Dear saints,

It was thrilling yesterday to speak to a packed Ellis Hall as we launched our discernment work as a parish for the future of our block. During that forum I laid out what I believe are some of the key considerations for this time ahead. All Saints' and the city block it inhabits is a gift entrusted to us. Our call at this time is to prayerfully ask of one another how we should make the most of that gift for this and for future generations. We know that whatever we do with our block we want it to further our mission as a church and help resource and sustain that work for the long-term. 

If you were not able to be in Ellis yesterday or join us online, I encourage you to catch up on our launch by watching this video recording of the forum here. 

I also encourage you to read through the introductory document below which is also available in hard copy around the church campus. Feel free to pick one up. 

Our next stop on this discernment journey is a town hall style gathering in Ellis Hall this Sunday, January 28. This is the first of three town halls where you are invited to share your thoughts and dreams about the block. We wish to listen in order to learn. Please plan on attending at least one of these town halls. The other two are on Sunday February 11 and on Sunday February 18.  

My sermon on Sunday explored themes related to our block discernment work, asking what it means to follow Jesus. You can listen to it here. In it, I wondered out loud how comforting it might be if one day, Jesus sauntered down West Peachtree, knocked on my window and showed me the way to go. As you'll see from the picture below, one good humored soul decided to get there first! 

As people of faith, we know that we don’t get that kind of clarity in our lives. We cannot know yet what we are called to do with our city block. That will require us all to pray, engage one another, and offer our best vision for the way forward. What we do know is that we have a holy companion for that journey, in Jesus. 'Follow me', our Savior asks us. Blessings to you all as we walk with him together.