This last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of meeting with our Vestry for the first time. During that meeting I put forward what I see as the most immediate administrative and spiritual needs of St. David’s.
Administratively, our needs are actually being very well met. Sunday attendance continues to succeed over previous year’s averages, our community is giving generously and prayerfully to the sustained mission of the church, and new community members are successfully finding St. David’s via our reinvigorated online presence. These things working in tandem allow me to focus on the deeper work of evaluating and addressing the spiritual needs of our congregation.
Our spiritual needs are as verified as our congregants, but I have heard a few things across the board that I am working on fitting into a long-term vision for the duration of my tenure here.
First and foremost is an almost universal call for services opportunities outside of the singular Sunday morning offering. To help supplement this need, I have begun planning 12:15 p.m. services on important church feast days. This offering will begin with the Feast of Mary Magdalene on July 22nd, and the Feast of James the Apostle on July 25th. The idea behind the 12:15 start time is that it will allow those trying to fit a service into their lunch hour the opportunity to do so. Services will last roughly a half hour.
These things all being stated, my current top need as your pastor is getting to know my flock.
I would like to find time to sit with each and every one of our congregants if possible. Hearing your stories, and the testimony of the value of St. David’s in your life brings me joy like none other. Let’s make it happen.
– Joe Kennedy+