Schedule and General Information
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Diocese of Vermont Home Page2009 Ministry Fairs
Formed
for Ministry…Transforming our Culture
Download Ministry Fair brochure
Dates and
Locations
October 3 – St. Paul’s Church, White River Jct.
October 10 – St. Michael’s Church, Brattleboro
October 31 – Trinity Church, Shelburne
The Mobius strip, shown above, symbolizes the ongoing
interplay between formation and transformation. Known as a
“one-sided, nonorientable surface” with only one side and
one
edge, it conveys a sense of an ongoing process that does not
have a specific beginning or ending point.
Romans 12:2a
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your minds” (NRSV).
“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you
fit into it without even thinking.” (Eugene Peterson’s The
Message)
The programs for this year’s Ministry Fair Workshops and Diocesan Convention were developed jointly by the Christian Formation Committee and the Dismantling Racism Commission of the diocese.
Everybody’s welcome! You do not have to be a delegate to participate. Come all day or come for part of the day. Choose from four workshops in the morning. Worship and break bread together. Be a part of the Pre-Convention Hearings in the afternoon, a time to learn more about the issues Convention will be covering.
Schedule for the
Day
9:00 – 9:15
a.m. Registration and Coffee
9:15 – 10:15 a.m. First Round of Workshops
10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Break
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Second Round of Workshops
11:30 – 11:45 a.m. Break
11:45 – 12:30 p.m. Eucharist
12:30 - 1:15 p.m. Lunch
1:15 – 2:00 p.m. Diocesan Ministry Presentation
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Pre-Convention Hearings
Think Globally, Eat Locally! Planning to spend the day? Bring your own lunch made with local foods and packed in reusable containers. Lessen your carbon footprint by decreasing the miles that the food brought for lunch travels. And bring your own mug or water bottle as we strive to have a “no waste” Ministry Fair.
Registration
There are three easy ways for you to register.
Download, complete and send
the registration form to:
Ministry Fair Registrations
Diocese of Vermont
5 Rock Point Road
Burlington, VT 05408
Contact the Diocesan Office and give your name, parish and workshop
choice:
by phone 802-863-3431 or 800-286-3437
by e-mail: adminasst@dioceseofvermont.org
Click here to register online.
How have I been formed for my particular ministry? What resources and experiences will enable me to continue with my formation? What is God calling all of us to do in transforming our culture in ways that will lead to justice and peace? Who are some Christians that can be role models for the ongoing processes of Formation/Transformation?
You’ll have a chance to consider how you would respond to these questions in these four workshops.
(1) “Being
Changed from the inside out: Formation for Children and Youth”
Is your congregation
longing for a way to nurture children and young people in a meaningful
faith journey that changes them from the inside out? Using Catechesis of
the Good Shepherd, Godly Play, and other resources, we will model some
possibilities for parishes to engage young people in transformational experiences.
This workshop is being coordinated by Connie Saeger-Proctor, Canon for
Ministry Development, Children's and Youth Ministry, and May Morris from
St. Stephen's, Middlebury.
(2) “Stories
of Transformation in Vermont”
There will be different presenters at each Ministry Fair. In White River
Junction, Judy Barwood will explore the role that story quilts played
in the Underground Railroad in Vermont. In Brattleboro, Michelle Peattie
will talk about the tenure of the only African-American priest who has
served in Vermont. In Shelburne, Bob Walsh and Rebecca Flewelling will
speak about the role of race in Vermont, based on their own personal
experiences. After each presentation, mentors from Education for Ministry
will lead participants in theological reflection on the presentations.
(3) “Transformed,
Not Conformed”
Who
were some Christians who became social transformers? How were they formed
and empowered for their ministries? How was their formation different from
other people in their culture, so that they were enabled not to be conformed
to their world? What can we learn from them about what God is calling
us to do in our culture? This workshop will be led by The Rev. John
Morris from St. Martin’s Church in Fairlee and Blanche
Cooper from St. Barnabas’ Church in Norwich.
(4) “No
transformation without contemplation”
The
Prayer Book says: “Prayer is responding to God by thought
and by deeds, with or without words.” We are good at the “with
words” bit, but how do we pray “without words”? The
Prayer Book also says: “The mission of the church is to restore
all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” That
unity can only be reached by risking personal change, growth, and transformation.
Richard Rohr has said: “There is no transformation without
contemplation.” Each workshop will teach a path to transformation
through two different traditions of meditation. In Shelburne, The Very
Rev. Ken Poppe from St. Paul’s Cathedral, will guide participants
in meditation based on the practices of The World Community for Christian
Meditation. In Brattleboro and White
River Junction, the workshops will be based on the practices of Centering
Prayer and led by The Rev. Armand Proulx (Brattleboro) and Helen Daly
(White River Junction). Through these experiences,
we can open ourselves to the change we long for in ourselves and our
world.
Hopkins Bookshop will be selling books and resources related to these workshops at each Ministry Fair.
