Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Minneapolis
The Very Rev. Paul J. Lebens-Englund, Dean
Dear Saint Markans,
Blessed Pride Weekend to each and every one of you and to those you love! I pray you’re each able to find meaningful ways, both privately and publicly, to celebrate ‘love’ in all its many forms, which Saint Paul wisely lists as the first among the many wonderful ‘fruits of the Spirit,’ by which God’s people are known: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – all of which are in short supply these days. This weekend is about fun and celebration, for sure. But even more so, it is about a public witness to the Christian counter-culture, which takes Love’s lead in defending human dignity, trusting that our beliefs and behaviors are ‘faithful’ to the extent they’re ‘loving.’ Saint Paul’s list of the visible fruits of Life in this loving Spirit reminds us there’s no fooling God or each other here. We cannot say and believe one thing, yet do another. We cannot call ourselves something, yet behave to the contrary. As that great, provocative Sunday school hymn reminds us, “they’ll know we are Christians by our Love…by our LOVE. Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our Love.”
So Love boldly, friends. And let that Love lead The Way.
Important Organizational Updates –
Part 1: Welcome to our New Cradle-to-Career Associate
I’m pleased to write you today with one of two important updates related to on-going organizational redevelopment efforts at the Cathedral (Part 2 will arrive on July 1st). As many of you know, Saint Mark’s is in the midst of significant staff change, aiming to utilize these summer months to further strengthen our congregational life and ministry. We’re particularly mindful this summer, given the likelihood of a full return this fall, that now is the time to build our staff and re-focus our energies for Saint Mark’s next chapter.
Toward that end, your Cathedral Council met for its monthly meeting on Thursday, June 16th and approved the following strategic staffing change:
Cradle-to-Career
Your Dean and Council have agreed to combine the part-time Youth Minister and part-time Young Families positions into a single full-time Associate for Cradle-to-Career Ministries, aiming for seamless support for our Cathedral members in the first half of life. This position will provide the first line of pastoral support for this cohort and will oversee the development of regularly-scheduled fellowship groups and age-appropriate curriculum and practices to support their formation in faith.
While there are dozens of considerations that go into every hiring process, the very top consideration, in this instance, is the proven capacity to engage a whole community in the nurture and practical formation of its young people, helping every member understand their part in cultivating the faith of children, youth, young adults, and young families AND helping those same children, youth, young adults, and young families take ownership in the life-long practice of their own faith. In an increasingly ‘post-Christian’ world in which the transmission of faith from one generation to the next cannot be taken for granted, this position further calls for someone with pastoral and theological sensitivity toward young families who may be new to the faith, if not also suspicious of it or even hostile toward it. In the end, the position requires someone who can cast a vision for daily discipleship, who can motivate the learning and change inherent to faith, and who can clearly outline the map of movement through the developmental stages of life. All to say, there’s expertise involved here.
I’m pleased to report that, after prayerful consideration, and in consultation with Bishop Loya and your Cathedral Council, I have offered this important position to Mr. Bryan Bliss, who currently serves at Saint Clement’s, Saint Paul, among a gifted, passionate, and engaged faith community. Despite his love for the people and leadership of Saint Clement’s, who have played an important part in supporting and shaping his vocation, Bryan has accepted the call as the next step in his own vocational development. He anticipates a start date of July 8th.
Bryan is a husband and father, a published author and curriculum developer, an experienced Christian formation professional, and is highly-regarded and highly-sought across the Church. He is intellectually-curious, theologically-savvy, developmentally-focused, and practice-oriented, deeply sensitive to the particular needs of each age and stage. He is also a thoughtful and experienced preacher. And, on top of it all, he’s a nice guy with a great sense of humor. I’m personally grateful for the opportunity to learn and serve alongside him, and I can’t wait for you to meet him.
In his acceptance of the new position, Bryan says:
“I am so excited to join the St. Mark’s community as the Ministry Associate for Cradle-to-Career! Formation has been at the heart of my ministry for the last twenty years. From the invitation of the baptismal font to living out the shalom of God in our everyday lives, I love creating opportunities to make faith real and tangible. So, I’ll repeat it: I’m excited! I’m excited to jump in and learn what the Cathedral is doing now. I’m excited to think wildly and creatively so that, together, we can build a formation program that welcomes and nurtures people of all ages, all stages of faith—all people. I look forward to meeting all of you very soon.”
Bryan and I will work together to plan meet-and-greet opportunities with his ministry cohort and with the larger congregation, hoping to lay a solid relational foundation before fall kick-off on Sunday, September 11th. Stay tuned.
Please join me in welcoming Bryan Bliss to the Saint Mark’s staff!
Grace & Peace,
Paul+
