Letters to the Churches - Jan 25 2010

Hello good folks of Carbon County and the extended network of family and friends. It is time to check back in again and share what is taking place in this part of the world. I was reading Margaret’s blog “Wondering in the Wilderness” @ www.margaretinwyoming.blogspot.com and she reminded me about having a blog voice. I have given this some thought. I wonder what my blog voice? Perhaps it could be understood like a family sitting around a table for a meal in which everybody shares and checks in with the family. I have also changed my format of this weekly posting and will stick with it for a while to see if this works. As of last week I have heard from two people who said they like it and one person who said they didn’t. So, I am not going to be to quick in changing back and see what comes out of this new format. “Life is a continuous process of improvement.” So, as we settle in for another review of the past week and enjoy one another’s company, I hope this letter finds you well in your part of the world.

St. Thomas – On Tuesday I received a call about a moving a funeral from the local funeral home to the church in Rawlins. I was not asked to preside because the family had asked Marilyn Engstrom (the Dean of the Cathedral) who is a close family friend to lead the service. I didn’t see it to be a problem; however the need to contact the senior warden or a member of the vestry to received the official approval. As it turned out Karen was called upon to help coordinate everything on the church’s end. The service was on Thursday and I heard it was standing room only and the service was done well. Back to Wednesday I spent some time with Karen reviewing the ordination service for this up-coming ordination and wrote my annual report for St. Thomas. Friday I wrote my “honking report” for St. Thomas’ monthly newsletter. St. Thomas said their good-byes for now to Jess Smith had their annual meeting on Sunday (Jan 24). I am looking forward to hearing how the meeting went.

St. Paul’s – Last Monday (Jan 18) I drove to Dixon to host two Wade in the Water sessions. Linda had arrived and so we got prepared and waited. As we waited for people to arrive we talked about planning the up-coming annual meeting. We figured by 2:45pm people were not coming for the earlier session, so Linda and I continued to brainstorm ideas about what activities and goals for 2010. As we talked we came up with quite a list of ideas that we will share with the congregation. By 5:45 pm we realized that the second session was another no go. Not a problem because I was able to get home earlier than expected.

St. James – Not much to report on this week; however I am planning meeting with the leadership for lunch this week to review grant writing process and to check in with the preparation for the bishop walkabout.

St. Luke – I spoke with Arlen earlier in the week about how we will coordinate the service on Sunday. He was really busy taking care of his daughter, planning a trip to see his Mom, and other various tasks of life. We reviewed what needed to be done on Sunday and it was decided that I would preach. On Sunday we hosted the service and then gathered for the annual meeting. We received news that the preschool is coming along quite well and a request for items for the school will be submitted shortly. The leadership agreed that once the school is set-up we should host a blessing. Delegates have been elected for both the election of the next bishop and for the annual convention in October. We also laid out our goals for the up-coming year which includes finding ways to connect to the surrounding communities of Hanna, Elk Mountain, and Rock River.

Ministry Developer: I worked on the first part of the week on a flyer for the Latino Ministry Workshop. Here is a selection from that flyer as a means to generate interest: “The Hispanic population is one of the fastest growing part of the demographics in the United States. As the Episcopal Church looks toward another exciting decade of sharing the Good News of Christ in Jesus, the Diocese of Wyoming is given an opportunity to host a workshop led by The Rev. Canon Anthony Guillen from our National Church Office. The workshop will be hosted on February 13, 2010 from 10am to 4pm (lunch will be included) @ the Diocesan Office in Casper. The day will be divided into an introductory course from 10am -12, and a more advanced course from 1-4pm. Please choose to come to just the morning session or to the full day. Sign up by calling: Ms. Katie Johnson 307.265.5200” We also had our weekly check in through WebEx in which we discussed a pastoral concern, the EDS on-line ethics course, the walkabout and annual meetings throughout the Diocese.

What is on deck for this week? On Monday I will start my day meeting with Karen to finalize the ordination service and take it to print. Then I will spend the remainder of the day in Little Snake River Valley for a “getting to know you better” meeting and the Winter Bible Café reflection on the Psalms. Tuesday I will meet with the Wyoming Wilderness Camp programming leadership to finalize the calendar, to discuss the fees, and begin developing the programming for the up-coming camp year. Wednesday will be a full day in which starts with the weekly check in with the Ministry Developers through WebEx. I will then wander over to Kraft Hall for a couple of hours. From there I will share a meal with the leadership of St. James (Encampment). That evening I will be on another WebEx meeting with the Regional Reps. Thursday will be most likely an administrative day to write sermons and send out notes from all my meetings. I am planning on taking Friday off from work and to play. Saturday will be a big day for St. Thomas, the Diocese, and for the church. Karen Buckingham will be welcomed into the priesthood and the service begins at 9am in Rawlins. Sunday I will be visiting in Region 5 as I will preside at St. David’s (Fort Bridger) @ 9am and then St. John’s (Green River) @ 11 am. Enjoy the week and see you around this wonderful place we call home – Carbon County.