​2020 Vision

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Thoughts for 2020 Vision (10/7/19)

Thoughts received ahead of time:

• · Need a pro-active program for new members
• · Shorter exchange of the peace; less disruptive to service
• · Keep 8:00 service
• ·What feeds my soul: sermon; music; fellowship; coffee hour
• · How can I do more: be alert to needs
• · I would like to see: sermon podcasts; women’s ministry; teen program; envelopes for people who forget them or are new (rather than loose cash); game night once a month; occasional children’s service
• · What feeds my soul and how can I do more of that?

1. Managing and being one of the volunteer angels in the office
2. Healing Ministry: I think we do more after service healing prayers when it’s announced at the beginning of the service either by the Celebrant or the person offering healing prayers that morning. Whichever way, I think if it was the same person/s each week and not to skip saying it; parishioners would know they could count on one of us offering healing prayers with them every week.
3. Seeing a wonderful addition of new Parishioners wanting to serve as Lectors. Everyone who has offered themselves to serve as a lector need to feel secure about their performance
4. I love all of our parish life events that Susan Amabile comes up with. I always like to see more of the Parish Life events.

• ·What no longer feeds my soul and can I drop it?

                     Yes and I did ie. Music ministry and Dinner committee.
                     Be honest to yourself and to others and say you need to drop out for whatever your reason is.

Other Thoughts:
a. Summer service schedule with 1 service @ 9 AM

• I liked worshiping with the 8 AM parishioners. We were out of church and coffee hour by 10:30 AM. With the rest of the morning and day ahead of us. One of the parts of it I didn’t care for was that we didn’t see some parishioners or whole families for the Summer because for a certain reason it didn’t fit for them.
• I wouldn’t like to see just one 9 AM service throughout the year. It would cause some people to worship at another church and we would miss them and the role they take on in our church family.

b. Communication

• I would love to find a way to assure that everyone who needs to know details of something would receive that information. To ask for suggestions from parishioners and church staff would be a good start. The most effective way that I can think of, given the distances between people’s homes, is to think about the people normally involved in whatever it is you want to communicate and email them with whatever you’re trying to communicate and ask that they reply all if that is appropriate for your email.

Written Table comments

• · Much good in the world that we often overlook
• · Be open to surprise
• · To easy to look at the negative
• · Healing
• · Look at, and be mindful of, our blessings
• · Both/and>> hold onto blessings and also move forward
• · Get more young people involved
• · Have one service
• · Members need to feel welcome and comfortable
• · Make sure everyone can hear whenever we have gatherings
• · More communication between the two services
• · Floor before roof
• · The world is changing; we must recognize this and act accordingly. The Word of God needs to get out to those who need it; more outreach
• · Grow, grow, grow
• · If it happens, great; but it shouldn’t dominate our efforts
• · Need more children/young families
• · Martha (from Gospel reading) effected by surroundings; not concentrating on the object (the Lord)
• · Outreach very important
• · Attendance is growing, but lack of young people
• · Worship/music
• · Coffee hour—fellowship
• · VBS/Sunday School
• · Vets/Church without walls
• · Calling as individuals and as a community
• · Martha—service; Mary—quiet, contemplative prayer; we need to hear (Mary), then act (Martha)
• · Hearing: volunteer corner; designate someone who can organize; lists of volunteer opportunities
• · Acting—vestry
• · What we’d like to see changed: don’t like the way the peace is done; too social and breaks up service; changes the mood
• · What we’d like to keep: choir; Bible Study; Contemplative Prayer; coffee hour; pot lucks
• · Book club; not necessarily religious books
• · How to attract young people

Notes from general conversation

• · Luke 10:38: Martha is always busy, can get distracted; Mary has chosen the better part—listening, which is itself an activity; need both
• · We are a Martha Church with a Mary heart
• · We should keep: music; good sermon; altar guild; Bible studies; CWW; children’s breakfast with Santa/egg hunt; veteran’s meals; thanksgiving in bulletins; gratitude expressed; Dovetale/coffee hour; Sunday School
• · We let go of VBS
• · We are doing enough; people need permission to say they are tired
• · Annual reports are chance to reflect our gratitude
• · Remember our blessings; small Church group; need active recruitment; be financially responsible
• · Are we open to surprise? Good people in the world, which is itself good; Jesus calls us out of our comfort zones; are we willing to hear the call and be healing presence in the world?
• · Vestry charged with listening; vestry is the “Mary” charged with making sure we are not over-extended
• · world is changing rapidly; example of the Grandparents Playgroup, which was response to need and has evolved over time; recognize when things are changing and we have to respond
• · there is nothing for teens and young adults; better for younger children and older adults
• · through many different pastors, we have maintained a sense of family; pastors have different styles of ministry
• · need to be open to new people and preserve family atmosphere; it is a balance; e.g. at coffee hour who speaks to whom
• · many are happy in our Church; we are organized and inclusive
• · always need to keep moving forward; our service to God should be and feel affirming
• · balance giving up things and taking on things; great when people step forward; sometimes we have to say no when we are invited to do something
• · ongoing discernment about keep things and letting go of things
• · honest conversation is important; graceful acceptance of others
• · pattern of ministry: listening, then doing, then reflecting and listening some more
• · ongoing spiritual practices help us slow down