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St. Paul’s Ministry Discernment Committee

St. Paul’s Ministry Discernment Committee. Self Study Summary Presentation. Results. Results are based upon 53 Questionnaires returned with comments Each Questionnaire had 200 possible answers Several essay questions were included Forum held with 20 attendees Focus on the major questions.

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St. Paul’s Ministry Discernment Committee

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  1. St. Paul’s Ministry Discernment Committee Self Study Summary Presentation St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  2. Results • Results are based upon • 53 Questionnaires returned with comments • Each Questionnaire had 200 possible answers • Several essay questions were included • Forum held with 20 attendees • Focus on the major questions St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  3. Four Major Questions • What are we being called to be as the Episcopal Church in this town? • What are our strengths and our gifts? • What challenges lie ahead for us? • What sort of clergy leadership will we require to bring out the best in all of us? St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  4. What are we being called to be as the Episcopal Church in this town (city)? “St. Paul’s is a beacon for the community because it stands in the middle of town with a white tower that can be seen from a distance.” – Claire Clay • Live out our Mission Statement St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  5. What are we being called to be as the Episcopal Church in this town (city)? • Offer opportunities to make a difference • Provide opportunities for family activities • Provide Christian Education at all age levels • Provide youth programs St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  6. What are we being called to be as the Episcopal Church in this town (city)? • Provide some service projects that would encourage the youth to participate such as: • Katrina recovery • Job Corp projects • Refugee and Immigrant or Migrant Communities • Have lectures, concerts, sermons involving others outside the parish St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  7. What are we being called to be as the Episcopal Church in this town (city)? • Move from an internal to an external focus • Provide Outreach Ministries • Get involved with the national level to enhance local ministries • Find local needs that we can fill such as mentoring children • Find opportunities to serve immigrants St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  8. What are we being called to be as the Episcopal Church in this town (city)? • Provide diverse musical programs • Concerts in the Church • Organ and/or Choral recitals, etc. • Find more uses for the Parish Hall • Times when it is not used • Possible outreach resource • Some opposition to use for storing band equipment St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  9. What are our strengths and our gifts? • Fellowship • Music • Spiritual strength and spiritual nurturing • Friendships developed and trust among us • Experience renewed faith • A caring community • A warm and welcoming community St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  10. What are our strengths and our gifts? • Our history • Our beautiful facility (worship area) • The Swift endowment • Very accepting of all people • Have a wide range of liturgical offerings and are very ecumenical • Traditional and yet willing to try new things • Strong support system and has energy to meet the needs of the parish and beyond St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  11. What challenges lie ahead for us? • Develop a willingness to change • Create a program to provide more home visits, calls, and follow-up notes • Create a program to work on welcoming and keeping newcomers • (with such things as name tags, buddy system, child care, information brochures) • Increase membership and build a future congregation • Lower the average age of our aging congregation St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  12. What challenges lie ahead for us? • Plan and manage our endowments • Communicate between all the various committees and groups in our church • Care and use of our facilities • Raise funds for outreach • Have a well-attended Sunday School St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  13. What challenges lie ahead for us? • Develop youth programs • Keep a rector to achieve stability over the long term • Develop a stewardship program that is year round • Establish and prioritize our goals and achieve unity around those goals • Address divisive issues and come to agreement St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  14. What challenges lie ahead for us? • As we grow, the Parish Hall may not accommodate the parish • Increase the number of people that participate in accomplishing parish tasks • Not enough regular attendance members • Maintain and keep our web site up-to-date St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  15. What challenges lie ahead for us? • Continuity in performing administrative duties • Volunteers now, maybe a combination of volunteers and a part time paid position in future • Need more people to spread the word and grow St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  16. What sort of clergy leadership will we require to bring out the best in all of us? • Provides good preaching that is scripture based and meaningful • Someone who lives in our community and wants to work with our community • A person who has a family-oriented outlook • Someone willing to stay for an extended period of time St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  17. What sort of clergy leadership will we require to bring out the best in all of us? • Has the following characteristics: • Enthusiastic • Intelligent • Well educated • Good listener • Sense of humor • Intellectually stimulating • A people person (warm and outgoing) St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  18. What sort of clergy leadership will we require to bring out the best in all of us? • Someone who is a consensus builder and brings us all together. • Makes sure all points of view are heard and taken into consideration. • Finds a balance between the old and the new so that everyone is comfortable and spiritually nourished • A person who identifies and encourages our gifts and skills St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  19. What sort of clergy leadership will we require to bring out the best in all of us? • Someone who brings compassion to pastoral care • Has financial acumen St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  20. Demographics St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  21. Demographics St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  22. Participation in Activities St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  23. Comments on Participation • Responses in the 19 to 30 age group are zero. • Otherwise, there is a good mix of age groups participating, with a high percentage being over 60 years of age. St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  24. St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  25. Rite I Preferences St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  26. Rite II Preferences St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  27. Alternate Liturgies Preferences St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  28. Morning Prayer Preferences St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  29. Evening Prayer Preferences St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  30. Compline Preferences St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  31. Other Prayer Preferences St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  32. Ideas for Other Prayers • Tape record services and sermons for shut-ins • Read prayers written by parish members. • Hip Hop service • Consider a quiet day. • Quiet prayer in church when visiting the parish hall and appreciate the accessibility. Miss the days when churches were never locked. • Have a regular mid-week Eucharist. St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  33. Frequency of Services St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  34. Frequency of Services - Celebrate Major Feasts on appointed day (blank) No 0% 8% Count of Q25MajorFeasts Yes 38% no preference 44% no response 10% Q25MajorFeasts No no preference no response Yes (blank) Celebrate Major Feastson Appointed Day St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  35. Regular Saturday Services? St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  36. Combine 8 and 10 AM Services? St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  37. Eucharist Every Sunday? St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  38. Occasional Morning Prayer Sundays? St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  39. Saturday Services? St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  40. Weekday Services? St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  41. Reserved Sacrament? St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  42. Liturgical Changes –Suggestions • Combining 8 & 10 services: • summertime only • 5th Sunday and/or on Holidays • Celebrate major feasts occasionally if in middle of day weekday (10AM-11AM-12 PM) • To have the folk service back and to sing more Taize. • Gospel music occasionally. • Use of expansive language, different forms for Eucharist including New Zealand Prayer book, • More use of Wonder Love and Praise music. • An extra minute or two between taking communion and singing. • More upbeat music with a variety of instruments. • To have the mystery of the service brought back to the Eucharist. St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  43. Sermons St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  44. Sermons St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  45. Sermons St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  46. Sermons St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  47. Sermons St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  48. Sermons St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  49. Sermons: Guest or Lay Preachers St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

  50. Lay Readers St. Paul's Vergennes - Self Study

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