• helping the parish became a member of the Belton Chamber of Commerce;* getting St. Mary Magdalene on lists of churches in the area;
• discussing the community and its needs with Belton Mayor Jeff Davis, a member of his staff, and the City Council, with Belton Police Chief James Person, with Belton Research Hospital CEO Todd Krass; 
• discussions that stimulated the concept of a project of our parish fostering and hosting a "Summit" for dialogue within the church-civic-business community of Belton;
• building on connections established by Deacon Peisha, engaging other ministers in the community and supporting common ministries; 
• participating in Belton's National Day of Prayer Service at City Hall, offering prayers for families of our community and nation;
• bringing ministry possibilities to us from Heart-n-Hand Ministries, resulting in 
• our pantry and back-to-school collections, and
• stimulating networking with Episcopal Community Services to hopefully 
• collaborate on meeting the nutrition needs of people in the community;
• meeting Beverly Newman, Cass County Juvenile Officer, 
• resulting in a collaboration where 4 young offenders work in our Community Garden each Saturday morning to complete community service hours, where our members minister to them as role models and help them discover the good they are doing through their work;
• participating in the Cass County Non-Profits Coalition discussions, exploring ways we can be a caring presence;
• touring the West Central Community Action Agency to learn of their programs and the community's needs;
• connecting with the Belton Public Schools to discover ways the parish might be a resource to the needs of students and their families, e.g., literacy;
• based on what Fr. Evan learned thus far, reaching out to parish members to explore ways St. Mary Magdalene might offer a place for support groups for needs yet unmet in the community, e.g., chronically mentally ill, families of young adults with special challenges; 
• supporting our role in the Sophia Ministry of Linda Keith; and
• reaching out to our neighbors to cultivate connections.

With the help of parish members, Fr. Evan is able to make connections for the parish that help the community know we are here, we care, and we welcome them in Christ's name. This is only the beginning. As we grow in our connections, we will reach out further, to Raymore, Grandview, Loch Lloyd, and beyond.

Remember, if we are doing what God has given us to do, He will, in His loving and generous grace, provide what we need to get the job done! Pray we follow His Spirit's voice.
 

• Spiritual Ministries - worship and other spiritual effortsFaith
• Shaping Ministries - education, initiation, etc.
• Connecting Ministries - in parish fellowship and caring
• Servant Ministries - service to others in the community and world
• Witnessing Ministries - activities that proclaim to the world
• Stewardship Ministries - overseeing parish resources to minister.

A Vestry member will serve as liaison to each cluster, so the Vestry will be aware of the full life of the parish but be able to both support this life and look ahead. Starting in June, each Vestry liaison will be pulling the various ministries together as a cluster to meet with Fr. Evan and Lisa Inman to help them assess what is happening and what can happen. These learnings will come to the Vestry and eventually become part of the plan for the parish for 2017 and the future.

Along with their supportive links to the Vestry, the clusters will then continue to meet periodically to collaborate and, when it will make for a more effective ministry, coalesce their efforts. All of this is so the life and work of St. Mary Magdalene can become more vibrant and life-giving for the parish and the world around it.

Please pray for these efforts, that the Spirit of God may open our eyes and guide us as His instrument in this place...