Letters from Your Rector
To contact a member of the clergy, please visit this page of our website. If you have an urgent pastoral need, please call the front office at 308-632-4626.
March 10, 2024
Dear People of Saint Francis,
Late last year, the vestry and I met with Canon Liz Easton from the diocese for a Mutual Ministry Review. (A Mutual Ministry Review is an opportunity for church leadership to review the total ministry of the parish and establish goals to improve those ministries.) There are two issues from that review which I feel need to be brought to the parish’s attention.
The first is communication. The vestry and I are in unanimous agreement that this issue is our top priority. My concerns regarding communication began late last summer. It came to my attention that rather than coming to me to discuss concerns about decisions I’ve made, some of you were – and are – talking only to each other. Over time, this has become a pattern for some. Though it may go without saying for many of you, this pattern is unhealthy. If you have a concern, don’t assume I will clearly receive a message given to someone else (if I receive it at all). This includes members of the vestry. If you bring a concern to a vestry member, you can expect they will ask you to come talk with me directly. If you talk with someone who has a concern, please encourage them to talk with me directly. Much of ministry is fueled by relationships. If folks aren’t willing to talk to me directly, it makes it difficult for me to do my job. We may not always agree, nor is it realistic or healthy to expect we will. Even if we don’t agree, you can expect I’ll be honest and respectful.
The second issue is the time of Sunday services. Per the agreement with the diocese coming out of our Mutual Ministry Review, as a pilot, we will go back to two services on Sundays. With the exception of Easter Sunday and the bishop’s visit on May 26, Sunday services will be at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. from March 31 through August 25. (Easter Sunday services will be at 9 and 10:30 a.m.; the bishop’s visit will be at 9 a.m.) The continuation of a two-service format beyond the five-month pilot period is dependent on your consistent in-person engagement. Also per the agreement with the diocese, if a two-service format is to continue beyond August, an average in-person attendance of eighty will need to be met. Because this time frame includes the summer months, the four Sundays with the lowest attendance will be dropped from the average. At almost a third less than the average attendance prior to the pandemic, this threshold is attainable with broad and consistent engagement.
Thank you for your time and attention. I pray our Mutual Ministry Review and our shared work resulting from it bears fruit both relational and spiritual.
Sincerely,
Erin Rath+
Rector
Late last year, the vestry and I met with Canon Liz Easton from the diocese for a Mutual Ministry Review. (A Mutual Ministry Review is an opportunity for church leadership to review the total ministry of the parish and establish goals to improve those ministries.) There are two issues from that review which I feel need to be brought to the parish’s attention.
The first is communication. The vestry and I are in unanimous agreement that this issue is our top priority. My concerns regarding communication began late last summer. It came to my attention that rather than coming to me to discuss concerns about decisions I’ve made, some of you were – and are – talking only to each other. Over time, this has become a pattern for some. Though it may go without saying for many of you, this pattern is unhealthy. If you have a concern, don’t assume I will clearly receive a message given to someone else (if I receive it at all). This includes members of the vestry. If you bring a concern to a vestry member, you can expect they will ask you to come talk with me directly. If you talk with someone who has a concern, please encourage them to talk with me directly. Much of ministry is fueled by relationships. If folks aren’t willing to talk to me directly, it makes it difficult for me to do my job. We may not always agree, nor is it realistic or healthy to expect we will. Even if we don’t agree, you can expect I’ll be honest and respectful.
The second issue is the time of Sunday services. Per the agreement with the diocese coming out of our Mutual Ministry Review, as a pilot, we will go back to two services on Sundays. With the exception of Easter Sunday and the bishop’s visit on May 26, Sunday services will be at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. from March 31 through August 25. (Easter Sunday services will be at 9 and 10:30 a.m.; the bishop’s visit will be at 9 a.m.) The continuation of a two-service format beyond the five-month pilot period is dependent on your consistent in-person engagement. Also per the agreement with the diocese, if a two-service format is to continue beyond August, an average in-person attendance of eighty will need to be met. Because this time frame includes the summer months, the four Sundays with the lowest attendance will be dropped from the average. At almost a third less than the average attendance prior to the pandemic, this threshold is attainable with broad and consistent engagement.
Thank you for your time and attention. I pray our Mutual Ministry Review and our shared work resulting from it bears fruit both relational and spiritual.
Sincerely,
Erin Rath+
Rector
November 11, 2022
Dear People of Saint Francis,
Thank you to the eighty-seven of you who participated in our worship survey. A number of questions were presented, which I answer below based on your responses.
Will there be one Sunday worship service, or two? In speaking with you, my sense is that this is the most pressing question. The survey revealed the community is evenly divided. (Five responses in a different direction would have resulted in a fifty-fifty split.) This close result prompted me to take a closer look at other information the survey provided. If we were to split into two services now, the 8 a.m. service would have an average in-person attendance in the very low 20’s at best; the 10 a.m. service would have an average in-person attendance only in the 30’s.
During my time in South Carolina, the rector of the parish where I served made the decision to combine two of our three Sunday services. Several years before, attendance plateaued. He expected the newly combined service would have a higher energy level and thus attract greater participation from members and visitors alike. I was skeptical the results he anticipated would come to pass. But they did. In response to a higher-energy worship service, attendance improved within a few months and continued to increase until the start of the pandemic. I believe maintaining a single Sunday service gives Saint Francis the best opportunity to grow, not only numerically but relationally and spiritually as well. This is something which makes the church unique among human organizations: our primary purpose for existence is to draw newcomers in, that they, too, might know Jesus – and the wonderful, loving community we have here. Our Sunday service will continue to be held at 9 a.m.
I understand some will be pleased by this decision and others will be disappointed. To those who are pleased: remember there are others who are not. To those who are disappointed: know I wrestled with this decision and made it with the best long-term interests of our parish at heart. We can discuss separating into two Sunday services once our six-month average attendance reaches the nineties. (Currently, it’s sixty-two.)
Which rite will be used for the liturgy? We’ll use Rite II for our Sunday worship service. Rite I will be offered at our midweek service at various points through the liturgical year.
Will there be a midweek service? Yes. Almost half of you indicated an interest in a midweek service; of those, half indicated a preference for Wednesday evening. Based on this, we’ll hold a Eucharist at 6 p.m. Wednesdays beginning November 30. For the season of Advent, we’ll use Rite I. We’ll use Rite II during the season of Epiphany. To be clear, this service is designed to supplement rather than replace Sunday Eucharist. Neither the readings nor the homily will be the same as either the previous or following Sunday. This service will be a pilot through 2023. Whether we continue offering it beyond that point will depend on interest.
Will we use the prayer book to follow along with Sunday worship? First, I want to expand on this question. As with other publications, the Book of Common Prayer now comes in many formats: traditionally bound hard and soft cover, online, as an ebook – even as a smartphone app. A copy of any service from the prayer book is as valid as the original, regardless of format. That being said, those who wish to use the bound Book of Common Prayer to follow along with the service may. No one will be required to do so on Sundays. We will continue to offer printed worship booklets, which more than eighty percent of you indicated you prefer. (If you indicated you prefer a standard font booklet and later decide you want large print, please let the front office know.) On most (but not all) Wednesdays, the prayer book will be the only worship aid available, unless someone requests large print.
Will we continue to livestream Sunday worship? We will! As a part of the survey, we learned that twenty-three percent of you sometimes participate in worship virtually. I’m particularly grateful this option is available to those no longer to attend in-person due to physical limitations. (If you’re one who likes to participate from home so you can have coffee in your pajamas, I hope you will join us in-person occasionally!) If you participate remotely, please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you feel more connected to our parish family. Remember the service is not only available as it is happening but afterwards, regardless of whether you have a Facebook login.
Will the sermon text be available to read later? Yes. More than half of you indicated you would reread the sermon at least once a month. These will be published on our website. We’ll list the link in weekly enews.
Again, I thank you for your input on these important questions. The high level of participation speaks well to the health and engagement level of our parish. Thank you also to the fifty-plus people who included comments with their survey. Please find me if you would like to talk about these. A report further detailing the survey results is included with this letter.
Sincerely,
Erin Rath+
Rector
Thank you to the eighty-seven of you who participated in our worship survey. A number of questions were presented, which I answer below based on your responses.
Will there be one Sunday worship service, or two? In speaking with you, my sense is that this is the most pressing question. The survey revealed the community is evenly divided. (Five responses in a different direction would have resulted in a fifty-fifty split.) This close result prompted me to take a closer look at other information the survey provided. If we were to split into two services now, the 8 a.m. service would have an average in-person attendance in the very low 20’s at best; the 10 a.m. service would have an average in-person attendance only in the 30’s.
During my time in South Carolina, the rector of the parish where I served made the decision to combine two of our three Sunday services. Several years before, attendance plateaued. He expected the newly combined service would have a higher energy level and thus attract greater participation from members and visitors alike. I was skeptical the results he anticipated would come to pass. But they did. In response to a higher-energy worship service, attendance improved within a few months and continued to increase until the start of the pandemic. I believe maintaining a single Sunday service gives Saint Francis the best opportunity to grow, not only numerically but relationally and spiritually as well. This is something which makes the church unique among human organizations: our primary purpose for existence is to draw newcomers in, that they, too, might know Jesus – and the wonderful, loving community we have here. Our Sunday service will continue to be held at 9 a.m.
I understand some will be pleased by this decision and others will be disappointed. To those who are pleased: remember there are others who are not. To those who are disappointed: know I wrestled with this decision and made it with the best long-term interests of our parish at heart. We can discuss separating into two Sunday services once our six-month average attendance reaches the nineties. (Currently, it’s sixty-two.)
Which rite will be used for the liturgy? We’ll use Rite II for our Sunday worship service. Rite I will be offered at our midweek service at various points through the liturgical year.
Will there be a midweek service? Yes. Almost half of you indicated an interest in a midweek service; of those, half indicated a preference for Wednesday evening. Based on this, we’ll hold a Eucharist at 6 p.m. Wednesdays beginning November 30. For the season of Advent, we’ll use Rite I. We’ll use Rite II during the season of Epiphany. To be clear, this service is designed to supplement rather than replace Sunday Eucharist. Neither the readings nor the homily will be the same as either the previous or following Sunday. This service will be a pilot through 2023. Whether we continue offering it beyond that point will depend on interest.
Will we use the prayer book to follow along with Sunday worship? First, I want to expand on this question. As with other publications, the Book of Common Prayer now comes in many formats: traditionally bound hard and soft cover, online, as an ebook – even as a smartphone app. A copy of any service from the prayer book is as valid as the original, regardless of format. That being said, those who wish to use the bound Book of Common Prayer to follow along with the service may. No one will be required to do so on Sundays. We will continue to offer printed worship booklets, which more than eighty percent of you indicated you prefer. (If you indicated you prefer a standard font booklet and later decide you want large print, please let the front office know.) On most (but not all) Wednesdays, the prayer book will be the only worship aid available, unless someone requests large print.
Will we continue to livestream Sunday worship? We will! As a part of the survey, we learned that twenty-three percent of you sometimes participate in worship virtually. I’m particularly grateful this option is available to those no longer to attend in-person due to physical limitations. (If you’re one who likes to participate from home so you can have coffee in your pajamas, I hope you will join us in-person occasionally!) If you participate remotely, please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you feel more connected to our parish family. Remember the service is not only available as it is happening but afterwards, regardless of whether you have a Facebook login.
Will the sermon text be available to read later? Yes. More than half of you indicated you would reread the sermon at least once a month. These will be published on our website. We’ll list the link in weekly enews.
Again, I thank you for your input on these important questions. The high level of participation speaks well to the health and engagement level of our parish. Thank you also to the fifty-plus people who included comments with their survey. Please find me if you would like to talk about these. A report further detailing the survey results is included with this letter.
Sincerely,
Erin Rath+
Rector
Worship Survey Results ~ Fall 2022
- Total surveys submitted: 87
- If comments indicated the survey was completed by a couple, the fixed-response answers (but not the comments) were entered twice.
Worship at Saint Francis is meaningful because…
It’s connected to God and/or the Bible (25), it offers community (24), it’s familiar (4) and it connects to life today (3). In total, 56 comments were provided.
I prefer we…
- Continue worshiping in a single service: 32 Respondents (36.8%)
- No response (interpreted to mean no preference): 7 Respondents (8.0%)
- Combined total of those who prefer to continue with a single service and those who have no preference: 39 Respondents (44.8%)
- Resume worshiping in two separate services: 48 Respondents (55.2%)
- 8 a.m. Sundays: 32 respondents (36.8%) marked this as their first preference.
- Projected In-Person Attendance: Upper Teens/Low 20’s
- 21.9% Attend Less Frequently than Weekly
- 25.0% Sometimes Attend Virtually
- Style: Rite I: 50.0% Rite II: 9.0% No Preference: 43.8%
- 10 a.m. Sundays: 43 respondents (49.4%) marked this as their first preference.
- Projected In-Person Attendance: Upper 20’s/Low 30’s
- 18.6% Attend Less Frequently than Weekly
- 14.0% Sometimes Attend Virtually
- Style: Rite I: 4.7% Rite II: 81.4% No Preference: 14.0%
- 1.1% marked 5 p.m. Sundays as their first preference
- 6.9% did not indicate a preferred time
Generally, I participate in Sunday worship by…
- Attending in-person: 78.2%
- Watching live on Facebook, as the service is happening: 4.6%
- Watching the playback on Facebook: 0%
- Sometimes I attend in-person, sometimes virtually: 18.4%
Generally, I attend Sunday worship… (including both virtual and in-person attendance)
- Most Sundays: 80.7% Two Sundays a month: 14.8%
- One Sunday a month: 2.3% Less frequently than monthly: 2.3%
When calculating projected attendance, the following assumptions were made:
- If most Sundays was marked, average attendance is 13 Sundays per four-month period
- If 2 Sundays/month was marked, average attendance is 7 Sundays per four-month period
- If 1 Sunday/month was marked, average attendance is 4 Sundays per four-month period
- If less than monthly was marked, average attendance is 3 Sundays per four-month period
My preferred worship style is…
- Rite I: 20.7% Rite II: 49.4% No preference: 28.7%
To help me follow along with worship, I prefer…
- The Book of Common Prayer (in bound, hardcover format): 14.9%
- A printed bulletin (standard font): 74.7%
- A printed bulletin (large print): 5.7%
If sermons were regularly posted online, I would probably go back & read them…
- Most weeks: 23.0% Once or twice a month: 32.2%
- Once every few months: 13.8% Never: 31.0%
If we offer a midweek Eucharist, when would you be most able/likely to attend?
- Interested in midweek service (out of all surveys submitted): 47.1% (41 responses)
- Tuesday mornings: 36.6% marked as their first or second choice
- Tuesdays at noon: 26.8% marked as their first or second choice
- Tuesday evenings: 34.1% marked as their first or second choice
- Wednesdays at noon: 22.0% marked as their first or second choice
- Wednesday evenings: 56.1% marked as their first or second choice
(As above, the percentages are only of those interested in a midweek service.)
- Weekly: 24.4% Monthly: 53.7% Less frequently than monthly: 36.6%
Other thoughts/comments related to worship…
Other comments related to service times (6), preferred worship aids (5), and suggestions for outreach and formation programs. In total, 35 comments were provided.
My age is…
- Range: 28-95
- Average: 64-1/2
- 20’s-40’s: 12 (13.8%)
- 50’s-60’s: 29 (33.3%)
- 70’s-90’s: 31 (35.6%)
- Not Provided: 15 (17.2%)
- 20’s-40’s: 41.7%
- 50’s-60’s: 34.5%
- 70’s-90’s: 61.3%
- 65-95: 56.8%