The High Commitment Discernment Team (HCDT) met on Saturday, May 30 to discuss all the organizations and individuals we met with in April and May. Each team member provided an overview of one organization or group, including how it fits with St. Matthew's pockets of energy, and volunteer opportunities. The tone of the meeting was celebratory and hopeful. Our journey as St. Matthew's HCDT has introduced us to people and organizations engaged in exciting and important work with those facing the greatest challenges in the Cities, especially homeless and poor children and youth. In addition to making important connections and learning a lot, all of us have a deepened our understanding and experience of the work of the Holy Spirit in our midst. We've grown in our understanding of the intersection between our faith and relationships with neighbors who are struggling.

At the end of our meeting, the Holy Spirit moved as the entire team decided they want to invite you, the people of St. Matthew's, into a year-long process of active learning and wondering involving prayer, pilgrimage, training, embodied or incarnational learning,  and reflection to prepare for what's next. We have learned and seen a lot, and believe that rather than presenting you with a couple of ministry possibilities, it is most faithful and important to invite you into a meaningful wondering process. Like our vestry, we are excited to be an agile church, a Christian learning organization that is willing to take the time needed to discern God's leading by engaging in hands-on experimentation, reflection, and training. In this year of discernment we hope and plan to do a number of things:

• Continue to pray and dwell in scripture, being attentive to where our imagination is caught or captured.
• Continue to ponder the following questions: who are our neighbors? What can we learn from our neighbors, and what can they learn from us?
• Map out our congregational assets, not assuming that everyone is aware of all the gifts and social capital within the St. Matthew's community (while acknowledging that any population we work with also has important assets).
• Invite members of our congregation to participate in specific pilgrimages around the Cities, visiting some of the places and people that have had the greatest impact on our thinking and theology of the relationship between faith and community engagement. We will also invite representatives of some of these organizations to come to St. Matthew's for conversation.
• Offer training that will help us listen deeply to and engage with neighbors on the margins in life-giving ways through organizations like City House. We also plan to offer or let members of our faith community know about opportunities for antiracism training, and training for working with those who have experienced trauma.  This is training we can use in our daily ministries, in our current Social Justice ministries, and in other ministries and relationships we are and will be involved in.

All pilgrimages, ministry immersion experiences, and social justice ministry opportunities will include times for prayer and reflection on how we meet God and what we think God might be up to in the lives of those we worked with - as well as our own lives. Our time as members of the HCDT has been powerful and transformative. We look forward to continuing to explore God's leading in partnership and collaboration with you. Please let us know if you have any questions or input.  

Faithfully,

Birdie Carter, Arun Caspram, Cecelia Caspram, Lisa Wiens Heinsohn, Judy Johnson, Terese Lewis, Valerie Matthews, Tina Maynor, Blair Pogue, and Elaine Tarone  

Randall Wilson, grandson of Birdie Carter, received the President's Award for Educational Excellence. Randall is a 6th grader at Brimhall Elementary School in Falcon Heights and the award is given to students who have achieved a high standard of academic excellence.  Students must receive a Grade Point Average of 90 or higher and a Standard Achievement Test score in the 85th percentile or higher in math and reading.  The certificate is signed by President Barack Obama and the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. 

Congratulations, Randall! 

Yes, you too can proudly don the cobalt blue t-shirt of the St. Matthew's variety.  They will be for sale after the 9:30am service.  Adults: $10 and Children's sizes: $5.

Consider outfitting your entire family when you are out and about, on your next camping trip or this year's visit to the Minnesota State Fair!