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Long-Range Planning
From the RectorDear Friends, In the November 2002 issue, the vestry and I announced to you a long-range planning process for the Chapel of the Cross. At our overnight retreat in May of last year, we had wrestled with the question, “What is God calling the Chapel of the Cross to be and to do?” The very asking of that question acknowledged not only that our parish's identity and mission stem from God but that the context and circumstances of that divine calling continue to change. We are not the same parish in the same community in the same diocese as we were 160 years ago or 60 years ago or even 6 years ago. And we will certainly not be 16 years from now. While there remains and will continue a certain continuity, the Spirit, we trust, will continue to “renew the face of the earth” (Psalm 104). We are to be alert and to respond to the work of the Spirit as it is manifested within and around us and to follow that divine guidance in the shape and in the particulars of our parish ministry. Since November, a representative Long-Range Planning Committee has been operating, with Bill Daniell as chair and the Rev. Dr. Bill Morley as consultant. You will be reading more of its creative and insightful work in this issue. At this year's annual vestry retreat in May, the group reported on some preliminary areas for consideration in thinking about the next 5, 10, 20 years. The two groups also spent considerable time discussing how best to involve the whole parish in this conversation. A series of opportunities will be offered in the fall, including neighborhood meetings, Sunday morning discussions, and conversations with existing parish groups. A high parish priority will be to help us thoughtfully and prayerfully to respond communally to the question of what God is calling us to be and to do. In the meantime, articles in this and ensuing Cross Roads issues will offer you grist for the mill, articulating the discernment and reflection thus far of the vestry and of the Long-Range Planning Committee. I hope that you will read with interest the questions they have raised and the areas they have explored. Their thoughts should not be read as final conclusions, but as stimulants for prayer and discussion. In your own reflection, in informal summertime discussions with other parishioners, and in participating in the communal opportunities in the fall, I hope you will help us all discern what God is calling us to be and to do at the Chapel of the Cross. It will be an exciting journey! - Stephen Vestry Actions — May 15, 2003 At its May business meeting, the vestry:
Vestry Reorganization Joe Ferrell, Immediate Past Chair of the Finance Committee Administrative Organization of the Vestry as Amended and Approved by the Vestry on 5/15/03 The national canons of the Episcopal Church provide that the parish vestry “shall be agents and legal representatives of the parish in all matters concerning its corporate property and the relations of the parish to its clergy.” Our diocesan canons put it more succinctly by stating that the vestry shall have charge of “all the secular concerns” of the parish. Certainly the vestry has a broader role, but management and oversight of the business affairs of the parish is a responsibility that it cannot delegate and for which it is held accountable. As part of the long-range planning process that it recently initiated, the vestry has approved a new plan for its administrative organization. Long-time parishioners will see much that is familiar in this plan. Most of the changes stem from the desire to draw more people and new expertise into active participation in parish affairs. Officers of the Vestry The senior warden, elected for a one-year term on recommendation of the rector, is the principal adviser to the rector and the recognized lay leader of the parish. There is no change in this position. The junior warden, elected by the vestry for a one-year term, has in the past been in charge of buildings and grounds. That will no longer be the case. Instead, the junior warden will chair the Financial Stewardship Committee. The treasurer, elected by the vestry for a three-year non-renewable term, is responsible for administration of all financial matters. The treasurer is assisted by two associate treasurers. In the last year of the treasurer's term, the vestry chooses an assistant treasurer whom it anticipates will be elected to succeed the incumbent. The principal change here is the new position of senior associate treasurer. There will be no changes in the positions of chancellor and clerk. The chancellor, elected by the vestry for a three-year renewable term, is the parish's legal advisor. The clerk, elected annually, carries out the secretariat function. Committees of the Vestry The composition of the Finance Committee and its overall assignment (to advise the vestry on budget and financial administration) remain unchanged. What is new is the creation of three subcommittees. The Budget Subcommittee will develop annual budget recommendations for the vestry. The Audit Subcommittee will recommend an independent auditor to the vestry, receive and evaluate the audit report, and monitor internal control procedures. The Investment Subcommittee will advise the treasurer on investment of idle cash, manage the endowment, recommend policies for expenditure of endowment income, and receive and evaluate reports of the Diocesan Investment Committee. Creation of these new subcommittees substantially expands opportunities for service in several critical areas. The Stewardship Formation Committee is a new creation. It will be composed of the junior warden (chair) and at least four other members appointed by the rector and wardens, two of whom must be vestry members. This committee will plan and oversee stewardship events and a program of stewardship education, and coordinate the work of three subcommittees. The Annual Giving Subcommittee will plan and oversee the annual canvass. The Capital Giving Subcommittee will develop long-range plans for capital campaigns and exercise oversight of such campaigns. The Special Giving Subcommittee will develop and disseminate information on planned and designated giving. The Personnel Committee will continue with little change in its present composition and charge. The principal change will be to require that at least half of its six members must be members of the vestry. The Buildings and Grounds Committee, which has functioned for many years as a support group for the junior warden, will now become a committee of the vestry with a formal charter. It will be chaired by a member of the vestry and will recommend policies for the use of our buildings and grounds, develop long-range plans for the maintenance and improvement of the physical plant, assist the Finance Committee in developing a five-year capital budget, and recruit and oversee volunteers for care of the buildings and grounds.
Vestry assignments and contact information
Buildings and Grounds Committee
Finance Committee
Johnson Intern Board
Long-Range Planning
Personnel Committee
Stewardship Formation
Agenda Liaison
Communications Liaison
Hospitality Liaison
University Ministry Liaison
Social Ministry Liaison
Preschool at the Chapel of the Cross Liaison
Vestry Members
An Overview of the Work of the Long-Range Planning Committee Bill Daniell, Committee Chair The rector and the senior warden appointed the members of a Long-Range Planning Committee to develop a vision for the long-range future of the Chapel of the Cross and to prepare a plan to guide the parish in reaching that vision. I agreed to serve as chair of the committee, and the members of the committee are Laura Cole Alexander, Lee Buck, Paul Carew, Margaret Conrad, Jim Crow, David Dodson, Terry Eason, Dania Ermentrout, Neil Pedersen, Wyndham Robertson, Rob Sullivan, Ramsey Terhune, Nancy Tunnessen, and Judy Watkins. The rector and Ted Vaden are ex-officio members. A new addition to the committee is vestry member Joe Khoury. The committee has been greatly assisted in its work by the efforts of the Rev. Dr. Bill Morley. The members of the committee bring a wealth of experience and talent to their task. Members have served as senior wardens, junior wardens, vestry members at both our parish and at others and have participated in practically every program or opportunity for service offered at the Chapel of the Cross. We have members who are life-long parishioners of the Chapel of the Cross as well as members who have joined the parish only recently, but bring with them experiences at other churches. We have all ages represented from students to elders. The work experiences of the members of the committee include business, consulting, administration, education, medicine, and law, among others. All of this experience is being called upon as the committee pursues its work. The committee has met regularly since the fall of 2002. We began our work by gathering information about the parish and information about the demographics of our community. The committee then formed three subcommittees to look at parish programs, worship, and facilities. The committees have attempted to identify and focus on issues that will have to be addressed by the parish as it moves into the second and third decades of this century. The committee was invited to the annual vestry retreat in May where it reported on its efforts. The next step for the committee is to assist the vestry in obtaining input from parishioners concerning their vision for parish programs, worship services, and parish facilities during the next 10 - 20 years. No long-range plan can be successful without input from the parish, so everyone will be encouraged to participate in this process. Our current goal is for the committee to complete its work by submitting a proposed long-range plan to the vestry at the beginning of 2004. Other articles in this issue address the work of the three subcommittees as well as the process by which the parish will be asked to participate in the formulation of a long-range plan. Statement on Growth Terry Eason, Immediate Past Junior Warden While we are just getting into the “heart and soul” of our long-range planning process, and certainly no consensus has been reached on growth or no-growth for our parish, we must acknowledge that the diocesan missionary strategy and the gospel imperatives are calling us to grow. Many people at the Chapel of the Cross, when they hear of planning that is open to discernment regarding growth, make one of three typical comments. Each one is listed below and followed by a response: Bigger is not always better. Aren't we already big enough and is getting larger really a good thing? While bigger is not always better, growth is not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps it is better to think of having all of the key aspects of a parish in good balance. The Chapel of the Cross has been a large-sized parish for some 20 or 25 years with membership ranging from 1100 to 1600 baptized members. In addition, our church maintains names and addresses of another 500 or so people who are not members but who participate to some degree. However, many of the parish's management and social structures date from a time when we were less than one half the present size. Years ago people felt like they knew or could know everyone; we are long past the size where one can take for granted knowing everyone?a notion that is feasible only for parishes up to 400 or 500 members. Improving knowing one another and incorporating newcomers is a parish task currently under way and is needed whether we grow or not. Over the years we have added staff in moving to a more professional approach to facilitating our programs, yet our membership asks about other staff positions that could be added: elder care minister, youth minister, volunteer coordinator, hospitality coordinator, assistant musician, director of stewardship, outreach minister. Some of these programs/staff positions could be highly effective, yet these possibilities need to be put into balance with our parish's resources and our buildings' capabilities. That is really what long-range planning is all about. In that we are starting a new mission parish, isn't it more likely that we will shrink? While it is true that some of our members may leave to join the new parish, it is likely that the majority of the members of the new mission will not come from the existing parishes. Presently, about 50 persons have indicated an interest in being a part of the new parish, and only a very few are from our parish. Persons at the Chapel of the Cross who are here with strong ties are likely to remain. Those already here or attracted in the future because they like our style of worship and music, or our large number of programs, or the richness of a large parish will also prefer to stay. Furthermore, the western Triangle has had and is still having tremendous growth. The new parish is really playing ?catch-up' to the reality that much area growth has already occurred. The Chapel of the Cross has been about the same size for many years now. With the church often full at 9:00 Sundays and such limited parking, I don't think we can accommodate any growth. While it often appears that the Chapel of the Cross is ?maxed out,' in fact, that is not the case. Careful study reveals the potential for additional growth, by adding services and the tremendous potential to creatively add some additional building space and to manage what space we have more carefully. (As an example, Christ Church in Raleigh is about 50% larger in membership than the Chapel of the Cross, but is on a similarly crowded site.) Parking is certainly an extremely important factor in the discussion of growth. However, there is more parking within a short walk of the parish on Sundays than most people realize. It is toughest on newcomers who don't know where it is and on the elderly or disabled who cannot manage the distance. Weekday parking is an even tougher issue to solve. Parking is, indeed, a key topic where we hope to have improvements sooner rather than later and in balance with our long-range planning. Program sub-committee summary David Dodson, Sub-committee Chair How can the program life of the Chapel of the Cross help the people of our parish be more faithful and loving followers of Christ our Lord in the future? What should we be doing more of? Less of? How can our programs help us become the parish that God wants us to be? Guided by these questions, the Program Sub-committee of the Long-Range Planning Committee (Laura Cole Alexander, Margaret Conrad, Dania Ermentrout, David Dodson, Neil Pedersen, Nancy Tunnesen, Judy Watkins) spent several meetings this spring examining the strengths and weaknesses of our current programming, the program implications of the changing demographics of Chapel Hill and southern Orange County, the changing expectations and needs of parishioners in an evolving society, and the dynamics of spiritual formation ? a heady mix of issues, indeed! Our deliberations took us beyond the narrow question “what kind of programs should we have in the future?” to deeper, but related issues: how can we develop a deeper and more nourishing sense of Christian community at the parish? How can we do more to welcome the stranger into our midst and share the power of the Anglican tradition with neighbors? How can we do more to connect worship, education, outreach, and formation to help parishioners live deeper, more fully integrated lives as Christians? The result of these discussions has been a rich set of observations and recommendations:
Our recommendations fall into three broad areas: Christian Formation and Outreach to the Stranger
Christian Moral Discourse and Action
Hospitality and Christian Community
Worship Sub-Committee Summary Terry Eason, Sub-committee Chair The Chapel of the Cross is blessed with two handsome historic places of worship. Discussions among the full long-range planning committee regarding worship within these sacred spaces elicited a very animated and heart-felt exchange that endorsed the substantial characteristics of our present four Sunday services but also provided some key insights and made some useful suggestions: Possible improvements in our Sunday services of worship:
Increasing seating capacity for worship: The 1848 Chapel can seat about 130 persons, and the 1925 Church seats about 330 in the nave and transepts. As mentioned, the 5:15 p.m. Sunday service is frequently approaching the theoretical capacity in the Chapel, and 9:00 a.m. is approaching this capacity in the Church. The Church has major crowding problems on Christmas Eve (especially the pageants), at both services on Easter morning, and certain other occasions such as funerals where people stand alongside both side walls of the nave totaling more than 450 persons. There have been numerous discussions about adding to the capacity of the church, such as adding a balcony, lengthening the nave, adding a narthex by the front door, and adding a multipurpose overflow room off the right transept. All would be costly and would change the space in ways that were not always desired. However, there was a clear consensus on the long-range planning committee that adding more services at other times or using the church and chapel at the same time could allow for more attendance capacity. It would also permit widening the diversity of worship within the parish without altering the characteristics of the present services. The cost of this, rather than architectural, would be possible increase in staff. Two potential added services emerged from the discussion: A more informal Eucharist in the Chapel at the same time as one of the two large morning services, and secondly, a creative, perhaps more formal evening Eucharist in the Church that could expand the liturgical and musical expression of the parish. The committee also took note of the faithful attendance at the 9:30 p.m. Sung Compline that was added two years ago which has brought many newcomers to our church. Suggestions were made about adding services on Easter morning and at other times when crowding predictably occurs. Acknowledgment was made of the importance of our services at local retirement facilities and the need for expansion of this off-site worship as other such facilities come into our area. Facilities Sub-committee Summary Ramsey Terhune, Sub-committee Chair An essential part of long-range planning involves an evaluation of our parish facilities. This process began last year with the work of the Space Use Committee that examined how our buildings are used, explored options for improving the utilization of our facilities, and identified our most pressing space needs. The Sub-committee for Facilities of the Long-Range Planning Committee continued this process by projecting our anticipated space requirements in 5-20 years. A downtown Parish, here to stay Our history is that of a vibrant parish with strong ties to the University. With the inevitable growth around us, we will find ourselves in an increasingly urban environment. New challenges, opportunities, and missions will likely evolve with these changes. As new Episcopal churches are established in the surrounding area, our call will remain here with our historic chapel and beautiful church. We will face growth from within our parish and demands from outside as we provide assistance to new missions. One vision is the Chapel of the Cross as a ?resource church,' acting as an informal cathedral parish to newer surrounding Episcopal churches. Space needs While some space needs are projected for the future, others exist at present. Atop the list is a large parish hall to replace the present dining room. The dining room was enlarged 50% in the 1991 renovation but remains inadequate for many functions. A new parish hall should have a high ceiling with attractive architectural detailing to complement the church and chapel. Larger meeting rooms and improved office space are other needs. Future needs might include code-compliant space for a full-day child care center. Growth on a postage stamp We face the same dilemma that most city parishes confront of limited lot size with no adjacent property available. Parking is a perpetual problem, especially during the week when Sunday morning on-street parking is unavailable. A detailed map for newcomers is planned, depicting parking locations in close proximity to the church. A busing plan might be developed to shuttle parishioners from a city lot to church. Any expansion of our facilities almost certainly means additional loss of parking. Of many possibilities studied, two general options emerged:
In ?blue skying' these various possibilities for expanded space, the committee acknowledged that, as with our parking constraints, there comes a point at which we are forced to accept the limitations of our location. Eventually we must turn our energies away from expanding our own physical plant and toward expanding God's kingdom both within our confines and beyond our boundaries. Stewardship Formation Paul Carew, Junior Warden Stewardship is using the gifts God has given us to do the work He has called us to do. At its May meeting, the vestry voted to restructure the organization of the vestry to address the ever-present reality that the Chapel of the Cross is a large and growing parish, a multi-faceted community with increasingly more complex administrative responsibilities. A major addition to the administrative organization of the vestry is the creation of the Stewardship Formation Committee, a totally new committee of the vestry. In my article in the April issue of Cross Roads I addressed the topic of stewardship and attempted to explore its meaning in our religious journey through life. As all plans and concepts need structure, the Stewardship Formation Committee is the practical outcome and organizational framework of that vision. As approved by the vestry, the Stewardship Formation Committee (SFC) will include three subcommittees: (1) Annual Giving Subcommittee, (2) Capital Giving Subcommittee, and (3) Special Giving Subcommittee. The SFC itself will be chaired by the junior warden and include four or more other members, two of whom must be from the vestry. The SFC is responsible for overall policy direction and will have special interest in stewardship events and stewardship education. The Annual Giving Subcommittee will include three to five members who will focus on annual giving in all its various aspects. The Capital Giving Subcommittee will prepare long-range campaign plans, concentrate on implementing the campaign guidance provided by the vestry, develop the case and supporting materials for a campaign, and oversee its implementation. The Special Giving Subcommittee will reach-out and encourage significant gifts and contributions from donors throughout the year and disseminate information and be an advocate for planned giving. Change takes time. The SFC has a significant amount of work ahead, but challenge stimulates enthusiasm which motivates success. We are well on our way. Now for the Parish Input Ted Vaden, Senior Warden As you read about our long-range planning process in this issue of Cross Roads, I'd like to add a few words of encouragement and caution. Let me first share with you that the vestry and Long-Range Planning committee have struggled with what to call this effort. We're aware that “long-range plan” seems very corporate and temporal; “long-range mission” might be a better phrase, in the sense of: What is God's Mission for Chapel of the Cross? Whatever the language, I encourage you to read carefully these reports about the planning work that has gone on so far and to reflect on what this might mean for the future of our parish. In particular, the Committee has discussed possible changes in our worship, our programs and our facilities that I think are exciting and stimulating. I have attended all the meetings of the Long-Range Planning Committee, and there was a strong sense of Spirit present at each. But I want to caution you to receive these ideas in the sense that they are offered ? as early, tentative, exploratory concepts for your consideration. I want to stress very strongly that any proposals are not faits accomplis and that no decisions will be made until we have received broad and deep parish input. Here's our timetable: The Long-Range Planning Committee and the vestry have been working on this project for about a year. The Committee submitted a report to the vestry at its retreat in May. Over the course of the summer, both groups will further digest the report and frame its content in the form of questions, for parish consideration. The committee then will use your input to prepare a final report, hopefully by year's end, and the vestry hopes to have a final plan by the end of March 2004. In the fall, most likely September and October, we expect to have conversations with you through a wide variety of formats ? neighborhood groups, meetings of parish organizations such as the choir and men's breakfast, perhaps one or more parish-wide gatherings, a series of adult Sunday School hours ? to get as broad and systematic input as we can manage. There probably also will be a survey administered to the parish. So while we have been working on this process for a long time, we are just beginning the most important process of gathering your ideas and incorporating them into whatever plan ultimately emerges. We hope you will play your role with the same energy and enthusiasm that the Committee and vestry have brought to the process so far, and we look forward to an engaging discussion in the fall about the mission of the Chapel of the Cross. The Anglican Church in Orange County — 250 Years Lisa G. Fischbeck, Orange County Missioner Mark your calendars for September 19-21, 2003: Celebrating 250 years of Anglican and Episcopal witness in Orange County. In 1752, the General Assembly of the province of North Carolina passed an Act establishing both Orange County and St. Matthew's Parish. Now, 250 years later, it is time to celebrate! On the weekend of September 19-21, Orange County's Episcopal churches will host an array of scholars, clergy, writers, music, and worship to celebrate and reflect upon the long history of Anglican and Episcopal Church presence in this area. Please plan to join in the festivities. The celebration will begin at St. Matthew's in Hillsborough on September 19, with a celebratory dinner and evening program about the Church and the arts. On Saturday morning, following a colonial-era Morning Prayer Service at the historic St. Mary's Chapel, there will be a presentation and discussion on the colonial church in America and in North Carolina. On Saturday afternoon, the Chapel of the Cross will host a panel discussion of the Church and University life. In the evening, the Church of the Holy Family will host music and panel discussions on the Church and Race through the centuries and today. The celebration will conclude at the Church of the Holy Family on Sunday evening with a Festival Eucharist and the sending forth of the new Episcopal congregation for the Orange County Mission, whose regular worship will begin the following Sunday. Save the dates. More information will follow in the August issue of Cross Roads. For questions, contact the Rev. Lisa G. Fischbeck at lgf@nc.rr.com. Johnson Intern Program Mary Agnes Rawlings, Director On the weekend of June 6-8, Amy Meador (Duke Divinity Summer intern) and I traveled 15 miles northwest of Washington DC to Wellspring Retreat Center. I went in search of the Christian community experience documented so eloquently in Elizabeth O'Connor's book, Journey Inward - Journey Outward. My intention as the Johnson Intern Program (JIP)Director was to learn how The Servant Leadership School model ?works.' I held the assumption that I could use a ?best practice' approach and create the new fall Johnson Intern curriculum around community building. The retreat focused upon the inward journey (one's spirituality) and its outward expression (mission) and how it is supported by the community experience. Over the past year, I have struggled with identifying the foundational requirements for building community. At times I have seriously questioned whether it was an illusive ideal; a high and mighty aspiration, yet a human impossibility. I have an ongoing struggle with the concept of Christian community in the 21st century and ask myself repeatedly how (if at all) is it different from a fellowship experience? Is it a community because the persons involved say they experience it? Moreover, what does ?it' consist of? I would like to share with you two foundational learnings that came from the weekend experience. First, the Christian community experience builds upon an individual's personal desire to know the man called Jesus. An individual's desire must be coupled with the emotional and stable maturity to develop spiritual disciplines. It is difficult and dangerous work to enter silence, prayer, meditation, and scriptural study on a daily basis. Our very sense of ?self' with all its rights and freedoms becomes fundamentally challenged as one encounters Jesus in the daily journey. The prospective applicant interview process is essential for the JIP program. It is through this discernment process that we ensure that we invite young adults committed to developing spiritual discipline, both I individually and as a community. Second, unless one is involved in the spiritual life in a deep and meaningful way, Christian fellowship is often mistaken for Christian community. So if fellowship is not Christian community, what determines Christian community? I believe it begins with accountability to and with others. Individuals have the personal experience of being encouraged, supported, and challenged for developing spiritual disciplines. The community becomes responsible for the checks and balances of the Christian communal life. Some refer to it as a “rule of life” others a “covenant.” The test comes in the ability of the community members to do what they say they will do and feel the safety and freedom to challenge one another when they do not. In our sessions together, the principle that continued to surface was authenticity, an ability to be honest with God, with self, and with others. What I learned from my own personal experience of the weekend is that one cannot use a ?model' for the Christian experience. Fellowship is an environment of love; community is accountability to do what we as Christians say we will do. Each group that calls itself “community” must hold itself against the way of Jesus to determine if the experience is authentic Christian community. CPR/Defibrillator class offerred August 2, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Q. Why should I take this class? A. You can save the life of a loved one, a fellow parishioner, a friend, or a co-worker with the skills you will learn in this class. Q. How will the class be structured? A. Upon registration, you will receive a booklet to review and bring to class. The class will be limited to the American Heart Association (AHA)-recommended seven participants to assure individual attention. It will be taught by Glenda George, RN, who is certified by the AHA to teach the course and who is an instructor with the UNC School of Nursing. She will bring all the necessary teaching aids to Room 4-5 in the basement of the Yates Wing. Q. What will I learn? A. You will learn how to determine if someone has stopped breathing or is having a heart attack or a stroke, how to breathe for them using a device that protects you from contagious diseases, how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if their heart has stopped, and how to use the automatic external defibrillator (AED). Q. What is an AED? A. An AED is a device that evaluates the victim's heart rhythm, generates and delivers an electric charge, and reevaluates the heart rhythm. All AEDs provide both voice and visual prompts to lead you through important rescue steps. The parish owns an AED, which is kept in the closet next to the fireplace in the dining room. Q. Will I be at risk of injury during the class? A. No. The mannequins used to learn the breathing technique have been disinfected. Still, if you choose not to use one, you will be required only to demonstrate proper procedure without actually breathing into the mannequin. The AED will be a mock-up and will not deliver an electrical charge. Also, though rescue is usually done on the floor, you will be working at a table. Q. Am I legally at risk if I use CPR or an AED? A. No. State law protects anyone who performs CPR or uses an AED. Q. How do I register for the class and what does it cost? A. Contact Chandra Cook, the parish administrative assistant, to register (919-929-2193, ccook@thechapelofthecross.org ). The cost is $15. (The full cost is $32, but the instructor and the parish together are covering $17.) You will be lent a booklet to look over before the class. It is not necessary to read the whole book, but familiarizing yourself with the contents will enhance your learning during the class. You may purchase the book for $10 if you wish. Q. If I cannot come to the August class, will I have another chance to attend? A. Yes. Future dates have not been set, but we hope to have a class in the fall and spring. Q. How can I get more information about the class? A. You can contact parishioner Barbara Tolin Rowan btrowan@nc.rr.com. From the Associate for Campus Ministry Stephen Stanley To My Beloved Parish Family, I am writing today to add a personal note to the recent announcement from our rector, Steve Elkins-Williams, that has appeared in Crossings in the past weeks. The original text of the Crossings announcement can still be found in the announcements page found on the parish website (www.thechapelofthecross.org) for May 25 and June 1. As your Associate for Campus Ministry, priest, and friend, I want to give all of you in the parish community some background because this announcement that this next year will be a year of transition for me and for our campus ministry must come as a surprise and can cause some anxiety about what will happen next. All decisions have some intention and some consequence. It is important for me, because you are all so important to me, to describe a bit of the intention behind what has been announced in the Sunday Crossings. I believe that a comment made by a kind parishioner after the 7:30 service on June 1 helped make sense of some of this for me. This parishioner stopped at the chapel door and said, “Stephen, one of the things I have liked most about you is your openness to change.” I appreciate that remark because I think that, despite the value we place on ?Old Chapel Hill' and all its wonderful memories and traditions, there is the side of Chapel Hill that has always been open to change. Students and immigrants, civil rights leaders and prophetic church leaders have helped shape that legacy too. I hope that I can be remembered a bit for helping that legacy as well. I believe that there are some new vistas for Chapel Hill and the Chapel of the Cross and its campus ministry in particular. I have lobbied for some new visions for leadership and program for Episcopal Campus Ministry (ECM) for some time, and now it seems that our Lord and the parish leadership want that too. Both, I believe, say to me that God is ready for change. I have served both Baylor University and our Tarheel campus for a total of 18 of my 21 years of ordination as an Episcopal priest. I have spent almost two-thirds of my ordained ministry here at the Chapel of the Cross. Those have been good and growing and productive years of ministry. But all the while I have realized and respected the fact that this ministry, while entrusted to my service, is not “my” ministry?it is the Lord's and it has been entrusted to His Church to sustain. He has led our campus ministry through many decades and many changes, and He has enabled it to be what it is. He will continue to do so through new leadership far into a future we cannot control or see. We are a very old campus ministry, but we don't have to act that way! I trust that the Lord will enable some new ministry in my life as well. I am ready for His call and the changes and newness that He brings. My wife and son are ready to follow too, when the Lord says, “Come with Me,” whenever that might be. I have been fortunate in my 13 years to have studied a lot of the 160+ year old history of this campus ministry. There have been many changes in the world since 1842 and many priests have served as chaplain and Associate here. I am the 14th chaplain since the Rev. (and later Bishop) Thomas Wright came here as the first Chaplain/Associate in 1931. Of those 14, my tenure has been the longest, having served over twice as long as any of my predecessors. I am proud of that continuity and proud of the history of my predecessors, and I shall be equally proud of the history of my successors as they come. My successor, who will come some time before next summer, will not be called to carry on Stephen's ministry (no pun intended!), but the new generation of this parish's ministry to UNC and that person will be called to support and value your student leadership, pastoral needs, and call to service. When that time comes, welcome that priest with open arms as you have welcomed me. Current students, in turn, will pass on their leadership to new students in the coming years as they have always done. So our rector has determined that we need to do everything possible to carry on and renew our campus ministry leadership at all levels?student, chaplain, faculty, parishioner, and parish staff. He has appointed a review committee of new and old campus ministry folks to attend to this task. It is called the “Fresh Look Project.” Let me assure you, as he will, that student input and participation will be honored and encouraged throughout. Not everyone will be on the “Fresh Look” committee, but its work and the work of the search committee that will look for a new chaplain associate will be made known to all. In essence, you all have a great opportunity to help shape the future of this ministry and I hope that you all will take every opportunity to do so. In the meantime, I will remain fully engaged in my work here, preparing for the Fall and being available for students as always. I do not intend to be a ?lame duck' chaplain and priest. As my discernment process moves forward I will be asking for your prayers and support, and I know it will be there. In a way I'll be graduating this coming year, along with some of our young adults! And like them, I will always hold Carolina in my heart. I welcome any comments and questions you may have about these changes. I love you all and all of you will be in my prayers for a peaceful and also exciting summer. As I hit the SEND button on this message, I am reminded that God hits the SEND button in our lives. I hope that the coming months can help us all embrace the Grace we need to say “Yes” when God calls. Peace and Blessings, Stephen It's time to check our membership information Barbara Hastings, Parish Administrator Keeping our membership database up-to-date and accurate requires the work of all of us. Many parishioners tell us when they have a new address or phone number. Staff members work hard to update information all during the year. However, we miss new information sometimes. Once a year, we request information changes from parishioners who have moved, changed their phone number, had an addition to their family, or had children move away. If you fit into any of these categories,
We are also using email more and more to communicate with parishioners. It's fast, cheap, and efficient. If you have an email address we can use, please include it in the information you submit. We will treat it as unlisted on your request in the same way we keep your phone number unlisted.
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