Attendees

5 St. Bartholomew's

2 St. Michaels

2 St. James

3 St. Barnabas

4 St. Francis

3 St. John the Baptist

1 St. Catherine's

4 All Saints Hillsboro

Roger brought the meeting to order starting at 2:45 P.M.

Personal introductions including Parishes were announced. News with in the parishes as follows: Some had great Youth Programs, explanations to parishioners of the changing of seasons and colors. Many are looking for interim Clergy. Christ Church and St. Gabriel's both have new Clergy. There is a refurbished organ at St. John the Baptist with a posted picture of 53 Acolytes! St. Bartholomew's is hosting "To live is to Pray", March 31, and April 1. April 8th is a Labyrinth day at St. Paul's, also a Labyrinth walk at OES every Tuesday at 6:30 P.M. in the lower gym. St. Benedict's Guild order of Religious orders is at St. John the Baptist Saturday before Palm Sunday.

Discussion:

What is Convocation? By Fr. Ted Rodrigues

Diocese

Work and Business

Gathering

Work before Convention

Ideas and Programs

Mutual support

Strength

Communication to convention for solutions

Basically about convention

Still in the formulation are Boundaries

a. Size

b. Location

Council happenings should be brought back to your own Parish and Vestry. These are open meetings and all information should be exchanged between churches what we are all doing.

A layperson is the President of the Convocation and also a Dean. He presides and prepares the agenda hold 3 meetings a year.

Nominations for President were open. Joe Schafer was nominated with a personal decline and stating maybe next year.

Program by Christina West "Visioning" - How are we living the vision?

What are we doing as stewards with the money we have?

Groups were divided into 4 or 5 with 15 minutes of private discussion and notes gathered by Christina. This brought forth terrific ideas. Our homework is to look into our own parish budget.

We have a web page from OES. It is our responsibility to spread the word to all to see it.

"We are leading the pack"! Christina West duly noted. "You don't have to be an expert on anything as long as you are praying enough"!

A committee was appointed to look into a realignment of boundaries, and should Tillamook and Manzanita come together? How do the coast parishes feel being split off into coast convocation? Please pray about this,

Roger will make a list of attendees today and distribute with the minutes.

What should we be doing? Our prayerful consideration is requested.

Convocation minutes and meetings should be posted in plain view at every parish.

The question still arose what a convocation really is. We have been meeting for 15 years w/o a job description. We need to define what we really are all about. Thoughts are:

1. We are a forum for convention with reporting to and from council.

2. We prepare a budget.

3. There is more to life than just going to church every day.

We all need to read the Canon's of the Episcopal Church.

The work of the diocese is more than just building a budget.

All delegates for convocation should stay in for at least 2 years.

All who went requested a debriefing of last convention. Ask the Diocese, and your last year's rep.

Convention update,

Breaking the mold was good, the Talks were good! Mark O. Hatfield was outstanding. Best worship ever! Fantastic, and too much for some!

St. Mathews was accepted into the Diocese.

Definitely needed improvement on snacks!

Did not like breaking into groups with ones we did not know.

Next convention is the 16, - 18th of November, 2000.

We need to meet before the next budget comes out. It was moved to meet May 20th in Newberg at St. Michael's. Another meeting will be at St. Bartholomew's June 25, 2:00 P.M. Reminder dates will be sent and maps and addresses will be supplied.

Many thank yous were given to the hosting church, St. Francis.

Respectfully and humbly submitted,

acting secretary Colleen Kelly-Ginter St. James Tigard