Transition Updates
What's the very best way to stay informed during this time of transition?
Attend church, either in person or remotely! Announcements will be made as things progress :D
Also, check your email, read the newsletter, and check this page for updates.
Attend church, either in person or remotely! Announcements will be made as things progress :D
Also, check your email, read the newsletter, and check this page for updates.
11/15/24
Our 4 profile phrases, created using the adjectives generated at our September meeting:
Our 4 profile phrases, created using the adjectives generated at our September meeting:
- We seek a warm, compassionate, and down to earth minister who is family oriented and has a hopeful outlook on life.
- We seek an effective communicator who listens with empathy, makes connections to our church community, and crafts sermons that are meaningful and relevant to people’s everyday lives.
- We seek a spiritual leader who inspires our congregation to deepen our connection to faith, offering comfort, support, and guidance in times of joy, sorrow, and spiritual need.
- We seek a priest who finds joy in music, fellowship, and ministry and who will become an integral part of our St. Andrew’s family.
10/14/24
Listening Session Responses, from September 8th, Below
Listening Session Responses, from September 8th, Below
10/12/24
Transition Meeting w/Craig Dressler
10/7/24
Present: Jerry, Shawn, Craig, Lynn
We discussed the responses from our listening session on September 8th. Some notable observations about St. Andrew’s:
We discussed our supply clergy and how that was going.
Next Steps:
Transition Meeting w/Craig Dressler
10/7/24
Present: Jerry, Shawn, Craig, Lynn
We discussed the responses from our listening session on September 8th. Some notable observations about St. Andrew’s:
- We have a lot going on, and so to avoid burn out we should consider capacity and how can we do things as effectively as possible
- This may be a good exercise as a vestry retreat
- We have strong lay leadership!
- How can we keep growing our successful Intergenerational programs
- We are working well with St. Paul’s - how can we continue growing there
We discussed our supply clergy and how that was going.
Next Steps:
- Condense the list of words describing the gifts and skills essential to the future leaders of our worshipping community into categories and create 4 short phrases for our search profile
- A few members from each church will meet and work together
- Craig will arrange a deanery meeting with the priest from Grand Island to take a look at the “landscape”
- Many priests are older and maybe retiring
10/2/24
There have been lots of updates to our Sunday Officiant Schedule - check them out on the Google Calendar linked above.
A meeting has been scheduled on Monday, October 7th with the Wardens and Craig Dressler - we hope to learn more about our next steps in our transition.
There have been lots of updates to our Sunday Officiant Schedule - check them out on the Google Calendar linked above.
A meeting has been scheduled on Monday, October 7th with the Wardens and Craig Dressler - we hope to learn more about our next steps in our transition.
9/6/24
Deacon Martha will be our officiant on October 20th.
Deacon Martha will be our officiant on October 20th.
9/4/24
We now have a officiant for October 6th: Deacon Patrick Bradley.
We now have a officiant for October 6th: Deacon Patrick Bradley.
8/28/24
We now have a supply priest for the 29th: Liz Grohowski. She is the wife of the Cathedral Dean, Rebecca Barnes and one of the persons Craig thought might be a fit for us long-term. She is interviewing at other congregations so we want to put our best foot forward for the 29th!
We now have a supply priest for the 29th: Liz Grohowski. She is the wife of the Cathedral Dean, Rebecca Barnes and one of the persons Craig thought might be a fit for us long-term. She is interviewing at other congregations so we want to put our best foot forward for the 29th!
8/9/24
We have a supply priest lined up for the first four Sundays in September! We welcome Father Robert Duerr! (The last Sunday in August will be Morning Prayer, led by a member of St. Andrew's.)
We have a supply priest lined up for the first four Sundays in September! We welcome Father Robert Duerr! (The last Sunday in August will be Morning Prayer, led by a member of St. Andrew's.)
8/7/24
On Sunday, September 8th at 1 pm, Craig Dressler, Canon for Ministry Development & Transition, will be meeting with the members of St. Paul's, Lewiston, and St. Andrew's, Burt, at the Cambria Town Hall Community Room. (4160 Upper Mountain Road, Sanborn, NY)
On Sunday, September 8th at 1 pm, Craig Dressler, Canon for Ministry Development & Transition, will be meeting with the members of St. Paul's, Lewiston, and St. Andrew's, Burt, at the Cambria Town Hall Community Room. (4160 Upper Mountain Road, Sanborn, NY)
7/29/24
Jerry, Shawn and Lynn met with Craig Dressler, the Canon for Congregational Ministry and Transitions.
Here are some takeaways:
- SPL and SAB will send our financial details/budgets and parochial reports so he has a clearer picture of where both churches are at.
- More background work needs to happen before we get started on church profiles, search committees, etc.
- Craig knows of a potential supply priest for us that may be available on a fairly regular basis - he will explore that opportunity.
- Shawn will reach out for the list of other supply priests as we need to start filling our Sunday schedule.
- We will be scheduling a meeting for both congregations to meet with Craig to discuss this process.
7/21/24
From Pastor Randi...
As many of you know, I am working on a doctorate in congregational development, with a diploma likely in a couple of years. I'm studying how to keep churches vibrant and how to navigate changes necessary for transition. One key provision is that churches need new blood and pastors need new challenges. A church will benefit every 8 or 10 years from a new voice, and new ideas, leading the way, just as The Episcopal Church will be taking its cues now from our very own Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe. The old days of rectors staying in one spot for a quarter-century are just that, old days. Breaking up with a longtime priest is all the more harder.
With these things in mind, coming up on 8 years at St. Andrew's, I have accepted a call to be the priest of Christ Church Parish in my native Virginia. It is next door to an eponymous Episcopal private school, and it is about an hour from Richmond, where Tom and I grew up, albeit separate from each other. And it is 90 minutes from the home of my new grandson, Elliot, who turns 8 months old next week. The congregation at Christ Church, like so many, is aging, and there will be a great deal of work to do. But mainly, this change is a homecoming for me. As a child, I visited a cousin's cottage on the Rappahannock Rivah, not far from this church, and had the occasion to go fishing, if you can imagine me doing that.
My last Sunday here will be Aug. 18. We will have ample time to say our goodbyes, and I can assure you that St. Andrew's has strong lay leadership to weather the coming months. I have immensely enjoyed my 8 years here. The challenges have been frequent, but the warmth and love have always been present, and it has been such a pleasure to be your spiritual leader in times of life and even death. I love you all, and I think the future will be bright.
Randi+
Jerry, Shawn and Lynn met with Craig Dressler, the Canon for Congregational Ministry and Transitions.
Here are some takeaways:
- SPL and SAB will send our financial details/budgets and parochial reports so he has a clearer picture of where both churches are at.
- More background work needs to happen before we get started on church profiles, search committees, etc.
- Craig knows of a potential supply priest for us that may be available on a fairly regular basis - he will explore that opportunity.
- Shawn will reach out for the list of other supply priests as we need to start filling our Sunday schedule.
- We will be scheduling a meeting for both congregations to meet with Craig to discuss this process.
7/21/24
From Pastor Randi...
As many of you know, I am working on a doctorate in congregational development, with a diploma likely in a couple of years. I'm studying how to keep churches vibrant and how to navigate changes necessary for transition. One key provision is that churches need new blood and pastors need new challenges. A church will benefit every 8 or 10 years from a new voice, and new ideas, leading the way, just as The Episcopal Church will be taking its cues now from our very own Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe. The old days of rectors staying in one spot for a quarter-century are just that, old days. Breaking up with a longtime priest is all the more harder.
With these things in mind, coming up on 8 years at St. Andrew's, I have accepted a call to be the priest of Christ Church Parish in my native Virginia. It is next door to an eponymous Episcopal private school, and it is about an hour from Richmond, where Tom and I grew up, albeit separate from each other. And it is 90 minutes from the home of my new grandson, Elliot, who turns 8 months old next week. The congregation at Christ Church, like so many, is aging, and there will be a great deal of work to do. But mainly, this change is a homecoming for me. As a child, I visited a cousin's cottage on the Rappahannock Rivah, not far from this church, and had the occasion to go fishing, if you can imagine me doing that.
My last Sunday here will be Aug. 18. We will have ample time to say our goodbyes, and I can assure you that St. Andrew's has strong lay leadership to weather the coming months. I have immensely enjoyed my 8 years here. The challenges have been frequent, but the warmth and love have always been present, and it has been such a pleasure to be your spiritual leader in times of life and even death. I love you all, and I think the future will be bright.
Randi+