Sabbatical Planning Team notes June 4, 2008
Attendees: Connie Morton-Ewbank, Thelma Hutton, Angie Robidoux, Sue LeSueur, Beth Bell Lavoie
Agenda:
- Diocesan Spring Event
- Review submitted grant proposed activities
- Discuss specific study programs
- Develop Worship Experiences
- Develop timeline for congregational renewal events
- Discuss backup plans for congregational renewal if we do not receive the Lilly Grant.
- Schedule future team meetings
Diocesan Spring Event
The Diocesan Spring Event – Letting Out the Secret, The Episcopal Church in the 21st Century has been postponed to May 9, 2009. The workshops planned for the event are perfectly tailored to our Congregational Renewal Program. The new date coincides with our renewal plans. We hope to get 2 to 4 people to attend each session, and will incorporate the spring event into our plans. We also hope to bring speakers to Transfiguration to share topics from the event with the congregation.
Grant Review
We identified the following specific events in the grant proposal:
- Celebration dinner with music to launch the Quest
- One Speaker
- 2 Road trips
- One Hymn Sing
- Concluding Congregational Retreat when Sue returns
- Concluding Celebration and Hymn Sing (could be part of the retreat)
Monies awarded through the grant must be spent within 2009. The grant awards will be announced in October 2008.
Study Programs
The team will be meeting to preview the DVD series that Angie identified, and the DVD that Connie found through the MediaCenter. Connie will review the list of materials she found at the MediaCenter and report at the next meeting. At the conclusion of the reviews, we will pick the specific study program(s) we will use. Suggestions:
- What do we know about authentic Celtic Worship
- Book club – provide a library of suggested readings, and have discussion groups
- DVD series
- Children’s program with crafts – develop a children’s banner for processing into worship, or draw characters from Bible stories in the shape of Celtic crosses.
Worship Experiences
We discussed the following worship experiences:
- U2charist
- Multimedia worship experience - (reference Spring Event Workshop “New and Exciting Ways of Enhancing Sanctuary by The Rev. Jean O’Bresky, the Director of the ChurchMediaCenter )
- Sunday evening worship
- Labyrinth service
- Anglican Chant
- Worship as Service – provide an intergenerational opportunity for community service
- Mix up the music – recorded music, and music from different hymnals.
- How would evensong look today?
- Use the woman’s Hymnal ‘Voices Found” to develop a women centric service for Mother’s day
Timeline
The following activities must be considered when planning the timeline:
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October 2008
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Grant Notification
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10/25/08
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Possible Harry Potter Party
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11/8/08
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Diocesan Convention
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11/22/08
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St. Nicholas Fair
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11/27/08
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Thanksgiving
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11/25/08
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Thanksgiving Interfaith Service
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January 2009
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Annual Meeting
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July 2009
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Awesome Mountain Camp
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August 15, 2008
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Sue is meeting with Bishop Gene on August 15. Sue will begin looking for supply coverage. We need to consider supply as well as part time coverage in case we do not receive the grant.
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July, Aug, Sept, Oct
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Planning Team meets 1x month
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October 2008
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Grant notification
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11/2/08
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Celebration Brunch between worship services on 11/2/08 (planned by team, funded by donation basket)
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11/30/08
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Advent Study Series, Sunday, 4:00 PM for 4 weeks
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Feb 2009??
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Celebration Dinner with Music to Launch Quest
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May 9, 2009
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Diocesan Spring Event
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Spring 2009
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1 road trip with Sue
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Spring & Summer 2009
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Worship Experiences
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Summer 2009
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Speaker
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Summer 2009
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1 road trip while Sue is on Sabbatical
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Summer 2009
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Hymn Sing
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Summer 2009
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Children’s study series and craft activity (banner or Bible Stories crafts)
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August 2009
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Retreat, concluding celebration and Hymn Sing
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Backup Plans
Many of the congregational plans can occur even if we do not receive the grant. The largest impact would be to the budget for supply clergy.
Budget Administration
Whether or not we receive the grant, the vestry is still responsible to develop a budget for Sue’s sabbatical. We will recommend that the vestry sets up a separate account for Grant funds.
Other Discussion
When we have concluded our Congregational Renewal Program, how will we know if we were successful? What is our objective, and what do we hope to accomplish? We hope that we will experience worship together as being in the presence of the Living God.
Need to set the Date for 2009 Awesome Mountain Camp. Perhaps AMC could explore the components of worship; Gather, Praise, Thanksgiving, Petition, etc.
Next Meeting:
July 9 in Sue’s office at 6:30 PM. We will be viewing DVD study programs.
Future planning meetings will also be held at 6:30 in Sue’s office on August 6, September 3 and October 1.
Submitted by Beth Bell Lavoie