This year’s Annual Report is dedicated in honor of Robert Randall, who served CHS for many years as a Lay Reader and Coordinator of Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers, who moved to New Hampshire in January 2010;

and in memory of Cindy Colella, long-time Parish Administrator, who prepared these Reports for many years, and who died of cancer in the fall of 2009.

The Annual Meeting is set in the context of our Eucharistic Liturgy, and includes the Renewal of our Baptismal Covenant, Recognitions, Elections, Reports, Commissioning of Officers, Vestry Members, and Delegates, Prayers for the Church and the World, Holy Communion, and Dismissal for service in Christ’s Name in the world.  The Meeting takes place in the sanctuary; a light luncheon and time for conversation continue afterward in the Parish Hall.

The work of the Church of the Holy Spirit is to offer a mission focused community of God to people in Wayland and MetroWest, and partner with our Diocese and other organizations for ministry in our world. Through uplifting worship, engaging religious formation, and timely mission initiatives, we invite people into deeper relationship with God and one another. We support the ecumenical and interreligious cooperation of Wayland’s diverse religious congregation, and offer our sanctuary in the woods as inspiration to all for faithful stewardship of God’s gifts.

 All are welcome!

Liturgical ministry is the work of the entire congregation faithfully gathered for weekly worship as the Body of Christ.  The following ministries particularly support our worship.

Twelve young people serve as acolytes for services at the Church of the Holy Spirit.  In 2009 scheduling of acolytes was taken on by Su Ribeiro, and distribution of the acolyte rota became electronic.  Andrew Johnson continues to assist and oversee acolytes on Sunday mornings.

The Altar Guild of the Church of the Holy Spirit prepares the Altar for all services of the church, including weddings, funerals and memorial services.  The Guild members care for all the linens, vessels and other supplies as needed.

Under the direction of the chairperson, the committee members perform this work.  Two Altar Guild members serve for one Sunday, on a rotation basis.  All work is done with the direction of the co-directresses who are supervised by the Rector.  A member of the Altar Guild is present at all services.

We are always happy to welcome new members.  We would love to have new members, and all are invited to join us.  Training and support is provided as long as needed.  Being a member of the Altar Guild is truly a gratifying way to serve the Lord and the Church.

-Ruth Chamberlin and Becky Patterson, Co-Directresses

The Flower Committee provides seasonally appropriate decorations for the altar area and other areas of the church for weekly and pastoral services.

This past year, the CHS music program continued its commitment to provide music of high quality for its liturgies and to offer outreach and collaborative efforts in the wider community. The choir sang at the regular Sunday services, as well as for Ash Wednesday, Holy Week and Easter, and at the Christmas Eve pageant service. The choir presented a special service of Lessons and Carols for Christmas, collaborated with the choir of Peace Lutheran Church for the Maundy Thursday service, and collaborated with other Deanery parishes for the Ascension Day service. I am grateful for the tremendous efforts choir members give on behalf of the parish.  

 In an effort to more fully involve the youth of the parish, a youth handbell choir was established in September. About a half-dozen young people have participated, and I am gratified by the skill and enthusiasm they have showed in this endeavor. The youth handbell choir participated in several liturgies throughout the year, and I am committed to increasing membership in this ensemble. Our young people have also contributed to liturgies by performing on other instruments including flute, guitar, and percussion.

CHS continued its series of performance events that aim to raise funds in support of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals and other worthy charities. Two concerts were presented last year: a performance by students at the Rivers School Conservatory Program in November, and a collaborative concert by the CHS choir and members of the Community United Methodist and Peace Lutheran choirs in May. I offer my thanks to Jim Metcalf, choir members, and all the other volunteers for their excellent publicity efforts on behalf of the performance series. 

-Daniel Ryan, Organist-Choir Director

Formation ministries for children and young people continued strong in 2009.  With the notable exception of community ecumenical and interreligious programs, and the offering of an excellent adult study in Lent, adult formation ministries continue to be challenged by marginal support in attendance and initiative.

For young children and those in early primary grades, Godly Play continues to be a very creative Sunday morning experience in which children explore Biblical stories through a Montessori-style learning experience.  Children are invited to “wonder” about stories as they tell them together using simple toy-like models representing elements of the stories.  The program is very popular among both children and teachers. Young people and teens also assist in the classroom. The Godly Play program is overseen by Kara Brewton.

Middle School and older primary grade children are engaged with timely topics in Sunday morning classes throughout the school year.  Topics range from prayer and spirituality to local interfaith relations to environmental concerns for our planet.  This thoughtful and creative curriculum is principally the work of Tammy Retalic, who coordinates the participation of a dedicated group of teachers.  In 2009 Middle Schoolers sponsored a highly successful spaghetti supper for the parish, also under the direction of Tammy Retalic.

Young people and teens engage in both teaching and learning opportunities throughout the year, both at CHS and with the wider interfaith community in Wayland.  Regular Confirmation classes include both young people and teens preparing for confirmation and those who have already been confirmed who serve as mentors; Andrew Johnson also faithfully assists as mentor and co-teacher of Confirmation classes.  Young people and teens also participate in the Wayland Clergy Association’s unique Youth Interfaith Education program, “Sacred Stories/Sacred Spaces,” taught by the Association’s Interfaith Intern through the Harvard Divinity School.  This program, jointly supported by Wayland’s interfaith community of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Unitarian Universalist congregations, continues to involve students of who have completed the program as mentors of current students.

For young people of all ages, the annual Christmas Eve Pageant also serves as a powerful element in their Christian formation, as children learn the Christian story of life, death, and resurrection by taking timeless parts and leadership roles in the telling of the Nativity gospel.  Likewise, serving at the annual Thanksgiving on the Common meal for the homeless on Boston Common, at which young people are the principal servers, provides a powerful learning experience about Christian responsibility for all people.

Ecumenical and interfaith adult education programs of the Wayland Clergy Association proved highly successful in 2009.  The Association’s Interfaith Intern from Harvard Divinity School, jointly sponsored by ten Wayland congregations including CHS, coordinated a fall program looking at various topics from Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Unitarian Universalist perspectives.  Earlier in the year a program held at Temple Shir Tikva looked at “Shared Stories” from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim perspectives.  Both series drew up to 100 participants.  CHS Lenten study involved up to a dozen adults in book study and discussion.  A “Book of the Month” on a topic of religious/spiritual interest has been recommended for monthly parish reading; the Vestry has token on one of these for its reading and discussion.

2009 was the best year so far in terms of the number of items we delivered to Metro West and Emerson Hospitals during the year. Here are the numbers:

948 hats, 181 blankets, 107 booties, 3 stuffed bears, 5 pairs of mittens, 34 baby sweaters, 4 quilts, 20 Christmas stockings, for a total of 1302 items

Special thanks to Betsey Gagnebin for making 371 of the 948 hats on her knitting machine. Betsey also delivered the following items which she and other Care Wear Volunteers made for another organization, The Knitting Connection:

257 hats, 70 pairs of mittens, 2 sweaters, 11 blankets, 12 booties, 2 scarves, for a total of 354 items

So our grand total for 2009 was 1656. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this possible.      -Frances Wade

In 2009 the parish took on a more concerted effort to “go green,” and promote awareness of and participation in environmental stewardship through increased recycling, more conscientious use of energy resources, and participation in advocacy and education on environmental issues.  The parish participated in awareness days sponsored by 350.org, and made some use of the Massachusetts Council of Churches’ curriculum on the dangers posed by toxic chemicals in the environment, “Healthy Kids, Healthy Churches, Healthy Communities.”  Parish young people have become very active participants in the parish’s green Initiatives, thanks especially to the ministry of Gina Poole.

In 2009 the Parish identified four particular areas on which to focus renewal in mission and ministry: Spiritual Life, Newcomer and New Member Ministries, Mission and Outreach, and Pastoral Support.  Reports on work thus far in Mission and Outreach and Pastoral Support follow.

Mc Garfield, Mary Thielscher, and Dave Haist met with Sandy Favrer from Wayland’s Parmenter Community Health Center to determine what CHS could do to help that organization and better connect with individuals within the Metro West area. Sandy indicated that Parmenter would greatly appreciate receiving a portion of a package that a visiting nurse takes to people entering hospice.  These items include soap, talcum powder, huggies, moisturizing lotion, etc.   Mary Thielscher and MC Garfield went to various stores to price these objects, and, at present, it was reported that Target offered the best prices.  MC Garfield will make a list of these items and make this available to the congregation.  Parmenter indicated that they would love to receive 15 “baskets” of these items.  MC Garfield plans to contact Parmenter to determine whether this is an annual number, a monthly number, or whatever.  Hopefully, this is an annual number, as the cost of the items Mary and MC priced out totaled around $17.00 per “basket.”

Parmenter also indicated they would love to receive foodstuffs, as they support homeless people in the Metro West area.  Dave Haist will provide a box, and a list of foodstuffs, that can be donated.

It has also been recommended that we contact two other organizations: MICAH, which advocates for community improvement initiatives in MetroWest and in which many MetroWest congregations are already participating, and the Interfaith Hospitality Network.  The Interfaith Hospitality Network helps support homeless people, including providing temporary housing in churches, synagogues, and Mosques that are able to host such ministries, and may be looking for help with meals, etc. from congregations that are not able to host but want to contribute.  MC Garfield has volunteered to contact these organizations and to determine whether our congregation can provide some assistance.

During 2009, CHS, through the sales of Christmas cards, and the gift of an individual through the church, we sent $500.00 to Cristosal.  This is the organization that supports Episcopal projects for the people of El Salvador.

Other ongoing projects include feeding the homeless during the Thanksgiving holiday on the Boston Commons, providing Care Wear, the Knitting Connection which provides hundreds of hand knit items to hospitals and other agencies, and preparing and providing winter clothing for the homeless in Boston.