Last week the parish office sent parishioners a presentation of our State of the Parish forum. When I became Rector here I promised to provide regular updates on the health and vitality of our covenant community.

We held the forum one Sunday in July. 99 parishioners participated. Not a bad turn out for church meeting on a beautiful summer afternoon.

The goal of the State of the Parish presentation is transparency in ministry. A covenant community consists of people who joyfully take responsibility for the life they share. They cannot exercise ownership in ministry if they do not understand what is going on.

I often substitute the term "covenant community" when I speak of "the church." The word "church" can mean many things: an institution, an ancient tradition, a religious dogma, organized religion. The word "church" generates positive associations in some people, negative associations in others.

I use "covenant community" to bring greater focus to what is most important. As faithful people we gather to pray and to support one another through life's challenges. A covenant community consists of people who have made an intentional commitment to one another, supported and empowered by the grace of God.

A person may be a member of a "church" as a formal association with an institution that does not impact one's life much. It is place to baptize babies, get married, and get buried. But it may not be of much consequence the rest of the time.

This is not the case with participation in a covenant community. One is not a "member" of a covenant community. One belongs. Belonging involves taking owner of the quality of the community and the vitality of the life one shares with others. Formal membership is meaningless in a covenant community. What matters is involvement.

Belonging involves an intentional commitment to be there for others. It involves an intentional commitment to respond to God's grace at work among those willing to share life together at its deeper levels. It involves taking responsibility for the health and vitality of the life faithful people share.

The State of the Parish forum, and the presentation recently mailed to parishioners, is one attempt to help our parishioners move from membership in an institutional church, to belongingship in a faithful covenant community.

One cannot take responsibility for their church, if one does not understand the health of our covenant community.