Community Updates (5/4/23)
ECA has a new Music Director/Organist!
With great joy, the Search Committee, on behalf of the Vestry and Wardens, delightfully announces that Dr. Matthew Wood will become Music Director of ECA beginning mid-June.
The Search Committee was very impressed with Matt’s interview and his audition garnered universal praise from participating choir members and church musicians as well as from church leaders who observed. The Search Committee enthusiastically recommended to the Vestry and Wardens to hire him and he was unanimously approved. He will report to the rector/priest-in-charge once one is selected.
An accomplished musician and choral leader, Matt comes to us with excellent credentials and relevant experience with two Ph.D.’s (in Musicology and Piano Performance) and over ten years of experience as an Episcopal Church Music Director and Organist. He currently serves as Organist at the University United Methodist Church in Baton Rogue, Louisiana. He is eager to move to the Bay Area having grown up in Truckee.
Matt described his recent weekend at ECA auditioning on Saturday and attending church service on Sunday morning as “an amazing, hospitable, soul-healing experience.” Upon receiving the news of his selection, he said, “I'm delighted to be invited into the family at ECA” adding “it seems like God is throwing open all the doors to come out there, and I’m thankful for ECA providing the initial step in this transition.”
We can’t wait for Matt to join us. We are delighted to welcome him and look forward to making joyful music with his leadership.
Transition Status Update
by Sharon Hall
The Transition Team is pleased to announce that ECA's Profile has been approved to be posted in search of candidates for our Priest-in-Charge position!
The Profile was developed over the course of several months by a sub-committee team writing the profile. A significant portion of the content came from the individual story gathering of parishioners, the 4 different Parish Meetings, Neighborhood Walk, and Parish Status Report. The Transition Team presented the Profile to the Vestry on April 6th. There were some additional items to be included in the Profile so a new version was reviewed by the Vestry on April 13th and approved. This was then reviewed and approved by Bishop Lucinda and Canon Martha to be posted on our website and the national database, as of April 17th.
Please see the below link for the Profile posting on our ECA website:
Parish Profile - The Episcopal Church in Almaden — Church in Almaden
The Profile will be posted for 4 weeks. During this time, the Transition team and Vestry will be developing the specific questions/inquiries that are most pertinent in helping us to discern the best candidates for ECA. We have faith that the Transition Team and Vestry represent the voice and needs of the congregation supremely well. However, feel free to communicate any critical topics for questions to either Sharon Hall or Ellen Lukanc.
A rough estimate on timing will have the Transition Team to start the interviews toward the end of May and to down-select to several potential candidates for the Vestry to interview during late June/ early July. This of course, depends on the number of potential candidates that apply. The Lord is working with us and the light is shining forth as we continue this path to ECA's next chapter.
In Christ,
Sharon Hall
Core Team Update May 3, 2023
It was wonderful to have so many of you attend our joint meeting with CCAV,UCC April 29th in Fellowship Hall. Kate Collignon from HR&A Consultants presented info about our Financial Feasibility Study for our Church of the Future project. We had the opportunity to ask questions and offer our thoughts, feelings, and opinions.
If you missed it and would like to watch a Zoom recording of the event, please contact Joyce Wing @jhwing@outlook.com
Also read this month’s Shape for Susie’s amazing writeup!
VBS – Kids’ Camp-Adventuring in the Arts
WE NEEED YOUR HELP!
We have lost our momentum with our Kids’ Camps in our neighborhood. Would you believe that our camper families now have college graduates and their youngest ones are getting their driver’s licenses? So, we need to rebuild again. How could you help?
Do you have families you know with children aged 6 to 10 years? Do you have families living on your streets with children aged for our camp? Could you share our camp flyer with those families?
If you are working at church when someone drops by with a registration form and our office isn’t open, could you accept their form. If you have a key to the church, please put the form in my mailbox or Ruthanne’s. If not, put it in our locked mailbox outside.
Families may be hesitant to sign up since they don’t see lots of activities on our church site and haven’t for some time. Here’s a chance for us to begin rebuilding. Could you help? It would be greatly appreciated.
Hearts and Minds Activity Center is having their 6th Annual Gala fundraising event on Saturday May 13th from 5:00 to 8:00pm. It will be a Live Auction, raffle and dinner. Tickets are $125 per person. Contact Susanne Moore if you are interested in being part of a table from ECA or register at
HMAC2023.givesmart.com 408 279-7515 for more information.
Anyone interested in becoming a Lay Eucharistic Visitor/Minister? There will be a training Sat May 20th, 2023 at St. Jude's in Cupertino from 9:30-3:30. Contact Marianne for more information or if interested in carpooling.