Vital Posts

New Kind of Potluck at the Annual Meeting

by Richelle Thompson on January 21, 2011

An announcement of the annual meeting can be as welcome as the postcard reminder of your  dental appointment: You know you’ve got to do it, but you’re not going to enjoy it. 

Often, it seems, annual meetings stick to the same-old agenda -- perfunctory reports from various commissions, a budget update and a reflection by the priest. And, lest we forget, there's the potluck lunch.

Interestingly, for the meal, we bring our best – the deviled eggs, hash brown casserole or fudge brownies that everyone raves over. We all contribute. But when it comes time for the meeting of our parish, we become the audience. 

I wonder what annual meetings would be like if the business part was potluck too – a time when we all contributed our best. Last year, my church tried something new: the written reports were handed out, and the priest offered a few words about the year. But then we divided into four key groups: Outreach, Formation, Hospitality and Youth. In each small group, everyone was asked to talk about one or two ideas for the coming year. We tried to address three questions: What was working? What could we be doing better? What did we need to start doing?

Some of the small groups fared better than others, depending on the participants and their willingness to let go of personal agendas. But it was, I think, an interesting way to conduct an annual meeting – to invite everyone into conversation. 

As congregations across the Episcopal Church are gathering for the Annual Meetings, I’m wondering: How do we make them more like our favorite potluck dinners? 


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Comments

1

Anne Ditzler on January 24, 2011 at 10:19 am

I recently heard about a rector (wish I could remember who/where!) whose primary work with her congregation has been teaching and leading them in spiritual practices. She believes it is the foundation not only for individual spiritual life and discipleship, but forms the whole life of the congregation in its ministry to the world. What I remember most from the story is this: During the annual meeting, the wardens and vestry were inside leading the congregation, and she was outside praying for them in the church garden. She believed it was their role as the laity to lead the work of the parish. Her job, as their priest/pastor, was to equip them to do it and pray without ceasing during their discernment and decisions. Wow. I'd never heard of this model of an annual meeting before. And I wonder how it has changed them?

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