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In Memoriam

Margarete Wasilieff

Margarete (Turek) Wasilieff, 96, of New London, NH, formerly of Manchester,

CT, wife of the late Wesley McMullen, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May

27, 2018. Margarete was born in Manchester on January 6, 1922, to the late Jacob

and Katherine (Bensche) Turek.

She led a full, productive, and amazingly healthy life up until her last few years.

Never one to be idle, her interests were many and varied, from volunteering at

Manchester Memorial Hospital, to event staffing at Uconn, to singing with the

Manchester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, to delivering Meals on Wheels, to

participating in numerous classes at MCTC and Adult Evening School programs

at MHS. Margarete was also a Girl Scout Leader for many years. There were

always one or more current projects - knitting, crocheting, basket making, rug

hooking, sewing, painting, furniture building, stenciling, to name but a few! Her vivid interest in travel

culminated with an Elderhostel dream trip to Norway in 2005.

She supported her grandchildren wholeheartedly, attending every school, music, and sporting event that she

possibly could.

Margarete was a school secretary at Manchester High School for the majority of her working years, and then

transferred to Verplanck School before she retired. She was a lifelong member of Concordia Lutheran Church

in Manchester and sang in the choir there until 4 years ago when she went to New Hampshire to live with her

daughter.

Margarete leaves behind her daughter, Kathleen Almond and her husband David of New London, NH; her three

grandchildren Timothy, Heather and Rebekka Almond; a brother Robert Turek and his wife Barbara of Silver

Spring, MD; a sister Mildred Scott and her husband Ernest of Manchester, CT; and many loving and caring

nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her older brother and sister-in-law Henry and Betty Turek.

Richard Philips

Richard L. Phillips, 84 of Manchester, husband of Sandra R. (Schatz) of 60 years

passed away at home on Wednesday, June 27th. Born in Hartford to Albert

Phillips and Marie (Goba) Smith. Richard worked at FINAST before retiring as a

Steel Fabricator for L & L Ensworth & son. He was a lifetime member of the East

Hartford Elks and a member of Concordia Lutheran Church in Manchester.

Richard was an avid golfer, sportsman enjoying hunting and fishing, and

woodworking. He is survived by his sons Richard L. Phillips, Jr of Medford, PA

and David J. Phillips of Waterford, and his grandchildren Chelsea M, Callyn E

and Carley P. Phillips, dear friend Marc O'Keefe and his wife Katie and their

family of Tolland, his sister Dorothy Zionts of Phoenix, AZ, nieces Diane

Choquette and Debra Phillips and nephew Alan Phillips and his wife Karen.

Besides his parents, Richard is pre-deceased by his brother Albert.

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Barry Wood

Barry A. Wood, 74 years old, passed away peacefully June 27, 2018, after a long struggle with Alzheimer's

disease.

Barry Albert Wood was born Aug. 6, 1943, in Liverpool, New York, to Anne Ziegler Wood and Albert Wood.

He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1965 and was a commissioned officer in the Navy until

1967. He also received an MBA from UConn in 1973 and traveled the country and the world while working for

Pratt & Whitney for 34 years. Barry loved the beach and spent many family vacations in Cape May, Maui,

Pawley's Island, and Rhode Island. He was a runner his entire life and also loved music, wine, golfing, and

tennis (not necessarily in that order!). Above all, he loved seeing family and friends and simply listening to

people.

Barry is survived by his wife of 54 years, Pamela; his daughter, Michelle (Fort Washington, Pennsylvania); his

sons, John (Tolland) and Barry (Jersey City, New Jersey); and his grandchildren, Zoë, Jonah, Elianna, Brendon,

Carlo, and Brunner.

Richard Warrender

Mr. Richard Ric K. Warrender, of Manchester, Connecticut, born on September 9, 1953 in East Hartford,

Connecticut, to the late Lois K. Warrender and the late Kenneth D. Warrender, passed away at age 65 on

November 19, 2018 after a valiant 4 year fight against colon cancer. He was a Receiving Manager at K-Mart.

Richard was the loving partner of Cynthia L. Merrill for 36 years. He is survived by his sister & brother-in-law,

Cheryl & Alan Mello; and aunt, Linda Burdick.

Ernest Scott

Ernest John Scott, age 94 of Manchester, passed away peacefully February 2, 2019,

surrounded by his family. For 72 years, he was the loving husband of Mildred Turek

Scott. He was born October 1, 1924 in Dover, NH. to John and Alexia Scott. Ernie

served as a medic in the US Army. A general foreman at Pratt & Whitney's

Experimental Test Lab, Ernie retired after 32 years. He was graduated from

Manchester Community College where he earned an Associate Degree. He served in

many leadership roles as an active, longtime member of Concordia Lutheran Church

in Manchester. He is survived by his wife, Mildred Turek Scott; four daughters and

three sons-in-law: Louise, Susan and Steven, Patricia and Peter, and Tracie and

Robert; six grandchildren: Jacob, Lindsay and her husband Benjamin, Michelle, Luke, Stephanie and Ian; his

half-sister Katherine, and several nieces, nephews, and their families. In addition to his parents, Ernie was

predeceased by his sister Marion and his two brothers, George and Roy. Ernie loved boating and fishing on

Sebago Lake in Maine, Boston's Red Sox and Celtics, UCONN Women's Basketball, and spending time with

his family. Generous, caring, endlessly patient and kind-hearted, he will be forever missed.

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Mildred Scott

Mildred (Turek) Scott, 95, of Manchester, beloved wife of 72 years of the late

Ernest John Scott, passed away peacefully in her sleep Thursday, April 18, 2019.

She was born Feb. 15, 1924, in Manchester, daughter of the late Jacob and

Katherine (Bensche) Turek. Millie was raised in Manchester, attended local schools,

and was a lifelong resident. Along with raising her family, Millie was employed as

an engineering aide at United Technologies for several years. She was a lifelong

active member of Concordia Lutheran Church in Manchester where she served as

co-treasurer for many years. Millie loved drawing, painting, skiing, watching

"Jeopardy," and listening to music, especially Frank Sinatra. She enjoyed traveling

with her extended family, summers at Sebago Lake in Maine, and watching UConn

women's basketball with Ernie. Millie loved family gatherings, especially Sunday

dinners with her children and grandchildren. She was loving, caring and good-

natured to all. Millie, with her smile, dry sense of humor and stories will be forever missed.

Mildred is survived by her brother, Robert; four daughters and three sons-in-law, Tracie and Robert, Patricia

and Peter, Susan and Steven, and Louise; six grandchildren, Ian, Stephanie, Luke, Michelle, Jacob, Lindsay and

her husband, Ben; and several nieces, nephews, and their families. In addition to her parents, Mildred was

predeceased by her sister, Margarete; and brother, Henry.

Other Notable Deaths of Friends of Concordia

Audrey Boxwell Mother to former member Mimi Boxwell Died August 16, 2018

Walter B Hanson Son in Law of Jan and Bob McGarity Died April 8, 2019

Robert McKinney Father in Law of Bobby McKinney Died May 11, 2019

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Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting

June 2, 2019

Call to Order

Devotions

Approval of Agenda

Approval of Minutes- January 2019 Semi-Annual Meeting

Reports

• Pastor

• President

• Nursery School Director

• Stewardship

• Mutual Ministry

• Christian Education

• Legacy For Ministry

• Worship and Music

• Outreach

• Worship and Memorial Garden

• Member Care

• Fellowship

Nominating Committee Report/Elections

• Congregational Council

• Legacy for Ministry

• Worship and Memorial Garden

Update on 2019 Budget/Ongoing Discussion re: Looking Ahead

Information

• The Nominating committee for 2020 elections will be appointed at the January 2019 Semi-Annual

Meeting. The January 2020 Semi-annual meeting will be held on January 26th.

• The congregation council will meet after this meeting to elect officers.

Adjournment

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Minutes of January 27, 2019 Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting

Call to Order-Mark Winzler called the meeting to order at 11:25.

Approval of Agenda – so moved and passed

Opening Devotions – Pastor

Approval of Congregational Meeting Minutes – so moved and passed

Reception of 2018 Financial Reports

• Pastor’s Report – Motion to receive, seconded and passed

• Council President’s Report – Motion to receive, seconded and passed

• Treasurer’s Report – Motion to receive, seconded and passed

• Legacy for Ministry Board Report – Motion to receive, seconded and passed

• For This Holy House Capital Campaign and Projects Report – Motion to receive, seconded and passed

• Worship and Memorial Garden Board Financial Report – Motion to receive, seconded and passed

• Concordia Nursery School board Financial Report – Motion to receive, seconded and passed

• Stewardship Committee Report - Motion to receive, seconded and passed

50% of pledges increased giving

Approval of 2019 Proposed Ministry Budget - Motion to receive, seconded and passed

Election of Synod Assembly Voting Members –

(Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8 – Worcester, MA)

David Smith and Bobbie McKinney

Appointment of Nominating Committee –

Susan Bourret, Al Williams, Linda Lange

Adjournment

Respectfully submitted,

Kay Corl

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Pastor’s Report Pastor’s Report

“For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise…”

Evangelical Lutheran Worship

When we voted as a congregation to undertake our capital campaign for

Concordia’s building and grounds, I can safely say that I had no idea how

things would go. Would we raise enough money? Would the projects be able

to be completed with the proposed budget? How would we find the energy to

manage all that needed to be done?

When the initial commitments came in for the “For This Holy House” Campaign, I can tell you that my jaw

dropped along with others on the committee at the incredible generosity and commitment of this congregation.

As the projects began to roll out, Dan Burnett kept the proposals coming and steered the projects through his

years of experience. David Smith and John Corl managed the distributions from the construction loans. The

council and others kept a close eye on things as they moved along.

As we gathered on May 1 to celebrate the completion of the vast majority of the projects, I could only take a

deep breath and thank God for the many hands and many hearts that made it possible to secure our building’s

infrastructure into the foreseeable future. It wasn’t just this current generation of Concordians, but a sense of

multi-generational commitment to the church of Christ in this place. For this I am grateful. It has been a time of

immense work, but at the other end of the projects, we take a deep breath before tackling the other pressing

issues on our plate.

The title of the campaign, “For This Holy House,” comes directly from our liturgy. It is one of the first things

we sing each Sunday and we respond, “Lord, Have Mercy.” I remember being a child and hearing that phrase,

“Holy House,” and thinking about my house where I was being raised and God’s house…there was a deep

connection between the two. God’s work is done and praise is sung in both our own homes of love and nurture

as well as God’s holy house.

The prayer takes on a different meaning to me as I get older. It connects me to the work that we are to be about

as church. It connects me to not only the building but the people inside and outside who offer worship and

praise. Not only to those who come to worship, but also those who find Concordia a place of sanctuary and

safety, a place of fun and learning, a place of kindness and grace. When I pray now for, “This Holy House and

for all who offer here their worship and praise,” I think of our mission as church to be a center of the gospel…a

place where border walls and division are broken down…a place where children can be safe and learn about

God’s love…a place where those who are sick and weighed down by all manner of things may find relief and a

sense of God’s peace. I think of how God’s love has found us in the person of Jesus Christ and how that love

must be shared with a hungry and needing world.

I also think of how grateful I am to God for you, Concordia Lutheran Church, and your bold trust in God’s

provision and care. I thank God for you as we are being led to new endeavors and to build new relationships for

the sake of the continuity of the preaching of the gospel and celebration of the sacraments in this place.

As we welcome St. Mary’s Episcopal Church to worship with us for six Sundays this summer in our newly air-

conditioned space, I know that you will take time to build relationships as we seek to discern what God has in

store for us as a congregation. We must be bold and act with courage in these days of declining numbers and

struggling finances. We cannot rest on our laurels but must press on ahead to the goal.

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As you read these reports of the year of grace that has been, as you look at the wonderful pictures which

document our worship and fellowship together throughout the year, give thanks to God. Then, with good

courage, continue to ask God’s blessing on “this Holy House and all who offer here their worship and praise.”

May God’s favor rest on all of you, and may God bring to fruition the good work that God has begun in you.

The Rev. Douglas D. Barclay,

pastor

Council President’s Report On May 1, 2019 we celebrated the completion of our capital projects with a supper to

which our contractors and their families were invited. Over the past two years plus the

following were completed:

• Steeple sealed, painted and secured

• Metal roof installed on the nave

• New asphalt roof installed over Kaiser Hall/Nursery School

• New gutters installed

• New stove purchased and installed

• Fire suppression system and range hood installed in kitchen

• New railings installed at back entrances

• Sheetrock installed in Narthex

• Driveway sealed and lines

• New and replacement lighting: office entrance parking lot, walk, rear parking lot, steeple lights

• New outlets in Kaiser Hall

• Kitchen Serving Window Enclosure

• Solar Panels installed

• New HVAC system: building is now completely heated and air-conditioned

• New flooring in Kaiser Hall, Brandt Lounge and Garden Room

All of this has been accomplished due to the generosity of present and former members, present and former

pastors, friends, Concordia Nursery School and donations to Concordia’s Memorial Fund. By doing all of this

we have preserved this beautiful building and grounds for years to come to serve God and the community at

large.

At the May 1 celebration, the Congregation Council recognized Dan Burnett with a plaque and a gift card as a

small, but heartfelt token of our appreciation for being the “Projects Superintendent” over the past couple of

years. No one know of the countless hours that Dan spent at church, on the phone (at home and even on

vacation) being the conduit between the contractors and Concordia. He put his heart and soul into this. All of

us need to pause to thank Dan for all of the energy and time he expended!

I would also like to recognize those who served as the “Ad Hoc Property Committee” over the past couple of

years who were involved with research and study with a number of the projects (roof, flooring, HVAC, Solar

among them). This group was led by John Corl and also included Phil Stoneman, David Smith, Pastor Barclay,

Steve Graefe, and Dan Burnett. They were an integral to the success of the projects.

Once again I would like to recognize John Corl who is the “point person” with the ELCA Mission Investment

Fund who loaned Concordia the money for the projects. John was “on it” all the time and advocated for us.

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With support from David Smith, everything associated with the financial aspect of the projects was done with

great precision and accuracy.

In September Concordia put on its first-ever “Fall Festival” involving a huge tag sale, bake sale and barbecue.

With thanks to Carol Burnett and Carol Stoneman who lead the initiative working with Kay Corl, Linda Lange,

Jan Salvatore and Karen Schauster on the steering committee, the Festival netted about $3,000 for our budget

needs. Most importantly, however, was that over 30 Concordia volunteers who worked in preparation for the

event, worked on the day of the event and/or cleaned up. It truly was a “feel good” time for Concordia and

understandably so.

While we will not be repeating the Festival again in that form this year, the Council is going to bring back the

Craft Fair (date to be set) which had taken place for a number of years. Stay tuned…your help will be needed.

The July 2018-June 2019 year marked the 125th anniversary of Concordia which was noted with a couple of

events. In early December we had a service “Lessons and Carols with the surrounding Lutheran and

ecumenical community. In February, we revived Fastnacht which we celebrated with members of Emanuel, St.

Mary’s, Nueva Creacion, New Horizons and the community. We will conclude the year on Name Day

(Sunday, June 23) at which time we will have a catered luncheon after worship and then view a tape of our

100th Anniversary Festivities put together 25 years ago. We hope that everyone reserves the date and attends!

Over the past year we have strengthened our relationships with both Emanuel Lutheran and St. Mary’s

Episcopal churches worshipping together (Thanksgiving Eve, Holy Week and other times) and studying/talking

together with studies, films and discussions on Racism. We will continue to do so in the future.

We did try an experiment with St. Mary’s sharing a musician from July through December which involved

pushing our worship time (in the fall) to a later hour. The purpose of doing so was in an attempt to try to

address ongoing concerns with our respective budgets. While the Council knew the reason for the experiment,

in hindsight, I/we did not effectively communicate the “why” with the congregation which unfortunately caused

some upset. Lesson learned….. We brought the congregation together in the fall to review why the experiment

was taking place, but even more importantly continued a conversation started at last June’s Semi-annual

meeting about the realities of our finances.

That conversation about our finances continue at another congregational gathering in early January, a couple of

weeks before our January semi-annual meeting on finances. We “painted a picture” about not only our financial

outlook for the present but looking into the future as well. The bottom line is that Concordia cannot sustain

deficit budgets year after year! Sadly, as a congregation with a clear majority of people age 70 and above, the

number of people leaving us through death is increasing and few to no people replacing them “in the pews”.

We have emphasized that we are not alone in this…..in Manchester…… in Connecticut, in the New England

Synod………in the ELCA. We have done nothing wrong!

While the Council has been looking at other revenue streams (i.e. Craft Fair), we also looking at ways to share

with other congregations for the sake of good Stewardship, but also for the opportunity to do things together

such as worship, study groups and the like.

The Congregation Council has had a couple of joint meetings with the Vestry (the Council) of St. Mary’s. The

first was held at Concordia. At our last meeting (held St Mary’s) a few months ago, we realized just how much

we had in common in terms of both blessings and struggles. Those in attendance from both congregations felt

God’s presence among us and wondered what God might be calling us to do.

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Just a couple of days later at Bishop’s Staff meeting I learned that Pastor Erik Karas, Pastor of Christ Trinity

Church in Sheffield, MA, (a Lutheran Episcopal Congregation which is both fully Lutheran and fully

Episcopalian at the same time) had offered to go “on the road” to talk with people about his experiences with

“Luther-palians” as he called them. (He served in another Lutheran/Episcopal congregation in Maine).

Pastor Karas was contacted and agreed to come to Concordia to speak to Concordia’s Council and St. Mary’s

Vestry about his experiences. He brought with him two of his parishioners, one Lutheran and one Episcopalian

(and asked us to guess which was which). The more than 1 ½ hours they spent with us had a profound

impression on those gathered that evening.

A couple of nights later the Council met to discuss the presentation and to reflect on what we had experienced.

We talked about how God was indeed calling us perhaps to think and do things differently and that our minds

and hearts need to be open to doing and trying new things.

As a result Concordia and St. Mary’s will worship together from July 14 through August 25 this summer. It is

important to note that the shared summer worship experience is an experiment and nothing more. As you

know, we have done other experiments and so this is yet another. During this time of experiment let us

prayerfully discern what God’s call to us might be.

Down the road we have had some general conversation about inviting Pastor Karas and his parishioners back to

speak with all the members of Concordia and St. Mary’s together. Further information about that will be

forthcoming.

The Council totally understands that this is indeed “uncharted” territory, and we do not know where it will take

us. For now, we are committed to deepening our relationships with one another and with our neighbors at St.

Mary’s. We must be open to that which God calls us, whatever, whenever and wherever it is.

Join with me in praying for God’s presence and guidance as we keep our minds and hearts open. Who knows

what God might have in mind for us? To be sure it is an exciting time, but it can also be a time of uncertainty.

But we do not walk alone…… for God is with us and among us and God will provide!

Mark L. Winzler

Council President

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Report of the Nursery School Director

Semi-annual Report

May 2019

Another year of loving, learning and growing together has come to an end!

We once again found ourselves in a position of change but found that our ability

to work as a team and adapt to new situations is where we shine. I have been fortunate to serve as Director once

again this year as well as continuing to teach in the classroom. Kayle Gagnon, and Kristina Acuna returned as

classroom teachers, and we welcomed Ashley Salerno to the three-day teaching team as well. We were also

fortunate to welcome Amanda Lythgoe back for several weeks as a substitute when one staff member was out

on medical leave last fall.

Our year was packed with many

exciting activities and opportunities for

the children and their families. Field

trips to Hurst Farm in Andover,

Wickham Park, and the Oak Grove

Nature Center were offered. Parents

were welcomed into our school for

Advent Wreath lighting during the weeks

leading up to Christmas, Ice Cream

Social for two-day families, and Family

Picnic for three-day families. We also

invited parents to join their children in

hearing an age-appropriate telling of the

Easter story during Lent.

We served a total of 30 families this year, with 14 in the 3-year-

old class and 16 in the four-year-old class. Our program had 5 unfilled

spaces when we began in September, and as a result our income from

tuition was $12,500 less than budgeted. Several of these openings were

the result of families changing their plans over the summer and withdrawing children previously enrolled. Our

Nursery School Board discussed ways to avoid this in the coming year and decided to raise the nonrefundable

registration deposit from $50 to $200. This has not impacted our registration negatively and in fact both classes

are full with waiting lists for the 2019-2020 school year. We anticipate fewer withdrawals as a result. Despite

the tuition deficit we will experience due to the unfilled spaces, we expect to finish our fiscal year on June 30th

with a modest surplus. The combination of lower than budgeted payroll expenses, careful spending, and

successful fundraising has made this possible. As we look ahead to rising staff costs in the coming years, the

board is committed to keeping the nursery school sustainable and affordable for our families.

Once again, our Parent Committee did a phenomenal job raising funds to benefit our school. An

incredibly dedicated group of parents worked with Kayle Gagnon to plan and implement a revamped version of

our traditional silent and live auction. Our Bingo and Silent Auction night was attended by well over 125

people and was a truly fun and successful event. Raising just under $5000.00, the event was well organized and

may give rise to it becoming an annual, rather than biannual undertaking. We are incredibly grateful for the

support this event received and feel blessed to have such a dedicated group of families as part of our school

community.

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As always, we couldn’t provide the program

we do without the support of the congregation. We

are grateful for the beautiful space in which to teach,

as well as the building enhancements that will benefit

children and their families for years to come. We

were able to offer financial assistance for five families

in our program thanks to the generous support of the

parish. We also doubled our annual contribution to

the church to a total of $10,000.00 to support the

parish for our building use. We recognize that we are

the beneficiaries of your generosity and assistance

throughout the year.

Thank you so much for helping make

Concordia Nursery School the gem that it is. We are

blessed to have such a supportive community around us as we work with our community’s youngest members.

We are also thankful for the ongoing support provided by Kate Bozzo, Treasurer Carol Stoneman, Board

Members Sandra Baranowski and Julie Chiffer, and of course,

Pastor Douglas Barclay.

Thank you!

Respectfully submitted,

Laura Hart

Director, Concordia Nursery School

May 24, 2019

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Report of Ministerio Nueva Creación June 2, 2019 Ministerio Nueva Creación would like to take this opportunity to express our

thanks to Concordia Lutheran Church for their partnership in ministry with us.

We thank Concordia for their generosity and their extravagant welcome and

for the love they share with us. Concordia is truly a church that is living out

God’s command to love your neighbor as yourself. We cannot say it enough

how much we have been blessed to be part of Concordia Lutheran Church.

We continue to minister to the Hispanic/Latinx community in Manchester and

surrounding towns east of the River and Greater Hartford region with regular Sunday worship services, weekly

bible studies and outreach opportunities in the community in various ways. God is doing a new thing, and we

can perceive it and we hope that you perceive as well. To God be the Glory!

We are bilingual (Spanish/English) community of faith that desires to follow the example of Jesus where we

extend radical hospitality and extravagant welcome to all who come through our doors. We are so excited that

in May of 2018 we were granted funding from the ELCA NE Synod for pastoral leadership. We are blessed to

have celebrated our new status as a SAWC (Synodical Authorized Worshiping Community) in October of 2018

in a special service with Roster Pastors of the CT Conference and the Lutheran churches in Manchester as well

as ecumenical partners. As a congregation called to serve all God’s people we welcome all and we understand

that Jesus never exclude anyone. The pastor along with Elvira Baez attended their first ELCA NE Synod

Assembly las June, 2018.

We gather each Sunday for word and sacrament, to worship and to lift praises to our God who continues to

empower us and guide us in this ministry. We gather on Wednesday evenings for bible study or book study.

Our next bible study will focus on the book of Revelations we are hoping that members of Concordia will join

on us for this study on Wednesday evenings starting June 5, 2019. We participated in interfaith worship

experiences with the Interfaith Clergy of Manchester. We participated in the ecumenical Good Friday service

“The Stations of the Cross” in April 2019. We offered our first Good Friday Service with the theme “Leaving

it at the Cross” with members of the congregation bringing reflections on the last seven words Jesus spoke on

the cross. It was in deed a powerful and meaningful worship service as we minister to the people. We were

open to God’s amazing grace and love of humanity. We have continue doing mission in our community by

providing non-perishable food for the food pantry; at Christmas the women’s ministry put together 35 purses

filled with items that women need; such as soap, powder; cosmetics; deodorant; socks; mittens, etc. and

presented the purses filled with all those items to a women’s shelter.

We provided assistance to families in need due to loss of employment; and those who loss loves ones

unexpected by giving them love offerings. We now have a volunteer Admin & Communication team who meet

with the pastor monthly to coordinate the worship services and sermon series for the month and prepare the

songs and worship bulletins for each week, which is a blessing. We had wonderful Palm Sunday, and Holy

Week Services and the Pastor Pérsida participated in Interfaith Easter Vigil Service. We had a powerful and an

awesome Mother’s Day worship and Celebration. The Pastor continues to reach out to the community by

making connections at Rosita’s Restaurant and attending community events. We offered to movie nights we

review “I Can Only Imagine” and the 2nd will be May 29th we will view “God’s Not Dead”. We are sponsoring

and ecumenical “Sanctuary Church” event Sunday, June 2nd at 3:00 –5:00 pm to learn about what is a

“Sanctuary Church” and what does it require of a congregation to be a “Sanctuary Church”. We are planning a

Father’s Day celebration on Sunday, June 16, 2019.

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Our “Charlas Entre Mujeres” monthly women’s gatherings hosted in the women’s home continues to grow,

and is making an impact on the lives of Hispanic/Latino women in our community and beyond. We come

together to share with one another our faith, our struggles, our dreams; our aspirations and learn together about

God and what God desires for us to be. We have fun, laugh together, play games and in engage in meaningful

conversation and intercede in prayer as we support one another and reach out to each other by networking. This

ministry is doing well and has consistent growth. Charlas Entre Mujeres ministry is making a difference for the

women that attend each month for they consider these monthly gathers their worship time and connecting with

God in a deeper way. These women consider Pr. Persida their pastor. We are planning a fall retreat (September

2019) with and for the women of the church and the women attend of Charlas Entre Mujeres.

Ministerio Nueva Creación/New Creation Ministry will continue to be a faithful partner here at Concordia and

will continue to seek ways to have those interconnections that make this partnership the beloved community

God is seeking for us to be. To God be the Glory!

With the love of Christ,

Pastor Pérsida

Nueva Creación Celebration of

New Ministry

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Report of the Finance Committee The work of the committee continues with meetings each month to review the Treasurer’s report and make

recommendations to council when necessary. We also work closely with the Legacy committee.

2019 began with a review of the latest Stewardship numbers and breakdown of increases, decreases,

outstanding pledges, and pledges lost. There were 34 increases (> 50%), and 2 decreases ($6,000), with the rest

remaining steady. 2 pledges were lost due to death or moving. Overall, we are expecting $180,000 in income

from pledges and considered this a very good result that enabled us to recommend a budget based on that level

of expected revenue in addition to non-pledged offerings. The budget was refined in January and recommended

to council. It was passed at the semi-annual meeting in February.

Later, we reviewed the balances of the “For This Holy House" fund and confirmed the transfer of shares from

BOA to fulfil a pledge was completed in December 2018. We discussed the possibility of moneys being

available from the MIF construction allocation to address the flooring in the Hall and possibly Brandt Lounge.

Estimates were requested, and an extension of the construction period was granted to allow for this work. It was

also noted the HVAC wouldn’t be completed for up to 8 weeks due to a mishap in ordering of the units.

Our meeting in March was cancelled due to snow and the reports were shared via email. The HVAC work was

completed in March.

The carpeting was installed in April and the final invoices were paid shortly thereafter. The mortgage payments

to the Mission Investment Fund for the capital improvement plan will begin on June 1st. We had decided

previously to double-pay the amount each month. Roughly $250,000 has already been received and the final

draw on the construction loan account has been made. This will save on interest considerably over the life of the

loan. The committee thanks John Corl for his diligent work in submitting the paperwork to receive the money

to pay construction invoices and maintain the escrow balances accordingly.

There were times borrowing from Memorial & Tributes was necessary to meet payroll even though giving has

remained strong. This was largely due to some larger than expected utility and repair bills. We continue to track

revenues and expenditures and will continue to pay back the borrowed funds as we’re able.

At our May meeting, we decided to pay the $5,300 benevolence to MACC and we requested thru Legacy the

following: $6,200 for Synod to cover the period of March thru June.

The committee will continue to review operating expenses and look for savings and efficiency opportunities as

the year progresses. Carol agreed to share some trend analysis at the semiannual meeting.

Members of the committee have been involved in evaluating plans to increase revenue for the church outside of

member giving, such as building use and other events and activities.

We would like to say THANK YOU to all the members for their generous giving. As a church, we remain true

to our pledges and have found ways to ensure the continuance of our ministries.

Respectfully submitted,

Finance Committee

Pastor Douglas Barclay

David Smith, Chair

Carol Stoneman, Treasurer

Susan Bourret, Assistant Treasurer

Ruth Hayden, Financial Secretary

Wendy Donagher, Financial Secretary

Fred Winzler

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Report of the Stewardship Committee

We are over the moon in gratitude for the members who increased their pledges this year, and for those who

maintained theirs, and of course, for all who give of themselves to maintain our beautiful church and its

ministries in thanksgiving to God. The committee made sure that THANK YOU notes went out this year for all

those who pledged to contribute financially and/or of their time towards the ministries of this church.

We have noted those who indicated on their commitment cards a desire to contribute their time and the

committee will explore some new and fun activities to bring everyone together to assist in the ministries of this

church by bringing new focuses and talents. For example, we’ll align those who like to write with activities that

require writing, such as writing notes to our homebound members and to visitors. We’ll align those who are

creative to do artwork that illustrate the bible study and educational activities in church, and we’ll align those

who like to pray, or sing, or both, to celebrate our achievements. So, more to come on this.

It’s an exciting time to be at Concordia as we have concluded the “For This Holy House” refurbishment

projects. It’s wonderful to see the sparkling steeple, the solar panels generating electricity for the church, the

new carpeting in the Garden Room, Brandt Lounge, and Kaiser Hall, the new lighting, heating, kitchen systems,

and indeed all the other items we planned to do and have completed. Soon we’ll be sharing our summer worship

with St. Mary’s Episcopal in our newly air-conditioned sanctuary. It will be great to worship together this

summer, and our Stewardship committees have already agreed to meet up and share ideas.

We will also be on the lookout to help those less fortunate in our community and to reach out and make

connections with our neighbors to attract those in need of church. Everything is in place. It’s up to us all to

invite them in.

Care to join us? As a committee, we can always use fresh faces and new ideas. It is not a very large time

commitment and we’d love to have you.

Respectfully submitted,

The Stewardship Committee

Pastor Douglas Barclay

David Smith, Chair

Carol Stoneman

Nancy Lynn Knauff

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Report of the Property Committee “This Holy House” Project Committee Report

The “This Holy House” Project is complete! The project resulted in the following improvements to Concordia:

Steeple Sealing and Painting

New Roofing over the Nave and Kaiser Hall

New Gutters for the Nave and Kaiser Hall

A New Furnace

New Air Conditioning and Heating Backup Capability throughout the Concordia Campus

New Up to Code Exhaust Hood System and Stove for Kehl’s Kitchen

New Outdoor and Steeple Lighting, no more stumbling in the dark

A Narthex that is Inviting with its Light Color

A Parking Area with Sealed Cracks and Newly Painted Parking Spaces

New Flooring in Kaiser Hall converting it from a Basketball Court to a Reception Hall

New Flooring to Freshen Up Brandt Lounge, and the Garden Room

Repair of the Locks on 3 Exterior Doors

And we did all of this for a total Loan Expenditure of $372,307.34, now all we have to do is pay it back to MIF!

Report of Mutual Ministry

The Mutual Ministry Committee (MMC) continues to provide support to Pastor Barclay and staff members.

We continue discussing ideas for moving forward, possible ways to share resources with other churches and the

overall health of congregation going forward. We are grateful to have such a dedicated, forward thinking staff

during these challenging times.

Annual reviews of Pastor Barclay and Parish Administrator Kate Bozzo were conducted. Kate’s position

description needs to more clearly describe the work that Kate performs. We are planning to revise the job

description this year. Kate’s hours were changed this year to provide the opportunity for Kate to also support

Faith Lutheran in East Hartford. We plan to talk with Laura Hart this year to include the nursery school in our

annual talks.

Our increased activities with area congregations of worship and study have provided wonderful opportunities to

develop relationships with our fellow Christians in our partner congregations.

Respectfully submitted,

Pastor Barclay, Susan Bourret, Irma Vincens and Phil Stoneman

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Report of Christian Education Christian Education

June 2, 2019

We still have a small but very dedicated Bible Study group that meets on Sunday mornings before the worship

service with Pastor Barclay.

We held three Senior Luncheons this past year. We had a cookout with burgers and dogs in August and shared

old stories of Concordia; we held our traditional carol sing in December with Pastor Barclay on keyboard and a

luncheon with sandwiches and Christmas cookies; and a barbecue was held in May with pulled pork, chicken,

and all the sides you could eat. These events tend to be very well attended by our seniors and we are hoping to

continue this ministry every few months.

Our committee became involved in the Racism in America documentary film series with Emanuel and St.

Mary’s churches. Three dates one month apart were scheduled this past fall with St Mary’s holding a program

at noon with a brown bag lunch and an identical program at Concordia in the evening with a simple supper.

This was so well received that further studies were scheduled at each church for the discussion of the book, “So

You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo, which progressed to core groups discussing the book, “Waking

Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race” by Debby Irving. We are currently continuing our

education with a potluck, movie and conversation on “The Hate You Give” at Concordia on May 19, 2019. We

will continue to hold sessions such as these. Please contact the church office or Pastor Barclay if this sounds

like something you would like to attend. They are eye opening events. We should always be aware of intent and

impact with what we say and do. They very often are not the same.

Advent studies were held on three Sunday mornings after worship: 10/21/18, 11/18/18, and 12/16/18.

Our midweek Lenten series was changed to immediately following Sunday worship. On four of the five

Sundays preceding Easter we held a soup and bread lunch with film and discussion following worship in Brandt

Lounge that was very well attended. We were finished by 12:15, though many stayed longer.

Pastor Barclay Kay Corl

Jeanine Barber Nancy Lynn Knauff

Sandy Baronowski Susan Bourret

Jan Salvatore, chair

Senior Lunch Bunch Barbeque

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Senior Lunch Bunch Barbeque

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Report of Worship and Music

For the past year Concordia Lutheran Church has been working with St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on a joint

Service Music Program. This began with the sharing of a musician during the summer and continued into the

fall, with the same musician playing at each church. The program ended on January 1, 2019 when Concordia

resumed its normal 10 am service time. During the fall Concordia and St. Mary’s choirs also shared a music

director, Linda Hilliard. During this time a joint Hymn Selection Committee was formed which on Concordia’s

side took the place of the Worship & Music Committee.

Concordia, St. Mary’s, and Emanuel continue to have special services together. On Ash Wednesday there was a

joint noon service at Emanuel and an evening service at Concordia. There were also joint Wednesday services

during Lent including Stations of the Cross at St. Mary’s and Holden Evening Prayer at Emanuel. There was

also a joint Lenten Choral Evensong, at Emanuel, on the afternoon of March 31. During Holy week the Maundy

Thursday service was at Emanuel, the Good Friday service was at Concordia and the Easter Vigil was at St.

Mary’s.

Concordia and St. Mary’s continue to work together. The Joint Concordia and St. Mary’s Hymn Selection

Committee is continuing to operate. Concordia and St. Mary’s are jointly searching for a Church Service

Musician to serve both churches. St. Mary’s will be worshiping at and with Concordia during the summer, as

we have air conditioning they don’t.

Linda Lange and John Corl

For Concordia’s half of the Joint Hymn Selection Committee

Carol Stoneman, Linda Lange, and John Corl

Report of the Outreach Committee

The Outreach Committee was not as busy as in the past, but still successful in fulfilling the needs of our

community.

Highland Park School

Turkeys were purchased and delivered at Thanksgiving. At Christmas, 16 gifts were purchased and delivered

to the school along with hats and mittens, that were generously donated by the Nursery School.

Many Thanks To All

Seasonal Sharing

10 Thanksgiving dinners were provided for local families.

Christmas dinners for 10 families along with 40 gifts were distributed.

None of this could have happened without the generosity and support of our congregation, so, to them we say-

Thank You !

Respectfully Submitted

Carol Burnett

Carol Stoneman

Ruth Sprong-Heyden

Dan Burnett (Council)

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Highland Park School

Turkey Drop Off

Filling Thanksgiving Baskets

for our MACC Families

24

Report of Worship and Memorial Garden Board

Worship and Memorial Garden Board Report

The Garden Board has held meetings beginning this spring and is planning a clean-up day on Saturday, June 8th

in which everyone is invited to come help. We will be weeding, clearing twigs and branches, and sweeping the

stones.

We are also planning on getting more mulch for the garden and will plan another Mulch Day for members of

the congregation, and our friends in the Boy Scouts, to help with. Planning is under way, so more to come on

this.

The Garden Board has purchased a self-propelled lawn mower to more easily handle the areas within the wall

and adjoining areas of the lawn around the benches and immediately outside the garden. Many thanks go to

David Beauregard for finding a suitable mower at a good price.

We have been fortunate that Gail Adams has stayed on as Treasurer and produced our financial report in

January. We are lucky to have her continue this role.

Mark Brendel has formulated an ingenious way to prevent some erosion between the stones on the incline

nearest the garden room by mixing mortar mix in with the rock dust and gravel between the stones. He did a

small area and we’ve monitored it and it’s held up quite well. With all the rain we’ve had this spring, there’s

more to do and he will work on doing that over the course of the summer.

Many thanks go to Jim Adams, who continues to handle opening the wall niches, cleaning them, and re-sealing

them, sometimes on short notice for interment services. Interments were held for the Wasilieff, Warrender, and

Scott families. Jim does a great job, and his work is appreciated.

A special thank you for Ruth Sprong, who was off the board this past year, but has continued to help ensure the

engraving work of stones is done and help keep us informed on procedures and things to look out for.

The Frank’s Landscaping contract was signed, and they’ll be doing their spring check-up and turn the sprinkler

system back on for summer. There is a suspected leak in the system that we’re awaiting feedback on as well.

We have also signed a contract with The Green Scene to provide lawn treatments for the area within the garden

wall and surrounding areas. David Beauregard struck a good deal with them on this and the Board felt it was a

good value for the money. Alas, this should help the keep the lawn looking nice and the weed situation under

control.

Worship and Memorial Garden Board

David Beauregard

Mark Brendel

Carol Burnett

Jane Casserly

Jan McGarity

Edna Nekiunas

Karen Schauster

David Smith, Chair

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Report of the Member Care Ministry

June 2019 The Member Care Committee members have had on-going contact with our homebound member by:

1. Visiting our members who were ill or homebound.

2. Sending cards and making telephone calls.

3. Bringing holiday or seasonal gifts:

Decorated treat for the 4th of July

Small baskets of seasonal fruits in the autumn

Homemade breads at Thanksgiving

Tins of homemade cookies at Christmas

Homemade soups in the winter

Knitted prayer squares to Easter

Pots of yellow tete a tete flowers at Easter

4. Maintaining contact with the Pastor about the needs of members

Many thanks were given by members who attended the luncheon programs. The daytime scheduling enabled

them to take part in church activities and they appreciated and enjoyed the food made by the members who

prepared and served the food.

We invite members of the congregation to join our committee. Members who have limited available time can

contribute to either one or more of our activities

Committee Members: Jackie Britton, Carol Burnett, Jane Casserly, Linda Lange, Jan Salvatore, Ruth Sprong-

Heyden, David Stoneman, Helen Wittkofske,

Chairperson: Irma Vincens

Member Care Delivering Mums to the

Homebound

26

Report of Nominating Committee The Nominating Committee submits the following congregation members for election to serve on the

Congregation Council, and Worship and Memorial Garden Board for terms beginning June 2019. Legacy

members are all still eligible to serve their current terms.

Congregation Council:

Membership consists of the pastor(s) and not more than 12 nor fewer than 6 members of the congregation

including elected/appointed officers.

Jan Bellino – First 3-year term

Petie Goodrich – First 3-year term

Jan McGarity – First 3-year term

Elaine Briggmann – Second 3-year term

Tina Sollinger-Ruggerio – Second 3-year term

Mark Winzler – Second 3-year term

The following council members will continue to serve their elected terms: Dan Burnett, second term ends 2021;

Kay Corl, second term ends 2020; David Smith, first term ends 2021; Carol Stoneman, first term ends 2021;

Pastor Barclay.

The committee thanks Al Williams, Linda Lange and Susan Bourret for their six years of dedication and

service.

Legacy for Ministry

Membership consists of 7 voting members, one of whom is elected by the Congregation Council, 4 elected from

the congregation at the June semi-annual meeting, the pastor and the treasurer.

The following legacy board members continue to serve their elected terms:

David Smith, first term ends 2020, Wendy Donagher, first term ends 2021; Fred Winzler, first term ends 2021;

Tina Sollinger-Ruggerio, council representative, Carol Stoneman, treasurer and Pastor Barclay.

Worship and Memorial Garden Board

This board ideally consists of nine members elected by the congregation.

Ruth Sprong-Heyden – First 3-year term

Julie Chiffer – First 3-year term

Susan Bourret – First 3-year term

David Beauregard – Second 3-year term

Other members are: Mark Brendel, second term ending in 2020; Jane Casserly, second term ending in 2023;

Edna Nekiunas, first term ending in 2021; and David Smith, first term ending in 2021.

The committee thanks Carol Burnett, Jan McGarity and Karen Schauster for their dedication and service.

We would like one or two more people to volunteer for this committee. They work spring through fall usually

once a month. We would like to ask if there are any nominations from the floor.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Bourret and Linda Lange

Pastor Barclay, advisor

27

Concordia Year in Review

Name Day Celebration

for John and Kay Corl

Concordia’s Annual Summer Picnic

John Corl and Pastor Joe Bourret

Kay Corl and Linda Lange

28

Carol Burnett and Jan McGarity

Concordia’s Annual Summer Picnic

Tina Ruggerio and Fred Winzler

Don and Marian Slater

Mark Winzler

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Jane Casserly and Irma Vincens

Don Slater, Pastor Joe Bourret and Paul

Goodrich

Diamond Jubilee on the

60th Anniversary of the Ordination of

The Reverend Joseph Bourret

30

Concordia’s Fall

Festival

31

32

Let’s Talk About It – Series on Racism in America

Solar Panel Installation

33

Scout Sunday

Joint Council Meeting

with St. Mary’s

34

Fastnacht Dinner

35

May Day Celebration and

Blessing of the Completed

“For This Holy House”

Projects

36