If your household is anything like ours the arrival of a new year is an opportunity to look backward and to make adjustments - resolutions or new plans - for the New Year. We try to improve upon what's gone well and try to plan different strategies for what hasn't. A new year provides new opportunities. That's true in church life and ministry as well as in personal lives. I'd like to share with you a few adjustments for the upcoming year.
During my first four months with St. Paul's I've learned quite a bit about the parish. First and foremost, I've learned that St. Paul's is every bit as warm, hospitable, accepting and devout a community of people that I hoped it would be. You're a loving and generous-spirited Christian community!
I've also learned that St. Paul's has room for growth in organizing what we do in God's service. Let me explain what I mean. Shortly after I arrived at St. Paul's it became quickly apparent that there were a number of pressing needs for lay ministry - in Stewardship, Youth Ministry, Acolytes, Adult Christian education, and so forth. Ministries around the church that had been done, urgently needed volunteers to help out and possibilities for ministry that hadn't been done (or hadn't been done for a while) needed to be addressed. Clueless as this new Rector was regarding matters of who'd be well suited for this or that task or what and how things had been done in the past, I decided to ask the Vestry for help. Since the Vestry was already working hard at helping to lead the church it wouldn't have been appropriate to ask them to do more. Besides we need to expand opportunities to involve more parishioners in ministry. And so I asked the Vestry if I could begin a new group to help me discern who to invite to help lead various ministries. They agreed. Then I asked the Vestry to recommend likely participants in such a discernment group. They did, and I invited those folks to participate in several weeks of orientation for that kind of work.
That's how the Ministry Discernment Team was born. The Ministry Discernment Team is a group of parishioners -- 12 in all. They will work with the Vestry and me in accomplishing several tasks to help organize our parish life. It will seek to discern what God wants us to do as a church. It will work with a Lay Ministry Coordinator and me to discern what parishioners to approach for various projects, programs or committees. It will work with existing committees to offer them help, if they'd like it, in improving their work. It will scope out opportunities for new ministries and help organize them.
The Ministry Discernment Team will get started in earnest in the next few months. And yet, it has already helped the Vestry and me in several important ways - all of which will materialize this month. These are a few initiatives that the team has encouraged:
Wednesday Night Live - The parish needs regular opportunities for fellowship and for forging spiritual friendships. The parish needs regular opportunities for adult Christian education. The parish needs to root its various committee meetings in prayer and the life of the wider church. The parish needs opportunities for intergenerational gatherings. The parish needs a regular occasion for the offering of healing prayer. These are the needs that Wednesday Night Live at St Paul's seeks to meet. Our one will take place on January 26th. Originally it was scheduled to begin a week earlier, but the Bishop asked me to serve on Diocesan Council (the diocese's equivalent of the vestry) and it meets at the time we originally set.
Lay Ministry Coordinator - The Discernment Team needs a point person - someone to work with them, with me, with committees and other ministry teams - to publicize and educate the parish about opportunities for lay ministry, and to recruit parishioners for them. I am delighted to announce that Ted Seymour will serve in that position. Ted brings a strong faith, lots of experience in coordinating volunteer organizations throughout the community, strong communication skills and skills in small group ministry. He'll be working approximately one day a week. Messages may be left for him on his extension at the parish office - 294-4357.
Liturgical Coordinator - The Discernment Team has concurred that Mark Warter will make a fine coordinator for our Sunday liturgies. His role will be different from that of our other Liturgical Mark - Dr. Mark Steinbach, our Director of Music and Liturgy. He works with me in shaping our liturgies. On the other hand, Mark Warter will work with me in helping to coordinate the people involved in the liturgies, where needed. He's the person who'll help to train and coordinate Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Prayer Leaders and any others who may need guidance prior to (or during) services. Mark is perfect for this key ministry. He served in the same capacity at Trinity, Copley Square, for six years.
These new initiatives are all intended to further enhance our life together at St. Paul's - our capacities for discernment, our fellowship, our education and spirituality as Christ's disciples, our service of God in lay ministry, our worship of God in liturgy, and how we organize our life together in community. God willing, I have every hope and conviction that they will!
Affectionately in Christ,
Phil +