Commission on Ministry

Save the Date!
The Fifth Annual Ministry Fair
Living Our Baptism Day by Day
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Bangor Theological Seminary
8:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

"...O most merciful Friend, Brother, and Redeemer; may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly."

From the prayer of
St. Richard of Chichester, d. 1255

What is it? / Who should attend? / Schedule / Speakers / Workshops / Music

The Ministry Fair is a celebration of ministries of all kinds, lay and ordained with people from congregations across Maine. It will feature storytelling, music, time with Bishop Knudsen and a variety of workshops as well as excellent catered lunch.

Representatives from the Commission on Ministry and many of its committees will be available to provide information about their programs, including the Committee on Baptismal Ministries and the Committee on Holy Orders. Many other diocesan organizations and committees will have information available.

There will also be the opportunity to learn about the Commission on Ministry’s ministry discernment program and to join a regional discernment group.

people of all ages, including high school youth, who are trying to figure out their vocation -

people who love to hear other Christians’ faith stories -

people who want to meet other Maine Episcopalians engaged in similar ministry -

people who want to explore their own ministry in more depth, whether lay or ordained -

people who want to learn about ministry
discernment & perhaps join a discernment group -

people who want an excellent lunch -
(donations will be accepted)

Six members of the Diocese of Maine talk about their ministries and how they came to exercize them.

The Rev. Dr. Roy Partridge, Rector of St. Ann’s, Windham, and Assistant Professor at Bowdoin College

The Rev. Audrey Delafield, Deacon at St. Alban’s, Cape Elizabeth, and Episcopal Chaplain at Maine Medical Center

Ms Kaitlin Wheeler, a high school senior and member of Trinity Church, Saco

Mr. Dan Poulin, a member of St. George’s, York Harbor and the diocesan Stewardship Committee who serves on the Province 1 Stewardship and Evangelism Conference Design Team

Ms Gail Swanton, Christian Educator at St. Philip’s, Wiscasset

Mr. Bob Hoy, spiritual director and member of St. Andrew’s, Newcastle

Discernment as a Way of Life What are my most sacred hopes and purposes of my life and work? In this workshop experience the spiritual discipline of discernment through group exercises, culminating with a process for life-long discernment. Included in this session will be an overview of the Diocesan Discernment Process.

Shirley Bowen, a Postulant in the process for Holy Orders for the priesthood

Rule of Life as a Way of Life
After a brief description of the Benedictine experience, Chris Glass will share the ways in which he and others have tried to incorporate elements of Benedict’s "simple rule for beginners" into a daily routine of prayer and study.

Christopher Glass, St. Thomas’, Camden

Death Education in Our
Communities
An overview of "Walking the Mourner’s Path," a congregational grief support program as well as a description of a congregational-based community death education pilot program in Hancock County will be offered in this workshop.

Barbara Clark and the Rev. Mary-Carol Griffin, Hospice of Hancock County; The Rev. Christine Bennett, St. Ann’s, Windham

Develop and Nurture Outreach Programs in Our Congregations
There are many exciting and innovative outreach programs in place in the diocese. Representatives from two such programs will explain how their programs were developed and what makes them continue to successfully fill a need in their communities.

The Rev. Isabel Polk, St. Peter’s, Rockland; Laura Peckham, St. Barnabas', Augusta

Afternoon Workshops

Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction can seem like a mysterious business to those who have not experienced it. This is a chance to meet some spiritual directors from a variety of backgrounds, hear a little of their individual perspectives and have a chance to ask questions.

Bob Hoy, St. Andrew’s, Newcastle

Jumping Through Hoops: The Ordination Processes in Maine
This workshop will outline the many steps from beginning Discernment to Ordination as a Deacon or a Priest. Each step has a formational purpose, which will be described. Participants will have the opportunity to raise questions with the Bishop and a member of the Committee on Holy Orders (COHO).

Bishop Chilton Knudsen

Power from on High:
We are all called to the ministry of Christ through our baptismal covenant. The diocesan discernment process is not just for people discerning a call to the ordination process. "Power From On High" offers a guide for the deeper exploration and discernment of lay ministry. The Committee on Baptismal Ministry presents this workshop that will be an overview of the "Power From On High" process.

Members of the Committee on Baptismal Ministry

The Commission on Ministry has developed a discernment process that is designed for people seeking
to live more fully into their Baptismal ministries, including the possibility of ordination.

In the beginning, we are trying to start on a regional basis to respond to a large number of people who have expressed interest, either because of an interest in ordination or in developing a more focused lay ministry. (In the past discernment groups were formed for the ordination process around one individual AFTER the ordination process was begun.) In this new process, ordination is seen as one of many ministry possibilities.

                 -- Each group will be made up of "seekers", lay people seeking to discern their ministry within in a community.

                -- There will be two facilitators for each group to serve as resource people, at least one of whom is a lay person.

                -- A general "guidebook" titled, Here I Am, Send Me is intended as just that: for guidance, not a rigid manual. There is a small fee ($5.00) to help defray the cost of price.

                -- The process is designed to last approximately six months.

                -- The process is centered around prayer, reflection, sitting together in silence and reflecting back to each other what is heard.

                -- There will be background readings and other suggested resources in the guidebook. It is divided into three sections: vocation, context, empowerment.

                -- Groups will start in early October and meet every three weeks for nine sessions and will end in March.

                -- For people wishing to pursue the question of ordination or a lay ministry, there will an additional discernment process that will begin in April.

                -- Teams of facilitators will convene the groups regionally throughout the diocese.

People who are interested in joining a discernment group should contact
Canon Vicki Wiederkehr at vwiederk@diomaine.org or 1-800244-6062 x23