Following the redundancy of the role of Parish Administrator, I have been trying to figure out how best to fill the gaps left by Leanne’s absence and still do the primary work of being your priest. I am sure you would agree that it has been to limited effect, so far. Some of the gaps will be noticeable to you, and some are behind-the-scenes.
In order to prioritise my commitment to you all as your priest, and to my own vows and wellbeing, I am trialling the following work rhythm and would appreciate your support and in time, your feedback.
I am always available to you for emergencies! Your spiritual wellbeing is my priority. I am here for you to call upon during the times you need immediate support.
The broad brush-strokes of the work rhythm are:
Mondays: day off
Tuesdays: Volunteer at breakfast club. Then alternating between:
Day of parish presence
Day at the Roscoe Library, St Francis’ College
Day of parish presence
Day of prayer in an outdoor setting
Wednesdays: Eucharist and morning tea, prep for Sundays
Thursdays: Admin day plus check in with PlayMatters group. Monthly Eucharist at James Ommaney Retirement Centre. Meetings may be held on this day
Fridays: Coffee and Conversation (rostered on fortnightly), meetings and admin
Saturdays: Presence at St Cat’s football club; following up last minute things before Sunday.
Sundays: Worship
What this means in practical terms:
I will not be looking at emails until Thursday. If you have sent me something that is urgent and important, please call me or send me a text so that I am alerted to it.
Admin/business type meetings will only be scheduled on Thursdays or Fridays. This is to allow for the core “business” of pastoral care and prayer for the parish to be given higher priority at the beginning of the week.
Fortnightly on Tuesdays I will be available to you for regular catch ups. We can make a time to do this, or you can pop into the church at any time. Sometimes I might choose to go to a cafe and I will let you know where and when I’ll be there. If no appointments are made with me, I will be spending the time praying for the parish and making phone calls to you.
How you can help:
Please pray for me and for this parish. That we may all be sensitive to God’s mission here and attend to it in a way that leads to the flourishing of all of us.
Please call on me when you are having a spiritual or practical dilemma that needs immediate attention. You are my priority. The time I spend with you is never a drain, it is always life-giving to me as it is what my calling is all about.
If you have particular skills (i.e. admin, pastoral, liturgical) and you would like to offer those skills to God’s mission here, please let me or a warden know about it. We can work together to figure out what gaps can be met.
If you notice that I am not sticking to the rhythm (e.g. sending emails on a day other than Thursdays or Fridays and it is not urgent) then (gently) let me know that you noticed. This can help to keep me accountable.
I pray that in trialling this rhythm over the next few months, we will feel more connected to one another, and notice the flourishing of the Holy Spirit amongst us even more palpably.
Rev’d Elizabeth