Visioning Consultations, 24 November / 01 December 2002 Raw Data Report
- very good
- covers both sides, traditional and modern, hasn't left anything out
- it's obvious that a fair amount of time was put into the statement
- very well thought out
- suggestion for wording - use "inspired by faith" instead of faith-driven - the
word driven has negative connotations
- we have to be unified and we have to work at it
- I think we are where we should be today
- I think we are already unified but we are not growing
- there needs to be give and take in the community regarding the facility.
- We need traditional and innovative services.
- worried that the community aspect might overpower the "church" aspect.
- we need to bring in the youth
- Great - as full as it can get
- realistic
- Let's Go
- Traditional and Innovative yes!
- we want to outreach to all
Yes we can accomplish the statement - need youth involved in services. Need some
traditional for seniors.
"Tradition" and "Innovative" seems to be at opposite poles, but key
would be the methodology of how they are brought to the community.
Music, Youth Pastor, Creativity
There has to be pull for young people
- "Spirit-led ministries"
Tradition and key: "Innovation" has to come from the top levels down.
unity - we are getting to know one another
- motivated by economics and survival
"serving the community"
- more than a "Sunday Church"
- to attract younger people
- youth programs
Traditional and innovative
- "old system not working" - need to be changed
- wordy - but need that - encompasses a lot of work of the church
- like "faith-driven"
- like "growing Anglican Church proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ"
- like the whole thing 2x
- like "unified"
- like "serving the community"
- like "innovative" - point is to start innovative - need this to bring young
people in
- Q re "spirit - led ministry"
- like "traditional and innovative" - suggests serving the spiritual needs of
all members of parishes
There was a strong feeling that the community emphasis was what was needed. The new
facility should be used by the community at large.
They all felt the statement properly reflected their wishes.
One member agreed with the community side but thought the gospel should come first.
In closing they felt statement covers all parts of a congregation and items such as youth
or seniors does not need to be stated.
1. Now we feel separated - need to ‘get together as one' naming of new parish would
help
2. Excellent Mission Statement tells what we should be
3. Meetings - these Visioning meetings and parish services with other churches (parishes)
are good to develop unity
4. "Define growing" What will happen through the week.
5. Spirit - led ministries - a minister to the youth. Very important to attract the youth.
Also "times" to keep older and younger people together
6. Getting out and being with a larger group
7. Buildings are now taking up an excessive amount of our resources
Dreams:
1. Eucharist where lay people administer to each other
2. Programs for 20's and 30's
3. Programs for older / shut-ins i.e. home care
4. Clergy to minister: ALSO lay people to minister - to help one another
5. Geography - may be a consideration - transportation
1 - Faith-driven - always challenges and on-going
good statement - we should gear toward more 20 / 30 year olds who will be able to bring in
children
- agrees ("I like it")
- beautiful, perfect statement but what does this mean to a parish that might vote
"no" to the amalgamation? What happens then?
- agree but what happens if we vote "no"
- what happens if the new "church" ends up in the city of Saint John
amalgamation area as we are an LSD (what are we going to own re property?)
- good Mission Statement but I don't agree with joining the parishes
- we need to keep the Oak Point church open
- Our parish is growing so I'm afraid what will happen if we amalgamate
- I agree with statement but what we need is involve children more
- I'm concerned about the graveyards - what will happen to them?
- Growing - include young people focus on growth very important. Recognize declining trend
- A unified group 4 parishes now one automatically helps us grow - in numbers and
spiritually
- The proclamation of the Gospel is important - It is what we do and what we are all about
- Innovative is a better word than change - less negative connotations
- The traditional side must be maintained with the innovative the both should work
together
- the Gospel of Christ is the main thing we can go by.
- Unified sounds good
- Tradition is very important to everyone but we need the innovations and new ideas to
make it work
- We want to be unified and we have to change and grow with the times and yet try to keep
our tradition
- We want to bring more people into the Church of Christ in this way
- We have to be unified and innovative to have an interest to draw people in
- The traditional will keep the older people and the innovative will bring in the youger
ones
- We all have to have something to come to church for
Question 1: sparked much debate - pro and con
- Feelings centered around specific issues - ie definitely against closing local churches,
felt that present situation could be kept viable
- Don't need new facilities miles away in order to worship
- Wonder what strategies would need to be put in place in order to carry out this mission
statement
- Liked unified, faith driven
- Glad to see traditional and innovative were both included because that is what we are as
Anglicans
- need this statement in order to be stronger
- Use this statement for local churches but it's hard to have a dream when congregations
and situations are static
- hopefully all will work together. Keep Anglicanism growing not only here but in their
wider community(ies)
- No problem, sounds good (2)
- no opinion (2)
- hard to be unified when so far away
- Mission Statement is a good goal, maybe not practical to reach
- 100% agreement to have innovative and traditional
- Growth: the minister should go door to door to invite people back who have left
- wonderful
- I'll go along with it
- agree with serving the community
- a lot less expensive
- what we would like to be doing
- We have to be more open to young people
- Unified - agreed it is one body of people
a lot of work to be unified
- Faith driven the people collectively believe we are faith driven
- children have spoken and buy into helping the community
- Have a powerful youth representation in line with other main stream youth ministries.
They know they will be where we are now. (They're going to be us in a few years)
- Tradition is key for carrying on our roots
- Innovative will add more sparkle in the ministry
-Serving the community - to be more interactive with our neighbors beyond Sundays
- "faith inspired" instead of "faith driven"
- 2 no comments
- it's "not working now", but the statement will initiate a necessary change
- Need a common definition instead of "Spirit led" use "Christian
ministries"
- Shorten
- It's all three
- It's covered
- Very awesome!
- I like the traditional, innovative part, particularly the innovative part
- I like it but we have to move faster
- Some people feel that there are gaps in communication between committees and
congregations
- it's good; it covers stuff
- Lets get going an let Don Trivett enjoy his retirement!
- It makes sense. "Inspired" by faith would sound better than "driven"
- Church has to change to get people back to church
- concern that mission statement needs to address all Anglicans and statement is good as
long as it is followed
- We need the young people and we have lost some of the younger ones and the new ideas are
needed
- We need to be traditional as well
- The mission statement needs to be acted upon
- Glad to have opinion asked for
- More people are informed
- See Anglican growth and going toward other denominations - so get moving
- Sees old quiet ways of worshiping disappearing and wants to remember what we stand for -
traditional and Anglican in the sense what we stand for
- Its what we are looking for
- Doesn't believe it's a community
- Why stress innovative when we have traditional (however)
- Innovative ministry could even include "food banks"
- "Faith driven" is the underlying key stone of our denomination
- Proclaiming the Gospel is something we should be doing every day not just Sunday
- Could be seen as limiting or confusing when we try to define community
ie: community - our own or community (Anglican) - a broader spectrum to
include groups such as PWRDF and others
- Be careful when choosing meanings for words. ie. Dreams - could be unrealistic or
idealistic (do able)
- If we don't have dreams, how will we ever move into the future, we will always be on the
thresh hold - at a stand still
- Essential ingredients are contained in Mission Statement
- Liked aspect of growth - have been in opposite situation too long
- We need more community - base activities
- Agree we need to be visible
- Like the innovative idea - new music, trained youth pastor
- We used to serve the community with cubs, scouts, youth groups, etc and need to return
to that
- Youth choirs, speakers to bring in youth people - need to change
- Need to focus on future, not past for sake of children's spiritual life
- Says it all, but it's long
- Hits every goal we need to meet
- A good statement
- Working together for the same purpose
- Unified - to carry on the faith and get us where we need to go
- We are Anglican, that's who we are
- Tradition and innovation - both a large part of who we are