In 1998 our church gave the Vestry a mandate on the direction the church needed to proceed to show "Christ's light in us". The Vestry came up with 5 "Mission Imperatives". The Vestries since, including the current Vestry, have been organized under these imperatives. You can contact any Vestryperson by calling the church office for their contact information. (864-585-2268).

This month the Vestry held a weekend retreat at the Church of the Advent. The retreat began on Friday evening February 5th and concluded Saturday afternoon. Unlike traditional retreats that tend to center on specific Church-related issues, the focus of this weekend was to gain a deeper understanding of spiritual discernment and how this discipline can better serve the Vestry in its duties and responsibilities. Suzanne Farnham led our discussions and training. She is the author of the book, Grounded in God, which we read beforehand.

To discern means to "sort out, sift through, distinguish." Spiritual discernment is a prayerful, informed, and intentional effort to distinguish God's voice from other voices. The primary goal of discernment is to receive God's guidance. We learned to achieve that goal we need to connect with God's spirit and develop a sense of the direction in which the Spirit is leading. Discernment is more a journey than a destination. As we work as a Vestry, we may not find answers for all our concerns, but we can be receptive to God's presence as we ponder the questions. Spiritual discernment is not synonymous with what might be described as prayerful Christian decision-making. It is that and something more, something much deeper.

During our time together our primary question for discernment was, "God, how would you have us move forward in the course of this year to help the parish live ever more fully into its mission?"

God should be the focus, and as the Vestry works together this year, we will do so with open hearts and open minds to seek God's wisdom around issues important to the Advent. Discernment guided the search that led us to Ned. Our use and practice of spiritual discernment will guide this parish as we move into a new chapter of fulfilling our mission "To show Christ's light in us." Jerry Setzer

Vestry Minutes:

 January 26 2010 Vestry Minutes

 February 23 2010 Vestry Minutes

 March 23 2010 Vestry Minutes

 April 27 2010 Vestry Minutes

John Dargan Sr. Warden-Elect Parish Management   Craig Williams Jr. Warden St. Helena's   Ted Gage Jr. Warden-elect St. Helena's    Alden Earl Youth Representative   Charles Adams Parish Management Kevin Bock Outreach   John Coleman Liturgy, Parish Life   Rick Dent

Sarah Gunn Liturgy, Outreach James Hall Parish Life Teah Pye Christian Formation Mary Hope Rhodes Pastoral Care, Outreach   Jerry Setzer   Patsy Simril  MalindaTulloh Jay Walpole Parish Mgmt., Parish Life