Minutes 2008 January Visioning Day

From SCVD

Diocese of El Camino Real

Santa Clara Valley Deanery Visioning Day

January 12, 2008

(Also available in File:January 12 2008 Visioning Day Minutes.doc and File:January 12 2008 Visioning Day Minutes.pdf format)

The Day began at 10:00AM with the singing of the Doxology and an opening prayer by Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves.

Morning Session: Bishop Mary shared with us her desire for today. The purpose of the day is to create a vision of mission for this Diocese together using Appreciative Inquiry. Mission is defined as: Our joy and God’s joy linked together in action. At Convention, the Bishop declared this a year of wonder; not to think what wonder is, but to actually wonder about the possibilities. Wonder happens in our conscious thought when we experience God’s presence. It is a spiritual discipline to stay in this place of wonder, and the work we are going to do today.

The people attending were randomly placed at different tables. Each table spent some time to get to know one another by sharing who we are, where we are from, what do we do there, and what do we love to do. Then in twos we shared our response to these questions:

1. Tell a story of a time when you got to share what you really love to do with others, and you were left feeling really excited. What did you do? How did it feel to share with others what you love? What was the outcome and what did you feel inspired to do as a result of the experience?
2. Tell a story of your best experience of mission in your church that left you feeling really good about being a member of your church. Who was involved? What was accomplished? What was the outcome of the mission?

We then shared what we heard from each other and then as a table found some red threads that connected our responses. These table responses are as follows:

Table #6: Children; those less fortunate; have to enjoy doing it; rewards greater than what we do; better to give than receive; A spiritual principle that we need to walk in faith on.

Table #12: creative energy – quiet preparation then sharing; Epiphanies in nature – then shared; connect with others – then share. What we do helps others, and motivating others to get involved by sharing our faith. Connecting and sharing allowed us to help others.

Table #4: teaching; sharing our talents with others (how to run marathons, deal with disaster, share creativity with making things for others, food closet, teaching children pottery skills)

Table #1: Creativity – our own and ability to draw it out of others; finding people to connect with God – inside and outside the community (Book discussion – Connecting with Alzheimer’s patients with liturgy)

Table #5: Making a difference; support each other’s ministries – help them live out their baptismal covenant; encouraging others, sharing faith in church and the world; sharing importance of the church; sharing our faith and the value of the church in our life. Engage individuals and build community.

Table #9: Help hear God in our lives – Evangelism – through reading, poetry, communication, music – extending the invitation to others; taking risks, validation important to help continue work; growing connections – exploration in continuing the journey; help move outside comfort zone and constantly extend the invitation.

Table #14: Deep human need for relationships and community – open communication with others; sharing experiences – especially dark ones to help others; social aspect – moving outside church (meals at home); create a structure in church to build communities – get to know one another; lead by example to the world; delight in each other as God delights in us; allow relationship of depth and meaning to occur.

Table #8: Feed my sheep, tend the flock; mentors in many ways – at risk youth, women’s groups in God’s creation, feminine spirituality, marginalized people, child protective services – provide water; mentoring youth to build self-esteem; help others discover their potential; be a net – fishers of men, women, children if organized with hub of communication within diocese.

Table #13: All that we love doing – bring people together in community; find new ways to experience and celebrate faith through art, worship, Godly Play, Church development

Table #7 (all women): All live lives as ministers of God’s word; take talents out to share with church, community, and the world at large; listeners, mentors – just as powerful; Stephen’s Ministers, Hospice workers; taking word of God’s love through our talents – liturgy and music; be an inspiration to others.

Table #15: Service – within the church and outside; service liturgy, fixing things, healthcare/homeless issues; work on the Diocesan level.

Table #10: Personal encounters – share with others/groups – art, nature, creativity; empowering and supporting others through what we love – helping them do what they love. Learning as we go.

Table #3 (earthy & practical group): People building – mentoring in the global/world wide aspect of church; outreach, youth, discovery, diversity; Spiritual growth and development rooted in practical hands-on, making a difference in people, then mentoring and creating communities for transformation of society.

Table #2 (half of them at the same church for 40+ years): Artistic – singer, painter, bell choir, crafts; community – mother’s group, widows group; outreach – youth, food, homeless. Serving to and from the church

Table #11: Teaching – opening minds; mentoring – leading by example; accompanied by teamwork; good news in action – fishing, LEMs, Cursillo, musicals; introducing the humanity of Jesus in order to see the meaning of divinity.

Common Threads from the Tables: teaching, mentoring, sharing, community, creativity, transforming, connecting, passion, hearing/listening, art/music, rewards greater than cost, relationships, invitation/welcoming, language/speaking, teamwork, sharing our story and sharing “the” story of the good news of JC, presence; focus outward, honoring diversity, Jesus – source of transformation; validation, real desire to be present in this world, loving, gratitude, Eucharist, living a sacramental life--outward and visible sign of a inward and spiritual grace, nature, discipleship, story – a transforming experience = redemption, forgiveness, risk taking, inspiring, healing, spirit and grace, by word and example, acceptance, diverse diversity.

Deanery Announcements: Linda Morris spoke for Pat Williams who is looking for anyone interested in being on the Board of Trustees Congregational Development committee. If interested, contact Pat at 408-245-2290 or ptrpatwilliams@aol.com. Habitat for Humanity – On Feb. 16, 2008 from 8-4 there will be a Habitat for Humanity workday in Santa Clara near Tasman & Lafayette; contact Linda Morris if interested. Religion & Violence – St. Timothy’s will be the only site in California having a simulcast of this conference from the National Church. It will be on January 22 – 23. Check out St. Timothy’s website for more information.

Lunch – Mr. Tim Gee led us in a prayer for lunch.

Afternoon session: Bp. Mary led us in a meditation based on this morning’s work to move us into the afternoon session. Christianity is an action word and the Bishop wants us to be a verb.

The afternoon session started with table discussion of the following two questions:

1. What would we look like if we brought what we love and do well into greater focus and action?
2. Is there any objection to being a better church than we already are?

The Table responses were as follows:

Table #10 Greater Focus – We share a lot of common ground – physically and theologically and there is more than one use for the same ground: Creative arts center; intervention with troubled youth; better use of technology; develop common vision; good at being inclusive and respectful; need to be better and louder about what we are. Objections – We like the status quo; too much time and energy; money; need guts—fear of change.

Table #7 Greater Focus – A church without walls, to be transparent to the community so they can see who we are; go out into the world/community; make individual congregations more visible in communities. Develop and earn the trust of the community so more people will feel comfortable and invited to be a part of church and then come and share their gifts to the world. Objections – tradition/we’ve always done it that way before. Too complex/we’re not a bumper sticker church; Desire to be politically correct; Reputation to uphold (smart, look good); want church/state separation; lose uniqueness if we try to reach everyone. (We do the best job of accepting you for who you are and allowing you to live it out in the life of the church – the gifts that you bring.)

Table # 1 Greater Focus – shared ministry within the Deanery (labyrinths, financially support one another, help w/ each other’s problems); take responsibility for how we’re perceived in media; creativity – use art to reach out into our community, including liturgical art (what we create is a gift, not our own, it’s God’s gift and needs to be shared) Objections – a lot of work; get locked into our sense of who we are (sacred cows/icons) instead of reaching out; schisms

Table #15 (table of linear thinkers)

Table #9 Greater Focus – We are welcoming accepting people where they are. We are church founded on scripture, tradition, and reason. Bring Jesus into it; transform from social institution to a revolutionary organization Objection – We do embrace change, though can be hard and embarrassing – we are not the same as we were 10 years ago.

Table #14 (resisted the fix-it mode) Greater Focus – We’d find a church of happy campers; feel freer; a little unruly, festive, open, inviting, inclusive; do we want to be a mega church? All in diocese are all parts of the body of Christ, each with their own strengths and weaknesses; we should work cooperatively and be honest when we need help. We need to inventory our ministries. Objection – Clergy – less contact with parishioners and loss of community; loss of intimacy; in evolving communities you can lose what you love; requires honesty.

Table #11 Greater Focus – Inviting & open; think of selves in context of community encouraging each other’s journey (we are branch offices of each other); the three-legged stool of scripture, tradition and reason and we need more visibility. Objections – Competition between parishes. The Episcopal Church – the best-kept secret in the world.

Table #13 Greater Focus – More opportunity to show what we do; church full – representative of the community; lift up and interface between culture, spirit, and technology; learn how to invite people in; learn how to nurture spirituality of community; to be the place where people go to find the truth, tell the truth or fight for the truth. Objections - Not enough time; Status quo.

Table #8 Greater Focus – We’d look a whole lot younger (we’d use technology like YouTube, MySpace, Facebook); we’d learn from the kids; we’d have cell groups. Use resources in deanery without having to rely on the diocese. Develop a web space to reach out. Develop better communications within the deanery; all have different resources and gifts. Objections – Loss of control.

Table #6 Greater Focus – Discern and honor and use gifts of everyone, on a parish-by-parish basis; be intentional; verbs: to love, to serve, to rejoice. Be more inclusive of those with varying ages and education. Social ideals: really good food, coffee, conversation and milk from a cow.) Objections – Not inclusive of diversity (Only three in attendance that are younger than 30.)

Table #3 Greater Focus – It’s possible to be a better church and we looked at different ways: cellular division model – cells multiply, they don’t divide. Different communities linked as a body of Christ in bonds of affection and common purpose; we don’t have to be buildings; linked community of diverse groups; calm – unity. Walls between denominations need to be broken. Objections – Object to being a better church – afraid of taking a risk; fear of our divisions and fear being all-inclusive--not ready. We are living under fear now, due to culture and society.

Table #5 Greater Focus – Realization that ministry is in what you do; being the ones that love first; defining community as your reach beyond your immediate community; creating a fabric of community between our parishes – a virtual mega church; share resources: one parish may be good with youth, another with education, etc. Each parish does not have to provide all of the resources. Develop networks of communication. Objections – Change is threatening (instead of change use ‘journey of discovery’); no time; need to know who we can partner with – a list of ministries in the area; loss of people to other parishes.

Table #4 (non-linear dynamacists) Greater Focus – looking for more ways to be communities; a called out community – take care of each other and move beyond community; a place to start to become comfortable, but then move out to drive the change. Objections – Fear of change. Need to give people a place to start (feel secure).

Table #12 (Bumper sticker cliché group) Greater Focus – We would look like Jesus. Active, involved, visible and in community. This happens when we are in an active relationship with Him. Objections – If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat. Moving out from ourselves is fearful, difficult. If you always do what you always do, you will always get what you have always gotten.

Table #2 (gave response after the meeting) Had a hard time with this, but suggested that at annual meetings, each congregation ask the question what do you love to do and what are you passionate about?

Final thoughts from the Bishop: Some of the things Bp. Mary noticed were: We want to work together. Networking – who to network with? As changes are made, there will be resistance; important to listen Sacrificially set aside what’s necessary to let God have His way/ Find the joy. Sharing our story Be a sacrament to your world.

We ended with a time of silence to think of someone we could contact who we heard today speak some of the things on our heart. Jot down a name. Meeting ended at 3:00PM

Submitted by Judi Sato, Deanery Secretary (additional input from Brian Nordwick’s notes)