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As you read this, the profile has just been approved by the Bishop’s Committee and has been sent on to the Diocese where St. Philip’s will then go into the large Episcopal Church database as a church seeking a priest. The profile is also on the St. Philip’s website where all of you can access it (click here). We will have a few copies available for those who do not have internet access. We will keep you informed about that, both through announcements at church and articles in this newsletter. On Sunday, Nov. 13, the Transition Committee presented the results of the survey to interested members of the congregation following both services. (The 8 am attendees were especially pleased to have a presentation right after the service!) Canon Britt Olson from the Church Deployment Office of the Diocese also gave a presentation on the search process. So much of the work has been done behind the scenes that it must have felt to you as if nothing was happening. And there really has been a lot happening! First, the Transition Committee devised the survey after poring over many examples of surveys used in other churches, plus adding our own questions. Next, you all completed a survey (thank you, thank you). After they were gathered in, we on the committee looked at this big stack of nearly 80 surveys (20-some pages each) and said, “what do we do with all this!!” And then we went to work tabulating the data. A great deal of the survey part happened during the summer, which meant that members of the congregation AND the committee were often on vacation at various stages, which resulted in the survey process taking a bit longer than anticipated. We then divided up the writing tasks, e-mailing written sections to one another on the committee, getting back suggestions, re-writing, consolidating sections, more e-mailing, more editing, and on and around. Susan Seaburg, consultant to the committee, did a major first edit (thank you). At that point, we had a draft we could really work with. Tod Connor spent countless hours formatting the profile and putting it into its final form, adding photos gathered from various sources (thank you, Bruce Clift and Sara DeRouchey). It finally began to look like a real profile, similar to those we had reviewed from websites of churches going through the same process. All along, the committee was meeting at least once a week and sometimes twice. As this work was not highly visible, we realize it seemed as if little was happening. At times, it seemed that way to us too, especially during the summer. However, with the finished profile presented to the Bishop’s Committee on Nov. 21, we know our task is done. |
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We believe the profile accurately portrays our congregation as it is. Your feedback via the survey gave us the hard data on which to base our writing of the various sections. Everything in the profile comes from what you said you wanted in a priest and how you saw our congregation. We on the Transition Committee thank each of you for your input, both verbal and written. The profile process has been a God-filled process for us. Every meeting has opened with prayer, asking for God’s guidance and wisdom. Every meeting has closed with prayer, with gratitude for all of you and your support, for our many blessings in this congregation. It has been a very rich and rewarding time of working together. Now---onward to the search! Karen Krestensen, for the Transition Committee: Tod Connor, Jane Ellis, Dianne Evans, Marcus Granger-Jones, Jeremy Honey Karen Krestensen |
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Special Acknowledgment The congregation of St. Philip’s wishes to express its deepest thanks and appreciation to Bobbie Bond for nine wonderful years as Altar Guild Director. St. Philip’s Altar Guild is a vitally important and multi-faceted ministry which has thrived under Bobbie’s expert direction. Her many responsibilities have included the recruitment and training of Altar Guild members, scheduling, ordering the many supplies used during each service such as candles, linens, wine, and flowers, arranging and setting up for special occasions such as baptisms and weddings, and making an annual report to the Bishop’s Committee. Bobbie’s meticulous attention to detail, her excellent organizational skills, her innate sense of beauty and balance, and her steadfast and loving commitment to St. Philip’s have made her an ideal Altar Guild Director year after year. Thank you so much, Bobbie, for your diligence |
Search and Transition Update: IT’S DONE!!! |
