ABUNDANT Times Winter/Spring 2021

Collaboration: The Path Forward Winter/Spring 2021

Table of Contents ABUNDANT Times is the official news publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts.

The diocesan offices are located at:

3

From the Bishop

4

Exploring Common Mission

5

Editor’s Interview with a Member of the Task Force: The Rev. Heather Blais

Call us: (413) 737-4786 Visit us: www.diocesewma.org Follow us: @EpiscopalWMA

6

Declaration of Climate Emergency

Abundant times

8

"Gospel Merger" in Greenfield

10

Drawn together by the Holy Spirit

Episcopalians East and West Engage in Year-Long Conversation

Letting go yields "a new church; a new work of God "

Sutton congregation nurtures seeds planted for mission

12

Feeding Sheffield

14

Ashfield Churches Collaborate with Saints James and Andrew, Greenfield

14

All Peoples Cookbook

15

Human to Human

16

Good, Clean Ministry

17

Veterans Ministry Adapts and Expands

18

Good News Gardens

20

Around the Diocese

22

From the Archives

Evangelism Grant Jump-starts Ministry

On the Cover: A meeting of the Task Force for Exploring Common Mission.

Photo: the Rev. Nathaniel Anderson

37 Chestnut Street Springfield, MA, 01103-1787

The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher IX Bishop of Western Massachusetts, Publisher The Rev. Vicki Ix Managing Editor Alison Gamache Layout and Copy Editor

At Diocesan House

The Rev. Dr. Richard M. Simpson Canon to the Ordinary Susan Olbon Canon for Administration The Rev. Vicki Ix Canon for Communications

Missioners

The Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith Missioner for Spirituality and Leadership The Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas Missioner for Creation Care The Rev. Christopher Carlisle Director, Building Bridges Veterans Initiative The Rev. Jennifer Gregg Missioner for Servant Leadership The Rev. José Reyes Missioner for Hispanic/Latino Ministries The Rev. Meredyth Ward Urban Missioner for Worcester

Human to Human Steve Abdow Executive Director

FSC FPO

From the Bishop The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher IX Bishop of Western Massachusetts

I

n the fall of 2018, our diocese was blessed to hold a “revival” led

by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. We had set that date a year before and were getting ready for it. And then in June 2018, Michael preached at the Royal Wedding of Harry and Meghan and he became an international superstar. The Presiding Bishop’s office told us to expect three or four times as many people at the WMA Revival. How could we possibly do that? It took leaders from many congregations working together. It was all about collaboration.

Lutherans and Episcopalians have reached out to each other to share clergy and buildings. At our Diocesan Convention in 2018, we voted to intentionally do ministry with the United Church of Christ, and since then many holy ministries have begun which might not have been possible for one church alone.

Bridges Veterans Initiative (started in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts) is now opening centers in the eastern half of the state. As you will read in this issue of ABUNDANT Times, the two dioceses have created a Task Force for Exploring Common Mission that is looking at other ways we can be stronger together.

You have heard me tell this story before: When Bishop Alan Gates was seated at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Boston, he invited me to preach.

During this painful year of the pandemic, our WMA churches have come together over and over again to do ministry more effectively together: Adult Ed classes shared on zoom, a diocesan confirmation preparation program which will culminate in a large Confirmation liturgy outdoors in June. And clergy in need of a muchdeserved break might tell their congregations to tune into a neighboring church’s Sunday liturgy.

Our churches are no longer silos. We serve Jesus’ mission together with creativity and faith.

The day was a tremendous success. Michael inspired us before huge crowds in Pittsfield and Worcester, and he urged us to be the Jesus Movement that is out to change the world from the nightmare it is for so many into the dream God has for us.

Many, many blessings flowed from our Revival. And none bigger than the blessing which preceded the event - churches working together in collaboration. And that spirit and practice of collaboration has just grown and grown. Our churches are no longer silos. We serve Jesus’ mission together with creativity and faith.

The spirit of collaboration does not end there. We work closely with the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

After the service, many thanked me and some said “You know, we think of Western Massachusetts the same way we think of Arizona.” Alan, Bishop Gayle Harris, and I decided to look for ways we could collaborate.

Our two dioceses have issued common statements about issues of social justice. The Creation Care Missioner in Western Massachusetts, The Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, also works for the Diocese of Massachusetts (and the UCC). We have clergy retreats together. Episcopal City Mission (started in the Diocese of Massachusetts) now contributes to our urban ministries in Springfield and Worcester. Building

In pre-COVID days, I used to end my Pentecost sermons by inviting the congregation to close their eyes, and all breathe in the breath of God together. “One, two three - breathe in! One, two, three- breathe out!”

Then I would say “the word ‘conspire’ means ‘to breathe together.’ You have just done that. You are now part of a conspiracy. The conspiracy that is the Jesus Movement to change the world from the nightmare it is for so many into the dream God has for it.”

Let’s keep conspiring together! Jesus has given us a great mission. We need as much collaboration as we can imagine to fulfill it. ♦

ABUNDANT TIMES

|

3

A meeting of the Task Force for Exploring Common Mission.

Photo: The Rev. Nathaniel Anderson

Exploring Common Mission Episcopalians East and West Engage in Year-Long Conversation The Rev. Vicki Ix Canon for Communications Diocese of Western Massachusetts

W

hat can be done better together than apart?

For the two Episcopal dioceses in Massachusetts, a steady increase in collaborations in recent years suggests that the answer could potentially be: quite a lot.

Both possess a long, rich history of serving God’s people, and have been doing so mostly in parallel over the decades following the founding of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts in 1903, out of what started in 1784 as a single diocese in the Commonwealth.

Lately, however, Episcopalians from both dioceses have been coming together in a variety of meaningful ways:

4

|

ABU NDANT TIMES

Tracy J. Sukraw Director of Communications Diocese of Massachusetts public actions and advocacy to end gun violence, and to act for the care of God’s creation at a time of climate emergency, for instance. Joint retreats and professional development events for clergy, and adult Christian formation and discernment programs for the laity. Youth activities and shared ministry networks around outreach with veterans and growing “Good News Gardens.” And more.

Bishops Alan Gates and Gayle Harris of the Diocese of Massachusetts and Bishop Doug Fisher of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts began to wonder about the extent of this spirit of collaboration and to discuss the possibility of further exploring current shared

engagement, at all levels. What would it be like to get to know one another at a deeper level? How might two vital dioceses partner across difference for the sake of the Gospel? How might experiences of shared engagement be a call to discern the Holy Spirit’s leading?

What can we do better together?

With these questions in mind, the bishops, last November, convened the Task Force for Exploring Common Mission, and the group has been meeting regularly in the months since. Their charge from the bishops is to be in dialogue and prayer for a year about what collaborations and, potentially, what more formal institutional structures might warrant more exploration. There are no foregone conclusions, and the task force will share findings with both dioceses for further discernment.

The task force invites everyone’s prayers for their continuing “holy conversations” and for their commitment to walking forward together, Spirit-led.

Four people from each diocese, lay and ordained, comprise the Task Force for Exploring Common Mission.

Serving from the Diocese of Western Massachusetts are the Rev. Nathaniel Anderson, St. John’s Church, Williamstown, Co-Chair; the Rev. Heather Blais, Saints James and Andrew, Greenfield; Ms. Trudy Weaver Miller, Christ Church, Sheffield; and Mr. Mark Rogers, Church of the Reconciliation, Webster; with the Rev. Dr. Richard Simpson, Canon to the Ordinary, staff liaison.

Serving from the Diocese of Massachusetts are Ms. Claudette Hunt, St. Andrew’s Church, Ayer, Co-Chair; the Rev. Julie Carson, St. Andrew’s Church, Framingham; the Hon. Judith Dilday, St. Cyprian’s Church, Roxbury; and the Rev. Pam Werntz, Emmanuel Church, Boston; with the Rev. Canon William Clay Parnell, Canon to the Ordinary, staff liaison. ♦

Current Collaborations • COVID Communications from the bishops • Joint Statements from all three Episcopal Bishops • BCH Camp & Conference Center (Retreats and events; WMA Board member; financial support) • Pre-Lenten Clergy Retreat • Anti-Gun-Violence Witness • Clergy Professional Development Days (2021 keynote presentation on bullying) • Loving the Questions (Lay Discernment Program; expanded from WMA) • Building Bridges (Veterans ministry program; expanded from WMA) • Creation Care Justice (The Rev. Dr. Margaret BullittJonas serves both dioceses) • Episcopal City Mission (expanded work in both dioceses) • Joint Youth Event (NorthboroughSouthborough walk and curriculum) • EYE T-shirt joint design (Other youth initiatives offered with other Province I dioceses, especially Maine) • Transition ministry/identification of interim clergy • Advent and Lenten Retreats for the Faithful (Offered online in 2020 and 2021) • Building Bridges Veterans Initiative (webinar forum with bishops; ministry moving east)

Editor’s Interview with a Member of the Task Force: The Rev. Heather Blais This interview has been edited for length.

Vicki: [Exploring Common Mission] is about stewardship?

Heather: Yes. The bishops invited this team together to explore how we can be better stewards of one another’s resources, how we can continue to deepen our collaborations. During these bishops’ tenures, there has been more and more collaboration.

Vicki: The document that sets the grounding of the task force lists the members and a little bit of the history.

What I really appreciated about it was that it wasn’t a history lesson. It was about what we’re doing in the present moment together already.

Heather: Two meetings ago, with thanks to Rich and Bill, who puts their heads together, we spent some time talking about the ministries we are already doing together and there’s an actual list. We were asked at our last meeting if we would each take responsibility for signing up to have some conversation with a leader from one of these ministries. I signed up to check-in with leaders involved with the joint COVID communication policy making.

Vicki: Do the meetings have a structure? What’s the dynamic?

Heather: Each meeting begins with prayer, or a devotional or a Bible Study. That’s been helpful, grounding. As newcomers we don’t all know each other. It just helps to get to know one another in a different way. Then, our fearless leaders, Claudette and Nathaniel, guide us in what we’re going to focus on that day. They’ve been really wise about it. They really are intentional about...

Continued on page 23 ABUNDANT TIMES

|

5

Declaration of Climate Emergency The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher Bishop Diocesan, Diocese of Western Massachusetts The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates Bishop Diocesan, Diocese of Massachusetts The Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris Bishop Suffragan, Diocese of Massachusetts

W

e, the bishops of the Episcopal dioceses in Massachusetts, declare a climate emergency.

We honor the call of our church’s presiding bishop, the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, to care for God’s beloved world. We recognize that accelerating global warming and mass extinctions are destroying God’s creation, threatening to make our planet uninhabitable. We likewise recognize that the climate crisis affects low-income communities and communities of color first and hardest. We confess that we, and our churches, have not yet responded with adequate seriousness or urgency to the ongoing, intensifying effects of climate change, and to its underlying causes.

According to Scripture, God created the physical world and all its creatures as inherently “good” (Genesis 1). The very first task that God entrusted to human beings was responsibility to care for the earth (Genesis 2:15). As Christians, we honor the goodness and sacredness of the created world, recognizing that the earth does not belong to us, but to God (Psalm 24:1). The scope of God’s love embraces not only humanity but also the rest of creation (Genesis 9:8-17), and we recognize that Jesus gave his life for the whole world, so that all things could be reconciled (Colossians 1:15-20; Ephesians 1:10; 6

|

ABU NDANT TIMES

2 Corinthians 2:19). As Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said, the “supreme work” of Jesus Christ is to reconcile us to God, each other, and all of God’s creation.

Creation, a commitment to practice loving formation, liberating advocacy, and life-giving conversation as individuals, congregations, ministries, and dioceses.

As a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, The Episcopal Church upholds the Five Marks of Mission as our understanding of God’s mission. The fifth mark establishes as an essential dimension of Christian mission and ethics the commitment “to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and [to] sustain and renew the life of the earth.” Because caring for God’s creation is central to our moral and spiritual concern, General Convention, the church’s triennial legislative governing body, has adopted scores of resolutions addressing the environment, environmental justice, and climate change. At the 79th General Convention in 2018, 19 resolutions that relate to care for God’s creation were adopted. One of them (2018-A018) adopted The House of Bishops’ 2011 Pastoral Teaching on the Environment as an official position of our church, a document that urges every Episcopalian “to acknowledge the urgency of the planetary crisis in which we find ourselves.” In 2019, the Anglican Consultative Council recognized a global climate emergency, and the General Synod of the Church of England recognized a climate emergency in 2020.

We strongly urge congregations across Massachusetts to pray, learn, act, and advocate as we build a bold and faith-filled response to the greatest moral challenge of our time. We urge members of our two dioceses to explore the resources of both dioceses, including the Creation Care Justice Network in the Diocese of Massachusetts, and in Western Massachusetts, resources in all four areas of engagement. Sign up for the monthly Creation Care Network enewsletter produced by the Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, who is assisting both dioceses in developing a robust response to the climate emergency, and for monthly e-mail updates from the Creation Care Justice Network in the Diocese of Massachusetts.

Other denominations are also responding. Pope Francis declared a climate emergency in 2019. The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I has spoken repeatedly about the ecological crisis. The Methodist Conference (UK) recognized a climate emergency in 2019.

Standing with our siblings in Christ, including St. Paul, we hear the groaning of creation as it waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God (Romans 8:19-23). We believe that God is calling us all to embrace brave and difficult change.

Everything we do as faithful individuals and as a church must reckon with the unprecedented emergency in which humanity now finds itself.

We therefore encourage all Episcopalians to explore The Episcopal Church’s Covenant for the Care of

Reflecting the four areas of engagement, we urge members of our two dioceses to:

Pray • We ask all preachers in our dioceses, lay and ordained, to take up the mantle of moral leadership and preach regularly about our moral obligation to protect God’s creation.

• We encourage use of the Liturgical Materials for Honoring God in Creation, from our church’s Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music. Our worship services should regularly include prayers that lift up the urgent needs of God’s creation (e.g., to keep fossil fuels in the ground; to protect and restore forests), and prayers for our own transformation (e.g., repentance for the role humans have played in creating, denying, and accelerating the emergency).

• We encourage observance of the Season of Creation (Sept. 1 to Oct. 4) as a time for renewing, repairing, and restoring our relationship to God, one another, and all of creation.

• We encourage outdoor services (which might be ecumenical or interfaith) that express reverence for God’s creation, lament and

repentance for humanity’s assault on Earth, and renewed resolve to protect the web of life entrusted to our care.

• We encourage retreats and educational events that teach emotional and spiritual resilience, including ways of prayer that quiet our minds, calm our nerves, steel our spines, and open our hearts to the still, small voice of God.

Learn • We encourage deaneries and congregations to convene conversations and educational events around such topics as: how tackling the climate crisis connects with efforts to alleviate poverty, fight racial and social injustice, and defend human life; how eco-theology and eco-spirituality can guide us in the days ahead; how to cultivate the values and practices that liberate us from the consumerism, hyper-individualism, and violence of the dominant culture.

• We encourage everyone to read and reflect on the 2011 House of Bishops Pastoral Teaching on the Environment, which was adopted at the 79th General Convention in 2018 as an official teaching.

Act • We urge high-consuming people to cut back sharply on their use of fossil fuels and to support each other in changing their patterns of consumption and waste. We commend the carbon tracker, Sustaining Earth, Our Island Home, as a free educational tool for cutting carbon use in our households. We urge houses of worship to work with Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light to complete energy audits and implement the findings.

• We welcome the Good News Gardens movement – a Gospelcentered initiative to grow and share food – into our dioceses.

We likewise support efforts to restore ecosystems, soil, habitat, and biodiversity – such as making space for wildlife near our homes, a practice that has been called “reconciliation ecology.”

• We encourage congregations to identify and find ways to assist those in our communities who

are most vulnerable to climate disasters. We encourage working with Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW) to make our churches “resilience hubs.”

• We further encourage collaborations between diocesan groups at work on interrelated justice concerns, such as racial justice, food security, and creation care, among others. Episcopal City Mission’s Justice Network brings together Episcopalians and grassroots and faith-rooted leaders for monthly conversations around opportunities to act, both collectively and individually.

commend engagement with our respective online diocesan resources in the western and eastern dioceses.

We give thanks to the God who makes all things new (Isaiah 43:1819; Isaiah 65:17; Rev. 21:5) and who came among us to bring us life, and life abundant (John 10:10). ♦

Advocate • Because the scale and pace of the climate crisis require systemic change, we urge members of our two dioceses to become informed about – and participate in – local, statewide, and national efforts to make a swift and just transition to clean, renewable energy and to support vulnerable communities.

We encourage learning about and joining the advocacy efforts of such groups as Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light, 350MA for a Better Future, and Climate Action Now in Western Massachusetts, as well as creation care initiatives of the Episcopal Public Policy Network, the ecumenical Creation Justice Ministries, and environmental groups.

• We also urge connecting with local organizers in environmental justice communities and supporting their priorities and efforts in appropriate ways. In our advocacy work, we have the opportunity to draw upon our faith to make a prayerful and prophetic public witness for creation and its most vulnerable people and creatures, to envision a new world, and to call upon the God of life and resurrection to assist us.

Our efforts to revive God’s creation, to build a just and sustainable society, and to restore a safe climate will require communication and collaboration. We encourage everyone to sign up for the monthly Creation Care Network e-newsletter and Creation Care Justice Network emails referenced above, and again

Photo: Episcopal WMA

Photo: Diocese of Massachusetts

Photo: Diocese of Massachusetts

ABUNDANT TIMES

|

7

"Gospel Merger" in Greenfield Letting go yields "a new church; a new work of God " Diane Kurkulonis Saints James & Andrew, Greenfield

W

e called it “Emerging Sunday.” It seems incredible that it has been four years since the parishes of St. Andrew’s in Turners Falls and St. James in Greenfield came together as one. And emerge we have! We are stronger, more adaptable, and better together; we are a place where love, joy, hope, and healing abound.

We began with a new name, a new vision, and a new mission statement.

We incorporated new leadership chosen from both congregations. We listened and continue to listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We asked,

Pentecost 2019 in Greenfield.

Photo: submitted

8

|

ABU NDANT TIMES

“God, what do you want us to do?

Who do you want us to be? What might you have planned for our two congregations? What is your will and what might we do better together?”

Merger is not easy. There is grief and loss on both sides. The people of Saints James and Andrew will be the first to tell you that there have been growing pains in the process of becoming a new parish. Change is never easy. But our merger was between two churches with a desire to become one stronger church, better together with a stronger presence in our community, with more effective

outreach, and a better utilization of the resources that God has entrusted to us. For this to work, the leadership of both churches needed to be in philosophical and theological agreement with each other. Compromises were made on both sides in order to make a healthy transition. When one congregation keeps their building, there is almost always a feeling from “the other side” that the church isn’t really theirs. We worked hard to alleviate this feeling by offering new liturgies and adding familiar altar furniture, stained glass, and icons from the church building that was gone.

We called it a “Gospel Merger” - two congregations entering into a new partnership, on an equal footing, to create something new. We came together to form a union where neither partner saw the other as dominant.

We encouraged dialogue about how we would handle finances and how we would assimilate each other’s church family and traditions. We took seriously the fact that both brought into the relationship a way of living and being that was formed over many years. We viewed our shared histories as an important aspect of what our shared future might look like.

By letting go of many long-time practices and old ways of doing church, our merged congregation has had the opportunity to begin anew, free of hindering traditions and programs.

We are not a continuation of the old congregations. We can truly see ourselves as a new church; a new work of God with a new mission and an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to start afresh.

Some of the initiatives that we have taken on since we merged, that we might not have accomplished had we remained in our own silos, are: • RenewalWorks, to help us grow our faith • The creation of a new Spiritual Life Team that gives us many opportunities to go deeper • Several book study discussion groups • A Caregiver Support Group • We have enjoyed retreats at the Society of St. John the Evangelist, St. Margaret’s in New Hartford, NY, and a parish retreat at Silver Bay in New York • We have held several fundraisers like the Maker’s Market Craft Fair on the lawn, a Recycling Day for our community, and, after the pandemic hit, we offered an online Mistletoe Mart To-Go Fair. A brandnew online Gift Shop is also in the works • A Sunday Sandwiches feeding ministry was created out of a deep need in our community when other food resources closed. Contactless

pickup at the Parish Hall window allows our volunteers and neighbors to stay safe during the pandemic.

This particular project would have been impossible for both former parishes, but now our stronger base allows us to do things like this.

Renewed and energized, even amid a pandemic, we embrace the path forward as the ever-emerging church of Saints James and Andrew. ♦

ABUNDANT TIMES

|

9

Drawn together by the Holy Spirit Sutton congregation nurtures seeds planted for mission The Rev. Laura Goodwin Holy Spirit, Sutton

W

e think of the gardening experience as a metaphor for the process that brought two parishes together as a single, newly planted church called Holy Spirit. The seed of that new church was planted when the neighboring parishes of St. Andrew’s, North Grafton and St. John’s, Sutton rediscovered one another during the Recasting of Building Assets process which began in 2014. As a result, the two churches prepared the ground for two years by sharing worship, outreach, and vestry leadership.

Holy Spirit Episcopal Church began with a vision which emerged from that process. Through vestry discernment, congregant participation, and guidance from the diocese, we came together to create something that would realize our vision of “connecting people to God by sharing The Good News”.

On Pentecost 2017, we worshiped as Holy Spirit for the first time with a wonderful celebration at The Community Barn in Grafton. The glorious moment was followed by a great deal of hard work. Difficult conversations and decisions about where we would live and who would provide clerical leadership occupied much of the year that followed.

Making those decisions meant saying painful goodbyes to sacred space and beloved clergy. As we grieved those losses, it also became clear

10

|

ABU NDANT TIMES

William Johnston Holy Spirit, Sutton

that we were still two congregations now living in one building. What would bring us together as a single renewed community of faith? Two surprisingly regular church events – a clean-up day and the local Christmas Fair – gave parishioners a chance to work together and begin to break down the us/them barrier.

Throughout the ups and downs of the process, Holy Spirit never lost sight of our objectives. In March of 2018, the vestry held a retreat to plan the implementation of our vision statement. We created committees to work specific areas vital to our objectives. We launched a new website, created a logo, purchased new chairs for our sanctuary, and commissioned a new sign to be prominently placed on our front lawn.

In April of 2018, the vestry met with Canon Rich Simpson to explore clergy transition. That fall, we asked Pastor Laura if she would entertain remaining as full-time priest. She accepted our calling and was

installed as the first rector of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, Sutton, MA. In 2019, recognizing the need to attend to a long overdue project, we completely repaved the church parking lot, including line painting, thus greatly enhancing the “curb appeal” of our church.

During the fall, we celebrated the Season of Creation and were very pleasantly surprised to witness a significant increase in regular worship attendance, along with visits from new people.

In the midst of tending our vision, the Holy Spirit gave us a gift. New folks started to show up for worship, and many decided to make Holy Spirit Episcopal Church their spiritual home. They brought new energy and perspective to our community.

Something new was truly emerging!

2020 started out with great optimism.

With a fully engaged congregation and a number of new faces on Sunday mornings, we were looking forward to a vibrant year. Now, we are all looking forward to a better 2021.

We imagine a time when we can resume filling our church with folks on Sunday mornings and then enjoy fellowship with our friends over coffee and cookies afterwards. Until then, we will remain committed to serving our congregation and the community in whatever way we can. ♦

Blessing of the Backpacks, September 2019 Photo: submitted

Outdoor Christmas Carols, Christmas Eve 2020.

Photo: submitted

ABUNDANT TIMES

|

11

COVID Collaborations

Feeding Sheffield The Rev. Erik Karas Christ Trinity Church, Sheffield

W

hen the pandemic hit, The school told us they had 65 schools closed, businesses families that could use a Friday laid off employees, the meal. We relayed that to the economy crashed, and we knew community and immediately all there were neighbors in need as 65 were sponsored for the first full a result. We also knew that Christ week of the program. We asked Trinity had not budgeted for a the community to do it again, pandemic. We quickly figured out and they did it again. And again that none of our usual ways, like church suppers, could help since we Feeding Sheffield Partners: couldn’t even gather safely in a kitchen to make meals for delivery.

• First Congregational Church of As we heard of the growing needs in our community voiced by people in the schools, healthcare, elder services, and other non-profit partners, we also heard the voices of people inside and outside of our church desperate to find a way to help their neighbors in this horrible time.

Sheffield

• The Sheffield Chapel • The Cathedral of St. John the Divine • Our Lady of the Valley Church • Berkshire Bounty • The Rural Health Network of Fairview Hospital

• Council on Aging in Egremont In what was a very short amount of time, those • Council on Aging in Mount disconnected puzzle Washington pieces miraculously came together to form a crazy plan: Let’s ask our neighbors in the community to join us and again and again! Berkshire in sponsoring meals for school families United Way heard what we were in need, and let's partner with a local doing and asked us to apply for a restaurant called The Marketplace grant to ensure those meals would and with the school’s food service keep being delivered for 10 full department for safe production and weeks. We received $15,000 to delivery of those meals. keep the program going with the

12

|

ABU NDANT TIMES

understanding that if we had enough community sponsors for school meals, we could use grant money to expand our reach and buy meals for seniors, prepared by John Andrews Restaurant. We always had enough community sponsors!

In the meantime, other individuals from both next door and from literally around the world heard what we were doing and sent in financial contributions. This money raised would be all we had to fund the project after the grant money ran out. When the grant ran out, we looked at the fund and to our amazement we had $17,000 in the bank. More than we had when we first received the grant! We were ready to fund another ten weeks.

Now we have ended that second ten weeks. In these twenty weeks, our community has called into The Marketplace to sponsor 1,195 school meals, (a gift of over $32,000) each of which contained four servings of delicious and nutritious food. In addition to those incredible sponsorships, we’ve used over $27,000 in grant money and contributions over the last twenty weeks.

A volunteer delivers restaurant meals to the church parking lot.

Photo: submitted

Together we have delivered an incredible 8,350 servings of food to school families and seniors struggling with food insecurity and isolation caused by this pandemic.

We fully expected that at this point we would be completely out of money, but the Holy Spirit seems to have had something else in mind. Over Labor Day weekend, with the help of new musical friends, we produced a socially distanced fundraising concert. For our musicians, this was the first paying job they had since March. After we had paid all our expenses and counted the generous sponsorships, contributions, and box office receipts, our little concert had raised $8,919.55!

As we went to deposit that unbelievable amount into our Feeding Sheffield Fund (which should have been completely drained at that point), we found that there was still over $9,000 remaining in that fund! Even when we weren’t looking, our neighbors had continued to be generous, constantly sending in contributions all along.

After starting with no idea how to help and without a single dime, this amazing community has pulled together to deliver 8,350 meals to our neighbors, and because of their generosity we still have over $18,000 in the bank, ready to tackle whatever comes next.

know the need in our community continues. But with your amazing generosity, faithfulness, trust, and a somewhat crazy willingness to go where the Holy Spirit blows, I know we will quickly find, and just as quickly meet, whatever challenge comes next. Together we will love our neighbors all the way to the other side of this pandemic and beyond. ♦ - written September 2020

We are all well-aware that this pandemic is far from over. We

ABUNDANT TIMES

|

13

COVID Collaborations

Volunteers make Totes of Love.

Photo: Annie Cheatham

Ashfield Churches Collaborate with Saints James and Andrew, Greenfield

All Peoples Cookbook Cheryl McCarthy Southwick Community Episcopal Church

T

his is a collection of recipes to be a legacy brought together from so many different people and places. There are a variety of recipes to explore and enjoy, a collaboration of

14

|

ABU NDANT TIMES

Andrew Wickline St. John's, Ashfield

T

hanks to the prep work of volunteers, who made 500 individual zip-lock bags full of the smaller items to insert into the totes, members of both Ashfield churches were able to assemble all 100 totes in less than one hour. The totes included scarves, gloves, toiletries, snacks, water, lozenges and throat care, knit

Episcopal/Anglican Congregations in the US and Canada, an ecumenical partner, Turtle Island Cherokee Church, MA, including people of various backgrounds of different denominations in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

We are about community and sharing with one another, connecting in the web of life. We are all God’s children, walking together in our likenesses and our differences, working for the good across the globe. This cookbook is unique, helping people to recognize the importance of ALL life working together in our Creator/ God’s love, which is about all life, giving thanks, and appreciation. ♦

hats, warm socks and more. Most items were donated by members of both First Congregational Church of Ashfield and St. John’s with financial support for the remaining items and tote bags from both churches. The items were delivered to the Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew and were distributed during the Sunday community meal to neighbors experiencing homelessness and poverty. ♦

If you would like to order a copy of our legacy cookbook, the cost is $12 per book, plus postage if mailing.

Please contact: Rainbow Shaer, Cookbook Coordinator, at egimbow@comcast.net

What is Human to Human?

Steve Abdow Executive Director, Human to Human

L

aunched at our Diocesan Convention in November of 2019, Human to Human is a vehicle to tell the story of the humanitarian, non-sectarian work taking place in the diocese and to establish new revenue sources to fund that good work.

Human to Human provides oversight and the development work for our two successful, emerging ministries: Walking Together and Building Bridges Veterans Initiative. Also included under the Human to Human umbrella are direct service programs run by our parishes. Affiliated partner programs receive support, coaching, exposure to the larger community, access to networks, and other benefits. If you are interested to learn about affiliating your program, please reach out to me.

We invite you to support these ministries with your time, treasure, and talent. You can connect with us through our website, by phone, or email. We hope you will add your name to our email list to receive news and notices. We need your help to get this good news story out.

Of course, financial contributions are gratefully accepted. Because of your generosity, we are able to provide lunches for veterans in locations across our diocese, and warmth and comfort to people struggling with poverty and addiction in the Main South neighborhood of Worcester, and also support congregations doing this work in their communities. ♦ sabdow@humantohuman.org 413-417-2414

Human to Human is a collaboration of good works begun by the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, but the safe spaces we create are not limited to our church buildings themselves. They are in the communities where we are located, in spaces where the experience of God’s love is palpable.

Human to Human is about compassion.

We are about the human side of poverty, isolation, and addiction. Human to Human is founded on a simple premise: everyone deserves to be loved and accepted and welcomed as we are. We meet people where we are in our personal journey of health, recovery, and discovery.

We don’t preach. We don’t evangelize.

We serve. We do laundry, we provide warm meals, we build community, and we offer safe places where anyone can see and be seen.

Human to Human sees everyone as a friend and a neighbor. Our only agenda is love.

You can learn more about Human to Human and our programs on our website: www.humantohuman.org.

Photo: Episcopal WMA

ABUNDANT TIMES

|

15

Friends at Suds Up Landromat in Worcester.

Photo: The Rev. Meredyth Ward

Good, Clean Ministry The Rev. Meredyth Ward Urban Missioner for Worcester

H

ow do you hold a pizza-infused dance party in a laundromat?

Pre-pandemic, that was easy.

Laundry Love happened once a month, and we gathered 75 households for pizza, music (thanks to our amazing DJ), kid activities, and laundry. We passed out laundry detergent, held babies, and prayed together.

That was a year ago. In March 2020, we held our last in-person Laundry Love for the foreseeable future. The governor had announced a major shut down for the following week, so we gathered phone numbers and

16

|

ABU NDANT TIMES

email addresses so we could let our neighbors know if we would hold Laundry Love in April. (Remember when we thought this would be over in a few weeks?) We did laundry, prayed together, and started making plans with the staff and volunteers to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Laundry Love Worcester in July 2020.

Needless to say, things look quite different now. We didn’t hold our 5th anniversary party, and we probably won’t hold our 6th anniversary party either, but Laundry Love continues, through the help of many people, parishes, and organizations. Detergent comes from a small UCC church in Worcester. Several different people and congregations make donations to Laundry Love. While we no longer offer pizza, we do have laundry bags (giant IKEA bags), courtesy of another gift, as well as masks made by members of St. Francis, Holden and Christ Church, Rochdale.

Every month, Walking Together volunteers and I pick things up to deliver to the laundromat. Now that we are socially distant, we give each family a $20 laundry card each month, which allows them to meet their basic laundry needs.

At the end of each in-person Laundry Love, we prayed together, and asked God to bless those who gathered and help us all to remember the love shared among us. That is still our prayer. Laundry Love looks and feels different now, but the blessing of love given and received is still alive and active among us! ♦

Veterans Ministry Adapts and Expands The Rev. Christopher Carlisle Director, Building Bridges Veteran Initiative

A

t the heart of the Building Bridges Veterans Initiative is collaboration: collaboration with the parishes of the diocese; with our diocesan philanthropic entity, Human to Human; with veteran organizations and Elks lodges where many of the Building Bridges lunch communities are hosted; and of course, with our hundreds of veterans who participate in Building Bridges.

It is our conviction that a wonderful thing is happening as the church is necessarily moving further and further into the world. And that wonderful thing is a fuller, richer engagement with so-called “secular” organizations and communities which are also doing the work of Jesus. Indeed, in the words of Human to Human: “Love is our only agenda.”

Veterans receive meals at a drive-through lunch.

Photo: submitted

If the pandemic has significantly altered how Building Bridges has operated, it has not slowed us down, but it has allowed us to strategize about further expansion. While we continue to have contact with many of our veterans -- most commonly by way of drive-through lunches -- we are also at work developing a digital platform to sustain and amplify the initiative in the larger world. Fundraising, hosting webinars, and simply “getting the word out,” is allowing us to build bridges of collaboration between the church and the world.

which marks yet another example of collaboration in the larger church.

Indeed, the word “collaboration” literally means “united labor,” and speaks to the very nature of creation as an ultimately unified whole. In the words of Saint Paul: “There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body.”

In the spirit of Paul, let us all work ever more fully together to be the one body of Christ. ♦

As we anticipate reconvening our nine veteran communities in the diocese -- which at this stage, we hope will begin to take place in summer or early fall -- we are also laying groundwork for our first site in the Diocese of Massachusetts,

ABUNDANT TIMES

|

17

Good News Gardens

Evangelism Grant Jump-starts Ministry The Rev. Heather Blais Creation Care Leadership Circle

O

ver the last year, many of us have responded to the global pandemic by reconnecting with God’s creation. We found ourselves going on long walks in the woods, feeding the birds, admiring flowers, and planting gardens.

Connecting to our Creator in new ways has brought many of us a deeper sense of peace and joy.

This yearning to connect with nature -- experienced across the Church -- gave birth to the Good News Gardens Movement. It began at Plainsong Farm in Michigan and was quickly adopted and modified by the Episcopal Church’s Creation Care and Evangelism departments. The goal of the movement is to “partner with people in transformational agrarian ministry that feeds body, mind, and spirit.” Individuals, parishes, dioceses, and non-parochial ministries are invited to join the movement by engaging in a variety of food and creation care ministries, whether it be gardening, farming, composting, gleaning, or food justice advocacy.

The Creation Care Leadership Circle here in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts explored the idea of bringing the Good News Gardens Movement to our diocese. We applied for and were awarded an Episcopal Evangelism grant to help provide funding. We also quickly realized this was a great opportunity for a joint effort with the Diocese of Massachusetts, and our two dioceses are now working together to extend the Good News Gardens

18

|

ABU NDANT TIMES

movement across the Commonwealth.

We have assembled a small team of part-time staff and volunteers to support folks as they join the Good News Gardens Movement.

Our team is led by a Program Director, the Rev. Anna Woofenden, an Episcopal clergyperson in our diocese and the author of This is God’s Table: Finding Church Beyond the Walls. Melanie Cortis, the diocesan Assistant for Office Administration, will serve as our Program Manager and help with communication and administration. Our Farm Educator, the Rev. Rachel Field, is both a farmer and an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Vermont. We also have regional volunteer leaders who are helping with connecting people to one another, sharing resources, and spreading the good news.

Since December 2020, we have been offering monthly webinars to help individuals and parish leaders think through how they might bring the Good News Gardens Movement into their lives and community. In January and February, we offered a book group to reflect on the intersectionality of the food and faith movement. In February, we added a second monthly webinar led by our Farm Educator, in which she

addresses the many questions that arise for gardeners.

Looking ahead to May, we will be creating a liturgy for “Blessing of the Seedling” events, where folks can ask for God’s blessing on their efforts and share seeds and seedlings with one another. We will also shift to twice-monthly webinars with our Farm Educator, as we anticipate additional questions as the time comes to plant and tend our gardens. May is also when we will launch a weekly spiritual formation curriculum that will last through the summer. Individuals and parishes are encouraged to engage in that reflection together locally or to partner with a neighboring church. Good News Gardens offers many opportunities for ecumenical partnering with churches of other denominations. At the end of the summer, we anticipate creating some kind of harvest celebration. ♦

The Good News Gardens Movement consists of three key ingredients: Plant! Pray! Proclaim!

Plant!

Commit to plant a bit more than you ordinarily would so that you can share the bounty. If your church has some extra green space, consider building a raised bed, planting some vegetables, and sharing the bounty in your community. If you are tight on space, plant some tomatoes or herbs in containers. Partner with a neighborhood farm for gleaning and share the bounty.

Pray!

Commit to praying daily for the church, for the healing of God’s creation, and for a more just and equitable society. In late spring, we will be providing a curriculum for weekly prayer and reflection created by Plainsong Farm. Consider gathering virtually or in-person with gardeners in your church to engage in weekly prayer this summer and notice how it shifts your prayer life and community life.

Proclaim!

Commit to proclaim the love of God through word and action. Share pictures and stories of your garden on social media. Explain why you are sharing the bounty. Put a yard sign next to your garden to inspire others to plant, pray, and proclaim.

Find us online!

www.facebook.com/GoodNewsGardensMA

Photos: The Rev. Anna Woofenden

ABUNDANT TIMES

|

19

Around the Diocese

Ordinations Peter Feltman-Mahan to the Sacred Order of Deacons Friday, March 19, 2021

P

eter has roots in the Capital region of New York and is trained as a classroom teacher, school psychologist, and school leader.

Peter was confirmed at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Albany. While teaching, he discerned the need to more deeply engage the scriptures and church history. Peter began attending Yale Divinity School in 2015 and completed an internship at St. Andrew’s Church in Albany, NY. Peter found “home” in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, and particularly at his sponsoring parish, Grace Church in the Southern Berkshires.

He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School and a Diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School in 2020. As a seminarian Peter has served at Trinity Church, Lenox since 2020.

Peter is interested in ministries that build community, deepen our care for each other, and celebrate God’s presence in our everyday interactions.

After ordination, Peter will be assigned to a congregation to be mentored and formed by the community. ♦

Rachael “Jac” Essing to the Sacred Order of Deacons Saturday, April 10, 2021

R

achael, also known as Jac, has been formed by All Saints Episcopal Church in South Hadley. Originally from the Diocese of Iowa, she gives special thanks to the youth and young adult ministries for providing a place to build community and practice living out Christian values at a young age.

Jac moved to Massachusetts to serve with Lawrence House Service Corps.

During this time, she discerned a call to the diaconate and has stayed since as part of her discernment and formation process. With All Saints as her sponsoring parish, she has served the community through her roles of lector, youth group leader, vestry member, and clerk. She was a student with Province 1’s School for Deacons and has most recently been an intern with Christ Church Cathedral in Springfield.

After graduating Mount Holyoke College in December 2019, she became the Pastoral Associate of Lawrence House and has enjoyed planning and leading formation events with the interns there. ♦

Photos both pages: submitted

20

|

ABU NDANT TIMES

Welcome to Western Massachusetts The Rev. Michael Bastian

The Rev. Tom Barrington

Church of the Reconciliation Webster

St. Paul's Episcopal Church Holyoke

The people of The Church of the Reconciliation have called The Reverend Michael Bastian to serve as priest-incharge effective September 15, 2020.

This call is to serve two congregations: Church of the Reconciliation (Episcopal) in Webster and Zion Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Oxford.

Michael is a Lutheran pastor who was born in Nuremberg, Germany to German parents and raised in France, Germany, and the US. After completing theological studies at the University of Tübingen, Germany in 1990, Michael embarked on a ministry spanning thirty years. About half of that time was in Germany and half in the US. Calls here include eight years at Holy Trinity Lutheran (ELCA) in North Easton, MA, two years as New England Synod coordinator for the "Iglesia Cristiana Luterana de Honduras," and eight years leading Community of Joy Lutheran Church in Rio Rancho, New Mexico (Rocky Mountain Synod). ♦

The people of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Holyoke have called The Reverend Tom Barrington to serve as interim rector effective November 15, 2020.

His ministry began in Syracuse, New York where he served as Canon at St. Paul’s Cathedral from 1988-1992. Tom went on to serve as vicar of two congregations: Emmanuel Church, East Syracuse from 1992-1999, and a Native American congregation, Church of the Good Shepherd, Onondaga Nation from 1994-1999.

In 1999 Tom answered a call to serve as rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Chelmsford, MA. While at All Saints, he served as Dean of the Merrimack Valley Deanery, 2004-2010, and was very involved in Diocesan global mission work in Africa, including a sabbatical in Western Kenya. From 2012 to 2017 he served on the Diocesan Youth Council. Throughout his ordained ministry he has had a passion for ministry with children and families, as well working for racial justice. ♦

The Rev. Sandi Albom

The Rev. Dr. Nina Pooley

St. Mark's Episcopal Church East Longmeadow

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church Pittsfield

The people of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in East Longmeadow have called The Reverend Sandi Albom to serve as interim, effective December 1, 2020.

After a 40-year career in nursing and corporate healthcare consulting, Sandi earned the Master of Divinity degree and a Certificate in Anglican Studies from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. She was ordained to the priesthood in 2018 by The Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, Bishop of The Episcopal Church in New Hampshire.

With over 400 hours of CPE, and certified as a spiritual director, Sandi's ministry has a focus on pastoral care and retreat work.

In the 1990s, Sandi and her husband were members of St. Mark’s. “We are excited to return to Western MA. I never cease to be amazed at all the ways that the Spirit surprises us.” ♦

The people of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Pittsfield have called The Reverend Dr. Nina Ranadive Pooley to serve as their next rector, effective February 1, 2021.

In 2007 Nina was called to be rector of St. Bartholomew's, Yarmouth, ME and is leaving this congregation after 13 years of faithful leadership. During this time, she completed a D.Min. at The School of Theology in 2014.

Her thesis, Responsive Rather than Emergent: Intentional Episcopal Liturgy for the 21st Century, highlights Anglican liturgical principles that may guide us as we create liturgy for our time and in new missional contexts.

In the Diocese of Maine, Nina became a member of the Diocesan Finance Committee in 2007 and served as Chair from 2014-2017. She was elected to serve as Deputy to The General Convention (78, 79 and 80).

In this Triennium, Nina serves as Vice-Chair, General Convention Interim Body: Task Force for Liturgy & Prayer Book Revision. ♦ ABUNDANT TIMES

|

21

From the Archives

Transition Ministry: Then and Now meet the candidates and, in Karen Warren Diocesan Archivist

A

s I write this archives article, our Canon to the Ordinary Rich Simpson has recently attended, virtually, the twice-annual Transition Ministry (TM) Conference— this year online, of course, rather than being held in beautiful, sunny Delray Beach, Florida. The purpose of the conference is to assist Transition Ministers in finding appropriate candidates to present to parishes that are seeking new clergy and, additionally, to assist clergy who are seeking new positions.

In this technological age, clergy seeking a new position must keep their electronic resume and profile up-todate and ready to be “presented”

by Canon Simpson at the next TM Conference. Likewise, parishes that are prepared for this step in the search process for their new rector must also prepare a profile to be uploaded electronically and available for Canon Simpson to present at the conference. This is the beginning of the “match” process today, as names of potential candidates are offered to parish vestries, who then

time, select the one they feel is the best match. Our bishop has final approval of these matches.

What a contrast to the manner in which transitions took place in the first years of the new Diocese of Western Massachusetts, in the very early 1900s. Today we can be at home, working on a laptop, and “be” anywhere in the world through virtual technology. No car or airplane is needed to “go” to the TM conference, or anywhere else you need to be. Email, fast as the speed of light, often supersedes the need to snail mail documents. In the infancy of our diocese, mail was a major means of communication. People wrote letters. Penmanship—cursive—an art form, lost today. There were no resumes per se. Letters of inquiry were mailed directly to the bishop.

Travel was mostly by horse, train, or streetcar. Many western Massachusetts parishes were still missions, located in rural areas and mill towns.

Situated in New England as we are, one wonders how our first bishop, the Rt. Rev. Alexander Vinton, was even able to attract or obtain qualified clergy to fill vacant positions.

Further complicating the process, given the poverty of the area at that time, a cleric’s marital status was frequently a determining factor in choosing the best candidate.

Many parishes could not offer a salary enough to support a family.

I had the pleasure a while back of inventorying a “Letter Box” that held correspondence belonging to Bishop Vinton. This particular case had an exterior label marked “Letters of Reference” and contained letters of inquiry regarding openings for clergy

22

|

ABU NDANT TIMES

in our diocese, as well as letters of reference—these dated 1906 to 1909.

This was early 20th century “Transition Ministry”. Letters were filed alphabetically by the correspondent’s last name. Language was more formal; most were brief, honest, and direct. A few samples: • “Have you a vacancy in your diocese for a ‘young, hardworking, energetic priest, 37, married, wife and three little children.’ Excellent references.” Signed “Obediently Yours” • “My Dear Bishop Vinton, I wished to tell you that I want work….”

• “Will you accept me as an applicant for the rectorship of the Church of the Good Shepherd…”

One particular correspondence caught my eye, from Willet N. Hawkins of Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

A brief letter written on parchment notepaper, the handwriting carefully written in fountain pen. Dated October 27th, 1908, Rev. Hawkins writes “My dear Bishop Vinton…The Industrial depression in this Pittsburgh district causes me to contemplate a change….” The inquiry is for any vacancies in our diocese that might be “mutually agreeable to consider”. He reports his qualifications as being an 1893 graduate of Columbia (Univer-

sity), with three years of study at “the General” (Theological Seminary, I presume), and working in “three fields since then” (I assume this to be mission work).

Editor’s Interview with a Member of the Task Force: The Rev. Heather Blais

As posting a letter in 1908 apparently was delivered at the speed of light, a second briefly written note from the Rev. Hawkins, dated October 31st reads “My dear Bishop Vinton, thank you for yours of the 29th…” and proceeds to say that he is fond of outdoor life and hard missionary work.

The salary, however, apparently is not quite so agreeable, but he is willing to consider one of the opportunities mentioned by the bishop. Since I do not have access to Bishop Vinton’s side of this correspondence, I cannot report the outcome of this transaction. As different as the times were then to today, still persistent common threads remain: difficult economic times, job searching, and relocation.

... a focus and making sure that we can be reflective about our experience of these things in our individual diocese, and what our hopes are about these things. The very first one began with Doug and Alan offering their “why,” and sharing our varied experiences in our own diocese, and our hopes for exploring collaboration. The focus has been on the list [of current collaborations.]

I can only speculate that Bishop Vinton’s responsibilities to this new diocese of ours were daunting. In 1902 when elected, there were 37 parishes and 11 missions. Early correspondence refers to vacancies including North Grafton, Westborough, Chicopee, North Brookfield, and Lenox, among others. Bishop Vinton’s staff included a Secretary, Treasurer, and Registrar, but there was no central office of the Diocese as there is today.

Diocesan business was conducted from the bishop’s home residence at 1154 Worthington Street, Springfield.

It is my hope that Bishop Vinton was as amused as I am, to have read this correspondence written to him: “…

In reply to your inquiries about the Rev. ___, he is a good fellow, of very mediocre ability, who, I am afraid has been a little conceited, and thinks he can do greater things…than he is equal to….” ♦

Continued from page 5

They [the co-chairs] are trying to do two things at once: get to know one another, and establish trust amongst the group. I think they are doing it really well. They are creating a sacred space every single time where there is mutual trust and respect for where people come from, and the different experiences and perspectives. It’s been helpful, for example, at our last meeting, spending time talking about the role of Black churches in our two dioceses. How do we make sure that there’s always a place at the table? It’s been a place to name any fears or concerns people have, as well. It’s not a fast-moving group. It’s doing the work of building trust and getting to know and understand how each diocese works and operates. The hope is that we’ll hear this in the one-on-one conversations Vicki: What’s it like to work without a goal? Here you are not given the end product.

Heather: There is an end product. There’s a lot of celebration for all the ways we continue to collaborate. While there’s not a specific outcome, it seems like there’s a lot of hope that there will be some form of continuing or expanding that sharing. It feels a little like a friend you are being intentional with about going deeper in your friendship.

Vicki: What do you like about being on the task force?

Heather: I really like learning about the Diocese of Massachusetts.

Already, just in the short time we have been working together, I have a much better appreciation for some of their ministries, some of the work they are doing around racial reconciliation, Becoming Beloved Community, the issues they are facing in a more urban context than those of us in the foothills or the valley are necessarily facing. Getting to know the individuals on the team and their perspective on the Church. We forget that things are done differently elsewhere. There are other ways of being the Church. I find it exciting, and I hear a mutual energy and excitement about hearing how we do things. The more we learn about one another, the deeper appreciation we are developing for one another and for each diocese. ♦

Karen has served as diocesan archivist since 2010.

ABUNDANT TIMES

|

23

The Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts 37 Chestnut St. Springfield, MA 01103-1787

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID TIGERPRESS

ABUNDANT Times is a ministry of our diocese and is delivered to each household at no cost.

Donations to defray the cost, however, are gratefully accepted. The cost per household per year is $10.

Gifts can be mailed to Diocesan House at 37 Chestnut St., Springfield, MA 01103-1787.

Address corrections or deletions may be sent to the same address attention: A. Gamache.