Every year each congregation in the Episcopal Church submits a parochial report with a variety of data about membership, attendance, and finances. A new page of the report asks for statistics regarding engagement and volunteerism, something we have never formally tracked. This spring, Chapter member Jim Greer took on the daunting task of cataloging the engagement of Cathedral people in our many ministries. Here is an introduction to his initial report, and you can find the data, already out of date, here.
The SPC Ministries Census is a first time effort to visualize and catalog the impressive work being done by the people of the parish. Because it’s a beginning, it will necessarily require corrections for errors, better-annotated foot notes and regular updating. As this initial effort was time consuming, so will be the on-going maintenance process if accuracy and easy retrieval of the information are valued.
In the meantime, members of the parish and the wider church may take pride and pleasure in noting that about 350 persons are involved in delivering nearly 85 ministries. In an otherwise stressful time for the church this kind of devotion and plain sweat equity provides the best evidence that whatever else is going on, the good people of SPC are doing the Lord’s work.
Moreover, this information, kept faithfully current, reports the health of the parish beyond attendance and pledging figures and also provides the leadership with a resource for calling on needed talent and skill sets.
We ask all members to take a good look that these charts and advise the People’s Warden, Marshall Moore, of corrections. At the same time, we also suggest you note and give thanks for the many gifts of time and talent given by yourselves, fellow parishioners and in some cases non-members.
And one more thing – as you glance across these opportunities for your own participation and service, particularly if not engaged now, note the work where your skills could make a difference and consider the ancient scriptural reply, ‘Here I am Lord, send me’.
By any measure, this good work is impressive to behold and worthy of our prayerful gratitude.
