August 4, 2024

 

Well, we’ve had some interesting weather lately, and I’m here to give you a report about it! As
you know, our new ship, the Ocean Spirit, was commissioned in April to sail the Discernment
Committee out onto the Sea of Transition to whatever destination was charted. However, the
Ocean Spirit sailed into some rough weather, and with all the tossing and splashing, Captain
Deidre Soileau temporarily lost her sea legs. She’ll be recovering in the Sick Bay for a while (I
learned that nautical term from Star Trek). I sadly accepted Deidre’s resignation as
Discernment Committee Chair. If you know how devoted, responsible, and diligent she is, you
also know that this was a really big decision for her. She asked Bill Sewell to replace her, and
he stepped up—of course he did. So, Joslyn was informed, Vestry approved the change, and the
Discernment Committee affirmed Bill Sewell as DC Chair. Deidre will stay on as a member of
the committee. So, we’ve had some changes, but the good news is that the good ship Ocean
Spirit is just fine. Captain Bill is at the helm (with his First Mate, Cosmo), and they’ve shipped
off to the next port: Mars Hill Baptist Church. All the rest of us on good ship Holy Spirit will
meet them there for our Holy Conversations on August 12 th and 20th! Captain Bill tends to be a
pretty quiet man, but you don’t want to mess with him when it comes to keeping things ship-
shape! Now, he’s no Captain Ahab, but if you haven’t signed up yet for the Holy
Conversations, the lists are in the cubby.
Another temporary change is the decision to put a hold on the Ingles card program for a while.
Captain Bill now has many other responsibilities. We’ll start up the program again when we
find someone to manage it. If you are interested, please let me know.
Your Weather Report: The evenings are pretty loud out here on the water, with all the noise
from the ocean cicadas and sea crickets. The warm air feels tropical, and most of the
thunderstorms are in the distance, giving us fabulous light shows.

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May 12, 2024

 

So, it’s been almost a month since our Discernment Committee was commissioned, and since they boarded their new ship, the “Ocean Spirit.” I don’t know about you, but I’m eager for them to set sail! It’s a little like being on an airplane: the pilot and crew have already boarded, luggage is stored, everyone is seated, and then the pilot announces a weather delay. We’re all ready to take off! And we’re waiting.
 

But, be not dismayed. Even though it’s taking a while to shove off, things are beginning to
happen. The Discernment Committee will receive their “helm commands” (that’s a nautical
term for orders) at the retreat on May 30 with Joslyn Shaefer, our Transition Shepherd.
Meanwhile, some of the tasks for the rest of us have begun. Dena, Deidre and I met with Steve Matthews at the beginning of March. Dena had contacted the Ministry of Church Planning and Redevelopment at the Presiding Bishop’s office to see what they had to offer. Steve was recommended. He has worked as a consultant for national church initiatives, as a personal and organizational coach and spiritual director, and he has managed collectives between churches and non-profits. He is a regular contributor to Upper Room books. Needless to say, he has impressive experience and credentials.

 

Steve is providing 3 tools for us:

 

1.) The Neighborhood Insight Survey, which gives us a picture of the demographics of the
population surrounding Holy Spirit.,

2.) The Congregational Vitality Survey, which is an electronic questionnaire, that
18 randomly selected members of the church are taking now—the results will be sent next
week., and

3.) A Coaching Cohort, which consists of 6 people who will participate in hour-long
Zoom coaching meetings monthly. The first meeting is on May 21 where the results of the
Neighborhood Survey and the Vitality Survey will be revealed. These coaching meetings will
be recorded and available to the congregation—as will all the information. The Consort
members will provide two-way communication, from and to the congregation. All this is apart from the process with our diocese—it’s meant to give us a head start in understanding who we are, so we can prepare for our “best-fit” priest. Thank you, Dena!
 

After the May 30 Discernment Committee retreat, the Ocean Spirit will shove off, and the
congregation will be busy with assignments from the diocese--like the CAT, or Congregational Assessment Tool. This is an incredibly comprehensive on-line tool that will take 3 to 4 weeks for us all to complete. There will be plenty of opportunities for everyone to take part in, so keep your seat belts fastened.
 

Your Weather Report: We’ve had some pretty exciting weather lately, and it looks like it will
continue for a little while longer. But, we don’t need to worry about all the rain, because even if  the water gets too high, we already have a couple ships ready and waiting for us!

 

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April 7, 2024

I have great news! We have a Discernment Committee! And they are: (in alphabetical
order) Amanda Hilty, our one Vestry member on the Committee, Patty King, Teresa Matthews, Bill  Sewell, Ann Shiver and the Chair, Deidre Soileau. They were chosen to be members of a crew, for  having steady gaze and self-awareness, for their dedication and prayerfulness, but most importantly, for having sea legs (which really means the ability to maintain balance and not get sick when the going gets rough). So, next Sunday, we will make them official: they will be Charged—not “charged” like sentenced or fined--they haven’t done anything wrong. Charged is one of those Episcopal terms to officially recognize their new role and position in our community—it’s more like “charged” meaning plugged in.

 

We will send them off with our love and our prayers into the wide-open ocean, loaded with our rich heritage, our vibrant energy, and dreams for our future, and they will cast their nets until they catch and bring home our next Priest—no pressure.
 

In a way the Charging ceremony is like commissioning—or christening--a new vessel, and the good ship Ocean Spirit will be ready to sail. (You may have noticed that there is another little boat on the Roadmap in the hallway.) I may have a bottle of champagne to crack over her bow--or maybe we’ll all just share a toast. Captain Deidre will be at the helm, and the discernment crew will be ready to shove off. We’ll probably need a Zodiac so Amanda can zip back and forth, since she has to come back for vestry meetings, and they will need provisions—we’ll figure all that stuff out.

Captain Deidre sent a message to you in the Weekly Spirit about the Discernment Process, and she’ll continue to send updates from time to time. She’ll also send activities for us in the home ship to do (homework) to prepare for the triumphant return of the Ocean Spirit.

I’m staying here with you, as your Senior Warden; and Dena and I will continue as captains of the good ship Holy Spirit.

Your weather report: The weather has certainly been interesting for the past few days—we’ve had a little of everything, including rainbows. Soon, I’m told, our Spring will return. Meanwhile, I’m glad to have a little break before full-tilt gardening season begins!

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March 3, 2024

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You may not have noticed—or maybe you have--the little boat on the roadmap in the hallway moved this week! We have a Discernment Committee Chair.

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Many of you know Deidre Soileau (BTW, her name is not “Dierdre,” it’s pronounced “Deedree Swallow”). Many of you may not know her, since even though she has been attending for almost 5 years, for the first couple years she was one of the little stamp faces on our zoom service. She tends to be quiet—one who does not seek the limelight. - - I feel you, sister! That’s about to change!

Let me tell you a little about her. She has a son in Seattle, a daughter in Cleveland, and a stepdaughter in Atlanta; and she has 5 grandchildren. Deidre earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Cleveland Institute of Art and worked in advertising for a while. She then earned an MBA at Virginia Tech, and was working toward a PhD in Community College Leadership, when her husband became ill and eventually died. Professionally, she worked as a product developer in banking, as well as an investment banker. She worked in 3 community college systems, finally as a college president. She also was a consultant in strategic research and communications, eventually starting her own firm. Pretty impressive! I know Deidre to be a humble and prayerful woman. She was shocked, when I asked her to be the Discernment Committee Chair, and I’m thrilled that she said, “yes!”

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Deidre and the Vestry will choose a discernment committee. The committee must have one Vestry member—not a warden, and Amanda has volunteered! So, we need 4 more members. Once formed, Augusta and Joslyn will come for a retreat with the committee. (Joslyn Schaefer is the Rector at Grace Episcopal in Waynesville, who will take over for 4 months while Augusta is on sabbatical.) And then you all get to pitch in!

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We’ll all take the Congregational Assessment Tool, which is a survey that will help us better know ourselves. We’ll also take part in Holy Conversations: which are 3 meetings where Augusta or Joslyn will come to work with us. Meanwhile, we’ll be creating our Parish Profile.

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So, I’m asking you to ask yourselves, “how can I help?” I remember at our Annual Meeting, when I asked people who are involved with committees and ministries to stand; many of you stood, and many of those standing had several roles. I’m well aware that we also have other commitments or life complications that can take a lot of time and energy. - You may be thinking, “I really don’t have time or energy for more!”  But! it’s time for Spring cleaning, right? You know, when we go through cupboards and get rid of food with expiration dates that start with “19”, or give away clothes we haven’t worn in 15 (or 20) years? We get rid of some things, share some others, and rearrange everything. Somehow, we find a little more space. (You see where I’m going with this, right?) So, maybe we can find a little extra space to offer in our search for a permanent priest. Just something to think about! And maybe things are just too much right now. That’s OK, too. If you aren’t able to volunteer, you can continue to pray for us, all of us. Cuz, we’re all in this together.

 

Your weather report: Spring is getting more insistent every day. The weather is all over the place. Now, out here on the ocean, we have a really strong wind filling our sails, the currents are kind of tricky, and the waves are getting a lot bigger. We need to recruit some extra crew members and deck hands get us through the next part of our journey.

 

And we will, and it will all be just fine.

 

 

February 18, 2024

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The Vestry met with Canon Augusta on Thursday evening, and we were introduced to Joslyn Schaefer, who will take over as Transition Shepherd when Augusta goes on her Sabbatical--from mid-May until the end of August. Joslyn is the rector of Grace Episcopal in Waynesville, and I think we were all favorably impressed with her. The meeting marked the official start of the search for our permanent priest. (You can follow along on the roadmap in the hallway, but the steps are not necessarily in order). First, the Vestry selects a discernment committee chair, then the chair and vestry choose a discernment committee of 5 or 6 people. Once formed, Augusta (and Joslyn) will have a retreat with the committee. Then, we—as a congregation--have some work to do. There’s a lot of information to gather and organize. The big chunks are: the CAT (which is an acronym for the Congregational Assessment Tool). Basically, this is a survey to help us understand who we are as a congregation and how to present Holy Spirit in a way that will attract our perfect-fit Priest. Remember (way back in September), the survey that the Communications Committee gave to learn how best to send and gather information? One reason for that survey was to prepare for the CAT. Our response was robust, which means we are primed for this next step! Another big chunk is creating a Parish Profile, which is basically a document telling our story as a congregation—our history, where we are now, and our dreams for our future. We’ll also have guided conversations--as a parish--to work through these dreams together.

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I hope you have noticed how our website has grown and continues to expand—this is one expectation for the parish profile—and we’re already on it! The Parish Profile will require time to gather and organize all the information and to craft it into a fabulously attractive document!

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OK,  Different topic: I’m asking you to consider if you or someone you know would be willing to serve as our treasurer. Sam Shiver generously offered to fill in until January 2025, when Nicki Toole expected to take over. Unfortunately, her plans have changed, so we need to find a treasurer by the end of the year. And we will! I’m happy to share the job description, if you’re interested. Sam is happy to answer any questions! Please realize, no one is expected to fill Bill Sewell’s shoes. Bill is a magician, and we’re mere humans. Also, we have a terrific bookkeeper, Katie Douglas, who oversees our financial transactions, handles payroll and bill payments, and manages and records our fiscal business. She also comes to Holy Spirit every week to make sure our documentation meets Diocesan standards. She does a lot of what Bill did! So please, just think about it. The salary is negotiable. (just kidding)

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Your weather report: Even though it’s a chilly February day, there is a strong tropical breeze filling our sails. Daylight comes earlier and stays later, and we’re heading toward Spring. Captain Dena Whalen is at the helm. Peggy Wilson, your Junior Warden, is ready with a floatie if anyone wants to go for a swim.

The next leg of our journey is about to get interesting!

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January 8, 2023

 

The Good Ship Holy Spirit has sailed right into 2024, which promises to be an important year in the life of our church. We are heading straight toward our first celebration of the year: the Annual Meeting! Our Priest-Captain Dena has the great idea to base the meeting on a slide show of the year. The call has gone out for people to send her photos of events, ministries, and the workings of the church, and I suspect she has been inundated! It should be an extravaganza! Additionally, your outgoing vestry members will be honored; and your new vestry members will be approved by acclamation. The Annual Meeting is after the service on January 21st, so get your tickets soon--before they sell out! (They’ll go fast.) See Peggy Barnes for your ticket. Just kidding, you don’t need tickets for the meeting—and it’s free!

On the Tuesday after the Annual Meeting, we will have the first Vestry meeting of the year, which will include the new vestry members, and will be--in part--preparing for the following Tuesday, January 30th, when Canon Augusta will come to explain and begin the discernment process to find a permanent Priest.

 

So, all of a sudden, our ship is picking up speed. Most of the crew will be crowded into the Crow’s nest to watch out for storms, bothersome sea creatures or icebergs (I know it’s been mild, but you never know!)

 

Priest-Captain Dena will make sure our ship is in fine sea-worthy condition, and your warden-Captains are ready to copy down every shred of information from Augusta’s visit, so we can provide a full report for you!

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Your weather report: There are no storms in the immediate forecast, but it’s pretty chilly out there, especially with the wind picking up. However, it is winter, so bundle up, and stay close together.

 

November 19, 2023

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We’ve been sailing along in our little boat for a while now—about 4 ½ months. It’s been four weeks, since Captain Dena boarded! I said I’ll let you know if there are changes in the forecast, and there are. Our Vestry will change in January: three crew members will head to shore, and three new crew members will board. If you are interested in being a vestry member, or if you’re thinking about it and have questions, please contact any vestry person.

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Once the new vestry is approved at our annual congregational meeting at the end of January, we’ll begin the process of creating a discernment committee to find our permanent priest. The first step is for the vestry to choose a DC Chair. That person--along with the vestry--will choose 6 more members for the committee. These 7 folks will be joined together—with meetings, interviews, retreats--until we approve our permanent priest. The process takes time, but we’re getting closer to the next step.

As we prepare for Thanksgiving gatherings of family and friends, I’m reminded how families can be challenging, even while they sustain us, and even though they have formed us. Our church family can be like that, too. We thrive on new ideas, but new ideas must be incorporated, if they are to become corporate decisions—so they can be owned by all of us, and so they can strengthen our community.

 

Unilateral decisions—even if well intentioned—can ruffle feathers, trespass on other’s territory, and can cause friction (some friction can be exciting, but unnecessary friction can cause a big mess.)Fortunately,  the Episcopal Church has solid procedures to integrate good ideas into community decisions. So, please feel free to bring ideas or concerns to the vestry. Making decisions in community is not always easy, and can take some time; but it’s the way we move forward together. Trust the process! Our boat is strong, and your crew is on duty!

 

Your weather report: The sea is calm right now and the nights are getting colder and longer. The sky is clear so we can navigate by the stars until the moon returns to light our way.

 

 

October 8, 2023

 

It’s great to have you back, Rev McRee! Thanks for putting up with the joyful chaos today. And
thank you Rev. Harrison for stepping in to be our “Blessing Shepherd.” Rev. Joan Grant will
return to lead us next Sunday.
 

I have news for you! The vestry chose our interim priest. The Rev. Dr. Dena Bearl Whalen has
been ordained for over thirty years, and her experience includes (this is from her resume)
leadership which is both visionary and pastoral, a reconciler and community builder, preaching
based on scripture that proclaims God’s love and draws people further into a life in Christ—and
much more. Her undergraduate studies were in music therapy and gerontology before she heard
the call to ministry. Dena started her pastoral career in Jacksonville, Fl, followed by 3 years in
Greenville SC, 9 years in Clarkesville GA, and then she came to North Carolina to be rector of
St. Paul’s in Wilmington. She most recently served at the Church of the Advocate in Asheville.
Her resume is quite impressive, and she is down to earth, comfortable in her own skin’ she’s
engaging, and I think she’s just great. But you will meet her soon—she will start October 22 nd !
You may notice that the boat on our roadmap in the hallway moved forward, since last Sunday.
Your weather report: It’s going to be chilly for the next couple days. Autumn has arrived! But
we can kick back and relax, you may want to grab a cozy blanket, and enjoy the crisp breeze
while we lay out on the deck chairs to get some sun.