Mission & Outreach Listening Session Minutes

Strategic Planning Committee

Saint Michael and All Angels

Thursday, May 19, 2005 ~ 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

     1. What do you appreciate most about current SMAAC program & content?

·     Diversity of programs

·     We do a good job on formal education, and some people do grasp their faith through intellect. Where some learn deductively, others learn inductively, by doing. It would be good to offer “learn by doing” or “experience it for yourself” programs. Get people to go through the process.

·     The Honduras Trip – There was a great deal of evangelism as well as work on this trip. Work teams were focused in three areas: medical, construction and Christian Education. One of the reasons this trip worked so well was that each person could only take one piece of carry-on luggage for their personal items. The two bags that were checked for each missionary contained supplies to be left or used in Honduras. This was a great equalizer – not a lot of stuff – just the essentials. Individuals were not really able to hide behind superficial stuff like they here at home. All differences were stripped away and there were very few places one could go to hide. The deep poverty there gave missionaries a sense of appreciation. Everyone had to work as a team so there was a great deal of camaraderie. Many blessings were received as well as given. There was truly something for everyone.

     2. What would you most like to see changed in the current program?

·     More options at different commitment levels referred to as the ‘rung theory’ with projects ranging from 1-day projects for SMAA, non-M/O groups at the lower end up to full blown 1- 2 week short term mission trips at the high end. It was felt we should spend some time developing the rung theory or commitment levels and identify target groups at each level so the experiences gained would deepen and develop our ministry spiritually.

·     more programs for parents and kids

·     opportunities to “get away” (from the normal mindset more so than from the city) with kids

·     need more support staff

·     Greater parish participation in Jubilee – Jubilee could really do a lot for this parish at this time, for a common purpose builds bridges across political differences. There is a need at Jubilee to fit everyone: 3 components of construction, title work, real estate law, sweet-talkers to help buy vacant lots, anticrime, employment / recruiting, education (tutors, facilities managers, early childhood ed), public health, and civic planning.

·     Need a database to inventory the skills, experience, and interests of parishioners.

·     Would like to see 70-80% involvement from parishioners. This could be such a great way of reincarnating ourselves – give ourselves the opportunity to move beyond the convention of 2003

·     Compare St. Phillips and Jubilee neighborhoods. Give tours and exposure. More information is needed on these projects. Jubilee can be used as a bridge in our healing.

     3. What have been your most exciting, fulfilling experiences?

·     Honduras mission trip is the poster child for mission trips– participants identified some ingredients that made it so successful:

o  a strong Evangelism component in everything we did, across all work programs;

o  being stripped of things and out of the comfort zone (limited luggage, no place to hide, not knowing others, language differences, immediately on same level as the locals);

o  realization that one is ministered to by those to whom one is ministering.

·     Summer reading program at Jubilee is transformational for SMAA teens

·     Jubilee has been the most fulfilling AND the most frustrating (parenthetical from the scribe… are those not apt words from a man who is genuinely pushing the envelope to make CHANGE happen?)

·     Jubilee is such a quiet, silent outreach since our names are not on it.

     4. Excellent programs at other churches

·     HP Methodist: They have some activity or program every week, well organized, something at all levels of commitment and age, have 2 or 3 paid staff, several full time volunteers with office space

·     HP Presbyterian: Long list of missionaries in the field sent from their own congregation, have a “mission moment” in every service, e.g. having a missionary participating from a remote area by phone or talking about the work being done.

·     It was suggested that we check church websites to see what is going on.

·      Park Cities Baptist Church has a great outreach program.

     5. What would make you increase your participation?

·     volunteer opportunities at Jubilee for families designed in a way that gives the sensation of “being away”

·     Sermons need to be more relevant to today, inspiring hearers to “jump out of the pew and climb the mountain.” The desire is not for a feel-good message, but a message that inspires to action.

·     Reach out to other churches; involve them in Jubilee to get their fire going to address other neighborhoods in need. There was discussion about whether the Jubilee model is the most effective model, but all agree the neighborhoods that need help are there and addressing them is more important than the model employed.

·     Work with the Jubilee steering committee to get something going for families.

·     Design specific programs or projects for teenagers.

·     Develop and teach the various commitments of the “rung” concept.

·     Honduras – finishing a project is not necessarily the goal. It is the journey.

     6. Overall effectiveness

·     Communication, communication, communication!

·     message of what’s available is not getting out

·     message of what’s available, when it gets out, is not rising above the intimidating din of other goings-on at church

·     message that by participating you will be transformed is not getting out

·     We think that we have come a long way, but there are many ways to look at it. What is the goal? To have lives changed, the number of people involved, the number of programs, and the depth of the programs? How do we measure that? We obviously have a lot of room to improve.

·     Newcomers do not feel compelled to jump in. The stuff in the bulletin does not necessarily inspire. Sometimes there is just so much that it is overwhelming and as a newcomer it can be very intimidating.

·     Transformation comes to the missionary, not the other way around.