As we move into the summer, I am excited about all the work that has already taken place at St. David’s as we discern God’s call for us in the future.
- January: Introduced Year of Discernment at Annual Parish Meeting
- February-March: During Lent we invited individuals to read Discernment by Henri Nouwen and gathered in small groups to discuss. We asked people to think about the ways in which they discern God’s presence in their lives, and how we might do so as a parish.
- April-May: In the Easter season we invited the various parish ministries to enter dialogue about how God has enabled their ministries in the past, and to prayerfully consider what God is calling them to do now. We also asked those groups to think about the whole parish and where God is leading us.
Discernment Windows
Next week, we will unveil beautiful stained-glass-like Discernment Windows in Sumners Hall made of translucent, multi-colored sticky notes. These are created from the discernment notes and work so far this year, and will allow us to glimpse the future God has in store for us.
During the summer, and ahead of schedule, I invite the whole parish to continue in our discernment journey with Parish Discernment Conversations during the formation hour.
- June 16, 10 a.m.: Grab breakfast, find a table, and take time to review and explore the Discernment Windows. Add your insights and ideas to the beauty of the windows. Throughout the summer, as the content continues to grow, so will our excitement about what God is calling us to do.
- July 28, 10 a.m.: Gather again over breakfast to prayerfully review the content of the Discernment Windows. What patterns do we see? What outliers can we identify? What is the intersection of the world’s great need and our community’s faithful passion? As we identify patterns, we will begin to articulate our call.
- Aug. 18, Welcome Home Sunday: At the end of the summer, we will conclude our parish-wide discernment conversations and celebrate the beginning of a new programming year. Then, the Project 32 Task Force will prepare the vestry and staff for a November workday in which we build a call to action that will inform the work of our common life over the next decade.
This summer, I look forward to continuing our parish discernment. What will God reveal to us? What is he calling St. David’s to be? Let’s wonder and discover together.
Peace,
Fr. Chuck
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