Minutes, April 8, 2010

Mission Task Force Minutes

April 8, 2010
St. Paul’s, Pawtucket

Attended: Bill Locke+, Chaplain; Jennifer Pedrick+, Standing Committee, Chair; Fran Gammell-Roach, Standing Committee; Susan Wright, West Bay Deanery, Secretary; Ricky Brightman, Narragansett Deanery; Brian Ehlers, Bishop’s Appointment, Master Blogger

Unable to attend: Buck Close, Blackstone Deanery, David Isherwood, East Bay Deanery, Jim Segovis, Central Deanery; Modesta Pellot, Diocesan Council; Pam Mott+, Aquidneck Deanery; Scott Nicholson, Bishop’s Appointment

The meeting opened at 7 pm with Worship in the Chapel. This was followed by a brief sharing about glimpses of mission in parish ministry during Holy Week and Easter.

Dates were solidified for “listening” meetings across the diocese. There will be a meeting in each deanery and one with clergy of the diocese.

The following meetings have been scheduled and conveners assigned:
April 24, Saturday, 10 a.m. St. Paul's, Pawtucket, Bill Locke
April 28, Wednesday, 7 p.m. Cathedral of St John, Providence, Brian Ehlers
April 29, Thursday, 7 p.m. St. Mark's, Warwick, Ricky Brightman
May 5, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. St Columba's, Middletown, Scott Nicholson
May 8, Saturday, 10 a.m. Epiphany, East Providence, Jennifer Pedrick
May 12, Wednesday, 7 p.m. St. Luke's, East Greenwich, Ran Gammell-Roch
Clergy, May 19, 10 a.m. St. Paul's, Pawtucket, Bill Locke

MTF members will support one or more of the listening meetings. Ricky, Jennifer, Brian and Susan will be attending Blackstone meeting. Bill will also ask Modesta and Scott Gunn for support. Brian will ask Jim Segovis and others for Central. Ricky will assemble her team for West Bay. Fran and probably Pam will join Scott at the Aquidneck meeting. Ricky will join Fran at Narragansett. Susan, Ricky and probably David Lucey will join Jennifer at East Bay.

Ricky Brightman will write up and publish the structure as outlined in last month’s minutes that all the conveners will use. Conveners are to build their own teams of 4 who will help facilitate the small groups. Some materials that may be needed are goodies, butcher paper, masking tape, markers, a sign-in sheet for names, email addresses, parishes, the outline of the meeting papers with the 3 questions on them, conveners and facilitators will have a fourth question to ask after the first 3 have been discussed.

A fourth question was proposed and approved: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about Diocesan mission, going forward?

Jennifer will have the letter to the clergy out on Monday, April 12. Other ways of communicating the meetings were discussed: a blast through Liz Crawley to wardens and parish administrators, eRisen, post on Diocesan web page and on the MTF blog, and conveners will send out a reminder email to targeted audience one week before their meeting.

Mission Task Force members are reminded that they are to meet with parish clergy and wardens as well as take 2 other people to coffee/lunch and ask them the 4 questions and record their responses.

Goals and timelines were reviewed: goal 1 of designing and implementing a listening process is progressing and should be completed by May 19. Jennifer updated the task force on progress of goal 2, which is linking with other diocesan bodies and leadership: Bishop Wolf has invited Scott Gunn, as vice-president of Diocesan Council, to work with the Council to gather information about the current mission priorities. Scott has agreed to take on this task and has already formed sub-groups to explore each of the 4 current mission areas. The sub-groups will meet on April 21st and will report their findings at the May meeting of the Diocesan Council. To link with Bishop Wolf and the Diocesan staff, Jennifer, Ricky and Brian will arrange a “listening” meeting with the Bishop and staff. To link with Program and Budget, Bill, Ricky, Jennifer and Scott Nicholson will meet with P&B on May 6 at 10 a.m. Fran will check with Scott N. The third goal of reporting to Convention is yet to come.

Jennifer expressed the MTF’s gratitude to Bill Locke for making space for us and for leading us in worship each month. It makes a tremendous difference. Thank you.

Next meeting is May 13 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s, Pawtucket. We will gather together after the meeting at 7 p.m. to celebrate the Feast of the Ascension. Please note time change.

The meeting closed with prayer at 8:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Wright