Dear Holy Cross family,

As you’ll see below, your leadership has been up to quite a bit of late. I hope in everything that we do as a Christian community, we are not volunteers, we are MINISTERS! Being at Neighbors in Faith is a MINISTRY. Being on the Bishop’s Committee is a MINISTRY. Calling people to check on them is a MINISTRY. Everything we do in the name of Christ is a MINISTRY, therefore we are all MINISTERS. Katie and Karen have taken a deeper step into each of their ministries this past week. We hope that in leading by example, we all, including your vicar, will take a deeper step into our ministry. Mutually inviting, mutually uplifting, and mutually thriving. We are the body of Christ, growing deeper in our calling. Below you’ll see how Katie has taken her next step, and why she’s excited about it.

Richard+

Last week, Reverend Richard, Karen Sanchez, and I participated in an exciting four-day online conference through the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) called the Congregational Leadership Initiative (CLI). Reverend Richard was nominated by Bishop Susan to attend, bringing along his team of two folks from our church, an experienced leader (Karen) and an emerging leader (that’s me!). This is the 5^th year that they’ve offered the conference, but the usually in person event had to be offered via ZOOM this year.

The yearlong CLI program consists of some preparatory work, the weeklong conference, and then a yearlong project during which a coach is provided to help us to successfully complete the project. The conference served two main functions: first, to give us a bunch of new and exciting information and tools, and secondly, to connect us with other teams from Episcopal churches from all over the country and share our stories and learning. What a great success! I have learned so much and had meaningful A-HA moments! I have experienced real connections with people from diverse backgrounds and communities across our country. And I feel truly invigorated to start work on our team project (more on that later from Karen and Rev. Richard). But what I am really excited about is sharing with you some of the cool stuff I’ve learned. As the “emerging leader” on our team, so much of this was new to me, so if you are already acquainted with these concepts, ideas, or resources please forgive me my newbie enthusiasm!

Each morning we opened with a short worship service to center our minds and be thankful. We then listened to a plenary talk which was followed by smaller breakout sessions for discussion time. Later in the day, we had a variety of smaller workshops on topics ranging from leadership to finances to visioning to laity in ministries.

Our first plenary focused on shifting common mindsets in the church. I had a big AHA moment during discussion about how money is viewed in the church: as a dirty, necessary evil to “keep the lights on” (survival mindset) vs. as a sacrament, a sign of God’s blessing allowing us to do good works in the world (blessings mindset). I didn’t realize the shameful feelings I harbored in discussing money and stewardship. Being the stewards of God’s gifts to us and then subsequently shepherding them into effective ministries is a JOYFUL thing, an opportunity for giving thanks! Likewise, we discussed our work in the world viewed two ways: serving vs. solving/organizing. In service we provide charity to those in need, but in organizing we strive to understand a root cause and shift the system so that the need is no longer there. For example, don’t just feed the hungry, but also work for change so that folks aren’t hungry to begin with.

In one plenary entitled “Race in the Church”, we discussed the history of the church encouraging the enslavement and seizure of lands of non-Christian heathens. While clearly none of us were around in the 15^th century when this was established by two different popes, we must accept that if the church birthed enslavement and genocide, then the church must work to drive them out now and evermore. We discussed the lectionary, hymns, and visual symbols in our churches and how some shifts are needed (and possible!) to avoid being unintentionally racist and damaging. That was eye opening!! Our speaker shared a story of two boys in his church looking at an icon of a black Jesus and one saying, ”See-- Jesus looks just like you!” We should all of us have the experience of identification with Jesus, if we are to be his hands and feet in the world. (The Episcopal Church supports racial justice at a national level, and ECF has wonderful articles and links that anyone can resource.) https://www.ecfvp.org/vestry-papers/115/racial-justice-and-reconciliation.

I attended a workshop on small/rural churches and scarcity vs. abundance mindsets. In small congregations, it is easy to focus on what we don’t have, what we’ve lost, what we wish we had. In this workshop we were introduced to tools for identifying and celebrating what we DO have! What new or invigorated works and opportunities are available to us when we look at our STRENGTHS? And finally, growing our weekly attendance is not the only way to thrive. Be a small church but be great at it! Do what you do well, using the strengths you have. Maybe as a result more folks will walk through the doors, but its just as much a success to have enthusiastic, effective ministries impacting the greater community. One person said, “we feed the hungry because they’re hungry, not to try to lure them in to church.” (That said… we aren’t turning away any newcomers, COME JOIN US!!)

This just scratches the surface of the information and discussions from CLI, and I’m sure Karen and Rev. Richard experienced different highlights from their perspectives, that they will also share with you. However, one thing was universally clear in discussion with the other teams: the world is crazy right now in “Covid times”. Churches all over are trying to figure out how to cope with the loss of their day schools, the disconnection and isolation of quarantine, overwhelming costs with diminishing incomes, the hurt and injustice of racial inequity in our world, and figuring out ZOOM-ing, remote, and outdoor worship. We are not alone in this novel time of upheaval; we are all trying to figure it out. In the discussion concluding the conference, this statement was made: “Our beloved Episcopal Church may look different when we get to the other side of this (Covid-time), but it will still be relevant and needed in reaching groups of many backgrounds, traditions, and age groups.”

I’m so excited to be traversing this time of change with all of you. I am both confident and filled with hope that Holy Cross will be vibrant, abundant, effective, and very much still our home when we reach the other side, whenever/wherever that is.

Katie Ho

Rev Richard invites all families with young children to the Camp Stevens Harvest Weekend Family Camp. Three days loaded with natural beauty, a laid back atmosphere, no meal planning, activities already all planned, with lovely rooms to stay in, our diocese is truly blessed with staff and the presence of Camp Stevens (COVID precautions in place). Should anyone be interested but find the prices high, we have funds available for scholarships. Simply ask Rev Richard about it and we'll work from there. For more information click here.

Many thanks to all who continue to support this ministry. Our next scheduled date to provide a simple dinner meal is Monday September 28th. If you would like to participate please contact Joyce Wayman at 760.918.9559 or [email protected].

Follow our Neighbors in Faith ministry on Instagram @neighborsinfaith_carlsbad, and Twitter, @NIF_Carlsbad. 

Bishop's Committee meetings are held the third Wednesday of the month from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm. The next regular BC meeting is Wednesday, September 16th, via Zoom. To read the approved August minutes click here, the approved Treasurers Report here, the August P&L here, and the Balance Sheet here.

Thank you to all who continue to support our mission and ministry during this time when we cannot meet in person. We continue to accept checks mailed to the church office. We also offer the following convenient ways to electronically make your pledge and other donations:

For the first time in the history of the EDSD, Diocesan Convention will be held completely online. To help prepare for this year’s convention, the Diocesan Staff has prepared a new convention website to help explain and provide resources for our first virtual convention. Through this site, you can register as a delegate, a visitor, or an exhibitor, read through the current resolutions presented to Diocesan Convention, and make suggestions for nominations that are still open for elected office. Please explore the new website and contact us with questions or suggestions.

Nominations for Elected Positions are open. If you would like to nominate someone for an elected position, please visit the convention website and put forward your nomination.

Utilizing a new event management platform, Whova, delegates and visitors can look forward to a clear agenda, ways of connecting, exhibitor space, workshops, and more. Due to the technological hurdles of a virtual convention, we are asking that ALL delegates attend one of three online training sessions to prepare for Diocesan Convention. Each session will have an overview of the Whova platform, voting, and more. Please register for 1 of the 3 training sessions through the convention website.  Visit the new website at www.ConventionEDSD.org.

“… and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.”

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