Update from Dan Thompson
This past Saturday, at a Church Buildings for Collaborative Partnerships (CBCP) seminar (I’ll explain what the heck that is here in a few), participants were asked to share answers to each of the following questions:
Gifts of your Head. What special knowledge, expertise, life experiences do you have that you can share with others?
Gifts of your Hands. What practical skill do you bring with you — that you are good at, proud of and you may wish to share with others?
Gifts of your Heart. What things are important to you, that you deeply care about and would share with others?
Wow, these were awfully thought-provoking questions for a Saturday afternoon, post-Chipotle lunch, (AKA "nap time" for this guy). Being a humble guy, like the humblest (hoping you read the irony and sarcasm in that line), I shared my answers sheepishly and finished out the seminar.
If I am being honest, I anticipated that the seminar would simply reiterate things I already knew (again, so humble). Yet here I am (now in writing), still pondering those darn questions. Do I actively share my gifts with others? Do I promote the things that are important to me? Do others know what things are important to me? How do I interact and share my gifts with others? Do I share in a purposeful, meaningful way? Why is the sky blue? Did I close my garage door? Okay, okay, I digress. My point is, I think these three profound (yet simple) questions about our head, hands and heart should be asked, answered, and acted upon more regularly. It just seems like good practice. It also seems likes it is okay to do a little self-promotion about these things too!
The CBCP program is being offered by the Episcopal Dioceses of Indianapolis and Northern Indiana. The four-month program helps parishes increase vitality and serve their mission by making the most of their buildings as assets and developing new/stronger community partnerships. St. Paul’s has six representatives, three staff and three parishioners participating in the program. The program features over 20 other congregations throughout the State, also sharing ideas and best practices.
The good news is, St. Paul’s has already been doing good work utilizing its resources and building stronger community partnerships. We have been able to do this because St. Paul’s is a community with an abundance of unique, smart, talented, caring individuals willing to share their gifts!
I write to you today because we need to keep hearing from YOU about YOUR gifts! Through our ministries, through our fundraising activities, through our committees — please, please, please do not be shy in telling us about how your individual strengths can help us reach our collective goals. Join that committee you’ve been eyeing (me, personally — I want to join the grandmothers of the Riley Hospital Cheer Guild), send us/me an email with an idea for St. Paul’s or the broader community, ask how to get involved in a fundraiser, sing in our choir, help at an event, go to an event, give to an outreach initiative of interest to you (the IPS School #43 Buzz Fund is a fun initiative you could support), etc., etc.
Most importantly, in everyday life — share YOU with the people around you.
Final thing, speaking of sharing gifts and talents, a quick staffing update:
Please join us in welcoming Ethan Schopp and Wes Powell to our team! Ethan, a Butler student, is leading our energetic ABC Choir for this programming year. Wes, our new part-time A/V Specialist, is a graduate of Ball State University’s Telecommunications program, as well as a former Waycross Camp counselor and member of Trinity Episcopal Church. Both have started strong and are already making positive impacts to St. Paul’s! If you see them around, please give them a high five!
High fives to you all! Oh, and Happy Birthday to the Rev. John Denson. You got an article from me because he got to spend some much-deserved time celebrating his 60th birthday with friends and family!
Senior Director of Operations