St. Mark’s Vestry Meeting Minutes – Sunday, Aug 23, 2026

St. Mark’s Vestry Meeting Minutes

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Interim Rector: *The Rev. Jean Vargo

Wardens: *Jim Rudd — Sr. Warden *Tony Rubino — Jr. Warden

Vestry:

Jan. 2027 Term Exp.: *Claudia Hurd Gary Welch

Jan. 2028 Term Exp.: Faggio Nocero-Sargent Katherine Wagner

Jan. 2029 Term Exp.: *Pam Kulhanek *René Meadors

Recorder: *Dave Reuter

Treasurer: *Don Nancarrow

Guests:

[* = indicates attendance]

NOTES: Copies of all materials passed out to Vestry members after the meeting will be kept on file on the church’s computer and are available for review. The Senior Warden is in his second-year term and the Junior Warden is in his second-year term. Both are permitted up to three one-year consecutive terms.

Be the Church! Live the Gospel!

2025/2026 Meetings: Feb 22, Mar 15, Apr 19, May 17, Jun 25, Aug 23, Sep 20, Oct 18, Nov 15, Dec 20, Jan 17

Opening Prayers and Discussion on Proposed Service Times / Rev. Jean Vargo: Rev. Jean called the meeting to order at 1:04 PM. There was some early discussion about a meeting mix-up time and also a missed communication as to why Rev. Melanie was late for the 10:00 am Coffee Hour. Finally, Rev. Jean assured us that she is with St. Mark’s and St. Paul’s for the long haul of our transition. She also shared that she had feedback from Rev. Melanie about our meeting last Sunday. There were people there from the parish along with the Vestry members. Rev. Melanie was unsure where we are headed. Are you ready for a new priest? Can you support a priest? Will St. Mark’s and St. Paul’s each call a part-time priest, or will we share a priest? Also, it was noted that St. Mark’s was not happy with the new worship times. Can that be remedied now? One option is for Rev. Jean to get a sub for herself so she could be here at Coffee Hour once per month. St. Mark’s parishioners typically do not stay after the late worship that we now have so there is not much chance to communicated with Rev. Jean. Junior Warden Tony specifically made the point that he is much in favor of going back to our old times of 10:30 AM worship followed by Coffee Hour typically starting around 11:30 AM. This also means, of course, that we would have Morning Prayer every other week. Tony feels that this would bring back some of our parishioners who left the church over the compromised time changes. He added that the time change was meant to be a temporary trial run. Rev. Jean noted that if we wish to do something different, we need to discuss it with St. Paul’s to make sure it is OK with them as well. Rev. Jean will need to discuss this with both Vestries as it changes numerous time schedules. We will need to make sure we have enough Lay Ministers to lead Morning Prayer and Rev. Jean will need to send them a copy of her sermon every other week. Tony also brought up that he asked Rev. Melanie for a Deacon that we could share between us and St. Paul’s. The Diocese has 17 Deacons so it seems that one should be available on Sundays for our and St. Paul’s needs. It was noted that Deacons are paid directly by the Diocese. On a side note, there has been a problem with St. Mark’s phone service. Tony is investigating. Then Rev. Jean pointed out we could also use this opportunity to start our Sunday services at a different time if we wish. Jim suggested we take another survey (i.e. 9:30, 10:00, and 10:30 AM) with the parish to see if they prefer the same or a different service time.

Review Agenda / All: Jim added “Nomination for a Diocesan Position” be added to the agenda. René added “Sunday School” which will be covered under Christian Education.

Approval of Minutes of June 25, 2026 / Dave Reuter: The June 25, 2026 Vestry Meeting Minutes were first distributed to the Vestry for their edits on June 29. The edited Minutes were then distributed to the parish on July 7, 2026. A motion was made and seconded to approve the June 25 Vestry Meeting Minutes as distributed to the parish. Pam, speaking for Katherine, had a couple questions about Finance that were not answered in our last meeting. Don noted that he did answer all those questions in a subsequent email. A vote was taken, and the motion passed by voice vote unopposed.

Treasurer’s Report / Don Nancarrow – Reports submitted in writing: Don reported to the Vestry that he sent out his report to them for June on August 19 as follows:

JUNE was a deficit month, our first one this year, by $1,809. The main reason was that Pledge & Plate revenue was $2,724 less than one month’s share of the budget.

Total Revenue of $9,537 were $2,377 below the one-month budget rate of $11,874. Operating Revenue of $7,752 was $3,278 low with Pledge being $2,778 low. Non-Operating Revenue of $1,785 was $844 high, due to a $1,000 payment from our insurance.

Total Expenses of $11,346 were $966 low, per budget. Operating Expenses of $11,163 were $640 low with Mission Share $584 high (paid May and June) and Music $653 high while Property and Maintenance was $1,441 low. Non-Operating Expenses of $183 were $326 low with just one Outreach outlay.

YTD: The net after six months was $14,525 surplus. The main factors here were Pledge & Plate being $11,560 high while low Rector and Staff costs outweighed high Property & Maintenance and Worship costs again.

Total Revenues of $83,163 were $11,918 above the 6-month budget rate. Operating Revenue of $77,069 was $10,889 high, led by Pledge income up by $11,091and Other Restricted Gifts at $1,386 high. Non-OPS Revenue of $6,095 was high by $1,029.

Total Expenses of $68,638 were $5,231 below that budget rate. Operating Expenses of $66,952 were $3,863 low. Rector Costs of $25,816 were $3,261 low and Staff Costs of $13,462 were $3,619 low. Property outlays of $14,746 were $1,909 high led by Gas at $2,723 high. Non-OPS Expenses of $1,687 moved to $1,368 low.

In addition, Katherine sent out a list of questions to the entire Vestry. Here are Don’s responses:

Mission Share: Double amount in June because May’s payment was late. Not in this case, but normally Hannah only makes an entry into Realm after it clears the bank. It needs to be entered when the check is sent to avoid late entries. Hannah will be notified. Outreach from Operations: She thought the amount was for the charities from the Pancake Supper/Waffle Sunday from the high school fundraiser. These were written on May 31 and mailed on June 1. Why aren’t these in the June Report? Four of the five checks were in the June report but one was delayed into July. Telephone Issues: The phone has not been receiving calls for several months. Tony noted Dave reported that Dwight Cass had set us up with a different phone provider, Ooma, to save the monthly service fee. (NOTE: Tony and Dave investigated after the meeting and did not find an Ooma device by the phone. So we might have been switched back to Spectrum who provides our internet service. Hannah can verify by looking at our billing information.) Tony will also continue following up on the phone issue until it is resolved. Pam also suggested we look at AT&T as an alternate supplier if they are less expensive. Trash Removal Charge in June: The amount was only $15.72… why so low? The previous month had an overcharge. We now only have a pickup when we phone them and we no longer dispose of yard waste as that is an extra charge on our bill. Parishioners (mostly Don!) now take the branches home and dispose them in their residential waste bins. Hope4Riverside Revenue: There was $30 coming in but $180 going out. Jim sent out a note of all those who had made donations. Only one person got credited and the others did not make it into the June Report. Why are the Rector and Staff Costs Low? Rev. Jean was not paid in January and it was not made up at any other time. We also did not pay Hannah Admin and Bookkeeper charges in January which affected the numbers in the rest of the year. The bank statements need to be looked at. More to follow. Check Signing and Approval Process: We require a double signature not only on the checks but on the electronic transfers before funds are released for payments. So all checks and invoices should be put in the “to be signed” folder. A suggestion was made by Pam to make up a spreadsheet that tells the signers which day of the month that bills come due. We do not have that right now. Hannah needs to put together a list of all the autopay items that could be used as the basis for the worksheet. A motion was made and seconded (with follow-up items on salary payments and telephone bill) to approve the May (May? Not June?) Treasurer’s Report as submitted. As there were no other questions the motion was seconded, a vote was taken, and the motion passed by voice vote unopposed.

Outreach Funds Not Yet Paid: Don then began by noting that St. Mark’s is considerably behind in our outreach payments. From Don’s email sent to the Vestry on August 21: for St. Paul’s Foodbank alone we are $3,877.95 in arrears. The last regular donation outlay was 7 June 2025 and the last Day of Change outlay 22 March 2025. To pick that up now budget overruns will be created. From Don’s email sent to the Vestry later that same day, he grouped the overruns into three categories: 1) Outreach from Operations group (codes 5505 & 5510 in SOA); request $200 increase to $1,500 authorized, which covered our young adults’ fundraiser. 2) Music subgroup of Worship Group (codes 5750, 5760, 5762, 5770 in SOA); request $3,900 increase to $4,570 authorized which covers our Supply Organist for the remainder of the year. And 3) Outreach from Non-Operations group (codes 6110 – 6120 in SOA); request $2,000 increase to $8,110 authorized for anticipated activities for Food Pantry, Hope4Riverside, etc. in the rest of the year. Our overall financial balance as of the end of June: we are over $17,000 to the good. Don then asked the Vestry to approve the three overruns as outlined above. A motion was made and seconded for the approvals as Don requested. As there was no further discussion a vote was taken and passed by voice vote unopposed.

Senior Warden / Jim Rudd – Report submitted in writing: Jim noted that Rev. Jean Vargo and Judy Rudd interviewed Karen Bocko for the Parish Organist position at St. Mark’s on August 3. Karen was recommended by Barbara Acker-Mills and Percy Jones, Jr., for the position. Karen was offered the job and was sent an Employment Agreement and Position Description to review. Unfortunately, Karen is currently dealing with an unexpected personal crisis that is taking up every bit of her energy and faith. She is unable to make any major decisions right now and prays for our understanding. She will keep us updated as necessary. Jim noted that he participated in the Wardens network Zoom call on August 23. Following Bible study, small breakout sessions occurred in which the participants addressed the following question: Where are you seeing God in your congregation? Canon Mark Priest, Diocesan CFO, led a conversation about church finances as our congregations prepare their 2027 budgets and made some good suggestions.

Junior Warden / Tony Rubino – Report submitted in writing: Tony noted that a couple of trucks from Mid-Ohio Utilities made large ruts in our yard that impairs grass cutting largely due to all the rain we had. He plans to call that company tomorrow to complain about the mess they made in our yard. (PS: After the meeting they agreed to fill in the ruts. Thank you Tony!)

Outreach / Jim Rudd and René Meadors – Report submitted in writing: Jim noted that the Friends of Canterbury Court (CCT) met on August 3. Joining the meeting from Episcopal Retirement Services (ERS) were Joy Blang (VP of Philanthropy), Jimmy Wilson (VP of Affordable Living), and Dan Steward (Chief Financial Officer). Each of the four Episcopal Churches of the Friends group donates $100 toward the Friends Annual Project to provide transportation and fund events for the CCT residents. Recent activities include buying 35 gifts for the Christmas in July event, providing tickets for LaComedia, Young’s Dairy, and Idle Hour Ranch. Volunteers and funding support the Butterfly Garden. Free lunches were provided and served for the Annual Friends Luncheon. ERS is having their 75^th Anniversary this year. They will celebrate at CCT on August 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Hope4Riverside: The last meeting was attended by Pam Kulhanek, Claudia Hurd and Jim Rudd on July 21. We will be collecting hats, socks and gloves again for the students of Mad River Schools. St. Mark’s has volunteered to host the next meeting in November which will be the first time for us. The Day of Giving will take place at the Spinning Hills Middle School. Pam and Claudia plan to be there on August 24 and man our booth where we pass out the scissors. We are trying to get a date with the teachers at Seville Elementary School for the mentors/tutors/pen pals assigned to grades 1 – 4. There are five St. Mark’s people committed to this program and five more who are interested in participating. Jim also plans to ask St. Paul’s if they wish to be part of this program.

Christian Education / Faggio Nocero-Sargent: René wanted to ask about pre-school Sunday School as Sandy Bultman can no longer continue doing that ministry due to commitments at home. Could we look at a rotating schedule for someone to be there with Carol every week. (NOTE: Good news! An email was distributed to the Vestry after the meeting that Sandy is available to be with Carol every week, but she does not have time for the lesson preparation, which Carol is willing to take care of.)

Parish Life / Pam Kulhanek and Claudia Hurd – Report submitted in writing: Claudia and Pam noted that everyone is looking forward to the Parish Picnic coming up on September 13. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board by the office. Pam will be covering for Claudia this year.

Communications / Katherine Wagner – Report submitted in writing: Nothing else to add to the written report.

Finance / Gary Welch – Report submitted in writing: Nothing else to add to the written report.

Facilities / Katherine Wagner – Report submitted in writing: Tony reported for Katherine in her absence. The first issue was the broken thumb lever on the front door. Dave noted that a locksmith was contacted and you cannot buy that part individually. Instead, he and Don plan to swap the door lever with the thumb lever in a door that is rarely used. The next issue was concerning contacting all of our renters and confirming that all of their information is correct and up to date and reminding them about treating our property respectfully. We have found excess trash in the past and lights not turned off and doors not locked. Hannah contacted all the renters and took care of the above issues. The last issue was about Riverside Family Co-op and how they are using our parking lot on Saturdays. The parking lot gets exceeding full and cars are taking up spaces that are only designated for St. Mark’s. Pam then noted she joined that group to be able to find out what was going on. The question arose as to them paying for the privilege of using our parking lot and it was noted that the original agreement was that they would make donations (food or money) to St. Paul’s Food Pantry every week. That is now an unknown as to whether or not they have been doing that. Pam volunteered to find out who is now responsible for this group and if they are living up to their promise of making the food and money donations. She will also let Hannah know what she finds out.

Old Business / All: No old business this month.

New Business / All:

Waste Management / Tony Rubino: Tony reported that our non-scheduled pickup cost (i.e. They only empty the bin when we call them and tell them it is full.) Initially the cost was $149 to empty the bin and we were calling them about once every five months. The cost kept going up every time they were called, with the last charge being $220. Tony spoke with the billing person and instead they proposed a scheduled pickup of once every three weeks for a cost of $40 per month. This turns out to be advantageous when compared to the latest non-scheduled rate. Also, this negates the need for parishioners to take home trash as has been done in the past when the bin gets to be full. There can be additional charges if the driver has to clear debris in front of the dumpster or if we are putting yard waste in the dumpster. Jean pointed out that a Vestry vote is not needed for this change so Tony planned to sign or have Hannah sign the agreement and get us onto the new schedule. He will also keep Hannah informed regarding the new payment schedule. The contract is good for 3 years and we will be given a 30 day notice of any increases.

Apple Custom Homes Update / Tony Rubino: A quote was received from Apple Custom Homes (i.e. from Dave and Zach Apple) for $3158 removing the playground fence and large swing set as well as filling in all the holes that were created from the removals. The damaged downspout on the side of the building will also be replaced. Finally, this also included fixing the faulty hose bib on the side of the building. This amount was less than the amount we still have remaining from the insurance settlement. (Money was spent on the new safety rails surrounding the window pits.) They are estimating that they will be available to complete this work in October of this year. Pam suggested that we put a lock on the gate from a safety perspective. A simple bicycle lock would be an inexpensive way to take care of that concern. Tony will follow up. After some discussion, a motion was made and seconded to approve the payment of $3158 to Apple Custom Homes for the items noted above and to approve an overrun in Capital Expenses for the same amount. As there was no additional discussion a vote was taken and passed by voice vote unopposed.

Open Positions at the Diocese / Jim Rudd: Speaking on behalf of Katherine, Jim noted that the Diocese has many open positions going unfilled. Please consider going to their website and seeing if you would be willing to fill one of those positions. This will also be explained in more detail in the upcoming “Lion’s TaleJim has been on several DSO special committees, while Katherine was elected to Diocesan Council twice, serving on its Steering Committee both times. Last year Elizabeth Wagner-Weber was elected to be a Deputy to the 2027 General Convention, her second time in this capacity.On a side note, we are now considered to be in the Western Region of the Diocese.

Joint Worship with St. Paul’s / Tony Rubino: Speaking about Sunday, October 4, a planned joint worship service with St. Paul’s to be held at their location, Tony expressed concern about St. Mark’s being locked up on a Sunday. He suggested that we consider having Morning Prayer at St. Mark’s and if some of the parishioners wish to go to St. Paul’s that is OK as well. Jean was concerned about the affect this approach may have on sharing a Rector. A decision will have to be made soon if we are going to take this approach. On a side note, there have been reports of erroneous service times on the website. Dave was unaware of this. This will be investigated.

Closing Prayer / Claudia Hurd: Claudia prayed for our Church, our Vestry and for guidance through our transition.

Adjournment / Rev. Jean Vargo: The meeting was adjourned at 8:04 pm. The meeting was adjourned at 2:34 PM.

Next Meeting: Sunday, September 20, 2026, following the Sunday Worship Service.

Respectfully Submitted,

David F. Reuter

Vestry Recorder

Submitted Written Reports for August 23, 2026

St. Mark’s Vestry Meeting

August 23, 2026

Agenda

Item Person

Opening Prayers Rev. Jean Vargo

Review Agenda All

Approval of Minutes of June 25, 2026 Dave Reuter

Treasurer’s Report Don Nancarrow

Interim Rector Rev. Jean Vargo

Senior Warden Jim Rudd

Junior Warden Tony Rubino

Outreach Jim Rudd/Rene Meadors

Christian Education Faggio Nocero-Sargent

Parish Life Pam Kulhanek/Claudia Hurd

Communications Katherine Wagner

Finance Gary Welch

Facilities Katherine Wagner

Old Business

New Business

Waste Management Billing Tony Rubino
Community Building Repairs Quote Tony Rubino

Closing Comments Rev. Jean Vargo

Closing Prayer Claudia Hurd

Adjournment Rev. Jean Vargo

Next Meeting: September 20, 2026, following Worship Service

Treasurer’s Report, August 23, 2026

JUNE was a deficit month, our first one this year, by $1,809. The main reason was that Pledge & Plate revenue was $2,724 less than one month’s share of the budget.

DoN

Senior Warden Report

Rev. Jean Vargo and Judy Rudd interviewed Karen Bocko for the Parish Organist position at St. Mark’s on August 3. Karen was recommended by Barbara Acker-Mills and Percy Jones, Jr., for the position. Karen was offered the job and was sent an Employment Agreement and Position Description to review. Unfortunately, Karen is currently dealing with an unexpected personal crisis that is taking up every bit of her energy and faith. She is unable to make any major decisions right now and prays for our understanding. She will keep us updated as necessary.

I participated in the Wardens network Zoom call on August 23. Following Bible study, small breakout sessions occurred in which the participants addressed the following question: Where are you seeing God in your congregation? Canon Mark Priest led a conversation about church finances as our congregations prepare their 2027 budgets. The next Wardens network Zoom call is scheduled for October 14 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

Rev. Melanie Slane met with St. Mark’s Vestry and parishioners during coffee hour and was the celebrant during worship service on August 16. She then continued her meeting with the Vestry and parishioners following the worship service. She addressed the next steps needed in the transition process to call a new rector or priest-in-charge. She asked what do we think is going well so far? What challenges and concerns do we have? What are our hopes for the future of our parish?

Junior Warden’s Report: 15 June – 17 Aug 2026

Received quote from Apple Custom Homes for phase two of Community Building repairs, which includes repairs on Chain Link fence removal, Down spout, water faucet and removal of play ground items. Still waiting on scheduled date and will need vestry approval for the project.

The DSO grant proposal submission for capital improvements to Roof was submitted on 13 Aug. Would like to thank proposal team Rene, Libby, Jim, Don, Gary, and Katherine for writing/collecting/organizing all the required documentation and getting the proposal package sent out before 20 Aug deadline. Fingers crossed that St. Mark’s will get the $70K that was requested.

Once again battled some with Waste Management over increasing cost for trash removal. Latest go around was a victory for St. Mark’s, with vestry approval WM pickups will go to a pickup schedule every 3 weeks at $40 monthly charge. St. Mark’s currently is on as needed pickup schedule, which has seen large increases in cost over the last year+ starting at $149 to recently billed $220. Increases were primarily due to fuel cost fees.

Will meet next week with Hannah, Jim and Rev. Jean for our monthly status to discuss admin/bookkeeping priorities and any issues/concerns.

v/r,

Tony Rubino

Outreach Report/Jim Rudd & Rene Meadors

Children: CARE House – Our parish collected contributions (e.g., bottled water, healthy snacks, stuffed animals, gift cards, and money) on CARE House Sunday (August 2).

Hunger: St. Paul’s UMC Food Pantry – Our parish collected contributions (e.g., nonperishable food items and money) on Hunger Sunday (August 16).

Elderly: Canterbury Court (CCT) – The Friends of CCT met on August 3. Joining the meeting from Episcopal Retirement Services (ERS) were Joy Blang (VP of Philanthropy), Jimmy Wilson (VP of Affordable Living), and Dan Steward (Chief Financial Officer). Devosta Hart (CCT Social Events Coordinator) offers a crafts activity titled Creative Corner twice a month. Volunteers are solicited to assist in the classes. A few of the recent activities have been diamond dots, butter making and tie dye. Starting in August the bus will take them to some local places to do crafts. Each of the four Episcopal Churches of the Friends group donates $100 toward the Friends Annual Project to provide transportation and fund events for the CCT residents. Recent activities include buying 35 gifts for the Christmas in July event, providing tickets for LaComedia, Young’s Dairy and Idle Hour Ranch. Volunteers and funding support the Butterfly Garden. Free lunches were provided and served for the Annual Friends Luncheon. ERS is having their 75^th Anniversary this year. They will celebrate at CCT on August 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Community: Hope4Riverside: The last meeting was attended by Pam Kulhanek, Claudia Hurd and Jim Rudd on July 21. A total of 608 pairs of scissors were provided to grades K-6 of Mad River Local Schools by St. Mark’s and St. Paul’s. A total of ten St. Mark’s parishioners have indicated an interest in mentors/tutors/pen pals to grades 1 -4 of Saville Elementary School. A meeting will be planned with the teachers of the school in the near future.

HOPE FOR RIVERSIDE REPORT

August 23, 2026

Pam Kulhanek

Hope for Riverside Meeting

21 Jul 2026

Jim Rudd, Claudia Hurd, Rev Jean, & Pam Kulhanek attended this meeting.

National Night Out took place on 04 Aug 2026 at Stebbins High School.

National Night Out is an annual event held each August.
Would St. Mark like to sponsor and staff a table in August 2027? If so, I will gather details at upcoming meetings.

Day of Giving Back on Monday, 24 Aug 2026:

Pam & Claudia are volunteering for this event at Spinning Hills Middle School on Eastman Avenue.
The donated scissors will be at the stations available to students.

Hat, Socks & Glove

There will be bins at the back of the church to collect new winter hats, socks, and gloves for children attending Breakfast with Santa.
We will provide our collected donations at the November Hope Riverside meeting scheduled for 17 November 2026.
St. Mark’s will host the Hope4 Riverside meeting on the 17th of November using the Lounge and the Fellowship Room.
The hosting locations are responsible for serving lunch to the attendees at 11:30 AM prior to the meeting starting at Noon.
If anyone is interested in helping to provide items for the luncheon and helping to serve, it would be much appreciated.

Teacher Appreciation Days

Each Friday morning, different people/organizations drop off donuts or other treats for the teaching staff at the schools.
We can find out more information about Teacher Appreciation Days and possibly do this once a quarter for Saville School.

Respectfully Submitted

Pam Kulhanek

Parish Life Report for August 23, 2026 Vestry Meeting

July 17 Pam and Chuck Kulhanek hosted an Ice Cream Social for the entire church. It was very well attended and everyone enjoyed their homemade (truly gourmet) ice cream but just as importantly, enjoyed an evening of friendship and fellowship.

August 4 St Marks and St. Paul’s had joint worship and shared in the Blessing of the Scissors for Mad River Schools. Several St. Paul’s parishioners also stayed for coffee hour with St Marks.

Respectfully submitted,

Claudia Hurd

Communications Report

August 23, 2026

Communications Team:

Dave Reuter: Chair, webmaster, email distributor, and Tech Team
Katherine Wagner: Facebook and Instagram primary administrator; Lion’s Tale newsletter editor; bulletin boards creator; coordinates event publicity with area churches.
Elizabeth Wagner-Weber: Facebook admin (primarily LGBTQ+ and other groups/current events provider); LT proofreader
Jenna Walch: Facebook admin (primarily event photos and Neighborhood Bridges liaison); LT proofreader
TJ Walch: Tech Team
Gary Welch: Tech Team, Woodman Drive sign

Website (stmarksdayton.org):

We have contacted Julie Murray, DSO Canon for Community Engagement, and Katie Forsyth, DSO Canon for Communications and Governance, requesting diocesan assistance in updating the website.

Social Media: PLEASE COMMENT/SHARE/LIKE to spread the word!!

Facebook (St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Dayton): In the last 28 days, our content has been viewed almost 10,000 times: there were 330 interactions with both followers and non-followers, 686 visits, and 9 new followers. Our most popular post was on Aug. 2 when St. Paul’s joined us, with almost 2000 views. In addition to the Sunday videos, we posted community service events with information about the League of Women Voters, the tax-free holiday, and the latest scam alert. We also provided daily reflections and prayers from a variety of sources, and shared content from TEC and the DSO.
Instagram (stmarksdayton): We have 75 followers and have posted over 1600 times since joining IG. Our content currently duplicates our FB content, as we have no one dedicated to maintaining this account. There is room for improvement with this account.

Contact List

Updated with corrections and edits of the 2025 Directory, this document was printed and distributed to all parishioners on Easter Sunday. It’s maintained on the website and can only be accessed with a username and password which Dave will provide upon request. Internal edits are made during the year as we are notified, and that information is given to the office and clergy. Copies are available to new members upon request.
We used the Vestry Calling List from March recently and discovered that it was slightly outdated. Dave and I will use the current list of people who have left/ who have joined to update it.

Lion’s Tale

Edited by Katherine and proofread by Elizabeth and Jenna, this online newsletter is published on Saturday mornings. It contains the upcoming ministry and reading schedules, parish calendar and announcements, content from the Diocese and national church, online contact information for the various liturgical sources we use, and options for other online worship services from the DSO and National Cathedral. Deadline for submissions is close of business the Thursday prior to Saturday publication.

Worship Bulletin

As of Oct 1, Microsoft will no longer support its Publisher software, which is what we use to create the bulletin. We’re currently working with area churches, the DSO, and the Episcopal Communicators Facebook page to determine a suitable substitute that is free or low-cost.

Respectfully submitted,

Katherine Wagner

FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT

August 23, 2026

Gary Welch

The Finance Committee, which combined the former Finance Team and Investment Committee, met on 21 July in the St Mark’s lounge. The Committee reviewed the revised committee charter as well as the St Mark’s investment guidelines, discussed the upcoming DSO grant application and considered the investment rebalancing recommendation from our Edward Jones investment advisors. Going forward, the Committee will meet in-person biannually, with quarterly e-mail reviews of investment performance and monthly e-mail inputs to the St Mark’s Vestry.

On 6 August, after soliciting and receiving inputs from the Finance Committee, Don Nancarrow sent a list of questions to our local Edward Jones investment advisors regarding their recommended investment rebalancing actions. As of this writing we have not received their response, so no decision has yet been made regarding the recommendation.

Facilities Report

August 23, 2026

BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS

Apple Custom Homes LLC provided a quote to remove the chain link fence (including posts & top rail); remove playground equipment; and remove & replace galvanized steel downspout and exterior hose bibb/hydrant, all for $3158. While the work was originally planned for the end of August, the arrival of the newest Baby Apple may delay that a bit!

We are looking into ways to attach our vinyl signs to the Community Building wall facing Woodman Drive.

The thumb plate for the lock on the CB front door is cracked and almost broken off. Dave has contacted a locksmith about repairing/replacing it; until then the metal is wrapped in clear tape. QUESTION: has the locksmith been contacted? What’s the status of possible repairs?

Gary installed portable A/C units in the Fellowship Room and offices, but we’ve found some work better than others. We’re considering moving the portable from the office to the FR as it takes a long time to cool that space.

The B&G Team did a walk-through of the property on June 29, and has a working list of projects.

Lawn Mowing: The riding mower is having health issues, and Dr. Dave is doing his best to get it healthy again. The Wagners have offered to contribute towards a new-to-us riding mower that isn’t falling apart and held together with welding; more discussion to follow. Chuck is now mowing the courtyard and the Woodman Drive lawn area inside the fence when he has time.

Courtyard: The Easter lilies have bloomed!

RENTERS

Holdover from January, February, March, April, May, & June: The church (staff) used to send letters in January requesting updated contact and meeting information to each renter group. The info gathered was used to update the bulletin board signs with group contacts and the office email contacts list. Renters were then sent quarterly reminders about the property rules: turn off lights, lock doors, and clean up their trash (especially the cigarette debris outside the CB doors). Has all the renter contact information been updated?

Holdover from May & June: We are encountering increasing problems with outside users (renters) not following the rules. The church staff has contact information from 2025 for all rental groups, and should immediately email everyone with reminders of the appropriate ways to treat our property. QUESTION: Were they contacted?

Holdover from June: The Riverside Family Coop continues to grow enough to cause traffic issues on Woodman Drive. When it was the small group that only met to pick up pre-purchased items, the group policed itself and didn’t allow anything questionable to be on the property (i.e. things sold only in brown paper bags with no markings), coming to us if they were concerned about particular items or vendors, and we had the final say. Is this still the practice? If not, do we have any say in what merchandise is being offered? We don’t want our parish to be associated with any “adult” or other inappropriate items. They were also going to be contacted about the group size and traffic problems. QUESTION: Were they contacted?

Respectfully submitted,

Katherine Wagner

Financial Reports

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