Greetings and Peace to you in the name of Jesus.
Soon after I arrived to Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church I presented to the Vestry and the Congregation of this great parish a proposal that would require all of our efforts. It is a process that began before I was ever considered as a possible candidate to be your Rector, but I do believe that God was preparing me to come to Virginia Beach. What you will see on the following pages is each step in our journey together.
I would like to give you a "brief" overview of the process that has been developed in a four "step" procedure. I will continue to talk about this either at the forum hour, in the Chapel Chimes or even in my sermons. It officially began in February 2006 and will continue until April 2008. I realize that seems like a long time, but we all know that the hands of a clock always move forward. The following are the Steps and timetable in our "Build it and God will be glorified."
Step One: Define and Discover - Self Assessment Completed
The committee's charge was to prepare an honest evaluation (Define & Discover) of Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church by the members. This evaluation focused on the parish's history, resources, strengths, challenges, opportunities and the facilities.
Time Line: February - May 2006
Status: COMPLETED AND AVAILABLE
Step Two: Dream - Discernment Completed
This step is prayerful, patient, imaginative, collaborative, hopeful, flexible, and attentive to God's intention. It leads to a clear and shared vision of Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church needs and desires. This is the Dream Team process. This process will further include how this vision will affect the life and work of Eastern Shore Chapel beyond itself.
Time Line: August - December 2006
Status: COMPLETED AND AVAILABLE
Step Three: Design - Commitment Completed
This step can be seen as Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church moving to embrace it's calling, to claim responsibility and authority to become what God intends. In this step we will become a "Designing People." This will be a time to begin creating structures and developing achievable plans to make the vision a reality. It will also involve a commitment on our part to a time of planning and development. During this time period the parish will seek to further the Purpose of Eastern Shore Episcopal Church.
Time Line: January - December 2007
Status: COMPLETED AND AVAILABLE
Step Four: Deliver - Congregation Development Awaiting Construction
This step involves doing God's work in the world through congregational training, theological education and building. This church will seek out the necessary resources to identify, develop and build ministries. The church will establish appropriate structures, both physically and theologically, for local and global missions. This can result in a total and confident engagement of the full membership of Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church in life-long spiritual formation, theological learning and a place to accomplish our purpose.
Time Line: April - August 2008 (This Step could go longer)
Status: STILL ACCEPTING COMMITTEE MEMBERS (Call the parish office)
Bless you all for your patience, care, love, devotion and understanding. I know that change can be unsettling and, at times, difficult. May our Lord grant us the ability "To Celebrate and Lift up the Love of God, To Pray and Proclaim the Love of Christ and To Receive and Send Forth the Love of the Holy Spirit."
As Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, but friends."
C. Christopher Thompson+
Rector
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