Submitted by: Donna Pettit
What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday in May in North Dakota? Seventeen of us attended a Zoom meeting of Diocesan Council, which put us indoors and staring at our computer screens from 9am to 12:30pm. Best time ever—probably not, but we are satisfied we fulfilled obligations we made by choosing to be on Council. We feel up to date and confident we have overseen the running of the Diocese and the work being done by committees and individuals for the benefit of us all.
This year there are seven Diocesan Council meetings scheduled; half in person and the rest on Zoom or some combination of live and Zoom. And in October there is the Diocesan Convention.
For each meeting Committee Chairs, the Treasurer, Diocesan ministers, the Bishop and anyone else who has something to report to the Diocese, are asked to submit a written report on what they have done and information to be made available to the diocese. The bishop sends these out the week before Council meets so we can read, digest and decide what we have questions about or what additional info we would like.
At the Council meeting, each of these reports is mentioned and the name of the person reporting and there is a chance to ask questions or have a conversation when needed. By the end of the meeting we all have a sense of how our plans are moving along or where they need a nudge. We know how the annual budget, income and expenses are doing for that time of the year. We see how the Bishop and Diocesan ministers are spending their time and how we might be more efficient in their use of time. I will mention that having Jessica in the Diocesan Office has made a huge difference in Clergy workloads.
Because I have chosen to share with you how Diocesan Council works, I have not given specific details about what was decided at the recent meeting. BUT—you can ask any member of Diocesan Council your questions or concerns and they will give you or find the answer you need.
