Formative Memories

            What brought you into a formal church?

• Getting married (to a church-goer)
• Feeling “in awe” – mystery
• Wife is a devoted Episcopalian; now a pattern of life
• Music – choirs
• Mother’s influence – thou shalt go…Now a part of my life

• Way of life; deep meaning; grounds my life
• Grew into church – I can still “taste” the memory
• Grew into church – announced the choir
• Opportunity for life-changing work
• Became a Christian from the Jesus movement; a Christian coffee house
• Celebration
• Sunday School; becoming close with the church and minister
• From Day 1: don’t know as much until I was absent  
• The “college sabbatical” – drawn back in

• Grew up near a cathedral; we were allowed as children to go in anytime and even play

Name today’s Church

• We are saddled with our “past”, what we were, rather than what we are

We don’t have kids; or a church school (like we used to)

• The Episcopal Church is dying—is in decline
• The sanctuary is the center of the church
• The whole campus is too big for today
• The wider Church is conflicted with a number of issues, not the least of which has been the issues around human sexuality
• Suffering – the Church is suffering; and we all react differently
• Conflict avoidance/indirect conflict – transference and projection
• We are a reflection of our greater community--“St. Transition”

• No parish is an island, within our community, within our diocese
• There are too many “turf battles”
• Tradition; but there are those for whom tradition drives them away

Definition of tradition:  change in continuity with the past

• We’re living in a changed culture; how do we interact without losing our roots and identity?
• Before the town crashed, St. John’s was a top resource; now we are in need as well
• We cannot care and nourish others until we are well nourished ourselves
• The liturgy gives us our energy for all that we do--Needing to come and be nourished

• We are a commuter church
• Christianity became an ethic; but it must be re-chimed as an encounter with God
• Church was a social norm and a social identity
• Was social life source
• Identity and image – critical issues
• How do we show that we care for one another?
• When key people are gone, the expectation to be cared for continues—someone needs to do this for me
• Church was life on Sundays
• Cultural changes:  weekend life; dual career families
• Rich tradition of scripture, reason, tradition and experience
• St. John’s “The Restless”--Growing pains/shrinking pains

• We need to be pro-active; rather than remaining reactive
• We’re not so unique with our issues
• Restlessness brings stress--With God’s peace this can be creative

• It’s hard for Episcopalians to be evangelistic

Inviting and incorporating others in—must begin with self-evangelizing

• St. John’s, the “apathetic”--Still unsure as to whom we are collectively
• We hide our “light”
• We are open, we are leaders--Who did Jesus “hang with?”

• We are not a joyful church right now
• I come to be renewed; this is my family--The family has changed

• No one talks--Even with opening-up – Where are the ones we’re trying to include?
• I need passion
• We are “liberal Catholics”
• Ministry programs (even Cursillo) has seen changes
• Rejection has been experienced by those who don’t fit our “norm”
• Why are prior members staying away? Are we doing something to alienate, or is it culture?

• What is success?

Future

            What do you want for your [the church’s] children?

                  Our children will most likely never be in this community

• Sanctuary – support – opportunity – contribution, a lived Baptismal covenant
• Church to be something that is meaningful--Relates to everyday life
• Care for me/take care of one another
• “Family” may need to be redefined in our mind or look for a different term

• Youth need to have friends here and have fun--What’s in it for youth?
• Familiarity and mentoring
• 20-somethings now in choir – they came with someone and had a way to plug-in
• Expand to several ways to plug-in
• High school youth group

Brainstorming for Guiding Concepts

            What do you need?    What do you value?   What do you treasure?

• Coffee hour before church--Expand after 8:00 a.m. service
• More social offerings
• More shared offerings
• Redefining “Success”
• Youth in-reach/outreach initiatives—a sense of purpose, caring for others

• Learn our basic beliefs and apply them

• Self-catechize
• Youth – youth ministry
• Christian ministry center
• Foster care outreach/ministry
• Find ways to accept and be happy with who we are (instead of what we’ve been or “should be”) Take away the stress and tension

• In-reach – community “calling” program