Senior Warden Report - July 2021

By Mike Davis

My, how quickly things change.  The Governor drops most COVID restrictions, the Diocese follows suit, we’re back in church, gonna have a Peasant Market, and it’s raining!  All good.

Mike Davis

Another change that has been sneaking up on us is a decrease in members and leaders for some of our key committee work.  Some of this is COVID-related, some is just natural attrition, but in any event we are ‘understaffed’ in some key areas.  I will mention a couple of those that are more urgent, but will also acknowledge that these ‘broadcast appeals’…a generic message to all parishioners about such needs…don’t usually work (but don’t let that stop you from raising your hand if you are so inclined!).  So I ask you to consider how you might respond to an individual contact from me, or Paul, or someone else in leadership, about your personal interest in getting involved in one of our ministries.  We may approach you by email or phone, but either way our goal is a one-on-one conversation about your interests and motivation, and how those might intersect with the work of St. Stephen’s. 

Some examples;

• Stewardship.  Your first response may be ‘I don’t like asking people for money’…which is a small part of this important work.  Stewardship is a core ministry of the parish, and it’s what positions us to do literally everything else we do both inside and outside the church. 

• Eucharistic Ministers.  For a variety of reasons, many who (pre-COVID) served at the altar, or as Lay Readers, Crucifer, Altar Guild, and so on, are no longer able to do so.  This is an opportunity to be part of our spiritual practice in a very direct way, demonstrating Mutual Ministry in concert with Paul and other lay participants.

• There are others.  Even committees that have an effective team and are getting things done ARE ALWAYS OPEN to new members.  Turnover is important; most of us don’t want to do the same thing indefinitely.  When you join an active committee, you make it possible for others to step away and take on something different, or facilitate a leadership transition from within the group. 

The work of our committees and teams – as well as individual ministries – is literally the foundation of our Mutual Ministry.  Paul, as our spiritual leader, is directly involved in the direction and function of these groups, and the cooperative work of lay and clerical parishioners is evidence that we are actively pursuing a Mutual Ministry together.

We’ll talk soon, ok?