Vital + Thriving Discernment

Dear Friends in Christ,

This Sunday the people of Saint Anna’s will gather to hear the results of our Vital + Thriving surveys and listen deeply for what these results reveal about what God is calling our community to do and be. The information that will be presented is a summary of the findings of independent researchers, who curated the responses to the online parish survey which each household was asked to complete, the interviews conducted over the summer by the listening leaders, and the timeline we created over three Sundays during June, July, and August, as well as an organizational survey and demographic data from our surrounding community. We will do all this in the context of worship.

Although it might not look like our usual Sunday morning worship, what we will do together on Sunday is just as much worship as what we normally do. We will gather to pray, sing, hear and reflect on God’s Good News in Jesus, learn, and share in small groups. We will listen deeply, speak honestly, accept what others offer without discussion or debate, and commit to living out our faith in the world as God reveals it through our community, after which we will share a meal together during which we will bless bread and wine and celebrate communion.

The early church practiced their faith and shared communion in the context of a meal. Our practice this morning continues that tradition by welcoming all people, old and young, newcomers and long-term members, to share a meal together while experiencing a different way to worship that deepens and enriches our faithful participation in the teachings and practices of our religion. We will bless our meal with an ancient Eucharistic Prayer and will share the bread and wine together.

A church is more than a building, it is a community of believers. Saint Anna’s can only thrive if each of us are willing to engage with our mission and take part in this discernment. You are the people who make Saint Anna’s a church community and we need your participation in determining how Saint Anna’s plans for the future and how we can serve our community the way God is calling us to. We hope you will join us in church at our usual time of 10 AM to pray, reflect on scripture, learn, and share in a time of prayer, spiritual reflection, small group discernment, and fellowship that will reveal God at work in our community. If you plan to attend and have not already let us know that, please email Michelle Price at mgprice411@gmail.com to help in our planning.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Jane