|
The Sunrise |
...at Episcopal Church of the Resurrection
Starkville, Mississippi
January, 2003
Rather than following the tradition of establishing resolutions for a new year, I ask you to prayerfully discern God's vision for Church of the Resurrection. This year proves acutely appropriate for this focus. First, you and I have just begun our shared ministry of being the Episcopal ministry of Christ's presence in Starkville and the surrounding area. Second, your Vestry has taken major steps to assess our current parish status and what lies ahead.
In late October seven folks representing Resurrection attended the Leap of Faith conference, which was targeted to "transitional parishes," those with 120 - 250 average Sunday attendance. With an average Sunday attendance of 140 -150, Resurrection fits into this category. Transitional parishes face several challenges. As attendance exceeds 100, demands on the facilities, volunteers, and clergy increase, exceeding the parish's capability to support its internal ministry (pastoral care, Christian formation, space and facility maintenance) and its external ministry (outreach/evangelism). However, the number of volunteers to serve as Vestry members, teachers, and active ministry committee members and the financial means to provide and maintain adequate facilities and staff does not increase sufficiently to meet the need until a parish reaches an average Sunday attendance of approximately 250.
In addition to the transitional issues, the reality of the world today is that larger churches are growing and smaller churches are losing membership or closing. For those who have been active in our Diocese, probably you can, as I can, name communities that once had Episcopal churches but that no longer exist, or can identify once thriving parishes or missions which now have less than 20 members and cannot afford recruiting a priest. Being a fan of Bob Dylan (I may dating myself by such a claim), I'll quote from one of his songs, "What ain't busy being born is busy dying." This quote definitely fits parishes. A parish cannot simply maintain. It must be about discerning God's vision for it and continually attracting new members, or it will die.
Even without the insights gained from this conference, both your past and current Vestries have recognized the need to address the problems encountered as a transitional parish. Therefore, starting three years ago, the Vestry began a process of assessing how various ministries are coordinated within the parish. However, the rector vacancy and search process diverted some of the attention and efforts. Both during the process of my being called as your rector and since this conference, your Vestry has begun to place a high priority on determining how best to proceed through this transitional parish status. I outline below some areas of significance.
First, one of the key difficulties in a transitional parish is that parish lay leaders over extend themselves by serving on the Vestry and taking leadership roles in the various parish ministries. To better use our lay leadership, the Vestry has approved for your consideration an amendment to the parish by-laws reducing the number of Vestry members from 9 to 6. If approved, this change will be phased in over the next two years, only electing two members each year, while each of the 6 existing Vestry members will serve the remaining 1 or 2 years of their terms. The goal will be to have the Vestry focus less on day-to-day operation and more on setting the vision for the parish and longer range planning for the future and by reducing the number of Vestry persons, have those who would normally serve on the Vestry to take leadership roles in implementing the various ministries of the Parish. A retreat is scheduled for February 14 & 15, to include the Vestry and various committee/ministry chairs/coordinators, with the goal of better articulating our vision, establishing the strategy to accomplish it, and identifying those who will be responsible for the implementation.
Second, your Vestry, at its December meeting, approved the 2003 budget that results in having to use approximately $28,000 of reserve funds. Your Vestry did not make this decision lightly. We celebrated the success of next year's pledge campaign. We had 11 new pledges, and 48 households increased their pledges, with a total pledge increase of almost $30,000. However, due to general inflation and the necessity of adequate maintenance, a balanced budget could not be reached without reducing staff or cutting salaries. If Resurrection is to grow, which will ultimately be necessary to balance the budget without such cutbacks, we must attract new members. Therefore, even though it means using reserves funds, your Vestry included in the budget additional funds for building and grounds maintenance and additional nursery staff.
Third, Resurrection must continually assess how it can better attract those outside the church to hear the Good News and to deepen their faith through the ministries of Church of the Resurrection. To quote William Temple (past Archbishop of Canterbury), "The Church exists for those who are not its members." We are called by Christ to always be drawing others. One of the traps of "church" is to become complacent as long as we are comfortable at the worship service and have a priest come visit us when needed. However, Church is much more than this. Part of the strategies I hope to have come out of our Vestry/Leadership retreat is how do we better attract and welcome others.
Finally, each of us needs to discern what we have to offer to Resurrection. Bishop Gray often quotes his grandfather (Bishop Gray, I), "These are the times made for we people, and we are the people made for these times." God has a vision for and is prepared to accomplish miracles through the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, and God has equipped each of us with the gifts necessary for bringing the vision into reality. We cannot do it without God, and God will not do it without us. Please prayerfully consider how your gifts can be used: on the Vestry, teaching Sunday school, in the worship, in pastoral care, in outreach, in inviting and welcoming newcomers, through financial support, in praying for your parish.
Thank you for allowing me to serve as your rector. Please prayerfully consider the issues I have raised.
Christ's
Peace,
Fr. Bill
P.S. I apologize for the length of this entry. It far exceeds my norm, but I consider the topic to warrant it.
SUNRISE NEWS & EVENTS
January, 2003 Newsletter
WORSHIP SCHEDULE:
SUNDAY:
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I
9:15 a.m. Sunday School
10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II (Nursery)
WEDNESDAY: 7:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist preceded by Dinner at 6:00 p.m.
THURSDAY: 12:05 p.m. Healing & Holy Eucharist followed by "Dutch treat" lunch
SCHEDULE CHANGE ON JANUARY 12: The worship service Sunday the 26th will be at 9:30 a.m. There will be no 8:00 or 10:30 services that day. The Annual Parish Meeting will follow the 9:30 service (approximately 10:30 a.m.) Following the meeting there will be a catered lunch in the Parish Hall.
NURSERY - There is a list by the door in the nursery...please sign in when you leave you child. Thanks to all who helped in the nursery in December!
DIOCESAN COUNCIL - The deadline for Council Registration at the $60 rate is January 6th . Council is in Biloxi and we have reserved a block of rooms at the Biloxi Beachfront Hotel adjacent to the Convention Center at $79 per night. Call the hotel at 1-800-441-0882 and ask for Brenda to make your reservation in the Resurrection Block. Ellen Newsom is handling Council reservations. Please get your check for $60 per person to her by January 1st so she can get them sent in. After that date feel free to send in our own reservation. In addition to the services and meetings on Friday evening and Saturday, on Sunday The Rite Reverend Duncan M. Gray 111 will be installed as Bishop of Mississippi! Watch the Mississippi Episcopalian for details.
ORDINATION - Our own Diane Livingston will be ordained to the order of deacon on January 4th at St. Andrews Cathedral in Jackson. All in the parish are invited and encouraged to attend! Please keep Diane in your prayers.
ST. MARTHA'S GUILD will meet Monday, January 6th (Epiphany!) for fellowship and a brown bag lunch at 12:30 p.m. in the Student Center. Visitors are always welcome.
EPIPHANY SERVICE - The Feast of the Epiphany will be celebrated with a Eucharist in the church on Monday, January 6th at 5:30 p.m. in the church. This is your chance to sing "We Three Kings!"
ADULT CHRISTIAN FORMATION - On Sunday, January 12, at 9:15 a.m., we will discuss interests and suggestions for adult Christian formation and study. We will be discussing possibilities for our Adult Sunday Class and a possible evening Lenten study. Plan to come to offer your recommendations. If you have any suggestions for study materials, please forward them to Fr. Bill.
BAPTISM SUNDAY - Sunday, January 12th (Baptism of our Lord) is the next scheduled day for baptisms. Anyone desiring to be baptized, having a child baptized or reaffirming his/her baptism should contact Fr. Bill.
SECOND SUNDAY SHARING January 12th. Non perishable food items will go to the community food pantry. Please remember those who are hungry.
COMMITTEE REPORTS - Please submit all reports to be included in the Annual Parish Report to the Church Office by January 14th . To make the best use of our Annual Parish Meeting, we want to have the Report available on January 19th for those who would like to review it in advance.
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE is January 16th.
NAME TAG SUNDAY is January 26th. Please wear a NAME TAG so the 8:00 a.m. folks and 10:30 a.m. folks can all get better acquainted at the special 9:30 a.m. Eucharist!
VESTRY/JUNIOR & SENIOR WARDEN NOMINATIONS NEEDED From Fr. Bill: The Vestry helps discern the vision toward which God is drawing the parish, articulates and communicates the vision to the parish, holds the community accountable for the realization of that vision, and keeps the mission of the church and that of the parish clearly before the parish community. Vestry members serve as models and leaders through prayer, financial support, active participation in worship and life of the parish, attendance of Vestry meetings and Vestry/Leadership Retreat (scheduled for February 14 & 15), offering their time and talents, and commitment to the parish vision. Vestry election is not a popularity contest. Vestry election is a discerning of what gifts and leadership talents are needed by the parish and who best has those gifts and talents and is most willing to use them to lead the parish at this time. Please prayerfully consider submitting nominations for the elections at the Annual Parish Meeting the names of individuals who you discern models the above Vestry member characteristics and will seriously fulfill the above Vestry tasks. If you discern a call to serve on the Vestry and are not approached about being nominated, please mention this to Fr. Bill. All nominations are due by Thursday, January 16. The Wardens are elected each year for one year terms with a maximum of three consecutive terms. Mary Lee Beal and Douglas Crawford are both eligible for reelection as Senior Warden and Junior Warden.
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING JANUARY 26TH from Fr. Bill: None of us likes to have the times of our worship service changed. However, in hopes of getting maximum participation at the Annual Parish Meeting and making it as convenient to both those who normally attend either the 8:00 a.m. service or the 10:30 a.m. service, we are doing just that. On Sunday, January 26, we will have only one worship service. We will have Holy Eucharist at 9:30 a.m., followed by the annual parish meeting (approximately 10:30 a.m., followed by a catered lunch (approximately 11:30 a.m., for around $5 per person). Please note this change in the worship schedule, plan to attend the Annual Parish Meeting, and sign up by January 20th (or call the Parish Office) if you plan to have the lunch.
GOOD NEWS! -The new parish directories are ready! Pick up yours in the narthex or at the church office.
STEWARDSHIP -The numbers have been tallied and the budget prepared to present at the Annual Meeting. Here is an interesting breakdown: 48 pledges increased, 32 pledges stayed the same, 9 decreased, 11 new pledges, and 10 pledges lost for a total pledged amount of $203,021.
HONDURAS MISSIONS SUPPORT - For the past several years this parish has actively supported participation in the Honduras Medical and Building Missions. We sponsored the Medical Mission in 1998 and 1999 and Roger Clapp represented our church last year. Building Mission teams from Resurrection have worked in San Pedro Sula, Honduras for the past three years. Last year, the Building Mission received a donation that assisted with the costs of sending six students. These trips, even though spiritually rewarding, are financially expensive, costing around $1100-$1200 per person for transportation, food, spartan accommodations, and required shots. The Church would like to establish a support fund to assist, and hopefully sponsor, people in these worthy outreach programs. If you are interested in contributing to these funds, please place your designated gift in the alms basin or bring it by the church office.
COLUMBARIUM REPORT from David VanLandingham: Despite the rain the concrete has been poured. Block and brick work will begin when weather permits. Parents - please keep your children away from the site and bricks. Construction sites are dangerous. It is very likely that the area will be muddy and slippery until spring."
OUTREACH REPORT from David Foote: Special thanks are due to the many people who contributed so generously to our families at Thanksgiving and Christmas. For Thanksgiving, we delivered turkeys and groceries to our adopted families. For our annual Angel Tree outreach, Marianne Crowell and Mike Vance helped us identify four families with whom we could share Christmas. It is both joyful and sobering to know that the children in these families would not have opened presents on Christmas morning without our help. The Outreach Committee will meet in mid-January to plan activities for the coming year. Please come and share your ideas for outreach activities with us. If you would like to join the committee and/or suggest ideas for outreach activities, contact David Foote (320-4777; foote@ra.msstate.edu).
THANKS - Your generous Christmas gift both overwhelmed and humbled us. Thank you. Bill & Diane
THANKS TO OUR BELL RINGERS! Resurrection folks made a good showing on our bell ringing day for the Salvation Army. Thanks to Mary Frances Brady for setting this up, and to the bell ringers: James and Jean Newman, Ren Crowell, Gretchen and Peyton Passons, Tracy Stebbins, Debbie Nettles, Diane Livingston, Melinda Gwin, Jeanne and Tommy Wakeman, Holly Potts, Leanne Fazio, Leigh and Claire Crawford, Mike Vance, and W.F. Wheatley III.
MORE THANKS The Parish Life Committee and Babs Deas, chair of the festive Lessons and Carols Reception, would like to thank those who helped make the event such a success. Those who brought food or helped are Jean Little, Susie Owings, Mary Frances Brady, Alice Jones, Julie Baca, Beth Callahan, Nancy Christiansen, Donna Stark Elizabeth Yarborough, Margaret King, and Sue Bell. Special thanks to Ann McVey, Holly Potts and Susan Hill for helping set up and clean up. The event was especially beautiful and well attended. Thanks to one and all!
SILENT AUCTION NEWS from Babs Deas: We have a few items let from the silent auction still at the church. They include: 3 lamps, 2 ceramic pheasants, paper towel holder, grey dress purse, ceramic bowl, ceramic mallard duck, small lobster bowl, 3 CD's of Starkville High Chorus, Cat photo frame, kitty sharpening claws figurine and Lennox cat on pillow figurine. If any of these belong to you, please call the church office and let us know what you would like done with these items. If you would like to purchase any of the above, this is your last chance! January 15 we will donate these items to the Palmer Re-Sale Shop.
ALTAR GUILD ALERT -There will be an Altar Guild meeting in February for present and prospective members. Watch for details!
CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES -How would you like to be guaranteed a specific return on your cash or other investment securities, possibly by-pass capital gains and estate or gift taxes, receive a charitable income tax deduction, and financially support the Church of the Resurrection? A charitable Gift Annuity may help you accomplish each of these goals. It was through such a gift that Resurrection now has the Alice Franks Sacristy. You can determine if such a gift could benefit you and Resurrection by calculating your potential benefits at www.EpiscopalFoundation.org. If you are interested in a Charitable Gift Annuity, please let Fr. Bill know.
FAITHLIFT 2003-A WOMEN'S RETREAT -Is a 24 hour women's retreat on February 7-8 at Starkville's First United Methodist Church. For details see the flier on the bulletin board.
DAILY LECTIONARY - For those who read The Daily Office or who like to read the daily lectionary (a great companion to the Forward Day by Day) visit www.missionstclare.com.
YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR.... Lorenzo Crowell and LaVora Williams as they undergo treatment, Rae Brandon as she recuperates from a broken leg, Susie Owings as she recovers from a broken pelvis and Carolyn Crowder as she recovers from a broken arm.
CONGRATULATIONS to former parishioners Matt, Heather and Varland Owens on the birth of their son/brother, Harrison Shaw Owens on December 9th.
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS -The following folks have birthdays in January...
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1
Susan Clark |
12
Bill Stark |
18
Maggie Hollister |
WORTH CONSIDERING - A parishioner in another church always writes this little verse on her annual pledge card. "If I should die before I wake, my estate my pledge will make." This is her way of indicating to her church that her will contains a bequest that will continue her annual support after her death. Have you remembered the church in your will?
DIOCESAN NEWS AND EVENTS: MISSISSIPPI DAY - Plans are underway for the celebration of Mississippi Day at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. on April 27th. Want to carry the Resurrection Banner? See folder on bulletin board! All Mississippians will have reserved seating. Special travel packages have been arranged which include airfare, lodging, and charter bus transportation.
LOOKING AHEAD
- February 7-9 - Diocesan Council on the Gulf Coast
- February 9 - The retiring of Bishop Marble and Investiture of The Rt. Rev. Duncan M. Gray III as Diocesan Bishop of Mississippi
- February 14-15- Vestry/Leadership Retreat
- February 28 - Retirement dinner for Bishop Marble
- March 2 - Seating of Bishop Gray at St. Andrew's Cathedral.
- April 27 - Mississippi Day at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.