RENEWAL WORKS - MAY 19 PARISH MEETING
THE RESULTS ARE IN!
First, a big thank you to everyone who participated in the Spiritual Life Inventory earlier this year. Completing the survey was the kickoff to RenewalWorks at St. Margaret’s.
During March and April, the Renewal Works committee took time to analyze the results from our completed surveys.
Data showed that our congregation has a persistent hunger for a focus on spiritual growth that is not currently being met. Our results note that we are interested in, and open to, more focus on spiritual movement. This is an important distinction, as our parishioners are not complacent about their faith and church, but are in fact seeking to go deeper in their spiritual journey. Currently we do not feel we have the tools to do so or that the leadership is challenging us to grow in this area.
Our leadership at St. Margaret’s will be crucial to jump-starting, rejuvenating and renewing the overall health of the parish. (“Leaders” means clergy, staff, vestry and ministry lay leaders.) The leadership must be seen as role models and should provide catalysts for the parish to move forward. (The leadership group may consider a retreat, planning session to explore this concept and their overall church mission further.) This is also an opportunity for leaders (clergy and lay) to focus on their own discipleship, their own spiritual journey. How are they being fed? How is the congregation supporting and affirming them?
Bold, church-wide initiatives would be welcomed by the parish. Working to shore up our understanding of core Episcopalian practices (such as deeper engagement and understanding of the Eucharist, encouragement of public/private morning and evening prayer or a church-wide Bible-reading campaign) should be explored. In addition, setting expectations for personal spiritual practices should be encouraged and taught. Overall, a greater focus on scripture in all church activities is needed.
The RenewalWork committee recommended possible actions for St. Margaret’s to consider …
- Be more intentional with our efforts to grow spiritually
- Implement programs such as “Prayer Partners”
- Uplifting/Familiar Music
- On occasion change up worship services to keep people engaged/Instructional Eucharist
- Involve the children in the service
- More community engagement
- More Bible study/small group activities
- At coffee hour engage in deeper discussions of the scripture and sermon from the Sunday service
- Programming such as the Lenten Program
- Hold focus groups to understand the various spiritual needs of our congregation
TOGETHER WE ARE CALLED TO GROW …
God is at work transforming our hearts, as we …
- Commit to examine and deepen our relationship with God
- Embrace Jesus, and his teachings and practices, as the supreme example of a whole and authentic life
- Passionately express our lives by responding to the Holy Spirit
A RENEWED VISION FOR ST. MARGARET’S …
St. Margaret’s transforms people spiritually, to grow in healthy, fruitful and vital relationship to God, to each other, to the world and to themselves.
Please join me in thanking dedicated committee members: Jane, Barbara A., Barbara F., Christie, Barbara H., Janet S. and Fr. Isaias. The work they have been doing is setting the foundation for our spiritual growth at St. Margaret’s.
For me, learning and interpreting the information from the Spiritual Life Index was a great experience. I feel blessed to be part of this committee. Not only did I learn a lot about where we are at St. Margaret’s, I also witnessed God’s love at work among the committee members. The group was passionate, excited, caring, eager to help our congregation deepen its spiritual relationships, and filled with the Holy Spirit. I believe that we’ll see a transformation in our spiritual growth by continuing to explore and implement the ideas that have been generated in Phase 1 of RenewalWorks. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us next!
“Let your light shine, shine on everyone, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, which is in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16
~ Kim
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2019 RENEWAL WORKS ARCHIVE
RENEWAL WORKS - MAY 19 PARISH MEETING
Everyone is invited to attend a special parish-wide coffee hour on May 19 following the 10 a.m. service. Kim will present some of the findings and insights from the RenewalWorks survey, and discuss how St. Margaret’s can start some conversations about moving ahead in terms of spiritual growth and deepening our connection to each other, the community and the world. With God’s help, we will grow in these fruits of the Spirit and walk the Way of Love!
APRIL 2019 - The RenewalWorks committee is busy reviewing and deciphering the summary of information we received as a result of completing the Spiritual Life Inventory. In the end, 31 parishioners completed the survey. The team at Forward Movement took our surveys, analyzed them and provided us with an assessment of their review of the information.
The RenewalWorks committee has several meetings planned and expects to complete its review of the information by the end of April.
During Coffee Hour on Sunday May 19, 2019, the RenewalWorks Committee will share the outcome of its review of the information as well as the next steps for St. Margaret’s on its RenewalWorks journey.
The RenewalWorks program is challenging St. Margaret’s, as a community of faith, to identify the ways that God is calling all of us to grow; individually and together.
I truly feel that what we learn as a result of RenewalWorks will set the stage for our future at St. Margaret’s.
Please mark your calendars to be at church and coffee hour on Sunday, May 19 to hear the results of the RenewalWorks process so far.
In gratitude for the many ways we see God’s love at work at St. Margaret’s,
~ Kim I., Warden
P.S. Please keep our entire congregation and the RenewalWorks team members (Fr. Isaias, Kim, Christie, Jane, Anton, Barbara A., Barbara F., Barbara H., and Janet S.) in your daily prayers as we prepare for our upcoming workshops.
MARCH - WHY IS RENEWAL WORKS IMPORTANT?
A lawyer approached Jesus, putting him to the test with this question: “Which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus’ response was simple, if not easy. He said it was about love of God (with all your heart and soul and mind) and love of neighbor as self.
That singular emphasis on love of God and neighbor provides the foundation for RenewalWorks, a ministry in the Episcopal Church that focuses on spiritual growth by deepening love of God and neighbor in the lives of congregations, in the lives of ministries that animate those congregations, and in the lives of the individuals who bring life to those ministries.
“We have learned that there is a great spiritual hunger among Episcopalians,” said the Rev. Jay Sidebotham, director of RenewalWorks. “And we are discovering catalysts that can address that hunger. Basic spiritual practices such as daily prayer, scripture study, worship attendance, and serving the poor will lead to transformation.”
When the details of life press in, parishes, like individuals, can inadvertently move away from this singular, simple focus on discipleship to the more mundane but necessary actions of running a church: property and building upkeep, annual stewardship campaigns and recruiting volunteers.
RenewalWorks is a catalyst for refocusing parishes (and the individuals in them) on spiritual vitality. It has been tailored to the Episcopal tradition, adapting 10 years of research that has uncovered key characteristics of flourishing congregations. It will inspire our congreg-ation and leadership to rediscover who Jesus is, and what it means to follow him. Through a guided methodology of self-reflection, sharing and workshop discussion, RenewalWorks will challenge our parish to refocus on spiritual growth and to identify ways that God is calling us to grow.
Specific outcomes of the RenewalWorks process are unique to each parish, reflecting that community’s specific challenges and opportunities. They lead to the creation of specific congregation-wide growth initiatives, which clarify and elevate expectations for clergy, lay leaders and individuals. Personally, I’m excited to learn about the outcome from the analysis of our survey results and working together to develop our plan for rediscovery and renewal for St. Margaret’s.
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt, and always to thy glory and the welfare of thy people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Book of Common Prayer, p. 832
~ Kim, Warden
FEBRUARY -
SPIRITUAL LIFE INVENTORY DUE FEB. 13
“But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak.”
- Isaiah 40:31
Have you completed your Spiritual Life Inventoryquestionnaire yet? This is the first step for St. Margaret’s as we kick off a new program for spiritual renewal. The program, called RenewalWorks, is avail-able to all churches in our diocese.
Kim sent a link on Jan. 27 to complete the survey online. If you prefer to do it on paper, please pick up a copy at church and put the completed survey in the box on the counter in the Narthex. Kim’s wonderful article (below) contains additional information. All responses are needed by Wednesday, Feb. 17 in order to collate the data and before taking the next steps to benefit our parish’s spiritual life.
Kim, Jane, Barbara A., Anton, Barbara F,, Christie, Barbara H. and Janet S. have all volunteered to facilitate the program.
~ Fr. Isaias
and from our Warden:
RENEWALWORKS is a ministry of Forward Movement
Steps we'll take together toward spiritual renewal:
Step #1: Spiritual Life Inventory
Step #2: Where are we now?
Step #3: Where do we feel called to go?
Step #4: How do we get there?
A key aspect of the RenewalWorks program is the Spiritual Life Inventory (SLI). It is very important that all members of St. Margaret’s complete the Spiritual Life Inventory.
Parishioners by now will have received an e-mail that contains the link to the on-line SLI survey. The survey takes about 20 – 25 minutes and is not hard to complete. If you prefer not to access the survey on-line, hard copies of the survey are available in the Narthex. If you complete the paper survey, please put the completed survey in an envelope and place it in the small plastic bin in the Narthex.
For RenewalWorks to be successful at St. Margaret’s we really need the information that the survey results will provide to our parish. Many other congregations have benefited from the RenewalWorks process including the completion of the Spiritual Life Inventory.
RenewalWorks encourages and challenges parishes to refocus on spiritual growth and identify ways that God is calling them to grow.
The outcome of this program will help St. Margaret’s move in the right direction to help our parishioners grow and deepen their spiritual connection with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as well as with our community and each other.
Your contribution to the RenewalWorks process is so important. Please submit your completed survey as soon as possible, but no later than Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2019.
I’m excited to be on this journey with our parish and I’m looking forward to seeing where we will be led.
In God’s Love,
Kim
