Building on the work that has already been done, we are reforming a team to explore details for the different options proposed for St. Elizabeth’s going forward. The first meeting will be this Thursday, Dec 15, at 7pm in the Speckled Bird. If you are interested in serving on this team, please join us!

Over the past two Sundays, we have been exploring what our options are in regards to the broken and beautiful structure that is St. Elizabeth. We have also had a time of confession and repentance over our lack of faithful stewardship. Five main options were explored by a committee last year, and they can be found here: https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=1JnXZMho4_wJSdBapr_jrg1XUYfB0StKLD6VK4lVJPSb9_w7F5ASPxSbCzTMt&hl=en_US

It was proposed that selling the building be an additional sixth option. It was also proposed that a new committee be formed to pick up where the last one left off, with a specific deadline for making a decision within the coming year.

Laura McNeel issued a call to more faithfully steward the building in the meantime. Don McNeel issued a call to join together in prayer to discern what God’s purposes are for the building and how we as a church are to be a part of that. Mark Bruner suggested that repairing the building may be something people from the community would be excited to be a part of. Stephen JohnsonGrove suggested that like St. Elizabeth the person, we might have to leave the building behind in order to more faithfully serve those around us.

Moving forward, we need to assemble a team of people to advance these discussions. If you are interested, please contact a member of the discernment team (Natasha, Laura, Nate or Josh). We also need to have intentional times of prayer together over the coming year. Caring for the needs of the building may also be included in what it means to be a member of VC during the year ahead.

The end is coming!

Christ the King Sunday is Nov 20, and that is the final gathering of the discernment process. Here is the plan for the remaining weeks:

October 16- Building discussion, pt. 2; exploring the purpose(s) of the building in what God is calling us to as a church in light of the financial realities of the options discussed last week

October 23- Relationship to Vineyard USA; theological affirmations

Special Thanks to Don McNeel and his team for their in-kind donation of labor to work on preservation of St. Elizabeth. After spending several hours repairing the roof, his hope is that it is finally water tight. This is a great gift to our community!

The larger context for this post is our weekly Advent gatherings leading up to Christmas.  The following is a message from Laura McNeel:

REFRESHMENTS for Advent Gatherings

Last Sunday night was the start of our four week series of Advent celebrations, leading up to Christmas and birth of our King. Thank you to all our friends and neighbors who made this beautiful time of worship and fellowship possible.

As the Advent season continues, we hope to draw even closer together as a family of Christ. One way you can contribute is by sharing the gift of hospitality through food and drink. Refreshments for the remaining 3 Advent evenings can be light and simple, and should easily be covered by a few willing volunteers ( one person for food, one person for drinks each week.)
Whether you have a talent for baking, coffee brewing, or just the extra time and resources to buy a few pre-made items from the grocery, your gifts will be gladly received and appreciated.

To sign-up (and to ensure that all our ducks are covered), follow this doodle link, type your name to the left, and check the box for the corresponding date and item you are willing to bring.

Blessings and Thanks,
Laura McNeel

(If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a note on Facebook!)

The following announcement is from Dave Nixon:

In late June of this year it was announced that an ad hoc committee was forming to explore how to move forward with the St. Elizabeth property. As was stated at the time:

This team isn’t a decision-making body. Instead it will generate ideas and attach some levels of feasibility to each of the ideas based on research that it does. At the end of the summer it will present its ideas and suggestions to the Board of Trustees and Pastoral Council. Those two groups will then determine how best to present the committee’s work to the rest of the community, soliciting input and further ideas.

Although we haven’t met the “end of the summer” deadline, we have, to date, considered a wide number of ideas. We’ve narrowed these down to what we think are the best options for moving forward. We’re now in the process of engaging some contractors to attach real numbers to each of the options. We expect this will take until mid-December to wrap up.

Over the past year, as VC has worked towards firmer structures of leadership and accountability, we have also been increasingly aware of the need to address the building structure, St. Elizabeth’s. In May, Ben Eilerman, a member of the community and an architect, filed (along with Sam Hatchett)  a grant proposal to the Greater Cincinnati Energy Commission that could be used to make the building more energy efficient. They are pleased to announce that Vineyard Central was chosen as the recipient of up to $15,000 in matching funds. Currently Ben and David Thompson are attending sessions to become energy inspectors, and Ben is attending regular meetings to allow VC to take full advantage of the grant monies. There are a number of limitations on the grant, however, and a new exploratory commission has been formed to assess long term strategies for building maintenance as well as best uses for this money. The grant is structured to provide a 15-20% subsidy to the total cost the energy efficiency upgrades so in the next couple of months, VC will need to raise matching money or in-kind donations to receive the entire grant. More info will be coming, but we will need the help and financial support of all who use and love the St. E’s space to make this opportunity a reality.

The Board of Trustees of Vineyard Central is (legally) responsible for overseeing the care and maintenance of property owned by the church. In our case that means St. Elizabeth’s. We understand that the issue of the building’s physical state needs to be addressed in a serious and sustained manner. Beyond the needed repairs we face a growing liability issue.

In order to begin this work, the Board has established an ad-hoc committee that will meet regularly through the remainder of the summer to explore ideas for moving forward. This team isn’t a decision-making body. Instead it will generate ideas and attach some levels of feasibility to each of the ideas based on research that it does (homework required!). At the end of the summer it will present its ideas and suggestions to the Board of Trustees and Pastoral Council. Those two groups will then determine how best to present the committee’s work to the rest of the community, soliciting input and further ideas.

The following people will be serving on behalf of Vineyard Central:
Sam Hatchett, Angela Pancella, Ben Eilerman, Elizabeth Herron, Jeremy Eyre, Janet McNeel, Greg York, Drew Allan, Kevin Rains, and Matt Dawson

Your prayers for them and the team’s work matters.

On behalf of the trustees (Owen Brock, Janet McNeel, Greg York),
Dave Nixon