Announcing Staff Transitions

Easter Friday, April 26, 2019
Dear Hearts,

It’s the season for two staff transitions at Christ Church. 

As some of you know, our Sunday School Director Laurie Varley will be moving back to North Carolina with her daughter Stevie after school is out.  Her last Sunday with us will be May 26, the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. Under Laurie's faithful, wise and dependable leadership, our Sunday School children have been welcomed to a creative experience of Christian community just for them.  On Sunday mornings and during Vacation Bible School, Laurie has supported her team of teachers and helpers in sharing the Good News of God's love for all of us.  In addition, Laurie has been a helpful colleague for me, and I will miss her.

As some of you also know, Pat & Curtiss Wakefield put their house on the market two weeks ago.  This past weekend, they accepted a purchase offer.  On Tuesday Pat gave her notice:  she will be leaving her position as our Parish Administrator on Friday, May 24th.  Although their schedule is a bit fluid at the moment, they plan to move on or about May 30 to their new home in South Carolina. 

For twenty years now as our Parish Administrator, Pat has been the one to keep the "trains running on time."  She prepares our worship bulletins and parish-wide mailings, recruits volunteer helpers, keeps the parish calendar, coordinates space-use with parish and community groups, orders office and maintenance supplies, distributes the parish's mail, watches over incoming bills and matches them to invoices, and she does a lot more that I don't now recall.  Pat does all this while providing the cheerful voice answering the telephone, responding to email inquiries, and gently doing her best to keep me from doing stupid stuff.  Pat helped me get on board this moving train when I arrived, and it's going to be hard to see her leave.

So, although we can be happy for Laurie and Pat with their new adventures in the Carolinas, this means two major – and wrenching -- transitions for us. At our Vestry meeting Wednesday evening, we began to talk about how we’re going to say thank-you and good-bye, looked at how we might cover these positions on an interim basis, began a review of the position descriptions, and to consider our interview and selection processes.  Please be thinking how you might want to help make these transitions gracious and grateful celebrations, and then to faithfully continue the essential and good work that Pat and Laurie have done with us.  Dates and more details will be forthcoming.
God's Peace be with you all, 
Harrison+.
YFNR