MISSION AND MONEY IN MOTION TRINITY CHURCH RUTLAND JUNE 29, 2013
“What’s on the next page of the ever-unfolding story of our common life together as the Episcopal Church in Vermont?”
SUMMARIES OF TABLE DISCUSSIONS
Table 1:
How do you bring a “giving” energy into more of our life?
What does death (of a congregation) look like and what is resurrection (of a congregation)? Interfaith collaboration in responding to poverty and homelessness
Shelters for the homeless
Series of dialogues as congregations
Get involved in political actions
Cope with government and church insurance regulation
Make clear and simple our tent
Income inequality is a moral and therefore a religious issue?! Theme: 1% 99% the whole body Restructure at diocesan level
Radical welcome in a church
Table 2
Everything we do is a reminder of how we stay church
Re-packaging the church
COMMUNICATIONS is huge in current culture
Why do we need to do this? We respond but we are behind to start with! Diocese – Great Bishop. Still don’t get diocesan relationship
What is success? Can we do something without measuring it?
People are stressed
Whatever the Lord wants!
It is ok to fail
30 and below – not allowed to fail
Texting – we don’t read
Finding creative ways to open new ways of life (structure)
Membership is a post modern concept
“Church is called to lead from the margins”
Clarity about message and audience
We get struck – we need to break out of our ruts
Incursion into church by IRS
Next Page – it won’t be on Sunday at 10 am
When we GO OUT and connect it works!
Creating opportunities to experience the Holy
Communication with community at large. So Burlington
Video tape sermon
Table 3
Why do I need a church?
Blessing of the skis – or what else in the community Drug problems? Partnership among congregations Welcoming church-
The glory days are ahead of us
Diversity of community Dress Code I and II
Real Purpose: works or revival?
Who are ? people? Open eyes to Jesus
Infiltrate the community’
Where is the spirit pulling us?
Episcopal connections
Purpose
Organic desire to worship
Is so what is needed
Or is purpose to bring in $ and people Small church musician
People ties – who are your people? Circles outdoor circles of homeless
CLASH
Transgender community The crossing
Low hierarchy
Tank tope
Piercings Jeans Candles
Traditional structure Rite I II A<B<C<D
Hierarchy is less participatory, impose tope down What am I wearing this Sunday?
Childhood church white gloves
Finding a match -= next page?
More real radical hospitality
Table 4
Changing demographics
Are all covered if you think of all the parishes? Restructure diocese
Multi-congregations
Collaboration / multi diocese other denominations
Adaptation
Communication history: goal is growth
Welcome – invite – coming to be with you Episcopal Service Corps
Generations are lost
Retranslating money ? In flux
Learning from people in crisis
Don’t have wisdom war.
Can the church be the place for the BIG questions?
How do we honor the both/ and
Facilitating understanding of our journey as individuals to a common place Communication: work and deeds
$ In congregations
Hospice and birthing room
Who knows? God knows
Movement moving motion
Outward movement beyond our doors beyond welcoming in
We have more freedom than we take advantage of
Losing electronic/connected generations
Communication gaps
The root of the dandelion looks very different from the flower
What about collaboration with other groups in our community? Inter faith, etc.
Table 5
Two tracks that could cross: traditional, which some people need. Young people are drawn to tradition as well as action.
Envisioning the church of the 21st Century as more than being “walled” liturgy
Nature incarnational theology
Reality of small congregations Church as tomb- keeping the building alive
Part time priest = part time church?
What are implications of part time ministry?
Funding, sustainable, ministry, declining membership Function of church in small communities.
What can be done that is essentially different from social services? Family size is predominate
What is essential to be a priest?
Economic primacy
Declining? – increasing assessment
Sustainability
Desire clerical leadership
Educated laity
Cost effective – not sustainable.
Jesus to small groups
Future of Church in Vermont is less parochial more….. In common based on ministry – shared ministry
Part-time priest does not mean part time church
Hospice Birthing room Hospice: community $ maintenance trap walls
Birthing room
Fellow travelers, DNA flows, cellular migration, and no clue what’s on next page…? A cycle always something new
Same time as hospice? And/or what is the connection between the two?
Can the dying and inform each other?
See Christ on the face of the other
Tenants?
What commonalities in liturgies between hospice and birthing room?
Table 6
Headlines: WEAVING PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE; ROOT SALADE
AGING IS AN ASSET
GETTING OLDER IS JUST THE BEGINNING
AGING IS NEW BIRTH
ONE ON ONE CONVERSATOIN SHARPENS MISSIONAL IDENTITY
A church of courage! We can’t be afraid of failures
How do we turn our aging into an asset? Role of stirrings? What is the Alleluia Fund? Communication and Investment Death and Resurrection
What does it mean to be clear about where we are in congregational “life?”
Die to old structures? What does resurrection look like?
How do we encourage congregations to tell their stories of ministry, and new life?
Bullets like “Trinity Gifts and Spiritual Lifts” (name of gift shop)
How do we respond to demographics of Vermont?
One theme for mission? E.g. hunger, aging, children, drugs, guns distinct expression in every congregation Use process of One on One conversation to find theme that might unite us More collaboration with other organizations religious and secular
Website. Click on town. See picture and address of church
2 paths traditional and innovative
Episcopal Service Corps
Enhance identity as Episcopal Church in Vermont Alleluia Fund
Make donors feel recognized and appreciated Give donors a progress report
Beef up use of social media
Tour of Tiffany windows in Vermont churches
251 clubs. Have you worshipped here? Should we have a prophetic voice?
Cemeteries
Table 7
You don’t need Money to do ministry
Need to welcome everyone and really mean in
Building partnerships in the community
Structural/organizational envisioning?
Collaboration with other denominations
Be the church OUTSIDE the walls
Diocese of Vermont is vibrant and fresh
Question: how do we speak about God/faith/Jesus to children/youth/adults that have no experience with a faith community?
Let go of “preserving” “survival” of the church.
Meet people where they are.
Spirit in Nature – Bread loaf/Middlebury. Church connected to a trail
All Saint – “The chopetts” church – non-traditional time for unchurched kids.puppett theater and local TV reaching children and the unchurched
Media – You tube, face book, blogs
Bring faith communities together with social issues
Earth/nature/ compost – bring soil up to be blessed
Expand practice of worship
Pay attention to theological language which people can understand New criterion for how we judge of success
“lead from the margins”
Impact of “Irene”
Do not focus on 10 am Sunday morning
Be Christ centered
Practice reconciliation and baptismal vows
Break open peoples generous hearts
More cooperation less competition between congregations
Young adult ministry – listen to them
Table 8
Hospice for those cannot move forward Birthing room for new ministry
Less administration (teams boards, committees); more spirit, blow open notion of how we come together – diocese of Vermont – diocese of New England cross boundary with other denomination youth groups cultural groups
Headline – new ways inside new ways outside. . Church closings. How to be an Episcopalian in Vermont without being part of a church for those who have a commute.
Inequality national inters faith collation. Bishop curry; voices from the bottom up
How to deal with the media
Moral outrage
Present this to convention
Be church outside the walls
Prophetic voice in the world
The balance of past and future; death and resurrection hospice and birthing
Who Know? God! EXCITEMENT
Will people in the community join us and become givers? Perhaps to something like the Alleluia Fund?
Anxiety – what witness do we offer?
Time for new mission? Embrace our building? Balance tradition and innovation
Common life: are we too parochial?
Holy Spirit is working among us?
Church exchanges, encourage travel
Retranslating church: time to tell the story anew
Ecumenical embrace.
Episcopal Church in Vermont adds fourth leg – innovation – to Hooker’s stool
Table 9
Vermont youth speak – the Episcopal Church listens
History of diocese – the 251 club
12 apostles – the Episcopal Church sponsors: the Window club – Identity, economics, children The Episcopal Church puts mission first knowing that economics will follow.
Can’t pass the plate in the woods
Need new ways of being church
$from Unit Fund
Revise formula for assessment
Are we supporting one another as well as should post Irene
History and Technology; Tradition and Innovation
Building sacred space marker shelter