I've been thinking lately about a conversation I had with a member of our outreach committee. This wise Christian said, "You know, we have a very dedicated and talented outreach committee, but I always say that outreach really is a ministry of the whole parish. It takes all of us." He's right, of course. And the same principle applies to almost all of our ministries. We have leaders set aside for certain roles, but these roles are within the work that the whole church shares. For the most part, we assign someone to help us engage in ministry, not to minister on our behalf. 

For the last year, Kim Butler has done a remarkable job playing a leading role in facilitating our ministry with children and youth. She is transitioning off of the staff at the end of this month. We are committed to staffing this position, but there will be a "bridge" time when our ministries with children and youth will need to continue with less staff facilitation and much much more parish-wide participation in these ministries. I'm going to try to be blunt without being alarmist: to continue the excellent work begun with our children and youth, we must have many parishioners volunteer to invest a few hours in our children (Sunday mornings) and youth (Sunday evenings) this fall. Our recent surveys designated these ministry areas as crucial priorities for the parish—now is the time for the whole church to make them priorities. Please contact me or Kim Butler as soon as possible to see how you can join this ministry of the whole church.

Eric+

Foyer Dinner Groups (from the French word "foier" meaning "hearth" or "home") are a way to foster connection among parishioners in a smaller setting outside of our larger, parish-wide events. Foyer Groups provide time to be with one another so that friendship may grow. They are not a study or prayer group; they have no agenda other than spending time with one another.

Each group of 8-10 people meets once a month for a simple meal and relaxed conversation in the homes of members. The gatherings last approximately 2 hours. Generally, the host provides the main dish and others bring the rest of the meal (appetizer, salad, side, or dessert), but groups can be organized in many other ways. If you're concerned about accommodating a group in your own home, please sign up and share hosting with another, or consider hosting a casual backyard evening.

We will schedule groups for fall and new groups for spring. Each group will meet 3 times.

Use the link below to add your contact information and complete a very quick 3 question form. The Hospitality Group will organize the groups and send information by September first to get you started.

Please contact the Parish Office to update our files.