Roadmap to Parish Transformation and Transition
Our Lenten Journey of Conversion and Renewal
As we begin the reflective season of Lent, we simultaneously embark on important discussions at St. Mark’s.
At its recent retreat, our new vestry focused on eight topics from the Roadmap to Transformation and Transition that we seek to address in the coming weeks. Each vestry member now is linked to two of the eight topics, creating leadership teams to focus our conversations and plan appropriate follow-up.
The discussion format includes eight 60-minute meetings commencing 15 minutes after 10:00 worship, beginning March 5. We’ll meet in Morrill Hall to allow abbreviated social hour and space with great flexibility for headcount.
These meetings should foster conversation regarding the future spiritual and temporal course of our parish. No one believes an hour on pivotal issues will resolve our challenges, but let’s begin somewhere and trust the Holy Spirit will lead us into deeper deliberation and wisdom. Our meetings will succeed, I believe, if diverse parishioners attend and listen carefully to one another. They will flop, I fear, if only core stakeholders to the topic attend or if anyone pounds the table too hard.
Think of these meetings as the first step in our rector’s search process. The topics no doubt will find their way into an eventual Parish Profile, so creative deliberation helps us set priorities and articulate skills most needed in our next rector. Our discussion leaders will memorialize insights from each discussion group.
My personal hope is that we dream big dreams and think outside the box regarding our future. Will it be the same-old-same-old, or is God beckoning us to conversion and transformation in a Lenten spirit of renewal? Remember, it takes far more risk to share a dream than to rehash an old complaint. What is your greatest hope for
See the schedule for specific topic dates and for the minutes and documents associated with each meeting. Join the conversation to deepen your stake in
Faithfully,
The Rev. David M. Rider
Interim Rector
