In the fall of 2014 Chapter commissioned a diverse group of parishioners to develop a five year strategic plan for the Cathedral. We decided to call it the Vision for Mission or V4M.
Energized by the mission statement, “Love Christ, Serve Others, Welcome All”, we are creating objectives and strategic actions under six goal areas: Worship, Music and the Arts, Formation, Community, Cathedral for the City & Diocese, and Outreach & Justice. The committee has drawn in a large number of parishioners to help form these objectives and actions, and we have referred back to the congregational survey conducted in 2013. Our hope is to implement the final plan at the beginning of 2016.
This is one of a series of blog posts, each of which gives a concise description of the draft objectives and strategic actions under each goal area. We welcome feedback and comments at www.stpaulcathedral.org/vision-mission.
Vision for Mission Objectives: Music & the Arts
Music is one of our strengths at St. Paul’s, and we have long been participants in the longstanding tradition of cathedrals providing a backdrop for all the arts. We seek to strengthen our music programs for adults and children and to expand opportunities for parishioners and others to engage in various arts as a form of spiritual expression.
The first objective for Music & the Arts is to relocate the physical space for music ministry so that all spaces for rehearsal, storage, library, vesting, and offices are contiguous and ADA compliant by December 31, 2020. Our strategy will be to repurpose the former diocesan office space as a music suite. This will depend on the completion of the Cathedral Campus Redevelopment Plan, as that space will be the interim office space for all cathedral staff during construction.
The second objective for Music & the Arts is, by December 31 2020, to increase attendance at cathedral performing and visual arts events by 100%, drawing audiences from the entire city of San Diego. The strategy here is three fold:
First, we will identify and develop suitable portable theater and gallery equipment, to equip the Chapel as a multi-use space. This will also involve lighting for the nave and other display spaces.
Second, we will develop and implement a year-round marketing strategy for arts events.
Third, we will fund a part-time paid staff position for the Arts other than music. This will initially be a very small position but we hope it will grow over time, as we develop the income to support it.
You need to check out what Westminster Presbyterian Church in Point Loma has going on. They have a rich tradition of the performing arts and you really need to see how they make the most of the space that they have. They regularly perform all kinds of theater, the most recent of which was Guys and Dolls. They are a fixture in the San Diego community theater scene and it would be well worth it to get to know the folks who put on these shows, as well as see one yourself. Totally amazing!