September 2, 2010 South Central Mission Area Council Minutes

ATTENDEES: Dana Jones, June Hulit, Damon Hickey, Helen Svoboda-Barber, Toma Lord, Kathy Mambourg, Joe Ashby, Evelyn Manzella, Kay Ashby, Cathy Evans, Karl Stevens

PARISH REPORTS:

St. Matthew's, Ashland - Dana reported that St. Matt's held a historical service this summer. They will start using the Godly Play curriculum this year. Helen suggested that they get in touch with Sheila Svoboda at St. Paul's, Akron. St. Matt's day will be on the Sunday following September 21st. They're in the process of hiring Ashland University students as section leaders. They already have an outstanding student choir director.

St. James, Wooster - Damon reported on Wooster outreach efforts. They've decided to put together a booklet of different outreach activities that the parish is doing. They're trying to recruit new people to participate in outreach activities. On September 23rd St. James will present Traces of the Trade, screening it in the Lean Lecture room of Wishart Hall. Evelyn reported that the church is using choral scholars for the second year, is truing to build a college ministry, is still involved in NCD, and will be part of the Unbinding the Gospel coaching program. Their church year kick-off will be on the 19th.

Grace Church, Mansfield - Cathy reported that Grace held the AA founder's picnic in June. Youth and adults took a trip to the National Cathedral and Colonial Williamsburg. Grace will host a Safeguarding God's Children curriculum on September 30th at 7 PM. The parish has been involved in making pillow case dresses for Haitian children, and are collecting clothes for Haiti in general. The food pantry at Grace is serving around 600 people a month. The parish is building a labyrinth ministry and held a facilitated walk and inservice at the end of August. They are planning a night time labyrinth walk for All Saints Eve. The Canon Organist at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kansas City played a concert this summer at Grace Mansfield. They're still fine-tuning their building plans. They will be starting a community children's choir this fall, which will draw kids from three different churches. They have committed to having a paid Christian Education director.

Harcourt Parish, Gambier - Toma reported that Harcourt no longer has a college chaplain as a half-time assistant priest. This has roused the mission of the parish and led Kenyon to discuss how they will address the question of college chaplaincy. In the meantime, the chaplaincy has been taken over by the members of the parish. The Canterbury group has had its first dinner. Choir is back, and services are back inside. Helen will be on sabbatical next summer. The Kenyon conference, which Harcourt was very involved with, went extremely well. The parish lost four active families over the summer, and Sunday School is half the size because of this. The Sunday School will adjust by moving to the Spark model this year.

St. Paul's, Mount Vernon - Karl reported that St. Paul's has restarted its Sunday School program, and hired a part-time Christian Educator to help with this. They have reinstated the use of acolytes during services. They held two special services over the summer, one in celebration of Juneteenth that featured music from the African American tradition, and an Appalachian Service that was held in conjunction with a local festival, Dan Emmett Days. The Winter Sanctuary, the homeless shelter hosted by St. Paul's, is looking to expand, and has hired a part-time shelter manager. The parish continues to participate in the Hot Meals program, and serves between thirty and fifty people a week. The parish is participating in Unbinding the Gospel.

COLLABORATION BETWEEN PARISH MUSICIANS

Toma reported that Sharon Storer from Harcourt Parish has been in contact with Mansfield and Mount Vernon to begin planning a join Evensong. Helen requested that the other musicians in the Mission Area get in touch with her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Helen reported that Harcourt may have a volunteer who would like to help inventory music libraries.

COLLABORATION BETWEEN CHRISTIAN EDUCATORS

Toma reiterated the need to get Christian Educators together. Karl collected the following list of people in charge of Christian Education and their e-mail addresses or phone numbers:

Janet Brayer (St. James); This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , 330-263-0039

Carolyn Gross (Grace); 419-522-2520

Dana Jones (St. Matthew's); 419-989-5155

Sarah Columber (St. Paul's); This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , 740-326-1008

Joe will ask Carolyn Gross if she'll be willing to coordinate meetings of the Christian Educators, and suggested that maybe the Cathedral's resource library would be willing to come down for a meeting with all of them.

Helen suggested that the parishes pay for the Christian Educators to have dinner together after the Safeguarding God's Children training on the 30th.

COLLABORATION BETWEEN YOUTH GROUPS

Joe talked about a prospective youth group trip to Barnes Mountain in Kentucky next summer.

COLLABORATION ON STEWARDSHIP

Toma reported that Leo Carter would like to come and address a MAC meeting to talk about diocesan stewardship resources. Joe is the new diocesan stewardship chair, and is looking for passionate people to be on the commission. Their goal is to create resources for parishes by next fall.

PRE-CONVENTION MEETINGS

Toma will contact Alan James to find out when the pre-convention meetings will take

place.

Future MAC meetings will take place on the first Thursdays of odd months. The next meetijng will be November 4, 2010, at St. James', Wooster, at 6 p.m.