Invitation to Waterwings

Invitation to

Waterwings

Recently, the Bishop's Committee requested that Ministry Development Team 1 convene a team to put together a new curriculum for Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation for New Song.  Rebecca Gbasha and I have done some preliminary work along those lines and are ready for others to provide input and help as we prepare for the bishop's visit on April 13th.

We  will be meeting here at 6:30 pm this Wednesday evening   and would like to invite all who have an interest to attend.  There are two resources that we will be drawing from to provide some structure and continuity for this curriculum.  While the usual subjects of church history, the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and the structure of the Episcopal Church will certainly be covered, there will also be a much stronger emphasis on claiming our baptism and what that means in terms of recognizing our gifts and sharing them in the context of mutual ministry.

Since the bishop is due here in April, we need to put this forward as soon as possible.  We are proposing that all those who wish to be confirmed, to be received into the Episcopal Church, or to reaffirm their baptismal vows meet together during Saturdays in Lent for preparation.  We have usually had a good number of people to be confirmed or received in the past, but I would like to urge participation in renewal of baptismal vows for anyone who might be wondering how they fit into this new model of being the church, or who would find it rewarding to walk along with those who will be making their commitment.  It seems to me that as we continue on our path together, it might be of great benefit to return to the font periodically to remember and to further explore who and whose we are.  So I am inviting everyone to consider participation in this group for study and contemplation of what it means to assume the ministry we have been ordained to at our baptism.

Now, since this is not really Confirmation Class or Inquirer's Class, there should be a name that better describes what this diverse group might be called.  Potentially, there will be a good mixture of ages, experiences, stories and gifts, so it seems to me that the name should reflect how we are seeking to live into the waters of baptism, buoyed by our gifts and becoming more comfortable and confident as we claim our place in those waters.  In thinking about that, a name popped into my head.  It may seem a bit whimsical, or even silly, but I really think that it describes what we are hoping to achieve.  So, I am proposing we call this group "Waterwings."  We can use that as a working title for now, but I think that it might have some merit.