On Sunday, January 31 at 12:00, the people of this parish will gather for our Annual Meeting. This will be an opportunity to reflect on the past year, review the parish budget for 2021, and elect members of the Vestry and delegates to Diocesan Convention.
Due to continued concerns about COVID-19, this year’s Annual Meeting will take place via Zoom. Login information will be distributed to all members of the parish in good standing in the days before the meeting. The election of Vestry members and delegates will also take place online.
Below are comments from our Vestry nominees, ahead of the Annual Meeting election.
From left to right: Connie Collier, Darryl Tippens, Sarah Ferguson, Harry Hurt
"I have been a member of Heavenly Rest since 1969 and I’m involved with the Altar Guild, BOB’s, a lay/Eucharist minister and a Daughter of the King. My involvement with the different ministries has strengthened my spiritual growth immensely. I feel at peace when I enter the church and it has always given me comfort and strength. During the past year I have taken for granted the things I love about the church especially in person worship, the Wednesday healing service and serving with the Altar Guild. I am especially grateful for Father David and Blaine Beyer for providing us with live streamed services, Morning Prayer and Compline. With all of the uncertainty I have experienced this year the one thing that has remained constant is the church for which I am truly grateful. I am looking forward to all of us worshiping together in the future." - Connie Collier
"While Anne and I are somewhat new to Church of the Heavenly Rest, having been formally received into the church in January 2019, we are not entirely new to Anglican/Episcopal traditions and practices. As a professor and administrator at various Christian universities where I taught the great texts of Christian spirituality for over forty years, I have been especially formed by the rich Anglican spirituality of George Herbert, John Donne, C. S. Lewis, and, of course, the English Bible. These have made an indelible impression on my spirituality, my life’s work, and my heart. Both Anne and I continue to be touched by the power of the liturgy, the deep resonances of the Book of Common Prayer, the sacred spaces of the sanctuary, the divine harmonies of sacred music, and, most certainly, the warm fellowship of the loving people of this parish. “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me,” Jesus said (Matt. 25:35). We too have felt welcomed by the good and gracious people of CHR. Anne enjoys her role in the choir. I enjoy serving as a mentor in the Exploring Spiritual Formation class, and I am an eager student in the Education for Ministry (EfM) program. I enjoy supporting the BOBS outreach as well. I look forward to serving on the vestry, offering whatever gifts God has given me in the service of the kingdom of Christ." – Darryl Tippens
"After a decade at Heavenly Rest, it has really become a second home to me. Whether teaching Sunday School, eating a delicious Wednesday night dinner, or listening to the fantastic music offerings during a Sunday service, I always return to reality feeling lighter and brighter. The pandemic has forced many of our previous models of community to change. I look forward to a return to a face to face style of church community soon." - Sarah Ferguson
"I am honored to serve on CHR Vestry and look forward to becoming even more deeply involved in the mission of the church. Debbie and I moved here from Maryland some three years back and the warm welcome we received from the congregation was a marked contrast to our previous Episcopal experience back East. You should know that CHR is no stranger to me. My family, the Halls, hailed from Abilene from its founding days and my Uncle Elbert E. Hall brought me to service whenever I visited. The inclusive nature of the church was transformational for Debbie and I - we soon felt ourselves part of the church’s life and became contributors to the church’s ministries both spiritual and material. The events of 2020 did not disrupt that growth. Saddened as we are by the absence of in-person worship, the blessings of the digital age (and Blaine Beyer’s wizardry) have kept us faithful members of the Church Family. We especially treasure our Sunday afternoon Zoom Eucharist. God bless our wonderful church, and onward in 2021!" - Harry Hurt