2 From Our Bishop

The Kingdom of God is Near: Bishop’s Letter

Dear Friends in I remember

Christ,

when I was serving my first church in suburban Boston

and signs

materialized claiming that a particular date in

October of 1993

would herald the end of the world. Now we are being told that 2012 is the deadline for getting our affairs in order. In any event, devotees of the Left Behind series will tell us that God’s Kingdom is about the cataclysmic end of the present world. Their image is one of violence and destruction.

If we see the Kingdom of God as something that results in a series of predicted events, much like tumblers in a safe coming into place so a door can be opened, then it is no wonder why so many Christians exhaust themselves worrying about who is in and who is out -- or left behind. But Jesus tells

us that the Kingdom of God is at hand. The first disciples experienced the kingdom when the lame walked, when an adulterous woman was spared, when a dead man breathed again. And we experience it today in our diocesan community when a hungry family receives nourishing food, when a dying friend is given companionship as he enters larger life, when refugees from another land are given what they need for new life among us.

“The Kingdom of God is breaking into this world around us and through us.”

Jesus draws a picture of the Kingdom of God and then invites us to step into that picture. We step in through how we live into being the servant community. I think of Inland Net at St. Bartholomew’s helping those who have lost their jobs find new work and dignity. I see the people of Grace in San Marcos throwing baby showers for expectant mothers whose husbands have been deployed. And I rejoice at Thanksgiving food bags filled and Christmas baskets burgeoning with love.

The Kingdom of God is breaking into this world around us and through us. We are entering the picture. And as this happens, I sense the momentum of a transforming

church in our diocese. I encourage you to come to our 36th Diocesan Convention on February 12 and 13, 2010. Our keynote speaker, Brian McLaren, will show us how this time is an Episcopal moment for evangelism and renewal. It is the Episcopal Church’s big moment!

I encourage you to join Brian on Friday night for the Convention gala

dinner and again on Saturday morning for a plenary session. Our convention Eucharist on Saturday morning will feature a choir composed of choristers throughout the diocese.

Blessings to you in Advent and Christmas. I look forward to being with you at our Diocesan Convention. It will be a family reunion -- a time of new life and celebration.

Faithfully,

The Rt. Rev. James R. Mathes Bishop

2010 Diocesan Budget: the Meaning of Enough

BY CATHERINE THIEMANN, COUNCIL MEMBER

"This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each of you needs.’ … Those who gathered much had nothing left over, and those who gathered little had no shortage."

In our culture, the stories of abundance and scarcity collide in paradox. We fear scarcity; we seek abundance; we end up hoarding. Our excess creates scarcity for those on lower rungs of the ladder. Like the Israelites who hoarded manna only to find it had “bred worms and become foul,” we struggle to find the meaning of Enough.

The Whole Church Affected

This struggle affects our family, congregational and diocesan budgets. Many congregations are seeing smaller amounts in the collection plate. Even if a congregation pledges its full mission share to the diocese (a minimum 10 percent of the prior year's income), this may be a smaller slice of the pie. With fewer resources, our diocese struggles to offer our share to the greater Episcopal Church. The financial pressure experienced by individuals is thus felt across the church.

but these congregations will require ongoing support.

Exodus 16:16 and 18

In addition, our diocese funds Episcopal Community Services, Camp Stevens, the Refugee Network, and many other ministries. We are committed to serving people in all areas of San Diego, Imperial, and Riverside Counties and in Yuma, Arizona. With the future of the church in mind, we would like to increase our support to campus ministry, seminarians and missionaries.

“Even in hard times, we have good news to share.”

Asking Hard Questions

When resources fall short of these needs, the Diocesan Council -- the leadership body of eighteen clergy and lay leaders -- must make difficult choices. Have we identified all possible sources of income? Are we making the best possible use of our resources?

In recent years, missions and aided parishes in our diocese have requested an unprecedented amount of aid. The good news is that we have been meeting their needs and we continue to do so. Twenty-one of our fifty congregations received some financial support during 2009. The nine congregations who experienced an exodus of members in 2006 received more than $500,000 in assistance. Generous private donors stepped forward to meet this need,

Can we meet the needs of the diocese without dipping into reserves? After months of prayerful work, Council members will present a preliminary budget during the second week of January at open hearings in Palm Springs, Temecula, and San Diego. See page 4 for dates, times and locations.

Creative Ministry

Even in hard times, we have good news to share. The committee on missions and aided parishes began meeting with congregations last June to identify more efficient ways of ministering to these congregations. As a result, three congregations in Riverside County have centralized their bookkeeping

and are sharing clergy. These congregations are St. Stephen’s, Sun City; St. Andrew’s, Lake Elsinore; and St. Thomas, Temecula, the latter being the central administrative office. The congregations of Sts. Peter and Paul, El Centro, and All Saints, Brawley are collaborating in new ways as well. The restructured diocesan staff, a skilled team of eight (down from twelve, and increasingly supported by volunteers) remains committed to building up the church. The vibrancy and creativity within our diocese was evident at our recent Diocesan Ministry Day (see page 6). We know that same creativity is alive and well within each parish and mission.

Although difficult decisions may still lie ahead, we feel confident that our diocese has the resources to meet the church’s needs. If each who has "gathered much" is called to share with those who have gathered little, there will be no shortage. And we will be blessed abundantly. X

A Good Handshake: Bishop Mathes greets

a young participant in the World AIDS Day Service at Trinity, Escondido on December 1, 2009. The annual service helps raise awareness and funds for those affected by the virus. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8