Council 2013 Blog

We’ve wrapped up another successful Diocesan Council, thanks in large part to our host, St. Bartholomew’s, Corpus Christi, and the many volunteers from St. B’s and the other Episcopal churches in the city.

Reports, written and in audio, as well as video of Bishop Lillibridge’s address and Bishop Reed’s Eucharist sermon are on the Council Live page. You can also find pictures of the activities, including Youth in Action, and various documents that were distributed.

The 110th Diocesan Council is scheduled for February 20-22, 2014 in San Marcos at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center. St. Mark’s, San Marcos, will serve as our host.

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Looking for that amazing promotional video for the 2013 Acolyte Festival?

Look no farther than the diocesan website and turn up your volume! Click here.

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Ben Nelson, rector of St. Mark’s, San Marcos, stood before Council and thanked St. Bartholomew’s for setting the bar high with their hospitality this weekend. He then invited all to San Marcos in 2014, and said San Marcos has a lot to offer: a river, a university, Boko the bobcat, the fabulous Embassy Suites and Convention Center, Council all in one place, and “I’m told, we have an outlet mall,” said Nelson.

He introduced the “duo of Dianes” who will c0-chair the organization committee. Nelson became rector of St Mark’s this past year, and said hosting Council was not mentioned by the search committee; however, “we are excited to welcome you and look forward to hosting you.”

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The 2012 edition of the Bishops’ Annual Golf Tournament once again raised a substantial amount of money – nearly $32,000 -  for camping scholarships in the diocese. At the same time, golfers raised money for youth ministry in their own congregations. First place winners in the tournament were the teams from St. Thomas, San Antonio (low gross score) and TMI-The Episcopal School of Texas (low net score), each winning $500 for their youth ministries.

The team from St. Elizabeth, Buda, took home $250 for youth ministry efforts. Teams from St. Thomas, San Antonio, and St. George, San Antonio, each won $150 for youth ministry. The team from Porter Loring Mortuaries in San Antonio donated their $250 winnings to the youth ministry program of the bishop’s discretion. Bishop Lillibridge presented the $250 to Church of the Epiphany, Raymondville, for its growing youth program.

The 172 golfers who participated in the 2012 tournament was a new record, and for the first time the tournament had two start times – 8 am and 1 pm.  In the 2013 tournament, on November 1 at Canyon Springs Golf Club, as many as 200 players can be accommodated.

Registration for the 2013 Bishops’ Golf Tournament opens on August 1. More information about that tournament will be available on the diocesan website – www.dwtx.org -  on the calendar/event listings.

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Dan Butt, the executive director of the Episcopal Church Foundation in West Texas, reported that 2012 was a good year for the Foundation. Butt reported that investment gains totaled $4.8 million, an increase of 10.2 percent. The Foundation consists of 185 accounts, of which 126 are churches, schools, and other entities, and 59 are diocesan. Twenty new accounts were added in 2012.

Butt said it is not too late for any church to join the Foundation. He gave a brief overview of just what the Foundation is, saying it is a separate entity from the diocese. It is controlled by a board of directors, who are appointed by the bishop and approved by Council for three-year terms. Each may serve two consecutive terms. The board for 2012 consisted of: Ted Burkhart (diocesan treasurer), Bill Galbreath, Bishop Gary Lillibridge, Ed Longscope, the Rev. Robert McAllen, John McClung, Richard Mosty, Liz Nesbit, Allan Paterson, Jr. (retiring director), Gregg Robertson, and Charles Thompson.

To learn more about the Foundation, visit foundation-dwtx.org. To hear Butt’s full report, visit the Council Live page.

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The Committee on the Bishop’s Address, chaired by Kelley Kimble, set forth the following resolutions from the bishop’s address. You can hear the entire report under the “Audio” heading on the Council Live page.

Resolution 1-2013: Behold. Be Thankful. This resolution asks the diocesan family to extend their thankfulness to the bishops and the diocesan staff for their ministry.

Resolution 2-2013: Behold. Be Mindful. This resolution asks the diocesan office to provide resources to read, reflect, and study Paul’s letters to the Colossians and Philippians, as Bishop Lillibridge asked everyone to study these books this coming year.

Resolution 3-2013: Behold. Be Generous. – This resolution invites each congregation to engage in a prayerful, careful, and intentional conversation about same-sex relationships by: working together and allowing God to demonstrate through us what God can do through our thoughts, words and deeds; including a broad range of thoughts in the conversations, and being determined to love God with all our being and love on another as Christ loves us – and let our life tog be defined by that and nothing else.

Resolution 4-2-13: Behold. Be Active. This resolutions asks the diocesan family to each make a renewed commitment to our own ongoing discipleship through Christian formation; to renew our commitment to Habitat through a contribution of at least $300 per year per congregation; and to attend Abide in Me and gather and share stories during the Sharing Faith Dinners.

Resolution 5-2013: Behold. Be the Hands, Feet, and Heart of Jesus. This resolution asks the diocesan family to strive prayerfully, carefully, and humbly to have the mind of Christ as we consider what God is truly looking for in men and women; to take a fresh look at our ministries; that we shall ask what is the purpose of the church, our congregations and our roles; be strategic in planning, striving for Christ-like excellence; plan our work and then work our plan; review and refresh our congregation’s Core Values; and strive to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God, and expecting to be surprised, behold our God.

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Over 150 young people entered the Council floor on Saturday morning, Feb. 23. Bishop Reed welcomed them and began to lead the opening prayers, which you can read on the Council Live page.

Following the prayers, the Friends of the Groom, a Christian theater trio, delivered a skit on the ministry of Simon Peter and then the story of “The Three Trees” to all the youth seated just beneath the stage. Friends of the Groom have been present throughout Council, and have performed four different times skits that have promoted the Council theme and other aspects of Council.

Scott Parnell, director of youth ministry at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Corpus Christi, invited each young person to come to the Acolyte Festival April 19-20 in Corpus Christi. What followed was an arousing, fun, and precious video of acolytes acting out their ministry with associated words to the tune of the popular song “Call Me, Maybe.” The acolytes in the video sang and invited others “to come to worship, and serve Christ, maybe!” The video had the entire Council floor clapping and laughing and then delivering a standing ovation. (As soon as I get my hands on this video, I will share it.)

Bishop Reed then commissioned the youth, asking them to go and perform the work set before them to the best of their ability with passion and joy. Reed prayed over them and blessed them and sent them out. You can read the text of Bishop Reed’s commissioning on the Council Live page.

The youth and sponsors then exited the building. They will spend the day serving at the Cliff Maus Village and the Ronald McDonald House, both in Corpus Christi. They will participate in service projects to beautify and clean both facilities.

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