St Jude's In The Mountains
Anglican Church - Tehachapi CA
Anglican Church - Tehachapi CA
1
Well last month we had our last Bishop's Committee meeting ever. We now have a Vestry instead of a Bishop's Committee, and their first act was to elect me to be the new Rector. It continues to be a mighty privilege to serve our church, and by the grace of God we will continue to grow and reach out to even more people who need the grace of God in their lives. We had a great Diocesan Convention which approved a prudent budget, looking forward to expanding ministry in our diocese, and our congregation was officially approved as a new Parish after nearly 30 years as a mission. We have much to be thankful for over these years, and in the spirit of gratitude we launch our stewardship season anticipating another joyful year of ministry together.
Our church has emerged from a solid foundation in the Gospel and now sits poised for significant outreach as a parish. I am especially grateful to Fr. John for having laid such a solid spiritual foundation for our church. For over thirteen years as our previous Vicar, and years beyond as a regular supply priest, Fr. John has given us the uncompromised Gospel of Jesus Christ, affirmed our trust in the Holy Scriptures, and poured out the love of our Lord to this precious congregation. Fr. Williams, who served as our interim for nearly two years until my arrival, continued building on the foundation, keeping our congregation healthy. It is no wonder that our church has been able to become a parish throughout the years of our ministry together. As a parish, we are now able to support any neighboring mission in need of parochial sponsorship. Further, we are more responsible for our finances and ministries, no longer under the diocesan Department of Missions.
This year we are seeing renewed growth in ministry. We now have three different study groups, each of whom with new members, and a special inductive study group with over a dozen participants, including folks from other churches. We are also seeing successful outreach as several of our newest members are now inviting their friends to our church, and those friends are in turn finding our church to be a loving spiritual home. This has prompted me to resume our New Members Class to prepare more members for Confirmation when Bishop Schofield visits us on January 30th. We indeed have a great deal to be thankful for.
In this spirit of gratitude, we once again begin our stewardship season, and as in every year before, we welcome your support of our ministry together, but we would never presume a spirit of obligation. Thanksgiving is about gratitude rather than expectation. Thus we trust the Lord to keep our doors open and the lights on, as He touches hearts to provide for our church through friends grateful of His blessings. Later this month you will see a stewardship letter from me and our Senior Warden, with a pledge card. On November 21st, we will turn in our pledge cards for Consecration Sunday so that our Vestry can discern what we have to work with for the 2011 budget. Even if you can only pledge a little, know that it is deeply appreciated, for every little bit helps. As in the last two years, I will not accept a pay raise, since we have all been on a fixed income lately. It is a joy to be your new Rector, and I am excited for what our years together will yet bring.
Our church has emerged from a solid foundation in the Gospel and now sits poised for significant outreach as a parish. I am especially grateful to Fr. John for having laid such a solid spiritual foundation for our church. For over thirteen years as our previous Vicar, and years beyond as a regular supply priest, Fr. John has given us the uncompromised Gospel of Jesus Christ, affirmed our trust in the Holy Scriptures, and poured out the love of our Lord to this precious congregation. Fr. Williams, who served as our interim for nearly two years until my arrival, continued building on the foundation, keeping our congregation healthy. It is no wonder that our church has been able to become a parish throughout the years of our ministry together. As a parish, we are now able to support any neighboring mission in need of parochial sponsorship. Further, we are more responsible for our finances and ministries, no longer under the diocesan Department of Missions.
This year we are seeing renewed growth in ministry. We now have three different study groups, each of whom with new members, and a special inductive study group with over a dozen participants, including folks from other churches. We are also seeing successful outreach as several of our newest members are now inviting their friends to our church, and those friends are in turn finding our church to be a loving spiritual home. This has prompted me to resume our New Members Class to prepare more members for Confirmation when Bishop Schofield visits us on January 30th. We indeed have a great deal to be thankful for.
In this spirit of gratitude, we once again begin our stewardship season, and as in every year before, we welcome your support of our ministry together, but we would never presume a spirit of obligation. Thanksgiving is about gratitude rather than expectation. Thus we trust the Lord to keep our doors open and the lights on, as He touches hearts to provide for our church through friends grateful of His blessings. Later this month you will see a stewardship letter from me and our Senior Warden, with a pledge card. On November 21st, we will turn in our pledge cards for Consecration Sunday so that our Vestry can discern what we have to work with for the 2011 budget. Even if you can only pledge a little, know that it is deeply appreciated, for every little bit helps. As in the last two years, I will not accept a pay raise, since we have all been on a fixed income lately. It is a joy to be your new Rector, and I am excited for what our years together will yet bring.
