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CEC Congregational Feedback Session

CEC Congregational Feedback Session. Search Committee September/October, 2010. Core Values.

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CEC Congregational Feedback Session

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  1. CEC Congregational Feedback Session Search Committee September/October, 2010

  2. Core Values • We at Christ Church Dearborn affirm our identity as Episcopalians, living our relationship with God in mind, body and spirit, through tradition, scripture and reason. We journey together asserting the following core values: • Acceptance • Worship • Outreach • Education • Social Conscience • Interfaith • Fellowship • Sanctuary

  3. Core Values Acceptance • Christ Episcopal Church opens its doors to all, encouraging open-mindedness, celebrating diversity, embracing reason and nourishing the spirit. Worship • CEC offers a traditional liturgy, with beautiful ritual, scripture and music, honoring each individual’s devotion to God and the experience of multiple pathways to spiritual fulfillment.

  4. Core Values Outreach • Seeking to do God’s work in our community and the world, Christ Church serves others by sharing our time, talent and treasure. Education • Education at CEC is a life-long journey that helps us grow spiritually, expand our minds and experience spiritual challenge and affirmation.

  5. Core Values Social Conscience • We seek to be faithful stewards of all that we are given by God, consistently mindful of our use of valuable resources and conscious of our responsibility regarding injustice and worldly struggles. Interfaith • Recognizing that we live in a religiously‐diverse community and respecting the mysteries of all faiths, Christ Church nurtures relationships with all people and faiths to promote peace and harmony.

  6. Core Values Sanctuary • CEC strives to be a safe, spiritual place, where diverse people feel welcome to seek God and feel comfortable to open their hearts and minds. Fellowship • We gather in joyful communion, giving thanks for all that is and will be, offering and accepting hospitality, support and care which nurtures our relationship with God and one another.

  7. Mission Statement • Christ Episcopal Church welcomes, inspires, nurtures and replenishes through worship, fellowship and education. We seek to live a Christ-like life by embracing our broader, diverse community and serving others.

  8. Search CommitteeCongregational Strengths • We are blessed with a strong core group of 30-40 wonderful, competent and devoted people who utilize their diverse interests and talents to serve our parish in a variety of leadership roles. • We have a strong music program with an outstanding Organist/Choirmaster and many talented musicians. • We are a congregation that cares and responds to challenges and needs locally (parish income shortfalls, staff soup kitchens and homeless overnight, Christmas gift-giving, CROP Walk, Thanksgiving baskets), nationally (Katrina relief) and internationally (African water system). • We are a Christian community that stands for tolerance. This is particularly important given the cultural/social, demographic and economic changes and challenges in our community.

  9. Search CommitteeOpportunities for CEC • We currently have no clear mission or purpose. We try to be everything to everyone (a little here, a little there) and, as a result, we lack focus and don't have any projects that we can call our own. • We focus on families with children (nuclear family) but don't pay enough attention to others, such as divorced, single, living together, LGBT. While we are welcoming and affirming in our actions, we have not formally joined the list of parishes that are welcoming and affirming to LGBT persons. This was an issue in the past but may be less so now that we have a number of LGBT members. • We do not vary our worship as much as many would like. We hold very traditional services and do not experiment often with alternative or contemporary services. More variety in worship style, music and sermon style would be a plus.

  10. Search CommitteeOpportunities for CEC • Like many mainline churches, we have many long-term (20+ years) members but a small young adult and youth population. We need to continue to serve our existing members while offering services and education opportunities that will be relevant to, draw and retain younger persons. • We embrace our Episcopal roots and try to live the Via Media. We were one of the first parishes to be served by female clergy and have had many since. We are very aware of this but have not done a good job of getting the message out to those in our community, including the non-churched and disaffected Roman Catholics. • Stewardship (theology, percentage-giving, tithing) is not embraced parish-wide (time, talent and treasure). As a result, pledges are below the level needed to sustain the parish at its current and projected level. Similarly, unless we are able to engage more people, there is a high risk of burn-out among our core leaders. • We have a relatively homogeneous membership with few minority members despite the increasing number of minorities in our surrounding neighborhoods and city.

  11. Search CommitteeCurrent Conditions • Cultural/social changes: • Families, particularly youth, are busier and involved in many outside activities, with church taking a backseat. • Church membership is declining nationwide and in our parish. • Christ Church Dearborn fits the profile of a shrinking church. • Demographic changes: • Dearborn is home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the US. Young families in Dearborn are predominantly Muslim. Muslim families have recently been moving to western Dearborn in large numbers, changing the religious mix of the neighborhood in which our church is located. • The Christian population is declining in Dearborn and the surrounding area. • Economic changes: • Jobs and economic resources are declining in Dearborn and Michigan. • The cost of running the physical plant is increasing with no financial cushion.

  12. Search Committee4 Primary Goals of the Parish • Be a center for spiritual growth & renewal • Develop at least one ministry for which our parish is known and integrate its ongoing presence into our lives. • Grow a healthy, vibrant and diverse congregation. • Live as faithful stewards of God’s gifts

  13. Search Committee4 Responsibilities of the Rector • Live a Christ-centered spiritual life, nurture members in spiritual disciplines and grow a community of lay spiritual guides. • Guide, encourage and support the faithful discernment, implementation and continuation of God’s purpose for our parish in the community. • Creatively challenge, inspire and lead our congregation to health and diversity. • Act as a catalyst for increasing parish Stewardship of time, talent and treasure throughout the year.

  14. Search CommitteeParish Survey Process & Results • Paper surveys mailed out to 246 parishioners • Simultaneously, May 17, it opened on the Internet • Responses were accepted through June 2. • Included in Community Highlights, weekly. • Emailed information and reminders • Regular announcements in Church • A total of 138 responses, some partial, are included in the analysis • We received 14 pages of verbatim comments and these are being thoughtfully reviewed and have been shared with our Interim Rector • Details of the Parish Survey are available on the CEC website or hard-copies can be found in the church library. • The Rector Search Committee thanks you for Completing the Survey

  15. Search CommitteeParish Survey Additional Observations • We are a friendly & welcoming Parish according to 85% of respondents; this is consistent for people with 5 or less years as a member as well as those with more than 20 years as a member. 71% of respondents believe we should be a mixture of many kinds and classes of people. • We seem to be a Parish that wants to be cared for, but do not express great willingness to participate in pastoral activities • The members of the Parish are concerned about the financial health of our church but express reluctance about participation in fund raising and stewardship activities • We would like to participate in bible study, but perceive that parishioners do not do this to a great extent. • 83% of respondents believe we should add new members, 54% think we do enough. But responses to other questions indicate that parishioners are not willing, or able, to be active in evangelism. • 70% of respondents believe we should provide more training opportunities for lay ministry and 26% of respondents ‘Agree’ or ‘Strongly Agree’ that we presently do.

  16. Christ Episcopal ChurchDearborn, Michigan

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