23-3-2!! And thank you!

Even though I will have been on staff for 23 years, 3 months, and 2 weeks as of December 31 (I’ve been a member of St. Andrew’s for 36 years!), there are still folks who don’t know why I was hired to begin with:  Sunday bulletins and newsletters!  In these 1,210 weeks, here are some facts about what I have done.

×        38.4 miles round trip per week, which averages out to about 46,464 miles.

×        at least 2,400 bulletins – Sundays, special services, funerals, etc.

×        at least 1,100 newsletters – monthly in the beginning and then weekly

×        approximately 3,120 copies of the Sunday readings and prayers of the people sent to lay readers prior to the service

×        assembling and mailing approximately 5,730 pledge campaign packets to send to parishioners

×        somewhere between 800 and 900 staff meetings

×        at least 232,300 steps up and 232,300 steps down for an average of 5 to 6 trips to my office a day (sometimes it might have been more when I would get downstairs and forget why I had made the trip!)

×        2,400 Christmas and Easter memorial flowers letters for the Altar Guild

×        138 Wednesday 7:30 AM Lenten services

×        approximately 8,580 communion kits for Sundays, plus additional ones for special services and funerals and those handed out during covid

So what else have I done?

×        worked with the acolytes and lay readers

×        prepared the Annual Congregational Meeting booklet, which is now our Guide to Ministries

×        as chair of the Memorial Garden Team, developed the first Funeral Customary and planned and implemented the Memorial Garden; ordered and installed the leaves on the Tree of Remembrance

×        sent the memorial gift acknowledgements to the families of the deceased

×        prepared song sheets for the day school, Kairos Prison Ministry, and choir sing alongs

×        helped organize Turkey Sandwich Day (in the 30 plus years we did the sandwiches, we prepared well over 30,000 sandwiches!) and snack bags since covid

×        served as Parish Register – maintaining the “People” part of the ACS, the software system we use for church records and financial data

×        prepared membership data for the annual Parochial report

×        served as a member of our annual pledge campaign teams

×        served as “sacristan” – coordinating the 8:00 and 10:30 services, funerals, and other services

×        served as wedding consultant

×        for the weekly Wednesday services, updated the service booklet, prepared a yearly lectionary guide for the readings for these services, and prepared and printed the reading for each Wednesday

×        asked parishioners (when I didn’t forget) to bring up the communion elements at the 10:30 services

×        and other “duties” as needed or requested!

A very heart-felt special thank you to all of you for allowing me these 23 years, 3 months, and 2 weeks, especially the clergy and even more especially the three women (Barbara Stafford, Rachel Roby, and Ann Turner) who had to “deal” with me on a daily basis for 23-4-2!!

Bill Wilds