Projects at St. Paul's

 

Tasks at St. Paul's

Fr. Dale

I've been trying to keep up with a list I began several months ago. It was apparent that there was more around St. Paul's that needed doing than there were people to accomplish them. But I figured we needed to get in front of us a comprehensive list of the things that needed to be tended to. I am submitting this list now at the beginning of a calendar year, a time when some corners have been turned, a time when we want some of the burdens of the past several years to be lifted, a time when the pandemic is dragging on and on, and a time when most of us are just tired.

You are probably familiar with the "Eisenhower matrix" for prioritizing and moving towards getting things done. I mentioned it in a sermon last fall. You can read up on it here. Here is a graphic to illustrate it, taken from another website.

As a part of our planning process and moving towards getting done what is important, it seems to me that we can at least place each of these projects into one of the quadrants.

Parish projects

Strengthen Community

• Anticipate 150th anniversary: an appropriate celebration may take a couple of years to prepare for.
• Oral History: while we still have folks to interview and record.
• Digital contributions: from before I arrived as your interim there had been talk about arranging for digital contributions to the church. The diocese, I think, has resources.

Education

• Study group on My Life, My Faith. This was the text that we used for confirmation preparation for Lizzie. Her father read it with great interest. Other parishioners have said they were also interested.

Worship

• Transfer Parish Register from digital. This is a project that dates back to Fr. Brad. He wanted to move parish records to digital format. That was partially completed, but left both written and digital records in a broken condition. Susan and Charlotte worked on repairing it, but didn't complete the project. Every parish I've been in until St. Paul's, the bishop examined these records on the formal visitation.
• Vestments: several issues have arisen since August. 1) there is no green stole to match a much used green chasuble. The woolen gold/white chasuble is filled with insect holes.

Organization

• By laws to reflect new order. In spite of the needed adjustments made at the end of last year, the by-laws still reflect a reality at St. Paul's that doesn't really exist any more. The challenge, of course, is that we don't really know yet what we shall become.
• Policy for how to handle columbarium. The recent multiple applications for use of the Columbarium / Memorial Garden revealed to me that there was no clear policy or process of decision-making.
  • There needs to be a location for the legal policies related to all the funds and organizations at the parish.
• Vestry assignments. This is related to the notes about the new order of things here at St. Paul's.
• Digital issues
  • Vestry files in cloud (owned by congregation). The parish's response to Covid 19 resulted in a number of cases where parish business was being conducted on personal (digital) property of members of the church. Robert has begun a process of getting the on-going day-to-day files under the ownership of the parish. There is more work to be done.
  • Virtual meeting capability

Physical Plant

• Windows in doors of Nicci/Rector’s office. This was a recent addition to my list. Any room where pastoral counseling takes place ought to have a window in it. This goes back to best policies about keeping the church a safe place. The church office door needs a window because the hearting/AC equipment is not able to heat the space when the door is open due to the outside air coming in from the entrance.
• Repair Roof. This doesn't need any explanation.
• File & Organize office. Anyone who has tried to work with church files in the office recognizes this problem.
• Annual Audit. This is an upcoming, regularly recurring item.

Ministry

• Approve Budget. This is in part important because, as the bishop explained at his visit, the diocese needs this information in order for them to begin the search process.
• Narrative Budget. A separate document gives some explanation about this.
• New Rector. Probably everybody in the parish would put this #1. There really are, however, a number of issues.
• Mutual Ministry "Conversation". This was a part of my letter of agreement. Catherine Massey is aware of it. She will also be in touch with the congregation regarding "transition" issues.
• Parochial Report. This, too, is another of those annually, recurring, requirements.