2021-Q1. Worship & Congregational Leadership Staff Lead Report

1st Quarter 2021 Report:  January – March 2021
Joanne Anquist

EVENTS and CONFERENCES:

1.        Throughout January Took part in a one day per week 3 week worship planning Workshop through Worship Design Studios. 

2.       Took 2 days off in March to move (bought a new house!)

3.       Had a Shrove Tuesday Drive Thru pancake supper on February 16th.  It was very successful.  Bill Weaver (Ogden United), Rachel Nadon and I were around the firepit and imposed ashes for those who wanted to begin Lent with this ritual.  About 100 meals were served.  Many said it was good just to drive to the church and be present together around the firepit.

4.       Led a book study, Hope Matters beginning Tuesday February 2nd and continuing for 8 weeks through March.  We had around 10 participate in this study.

5.       Bill Weaver (Ogden) and I co-lead a study on Thursdays through Lent on the Book The Gifts of the Dark Wood as part of our joint Lenten services.

6.      Attended a Chinook Winds Region Town Hall on February 25th with Chris Corrigan, a leadership consultant, about Church Cycles of growth and decline.

7.       Attended 3 afternoon Workshops in February and March with Susan Beaumont author of the book How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going through Leadershift, Pacific Mountain Region’s continuing ed group.

SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION:

1.        Continued with the Budget Planning Group.  The Plan was shared with the congregation on January 10th. Also met with Anne-Yates Laberge, the Admin Review Consultant, 3 times.

2.       Operations Working Group has been busy discussing and implementing the Plan from the Budget Planning Group. 

3.       Attended Annual General Meeting February 21st.

4.       Staff met the 2nd Wednesday of each month, Family Ministry met the 4th Wed. of Each month.  I speak with Krishan weekly and others as needed.

5.       Met with Leadership Council Chairs, Daren Patterson and Joanne Pritchard in March.  Will continue to meet once per month to discuss church issues and challenges and celebrations!

6.      Shauna went on Medical leave in February.  She does not anticipate she will return to work.  I keep in contact with Shauna for pastoral care support and speak to her most weeks.

7.       I have continued to serve on the Chinook Winds Executive.  I am also a member of the David Ferguson Music Fund Grant committee which meets a few times per year.  I am in charge of worship planning for Chinook Winds Region Conference to be held in May and have met with a committee to plan.  Sunday morning Worship on May 9th will be held and streamed from McDougall.

8.      Continued to do casual mentoring of Lauren Harms, pastor at Calgary Inter-Mennonite Church.

WORSHIP:

1.        We had a Zoom service participatory pageant on January 3rd – lead by Rachel Nadon.  Many attended online and others watched the service recording.  A lot of fun and good to see each other’s faces.

2.       We continued to record services on Saturday afternoons for broadcast on Sunday morning.  We mostly film them as a whole, but sometimes we have filmed chunks for assembly in post production (like Holy Saturday and Easter) which takes considerably more time (for me) as I do post production.  Looking forward to having services together, or streaming live which could happen in the next Quarter!

3.       Our Reel Theology series went through January up to Lent.  This year, because of Covid, all the movies were chosen on Netflix so people could watch them at home.  Hopefully next year we can screen them at the church again!

4.       Shared Worship with Ogden United Church during Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday February 17th through Easter April 4th based on the book The Gifts of the Dark Wood by Eric Elnes.

PASTORAL CARE:

1.        Celebration of Life service for Jake Baum was held live and streamed on Monday, January 4th.  Grace Baum was very grateful for this opportunity as she got notes from people all over the world who had watched the streamed service.

2.       Friday Coffee has continued – a highlight for me and the members.

3.       Held a Celebration of Life for Ritva Wheaton on Saturday, January 30th.  Ritva was a United Church member – her daughter Leslie is part of the Heritage Time Out program and that is why she asked us to do the celebration of life.

UPCOMING:

Respectfully Submitted,

Joanne Anquist