TLDR: Please join me in welcoming Kyra Helmick as our Coordinator of Communications, starting on 2-1-2023. Also, please be aware that we have a new way of funding the Rector’s Discretionary Fund, and have issued two invitations for the 5k Fun Run, and our 2023 Holy Smokes.

We are an incredible church. In an age when many churches are choosing to reduce their deficits by eliminating their communications departments, Saint Dunstan’s has gone above and beyond to ensure that continuity of our department. One of the things we realized when Katie resigned her post of Communications Director was how much we depended on her, and on that position. We assigned many of Katie’s positions to Kyra Helmick, and the rest of the staff took portions of the job and added them to their already full plates. As a result, we accomplished all the goals we set out for our communications department in 2022, with the exception of our membership database. We have been able to enter newcomer’s, confirmand’s, and sacramental data (baptisms, funerals, etc.) But we have not been able to do much updating of people’s demographic information, like changes of address, telephone numbers, employments status, etc. This task was deemed of lower priority at the time and remained unassigned. This is a major goal for 2023, as we want to get to a place where we can print up-to-the-minute membership directories at the push of a button.

Now, please join me in welcoming Kyra Helmick as our Coordinator of Communications, starting on 2-1-2023. Kyra has distinguished herself as a fast-learning, creative, inventive, and reliable employee. Her sponge-like brain is able to assimilate new ideas at a rate only a well-trained Millennial can do. She has already created a number of printed materials, envelopes for specific events, and special bulletins for the season of Christmas and our Annual Meeting. Over the next month, each of the staff will offload parts of their job that have to do with communications, and will train Kyra to assume responsibility for them. Continue to pray for the success of our Communications Department, and for the success of Kyra’s job. If you see her around campus, please congratulate her for her well-deserved promotion.

This promotion creates a vacancy for the front office, which we will be filling very soon. We are looking for a part-time (19.5 hours per week) person who is good (and fast) with data entry, who has knowledge of data bases and Microsoft Office products, who will have the ability to learn and manage our phone system, and who can be a friendly and jovial front-person to visitors and members. We would prefer someone who is onsite from 8:30am-12:30pm Monday through Friday, but we can be flexible If the right person comes our way. Please call Laurie Riggs if you feel as though you fit the bill, and if you are interested in this position. We would love someone who knows a bit of Spanish (sufficient to greet our Spanish speakers and transfer them to our priests. More Spanish than that would be great!)

Now, on to several other announcements. You will see specially designed envelopes for the Rector’s Discretionary Fund in your Sunday bulletins on the first Sunday of every month. This is a canonical provision to replenish discretionary funds that the Rector uses for charitable purposes. Up until now, those funds are built by donations from the Street of Shoppes and a small set-aside from our budget. I believe, however, that we must give our members the opportunity to join us in alleviating serious needs in our communities. These funds help folks who are experiencing food shortages, are behind on rent and utilities, need assistance to purchase medications, need some gas, or have other life emergencies. From time to time, this fund helps at-need children attend Summer camps, or buy school supplies. This last year, we also helped purchase backpacks for the Hope Center Houston, and aided a school project in Colombia. The project will work this way: All the undesignated (cash) donations on the first Sunday of every month will be assigned to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund. Donors who want to contribute by check are encouraged to write the check to Saint Dunstan’s Episcopal Church, with a memo line that reads, “Rector’s Discretionary Fund.” Donations to the Associate Rector or the Curate’s fund can also be designated through written checks with designated memos.

Please remember our 5k Fun Race on March 25, starting at Saint Dunstan’s parking lot. If you would like to make a contribution to this run, please contact Mother Beth Anne Nelson or Laura Gunn. If you wish to volunteer during the event please contact our Fun Run Coordinator, Becky Renze at . This will be a wonderful opportunity to bring visitors to our campus and to showcase our church and community.

Lastly, start assembling your teams for our 2023 Holy Smokes on April 15, 2023. We served 144 community members last year and we expect this year to be much bigger. Please plan to participate, or at the very least, plan to spend the morning with us. There will be activities for the whole family and we expect the weather to be much cooler than last year. Start spreading the word to your neighbors and friends. We want this to be a large inviting event to our community. Events like this help us show our neighbors how much fun we have as a community and how much we love each other. Please send an email to Mother Beth Anne Nelson if your team is planning to participate. We had ten teams last year; I would love to get at least 15 this year. I know we can reach this goal if we work together.

We had a phenomenal Annual Meeting 2023 this last Sunday. Thanks to all who have pledged, all who continue to pray for us every day, and all who work or volunteer at the Church. We are a great community, and God has an exciting mission for us in 2023.

May he continue to bless you,

Fr. Roman+