Diocesan Digest, December 14
Annual Meetings: Invited to Love

It is that time of year once again: annual meeting time. Many of the congregations of the diocese will be holding their annual meetings this week or in the next few weeks to come. This is a stressful time for all concerned, clergy and lay leaders alike. It is often when vision and reality meet, and at times it is not a pretty sight. Often congregational leaders dream wonderful visions of what is possible only to be confronted with the harsh reality of shrinking budgets and lack of resources to accomplish all that we can see in our minds.

I invite you all to two practices as you enter this time together. First, I invite you to prayer.

If you are clergy, pray for your lay leaders who offer themselves, mostly without pay, for the work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Some of these lay leaders will disappoint you as you invite people to stretch in their vision of what can be accomplished. Some will disappoint simply by not showing up and some will disappoint by disagreeing with the vision or the facts. Know that they do so with love as the motive for what they do. (Some will of course delight you with their support!)

If you are a lay leader, pray for your clergy, who serve, mostly underpaid, for the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Your priest may disappoint you with visions too grand, or not grand enough. Some will seek approval at the expense of the work and some will push for work that is in your eyes unattainable. Some will find your disagreement hard to take and others may forget to thank you for your support. (Some will of course delight you with their support!)

The second practice I invite you to is love. Please remember that whether you are clergy or lay you are a child of God and worthy of love and respect. Care for each other, be mindful of the challenge that the annual meeting creates for all leaders of the church. Love one another as Christ has loved you, and in the end you will be fine and the mission of the good news of Jesus will be proclaimed to the ends of the earth.

You are all in my prayers,
+Michael

Read more of Bishop Michael Online.


Around the Diocese
 
Upcoming diocesan and church events:

Radical Kindness Tools Workshop: Vicki Hanna Lein will offer practical steps to diffuse abusive situations. Church of the Good Samaritan, January 28 from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.

Pajamas & Pancake Service : celebrate Candlemas with this child-centered service at All Saints, Portland. February 2 at 6:30 pm.

Interfaith Advocacy Day : registration ends next week! Join us for briefings, advocacy trainings, and meeting with state legislators. Salem, February 7, 9 am - 4 pm.

Radical Hospitality: Working Safely and Effectively with People on the Margins. The first lecture in Trinity Cathedral's 2017 Canon Theologian series. February 25, 9 am - 1pm.

Safe Church Training and Diverse Church Training: there are several trainings in February and March happening throughout the Diocese. 

Check out the online calendar for the full schedule.

Word of the Week
Whether you're a cradle Episcopalian or just walked through the red doors yesterday, chances are you've encountered some of the special vocabulary specific to our faith and wondered, what does that mean?

Check out previous entries on our  Instagram  account.
We are the people in the Diocese
Name: Richard Van Orman
What keeps you busy: being retired! And volunteering as the archivist for the Diocese of Oregon.
What's the furthest place you've visited? I served for 40 years in active and reserve duty with the Army, which sent me to the DMZ north of Seoul, South Korea.