After Council and Core Team Meeting Update

Hello,

Please join me in welcoming Diane Mattox to the team!

Well, there is momentum before May to report. The presentation of our "Year of RIC Discernment Plan" to the council went well. Pastor Christian's talk is now confirmed for April 30th. We can take a May Adult Forum. Pastor Dayle suggested May 4th, which is the day of the congregational meeting but would be after second service. Could we pull this date off? Otherwise there is Mother's Day on May 11th, potentially stories from others after service on May 18th (see question below) and I doubt we will want to do it on Memorial Day weekend.

Mary Steinberg suggested May 18th for her friend and others to get together after second service to have her friend Doug, his mother and others to tell their stories. Will that schedule work for us? Would we want to have an RIC Sunday that bundles the Adult Forum Affirmation kick off on the same day as the after service event? Mary was also going to check that date out with others. Also there are LCNA Portland Chapter members we can invite. Once the date is firm we can talk about how many stories should be presented and the way the event will flow.

As far as our hospitality suggestion for a theme of this year's Bible Studies, there is no one currently taking responsibility for the Summer Bible Studies and there is a distinct possibility they will not be rolled out as they have in the past.
There will be more on that later.

The Portland RIC Core Team met on Monday. I gave a brief update about how the discernment process was going here and they both approved and were impressed by the work we have done so far. Many for the team plan to attend Pastor Christian's talk. By the way, the RIC Core Team is still looking for members from those who went to the LCNA Training in March.

Please send me your favorite Affirmations of Welcome to use to seed the Creator's collaborative space for our draft affirmation.

Grethen posted a link to a recent NPR Fresh Air interview with Gene Robinson, the first gay man elected to be an Episcopal Bishop on our blog that I encourage you to check out: