1

2020 Annual Report

2

Table of Contents

2020 Annual Meeting Agenda – January 31, 2021 4

Deceased within our parish since January 31, 2020 4

Canon 6.6 of Parish Meetings 5

Minutes of the 2020 Annual Meeting 6

State of the Parish

Senior Warden 7

Property

Buildings and Grounds 8

Outreach Ministries

Outreach and Social Justice 8

Volunteer Interfaith Caregivers 9

WE CARE 9

Parish Ministries

Altar Flowers 9

Canterbury House – Campus 10

Casserole Connection 11

Children 11

Coffee Hour 12

Dinner Groups 12

Daughters of the King 12

ECW 12

EGGS – Environmental Group of Good Sam 12

Family 12

Foundation 13

Godly Play 13

Guerrilla Scholars 13

Lunch Group 13

Men’s Fellowship and Breakfast Group 13

Newcomers 13

Newsletter 13

Parish Life 14

Poet’s Corner 14

Prayer Chain 14

Rides to church 14

Samaritan Village 14

Scribes 14

Spiritual Nurture 14

3

Ushers 15

Website 15

Wednesday Morning Bible Study 16

Youth 16

Music

Director of Music: Choir, Sundays@3 Concert Series 16

Worship

Acolytes 17

Altar Guild 17

Eucharistic Ministers, Eucharistic Visitors, Lectors 18

Personnel

Associate for Parish Life 18

Office Manager 18

Rector 19

Finance

Treasurer 22

2021 Annual General Meeting and Elections Our 2021 Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 31st, beginning at 11.30 a.m. The meeting is a time for us to gather as a church community: To celebrate the achieve-ments and work of the last year; to elect new members to our church leadership; to look for-ward to a new year of work, building the Kingdom of God. We are asking you, members of the church, to consider prayerfully if you are being called to serve in a leadership role for the com-ing years. There is a need for members of vestry, which serves like the board of directors for the church. Below you will find a brief description of the position. You can nominate yourself or another member of the church (with their permission!) by emailing or calling me. Simon+ Job description for Vestry Vestry meets every fourth Tuesday of the month from 6.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m. Vestry is responsible with the rector for the financial and administrative operations of the church. Vestry works with the rector, treasurer and ministry committees to coordinate the ministries of the church. Members of the vestry bring concerns and ideas from the congregation to the vestry as a whole.

4

2020 Annual Meeting Agenda January 31, 2021 11:30 a.m. Introduction Appointment of Clerk Appointment of Parliamentarian Appointment of Tellers 2020 Annual Meeting Minutes Nominations for Vestry Nominations from the floor Nominations for Diocesan Convention Delegates Nominations from the floor Election of Vestry & Convention Delegates Reports Reports New business Recognition of retiring Vestry members Reuel E. Walter Samaritan Service Awards Closing prayer and adjournment Note: A brief meeting of the Vestry follows this meeting to elect new church officers. Deceased within our parish since January 15, 2020 Martha Burkhart Sarah Lovelady Alice Jack Bob Steele Marolyn Tarrant Jane Corcoran Bill Corcoran Gwen Stevenson Shirley Pearson John de Meules Sandra Gell Andrew Tetrick Virginia Dean Emily Steele Lucy Ferries Raymond Tucker Anne Brett Alice Campbell Lloyd (Meskimem) McAnelly Shirley Olson

5

Canon 6.6 of Parish Meetings

Sec. 1. There shall be an Annual Meeting in every Parish, for the purpose of hearing and the acting upon reports of the Rector, the Treasurer, the Auditing Committee, the Church School, and the various guilds and other organizations; for the election of Vestry members; and for the transaction of such other business as may legally and canonical come before the meeting.

Sec. 2. The Annual Meeting shall be held upon a day and hour determined by the Vestry.

Sec. 3. Notice of the Annual Meeting, signed by the Rector or by one of the Wardens, shall be posted in a conspicuous place at a main entrance to the Church at least one week before the date of the meeting.

Sec. 4. All communicants of the Church 16 years of age, who have been enrolled on the Parish Register for six months immediately preceding the Annual Meeting and have communicated in the Parish during the year preceding, and all baptized persons of like age who are and have been contributors in their known names, to the support of the Parish for not less than six months preceding, shall be legal voters of the Parish. Voting shall be limited to those present at the Annual Meeting and voting by proxy shall not be allowed. If the Parish has been orga-nized within six months prior to the day of the Annual Meeting, the period of required member-ship or contribution shall date from such organization.

Sec. 5. The Rector shall preside at all Annual Meetings, or if absent or unable to act, one of the Wardens shall preside, as provided in Canon 6.8. The Clerk of the Vestry shall be Clerk of the Parish and shall act as such at all Parish meetings. In case of the Clerk's absence, the meeting shall elect a Clerk pro tempore.

Sec. 6. The election of Vestry members shall be by ballot. Three tellers shall be appointed, one by the presiding officer, one by the Members of the Vestry who are present, and the third by these two parties. The tellers shall receive and count the votes for Members of the Vestry and shall also act as judges of the election. Any legal voter may challenge the right of any person to vote, and the judges shall note upon the ballot the name of the voter, whether the vote was allowed or rejected, and shall sign the ballot. The Clerk shall enclose all ballots cast at the elec-tion, and all rejected ballots, in a sealed envelope and it shall be signed by the Clerk and the judges, and delivered to the Vestry. It shall be preserved unopened for one year, subject to the order of the Bishop.

Sec. 7. The presiding officer shall act as inspector of elections and certify who are elected Members of the Vestry.

Sec. 8. An appeal from the certified result of the election may be made to the Bishop, who shall recanvas the vote and ascertain and declare the result of the election. The Bishop's deci-sion shall be final.

Sec. 9. Special Parish meetings may be called at any time by the Rector or the Vestry. Notice of any special meeting shall be given in the same manner as the notice of the Annual Meeting and the notice shall set forth the business which is proposed, and no other business than that specified in the notice shall be in order.

6

Annual General Meeting Minutes – 02 Feb 2020 – Good Samaritan Simpson Hall Meeting begins 12:30 pm. Opening prayer, led by Simon Justice+ Good Samaritan Foundation Annual Meeting, prior to Church AGM Outgoing Foundation Board President Bill Gellatly presiding D. Andrew Moursund acting as clerk Summary of Foundation 2019 activities

(see 2019 Church Annual Report for details) Special thanks to outgoing Foundation Board members Andrew Moursund and Marian Ely Nominations for Foundation Board (3 open positions)

ο 3-year terms to fill: Nancy Dunn Charlotte Headrick Steve Blevans

Chanda Blevans Because the numbers of candidates for Foundation Board do not exceed the number of

positions to be elected, these positions may be carried by acclamation.

Foundation Board positions elected by acclamation Church Annual General Meeting Simon Justice+ presiding

D. Andrew Moursund appointed as Clerk and Parliamentarian for this meeting Appointment of Tellers deferred until we determine if we need them

Phillis Mix moves to accept 2019 (last year’s) general meeting minutes as true record of last

year’s meeting – Motion Carries

Nominations for Vestry 3-year terms): Heidi Henry Mark Stevenson Glenn McCumber (2nd Term)

Desiree Senechal (2nd Term)

ο Nominations from the floor (none) Alternates

Helena Egbert

Because the numbers of candidates for Vestry do not exceed the number of vacant posi-tions, these elections may be carried by acclamation. CARRIED

Vestry positions elected by acclamation

7

Delegates to Diocesan Convention – 2-year term Melissa Bird Ruth Krueger Desiree Senechal (Nominations from the Floor)

Gail Wells

Because the numbers of candidates do not exceed the number of vacant positions, these elections may be carried by acclamation. CARRIED

Alternates:

Charlotte Headrick Linda Gelbrich Glenn McCumber

(Appointment of Tellers not needed, as no ballots required)

Financial and Budget Summary 2019 Slide Show Reports New business

Recognition of outgoing vestry members

Beverley Beckley Charlotte Headrick Glenn McCumber -> Reenlisting! Desiree Senechal -> Reenlisting!

Reuel E. Walter Samaritan Service Award Recipients: Tricia Atha Dee Yarnell Mary Stone Moursund Andrew Moursund

Closing prayer and adjournment

Closing prayer led by Simon+

Meeting Adjourned: 1:48 pm STATE OF THE PARISH Senior Warden Hello friends, In last year’s letter I asked you to consider what the future might hold. Looking back on the year we’ve had, I can say that while there were some things that didn’t surprise me on the whole, and not to oversimplify, it was not the year I was expecting. I was hoping that we would continue to examine how our church functions as a commu-nity, how we could be better neighbors, and how to address our own sustainability issues. And I’d hoped we’d be doing all that in person, but we certainly got the chance to pause and reflect on things. And I know that Spirit led work did go one behind the scenes. I’m proud of how our staff have adapted to this year, recreating systems, and making sure that the wheels keep turning, and I’m proud of all of the people who volunteer, who have shifted how they do things, or stepped in to create whole new services for our church. And I think, too, that we’ve all learned that we can adapt to maybe more than we thought we could. Wherever you want to draw the circle of community, church, city, state, country, there may be more or less upheaval, but we continue to be in a time of change and upheaval. It’s frankly very stressful. But it’s encouraging to know that we can change to meet those challenges.

8

I think, in the months and year or years to come, we’re going to need to continue to use the muscle of adaptability we’ve spent the last year developing. Because I don’t think we’re go-ing back to normal. Whatever our church and our society look like when the pandemic is behind us will be different than it looked before it began. And that’s okay; that’s how history works. The way it looked for us before the pandemic was different from how Good Samaritan Church looked a hundred years ago, or the Christian church, in general, looked 1500 years before that. So I’ll end again by asking you to be open to the Spirit about how we can be ready for what’s to come. How can we prepare for it? What can change? What doesn’t? It continues to be an honor to work and do Church with you. Glenn McCumber, Senior Warden PROPERTY Buildings and Grounds

2021 was one for the books. While Covid-19 protocols greatly hampered normal B&G activities, we managed to perform the normal activities. All of the routine maintenance was completed. Upgrades of heating controls in the Sanctuary are in place. Contracts with outfits like Gaia have been renewed. Repairs were made to the ADA door. All told, the building is a year older and aside from minor plumbing and a tree replacement, not too much wear and tear to report. Group members are looking forward to the day where social distancing is no longer a concern. Nancy Dunn has moved on to other pursuits and will be missed. Nancy was an active participant in meetings and was solely responsible for the shelter in which she played the Sanc-tuary Organ. Its use saved on heating the building during weekly practice. We all wish her the best as she seeks new adventures in her life. Re-painting the Chancel floor is on our 2021 schedule this winter. We will accomplish this in a Covid-19 compatible manner. Thanks and blessing to all members of B&G for their faithful service. John Magee, Chair OUTREACH MINISTRIES Outreach and Social Justice

Despite the Corona Virus lock-down, the committee had a fairly active year in 2020. You were very generous with your donations to the drive to collect clothing and other necessities for our homeless and low-income neighbors. Every week, the donation baskets were full! Also, you gave funds to many other charities which make possible work around the world, such as Malala Fund for girls in many countries which do not give free elementary education to girls. Here is a complete list of your contributions, totaling $16,639.33 to those in need. 928.00 CARDV 885.00 Community Outreach 130.00 Corvallis Housing First 733.00 Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center 50.00 Corvallis Multicultural Literacy Center 1,087.10 ERD (Regular donations and BTO donations) 1,850.00 Corvallis School District Homeless Fund 957.50 Jackson Street Youth Shelter 965.00 Linn Benton Food Share 623.33 Meals on Wheels/Interfaith 250.00 The Malala Fund 380.00 Stone Soup 580.00 Unity Shelter 311.23 United Thank Offering 647.50 Vina Moses/FISH 261.67 Volunteer Interfaith Caregivers In addition, we gave $450 from our reserve fund to assist the Red Cross to their Oregon Wild-fire Relief program. Kathy Coleman, Chair

9

Volunteer Interfaith Caregivers In this time of pandemic Volunteer Interfaith Caregivers (VIC) continues to provide ser-

vice to older adults and younger disabled persons. Under the guidance of National Volunteer Caregiving Network, and following state mandates regarding COVID-19 protocols VIC volun-teers still provide transportation, shopping errands, light yard work and telephone visiting. Because some ramp volunteers have retired, access ramp-building has been put on hold. Even with restrictions Volunteer Interfaith Caregivers has provided services at about 65% of our usual number of service hours. We are grateful that a grant from ITNAmerica, which helps us provide transportation to eye care appointments has been renewed for another year!

2020 Good Samaritan Volunteers: Tricia Atha, Christi Brenneman, Rex Cole, Wendy Francis, Tharwat Ghaly, David Gifford, Phyllis Mix, Lou Nagy, John Potter, Sandra Potter, Désirée Senechal, Janice Thompson, Bev Trappe. Sandra Potter, Co-Director and representing Good Samaritan Church on the VIC Board We Care We Care is the outreach program of the Corvallis-Benton County Religious Organi-zations, which has continued to provide one-time assistance to residents in urgent financial sit-uations, many of whom are facing hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. Good Samaritan has been there since its beginnings, 39 years ago. In 2020 Good Samaritan gave financial sup-port as part of outreach provided by Christmas and Easter offerings. We Care is an all-volunteer organization so that 98% of donations are used to assist those in need. Rex Cole and Susie Zaremba of Good Samaritan work with those seeking assistance and the We Care Board meets weekly via Zoom to act on applications for financial help. By the end of this year, We Care had assisted 294 household requests, helping 758 peo-ple of which 353 were children. Of those who were helped, 55 requests were from people tran-sitioning from substance abuse, homelessness or domestic violence situations. During this year assistance was given for: Housing 78%; Utilities 8%; Auto 5%; Healthcare 4%; Other 3.5%. Generosity of individuals, faith communities and businesses plus grants from the cities of Corvallis and Philomath have made it possible to increase the amounts available by about 50%, to over $156,000 this year. Sandra Potter, Good Samaritan Church representative to We Care PARISH MINISTRIES Altar Flowers

From March 2020, when Church of the Good Samaritan went into Covid-19 restrictions, the Flower Delivery ministry was discontinued, and looks to resume when the Bishop, and State of Oregon, deem that normal parish activities are safe. In the meantime some parishioners still donate florist bouquets to commemorate their loved ones. The high holiday flowers have been given as gifts by a few parishioners. But donations are always appreciated and the sign-up sheets are still in the chapel and on the office wall of the church.

Good Samaritans like to donate flowers when they have events in their own lives to cel-ebrate. This ministry is financially self-sustaining, and should continue to be so.

Flower Ministry comes quite simply from a small group of people and fulfills two func-tions: 1. We place a vase or two of flowers above our high altar and on the chapel altar each Sunday; and 2. We remove the flowers the next day (or from the chapel after Wednesday Eu-charist), make them into home-sized bouquets, and deliver them to parishioners in the hospi-tal, care facilities, or home. I work with our florist, Expressions in Bloom, to beautify Good Sa-maritan Church in this way, or I hear from individuals who choose their own florist. On Monday morning I arrange the flowers anew and leave them with the delivery crew. Our prayer chain guide sees that those who would appreciate receiving flowers that week get them.

Anyone may sign up to give flowers by filling out a request form (and dedicating their gift, to be mentioned in the appropriate Sunday bulletin). Sign up on one of our two yearly charts located, for the main church altar, on the bulletin board outside the office. For the chap-el sign in on the flowers list next to the organ, near the table. Choose a Sunday, fill out a dedi-cation form found next to the chart or in the chapel binder, and give the form and your dona-tion to Laura, our Office Manager, and/or place a check in Robin Powel’s office box.

Our weekly cost for flowers above the altar is $75; for two smaller vases in the chapel the cost is $30, but a donation in any amount is acceptable. Our fund is not a part of the

10

church budget. During Advent and Lent we only put greens on the altar. After those seasons end, the Sunday bulletin reminds us, that many in the parish donate whatever they wish, to help the church buy Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies.

On the altars without fresh flowers, I can usually add garden greens to the dried bou-quets to liven them up. I also buy some flowers at a lower price and arrange them myself. But a professional florist like Expressions in Bloom gives us longer lasting arrangements. I find that, if our delivery crew gives 2 day-old flowers and uses their own gasoline to deliver, these bouquets will likely look great for another three days. I also use our Flower Fridge to preserve blooms that need to last for another important service. This way we will keep our ministry fi-nancially sustainable.

When we do deliver from fresh flower arrangements during the week, we often hear that recipients of the bouquets feel blessed to have flowers from our altars...to be remembered by their church, and, especially to meet someone who cares. If you would like to deliver flowers once each month or occasionally, please join us. Mary Stone Moursund Canterbury House Episcopal Campus Ministry Chaplain’s Report

Canterbury House got off to a great start in 2020. In February, three students and I traveled by train to Bellingham, Washington for an Episcopal Province VIII Campus Ministry Re-treat. We shared worship and prayer services, had team building activities, and went on a ferry excursion around the San Juan Islands. I also had the opportunity to have dinner out with the other chaplains, and it was encouraging and uplifting, and just plain fun, to spend time with others who are doing the same work that I am. The most significant part of the weekend was a presentation from a group called Chaplains on the Harbor, who work with the homeless and poor in Aberdeen, WA. In the weeks following the trip, our discussion around the dinner table on Monday nights was about how we can serve our community in Corvallis. With some input from Deacon Senitila, we decided to build a small wooden structure with doors, much like a lending library, to fill with hygiene supplies and nutritious snack bars for people to help them-selves to. We had a sewing night and made cloth drawstring bags with help from Senitila and Pam Justus, and have purchased items and filled the bags. We currently are waiting to hear about a grant we applied for from the Episcopal Young Adult and Campus Ministry program, and this spring we will begin building our little house. If you are a skilled carpenter, we could use your help! The most exciting thing to me about the project is that it is student led. They are the driving force behind it, and it is very satisfying to see them take to heart the call to love their neighbors.

Covid-19 changed a lot at Canterbury House. At first, we cancelled our dinners, mov-ing to online Zoom meetings. Most of the stu-dents went home when the campus closed. When they returned, and the weather allowed, we began meeting outside for dinner. Finally, we were able to end 2020 with indoor dinners in the basement, where we could create a large dis-tance between the households represented, until Benton County was put in the extreme risk cate-gory. I am happy to report that the students have done well at staying in touch, and have been resilient in less-than-ideal circumstances. I have not been able to give out snack bags weekly since COVID-19 began because of the need for social distance, and because the campus is closed there is not student traffic. I miss this contact with students and look forward

to starting it up again. There was no Beaver Community Fair event this fall either, so we missed our big opportunity to meet new students and tell them about our ministry. We continue to have three students who are highly involved, and all will be returning for the 21/22 academic year. The creation of Canterbury Commons was completed, and the nicely finished and fur-nished basement space at Canterbury House was ready for church use shortly before the COVID-19 lockdown. We will be happy to offer the space once again when we are able to reo-pen.

11

We are thrilled to have had a landscaping project done on the house this year. The beds in the front yard are beautiful. One is filled with edi-ble berries to add to our community garden! We had the sprinkler system repaired, and the land-scapers will be out to maintain the beds and plants seasonally. The side beds on 26th street are rock gardens. As always, thank you for your interest in and support of our student ministry. It means a great deal to the students and me. Many thanks to our Canterbury House Campus Ministry Committee. I couldn’t do it without them: Heidi Henry- Chair Paul Buchheit- Buildings and Grounds Bill Gazeley- Secretary John Shea- Treasurer Doria Summerfield- Student Club President Ruth Krueger, Campus Ministry Chaplain

Casserole Connection

Casserole connection has not been active since we closed the church because of con-cerns of spreading Covid-19. However, if you have had surgery or have been ill and are in need of meals, please contact Ruth Krueger and we can arrange some help. You can reach me at 541-401-4355. Ruth Krueger, Associate for Parish Life Children’s Ministry

Our children’s ministry saw some big changes at the beginning of the 2019/2020 aca-demic year, with the start of Godly Play lessons in the Narthex during the first part of the Sun-day service. It has been a huge success, as you will see in Marsha Washburn’s report. Marsha is an excellent Godly Play leader and we are grateful to have her. The class is for children in kindergarten through 4th grade. When Covid-19 caused the church to close, Marsha was able to record lessons that were available for families to watch together. We look forward to going back to in person classes in the Narthex when the time comes.

Our nursery remained open and well-staffed for younger children until we closed the church due to Covid-19.

We continue to look for a program and staffing for kids in grades 4, 5, & 6 in the future, with the hopes of continuing to build our program as our children get older.

For Lent in 2020, I offered a children’s education series on Creation Care at the same time as the adult series. We had fun learning about creation, planting flowers, making nature

12

collages, and learning about recycling. During the Covid-19 church shut down, I have had several opportunities to reach out to

our children. On Easter Sunday, I delivered treat bags to their front doors. At the beginning of the summer, I mailed Christian activity books to their homes, and I also sent them Advent cal-endars to enjoy together with their families. Ruth Krueger, Associate for Parish Life Coffee Hour

We started an online Coffee Hour last spring on Sunday mornings at 11:30. We meet for one hour, and just chat about our week or whatever is on our minds. There are usually around 10 of us, and there is room for more. The Zoom link is sent out every Saturday by email with the pre-recorded Sunday service link. Just look for the coffee hour image and click the link be-low. We hope you will join us! And bring a cup of coffee with you! Ruth Krueger, Associate for Parish Life Dinner Groups Daughters of the King “Good Samaritans” As directly stated by our National Chaplain, the Right Reverend Gregory Brewer: “If there ever was a time that the Christian church needed to honor the commitment to “love your neighbor,” it is now. And that makes this season, for the church and for Daughters, not a sea-son of crisis but a season of opportunity. God being our help, let us use this season both wisely and well.” The commitment each Daughter makes when she takes up her cross and becomes a “Daughter of the King,” is for Prayer, Service, and Evangelism. In simpler words it is often re-ferred to as ‘Prayer - Care - and - Share.’ And, the Pandemic, where it has adversely effected so many of the intentions and objectives of people in our world today, has actually served to intensify the importance of our commitment. Senior and Junior chapters are at the heart of The Order. They may currently be in Epis-copal, Anglican, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic churches. There are some 21,000 active mem-bers within the United States alone, and many more worldwide. We work together to form our common prayer lists each month, and they may include anything from birthdays, to illnesses, to thanksgivings, to requests, to crises of every nature imaginable. We meet if we can, where we can, and when we can - as many of us as can join together - and share our prayers. As, one Daughter suggested, when asked for help in writing about this past year: “We kept in regular touch, were terrific moral support for each other, and prayed for those in our families and around the community, our country, and the world. Janet Cornwall Episcopal Church Women (ECW) EGGS – Environmental Group of Good Sam Family Ministry

We did not get to do much with our family ministry this year before Covid-19, although we did manage to get together once in January. The wheels are turning, though, and I look forward to some ideas for family get-togethers in the months to come. Ruth Krueger, Associate for Parish Life

13

Foundation Faith in the Future

The Foundation oversees endowment funds given in faith that the ministries of this church might continue past our own lifetimes. Parishioners who serve on the Foundation are called trustees because the funds are held in trust that the donor’s wishes will be followed. One fund deserves special mention. We call it the Cornerstone Fund because it is like a perpetual pledge. This past year a parishioner offered $50,000 in matching funds as seed money. This same offer has been extended through 2021. To date, over half the goal has been reached in 2020 by donations from thirteen parishioners. No gift is too small. Please consider a gift to this fund to ensure the continuing operations of the church. Steve Blevans, Chair Godly Play Finding engaging ways to present the Godly Play program for 2020 required creativity, planning, and help from a host of talented individuals. In 2020, our program included a wide-ranging set of concepts and stories. From Lenten lessons about the faces of Jesus, to presenta-tions on the Communion of Saints and the lives of particular saints, to stories from the Hebrew Bible and Jesus’s parables, this year’s curriculum was rich with faith-infused work. Many of these lessons were presented on video after the building closure, largely due to the generosity of Jeff and Keith, the amazing tech team who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to keep God-ly Play accessible. Links to the videos were distributed through the weekly newsletter and Face-book feed at Good Sam.

Even prior to the building closure in March, attendance at Sunday lessons fluctuated widely, due in part to the usual cold-and-flu season and school holidays. Attendance ranged from a high of six students in mid-February to a session in late January when no students ar-rived for the lesson. Filmed lessons showed a similar fluctuation in viewing patterns. After prayerful consideration, the difficult decision was made to suspend the Godly Play program un-til face-to-face lessons could return to the Narthex. We hope to be able to continue our service to the young members of this community in 2021. Marsh Washburn Guerrilla Scholars Lunch Group Men’s Fellowship and Breakfast Group

The GSMB cancelled its bimonthly, in-church meetings in February and “felt its way” into using ZOOM to gather on the second and fourth Tuesdays each month thereafter. Volunteers brought topics for discussion and we gradually were able to conduct informative and enjoyable meetings. One member faithfully joined us from his home on Long Island, NY. Given the grow-ing restrictions brought on by Covid-19, we expanded to weekly meetings, adding Thursdays on the weeks w/o a Tuesday gathering. These added meetings were social, of a caring nature, and open to wide discussion re the pandemic, its effects on our families and friends, our activi-ties to “maintain sanity,” and mutual support. National and local news, politics, etc. also pre-vailed. Continuing the group’s activities proved to be a healthy practice which continues into 2021. Peace and Health. Louis Nagy Newcomers Newsletter

Good News, The Good Samaritan Church Newsletter, casts a wide net to capture and share the stories, personalities, projects, and aspirations that make up our parish community as a whole, all under the rubric of furthering our shared commitment to loving God and our neighbors. The twelve issues in 2020 included announcements about upcoming events, letters, calls to advocacy, reports on giving back to the community, poetry, photography and expres-sions of gratitude. Shortly before commencing graduate studies at OSU this fall, Elisabeth McCumber coached Monica Roundy through the process of compiling and editing the newslet-ter. Looking ahead, in 2021 we expect the newsletter to document and publicize a process of

14

being able to gather more freely again. Please send to monicaroundy@gmail.com your pictures, poems, letters, announcements, prayers and notes of gratitude, early and often. Materials must be received by the third Monday of each month. Respectfully submitted, Monica Roundy, Editor Parish Life

Our only Parish Life event this year was our Mardi Gras pancake supper and follies. I’m glad we got that one in! It was a lot of fun, as always, and the food was delicious. Thank you to everyone who helped decorate and set up, the men’s breakfast group and Raul for cooking, Glen for being our hilarious emcee, and all of you who participated in our talent show. I don’t think we’ll be open on time for Mardi Gras in 2021, so you have plenty of time to hone your tal-ents for 2022! I gladly anticipate all parish life events 2021 allows us. I can’t wait to get start-ed! Ruth Krueger, Associate for Parish Life Poets’ Corner

Poetry continued to be posted across from the art wall in 2020 until COVID-19 caused the building to be closed to the public. (It has not been maintained since that time.) Hopefully, some time in 2021, the Poet’s Corner will again post new poems to lift the spirits of anyone coming in from the parking lot. Linda Gelbrich Prayer Chain

The Prayer Chain is one ministry of our church which has been able to carry on as usual during this year of great change. This group of devoted parishioners lifts prayer requests into our Lord’s presence daily, during individual prayer times. Do you have a prayer request? All information received is held in strict confidence. Do you feel called to join this ministry of loving concern? You will be most welcome! Please call Pat Wohlwend, 541-754-0740, to join – or to share a prayer request. Respectfully submitted, Pat Wohlwend Rides to Church Samaritan Village

This past year the Village continued on its mission to be a place of caring for more than 80 low income senior citizens. COVID-19 has severely impacted the community life of the resi-dents. The dining room has been closed for our regular breakfast and lunch meals, so our kitchen staff has performed yeoman work in delivering meals to those residents on our meal program. The occupancy rate remains high with a strong local demand for living at the Village. Our waiting list for new residents is typically about 80 people with a two year wait. The physi-cal and financial condition of the entire facility is sound. Combine that with the spirit of the residents and staff gives hope that 2021 will return all of us to a better place. Joe Heaney, Board Chair

Scribes – Friday Writing Time

In spite of not being able to meet in the church library on Friday mornings to write to-gether this year 2020, some continued to write on their own during the year, and Steve Blevans hosted a weekly Zoom gathering at noon (thanks to the Men’s Breakfast Group) for the writers to share what they’d written, speak about their writing, or to just connect with one an-other. We are grateful for the technology that allowed us to “be together” even though physi-cally separate. It provided the opportunity for Frank Rinck, who resides primarily on Long Island, to connect with writers he used to write with only when in Corvallis. Linda Gelbrich Spiritual Nurture 2020 started off with a “bang” of the best kind. Linda Gelbrich offered two workshops, Making a Little Book of Comfort, in the winter. One workshop met on January 10, and another, for the Good Sam Thursday morning book group, was held on February another February 27th. Linda began the day with prayer, then participants introduced themselves and added what they hoped for from the day. Attendees were each given a small photo book of clear

15

“slots” (photo album booklets) and a large array of images, passages from Holy Scripture, and uplifting quotations, and were invited to bring their own selections of encouraging items to fit into the books. Time was allotted for quieting, and then focusing on creating a book to bring them comfort and joy during the year. Attendants sat at the round tables in the Lounge, tak-ing their time in assembling those images and quotes which spoke deeply to them. At the close of the day, the group reassembled as a whole and shared, if they desired, what the day had meant to them. Those attending seemed to enjoy the process and many shared their Little Books with others in the workshop. I (Cammie) might add that several folks have shared since then how much joy they con-tinue to experience in taking their books out and going through them again – especially during this time of pandemic. One of our parishioners has shared that she made several different Lit-tle Books of Comfort to give as Christmas presents this year. Well, then the pandemic hit. That was the end of in-person classes and/or retreats. However, Dr. Sheldon Greaves “stepped up” and gave an on-line class on Biblical He-brew. He shares, “The Hebrew class was a very brief introduction to the Biblical Hebrew lan-guage, in which we learned just enough Hebrew to get through the first chapter of Genesis. I had ten weeks, planned, but we did it in nine (I think). It was a great group and a fun class”. Although not under the “auspices” of SNC, Fr. Simon led a wonderful “class” during the Advent Coffee Hour times, using the art work of John August Swanson, “A Thrill of Hope”. Those attending found this study a wonderful way to “dive into” the Nativity story to explore and share those things which triggered their own understandings. We’re hoping for more folks to offer on-line studies and programs for 2021. Keep watch in your weekly email news for more to come. Dr. Sheldon Greaves is offering an on-line course through LBCC, “Discovering the Old Tes-tament”. Register at LBCC on-line or calling the LBCC registration line at 541-917-4840. Fr. Peter Fritsch is also offering an on-line class, “How God Speaks to Us Through the Dream”. Peter Fritsch will be hosting two Zoom classes, a beginner class on three consecutive Saturday mornings beginning January 9, and an advanced class on Sunday mornings beginning January 10, both from 8 to 9 a.m. Cost is $40 for monthly sessions. Three weeks, then a one-week break. Will continue through April 1, 2021. Email Peter for more information. plfritsch@hotmail.com Respectfully submitted by Cammie Bella Ushers

Phyllis Mix and her wonderful team of ushers started the year off with their faithful ser-vice to Good Sam every Sunday morning, welcoming people and making them feel at home. We are truly grateful for them, and for Phyllis’s leadership. They are an incredible team, and very important to us.

When it was decided that we would re-open the church for small groups of Sunday wor-shipers last fall, I was asked to organize the ushers. We are a small team of five, including John Magee, Sandy Potter, Paul Buchheit, Heidi Henry, and myself. I am grateful that they have stepped up to help welcome people and provide contact tracing. Ruth Krueger, Associate for Parish Life Website

The Good Samaritan Church website (goodsamchurch-episcopal.org) was designed and for approximately three years managed by Elisabeth McCumber. In 2020 Elisabeth implement-ed a number of improvements to the website, including a more frictionless homepage layout in response to user traffic patterns and a redesign of the “worship” page to include all of each week’s digital offerings in one place. She trained Monica Roundy on the process of creating new posts for the website shortly before beginning graduate studies this fall. As we continue to adapt to current realities the website plays an increased role in our connection with our church community. For example, over 20% of pledges this year were made via the website. Looking ahead, Elisabeth and Monica will implement a design upgrade in the summer of 2021. A note of particular thanks must go to Jeff Simpson and Keith Dunlap for recording services and upload-ing them to YouTube, as well as the numerous writers who have submitted articles for the web-site. Respectfully submitted, Monica Roundy

16

Wednesday Morning Bible Study Throughout the year, Father Simon has lead and facilitated the Wednesday Morning Bible

Study that has traditionally taken place after Morning Prayers. Resuming on Zoom only two weeks after the church closed, participation has been strong with 9-12 participants each week discussing the Lectionary Text for the following Sunday. The consistency and committed partici-pation of its members is a strong indicator of the meaning and value this experience has pro-vided for the group. Ruth Penton Youth

Sadly, our youth spring retreat and summer mission trip were cancelled this year. The Diocesan Youth Commission is meeting again, and we are discussing the possibility of a mission trip later this summer. We are uncertain at this time if summer camp will resume. All will de-pend on the progress of Covid-19 vaccine distribution. Ruth Krueger, Associate for Parish Life MUSIC Liturgical Music

Thank you to all the fine musicians who dedicate their time to rehearsing and providing beautiful music to our liturgies. The Adult Choir, the Bell Choir, and the Taizé Ensemble all pro-vided music for the liturgies in early 2020. In mid-March we abruptly changed direction be-cause of the COVID outbreak. All choir singing was cancelled as exposure to deep exhalation was reported to spread the virus more quickly. However, several of the Choral Scholars record-ed videos of themselves singing from their homes, for the enjoyment of the congregation. These videos were distributed to the congregation via online venues.

Live liturgies were no longer possible. Throughout the Spring and Summer months wor-ship services were recorded, led by organ and cantor, with several vocal solos and duos mixed in as preludes or anthems.

In the Fall limited choral singing was re-introduced at recorded services with a small en-semble of 7 singers wearing masks specifically designed for singing. Some instrumental music was included, violin joining the choir. Live Sunday services also became available with attend-ance limited to 25 people (no congregational singing).

A full Lessons and Carols Service was pre-recorded with organ, choir, and bells (rung by the singers.) This is available on the Church’s website.

Thank you to Jeff Simpson and Keith Dunlap who have been serving as sound engineers. Choir Director Internship Program

The Internship Program was scaled back to a new format for the 2019-20 academic year with the Intern directing once a month, rather than every week. The choir performed the re-maining three Sundays under the direction of the Director of Music. Steven Evans Renteria was the intern for 2019-20. With the pre-emption of the program due to COVID, Steven took on du-ties of “staff cantor” and performed on a weekly basis rather than conducting the choir month-ly. The Internship program is not running for the 2020-21 school year.

Organ

The newly renovated organ is a pleasure to play, and is beautiful and versatile. Some minor adjustments were made to the organ as it settled in. These included adjustments to the action and voicing of lower notes, and rewiring of the console lighting.

A semi-permanent heat-retaining tent was constructed around the console (following suggestions from organ builder Lanny Hochhalter) so that the organist can rehearse without needing to heat the entire Sanctuary.

Sundays@3 Concert Series

Concert attendance was up by more than 50% in the 2019-20 season, before the season was halted by COVID. Additionally Dial-A-Bus was committed to continue providing gratis bus service from senior care facilities.

The Resonator Marimba Quarter recorded several videos to replace their March concert, which was to have taken place the first weekend of the lockdown. These videos are available

17

on the Good Samaritan Church website. Sunghee Kim (pianist), The Adrato Trio, and Black Swan Classic Jazz Band concerts were cancelled in the Spring of 2020.

The 2020-21 Concert Series has also been interrupted. The concerts by Los Palmeros Mariachi Orchestra and pianist Alessandro Andrade de Fonseca are postponed until the Fall of 2021. The concerts by organist Bruce Neswick, Cascade Men’s Chorus and Barbershop, Univer-sity of Oregon Gospel Choir, and Black Swan Classic Jazz Band ensemble scheduled for Spring 2021 are still TBD. If the concerts cannot take place this year we hope to reschedule them for the following season.

Thank you to the Sundays@3 committee for all their hard work. Instrument Maintenance

The four pianos are usually tuned annually. This past year they have not been tuned due to COVID. Remember, please keep them at least 3 feet away from heat sources to prevent the sound boards from cracking.

Town and Gown Relations

The Good Samaritan Church music program has strengthened the Church’s presence and collaboration both with OSU and the Willamette Valley community through the Choral Scholars and Internship Programs, Sundays@3 Concerts, connections to school music programs, and senior care facilities. We look forward to continuing these relationships into the future.

Change of Leadership in the Music Program

In early November I submitted my resignation as Director of Music, Choir, and Organist to start “semi-retirement.” Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have shared with me over the past five and a half years. I so appreciate the opportunity, to have served you cre-ating beautiful liturgies together, to have gotten to know you and spend time with you as friends, and to have learned from you as we worked together. Your dedication, willingness to go beyond the ordinary, and kindness made our time together enjoyable, and fruitful for the benefit of many people. Thank you for the delightful parting gifts. I was touched by your thoughtfulness, insight, and generosity. Even though I move to new adventures, I will cherish the times we spent together in work and play.

May Good Samaritan Church continue to be an inspiration to the community through music and prayer. Wishing you all the best in all things!

In the interim next few months, as Good Sam searches for a new director, the program will be guided by Dr. Robert Thompson, a life time church musician, and Steven Evans Renteria, an upcoming choral conductor who participated in our internship program, and who has many talents that we already know.

Thank you for your support. Dr. Nancy Dunn – Director of Music, Choir, and Organist, Year-end 2020 WORSHIP Acolytes Altar Guild

The Altar Guild, because of the pandemic, has had to curtail its normal schedule of activ-ities for this year. To be as safe as possible, we have cut back the number of those serving. Fr. Simon has been very generous with his Altar Guild help.

We wish to thank Joan Dunlap, who very generously purchased and donated replace-ment linens for our church, as well as special linens dedicated to the memory of Dale Bar-necott.

The Altar Guild is a community of humble love. We look forward to that great day when we can meet in person to share this love! We are grateful for our faithful members: Tricia Atha, Beverley Beckley, Helen Dickason, Joan Dunlap, Maureen Jardine, Jane Johnson, Sharon Kavanagh, John Magee, Kathy Manning, Sherrie Nagy, Susan Richardson, Désirée Senechal, John Shackelton, Janet Smoker, Bev Trappe, Patricia Wickman, Jim Wohlwend, Patricia Wohl-wend, Stephanie Wohlwend, and Lesley Zerull. Respectfully submitted, Susan Richardson and Pat Wohlwend

18

Eucharistic Ministers, Eucharistic Visitors, Lectors Our church family is very fortunate in having a wonderful group of faithful and very ca-

pable Eucharistic Ministers and Eucharistic Visitors. However, due to the pandemic’s closures, their services have been curtailed for most of this year.

We have a large group of skilled lectors, some of whom now read for the recorded ser-vices, as well as for the Sunday limited in-person services. Their trained voices add beauty and meaning.

We look forward to the day when we all can worship again together. If you feel called to any of these ministries, please contact Fr. Simon or Pat Wohlwend

(541-754-0740 or 541-760-4133). You will be so very welcome! Respectfully submitted, Pat Wohlwend PERSONNEL Associate for Parish Life Letter None of us could have imagined what our year at Good Samaritan Church would look like when we rang in the year 2020. Covid-19 has presented challenges in every area of our lives, and our church life is no exception. The vibrant coffee hours we used to enjoy together in the noisy church hall have been replaced with conversations on zoom, we have not gathered for a holiday celebration since Mardi Gras, and we did not partake in our regular summer outings. Despite all of this change, I feel close to all of you in my heart, and know that we will be to-gether again, hopefully soon, now that vaccine distribution has begun. As you have seen in my various ministry reports, with these changes, my work life has changed too. I am still employed full time, which I am extremely grateful for. I work in the of-fice alone one day a week to answer phones. We make sure that someone is there M-Th. The other days I work from home at the dinning room table of Canterbury House. As I write, I am sitting on a chair whose cloth cover is worn from excess use. I have come to love my home work station, with my view of campus out the front window, as much as I miss the church of-fice, and more importantly my colleagues, the office volunteers, and all of you who stop in throughout the week. I have managed to keep myself busy despite the changes in my work. I have taken on several projects at Canterbury House. I have stayed in touch with our church families, and I continue to meet with the students every week, sometimes in person and sometimes on Zoom. I participate in planning meetings, and still find opportunities to express creativity at the parish life level, like flowering the cross last Easter, making dog treat bags for the drive-thru Blessing of the Animals, and putting up the Christmas tree in the church this Advent. If this year has taught me anything, (and it has taught me many things, in fact) it is that with flexibility and creativity we can find ways to adapt and keep going. Yes, life has slowed down, and that is okay. At the same time, there is still plenty to be done if I look for it, and it is nice to have a chance to catch up (my file cabinets have never been as organized as they are now). Beyond that, this year has taught me that people matter to me more than anything else. I’ve said it a lot, but it bears repeating, that I miss hugging my grandchildren, and I missed go-ing to see my sisters and mom this summer, and I miss all of you terribly.

Thank you all for your continued support of Good Samaritan Church. As our recently de-signed yard sign says, we truly are “Together in Heart.” One day, hopefully not too long from now, we will be together in person as well. Ruth Krueger, Associate for Parish Life and Campus Ministry Chaplain Office Manager

I continue to put together the Sunday bulletins and due to the Coronavirus pandemic, I now also create a bulletin for the recorded service each week. In a normal year I would main-tain the building scheduling system (Office Tracker), but our building has been closed to out-side groups since March 13, 2020. Staff members rotate their days of coming in to the building each week in an effort to minimize the risk of virus exposure.

I still monitor general office emails, produce and publish the Liturgical schedule on a quarterly basis, maintain parish member information in the database, print the Newsletter, dis-perse keys, purchase supplies and keep accurate records. I respect staff and parishioner confi-

19

dentiality and try to offer a friendly, welcoming presence when answering the phone. At Father Simon’s suggestion, our Wednesday email now goes out through Constant

Contact, an online marketing company. It looks more professional and contains links to videos and articles on our website.

I continue to be impressed and amazed by all of the wonderful parishioners who volun-teer at Good Sam. I am blessed to work with such a wonderful staff and caring, committed parishioners. Laura Pfeifer Rector Looking back…

So much has happened since this time last year. I think it’s true to say that 2020 is a year that none of us will forget. Ever! All of our lives have been deeply affected by the Covid pandemic, and many in ways that we could not have imagined. This has been especially true for who we are and what we do as a church. As a faith community our primary work, as-it-were, is relationships: Helping people to foster a deeper relationship with God, with other peo-ple and with the world around them, as well as encouraging people in their own personal jour-ney of self-discovery, finding out who they are, made in God’s image.

Back in March, when the pandemic was becoming more of a recognizable threat and as we prepared to lock down the church and suspend public worship, I did have a fear that this might be the end of church. After all, if we can’t worship or meet together, then what are we, and what is left to be done?

Amazingly, it turned out that my fears were completely unfounded, and in fact quite the opposite has happened. As you will see in this annual report, most if not all of our groups and ministries have continued to “meet” and do their work. Through a combination of small in-person gatherings, recorded and live-streamed services we have found ways to worship togeth-er. Our finances have remained fairly stable, in large part because of your faithfulness in giving even when you were not able to attend church in person. We have continued to be fully en-gaged in social justice outreach, collecting food, items and money for many local and (inter)national organizations, including kids and families in our school district, homeless neighbors, disaster relief and many others.

Life has been different, but has not ended. Our life as a church has been very different, but while we closed the physical doors of the church buildings, the doors of our hearts have re-mained firmly open.

Throughout all of this, I have also been deeply moved by all of the many ways in which members of our congregation have looked out for and helped each other. Cards, messages, phone calls, grocery runs, rides to doctor’s appointments, meeting online. You have been bril-liant in supporting each other, even when your own situation was very less than rosy.

And so, we come to the beginning of another year. Some of it will be just like 2020, until we see widespread use of the vaccines that is. We will continue to wear our masks, social dis-tance and refrain from gathering with people outside our personal bubble. Following on the heels of over 10 months of suffering this will be hard. But we have come this far and survived. We will see the end of this pandemic.

As we look forward to the future many things come to mind, but generally speaking my thoughts fall into two categories:

* Things that I am grateful for. * What things have we learned from this time of pandemic that will be useful in the future?

What am I grateful for?

You, mainly, and the abiding presence of God’s love. As I said, I have been amazed at how creatively so many of you have adapted and faced the challenges of this time with such courage and faith. I am grateful that we still have a church community. I am grateful that we have been able to worship, if in limited or virtual form. I am deeply grateful for our modern digital communication technology, which has allowed us to meet virtually and keep in touch with each other. In this regard I think of Jeff Simpson, Keith Dunlap, Monica Roundy, Elisabeth McCumber, Laura Pfeifer and others who have recorded, edited and made available our online worship, our Wednesday and Saturday emails, regularly updated our church website and worked on a myriad of other technical projects that have been a literal lifeline for so many of us.

20

I am also grateful for all of our volunteers and staff who have cleaned, prepared and ushered as we have continued to use our church buildings, albeit on a very limited basis. Nev-ertheless, without our dedicated behind the scenes crew we would not have been able to offer much of anything these last 10 months or so. Special thanks to the devoted members of our Altar Guild, and Jenna Hart and Steven Philpott, our amazing custodians.

I am grateful that God has not abandoned us, even though it felt like that at times. God has literally been by our side throughout all of this. God’s love as sustained us in this wilder-ness. My gratitude for this is beyond words. What things have we learned from this time of pandemic that will be useful in the future?

Digital Media: I don’t know how we would have managed during this pandemic without digi-tal media. Of course, there are many in our congregation who have to do just that, and we have tried our best to keep everyone connected, sending hard copy information to people we are pretty sure do not have access to a computer. Given all of that we have made incredible strides this last year in improving the quality of our service recording as well as in other digital media platforms. Our Wednesday email got a very nice upgrade mid-2020, and our recording team is constantly making improvements.

One of the amazing things that we have discovered is the wide appeal for some of our offerings. We regularly have people from all over the country join us online not only for worship but also for some of our group meetings. We plan to continue recording services once the pandemic has passed and continue to work on our social media output.

Zoom meetings: Again, I can’t imagine trying to do church business during a lockdown be-fore Zoom and other digital meeting platforms. As I said, most if not all of our commit-tee, ministry and small groups are now meeting online. This is an amazing adaptation. Speaking personally, I can attest to the steep learning curve in using social media and new, unfamiliar digital technology. That said, one of the benefits of Zoom style meetings is that they can be done at home, eliminating travel to and from a physical meeting. The other benefit is that people who live at some distance can be included in meetings. For example, our Wednesday Bible Study regularly has a participant who lives in Kansas! I would imagine that in the future we will continue to use such platforms, perhaps in a hy-brid in-person/virtual participant version of meetings.

Adapt or perish: We have learned to adapt this last year, and we have discovered that we can learn! From Zoom meetings to recorded services, live-stream presentations, as well as new ways of communicating and keeping in touch. We have also had to learn to live with a great deal less person and physical contact with other humans. This has been far from easy, but we have survived. Interestingly, calls to adapt, change or improve exist-ing systems were met with a lot less resistance last year than has been our previous ex-perience. In other words, the pandemic made it easier for all of us to consider and/or embrace new ways of doing things – it made change easier. Once this is all over, the temptation will be to return to old, familiar ways and to try and forget the pain of this time. That would be a loss. Instead, perhaps we can hold onto some of our bravery, post-pandemic, and continue to be more open to change.

Resilience in depth: We have also discovered the need for resilience, and not merely in sim-ple ways but in depth. What does this mean? For example, our staff have had to learn to work pretty much independently, without the support that comes from day to day con-tact with other members of staff and the congregation. Another example is the way in which informal networks across the congregation have proven to be so important. Rather than relying on a centralized system of pastoral care, members of the congregation have just gone about the ordinary business of helping and supporting each other without nec-essarily asking for organized assistance from the church. This is a good thing! It confirms the vision of our goal in encouraging people to develop their own ministries, rather than waiting for someone else to take the lead or give permission.

Looking forward…

In-person worship: We have been blessed that we have been able to offer some form of in-person liturgy for most of the pandemic. Very limited, of course, but nevertheless… Quite early on in the pandemic I became conscious of the fact that our in-person worship was a benefit not only for those who were able to be physically present but to the entire community. Our worship has always been more than simply a comfort to those who participate. Our wor-

21

ship is a visible sign to our local community that God is present and active in the world. We will resume full in-person worship as soon as it is safe to do so and the State authorities allow us. Gathering for worship has never felt so precious a gift.

Reopening our church buildings: Again, we w ill reopen our church buildings as soon as it is safe and the State allows. Historically speaking income for the use of our church facilities by non-church groups has been a small but steady source of income for our church. This completely dried up for most of 2020, some $25,000. Before the pandemic we were devel-oping plans to expand the use of our buildings, but this had to be put on hold back in March. None of us can predict what the demand for meeting space will be once the pandemic has passed, but our hope is to pick up where we left off and work on attracting other users for our buildings. One thing I should make clear. The expansion of our building use was never just about money, although that always comes in handy. We, and by that I mean the vestry and church leadership, always understood increased use of our church buildings as an outreach and support to people in our local community. We will be redoubling our efforts on this as soon as we can.

Picking up where we left off: Yes, isn’t this what everyone wants to do! I am think-ing though that it won’t be quite the same as it was post-pandemic. For one, we will all be a year older. We will all be carrying the trauma of this pandemic in our souls. We will likely have forgotten quite where we were or how things stood in March 2020. The post-pandemic world will be different. Some things will be relatively easy to restart – our full worship schedule, for example, and our in-person meetings. Other things won’t be so easy for recreate so quickly. One of the most important of these will be our relationships with and to each other as well as our sense of community – how we interact with each other once more. All of our lives have continued during the pandemic and during those months we have created histories that people in our church know nothing about. It will take time for us to get to know each other again, and so we should expect some awkwardness to begin with, both from others and in ourselves. To help us with the process of re-integration I am beginning to think about ways in which we can re-engage with each other and begin the process of healing the bonds of our church communi-ty. I would also be very interested in your ideas!

The 3 legged stool: We have to talk about money at some point, and so here it is. You might remember back in 2019 the vestry adopted a 3 legged stool approach to settling the long-term financial health of our church:

Income from pledges and direct giving by members of the congregation. Monies received from our endowment investments (now valued at around $1.2M). Income from the use of our church buildings.

This will continue to be our strategic financial goals for the foreseeable future. The Vestry, Foundation Trustees and Parish Resource Committee will continue to be working on this.

Reaching out: As I said, part of the reason why the vestry decided to really push on opening up our church buildings to the wider community was not just about money, but from a real desire to add value to our local community. Our vision was, and still is, for Good Sam to be a local hub, hosting all kinds of community groups and events. The plan is to pick up from where we left off at the end of February 2020. We don’t know, as yet, how the economic devastation brought by the pandemic has affected the need for meeting spaces, but we will find out. Perhaps we the church might be able to help support struggling entities and provide low cost space. We will see.

We also plan to continue to increase the church’s social media presence. As we have found during the pandemic, many people from across the country have now become Good Sam “friends” and worship with us or participate in on-line church activities. We want to create more opportunities for this.

In conclusion… We have all lived through the whirlwind, and yet we are still standing. 2020 was as bru-

tal as it was unexpected. Our church has survived, and even thrived in some ways. We have learnt anew that we are resourceful, faithful and committed.

Thank you for the faith you have in God. And thank you for the faith you have in Good Samaritan, your church community. Every person’s presence and voice is important, not least yours. May God continue to walk with us, giving us grace, courage, strength and hope for the journey.

With my love and prayers. Simon+ The Rev. Dr. Simon C. Justice, Rector

22

FINANCE

Treasurer’s Report for 2020

Narrative

Income:

Pledge contributions for 2020 were $320,019, which was $9,384 less than pledged. Thankfully, we made up a lot of ground in November and December.

Total income from endowed pledges (endowments) including the Cornerstone Fund (Foundation) was $25,140.

Contributions from regular givers were substantially above budget. No reliable way to predict.

Transferred $31,012 from the Foundation Unrestricted account (2019 and 2020 contributions). Great job Foundation!

All other income categories were at or near budget.

Treasurer’s note: The 2020 income section of the budget was revised in May to incorporate Finance Committee’s assessment of the effects of the church shutdown. Nailed it.

Received Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan for $53,514 on 5/7/20. Some or all of the loan will be eligible for loan forgiveness. The funds are being held in a balance sheet account. Awaiting Wells Fargo process for loan forgiveness application.

Expenses: Personnel: All clergy and staff were kept at full salary and benefits for 2020. Administration – Operations, Property and Vestry Ministry: Below budget primarily due to

the closing of our church building and suspension of most programs.

SUMMARY through December 2020

December December 2020 2020 Annual

Actual Budget Actual Budget Budget

Income

Pledges 31,191 26,511 320,019 329,403 329,403

Other pledge related income 0 0 19,707 17,000 17,000

Cornerstone Fund earnings 2,967 0 10,363 8,500 8,500

Xfr's from Restricted accounts 15,612 16,500 31,012 31,900 31,900

All other DPA income 8,603 6,635 34,296 27,082 27,082

Non-DPA income 700 1,850 8,461 9,900 9,900

Total Income 59,073 51,496 423,858 423,785 423,785

Expenses

Diocesan Assessment 4,769 4,769 57,228 57,227 57,227

Personnel 23,721 22,155 261,273 265,781 265,781

Administration - Operations 4,697 5,565 61,628 69,636 69,636

Property 2,584 3,194 33,917 38,323 38,323

Vestry Ministries 1,972 2,922 8,445 19,575 19,575

Outreach from Operations 533 533 9,000 9,000 9,000

Other Expenses -72 21 23 250 250

Total Expenses 38,205 39,159 431,514 459,792 459,792

Net 20,868 12,337 -7,655 -36,007 -36,007

23

Summary: Income at budget and significantly reduced expenses resulted it a 2020 deficit sub-stantially less than budgeted.

Capital improvements (paid from contributions, carryover from the Capital Campaign, Founda-tion accounts, and solar panel income.) Exterior mailbox: $362 Vacuum cleaner: $724 Sacristy thermostats: $2,150 Sanctuary sound system upgrade: $1,476 Sunday service video/audio production equipment: $5,172

General notes for 2020: Foundation contributions: $49,760, which included $10,363 in endowed pledges for opera-

tions from the Cornerstone Fund. Outreach contributions from individual donors totaled $12,762. Outreach donations from the church: $2,600 to We Care, $2,400 to Canterbury House and

$1,600 to Samaritan Village. Solar panel income: $6,772. Total amount in Capital Reserve restricted accounts: $15,533. Unrestricted savings balance of $144,427. Canterbury House 2020 financial summary available in a separate report. Please direct questions to John Shea, Treasurer, John.Shea54@gmail.com, 541 754-6832

Blessing of the Animals

24

Bishop Michael Hanley’s visit

Christmas