All updates
This page holds only the official updates from each of the goal teams. The home page shows highlights from all aspects of the process. Each goal also has its own section—click on the tabs at the top of the page.
Goal One Final Report
The PDF file below is the report of the Goal One task team as of Fall 2009. It was submitted by Mariann Edgar Budde, the leader of that task team.
Remarks from 2009 Diocesan Convention
Delivered before the 2009 Diocesan Convention by Jim Huber.
Thank you, Bishop,
It is my privilege as MSN co-chair to be here today. Before I say any more, however, please let me introduce my co-chair, the Reverend Daniel Pearson, interim rector at St. Martin’s, Minnetonka Beach, and thank you, Daniel, for your vision, theological understanding and partnership these past two years. On a personal note, I want to thank you, Bishop, and all of you for the privilege of serving as chair of the BCMS for 2 years and as co-chair these past two years with the MSN.
MSN Regional Meetings Underway!
[Apologies from the MSN communications team for the late posting of this article. We’ve been a little swamped with all the goings-on!]
This past Saturday, January 31st, three of us from the MSN Leadership team made our way “up North” to Trinity Church, Park Rapids where we were hospitably received as part of Region One’s quarterly meeting. We were pleased to meet representatives of many of the 18 congregations in the Region for fellowship, spiritual reflection and prayer as well as have the opportunity to engage those present in the work of the MSN.
Our Stories: Spiritual Transformation, Goal #1
While catching up on our lives over a cup of coffee recently, a clergy colleague asked me if the MSN effort had re-vitalized any congregations. It was a fair and important question to ask, as he knew that the vision and focus of the Bishop’s Commission on Mission Strategy centered on congregations. I thought for a moment and then admitted that it was too soon to tell. As the BCMS report’s title indicated, the “Rethinking, Reframing, and Reclaiming our Identity, Purpose and Mission” as the Diocese of Minnesota is no small or easily-accomplished vision.
Spirit and Energy at November 22 Meeting
Enthusiasm, accord, and cooperation characterized the all-teams MSN meeting on November 22 at St. David’s in Minnetonka. From the opening to the closing prayer and Gospel-Based Discipleship colloquies, the meeting was eager and productive.
Status Report as of Diocesan Convention 2008
The Mission Strategy Network issued their report to the 2008 Diocesan Convention. The report includes the current work plans of each of the four task teams.
The report is available below in PDF format.
The "We" and the Bee
How do we use our networks? How do we become a community? The Rev. Daniel Pearson, co-chair of the Mission Strategy Network, gave this talk at Diocesan Convention in Rochester on October 25, and presented an interesting example from the insect world.
Gospel Based Discipleship: A path to spiritual transformation
Gospel Based Discipleship is not a program. It is an ongoing process of asking three central questions of the Gospel of the day. These three questions are deceptively simplistic. But what they lead us to is the discovery of what it means to live as Disciples of Christ and how that living transforms our ways of seeing and hearing. The Rev. Paul Allick spoke at Diocesan Convention on October 25 about his experiences with the transformative power of Gospel Based Discipleship, both at the University Episcopal Center (now the University Episcopal Community), where he served as chaplain; and at St. Edward’s, Wayzata, where he served as interim rector.
New Mission Strategy Task Teams gather to share ideas, develop plans
A primary summer project of the Mission Strategy Network (MSN) was to develop a set of four teams to work on each of the four goals of the report by the Bishop’s Commission on Mission Strategy (BCMS) that was approved by Diocesan Convention in 2007. These teams have now been formed, and they held their first joint gathering at St. David’s, Minnetonka, on Saturday, September 13, 2008, to strengthen their own networks and to plan for presentations at September’s Clergy Conference and October’s Diocesan Convention. In addition, every church in the diocese is being contacted personally about mission strategy goals.
Continuing the Mission: New “task team” leaders named
Leaders of the Mission Strategy Network (MSN) have recently organized four task teams, one for each of the four goals noted in the October 2007 report of the Bishop’s Commission on Mission Strategy (BCMS). Leaders of these teams, plus other members as identified so far, are listed in this update.