Mission, Ministry, and Connections Committee by

The goal of the Mission, Ministry, and Connections Committee is to interact with the various ministries and organizations of the church and help them connect with members and visitors. This became especially important as we emerged from the restrictions presented by the Covid pandemic.

Many people were feeling disconnected from their usual supports, including the church. It was important to help them reconnect. We completed a name-badge initiative early in the year, signing people up for permanent name badges to help members and visitors to become more familiar with each other as they returned to in-person church services.

We held a training on the Realm system at Parish Council and then set up a table in the Gathering Space to familiarize people with the Realm system. This enabled them to receive news and register for events happening at the church.

In the spring, our staff liaison, Anne Schmidt, departed the church to move to New Mexico. She had been a wonderful help to our committee and many others. We prepared a farewell table for Anne at the annual Recognition Sunday held each year to recognize staff and volunteers who provide various services to the church.

Linda Horton

After Anne left, Gabby Guion was appointed to replace her and moved from our committee to the position vacated by Anne.

We worked with Gabby to put on the Ministry Fair, which was a huge success. We were able to facilitate the signing up of many individuals who expressed interest the church’s various ministries.

In the fall we provided support for Gabby as she spearheaded FigFest. Throughout the year, we helped ministries identify potential volunteers and participants for their organizations. We also placed phone calls to welcome newcomers to the church.

We helped with the successful relaunch of St. Elizabeth’s Guild, a group that organizes a monthly potluck dinner for members and newcomers to the church. We hope that, under the leadership of our new Chair, Chip Brownlee, the committee will be able to do much more during the coming year to connect people with the many events and ministry opportunities here at Transfiguration.