IPC Meeting Summaries now available in an archive

Hello, friends, The latest news from the Inter-Parish Council comes to you through our Summaries, which are prepared to inform you of IPC actions as quickly as possible.

The official record of our meetings is contained in the approved meeting minutes that are published separately, and posted on the church bulletin board(s), and provided in limited quantities as hard copy in the Narthex(s).

We welcome your assistance in sharing these summaries with parishioners who are not on computer and who are, for whatever reason, not able to access the information at church. Thank you!

If you are interested in receiving IPC communications electronically, and are not yet doing so, please email us at interparishcouncil@gmail.com

We welcome your feedback. If you wish to identify an issue or concern, please contact any of the Inter-Parish Council members personally or by email at interparishcouncil@gmail.com. In your email, please include the IPC Member's name(s) in the subject line. We will be sure he or she receives it. Thank you.

You can access all our IPC Summaries here:

Be a part of our exciting faith journey!

Two north shore Episcopal Churches -- in Danvers and Peabody -- are embarking on an exciting merger that will create a unified, blended Episcopal church. We are building a new worshipping community that will unite us as a spiritual family and  incorporate the best of our individual and mutual histories and traditions in faith, even as it actively welcomes church seekers from the surrounding areas.

The new name will reinforce the joint identity of the New Church of the North Shore. Members of the churches, as well as residents of the north shore, are invited to participate. Suggested names will be collected in writing, by email, on-line, and also through official paper ballots that can be mailed to: Church Naming Contest, P.O. Box 393, Danvers, MA 09123.

There is no limit to the number of name ideas each individual may submit. However, each name suggestion must be submitted separately. We are seeking a name that is simple and descriptive, reflects a vibrant, contemporary and welcoming faith-community that embraces inclusiveness.

You can vote for a new name here.

Required Information: Each entry must include entrant's full name (and parent or guardian if under 18), mailing address, daytime phone number and email address. Submissions which fail to include this information will not be considered valid.

Deadline for Submission: Entries must be received by noon, September 23, 2012. Entries received by mail must be post-marked by midnight, September 22, 2012.

Five finalists will be chosen from those submitted. The congregation of the New Church of the North Shore will then vote, by ballot, for the favorite name on Sunday, September 30, with the winner announced on Sunday, November 4. The person who submits the winning name will be invited to process, holding a name banner, at the first official joint worship service of the two churches. If multiple people submit the same name, a winner will be drawn.

The name of the new church along with the contest winner will appear in all the publicity that follows.

Vote for a name here.

New Inter-Parish Council Meeting Summary available

Hello, Friends, 

The the first e-communication from the Inter-Parish Council (IPC) is now available .

We are committed to keeping you fully informed about each step the IPC takes, as we move forward together to create a unified, blended church -- a new worshipping community, uniting us as a spiritual family that incorporates the very best of our individual and mutual histories and traditions in faith.

Here, on a regular basis, we will be sharing our meeting summaries and progress. Please feel free to connect with any of the members of the IPC -- personally or by email -- to share your ideas and concerns.

In the interest of releasing information about the Inter-Parish Council's meetings as quickly as possible, we will be issuing post-meeting summaries rather than complete minutes -- although they too will be posted and available to all, once they are approved by the Council.
 

The Summary for the July 15th IPC meeting is:

• Met Sunday 15 July at Calvary 

• Appointed Dick Healy temporary chair (60 days) and Chuck Orphanos scribe 

• Appointed Naming Subcommittee consisting of Fran Weil (chair), Linda Coddens,
     and Phyllis Harris, and charged them to develop a plan to select a name as soon
     as possible

• Approved Mission Statement (see below):
 

     Mission of the Inter-Parish Council
 

The mission of the Inter-Parish Council (IPC) is to accomplish the merger of Calvary Episcopal Church, Danvers, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Peabody, into a viable Episcopal church serving Peabody, Danvers, and surrounding communities. To the extent feasible, the IPC will attempt to preserve traditions of and property deemed “meaningful” by the merging congregations.  The IPC will consolidate operations at a single location, dispose of excess property, resolve start-up staffing, coordinate with the Diocese of Massachusetts, keep
parishioners informed about its actions, and document its decisions. The IPC will act with the authority of the Vestries of the merging churches until officials of the new church are elected.

• Scheduled next 3 meetings:
 

     Sunday, July 22, at Calvary, at 10:15 a.m.
 

     Wednesday, August 1, at 6 p.m. at St. Paul's
 

     Sunday, August 5 at Calvary, at 10:15 a.m.

• Tentative agenda for July 22 meeting:    

    Minutes review
    Ground rules
    Subcommittee reports
    Discussion about alternates
    How to proceed on property 

For those who do not have access to email, we will also be disseminating all information as hard copy, to be posted in Peabody and Danvers so that everyone has access, and so that all of us can remain committed and involved in this exciting new faith journey upon which we have now, officially, embarked.

God's Peace and love to all our bothers and sisters.

--The IPC

If you are interested in receiving IPC communications, please email us at interparishcouncil@gmail.com. Please put "add me to the mailing list" in the subject line. 

 

Inter-Parish Council Update
July 6, 2012

Hello, friends: the Inter-Parish Council will be getting together for the first time on Saturday, July 14, at 1 p.m., for a pot-luck brunch. The idea is to have everyone come together for the first time in a relaxing and casual setting -- with spouses and significant others, since they will be ceding their time with their loved ones as the Council gets going -- so we can get to know each other. We will begin to formulate a mission statement and operating ground rules at that time and also set up the time and place of our first official meeting.

Please keep watching this blog space for updates as they happen.

The Inter-Parish Council is Now Complete

Hello everyone: 


This morning, St. Paul's announced its selection of members to the Inter-Parish Council.

The five are listed below. The new group of 10 is currently arranging to meet together, for brunch or supper, with their spouses and significant others, so we can get to know each other in a relaxed, informal setting.

At that gathering, we will be setting the time and place for the first official meeting of the IPC. More as it happens.

The five members from Peabody are:

Phyllis Harris (Finance Committee)
pharris@madico.com
  
Jan Briggs
janbriggs75@verizon.net

 Gerry Gaetjens
majorgps8@gmail.com

Phyllis Harris (Finance Committee)
pharris@madico.com

Jennifer Neil (Vestry)
libralimited@aol.com

Chuck Orphanos (Warden)
orphanosc@comcast.net

The Latest News About Our Coming Together

Unanimous YES! vote by Calvary to merge with St. Paul's.

On Sunday, June 17, 2012, the people of Calvary Episcopal Church voted unanimously to merge with Saint Paul’s. This special meeting of the parish was attended by more than 50 members.

The Vestry has selected five members to serve on the Inter-Parish Council.
Calvary's representatives will be:
Paul French (Warden) 
pbfrench@verizon.net

Bill Hooper (Treasurer)


Linda Coddens
lindacoddens@verizon.net

Dick Healy
rdhealy@verizon.net

Fran Weil
fweil@marketingcollab.com


Saint Paul's Vestry recommended merger to its parish and in an all-parish vote, that took place on Saturday, June 23, the vote to merge carried by a substantial majority, with 27 voting yes, 2 voting no, and 1 abstaining.

Currently, the St. Paul's Vestry is selecting five members to serve the Inter-Parish Council. The names of those individuals are expected to be announced on Friday, June 29.

More information will be posted here as it happens.

Photo: Calvary Vestry voting unanimously in favor of a merger with St. Paul's.

About June 10th historic vote by the Vestry
to recommend merger with St. Paul's:

from Rev. Thea Keith-Lucas


On Sunday, June 10, the Vestry of Calvary Episcopal Church voted unanimously to recommend a merger with Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Peabody, MA.

Before taking a vote, the Vestry reviewed the conditions of the buildings, the financial health of the parishes, and the diocese's expectations for the future of the Brazilian ministry in Peabody. The two motions are included below.

As members of the Danvers parish, congregants have an opportunity to vote on this recommendation at a special parish meeting this Sunday, June 17, after the 9:00 am service. Parishioners are encouraged to take part in this momentous decision and help choose the best future for our parish. If you have questions or concerns, please speak to any member of the Vestry.


Motion #1: Recommend merger for parish approvalWhereas certain members of the Vestry; certain members of a Sub-Committee appointed by the Vestry and other Members of Calvary Church have for more than one year engaged in a discernment with the Vestry and Members of St. Paul’s Church, Peabody, MA to determine the level of interest and the feasibility of merging Calvary Church and St. Paul’s Church into one new Church at a location not yet decided and Whereas the Vestry of Calvary Church has repeatedly assured the Members of Calvary Church that the Vestry would cede its elected authority to the general membership in matters regarding an approval or rejection of a merger with St. Paul’s Church The Vestry hereby votes to merge the Parish of Calvary Episcopal Church, Danvers with the Parish of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Peabody subject to approval by a majority vote of the Parish at a Parish Meeting on 17 June 2012.  If the Parish does not approve the merger by 1 July, 2012, this motion is null and void.

Motion #2: Grant authority to Inter-Parish CouncilThe Vestry hereby approves the formation of an Inter-Parish Council to oversee the merger of the parishes of Calvary and St. Paul’s, Peabody.  This council will have the authority to decide and act on all matters relating to the proposed merger including, but not limited to, site selection, naming, schedule of activities, asset distribution and staff selection as if said actions/ decisions were made by formal Vestry vote of Calvary Church, and will hold this authority until the merged parish enacts by-laws and elects a Vestry. This granting of authority will be null and void unless the merger is approved by Parish Meeting by 1 July 2012.

If parishioners are interested in being considered for service on the Inter-Parish Council:

The Vestry will appoint four members to serve on the Inter-Parish Council. We invite all members of the parish to consider serving on the Council.

This work will be challenging and rewarding, and will require a significant time commitment over the next year. The Council will be at the center of the parish’s life in this important time, since it will have the authority to make all decisions regarding the merger and the responsibility to communicate clearly and frequently to both congregations. Council meetings will be a time for listening to the Holy Spirit and truly coming to know and respect our brothers and sisters from Saint Paul’s. Its members will take faithful care of the rich heritage, the lively community, and the future hopes of both our parishes as they become one.

If parishioners would like to offer themselves to be considered for the Inter-Parish Council, please speak up at the all-parish meeting this Sunday, or let Rev. Thea know by the end of the day on Sunday, June 17.

Grateful thanks to Bishop Tom Shaw for joining the Peabody and Danvers parishes for a wonderful afternoon of affirming discussion about the possibilities of merger. Here are some photographs.

Thoughts About Sunday's Meeting

June 4, 2012

Good Day to my Sisters and Brothers at St. Paul’s and Calvary Church.  You may not be aware of the fact that I am a Biblical Scholar and I’m familiar with both Old and New Testaments.  Yessir!  I know that St. Joseph built the Arc and Noah lived in Nazareth.  For scholars like myself, the church wisely invented “The Sermon” which allows our Ministers who are just a bit more qualified to offer insight and guidance based upon that Sunday’s lessons and readings.  Doesn’t it seem fitting that the recent Lessons and Gospel deal with a group of people who were frightened by the prospect of change and uncertain about the future?  Aren’t we similarly challenged?  Doesn’t it seem fitting that those same Lessons and Gospels tell us the group was visited by the Holy Spirit in the forms of fire and wind to open their minds and hearts so they could understand and be courageous about the challenges they faced?  The past few days have been quite wind blown and I’m told there was a spiritually moving incident at St. Paul’s Saturday into Sunday with the sanctuary candle possibly having burned much longer than expected.  Yesterday afternoon at the “Merger Meeting” chaired by Bishop Shaw held at Calvary Church, I had the distinct feeling that we were visited by the Holy Spirit to allay our fears; to give each the courage to take the next step in the merger process and for all to claim this news as good to those who were unable to attend the meeting.

The biblical group burst forth with courage, excitement and energy to bring the Good News to the entire world.  We are asked by God to be courageous, excited and to bring all of our energies to bear in working towards merging our Parishes – two cities -  into one new Church with Ministries in both communities with special concern for our Brazilian Brothers and Sisters.  Our challenge seems to pale by comparison to that faced by the Apostles some 2,000 years ago!  Having met many from St. Paul’s over the past few months and witnessing their commitment and energy level, I am very excited about the future and am absolutely certain the merger is God’s will for our Churches.

Bishop Shaw and other Diocesan Representatives have made it clear there is no handbook to guide us through the merger.  We have taken an idea, created a groundswell, sought help where needed and have indicated that we wish to proceed on our own but also retain the option to ask for the Bishop’s help as the need arises.  Bishop Shaw also commented that proactive activities such as this merger which can lead to an expansion of Ministries into the two communities are looked upon very favorably by the Diocese when (financial) decisions are made which directly impact the proactive Parish.

A big challenge? – You bet!  Problems and details to address?  Absolutely!  Do we have the expertise?  Without a doubt – we’re going to write some part of the handbook!  Ladies and gentlemen, if you truly believe that this merger is God’s will for our Churches, there is no way possible that we cannot succeed!  The Vestry of Calvary Church is to vote next Sunday whether to favorably (or unfavorably) recommend to the Church Family of Calvary to merge with St. Paul’s.  I intend to vote YES!

What is your vote?

Bill Hooper

Calvary Church

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Hello Danvers and Peabody Friends: As we move forward and think about the blessings of a merger, I thought this might serve as food for thought. Sing out if you have suggestions for a new, blended entity that we can all call our spiritual home:

A List of the Most Common Names for Episcopal Churches
Compiled by Fr. Chris Yaw, Associate Rector,
St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Battle Creek, Michigan with help from www.theredbook.org

What follows is an unscientific accounting of the 121 most common words found in the names of Episcopal parishes. There are approximately 7,500 Episcopal churches. Many parishes have more than one name in their title, such as Trinity and St. Philip or St. John the Divine. In cases such as the former, this counts as two designations, one for Trinity and one for St. Philip. In the latter case, the Divine is simply dropped and this parish is counted as St. John. In the case of the word Christ this includes parishes named Christ Church and Christ Episcopal Church etc. Please note multiple listings for similar words, ie. Our Saviour and Our Savior, also St. Ann and St. Anne. Please feel free to contact me with any corrections or questions at chris@stthomasbc.org.        

     Ranking /Parish Name                  Number of Parishes

1. Christ                                                            527

2. St. John                                                         524

3. Trinity                                                           520

4. St. Paul                                                         488

5. St. Andrew                                                   311

6. Grace                                                            281

7. St. James                                                      276

8. St. Luke                                                         261

9. St. Mark                                                        244

10. All Saints                                                    237

11. St. Peter                                                     210

12. St. Mary                                                     206

13. St. Stephen                                                173

14. Good Shepherd                                         170

15. St. Thomas                                                149

16. Chapel                                                        146

17. St. Michael                                                128

18. St. Matthew                                              123

19. St. George                                                 101

20. St. Francis                                                  95

21. St. Alban                                                     92

22. Ascension                                                  91

23. Epiphany                                                    91

24. Emmanuel                                                 89

25. St. Philip                                                     85

26. St. Barnabas                                              77

27. Calvary                                                       75

28. Cross                                                           71

29. Redeemer                                                  70

30. St. Martin                                                   68

31. Memorial                                                   66

32. St. David                                                     66

33. St. Timothy                                                66

34. St. Christopher                                          64

35. St. Ann                                                        63

36. Holy Spirit                                                  60

37. St. Augustine                                             55

38. Nativity                                                      54

39. All Angels                                                   50

40. Resurrection                                             48

41. Our Saviour                                               45

42. St. Anne                                                      43

43. Advent                                                        42

44. St. Bartholomew                                      41

45. Transfiguration                                         40

46. Matthias                                                    35

47. St. Margaret                                              33

48. St. Joseph                                                  32

49. St. Elizabeth                                              31

50. Christ the King                                          31

51. Incarnation                                                30

52. St. Patrick                                                  30

53. Messiah                                                      28

54. Apostles                                                     27

55. Holy Comforter                                        25

56. St. Jude                                                       22

57. Holy Family                                                22

58. St. Dunstan                                                21

59. Zion                                                             21

60. Holy Innocent                                           20

61. St. Aidan                                                     20

62. St. Nicholas                                               20

63. Holy Communion                                     20

64. All Souls                                                      19

65. St. Simon                                                    19

66. Samaritan                                                  18

67. St. Columba                                               16

68. St. Gabriel                                                  16

69. Atonement   `                                            15

70. Faith                                                            14

71. San Juan                                                     13

72. St. Bede                                                      13

73. St. Cyprian                                                 13

74. St. Agnes                                                    12

75. Immanuel                                                  12

76. Annunciation                                             11

77. Peace                                                          11

78. Jesus                                                           11

79. St. Edward                                                 11

80. St. Gregory                                                10

81. Mediator                                                    10

82. St. Ambrose                                               9

83. St. Clare                                                     9

84. Our Savior                                                  9

85. St. Martha                                                 8

86. St. Anselm                                                  8

87. St. Mary Magdalene                                8

88. Santa Maria                                               8

89. St. Boniface                                               7

90. Hope                                                           6

91. Jerusalem                                                  6

92. St. Catherine                                             6

93. St. Helen(a)                                                6

94. St. Monica                                                 6

95. St. Benedict                                               6

96. St. Edmund                                                6

97. Intercession                                              5

98. St. Cuthbert                                               5

99. St. Charles                                                 5

100. St. Richard                                               5

101. Reconciliation                                        4

102. San Jose                                                   4

103. St. Phillip                                                  4

104. St. Bernard                                              4

105. St. Hilda                                                   4

106. St. Simeon                                               4

107. Bethany                                                   3

108. Falls                                                          3

109. Lord                                                          3

110. St. Chad                                                   3

111. St. Hilary                                                  3

112. St. Katherine                                           3

113. Asaph                                                       2

114. Blessed Sacrament                                2

115. Creator                                                    2

116. Crucifixion                                               2

117. Holy Name                                              2

118. Love (Beloved)                                       2

119. St. Ignatius                                              2

120. St. Teresa                                                2

121. St. Theodore                                           2