The Rev. Clare Fischer-Davies
St. Martin ’s Church
January 22, 2006
State of the Parish 2006
This, our first annual meeting together, coincides with the end of my first six months as Rector of St. Martin’s. It gives me a chance to reflect on what has been accomplished in these first few months, and to share with you some of what the vestry and I have been talking about as we start to respond to the challenges and opportunities the future holds for us.
I don’t think I can say often enough how deeply grateful I am for the kindness and support this whole parish has offered me and my family in these first months. You have all been sensitive to the difficulties a move like this presents to a family, and you have helped us settle into our new life in Providence in all kinds of ways – the search committee and others planted hundreds of bulbs at our new house, many of you facilitated Gerry’s job search with contacts and encouragement, you’ve helped us find everything from piano tuners to doctors to auto body shops. At the end of six months, we really are starting to feel at home – enjoying all that Providence has to offer and appreciating the particular quirks of life in the Ocean State.
My earliest contacts with the search committee showed me what an open and generous heart you have. I think that may be the most important characteristic a parish can cultivate, because it incarnates those Christian cardinal virtues faith, hope and love. Parishes have personalities just like individuals do, and I find that parish personalities are hard to change. A grumpy parish is likely to stay that way no matter what kind of leadership it has, and a faithful, hopeful and loving parish will hold onto those qualities even through trying and difficult times.
I find that really remarkable and admirable in you. The last few years haven’t been easy, and I was prepared to find much deeper conflict and anxiety in this congregation. There is still some healing work to do, and I will continue to devote attention to rebuilding trust and confidence, but the leadership of this congregation has shown a striking willingness to acknowledge fault and work for reconciliation. You have demonstrated a love of St. Martin’s and a commitment to the future that provide a firm foundation for our ministry together.
Most of my time and energy these first six months have been devoted to figuring out how things work. Two things that work extremely well, that need very little attention and supervision from me, are the care and maintenance of the physical plant, and the care and maintenance of our financial resources. You exercise sound stewardship of both of those assets – Gordon Partington, our building manager, Carlos Gonzales – our new sexton – and the Property Committee do an excellent job. Missy Bennett keeps the books in a transparent and orderly way – and in the best tradition of Yankee frugality, minimizes expenses. The finance committee provides monthly oversight of our operations. A significant endowment is often a mixed blessing, and I am grateful for the Investment Committee’s careful attention to the management, growth and use of our endowment. In their hands, the endowment provides some support for current ministries while continuing to grow for ministry in the future.
I also cannot praise the staff highly enough. Lisa Ashe and Susan Esposito in the office, along with Missy, are absolutely indefatigable. I have never yet heard one of them say “That’s not my job.” If something needs to be done, they attend to it quickly and competently. They are attentive to countless tiny details, trying to make sure that things don’t fall through cracks – and if they do, rushing to correct things quickly. And at the same time, they make the office environment welcoming, pleasant and fun.
Jay Maccubin’s talented work with the choir and his prowess on the organ enrich my own worship every week. Not every organist is thrilled to have a rector who is also a musician; I want you to know that Jay has been a remarkably good sport. Through Lent, Holy Week and Easter, I will continue to observe what the liturgical traditions and practices are in this congregation; after that I look forward to working with Jay and the Worship Commission as we shape liturgy throughout the Christian Year to mine the riches of the prayer book and craft worship that inspires and deepens faith.
But these first six months haven’t just been about figuring things out and keeping things the way they are. The Vestry and I have already begun to discern some new ministry opportunities, and work to respond to those opportunities is underway.
Christian Education for all ages was a point of concern in the parish profile, and expressed by both the search committee and the vestry. While education for children and youth generated the most discussion, there has been substantial interest in education for adults as well. It became clear at the first Commission Night this fall that the general consensus was that our present model for education has outlived its usefulness, and we have begun a process of review, evaluation and exploration to see where God is calling us to go next. A task force for that purpose convened for their first meeting last week. Their work will include examining other models for Christian Formation, visiting neighboring parishes to see other programs in action, and making a proposal to the vestry in May or June – probably in the form of a three-year plan so that changes can be phased in over time. There are lots of different options for structuring Sunday morning, lots of different ways to increase knowledge, strengthen faith and deepen spiritual practice. The task force will be looking at everything from how children might be more fully included in worship to youth programs to alternatives and opportunities for adults. Because Christian Formation is never “one size fits all”, my past experience with different curricula and programs is of limited usefulness. I am learning and exploring just as much as the task force is; our goal is to propose changes that meet the unique and specific needs of our own situation.
That’s the big program item on the 2006 agenda. You can also watch for great things to come from the Communication Commission; they are evaluating all of our print and electronic forms of communication, especially how we present ourselves to visitors and newcomers.
In addition to program concerns, the Vestry and I will also begin to work on transforming how the vestry operates. In a parish this size, the vestry needs to be the body that works with the rector to keep our eyes on our longer range goals and vision. Problem solving and attention to details are always part of management, but we will be trying to address most of that within the commissions themselves, and cultivating another layer of leadership to do that work. If vestry members do most of their commission work themselves, it both saps their energy and makes it hard for other people to find a place to offer their gifts and talents.
And, thanks to your generous support of this parish and the work of the Kingdom, we are embarking on a search for a full-time assistant. That person will be especially involved with outreach, with evangelism and with ministry to young adults. I’ll be heading off to the four east coast seminaries in February and early March to interview candidates, with the goal of having someone start in July.
There are lots and lots of things I’d like to stir up. Work on the renovation of the church was suspended a few years ago; I hope to get that conversation started again soon. There is interest and energy in organizing another adult mission trip as well as a youth trip in 2007. The Every Member Canvass was a great success this year; I’d like to build on that foundation by deepening our understanding of stewardship and beginning an intentional program for planned giving. We have a number of talented actors and musicians in this parish; I think we could explore an exciting performing arts ministry here.
But most of all, I want to strengthen the every day spiritual faith and practice of individual members. I’d like to see our average Sunday attendance rise; I’d like to see a higher percentage of people choose to be active in parish programs and take advantage of education opportunities. I would like for St. Martin’s to be a place where people are nourished with the riches of Christ’s grace and equipped to do the ministry God gives us – not just inside these parish walls, but beyond them in our daily life and work.
We are called to live, work and pray for the Kingdom – and there’s no better way to sum that up than in the collect for this morning. Please take out your bulletin insert and pray with me:
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
|
