Diaconate Community News

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CONVOCATION XI UPDATE: SAME GOALS, NEW METHODS

For Convocation XI, we’re developing a new approach to how we handle Convocation. Traditionally, Convocation has been an almost exclusive effort at ongoing formation for our ordained deacons—a single weekend in which we try to increase our deacons’ knowledge and skills, develop our relationships with both the already-ordained and those about to be ordained, increase our morale and enthusiasm level for our ministry. That’s asking a lot of a single weekend every other year, especially when little other opportunity is offered toward these ends during the two years until the next convocation.

So this year, those of us involved in the planning process have decided, after discussions with community members, the Community Board, and our director, to revise how we approach Convocation. We’re going to reshape the 2009 Convocation so as to spread out the investment of resources so that convocation becomes a cornerstone in a more evenly spread enhanced ongoing program of continuing formation for our ordained deacons and their wives. We’ll shorten Convocation weekend by beginning on Saturday morning rather than Friday night and restructure the format to make more out of our interactions in response to presentations. We’ll move the Memorial Service and Deacon Beacon welcoming rite to another time in the two-year process: probably as part of a combined service to memorialize the passing of some deacons at a time near the ordination of the next class, while welcoming the new group into the community. We’ll keep the communal prayer and relationship building and fellowship aspects of Convocation as usual.

These changes will take place in the context of several other formation events yet to be designed which will take place over the two years before Convocation XII. These half-day or full-day knowledge and skill development programs will spread out our efforts to make ongoing formation a more constant reality for our community members. And it will achieve these goals with less cost and better stewardship of the parish funding which underwrites the Convocation process. Same goals—new methods for achieving these goals more effectively and more efficiently: we think we’re on the right track.

If you would like to have a hand in these exciting developments, it’s not too late! Even if you haven’t been able to take part in our earlier meetings, you can still sign on for a role in our 2009 convocation. Our next meeting will be on THURSDAY, MARCH 13 at 7:00 at the Pastoral Center. If you can’t make it but have some ideas to share, please contact me. But even better—please join us for the meeting, and bring your ideas on theme and speakers. Hope to hear from you!

 
Jim Dennison
Convocation Planning Group
815-936-1798
jdennison@butter.toast.net

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