fabienne

Dear Holy Innocents Community,

The Bishop’s Committee met on Monday evening (July 12) with Bishop Marc Andrus and Canon Michael Barlowe to discuss the transition at Holy Innocents, and we’re excited to announce some long-awaited next steps.

When Rosa Lee, Davey, and I met with the Bishop before Lent to discuss Rosa Lee’s departure and transition, we were informed that there were two alternative paths in front of us:

1) An interim priest could be appointed, during which time we would do a self-study and then engage in a search process: a process that could take 12-24 months to complete.

2) A priest-in-charge could be appointed by the Bishop for a one-year term, during which time we would do a self-study and then engage in a discernment process to determine if this ministry arrangement was mutually beneficial. If after that year, it was decided that things were good, we would move forward, calling that priest-in-charge to be our vicar; if it was decided that things were not working out, we could move forward with an interim/search process model as described above.

After much careful thought, the Bishop has suggested, and the Bishop’s Committee has accepted, the priest-in-charge model.

The benefits to this are substantial. A priest-in-charge is exactly as described, fully functioning as priest in our parish. Without having to have an interim or series of interims, Holy Innocents can begin a relationship and a discernment with a clergy team immediately. Also, this model significantly minimizes the pressure of an extended transition, allowing us all to welcome and focus on a fixed point.

That’s part one.

Part two is equally exciting. There are three congregations nearby in transition simultaneously: Holy Innocents, St John the Evangelist, and El Buen Samaritano. We have been asked to join in an area ministry collaboration with these sister parishes. For us, this means a single priest in charge for Holy Innocents who is in a close team with the lay and ordained leadership of El Buen Samaritano and St. John’s; all the other volunteer priests across the three congregations, and at least two deacons. This exciting ministry team will work together in collaborative ministry. This gives us a chance to get to know and work more closely with our brothers and sisters down the street as well, possibly opening up new ministries and opportunities yet to be discovered. We already have our shared Julian Pantry with St. John’s – this collaboration will build on that strong ministry foundation.

For our part, we have a half-time salary in our budget which will pay for our half-time priest-in-charge. A deacon will be assigned to Holy Innocents which will not represent a cost to our budget. We have also been asked to form an “Area Ministry” team comprised of lay leadership which meets independently of the clergy and Bishop’s Committee (but which will work in alignment with them). This group will meet regularly to discuss challenges in collaborative ministry, identify and propose collaborative ministries, and keep our congregation true to area ministries. The other two congregations involved have been asked to form a similar structure. We will be asking all of you to think about who from our community might serve on this VERY important committee. We are very excited that this group will help to chart our future together.

That’s part two.

Finally, the best news of all: the Bishop has appointed Bertie Pearson as Priest-in-Charge and Joshua Griffin (Griff to the rest of us!) as our Deacon. They will exercise their positions with us in an arrangement that ensures that all the energy, ministries, and needs of our community are supported.

Bertie and Griff will be with us occasionally during the summer (Griff more so) to give us a chance to ask questions, and will be working with Davey and I closely to ensure that we all hit the ground running. At the top of our tasks together will be to roll out the structure and begin a self-study process, so that we can maximize our one-year mutual ministry discernment. This self study part of our coming year will be very important and formative for all of us.

Bertie and Griff will join us officially on September 12, as we begin our new year of Godly Play and church programs.

A note on the area ministry part of this picture — our Diocese is a pioneer in the area ministry concept, which reaches out to neighborhoods, communities, and all of God’s people (those who attend church and those who do not). The central idea about area ministry is that we are all of one body, and that we are all called to love and serve one another in Christ’s name. Bishop Marc and Canon Michael believe that Holy Innocents, St. John’s and El Buen Samaritano can become a model for area ministry in the Mission/Noe Valley area. This is a tall order, and we feel honored and moved about the confidence that the leadership of the church has placed in our little community. It’s safe to say that we also feel a little daunted about the responsibility that has been vested in us.

But one thing that we know, from our experience last summer during Rosa Lee’s sabbatical, and from our past year of transition together, is that we are a community of strength and love and faith. I believe that we know how to care for one another, and that our care for our community can only multiply and grow as we think about ourselves in an area ministry context. We look forward to hearing all of your ideas about this new vision for Holy Innocents, and about our work together in the year to come.

Davey and I, and any member of the Bishop’s Committee, are available for questions that you might have, and we look forward to this new chapter for Holy Innocents. As soon as a critical mass of us are back in town after well deserved summer breaks, we’ll get together for a parish meeting about our future together.

In peace and love to all of you, Margaret

We are calling all volunteers! If you can host coffee hour once this summer, please contact Fabienne (fabienneblanc (at) yahoo.com). Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Fabienne

Palm Sunday March 28: Procession begins at 9:30 a.m.; entrance into the church at 10:00 a.m. Potluck follows.

Weeknight Services:

Monday at 7:00 p.m. at St John the Evangelist, 15th & Julian Streets, in the Mission District.

Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at St-Aidan, 101 Goldmine, in Diamond Heights

Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at Holy Innocents, 455 Fair Oaks Street

Holy Innocents Traditional Maundy Thursday Dinner

Potluck begins at 6:30 p.m.; service begins at 7:00 p.m.

Good Friday:

Stations of the Cross at Dolores Park at noon

Service of Meditation and Music at Holy Innocents at 7:30 p.m.

Great Vigil of Easter at St-John the Evangelist at 7:30 p.m.

(combined service with El Buen Samaritano, St-Aidan, St-John and Holy Innocents)

Easter Day

Services at Holy Innocents at 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Celtic Spirituality is back by popular demand on Wednesday January 27.

Next Sunday (January 31st)  is our combined service at 9:30 a.m. followed by a potluck. This is a great opportunity for newcomers to get to meet everyone in a casual atmosphere. Godly Play will take place at 8:45 a.m.

Last, but not least, our intergenerational Wednesday potluck will take place on February 3rd. We will celebrate Candlemass.  I promised I would make sweet dessert crepes, with jam, nutella or Grand Marnier (for the adults only…)as they are a tradition for Candlemas in my part of France.