St. Alban’s Newsletter - November, 2011 - DIOCESAN CONVENTION REPORT    The 2011 Diocesan Convention held October 12-16th was hosted by St. John’s Episcopal Church in Hermiston, OR. The St. Alban’s Delegates were Dick & Ruth Brown and Virginia and Don Scott.  “One of the highlights was a 13 hour Inclusiveness Training Program developed and conducted by the Rev. Eric Law. It was very informative,” Jr. Warden Don Scott said. “His message to church leaders was about the need to grow and change with the diversity around us. Your delegates now have the tools to face these issues at St. Alban’s and in the community of Redmond,” Scott added. “The training illustrated how to establish  sustainable church programs with flexibility,” the Rev. Dick Brown said. “It was very unique.” Fr. Law had a unique way of guiding attendees through the training using original songs with lyrics from Bible passages.  Delegates did “Sing New Songs.” A very ‘cool’ approach, as Bishop Nedi Riviera put it, to unify us and keep us on track. The Business Meeting addressed the congregational feedback of the past year; i.e., maintaining the Diocese of Eastern Oregon as it is plus opinions about the role of the Bishop. Declining Diocesan income for the past several years made the budget discussion lively. After much dialogue, a balanced, but a smaller budget for 2012 was approved. The parish assessment also dropped 2.5% to 22.5% per congregation. The theme of the 41st Convention was “Sing A New Song.”  As Bishop Nedi put it in her letter to convention members, we “need to discover who we are called to be”.  She compared our journey to that of the Israelites who wandered in the desert for 40 years learning to be free with absolute faith in God even though they didn’t like it much and often got into trouble.           St. Alban’s 2011 Diocesan Convention delegates: The Rev. Dick Brown, The Rev. Dcn. Ruth Brown, St. Alban’s Office Manager Virginia Scott and Jr. Warden Don Scott. CHURCH FAMILY GROWS The word has it that the two floppy-eared critters joining our Pastured Livestock are Nubian milking goats. To most, they sound like goats, look like goats and, as some say, smell like goats. They have charming names: Crystal and April. It is presumed owner Lamar Cable will milk these ladies twice a day and turn their donations into Feta Cheese. Hope it works. Be good with a glass of wine. A NEW KIND OF CHURCH??? Some St. Albanites were discussing the church’s future and someone said, “Twenty years from now, the property we have may well be the home of a combined Anglican, Episcopal and Lutheran facility.” Dick Brown, quick with a quip, said, “It should be phrased as Anglican, Lutheran and Episcopal. That way it could be called the A.L.E. church.” Not to be out done, Gene Langworthy piped up and said, “Maybe we should invite the Baptists to come in with us … then we’d have a B.A.L.E church.”    Humm. Anybody know what that means?