Dear saints,

In this season of Epiphany, Christians are encouraged to look to the glory of God made manifest in the world. As the Body of Christ, the Church is intended to be a vessel for that glory, a beacon of light for people to see and to take hope from. 

Last spring, we reached an important milestone in our life as a parish in our calling to be such a beacon as we completed our master plan for the future of the church on this our city block. It was a bold and hopeful vision for the vitality of our church’s life among one another and within the life of this city. I encourage you to revisit the details of the full master plan HERE. 

At the heart of our vision is that through the redevelopment of our indoor and outdoor spaces we might open a ‘second front door’ to the life of community on this block. The missional imperative behind that vision is our conviction that as the church we are called to continue to find new ways by which people might come to know the love and mercy of God. We will continue to value the traditions of our life as a church in worship, in the raising of children and youth in the faith, in learning and service alongside others, and in care for fellow parishioners. At the same time, we will joyfully embark on new ventures, literally opening up new spaces for community to be built here and for the transformative power of grace to be known in the lives of people who have yet to discover this wonderful city block.

The fulfillment of the vision of the master plan will be many years of work and to guide that multi-year effort the vestry has commissioned a new "Block Development Steering Committee", which under the direction of chair, Sheldon Taylor, is made up of parishioners who bring an essential range of professional expertise and experience to this work. 

Alongside their professional backgrounds, this committee represents a deep and abiding commitment to the life of this parish across the wide array of our life together. Their role over the next several years will be to guide the phase by phase execution of the master plan. As new vestry members come and go, the constancy that this steering committee will provide will help us remain focused on what will be a multi-faceted and exciting chapter in the history of this church. 

I will offer an update on the progress of our work via this weekly email message. Should you wish to be in touch with me, Sheldon Taylor, or with a member of the steering committee, please do reach out. We want to hear from you. 

We are a church, which for over 122 years has been faithfully rooted in this great city and are committed to grow as a beacon of Christ’s light through the course of the century ahead. As we now embark on the fulfillment of our vision to be that light may the God who calls us forward inspire and strengthen us.

Peace,