Member Mission Newsletter #11
December 2003
Some Next Steps in the Dioceses of Chicago and Milwaukee
At a diocesan convention and in an EFM group
Bill Roberts offered a workshop on member mission at the recent convention of the Diocese of Chicago. He had about 30 minutes with the thirty or so people there. Together, they read through "Building Stronger Ambassadors: An Introduction," a chart comparing Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-12 and the Baptismal Covenant, and a "Building Stronger Ambassadors Worksheet. [All three of these can be found in full on the website www.membermissionpress.org under Making the Vision Work>Session Plans and Ideas>Convention Workshop and EFM Group]. A question and answer session followed. The presentation was received well.
With his Education For Ministry group as part of Common Lesson 5 for Year B, Bill used member mission to work with Exercise 3 and, in particular, Exercise 4. Exercise 4 asks, "List the different places which are the context of your ministry – family, friends, church, self, work, local municipality. If you had enough time and could do anything, give anything, or be anything in any of these places, what would you like to do, give, or be and in which places?" In the EFM session, the group read through "Building . . . " and the Ephesians / Baptism chart together. Then Bill passed out " . . . Worksheet" to be completed at home. Each chose one of their most important mission fields to complete the second part of the worksheet. At the next session, each shared their answers on their chosen mission field. The group found this focus on the specifics of each mission field useful.
To reach: The Rev. William D. Roberts, Rector, St. Gregory's Episcopal Church at Deerfield & Wilmot Roads, Deerfield IL 60015; 847-945-1678; www.stgregoryschurch.org; williamsink@msn.com
Good things happening in Milwaukee
St. Martin's in Brown Deer, a suburb of Milwaukee, invited nearby churches to its day-long seminar entitled "Come . . .Wake the Sleeping Giant within YOU – Discover your Missions and God's Gifts to do them" on 11/8/03. Fifty-eight came from seven churches. A videotape will be posted on the website by the first of the year. The video will probably not get any Emmy nominations but it will give first-time leaders a model to help in preparation. The plan for the session is also on the website. Find the "Brown Deer Event" and "Video of Brown Deer" on the Making the Vision Work menu of the website.
Just before the blessing closing the workshop, the Rev. Pat Size of Grace Church, Madison, rose for a sharing. She had brought along Luisa Rios, a Peruvian parishioner who is one of her most inclusive members always calling people and giving them rides to church. As they talked in Spanish during lunch, Luisa said, "I'm so glad you brought me along to this session. I'm going to a meeting tonight of Club Peru which plans activities for 200 of the Peruvian people in Madison. We are looking for a place to hold a Christmas pageant and, after, hot chocolate and pinatas for the children. Could they use our church?" "Sure," said Pat and asked what she would have to do. "Show up and say mass," was the answer.
Two of the representatives have already met with Pat and Luisa. The plan is to come to the December 21st liturgy at Noon, present the children's pageant, with a short homily and follow it with pinatas and a fiesta for the kids. Pat will provide the costumes and the stamps for a hundred invitations. Club Peru, themselves, will put ads in two Madison newspapers which will include the Christmas Eve and Epiphany services. Pat will advise how it went.
To reach: The Rev. Pat Size, 2215 Commonwealth, Madison, WI 53726; p/608-231-1721; c/608-217-1677; patsize@aol.com
Joyce Burton, a member of the Community Baptist Church of Greater Milwaukee and a social worker, found the sharing of our six daily mission fields full of possibilities for her own congregation. She has proposed a family retreat for all ages on a Saturday. Community Baptist has been developing a many-sided program over the last eight years which Pastor Roy B. Nabors calls "the village concept." For the thirty block area around the church, it offers a private school for kindergarten through fifth grade (adding a grade each year), a credit union, day care, a social service agency, startup help for new businesses, and a community development program. At this time in the congregation's life, the vision needs recognition and acceptance by the whole congregation. Joyce believes that her proposed family retreat built on sharing of their daily missions will increase the togetherness that is needed. She will advise us on how it develops.
To reach: Joyce Burton, p/414-839-0798, f/414-873-8094.
Ramona Lewis, who heads the Lay Ministry Committee at St. Martin's, reports that she uses the announcement time on Sundays to share what the sermon has meant to her. She finds it a natural place to remind everyone to continue to be aware of how God is working in their various daily mission fields. With the completion of the every member canvas, she will draw together her committee and any others interested to plan next steps in member mission at St. Martin's. She continues to review her plans with the Member Mission Office (518-963-7541) for suggestions.
To reach: Ramona Lewis, Lay Ministry Coordinator, 7032 W. Sandpiper Court, Milwaukee, WI 53223; 414-355-2090; lewisaramona@msn.com
From Berkeley, CA
The Celtic Cross, a group of students and faculty, cosponsored a workshop at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific on 10/24/03. Attached is a photo of ten of the participants hanging about after the session. Student: "I learned as much here as in any seminary course."
The California School of Deacons, the other cosponsor, followed with a workshop the next evening. Attached is are photos of the workshop; and of Rod Dugliss, Dean, the Rev. Katherine Salinaro, immediate past president of North American Association of Deacons, and myself.
The Rev. Louis Weil, STD, Hodges Professor of Liturgics at CDSP and one of my longtime mentors, was free for some catchup talk the next afternoon. We found ourselves to be of a common mind on how easily the church domesticates and usurps the mission; and or how we, ourselves, want to put our energy into recovery of the mission by each of the baptized in their daily living. See attached photo.
Dick Snyder, independent reporter and now a student at CDSP, conceived of and arranged for the events – and took the pictures. Thank you, Dick!
School of Deacons – California
Rod Dugliss, The Rev. Katharine Salinaro, and Wayne Schwab
Some of the Celtic Cross Participants
Wayne Schwab and Prof. Louis Weil
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God is most interested in how we live from Monday to Saturday.
Sunday – all of church life – helps us to do it better.
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