Strategic Plan

Dear St. Paul’s family,

A lot has changed around the cathedral since we launched our last strategic planning effort in late 2014. The Vision for Mission plan that resulted was overtaken by events and is no longer a useful guide. We have sold the land and entered an interim period of construction. We have adjusted our expectations regarding attendance and contribution numbers. We have welcomed a new bishop whose priorities include evangelism and discipleship.

It is healthy for a congregation to have a clear direction and to set priorities, and now that we have settled into construction mode it’s time for us to launch a new strategic planning project, to see us through to the time when we will move into our new building, around the end of 2022.

I don’t believe that this is a time to launch major new ministry initiatives; we don’t have the space or the financial resources. But we can focus on deepening our relationship with God through practices of discipleship, following our bishop’s lead, and we can work to strengthen our relationship with the neighbors around us, hopefully confirming that the priorities suggested by our space planning task force in 2018 are still useful and building up our immediate community so that, when the new space opens, we can best serve our neighbors.

Chapter is therefore exploring a two-pronged strategy: an external element involving community service and evangelism, and an internal element focusing on discipleship. We have been looking at resources for each element and, based on our bishop’s recommendation and a presentation at diocesan convention, we will likely sign up for Renewal Works, a program of Forward Movement, which seeks to help the members of a healthy church deepen and grow spiritually. For the external element we are looking at organizations that help churches make the best possible use of their buildings, both for the benefit of the community and for financial stability.

Chapter will form two task forces, one for each focus, and they will begin their work during this first quarter of the year. We want and need lots of congregational participation! The project is in its earliest stages, so it’s the perfect time for you to get involved and be a meaningful part of the vision. If you’d like to learn more, contact me, Jeff, or one of the wardens, and we will connect you with the relevant task force.

Your sister in Christ,

Penny

A Note from the Dean

What a glorious celebration of our new ministry we enjoyed on Saturday May 17!

The liturgy, based on the model in Enriching our Worship and drawing on elements from other such cathedral celebrations, held true to the traditions of our church but was fresh and new in its expression of the ministry we share.

Many people worked very hard to make the day a success: members of all our choirs practiced new music and revived old favorites; the Altar Guild, Vergers, Ushers, Thurifers, and Acolytes made everything run smoothly and in good order; several members of staff worked many hours to provide a sumptuous feast and the very imaginative signs relating each kind of food to the different eras and areas of my life to date, and others compiled the complex service bulletin; Dean Mike Kinman came all the way from St. Louis to preach an energetic and inspiring sermon; our first Dean served as cantor for the Litany; and family members and friends came from the UK and states across the continent to share in the day. 

Members of the cathedral community from elementary school age to our retired clergy participated in presenting symbolic gifts for ministry, along with the Dean search team and representatives of the wider community in the city. The presentation of the surfboard (a reminder to the Cathedral community to engage in Sabbath time and fun) will not soon be forgotten by any who were present.

The Spirit was on the loose, and joy filled our hearts. My deepest thanks to all who were part of this special day for our church. Photographs are now on the Cathedral’s Flickr site and the Diocesan Flickr site,  and a video of highlights will be forthcoming.

Penny Bridges

Reflecting on the Celebration of a New Ministry with the Welcoming of a New Dean

18 May 2014

Yesterday's magnificent liturgy manifested Communion in many ways - seen and unseen.

What is your experience of our liturgy? Does it move your living and being?

Today I rifled around in the choir room recycle bin to fish out several of yesterday's bulletins to send to folks inside and outside of the Episcopal church. I believe that they will be encouraged and strengthened by Who we embody in our worship. lex orandi lex credendi

I see extra-ordinary grace flowing through the ordinary at St. Paul's.

A little over a year ago, then-Dean Rebecca McClain asked staff and Chapter members to prepare for Chapter retreat by writing one page - what would you share about St. Paul's with your new Dean?

I ruminated on scriptures, changing my prayer diet to Pauline writings anticipating a whiff from the Spirit in the weeks before. Surely as St. Paul's Cathedral, there is some part there that is a tasty morsel to share with a new Dean?

My appetite was met with a surprise - I woke up the morning of the retreat clearly with a different taste in my mouth. And this is what it was - Jacob's dream at Bethel.

Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and he lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord God stood beside him and said, "... Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever I go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you." Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place - and I did not know it!" And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Genesis 28: 11, 12, 15 - 17.

In the days before that retreat, I had a dream, and in that dream one of the things I heard was, "People choose, as they are chosen, for Communion."

Every time we gather and celebrate Communion, I am moved and transformed by experience. May God's dreams come true here at St. Paul's!


Blessings,

Helena Chan
Obl. OSB Cam.

Sermon: Celebration of New Ministry. We Show People Jesus!

The Very Rev. Mike Kinman, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, St Louis MO, preached the sermon for Dean Penny's installation:

Let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, Jesus Christ our Lord.

+           

Mission statements are pretty popular. It seems like everyone either has one or is working on one. And a good mission statement has two things. It’s precise and it’s concise.

Google’s isn’t bad. To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

Charles Schwab does even better. “To help everyone be financially fit.”

Probably my favorite mission statement is actually a product slogan. It nails precision and concision in three words.

You know it. It’s Raid. What does Raid do? Everybody?

Kills Bugs Dead.

Precision. Concision.

Now, churches love mission statements too. Unfortunately, too often they’re neither precise nor concise. Too often they are way too long and too often there’s not much to separate them from Starbucks or the United Way.

But one church got it right. One church has the “Kills Bugs Dead” of church mission statements.

It’s Canterbury Cathedral, mother church of the Anglican Communion. Their mission statement is just four words:

We show people Jesus.

Isn’t that beautiful? Says it all. Precise and concise!

Let’s say it together.

We show people Jesus.

Again … We show people Jesus.

Louder … One more time…  We show people Jesus.

“We show people Jesus” is beautiful because it is spot on and impossible to forget … especially now that we’ve all said it three times.  But “We show people Jesus” is also beautiful because as soon as we say “We show people Jesus,” it begs some important questions as we consider the mission, the new ministry of this Cathedral:

Who is this Jesus we are showing people?

How do we show people Jesus?

Finally, how do we show people Jesus as a Cathedral?

First, who is this Jesus?

That one’s easy.  I can’t tell you. You have to find out. And you have to keep finding out. And keep finding out. And keep finding out.

If we are to show people Jesus, the foundation of our life has to be our own quest for Jesus. That means it is absolutely essential and non-negotiable that each and all of us commit ourselves to the holy habits of finding and being found by Jesus.

We must pray. Every day. We must read and study the Bible. Every day. We must seek Jesus where he tells us he is to be found – in the lives of the most marginalized and vulnerable among us.

And in these tasks, you have chosen exceedingly well in calling your Dean. In Penny, you have called a formidable priest whose strength comes precisely from her absolute commitment to prayer and study and a tireless quest for Jesus, for finding and being found by him.

Make no mistake, she does not do these things so you don’t have to. If you are to continue to grow this Cathedral’s history of showing people Jesus, you must together recommit yourselves to prayer and study and service and of finding and being found by Jesus.

We cannot show … what we do not know.

Second, how do we show people Jesus?

That one is easy, too. It’s easy because it is in our DNA. It is part of our natural rhythm of life as followers of Jesus. We show people Jesus the way Jesus is shown to us. Using the motions of the Eucharist and the ministry of blessing.

Think about what happens in the Eucharist. The community gathers around the presence of Jesus on the table. And then we are invited to lay our lives on the table with Jesus. In the words of this morning’s epistle, we “present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship.”

And then something amazing happens. Our lives on that table get mixed up with Jesus’ life and something new emerges. New life. Resurrection life. Then in receiving the Eucharist, that new life which is a piece of each of us and of Jesus, too, that new life lives in us, and we are sent out into the world to live it out loud.

To show people Jesus, all we have to do is take what we do in here and live it out there.

We take the Jesus we know from prayer, study and service and we find something that looks like Jesus. Some mission or ministry or opportunity to follow that great commandment of “love one another as Jesus has loved us.” Something that looks like an invitation for us to lay down our lives for one another. Some deep brokenness that is just waiting for the reconciling love of Christ.

And then we take this opportunity, this idea, this ministry – and we gather the community around it. And not just this Cathedral congregation, not even just this diocese, but all San Diego. And we say, “Hey, this looks like Jesus to us! What do you think?” And if they think it looks like Jesus, too. If they think it looks like a love that can change life itself, we invite them to join us in laying their lives on the table with it. And if they do, we watch and we midwife a new resurrection life into being and then we send it out to be Christ in the world.

At Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis, we looked around and we saw women being beaten and abused and sold for sex on our streets and in our downtown hotels. And we looked at what Becca Stevens has done in Nashville with Magdalene and Thistle Farms – a two year residential program and amazing social enterprise for women who have survived lives of prostitution, violence and drug abuse. And so we brought Becca and some of the women of Magadalene in, and we gathered the community around and we said “This looks like Jesus to us? Are you willing to lay your lives on the table with this mission of love?” And St. Louis said yes, and the result is Magdalene St. Louis, which will open its first house for five women this fall.

 

We looked around and saw a public school system that had lost its accreditation, parents who could afford to fleeing for the county when their kids reached school age and parents who couldn’t trapped in failing schools. Bringing children together across lines of race and class to give them the gift of education? That looked like Jesus to us.

So we connected with a group with a similar mission and now we are incubating an excellent - public charter elementary school in our building and serving both the downtown loft community and some of the children most left behind by education inequality in our city.

Neither of these are things we do all by ourselves.  We are gatherers and catalysts and contributors. Just like the Eucharist, our role is not to generate resurrection life ourselves, but to gather people around something we believe looks like Jesus, to invite the whole community to lay their lives on the table with it, and then to midwife the new resurrection life into being.

What is the brokenness in this city? What might it look like when the love of Christ, the most powerful force for healing in the universe, meets that brokenness? That’s what Jesus looks like. That’s what you gather people around.

And you’re already doing it, too. I can name at least one way. I saw on your Facebook page that you are connecting people who have spare bedrooms or couches with people who have been displaced by the fires. That’s what I’m talking about! Hospitality. Opening up your homes to strangers. That’s what Jesus looks like!

And you’re inviting everyone … everyone … to lay their lives on the table with it. And who knows what new life will emerge? Not just temporary housing but networks of relationship founded in radical hospitality. Relationships founded in showing people Jesus. Great job! Outstanding!

But there’s even more. Because showing people Jesus is also a ministry of blessing. Of being out in the community looking for things that look like Jesus and when you see them, blessing them. When you see them saying in ways that nobody can miss that God says this is good. That this makes God dance. That this looks like Jesus.

St. Louis is one of the most segregated metropolitan areas in America. But there is one Saturday morning when we all come together – races, classes, creeds, you name it.  It’s the Saturday in June when we hold the largest Race for the Cure in the nation. All of God’s people gathering together across their divisions to work together for healing. We looked at that and said, “Hey, that looks like Jesus!”  So we decided to let people know it.

The race’s starting line was only a block from the Cathedral, so we got a crew of people to climb into our bell tower and ring the Cathedral bells for the full hour it took the 60,000 people to cross the start line. And then we had another crew waving streamers and ringing handbells and our clergy asperging the racers with holy water. 

The race organizers loved it. They even moved the starting line back a block so it could be right at the Cathedral so our tower bells could be the starting gun. And there is not one morning the whole year where we bless and pray with and anoint and show more people Jesus than we do on that day.

And you know what? It’s fun!

What is happening right outside your doors, in Balboa Park, in the streets of your city, that looks like Jesus to you? What is already happening out there that you can burst out of these four walls to celebrate and bless and anoint and asperge … and cense?

We show people Jesus by gathering. We show people Jesus by blessing.

Every church is called to this mission, but Cathedrals are uniquely positioned historically and institutionally to do this for the city and the region.

While parish churches are designed to be the family living room, where the parish family gathers to eat and be together, Cathedrals are less living room and more town square.[1] Cathedrals historically are gathering places for the whole community. Where everyone comes together to celebrate, pray, learn and work for the common good. Where everyone comes together and we show them Jesus.

As a Cathedral, you have a platform and an opportunity to show not just yourselves and not just this neighborhood but all San Diego Jesus in a way that will literally transform this city. Amidst the cacophony of voices claiming that Jesus hates and Jesus divides, you can be the voice that shows people the Jesus who loves and unites. Showing people Jesus through how you live your life as a Cathedral for all San Diego. Showing people Jesus through how you live your faith out loud.

How many of you remember Kellen Winslow, tight end for the Chargers?

Now when I say Kellen Winslow, I’ll bet there’s one specific game that jumps to your mind immediately, right?

January 2, 1982. AFC Playoff Game. Chargers-Dolphins. 41-38 in overtime. Arguably the single greatest individual sports performance in San Diego history. Kellen Winslow, 13 catches for 166 yards and a touchdown … and what else did he do … he blocked a last-second, potential game-winning field goal by the Dolphins to send the game to overtime.

All this playing with a pinched nerve, dehydration, cramps and a gash on his lower lip that required three stitches.

I’ll bet you Kellen Winslow hasn’t paid for a drink in this city since January 2, 1982. And it doesn’t even matter that the Chargers lost in the Ice Bowl in Cincinnati the next week. We remember.

32 years later, San Diego remembers Kellen Winslow because when it mattered the most, he showed us something. He laid his body on that field – literally, he had to be carried off the field after the game – he laid his body on that field for his team and his city. And we remember.

You have something to show San Diego, too.

And in this time of racial and economic strife. In this time of social and political division. In this time where more and more young people are convinced the church is irrelevant and the loudest voices shouting Jesus are the ones preaching hate. This is the time when it matters most.

People of St. Paul’s Cathedral, you have the opportunity to do something extraordinary. You have a chance to lay your life on the table with Jesus for the healing of this city.

It’s time to show San Diego what you’re made of.  It’s time to show San Diego who you are in a way this city will never forget. It’s time to let San Diego see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

It’s time to show San Diego Jesus. Amen.

---

[1] I am indebted to Dr. Mark Jordan for the living room/town square image for parish churches vs. Cathedrals.

It's time to celebrate!

Welcome to our new Dean!

This weekend, we enthusiastically welcomed our new Dean, the Very Rev. Penny Bridges, to St Paul's.  Penny was at the family Eucharist on Saturday.  On Sunday she both preached and presided at the 8am and 10.30 services, and attended Evensong as well.

An enthusiastic user of social media, Penny challenged us to share on Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger messages that we takeaway from her sermon:  ie, to follow Jesus off the mountain and into the valley where people are hurt and in need, and to live out our heart of service.  She called this painless evangelism for Episcopalians!



We've talked before about the reach of social media, and how the folks who see our facebook posts are not limited to the SPC community.

Remember you can follow SPC on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ stpaulcathedralsd)  and you don't have to belong to Facebook to see the page!  And if you're a smartphone user, we also have an app for SPC.

Here's more about our social media presence. 



The full set of pictures is here. 

Our Busy Week

My, but we had a busy week this past week!

There was Diocesan Convention, and a joyful Eucharist with the Presiding Bishop

Todd Hurrell was installed as the newest member of the Verger Corps

We said a  good bye to our dear Dean 3.5, the Very Rev Rebecca McClain, with thanks and love

And prepared to welcome our much-anticipated  Dean 4.0, the Very Rev Penelope Bridges, who unpacked her office (her first Eucharist presiding and preaching will be Sunday March 2)

And celebrated the Instructed Eucharist with an enthusiastic group from the What is an Episcopalian? class!  (Look at all those thurifers!)

People's Warden reports on Chapter

As the People’s Warden of St. Paul’s Cathedral, I am on the Cathedral’s Chapter (Board of Directors, if you will) which primarily oversees the finances as well as the buildings and grounds of the Cathedral. I serve on the Endowment and Finance Committees. Yet as the People’s Warden, I envision myself primarily as representing the interests of the people of our congregation and as such I will continue to keep you up to date on what the Chapter is doing.

A busy meeting with our new Chapter members and a special visit from Bishop Mathes. Where to begin?

As the Chapter finds itself in yet another period of transition, the Bishop, bless his heart, came to offer guidance, answer questions, and have discussions. We talked about the best welcome for the new Dean and concluded a committee was needed to develop the suggestions made and to implement a plan. Pat Kreder was selected to chair that committee. Meantime, our “3.5” Interim Dean, Rebecca McClain, is wrapping up her move back to Phoenix. I hope you all came to the reception in her honor after Sunday’s (February 2) service. She will be very much missed, yet all of us on Chapter as well as the Search Team are on pins and needles in excitement over the arrival of our new Dean Penelope (Penny) Bridges!

Back to the Bishop: The diocese hopes to be moving from the Cathedral to their new offices in Ocean Beach as early as April but may not be completed before May or June. Bishop Mathes initiated a discussion about the Cathedral’s accounting issues and the plan for dealing with same. He expressed satisfaction that these issues are being addressed, with progress forthcoming soon toward their complete resolution.

Canon Chris Harris, our Stewardship pro, presented his report and stated our goals for the current campaign will be achieved. Opportunities for gifting the Cathedral is next on the agenda; a “wish” list will be developed and maintained to highlight specific Cathedral needs and these gifts will be recognized promptly. Supporting services to Cathedral donors are to be evaluated with the intent to provide them with enhanced customer focus. Chris also announced the launching of a diocesan capital campaign with a goal of raising $2,500, 000 among the many churches within the diocese. St. Paul’s hopes to raise $400,000 to support this effort and a committee has been formed to assist in implementing that goal.

Andrews Brooks, Cathedral Chancellor, discussed the duties of Chapter members as directors of the corporation of the Cathedral; said Directors are insured for actions properly conforming to their respective role. (Thank you!)

Rev. Colin Mathewson reported that the Misa congregation has grown in recent weeks and the liturgy has become richer. Clergy support for the Misa congregation is also in transition. The Rev. Mary Richardson left last year; Rev. Bjorn Marcussen stepped in to minister to that congregation and was joined by Colin last fall. Rev. Marcussen, however, will be leaving on February 23rd. For those of you who’ve never been to a Spanish service, and even if you don’t speak a word of Spanish, it is a delightful, peaceful hour, and the ladies of that congregation often put on quite a coffee hour for special occasions! Rev. Laurel Mathewson will attest to the wonderful baby shower that congregation gave her this past Sunday (February 2).

Dean’s Warden, Don Pellioni, reported that Chapter will decide on a date for its Annual Retreat once the new Dean is on board. The Diocesan Review of Cathedral Financials (2012 statement and 2013 Procedures) were discussed. Erin Saco Pineda distributed three materials: Consolidated Financial Statements as of December 31, 2012; a letter regarding the Cathedral’s 2012 (Internal) Audit Findings which discusses subjects pertaining to internal controls; and a second letter to that same body discussing the scope of the 2012 Consolidated Financial Statements. Difficult for me to put into brief words of understanding; suffice it to say that Chapter members not only completely understood these documents, they gratefully accepted and approved all three. Accolades to Erin Saco Pineda for her relentless efforts on Cathedral finances – feel very free to thank her!

Don Pellioni introduced our newest members: Elizabeth Carey, George Kuhrts, and Mark Patzman, each giving Chapter a brief background on themselves. Of course, Don neglected to mention that he, too, is technically a new member,  having filled in for a year for Cathy Lewis so she could attend to marriage preparations!

Vicki Hoppenrath and Judy Moore are retiring from St. Paul’s Senior Homes Board of Directors and it was noted the Chapter needs to elect two new Chapter members to fill these two-year vacancies. And P.S. St. Paul’s Senior Homes serves wonderful luncheons!

As I say, it was a long but fruitful meeting. And in case you couldn’t figure out Rebecca’s “3.5” designation on her new name tag: James Carroll was the first Dean, John Chane was the second, Scott Richardson was the third and Penny Bridges will be the fourth Dean. Thus Rebecca was the third-plus or “3.5 Dean”.

As always, please feel free to talk to me before or after the 10:30 p.m. service coffee hour or by email (jmoore405@att.net), or even by phone with any and all thoughts or concerns.

Blessings and joy to each of you!

Judy Moore
People’s Warden

Announcing the New Dean of St Paul's

December 26, 2013 Dear Members and Friends of St. Paul's Cathedral, The Rev. Penny Bridges On behalf of the Chapter, we are delighted to announce that the Reverend Penelope M. Bridges has accepted our unanimous call to ministry at St. Paul's Cathedral as our fourth Dean. Dean Elect Bridges will begin at St. Paul's on February 24, 2014. We look forward to welcoming her among us! Here is a brief biographical sketch that she has provided: Penny has served as rector of St. Francis Episcopal Church, Great Falls, VA, since 2003. She is the mother of two adult sons. Penny grew up in Northern Ireland and England. A lifelong musician, she studied music as a choral scholar at Clare College, Cambridge. In 1985 she immigrated with her husband to New Hampshire to pursue opportunities in information technology. After discerning a call to ordained ministry, Penny received her Master of Divinity degree (summa cum laude) from Yale Divinity School in 1997 and served as associate rector of Grace Church, Alexandria, Virginia, for six years before being called to serve as the third rector of St. Francis Church. Penny has served on the diocesan Standing Committee and as the Dean of Region Five of the Diocese of Virginia, and as co-chair of the Great Falls Ecumenical Council. Penny plays viola in the McLean Orchestra and sings with the Amadeus Community Singers. Penny is the recipient of a 2008 Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal grant and a 2010 Austin Seminary College of Pastoral Leaders grant. We owe a profound debt of gratitude to our dedicated and tireless Search Team: Laurie Gunn (chair), Jeff Bates, Helena Chan, Ana Garcia, Margret Hernandez, Guin Kerstetter, Paula Peeling, Bart Smoot, John Walsh, and their devoted chaplain, Christie Fleming. Their work was truly guided by the Holy Spirit. Please join with us in thanking them for their extraordinary service to our Cathedral community, and for their care in bringing us a Dean, who so closely as Penny does, reflects the shared values and aspirations that we affirmed in our self-study process and the Cathedral Profile. Finally, we want to thank our insightful and loving Interim Dean, Rebecca McClain, for her voice of reason and experience throughout the call process. We have been blessed by her presence among us, and while she will soon leave us, we are a richer place, with a stronger self-knowledge, thanks to her ministry among us. In joyful and prayerful anticipation,         Mark Lester                                    Judy Moore Dean's Warden                               People's Warden mlestersd@sbcglobal.net                 jmoore405@att.net

Calling the Next Dean: the search is on!

Dear friends,

Finally!

This week marks the culmination of an extraordinary amount of work by a large number of people.  Many of you participated in last fall's Cathedral Profile Survey and in the Stewardship receptions to give us feedback on your visions for the Cathedral.  The Profile Committee worked diligently to shape those results into a cohesive statement about who we are and what we do.  The statement then went to Chapter for review and was further refined and polished by the Cathedral Profile Review committee and many members of the Cathedral staff.  The Cathedral posted the CAT survey online and a huge number of you willingly filled it out.  While all this was going on, the Search Team was drafting and editing our job posting portfolio for the National Church's Office of Transitional Ministry (OTM) website. 

This week, the calling process for the fourth Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral officially began.  The OTM portfolio went "live" last Wednesday and our Cathedral's search page is up and running.  Visit the website and track our progress at:

www.stpaulcathedral.org/dean-search 

On the website you can read the Cathedral Profile, see the results of our various surveys, and track the entire process as it unfolds.  If you know someone who you think would make a great Dean, the application and nomination process are online - or you can just send their information to me and the Search committee will send them a letter inviting them to consider applying.

Please feel free to ask questions and send comments!  I look forward to hearing from you during what is bound to be a very exciting time for us all. 

Gratefully,

Laurie Gunn, Search Committee Chair

Stewardship starts with community

Don’t miss joining us at one of our Stewardship Receptions starting November 3rd!

You are invited! 

Our fall Stewardship Campaign is an opportunity to come together and reflect on why we love St. Paul's, celebrate what God is doing in our lives, and consider how we can support the Cathedral's mission and ministry in the year to come.

Throughout the month of November, we invite you to join us at one of several receptions where will gather and, over some food and drinks, share what makes St. Paul's so special.
 
What does all this have to do with the Dean search? 
This year the stewardship campaign coincides with the beginning of our search for a new Dean, so it seemed natural to combine these efforts. The first step in the search process is a congregation-wide "self-study" which starts with a survey and is followed by a conversation identifying our Cornerstones -- who we are as a community, the values we hold dear, and the unique mission we see before us. What better place to have that conversation than at our stewardship gatherings?

Whether you're a long-time member or brand new to the Cathedral, these events are wonderful ways to meet new friends and get more connected to your Cathedral family. (And please note, these are NOT fundraising parties--so have no fear, we won't be auctioning anyone off and you can leave the checkbook at home!)  RSVP here: www.stpaulcathedral.org/RSVP

Receptions begin Nov. 3rd
The Home of Stew & Konnie Dadmun
Saturday Nov. 3rd at 3pm

If cornerstones were people, they'd be called Konnie and Stew. Members of the Cathedral for more than 47 years, the Dadmuns are cornerstones personified. Join us for an casual afternoon gathering at their beautiful home in Mission Hills.

To RSVP stop by the table in the courtyard or call Judy at 619-298-7261 or email
macdonaldj@stpaulcathedral.org visit
www.stpaulcathedral.org/RSVP   for a complete list and directions



Chris Harris
Canon for Congregational Development
St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral
2728 6th Ave., San Diego CA 92103
619-298-7261
www.stpaulcathedral.org
harrisc@stpaulcathedral.org

Connect with us on Facebook here.

Help us call a new Dean: take the Cathedral Survey

Hi Everyone,

If you are part of the St Paul's Community aged 16 or over,  please  be sure to take the Cathedral Survey before 31 October. This is an essential part of the process of calling a new Dean that allows us to define who we are as a people, and what we see as the critical issues facing the Cathedral.  This helps to identify the kind of person whom we need to call.

It's also an integral part of the Stewardship Campaign, "Cornerstones".   We will talk about the survey results at stewardship receptions as we consider our values and our aspirations as a community.  More about the receptions and survey here.  A list of "Frequently Asked Questions" about the process of calling a new Dean can be found here.

 You can also reach the form by clicking the "Survey" tab at the top of this page.

 Thanks!

Update: Cathedral Transition

Time does fly. It has been more than two months since we said our tearful/joyful farewells to Scott and Mary Richardson, and I want to bring you up to date on the transition related activities that are occurring at the Cathedral.

A position description for an interim dean has been approved by Chapter, and we are working with Canon Suzi Holding, our diocesan transition officer, to publicize and recruit for that interim position. Chapter has also appointed a subcommittee to review applications and nominations, for the interim position, and to conduct preliminary interviews with candidates.

Chapter has also appointed two outstanding and very well qualified parishioners to lead the profile and search committees. Bill Eadie will chair the Profile Committee, and Laura Gunn will chair the Search Committee. Both committees will meet both with Chapter and with representatives of the Bishop’s office before beginning their work. Thank you, Laura and Bill!

The seven-member Profile Committee, in addition to Bill Eadie, will include Susan Forsburg, Jim Greer, Laurie Gunn, Susan Hulbert, Ken Tranbarger, and Carol Walsh. Thanks to all of these St. Paul’s stalwarts for agreeing to serve! The committee will begin its work in the next month or so, leading all of us in a congregational self–study, which will form the basis of the documentary profile of the Cathedral they will subsequently develop and publish. The profile will describe the many facets of our people and ministries, and articulate our hopes for the future. It is the document that will be used to inform potential applicants for the dean’s position about the Cathedral. You can expect it to be lavishly illustrated, too.

The nine-member Search committee has not yet been constituted, but Laurie Gunn will begin to work with Chapter now to select the committee members. Three of the members of this committee must be Chapter members, with the balance drawn from the congregation. This committee will operate confidentially to recruit and interview candidates for the position of dean. It will probably begin its work around the first of the year.

Thank you for your continued prayers for those involved in this process. May all that we do begin and end in the God who loves us beyond reason and measure.

Mark Lester 
Dean’s Warden

The Transition to a New Dean: Frequently Asked Questions

Bishop Mathes presented the Forum on Sunday and explained how the search for a new Dean will occur.  Here are answers to recurring questions as we embark upon this journey.

Has the search begun?
The process has begun, although the search per se is not yet underway. It will take 12-18 months before we have a new permanent Dean.

What about leadership in the interim?
Our capable Sub-Dean, the Rev. Canon Allisyn Thomas, is currently Priest-in-Charge, and will continue as Sub-Dean. In the next couple of months, the Chapter, with the Bishop’s approval, will appoint an interim Dean who will provide leadership while the search is underway. The Interim Dean will have the full canonical authority of the Dean, but does not have tenure.

Is the interim Dean a candidate for the position?
No. The interim is specifically a temporary position to keep things running smoothly while the search is underway. This person cannot be a candidate for the position, and is not involved in the search, but rather with the other business of the Cathedral. Additionally, clergy who are currently serving are typically not candidates for the position.

Will I have a say in the search?
Yes! The first stage is one of self-study. There will be an active process to solicit opinions and ideas from the congregation, to clarify who we are as a congregation, and where we want to go. A Profile Committee will be appointed by the Chapter to lead this part of the process. The results of the self-study will be published online and available for everyone to read. This Profile of the Cathedral will become the principal tool for telling potential candidates about St. Paul’s. However, as the search moves forward, it becomes a confidential personnel issue, and the community will not be directly involved.

So who selects and evaluates candidates?
The Congregation is represented by Chapter, which will appoint a Calling, or Search, Committee. This Committee will reflect the diversity of our community and membership. The Calling Committee and the Bishop’s office will work together to identify candidates. Both applications and nominations will be accepted for consideration.  Ultimately, the Calling Committee will recommend one candidate to Chapter.

Does the Bishop select the candidates?
The Bishop’s role is advisory. He may help identify candidates, but the final selection is up to Chapter, based on the recommendation of the Calling Committee. However, Bishop Mathes must consent to the person ultimately called to serve as Dean.

Will I get to meet the candidates and hear them preach?
No. In order to protect the privacy of the candidates, their relationship with their current call, and the integrity of the process, the congregation will not meet the candidates. Members of the Calling Committee will visit the candidates’ home parishes to evaluate them.

What will happen to (insert your favorite ministry or program here)?
Lots of people are concerned whether the new Dean will value their favorite ministry. Be of good heart! Things aren’t going to change during the search, and it is up to us as a community to decide what is important as we move forward.

St Paul’s has been blessed by three outstanding Deans: The Very Rev. Jim Carroll, the Right Rev. John Chane, and the Very Rev. Scott Richardson. As Bishop Mathes reminded  us during his recent forum, our community is healthy and strong.  In the words of Julian of Norwich, “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”

Brought to you by blogmaster Susan Forsburg, with help from Mark Lester

We wish farewell to Scott and Mary

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
The sun shine warm upon your face
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

Farewell to Scott and Mary (video)

 Dear Friends in Christ,

Wise observers have noted that the two deepest needs human beings have are to be seen and appreciated. Mary and I leave Saint Paul’s with a deep sense of fulfillment in this regard.  We had a wonderful concluding weekend – a fun party on Saturday and moving worship on Sunday – and for that we give you and God thanks. But we are even more grateful for your generosity of spirit over the past nine years and we hope that, in our own small way, we have reciprocated. Thank you for that great gift and for the sacramental expression of it in our final weeks here – cards, letters, presents emails, phone messages, and personal visits. We leave knowing that we will be forever connected to you through the Body of Christ and we do anticipate seeing you in San Francisco when you are up there.

May God bless and keep you, Scott and Mary

The Sunday Sermon: Vaya Con Dios

Vaya Con Dios (Bi-Lingual Service)
Saint Paul’s Cathedral, San Diego
Proper 7B (RCL); June 24, 2012
Scott Richardson +

Gracious God, Let these words be more than words and give us the spirit of Jesus. Amen.

I don’t speak much Spanish but I know what the words “Vaya con Dios” mean – go with God. We’re the ones departing today but we offer you that blessing. May God be with each of you and those you love as you move ahead in life. May God continue to be with this astounding congregation on the journey of faith. I have no doubt that this blessing will be fulfilled – your boat, to borrow imagery from today’s gospel, will float on glassy seas and be propelled by favorable winds. And, as he was with his first friends, Jesus will be powerfully present. So this brief homily will not be an expression of concern for you but, rather, an expression of gratitude. There are two articles in my litany of thanksgiving.

The first person I want to thank is today’s celebrant. Your Canon for Hispanic Ministry is also my wife and, for nine years, we’ve held both poles of that relationship in healthy tension. She has beautifully fulfilled the vows we made together fifteen years ago. And, fortunately, we have not endured the same trials as Saint Paul the Apostle, noted in today’s Epistle: afflictions, hardships, calamities, sleepless nights. In point of fact, we have enjoyed blessing upon blessing and grace upon grace, and you have given many of those gifts. We have received your purity of heart, your knowledge, your patience, your kindness, your holiness of spirit, your genuine love, your truthful speech, the power of God working through you. We are deeply grateful.

But because her ministry occurs in the early afternoon on Sundays or off campus, not all of you may know what Mary has been doing on your behalf and God’s. During our time in San Diego, she grew our Misa from five people per Sunday to, on occasion, over one hundred. She ministered to young women who suffered the horror of human trafficking. She served as a chaplain to children and teens awaiting deportation hearings. She served as a delegate at the United Nations through our Commission on the Status of Women. She was the first to visit Dorcas House and brought that pressing need to our attention. She offered the delightful Guadalupe Art Program here and in many other venues. She led us in Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) and in our annual Serenade to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Hundreds attended the serenade this past December, perhaps the most beautiful multi-cultural moment of my life.

I asked Mary to forward an email she recently received. It read in part: “I want you to know that you have had a profound impact on my life – spiritually, emotionally, in matters of social and human justice, and religion. I grew up without much religious background and have always been a little afraid of it. I was always the one who said, ‘I’m spiritual, not religious.’ In the past couple of years, through you, your sermons, your commitment to social justice, your mentorship, I have learned that practicing religion is not so scary and so far away from us as physical beings on earth. I hope you know how much love and blessing you have brought to our community here in the border region. There will definitely be a hole but we are strong, we move forward and patch those holes with beautiful, multi-colored threads, weaving a tighter knit community that is unified in overcoming barriers and fighting for justice, dignity, and what’s right in this world. And thanks to leaders like you we do it with passion, commitment, and the everlasting support of God and universal love.”

Eloquent testimony. I ask this now not on behalf of my wife (honoring her in that regard is my business alone) but out of respect for my colleague: would you please thank the Rev. Canon Mary Moreno Richardson for her ministry among us?

I shared that email with you in some detail because I think the author said important things about the nature of this congregation. And this leads to my second thanksgiving and to a description of your spiritual gifts. Justice. Mentorship. Practicing religion that is not scary. Love and blessing. Moving forward. Multi-colored threads. A tighter knit community. Overcoming barriers. Passion. Commitment. God. Universal love.

Those words are more than words. That is who you are and who you have been during our entire time here. All of that will carry forward and deepen and grow. This incredible staff, our dedicated volunteers, and your next dean will be important in helping to fulfill that call but it doesn’t hinge on one person or small group. You will all be responsible for that in the future, just as you have been in the past. I got credit from time to time for various justice stances this community took but I was often only the figurehead – you were the leaders. My aspiration was not to be a prophet but to be the pastor of a prophetic community – Mission Accomplished.

So now for my last word. From time to time I’m asked to describe the type of Christianity I practice. I enjoy saying that I’m a born-again Christian who believes in the separation of church and state, and who is nice to gay people, and who honors other religions, and who is interested in other cultures, and who strives to fulfill three universal values – to be kind, to be wise, and to be fair. Those trailing commitments emerge from the first as compassion for all is, I believe, a key sign of spiritual depth and vitality. During a Prop 8 television interview a few years ago I asserted that we take our stand not in spite of our faith but because of it. That faith is rooted in a lifetransforming relationship with God in Christ.

I’ve shared the story many times. When I was nineteen years old I prayed to follow Jesus. Now, thirty-eight years later, I’m still figuring out what that means. I’m coming to believe that this was the most important thing to ever happen to me; more important, oddly, than my very birth.

I hope those of you who find that kind of language off-putting due to negative experiences in the past can hold it differently now. I hope that all of you have had an experience somewhat akin to that. I hope that, perhaps, I’ve had some small role in it. If that’s true then all my dreams have been fulfilled. So thank you, thank you, thank you. Vaya con Dios. Go with God. I have said these things to you in his most holy Name. Amen.

Reminder: THIS SATURDAY farewell to Scott & Mary Richardson

Reflections on a Time of Transition and Chapter Notes for May 2012

Mark Lester writes:

Since my last report to you we have learned that our Dean and our Canon for Hispanic Ministries, Scott and Mary Moreno Richardson, will leave St. Paul’s at the end of June. Their ministries at the Cathedral have given spiritual nourishment to so many, and their rich invitation to “all, all, all,” to participate in our Christian life together has led to an unprecedented period of inclusivity and growth for St. Paul’s. We love them and will miss them. But please join in sharing their joy at returning to their families, and to a region that nurtured them and that they love. Until June 30th, I hope that we will focus as a community on celebrating Scott’s and Mary’s ministries at St. Paul’s and on wishing them all the best in the future. That is our real work right now.

Transitions in the Episcopal Church are spacious and unrushed. This is by design, and is necessary for a genuinely healthy process of celebrating the ministry that is ending, for congregational self-assessment, for planning, and finally, for recruiting a new dean. This is Bishop Mathes’ advice to us, and as a veteran of two previous transitions at St. Paul’s, I can testify that he is right. I am greatly honored to be the senior warden at this important juncture. A new junior warden will be elected by Chapter at our June meeting. My role in this transition (at least as I can see it so far) will be to lead Chapter during the interim period, and to work with Chapter, the junior warden and Bishop Mathes to initiate the transition processes, including appointing an interim dean, and the necessary profile and search committees, and finally, with Chapter, and Bishop Mathes’ consent, to call the new dean. We are blessed with an exceptionally strong staff that will ably handle day-to-day operations of the Cathedral. Thanks be to God for all of them!

If you have comments or questions about the transition process, let’s talk. I can be reached at mlestersd@sbcglobal.net.

Now onto those Chapter Notes, remembering this meeting was before the transition announcement...


Field trip! For the May Chapter meeting, we convened in the LUV Lounge on the eleventh floor of the “tower” at St. Paul’s Manor. Cheryl Wilson, Executive Director of St. Paul’s Senior Homes and Services, and members of the SPSH staff were our very gracious hosts. The Cathedral Chapter is the “sole member” of St. Paul’s Senior Homes and Services. So while SPSH has its own board of directors (on which the Dean and two members of Chapter serve), Chapter elects the members of that board based on their Cheryl’s recommendations to us. So there is still a very specific relationship between the Cathedral and the incredibly active social service agency that St. Paul’s parish members founded many years ago.

While we ate a meal prepared by the SPHS kitchen, we received an audio-visually illustrated report from Cheryl Wilson on the history, growth, and services provided by SPHS. Among the exciting things Cheryl reported is the growth of the PACE program to the South Bay area. PACE means Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. This new expansion will allow services to be provided to seniors in an area that SPHS had not been able to serve previously. If you want to find out more about SPSH, check out their website at http://www.stpaulseniors.org/.

In the Finance Committee report it was noted that pledge income was behind projections. Members will be encouraged to complete at least 50% of their pledge by June. Expenditures are on target for the year. It was moved, seconded and approved that we move one of our Cathedral accounts to Neighborhood National Bank. This is a bank that makes socially responsible investments. Thanks go to Chapter member Cassie Lewis for doing the necessary research and encouraging us to take this step.  (Note:  Cassie will tell us more about the NNB on the blog next week.)

In old business we heard a progress report on the organ restoration project. It looks like the complicated process of re-installation will be completed around Christmas.

Joyfully, the meeting concluded with a motion, seconded and approved, to sign the Certificates of Minister and Vestry for our seminarians, Laurel and Colin Mathewson. All chapter members present duly signed both forms.

Mark Lester
Senior Warden

The Sunday Sermon: Ascension Sunday

We are a little late posting this as your blogmaster was on holiday. However, given the major news of Scott's and Mary's departure, we thought you'd like to be able to read his recent sermon--better late than never.

VII Easter; the Sunday after the Ascension
Saint Paul’s Cathedral, San Diego
20 May 2012
Scott Richardson +

In the Name of God: Creator, Christ, and Spirit. Amen.

Most of you received word this week that I am going to be leaving Saint Paul’s later this summer to take up a new ministry in San Francisco, at the Episcopal Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. A portion of my letter read as follows: “While it is hard to leave this community we have come to love, we are taking up an exciting new ministry opportunity in the city that formed both of us as children… Mary grew up in Santa Clara and I came of age in the East Bay. We will soon be reuniting with family members and old friends… We leave Saint Paul’s with a tremendous sense of gratitude for the wonderful support we’ve enjoyed while here. This is a very special place and our hearts have been deeply touched by the love you have shared with us and with one another. We will miss you terribly and we are confident that the leadership team in place will serve you well.”

So we’re going home. And that’s the primary theme of today’s gospel – Jesus ends his incarnate ministry on earth and returns home to his Abba. And this, of course, is where I have to be careful lest I fall into the pit of absurdity – I am not comparing my story to his in any way except one; that some of us are, to a lesser degree, feeling a few of the emotions that his friends felt when he left them for heaven.

The Feast of the Ascension, observed last Thursday, is meant to be a celebration. Jesus closes the circle – he comes down from heaven, ministers on earth, and then returns. And because of that, we are swept up in that same return to the Father – we will all follow him into the celestial realm. That’s the Good News.

But we can also detect the faint undertone of loss in today’s lessons. Let’s retrace his time with the disciples. His followers gradually come to know him – it takes months, years. But before they know what has happened, their lives are tightly bound up in his. He’s then taken away, destroyed on the cross. God raises him from the tomb and he appears again to his followers. He spends weeks revealing mysteries and then departs once more, this time for good. They will never see him face-to-face until they too ascend in his name. Before that happens, most of them will wander far and wide to share the good news.

So it’s fair to say that a broad range of human emotion is deeply felt as the story unfolds in the lives of these first disciples. And that may be your reaction to our news. The ratio is microscopic in relation to the Ascension narrative but the reaction may be similar: anger, perhaps, that an expectation wasn’t met (the expectation of constancy or permanence); sadness that friends are moving on; fear that you may be left alone in your moment of pastoral need. All of that is normal and human. I have lots of feelings too, as you might imagine – it is hard to leave because of my great affection for you and gratitude for gifts received. We’ll be here through June and invite you to come talk if any of that is percolating in your soul.

And as we, together, hold those feelings we might recall the first friends of Jesus. That we experience anger, fear, and sadness is predictable; those closest to Jesus felt all that even as the miracle was occurring. And it is right here, as Jesus ascends to the Father, that the gift of the Holy Spirit becomes fully manifested. It is no accident that Pentecost, the great festival of the Holy Spirit, co-equal with Christmas and Easter in importance, follows immediately upon the heels of the Ascension. The Spirit blows hot and hard into the lives of the disciples, preparing them to do greater things even than Jesus, in accord with his prediction and promise for them. And, as that occurs, the memory of loss is overtaken by a keen sense of his presence among them. I will not leave you comfortless, Jesus pledges – a pledge that I take to heart on your behalf and mine.

As his disciples, we will be protected while we are in the world. We will be one, even as Jesus and the Father are one. We will hold to the promise of eternal life even as we hold onto one another in this life, dealing with gain and loss not alone but as members of a great congregation. We will sing God’s praises and we will be blessed beyond our best imagining. We claim the promise this morning and in the days ahead, in the Name of the One who died and rose and ascended, in the Name of the One who stands at the very center, the very heart, of this and every Christian community, in the Name of the only One who finally matters, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.