Cathedral Congregation Conversation DRAFT REPORT. October 2016

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1 Cathedral Congregation Conversation DRAFT REPORT October 2016 Background Late this spring, Bishop Mariann Budde and Interim Vicar Stuart Kenworthy asked the Cathedral Congregation Committee (CCC) to explore what the Congregation can offer and what it expects from the Cathedral. To answer those questions, members of the Cathedral Congregation Committee (CCC) and other members of the Congregation conducted conversations and fielded a survey available to all Congregation members. This report is the summary of what was learned. The objectives of the conversations and survey were: Generate ideas that can be shared with the Bishop and the new Dean about what members of the Cathedral Congregation can offer and what it expects from the Cathedral. Help shape the future of the Cathedral Congregation Build the picture of what the Congregation is, wants to be, and can be Bring the Congregation together to see themselves as a unified community. The conversations were held after each of the services on May 22 and June 5. Approximately 85 people participated. The survey was fielded shortly thereafter and 105 people responded. Members of the project team conducted both a quantitative and a qualitative analysis of the comments received since the survey questions were predominately open-ended. Since the questions were open-ended, we wanted to know what elements of Cathedral life are most important to Congregation members. The responses fell into these areas: Worship includes music, preaching, liturgy, etc. Feeling part of a community Programs Outreach Spiritual Education and Formation Sacred space Communications The report that follows consists of the themes that we heard in the conversations and the survey. The first section covers the overall themes and then the themes relative to the specific questions. Anything that is italicized is a direct quote from a participant. The appendix includes the quantitative themes that were identified. Since any one comment may address more than one theme, we decided to capture all the themes raised and not limit one comment to one theme. This means that, although there were close to 200 participants, there are many more than 200 comments. At the end of the report is a summary and recommendation for next steps. One immediate area of concern is the demographics of the participants who responded to the survey. Over 83% of the participants are 50 years or older. We believe that many Congregation members are younger and 1 P age

2 additional measures are needed to capture their experience. While this report may reflect the overall age-profile of the Congregation, we hope that the views and interests of those years will be given significant weight in programming, as this group will reflect the future of the Cathedral for decades longer. Themes The general themes identified in both the conversations and the survey are identified below. These themes have been gleaned from considering both the quantitative data and qualitative data. We wanted to consider all the ideas offered. More than one idea may have been offered in a comment and our intention was to capture them all as we identified themes. General Themes Based on integrating the information from the survey and the conversations, several key themes emerged: No single overarching theme dominated the responses. Of the various themes mentioned (e.g., worship, music, outreach, etc.), a wide spectrum of opinions were expressed. Worship, hospitality, and building our community are seen as the most important things we do as a congregation. These themes were reported over and over. Frequently there was a link made between worship and hospitality in the Episcopal tradition of openness and inclusion. Many members of the Congregation have an overlapping identity and see an important part of their connection to the Cathedral as sharing in the larger life and mission of the Cathedral, and don t make a distinction between being part of the Congregation and part of the Cathedral. Each service has a certain unique culture and dynamic that was evident during the conversations: o 8:00 am Community is important to the 8:00 am participants. The group wanted to protect and build their tight knit community and make sure nothing happens to the service. o 9:00 am These participants take personally the changes in the Cathedral and feel betrayed. There is not a lot of trust that the Cathedral leadership will listen to them. o 11:15 am These participants were positively impacted by DOCC or other spiritual growth opportunities at the Cathedral and are mourning the loss of them and the loss of attention paid to the Congregation. They are looking for those types of spiritual growth opportunities. The Congregation is a valuable and varied talent pool. A number of participants expressed that they are looking for something to do and can do it. Members expressed they don t feel their talents are always used. This point is captured in this quote: The Congregation brings together an atypical combination of skills, life experience and competence which has been sadly underutilized. Conversation was a valued means to share opinions within the congregation. Comments were made expressing appreciation for creating the opportunity to talk, and many expressed a desire have more conversations in the future. 2 P age

3 I hope that the Cathedral and Congregation leadership and senior staff will work with the Congregation members to find more effective channels and methods of two-way communication AND listening among the staff and members of the Congregation. There was a contingent of folks who asked to hear from the Cathedral Leadership rather than discussing the group s vision of the Congregation and sharing the outcome. This survey seems very one-way to wit: the congregation is asked about its responsibilities to the Cathedral; but there is no asking what we, the congregation, think the responsibilities are of the Cathedral (particularly the Bishop, Chapter, and clergy). The most frequently mentioned disappointment was the decision to change the 9:00 am service (music and liturgy) without any advance notice. This was mentioned in both the conversations and in the survey. Many self-identified as regularly attending the 9:00 am worship service. Explicit concerns about the 9 am service as a petri dish as resources have shrunk. The congregation community has not been invited to give ideas to leadership and to speak and be heard about our concerns (particularly in reference to the 9 am service). For social justice issues, opinions were expressed at both ends and all along the spectrum; so every issue described had both strong proponents and opponents. Themes from Specific Questions WHY DID YOU FIRST COME TO THE CATHEDRAL? Several major themes emerged to this question. People were attracted by: the worship, the sacred space and beauty of the Cathedral. (78%) In addition, music was a common thread. (13%) the opportunity for an inclusive, welcoming community in a non-parish setting. (19%) the varied opportunities to engage in programs that offered spiritual growth (individually and as a community) as well as larger issues facing the community and nation. (14%) the opportunity to be of service to the Cathedral and the larger community. (9%) the proximity of the Cathedral to where members live. (6% ) (There were a couple of comments complaining about the difficulty in getting to the Cathedral in the evenings or via public transportation.) WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ROLE THE CATHEDRAL CONGREGATION CAN FULFILL? The survey asked participants to identify what they believe is the MOST important role of the Congregation, as well as other prominent roles that the Cathedral Congregation can fulfill. The section briefly describes - in order of mention - the MOST important roles identified by the participants. Activities identified as other prominent roles are not separately reported but included as examples in 3 P age

4 each of the sections below. It is worth noting that the activities of Worship, Outreach/Volunteer Service, and Life/Mission of the Cathedral received almost equal mention by participants. 1. Be a Supportive Community 38% a. Help with spiritual formation, faith development, living our lives b. Place to meet like-minded seekers; provide sense of belonging c. Nurturance, care, mutual support, ministry to one other, including pastoral care d. Prepare members to engage in service to the larger community e. Fellowship, socializing 2. Provide Hospitality 21% a. Extend a warm welcome to all visitors b. Help visitors to connect to God c. Provide a space for others spiritual journeys d. Attract others to the Cathedral and/or the Episcopal church e. Teach/inform visitors f. Congregation members represent the Cathedral 3. Participate in Worship 19% a. Worship together b. Congregation described as heart or soul of the Cathedral c. Worship was sometimes linked with hospitality d. Some responses referred to the Congregation being part of the larger worshipping community that comes to the Cathedral e. Many responses emphasized importance of the Episcopal tradition related to worship, hospitality, music 4. Engage in Outreach and Volunteer Service 19% a. For Washington DC community b. Several responses that congregation supports each other s spiritual development so we can go out and perform service for others c. Majority mentioned service to Washington, DC community and/or poor or disenfranchised 5. Support and participate in the Life and Mission of the Cathedral 18% a. Support the leadership of the Cathedral in its national, local, and diocesan efforts in such areas as social justice, peace, interfaith, Christian leadership, needs of Washington, DC b. Congregation should play a role in national leadership; provide expertise and resources to the community and to the Cathedral c. Serve as a model of a Christian community 6. Financial Stewardship 5% 4 P age

5 I HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO BE PART OF THIS CATHEDRAL CONGREGATION RATHER THAN A PARISH CHURCH BECAUSE. Many comments started with the statement that it was not an either/or decision for them. The results below primarily address why participants chose this particular place to become a member. Specific quotes illustrating the answers are included below the named theme. 1. Participate in Worship 48% Worship at the Cathedral has so much beauty. It is not just show. It has depth and warmth The power of our liturgy has depth that spring from both clergy and the praying community. I love great liturgy and the beautiful worship space. Structural setting/allows us to be ourselves and forgive ourselves. Remarkable clergy. I feel a peace and closeness to God here. I am awed by the beauty and majesty of the structure. 2. Support and participate in the Life and Mission of the Cathedral 18% The presence and world-serving mission of the Cathedral along with the friendliness and the sense of community which I immediately felt. I felt drawn to the Cathedral-and found solace there in difficult times in my life. I also deeply crave the beauty of the worship service. I felt a community was forming and I wanted to be a part of it. Love the place. A point in my life to be mission oriented and understanding not available in most parishes. I believe in the Cathedral's overall mission and symbolic witness in our nation. 3. Parish 14% The church itself is special and royal giving a stronger feeling of closeness to God, in my opinion. 4. Physical Structure 8% I was attracted to the physical beauty of the Cathedral. 5. Provide Hospitality 5% I did not decide not to be a member of a parish church. I found myself attracted to this one because of its welcoming nature. It is a perfect fit for me. I love the building, the people, and the hospitality to all the visitors, the beauty of worship, and the variety and quality of preaching. More welcoming here. I have found the members of the congregation to be friendlier than at either of the other two churches. 6. Be a Supportive Community 5% The Congregation offers a path to promoting a just community. Where we sit as a part of the community and the ability to contribute to the wider community. I wish to be a part of a community that is larger and more than a neighborhood community. 7. Engage in Outreach and Volunteer Services 3% Felt a connection through pastoral care. 5 P age

6 The majority of survey respondents were very positive about the Cathedral today and its future. The most moving part was how the Congregation expressed a sense of joy and love for the Cathedral s spiritual presence and unique physical space. Turning to the Cathedral and away from a local parish church happen for many different reasons. It appears that the connections that the respondents made with the Cathedral are heartfelt and lasting. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITES OF A CATHEDRAL CONGREGATION MEMBER? One response captures the collective essence of the responses about the responsibilities of being a member of the Cathedral Congregation: Worship regularly as a congregation, contribute time and effort to Cathedral services and programs, and reach out into the wider community to serve others who have needs in a number of areas. To show Jesus. 1. Support Stewardship 33.7% a. Financial Support (65% of this stewardship category and 22% of total responses about responsibilities of members) Provide financial support to help sustain the Congregation and Cathedral for what it provides to each of us. Financially support the mission and ministry of the church. Support the Cathedral financially to the extent your resources allow Even a LITTLE is OK. Commit to making an annual financial contribution, no matter how small it may have to be. Give back to God from our riches pledge. Contribute money and to the life of the Cathedral. Active stewardship in all ways. b. General support (17.5% of this overall stewardship category) Ministries (via prayer, resources, engagement, etc.) Support for the clergy and staff. Maintaining the Cathedral s national heritage and long history of devoted supporters. c. Time and Talents - (17.5% of this overall stewardship category) Share talents, energy and financial resources in support of the Cathedral s work. Offer some talent or gift to the congregation community, whether it be food at a potluck, a course offering, etc. 2. Service - 23% These responses made reference to service and/or volunteering, both internal (Cathedral and/or Congregation) and external to the larger community. a. Volunteering & Programs: Most comments spoke of volunteering and being active in general terms as well as specific ministries and programs of the Cathedral and the Congregation. 6 P age

7 Reflect the service in your life. Generic reference to being active in ministries or specific ministries at the Cathedral/Congregation. Ministries mentioned by name included: prisons, Vets, social justice, environmental, street church, music; LEMs, ushers, readers. Some were specific to the faith community, such as evangelism. Most referenced the Cathedral (panels, Forum, special events). A few referenced Congregational programs (general reference to Congregation programs, potluck and other community building events, Mindfulness Prayer). b. Active Engagement: Some specifically mentioned outreach and/or advocacy serving the larger community: Our responsibility as a WNC member is to get in there and DO things Be the change that we want. We must be the mission and also the ministers. Engagement of faith in action. Reflect service in your life. c. Advocating for the Cathedral: Some mentioned being advocates/ambassadors for the Cathedral beyond the Close, in the larger Episcopal Church, the diocese, and/or in the larger world. For example: Represent the Cathedral in the larger world and invite others to come and see. Alert the public to the need for development of the Cathedral. Build the Cathedral s reputation as a House of Prayer. 3. Spiritual/Worship Engagement 16.2% These responses specifically mentioned the spiritual and/or worshipful community aspects of membership, not just being physically present or attending programs. For example: Participate in worship life of the Cathedral ; and Support the liturgical ministries. Foster a strong Cathedral family of believers that support each other on their spiritual journey; and discern the Holy Spirit within fellow Christians that transcends mere friendship or fellowship. A willingness to share our spiritual journey and listen to the stories of others A WNC member must be eager to nurture his/her own faith AND nurture the faith of other people. 4. Hospitality Welcoming Atmosphere 15.5% References to offering hospitality and/or welcoming atmosphere spanned both internal (being supportive of other members of the Congregation) as well as external (visitors). There is a strong thread of community in these responses. Some of the responses about welcoming included a spiritual element of hospitality (e.g., love one another as He love us; welcoming with spirit and faith). Welcoming and introducing self to visitors. Help others feel welcome. Radical hospitality. Listening to guests. Bringing in neighbors and people to events, inviting others to join the Cathedral. Spread the word on how welcoming the Cathedral is. Interacting with each other, and networking and supporting members. Being in a community. Importance of hearing different voices. 7 P age

8 Make Cathedral welcoming to all and provide input to the CCC, NCA, PECP as needed and requested. 5. Attend Physical Presence % Attend regularly. Show up and interact with fellow members of the Congregation. Communication and Relationship of Congregation and Cathedral A number of responses touched on the role, relationship, and communications between the Congregation and the larger Cathedral, with various references to speaking up and being listened to. For example: Represent the Cathedral, and play a leadership role in the work that it does. (NOTE: It is not clear if the it is the Cathedral or the Congregation.) Speak out to leadership regarding any concerns with the Congregation. Give feedback to the powers that be --- AND be listened to. Play a role in decision-making and strategic planning. Unity: support the Cathedral and each other. This has been a challenge because the Chapter doesn t care and the Dean did not care. There is a need for rebuilding. Disappointments / Concerns Throughout the survey and conversations, some disappointments or concerns were raised that may not have been reflected in the thematic review. Recognizing that many of these are mentioned once, we do want to be transparent with some of the issues raised. I am concerned about our shrinking membership numbers nationwide and the financial instability of the Cathedral. I am less concerned about the Congregation's role in the City of Washington. There are many other organizations through which Cathedral Congregation members can become involved in the community. A few concerns were raised about the representation of the Congregation with the Cathedral Leadership. Some expressed that the Cathedral Congregation Committee (CCC) was selected by the Cathedral Leadership and was not representative of the Congregation. Others did not know about the CCC and some did not understand their role and/or value. A few comments addressed the need for pastoral care for the Congregation. Music was mentioned as a concern in a number of contexts, including wondering why it was not rated higher on the list of three most important Elements of Cathedral Life (see the Appendix for the final priorities). Comments relative to music asked for more, that it be more lively, and expressed concern that it is missing at the 9:00 service. One person commented: I am disappointed that you have not included music as one of the most important parts of the Cathedral. For me, and I suspect for others, music is a very personal and spiritual experience. I cannot image the Cathedral without the English choral music. SUGGESTIONS: There were many suggestions of what we can do to create a stronger and more vibrant Cathedral Congregation. 8 P age

9 Need more communication about what is the real structure of the Chapter, PECF, the Cathedral Congregation, and the CCC. We want to hear from the Cathedral Clergy about what they expect of us as a Congregation. It would be nice to have volunteer opportunities for the short term as well as long term since time commitments can be an obstacle to long-term involvement. In addition, short term volunteer opportunities would expand the cathedral member interactions and allow for a closer community and chance to meet more members. I think the Cathedral Congregation needs to make special effort to build community during this period of intense change among our clergy small group gatherings to help people get to know each other. This might also serve as the playing ground between old timers and new members. The Cathedral leadership should consider some structural mechanisms to ensure congregation engagement in decisions about our worship style and worship staff It seems there should be an advisory group to the Dean that is comprised of congregation members, and to which the Dean can turn to for advice for those matters most intimate to the congregation, such as our worship needs and desires. Rather than a "top down" decision-making that is then poorly communicated to those of us affected! Could the Cathedral clergy consider offering themselves to teach more of the spiritual formation and education courses, as they did in years' past? All of our courses now are taught by lay people (most highly competent!). We could benefit from returning/adding back to having some of our courses taught by our clergy, in part because of the "extra" gifts they bring as ordained (and therefore highly scholared) people, and also that it would form closer bonds between our clergy and congregation. NEXT STEPS During our conversations on Sunday, October 30, we want the opinions of the Cathedral Congregation. We want to understand if we captured what you wanted us to know. What do we need to add? What can we eliminate? After the conversations on October 30, the report will be finalized and shared with the Congregation, the Cathedral Leadership (Dean, Clergy, et. al.), the CCC, the worship department and others who are critical to this effort. The intent is for us together to shape what the Cathedral Congregation can be. As one person offered this comment about the Cathedral Congregation, It is vitally important to the present and ongoing life (and soul) of the Cathedral. It is committed, resilient, tenacious, resourceful, scrappy, loving, loyal, devoted, and needs to know that it is highly valued. 9 P age

10 APPENDIX Quantitative Data The initial review of the data from the conversations and survey identified the number of times common themes were mentioned to capture a quantitative picture of the data. This information was used to frame the qualitative information. The numbers in the report will not correlate to this information. You can review this information to understand the range of comments and themes mentioned. Different members of the project team coded or reviewed the data. The numbers of reviews are identified at the bottom of the chart. Column1 Why Come Key Role Other Roles Why Part Respon of Cong Add'l Comments FEELING PART OF A COMMUNITY Member of Community Pastoral Care Service to the Cathedral Stewardship Location Other Hospitality Attendance WORSHIP Preaching Music Liturgy House of Prayer for All Other COMMUNICATION From Cathedral Leadership To Cathedral Leadership Interaction with Cathedral Clergy Other SACRED SPACE Building/Architecture Tour Other PROGRAMS s & 30s Forums Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage Interfaith Other OUTREACH Local Community Wider Community National Voice P age

11 Social Action Direct Service Other SPIRITUAL EDUCATION & FORMATION Faith Journey Courses DOCC/TLB Inquirers Other LEADERSHIP INTERACTION Dean Vicar Clergy Bishop Other DATA Possible Items Reviewers P age

12 Important Elements of Cathedral Life In the conversations and in the survey, participants were asked to identify the three most important elements of Cathedral life for them. This chart captures the information and the relative rank. As you can see, the most important element is worship and the least important to those who offered opinions is exploring other faiths. May 22 May 22 May 22 June 5 June 5 Survey TOTAL Rank Element 8:00 9:00 11:15 9:00 11:15 Raw Exploring other faiths Feeling part of a Community Fellowship with other 26 9 Christians Opportunity to be of service to 47 5 the community Opportunity to be of service to 74 3 the Cathedral Pastoral Care Support Programs Social Justice Spiritual Education and 52 4 Formation Worship Project team Quantitative Analysis Jeff Taggert, Jeff Stitz, Anne Stubbs, Janet Healey, Harvey Bale, Nick Cielinski Qualitative Analysis Anne Stubbs, Kathy Deal, Beverly Weaver Project Lead Nancy Stockbridge 12 P age