June 18th Update to the Congregation

Dear Friends,

In her sermon last Sunday, the Rev. Mary Green reminded us of the persistent and pervasive love of God.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8:38-39]

It is this love that guides us as we move through this Summer and the transitions in front of us. Supported by God’s love, here are a few updates.

• At last night's June Vestry Meeting, The Rev. Canon Cristi Chapman (Canon to the Ordinary) met with the Vestry by Zoom to discuss the next steps in the transition, explain the Vestry’s role, and outline the resources available to us from the Diocese. Canon Chapman described the full process, the experiences of other parishes in navigating the transition process, and went into detail about the next decisions the Vestry will make about which type of call process will be right for St. A’s. In brief, there are two types:

INTERIM PRIEST. Interim processes typically take 9-24 months. An Interim process is recommended for large and complex systems that have the capacity to self-examine and the resources to mount a church wide search or ones that would benefit from a longer period of self-examination and consideration of their future mission. The church wide search process is what St. A’s used last time with the extensive process of an appointed Profile Committee followed by a Search Committee, who at the end of the process recommends a candidate to the Vestry.

PRIEST-IN-CHARGE. A priest-in-charge process typically takes 36 months. This process is reserved for situations when the congregation and priest candidates both want the stability of a 3-year contract and are willing to seriously consider entering into a rector role. In a Priest-in-Charge process, the congregation studies itself in the context of developing a Mutual Ministry Agreement with the priest-in-charge, rather than developing a Parish Profile to secure a rector or vicar. The congregation, vestry, and priest discern together whether or not a call of rector should be extended. This type of call process is more common in the Diocese of Olympia.

• Sunday, June 22 Forum. There will be an Adult Forum between services (9:15 AM to 10:00 AM) led by Rev. Jenny and Brad. The purpose of this forum is to continue our parish conversation about the transition. The Forum will be livestreamed and recorded for those unable to come.

• NOTE THIS SPECIAL DATE: Tuesday, July 1 Forum. The Rev. Canon Cristi Chapman will return to St. A’s for a late afternoon Forum opportunity to engage with all in our St. A’s community. This session will be from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM in Campbell Hall. The Forum will be livestreamed and recorded. All are welcome!

• Tuesday, June 10 Mission Statement ad hoc Vestry committee. The Committee began work on Tuesday to refresh and clarify our mission statement. The committee discussed how a new Mission Statement be used including: To guide decisions, to guide gratitude and generosity, and to affirm the abundance, impact, growth, connections, support, celebration, and unleashing gifts of the Spirit.

• Wednesday, June 11 Organizational Systems ad hoc Vestry committee. The committee began its work on Wednesday centered on clarifying the purposes for this work including such outcomes as: Making sure we are best organized to accomplish our mission as a church, support and unleash ministries, ensure responsible stewardship of our resources, and model a key aspect of a faith community–we are connected, the beloved community accountable to each other.

[Both of these ad hoc committees are working on a three-month timeline and the intended outcomes are well-timed to support us and carry us into our new chapters in the fall.]

Peace for the journey,

Brad, Senior Warden