CEEP (the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes) held their annual conference this past weekend in Louisville, KY, providing the opportunity to bring the member of the CEEP Network together. Connecting old and new friends and peers is a hallmark of the CEEP Network and a principal way of supporting each other’s ministries, filling each other with insight and inspiration, and challenging each other to think in new ways about being church. Trinity was represented by The Rev. Dr. Lisa Tucker-Gray, Rector, Heather Meyer, Director of Operations, and Bob Meeker, Vestry member and Finance Commission Chair.
Heather shared, “For two days last week, Bob Meeker and I were grateful to join Lisa at the Louisville CEEP Network Gathering, Leading Beyond The Walls. CEEP is the largest group of resourced institutions from across the Episcopal Church. Its mission is for members to learn from and with each other and they succeeded in that with your Director of Operations. Bob attended sessions geared more towards the financial side of the church. I filled my days learning from my peers about how to care for aging facilities, developing workable master plans and listening to how other parishes, much like ours, have reinvented sacred spaces. I even selected a lunch session on website storytelling for Lynzi, taking copious notes to share with her upon my return. Thank you for such a unique opportunity.”
Bob added, ” CEEP made sense. The people of our church, carrying gifts, have much to learn from each other. I walked out with 14 contacts worth asking deeper questions. As with many gatherings, it’s the informal, impromptu insights that can matter most. The hours with Heather, Lisa and Kim were even more triumphant. “
Lisa, Heather and Bob were also able to meet up with The Right Rev Mariann Edgar Budde, who is the first woman to serve as diocesan Bishop in the Diocese of Washington. Bishop Budde served her first call here at Trinity in 1988, where she served as Associate Rector from 1988-1993. Bishop Budde even recalled a few friends she had made during her time at Trinity and sent along her well wishes to the Parish.
