Sunset Convocation Meeting Minutes

August 11, 2002

St. Bartholomew, Beaverton

 

Attendees:

All Saints - Bill Whipple, Katherine Porter

Christ Church - JoAnn Leach

St Barnabas - Cynthia Reynolds, Ted Rodrigues, Sheila Doughtery,  Mark Mahon

St. Bartholomew - Roger Reynolds, Janet Roth

St. Bede - Mies Monsantofils, Scott Richards

St. Catherine -

St Francis - KoKo Sutton

St John the Baptist - Valerie Ambrose, Pat Morris-Rader, Miki Grove

St Michael/ San Miguel - George Hemingway, Linda Selye

Absent: St. Alban, St. Gabriel, St. James, San Pablo

 

President Cynthia Reynolds opened with prayer.

 

All Saints:  Pancake supper in June made $85.00; another planned for September; rummage sale 8/17; send off for Christina Van Liew going to General Seminary; 8/24 Lector training; Adult ed classes continuing; parish campout over Labor Day; EFM in the fall; 150th anniversary in September but will celebrate at patronal feast; in consortium with other churches to do blood drives; 9/4 (9/14??)spiritual gifts workshop with Fr Chris; spaghetti supper coming 10/12.

Christ Church:  All parish picnic in progress at OES; trying to do intergenerational intercongregational things; lots of childrens’ programs; starting an elder care program; reactivating Stephen Ministries; recovery ministry very active and working with Oregon Partnership (who supply free resources); asking for prayers for Sarah Roberts and family who are members and trying very hard.

St. Barnabas:  Yesterday took 14 kids (6-10 years old) and 7 adults to the Enchanted Forest; yesterday was also gardening and yard work day; 10/6 Bishop Ladehoff’s last official visit; 10/12 six month lead in to 50th anniversary which will be celebrated on patronal feast in June; 8/25 neighborhood/community bike rodeo; new newsletter and website editors/managers; July sleepover for 6-10 year olds went well; next month taking older children to the African Arts Festival; working on ministry ideas for homeless youth; confirmation class starting this month; lay preachers active (monthly); potluck for SS planning; may look into Godly Play;  monthly potluck/presentations continue (note: WTH very responsive to invitations).

St. Bartholomew:  new icons arrived; church campout last week at Silver Creek Falls; successful VBS 60 kids (32 of whom where preschool), 19 teen helpers, 15 or so adults; patronal feast end of August with men’s choir ; combined choir events in June with St. John’s were wonderful.

St. Bede:  week long campout at Cape Lookout;  gearing up for fall; continuing Godly Play.

St. Catherine:  trying new schedule 8a and 9:30a;  10th annual beach Eucharist was Friday with 75 people; preparing for the celebration of new ministry of Fr. Paul Bartholemy to be held at the parish property.

St. Francis:  Four members at organizational meeting at Triangle Lake for prison ministry-  turnout exceeded expectations; Coffee Creek quilting ministry needs fabric;  one room school house on church property being repainted for middle school/ high school use;  a parish Eagle Scout did a pet cemetery as his project;  in July and August have had breakfast between services; Godly Play class in the fall to certify instructors; one day orientation / training for people wanting to volunteer in prisons coming up.

St. John the Baptist:  Deacon Pat Morris married Don Rader;  patronal feast celebrated in June; 3 people going to the Godly Play workshop;  starting a visiting guild; starting a youth choir which will rehearse on a weeknight and will offer a concurrent adult ed offering;  OES constructing an outdoor labrynth; one Friday per month are having an intergenerational event; volunteer “wackers and hackers” group formed to do yard care for parishioners who can’t or can’t afford yard work; search committee will be handing a “short list” to the vestry by the end of the month; 10/26 annual parish meeting auction.

St. Michael/San Miguel:  7/14 church picnic with about 100 people; 2 bilingual weddings; 8/19 beginning Son Creek Junction VBS;  8/18 liturgical training class for worship ministries; 8/25 ? newcomers’ celebration; beginning class on church history – the beginning to the great schism; ongoing visioning process has started putting ideas on paper; four pastoral care teams active; next convocation meeting at San Miguel’s with dinner and party; at the end of the month the rector will have been here a year?

 

 

Diocesan Council Report - JoAnn Leach, Christ Church

The suggestions from the last convocation meeting came to the council after their meeting so any suggestions about budget changes will need to be presented at convention.  Any changes proposed must include where the money is going to come from as well as suggestions about what needs to be better funded.

The new balanced budget should be on line at the diocesan website.  Major changes made in balancing the proposed budget:  New congregation reserve was cut 15,000.00;  reserve was cut 10,000.00;  Diocesan Newsletter staff cut 10,000.00;  prison ministry cut to 4650.00;  Convocations funding cut 7000.00;  General services cut to  98,000.00;  Hispanic ministry cut 33,000.00.

Explanation for Hispanic Ministry cuts: Last year’s (2001) Hispanic Ministry program money didn’t get used due to staff changes. This year (2002) there has been a lot of spending on leadership training especially among the youth.  Also has to do with the funding of George Hemingway’s position / various positions in the diocese which come from a number of sources.  It was suggested that carrying a vision of mission development can help reenergize the church and thus help solve budget problems.

Diocesan Missioner question:  The diocese needs to honor their commitment to compensate Reg Rodman for 2003/ 2004 as contracted.  He is now on diocesan staff.  The position and diocesan needs are being researched for possible use in rethinking the position after the commitment to Reg Rodman is over.

 

Ministry to End Racism

Reports are not to be philosophical statements, but reports of WHAT is being currently done.  Some parishes report that they will not be doing reports.

 

Department of Congregational Development

Cynthia asked for volunteers beyond the Convocation president and dean  to act as semi permanent liaisons between this group and the convocation.

The DCD is trying to rethink and redefine itself.  It had ceased to be a “think tank for strategy” and had become a “pass through.”  They spent the last meeting looking at education needs and how to reengage congregations  in the process of re-visioning themselves.  After they met the DCD found that they weren’t quite clear as clear about these things as they originally thought.  The next meeting should involve further clarification.  Need to increase the coordination of various diocesan commissions for a shared vision (which should include– congregational development, congregational redevelopment, stewardship, multicultural considerations, total ministry).

The next DCD meeting is Sat 9/21 in Corvallis at Good Samaritan 9a-3p.  Interested people should contact Cynthia Reynolds for more information / carpooling etc.

 

Nomination Committee - Ted Rodrigues

Ample numbers of candidates for Standing Committee and Diocesan Council.   It was felt by the committee that there was not sufficient information about either the Board of Trustees or OES for the committee to know what gifts are needed by people serving in those capacities.  The suggestion was made for these candidates to be somehow identifiable during convention before elections.

 

Reminders:

Next convocation meeting is at St. Michael/San Miguel, Newberg on Sunday, September 29 at 2:00 p.m.  St. Michael the Archangel Feast Day celebration and dinner to follow, all are invited to stay and enjoy.

Make your room reservations for Convention in Roseburg Nov. 14-16.  (The convention hotel is full.)  Roger Reynolds suggested that there are also hotels in Sutherland, about 10 miles away.

Cynthia would like to try to get the convocation delegates together for lunch on Friday as done last year.

The idea of working on a Convocation Mission Statement has been postponed pending the incoming bishop's vision and direction for convocation work.

 

The meeting closed in prayer led by Deacon Roger Reynolds.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Janet Roth