As the people of the Diocese of Minnesota move forward in implementing the recommendations of the Bishop’s Commission on Mission Strategy, here is an example of how we are living into Goal 3: Recreate the Diocese as a Network.

Many churches with a thriving choral program partner with other church choirs from time to time. Trinity, Excelsior; St John the Evangelist, St Paul; St Christopher’s, Roseville; and St Martin’s by-the-Lake, Minnetonka Beach, to name just a few, will do so several times this season. But leaders in music and youth ministry are also involved in two other attempts to bring together the musical resources of the Diocese. One is the new Web-based Minnesota Episcopal Music Calendar, and the other is the Minnesota Episcopal Youth Arts Council (MEYAC), which every year organizes and sponsors the Episcopal Youth Music Festival and the Episcopal Youth Music Camp.

The online music calendar came about because the Diocesan-wide online calendar was increasingly crowded, and with the loss of significant funding for Diocesan communications, there was no staff to maintain it. As a result, Luke Tegtmeier, music director at Trinity, Excelsior, was asked by Wendy Johnson at the Episcopal Center to create an online calendar showing when different musical events were coming up. The new website provides one central point for anyone interested in music in the Episcopal Church to check for concerts, Evensongs, Lessons and Carols, or other musical events coming up around the Diocese. The calendar is powered by Google. Anyone with the username and password can make additions or changes to the calendar, and Luke has offered to share those with all church musician colleagues, to make the website as easy to use and up-to-date as possible.

MEYAC is a unique organization including both youth workers and musicians working toward a common goal. It has been in existence in various forms for many years. The mission statement, “MEYAC endeavors to pass on the Episcopal music tradition to children and young adults so that it may anchor, nourish, and enliven them,” is adapted from the BCMS. Currently the group meets on the first Tuesday of every month (though April will be skipped) to plan and evaluate programs. 15 professional musicians and youth workers representing 12 churches are active in MEYAC, and young musicians who attend events are drawn from 20 churches around the Diocese. The time spent together is much more than just working on Festival or Camp details, of course. Members compare notes and experiences, recommend resources, give advice. This group is very helpful to new church musicians in the Episcopal Church.

No single church could possibly put on an event like the music camp or music festival by themselves. To give children such a positive musical experience in the Church, congregations must come together, challenging though it may be. Recently MEYAC has been doing some long-term visioning about what it should look like in five or 10 years. Because MEYAC is the only functioning camp in this diocese, it necessarily attracts some campers and camp staff who are more interested in the “camp experience” than in the music part of camp. This need goes beyond the scope and purpose of MEYAC and so it is hoped that in the future, some group will take it upon themselves to start a new Episcopal church camp, which will allow MEYAC to focus its camp more on developing fine young musicians. Doing so will require more musically-friendly camp sites, and broader advertising across the wider church outside of Episcopalians and Minnesota. MEYAC also hopes to involve every musician and youth worker in their events and meetings. All interested musicians and youth ministers are welcome to attend.

Submitted by:

Luke Tegtmeier, Director of Music-Organist, Trinity Excelsior; Chair of the Episcopal Youth Music Festival
The Rev. Diana Rogers, Priest in Residence for Young Adult and Campus Ministry, St Paul’s on-the-Hill, Saint Paul