Meeting Minutes
Sacred Space Task Force, April 7, 2010
Present: Mimi Arnspiger, Julie Bryant, Lois Davis, Gale Francione, Kathryn Gutz, Ron Hansen, Janet Leary, Martha Rogers, & Jim Spencer.
Absent: Doug Anderson, Susan Arnspiger, Steve Meehleder, Ian Montgomery, and Phil Thomas.
Ron opened the meeting with a prayer.
Lois motioned for approval of the minutes from the February 24th meeting. Kathryn seconded; unanimously approved.
Debriefing “Exploring Liturgy”
Gale asked for feedback on the “Exploring Liturgy” series
- Ron said that he had learned something from each session
- Jim heard some concerns from other people that “things are going to change.” And, “do not move the organ.” Jim said that he tried to address those concerns by saying that there are problems with the configuration of the space as it is now
- Gale said that there will be a grieving process for some members of the congregation who will have a difficult time with any changes
- Janet said that she believes some couples joined the church because of the of the traditional structure and arrangement of the sanctuary
- Mimi heard some questions regarding Gale’s comments about facing each other during the service in order to be accountable during prayer. Gale said that comment was accidental and she doesn’t believe that anyone should be held accountable during prayer. She believes the prayer and service experience can be so much more meaningful if people are facing each other rather than staring at the back of someone’s head. Mimi also heard comments about people being confused about when to stand and when to kneel. Gale said that she only wants people to think about the things they do during the service. She was expanding on Martha’s earlier comment “stand to pray and kneel to confess”.
- Martha and Julie thought it was very important that the suggestions presented during the series are actually the recommendations of the National Church.
- Jim asked if the group had seen the video produced by the National Church and Martha suggested we watch it.
- Jim thinks that we should let the congregation know that there are immediate needs and that is the reason why we are asking for input.
- Martha talked about the issues that need attention fairly soon:
- Organ needs to be removed
- Asbestos in the tile
- Carpet is ripped and stained
- Lighting is not good
- Chapel being misused
- Choir acoustical issues
- Crowding behind altar
- Noise in the Narthex
- Loose pews
- Unfinished wall behind altar
- Gale said that we are talking about so much more than just “fixing things”. She said we really need to talk about the issues that pertain to our worship experience.
- Julie said that it is not just about change. It is about thinking about what we do and why we do it.
Communication Methods
Julie suggested that we devote an entire page on the web site to the Sacred Space Task Force. Gale thought it would be a good idea to also have a way to post signed comments and that the task force respond to those comments. She also would like to see us display a box for questions, concerns, insights, and new learning’s where members of the congregation can make comments freely. The comments will be posted on a bulletin board behind the box and the responses will also be posted. Martha said that she and Lisa would be responsible for setting up the box and bulletin board and Martha would direct the comments to the appropriate person or committee. Julie suggested that we can set up an email group such as Yahoo Groups and also use FaceBook for those that have access to computers.
Brainstormers’ Meetings
Gale said the meetings should be 3-4 hours long with snacks, meal, & baby sitter service.
1st Meeting
All get together and debrief the “Exploring Liturgy” series. Gale will approach the first meeting with 3 questions:
- What was the church like when you were a child? What is your history and heritage?
- What is the church like now for you?
- What is the church of your grandchildren?
Gale will write a draft of what was gleaned from the first meeting.
2nd Meeting
Gale will present the draft from the first meeting and talk about the pieces that are going to guide us into the future. These ‘Guiding Concepts’ will be incorporated into the 5 Categories of Consideration that were presented to the congregation during the Lenten weeks. Gale will draft a document from this meeting that will become the final recommendations to the vestry. The information presented the final time will be the “nitty gritty”.
3rd Meeting
Optional, depending on how much can be accomplished in meetings 1 & 2.
Martha would like to send an all-parish letter with details of the Brainstormers’ meetings. The letter will be clear about the problems we face. This will not be a letter asking for suggestions for quick fixes, rather a letter explaining the need for careful and long term planning. Julie thinks that some people may resist change for change’s sake. It is important that the letter communicate the idea that some issues need to be addressed sooner rather than later and that we want the fixes to be done purposefully. Gale asked that each member of the task force be responsible for personally inviting 4 people to attend the Brainstorming sessions.
Tentative dates for all group meetings:
Saturday, May 1st, 9 AM-12PM with lunch
Sunday, May 16th, 4PM-7PM with dinner
The Sacred Space Task Force will meet Wednesday, April 14th at 7:00 to discuss the logistics for the first Brainstormers’ meeting. A second meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 12th at 5:30. Gale will send Ron an example of a Guiding Concepts document. Gale suggested that the group might want to take a tour of another church in the area. Meeting adjourned at 7:20.
Respectfully submitted,
Mimi Arnspiger