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Kick-Off Sunday, September 11, was a wonderful day for Christ Church.We welcomed the 50 new members who have joined our church in the past year. In the last two years, a total of 150 new people have become a part of our church community – a remarkable development, especially during a pandemic. We had more than 30 children participate in Children’s Chapel during the 9 a.m. service. We had 216 people at our 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services combined. The ministry fair between the services was packed. We celebrated the baptism of Mairéad Grace Firth, the granddaughter of Brian Firth and the daughter of Jacquie Firth, who were joined by members of their family from around the world.
Mairéad’s was our church’s 11th baptism this year. We expect another 11 by year-end. Through July, contributions to the church were 44 percent ahead of our budget.
As positive as these numbers are, they are not the measure of the health of our church. Ours is a spiritual community. We are not a business. We are brought together by our Christian faith; by our desire to welcome and accept each other fully; by our commitment to serve others in our Capitol Hill community and in the wider world; by our need for mutual encouragement, support, inspiration, and forgiveness as we struggle to live the teachings of Jesus; by our hope for comfort in our most difficult hours and for shared joy in our happiest ones; and by our desire for a haven of serenity and peace and reflection in troubling times.
Our Vestry – the elected lay leadership of our church – has attempted to summarize the
mission of Christ Church in these few words: “To be a caring, accepting, and welcoming
community that embodies Jesus’ love in Capitol Hill and beyond.” The true measure of the
health of our church is whether we are achieving that mission. The Vestry will be soliciting input from the church’s membership to identify specific goals for implementing our mission. I hope we can articulate goals that will help us periodically assess the state of our church’s soul. That’s what matters most.
At the same time, the Vestry is acutely aware of our fiduciary obligation to the church’s
members in administering the affairs of the church. We have a sacred obligation to be prudent stewards of the church’s property and the funds you entrust to the church, to be accountable and responsible to you in our oversight of the church’s operations, and to observe high standards of care in conducting the affairs of the church. We now link agendas for and minutes of Vestry meetings in the church bulletin, so that you can
attend meetings if you see items of interest to you, and so you can all know what the Vestry is doing. We are working with the Vestry’s advisory committees – the Finance Committee, the Outreach Committee, and the Property Committee – to ensure that we are in compliance with the requirements of the Episcopal Church’s canons, our own church bylaws, the laws of the District of Columbia, and the recommendations of the church’s auditor; to provide opportunities for church members both long-term and new to serve on committees; and to define the functions of the committees clearly so that everyone understands what the committees do. I believe the Vestry’s focus on the soul of our church is completely compatible with its simultaneous focus on good management of the church. Both are our obligations to you.
Beth and I joined Christ Church seven years ago this month, shortly after we moved to Capitol Hill. We were twenty minutes into our first service as visitors when we both realized this was the church for us. I have had happy experiences with a number of churches over the years, but I have never felt more at home than I do at Christ Church. I am grateful to be a part of this special community. I feel privileged and honored to serve you. You can reach me at james.j.sandman@gmail.com or at 202-494-3455. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. But not TikTok.
- Jim
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