Wooded Glen Retreat and
Participants:
Present: The
Rev. J. Edward Morris, The Rev. Emily Schwartz, Jim Barnes,
Excused: Athans Adoki, Molly Isaacs-McLeod
Friday, February 6:
The vestry retreat for 2009 began with the members arriving at Wooded Glen Retreat Friday afternoon for registration, a social time, and dinner.
Following dinner we gathered for the evening orientation and team building session. Larry Frederiksen organized a game whereby each member wrote down ten facts about one’s self. The facts would range from very obscure to something so unique or obvious that most people would be able to guess who that person was. As Larry read the facts for each person, the members would note when they had guessed or deduced the vestry member being described. The sooner the name was correctly guessed, the lower the score. Lowest score wins. Fr. Ned had the lowest score overall. [It is fitting that he knows us best of all. A good shepherd knows his flock.]
Marsha Webb facilitated a “True Colors” team building session. Each member was asked to identify with one of four sets of personal and leadership styles. The four styles were associated with the colors orange, blue, green, and gold – orange having the least structured personality and gold having the most structured. Blue and green were somewhere between orange and gold, with each group having their own descriptive traits. Each participant selected their dominate color followed by the other three colors in the order of the next closet set. Participants with like colors would work together to derive a short list of characteristics with regard to their strengths, their weaknesses, and relationship with the other groups.
Both exercises were fun and, at the same time, enlightening.
Fr. Ned asked us to relate significant "transformations" in our lives and the opportunities they offered for increased insight, strengthening faith, and experiencing meaning. Several people, including Fr. Ned, gave examples of such "transformative" experiences in their own lives.
The Friday session ended with Fr. Ned officiating Compline.
Saturday, February 7:
The Rev. Emily Schwartz officiated Morning Prayer.
After breakfast, the group gathered to review and discuss the state of the church. Before the session got underway, Fr. Ned announced that the staff would not be able to attend due to a hazardous road condition near the lodge.
Fr. Ned reviewed
the Report of the Annual Congregational Meeting of
o Average Sunday attendance or ASA is 175.
o There are 460 baptized members on record.
o ASA, not total membership, determines the number of allotted deputies at the Diocesan Convention.
o Having three services in the summer increased the overall attendance.
o Having
a
o The
o The
o 119
baptized communicants who are not registered members attended services at
How do we increase
ASA? How do we overcome the fact our church is located in an urban setting
where parishioners will pass other [more convenient] Episcopal churches on
their way to
Larry Frederiksen spoke about stewardship. In 2007 99.8% honored their pledges. In 2008 95% of the canvas goal was met and of those who pledged, 97% honored their pledges. 166 units pledged in 2007, 158 units pledged in 2008, and 154 unit pledged for 2009. Fewer units are pledging, but larger amounts are pledged per unit. From 2000 through 2008, the average pledge per unit has increased from approximately $1500 to $2400.
There are some who neither pledge nor give and there are others who do not pledge but give to the church anyway. These are known to the stewardship chair and the bookkeeper. How do we approach these parishioners to make pledges? Some members are unhappy with the way the church operates or they with the way services are conducted. It could be the burning of incense or the singing of unfamiliar hymns. Yet many of the same members pledge and give.
Increases in the number adult and teen baptisms and confirmations are indicators of a growing congregation.
We have experienced
good participation with all of our ministries. We need more consistent
leadership with committee chairs. Parishioners sign the Time and Talent sheets
and then nothing happens. Committee chairs need to
follow up and actively engage volunteers. The Committee Chair Workshop is
rescheduled for Saturday, February 14,
Pastoral
Ministries:
Outreach: How do we
increase or extend our outreach to the community? The Food Pantry and the
Dorothy Jones Clothes Closet are up and running. Our outreach partners which
received grants in 2008 include: Help Ministries of
Intergenerational
service followed by a dinner. A
Habitat for Humanity: All members of the vestry should participate in a project.
Communication is the key to a strong outreach program – phone calls, bulletin board, email, quest book, etc.
Marsha Webb passed out surveys for evaluating this retreat. This year, the surveys are to be completed and turned in before leaving.
Before breaking for lunch, the Holy Eucharist was celebrated. Rev. Emily Schwartz gave the homily.
Fr. Ned mentioned
the Center for Action and Contemplation located in
Emily is chair of Pastoral Care.
The vestry committee liaison sign-up sheet was passed around.
The Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee is co-chaired by Sally Reisz and John Bugbee.
Discussion of the previous capital campaign effort:
o The
Covenant Group Survey Report Summary of Findings was included in the Annual
Congregational Meeting booklet of
o The
report stated that
o The
report concluded with a recommendation that
o The cost for the Covenant Group’s preliminary and survey work was $15,000.
o On
o In commenting on the decision not to proceed with the Capital Campaign, Fr. Morris made the following observations:
o The decision not to proceed was probably fortuitous since an adequate plan had not been articulated, e.g., a lack of clearly-identified priorities steps and action sequences, a lack of architect’s drawings of physical plant alterations, a lack of identified intra-parish leaders, etc.
o Despite the decision not to proceed, some key improvements/actions have already been accomplished, e.g., major development of the churchyard in the form of Sammy’s Playground and fencing of the Burial Ground; engaging the Rev. Emily Schwartz as a full-time assistant clergy member; development of a Children’s Choir; and other capital improvements.
A capital campaign is too big an endeavor for just one or two committee chairs. To help the next capital campaign succeed, the Vestry members will assume leadership roles and point persons for different phases of capital improvement.
o Noel Booker has agreed to chair the Long Range Planning Committee and Vestry Member Dorn Crawford will assist as liaison with the vestry.
o Presently, the long range projects and their respective lead persons can be listed as follows:
1. Elevator—Michael Hensley
2. Stained Glass Windows—Will Cary and Larry Frederiksen
3. Foyer Redesign—Frank Pierce to do drawings
4. Restoration of the Large Paintings in the Choir—
5. Parish Hall/Kitchen Renovation—Ginger Ray
6. Repair
Wall Plaster—
7. Redesign South Ramp—Ruth Robins with Frank Pierce
8. Office
Space Expansion –
9.
10. Parking Lot—
11. Library Windows—
o These
projects have not been laid out in terms of drawings, priority, sequence
schedules, activities, costs or means of communication with the
o Dedicate the long range planning efforts to the memory and expertise of the late Kate Crawford.
o The apparent key tasks for the Long Range Planning Committee appear to be as follows:
1. Review the current version of the Calvary Long Range Plan.
2. Update and synchronize the Long Range Plan document with the Calvary Strategic Plan.
3. Link these documents with the Sesquicentennial Committee’s plans.
4. Ensure that there is a system-level analysis and logic model that connects all relevant planning efforts.
5. Identify priorities among the projects.
6. Lay out a cycle and communicate, communicate, communicate!
John Bugbee will coordinate Sesquicentennial Committee efforts with those of Long Range Planning.
The next Vestry retreat will be planned by Molly Isaacs-McLeod and Ruth Robins.
This retreated
ended approximately