Here's my blog for Saturday, posted on Sunday...
Today Jeff K, Tom C and I drove to Decautur, IL for a workshop with the diocesan Mission Department which is called, for an unknown reason, the "Department of General Mission Strategies, or DGMS. Actually I do know the reason since I’ve been around for almost thirty years, but the original intent of DGMS has long ago been lost, only the name continues.
We attended a service of Holy Eucharist with the Bishop (Peter Beckwith) as celebrant. The "feast day" was in honor of St. Augustine of Hippo – yes, that Saint Augustine. A good homily by the bishop, then down to business. Archdeacon Shawn Denney spoke on the topic "God Gives the Increase." He mentioned his experiences with his church, St. Luke of Springfield, which is growing nicely by involving the people in the neighborhood, mostly black. Shawn, who is extremely High Church Anglo-Catholic, is finding himself presiding over a group of young inner city people for whom an evangelical experience is more meaningful. His point? Trust God to give the increase.
After that came a couple of workshops. I attended Adult Education which was quite informative and stewardship, which ended up being a sales pitch by an organization that lets you buy their services to help to try to improve the stewardship in your church. That was less useful. Nothing at all was said about the kind of ministry I am deeply involved with – ministry to the elderly and ministry to the mentally disabled. I don’t know why we ignore the elderly. I understand that there is no money in ministry to the disabled. Too bad. Maybe eventually I’ll tie in with some religious folk who do this.
Tomorrow Sue and I will head out for a four day camping trip. I’ll take pictures. More upon our return. Peace and blessings to all.
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