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Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina Pre-General Convention Special Edition, June 2006

Crosswalk

Leadership Conference sets direction for future

Healthy Church Initiative, Diocesan Foundation launched _óW=mÉÖÖó=s~å=^åíïÉêé=eáääI=bÇáíçê

Watkins. Also announced at the conference were plans for the creation of the Episcopal Foundation of Upper South Carolina, designed to support both congregational and diocesan mission efforts in perpetuity.

Conference leader Tony Watkins, a former pastor with more than 25 years of consulting experience, created the Healthy Church Initiative to promote church health, mission effectiveness, and funding opportunities for congregations of any size. Watkins has worked with religious groups and organizations throughout the United States, including the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio and the Diocese of Minnesota.

Free gift “Every church is a church in transition.”

Such was the refrain at the diocesan Leadership Conference, May 20, at Church of the Advent, Spartanburg.

Congregations are the key Focusing on Bishop Henderson's pledge to nurture and support congregations as the "front line of the Church," the conference launched Upper SC's "Healthy Church Initiative" with a series of presentations by congregational development consultant Tony

The initiative has been made possible in Upper South Carolina thanks to a generous gift to the diocese designated for use at Bishop Henderson's discretion. The local congregation, the bishop has said, “is where the action is. . . . For if a diocese is effective in its mission it is because its congregations are effective in mission. If a diocese is changed and an instrument of change, it is because the congregations are changed and changing. Let us then concentrate our prayers, our resources, and our labor on our congregations!”

The Healthy Church Initiative will do just that. All congregations are urged to accept this gift and to participate in the initiative at no cost to them.

Health, not growth The Healthy Church Initiative is about health, not growth, because healthy congregations grow. There is no top-down model. Such a model, Watkins says, is “a dinosaur”; the “power is in the pews.” The Healthy Church Initiative recognizes that it is the congregations themselves that have the answers, which is why top-down plans for mission don’t work.

The initiative is based on the fact that every church has a unique need, which, if met, will help that congregation move forward in mission. To that end the Healthy Church Initiative helps congregations identify core values and design a tailored plan for mission effectiveness.

All aboard Here’s how the initiative works. Congregations wishing to participate make that desire known to Canon Clevenger (803.771.7800). Under Watkins’s guidance they will complete a survey (available both online and in hard copy) designed to gauge unique and specific mission goals, and, next, via a series of consultations with Watkins, devise a plan for meeting those goals.

Some congregations will need to raise funding for the mission they discern; others will take the next step without monetary needs.

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Pre General Convention

Crosswalk

2006 FROM THE

Crosswalk

Official Publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina 1115 Marion Street Columbia, South Carolina 29201 803.771.7800/800.889.6961 803.799.5119 fax dioceseusc@aol.com Crosswalk E-mail Address phill@edusc.org Bishop The Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr. Executive Assistant to Bishop Henderson Jane B. Goldsmith jgoldsmith@edusc.org Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. Mark Clevenger mclevenger@edusc.org Assistant to the Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. d’Rue Hazel dhazel@edusc.org Assistant for Administration Roslyn Hook rhook@edusc.org Canon for Finance and Administration Julie Price jprice@edusc.org Director of Finance and Insurance Cynthia Hendrix chendrix@edusc.org Canon for Communications, Editor of Crosswalk Peggy Van Antwerp Hill phill@edusc.org Canon for Youth Ministry The Rev. L. Sue von Rautenkranz suevon@edusc.org Assistant for Communications and Youth Ministry Bethany Human bhuman@edusc.org Archdeacon and Senior Pastoral Assistant to the Bishop The Ven. Frederick C. Byrd fbyrd@edusc.org Assistant to Archdeacon Byrd Bonnie Blackberg bblackberg@edusc.org

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Pre General Convention

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Pre General Convention

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St. Paul’s, Fort Mill, and York Place partner, “with a lot of Hart” Congregation “adopts” cottage for young women, adds normalcy, spice to their lives _ó=iáò~åå=iìíò

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t. Paul’s, Fort Mill, has adopted the Episcopal Church Home for Children’s group home Hart Cottage, located at the York, South Carolina, campus.

“This is a perfect fit for our congregation,” says the Rev. Sally Franklin, rector. “We have been searching for an outreach project and York Place provides such wonderful help for children and families.”

In adopting Hart Cottage, housing six teenage girls, St. Paul’s hopes to help with wear-and-tear issues facing any busy home, as well as ongoing needs of the young women.

“Hart needs our attention to the floors, kitchen upgrades, and many other building needs,” says senior warden Chip Smith. “So far, we’ve also been able to provide Easter dresses for the girls with funds made available from our rector’s discretionary fund.”

York Place has been caring for children since its beginning as an orphanage in 1850. As needs changed from providing orphanage care to providing therapeutic care for the emotional needs of children, York Place became a residential treatment facility, providing today intensive therapy for 36 children.

“York Place provides hope for children. The more the St. Paul’s community learned about the needs of the children and the campus, the more they wanted to step up to provide services for one of the cottages,” says Doug Wright, vestry member.

Members of St. Paul’s are helping in numerous ways.

Building teams plan to refinish floors and replace kitchen cabinets, as well as complete other needed repairs. Donations will be gathered to cover hair care and clothing costs for the girls. Some parishioners may become volunteers to the young women and bond in special friendships. Other needs include decorating

bedrooms, landscaping the grounds, funding special events for girls, such as birthday parties or spa days for facials and nails, sponsoring a book club, or helping with a community project.

“Hart Cottage provides 24-hour care, with counselors and specialized therapy with master’s level clinician to help the girls with their emotional problems,” says Shelley Copeland, Hart Group Home manager.

Many of the girls have family support and some receive support from the State Department of Social Services. Funds don’t cover extras for the things that are important to young women wanting to look their best. Being adopted by a church really helps, not only with the daily wear of the cottage but also with things important to our girls.”

York Place President John Shiflet and Copeland met with church members in the spring to kick off the new partnership. “Our children are with us for the help they really need, and our success rate is very high,” Shiflet says. “But our care has a price and receiving support from churches in both dioceses helps keep our success rate so high. Some of our children struggle with abuse issues, and workbooks to supplement their therapy and help them deal with those issues, have a price.

That’s just one of the areas in which we need help.

Churches, such as St. Paul’s, coming to help with their

Episcopal Foundation of Upper SC

Imagine . . .

If a local plan requires funding, Healthy Church Initiative leaders will help congregations develop a personalized plan and assist with fund-raising efforts.

Congregations, in turn, are asked to consider tithing the money raised to support the newly created Episcopal Foundation of Upper South Carolina, which will serve as a storehouse of mission funds as well as a depository for planned gifts and will bequests.

The foundation will exercise stewardship over the funds received, assisting congregations as they grow and realize new needs, helping to plant new congregations, provide funding for diocesan institutions, and support cherished diocesan programs that might otherwise be vulnerable.

Quoting retired Bishop Claude Payne of Texas and tracing Upper SC’s recent journey, in his October 2005 address to Diocesan Convention, Bishop Henderson said; “Congregations, together as ‘one church living the Great Commission to make disciples’—congregations, together as one church ‘living the Great Commandment to love. . . .’ Beloved, that has been the core of our imaginings.” “Let us now,” he continued “seek God’s blessing on our efforts. . . . It is time to move forward, and to do so with renewed determination, renewed vigor.” The Healthy Church Initiative will, by the grace of God, help us to do just that. mÉÖÖó=s~å=^åíïÉêé=eáää=áë=íÜÉ==Å~ååçå=Ñçê=ÅçããìåáÅ~íáçåë Ñçê=íÜÉ=béáëÅçé~ä=aáçÅÉëÉ=çÑ=rééÉê=pçìíÜ=`~êçäáå~K

donations and enthusiasm, are always welcome.”

To explore ways in which your congregation can support York Place, contact outreach and volunteer coordinator Joyce Sanders, 803.684.8005, jsanders@yorkplace.org. York Place is owned and operated by both Episcopal dioceses in the state, our diocese, Upper South Carolina, and the Diocese of South Carolina in the southern part of the state. iáò~åå=iìíò=áë=~=ãÉãÄÉê=çÑ=píK=m~ìäÛëI=cçêí=jáääK

calendar July 1 Post General Convention meeting, Christ Church, Greenville, 10 AM 6

Clergy Day, Post General Convention meeting, All Saints, Clinton, 10 AM

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Post General Convention meetTrinity Cathedral, 10 AM