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11/30/2007
Beyond Coffee Hour
by Tim Westbrook
November 7, 2007- It feels like this is the week that the Search Committee finally got
past the preliminaries and down to the meat of its work.
It feels like this is the week that the Search Committee finally got
past the preliminaries and down to the meat of its work. Thanks to our
consultant, we have a pretty good idea of our task, and thanks to the
Transition Committee, you should all now have a survey form in your
hands. The information you give us on that survey will form one of the
key inputs into our process. Another is the information being gathered
from the various commissions, namely details about what they do and
what their dreams are.
The third great source of data for this effort will be the focus group
meetings the Transition Committee is organizing. These sessions will
give us another opportunity to express our thoughts, this time feeding
off the comments of our peers. Those of us on the Search Committee
will be there to listen and take note. These meetings are scheduled
for later this month, but I don't know the exact dates.
Meanwhile we are designing the "look and feel," as well as the
organization of the parish profile that will become our marketing
document. This week we had a very lively discussion about that. In
describing the parish, words like fun, creative, resourceful, diverse
and multi-generational were used. There was a sense that we are not
your standard Episcopal congregation and that a standard garden
variety parish profile, with a standard function by function
organization, may not properly convey the nature of our community. We
spoke of bullets and pictures and a document organization based on
themes. One of the themes that seem to be crystallizing has to do with
our mission to young people, infants through college. Another has to
do with our willingness to be diverse, both in our demographics and
ideas. And supporting both were a strong foundation of resources,
including people, physical infrastructure, location and faith.
On a less interesting subject, the financial situation of the parish
continues to very gradually improve. Our expenses and revenue finally
seem to be essentially aligned. With a successful fund raiser next
month we may well be in the black for the first time in several years.
The reason is simple...we are spending less on our staff.
Now you may think it odd to report good financial news as we gear up
for an all important stewardship effort. But it has always been my
opinion that we are basically sound financially. St. Thomas's has
never been a sinking ship, requiring a "bailing out," certainly not
now. No, on the contrary, in contributing here I feel like I am
joining my resources to a collective effort that has a realistic
opportunity to build a new model of a Christian community for our
children and grandchildren. It is a difficult objective, and not many
have the ability to do it, but I think we are among the few that just
might. Other people, like our bishop, see that. He has invested
$700,000 of the Diocese's resources in the possibility. That's how I
think of my contribution, and why I think it's worth doing.
Finally, I have to report the huge success of the UNICEF collection.
Sunday afternoon, I heard pleading voices from the great hall and
stumbled into the counter's room. There I found Roby Roberson and Rich
Lopez buried in coins looking rather like Jack Sparrow, pouring over
the pirate's treasure chest...and wondering what to do with it.
Looking for information to help them, I continued my odyssey, and
stumbled into yet another gathering, this time of Sunday School
teachers. They were huddled in their basement lair, enticing me to
join them with offers of pizza, and conjuring up memories of another
favorite movie, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" I hadn't been down there
in a long time, and was asked to pass along an invitation to all
interested persons, especially parents, to come down and see the space
and what transpires there. They probably won't have more pizza, but
its pretty interesting stuff going on, and they would like to share it
with you.
past the preliminaries and down to the meat of its work. Thanks to our
consultant, we have a pretty good idea of our task, and thanks to the
Transition Committee, you should all now have a survey form in your
hands. The information you give us on that survey will form one of the
key inputs into our process. Another is the information being gathered
from the various commissions, namely details about what they do and
what their dreams are.
The third great source of data for this effort will be the focus group
meetings the Transition Committee is organizing. These sessions will
give us another opportunity to express our thoughts, this time feeding
off the comments of our peers. Those of us on the Search Committee
will be there to listen and take note. These meetings are scheduled
for later this month, but I don't know the exact dates.
Meanwhile we are designing the "look and feel," as well as the
organization of the parish profile that will become our marketing
document. This week we had a very lively discussion about that. In
describing the parish, words like fun, creative, resourceful, diverse
and multi-generational were used. There was a sense that we are not
your standard Episcopal congregation and that a standard garden
variety parish profile, with a standard function by function
organization, may not properly convey the nature of our community. We
spoke of bullets and pictures and a document organization based on
themes. One of the themes that seem to be crystallizing has to do with
our mission to young people, infants through college. Another has to
do with our willingness to be diverse, both in our demographics and
ideas. And supporting both were a strong foundation of resources,
including people, physical infrastructure, location and faith.
On a less interesting subject, the financial situation of the parish
continues to very gradually improve. Our expenses and revenue finally
seem to be essentially aligned. With a successful fund raiser next
month we may well be in the black for the first time in several years.
The reason is simple...we are spending less on our staff.
Now you may think it odd to report good financial news as we gear up
for an all important stewardship effort. But it has always been my
opinion that we are basically sound financially. St. Thomas's has
never been a sinking ship, requiring a "bailing out," certainly not
now. No, on the contrary, in contributing here I feel like I am
joining my resources to a collective effort that has a realistic
opportunity to build a new model of a Christian community for our
children and grandchildren. It is a difficult objective, and not many
have the ability to do it, but I think we are among the few that just
might. Other people, like our bishop, see that. He has invested
$700,000 of the Diocese's resources in the possibility. That's how I
think of my contribution, and why I think it's worth doing.
Finally, I have to report the huge success of the UNICEF collection.
Sunday afternoon, I heard pleading voices from the great hall and
stumbled into the counter's room. There I found Roby Roberson and Rich
Lopez buried in coins looking rather like Jack Sparrow, pouring over
the pirate's treasure chest...and wondering what to do with it.
Looking for information to help them, I continued my odyssey, and
stumbled into yet another gathering, this time of Sunday School
teachers. They were huddled in their basement lair, enticing me to
join them with offers of pizza, and conjuring up memories of another
favorite movie, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" I hadn't been down there
in a long time, and was asked to pass along an invitation to all
interested persons, especially parents, to come down and see the space
and what transpires there. They probably won't have more pizza, but
its pretty interesting stuff going on, and they would like to share it
with you.
