Diversity – Care – Serving – Helping – Learning – Giving – Love – Welcome – Invitation – Sharing – Tradition – Newness – Growth – Opportunities
What do all of these words have in common? They are just some of the values identified as being important to the community of St. James’ Episcopal Church. Sitting on top of a rolling hill in the middle of the beautiful landscape of Healdsburg, surrounded by sunshine, good food, and crisp air, the Vestry tackled the important task of examining what we’ve done in the past and imagining where we might turn our energies towards in the future. To start, we brainstormed a list of what we found valuable in our community. Then we built from there.
Through our prayerful conversation, we soon realized that everything we do — from worship to celebrations, from reaching out to studying together — all of these things should be examined through this overarching question:
How do we make God present in our families, our church, our neighborhood, our town, and our world?
If what we are doing does not make God present in some way to some person, then it is our challenge to question whether we should be doing it. If the programs we offer do not seek to deepen a relationship with God, then we must wonder if the program is effective. If how we are Church together does not communicate the Love of God to all people, then it is our responsibility to tweak it enough so that the Good News becomes our primary purpose and reason for being.
This is not always an easy thing to do. So often we fall into the habitual movements of the past. It is how we’ve always done it, it is what is
comfortable for us, it is part of our history and we have a hard time letting go. Yet, we also know that living organisms change and transform. They adapt to current environments and reach for better, more life-giving ways. To that end, each vestry cluster will be asking if how or what we do is the best, most life-giving way of making God present. When the answer is “maybe not,” then change will happen to better align ourselves with our mission of sharing God. When the answer is “absolutely,” then we will seek to increase that energy.
We, Saint James’ Episcopal Church in Fremont, California, have amazing, dedicated, thoughtful, and wise leaders. We will do great work together; work that is wholesome, healing, transformative, and life-giving for all who are with us and all who come near us.
May God continue to bless us.
Lori
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