised questions and made suggestions on how to improve the Vestry plan.

“It was a very good discussion,” Ashukoff said, “with a good combination of questions and suggestions.”

Several parishioners asked when the Vestry would formulate a specific timetable for the budget campaign.  Ashurkoff said that the Vestry would begin the implementation of their plan at its June 16 meeting.

Some parishioners expressed various concerns about the traditional services at 8 and 10:45, to which the Traditional Service Task Force will respond.

Next Step
The Rector will respond to the Vestry and Parish on June 15, followed by the Vestry’s formal adoption of a plan at its June 16 meeting, to which parishioners are invited.

“That so many questions were asked showed me that people really care about St. David’s,” Margie Mamrol said.  “And I got to see that personally through the people I met in this whole process.

“Now I’m looking forward to decisions being made and this community moving forward together.”