Shaping the Parish™

In the Parishes  

Short updates on parishes using Shaping the Parish resources

This past Sunday, among other things, we celebrated the feast day of St. Augustine of Canterbury, our patron saint. It was also the day we chose to ‘kick-off’ our congregation’s transition from ‘the old into the new’ with the start-up of the Shaping the Parish initiatives. I have been working the theme of our ‘transition into the future’  time into the last two Sunday sermons I’ve given, preparing folks for the STP team to become more visible leaders/facilitators in that process.

 

After worship this past Sunday, Pam and Bruce did a great job of introducing Shaping the Parish and the first two initiatives that we have chosen to take on…the Daily Office and Eucharistic Practice. We had a solid, very interested and engaged group of about 15 (very good for memorial day weekend!)…a good mix of old-timers and new members. This coming Sunday, the team will take the sermon time and a session after coffeehour for reflection and more engagement with the Daily Office initiative.

 

Now that we have some momentum going, I can say I am very pleased with how the team of 3 + me is beginning to gel and work together. We have met several times, communication is clear, responsibilities and tasks shared, and all have taken on the challenge/invitation of praying the daily office in their own lives as a committed first step. I am very pleased!!

 

Many thanks to you both, as always, for your vision and support through all this. St. A’s is doing well! Thanks be to God!

 

Hope to connect with you the next time you’re in town…if not before.

 

Martha+ 

Three parishes in the Diocese of California

There are three parishes from the diocese partcipating in the national Shaping the Parish: St. Augustine’s, Oakland, St. Alban’s, Brentwood, and  St. George’s, Antioch. St. Alban’s and St. George’s are an Area Ministry team. All parishes in the diocese are being invited to participate in such teams.

The Area Ministry program in the Diocese of California is a new effort of collaboration between parishes embedded in the local community. It seeks increased justice, parish vitality, spiritual life, inclusiveness and use of the resources and values of organization development.  Our sense is, that while it uses some ideas and language that differ from what’s used in Shaping the Parish, the two are compatible efforts. They strive for the same thing. Each appears to have strengths that fit easily with those of the other. 

Our reaction to the Diocese’s material was how congruent Shaping the Parish is with the stated objectives, values, and aims of the Diocese.  They don’t use the same language system and there are places we believe Shaping the  Parish will offer more, but most of it seems very much in line with what we’re doing.  

What Shaping the Parish may offer that adds to the diocese’s approach is:
1. More timely and thourogh support.
2. Keeping their efforts grounded in Anglican pastoral theology.
3. Helping them be truly strategic.
4. Addressing the issues  of emotional and social intelligence involved in change and leadership.
5. Providing the needed training and coaching in change theory and methods

In terms of “emerging church,” we find it fascinating that  both the Diocese and Shaping the Parish draw on many of the same people. Brian McLaren’s major point is that the Episcopal Church is already very good at what many of the emerging church advocates are suggesting.  They have also emphasized that emerging church does, in fact, take place within the four walls, as well as in other places. One helpful perspective from our tradition is the distinction between the “congregation” and the “parish.”  The parish church has not traditionally been simply about what takes place in the the building or with the congregation—it has specifically been concerned with both the congregation and the wider boundaries and concerns of the people and things around it.

Brian McLaren, in talking about the “Episcopal Moment,” emphasized that one of our major gifts is a tradition that “predates and transcends the conflict between liberal and conservative.”  He talks about learning how to differ, and tradition with innovation.  His call to action is to “Join Jesus in being an agent with God of transforming and healing the world.”  He calls on the church to create “safe spaces” where people can learn to know God and develop ways of learning to be those partners with God.  A key problem, of course, is that we may know where we want to go but not how to get there.  Shaping the Parish embraces these aims and says, “do these particular things in a strategic way and in way that takes your culture and circumstances seriously,” “identify your strengths and build on them,” “teach about the tradition, build competence,” “generate awareness of baptismal identity and how we are salt, light and leaven in the world.” 

A quote from Ian Mobsby seems helpful both in clarifying what emerging church aims to do and in highlighting that this is congruent with Shaping the Parish: 

“Whereas the heady polarities of our day seek to divide us into an either-or camp, the mark of the emerging Church will be its emphasis on both-and. For generations we have divided ourselves into camps: Protestants and Catholics, high church and low, clergy and laity, social activists and personal piety, liberals and conservatives, sacred and secular, instructional and underground. It will bring together the most helpful of the old and best of the new, blending the dynamic of a personal Gospel with the compassion of social concern. It will find its ministry being expressed by a whole people, wherein the distinction between clergy and laity will be that of function, not of status or hierarchical division. In the emerging Church, due emphasis will be placed on both theological rootage and contemporary experience, on celebration in worship and involvement in social concerns, on faith and feeling, reason and prayer, conversion and continuity, the personal and the conceptual.”

Lenten Retreat Diocese of West Virginia

We conducted a Lenten retreat based on the spiritual map used in the In Your Holy Spirit books: Weekly & Daily grounding in Eucharist and Office; Integration in Reflection & Community, and Service.

There were a bit more than 30 participants from several parishes in the diocese. Two of the parishes have also been using Michelle Heyne’s IYHS book for their Lenten program. Each parish has had over 25 participants. The schedule included an experiential training on engaging the Eucharist, doing the Office together, and in response to presentations time for participants to be alone, talk in a group or meet with a priest. There were a number of significant moments. Several people were especially touched by the process Michelle introduced to connect the Eucharist with baptism and the sign of the cross. She had people come forward to the font two by two, dip a hand into the holy water, and bless themselves. This was done in a contemplative manner with all remaining silent and offering intercession for those at the font.

 

More information on the retreat and the advance reading.

From St. John’s, Charleston newsletter - on the retreat and a follow up program

Saint Augustine’s Church, Oakland, CA

Michelle and Bob spent a weekend with the vestry at the CDSP campus in Berkeley. Father Monrelle Williams, the rector, has registered for Shaping the Parish, Seattle. Others on the vestry are exploring whether to join him in Seattle or create a back-home team for Fr. Williams to work with on the developmental initiatives. 

The weekend was notable for its laughter, thoughtfulness, and honesty. We prayed the Office and ate chili, we assessed parish life and looked at trends, we explored spiritual practices and spoke of what we loved.

We were especially moved as people spoke of what they loved about their parish, about being Episcopalians, and about being an historic African American Church—liturgy, diversity, social justice, the living of a heritage of respect for elders and watching out for one another.

St. Augustine’s Church has a rich history of justice ministries and innovative community involvement. The parish has described itself as being “on a continual journey toward spiritual maturity.”  

St. Margaret’s Church, DC: Lenten Program

St. Margaret’s is one of many parishes using Michelle’s In Your Holy Spirit: Traditional Spiritual Practices in Today’s Christian Life as the basis for their Lenten Program. The flyer.

 Here’s the same use at Trinity Church, Seattle

Christ Church, Kensington, MD

Christ Church has a team of seven parctipating in Shaping the Parish in the Diocese of Washington. The parish is also working with Bob Gallagher and Joey Rick in a consultation process.

The consulation has included a vestry retreat. A parish wide workshop is coming in April.

St. Alban’s Church, Brentwood, CA

St. Alban’s is equipping members for a deeper spiritual life by educating on their web site about spiritual practices and creating a rule of life. Fr. Aris Rivera has registered for Shaping the Parish, Seattle.

What we learn and hear

Here’s what we find ourselves learning from participants; what they say is important for them.

A resource for life

An idea that seems to catch people’s attention:  we keep coming back to the idea that there needs to be a shift from “people’s primary experience being that the parish is just one more competitor for their time, energy and money to an experience of the parish primarily as a resource for living a life of meaning and integrity.” 

The paradox we keep finding is that many parish leaders do “get it.” They know that people seek the glory and wholeness of life when they come to the church. They also know that it takes energy, money and people’s time to offer that. The change in parish culture isn’t really a total reversal but a managing of polarities. We need to offer stability and peace in the midst of the chaos and also offer opportunities to serve the parish so that is available to others. We need to offer a transforming community life and also ask people to pledge. 

Doing both/and requires wisdom about emphasis, efficiency, and timing.

We think one starting place is with the parish web site. What needs to be highlighted is the daily life ministry of the baptized. Tell the story of how people are light and love in their work, with friends and family, and in civic life. Make all the parish groups secondary in presentation. 

This Episcopal/Anglican way of living the Christian Life

In a number of parishes we’ve posed two questions.