Candidates for 2019 Vestry and Deanery/Diocesan Delegate Election Results will be announced at the Annual Meeting Sunday, March 3, 2019 5pm in Ashton Hall CANDIDATE Q & A FOR 2019 VESTRY ELECTION BARRI ALEXANDER 1. Briefly describe your family, occupation and professional and community involve- ment. My husband, John Alexander, and I have been married since 1995 and we have been blessed with four children: Morgan (‘97), Lauren (‘99), Jamie (‘02) and Jackson (‘05). We are active in our TE school community as well as our Valley Forge Mountain Associa- tion as we reside on Valley Forge Mountain. I am a physical therapist and I have been employed at HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy since 1992. I am currently the Coordinator of Physical and Occupational Therapy. 2. How long have you regularly attended worship at Good Samaritan? In which minis- tries have you been involved and in what capacity? We were long-time members of The Church of the Redeemer Episcopal Church in Bryn Mawr. In 2012 as my older daughters became active in Good Samaritan Youth Group, I began attending GS Women’s Bible study and John and I joined of a small group. Even before we “officially” made the switch in the fall of 2014, the children and I volunteered with VBS and Fair Days. After joining the Church of the Good Samaritan, John and I dabbled in Alpha (I had completed Alpha at Redeemer) and attended Belonging to the Church classes. I have been part of the last three Insight Women’s retreat leadership teams and I attended Freedom in Christ Retreat two times. John and I helped in Club 56 and as greeters for Family Ministries. In 2016 I helped with the planning and implementation of the Christianity Explored course. That same year Morgan, Lauren and I travelled to Bolivia with Good Samaritan parishioners. I have served on the Church of the Good Samaritan Vestry since 2016 and served on the Finance Committee. I have been the People’s Warden since March 2018. 3. In what diocesan level ministries and/or ministries in previous parishes have you been involved? As a parishioner of Redeemer, I participated in Alpha. From 2000-2004 I participated in and graduated from Education for Ministry (EfM). For many years, I taught both parts of the Journey to Adulthood curriculum, J2A to high school students and Rite 13 to those students in middle school. I served as a delegate to the Pennsylvania Diocesan Convention. I served on the Vestry at The Church of the Redeemer from 2009 to 2012. I was the Chair of the Transition Committee as we installed our new rector in 2009. I was chair of the Christian Formation for Children and Youth Committee from 2009 to 2013. I also served for one year on the Stewardship Committee. I participated in the Altar Guild and as a lector. As a family, we participated in the ECS Christmas parties, Food for Friends Ministry and we supported the families of IHN (Interfaith Hospitality Network). We also volunteered at VBS at St. Matthew’s in Wayne. Over the 20 plus years at the Church of the Redeemer, I volunteered at the Christmas Bazaar and many youth events. 4. From your point of view, what is the greatest challenge or opportunity you see facing Good Samaritan in the next three to five years? The Church exists to bring others to know the love of God, to support others on their faith journey, to help those less fortunate than us, even if we do not know who they are. I love the prayerful community of The Church of the Good Samaritan—this is our greatest strength. I truly believe the people want to be led by God and want to serve Him. The work is real and what I mean is the works are not just a showy façade of checking the box of “good works,” but rather a real call to bring people to Jesus so they can know His love. Watching parishioners feed people literally and spiritually at the Food Closet has been inspiration- al. I believe Good Samaritan will continue to seek and serve God in our community and in the world. I think the greatest challenges are in staying true to the Word of God. In this high-tech, sophisticated world it is tempting to offer programs that are glitzy or conform to the world and what the world seems to want. People feel overwhelmed with busyness and some feel they do not have time for church. I think that if we stay true to the Gospel, many will be compelled by the joy and deep love they see emanating from our congregation. There will be trouble in this life but there is great joy. This faith community will bring others to Jesus by showing them His love. The weary world will come and get the rest for which they are longing. continued on next page 1 CANDIDATE Q & A FOR 2019 VESTRY ELECTION Barri Alexander continued I think the church’s most fundamental goal should be to build and sustain programs that help bear the fruit of those who love God, and who feel charged with a call to discipleship as they strive to know and follow Christ Jesus. We are called to live in relationship with God and with one another and The Church of the Good Samaritan’s strength is in supporting this call. 5. Please describe how you understand the gospel message. What is that message to you? God loves us—plain and simple. He loves us just as we are; which is both overwhelming and at times incompre- hensible. He loves us so much He sent His son Jesus to die for us so that we can have life everlasting. There is a great freedom in Christ as we are set free from sin. Not that we won’t sin again, but that sin has no power over us. When we truly live in this freedom, we will overflow with the love and joy of Christ Jesus. His love really is trans- formational. God is good; all the time God is good. ANDY BALSAN 1. Briefly describe your family, occupation and professional and community involve- ment. Jane and I have been married for 20 years this March! We have three children; Abigail, a sophomore at Conestoga High School; Lukas, in 7th grade at Valley Forge Middle School; and Joel, in 4th grade at Hillside Elementary. We have been attending Good Samaritan since we moved to PA in 2010. My parents, Joe and Coral Balsan, also are at Good Samar- itan. My dad and I own and run an HVAC/R Wholesale Distribution company, Johnstone Supply, in the Philadelphia area as well as in the Baltimore/Washington market. 2. How long have you regularly attended worship at Good Samaritan? In which ministries have you been in- volved and in what capacity? Jane and I have been at Good Samaritan since 2010 and have been involved with various groups and ministries including: current Vestry Member, Men’s ministry leadership team, elementary Sunday School teacher, Home Group leader and leading the annual Christmas Tree Sale which financially benefits the church’s HELPS ministry. 3. In what diocesan level ministries and/or ministries in previous parishes have you been involved? This is my first Episcopal church I have attended. I have been involved in similar type ministries as #2 above in a variety of other denominational churches 4. From your point of view, what is the greatest challenge or opportunity you see facing Good Samaritan in the next three to five years? Evangelism and discipleship are our biggest opportunities! Our new Mission/Vision statement has brought new focus to our church, and it is just beginning to get communicated and put into action. I see the next few years being a time of implementing this practical Vision into our everyday lives. It is essentially what the Gospel calls all Christians to believe and do. We, as a church, need to take this Vision to heart and start living it day by day in our lives as individuals, families and church body. I look forward to seeing the church become better equipped and trained to engage with our neighbors, the community and the world in bringing the kingdom of God to all. 5. Please describe how you understand the gospel message. What is that message to you? The Gospel is that God has rescued us from our naturally rebellious ways through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus. We humbly turn away from our rebellion and submit ourselves to His Kingship in our lives with thankful hearts for His Sacrifice and Love for us. 2 CANDIDATE Q & A FOR 2019 VESTRY ELECTION TRENT BICKLEY 1. Briefly describe your family, occupation and professional and community in- volvement. I currently live in Phoenixville with two roommates who also attend Good Samaritan, and I work for Vanguard as a Resource Planning Analyst. 2. How long have you regularly attended worship at Good Samaritan? In which ministries have you been involved and in what capacity? I have been attending Good Samaritan regularly since I moved to the area in August 2017. I am involved with the Good Phoenix small group, and I was involved with the Children’s ministry as a Sunday School Teacher. 3. In what diocesan level ministries and/or ministries in previous parishes have you been involved? I have been involved with the Children’s Ministries in the past two churches I have attended since I was in high school.